Chapter 2

When Phoebe touched Clark a rush of images hit her all at once. She saw Clark tied to a stake in in the middle of feild alone and miserable. She could feel everything he felt. She saw other images too, she saw him help people she had felt their pain at first but as soon as he showed up it was gone. She saw his power and she felt it when she touched him. Although she wasnt entirely clear on what he was and what kind of powers he had she knew he was good.Finally the vision was over and Phoebe snapped back to reality.

"You. " She whispered to Clark Kent who was still holding onto her because otherwise she was sure she would have hit the floor.

"What? Ms. Halliwell are you alright."

Clark asked looking absolutely terrified.

"She's fine. She gets a little dizzy sometimes." Chris interjected as Clark let go of Phoebe once her balance was restored.

Clark looked at Chris puzzled.

"I'm Chris by the way. Phoebe's assitant. Her incompent assistant." Chris said extending his hand for Clark to shake.

Clark shook Chris' hand but the puzzled expression on his face remained. Phoebe smiled.

"Are you sure you're alirght Ms. Halliwell? " Clark asked.

"I'm sure. And I insist you call me Phoebe." She told him.

Clark's puzzled expression evaporated and he smiled.

"Okay. Phoebe what brings you to town.?" Clark asked.

"She must be going to that event Lex Luthor is having in Metropolis tomorrow. " said the pretty brunette behind the the counter.

Phoebe didn't catch her name but she could tell she was totally crushing on Clark. Phoebe had heard about the event Lex was hosting he had specifically invited Ask Phoebe through her editor Elise but Phoebe had declined the invitation. She needed the excuse now.

"Yes as a matter of fact I am." Phoebe said smiling thankful for the cover.

She need to get Clark to trust her she didn't need flimsy excuses now. She made a mental note to call Elise and see if she could get her back on the guest list for that event.

"Where are you staying?" The girl asked.

"Uh..." That was all Phoebe could muster she was having a total brain fart.

"We just got into town. I sort of forgot to make hotel reservations for us. This trip was kind of spur of the moment." Chris said.

He was playing the role of the role of incompotent assistant to prefection.

"That doesn't really explain why you're in Smallville it's like an hour and half from Metropolis." The brunnette behind the counter said.

Phoebe had no explaination for that.

" We rented a car and drove down. We wanted to see the meteor capital of the world." Chris said giving her that 100 watt Halliwell smile.

Phoebe knew she owed him one or maybe two.

"Oh." She said.

"I didn't quite catch your name." He said.

"I'm Lana. Lana Lang." She said.

" It's nice to meet you Miss Lang." He said turning on the Haliwell charm and hopefully putting her questions to rest for at least a while.

Chris was a good liar way better than her. She was very glad he'd come along.

"So is this like the number one hang out in Smallville?" Phoebe asked.

"It's the only hang out."Clark said.

"There's crater lake and the gorge."Lana said.

"Those are mostly places to you know... make out."Clark said.

"There have been a couple of those here at the Talon." Lana said pointedly though Phoebe didn't get the point but she figured it was more for Clark than anyone else.

Clark blushed and averted his eyes.

"Sorry." He said.

"It was a long time ago Clark." Lana replied.

Phoebe listened her empathy started to work over time she was feeling Lana's feelings.

"I'm leaving Clark. I can't do this anymore." Phoebe said before she could stop herself.

All three of them looked at her confused.

Unfourtunatley she continued, "I can't allow myself to continue being hurt. I can't put myself in that postion again." Phoebe said.

"What ?" Clark asked but before Phoebe could answer a wind seemed to sweep through the Talon.

She began to feel all sorts of emotions. Rage. Agitatation. And finally lust. She turned around to see Lex Luthor stomping toward them with a strange expression on his face. It was impossible to read but fortunatley Phoebe was a empath.

"Phoebe Haliwell. You're the last person I expected to find here in this quaint little coffee shop. Club scene get a little too intense for you." Lex said smiling a little.

The smile however didn't come close to reaching his eyes.

Phoebe had met Lex before when she was living in New York six years ago. Phoebe was only twenty one at the time and she was attending NYU and Lex was going to some ritzy boarding school and they met at the roughest club in the Bronx ironically enough. He kept trying to hit on her but Phoebe was dating a bouncer at the time and he was only sixteen she wasn't some child molester. She smiled.

"Lex long time no see."She said.

"Too long." He said looking her up and down.

She knew he was checking her out and the feeling was mutual. Being on the outs with Jason for so long made Phoebe feel weird around guys.

"I see you've met a few of the locals." Lex said.

"Yes and I've already creeped them out." Phoebe said.

"I'm sure they are used to it we deal with weird on a daily basis here in Smallville." Lex said.

" I doubt it was as weird as what just happened." Phoebe said.

"We've seen weirder."Clark said.

"We've been weirder." Lana said.

"Oh."Phoebe said.

"I take it that you arrival in town means that you are coming to the event?" Lex asked.

"Of course." Phoebe said.

"Where are you staying?" Lex asked.

"I don't know my assitant failed to book reservations. He's very incompotent." Phoebe said.

"Assistants usually are." Lex said.

"Standing right here!" Chris said.

"That's Chris my assistant." Phoebe said.

"No offense Chris." She said.

"You do know you should say that before you bad mouth somebody." Chris said jokingly.

"I'll try to remember that next time."Lex said.

"You know you welcome to say with me. Both you and your assitant." Lex offered.

"Thanks I think I will take you up on that." Phoebe said.

"Phoebe!" Chris said in a whispered shout if such a thing was possible.

"Excuse me. I need to have a word with my assistant." Phoebe said pasting a ridiculous fake smile on her face she grabbed Chris and lead him away from the other three.

"What do you think you are doing?"Chris asked her.

"Getting us a free place to stay in a masion." Phoebe answered.

"With a criminal mastermind? I lied when I told you I didn't know anything about Smallville. I know all about this place even what's going to happen to them." Chris said indicating Lex, Lana and Clark.

"It's not pretty."Chris said. "What happens?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm not allowed to tell you. Take my word for it. "Chris said.

"Just being here changes things Chris."Phoebe said.

"Exactly. I really don't want to get involved with Lex Luthor. You shouldn't either."Chris said.

"Maybe we can help him too."Phoebe said.

"I can see that you are going to do what ever you want any way. I'm just saying be careful." Chris told her.

"I think you are trying to maniplutate the situation yourself. Trying to change things on your own."Phoebe said.

"What if i am" Chris said.

" I just realized who the people are and the role they'll play in the future when Wyatt comes to power. I've got to figure this out myself first." Chris told her.

"Figure it out and in the mean time we are staying with Lex. End of discussion." Phoebe said.

Phoebe glanced back over Chris' shoulder at Clark, Lana, and Lex and she saw that two other teenagers had joined them a blonde girl and an African American boy. She knew they were talking about her and Chris. Phoebe knew she had to do some quick thinking because there would be more questions.

"Come on Phoebeit's show time." Chris said.

Clark watched Phoebe and her assistant as they talked it seemed serious. There was something strange about both of them but they seemed pretty cool. He couldn't entirely get over the fact that The Phoebe Halliwell was in his hometown. He didn't understandthe stuff she'd said earlier either. It was like she was possessed. He tried to hear their conversations but Pete and Chloe came in and distracted him.

They were making a ridiculous amount of noise like always. It was like a freaking circus every time he went some where with them. Granted it was a lot of fun. Chloe was on Pete's back and he was huffing an puffing like he was going to die. Clark could easily carry her but of course he had super strength. Chloe wasn't very heavy though she was bigger than Lana and probably bigger than Phoebe too. Pete was just making a big deal out of it as usual.

Since Pete had kissed Chloe in the elevator that daya nd told her how he felt they'd been sort of testing the dating waters. Clark was glad for them. He wanted to get back together with Lana too. But it would take a lot more than a good kiss to get them together again it would take a miriacle to get them together and Clark didn't even have a prayer.

"Chloe I think you'd better lay off the twinkes." Pete said as Chloe got off his back.

"Funny." She told him.

"I know." Pete said grinning as he leaned in to kiss Chloe both Clark and Lana flinched as if they'd been scalded.

"Ew. Get a room." Lana said.

She was so jealous that Chloe had someone and she didn't.

After the fiasco named Adam Knight and the on going cycle of failed romance with Clark Lana really missed having a boyfriend.

She still had feelings for Clark but she refused to act on them not until he was honest with her. She seriously doubted he would so Lana had a back up plan. She had applied to the Paris School for the Arts and she was waiting on her acceptance letter. She was going to get out of Smallville. It was strange how Phoebe had said all the things she was feeling inside that she just couldn't say all these months after having only been in Smallville five minutes.

Phoebe's assistant was hot maybe she would hook up with him in the meantime. She wondered if she could make Clark jealous he had certainly been jealous of Adam. Lana decided to flirt with him when they rejoined them. Lana finally raised her eyes from the counter and saw that Pete and Chloe's gross sloppy pda was over and that Lex and Clark were talking about Phoebe.

"She's a very interesting woman wouldn't you say Clark?" Lex asked.

"Interesting doesn't begin to cover her."Clark said.

"She weirded you out that much? I thought you guys were the experts on weird." Lex said in a mocking tone.

"You should have heard what Phoebe said Lex it was like she read what was inside of me."Lana said before she could stop herself.

"You're leaving.?"Clark asked. Lana opened her mouth to say something but Chloe interrupted.

"Did you say Phoebe? As in Phoebe Halliwell of the San Francisco Bay Mirror Phoebe?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. She's standing right over there they've been talking about her for the past five minutes where in the hell have you been." Pete said.

"What! Rewind and Freeze she's been here the whole time talking to these three clowns and a real live journalist is in our mists?" Chloe asked.

"I'm afraid so Chlo." Lana said as Chloe started over to where Phoebe was sliently talking to her assistant.

"Did she just call me an idiot?" Pete asked.

"If the shoe fits."Lana said.

"I'm her man." Pete said proudly, "Not just some random fool."

"I think she used the term clown. Apparently, Chloe thinks we're idiots too." Lex said.

"Are we in any way clowny?"Clark asked very concerned.

"You do have clown feet." Lana said gesturing to Clark's feet.

"Those things are giangantic." Lex agreed and they all laughed.

"I'm gonna go over there before Chloe mauls Phoebe."Pete said.

Phoebe was about to suggest to Chris that he call Elise and tell her they were going to attend that event when the loud blonde girl who had been talking to Clark and the others only moments eariler came up to her.

"OMG! You're Phoebe Halliwell aren't you. OMG!" She gushed.

"Yes. I am."Phoebe said.

"I'm Chloe Sullivan and I am like your biggest fan. I read your column relegiously."Chloe said shaking Phoebe's hand.

"I know." Phoebe said before she could stop herself.

Chloe looked at her funny.

"Your friend Clark told us." Chris interjected.

"That's Chris my incompent assistant."Phoebe said.

"Hi." Chris said smiling at her. Phoebe hoped he was getting a thing for the blonde he could do a little better.

"It's so nice to meet you Chloe. I rarely get to interact with my readers."Phoebe said as the African American boy who had come in with Chloe walked up.

"Chloe I see you left her alive. I saw that extreme grip you had on her had I'm suprised you didn't break her wrist. "He said. Chloe still hadn't let go of her hand.

Phoebe finally mangaged to pry her hand from Chloe.

"Pete shut up this is a real writer. Give me a second to bask in her presence."Chloe said.