The Upper Hand (R) 1/31/10

[hfce]

Chloe actually thinks she can work with Lionel. I can't wait until he double crosses her because you know he will.

[Kit Merlot]

A wonderful update!

So it's Lionel who has been helping Chloe all along--I hope she knows what she's doing

And the Chimmy needs to end--it's too painful to continue.

Keep up the excellent work with this fic.

[superag]

a/n - It's Spring Break and I wrote something. I feel all accomplished. To a couple of the comments, I know people feel like Chloe used Lana, but don't be sad for Lana - she's fine and out of the story. Clark, on the other hand, is something to be dealt with. And Lionel, well, he may or may not be his old self. We shall see. Thanks for the reviews and this was SUPPOSED to be a short chapter....

Brought to you by "Glitter in the Air" by Pink

Chapter 8 – Shards


It was clichéd. Lex knew it was, but he couldn’t see it any other way. Now, he just hoped that he hadn’t gotten the wrong impression from the week before. He stared at the table where the conversation started sinking in at the oddest hour.

“I heard you had some ideas for the restaurant.” Chloe sat comfortably across the table form Lex with her pen and paper in hand. “I would know that normally an interview would obviously be a no no, but you have no choice.”

Lex leaned back comfortably in the chair where he was sitting, crossing one leg over the other and smiled almost frighteningly to Chloe, as if he knew more about what he was doing playing into her hand. “A little. Just rearranged the kitchen and specials of the day a little. And divided a couple of the booths to make more room for couples since large groups aren’t really coming in.” He stopped and watched as she continued writing. “And suggested maybe a simple drink bar in the small space between the yoga room and the restaurant. Then, those patrons don’t have to wait through those ordering food.”

Chloe nodded at the idea of Lex’s simple idea of expansion. Quirking up the corner of her lip, she tried not to smile at the simple business side of Lex coming out again. Not to the obsessive nature, but just simple.

“Interesting. And you are assuming that we pull in enough to support another demolition and another employee. Remember you’re already doing work for two.”

“True, but Mark showed me the figures,” Lex stopped at the choked look that suddenly appeared on Chloe’s face. “I guess he wasn’t supposed to do that.”

“No, and I will be talking to him about that. But since you already know the income, what are your impressions?”

“The gym is sucking you dry.” Lex was matter-of-factly in his response.

Chloe heaved a sigh of understanding. She had seen the numbers for the entire project herself.

“Yoga and the green restaurant seem to work but you have to try something else with the gym promotion. This is essentially a farming community; they work out enough. Maybe contract to the school for the athletics teams since their gym is full of old equipment etc.”

Chloe continued writing his comments all the while trying to convince herself that he was still in rehab and an evil mastermind. He was playing her into his hand. She simply recorded his thoughts and knew what she needed to talk to Mark about. As she continued writing, Lex disappeared into the small bedroom and returned, putting the same folder in front of her as she had given him.

“Can you make sure the right people get this information.” He pushed the folder across the table and sat back in the chair.

Chloe picked up the folder and flipped through the first few pages, seeing the notes made on the pages. “You do realize that I could simply trash this and nothing would come of it in your trial.”

Leaning closer to her across the table, he smiled as it seemed genuinely. “Yes, but you brought them to me to begin with which means you’re either using it to write an expose which has not yet been printed or you actually in some sick way are trying to help me.”

Chloe slipped the files back into her bag and started for the door without uttering another word. “I’ll let you know what happens. Do you need anything?” She dropped almost undetected as she crossed the room and started to open the door.

Lex walked up behind her and opened the door, peering out to see where his ever present guard was at. Seeing him busy studying a magazine and nursing a coffee, he gently held the door knob and looked down at Chloe as she inched out the door.

“Socks. And why you are still doing this? There’s something up with this whole plan I can’t put together.” He leaned into the door frame, pressing her body against it. “You know I could probably help you more if you would just tell me.”

She hesitated in her answer. She could feel his body heat radiating against her even though he was several inches from her. Her breathing heaved as she was caught between his luscious smell after showering from work and knowing the danger of crossing the line before finding out what his real intentions were. She snapped out of her thoughts feeling him moving even closer to her, leaning his head practically against hers.

“Socks. I can get those sent over. I’ll pass on your notes and let you know the outcome.” She inched out from underneath his arm that he was supporting his body against the frame and started down the small set of stairs. “Goodnight Lex.”

Lex closed the door without saying anything in return. He knew that she wouldn’t have answered and still he wondered what was her motive to any of this.


Remembering the context, she seemed tense when he talked about business, as if there was something that compelled her not to want to talk about it but she had to. When they talked about his incarceration or other lighter subjects, he saw hints of a faint smile. The only thing that he knew was completely off the table were Lana and Clark. She had become incredibly defensive that night and knew never to touch the topic again.

Still, as he set the table and checked the dinner he hopefully was not preparing for just one, he thought about topics that would get her to show off the glimmer of happiness that still was somewhere beneath her surface. If not to see her more relaxed but to help him sleep. It was something about seeing her that made those nights easier to sleep. The bed seemed naturally warmer, and his breathing more even, like years before he … he stopped there.

************

Chloe locked her desk and turned off the computer just as Clark walked into the newsroom and leaned against the desk. “I heard. I’m sorry.”

Chloe couldn’t talk about it. It had been a week in her new, very desolate place without so much as a visitor. She was not prepared to discuss the engagement that now everyone knew was over. Jimmy had not been very graceful in his telling of the engagement.

“It’s behind me.” Chloe slung her bag over her shoulder as she started out behind her desk. Seeing the object of her and Clark’s discussion coming her way, she ducked out, walking the other way around the tiny main floor of the newsroom with Clark in tow.

“Apparently. Chloe, we should talk about this; he gave me a story that is one for the books. You dumped him for Luthor?”

Chloe’s head whipped around and she stared at him. Pulling on his shirt, she dragged Clark behind her into the small storage closet off the stairs from her exit. Staring up at him, she was livid, Clark could tell.

“What did he say?”

“He said you were spending more time in Smallville than with him.” Clark saw her huff in response and knew that Jimmy may have seen things a little different even though Clark’s impressions had been that she could have scaled back. “Chloe before you go all off on me, remember I told you and Oliver that other people could easily watch over Lex. You’re too close to the source of the problems that he caused. I’m worried now that Jimmy might be right.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and didn’t want to continue this conversation anymore. “Look, first, whatever is going on with Jimmy and me is our business. Second, I am aware as well as everyone I was in the room with that there are probably other ways of going about this. That option has been poised several times by Lionel himself. But his alternative is something you wouldn’t even agree with.”

Clark leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, “Don’t count on that anymore.”

“You were the last one to give him a fucking chance. Now, you are turning the table on me? How dare you.”

Clark leaned over Chloe’s smaller frame and raised his voice while gritting his teeth. “He’s hurt you more than once. He took…”

“I’m done here if the next word is that debutante brunette. I am aware of the risks. If I need your help, I will ask for it. Please just stay out of it until everything is resolved.” Chloe pushed the door open and started off out the door toward the parking garage with Clark tailing behind her.

Pulling on her arm, she turned around, her face now warm and puffy. “What is it with you and Lex anyway. Why this way?”

“Because he owes me something that sitting in jail won’t fix. You won’t fix. No one can fix.” She pulled from his grip and continued to her car. Watching him follow her, she opened the door to her car and threw her bag across the seat, “Look, you may not like the idea, but just trust me. I wasn’t going to let you into the plan until you showed up on accident. Just trust us.”

Clark watched as she pulled out of the parking garage and started out onto the street. Clark looked around the parking lot for any others and then quickly followed her car.

**********

Chloe sat in the car and stared at the plea deal that Lex’s attorney was able to solidify if he would go for it. Another six months in confinement and a guarantee that his name would never grace the letters CEO again. She knew Lionel had something to do with that decision, but she had not been given permission to ask details. There were some things that she couldn't even arrange to be a part of.

She sat wondering how Lex would take the whole thing. She knew he would obviously not be happy about the outcome of having any rights to owning anything again stripped from him. He had truly been the victim in this part of the scheme with his attorney, but he had faltered on his own.

She looked out the window up at the light streaming from the apartment and saw the last few patrons piling out of the building. She knew that he had only gotten off work a few minutes earlier. Or wouldn’t matter how long she was there; she had no one to go home to now. She wasn’t even sure at this point if Clark would want to be around her.

She smiled at the object sitting in the seat next to her. It was a great move on the judge’s part, and hopefully something that Lex would appreciate. Climbing out of the car, she slid the heavier bag on to her shoulder and started in the door. “Mark.”

“Chloe, you finally made it in time for leftovers.” Mark was wiping off one of the last table and disappeared into the back room. Chloe followed him close behind.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since my last visit. How is Lex?” She wanted his impression of things progressing.

“He’s got a lot of good ideas…”

Chloe cut him off. “Fine, but they need to go through me without discussion. You are NOT permitted to show him any kind of financial statements of any kind. Period. Are we understanding each other. If he has any other brilliant ideas, you clear them through me first and then I will make the last decision. You are the manager, but this is my project.”

Mark was shocked at what he was hearing but he knew exactly where it was coming from. Lex had told him these ideas and then had gone directly to Chloe with them as well. Playing both of them against each other. “Look, I’m sorry. I thought his ideas were good, but I wasn’t sure if I could get away with them, so I let him look.”

“Just let it not happen again.” Chloe picked up the latest papers and then curtly left Mark to the rest of the dishes for the evening. She breathed harder feeling that something was different tonight. She heard Mark start out the front door and said goodnight.

She smiled at Bates, “How is he?”

“Good I suppose. He’s been up there a couple hours now. Mark let him knock off since he worked late fixing a couple of the pieces of gym equipment that broke. I think he’s trying to cook again. He stopped cussing about half an hour ago.”

Chloe just shook her head and smiled at Bates as she started up the stairs. After the information that Bates offered up, she was curious at what Lex may have heard about her and Jimmy or perhaps she was reading too much into the whole thing. Although, she could use the break from reality whether it be with Lex or a stranger.

Knocking on the door, she was welcomed with a door that cracked itself open and revealed a slightly darkened room. Pushing carefully against the door, she took another deep breath, afraid of what Lex’s overtly telling intentions were. “Lex?”

“Come on in. There’s some nice apple juice on the table. I actually found it was the best non alcoholic alternative to go with the meal.”

Chloe dropped her bag against the door and carried the other part of her bag to the couch with her. She picked up the latest book he was reading, flipping through the pages. He had highlighted parts of the self help book. “Is it actually working? These ideas?”

“Not so much but there are a couple of ideas I might try – journaling and that sort of thing.” Chloe looked in the direction of his voice fully expecting the button down and pressed pants to completely surprised. Lex stopped in the middle of the living room and shook his head in amusement. “What?”

“Just the look,” she tried to not smile at the change in wardrobe. “It’s different.”

“Well, I was done with work for the day, and decided there was no reason to wear good clothes around the apartment.”

Chloe nodded suspiciously. “So after years of dressing better than most of us do for church at your home, you’ve just decided to throw that in? Oh, by the way, “ she hauled a bag out of the bag on the couch and tossed the plastic container of socks in his direction. “I got a mix – you didn’t say what you needed.”

Lex caught the bag and tossed it on the bed in the bedroom. “Thanks. No, I realized that I happened to like the feel of cotton against my skin. It doesn’t itch.” He halfway smiled and disappeared behind the counter.

Chloe swallowed at the small gesture of the hope that seemed to either be there on purpose or by mistake. She couldn’t decide whether this was the real Lex or if he was still trying to get the truth from her. “I just came to drop these things by. They made an offer and I have a surprise.”

She heard the door of the oven shut and looked back over her shoulder after pulling the last couple of items out of her bag. She watched Lex as he smoothly, and strangely barefoot, moved over to the couch with her and put a plate of bread on the table. “It’s toasted with rosemary and olive oil. Been working with the cook in the mornings just to get some tips.”

Chloe tired to seem convinced but Lex knew that after the last couple of disasters that she wasn’t buying it. He waited until she actually swallowed. Nodding her head, she rolled her eyes. “Well, I don’t think I’ll die from it. Anyway, your plea bargain.”

Lex took the papers from Chloe as she slid out of her overcoat. Reaching back behind her, Lex held on to the top of the coat as she slipped her arms out. He knew what he wanted to do to warm up to her, not to touch too much but impress that he was slowly trying to give himself a different turn.

Chloe watched as his eyes seemed to skim the pages quickly and then recapture a few things in more detail. His face stiffened as she saw his eyes move the paragraphs toward the bottom. “No companies. What the hell do they think I’m going to do for the rest of my life?” He stood up and threw the folder across the room, watching the stacks of papers fly through the air and nestle to the ground.

Catching one of the papers in her hand, she couldn’t remember ever writing anything on green paper before. Opening up the little folded paper, she saw Lex behind her as he grabbed it out of her hand. “What the hell?”

“Nothing, it’s probably nothing.” Opening up the note, he acted as if he was reading it and then crumpled it up.

Chloe watched as he carefully tossed it into the garbage in the kitchen before helping him pick up the other papers. “Lex, I know this isn’t the most ideal situation for you to be stuck here for another six months and lose that type of control, but it is so bad compared to sitting in a prison cell for months, maybe years? Come on. You may not get everything back, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be completely out of the picture.”

Lex shoved the papers back in the folder and tossed it back on the living room table. “Yeah, just that I can have a company back that may have my name on the damn fucking building but have to sit on a board and have no control. Sounds like the fucking deal my dad made with me after getting back from Hell Island.”

Chloe sat down on the couch next to Lex and tried to comfort him without leading him on. She honestly couldn’t understand exactly where the plea bargain came from, but now could understand why Lex was angry. “Lex, it’ll take time. I’m sure things will pan out better than you think in time. Just clam down and let’s see what you have for dinner.”

Lex glanced down at his thigh where Chloe had obviously lost her sense and touched him. It was completely innocent he was sure; he probably was getting the same treatment as Clark would during one of his fits over Lana. Shaking his head, hoping to rid it off those two names, he leaned over and huffed slightly. “You sure I might not try to poison you again with awful cooking.”

“You made bread that didn’t scorch. I’m willing to take a chance.” She looked over her shoulder and unceremoniously took her hand off his thigh. He had been right that she hadn’t noticed. “Look, the timer says 5 more minutes. Here,” she reached around and handed him the last thing in the bag.

Lex set the object in his lap. “What?”

“A quarterly good behavior gesture after begging the judge. It has no Internet capability, but fully loaded for all that journaling you were talking about. Just be aware that the judge made the stipulation that he could take it and inspect it at any time. You can’t change anything on it either. I know it’s not …”

Lex slid his hand over the silver laptop and shook his head in disbelief. “Thank you.” He kept his head down and laid the laptop on the coffeetable before disappearing into the bathroom. Chloe heard the door shut and walked over to the kitchen and pulled out the garbage. Pulling out the green paper, she realized it must have been at the back of the folder.

I appreciate the dinner conversation. See you soon. L

Wading up the note, she tossed it back in the garbage and washed her hands before Lex came back into the kitchen. She looked at him and thought she saw something else in his eyes. “Shall we see what dinner looks like tonight?”

The two danced around each other, carefully trying to not touch each other while working together. The two sat and made another quiet conversation that didn’t mean anything to anyone but them. The only questions Chloe completely dodged were about his businesses, knowing he thought she had some handle on them. He watched as her face wrinkled funny as he asked about Clark again.

After dinner, Chloe flipped through a magazine as Lex came around the couch with a cup of coffee. “Don’t you need to be getting on tonight? Not that I mind the company, but…” and then he stopped. Staring at the hand that graced the edge of the couch, he lowered his voice.

Chloe glanced over and saw his eyes lower from his vantage point and could feel the air around them get suddenly colder. “It wasn’t working the way it should have.”

“Chloe, it’s none of my business,” he answered emotionless. He turned and bit his lip remembering the weak arrogance of the little boy that thought he was worthy enough to ask Chloe to marry him. The little child of the Daily Planet couldn’t hold her and wasted her life.

“No it’s not. And regardless of what happened, you never had any right to interfere or play him like you did.” Chloe closed her eyes and looked away, wishing that they hadn’t even opened this line of conversation. “Can we just drop it?”

Lex just about answered with close to a silent nod when a loud boom came from well above them before the lights flickered and then went out completely. Chloe pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the weather as the sirens for the town started to go off. “Uncanny how when you and I are together something is coming out of the sky. Come on, we have to get to the lower level.”

He felt in the dark for Chloe’s hand that she easily offered him just as they heard a rap at the door. Opening the door, he saw Bates there with a flashlight ready to leave them downstairs. “Mr. Luthor. Miss Sullivan. I would suggest a comforter from the bed before heading downstairs.”

Lex quickly stalked back into the dark bedroom and pulled the comforter down and met the two back at the door before heading downstairs. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Chloe noticed the emergency power kick in and knew that Lex was still securely attached to the system, not that she expected him to run, but he was for a few minutes given the chance. “I’ll get some water from the kitchen frig. Where are you two heading?”

“The showers ma’am.” Lex hauled up the comforter in his hands again and followed Bates down the hall and into the small locker room units. The shower stalls only numbered a couple for each bathroom and were the smallest enclosed location. Chloe appeared soon after. “It’s getting bad. I saw one of the outdoor garbage cans fly down the road. Nothing like a good winter storm to blow up strange tornadoes.”

She sat down in the stall with Lex as Bates disappeared to check the stability of the doors and windows. “It happened during last week’s storm too. Heard Metropolis got the tail end. Bates and I ended up playing cards in here for two hours. I think I still owe him fifty cents.”

Chloe let out a chuckle that she didn’t expect to escape. “He beat you?”

“Who knew that the police academy taught counting cards.” Lex leaned back against the shower stall and covered both Chloe and him in the blanket. The two sat silently, listening to the sirens start up and go off repeatedly. The clacking of the metal signs on the side of the building seemed to get louder as the wind howled more. The small emergency lights flickered and Chloe’s breath hitched, realizing that Bates had not returned.

Lex looked over at her face and noticed the worry that crossed it. Seldom had he seen Chloe truly scared, concerned like she was at that moment. He wished he knew why, but wasn’t sure why he cared. He was supposed to be playing her to get answers out of her. Then the lights flicked once more and went off. The power was out. Lex pulled the blanket up on over him a little more and noticed the one little light on ankle bracelet was out. He knew.

“I’m not going to run Chloe," he spoke quietly into the complete blackness. There wasn’t even enough of a glimmer from the clouds or lightening to see her face. He sat silent and couldn’t feel her body even move under the comforter.

“Where’s Bates with the goddamn flashlight?” She didn’t even acknowledge Lex’s statement. She was afraid thinking he would want to pursue the whole thing. This hadn’t been her first go around with Lex in a dangerous situation. She wanted to almost laugh at the irony of it all. The last time they had fought, the last thing that seemed to tear them apart was the last meteor shower. She shook her head silently hoping he wouldn’t bring it up.

“He’ll come back. He was really good at nailing down everything last week before coming back inside. All the crates and such we had to pull in before they blew away.” She still wasn’t talking. He wracked his brain for something to talk about. He knew the last big storm Clark had left her at the prom for Lana. Fucking waste of a date. Then there was the time…

As if she was reading his mind Chloe asked, “Remember the night you got stuck in the safehouse with me? We played that game, 'I’m going to Grandma’s.' I couldn’t believe I had to teach you – every kid knew that game.”

“I wasn’t exactly a normal child with a normal childhood.”

Chloe could barely catch a small chuckle. “No,” dripped sadly from her lips. “Did you ever get to be a child?”

Chloe rolled her head back against the shower wall, knowing that somewhere in the dark across from her was Lex, possibly looking in her direction. She didn’t expect him to answer. All she could hear was his lips slightly move and the ever present wind. “When I was with my mother at her family’s ranch.”

“Ashamed you brought such a black eye to the place when you turned it into your own meteor infected zoo.” Chloe bit her lip and covered her mouth, wishing that she could backpedal the last statement, but it was out there now. Now he could easily, get up, and leave.

But she didn’t feel him move, speak, couldn’t even tell if he was even breathing anymore. She closed her eyes and almost hoped that when she woke up from her awful dream that he would escape.

“A modern day Hitler,” she heard in the silence.

“What?”

“A Jew crucifying the Jews.”

“I really need to get you some more reading material. Hitler wasn’t Jewish. He was crazy. His family had a history of mental illness that he tried to cover up.”

Lex nodded in the dark and wished she could see the almost proud look on his face for catching her in his own purposeful stupidity. “Great, so instead of me collecting meteor infected because I might be one, I just was doing it because I’m going slowly insane instead. Thanks.”

He heard Chloe huff at the remark. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. Anyway, maybe since we’re both here and you seem to be willing to talk, tell me why all of it.”

Lex shifted under the comforter and stretched his feet out against the wall beside Chloe. She wondered if he was sitting as stiffly as it felt from under the comforter. The wind picked up again and she heard a noise that sounded like metal on metal before her car alarm went off. “Guess you’ll be here awhile,” he quipped. Nothing.

“I have the desire to learn things. Chloe, those things attacked me, possessed me, killed numerous people.”

“But the real reason stems from your father and a trip into Smallville years ago. Obsessions are unhealthy. You didn’t lose Lana to the meteor shower or your best friends to aliens, you did that yourself.”

The room fell silent again as the two saw a flashlight heading toward them. Bates was soaked through the skin and carrying several more towels with him. Sliding against the other wall, the three could finally see each other. “It’s bad out there. I think your car is going to be a little wet inside. Something went through the windshield. How are you two holding up?” Bates asked as he switched on the radio he found to listen to the report.

“As well as expected.” Bates checked over Chloe and then looked at Lex.
“The power is completely out Mr. Luthor. I have my orders to shoot…”

“He’s not going to run. I think he would have tried already,” Chloe interrupted Bates’ firm and obviously practiced statement. The two sat and listened as the weather band radio kept replaying the times for the warning to expire and the actual locations of the rotations.

The three fell silent as the whirring and now strange roaring sound overtook the sound of the radio. Several windows could be heard shattering. Lex guessed the larger plate windows in the front of the building were the first to go. Taking a deep breath, he reached for Chloe’s hand, realizing she could easily refuse and Bates would obviously see.

Chloe stared in the direction of the main building and bit her lip. Lex could see her chest shake in nervousness. “Wasn’t this bad at the dance?”

“No, it missed the school mostly.” She scooted against the wall and acted as if she needed to brace herself against something as the radio station went to static. Bates turned the radio off and handed towels to Lex and Chloe.

“Take the comforter; I grabbed a tablecloth.” Bates shifted with Chloe. He wasn’t sure how close Chloe wanted to be with Lex, but he was absolutely sure he didn’t want to cuddle with the man.

Chloe switched places as Lex pulled the comforter over her and him as the roaring wind got louder and more glass popping occurred. He felt her head fall into his lap as she gripped his hand tighter. Forgetting everything they had been talking about and the argument that was sure to ensue, Chloe closed her eyes and could only feel Lex’s hot breath on her as the howling increased around them.

********

“We’ve got a lot of cleanup. I think Mark is on his way in right now. How’s she?” Bates asked as Lex rubbed his hand along his scalp. He was somewhat sweaty after the several hour huddle. Pulling the comforter down from over her face, her hair was twisted and sweaty.

“She’s still asleep. I think she went out about an hour ago,” Lex whispered as Bates nodded his head. “I’ll try to get her upstairs and then come down to start clean up.” Lex watched as Bates disappeared out of the locker rooms and then looked at Chloe.

She had never steered from his lap. Her one hand still clung to his thigh and beads of sweat still attached themselves to her forehead. Taking one of the towels, Lex wiped her face as best without waking her up. He leaned back against the shower wall and stared at her. He could barely see the scar from where her chip had been put in. He knew she had it removed someway. He wanted to finish the discussion that they had started but it seemed the wrong time now. Running one finger through her hair, he was strangely mesmerized like never before. She had faith to a fault, his fault. All of it was his fault.

“Mmmm,” she moaned softly, obviously not aware of who was running his fingers along her smooth face. “Is it over?”

Caught from his thoughts of who she could be thinking about, he barely smiled down at her sleepy eyes when he realized she knew it was him. “Yeah. Now for the clean up.” He continued to run his hand along the side of her face, not sure why but she didn’t stop it.

Closing her eyes, she almost could feel the double meaning in his words. They did have a lot to clean up. It had started last night. She honestly thought it would take him longer or he would be more devious about the whole thing. Pawning off the thought that he was obviously still playing her, she swatted his hand away and sat up. “Let’s go see what we can salvage,” she commented as she broke a smug grin and offered to help him up, knowing sure his legs were asleep after all night.

TBC

[lexie]

I´m glad you were able to update this one despite RL getting in the way.

I liked the "intimate" scene in the bathrooms of The Talon during the tornado and the fact that you decided to set this chapter during a natural disaster that has struck Smallville so many times and affected both their lives in so many ways in the past.

I wonder how long it´ll take Lex to put the pieces together and find out who´s behind everything.

[Esther25jm]

Great job, super! Just caught up and love it! Wow, Lionel's alive and is the one working with Chloe. I don't know how I feel about that, considering it's Lionel. I'm also worried about Lex finding out, especially because it feels as though they're starting to get close again. Can't wait for more!!

[autumngold]

I'm so glad that Chloe is smart enough to realize that Lex is playing her!! I understand he wants more information, but I really think he should be more careful about alienating his only friend!! Thank you so much for the wonderful update!! I really like how Lex took care of Chloe during the storm!! Post again soon please!!

[hfce]

This was a good update.

[purplemoon123]

Of course Jimmy will blame others for his failed relationship. Clark like always so annoying.

Love the scene in the shower stalls.

[malugargula]

Great chapter

[Ultra]

Well, thats me all caught up on yoru fab story, super, and already I want more! You'd think two awesome chapters would satisfy me but no, it hasn't - I want more already

So Lionel is alive, Oliver is helping out, and Lana marrying Lex was all part of a big plan? Woah, that makes way more sense than the actual TV series! You're so clever, super, and you never fail to amaze me

So glad Chloe dumped Jimmy's sorry ass! As a character, I don't actually hate the guy, but he does not belong with our girl! Even he knows she belongs with Lex, same as she does

Loved the whole tornado thing, and the fact that Chloe and Lex are finally working through all the crap thats come between them. Here begins the good stuff, the Chlexy love stuff, at least I hope so anyway