Sorry for the super lateness… I know it's been a long time… oh, and I'm not following the Smallville canon at all… it's just too hard to write Lex as evil when he's so much more fun good… maybe I'll write another fic after this one with an evil Lex…

And sorry it's so short. I had to cut it off there because we're going to Metropolis next chapter… hopefully in the next few days I'll have it done… I want to finish it while I still have the creativity…

Chapter 8: Big Changes

Chloe watched Clark for a full twenty minutes before she could get up the courage to move her feet towards him. "Hey, Clark…"

He shovelled a forkful of hay onto the truck then turned towards her. "Chloe, hey." He was very subdued and wouldn't meet her eyes.

'This feels familiar,' she mused, feeling nostalgia rush at her again but shook it off. "I think we need to talk…"

He nodded, taking off his gloves and starting towards the house. "Coffee? It's okay," he added as he saw her pause. "Lana's in town all day. She manages the Starbucks til eight."

Chloe smiled tightly, following him inside. She gratefully accepted a cup of coffee. "Thanks. So…"

He leaned back against the counter, a mug wrapped in his hands, looking so much like his father, she had to blink a few times.

"Your dad would be proud of you, Clark…" she said before she could stop herself.

He smiled sadly. "Not last night."

"Look, Clark-"

"No, Chloe, stop. You're not the one who needs to apologize…" He turned toward the window. "When I saw you, it brought back a lot. It made me think of all the things you've done for me and all those years that we were friends. And then it just stopped. I wish I could've changed that. I wish you and I were still close." He turned back to her, reaching out for her. Halfway there he realized what he was doing and his hand dropped limply to his side. "It's really hard to see you happy with Whitney. Harder than I thought it would be. Not that he doesn't deserve you and not that you don't deserve to be happy. I mean, I screwed up and Lana screwed up and you guys got hurt and found each other and it worked out. But it's just hard. I don't even know anything about you. I don't know you and you coming back here just reminds me of that. It reminds me that my life's pretty empty without Chloe Sullivan…"

"Clark… c'mon... you'll make a girl blush saying stuff like that…" And she was. She cursed herself for having pale skin. "Seriously. I'm sure you're fine. You love Lana, remember?"

He shrugged, turning back to the window and staring off into the distance. "I loved the idea of Lana…"

She closed her eyes. Oh god, she'd heard this before. Whitney had gone on rants like these when she'd asked him about Lana.

"I mean, she's gorgeous and really good in-"

"Okay!" Chloe yelled. "That's it for me! I've got to get back to Lex's! Lots of stuff to do, people to see…" she babbled, hoping to God that he didn't finish that sentence.

"I asked her for a divorce."

Those six words cut through her like a knife. They shut her up, her mouth still open, her hand on the doorknob, her body frozen in space and refusing to move, refusing to go out or stay in. She turned slowly. "Excuse me?"

"A few days ago I asked Lana to divorce me. That's why she came onto Whitney at the party. I just can't handle her anymore. She's too demanding and too judgemental and, well, not what I thought she was…"

She knew this was a really bad idea but she took a few steps towards him anyway. "That's terrible. I'm so sorry."

"Why? I'm free." He came towards her and took her shoulders gently. "I will be. I sold the farm."

She couldn't help but yell, "What?! Why?!"

"I'm moving to Metropolis."

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"He's what?"

Lex couldn't help but smile at Whitney's obvious agitation. "He's moving to Metropolis."

Whitney ran a hand through his hair. "Great. Just great. I just find out from you that he's moving to Metropolis and where's Chloe right now? Over at the Kent farm." He wanted to break something. He wanted to hurl something. But mostly, he wanted to snatch up Chloe and never let her out of his sight again. He took a sip of whiskey, hoping it would distract him or at least cool the heated anger that was racing through his veins. It didn't. He looked up at Lex's amused face. "What?"

"You think she's going to leave you for Clark? C'mon, Whitney, you're better than that. She's completely in love with you. She'd never jeopardize that for her very own farmboy, no matter how much history they have together or however many sad looks he sends her way."

"It's Clark. You and I both know he's good at stealing things that aren't his," Whitney fumed. He stood up. "I need some air. If Chloe comes back-"

Lex smiled. "I'll check her hair for hay just in case she decided to have a quick roll before returning to the city tomorrow…"

"Not funny Lex, even for you." He set the glass down and left the room.

He started off down the grounds but changed his mind after seeing a familiar blond coming up the drive. "Chloe!"

She started when she saw him come out of the shadows. "Whit." She threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "Hi."

He smiled back then shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "So what's this I hear about Clark making big and suspicious life decisions?"

She studied his face in the half-light. He looked almost angry. "He's filed for divorce and moving to Metropolis?"

"And neither has anything to do with you?"

She looked confused. "What? No. Why would it have anything to do with me?"

He threw up his hands. "Because he's in love with you Chloe! Because he's always been in love with you! Because it's extremely hard to fall out of love with you once someone's so deep in it they can't breathe, they can't see and they can't think of anything else but your beautiful face and your gorgeous laugh and your wit and your incredibly patient kindness! But he's just never realized it because he's been too blinded by the image of Lana all these years and plus you being away in Metropolis has helped him not think of you… but then he sees you again and now he wants you back because he thinks that he can just turn on his 'aww, shucks' farm boy charm. Well, he can't have you. I won't let him."

She tried to stop herself from grinning. "Why? Because I'm yours? No kidding, Whitney… little thing called a marriage licence? Maybe some vows? Little thing right here?" She wiggled her ring finger in his face. "Geez, Whit, c'mon. Give me a little more credit for getting a bit more mature since I was here last."

He rubbed his hands over his face. "It's not you I'm worried about. I never worry about your infidelity."

She couldn't help but snort at his choice of words. She loved when he tried to be serious with her. "Your vocabulary has improved but not so much the jealousy skills Mr. Fordman..."

He slid an arm around her and they started walking down towards the gardens. "Guys never grow out of jealousy, Chloe. I'm surprised you didn't come across that one during all your research." It was strange though. He could feel the jealousy fading as she drew closer to him and slid her arm around his waist. It was odd how it came and went. He didn't even give Clark Kent a second thought at that moment but five minutes before he'd been ready to storm down to the Kent Farm and tear the farmboy limb from limb. Funny thing, jealousy…

He looked down at the blond now and felt peaceful.

It was going to be fine.

Everything was going to be fine.

He could handle Clark Kent in Metropolis. Metropolis was his playground. Kent was coming in with a disadvantage… He smiled slowly.

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Let me know what you guys think!