I disclaim.

Chapter 2

"I know you."

"I thought the line was 'don't I know you?'" Chloe brought the glass of champagne to her lips. She'd snatched the bottle of champagne with the hopes of getting really drunk. Actually, she figured if luck was truly on her side she'd pass out and wake up at graduation. Sometimes oblivion could be a girls best friend.

"It's not a question."

She didn't bother to turn and look at the guy who rudely interrupted her descent into unconsciousness. "Whatever. You know me, big whoop, it's a small town."

"You see that's just the booze talking. You don't mean to hurt my feelings."

"Actually," Chloe turned to really let him have it, but pulled up short when her eyes connected with his. This was the her ten, maybe not her ten...well, maybe, he had been watching her all night.

Davis would have chuckled at her reaction if he didn't find being so close to her having the same effect on him. She was quite possibly the most vibrant thing he'd ever seen in his life. "Davis Bloome."

Chloe wasn't entirely aware of accepting the hand he offered, but couldn't deny the shock that coursed up her arm at his touch. "Chloe Sullivan."

"I know." At her suspicious look he continued on hurriedly. "I'd know the face of the woman who sent my dad to prison anywhere."

"Your..." She knew he was talking about Lionel, she hadn't sent anyone else to prison. At least not lately. Not that she could think of anyway. But try as she might she couldn't connect the sad eyed man in front of her to any Luthor she'd ever met. "Last I checked on Lionel's other sons one was doing God knows what God knows where and the other was dead. Besides, you just told me your last name was Bloome."

"It is, my parents died when I was a kid and Lionel took me in."

Because that sounded nothing like the Lionel Luthor that tried to have her murdered, Chloe set aside her glass of champagne. "Lionel has three sons, he half-ass raised one, denied the other, and hoarded the memory of the last over the first. Yet he raised you." Which meant the odds of this guy going completely batshit in the next thirty seconds were relatively high. She really didn't understand why all the cute ones had to be crazy.

"I said he took me in, not that he raised me."

Now that, Chloe thought as she picked up her glass, she could totally buy. "Well, your dad tried to have me killed." Amongst other things she tried not to think of. "So I can't say I'm sorry he's gone."

Knowing more about her relationship with Lionel than she actually realized, Davis wasn't sorry the bastard was gone either. "So why aren't you enjoying the party more?"

If he'd just leave and let her finish getting plastered she would. "As happy as I am with Lex finally being cut from his daddy's apron strings, I'm not exactly in a celebratory mood. But I'm trying to get there."

She looked so lost, so wounded. All Davis wanted to do was gather her in his arms and take care of her. "Why don't I take you back to your friends?"

"Because they're obnoxious."

"You're just saying that because your drunk."

Oh, Chloe thought fondly, if only that were true. "We should get this out of the way now since odds are you'll end up threatening to kick his ass and stalking her." She turned so that she was facing the ballroom again. "You see the tall painfully attractive guy that just reeks of aw shucks?"

She had angled her body so that when she swayed unsteadily, she ended up leaning against him for support. All Davis saw was her. "Huh?"

"Standing next to the serenely beautiful brunette." When he didn't answer, Chloe rammed her elbow into his stomach, it was like stone. "Are you paying attention to me?"

From the moment she walked in. But obligingly he took his eyes off her to look to where she was pointing. "Yeah, tall guy and short dark haired girl, what about them?"

She'd never heard a guy refer to Lana so dismissively, but wouldn't allow her hopes to rise. He still hadn't met her, so he could still be sucked in by whatever is was about Lana that sucked guys in. And at the moment she hated Lana, hated that she'd likely know how solid he felt, how wonderful he smelled. "They are the will they won't/they couple of the century, Smallville's own Dawson and Joey. And I'll have you know that for all of a minute they actually did, but something happened and they broke up before they could bore the hell out of each other. Now you see the bombshell over by Lex."

Again, Davis had to take his eyes away from her to look in the direction she was pointing. But this time the woman she pointed at caught his attention. The way she stood, hip cocked out just a bit, head angled just so. "Relative of yours?"

"My cousin Lois." She poured herself another glass of champagne, absently offered him the glass. "How'd you know?"

Davis accepted the glass she offered, downed it to keep her from taking another drink. "There's a resemblance. Now what about her?"

"She's in the middle of this Sam and Diane thing with Clark." Not at all put out by the empty glass she received, Chloe gamely poured another glass, and once again offered it to him first. "He actually thinks his feelings for her are purely antagonistic. Then again this is the same guys who's been actively stalking the same girl since I've known him and has himself convinced it's love. He's a strange duck our Clark." She frowned as she stared at the empty flute in her hand, couldn't figure out how it got that way. But realizing she still had a bottle with her, she didn't worry too much over it, and poured herself another glass. "I'm in love with him and he thinks I'm swell. Ass. Obnoxious ass."

Unable to help himself, Davis wrapped his arms around her. He didn't understand how anyone could be near her and not love her. She filled a room. How could he see anyone else when they stood next to her?

Chloe didn't know if they were swaying or if it was just the world in general, but there was something about being in his arms that was so soothing. "It really sucks that you're going to end up stalking Lana and end up getting sent away."

Davis laughed. "I'm not going to stalk your friend."

"Of course you are. That's how Lana dates. She meets a guy, he ends up stalking her, and then another guy comes along saves her and she starts dating him. There's a chance he turns out to be crazy, too. But it doesn't matter because in the end Clark somehow always ends up involved. But you know, we all have our own way of meeting people."

"How about you?"

"Usually I meet a guy and he either tries to screw me, screw me over, or kill me."

Davis braced for her reaction to his statement, but felt he needed to get it out of the way. "Does that include Lionel?"

Drunkenly, she lifted her head off his chest to study him. "I guess you do know me. And technically...actually there is no technically. He tried to screw me, screw me over, and kill me." She gave a bitter laugh. "In that order."

"Aren't you curious-"

"I wasn't dumb enough to actually believe I had the original copies of those tapes or that Lionel would destroy them. I'm actually surprised he didn't whip 'em out during the trial." Chloe frowned over the thought. "How did you get them?"

"Found them in the old man's desk at the castle."

"Did you watch them? All of them?"

Davis nodded. "The one with Lionel was the first one I destroyed."

"It was only the one time." Chloe replied quickly. Ashamed that anyone saw what happened between her and Lionel. "Part of our agreement was that he never touched me. At first he seemed satisfied with just watching me touch myself. But then..." She shuddered at the memory. "I wasn't sure what he would have done if I didn't let him. He was almost-"

"Desperate?" Davis finished. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Chloe."

There was something about the way he said her name that sent a shiver up her spine. "That's when I knew it had to stop. I couldn't know what he'd have asked of me next."

"Sending a man to prison is one hell of a way to break it off." It was ridiculous to be angry now. What Lionel had done to her was in the past. And she'd gotten through it. She'd beaten the almighty Lionel at his own game. It still didn't stop Davis from wanting to shield her even now.

"It was either prison or the loony bin. That's where all the others are. Well, aside from the occasional death. The sad part is, none of it has ever been worth it." She started to bring the glass to her lips again.

Davis smoothly lifted the glass from her hand and emptied it. He really hoped the damn bottle was empty now "The earth didn't move with Lionel."

"Considering I was thinking about getting my car detailed, the bedspread didn't move." She frowned at the empty glass that was returned to her. Lifting the bottle, she found that was empty now as well. She really thought she'd be unconscious at this point. "I've had worse."

"Have you had better?"

Chloe's gaze met his. The look in those dark eyes was pure sin. The smile she sent him held a teasing hint of invitation. "Not yet." With that she backed out of his arms and headed back into the ballroom.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you."

Unwilling to take his eyes off Chloe, Davis replied without turning to look at his brother. "You really should have pitched this speech to dad, Lex"

"She's had a pretty rough go of it here recently, Davis."

Finally, he turned. "There's no need to protect Chloe from me."

Lex wasn't entirely sure about that. "I want you to meet someone." With a slight nod, he signaled the woman beside him. "This is Nina Mowry. She and her brother just moved to Smallville. She's actually our new lead researcher. Nina this is my brother Davis. Pretend to be charming little brother."

With no more than a glance at the woman, Davis went back to watching Chloe.

"So how did things go? Was I right?"

"She's amazing."

"Did you ask her out?"

Davis shook his head. "She's in love with that jackass over there."

Nina rolled her eyes. These were two of the most difficult people on the face of the earth. Here she was just trying to put things the way they should have been and these two were cutting her off at every turn. "You want her." She pointed out needlessly.

"More than anything." But she loved someone else. There wasn't much more he could do with that.

"What if she came to you?"

"If she came to me?" Somehow, that option never even occurred to him. "I'd be hers." Completely and totally hers.

"Do you want to be hers?"

Davis felt something in his chest twist painfully. "Yes."

Well, that's all she needed. Nina didn't even hesitate. Really, she was saving lives. And helping true love find it's way. Softly, she began to chant.

********

"Okay, when you see me waving my arms about like a Baywatch victim," Lois hissed dangerously at her cousin. "That means come help. God, I can't believe I spent a half hour hitting on the new English teacher."

Chloe laughed, which only earned her a glare from Lois. "Sorry, that's not funny." Only it really was.

"Yeah, well. Give me ten minutes...I need to drink this memory away. Smallville can drive us home."

"But..." Chloe was beyond ready to go and thought fleetingly of maybe just walking home. Sure it would be one hell of a walk in heels, at night, and on mostly unpaved roads. But...well, there really was no buts. That was just a really dumb idea. Good thing she wasn't drunk because....wait, why wasn't she drunk?

Not two seconds ago she could barely stand, now she was as sober as a judge. And there was a pained hallow feeling in her belly. Like she was missing something vital to her survival. Something, she somehow knew, was close by. If only she knew what?

Agitated, her eyes began to search the room. How could she have this indescribable need for something she couldn't identify. Then suddenly her gaze flew to Davis. Her heart seemed to slow to a near stop before picking up to beat at double time. His eyes were so intense they seemed to cut right through her. By a will not completely her own, Chloe made her way across the room to him.

"Something I can do for you, beautiful."

Chloe moved in until her body was flush against his. Dance with me. Her hand slid down his arm until her fingers linked with his. "Now."

Although he was more than pleased with their current position, Davis felt the need to ask. "Don't you want to move to the dance floor?"

At the moment Chloe wanted nothing more than to stay close to him. No.

"What made you come over here?"

"I don't know." Chloe answered with a frown. "It felt like I needed to." Crazy, huh?

"No, it's exactly the way you make me feel." And because he had to, Davis allowed his hand to run down the length of her bare back. He'd known, somehow he'd always known, just how her skin would feel. It didn't seem possible that anything so soft could exist.

No one had ever touched her this way, held her this way. As if she were something precious. No one had ever mad her feel so out of control on the inside while touching her so gently on the outside.

"Lex thinks I should stay away from you." Davis' voice was little more than a whisper against her ear. "He doesn't think I'm good enough for you."

Though, it didn't seem possible, Chloe managed to move closer. "I didn't take you for the type to let others tell you what to do."

"I'm not. Lex can't keep me away from you." No one, Davis vowed silently, Can keep me away from you.

"Good." Because Chloe was afraid she'd hurt Lex otherwise.

"Chloe?" Lana tried to ignore the violent look Davis shot her. She couldn't quite figure out when the two of them had gotten so close. Chloe had all but slipped into his clothes. "Lois wanted to know if you were ready. It's been more than half an hour."

"What?" No way more than five minutes had passed.

"Lois said...we all agreed that midnight-"

"Okay," Chloe snapped impatiently. The mood was completely ruined now. "Can I get a minute?"

"Um, yeah," Confused and hurt by the sharp tone, Lana turned and walked away.

Chloe glared after her friend before turning back to Davis. Grabbing hold of his lapels she pulled his mouth down to hers. There was a teasing smile on her lips and a mischievous light in her eyes that flashed a violent blue. She placed soft kisses on both corners of his mouth. We'll do this again.

"Soon." Davis promised when she walked away.