HOLDING OUT pt15

Pairings - Not sure yet, Clark and Chloe most likely
Spoilers - It would help if you've ever Watched Smallville
Disclaimer - As much as I'd like to, I own nothing and will in no way make profit from this piece of fiction from the depths of my imagination.

NOTE – So here we are, at the end of the road. This started as a flash of light blasting in my brain as the Bonnie Tyler song blared over my car stereo one day back in June. And while I'm probably making more of this than I probably should, I truly have enjoyed this chance to share my thoughts on Clark, Chloe, Bart, Superman and of course Shelby. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this. Please go ahead and recommend this fic to anyone whom you think would enjoy it, or hate it – negative criticism makes me smile as well! It was my goal, in writing FanFiction to elevate the game beyond just "Here's what I always wanted to see these character do" to a level that appreciates the work on the show that has come before, and stay at that level, without messing up continuity. At least, hopefully not too much ;)

I might write more SV FanFics in the future, but for now, once this chapter is done – the well will have run dry. Starting (hopefully) soon, I will be working on my major piece (a new novel) and anyone who wouldn't mind being a feedback board for that, please send me a message/pm/whatever the things are called. I'm hoping to FINALLY get some writing published, and this new story will be the way to go.

Until then, I'll stop holding out on you all. Enjoy the final chapter.

AK

September 24, 2013
Kent Farm

7:07pm

Making the final turn, Chloe piloted her car down the gravel road towards the yellow farmhouse. Her heart fluttering softly in her chest.

This is stupid, she berated herself. We've had dinner before. This won't be any different.

Pulling in behind his battered red truck, Chloe took a minute to gather her belongings, the bags she'd brought along and her composure.

This feels different. She shut off the car, tucking her keys into her now very well traveled tote bag. The door to the farmhouse swung outwards, as Shelby trotted gamely down the front steps, barking all the way.

"Hush, girl." He's never cooked before. Struggling with the large brown paper bag in the passenger seat, Chloe tried to lever her hip under it's bottom. "It's just me. Stop it."

Shelby stopped barking but proceeded to make an even bigger pest of herself. Snuffling her nose at the bag in question, she whined in excitement and hopped up on her hind legs, the forepaws resting on Chloe's arms while trying to pry her muzzle into the bag.

"No!" Stupid dog. "Get down Shelby. I need to …" Shelby managed to poke her muzzle over the top of the bag. The dog's body weight pressing her back against the car. "Bad dog! No treats for you!"

"Chloe?' No! Don't come and see me like this! "Is everything …"

"I'm fine!" Frantically, Chloe pushed back, sending Shelby back off her body and trotting back on all fours. Gathering the brown bag more tightly in her arms, she glared down at the dog. "I'll be right in!"

"Okay."

Slamming the car door shut with her foot, Chloe spun around and started stalking towards the house.

Shelby kept pace at her side, her nose snuffling like mad.

"After all we've been through, I thought you'd be nicer to me."

Shelby whined softly.

"Apology accepted."

Awkward under the extra weight, Chloe made her way up the steps and kicked gently at the kitchen door. "A little help here."

Clark opened the door with a bemused expression and a quirk to one eyebrow. Taking the bag from Chloe's arms he stepped back making room for her to enter.

"What's all this?"

Dropping her tote bag off to the side and avoiding the big red dog's attempt to make new friends with a full body hug, Chloe stepped into the kitchen and looked around in surprise. "Just some things I thought we'd need tonight." But it looks like we won't need them.

Ignoring Clark's soft chuckle as he removed the store cooked roasted chicken, salads and dinner Chloe took in the scene before her. Inhaling the wonderful aromas, she stepped on over to the stove and counters to inspect his handiwork.

Scalloped potatoes? Prime rib roast beef? A full greek salad? Freshly baked French bread? Wine?

Chloe threw a look over her shoulder, her nose crinkled in amazement. "Who are you?"

His familiar and unruly hair dropped over his eyes as he tucked his head, trying to hide the embarrassed grin that spread across his face. "I can't take credit for the bread and wine," he said softly with a laugh. "After having lunch with Bart I swung though a village in France and picked that up for a few Francs."

Picking out a fresh tomato slice from the salad and popping it into her mouth, she leaned back against the counter. "You can carry money in that suit?"

"There're some pouches along the belt. I try to be prepared."

"Boy scout."

He shrugged. "Could be worse." Looking at the arrangement of packaged food from her grocery bag, he smiled wryly. "Thought I'd drop the ball here?"

God, stop blushing! "Not exactly." Off his pointed stare, she shrugged slightly. "You had a big day. Getting a job at the Planet. Saving orphaned children from a fiery death. Exposing your colorful costumed self to the world." She paused, a twinkle forming in her eye. "Becoming Lois' new source of hero worship."

Clark froze in the act of putting away the groceries, His hand nearly crushing the potato salad before regaining control of his grip. "What?"

"I don't know what it is with you hero types. First it was A.C. and his ability to hold his breath for five minutes at a time. Then it was Ollie and his whole green leather Robin Hood fetish. And now you, all big, blue, orphan saving and spandexy."

Clark carefully put down the packaged salad. His gaze boring into hers.

"Does she know about me?"

"In that outfit, there's not much about you that isn't known flyboy."

He closed his eyes, took a deep calming breath and tried again. "I mean, does she know it's me."

Chloe blinked innocently for a few moments. I love making him squirm. "No Clark." His sudden exhale ruffled her hair from across the room. "I don't know how she doesn't, what with the levels you've gone to protect your identity. Whatever happened to nobody can know my secret anyways?"

Putting away the rest of her groceries into the Kent's voluminous fridge, he made his way over to the stove, and brought out the roast while answering. "Nobody can know, Chloe."

"So where's the mask? People are going to figure it out, Clark. People who know you. Like Perry? Jimmy." Hit him where it counts, Sullivan. "Like Lex?"

Pulling the roasting pan out with his bare hands, he lowered the steaming steel onto the stove top. "Maybe they will. There's not much I can do about that, though. It's everyone else I have to hide from."

"That might be tough, Clark. TV cameras got a pretty good look at you today. Tomorrow morning's edition of the Planet has Jimmy's pictures of you all over it."

"Good headline?"

"Caped Superman Saves Orphans."

He nodded thoughtfully as he began to carve the beef. "That's catchy."

Chloe put her hands over top his, stopping his movements. They locked eyes. "Clark, this is serious. People are going to figure out who you are. Why aren't you concerned?"

He smiled slightly. "Chloe. When people see me in that suit. Flying through the air, pulling children out of burning buildings on the front of the paper. They're not seeing Clark Kent." He began to serve the meat onto plates, arranging salads and the potatoes. "I told you before. The world isn't ready for Clark Kent to be a hero, a saviour."

"But you are the guy in the costume. Aren't you?"

Placing the plates on the table, he motioned for her to sit while he grabbed the wine bottle. "I'm in a costume, Chloe. But it's not the one with the cape." Picking up the fashionable glasses off the kitchen table, he slid them on his face and straightened his hair before turning back.

No way.

"You're kidding me."

"Sun Tsu called it hiding in plain sight." With a squeeze of his fist, the cork popped out of the bottle into his free hand. He quickly poured the sparkling wine into two glass flutes. "As long as everyone's seeing this … this Superman flying through the air helping people and having no secrets, no one's going to bother Clark Kent as he writes about old theatres, movies and spends time with his loved ones."

Taking the wine glass he proffered, she took a sip without taking her eyes off of him. "That's kind of insane you know."

He took a seat and shrugged his broad shoulders, straining the seams on his buttoned down dress shirt. "Maybe. Seems to be working so far though."

"Can't argue that."

He grinned. "Dig in. We can do the interview over dessert."

"You made dessert?"

He looked confused. "You bought an apple pie."

"Oh yeah. Right."

The ate in relative silence for a few minutes. For a while the only sound that could be heard was Shelby's soft whining from her position on the floor. Her food dish pointedly in front of her snout, in case anyone should notice.

"Clark?"

"Mm-Hmm?"

This is so good. "You were in suspended animation for five years. Where'd you learn to cook?"

He paused with a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. "My mother is Martha Kent."

Oh.

"Well. That makes sense." She paused, then looked over at him shyly. "Then why haven't you cooked me dinner before?"

"I didn't want you thinking I was hitting on you or something. You were always big on Let's just be good friends, Clark. So I left my spatula skills well hidden."

Chloe chuckled ruefully, swallowing the pang of unease that suddenly swelled in her gut. Taking a quick swig of wine to gather her nerve, she spoke; "Well I was a pretty dumb kid, sometimes."

"Yeah. You were." She glared daggers across the table at him until he laughed. "Course. I could've been a little less dense myself."

"A little? Clark, for a guy who can see through solid objects you really suck at reading signals."

"What can I say? Sometimes trying to figure people out is like seeing through lead. Just not going to happen."

"I guess."

Silence.

"So tell me, Chloe."

"Tell you what?"

He motioned with one hand. "You know all about the exciting things I've been doing since I left." She snorted, covering her mouth with one hand to hide the smile. And the stuff coming out my nose! "So what about you? I assumed the college degree. And I have witnessed the elevated status at the Daily Planet. What don't I know about?"

God, where do I start?

For the next twenty minutes, Chloe poured her heart out. Going over little stories from college, to her first big story that Perry printed at the Planet. To dealing with Lois on a daily basis- her competitiveness and drive. To how her father was doing. To the investigations she'd followed through on in the government, in Luthorcorp, across the globe. Until finally …

"… and that's pretty much it. I keep busy. I track down scum and slime bags. And then I write scathing stories about them." She shrugged, and stood up. The two of them beginning to clear the dishes from the table. "Pretty much business as usual for me."

Stacking the plates and cups into the sink, Clark smiled softly. "And I thought you were busy in high school."

"Oh, I long for the days back when I was just running a full course load and running the Torch. Those were slack days."

Retrieving the pie from the fridge, Clark began cutting some slices. Handing one to Chloe, she was surprised to find the plate warm to the touch.

"Sorry."

"Show off."

They relocated to the main room. Shelby vacated the couch once Clark put out some leftovers in her food dish, leaving room for the two of them to sit on each end.

"Coffee?"

"It's a bit late, even for me Clark."

"Okay."

What's up?

Nudging his leg with one of her feet. "You all right? You got all introspective all of a sudden."

He started slightly, then leaned back into the cushions. His pie plate forgotten on the coffee table. "Yeah. I'm good."

Right.

"It's just." He paused. His face conflicted. Then he laughed ruefully.

"What?"

"I was just remembering something Bart said over lunch." Bart? He talked to Bart about me? "He offered to write down some crib notes. So I couldn't screw this up."

Please don't pound too loud, heart. Carefully putting her pie plate down next to his, Chloe sat up straighter. Her face completely devoid of expression. "Screw what up?"

He paused, his mouth working soundlessly for a few minutes. Finally he took off his glasses and ran his fingers through his thick brown hair. "You're gonna make me say this aren't you?"

She nodded her head rapidly, like a little girl.

Placing his glasses down on the table, he turned to face her. "I almost didn't tell you when I left for my training, Chlo'. When I knew that I had to go, that it was the only choice left for me I was terrified to tell you. I was so close to just packing up and running."

Reaching across the gap, Chloe gripped one of his big hands in hers. "I'm glad you told me. 'cause if you hadn't, I'd have been really hurt."

"You weren't hurt?"

"More hurt. Continue, dummy."

He struggled within himself for a moment "I was afraid to tell you, because I knew … I knew that you were the one person who would have been able to talk me out of it. Convince me to stay."

Chloe winced, remembering that fateful day in his loft. She hung her head shamefully. "I id try to talk you out of it, Clark. I guess you were wrong."

He shook his head, his other hand closing on top of hers. "I wasn't wrong, Chlo'. And while you did say things, tried to talk me out of it. When you were all out of questions … Once you understood. You accepted. You believed." He paused, running his thumbs over the back of her knuckles. "You encouraged me."

Chloe blinked her eyes rapidly. Stupid tears. "I don't remember doing any of that."

"You did." His big blue-green eyes met hers and refused to let them go. "I always said that you were the one person who convinced me that I could do this. Be a hero. Help people. And at that moment, when I needed you the most, you came through again."

"Oh yeah." She forced a laugh. "No matter how hard you try, I'm not taking responsibility for the spandex."

He smiled. "Fair enough." He reached up with one hand, gently caressing her cheek. "Every person I help from now on, that I manage to save is because of you Chloe. All my life you've been there, encouraging me, watching my back and making me believe. In myself. In the world. You're always going to be my hero, Chloe." He rubbed his thumb against her cheekbone. "And I love you for that."

God, why do I ever wear mascara?

Sniffling slightly, Chloe wiped at her face with her free hand. "So. What happens now?"

"How do you mean?"

"Where do we go from here?"

Clark paused, thinking for a second. "Well. First off, I'm going to finish my pie. Then, you're going get the interview that Perry would dance a jig in his underwear for."

Chloe burst out in a fit of giggles at the mental image. Then she sobered her face again, her eyes wide and anxious. "What about after that?"

"After that?" Clark shrugged. Then in one smooth motion he leaned forward. Ever so softly, he pressed his minty-smelling lips just to the side of hers. Closing her eyes, a flood of emotions and memories roared through her brain, her heart hammering like an eight-cylinder engine. Releasing the kiss, Clark pressed his forehead gently against hers, his breath warm on her lips. "After that, I think everything will work itself out."

"Everything?"

"Yeah. One way or another."

I can live with that.

END