Not the Time (Part 3/?)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: adwilliams03@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: Eh, I'm pretty sure it's not going beyond PG-13. So we'll just go with that.
Author's Note: This chapter will become a bit...controversial. Bear with me. I'm trying to be realistic.
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten A |
Ten B | Ten C | Eleven | Conclusion
Not the Time (Part Three)
“Lana.” Clark pulled away from Chloe and she tried to convince herself that it didn’t bother her.
Her eyes were dark, angry as she gazed at them but remained stonily silent.
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
She raised an eyebrow and started to reply when Chloe suddenly launched herself out of bed and raced to the bathroom. She barely made it before she collapsed in front of the toilet and threw up.
Lana and Clark looked at each other, forgetting their problems for the time being.
“Chloe?” They followed her into the bathroom and Clark grimaced as he knelt down beside her, resting a hand on her back and feeling useless.
Lana quickly grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet and dampened it with cold water, pressing it to her friend’s forehead and pulling the hair out of her face.
A few moments later, Chloe leaned back against Clark, tears in her eyes. She pressed a hand against her abdomen, trembling.
“Are you all right?” Lana asked, all traces of anger gone from her expression, now replaced by concern.
“I’ll live,” she murmured.
Clark touched her cheek gently. “You don’t have a fever.”
“Maybe it’s something I ate,” she whispered miserably, not able to look at either of her friends.
“Not necessarily. You don’t always run a fever with stomach viruses.” Lana looked at her sympathetically. “You should go back to bed, Chloe.”
“Yeah,” she mumbled, rubbing a hand over her face. Her stomach lurched again and she quickly bent over the toilet once more.
It was going to be a long day.
* * *
Chloe sat down at her desk in the Daily Planet that night, chewing nervously on her thumbnail as she looked around the nearly empty newsroom. Her gaze darted toward the far corner office and before she could change her mind again, she rose to her feet and headed in that direction.
She rubbed her palms on her slacks then knocked on the office door.
“Come in.”
Swallowing hard, she turned the handle and lingered in the doorway, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
Jimmy Cibrian looked up from his desk and smiled briefly. “Hey, Sullivan.”
“Do you have a minute?”
“Oh, uh…well, if we can make it quick. I have a date in fifteen minutes.”
Chloe stiffened. “A date?”
“Yeah, with my fiancee.”
The breath caught in her throat. “Your fiancee?” she repeated numbly.
He smiled and picked up a picture frame from his desk, holding it out to her.
She took it from him wordlessly and stared blankly at the photo of him and a pretty brunette who vaguely resembled a slightly older Lana Lang. Story of her life. “She’s pretty,” she said flatly.
He didn’t notice her tone. “Isn’t she?”
She stood there awkwardly, holding the frame and wishing she could sink into the floor. He took the picture back from her and set it on his desk once more. “So what brings you to my office tonight?” he asked in a knowing tone.
Chloe forced a smile and shrugged, feeling vaguely ill. “Hadn’t talked to you since…”
Jimmy smiled, the same charming smile that at one point briefly had her convinced he was the one--since Clark wasn’t interested. “We had some good times together.”
She drew in a breath. “About that.”
He suddenly appeared on guard. “Look, you’re a really sweet girl. I hope you didn’t read anything into what happened between us.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
“It’s just…if my fiancee found out…” His voice trailed off, and seeing the expression on her face, he quickly added, “Not to mention if word got around about us…I’d be fired and you probably would be too.”
His words sunk in slowly and she remained silent, wrapping her arms around herself.
Jimmy stood up, looking from her to his watch. “I really should be going. Lena’s waiting. But we should hang out sometime. I enjoy spending time with you, Chloe.” He smiled at her.
“Yeah,” she murmured, retreating from his office feeling bitter and dejected. She berated herself all the way back to her desk.
It took her the rest of her shift--three unbearably long hours, to decide what to do.
Reaching for the telephone, she knew no super powers could save her from her fate this time. But she didn’t need Super Clark right then.
Right then she needed her best friend’s shoulder to lean on.
* * *
Clark lay in bed reading a copy of False Memory by Dean Koontz when his cell phone rang. He quickly picked up the call. “Hey, Chloe.”
“Hey.”
“How are you feeling?” He put his book aside.
There was a long pause.
“Chloe?”
“Not so good,” she whispered.
Dread filled him and he sat up quickly. “What is it? Are you all right?”
He could hear the tears in her voice when she answered very softly, “No.”
Alarmed, he stood up. “Are you at the Daily Planet?”
“Yeah, I--”
“I’ll be right there.”
* * *
When Clark Kent said he’d ‘be right there’ he meant it quite literally. In less than five seconds since the line had gone dead, he was standing right in front of her.
She bit down hard on her lip, looking up at him with watery eyes. Her arms were wound tightly around her stomach and she looked more lost than he’d ever seen her look before.
“Chloe?” he whispered, stepping closer to her. When her chin quivered and then dropped he didn’t hesitate before pulling her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head.
“I’m in trouble, Clark,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Swallowing hard, he held her a little tighter. “Okay. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. You’re not alone.”
“Can we go somewhere and talk? But not the dorm…I’m not ready to…Lana’s there and…” Her voice cracked.
“We could go to my house.”
“I’m not really up for a long drive, Clark,” she said wearily.
“Who said anything about driving?” He smiled and quickly scooped her off her feet.
“Clark, you don’t have to--” He set her on her feet again and she looked around the barn loft. “Do that.”
Clark grinned, looking at her with his big blue eyes and looking for all the world like he wanted her approval.
She managed a smile. “Thank you.”
“Sure.” He motioned to the sofa, but she shook her head and turned instead to look out over the fields, moving over to stand by his telescope. Uncertain, he remained a few feet behind her, waiting patiently for her to tell him what was going on.
Chloe stared up at the sky, shivering a little and a second later she felt the weight of Clark’s warm jacket rest on her shoulders. She looked at him gratefully, then bit her lower lip.
“What is it, Chloe?” he whispered, gazing at her worriedly.
She swallowed hard, looking away once more.
He rested a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“Clark, I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.
Clark’s jaw dropped open, but he quickly closed it once more. “Oh. Uh. Wow. That’s…”
“If you say great, I’m gonna hit you,” she warned, sniffling.
He swallowed hard. “Chloe, how--?”
Despite her tears, she gave him a look. “I know you’re not from around here, Clark, but I’m pretty sure you were in the same sex ed. class I was in.”
He didn’t answer, just gazed at her.
Her defenses dropped and she moved to sit on his couch, resting her head in her hands. “I’m so stupid,” she whispered.
Clark slowly moved over to sit down beside her, resting a hand on her back and rubbing it gently in an attempt to soothe her. “Chloe, who’s the father?” he asked softly.
She let out a breath. “His name’s…Jimmy. He works at the Planet. We met a couple years ago when I first interned there. A couple weeks ago, we went to a party, and…one thing lead to another.”
He couldn’t help but tense. “Wait, he works at the Planet? How old is this guy?”
She flinched a little. “Don’t go there, Clark,” she whispered.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked seriously.
Chloe stood up, shaking her head and looking utterly drained. “Not physically.” She tucked some hair behind her ear and closed her eyes. “But he is…with someone else. Which, before you ask, I didn’t know until tonight.”
“Tonight?” Clark stood up.
“I went to talk to him. I was…I was going to tell him, but…he told me he had a date. With his fiancee.” Her voice was strained. “And I just couldn’t do it.”
He closed his eyes briefly. “Chloe, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s my own fault. I should’ve known better,” she said bitterly.
“Known better?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“Than to think a guy would actually choose me.”
“Chloe,” he whispered, reaching out to touch her shoulder once more.
She flinched and moved away, closer to the open window. “I don’t think I can do this, Clark.”
He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “We’ll figure it out,” he told her. “Together.”
Chloe leaned her head against the frame of the barn, staring out at the stars. “I don’t think even your superpowers can help me this time,” she whispered.
He moved so he was standing behind her and when he touched her shoulder this time, she didn’t pull away.
Tears glimmered in her eyes, and her voice was thick when she spoke again. “I’m not sure I want this baby.”