I'm so sorry this took so long. I've been so busy writing an office fic. Please don't hate me!

0o0o0o

"Well?" Lex prodded pouring himself another brandy.

Chase nodded hesitantly pacing in front of Lex's desk. He really didn't want to tell him he failed to seduce a damn girl into going out with him. "She didn't…want to?" Damn, he just phrased a sentence into a question, and Lex looked anything but thrilled.

"Didn't want to?" Lex repeated slowly. He seemed calmer than Chase thought he would be. That is, until he slammed his hand down on his desk and made the brandy slosh over the sides of the cup.

"Who do you think you're dealing with here Chase? This isn't something that will just get better if you leave it alone. You will make Chloe go out with you and you will get that information on her father, you understand?"

Chase nodded curtly and turned to leave. But as he did Lex called out one more time and he turned slowly.

"I don't need to go over what will happen if you fail, do I?" He was as smooth as a knife cutting through butter.

He nodded again and finally got the hell out of Lex's office. He knew damn well what would happen if he couldn't do this correctly…he'd die.

0o0o0o0o

Clark looked up at Chloe again. That must have been the hundredth time, and he couldn't make it any more obvious. His feelings were all over the place lately and he wished he could just make one decision that wouldn't betray him in the end.

"If you keep looking up at me Clark I'm gonna start thinking something's wrong with me." She flipped her short hair out of her eyes.

He stuttered stupidly. "No…no I just—" He was so suave with words he surprised himself. It was just Chloe for Christ's sake.

"Cool it Clark, I'm just kidding." She laughed slightly and got up to go over to him. He was on the computer looking up Chase's ID card on the Luthorcorp cite. He smiled slightly, hearing her laugh. After all, she hadn't done it in a long time. But it also kind of worried him. There was a very thin line between laughing and breaking into tears.

Clark shook his head and saw her circle the couch to lean behind him to see the laptop. He felt her lean towards him on the couch, bending farther to see the small print on the screen. He could literally smell her shampoo, which smelled like oatmeal and honey, and it made him shake. She smelled so good all of a sudden, so comforting.

"Find anything yet?" She asked.

"Um, nothing yet but I haven't gotten to the main workers page yet so…" he squeaked out. He must have looked so stupid to her.

She shook her head which sent waves of her scent to Clark's nose. She was driving him crazy; he just couldn't point out why.

Chloe leaned farther down to see the laptop and at that moment Clark turned his head to look at her. When she saw his movement her head turned as well and their lips grazed. They both froze, not really knowing what to do. How could two people not know what to do when their lips were less than an inch apart?

Clark leaned in and placed a small kiss on her lips, basically just trying to see how she would react. She still didn't move though and that wasn't the reaction he expected to get.

"Something…wrong?" he asked quietly.

His breath was gently pushing against her face and she let out a shaky sigh. "I…can't."

Clark leaned back a little. That defiantly wasn't the reaction he expected to get.

0o0o0o

"What?" Clark asked. "Isn't this…I mean, didn't you want this?"

Chloe leaned back and rubbed her hands over her face. "Yes, no… I don't know Clark! I've got so much stuff going on and you pick now to make a move!"

Clark put his hands up defensively. "Whoa ok…I um…well I'm not going to say I'm sorry. Because I wanted to, I mean I knew what I was doing."

She nodded. "I have to go Clark, I just need to think."

She was being dismissive and as she grabbed her coat and headed for the stairs, Clark grabbed her arm. "Chloe you just can't leave, what if Chase attacks you again?"

"I'll be fine. I need some time alone Clark, ok?" Her voice was reaching hysteria and he let go of her arm. He watched her walk down the stairs and out the barn door, his stomach recoiling as she did. Why did he always drive people away?

0o0o0o

Chase backed up behind the barn door as he saw Chloe coming outside to get in her car. She looked upset and he decided he'd wait till she was home for a while to make his move.

If she wouldn't tell the information about her father willingly, he was sure he could force it out of her. After all, the body can only go through so much pain before in breaks.