Chapter 18

By the time Clark, Chloe and the twins reached Smallville, the clouds edging around the north of Metropolis, thick as molasses and the color of dirty, white socks, had chased across the sky and were completely obscuring the sun.

"Are we in for some storms?" Clark asked.

"When I watched the weather this morning the forecast was for sunny skies but it seems Mr. Weatherman was wrong. Again," Chloe answered, peering out her window at the angry looking clouds building behind them. Trees off and away from the road were beginning to blow in the wind kicking up.

"We can still go riding, can't we, Clark?" Connor asked frantically from the backseat.

Clark looked over at Chloe, who nodded. "Sure thing, buddy. I don't smell rain just yet."

"You can smell rain?" Kaid said incredulously.

"Well, yeah. Has your Mom not taught you how to smell rain yet?" Clark made a tsking noise as he eyed Chloe with disappointment. "It's the best smell in the world, guys. It's like grass and spring and time all mixed together. Even in the dead of winter."

"But it's not winter yet," Connor replied.

"No, it's not winter yet. But we're getting close. It'll be nice to see a snowfall this year," Clark said softly.

"I'm sure," Chloe snorted. "Because you were surrounded by palm trees and beach balls for so long."

"It'll be nice to share it with someone again," Clark replied, shooting Chloe his signature grin. Clark turned the wheel, maneuvering the SUV down the Kent Farm driveway. Clark had put the house back together, for the most part, after Martha and AC took Chloe and the boys into Metropolis. All it needed was some coats of paint, some new furniture and a few more curtains and it would be ready for occupants.

"Mom, when can we come home?" Kaid voiced from behind Chloe's seat.

"In a couple of days, I promise," Chloe told him as Clark parked beside the barn. Shelby, who'd been remembered at the last second and stashed in the back before leaving the loft, gave an excited bark when he saw his roaming grounds.

Connor and Kaid scampered out and down onto the hard, cold ground. Before Chloe could stop him, Shelby bounded up and over the backseat, clawing her expensive leather seats as he, too, exited the vehicle. Clark and Chloe were the last to disembark, following behind Connor and Kaid as they raced into the barn. The boys ducked between stall posts and began cooing to their horses. Odysseus, the grand blonde horse, stood looking haughtily at the commotion to his side. He did, however, let out an almost excited ninny when Chloe approached his stall.

"Hi, big fella," Chloe said, stroking his mane.

Ten minutes later, with the help of Clark and Chloe, Dalma and Mancha were saddled and ready to go. The boys scrambled up into the saddles and pranced the horses out of the barn. Connor pulled up short, looking behind him at his mother and Clark walking slowly behind them.

"You're not going to ride, Mom?"

"Clark doesn't have a horse, sweetie, so I thought I'd keep him company. Is that okay?" Chloe responded, stepping over to the horse to look up at her son.

"But," Kaid began. "We always ride together."

"Kaid, it would only be-"

"Chloe, why don't you ride?" Clark looked behind him. He wouldn't call himself a horse whisperer, but he'd spent enough time around them growing up to read the anxiousness in the way Odysseus stamped the ground in his stall. "I'll run over to Hubbard's and see if I can borrow Chestnut or something."

"Marcus had to put Chestnut down a few years ago," Chloe told him. "He's got a few horses now but they're all cutting horses. He only uses them to round up his cattle for branding or driving."

"The boys want you to go with them," Clark said. "Don't worry about me. I'll keep up."

"Why don't you ride with Mom?" Chloe glanced over at Connor. "Ollie rode with us one time like that."

Clark looked behind him at the mammoth animal. The thought of a woman as little as Chloe clambering up on him had to be a funny sight. "You think he'd be okay with that?" Clark asked Chloe.

"Odysseus loves people, Clark. He just doesn't want to show it," Chloe said with a smile. "That's a good idea, Connor."

As if Connor had solved a national crisis, he nodded and pulled on the reins in a seasoned manner, guiding Mancha into a trot and out of the barn.

"Don't go too far without us!" Chloe called after him.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Not wanting to spook the horse, Clark allowed Chloe to saddle him and lead him out of his stall. Odysseus tossed his head and high-stepped, showing his eagerness to stretch his legs.

"Need any help?" Clark asked, very intrigued as to how Chloe would lift herself up onto this horse where the stirrups only hung right beneath her hip.

"You're wondering how I usually do this, aren't you?"

"Actually, I am." Clark stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.

Settling her features into an expression of smugness, Chloe patted Odysseus on the side and the horse took two steps sideways. With a soft affirmation, Chloe walked in front of the horse over to his other side. Placing one booted foot on the middle fence rung, Chloe grabbed the saddle horn and pulled upward. With fluid grace, she swung her left leg up and over the stationary horse and slid into the saddle. Once she was seated, Odysseus moved away from the fence.

"We've had lots of practice over the years," Chloe said with a wry grin.

"Impressive, Chloe. Especially since the last time I saw you climb into a saddle you used me as a ladder." Clark walked over to the horse and rubbed Odysseus' neck gently. "He won't buck when I try to get on, will he?"

"No. Unless he knows your nervous, then you'll make him nervous. There is a reason why Oliver only came along once when I took the boys riding. Front or back?" Chloe asked.

"Back," Clark answered. Chloe scooted far up in the saddle and leaned forward, leaving as much space for Clark as she could. With a deep breath, Clark placed his own boot in the stirrup and quickly pulled himself up and over. He slid down in the saddle, his butt resting right against the back slope. "Scoot back."

Clark had ridden like this once before with Lana. They'd been eighteen and at the tail end of their relationship. In one last ditch effort to save what he'd sacrificed his father for, Clark suggested they go riding. Lana had spent the entire time treating him as her cousin instead of her boyfriend, holding her slender form away from him and shaking her head, her thick ponytail slapping him continually in the face. For a girl who badgered him constantly about physical intimacy, she sure hadn't given him signals she wanted any. Chloe, however, shuffled backward until she felt Clark right up against her, relaxing into his body as he framed her thighs with his. This was much more enjoyable than the last time he went riding with a woman. Handing him the reins, Chloe reclined fully against him, allowing him to take control of Odysseus.

Pressing a quick kiss to her temple, Clark clicked his tongue and pulled upward, guiding Odysseus out in the biting November air. Chloe placed her feet on top of Clark's in stirrups, ensuring she didn't slip around as they both moved easily with the horse's rhythm. Emerging from the barn, Clark saw Connor and Kaid jogging their horses in circles around one another.

"We going anywhere special?" Chloe asked.

"Can we ride over to Godbee's Meadow?" Kaid suggested.

Chloe said they could and the boys took off. Shelby trotted along in between the two groups, careful to stay away from clomping hooves. Taking the back way, the horses were led along a narrow path, winding around the Kent Farm and off until they pulled up beside the river. Connor and Kaid chattered happily while Clark and Chloe rode in companionable silence. The ground began to rise in a slow, sloping hill.

"You remember when you and me and Pete used to come out here and shoot off leftover fireworks from the fourth of July?" Clark asked softly in Chloe's ear.

"I loved those nights," Chloe replied. "I remember the first time you two brought me out here."

"You mean, that time when you started screaming like a mad woman about fire and ran off without shoes on, resulting in about a billion stickers Pete and I had to dig out of your feet?"

"I had never seen real fireworks before! How was I supposed to know the sparks would burn out before they reached the ground?!" Chloe exclaimed in a laugh. "You remember my twenty-first birthday?"

Clark snorted. "You and Lois got so drunk I can't believe you two didn't fall into the campfire before I found you."

"Lois spent the night blissfully passed out on your couch and I spent the night facedown on the cold tile of the bathroom floor. I haven't touched cranberry juice or vodka since."

"At least you weren't trapped in Lois' body-"

"Or possessed by a sixteenth century witch's helper with a really bad taste for dominatrix apparel," Chloe reminded.

"I think that was my favorite one of your birthday parties, Chloe," Clark said, smiling at the back of her head. "Except for the part where you chained me up and then scratched the hell out of me."

"How did we ever survive an adolescence in Smallville, Clark?"

"I had really good friends, one in particular that helped me out a lot."

They crested the hill and looked down at Godbee's Meadow. "This has always been one of my favorite places," Chloe spoke quietly.

"You said once the wildflowers made you feel like you were Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz before they got to the Emerald City."

"When did I ever tell you that?" Chloe questioned.

Clark cleared his throat. "It was the day after Justin Gaines attacked you in the barn."

"That was a long time ago," Chloe replied. Odysseus plodded down the downward side of the hill. Chloe watched Connor and Kaid jump off their own horses and tie the reins haphazardly around a tree trunk. From out of someone's pocket, came a scruffy tennis ball. Shelby launched up on his hind legs, trying to snatch the ball from Kaid's hand. The boys began tossing the ball between themselves, Shelby barking and running crazily back and forth as the ball flew over his head.

"I took you to the Talon and then we went for a walk and ended up here," Clark said as he reined the horse in, halting Odysseus a few paces from Dalma and Mancha. He slid off Odysseus and turned to Chloe, holding up his arms to help her down.

"And just how do you expect me to get back up here after I get down?" Chloe asked as she swung her right leg over. Clark wrapped his hands around Chloe's waist and lifted her off the horse before setting her back on the ground.

"I'm always available as a ladder," Clark answered. He turned, taking her hand in his as he walked them closer to where Connor and Kaid were still playing with Shelby. They abandoned the ball and were now zig-zagging (at human speed, to Chloe's relief) around the meadow, Shelby doing a pretty good job of keeping up with them.

"We walked around this meadow about twelve times," Chloe picked up Clark's thread of thought. "You held my hand the whole time. I felt so self-conscious because my palm was getting sweaty and your palm felt as dry as hay."

Clark laughed. "I was sweating on the inside. You were the first girl I had held hands with," he admitted.

"Really?" Chloe looked at him suspiciously.

"Well, the first I girl I wasn't made to hold hands with," Clark told her with a grin.

Chloe smiled and turned her eyes back to watch Connor and Kaid. "I think that's why I love this meadow," Chloe began. She looked back at him. "You made me feel really special that day, Clark. Like I was the only one you saw."

Clark opened his mouth, only to hear the words, "Clark, think fast!" come flying in his direction. Yanking his head to the side, Clark reached up and snatched the tennis ball zooming right at his face. Connor and Kaid, picking up the playful attitude from this morning, taunted him. For the next hour, under the overcast sky, they all took turns playing Keep Away from each other. Finally, when the wind was howling and the skies were beginning to churn, Chloe suggested they high-tail it on back to the house.

"Good. I'm hungry, Mom," Kaid said, leaning against Chloe's side as he caught his breath.

Clark looked at his watch. It was almost one-thirty in the afternoon. The boys hadn't eaten since eight-thirty that morning. "Yeah, Mom," Clark echoed. "What's for lunch?"

"Can we stop at Vick's for Cowboy Burgers? Please, Mom?" Connor begged.

"Yeah! Can we, Mom, please? Please?" Kaid joined.

"Oh, fine, fine, fine!" Chloe gave in readily. "Vick's it is. But Shelby has to stay outside this time. Vick didn't like it when he found Shelby had eaten up all his beef jerky. Let's get there before we get soaked."

Connor and Kaid high-fived again and waited patiently for Clark to go over and heft them both up onto their assigned horses. Connor and Kaid trotted off, the low and flat land of the Kansas prairie making it easy to keep an eye on them. Clark framed Chloe's waist and lifted her up on the saddle before pulling himself up, settling himself behind her as before.

"What is this Vick's they're talking about?" Clark asked Chloe as he nudged Odysseus into motion, following Connor and Kaid.

"Vick's Git-N-Go. It's a dinky little gas station off of Farmer's Bend. Lana and I found it one day when we were driving back from a day in Granville. I had this heinous craving for Funyuns and strawberry ice cream, so we stopped there."

Clark licked his lips. "Mmmmm. Funyuns and strawberry ice cream is the best combination in the world! I wasn't aware you liked it, Chloe."

Chloe stiffened momentarily. She'd forgotten those were two of Clark's favorite junk foods. Being pregnant with his sons, she hadn't been surprised at the time when she got the urge for the, up until then, disgusting pairing. "I thought maybe those alien tastebuds might be on to something so I gave it a try. Lana was brave enough to try one of the burgers and said it was the best she'd ever had. Later, when I would take the boys riding, we would stop in here for a burger before going home. See, there it is."

Chloe pointed and Clark followed her finger. They were about to cross over the county line and on the corner of a dusty intersection, was a run down little hut of a building.

"How does he get enough business the stay open?"

"So it's not the Hilton of gas stations, but he's a really nice man."

"Chloe," Clark began, regarding the warped wood and buckled posts. "This is not even a Motel 6. I can see why people Git-N-Go."

Chloe elbowed him gently in the ribs before slipping off Odysseus. Feeling like he'd stepped back in time, Clark tied Odysseus to the hitching rail on the west side of the building, next to Dalma and Mancha. He ordered Shelby to stay, who laid down obediently against the wall with a sad whine.

"I'll bring you some fries. Will that make it better?" Clark ruffled the dog's ears before rounding the corner and entering the building. It smelled of cigarette smoke, old magazines and lots of grease. His sensitive nostrils flared and he had to fight to keep his stomach from rolling over.

"Clark, you okay?" Chloe asked when he joined her in line, laying a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, just all the smells. They're not mixing well together."

"You want to wait for us outside? We have to eat out there anyway since there are no tables in here," Chloe told him.

"Sure. I'll take the gasoline over this. Here," Clark dug out his wallet.

"Clark, I got it-"

Clark pressed his bank card into her palm. "Get an extra older of fries for Shelby." And then Clark left, holding his head.

Chloe took a step forward in the line, now only waiting behind four people. She kept a careful watch on Connor and Kaid, who were in the magazine section, their noses already stuck between the pages of a Warrior Angel comic book.

"Chloe?" She turned at the sound of her name.

A tall, athletic woman standing behind her had spoken and was smiling at her brightly.

"Chloe Sullivan?" The woman asked again.

"The one and only," Chloe trailed off, trying to place to woman standing behind her.

"Sorry," the woman apologized sweetly. "We didn't exactly run in the same circles in high school, what with you being most likely to succeed and me being most likely to become a townie," The woman laughed at her own joke, extending her hand. Chloe took it and shook it with friendliness. "Brenda Douglas. Or Williams, then. Brenda Williams."

"I remember the name-"

"But not the face, right?" Again the woman laughed. "I was kinda quiet and shy. Kept to myself a lot. I had a few classes with you over the years. We worked on the yearbook staff together our senior year."

"You had to walk around with that stupid little clipboard and ask what all the exciting plans were for the soon-to-be newest Smallville High Alumni! How are you?" Chloe's smile was genuine when she gave it this time.

"Good. Just passing through with the husband and the kids on the way back to Nebraska," Brenda pointed out the window to a man matching her height and build, pumping gas and talking to Clark. "He and Clark played football together in high school and then had some classes at CKU Freshmen year."

"Stephen Douglas is your husband?"

"That's the one. We began dating after I was his math tutor Sophomore year at CKU."

"That's great. How many kids do you have?" Chloe asked, enjoying the shallowness of their conversation.

"Three and one on the way," Brenda answered with pride.

"Congratulations! You'll have your hands full, won't you?"

"You should know!" Brenda returned merrily, sliding her eyes over to Connor and Kaid. "I always knew you and Clark Kent were more than 'Best Buds'! I remember how the gossip lines hummed about the three of you! Always wondering who Clark would choose or if he would ever choose at all! Most of the girls were pulling for you, though. Most of us could never see what was so special about that Lana Lang girl, well, Luthor now. Oh, I'm sorry! She was your best friend, wasn't she?" Brenda brought her hand up to her mouth, looking horrified at her rambling.

"She still is. She's a very sweet person, Brenda. A lot of people just didn't get to know who she really was in high school," Chloe said nicely. She couldn't judge Brenda too harshly. She had felt the same when she first moved to Smallville at thirteen.

"Well, you were always well-liked and envied among us girls," Brenda continued with a giggle. "Being the star quarterback's best friend and all. Between you and Lana, none of us ever thought we had a chance with Clark Kent! Who could compete with the prettiest girl in school and the smartest?" Brenda gestured to Chloe on the last part of her sentence. "So, how long have you two been married?"

"Married?"

"You and Clark. I called you Sullivan, but you're probably a Kent now. It must have been soon after high school," Brenda led.

"Oh!" Chloe had been distracted by all the chatter of her and Lana being in competition over Clark. Brenda's outside opinion was almost enlightening. "We're not-" Chloe stopped awkwardly. Chloe knew instantly Brenda didn't read the paper much or she would know Chloe wasn't married

Brenda looked at her with confusion until it finally dawned on her. "Oh. Well, would you look at that, I did it again! Stuck my big fat foot right in my big fat mouth! It's just, that you two always seemed so. . . And you were here together today. . . And the. . ." She discreetly pointed to Connor and Kaid who, thankfully, were still engrossed in the comic. "In the corner. . . I just thought. . . I'm sorry," she finished lamely.

Chloe was fixing to tell her there was no need when the girl behind the counter cried out, "Next!"

"It was nice seeing you again, Brenda," Chloe said with a smile as she stepped up and placed her order. "I need four cowboy burgers, all with cheese, three with extra mayonnaise and no pickles or onions, one with mustard and everything, five orders of fries and one Coke, two Sprites and one sweet iced tea," Chloe rattled off.

"Twenty-five, even." The disinterested girl informed Chloe.

Chloe handed her Clark's bank card. The girl looked at it and handed it back. "I can't use that. You can't be Clark Kent."

"No, I'm not. Just one second," Chloe started to go for her purse when she realized she'd left it in the SUV at the farm. She looked back at the girl. "You know what? I left my purse at home. You see that tall, dark haired man standing out there in the navy jacket and blue jeans? He's Clark Kent."

"I don't know that. Cancel that order!" She yelled at the man cooking behind the wall.

"No, do not cancel that order!" Chloe yelled. "Just one second. Get these people behind me and I'll go bring him in." Chloe marched to the glass door and opened it. Clark and Stephen were leaning against the Douglas' mini-van, no doubt talking about their glory days.

"Clark! Could you come here, please?" She called out to him.

"Hi, Chloe! Clark said he was here with you!" Stephen, the Smallville Crows', and later CKU's, best wide receiver, yelled out to her.

Chloe wanted to snort. Stephen didn't even know her name in high school and she'd sat behind the doofus for four years in homeroom. Chloe made the polite response while Clark shook his hand and jogged over to her.

"What's up?"

"They won't accept your card because I'm not you. Could you go in and show the girl your driver's license or your social security card or your birth certificate?"

"No problem," Clark began to breath through his mouth, avoiding the fumes that earlier had messed with him. On his way in, he passed Brenda Douglas.

"It was nice seeing you, Chloe. I'm sorry about earlier. You and him do look good together, though," she said softly, just as Clark slid past her. Chloe knew he'd heard Brenda and was continuing to listen by the way his ear was turned toward them.

"Thank you, Brenda. Don't worry about it. Have a safe trip." Chloe pushed the door open for her and waved at Stephen again. She watched them both return to their mini-van and drive away. Minutes later, Clark stood beside her at the front window, bags of food clutched in his hands.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"Brenda Douglas. Stephen's wife. She was Brenda Williams when we all graduated together."

"I guess I don't remember her," Clark replied. Chloe gazed up at him. With the exception of Alicia Baker, did Clark really never notice any of the other girls surrounding him at Smallville High except for Lana and her, as Brenda had said? How was that even possible when he'd barely even noticed her?

Chloe shook off the odd nostalgia and called over her shoulder for the boys. All four of them exited back into the cold November day and made their way over to a group of three or four picnic tables nailed together under a questionably constructed pavilion.

"Are you sure you want to eat out here? Won't you three get cold?" Clark asked.

Looking up at him with funny little smile, Chloe answered. "Nope. I might, but they won't. They love it when it's like this."

"In that case," Clark's set the food down and the drink holder and pulled his jacket off, draping it around Chloe's own quilted shoulders.

"Thanks," Chloe said, thrusting her arms through the sleeves. Surreptitiously, she breathed in through her nose. The jacket smelt like Clark. Not the cologne he used sparingly in the mornings, but him.

"You smell like freshly baked cinnamon rolls," Clark whispered heatedly at the back of her neck, his nose buried against her nape.

Chloe's cheeks suffused with heat at the memory of the husky words. Clark smelt like fresh bales of hay. Dry, clean and slightly sweet. And his mouth tasted like mint leaves. She forced her eyes open to find all three men staring at her. Four, if she counted Shelby who had sprinted over. She swallowed.

"Where did you go?" Clark asked, opening the bags.

"No where," Chloe said, fighting to keep her voice steady. She took the bags from him and handed all the burgers marked 'Mayo' to the guys and kept the 'Must' for herself. She handed Clark the Coke and a straw, then set the Sprites before the boys and shoved their straws into the openings. Clark laid out fries for everyone on napkins, dropping Shelby's order to the ground where the dog woofed it down eagerly.

Lunch was a slow paced activity, even with the wind blowing like it was. Chloe chased down napkins and Clark keep the last little bites of the boys' burgers from blowing away. Between bites and swallows, Connor and Kaid tutored Clark on the finer points of Warrior Angel. Finding a captive audience in Clark, Connor and Kaid went nuts, giving him facts and dates and little trivial tidbits. Sipping her tea, Chloe sat back and watched. The boys loved Oliver and Oliver had been great with them, but he'd never been able to connect with them on the level Clark was. The three of them were fragments of the same soul, Chloe knew, finding how easily they fit together. The inherit father in Clark was being pulled out by these two little copies of himself. He seemed so much like his own father. The thought of the father the boys missed out on having and the grandfather they'd never know, the two men who shaped and steered her life more than her own ever had, caused something inside Chloe to break. Chloe couldn't help it. She put her fist up to her mouth, hiding her trembling lips at the way her sons, their sons, carried on an excited conversation with Clark, Clark's own face lit up and just as animated as Connor and Kaids'. Quickly, she dashed the tears out of her eyes, biting her lip to try and stem the flow.

Clark glanced over at Chloe for a moment and then swung back when he saw her face was awash with tears. Her small hands hastily wiped her face, trying to disguise the emotion that was clearly seeping out of her.

"Guys, your mom is probably freezing. What do you say we finish up here and ride home?" Clark suggested.

The boys nodded, taking Clark's direction easily. They gathered up everyone's trash, making a game out of balancing the heaps in their arms as carried it over to the large metal trash can and chucked it all in. With Shelby at the heels, all made their way back to their horses. Again, Clark took charge and seated boys on their horses. He then placed Chloe in the saddle and swung himself up behind her. Pulling her securely back against him, shielding her against the cold wind with his body, Clark enveloped her as much as he could within his arms as he held the reins lightly.

Chloe cried silently, not even bothering any longer to hide her tears from Clark. She felt Clark gather her as close as he could in their positioning on the horse. Clark allowed the boys to ride a little farther ahead of them, but kept his eyes trained on them as they all followed the path home. Nudging Chloe's head back against his throat with his chin, Clark sighed when he felt the soft brush of her hair against his exposed skin.

"What happened back there, Chlo?" He asked softly.

"Just the way you are with them," Chloe whispered thickly. "You're going to be such a wonderful father, Clark."

Clark almost reminded her the boys already had a father, Oliver, and he wasn't looking to replace him. He bit his tongue at the last second. Thoughts of Oliver always conflicted him and now that he and Chloe were not together any longer, Clark tried hard to shut the angry thoughts off.

"You're a pretty good mother. You remind me a lot of how my mom was with me," Clark replied.

"I tried. I tried to be like your mom. I was always thinking, 'What would Martha do?'," Chloe said with a sniffle.

"She's a great example to have," Clark replied. "But I'm sure you would have done just fine on your own."

They rode along for a little while in silence, Clark hearing the rumble of thunder. Just ahead, Clark could see the outline of the yellow farm house. The twins has taken the straighter road, by-passing the meadow to make it home in half the time.

"I never pictured myself as a mom, Clark. Never thought I wanted to be one," Chloe murmured the closer they got to Kent land.

"What changed your mind?"

"You were gone. My life had no purpose and then. . . It did."

"Because of Oliver?" Clark said tightly.

"No," Chloe answered vehemently. "Because of them. I waited and waited for you to come back, Clark. Finally, I just wanted to give up. I didn't think I could survive losing the other man I-" She broke off suddenly. "I didn't think I could survive losing you so soon after Jimmy. And then one morning I woke up and found Connor and Kaid curled up in the bed with me." Chloe could feel her blood racing and her heart pounding. They'd reached the farm and Connor and Kaid had led their horses into the barn. Clark halted Odysseus right outside and Chloe knew this was the right moment to tell him. She set her face in determination and gripped one of Clark's hands in both of hers. "Clark, there is something you need to know about what happened after you left," Chloe began, fearing if she didn't get it out the moment would pass her by.

"Why didn't you wait for me, Chloe?"

"The twins-What?"

Clark slid off the horse and turned to look up at her. He was going to wait until dinner to have this conversation, but if she wanted to have it now, by all means, Clark thought. He looked up at her, her face confused by his question.

He asked her again. "Why didn't you wait for me? After what happened between us, did you really think I would have abandoned you that way?"

"Clark, I-"

"I know I was gone longer than we expected," Clark cut her off. "But the boys are, what? Seven? Fixing to be eight? Did you think so little of me that you ran off and jumped Oliver so soon after I left?" Clark snarled. He hadn't meant to be this angry. Part of him was wondering where this emotion was coming from, but he liked it.

"Now, wait just a minute!" Chloe exclaimed, sliding off the horse herself and standing toe to toe with him. "I did not jump Oliver! If you would shut up for two seconds I'll tell you-"

"I don't care how how you and Oliver happened. It doesn't matter. What I need to know is why. Chloe, when we-" Clark swallowed. "After we made love, I know I was wrong in leaving you the way I did. I was a total ass and I'm sorry. But before we go any further, I want to make sure this is what you want. That night meant everything to me and I need to know you feel the same way."

"It did. I've always wanted you, Clark," Chloe pressed her hands against his chest and leaned into him. Clark wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him "When Jor-El told me-"

"Jor-El?" Clark shifted back and peered at the top of her blonde head. What did Jor-El have to do with any of this?

Chloe lifted her eyes and looked at Clark. "You don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Clark said through clenched teeth.

Chloe shivered slightly, not from the wind but from the anger now quite apparent on Clark's face. Her reply came out in a jumble of words. "I went to the Fortress. . . I was worried about you. . . Jor-El told me-"

Clark grasped Chloe by the shoulders. "Jor-El told you what?"

Chloe stilled in his hands. The thunder rumbled again, closer and this time, accompanied with a few droplets of rain. In a whisper she said, "He told me the Clark Kent I loved no longer existed."

Deep breaths.

Count to ten.

Don't turn the wheel into a pretzel.

Clark stared straight ahead of him. Over and over he coached himself to be calm. It wasn't working. He saw the turn off to go down by the caves. Gritting his teeth, he drove past it, staying to the road that led back to Metropolis, paying close attention to the rain-slicked curves.

All his fault, all his fault.

Deep breaths.

Count to ten.

Don't turn the wheel into a pretzel.

Chloe looked over at Clark. His jaw was contracted, his arms flexed, the power he was so adept at hiding flowing off of him. Nervously, she played with the strap of her purse. Glancing back, she saw Connor and Kaid sleeping soundly. Turning back to Clark, she wondered if she'd ever seen him so angry. Angry wasn't even the right word for it. Incensed was more like it.

"Clark! Wait, where are you going?" She screamed after him as he broke away from and began striding off, the clouds finally breaking and rain coming down in sheets.

"To talk to my father!" He yelled back, each word punctuated by a stomp of a foot.

"Clark, we have to go back to Metropolis. We have a bigger problem than you going all 'Cats in the Cradle' with Jor-El!"

Clark swung back to look at her. "This is all his fault, Chloe!" Clark gestured wildly between them. "He screwed up our lives! You thought I was dead because of him! He's the one who sent you running to Oliver! Instead of making anything to clear-"

"None of that matters anymore!" Chloe splashed over to him, gripping his shirt in her hands, looking up at through the blinding rain. She was aware of the boys watching them from the open barn door, but didn't have time to think about the implications. "It happened. What matters is we are together now. And you don't have the time for a mini-field trip to the Fortress. We need to get back to Metropolis," Chloe implored softly. Clark growled at his feet.

Seeing his anger toward Jor-El was a little too close to home. All too soon that anger could, and most likely would, be turned on her. Chloe berated herself for lying to him again, for taking the easy way out and letting him believe that Oliver was Connor and Kaid's father and that Jor-El was the reason. Laying her head in her hand, Chloe stared out the window, asking herself how she could have made such a mess of everything and wondering what was going on in Clark's head. He hadn't said more than two syllables to anything she'd said to him after they'd gotten in the car. Why had she thought Jor-El would have told him she came looking for him? Of course the god of the Ice Castle wouldn't have said a word to Clark! For Clark, a person he loved, be it friend or more, to come looking for him meant trouble. Clark had left his training once to save her and it had angered Jor-El. This wouldn't have been any different.

Minutes passed like a snail parade, until finally the Metropolis skyline came into view. Within twenty minutes, they were pulling into the underground parking. Clark sat in the seat, the car off, still staring at his hands. Chloe got out and opened the back door. Connor and Kaid didn't even stir. Chloe began to nudge Connor when the door on Kaid's side opened. Clark reached in and plucked Kaid up, not even waking the sleeping boy. Chloe did the same, although she was a little more awkward lugging her tall son into her arms and back up the elevator. Shelby followed, his tail tucked as if sensing the disturbance in his family unit. Outside the doors, she could hear boisterous voices and knew the gang had gathered. Connor stirred slightly but didn't wake, burrowing closer into his mother. Clark reached over and pulled the door open.

"Hey!" People greeted, but voices quickly fell. Chloe had no way of knowing if it was due to the sleeping children or the thunderous look on Clark's face, matching the hellion of a storm lashing at the windows.

Chloe spotted Bart and AC sprawled on the floor over a mass of paper, Lana and Oliver sipping bottles of water in front of laptops, Dinah and Victor making notes on blue prints. Everyone watched as they marched past. Clark led the way, filing into the master bedroom and laying Kaid gently down, turning silently and taking Connor from Chloe. Shelby had been detained out in the living room, having got a scent of a new person he'd never been around. Clark and Chloe came out to find him sniffing warily around Lana's chair before snuffling and going to roll on Bart.

Oliver turned in his seat. "How'd it go? You two have fun singing in the rain?" He gestured to their slightly-dampened clothes.

Chloe looked up at Clark, catching her bottom lip in her teeth.

"Oliver, if you don't mind, I need to go. . . Somewhere for a little bit," Clark told him. He didn't wait for a response before moving off toward the elevator again.

Chloe caught up, yanking his sleeve hard. "Clark," she said through gritted teeth. "Nothing you can do and say will change anything. If you would just let me explain-"

"You're not the one who needs to explain. He is." Clark pulled his arm out of her grasp and changed directions, going for the stairs. When the door clanged behind him, Chloe heard the distinctive whoosh! that always accompanied him and Bart. Chloe pressed a hand to her temple.

"Did you tell him?" Oliver asked at her side.

"Tell him what?" Lana echoed on the other.

"I didn't get the chance," Chloe moaned.

"Come here," Lana said, taking Chlo's hand and leading her to sit down on the sofa.

"Where did Clark go?" Victor asked.

"We could use his help," Dinah snapped.

"Why did you let him go, Ollie? Clark's a champion at speed reading," Bart threw in.

"He's coming back, isn't he?" AC asked.

"Would you all stop yammering!" Chloe opened her eyes to find herself on her feet, glaring at them all. Opening her mouth to apologize, Chloe closed it again and stalked over to the kitchen.

"Why don't you-" Oliver motioned to Lana. He directed the rest of the group back to their duties, most of them shocked into silence at Chloe's unusual outburst. Dinah looked on with sympathy and Bart shook his head.

Chloe leaned on her elbows on the counter, staring straight at the wall in front of her. She felt someone come up behind her. "Look, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay," Lana said softly behind her. "We all have the 'Frustrated Clark' days."

Chloe turned her head and looked at Lana with annoyed eyes.

"Want to talk about it?"

"She's back."

"And?"

"And she's alone."

"Where did Clark go?"

"I don't know. But wherever he is, he's not in the living room with her. I saw him head into the service stairs. He's been gone for about six or seven minutes now."

"Good. Let's proceed."

"Lex, there are other people in the loft, though. And she's got her kids."

"So? You develop morals in the last few hours?"

"No, sir. You pay me enough to forget I ever had 'em."

"Precisely. Do it. I'm leaving now."

Doug disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the ground. He opened the box to his left and carefully took the wireless remote out of it. With his finger hovering over the green button, he watched Chloe Sullivan lean casually against the bar with a striking brunette woman.

"Time to get the hell out of this freezing rain!" Doug hit the button. "Showtime. . ."

"Lana, I've made a mistake."

"What did you do?"

"First off, I lied. My nose should be out to here by now!" Chloe thrust her arm out, indicting the three feet of space out in front of her. "I let Clark believe something that isn't true."

"Chloe," Lana began. Grabbing the chipped cowboy mug Chloe had scooped up from the wreckage of the house, Lana filled it with coffee and handed it to Chloe. "I've made my peace with what happened when we were younger, but Clark is the last person who should fault you for lying."

"I wish it was that simple," Chloe replied, holding the mug close to her. "But this is a big one. One that will change his life forever. And he'll hate me for it."

Lana furrowed her brows. "Chloe, if it's that bad-"

"It's not bad. Just. . . Shocking."

"What is it?"

"Hey, Mom?" Chloe identified Kaid's sleepy voice for the head of the hallway. She turned to him.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Is it okay-"

A loud clap of thunder shook the loft, followed by a crackle of lightning. Lana and Chloe both yelped and jumped, Chloe losing her grip on the coffee mug. Watching in horror, Chloe waited for the cup to shatter before her eyes. A soft whoosh! was heard and Kaid stood before, his eyes big as he held his mom's favorite coffee cup, scalding coffee dripping down his hands.

"Whoa. . ." Victor said, staring with eyes just as huge at Kaid.

Disbelieving murmurs were heard around the room, all eyes trained on Kaid and his surprising display of speed. Speed, only seen in two other people in the room.

"Did he just-" Lana broke off, her own doe eyes rising up to meet Chloe's. "Connor and Kincaid. . ."

Chloe pressed her lips in a line. The secret was out. And everyone knew except Clark. Chloe hung her head. He was going to hate her.

"Listen, guys," Oliver started.

"You knew?" AC asked Oliver incredulously. "Does Clark know?"

"No, he doesn't. She hasn't had a chance to tell him yet."

"Wait, Speedy Gonzales knew?" Victor questioned, pointing to Bart.

"So, Connor and Kaid aren't Oliver's kids?" Dinah voiced.

"Slow down!" Oliver shouted. Oliver turned to find Chloe, pale as death, hugging Kaid, who was a little frightened with all the yelling, against her side. Everyone turned silent as they all realized Kaid still stood in the room.

"Mom, I'm so sorry," he said on the verge of tears. "I just didn't want you to break your favorite cup."

"Oh, baby, it's okay. It's okay!" Chloe pulled Kaid tighter to her, laying her cheek on his soft, blonde hair.

"Can we table this, for now? We're all friends, but this is a personal matter between Clark and Chloe. If we could get back to-" Oliver coughed. "Work." His voice was oddly strangled.

"Oliver?" AC asked. "Oliver!"

They all watched Oliver go down, hitting the floor unconscious.

"What's happening?" Dinah yelled as AC was next.

"Oh my god!" Chloe pulled away from Kaid as she ran to Bart and Victor who fell to the floor as well. She turned her head and saw the smallest amount of a toxin being leeched into the room. Chloe felt light-headed and her own throat begin to close.

"Lana," she rasped, falling to her own knees, trying hard no to breathe anymore than she had to. "Run! Clark! Fortress!"

"Mom!" Connor yelled.

Chloe watched Lana begin to cough and look at them like a scared little girl. "Lana, now!" Lana stumbled over to stairs and then disappeared in an instant. Chloe fell to her knees and then couldn't stop the progression to the floor. She rolled over on her side. Connor and Kaid were both kneeling on the floor beside, whatever the gas was, totally innocuous to them.

"Boys," Chloe's voice was getting weaker. She was trying to hold on, fight the blackness that wanted to overtake her.

"Mom!" The boys sobbed! "Mommy! What's happening?"

"Go," she croaked. "Run, now!"

"No, Mommy," Kaid cried, tears streaming down his little face.

"Now!" She tried to speak forcefully. "Go. . . Farm. . ."

"Kaid, we have to go. Come on!" Connor, through his own tears, yanked his younger brother up.

"Not so fast," a hard voice spoke.

"Go now!" Chloe ground out, catching sight of Lex Luthor striding out of the elevator, a cold and triumphant smile spreading across his face. The boys stood petrified, as Lex reached inside his coat and pulled out a shiny, long barreled pistol. He pointed it at them. "Lex, no!"

He swung, his aim now falling on Chloe. "I wouldn't move one more step if you want to see your mama around for Christmas," Lex said to the boys, never taking his eyes off Chloe.

Chloe tried to fight, began to thrash on the floor. Lana had to find Clark! She had to! Lex knelt down and picked Chloe up by the shoulders. She was getting tunnel vision. Doug Weimar came up behind and grabbed Connor and Kaid by their shirt collars.

Lex, looking over at the boys as well, the only two people besides Doug and Lex still standing. They watched Chloe through big, tear filled eyes, their faces alert and fearful. "Looks like you're just full of secrets, aren't you, Chloe?" He whispered into her ear.