21.

She almost missed them when she saw them. So small, two tiny pieces of paper that were now so dear to her, not just because they were from Lex, but because of what they stood for. They stood for relaxing for once, love and most importantly the two of them.

Definitely worth the wait. She thought with a smile.

---------------------

"Go for it Clark. You want her. And obviously she wants you." Lex was sitting in his usual chair in the study, Clark was on the couch.

"Are you sure Lex, I mean, you've never met the girl." Clark braced his arms on his legs before pushing himself into a standing position.

"All girls are the same Clark, you should just give them what they want." Lex said running his hand over his scalp. Lex stood up and placed his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Trust me Clark."

Clark eyed Lex warily. "Alright. I guess you do have more experience with girls than me."

"A wise choice. Alex seems like a nice girl."

"She is." Clark smiled a dope-like grin down to him. "Lex, while we're on the subject of girls-"

"Is there another new girl in Clark Kent's future?" If so this was news to him.

"Actually, old girl." Clark said looking down at his feet. "You seen Chloe lately right?" Clark looked into his eyes, pleading for his help.

"Here and there, why?" Lex lied smoothly to his friend.

"It's just that lately, she just seems lost - you know what, never mind. Chloe wouldn't like me talking about her behind her back like this, so just forget about it."

"You're right Clark. I don't." Chloe's voice came from the doorway. "Now if you'll excuse us, Clark, I have a few things that I need to discuss with Mr. Luthor." She walked towards them with a confidence that Lex only saw in the bedroom, before she turned her eyes away from Clark and met him with her own dark eyes.

"Sure Chlo', I have to get back to the farm anyway. Bye guys."

Before Clark was out of the building, Chloe was on Lex. Teasing his lips with her tongue, and her own before pulling away. "Thank you for the present, Lex." She said placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"So we're talking now?" He asked pulling himself up off of his forced reclining position on the pool-table.

"I don't see what talking has to do with anything." She said with a smile before pulling her body away from him entirely. Turning she headed to the door.

"Where you going?" He asked, standing fully.

"I'm going to our bed." She stated simply before heading around the corner, and out of his view.

Lex smiled softly as he began to follow her. She was really something. She was his something. He was just glad that she was back to him, that she was his again, and that she wasn't in her 'Lex-must-die' phase anymore.

He followed her down the hallway to his bedroom with his smile still on his face.

---------------------

"So what was in the box?" Alex asked eagerly from across the table. It was three days later and Alex and Chloe were visiting Ray in Metropolis.

"Yeah, spill the beans." Ray said taking a sip of his coke.

"Tickets to the dance." A soft smile traced it's way across Chloe's face as she spoke. "When I called him on it, he said that it was because he wanted to go public about us at the dance." Chloe said excitedly before taking a sip of her Italian soda.

"Public, as in photographers and media?" Ray asked eagerly. Ever since Alex introduced Chloe and Ray, they had become fast friends. Albeit this was mainly because of both of their friendly way of looking at new people.

"Yeah. Kind of overwhelming isn't it?" Chloe said swiping her fingers through her hair.

"I think we need to go shopping." Alex said with a big smile.

"You. Shopping?" Ray's eyebrow rose. "You actually like shopping? Since when?"

"Believe it or not, Ray Alvarado, I can be quite the girly girl." Alex smiled.

"I'll believe it when I see it." He said, still in disbelief.

"Maybe I can ask Lana to hook you up with some hot, waitress." Chloe said smiling, "After all, she is my room mate and everything."

"I still can't believe that Lex want' s to go public." Alex said changing the subject quickly. "I mean, it's really sudden."

"Luthor's don't believe in the word 'sudden'. They're more into words like 'calculated', and 'innuendo'." Chloe said, her smile still permanently etched on her face.

"And don't forget 'sneaky'." Ray said with a laugh.

"Definitely 'sneaky'." Chloe said remembering her previous conversations with Lex in the limo.

---------------------

"This is everything I have on Clark Kent." Lana slid a rather overstuffed folder across to Lionel.

"Have you exhausted all of your sources Miss Lang?"

"Yes Mr. Luthor, I have dug up school records, geneology assignments, and the interview that Chloe did on him for Social Studies. This is everything that I could find on him."

"What about Medical records?"

"There weren't any. Even though he was sick around the time his mother was, I couldn't find any medical records. No immunizations, no chicken pox records. Nothing."

"Interesting." Lionel was now looking through the files. "What about Miss Sullivan, I understand that you have access to her computer. You mentioned that she did a project on him for school, maybe there's more there than meets the eye."

"I never thought of invading her privacy but I'm willing to give it a shot." Lana said before standing. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Luthor."