Chapter 11: Stars

"Dad…what is it?" Chloe asked.

He seemed to pull her farther down to whisper it in her ear, like suddenly the walls could hear everything.

Chloe gasped and jerked up suddenly, bringing her hand to her mouth. Only two words escaped. "Oh god…"

0o0o0o0

"Dad, how could you keep something like that from me?" Chloe asked seeming to back up farther from her father.

"Chloe, I didn't want you to get hurt…"

"Yeah, well good job." She said angrily and headed out into the hospital's hallway. She needed some fresh air; she was tired of smelling the sickening smell of elastic gloves and lemon air freshener that didn't cover up anything.

She turned right and clipped someone on her way to the front doors. She turned to apologize but then realized it was Clark.

"Sorry Clark…" she turned to head out but Clark grabbed her shoulder gently.

"Hey Chloe wait, what's wrong?"

His voice was so gentle and concerned she almost broke into tears. "Clark my dad did steal that money."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"Apparently it was for my mom Clark. He stole that money from Lex to take my mom out of the insane asylum."

Clark gave her a questioning look. "Does your dad even know where she is?"

Chloe shook her head. "He was going to find her. But Lex got to it first. Clark, If my dad doesn't give the money back…Lex will kill my mother."

When Clark finally coaxed Chloe back into the room with her father, he headed to Lex. If Lex was declaring war on Chloe and her father he better have known he was in trouble. Messing with Chloe was messing with Clark, and he wanted Lex to know he was in a war zone.

Before he could make it to Lex's office a security guard grabbed his arm and he had to resist the urge to throw him into the stain glass window across the hall.

"I'm here to see Lex."

"Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked with a nasally voice.

"Oh I'm sure he expecting me." Clark grit out, controlling his anger was getting harder and harder.

The guard dragged him to Lex's office. "Mr. Luthor I found this boy wondering around."

"Clark…I'm glad you don't need an invitation to show up in my home."

"Well Lex you sure don't need an invitation to ruin lives so… I was guessing it was all the same." He shrugged.

"It's ok Will." Lex nodded at the security guard and he let go of Clark's arm and left the office shutting the doors.

Lex sat down at his desk and Clark approached him. "So what have I done this time?" Lex asked coolly.

Clark shook his head. Lex thought because he had all this money that he could make problems go away and that meant he never caused any of them.

"Like you don't know." Clark seethed.

"Pretty sure I—"

"You found Chloe's mother and threatened to kill her!" His voice was reaching bellowing and he wanted to calm down before security came back in.

Lex shook his head. "Well with all do respect Clark; Gabe Sullivan did steal two million dollars from me."

Clark almost sneered, like respect had anything to do with being a Luthor. "Well knowing you I'm sure he had a perfect reason."

"It was out of no where Clark. I haven't done anything to that family."

He wanted Lex to stop saying his name, it felt like something evil and menacing when he said it. "Right, because taking Chloe's mother away when she was little was doing nothing at all."

Clark couldn't believe Lex's features. Lex broke into a small smile. A smile. And Clark had to clench his fists at his sides. When he looked into Lex's eyes, they were dark. This was it wasn't it? The last straw? He couldn't trust Lex anymore. It was like he was turning into a shadow, prone to dark and sinister tendencies.

"This isn't your war Clark." He said, standing. "I'd stay out of it."

Clark walked up slowly to Lex and felt himself absorbing some of the darkness that was corrupting Lex. "You come near Chloe again, hurt her, we're at war Lex. You and me."

This time Clark smiled softly and turned to leave. It must have been the darkness that caused it because when he got back outside his smile had faded completely.

When Clark got back to the hospital Chloe and her father had gone home. He headed over to Chloe's house and knocked on the door.

"Hello Clark." Gabe said quietly. "Can I help you?"

"Can I see Chloe?" Clark asked.

"I think she headed over to your place."

Clark nodded and Gabe closed the door. It was funny how he and Chloe were thinking so much alike. He was coming to see her while she went to see him. He headed back to his house and walked slowly up the stairs. He saw Chloe looking out his telescope at the stars. He couldn't decide what was more beautiful; the stars or her.

"Hey, how are you?"

She didn't look up from the telescope. "Fine I guess."

Clark walked slowly towards her and took her hand, which was a bold move on his part. She looked up now and he gave her a small smile, which she returned.

"I talked with Lex."

Chloe nodded. "And?"

"Well he knows that if he tries to do anything to you, I'll be there to stop it."

Chloe gave him a small smile and went to give him a hug. "I don't know where I'd be without you Clark."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and started rocking her in his arms. As he let her go he took her hand again and guided her back to the telescope.

"Now if you like looking at constellations I've been able to find some over the years. You wanna see them?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Yeah, how do you find them?"

He pointed the telescope at the stars and looked through it and directed it to the far left. "Ok, here look."

Chloe shifted and looked through the telescope. She saw shimmering stars as bright as day and the glitter off of them seemed to drip into the black sky.

"I'm pretty sure that's Hercules. The story goes Hercules won the hand of the beautiful maiden Deianeira. One day she was kidnapped by the centaur Nessus, but Hercules, hearing her cries, shot the centaur with an arrow. Dying, Nessus gave Deianeira a drop of his blood, telling her that a touch of it would restore Hercules' love if his affections ever strayed."

"You love looking at the stars Clark Kent?" Chloe asked turning to look at him.

"I love the view right now." He replied looking at her.

He went towards her slowly and wrapped his arms around her waist and pushed his lips onto hers. It was gentle at first but as Chloe responded, it became more passionate and loving.

The stars defiantly were losing their shine.