Chloe learned a lot about sports than she wanted being friends with Charlie. ("Yes, friends. Having lunch with a guy every day is hardly a date. Shut up, Pete.") She learned less than she wanted about Charlie, though. Somewhere in the jumble of hockey, football, and NASCAR she managed to pick up that he'd been born in Texas but considered himself a New Yorker through and through; that he didn't like horror movies but had read every Steven King novel; and that he had no illusions about being a nerd, albeit a sports one. He was proud of it, in fact.
He did mention his dad quite a bit. It was obvious that Mr. McCall had been responsible for Charlie's love of anything athletic. From the little stories Charlie told, Chloe got a picture of a guy who had the world history of sports stored in his head, who was very smart but not always on the ball, and who was not by any stretch of the imagination a cool dad. Charlie seemed oddly proud of that fact.
So it was a bit of a surprise for her to flip to CSC one night (thinking vaguely about watching a horse race or something and surprising Charlie with her knowledge the next day) and find a gorgeous, well-dressed man smiling Charlie's smile at her and saying, "I'm Casey McCall alongside Dan Rydell, and you're watching Sports Night."
She had the phone in her hand and was dialing before she even realized it. "Charlie," she said before he even got a greeting out, "is there something you wanted to tell me? Something that airs nightly on cable, maybe?"
Pause. "Oh, did my episode of Red Show Diaries finally air?"
I'm just limping off to bed. I shall try and send positive vibes (yes, I said vibes) through the MYSTICKAL POWER OF DREAMS. I have a new crystal which promises me Energy! Also 'Transformation' - I'm hoping into a thin, pretty, 18-year-old) so who knows what New Age Wonders await.
Can't even amuse myself, let alone anyone else, but I would if I could. So it's all down to the Happy Pink Thoughts. (I expect they come in other colours if you shop around.)
Hope the day will pass soon, there we go wishing our lives away again - bugger! That was mine! - and not be too altogether pooey.
"So you're saying the gun just happened to overheat and fall out of his hand?"
"Yeah," Chloe said.
Lex pressed the icepack harder against the lump in his skull. "It does happen."
Charlie looked very confused. "It does?"
Both Lex and Chloe shrugged.
There was a cheer from the field, and Charlie jumped. "You two are taking this all in stride, aren't you?"
"He's not from around here, right?" Lex asked.
Charlie gave them another bewildered look, and Chloe had to laugh. She should take him to Smallville some time and show him how craziness was really done.
There was a commotion behind them, and Lex motioned to the security guards. Two men came rushing through.
"Dad!" Charlie was on his feet instantly--it was the first time he'd let go of Chloe's hand since everything started--and threw his arms around his father. "Dad, it's okay, I'm okay."
"I know," Mr. McCall said, but he didn't let go.
The man behind him, who Chloe recognized as Dan Rydell, clapped Charlie on the back and then looked around him. "You must be Chloe."
She nodded and stood. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Rydell," she said, holding her hand out.
He took it only to pull her into a hug. "We've known Charlie longer, you understand, but we're glad you're all right, too."
"Thank you." Chloe was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She gave in to the urge to lean against him for a minute.
"You didn't tell Mom, right?" Charlie was asking his dad.
"No, but you need to. You don't want her hearing about it from a news story."
"She didn't know I was coming today."
"Charles," Mr. Rydell said, "Never underestimate your mother's ability to know everything."
Chloe pulled back and swiped a hand under her eyes. "Charles?" she whispered to Mr. Rydell.
He winked down at her.
Charlie looked back at them. "Oh, damn--I mean--Chloe, this is my dad. Dad, this is Chloe Sullivan."
"It's very nice to meet you, Chloe." Charlie's dad was just as cute in person. Cuter, really, because his eyes didn't crinkle like that when he smiled on television. "I might have wished for better circumstances, but it's still a pleasure."
"Thank you." She was half relieved and half disappointed when he didn't hug her, too.
"Isn't your family here?"
She shook her head, but before she had to say anything, Lex insinuated himself into their group. "Mr. McCall, I want to extend my sincerest apologies. Your son should have been safe here."
Mr. Rydell said, "These things happen."
"So I hear," Charlie muttered.
Mr. McCall didn't look quite as convinced, but he smiled politely. "I'm sure this was an isolated incident. And we do appreciate your help in getting us here so quickly."
Charlie blinked. "How did you get here so fast?"
Mr. Rydell leaned across Chloe and stage-whispered, "On a really neat jet."
"Whoa. Cool!"
Mr. McCall loosened up enough to grin at Charlie, and the two of them looked unnervingly alike in their glee. "It kind of was."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Lex said. "The jet--and anything else LuthorCorp can provide--are at your disposal."
"Who's doing the show?" Charlie asked.
"Peter and Paul," his dad said.
"What? Dad, you have to go back."
"They'll be fine."
Mr. Rydell and Charlie both snorted in exactly the same way. Chloe giggled.
Lex, of course, had an answer for everything. "Charlie, why don't you go back with them? I'm sure the Planet will give you a day off, considering the circumstances." That meant he knew who to call over there. "You can talk to your mother in person and spend a little more time with your family."
"But--" Charlie looked over at Chloe.
And that was how she left her apartment for a football game in the morning and ended up on a jet to New York in the afternoon.
Dangit. I had hoped to have this finished before bedtime, but stuff came up.
Here's what I have:
Charlie and Chloe stepped through the doors and into insanity. There were three people in a corner arguing over a videotape, a blonde woman on her knees looking under a desk, and Mr. Rydell was standing on a chair, shouting "Casey!" at the top of his lungs.
"Whoa. It's like press time," she said.
"Yeah. *All* the time." Charlie guided them both through the chaos with practiced ease. "Kim, what're you doing?" he called into the videotape argument.
"Trying to convince these mental midgets to see the light," said a woman who reminded Chloe strongly of an older, bustier Lana. She waggled the videotape. "Greatest Hits of Nancy Lieberman-Cline, a.k.a. Lady Magic. Played in the 1976 Olympics, led Old Dominion to three national championships, played men's pro basketball--"
"Walked on water..." the heavyset guy behind her interjected. Then he grunted as she jabbed her elbow back at him.
"She's a coach now, and she'd be a great subject for a feature. If these guys would just *look.*"
"Guys, watch the tape," Charlie said. Kim beamed at him. "You know she'll just pester you until you do."
"Hey!"
"Charlie!" The blonde woman pulled herself out from under the desk and hurried over, smiling brightly. "Hey, it's good to see you, sweetie." Chloe saw the tears in her eyes as she hugged Charlie, but she blinked them away before he saw them. "You sure know how to spice up a football game, don't you?"
Charlie rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry I worried you, Dana."
"Who said--?"
"You're looking for your shoes again, aren't you?"
Dana laughed. "You know me too well, Charlie McCall." She framed his face with her hands. "Yes, all right, you scared me. Don't do it again."
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He did mention his dad quite a bit. It was obvious that Mr. McCall had been responsible for Charlie's love of anything athletic. From the little stories Charlie told, Chloe got a picture of a guy who had the world history of sports stored in his head, who was very smart but not always on the ball, and who was not by any stretch of the imagination a cool dad. Charlie seemed oddly proud of that fact.
So it was a bit of a surprise for her to flip to CSC one night (thinking vaguely about watching a horse race or something and surprising Charlie with her knowledge the next day) and find a gorgeous, well-dressed man smiling Charlie's smile at her and saying, "I'm Casey McCall alongside Dan Rydell, and you're watching Sports Night."
She had the phone in her hand and was dialing before she even realized it. "Charlie," she said before he even got a greeting out, "is there something you wanted to tell me? Something that airs nightly on cable, maybe?"
Pause. "Oh, did my episode of Red Show Diaries finally air?"
"Ha. Spill, McCall."
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I need a Charlie/Chloe icon...
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You're so going to kill me.
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Can't even amuse myself, let alone anyone else, but I would if I could. So it's all down to the Happy Pink Thoughts. (I expect they come in other colours if you shop around.)
Hope the day will pass soon, there we go wishing our lives away again - bugger! That was mine! - and not be too altogether pooey.
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***
"So you're saying the gun just happened to overheat and fall out of his hand?"
"Yeah," Chloe said.
Lex pressed the icepack harder against the lump in his skull. "It does happen."
Charlie looked very confused. "It does?"
Both Lex and Chloe shrugged.
There was a cheer from the field, and Charlie jumped. "You two are taking this all in stride, aren't you?"
"He's not from around here, right?" Lex asked.
Charlie gave them another bewildered look, and Chloe had to laugh. She should take him to Smallville some time and show him how craziness was really done.
There was a commotion behind them, and Lex motioned to the security guards. Two men came rushing through.
"Dad!" Charlie was on his feet instantly--it was the first time he'd let go of Chloe's hand since everything started--and threw his arms around his father. "Dad, it's okay, I'm okay."
"I know," Mr. McCall said, but he didn't let go.
The man behind him, who Chloe recognized as Dan Rydell, clapped Charlie on the back and then looked around him. "You must be Chloe."
She nodded and stood. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Rydell," she said, holding her hand out.
He took it only to pull her into a hug. "We've known Charlie longer, you understand, but we're glad you're all right, too."
"Thank you." Chloe was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She gave in to the urge to lean against him for a minute.
"You didn't tell Mom, right?" Charlie was asking his dad.
"No, but you need to. You don't want her hearing about it from a news story."
"She didn't know I was coming today."
"Charles," Mr. Rydell said, "Never underestimate your mother's ability to know everything."
Chloe pulled back and swiped a hand under her eyes. "Charles?" she whispered to Mr. Rydell.
He winked down at her.
Charlie looked back at them. "Oh, damn--I mean--Chloe, this is my dad. Dad, this is Chloe Sullivan."
"It's very nice to meet you, Chloe." Charlie's dad was just as cute in person. Cuter, really, because his eyes didn't crinkle like that when he smiled on television. "I might have wished for better circumstances, but it's still a pleasure."
"Thank you." She was half relieved and half disappointed when he didn't hug her, too.
"Isn't your family here?"
She shook her head, but before she had to say anything, Lex insinuated himself into their group. "Mr. McCall, I want to extend my sincerest apologies. Your son should have been safe here."
Mr. Rydell said, "These things happen."
"So I hear," Charlie muttered.
Mr. McCall didn't look quite as convinced, but he smiled politely. "I'm sure this was an isolated incident. And we do appreciate your help in getting us here so quickly."
Charlie blinked. "How did you get here so fast?"
Mr. Rydell leaned across Chloe and stage-whispered, "On a really neat jet."
"Whoa. Cool!"
Mr. McCall loosened up enough to grin at Charlie, and the two of them looked unnervingly alike in their glee. "It kind of was."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Lex said. "The jet--and anything else LuthorCorp can provide--are at your disposal."
"Who's doing the show?" Charlie asked.
"Peter and Paul," his dad said.
"What? Dad, you have to go back."
"They'll be fine."
Mr. Rydell and Charlie both snorted in exactly the same way. Chloe giggled.
Lex, of course, had an answer for everything. "Charlie, why don't you go back with them? I'm sure the Planet will give you a day off, considering the circumstances." That meant he knew who to call over there. "You can talk to your mother in person and spend a little more time with your family."
"But--" Charlie looked over at Chloe.
And that was how she left her apartment for a football game in the morning and ended up on a jet to New York in the afternoon.
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more fic
Here's what I have:
Charlie and Chloe stepped through the doors and into insanity. There were three people in a corner arguing over a videotape, a blonde woman on her knees looking under a desk, and Mr. Rydell was standing on a chair, shouting "Casey!" at the top of his lungs.
"Whoa. It's like press time," she said.
"Yeah. *All* the time." Charlie guided them both through the chaos with practiced ease. "Kim, what're you doing?" he called into the videotape argument.
"Trying to convince these mental midgets to see the light," said a woman who reminded Chloe strongly of an older, bustier Lana. She waggled the videotape. "Greatest Hits of Nancy Lieberman-Cline, a.k.a. Lady Magic. Played in the 1976 Olympics, led Old Dominion to three national championships, played men's pro basketball--"
"Walked on water..." the heavyset guy behind her interjected. Then he grunted as she jabbed her elbow back at him.
"She's a coach now, and she'd be a great subject for a feature. If these guys would just *look.*"
"Guys, watch the tape," Charlie said. Kim beamed at him. "You know she'll just pester you until you do."
"Hey!"
"Charlie!" The blonde woman pulled herself out from under the desk and hurried over, smiling brightly. "Hey, it's good to see you, sweetie." Chloe saw the tears in her eyes as she hugged Charlie, but she blinked them away before he saw them. "You sure know how to spice up a football game, don't you?"
Charlie rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry I worried you, Dana."
"Who said--?"
"You're looking for your shoes again, aren't you?"
Dana laughed. "You know me too well, Charlie McCall." She framed his face with her hands. "Yes, all right, you scared me. Don't do it again."
"Yes ma'am," he said solemnly.
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