Prologue |
One |
Two |
Three |
Four |
Five |
Six |
Seven |
Eight |
Nine |
Ten A |
Ten B |
Ten C |
Eleven |
Conclusion Not the Time (Part Eight)
Chloe lay in Clark’s bed, staring at the ceiling as one hand rested lightly on her stomach. Letting out a breath, she closed her eyes, not hearing the footsteps approaching.
She felt the bed shift and she tensed slightly.
“Chlo? You awake?” she heard Clark whisper.
She forced a smile. “No, I’m talking in my sleep.” She opened her eyes to see him give her the famous Clark Kent 100-watt smile and she couldn’t help but smile back, this time for real.
His eyes sparkled and he gazed at her silently.
“I see you’re still all in one piece,” she said lightly.
He rolled his eyes. “The only way your cousin could actually hurt me is by annoying me to death. ‘
Chloe smirked. “You guys are like oil and water.”
“Or me and Kryptonite,” he retorted and she chuckled.
“She’s not that bad.”
He smiled a bit. “Chloe?
“Hmm?”
“I’ve been thinking.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “That’s not usually good.”
He reached out and touched her hand, and after a moment, he wove his fingers through hers.
Her heart skipped a beat and she wondered what was going through his mind. Why was he holding her hand? Why was he looking at her so intently?
“I’m really glad that…you didn’t...you know, go through with…” His voice trailed off.
She gave his hand a light squeeze and pulled it away slowly. Even after all these years a simple gesture of friendship from him still had such a powerful effect on her. It made it hard for her to think straight. Sitting up, she leaned back against the bed’s headboard, shifting her gaze to the bedspread. “I thought I could do it.” She chewed on her lower lip. “But the closer we got to Metropolis…even the thought just felt wrong.”
Clark shifted so his back was against the headboard as well, their shoulders only inches apart.
Chloe glanced at him sideways and folded her hands together. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt so nervous around him. It was as if the unspoken tension between them was due to some impending sense of…what? She wondered. Then it dawned on her: change. Without a doubt she suddenly realized he was about to drop some kind of bomb on her and she swallowed hard, fearing the worst. It was always the worst possible scenario.
“Chloe--”
“It’s okay, Clark,” she said quickly, rising from the bed and choking back a wave of nausea from standing up too fast.
His eyebrows furrowed. “What’s okay?”
Chloe tucked some hair behind her ear and moved to the open doors of his closet, picking up her small suitcase. “I need to get the rest of my stuff from Metropolis. I’m sure Lois will let me stay with her. My dad’s still in Europe, so…”
“Wait, you’re quitting school? What about your job at the Daily Planet?”
She managed to muster a faint, albeit bitter smile. “Even I can’t do everything. I’m not Superwoman. I just…have to make some sacrifices. I got myself into this mess, now I have to clean it up.”
“Yeah, but--”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll go back someday.” She started placing her clothes into her suitcase.
“Chloe, stop.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “What’s going on? You’re acting really weird all of a sudden.”
She avoided his eyes. “I guess it’s finally starting to dawn on me how life-changing this is. It’s kind of overwhelming.”
He could feel her body trembling beneath his hands and he lifted a hand to her cheek. “You’re not alone, Chloe. And I don’t want you to leave.”
She was startled equally by his words and the affectionate touch. She shifted her gaze and met his eyes without really thinking about it.
Clark offered her a small, genuine smile, feeling nervous. He swallowed hard as his gaze dropped to her lips.
Chloe felt her heart skip another beat. Even though she knew better, she had the distinct impression that Clark Kent was about to kiss her. Warning bells sounded in her mind and as much as she didn’t want to, she pulled away.
Disappointed, he watched her move toward his bedroom window. Had Lois been wrong? Did Chloe really only think of him as a friend now? He felt a pang and hoped he hadn’t waited too long.
“I uh…I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said apprehensively.
She tensed. Here we go. “I think it’s a good idea, Clark.”
He paused. “You do?”
“Yeah, of course. We both know it’s what you really want.” She turned to face him, flashing him a beautiful smile that he knew was fake even if she didn’t realize he had that knowledge.
“Chloe…what are we talking about?”
“You. Going to work things out with Lana,” she stated as if it was as obvious as him being a Kansas farm boy.
“Lana?” he repeated, shaking his head.
“You know Lana Lang, love of your life? Dark hair, doe eyes, loves horses?” She arched her eyebrows.
He gave her a look. “I know who she is, but what does she have to do with anything?”
Chloe gave him a wry look. “You mean besides the fact you’re in love with her and right now she thinks I’m having your baby?”
“So?”
Her head was starting to hurt. Sometimes talking to Clark was more confusing than being inside a labyrinth. “So…you should find her and clear up the misunderstanding.”
“What if I don’t want to? What if…I’m okay with her thinking the baby’s mine?” he asked carefully, his voice quiet.
Occasionally the only thing you can do when someone says something so far out of left field that the ball has actually disappeared, is laugh.
And she did. “That’s a brilliant way to win her back, Clark.”
He didn’t smile. “What if I’m okay with everything thinking it?”
Chloe’s laughter died in her throat as she saw the expression on his face. He couldn’t really be serious. Shaking her head, she turned to look out the window, her heart thudding heavily against her chest. “You almost had me there for a minute.”
“Chloe, I’m serious.” He moved to stand behind her. “Would it be so bad? Really?”
The breath caught in her throat and she stood frozen in place. My God, he really is serious.
“Think about it,” he said softly. “We could be a family. I mean, we both know what a great team we make.”
“Okay, Clark, there’s a pretty big difference between solving the meteor freak mysteries together and raising a child together.”
“I could be a good father.”
“I don’t doubt that.” She turned to face him. “But to be honest with you, I’m not sure I’m even going to keep this baby.”
His face fell. “Oh.”
She let out a breath. “I couldn’t go through with an abortion, but…that doesn’t mean I’d be a good mother, either.”
“You’d be a great mother, Chloe,” Clark told her softly.
“Unfortunately I don’t have that same amount of confidence in my potential parental abilities.” Her voice was soft, barely audible. She turned away from him once more, tucking some hair behind her ear.
“Do you want this baby?”
Chloe was silent for a moment. “It doesn’t matter if I do or not. All that matters it that I do the right thing for this baby.”
He rested a hand on her shoulder. “You are the most selfless person I’ve ever known. You care more about other people than you do yourself. You’ve made so many sacrifices to help the people you love, no matter the personal cost. If you ask me, this baby would be incredibly lucky to have you.” He paused, swallowing hard.
Her eyes sparkled with tears.
“And so would I,” he finished in a whisper.
Chloe caught sight of his reflection in the window pane through her tears. He couldn’t really be saying what he seemed to be saying. Not after all this time. It wasn’t possible. She slowly turned to face him, not speaking.
“Chloe, I’ve been so caught up in…things I thought I wanted that I didn’t even realize who I needed the most was standing beside me the whole time.” He reached out to touch her, but she flinched involuntarily.
“Please…don’t,” she whispered, taking a step away from him.
“Chloe, I love you,” Clark whispered.
“No! No, you don’t love me!”
Her anger startled him, caught him off guard, though later when he looked back on it, he realized he should’ve seen it coming. “Wha--”
“Just shut up, please. Stop talking, Clark.” She swallowed hard, her face flushed, and her heart aching with an intensity she hadn’t allowed herself to feel for so very long. “I’m not going down this road with you again. I can’t.”
The sadness in his eyes broke her already cracked heart and the anger she’d felt dissolved. She could never stay angry with him, even when he deserved her fury.
“Let’s just…forget this happened,” she said quietly, expecting him to jump at the chance.
“I don’t want to forget it,” he said, stepping toward her.
“Well, I’m not gonna be your rebound girl, Clark,” Chloe said with resolve. “I deserve better than that.”
“I know you do, and that’s not what this is. I promise.” He gazed at her so intently that she almost believed him. Almost.
“Then what?” she asked, shaking her head. “Pity? You feel sorry for me and you’re trying to do the right thing?”
“No!” he said vehemently.
Chloe studied him for a moment. “Start explaining.”
Clark let out a breath. “Chloe, I care about you, more than I ever thought I could. It’s not the same way I felt about Lana. But it’s just as real and just as intense, if not more so. You’re the only person other than my mom that I completely trust.” He swallowed hard. “I haven’t always made the best choices involving you in the past, but I promise you from here on out, it’s gonna be different. I wanna be with you…and I wanna be this baby’s father. So what do you say?” he whispered, waiting.