Title: Only Human

Author: Nursie

E-mail: Nursie1126@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville... WB does... Only original characters and storyline are mine.

Rating: Rated PG-16 For adult situations, language and innuendos

Characters: Clark and the gang plus original characters.

Spoilers: Any and ALL Smallville eppies up to Nicodemus and possibly future eppies once they air and I keep up with the story.

ONLY HUMAN: SMALLVILLE FAN FIC

BY: NURSIE

Part 8- “Somebody Save me...”

Clark couldn't believe how slow the truck was. Sixty miles per hour just didn't seem fast enough. He had thought about leaving the truck, but he figured he would have to go back for it sooner or later. And Clark wasn't prepared for that yet. He needed some time to think. He pulled into the Smallville high parking lot and turned off the engine.

He entered the Torch's office with his head down... it was obvious he was trying to avoid anyone that would care to talk to him. He was out of luck when he saw Chloe sitting in her usual spot at the Torch's computer.

"Whoa Clark... you got that world on your shoulders thingie going on again today. Do you ever get that off your back Clark? I mean there are medications out there that do wonders." She smiled sweetly at him.

That's when Clark snapped. "Just leave me alone Chloe. This isn't your problem."

"O-k... since when do we not confide in friends Clark?

"I can't talk to you about this Chloe." He said harshly.

Chloe was taken aback by his tone. Her face scrunched into the tell tale expression that put her emotions on her sleeve. "Clark... you know you can talk to me." She breathed more than a little hurt.

"IF I tell you about this... I'll only hurt you. SO let it go Chloe."

"Hurt me? Clark you could never hurt me." She said a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Hurt you? Chloe... I know! I know that you... you have feelings for me... I can't tell you this." His voice turned into a whisper when he mentioned her having feelings for him. He hadn’t been ready to say that out loud to her yet.

"Clark..." She eased into her words. "I admit it... I love you... what's not to love." Chloe doubled her efforts and touched Clark's shoulder.

He shrugged her off.

"CLARK! Just talk to me. I can handle it... believe me... I can handle it." She cried. "I admitted that I love you Clark... but isn't that what friends do? They love each other?"

Clark stood stoic for a moment then turned to her taking a deep breath. "Chloe... I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell or take this out on you."

"If you are truly sorry... you will tell me what's goin on." Chloe said back to him.

Clark took a seat in the chair closest to him and placed his head in his hands.

~Oh god... this is worse than I thought ~ Chloe thought. She mentally started to prepare herself for the words that would come. She had beaten past his defenses, and for once she wasn't so glad she had done so.

Clark stood once more throwing yet another chair at Chloe's wall of weird. "THAT'S my problem." He screamed.

"My wall of weird?" Chloe said meekly.

The chair broke against the wall with lightning speed, as the pictures went flying all over the room. Chloe bent down starting to pick up the mess. Chloe had never seen Clark so upset. Nor had she seen the strength she had just observed from the chair hitting the wall and she had a sinking feeling that Clark hadn't even thrown the chair as hard as he could have. A second before the chair left his grasp... she saw him pull his arm.

"You're pretty strong there Clark... maybe you should be throwing the discus in the Summer Olympics." She laughed a little to lighten the mood. It didn't help.

For once Clark didn't care that someone had noticed his strength. He turned and gazed out the window. "Lis..." He whispered.

"Lex's sister?" Chloe questioned. "That nurse at the hospital?" Chloe blinked. ~ The one everyone saw you kiss at the Beanery…~ She thought. “Don’t tell me... you're over Lana just as she beginning to notice you."

Clark turned towards her, the look in his eyes echoed pain and she swallowed the lump in her throat. This was far worse than the Lana thing. She gathered her defenses; although everything in her told her to run to him and place her arms around him... let him cry on her shoulder. She knew that was what he wanted to do anyhow. This wasn't something to do with her wall of weird... or was it. The blatant strength Clark just showed in throwing the chair effortlessly certainly deserved it's own section on the wall. But he was her friend, and she treasured him for more than he knew he was worth.

"Tell me Clark... I'm you friend." She was now crying as she reinforced the word friend.

That must have been it for Clark. He sank down to the floor and started to cry himself. Chloe stood and went over to him, placing her arms around him to comfort him.

For what seemed like forever, she let him cry.

After what seemed to be a good amount of time had past and Clark was settled down somewhat. Chloe strolled over to the small coffee pot she kept at the Torch. She poured two cups, and turned to hand Clark one of them.

"Here strong man... tell me your tale." She sat down next to him and touched his arm to comfort him some more.

Clark sighed. "I don't know where to start." He said plainly as he caught her glance.

'The beginning is always good." Chloe offered taking a sip of her hot coffee.

Clark didn't know if he should tell her what he wanted to. He wanted to tell her everything... from the way he was brought to this forsaken hole known as Smallville... to what happened last night with a woman he now loved more than anything in the world. Some how he didn’t think he could bring himself to say that last thought to Chloe. He valued her feelings… he didn’t want to hurt her on purpose but then again… that’s what he was doing… hurting. He blinked hard and opened his mouth to begin the story.

"I shouldn't be telling you this Chloe... it could get you in a lot of trouble... and it could hurt you beyond what I care to do."

"Clark... I'm made of steel... I can handle a little heartbreak. We are best meant as friends. I've known that since I kissed you at Kyle's." Her voice grew small and Clark could tell she was forcing herself to say what she was saying to comfort him. He’d have kicked himself for causing her such pain… but he was already hurting and he had other things on his mind. He took a deep breath and chose his words carefully.

"Funny how Kyle could see what was there and I couldn't..." He grabbed her hand and held it tenderly. "If I had known then... who knows what would be... but Chloe... I just don't feel that way about you now."

"I know." She said weakly like she was admitting something for the first time out loud.

"I do love you... you're my friend and you deserve to know what's happening." Clark finally said, taking a huge drink of his hot coffee.

Chloe winced as she watched the liquid go down his throat. She didn’t know if it was because she saw him take a huge swallow of something so hot… or if it was because she had just heard the words she longed to hear for years… even if they were followed by you’re my friend… "That's hot Clark... you might wanna take it easy."

"Why?" He took another drink to prove his point. "It wouldn't bother me if it was."

"Ok...now you know I’m totally against self mutilation."

"Don't you know nothing can hurt me... I'm the one made of steel... a bullet ricochets off my chest... I can run faster than the speed of light... I can lift a car out of the river and tear the door right off without effort."

Chloe looked at him with fascination. She had known... but she hadn't. Maybe she ignored the obvious for some time. "I know. " She answered. "I've always known."

"You...you... have?"

"It's hard to miss Clark... you are the savior of Smallville." She told him. "I guess the meteor rocks had some effect on you as well. I sorta guessed that from all the times you come out the winner against one of the meteor mutants."

"Why didn't you say something?" Clark asked astonished. His thoughts were now wandering from his current situation which in it's way was good.

"Because I didn't want to alarm you. I figured you tell me when the time came." She said.

"It's not just the meteor rocks Chloe..."

"I figured as much. The look on your face tells me more than you know.”

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you... my parents made it clear that I should stay in the sidelines."

"I was wondering why you didn't kick the crap out of Whitney for the stunt he pulled in the cornfield."

"I could have thrown him to oblivion... that's not the point. He was just jealous... I can understand that aspect of his actions."

"Jealous? Are you jealous of something Clark?"

"No... just everything that is normal in life."

"What's going on? You still haven't told me anything I didn't know."

"So why don'tcha take a picture and put me on the wall of weird where I belong."

"This isn't about the wall Clark... you know that... I know that... You got that look in you eye... the one that Lana used to own. And although we both know you could take your chance right now... you don't. Tell me about Alissa Luthor. She seems to have stolen a good piece of my friend and I need to know whether or not I have to whip out my can of whoop ass." She smiled pleasantly at him. Clark looked up from his cup of coffee and smiled. Good ol' Chloe Sullivan.

"No need for that Chloe. It's nothing that you can solve with violence."

"And that is why we are one less chair here at the Torch?" Chloe teased.

"You should see my bedroom window." Clark added.

"Do I want to?"

"Not really." Clark answered, remembering yet another task he had to finish that day, if he was going to hide that from his parents. Clark sighed. "I love her... you know."

Chloe shook her head. "I figured that out an hour ago. What has she done?"

"It's not what she's done... it's what WE did... it's what she hasn't done. I don't know. I'm so confused Chloe. Save me like you always do..."

"What WE did?" Chloe choked on her coffee.

Clark turned red once more as the embarrassment crept to his cheeks. "I won't lie to you Chloe... we were together last night."

"Together?" Chloe repeated. "Together together?"

"We had um...we... had sex."

"You did what?" She cried as her coffee mug escaped her grasp and crashed to the ground. She didn't know whether to be hurt or happy for her friend. In the end she sucked in her pride and tried to sound supportive. “So you’re not a virgin anymore huh Clark?” She added a bit of laughter to her voice for effect and hoped he didn’t pick up on the hurtful undertones.

Clark rolled his eyes. "In every sense of that word." Clark admitted.

"Congratulations buddy ol' pal. Was it any good?" She forced herself to grin and bare it. What else could she do?

"Amazing." Clark breathed.

"Wow." Chloe said, allowing her herself a moment of disheartenment.

"That's not it Chloe. I wouldn't be so distraught about having sex... you know that."

"I dunno Clark... you are pretty big on morals... and premarital sex falls into a heavy debate in that category." She couldn’t help herself with that comment. She had to lash out at something. She just prayed Clark didn’t take offense to it.

Clark breathed deeply. "Are you going to listen to me... or not."

"Gonna listen... listening now... my mouth is closed." She zipped her lip for good measure.

"She's sick." Was all he could manage to say without the floodgates opening again. He had choked on the words and Chloe saw it.

She unzipped her lip. "Sick? How sick... as in what's wrong?" Chloe's tone got serious.

"Dying." Clark muttered the floodgates once again threatening to break.

"Dying?" Chloe repeated. She began to curse herself for all the bad thoughts she was having. Her stomach felt knotted as the apparent guilt played with her head.

"She has a disease called Acute Lymphocyotic Leukemia."

"Isn't she a little old for that?" She tried to sound hopeful.

"You know what it is?"

"A cousin of mine had it." She admitted reluctantly.

"And what happened?"

"Clark... I don't want to tell you." Chloe started to panic. She didn’t want to cause Clark anymore pain.

"Just tell me. I know... dying remember?" Clark said forcefully.

"She died." Chloe confessed finally.

"When."

"When she was seven."

"Shouldn't Lis already be gone then... if it's a childhood disease?"

"Statistics show yes."

"Then what has kept her alive this long?"

"Maybe she's just lucky... I mean once you get to a certain age... it seems to go away... there are cases out there of people that have beaten the thing. There are adults out there that have been living normal healthy lives in remission. Maybe she’s in remission Clark…”

Clark stood and walked over to the computer. "Is the internet up on this thing yet?"

"Yes... I got it working just before you came in."

"Then my favorite investigative reporter... do your thing."

Chloe smiled affectionately at his endearment. Standing she took her place next to Clark at the computer terminal.

Clark punched in the information he sought on the search engine. A list about four miles long came up on the screen. "Looks like we might be here for a while." Clark observed as he clicked a link to one of the topics.

"Why don't you leave this research to a real reporter. You have things to do... and I don't even wanna know about the window thing." She looked over at her wall of weird.

Clark looked at her apologetic. "I'm sorry... for the mess." He said as he stood. "You sure you can handle this?"

"Positive." She echoed. "Go... I don't want you getting grounded for what ever the hell you did."

"Believe me... I'd be more than grounded if my dad sees the window. Not even the meteor rocks could do that amount of damage."

Chloe thought for a second... "The meteor rocks? Was Alissa near the meteor rocks when she got sick?"

"I don't know. I'd have to ask her."

"Then I would get to it Clark. You are in serious need for knowledge right now."

"Call me later?"

"Top of my speed dial." She answered as he turned to go. She focused her attention on the screen and the task at hand.

To Be Continued…

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Part 9-“The Storm…”

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