Chapter 5: So you've got your own hero

A/N:- on!! not in. on the fridge! thanks killer00 for pointing it out! lol, the pictures are on the fridge right next to the take out menus and a note from chloe reminding her cousin takeout is not a food group. anyway on with the story...

Chapter 5: So you've got your own hero. Don't get dead.

'I broke up with Lana.'

Chloe looked up from her coffee and sighed. Clark could have sworn it was a sigh of relief. She set her coffee down and prepared herself for the usual task of comforting Clark and telling him he'd done what was for the best. She was a little surprised to find Clark smiling. Taken aback she could do nothing but gape until Clark's frown caused her to snap her mouth closed.

'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, I am.'

'Oh.'

Chloe couldn't help being slightly confused, the last time she had really spoken to Clark he had still thought Lana was the one and that given enough time he could come to tell her his secret. Sure he'd been having his doubts but none of them had been serious enough to spur him into action. At least none that she'd been witness to.

'Clark, I know how hard this must be for you but I do think you're making the right decision.'

'Yeah, I know. It was time I actually did something about it rather than drag it out. That was only hurting us.'

'I'm sorry things didn't turn out the way you wanted.'

Clark shrugged and he did it with such indifference that for one second Chloe was concerned he might be under the effect of Red K. Clark's eyes drifted to something over Chloe's shoulder and a slight frown marred his features.

'Uh, actually, Chloe, there's something I should tell you.'

'Okay.'

Clark started to speak but then Lois was there by the table and she drew Clark's attention. Chloe's attention was also drawn to her cousin and then she was the one frowning at the sight of Lois wearing several more layers of clothing than was necessary.

'C'mon, Smallville, I'm roasting here.'

Clark laughed, 'Nice look.'

'Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with.'

Clark smirked at her as he got to his feet. Chloe glanced between them feeling like she had missed something. She became suspicious when Lois pulled on a beanie and started to push Clark toward the door.

'Bye, Chloe.'

'See ya, cuz!'

Shaking her head at the crazy that was Lois and today for reasons unknown, Clark, Chloe went back to her coffee wondering what it was Clark had been about to tell her. She hoped it wasn't another meteor freak, she was hoping for some quiet time for once. She was thinking about the last time a meteor freak had gone for revenge and how if it weren't for Clark she'd have been in serious trouble when a random thought crossed her mind. The only time she ever saw Clark with someone that rugged up was when he was going to the Fortress, and it was only ever her.

'Nah,' Chloe laughed with a shake of her head.

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'This place is incredible.'

Lois looked around in awe at the large crystal palace she found herself in. It was amusing Clark to see someone else's reaction to the Fortress. He was usually to busy resenting Jor-El to take pleasure in the beauty that the Fortress held. Whenever Chloe tagged along she too was too busy dying or looking for answers to appreciate it either. It was nice having someone to see it when there wasn't a life threatening situation.

'Yeah, I guess it is.'

'Kal-El,' Jor-El's voice boomed throughout the Fortress.

'And then there's that.'

'Jor-El,' Clark answered coolly.

'You have brought someone to me.'

'Lois Lane meet Jor-El.'

'Welcome Lois Lane.'

Throwing Clark a nervous look she turned to address the room at large.

'Hello, Jor-El.'

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She had waited hours for the inevitable phone call; typically it came just as she'd begun to hope it never would. Chloe had one foot in the bath when the phone rang and there was just one person who would be calling. She resigned herself to the fact that if she didn't answer it now it would just keep ringing. So she scooped up her cell phone sank into the lovely hot bath water and hit the call button.

'Hi, Lana.'

'You talked to Clark.'

'Yeah, I did.'

'He said I make it hard for him to be himself. Is that true? Am I forcing him to be something he's not?'

Chloe honestly had no idea how to answer that. She knew how she wanted to answer, she wanted to tell Lana yes, she did make things hard for Clark. She wanted to point out that pressuring someone into telling you their secret was not the same as being told that secret at a point of trust and honesty in a relationship. Or she could tell Lana what she wanted to hear, that she hadn't made Clark feel like he couldn't be himself that it was just Clark going through something ever since his father died.

Friendship be damned.

'Yes, Lana, you are. You're forcing him into a relationship that he's not comfortable with. You offered him ultimatums where if he couldn't tell you his secret he obviously didn't love you enough. That's not a relationship, Lana, its emotional blackmail.'

Chloe's outburst was met with stunned silence. She felt a little bad but honestly she was just getting sick of being torn between her friendship with Clark and her friendship with Lana. Clark had always been there for her and he may have been hesitant to tell her his secret but once she found out they'd been closer than ever. Their friendship had moved to all new levels, she was someone he could be completely honest with, he didn't have to hide from her.

Her relationship with Lana was much newer and came about through their constantly being thrown in harms way together. An interesting basis for friendship but one that worked for them, until now. Though she said it wasn't her intention Lana was putting Chloe in the position where she felt like she had to choose one friend over the other. If it came to that it would always be Clark, but she really hoped it wouldn't.

Finally Lana spoke.

'I just don't understand,' Lana whispered brokenly. 'What did I do that makes it so hard for him to trust me?'

'Look, Lana, Clark trusts you. This is just something he has never been comfortable telling people, he never told me and I've been his friend for years. He wanted you to see him as the Kansas farm boy you fell in love with, maybe he's worried you won't see him the same after he tells you.'

'How could he think that?'

'I don't know, Lana, but what does it matter now? Just work on being a good friend Lana, that's all you can do for now.'

'I don't think I know how to be friends with Clark anymore.'

Chloe sank further into the water and tried not to sigh in exasperation. She knew from experience what it felt like to have to be friends with Clark when you wanted more but she wouldn't change their friendship for anything now.

'Lana, you know how to be friends with Clark. Just be there for him, don't ask too many questions and always be willing to listen. It's not much but it's a start. Don't push him, let him come to you.'

'Thanks, Chloe.'

'Your welcome,' Chloe smiled. 'Now if you'll excuse me I have a bath to enjoy.'

Chloe ended the call and tossed the cell phone onto her towel. Now the relaxing could begin.