i. finally. got. this. finished. for some reason, it took me an incredibly lloonngg time to get this done. i was only able to work on it in the late hours of the night, that might have something to do with it. but, no matter, here it is. all for you guys, my one inspiration (other than smallville itself, of course, and me), my motivation, my paragon...

enjoy...

why me?

He didn't know why he did. He just felt he had to. The car suddenly came to a stop on the side of the road.

"Why did you bring me here?" Lex asked, his voice low, but his tone indicating that it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Excuse me?" Chloe asked, her eyes flaring, "You drove off the road, *almost* causing me to spill coffee on myself, just so you could ask me a question. Which could have easily been answered whilst driving."

"Answer me," Lex demanded, his voice now calm, yet foreboding.

"No," Chloe answered stubbornly. She crossed her arms over her chest, and stared straight ahead. She did not move from this position.

"Chloe..." Lex threatened, yet his voice faltered for a moment, and a smile quickly flitted across his face.

"Lex, I'm mad right now. You don't want to talk to a mad Chloe."

"Well, seeing as to how I've only had the pleasure of speaking with 'mad Chloe'..." At this, Chloe playfully punched him in the arm.

"I'll have you know, you've been in the presence of several Chloes."

"Such as..."

"Umm..." Chloe thought for a minute, then began to count off on her fingers, "Unpleasant Chloe, polite Chloe, shocked Chloe, thankful Chloe, confused Chloe, curious Chloe, solemn Chloe, revealing Chloe, worried Chloe, and happy Chloe. And I'm sure I could think up some more, but, as of right now, I'm almost out of breath."

Lex smiled. He could remember every time he'd met one of them. "Chloe, I think you forgot temperamental Chloe, secretive Chloe, judgmental Chloe..."

"Again with the cute stuff."

"I know, I know. It never stops."

"You know, I think you've got a point."

"Don't I always?"

"Heh..."

They stayed silent. As always. It usually seemed to end this way. They'd both rant and raze their way through each other's protective shells, until, in the end, they had no energy left to actually say what they wanted.

"...I brought you out here...because I thought you could use the change of scenery," Chloe finally broke the bearable silence. She slowly tilted her head towards him.

"And what made you think that?" Lex asked, taking a peek over at her. She seemed to be anticipating his response, his reaction.

"Well, I...I just thought that...I don't know, it helps me, and I'm not nearly as barricaded by the solitude that you are."

Lex nodded slowly. She was trying to help him. He hadn't been completely sure why she'd thought to bring him all the way out here. Now he knew. And now he was happy, to say the least.

"So, why haven't you taken anyone else here?" Lex asked, resting his head against the back of the seat, closing his eyes, trying to fight the smile that was threatening to reveal itself.

Chloe just shrugged, "I guess because it's usually them that I'm trying to get away from."

"Them?"

She took a deep breath, "Everyone. Clark. Pete. My dad..."

"Me," Lex informed.

"Well, aren't we boastful," Chloe teased, a smile playing on her lips.

"Not boastful... up-front," Lex corrected, "Am I wrong?"

Chloe thought for a minute. "No," she resigned.

"I'm sorry," Lex apologized, barely above a whisper. Whatever 'high' he had been feeling previously, was now but a memory.

"No, no. It's okay," Chloe assured, patting his shoulder, "It wasn't *you* exactly, just something you said."

Lex glanced over at her, waiting for her to explain. She obviously got the hint.

"You'd just remind me that Clark is oblivious to the fact that I exist at all times," Chloe recalled.

Nodding, Lex placed his arm gingerly over her shoulders, "Not everyone is oblivious to that fact."

She leveled her gaze with his, "You know, you are extremely considerate sometimes."

He tightened grip on her, "It usually doesn't come this easily."

She laughed, "I'm so happy I bring out the best in you," her voice nearly loaded with sarcastic humor.

"As am I...Of course, I never thought you could be so beneficial," he chimed.

"And I never thought you could be so...human, so I guess we're even," she bantered.

"Out of the mouth of a blossoming reporter."

"So says the prestigious, unavailing master of a manure plant."

"Such big words for such a little person, how *do* you manage?"

"Well, it's easy when you're up against someone who's as cloddish as you."

"Cloddish? Do you even know what that word means?"

"Hey! I write for the Torch, I know every insulting word there is," Chloe defended, smirking.

"And I have lived with my Father, so I know the meaning of every insulting word there is," Lex countered, "So, I know that cloddish, yes, is somewhat insulting. But, in terms of how you used it, ill- fitting."

"How so?" Chloe asked, her curiosity seeping through her eyes.

"Well, clod means clump, as made of earth, or simply dirt itself. It also means dolt. Which, if you didn't know, means stupid person. You do know what stupid means?" Lex asked, grinning. Her eyes flickered for a moment, so Lex decided to continue, "Now, to get to my point, clod could also mean unsophisticated, which I am not. So, you are, in a sense, incorrect."

Chloe laughed. "What in the world makes you think you're sophisticated?"

Lex just stared at her. What did she mean. Of course, he was...unfortunately. He was wealthy, well-known, he lived in a castle for Christ's sake.

"Okay, okay. You *are* somewhat sophisticated. In the sense that you are occasionally, usually stuck-up, cocky, complicated..." Chloe paused, "But, you just ate in a diner. With me, one with no sophistication whatsoever. People who are sophisticated usually tend to stay away from such things."

"Again, you are wrong," Lex declared.

"Again, how so?" Chloe questioned, exasperated.

"Sophistication is not merely marked by being ostentatious. It manifests itself through taste and refinement. It would also mean having a certain amount of intelligence, acuity, understanding. So, it would mean that simply because something that is satisfying is...simple, if you are sophisticated then you will not care."

"You are like a walking talking thesaurus," Chloe bestowed.

"Well, seeing as to how that was one of my reading assignments..." Lex trailed.

"You had to read the thesaurus?"

Lex nodded, "And a dictionary."

"Huh. I bet it was hard to put *that* book down."

"About as hard as putting the Torch down," Lex quipped.

"The Torch is a very worthwhile read," Chloe again defended.

"I was joking, Chloe," Lex assured, smiling. Chloe returned the gesture, resting against his arm.

"This is actually comfortable," she awarded, nestling into him, closing her eyes, "I could fall asleep."

"What's stopping you?" he whispered inches from her ear. She tilted her head towards his, her eyes studying him.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to distinguish the fake you from the real you?" she asked, her eyes locked on his.

"And you're an open book?" he questioned, staring right back.

Her gaze slowly strayed to the dashboard, "No one is."

He continued to watch her for a minute, then shifted his own eyes towards the wheel. "It would be interesting...to know what the other was thinking," he said to know one inparticular, starting the car back up.

"Interesting? More like dangerous," she corrected as the car pulled back onto the road, and resumed its previous destination.

"I'd imagine so," he atoned, speeding up.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Chloe announced, her eyes widening, glowing with eagerness.

"This won't include anything that will have to be erased from your perminent record, will it?" Lex asked, half teasing.

Chloe scowled. "No. Look, we'll each get one turn to know what the other is thinking. Whenever we so choose."

"Explain alittle more thoroughly."

"God, you are so...doltish!" she screamed, letting out some frustration that she'd most likely been penting up since eariler, "It's not that difficult to understand. We each get one chance to know what the other is thinking. At any time, anywhere. Like just a minute ago, when you were being all...unreadable, I would have probably used it then."

"Ohhh, I get it," Lex breathed, "So, we can use it anytime?"

"Yep."

"Okay, well, I'm saving mine."

"Good for you," Chloe mouthed.

"I saw that," Lex revealed.

Her head jerked up. "Oh...So...Is it a deal?"

"Deal."
***
It might take me some time to get up the rest of the story. Yep, that's right. It's almost over. *sniff* *sigh* There will probably be about five more chapters, if not more. So, don't worry. but, like i said, it might take some time. the next one might not be up till next week. sorry, really, i am.
thank. you. so. much. for. the. reviews. they seem to make me type faster. and, hey, that is not some threat from me that if you don't review, i won't talk. so, don't take it like that. ok, ok. enough with all my apologies. i'll start thinking up the rest. bye all