Chlark Fanfic: Crisis, Chapter 37
Sorry for the extremely long wait, everyone!
Enjoy.
Title: Crisis
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark/Kaloe
Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG-13)
Warnings: None for this chapter
Timeline: Season 2-3 (Exodus - Exile; Clark’s RedK Summer & beyond)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics
Summary: A violent encounter between Chloe and Clark threatens to destroy their friendship forever.
Feedback: …would be appreciated. :)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 37
Martha Kent pulled into driveway of the Kent Farm and shut off the engine.
Chloe swallowed hard and reached to unclasp her seatbelt with an unsteady hand, and Martha didn’t fail to notice her nervousness.
“You don’t have to do this right now, Chloe,” she said gently. “Like I said before, if you’d rather rest-”
“I’ll be okay, Mrs Kent,” she replied, her voice low and quiet. “Really. To be honest, I’d rather we had this discussion as soon as possible.”
Martha nodded. “Alright.”
They got out of the car and walked up to the house, and Mrs Kent opened the front door.
“Hi honey,” Clark’s father greeted as he kissed his wife on the cheek. Martha squeezed his hand briefly and went into the kitchen.
“Chloe,” Jonathan said, turning to face her. “Did your dad make his flight okay?”
“Yes sir; he’s on his way to Wisconsin,” she replied.
Jonathan nodded. “Good. I expect you’ll want something to eat; I’ve made a light supper for you and Martha.”
“I’m not really that hungry,” Chloe began, but he shook his head.
“I know it’s fairly early for dinner, but by the time we’re all done talking it’ll be way to0 late for an evening meal,” he said sternly. “Clark, go help your mother get things ready in the kitchen.”
“I can set the table if you like,” she offered. Jonathan looked about set to decline, but then nodded in agreement.
“That would be nice, Chloe; thank you. You know where all the plates and things are, so…make yourself at home.”
Easier said than done, she thought wryly as she joined Martha and Clark in the kitchen. It was odd; she’d been here so many times before and had indeed come to think of it as a second home; but that had been in the past, when life and friendships had been so much simpler. Now it was a struggle to be normal, but she would try her hardest not to allow her situation to intimidate her. It was only temporary; she could manage here for a few months.
***
Dinner was a quiet affair. Occasionally the silence was broken by either Jonathan or Martha asking the other a mundane question, but the atmosphere was generally tense, with all of them clearly preoccupied with the conversation that was due to follow.
After diner, Chloe helped Martha clear the table and wash the dishes. Once they were all cleaned and dried, they returned to the dining table which now felt suspiciously to Chloe like a witness interrogation room.
“Take a seat, everyone,” Jonathan said. They all dutifully sat down, with Jonathan at the head of the table and Martha at his right hand side. He clasped his hands, cleared his throat, and began.
“I don’t need to tell you that I’m very concerned about the living arrangements,” Jonathan said gravely. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t have taken you in, Chloe; of course we would. But you knew we didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Chloe swallowed. “With respect, sir, I couldn’t exactly refuse to stay with you without giving my father a valid reason, and I’d really rather he never found out the truth,” she replied tightly. “I didn’t think you’d want it getting out, either.”
Jonathan lowered his gaze. “I admit, I took the coward’s way out by leaving the decision up to you, and I apologise for that,” he said lowly. “But still…this situation between you and Clark, it can’t be made better with you both living under the same roof.”
“I understand how you feel sir,” Chloe replied. “But you don’t know for sure that my staying here will be a bad idea in the long run.”
“Don’t I?” he challenged with a raised brow. “Did you or did you not try to kill my son the other night?”
“Dad, that’s not fair!” Clark said, sharply rising to his feet. “You know what I did to her!”
“You’re turn to speak will come, Clark, but right now I’m listening to Chloe, so sit down,” his father replied curtly. “Chloe - please continue.”
She swallowed. “I’ve-I’ve done a lot of things recently that I’m not proud of,” she said fearfully. “I did try to hurt Clark, like you said, and things got…pretty horrible.”
“Then why?” Jonathan asked, perplexed. “Why on earth would you want to stay here?”
“Because - and I know this sounds crazy - but throughout this whole nightmare, no matter how terrible things got, one thing stayed the same,” she replied. “Clark did everything he could to help me, and I did what I could to protect him.”
“From the police?” Jonathan asked.
Chloe shook her head. “No; from Lionel.”
“Lionel?” Martha echoed, puzzled. “Lionel Luthor? What’s he got to do with any of this?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Mom; he’s not the friend he says he is,” Clark interrupted again urgently. “Tell them, Chloe.”
Chloe glanced at Jonathan and Martha’s confused faces, and took a deep breath.
“Lionel suspects that Clark is different, so he asked me to spy on your son and feedback to him with detailed information,” she explained. “In exchange, he got me the job at the Planet, gave my Dad a promotion at work, and provided new computers for the Torch.”
***
Jonathan and Martha Kent stared at her, their fear and horror growing with every word.
“And did you?” Jonathan managed after a while.
“No; nothing he didn’t already know. But he caught on that I was stonewalling him, and when he pressed me for results, I told him I wasn’t going to do it anymore.” She lowered her gaze. “That’s when he fired my dad.”
“What?” Martha gasped.
“He also blacklisted Mr Sullivan, which is why he couldn’t get a job in this state,” Clark added. “And he stopped the banks from giving Chloe’s dad a loan, took away the Torch computers, and got Chloe fired from the Daily Planet.”
“I don’t believe this,” Jonathan said, his face ashen with shock. “Lionel did all that because you refused to spy on Clark?”
Chloe nodded. “That’s pretty much it, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell us what was happening, Chloe?” Martha asked. “We could have helped you.”
“I was…ashamed of what I did,” she whispered. “I should never have made that deal with Lionel in the first place, and as soon as I’d done it, I wanted out, but he wouldn’t let me back down. I never thought he would go as far as denying my father a job.”
“So you protected Clark; but at the same time you were hurting him?” Jonathan asked, puzzled.
She stared down at the floor. “It’s pretty messed up; I know,” she said quietly. “I guess I thought I was levelling the playing field, because I blamed Clark for all my troubles. Everything I had suffered just…somehow seemed to lead back to him.” She lifted her head and stared at him with sad eyes. “Clark, I’m-”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t apologise, Chloe; it’s all my fault. I started this whole mess when I hurt you,” he said. “But we’ve talked about everything, and we’re going to be okay now.”
“Is that all you did out in the desert - talk?” Jonathan asked suspiciously.
“We know that we’ve both made mistakes and done horrible things that could - should - land us both in jail, Dad,” Clark replied. “And I was ready to go there, I really was; but we both realised that prison isn’t going to help either of us.”
Jonathan sighed deeply. “That much is true,” he admitted with reluctance. “You both need healing, but not from behind bars.”
Clark nodded. “That’s what we decided. It’s early days yet, but just by acknowledging what we’ve done wrong, we’ve made a step in the right direction, haven’t we?”
Clark’s parents regarded each other warily, and Clark barrelled on.
“We’re all going to get through this, aren’t we Mom?” he pressed. “Dad?”
Jonathan drummed his fingers nervously on the table before finally reaching for his wife’s hand in support.
“At least your father has a job now, Chloe; a good one,” he said after a while. “And he’s out of Lionel’s clutches, so that snake can’t use him as leverage to get you to provide him with information.”
“I’ll still be careful of him, though,” Chloe warned. “He’s obsessed with finding out the truth about Clark, and since he knows the full facts of Clark’s adoption, he’ll stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about him right now,” Martha said reassuringly. “Right now, we need to focus on the four of us, and establish a routine that works for everyone.”
“That’s right,” Jonathan agreed. “There’s been a lot that’s gone on between you and Clark, but you both seem to have found your way out of the darkness. I’m still not entirely convinced that the living arrangements are the best for all concerned; but there has been progress, and Martha and I will work with both of you to ensure that things continue to improve.”
Chloe nodded meekly. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied, his voice softening for the first time that evening. “And I don’t want you to worry about anything, Chloe. You may not be related to us by blood, but that doesn’t make you any less family.”
“I appreciate your generosity, sir,” she said gratefully.
“Well, it has both benefits and limitations,” he replied with a wry smile. “Martha mentioned a routine; that means you’ll do chores, just like everybody else in this household.”
“You’re giving her chores?” Clark asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Jonathan said firmly. “But because you’re new to farm life, you’ll be allowed to wake up an hour later than everyone else. For the first month, at least.”
“Don’t be alarmed Chloe; we’ll show you the ropes,” Martha said, squeezing her hand. “Welcome to farm life, sweetie.”
But far from being horrified, Chloe’s face lit up. “I’ll so my best to pull my weight,” she said. “And I’ll try not to get in your way.”
“You’re not in the way at all, Chloe; this is your home for now,” Martha insisted. “If you want or need anything, please feel free to ask. Okay?”
Chloe nodded. “Okay.”
“One last thing,” Jonathan said ominously. “We may have come to an agreement about not sending either of you to prison for the things you did, but that doesn’t mean we’re sweeping your issues under the rug. Both of you will have to attend therapy.”
“Therapy?” she and Clark echoed simultaneously.
“I don’t know how to go about it, or much it’s going to cost, but that decision is not negotiable,” Jonathan continued. “You both need to speak to a professional and get the right kind of help so that this…this situation never happens again.”
He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “We’ll iron out the logistics later, but for now, it’s time to call it a night. We’ve all had an extremely long day.”
***
Chapter 38…
Enjoy.
Title: Crisis
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark/Kaloe
Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG-13)
Warnings: None for this chapter
Timeline: Season 2-3 (Exodus - Exile; Clark’s RedK Summer & beyond)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics
Summary: A violent encounter between Chloe and Clark threatens to destroy their friendship forever.
Feedback: …would be appreciated. :)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 37
Martha Kent pulled into driveway of the Kent Farm and shut off the engine.
Chloe swallowed hard and reached to unclasp her seatbelt with an unsteady hand, and Martha didn’t fail to notice her nervousness.
“You don’t have to do this right now, Chloe,” she said gently. “Like I said before, if you’d rather rest-”
“I’ll be okay, Mrs Kent,” she replied, her voice low and quiet. “Really. To be honest, I’d rather we had this discussion as soon as possible.”
Martha nodded. “Alright.”
They got out of the car and walked up to the house, and Mrs Kent opened the front door.
“Hi honey,” Clark’s father greeted as he kissed his wife on the cheek. Martha squeezed his hand briefly and went into the kitchen.
“Chloe,” Jonathan said, turning to face her. “Did your dad make his flight okay?”
“Yes sir; he’s on his way to Wisconsin,” she replied.
Jonathan nodded. “Good. I expect you’ll want something to eat; I’ve made a light supper for you and Martha.”
“I’m not really that hungry,” Chloe began, but he shook his head.
“I know it’s fairly early for dinner, but by the time we’re all done talking it’ll be way to0 late for an evening meal,” he said sternly. “Clark, go help your mother get things ready in the kitchen.”
“I can set the table if you like,” she offered. Jonathan looked about set to decline, but then nodded in agreement.
“That would be nice, Chloe; thank you. You know where all the plates and things are, so…make yourself at home.”
Easier said than done, she thought wryly as she joined Martha and Clark in the kitchen. It was odd; she’d been here so many times before and had indeed come to think of it as a second home; but that had been in the past, when life and friendships had been so much simpler. Now it was a struggle to be normal, but she would try her hardest not to allow her situation to intimidate her. It was only temporary; she could manage here for a few months.
***
Dinner was a quiet affair. Occasionally the silence was broken by either Jonathan or Martha asking the other a mundane question, but the atmosphere was generally tense, with all of them clearly preoccupied with the conversation that was due to follow.
After diner, Chloe helped Martha clear the table and wash the dishes. Once they were all cleaned and dried, they returned to the dining table which now felt suspiciously to Chloe like a witness interrogation room.
“Take a seat, everyone,” Jonathan said. They all dutifully sat down, with Jonathan at the head of the table and Martha at his right hand side. He clasped his hands, cleared his throat, and began.
“I don’t need to tell you that I’m very concerned about the living arrangements,” Jonathan said gravely. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t have taken you in, Chloe; of course we would. But you knew we didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Chloe swallowed. “With respect, sir, I couldn’t exactly refuse to stay with you without giving my father a valid reason, and I’d really rather he never found out the truth,” she replied tightly. “I didn’t think you’d want it getting out, either.”
Jonathan lowered his gaze. “I admit, I took the coward’s way out by leaving the decision up to you, and I apologise for that,” he said lowly. “But still…this situation between you and Clark, it can’t be made better with you both living under the same roof.”
“I understand how you feel sir,” Chloe replied. “But you don’t know for sure that my staying here will be a bad idea in the long run.”
“Don’t I?” he challenged with a raised brow. “Did you or did you not try to kill my son the other night?”
“Dad, that’s not fair!” Clark said, sharply rising to his feet. “You know what I did to her!”
“You’re turn to speak will come, Clark, but right now I’m listening to Chloe, so sit down,” his father replied curtly. “Chloe - please continue.”
She swallowed. “I’ve-I’ve done a lot of things recently that I’m not proud of,” she said fearfully. “I did try to hurt Clark, like you said, and things got…pretty horrible.”
“Then why?” Jonathan asked, perplexed. “Why on earth would you want to stay here?”
“Because - and I know this sounds crazy - but throughout this whole nightmare, no matter how terrible things got, one thing stayed the same,” she replied. “Clark did everything he could to help me, and I did what I could to protect him.”
“From the police?” Jonathan asked.
Chloe shook her head. “No; from Lionel.”
“Lionel?” Martha echoed, puzzled. “Lionel Luthor? What’s he got to do with any of this?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Mom; he’s not the friend he says he is,” Clark interrupted again urgently. “Tell them, Chloe.”
Chloe glanced at Jonathan and Martha’s confused faces, and took a deep breath.
“Lionel suspects that Clark is different, so he asked me to spy on your son and feedback to him with detailed information,” she explained. “In exchange, he got me the job at the Planet, gave my Dad a promotion at work, and provided new computers for the Torch.”
***
Jonathan and Martha Kent stared at her, their fear and horror growing with every word.
“And did you?” Jonathan managed after a while.
“No; nothing he didn’t already know. But he caught on that I was stonewalling him, and when he pressed me for results, I told him I wasn’t going to do it anymore.” She lowered her gaze. “That’s when he fired my dad.”
“What?” Martha gasped.
“He also blacklisted Mr Sullivan, which is why he couldn’t get a job in this state,” Clark added. “And he stopped the banks from giving Chloe’s dad a loan, took away the Torch computers, and got Chloe fired from the Daily Planet.”
“I don’t believe this,” Jonathan said, his face ashen with shock. “Lionel did all that because you refused to spy on Clark?”
Chloe nodded. “That’s pretty much it, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell us what was happening, Chloe?” Martha asked. “We could have helped you.”
“I was…ashamed of what I did,” she whispered. “I should never have made that deal with Lionel in the first place, and as soon as I’d done it, I wanted out, but he wouldn’t let me back down. I never thought he would go as far as denying my father a job.”
“So you protected Clark; but at the same time you were hurting him?” Jonathan asked, puzzled.
She stared down at the floor. “It’s pretty messed up; I know,” she said quietly. “I guess I thought I was levelling the playing field, because I blamed Clark for all my troubles. Everything I had suffered just…somehow seemed to lead back to him.” She lifted her head and stared at him with sad eyes. “Clark, I’m-”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t apologise, Chloe; it’s all my fault. I started this whole mess when I hurt you,” he said. “But we’ve talked about everything, and we’re going to be okay now.”
“Is that all you did out in the desert - talk?” Jonathan asked suspiciously.
“We know that we’ve both made mistakes and done horrible things that could - should - land us both in jail, Dad,” Clark replied. “And I was ready to go there, I really was; but we both realised that prison isn’t going to help either of us.”
Jonathan sighed deeply. “That much is true,” he admitted with reluctance. “You both need healing, but not from behind bars.”
Clark nodded. “That’s what we decided. It’s early days yet, but just by acknowledging what we’ve done wrong, we’ve made a step in the right direction, haven’t we?”
Clark’s parents regarded each other warily, and Clark barrelled on.
“We’re all going to get through this, aren’t we Mom?” he pressed. “Dad?”
Jonathan drummed his fingers nervously on the table before finally reaching for his wife’s hand in support.
“At least your father has a job now, Chloe; a good one,” he said after a while. “And he’s out of Lionel’s clutches, so that snake can’t use him as leverage to get you to provide him with information.”
“I’ll still be careful of him, though,” Chloe warned. “He’s obsessed with finding out the truth about Clark, and since he knows the full facts of Clark’s adoption, he’ll stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about him right now,” Martha said reassuringly. “Right now, we need to focus on the four of us, and establish a routine that works for everyone.”
“That’s right,” Jonathan agreed. “There’s been a lot that’s gone on between you and Clark, but you both seem to have found your way out of the darkness. I’m still not entirely convinced that the living arrangements are the best for all concerned; but there has been progress, and Martha and I will work with both of you to ensure that things continue to improve.”
Chloe nodded meekly. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied, his voice softening for the first time that evening. “And I don’t want you to worry about anything, Chloe. You may not be related to us by blood, but that doesn’t make you any less family.”
“I appreciate your generosity, sir,” she said gratefully.
“Well, it has both benefits and limitations,” he replied with a wry smile. “Martha mentioned a routine; that means you’ll do chores, just like everybody else in this household.”
“You’re giving her chores?” Clark asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Jonathan said firmly. “But because you’re new to farm life, you’ll be allowed to wake up an hour later than everyone else. For the first month, at least.”
“Don’t be alarmed Chloe; we’ll show you the ropes,” Martha said, squeezing her hand. “Welcome to farm life, sweetie.”
But far from being horrified, Chloe’s face lit up. “I’ll so my best to pull my weight,” she said. “And I’ll try not to get in your way.”
“You’re not in the way at all, Chloe; this is your home for now,” Martha insisted. “If you want or need anything, please feel free to ask. Okay?”
Chloe nodded. “Okay.”
“One last thing,” Jonathan said ominously. “We may have come to an agreement about not sending either of you to prison for the things you did, but that doesn’t mean we’re sweeping your issues under the rug. Both of you will have to attend therapy.”
“Therapy?” she and Clark echoed simultaneously.
“I don’t know how to go about it, or much it’s going to cost, but that decision is not negotiable,” Jonathan continued. “You both need to speak to a professional and get the right kind of help so that this…this situation never happens again.”
He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “We’ll iron out the logistics later, but for now, it’s time to call it a night. We’ve all had an extremely long day.”
***
Chapter 38…