Chlark Fanfic: Crisis, Chapter 27

[babydee1]

So I started writing this chapter, and before I knew it, it took a rather dark turn, darker than I wanted it to.  I attempted a re-write, but ended up right back where I started, so I decided to run with it.  But there’s nothing to worry about.  Believe me when I say that there is redemption ahead for both Chloe and Clark, without a doubt; they just have to get over this last major hurdle.

I’m asking for a lot of trust and a lot of faith from you, but I promise that their darkest hour is now, and the dawn is about to start breaking. 

Many thanks for your time.  Make note of the warnings below; despite the severity of it, I did try to keep things as balanced as possible. 

Title:              Crisis

Author:          BabyDee 

Pairing:          Chlark/Kaloe

Rating:           NC-17 for disturbing themes

Warnings: ***Attempted suicide***  

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

Disclaimer:   All characters belong to the CW & DC comics 

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

Feedback:      …would be appreciated. :)

***please heed the warnings above, as it may be triggering for some*** 

Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.

Chapter 27

Clark ignored the screaming woman in his arms and sped on until he got to where he was going.  As soon as he stopped running he loosened his hold on her and she instantly struggled out of his arms, fell to the dusty floor and backed away from him frantically. 

“Where are we?” she breathed fearfully, her eyes darting at the starkly hostile surroundings as she scrambled to her feet.  “Where the hell are we?” 

“Mojave desert,” he said thickly, folding his arms. 

“Death Valley, huh?” she said, staring hard at the harsh expanse of land framed by the towering Sierra Nevada.  “Most appropriate.”

“Why, are you going to try and kill me again?” he snorted, and shook his head.  “We’re here because I didn’t want us to be disturbed.” 

“You mean you didn’t want anyone to hear me scream while you raped me again,” she spat, her eyes flashing in anger.  “You sick, sick bastard.  You’ll never get the chance.”

He took a step towards her.  She immediately backed away, and they circled each other like wolves defending precious territory as the harsh afternoon sun beat down on them in the barren wasteland. 

Clark shook his head.  “I didn’t bring you here to hurt you, Chloe.” 

“A liar as well as a rapist,” she shot back with a bitter laugh.  “That’s no surprise.  After all, you’ve lied to me since the day I met you; why should today be any different?” 

“I just want to talk to you!” he insisted.  “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you---”

“Too fucking late!” she screamed.  “You already hurt me in the worst possible way, and nothing will ever change that!”

“I never meant to rape you, Chloe.”  

“That’s not what you said the last time,” she replied swiftly.  “When I asked you point blank why did it and you told me it was deliberate.” 

He swallowed.  “I know what I said, and…and I’m not denying it.”

Her eyes filled with tears and her voice shook as she went on.  “I wanted you to lie to me that day,” she said bleakly.  “I pleaded with you to tell me I was wrong to hate you, that there was still some good in you...” she stopped and sighed deeply.  “Man, was I wrong.” 

Clark watched her with sad eyes, his heart breaking at the pain in her eyes.  It tore him up inside to see her like this…but at least she was feeling something again.  Anything was better than that blank, empty stare; even hatred and loathing directed at him. 

She shook her head grimly.  “You should’ve let me die, Clark,” she said, her eyes hardening.  “You should have let that truck crush me months ago and take away my life.  Because then it would have been quick and painless, and I would have gone to my grave thinking you were a half-way decent person.  Not someone who rapes his best friend because he’s having an off day.” 

He shook his head and took a step towards her.  “That’s not how it was-”

“No!” she said sharply, holding out her hand to stop him.  “You stay where you are.  I may not be holding kryptonite right now, but that changes nothing.  I don’t want you near me, I still hate you, and I won’t let you hurt me, not again.” 

He held out his hand to her.  “I just want to talk---”

“Not another step, Clark,” she said, her eyes burning with rage as she stepped away from him.  “I meant what I said; you touch me again and I either I kill you or you kill me.  Either way, one of us is dead, because I’m not letting you near me again, not even to get me out of here.” 

“Chloe, we need to talk about this, about everything,” he said, softly but sternly.  “This…this isn’t you.” 

“Funny; that’s what I told myself about you,” she sneered bitterly.  “After you raped me.  That it couldn’t possibly be you, that you ‘weren’t yourself.’  But no; it was all you, wasn’t it?” 

“I never meant to do that to you---”

“Liar!” she yelled, picking up a huge rock and hurling it at his head.  It shattered to dust on impact, and he raised his hands to cover his face.

 “Just let me explain---” 

“I don’t want to hear anything from you!” she yelled, throwing another rock.  “I just want you gone!  I hate you!” 

“So what – just like that, you think I’m a monster?” he shouted. 

“What am I supposed to think, Clark?  You raped me!”

“You tried to kill me!”

Her hand stilled and she gave him a narrow-eyed stare.  “What is this, a contest?”

“Chloe…you’re losing yourself.  I know you; you would never torture me or hurt me for fun, much less try and kill me…”

“Why not?” she challenged.  “You definitely deserve it!”

“This isn’t you,” he insisted.  “I know it hurts you to hurt me, Chloe.  That’s why you ran off after what happened in the elevator, isn’t it?  Because you couldn’t stand to see what you’d done.”

“No,” she said stubbornly.  “I hate you, Clark.  You deserve to die for what you did to me.”

“If you really believed that, you would have killed me already!” he argued.   

“Which it what I just tried to do, but in hindsight I don’t think I want your stinking death on my conscience,” she said scathingly, her eyes glittering with malice.  “Not when I could get so much more pleasure from hurting and scaring the shit out of you every now and then.” 

His eyes darkened as he glared at her.  “Chloe, don’t you get it?  You’re hurting me physically, but what you’re doing to yourself is even worse!” he shouted.  “You’re getting twisted up in all this hate.  You just tried to kill me and you didn’t even flinch.  I’ll say it again,   this isn’t you!” 

“Of course this isn’t me!” she screamed, her voice reverberating off the rolling mountainside.   “You think I don’t know that?  I haven’t been ‘me’ since you raped me, Clark!  You did this to me!  You took away my life!”

She hurled another rock at him, and he automatically lifted his hands to shield his head.   

“What are you protecting yourself from, huh?” she challenged, bearing down on him as she continued to pelt him with rocks that crumpled to dust on impact.  “Why are you raising your hands?” 

“You’re stoning me!”

“So?” she challenged.  “What difference does it make?  None whatsoever!  It’s just another one of your lies, because I know it doesn’t hurt you.  You can’t feel it; you can’t - feel - anything!”   

She punctuated every word with a rock at his head until her arms dropped to her sides out of sheer exhaustion. 

“You want to know why tortured you with kryptonite, Clark?” she cried.  “This is why!  Because there’s nothing else in the world that can hurt you!”

“You think I’m not hurting because you don’t see me bleed?” he roared, his voice echoing loudly off the steep cliffs.  “I haven’t been the same since I hurt you!  I’m in pain every single day, and I’ve spent every waking moment since then trying to make things right.  Doesn’t that matter to you?  Don’t you even care?” 

“Care?” she echoed in a shocked whisper.  “Care?  Why should I care for you?  How can you expect me to feel anything for you but hate and revulsion after you held me down, smothered my screams and forced---” she stopped and covered her mouth, trembling violently as the trauma of that horrible afternoon came back to haunt her in full force. 

“Chloe, please,” he pleaded, but she fell to her knees in the dusty ground and shook her head, her shoulders still shaking as she relived her worst nightmare. 

“I can’t do this,” she said brokenly, tears brimming in her eyes.  “I can’t.  This doesn’t end until one of us is dead.  And since I can’t hurt you anymore…” Clark watched in horror as she slowly reached out and picked up a sharp rock and held it to her wrist.    

He shook his head in complete disbelief.  “No…Chloe…” 

“This ends now,” she said hoarsely, and to Clark’s utter dismay and horror she dug the pointed edge deep into her flesh.

***

To be continued…

Author’s Note:  Scary, I know.  It was hard to write, probably even harder to read - but don’t give up on me just yet!  Hand on heart, this right here is the last major trauma these two are going to go through.  It’s all going to be redemption from here on out, I promise you. 

If you’re still reading – thanks for believing in me.  Working on getting the next chapter to you as soon as possible. :)

*** 

Comments

[phantom-queen.livejournal.com]

How can you just leave us hanging like that? Not fair!

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

I never plan these cliffies - honest! ;-)

But you know Clark isn't going to stand by and watch Chloe top herself. :-P

Thanks for commenting!

[kitmerlot1213.livejournal.com]

I think Chloe's finally screaming at Clark and letting all of her rage out will finally help her start to heal--continued excellent work on this gorgeous fic :)

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

That was the plan, m'dear. ;-)

Glad you liked it! *cuddles*

[iluvaqt.livejournal.com]

This is truly terrifying but then I do remember high school when things could feel so final and life ending. I remember my mum forbidding me to go on a camping trip with my boyfriend's family, reading more into it and feeling like she'd never let me be with him, that she'd always stop me from making my own decisions, controlling my life and wanting to pop a fist full of painkillers to make the pain go away. My sister crying next to me saying don't do it. And I did the same for her a few years later, explaining to her that one bad apple doesn't deserve her love or her throwing her chance at happiness someday away. We can't rely on people to make us happy, we need to find strength and love and hope for ourselves, there's more than this life. If you let someone else take away your self worth, your faith and your dreams, it's over. I don't know how she's going to get past this. Clark's trying to reach her but it seems to be falling on deaf ears. She hurts him, over and over, physically and emotionally. He would have done anything to take away her pain, to take back what he did. She needs to forgive him and herself.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Those teenage/high school years are challenging enough as it is. Throw in the mess that these two are in, and it becomes straight-up catastrophic.

I know things look pretty hopeless between Chlark right now, but I assure you that they're not unsolvable. Not if I have anything to do with it. And I have everything to do with it. :)

Thanks so much for your honest feedback, Kimmy! It means the world that you understand what I'm trying to say with this piece. *huggles* :)

[csdslowpoke.livejournal.com]

Oh dear this is so sad.but now that things have come to a head the healing can begin.Very tough subject to tackle but you are doing a good job.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Thanks, babes. It is a very gruelling subject to try to bring to light, but having you all with me on the journey helps tremendously. *hugs*

[jacques21.livejournal.com]

This showdown was definitely needed.

Rape... Attempted Murder... Suicide... Thank god that there's no where else that Clark can go but up. I don't know how you're going to pull it of though...

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

It certainly looks hopeless, and I know its an uphill task to try and get these two back to good place...but I'll do my absolute best to achieve just that. :)

Thanks so much for commenting, Shonnia - and thanks for the Twitter pimp, too! I'm so chuffed! :)

[chloista4ever.livejournal.com]

O_O Wow This is such heartbreaking chapter, poor Chloe :-( and Clark ... :( so much pain in their torn relationship. I really can't wait to find out how you're going to mend things between them.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

It's a tall order to repair this badly fractured relationship, but I'll do it, no matter what. I have to!

Thanks for commenting, Ana! :) *hugs*

[silversnikle.livejournal.com]

Oh... Sorry. I seem to be at a loss for words... Whew.

I have faith in you... Go make our Chlark okay again! :-)

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

I will, I promise! *hugs*

[madlenita.livejournal.com]

Again "Evil cliffinger"... I didn't expected Chloe to really do this, but i gues she if she decided what she want to do she is doing this...

Thank you for this chapter, you are amazing writer...

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! *huggles*

...and I don't think Clark will stand by and let Chloe harm herself. Just sayin'. ;)

[easilyenraged.livejournal.com]

Aahh come on, stop doing this to me. Awesome chapter by the way.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced I must have some kind of hidden compulsion to leave Evil Cliffies. I can't help myself!

Glad you like, babes. :)

[eternal-moonie.livejournal.com]

AWESOME new chapter Babes!

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Jan! :-D

[pompeypearly-v2.livejournal.com]

i've said it before, and i'll say it again...

YOU AND YOUR BLOODY CLIFFIES!!!

glad that they've had the opportunity for confrontation, but i need more dammit!

I'm surprised she thinks she can succeed in committing harry carry before Clark can get her to help. Just goes to show where her mind is (or isn't) at this stage.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure my icon reflects your mood at being punk'd by yet another Evil Cliffie! *g*

I'm updating as fast as I can, babes. It's so hard to find writing time.

Glad you like, and I'll try to rein in the suspense at the end of the next chapter! ;)

[jlvsclrk.livejournal.com]

Trust Kal to tell the truth, even when it's so painful to hear. Listen, Chloe, please - he's right.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Sometimes one has to be cruel to be kind, and this is one of those times. Poor Chloe must be absolutely terrified, but Kal knows what he's doing...I think. :-\

Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Jen! *huggles* :)

[sweetchiclovesu.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I hope I haven't been too pushy in sending you too many messages, sorry if I have.

I want to add you as a friend but I didn't want you to get mad...I think you have to agree first. I don't know Livejournal very well.

Anyway, please update as soon as you can, this is a powerful story, well written and it's intriguing how you are going to write your way out of this one!

I have attempted a fic with rape in it, but the pyschological issues are so harsh it seemed to much.

You go dee! Please update when you can, and I hope you won't mind be begging you to update soon.

Celeste xx

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Hi Selene,

That's fine, you can friend me if you want! All my fics are on open posts, so you should be able to see them in your Friend's List.

Real Life is very demanding, so I'll update with the next chapter when I've had a chance to write it. Glad you like the story so far!

[christina-kat.livejournal.com]

This might be the best chapter so far. Hell, this might be the best story I've ever read. I've been a little behind on this story but I'm catching up. You really made me tear up, girl.

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Hiya, CK! Hope things are settling in your lovely country. :-)

I know the State of the Chlark looks pretty bleak here, but I promise that the worst is now over. Promise :-)

So glad you liked it...and sorry for making you cry! *huggles*

[saurina.livejournal.com]

OMG OMG OMG poor broken Chloe, I feel so sorry for her. She's just a shell of her old self. I also feel sorry for Clark, I know he did something so utterly wrong, but I can't help but be sorry for him.

Excellent writing Dee as always, I'm off to see what happens next..:))

[mari2anne.livejournal.com]

OMG!!!!
First... evilist evil cliffie EVER!!!
I bow to the reigning evil cliffie queen!

But, seriously, this was the most heartwrenching chapter of the whole story; you did an amazing job building up to Chloe's horrible solution to ending her pain. And Clark's helplessness in his attempt to put a mirror before her and show her what she's doing to her soul seem to have brought her in the opposite direction Clark hoped. She'd already come to the conclusion that she was beyond redemption. How devastating for both of them.

I know Clark will stop her from this attempt to end all the pain, but I can't imagine how he'll convince her to not try it again... Not really sympathizing with Clark, but I can't picture a worse punishment for him than knowing he's the cause of his best friend's wanting to end her life; even more painful than realizing she truly wanted him dead.

I've said before he needs to turn himself in to show her he will pay for his crime against her; but now I'm not sure if it will be enough for her to recover from the depths she's sunk to....

.... and now I have to go do that work thing... and wait til tonight to skip to the next chapter... Ach, it's going to be a long day!!!!