A/N: Well, here is the next to last chapter of this story. I realized I've been writing it off and on for over seven months now, and it's sad to let it go-partly why it took so long to update :) But it does feel like it's time to end this particular part, and the silver lining is that there will be an open-ended sequel that can keep going for awhile. It'll be called Unusual Meetings, and will be in the Miscellaneous TV Crossovers section, since it won't strictly be a Smallville fic-not that this one was, anyway :) I want to thank everyone for reading this far and for reviewing; your comments have really inspired me. I don't think I would have kept going this far without your support, so hugs to everyone :)
A/N 2: Still don't own the characters or the shows (but sometimes it'd be neat to have a Zat gun to stun the loud idiot in line in front of me). Thanks again to nera, sherryw, theNightEnchantress-twice, lol, but thanks, TankerMDK, sg07, E.Tphonehome, jaik, LiMiYa, Anarra, and Nightwing 509-great to see you again! It's for you and everyone else that I'm up typing this when I should be sleeping because I have to get up at five to go to work.
Oh, and I based the completely unrealistic idea of a tour on my memory of the excellent older movie "WarGames". I know perfectly well that the SGC wouldn't allow the public anywhere near the Stargate project, but I needed to get Chloe and Pete in there somehow, and maybe it's for public relations?
Pete had followed Chloe into the room, they having successfully managed to sneak off from the rest of the tour group. Somehow Chloe found an unoccupied room with a computer and set to work, looking for any mention of Clark or his 'uncle'. She was sure there was something strange going on, and was determined to find out what it was. Pete kept eyeing the closed door apprehensively, thinking to himself 'this is a bad idea'.
His musings were proven correct when suddenly an alarm began to shrill, and he turned to look at his co-conspirator who was staring at the computer as though it had betrayed her.
"You tripped an alarm, didn't you?" Pete accused.
"I thought I bypassed them. Who would want to safeguard "analysis of deep-space radar telemetry" anyway?" Chloe complained, having gleaned that much before the alarm began to sound.
The door opened and several airmen and security personnel crowded into the room, aiming guns at the teenagers and telling them to not move. Chloe rolled her eyes.
"Like I want to be shot? That is so not part of my plans for the day." She said.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" a mean-looking large uniformed man growled at them.
"Uh, easy man, we're with the tour and we got lost, and my friend was just trying to figure out where the tour was going next." Pete said, thinking fast.
"Right and you just needed to hack into official Air Force equipment to do it, instead of just asking someone for directions." Another airman said sarcastically.
"Hey, you can't just bully kids and pull weapons on them. I'm with the press and the American public has a right to know what's going on in here!" Chloe stated, glaring at the man.
"That's it, escort them out of here." The Sergeant in charge told the mean-looking guard.
"Wait a minute, what if she's seen something? Maybe we should talk to the General first." The previously sarcastic airman said now all business.
"That's right; let me talk to your leader. My friend Clark Kent is here under mysterious circumstances and I'd better find out that he's okay. Tell him it's Chloe Sullivan." The young reporter declared.
The sergeant shook his head and using the phone in the room dialed the switchboard, which located what room General Hammond was in and connected him. He talked for a couple of minutes, then waited a few moments and nodded. Hanging up, he motioned to the guards.
"Okay, we're taking you to see the General. Don't try running off, or we'll detain you and call your parents. Vandalism of U.S. Government property is a serious offense. You might not go to jail because of your age, but you'll be heavily fined." He soberly told the teens.
Pete gulped and looked worriedly at Chloe, who shook her head and said in a whisper to him, "They're just trying to scare us." But she looked worried as well.
Subdued, they followed along meekly as they were led down seemingly endless corridors to an elevator, which they entered along with the sergeant and three other armed security personnel. The elevator seemed to descend for a long time, Pete's eyes growing bigger as each floor passed by. Finally the elevator stopped and they were hustled down some more corridors until they got to a room. The door opened and an older looking military guy was there, presumably the General. Then the Smallville teens' eyes were drawn to the tall form they would know anywhere.
"Clark!" Chloe yelled, hurling herself forward and into her friend's arms.
"Whoa, easy." Clark said, gently disentangling himself.
"Oh man, it's good to see you." Pete exclaimed, coming forward and punching Clark lightly on the arm.
"Good to see you too. Both of you." Clark replied. He introduced them to the people in the room-Teal'c was once again wearing a hat.
"Clark, what's going on? I know you don't have an uncle, at least I think you don't, and anyway why are you here in a military installation? With none other than Lex Luthor as well? We were worried." Chloe said quickly, glancing at Clark's friend.
"Uh," Clark started, but Col. O'Neill broke in.
"Just a minute. What did I tell you about things staying classified?" O'Neill said to Clark.
"Classified? So there IS something strange going on! I knew it! C'mon, Clark. Spill. The people have a right to know." Chloe said excitedly.
Clark looked apologetically at the General. "Chloe can be pretty tenacious. She'll probably figure something out anyway, and it would be better that she didn't jump to the wrong conclusion. Can't you swear her and Pete in or something? They really are trustworthy."
General Hammond mused on the teen's request for a moment, and then turned to SG-1. "Colonel? I think it best if you explain. First, however-Ms. Sullivan? I'll need you and Mr. Ross to sign confidentiality forms. Nothing you learn here can be repeated to anyone else, or there will be severe consequences. That means no talking to your parents or friends or putting it in a school newspaper article or online. You talk to no one about this." The last was directed with a severe look to Chloe.
Pete gulped. "Okay."
He nudged his reporter friend. Chloe swallowed and said in a more subdued voice, "All right."
The General nodded to an airman, who left and returned quickly with official-looking forms. Everyone sat back down, and Clark said to his friends "Don't worry, we all had to sign forms too."
They nodded, and with the General, the Kents, Lex, the doctor, and all of SG-1 staring at them, not to mention the trigger-happy-looking soldiers, Pete couldn't sign his name fast enough. Chloe tried to take a moment to scan the form, but the legal-looking words swam in front of her eyes and she simply jotted her signature on the line. The airman quickly scooped up the documents and left the room, and then everyone turned to Col. O'Neill expectantly.
"Well," he drawled, "You kids do realize it was wrong to try and break into secure data, right?"
"Yes, yes we do and we're really sorry." Pete said quickly.
"On the other hand, apparently you were very concerned about your friend, and right to be so, so I think we're letting you go with a warning this time. But, no more snooping around, got it?" He glanced at the General, who nodded, and then stared at Clark's friends, who both agreed.
O'Neill then started the story, which had been quickly decided upon after the General had hung up the phone earlier.
"You're right, Clark and his folks and young Mr. Luthor aren't here visiting an uncle. Well, they are, but it's Uncle Sam." He started, giving a smile.
The teens simply stared at him.
O'Neill blinked. "Right. Well, it turns out that something landed in the Kents' field, something we'd rather no one know about at this time. Clark found it, and his friend Lex joined him, and we had to haul them in for observation and of course Clark's parents wouldn't let him come here without them, so that's why your friend is here."
"What did you find?" Chloe turned to her tall friend, eyes alive with excitement.
"Well," Clark began, but Chloe continued, "I mean we signed the form, right? I promise not to tell anyone, but I have to know." She implored him.
Clark shrugged and looked at the Colonel.
O'Neill nodded and continued. "It was an experimental orbital craft, but it hit some debris in space and crash landed. The technology used is cutting edge, and we really don't want just anyone getting their hands on it. Plus, there's the whole deal with the radiation."
"Radiation?" Pete squeaked, subtly moving his chair a little away from that of Clark's.
Dr. Frasier took over. "That's why your friend is here, to see if he suffered any ill effects. I'm happy to say that I just gave him a clean bill of health, and he can go home now."
Chloe let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Oh, good. Well, um, there isn't any radiation still in the land, is there? I mean the Kents are organic farmers, that kind of thing is bad."
"The land was checked over, and the small amount of radiation emitted by the craft didn't leak into the land. The Kents are minus one shed, however, for which the government will reimburse them." Daniel said.
Pete's eyes were big. "So the government is working on a hush-hush new aircraft or something?"
"Or something." O'Neill agreed. "Now just remember the hush-hush part, and you'll be fine. We were just about to send your friend back to Smallville-how about you join him?"
"It, uh, wouldn't be in an experimental aircraft, would it?" Pete asked nervously.
"Nope, regular plane. Now that we know he and his friend aren't sick or anything, you can all go back on public transportation." O'Neill said.
Pete sighed in relief-he hadn't been thrilled at the idea of a long fanny-numbing ride back on the bus.
Chloe relaxed a little, and then something occurred to her. "Wait a minute, why were your computers saying you do deep space telemetry when you're actually working on new technology?"
Major Carter looked at her teammates. "Um, actually I received a decoration for deep space radar cartography. The telemetry is working hand in hand with the new technology to someday stop things like that meteor strike that hit your town." She lied convincingly. Part of her brain actually began to work on that idea-there really were an awful lot of asteroids and space debris around Earth and it was only a matter of time until the next meteor struck.
"Oh! That-that would be good. Okay, I promise, my lips are sealed." Chloe mimed putting her hand to her face and pulling an imaginary zipper.
"Well, I think that will be all then. Colonel would you and your team escort the civilians back to their quarters so they can pack? Will it be all right if your friends join you?" The General directed the last comment to Clark.
"Sure, it'll be fine. So, we're done here?" Clark asked.
Gen. Hammond nodded. "If we need to contact you further we know where you live."
Pete swallowed at that comment and gave his friend a sympathetic glance. He was now glad he'd gone to the movie with Chloe and hadn't been the one to find the craft. 'Poor Clark' his look said, as he turned and his eyes met Chloe's. She nodded, just as happy that this time she hadn't been the one in the middle of the scoop.
The Smallville quartet, augmented by two, trooped out the door preceded by soldiers and followed by SG-1 and made their way back to their temporary rooms. Jonathan, Martha, Lex, Chloe and Pete all entered, but Clark hung back a moment.
"I'll just be a minute." He assured them. Martha smiled at her son, and Chloe and Pete exchanged glances. "Go on in, I just want to ask the Colonel something." He explained. They nodded, and the door shut with Clark just outside with the military.
To be continued, for the last time for this story-it's probably going to be a long chapter next time :) Haven't decided if I'm writing an epilogue yet though, since there will be a sequel. Everybody have a good week!