Chapter 2: There's something about Chase.

Chloe awoke the next morning with a splitting headache ringing in her ears. She instantly remembered the night before when Chase had tried to kiss her and she tried to fight him off. It obviously hadn't a worked so well if she had this ugly bruise across her forehead. She stood a bit dizzy as the blood rushed to her head. She grabbed the couch for support and went into the kitchen, rinsing her face with cold water. She glanced at the clock and realized she'd be late for school, but then she recalled she'd be in the Torch her 1st three periods. She had a deadline on lunch servings and thanked God she did. She wanted to avoid people as much as possible, especially since Chase was probably there. She threw back some Aspirin and took a look at herself in the mirror, she reapplied some makeup to her face, but I wouldn't hide the bruise. It seemed to spread across her forehead like some kind of ugly disease that ruined your skin. She shook her head and decided it was a lost cause and headed to school.

0o0o0o0o

Clark had noticed at once that Chloe wasn't at school 1st period and went during second to check in the Torch. He thanked god his 2nd period teacher was a sucker for journalism, he gave her a story about a deadline paper and how he'd never be a good reporter if he never got his stories in on time. She instantly obliged and let him go. He turned the corner and found Chloe standing behind his desk, facing the wall of weird.

"Chloe, thank God you're here…I thought something had happened."

She seemed to jump when she realized he was there and he felt bad about doing so. She didn't turn around though, just continued to look at the random newspaper clippings taped to the bulletin board.

Her voice was muffled. "No…I'm fine."

His voice instantly filled with concern when he could tell she was anything but.

"Are you ok?"

He took small steps toward her, trying not to crowd the space she was in. He gently put an arm on her shoulder and she let him turn her to face him. He nearly gasped at the damage done to her forehead.

She nodded like she didn't notice she was in front of him. "No…I'm fine."

He took her by the shoulders and gave her a small shake. He was angry now. "Chloe who did this to you?"

Actually he was pretty sure he knew who the bastard was. For some reason he wanted Chloe to say it, the letters to form in her mouth. He, for some reason unknown, wanted to her to know he was right.

"Chloe…was it Chase?"

He seemed to have her attention now. Her tear filled eyes looked up at his and he asked again a bit more gently.

"Was it Chase?"

She shook her head. She couldn't tell him, she could never tell anyone. That was the deal wasn't it? Never tell a soul about the dirty little things you've done?

"N-no no." She barely stuttered out. "I was at home and Chase never came. The doorbell rang…I-I went to answer it…"

Clark could tell Chloe was upset…but he could also tell she was lying. He knew who had done this…he was just confused about why she was protecting him. He grabbed her shoulders out of frustration and shook her a bit harsher than before.

"Chloe…who did this?"

She looked down at the hands on her shoulders and let out a sob, she screamed as she wriggled from his grasp. "I'm sorry Clark, I don't know!"

She turned away from him and covered her face with her hands, crying to herself. Clark felt instant guilt for interrogating her so harshly. He went towards her and gently grasped her arm, she tried to move away from him, but he wouldn't let her.

"Shh-shh-shh." He coaxed her back towards him and she collapsed into his chest with weak sobs.

He pulled her to the side of the desk and leaned her against it, he grasped her hand and handed her a tissue from the desk. She took it gratefully and blew her nose and dabbed her eyes. He waited for her to compose herself before he tried to ask her anything again. She took a deep breath and nodded, he knew he could continue.

"What happened?" he asked tenderly.

"I was at home and the doorbell rang, I thought it was you or Chase and I opened the door and then everything just went black…" Even though she was done crying, her voice cracked in several places.

Clark's face went from concern to confusion. She was lying, she had to be. No one in there right mind just randomly goes to someone's house and knock them unconscious. He leaned next to her on the desk and waited for her to continue, but she didn't so he took the lead.

"That's not entirely true is it?"

She looked at him self-protective and stood. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well no offence Chloe, but this is Smallville. Home of the Strange remember? It's not like the populace here randomly knock out people in their own houses."

That's came out stranger then it sounded in Clark's head. And he winced when he realized he had offended her.

"You think I'm lying?" His expression spoke for him. "Why would I do that Clark?"

He shrugged and decided to play it defensive. "Yea, because in your line of being a reporter, you've never lied before right Chloe?"

She kept busy, refusing to look at him. She knew the moment she did, he'd be able to see it in her eyes. He'd be able to see straight through her; see how much lying she was doing…and how scared she was. She shuffled papers on the desk and moved them to another, realizing she had just undone the work she did earlier. Clark must have noticed it to; because he stood and came to stand in front of the desk she was now behind.

"Chloe…look at me."

She didn't though, just kept re-shuffling her papers. Clark had to finally take the papers from her and hold them up to his face to get her to glance in his direction. And there it was; she knew he must have seen it, the fear illuminating off her like embers in a blazing fire.

"Just tell me one thing…was it Chase."

She shook her head trying to retrieve the papers; he held them above her grasp. "No."

He sighed in aggravation. "Why are you sticking up for him?"

Chloe tried to stick up for the little piece of dignity she had left. "I'm not."

He looked at her angry. "He did that to you and your just gonna take it…why?"

She looked at the floor, too embarrassed to answer him. He took her action completely the wrong way.

He looked incredulous. "You like him don't you?"

Now it was her turn to look pissed, her words dripped with sarcasm as they left her mouth. "Oh yea Clark, because I'm obviously interested in guys who hurt me." She walked past him. "You should know that better then anyone."

He smiled, but not because he was happy, he was smiling because he was right. "So he did hit you?"

Her eyes grew wide as she realized what trick he just pulled on her. Her terror began to rise and she turned to him, walking quickly.

"Clark please, you can't tell anyone. And don't you dare do anything yourself…I'm begging you please."

She had reached him now and was desperately clawing at his flannel shirt. He soothingly took her hands from his shirt and brought her into another one of his "Kent bear hugs." She completely relaxed into his arms and soaked up the comfort he was giving her.

Her voice was muffled. "Please don't tell anyone."

He placed his chin on her head and nodded lightly. "I won't…I promise…but he can't just get away with this Chloe."

She was about to respond when a voice interrupted her.

"What do you think your doing with my girlfriend Kent?"

They detached themselves and saw Chase leaning against the door frame of the Torch. Chloe smiled trying not to act apprehensive.

"Chase…what are you doing here?"

He walked over and put his arms around her waist, kissing her on the cheek. The whole time his eyes were on Clark, watching him suspiciously. Clark was staring just as intensely, but he had to be calmer. Because if he wasn't, the guy would go up in flames after his heat vision took control. He gently grabbed the desk chair and tried not to snap it into toothpicks.

"Yea…what brings you down here?" The steeliness from Clark's anger was evident in his voice.

He turned from Clark to Chloe and smiled. "I came down to see how my favorite reporter was---oh my god Chloe what happened to you?"

Her hand flew to her head and Clark's stomach recoiled at his fake concern, and especially when he touched her. Like he had no idea what happened to her. This Chase needed to be dealt with…and fast. She smiled and played it off like Clark knew nothing.

"As I just told Clark, I'm clumsy. I was carrying two boatloads of paper up the stairs and I tripped, slamming my head off the staircase banner." She glanced at Clark. "He was just relieved that I was ok."

She turned back to look at Chase and he nodded and Chloe could tell his eyes were in between being impressed and pleased that she hadn't said anything. She nodded as if to reassure him it would stay that way. Clark's heart was beating so hard that he thought his chest would break, he couldn't believe how easily sickened he'd gotten within the ten minutes Chase entered the Torch. He thought he was about to hit the floor he felt so light-headed, the way Chase was brushing her hair away from her face or how he was moving his hands about her waist. It made Clark snap inside…whoa. Clark shook his head, Chloe wasn't his. And he had no feelings towards her anymore, no matter what his hormones told him.

Chase smiled that brilliant smile, which even though Chloe was pissed at what he had done, still made her weak in the knees. He bent down to ask her something, obviously private. She nodded and he guided her outside. There was no one in the halls, it being around 3rd period, so Chase pulled her behind some lockers not far from the Torch door. He suddenly pushed her with such force that when she hit against the lockers, it knocked the wind out of her.

"Chase what are you doing? You said you just wanted to ask me something!" she said, suddenly taking a huge gulp of air.

He grinned. "I lied."

He grinded his pelvis against hers, which in any other case, would have made her struggle for breath. But this was different…he was assaulting her, not trying to please…not her anyway.

"Chase…please…get off!"

She wasn't pushing yet and then something cracked inside her. Like if someone would light a firework, just a sudden spark of anger. She lashed out, slapping him across the face. He was about to retaliate but decided to scare her instead. He slammed his fist onto the locker making her gasp.

"Don't think because were in school…that I can't have you anyway I want." His accent was becoming slow and dark. She shivered, in between being frightened and turned on. Just because Chase was an enormous jack ass with no human skills to save his life, didn't make him any less hot. He was about to lean in for another heat filled kiss when the school bell rang, and suddenly the hallways started to fill with people. He jerked away slowly, still lingering his hand on her face. Chloe wriggled free of his grasp and made her way back to the Torch, Chase, not being able to do anything with a ton of people.

0o0o0o0o0o

Clark watched Chloe stalk back into the Torch, lifting papers off the desk. Truth to tell, he was starting to get a little worried about her. Didn't she know how much it killed him not to go after her like that? But he swore on his promise not to tell anyone, or show any kind of sign that he knew what was going on between them. He really didn't know what Chase was playing at, but he didn't want Chloe to get hurt in the process.

He felt stupid for asking, but he did anyway. "Are you ok?"

"Of course. I'm fine. Just fine," she said, slamming the papers back on the desk. She ran her hands through her hair, taking a deep breath.

"You sound fine," Clark said, raising an eyebrow. He watched her sit down at her desk, and put her head in her hands and resting it on her elbows. He knew this probably wasn't the best thing to make her less upset…but he didn't want her to be alone.

"Look, why don't you come hang out at my place? Get out of the torch; get your mind off things..."

She swiveled around in her computer chair. "Get my mind off losing my mind, Clark? That sounds just swell," she said, not quite angry, but definitely annoyed.

It was becoming clear to Clark that she was getting over the shock about what happened to her and now she was just plain pissed.

He kneeled in front of her chair, his hands on her arms, willing her to look at him. When she finally did, he said, "I mean it. Come over. I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone right now. And I want to be there for you, Chloe. I haven't been a good friend for awhile, and I want to make it up to you."

She smiled at him lightly, sniffling. She pushed back the tears and nodded. "Ok…"

He stood and turned to leave the Torch but turned back suddenly. "But only on one condition…"

Chloe's heart fluttered for a moment.

"If you promise to tell me everything that's going on between you and Chase."

And there it was. Her heart sank into the molten lava it had just risen from. Clark had a way of doing that, taking your emotions and making them jump through hoops of fire. But then your heart is just burned, burned until nothings left. Nothing but ashes, and yet, she nodded, ready for another hoop to be tossed at her.

He smiled a little but said nothing as he turned to leave. After he reached far enough from the Torch, he sighed and leaned against one of the lockers. Why in his right mind was he going to say, "As long if you promise we can talk about us..."