great work, can't wait for more, love this whole alternate universe with chloe and lex meeting first and not with clark and lex. loved at the end of the last one you did lex said 'this is like a twisted game of tag'
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great work, can't wait for more, love this whole alternate universe with chloe and lex meeting first and not with clark and lex. loved at the end of the last one you did lex said 'this is like a twisted game of tag'
Just caught up with this story, and i am hooked can't wait to read more :)
no, no, it's not an update. but i need another name for the episode Hothead...anyone want to give me some ideas?
Um. Firebrand. Rebel. Chaotic. Rabble-rouser. Scalawag. Shouldabeenspankedmoreasakid. Uh...that's all I got. ;)
LMAO! I like that one:)Quote:
Originally Posted by JosiCuervo
Well, guys, I donīt know if you realize is, but actually itīs very dangerous around here.So many good stories, I canīt bring myself to do my schoolwork. I just keep on reading and I donīt get anything done.Would have to stop visiting the boards during this week ;)
A/N: It's kind of hard to watch these and try to figure out where Lex and Chloe should come in but I'm trying my very best to work them into each and every episode as the main characters. Therefore, some chapters will be shorter than others. Not a whole lot shorter and I'm not going to purposely do it, but it's going to happen occasionally. Also, I'd like to thank everyone for reading and leaving feedback. The fact that everyone likes these turn of events makes me glad I decided to do this since I've been thinking about it for the past two years. I originally wrote half of the pilot during the second season.
A/N 2: Thanks to Erica [JosiCuervo] for the name of this episode.
A/N 3: So many special thankies to my terrific beta whom I could not have posted this one without, due to my many insecurities when it comes to dealing with commas, as you can tell, cuz I use a lot of commas, like, everywhere. Many virtual kisses to Debbie [dsapiro] my beta'er.
"Shouldabeenspankedmoreasakid" [aka Hothead]
There was something weird going on in Smallville. It didn't surprise Chloe in the least, except that the weirdness was taking place right in her own school.
She'd sat through the football game with her poncho covering her up, mostly to keep dry, and the camera she held in her hands recorded every minute of the game. For posterities sake, of course.
As the team fumbled a pass and the coach called them over for a pep talk Chloe focused in tight and held it, wishing she could get better sound on it. The miniscule headphones picked up almost nothing but the sound of the rain and the fans cheering behind her.
As the coach grabbed Whitney Fordman by the helmet and pulled him in close to yell something in his face, Chloe snapped the shot and sat back with a smile on her face.
She had her front page picture for Mondays edition of the Torch.
***
"Football: Sport or Abuse?"
Chloe grinned back at Clark as he read her headline from the front page of the paper. "So what do you think?"
Clark folded up the paper as they continued to walk to the school early Monday morning. "I think you need to seriously decrease your cappuccino dependency."
Pete laughed at that and Chloe replied, "Pete thinks I'm being too hard on Coach Walt."
Pete shrugged and looked up at the school as they walked to the main doors. "The man coached my dad, all my brothers. He used to come over and watch the Super Bowl."
"And while I'm touched by that Hallmark moment, you don't get points in journalism for subtleties." She smiled over at Pete and Clark. "I've already started getting hate mail."
Clark shook his head, "You don't seem that upset by it. Why?"
"Because it means I'm hitting a nerve. Besides, considering the abysmal sentence structure and the overuse of profanities, I have a pretty good idea who's been sending me love letters."
Pete scoffed. "If you think my team mates have been reading the torch, you overestimate them."
Chloe laughed as they passed a group of football players and cheerleaders.
As the coach came up to the crowd, followed by another larger group of players Chloe nudged Pete with her elbow. "Ooh, ooh, Pete. I need a picture of the cheating jockstraps." It had been made public news that about a quarter of the team had cheated on one of their Math exams. As Pete raised the camera and started taking pictures, one of the football players turned around and spotted Chloe. "It's that snoopy bitch."
Chloe pretended to quake. "I'm so scared."
A second later a football came hurtling at her face and she caught it in one hand inches away from her nose.
Pete and Clark stared at her for a moment before Pete started laughing. "Nice catch!"
Chloe lowered the football to her side and turned to stare at Pete. "One of your teammates tries to assassinate me and all you can say is 'Nice catch'?"
Pete shrugged and Chloe narrowed her eyes at the asshole who'd thrown it at her. She placed her fingers on the laces like her father had shown her many times in her youth and pulled back, then let go with all her might. The jock went to catch it and it hit him in his gut, making him jump back a foot in order to keep his balance. Chloe then raised her right hand and extended her middle finger. "Sit and spin."
The football players and the coach all turned around and watched her walk away with Pete and Clark both at her sides.
***
Lex walked into his study after a particularly rough fencing lesson and was met with his father stooges. "I thought I called this meeting off."
Dominic, his father's right hand man, stepped forward and followed Lex to the wet bar. "Your father insisted we drive down here and keep this appointment."
Lex smiled as he took a sip of water. "And when he says jump you say how high."
At Dominic's less than friendly look Lex merely walked past him. "I wish I could say I'm sorry for wasting your time, but it is somewhat amusing watching you three do his bidding."
He went to a rack and pulled down a cue stick, chalking it up. "Now, if you'd like to play fetch for my father, there's an envelope on the coffee table," he motioned to where the leather couches were on the other side of the room. "You can take that back to Metropolis with you." As Dominic took the envelope and started to exit the room, Lex couldn't help but get in another dig. "Oh, and Dominic?" He waited for the other man to turn around and look at him. "Tell your sister I said 'Hi'." At Dominic's look, Lex let one corner of his mouth lift in amusement. "Meeting adjourned." He got up and racked the balls on the billiard table, ignoring his father's flunkies as they left.
Once gone, he passed a hand over his bald head and sighed irritably. First he was exiled and now babysat? Lex focused on the game of pool and blocked everything else out of his mind. It was time to unwind a little since he was sure his father, once he received the contents of the files in the envelope, would be paying a little visit.
***
Chloe rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands as she laid another edition of the Torch to rest. This week couldn't have gotten any longer. It simply wasn't possible to be able to just rest and close her eyes for five seconds. She'd been hoping to wrap everything up early and get home and in bed sometime before midnight. Chloe glanced at the wall clock hanging above the door. If she left now, she'd get home with enough spare time to maybe even soak in a nice, hot bath.
She gathered her stuff and slung her bag over her shoulder before locking the door to her office and heading out of the school.
She had just made it through the side doors where her car was parked when she heard the screams of help. She looked up from her bag where she was digging around for her keys and saw the car, flames lighting up the inside of it. Without thinking, she ran to help and once she was there, backed up a few steps from the intense heat coming from the car. Chloe threw her bag to the ground, ignoring the contents spilling out of the open zippered part and took off her coat, wrapping her hands with it. She grabbed a hold of the door handle and pulled, surprising herself with her strength when the door came off completely and made her stagger back a few feet.
She turned and threw the door away from her and stepped forward, grabbing the person out of the driver's seat and gripped him under his arms, much as she'd done with Lex, and pulled him, heels dragging the ground. She heard the hiss and knowing an explosion was not far off, she covered his body with her own. Sure enough, the car blew apart and up into the air before landing again with a loud thud. She stayed on the ground, covering the body beneath her as debris rained down from above.
When she was sure it was safe to look up, she watched the car being engulfed by flames, and stared in horror. It was only then that she thought to look down at the person she had pulled from the car. "Principal Kwan?" When a breath of air shuddered out of his lungs she felt around for his pulse, her fingers probing his neck. It was weak but solid. Chloe closed her eyes and leaned against him once more, breathing in a sigh of relief. She looked over to where her bag was now burned to a crisp and laughed hysterically. Two down and who knew how many to go.
She fished in her pocket for her cell phone and dialed 911.
Later, when she was safely at home and the grandfather clock in the hallway of her and her dad's townhouse struck midnight, she sat at the kitchen table in her pajamas, sipping a hot cup of coffee.
She eavesdropped as her father spoke with the hospital her principal had been taken to. When he hung up, he sighed and ran a hand across the back of his neck.
"What did they say?" Chloe asked tiredly. Now that she had taken a shower and had a chance to sit down, the adrenaline had left her body and was making her drowsier by the minute.
Gabe took a seat across from his daughter at the small breakfast nook tucked into the bay windows of their home. "They're going to keep him there over the weekend. He's doing good though, expected to make a full recovery." Chloe nodded and let her eyes drift shut as she placed her head on her folded arms. Gabe reached across the table and pat his daughter on the head. "He was lucky you were there, Chloe."
Chloe peeked up at her dad and nodded.
A knock on the door interrupted both of them and Gabe stood, brushing his hands off on his khaki slacks. "Who would that be at this time of night?"
Chloe shrugged and sat up, taking another fortifying drink of her coffee.
She heard Lex's muted voice from the front hallway and stood up from the table.
She went into the hall and stood there, staring at him. "Luthor."
Lex grinned and shrugged out of his coat, handing it to Gabe's offered hand. "Sullivan," he returned with a nod.
Chloe laughed and shook her head. "What's up with the late night visit?" They both started walking toward each other at the same time and Gabe stood back, watching with a small smile on his face.
"I heard on the news what had happened." When Chloe's brows came together in confusion Lex shook his head, "You do know this is a small town."
"Yeah, but they wouldn't have released my name."
Lex pulled her to him and hugged her lightly before dropping his arms back to his sides. "True, however, you're the only person I know who runs around saving people in this town."
Chloe laughed and turned around, leading Lex into the living room. "Can I get you anything?"
Lex shook his head. "Nah, I can't stay long. I'm expecting a surprise visit from my father shortly."
Chloe raised her eyebrows and retrieved her coffee from the kitchen. "How is it a surprise visit if you know he's coming?"
Lex shrugged and stared down at Chloe. He finally let out the breath he'd been holding. "God, I was so worried about you."
Chloe smiled up at him over the rim of her mug. "Well, as you can see I'm still in one piece." She thought of something. "Although my bag is not."
Gabe huffed out a breath as he came into the room. "Another one?"
Lex looked from father to daughter. "Another one?"
Chloe plopped down onto the couch and drew her flannel clad legs up underneath her. "Book bags. The first one ended up drowning in the lake when I dove under for you and the second one is a pile of cinders sitting in the school parking lot."
Lex laughed and stood up from the chair he had been occupying. "Sorry to hear that." He looked up at the clock above the television. "I've got to get going."
Chloe stood up and followed him to the door, retrieving his coat from the rack hanging behind it. As she handed it to him she said, "So will you be able to sleep better knowing I'm okay."
Lex shrugged into his coat and then reached for her, pulling her into the circle of his arms and holding on a little longer than he should have. "I'm glad your okay."
Chloe inhaled his warm scent and then let go of him, aware of her father watching his boss' interaction with his daughter.
"You should stop by the Torch sometime, that's where I end up after school most of the time."
"I thought it looked a little homey for being part of the school."
Chloe smiled in response. She glanced out the front door and saw another new car. "How many of those do you have, anyway?"
He glanced behind him and smiled. "Actually, that one I'm taking for a test drive. I totaled one on the bridge and then Bug Boy killed my other one."
Chloe gasped and then laughed softly. "Me with my bags and you with your cars. We make a great team, don't we."
Lex's smile softened as he stroked the backs of his fingers against her cheek. "That we do."
Chloe stared up at him, eyes wide at the motion. Lex leaned down and placed a chaste kiss against her forehead. "See you tomorrow?"
Chloe smiled and nodded, watched him walk out. As she shut and locked the door behind him she turned to see her father leaning against the wall. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't say it."
Gabe held his hands out in front of him.
Chloe started to the stairs. As she passed him she said, "Not one word, dad."
Gabe turned around and watched her go upstairs, when she was halfway up he grinned and opened his mouth to comment. Chloe held up a hand and said, "Don't do it."
As she continued up the stairs Gabe laughed and headed back into the kitchen to start cleaning up their mugs and so forth.
***
The next morning Lex sat in his study, he reclined in the chair behind his desk with his feet propped up on the glass top, a folder open on his lap.
His father burst through the doors, just as Lex imagined he would, and walked up to the desk, tossing a newspaper down. "Congratulations, Lex." Lex picked up the paper and read the headline. "You made the business page for once."
Lex rolled his eyes, "I told Dominic I was doing this days ago."
"Yes, and my drone dutifully reported it to me."
Lex tossed the newspaper down on his desk.
Lionel paced for a moment before heading over to the billiard table and picked up a fencing sword. "It seems we're at an impasse so here's what I suggest. We fence for the contract. I win and you recall those worker's and do what I originally told you. If you win, you keep the contracts and extra helpers and I stop telling you how to run your business."
Lex looked up at his dad and caught the sword his father tossed to him. "What are you afraid of Lex."
Within five minutes Lex had been beaten, Lionel had the point of his sword to Lex's neck. "This is where your faults lie, Lex. You let your emotions rule you." He smirked devilishly and dropped the sword to his side. "Have those contracts forwarded to my office in Metropolis." With those last words spoken he walked out of the room. Lex sunk to the oriental rug and stared into the fire in the great hearth. He'd find a loophole, certainly, but he should have just saved face. It didn't help that the people of Smallville would never accept him or the business he brought with him.
After all, it was his fault that they were going to be laid off.
***
That night Chloe excepted the invitation to go out with Pete and Clark to the Beanery. It was the hot spot for any caffeine lover and it was a sure fire way for Chloe to relax and just have a good time.
As they walked down the street Pete asked, "So, you're sure you're feeling fine?"
Chloe grinned and punched him softly in the arm. "I'm good, Pete." She breathed in the night air and sighed.
Clark walked beside her, keeping his pace slower than normal. "So what did the police say about the car fire?"
"They said it was faulty wiring."
Pete looked over at her as they neared the entrance to the coffee house. "You don't sound so convinced."
Chloe shrugged, "If they say so, then fine. I mean, car's don't just spontaneously combust, right?"
As they got their orders and found a table, Clark hung back to talk to Lana who had dropped the cheerleading team in a fit of moral timing and decided to get a job.
As Pete and Chloe sat down and started getting into a conversation a football player came up to the table beside theirs and leaned down to talk to the other jocks. In unison they stood and started leaving. Chloe looked over at them and arched her brows. "What's up with your fallen brethren?" She asked as the jocks filed out single order.
Pete shrugged. "I don't know."
Chloe nodded and then stood up slipping her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see you later."
Chloe arrived at the football field where she'd followed the players to and stopped behind the bleachers, watching as the coach decided to have a little pep talk with the boys. Obviously one of them had leaked information to the Principal and Chloe heard him say nothing was going to stand between him and his legacy before the sprinklers on the field switched from spraying water to great arcs of fire. Chloe gasped and raised her camera to take a few pictures. As the coach ended his tirade, the flames died down and she crouched beneath the bleachers, waiting for the field to clear out.
Later that night the pep rally ran in full swing from the football field as Chloe sat at her desk in the Torch offices, uploaded the photos from earlier.
As she pasted a picture to the layout of the front page her mouse caught on fire. Chloe jerked her hand back and watched the monitor of her computer catch fire, too.
Lex had decided to take Chloe up on her offer and visit the Torch after he'd called her house and Gabe had informed him of where she'd be. He was on his way up the stairs to the second level of the school when he heard her screams.
"Help!" Chloe took off her jacket and put it over her head to keep from catching on fire. She tried to get to the doors but as soon as she got close to one flames would get higher, burn brighter and hotter, and she'd back away. Her eyes started to burn and tear up from the smoke and she yelled again. "Help me!"
She turned to go to the window to yell out for help and saw the flames already racing along the wall. Just as she was about to pick up her chair and toss it through the window when the side door of the office flew open and Lex came barging through.
"Chloe?"
"Lex!"
Chloe watched as the flames grew taller between them.
"Come to me, Chloe."
Chloe took a shallow breath so as not to inhale too much smoke and ducked with her coat over her head. She ran through the fire to Lex and smacked into his body with her own, knocking them both to the floor. Lex struggled to his feet and wrapped his arms around Chloe as he backed them out of the room. In an instance all of the fire died down and nothing was left but a charred mess.
Chloe put a hand to her mouth as she choked down sob after sob. Lex stared into the room, saw the mess, but could think of nothing but when Chloe had been on the other side and he'd thought for sure she wouldn't survive. He'd been consumed by panic, thinking she'd die and he'd never see her again.
Now he held her close to him and tightened his grip.
Hours later after the fire department had come and made sure it was safe to reenter the room, Chloe and Lex stared down at the burned mess of her computer and desk. "The Torch, torched." Chloe shot a glare at Lex and he grabbed a hold of her, hugging her to his side. "I know, not funny."
Chloe leaned into him for a moment. "I think I know who did it."
Lex looked down at her, eyebrows raised.
Once again, later that night, Chloe and Lex sat in The Beanery. Chloe sat across from him on a booth seat, her legs curled up under her. Lex leaned forward, his arms propped on the table.
He was currently studying a folder with papers of worker's bio's spread out in front of him. Chloe watched him closely and then her curiosity got the better of her and she had to ask.
"How often do you have to shave you head to never have a five o clock shadow?"
Lex's eyes wandered from his papers up to her face. "I don't have to shave it." He passed his hand over his skull and at Chloe's confused look he explained, "When I was nine I was out in the cornfield when the meteor shower struck here in Smallville. While my dad was busy signing contracts to put more people out of business in hopes of furthering his own career, I wandered off into the field. When I woke up in the hospital I was bald."
Chloe's eyes searched his and then dipped down to the table top where his lap was hidden.
Lex laughed and gave her a smirk. "That's information I'm not going to give you. That is one thing you'll have to do a little investigating about and find out on your own."
Chloe felt the heat travel up her neck and settle in her cheeks. She resisted the urge to fan herself and then decided since he had so willingly divulged information about himself, she could share something of her with him, too.
Chloe sat forward and folded her hands in her lap. "You know how you said I'm the only one that runs around saving people?"
Lex nodded and though his interest was piqued he cautiously took a sip of coffee.
Chloe bit her bottom lip and then forged on. "When I was three I was in those same cornfields. We were traveling through Smallville and got a flat tire. My mom followed me into the field. I was chasing after a bunny or some other small animal I'd seen out of the corner of my eye. Anyways, I ran after it and she ran after me. Next thing I knew there was an explosion and my mom landed on top of me. When I woke up in the hospital I was showing signs of increased strength."
Lex's eyebrows hinted at his curiosity. "Increased strength?"
Chloe laughed and sat back, resting against the comfortable padding of the booth. "Yeah. The nurse brought me some pudding and when I took the spoon from her I bent it in half." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I didn't know if you'd dig into my past or anything after you had your car towed away and figured out what happened to the roof of your car."
"I was wondering about that."
Chloe nodded and sipped at her drink. "I kinda tore it off."
Lex stared at her in what she hoped was a good kind of awe. "Tore it off?"
Chloe shrugged. "It seems like the older I get the stronger I become. I'm going to venture to guess it's all about the meteor rocks and the effects they have on people. I've seen a lot of crazy shit here in Smallville."
Lex thought back on her story and then asked, "What happened to your mom?"
Chloe looked away for a moment, startled at the question. When she looked back Lex could tell she'd collected herself enough to hold the tears in her eyes at bay. She had to clear her throat before she could speak. "She died protecting me."
Lex didn't think twice about how it would look to the patrons of the coffee house, he just reached over and covered her hand with his. "I'm sorry for your loss, Chloe."
Chloe forced a shaky smile and then squeezed Lex's hand with her own in a silent show of gratitude for his sincerity and then she pulled her hand away. She motioned to the papers on the table between them. "So what are you going to do about this mess?"
Lex sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm supposed to be cutting back 20 percent of the work force."
Chloe made a strangled noise in the back of her throat.
Lex agreed.
Together they put their heads together and tried to think of another way out of the mess he'd gotten himself and hundreds of other people in to.
Later that night, Lex leaned over the pool table in his study and lined up an easy shot. The open and shut of the door of his study signaled the arrival of his father. "Two times in one week, Dad. Trying to set a new record?"
Lionel tossed the folder with the proposal down in front of Lex on the purple felt of the pool table. "What is this?"
Chloe got up from her place on the couch where she'd gone unnoticed. "I believe it's a proposal, Mr. Luthor."
Lionel's gaze shifted over to the petite blonde and he laughed as he looked back at his son. He tsked for a moment and watched as the girl, who couldn't have been more than a teenager, paused beside Lex and took his cue stick, leaning down to match a more difficult shot and putting some weight behind it. "Mixing business with pleasure, son. Not a wise move."
Chloe raised a questioning brow. Lex hadn't failed to notice the way his father's eyes had gobbled up his guest.
Lex took the cue stick back from Chloe after she finished her shot and leaned against the pool table. "I learned from the best." He put down the cue and picked up the folder that the proposal was in. "Now what part of this proposal did you not understand?"
Lionel bit back a smile, a clear sign of his impatience. "Careful, Lex. Empires aren't built on clever bookkeeping."
Lex grinned, leaned back against the table beside Chloe and reclined, stretching his arms out, his hands on the edge. His body language signaled that Chloe had not only been his co-conspirator in the new proposal, but to also warn Lionel to back off. "Dad," He said as tilted his head to the side, the grin still firmly in place, "you have no idea what I'm capable of."
Lionel raised his head a fraction in acknowledgement before turning and leaving the study in silence.
Chloe stared after him for a moment and then let out a whoop of laughter. She turned and wound her arms around Lex and hugged him. "That was great. I was waiting for the bloodshed to begin but you were so cool and collected." She pulled back and smiled at him. "That was awesome."
Lex laughed and stood up, away from the pool table. "And you were a great help, Chloe."
Chloe grinned and rubbed his head playfully. "Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself, Luthor."
Lex laughed in return and headed over to the his desk. "Unfortunately, that's not the last I'll see of him."
Chloe smiled softly and reclaimed her seat on the couch in front of the fireplace. "Can't I just revel in the win? Don't pop the bubble for me just yet, okay?"
Lex poured each of them a drink, hers nonalcoholic, and sat down beside her. He handed her the glass and clinked the crystal of his to hers. "To a productive day."
Chloe agreed and smiled; took a sip of sparkling water. She leaned back and sighed. "You saved the town, Lex."
Lex murmured his agreement, raised his arm to rest on the back of the couch behind Chloe's head and they watched the fire crackle behind the screen.
Blaire, you did a great job with this. Would've liked the actual episode with this as part of it, of course. You really did justice to the Lex /Chloe relationship in this story . I hope I'm making sense ( been with the mother-in-law all afternoon & the brain is a bit fried).
hehe that was cute. promise of things to come?Quote:
Chloe's eyes searched his and then dipped down to the table top where his lap was hidden.
Lex laughed and gave her a smirk. "That's information I'm not going to give you. That is one thing you'll have to do a little investigating about and find out on your own."
glad you updated!
Great update! I was glad to see Chloe and Lex actually sharing with each other and now Lex knows about her powers which is a major bonus! Not only does she not have to hide around him but hopefully that fact that there are less lies being thrown around will increase their chances of remaining friends...or more...whatever :) They're already plotting together, a very good sign. Loved it.
Steph*