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Jason and Chloe's Story	By : daciavu73 Category: Smallville > Het - Male/Female Views: 2780 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to Smallville, no money is made on the fics I write. I just like to play with the characters for entertainment.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Author's note - this chapter is in the story to give Chloe a little more background about her dad, something that was never brought up in the series.

Chloe sat, bathed in the glow of her computer screen, typing intermittently. She had wanted to finish up her last article at the Torch office, but Principal Reynolds had caught her staying late. Again.

He'd seen her in the office late into the night on many occasions, but tonight, it had seemed that he was less than pleased by her diligence for her craft.

"Ms. Sullivan. What on earth are you still doing here?"

Chloe pasted a bright smile on her face when she looked up from her computer screen, but inside she was cursing roundly. A quick glance told her it was well after eight o'clock in the evening. "Hi, Mr. Reynolds. I'm just trying to finish editing this last article before it goes to print tomorrow."

"The paper only goes out once a week Ms. Sullivan. You've been staying late – too late, if you want my honest opinion – for weeks now. I'm afraid, young lady, I am going to have to pull rank and send you home."

Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but Principal Reynolds raised a hand to quiet her, "There is something to be said for drive, and work ethic, Miss Sullivan. They are admirable qualities. However, you are only in high school. High school, if memory serves me, is a time for fun, friends and getting into a bit of trouble from time to time. Not working yourself into an early grave."

"But Mr. Reynolds, this will only take me about fifteen minutes, tops. I promise I'll be on my way then."

"Mmm-hmmm,." Mr. Reynolds tone made it clear he didn't buy it.. "Very well, fifteen minutes, then. I will be in my office across the hall, and I will have my eye on the clock. Fifteen minutes Ms. Sullivan, and I will be back to escort you to your car. Don't argue with me, young lady. It's dark and though this may not be Metropolis, I am responsible for your welfare while on school property

Damn! Chloe thought, watching him exit the office and head across the hall. It looked like she would be heading home, to her empty house tonight.

Despite her annoyance at not finagling the situation to her liking, she had to admit, it was nice to have someone looking out for her, a father-figure with her interests in mind.

She really liked Principal Reynolds. He truly cared about his students. He could be tough at times, but he was also fair. She remembered a couple of times having to explain why certain articles should be in The Torch that he clearly thought of as science fiction. AKA, meteor-freak stories. But she presented all of her proof, her interview notes, what research she had done, and he finally allowed her to print the stories. He at least listened to her with an unbiased ear and she liked that about him. It reminded her a lot of how her father used to be.

Bitterness welled up inside her, and the computer screen blurred as her eyes filled with unexpected tears. Chloe huffed out an annoyed, if shaky, breath, and focused on the computer screen. This was neither the time, nor the place to wallow in self-pity.

She stared at her article for a moment more, knowing she was done with the editing. She dallied a few more minutes, moving commas around before sighing heavily and saving her document. It took her three more minutes to fully shut down her machine and head to the door. She met Principal Reynolds in the hall and they left the building together.

Once they had reached her car, he waited for her to pull out her keys, unlock and open the door before turning toward where his own vehicle was parked. "Drive safely, Ms Sullivan." He pointed a finger at her warningly, but with a smile to take the edge off, "No speeding young lady!"

She smiled warmly at him, "Yes, sir."

And now she was alone in her house with only the chirping of the crickets and the whir of the ceiling fan for company. She'd never understood what the phrase '"deafening silence" meant, until her father had moved out. It pressed down on your skull until it became nearly impossible to think. If only she had someone to talk to, to break this oppressive quiet. This was one of the moments that she wished she was not an only child.

Clark was probably with Lana, and she definitely didn't want to be the fifth wheel in that relationship any longer. Lois was probably at Met U partying and having a blast the only way she knew how. Pete was half a state away and had made new friends. She wasn't desperate enough for human contact to make a fool of herself calling him.

No one except Lois knew that her father no longer lived with her. Chloe and Lois had fought many times about it, Lois believing she needed people to check up on her. No one knowing was all right by Chloe. It wasn't anyone's business but hers, and she had her pride, after all.

If she told people her father was no longer living in Smallville, she would have to explain why. Small town folk needed to know everything. And the "everything" was just too painful and embarrassing for her to think about, let alone share with other people.

Her father had fallen into downward spiral of depression after everything that had happened between her family and the Luthors. It had gotten especially bad after he lost his job at Luthorcorp.

A consequence of her naiveté of believing she could outsmart the devil.

She was a little older, and just a little bit wiser, and could look back and realize that the deal she made with Lionel was just a moment of weakness, a childish grudge against Clark. It was a good thing she hadn't known about Clark's abilities when she made that pact with Lionel, or else Clark would be a Luthor lab rat by now.

She'd come so close to ruining Clark's life that it was almost too scary to think about.

Her Dad had been extremely disappointed in her when she confided all to him. He never really talked to her about it, after the fact. She had really needed her dad to step in and comfort his daughter. Tell her everything was going to be okay. He was supposed to be the man to help chase all the monsters away for her, like he had when she'd been a little girl.

But he'd let her down. Every rejection he received from other companies when he submitted his resume just pulled him deeper into that bitter depression and pushed her farther away.

Being black-listed by Luthorcorp (or its founder) was devastating to her father, and he sought solace in the bottle. Their final conversation, weeks into his drinking, was something she would never forget.

It was a Thursday, and she had gotten home late to a house that reeked of stale alcohol and was littered with dozens of empty bottles. Her father had been snoring on the living room couch, his clothing filthy and stinking, one unwashed arm tossed over his eyes. Pissed, she took her bookbag up the stairs to her room before coming back down and heading into the kitchen. Chloe rolled her eyes as his snores reached her ears, but she grabbed up a garbage bag and headed back into the room to begin collecting the empties.

The bottles clinked roughly against each other as she tossed them in to the bag. Her father, in her mind had been a heroic figure. To see him cower like a beaten puppy, and not stand and fight disappointed her more than she could describe. To see the man she'd always seen as ten feet tall turn into a drunken slob, it broke her heart.

He groaned at the sound of clanking bottles and with bleary eyes, turned to Chloe.

"So Dad, did you send out any more resumes'? Get any interviews?" Chloe's voice dripped with disdain. She knew the answer. Gabe Sullivan hadn't done a damn thing but drink himself into a stupor.

"Why bother?" Gabe murmured, letting his arm flop off of the couch..

She glowered at the back of his head before stalking over to the light switch, flipping it on roughly, getting perverse pleasure from his pained cry as his hands rose automatically to cover his face.

"Chloe, turn that fucking light off!"

"No Dad. I've had it! You are supposed to be the adult here. But instead, I keep coming home and cleaning up after you and taking care of you when it should be the other way around!"

Gabe raised up with a groan and held his pounding head in his hands, "Chloe, I really don't want to discuss this right now."

"Oh really! So when are we going to discuss it Dad because there never seems to be a time that you want to discuss anything with me!"

Tiredly, he muttered, "That might be because of your attitude, young lady. I thought I raised you to respect your elders?"

Chloe flung the garbage bag by the door, making the bottles clank loudly again and she faced her dad with her fists on her hips. She glared at her dad, not recognizing the defeated man before her any longer.

Before she could say anything further, he said the words she'd never forget for the rest of her life.

"Don't you think you have some responsibility in all of this, Chlo'?" His bleary eyes glared back at her, "Why do you think I've been busting my ass trying to find a job, even if it meant flipping burgers? The Luthors have blacklisted me everywhere I turn. And it's all because of you! Do you not get that?"

Chloe's ire swiftly turned to guilt at his words.

"Dad, I tried to make it right. You know that! I have the information to put Lionel in jail. Lex will help you get another job."

"Haven't you figured out yet that you can't trust a Luthor?"

"Dad, Lex is not Lionel. He tries to do what's right."

Gabe sighed tiredly, "Chloe, maybe this is teaching you a lesson. I hope to God it is. All actions have consequences. Be they good or bad, they don't just affect you. In this case, it affects both of us.

He stood on wobbly legs and realized he needed to go to the bathroom. Chloe looked him over for the first time in a really long time. He had grown a week's worth of beard, his eyes were glazed and had black rings, and he was losing weight from drinking more than eating.

"Dad... I'm sorry." Chloe's lower lip trembled slightly. Gabe pierced her with a defeated look as he shook his head sadly.

"Sorry just doesn't cut it anymore Chlo'. You made this mess of our lives, you need to clean it up."

Chloe's lip trembled more and a tear was beginning in the corner of her eye. She refused to let the tear fall and she pressed her lips together in determination.

And that was when she left to speak to Lex about the damning evidence she had against his father.

Then when the trial was over, Lionel was placed in jail on a life sentence, and it seemed the blacklisting was lifted on Gabe. He found an executive job working for Queen Industries in Star City. But that meant Chloe would have to spend her senior year in a new city.

Chloe felt that Gabe just wanted to get away from Smallville as quick as possible. But she didn't want to leave before starting her senior year. So her dad relented, letting her stay behind.

But the damage in their relationship was already done. The hurtful words he said to her one drunken night just caused Chloe a lot of heartache. She and her dad were simply uncomfortable now with each other. She didn't even get to share the news that she was prom queen a week ago.

She and her dad were no longer the same. He was not the same dad from her childhood. He always seemed to look at her with disappointment. And now he'd moved across the country, leaving her behind. She knew her dad asked her to go with him, but to her, she felt her dad asked out of courtesy. Not due to any real desire for her to be near him. In Chloe's eyes, he seemed happy and relieved to take off to Star City and just send a monthly check to an account Chloe used for living expenses.

She stopped working on her article and reflected. She began to feel unlovable. Her dad abandoned her, at least that's the way she viewed it. He could have found a job in Metropolis if he really wanted to, but his daughter's wishes were no longer a concern of his.

And the one guy she really believed she loved since she first met him at thirteen couldn't love her back because he was in love with someone else. Clark Kent saw Chloe as his best friend. He kept her in this box that he mentally labeled "Best Friend, Do Not Touch". Reluctantly, she finally decided it's better to go along with him and continue being his friend than to lose him altogether. She couldn't help but think that Lana was a lucky girl to have a guy like Clark so totally devoted to her.

Then later she found out about his extraordinary abilities, thanks to his ex-girlfriend Alicia Baker. Now she finally got it. She knows now why Lionel was so interested in Clark, and she vowed to herself that she'd never tell anyone Clark's secret. She'll be Clark's most loyal friend, even if he himself doesn't realize it yet. She'd rather die than expose Clark's secrets to anyone.

Her self-esteem had been fragile when it came to men. Spending time with Jason helped a little with that. That maybe she's not unlovable. That maybe she is actually worthy of love. The thought of Jason Teague brought a smile to her lips. No wonder Lana fell for him in Paris! He was really charming, had a great sense of humor, and he could be a gentleman. She really enjoyed his company on prom night, even though she woke up with a bad hangover the next morning. She hoped they could one day get together again, minus the alcohol.

Her doorbell rang and Chloe frowned. She glanced at her watch and saw it was 9 pm. Who would ring her doorbell now?

Probably Lois, Chloe thought, as she closed her laptop and hopped off the couch.

Lois, being her cousin and the only one that knew she lived alone, can come by at the oddest times to check on her. Chloe was so sure Lois was at the door that she unlocked and opened it, then opened her mouth to greet Lois and froze in shock when she saw Jason standing in the doorway with a bouquet of tulips. And being a typical guy, his eyes went to the cleavage of the tank top she was wearing, then back up to meet her eyes with a smile.

Chloe knew she probably looked her worst in sweatpants and tank top, hair sticking up everywhere from running her fingers through it during her depressing reverie. She quickly hid her body behind the door, her head the only thing Jason saw now.

"Bad time?" Jason asked, eyebrow quirked.

"Um... just a surprise. That's all." She smoothed her hair self-consciously and then narrowed her eyes at him playfully, "How did you know where I live?"

"Phone book the size of a postage stamp and only one listing for a Sullivan... I decided to take a chance."

"Then you would have seen the phone number and you could have called me."

"I tried to call you, but all I got was a busy signal.."

Chloe then remembered that she has dial-up Internet service at home, which would tie up the phone lines. "Right, I've been on my laptop, and..."

"You're still using dial-up?"

Chloe knew it was all she could afford right now, so she simply shrugged.

Jason cleared his throat, then asked, "Um, may I come in?"

At her hesitation, he quickly explained, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm freaking you out with this, I can see that. So how about I just set the flowers on the porch swing, I'll give you my cell number, and you can call me when you are ready. Okay?"

Chloe shook her head, snickering at how she was reacting to him. "Look, this is ridiculous. I've known you for months and I know you're not some crazy whack job. So, tell you what? Give me two minutes, I'll get a robe on, start some coffee, then you can come in..." and Chloe smiled toward the bundle in his hands, "with the flowers. We can get to know each other a little."

Jason's charming smile lit up his face as he murmured, "I like that plan. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me to."

Smiling, Chloe replied, "Okay, I'll be right back."

Chloe closed the door ran quickly to do what she said.

She was pretty sure that Jason would help her get her mind off of her depressing thoughts.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Jason and Chloe's Story