Safe and Sound (Part Nine)
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen and Epilogue
This part dips into NC-17. So yeah, you've been warned.
Chapter Nine
Feel like I could've helped you
Feel like I could've changed you
The knock on her door just after Midnight startled her. Jerking her head up off her pillow, she looked over to see that Lana wasn’t there. It took her a moment to remember that Lana had gone home to Smallville for the weekend and she rubbed a hand over her face as she rolled out of bed, feeling on guard.
She paused at the door. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me.”
Her eyebrows furrowed and she unlocked the door quickly, opening it. “Clark? What are you doing here?”
He looked upset as he stepped inside. “I need your help.”
Chloe turned the light on, shivering a little. “With what? What’s going on?”
Clark turned to look at her and realized there were goosebumps on her arms. “You’re cold.” He took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders. “Did I wake you up?”
“Yeah, but it’s okay. I don’t have to be up early or anything. Now tell me what’s going on,” she said, concerned.
“I had another dream.”
Nodding, she perched on the edge of her desk, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she prodded gently. “Okay, I can’t help unless you give me details.”
“Right.” He raked a hand through his hair and began to pace the floor.
Watching him, she wrapped his red jacket a little more tightly around her.
“I dreamt that someone close to me was in trouble.”
She frowned. “Who?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. But I dreamt that I was running and trying to get there in time to save whoever it was. I was terrified…and when I got there it was too late.”
Chloe was quiet for a moment. “Well, you know, Clark, it may have just been a dream. It doesn’t necessarily mean something bad’s going to happen.”
“It is, Chloe,” he whispered, looking at her. “Jor-El said as much.”
They gazed at each other in silence for a few seconds.
“You have no idea who it was that was in trouble?”
He shook his head, pacing the floor once more.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His nervousness was contagious and she found herself feeling worried and tense. “All right, so what do you want me to do?”
“Can you help do some research on psychic powers?”
Chloe stared at him for a moment. “So you think you’re getting a new ability?”
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Maybe. Will you help me?” His eyes were pleading.
“Clark, of course I will. Here, sit down.” She motioned to the chair beside her desk and she turned her laptop on. As soon as it had booted up, she logged onto the internet and did a search on ‘psychic dreams.’ She rubbed her eyes tiredly, yawning.
“You want some coffee?” he asked, looking at her sideways.
“Yeah, that sounds--” She didn’t even get the words out before he had disappeared. Seconds later he had returned with a tall cup of Mocha Latte from Starbucks. Amused, she took it from him. “--good. Thanks.”
He grinned sheepishly.
“How do you manage to run and carry hot beverages at the same time without spilling?”
Clark shrugged. “Never really thought about it, I guess.”
“Only you,” she teased, turning back to her computer. “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here.” She studied the screen, then clicked on a link.
He watched her as she easily slipped into research mode, and a smile touched his lips. He’d always enjoyed watching her work--she always got so into what she was doing. If there was one constant he could count on, it was Chloe Sullivan. He hoped she felt the same way about him.
“Okay, here, read this and see if that makes any sense.” She gestured to the screen and he quickly scanned it and shook his head. “Okay.” She went to the next link on the search page.
“There!”
She jerked her head over to look at him. “Huh?”
“That symbol. The eye. That was in my dream.”
Frowning, she studied the symbol. “It’s called the Eye of Horus,” she told him, reading the caption beneath the picture. “According to this in ancient Egypt, it was believed to have protective and healing powers.”
Clark was silent for a moment. “Why would it be in my dream?”
“Well, think about it, Clark. I mean, what do you do? You protect people. In your dream you didn’t make it in time, but…maybe this was there to show you that that was just a dream and you can make it in reality? I really don’t know. This is a bit out of my realm of knowledge.”
He looked at her. “Do you think these dreams are real or just manifestations of my own fears?”
She studied him for a moment. “I don’t know. But if you think it’s real it probably is. Go with your gut.”
Clark looked at the floor. “And if I can’t save the person?”
“Clark, you can’t be everywhere. You can’t protect everyone,” she said softly. “You may be a superhero but you’re not God.”
There was a knock on her door and her eyebrows furrowed. “Apparently this is a good night to go out visiting people,” she said wryly, standing up and heading over to the door, wrapping Clark’s jacket around her tighter. She opened the door, surprised to see her boyfriend standing there. “Marty, hey.”
“Hey, Gorgeous. Thought we could spend the night at your place for once, since your roommate‘s gone for the weekend.”
“Oh, uh--”
Without waiting for her to finish, he stepped around her into the room, his gaze falling upon Clark. He tensed instantly and his eyes narrowed. “A little late for a visit, don’t you think?”
Clark rose to his feet, not liking the confrontational attitude Marty had suddenly taken. “Same could be said for you.”
“I belong here. I’m Chloe’s boyfriend,” he informed Clark.
“And I’m her best friend.” Clark met his steely gaze with one of his own.
“Guys, guys.” Chloe held her hands up. “Chill. I was helping Clark with some research on ancient Egypt for a history paper he’s working on,” she told Marty.
“At Midnight?” he spat, glaring at her.
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, at Midnight. Neither of us really has a lot of free time.”
“Convenient,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.
“Hey, I don’t know what you think was going on, but Chloe and I are just friends,” Clark asserted. “She was helping me with an assignment.”
“I didn’t ask you,” Marty replied, not taking his eyes of Chloe.
She stared at him, confused and hurt by his insinuation that she was cheating on him. “Clark, would you excuse us?”
Frowning, he slowly headed for the door, pausing in front of her and dropping his voice so only she could hear him. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Clark, please,” she murmured. “I need to talk to him.”
Looking very reluctant, Clark looked from her to Marty, then headed out the door.
Chloe turned her attention back to her boyfriend when the door closed behind Clark.
“That’s nice, Chloe.” He moved to stare out her dorm window.
“Marty, I already told you that Clark and I are just friends.”
“Do you know how this looks? Tell me what guy wouldn’t immediately assume something was going on if he caught his girl with another guy alone in her room at Midnight?”
She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again, swallowing hard, realizing it probably did look really bad. “I promise you, nothing happened.”
“You’re wearing his jacket.” His voice was flat, his expression unreadable.
Chloe looked at the red coat that was still draped over her shoulders and she took the coat off, laying it on her desk.
“I don’t know what to do here, Chloe. You told me before how much you loved this guy. And clearly he has feelings for you, too.”
She almost laughed. “Clark’s totally in love with Lana Lang. No other woman even registers on his radar, trust me. Especially not me. But we are friends, and he needed my help. That’s all it was, Marty.”
Marty was silent for a long moment, just staring at her.
Feeling uneasy, she moved over to where he stood, standing on her tiptoes and kissing him. After a moment, he slowly began to respond, kissing her back.
“It makes me crazy seeing you with another guy,” he said, his voice rumbling against her throat as he kissed her neck. He pushed her backward, toward her bed. “I can’t imagine any guy not having more than friendly feelings for you.”
She smiled, moaning as his hands tugged off her shirt and found her soft breasts.
He lowered her onto the bed, crawling over her and kissing her hungrily. “Tell me you love me.”
“I love you,” Chloe whispered, her hands exploring his broad shoulders.
“Tell me you want me,” he commanded, sliding his hand between her legs and yanking her underpants down.
She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes as his fingers found her center. “I want you.”
Marty pulled away long enough to shove his jeans down. He kissed her almost roughly as he entered her and she cried out against his mouth, raking her nails down his back. For several long moments, there was only silence, occasionally interrupted by a moan or a cry.
“Move in with me, Chloe. We can be together all the time,” he murmured, thrusting into her.
She didn’t answer, wrapping her legs around his waist as he increased the pace of their lovemaking, her eyes drifting shut.
“You‘re mine.” Marty thrust into her one last time and she cried out his name as they reached their climaxes simultaneously. “Mine.”
“I’m yours,” she whispered, her heart beating quickly.
“Forever.”