CHAPTER FIVE

Disclaimers in Chapter One

"Harumph," scoffed Cupid after watching the conversation between the two girls.  "Everyone wants to be a bleeding matchmaker."

Psyche looked at her husband in amusement.  "Maybe because you suck at your job," she jokingly suggested.  "So everyone else tries to step in and fix your mess-ups."

"Har, har," he replied with sarcasm.

"Besides, I think it's rather sweet that Lana would go the lengths for Chloe.  A mark of a true friendship."

"Yeah, yeah," Cupid sighed.  "I just think that in cases when mortals try to meddle with other mortals' business, they always mess up somehow."

"Hey," his wife protested.  "Last time I check, you aren't so perfect, either."

Cupid crossed his arms across his chest.  "I told you that I was having problems," grumbled the love god.

"Oh please!" she snapped.  "It's all in your head, Cupid.  If you only believed in yourself a little more, you wouldn't be having these problems."

Cupid continued to pout, much to Psyche's frustration.  "Fine," she gave up.  "Maybe you just need more practice."

"What do you mean more practice?" he inquired, curious as to what his wife had in store for him. 

She inched closer, a flirty smile on her face, as she fluttered her eyelashes at him.  This caused some suspicion in Cupid, though he cannot help but be turned on, either.

"Honey," Psyche drawled in a low, seductive tone.  She had now reached Cupid's side and began to stroke his blonde locks.  "Wouldn't it be great if Lana found love in the arms of a certain Kent farmboy?"

"Oh, no," Cupid shook his head vehemently.  "I know where you're going with this."

His wife feigned an innocent look.  "Whatever could you mean?"

"Don't do that 'whatever could you mean' stint with me," he warned, wagging his pointing finger at her.  "You said that we're only going to work on Chloe and Lex."

"Well, things changed," she defended.  "Besides, it'll get Clark and Lana off their backs..and yours for that matter."

"Ha!" he guffawed.  "You really believe that?  Those two are as nosy as my mother."

"Better not say that too loud," Psyche warned.  "Aphrodite can kick your ass anyday."

"Yeah, but she's still nosy.  And the answer is still no."

Psyche pouted.  "Please, pooh bear."  She added some fluttering of her eyebrows for good measure.

As Cupid's stubborn resolve evidently began to crumble, she threw in the clincher.  Weaving her hand through his blond locks, she whispered huskily into his ear, "I'll make it worth your while."

"Okay," the god of love croaked out immediately.  Psyche leaned back, smug with victory, much to her husband's dismay.  'But whatever makes her happy,' he thought, trying to convince himself.

"Alright, so where are they?" he asked his wife, who happily waved over the mirror to show the Talon owner and her beloved farmboy.

Clark, Lana and Pete were huddled together in the loft above the Kents' barn.  Pete was upset.  Lana just broke the news that she wanted Lex and Chloe to get together.

"Are you nuts!" he exclaimed.

Lana rolled her eyes.  "Stop being so petty," she scolded.  "You have seen the kind of chemistry those two have whenever they're around each other.  It would be a sin against nature to let that go."

The judge's son glared at her and at Clark for support.  The farmboy could only shrug in response, however.  "So they have chemistry together," Pete admitted.  "But that doesn't mean that we ought to feed the lamb to the lion."

"Good Lord!" Lana muttered.  "Will you stop being so stubborn and quit holding a grudge against the Luthors?  Or at least Lex?  This whole family feud thing is pretty archaic."

"Fine," Pete conceded.  "But I'm only doing it for Chloe's sake..and to stop you from whining any more."

"Perfect!" Lana cheered.  Pete threw an angry look at his friend for his lack of support, and Clark only shrugged once more.

"Okay, let's see," Lana started.  The room started spinning around her, and in a heartbeat, she passed out.

Pete and Clark rushed toward her as Pete started to shake her shoulder.  "Lana, are you alright?" Clark finally spoke.

"She can't answer you, Clark," Pete mocked.  "She's slightly passed-out right now."

A sheepish look crept into Clark's face as he thought of something to redeem his stupidity.  "I'll go get my parents," he suggested as he ran down and out of the barn.

Pete tried shaking Lana gently again, and this time, it worked.  The brunette slowly opened her eyes.  "Pete?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," she weakly said to him.