It was like someone had unplugged Clark’s brain. He wasn’t capable of rational thought. All he could do was stare at the girl in front of him, looking her up and down and refusing to accept what he saw. It was not Chloe Sullivan, it couldn’t be. It was impossible.

“So, you have a name?” she asked finally, tilting her head in a way that sent a shudder of familiarity through him. If this person wasn’t Chloe, she certainly looked like her. She had the same smile, the same face, the hair was longer, but it was the same vibrant gold he remembered. There was the same sparkle in her eyes. She smiled a little as she waited for him to speak.

“Cl… Clark,” he managed to choke out finally.

“Is that with one cluck or two?” she remarked. She waited for him to laugh and then shrugged when nothing was forthcoming. “So, I guess they only make them big and pretty where you come from, not too swift on the uptake. Pity.” She turned around, her hair whipping about behind her. “Thanks again for the save,” she called back as she started off.

He watched her leave for a moment before his brain kicked back into gear. “Wait a minute,” he called, running up to her. He caught her arm to pull her back.

She glared down at his hand and then looked up at him. “You want to keep that?” she asked him acidly. He jerked his hand back and she nodded.

“Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you,” he said.

“Better ways to ask a girl,” she remarked.

He blinked and then frowned a little. “Like saving your life?” he asked her quickly. She considered that and then smiled at him.

“I’m all ears,” she told him. Chloe shifted around the metal box she was holding and waited.

“Okay,” he said, trying to find a way to start. The best way he decided, was to be blunt. “You don’t know me right?” he asked her.

She looked at him closely and then shrugged. “Sorry, but no. Should I?”

“But that’s,” he said, “that’s impossible…”

“Oh no. Let me guess,” she broke in, giving him a wry look. “We shared something very special once, right? We were soulmates or something? Probably met at a party or something and we just clicked, huh? Shared something wild and passionate that changed your life forever, is that your version? Well, bottom line, if we did, I can’t remember, and if I can’t remember, it probably wasn’t worth it in the first place.” Clark took a step back, shocked.

“Sorry to ruin your big fantasy, buddy, but that’s life,” she tossed off. On the other side of the fence they heard a door swing open loudly. The dogs picked up their barking on cue. Chloe bit her lip and hugged the box tighter to her chest.

“Geez, don’t get a break around here,” she yelled, and grabbed his arm. “Run!” she called out and tugged him after her. They took off across the road and through the fields. Clark could only follow after her, thoroughly confused.

Just where had he wound up that this was Chloe Sullivan? Was this some sort of joke? Or a dream? He didn’t remember falling asleep, all he remembered was the strange lighting shower and being pulled into some sort of…

“Portal,” he breathed out. They reached the edge of the forest and stopped, Chloe bending over and resting on her knees, puffing. It must have been a portal, Clark thought, standing there. There was no other way he could explain it. He wasn’t in Smallville anymore, not his Smallville anyway.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Chloe sat down on the ground and put the metal box on her lap. “I hate running,” she complained. “Damn dogs.” She started to fiddle with the box on her lap. Frowning, she glanced at him. “Did you say something?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly. She shrugged and went back to studying the box. Pulling out a pin, she started to pick the lock.

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly, frowning.

“Checking it for defects,” she remarked. The lock sprang open with a click and she pulled it off. “Look, there’s one now.” She tossed it over her shoulder and opened the box. It was partly full of tens and twenties. To Clark’s unbelieving eyes, Chloe scooped them up and started to grin.

“You’re stealing!” She shushed him and motioned for him to keep his voice down. “What are you doing with that?” he demanded, much more softly.

“Don’t preach to me,” she warned him, pocketing the money. “I appreciate the help with the dogs and all, but there’s a limit to how much I owe you.”

“You have to return that, Chloe. I’m serious, you could go to jail for something like that."

She smirked at him and got up, kicking the empty box aside as she did. “Yeah, like my uncle would let that happen. And I don’t recall telling you my name,” she turned back to him.

“I… uh…” he stuttered, trying to think of an answer.

“Oh right, the connection thing,” she shook her head. “God, I’m glad I don’t remember you,” she told him and started to walk off.

“You have to return that money, Chloe!” he told her, running after her.

“What do you care?”

“I care because I don’t want to see you wind up in trouble,” he told her, a little exasperated.

“That’s only if you get caught,” she smirked at him. “And stop following me! It’s not that I don’t appreciate the save back there, but it’s getting a little creepy now.” She pointed at his muddy clothes. “Besides, you look like you just fell in a river.”

“Lake actually,” he admitted.

“Did you hit your head on the bottom, ‘cause that would explain a lot.” She tried to walk a little faster, but he kept up right behind her. They crossed over the fields and onto a tiny dirt road. Chloe tucked the wad of money into her jacket and started walking nonchalantly as Clark followed after her. She glanced back at him quickly and started walking even faster. He matched her speed easily, lengthening his stride. Finally, she turned around and stared at him, incredulous. “God, are you slow? Go. Away. I don’t want you near me.”

“Look if I had any other choice I would,” he said in a rush. “I just got here and you’re you, but you’re not and neither is anything else and it’s all really confusing right now.”

“Look,” she said, leaning in close to him, “even on my best day, I wouldn’t care enough to talk you down from this. So my suggestion is to turn around, go back to that lake you fell in before, and try again. Maybe you’ll get it right and drown this time.” Clark blinked in response, and then a black pickup appeared at the end of the road. Chloe glanced at it quickly and then sighed, shaking her head. “And now this day is perfect,” she said, dryly.

The truck pulled up next to them and a young man who looked vaguely familiar to Clark leaned out of the driver’s side window, smiling at them, or more precisely at Chloe. He had dirty blond hair cut short and had a flat ugly face. “Chloe,” he said lightly, leering down at her. “What brings you out here?”

“Open road, Sean” she shrugged, giving him a fake little smile. “Not breaking any laws going for a walk, am I?”

“I don’t know about that, but I guess you’d be the expert.” She smiled a little broader at that, then looked away, muttering under her breath. Sean looked over at Clark, as if seeing him for the first time and gave him an appraising glance. “He always look like that, or did I catch you two at a bad time?” he asked, nodding at Clark’s clothes. Clark glanced down at himself, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Looking back up, he noticed that Sean was wearing a Smallville High Football jacket and something finally clicked in his head.

“Sean Kelvin?” he blurted out. Sean and Chloe stared at him.

“Yeah,” he nodded slowly.

“But- But you died,” Clark said, bewildered. “You froze in the lake.”

Now they were really staring at him. “Excuse me?” Sean asked.

“Forget about him,” Chloe remarked. She stepped in front of Clark and stared up at Sean. “Look, I need to get into town. Can you just give me a ride or something?”

“He coming too?” He nodded over her shoulder to Clark.

“In every sense of the words ‘God, no’,” she replied.

“Good,” he said shortly, giving Clark a worried look. “Hop in.” He opened the passenger door and scooted back to the driver’s seat.

“Well,” Chloe said, turning back to Clark, “it’s been… “ she searched for a word for a moment and then just smiled and shrugged at him. “See ya.”

“Wait a minute,” he said quickly. “You’re just leaving?”

“And now you catch on quick,” she rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m sorry if your lost or something, but I don’t see how I’m supposed to help you with any of this. So see ya…” she floundered for a name.

“Clark,” he said quickly. “Clark Kent, I’ve been your best friend for like three years now. You have to remember!” She took a step back and Sean opened the driver door, staring down at them.

“Chloe?” he asked quickly, giving Clark a hard look.

She ignored him for the moment and stared at Clark intently. “For the last time,” she said quietly to him, “I don’t know you, and I don’t even think I want to know you. Now are you going to let me go or are we going to have a problem here.”

He stared at her for a moment and then shook his head, backing off. “Sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“Yeah, whatever,” she snapped. She hurried around the truck and climbed in, slamming the door behind her. Clark stood there, blinking as they drove off, the tires kicking some of the dirt back towards him. He watched it disappear down the road and then looked around at the fields and woods around him. Then he pulled the meteor rock out of his jacket pocket and held it up, giving it a bewildered look.

“Where the hell am I?” he breathed out, looking back down the road again.