Chapter 18-Distractions

"I wonder what's wrong with Clark," Jonathan Kent said, as his gaze fell upon the barn where he knew Clark was.

Martha Kent sighed. "I don't know. He didn't tell me either. He just came in, said he was here, and left to the barn."

"Here they come," Jonathan said when he saw Clark and Pete walking towards the house.

Martha moved to get two glasses of milk and some cookies for the boys. Maybe it would help Clark feel better, she thought to herself.

"Hey Mrs. Kent," Pete greeted as he and Clark sat down at the table.

"Boys," Martha said, setting glasses of milk in front of them. She rubbed Clark's forehead as if he had a fever. "You OK, sweetie?"

"I'm fine," he said quietly.

"I made cookies," Martha said as she walked over to the tray of cookies.

"Cookies? Heck yeah!" Pete wailed.

"Chloe's engaged," Clark said out of nowhere.

Martha and Jonathan both turned to look at their son waiting for him to say he was kidding. It never came. They finally realized why he was upset. Martha decided the best way to deal with this was to just say, "Really? Didn't she just graduate from high school?"

Clark looked down. "She's engaged to Lex Luthor."

The cookie tray fell to the floor. "Say…Say that again."

Pete hit Clark. "Why'd you have to say it while she was holding the cookies," he hissed.

Clark ignored him and looked from his mothers shocked face to his fathers shocked face.

"Lex…Luthor?" Martha said.

"Yeah mom," Clark confirmed.

"Chloe Sullivan?" His dad asked.

Both Pete and Clark rolled their eyes. Not this again.

"The short little blonde reporter Chloe?" Martha asked.

"Your Chloe?"

"YES!" Both Pete and Clark said in unison.

Martha sat down, stunned, cookies still all over the floor. "I never imagined it."

"I thought that girl had more sense," Jonathan commented. "I mean Lex Luthor. He's-"

"Dad," Clark stopped him. "Please don't start this. It's bad enough Chloe's engaged to him."

"Well, I'm going to talk to that girl," Martha said.

"Mom, come on. Leave it alone," Clark told her.

"No. She's only 19 and he's…"

"25," Clark said for her.

"Yes! She just graduated from high school. She's way to young," Martha said.

"By law, she's been old enough to get married for over a year," Clark said.

"Yeah, I mean…she's old enough to get married, have sex, kids-"

"PETE!" They all yelled.

"Tough crowd," Pete mumbled.

Clark couldn't take this anymore. He got up and left.

"Oh, Clark," Martha called after him but he was already out the door.

This is crazy, Clark thought to himself. There has got to be something I can do! If I could just distract her somehow, some way, get her to think clearly.

"Ah!" Clark felt his hand burning. He was beginning to feel extremely lightheaded as if everything was spinning. He tried to shake his head clear. He examined his hand to see his veins popping out. His eyes darted around when they stopped on a meteor rock laying on the ground.

He quickly ran away from it. When he was a safe distance he stopped to regain his composure. He may feel better, but it still scared the hell out of him. That was when it hit him.

"Ohmigod," he breathed. "That's it." He looked in the direction of the meteor rock. That had been Chloe's obsession in high school. The meteor rocks, the wall of weird, anything paranormal had Chloe like Dana Scully, hot on the trail for answers. She used to jump headfirst into finding the answers, no worries, no cares. That would be the irresistible bait. All he had to do was drop a few pieces to give Chloe enough initiative and Lex or no Lex she'd stop at nothing to find the answers.

Oh yeah, Clark had a plan and he had to work fast.

**

Why couldn't he forget his feelings for a moment and just be happy for her? Chloe plopped down on the couch and fingered her engagement ring as she continued to think about this situation.

Clark's being childish, she decided. When he dated Lana in high school I was able to put my feelings aside and be happy for him. Why can't he do the same?

They were, after all, supposed to be best friends. They were supposed to be there for each other through thick and thin. They weren't supposed to judge each other.

All right all right! So, maybe I can see how insane this situation is. I see Lex after three years and swear to never be Smallville gossip. A week later, BAM, I'm engaged to Lex Luthor. In approximately six or seven months I'm going to be Mrs. Chloe Luthor for the rest of my life! DAMN I'm brave.

OK…well, maybe if it was switched and this was Clark and Lana I could have the same reaction he did. But, that's only because Clark is definitely not one to do something like this. It took the boy three years to ask the girl out, for Christ's sake! Furthermore, it took him 11 years to realize he was in love with me! I hate to say it but Clark; you're a dumbass!

But, you see Clark, I'm different from you, Chloe thought to herself. I, Chloe Sullivan, am spontaneous. I go by passion to find the answers. I go by intuition, by hunch. I don't think things through DAMNIT! Sure, it has crazy consequences but only good things come from it.

So, don't you see? Maybe it's been a week but my hunch says Lex and I have true love. And you know what crazy consequence came from that? A WEDDING!

She sighed. I really need some kind of distraction, she thought to herself. I do still have to buy my books and supplies for school. Last time I tried I ended up being kissed by Lex, not that I minded at all. She smiled at the memory.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Chloe quickly jumped off the couch and swung around to see Lex standing behind the couch, smiling. She walked over to him and punched him in the arm.

"OUCH! Chloe!" He said, surprised at her reaction. He clutched his bruised arm.

"Don't scare me like that!" She scolded. She looked away from him, flaring with anger.

Her anger melted away when he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry. Are you still mad?"

She huffed. "Maybe," she muttered.

"You punched me!" He reminded her.

"Well, you deserved it."

"Oh come on, you know you're not mad," he kissed her cheek. "You smell good."

"Don't you try and sweet talk me Lex Luthor," she warned.

"Why not? Is it working?" He asked with a smile.

She turned around to look him in the eye. "You're impossible."

"Well, you know me."

"How long have you been here?" Chloe asked.

"Long enough to watch you have about a million different facial expressions. What were you thinking about?" He asked with much curiosity.

"I told Clark," she said.

"Oh," he said realizing what Chloe had been thinking about. "He didn't take it too well."

"He left," Chloe told him.

"He needs time to cool off Chloe," he told her. He tenderly ran his fingers through her hair, hoping it would make her feel better.

"He took his stuff," Chloe said quietly.

Lex sighed. "Maybe it's better that way."

Chloe looked up at him. "Lex…"

"It doesn't mean you can't fix your friendship. But, Chloe maybe it's better that he doesn't live with you."

She crossed her arms.

"I'm not saying that because you and I are engaged. Though that could be part of it," he said with a smirk.

She smiled shyly.

"I just mean that maybe it's better for him that he not be around the woman he loves when she's engaged to be married to someone else," he explained.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. "You're probably right…you're always right."

He hugged her tightly.

She broke their hug and looked at him. "How'd you know he's in love with me?"

"I'm a guy in love. I know these things," he said with a shrug.

"Whatever," she sighed.

Lex watched as Chloe, still sad, walked to her room to gather her things. He followed her. "Where are you going?"

"To work."

"Oh. Do you have to?" Lex asked.

"Yes, Lex, I have to." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

She started to walk out but he stopped her. "Technically…you…don't have to."

Chloe eyed him. "I have rent to pay."

"Chloe, may I remind you we're engaged," he said, holding up her hand with the engagement ring on it.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Lex, being engaged doesn't waive your rent."

"I didn't want it to resort to this," he warned then ran up to her and scooped her up in his arms.

She screamed happily. "Lex! What are you doing?"

"I'm capturing you!" He let himself, with Chloe still in his arms, fall on the couch.

She tried to get up but he wouldn't let her go.

"Oh no! I don't think so! You're not going anywhere," he said, arms still wrapped around her.

"Lex…" she whined.

"Chloe, do I have to knock you upside the head?" Lex asked.

"What?" Chloe said, stunned.

"Move in with me!" He said.

Chloe became silent and tilted her head as she thought about this.

"Great big place, I'm there, no rent to pay, I'm there," he whispered in her ear. "Did I mention I'm there?"

Chloe giggled. "You're strange."

"I'm serious Chloe-"

"Oh really? You could have fooled me with the way you were talking," Chloe said, laughing at him.

"Come on Chlo…we're getting married anyway and-"

"Exactly," Chloe interrupted. "We're getting married this summer. So I want to savor these months I have before I'm chained," Chloe said with a little giggle.

"Yeah, you better be giggling when you say that," he said, playfully tickling her.

After a few moments they stopped laughing and caught their breath. Lex stroked her face.

"Seriously, Chloe, you should move in with me," he told her.

Chloe sighed and with a smile, "All right, since you absolutely insist-"

"Yes, I absolutely insist," he said.

"But, if you snore," she warned.

"Is that a threat?" He asked.

She laughed. He gave her a kiss on the lips. "I'll start packing after work."

"Now, about work-"

"Oh, no. I'm keeping my job," she told him.

Lex sighed. "Fine, if you insist on being Miss Independent, but maybe you could cut back on the hours now. Besides, it'll be better for you. You can concentrate on school more."

"I wish every girl was as lucky as me," she said with a dreamy sigh.

He got up from the couch, took her hand and helped her up. "Come on," he said.

"Lex, what are you doing?" She asked.

He picked her up by her waist. "Today you're going to be late to work," he said, walking to her room, still carrying a giggling Chloe.

To be continued…