Ah, nothing like the smell of a new chapter just in time for Thanksgiving. Thank you all so much for your reviews, I really appreciate the feedback.

The alarm blared and pulled Chloe out of a deep sleep and jerked her into reality. Ah, her first day on the job. She hadn't had one of these in so long that she hardly remembered what it was like. The anxious butterflies were squashed by the leaden dread that encased her entire being. She listened to the raucous sound ricochet off of her walls for a while, contemplating turning it off and going back to sleep before forcing herself out of bed.

Clark was already in the kitchen, eggs scrambled and on low heat while the bacon sizzled on a paper towel laden plate. She smiled broadly and genuinely as he zoomed toward the refrigerator and disappeared from her view, pouring two glasses in hyper speed and setting the table in the span of three seconds.

"Good morning." He said cheerfully, coming to a quick stop.

She laughed at his eagerness as he scooped her up in his arms and took her to the kitchen table, dropping her into a chair. "How long have you been here?" She asked as he brought the food over, gallantly offering Chloe the serving spoon before taking his own seat.

He smiled mischievously. "Less than an hour, I wanted to get you fueled for your first day as a minion of LuthorCorp." He said teasingly. She swatted his arm playfully and filled her plate, moaning happily as she scooped a spoonful of eggs into her mouth.

"Good god, how did you do that?" She asked, swallowing quickly and quickly taking another bite. "Ah, I usually just eat Pop Tarts!"

He followed suit, inhaling his plate and chasing the eggs and bacon with a gulp of orange juice. "It's important to eat a good breakfast." He chided predictably, passing the salt before she asked for it.

"Did everything go alright in California? Were they able to resolve that hostage situation?" She asked, glancing at her watch to make sure she had enough time.

He nodded slowly, frowning in confusion. "How'd you know about that?" He asked.

She blushed; uncertain as to why she still reacted like a girl with a crush all these years later. There was no middle ground for her, despite her best efforts. She was able to move on and be a friend…well, that was a drastic understatement. Try as they may, friend didn't quite encompass what it was they were for each other. She was his sole confidant, and Chloe's connection to Clark had always been unparalleled and unchallenged.

Now she was uncomfortable with the amount of openness she found herself able of when she was with him. There were no facades or repressed emotions, and she was completely and entirely incapable of hiding behind her own veneer. They had been so close for so long, they knew no other way.

"It was on the eleven o'clock news and it reeked of you. Hostages mysteriously appearing, dazed outside the building? The gunman being heard firing blindly with no casualties? Sometimes you amaze even me." She nudged his foot with her own and was surprised when his cheeks reddened as well.

"Luckily not everyone knows me like you do, and I barely got out but the bad guy was caught and the hostages released. He told the arresting officers that an invincible man came after him, apparently." He said with a frown. "And of course there is some gossip about how the situation was handled." He was still in denial and she didn't want to be the one to shake it out of him, not yet. Perhaps he was simply clinging onto the last thread of hope before it was ripped out from beneath him. Chloe froze for a moment, fork suspended in the air as she realized that the first serious magazine to have a credited and factual article on Superman was lying on the counter less than a yard away.

Chloe wanted to ease him into it, this was a new reality they were living in and she knew that it wasn't going to be easy for someone so set in his ways like Clark to accept that times they were a'changing. She smiled weakly and nudged him. "Well, I don't know if you're secret is going to stay so secret for long. The speculation that there is, indeed, a Superman is becoming less of a myth and more of a possibility." She admitted, surprised by his lack of reaction.

"Yeah, there's already been plenty of news coverage about it." He added glumly, forking in his last mouthful.

She shrugged and touched his arm hesitantly; still uncertain as to whether or not she needed to abide by any boundaries. "I think it's good for everyone, Clark. In times like these people really need to believe in something, or someone." She said, frowning as she considered Lex's through the roof approval rates in comparison to the rotting center of the world's moral compass.

"I mean…you've been doing this for so long and people are noticing the positive changes in the world. You're making the stereotypical guys in black hats shake in their figurative boots. I know you want anonymity and you don't want to accept any of the praise that comes with acting as an agent of good, but maybe you could let your alter ego get a little boost." She suggested.

He nodded, but she knew it was only so he could have some action to occupy himself with. She knew he was unconvinced and would likely remain as such for a long time. "I really think what you're doing is amazing." Chloe insisted sincerely. "You're the best man I know, by far, so cheer up!" She demanded, finally earning a genuine smile.

"That's not much of a competition, is it?" He replied. "I mean it's me...the sandwich guy..." He counted off on his fingers, catching her hand instinctively as she moved to hit him. He flicked her wrist, twisting her arm so that her shoulder instantly hit the kitchen table. "You know the drill, Chlo."

"Wow." She grunted, going limp. "You are the best. Uncle. No one can twist my arm like you can."

Chloe glanced at her watch and jumped up, heading to the bathroom. Clark waited patiently; watching in amusement as she simultaneously brushed her teeth and applied deodorant. She ran to her room and closed the door out of habit, momentarily forgetting Clark's super ability and lucky that he was too much of a gentleman to invade her privacy.

She quickly pulled up her knee highs and a pair of navy dress pants before slipping on her boring flats. She shimmied into a lacy, albeit dull, top and kicked the bedroom door open and walking into the kitchen. Clark materialized beside her, purse in hand with a smug and amused smile playing on his face.

"Good man," Chloe said, accepting the bag gratefully. Clark held the door open gallantly as she skipped out, in turn holding open the entrance to the stairwell. They were like a well-oiled machine, anticipating each other's actions with ease and familiarity.

He looked her up and down and nodded in approval. "You look very…professional." He said, touching the fluttering fabric of her shirt as she headed down the stairs. She smiled and reached for his hand, pulling him along with her.

As they approached the end of the stairwell Clark froze and Chloe got whiplash from the force of the stop. "Wait, do we have time?" He asked, lifting Chloe's arm and checking her watch. When she nodded he pulled her close to him and pressed his lips to hers, strategically wrapping his arms around her waist before he spun her whimsically. She laughed, kissing his neck and throat as he pushed her up against the spackle spattered wall.

"Do you think it would be bad to quit on my first day?" She teased, for the first time noticing that her feet were a foot clear off the ground.

Clark smiled grimly, "I'm not sure Lex would let you." Ah, if there was anything that could kill the mood it was the mention of the 'L' word.

"Yeah, you've got a lot to learn, bucko." She said, swatting his shoulder. "You don't mention an ex...well, you don't mention Lex when you want to get busy in a staircase."

He pressed himself against her but freed his hands, searching his pockets. "Maybe I should take notes..." He placed her on the floor and took her by the hand. "We should get going." She nodded in agreement and stepped into the deserted lobby.

"I don't think notes are necessary...though common sense wouldn't be detrimental." She teased, nudging his arm. Clark turned his face, smiling and embarrassed. "So, instead of attempting a lame segue, I'm just going to ask...has Symone sold my office off to the highest bidder yet?" She winced in anticipation.

"Not quite, it seems like she's allowing a sort of mourning period...but she's already edging around the bull pen to see who might be interested." He admitted. "Lois seems to be a frontrunner, she doesn't want your desk to go to anyone else. The woman's like a pit bull." Chloe took that as a compliment.

"Good, I'd like to keep it in the family."

Clark nodded in agreement, but she found that more often than not he was mostly in agreement with her. She wondered if this was the honeymoon period, the time where everything was at its peak, but once she looked into his eyes she knew that this was one excuse she could cross off her laundry list of potential defects in their relationship. She was running out of reasons why it wouldn't work and as terrified as that made her, she couldn't help but be relieved by his behavior. While there was certainly much more kissing than before, he was still the same man she had always knew.

"Yeah, that way you get some occasional visiting hours, I'm sure she'll be flexible, I've already got a verbal agreement and if she goes back on her word I promise to convince her to reverse the decision by any means necessary." He assured her, squeezing Chloe's hand. Sometimes he thought he might just roll over and wake up realizing that it's all a dream like some lame cop-out mystery movie.

She lifted their linked hands up and kissed the palm of his hand. "While I appreciate your willingness to rough up my cousin, I have the utmost confidence in Lois but if that fails me I can always count on you. I might not visit though, too many memories." She sighed wistfully.

"Do you want to take a cab...or are you in the mood for a little flying?" His eagerness was uncontainable and it brought a smile to her face.

"I don't think either will be necessary, it's only a few blocks away." She hated to burst his bubble, but he took it in stride. "Did you happen to see that article in the Gazette?" She asked, trying to play it cool but knowing that it couldn't last for very long.

He stiffened and nodded, glum but resolved. "Yeah, I saw it while you were getting ready. It was on the news this morning, and it wasn't even one of those tabloids, either." They both knew that it was only a matter of time before Superman's existence became general knowledge, but he had always hoped that it would happen later rather than sooner. "What do you think is going to happen?" He asked as they turned a corner.

She considered playing the part of supportive and naive shoulder to lean on, but knew that he deserved better than lies and half truths. "I don't know, but it'll definitely make things more complicated. It's a miracle you've been able to stay relatively anonymous for so long as it is, but we can't change the past. It's been a generally acknowledged myth for so long that I don't think many people will be surprised, at least." She offered, hoping that it was some kind of consolation.

"I know you're right but it's just...how many other articles are there going to be? What if someone finds out that I'm...well, a skin tight suit and slicked back hair isn't much of a disguise. How long will it be before people put the pieces together?" The fear and worry was clear in the tone of his voice, and Chloe once again felt the irrational desire to protect him, but the urge was gone as quickly as it had surfaced. "What about...Lex?" He asked, mouth curling into a grimace at the mention of his name. "The government is going to hone in on me and it's only going to be a matter of time until he gets some of his men on this."

She paused and wondered why she hadn't told Clark that Lex knew everything already. Her own divided feelings made her question her motives, was it simply to shield Clark from the fear and paranoia that would accompany such a realization? Or was she still trying to protect Lex, all these years later? She couldn't help but marvel at why it was that whenever Clark mentioned Lex or anything remotely related to him, her first instinct was to lie through her teeth. She cast a furtive glance toward him and could see the horror and sincerity branded in his expression.

"He knows," She blurted out, incapable of stopping herself. Before he could so much as react, she plowed on. "He's known for...a long time and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, but I just didn't think...well, I didn't know how to say it and I didn't want to upset you. I, just, I should've told you, I know that, but it's just that." He stopped dead in his tracks, jerking her into a stand-still.

He turned his head, brows furrowed and confusion evident. "How long has he known? Did you tell him?" He asked, disappointment and uncertainty flowing into his voice. She found this more compelling than Lex's jealous shouting.

Chloe shook her head quickly, eyes instinctively drifting toward her watch. "Of course not, I would never...have never told anyone your secret before and I never will. He just, well, you know how he can be." She finished lamely, but Clark's confused expression pushed her forward. "When we were together he was always jealous...of you and I should've know, should have realized that he would have no scruples investigating into you and he's pretty much admitted that that's what he did." She wondered why it was that she was withholding information and it once more begged the question, who was she protecting?

Clark started to walk once more, but their hands remained separate. "While you were together? How long has he known?"

"Going on seven years." She admitted, deciding the evasiveness was not the proper course of action. She let this sink in before attempting an explanation. "He just...I don't know why I didn't tell you. I am so sorry, it's just, I can't even understand why he still has this hold on me." It was more than she had ever been willing to admit aloud. She turned discreetly to study his face and was surprised by his lack of surprise.

She went on, "I just...you never asked why we broke up."

Clark shrugged, "At the time we weren't really talking too much." Chloe winced, she had pushed herself to forget that dark time in her life and was shocked that he was so willing to reference it. He took note of her facial expression and nodded. "It was a weird time. I think...that's when I knew for sure that I really needed to have you in my life." Chloe smiled and patted his arm.

"Me too, Clark. And if I'm being honest, I was glad at the time. I didn't want to talk about it." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder loosely as they approached the building. Chloe felt as though it should look darker and more sinister, with lightning flashing in the background but her new workplace looked normal in comparison to what she had visualized. She craned her neck as she tried to catch a glimpse of his face. "I'm really glad we're together Clark."

She caught a flash of a smile before he responded. "Well, are we together?" He asked, obviously leading her.

Chloe frowned. "I thought so, but I guess there was no official proclamation." She considered this for a moment. "Good point, now go and buy me twelve dozen roses and come to my apartment window to serenade me at midnight." She suggested as they lingered by the entance of LuthorCorp, jostled by the flow of employees in and out of the institution.

"Is that what you want? Because, as I'm sure you know, I'm pretty tone deaf. But...Chloe Sullivan," he took her hands in his firmly, engaging in eye contact as he tried to keep from laughing. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked.

Chloe shrugged. "Eh, I dunno about that. I think you might have to convince me..." He twirled her around dramatically and dipped her before planting a kiss square on her lips. When they broke apart she was embarrassingly breathless and tangled in his arms. "Okay, color me convinced. Got a pin you want to slap on me?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't feel the need to mark my territory and you're going to be late." He hinted, gesturing toward the door.

She sighed, discontent. "I wonder if I could get myself fired the first day." She pondered aloud.

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that would just provoke Lex to come after you and drag you to work." Before he had finished his train of thought Chloe turned for the entrance quickly and waved to Clark.

"I am not going to take that chance. Wish me luck!"

Clark smiled and tucked his hands into the pockets in his coat. "Good luck, I'll stop by with those flowers and a jukebox tonight." He promised, eyes quickly changing from normal to x-ray as Chloe stepped into the lobby and faced the security personnel. He waited for nearly ten minutes, monitoring her movements before turning around and heading toward the Daily Planet.

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FLASHBACK

As consciousness ebbed back, Chloe's mind registered the fact that she had been tasered. Her legs felt like pudding and her arms were limb and useless appendages that only seemed to weigh her down. It took moments of stirring before she even realized that she was handcuffed.

The room wasn't familiar, and the old phrase ran through her head, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore. She could have laughed at her own stupidity but her mouth wasn't cooperating. This wasn't Clark's humble abode any longer, she knew this much. Chloe wondered how long she had been unconscious before deciding that 'wondering' was irrelevant.

She felt so horribly and uselessly ordinary. She had nothing to pick the lock with and knew that struggling against her binds would be as fruitless as it was painful. She heard voices nearby, a man's voice. "…I don't care. What the hell am I supposed to do?" He asked, desperate and incapable of volume control.

"I don't know who the fuck she is…why does it matter? Uh huh, uh huh, yeah, she's Chloe Sullivan, according to her driver's license. Well you said I'd be undisturbed and…well, and then she showed up!" He snapped defensively.

She strained her ears, missing a mutter before he shouted once more. "Well, I didn't kill her!" Chloe rolled her eyes at the comment, as though that alone was worthy of praise. "Yeah, yeah…I dunno, she's handcuffed and knocked out. Hey, I just drove the car...do you want to talk to..." Another man interrupted.

"Hand me the phone. Yes, this is he. That woman sprayed a can of mace in my face. Yes, I just treated the mild burns. I apologize for my uncouth colleague, Of course it was incredibly painful, no, we didn't acquire the desired information. She interrupted." He listened for a moment.

"Well, I panicked, she just showed up out of nowhere. Well, he wasn't home, obviously. I couldn't find anything of interest around the house, but I wasn't there for long…" Chloe cringed as she shook her legs, pins and needles painfully pricking her limbs.

"Certainly, I'll take her back. Yes, I am well aware that it would be too high profile if she were to just disappear. That's why he called you. What if she can identify me? Okay, okay, fine, I'll bring her back to that Kent place. Will he be home?" Even through the door she could hear the muffled sound of panic.

Chloe blinked stupidly, still lethargic. She didn't hear the door creak open but in an instant a shadow covered her and as she screamed, she was zapped once more.

Tell me what you guys think! And does anyone know around when Chloe's birthday is?