A/N: I am so embarrassed. Somehow I skipped a whole section between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. I have theories on how it happened, but it sounds more like excuses than anything. So I entered in a "Chapter 2 Prologue" to address the gap. Please forgive me for the snafu! When I noticed it, I thought I was going to die of embarrassment! Oy vey!


Chapter 3

I had to laugh. "I'm a goddess? Are you sure about that? 'Cause I could have sworn I was a teenage newspaper editor who's getting the run-around from two strangers."

"We didn't do anything to your friends…Trinity only put Clark to sleep. You did the rest." Willow looked at me earnestly. "Can't you feel the connection between us? Can't you feel that we're not lying to you?"

I looked at her, and with her reaction, I'm sure I had my "I can see right through your little games" look on. My eyes were drawn again to their necklaces… so similar to mine. I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. "Where did you get those?"

Willow smiled. "They represent the goddesses we are. I'm the Goddess of Earth and Trinity is the Goddess of the Moon."

My laugh came out with too much snort, but I couldn't help myself. "You honestly want me to believe that you're goddesses of elements and, I'm guessing, that I'm supposed to be as well."

Trinity cocked her eyebrow at me like I was being a difficult student. "We want you to believe it because it's true. Strange things have been happening to you all day. We're here to explain them a bit."

I would have retorted right away, but then the memories of hearing others' thoughts and the fact that neither of them had been in sight when everyone had frozen came into my head. I looked at them in shock and collapsed into my chair. "How would you know…?"

Trinity smiled. "Because it happened to all of us at one point or another. And while I'm sure that you think we're your fellow students, we are actually quite older than that. We've been waiting for you for a very long time."

I shook my head. "How can I be a g… goddess? That's not logical!"

"There's nothing logical about this, Chloe," Willow murmured, standing in front of me. "It's a supernatural power. We are the guardians of the logical order and the protectors of man." She looked at me for a moment and then smiled slowly. "You wouldn't know it to look at me, but I'm 3,582 years old."

"You don't look a day over 2,000" I quipped. Did they honestly expect a trained reporter to swallow this hook, line and sinker? Had they never heard my name in the halls of the school? "Listen, you gotta' be straight with me…" Just then, Clark floated up and slowly moved across the room before he was laid on the sofa which the two girls vacated. I know my jaw dropped open to about my chest. I turned to look at the two girls, but only saw Trinity. "Where's Willow?"

"I'm right here," came her voice, but much deeper and rougher than it had been. Suddenly, a white tiger appeared from behind the desk. I screeched and clambered on top of mine.

"Th…th…that's a tiger! We have to call animal control!" I shouted to Trinity. The tiger shimmered before my eyes and then Willow appeared. A naked Willow, but Willow nonetheless. Without being self-conscious at all, Willow quickly got back into her clothes.

Trinity held her hand up to help me down from the desk. She kept my hand while Willow gathered my other into hers. Earnest eyes bore into mine and I could no longer deny what they said. "You are a goddess, Chloe. In fact, you're the Goddess of the Sun. You are in a select sisterhood and we will help you learn how to control your powers."

Willow smiled at me and then turned to Trinity. Something unspoken seemed to pass between them before they turned to talk to me again. "We understand that this has been a lot for you to take in, but we don't have the leisure to ease you into it. We would like to meet you later today at the Talon. You can meet the rest of the family."

I could only nod at them. "A lot to take in?" Are they kidding? This was life changing? How was I supposed to tell everyone? And what all did this entail? And don't I have a choice in the matter? And there are more? The questions were swirling around my head so fast that I couldn't get them out.

Trinity smiled understandingly. "We will answer all of your questions, Chloe… when next we meet." She turned and motioned again toward Clark. It seemed like the motion was smaller, but she still seemed to blanche. "There is something about that boy…" she murmured, but shook her head. "You will have ninety seconds to return everyone to normal before he wakes. Then you can conceal your identity from him." They released my hands and turned toward the door, disappearing within the blink of an eye.

I couldn't seem to concentrate. A goddess? Me? And I'm supposed to be the "Sun Goddess"? Am I on Candid Camera? Clark's groan snapped me back to reality. Everyone's still frozen. If I didn't want Clark to think I was some sort of meteor freak, I had to undo this now. I blinked my eyes. I clapped my hands. I clicked my heels three times. Nothing seemed to help. Finally, I did the only thing I could. I copied the movement of my hands before everyone froze. Suddenly everything was moving again and I could breathe. Pete and Lana continued through the door like nothing happened, although I couldn't concentrate on what Pete's saying.

"Clark!" Lana shrieked and ran to his side as soon as she noticed him on the couch. His eyes fluttered open at that precise moment and I realized how close it all had been. Pete joined her at Clark's side, but I kind of sidled back so I can get my things.

"What happened, Chlo?" Pete asked. "How did you get over there?"

Lana looked at me with her wide eyes. "I'd come in to find out if you were okay, but now you're fine and Clark's passed out. What's going on?" While she sounded the same, her thoughts painted her to be an entirely different person… and not a friendly one. "I saw her holding his hand. Probably milking it for all it's worth. He'll always be mine, whether we're actually together or not and she just has to learn the hard truth!"

I wanted to scream. Here was my best girlfriend thinking such horrible things about me. What was going on? Did something happen to have everyone acting strangely? After all, Pete's never acted interested in me before… Lana could have a catty side, but never really at me… And Clark… I sighed. Maybe they were all under the influence of something. But then my previous visit returned to mind and I didn't think I could write it off so easily. If this really is what's happened to me, I don't want it! I wanted to scream to the disappeared Trinity and Willow. The least they could have done would have been to stick around and help me face all the questions.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Clark began to sit up and everyone suddenly had questions for him. I could have wept in gratitude. His eyes met mine and I dropped my gaze to the ground. How can I not tell him? But to tell him would be to risk absolutely everything. Lana looked at me weirdly and her thoughts came through loud and clear. "Clark, what did she do to you now?"

I gasped at such an unfair statement. She is such an actress! She pretends to be sweet and innocent and my friend, when she's secretly judging me non-stop! Obviously I had misjudged my friendship with Lana. I couldn't believe that everyone had misjudged her so entirely! But I suppose that was the plan… And now I just didn't know what to do or who to turn to. I discovered a need to get out of there so strong that it nearly made me gasp. Clark tried to stand up, but Pete and Lana held him down. "I don't know… I just don't…" Finally I couldn't face it anymore and ran out the door. I heard Clark yell my name, but I didn't stop… I couldn't.


A/N:
Well, it's not a long chapter, but you'll be surprised and amazed when you get to Chapter 4! Just you wait! ;D

Ace: I'm so glad you have found and are enjoying my fic. As a side note, I like your name… It's the same as my dad's middle one! ;D

Vouge09: In other fics, I have plans for Chloe in regards to a Supergirl type. I've done some research and I think it'll be quite possible. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at it, but even doing two fics at a time is challenging me… which is, of course, a good thing.

MarkMark261: The whole thing with those two chapters… Oy! And I'd read your review before but hadn't had a chance to go and look at it. And I actually discovered it because I wanted to verify something I'd written so it'd be consistent. I could have screamed!

BabyC2003 & spaceboi's pixie: I hope you continue to like it. It's funny how you can feel so confident and then a "minor" problem has you doubting yourself… ;D

KentCharm: Your approval of my incarnation of your story fills my soul with gladness. It's totally props to you for giving me a great beginning! ;D

iluvsmallville1: OK, so this one or the Chapter 2 Prologue aren't that long, but just you wait until Chapter 4. It's length will BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF! ;D