Chapter Five

Chloe and Clark stayed up all the night without sleep worrying about Oliver. His last transmission had been confusing. They weren't able to leave his apartment, which served as an operations base, without knowing anything from him. Chloe was spending all the night controlling the frequency, waiting for transmission, but as the hours passed without receiving one, their worries increased.

Clark and Chloe were sitting together on the couch. Chloe was resting her head on Clark's shoulder, and he had his arm around her shoulders tenderly.

Early in the morning, they were not sleeping but sleepy when they heard the elevator noise. They wished it meant that Oliver was returning safe. They stood up and walked to the elevator's door. In a few minutes it opened revealing Oliver in his Green Arrow outfit, gripping in one hand a metallic briefcase and in the other his bow.

"What happened, Oliver?" asked both in one voice.

"I had to use another strategy, because I was uncovered. But I have what we want," said Oliver with a wide smile on his face, leaving the briefcase over the table and with one finger moving the small wheels for the combination that unlocked the briefcase.

Oliver opened the briefcase slowly and the three widened their eyes seeing the crystal inside it.

"Maybe I will need to organize a little expedition to the Arctic, but first I would try another method," explained Clark. Oliver closed the briefcase and moved the wheels again to lock it. "The combination is nine, five, six," he said to Clark giving him the briefcase.

"I need to leave you, stay like at your own home," said Oliver going to the hidden room to change from his Green Arrow outfit to a business suit, "I have a lot of work with my broker today."

*****

Clark and Chloe remained a little while at Oliver's apartment and ate some breakfast. Later they came out from the apartment, with the planned on spending the day together in the city and have some fun. The next day Clark would face his destiny and maybe it would mean that they must to be apart for some time.

They had intention to visit briefly Lois at her Metropolis apartment when she came out from work in the afternoon.

Clark took Chloe to do shopping in the city; they spend some time in a big bookstore reading some books, sitting side by side on a couch, as if they were a happy couple. Even though they didn't recognize it; it was just that they were.

They had lunch in a restaurant next to Lois' apartment and after walked hand in hand by the city avenues, slowly enjoying being together. Except for the detail of being hand in hand, it was noting more that what they were done a lot of times before as friends.

Except for the metallic briefcase that Clark didn't leave a moment, and that mean for them an uncertain future, they didn't seem more than a couple enjoying a day together.

When they thought that Lois would be at home, they went to her apartment.

Lois opened the door. When she saw Chloe standing up next to the door, her eyes lighted up. Even thought her big efforts to seem a strong girl, some tears escaped from her eyes.

"Coz… I am so happy to see you," said her to Chloe in a broken voice and hugging her with all her forces.

"We only can stay for a moment," warned Chloe. The three walked into the apartment.

"Well, it's a little disordered… but you know… a working girl…," apologized Lois.

"Don't worry, Lois," answered Chloe.

"Hey, Smallville, what is up?" asked Clark in a funny tone. "Can I know what this is about?" she asked both more seriously.

Chloe and Lois sat down on the couch. Chloe turned to face Lois directly and Lois imitated her. Clark took a chair next to them but leaving some space to not interfere in their family intimate moment.

Chloe took Lois hands in hers and looked in her eyes sadly started to explain her story.

"Lois, I hope that what I will explain to you now, doesn't make me lose you, or that you look at me in a different way. I can't live with it," confessed Chloe near to the tears. Lois hugged her, "There is nothing that can make it. Okay, Chloe?" said Lois to her in her typical 'Lois' tone.

"You will see…" started Chloe slowly, "some time ago I discovered that I have an ability; I can heal people that are injured, but when I do it… I die. Only for a little while, but my body seems like it is clinically dead… the first time that it happened to me, was when I saved you at Reeves Dam a year ago… I know that I should tell it to you before but never had the force to do it," confessed Chloe between tears.

Lois hugged her again, "it's a good thing, Chloe, you saved my life," said Lois tying to calm her down.

"But Lois, I am a monster… the meteors make me this way," Chloe confessed.

"You aren't any monster, you are my cousin Chloe, and I love you no matter what," said Lois looking at her eyes again, "do you understand it?" said Lois with low but sure voice.

Chloe felt a really relieved to share her secret with Lois, after hiding it from her for a year. Lois got up from the couch and took Chloe's hand guided her to the bathroom. "Look yourself in the mirror," she demanded, "you are a precious girl and with the more goodness in your soul I always meet. You aren't any monster, and I don't want you think or say it for yourself, right? It's because the good that you are that you have the power to save lives," said Lois sure about knowing the origin of Chloe's ability.

"But Lois, all affected from the meteors I met ended mad and hurting people," Chloe confessed her more secret and worst fear.

"But you aren't them, Chloe," assured Lois. "They use their power to do evil because they are this way for some reason. You use your power to do good because you are good. How do you know that there aren't meteor affected that are doing good things? It's like in the news, only the bad things that happen are news. If someone uses his or her power to do a good thing no-one realizes about it. But if he or her make something bad, all realized it and we hear about it a thousand of times."

Chloe was amazed, not only Lois accepted her without reservations; she was defending her from her own fears, negating to admit that her ability was something bad. Maybe it was logical because her ability saved Lois' life, she thought. Chloe desired to tell her before.

When the girls returned to the living room Clark was anxious.

"Hey Smallville, do you know that, right?" Lois accused him.

"Lois…"

"Don't bother Clark, Lois, he couldn't reveal a secret that wasn't his," said Chloe.

"And how do you trusted him before that you own family?" asked Lois a little irritated.

"I am sorry, Lois. Clark knew about it at the same time as I, we were investigating one of our cases when we discovered it. And I am grateful to have him to share it. I never tell it to no-one, Lois. Even Jimmy, really I broke up with him because of it. I wasn't able to lie more to him or explain it to him."

"You were feeling so alone, Chloe. But now it will change. What if you two stay for dinner?"

"Thanks Lois, but we must go; tomorrow we need to do something important."

"When will you return to the newspaper?"

"As soon as I can, Lois," assured Chloe.

"And what the hurry?"

"Maybe someone was searching for us, Lois. Lex knows about my ability and want use me in his experiments."

"What? Oh, Chloe. Tess works for him. If you come to the newspaper she would know easily how locate you."

"Lois, I have it controlled," assured Clark.

"Good Smallville; and what more have you controlled? Are you sure about being able to protect Chloe?"

"I make all that I can, Lois."

"Good, but better not let anything bad happens to her. Okay? Where do you hide?"

"Lois, it is better you don't know," assured Chloe, "and don't worry, Clark won't leave me for a second, we even sleep together."

"There is something I must know?" asked Lois with a malicious smile.

"No, Lois, only as friends."

Lois made a sarcastic smile, she knew so well that what is between Clark and Chloe there was something more than friendship, if they sleep together they would realize about it soon, she thought.

Chloe and Clark said goodbye to Lois and took the truck to return to Smallville. They arrived at the farm soon, ate some dinner and went to the bed early. The night before they didn't sleep and the next day would be tiring.

In the bed, Clark wrapped Chloe gently in his arms and gave her a small goodnight kiss. Chloe searched refuge in Clark's chest where she always felt safe and closed her eyes. "Good night Clark" she whispered sleepy before fall sleep profoundly.

Clark spend a little more time until he fell asleep, his more strong nature made the tiredness not defeat him so quickly. He looked down to his chest and saw Chloe peacefully asleep wrapped around him. "I love you," he whispered even though he knew that in this moment Chloe couldn't hear him.

For a moment Clark realized about how lucky he was to have Chloe in his life. And how much time he had lost in all those years hadn't paying enough attention to her. Silently he promised, like he did when he was thinking that would lose her, that never more would ignore her and would make all his effort to make her happy.