Muwhahaha! newest chapter! with a few more on the way! whee! i'll do a quick disclaimer

Disclaimer: Wish i owned them, but sadly siff i don't... ;(

Oh yeah! one more thing! autumngold, the idea of Lex sicking a Coffee deprived Chloe on an unsuspecting Lionel is a GREAT idea...hmmmm...must take this into consideration and plan future fiascos! whee! XD

ok, now on with the story!

Chapter five: It can't get any worse, right?

Week later, thank god-

Lex let out a groan as he watched the little red needle on the gas tank enter the empty zone. Why! Why? Why? Why hadn't he remembered to fill the damn tank!

Maybe because he's a Luthor and he forgot.

Or rather a certain loveable blonde reporter had him distracted for over a week. Damn her. She had gone out of her way to be nice to him. Well, until the Talon re-opened.

Then, well, all hell broke loose. And Lex had no idea what he had done wrong. He had been left with her, alone, for five minutes. FIVE FREAKIN MINUTES! What could happen? Right? Wrong.

As it was, he ended up with a red mark on his face from a horribly hard and well aimed slap. And Chloe, well Chloe had stormed out of there. Boy had they made a scene.

Glaring at his car, he pulled out his cell phone.

Ring! Ring!……beep beep

"What the…?"

He checked it just in time to see it say dead battery before it shut off completely. Letting out a string of curses, Lex got out of his car, slammed the door shut and hurled the phone onto the pavement.

Of course, with the force behind the throw, the cell phone shattered.

"Is that what I get for paying top dollar a month! No coverage's? Dammit!"

Lex kicked the tired of his car in his rage. But of course, his bad luck wasn't over. The damn tire went flat. He watched as it slowly deflated.

"NO! Why? Why? Why?"

Sticking his hand in his pockets he looked around, recognizing the neighbor hood. He was near the Sullivan's home. Maybe less than a block away. Just his luck.

"Things can't get any worse, can it?"

He muttered, just as the rain started to pour. It had threatened for hours, but it seemed that the whole world was out to get him.

"I stand corrected."

Lex snapped and looked around. He was on the edge of town and the closet house was the Sullivan's.

"Great! Well that's just fine and dandy!"

Rain soaked him to the skin.

"Dammit."

Well, since he had nothing else he could do, the poor guy headed over to Gabe's house. Hopefully the blonde demon was asleep and he could just quickly use the phone and get the hell out of there.

Trudging for what seemed like forever, Lex finally came to the house. Of course the rain hadn't let up. In fact it had made the ground unstable and unsafe. Mud was everywhere. And soon, Lex had been covered almost from head to toe by the crap.

What else could go wrong?

Chloe was just getting comfortable to watch her movie with her popcorn and warm blanket when someone knocked at the door.

Trying to ignore it, she pressed play.

The knocking became more insistent. Sighing, the blonde tossed the remote on the couch and got up. Padding over to the wooden door she opened it.

'Shit.' "YOU!"

And promptly shut the door in the face of a surprised Lex Luthor. Actually, a muddy, wet, pissed off Luthor. But still.

Lex groaned inwardly. 'What did I do in a previous life to deserve this?' he asked plaintively as he stared at the door, which had been shut just seconds earlier by a very pissed off Chloe Sullivan.

He had hoped to talk to Gabe and that Chloe would be asleep. But nnooooo…life liked to mock him and torture the poor billionaire.

Sighing, he knocked again and again. Only to hear a muffled;

"Go away."

'Damn.'

Chloe groaned and hid her face in her hands as she leaned against her front door.

"Honey? Who was it?"

Her father called from upstairs. He had been just about to fall asleep when he had the knocking.

"Nobody dad!"

"Oh, alright."

Chloe sighed as she heard her dad shut his door and go to sleep.

Growling softly she told Lex to;

"Go away."

She covered her mouth when she heard the string of curses that followed her statement.

After what seemed like a half hour, Chloe listened, straining her ears trying to hear if Lex was till out there.

Lex growled at her under his breath. Frustrated beyond belief. 'Well it's a mile to Clark's house, better get going.' He turned to leave since he knew the small blonde wasn't going to let him in, at any cost. So why waste his time when he already knew the out come.

He was at the end of the drive way when he heard a voice calling his name. Looking back he saw Chloe peering out of the house.

"Lex!"

Turning totally around he glared daggers at her.

"What!"

He shouted back at her.

"What are you doing!"

Lex looked back the way he was going. And then back at Chloe.

"I'm trudging, can't you recognize someone trudging when you see them?"

"Yes but where are you going?"

" Clark's. It's a mile or so away, but at least there I can use the phone and get dry. Since obviously you have no intention of doing something like that."

"Ok."

Lex rolled his eyes and turned back to the road when he was stopped again.

"Wait!"

"What now? Are you going to keep mocking me? Leave me alone Chloe. I'm going to trudge."

Lex tired to look angry, but the fact that he was soaking wet, drenched in mud from his head to his toes and that he was covered in some odd scratches didn't help him any.

"I was just joking. Get your pale rich ass in here."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll haul you in myself. Clark will blame ME if YOU get sick."

Lex thought it over for a few seconds before he went to the house. Trying to suppress a shiver he looked at Chloe, waiting.

Grinning, the reporter let him in. but made him stand in the entryway as she shut the door.

"You know, it's past 11pm."

"Yes, I know."

"Why are you this late?"

"Because."

"Doing one of your secret missions again Luthor?"

"I might be Miss Sullivan. But if I tell you, you're going to print it and then all my wonderfully evil plans will be spoiled."

Chloe laughed as she headed upstairs.

"Stay here while I get you some cloths to wear. I don't want you tracking mud everywhere all over my semi-clean house. My dad will make ME clean it up."

Lex chuckled as he watched her rush off. He hadn't really known it was so late. The fact that she was dressed for bed, in pink PJs with little cute bunnies on them no less. And soft fuzzy slippers told him that they were probably Lana's.

Thank god she was out of town for the week, visiting her aunt. He didn't know what he'd do if she saw him like this. He didn't even like Chloe seeing him like this. She'd use it for sure against him at a later time.

"Here you go."

Lex looked up in time to see Chloe throw clean sweat pants and a large t-shirt at his heads. Thankfully his hands were clean as he caught them.

"Thanks."

"Bathroom's to your right."

He nodded and headed inside to quickly change out of the wet cloths.

Chloe shook her head and went back to the couch. He couldn't believe she was letting that spoiled brat inside of her house! Why? She could have let him walk over to Clark's and get sick and die. Then Clark would blame her and so would Lana.

But a part of her wouldn't have minded seeing Lex Luthor begging to use her phone or something along those lines. Though she doubted her would have ever done such a thing.

"Phone?"

Looking up a little startled when she heard Lex's voice she almost blushed under his gaze. It was like he knew what she was thinking.

"Behind you, hanging up on the wall."

Lex hurried over to it, in the process almost tripping over the too large pants and looking ridicules.

'What I wouldn't give for a camera.'

Chloe thought with a grin as she watched the young man struggle with his cloths and then with the phone.

After a few minutes, she heard muttered curses coming from where he was.

"What is it now Lex?"

She sound ed annoyed.

"-phone is down. I think the lines were taken out earlier in the storm."

Chloe nodded, understanding. Then her hazel eyes widened when she realized what that meant. Though she doubted that Lex knew.

"Guess that means you have to spend the night here huh?"

"What?"

"Shh! Geez Lex, keep your voice down. I don't want you to wake up my dad."

"I have to spend the night here!"

He whispered loudly at her. Chloe tried not to laugh at his expression of horror on his face.

"Hey, you make it sound like a bad thing.

"Well, considering all the crap you've put me through the last two weeks you shouldn't be surprised that I don't want to be in a five mile radius of you."

Chloe chuckled as Lex glared daggers at her.

'Damn her! She thought this was funny!' Lex wanted to strangle the blonde right then and there, but resisted. Since of course, Gabe wouldn't be too happy about waking up and finding his only daughter dead.

Chloe finally gestured to the couch.

"Sit down Lex."

"No."

"Now."

"No."

He crossed his arms over his chest as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes! Now do it."

When he still didn't budge, Chloe grabbed his shirt and hauled him down next to her.

"Hey!"

Lex quickly moved away from her, sitting on the other side of the couch putting space between them.

"Look Lex. You're going to have to stay here whether you like it or not. There is a storm going on outside and I don't want you to die even if I dislike you."

Lex watched her as though she was going to attack him any second. Given the fact that she HAS done this in the past, gave him a good reason to be wary.

"Fine, sit there and act all suspicious. I'm going to watch Shrek."

"huh?"

"Don't tell me, you've never heard of it?"

"Uh…yeah?"

Chloe groaned.

"Well, you're going to watch this one with me, as well as the second."

"There's a sequel?"

"Yes! Boy Lex, you have GOT to get out more!"

Chuckling at that, the young man got comfortable as Chloe started the movie.

TBC...

R&R! now! plz! i really need the wonderful reviews! it makes me feel better. its all part of the low self es-steem crap blah blah blah...