Chapter 21
The room was silent when Chloe returned. Avoiding everyone's pity filled eyes, she cleared her throat and walked to the staircase, ascending to the Observation Deck. They all watched her as she stood with her back to them, arms crossed, her shoulders shaking slightly. Victor, Lana and AC averted their eyes, not wanting to intrude on such a private display. Dinah and Bart gazed at Oliver, while Davis twitched in the corner, Chloe's obvious pain calling to him. Before he could make a move, Oliver began taking the steps slowly. He settled a hand upon her shoulder. Chloe turned, looking up at Oliver with the same expression she wore years ago in the barn. Wordlessly, Oliver pulled Chloe to him. She cried into the leather that covered his shoulder. Subtly, they all began to disperse; AC and Dinah taking Connor and Kaid into the kitchen.
"Shhh. . . I'll fix it. I'll fix it," Oliver crooned gently.
"It can't be fixed. Clark has always trusted me above everyone else," Chloe sobbed. "I've lied to him for months. Nothing can fix this, Oliver. Nothing."
"Did he let you explain?"
"There was nothing to explain. I let Clark believe that Connor and Kaid were your sons when so many times I could have come clean. He will never forgive me!"
"Yes, he will," Oliver said with force. He pushed Chloe back and gazed down into her tear-streaked face. "You know why? Because Clark loves you. Because Clark will want to get to know his sons. Because their are two little people in this world that need him. Just give him time. Then try again."
Chloe sniffled a few more times and then wiped her eyes. Shaking her head, she nodded to Oliver. "Let's go over what happened tonight."
"Chloe, why don't we give it a rest tonight? We can all meet with John later and go over everything. I think it's important for you and the boys to go back to the loft and get some rest. Lois and Martha are waiting for us."
"Oh, I bet Lois is chomping at the bit. Where do you think Clark will go?" Chloe asked.
Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt he'll go back to the loft. He's pretty mad at me, too."
"Oliver, I am so sorry-"
"I know you are. I could have told him myself, but I chose to keep my word. He'll come around when he realizes that. It's okay. Everything will be okay," Oliver assured her.
"I hope you're right," Chloe replied.
Oliver dismissed all of them. All of them except Davis.
"You can stay here for the time being," Oliver said.
"Do you think someone should stay here with him?" Dinah asked.
"Is that okay if we have someone stay with you? You know, given your track record and everything?" Oliver questioned.
"No, I'd feel better if someone. . . Watched me right now," Davis stuttered, caressing the bracelet with his right wrist.
"We'll take shifts," Oliver ordered. "Any volunteers?"
"I'll do it," Victor offered. "I need to transfer all the information I downloaded tonight and sort it."
"Okay, Cyborg will take the first shift. He does not take that rock off. Understood?"
"Got it. Come on, bone-crusher," Victor motioned for Davis to follow him. "There's a couch over in the corner you can crash on."
Davis took a few steps and then stopped, turning to face the League. "I'm really sorry. I never meant-"
"We know," Oliver spoke as they all smiled kindly at him.
Davis returned the smile half-heartedly. "Thank you," he told them before following Victor.
Sleeping hadn't even been an option for Martha or Lois. Allistor and Krenshaw both stood rigidly by entrances into the loft. No words had been spoken in the last forty minutes. Martha was curled in a blanket on the couch, sipping from a coffee mug, barely hiding the anxiety underneath. Lois was pacing, as she'd been doing for the better part of the night. She'd tried to take Martha's mind off what was happening, but it seemed to be the other way around. When the midnight hour fell, Martha gave up and gave in, retreating into her own world. When thoughts of how little she knew her grandsons snuck in she chased them quickly away, telling herself she still had years ahead of her with them.
When the clock chimed one-thirty, Krenshaw's phone rang, causing both Martha and Lois to start violently. Standing to her feet, Martha joined Lois in looking raptly at Krenshaw as he nodded and gave curt answers.
"Yes, sir. . . No, sir. . . Of course, sir. . . Yes, sir. . . " He flipped the phone closed and replaced it in the belt clip. "The League has retrieved Ms. Sullivan and her sons and will be returning shortly."
"Oh, thank God!" Martha gasped, not realizing she'd been holding her breath. She hugged Lois tightly who clung to her as well.
"They'll probably be starving!" Martha exclaimed before hurrying into the kitchen. "I'll just whip up something real quick."
When the League returned, they returned to waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, and home-made biscuits and gravy.
"Now, this beats coming home to a dame any day," Bart moaned as he alighted from the elevator and the sweet scent of syrup hit him. "I love you, Mrs. K. Will you adopt me?"
"I don't know if I could afford you!" Martha teased. She saw Oliver come in, heading straight for Lois. She smiled discreetly and averted her eyes when Lois jumped into Oliver's arms, wrapping her long legs around his waist.
"Chloe!" Martha called when she saw her and her grandchildren. The boys smiled and ran over to her, hugging her waist. Chloe followed.
"Oh, it's so good to see my boys again!" Martha said, kissing each one and hugging them tightly. She stood and wrapped her arms around Chloe, kissing her cheek as well. Pulling back, she smiled at Chloe, whose own wobbled a bit. Martha peered around. "Where's Clark?"
Chloe bit her lip. "He didn't come back with us."
"Why not?" Martha asked, fear overtaking her once more.
"He's fine, it's just. . . Bart, can you make the boys a plate?"
"Sure thing," Bart nodded. "You ain't lived yet until you eat Mama K's waffles and Butter Pecan syrup."
"Clark's fine, Martha," Chloe began.
"Then where is he?"
"He left. I don't know where he is. He may have gone back to the Talon or is half a world away by now."
"Chloe, what happened?" Martha kept her voice calm and measured.
"I didn't get the chance to tell him," Chloe said, her voice quavering again with tears. "He saw what the boys could do. He is so angry with me."
"Oh, honey," Martha replied. Chloe broke down again and Martha pulled her into a hug, rocking her gently.
Lois poked Oliver in the ribs from across the room when she saw Chloe over his shoulder. "What's up with that?" Lois asked, pulling back from him. "Wait a minute," Lois narrowed her eyes and looked around. She saw Connor and Kaid shoveling waffles into their mouths while Lana and Bart spoke quietly at the table next to them. "Where's Clark?"
Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. He found out somehow the boys were his and he split."
"That manure-filled, cowardly-"
"Lois," Oliver interrupted sternly. "He has every right to be angry. We all lied to him."
Lois glared at Oliver before softening. "Fine. But I hate anyone who makes Chloe cry. Even if it is in some way her own fault," Lois told him grudgingly.
Lois saw Chloe pull away from Martha and wipe her eyes. With a weak smile, she began to walk toward the bedrooms. Lois left Oliver and joined Chloe. She slung an around Chloe's shoulders and shot her a bright smile.
"We can talk later. I'm just glad to have you back."
"Thanks, Lois. I'm glad to be back," Chloe said.
"Lex didn't hurt you, did he? Or the boys?"
"No," Chloe answered with a shake of her head.
Lois stopped and hugged Chloe tightly. "I'm here whenever you need me, sweetie."
"Thanks, Lois. I'm going to take a shower and then sleep for a little bit."
Lois released Chloe. She took her hand before Chloe got in the door. Squeezing it, she met Chloe's red-rimmed eyes. "This is his loss, Chloe."
Chloe's smile slipped away. "No, Lois. It's theirs'." Chloe went into the master suite and shut the door. Lois turned her head and looked at Connor and Kaid, laughing with Bart and Lana.
The loft around her was silent. Connor and Kaid had joined their mother and Shelby in the master suite around two-thirty when they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. Shelby followed her dutifully, while she put his charges in the bed with their mother. She smiled as they snuggled in close to Chloe. As if sensing they were there, Chloe tucked an arm around both her sons protectively. Shelby sat like a sentry at the head of the bed, watching over his family as they slept. Oliver and Lois left a few hours later after they and Bart helped Martha clean up. Martha retired to the second guest room while Bart made himself comfy on the couch to watch some TV.
"Way too wired to sleep," he'd said and yet, when Lana had come tip-toeing out of her room, he was seated on the couch, the remote in his hand and his head resting on it's side, mouth hanging open as he snored through his nose. Lana took the remote and turned the TV off. She then covered him with the blanket that was heaped to the side. Allistor and Krenshaw were no longer in the apartment, but in the garage downstairs, the threat of danger no longer imminent. As quietly as she could, Lana sped out of the loft. She found herself heading east, to Smallville.
She stopped when the Talon was about a block away. The sun was just beginning to rise, coloring the horizon a fiery reddish-orange shade as it ate the dreary looking gray. A few people were out and about, most of whom she'd never seen before. Most smiled and waved, not because they remembered her, but because they were like that. She saw Milton, the hardware store owner, bent by age, cleaning his windows from the inside. She saw Valerie Boycott, the daughter of Janice who used to run the Smallville Diner. Valerie was wiping down tables in front of the big picture window facing the street. Lana came to the Talon. She looked up, wondering if Clark had come back here. In just a few hours, he probably would be heading to the Planet for work. Lana went around back and unlocked the back door, slipping into the quiet and unopened building. She walked up the stairs and stood momentarily in front of the turquoise painted door. Inserting the key, she turned and opened the door, letting herself into the darkened apartment. Nothing looked as if it had been disturbed. Coming in and shutting the door behind her, Lana looked over to the bed.
Clark was sprawled upon it, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.
Lana laid the keys on the counter. Clark still didn't move. "Good morning," she said.
Clark didn't respond, just blinked.
Lana slipped off her boots before padding flat-footed over the vacant side of the bed. She sat down, looking over at Clark as she did so. He didn't move away. She needed a shower and her clothes were dirty and torn in places from the energy she'd absorbed and neutralized in the Kryptonite. Lana laid down, stretching out next to Clark.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, examining the ceiling, too.
"I'm trying to see if there was ever a person I could fully trust. My parents are the only ones I can come up with," Clark finally answered.
Lana felt a sharp prick of pain. Clark had never trusted her, which is why he was on one side of the bed and she another with an ocean between them.
"There are lots of people you can trust, Clark."
"Lana, if you're here to talk about Chloe, you can save your breath," Clark snapped, sitting up and pushing off the bed. Lana sat up, too, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Clark stomped into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He closed it again without taking anything out. Lana knew there was nothing in there.
"We don't have to talk about Chloe," Lana said.
"Then why are you here? I'm surprised you beat Lois. I've been waiting all night for her to come blowing in, foaming and snarling like a rabid dog."
"I just thought maybe you'd like some company. A friend maybe," Lana suggested, still seated upon the bed.
Clark scoffed. "You're going to sit there and pretend you didn't know?"
"I didn't know, Clark. I thought they were Oliver's like everyone else did. Not until yesterday when Kaid zipped across the loft to keep Chloe's coffee mug from breaking did I realize they were your sons, not Oliver's."
"So, she lied to everyone, not just me? That makes me feel so much better," Clark said sarcastically.
"She didn't lie, Clark. She never said Connor and Kaid belonged to Oliver and I never asked. I just assumed. And I think others did the same."
"So, she didn't tell you we-"
"No, Clark. Chloe wouldn't have told me something like that. Just like I didn't tell Chloe when we crossed the line that first time. It's private and we were always respectful with each other when it came to our feelings about you. Well, Chloe was. She didn't talk about you much after you left, either. I didn't see her much. Dr. Groll and his staff were trying to work out the kinks of the Prometheus suit. We did talk on the phone, though. She was always careful to avoid any subject that might lead to you."
"Did she ever tell you she was pregnant?" Clark asked. He returned to the bed, sitting at the end.
"I knew she and Oliver had been spending a lot of time together. She'd call me when she was between assignments or down-time at Isis. I remember it was around Thanksgiving. She had called to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving, asking if I thought I might be able to come to Smallville for the day. When I told her probably not, she said that she had something to tell me," Lana paused. Clark was hanging on her every word.
"I said I was happy for her. Then I asked her what Oliver thought. She said something snarky, you know Chloe, and that was that. I saw her a couple of times every year after stepping down from Isis, but I never saw the boys except in pictures until they were about six and that was only because I showed up at the Farm unexpectedly."
Clark jostled on the bed, turning away from Lana and facing the apartment. Lana uncurled and crawled down to Clark, sliding her legs out and sitting next to him. The silence stretched between them.
"You what I've noticed?" Lana asked.
Clark looked over at her. "What?"
"Do you know, me and you have never been able to shoot the breeze?"
Clark furrowed his brows.
"We've never been able to just sit down and have a conversation about the weather," Lana used as an example. "As teenagers we were always talking circles around each other. My feelings, your feelings, my problems, your problems. Your secret, my denial. Even when we were together and I knew your secret, it was always some deep discussion fraught with hidden meanings. Even now, we can't just sit here in comfortable silence. There was always something out there that was bigger than us. Still is."
"Is that why you didn't want Chloe to tell me about the Kryptonite reversal?" Clark asked.
"Part of it was," Lana answered truthfully. "We'd already said good-bye and I thought it was better if we just left it at that. It seemed the only thing we accomplished when we were together was to find new ways of hurting each other."
"What was the other part?"
Lana bent her head, refusing the meet Clark's eyes. She was so ashamed of what she was about to admit.
"Chloe called me and asked if I could come into Smallville to have coffee. She said there was something she wanted to tell me and not over the phone. We had decided to meet at the Talon, but I got in early and went by the Farm. I saw the two of you," Lana stopped. She looked at Clark briefly before settling her eyes back on the floor. She began again, quieter than before. "I saw the way you looked at her. It was the way you used to look at me. It was the same way you looked at her on her wedding day when you thought no one was looking. I spied on you a little before walking in that night. So I asked her not to tell you. I didn't want to take that away from her."
"Did you think I would leave Chloe to come find you?" Clark questioned with incredulity.
Lana laughed mirthlessly. "I was hoping you would, Clark. I was hoping when Chloe told you you were able to be close to me again you'd coming running. But then, after I saw the two of you, I knew Chloe would tell you and you wouldn't come. I couldn't deal with the thought of you choosing someone over me. Even if it was someone who loves you more than I ever thought I could. So I decided to live in a dream world. One where you didn't know because I was being selfless. And that is why I asked Chloe not to tell you."
Clark looked at Lana while Lana kept her eyes on the ground. "Why did you come now? You knew Chloe would not tell me because you asked her not to and that I would get the hell shocked out of me. That wasn't fair, Lana. And I thought Chloe hadn't told me because she wanted to see how I reacted to you."
"I know," Lana whispered. "I knew what you would think. But it wasn't Chloe who wanted to see how you would react. It was me. I wanted to see if-"
"If it was still there?"
Lana chanced a look to her right. "I miss the way you used to look at me, Clark."
Clark sighed and stood to his feet again. He walked over to the counter and leaned against it. "Lana, I have to ask. Is that why you came here this morning?"
"A little," Lana said to his back. She saw his shoulders slouch. "I still have feelings for you. I guess I'll always have these feelings," her voice trailed off.
Clark turned to her. "I still have feelings for you, too. I'll always love you, Lana. You were right, though. We never could make it work because there was something out there bigger than us. Still is," he fed her words back.
Lana nodded, knowing he meant the bond he'd always had with Chloe and the deep feelings the two shared because of it. "I really am happy for you, Clark. You've finally found someone who you can have an open and honest relationship with. Someone who can support you and not feel like she has to be something else to be worthy of you. Chloe has always been worthy of you." Lana stood then, coming to stand in front of him. "We all make bad choices, Clark. You and I both know that. And lucky for us, we've always had such understanding and supportive friends that have been there for us."
"Lana, omission is still a form of lying. How long was she going to let me believe Connor and Kaid were Oliver's'? Until they started flying?"
"I don't know. All I can tell you is she was very upset when you left this morning. I know you need some time. You have every right to be angry. But if you love her half as much as she loves you, you have to let her explain."
Lana slipped her boots back on and quickly gathered some of the things she'd stashed around the apartment.
"I'm going to stay with Chloe for a few more days before I head back to Star City. I bet you'd like to have your space back," Lana said from the door. "I'll be back for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Hopefully I'll see you around."
"Yeah, maybe," Clark replied in a non-committal tone.
"Well, good-bye, Clark. It was good to see you again." Lana began to close the door. Before it clicked shut, Clark heard, "We all need someone we can shoot the breeze with."
Martha stayed a week longer before heading back for a few more sessions before the Senate broke for the holidays. She helped Chloe and the boys move back into the renovated farm house. Chloe refused to put up any personal touches, only the repaired furniture. Martha didn't ask any questions, just helped them get settled. Lana returned to Star City and life resumed it's normal pace it seemed. Oliver stayed in the city with Lois but both of them made it out regularly for dinner.
"I hate to leave her alone," Martha commented one day over coffee with Lois while Chloe helped the boys catch up on the school work they'd missed.
"Me and Oliver will be here," Lois assured Martha.
Martha looked over at Lois. "You must hate Clark right now."
"I've never been very keen on liking your son, Martha. I loved you and Mr. K. . . Clark on the other hand. . . He never had a chance. I still remember the summer Chloe came to me all heart-broken over some hay farmer she swore she'd never fall for when she moved out here," Lois said candidly.
"It happens to the best of us," Martha replied wisely.
Lois snorted. "Sorry, Mrs. K. Why didn't Clark get more of his father in him, huh?"
It was Martha's turn to snort. "He did. The thing is, Lois, Jonathon and I had our own rough patches, too. I didn't tell him the whole truth about who my family was. For the longest time, he thought I came from Nebraska where one of my obscure aunts lived. When he proposed to me, I finally had to tell him who my father was. I had led him to believe that I came from horse people, grew up in the country while spending the summers tending my Uncle's large dude ranch, when in fact I spent my summers in New York or Los Angeles or abroad. He was furious. He didn't speak to me for a month. And then when I finally thought it was really over, he showed up on my the stoop of the brownstone I was renting with a couple of friends." Martha smiled as the memory overtook her. "He was wearing those horrible jeans and those ghastly work boots that were about to fall apart. His hair was matted down by the ball cap he'd been wearing and his shirt was wrinkled and splattered with mud. He looked like heaven. All I wanted to do was fall into his arms."
"What did he say?"
Lois and Martha looked at Chloe who had come into the kitchen with them. She slid into a chair across from Martha. Martha reached over and took her hand.
"He said he was sorry and that a guilty conscience was better than no conscience at all," Martha continued, remembered his sheepish smile. "All that really mattered was that I came clean in the end. And then we promised that we'd never lie to one another again. And we never did."
Chloe's shoulders slumped. "But I didn't get the chance to come clean in the end. And he probably thinks I was never going to."
Lois moved into the other chair next to Chloe and curled an arm around her. "Clark will let you explain. The one good thing about Clark is he always gives people a second chance. The two of you have been friends for too long of a time to let something as trivial as being parents come between you," Lois told her confidently with a teasing smile.
The next day, Martha stopped by the Planet before going to Metropolis International Airport to catch her flight back to Washington. Taking the elevator up to the fifth floor, she kindly but firmly put a stop to any questions from overeager reporters. "I'm just here to see my son, thank you," she replied to each and every one. The doors opened and Martha left the elevator gratefully. She made her way into the cubicle-free news room. Spotting Lois and the vacant desk across from her, Martha furrowed her brows and made her way over.
Lois was glued to the screen of her computer. Martha cleared her throat and then laid her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Hi, Lois."
"Martha!" Lois exclaimed, jumping a little. She shook her head. "Sorry, I was proof-reading and got kind of sucked in. I have to admit, I may not be Clark's biggest fan, but his work on the project they busted up is riveting. I actually don't have anything to add."
"I thought you were writing that piece?" Martha asked, taking it as a good sign that Clark was letting Lois check his work.
"No," Lois smiled sweetly. "Oliver gave this one to him but promised the next one is mine, all mine." Lois rubbed her hands together.
"Speaking of Clark, where he is? I wanted to say good-bye to him before I left."
"I think he's up on the roof. He goes up there a lot now. I think to get away from me," Lois admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't exactly hospitable when we came back to work. Family loyalty and all that. Come on, I'll take you up there."
Martha followed behind Lois' swishing ponytail as she talked non-stop. For once, Martha was grateful for Lois' unhinged tongue. It made the confrontation she was about to have with her son recede for a few moments. The roof access door appeared before them. Lois grasped the handle, pushed down and pushed with her hip, the rusty door opening with a screech.
"Hold your fire, Smallville," Lois said, throwing up here hands in surrender. "I come in peace."
"What do you want?" Clark fairly snarled.
"I'm just making a delivery." Lois moved behind and held the door open. "Good luck."
Martha smiled at her and stepped out on the windy roof-top on the Daily Planet. Lois let the door go and it shut. Clark gazed at his mother. She gazed back at him. "You've had a hard week, haven't you, sweetie?"
"Oh, so you know, too, huh? Tell me, Mom, was I the only one who didn't know I was a father?" Clark snapped before turning back to Metropolis skyline.
"She was going to tell you," Martha began, stepping up beside him. She looked over at him. His forehead and mouth were set. Yes, Clark may not biologically belong to her and Jonathon, but in that moment, he reminded her so much of Jonathon that her heart skipped a beat. She slipped a hand into the crook of one of his crossed arms. "She was going to tell you the night of the Halloween party. When that didn't pan out, she was going to tell you the night you two were at dinner."
"Did you know the whole time?"
"No. I thought they were Oliver's. Again, Chloe never said they were Oliver's. Along with everyone else, I just assumed."
"When did you realize they were mine?"
"The night after you came to see me. When you told me what happened between you and Chloe before you left, I can't explain it, something just clicked and I knew," Martha told him.
"That's why you came in. Were you ever going to tell me?"
"If Chloe hadn't come clean by Thanksgiving, then I was going to tell you," Martha replied.
"I can't believe this. You should have told me," Clark said with anger.
"I thought it would be better coming from Chloe. It wasn't my place."
"But I'm your son. How could keep something like this from me?" Clark asked indignantly, turning to face her.
Martha pushed back the errant hair that had been blown out of her sleek French twist with a dove-gray gloved hand. She clasped her hands in front of her. "Clark, I am very sorry. I hated knowing that you were father and being unable to share it with you. But-"
"I can't even trust you. My own mother," Clark sighed in frustration. "You, of all people, should have told me." Clark turned away from her, facing the bitter wind that was blowing in from the north.
"I just wanted to come by and say good-bye before I went back to Washington. I'll be coming back for Thanksgiving." Martha laid a hand between his shoulder blades, tears pricking when he tensed under her loving touch. "I hope you can join us. I know Chloe and the boys would love to have you." Martha waited a few more moments. Clark continued to stare morosely out at the city below him. With a final pat, Martha turned to leave.
"You're taking her side," Clark muttered.
"I'm taking my grandchildrens' side," Martha replied calmly, refusing to rise to the childish way Clark was behaving. "Two little boys who have their mother but are in desperate need of their father." Silence stretched between Martha and Clark once more.
"Do they know? The boys?" Clark asked, turning slightly toward his mother.
Martha looked back at Clark. "They know Oliver isn't their father. Deep down, I think Chloe was always waiting for you to come back before she told them anything."
Clark nodded. "Bye, Mom."
"Good-bye, sweetie."
Martha's heart broke as she exited the roof. She didn't know what to do. He was still so angry. And no one was denying him his anger. But Chloe was hurting, too. Martha couldn't tell who she felt more for, the son who'd she'd always guarded so closely or the girl who loved him more than anything. She closed her eyes. There was nothing she could do. Clark and Chloe had to work this out on their own.
"So, it's all cleaned up?"
Oliver nodded, looking over at AC from across the room.
"We've turned the unfortunates over to the Russian government. They are, with the help of Ms. Lang, tracking down the families and letting them decide what to do," John Jones informed the gathered adults from his seat in one of the over-stuffed recliners in Watchtower.
"Will they be able to be returned to what they were before?" Victor asked.
John shook his head. "We have no way of knowing. Right now, some of the brightest scientific minds are gathering together to see what can be done. This Dr. Mickler, whoever he was, the secret of what he did to them died with him. If the doctors can find a way to restore them, they will. If not, the families can choose to do what they please."
"What are the papers saying?" Bart asked.
"Clark's article said Lex Luthor was apprehended by local authorities hiding out at a fellow accomplice's home. He makes mention of what might be going on there, just enough to keep the public curiosity stirred if the Planet ever decides to do a follow-up," Dinah answered.
The room fell silent at the mention of Clark's name.
"I guess he couldn't make it?" Bart asked.
Oliver looked over at Chloe who was sitting on a hard stool at the computer console, fiddling absent-mindedly.
"No, he couldn't. He had something else to do," Oliver told him. "Real quick, before we call it a day, I just wanted to let all of you know, Lois is going to forget what she saw in the Loft. You don't need to worry about finding a story outing you to the entire world or anything."
"Yeah, that would mean exposing her boyfriend as leader of the Masked Hero Ball and I'm sure she wouldn't want to to do that," Dinah quipped. "Could get her fired."
"I'm going to hope, one of these days, you two learn to be friends," Oliver replied.
"Don't hold your breath, Big Green," AC said, stretching as he stood. "Lois is on the 'Old Flame' list with Dinah. She hates them on principle."
Oliver and the rest laughed. All but Chloe.
"Hey, what are we going to do with Davis?" Victor asked. "He can't continue to stay at Watchtower."
"Who is Davis?" John asked.
"Davis Bloome. He's the guinea pig Lex kidnapped from Canada. Formerly known as 'Doomsday'," Oliver answered. "We took him from the lab with us. He's been staying here at Watchtower until we can figure out what to do with him."
"Is he dangerous? Lex combined his DNA with the DNA from the most dangerous phantom to come out of the phantom zone. How are you able to control him?" The detective asked with interest.
"With a Blue Kryptonite Bracelet," Oliver answered.
"Ah, yes. Kryptonians, as well as the phantom were vulnerable to Blue Kryptonite. Kryptonians it strips them of their powers under the yellow sun and the phantom was weakened by it. I'm guessing Clark was able to produce this bracelet?" John asked with a sly smile.
"Yes, he was," Oliver replied.
"So, what are we going to do about Davis?" AC repeated. "Are we gonna fly him back to Canada or what? Is it safe for him to be around people again?"
"He's safe," Chloe finally spoke, swiveling on the stool. "As long as he keeps that bracelet on."
"But can he be trusted to do that? If he takes it off-"
"I think he can," Victor said, cutting off Dinah's implication.
"He can come home with me."
"Do you think that is really a good idea, Chloe?" Bart questioned.
"Well, you don't want him in Watchtower and I don't any of the rest of you offering him a place to sleep," Chloe snapped.
"Chloe, that's not what Bart meant," Oliver began soothingly. "Think about the boys."
"I don't want to abandon him again, Oliver," Chloe said softly. "Last time, we just put him on a plane."
"For his own protection," AC countered.
"And look what happened," Chloe pointed out. "At least with me, I can watch him and maybe talk to him about a few options. See what he wants to do. Plus, the holidays are coming up. Can we really turn him away with Thanksgiving and Christmas so close?"
"He is more than welcome to stay at my place," John offered. "I'm hardly there anyway."
"Why don't you ask him?" Bart asked, pointing upward. They all looked up to see Davis watching them from the second level.
Davis backed away, like he was child caught sneaking out of the house late at night.
"Davis, come on down here," Oliver called up kindly.
Davis came down the stairs, smiling stiffly at the group.
"I'm pretty sure I know what you'll pick, but we'll ask you anyway. Would you like to continue staying here at Watchtower until we can figure out something or with Chloe or John?" Oliver asked diplomatically.
Davis looked at Oliver and then John and finally Chloe. "If it's okay with all of you, and Chloe, I'll stay with her."
"Of course it's okay with me," Chloe said kindly, rubbing a friendly hand along his shoulder.
"I don't think Clark is gonna like that," Bart whispered to Victor out of the side of his mouth.
Days passed into weeks and before any of them knew it, Thanksgiving was upon them. The League made plans to gather together at the Kent house for the first of hopefully many more official Thanksgiving celebrations. The twins were excited, having never really done the holiday in a big way. They were used to a turkey lunch attended by Oliver, Chloe and Lois. Today, Chloe thought with a smile, they would get the family so long denied them. All the people they thought of as Aunts and Uncles were going to be in their home for more than a few hours and something other than their birthday. She had hardly been able to convince them to go to sleep the night before. Opening her eyes to the darkness of the bedroom, Chloe felt Martha, who had flown in the night before, still sleeping soundly beside her. A beat later, the soft bleating of the alarm began. Chloe reached over and turned it off. Rolling out of bed, Chloe slipped on her robe and padded out of the room. At four-thirty in the morning, the house was still dark. She closed her bedroom door, not wanting to disturb Martha. Flipping on the hall light, she peeked inside her sons' room. Both were asleep, their little faces resting peacefully on their pillows. Shelby lay on the rug in the middle of the floor on his side, one eye opening in a slit. The hallway light illuminated the room barely, just enough for Chloe to make out their features. She leaned her head against the door frame. Twenty-two days had passed since she'd watched Clark walk away from her. Twenty-two days that passed slowly as a funeral processional. Twenty-two days of silence, anger and heart-ache. Twenty-two days of questions. The twins, as much as they seemed to rebel against it at first, had grown used to Clark's presence. Top it all off, they both knew he was Superman, who had recently replaced the Green Arrow as their hero for saving their Mom. And he was like them. Not a day went by when Chloe hadn't heard 'Superman' or 'Clark' used in a sentence. His absence inside the house was more noticeable now than when he'd first left.
"Mama?" Connor had asked. "Where's Clark?"
"Is he coming to dinner?" Kaid would wonder.
"Can we go riding with him again?"
"Will he come to Thanksgiving?"
Her response to each one was the same. She had no response. Chloe would smile, kiss their foreheads and then wait until she was alone so she could cry. The possibility of Clark leaving her had always been there, but when finally confronted with the fact he was father, how could Clark walk away? It was all her fault, Chloe would make no bones about it. But she could never forgive Clark for just leaving like this. Deep down, she knew that was the anger talking. She knew she would never forgive herself for what she'd done to her children. She'd cheated them out of the only father they'd ever have. When Chloe realized tears were making distinct tracks down her cheeks, she closed the door and continued down the stairs to the kitchen, wiping her eyes.
Once in the kitchen, she started coffee, a full pot since she would have a full house and threw glance over to the sofa. She did a double take when she saw it was empty, blankets folded neatly and set on the pillow. Looking around quickly, Chloe didn't see Davis anywhere. She checked the doors and all were locked. Listening carefully, she deemed he wasn't in the bathroom. He wasn't in the house. Her heart began to pound. Davis was her charge, she'd taken responsibility for him. Steadying her breath, she told herself he'd just gone for a walk or something. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. Telling herself if he wasn't back in an hour, she'd go searching, Chloe pulled the turkey she and Martha had bought at the grocery store out of the oven and checked to make sure it had thawed enough. As she began to prepare the turkey, something supremely disgusting she thought she'd never do, Chloe let her mind wander. No one had been thrilled that she'd allowed Davis to come home with her. Least of all Martha when she'd talked the senator a day or so later. Davis had turned out to be a polite and almost invisible house-guest. He moved about the house quietly and spent most of his time out of doors when she and the boys were home. He came in for dinner where Lois or Oliver or both would eye him suspiciously. Otherwise, Chloe never saw him. He cleaned up the barn and had finally taken to helping Marcus around his place. He also never took his bracelet off.
The temptation was there, Chloe knew, after staying up on night and talking to him. But he swore he would never. He didn't want to see anymore bloodshed. He asked if he should turn himself over to John Jones for the death of Dr. Mickler.
"I've talked to John," Chloe told him. "Mickler's death is being pinned on Luthor. He said all confessing would get you would be a ticket on a red eye to some secret science lab. He said to call it temporary insanity. It wasn't your fault what happened to Dr. Mickler. It was something Lex caused when he experimented on you against your will."
"But what about Peter?" Chloe knew he meant Doug. "I killed him, Chloe."
Chloe reached over and held his hand as he cried. Just as before, Davis didn't ask for this. He didn't want to be this way, to be a monster. She had no answers for anything. She could barely get through a day herself without turning into a water fountain. Chloe couldn't help Davis get through his own pain while she was still being plagued by hers. All she could do was have a sympathetic ear.
"Good morning."
Chloe jumped and then turned to find Martha smiling on the last stair of the stairway.
"Good morning," Chloe replied. "I made coffee."
Martha came into the kitchen, rubbing Chloe's shoulder in a motherly way as she poured herself a cup. She, too, was wrapped in a robe, a manly, stripped one Chloe was sure had belonged to Jonathon. Chloe smiled, thinking of the boxers she still slept in occasionally.
"Do you want some help?" Martha offered.
"I've violated him already," Chloe said with a disgusted face. She went to the sink and washed her hands. "But you want to check and make sure I did it right?"
"Oh no," Martha shook her head adamantly. "Jonathon was the one who liked gizzards. He was in charged of cleaning out the turkey. There's not much up there anyway, so you probably got everything."
After the turkey had been seasoned and stuffed, Martha and Chloe shared a cup of coffee while the sky started to lighten.
"Have you spoken to Clark?" Chloe asked.
"Not since I said good-bye to him before I went back to Washington," Martha answered sadly.
"I'm so sorry, Martha," Chloe apologized for the hundredth time.
Martha looked over at Chloe. "I know you are, sweetie. But I knew the chance I took. I was well aware I might also drive a wedge between Clark and I when I kept your secret. But I still believe that you should have been given a chance to tell him first. And I still think he should let you explain. Have you tried calling him?"
Chloe lowered her head. "No. I ran into him at the Talon late one night when I went by to collect the rent."
Martha held her breath. "And?"
"Nothing. He wouldn't talk me. Just left the coffee he'd made on the counter and went to his apartment. I left a message inviting him here for today, but I doubt he'll show up."
"You never know," Martha tried to sound up-beat and positive. "He could have a change of heart. Chloe, he loves you. He will let you explain, but you have to keep trying."
Chloe opened her mouth to say something but both women were startled by the opening and closing of the back door. Chloe leaned around Martha and saw Davis clomping in.
"Davis, where have you been?" Chloe asked, sounding not unlike the harried mother of a rebellious teenager. She stood, completing the illusion by crossing her arms. She looks at his wrist and was set a little more at ease by the sight if the bracelet.
Davis looked to her and then Martha and then back to her. "Marcus asked if I would come over early and help him get through his chores so he could spend most of the day with his family."
"Oh," Chloe breathed embarrassedly. "Sorry. You didn't tell me. I just didn't expect you to be up that early."
"I'm going to go grab a shower," Davis said uncomfortably before he bounded up the staircase.
By ten o'clock that morning, the house was filled with laughing and jabbering people and the smell of roasting turkey. The kitchen was filled with dishes, both home-made and store bought. Lois and Oliver, the first to arrive, brought a few bottles of wine which were going pretty fast among the adults. Lana came next, bringing a yummy looking pumpkin pie with a piped whipped cream border. For the most part, Chloe and Martha spent the day in the kitchen, Lana and Dinah keeping them company while Lois would breeze between them and the pre-game show with the men. Connor and Kaid did the same, watching the game until they convinced Bart to come outside and play a game of tag and then, to their excitement, Bart was able to get a four-on-four touch football game going out in the front yard. The whole day was festive and chilly, coloring each person's cheek a healthy rose color. Davis even was somewhat more at ease, finding a easy rapport with Lana more so than the others.
Martha called the group all in for dinner around three. Squeezing in all around the kitchen table, Chloe smiled happily at all those surrounding her. Lois and Oliver sat at one end, holding hands and feeding each other stuffing, a scene from a Thanksgiving long ago. Dinah and AC were on the right side with Davis and Lana facing them. All six of them were talking boisterously, Dinah and Lois actually having a civil conversation about the Daily Planet. Connor and Kaid were next to her, in the customary seat in front of the window, playing their favorite game of Slaps with Victor and Bart while Martha took the seat next to Chloe and asked John about his job as a Detective on the Metropolis Police Force. It so close to perfect that Chloe began to feel suffocated. It was the kind of day Chloe would dream about when her dad would burn the tiny turkey they bought at the corner market or when she and Lois would serve lumpy mashed potatoes to Lucy, Gabe and the General's smoking cigar. But one thing was missing. The kitchen was getting too hot, too loud and Chloe shot out of her seat and out of the door, a hand to her mouth.
The room fell silent.
"I'll go. I'll go," Lois said hurriedly as both Lana and Martha stood. She shot a 'buck-up' smile to Connor and Kaid as she sailed out the door. "Chloe?" She called as she wrapped her arms around her in the cold.
Chloe stood a few feet from the barn, sobbing brokenly. Lois' heart broke for her. This is what she'd feared the most. For days, she'd suppressed the urge to b*tch-slap Clark as he sat sullenly across from her, looking for the world like Kaid when he didn't get his way. Even if this was because Chloe wasn't truthful, it took all her will-power not to march straight into town and give Clark the pummeling he deserved. Maybe Lois could smack some sense into his thick head. Lois knew her little cousin would just let it lie, let Clark come to her when he was ready. The way she always operated on Clark's timing. With defeat, Lois finally saw there was no way she could fix this for Chloe. She couldn't go find the one who had caused this heart arch and punch and kick and curse, because the fault lay with the woman Lois loved more than anything.
"Come here, baby," Lois said. She pulled Chloe to her, stroking her hair as she held her. Chloe sobbed openly into Lois' expensive silk blouse.
"I miss him so much," Chloe muttered between breaths and tears.
"I know. I know."
"This is all my fault!"
"I know. I know."
"It hurts so much. When will it stop? How do I make the pain stop?" Chloe asked frantically as she clung to her older cousin.
Lois pulled her in closer, feeling her own tears prick at Chloe's pleading. "I don't know, honey. I don't know."
Night closed in around him as he watched. The house was warmly lit and he saw people milling in and out of rooms. Rooms that were filled with laughter and merriment, two things he didn't think he'd ever experience again. The cold wind bit at his skin but he didn't feel it. He watched his mother as she washed dishes, her pretty red hair pulled back in a ponytail. John stood at her elbow drying every dish she handed him. He saw Lois and Oliver screaming at the TV as a player forced a fumble while Bart and AC threw handfuls of popcorn at them. Victor and Dinah played Monopoly with Connor and Kaid. Lana and to Clark's dismay, Davis, sat at the kitchen table talking quietly. These people were his co-workers, his friends, his family. He longed to be a part of them but felt a hot streak of anger when he thought of the secret they all kept from him. Even as Connor and Kaid were in danger, no one told him they were his. His eyes settled on his sons again.
Not only one, but two. Two things he thought he could never have. Clark didn't think he could create life with anyone on this planet. The thought that Connor and Kincaid might be his never crossed his mind. And with their blonde hair and hazel eyes, he, like everyone else, didn't even question that they were Oliver's. Their prospective birthdays, born exactly a year to the day after he left, made him think Oliver and Chloe had been together very soon after he'd left for training. Of course with him being Kryptonian and Chloe being human and Kryptonian years being four to one here on Earth, it wasn't surprising that maybe her gestation period had gone beyond that of a normal woman.
Only Chloe could give me what I've always longed for.
Clark shook his head. Chloe had always been the one to give him what he needed. A friend, trust, love, support, acceptance and now a family. It shouldn't have surprised him that it was Chloe who bore his children. With a pang of guilt, Clark thought Chloe had always tried to move heaven and earth for him. But all that was stripped away by her deceit. He never thought Chloe would lie to him. He focused on Connor and Kaid again, but his thoughts soon turned to their mother. As if by will, she appeared. Clark stepped back into the shadows as Chloe came out onto the porch and sat on the porch swing with a steaming cup of coffee, no doubt. She was wrapped in a thick, burgundy colored coat on top of dark jeans. Her hair was down and free, falling to her shoulders in a pretty blonde curtain that seemed to shimmer in the twinkle lights. She sipped the coffee slowly, staring off into the distance. Clark wondered what she was thinking. Was she thinking of him? Was she thinking of what she could have done differently? Clark was shocked at the restraint he had to use to keep from bounding over to her. The depth of love he felt filling him now made it hard to breath. The anger he felt singing along his nerves was pushed aside and he fought hard to hold on to it. She betrayed him. Lied to him. Kept a secret, a life-changing secret from him. How could he ever trust her again?
As the first days had passed, Clark knew he was now more hurt than angry. Did she not want him to know? Why? Clark knew she wanted to explain. He wanted her to explain. He wanted her, period. He never thought Chloe could hurt him. And that was what scared him the most. Lana had been able to hurt him, too. Then she left him. Would Chloe do the same? Would she one day hurt him and leave him? Last night, he realized Chloe had always had the power to hurt him. Even more than anyone else. Chloe was the only one who Clark had given all of himself to. She was the one he trusted with every thing. His secret, his thoughts, his feelings, his heart. He knew it was wrong to compare Chloe with Lana. The two were totally different. The feelings he had for them were different. Uneasily, he knew he'd given Chloe so much more power than he'd ever given Lana. And the reason was because he believed Chloe would never hurt him. But she had.
The door opened and Davis emerged. Clark growled. What the hell was he doing in Clark's house, with his friends and family, on Thanksgiving? Clark balled his fists as Davis sat down next to Chloe, laying an arm along the back. It reminded Clark of all the times he and Chloe had sat just that way. They spoke softly. Clark didn't listen, he didn't want to. Chloe smiled sadly and then shook her head. Davis gripped her shoulder. Clark felt the unsettling urge to rip his arm off. He stepped out in the open more, to get a better view. Davis continued to sit, looking out in the night with Chloe. Then he squinted. Then he stood. Clark ducked back into a shadows.
"Did you see that?" Davis asked.
"No, what?" Chloe replied.
"Nothing. Maybe a coyote or something. Well, if you don't need anything," he trailed off.
"Thanks, Davis."
Clark watched Davis go back inside. Chloe stood, leaving her cup on the wooden bench. She walked off the porch, burying her hands in her pockets. She looked up at the crescent, sliver of the moon surrounded by the glimmering stars.
Her whispered voice filled his ears.
"Wherever you are, Clark, Happy Thanksgiving. And I am so sorry."