The Love of His Life - Epilogue

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Epilogue

Two weeks later

Chloe and Martha returned to the farm and took flashlights to search the area for the 'eyes' that netted the house but they were gone. In fact, any evidence that anything untoward had happened on the farm was gone. Lucy's body, as well as her truck, was nowhere to be found. The farm was quiet. The house was tidy and neither Clark nor Martha knew who was responsible for that but they speculated that Sam Lane's silent partner, Lex Luthor, may have had something to do with it.

"If Lex Luthor was behind the cleanup that puts you on his radar, Clark," Chloe said. "He knows about me. It's best I leave --"

"Don't start that up again," Clark said. "He knows about us. He probably knows about Mom's ability to spot lies. He may even know about me. I'm not going to concern myself with Luthor until he gives me a reason to. Don't you worry about him either. You're grieving over Lois. Don't give yourself even more to worry about if you don't have to."

Chloe wrapped her arms around Clark. "I'd just found out she was a friend not an enemy. I'd just gotten her back into my life and she's gone."

Warm tears spilled from her eyes and into Clark's shirt. He held her trembling body against his as she wept.

*****

Work on the farm resumed. Chloe was grateful to have a normal life, a routine that didn't involve being shot, stabbed, drowned, poisoned, or mindscrewed. She did her best to put her past behind her by throwing herself into hard physical labor.



The summer was coming to a close. With her uncle out of her life Chloe realized she was truly free and she could think about her future -- a future that could be very bright without the threat of the Facility hanging over her -- and she considered journalism classes at Met U.

Since Martha was gone into town shopping they took advantage of having the place to themselves for a quickie in the barn followed by a shower together. Now dressed, Chloe lay on her side on the back porch swing with Clark resting behind her. He stroked her arm lightly and was beginning to doze to the sound of a hard, driving rain when Chloe spoke of going to school to study journalism.

"I think school is a great idea," he said.

"What about you?" she asked. The storm that had moved in flashed lightning across the sky. Thunder rolled lazily across the heavens in the wake of each flash.

"I have the farm. I can't leave."

"We have the farm," she corrected.

"I don't want to hold you back."

"Trying to get rid of me?" Chloe joked.

He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Never. I want you with me forever. I just don't want to hold you back from becoming a reporter at the Daily Planet."

"There has to be a way to work something out, Clark, so that you can go to school too. I know Martha doesn't expect you to give up pursuing your dreams. Have you talked to her?"

Clark shook his head no. "I don't know how to tell her that the farm isn't the future I envisioned for myself."

"She's an understanding woman. I doubt she'll disown you and vow to never speak to you again if you tell her that you've got eyes for the Daily Planet rather than the fields."

"I certainly wouldn't," Martha said, surprising them by stepping out of the kitchen.

Clark and Chloe said up when she leaned against the house and studied her son. "I know you want to be more than a farmer, Clark. I understand that. I encourage you to follow your dreams. You can become anything you want, Son. The sky is the limit…Actually for you it isn't, but you get my drift."

Clark looked deeply relieved. "You're sure you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind. I can manage the farm just fine on my own. I can hire extra help to get things done and it won't break the bank. Oh, I have something for you both."

She disappeared for a moment and returned with mail. "It's getting late. We'll talk about this more tomorrow. Good night." She kissed them both and then headed inside.

"My first letter," Chloe said, smiling as she took the long white envelope from Clark. She looked at the front. There was no return address.

"Wonder who it could be from," he said, tossing his mail aside.

Chloe opened the letter carefully and found a note and a picture inside. The picture showed her cousin, Lois Lane, smiling and happy with the Eiffel Tower behind her. She had a few cuts and bruises but they were mostly healed. There was a time stamp on the picture that was seven days old.

"Oh, my God! Clark…do you think she's alive or is someone playing games?"

"Lois struck me as a survivor. I say she's alive and well. Read the note."

Got out with the help of a teleporting freak.
Don't worry, he's not a threat. No one from the
Facility is. I'll see you again someday. You're
free, Chloe. Live, love, and follow your dreams.
Know that I'm doing the same. You'll hear from
me again someday. I love you.

Lois

Chloe tucked the picture and the note back into the envelope and turned to climb onto Clark's lap. She and Clark could go to school. Her cousin was alive and well and the future looked very bright. She was overwhelmed with joy as she kissed him. She had to blink rapidly to keep the tears that stung at her eyes from spilling down her face.

"What do you say we take her advice? Let's live, love, and follow our dreams. Let's go to work at the Daily Planet and take the world by storm. The reporting duo of Kent and Sullivan. I really love the sound of that."

Clark laughed, wrapped his arms around Chloe, and kissed her. "That sounds like a great plan to me."

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