Interlude: 5 years before
She walked down the deserted hallway, her steel toed boots making a clinking sound echoing through the empty corridor. In her hand she held a yellow manila folder held shut by a small metal bracket. Writing was scribbled across the front from random times when she couldn't find a sheet of paper. When she reached the door that she was looking for she paused and rested her head against the cool wood. She took a deep steadying breath and pushed it open revealing the handsome young man sitting at the desk. He looked up from the computer he was working on flashing a bright smile at the figure at the door. When he recognized her the smile immediately fell to the hard linoleum floor. 'Here goes nothing,' the young woman prepped herself for the grueling conversation ahead.
"Chloe," he said a lilt to his voice that made her want to slap him.
'Saint,' "Clark," she replied keeping the venom out of her voice.
The year leading up to that moment had been one of the hardest in her life. Looking back on it she would laugh at herself and think of all the things she would have done differently; she was, after all, human. The year had been full of hard lesson and hard decisions which had all led her to be invariably standing in front Clark, feeling like she was once again, on trail. However, this crime she did commit.
Working for Lionel Luthor had been a whirlwind of roller coasters. She had gone to him to escape the feelings Clark awakened in her only to find that Lionel was like an older, richer, version of Clark. She was his personal search engine in all things strange and weird in Smallville. She had started having reservations about her investigating after Clark's disappearance the summer after sophomore year. When he asked her to investigate his son she gave in to her reservations, and began keeping hard copies of the information she gathered for the eldest Luthor. She didn't know what it was about Lex but she refused to do that to him. After he had returned from the fateful honeymoon broken in more ways than one, she had started to pity him. When he returned to work ignoring the chronic whispers that followed him, she began to respect him. When she caught a glimpse of him shirtless, she tripped, and nearly broke her ankle.
It was lying in the hospital bed after that melancholy meeting with the Luthor's Persian rug that she began to formulate her plan. She would continue her 'internship' with Lionel until she had gathered all the information she believed that she could, she would quit and turn the information over to whomever it may concern. The good part of her plan was that - as twisted as it sounded - Lionel didn't trust her, and she had never given him any reason to. Because of that he thought she was stupid, which, boy was he about to get a kick in the ass. The bad part of her plan was that though Chloe thought she was a damn good reporter she didn't know how she fared as an actress. Whatever farce she put up she would have to continue (and live through) until she quit.
Facing Clark now she took a deep breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding for the last four months. She'd put in her resignation that morning on the grounds that school work was getting to be too much. Lionel had given her an incredulous look and for a second she thought that he could see straight through her. He shook his head and signed his name to the bottom.
"I hear you're applying for early admissions to Met U," he said his voice cutting through the silence and calming some of her fears.
She offered him a tight smile. "Yeah anything to get out of this shit- hell."
He laughed and gave her a pointed look. "I've enjoyed working with you Chloe. You remind me of me when I was younger except blonde and. with breasts."
She laughed at his faltering statement and nodded. "Compliment duly noted."
And with that she left and went directly to the high school. She called Lana on the way to find out if she had succeeded in getting Clark to the Torch office. The brunette had confirmed his presence leaving Chloe to simply walk into the school and talk to him. 'Huh. It sounded so easy.'
"What are you doing here," he asked her as she slung her messenger bag to the ground.
"Last time I checked it was my office," she replied wincing at how snide her tone was.
"Right. Lana told me that you had to work tonight, so I thought I'd come in and finish my editorial. in peace." The implication in his voice was not missed by Chloe. After a year of working with Lionel Luthor she'd learned to mentally flick him off and be on with her life.
"I quit," she said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"I quit. An hour ago to be exact," she hated repeating herself.
"Why?"
She just stared at him. Her left hand began tracing little patterns on the folder she still held in her hand. She held it out to him.
"This is every piece of information that Lionel Luthor has on you. I got it from his penthouse in Metropolis, the mansion here, and several other subsidiary laboratories he has spread around," she said in one breath. Clark stared at the folder before opening it slowly. Chloe continued unsure if he was still listening.
"When I was six my dad taught me to play chess and he always said guessing your opponents move was key to winning. This is what Lionel will base his next move on. He still has all this information, I just wanted you to know what he knows." They sat in silence for a few moment before he reached the last page. He held it out to here.
"What's this," he asked, his voice full of emotion.
"My early acceptance to Met U. If I go I have to start packing tomorrow," she said leaving the statement hanging in the air.
"Why did you do it Chloe," he asked pleading with his eyes.
"Because I hated you," she said simply. "You made me feel worthless and I had to get away from that."
"And now?"
"I lied to a Luthor for the past four months. I risked my life every time I went to work. I don't do that for people I hate," she said offering him a weak smile.
Silence surrounded the duo for the next few moments. After a while Chloe grabbed her bag and headed to the door. "I should start packing."
Clark looked up from the papers on the desk to the girl at the door. "Don't go?"
Chloe froze at the door. She turned slowly to face him. "Give me a reason to stay."
He looked down at the papers again, then back up at her. His eyes slowly traveled around the room and a smile played at his lips. "Well I'd be applying for the job of managing editor of The Torch."
She looked at him absurdly for a second then started laughing hysterically. For the first time in a long time she felt good.
Lex sat at the corner table of the quiet little restaurant and wrung his hands in nervousness. Chloe had called to schedule a meeting with him and he was sure she was going to tell him that his father was planning on finally taking over LexCorp. He had felt it ever since he had returned from the hospital after the plane crash. He was lost in thought when the blonde plopped into the seat across from him. She pushed a envelope towards him without even saying hello.
"Your father is going to take over your company," she started. Seeing he was trying to speak she shushed him. "This is the information you'll need to bring him down. Don't ask me how I got it because you know I can't tell you."
She bit her lip as if considering the next action to be taken. Without warning she stood up, leaned down, kissed him firmly on the lips, the pulled back before he could return the it. "That was incase your father kills me before I see you again."
And with that she left. Lex was partly pissed because it was the most important conversation of his life and he didn't even get to say anything. The other part of him was flustered. Ever since he had seen Chloe sneaking a peek at him he began to notice her more. The kiss had been far to quick for his licking. He put his fingers to his lips and smiled down at the envelope. 'Leave it to Chloe to ruin two Luthor's in one day.'
She walked down the deserted hallway, her steel toed boots making a clinking sound echoing through the empty corridor. In her hand she held a yellow manila folder held shut by a small metal bracket. Writing was scribbled across the front from random times when she couldn't find a sheet of paper. When she reached the door that she was looking for she paused and rested her head against the cool wood. She took a deep steadying breath and pushed it open revealing the handsome young man sitting at the desk. He looked up from the computer he was working on flashing a bright smile at the figure at the door. When he recognized her the smile immediately fell to the hard linoleum floor. 'Here goes nothing,' the young woman prepped herself for the grueling conversation ahead.
"Chloe," he said a lilt to his voice that made her want to slap him.
'Saint,' "Clark," she replied keeping the venom out of her voice.
The year leading up to that moment had been one of the hardest in her life. Looking back on it she would laugh at herself and think of all the things she would have done differently; she was, after all, human. The year had been full of hard lesson and hard decisions which had all led her to be invariably standing in front Clark, feeling like she was once again, on trail. However, this crime she did commit.
Working for Lionel Luthor had been a whirlwind of roller coasters. She had gone to him to escape the feelings Clark awakened in her only to find that Lionel was like an older, richer, version of Clark. She was his personal search engine in all things strange and weird in Smallville. She had started having reservations about her investigating after Clark's disappearance the summer after sophomore year. When he asked her to investigate his son she gave in to her reservations, and began keeping hard copies of the information she gathered for the eldest Luthor. She didn't know what it was about Lex but she refused to do that to him. After he had returned from the fateful honeymoon broken in more ways than one, she had started to pity him. When he returned to work ignoring the chronic whispers that followed him, she began to respect him. When she caught a glimpse of him shirtless, she tripped, and nearly broke her ankle.
It was lying in the hospital bed after that melancholy meeting with the Luthor's Persian rug that she began to formulate her plan. She would continue her 'internship' with Lionel until she had gathered all the information she believed that she could, she would quit and turn the information over to whomever it may concern. The good part of her plan was that - as twisted as it sounded - Lionel didn't trust her, and she had never given him any reason to. Because of that he thought she was stupid, which, boy was he about to get a kick in the ass. The bad part of her plan was that though Chloe thought she was a damn good reporter she didn't know how she fared as an actress. Whatever farce she put up she would have to continue (and live through) until she quit.
Facing Clark now she took a deep breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding for the last four months. She'd put in her resignation that morning on the grounds that school work was getting to be too much. Lionel had given her an incredulous look and for a second she thought that he could see straight through her. He shook his head and signed his name to the bottom.
"I hear you're applying for early admissions to Met U," he said his voice cutting through the silence and calming some of her fears.
She offered him a tight smile. "Yeah anything to get out of this shit- hell."
He laughed and gave her a pointed look. "I've enjoyed working with you Chloe. You remind me of me when I was younger except blonde and. with breasts."
She laughed at his faltering statement and nodded. "Compliment duly noted."
And with that she left and went directly to the high school. She called Lana on the way to find out if she had succeeded in getting Clark to the Torch office. The brunette had confirmed his presence leaving Chloe to simply walk into the school and talk to him. 'Huh. It sounded so easy.'
"What are you doing here," he asked her as she slung her messenger bag to the ground.
"Last time I checked it was my office," she replied wincing at how snide her tone was.
"Right. Lana told me that you had to work tonight, so I thought I'd come in and finish my editorial. in peace." The implication in his voice was not missed by Chloe. After a year of working with Lionel Luthor she'd learned to mentally flick him off and be on with her life.
"I quit," she said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"I quit. An hour ago to be exact," she hated repeating herself.
"Why?"
She just stared at him. Her left hand began tracing little patterns on the folder she still held in her hand. She held it out to him.
"This is every piece of information that Lionel Luthor has on you. I got it from his penthouse in Metropolis, the mansion here, and several other subsidiary laboratories he has spread around," she said in one breath. Clark stared at the folder before opening it slowly. Chloe continued unsure if he was still listening.
"When I was six my dad taught me to play chess and he always said guessing your opponents move was key to winning. This is what Lionel will base his next move on. He still has all this information, I just wanted you to know what he knows." They sat in silence for a few moment before he reached the last page. He held it out to here.
"What's this," he asked, his voice full of emotion.
"My early acceptance to Met U. If I go I have to start packing tomorrow," she said leaving the statement hanging in the air.
"Why did you do it Chloe," he asked pleading with his eyes.
"Because I hated you," she said simply. "You made me feel worthless and I had to get away from that."
"And now?"
"I lied to a Luthor for the past four months. I risked my life every time I went to work. I don't do that for people I hate," she said offering him a weak smile.
Silence surrounded the duo for the next few moments. After a while Chloe grabbed her bag and headed to the door. "I should start packing."
Clark looked up from the papers on the desk to the girl at the door. "Don't go?"
Chloe froze at the door. She turned slowly to face him. "Give me a reason to stay."
He looked down at the papers again, then back up at her. His eyes slowly traveled around the room and a smile played at his lips. "Well I'd be applying for the job of managing editor of The Torch."
She looked at him absurdly for a second then started laughing hysterically. For the first time in a long time she felt good.
Lex sat at the corner table of the quiet little restaurant and wrung his hands in nervousness. Chloe had called to schedule a meeting with him and he was sure she was going to tell him that his father was planning on finally taking over LexCorp. He had felt it ever since he had returned from the hospital after the plane crash. He was lost in thought when the blonde plopped into the seat across from him. She pushed a envelope towards him without even saying hello.
"Your father is going to take over your company," she started. Seeing he was trying to speak she shushed him. "This is the information you'll need to bring him down. Don't ask me how I got it because you know I can't tell you."
She bit her lip as if considering the next action to be taken. Without warning she stood up, leaned down, kissed him firmly on the lips, the pulled back before he could return the it. "That was incase your father kills me before I see you again."
And with that she left. Lex was partly pissed because it was the most important conversation of his life and he didn't even get to say anything. The other part of him was flustered. Ever since he had seen Chloe sneaking a peek at him he began to notice her more. The kiss had been far to quick for his licking. He put his fingers to his lips and smiled down at the envelope. 'Leave it to Chloe to ruin two Luthor's in one day.'