An extra plus, this deals with Chloe's mind-wipe by Clark in Abyss in a healthy way (mindrape is NOT what heroes do), Lois is amazing and there is Chlo-Lo, Davis shows his true heroic colors, Davis has to deal with the fear of what could happen to Chloe....
by norrific at fanfiction.net
35270 words (no that was not a typo!), pg-13 to r/m at times, plastique and abyss then veering of in a better direction
She was marrying Jimmy. She killed for Clark. But when she wanted to feel safe, when she needed to feel loved, it was Davis she found herself clinging to.
I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun- Pride and Prejudice
Having made several horrendous mistakes in the course of her short life, Chloe Sullivan knew that she was knee deep in the biggest mistake of her life. A mistake that could not only change her life, but the world as she knew it. Yet as she made her way down the darkened Metropolis streets, she couldn't find it inside herself to care. She was in too deep now, given too much of her heart, needed as much as she was needed.
Very much to a fault, Chloe was an honest person. Honest enough to admit that Davis Bloome had her the moment he stepped through a cloud of smoke and dust and locked dark eyes with her. Instantly she wanted, she needed, she....loved. But even as she managed to turn Davis away, to talk herself out of continuing to see him, she hadn't been able to keep to that line of thinking.
He came to her, but it wasn't Davis. Not really. Not completely. He'd been half Davis, half his...other. Stepping out of the Isis building she felt him even before she heard him, but never fully seeing him. His harsh breathing cut through the still night air, red, yes red, eyes staring out at her from the shadow of the buildings. There'd been a stench about him, blood and fear. He was a monster, an inhumane thing. A body at his back, someone's child struggling, calling to her for help.
She knew she should have run. She knew that all she had to do was speak, whisper, murmur, Clark's name to have him there in an instant. But she couldn't do that. Not when she was looking at this monster and seeing Davis. Not when she was looking at this...thing that was Davis and feeling for him still. Not when she saw the evidence of what he'd just done when she walked up and knew instinctively that he'd never hurt her.
Slowly she pulled out her cellphone to call the Metropolis P.D. “Yes, there's a man here. He's hurt. Badly.” Quickly, Chloe rattled off her location as she turned and started back towards the Isis building. Knowing she'd be followed.
She left the door open at her back, turning on a few of the lamps around the room. When she came back Davis lay face down on the couch. She started to go to him, but could hear the sirens off in the distance. Knew Clark wasn't too far behind. And somehow she knew, just knew, what had to be done. Going to her file cabinet she grabbed the small lead box and rushed back out to the street, leaving the small green rock just inside the door.
Davis could smell her before he realized where he was. The last thing he could remember, really remember, was the familiar feeling of the darkness creeping in on him. It had been happening for so long he could recognize it now. But unlike before he had a reason for keeping it at bay. He couldn't fight, understood that he wasn't strong enough on his own to fight it, but thought Chloe would know what to do. It was for her that he no longer wanted to slip into the dark, it was for her that he had to keep this thing within him from getting out.
So when he felt that oily darkness slip into his brain, so that his limbs felt heavy, and his soul seemed to disappear, he went in search of her. Because she was inside his soul, she was his heart. But then he got to her building and saw the man coming out. Thought of some strange man alone with Chloe, touching what was his, the darkness took over. And Davis welcomed it.
Now he was here on her couch. Covered in blood that wasn't his and comforted by the lingering scent of Chloe.
“I called the police, Clark.” Chloe spoke in a low calm tone so as not to be heard by any of the emergency response team. “I figured between your super hearing and police scanner, the message would get through.”
“You should have called me, Chlo.”
“And just how would that have looked if I called you, a reporter, before reporting the crime to the police. I can't believe you're giving me a hard time about this.”
Clark sighed but decided to let the argument drop. His relationship with Chloe had been teetering on a dangerous precipice recently and the last thing he wanted was to send it over the edge. “And you didn't see anything?”
“I didn't see anything attacking him.” Chloe realized that she was splitting hairs. Yes, she'd seen Davis-some form of Davis-standing over the battered man. But no, she hadn't actually seen Davis attack him. She could feel the gap between herself and Clark widen.
“Ms. Sullivan,” A uniformed officer approached her. “The Sargent says your free to go.”
“Thank-you.” Without a word to Clark, Chloe started back towards Isis. Towards Davis.
“Chloe.” He'd barely taken two steps when the pain hit him.
Inside the door, knowing he couldn't come in. Knowing what she was doing to their friendship, Chloe turned back to him. “Don't worry about me, boyscout. You've got a job to do.” She acted as if she hadn't noticed his discomfort. As if nothing was out of the ordinary. With an easy wave she started up the stairs. Away from him.
“Chloe,” Davis spoke her name softly when she stepped into the office.
“No, don't try to get up.” Chloe left him laying on the couch. Going to the bathroom in the back she wet several wash cloths and grabbed a few of the towels she had stored there.
“Chloe, I-”
“Shh,” Chloe's voice was soft, soothing as she eased him back down. Taking one of the rags she began to clean the dirt and blood off of him. Battling back the tears in her eyes as she saw the anguish on his face. “I'll take care of you.”
“Oh, God.” Tears began to gather and roll down his cheeks. “Oh, God, Chloe. What have I done? I'm a monster.”
“No.” Tossing the rag aside, Chloe took his face in her hands. Such a darkly handsome face. “You're not a monster. You're...” She wanted to say cursed. He was cursed, just as she'd been cursed. Just as the poor kids who'd come to her for help and guidance. They'd done nothing wrong. Done nothing to ask, to deserve what they had become. “You're not a monster.”
“Why is this happening to me?”
Chloe moved until she was beside him on the couch. Taking him into her arms, his head buried in her breast, arms locked tight around her waist. “I don't know. I'm sorry. But I just don't know.”
Davis had no clue how long he lay curled into her. Drawing warmth from her body, strength from her presence. And thought, for the rest of his life, how he wanted nothing more than this. To be with Chloe. To be of her. After a time she began to clean him again. Using warm cloths to wash the blood and dirt from him. Gently removing his clothes and wrapping him in an emergency blanket she kept on hand.
“Stay with me.” He whispered as he lay curled on the couch, his head resting in her lap. The nails she ran lightly over the back of his head lulling him to sleep.
Though he couldn't see her, Chloe nodded.
Now, as she had for the past month, a month where there had been no murders, Chloe walked into Davis' apartment building. Jimmy thought she was with Lois. Lois thought she was working late at Isis. Clark, she knew, wasn't sure what to think. None of them thought to ask about the single key she wore around her neck. The key she used to unlock Davis' apartment.
She could hear him inside, struggling against the change that frightened them both. With hurried movements she dropped her things on the way to the bedroom. She could see him now, curled up on the bed. He was fighting, trying with everything he had to keep the monster from getting free. It had been hard the first time, watching the thing inside him struggle to get out. Watching the rippling in his face and body, the battle between Davis and his other. But she never left his side. Would never leave his side.
Kicking off her shoes and shrugging off her jacket, Chloe climbed into the bed behind him. Her arms immediately went around his waist, molding her body to his as she pressed her cool cheek against his heated back. It wasn't instantaneous. It never was. But after a few minutes the shifting under her cheek stopped. The painful moans and animalistic growls quieted down. Soon his panting breaths slowed to match hers.
When she was sure it was safe, Chloe climbed off the bed to remove her clothes. Davis, as always, kept his back to her.
“You should go.”
“You always say that.” Yet he always set out a t-shirt for her to sleep in.
“I don't want you like this.”
“You'd have me in any way.”
“Damn it, Chloe.” Angry, ashamed, afraid of what he was Davis turned to her. And was instantly silenced by the picture she painted. Her small body framed in the window, pale moonlight shining a halo around her head. A beautiful smile gracing her lips. He'd never understand, not in a million years, how she could see what was inside him, feel what fought to get out. And still smile at him as if he was worthy of love. Of her. “I shouldn't touch you.”
Climbing back onto the bed, Chloe took his hand, bringing his palm to her cheek before kissing the center softly. “I need you to.”
---
I knew you loved me then- Taking Over Me, Evanescence
It had been something of an understanding between them that during the day it would be best if they kept away from each other. It was a solid plan. Didn't stop Chloe from picking up the phone every now and again just to see how he was doing. No more than it kept Davis from driving by Isis in hopes of catching a glimpse of her. It wasn't often that he stopped. And he knew better than to actually get out. Until now.
Sitting on the steps of the building across from her office he watched the steady stream of people flow in and out. Around three there seemed to be a lull. When he saw the last person walk out, he quickly pushed to his feet and made his way across the street. Although his work day was over, he knew hers was far from it, but he couldn't stay away. It wasn't anything other than a feeling, but he truly believed something was wrong. That Chloe was hurting and he was the only one who could help.
Stepping into her office he took a few moments to watch her as he flipped the lock at his back. Dark eyes taking in her every movement. The way her soft blonde hair brushed teasingly beneath her chin. The long graceful lines of her neck. The slightly plump bottom lip that hinted at her nervous habit of biting it. Her small fingers flying expertly over the keys of her laptop. He loved her hands, he loved the contradiction of them. The looked so fragile, so lovely. But they were strong, worked callused hands.
Quietly he came up behind her, kneeling down until his face appeared besides hers in the monitor.
“You're losing your touch.”
Her eyes didn't even leave the screen as she spoke. Nonplussed, Davis reached out to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I heard you the moment you stomped into the building.”
He'd done no such thing, but didn't dare argue with her. Not when he was near her, touching her, without her pushing him away because of where they were. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing.” Chloe answered shortly. “I'm working, so-”
“Hey,” Cupping her face in his large hand, Davis drew her eyes to his. “I know you, remember. I know you.” He whispered again when he saw she was going to argue. “You can tell me.”
With a pained sigh, Chloe rested her brow against his. Her hands finally leaving the keyboard to rest at the back of his neck. “I'm scared, Davis.”
Davis felt all the air back up in his lungs. He'd made a promise to himself, vowing that when things finally became too much for her, when the wrongness of what they were doing became clear, he'd let her go. She deserved better. She deserved a life free of the darkness that consumed him. But when faced with the possibility of losing her became a reality, he feared what he might do. “I understand.” But the hand that found it's way to her hip tightened painfully. Another set of bruises for her to cover up.
Of course he did. Because if anyone would understand, it would be him. She knew he would listen, he wouldn't judge. It's why she spent the morning wishing for him and ignoring calls from her best friend, cousin, and fiance. But she refrained from calling him, from begging him to come hold her. How could she assure him that she could help him, when she could hardly control herself?
“Davis,”
He couldn't hear her say it. Couldn't bare to listen as she destroyed him. Knowing this was what was best for her, he said nothing. Davis knew he should have never come here, should have listened when she told him to stay away. But now he was here, wishing he could be anywhere else.
Chloe felt, even as she heard, the hitch in his breathing. Felt the growl from the chest that pressed against her own. Beneath her fingers, the muscles in his neck began to bunch and shift. “Davis?” He didn't allow her to pull back. But opening her eyes, she could see that his were clinched shut, his mouth and jaw tight. “Davis? What...?”
Chloe could feel the trembling in his body and knew what was happening. “Davis, please. Please, don't go. I need you.” Her tears mingled with the sweat pouring down his face. Ignoring both she pressed her mouth to his.
Davis heard her as if from far away. Felt the pressure of her mouth, the wetness of her tears, and the tightening of the fingers at his neck. “Chloe.” The single word burned his throat.
It wasn't his voice, not really. He was further away then she realized. But it was all the opening she needed. The moment his lips parted she was there. Her tongue slipped into his mouth to slide against his. His response was almost instantaneous.
Her taste exploded inside him. Coffee and chocolate and something that was so inherently Chloe he thought he could exist on it alone. His arms came up to wrap around her waist. He couldn't get close enough, couldn't hold her tight enough.
Chloe's arms locked around his neck. Breathing was becoming an issue, but it didn't-couldn't-matter at the moment. But even this wasn't enough. She needed more, needed the feel of his skin, the press of body. She needed him against, around, and inside her. She needed to feel real. She needed to feel safe. “Davis,”
It took all his willpower to pull away when she began to push his heavy jacket off his shoulders. The beast inside of him growled, the man couldn't allow this to go any further. “No,”
Shocked, feeling as though she'd been tossed carelessly out to sea, Chloe felt the tears burn at the back of her eyes. “What? Why?”
“Because you don't want this. I can't touch you knowing it would be the last time.” He moved until his back was against the wall farthest from her, fighting the need to curl into a ball and cry. “You have every right to be afraid.” He'd never hurt her, he knew that no form of who or what he was would ever do her any harm. But how could he continue to ask her to have that kind of blind faith in him? How could he ask her to continue to place her life in his hands. “I should have never brought you into this.”
“Oh, Davis,” Chloe was by his side in an instant. Framing his face in her hands she held his dark gaze with her own. “I wasn't trying to send you away.” Not now. Not ever again.
“But, you're afraid of me.”
Chloe shook her head in denial. “Not of you.” Her hands fell away from his face, she would have pulled back when he grabbed her wrists to hold her close.
Davis saw the tears gathered in her eyes. “Then of what? What's wrong?”
It came out in staggering starts and stops. The fear that those she loved were in danger of being hurt. The need to protect the secrets she vowed to keep. She told him how she thought of going to the hospital, of doing whatever needed to be done. How, when she walked away, a man was dead and the knowing that she was the one responsible. “I killed him, Davis. I don't remember it, not really, but I know I did it. I know I killed him.”
Knowing there was nothing he could say, nothing he could do to take this away from her, Davis remained quiet as he took her into his arms. Bringing her small body into his lap, where she curled into him and cried into his shirt.
"I don't know who I am any more." She practically wailed into his chest. "I don't know what I am."
Davis began to rock her gently in his arms. Cupping the back of her head in his hand, he pressed his mouth against her ear. "You're Chloe Sullivan. The single most loving and caring person I've ever met."
"I'm a murderer." Chloe argued through her tears.
"No." Davis bit out fiercely. "You're not Chloe. I promise you're not." She was an angel, his angel. And it hurt him to his soul that he couldn't fight this for her. That he couldn't take this from her. So Davis said nothing else as she cried. Simply rocked her and held her as she cried herself into an exhausted sleep.
How was it, Davis thought as he stared down at her tear stained face, that he found her? How was it that she was experiencing the same things as him? He told her once that he believed she was sent to him. Now he knew it to be true. She was sent to him. She belonged to him.
***
The sun had long given way to the quarter moon when Chloe's eyes slitted open. Her face was buried in the crook of Davis' neck, her body still curled on his lap. Recently she'd grown so use to waking in his arms, that she couldn't find comfort anywhere else. Clark's familiar hugs were foreign. Jimmy's loving cuddles offensive. She was marrying Jimmy. She killed for Clark. But when she wanted to feel safe, when she needed to feel loved, it was Davis she found herself clinging to.
Pulling away she took the time to study him, it was something she rarely had a chance to do. Most mornings he was awake and dressed before her. And though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but to compare him to Clark and Jimmy. Where Clark was soft, Davis was sharp angles. He was dark where Jimmy was light. When Clark smiled, it lit his whole face with a boyish innocence. Jimmy's smile reflected his easy going nature. But Davis, she'd never known anyone to be sad even when they smiled the way he did. He wasn't as....large as Clark. But even he seemed to dwarf Jimmy. When she spoke, he didn't listen with half an ear the way Clark sometimes did. Or not at all the way Jimmy almost always did. He never looked at her with pity the way Clark once had. Or with suspicion the way Jimmy still did. He was the opposite of both of them, completely unlike either of them. And in such a short time had come to mean as much as only one of them ever had.
“You're staring.”
Chloe smiled as she rested her brow against his chin. “Just taking a page out of your book.”
It wasn't something Davis would apologize for. There was something so incredibly right about the way she looked asleep in his bed, that he couldn't help but sit watch her. Thanking whatever twist of fate that brought her into his life. “Well, can you blame me.”
When Chloe looked up, Davis was gazing down at her with a soft smile curling his lips. Bringing her hand up, she used the tips of her fingers to trace the lines of his mouth, before cupping his cheek to bring his lips in close to hers. But before the kiss could deepen beyond anything more the a brushing of her lips against his, her cell phone sounded. With a sigh, Chloe glanced over her shoulder to where her cell sat besides her laptop.
“You want to get that.”
Chloe's head resumed it's place on his shoulder. “I don't want to get up.” If she thought that the issue was closed, she was wrong. In a move so gracefully easy, she'd have only thought Clark capable of it, Davis was on his feet and carrying her to her desk. Then in a move that she was embarrassed to say caused her heart to flutter, he cradled her in one arm as he used the other to reach for her cell. “Thanks. Hello? Jimmy, hey.” She avoided his eyes as he lowered them onto the couch.
Davis tuned out the rest of the conversation. Just the mention of the man she was going to marry made him angry. There was a violent rumble inside him that she soothed by rubbing circles on his chest.
“I'm sorry I forgot to call. But you know how I can get when I'm working.....No, it's late and I'm tired, it's probably better if I just stay here....I know Jimmy, but I've just started here and I want to make sure Isis reaches it's full potential. This first year is crucial in that....I know....I know that too and I'm sorry....” Her eyes drifted up to meet Davis'. “This is important to me. I can't give up on it.....I know....Okay, I'll see you in the morning....No, I have stuff here....Yeah, me too. Bye.”
Davis rested his head on the back of the couch, eyes closed so he wouldn't see what their secret was doing to her. “You don't have to stay with me. If you're tired I can drive you home.”
“Davis,” Chloe touched a hand to his cheek, to quiet his protest. “Must we really do this every night.”
“Fine.” Sitting forward a little, he started to remove his shirt.
“That wasn't code for 'take me now big boy'.” Chloe teased.
“No,” Davis couldn't help the heat that colored his cheeks. “You're going to need something to sleep in. I just thought-”
Chloe silenced him with a gentle kiss. “Thank you.” Laying the shirt over her lap, she began to undo the buttons on her blouse. Excitement coursing down her spine at the heated look in his eyes. Trembled helplessly when he brought his hand up to run a finger along the swell of her breasts. And she grinned when his finger hooked into the front clasp of her bra to snap it open. “Thinking about taking me now, big boy.”
Davis said nothing as he eased the straps of her bra off her shoulders then down her arms. Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss to her pulse before pulling her into his arms. A contented sigh, almost like a purr, rumbled in his chest at the feel of her soft skin against his. “Thinking about keeping you forever.”
---
When she was finally able to take air into her lungs, that is, when his lips broke from hers to kiss a path up to her ear, Chloe tilted her head to the side to give him better access. “This is different.”
“Since it's the first time you've come to me and I'm not a snarling, growling, shivering mess in the middle of the bed I hope it's different good.”
He found a spot just behind her ear, nearly crossing her eyes in pleasure. “Definitely good. Fabulous. Amazing.”
With a smile, Davis pulled back from her.
Chloe started to pull him back into her arms, but the simply adorable smile on his face stopped her. With the serious lines of his mouth, it didn't seem possible that he could be adorable. But God help her he was. He had been on her the moment she walked into the door. Kissing her as if it was the only thing in the world he wanted to do. The fingers roaming her body alternating between tender and possessive. Her legs were locked around his waist, her hands fisted at his shoulders. He kissed her so that the only thing she wanted to do was kiss him back.
Part of her was very much aware of how wrong this was. Jimmy was back at their apartment blissfully unaware that she spent nearly every night in another man's arms. The night before she'd gone home, it was the first time in weeks she'd been there, and she felt like a stranger in her own bed. Would have slept on the couch if her speedy little friend hadn't been occupying it at the time. As it was she kept to the far end of the bed. Poor Jimmy didn't seem to notice that something was wrong.
Decent people didn't do things like this. Chloe Sullivan didn't do things like this. But then it wasn't everyday that Davis Bloome walked through a cloud of smoke and changed the world as she knew it. From the first moment he looked at her in a way no one else ever had.
'You're hard to miss.'
There was something about him that pulled at her. When he looked at her, she knew that he was seeing her. Not a database, a sounding board, or a second choice. She was just Chloe.
She was everything, Davis thought as he brushed a lock of Chloe's hair out of her eyes.
“So, are you going to tell me what brought on this mood?”
Davis continued to smile at her as he shifted her in his arms to carry her to the couch. “Just you. Wait here, I'll be back.” He set her down gently, before heading towards the kitchen.
Sitting back on the couch, Chloe realized it was the first time she was able to really to take in his apartment. He had books everywhere, she liked that he was as avid a reader as she was. There were no pictures on the wall, no little mementos from his life. She'd left things, earrings, a jacket, stockings. She never knew if she did it to make his sparse apartment feel more like a home for him or to mark her territory. Because she couldn't answer for certain, she didn't like thinking about it.
So she was only half aware of what she was doing when she took off her watch and set it on his coffee table. That's when she noticed the book on his table. “Pablo Neruda. You have a very interesting collection of books here, Mr. Bloome.”
“If it has words in it, I'll read it. But, I was, uh, I wanted to give that one to you.” He set the tray he was carrying down on the table. “As a thank-you, for everything.”
“Davis,” It was obvious that it was one he'd read many times before. The pages of the book were well worn, a lot of the pages earmarked. That he would give her something, that clearly meant so much to him... “Thank-you. Which one is your favorite?”
“Love Sonnet 17.” He answered absently as he opened the bottle of wine.
“Read it to me.”
He laughed. “Why?”
Because she wanted something else that was his. Because he wasn't the kind of guy to read poetry to a girl. And she wanted something from him that he hadn't given to anyone else. “Just because. Read it to me.”
“Alright.” Sitting back he took the book from her, smiling when she crossed her legs in his lap. “ 'I do not love you as if you were a salt rose, or topaz or the arrow of the carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.'”
Shifting forward, Chloe lay her head on his shoulder as he continued to read. She loved his voice, so soft so soothing. The way he sometimes mumbled when he wasn't entirely sure of himself. The sexy way it dropped when he was inside of her, whispering her name and words of love that she struggled not to give back.
“ 'I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; So I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.'”
“It's beautiful.”
“Like you.”
Chloe knew what he was trying to say. Recognized his feelings in the words he read. But she couldn't say them back. Nothing in her life made since but this. But this, this thing she had with him, was the one thing that shouldn't make since. Cheating, sneaking around, it wasn't her. Yet she only felt like herself when she was with him. And that was all the more confusing. So, again, she decided to focus on something else. Turning her attention the tray he'd carried in from the kitchen. “My favorites...how'd you know?”
“You told me.” Reaching over he poured her a glass of wine. “After Lois and Clark went missing, well came back anyway...” He knew she remembered the day, but it was obvious she wasn't sure what he was talking about. “Anyway you came in and said you could use a glass of wine and some chocolate.”
Chloe could only vaguely remember what he was talking about. She remembered going straight to him after she was sure Lois and Clark were both safe. She'd gone to him in the middle of the day. She'd gone to him, because her cousin and best friend's ordeal kept her away. She'd gone to him because she was afraid of what she'd been able to do and knew he was the only who could truly understand. But whatever she may have said was lost among his confession of trying to stab himself in the chest and the knife shattering. And nothing she could have said could have been as important as finding out her cousin claimed to be his mother before running him through with a pole. “How could you remember something so insignificant?”
“Nothing about you is insignificant to me.”
Reaching out, Chloe cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand before leaning in to press a tender kiss to his lips. How could anyone respond to that? This man, this intensely beautiful man, felt for her what she never thought anyone would. Loved her as she--
Chloe cut the thought off. She couldn't feel for him the way he did for her. She was marrying Jimmy. That was the man she was suppose to love completely. Jimmy was the man who was suppose to love her and look at her the way Davis was right now. Whose words were suppose to affect her the Davis' did.
“So, wine and chocolate? Are we celebrating?”
“Sort of. I, uh, got a promotion today.”
“Oh my God, Davis that's great. The supervisor position?” Placing the glass he handed her back on the table, Chloe threw her arms around his neck. He worked so hard, carried everyone of the people he treated around with him, and wanted nothing more for his hard work than to know he was helping people. “I'm so proud of you.”
Davis buried his face in her neck, soaking up the moment, the feeling of home she created for him. In the whole of his life, no one had ever spoke those simple words to him. He didn't understand how it was she was able to do this to him. What it was about her that made everything in his world right.
Growing up the way he had, Davis had never thought he'd find true happiness. Which he accepted. But he thought he could live with being okay. Then all of a sudden, one day Chloe was there, and just looking at her made him the happiest he'd ever been in his life. His whole life he'd gone around feeling like a visitor, detached from the world itself. And then she looked at him with those mermaid eyes, gave him that unbelievably beautiful smile, and made him feel as if he mattered. Made him feel as if for the first time he belonged. He felt as if he belonged with her. To her.
He'd never belonged to anyone. Never been a part of anything. And, really, he never wanted to be. Now he realized that it was this thing inside of him pulling away, rejecting society. Then- again- Chloe was there. He wanted to belong to her. Both the man and the monster understood that to be hers would be....everything. And he wanted, even if just for a night, for Chloe to be his. Only his.
Taking her hand in his Davis placed a gentle kiss to her palm. “I want you so much, Chloe.”
The need in his whispered words nearly took her breath away. “You have me.” And though she couldn't admit it aloud, Chloe knew that he had all of her. “I'm right here, Davis. You have me.”
Davis shook his head in denial. “Not really.” Not all of her. She was to be another man's wife. And could never be mine, he thought. “I just want one night.”
“For what?” Not one last night, Chloe thought a bit frantically. However wrong this might be, she didn't think she could go back to a life without knowing his touch. “What do you want?” Because she'd give it. She'd give him whatever he wanted to keep him in her life.
“I just want to touch you...” As if I have the right. As if you're mine. “I know that with your friend coming in for the night, you had to be there. But I can't get out of my mind that you were with...him.”
“Nothing happened.”
Maybe he knew that. Maybe he also knew that he didn't have the right to ask that she not be with the man she was going to marry. But he loved her. And that love knew no reason. “I can't touch you tonight while you're wearing his ring. Not after you were in his bed. Not after he was able to watch you sleep, to wake up beside you.” The fingers on her hips were pressing deep, bruising her. Claiming her in the only way he knew how. “Please, Chloe.” Love me. Need me.
Those deep chocolate eyes holding fast to hers, Chloe nodded. Though she wasn't entirely sure what it was she was agreeing to. But she wanted to give him everything. Give him all of herself. The way he gave all of himself to her.
Chloe could feel his lips press into her palm again as his hand left her hip to cup her breast. Nothing mattered after that. Not Jimmy. Not his ring. There was just Davis. And the way only he could make her feel.
----
Therefore, thou art not wrong-Israfel, Edgar Allan Poe
“Where's your ring?”
Chloe looked down at her hands as if seeing them for the first time ever. Both were bare.
“Cuz?”
Looking up at Lois, Chloe's face was the picture of confusion before returning her eyes to her ring less fingers. In her minds eye she was seeing Davis. The soft look in his dark eyes when he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss to her palm. At the time she had hardly been aware of anything but him and the feelings he created inside her. The ring had not been a factor. But playing it back in her mind, events became clear. Before the kiss there had been a ring on her finger. After the kiss there had not. Davis removed the ring. And she let him.
“Chloe?” Lois' tone held a hint of concern.
“Oh, uh, I took it off this morning when I got in the shower, must have forgot to put it back on.” Chloe lied easily.
“That's a sign, cousin.”
No, Chloe thought, gleefully, guiltlessly carrying on with another man was a sign. Leaving your engagement ring on the sink-which she hadn't done- was just forgetfulness. “Lo.”
Lois ignored her cousin's warning tone. “I'm just saying.”
“Well can you just say it walking. I'm starving.” And she wanted to be out of the Planet's news room before Clark or Jimmy wandered by. Part of her knew that she should have told Lois to meet her at the restaurant, but knew leaving something as simple as keeping a lunch date up to her cousin could be problematic.
“Fine, jeez. No need to get snippy.”
Chloe sighed. “I'm sorry.” And she was. Ever since she started seeing Davis, she had no time for Lois. What was worse she asked Lois to lie for her and her cousin did it without hesitation. And now, the first time Lois even hinted at what she was doing, Chloe found herself practically biting the other girls head off. “Actually, Lo, I could really use someone to talk to. But not here. Especially not here.”
Lois tried to play it cool, act like the sophisticated world weary older journalist the situation seemed to call for. But it was her little cousin. And it was quite possible that Chloe was having second thoughts about marrying the goofy, slightly adorable, but all together wrong for her Jimmy Olsen. So cool was completely out the window as Lois closed all her files, grabbed her purse, and practically tripped over her own feet.
“Hey, Chloe.”
“Not now, Smallville.” Lois linked her arm through her cousins' and practically dragged the smaller woman out the door. “Cousin bonding time. Wait your turn.”
Chloe tossed an apologetic smile over her shoulder although inside she was thanking her cousin's natural abrasiveness for pulling her away from the confrontation that was surely to come when she and Clark were finally alone together. She'd been avoiding him for days. Kept that small piece of green rock by the entrance door to keep him out. It pained her to do it, but she couldn't have him finding Davis there.
“Who do I have to shank around here to get a cab?”
Pulled out of her troubled thoughts by Lois' irate tone, Chloe couldn't help but to smile. “We have cars. We're within walking distance of like twenty restaurants. Why are you hailing a cab?”
That, Lois conceded, was a damn good point. Maybe she shouldn't be quite so ....giddy, overjoyed, excited....by the notion of Chloe calling off her engagement. “Right. So, where do you want to eat?” She wondered if she should take the rest of the afternoon off. Her cousin was in the middle of an emotional crisis and came to her, not Smallville, for help. If that didn't call for a personal day, Lois didn't know what did.
“I, uh....” Chloe trailed off at the sight of the ambulance coming up the street. But it came and went with no sign of Davis and left her feeling foolish. “I don't care.”
Having missed her cousin's momentary lack of focus, Lois searched the street as if it were her first time setting foot on it before dragging her cousin to the nearest restaurant. “Wait here.” She shoved Chloe into one of the outdoor tables before going to hunt up a waitress. The last thing she wanted was for Chloe to be cut off in the middle of their heart to heart for a food order.
Tired, Chloe ran her hands over her face. Maybe, she thought, this was a mistake. Lois, although always well intentioned, wasn't exactly Dear Abby. And the fact that she was never too fond of Jimmy may have made her the last person Chloe should to open up to. But she needed to talk this out. She needed her cousin.
“Okay,” Lois took the seat opposite Chloe, running through her order, practically rushing Chloe through hers, before shooing the poor waitress away. “Now, what's going on?”
“Things...I haven't been feeling quite myself recently, Lo.” Chloe took a deep breath. “It's like, what I'm feeling for someone, I shouldn't be feeling. And what I should be feeling for someone else I'm not. And it has me doing things I wouldn't do, feeling things I've never felt. I feel like I'm going out of my mind.”
“You're going to have to be a little less vague here, cuz. Just tell me. You know you can tell me anything.”
Chloe stared down at her hand. “I didn't leave my ring on the sink. The truth is, I didn't even have it on when I showered this morning.”
“Okay,” Lois nodded slowly. “Where is it?”
Nervously, she sipped at the water that had been placed in front of her. “Do you remember that paramedic who helped Ollie when he got sick? Davis Bloome?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. What does he have to do with anything?”
“My ring is at his place.”
Lois knew the answer to her next question. But she had to ask, because the answer shouldn't be coming from her cousin. Not her cousin. “Why is your ring at his place?”
“Because that's where we were when he took it off me.”
Well. Jimmy being a douche. Chloe finally realizing that Jimmy was a douche. Chloe realizing she could do better. Jimmy getting attacked by one of the many freaky things that ran the streets of Metropolis at night. All were ways Lois saw the ridiculous engagement between her cousin and geeky photographer ending. But this, “Why did he take the ring off you?”
“You really want me to answer that question?”
“I think I need you to.”
“He said he couldn't spend another night touching me while I wore the symbol of another man's claim.” Before he'd taken his frustration out on her body, leaving finger shaped bruises and bite marks where he knew only he'd find. But last night had been different. It had been one of those rare nights that she'd gone to him and he hadn't been in the midst of his change.
He'd been on her the instant she stepped into his apartment. Playful, when he lifted her by her hips, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist, before carrying her to his bed. His kisses had varied between sweet, teasing, and passionate. He'd been possessive in a way that shouldn't have excited her the way it had. Intense in a way that twisted her stomach in arousal even now just thinking about it. He removed her ring. And she felt as though a thousand pound weight had been lifted from her.
“You're cheating on Jimmy.”
Chloe nodded.
“How long?”
“Nearly two months, I guess.”
Lois frowned. “Those nights you had me cover for you....I thought you were over working and didn't want Jimmy giving you a hard time about it. But you were with Davis.”
“Those nights.” Chloe confirmed. “And plenty others. In the past few weeks, I've probably slept at The Talon a total of....three, maybe four times. I usually alternate between telling him I'm crashing at Isis and staying with you.”
Lois didn't know what to say. “Why?”
“Sometimes...mostly all the time....I feel like I'm drowning, Lo. The first time I saw Davis, it was like surfacing. And whenever I'm with him, only when I'm with him, do I feel like I can breathe.”
“Okay, maybe it's just nerves.” Lois realized that she was playing devils advocate, but she'd never seen her cousin like this before. “Is it possible that the reality of marrying Jimmy is settling in and your getting cold feet?”
“I've been feeling like this since I woke up from that coma. And it only got worse when you and Clark rescued me from that Luthor hell hole.” She paused as the waitress brought out their food. “I didn't recognize myself any more. I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere.”
“Is that why you quit The Planet.” It had been a decision Lois still didn't fully understand. Chloe was a reporter. A job at The Daily Planet had been her dream since she was a child. Lois had never known anybody so sure of who they were or what they wanted as her cousin. And for Chloe to be where she always dreamed she'd be only to give it up; nothing about it seemed right. Then for her to follow that up with- “Oh my God. Is that why you agreed to marry Jimmy?”
“When Jimmy and I were together before....it was safe. Easy. I just wanted something that was familiar again.”
“Chloe, you don't agree to marry someone because it's familiar.” Lois may not have been the foremost authority on love and relationships but even she knew that that was probably the worse reason to get married if ever there was one. “And from where I'm sitting, it doesn't look to be easy at all.”
“Well it was. Saying yes, wearing his ring, it had all been terribly easy until....”
“Until Davis.” Lois finished. “Chloe? Do you love him?”
“I-” And then he was there. Wearing his uniform and a carefree grin. An answering smile was on her face before she could think to stop it.
Lois felt like an intruder. Davis crouched down besides Chloe's chair, her cousin managed to contort her body until she was looking him directly in the eye. There was an intimacy about them. Even if Chloe hadn't told her, Lois would have seen that they were lovers. It was their restraint that gave them away. Chloe was naturally a very tactile person. She talked with her hands, she touched, she petted, she hugged. But talking to Davis she kept one hand on the arm of her chair, the other firmly planted on the table barely a quarter of an inch away from his. And it didn't even seem that they were aware of the way their fingers strained towards one another. The tips brushing in a whisper of a caress.
She noticed the way Davis gazed, yes gazed, at her cousin. As if his very existence depended on her. And she'd only ever seen Chloe look at one man the way she looked at Davis now. And it spoke volumes that that man was not now nor had ever been Jimmy Olsen.
“I should probably get going. Mike's not exactly a picnic when he's hungry.” Davis jerked his head towards the man sitting across the street in his rig. “I'll see you later?”
Chloe nodded, not really trusting herself to speak. She didn't want him to go. Night seemed so far away.
“Okay,” Davis hesitated, not ready to leave her just yet. “Later.”
When he started to leave, Chloe finally reached up to grab hold of his jacket. What the hell, she thought. Lois knew the truth, why pretend in front of her. Pulling him down, she gave him a fleeting kiss before pressing her cheek to his. “Later.” She promised softly.
“Chloe,” Lois waited until Davis was gone. She wasn't going to point out that Chloe was clearly in love with the darkly handsome EMT. Nor would she point out that Davis adored Chloe in a way Jimmy did not. It was too obvious for her cousin not to know. Instead she said the one thing that seemed to be true from the start, but held more firmly now. “You can't marry Jimmy.”
--
Love him...love him and let him love you. Do you think anything else under heaven really matters—James Baldwin
Davis smiled when soft fingertips trailed lightly down his bare chest. Chloe's face was buried in the crook of his neck, her mouth nibbling kisses on his skin. Hours earlier when he came into his apartment at the end of his shift, he'd found her curled up in the corner of his couch fast asleep with a book open in her lap. The way he felt standing in his doorway to see her waiting for him was beyond anything he'd ever felt. This, he'd thought, was coming home.
So, he placed a tender a kiss on her brow, covered her with the throw placed on the back of the couch, and practically ran to the back for a quick shower. Moments later when he came out freshly showered and in a pair of gym shorts she was still on the couch, but she was no longer sleeping. No, she greeted him with a teasing smile and called him to her with a come hither crook of her finger. When he stretched out beside her, she did no more than curl into him. And with a contented sigh, Davis closed his eyes and slept.
“I have a question for you.” Chloe asked when she noticed his lips curl in a soft smile.
“Okay.”
“Actually, I have a few.”
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Davis shifted until Chloe lay atop him. “Shoot.”
“The other day when I was at lunch with my cousin....there are a lot of restaurants in Metropolis. What are the odds we'd end up at the same one?”
“You think I followed you.”
Not able to stand the hurt in his eyes, Chloe lay her head on his chest. “Did you?”
Davis turned her head until she was looking in his eyes. “I didn't follow you. Actually I stopped because Mike was hungry. But I was going to use it as my excuse to stop in to see you at work.”
“Okay.” Chloe smiled brightly. “When I lost my memory, you took me back to the Talon. Why?”
“You forgot everything. Your mom, your dad. Lois. Clark. They are the most important people in your life. I was scared. Lois and Clark are practically extensions of you. If you could forget them, it was only a matter of time before you forgot me too.” He gave a slight shrug. “I just thought it would be good for you to be around your things.”
“You took me back to another man.”
“I couldn't think about that. When you found me at the hospital you were so afraid. I thought about you waking up at my place and not knowing where you were the same way you did at the hospital.” He gave a small smile. “And I really wasn't thinking about Jimmy. I was going to call your cousin, probably Clark, too. I was just trying to take care of you the best way I know how.”
“Are you threatened by my relationship with Clark?” It was a horrible contention with Jimmy. For reasons far beyond her understanding, he always felt that she and Clark were keeping some kind of secret from him. Which, as far as she was concerned, couldn't be further from the truth. Whatever secrets Clark had, he was not sharing with her, and Chloe learned the hard way to just leave the farm boy's secrets to him.
“No.”
“Now, last question.” Chloe shifted until she was sitting astride him. “Jimmy told me you came by, he said you had a letter that you tried to hide from him.” She noticed the way he averted his eyes. “You were dumping me weren't you?”
“Your wedding is-hey.” Davis looked up in shock when Chloe slapped him across the chest.
“You jerk.” Her hand was throbbing from the previous hit, but that didn't stop her from hitting him again. “You were going to leave me a dear john letter.”
“You're getting married.” His words came out slowly as if talking to a particularly dimwitted child. “God, Chloe, you know how much I need you. But I love you, too. I see what being with me like this is doing to you and because I love you, I can't keep doing this.”
“Did it ever occur to you to stop for a minute and think about what I wanted?”
“Well, considering you were marrying someone else, I figured you wanted to be Jimmy's wife.”
“Davis,” Sighing, Chloe pulled at his shoulders until he was sitting up as well. “There was a point when I felt my memories...disappearing. Like they were being deleted. And I was standing in a place I didn't know, surrounded by things I didn't remember. I was scared, I was alone. But then you were there. You held out your hand and you smiled at me.” With a gentle smile of her own, she framed his face in her hands. “Davis, I trusted you to take care of me. And you did.”
“And I will. For as long as I'm able to, Chloe.”
“But you want me to marry Jimmy.”
“I don't want that!” Davis snapped impatiently. “He doesn't deserve you. And I know that I don't either, not really. But he doesn't....he can't possibly love you the way I do.”
“Jimmy...” Chloe tried to find the words to describe the sweet natured photographer. “He loves me. He does, he just-”
Eyes open and locked steadfastly to hers, Davis leaned in to take her mouth in a heated kiss. When he spoke his words whispered softly across her swollen lips. “ 'If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years, as I could in a day'.”
Chloe felt her heart shutter. He had a way of dropping his voice, of looking at her, that was just so...seductive. It never failed to draw her in. And she wasn't the kind of girl to get all weak-kneed when a guy recited pretty words. But when that guy was Davis Bloome and the words were the same spoken by the beautifully tragic Heathcliff, a character she identified with him almost from the first, well she'd have to be dead not to be moved. “I guess it's a good thing I called off the wedding then.”
“You,” Davis felt the emotion well up in his chest. But he couldn't allow himself to hope, not yet. “Why?”
“Because I love you.” She ran her nails over the back of his neck in a way she knew brought him comfort. “I'm in love with you. I know it's not Bronte but-” The rest of the words were lost against his lips.
“Say it again.”
“I love you.”
“Again.”
“I love you.”
“Hey, Lois,” With his eyes still glued to his computer screen, Clark called to the woman sitting across from him. “I just got an email from Chloe telling me the wedding was off.”
“Okay.”
“Did you know about this?”
“Yup.”
“The wedding is Saturday.”
“Was.”
“She sent me an email, Lois.”
“So?”
“About the wedding being canceled.”
“And?”
“Don't you think that's a little impersonal?”
“No.”
Tired and irritated with the monosyllabic answers, Clark pulled back his chair to glare at Lois. “You don't think that Chloe telling me the wedding is off through an email was impersonal.”
“It's not like it was her wedding to you that she was calling off.” Lois returned. “The only person she owed an explanation to was Jimmy and she gave it to him.”
Clark studied the woman across from him. It was clear that whatever happened between Chloe and Jimmy, Lois knew. Because he knew her well enough to know that if Chloe relayed that kind of information to her through an email Lois' head may have very well exploded. So, it begged the question why would Chloe tell Lois and not him, her best friend. The guy she shared everything with. “Chloe tells me everything.”
“And she told you this in a nifty and convenient email.” Lois sighed at the hurt look on his face. “Look, Smallville, I know how much you love to mope and draw all things into your atmosphere of self-pity. But this has nothing to do with you. Chloe realized she was making a huge mistake by marrying Jimmy and called it off before it could get ugly or homicidal like marriages tend to do in Smallville.”
“But in an email?”
“Oh, for the love of God, get over it.”
Realizing Lois, who'd gotten a very personal and obviously detailed explanation, would not be seeing eye to eye with him on this Clark decided to change the subject. “Do you think one of us should talk to Jimmy?”
“Why in the hell would one of us talk to Jimmy? Chloe's my cousin and your best friend. He doesn't want to hear from us. Especially considering he's always been jealous of you and I always thought she could do better.” Which, Lois thought, she did. “I think it would be best for Jimmy if we kept our distance.”
“But-”
“Smallville! Just leave it alone. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough why the wedding was called off.”
“I don't like it. It seems so fast.”
“It wasn't exactly a secret that you didn't particularly like the fact that she was getting married.” Lois countered. “Now you don't like the fact that she's not getting married. Why don't you own up to the fact that what's really knotting your panties is the fact that Chloe's not running to you, double checking every decision in her life.”
“No, that's not my problem.” At least not entirely, Clark admitted silently. “Over the past few months Chloe's been pulling away from me. And now she tells me this, something this important, in an email.”
“Face it, Smallville, you're no longer the most important man in her life. Deal.”
---
I was adored once, too- William Shakespeare
“Oh, come on, little cuz. It'll be fun.”
“I don't know if you met him, but Clark Kent doesn't have fun.”
“Sure he does.” Absently, Lois started to thumb through the files Chloe had sitting on her desk. “Remember Lex and Lana's engagement party?”
“Really?” Chloe's face scrunched comically. “Is that really the example you want to use? You got an embarrassing tattoo and Clark was a real dick to everyone.”
“That was just because his precious Lana,” Lois spoke the words disdainfully. “Was marrying another man. That kinda lends itself to acting like a dick.”
“No,” Chloe shook her head as she snatched the files away from her cousin. “Most all my memories of Clark having fun involve him acting like a total dick.” She frowned thoughtfully. “Which is actually kind of strange when you think about it. Besides, you're not exactly a fun drunk yourself.”
“Ruin one engagement party...” Lois mumbled.
“You're two for two now, Lo.” Chloe pointed out as she went to file away the folders in her hands.
Lois decided not to point out the fact that both engagements, one of which didn't even make it to the big day, were mistakes. “Then we don't have to go dancing. I just want to go out with my little cousin and the guy who's monopolizing all her time.” She had thought that once Chloe and Davis began seeing each other openly, her cousin's time would become a little more flexible. But the opposite became true, the two hardly left Davis' apartment. “It's my right as older cousin to see if this guy is good enough for you.”
“Right. And I guess-”
“Knock, knock.” Davis was smiling when he poked his head inside the office. “I brought food and your life source.” He held up a small carry-out container as well as a steaming coffee cup.
“Hey,” Chloe's grin nearly split her face when he walked inside. “Joining me for lunch?”
“Can't,” Davis set his items aside so he could wrap his arms around her waist in a reverse embrace. “This is just a quick stop and go.” But he took a moment to bury his face in her hair, breathing her in as if he needed her scent to get through the second part of his day. “Promise me you'll stop and eat.”
Chloe relaxed in his arms. “I promise.”
“Yeah, this is really disgusting.” Lois interrupted the moment with no apologies. “But I'm glad your here, Davis. I was trying to convince my cousin that we should all go out tonight.”
“Yeah, sure.” Davis paused. “You know, I just realized I've never taken you out anywhere.”
“You've taken me out.” Turning in his arms, Chloe smiled up at him. “Remember that time we met for lunch.”
“We didn't eat and you told me we shouldn't see each other again. I try not to think about that day. Too traumatic.” He smiled charmingly. “Let me take you out tonight.”
“Oh no. No, no, no. I wasn't suggesting a you two night. But an us night. A group thing.” Lois gave a very unlady like snort. “You two can go out any old time.”
“Whatever.” Davis' eyes never left Chloe's. “As long as I'm with my girl.” It still gave him a possessive thrill to be able to say that and mean it. “We can go anywhere. My treat. I gotta go.” Framing her face in his hands he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. You really want to do this?”
“I just want to make you happy.”
Lois rolled her eyes when Davis walked out. “Yeah, I can see now that the two of you are just going to be down right sickening to be around.” But considering she had never seen her cousin so stupidly in love as she was now, Lois thought she could live with the overly affectionate couple. At least for a little while anyway.
“I sure hope you know what you're doing.” Chloe warned.
“Would you relax. This will be fun. Trust me.”
Clark just didn't like this at all. He'd met Lois, Chloe, and Davis at the Talon where the trio were apparently having a grand old time without him. Initially he wasn't sure what the hell Davis was even doing there. That is until he watched as Chloe reached out to rub her thumb along Davis' bottom lip before leaning in to kiss him. But he never got a chance to question her about it, because the moment she looked up Lois was hustling everyone out of the Talon and into her car. When they arrived at the fairgrounds, Davis locked his arm around Chloe's waist, practically pinning her to his side. To which Chloe responded by smiling up at Davis as if he hung the moon. And Clark just plain didn't like it.
He didn't like that two weeks ago Chloe was engaged to another man. He didn't like how her relationship with Davis seemed anything but new. He didn't like the things they whispered to each other when they thought he and Lois couldn't hear. He didn't like how he didn't seem to exist now that Chloe had her new guy.
“You look like a kid at Christmas.” Chloe was smiling as she nudged Davis with her hip.
“No, it's just....I never did anything like this. I mean, you guys probably did this stuff all the time in high school, but I didn't. What do you do at these things?” Davis asked as he took in the crowded fairgrounds.
“If you're Chloe you walk around snarking about small town life and the losers who inhabit it.” Lois tossed out.
“And if you're Lois you get high behind the port-a-potties with the rest of the delinquents.” Chloe countered.
“Unwittingly eat one hash brownie and you're a stoner for life.” Lois rolled her eyes. “Word to the wise Davis, don't do anything, Blondie here will never let you live it down.”
“You make it so easy, Lo.” Chloe tossed back, before smiling up at Davis. “As for what we do, that's easy whatever you want.”
With a decidedly wicked grin, Davis tossed Chloe a sideways glance. “Whatever I want to do?”
“In public.” Chloe amended.
“No, what you and Clark are suppose to be doing is playing every game here in a ridiculous display of masculinity in order to impress us. I'm not leaving here without an ass load of stuffed animals, Smallville, so you might want to hop to it.”
Grudgingly, Clark followed the other three to the first booth they came to.
“Alright, Smallville, even you should be able to do this.” Lois placed three baseballs in Clark's hands. “Just knock the bottles off the table.”
“I got both of us.” Davis gestured to himself and Clark as he handed a couple dollars over to the man behind the booth.
“I can pay for myself.” Clark's tone was more pissy then he intended, but the way Chloe fisted one hand in Davis' t-shirt while she spoke to Lois really bothered him.
“No, I told Chloe and Lois that whatever we did tonight was my treat.”
Davis gave a friendly smile that bothered Clark more than it should have. So the first ball he threw not only knocked the bottles off the table, but shattered them as well. And at the odd looks, he gave a patented sheepish grin and shrug. “Must be faulty bottles.” Absently he thrust the stuffed animal into Lois' hands.
It took Davis two balls to clear the table and nearly five minutes for Chloe to pick out the stuffed animal she wanted. Then Clark had to endure several minutes of Chloe kissing Davis in gratitude. And things continued on in this vain for most of the night. It seemed that Chloe and Davis couldn't stand to be no more then two feet apart at all times.
When they raced the water boats, Chloe stood behind Davis with her arms wrapped around his neck. While Chloe played whack-a-mole with Lois, Davis hovered over her framing her waist with his hands. Whatever snack she purchased from the concession stands she not only felt it necessary to share with Davis, but fed it to him like he was a baby bird. If Davis' arm wasn't locked around Chloe's waist, their hands were clasped together, or her hand was hooked around his arm or his finger was hooked in the belt loop of her jeans. And Clark didn't even want to know what they were doing when they offered to take all the stuff animals back to Lois' car and stayed gone nearly half an hour. But what bothered Clark the most was that in the course of the night he barely got two minutes alone with his best friend.
“How many of these are you planning on eating?” Davis asked as he handed Chloe a plate holding her third funnel cake.
“Until I bust. Or you stop buying them for me, which ever comes first.” Chloe smiled as she broke off a piece of the fried dough and offered it up to Davis.
“Come on, Davis, every trip to the fairgrounds must include copious amounts of funnel cake.” Lois broke herself off a piece of her cousin's cake. “Oh, can you buy me a caramel apple. And if you can have them cut it in slices and put it in a bowl for me, that would be great. Thanks.”
“So, Clark, I was wondering-that is if you're not too busy-if you wouldn't mind pitching in with the move tomorrow.”
Clark's initial pleasure at having Chloe wanting to hang out was quickly followed and over shadowed by confusion. “Move? Who's moving?”
Chloe laughed. “Yeah, I didn't think it would happen this fast either but, Davis and I are both off tomorrow and it seemed like a good idea to get it done now instead of waiting until the last minute. And I know you probably have better things to do with your Saturday then helping me haul all my crap to Metropolis, but it would be a really big help to have an extra set of hands. Lois tends to slack off when manual labor is involved.”
“She's right.” Lois grinned.
“Wait,” Clark shook his head as if to clear it of cobwebs. “Chloe you're moving to Metropolis?”
“Really, Clark, I told you this like two days ago in that e-mail I sent you.”
What the hell was with her and the damn e-mails, Clark thought. “I haven't really checked my e-mail.” He followed them to a empty table, frowning when Chloe sat in Davis' lap. “Why are you moving to Metropolis?”
“Because that's where her boyfriend, her job, and most importantly her cousin is.” Lois tossed out.
“What about me?”
“What about you?” Lois returned. “She's moving closer to me, Smallville. Well, I mean, she's moving in with Davis and she'll be closer to her job, but more importantly she'll only be a few blocks from me.” Which meant more chances of meeting for coffee before work, late night movie sessions, and the simple comfort of having her cousin within walking distance. “I'm not seeing the down side here.”
“To be honest with you Clark I don't know why I hadn't done this sooner.” For some reason she felt as if she needed to be available to Clark. Like he needed her. And the strange thing was, she couldn't put a finger on why she felt this way. “A two hour drive with gas prices being what they are is just insane.” More importantly, Davis needed her. And she needed to be with him. “So are you going to help. Please, Clark.”
Never one to turn down Chloe when she smiled at him that way, Clark was helpless to do anything but agree. “Sure. No problem, Chlo.”
“Oh!” Lois jumped out of her seat. “Oh my god, cuz, look! There's a Culture Club cover band playing. Come on.” Before Chloe could answer, Lois was pulling her out of Davis' lap.
“So,” Clark began awkwardly. “You and Chloe, huh?”
“Yup. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, you know.”
“Yeah, Jimmy probably felt that way, too.” Clark tossed back snidely.
"You have a problem with me, Clark?” Davis shifted uncomfortably. He could feel that shifting inside him, that lightness in his head.
“I don't know you. I don't know anything about you, yet you're dating my best friend and moving in with her.”
“I'm not dating Chloe, we're in a relationship.” His body was beginning to ache, his heart beating rapidly. “And she knows me. She loves me.” And he tried to hold on to that, to draw on what Chloe made him feel, the comfort she gave him.
“For how long.” Clark shifted closer, ignoring the apparent discomfort Davis seemed to be in. “You met, what, a couple months ago. She was with Jimmy for like two years. They were getting married and then you come along and all of that's over. What did you do?”
“What did I do? I fell in love with the most incredible woman I've ever met. And by some...bizarre stroke of luck, she fell in love with me too.” His insides began to harden, his eyes burning, his head felt like it was going to explode. “I don't care what your problem with me is, I'm not giving up Chloe because we didn't get a go ahead from you to be together.” He began to rise to his feet, needing to make it to Chloe before it was to late.
Jumping to his feet as well, Clark grabbed Davis' arm before he could walk away. “I don't trust you.”
“I don't care.” Davis snatched his arm away from Clark. Nearly doubled over he made his way across the fairgrounds, following Chloe's scent in a way he wasn't aware he could. He pushed through the pain and discomfort until he was standing behind Chloe, arms locking around her waist and burying his face in her hair.
“Hey,” Chloe raised her arms to wrap them around his neck in a reverse embrace. She recognized what the tremors in his body meant.
When she started to turn around, Davis tightened his hold on her. “No, I just need to hold you.”
Saying nothing, Chloe kept her arms around him, her nails automatically running over the back of his head.
“Are you okay, Davis?” Lois' voice was laced with concern at the death grip her cousin's boyfriend seemed to have on her.
“Yeah,” The smile Davis gave was strained at the edges. “Just missed my girl.”
Lois didn't exactly buy it, but said nothing. She noticed Clark skulking in, he sidled up to her, practically shooting daggers at the couple besides them. Seeing as how Davis and Chloe seemed locked in their own world, she turned to demand sharply of Clark, “What did you do?”
“Nothing.” It was originally mumbled, but off of Lois' disbelieving look, Clark's voice was firmer. “Nothing, okay.”
“You okay now?” Leaning her head back on his shoulder, Chloe's words were whispered against Davis' ear.
“Yeah. Could be better.”
“Could be, but you're the one who insisted on coming out tonight.” Now she did turn, laughing when Davis lifted her until her legs locked around his waist. “Nice, but I'm not leaving early.”
“No, she's not.” Lois confirmed. “At least, not until they play Karma Chameleon, and we sing it at the top of our lungs. Right, cuz.”
“That's right.” Leaning in, Chloe kissed him softly on the lips. “You've only yourself to blame for this.”
Davis smiled. Chloe seemed so free, so easy. The way she laughed and joked with her cousin. The absent way she teased Clark. And he wanted this, for her, for them, for the rest of his life. Chloe's happiness, it was all that mattered to him. Clark Kent was just going to have to learn to deal with it.
---
If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I—Michel de Montaigne
Davis' head was throbbing, his stomach knotting and turning in sickness, and his shallow breathing causing his lungs to work furiously. His muscles were tensed, his jaw clenched to keep from screaming, and his fists were bunching and flexing to keep from pounding into something. And for the first time in a long time it had nothing to do with that dark thing inside of him fighting to get out. No, his current condition had everything to do with his girl, his love, his beautiful angel currently sitting across from him acting as if he didn't exist.
Chloe hadn't spoke a single word to him since they talked during his lunch hour the day before. In retrospect, he understood that when she called absolutely furious with him, muttering a quick 'we'll talk when I get home' and hanging up was probably the last thing he should have done. He figured that when he got home from work they could talk things out, but quickly learned that in order for them to talk things out, she'd actually have to be speaking to him. Which she wasn't.
They ate dinner, watched a movie, and prepared for bed in a tense and deafening silence. Davis was prepared to be banished to the couch and was pleasantly surprised when Chloe not only allowed him in the bed, but curled into his arms and slept like she always did. So when he woke the next morning to more of her discontent, it completely threw him.
There had been women before Chloe, though he knew there'd never be another one after her. But only in the looses since of the word could what he had with those women be considered dating, let alone having a relationship. So everything with Chloe was new for him. He'd never before felt like he was navigating his way through a mine field. It was simply amazing to him that someone as caring, generous, and open as Chloe could freeze someone out the way she was him. This was the first time he struggled with loving someone while simultaneously wanting to shake the hell out of them.
“You really don't understand what it is you did wrong, do you?”
Because she chucked half a gallon of milk at his head fifteen minutes ago, Davis wasn't prepared for Chloe to be speaking to him. “Huh?”
“We're in a relationship, Davis. You can't go around making decisions without discussing things with me first.”
“I don't think-”
“Well you did.” Chloe cut off the argument before he could even make it. “And not only that, you went through my things. You betrayed my trust.”
Again he was struck with the need to shake her. “You're being ridiculous.” And realizing there would be no talking to her about this, Davis took his cereal bowl and stood up from the table.
“How am I being ridiculous?” Chloe demanded as she followed him out of the kitchen.
“Because all I did was send one of my beautiful girlfriend's brilliant articles to a friend of mine.”
“No, you went on my computer pulled up one of my personal journal entries and emailed it off to an editor at The New York Times.”
“Who's a good friend of mine.” Davis amended as he stripped off his clothes to step into the shower. “ And it wasn't your journal entry, I wouldn't do that and you know it.”
“Still-”
“No, there is no 'still'.”
Incensed that he would hop in the shower while they were in the middle of an argument, Chloe reached over and flushed the toilet.
“Son of a-” Davis whipped back the curtain to glare at her.
Knowing it was ridiculous, Chloe turned her eyes away. She didn't want to feel the tug of arousal, but how could she help it when he was dripping wet, flushed, and completely pissed off. “I'm talking to you.”
“And I'm listening.” But he continued to shower.
“I made the decision not to go back to The Planet, it was hard, but the decision was mine to make. And the work I'm doing at Isis, it matters. I'm making a difference there, Davis. I've hired two therapist and the kids are really responding well to them. Not to mention, Dr. Todd at Met. U working on a way to slow down and even reverse the mutation. The foundation is gaining momentum and it's because of me.”
“I know that, baby, I do. But I can also see that it's not enough for you.” Turning off the shower, Davis stepped out off the tub, catching the towel Chloe threw before it could hit him in the face.
“I'm good at what I do.”
“But what you're doing isn't making you happy.” Davis countered as he wrapped the towel around his waist. “Chloe, you're a reporter, it's what you were born to do. You don't think I notice the way you look whenever we pass The Planet. Or that you research every tip that flutters your way at Isis. And the fact that you go through our newspaper with a red pen correcting and leaving notes besides every article.”
Chloe bit her lip and tried to avoid his gaze. He was right, of course. She often forgot that nothing she did escaped Davis' notice. Although the last thing he mentioned wasn't the least bit subtle on her part.
“Chloe,” Davis' voice was soft. He thought about reaching out to take her into his arms, but wasn't sure if his touch would be welcomed. “I just wanted you to have other options. I wanted to show you that just because you're not at The Planet didn't mean you had to give up being a journalist. All I want, all that matters to me, is your happiness.”
It was really hard to argue with him, to stay mad at him, when he said things like that. When he looked at her and she knew he loved her and really did think of nothing but her happiness. “Baby,” Chloe sighed as she crossed the short distance to frame his face in her hands. “I understand why you did what you did. I just...I wish you hadn't done it.”
Davis studied her closely. There was something in her eyes, a shadow that crossed over her features, that worried him. “What is it, Chloe?”
“I really wish you'd stop reading me like that.” Placing a gentle kiss on his lips, Chloe turned to walk out of the bathroom.
“Oh, no.” Davis caught her. “There's something else here. What's wrong?”
With a sigh, Chloe dropped onto their bed. “After that ultra freaky bought of amnesia, I sat down and went through all my memories. You know, kind of checking to make sure they were all there. I remembered fighting with Lex and him firing me. And I remembered this burning hate I felt for him, I still feel for him. But Davis...I don't know why I hate him so much.”
“Are you forgetting things again? How long has this been going on?” Davis jumped to his feet. “We should get you to the hospital. Try to get ahead of this thing before it gets out of control again.” He snatched his keys off the dresser. “Why are you just sitting there? Come on, we have to go.”
“And where exactly are we going with you in nothing but a towel.” And it seemed his resolution to that problem was to grab a pair of sneakers. “God, I love you.” Reaching out, she pulled him back down onto the bed. “I'm not losing my memory.” She assured him with a laugh. “I promise you I'm not. It's just...I told you how I felt when I first woke up from that coma, right.”
“How you didn't feel like yourself?”
Shifting she laid her legs across his lap. “There were moments...I didn't trust myself...I didn't think I could be the journalist I knew I was, so I stayed away from The Planet, from being a reporter.”
“That's strange because if I remember correctly, you went straight into reporter mode by researching me.”
“That's because I felt like myself with you. But only with you.” Her fingers trailed lightly up and down his arm. “I told Clark I couldn't work anywhere that was owned by the Luthors. And I get why I hate Lionel...I told you about that too, right?” Jaw clenched, Davis gave a terse nod. “But it was Lex who saved me, he went through so much to keep me safe. Yet I had this unbelievable hate for Lex while I sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with the man who tried to have me killed.” She felt the rumbling in his chest. “Tried to have me killed, baby, obviously he didn't succeed. One thing you should understand about the Luthors, their hired guns really sucked. Those two men were shot more times then Sonny in The Godfather.” Now she felt his chest rumble with his soft chuckle. “But despite what happened after we sent Lionel to prison, Lex and I...we...I don't know which one of us hated the other more. And I don't understand why my hate for him is so great that I'd give up my dream because of it. I mean, Tess Mercer offered me a job, and I turned it down because of what I feel for Lex.”
“Are you afraid that your memories aren't really back?”
“Not so much that as there are things that aren't adding up, I guess. I mean, I remember everything. Getting sent to the principle's office in first grade for asking too many questions. My dad making me pancakes the morning after my mom left. Lois giving me my first cigarette and vomiting all over the front seat of her car. Meeting Clark and Pete for the first time. It's all there.”
“You'd tell me if that were to change right?”
“Of course. Though I kind of get the feeling that you'd notice before I could get a chance to tell you.” Resting her head on his shoulder, Chloe sighed. “I know that before I lost my memory, my reasons for staying away from The Planet made sense...” From the corner of her eye she noticed his disbelieving look. “They made since to me okay. But they don't make sense now. And now all my feelings regarding being a journalist and working at The Planet they're....muddled.”
“You're staying away from a job you were born to do because of feelings you don't understand. Baby, you're smarter then this. Go back to The Planet, see how it feels. I'm willing to bet that your feelings won't be muddled for long.”
“I was fired-”
“Lex fired you, but Lex is gone, so don't give him the satisfaction of keeping you from what you're meant to do.”
“You know, sweetie, your faith in my skill could be clouded by love.” With a grin, Chloe shifted until she was straddling his lap. “Because I happen to know for a fact the minestrone I made the other night was terrible.” And he cleaned his bowl with a loving smile.
“It wasn't terrible. I loved it, I told you that.”
“Tell me something and be honest, did you really eat it for lunch the next day?”
He choked down every drop of it. “I told you I would.”
It was still overwhelming, the depth of his feelings for her. She'd loved Clark completely, yet he never returned a fraction of those feelings. And what she felt for Jimmy could only be described as a pleasant warmth, nowhere near what she felt for Clark. Then along came the man before her. Her Davis, who she loved instantly, with the whole of her heart, with all that she was. And what amazed her, what she still found herself finding hard to believe, was the fact that he loved her in return. Loved her as she loved him. And it was unlike anything she ever experienced.
“I'm sorry for invading your privacy that way.”
Chloe shook her head to cut off the rest of his apology. “I overreacted. I was afraid. When Lex fired me, it made me doubt myself. You were just trying to give me back what I lost.”
“I should have told you. The decision to send the article in was yours to make.” Sitting up straighter, he held up his right hand. “I promise never to make a decision regarding your life without first running it by you.”
“Our life.” Chloe corrected. “Which we should start thinking of as a military submarine.”
Davis grinned. “Nothing happens without us both turning the key.”
“Exactly.” She pressed a finger to the dimple in his chin. “Thank-you.”
“For what?”
“For believing in me enough to send my article to an editor at The New York Times. For loving me enough to push me. For wanting more for me.”
“All that.” His grin was self-deprecating. “Your welcome. Are we good now?”
“We will be. As soon as you tell me how you know an editor at The New York Times and why you never shared that information with me before.”
“Oh, my God, cuz, this is just so awesome.” Lois was perched on the corner of her cousin's desk. “I mean, I'm so happy right now I won't even bitch about your desk being so far away.”
Leaning back in her chair, Chloe gazed around her cousin's body. “Lo, I can see your desk from here.”
“I know, but did you even ask Mercer to oust Smallville and put you across from me.”
“I just asked Tess for my job back, I don't think it's a good idea to go making demands.” Not to mention the fact that Chloe didn't care where her desk was. In her hand she was holding a framed photo of herself and Davis that Lois took at the fairgrounds, she was back at The Planet, and working with two of her favorite people. Her life had finally seemed to make that final click into place. To make a demand at this point, she felt, would just be pressing her luck.
“Oh, please, Mercer's lucky to have you back.”
“For once, Ms. Lane is right.” Tess idled up to Chloe's desk. “It was bound to happen. We are lucky to have you back, Ms. Sullivan. The quality of our staff has gone down just recently.” She sent a pointed look to Lois.
Yeah, Chloe thought as the two women glared at each other over her desk, these two sniping at one another was going to get annoying. “I'm just glad to be back. And I'm ready to jump right in.”
“Good. I understand you were planning on putting in an appearance at Oliver Queen's black tie event tonight.”
“Just.”
Reaching over, Tess picked up the photo frame on Chloe's desk. “Worth hurrying home to.” She mumbled before setting the frame down. “However, Arthur Curry is confirmed to be in attendance. He's an accused terrorist, I want you to get his side of the story, and to out what his connection is to Oliver Queen.”
“Wait,” Lois straighten off the corner of the desk. “Why wasn't I given this story?”
“Because you've dated both Oliver and Arthur. I want an article Ms. Lane, not an editorial. And, Sullivan, I want you on this blue blur vigilante running around town.”
Lois waited until Tess walked away. “One of these days I'm going to place a few bricks on her coffin.”
“I'm not taking your story, Lo.”
“Actually, I can admit I've hit a dead end on this one, cuz.” Lois smiled. “A Sullivan-Lane byline would be nice.”
“It would.” Chloe agreed.
---
Why does a man do what he musn't? For her. To be hers- Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The morning Chloe went to ask Tess Mercer for her job back at The Daily Planet started with her stumbling out of bed and making a mad dash for the bathroom. Nerves and fear had her stomach twisting until she had no other option than to empty it's contents into the toilet. Naturally, Davis was there to rub her back lovingly-albeit annoyingly- while murmuring soothing words she couldn't make out over the sounds of her own retching. When she sat back against the tub he handed her a cool rag as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Good morning.”
There wasn't a damn thing good about it so far as Chloe could tell. “Morning.”
“You understand why I'm not kissing you on the mouth, right?”
It made her laugh, even as she gave his shoulder a half-hearted slap. “Shut-up.”
“Alright, baby, up and at 'em.” Effortlessly he pulled her to her feet. “Today's the day we kick ass and take names.” He emphasized his point by slapping her playfully on the butt before walking out of the bathroom.
As she brushed her teeth Chloe tried to be angry with him, but it was hard when she knew he was fixing coffee the way he knew she liked it. And it was damn near impossible when he climbed into the shower behind her.
“Do you think we'll ever get to the point where showering separately will be weird?”
But he didn't answer. Pressing her back against the shower wall he only grinned as he lowered himself to his knees in front of her. When he eased her thigh over his shoulder, Chloe figured if he was trying to make it so that she never showered again unless he was there he was well on his way to achieving that goal.
Davis was the first person she called when Tess welcomed her back to The Planet. The conversation was brief, but he told her that he loved her and he was proud of her and it was enough to settle the nerves in her stomach. He didn't call her again or stop by with lunch the way he usually did when she was at Isis. Somehow he knew she needed to spend the day getting back into the routine of things.
He beat her home that night, which was unusual. Ever since he'd been promoted his hours had become longer, though he no longer worked over night shifts. And Chloe realized that maybe a year ago, being home at this hour would have been unusual for her as well. Of course she realized that they needed to get ready for Oliver's party, but more than that was the eagerness to get home, to be with Davis.
The tux he rented for the night was laid out on the bed, arousal pooled low in her stomach at the thought of seeing him in it. He'd grumbled and moaned and bitched the morning she took him to go get fitted for it. But Chloe figured his attitude and the argument that resulted from his attitude would be more than worth it.
The water running in the tub clued her in on not only where he was, but the mood he was currently in. Divesting herself of her jacket and shoes Chloe stepped into the bathroom to find him sitting on the edge of the tub in his boxer shorts, his uniform balled up in a pile on the floor. Saying nothing she began to unbutton her blouse as she crossed the short distance to stand in front of him.
“Hey,”
The smile he gave her nearly broke Chloe's heart. “Tell me.”
Saying nothing for a moment, Davis pulled her shirt apart to press his face against her bare stomach. His hands worked their way under her skirt, drawing her closer. It was at times like this that he questioned how he managed to survive so long without her. He could no longer imagine how he could have possibly made it through the night, after the things he'd seen. The comfort and the peace he longed for was just here, in Chloe's arms.
“It was the last call we got...kids...babies, Chloe, just babies...I've never seen anything...And it was their own parents...How does a parent do something like that to their own kid...The youngest one didn't even make it to the hospital.”
Chloe felt his tears against her skin and immediately sank to her knees to take him into her arms. But he had other ideas as he pushed her to the floor. His kisses were demanding, the hands that ripped her panties from her hips were bruising, and his body impatient as he rammed himself inside her. She wasn't ready, so the force of his entry caused more than a little pain. She must have made some type of noise because when he pulled back his face was the picture of anguish.
“I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry. I'd never hurt you, I swear I'd never hurt you.”
Helpless to do otherwise, Chloe framed his face in her hands, drawing him into a kiss that tasted of his tears. After several long moments he began to move inside of her, but she could feel the way his body trembled with his restraint. “It's okay, baby.” She made sure her eyes were open and on his. “I love you. Take whatever you need.”
As much as he wanted to bury himself inside of her, Davis instead allowed his hands to run lightly along her skin. Undressing her slowly. Caressing the places he knew brought her the most pleasure. His mouth stayed on hers, drowning in a taste that was pure Chloe. Take more, a voice whispered darkly in his head. She's yours; his hips began to pound relentlessly against hers. Take all of her; hooking his arms under her knees, Davis drew her legs higher, needing to be deeper inside of her.
Instinctively knowing what he needed and knowing that Davis was trying to hold himself back from her, Chloe drew her legs up higher until her knees were hooked on his shoulders. Seeing the shift in him almost immediately, she locked her ankles behind his neck and held on as Davis drove them both violently over the edge.
When Chloe came to, Davis was cradling her in his arms as he lowered them both into the tub. She blacked out, again. It was almost embarrassing how often that happened with him.
“I think you should move in with Lois.”
“What?” When Chloe pushed against his chest, Davis let his arms fall to his side.
“I know what's inside of me Chloe and the damage it's capable of doing. I see what people, average people do to someone they love. Just the thought of what this...thing could do to you or our kid...” Why couldn't she understand that if anything were to happen to her, he'd die? That merely the thought of this monster inside of him, causing her harm....it made him sick. He'd rather live without her than cause her single moments pain. “I can't risk that.”
“You would never hurt me. Or any child we'd have together.”
“You don't deserve this.” His curse, his burden, had no place in her life. “ You want kids and a family, you should be with a normal guy who could give you all of those things.”
“No one else could ever give me that.” She managed to shift until she was straddling his lap. “I want you. I love you. I don't want a family, unless it's with you. I want your brooding, brown-eyed, dimpled kids. I know what's inside of you and I don't care. I love you, Davis. I'd never leave you.”
Closing his eyes, he rested his brow against hers. “If anything were to ever happen to you-”
“I trust you.”
After that they settled into the tub, Chloe shifted again until her back was to his chest. Davis' hands were never idle, running along her skin in a way that soothed even as it aroused. Floating in that blissful place between dreams and reality, she felt him reach over to shuffle through the clothes he'd left on the bathroom floor. She started to ask him what he was doing, but before she could his hands were back on her body, and all thoughts slid right out of her head.
Davis trailed his fingers up and down her arm a few times before raising her hand up to eye level. He loved her hands, the strength and the beauty of them. Loved the way they would draw him in, pull him into the safety of her arms. Even more he loved the way her hand looked with his ring on her finger.
Chloe's eyes drifted open, curiously studying her hand. She never understood his fascination with her hands. There was nothing lady-like or elegant about them. The pads of her fingers were flat from hours of typing, her nails were short but not as neat as she would like. Actually, Chloe thought absently, the most beautiful thing about her hands was the simple diamond ring that sat on her finger.
Realization came swiftly on the heels of that stray thought. She shot upright in the tub, sending water splashing over the lip. “Davis?”
“I realize this may not be the ideal setting to do this.”
“You think. Twenty minutes ago you were kicking me out. Now you're proposing? That's a hell of a turnaround.” She looked at her hand, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted this, had never in her life wanted anything as much as what he was offering her now. “You can't take this back, Davis. You do this...I don't think you can truly understand what it would do to me if you take this back. You do this, you have to mean it.”
“I do.”
And it was enough. The simple statement, the love and seriousness in his eyes meant more than any speech he could have recited.
She was silent for so long, Davis thought time may have actually stopped. He shouldn't have done it this way. Not after the way he man handled her earlier. She may have thought she wanted a life with him but it may not seem so appealing when faced with the reality of it. He shouldn't have proposed so soon. They'd only been together a few months. Sure, though he'd never tell her, he bought the ring the morning after he first made love to her. But to spring it on her this way was too much too fast.
God, he was such an idiot. Not to long ago she was set to marry someone else, why would she want to be engaged to him so soon after that. Davis started to reach for the ring, he was going to save her the trouble of removing it herself. Then she looked up and gave him a smile that caused his heart to constrict in his chest. “Chloe?”
“Yes, Davis. Yes! Yes! Yes!” With a laugh she all but launched herself into his arms. She was perilously close to drowning them both, but at the moment she really didn't care. She was going to be his wife.
Several hours later Chloe stood alone in the elegant ballroom. Lois had zeroed in on the ring on her finger the moment Chloe and Davis walked through the door and dragged Davis off to give him the third degree. Chloe took the opportunity to find Clark and share the news with him. And to say her old friend was less than thrilled with the news would be an understatement.
“A few weeks ago you were engaged to Jimmy.” Clark bit out harshly. “You don't think this is moving a little fast.”
“I love him.”
“You loved Jimmy.”
“Not like this.” Chloe tried to remain calm. She could admit that Clark was more than justified in his doubts. But it didn't stop her from being annoyed with him. “He's right for me, Clark. Why can't you see that he makes me happier than I've ever been?” Her eyes drifted across the room to where Davis was laughing with Lois. “He takes care of me and loves me in a way that no one ever has.”
“I take care of you.” Clark responded petulantly.
“Of course you do, you're my best friend. But not like Davis. He's my heart. I need him.”
Clark wanted to say more, but caught sight of Oliver signaling him over Chloe's shoulder. He considered ignoring the other man, but realized the conversation he needed to have with Chloe would need to take place somewhere more private. “Don't go anywhere, okay? I need to talk to Oliver and then we can take off. Go somewhere private and talk.”
He was gone before Chloe could tell him that she couldn't hang out with him tonight. And part of her resented that he'd just assume she could and would.
“Awfully demanding isn't he.”
“Part of what makes him Clark.” Chloe turned to see the dark haired woman who spoke to her. “Dinah Lance. Isn't this event a little to 'tree-hugger' for you?"
“Nothing like coming to see your side shell out large sums of money to save...what is it...grubs this time.”
Chloe laughed, she actually had no idea what this benefit was for. “So really what brings you out?”
“Well, Oliver told me you'd be here. And since I haven't seen you since, well, you remember. I figured, why not throw on a dress and put in an appearance. All the guys are here, actually.”
“All what guys?”
Dinah frowned, but before she could respond, Arthur 'AC' Curry came up behind Chloe and scooped her up in a hug.
“Hey, Blondie. You haven't been taking my calls.” AC was grinning when he set Chloe back on her feet.
Chloe felt a dull pain begin to pound at her temples, fear began to sink sickly into the pit of her stomach. “I'm sorry, Mr. Curry, but are you this friendly with all the cousins of girls you dated.”
AC's smile slid slowly off his face as he looked to an equally confused Dinah. “Huh?”
“Granted it makes things a lot easier for the interview I'd like to set up. But why don't we throttled back on the familiarity a bit.”
***************
“You really hit the ground running, didn't you.”
“I hadn't really planned on doing it this soon.” Davis admitted.
Lois accepted the glass of champagne he offered her. “Any reason you moved so fast? Oh my God, is Chloe pregnant?”
Somehow Davis managed not to choke on his wine. “No. Wouldn't she have told you if she were?”
“Not really, she knows me well enough to know I'd cause a scene. Oh, but I can just picture a beautiful little girl. She'd have your dark hair and dimples, Chloe's eyes and huge grin, and my out going personality and stellar fashion sense.”
“How is it exactly that your personality traits get imprinted on our kid?” And though he liked Lois, he'd die and go to hell before his daughter walked out of the house dressed like her.
“So there is a kid.”
“No. At least not that I know of.”
“Then why the rush up the isle, speedy? I don't know too many guys besides themselves to get married. Though you're not really like other guys, are you?” Ever since Davis and Chloe moved in together, Lois was able to observe the man who simply adored her cousin. And she liked him. He was quiet, confidently laid back in a way that was hard to resist. On the surface he appeared average enough, but still waters being what they were Lois recognized there was more to him then she'd ever know. But she got the feeling that there were no secrets between him and Chloe. Most importantly he loved her cousin in a way that Chloe deserved.
Over the pass few weeks, Lois probably spent more time at Davis and Chloe's place then she did at her own. She liked the way they were together. She liked the way Davis pushed Chloe when she needed or slowed her down when she overworked herself. She liked the easy way he trusted her. Whenever she was around them, there was an underlying tension in the air, like it was all they could do to keep from ripping each other's clothes off. But there was also an easiness between them, the easiness Chloe tried to create with Jimmy, but came by so naturally with Davis. They flowed, they made sense. But Lois liked playing devil's advocate. “You just put the ring on her finger.”
“Why wait?”
“I don't know, maybe to plan an actual wedding. I can plan something in a week tops.” Mentally Lois was already putting together a list of things that would give her cousin a nice quiet little ceremony. “I mean does it necessarily have to be tomorrow.”
“I just,” Davis moved his shoulders restlessly. “I want to be hers.”
Okay, Lois thought, he got her with that one.
“And you knew about this, Ollie?”
“Only after the fact.”
“But you're okay with it.”
“Look,” Oliver gave an exasperated sigh as he set about explaining himself to Dinah. “You guys didn't see-”
“No,” Dinah cut him off quickly. “I don't want to hear whatever lame excuse you have. Whatever Clark did, no matter what his reason, was not okay.”
“It was for Chloe's own good.”
"I didn't know--"
"That your father the computer, who's dicked you around in the past would do it again?" Dinah cut him off. "Not too bright are you?"
"I didn't want her burdened with my secret. It never occurred to me that you guys would be erased as well."
“You didn't have the right.” And if she wasn't sure about her decision a moment ago, Oliver's cavalier attitude about Clark's actions sealed the deal for her. “I'm out, Ollie. If I'd known that getting your brain drained was part and parcel of joining your little band here, I'd have never signed up. See you around, boys.”
“Dinah,” Oliver reached out to stop her.
“She was my friend, Ollie.” Dinah snapped out before snatching away from Ollie and walking decisively away.
With an easy smile, Oliver turned back to the three men who'd been with him the longest. From the hang-dog expression on Clark's face it was clear he'd be no help. “Guys.”
“Dude,” AC's handsome face was twisted in a frown. “Do you even realize, this is Chloe? She's going to--”
“Don't worry about that.” Of course Oliver had taken into account that Chloe dug for the truth like a dog after a bone. “Now that we're ready for her, it shouldn't be a problem to keep her from finding out who we are. As for this story, I have an in with the new editor at The Planet. The story will be buried.”
AC shook his head sadly. “You really think I care about some story or Chloe finding out who I am? What's wrong with you man?” He paused, never a man of many words. “Before she and Jimmy got engaged, Chloe and I had plans to go to Hawaii. I was going to teach her how to surf. When I heard the wedding was off, I was going to surprise her tonight. Take her away for a few days. But if I were to do that now, it'd be kidnapping.”
“She didn't know who I was.” Bart Allen spoke the words with barely controlled anger. “I called her Chloelicious and she looked at me like I was a freak.”
“Come on, Bart, it's not like you actually had a shot with her.” Oliver tried to lighten the mood, but none of his four companions so much as smirked.
“You know, Ollie, she may have just been Watchtower to you. And I don't know what the hell she was to Clark-”
“She's my best friend.” Clark interrupted.
“Well, she was my family.” Bart shot back, unconcerned with the attention he drew from the other party goers. “She was there for me after every mission. She bought me a blanket and pillow for when I crashed on her couch. And no matter how busy she was, she'd drop everything and let me take her wherever I wanted because she knew I needed someone to talk to. But hey, Ollie's no longer the only one without an ability and Clark can go back to being a self-sacrificing farm boy. So...”
“Bart,” Clark had barely gotten out the younger man's name before he disappeared into the crowd.
“I'm out of here, too.” With one last sorrowful look to the blonde across the room, AC turned and walked away.
“You going to lay into us, too, Vic.”
Realizing it may be pointless talking to Oliver right now, Victor Stone turned to Clark instead. “You made it so that Chloe wouldn't remember who you really are, but she still remembers you. So you still have your friend. But she forgot us. So we lost a friend, Chloe lost her memory and her friends. What did you lose in all of this, boyscout?"
Davis wasn't doing very well. Admittedly black-tie events, thrown by playboy billionaires weren't really his thing. But Chloe asked him to come with her and he'd yet mastered the ability to tell her no. And now he was struggling. Even with Chloe so close, the thing inside of him was just under the surface, waiting to get out. He couldn't explain it, but something in the room felt....off. Which was putting him on edge. And none of it was helped by the fact that something or someone had upset Chloe. Davis wanted to destroy whatever it was that put that haunted look in her eye.
“Baby,” Davis whispered softly against Chloe's ear as he lead her slowly around the ballroom floor. “Tell me what's wrong.” He needed to know, how could he fix it otherwise? Or at this point, beat the hell out of whoever caused the sadness in her eyes.
Closing her eyes, Chloe rested her head on Davis' shoulder. She could feel the shifting inside of him and held onto him all the tighter for it. She didn't know how to tell him that she didn't recognize people she obviously should have, without him scooping her up and running her to the hospital himself.
“Take me home, Davis. Please.”
“Sure,” Pulling her tightly to his side, Davis started to move through the crowd of people but was stopped short by Clark.
“Hey, Chlo. Where are you going?”
Chloe wasn't really in the mood to deal with Clark at the moment. She knew it wasn't his fault, but she was afraid of what may be happening to her again. All she wanted was the safety that Davis provided. “We're on our way home.”
“But we need to talk.”
“Well, it's just going to have to wait.” Davis didn't bother to mask the glare aimed at Clark. “We're going home.”
Clark tried for patience. “Why don't you go ahead, I can get Chloe home.”
“I'm not going to stand around arguing with you.” Davis started to push pass Clark. “Chloe wants to go home. I'm taking her home.”
“Look,” Clark reached out to grab Davis' arm, which proved to be a bad idea.
Faster than even he was aware he could move, Davis wrapped his hand around Clark's wrist, twisting painfully until the other man released his arm. “No you look, we're going home. Anything you have to say to Chloe can wait until tomorrow. Are we clear?”
“Davis.” Chloe put a restraining hand on his chest. He hadn't raised his voice, outwardly he seemed completely in control. But it was obvious he was hurting Clark. “Stop it. I just want to go.”
Giving Clark's wrist one last painful squeeze, Davis practically shoved him away before ushering Chloe out of the ballroom.
“Alright there, Clark.” Oliver asked as he casually sidled up to Clark.
Even though the pain in his wrist was already just a memory, Clark continued to rub it. “I think he just broke my wrist.”
“How's that possible?”
“I don't know.”
Oliver glanced at the door that Chloe and her boyfriend just left through. “Do you think Chloe suspects anything?”
“I don't know. But I knew there was something up with him. I just have to find out what it is. And then find someway to tell Chloe that the guy she thinks she's in love with is a monster.”
---
My life, my love, my heart-Robert Herrick
“Chloe this place is like out of some kind of fairy tale.” Lois glanced out of the frost covered window. They were in the back room of a small chapel located between Metropolis and Smallville. There was a light layer of snow dusting the ground, the woods seemed to stretch for miles beyond, and if she didn't know better Lois would believe that there was nothing around for miles. “How did you even find it?”
“Davis found it one night.” Chloe smiled as she remembered the story he told her. How he'd gone out to find her, just wanting to see her, but worrying about how she may perceive his actions he turned around and headed back. “But he said he couldn't shake this overwhelming need to see me so he stopped his car and walked until he found this place.” He told her how it had reminded him of her. How he felt as if it were a sign that he head back to Smallville.
“When was this?”
“The night after he and Jimmy were attacked. I had told him that I didn't think we should see each other anymore.”
“I'm guessing he took exception to that.”
“He did.” When Chloe turned to grin at her cousin, her eyes were practically alight with the joy she was feeling. “Thank God. He loves me Lois.”
Turning from the window, Lois walked until she stood behind her cousin, taking in both their reflections in the full length mirror. “Of course he does.”
“No, he really...” It wasn't often that it happened, but Chloe found herself at a loss for words.
Seeing that Chloe's eyes were filling with tears, Lois wrapped her arms around the other woman's shoulders. “I know, cuz. I do.”
Chloe nodded, because she knew her cousin really did understand. It had been Lois' shoulder she cried on every time she had her heart broken by Clark. After she slept with Jimmy the first time, she crawled into her cousin's bed and cried over the mistake she'd made. More than anyone, Lois understood the scars that Clark's rejection had left on Chloe's heart. Lois knew of her deep rooted fear that she'd never be with anyone who truly loved and understood her. “I love him so much, Lo.”
“Well then you should marry him.”
Chloe laughed, this was why she loved having her cousin around. “Yeah, I should.” With a contented sigh, she rested her head back against her cousin's shoulder. “How's my dad doing out there?”
“Struggling between being proud of you and wanting to lock you away. I'm glad he's here. Makes everything seem right this time.”
Chloe nodded her agreement. “Can you do me a favor?”
“You want me to go check on Davis don't you.”
“It's just that he doesn't have anyone over there with him. And you can be a good friend when your in the right mood.”
“Glowing recommendation, thanks cuz.” But with one last squeeze of Chloe's shoulders, Lois started out of the room to do as she was asked. When she opened the door, Clark was standing there looking for all the world like someone executed his puppy. Lois knew he was unhappy about this wedding, that he'd taken an immediate disliking to Davis, but as far as she was concerned that was his problem. “Smallville. You coming in or what.”
“That depends on whether or not you're leaving.”
“Cute.” Leaning in, Lois lowered her voice so as not to be overheard by Chloe. “You upset her, I'll remove vital pieces of your anatomy.”
Instead of responding, Clark simply pushed passed Lois to walk into the room. Why she thought he'd do anything to upset Chloe was beyond him.
“I'm serious, Clark. Don't upset her.” With that last warning, Lois closed the door at her back.
“Well?”
For a moment, as he stared at his best friend in the simple white satin gown, Clark was speechless. It was more than just the way the dress clung to her body, showing just a teasing hint of curves. Or the way the thin straps fell off her shoulders so that his fingers itched to slid them back up. It was Chloe in the dress, happy and glowing. Smiling in that way she had, that lit her whole face. Clark had never seen her look so beautiful. “You look amazing, Chlo.”
“I feel amazing.”
“Really?”
“Well, I was a little queasy this morning.” Chloe admitted as she crossed the room to stare out the window much the same way Lois had. “But, you know, nerves.”
“Are you sure?” Cautiously, Clark approached the window as well. “This is all happening really fast, Chloe. Maybe you should wait.”
“I've already waited a week longer than I wanted to Clark. I mean sure Lois was right about the dress and waiting for the chapel to become available gave her the chance to plan....whatever it is that she's planned. I wanted something quiet.” She just wanted to be Davis' wife. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was important that they do this as soon as possible. That if she didn't marry Davis now, she may never get the chance to.
Chloe knew it was her fear of abandonment clawing away inside of her. But no matter how often she reminded herself of that, or Lois assured her that all would be alright, or how often Davis promised that nothing would keep him from her, she just wanted to get to the 'I dos'.
“I'm not talking about the wedding, well not just about the wedding. You hardly know this guy and you're going to marry him.”
“What makes you think I don't know him?”
Clark said nothing. He couldn't tell her that he thought her boyfriend was some kind of supped up meteor freak because he'd been able to hurt him. Not without explaining why that feat was such an oddity.
“Ah.”
Snapped out of his anxious thoughts, Clark frowned. “What?”
“I know that face. That's the Clark Kent 'I have a secret I can't share with you' face.” Chloe attempted a smile, though it still hurt that he felt he couldn't share things with her.
“Chloe-”
“No, don't, please. Listen, Clark, a few years back when I was rushing through a dark tunnel while my government owned safe house was being blown up behind me, I came to a decision. Someone trying to kill you really brings things into focus like you wouldn't believe.”
Clark didn't return her smile. He couldn't smile when he thought of how close he came to nearly losing her.
“I know this might be hard for you to believe, but your secrets are yours Clark. I understand that now. You don't have to tell me everything, I realize that maybe you never will. But don't make your issues Davis'.”
“I'm not.” Clark countered incredulously. “I'm trying to be a friend here. There are things about him you couldn't know.”
“And I'm telling you there's nothing about him I don't know.” Chloe wanted to be angry, but she knew Clark. Knew that he was only trying to look out for her. But she couldn't believe that his inability to trust her extended even to this. “Just like there is nothing about me that he doesn't know. Because we're together, because we want to be together, we're honest with each other. I thought you, of all people would understand that.” Once again he got that confused look on his face. “I know that whatever your secret is, you shared it with Lana.”
“How?”
“The way you two were together this last time. How weightless you seemed now that you weren't keeping anything from her. You loved her, so you trusted her enough to share everything with her.”
For all the world, Clark wanted to tell her that there was nothing that Lana knew about him that she hadn't. But he couldn't, the words refused to move pass his lips.
“I didn't say that to hurt you, Clark. I just want you to understand. Whatever you think you know about him that I don't, I'm telling you now it doesn't exist. Because there is nothing about him you could know that I don't.”
“I'm just trying to protect you, Chlo.”
Making her way over to him and taking his hands in hers was harder than she thought it should have been. “The thing is, Clark, I don't need you to protect me from Davis.”
“Did you invite my cousin Louie?”
“Is your cousin Louie a paramedic?”
“No.”
“Then I didn't invite him.”
“The guy is such a creep.”
“I thought the guest list was suppose to be small. How are relatives you don't even like here?”
“Hey, I didn't invite him. Uncle Gabe or the General must of told his mom or something.” Lois crossed the room to sit opposite Davis on the couch. “How's it going between you and Uncle Gabe anyway?”
“I don't think he likes me.”
Lois laughed. “Oh, please. My Uncle Gabe likes everybody.”
“Yesterday he had me take him to this place were he keeps his gun. He cleaned that gun for two hours and didn't say one word to me.” Though he didn't have to, Davis got the message loud and clear. “She's his only daughter. If I were him, I wouldn't like me either.”
“You're being ridiculous. Uncle Gabe wouldn't hurt a fly.”
“He told me that your dad could have me killed and make it look like I never existed.”
Lois couldn't help it, she laughed. “Okay, maybe he doesn't like you.”
“So, how was Chloe feeling?”
“She said the nausea was gone and her stomach was settled. And she was almost serene when I left her.” It seemed, by the way he was kicked back on the couch, that he was pretty serene himself. “I thought most men in your position were suppose to be pacing frantically.”
Davis' grin was quick as he gave a careless shrug of his shoulder. “I'm good. She sent you over here to check on me, didn't she?”
“She's just trying to look after her guy. So, you ready? Got your vows all written and double checked.”
Instead of answering, Davis handed her a small sheet of paper he had folded inside his jacket pocket.
“ 'To Anthea, Who May Command Him Anything.' This is someone's else's words. Isn't that cheating?”
“Well, I tried to write something myself but the only thing I could come up with was this.” He handed her another sheet of paper.
Lois laughed as she read the words on the paper. “ 'Chloe, this is the happiest day of my life. I'll love you forever. Please don't ever leave me.' Succinct.”
“I never claimed to be Wordsworth.”
“You know, I never had to share my cousin with Jimmy. Actually the only guy I ever had to share her with was Clark.” She paused, watching for his reaction to those words.
Davis was waiting for her to continue when he realized she was waiting for him to respond. “Listen, I'm not going to fly off the handle every time Clark's name comes up. The guy's her first love and her best friend.”
“The point I was trying to make is that girls, really good girl friends, have very few boundaries. And Chloe's more than just my friend, she's my cousin, my sister. So our boundaries are practically none existent.”
“Yeah, I found that out the other night when you climbed into bed with us.”
“I had a bad day.” Lois defended. “I needed my cousin. Besides, you asked for it when you gave me that key.”
“For emergencies. And last I checked the re-airing of season three of American Idol is not an emergency.” Recognizing the look on her face that meant she was gearing up for fight, Davis laughed. “It's cool, Lois. I'll just make sure to sleep in pajamas from now on. And to shower in swim trunks.”
“Don't feel the need to get dressed on my account. But that's actually my point, you've been really cool.” They sat together in a companionable silence before Gabe knocked on the door to tell them that Chloe was ready.
Standing, Davis slid on his jacket before turning to Lois. “Well?”
With a indifferent jerk of her shoulder, Lois fixed his tie. “You'll do. Hey wait,” She grabbed his arm before he could start out of the room. “Clark may be the first guy Chloe ever loved and Jimmy the first guy she ever...well first. But you're the first guy to ever love her. I mean really love her the way she deserves. And as far as I'm concerned that trumps the other two any day of the week.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, and Davis. You hurt her and I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth.”
“ 'Bid me to live, and I will live Thy Protestant to be; Or bid me love, and I will give a loving heart to thee. A heart as soft, a heart as kind a heart as sound and free, as in the whole world thou canst find that heart I'll give to thee. Bid that heart to stay, and it will stay, to honor thy decrees; Or bid it languish quite away and't shall do so for thee. Bid me weep, and I will weep, while I have eyes to see; And having none, yet I will keep a heart to weep for thee. Bid me despair and I'll despair, under that cypress tree; Or bid me die, and I will dare E'en death, to die for thee. Thou art my life, my love, my heart, the very eyes of me; And hast command of every part, to live and die for thee.'”
As she stood staring into Davis' eyes, Chloe realized that there wasn't much about this day that she would remember. Of course she'd never forget the tears in her father's voice when he gave her away, or the look of utter relief that flashed across Davis' face when her hand was placed in his. Lois had whispered something in her ear as the preacher spoke; the words never registered but she'd never forget the quiet comfort of her cousin's presence. Even the vows she recited were long forgotten. But his, his she didn't think she'd ever forget.
Chloe was sure that no one besides herself, the preacher, and maybe Lois heard him. He was speaking in the low tone he often used when he wasn't sure of himself. He kept his gaze locked on her, nerves and emotion causing his voice to quiver just a bit, and every few seconds he'd squeeze her hand as if assuring himself she was actually there.
She didn't hear them actually be pronounced husband and wife, only knew the feel of Davis' kiss. The way he framed her face in his hands, his eyes lighting with his smile before it touched his lips, and the words he whispered so that only she would hear.
The wedding may have been small and intimate, but the same could not be said for the reception. Chloe may have been partially to blame, as she handed the whole thing over to Lois with no restrictions. And having received a sizable check from Davis, another from Gabe, and even one from the General, Lois had enough money that the limited time she had to plan was hardly an issue.
It was only the best for her little cousin; so the food was amazing, the band was hot, and the champagne free flowing. The happy couple danced their first dance to 'Always' by Billie Holiday. Gabe cried when it was his turn to lead the bride around the dance floor. Lois gave a very sincere and heartfelt toast. And the newlyweds didn't need any prompting from the crowd to share kisses.
“Hey Clark,” Davis caught up with the farm boy at the bar. Out on the dance floor his wife was having the time of her life dancing with her cousin. “I've been trying to catch up with you.”
Clark really wasn't in the mood to have a heart to heart, but he also didn't want to cause a scene. “What's up?”
“The doctor you took Chloe to when she lost his memory, I need his name.”
The glass Clark was holding shattered. “Uh, what? Why? Is Chloe losing her memory again?”
For a few moments, Davis could do nothing but stare at the mess Clark made. “No, we've been over this already. You told me you'd find his card and get back to me. Now it's been a week, what's the deal?”
“I don't know his name.” Clark lied. “And, uh, I lost his card. So...”
Davis could feel his anger rising to pound hotly in his chest. “You told me you had that card, you told me.....Okay, just tell me where you took her. It was Met. General, right? It was a doctor there, right.”
“It was a specialist Ollie recommended. I just-”
“Oliver Queen? Okay, well call him. Or give me his number, I'll call him.” Davis pulled his cell phone out.
“Oh, well,” Frantically, Clark racked his brain for a way out of this. “Ollie's not in town. He's a busy guy, you know.”
“Honestly, Clark, I could really give a damn about Oliver's schedule. We're talking about Chloe's health. Now, something happened to her and we don't know what it was, why it happened, or if it'll happen again.”
“I really don't think it will.”
“I'm glad you don't think so, Clark, but you're not a doctor so you're reassurances don't really mean shit to me right now.”
“Hey,” Clark held up his hand in an attempt to calm Davis down. “Listen.”
“No you listen,” Davis grabbed Clark's arm, slamming it down on the bar roughly. The wood shattering on impact. “This is my wife. The single most important person in my life and there is possibly something very seriously wrong with her. So you'll excuse me if I'm freaking out about the fact that she could wake up one morning and not know who I am.”
“Hey, guys,” Chloe kept her tone even in an attempt to dispel the tension between her husband and best friend. “Any reason the two of you are going all caveman on my wedding day.” She directed the last part to Davis.
“I'm sorry, I was just...I was asking Clark for the name of the doctor who treated you. And I may have been a little forceful. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” Lois interjected. She hadn't been in town during her cousin's disturbing bout with amnesia, but like Davis she was worried about it reoccurring. “Give the man the doctor's name, Smallville.”
“No,” Chloe placed her hand over Davis', silently urging him to release her best friend. “We're not doing this today. Davis, look at me.” She waited until he turned to her. He was afraid, she knew that was what was pushing him. And admittedly, so was she. But she wanted this day, this of all days, to be able to let it go. “It's our wedding day.”
Davis broke, releasing Clark's arm immediately. “I'm sorry. I'm an idiot, forgive me.” Taking her hands in his, he leaned down so he could bury his face in her neck. “Please, baby. Forgive me.”
“Davis, stop.” Chloe couldn't help but to giggle when his teasing kisses began to tickle. “I forgive you.” The sentence ended on a shriek of laughter that she couldn't contain.
“Besides, she's kind of stuck with you now.” Lois added needlessly.
“I can have our locks changed.” Davis warned before turning to Clark. “ Hey, Clark, I'm sorry. I'm...I'm just trying to take care of my girl, you know.”
Clark wanted to tell him that he'd been taking care of Chloe for years. That it was because of him that she had her memories and was even standing before them today. “It's alright. I'll call Ollie first thing in the morning.”
“Now, if you’re done worrying,” Chloe teased as she began to pull Davis away. “I'd like to dance with my husband.”
“Didn't I tell you not to ruin this day for her.” Lois looked down at the badly damaged bar. “Nice, Smallville, real nice.”
---------
Nothing is so dangerous as an ignorant friend- Jean de la Fontaine
“The wedding was this weekend?” Oliver asked casually. Leaning back in his chair, he turned his attention out of the window, deciding not to look at the farm boy standing awkwardly in front of his desk. “That was fast. Was it nice?”
Clark jerked his shoulders indifferently. “I guess. The wedding was out at this chapel Davis found and the reception was at Towers. That was Lois' deal, so you know.”
“Everything was done to the nth degree. Nothing but the best for her little cousin. How is she doing with the fact that she has to share?”
Clark was well aware that Oliver was growing increasingly upset, but couldn't find a cause for it. “She's practically moved in with them so not as well as she could be, I guess.”
“It would seem so.” With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Oliver glanced over his shoulder. “What about you? How are you dealing with this?”
“Chloe refuses to hear anything negative about him, but I just really don't trust the guy. He nearly ripped my arm off at the reception.”
“But you went to the reception.”
“Chloe's my best friend. No matter how I feel about Davis, I wasn't going to disappoint her by not going to her wedding.”
“Chloe's a good friend of mine, too. But I didn't go to the wedding, wasn't invited. It seems that she doesn't remember me either, not really. I'm just the guy who broke her cousins heart. Oh, and an environmental terrorist.” Oliver tossed a copy of The Daily Planet to Clark. Chloe's story on him and AC making the front page. “You know she's good. The stuff she's found....it's damning. I forgot how good she is.”
Clark was expecting to find Oliver more upset, and maybe he was. But he couldn't deny there was more than a hint of pride in the Archer's voice. “Oliver-”
“I thought she'd remember me.”
Clark didn't know what to say. Oliver had been so nonchalant about Chloe's memory wipe, almost as if it had happened to someone else. Actually, maybe that is how he viewed it. As if the loss of Chloe's memories wouldn't affect him at all. It was clear he thought he'd hold his place in Chloe's life. And now the reality was finally setting in.
“What do you want, Clark?”
“I need to find out what Davis is. If he's meteor infected or something else.”
“I hate to be a downer here, Boyscout.” Although there was something in Oliver's tone that hinted otherwise. “But did it ever occur to you that whatever Davis is, Chloe knows. She thrives on the truth, demands honesty. Do you really think she could marry a guy who was keeping something from her?”
Clark had thought of that, thought hard on it after his talk with Chloe. But quickly pushed the thought aside. “I told you, Chloe doesn't want to hear anything bad about him. I've tried talking to her and she just shut me down.”
“Imagine that. Not wanting to listen to you bad mouth her husband. That's just crazy talk. Especially considering how opened minded you've always been when it comes to women you've been involved with.”
“This is different.” Clark mumbled dejectedly
“Not really. What about Lois, she's always critical of any guy that comes within ten yards of Chloe. What does she think about him?” When Clark only continued to brood, Oliver laughed. “I can't believe it, Lois actually deemed someone good enough.”
“But he's not. He's dangerous. He attacked me.”
“He wanted to know the name of the doctor who treated his wife and you gave him the run-a-round. I think if I were in his shoes, I'd have attacked you, too. And honestly, I don't know how comfortable I am giving the name of a fake doctor to a guy who nearly ripped your arm off.”
“He just wants a name.”
“No he wants answers.” Oliver countered. “And when he doesn't get those answers he's going to be really pissed off. Which, again, can't say as I blame him.”
Clark couldn't believe what was happening. Had everyone, save him, been completely blinded. Oliver knew what Clark was, and knew it should have been impossible for Davis to hurt him, if Davis had been human. But the fact that he had hurt Clark was, or should have been, a clear indication that he wasn't human. And therefore a danger to Chloe. “Are you going to help me or not?”
“What do want me to do, Clark?”
“Can you get the team together?”
There were a few moments of hesitation from Oliver and Clark figured he was going to be sent away. But Oliver dialed a number on his cell and seconds later Bart appeared. They sat in an awkward silence for nearly two hours before AC and Victor showed up. It seemed that Dinah was true to her word and left the team. It was hard for Clark to explain himself when everyone in the room was looking at him with something very close to contempt in their eyes.
“Hey, I know.” Bart began almost a little too enthusiastically. “Why don't we just wipe her memory, again? And while we're at it, why don't we wipe Davis' as well, that way he can stop asking annoying questions about his wife's health. I mean, only a real tool does that.”
“Bart.” Oliver warned, he knew the guys hadn't forgiven Clark for what he'd done. And there was a real chance Bart never would. But this was about Chloe. “Why don't we set Vic up as the specialist. He can talk to Watchtower and Davis, reassure them that things are okay.”
“But how do we know they are?” AC demanded. “Because the computer program that gets a kick out of toying with Clark said it was. The guy has a very valid fear and we may just be giving him false hope. He could wake up one day and the woman he loves won't know who he is or what she means to him. I-" He'd been working up a pretty good head of steam but broke off suddenly. It seemed to take a few moments, a sadness settling in his eyes before he continued. “I wouldn't wish that on anybody.”
For long moments no one spoke. Everyone was too taken back, not by what AC said, but was written clearly on his face. Oliver wondered if this was something that had always been there or something AC himself just came to realize. He knew that they all had been a little in love with Chloe, figured Bart maybe a little more than the rest. But he never would have guessed that it was AC who'd fallen the hardest.
“Can you do this, AC?”
“Do what, you don't need me to help Vic play doctor.”
“No we don't. But we do need you for a little bag and tag.”
“What do you mean he was attacked? Is he okay? Mike, where is he now?” Cell phone pressed to her ear, Chloe rushed through the hospital corridors. “I'll be right there.” Clicking off her cell, Chloe tried to assure herself that Davis wasn't seriously injured. He couldn't be seriously injured. But what she knew and what her heart comprehended were two different things.
Chloe felt as if she'd traveled all over Metropolis instead of from one area of the hospital to another. She had a familiarity with this hospital that was quite disturbing, although she wasn't yet on a first name bases with everyone the way she was at the hospital in Smallville. A few of her stays, here and in Smallville, were...fuzzy at best. Then again, just here recently, a lot of things in her memory were fuzzy.
Why she felt those days of fuzzy hospital stays and all around weirdness were over was beyond her. Maybe it was Davis. Actually, it was completely Davis. Sure there was a thing that put the Hulk to shame lurking beneath the surface, which was a whole new brand of weird than what she was use to in Smallville. But the difference was he'd been upfront with her, almost from the first. There were no secrets with him, no lies, no half truths. He was honest and that honesty provided her with a steadiness she'd never known. So the past few months she'd been living in a protective bubble, she'd been happy, in love, and now reality seemed to be creeping back in.
When she finally reached the E.R she charged through the doors like a woman possessed. And would have barreled her way through searching for Davis if she hadn't been stopped.
“Excuse me, can I help you?”
Chloe considered pushing pass the nurse, she needed to be sure Davis was okay. It seemed ridiculous that she would have to stop. “Yes,” She spoke with a calmness she didn't feel. “I'm looking for my husband. Davis Bloome. I was told-”
“Chloe.”
The woman behind the desk immediately forgotten, Chloe turned to face Davis' partner. “Mike. What's going on? Is he okay? Where is he? I want to see him.”
“He's with the doctor. He was awake when we brought him in, I think he's okay, but they just want to make sure.”
“What happened?” Chloe demanded.
“I don't know. We stopped for lunch, it was my turn to go in, when I looked up these guys...they were just attacking him.”
“What guys?” She could see the hesitation, the confusion. “What? Mike, just tell me.”
“Well....I thought I saw the Green Arrow. And, and, there were these blurs. Like the-”
“Please don't say the red-blue blur.” It was quite possibly the dumbest super-hero name ever, she couldn't stand to hear it repeated.
“But that's what it was, except there were two of them. And they were just going at Davis, that's when the Green Arrow showed up. I saw him load his arrow, aim it at Davis, and then....they were trying to carry him off when the police came. Then they just took off.”
Something in Chloe's mind tried to push to the surface. Being taken from her home, her bed. Cold rooms, people without faces. Panic on the heels of fear rushing through her veins. Questions going unanswered, screams going unheard. But she couldn't tell what was real or what wasn't. There was only more fuzziness, memories coming back to her like dreams, dissolving just when something was becoming clear.
Hadn't the kids who'd come to the Isis foundation for help spoke of a group that took the meteor infected and experimented on them. There were things on her computer, encrypted files of destroyed facilities. Things that didn't make sense until this very moment. Was that what she was really doing at Isis? Finding these places, trying to bring them down, and using Isis as a cover. It would actually make sense if she knew anyone who could help her take down a evil group of scientist.
No, she shook the thought off, there was only so much she could do from her lap top. The facilities were real, she'd located them, maybe she was planning on exposing them. Maybe she'd gotten so deep into her research they were giving her nightmares. It wouldn't be the first time. God, if she could just remember.
Selfishly, she needed the memories to come back now more than ever. Because someone had gone after her husband. Could it be the same people who'd gone after the kids at Isis? Was it possible that they found out who he was, what was inside him? Did they attack him in an attempt to detain him? So they could experiment on him? Destroy him? But how, how could they have known?
“Mrs. Bloome.” The doctor came out of the exam room behind them, breaking Chloe out of her panicked thoughts. “I'm Dr. Morris.”
“Hi, how is he?”
“Fine, considering. Whatever was shot at him went straight through, almost as if he was sliced with a knife and not shot. A nasty bump on the head, a concussion but nothing he can't bounce back from.” Reaching out, he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “He's going to be fine. Your husband has a very hard head.”
“That he does. Can I see him?”
“Actually, you can take him home in just a bit. We just want to monitor him for a while, but I see no reason why he can't go home tonight. Go ahead in, the nurse will be in shortly.”
Davis was trying to climb out of the bed when Chloe walked into the room. His side was bandaged where the arrow had gone through and another at the base of his skull. She had a million questions for him, questions she couldn't ask with Mike following her.
“Hey,” Davis smiled when he looked up and saw her. “You didn't have to come down here. Mike, I told you not to call her.”
“You were attacked and you thought I had somewhere more important to be.”
“Uh, I should go.” Not two feet into the room and Mike began to back out of it. He'd recognized the tone in Chloe's voice and the last place he wanted to be was in the middle of someone else's marital dispute. “Glad you're okay, buddy. See you guys later.”
“You told him not to call me.” Chloe marched across the room to push him back onto the bed. “You were shot through with an arrow. Knocked unconscious. And you told Mike not to call me.”
“I didn't want to worry you.” Reaching out, Davis grabbed her hand, lowering his voice so that no one passing the room could hear him. “You know that I can't really be hurt, so I didn't want you to get upset over nothing.”
“But you were hurt, even when you shouldn't have been able to.” She placed a tentative hand on his chest. “I don't understand how that arrow could have gone through you. I don't understand....I don't....” There was nothing she could do to contain the tears that gathered in her eyes. A knife had shattered against his chest, yet somehow an arrow had managed to go through him.
“Hey, I'm okay. Baby, look I'm fine.” He pulled her down onto the bed. “And think about it this way, we won't have to worry about anymore pesky arrows.” His grin faltered at her hard look. “Too soon?”
“Yes.” But she leaned forward to press her lips to his, moving until she was practically sprawled on top of him. His arms came around her instantly, they always did. She couldn't imagine going back to a life where she no longer had this, had him. The warmth and love and security he provided by doing nothing more than wrapping his arms around her. “I'm going to find the people who did this to you. I'm going to expose them.” Because they had tried to take him away from her. And that was something she just could not allow.
“Chloe-”
She shook her head, cutting off his objection. “I can't let them take you from me.”
“They can try. Who ever they are, they can try as hard as they can, but no one will ever take me from you.” He tilted her chin up until he was looking into her eyes. “Because I will always, always, find my way back to you.”
He would, of course he would. But she couldn't let it get to that. The Green Arrow, these damn blurs, she'd find out who they really were. Last she checked, the Green Arrow was a modern day Robin Hood, when his switch flipped to assault she didn't know. But she'd find out what the hell his deal was and what he wanted from her husband.
“How'd you get here so fast?” Davis asked sometime later as Chloe helped him pull on a scrub top one of the aides brought him.
“I was already here, actually.” Unable to help herself, Chloe tugged the loose fitting bottoms down until they hung precariously off his hips. Sliding her hands under the top, she pressed herself against him. Needing to be close to him, to hold him, to assure herself that he was still with her.
“Already here. You're not working on a story to bring down the hospital are you. Because if Lois plans on bulldozing her way around here asking questions, I might take a sick leave.”
“You're taking a sick leave anyway. But no,” Chloe laughed, enjoying the feel of his heart beating beneath her ear. “I had an appointment.”
“Appointment?” Davis would have pulled back, but it didn't appear as if Chloe was going to loosen her hold on him. “Did Clark give you the name of that doctor? What did he say?”
“Different doctor. I haven't spoken to Clark since we got back.” It was obvious to Chloe that he was avoiding her. They worked in the same building for crying out loud, they should have at least collided at the vending machines.
“But you're okay, right? What doctor did you see? What did he say?”
“Sweetie, breathe. I was just up on four, kind of a check up. I'm fine.” Tilting her head up, she gave him an encouraging smile. “We can talk about it more later.”
But Davis saw something on her face, apprehension and something else he couldn't quite identify. “What?”
“Nothing. Nothing bad, I promise.” She framed his face in her hands. He worried over her so much, that his need to take care of her outweighed the fact that he'd been shot through with an arrow. “We'll talk about it when we get home, okay? I'm going to go sign a few papers and then we can get out of here. I love you.”
Davis smiled. “I love you, too.” She placed a tender kiss on his lips before turning to leave the room. Providing him with the opportunity to partake in one of his favorite pastimes- watching her ass when she walked away.
“Down boy.”
It took a moment for him to register the other person in the room. “What? Oh hey, Stacey.”
“Davis. Take it that's the new wife.” She asked as she washed her hands before pulling on a pair of gloves.
The grin that broke out across Davis' face was nearly blinding. “Yeah.”
“Do you always look at her like she's a steak and you're dying of hunger.” She made quick work of changing the bandage on his head.
“I don't think-” He started to argue but didn't really see the point of denying it. “I'm crazy about her.”
“Obviously. She's a lucky girl.” She stripped off the gloves, going back to the sink to wash her hands again.
Davis nodded, knowing that he was in fact the lucky one. Every hardship in his life, that lead him here, to Chloe....he couldn't regret it. She was all that mattered. “Hey, what's up on four?”
“Four? Um, oh obstetrics and gynecology.” The pager attached to her hip went off. “Nurse's work is never done. See you around, Davis. Try not to attack your wife until your home.”
“I offer no guarantees.” He replied absently as he processed the information she told him. Reviewing all the events from the pass few weeks. How could he have missed this? She hadn't been feeling herself, she'd been nauseous, fatigued. But he'd chalked it all up to her job and the wedding and her running herself ragged with both. Naturally he was worried, but the few days they spent in New York she'd been fine.
“You ready to blow this joint or what?” Chloe was grinning when she walked into the room. “What?”
Davis only continued to study her. She didn't look any different. Hadn't felt any different. Maybe her smile was a little brighter, just a hint of nerves dancing in her eyes. But she was still Chloe. His Chloe. His mind blocked out everything that wasn't her. And though it might have been ridiculous, he could have sworn he heard the faint heartbeat of the child she carried. “Chloe?”
Her smile wavered a bit under the intensity of his stare. “What?”
His Chloe. His wife. The mother of his child. “You're pregnant.”
---
Who is to separate us, pray? They'll meet the fate of Milo! -Wuthering Heights
They had reached a point where they needed to stop talking to one another. That point where the next statement from either one of them could irrevocably change the course of their relationship. So Chloe got them home in record time. Davis figured it was in his best interest not to comment on her talking to Lois while driving so recklessly. And Chloe bit back her inner bitch long enough to help him out of the car and into the apartment. Didn't stop her from leaving him at the door, completely ignoring him as she stripped her way into the bedroom.
“I don't want you involved in this, Chloe.”
“You don't want a lot of things today, Davis.”
Dropping onto the bed Davis bit back is retort. He didn't think it was fair when she argued in her bra and panties. Once he'd even pointed that out to her to which she responded by giving him the most incredible smile, crawling on top of him, and making his head spin. He figured if he mention it now she'd throw something at him. As it was, she'd start calling him names at any second. “Do you mind if we take a bath instead of a shower tonight?”
At the moment, what amazed Chloe more than anything was that he was a hundred percent serious. And he was so incredibly wrong on so many levels. “You can't do either one with your bandages, genius. Just take off your clothes and get in the bed.”
He knew it was most definitely in his best interest to keep quiet and do as she said, but the wound in his side still burned like hell whenever he lifted his arms. “Baby, can you....”
Still in nothing more than her bra and panties, Chloe marched back over to the bed to yank the top over Davis' head before pushing him onto his back. Her hands went to the waist band of the scrubs to tug the pants roughly off his hips before she dropped to her knees to remove his shoes and the pants.
For some reason that went a whole lot differently in his mind. “Chloe-”
“Don't.” Chloe snapped as she started for the bathroom again. And though she knew she should spend the next hour in the bathtub soaking off the worst part of the day she whirled back to face him on the bed. “You are such an asshole.”
“I know I could have handled that better.”
“You could have turned into your alter ego, run through the walls of the hospital, and it would have been better than what I can only describe as your complete break from reality freak out.”
Davis frowned. He knew he hadn't handled the news well. Through his initial excitement, fear and despair had worked it's way into his psyche. But he couldn't say it was as bad as all that. “I wouldn't say-”
“I believe the words you used were monster baby.”
“I never-”
“Those were your exact words.” Chloe cut him off angrily. “ 'What happens when you give birth to a monster baby.' That's how you described our child. Our child, Davis.”
“I didn't mean it like that.” He mumbled dejectedly.
“Whatever.” Before she gave into the urge to throw a lamp at his head or, even worse, climb into the bed and comfort him, she rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door at her back.
Davis stayed where he was. He'd done the one thing he vowed never to do, he hurt her. It was funny. He'd had nightmares, frequently reoccurring nightmares, of blacking out and that monster inside him attacking her. Of being unable to control the thing inside of him and coming to only to discover her destroyed and broken. But she was hurt now and it had nothing to do with the monster.
In theory, oh God in theory, a baby with Chloe would be the greatest thing to ever happen to him. For as long as he'd known Chloe, whenever he was with her, he could go long periods of time feeling as though he was as average as the next guy. She kept the monster at bay. But neither of them could make the monster go away.
Absently his hand went to the injury at his side. For a moment, when the arrow initially went through him, he'd been relieved. He'd been hurt which, for him, meant he was human. Then the pain hit and he couldn't think past it. By the time they reached the hospital, the pain had long subsided, but he hadn't healed, which was a relief since he didn't know how he was suppose to explain that to anyone. And it was all another reminder of just how far from human he really was.
The fact was, Davis was fairly certain he couldn't get Chloe pregnant, having began his life as genetic matter from another planet. If he was to believe what Lois had told him while she'd been...possessed. And given what he was, he and Chloe decided odds were good that she was telling the truth. He tried to be a better man, offered her an out, a chance to have a normal life. But she chose him and he held on. He held on and resigned himself to the fact that she'd likely never carry his child. Resigned himself to the fact that they would never raise a child, because there was no way he could bring a child into their home knowing what he was. It hurt, but he had her. What more could he possibly want.
Now Chloe was pregnant. He already had more than he ever imagined he could. Sure there had been nights when he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to see Chloe grow big with his child. Imagined a little face with big green eyes and a wide smile. But he didn't trust reality to be at all as he'd imagined. There were too many variables. Too many ways this could go wrong.
“I'm just scared, Chloe.” He didn't have to turn around to know she'd stepped back into the room. “I know I said some stupid stuff, but I'm just scared.”
It wasn't just the sadness in his voice that got to her, it was that he seemed to turn in on himself. Tossing the towel she was using to dry her hair aside, Chloe climbed onto the bed. “Why do I get the feeling we're not talking about your run of the mill new daddy fear?”
“Maybe it was my monster baby rant.”
Yeah that was probably it. “Davis, look at me.” Chloe waited until he turned to face her. “You have to talk to me, baby. Please.”
Tentatively he slid his hand along her bare leg, relaxing when she didn't push him away. It may have been foolish at a time like this, but he hated that he missed his favorite part of their showers together; watching, and often times helping, her apply those incredible scented lotions she used. “We don't know what I am. Not really. What if the baby's like me? How do we protect him, how do we send him out into the world knowing what he becomes?”
“But we don't know. It may be naive of me to think, but everything could turn out fine.”
“But what if,” He clutched at her leg tighter, a pain unlike anything he'd ever known pounding in his chest. “What if having my baby....what if your body can't handle it....what if....”
“Oh baby,” Chloe pulled at his shoulders until she could wrap her arms around him properly.
“If anything were to happen to you...” He didn't think he could be a father, care for a child, when she was gone. How could he love something that would be responsible for her death?
“Davis, I hate to be all doom and gloom here. But that....even if you weren't.....” She was trying to reassure him, but realized her thoughts couldn't straighten themselves out. “I've been through a lot in a very short amount of time. I've had all of my body heat sucked out. For twenty-four to forty-eight hours I had a parasite inhabit me. I've died, more than once. I don't know how my body's going to take to this pregnancy, but the same would be true if you were perfectly normal. Too many things, really out there strange things, have happened to me that my body must have changed in some way.”
“I can't lose you, Chloe. I can't.”
“Shh,” Chloe pressed her mouth to his ear. He was trembling, his hold on her almost painful. “It's okay, I'm right here.” It took a lot of effort, a lot of comforting words, but she was finally able to pull out of his arms. She couldn't have him touching her when he answered her question. “Davis? Do you, do you want me to get rid of the baby?”
He couldn't risk her, he couldn't risk a life without her. But then he saw her face, took in the protective way she wrapped her arms around her middle. Shielding herself and the baby from him. It ripped him open, he'd been behaving so selfishly. Thinking only of himself of his needs. But this wasn't just about him.
Chloe loved this child. Already she loved the baby in that all encompassing way that only Chloe could love. Our baby, a voice whispered in his head. Slowly, he reached out to place a large hand over the ones she held to her stomach. Their child, the child he imagined, a tiny little replica of the woman he loved. “No,” He spoke the word softly, then more firmly. “No.”
As she let herself into Davis and Chloe's apartment, Lois prepared to let loose with a loud quip about Davis getting his ass handed to him when she caught sight of the newlyweds cuddled in bed together. Chloe lay on her back absorbed in a book while Davis lay fast asleep with his head pillowed on his wife's breast. Lois didn't know how her cousin could have possibly been comfortable, Davis had one arm locked around her waist, his leg thrown over both of hers, but Chloe didn't seem the least bit bothered as she contentedly ran her fingers over his back. Although Lois had learned, after barging into their place a few nights, Davis often slept on top of her cousin and Chloe seemed to have no problem whatsoever with that arrangement.
Before she could announce her presence, Davis shifted until his face was buried in Chloe's neck one large hand coming up to rest possessively on her stomach. At this point Chloe paused in her reading and did nothing more than watch him. Her eyes filling with an emotion so strong it took Lois back. After a few moments, Chloe pressed a kiss to his brow, closed her eyes, and rested her cheek against the place her lips just touched.
She nearly lost him, Lois thought as she watched the tears leak from Chloe's closed eyes. She loves him and she nearly lost him. Initially, Lois liked Davis for no other reason then because he wasn't trying to kill her cousin. Then she liked him because he wasn't Clark or a total douche ala Jimmy. He went up in her esteem when she saw just how much he loved her cousin, how Chloe was the center of his world no matter who else was around. For Lois it had always been about making sure her cousin was loved, appreciated, and adored. But in all the time they'd been together or the number of times she spent with the couple, she never really took Chloe's feelings into account.
At the wedding Chloe tried to explain her feelings and Lois had said she understood. Obviously she didn't, at least not really. But there it was. Lois realized that if something more severe had happened to Davis, if, God forbid, he'd have died, Chloe would have been lost. That man, she thought, he's the love of Chloe's life.
“Cuz.” Lois spoke the word softly, but it was enough to gain the other woman's attention.
Chloe placed a finger to her lips, recognizing the signs of a Lois rant in the making.
Lois couldn't help but wonder what Chloe whispered in Davis' ear before she eased out of the bed. Thought about asking but her cousin cut that thought off at it's conception.
“I think we're allowed to have some secrets from you.” Chloe tossed out as she lead Lois into the living room.
She was wearing one of Davis' shirts, Lois noted. But she realized that whenever Chloe was home, she wore her husband's shirts. Well, not counting the times Lois had come over and her cousin hadn't been wearing anything at all. “You're in love with him.”
Chloe frowned at her cousin's accusing tone. “He is my husband.”
“No,” Lois shook her head, pacing while her cousin sat calmly on the couch. “You're really in love with him.”
“Lois, why are you acting like this is all new to you.”
“Because it is.” She tossed out in a hushed yell. “I knew he loved you and that he made you happy. I just...I was so focused on that. I never saw....the way you looked at him just now. This is forever, isn't it?”
“Yeah.”
It may have been one simple word, but it had a bigger impact than any speech Chloe could have given. And made Lois' resolve to figure out why this was done to Davis even stronger. “How's he doing?” She asked as she took a seat on the couch opposite the younger woman.
“Surprisingly well with the whole attacked and shot thing. Impending fatherhood, however, has him in full panic mood.” Not that she could blame him for that. He was so afraid of that thing inside him, afraid that their child would be cursed with that same fate, afraid of hurting her and the baby. Afraid of the thing inside of him fully taking over and missing out on being a part of his child's life.
She asked, trying desperately not to let her emotions show, if he wanted her to get rid of the baby. And he looked devastated, looked exactly as she felt. For long moments he couldn't speak, only stared at her as if he didn't know whether to be angry with her or apologize to her. When he finally did speak his answer, an emphatic 'no', she knew that already he loved this baby just as she did.
“How are you doing with the whole mommy thing?”
“That's the thing, I'm doing very well with the mommy thing. It's the my husband was attacked and nearly killed that's bothering me. Did you find out anything else?”
“Mike told me exactly what he told you and it appears that he was the only one to see anything other then a couple of blurs. Naturally Ollie's not taking my calls” She missed Chloe's questioning look. “I'm not certain, but I bet Smallville had something to do with him being there. Don't get me wrong Ollie's always jonesing to strap on the green leather so Clark probably didn't have to do all that much whining, but still...”
As Lois continued to bitch about Oliver and Clark, Chloe tried to tune into her cousin over the white noise buzzing in her ear. There was something just at the edges of her memory....Lois holding up a ring in The Planet's basement....There was some type of symbol on the ring, a family crest, one she'd seen somewhere else....More secrets and stuttered excuses from Clark.....The Green Arrow on the roof of The Daily Planet....Meeting Oliver Queen in Clark's barn....Clark blushing as Lois described a kiss between herself and the Archer....Archer....Watchtower....Ollie....Sidekick....
“Cuz, hey cuz.”
Dazed and overwhelmed, Chloe frowned at her cousin. “I'm sorry what?”
“Are you alright? You tuned out on me there.”
“Yeah,” But her voice was far from sure. “Oliver? The Green Arrow? He attacked Davis. He tried to kill my husband.” And it hit her all over again, only this time a thousand times worse. Oliver. They'd been friends. And even if she'd forgotten it, he shouldn't have. Yet he did this, he was responsible for, took part in, the attack against Davis. “How could he do something like this?”
Lois moved quickly to wrap her arms around her cousin. “Come on, sweetie, it'll be okay. We don't even know if it was really even Oliver. It could have been someone else, they could be trying to make you think it was Oliver.”
That was possible, of course that was possible. Her husband was part monster, so better than anyone Chloe knew any damn thing was possible. “But why? And who would do this?”
Clark, Lois wanted to answer again. He'd been so pissy and childish when it came to Davis, she wouldn't put anything pass the farm boy at this point. But she didn't say it, he was still Chloe's best friend. And her cousin was already doubting Oliver, Lois didn't feel it necessary to toss Clark's name out there as well.
There was always the convenient Lex Luthor, ruining Chloe's life by killing her husband and making it look like someone she trusted was a Luthor move if ever there was one. And botching the whole thing was totally Luthor. But she didn't want to add that fear to her cousin's plate as well. Chloe was finally happy and Lois felt it was her duty as older cousin to make sure she stayed that way.
“Did you find out anything more about these damn blurs?” Composing herself, Chloe pulled out of her cousin's arms to pace the room. “Two? None of your notes, none of your other eyewitness reports ever mentions anything about two different blurs.”
“Yeah, but who's to say that I've been reporting on the same one blur.”
“That's true. And do you mind if we stop calling them blurs.” It made her feel ridiculous.
“What do you suggest then? Thing one and Thing two.”
Since this was the same woman who came up with red-blue blur, Chloe couldn't help but wonder if her cousin wasn't just a little serious. “Cute, but how about...Flash and, uh...Impulse.” The buzzing in her ears started again, but she quickly shook it off. She couldn't allow herself to be sidetracked, not now.
“Okay, but which is which?”
“Does it really matter, Lo?”
“Not really. Tracking these things are going to be damn near impossible.”
“Are you saying you didn't find Mike's description of reddish-blue and reddish fire like blurs to be helpful?”
Lois turned to see Davis strolling out of the bedroom. True to the word he'd given at the wedding, he wore a pair of gym shorts, but the way they were hanging off his hips she figured he could have just been naked. His midsection was wrapped and the back of his head was bandaged.
“Hey, pincushion, how ya feeling?”
“Probably like he's just been shot with an arrow.” Chloe was at his side in record time. The bump on the back of his head was already healed, though the wound from the arrow was taking a lot longer. He said he felt fine, but she couldn't be sure how much of his pain he was owning up to. Not to mention it would look suspicious if he was up and about so soon after the attack. He was on day two of his sick leave and nearly besides himself with boredom. “If you needed something I would have brought it to you.”
“I hate being in bed without you.” Running a hand down her back he lead her back to the couch.
“It's not like you can do anything in your condition.” Lois teased, but she caught the way Chloe quickly averted her eyes. “Wait...” Try as he might, it was clear Davis couldn't keep the grin from his lips. “He was shot with an arrow for Christ's sake. No wonder you're pregnant, you two are like bunnies.”
Chloe really didn't know how Lois could blame her. Davis was in full weekend mode. He hadn't gone for a haircut since they came back from their honeymoon and hadn't shaved in the two days he'd been off. So after his shower he'd done no more than run a hand roughly through his hair and pulled on his favorite pair of shorts. The only reason she'd left him in bed at all was because Lois showed up. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Right.” Lois pushed to her feet. “Well, I'm going to head over to Ollie's. You stay here,” She recognized the look on Chloe's face and cut her off immediately. “Have more inappropriate sex with your husband. I'll be back.”
“Why don't you take a night off, Lois. Stay at your own place.”
Lois seemed to be thinking it over. “No, I rather come here and bug you, Davis. Later cuz.”
Davis waited until he heard Lois lock the door behind her, then shifted until he was laying on his back and pulled Chloe down with him.
Chloe shifted until she lay with her head resting on Davis' chest. “What do you want to do for dinner? Just know I'm not in much of a cooking mood.”
“Neither am I.” Davis began to pull at the shirt she wore, wondering if he could maneuver it over her head without either of them moving. “Guess that makes it a take out night.”
“I hate take out night.” Mainly because he ate anything and it became entirely her decision on what exactly they had. Then most nights she had to take into account that Lois was likely joining them and that just never went well. “And you can stop with the shirt, it's staying on.” She felt his laugh rumbling in his chest.
Although he was more than a little disappointed, Davis contented himself with sliding his hands under her shirt and running them along her back. “Wanna watch a movie?”
“As long as it's not Star Wars. And that includes the extras DVD.” The way he immediately slumped back down on the couch let her know that she'd kiboshed his plans. “It's been a week sweetie, I can't take anymore.”
“TIVO?”
“I'm not watching the cartoon either.”
Completely defeated, Davis gave up and handed her the remote. Figured he'd simply cut out the middle man. He could feel the smile spread across her face, so he knew and accepted the fact that he'd just been played. But how could he mind when she settled more comfortably against him as she turned the TV on.
He loved this part of their life together. He liked talking about what they would have for dinner. He liked how on Saturday mornings they each popped in their headphones and cleaned the apartment, how despite the music blasting in her ears she knew when he was coming up behind her to kiss her neck. He loved coming home after her, following the trail of clothes she left leading to the bedroom. And more than anything he loved the nights they both got home early or days when they were both home, how they'd lay on the couch together watching TV or reading or just relaxing.
“You know we're going to need a bigger couch.”
“Why's that?”
“Well, there's not going to be enough room for you on the outside and I wouldn't want to hold the baby over here because it might roll off or something.”
Chloe said nothing, just angled her head to look at him. His face was set in the most adorable frown she'd ever seen.
“I'm going to be on sick leave for a while, so I guess we can go anytime and find something big enough for the three of us to lay on comfortably. Christ, we're going to need a bigger apartment, I guess we could keep the crib in our room but the kid is going to eventually need his own space.” He noticed the way she was watching him. “What?”
“Nothing. It's just quite the turn around from the image you painted of the baby tearing it's way out of my body and terrorizing the delivery room.”
Wrapping his arm around her waist, giving her a quick tug until she lay beneath him. “You really aren't going to let me live that down are you.”
“It's not something one can really forget.” She shifted so that he could settle between her thighs.
“I'm sorry for acting like a complete-”
“Stark raving lunatic.”
Yeah, she was never going to let him live this down. “So how much time do I have before the little monster baby's due to arrive.”
“Seven months.” She ran her hand over his stubble roughened cheeks. “Are you really okay with this?”
“I am.” His hands found their way back under her shirt, while his lips busied themselves on her neck. He wanted to spend the rest of his life just here. “You know what's going to be really cool. If it's a girl when she gets to high school and some idiot boy asks her what her parents do she's going to tell him her mom is the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist at The Daily Planet and her dad's earths ultimate destroyer. She won't date until I'm dead.”
“I'm glad you found an upside to having a beast of destruction inside you.” When his eyes lit up in a smile, she gave an exasperated sigh. “Please don't make that statement.”
“But it's so easy.” He murmured against her lips. “And I want to be inside you.”
“Are you sure it's safe with the monster-”
He was left with no other choice but to cover her mouth with his to keep her quiet.
“You green leather wearing son of a bitch.”
Oliver winced, he looked over to his team. Bart had disappeared, Victor seemed to be seriously contemplating going out the window, AC was deceptively calm, and Clark....well, Clark was just useless when faced with an angry woman.
“Lois-”
“Don't. Don't you dare greet me like nothings happened.” Her eyes cut over every face in the room. “Smallville. I knew it. I knew you had something to do with this.”
“To do with what?”
Oliver rolled his eyes. Clark's innocent act would have been a lot move believable if his voice hadn't cracked mid-sentence. And the whole avoiding looking anyone in the eye bit was beyond guilty. “Lois, maybe we should do this in private.”
“Why?” She demanded. “A group of men attacked my cousin's husband. A group, like the one standing in this room. How could you do this Oliver?”
“Clark was worried. We all were.”
Lois was hoping that he would deny the whole thing. That, somehow, he was completely uninvolved with what happened to Davis. Clearly, that wasn't the case. “Where was all this concern when she was going to marry that jackass Jimmy. Jimmy,” She said his name with so much contempt it took Oliver by surprise. “Who took her virginity and didn't have the decency to call her again. Who dropped her the first time some empty headed bimbo batted her eyes at him. The guy who gave her shit for being friends with Clark. How come no one was rushing to kick his ass for the number of times he hurt Chloe? How come no one objected to that wedding?”
AC raised his hand. “I did.”
Lois frowned at him a moment before turning her attention back to her other ex. “You could have killed him, Oliver.”
“That was not my intention. The arrow I used....it was a prototype. It was smaller, almost like a bullet.” This next part, Oliver knew, was not going to go over well. But he needed to tell Lois the truth, so that she in turn would go back and tell Chloe. Because right now, he honestly didn't think he could face her. “The tip was made with...refined pieces of the meteor rock. It was meant to sedate him, I never figured it would have gone through him that way.”
“Meteor...sedate him...Jesus, Ollie. The guy risked his job to help you. And you're treating him like he's King Kong or something.”
“He's dangerous, Lois.” Clark began in a rush. “There's something different about him, something not right. You have to see that.”
What Lois saw was a sad farm boy who couldn't come to terms with that fact that Chloe was no longer his alone anymore. Clark, Lois firmly believed, had liked Jimmy because he'd never come between the two friends. Chloe had no problem dropping Jimmy whenever Clark called. But things were different with Davis. Davis changed Chloe's priorities and it was clear Clark was having trouble being bumped down the list. “She's never going to forgive you for this Oliver.”
Oliver looked up sharply. “She knows it was me.”
“Davis' partner saw the Green Arrow.”
“But what did Chloe say?” Oliver asked anxiously. “What were her exact words?”
“Something along the lines of how could Oliver do something like this”
Defeated, Oliver sank back in his chair. Of all the times for her to remember, it was now. It may have been better if she never remembered. Because now, he was almost sure, that friendship was lost. And there was only one person to blame for that, Oliver thought as he shot an accusatory look at Clark. It may have taken a while and Davis may have put up one hell of a fight, but the guy had gone down like a brick. Oliver would never forget the way Davis' blood pooled around him, the way he lay motionless on the ground. “Tell her I'm sorry.”
“Tell her yourself. I hope you guys got whatever it was you wanted. But you should know that I saw Chloe. She's still afraid, she's still clinging to Davis because she's afraid someone's going to come and take him away from her.”
“We were trying to protect her.” Clark stressed.
“He's her husband!” Lois fist slammed down roughly on Oliver's desk. “Damn it, Clark, can't you see that she loves him. I don't understand how come you can't see that.” Realizing that arguing with Clark about this would be pointless, she turned to leave. But stopped at the door of the elevators. “I think you guys should know, just in case you have a mind to go after him again in the name of protecting Chloe. It wouldn't just be her husband you're attacking. But the father of her baby as well.”
---
Thy friendship oft has made my heart to ache; do be my enemy-for friendship's sake—William Blake
“I don't want you here.” Chloe bit the words out harshly as she blocked the door to her apartment.
Oliver couldn't say that he was surprised by Chloe's reaction to him. Hadn't Lois warned him? But how could he have known the loss would cut him this deep? He and Chloe had been friends, partners, and now she looked at him as if he were some kind of monster. He thought it was better when she hardly looked at him at all. “Please Chloe. Just let me explain.”
“No. There is nothing you could say to me that could justify what you did.”
Oliver thought this could go a lot better if she just let him in. “If you would just,” He started to step forward, but the look on her face stopped him in his tracks. She looked afraid. “Chloe? I'm not going to come in and attack him.”
“You're not coming in at all.” Part of Chloe realized that Oliver didn't come all the way over to finish the job he started. But the other part didn't think she could relax with him so close to Davis. “I don't want you anywhere near him.”
“Chloe, you're important to me. You married a guy...I didn't know him. I was worried about you. I was only trying to protect you.”
It seemed to Chloe that over the pass few months she was having the same conversation with the men in her life. “Protect me from what? From my husband? The father of my child? He protects me. He takes care of me. If you had succeeded in your protection, you'd have....”
It wasn't very often that anyone could make Oliver feel as low as Chloe was currently making him feel. She was always so expressive, so she didn't have to finish her sentence for him to know what killing Davis would have done to her. “I'm sorry.”
“That's not good enough. You shot my husband. You could have killed him.” And would have killed her in the process. “I couldn't breathe, Oliver. When I first heard...I couldn't breathe. He's everything to me and you tried to take him away. I'll never forgive you for this.”
Jimmy Olsen never considered himself a vengeful person. He was quite sure that everyone who knew him would agree that he was exceptionally easy going. But like anyone, he could only be pushed so far. Jimmy knew he made a lot of mistakes in his relationship with Chloe; Kara being one, his distrust of Clark being another. He realized he'd been foolish and unfair. Especially now that it seemed he had absolutely nothing to worry about with Clark.
When Chloe ended their engagement, Jimmy took it all very philosophically. He figured he rushed the whole 'let's get married' thing, thought he should have given her more time after her release from the hospital and subsequent release from prison to think over his proposal. Admittedly, he wasn't entirely sure if they were ready for marriage just yet.
So when Chloe came to him, saying they needed to talk, he thought he knew where the conversation was going. They hadn't been spending much time together lately. He agreed that they didn't know each other as well as they should anymore. So he closed his fist around the ring she placed in his hand and quietly exited the apartment.
All he wanted was to get his head together. He just wasn't sure how things would be between them. It wasn't until he came back to the apartment and found several of her things packed up that he realized Chloe wasn't just ending the engagement but their relationship as well.
It still hadn't really registered for him, though. He and Chloe had broken up several times before but found their way back to one another. It made since to him that Chloe was spending time with Lois, figured she thought he was angry with her and was giving him time to blow off some steam, but when he showed up at her cousin's door Lois merely rolled her eyes at him and shut the door in his face.
Still, he didn't get it. Even before she ended their engagement, Chloe would stay nights with her cousin and when he called Lois would always tell him to back off so Chloe could work.
So when Tess Mercer sent him off on assignment, he thought it was a Godsend. Thinking that when he got back, Chloe would realize how much she missed him, and they would be back in a good place. But as it happened, he came back to an apartment completely devoid of any trace of Chloe. The diamond engagement ring and the plastic one he initially proposed with-both of which he placed in her jewelry box as a show of how upset he wasn't-were left on his dresser.
Although down, Jimmy didn't consider himself out. At least until he went to work and over heard Clark and Lois arguing. It seemed that Clark was upset by Chloe's current living arrangements. It made him feel bad to hear Clark defend him, knowing how much flack he gave Chloe for her friendship with the tall farm boy. And for a moment he thought it would all work out, that he'd have his bright eyes back. But then Lois started off on a tirade. The words he was able to pick up filled him with a sense of dread, words like 'in love' 'finally happy' 'good guy' and the one that sent it home 'Davis'. Actually it was one whole sentence: Davis is a good guy who's crazy in love with my cousin and she's happy, Smallville, finally happy so why can't you be happy for her.
Jimmy had been crushed and backed away before Lois or Clark could see him. He didn't believe it, not really. So he'd gone by Isis, wanting nothing more than to just talk to Chloe. He found her with Davis. Chloe was perched on the edge of her desk, while Davis sat in her chair. She was leaning over him, her nails running over the back of his neck, looking at him as if he hung the damn moon. Something in Jimmy snapped and things just went completely down hill from there.
All self-righteous indignation, he stormed into the office. He railed at her for moving on so quickly. Accused her of never really caring for him at all. Neither Chloe nor Davis said anything, just let him get it out. That is until he started with the insults. Jimmy didn't even see Davis coming, was lifted off his feet before he knew what was happening:
“You have every right to be angry. You have every right to hate us. But you call her another name and I'll kill you.”
He left, what other choice did he have. Convincing himself he was better off without her. And may have gotten there if she never came back to The Planet.
She'd called off their wedding, left him, and in a matter of weeks she was married to and having another guy's baby. Everyone knew, everyone was looking at him with pity, everyone was laughing at him. And mister tall, dark, and threatening was always popping in. The more Jimmy saw them together the more pissed off he became, the more convinced he was that there was something not entirely right about Davis Bloome.
“Mr. Olsen, I run a newspaper here.”
“And this is a story.” Jimmy stressed, but everything about the way Tess Mercer was looking at him right now screamed 'you poor little man'.
“The fact that an EMT was at a scene in which a emergency response team was called is not news worthy.” She pushed away the photos he tossed on her desk. “You were at the same scenes he was, does that make you a murderer. Actually you were at a few crimes scenes he wasn't.”
“I'm a photographer.”
“To which I reiterate my previous EMT statement.” All manufactured sympathy, Tess leaned her elbows on her desk. “Look, Mr. Olson, I understand that it's hard for you. But, again, this is a newspaper. Not some vessel for which you to exact payback because your girlfriend decided to trade up.”
“That's not why- hey!”
Tess tried to bite back the grin at his delayed reaction to her insult. She really wanted to take this opportunity to lob another one but noticed a storm brewing just outside her office.
Lois was practically spitting fire as she stood bent over her desk reading something on her computer screen. When she finished she quickly typed in a command before rushing over to her cousin's desk. It seemed as if Chloe tried to brush Lois off, but the taller woman simply reached around her cousin to type something on the keyboard. As Chloe began to read her screen, Lois tossed a very angry glare over her shoulder at Clark's desk; Tess figured if the farm boy had been there he'd have burst into flames. But Lois' look was down right cuddly as compared to the utter fury written across Chloe's features by the time she finished. Lois bent over her cousin's desk, appearing to be trying to soothe Chloe. But she didn't work fast enough, because as Clark walked down the stairs and over to his desk, Chloe was out of her chair like a shot.
“If you'll excuse me, Mr. Olsen.” Tess had every intention of defusing the situation. Eventually.
“You flannel wearing son of a bitch.” Chloe's words stopped all activity around her.
“Chloe? What?” Clark's features struggled between hurt and confusion. “What's wrong?”
“The Green Arrow was provoked into action...”
Clark's mouth opened and closed several times. “That's...how did you get my story?
“Story?” Chloe bit out harshly. “You accuse my husband of being responsible for the attack that could have killed him. That's not a story, Clark. How could you do something like this?”
“I simply reported the facts.”
“You reported your biased.”
“Up until now the Red-Blue Blur and the Green Arrow have never attack anyone without cause.”
“Up until now.” Chloe repeated. “This article,” The word was dripping with disdain. “Was full of half-baked assumptions. If you couldn't separate your dislike of Davis from doing your job maybe you should have handed the story off to someone else.”
“If anyone is unable to separate the two it's you, Chloe, not me. If this were anyone else other than your husband then you'd be drawing the same conclusions. There's been a string of unsolved crimes in Metropolis, just last night a bank was broken into and a guard was murdered.”
Chloe was amazed her head didn't simply implode. “Are you now implying that Davis is a bank robbing murderer. Are you forgetting that he's been at home recuperating for the past week?”
“Do you know where he was last night?”
“I'm not justifying that.” Chloe started to back away, saw the horrible place this conversation would end at. “You want to put your name on that, fine.”
“You didn't answer his question, Chloe.” Jimmy interceded, not missing the way both Chloe and Lois rolled their eyes. “It's not completely out of the question for Davis to attack someone. Are you forgetting what he did to me."
“You bulldozed your way into her office and proceeded to berate and insult her.” Lois reminded him. “What was Davis suppose to do, stand by and just let you? You over stepped and got put in your place, deal.”
“But he's right." Clark wanted to stop talking. He really did. But it seemed the more Chloe defended Davis the more upset he became the more his mouth ran away from him. "If Chloe's so sure Davis couldn't have possibly done something wrong just tell us where he was.”
“I'm not doing this.”
“Why not?” Clark demanded. “You can end this whole thing right now.”
“You don't trust me at all do you?”
“It's not about you. It's him I don't trust.”
“You're an ass.” Chloe tossed out as she turned to walk away.
“Just tell us where he was.” Clark countered.
“He was with me.”
“All night?” Jimmy asked.
“Yes.”
“How can you be so sure?” Clark demanded.
“Because he fell asleep inside me, like he does every night. And when I woke up this morning he was still inside me, like always. Happy?”
Lois was very much aware of the fact that there was a special place in hell for her, but she couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of her lips. It was wrong to take pleasure in the fact that Jimmy and Clark paled considerably. It was wrong to take pleasure in their suffering, but she did. Maybe after today she'd work on being a better person.
“Chloe.” Clark refused to admit that he was wrong. There was something different about Davis, he knew there was. And he'd make Chloe see that before she got hurt. “Maybe I was wrong about last night but you were wrong too. We're not in high school anymore, you have to respect the fact that I'm a journalist now and you have no right to run behind me-”
“You're not a journalist.” Chloe cut him off. What happened to Davis was still too fresh, the threat of losing him still too real. And though she realized her anger at Clark may be irrational, she couldn't help the snap of her temper. “You're an overgrown child playing at being a journalist. You think your over inflated sense of your own moral compass makes you a good journalist? I got news for you, it doesn't. You can't even separate yourself from the story. You don't like Davis, therefore no one should. But it's not always about you, Clark. And until you can realize that, you'll never be a good journalist.”
---
All I ever wanted, all I ever needed, is here in my arms- Depeche Mode
Use to blending in and drawing as little attention to himself as possible, Davis was very much aware of the eyes that were on him the moment he stepped through The Daily Planet's glass doors. A few days ago he would have chalked it up to people being curious after what happened to him. But now he knew it was because of what had gone on between Chloe, Clark, and Jimmy.
Lois had called him about ten minutes ago. Telling him that Chloe was upset and that he needed to come see her. Davis demanded to know what happened and when Lois told him, his cell phone bore the brunt of his anger.
He had to focus on crossing the room to Chloe and not make a detour towards Clark or Jimmy. The beast was barely restrained. Davis' anger bringing it closer to the surface. The monster wanted violence and the man very badly wanted to give in to it.
“What did you do, fly here?” Lois demanded, stepping into Davis line of sight. “Why the hell aren't you answering your phone. Chloe's been trying to call you.” And driving herself crazy when she couldn't reach him.
“My cell,” Was in pieces in his pocket. “Stopped working. You told me she needed me,” Davis smiled when his wife finally looked up from her computer screen to see him. “I got here as fast as I could.”
Even though he was speaking to her Lois knew that, as far as Davis was concerned, the only person in the room was Chloe.
Chloe felt ridiculous for wanting to cry at the sight of him. But when she couldn't reach him, she automatically assumed the worse.
“Hey,” Davis walked behind her desk, dropping to one knee so he could be at eye level with her. He could see the worry in her eyes, noticed the trembling in the hands that reached out to cup his face.
Chloe pressed her mouth firmly to his, needing the contact between them, before pulling back slightly. “Hi. What are you doing here?”
“Your cousin called. Told me I needed to get over here and kick somebody's ass.”
“Lois would. But I'd prefer if you didn't.” Chloe watched as he seemed to be considering it, when he took longer then she liked she gave his ear a none-to-gentle tug. “Davis.”
“Alright, alright. How about I just take you to lunch then. You can come to, Lois.” He spoke without turning around, knowing her cousin was lurking close by. “I need to stop at the bookstore, so if you agree to go, there will be no bitching about it.”
Lois rolled her eyes, how many parenting books did one guy need. And Davis was one of those people that had to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the bookstore. But she was hungry and he always paid. “I shouldn't. But,” She continued before he could say anything else. “If you insist, I'll just go grab my purse.” Lois hurried back over to her desk.
Chloe noticed Clark glaring at Davis from his desk. She wanted her husband out of the building and away from her best friend. She hated the feeling, hated not understanding where the feeling was coming from. “I have to finish up, why don't I meet you guys outside.”
Davis nodded, but he hung back until Chloe disappeared around a corner. When he made his way across the room to Clark's desk, he would have sworn all activity stopped. “I need to talk to you outside. Now.” There was a growl in his voice that he couldn't really help. So he turned quickly and walked out of the building.
Clark wasn't far behind him, rounded the corner towards the alley so closely he nearly ran right through Davis.
Davis didn't speak immediately, for he wasn't entirely in control of himself. He wanted to put his fist through something, probably would have if Clark wasn't standing there watching him. Just waiting for him to do something out of the ordinary. “How do you it?”
Thrown by the question, Clark frowned. “Do what?”
“Maybe it makes you a better man than I am, definitely stronger.”
“What are you talking about?”
“How do you hurt her over and over again and not...die at the sight of her tears. I can't stand it.” The words were growled and he paused. Pushing the anger and the beast back. “I hate it when she cries, when she's upset, or hurt. It rips me apart. And yet you....you've been doing it for years. How?”
“I've been taking care of Chloe for years. I've been there for her, protecting her long before-”
“But I'm here now.” It grated that he had to look up at the farm boy. “I'm her husband. I love her. And I'm trying to keep her and our child safe, she doesn't need this kind of stress right now. Why can't you respect that?”
It was a question that Clark often asked himself. He knew that Chloe was happy. He knew that after a rough start, she was finally settling into the life she always wanted. As her friend he wanted to be a part of her life, to enjoy her happiness with her. But he just couldn't. He hated what it was doing to her and their friendship. And he couldn't help but feel that Davis was partly responsible for this. “There's something about you, I don't know what it is. But you're not good for her. You don't think I figured out that the two of you were seeing each other while she was still with Jimmy. That's not Chloe, she doesn't do things like that.”
“I know that. But I'm not sorry for it. And even if I was, I sure as hell wouldn't apologize to you for it.”
“How can you not be sorry for doing what you did to Jimmy.”
“Because I got Chloe.” And as far as Davis was concerned there was nothing more important than that. “If anything, I wish I had known her before. I wish I had met her first.”
“She's separated herself from her friends because of you.”
Davis shook his head in disagreement. “Oh no, you can't put that on me. She can't remember her friends. Dinah, Victor, AC, and Bart; the night of Oliver's party she told me that they knew her but she couldn't remember them. Dinah calls all the time and Bart's been by our place, things are starting to come back to her in bits and pieces. But I came to you, I asked for your help.” And that had been a bitter pill to swallow, going to another man asking for help for Chloe. But his wife had been in trouble and Davis would do anything to help her. “I asked you to do one simple thing and you couldn't do that. Or worse, you wouldn't.”
It wasn't easy to hear how badly he botched things. To be shown how much of this may have actually been his own fault. And Clark, being who he was, shook his head as if to deny the whole thing. The problem, he told himself, wasn't what he'd done but what Davis was. “I know that there's something different about you. You threatened Jimmy. You physically attacked me, twice. There's no way in hell I'm just going to sit back and let you hurt Chloe.”
“Jimmy's lucky I didn't drop him on the spot. As far as that goes, so are you. But none of that means I'd ever hurt Chloe. She's my life. I'm not going to let anyone or anything hurt her.”
Clark saw the truth of it in Davis' eyes. And found no comfort in that. “Is this the part where you threaten to kick my ass?”
It was more than the remark, it was the flippant way Clark said it. The dismissive look on the other man's face that snapped Davis' control. Reaching out he grabbed Clark by his lapels and slammed him against the side of the building. “No. This is where I swear on my life that if you ever cause her another moments pain it will be the last thing you ever do.”
“Davis! Davis!”
Both Clark and Davis looked to the mouth of the alley expecting to see Chloe standing there ready to rip into them for fighting. But Chloe was not one of the many people passing by. When they registered the distress in her voice, Clark shoved Davis, sending the other man careening into the opposite building, and rushed from the alley with Davis right behind him. Neither man aware of the damage they left to the buildings.
“Chloe.” Clark reached her first, placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her. But Davis was right there, pushing him aside, taking his place. He watched as Chloe's arms locked tight around Davis' waist, her hands fisting in his shirt. It was like he hadn't been there at all.
“Baby,” Davis made sure his voice was light as he eased her back a bit. “What's wrong?” He looked to Lois, who gave him a helpless shrug.
“Nothing.” Chloe shook her head. “I just...you were suppose to be waiting for us out here. But when we came out you weren't.....I didn't see you.”
“I'm sorry. I, uh, I was just over there talking to Clark.” At her arched look, he amended his statement. “Arguing with Clark.”
Chloe gave a heavy sigh as she pulled out of his arms. “Damn it, Davis.” She began to brush her hands off, realized what she was doing, and looked down at the dust covering her hands. “What-turn around.” He did so, reluctantly. His back was covered in what looked like dried cement and bits of brick. “Argued?”
“I may have grabbed him and he may have shoved me.” Davis didn't have to turn around to know the look she was giving him. “Okay, I did grab him and then he shoved me.” He turned around quickly and knew by the look on her face that he was in serious trouble. “I just, I saw that you were upset and...I just kind of reacted to that.”
Hand placed firmly on her hip, Lois arched a brow at Clark. “What's your excuse, jackass?”
“Why do you always act like I'm to blame?”
“Do I really have to explain it?”
“No, no.” Davis interrupted their bickering. “It's my fault. I started it.” He reached for Chloe's hand, giving a sigh of relief when she didn't pull away from him. “I just wanted to talk to him, baby. And then I kind of lost my temper. I mean, I didn't bring him out here to kick his ass or anything. It just started one way and ended-”
“With two grown men acting like a couple of school boys.” Chloe finished, biting back a smile when they both hung their head sheepishly. She had half a mind to make them shake hands and apologize to each other. “Do you feel better?”
“No, it might help if I smacked Jimmy Olsen around a little bit, though.”
When he looked at her, as if she'd give him the okay, Chloe couldn't help but to grin. “No.” She brought their joined hands up to jab him in the chest. “You can't beat up Jimmy.”
Davis gave an indifferent shrug of his shoulders. “Worth a shot.” With a smile, he raised her hand so that he could place a gentle kiss on her palm. “Ready to eat?”
“Actually....” When his teeth grazed the base of her thumb, she momentarily lost her train of thought. “Don't go starting things you can't finish.”
“Better yet, don't go starting things I don't want to see.” Lois, having been around them when they got like this, pulled them apart. Davis promised her food, so the last thing she wanted was for him and Chloe to get all worked up and screw her out of a free lunch.
Clark noticed that Lois began to chuckle softly. “Why are you laughing?”
“I just made a really funny/dirty pun in my head.” She noticed the looks the other three were giving her. “You kind of had to be there. Or not.”
Davis nodded as he leaned down to press his lips to Chloe's ear. “We're seriously going to let this woman be our kid's god mother.”
“Hey,” Lois frowned. “I heard that.”
“You were meant to.” Davis laughed as he made sure to duck out of the way before Lois' fist could connect with his shoulder. “Alright, let's go before she turns into a gremlin or something.” When Chloe nudged him with her elbow, he glanced down, and barely resisted rolling his eyes at what she was suggesting. “Clark would you like to join us?” He grinned when he managed to say that without it sounding forced.
Lois both loved and hated that they could do that and often wondered if that whole silent communication thing happened the moment the rings were in place. It was kinda cool when it wasn't annoying as hell.
“Uh,” Clark realized he should accept the invite. But if the way Chloe was beaming up at Davis was any indication on how the afternoon was going to go, he'd rather sit this one out. “I can't. I've got some stuff, maybe some other time.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. She didn't understand why her best friend was being such a dick. But he was Clark and she learned to accept certain things a long time ago. “Whatever, Clark.”
“You might want to dust your jacket off before you go back inside, Smallville, don't want to start any more rumors.”
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
Oh my little girl
Chloe realized that she could probably get her husband to do whatever she wanted. He was in big time 'make it up to the wife' mode, which was why Tori Amos' voice was drifting through the apartment. The window was open, the cool night air bellowing the curtains, but with Davis' body wrapped around hers, Chloe barely felt the chill. She often joked that he was the best blanket she could ever hope to have, managing to warm her inside and out.
“I'm sorry.” Davis mumbled into her hair.
“So, you've said. Repeatedly. But you haven't said what it is you're sorry for.”
“Upsetting you.”
It was wrong. Actually, it might have been Lois rubbing off on her, but she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. “But not for fighting with Clark.”
“You keep saying fighting. I wasn't fighting with Clark.” When she pinched his hand, he relented. It didn't hurt, but the point was made. “No I'm not sorry for that.”
“And after we came back from lunch. When you glared at Jimmy until he nearly wet his pants.”
“I'm just sorry you wouldn't let me clock the little bastard once.” His arms tightened around her. One hand going to rest protectively over her stomach. “You and our baby....taking care of the two of you, that's the most important thing to me.”
“And taking care of you is important to me. They came after you once. And if you hit Jimmy, you'll probably kill him, and that's just borrowing trouble we don't need.” Her fingers danced over the arm he had locked around her. “I love you. I need you. Promise me you won't lose your temper-”
“My temper slipped, I never actually lost it.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just promise me it won't happen again.”
It took Davis a long time to respond. He'd never break a promise to her. And he could never deny her anything. But she was asking him for something he was not sure he could give. What he told Clark was the absolute truth; it killed him to see Chloe hurt. And he'd do everything in his power to keep her from pain. “I can promise to try. I won't ever let anyone hurt you. But I promise to try my best. Because I love you. And I need you, too.”
Turning her head, Chloe pressed her lips to his bicep. “God, we are so co-dependent.”
“You are, maybe. I can leave you whenever I want.”
“Oh, really?” She loved how he was able to stay inside her even as he shifted their positions so that she was now laying on her back. “Why are you still here, then?”
His lips were curled in a smile when his mouth met hers. “Well, I figured since I knocked you up I should stick around.”
“How thoughtful of you.”
“What can I say,” He pulled out of her slightly only to push firmly back inside of her. They gave simultaneous moans of pleasure. “I'm a considerate guy.”
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
VagrantDream, thank you for venturing in to fanfiction.net so we don't have to. What an awesome find.
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