Title: Surprise, Surprise.

Author: Lucy Mars

Disclaimer: Bah! They're not mine!

Chapter #5: Automatic Reaction.

Curled up in Lex's favorite chair, Chloe didn't need to look up to know that he was standing right behind her. As odd as it sounded, she could feel him. "It's impolite to stare."

Smirking, Lex didn't move from his spot behind Chloe's shoulder. As silently as he moved, he still knew that she would sense his presence. "I'm trying to read the headline that your arm is conveniently blocking."

"Like you didn't already read the paper on the drive from Smallville," Chloe smirked, arching her head back to give Lex a blinding smile, "You know I knew you were going come, but I didn't think that you'd be so early."

"I thought I'd get here before the help spooked you too much." Lex said stealing Chloe's coffee and settling himself down on the arm of her chair.

Laughing, Chloe finished up the article that she was reading and turned to face Lex. "Thanks for letting me stay here last night."

"Not a problem. Like I've said before…"

"I'm welcome," Chloe finished for Lex, "I know. I know."

"Then why not take me up on my offer?" Lex asked, letting her see his agitating with her. He didn't like the idea of her living alone, let alone living alone in a bad neighborhood. He worried about her, a fact that both confused and scared him. He'd never cared about anyone enough to worry about them…what was it that made Chloe different from the rest?

"Because," Chloe said stealing her coffee back and snapping Lex out of his train of thought, "I'm a big girl and I need to do this."

"Live alone in the worst part of town that you could find?" Lex frowned.

"No," Chloe snapped giving Lex an annoyed look.

"What are you trying to prove then?"

"That I can make it on my own," Chloe answered simply.

Looking down at Chloe seriously, Lex heard the words tumble out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying. "But you're not alone anymore."

Her eyes flying up to meet Lex's, Chloe felt a soft smile creep over her face and into her eyes. Lex Luthor was something else.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Lex asked getting up and trying to cover up the uneasiness he was feeling. Only Chloe could make him do and say things that he wouldn't be caught dead doing or saying. If only he could figure out why.

Letting the moment past, Chloe shook her head slowly.

"Let's go get some food, shall we?"

"How about you let me make breakfast," Chloe suggested, unfolding her legs and revealing the clothes that Lex had let Chloe keep the first time she'd been over. He was glad to see her in the familiar sweater and pants. It reminded him of his mother.

"You want to make me breakfast?" Lex asked letting Chloe lead him into his kitchen. Not a room he used much, if ever.

"I want to make us breakfast," Chloe corrected, throwing his subzero refrigerator door open and inspecting the food she had to work with. Not surprisingly, there was enough food to feed an army. Pulling out random items and handing them off to Lex, Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face. It was priceless, seeing Lex Luthor look so lost. Where was a camera when she needed one? "Do you know where anything is?"

"Well, no." Lex admitted, putting the food down on the counter.

Laughing, Chloe threw open cupboards and drawers searching for the instruments she would need to make breakfast. "I'm guessing you never use your kitchen."

"I've never needed too."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe tossed Lex an orange that he caught easily. "Do you think you could handle cutting that up?"

"I think I'll manage somehow," Lex replied dryly, pulling a knife out of its home and slicing the orange easily.

Grabbing the eggs, Chloe cracked them into a bowl and whipped them with a practiced ease. "Do you think you'd be able to find me some cheese?"

"I don't like cheese in my omelets."

"That's nice," Chloe smirked, "but I do. Find me some cheese and whatever it is you'll want in your omelet."

Mirroring her smirk with a smile, Lex mock saluted his snarky houseguest. "Yes ma'am."

Laughing, Chloe watched as Lex struggled with the numerous drawers, cabinets and cupboards of his massive kitchen. Maybe coming here last night hadn't been such a bad idea. Maybe it was the first good move that she'd made in awhile.

"You can stop laughing at me," Lex grumbled, giving Chloe a disgruntled look.

"I can try," Chloe offered, "but I make no promises."

Unsuccessfully stifling his own smile when he heard Chloe giggled after he threw open another wrong cabinet, Lex couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun.

***

"Cooking," Lex said over a mouthful of egg, "You should go to culinary school."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe drank her coffee slowly. "Uh huh,"

"Why am I getting the feeling that you're not taking my suggestions seriously?"

"Because I'm not," Chloe smiled, biting into her omelet.

"You really know how to make a guy feel good about himself, Chloe."

"I try," Chloe quipped, grinning across the table at Lex, "When you heading home?"

Looking down at his watch, Lex shrugged his shoulders, "Give for take a few minutes, in about two hours."

"Two hours?" Chloe asked, internally cringing at the disappointment lining her voice.

"But I'll be back next weekend," Lex promised, hoping for a smile.

"Yeah?" Chloe asked, feeling her face light up.

He loved her smile. "Yeah," Lex assured her, "I'll be back. The question is will you be here?"

"Where else would I be?" Chloe asked, stealing a piece of Lex's cheese-less omelet. Metropolis was her home now. Where else did she have to go?

"I meant," Lex paused to gesture around his empty apartment, "will you be here?"

Chewing slowly, Chloe looked around the comfortable surroundings and felt herself giving in. She wanted to, she really did…but she couldn't. "Tell me what time you're getting in and I promise to come and meet you here."

Sighing, Lex put his fork down. He wasn't giving up without a fight, "Chloe, you know that it's not safe to live alone in that part of town…"

"Seeing how you've got a revolving door of bulky guys trailing me, I think I'll be okay. I'm particularly fond of Gus. He's got this uncanny ability to be there, but still fade into the background." Chloe grinned, reaching across the table to put her hand over Lex's, "I'll be okay, Lex. I need to do this. Can you understand that?"

He didn't understand, but he couldn't say no to her when she was looking at him like that. "I don't understand, but I'll respect your decision."

"Thank you." Chloe said letting out a relieved breath. "So, what do you want to do? We've got two hours before you need to head back towards the open fields and mooing cows of Smallville."

Smiling, Lex tossed his napkin down. "I don't know if I can move. I'm too full."

"Let's take a walk." Chloe suggested getting up and clearing the table, "It's supposed to be a great day today."

Watching Chloe head off into his kitchen, and looking like she really belonged here in his home, Lex couldn't help but agree. Today was going to be a good day, if only for a few hours.

***

Soaking up the throbbing music and the smoky atmosphere, Chloe felt her body sway with the beats as she made her way through the crowded club. She was looking for one particular person tonight and lucky for her, he was as predictable as she had thought. Confidently striding up to his table, Chloe didn't have to wait long to catch his attention and the rest of his table's attention.

"Well," Louis drawled lifting his eyes to meet Chloe's, "If it's not our little Pixie."

"How's my favorite Englishman?" Chloe asked, purposely ignoring the looks that the women at Louis's table were giving her.

The corner of his lips quirking up, Louis easily dismissed the people around him. Waiting for his party to be swallowed up by the crowd, Louis gestured for Chloe to take a seat. "Basking in the glow of your praise, Pixie. How have you been?"

Stealing his stiff drink, Chloe gave him a small frown. "Not so great, seeing how you and Lex seemed to have put the fear of god into everyone." Everywhere she went people looked, but they didn't touch. It didn't take her long to put the pieces together. Dancing alone really wasn't all that fun.

Eyeing his now empty glass, and his glittering companion, Louis couldn't help but smirk. "You're an intelligent little bird, aren't you?"

"I try," Chloe quipped.

"Well what can I do for you?" Louis asked watching the rest of the club watch them. He'd always loved being the center of attention, but there was something about the way some of the men in the club were eyeing Chloe that made a surge of over protectiveness rise through him. Not a feeling he felt often, if ever. What was it about this girl? What made her so different from everyone else?

"Seeing how you've got people avoiding me like the plague," Chloe said giving Louis a disapproving look, "you're going to have to entertain me."

Well this was certainly new. "Entertain you?"

"You got it," Chloe said raising Louis's empty glass and ordering another round for the two of them, "You can't have me bored now, can you?"

"Your state of boredom is not a major concern of mine." Louis informed Chloe dryly.

"Ah," Chloe grinned, "but it is."

She was an intriguing little bugger, wasn't she? "How so?"

"When I'm bored, I get into trouble." Chloe informed Louis mischievously, "And if I get into trouble, you're going to have to save me."

Raising an amused eyebrow, Louis watched Chloe quickly scan their surroundings "Do I?"

Nodding, Chloe leaned back against her seat and studied Louis carefully. "I'm guessing that Lex, being the idiot that he is, asked you to watch out for me."

"You guess correctly."

"And you," Chloe grinned, her eyes lighting up with a fervor that Louis had never seen before, "agreed because you owed him for something."

"Possibly," Louis shrugged trying to guess where she was going with this.

"So you see," Chloe said triumphantly, "it is in your best interest to entertain me now and save yourself the trouble of saving me later. We all win."

Swallowing his drink in one swift gulp, Louis felt the laughter rumbling in his chest and heard it spill from his lips. He was just as surprised as the rest of the club, who watched with avid fascination as Louis laughed, really laughed. Chloe on the other hand, didn't seem so amazed. Why would she? She had no idea what she'd just done. She'd just broken the ice around Louis with a single smile.

"He's a bleeding moron," Louis said shaking his head.

"Who is?"

Bringing his eyes up to Chloe's, Louis smirked, "Lex Luthor. He's an idiot if he thinks that you need anyone to protect you. You're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, aren't you pixie?"

"I am," Chloe nodded, "but try telling that to him. He won't listen."

"I didn't think he would." Louis said regaining his composure, "So I am to entertain you, am I?"

"It's a win win situation." Chloe assured Louis, "I need a friend and you look like you need one too."

"Do I?" Louis asked, both charmed and a little insulted. He had friends. Not real ones, but this was the real world. "Why do you say that, pixie?"

Frowning, Chloe crossed her arms. "The 'pixie' thing is cute, but I'm starting to think that you don't know my name, Louis."

Smirking, Louis tipped his glass towards Chloe. "You wound me, Chloe. How could I forget your name?"

That earned him a smile. "I have a feel, Louis, that this is going to be the start of a great friendship."

***

"Friends are supposed to talk."

Sighing, Louis looked up from his paper to find Chloe scowling at him. Her face reminded him of a small child just about to have a temper tantrum. "You were talking and I was listening."

"You need to talk too," Chloe sighed, snatching Louis's paper out of his hand. "I've been trying to get you to open up to me for two weeks now and I'm starting to think that it's impossible."

"That's rubbish."

"Is it?" Chloe demanded, "Louis, do you ever talk?"

"We talk all the time."

"We banter. There's a difference."

Sighing, Louis didn't know what to tell Chloe. He didn't know how to explain to her how she made him feel. He couldn't form the words to tell her how much he just enjoyed her company. There was no way he could vocalize how much he enjoyed the animated sound of her voice. Even he didn't understand why he felt that there was something soothing about her presence. Louis didn't know where to begin. He didn't want Chloe to take his silence as a sign of boredom on his part. If anything, she's the best damn company he's ever had. There were no strings or plots with Chloe. There was just Chloe. It was as plain and simple as that. How damn quaint and annoying.

He blamed Lex for all of this. That damn Luthor sucked him in and now this woman had him wrapped around her little finger and she didn't even know it. Bloody hell. She was like the little sister he didn't have, didn't want and secretly longed for. Bugger.

"Louis," Chloe said softly reaching out for him and tangling her fingers with his, "I'll tell you my sob story if you tell me yours."

And there go the defenses. "What makes you think I have a sob story?" Louis demanded the gentle glimmer she saw in his eyes falling away and replaced with walls a mile thick.

Her eyes never losing that soft hue, Chloe clenched her fingers around Louis and didn't let go when he tried to pull away. "It's like a club," Chloe whispered, moving closer to Louis and looking deep into his eyes so that she could break through his walls, "A club that no one wants to belong too, but we can all recognize each other. It's a lifelong membership, Louis. No matter how hard you try, you can never get out." She didn't know why she was telling him all of this, but she was. Maybe it was because he didn't mask his pain as well as Lex did. Maybe it was because he was just as broken as she was. Maybe, just maybe, it was because Chloe was finally ready to talk to someone.

His walls falling back slightly but not crumbling completely, Louis studied Chloe carefully. It was her eyes. Her eyes shone so brightly and clearly that he could lose himself in them. "What's your story?"

Her shine faltering for a brief second, Chloe pulled herself together and told Louis simply, "Drunk driver killed my dad instantly."

"Mother?"

Looking down, Chloe felt anger and embarrassment flood her face. "She's a junkie. Let's just say I haven't had a mother for a long time."

"Jesus," Louis hissed, tightening his own hold on Chloe's hand, "I'm sorry."

Shrugging faintly, Chloe pulled herself together and gave Louis a brief smile. "Life's a bitch."

Chuckling, Louis nodded in agreement. "That it is."

"How about you?" Chloe asked genuinely curious to what had made Louis the man that he was now. He was like Lex. Hard and cold on the outside, but every once and awhile, she could see the small flicker of warmth struggling to survive on the inside. She wanted to let the flicker out and build a fire for the world to see that they were good men deep down.

"Me mum," Louis answered slowly, the memories still so fresh in his mind, "She died when I was just a babe."

"Dad?"

"A bloody bloke," Louis answered bitterly. His father made Lionel Luthor look like a saint.

Sitting silently beside Louis, Chloe never let go of his hand. She wasn't sure who was holding onto whom and she wasn't going to ask. She was just going to sit here and drink in the safety that Louis made her feel. It wasn't the same safety that her father or Lex projected, but it was warm nonetheless. She was tired of being cold.

"We are quite the trio," Chloe chuckled, looking out at the afternoon sky and studying nothing and everything at once.

"What do you mean?" Louis asked watching Chloe's face and drinking in all the emotions that she was feeling. Her face was like an open canvas and her eyes painted the core of every picture. Watching her was like watching art come to life.

"All three of us," Chloe whispered watching the clouds shift and take on new forms, "We're all a little messed up and occasionally self-destructive…"

"Lex doesn't seem so messed up anymore," Louis observed smirking at the memory of the reformed Luthor.

Smiling proudly, Chloe nodded her head in agreement. "No, he's not. I didn't know him in Metropolis…hell, I didn't know him that well in Smallville, but he's not messed up anymore, is he?"

"No," Louis confirmed. The old Lex Luthor never would have cared enough about Chloe to help her. He would have bed her and left her at his convenience. This new Lex Luthor still surprised him on occasion.

"He's a bloody good Samaritan." Chloe laughed, nudging Louis lightly with her shoulder.

"It's like Smallville has reformed him. What the hell do they put in the water up there?" Louis demanded playfully, "I could bottle and sell it to worried parents."

Her eyes sparkling at the memory of her old home, Chloe leaned into Louis and shook her head. "You don't want to know."

***

Walking briskly under the early spring sun, Chloe could still feel winter nipping at her cheeks but she was in too good a mood to care. Today was Saturday and that meant that Lex was going to be arriving at his apartment in a little under an hour. Swinging her bag happily, Chloe greeted George the doorman with a sunny smile. "Morning George,"

Tipping his hat, George happily opened the door for the sunny visitor, "Morning Miss. Sullivan,"

Slipping into the warmth of the luxurious apartment, Chloe nodded at the security guard and made her way to the private elevator. Pulling out the card that Lex had given her, Chloe swiped it and waited for her lift to arrive.

Easily enough, her days had fallen into a routine that she'd never think that she'd live. Her days were full of work and reading, her nights were occupied by Lex and their phone calls and her late late nights were Louis's. And her weekends, the best part of her week, were with Lex. It was wacky, bizarre and she wouldn't have it any other way. They were like the three demented musketeers.

Letting herself into Lex's apartment, Chloe threw her bag down and tossed her coat aside with familiarized ease. She didn't even have to look to know that they would land on the same chair that they've been landing on for weeks now. Humming to herself, Chloe made her way to the kitchen to decide what she would make for breakfast today.

"What are you so damn happy about?"

Yelping with surprise, Chloe spun around to find Lex smirking and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Don't do that!" Chloe reprimanded, slapping Lex on the arm.

"Do what?" Lex asked innocently.

Growling at him, Chloe stalked towards the kitchen. "Don't be a smart ass," she said picking up a whisk and pointing it at him, "or you'll be eating cold cereal for breakfast."

Seating himself on the kitchen island, as par their routine, Lex grinned at Chloe, "I don't think I have any cereal, let alone cold cereal, in my kitchen."

Frowning, Chloe thrust a bowl into Lex's arms and handed him a few eggs. "Shut up and beat those."

Laughing, Lex cracked the eggs with ease. "Yes ma'am."

Unsuccessfully hiding her smile, Chloe turned to start the coffee maker to find it already full of coffee and her mug sitting beside it already filled and mixed. "You made me coffee?"

Shrugging, Lex concentrated on beating the eggs to keep from blushing under Chloe's open smile. "I was making mine too. It's no big deal."

Sipping her coffee carefully, Chloe wasn't surprised to find it made just the way she liked it, black with a touch of sugar. "You know how I take my coffee?"

"I'm observant that way."

"Lex," Chloe said moving to stand beside him and putting her hand on his leg, "that's so sweet."

"It's really not that big a deal, Chloe." Lex lied.

Titling her head to the side, Chloe smiled softly at Lex and patted his leg. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Lex said looking up from the mixing bowl he was concentrating on.

Giving his leg one last pat, Chloe moved over to his refrigerator and threw the door open. "All right, what do we feel like having this morning?"

***

"I think you'd like this one."

Taking the book that Lex held out to her, Chloe studied the extravagant cover. "It's beautiful."

Sitting down next to Chloe, Lex watched her flip through the worn pages as if they were made of delicate glass. "My mother loved that book. She would read it over and over."

"I can't take it if it belonged to your mother,"

"Read it," Lex said pushing the book back towards Chloe, "I would rather you read it, than let it sit here and collect dust. I think you'll like it."

"Thank you," Chloe smiled holding the book to her chest, "What time are you leaving today?"

Looking down at his watch, Lex was surprised to see the afternoon had gone by so quickly. Time always seemed to fly when he was with Chloe. "Actually, I need to get going."

"Now?" Chloe asked, her face falling slightly.

"Now," Lex confirmed, getting up and pulling Chloe up, "I'll drive you home."

"If you're in a rush, I can just take the bus."

Tossing Chloe her coat, Lex donned his own. "Come on,"

Following Lex as he led the way to his car, Chloe can't help but be excited at the prospect of being able to spend just a few more minutes with him.

"What are you smiling about?" Lex asked pulling out of the garage and into the crisp spring day.

"Nothing," Chloe lied looking out her window as Metropolis zoomed by.

He didn't believe her, but he didn't push either. If Chloe wanted to tell him, she would. She wasn't one to stay quiet about something if she didn't want too. His smile slowly morphing into a frown as he drove deeper into the lower side of Metropolis, Lex cast Chloe a sideway glance.

"Don't look at me like that," Chloe said never taking her eyes off of her window, "And keep your eyes on the road, buddy. Becoming road kill is not on my agenda for the day."

His lips twitching upward, Lex turned his concentration back towards the open road. She'd never cease to amuse him. Pulling up to her building, Lex didn't want to let her out of his car. He wanted to turn back around and lock her in his apartment forever, but he knew that it would do no good. She was too stubborn for her own good.

"Thanks for the ride," Chloe grinned, knowing how hard it was for Lex to watch her continue to live here.

"Let me walk you up…"

Rolling her eyes, Chloe hit Lex playfully. "You need to go and I'm a big girl, remember? I can get up to my apartment all by myself."

"I'd feel better if I walked you up." Lex said unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Shut up," Chloe chuckled re-clicking his seatbelt, "I'll talk to you later."

Frowning, Lex waited until Chloe disappeared into her building before putting the car in drive and heading home.

***

Pausing in front of her slightly ajar door, Chloe took an unsteady breath. This wasn't good. She didn't have a good feeling about this.

What was going on? She remembered locking her door this morning. She knows that she always locks her door. Reaching out tentatively, Chloe took a deep breath and pushed the door open all the way to revel her tiny apartment ransacked and beyond recognition. What the hell was going on?

***

Braking, Lex looked down at the book that Chloe had forgotten while in her rush to get up to her apartment. Leave it to her to forget a book. Rounding back around, Lex was secretly glad to have an excuse to go back and see Chloe. If not for her, than for his own sake. He needed to know that she was safe.

***

"What the hell?" Chloe demanded, staring at the two men digging through her few belongings.

"Get her," the larger man ordered.

Before Chloe could even blink, a lanky man grabbed her and pulled her into the center of her apartment. She could feel panic course through her as his fingers dug into her arm and no doubt bruised her flesh.

"Let go of me!" Chloe yelled fighting against his dirty hands. She didn't even see his hand coming. All she felt was a definite sting. Stumbling to the ground with the force of the blow, Chloe looked up with surprise.

"Where's your money?" the larger man sneered, eyeing Chloe.

Backing away, Chloe tried to blindly feel for a weapon but all she found were flimsy books and strewn articles of clothing.

"Don't try anything funny," the larger man ordered, grabbing Chloe roughly and dragging her to her feet, "Now tell me where your money is. Amy told us that you had the money to pay off her debt."

Her own mother would do this to her. "I don't know what she told you, but I don't have any money."

"A pretty girl like you," the lanky man snickered, running his dirty hand over her face, "must have something stashed away."

"I don't," Chloe said tearing away from his touch, "She owes you money? Go get it from her."

His face clouding with anger, the larger man grabbed her by her forearms and shoved her up against a wall. "Listen here kid. Your mama owes me a lot and I'm not leaving till I get what I came here to get. Now pay up."

"I told you," Chloe said her voice shaking with fear, "I don't have any money."

"Liar!" he yelled shaking her.

Struggling against his arms, she felt the first pang of pain as her head connect with wood. It was an automatic reaction. Screaming that was. She's never screamed so loud in her entire life.

***

TBC.