Disclaimer: Covering our asses just in case... We don't own em, you don't sue us for playing with them because we give you ideas that you might want to use to make your show better ;-)
A/N: Sabby: So this is the new collab TADA! We decided to do something smutless because it's about the story, not about the smut and we were tired of writing smut. So we hope you enjoy it anyway. Oh and just for your information. This is a long one, but there are no meteor mutants or supernatural stuff. It's just a what if...
A/N: Blue: Here's the new one. Lots of humor, some angst and loads of tension. No naughty stuff in this one. We tried something different. Hope you enjoy it.
"No way, no day, no how," Chloe said as she faced her father. Her hands were planted on her hips and she glared at him. "I'm *not* moving in with the Kents.."
Gabe leaned back against the kitchen counter and let go of a long breath. They had been engaged in this little argument for the last twenty minutes now. “Chloe, I am not going to leave you alone for two entire weeks. You insist on staying in Smallville and there is nobody else who can keep an eye on you, so please, would you mind telling me what I'm supposed to do?”
"You're supposed to treat me like an adult. I'm a senior in high school, you know that I won't throw a party that will trash the house or get me arrested. How about a little trust here?" Her father had to go on yet another business trip and she had put her foot down, saying that she wasn't about to go to another crap convention. However, she hadn't realized that he would want her to stay with someone else. Let alone the Kents.
Gabe sighed. “Chloe, you are eighteen, I know you want me to treat you like an adult, and I would really like to do that. However when it comes to you and your continuing knack of getting into serious trouble, I am not willing to risk anything. Especially since you're on vacation while I'm away. And 24 hours free time without someone to make sure you're alright, that just isn't going to happen.” He crossed his arms, not willing to relent this time. Chloe did get her will in most things, but Gabe Sullivan was not about to back down from this argument, no matter what.
"I do *not* need a babysitter," Chloe hissed as she crossed her arms. "I am capable of taking care of myself. Besides, having me stay with the Kents, of all people, practically guarantees that trouble will occur while you're gone. Have you forgotten the huge fight that Clark and I got into about him not telling me, oh, *anything*." After his return to Smallville, he had sworn that he would never keep things from her again. When she had busted him and Lana making out again a few months later, she had decided two things. One was to, once and for all, get over Clark and the other had been to try to cut him out of her life. It had worked pretty well; they still had to hang out together, but usually in groups, never one on one.
The last straw had been when Lana had decided to move to Metropolis to live with her Aunt Nell. Somehow, Clark had gotten it into his head that it was her fault.
Gabe ran his fingers through his hands, groaning in frustration. "Chloe, I do understand that you have problems with Clark and I really *am* sorry that I have to put you through this, but there is just no way in hell I'm going to let you stay here on your own." He looked up at his daughter and took another breath. Underneath the harsh and determined look she was scared. She really dreaded having to live with the Kents. "Ok, listen, how about a compromise? You find someone better than the Kents before I have to leave and you can stay with that person. But no tricks. I'm talking about a responsible, self-sufficient, trustworthy adult. Nothing less, ok?"
Chloe almost blurted out, 'How in the hell am I supposed to find someone like that by tomorrow morning?' Instead, she nodded curtly. She knew that her father was just concerned for her; there had been a rash of meteor freaks recently. But, she thought more bloodshed would come about if she stayed with the Kents. She grabbed her bag off of the couch and walked towards the door. She threw her parting shot over her shoulder, "Ok, then, I'm going to the Talon to see if anyone fitting that description is waiting for me there."
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Lex was bone tired. He'd just spent the last three weeks in Hong Kong dealing with the repercussions of adapting to the eastern lifestyle and playing nice with potential associates. All he wanted was to finally get home and have a Scotch then some nice simple food that didn't have rice or fish in the ingredients and sleep for a good ten hours straight.
He pulled up in the mansion driveway and stopped a good fifty feet from the entrance when he got a glimpse of what could only be his father’s limousine in front of the main entrance. 'So much for food and sleep.' He slammed his fist into the steering wheel, killed the engine and got out, deciding to walk the distance so he could at least clear his head before having to face his adversary.
As he stepped out of the door of his ancestral home, Lionel caught sight of his son through his three hundred dollar sunglasses. Instead of meeting him halfway, Lionel stopped by the limo and waited for his son to approach.
Of course Lionel didn't make an effort to approach him when he spotted Lex in the driveway. Lex smirked. 'Bastard. Well just giving me more time to get ready.' He finally stepped up to his father. "Dad," he nodded his head at the slightly taller man. "Trying to get an advantage by snooping through my house while I'm not here to stop you?" His voice was calm. Lex had made sure there was nothing in the house that was of any value to his enemies.
Lionel chuckled before answering the headstrong boy. "Of course not, Lex. If this paranoia persists, you may want to see someone about it." He laid his hand on his son's arm as he put some concern into his voice. "It's not healthy. I was just checking on the LexCorp plant here in Smallville and I thought you wouldn't mind if I stayed here."
Lex shrugged his father's hand off and shot him a measuring look. “Hoping to find any sign that I'm running my plant into the ground? Well, seeing as this is not the case and the last quarter reports where more than satisfying, I think that your attention is no longer needed. I expect you are on your way back to Metropolis?” He motioned to the limousine waiting for Lionel.
Lionel nodded curtly at his son, a small smile forming on his lips. "Yes, I am," he said. Taking Lex's cue he walked over to the limo and his driver opened the door. "I only wish that I could repay your hospitality by offering you sanctuary in Metropolis over the next few weeks. However, some important guests will be staying in the penthouse." He had waited around an extra half an hour so he could deliver the news to Lex himself. "It seems as if *you* have some uninvited guests in the castle. They gave the servants quite a scare, I'll tell you. I had my scientists study them, nothing serious. But, I'm afraid the Manor will be uninhabitable for the next two weeks." He regarded his son, waiting for his reaction and his carefully chosen words.
“What?” Lex's nostrils flared and he caught the door to the limousine in one hand, glaring down at his father. His tone got sharper with the next question, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Thoroughly enjoying the hint of anger that was in his son's voice, Lionel answered simply. "Rats. And not just any rats. It seems as if, somehow, they were affected by the meteor rocks that litter this town. They're exceptionally strong and vicious." He made a tisking sound. "Really, Lex, I would have thought that you would have taken better care of the Manor. This is the first time there has been a problem of this magnitude in it."
Lex took a deep breath. He didn't even dignify his father’s last comment with an answer. “Thanks for taking care of that, dad. I assume you'll be passing by without invitation as soon as things are taken care of. Drive safely.” With that he slammed the car door in his father's smirking face and turned sharply on his heal, cursing the older man in the most colorful words he could think of.
Lionel leaned back in the plush leather seats as he watched Lex stalk towards the Manor. He lowered the partition and said to the driver, "Metropolis." He was tempted to go out of town for the next two weeks but thought that Lex would catch wind of it and end up in the lap of luxury that was the penthouse. And, that would negate the point of this little exercise. Lionel was curious to see how his son would survive for the next two weeks in this armpit of a town.
A burly man came out of the front door of the Manor as Lex approached. "Mr. Luthor, everything is looking good. You should be able to move back in after two weeks. If you have any questions, just call this number." He handed the card to Lex and then disappeared in the direction of the other driveway. Lex suspected that his father had instructed him to park there so he would have the element of surprise when Lex arrived.
“God dammit,” Lex kicked at the gravel, running a hand over the back of his head. He scrunched the business card up and shoved it into the pocket of his pants, then went straight back to his car. Once inside he revved the engine and let it growl a few times just out of spite. Rearing out of the driveway at high speed, his next destination was clear. Lex needed a coffee and he needed to think, and Smallville didn't offer a lot of places for these purposes.
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Chloe knew that she was attracting attention from the patrons of the Talon, but she didn't give a damn. She had already downed one extra large mocha with whipped cream and was on her second. That was not out of the ordinary. What was unusual was the fact that she was muttering to herself and would sporadically thump her head against the counter.
Lex entered the Talon and prowled through the afternoon crowd of teenagers to get to the counter. He placed one hand on the surface, sparing a short glance at a blonde head lying to his left belonging to a girl that clutched her coffee with vigor. Turning his attention to the waitress, he tried to remember her name. Since Lana had moved back to Metropolis and written over her share of the Talon to him, he was the sole owner, and had to fill her shifts with new personnel. 'Something with K....dead president. Ah' “Kennedy.” The girl in question turned around and once she spotted him got this unmistakable dreadful look on her face. “Cappuccino, large, to stay.” He barked the order. He hoped that she'd get it right where Lana had failed countless times.
Hearing someone who sounded as pissed off as she felt actually made Chloe's mood brighten just the slightest. Especially due to the fact that she recognized the voice. She turned her head towards Lex and then propped it up in the palm of her left hand. "I have to warn you, if you're staying, you might want to sit somewhere else. Me and myself are having a deep, reflective conversation. It's kinda private." She managed a small smile at the obviously livid gazillionaire.
Arching an eyebrow, Lex turned his face to the familiar voice. The blonde girl from earlier turned out to be Smallville's resident vulture-,pardon, reporter-in-training. "Chloe Sullivan." He smirked. "Well you shouldn't be sitting in as public a place if you're striving for privacy, don't you think?"
Surprising even herself, Chloe laughed aloud, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "Good point," she murmured as she ran her finger over the rim of her coffee mug. "However, I find that talking to one's self will often give you privacy even in public places. Besides," she said as she craned her neck. "I'm also looking for someone, too. I'm very talented at multi-tasking." Chloe realized that she sounded like a lunatic, but she was past caring.
“And who are you looking for, if I may ask?” Lex grabbed the mug from the trembling fingers of the Kennedy-girl, giving her a curt nod while placing a twenty on the counter. Taking a tentative sip from the beverage, a small smile curved his lips. Cappuccino. 'There is after all hope in the darkness!' “Thank you, Kennedy.” The girl hustled off with a tentative smile, her face flushed from hairline to neck.
"I don't know," Chloe said, honestly. She saw Kennedy rush over to another waitress and gesture about excitedly. Shaking her head at the display, Chloe asked, "You don't happen to know anyone who's," she paused, trying to remember her father's list, "a responsible, self-sufficient, trustworthy...." she trailed off, her eyes widening. How could she have been so stupid? She composed herself and smiled full force at Lex. "But, enough about me, what are you doing here?" She needed to pretend to be interested so she could get him to agree to stay with her.
Lex felt something like foreboding creep up his spine. Chloe Sullivan had that look on her face. That look he'd always gotten from business associates or so called friends when they wanted something from him. Too big smile, too guarded eyes and an underlying fidgeting in the body language. 'God no, I really don't have time for this.' “I think I've made it quite clear that I am not granting any interviews. Aside from that, given our surroundings your question seems kind of unnecessary, doesn't it?” He lifted his mug and took another sip of the surprisingly good cappuccino.
Chloe had forgotten that she wasn't dealing with a regular resident of Smallville. Lex knew the way that she worked and she should have adjusted her plan accordingly. But, it was too late now. "First of all," she said, "one question an interview does not make. And, second of all, cut me a little slack, I've had a stressful day, ok?" She was about to continue on when the clod sitting next to her bumped into her without saying excuse me...yet again. She whipped around, and tapped the guy, who she recognized as a soccer player from school, on the shoulder.
"Hi," she said, sweetly. "Hey," he replied while looking her up and down. Suppressing the urge to hit him she said, "If you bump into me one more time, I'm going to rip your throat out. Have a nice day." She turned back to Lex, "Now, where was I?"
Lex cocked his head to the side, regarding Chloe with a smirk and drawn up eyebrows. “Your day must be extraordinarily bad to procure this sort of behavior. Now, don't you want to tell me what it is that you want from me? Maybe it will help your mood and keep you from wreaking havoc on the customers of my business. I don't really relish the thought of dealing with bad publicity on top of everything right now.”
Taking in Lex's appearance, Chloe realized that he didn't look as cool and calm as he usually did. She also noticed that he was out of coffee. "Kennedy," she yelled, "another large Cappuccino. Sounds to me like I'm not the only one that's had a bad day. But, since you're not ready to share with the group, I'll go first." She paused for dramatic effect. "My dad wants me to live with the Kents. For two weeks. Why doesn't he just sell me into a prostitution ring while he's at it?" She threw up her hands as Lex's drink arrived and caught the odd look that Kennedy was giving her. "It was a rhetorical question, ok," she said to the girl.
Lex chuckled under his breath and put another bill on the table. “That should cover it, oh and get Miss Sullivan another of whatever it was she had.” He turned back to Chloe. “So I take it that this rift between you and Clark has still not been overcome? I haven't seen him much since my return to civilization, but he seemed very chagrined over the things that happened before and during his absence. You never seemed like a person to hold a grudge; it must have been a very personal hit if you're still avoiding him.” Lex had heard the long and short of this story from Lana when he'd asked for an explanation for her sudden urge to leave Smallville behind for the lure of the big city.
"A grudge, is that what he called it?" Chloe shook her head, really not believing that boy's audacity. "His perception of reality leaves a little something to be desired." She looked at Lex, appraising him for a moment, wondering if he could be trusted. She shrugged and said, "Bottom line, he lied to me one too many times. And then blamed me for Lana leaving Smallville." She took a sip of her new beverage.
Lex could relate in one of the two points. Clark had made it a habit of skirting the edges of truth and had on more than one occasion openly lied. Lex was brought up to be suspicious against anything and he couldn't place his trust in someone who kept lying to his face. “I understand your resentment towards his attitude. He has a tendency to come off rather self-righteous at times and for someone who lies with a startling frequency, you'd think he would've learned to be better at it by now.” Lex had never really let himself mull over these facts, trying to hold on to the only friend he had found in this town, but he found that he'd let himself be fooled for much too long. “I can see your predicament. I assume your father insists on the arrangement though, because of his next business trip?”
"Yeah, can you believe it," Chloe asked incredulously. "I mean, I'm an adult, look at me." She gestured to herself with her hands. "Wouldn't *you* trust me alone?"
Lex looked her up and down and tried to hide the smirk that fought to break out on his lips. “Let's say I understand your fathers need for reassurance of your safety given your history of getting into trouble when left to your own devices.”
Crossing her arms, Chloe turned slightly away from Lex. "You sound just like him," she pouted. "And, I don't go *looking* for trouble, I just, sort of, you know, find it." She nibbled on her lower lip. This conversation was not going the way that she had planned. Instead of getting Lex to agree to stay with her, he was bringing up Clark and siding with her father. "Do you honestly think I would get myself killed in two weeks? I'm not a damsel in distress." The caffeine had definitely taken a hold of her body. "Oh," she said, excitedly as she ransacked her purse. "See, I have mace!" She held up the small canister so Lex could see it.
Lex jerked his head back and put his hand on top of Chloe's hand that was pointing the spray bottle directly at his face. He slowly lowered her hand to remove the potential threat. 'Heaven only knows what happens if she gets the jitters from all that caffeine.' “I'm sure you know as well as I do that in this town a weapon like this might fail when faced with the latest human meteor abomination.” He shook his head lightly. “Why don't you just accompany your father on his trip? I'll make sure that LexCorp covers the additional expanses.”
A look of horror crossed her face. She grabbed Lex by the lapels of his jacket after dropping the mace on the counter and pulled him closer. "Do you have *any* idea of how boring those things are?" When he raised his eyebrows she nodded, "Ok, ok, you do. But, you get paid to be there and don't have old lechers hitting on you either." A slow smile crossed her face, "Or do you?"
Lex pulled her hands from his lapels and smoothed his jacket. “Contrary to popular belief it's not just the young and shallow hitting on me, yes. But I don't see any other option for you, do you?” And this was when the pieces started to fall into place. Chloe wanted something from him. She was in a rather uncomfortable situation regarding her rooming for the next couple of weeks. Lex couldn't suppress the smirk that came to his face. 'Welcome to the club. Chloe, you're about to be sorely disappointed.'
Taking a deep breath, Chloe realized that he was going to make her ask him. 'Can't he be a gentleman and just offer,' she thought. Then again, he probably feared her father's reaction, but he could still make the gesture. Plodding ahead she said, "Yes, I see another option. I'm a little person. You have a big house. You wouldn't even *notice* me there. And, I'd even sign something legally binding me to not snoop around." She said the last sentence as if she were doing him a favor. "Lex, we both know that I'm desperate, otherwise, I wouldn't be asking you for this."
Lex chuckled. “As much as I sympathize with your situation, I'm afraid I have to decline. As fate will have it, I'm not in a position to offer you asylum, since the mansion is currently being raided of the Smallville mutant version of rodents and won't be free of pesticides for the next two weeks.”
"You're joking," Chloe said, without any emotion in her voice. When Lex slowly shook his head she said. "Well, that's just *perfect* isn't it? Damn mutant freak rats pick now to invade your drafty, old castle." Chloe looked up at the ceiling. "I'm being punished, aren't I?" She sighed, realizing that she wouldn't have liked staying at Lex's place all that much. It didn't have the comfiness that her house afforded.
"Oh. my. god. I'm so stupid." Before Lex could add his own two cents she said a terse, "Shut up. Follow me on this one. You have no place to stay. I need someone to stay *with* and my house is much nicer than yours, no offense. You," she said, pointing at him, "are everything my father wanted in someone to watch me." She cocked her head. "Sort of. So, you just come and stay with me and everybody wins." Chloe looked at Lex, expectantly. Sometimes her brilliance stunned even her.
Lex cocked his head to the side. “I thank you for that offer, but really, I think I don't want to get into a discussion with my plant manager about why I plan on living with his teenage daughter. I'd rather stay at the motel. Smallville *has* a motel, right?”
Knowing that it was wrong, Chloe couldn't help the huge smile that broke out over her face as she shook her head. "The nearest one is 45 minutes away. And, trust me on this one, you *don't* want to stay there. I hear that they haven't changed the sheets on the bed since the mid seventies." She picked up her drink. "Besides, there's no way that a motel would be better for you. My house is close to the plant, has an internet connection and excellent cell phone reception. I doubt that you could find all three of those in a motel."
Lex pondered his options. One thing was clear, if the motel was even half as bad as Chloe's description made it sound; he was not going to stay there for even one night, let alone 13. His next option would be his penthouse in Metropolis, but Lex didn't fancy a three hour drive twice a day for the next two weeks. Other than that, he really had no choice. “Fine.” He answered calmly. “But only under the condition that *you* explain this to your father and furthermore stay out of trouble. I am not willing to live with the repercussions of being held responsible for anything that might happen to you in the absence of your father. Deal?”
"Deal," Chloe said. For what she did next, Chloe blamed on the caffeine. She reached over and hugged Lex. She realized her mistake when she felt him stiffen up in her arms. She pulled away, blushing profusely. "I'm sorry," she sputtered. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." She gathered up her belongings hurriedly, worried that Lex would reconsider his decision. "I'll take care of my Dad," she said, getting herself back under control. “And, I swear, I'll stay out of trouble. Ok," she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going now. Um, what time should we expect you at the house?"
Lex checked his watch and considered the time he'd need for a trip to Metropolis to get some fresh clothes and back to Smallville. “Expect me around eight.” He downed the cold remains of his cappuccino in one gulp and barely avoided pulling a face at the taste.
Chloe nodded. "Ok, I'll be sure that Dad knows by then and I'll make up the guest room for you." She failed to mention that it was Lana's all room and still covered in pink. She looked through her bag again, muttering to herself. "Aha," she said, triumphantly. She handed Lex a spare key to the house. "I made it last week cause I thought I had lost mine." They both stood and Lex held the door for her as they left the Talon. She turned towards him, suddenly feeling awkward.
Lex pocketed the key and looked down at the blonde spitfire he'd be rooming with for the next two weeks. He'd lived with worse on smaller space. “Something the matter, Chloe?”
"Nope," Chloe said, fishing her keys out of her purse. "So, um, I'll see you at the house at eight. Bye." She crossed the street and unlocked her car. Before pulling out into the street, she waved to Lex.
Lex looked after the car, his eyebrows raised. 'This could be very interesting.' He got into his own car and drove off in the other direction, heading out of town and towards Metropolis. 'Something tells me I'm in for a few surprises.' Lex hated surprises.
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Lex'll go out of his mind in that room and undoubtibly start considering the whole thing to be a mistake once he finds out that he can't sleep, knowing the blonde's just a wall removed from him.
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