5 Times Chloe Fell For A Hero and the One Time Her Heart Wasn't Broken - Chloe/Various - NC17 - 3/5
Title: Five Times Chloe Fell For A Hero and the One Time Her Heart Wasn't Broken
Category: Smallville, Batman, Supernatural [Crossover]
Rating: NC17
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing: Chloe/Various
Summary: Chloe Sullivan has had too many heartbreaks in her life, but one of these days she's bound to find the right hero, isn't she?
Previous: Part I - Clark Kent, Part II - Oliver Queen,
3/5
III - Jack (OC)
For a long time, she vowed never to love again. The two greatest loves of her life had made her feel like a pitiful replica of herself. She'd been asked out by many and she'd politely declined each. She wasn't ready; she wasn't mended enough yet. Even with her healing abilities, it seemed her heart was forever going to ache. And then one day, she met Jack. He was a Metropolis police officer that successfully knocked out a purse snatcher and handed her the contents of her life back while barely losing any breath over it. She later found he was a bit of a hero, himself. He'd won awards for going out of his way to clean up the streets of Metropolis. He'd been a witness in a mob case, never letting the death threats stop him from bringing one of the biggest crime rings in Metropolis to, at the very least, a pause. He was an Average Joe policeman with a warm smile and a good heart.
She surprised herself when she said yes to his proposal of a date. She barely knew him and she later blamed it on shock after the whole purse fiasco. But it turned out well; he was funny and nice and handsome. Not quite as good looking as her last two boyfriends, but he had clear blue eyes and soft brown hair and when he kissed her at the end of the night, she felt a fire light up in her stomach that she'd sorely missed. They dated innocently for a few weeks, with her still unsure to really let him in. Until finally one night, she couldn't take the simple hand holding and goodnight kiss anymore. He'd been sweet and patient, but she'd seen the heat in his eyes and she knew her own were replicating it. She wanted more; she wanted to try just one more time. And she did; she let herself go, put her heart on the line again.
There was a normality with Jack that she'd sorely missed in her last relationships. She didn't have to worry that he'd become some distant alien relative of his or that he'd pull away from her every time he was injured. He leaned into her touch when he came home banged up. He had no family to speak of, just a bunch of friends that loved a good barbecue and campouts on the beach. It was easy and refreshing and she enjoyed days where she wasn't constantly afraid or worried. Sure, he was a cop and he was in danger a lot, but he was capable and strong and she trusted him. Maybe not with everything, but enough to let herself be herself.
He knew all of her little quirks; learned them like the back of his hand. He went out of his way to make her feel comfortable. On nights she spent at his place, just watching a DVD, she'd find the cupboards stocked with her favorite coffee and he knew just the way she liked it. He let her rent chick flicks, which he didn't like but he put up with. He massaged her hands when she got home from work, the rough calluses of his fingers somehow incredibly nice against her soft skin. And when he kissed her temple as she fell asleep against him, she felt adored.
The first time she was introduced to his best friend, she knew it was going to last longer than a few weeks.
"So you're the infamous Chloe," Brady said, grinning at her. "He said you were beautiful, but damn.."
"Lay off," Jack said, his arm wrapping around her waist. "She'd never waste her time on you."
Brady laughed. "Yeah, well, not when she's got you wrapped around her finger, eh?"
Jack just grinned before running his hand up and down her side.
"All right, I'll bet you twenty bucks I get a dance out of her tonight." He nodded to his best friend and Jack sighed, lifting a shoulder.
"You're on."
Jack then proceeded to dance with her for most of the night and when her feet were so tired she couldn't do it anymore, he lifted her up until her legs were wrapped around his waist and continued to circle the floor, smirking at Brady as he leaned against the bar. She laughed, laying her head on Jack's shoulder and enjoying the night as it went. Finally, Brady gave in and offered to buy them dinner instead of hand over the twenty and they walked down to a diner that would later become one of their places. Jack would show up at Isis and give her that grin as he leaned against the doorway, which always made her grab her purse and her jacket and walk away from the work that she'd been buried in for hours to enjoy a nice banter filled dinner with a guy that expected absolutely nothing work related. He just wanted his girlfriend; just Chloe. Not Watchtower, or Sidekick or the intrepid reporter that could hack into just about anything.
It was blissful for a year and a half. They moved in together, christened every corner of their new apartment and gradually, she fell for him. She was still wary from her last relationship over whether to tell him about her powers and so she kept them to herself. He didn't need to know about her extracurricular work for the League or her dangerous story-searching techniques as a freelance investigative reporter. He worked a lot, had to get up in the middle of the night and go out to homicide sites while she filled the large bed on her lonesome. But with her own busy schedule, she never resented him for the odd hours he kept.
He always came home for lunch and she fixed something up for them while he sat at the kitchen table. Usually, it ended with a lustful quickie, which she was always happy to encourage. It wasn't all about sex though; he was a smart man that she had no trouble keeping up a conversation with. Each lunch was filled with a new topic, something for them to debate over and really get down to the very grit of the topic. She loved that about them. But one day was different; the day the good life spiraled downward.
He came home annoyed, nearly slamming the door. He kissed her temple absently before he collapsed in the seat at the table. "I swear, the weirdness of Smallville is starting to seep over here," he called out to her.
Her shoulders tensed. "Why do you say that?" she asked curiously, her brows furrowing as she continued to make their sandwiches.
"I've had three bizarre attacks in the last two weeks - both of the guys were from Smallville, lived there during the last shower." He muttered something under his breath. "I've heard the meteors give some of them freaky powers. And these two could attest to it. Fucking nut jobs."
She swallowed tightly. "W-What'd they do?"
"Ah, you don't wanna hear about it," he sighed. "Just wish they'd lock ‘em all up so I'd have a few less freaks to worry about."
She blinked rapidly, her stomach dropping out.
He sighed. "Anyway, what'd you do today, babe?"
"Uh, I... I just went out with, um Lois earlier... Caught up." She was distracted, trying to sort out everything in her head.
She didn't hear his footsteps but she jumped slightly as his arms wrapped around her, his lips smoothing against her neck. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"
She smiled shakily. "I look like crap," she disagreed.
He kissed her ear and down her throat, his hands stroking her stomach. "You're blind." The faint whiskers of his jaw tickled her shoulder. "I'm the luckiest guy in the city," he murmured softly.
Her eyes fell closed and she leaned back into his chest. She turned her head to kiss his cheek. "Or the most delusional."
He grinned. "Yeah, well this crazy police officer needs a shower." His hands slid up her front, thumbs stroking the undersides of her breasts. "It's been a... dirty morning." His hot breath skittered over her skin. "Care to help me clean up?"
She turned in his arms, nuzzling his nose with hers. "I have a feeling I'd only make you dirtier."
He brushed his lips against hers. "I'm willing to test your theory."
She forgot all about what he said, let herself drown in the warm, familiar touch.
But as the weeks went by, it seemed more and more "meteor freaks" were coming into Metropolis and Jack had an opinion on all of them. "They're a menace, babe. I know you're all for rights, but these guys are screwy in the head. They're hurting innocent people. It's my job to stop them!" She knew it was; the dangerous ones anyway. But his opinion was quickly becoming all encompassing. Every single meteor infected person must be a dangerous freak. And it was starting to scare her, the ferocity with which he began to hate them. Just like if they were part of organized crime, he started trying to work out ways to get rid of them, to get them hauled away as quickly as possible. And she knew Jack; she knew that he'd never stop until he saw all of them behind bars or institutionalized.
Her feelings for him began to wane. She still loved him, but it was overpowered with her distrust of him. She couldn't be herself, was too afraid to admit anything too personal, worried that he'd somehow connect her to the meteors, figure her out and burn her at the stake, figuratively. Until one day, she had enough. He'd been ranting and raving about the last meteor freak attack and she was almost ready to throw up.
"Jack?" He kept talking, ignoring her entirely.
"-goddamn freaks have been stealing shit all over town. I know it's them. It always is."
"Jack?" she tried again, putting more force into her voice.
"I've been talking to my chief, trying to figure out a way to get the records over in Smallville, see just who was around back at the last shower, you know?"
"JACK!"
He lifted his head, looked over at her with a frown. "What's wrong?"
She bit her lip, swallowing thickly. "I just... Can we not talk about them?" She shook her head slowly, hopefully. "Please?"
He smiled gently, reaching out and taking her hands. "I'm sorry... I should've thought... You don't to be afraid of them though, babe. I promise you, I'm going to get them off the streets."
He looked so earnest and she really wanted to just cry. She shook her head, drawing her hands away from him before standing up from the couch. She took a breath, not sure what to do in that moment and then she nodded, turning around to stare at him. "I lived in Smallville. I probably... I probably knew the people who've been... causing all of these problems." She licked her lips, eyes falling. "And I know... first hand, I know... Just how dangerous and scary they can be. But... I also know that there are some who aren't dangerous." She stared at him, her heart pounding in her ears. "I'm infected, Jack," she finally whispered. "And I'd never hurt a soul, you know that."
He stared at her, his expression fading back and forth from shock to anger. "You're..."
She wiped her face. "I can heal people... I can bring them back from death... Not like, not like zombies though." She chuckled slightly, uncomfortably. "I just..." She lifted her hands, staring at him. "You know me... You know who I am... Do you honestly think that I would... That I would do what they did? Do you really think so little of me just because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I mean..." Her chin wobbled. "You still love me... Don't you?" Her brow furrowed.
"You're..." He swallowed. "You're one of them."
He said it with such disgust that she actually flinched.
"I'm me," she replied, starting at him seriously. "I'm just me, Jack."
He bowed his head, ran his hands through his hair, muttering under his breath. "Maybe we can fix you," he finally said, looking up at her with searching eyes. "There's gotta be a cure, right?" She didn't answer. "Right?" he asked impatiently.
"I'm sure Luthor is cooking one up as we speak," she spat, turning her head away and wiping a tear from her eye. "I don't want it... I don't want to be cured. I like who I am... I like what I can do."
"I'm sure they all do at first... ‘Til it gets to their heads." He stood up, his arms out. "Chloe... It's not right. People aren't supposed to have these powers... When a person is dead, they should stay dead." He stared at her, eyes wide, brows lifted.
"Not everybody." She shook her head. "There are good people out there, trying to do good for the world, and sometimes they just... They get hurt. Don't they deserve a second chance? Don't they deserve to live?" She licked her lips. "It's not hurting anybody, Jack. It's just... It's a gift."
He shook his head. "No, it's a meteor shower gone wrong, is what it is." His hands found his hips. "We'll find a way to reverse it... There's- There's gotta be a way." He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes moving back and forth, as if searching for some kind of way. "You said Luthor was cooking one up... Lex Luthor?"
She stilled, her stomach clenching. "He's a monster," she told him firmly. "I wouldn't take a cure from him; it'd likely kill me. And he'd just have a science project!"
Jack licked his lips, walking toward her. "But if he has the answer... Chloe!" He grinned. "He could save you. He could make you better."
She stepped away from him. "You're not listening to me. I don't want a cure." She shook her head. "I don't need it. Not every person who's infected is bad, Jack. There've been a few mistakes. A few people have screwed up and they just happened to be infected. But... normal people screw up too... We don't look for a cure for them!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I won't do it."
He frowned. "You won't even consider it?"
"It my life, Jack. I won't put it in the hands of that maniac."
"Oh that's rich coming from a freak," he shouted.
She saw the flash of regret cross his face a second later but she took a step back quickly, shaking her head. "No. Don't you even try to take that back." She lifted a hand as if to keep him at arms length. "Just stay away from me."
"Chloe, please... I didn't mean it... I love you."
"And I love you." She walked backwards, breathing heavy and listening to the loud pounding of her heart in ears. "I loved all of you..."
"We can fix this."
She closed her eyes, biting her lip. "I'll have my stuff out by the weekend," she whispered before turning around and leaving the apartment, closing it behind her and rushing toward the elevator. She didn't break down until she was three blocks away, checked into a motel and hidden in the darkness of the room. She fell to her knees, wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed until she was nothing but a boneless heap lying on the floor, breathless and all cried out. She stared at the crack of light beneath the door, her mind elsewhere. Remembering days when things had been carefree, when Jack had never given Smallville or meteor freaks a second thought. Where he could cuddle with her on the couch all night, watching sitcoms and reruns and kissing her neck and shoulders until she finally turned over in his arms and kissed him back. She thought of all the nights she spent sleeping right next to him, his arm thrown over her waist, his breath beating against the back of her neck. All the mornings she woke up to see him shaving or shared the shower with him. She closed her eyes, wishing she'd stop remembering all the "I love you's" and the promises of forever and more.
It was over. Just like all the rest. She'd go by and get her stuff while he was at work and bring it... She sighed. Maybe it was time to get out of Metropolis entirely. Seemed every hero there loved her for a time and broke her heart in the end. Crawling up from the floor, she slid onto the cold bed and fell asleep with resigned sadness. In the following few years, she'd later learn that Jack was killed in the line of duty, while saving a group of children from a robbery gone haywire. Nobody involved was infected. He died the hero she always knew he was. She never saw him again after that night but she thought of him from time to time. Of the Jack she'd loved, the one untouched by hatred. She hoped he remembered her likewise.
[ Next: Bruce Wayne.]
Category: Smallville, Batman, Supernatural [Crossover]
Rating: NC17
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing: Chloe/Various
Summary: Chloe Sullivan has had too many heartbreaks in her life, but one of these days she's bound to find the right hero, isn't she?
Previous: Part I - Clark Kent, Part II - Oliver Queen,
3/5
III - Jack (OC)
For a long time, she vowed never to love again. The two greatest loves of her life had made her feel like a pitiful replica of herself. She'd been asked out by many and she'd politely declined each. She wasn't ready; she wasn't mended enough yet. Even with her healing abilities, it seemed her heart was forever going to ache. And then one day, she met Jack. He was a Metropolis police officer that successfully knocked out a purse snatcher and handed her the contents of her life back while barely losing any breath over it. She later found he was a bit of a hero, himself. He'd won awards for going out of his way to clean up the streets of Metropolis. He'd been a witness in a mob case, never letting the death threats stop him from bringing one of the biggest crime rings in Metropolis to, at the very least, a pause. He was an Average Joe policeman with a warm smile and a good heart.
She surprised herself when she said yes to his proposal of a date. She barely knew him and she later blamed it on shock after the whole purse fiasco. But it turned out well; he was funny and nice and handsome. Not quite as good looking as her last two boyfriends, but he had clear blue eyes and soft brown hair and when he kissed her at the end of the night, she felt a fire light up in her stomach that she'd sorely missed. They dated innocently for a few weeks, with her still unsure to really let him in. Until finally one night, she couldn't take the simple hand holding and goodnight kiss anymore. He'd been sweet and patient, but she'd seen the heat in his eyes and she knew her own were replicating it. She wanted more; she wanted to try just one more time. And she did; she let herself go, put her heart on the line again.
There was a normality with Jack that she'd sorely missed in her last relationships. She didn't have to worry that he'd become some distant alien relative of his or that he'd pull away from her every time he was injured. He leaned into her touch when he came home banged up. He had no family to speak of, just a bunch of friends that loved a good barbecue and campouts on the beach. It was easy and refreshing and she enjoyed days where she wasn't constantly afraid or worried. Sure, he was a cop and he was in danger a lot, but he was capable and strong and she trusted him. Maybe not with everything, but enough to let herself be herself.
He knew all of her little quirks; learned them like the back of his hand. He went out of his way to make her feel comfortable. On nights she spent at his place, just watching a DVD, she'd find the cupboards stocked with her favorite coffee and he knew just the way she liked it. He let her rent chick flicks, which he didn't like but he put up with. He massaged her hands when she got home from work, the rough calluses of his fingers somehow incredibly nice against her soft skin. And when he kissed her temple as she fell asleep against him, she felt adored.
The first time she was introduced to his best friend, she knew it was going to last longer than a few weeks.
"So you're the infamous Chloe," Brady said, grinning at her. "He said you were beautiful, but damn.."
"Lay off," Jack said, his arm wrapping around her waist. "She'd never waste her time on you."
Brady laughed. "Yeah, well, not when she's got you wrapped around her finger, eh?"
Jack just grinned before running his hand up and down her side.
"All right, I'll bet you twenty bucks I get a dance out of her tonight." He nodded to his best friend and Jack sighed, lifting a shoulder.
"You're on."
Jack then proceeded to dance with her for most of the night and when her feet were so tired she couldn't do it anymore, he lifted her up until her legs were wrapped around his waist and continued to circle the floor, smirking at Brady as he leaned against the bar. She laughed, laying her head on Jack's shoulder and enjoying the night as it went. Finally, Brady gave in and offered to buy them dinner instead of hand over the twenty and they walked down to a diner that would later become one of their places. Jack would show up at Isis and give her that grin as he leaned against the doorway, which always made her grab her purse and her jacket and walk away from the work that she'd been buried in for hours to enjoy a nice banter filled dinner with a guy that expected absolutely nothing work related. He just wanted his girlfriend; just Chloe. Not Watchtower, or Sidekick or the intrepid reporter that could hack into just about anything.
It was blissful for a year and a half. They moved in together, christened every corner of their new apartment and gradually, she fell for him. She was still wary from her last relationship over whether to tell him about her powers and so she kept them to herself. He didn't need to know about her extracurricular work for the League or her dangerous story-searching techniques as a freelance investigative reporter. He worked a lot, had to get up in the middle of the night and go out to homicide sites while she filled the large bed on her lonesome. But with her own busy schedule, she never resented him for the odd hours he kept.
He always came home for lunch and she fixed something up for them while he sat at the kitchen table. Usually, it ended with a lustful quickie, which she was always happy to encourage. It wasn't all about sex though; he was a smart man that she had no trouble keeping up a conversation with. Each lunch was filled with a new topic, something for them to debate over and really get down to the very grit of the topic. She loved that about them. But one day was different; the day the good life spiraled downward.
He came home annoyed, nearly slamming the door. He kissed her temple absently before he collapsed in the seat at the table. "I swear, the weirdness of Smallville is starting to seep over here," he called out to her.
Her shoulders tensed. "Why do you say that?" she asked curiously, her brows furrowing as she continued to make their sandwiches.
"I've had three bizarre attacks in the last two weeks - both of the guys were from Smallville, lived there during the last shower." He muttered something under his breath. "I've heard the meteors give some of them freaky powers. And these two could attest to it. Fucking nut jobs."
She swallowed tightly. "W-What'd they do?"
"Ah, you don't wanna hear about it," he sighed. "Just wish they'd lock ‘em all up so I'd have a few less freaks to worry about."
She blinked rapidly, her stomach dropping out.
He sighed. "Anyway, what'd you do today, babe?"
"Uh, I... I just went out with, um Lois earlier... Caught up." She was distracted, trying to sort out everything in her head.
She didn't hear his footsteps but she jumped slightly as his arms wrapped around her, his lips smoothing against her neck. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"
She smiled shakily. "I look like crap," she disagreed.
He kissed her ear and down her throat, his hands stroking her stomach. "You're blind." The faint whiskers of his jaw tickled her shoulder. "I'm the luckiest guy in the city," he murmured softly.
Her eyes fell closed and she leaned back into his chest. She turned her head to kiss his cheek. "Or the most delusional."
He grinned. "Yeah, well this crazy police officer needs a shower." His hands slid up her front, thumbs stroking the undersides of her breasts. "It's been a... dirty morning." His hot breath skittered over her skin. "Care to help me clean up?"
She turned in his arms, nuzzling his nose with hers. "I have a feeling I'd only make you dirtier."
He brushed his lips against hers. "I'm willing to test your theory."
She forgot all about what he said, let herself drown in the warm, familiar touch.
But as the weeks went by, it seemed more and more "meteor freaks" were coming into Metropolis and Jack had an opinion on all of them. "They're a menace, babe. I know you're all for rights, but these guys are screwy in the head. They're hurting innocent people. It's my job to stop them!" She knew it was; the dangerous ones anyway. But his opinion was quickly becoming all encompassing. Every single meteor infected person must be a dangerous freak. And it was starting to scare her, the ferocity with which he began to hate them. Just like if they were part of organized crime, he started trying to work out ways to get rid of them, to get them hauled away as quickly as possible. And she knew Jack; she knew that he'd never stop until he saw all of them behind bars or institutionalized.
Her feelings for him began to wane. She still loved him, but it was overpowered with her distrust of him. She couldn't be herself, was too afraid to admit anything too personal, worried that he'd somehow connect her to the meteors, figure her out and burn her at the stake, figuratively. Until one day, she had enough. He'd been ranting and raving about the last meteor freak attack and she was almost ready to throw up.
"Jack?" He kept talking, ignoring her entirely.
"-goddamn freaks have been stealing shit all over town. I know it's them. It always is."
"Jack?" she tried again, putting more force into her voice.
"I've been talking to my chief, trying to figure out a way to get the records over in Smallville, see just who was around back at the last shower, you know?"
"JACK!"
He lifted his head, looked over at her with a frown. "What's wrong?"
She bit her lip, swallowing thickly. "I just... Can we not talk about them?" She shook her head slowly, hopefully. "Please?"
He smiled gently, reaching out and taking her hands. "I'm sorry... I should've thought... You don't to be afraid of them though, babe. I promise you, I'm going to get them off the streets."
He looked so earnest and she really wanted to just cry. She shook her head, drawing her hands away from him before standing up from the couch. She took a breath, not sure what to do in that moment and then she nodded, turning around to stare at him. "I lived in Smallville. I probably... I probably knew the people who've been... causing all of these problems." She licked her lips, eyes falling. "And I know... first hand, I know... Just how dangerous and scary they can be. But... I also know that there are some who aren't dangerous." She stared at him, her heart pounding in her ears. "I'm infected, Jack," she finally whispered. "And I'd never hurt a soul, you know that."
He stared at her, his expression fading back and forth from shock to anger. "You're..."
She wiped her face. "I can heal people... I can bring them back from death... Not like, not like zombies though." She chuckled slightly, uncomfortably. "I just..." She lifted her hands, staring at him. "You know me... You know who I am... Do you honestly think that I would... That I would do what they did? Do you really think so little of me just because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I mean..." Her chin wobbled. "You still love me... Don't you?" Her brow furrowed.
"You're..." He swallowed. "You're one of them."
He said it with such disgust that she actually flinched.
"I'm me," she replied, starting at him seriously. "I'm just me, Jack."
He bowed his head, ran his hands through his hair, muttering under his breath. "Maybe we can fix you," he finally said, looking up at her with searching eyes. "There's gotta be a cure, right?" She didn't answer. "Right?" he asked impatiently.
"I'm sure Luthor is cooking one up as we speak," she spat, turning her head away and wiping a tear from her eye. "I don't want it... I don't want to be cured. I like who I am... I like what I can do."
"I'm sure they all do at first... ‘Til it gets to their heads." He stood up, his arms out. "Chloe... It's not right. People aren't supposed to have these powers... When a person is dead, they should stay dead." He stared at her, eyes wide, brows lifted.
"Not everybody." She shook her head. "There are good people out there, trying to do good for the world, and sometimes they just... They get hurt. Don't they deserve a second chance? Don't they deserve to live?" She licked her lips. "It's not hurting anybody, Jack. It's just... It's a gift."
He shook his head. "No, it's a meteor shower gone wrong, is what it is." His hands found his hips. "We'll find a way to reverse it... There's- There's gotta be a way." He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes moving back and forth, as if searching for some kind of way. "You said Luthor was cooking one up... Lex Luthor?"
She stilled, her stomach clenching. "He's a monster," she told him firmly. "I wouldn't take a cure from him; it'd likely kill me. And he'd just have a science project!"
Jack licked his lips, walking toward her. "But if he has the answer... Chloe!" He grinned. "He could save you. He could make you better."
She stepped away from him. "You're not listening to me. I don't want a cure." She shook her head. "I don't need it. Not every person who's infected is bad, Jack. There've been a few mistakes. A few people have screwed up and they just happened to be infected. But... normal people screw up too... We don't look for a cure for them!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I won't do it."
He frowned. "You won't even consider it?"
"It my life, Jack. I won't put it in the hands of that maniac."
"Oh that's rich coming from a freak," he shouted.
She saw the flash of regret cross his face a second later but she took a step back quickly, shaking her head. "No. Don't you even try to take that back." She lifted a hand as if to keep him at arms length. "Just stay away from me."
"Chloe, please... I didn't mean it... I love you."
"And I love you." She walked backwards, breathing heavy and listening to the loud pounding of her heart in ears. "I loved all of you..."
"We can fix this."
She closed her eyes, biting her lip. "I'll have my stuff out by the weekend," she whispered before turning around and leaving the apartment, closing it behind her and rushing toward the elevator. She didn't break down until she was three blocks away, checked into a motel and hidden in the darkness of the room. She fell to her knees, wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed until she was nothing but a boneless heap lying on the floor, breathless and all cried out. She stared at the crack of light beneath the door, her mind elsewhere. Remembering days when things had been carefree, when Jack had never given Smallville or meteor freaks a second thought. Where he could cuddle with her on the couch all night, watching sitcoms and reruns and kissing her neck and shoulders until she finally turned over in his arms and kissed him back. She thought of all the nights she spent sleeping right next to him, his arm thrown over her waist, his breath beating against the back of her neck. All the mornings she woke up to see him shaving or shared the shower with him. She closed her eyes, wishing she'd stop remembering all the "I love you's" and the promises of forever and more.
It was over. Just like all the rest. She'd go by and get her stuff while he was at work and bring it... She sighed. Maybe it was time to get out of Metropolis entirely. Seemed every hero there loved her for a time and broke her heart in the end. Crawling up from the floor, she slid onto the cold bed and fell asleep with resigned sadness. In the following few years, she'd later learn that Jack was killed in the line of duty, while saving a group of children from a robbery gone haywire. Nobody involved was infected. He died the hero she always knew he was. She never saw him again after that night but she thought of him from time to time. Of the Jack she'd loved, the one untouched by hatred. She hoped he remembered her likewise.
[ Next: Bruce Wayne.]