Title: Bridge to Nowhere

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver (maybe minor Lois/Oliver later)

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Chloe stepped out onto the busy Metropolis sidewalk. With a heavy head she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply taking in the distinct smells of the city all around; the whiff of stale bread from the hot dog stand, the exhaust fumes from passing taxis, the dirt and pollution rising from the well trodden concrete. After what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a minute or two, she opened her eyes and stared straight up into the bright blue sky. Although her eyes instinctively began to close against the glaring sun, she willed them to stay open focusing in on the bright yellow gleam of light streaming down upon her.

She could feel the tears forming in her eyes long before she felt the first one slide down her cheek…unbidden and certainly unwanted. She quickly swiped away at it and took in her surroundings. It was an unseasonably warm day in Metropolis and the city hustled and bustled around her. And although everything around her was running on fast forward, Chloe's mind seemed to be stuck in slow motion...which is exactly how she felt just before leaving Clark and Oliver upstairs.

(5 minutes ago…)

They had been in full strategy mode trying to figure out what their next move was in regards to dealing with Zod. Given the new information they had discovered (care of Lois's little time travel adventure) they now realized they had to change their plan of attack. They had been going around in circles for hours; Clark insisting that he needed to befriend Zod while Oliver was content to take care of the troublesome Kandorian with one shot from his crossbow.

Chloe had spent most of the meeting playing referee between the dynamic duo, a role she was not wholly unfamiliar with. She had sat through hundreds of meetings just like this one doing the exact same thing she was doing now. But on this particular day at that particular moment Chloe suddenly found herself…disconnecting. The longer she sat there listening to Oliver and Clark fight over what to do, the less she heard… but more importantly the less she seemed to care.

Their arguing voices were quickly silenced and all she could hear was the steady whir of her computers and the distant sound of the traffic outside. Their figures faded into the background and all she could see was the dust caught in the rays of sunlight floating down from the window. She ran her index finger along the surface of her desk making track marks in the thin layer of dust slowing forming before her eyes. The smooth wood seemed to glide beneath her fingertips and she marveled at the sensation…her eyes closing of their own volition.

Meanwhile Clark and Oliver continued their back and forth bickering, apparently oblivious to Chloe's lack of attention.

"Chloe will you tell Boy Scout here that nothing can be gained from becoming BFF's with Zod?" Oliver bellowed as he leaned back in a desk chair rubbing his eyes.

Clark shot back, "Chloe would you please explain to Oliver that he can't just go off hack-cocked without thinking this thing through first?"

Both men stood up meeting in the center of room, gesturing wildly at each other trying to get their point across; engaging in their own strange form of a pissing contest. Both were so self-involved at the moment that neither of the superheroes had noticed that Chloe had yet to utter a sound in the last two minutes; a personal record for the snarky and often opinionated blonde.

"Chloe…."

"Chloe…."

"CHLOE!!!" both men screamed in unison.

Finally jolted out of her temporary catatonia, Chloe slowly lifted her eyes from the desk and looked up at the two grown men now standing toe to toe in front of her, neither of them backing down. Without speaking a word, she eased her chair back from the desk picked up her purse and laptop bag and headed towards the front door.

Clark saw her get up out of the corner of his eye. And although unwilling to back down, he shifted his gaze from the angry blonde in front of him to the silent blonde getting up from her chair.

"Chloe we haven't finished figuring out…" Clark began but was quickly cut off.

"What's to figure out?" Oliver went on, "It's quite obvious what needs to be…" Oliver stopped mid-sentence noticing the concerned look on Clark's face.

Oliver turned around and followed Clark's gaze which was squarely planted on one Chloe Sullivan who had somehow made her way from the desk to the open door. And although her back was turned to them, both could sense something was wrong. There was something in the way she stood, shoulders dropping, head hanging low; very un-Chloe-like posture. They each took a tentative step towards her but it was Oliver who spoke first.

"Chloe…" he said tentatively, "Where are you going?"

When there was no response both he and Clark exchanged confused and concerned glances and crossed the room, making their way closer to the door.

"Chloe what's going on?" Clark continued still puzzled at Chloe's behavior but becoming more alarmed at her silence. He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder.

"Don't." Chloe muttered, her voice sounding so cold and metallic quickly causing Clark to withdraw his hand.

She turned her head and lifted her gaze looking back at Clark and Oliver; identical expressions of concern etched on both their faces.

"I'm done" she simply said.

And with that she walked out the door with no intention of coming back.