Title: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
Rating: PG13 for now, (knowing me, it will rise)
Author: Blaire
Archive: Go ahead. You really don't need my
permission. Mostly everything of mine ends up at TBT,
Malu's, and/or fanfiction. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned Smallville, you'd all be the
first to know, but I don't so you're all out of luck.
Chapter 1: Lunch Date:
"Dad, come on, it'll only be a few hours and I promise
I'll be back in time to pick you up from work." Chloe
flashed a warm smile at her father in hopes of edging
him to cave in to her request.
Monday at noon Chloe sat in her father's office. She
was here for one reason and one reason only. She
needed a damn car. And the only person she could
think of. Daddy. So she was here to butter him up to
letting her use his car for researching purposes.
Spring Break had started last Friday and now that
school was out, and everyone else had plans, Clark was
helping Lana at the Talon, Pete still had football
practice, and she was left with one thing left to do.
Research for her upcoming article of the Torch.
Somewhat of a back to school, 'hey, look at me,
reporter who never rests' front page headliner.
"Chloe, no. You aren't going digging around anywhere
without someone with you. I know how you are. You
don't stop for anything and trouble is your middle
name." Gabe sighed and noticed the smile drifting
slowly from her face. "And how did you get here
anyways?"
"I took the bus. But that's not important. Dad,"
She gave him her best pleading voice. "I have to get
this done. I would ask Clark or Pete, don't you think
I thought about it. But Clark just gets in my way and
Pete just nags. So neither of them would be any help
to me in the process. Plus, if you would just let me
borrow your car so I wouldn't have to *take* the bus
it would be easier on both of us." She grinned
slightly. "You know you want to."
"Chloe..." Gabe started with the warning.
Lex stood in the doorway of his plant manager's
office, unbeknownst to the two deeply engaged in
conversation, listening to the discussion. He had to
give the girl credit, she didn't easily take 'no' for
an answer. Good reporter skills, he thought. She had
the drive and determination down, and a little spunk
on top of all that.
"You know," Chloe started. "I would still have a car
had Pete and Clark not wrecked it, and if your hard
headed boss would give you a raise for all the
weekends you spend here along with the immense amount
of traveling you do, we wouldn't be here having this
conversation." Chloe sat rigid in her seat.
"Speaking of hard headed bosses," Lex started and
entered the office casually.
Gabe put his head in his hands and he watched as Chloe
cringed from behind.
"I was just coming to ask you if you wanted to take a
break for lunch. On me, of course." Lex stood beside
Gabe's desk, his peripheral vision allowing his to see
both Sullivans out of the corners of his eyes.
Chloe smiled sweetly at him, trying to hide the fact
that she'd just slandered him to his best employee.
He had to smirk at that. No other way to reply.
"Mr. Luthor," a look of annoyance crossed her face
and Lex let his smirk grow into a grin.
"Ms. Sullivan. How are you on this fine day?" He
asked her. She narrowed her eyes, a smile playing at
her features.
"Peachy fucking keen and you?" She replied in
sarcasm.
"Chloe!" Gabe said in a warning voice.
Lex looked down at her with a full on smile,
"Jawbreaker. Good one." He turned to Gabe. "Don't
worry about it, I was her age once."
Gabe nodded in confusion and straightened the papers
on his desk out of habit. "About lunch, I don't think
I can make it." And then he shot a look at Chloe.
"And about the car. Absolutely not."
She smirked and looked down at her nails before
shrugging. "Well, then I guess since the bus won't be
here for another four hours, I'll just spend some
qaulity time with you today."
Lex grinned once again. He turned to Gabe. "Why
don't the three of us go for lunch." Gabe looked at
Lex as if he had a death wish, which would be
prominently granted by his reporter daughter. Even if
she was in highschool, she'd no doubtedly suffocate
him with inquiries.
"I'd love to." Chloe stood and slung her bag over her
shoulder. "Dad?"
Gabe stood and started for his coat. "Oh, no, I can't
I have a meeting in fifteen." He looked down at the
files on his desk. "Unless you two want to wait
around. But I can't promise how long I'll be." He
saw the distressed look Chloe gave him and he gave her
an 'I'm sorry' look. Lex turned his head to Chloe.
"Still want to come?"
"Boy do I ever." She replied picking up on an
innuendo probably not even warranted to her.
"Well, I wouldn't be a gentleman if I backed out on an
invitation, now would I?" He had picked up on her
reply and she smiled knowingly.
"I don't suppose you would. Dad?" She turned her
gaze to Gabe who had divulged himself in paperwork.
"Yeah, honey, that's fine. Just come back to my
office when you're done." He smiled up at her and she
grinned back.
"Absolutely." She replied and noticed Lex standing at
the doorway offering her his arm. She slid her hand
between his arm and body letting the back of her hand
brush up against his side. She rested it on his
bicep. "Why, Mr. Luthor, how very gentlemanly of
you." The sarcasm dripping from her tongue.
"Chloe..." Her father started and she turned back
looking at him innocently.
"Yes?"
"Behave." He ordered seriously.
She let a full smile sweep her face. "Why whatever
are you implying?" He smiled back at her.
"Oh, you know." He said as he looked back down at his
papers.
"Shall we?" Lex motioned with his free arm at the
hallway in front of them.
"We shall." She replied squeezing the firm muscle
beneath her hand as she took a step. Lex felt her
touch seering his skin through his shirt. 'That can't
be good.' he thought to himself before falling in step
with her.
Chapter 2: Then there was two:
Chloe sat down in the seat Lex pulled out for her and
watched him as he sat down across from her. She
looked down at the menu. "Did you have to pick the
only place where there aren't any prices listed?"
"It's on me."
She smirked at him. "I wish." She said as a waiter
wheeled a cart of desserts pass their table. He
caught her implication and grinned at her.
"So, Miss Sullivan," "Chloe." She interupted him.
"After lunch you can go back to calling me Miss
Sullivan but please call me Chloe atleast while we're
at lunch."
He smiled and leaned closer. "I didn't realize we
were on a first name basis."
"Well, Lex. What exactly does a girl have to do in
order for her to get on your first name list?" She
leaned closer to him. He sat back and smirked at her.
"You refuse to back down, I like that." He took a sip
of his water in front of him.
"I refuse to back down to you. Anyone else and I
wouldn't have a problem." She shrugged and looked
back down at the menu.
"Why me?" Lex leaned closer to her once again.
"You're too cocky." She smiled at him. "In a bad
way."
He grinned at the double entendre. "Most women..."
"Hot brunette two o'clock." She said leaning closer
to him just as a tall brunette stopped at their table.
"Lex." The girl said casually. "How have you been?"
She ran her hand up his arm and Chloe sat back
enjoying the way he rolled his eyes.
"Theresa, I'd like you to meet Chloe. Chloe, this is
Theresa." Chloe arched an eyebrow in Lex's direction
and then looked up at the woman standing beside Lex's
seat.
"Nice to meet you, Carol." She smiled down at the
blonde.
'She's either incredibly stupid or very catty. Either
way, I'm going to enjoy this.' Chloe thought with a
grin.
"Why don't you join us for lunch, I'm sorry what was
your name again?"
"Theresa."
Chloe smiled sweetly at her. "This probably isn't the
best time to tell you this but you have a little
something..." She pointed her finger to one of her
own nostrils. The girl shrieked and ran to the
bathroom. Chloe grinned at Lex and he smiled back.
"Nice move."
Chloe looked back up at him from the menu. "Thanks.
I try." She said shyly with a look of pure innocence
on her face. "Is this in English?"
Lex laughed and Chloe stared at the sight in front of
her. He stopped abruptly when he saw the look on her
face. "Do that again." She said and smiled.
"Do what?" He straightened in his seat.
"That laugh. The genuine one." She sat back
slouching slightly. "It's nice." He smiled at her.
"Not many people can do that to me."
"Well, then, I'll have to keep trying won't I?" She
sipped on her water and choked a bit when she saw the
brunette approaching there table.
"Very funny." Theresa replied to her comment on
having something.
She stood beside Lex's seat again. "Oh," Chloe
leaned across the table staring pointedly at her nose.
"I thought you had something there." She shrugged.
"But the way you're nose was casting shadows on your
upper lip, oh, I'm sorry that was terribly rude for
me."
"Nothing a little discipline can't change." Lex's
eyes danced, the blue lightening a little.
"Now, now, now, Lex. You know spankings aren't my
forte." He choked back his water and wiped his mouth
with the back of his hand. Theresa glared at Chloe
and she smiled back.
"Maybe it's Theresa here you're having flashbacks of."
Chloe shrugged and Theresa turned and stormed away.
"That was really below the belt." Lex commented.
"Just where I like to be." Chloe grinned at him.
The waiter approached their table. "Shall I take your
order?"
Lex nodded and ordered for both of them against
Chloe's protests.
"Did you want to end up with something you'd regret
later?" Lex asked.
She looked at the slimy substance on her plate.
"Depends, what's this?" She poked her fork at it and
it slid across her plate. "Oh, that's just fucking
nasty." She placed her napkin over her plate and Lex
laughed again, harder this time.
She smiled at him. "Two and 0, Mr Luthor."
"Lex."
She nodded. "Okay, Lex. So what have you got over
there?"
"Chicken Cordon Bleu."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Wanna trade?"
"Not if my life depended on it." He cut a peice of
chicken with his fork and raised it to his mouth.
"Oh, did you want some?"
She reached her arm across the table and took his
wrist in her hand. She redirected the bite to her own
mouth and closed her lips around the meat, letting her
lips suck at the tines on the fork. She moaned as she
chewed and swallowed it. "Wow." She said and opened
her eyes to see him staring at her in disbelief.
"What?" She said as his eyes watched her closely.
"How'd you do that?" Lex inquired cutting a peice of
meat with his knife.
"Do what?"
"Make eating sound so sensual." Lex replied blatantly
across from her.
"Lex. Anything that has to do with your mouth you can
make sensual. Watch." She took the candle from the
center of the table and removed the glass covering.
She raised the flame to her lips and blew softly until
the flame flickered and went out. Lex licked his own
lips and watched her as she put the candle back in the
center of the table and replaced the top. "See."
Lex nodded. "Why aren't you dating anyone?"
She grinned. "Still waiting for the right guy to ask
me out."
"And who's the right guy?"
'The one sitting across from me.' She shrugged. "I
guess I'll know when he comes along."
"So he hasn't come along yet?"
"No comment. I know you're trying to direct this
conversation back to Clark. But for once, can I just
not have a Clark filled conversation? It's all Lana
does and all Clark does and if you're going to
start..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the amused
look on his face. "What?"
"You're cute when you ramble." His eyes widened when
he realized he'd just said that out loud.
"Cute, huh?" She shrugged. "I guess I can live with
that if you can live with cocky."
He grinned at her response. "I can live with being
cocky."
"In a bad way." She reminded him. He nodded taking a
bite of his chicken.
Chapter 3:
* * * * *
Chloe sat in the passenger seat staring out the window
at the passing fields. "Corn. Wheat. corn. Wheat.
Wheat..Empty...Wheat."
"Stop, please." Lex asked pleadingly.
Chloe grinned over at him. "Bugging you yet?"
"No, in all honesty I'm jealous because while I'm in
my seat driving, you're sitting beside me counting off
fields that we pass."
She reached her hand over and pat his knee. "It'll be
okay, Lex. One day I'll drive and you can
sit...STOP!"
Lex slammed the brakes down hard. He had glanced over
at her while she was talking and wasn't sure why a
scream like that made him obey her, but as the car
came to a halt Chloe immediately jumped out of her
seat and ran into the nearest field.
Lex followed closely. "CHLOE. WAIT!" He yelled as
loud as possible. The strands of wheat whipped at his
face and a soft body broke his speed as he fell to the
ground on top of it. Chloe stood and brushed herself
off helping Lex up.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lex asked in a
demeaning tone. Chloe whipped her face around to look
at him.
"Would you just shut the fuck up?" She whispered
harshly at him, her eyes challenging him. He narrowed
his eyes back and she grabbed him by the jaw turning
his face away from her in the direction of where she
had been looking when he encountered her.
"What? I don't see..."
"Just Wait." Her grip on him tightened and he made no
protests to move.
Just as he looked back up in the direction of where
they were staring a ray of sun from overhead flickered
and caught on an odd shaped object, just for a second.
"What the hell..." Lex started.
"Come here." She let go of his face and took his hand
in hers, twining their fingers together. She stuck
her hand out and touched where the invisible shape had
seemed to appear. She pulled her hand back sharply
and saw the red glow on her fingers of her left hand.
She pointed one up to the sky with a mock serious
expression. "ET Phone Home." She grinned at Lex and
he smiled down at her, hoping to relieve some of the
tension.
A flash of red light encompassed them and their
surroundings, for a split second the world around them
glowed red. The wheat stilled in the wind and the
craft in front of them suddenly became visible, as if
Chloe's touching it with her own broke down a force
field. Lex stared at the metallic craft in front of
them.
"Damn." Chloe said in awe.
"I see your damn and raise you a holy fucking shit."
Lex mimicked her voice, only with a hint of his own
awe.
"Sweetie, we could play this all day, because Damn, is
that...oh my god..." Her words trailed off and she
bent down to touch it again. Lex stilled her by
wrapping his arms around her bringing her back up
beside him. She looked up at his face. "That is a
UFO, right?" She asked in disbelief.
Lex nodded glancing from the object in front of them
to her face and the gleam of light in her eyes that
her voice betrayed. He let a wicked grin quirk at his
lips. "I'd say that's affirmative." Chloe nodded and
grinned at him. She lunged herself at him wrapping
her arms around his neck and he twirled her around.
"We found a spaceship." She screamed in laughter. He
pulled her closer and settled her on the ground. Her
face went stoic for a moment in an attempt to hide the
fear and worry it posed. "Oh, god, Lex."
He turned to look at her. "What?"
"We have to tell Clark."
"Why?" he turned his body to face hers and ran his
hands up and down her arms.
"Because it's just like the one..." Her voice trailed
off as she caught the amused and confused look on his
face.
"It's like the one what?" He shook his head slowly
through the sentence.
"I was going to..."
"Chloe." Lex said sternly and her eyes met his. He
closed the space between them. "It's okay. You don't
have to tell me."
She nodded. "The one in his cellar."
Lex stepped back and looked down at her. "Excuse me?"
"He has one just like this in his cellar."
"And he told you this?"
She shook her head and looked over at the craft.
"No."
"So, does he know that you know?"
She shook her head again. "I didn't have the heart to
tell him what my research proved to unfold."
Lex saw the pain etched in her face and noticed the
lines of betrayal. "It's okay." He pulled her into
his arms and rocked her back and forth. "Take your
time." She shook her head.
"I want to do this now. I need to get this off my
chest." Chloe sighed and Lex looked back at the
craft.
"Okay, Let's do it."
He flipped his phone open and dialled a number. "Who
are you calling?"
"Clark."
She shrieked and grabbed his phone pressing the end
button. "LEX!" She slapped him on the chest and put
his phone into her back pocket. "No way in hell, I
meant I wanted to tell you. I think you have a right
to know, afterall, he did save your life. So you're
friendship with him is based on lies just like mine is
with him." Lex nodded and stared at her.
"So?" he arched an eyebrow.
She pulled the phone out of her back pocket and
dialled a number. "Sam, hi. Oh, yeah? Love you too,
babe, yes, I know, I will come back and spend the
whole summer with you. I promise, yes." There was a
slight pause in the one sided conversation. "I
actually have a favor to ask. bribery huh? Sexual
favors is all I have to offer." Chloe laughed a
little and looked up to see Lex's eyes flicker
something and then it drown out. She held his eyes
for the remaining time of the conversation. "Can you
meet me on route 72, about 20 miles from the LexCorp
plant. Thanks hun." She hung up the phone and stuck
it in Lex's shirt pocket. "You okay?" Her eyes
narrowed on him.
"Sexual favors huh?" Lex replied dryly.
She grinned. "Don't be jealous." He chuckled for her
amusement. "hey, Lex. You might want to think about
where you want this UFO right here, taken. I have a
friend coming to pick it up and haul it away for you."
Lex nodded and swung his arm around her shoulder.
"So tell me how you came to find a spaceship in
Clark's cellar."
Chloe shrugged. "Well, one day..."
Chapter 4:
...I was sitting in Clark's fortress of solitude. It
was Mid-February. Mrs. kent told me he'd be there.
When I went to see him and he didn't answer I decided
I'd wait it out." She shrugged and Lex sensed her
uncomfortableness. He sat down and pulled her down to
sit indian style across from him. The spaceship no
less than ten feet away from them.
He held her hands in his urging her to go on.
Whatever this one highschool senior would say, could
possibly confirm his theories on the day Clark saved
him.
Chloe looked up at Lex's eyes noticing that he was
taking this a lot better then she did.
"So I got curious..." Lex chuckled and then quickly
stopped. She smiled. "I know, I know, full on
reporter mode. So I decided to take a quick look
around and got interested in the Lana-scope. Although
now that she lives with me he can't spy on her." She
shook her head. "But anyways. So I looked in the
telescope and fixed it along the road. Then I skimmed
the sky and then the fields. And then I saw him.
Coming out of the cellar. He walked right over to a
fence post and drove it into the ground. Like it was
a toothpick."
She saw the 'right-very-unlikely' look on Lex's face.
"I am completely serious, Lex." He nodded, "Go on."
She looked over at the space ship and he did too.
"So I watched him do it four or five times and by this
time I got so curious about what was in that cellar I
literally started to itch. I was still sitting there
staring off into space when he came up behind me. But
I swear to you I waved to him from the window of the
barn and then he was right behind me. It really
freaked me out, but I just figured at the time that it
was no big deal. I had probably just spaced out."
Lex nodded.
She figured this was just as appealing to him than it
was to her but the fact that he had said two words in
the last five minutes was starting to get to her. She
went on anyways.
"So that night Lana was having this big Valentine's
Day shindig. Everyone was there. Except me." She
paused and felt Lex's eyes slide over to her from
where they had been studying the ship. "I was
sneaking into the Kent's cellar. I know, not a very
nice gesture from a best friend. But he lied to me.
About everything. So I figured instead of waiting
around to find out if he was ever going to tell me
anything. I took it upon myself to find the answers.
I got down in the cellar and at first didn't see
anything unusual. There were a few things covered
with drop cloths."
"As I turned away to go back up the stairs something
made me turn around. I think it was when I
investigated Clark's adoption." Lex narrowed his eyes
at her.
"You what?" He asked in disbelief.
She sighed and stared at the ground past where their
hands were being held together by eachother. "Look,
okay, I thought I was doing him a favor, so I checked
into it. When I brought it up to him he spazzed out
and disowned me as a friend. He asked me to stop
looking into the adoption. So I told him I would."
"Did you?"
"No."
Lex grinned. "That's my girl."
Chloe's eyes snapped from the ground to meet his
playful eyes. "Your girl huh?" She smirked and
tilted her head to the side.
He smiled at her warming every bone in her body. She
felt faint for the first time ever. Not even Clark
could have this impact on her.
"Well, carry on." Lex grinned.
'Obviously he didn't feel it.' She mentally berated
herself.
"Well. I turned back and the first cloth I tore off
of something it was that." She pointed to the space
craft. "Well, not exatly that one, but very similar.
This one's move rounded. The other one had sharp
points." Lex nodded.
"You didn't happen to take pictures of it did you?"
Lex asked casually.
Chloe's eyes shimmered with something he'd never seen
in anyone before and he knew the answer before she
said it. "Here." She pulled her bag from over her
shoulder and opened it handing him an envelop
containing four pictures.
The first one of her and Clark and Pete. Both boys
had their arms wrapped around her and she stood there
in a dark red string bikini. Clark had a goofy grin
on his face and Pete just had a broad smile. Chloe
wasn't looking in the same direction as either of
them, she seemed more focused on something to the
right of the camera person.
The second one was the spaceship. It was a little
fuzzy but Lex realized it was his eyes, not the
quality of the photo. He was straining to make it out
what it was and then it clicked. It was the
paperweight from his desk. The same object that would
have fit in the cave wall. He ran a finger over the
picture. Chloe leaned forward and took the picture
from him. "Ahh, the key."
Lex snapped his head up at her. "What?"
"The key?" Chloe said half asking, startled by his
reaction.
"How do you know about it?"
She grinned wickedly. "I have it."
Lex's mouth dropped instantly, he didn't even try to
cover it up. "How?"
She leaned forward and brushed his cheek with her
hand. "I'll never tell." She said in a sing song
voice causing him to grin.
She sat back and laughed. "Honestly, I was making
cookies with Clark for a bake sale for the Talon. The
one from two weeks ago." She looked up to Lex to see
if he remembered. He nodded. "I found it in the
flour jar."
He let out a low rumbling laugh. "The what?"
"The container for Flour. Baking Flour, you know?"
He smirked and nodded. "Then what?"
The spark in his eyes made Chloe smile. He looked
like he was a little boy opening a present on
Christmas morning. He was so eager to hear more.
She went to take the other pictures out of his hand
and he pulled them back. "Why are you not paying
attention in this one?"
She looked at the picture and then blushed faintly.
It was the one of her and Pete and Clark from last
year at the pool. "I was distracted." She said
calmly looking away.
"By who?"
"How do you know it was a who?"
"How could I not. That look on your face clearly
contains a drive of lust. That is the look of
passion." He held the picture out for her. She took
the picture and held it up.
She bit her lip and Lex wanted to kiss it, suck it
into his mouth and make it better although she
probably hadn't hurt it.
"You. You were there with Victoria. I was looking at
you." She looked away again and fanned the picture
back and forth between them.
"I couldn't have been there. I would have noticed you
in that delectable swim wear."
She looked down at the picture and dropped it into her
bag. "Considering you and Victoria never came up for
air, the whole time I was there, I'm sure that's how
you missed me."
He looked into her eyes. He saw the pain. Not
jealousy, not bitterness, just pain. He did remember
that day. He had poured many thousands of dollars in
the rec center for an outside pool and the first day
it opened he and Victoria made an appearance. He also
remembered how they screwed wildly on the way back to
the mansion in his limo. He ran a hand over his head.
"I'm sorry that I didn't see you that day. I wish I
had."
Chloe grinned. "It's okay. It was over as soon as it
started." She shrugged and Lex's brow furrowed. She
wanted to drop the subject and he'd let her. He
looked back down at another picture. This one of her
and a tall black haired man. His muscles visible
through his polo shirt and khaki's. His arms wrapped
around her waist and one hand was slid under her
shirt, resting on her stomach. His green eyes almost
matched hers. One of her hands was arched up and
behind his neck bringing his head closer to her
shoulder. The way she leaned back on him showing her
support and trust. His lips right beside her ear.
Both their eyes staring dead into the camera, dancing
with laughter and their smiled mirrored it.
"Who's this?" He held out the photo.
She glanced up at it and then back towards the road.
"Sam."
Lex looked back down at the picture. 'Shit.' he
thought and knew at that moment there was no way in
hell he'd get close to Chloe with that kind of
protection.
He dropped it into her back and looked at the next
one. His voice caught. "Holy shit." He said as the
picture showed him a full size spacecraft.
"That is what I found February 14th at 10:30 at night
in Clark Kent's cellar."
Lex nodded and heard the horn honking fron the road.
he stared down at the picture a little harder then
back to the real life thing right in front of him.
"Amazing."
Chapter 5:
Chloe stood as a figure moved it's way through the
field. She caught sight of the the dark hair and
squealed with delight. She jumped into the tall man's
arms and he squeezed her to him tightly. She hugged
him back with all her might. He lowered her gently to
the ground and took a step back motioning with one
finger for her to turn around. As she did he stood
and grinned.
"Good, god, Chloe. You are amazing." he lowered his
lips to her and lightly kissed her lips.
"Just...amazing." he pulled her in close for another
hug. He noticed Lex and stuck his hand out. "And who
do we have here?"
Lex shook the man's hand and realized they were the
same height and near the same build, Sam may be a
little more muscular. It was then he realized how
tiny Chloe was. That's why this man looked so huge
behind her.
"Sam Dawson, this my friend, is Lex Luthor." Chloe
introduced them. "And that over there is why I need
you."
"And offering sexual favors." Sam said narrowing his
eyes at her. "You know I'm not like that." He
grinned and she shook her head.
"Yes, Sam. You are like that." Chloe matched his
grin.
His eyes finally fell to rest on the metallic
obtrusion. "Holy shit." He said as he inched
closer to it. "I haven't seen one of these since
Roswell."
Chloe smiled over at Lex. He barely smiled back.
"Roswell?" Lex asked curiously.
"My father worked for, well, if I told you I'd have to
kill you. But he worked for a "branch" of the
government. And one day, I got curious and followed
him into work. Snuck into the sight and watched as a
team of specialists tore apart a craft. It was a
little bigger than this one. Rumored that it had some
precious cargo on board. They never found it though."
He turned to look at Chloe whose expression had just
blanked.
"Chloe?" Lex stepped forward.
"Oh, my god." She said as she squatted and put her
head between her knees. "Clark's..."
"Clark's what?" Lex said as Sam watched and Lex
kneeled beside her. "What is it Chloe?"
"It all adds up now. How old was he when he the
meteors hit? Four or five? That was the same day he
was adopted. Plus, he has all these *abilities*.
What if...what if Clark were some precious cargo."
Lex stared at Chloe. He pulled her into his arms and
heard a quick sob form in her throat. Sam's eyes
danced. "Wow. A real alien right here in
Smallville." He reached a hand out to Chloe and she
took it, pulling herself up into his embrace as she
left Lex behind.
"Sam. What am I supposed to do?" She let the tears
flow into his chest.
"Well, dare I put my two cents in. I'd say we need to
load this mother up on the truck and get it away from
prying eyes fast."
Chloe nodded at Sam's quickness on his toes and Lex
swalled back something as he watched Sam rock Chloe in
his arms. Sam leaned down and kissed her on the
forhead. She turned in his arms, her back to him now,
she stared at Lex. "Do you know where you want it?"
Chloe said a bit stronger.
"Yes. I have a place for it." Chloe nodded and
turned once more in Sam's arms. Facing him she stood
on her toes and pressed a kiss gingerly to his cheek.
"I'll just go get the truck." Sam said quickly
leaving Chloe with a sigh. He ran to the road
alongside the field.
Chloe looked over at Lex who was staring fixedly on
the craft. "So why aren't you two dating?" He asked
Chloe, not looking at her. Her mouth dropped and then
a grin formed.
"You are so jealous!" She said teasingly. "Anyways,
been there done that." She waved her arm in Sam's
direction. The sound of the truck starting and
entering the field.
"So who broke up with who?" Lex looked over at her
now and saw no emotions on her face besides amusement.
"Oh, Sam did." She said watching as the truck came to
a stop. "Not that I minded or anything, I mean,
afterall, he is gay." She smirked in Lex's direction
and then over to Sam.
"We ready to do this and be done?" Sam asked getting
out of the truck.
Chloe watched as the two men combined their strength
and pulled their treasure up into the cab on the
truck. It fit perfectly and the top covered it
nicely. Chloe smiled over at Lex. "What?" She asked
quietly when he just stared at her.
"Nothing." he replied and turned to Sam. "Follow
me?" He said more in a command than a question. Sam
nodded in reply.
Chloe walked after Lex following him. "What are you
doing?" Lex asked as he felt her presence behind him.
"Ummm, getting a ride." She tilted her head to the
confusion etched on his face. "Lex?"
"Why aren't you riding with Sam."
The hurt from his comment wound in her eyes,
strangling her emeral iris'. "Fine." She said simple
turning around to head back in the direction she'd
started. She felt a warm hand on her arm and he spun
her back around.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Well, you have Theresa, and I have Sam." She
shrugged and he pulled her into a hug before cringing
at her next comment. "And well, you win because you
have Helen too." She stepped out of his embrace and
started towards the road.
Chapter 6:
Chloe sat quietly beside Lex in his car. They weren't that far from
the mansion when Chloe arched an eyebrow and looked over at him.
"You're keeping it here?"
Lex glanced over at her. "I have some other research here also."
She nodded and looked back out the window. "Can we put all this
tension behind us? Because, really, we are kinda in this together."
Lex grabbed her hand and she turned her head to look at him relieved.
"It's behind us."
Chloe nodded. "So is Helen gonna freak when she sees a spaceship
sitting in her living room?"
Lex let go of her hand slowly to turn up the drive in front of the
estate. "She moved out."
Chloe mentally slapped herself. "I'm sure it was for the best."
Lex came to an abrupt stop and turned his head fully to look at her.
Her eyes wandered around the car finally resting on the dashboard in
front of her. "You know, no one has said that to me. Most people
apologize."
"Why?" Her eyes became curious.
"Why what?" he shifted in his seat to face her.
"Why would people apologize, be empathetic, sure. But no one besides
you and Helen know who should be the one apologizing. I just can't
apologize for something I had nothing to do with. Even if I do
something that everyone else blames me for but I don't see how it
could be considered bad, I can't apologize for that either."
Lex nodded. "You're rambling again."
She smiled and opened her car door. "I do that a lot. You'll learn
to love it." She winked and stepped out of the car thankful for the
breath of fresh air awaiting her arrival.
Lex came around the car and stood beside her. "You should call Gabe,
let him know we're at my place."
Chloe nodded. "Oh, yea, and then I can tell him how I just lost my
virginity to his boss after seducing him."
Lex's eyes got a bit wide and a mask of amusement plastered itself
across his features. "Why would you do that?"
She grinned and pulled her phone from her bag. "Because if I tell my
dad that after we went to lunch I came back to your place, which is a
lot farther away than having you drop me off at home, he'll be
suspicious. Plus, you are an attractive older man." She shrugged and
dialed her father's number at work.
"So you're saying your father doesn't trust me."
"No." She said with a heavy grin. "I'm saying he doesn't trust me."
She laughed at the look on his face.
"Hey, dad. How was your meeting?"
"Fine honey. Is something the matter?"
"No nothing's wrong, I'm at Lex's. We decided to come back here after
lunch."
"Chloe..." Gabe said warning in his voice and Lex couldn't help but
stifle a bit of laughter as Chloe held the phone up between both their
ears, their heads together as they both listened in on the conversation.
"What?" Chloe said innocently.
"Didn't I tell you to behave yourself?" Gabe sighed and Lex looked at
Chloe from the corner of his eye.
"I know, but daddy." her voice became incredibly whiny and Lex never
thought she'd possess that tone of voice. "I couldn't help it, he's
just so...so...sexy..."
"Chloe, stop, I know that tone of voice. I can't beleive you'd even
take it that far." Gabe chuckled lightly. "Are you trying to give me
a heartattack?"
Chloe laughed and Lex laughed along with her. "No, just trying to
keep you on your toes. Lex and I realized that we actually get
along...on a platonic level, so we're just going to hang out for the
rest of the day."
Gabe sighed. "Fine. But be careful."
Lex arched an eyebrow. "I hope that isn't in reference to me." Lex
said sternly and Chloe giggled.
"No, and I knew you were listening, but if you two are hanging out
together, I know Chloe, and she'll no doubt talk you into taking her
shopping for the next freak of the week."
Chloe looked over at Lex. "I'm not easily convinced."
"You've never been dealt with by my daughter."
Lex smirked at his answer. "That's true. But I assure you, Gabe, we
aren't going alien hunting."
Chloe snickered. Gabe finally hung up sounding defeated and Lex
looked over at a smiling Chloe.
"Alien hunting huh?" Chloe walked to one of the back doors of the
mansion as Sam pulled up in the garage.
"Well, technically we aren't." Lex grinned at her.
"We already found one." They both said together and smiled.
Chapter 7:
Chloe followed Sam and Lex down a maze of hallways, a
wheelbarrow directing them. Lex halted at a door and
pulled out a chain of keys. He swiftly unlocked it
and turned the light on. Sam stood completely still.
"What the..." His voice trailed off as Chloe waited impatiently to get in the room.
"Hey, slowpoke, get in the damn room." She planted
her hands on her hips as Sam finally picked up his
hold on the wheelbarrow and they turned the craft
sideways to get it through the door. Following them
in through the door Chloe paled at what she saw.
"Jesus, Christ Lex."
"Sick obsession, I know. Helen told me a few days
before she left that it was completely unhealthy."
Lex shrugged and manuevred the wheelbarrow off to the
side before leaning all his weight against it. Sam
followed suit collapsing over the craft.
Chloe shut the door behind her and locked it. Lex
watched her closely as she circled the car in which he
had driven over the bridge. She looked back up at
him. "No."
"No what?" He tilted his head to the side.
"No, I didn't mean, Jesus, Christ Lex, you're a god
damn weirdo. I meant it as in Jesus, Christ, Lex, you
were in this car and you could have died." She slowly
walked over to him and saw the amusement on his face.
"But Clark saved me." He grinned.
She stopped in front of him and cupped a cheek, slowly
running her thumb along his cheekbone. "I'm glad."
She placed a kiss on his other cheek and turned around
to look at the car again.
Sam sighed heavily. "If you don't need me anymore,
I'm going to get going."
"Sure how much do you want?" Lex pulled out his
wallet.
Sam held up his hand and waved the gesture away. "You
owe me nothing. But little Miss Chloe over here," he
threw his arms around her and raised her face up to
meet him, her feet dangling off the floor as she
wriggled against him. "Owes me a few sexual favors."
Chloe got her hand free and smacked his shoulder.
"Look, ya big galoot, I owe you nothing." He placed
her gently onto the ground.
"I'll tell ya what, you come visit me for a whole
month this summer, and stay with me, at my place, and
I'll call off the sexual favors." He winked at her.
She seemed to ponder for a moment. "I suppose that
can be arranged." She grinned and stood tall to kiss
his cheek a lot harder than she had kissed Lex's. She
smashed her lips into him and when she pulled away Sam
adamantly wiped the back of his hand over it a few
times.
"Jeez, Chlo, think you could not slime my face?" She
grinned and stepped back.
"I could, but I know you like it sloppy." She pulled
herself up to hug him and when he set her feet back on
the floor he turned to an amused Lex. His jaw was
squared off a little bit, but Sam was pretty sure it
had something to do with all the sexual tension in the
room.
"Take care of her, okay?" Sam said threateningly but
with a smile. "I wouldn't want to have to kill you."
He smiled and walked to the door. Lex turned to look
at Chloe. "Does he know who I am?"
Chloe grinned. "I mean more to him than your money."
Lex smirked and looked back at Sam.
"Nice to meet you." Lex replied snidely.
"Don't be jealous, Lex. You're more my type than she
is." Sam winked and walked out of the room. Lex
turned abruptly to a snorting with laughter Chloe.
"He just...just hit on you." Chloe snorted again and
sank to the floor. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, I'm used to it." Lex held a hand out to
pull her back up and she stopped laughing and looked
at him hard.
She let a roar of laughter sweep over her again. "I
can't believe men hit on you all the time." lex
grinned as he pulled her up.
"When you have money, anything with a heartbeat will
hit on you."
Chloe looked thoughtful for a moment. "Huh, I always
thought it was when you wear leather and fishnets
anything with a heartbeat will hit on you."
"Not everyone is in to Leather and fishnets, Chloe."
Lex led her down a hallway and up a staircase.
"Not everyone is in to money, Lex." She quipped
evenly.
"So what do you look for in a man?" Lex asked as he
opened the door to his office.
Chloe strode in and plopped herself down on the
leather couch awaiting her and Lex sat at her feet on
the other end of the couch. She pulled her feet back
and Lex took them both and put them on his lap. He
slowly untied the first boot and then the second, he
pulled them off and followed with the socks. She
grinned at him. "Thanks." She smiled sleepily at
him.
"So, are you going to answer me?" She nudged her feet
underneath his leg and he lifted up a little to let
her. He felt her wiggle her toes beneath his leg and
smirked. "You're not are you."
She let her eyes flutter shut. "A week ago I would
have told you Clark was what I looked for in a man.
yesterday I would have told you I wasn't looking for a
man. And then today, Well, I realized I just spent
the better part of my adolescent years crushing on an
alien. I think I'll stick with a nice smile and a
sense of humor."
Lex laughed hard. "Good answer."
"What do you look for in a woman Lex. 100% off the
record." She let her eyes open halfway, staring at
him as he pulled one of her feet out from under him
and started to slowly rub the arch with his thumb. "A
week ago I would have told you a doctor. Yesterday I
would have told you a brunette with a short skirt and
long legs. And then today, Well, today I became
better acquainted with a blonde spunky teen full of
angst and witty remarks. So I think I'll pass on the
brunettes for the time being and concentrate on this
new found friendship." He smiled over at her and she
returned it with one of her own 100 watters.
"Why brunettes?" Chloe asked hesitantly.
Lex smiled at her. "I don't only date brunettes."
Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Okay..."
"But yes, I primarily date darker haired women."
Chloe sat up a little bit letting Lex keep a hold of
her foot.
"But why? So far they've ended up being nothing but
trouble. Why don't you go after a blonde or a
redhead?"
Lex looked at Chloe seriously. "Because I'm not ready
to settle down."
Chloe layed back down on the couch. "Oh."
Lex smiled over at her eyes that were closed. "Why do
you only go after meteor freaks?"
Chloe shushed him. "I've had a really long Monday.
Can we save this discussion for later?" Lex ran his
nails down the inside of her foot. Her foot arched
and he let go of it.
"Over dinner." She nodded in agreement and fell fast
asleep. It had been 3 and a half hours since the time
they left the plant. Lex heard a knock on the door,
snapping him out of his mental checklist of what had
happened that day.
"Come in." he responded loud enough for the person to
hear but soft enough as to not wake up Chloe.
"Hey, Le---"
"Clark." Lex smiled and brushed his hand over Chloe's
foot.
She stirred but didn't open her eyes.
"Umm, why is Chloe laying on your couch with her feet
in your lap."
"I owed her a foot massage."
"Why?" Clark asked hesitantly.
"We had a busy day and she blamed it on me, since I
was the navigator."
"Oh." Clark looked thoughtful which Lex had to scoff
at. 'Maybe I should just tell him we just got done
having a nice little romp on the rug he's digging his
toes into. Besides what's one lie of mine, compared
to each and every one of his' "So what'd you two do
today."
Chloe's eyes fluttered open. "NOW, who's talking?"
her eyes met Lex's and followed his gaze to Clark.
"Oh." She rolled over onto her side and sat up.
"Hey, Clark." She lazily and with all her might
trying to look sexy, crawled along the length of the
couch to Lex who was staring at her with a smirk on
his face. She grabbed his hand and looked down at the
time. "Wake me up for dinner." She smiled and laid
back down with her head resting in his lap.
"Will do." Lex replied running a hand through her
hair staring down at the action, feeling Clark's eyes
watching his hand also. "So was there something you
wanted to tell me Clark?"
Clark stepped back towards the door. "I see you two
are busy. I'll come back another time."
Lex nodded and watched as he shut the door. "You're
bad." He said down to Chloe. Her eyes popped open
and she grinned.
"I know." She sat upright and smiled at him. "Was he
mad?" Lex let out a strain of laughter.
"You should have seen the look on his face..."
Chapter 8:
Chloe sat indian style on the top of the dining room
table with Lex. "Why are we not using the chairs
again?"
Chloe sighed. "Because, you, Lex, need to explore the
possibilities. Have you ever not sat down to eat?"
Lex shook his head. "I can't believe I'm sitting on
*top* of my very expensive marble dining table."
Chloe glanced over at him, silently chewing on a crab
rangoon. "And what the hell is that thing?" He
motioned to the pastry in her hand with the sludgy
mixture oozing out.
Chloe's eyes widened in horror. "You mean, you don't
know?" Her look of astonishment hung onto her
features for dear life. "fucking incredible...wonders
cease to amaze..." She muttered as she licked off the
cheesy filling dripping from it and held it out for
Lex to bite into.
He narrowed his eyes and closed them briefly taking a
big bite of the rangoon. Chloe smiled at the low moan
sounding off in the back of his throat. "Good, huh?"
He nodded and kept his eyes closed. "How did I miss
this?" He opened his eyes and stole one from the bag
in front of her. She grinned at him.
She popped the rest of hers into her mouth. She poked
at the air in front of him with a teryaki chicken
stick. "A very rare indulgence. Crab rangoons must
not be taken for granted. I only allow myself to have
them when I absolutely deserve them."
Lex nodded and spooned rice into his mouth with his
chopsticks, Chloe's eyes danced while watching him.
"So, Lex. What happens now?"
She eyed him skeptically as he took a large gulp of
the beer sitting beside him. "Well, we can play with
his mind a little bit, say you jump off the roof of
the barn while we're standing at the bottom. When he
catches you, he'd hardly be able to blame it on
adrenaline."
Chloe snickered at his last statement. "You still
want to know?"
Lex cocked an eyebrow and placed his chopsticks on the
table in front of him grabbing for the last crab
rangoon, a little surprised she let him take it.
"About what?" He slowly bit into the crab rangoon
watching her eyes watch his mouth. He grinned as he
chewed slowly.
Her eyes concentrated on his lips and she smirked,
forming a plan in her mind. "Me being attracted to
meteor freaks." She licked her lips and bit down
softly on her bottom lip. She leaned on her hands,
still not taking her eyes off his lips. His eyes not
leaving her movements. "I guess I'm just drawn to the
eccentric." She licked her lips again, too close to
his and just as his mouth opened she turned her head
and bit into the pastry his hand held freely.
She smiled at the look on his face. Clearly, he had
taken the bait and she won. 'Hee-hee.' she silently
congratulated herself as she chewed thoughtfully on
her bite. Lex popped the rest in his mouth and smiled
down at her. "Eccentric huh?" He watched as her eyes
grew curious.
"Well, not intentionally. Maybe it's not me drawn to
them. Maybe it's them drawn to me." her voice
cracked with sour witticism and she grinned over at
Lex. "On a totally different note, though, I have to
get home. I may be on Spring Break, but my dad's
going to drill me after spending all day with you."
She hopped down from the table and to her surprise Lex
didn't move.
"Hello?" she grinned from ear to ear. "You drove."
His eyes cleared in realization and he dug through his
pants pocket, still seated on the table, his hands
felt the cold metal. "Ah-ha" Lex exclaimed and
tossed the set of keys to Chloe. "Sorry, but you're
on your own. My chauffer's out tonight and I still
have a conference call in ten minutes." Chloe nodded
an acceptance to his apology.
"Insurance?"
"Fully covered."
Chloe grinned. "Hey, Lex." Chloe walked backwards
from his view when she reached the doorway he felt his
heart jump in his throat.
"Chloe." He mocked her tone putting some of the trash
away in the brown bag they had given them home to it.
"I think this is the beginning of a beauftiful
friendship." She turned and walked out.
Chapter 9:
It was not quite dark yet when Chloe pulled up in front of her house.
She turned off the lights of her 'borrowed' car and twirled the keys
around her finger as she let herself into the house.
"Dad! I'm home!" She called out. Clark sat beside Lana on the
couch. "Oh, hey guys." She walked into the kitchen grabbing a glass
of water.
"Dinner's in the microwave." Lana replied gesturing to the
contraption above the stove.
"Oh, thanks but I already ate at Lex's." Chloe popped an aspirin into
her mouth and swallowed the water eagerly. Her cell phone rang and
she pulled it out of her bag bringing it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Ahh, there it is."
Chloe's eyes darted around the room. "There what is?"
"My phone."
She pulled the cell phone in her hand away from her ear and grinned.
"Sorry." She apologized for having picked up the wrong phone.
"It's quite alright. Hey, the meeting was cancelled. If you aren't
in too much trouble why don't we meet at the Talon in twenty. We can
start plotting how to make Clark weep before us."
A grin swept over her face. "I like the way you think, Luthor. I'll
see you then." She flipped the phone shut and Lana arched an eyebrow.
Clark sat completely quiet.
Chloe put the phone back in her bag and headed upstairs. "I'm meeting
Lex at the Talon in twenty minutes, do you know where my dad is?"
Lana cleared her throat. "He's in bed, long day at work, I think."
Yelling up to Chloe.
Chloe's head peeked into her dad's room. "hey." She said quietly.
Gabe's eyes turned to hers. "hey there yourself. Have fun getting to
know Lex?"
She grinned wickedly. "We have a lot more in common than I thought."
She nodded and stood in the doorway. "I'm actually off to meet him
at the Talon in a few, that okay?"
Gabe smiled. "Chloe, honey, just...Just let me know when this becomes
serious between you two."
Chloe nodded in agreement. "You do know we're just friends right?"
Gabe shrugged. "Even so. If you two decide to take it any further,
let me be the first to know."
Her grin widened into a blinding smile. "I promise you'll be the
first to hear all the lovely details." She winked and closed his
door. 'Yeah, right. Me and Lex.' She giggled a little. 'Like
that'll ever happen.'
*~*
Chloe sat across from Lex in a booth. "So how should we do this. I
really don't want to take a chance jumping off the roof of a barn."
Lex smirked. "Afraid the farmboy won't save you?"
Chloe returned his smirk and sipped on her coffee. "Kinda. I mean,
why would he risk it if you were there?"
"Risk what?"
Chlow jumped at the sound of Clark's voice and then relaxed again as
the smirk didn't clear from Lex's face.
"It's not important. So, Clark, how's farm life treating you."
Clark nodded and took a seat next to Lex. "Fine. Same as always."
Chloe rolled her eyes as Lana walked over to their table. "Here we
go." She muttered and Lex took notice of how Clark watched Lana weave
in and out of tables.
"You do realize she does it to taunt you." Lex spoke clearly and
Chloe tried to hide a grin. "It's obvious she knows you're watching
her. Every little swish of her hips, the seductive way she glances
back over here. It's because she wants you, Clark. I say go for it."
Chloe hid a small laugh by choking on her drink. She wiped the excess
coffee from the corner of her mouth and smiled at Lex. 'Bravo.' She
though inwardly. 'The teasing begins.'
Lex leaned further into Clark. "You know if she were a little older,
I'd already have her." Chloe's eyes perked up playfully, a little
jealous but concentrating more on the 'older' part. She was obviously
too young for Lex. Clark's gaze ripped away from Lana's body
movements and settled on Lex.
"You like Lana?"
Lex smirked. "I don't necessarily like her, but I don't dislike her
either. It's a brunette thing." he shrugged and felt Chloe shooting
daggers his way.
"I thought we talked about the whole brunette thing." Chloe leaned
forward resting her head in her hands propped up by her elbows.
"And I believe I gave you my explanation." Lex retorted in a way too
civil manner.
"And here I thought the two of you..." Clark's voice trailed off as
Chloe grinned at him.
"Lex has a problem when it comes to hair color, if you haven't
noticed. There's no way he's go for a blonde, and there's no way I'd
dye my hair." Lex nudged her leg under the table with his foot. She
nudged him back.
"So Clark, have you decided whether you're going to make a move?" Lex
asked casually. "How old is she again? 17 right?"
Clark turned his head to look over at Lana and Lex playfully winked at
Chloe. She hid her smile behind her cup.
"Yea, she just turned it."
Lex nodded and motioned for Lana to come over to the table.
"Can I get you guys anything?"
"Lana, how would you feel if Clark were to ask you for your company on
a date?" Lex asked assuringly.
"Ummm..." She rolled a peice of hair between her fingers. "I guess
that'd be nice."
Clark blushed furiously and excused himself from the table leaving
Lana there with Lex and Chloe. Lana looked between the two people
both wth serious expressions.
"Maybe you should ask him." Chloe offered. Lana narrowed her eyes at
her blonde roommate and stalked away.
"Well, there goes one of his weaknesses."
Chloe snickered at Lex's mental note to himself.
"So you think we should put her in a 'situation' and see if he comes
to rescue her?" Chloe smiled viciously over at Lex.
Lex eyed her. "I do like the way you think, Sullivan." Aping what
she had said earlier to him.
Chloe smiled into her drink. "Great minds, Lex. Great minds..."
Chapter 10: Exposed
Tuesday Morning Chloe made her way through the busy
Metropolis streets. With Lex's car she got a little
attention, but this wasn't about attention, she had a
plan that needed to be formulated and put into action.
Her and Lex had stayed up most of the night at the
Talon, even after Lana cleaned up and went home, they
stayed talking until 3 am. Monday had definitely been
a long day. The decision they'd reached? Lana was
going to be the bait. And plenty of video cameras
would be around.
Chloe mentioned something to Lex about not feeling so
good so she went home, figuring it had to be lack of
sleep. When she woke in the morning, she barely made
her way to the bathroom when everything she had eaten
for the past month resurfaced. Those damn nerves of
hers. Her thoughts had reflected on the fact that
maybe trying to trap Clark and catch him on his own
turf was wrong. But he was hiding a very big secret
from them.
So that morning Chloe had traveled into Metropolis and
finished up the research for her upcoming headliner
article about the woman housing all the pigeons this
side of the equator. Plus she somehow spoke with
them. She had tape recorded the woman gobbling and
sqwaking at the birds and they seemed to either repeat
what she said or they'd made random noises back to
her.
"Whatcha doin?" Clark sat down across from her and
she lowered the headphones she had on.
"What?" She tilted her head to the side.
"I just asked what you were doin." Clark smiled big
at her. Her eyes rolled and fixed on a figure
stalking towards them. Lex slid into the booth beside
her when he could have just as easily taken the seat
beside Clark, acro
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