Title: New Friends, Old Places

Disclaimer: See prologue.

Rating: PG-13

Author: Supergurl15

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I had to take the SAT last Saturday. God, that sucked... I hate that test. I know it's just a test... but has anyone here ever taken it? It's nerve wracking. Hopefully when school lets out I'll have more time for important things like updating, practicing guitar, hanging with the guys. Lol.

Uh... right...

So has anyone guessed as to who the surprise visitor is? (shifty eyes) Not to worry the guessing game is over... read below to find out if you guessed right.

To the reviews!

Imzadi- My dedicated reviewer. Thanks for reviewing. I'll give you fifty points because part of your guess was right... you'll just have to read this chapter to see which part.

Charmmaine- Thanks for your review. I'm really glad you're enjoying the fic.

Just as a reminder, I own nothing... just the plot idea.

Takes place around season two of Angel.

Thoughts and sometimes titles are in italics.

Chapter 5

"So Pete, what's with the name?" It took a lot of pep talking, coaching, and coaxing to get Chloe to Pete's Diner on time. She still couldn't help but think that Pete was indeed planning something, she just hadn't figured out what exactly. But she wasn't too disappointed, the Fifties diner was well, a Fifties diner. There was a jukebox, soda fountain, and even a classic sit-in counter. The chairs and booths also had a traditional Fifties 'ring' to them and the floor looked like a giant checkerboard, minus the checker pieces.

"Dunno. Guess the owner just so happens to share a common but well loved trait."

Chloe smiled at the joke, sliding into a nearby booth along the Smallville native.

"How's L.A.?"

"It's okay." Chloe fiddled nervously with the saltshaker, passing it back and forth between both hands before answering. She didn't know anything about this new restaurant. Was it a hang out spot for Lana and Clark too? "A little more than I thought it would be. But it's fun."

Yeah, when bloodthirsty vampires aren't trying to turn me into a human pincushion and other various demons aren't trying to kill off the entire human population and enslave the world. It's just dandy!

"How are things in the meteor capital of the world?"

"Nothing's really changed."

A blond in a pink and white waitress uniform placed two menus in front of the chatting duo, the corner of her lips were pulled into a chipper smile that Chloe couldn't help but think was a little more than frightening.

"Unless you count the drowning accidents at Crater Lake." Pete went on to continue, "I sort of figured you were here to do a little investigating for yourself. It'll be sorta like old times."

"That's actually the reason I'm here Pete. You know me; I can't stay away from the 'wall of weird worthy' for too long."

The smile on her face lasted on her face for only a few moments until she noticed who the bell on the diner door had rung for.

So Pete had been planning this!?! Probably from the moment I told him I was going to be in Smallville for a few days. A few days! How can you plan anything when you're only going to be somewhere for a short while!?

Her hands strayed to the napkin dispenser on the table. She was contemplating throwing the metal box at Pete's head when Clark and Lana sat down.

"Hey Pete, I-" Clark started, noticing the girl sitting to the left of Pete, who for some reason reminded him of... "Chloe?"

So the girl was Chloe. She had finally dropped whatever was between them to visit Smallville, or had she? Clark had a slightly more sinking feeling that Chloe's unannounced visit to the diner was Pete's doing instead of Chloe's own voluntary actions, but that still didn't explain why she was in Smallville.

"Chloe?" Lana said, repeating what Clark just stated a few seconds prior.

If Chloe wasn't so pissed off at Pete it almost would have been funny.

"This is a surprise, Pete didn't tell us you would be here." She finished, smiling optimistically at the fuming blond.

Chloe's head turned slightly so she was glaring full force at Pete. If looks could kill Pete would have been in a coffin with six feet of dirt on top of him.

"Oh yeah! Pete's just full of surprises." She spat, needless to say a little more than angry but not without the sarcasm, of course.

How could he? After I told him... Pete isn't getting off the hook, not this time. He completely betrayed me! But then again, it's not like he hasn't tried this twice before, the only difference was that the other two times didn't work. I guess it's true... third time really is 'the charm". God Chloe, how could you be so stupid?! This has been Pete's sick and twisted plan all along! This must be another one of his "good intentions" She scoffed to herself, everyone knows nothing good ever comes from good intentions!

"Now if you'll excuse me." She swiftly began to rise from the booth, but sat down as quickly as she stood up when a leaving customer accidentally jabbed her in her side.

It appeared like the man had turned around to apologize, but whatever thoughts he had of that vanished on his face as the corner of his lips curled into a slightly brash smirk.

When she had finally glimpsed at the stranger who had run into her, she almost wished she hadn't. Why Smallville? Why was everything bad that could happen to her happening? What had she done to deserve this?! This was precisely the part of the job that Chloe hated the most, having to come to other cities where she knew something that was supposed to be completely ironic and coincidental would happen and she wouldn't be prepared for it, which happened quite a lot actually.

But that wasn't the point.

She was almost sure that people in towns other than Smallville, didn't run into their top three worst enemies at the same time in the same day.

There was just no way.

That's it, she was cursed. Maybe the PTB were getting back at her for bad mouthing their 'champion'. Who knows with them, they were your best buds one minute and sometime during the next you hated them for never giving you an easy solution to the day by day rituals that were prophecies. And there was nothing worse than an evil prophecy, which most of them were by the way. There was too much brainstorming, researching, fighting, coffee, and blood involved, and not necessarily in that order.

"Lindsey." Chloe greeted the young lawyer almost scornfully. "What brings you here?"

"Ah, Chloe Sullivan, the young reporter. How's that working out for you?"

"Uh. Fine. How's lawyer life?" If he wanted to play the friendly conversational card...

"Great."

Okay so, annoying him with semi-friendly small talk isn't exactly going to work. God, and is that stupid little grin plastered to his face?!

To the average onlooker, the pair looked like they were two old friends who hadn't spoken to each other in years and were trying to make use of limited time and small conversation.

"Yeah? So I see you still have the prosthetic hand."

So it is working! She thought, grinning innocently when she began to see the effects of her stalling gradually cracking away at the invisible barriers that kept his growing impatience at bay.

He's definitely not going to make it though another round of 'Friendly Feud'.

"Look Chloe." Something about the way he smirked almost good-naturedly at her made her want to smack that conceited grin right off his face. "Let's cut the crap. Where the hell is Angel?"

"Angel?" Resting her chin on her balled fists, she leaned forward with her elbows on the table, pretending to be deeply in thought.

Hey, this may sound crazy, but this is kinda fun. No wonder Angel loves ticking him off so much.

"Angel? I dunno, but I'm sure if you looked in the most logical place... L.A." The last part of her sentence was mumbled under her breath, in a 'that was obvious' manner.

"Ms. Sullivan, if I didn't know better I'd say you were being sarcastic."

"You're just the regular Sherlock Holmes aren't you Lindsey?"

The snarky comeback didn't go unnoticed by the three other people sitting at the table who were simply in shock at Chloe's sudden change in attitude. Everyone knew that Chloe had a natural born talent for being cynical, but not to the point where she was just flat out rude. All three couldn't help but wonder what the man standing there before them had done that would make Chloe so upset. Could he be the cause of Chloe's distant and moody behavior over the past three years?

"Pretty soon we'll have to buy you a hat and pipe and start calling you 'Sir'."

She paused, smiling at him mechanically, "Sarcastic enough for you?"

"Did you actually need something Lindsey, or did you come here to interrogate me while I'm trying to enjoy summer vacation with my... friends?" The cold hearted glare she gave him could have stopped a train, but it took all of her restraint to keep the cringe that was creeping up on her face from being on display. Friends!?

"Summer vacation?" A brief friendly smile fluttered across his features and Chloe almost gagged at his sudden change of heart. "Guess I'm the rude one. Lindsey McDonald, it's nice to meet you all. Really."

Lana, of course, Miss Cheerful and Forever Amicable, smiled warmly at the brunette. And judging from the smitten look in her eyes she probably didn't want to hear about Lindsey's life as an evil lawyer at an even more evil law firm. Clark and Pete sort of nodded then diverted their attention back to the pair that still hadn't given up on throwing insults back and forth at each other.

"Tell Angel I said 'Hi'..." Picking up the coffee that Chloe could only guess he had put on the offending table sometime during their 'conversation', he continued his once forgotten journey to the exit.

Great... this is just NOT my week. Lana, Clark, Lindsey... who's next? Lilah and Holland too? That wouldn't surprise me... Lionel Luthor maybe? Or hell, how about the Joker!? Okay, so I'm over reacting.

It wasn't until she looked up from the napkins that she had been so earnestly dousing salt on that she noticed the other three members at the table staring at her; it was like they were waiting for something.

"Uh, Chlo-?"

"Yeah."

"So...?"

"So, what?" She hadn't the foggiest as to what Pete was talking about; maybe she missed the question when she was ranting away in the land of daydreams.

"Who was that?" Trust Chloe to zone out at the start of a new conversation. Was she upset? At him? He hoped not, even thought she probably was and wanted to kill him. Why was she shredding that napkin into little pieces?

Like any typical person, she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Which, for the most part is never the best answer in a tight situation.

"Um, jealous ex." Without even trying Chloe Sullivan had already dug a hole to the center of the earth and buried herself in it.

Chloe, you idiot! Ex? Ex-boyfriend? Is that the best you could come up with? Ewww, and it's Lindsey! LINDSEY! Okay... maybe he's a little hot. Forgive me PTB! But he's... Lindsey. He works for a corrupted law firm! That's basically the equivalent of evil.

Then again, I can't exactly tell THEM that. "Uh yeah, he's my boss' arch nemesis and a lawyer at an evil law firm. Ya know, your average killing of the innocents, out for world domination, and demon resurrecting type evil." Kinda late to change it, might as well go along so it won't look too suspicious.

"So why is he hung up on this Angel character?"

Clark and Lana sat quietly listening to the discussion unraveling before them. They figured out a long time ago that it was pointless trying to talk to Chloe.

"He hates Angel because he's my... erm, boyfriend. Hence, the jealous ex- boyfriend role." And with that the hole grew even bigger. But at least it wasn't too farfetched, and it didn't give them too much insight into the personal life of Chloe Sullivan.

"Angel?" Pete raised an eyebrow skeptically, as if he was making an attempt to try and figure out if she was making everything up as she went along. Fortunately Chloe was a pretty decent liar.

"Yeah."

C'mon Chloe, stop tearing the napkin apart and think of a good supporting detail.

"Everyone calls him that. It's a nickname." She added.

Maybe it's semi-wishful thinking, but is that the green eye of envy in Clark's eyes?

She hoped that her observations were right to some extent; maybe for once in his life he would understand what Chloe felt when she had to find out that he was dating Lana. It may have been his life dream but he could have at least emailed, or called about it.

She lifted her messenger bag from the bench, and once again stood up. This time avoiding any elbows that could poke her in the side.

Lindsey should have left the premises by now. Hopefully if he hadn't decided to leave the minute he walked out of the door the conversation between the three once good friends was enough to convince him that they were in fact her "friends", and that there was nothing going on in the home of the strange.

"Well, I'd better be going." With that she turned and began walking towards the exit.

"Chloe?" All three couldn't tell if Chloe was purposely ignoring them or if she was too far away to answer Clark's query, but the loud 'dinging' of the chime on the door already clarified their suspicions.

Author's note: Oh, and to those who don't know... PTB stands for the Powers that Be.