p"Don't worry Chlo. It'll be fine…"

pChloe smiled from the passenger seat of the rented Land Rover and took his hand. "I know. I just have that nagging feeling that this was not a good idea. Why did I let you guys talk me into this?"

pBecause I can't go through another one of Cara's parties and meet all of her 'friends' alone again," Lex said from the back seat. He had had to work the day he and Cara were supposed to leave so she'd gone ahead and he'd caught a ride with Chloe and Whitney the next morning.

pShe turned around and looked at Lex, confused. "Tell me again why you're dating this woman?"

pHe didn't even look up from his newspaper. "Connections, Chloe, connections."

p "So you don't love her or like her much?"

p "Not really, no."

pShe stared at him blankly. "Uh, okay. I'm not even going to try and understand your twisted Luthor logic."

pHe glanced up at her. "Not everyone can have the movie-worthy fairy-tale romance you and Prince Charming here got. The rest of us will have to make do with whatever is left…"

pShe sighed and rolled her eyes, turning back to look at the road.

p "You asked the question…" he said, going back to his newspaper.

p "Stop fighting you two," Whitney said, grinning. "We're almost there." He glanced in the review mirror. "Should we skirt the town or go through?"

p "Go through," Lex replied. "Cara asked me to pick up some more decorations. We obviously don't have enough…" he added dryly.

p "Okay." Whitney steered the car towards the exit ramp to Smallville.

p "Aren't you even curious as to how everything has changed?" Lex persisted, leaning forwards, towards Chloe.

pShe glanced at him. "Nope." Then her eyes moved over towards Whitney. "I'm happy…"

p

p

p "A Walmart? They changed your store into a Walmart?" Chloe asked as she followed Whitney and Lex inside. "I can't believe it. Smallville has a Walmart…"

p "Don't be too shocked, Chloe. The rest of Smallville has changed as well… I'll meet you two back at the car in an hour. I have a few other errands to get done," Lex said, walking quickly away into the Christmas section, leaving the couple to wander down the aisles, hand in hand.

p "I love Christmas," Chloe said. "Everyone always so happy and cheery and so much more relaxed… Hey, maybe we should get some things too?" she asked, as they passed the toy section. "Something for Lex and Cara…"

p "Like what?" Whitney asked, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her waist.

p "I don't know," she said. "I just feel like we should get them something for letting us stay with them for Christmas…"

pHe shook his head. "We were invited. We already bought them Christmas presents. And anything we get, she'll hate anyway. You know how Cara is."

p "Yeah, I'm surprised she's lasted so long. I mean, she's so-"

pWhitney? Oh my god!" they heard someone shriek from behind them.

pTurning, they saw a medium sixed, red haired woman running towards them.

p "Whitney? It is you!" She threw herself at him, knocking Chloe to the side, trying to hug him and look him over at the same time. "Sarah. Sarah Peach? Remember me?"

pHe nodded. "Yeah, sure, you were on the cheerleading squad with Lana. You look good."

pShe stepped back, eyeing him appreciatively. "You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Fordman. Been working out, I see?" Then she spotted Chloe. "Oh, and is this your little wife? I heard you got married but no one told me to who." She extended a hand to Chloe. "I'm Sarah Peach."

pChloe took it and said, "Chloe Sullivan." She enjoyed the reaction.

pSarah paled and her smile slipped a notch. "As in Chloe Sullivan, editor of the Torch?"

p "One and the same," Chloe said, grinning.

p "Oh." Sarah took a breath and her smile came back in place. "Well, are you two here for the reunion party?"

p "Reunion party?" Whitney asked.

p "Yeah. Lex Luthor's having a nice little five-year reunion party for the seniors of Smallville High. You have to come Whitney, of course… it wouldn't be the same without you. After all you were going out with Lana…"

pChloe blinked. "What?"

pHe cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, we might check that out. Thanks Sarah." And he steered Chloe away before she went beserk.

pWhen they were outside, he let go.

p "I'm going to kill Lex! Kill him! I was right. The whole time I was right! That sneak!" She looked ready to kill Lex.

p "Let's walk downtown to let off some of that steam, okay?" He looked pleadingly at her as she kicked a snow bank. "I'm sure Lex has a perfect reason-"

p "Excuse you mean," she interrupted.

p "A perfect reason," he said again. "For this. Or maybe she just got mixed up. She is a cheerleader, after all."

pThat got him a little smile. "Okay," she replied, kissing him. "But I'm grilling him as soon as he gets back."

p "Deal."

pThey started off downtown.

p "Oh, my god. Starbucks. What happened to the Beanery?"

p "Progress," Whitney said, glancing around. They whole town had changed. Modernized. It was sort of sad, really. But he knew that he couldn't leave and come back five years later to the same thing. Everything changed. It was a way of life. "I love you," he said, suddenly feeling the need to be closer to Chloe. Hopefully, they would never change so much that they grew apart.

pShe stopped. She must have noticed something different about the way he said it because she smiled and looked up into his face. "I love you too."

pHe leaned down and kissed her softly.

p "Chloe?" a male voice asked, shocked.

p "Whitney?" a female voice said at the same time, equally as shocked.