Chlark Fanfic: The Fallen Sky, Chapter 22
Jul. 1st, 2014 02:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
babydee1I always seem to be apologising for this story. *sigh* :-|
Again: sorry for the three-month wait for an update, people. Hopefully I’ll be able to crank them out sooner than that from here on out!
Enjoy. Awesome banner by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ellashy
Title: The Fallen Sky
Author:babydee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: NC17 (this chapter PG)
Timeline: Season 8 (Hex - Doomsday) Season 9 (My version)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Months after walking away from her in Doomsday, Clark returns to Chloe…but finds that she’s a changed woman from the one he left behind.
Feedback: …always welcome. :)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Previously: “I’d like you to meet your new partner.”
Chapter 22
Partners
Chloe stared in disbelief as Clark rose to his feet in Perry’s office.
He gulped. “I, um…I work here now,” he finished lamely.
“What the hell?” she whispered. She turned to Perry and jerked a shaky thumb in Clark’s direction. “What the hell is this? What is he doing here?”
“Clark’s going to be your wingman,” Perry said, beaming. “About time too, you’ve been flying solo for far too long–”
“Excuse me?” she said incredulously. “Wingman?”
“You’re Clark’s mentor,” her boss repeated. “He’s just joined the Daily Planet, and I’ve assigned him to you so that–”
“No,” she said, her face reddening with fury. “No way. No fucking way!”
“Sullivan, you will maintain professional decorum in my office at all times–”
“Fuck professional decorum, Perry!” she yelled. “I am not working with him. No way!”
Clark shuffled uncomfortably. “Uh...sir, maybe I should go…”
“No one leaves this office until I dismiss them, Kent; you’ll learn that soon enough,” Perry barked. He folded his arms and looked sternly at her. “What’s gotten into you, Kid?”
“I am NOT doing anything with that man,” she growled, shaking with anger. “I refuse to work with him.”
Perry turned to Clark. “Okay, now you can leave. But don’t go too far.”
Clark didn’t need to be told twice. He walked towards the door and let himself out, risking a glance at Chloe who was practically shaking with fury. He shut the door behind him and waited nervously in Perry’s outer office for the outcome of what was clearly going to be a very heated conversation.
***
“I won’t work with him, Chief,” Chloe said flatly. “I don’t care what you say: I won’t work with him.”
“You said that about every intern I tried to swing your way, so you’ve only got yourself to blame for the one you’ve ended up with,” her boss said with a shrug.
“Fine. I’ll swap with one of the others,” she said desperately. “Anyone but him.”
“I’m not going to disrupt any of the others because you’re having a hissy fit, Kid; you know that,” he replied. “You’ve got Kent. End of story.”
She shook her head and began pacing wildly. “I’m not doing it.”
“You will.”
“I won’t.”
“It’s your job, Chloe.”
“Fine, I quit.”
“You won’t quit. You love this place too much.”
“That was before you shoved that bastard under my nose, and ordered me to hold his fucking hand!” she thundered.
“Keep your voice down, I’m sure he can hear you.”
“I hope he can hear me,” she growled. “I want him to know exactly how I feel about this shitty stunt he’s just pulled. How dare he?”
Perry frowned. “I don’t understand. He’s you’re friend, Chloe; or at least, he was,” he said, his voice gentling. “I thought you’d be happy about this. What’s the problem?”
She took a deep, steadying breath. “It’s personal,” she said after a long pause.
He pointed his pen at her. “See, that right there is the problem. What did you tell me when you came to work for me?”
“I don’t do personal,” she muttered under her breath.
“Exactly. ‘Throw it all at me, Chief,’ you said. ‘I won’t let my emotions get in the way,’ you said.”
“That was before he walked in the door,” she said through gritted teeth. She was sure Clark was listening to every word on the other side of it, and she wanted him to know just how pissed she was.
“So what happened between you two?” her boss asked.
Her lips thinned. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You had a sexual relationship that went sour,” Perry surmised. “It can’t be worse than that.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” she grumbled.
“Well, whatever happened is in the past now,” he said sensibly. “You’re all grown up, you’re mentoring him, and that’s it. I’m not going to bend on this.”
“Can’t I just swap with Rogers?” she pleaded. “I can work with his intern. I think.”
Perry shook his head. “I’m not going to authorise any swaps, Kid. I told you that before.”
She folded her arms and glared. “Then let me continue as I am. You know I work better alone, Chief.”
“You’re the only senior journalist still flying solo. I’ve left you alone long enough.”
“You work alone, so why are you being such a hypocrite?” she accused.
“Because I’m still alone, and not by choice,” he said, his eyes and voice softening considerably. “And I don’t want to watch you slowly turn into me. You need some human attachment in your life, Chloe; you know you do.”
“But why him?”
“Why not him?” he said blithely. “You were close once before; maybe you can be so again.”
“That’s not gonna happen,” she said flatly. “And I don’t need a partner. I don’t need anyone.”
“Everyone needs a wingman, Chloe,” Perry replied dismissively. “You never know, he may one day save your life!”
“But–”
“No buts. I want you two on the beat first thing Monday morning,” he barked. “You’re dismissed.”
Chloe clenched her fists and took a deep breath. “Fine.”
She spun on her heel and stormed out of Perry’s office, walking past Clark who was lingering in the hallway.
“Chloe!” he called, following her towards the elevators. “I didn’t know he was going to do that, I swear–”
“Seven o’clock, Monday morning, my office,” she barked without looking back. “If you’re even a second late, you can forget your job. I don’t care what’s going on in your personal life, I don’t care if you do have Perry White in your corner. Mess me about, you’re out.”
She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button, glaring at Clark as he made to follow her into it. He stepped back, and she caught a glimpse of his hurt expression as the doors slid shut.
As soon as she was alone, she collapsed against the wall and hid her face in her hands.
How the hell had he ended up working here? Of all the newspaper offices in the world, why the Daily Planet? And which vile demon of hell had he bartered his soul to in order to get himself assigned to her?
No matter, she thought, determined. Perry was right. She could be professional about this. This was her job. She would look at this as a work challenge; ignore him as much as possible, and if forced to communicate with him, just treat him as if he were any other person in the office. Yes; she would do that.
At least, she would try to.
***
Her cradling fingers sifted through the dark, silky curls that covered her baby’s head. His tiny hand clasped her little finger and he gazed up at her, his sparkling green eyes bright with wonder, full of questions that would never be answered.
He was her little miracle. And for as long or short a time as she would have him, she would be the best mother she possibly could.
He opened his tiny mouth and wailed, a thin thready sound that tugged painfully at her heart.
“Don’t cry, my love,” she shushed gently, cradling him close and bouncing him up and down as lightly as she could. “I’m here. Mama’s here.”
His hand clutched tighter at her fingertip and he responded to the warmth in her voice, his agitation calming immediately. He gurgled and pressed his cheek against the satiny skin of her bare breast, seeking comfort.
Chloe grinned. “That’s my boy.”
“He’s so beautiful, Chloe,” Lana said, her voice wobbling tearfully.
“I know.” She looked up at Lana. “There’s a camera in my bag; could you take some pictures of us, please?”
“Of course.”
She returned her gaze to her little boy’s face as Lana rummaged in her bag. Moments later, Chloe heard light clicks as the photos were taken, one after another in quick succession.
Her baby’s eyelids began to drift downward as he began to succumb to the inevitable. Tears sprang to her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. Tears would only blur her vision; she needed her focus clear so she could see her baby while he was still here.
He whined softly as if sensing her despair, and she rocked him gently. A song from her past suddenly surfaced in her subconscious and she began singing the soothing melody to her child.
“If I had words to make a day for you
I’d sing you a morning, golden and new
I would make this day last for all time
Give you a night deep in moonshine…”
He blinked slowly, his lashes rested on his cheek. She waited for him to lift them again, desperately hoping to see those beautiful emerald eyes one more time even as she knew, deep down, that she would never get that chance.
“No,” she whispered. “Not now, my little love, not so soon…” Her tears fell, and she sobbed brokenly, pressing him gently to her breast, willing the beats from her own heart to energise his tiny one and keep it pumping.
“Stay,” she sobbed. “Stay with me, please, just a little while longer…I can’t say goodbye to you, I just can’t…”
The tiny hand clasping the tip of her little finger loosened, and his little body went eternally still. Across the room she could hear Lana sniffing loudly, but her eyes remained on her child.
“He’s gone,” she whispered numbly. “He’s gone.”
***
Chloe sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving and her face wet with tears.
The Dream. She hadn’t had The Dream in months, but she knew why it had returned.
Clark.
Damn him. His sudden reappearance last week had rattled her subconscious and brought every raw, painful moment back to the surface with awful clarity. Damn him, damn him to hell.
She took a deep breath and wiped her tears away, then glanced at her alarm clock. She was up an hour and a half earlier than usual, and she knew that she wasn’t getting back to sleep any time soon; sleep always evaded her whenever she had The Dream. Knowing also that she would have to face Clark in a matter of hours and endure his presence for the foreseeable future had her feathers well and truly ruffled.
Muttering a curse, she threw her sheets off and quickly dressed in a jogging suit and trainers. She had ninety minutes to kill before getting ready for work, and a lot of pavement to kill it with.
***
Chapter 23…
Again: sorry for the three-month wait for an update, people. Hopefully I’ll be able to crank them out sooner than that from here on out!
Enjoy. Awesome banner by
ellashy Title: The Fallen Sky
Author:
babydee1Pairing: Chlark
Rating: NC17 (this chapter PG)
Timeline: Season 8 (Hex - Doomsday) Season 9 (My version)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Months after walking away from her in Doomsday, Clark returns to Chloe…but finds that she’s a changed woman from the one he left behind.
Feedback: …always welcome. :)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Previously: “I’d like you to meet your new partner.”
Chapter 22
Partners
Chloe stared in disbelief as Clark rose to his feet in Perry’s office.
He gulped. “I, um…I work here now,” he finished lamely.
“What the hell?” she whispered. She turned to Perry and jerked a shaky thumb in Clark’s direction. “What the hell is this? What is he doing here?”
“Clark’s going to be your wingman,” Perry said, beaming. “About time too, you’ve been flying solo for far too long–”
“Excuse me?” she said incredulously. “Wingman?”
“You’re Clark’s mentor,” her boss repeated. “He’s just joined the Daily Planet, and I’ve assigned him to you so that–”
“No,” she said, her face reddening with fury. “No way. No fucking way!”
“Sullivan, you will maintain professional decorum in my office at all times–”
“Fuck professional decorum, Perry!” she yelled. “I am not working with him. No way!”
Clark shuffled uncomfortably. “Uh...sir, maybe I should go…”
“No one leaves this office until I dismiss them, Kent; you’ll learn that soon enough,” Perry barked. He folded his arms and looked sternly at her. “What’s gotten into you, Kid?”
“I am NOT doing anything with that man,” she growled, shaking with anger. “I refuse to work with him.”
Perry turned to Clark. “Okay, now you can leave. But don’t go too far.”
Clark didn’t need to be told twice. He walked towards the door and let himself out, risking a glance at Chloe who was practically shaking with fury. He shut the door behind him and waited nervously in Perry’s outer office for the outcome of what was clearly going to be a very heated conversation.
***
“I won’t work with him, Chief,” Chloe said flatly. “I don’t care what you say: I won’t work with him.”
“You said that about every intern I tried to swing your way, so you’ve only got yourself to blame for the one you’ve ended up with,” her boss said with a shrug.
“Fine. I’ll swap with one of the others,” she said desperately. “Anyone but him.”
“I’m not going to disrupt any of the others because you’re having a hissy fit, Kid; you know that,” he replied. “You’ve got Kent. End of story.”
She shook her head and began pacing wildly. “I’m not doing it.”
“You will.”
“I won’t.”
“It’s your job, Chloe.”
“Fine, I quit.”
“You won’t quit. You love this place too much.”
“That was before you shoved that bastard under my nose, and ordered me to hold his fucking hand!” she thundered.
“Keep your voice down, I’m sure he can hear you.”
“I hope he can hear me,” she growled. “I want him to know exactly how I feel about this shitty stunt he’s just pulled. How dare he?”
Perry frowned. “I don’t understand. He’s you’re friend, Chloe; or at least, he was,” he said, his voice gentling. “I thought you’d be happy about this. What’s the problem?”
She took a deep, steadying breath. “It’s personal,” she said after a long pause.
He pointed his pen at her. “See, that right there is the problem. What did you tell me when you came to work for me?”
“I don’t do personal,” she muttered under her breath.
“Exactly. ‘Throw it all at me, Chief,’ you said. ‘I won’t let my emotions get in the way,’ you said.”
“That was before he walked in the door,” she said through gritted teeth. She was sure Clark was listening to every word on the other side of it, and she wanted him to know just how pissed she was.
“So what happened between you two?” her boss asked.
Her lips thinned. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You had a sexual relationship that went sour,” Perry surmised. “It can’t be worse than that.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” she grumbled.
“Well, whatever happened is in the past now,” he said sensibly. “You’re all grown up, you’re mentoring him, and that’s it. I’m not going to bend on this.”
“Can’t I just swap with Rogers?” she pleaded. “I can work with his intern. I think.”
Perry shook his head. “I’m not going to authorise any swaps, Kid. I told you that before.”
She folded her arms and glared. “Then let me continue as I am. You know I work better alone, Chief.”
“You’re the only senior journalist still flying solo. I’ve left you alone long enough.”
“You work alone, so why are you being such a hypocrite?” she accused.
“Because I’m still alone, and not by choice,” he said, his eyes and voice softening considerably. “And I don’t want to watch you slowly turn into me. You need some human attachment in your life, Chloe; you know you do.”
“But why him?”
“Why not him?” he said blithely. “You were close once before; maybe you can be so again.”
“That’s not gonna happen,” she said flatly. “And I don’t need a partner. I don’t need anyone.”
“Everyone needs a wingman, Chloe,” Perry replied dismissively. “You never know, he may one day save your life!”
“But–”
“No buts. I want you two on the beat first thing Monday morning,” he barked. “You’re dismissed.”
Chloe clenched her fists and took a deep breath. “Fine.”
She spun on her heel and stormed out of Perry’s office, walking past Clark who was lingering in the hallway.
“Chloe!” he called, following her towards the elevators. “I didn’t know he was going to do that, I swear–”
“Seven o’clock, Monday morning, my office,” she barked without looking back. “If you’re even a second late, you can forget your job. I don’t care what’s going on in your personal life, I don’t care if you do have Perry White in your corner. Mess me about, you’re out.”
She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button, glaring at Clark as he made to follow her into it. He stepped back, and she caught a glimpse of his hurt expression as the doors slid shut.
As soon as she was alone, she collapsed against the wall and hid her face in her hands.
How the hell had he ended up working here? Of all the newspaper offices in the world, why the Daily Planet? And which vile demon of hell had he bartered his soul to in order to get himself assigned to her?
No matter, she thought, determined. Perry was right. She could be professional about this. This was her job. She would look at this as a work challenge; ignore him as much as possible, and if forced to communicate with him, just treat him as if he were any other person in the office. Yes; she would do that.
At least, she would try to.
***
Her cradling fingers sifted through the dark, silky curls that covered her baby’s head. His tiny hand clasped her little finger and he gazed up at her, his sparkling green eyes bright with wonder, full of questions that would never be answered.
He was her little miracle. And for as long or short a time as she would have him, she would be the best mother she possibly could.
He opened his tiny mouth and wailed, a thin thready sound that tugged painfully at her heart.
“Don’t cry, my love,” she shushed gently, cradling him close and bouncing him up and down as lightly as she could. “I’m here. Mama’s here.”
His hand clutched tighter at her fingertip and he responded to the warmth in her voice, his agitation calming immediately. He gurgled and pressed his cheek against the satiny skin of her bare breast, seeking comfort.
Chloe grinned. “That’s my boy.”
“He’s so beautiful, Chloe,” Lana said, her voice wobbling tearfully.
“I know.” She looked up at Lana. “There’s a camera in my bag; could you take some pictures of us, please?”
“Of course.”
She returned her gaze to her little boy’s face as Lana rummaged in her bag. Moments later, Chloe heard light clicks as the photos were taken, one after another in quick succession.
Her baby’s eyelids began to drift downward as he began to succumb to the inevitable. Tears sprang to her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. Tears would only blur her vision; she needed her focus clear so she could see her baby while he was still here.
He whined softly as if sensing her despair, and she rocked him gently. A song from her past suddenly surfaced in her subconscious and she began singing the soothing melody to her child.
“If I had words to make a day for you
I’d sing you a morning, golden and new
I would make this day last for all time
Give you a night deep in moonshine…”
He blinked slowly, his lashes rested on his cheek. She waited for him to lift them again, desperately hoping to see those beautiful emerald eyes one more time even as she knew, deep down, that she would never get that chance.
“No,” she whispered. “Not now, my little love, not so soon…” Her tears fell, and she sobbed brokenly, pressing him gently to her breast, willing the beats from her own heart to energise his tiny one and keep it pumping.
“Stay,” she sobbed. “Stay with me, please, just a little while longer…I can’t say goodbye to you, I just can’t…”
The tiny hand clasping the tip of her little finger loosened, and his little body went eternally still. Across the room she could hear Lana sniffing loudly, but her eyes remained on her child.
“He’s gone,” she whispered numbly. “He’s gone.”
***
Chloe sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving and her face wet with tears.
The Dream. She hadn’t had The Dream in months, but she knew why it had returned.
Clark.
Damn him. His sudden reappearance last week had rattled her subconscious and brought every raw, painful moment back to the surface with awful clarity. Damn him, damn him to hell.
She took a deep breath and wiped her tears away, then glanced at her alarm clock. She was up an hour and a half earlier than usual, and she knew that she wasn’t getting back to sleep any time soon; sleep always evaded her whenever she had The Dream. Knowing also that she would have to face Clark in a matter of hours and endure his presence for the foreseeable future had her feathers well and truly ruffled.
Muttering a curse, she threw her sheets off and quickly dressed in a jogging suit and trainers. She had ninety minutes to kill before getting ready for work, and a lot of pavement to kill it with.
***
Chapter 23…
