A/N: Thanks for the reviews. As to The Die Hard, I try to incorporate
Clark's powers and the strangeness into every story I write; however, I
wanted to focus on more plot line in this one. If you want more 'strange'
goings-on, hop on over to "Be Careful What You Wish For," if you haven't
read it yet. Thanks for the review anyway!
A/N 2: I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in awhile. School started, and I've had a major case of writer's block. Y'all know how it is.
Clark and Lana were about to race into a waiting elevator when they saw Chloe huffily come off of the stairwell. She was mumbling angrily to herself. When she saw Clark and Lana, she stopped in her tracks.
"What are you guys doing here?" She looked suspiciously at Lana. "Did you tell Clark?"
Lana tried to look innocent. "Well, we were worried about you."
Clark gave a rueful grin. "We came to save the day."
Chloe rolled up her sleeves. "FYI: I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, even against the unstoppable Lex Luthor."
She continued out of LexCorp and hailed a taxi with an earsplitting whistle. Before the door shut behind her, Clark and Lana piled in after her.
Lana and Clark were desperate to hear what had happened in the interview, so Clark asked gently, "So, what did you and Lex talk about?"
Chloe gave a quirky smile. "Can't tell; journalist confidentiality, you know. But I will say that Lex has changed. He no longer can be considered a friend."
Clark tapped her gently on the head. "I could have told you that, Chloe."
They arrived at the Planet, and saw Ethan walk out to greet them. When Ethan saw Chloe, his face broke in a wide grin. "Ms. Sullivan, your boss is on the phone in the newsroom. I thought I saw you out here, so I told him you'd be right up."
Chloe snapped to attention. "Right! My boss!"
She briskly walked into the lobby and up the elevator to the newsroom. Perry White, seeing her come in, said, "Ms. Sullivan, line 2 in my office!"
Chloe gave a grateful smile, and practically ran into the office. She picked up the receiver, and gave a breathless, "Hello?"
Mr. Radcliffe's voice flooded the line. "Ms. Sullivan. I called the Planet line, thinking that you were hard at work." His voice seemed to be pointing fingers of accusation at her.
Chloe sat on the desk. "I just got back from an interview with Lex Luthor." Mr. Radcliffe laughed. "Doing a little extra interviewing?" He continued by saying, "How do you like things at the Planet?"
Chloe smiled and twirled the cord around her fingers. She was about to launch into a detailed description of the very handsome Ethan Sommerlan, but stopped herself just in time. Mr. Radcliffe wouldn't want to hear about her love life.
"I went to lunch with Mr. Kent. Actually, I knew him in high school. We were pretty good friends."
The other end of the phone was silent for a few awkward moments.
"Ms. Sullivan, this won't influence your work, will it?"
Chloe backtracked. "Oh, no, sir. I'm here to do a job, and I'll get it done."
"Just remember why you came to Metropolis."
With that, he hung up.
She slammed the phone down. No one ever spoke to her like that. Even Mr. Daniel Radcliffe himself.
Clark gave a slight knock on the doorjamb of Perry's office, and stepped in, with Lana and Ethan behind him.
"So, did you give him any brilliant ideas yet?"
Chloe's mind went blank. Why was it when Ethan looked at her, like he was looking at her now, half thoughtful, half amused, that it emptied her brain? She prided herself on not turning to mush every time a handsome man looked her way. What was so different about him?
Finally, she remembered her cover. "Oh, yeah. I told him I liked the," she picked words out of the air, "currency flow and the navigational techniques in here."
Lana looked confused, but kept quiet about her disbelief.
Chloe smiled brightly, trying to cover up the silence. "So, where's Jimmy? He was going to show me the mailroom."
Ethan gently grabbed her arm, and led her in the direction out of the office. "I'll help you find him."
Chloe ignored the little shivers that went up and down her spine just from a touch on her arm. She broke the contact between her and Ethan, and took a step back. "That's great. Let's go."
She strolled out of the office, with Ethan at her heels. "Listen, Chloe, I was wondering if we could reschedule our date tomorrow night."
Chloe knew it, she just knew it! He had another girlfriend, maybe was married with 2 kids living in the trailer park . . . She broke out of her thoughts to hear him say, "My mom and dad are coming in for a week, and I found out their flight will be here a day early."
All doubts flew from her mind, and her heart flipped and jumped in happiness. His mom and dad. He was picking up his mom and dad from the airport. She clued in once more to hear what he was saying to her. "So, maybe we could go out tonight, around seven? I know it's last minute, but the offer still stands."
Chloe sighed. "Tonight will be fine."
Ethan gave a grateful smile. "I appreciate this so much. You're the best. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with some news execs in five minutes."
Chloe finally realized what she had said. Tonight? She didn't have an outfit for tonight! She had been planning on going shopping today after work.
Jimmy walked up to her and said, "So, are you ready to visit the ol' mailroom? Now, that room has some stories . . ."
Chloe gave Jimmy an absentminded pat on the arm. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you, Jimmy, but I've got to take off. I'll be here extra early tomorrow, though. I promise we'll go over it then."
She rushed towards the exit. Clark came up to Jimmy, and slapped him on the back. Clark laughed. "Get used to it. Chloe's the queen of running away."
Clark looked stunned; only he realized how ironic his words were.
A/N 2: I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in awhile. School started, and I've had a major case of writer's block. Y'all know how it is.
Clark and Lana were about to race into a waiting elevator when they saw Chloe huffily come off of the stairwell. She was mumbling angrily to herself. When she saw Clark and Lana, she stopped in her tracks.
"What are you guys doing here?" She looked suspiciously at Lana. "Did you tell Clark?"
Lana tried to look innocent. "Well, we were worried about you."
Clark gave a rueful grin. "We came to save the day."
Chloe rolled up her sleeves. "FYI: I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, even against the unstoppable Lex Luthor."
She continued out of LexCorp and hailed a taxi with an earsplitting whistle. Before the door shut behind her, Clark and Lana piled in after her.
Lana and Clark were desperate to hear what had happened in the interview, so Clark asked gently, "So, what did you and Lex talk about?"
Chloe gave a quirky smile. "Can't tell; journalist confidentiality, you know. But I will say that Lex has changed. He no longer can be considered a friend."
Clark tapped her gently on the head. "I could have told you that, Chloe."
They arrived at the Planet, and saw Ethan walk out to greet them. When Ethan saw Chloe, his face broke in a wide grin. "Ms. Sullivan, your boss is on the phone in the newsroom. I thought I saw you out here, so I told him you'd be right up."
Chloe snapped to attention. "Right! My boss!"
She briskly walked into the lobby and up the elevator to the newsroom. Perry White, seeing her come in, said, "Ms. Sullivan, line 2 in my office!"
Chloe gave a grateful smile, and practically ran into the office. She picked up the receiver, and gave a breathless, "Hello?"
Mr. Radcliffe's voice flooded the line. "Ms. Sullivan. I called the Planet line, thinking that you were hard at work." His voice seemed to be pointing fingers of accusation at her.
Chloe sat on the desk. "I just got back from an interview with Lex Luthor." Mr. Radcliffe laughed. "Doing a little extra interviewing?" He continued by saying, "How do you like things at the Planet?"
Chloe smiled and twirled the cord around her fingers. She was about to launch into a detailed description of the very handsome Ethan Sommerlan, but stopped herself just in time. Mr. Radcliffe wouldn't want to hear about her love life.
"I went to lunch with Mr. Kent. Actually, I knew him in high school. We were pretty good friends."
The other end of the phone was silent for a few awkward moments.
"Ms. Sullivan, this won't influence your work, will it?"
Chloe backtracked. "Oh, no, sir. I'm here to do a job, and I'll get it done."
"Just remember why you came to Metropolis."
With that, he hung up.
She slammed the phone down. No one ever spoke to her like that. Even Mr. Daniel Radcliffe himself.
Clark gave a slight knock on the doorjamb of Perry's office, and stepped in, with Lana and Ethan behind him.
"So, did you give him any brilliant ideas yet?"
Chloe's mind went blank. Why was it when Ethan looked at her, like he was looking at her now, half thoughtful, half amused, that it emptied her brain? She prided herself on not turning to mush every time a handsome man looked her way. What was so different about him?
Finally, she remembered her cover. "Oh, yeah. I told him I liked the," she picked words out of the air, "currency flow and the navigational techniques in here."
Lana looked confused, but kept quiet about her disbelief.
Chloe smiled brightly, trying to cover up the silence. "So, where's Jimmy? He was going to show me the mailroom."
Ethan gently grabbed her arm, and led her in the direction out of the office. "I'll help you find him."
Chloe ignored the little shivers that went up and down her spine just from a touch on her arm. She broke the contact between her and Ethan, and took a step back. "That's great. Let's go."
She strolled out of the office, with Ethan at her heels. "Listen, Chloe, I was wondering if we could reschedule our date tomorrow night."
Chloe knew it, she just knew it! He had another girlfriend, maybe was married with 2 kids living in the trailer park . . . She broke out of her thoughts to hear him say, "My mom and dad are coming in for a week, and I found out their flight will be here a day early."
All doubts flew from her mind, and her heart flipped and jumped in happiness. His mom and dad. He was picking up his mom and dad from the airport. She clued in once more to hear what he was saying to her. "So, maybe we could go out tonight, around seven? I know it's last minute, but the offer still stands."
Chloe sighed. "Tonight will be fine."
Ethan gave a grateful smile. "I appreciate this so much. You're the best. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with some news execs in five minutes."
Chloe finally realized what she had said. Tonight? She didn't have an outfit for tonight! She had been planning on going shopping today after work.
Jimmy walked up to her and said, "So, are you ready to visit the ol' mailroom? Now, that room has some stories . . ."
Chloe gave Jimmy an absentminded pat on the arm. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you, Jimmy, but I've got to take off. I'll be here extra early tomorrow, though. I promise we'll go over it then."
She rushed towards the exit. Clark came up to Jimmy, and slapped him on the back. Clark laughed. "Get used to it. Chloe's the queen of running away."
Clark looked stunned; only he realized how ironic his words were.