babydee1 | Chlark Fanfic: Crisis, Chapter 19a (Reply)

Yet another Crisis update, yay! Two half-chapters actually, because it was all too large to fit in one post. And then I really need to show some of my other WIPs some lurve; they've all been horribly neglected. :-(

Enjoy! I still love feedback - the more, the merrier! :-)

Title: Crisis

Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlark/Kaloe

Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG-13)

Warnings: None

Timeline: Season 2-3 (Exodus – Exile; Clark’s RedK Summer)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.

Summary: A violent encounter between Chloe and Clark threatens to destroy their friendship forever.

Feedback: …is love. J

Read previous chapter here.

Read story from the beginning here.

Chapter 19

Lana stared at him, shock and disbelief written all over her face. “Chloe?” she exclaimed hotly. “You’re passing me over for Chloe?”

Clark sighed. “Lana, let’s not argue about this-”

“Chloe?” she screeched, ignoring him. He shrugged and folded his arms, waiting for her to say something over than Chloe’s name.

“How could you?” she cried. “Have you two been together all this time?”

“No,” he replied, starting to get annoyed. “I told you before, it’s not like-”

“What the hell does she have that I don’t?” she raged on. “I mean, she’s certainly not prettier than me!”

Clark’s eyes narrowed dangerously at her bitter words. “Chloe’s beautiful, inside and out,” he said harshly. “She’s smart, resilient and all-around amazing, and she’s also putting a roof over your head at no cost.”

“She stole you from me!” she cried.

“I was never yours,” he shot back. “And for the record, she has no idea how I feel about her, so if you dare to give her any grief over this-”

“Are you threatening me?” she whispered menacingly, taking a step forward. “Over Chloe?”

“I’m telling you that if you do anything to hurt her, you’ll have me to answer to,” he replied stiffly. “She’s got enough going on in her life right now as it is.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Do you love her?” she whispered.

He paused. “All I know is that I care more about her happiness than I do about anyone’s,” he finally said.

“More than mine?”

He sighed deeply. “I didn’t want us to argue, Lana, and I’m sorry that I’ve upset you,” he said, his voice soft. “But I stand by what I said. I don’t want to be with you, and I don’t want you doing anything to upset Chloe.”

Lana glared at him for long moments. “So that’s it?” she said hollowly. “We’re over, just like that?”

Actually they’d barely begun, but he felt it would be a tad pedantic to point that out when she was in this mood.

“Yes,” was the simple reply.

She nodded stiffly. “Fine. And thank you, Clark. You’ve just made things so much easier for me.”

He frowned. “Easier?”

She didn’t answer. Instead she crossed the room in long strides and hurriedly gathered her notebooks before sweeping past him.

She was halfway down the stairs before she suddenly stopped and turned back. Quickly she climbed back up to the loft and snatched up her forgotten basket of muffins. Then she gave him a frosty glare before heading back down the stairs.

Just as well, he thought with a wry smile as her retreating pink form stomped out of the barn. He didn’t like any of those muffins, anyway.

***

“I love you, Chloe.”

Oh God, no. Chloe shut her eyes and held out a pleading hand.

“Pete, please don’t say anymore, I beg you-”

“If I don’t say something now, I never will,” he said bluntly. “I love you.”

“No,” she pleaded, but he went on.

“I can’t help how I feel about you any more than you can help how you feel about Clark,” he soldiered on. “But at least now you know, and maybe…maybe someday, you and I…?”

Despondently, she shook her head. “I’m damaged goods, Pete,” she replied glumly. “I'm a mess, I'm...I'm broken. You really don’t want to take a chance on me, and…well, honestly I wouldn't wish myself on anyone right now.”

“Chloe, don't you get it?” he said earnestly. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted. And I’m not naïve, I know you don’t love me back, not yet-”

“And I never will!” she said, feeling terrible for hurting him. “Oh Pete, please try to understand…”

But he was undeterred. “Things change, Chloe; people change,” he said hopefully. “I can wait for you to get over this…”

“No.”

“Just a hint of a chance, that’s all I need,” he begged. “Not even a whole chance. It would mean the world to me. Please, Chloe…”

Chloe shook her head and took his hand. “I’m sorry, Pete,” she sobbed. “I don’t love you. I wish I could, but I can’t.”

He exhaled deeply. “Are you sure?” he said quietly. “There's absolutely no hope for me, for us?"

She shook her head, completely downcast. "No. I can't give you what you want, but I will always be your friend, Pete. Always.”

Pete stared at her hands holding his, and then lifted them to his lips for a brief kiss. Then he raised his gaze to her, and gave her a sad smile.

“I’m afraid friendship is 'grossly disproportionate' to what I wish you could feel for me,” he said. “But that’s life, I guess. I love you, you love him.”

She shook her head fiercely. “I don’t love him.”

“Yes, you do,” he said gently, stroking her cheek. “In spite of everything, you still do, and that’s why you’re really torturing him, because you want to hate him, but you can’t.”

She didn’t want to acknowledge that his words might be true. “Pete, you’ll find somebody…”

“I wanted you, Baby Girl, not just anyone," he said with a sad smile. "And you're a really tough act to follow."

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, but he put a finger over her lips.