A First

It was winter, it was freezing cold, and Chloe Sullivan wanted to relax by the fire with her best friend, Clark, and enjoy the warmth. Christmas music played on the radio, and the smell of his mother’s chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven wafted out from the kitchen.

“Here you go,” Clark said, offering her a cup of hot chocolate. He’d put in lots of marshmallows, just like she liked it.

He settled his big body next to hers and looked into the fire.


“I’m going to put another log on,” Chloe said. “This one is starting to burn low.”

“It doesn’t need a log, just needs stoking,” he said. He leaned forward and reached for the fire with his bare hand, seemed to realize what he was doing, and diverted for a poker.

“You trying to get out of our history exam on Monday?” Chloe asked, watching Clark poke at the fire. It suddenly erupted with a whoosh, and Chloe could have sworn she’d seen a red spark or something come from Clark’s eyes. They’d looked bright and red—

Don’t be stupid, Chloe told herself. She was imagining things. Of course sparks hadn’t shot out of Clark’s eyes. He was just a normal guy. Perhaps a little thick-headed at times, but still, perfectly normal.

“What do you mean?”

“You were going to stoke the fire with your bare hand.”

Clark swallowed. “I just wasn’t thinking, that’s all.”

“Clark, Chloe, I’m heading into town for my book club meeting,” Martha Kent said. She’d thrown on her coat and grabbed her purse. “There are cookies in the kitchen. Clark, don’t eat them all, I’d like a few myself.”

“Have fun, Mrs. Kent.”

“Be careful, Mom, a big snow is coming.”

“Jonathan and I will be home by 9.”

She shut the door behind her. It was only 6:30, but it had been dark for more than an hour. Outside the wind howled as gusts of wind rattled the shutters on the windows.

“I love a good fire on a really cold night,” Chloe said. She leaned her head against Clark, who put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“And I love the company,” Clark said.

“I love you too,” Chloe said. She stiffened, and sat up. “Not that you were saying you love me, I know you don’t. I mean, you were saying you love the company that I provide, not me…specifically…And I wasn’t saying I love you, not like…well…I mean…”

“Chloe, it’s okay. I know how you feel about me.”

Chloe swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“You feel the same way for me that I always felt for Lana. Used to feel, anyway.”

“Used to?”

Chloe’s face felt hot. She knew she was blushing, but Clark didn’t look put off at the idea of her still having feelings for him.

“It’s complicated,” he said uncomfortably. “It’s—”

“Let’s not talk about it,” she said.

“We never talk about it.”

He sounded grumpy. Chloe looked at him.

“May I ask you a personal question?”

Clark shrugged. “Sure.”

“Did you and Lana ever…you know.”

“What?”

Poor Clark. Chloe could tell he honestly didn’t know what she was getting at. When it finally dawned on him, his eyes went as big as saucers.

“Uh…what?”

“You said I could ask a personal question.”

“No, Lana and I never.”

“What about when you were running wild in Metropolis? Did you—”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Have you ever—”

“Chloe! What’s this obsession you have with my virginity?”

“I’m not obsessed, I’m just curious.”

“I don’t think this is something we should be talking about,” Clark said.

Chloe nodded and sat back, leaning into the couch instead of Clark, and cursing herself for not being able to keep her mouth shut. Why did she have to ask him those questions? Now the whole evening was going to be weird.

“Have you?” Clark asked, after a few torturous minutes of silence in which they watched the fire crackle.

“Have I what?”

“Come on, Chloe, don’t play dumb. Have you ever done it?”

“Yes.”

Clark choked on a sip of his cocoa. “What? When? With who?”

“Now who’s being nosy?” Chloe asked.

“I answered your questions.”

“And I answered yours.”

“Not all of them. Who and when?”

“Last year, when I interned at the Daily Planet.”

“Oh…” Clark said.

Chloe’s neck felt hot. Unusually hot. She could feel Clark staring at her, so she looked over at him.

“What?”

“It’s just weird, knowing you’re…you know…experienced.”

Chloe laughed. “I’d hardly call myself experienced Clark. I’ve had sex one time.”

“It’s more experience than I have.”

“True, I guess.”

“What’s it feel like?”

“I don’t think I can answer that question from the male perspective, Clark. I can only tell you what it felt like for me.”

“So?”

Chloe shifted, feeling something awaken in the core of her body. The air between her and Clark felt like it was changing. He was staring at her with a strange intensity she’d never seen before. He’d never looked at her that way. Ever. Like he wanted to grab her and—

Okay, Sullivan, you’re imagining things. You’re horny and you’ve got an overactive imagination. Don’t say something that’s going to make him kick you out of the house.

“It’s not information that’ll be helpful to you, knowing what sex feels like for a girl. I mean, nobody can just tell you what sex is like. It’s something you’ll have to experience for yourself.”

“I’d like to.”

“Huh?”

“Experience it, I mean. I’d like to.”

Chloe held still. Was he making a casual comment, or asking her for something?

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’d like to know what sex feels like.”

“I know, but…are you asking me to have sex with you?”

“No!” Clark said, and sat up. He swallowed. “Not unless you want to.”

“Clark…”

“I’m just kissing—er—kidding.”

Silence stretched between them.

“Unless you want to,” he said again.

“Clark, do you really know what you’re saying?”

“I’m not stupid, Chloe.”

“I’m not accusing you of being stupid Clark, just…naïve. You’re asking me to have sex with you. I mean, what do you think will happen? We’ll fuck each other and then go back to me sitting on the sidelines, watching you chase after Lana?”

Clark looked offended—angry even. “No, of course not.”

“I’m not your girlfriend.”

“Was that guy your boyfriend?”

“No, but he didn’t want to just use me to see what it felt like to fuck a girl either. I’m not your groupie, Clark. I think I should go home—”

“Chloe, wait, don’t leave mad. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to have sex with me, I know.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because you’d been asking me about sex, and you told me you’d done it, and I really want to do it, and I want it to be with you. I couldn’t imagine my first time with anybody else.”

The anger inside Chloe melted. She was still wary, but looking into Clark’s green eyes and seeing so much emotion in them, desire, tenderness, maybe even the love she’d always wished he’d felt for her instead of Lana made her want to melt into him, to give him anything he wanted.

“And after?” Chloe said.

“After that we do what we always do. We’re the perfect couple already,” he reached for Chloe, cupping her ass and pulling her against him. He leaned in, brushing his lips over hers. “This is all that’s missing.”

“Let’s go up to your room, before your parents get back.”

Clark scooped Chloe up and started for the stairs. “There’s something I want to tell you before we do this.”

“What?”

“My biggest secret…”

The Kents Do Christmas

*****

“This is why I don’t cook.”

Clark Kent rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen where his wife was doing battle against a 25lb turkey. The sun wouldn’t be up for hours and the guests wouldn’t arrive until afternoon.

“Shhh…” he said, coming into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around her. “You’ll wake the baby.”

Chloe’s face softened. She washed her hands and turned away from the turkey to face her husband.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t have anything to make stuffing and the stores are all closed. Of all the things I could forget! I’m going to ruin our first Christmas as a family with Connor and Martha.”

“All you had to do was say something. I can get a box of stuffing in no time.”

Chloe shook her head. “I don’t want the instant stuff. I want to use my mother’s recipe.”

“Give me a list. I’ll be back in half an hour guaranteed, and I’ll help with everything else.”

She smiled and nodded. “Have I told you lately how awesome you are, Clark Kent?”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you, Chloe Kent?”

“Mmm…I’d rather you showed me.”

Clark looked upstairs at the crib. The baby was asleep. “If we’re quiet--”

Chloe laughed. “Oh, no, mister. We don’t have time for those kinds of distractions. I’ll get the list and then you get to flying.”

He kissed her goodbye once the list was made. He opened the door to reveal two surprises. One was a complete white-out. Snow blew so hard you couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead. Second was snow-crusted visage of Martha Kent.

“Mom!” Clark said, pulling her inside to hug her.

“How are my kids?” Martha asked, hugging and kissing both of them.

“We’re doing well,” Chloe said.

“More importantly where’s Connor?  I want to hug my grandbaby.”

“I knew she didn’t care about us,” Clark joked, looking over his mother’s head to Chloe. “She came for the munchkin.”

“Darn right I did.”

“He’s upstairs, asleep,” Chloe said.

Martha looked disappointed. “Oh. I won’t wake him.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Go on. You can wake him but you have to change his diaper.”

Martha shrugged off her coat an all but threw it at Clark. “My pleasure.”

“I’ll take the coat. You get to shopping. Be careful not to run into any airplanes while you’re out there,” Chloe said, kissing him again.

Clark walked outside and seconds later he was gone, flying straight up into the air.

*****

Chloe and Clark didn’t have to worry about caring for Connor with Martha around. She held him, sang to him, changed his diapers, fed, burped, and played with him while she and Clark tackled the feast in the kitchen. They listened to their son squeal with laughter as his grandmother blew raspberries on his belly.

Chloe stacked the dirty utensils into the dishwasher and ran it since it was full. The turkey was roasting in the oven. The pies that had been baked the night before had were still wrapped and sitting on the cooling rack. With Clark’s help not only had the stuffing turned out perfectly but so had the rest of the trimmings.

“Cranberry relish,” Chloe said, spooning some up for Clark to taste.

“Tastes great,” he said, and blinked. “Though…”

“Though what?” Chloe prompted.

“Well, Mom and the others might think it’s a little tart.”

Chloe took a bite and almost gagged. “Oh, God…you’d have to be Superman not to choke on that. A little tart, Clark?”

“I think you forgot the sugar.”

Chloe nodded and added sugar -- after she downed a glass of water. He tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hey, look.”

Chloe looked into the living room. Martha was asleep in the lounger with Connor resting on her chest. Chloe grabbed her camera, turned off the flash, and snapped a few pictures.

“We’ve got a few spare minutes before the guests arrive,” Clark said, pulling her into the kitchen so Martha couldn’t hear, just in case she wasn’t all the way asleep.

Chloe knew what he had in mind and she shook her head. “The barn is too cold.”

“The bathroom isn’t.”

“What if your mother -- ”

“She won’t. I just want to taste you. I need a fix.”

“Clark, you dirty devil,” Chloe whispered.

He had a thing for going down on her. It was almost like he was addicted to her taste and scent. He’d pull her from her desk at the Daily Planet to sneak her into the copy room just to run his fingers across her so he could hold his fingers to his nose.

She decided to give him what he wanted. Not only did it feel good, but it would keep him from getting irritable if he had to go too long without a ‘fix’ as he liked to call it.

“Okay, but just a quick taste,” she agreed.

They walked past Martha, who snored lightly, telling them she was definitely asleep. Chloe checked the clock on the wall. They had 20 minutes before the guests were due to arrive and they had to start setting the table.

*****

Clark closed the bathroom door behind them hoisted Chloe onto the sink. He made quick work of pulling down her panties and hiking up her skirt. He kissed her quickly, almost perfunctorily, before kissing the part of her body he really wanted.

Chloe tried not to let herself get too excited. If they had sex now she’d have to shower and change clothes and there just wasn’t time for that. Still, the sight of Clark’s mop of black hair, mussed from his earlier flight, between her legs was enough to make her wet. He breathed deep and moaned.

“Oh, God, Chloe…” he whispered.

He began to lick her in long, slow strokes that only made her wetter. Not get excited? Who was she kidding? She gripped the edge of the sink as Clark’s tongue moved with unnatural speed against her clit. He tongue fucked her before going back to her clit. He slid his fingers deep inside, hooking them at just the right angle to put pressure on her g-spot.

“Oh, Clark…fuck yeah…”

Her juices didn’t have time to run over Clark’s fingers -- he lapped them up like a man dying of thirst in the desert would lap at water from a spring. She came hard, doing her best to bite down on the cries of pleasure that wanted to escape her.

Clark licked his lips and helped Chloe onto her feet. He was hard and that moistened her again. She sank to her knees and ran her hand over his long, thick erection.

“You’re not the only one who needs a fix,” she said throatily. He bit his lip and watched her unzip his pants to free him.

Chloe ran her tongue up the length of his shaft before taking the head of Clark’s cock in her mouth. She toyed with it and enjoyed the smoky desire that clouded his eyes as he watched her take him in as far as she could. His cock touched the back of her throat and she tasted the sweet pre-come that trickled from him. She took time to enjoy licking his cum laden balls, making him moan as she did.

She wasn’t completely unaware of the time. She wanted to enjoy him but guests would arrive soon. She began to pump him with one small hand while sucking the head of his cock in rhythm. His gasps became low moans as she worked him hard and fast.

His entire body clenched as he came. She looked up at him, into his eyes as he spilled himself over her face. She knew he loved cumming on her face and she liked it almost as he did.

“I hear someone in the driveway,” Clark said. He smiled. “It’s Oliver and Lois. They’re arguing about the merits of pumpkin verses sweet potato pie.”

Chloe quickly cleaned her face while Clark zipped up. “You go let them in,” she said, toweling the water from her face. “I’ll finish cleaning up and getting my makeup on.”

Clark kissed her slowly, deeply. “I love you, Mrs. Kent.”

“I love you too, Mr. Kent,” she said. She swatted at his behind as he left the bathroom. “Get the turkey out of the oven.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chloe put her lipstick back on smiled at her reflection. She had the man of her dreams, a child of her own, friends and family were coming to celebrate and open gifts. This was going to be the best Christmas she’d had in a long time.

Distractions

*****

Clark Kent was sitting in the loft.

Again.

Actually, Chloe Sullivan thought, as she made her way up the steps, he was moping in the loft. She sighed, trying not to lose patience with him.

Again.

Clark was having a rough time of it lately. Not only did he ceaselessly work to save the lives of innocent people, most of whom were total strangers to him, he had to sit back and watch his fantasy girl go off to marry a man who had gone from being a friend to an enemy.

“Clark, you sounded upset on the phone.”

“Did I? I didn’t mean for you to drive all the way from Metropolis.”

“Well, I did,” she said, aware of the tightness in her voice.

Clark frowned. “You have a bad day?”

“Yes, actually. I woke up to a flat tire. I was late for a class. Why was I late? Not just because of the tire but because I was up all night tracking Zoner activity. On top of it all? I haven’t had a single drop of caffeine all day. My head feels like someone is going at it with a jackhammer. I’m just…grrrrr!”

“You’re cranky,” he supplied simply.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you call me to fix your tire?”

Chloe bit down on her instinctive angry response and sighed. “I don’t need you to fix all my problems, Clark.”

“I never said you did,” he responded coolly.

“You implied it, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“I changed the tire myself.”

“Good. I was too busy saving lives to fix your tire anyway.”

“Oh, is that right?” she snapped.

He turned his head away and Chloe fell back into the cushions of the old couch Clark kept in the barn. They fell silent for a few minutes. Chloe considered leaving. She just wanted to crawl into bed with a bottle of aspirin and go to sleep so she could forget what a rotten day she’d had.

“I think I should go.”

“Wait here,” he said.

He was gone in a blast of wind that smelled lightly of soap and aftershave. A few minutes later he was back with a cup of coffee from the Talon.

“Strong and plain,” he said.

“Medicinal coffee?” she said, smiling despite her annoyance. He gave her a wan smile in return.

“Yeah. It’ll help with your headache.”

He went to stand at the big window. He turned out the overhead light and put the single lamp in the loft on its lowest setting so that only a halo of golden light illuminated the corner. The absence of harsh light was good on her tired eyes.

Clark was silhouetted in the window, a shadow against a sea of glittering stars. He was so handsome, so kind, so gentle. She felt guilty for getting upset with him.

They remained in silence while Chloe finished her coffee. Just as Clark had known, her headache began to fade and so did her sour mood.

“Clark, come here.”

He looked back at her. His eyes were brighter in the dark than human eyes. It wasn’t the first time Chloe had noticed it. They had a greenish sheen to them, almost like cat eyes, only not as starkly bright.

“What?”

“Come here, I want to talk.”

She patted the seat next to her and he left the window to sit beside her.

“Tell me what you’re feeling right now. Don’t sugar coat it. Just be honest.”

Clark thought it over for a moment. After awhile he said, “Frustrated.”

Chloe nodded. “I get that way too. The source of your frustration?”

“Chloe…”

“Come on, Clark. If you can’t tell me these things you can’t tell anyone. Right?”

He smiled. “Yeah. Okay, the source of my frustration is Lana’s wedding. I miss her. I miss being with her.”

“You miss sex.”

Clark suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“You hate the idea of Lex sharing that part of her and you can’t.”

“Well, Chloe, I don’t -- I mean I guess -- I don’t know! Yeah. I suppose,” he stuttered, embarrassed. 

“What you need is a distraction.”

He looked at her sideways. “What’s that?”

“Let’s go swimming.”

“What, right now?”

Chloe shrugged. “Why not?”

“It’s eleven forty-five at night. It may be too chilly for you anyway,” Clark reasoned.

“It’s mid-September, Clark. It’s a warm, balmy night--”

“The water is cold, though. You could get sick.”

“You’re starting to annoy me. I’m trying to help you and you’re making excuses to sit in this loft and mope. I get tired of the angst, Clark. Let’s do something fun for a change.”

He looked offended. “We do lots of fun things.”

“Not as often as you think. Let’s go swimming.”

She gave him her brightest smile. After a moment he sighed. “Fine, if it’ll shut you up.”

“Hey!”

She slapped playfully at his arm. As soon as he stood up she grabbed the nearest blanket from the back of the couch and then jumped into his arms.

“Giddy-up cowboy.”

Despite Clark’s desire to ‘mope’, as Chloe put it, Clark smiled and shrugged. What harm could a little swim do?

*****

The moon was full and cast a silver gleam over the black water of Crater Lake. Chloe had never been to the lake this late at night before unless it was during a party and there were plenty of people around.

“Kinda creepy, isn’t it?” Chloe noted. The water lapped softly on the shore. Chloe stepped out onto the dock and looked down into the water. She wondered if there was anything slimy and/or dangerous swimming around under the surface.

“I’ll keep you safe,” Clark said. “Oh, wait. We don’t have swim suits.”

“I’m going to swim in my undies.”

“What?”

Chloe noted that Clark looked outright panicked.

“You’ve seen me in my panties before, Clark.”

“Not while they were wet.”

His eyes widened at the mischievous smile that tugged at Chloe’s lips.

“I mean wet from water not wet from…Oh, God…”

She outright laughed this time and pulled off her shirt. Clark swallowed and turned away when Chloe unzipped her jeans while toeing out of her shoes.

“I have an even better idea. Let’s skinny dip!”

“No,” he said resolutely.

“How come?”

“That wouldn’t be decent!”

Chloe got a full belly laugh out of that one. “Fine, crybaby.”

Clark still hadn’t gotten undressed by the time Chloe dove in and surfaced. He stood on the dock watching her.

“Clark we’re just swimming. What’s the problem?”

“Nothing. Turn your back.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “You’re so uptight.”

She snuck a glance back and watching him shrugging off his jeans. He caught her looking.

“Hey, you’re supposed to turn your head.”

“Embarrassed that I’ve seen you in your tighty-whities?” she laughed.

Clark dove in and surfaced a few feet from Chloe. “You can see right through underwear, Chloe, when they’re wet.”

She winked at  him. “I know.”

Clark blinked a few times. Normally he was quick on the uptake but this time his brain was like mush. “You know? You mean you want to see my…my…”

“I’ve wanted to see it for years, Clark. You know that.”

He shook his head. She could swear his eyes were glowing with an amber tint now.

“Chloe, we’re best friends. Sex would only mess that up. It’s why I never go there. I’d hate to lose you--”

Chloe laughed. “Who said anything about sex?”

“You did.”

“I don’t recall saying anything about sex.”

“You said you wanted to see me. You know, naked.”

Chloe shrugged. “So? I’ve wanted to see lots of guys naked. That doesn’t mean I want to have sex with them.”

“Oh. I thought you were coming on to me.” He almost sounded disappointed.

“I was flirting a little, that’s all. Jeeze, Clark. Learn to relax around girls.”

Despite the warmth of the late summer night, Chloe had to admit, to herself at least, that Clark had been right about the cold of the water. Five minutes later her teeth were chattering and she began to feel stiff in her joints. She couldn’t adjust to the water so she had to climb out.

“Come one. Up you go,” she said, patting the blanket beside her. Chloe laid back and looked up at the stars. The air was nice and warm; a stark contrast to the water, but Clark still hesitated to join her.

“What’s wrong now?” she asked in annoyance.

“Let’s just say there’s nothing left to the imagination,” he replied. His eyes were glued to her. Chloe smiled.

“I’m not getting dressed until my undies dry out.”

“Let me help you, then.”

Clark got out of the water and Chloe took advantage of the situation. Clark wasn’t lying when he said you could see through wet underwear. Even without x-ray vision Chloe had no difficulty in seeing every bit of Clark’s family jewels. They were quite impressive. He put his hands down to cover himself and then focused his heat vision on Chloe. Water steamed off her body and a few seconds later she was dry from the neck down.

“Ooh, Clark, look at you, touching my body with your hot gaze,” she flirted.

He was a bright shade of pink when he said, “You're dry. You can get dressed now.”

“Nope,” she said, and laced her hands under her damp hair.

“What do you mean, ‘nope’?” Clark asked, sounding nervous.

“I mean I’m going to lie here and gaze at the stars.”

“In your panties?”

“In my panties,” she agreed. “Lie down next to me. You know, Clark, this is what I love about Crater Lake. It’s outside of town. The artificial lights don’t block out the stars.”

After a few moments Clark laid down beside Chloe and looked to the heavens with her. The stars glittered like diamond dust in the sky. Thousands of them were visible.She didn't fail to notice he hadn't dried his undies off and she could still see so much through them. She didn't bother to hide the fact that she was looking, and looking often.

“I sometimes look at the stars and wonder how many planets have other people lying on the ground, looking up at the heavens the same way you and I are now, wondering if there was life outside their world,” Clark said quietly.

“I’m sure that’s happening on thousands of planets out there. I wish I could explore the stars. I’d like to see what lies beyond Earth. I want to start at Mars and work my way out.”

Clark chuckled. “I’d like that too.”

“See, swimming wasn’t such a bad idea. It distracted you from…other things,” she said hesitantly.

“It was at the back of my mind.”

Chloe turned onto her side and rested her head on Clark’s shoulder.

“Let her go, Clark. Either let her go or reveal everything to her and fight for her. It’s the only way you’re going to find peace.”

Clark’s fingertips stroked Chloe’s arm lightly. It felt good. She realized she liked it a little more than she should.

“I don’t want to be alone,” he whispered.

Chloe leaned up on her elbow. There was something in Clark’s touch that said he wanted more than just friendship. At least for right now. She looked into his eyes and saw need for many things: love, sex, companionship, friendship, and security.

She could give him all of those things in a way Lana never could and it looked like Clark was finally starting to see that.

He put his hand to the back of her head and urged her closer. She didn’t resist but she stopped short of actually kissing him.

“What is this?” she asked.

She waited for what seemed like an eternity before Clark finally answered.

“The start of something new,” he whispered, and kissed her.

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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