Title: Wish

Rating: PG, subject to change...

Pairings: Ok, I finally figured out what the dealie is going to be. There won't be a MAJOR pairing, as in the whole story revolves around it, etc. There may be some scenes, with very light...very faint (VERY FAINT, probably won't notice it...but it's there) Chloe/Lex, mostly as friends I guess..., which I really planned from the beginning, and it took two reviewers to solidify it - And to Knight/m I really liked your idea of having Lois/Lex pairing...sadly I don't think it would really fit in with my fic =/ Mayhap another one? I would love to see your take on it =D! Either way, I am glad you are truly enjoying this story =) I hope everyone continues to enjoy this fic. =)

Special Thanks to those who have continued on reading and reviewing =D Thanks to Teri and Knight/m! Hope you continue to enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, sadly I don't own Smallville.

Author: Silent Train Conductor

Chapter 4

"Chloe?" Lex echoed and he remembered that she was Clark's reporter friend. Lex cocked his head towards Pete and gave him a small nod of agreement.

"Right, Chloe." In his mind he was desperately hoping Chloe would have some answers for finding Clark, maybe Clark and he were still friends...just under a different name or something around those lines. "So where can we find her?"

"At the Torch." Pete answered surely. Lex couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"The Torch? The School's newspaper?" Lex questioned, hoping to find something that was still the same.

"Yea, as well as Chloe's life." Pete joked, and gave a curious glance towards Lex. "Are you sure you're ok man? Because if you're not—" Pete was cut off by a small wave of Lex's hand.

"I'm fine Pete, just glad to know some things haven't changed." Lex gave another tight smile and pulled on Pete's arm. "Come on." Pete saluted and followed Lex out the door.

OOooOO

When Lex and Pete came in Chloe was busy typing onto the school's computer. Biting her lip, unsure if the headline for the top story would work. She heard a small tap and turned to find Lex Luthor and Pete Ross at the doorway. She gave a grand smile.

"Hey guys! What brings you here?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Pete mouthing something out to her. Chloe squinted and shook her head, signaling she didn't understand. Pete kept on mouthing and started to point towards Lex, unfortunately Lex caught Chloe's gaze and followed it right to Pete. Pete smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Right..." Pete started, his eyes darting between the duo. "I was just trying to signal to Chloe that you needed her help." Lex smiled.

"Behind my back?" Lex questioned, his teasing smile still upon his face. Pete nodded quickly and avoided making any eye contact with either of them; embarrassed on not being able to warn Chloe about Lex's behavior subtly. Helping Pete out of the hole he dug himself into, Chloe decided to start the conversation.

"So what can I help you with Lex?" Lex cleared his throat and with throwing one final glance towards Pete, he went on with his request.

"I need you to find someone for me." Chloe nodded urging for him to continue, sensing Chloe's actions Lex merely shrugged.

"That's it? Well that shouldn't be to hard." Chloe turned towards her computer, "What's their name?" Lex hesitated and finally decided to tell her the truth.

"I don't know. I was kind of hoping you would tell me." Chloe stopped her actions, and turned towards Lex.

"I take it back. This is going to be tough." Chloe shook her head in amazement.

"Don't worry; if anyone can find him, it's you Chloe." And Lex gave her a dazzling smile; Chloe melted in the inside, but remained composed and collected.

"Right. So I'm looking for someone, and what do we know about him?"

"Nothing." Chloe nodded slowly at Lex's words.

"Nothing." Chloe shook her head and sighed rubbing her temples. "And how do you expect me to find him, Lex?"

"Check your sources?" Chloe raised an eyebrow at Lex's smile, realizing he was teasing her. Finally Lex sat down in a chair next to her. Pete stood, with his hands in his pockets, and he started whistling 'It's a small world after all'.

"Look, it shouldn't be too hard. I think he goes to this school, and I'm pretty sure he lives in Smallville."

"Ok...And why are we looking for this mystery man?" Chloe questioned, wanting to know what she was getting herself into.

"Because I want to find him."

"Uh-huh. Look Lex, I'll do the best I can, but what do you want me to do?"

"Didn't I make it clear? I want you to find him. No matter what it takes." Chloe frowned and then gave another one of her famous smiles.

"Fine. But I'm going to need the both of you to stay here and help me." Pete stopped whistling and gave Chloe a horrified look.

"Both of you? I don't want to find the guy. I mean I--" Pete started with firmness in his voice but was cut off again by Lex.

"Shut up Pete." Lex calmly stated and turned to give him a raised eyebrow. Pete quickly shut his mouth and looked down at the floor, but as soon as Lex turned his back towards him, he began to mutter and curse, each directed towards Chloe and Lex. "What do you want us to do?" Lex asked, letting his curiosity show through.

"We're going to find him, and what a better way to start than looking through our high school yearbook." Chloe grabbed three of the high school yearbooks off of her shelf and handed one each to her partners in investigation. "It'll go by much quicker with all of us looking for him, and now all we need is a brief description of the guy...Lex?"

Lex nodded, already flipping through the pages of the yearbook. He then slowly began to tell everything he knew about how Clark might look like.

OOooOO

"Is this him?" Pete questioned pointing to a random face on the page. Lex glanced at it briefly and sighed.

"No, again Pete." Pete sighed and continued flipping through random pages of the yearbook.

"Well sorry, it's not like you gave a wonderful description. Tall, dark hair...oh yea! That limits the number..." Lex rolled his eyes and wondered how Clark ever put up with this guy. No...he wondered how He ever put up with this kid...Lex's eyes searched the page, absorbing each of the student's face, hoping to find any sign of Clark.

"Lex? What if we don't find him in here? I mean are you even sure this guy lives in Smallville?" Lex chose to ignore Chloe's comment. No, he wasn't sure, but this was all the hope he had of finding his best friend for the moment. He wondered if they were perhaps friends in this world too...he wondered if Clark was still a mystery that couldn't be solved...he wondered if...Lex's thoughts stopped.

"I found him!" Lex cried out to the group. Lex then began to study the picture as Chloe and Pete huddled in to see who their best friend was so interested in. Lex was shocked to see that there wasn't any sign of the Clark he knew in the picture, he was pale...his eyes dull, lifeless. There wasn't a hint of a smile at all, just a hopeless vacant face. Lex's heart sank; he had caused his friend grief. Lex was hoping Clark would still be the same man who had saved his life and became his best friend. Then truly would this be the perfect life.

"Kal? You were looking for Kal?" Lex's thoughts were again disrupted as he looked at the name under the picture and sure enough the name read, Kalin Peterson. He noticed that Chloe and Pete exchanged nervous glances, Lex noticed and questioned them.

"What?" Chloe put on an excited smile and swiveled in the chair she was sitting in.

"It's just that Pete and I, well, we tend to call Kal, the Guardian of Smallville." Lex looked at the picture again.

"Really?" Maybe the mystery of Clark Kent...er...Kalin Peterson could be solved in this world, or maybe it already was solved. Lex leaned in eager to hear the origin of the nickname.

"It seems to fit, whenever there is trouble. There's Kal to save the day, I mean he saved my life once..."

"Or twice." Pete added from behind Lex. "He seems to save everyone from those Meteor Freaks. Although, no one seems to notice, except for maybe Chloe...and me, but other than us..." Chloe nodded sadly.

"Whenever we try to talk to him about it, he ignores us. Even when we thank him, he ignores us. In fact, I don't think he's ever said anything before, at least anything that I've heard."

"I think I've heard him say 'Mmreff' before." Pete mused and Chloe lightly slapped him on the shoulder with a smile. Now Chloe looked at Lex closely and wondered what he was thinking, maybe she should let him know some other things about Kal, if it were anybody else, she wouldn't have dared. But this was Lex, Smallville's all around nice guy.

"I have my suspicions about Kal..." Chloe started and as she did, got a warning look from Pete. "I think he may be someone who was also affected by the meteor shower; I mean he comes out of his escapades without a scratch. He also seems to be one of those guys who disappear whenever you want to talk to him. He's there on minute beside you, the next he's gone." Sounds like Clark, Lex mused, perhaps Clark wasn't so different after all.

To be continued...

A/N: Looking up names that I could use for Clark...and still in the end, I stuck with Kal, I found that Alexander means 'Protector of Mankind' Full of irony no? While Clark means Clergyman.