Chapter 14
Perry sat behind his desk, glancing at Lois and Clark in turns before picking up the rough draft of their next headline, including the grainy picture they'd grabbed off some teenage punk's digital camera. It was the best they'd found and Clark was at ease with the shadow casted over his face from so high up. Perry cleared his throat. "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's. . . Superman?" He looked over the sheets of paper with a raised eyebrow.
"We thought it was kinda catchy," Clark replied, standing with his hands behind his back.
"You and Chloe thought it was catchy. Looks like me and the Chief still need to be convinced," Lois argued.
"Chloe? Your cousin, Chloe Sullivan? The woman who this so-called 'Superman' pulled out of that elevator shaft?" Perry asked Lois quickly.
"Well, yeah-" Lois began.
"Sold!" Perry cried, jumping to his feet. "How poetic? The first save by the flying man in tights calls him 'Superman'! I always had the feeling you and Sullivan would sell papers together, Kent! She's giving you the exclusive, isn't she?"
"Of course, she is-" Lois started.
"Have it on my desk by tonight, Kent! Tomorrow's headline," Perry crooned to a single draft sheet. "Sales will soar on Monday! I can almost taste the-"
"Excuse me?" Chloe's blonde head popped inside the office after she opened the door. She'd been able to snag a brush from Lois and at least put her face and hair back together. "I knocked a few times but-"
"Why, Ms. Sullivan!" Perry cried. "Come in! Come in!" He rushed over to the door, pulling it wider and Chloe along with it. Chloe fell in with wide eyes. She'd met him quite a number of years ago, but that didn't make this any less of a religious moment for her.
"Mr. White, I-"
"Call me Perry and I'll call you Chloe. No need for formalities between friends, right? I hear I have you to thank for my job here. Put a good word in with owner, did you? If I could I would shake your hand, but, uh. . ." Perry trailed off, glancing at Chloe's doctored up and bound hands. "It seems you've had a little mishap that we will read all about tomorrow morning."
Chloe could still only stare. "Glad I could help," she finally muttered when her mouth worked again.
"Well, gang," Perry said to the others in the room. "I'm off to have some dinner." He turned to Chloe with a sparkle in his eye. "Like to join me? Maybe I can talk you into re-joining the forces of the sniveling, sneaking reporters. Give up this crazy notion of helping world from behind a desk!"
"Isn't that what you do now?" Chloe asked back, an old gleam returning to her eyes. "I didn't see you out there today in the trenches."
"Ah, but that is how the General works. Commands his army from behind the battle lines. I'm too old now to be doing any of the grunt work," Perry laughed as he clapped Clark on the shoulder.
"Seriously, Chloe," Perry continued, turning his attention back to her. "I've looked over some of your old articles before you were summarily dismissed by Luthor Jr. You had some impressive by-lines in your time. If you ever feel like a career change, I could use someone like you."
"Thank you, Perry. That's quite a compliment. But I am happy at Isis," Chloe said gratefully with a smile.
"Fine," Perry sighed. "Can't win 'em all. How do we stand on that dinner invitation, though? Care to accompany an old man for a night out on the town? I don't even remember what it's like to wine and dine a beautiful woman."
"I would love to, but I need to get home. Maybe some other time," Chloe answered sincerely.
"I'll hold you to that, Chloe. Lane!" Perry barked, causing Lois to jump to attention. "Come on, all I've seen you eat all day is Snickers and Red Bull. Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes. Planet's buying tonight." And with a salute to Chloe, Perry shuffled from his office.
Chloe turned and looked at Clark and Lois. "Is he always so. . ."
"Yes," Lois growled, balling her fists at her side. She looked over at Clark. "When did this become your exclusive instead ours? I'm the one who let you in on my story!"
"Lois, I-"
"Nevermind!" Lois exclaimed as she stormed of out Perry's office. Chloe and Clark followed her, both of them having trouble keeping up with her long strides. "The only way I am ever going to have Perry's respect is if I land the biggest exclusive this paper has ever seen! And not from the rescuee." Lois stopped short and turned on them. "But from the rescuer." A steely glint stole over Lois' eyes as she stared off beyond Chloe and Clark who were looking at each other anxiously.
"Look out, Superman!" Lois cried, licking her lips and swinging her eyes back to Chloe and Clark. "Lois Lane is on your case!"
Clark and Chloe landed in the alley behind the Talon. Chloe dropped down to the asphalt. "Your Mom said they would meet us outside the Talon."
"Hey, I'm going to go on to the house. Mom's car is not big enough for all six of us and I want to check it out before you get there. We can't be too careful now," Clark said.
"Agreed. We'll see you out there," Chloe replied before Clark did his disappearing act. Walking quickly around the end of the strip, Chloe spotted Martha and AC, each with a bouncing Connor and Kaid by the hand. She headed over to them. Connor saw her first.
"Mom!" He yanked away from AC, almost causing AC to topple into the street. Chloe caught the little boy in her arms who had slowed down enough not to barrel her to the ground. "What happened to your hands?" Connor asked, catching sight of the white bandages as Chloe patted his head.
"Just had a little accident," Chloe answered.
"Oh, honey! Are you okay?" Martha followed, Kaid skipping along behind her by the hand and AC bringing up the rear, his face a little stunned. Martha wrapped one arm around Chloe's shoulder, hugging her to her side.
"I'm fine. Thanks to your son, as usual," Chloe assured the older woman.
"What were you thinking going off by yourself, Chloe? If one of us had done that, you would have been all over us like barnacles on the butt of a whale," AC pointed out, arms folded sternly.
Chloe rolled her eyes at him. Clark had spent most of his breath on the way over telling her the exact same thing. It was true. It had been so long since Chloe had to worry about alien serial killers and evil masterminds, she was out of practice. But she'd learned her lesson today. Her butt would be at the farm and when it wasn't, she'd have Clark cover it. That is the reason Oliver had left him behind. Him and AC. Chloe would have a fit if one her boys went around without backup and she knew now she was no different. "I know, AC. I know. Do whales even have butts?"
"Where's Clark?" Martha asked, looking around for her tall son.
"He dropped me off and went on to the house. He was going to check it out before we got there," Chloe answered. Connor and Kaid were busy examining her bandages, trying to see what was beneath them.
"That's probably a good idea," AC said. "All was clear when we left earlier today but there's been a lot of time since then and now."
"Well, let's get going," Martha dug her keys out and led them all to her rental car. The drive was quiet with the exception of Connor and Kaid trying to guess how Chloe hurt her hands. She was making a game out it, AC and Martha playing along, not wanting the real version to be told in case it scared the boys.
"Were they bitten off by an alligator?" Kaid asked with a smile.
"No, then she'd have no hands at all!" Connor pointed out.
"Also, alligators are only found in swamps and last I checked, there were no swamps in Kansas," AC informed them from the front seat. Connor and Kaid looked at him with boredom before returning to their game. Chloe snorted at AC's hurt expression as he turned back to the front. Martha turned the car up the long driveway and they all looked at the house in the gathering evening. Something was wrong. The door was hanging off it's hinges and inside. . .
Martha pulled to a stop, staring from behind the wheel.
"Stay here," AC ordered them.
"What's wrong? Where's Shelby?" Connor asked, pressing his nose against the glass of the car window. They all watched as AC jogged up onto the porch, stopping to glance inside before nodding at something and going in. Chloe unbuckled her seat belt when AC emerged, Clark right behind him. Telling the boys to stay put, Chloe got out with Martha.
"What happened?" Chloe asked, trying to see around AC and Clark the damage to the house.
"I think someone was looking for the bracelet," Clark said.
"How bad is it?" Martha questioned. She, too, was trying to see around the two mens' broad shoulders.
"It's trashed, Mrs. K," AC replied. Chloe finally stepped around them and walked into the house.
"Chloe-" Clark called from behind her but she ignored him. Chloe stopped just inside the door, her heart plummeting to her stomach. As far as she could see, everything that could break had been thrown against walls or smashed on the floor. The fridge was standing open, all contents ripped open or spilled out on the floor. Cabinets hung off hinges, drawers were pulled out and emptied, some lay in wooden planks on the floor. She moved woodenly to the next room and the next, each one just as decimated as the last. There were holes in the walls and floor, like someone had taken a sledgehammer and just started swinging. Chloe's shoes crunched upon glass from family photos or slipped upon stuffing pulled from furniture and pillows. Clark found her in the boys room, his old room. Even here, clothes were ripped or tossed everywhere, toys were broken and the bunk beds overturned.
"Don't worry," Clark told her back. "I can fix it. Everything. I can fix everything. Chloe?"
Chloe sighed before turning to face Clark. She looked at him with pained eyes. She lifted her arms in a helpless gesture. "Your house, Clark. Look what they did to your home." Her voice was thick with tears and Clark realized why she hadn't changed anything. Chloe hadn't changed anything because of him. She'd wanted to keep everything all the same when he came home. Little by little, with the slight changes she'd started to make, she'd been letting him go. Clark went to her and pulled her into his arms. Chloe buried her face against his shoulder, sniffling quietly.
"This is your home, too," Clark replied, rocking her. "I promise I can fix all of it."
"I know," Chloe said, pushing away and looking up at him. "I'm so sorry, Clark. None of this would be happening if I hadn't been stupid enough to wear that bracelet outside this house."
"Chloe, none of this is your fault," Clark said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Lex and his goons did this. He had someone plant that bomb in the elevator. He was the one who tried to have you killed. This is all Lex." Clark gestured to the mess around them.
"But I'm the one-"
"No," Clark told her adamantly. He took her hands in both of his, pulling her to him again and trapping their hands between them. "You are not going to blame yourself. This is just a house. These are just things. Houses can be rebuilt, things can be replaced. What is important is that everyone is safe, that no one was here when this happened, that you made it out of that elevator shaft alive. Nothing else matters but those things." Chloe leaned against him, taking the comfort he was offering. Clark could hear Martha and AC downstairs going through the mess, directing Connor and Kaid to watch their step or stay out on the porch. He couldn't resist any longer. Clark had to know. "I do have a question, though," Clark whispered to her hair.
"What?" Chloe replied with her forehead still on his chest. Clark smoothed his hands up and down her silk encased arms. She was still dressed in her dirty and ripped clothing.
"Why were you wearing the bracelet?"
Chloe raised her head, leaning back to meet his eyes. "I wanted to feel close to you," she answered truthfully.
Clark opened his mouth to ask why only to bite his tongue when AC yelled up to them.
"Hey! Oliver's on the phone! He's screaming to talk to one of you!"
"You've been through enough today," Clark said to Chloe, taking a few steps out of the room. "I deal with the Mean Green."
Chloe watched him walk away before turning back to the interior of the room. Back in high school, the Torch had been her safe haven. She remembered what is was like when Lionel, before he'd been sent to prison and came out a changed man, had her little newspaper trashed when she was a sophomore. She'd felt like a part of her had been stomped on. This was the same, but different. She'd raised her sons here. She'd made her life within these walls. How could a man she once trusted and called a friend do this? All for a bracelet! A stupid piece of rock! At least there was some part of Lionel Luthor that was still able to be reached and changed by his stint in the slammer. Lex was already so far gone by the time he reached the cell block, Chloe knew he could never be redeemed.
"Mom! We can't find Shelby!" Kaid called frantically from the foot of the stairs.
Chloe took one more steadying breath and wiped away her tears. "Coming, sweetie!" She walked out of the room and met him at the bottom of the stairs. "We'll find him. AC, would you go look for Shelby? He may have run off when all this started."
"Sure thing, boss," AC answered as he left, calling for Shelby when he hit the ground.
"Can't find Shelby?" Clark asked, flipping AC's phone shut and slipping it into the pocket of his sweat pants.
"Yeah. I just sent AC to look for him. What did Oliver want?"
"When he couldn't get a hold you, he started to panic. He finally called Lois who filled him in," Clark explained.
"The General a little upset by the dissension in his ranks?"
"That would be an understatement. Anyway, they found the place Lex was working. It was deserted."
"It was jail full of political prisoners. They just don't disappear, Clark," Chloe replied.
"Oliver said the place is completely empty. Everything they've run into over there leads to nothing but a dead end. They also checked where Lex's old lab used to be. Nothing is there, either."
"Are they coming home?"
"They were fixing to take off. I'm going to go help AC look for Shelby. He used to like to wander over to the Hubbards'."
"How do you know?" Kaid piped up incredulously. Clark and Chloe looked at him sharply. They'd forgotten he was there, his fingers clinging to Chloe's belt loop.
"Shelby lived here with Clark before he lived here with us," Chloe explained simply.
"You used to live here?" Kaid asked.
"Yeah, I grew up here. You and your brother's room used to be mine," Clark answered, hunkering down to Kaid's level. Kaid still watched Clark carefully and now with everything that might be happening with him and Chloe, Clark wanted to bond with Kaid as he had with Connor. It would make it all the more easier.
"I thought Aunt Martha used to live here," Kaid directed at Chloe as he looked up at her.
"She did. Clark is her son. He used to live here with her and his dad," Chloe continued to explain, combing her fingers through his shaggy blonde hair.
"Your dad is the tall man in the picture Mom has! She said he was a really nice man and that we act like him sometimes!" Kaid said excitedly, turning his green eyes back to Clark. "Mom, show him!"
Clark looked up at Chloe with a grin. "Show me what?" Clark asked, standing to his feet.
"You remember the picture your Mom took of me and you before graduation and your Dad stepped in real quick and stole my cap? It used to be framed somewhere, but now with all this mess, I'm sure it's been shredded by now," Chloe answered smoothly. "Hey, why don't you go help your brother?" She suggested. Connor was over in a corner with Martha, holding open a garbage bag as Martha threw glass and other broken material away.
"That's where we've seen him!" Kaid still prattled on as he walked away. "Connor! Remember? We were wondering where we'd seen him before! He's in that picture that Mom kept in her purse!" Martha heard, as did Clark, and both turned inquisitive eyes on Chloe.
Chloe shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I'm going to go tell AC where he needs to look for Shelby," Chloe muttered and walked quickly out of the open kitchen door. Clark made to follow her, but was surprised when Martha presented herself in his path.
"Clark, she had a hard night and an equally hard day. Why don't you talk to her later, okay?" She suggested.
"But Mom, there is something-"
"Clark," Martha said sternly. "I don't think Chloe is up to be badgered right now. Why don't you help us clean up some of this mess while her and AC find Shelby?"
Clark pressed his lips into a line. He knew when Chloe was hiding something and now he was sure there was something she wasn't telling him, but Clark heeded his mother. "Oliver wants everyone moved to the loft in Metropolis. He's sending some of his security to sweep the building before we get there. So, I was thinking when those two get back, you can take everyone into the city and set up at the loft while I stay here and clean up. Mom, are you sure you want to stay here? It seems we just keep getting deeper and deeper into this," Clark said as he found the broom and began trying to sweep up some of the broken wood into a pile.
"Chloe needs someone to help with-"Martha broke off but slid her eyes over to Connor and Kaid who were staying clear of the glass but picking up other shards of things. "I think I'm needed here, instead."
"After all this, I have a feeling Oliver won't be taking his eyes off those boys when they-"
"We found him!" AC exclaimed as he preceded Chloe and Shelby, the canine sticking close to her heels. "He was huddled up in the storm cellar."
"How did he get in there?" Martha wondered.
"Someone may have put him there. He makes quite a bit of noise when someone he doesn't know steps foot on the farm," Chloe answered.
"Hey boy! Where did you go?" Connor and Kaid dropped what they were doing and squatted down, petting and hugging the dog who sat just outside the door.
Clark watched Chloe go into the family room and begin working in there. Ignoring his mother's foreboding stare, Clark followed her.
"I guess we'll have to get a hotel tonight," Chloe said absently when she felt Clark's presence beside her. She bent down and dug her bandaged hands into the pretty sheer drapes that had hung from the gable window in that room for as long as she could remember. Martha had told her Clark's grandmother had sewn them. Now they lay in ghostly ruins, fluttering from her hands as she stood.
"Oliver wants you to go to the loft for tonight. Mom and AC are coming with you," Clark told her.
"What about you? Where will you be?" Chloe asked, trying to play down the panic in her voice. She wanted Clark with them at all times.
"I'm going to stay here and try to put this house back together," he answered.
"Please don't, Clark. I want you to come into the city with us. Plus, when Oliver and the team get back, I'm sure he'll want to have a congressional summit," Chloe replied.
"I'll do whatever you want me to do, Chloe," Clark said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Chloe turned to him. "I want you to stay with me. I don't want you to leave me. Don't leave me ever again, Clark, not again." Chloe's face crumpled in tears and Clark pulled her quickly to him, holding her close. He saw Connor and Kaid standing quietly inside the doorway, staring fearfully as their mother sobbed quietly into Clark's shirtfront. Martha appeared and whispered, pulling Connor and Kaid away from the scene. Clark pressed a kiss to Chloe's hair.
"I promise you I will never leave you again," Clark crooned. He was determined to keep this one.