Thanks to my reviewers! I'm back! BEHOLD! a filler. But a Chlarky filler. With Chlark. (CrazyDenae: Happy?LMAO0
The next 2 chapters after this? Fun stuff. . .consider this your last dose of calm. . .Bad things are going down. Mwhahaha.
Chapter 15: Drive
Chloe had been driving all evening. She had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she needed an escape, and she needed it now. There was so much on her shoulders, and she had the staggering feeling that if she didn't take a break, she would lose all control.
Clark sat quietly next to Chloe, staring at his dim reflection in the side window. His thoughts were on Lex, and Lex alone. If any doubt had been in his mind about Lex's intentions, it was eradicated as soon as the fateful words left Chloe's lips. Lex knows your secret...he knows everything...how could I have been stupid enough to trust him?
His gaze turned to Chloe's image in the window. Her reflection was barely visible, but Clark found himself captivated by the woman next to him. She was in modest sweats and jeans, a hint of shimmer in her diamond stud earrings, and a visible black line down her cheek. She had been crying before, but brushed away Clark's attempts at comfort. She was incredibly stubborn, and Clark new better than to pester her further. If Chloe wanted comfort, she made it clear. She needed to get over this on her own.
They had been driving so long that the highway they'd been traveling had evolved into a small one-lane road. Once past the outskirts of Metropolis, the Kansas countryside consumed the car in it's vast fields and open expanses. Night had fallen, and the dashboard clock read 9:57 PM. Chloe decided that she was satisfied with the distance she'd covered, and swerved into an open feild. She stopped on the grass, and jumped out of the car.
"Where are we?" Clark asked, his first words since he entered the car. Chloe did not answer; she staggered across the field, incredibly fatigued, and crashed on the grass.She remained still for a few seconds...not a very long time, but enough to send Clark running to her side. Expecting a train wreck, he breathed a sigh of relief when she flashed him a radiant smile, a miracle that he hadn't seen from her in a while. She layed on her back, patting the grass next to her head, motioning Clark to sit beside her. He took the hint, and crashed on the ground, as though he were making a snow angel.
For a few precious moments, they lay undisturbed in the grass, gazing at the stars above their heads. Out of habit, Clark's eyes drifted to the empty expanse between two unusually bright stars, where he used to dream Krypton had resided. A wave of sorrow washed over him, which he attempted to brush away by gazing at the other constellations. He refused to let anything ruin this moment for him. He wanted only happiness now, because he realized that, come morning, reality would give him a swift kick in the butt, as the problems of everyday life- or, at least, his everyday life, would resume.
Chloe also soaked up the remaining moments of normalcy that she was allowed on this starry night. She had been soaked up this murder mystery for months now, and, while it captivated her, it also made her tired and weary. She woke up, and the first thing on her mind was the case, and the same thoughts lulled her to sleep every night.
But tonight, she decided, she wanted the one thing that had eluded her for months. She wanted to put her worries behind her, and have a normal, loft-inspired conversation with Clark. And she wanted it now.
"What were you saying in the car about you and Lois?" she said, breaking the silence between them. Clark turned over to face her, staring into her eyes for a few seconds. Then his face burst into a big, goofy, farmboy grin. He was all alone with Chloe, their only source of light a waning moon that seemed to pop out from the sky and brush their faces with it's pearly glow. He was completely at ease. Turning back to the sky, he began to speak in a soft voice, almost at a whisper.
"I asked her out. When I arrived at the Talon, she was in the upstairs apartment. She looked more beautiful that ever, even without makeup and everything. I think she'd been crying. She started telling me about how she had liked me for a while, but was kind of freaking out about it. It made my job a lot easier. I told her that I liked her too."
Chloe smiled. "So I'm guessing she said yes?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow night I'm taking her to dinner and a movie. Speaking of, I may need some help with clothing." Clark replied.
"Obviously. I'll be over tomorrow before you go. If anyone needs wardrobe help, it's you"
"Thanks ... I think" Clark replied, laughing. "Hey, Chloe, can I tell you something?"
"Sure, Clark. Just don't tell me your an alien. Wait a second, I think we've been there already ... De Javu ..." she said sarcastically. "OK, seriously, spit it out."
"I think I may love Lois. Not just like. Love."
"And this is new how?"
"Look, apparently this is old news to everybody but me, but seriously...In that room, I think I fell in love with her. Not a love like I had with Lana. . .but a completely unconditional love. I've never felt this way before, Chloe."
Chloe didn't respond right away, as Clark's words sank in. "Wow, Clark. Love is a very strong word. Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm still nervous and confused as hell, but isn't that what love is about? Not knowing? Not being sure of anything except that you want to spend every waking moment with that person?"
"Tell me about it. . ." Chloe said, half heartedly.
Clark sensed a hint of sadness in Chloe's voice. He knew that Chloe had liked him for a long time, and wanted to make sure that she was alright. "Chloe, are you OK with this? I mean, you were the one who told me to tell her everything."
Chloe sighed. "Look, Clark, I'd be lying through my teeth if I told you that I didn't still have feelings for you. But it's not the kind of love that relationships are built on. In a way it's pretty selfish of me ... to want you all to myself, and I realize that it wouldn't be healthy for either of us. You're like my brother, Clark, and I will always love you ... but I just want you to be happy. Just, don't forget about me ..."
"What would make you think I'd forget you?"
"I don't know," she hesitated. "Like, when you were in your Lana-lusting days, I took a backseat for a while. Actually, it was more like I was stuffed in the trunk. I don't want to lose you Clark."
Chloe had obviously been feeling this way for a long time, but it just registered to Clark that, for too long, he had taken her for granted. He loved Chloe, and felt horrible that he'd neglected her. "Chloe, you're never gonna lose me. I may start dating Lois, but you will always be my best friend. I will always be there for you," he said. "Whether you like it or not."
Clark brought Chloe into a strong hug, a hug that she had desperately needed, and a hug that she had missed for so long. She was still doubtful, given her natural cynicism, that Clark would be able to keep his promise forever. But tonight, for that glorious moment, she was in the safe, warm embrace of the most amazing man she met. She gazed at the sky, and, for a fleeting moment, saw a solitary star shooting across space.
