Part III:

Minutes turned into hours. Every hour, minute or second spent with Chloe Sullivan was a moment that Clark Kent enjoyed thoroughly. There was no one in the world like her. Sure, his world up until this point had been very small, but even with the meteorite villains and everyone else he's encountered in his lifetime, no one could hold a candle to Chloe Sullivan.

There were many words in his vocabulary to describe her. Headstrong, fierce, passionate, intelligent, beautiful, and trustworthy to name a few. All were good words to describe her, but there was only one word in Clark's vocabulary that quite truly captured her essence.

Overwhelming.

To Clark, Chloe was overwhelmingly passionate, overwhelmingly fierce and headstrong, overwhelmingly beautiful inside and out…just overwhelming. Every move she made sparked interest within him. She had this way about her, this way of going through a life laden with tragedy and disaster with grace and eloquence. Her bright smile, her determination, her unwavering loyalty and dedication to him and anything else she cared about. Clark wondered just what in the world took him so long to admit to himself that he was infatuated with her, enamored with her, in love with her.

He simply adored her.

She had successfully ruined him for any other woman. He could never quite love anyone else the way he loved Chloe. Could never quite trust another woman the way he trusted her. Something in Chloe's very soul called to him and he had yet to find it anywhere else. Truthfully, Clark hadn't looked anywhere else and never would. Chloe Sullivan was the one for him.

If only she knew it.

If only he could work up the courage to tell her. Clark had absolutely no problem in talking to her about anything. He could remember a disastrous moment years ago when he'd been dating Lana that he'd gone to her and talked to her about his sex life. He remembered her face, twisting confusedly as she tried to come up with something to say. She made a sarcastic comment in passing, just to put him at ease, but Clark felt like a jerk. What kind of man ran to his female best friend to whine about his sex life with his girlfriend…especially when you suspected that best friend still harbored a romantic feeling or two toward you?

If he could that, there was no doubt in Clark's mind that he could tell Chloe how he felt about her. No doubt that he should at least try.

Try, try, try.

That seemed to capture his life, Clark thought, a little bitterly. Try to fit in, try to hide you abilities, try to seem normal, try to accept the things you cannot change no matter how gifted you are, try to be the man your father taught you to be, try to be a good person, and try to find someone to love.

Try to find someone who loves you. Someone who loves you…for you.

Try not to be afraid to be who you are.

Try not to be afraid.

Looking at Chloe as she placed pictures on the wall, Clark realized that was the only reason he hadn't said anything before. He was afraid of how she would take it. Afraid that she would feel that she was a last resort, that it was simply now her turn with him. He'd seriously hurt himself if she ended up feeling that way. Seriously hurt himself for making her think she was anything less than the sun in his universe.

What he felt for her, was feeling for her, was real. Deep and real and frightening. Clark never felt anything this strongly before. Never felt connected to anyone the way he felt connected to Chloe. She could breathe and he would almost swear that his lungs were claiming the intake. She filled his dreams every night and was his first waking thought every morning. Her eyes, her smile, her face…her. She was his soul-mate, and the thought of losing her drove all the air from his lungs.

He could handle anything…but losing her.

Could handle anything but her not being a presence in his life.

Fear and past events showed him the lengths Chloe would go to in protecting her heart. She'd pushed him away once before when they were freshman in high school. Told him that she thought it would be better if they stayed really good friends, anything else would just get too complicated. And like an idiot, he agreed. He'd seen the hurt in her eyes as she spoke the words, seen her lips quiver and her eyes springing tears when she heard that he agreed, but he didn't rectify the situation. Clark knew exactly why she said the words. Knew she was letting him off the hook for leaving her at the dance to go and save Lana from the tornadoes that threatened Smallville, but her words cut him like a dagger to the heart.

They hurt him to this day and even though he knew that fear was a part of life or anything worth having, he'd heard those words in his head every time he worked up the nerve to tell Chloe that he loved her. Heard them every time Chloe worked up the nerve to tell him how she felt about him.

Clark worried often that he pushed her so far away that she'd never come back. That she would never see him in that light again. That she would only think of him as a friend, or worse a brother. Though it would hurt him deeply, he'd carry on, content in the fact that at least he would still be in her life.

For a while there, Clark thought that had happened. Chloe had started dating someone who was far beneath her in his eyes, though he had the sneaking suspicion that any man was beneath her...himself included. Some drifter named Dean Winchester, who bore a freakish resemblance to Lana's old boyfriend Jason Teague.

Upon meeting him, and the initial shock setting in, Clark decided he didn't like Dean Winchester, or his relationship with Chloe. His best friend was happy and he should have been happy for her, but couldn't. His pride, his need for her, his need to be the hero in her life, the only man outside of her father and Pete that she called on in her times of need wouldn't let him.

Jealous rage filled him whenever he saw Dean or Chloe mentioned one of the supernatural mysteries he and his younger brother Sam were working on. Almost to the point where he snapped. So many times he wanted to ask her if she could see that her relationship with Dean wouldn't work out? Ask her if she could see that they weren't meant to be, but he remembered his previous relationships and how Chloe always stood by him…and his mouth remained firmly shut.

Chloe and Dean had broke up nearly six months ago for reasons unknown to him, but he couldn't feel bad about it even as she was saddened. He loved her and wanted her and she was free now. Yet, he still hadn't said a word about how he was feeling. Still hadn't asked how she felt.

"What do you think?" Chloe asked, breaking into his thoughts.

It took a moment for his thoughts to disappear, for the warmth that was usually in his eyes to spring forth. "It looks nice." was all his fogged mind could muster.

Chloe looked at him curiously, her head titled, her impossibly beautiful face full of concern. "Are you okay, Clark?"

Nodding, "I'm fine." He said. "Why?"

Chloe bit her bottom lip briefly, an action that Clark found to be the most adorable thing he'd ever seen, and sauntered over to him. "You seem a bit…distracted." She laid a hand on his forearm and Clark felt a spark of electricity shoot through his body. "What's going on?"

Clark smiled, a bright happy smile, as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You worry too much, Sullivan. Not that it isn't sweet or anything."

Chloe's brow creased. "My sweetness is duly noted. As is the way you avoided my question." She titled her head again, angling it to get a better view of his eyes. If something was bothering him, she'd see it there. "Out with it."

Typical Chloe. Unable to let anything go. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about how much all of us have grown. You, me, Pete, Lana…" he paused in his half-truth. "We're starting new chapters in our lives…together. I was just wondering how that happened."

"Some people are meant to be together." Chloe answered swiftly, a truth to the words she spoke. "I think the four of us are meant to be friends forever. All the things we've gone through together, and apart, have only brought us right here." Her sentence was punctuated with a pat of her hand against his arm.

"And where are we?"

"At the edge of destiny." She replied with a smile. "Or something equally poetic." She scooted closer and nudged him with her shoulder. "Cheer up, Kent. Not all change is bad."

"I know." Clark said as he nudged her back softly. "And I'm cheery. I'm also hungry. Let's go shopping before it gets too late. I'm going to Smallville tonight to see my Mom."

Chloe nodded. "How is Martha?" She felt bad for not calling. Martha Kent was like a mother to her, more of a mother than her own, and she'd made a point of making Chloe feel like a daughter.

"She was great when I talked to her yesterday." Clark beamed with pride when he spoke of his mother. "Enjoying being back at the farm and away from Capitol Hill. Did I tell you she's renting out the land? Some townsfolk who are out of work come to the farm and use the land to grow and tend the animals. My mom takes like one percent so the land stays in our families name, she gets to keep the house and the farm that my dad loved so much is used."

Chloe smiled. Just like Martha to single-handedly restore peace to a town that desperately needed it. "You didn't, but she did."

"She did?"

"Yes, Kent." Chloe said with a laugh. "Your mom and I happen to be friends." She pinned him with an challenging gaze. "Is that a problem."

Clark raised his hands in surrender. "That the two most important persons in my life get along swimmingly? Not a problem at all. Not unless you two are plotting against me. Then all bets are off."

The smile he gave her then was positively sinful and melted something deep within. She'd almost forgotten that little statement he made just then. The two most important persons in his life? She could understand his mom being graced with such an illustrious title, but her? When did that happen? Just as she was about to open her mouth to answer, her phone rang.

Saved, she thought. "Excuse me." She said and rose from the couch to answer the call. Clark knew immediately it was her job when she began to wonder down the hallway to her bedroom, no doubt to retrieve her computer.

He shook his head lightly. The life of a journalist, he thought wryly as he looked down into the box on his lap. He'd emptied at least five of these, all full of pictures. He'd forgotten how much Chloe loved photography. He thumbed through a few of them, when a piece of stationary with his name scribbled across the front in her handwriting caught his eye. He took it out and examined it closely, having never seen it before. He thumbed his name lightly, smiling to himself and opened the letter. He wasn't sure he should read it if she'd never given it to him, but the journalist in him wouldn't let him drop it.

I want to let you in on a secret.

He read the first line when her voice carried to him from the bedroom.

"Clark?" she called to him. "I have to work on a story that Pauline wants in tomorrow's issue. I'll just go to the grocery store later." Clark heard her rise from her chair and start toward him. Eagerly, he folded the stationary and stuffed it into his pocket. She appeared a few seconds later as he stood and prepared to leave. "Thanks for all your help. You're the best." She smiled warmly to him, walking to him to hug and kiss his cheek. "Tell Martha I said hello and that I'll try to call her as soon as I can."

"I will." Clark replied, his eyes searching her face. What could possibly be the secret she wanted to let him in on? He bent down and kissed her cheek. "Don't work too hard." He said, trying to keep things as normal between them as possible.

"I'll try not to." She said with a smile.

Clark nodded, a smile of his own gracing his handsome face, and he let himself out. Chloe stared after him for a moment. Something was going on with him. Something she couldn't quite figure out. She chuckled wryly to herself. "Clark Kent, man of mystery." She began to speak against the wind. "Every time I think I have you figured out…."

She didn't finish the statement. Felt no need to. Simply turned and headed back to work. Clark would come when he was ready. Like a flash he would run to her. He always did.

And she would wait for him forever if she had to.