Chlark Fanfic: White Rose, Part II
Amazing banner by grlmonday. Thanks again, Caina! :-)
Title: White Rose
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: A re-write of Episode 10.04 - Homecoming
Timeline: Season 10 (my version); sequel to The Perfect Gift and sixth installment of the Sacred Series
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark and Chloe attend their high school reunion, which happens to fall on Chloe’s birthday.
Feedback: Yes, please. :-)
Read Part I here.
Read entire series from the beginning here.
Part II
“Clark and Chloe! So good to see you!” cried Bethany Rhodes, one of their old classmates. She picked their name tags off the table and handed them over, then winked across at the man also handing beside her. “I win.”
“You win?” Chloe and Clark echoed.
“I had a bet riding on the two of you showing up together, and I’m glad I wasn’t proven wrong.”
“You placed bets on us?”
She nodded. “Mmm. Wallace here had a twenty on Clark coming with Lana, but I knew that wasn’t built to last. Have a great evening!”
Wallace grinned and lifted his camera, and Clark quickly wrapped his arms around Chloe’s waist and smiled. The flash went off, and Wallace gave a satisfied nod.
“Perfect,” he said. “But then, it always was with you guys.”
Clark gazed into Chloe’s smiling eyes and nodded. “Yeah; and it still is.”
***
“I haven’t been here in five years,” Chloe said hesitantly.
Clark squeezed his girlfriend’s hand and kissed her cheek. “I’m sure that whoever inherited The Torch has done as fabulous a job as you did,” he reassured her. “Go on; open the door.”
She took a deep breath and turned the handle, and they stepped inside.
And stared in shock.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” she exclaimed, her jaw on the floor. “My Wall of Weird is empty, Clark! It’s as bare as the day I left!”
He made a wry face. “Yeah, I…I see that.” He stared at the empty walls, mentally replacing them with the paper clippings and photos that Chloe had routinely stuck up in her glory days. He remembered the first day she unveiled it to him, her bright eyes alight with curiosity and expectation, a small pink flower tucked behind one ear.
It started out as a scrapbook, and just sort of…mutated, she’d said excitedly. So, what do you think?
“Unbelievable,” the present-day Chloe growled. “Is there no-one in this entire school with any journalistic ambition whatsoever?”
Clark stood behind her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Chloe.”
“Oh. My. God!”
The exclamation startled them both, and they turned around in surprise. A delightfully perky young teenage girl in eclectic clothing stood in the doorway, her brown pigtails practically bobbing in excitement. A second later, a harried young man in plaid stumbled into the Torch behind her, bearing a homemade banner that read WELCOME BACK, CHLOE! in his arms.
“Oh, my God,” Chloe muttered as the kids hurried towards them. “It’s us, reincarnated.”
***
Clark was thinking the exact same thing. He covered a smile with his hand as the pair approached and stared at them as if in the presence of A-list superstars.
“You’re Chloe Sullivan!” the girl in awe.
Chloe smiled and nodded. “Indeed I am.”
“I’m Zoe Merritt. I’m the editor of the Torch, and I’ve been a fan of you and your work for years!” she gushed. “Wow, it’s so great to actually meet you; you’re a legend in these halls! Did I mention that I was the editor of the Torch?”
“What’s left of it,” Clark grumbled, staring pointedly at the empty wall and the faded rectangular shapes left by Chloe’s newspaper clippings.
“Oh, it’s not gone,” the boy said, speaking for the first time. He held up his cell phone and showed them a webpage. “We’re committed to preserving our planet as best we can, so the Wall of Weird has gone viral. It’s all online now; see?”
“Oh,” Chloe said, surprised. She took the phone from him and skimmed through the articles, delighted to see that all her clippings were listed and her hard work acknowledged. “That makes sense. I wish I’d thought of that.”
The young pair glanced at each other, delighted with Chloe’s positive comments.
“I suppose you have to keep up with the times, and it’s good to see you using the platforms available,” Clark added. “Everything’s changed since we were here. YouTube, Twitter…man, I feel so old right now.”
“Well, I think you’ve both done really well,” Chloe said to them. “Good job, Zoe; and…?”
“Clayton; Clayton Sands,” the boy replied, extending his hand. As soon as he let go of the WELCOME BACK, CHLOE! banner, it dangled from his other hand and trailed along the floor in an untidy heap.
“Sorry…” he reached down to retrieve the tilting banner at the same time that Chloe extended her hand towards him, and then thrust his hand back in her direction. “I’m sorry…”
Zoe rolled her eyes at her friend’s clumsiness, and Chloe and Clark shared a knowing look. As soon as Clayton’s hand reappeared, Chloe grasped it before it disappeared again and shook it warmly.
“It’s good to meet you Clayton,” she said with a smile. “You work on the paper, too?”
“Yeah, Zoe drafted me in to help with her mock-ups, and the whole journalism thing kinda grew on me,” he admitted. He gave Zoe a tender look, which made her smile and blush. Clark grinned; clearly it was more than just the journalism that had grown on him.
“Yeah, sounds like someone I know,” Chloe said, amused. “So, what sort of stories are you working on?”
Zoe’s eyes lit up. “Oh, all sorts of stuff; social conscience topics, environmental pieces, and everyday school fluff; but our real passion…” she glanced around and lowered her voice “…is conspiracy theories.”
Oh, crap.
Clark folded his arms and tried to feign interest in the topic at hand, but inside he was squirming. He’d hitherto been amused to see that Zoe and Clayton were all over Chloe like a rash, but were yet to acknowledge his presence; now he couldn’t be more grateful for their disinterest.
“Conspiracy theories, you say?” Chloe said, raising a curious brow. “Care to share?”
“Well, Zoe and I have spent hours poring through all your articles and reports about local paranormal events,” Clayton began, “…and we’ve come to the conclusion that the Blur of Metropolis…”
“…was actually born and raised here, in Smallville!” Zoe finished excitedly.
Clark swallowed and shuffled uncomfortably. Suddenly he felt like he was under the invisible spotlight that had hovered over him all through his high school years. Just when he thought he’d gotten away from Smallville’s weirdar…
“Smallville, huh?” Chloe mused, and he could hear the amusement in her voice. “And what makes you say that?”
“Well, the fact that Smallville has the highest level of paranormal activity in the world since 1989 - the year of the meteor shower - is a huge indicator,” Clayton offered.
“You tracked all his saves when you were in high school and so have we,” Zoe continued. “All the evidence points to him having been a student here, at Smallville High; when he graduated, he went to college in Metropolis and took his good deeds there with him. The timing just fits.”
Oh, they’re good, Clark thought. Thank goodness Chloe had had the foresight to take down all her articles featuring him, and subsequently downplay his involvement in any heroics once she’d determined his true identity.
“You know, that actually makes really good sense,” Chloe said thoughtfully, much to his chagrin.
“Hate to break this up, but we need to get back to the main hall, Chlo,” Clark hurriedly cut in. “We need to let the principal know we’re here.”
Chloe flashed him a knowing glance, but conceded. “We can keep the principal waiting, can we?” she said, and sighed. “Zoe, Clayton - it was lovely to meet you both. Keep up the good work; The Torch was my baby, and I’m really proud of what you’ve done with it thus far.”
The all shook hands, and Clark rested his hand on the small of Chloe’s back as they turned to leave.
“One final question, if you don’t mind,” Zoe asked hesitantly.
Chloe nodded. “Shoot.”
The girl took a deep breath. “Seeing as you never did find the Blur, and given the similarities of our theories, what would you suggest our next course of action be in trying to find him and determining his true identity?”
Chloe slowly folded her arms and arched one delicate eyebrow before walking towards Zoe and leaning in with a conspiratorial smile.
“What makes you think I never found him?” she whispered with a sneaky wink.
And with that, Clark took her hand and they stepped out of the office that had been Chloe’s home for five solid years, leaving a gawping pair of teenagers behind them.
***
Part III…
Title: White Rose
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: A re-write of Episode 10.04 - Homecoming
Timeline: Season 10 (my version); sequel to The Perfect Gift and sixth installment of the Sacred Series
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark and Chloe attend their high school reunion, which happens to fall on Chloe’s birthday.
Feedback: Yes, please. :-)
Read Part I here.
Read entire series from the beginning here.
Part II
“Clark and Chloe! So good to see you!” cried Bethany Rhodes, one of their old classmates. She picked their name tags off the table and handed them over, then winked across at the man also handing beside her. “I win.”
“You win?” Chloe and Clark echoed.
“I had a bet riding on the two of you showing up together, and I’m glad I wasn’t proven wrong.”
“You placed bets on us?”
She nodded. “Mmm. Wallace here had a twenty on Clark coming with Lana, but I knew that wasn’t built to last. Have a great evening!”
Wallace grinned and lifted his camera, and Clark quickly wrapped his arms around Chloe’s waist and smiled. The flash went off, and Wallace gave a satisfied nod.
“Perfect,” he said. “But then, it always was with you guys.”
Clark gazed into Chloe’s smiling eyes and nodded. “Yeah; and it still is.”
***
“I haven’t been here in five years,” Chloe said hesitantly.
Clark squeezed his girlfriend’s hand and kissed her cheek. “I’m sure that whoever inherited The Torch has done as fabulous a job as you did,” he reassured her. “Go on; open the door.”
She took a deep breath and turned the handle, and they stepped inside.
And stared in shock.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” she exclaimed, her jaw on the floor. “My Wall of Weird is empty, Clark! It’s as bare as the day I left!”
He made a wry face. “Yeah, I…I see that.” He stared at the empty walls, mentally replacing them with the paper clippings and photos that Chloe had routinely stuck up in her glory days. He remembered the first day she unveiled it to him, her bright eyes alight with curiosity and expectation, a small pink flower tucked behind one ear.
It started out as a scrapbook, and just sort of…mutated, she’d said excitedly. So, what do you think?
“Unbelievable,” the present-day Chloe growled. “Is there no-one in this entire school with any journalistic ambition whatsoever?”
Clark stood behind her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Chloe.”
“Oh. My. God!”
The exclamation startled them both, and they turned around in surprise. A delightfully perky young teenage girl in eclectic clothing stood in the doorway, her brown pigtails practically bobbing in excitement. A second later, a harried young man in plaid stumbled into the Torch behind her, bearing a homemade banner that read WELCOME BACK, CHLOE! in his arms.
“Oh, my God,” Chloe muttered as the kids hurried towards them. “It’s us, reincarnated.”
***
Clark was thinking the exact same thing. He covered a smile with his hand as the pair approached and stared at them as if in the presence of A-list superstars.
“You’re Chloe Sullivan!” the girl in awe.
Chloe smiled and nodded. “Indeed I am.”
“I’m Zoe Merritt. I’m the editor of the Torch, and I’ve been a fan of you and your work for years!” she gushed. “Wow, it’s so great to actually meet you; you’re a legend in these halls! Did I mention that I was the editor of the Torch?”
“What’s left of it,” Clark grumbled, staring pointedly at the empty wall and the faded rectangular shapes left by Chloe’s newspaper clippings.
“Oh, it’s not gone,” the boy said, speaking for the first time. He held up his cell phone and showed them a webpage. “We’re committed to preserving our planet as best we can, so the Wall of Weird has gone viral. It’s all online now; see?”
“Oh,” Chloe said, surprised. She took the phone from him and skimmed through the articles, delighted to see that all her clippings were listed and her hard work acknowledged. “That makes sense. I wish I’d thought of that.”
The young pair glanced at each other, delighted with Chloe’s positive comments.
“I suppose you have to keep up with the times, and it’s good to see you using the platforms available,” Clark added. “Everything’s changed since we were here. YouTube, Twitter…man, I feel so old right now.”
“Well, I think you’ve both done really well,” Chloe said to them. “Good job, Zoe; and…?”
“Clayton; Clayton Sands,” the boy replied, extending his hand. As soon as he let go of the WELCOME BACK, CHLOE! banner, it dangled from his other hand and trailed along the floor in an untidy heap.
“Sorry…” he reached down to retrieve the tilting banner at the same time that Chloe extended her hand towards him, and then thrust his hand back in her direction. “I’m sorry…”
Zoe rolled her eyes at her friend’s clumsiness, and Chloe and Clark shared a knowing look. As soon as Clayton’s hand reappeared, Chloe grasped it before it disappeared again and shook it warmly.
“It’s good to meet you Clayton,” she said with a smile. “You work on the paper, too?”
“Yeah, Zoe drafted me in to help with her mock-ups, and the whole journalism thing kinda grew on me,” he admitted. He gave Zoe a tender look, which made her smile and blush. Clark grinned; clearly it was more than just the journalism that had grown on him.
“Yeah, sounds like someone I know,” Chloe said, amused. “So, what sort of stories are you working on?”
Zoe’s eyes lit up. “Oh, all sorts of stuff; social conscience topics, environmental pieces, and everyday school fluff; but our real passion…” she glanced around and lowered her voice “…is conspiracy theories.”
Oh, crap.
Clark folded his arms and tried to feign interest in the topic at hand, but inside he was squirming. He’d hitherto been amused to see that Zoe and Clayton were all over Chloe like a rash, but were yet to acknowledge his presence; now he couldn’t be more grateful for their disinterest.
“Conspiracy theories, you say?” Chloe said, raising a curious brow. “Care to share?”
“Well, Zoe and I have spent hours poring through all your articles and reports about local paranormal events,” Clayton began, “…and we’ve come to the conclusion that the Blur of Metropolis…”
“…was actually born and raised here, in Smallville!” Zoe finished excitedly.
Clark swallowed and shuffled uncomfortably. Suddenly he felt like he was under the invisible spotlight that had hovered over him all through his high school years. Just when he thought he’d gotten away from Smallville’s weirdar…
“Smallville, huh?” Chloe mused, and he could hear the amusement in her voice. “And what makes you say that?”
“Well, the fact that Smallville has the highest level of paranormal activity in the world since 1989 - the year of the meteor shower - is a huge indicator,” Clayton offered.
“You tracked all his saves when you were in high school and so have we,” Zoe continued. “All the evidence points to him having been a student here, at Smallville High; when he graduated, he went to college in Metropolis and took his good deeds there with him. The timing just fits.”
Oh, they’re good, Clark thought. Thank goodness Chloe had had the foresight to take down all her articles featuring him, and subsequently downplay his involvement in any heroics once she’d determined his true identity.
“You know, that actually makes really good sense,” Chloe said thoughtfully, much to his chagrin.
“Hate to break this up, but we need to get back to the main hall, Chlo,” Clark hurriedly cut in. “We need to let the principal know we’re here.”
Chloe flashed him a knowing glance, but conceded. “We can keep the principal waiting, can we?” she said, and sighed. “Zoe, Clayton - it was lovely to meet you both. Keep up the good work; The Torch was my baby, and I’m really proud of what you’ve done with it thus far.”
The all shook hands, and Clark rested his hand on the small of Chloe’s back as they turned to leave.
“One final question, if you don’t mind,” Zoe asked hesitantly.
Chloe nodded. “Shoot.”
The girl took a deep breath. “Seeing as you never did find the Blur, and given the similarities of our theories, what would you suggest our next course of action be in trying to find him and determining his true identity?”
Chloe slowly folded her arms and arched one delicate eyebrow before walking towards Zoe and leaning in with a conspiratorial smile.
“What makes you think I never found him?” she whispered with a sneaky wink.
And with that, Clark took her hand and they stepped out of the office that had been Chloe’s home for five solid years, leaving a gawping pair of teenagers behind them.
***
Part III…