Visiting Smallville: 11a/21
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“Did you hear?” Chloe asked, leaning across the dinner table. Gabe shot her interested, yet angry glare. “About the surveyors?”
“Surveyors?” Sam replied. “What happened?”
“They came out of the woods, screaming.” She said, smiling excitedly. Dean glanced up at her, eyebrows furrowed. “I was just thinking, either they’re wimps or there’s something in the woods.”
Sam smiled, but didn’t seem that excited. “Chloe...I know you keep trying to find us cases, but we’ve been here a few months now and we’ve learnt - in Smallville, it’s never supernatural. It’s always meteor rocks.”
Chloe frowned, glancing down at the table. “Just look into it.” She whispered, pushing her dinner away and leaving the room.
Dean sniggered as Sam slumped, knocking his head against the table in frustration. Gabe slid out his seat and made to follow Chloe up the stairs. “Clean up the dishes, will you?” he asked.
Sam quickly cleaned up the dishes, Dean still laughing. “What?” Sam snapped. “Look, just get the Impala. We’ll go speak to them.”
“Pathetic.” Dean shook his head at Sam, but grabbed the keys, leaving the room.
Sam followed, glancing up the stairs, before joining his brother in the Impala.
“There’s that Rickman Inc building on the main street.” Dean grinned at his brother. “Let’s check there.”
They pulled up in front of the large building, jumping out the car and peering through the windows, seeing a group of people sat round a table in the centre of the room. They opened the door, smiling nervously as the surveyors turned to them.
“Hey.” Said Dean, grinning. “We’re looking into the wood incident.”
The surveyors stared at them in a mix of confusion and fright. “Can you tell us anything?” Sam asked gently. “Do you remember anything?”
“We were frightened.” Said one, finally answering them. “That’s why we were running out the woods.”
Dean grimaced. “Yeah, but why?”
The surveyor frowned, staring down at the table. “See...I just...I can’t remember.”
*
Dean frowned, sighing as he flipped the journal closed. “Why did we start looking into this again?” he groaned. “Oh yeah, Chloe wanted us too.”
“I wouldn’t but you know, all theses cases of amnesia could be related to severe trauma.” Sam said, glancing up as Chloe came down the stairs, wrapped in a puffy purple jacket with a blue hat covering her hair. “Going out?”
She grinned, coming over to them and glancing over their shoulders. “Nothing?” she asked, watching as Dean nodded. “Well, I’ve been thinking, you’re right. Smallville may love to attract various meteor freaks but it seems to repel your sort of thing.”
Dean rolled his eyes. “Couldn’t you have realised this last night?”
She grinned innocently, before turning round and leaving the house.
*
“Okay, here we go.” Muttered Chloe, swaying slightly as the horse walked in a circle. She made to reach up to take off her hat, but slipped and leant forward, grabbing the reigns tightly and deciding to ignore the sweat on her forehead. “Whoa.”
She tugged at the reigns again and sighed in relief when the horse started to walk down the path, towards Lana and Clark.
“I thought learning to drive my Dad’s Volvo was difficult.” She said, eyebrows furrowed in concentration in order to stay next to her friends. “But at least the car came with windscreen wipers.”
Clark turned to her with an amused smirk. “Chloe, you’re doing fine for your first time.” Chloe rolled her eyes as his gaze moved slightly, completely ignorant of Chloe as he stared at Lana across the dirt path. “So, how’s Whitney holding up?”
Chloe couldn’t help but eavesdrop in the conversation that was meant to be private - once again, Clark was ignorant to Chloe whilst in the presence of Lana. “His dad’s still in the hospital,” Lana admitted, looked very sad. “So he’s been working shifts at the store.”
“It’s tough running a family business.” Clark said.
“I think he secretly wants his dad to sell it.” Lana smiled weakly. “He doesn’t want to be saddled with it when he graduates.”
“I don’t blame him.” Clark chuckled. “I can’t see myself as a farmer when I grow up.”
“What do you want to do?” Lana asked, ignorant as Chloe’s horse bucked slightly and she fell forward, grunting. “Clark?”
“I’m not sure.” Clark confessed. “Just as long as it doesn’t involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying.”
Chloe glanced at a Clark, interested, then looked down to get her camera. “Where’s my...” she asked, irritated. “Oh... I dropped my camera.”
Clark finally turned, looking at Chloe in confusion. “Chloe, what did you bring that thing for anyway?”
“I’m not out doing this butt-bashing thing here for fun.” Chloe exclaimed, looking horrified. “These woods are like the Bermuda triangle of Smallville.” She frowned as Clark and Lana exchanged an amused glance. “No, I’m serious, guys, people come in here and when they leave, they can’t remember a thing.” Clark rolled his eyes. “Sam and Dean have been looking into it and there have been dozen of incidences in the past ten years.”
Lana looked interested at the mention of the Winchesters but Clark just shot her a strange look. “Why would they be looking into that? Aren’t they private investigators or something?”
Chloe smiled. “It’s a hobby.”
“I’ll go get your camera.” Lana said suddenly, turning her horse and galloping away from them.
“Thanks.” Chloe called after her, turning to Clark.
“Chloe,” Clark sounded frustrated. “These stories go back to the civil war.”
“No Clark, what I’m talking about happened like a week ago.” Chloe stared at Clark, amazed he hadn’t heard. “Some surveyors came screaming out the woods and they can’t even remember what happened.”
“I’m sure you have a theory about this.”
Chloe grinned mischievously. “I was thinking some sort of ghosts.” She laughed as Clark shot her an annoyed stare. “No, I was thinking...Kyle Tippett.”
“The guy who sells weird sculptures in town?”
“Yeah, don’t you think it’s a bit odd that he lives out here all alone in the woods?”
“Thoreau did.” Clark said, eyebrows raised.
“So did the Unabomber.”
Clark snorted, his head snapping up as a scream echoed through the woods. Clark leapt off his horse, handing the reigns to Chloe.
“Lana!” he called down the path. “Stay with the horses.” He ordered.
He started to run down the path, Chloe turning to adjust her grip on the horses. “Uh...okay.” she said, her voice trembling. “Whoa...” she turned, glancing round. Clark was no longer in sight. “Clark?”
She sat on her horse for another fifteen minutes, her knuckles white due to her tight grip on the reigns. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Clark helping Lana back along the path. “Chloe?” he called, looking as though he had forgotten she was there.
“Yeah?”
He pulled his horses reigns from her fist and smiled up at her. “Look, I’m going to take Lana home and then I’ll meet you at your house.”
Chloe nodded. “Did you find my camera?”
Clark smiled. “Of course, I’ll give it to you later.”
*
Chloe unlocked the door and stumbled into the living room, collapsing onto a chair, not noticing as the brother’s glanced up from their newspapers in shock.
“Alright?” Dean asked, noticing how her legs were shaking.
“I hate horses.” She said vehemently.
Dean snorted. Sam smiled, allowing her to stretch her legs out across him. They heard the door open once more, and Chloe raised her head slightly.
“Through here.” She called.
The brothers frowned as Clark stepped into the room, Chloe’s camera in his hands.
“Lana was attacked by Kyle.” He said, suddenly and Chloe gasped. “I think you got it all on camera.”
Chloe smiled. “And that is why I brought my camera.” The brothers exchanged confused looks. “Look, the wire to connect it is just over there. Plug it in and we’ll see what happened.”
Clark did as she said, connecting the camera and then showing the recent videos on the screen. Chloe watched, frowning as Lana lay unconscious on the screen. Then Kyle approached, shaking her. Her eyes opened and she screamed.
“You sure he attacked her?” Dean asked, the newspaper now folded at his side.
“I don’t know...it doesn’t look like he’s trying to hurt her.” Clark admitted, sitting next to Dean. “He looks like he’s trying to help.”
“How’s Lana?” Chloe asked.
“She has a mild concussion, but other than that, she’s fine.”
“What about her parents?” Sam asked, frowning as the video repeated.
“Nell?” Clark repeated. “She wants me to go to the police and say that I saw Kyle spook Lana’s horse and attack her.” Chloe turned to Clark with raised eyebrows. “But that’s not what I saw.”
“Did this Kyle seem at all dangerous to you?”
Clark shook his head, and then they sat for a few moments in an uncomfortable silence, as it seemed Clark was unwilling to talk in front of the Winchesters. He stood up suddenly. “Well, I’m going to go talk to Kyle.” He said, and Chloe sat up, worried. “I’ll be fine.”
“But what if you forget everything?” she asked, anxious.
“I don’t think I’d ever forget you.” Clark grinned, striding out the room as Chloe blushed.
*
Clark held the door open of the Beanery in order to let Chloe through, but he released it before Sam and Dean passed through. Dean caught it with a glare, walking through and following the freshmen over to an occupied table.
Chloe sat next to Clark, opposite Lana and Whitney, but the brother’s had to pull over chairs. Whitney was staring at them in confusion - recognising them but unsure who they were.
“How are you feeling?” Chloe asked.
“Better, thanks.” Lana said and Dean rolled his eyes at her grateful voice. She turned her gaze to Clark. “Nell said you were going to talk to the police.”
“Actually, I went out and spoke to Kyle.” Clark admitted.
“You talked to that psycho?” Whitney said, sounding horrified.
Sam and Dean stared at him, not entirely sure who he was and why he was being so judgemental. “Yeah.” said Clark, looking confused. “He said he was just trying to make sure Lana was okay.”
“Do you believe him?” Lana asked.
“Yeah.” Clark said, looking down at the table. “I think I do.”
“If I were there…” Whitney said, his face dark with anger. “I’d have done something.”
Lana turned to look at her boyfriend with a look of adoration and Clark cleared his throat nervously. Chloe glared at the jock who glanced at her with raised eyebrows. “Do you remember anything?” Clark asked, anxious.
“Not really.” Lana admitted and Dean rolled his eyes, pushing his chair away and standing up.
“Well, I’m going to go.” Dean said when everyone glanced at him.
Clark nodded, joining him. “I gotta get home.” he said as Lana glanced up at him in shook. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Chloe and Sam followed Dean’s idea, Chloe waving to Lana as they started to leave the café.
“Clark!”
They turned, seeing Lex Luthor waving at the freshman. Clark smiled apologetically at Chloe before rushing over. Dean smiled happily, leading the rest out to the Impala.
“What’s with the jock?” Dean asked.
Chloe glanced at him as she climbed into the Impala. “He’s going through a rough time at the moment.”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “And what’s with Barbie’s whole damsel in distress routine?”
Sam snorted but Chloe scowled. “It must have been scary.” she protested. “But, I guess she is being a bit judgemental.”
“A bit?”
*
“It could be Kyle.” Dean admitted, re-watching the video. “This video doesn’t really show everything until after Lana fell from her horse.”
“Are you sure it’s not your sort of thing?” Chloe asked, trusting Clark’s judgement. “Nothing that’s scaring people out of their minds?”
Gabe had walked in, hearing Chloe’s question, and he glanced angrily at the brothers. “If it is, it’s nothing that you should be worrying about.”
Chloe’s head shot up in shock and she scowled at her father. “Come on, dad.” She turned away, ignoring her father’s growl. “Sam, you said amnesia could be caused by severe trauma, didn’t you?”
“Yeah?” he answered, wondering what she was getting at.
“Well, maybe there’s something evil in the woods.” She said, frowning in concentration. “Maybe, a wendigo?”
Gabe stared at his daughter, amazed she knew of that, then remembered that the Winchesters had allowed her to read the journal. He scowled, leaving the room with fury.
“This is a case of missing memories, not missing people.” Dean said, frowning. “If it was a wendigo, they’d have lost a lot more than their memories.”
*
“Clark?” Chloe asked, phone held up to her ear, ignoring the brother’s stares. “Kyle’s been locked up? We’ll be right there.”
“We?” Dean asked, already standing up to lead them through to the Impala.
They took the familiar route to the school, watching as Chloe unlocked the front door and ran through to the Torch. She logged onto the computer, starting a computer search as she waited for Clark to turn up.
“What are you searching for?” Sam asked, pulling a chair up next to her.
“Anything about Kyle Tippett.” She answered, hoping for his name to come up. She paused, finger hovering above the mouse as Clark entered, Pete behind him. She smiled at her friends. “So, what’s up with Kyle?”
“He was arrested for assaulting Whitney.” Clark answered.
Chloe frowned. “Attacking Whitney? Why would he do that?” she wondered, scanning the computer screen. “From the way Whitney was acting earlier, you’d think it would be the other way round. I mean, Tippett hasn’t broken hermit status in years and all of a sudden he’s one of Smallville’s most wanted?”
“Something must have made him snap.” Pete said, slumping down in a sofa.
“I think its Bob Rickman.” Clark stated confidently.
“Yeah, but what does our rural Rodin have against Rickman, other than the obvious ‘poisoning the environment’ angle?” Chloe asked, rifling through her desks for some papers.
Dean looked confused, not sure what Rickman Inc had to do with the environment. Sam looked at him, then rolled his eyes.
“I don’t know.” Clark wondered. “Could you do some digging, find a connection?”
Chloe grinned. “Yeah, absolutely.” Still searching, she glanced up at Clark. “Sounds like an interesting story - tree-hugging hermit versus pesticide tycoon.”
She smirked, pulling two pieces of paper from the pile and holding them next to each other. One had a picture of a smirking Bob Rickman, the other a picture of the bedraggled hermit.
She showed them to Sam, Clark and Pete coming round to look at the pictures. Dean stared at the picture of Rickman before his eyes widened. “Him? He was directly responsible for a case in Wisconsin.”
Sam turned to him in shock, Chloe not paying attention as she typed furiously, Pete staring in interest. “And what do you do?”
Dean stuttered, drawing Chloe’s attention. “I told you, Pete, they’re PIs.”
“What was the case?”
Sam almost said ‘confidential’, but Dean smirked. “Poisoned water, angry civilians...you get the picture.”
Sam snorted - ‘angry civilians’, more like ‘angry spirits’. Chloe caught his eye, clearly thinking along the same lines.
Pete sensed the awkwardness emanating from Chloe and the Winchesters. He sighed. “What do you think Rickman and Tippett have in common?” he asked.
Chloe relaxed, smiling. “Definitely not their grooming habits.”
Pete sniggered, Sam laughing slightly. Chloe pushed away from the computer, leaning into Sam’s side and ignoring Pete’s pointed look.
Lana strutted in through the door, scowling. Clark turned his gaze from Sam and Chloe to the ex-cheerleader. “Lana.” He smiled happily. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Lana turned, angry, to Pete and Chloe. “May you excuse us for a second?”
Chloe nodded, grabbing Sam’s hand and leading him out the room. Sam and Dean made to walk away, but Chloe laughed, grabbing Pete’s arm and leaning against the wall outside the Torch. Sam frowned.
“What are you doing?” Sam hissed, albeit slightly amused.
“Eavesdropping.”
Dean grinned, joining Chloe by the wall.
“Whitney said you accused him of attacking Kyle.” Lana snarled, and Chloe stared at Pete in a mix of shock and amusement.
“I didn’t accuse him.” Answered Clark, sounding upset. “I just have some questions.”
“Like what?”
“Like why was he there?”
“He was just trying to talk to him.” Lana sneered. “We both know Whitney can be a little overzealous, but his hearts in the right place.”
“I just don’t think Kyle would do something like that.” Clark protested. “He’s not a violent person.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow, amazed Clark was standing up for Kyle to Lana. “And you can tell that from knowing him for two days?” Lana whispered. “He’s lived in the woods, alone, for ten years.”
“Good point.” Dean whispered, Sam finally joining them by the door, standing closely behind Chloe. “Even though I hate to agree with Barbie.”
Pete snorted, but quickly covered his mouth.
“That makes him odd, not dangerous.” Clark hissed.
“Whitney wouldn’t attack anybody.” Said Lana.
“He strung me up in a field.”
Dean couldn’t help laughing, and Pete glared at him, forcing him to shut up.
“So that’s what this is about?” Lana asked, sounding furious. “You haven’t forgiven him.”
“I just think there’s something else going on here.”
“Yeah, there is.” Lana growled. “You’re looking for an excuse to knock Whitney. You know what he’s going through with his dad. If you don’t like him, just say so. Don’t pretend to be his friend.”
There was silence and Chloe panicked. “She’s coming out.”
They straightened up quickly and rushed away from the door and round the corner. Chloe led the brothers out the corner. “Call you later, Pete?”
Pete nodded slightly, frowning as Chloe led the two brothers out of the school.
*
Chloe sat next to Sam, both of their laptops blazing as they searched for anything relating to Kyle Tippett. Every time Dean looked over at them, he sniggered, before turning his attention back to the news.
The phone rang and Chloe leaned over Sam to get it, answering it with a smile. “Hey Clark!”
Sam grimaced slightly, still typing furiously and Dean snorted at his brother’s expression.
“He what?” she gasped, glancing up as her father came into the room, staring at the laptops with a disapproving look. “Look, Clark, everything will be alright... I’ll see you at the Beanery in an hour.”
She hung up, staring at the wall in shock. “Mr Kent sold the farm.” She muttered, and Gabe’s mouth dropped open.
“Jonathan sold the family farm?” Gabe asked, astonished. “But it’s been in his family for generations. He would never sell it.”
“Well, he has.”
Dean ignored them, staring back at the TV. “Guys...” he called, but they were still locked in conversation, Sam having joined in. “Seriously, look. Kyle has escaped from jail.”
Everyone glanced at the TV headline, and Chloe frowned as an article appeared on her screen. Grinning, she pressed print and then closed the laptop. She picked up the paper before the brothers could reach it.
“How do you think he did it?” Sam was asking.
Dean frowned. “It’s Smallville.” Dean answered grinning. “If the meteors aren’t involved, I’ll sell my car."
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