A/N This is the second posting of this Chapter, nothing has changed if you've already read the previous one, I was doing something else and accidently deleted it. So sorry.

Chloe walked slowly through the door of the Luther Mansion and into the hall, someone took her coat and someone else grabbed her arm, escorting her to the study. She knew where it was, had been there many times before but she wasn't walking her best now so she allowed herself to be led. She was meeting with Lex for the first time since she'd agreed to Lionel's blackmail. "Mr. Luther." The man bowed slightly. "Miss Sullivan."

"Thank You." Lex said from behind his desk as he finished working on whatever it was he was doing before shutting the computer and standing up. "Could you have some champagne sent up please and then inform the staff that we are to be left alone for the evening."

"As you wish." The man bowed and left the room as Lex hurried to take his place by Chloe's side before she fell over. She'd been out of the hospital for a week and she was doing much better but walking took a lot out of her. He led her to the couch and she sat down. "Chloe."

"Lex." Chloe nodded taking a deep breath and wondering what one says to the person they have been blackmailed into marrying. "Champagne?"

"To celebrate." Lex raised an eyebrow at her and she scoffed. "This is not an ideal situation for me either as I'm sure you can guess."

"Then why are you doing it?" Chloe asked him.

"For the same reason you are I suppose." He leaned back in his seat and stared at her. "My father."

"Why specifically?" Chloe asked.

"My freedom, among other things." Lex said.

"You killed Patricia Swann." Chloe said slowly, piecing some of it together. "And Lionel has proof."

"Nothing concrete, but enough to make me more than a suspect, enough to have me indicted." He didn't even bother trying to deny it.

"How do you know I won't turn you in?" Chloe asked.

"Because I'm sure whatever my father has on you is just as compelling as what he has on me." Lex smiled as the door opened and the champagne was brought over. He opened the bottle and poured two glasses. "A toast then?" He handed one to Chloe. "To our upcoming nuptials."

Chloe downed her glass without toasting and after a minute Lex took a sip of his and then refilled her glass. "Does he think this will actually work?" Chloe asked.

"I'm sure he does." Lex said. "And if I know my father, it probably will." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Chloe froze as he opened it. Somehow seeing the ring made it feel all the more real. At any other time, with any other person this would have been perfect. There was a fire going, there was champagne, there was a ring. Only when she looked up from the ring box, she saw Lex and when she saw Lex she saw his father.

"You're not going to get down on one knee are you?" Chloe tried to lighten the mood.

"Do you want me to?"

"No." She shook her head. She didn't want to make this any less than what it was a business arrangement. He took the ring out of the box and grabbed for her hand. "I can do it." She said pulling the ring from his fingers and slipping it on. The weight felt massive, much heavier than just the diamond which was too large for her, too flashy, to showy.

"Do you like it?" Lex asked as she stared down at her left hand, entranced.

"Does it matter?" She asked looking up at him and sipping her drink. He was about to answer when the doors flew open and Lionel stepped in smiling.

"Oh good, we've gotten the formalities out of the way." He clapped his hands together. "Lex you always were a little fast on the proposals. Are we ready to go?"

"Go?" Chloe asked.

"To the Justice of the Peace, everything is set, but we really should leave now." Lionel looked at his watch.

"Now?" Chloe looked at him as if he was crazy. "We're doing this now?"

"No time like the present." Lionel rubbed his hands together and looked at Chloe's outfit, jeans and a t-shirt. "This won't do, good thing I thought ahead." Lionel smiled and walked out of the room.

"Did you know about this?" Chloe turned on Lex.

"I'm just as surprised as you are." Lex informed her. "One more for the road?" He asked gesturing to the champagne bottle.

"Do you have anything more substantial?" Chloe set her glass down on the table. Lex smiled at her and walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of scotch. He poured two drinks and handed Chloe hers. She downed it in one sip and winced as it burned it's way down her throat. Lex smiled before sipping his slowly. Lionel came back in the room carrying a garment bag and handed it off to Chloe who took it and looked at Lex.

"Second door on the left." He answered her unasked question and she nodded.

"No need to be shy Miss Sullivan." Lionel smiled wickedly at her. "After all, I'm sure you should have no trouble changing in front of your fiancé."

"Second door on the left." Lex repeated and Chloe walked out of the room. "How did you get her to agree to this?" Lex wondered out loud, not for the first time since his father had come to him with this ridiculous proposition.

"If I told you that son, what reason would she have to go through with it?" Lionel clapped Lex on the back and Chloe walked in the room in a very stylish white dress, pulling on a pair of shoes that must have been in the bag.

"Can we get this over with?" She asked running her fingers through her hair.

"Right then." Lionel said happily.

The ceremony had no frills; Lionel and a clerk at the courthouse stood in as witnesses and in five minutes it was over and Chloe was now Ms. Luther. "Now, now." Lionel said. "A newly married woman should wear a perpetual smile Miss Sullivan, she should glow." He lifted her chin and she gave him her biggest and brightest smile. "Better."

Chloe intertwined her fingers with Lex's as they left the courthouse smiling for any potential witnesses. The ride home was quiet and tension filled, Chloe and Lex on opposite sides of the limo. When they got to the house, it was more of the same posturing and pretending, Lex even went as far as to carry Chloe over the threshold and she had to force herself to laugh to keep from crying.

When they got back into the study and away from prying eyes they retired to opposite ends of the room and Lionel sighed. "Just a few more things to iron out." He pulled out his briefcase and grabbed two folders. "One for you, and one for you." He handed one each to Chloe and Lex. "It's lined out, just what we talked about, what I expect of each of you."

Chloe set her glass down and skimmed over the contract. Everything was there, Lionel Luther's guide to marriage, what would be expected of Chloe. She would move into Lex's house immediately, move into his room that night. The staff, along with the rest of the world would never under any circumstances have any reason to doubt the marriage or the agreement was null and void. They would be the epitome of a happy couple, or the agreement was null and void. Her friends would never, ever, find out her true motivations behind this whole charade or the agreement would be null and void. Chloe was also to remain faithful to her husband; she had no doubt in her mind that Lionel would be having her followed, if not all the time, then periodically, to keep her on her toes. The slightest hint of an extramarital affair and the agreement would be null and void. She sighed and signed away her sex life wondering how fifteen years of celibacy would work for her. "Is that all?" Chloe asked smiling. "You sure you wouldn't like my first born?" Lex cut a glance to her then to his father, he looked almost confused. "What?" Chloe asked.

"You should read the fine print Miss Sullivan." Lionel smiled flipping through the first few pages to a section Chloe didn't bother to read because she'd gone over it the day before, only now there was something new. The paragraph initially listed all the things Lionel thought a wife should be, manager of the house, supporter of the husband, hostesses, cook, and many other things, with a new description listed.

"Mother." Chloe read out quietly. Lex handed his contract over and stole a glimpse at Chloe as she polished off the rest of the champagne. "So I'm the lady of the house now?" Chloe asked Lex.

"Technically." Lex said to her.

"Then leave." She turned her attention to Lionel. "You got what you wanted, go."

"The announcement will be in tomorrow's papers, I hope you get a good night's sleep." He smiled at the both of them and left the room.

"Chloe…" Lex started, though he didn't know what he was going to say.

"I'm tired." Chloe informed him. "Where's your…our room?"

"I'll show you." Lex said grabbing her arm and allowing her to lean on him as he led her up the stairs. "Your things where moved here this afternoon. You're clothes are in the closet on the right."

"Thank you." Chloe said pulling away from him and headed to the bathroom.

"I still have some work to do." Lex told her. "I'll be a few hours yet."

"That's fine." Chloe told him. "I'm a heavy sleeper." Lex stood in the doorway for a few minutes more. "What side do you sleep on?" she asked suddenly. The question must have taken him off guard because he stared at her for a minute before answering. "Left."

"Ok." With that she closed the bathroom door and stood there until Lex was gone.


She didn't sleep. She was wide awake when the door to the bedroom opened three hours later. She closed her eyes and pretended though. She heard him move around, heard him change his clothes, take off his watch, go to the bathroom and then set the alarm. Then she felt him climb in the bed, adjust the covers and situate himself. Ten minutes later his breathing had slowed, equaled out and he was asleep.


"You should come down to breakfast." Lex told her as he buttoned his shirt the next morning. "You need to eat something."

"No thank you." Chloe said sitting in the bed, not bothering to move.

"The announcement will come out today." Lex told her. "A lot of people will have a lot of questions." She avoided his gaze as he tied the tie around his neck. "Do you have an answer for them?" He asked. "Do you have an answer for Clark? Or Lois?"

"Lionel's already given me my script." Chloe said getting out of the bed and going into her closet. "We've been secretly dating, on and off for years and finally we're making it official." Chloe said.

It was strange, arriving to work with Lex, but by the knowing looks on the faces of everyone they passed, news travelled fast, especially in a news room. She smiled and gushed about her oh so surprise wedding and showed off her ring as long as she could before going into Lex's office just to get away from everyone.

"Lois has entered the building." Lex said. "Are you ready?"

"Does it matter?" Chloe asked and Lex realized then that those three words were most likely going to permeate their entire relationship.

"Miss Lane." His secretary buzzed a few minutes later.

"Show time." Lex said leaning over Chloe's shoulder.

"Good you're both here. Have you figured out who it was?"

"Who what was?" Lex asked.

"What? You don't even read your own paper?" Lois said slapping the paper down on the counter, the announcement taking up the front page. "So were we hacked or was this an inside job? Derik that creepy kid in the copy department that picks his nose maybe."

"I'm sorry?" Lex grabbed the paper and opened it up to look at the article more fully.

"Ok, seriously you're both being way to calm about this, it's not just us, someone else picked it up off the wire, it's in the New York Times and the Boston Globe, pretty much ever town that has a paper, not to mention it's all over the news." Lois slowed her tirade as she noticed Chloe who was scratching her nose, with her left hand, that happened to have the rock of Gibraltar sitting on it, right on top of a wedding band. "What the hell?" She asked reaching out and snatching Chloe's hand quickly.

"What is this?" Lois asked.

"I'm sorry Lois." Chloe said to her. "I wanted to tell you…but everything happened so fast."

"No, no, no, you guys can't be…you aren't seriously…"

"Lois." Lex said snapping her attention from Chloe to him. "Being Chloe's closest family member, I hope you can be happy for us."

"This is a really unfunny joke and it needs to stop now." Lois said dropping Chloe's hand and backing away.

"Lois." Chloe said, pleading with her almost. "It's not a joke."

"You can't be married to Lex Luther." Lois scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Chloe said.

"This is a meteor thing isn't it?" Lois asked, the smile back on her face. "You two were infected with something."

"I'm not infected." Chloe said. She looked up at Lex who was smiling encouragingly down at her. "I love him."

"No." Lois said. "This isn't right. You're my cousin, we're like sisters, you would have told me, I would have been there…"

"I knew how you felt about him." Chloe said.

"You still would have told me." Lois shook her head. "We're family…I would have tried to at least understand."

"Lois can you please." Chloe walked around the desk and Lois took a step back.

"You knew this was wrong." Lois told her. "That's why you didn't tell me. Were you afraid I'd talk you out of it?"

"No." Chloe pleaded with her.

"Something's wrong here, and I'm going to figure out what it is." Lois glared at Lex before walking out of the office and slamming the door.

Chloe's head fell down to her chest and Lex stood there, wondering what, if anything he could do in this situation. Her head popped back up and she turned to him, her fake smile stuck painfully on her face. "Please tell me its lunch time."


The rest of the day wasn't any easier, Chloe had to pretend to be a newly happily married woman and the longer the day went on, the more people that found out about it, the less people Chloe managed to count as a friend. She felt a strong wind pick up, ruffle some of her papers and she closed her eyes, Clark was gone, to the fortress to complete his training and she'd know if he was back so the wind could only have been caused by one other person. The look on his face nearly broke her heart as his eyes scanned over her and landed on her left hand. "So it's true?" He asked coldly.

"Bart…"

"I…" Chloe stood up and grabbed his arm taking him to the copy room where they couldn't be overheard. She closed the door and shut the blinds and turned to him. "How?"

"I knew you guys wouldn't understand." Chloe said helplessly.

"Why on earth would you think something like that?" Bart said sarcastically. "He only kidnapped and tortured me, oh, and AC, oh and he turned Victor into a computer." Bart put his hands on his hips. "Not to mention all the other nameless people he's kidnapped and experimented on."

"Bart please…" Chloe pleaded with him.

"33.1 Chloe…if I recall, you were a guest there at one time yourself." He reminded her, as if she needed any reminding. "He used your mother, he used you."

"I wish there was some way that I could explain this to you so that you'd see…"

"There isn't." Bart crossed his arms over his chest. "There isn't an excuse in the world that would make me see. The article said you'd been dating on and off for years." He looked up at her. "So what was the year and half that you spent with us, trying to take him down then? Was it revenge? Pissed off about a bad break up?" His eyes got wide as if he suddenly realized something. "Or were you playing us the whole time?"

"God no." Chloe shook her head violently.

"Were you on his side? Spying for him while we trusted you like idiots." Bart screamed at her.

"Never, you have to believe that."

"I really don't Chloe." Bart said taking a deep breath. "They haven't found Oliver's body yet." He said forcing her to meet his eyes with his stare. "Come to think of it, you were the last one to see him, to be seen with him. Did he figure you out?"

"What?" Chloe asked confused.

"Is that what happened?" Bart's voice was shaking with rage now. "He figured out who you really were, where you're loyalties really lied. Is that why you did it?"

"Did what?" Chloe asked, afraid of what she had a feeling he was about to accuse her off.

"Is that why you killed Oliver?" He said. "To keep your dirty little secret."

Chloe couldn't take it anymore. Lois' anger and confusion she could understand, the snide comments from the other reporters and interns in the office, she could take no problem, even the cold shoulder she was getting from her father she could live with but this was unacceptable. Before she even realized she was doing it, her hand connected with the side of Bart's face, the slap was so loud, she was sure they could hear it outside, even over the noise of the computers and conversations. "I'm glad to see that my reputation is so easily tossed out the window. The fact that you could even think I had anything to do with…"

"You don't get to take the moral high ground anymore." Bart interrupted her. "I guess you didn't read the fine print when you signed your soul away. You're a Luther now Chloe." He shook his head and rubbed his cheek. "I hope it was worth it." In a second he was gone, from the room, from the building, and Chloe knew, from her life.

She grabbed her stomach and walked to the door, she needed someplace private, she needed to be alone, in piece for just a minute. She saw Lex's office and without thinking walked in there. He was on the phone but he hung up when he saw her. "Chloe?" He stood up slowly as she raced to his trash can and threw up the lunch that he'd bought her. She laid on the ground for a while, the cold of the trashcan calming her down slowly as Lex kept a safe distance away. Bart was back at headquarters by now, telling everyone what had happened, what he'd "discovered". AC wouldn't believe him, not until he talked to Chloe himself, so she could expect a visit from him relatively soon. Victor wouldn't take much convincing, Bart's confirmation that Chloe was wearing a wedding ring would likely condemn her to the ninth circle of hell as far as Victor was concerned. She threw up again and she heard Lex move around behind her.

This hurt, like nothing she'd ever felt before, her insides were twisted so much she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to stand up straight again. She understood the confusion, even the anger, but the mistrust she didn't get that. She couldn't believe that never once did it cross Bart's mind that she might have another reason for doing what she was doing, not that she could tell him he was right, but the fact that the only conclusion he could even jump to was that she had turned against them, betrayed them for her own selfish reasons really hurt. This is what they thought of her, in a way it was good to know, but it didn't hurt any less.

"Are you finished?" Lex asked and she lifted her head to see him standing there with a washcloth and a bottle of water.

"Sorry." Chloe pulled herself up and grabbed the items from his outstretched hands, wiping her face with the cloth and sipping the water slowly.

"Would you like to tell me…"

"No." Chloe shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you." She threw the rag in the trash can and walked out of his office, sipping the water. She made it to her desk somehow and managed to go through the motions or a regular work day. She smiled and showed off her ring and gushed about the sudden wedding to anyone who asked. When the day was over she was exhausted, mentally and physically. Lex was still in his office working as the Stephanie packed her things.

"You still here?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah." Chloe smiled. "Waiting on Lex."

"You'd think the day after his wedding, he'd knock off a little early."

"You'd think." Chloe smiled genially and relaxed. She was alone, finally, if she smiled anymore, she was sure her cheeks would catch on fire.

She took a deep breath and walked in the storage room to grab a file box and then back to her desk. "What are you doing?" Lex asked.

"Cleaning out my desk." She answered putting her folders in the bottom and then grabbing her picture frames, wondering if she should even bother saving the pictures or not.

"I can see that." Lex walked over and sat on the edge of the desk beside her. "Why?"

"Didn't you read my contract?" Chloe asked surprised, she'd read his, she wanted to make sure she knew what he was and was not allowed to do. "Luther woman don't work. I just…I didn't want to do this when everyone was still here."

Lex didn't' say anything, he just sat and waited for her to finish and then walked her out to the car. "Our first full day as a married couple." Chloe said for want of conversation when they got in the car. "How do you think it went?"

"Pretty good actually." Lex said, not looking at her. "What do you think?"

"I think it's going to plan." Chloe said figuring that in the span of twelve hours she'd gained a husband and lost her job, her friends, her family, and her reputation.

"Is that good or bad?" Lex finally turned to look at her; he already knew the answer though.

"Does it matter?" Chloe turned away from him to look out the window.


Chloe couldn't sleep and she was tired of sitting in the room pretending to sleep when Lex finally decided to come to bed at night, that had been her routine for three months and it was getting old. She figured she could explore her new house, Lex hadn't specifically said that anything was off limits, she should probably ask about that, he had to know she would snoop. "Miss Sullivan." Chloe turned around startled; she still hadn't learned all the names yet.

"Jennifer?" She ventured.

The woman smiled at her. "Jessica. Was there something I could help you with?"

"No, I'm just…I can't sleep." Chloe shrugged.

"Mr. Luther's in the study." Jessica offered. Chloe looked up at the staircase to the second floor and then down the hall. She nodded and walked toward the study, if this had been any other time, she wouldn't have hesitated to look first and ask questions second but she had to live here, she couldn't run back home and avoid Lex for a few weeks, hoping he's cool off so it was time to discuss boundaries. She could hear Lex's cool even voice, and she'd known him long enough to know that he was pissed.

"This really is getting old." Lex said, sounding bored, but he was on the edge of anger, Chloe could tell, she'd been on the receiving end of that tone before. "I'm sorry that you seem to think that I'm this evil mastermind that everything I do is somehow connected to you but it's not." Chloe crept closer.

"I'm supposed to believe that Lex?" Clark's voice boomed out and Chloe jumped three feet in the air. Clark was back, back from the fortress, his training complete. Lois must have told him what was going on.

"You're going to believe whatever you want to believe." Lex said. "No matter what explanation I give you."

"How about the truth." Clark offered. "You could try that and go from there."

"I've done nothing but give you the truth and you throw it back in my face." Lex said his voice more in the angry than the bored category now.

"Do you even know what the truth is anymore Lex?" Clark screamed back and Chloe figured it was time to face the music. She pushed open the doors and both men froze.

"Chloe." Lex said a little more calm now. "I didn't realize you were awake."

"I can't sleep." She wrapped her robe tighter around her body and glared at the two men. "There are these two maniacs screaming at each other.

"I'm sorry." Lex sighed. "Clark was just leaving."

"No I wasn't." Clark said turning to Chloe, hurt, anger, confusion, all written right on his face. "What are you doing here? What's going on? I was only gone for six months and now you're married to Lex?"

"I'm tired of explaining myself." Chloe deflated a little. "And I'm certainly not going to do it at two in the morning." That seemed to take Clark off guard for the moment. He must have expected to rush in and save the day, return home the hero dragging a grateful Chloe in tow, so happy to be saved. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like my husband to come to bed at a decent hour tonight."

"Chloe!" Clark said surprised.

"Goodnight Clark." Chloe reached behind her and opened the door to the study. Clark looked between Chloe and Lex before sighing and walking to the door.

"This isn't over." He said to Chloe as he passed her.

"Perish the thought." She replied sarcastically before closing the door after him.

"What are you really doing up?" Lex asked confused.

"I really couldn't sleep." Chloe shrugged walking further into the room and sitting on the couch. "I was going to go exploring but I figured I'd better get the ground rules out of the way first."

"Ground rules?" Lex asked confused.

"Yeah you know, what rooms are off limits, where I can and can't go." Chloe shrugged.

"You never struck me as a person who paid attention to "off limits"." Lex lifted up the brandy, offering her a glass. "In any case, there are no off limits."

"No off limits?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You do know who you're talking to?"

"My wife?" Lex asked sitting down opposite her. Chloe glared at him. "I've actually given this a lot of thought." Lex set his glass down on the side table. "Whatever my father has, whatever he's holding over your head it's not about you. You're not that type of person Chloe, not that I take much offense but if I know you as well as I think I do, you'd rather go to jail, come clean, than be stuck in this marriage with me." Chloe shrugged, he was pretty much right. "So it has to have something to do with friends or family, or both." Chloe squirmed in her seat. "Don't worry I have bigger things on my mind then finding out your secret. The thing is, you are actually in a position right now that you can't do anything to me. For the first time in my life I don't have to worry about how much Chloe Sullivan knows because whatever you find out…you can't do anything about it. It's kind of refreshing actually no matter what I do, I can't screw this marriage up."

"Where are you going with this?" Chloe asked confused.

"I'm going to try something different." Lex leaned back in his seat. "A marriage with no secrets, none at all. Anything you want to know about my work, anything you want to know about my home, my family, ask away."

"How do you know as soon as your father dies I won't leave your ass and write a tell all." Chloe asked him.

"I'm sure he has some sort of contingency in case of his death." Lex brushed her off. "We're in this until death do us part, not until it does Lionel." Chloe hadn't thought of that. She was imagining that she only had to wait around until Lionel kicked the bucket and then it was divorce city, but she had to have known, in the back of her mind that Lionel was smarter than that.

"So I can go where ever I want?" Chloe asked. "Look through your files, get on your computer?"

"They're your files now." Lex shrugged. "You're computer."

"Huh." Chloe said frowning. "Where's the fun in that." Lex smirked at her. "I mean half the excitement in investigating is doing it in secret, doing something you aren't supposed to do."

"I thought you might feel that way." Lex shrugged. "None the less." He stood up. "I have some work left to do."

The next morning at breakfast Chloe surprised Lex when she came down fully dressed and ready to face the day. After her confrontation with Clark last night and realizing that she'd spent the better part of three months hold up in the mansion, she really wanted to get out. "I'm going out." Chloe said pulling her jacket on. "Into town." She'd avoided the denizens of Smallville for months now, she couldn't be expected to hold out much longer, especially when Hill had yet to perfect her caramel latte. "Do you need anything?" She asked Lex.

"Bring back a couple of pounds of coffee." He said without looking up. They'd perfected their roles by now, perfect couple, even in the house, the staff had no clue, her friends and family had no clue. They had what could possibly be described as a tentative friendship, an understanding between two people that they were stuck together and they could fester in built up animosity or they could just accept it and try to be relatively happy, as happy as they could be in this situation.

"Sure thing." Chloe said. "Car keys?" Lex's head popped up at the request and Chloe smiled. "You're car is my car isn't it?"

He dug in his pocket and tossed her the keys. "Drive carefully." He stood up. "Sometimes it sticks in third, and you really have to pay attention when you're taking corners."

"You want to drive?" Chloe asked smirking.

Lex seemed to ponder this for a minute. "Actually we haven't been in town yet as a married couple." Chloe's face fell, she was hoping for some alone time, have a coffee at the Talon, hit the book store, be herself, not Lex's wife. "Let me get my coat." She sighed and stood waiting by the door as Lex got ready to leave; now she had to be Ms. Luther.

It was just as bad as she thought it would be. The stares, the whispers as she climbed out of Lex's car and took his offered arm. She would ignore it though, she had to ignore it otherwise she'd become a hermit and just being out in town made Chloe realize how much life she'd missed out on the past few months hiding away. "Can I drive it home?" She asked Lex as they walked down the street arm in arm.

"Maybe." Lex said. "It depends on how much coffee you drink."

"If I promise to only have one?" She asked.

"Maybe." Lex emphasized as he opened the door to the Talon for her. She slipped in and she could have sworn that it got suddenly quiet, as if all talking and all motion stopped when she walked in, like in the old time westerns.

"I thought that only happened in the movies." Chloe whispered as she took off her jacket and sat at a booth. For one second she contemplated getting the coffee to go but changed her mind instantly. This was her town, no matter her last name and she wasn't going to be run out by angry villagers with pitchforks.

"Caramel latte?" Lex asked as she situated herself in the booth.

"And a blueberry scone please?" She smiled, putting on the required show for the masses.

"Coming right up." Lex leaned down and kissed her softly and her stomach wobbled, she still wasn't used to that. Lex was a natural at faking it in public, subtle touching, kissing, all the intimate things came naturally to him. Chloe was still getting used to holding his arm or allowing him to take her hand, she figured she'd be years away from being comfortable with the kissing.

He wasn't gone two seconds when the first one showed up. "Congratulations Chloe." A girl smiled at her, standing at the edge of the table as if afraid to approach any further. It was Mindy something or other, they'd gone to high school together, and Mindy had never spoken two words to Chloe before.

"Thanks Mindy." Chloe smiled.

"Can we see the ring?" She asked anxiously. Chloe realized that she had two other girls, more people from school, with her. Chloe held out her hand and they squealed and gawked and she smiled and blushed.

Chloe vaguely heard the bell ring to indicate someone had entered the Talon. It wasn't until everyone got inexplicably silent again that she realized this wasn't going to be the relaxing foray into town that she had hoped for. She turned around to see Lana and Clark standing there. "Wendy could you give us a minute?" Lana asked.

"Sure thing." Wendy mumbled and Chloe heard one of the other girls whisper. "The ex wife and the new wife, show down at the Talon." Chloe sighed and resigned herself for this talk.

"Sure, please, interrupt me and invade my personal space without asking, no problem." Chloe muttered as Lana and Clark slid into the booth across from her.

She looked over at the bar and Lex inclined his head as if to say, "You need me to come over there?"

Chloe shook her head once to tell him, "I've got this."

"Chloe." Lana smiled sweetly at her and Chloe was sure that Lana would deliver the news of the pending apocalypse with a smile.

"Lana." Chloe smiled back. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, maybe this wasn't going to be one of those talks.

"I just want to start this off by saying we're your friends." Nope, Chloe was wrong it was going to be that bad. "And we're not here to judge you or to blame you."

"Blame me?" Chloe looked between the two of them confused. Oliver, she thought, blame me for Oliver. So they'd been talking to Bart.

"The thing is Chloe, I'm worried about you."

"You're worried about me?" Chloe said nodding her head confused. "Is that why this is the first time we've spoken since I got married."

"I…" Lana sighed. "I wasn't sure what to say to you."

"Congratulations." Chloe offered. "This is so great, I'm so happy for you, any of those would have sufficed."

"I can't say that." Lana shook her head. "Because I'm not happy."

"You're worried." Chloe finished.

"Exactly." Lana smiled.

"No." Chloe shook her head.

"No?" Lana asked confused.

"No." Chloe sat up straighter. "You're not worried about me Lana. I mean if you were my friend, and if you were worried about me, you would have shown up at the Daily Planet the day the wedding was announced like Lois. You wouldn't have hidden away and pretended you didn't know what to say."

"I am your friend." Lana said. "And I know Chloe, better than anyone. I know what he's like, I know about the fancy diners, and the expensive gifts and the trips to Europe…"

"Because that's what your relationship with Lex was about right Lana." Chloe said. "The gifts and the dinners and the trips, because you didn't love him." Lana seemed to clam up. "You told me the day before your wedding but when you were up there, standing at the alter in your wedding gown, I was standing beside you."

"Chloe." Lana said frustrated.

"I think that maybe you're really here because Clark asked you to come." Chloe turned to look at Clark. "I think if Clark has something to say to me, he should talk to me."

"I don't understand any of this Chloe. When I left you were with Oliver and the other guys and everything was fine, and when I get back, everything is so messed up." Clark sighed. "Oliver's dead, you're married to Lex. Lex Luther. The same man who kidnapped you twice. The same man who kidnapped your mother."

"I'm well aware of his past." Chloe brushed him off.

"And I'm well aware of your past." Clark pointed out. "You really expect me to believe that you and Lex have been having a secret relationship for years behind my back and you never told me?"

"That's what makes it a secret relationship." Chloe scoffed and the table was silent.

"What happened to Oliver Chloe?" Clark asked after minute. Chloe closed her eyes, yep, they'd talked to Bart.

"Why don't you tell me." Chloe said through clenched teeth. "Popular theory is that I killed him. That I've been working as a double agent this whole time." Clark didn't say anything, he just looked at her. "Ouch." Chloe stood up and Clark grabbed her elbow, stopping her. She turned and saw Lex out of the corner of her eye walking toward her, an angry look on his face. She held out a hand to stop him. "Look I can separate my relationship with Lex from my relationship with you; obviously I'm the only one. I didn't tell him your secret." She yanked her arm away. "I never had, I never would but you're not going to take my word for it, so what ever I say, doesn't even matter." She turned to walk away and Lex met her at the door. He must have read her mind because he had two to go cups in his hands and for the first time Chloe felt what must have been affection for him. He grabbed her arm gently and steered her to the door. Chloe stopped and turned around. "You're never going to be able to accept this are you?"

Clark looked from Chloe to Lex and then back to Chloe. "No."

"Well, at least you're honest." She shrugged and walked outside with Lex.

"Do you want to hit the bookstore now?" Lex asked.

"No." Chloe said. "You know what I just kind of want to go home."

"Sure." Lex nodded and hand her the coffee cup. She wrapped her hands around it and inhaled, the aroma calming her a little. "You want to drive?" He dangled the car keys in front of her face and she smiled slightly.

"Really?" Chloe took the keys.

"Yeah, really. My car is your car right?" Lex held the drivers side door open for her and she climbed in. He jogged over to the passenger side and sat down, pulling his seatbelt on and double then triple checking to make sure it was tight.

Chloe laughed a little and set her coffee in the cup holder. "So I've never driven a standard before…" Chloe put the key in and turned the car on and Lex's eyes went wide. "Just kidding, you act like I'm going to, I don't know, drive it off a bridge." Lex turned to her and glared. Chloe stepped on the clutch and put the car in first. "Relax, that's your thing." She checked the road behind her then pealed out of the parking space, speeding off down the street as Lex closed his eyes tight.