Quietly Devoured

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

An hour and a half later, Chloe was in the LuthorCorp helicopter heading back to Metropolis with Clark. She couldn't believe how quickly his staff had found her a dress, makeup and a hairdresser.

Her dress was a floor length gown in deep purple. Clark was wearing a black tux with a matching cummerbund and bow tie.

Another thing she couldn't believe was that the hairdresser had convinced her to die her beloved blond locks back to their natural brunette. She wasn't quite sure why she agreed to it. While she didn't dislike the look, it was very different from what she was used to. Chloe had been blonde since she'd first discovered hair die.

"You look beautiful," Clark said when he saw her stealing another look at her reflection in the window.

Chloe beamed back at him.

"This is like a fairytale or something," she said. "Cinderella will go to the ball."

The weirdness of this whole situation made it easier to forget about her life back home and there had been so little joy in her life, even before Jimmy died, that she was determined to enjoy tonight.

Clark grinned. Moments later the chopper landed on the roof of what Chloe knew to be the Daily Planet, only she noticed that the spinning globe now said Luthor Media.

"Does the Planet not exist here?" she asked as they headed from the chopper to the lift.

"Oh it exists, it's just part of a much larger company now. We own print, publishing and television media all over the world."

"Wow. So you're, like, really important here then?"

"Yeah," he laughed.

They got into the lift and headed down to the ground floor where the limousine was waiting for them.

"Chloe, now that we're alone I have to talk to you."

Chloe turned to him, frowning but not worried.

"This world's Chloe Sullivan is dead so you can't use that name with her face without raising some very awkward questions."

"Wow, yeah," she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Don't worry, I'm setting up a new identity for you as we speak, you are now Christine AKA Chrissy Sullivan, twin sister to Chloe, who was adopted at birth."

"Isn't that going to raise some eyebrows?" she asked. "Why keep one child and adopt the other?"

"Given your mother's mental history I think we can swing it."

"My Dad's not going to like it."

"Chloe... In this world, Gabe... well he didn't take your death very well. He began drinking and..."

"And what?"

"He got into an accident one night on his way home from a bar. He'd dead, Chloe."

"Oh," Chloe covered her mouth with her hand. It was silly to get upset over this man's death. He wasn't her father. Her real father was still in Smallville, working at the plant, happy to receive his weekly phone call from her and share an occasional meal. Her dad was alive.

"I'm sorry," she blinked back tears. "It's silly to get upset about someone you've never even met but-"

"Ssh," Clark put his arms around her. "Given my feelings when I saw you, believe me, I understand."

Chloe hugged him for a few moments then pulled away. Clark handed her a handkerchief and she dabbed at her eyes.

"It'd be a shame to ruin this make up. Where'd you find a make up artist at such short notice anyway?"