PART 12
Clark easily lifted the sofa.
There it was. The crystal paperweight, it's jagged edges coated with dried blood.
Clark grimaced as he picked it up. Thanks to his super speed, he'd been able to clean up the mess in the Torch office and get Chloe out of there before the police arrived to investigate the light show. But Chloe had been too out of it to tell him about the paperweight until this morning.
"I forgot!" she explained when he stopped by her house. "How could I forget?"
She'd been on the verge of panic, convinced someone had found it. And, even as he tried to calm her down, he was worried about the same thing.
But here it was. Since the office wasn't part of the 'official' crime scene, the police probably hadn't even searched it.
Lowering the sofa to the floor, Clark put the paperweight in his backpack.
"What are you doing, man?"
Startled, Clark turned around to look at Pete. "Uh, nothing. Just thought I saw something on the floor." Trying to seem casual, Clark zipped up the backpack. "I thought you were looking for Venessa."
"Couldn't find her." Pete grinned. "She's probably off telling all her friends about our perfect date."
Forcing a laugh, Clark stood. It felt strange to be keeping secrets from Pete again. But this wasn't his to tell. And he didn't think Chloe was about to any time soon.
"Hey, did you find the file Chloe wanted you to get?" his friend continued.
"Yep." Clark held up the bag. "It was right where she said it would be."
Clark followed Pete out the door. In the hallway, the hum of countless conversations made it hard to hear yourself think. The entire school was abuzz with morbid excitement. Everyone was talking about the latest freakiness to hit Smallville High…better known as The Headless Dead Guy In the Gym.
Pete shook his head. "Man, I bet Chloe's sorry to be out sick. She would have had a blast getting everybody's reactions for the paper. The entire day could've been one big interview."
"Yeah," Clark mumbled. Although this was part of the reason Chloe had stayed home. The fresh memories the building held were bad enough. She sure didn't need to hear one of the most traumatic experiences of her life turned into schoolroom gossip.
"Hey, look! There's Venessa." Grinning at the girl in question, Pete slapped Clark on the back. "Catch you later, man."
As Pete hurried down the hall, Clark headed for his locker. The thought of leaving the 'evidence' in there all day made him more than a little nervous. Maybe he'd sneak away around lunchtime. He couldn't wait to put paperweight where it belonged.
At the bottom of the lake, right next to Merrick's sword.
____________________
Chloe's hands had been shaking for the past four days.
It was kinda starting to annoy. When she tried to write, the pen jerked all over the page. When she picked up a glass, she spilled its contents all over the place. She didn't dare try to cut a lemon for her tea.
Arms folded, Chloe wandered into the bathroom. When she looked up at the mirror, she froze. Ever since Friday night, seeing reflection had felt…strange. Not because she was so different, but because she wasn't.
Shouldn't she look older? Harder? Shouldn't she be able to look at herself and see what she'd done? Shouldn't she be stained somehow?
But the face that stared back at her was the same. Except for the empty eyes. Those were new.
"I'm a killer," she muttered, the words thick and heavy in her mouth.
If Clark were here, he'd rush to point out she'd had no choice. That she'd only defended herself. And her rational brain knew that was true. Merrick was a murderer. A serial killer who had tried his best to make her his next victim. Guilt was the last emotion she should feel right now. But…
Merrick was dead because of her. She'd killed him with her own hands. With his own sword. She'd taken his head and his Quickening. She could almost feel him inside her.
And her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Chloe took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It would be so much easier if she could just hate him. But she'd remember something he'd said and almost smile. Or she'd remember how proud he was when she picked up some new move faster than he'd expected. She'd remember that, for a while, he was her friend.
And she'd killed him.
Turning on the tap, Chloe splashed cold water on her face. It was either that or throw up again.
As she dried her face, the doorbell rang. Chloe thought about not answering it. It wasn't like she was in the mood for company. Besides, there was no good reason for anyone to be knocking on their door at this time of the day anyway. But, after 5 minutes, it became obvious the visitor wasn't about to go away.
Dragging herself to the front door, Chloe threw it open.
The man on the porch was a handsome Latino in his late 20's. He was dressed the way Lex might on a casual day, down to the leather jacket that would cost most people an entire paycheck. And cradled in his arms was a long, rectangular case.
"Can I help you?" Chloe said, thinking he was better dressed than the average delivery man.
Mouth set in a grim line, the man studied her. "Chloe Sullivan?"
Chloe's curious gaze settled on the package. "Yes? Is that for me?"
With a sharp nod, he stepped closer. "I…knew Merrick."
Chloe's body tensed. Instinctively, her stance became defensive, prepared for an attack. She didn't feel a buzz, so he wasn't an Immortal. Still…
"Maybe 'knew him' is too strong," the man continued, as if he didn't notice her reaction. "I only spoke to him face-to-face a few times. It's more like we knew about each other. Which got me into some trouble, believe me." He shrugged and held out the package. "This is for you."
Chloe eyed the package as if it had turned into a poisonous snake. "I don't…"
"He came to my place early Friday morning," the guy interrupted. His lips twisted into a frown. "Can't say I was happy he knew where I was staying, but I probably should have expected it. Anyway, he gave with instructions. If anything happened to him, I had to give it to you."
More alert than she had been in days, Chloe stared at him. "What? I don't understand."
"Consider it your inheritance." As he undid the clasps on the case, his sleeve rode up his arm. Chloe saw the beginnings of some kind of tattoo on the inside of his wrist. For an instant, her curiosity was peaked.
Then, he lifted the lid, and she saw what was inside the case.
"Oh my God," she whispered, taking a startled step back.
"Yeah." The man sounded impressed. "It's a single-handed broadsword. One of the best I've ever seen. It must have cost Merrick a pretty penny."
Eyes wide with disbelief, Chloe studied the weapon. It was beautiful. She never thought she'd think that about a sword--especially not after what happened the last time she held one. But this one was breathtaking. So much so, she made a small sound of protest when he closed the lid.
"Here you go." He thrust the case into her numb arms, then placed a small envelope on top. "This is for you too. And I'm done." Turning abruptly, he started to walk away.
"Wait!" Chloe called, snapping out of her trance. "Who are you?"
Impatient, he turned back. "Someone who was never here if I want my next assignment to be halfway decent. Believe me, I wouldn't have agreed to do this except Merrick wasn't the kind of guy you said no to, you know? And, since I agreed…" His shrug seemed almost embarrassed. "Well, I like to keep my promises. Even if the guy I made them to is dead." His piece spoken, he turned and hurried across the lawn.
Beyond bewildered, Chloe watched as he got into an expensive SUV and drove away. Finally, she took her unexpected gift inside. Setting it on the dining room table, she stared at the envelope. CHLOE was written across the front in Merrick's familiar, bold script.
Hands trembling more than ever, she opened it and pulled out the single, thick card. As she read the words, tears filled her eyes.
Fight well. Live long. And always remember…
In the end, there can be only one.
M.
Taking a deep breath, Chloe set the card on the table. As she opened the case, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
And her hands stopped shaking.
____________________
As Clark drove towards the Sullivan house, he didn't know what to expect. The last couple of days had been pretty tough on Chloe. He'd tried to help. But, except for telling her she hadn't done anything wrong and everything would be okay, the most he could do was sit with her and offer his silent support.
The last thing he expected was to find Chloe on the front porch, staring up at the sky.
Carefully, almost as if she'd break if he made any sudden moves, Clark sat next to her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Just watched the clouds pass by overhead.
"I'm going to school tomorrow."
Clark didn't try to hide his surprise. "Are you sure? After what happened there, isn't it kind of soon…"
"I have to get back on the horse sometime," Chloe interrupted. "The way I see it, the sooner I go back, the sooner I can get over it."
"I guess," Clark agreed, a hint of doubt in his voice. He'd had trouble walking into Smallville High this morning, and his experience there had been nothing compared to Chloe's.
Thoughtfully, Clark studied his friend. Since Friday night, Chloe had been like a shadow of herself. Quiet, withdrawn, distant. All of her injuries had been healed by Saturday morning. Her ribs were mended. The swelling in her hand was gone. There wasn't a scratch or a bruise anywhere on her. But, still, she'd somehow seemed…wounded.
But, today, some of the spark was back. The strength he was used to was back in her eyes. And, yeah, the stubbornness too.
"Chloe," he cautiously began. "Are you…okay?"
She thought about it for a second before she shook her head. "No, I'm not." Her smile was shaky. "But, for the first time since that night, I think I will be."
____________________
Lex Luthor sat on the edge of his desk and stared down at the various documents spread out across the surface. Most of it was information he wasn't supposed to have, of course. But there was always a way to obtain the unattainable.
As he studied the crime scene report, a contemplative frown crinkled his brow. The electric light display wasn't the only unusual thing that happened at Smallville High on Friday night. In fact, the police seemed to think the decapitated corpse found in the gym was slightly more important.
As he read the crime scene report again, the scientist in Lex was intrigued. Except for a smear here, a streak there, there had been almost no blood in the gym. Certainly not what one expected in a room where a man's head had been cut off. The coroner speculated that the weapon used to do the deed generated enough heat or energy to seal the wound, cauterize it, before it could bleed. How or why, they had no idea.
Even more interesting was who the dead man had turned out to be. One William Merrick, resident of Metropolis, recently moved to Smallville for reasons unknown. Well, unknown to the police. Lex doubted anyone in Smallville knew about Chloe's connection to Merrick but himself and Clark. And, apparently, Ms. Sullivan was in no hurry to enlighten them, since she hadn't mentioned knowing the victim when questioned by the police.
It was standard procedure, since her car was found in the school parking lot. When questioned, Chloe explained she was working late at the Torch on Friday night when her friend Clark Kent dropped by to lend a hand. They went out to grab a bite to eat in his truck. And, because it was so late, she decided to leave the car at the school until the next day. When questioned separately—also standard procedure—Clark Kent corroborated her story.
The police believed the story whole-heartedly. And, Lex admitted, it seemed entirely plausible. Except…
It was that "except" that made his teeth itch, made his mind race with a mix between curiosity and suspicion.
Standing from the desk, Lex strolled over to the window. There was something more here. Something in the connection between Chloe and Merrick that the young woman didn't want anyone to know about. In that strange, electrical energy that had emanated from the gym where Merrick's body was found.
Something was telling Lex Chloe and Clark had a secret.
Now, he just had to decide on the best way to figure out what it was.
THE END
Authors Notes:
Finally, it's done!
Let me start by saying the reason it took me so long to post this chapter was I was trying to decide whether to continue on with the story, or bring this "installment" to a close and start fresh on the next…if, in fact, I do write a sequal. I finally went with the latter option. I think we all need a break.
Okay, about the mysterious man who delivered the package. Those familiar with The Highlander might have figured out he's a Watcher, mortals who secretly observe Immortals, recording their history for posterity. Immortals aren't supposed to know about them, but they are occasionally discovered. I can see Merrick finding out about his Watcher. And giving him an errand to run seemed like a very "Merricky" thing to do.
Finally, for those who were wondering why Chloe's mentor wasn't Duncan or Methos, now you know. I actually started liking Merrick more than expected. Despite what he did, I like to think he wasn't all bad.
Well, that's it. I hope you liked my first Smallville fic. Thanks for reading.
--Dannyblue