Author's Note: Short chapter...sorry. The next few might be short also but hopefully they'll still hit hard.
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville but I do own the Kristian Shane character and such.
Reviews: Reviews would be greatly appreciated because I want to know what you think and/or if you have any ideas on where the story should go. To everyone who reviewed, thank you!
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End of Previous Chapter
Clark put his index and middle finger to Kristian's neck and found no heartbeat. Clark backed away slightly and x-rayed his body and wasn't surprised by what he saw--a Kryptonite bullet. Clark knelt beside his best friend before it hit him that he was dead. Chloe was sobbing against Kristian's chest. Lois wiped her eyes and pulled her cousin away from him. Chloe collapsed against Lois' chest and Clark looked at them before glancing over at a still unconscious Lex. Clark then walked over to Lois and Chloe and stopped next to them. He looked over at Kristian's body and then to Lois. Lois turned slightly so Chloe wasn't facing him but when she opened her eyes to look at Clark. He stood staring at the ground and his jaw clenched.
Clark looked at Lois and saw the fear and ache in her eyes. He closed his eyes but opened them when Lois said, "Clark, where'd he go?"
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Clark turned around and Chloe stepped away from Lois. They all stared at the spot that previously held Kristian's body. Chloe looked at Clark in disbelief and said, "Clark?"
"I, I don't know," Clark replied.
"Tell me if you know where he is," Chloe stated.
"I don't, Chlo," Clark said, but he was lying. He knew that Jor-El is the only one capable of taking him but Clark held the hope that Jor-El would send Kristian back to himself. It broke his heart to watch the tears roll down Chloe's cheeks, but he giving her hope that may turn out to be false would kill him. Chloe fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Her whole life had been taken away like it was nothing. Lois crouched beside Chloe and rubbed her back. Clark swallowed hard and said, "I'm, uh, gonna call the police. Lois, why don't you take Chloe back to her house and I'll meet you there when I'm done here."
"Okay, Clark," Lois said while gently helping Chloe up.
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Ten minutes later, Lois and Chloe stepped into the front door of Chloe's home. Chloe walked into the kitchen and Lois followed. Chloe stood staring at the counter top before Lois pulled her into a hug. "How am I supposed to live without him?" Chloe asked while letting her tears fall freely again.
Lois cried into Chloe's shoulder and it finally hit her. She cried because one of her best friends was dead and another would never get over it. Lois knew that Chloe couldn't live without the only man she'd ever truly loved. She'd live the rest of her life hanging onto him and Lois would never blame her for it. Chloe would compare every man to Kristian and they would never even come close. Chloe and Lois stood there until Clark walked in. Chloe stepped away from Lois and looked at Clark. Clark had never seen the look on Chloe's face before; it was true, burning pain. Clark took Chloe's hand and led her into the living room and Lois followed. Chloe laid herself out on one couch and Lois took another. Clark sat in a chair across from them.
Hours passed but Clark had never took his eyes off them. They'd fallen asleep by now; Chloe had woken up a few times because the scene of her boyfriend dying repeated over and over in her mind. Clark had assured her that everything was going to be all right and Chloe hadn't roused since. Clark closed his eyes and suddenly heard footsteps coming from the driveway. He opened his eyes and assured himself that he had imagined it. He heard footsteps on the porch next and he walked across the room. Before he entered the kitchen, he heard the screen door open and close. Clark turned the corner only to see what he hoped wasn't a hallucination.
Kristian stood before him. He was shirtless and his chest was covered in dried blood. Clark froze and searched Kristian's expressionless face for answers. "Kristian?"
He didn't respond; he just stood there staring at Clark. Clark heard tiny footsteps behind him so he turned his head. Chloe appeared from behind the corner and she stopped when she saw him. Chloe ran over to him and wrapped her arms around Kristian's neck, only he didn't respond to that either. Chloe stepped back slightly to look at him. She searched his eyes for any hint that he was okay but was met with a cold, emotionless stare. She brushed her knuckles across his cheek and asked, "baby, what happened? Are you okay?"
Lois stepped into the kitchen and said, "what's going on? ...Oh."
"Kristian? What's wrong?" Chloe asked. "What happened?" Kristian continued to stare down to her.
"Chloe, can I talk to you for a moment?" Clark asked.
"Uh, sure," Chloe said before taking another look at Kristian.
"Lois, talk to him," Clark said while Chloe followed him into the living room.
"What's wrong with him, Clark?" Chloe asked.
"When it happened to me, it took a while to adjust, you know? Maybe Jor-El did something; stripped him of his memory or something like that," Clark replied.
"Well, how did he know to come here?"
"It may have felt familiar to him," Clark answered. "Just take it slow, Chlo. Take him upstairs and clean him up. Just talk to him. He looks tired, make sure he gets some rest. Lois and I will stay here tonight."
"God, none of this feels real," Chloe said.
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"So...what's up Granville?" Lois asked. Kristian stared at her in return. "Ooookkkkay, enough with the Terminator look. Where'd your shirt go? I should stop asking questions since you just stare at me instead of answering them. You know what? I'm finding this awkward. Say something. Hell, blink."
"Take it easy, Lois," Clark said as he and Chloe walked back into the kitchen. "C'mon, let's go lay down."
Chloe took Kristian's hand and began leading him upstairs. He hesitated at first but followed when Chloe squeezed his hand. Chloe stopped when they stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind them. She turned around and almost ran into Kristian's chest. She looked up at him and back down to his chest. She ran a hand along his side and he closed his eyes. She wanted to kiss him so badly but she refrained. Instead, she walked over to the closet and grabbed a wash cloth and a towel. She ran the wash cloth under warm water in the sink and walked back over to Kristian. She wiped away the blood from his chest and neck and it almost brought her to tears. She finished and dried the spots with the towel. "Um, there's a toothbrush over there. It doesn't really matter which one you use since...nevermind. I'm going to get you something to sleep in," Chloe said. Kristian kept staring so she finished with, "Kristian, I don't know how or why you're standing here and honestly, I don't care. I don't care about you not telling me. You're here...you're alive. I only care about you. I can't live without you. I'm always going to love you, K, whether you remember me or not. Nothing will ever change how much I love you."
Kristian watched her as she left the bathroom and then looked at the sink. He walked to it slowly and pulled his toothbrush from the holder. Meanwhile, Chloe walked into her room and braced herself against the dresser. So much had happened the past few hours and Chloe hadn't had time to comprehend it. It truly felt like a bad dream. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms. She fought back tears for the thousandth time today. When the door opened, Chloe wiped her eyes quickly. "Oh, um, yeah, here's a pair of boxers. That's usually what you sleep in," Chloe said while opening a drawer and pulling out a pair that she had bought him. They were striped blue and white with a white, labeled fitting waist band. She never told him but that was the pair she loved to see him in the most.
"I can, um, leave if you want," Chloe said. His expression read that he didn't want to be alone, so she stayed. He changed and walked over to the bed and laid down on his side with his back facing Chloe and the door. Chloe watched him for a minute before walking over to her CD player and putting his favorite cd in--Something Corporate's North. She glanced over at him and smiled as best she could. She walked over to the bed and laid down. She ran her hand over his shoulder and arm and whispered, "I love you so much."
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When Lois fell asleep, Clark got up and walked out and onto the porch. He leaned against the railing staring at the sky. He stood there for a moment before speeding off to the caves. When Clark arrived, he paused to take in his surroundings. The dewy, musty smell, the faint sound of water dripping, and the moisture in the air. He opened his eyes and looked at all of the paintings. Clark continued to the wall that hid his gateway when he remembered why he was here. Soon, he stood in the Fortress and was greeted by Jor-El.
"Hello, son."
"I'm glad to see that you changed your mind," Clark replied.
"This was a test, son."
"What kind of test?"
"A test to prove a human's loyalty. There are few humans you can trust, son. Many will try to manipulate you."
"Is he okay? What happened?"
"His body has been returned to its natural state, Kal-El. He experienced no pain."
"Thank you, Jor-El. I'm grateful."
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Kristian woke up and was met with the alarm clock's semi-brightness. 4:01, Kristian thought. He shifted onto his back and it suddenly hit him; it wasn't his alarm clock that he was staring at, it was Chloe's. He looked to his right and his gaze came across Chloe's back. Something felt oddly strange; as hard as he tried to remember how he got here, he couldn't. He leaned over Chloe and a sharp pain ripped through his upper chest. He grunted slightly and then grabbed Chloe's cell phone. July 26th? What the hell? The last thing Kristian remembered was standing in the cave after Lex walked out, on July 3rd. Kristian sighed and leaned over Chloe again. In all of the nights they'd spent together, she only slept with her back turned to him once and even then, she came around. She was fully dressed and on top of the covers. She looked stressed, even in her sleep. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and carefully got out of the bed.
Kristian walked down the hall and into the bathroom. His fingers met the cold tile above the lightswitch and he flipped it when they finally came across it. A blood-stained white wash cloth stood out against the white sink. He picked it up and ran his fingers over it. Something felt terribly off. He couldn't remember ever leaving the caves or coming here. Something had happened. He could feel it but he couldn't pinpoint just what it was exactly. He closed his eyes and blurred images of Chloe's face ran quickly through his mind. He opened his eyes and stared into the mirror. He noted that it looked as if he hadn't a hair cut for two months and hadn't shaved in four days. Kristian turned the faucet on and the sharp, stabbing pain ran through his chest again. He splashed water on his face and braced his arms against the sink. He stared into the running water and wondered why everything felt so off. "It can't be July 26th," he whispered to himself.
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Chloe watched him from the halfway-opened door. She realized what he meant and her heart sank again. She looked down to her left hand and spun her ring around her finger. She then pulled it off and slid it into her pocket. She worked up the courage to push the door open the rest the of the way. Kristian turned and they locked eyes. She slowly walked over to him and and rested her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and gently rocked her. "Chloe?"
"Yeah?"
"What's going on?" Kristian asked.
"Something happened, babe."
"What?"
"It's not important."
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Clark quietly opened the screen door and walked through the kitchen and into the living room. Lois sat on the couch with her legs and arms crossed. "Kristian's up," she said.
"Really? How is he?"
"I don't know. I went up there to check on them a bit ago and they were standing in the bathroom," Lois said.
"'Kay," Clark said. "I'm sure Chloe is taking good care of him."
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TBC
A/N: I'm stuck in a rut. I just need to get my mind back into this story.