Redemption
Title: Redemption
Fanbase: Smallville
Pairings: Alicia & Clark
Chapter: One
Summary: What would happene if Alicia didn't die?
Spoilers: Pariah
Disclaimer: I don't own smallville
I wrote this with Jelsifan4life
Alicia couldn’t breath. The bristles of the rope burned like fire around her neck. This Tim guy had framed her and choked her. She pleaded with him, furious at herself what she let him lead her to do. As her last acts of her life she betrayed Clark’s secret. She promised she would rather die then betray his secret. She took a bullet for him. Then she threw it all away in one moment of insecurity. In one moment of wishing he could be free of these chains he wore; trying to appease to this normal fake life style. He would know what it was like for people to know who he was and what he was; like she did.
They could stand together side by side showing the world that they were who they were and wanted to be accepted for who they were. But it was all to late now, she struggled against the rope she felt her breath escaping her and she saw her and Clark sitting in his car getting ready to see his friends, she saw her crying into his arms after thinking it was over between them and realizing not to later after that, that it wasn’t, she saw the vivid scene of Clark chasing her around in the honey moon suite, she saw him saying “Hell Yes” to the Elvis preacher, she saw him purpose to her and breaking her lead bracelet, she saw them falling on the ice as they were ice skating as Clark was giving her a second chance. She saw her sneaking into his room and making out in his bed, she saw Clark excited face as he was about to kiss her but he let the moment pass him by. She saw when she first got a chance to know him when the elevator broke flying down and she saw Clark punch through the wall holding onto the cord and she saw her rescuing him from getting caught. She then saw her parents scared faces as they looked at her, she saw her mother hugging her not knowing what to do. Then she saw her being younger having her mom hug her with out fear and pure motherly love. She saw herself sitting on the swing set as she saw the pretty green rocks shooting from the sky.
Then she didn’t see anything anymore it all went blank and dark. She felt really cold all of the sudden. Then she saw this bright light it was really bright, it blinded her eyes. Then she heard Clarks voice and saw his face amongst the light. Oh no, she was dying she could accept that. She didn’t want to die. She had her whole life ahead of her. She didn’t want to die before she got a chance to repent of all of the wrongs she did. But she could accept it. But Clark? No she couldn’t accept Clark dying. He had his whole life ahead of him. He had so many people he could save and help he could make this world a better place. The world still needed him. She was filled with anxiety she tried to scream Clark’s name.
The brightness and blurriness slowly faded away and she saw Clark and the lights of the hospital room and doctors and nurses. Alicia was over come with overpowering joy. She was not dead. She was ok. Clark was not dead he was OK. She still had time for redemption. She had time to undo what she did.
Chloe stared at her wall of weird shocked, stunned, and still trying to wrap her mind around it. Clark Kent-her best friend in the entire world-was a meteor freak. She couldn’t believe it. What she couldn’t believe was how she didn’t se it before. She always knew he was hiding some kind of secret. He even admitted at one point that he did have a secret and she even promised to stop digging. She always told him it was ok to open up and tell her, but he never did, instead he told Alicia -the girl who tried to kill Lana. The girl who all of the sudden was cured of her obsessive psychosis, the girl who had just betrayed her secret to a reporter in hoping she would be exposing him. And why? So people would stop looking at Alicia as a bad guy and look at Clark as well. Chloe knew Clark and even though he had powers she knew he would never hurt anyone. Even though he kept this important secret she knew mostly the guy who he was. Clark was always there for her when she needed him. There were so many times when he was miraculously there to save the day and now she knew why.
Clark almost lost Alicia - the only person who could really understand him. He threw it away in not believing in her. If he went to the cops she wouldn’t have been hurt. Lois had told him where Tim was and he would find him. He tried to take Alicia away from him.
Clark found Alicia unconscious strangled by a rope. He untangled her and performed CPR. As he pressed his lips against hers he hoped him being an alien wouldn’t stop him from saving the only person who could truly understand him.
“Come on Alicia.” Clark said.
He listened to her heartbeat and it was weak but it was still there. He lifted her in his arms and was about to speed away when Lois came rushing in.
Her eyes were wide looking at Alicia limp body in his arms.
“Oh Clark, I’m so sorry.”
“She’s going to be ok. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
Lois bit her lip and said, “Good.”
Then Clark said, “Why are you here?”
“Clark, you better get Alicia to the hospital.” Lois said with a frantic voice hiding something.
“Lois, why did you come here?” Clark asked louder with an accusing tone of voice.
Then Lois said not looking Clark in the eye, “It’s my date Tim. He’s the one who was behind Lana and Jason attacks and it’s a good guess to say he did this.”
“Where is he?”
“Shouldn’t you go to your girlfriend and let the police handle Tim?”
Then Clark said, “Yeah, your right. I need to take Alicia to the hospital.”
“OK, I’ll meet you there Clark.” Lois said.
Clark then sped Alicia to the hospital and checked her in he made sure she was getting taken care of and then she sped to the town local museum he remembered him trying to write an article about it for Chloe.
Clark rushed to the museum and saw Tim there. He sped to him and grabbed him and pounded him to the wall. Then he suddenly turned into to dust. He moved all around the museum flowing sand all around. Clark sped around trying to get a hold of him but he eluded him every time. Then Clark blasted fire from his eyes at Tim, causing him to scream and burn up.
Clark yelled, “You tried to kill Alicia!”
“She deserved it! All of the things she did.”
“She deserves to have a second chance! You tried to take that away from her!”
Clark then grabbed him by the neck and started to squeeze. She could hear the pain in his gasps. Clark couldn’t think about anything but the image of Alicia’s face in that rope. Tim tried to strangle Alicia so that’s how he would die it suited him he deserved it. Clark felt nothing but blind rage. It fueled him. Then he heard a voice and behind him it was a rushed Lois.
She said, “Clark don’t do this.”
“He deserves it! He tried to kill Alicia! She could be dead!”
“And if she’s not you can never be with her. This would hurt her Clark. This would ruin your life. He’s not worth it. You’re better then him Clark!”
Clark let go of his neck and agreed with Lois. How could Alicia ever have a second chance with him if he did this. He wasn't judge, jury, and executioner.
Clark arrived looking beaten up and worn out, since that didn’t happen often that caused alarm from his parents. They were both talking at the table when he arrived. They both stood up and Martha rushed to him and said, “Clark what happened?”
“It’s Alicia.”
“Alicia. What did she do to you?”
“Nothing. It was Tim he tried to frame and kill her.”
“Oh my, is she OK?” Martha asked.
Clark looked at his mother grateful in way he hasn’t in a while lately. Then Clark said, “She’s in the hospital. She’s in the ICU not out of the woods yet. I just came in to change before I see her.”
“Clark we’re so sorry about Alicia.” Jonathan said.
Then Martha said, “So what happened with Tim?”
“I turned him in to Sheriff Adams.”
Jonathan said, “We’re proud of you son.”
“Yeah, there was a minute there when I wanted to kill him for what he tried to do to Alicia for what he tried to do to everyone but I…”
“You didn’t right?” Marth asked.
“No, that would make me like him. He had been everyone’s judge and jury including Alicia’s. He tried to take away her second chance.” Clark said.
Jonathan said, “We’re proud of you son. And we hope Alicia’s going to be ok, but that doesn’t change what she did and that she might not be the smartest choice as a girlfriend.”
“Alicia almost died because of me twice. I almost lost her and I’m not going to loose her again.” Clark said and then he sped away got changed and sped back to the hospital to wait for Alicia.
He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the way he left things with his parents he could stand to hear a lecture while Alicia was fighting for her life.
Chloe looked at the wall of weird and took down all of articles related to Clark. Now she knew why Clark had such a problem with her curiosity nature getting the best of her when it landed around him. They have been through a lot when it came to her choosing her journalism dream and trying to not look into Clark past. Now it was so clear why. She should’ve seen it. She thought that they arrived at a place where he could trust her. She sighed loudly and said out loud,
“Why didn’t you just tell me Clark?”
She put down the articles and then put them in a file and put them in her desk. Then she looked up to see Lois stagger in with a strained look on her face.
“Lois. What is it?”
“It’s Alicia.”
Chloe tensed up. Did Alicia go to Lois too? Was she going around Smallville spilling Clark secret to who ever would listen?”
“We were wrong about her. She didn’t attack Lana and Jason. It was Tim he framed her.”
“The guy you went on a date with?”
“Yeah, I’ll just add it to the list to dates I regret.”
“I’m sorry Lois.” Chloe said showing sympathy for her cousin. She’s been there dating a guy who turned out to be a MF and a psycho killer.
“There’s more. Tim strangled Alicia trying to make it look like a suicide.”
Chloe felt her gut drop to the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t thinking good thoughts about Alicia. And now she could be dead. She would have died with out a second chance she was looking for. She would have died after everyone thought she was attempting the murders.
Lois noticed the scared and grieved look on Chloe’s face and she said, “She’s in the ICU. I think she’s going to make it. Clark saved her just in time I think.”
“He did? That’s great. How is he?”
“He’s not doing good he almost…Tim is on his way to Belle Reeve now.”
Chloe sat down dumbfounded and started thinking out loud, “We should’ve believed her and Clark.”
Lois sat next to her cousin reassuringly and said, “We didn’t have a reason to. She attacked one of your best friends last year.”
“I should’ve believed Clark. He really believed she changed. I should’ve believed him.”
“Chloe he was dating her we had ever reason to believe he wasn’t seeing things clearly. Besides like you said most people you’ve met who were MF’s tried to go after you or your friends.”
“I think I was wrong. How could I just assume something like that? How could I be so prejudice? When Justin first showed me his powers I didn’t judge.”
“But then he tried to kill you Chloe. You had every reason to think that after everything you've been through.”
“I was wrong Lois there are good people with powers just like there are bad people with out them.”
Lois nodded her head, “Yeah, maybe your right about that.”
Chloe then looked back at her wall and saw all of those Meteor Infected articles and most of them were negative.
“The whole town didn’t believe her because they have a prejudice against Meteor Freaks because of me.”
“Chloe Alicia attacked Lana and was sent to Belle Reeve, people would’ve found out.”
“This town has a way of covering things up if someone doesn’t expose it. I exposed Alicia and then the whole town doesn’t believe her. They all knew her secret. No one looks at her the same. You know this town is probably crawling with the Meteor Infected people who are to afraid to tell people, because of people like me.”
“Chloe you expose the truth. It’s who you are.”
“Well sometimes it sucks being me.”
Lois grabbed her cousin’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly and then she said, “Chloe is there something else bothering you?”
Chloe looked up at her cousin and then she spat out, “Lo, if you knew a secret of a friends. Would you tell them?”
“Depends? Would keeping this secret hurt someone?”
Chloe looked in the distance and thought about it and remembered all of the times Clark was there for her when she really needed him and she said, “No.”
“Then I wouldn’t say anything and be really supportive and let that person tell you on there own.”
Chloe looked up at her cousin surprised at her wisdom and said, “Lois you’re the last person I would expect to say that.”
“I’ve learned the hard way that people have secrets for a reason.”
Chloe smiled reassured.
Then Lois said, “Chloe is there something you want to tell me?”
Chloe gave her a blank stare.
“Are you the one with the secret?”
“No, Lo, but thanks.”
Then they hugged Chloe feeling a lot better about the situation.
Clark paced in the waiting room. He listened to Alicia’s movements, he listened for her heartbeat. It thumped slowly and weakly as time passed it gradually became stronger. Clark thanked God. He didn’t know what he would do if he had lost Alicia forever. He loved her. Their last moments together were a fight. He had stopped believing in her. She had asked him to reveal his secret to the cops so they could see who he is and that he is a guy with special abilities and a good guy. Clark wished he could’ve gone with her. Part of him would like to go out to everyone and show them all who he truly is. He doesn’t like living his life in secret so much where he’s become two entirely different people. He hates lying to his friends. He hates that most of them probably think that most people with special abilities are bad. He hates that there’s this idea of the Meteor Infected of being bad just for being Meteor Infected. He had met a few who were ok. He met Jordan last year and Ryan and Cyrus the year before, sure they were few but they were good people despite the Meteor Infection. They both tried their best. That’s why he was happy to give Alicia another chance she was sick before. She had a mental condition but she was better now. Part of him wanted to reign free with her and just have them use their powers freely but another part of him was scared that most meteor infected people did end up either turning psycho or dead from using the powers. He hated it. So he felt like her wearing her bracelet would keep her safe and sane. The only one who didn’t die or go in a comma or turn psycho was Jordon because he lost his power. He feared that because he landed on Earth he doomed Alicia to either dying or turning psycho. He wanted her to be safe and sane. He wanted them to be together without everyone judging him. He knew she changed he believed in her. He kicked him self for ever doubting her.
The nurse had signaled for him to come in. He went to Alicia’s hospital room and saw her beautiful long hair flow off of her shoulders of her hospital shown. She sat up weakly as she saw him coming in slowly. She looked awkward and a bit afraid but as always happy to see him. She clearly was in pain there were bandages around her neck covering the heavy blistering rope burns Clark had seen with his x-ray vision.
Then Clark barely choked out, “How are you feeling?”
“A little to familiar with hospitals for my taste.” Alicia tried to joke but started coughing. She was alluding to just being in the hospital for taking a bullet to protect Clark’s secret.
“One of the draw backs of Smallville I’m afraid.” Clark said sheepishly.
They both looked down awkwardly. They had a silence for a few moments and then they both looked with in each others eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”
Then they laughed a little and Clark sat on the hospital bed and took Alicia’s hand and said, “I’m sorry Alicia I should have believed in you.”
“You did Clark. You’re the only who did for a long time. Your belief in me gave me hope for myself Clark.”
Clark just looked at Alicia’s hand and kissed it and said, “I know you’re different now Alicia I was just afraid that there might be something inside of you that would make you…”
Clark shook his head and said, “It’s doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you’re ok.”
Alicia looked up at Clark and lifted his chin with her thumb and said, “Clark we’ve both made mistakes. I should have never asked you to reveal your secret. I know how hard it is. No one looks at me the same. You’re the only one who sees me for who I really am. You’re not afraid of me. And I hate to doom you to my fate of being the outcast. I’m sorry I just thought maybe if you were revealed people would see that not all meteor infected are all bad.”
Clark linked his hand within hers and said, “Alicia I know if I did and if you were by my side I would get through it because you were there.”
Alicia blushed and smiled causing Clark to smile and then Clark continued, “But I’m not ready for that. I’m not as brave as you.”
Alicia squeezed Clarks hand and said, “You’re the bravest guy I know Clark. I didn’t choose to be exposed. It just happened. I shouldn’t have forced that on you.”
Then Clark said, “You didn’t. You just asked. It doesn’t matter now. Your right we both made mistakes and now we can forgive each other and move on.”
Alicia let go of his hand and with fear appearing across her eyes said, “What if it does matter Clark? What if the damage is done?”
Clark put Alicia's hand back within his and said, “Alicia you almost died today none of that matters. Its in the past all we need to do now is embrace the future.”
He then kissed her hand and then cupped her face with in his and kissed her gently and sweetly. He then scooted in the bed with her and they cuddled together her head fell on to his chest comfortably.
After Clark left Alicia pretended to be a sleep but she couldn’t sleep. She didn’t know what she could do. She had ruined Clark’s life. She had tried to tell Clark the truth but it was too hard and risky. This could be the thing that breaks them up for good. Alicia wished she could take it back. She wished she could just go back in time and not reveal Clark’s secret to Chloe. She do anything to take that back. She loved Clark with all of her heart she didn’t want to do anything that would hurt him. She knew Clark just wasn’t ready right now for revealing himself to everyone.
Then suddenly Chloe appeared in her room.
She sat up and said, “Chloe what are you doing here?”
“Clark called he told me your going to make it.”
“Disapointed?’
“Of course not, I’m not the cold hearted reporter you see me as.” Chloe said as she held onto her purse.
This was it this was her opportunity to stop Chloe from writing that article.
“Chloe about what happened earlier. It was a mistake. I made a horrible mistake. I should have never shown you that. I know it’s a big story and you might be mad at Clark for lying to you but I’m begging you not to…”
Chloe was looking in her purse and got out some article clippings and she threw it on Alicia’s lap.
“What’s this?”
At first she was afraid one was an article on Clark’s secret but then she looked at them and they were just different stories that were related to Clark in some way. Then she saw the article on her labeled “Will any jail keep her?” and a picture of her.
“I don’t understand?”
“You’re a smart girl Alicia. You should be able to figure it out. These are from the wall of weird. I took stories on you and Clark off. Anything connected to him, it’s gone. I’m not going to write the article. I never was. Clark and I have been through a lot. He was always so sensitive when it came to me doing certain type of stories and now I know why.”
Then Alicia asked fearfully, “Are you going to tell him that you know and how you found out?”
Chloe pursed her lips seriously and said, “No. I’m not.”
Alicia sighed a huge sigh of relief.
Then Chloe said, “I was wrong about you Alicia. I was wrong about a lot of things. That doesn’t mean I trust you. You betrayed my best friend and I’m not taking it lightly. I have my ways to find out a lot that is going on in this town and I’ll be watching you. If you as so much as think about betraying him again you will have me to deal with. You think that I exposed you before will be nothing compared to what I’ll do to you if you hurt my best friend. You understand?”
Alicia looked at Chloe roughly and said, “I’m a smart girl Chloe I get it.”
"Good. Because I'll be watching you." Chloe said and then she left Alicia alone with those articles in her lap.
Alicia looked at the articles and she looked at the article of her and hoped she could prove to Chloe and everyone else and especially to Clark that she was different now. Then she looked at Clark face and thought if there was anyway for her to find redemption it would be through him.