Chlexville

Season 1

Episode 5 : ACT COOL COZ NOTHING HAPPENED

Chloe shivered in excitement as she and Clark walked to the open air party. This was just what she needed to get away from all the confusion the return of one bald and hot friend brought. She didn't even know how to act around him now. After that near miss in Metropolis, he wasn't just Lex Luthor, the arrogant but passable son of her father's boss. Now he was even her dad's boss. And aside from that was the little fact that she wasn't exactly just thinking of him the way she always did before.

Before she called Clark to take her, she was reading an email that Lex had once again sent. Did that man absolutely not get a clue? He was a genius right? Summa cum laude, my ass! She had made it point never to answer the phone because she spoke to him, she would just get disappointed again. So now he had taken to repeating the exact same thing he had already told her in email.

Right. She deserves someone younger. Noted. She deserves someone who didn't have as much baggage as he did. Like that was possible. Lex had so many clothes she'd like to see him dressed like a woman. He had more than those Beverly Hills teens put together. She shuddered at that thought. Seeing him in drag would probably make her lose her respect of him completely.

She could probably recite by heart Lex's pathetic attempt to cover up the fact that he just didn't want her. Chloe rolled her eyes. She would not let her supreme unattractiveness ruin what was shaping up to be a possibly average night. She had told herself over and over. She would not be like Clark. That was the worst thing ever, dreaming over someone utterly unattainable. She glanced at her 'date' and found him staring like a wet chick at the Homecoming Queen and King who were cuddling by the fire. Ugh.

Chloe plopped down in front of the fire and busily rubbed her hands together to warm them. Nobody told her it was going to be this cold! Now if she only had… No! He did not want her. Hell, he didn't even need her. He probably has all those gorgeous women waiting for his call from one wing of his castle. Sort of like a harem. He could certainly afford one.

And at that exact nadir of her pride, cute, popular and cool jock Sean asked for her number. Hey, she was a girl!

~~

He'd never believed his acquaintances before when they said keeping women happy and satisfied was hard work. It had always been natural to him. He walked; they followed. He smirked; they swooned. He called; they came. But for the life of him, Lex Luthor had never had to ask to be put back in a woman's good graces.

He rapped on the Sullivan's door and nodded his head when Gabe answered. "Good evening, Gabe. May I talk to your daughter please?"

Gabe Sullivan pulled off his reading classes and motioned for his boss to enter. "She's out tonight. What did she do now?"

Lex chuckled and shook his head. "We just had a small misunderstanding. I thought it would be best to settle it here. She won't feel like she has to watch her language when we're on her turf."

"Don't let her bully you," Gabe advised. "She's not a child you're supposed to patronize anymore."

Oh boy. Didn't he know that! "Well I suppose I should get going then."

"Clark picked her up," Gabe said. "Poor kid. I don't know what they'll do with the farm falling apart and all."

Lex narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, Gabe?"

"The Kents are having trouble keeping the farm afloat," Gabe informed his boss carefully. Sure, the rest of Smallville thought of him as the son of the devil himself, but he had watched this kid grow. He knew where he could trust the man. If Jonathan found out that he was doing this, he'll probably chop his head off. Chloe cared about Clark though. And if Jonathan won't get off his butt and do something drastic, he and Martha would be out of a home. "They'll probably need infusion of cash and fast."

Lex took a seat on one of the kitchen stools. "Tell me, Gabe. What do you think of me investing in the farm?"

"I'd say that it's a very unsound business plan, Lex," Gabe told him honestly. "But amazingly enough, that's going to be the best decision you'll ever make."

"Good," he said curtly. "I need you to do some extra work for me and get me some files on the Kent Farm. Leave it on my desk tomorrow and I'll figure out how best to approach the situation, and just how much I'll be offering them." Lex stood up. "Just ask your daughter to call me when she comes back, okay?"

"Chloe is a stubborn child," Gabe admitted apologetically.

"Woman, Gabe," Lex corrected him. "Your daughter's a stubborn woman, or do you want her to get pissed when she hears how you referred to her?"

Gabe chuckled and closed the door after him. Chloe was pretty lucky to have a friend like Lex.

Not a half hour later, Gabe heard Chloe come in through the door, floating through the air. "Fun night, sweetheart?"

"It was okay," she said, beaming brightly.

"And okay turns you to a toothpaste commercial?" Chloe just grinned at him. "Lex dropped by looking for you. What's going on, Chloe? Did you two have a fight?"

"Oh nothing happened," she answered too quickly. "In fact, I think I'll call him right now. Make sure there's no misunderstanding."

Chloe reached for the cordless phone, kissed her father on the cheek and ran up the stairs, her fingers flying over the dials punching in Lex's number. "Hey Lex," she greeted. Act cool, Chloe. Nothing happened. "So how was your day? Oh really." Aha. He was acting cool too, huh. Fine. If that's how he wanted the game played. "Radiohead concert?" Ohhhhhh. "I can't," she forced sadness in her voice. "I have tons of homework due, Lex. I'm sure you can find someone else to go with you. You have plenty of friends.. fine, acquaintances. That's sweet, but I can't. Really. Besides," she said breathlessly, "I'm probably going to be busy. I met this absolutely cool young guy," she stressed, "at the party tonight. He's giving me a call tomorrow." There was a slight pause. "Oh you have to go? Okay. Bye Lex."

Chloe turned the phone off and dropped it on the floor, and then she collapsed on the bed and muffled her mouth with the pillow. "AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

~~

Lex took a deep calming breath as he struggled to remain composed despite Jonathan Kent's very trying attitude. He glanced behind him and saw Martha Kent pacifying her husband. Lex merely poured himself a double. This had not been the plan for tonight. Tonight was supposed to be a night of Radiohead with his good friend Chloe. Now he's offering Jonathan Kent a lifesaver check and being mauled in the process while their son was off gallivanting with his heart's desire using tickets he bought to take Chloe out. Coupled with the fact that Clark petulantly told him that Chloe was going on a non-date with a jock tonight, Lex's evening was just dandy.

He really was not enjoying the night. He slipped his hand into his pocket and drew out his cellphone. At least Chloe was smart enough to insist that she and her non-date just meet at the Torch office. It was easier to check on her there than in other establishments. He was sure that she would answer the Torch phone. If it were Clark or Pete, he could easily pretend that he was calling Clark. He really did not want people to gossip about how he was familiar enough with Chloe Sullivan that she was taking calls from him.

Lex dialed the number of the newspaper office when the door burst open and Whitney Fordman, probably Chloe's dates teammate come to think about it, came in supporting a limping Lana Lang. Just great. He dropped the phone back into his pocket and walked to greet his guests.

A couple of hours later, although it seemed like longer, Lex Luthor parked his silver car in the Sullivan driveway. If it were any other town, he would probably not leave his car in plain sight. But since this was Smallville he was sure no one would see it. The place had the small town down pat and he knew that the only ones left awake right now would be those of them who were almost migrants—children of Metropolis taking a break from the fast life and settling here.

He rang the doorbell and the door slowly opened. "Hey."

"Lex. How did the meeting go?"

There was nothing to answer except, "Jonathan Kent is a hard, stubborn man." And even though he was sure that Gabe was probably as awake as he was. "Sorry for waking you."

Gabe Sullivan allowed the little boy who grew up to be his boss to step inside the house. He locked the door behind them. "You didn't wake me. I'm staying up anyway. I have to give Chloe her medicine in an hour," he informed Lex while rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly.

Lex turned around. "What's wrong with her?" Already, his gaze strayed to the stairs leading up to her bedroom.

"Just running a fever. Have you been watching the news?" At Lex's nod, Gabe continued, "Well she was attacked by that Sean kid earlier at school."

"What happened? Is she okay?" His throat worked convulsively at the thought of Chloe getting her body heat sucked out of her while he was entertaining people who never cared about him the way she always did.

"Yeah," Gabe said soothingly. "Good thing that Clark was there. He was able to distract him and give her a chance to run. She's got a foot up to her calf but she's going to be fine, especially once the fever drops. I just wish Clark saw her home here instead of rushing off. She stayed in the Torch office researching when she should have gone home, dried off and drunk some hot chocolate."

"You know better than to expect that girl to do what normal, rational people do after a traumatic experience," Lex chided Gabe. "Listen, I need you to be at the plant early tomorrow so just go to bed. I'll give Chloe her medicine."

Gabe frowned uncertainly. "I don't know, Lex. I do need to oversee the delivery of the new supplies but I don't want to bother you."

"I've known this girl for ten years, Gabe. Do you actually think it's a big deal that I'd want to help out when she's out of commission?" Lex asked pointedly.

When he finally got Gabe Sullivan to agree, Lex made his way to Chloe's bedroom and saw her sleeping restlessly. He sat beside her and touched her forehead. The fever was slight, probably because of the earlier dosage that her father had administered. Lex brushed the hair off her face.

Chloe's eyelids fluttered. "Lex," she said faintly, "what are you doing here?"

"I heard someone finally brought my favorite reporter down," he told her softly.

"No," she murmured. "No, Sean didn't take me down. The ice did."

"Oh. So how are you?"

"Sorry."

"Hey it was my fault."

"Sorry I dated a meteor freak." She yawned. "That's hardly your fault."

Lex pretended to think for a second. "I'd love to say it's your bad judgment of people, but that would be against me. And remember, I suggested you see someone from school."

Chloe groaned. "Lex, my mind is too sluggish right now for verbal judo," she complained. "I'll lose and you'd be taking advantage!"

"Fine. We'll continue this tomorrow so you go back to sleep and recover your snark." He leaned to place a kiss on your forehead. "I'll wake you up in an hour to drink your medicine."

"You taking on the role of my dad gives me the creeps, Lex."

"Sleep," he informed her. "Chloe Sullivan can do better than that."

Chloe closed her eyes. If he thought fever took away all her wit, he was very very mistaken. "Playing my daddy now doesn't erase the fact that we almost—almost—" But she was too danged tired.

fin