CHLOE'S DILEMMA

Chapter 2- Hero

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I look back on the whole situation now and realize that I had good reason to be afraid of telling him. He had rejected me before and it broke my heart. I didn't know if I could take any more pain or rejection. I didn't know if a heart could shatter any more when it was already in a million pieces. But I did know that if I never told him that I still loved him, I would always regret it.

Clark and I met for coffee the next morning. We were continuing our quest for the water regulation offenders. After all, everyone in Metropolis would be looking forward to this article. Truthfully, I wasn't even thinking about the article when I walked into that coffee shop and saw Clark sitting there, a copy of the Planet in his hands. He was skimming through it like any average person would, but it seemed strange seeing Clark reading that slowly. I was used to him looking at a book and being finished in less than 3 seconds.

"Morning Clark," I said. He had already got me a cup to go and had it sitting across from him.

"Morning Chloe," Clark replied. He was smiling so I assumed he was okay about the conversation we had the night before. I saw his eyes turn toward the door and a smile spread across his face. I turned to see who it was and found a young blonde woman, about my age and height walking through the door. She waved at Clark and walked over to our table.

"Jess, this is Chloe, she's my partner at the Planet," Clark said. He seemed a little too perky about introducing her to me. I just smiled and shook the woman's hand.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied.

"You too Chloe. CK has told me so much about you," Jess said in an even perkier tone than the one Clark had spoken to her in. First of all, I had no idea who this woman was and second of all, I wanted to know why she was calling my Clark CK like she knew him.

"Well, all good things I hope," I said as I eyed Clark and returned my gaze to her with a smile.

"Oh yes, very good things," she said as she looked at Clark. I cleared my throat.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Clark?" I asked. I always did let my curiosity get the best of me. They exchanged a glance and then Clark spoke up.

"Chloe, Jess is my girlfriend. We've been dating for a couple months now," Clark said. If only I had just kept that question to myself. I didn't know if I should be angry or upset or frustrated that he hadn't told me. But then again, I hadn't told him that Jimmy and I had broken up. I think Jess was just as surprised as I was that he hadn't told me yet. I was wishing that I would have ignored that little twinge of curiosity.

"Oh…really," I said as I glanced over at Clark. I was trying my best to not look upset, but I'm sure he knew that I was. I could feel the tears coming to the surface and figured it was best if I left before I had an emotional breakdown in front of everyone in the coffee shop.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Jess," I said with my best fake smile as I grabbed my things and got up to leave. "I have some things I need to take care of, so I guess I'll see you later Clark."

If he didn't realize it before, I'm sure he figured out how upset I was as I rushed out of the coffee shop and made my way straight to the Planet, without him. In that moment, I realized something. The heart really could shatter into more than a million pieces.

I spent the rest of the day hiding out from Clark. I didn't want to see him or talk to him about our little meeting that morning. The only thing I could think about was how much she looked and acted like me. I slowly began to realize that it wasn't Jess I was mad at. It was Clark. I was mad at him for letting me see that look in his eyes the night before and then throwing Jess in my face the next morning. I was mad that he hid it from me, although I had no right to be. More than anything, I was mad that he was with someone other than me, again.

After my day of sulking, it was nice to be alone at the Planet and just think. I thought about the first time Clark had told me that he didn't have feelings for me. I remembered it word for word.

"Chloe, I wish I felt the same way, but I don't. At least not right now."

Those last five words are what kept that hope alive in me for so long. But now, that hope was fading as quickly as our friendship was fading. You know the feeling you get when you're at the very top of the drop on a roller coaster, about to fall off the edge? That's how it felt and there was no way for me to stop it.

Clark just happened to walk by my desk as these thoughts were racing through my brain.

"Chloe," Clark said. I was jolted out of my thoughts and brought back to reality by his voice. I looked him in the eyes and I knew what was coming. He was going to apologize and I was going to forgive him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I shouldn't have sprung Jess on you like that this morning. I guess I really wasn't okay with everything and I'm sorry." That look always got me. It was so pleading and caring. He was truly sorry and I knew it. And just like always, I gave in.

"It's okay, Clark. I just overreacted," I said. He walked over and embraced me in a hug and I hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek as he pulled away. Our eyes met as he stopped inches from my face. For a second, I thought I felt him moving closer to me, but he pulled away.

"I'll see you in the morning Chloe," he said with his usual farm boy charm.

"Yeah, in the morning Clark," I replied. He started to walk away but stopped and turned back towards me about halfway to his desk.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah Clark."

"Jess is no Chloe Sullivan." With that, he turned back around and walked out of the room. I wasn't sure what he had meant. I wondered if he realized how much she looked like me or acted like me. I wondered if that was part of the reason he liked her so much. It gave me the slightest hope that Clark Kent was trying to tell me how he felt with that statement. Was it possible that all the time I was with Jimmy he was using Jess as a replacement? I didn't know if I would ever get an answer to that question, but I knew I had to try.

I gathered my information and purse and made my way to the elevator. I pushed the lobby button and waited very impatiently for the elevator to take me there. I walked out of the elevator and out the doors of the Planet.

After that, everything is a blur. I remember feeling someone grab me and hitting my head. The next thing I remember, I was in a lab strapped to an operating table. It seemed vaguely familiar. I decided to play it safe and be silent when I heard voices around.

"So, is she ready for the extraction?" a man said. I didn't open my eyes to see who it was, but I knew that voice. It was the voice of Lionel Luthor.

"It seems that we have the wrong specimen, sir. This one doesn't have any trace of meteor rocks in her body," the doctor said. I think I was just as stunned as he was at that revelation. All this time, I had thought that I was a meteor freak.

"What do you mean!" Lionel yelled, "I thought we had determined that she did. The previous extraction showed that it was quite clear."

"Sir, I can't explain it. All I know is that she doesn't have any in her body now," the doctor replied.

"So you're saying we knocked her out and brought her here for no reason?" Lionel replied. I couldn't see his face but I could just imagine how furious he was. They must have been walking away as they were speaking because I heard the door shut behind them and there voices grew indistinct. I opened my eyes to look at my surroundings, trying to get out of the straps that were holding me down. Then, I had an idea. I don't know why I had never thought of it before. If Clark had superhearing, then maybe he could hear me if I screamed for him. I wasn't sure if his hearing was that good, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"CLARK! HELP!" I screamed as loud as I could. Nothing happened. I decided to try again.

"CLARK, IT'S CHLOE!!! HELP!!!" I screamed. Within seconds, I felt a burst of wind in the room and saw Clark standing beside me.

"Clark? You heard me?" I said.

"I thought I was crazy the first time you screamed, but then I heard you say that it was you and I knew that I was really hearing you, so I followed the sound back to here," he said as he unstrapped me from the table.

"That's amazing," I replied, completely forgetting that I had just been saved from my kidnapper.

"You're telling me," Clark said as he picked me up in his arms, "Hold on tight."

We took off in superspeed mode and he dropped me off inside my apartment. When we stopped he was full of questions, and so was I.

"Did you see who kidnapped you Chlo?"

"Lionel Luthor was there. They were talking about getting an extraction of the meteor rocks inside my body," I replied.

"Do you think he was behind it the first time?" Clark asked referring to the day that I found out I was a meteor freak.

"He mentioned it so I'm assuming he was. But something strange happened Clark," I said. He looked at me curiously.

"Clark, they couldn't find anything to extract," I replied, just as stunned at this as Clark was.

"So, you mean, you're not…." He didn't finish.

"No, I guess not," I replied. I wasn't sure how to explain it.

"That's great, Chloe," Clark said with a smile.

"Yeah," I replied quietly.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said as he embraced me in a hug. I let myself get swept away in his arms and lean into his chest. He just held me like that for several minutes. I felt all the pain and hurt that had been building up inside of me suddenly surface and I broke down in his arms. His embrace became a little tighter when he felt the first tear against his shoulder. He gently kissed my forehead. I'm sure he had no idea why I was upset, but he was doing the best he could to comfort me.

"Chloe, you're alright. You're safe," he whispered. Once the tears subsided I pulled away, embarrassed at my sudden outburst of emotion.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he searched my eyes for answers. I had to hold myself back from kissing him right then and there, which was not an easy task.

"Yeah, I'll be fine Clark. Thank you for everything," I replied as I hugged him one last time.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right Chloe?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, Clark, I know," I replied as I pulled away and wiped a tear from my eyes.

"I'm never going to let anyone hurt you," he said. Those were the last words that came out of his mouth before he walked out the door. I shut it softly behind him and I remember thinking about those words. The irony in the matter was that he was the one who was hurting me. If only there was a way to protect me from my feelings for him. But it was going to take something a lot stronger than a superhero to do that.