Smallville- Chloe Sullivan, #82, If

Jan 28, 2006 20:39

Title: Two Worlds
Fandom: Smallville
Characters: Chloe Sullivan, mentions of most of the cast of SV
Prompt: 082. If
Word Count: 1,685
Rating: PG
Summary: The Two Different worlds that "Reckoning" could have brought about.
Author's Notes: Contains major spoilers for "Reckoning".



i.

The last few days have almost been too much to bear.

Lois hasn’t left her side, and Chloe has barely been able to tear herself away from Clark. The three of them camp out together on the Kent couch, each grieving in their own way.

Chloe never knew she could cry like this. It feels like the tears will never stop.

She dreads the thought of going back to her dorm room- how will she even make it in the door of the dorm? All of Lana’s things are there, just as she left them, but Lana will never, ever come back.

Lana’s dead. Tomorrow they will bury Lana beside her parents, in the snow-covered ground of the Smallville Cemetery.

When she sees Clark’s red-rimmed eyes, Chloe feels horrible for her own tears. Others lost much more than a roommate when Lana died.

ii.

The last few days have almost been too much to bear.

Chloe is afraid to leave Lois alone, and she’s barely been able to tear herself away from Clark. Lois and Chloe are staying at the Kent house, crashing on the couch and an air mattress. Lois is going out of her way to help Martha with the housework-, which is a laugh, because her cousin barely knows how to operate a broom. Chloe acts as a receptionist, making phone calls and receiving well-meaning visitors.

The Kent house is filled with tears. Of a widow, of a young man who has lost his father, of a lost girl who came to consider the Kent family as an extension of her own. Chloe cries silently at night into her pillow. If Jonathan Kent, who had always seemed so indestructible to her, could die, anyone could.

One day, all too soon, Chloe could lose her own father.

It makes her feel so selfish. Others around her- especially Clark and Martha- had lost so much when Jonathan died. Chloe’s grief couldn’t compare.

i.

The task of writing the obituary falls to Chloe.

It should be a simple task, but Chloe goes through many drafts, and she still thinks it sucks. Words, which have always been a refuge, her window to the world when nothing else works, aren’t coming to her, Eventually, Chloe gives up and sends it in to the Ledger and the Daily Planet, just meeting the deadline.

Lana Lang, a native citizen of Smallville, died Thursday in a fatal automobile accident near the bridge on Route 40. She was nineteen.

Lana’s picture graced the cover of Time Magazine’s article about the mysterious 1989 meteor shower. Lana was instrumental in refurbishing Smallville’s old movie theater and turning it into the popular coffee house, The Talon, of which she served as the manager of for most of her high school career. She spent the summer of 2004 studying art abroad in Paris, and returned to Smallville to graduate with the class of 2005.

Lana had recently begun her studies at Metropolis University, and had chosen Astronomy as her major. Her aptitude for this subject led her to be accepted into high level courses during her Freshman year, as well as join in on several amazing workshops and conferences on the subject.

Lana joins her parents, Lewis and Laura Lang, in eternity. She is survived by her aunt and adoptive mother, Nell Potter-Montgomery, 42, of Metropolis, biological father, Henry Small, 46, a half-sister, Jennifer Small, 10, a half-brother Benjamin Small, 8, her fiancé, Clark Kent, 19, as well as a host of friends.

Memorial services will be held at Smallville First Church, this Sunday at 1:00, with burial at the old Smallville Cemetery to follow. Donations to the Wayne Foundation for Orphans are requested in lieu of flowers.

ii.

The task of writing the obituary falls to Chloe. Martha asks her, and she can’t refuse.

Chloe turns to Lois, who during the campaign has become a virtual encyclopedia on Jonathan Kent, for details she doesn’t quite know.

It should be a simple task, but Chloe goes through many drafts, and she still thinks it sucks. Words, which have always been a refuge, her window to the world when nothing else works, aren’t coming to her. Lois reads it and assures her that she did a good job. Even though she’s a little unsure about it, Chloe sends it in to the Ledger and the Daily Planet, just meeting the deadline.

Jonathan Kent, a native citizen of Smallville, died of a heart attack on Thursday. He was forty-four years old.

Jonathan was a star football player at Smallville High before attending college at Metropolis University. After college, Jonathan returned to Smallville to work on the farm that has been in the Kent family for generations. With his wife, Martha, Jonathan raised organic vegetables that were sold locally in Smallville.

A respected and well-liked member of the community, Jonathan had just completed a successful run for the US Senate. His heart failed hours after seizing victory from hometown opponent, Lex Luthor.

Jonathan is survived by his wife, Martha, 43; and his son Clark, 19, as well as a host of close friends.

Memorial services will be held at Smallville First Church, this Sunday at 1:00, with burial at the old Smallville Cemetery to follow. Donations to the Red Cross in Jonathan’s memory are requested in lieu of flowers.

i.

“Is Pete Ross there?” Chloe’s voice is shaky over the phone. It’s been too long.

“Hold on.” The voice said. “I’ll get him.”

A moment later, and Pete’s familiar voice sounds over the phone. “Hello?”

“Pete!” She exclaims, relieved.

“Yeah? Who’s this?”

“It’s Chloe.” She said, with a sniffle. “Chloe Sullivan.”

“Chloe? Oh man, it’s great to hear from you, Chlo! It’s been too long! What’s up?”

“It’s…just…we, I…Clark…we need you. Come home.”

“I have a life here, Chlo. I can’t just drop everything, I’ve got school…”

“Lana’s dead.” She blurts out. “Clark told her his secret and proposed to her, and there was a car accident, and…” Chloe’s voice dissolves into tears.

“What?”

“We need you. I…uh, Clark….uh, Pete, we don’t know how to get through this. And I need my friend. We need our friend. Our best friend.”

“It’s okay, Chlo.” Pete says softly. “I’m coming home. I’ll be there tonight.”

“Thanks.” She says, gratefully.

It is only after he hangs up the phone that Pete realizes that Chloe mentioned Clark’s secret. How in the hell did she get let in on the secret?

ii.

“Is Pete Ross there?” Chloe’s voice is shaky over the phone. It’s been too long. She should have called him ages ago, when she learned that Clark was an alien- or at least after Clark came back from the dead. Pete knew too, and he could help her through this hell. That’

“Hold on.” The voice said. “I’ll get him.”

A moment later, and Pete’s familiar voice sounds over the phone. “Hello?”

“Pete!” She exclaims, relieved.

“Yeah? Who’s this?”

“It’s Chloe.” She said, with a sniffle. “Chloe Sullivan.”

“Chloe? Oh man, it’s great to hear from you, Chlo! It’s been too long! What’s up?”

“It’s…just…we, I…Clark…we need you. Come home.”

“I have a life here, Chlo. I can’t just drop everything, I’ve got school…”

“Mr. Kent had a heart attack.” She blurts out. “He’s dead. And Clark needs his best friend right now, but I always say the wrong things, and it never makes any sense, and..we need our best friend right now, Pete.”.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I wouldn’t kid about this, Pete. You know I wouldn’t.” Chloe breaks down into tears.

“It’s okay, Chlo.” Pete says softly. “I’m coming home. I’ll be there tonight.”

i.

“Get dressed.” Chloe growls.

“I’m not going. I told you that. Go away, Chloe, before I have my security forcibly remove you from the premises.”

“What security?” She laughed. “Lex, you owe this to Lana.”

“It’s my fault Lana died, Chloe. I’d be persona non-grata at her funeral, I’m sure.”

“Lana’s shitty driving skills and a speeding bus had something to do with it, Lex. Damn it. I know you’re hurting. You were a good friend to her Lex. She thought a lot of you, believe me. After that psycho held you hostage last week, all she could do is gush about how you kept her safe, and got shot for her.”

“She did.”

“I wouldn’t dishonor Lana’s memory by lying.” She said coldly.

“Other people…would think…”

“Since when have you given a crap about what other people think, Lex?”

Lex stared at her blankly.

“If you ever considered Clark your friend, Lex, you’ll show up at the funeral and support him.” Chloe said, before turning on her heel and striding out of Lex’s den.

ii.

“Get dressed.” Chloe growls. “You’ve got a funeral to go to.”

“I’m not going. I told you that. Chloe, just go away.” Lana whined.

“I’m not that easy to get rid of.” She laughed bitterly.. “Lana, you have to be at that funeral.”

“I don’t have to do anything.” Lana said indignantly.

“Did you ever love Clark?”

Lana reacted in anger. “Of course I did!”

“Do you still?”

Lana frowned. “I….I don’t know.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “It’s not a hard question Lana!”

“You don’t know what I’ve been through….”

Chloe bit her tongue. It would be so easy to yell at Lana, to tell her just how damn much Clark had sacrificed for her. Clark had literally turned back time for Lana, and as a result, he’d lost his father.

Lana’s selfish and childish attitude made Chloe want to hurl.

“This is going to be the hardest day of Clark’s life. Damn it, Lana, you know what it feels like to see your parents buried! I don’t care if you still love Clark, or whether you want to run away to St. Tropez with Lex, you need to show up at that funeral and stand by Clark’s side!”

“I can’t.”

Chloe regarded her roommate coldly. “Well, I guess you’re not half the person I thought you were.” Chloe turned on her heel and stalked out of the Luthor Mansion, where Lana had been holed up with Lex since that fateful night.

smallville: chloe sullivan

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