Finally, it's here!
Title: Agenda
Author:
babydee1Pairing: Chlark
Rating: NC-17 (mostly PG-13)
Warnings: None
Timeline: Futurefic; follows Season 8’s Injustice & Failsday Doomsday
Disclaimer: All known characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: More than a decade after the Doomsday Rampage, Clark makes a shocking discovery that changes his life forever.
Feedback: …makes me squee. :-)
Written for the 2011
smallvillebbang long Fanfic challenge. Many thanks to
twinsarein for all her tireless organisation and support!
Beta’ed by
legendarytobes & The Fallen Sky at KSite.
Art by
sylvanelfmistre &
go_clo.
sylvanelfmistre’s art
here |
go_clo’s art
here.
***
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
Smallville Fandom Creativity Awards
Winner, Best Chlark Fanfiction
Winner, Best Original Character (Gabby)
Runner-Up, Best Long Het Fanfiction
Nominated for Best Complete Story
Also...
Winner of Best Icon for
go_clo Winner of Best Chlark Cover Art for
go_clo Nominated for Best Chlark Cover Art for
sylvanelfmistre Author’s Note: Agenda is based on canon Smallville up until Failsday Doomsday, with the following changes:
1. Clark rescues Real!Chloe in Injustice; and
2. After Lois went *poof* in Doomsday, she never returned.
APPRECIATION:
From the very start, this fic has been influenced by the hands of others, and I wish to give credit to the four who have helped make this story, at 60,000 words, my flagship piece.
First up is the lovely
legendarytobes, who provided the prompt for this story and also beta’ed my work and gave me tons of advice on the cameo DC characters in the story. I can’t thank you enough for the initial inspiration and subsequent support. :-)
Next up is the amazing The Fallen Sky at ksite, who spent tireless nights reviewing my work chapter by chapter. She kicked my butt every step of the way and sent my work back for complete rewrites and harsh edits, until I ground my teeth in agony and pretty much screamed at my computer in frustration. But every edit she suggested made the story so much richer, and it would definitely not be the work it is today without her input and effort. I can’t thank you enough, babes. *hugs*
To the supremely talented
sylvanelfmistre, who agreed to be my artist before I’d barely written a word - your kindness and talent amazes me. I would say that about 50% of the story content came from the banner that she made for me when I was barely two chapters in. I had a basic story arc planned, but whenever I looked at the story she’d woven in art, the story wrote itself. Much credit to you, Tiffany! :-D
Last but certainly not least, a ton of gratitude goes to the gorgeous
go_clo, who gallantly offered to make additional art for me and came up with some of the most visually pleasing Chlark Art I’ve ever seen. I feel so blessed to have the talents of two amazing artists, and the fact that you’ve both devoted so much time and effort to this project humbles me. Chloie & Tiffany - thank you both so, so much. :-)
Simply put, I’m completely overwhelmed by all of you, and if it hadn’t been for you, this project just…wouldn’t be. I love you all. Group-Hug! *smishes y’all*
…and I’ve waffled on for long enough now. On to the story!
I adore feedback, and I’d love to hear what you think of it!
Story will be cross-posted to Two of Us, The Sullivan Chronicles, KSite and AO3 over the coming week.
Enjoy. Vive la Chlark!
***
AGENDA: PART I
Prologue - Chapter 16
Prologue
June, 2023 - Present Day
Chloe Sullivan stared at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand and then glanced up at the figure on the door in front of her.
Eight.
Specifically, Apartment No. 8.
Of course he would live at Number 8. In all the years she’d known him he’d never come out and said it, but it was a number he had a strong emotional attachment to. It was the number that had been on his football jersey, and that was the happiest that she had ever seen him. It was also the figure that most closely resembled his native numeric...
"It's the same as what's on the paper, Mom," drawled a familiar young voice beside her. "All that staring isn't gonna change anything. We’re in the right place."
Chloe scowled at the girl’s frank assertion. "No-one likes a smart-ass, Gabby," she quipped as she folded the paper and slipped it into her purse. “Now keep it zipped, and let me do all the talking.”
Gabby shrugged. “Whatever.”
Chloe shook her head wearily and fished out a small hairbrush from her purse.
Puberty. She remembered it well; the age of rebellion and self-emancipation, the first time she thought she could really conquer the world. She’d given her poor father so much grief that he’d gotten that job in Wisconsin and never looked back. Now it looked like it was payback time.
She knew it was inevitable that at the trademark age of thirteen, her hitherto agreeable child would start to assert her independence. But expecting it and adjusting to it were two different things; and it was certainly proving very difficult to adjust to.
And from the look of things, there were a lot of ‘adjustments’ that would be taking place over the next few years. She sighed, giving her hair a quick run-through with the brush. Apparently, there would be more important things for her to worry about than just teenage angst, first crushes, 24/7 bubblegum-chewing marathons, and back-talk.
She put the brush back in her bag and straightened up to her full height. Alas, even in her heels, she came up short next to her 13-year old daughter. Two whole inches short. And the girl was wearing flats.
Chloe sighed, and concluded that life just wasn’t fair.
Said daughter inclined her head towards Apartment No. 8 and glanced pointedly at her watch. “While we’re young, Ma…” she said lazily, proceeding to blow a large pink bubble with her gum.
Chloe took a deep breath and stared at the blue door. There was a sliver of light emanating from underneath it, and she could hear the faint sound of singing from within. Memories long buried within her brain began unearthing themselves until her chest felt heavy and she found it difficult to draw a breath.
That voice. She hadn’t heard that voice in years, but she would recognise in a heartbeat, could pick it out of a line-up of thousands.
Her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest, and she smoothed her hair down and nervously straightened her skirt. She really ought not be concerned about what his first thought would be upon setting eyes on her again after all this time; but old habits died hard, it seemed.
There was a mild pop in her ear and an impatient sigh. "Look, are you gonna knock on that door, or shall I?" said an irritated Gabby.
Chloe swallowed. "I’ll…I’ll do it, alright? Just…give me a second to---”
Gabby rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath. Without warning she reached out and knocked three times on the door, very loudly.
Chloe stared in horror and turned to fix her daughter with a stern glare. “What the hell did you do that for?” she hissed in a fierce whisper.
“Who is it?” called the voice from within.
Chloe turned back to face the door and opened her mouth to answer.
“Girl Scouts, sir!” chirped Gabby with a huge grin.
Chloe narrowed her eyes and turned around slowly to give her daughter her fiercest ‘Mommy’ stare. The girl simply smirked, still noisily chewing her gum. Chloe wordlessly held out her hand and crooked her finger.
Gabby dutifully relinquished her gum into her mother’s palm. Chloe quickly wrapped it in a piece of tissue, grimly aware that her daughter was probably unwrapping a new piece right behind her.
She heard the scrape of a key in the door lock and hurriedly stuffed the litter into her bag, her heat beating a million miles a minute.
“Girls Scouts again? That’s the third time this week!” said the male voice with a chuckle and the door swung open. “Just how many cookies do you expect me to---”
He stopped, his jaw dropping and his bespectacled eyes widening in shock. “Chloe,” he whispered, staring at her in disbelief. “Chloe?”
She managed to find her voice. “Hi Clark,” she said with a breathless smile. “It’s been a long time.”
Fourteen long years, to be exact.
***
Chapter 1...