Chloe sat up straighter in her seat as the bus entered the city. She was actually back in Metropolis. She was going to be working at the Daily Planet for the whole summer. It seemed like everything was coming together for her. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach from the excitement and the nerves.
This was her chance. If things went well with this internship then she would be one step closer to her dream of becoming a well known investigative reporter. Of course if it didn't go well then her career as an investigative reporter could be over before it even began.
Not for the first time did she wish that her father could have come with her today. Helped her get settled. He had been planning on doing so, but then something had come up Wednesday night and he had to go into the plant today. He had called Lex who had managed to get Chloe a bus ticket to Metropolis for ten thirty this morning. She had then called Clark and asked him if he would be able to drive her to the bus station.
It was kind of scary being in Metropolis without him. To make matters even worse Lois hadn't been able to meet her at the bus stop, as she had some job interviews she had to go to. Chloe was truly on her own.
It wasn't that she didn't know her way around. She could get herself to her Aunt and Uncle's just fine. She could also get to the Daily Planet for her afternoon orientation meeting too. Still, it would have been nice to have someone there on her first day back in Metropolis.
As she watched the building go by outside the window she also thought about the other disappointment she had gotten that morning. Clark had shown up to see her off as promised. It was then that he had told her that Lex had asked him to be his best man for the wedding which meant that Clark couldn't be with Chloe during the ceremony. He had told her that he still wanted her to come and they could hang out during the reception.
Chloe had put her best smile on and told him she would still be there. She hoped she had hid her disappointment from him. After all, it wasn't really his fault. It wasn't really anyone's fault. She should have expected Lex to ask Clark to be his best man, she wasn't sure why she hadn't.
The bus started to slow, bringing Chloe out of her thoughts. As she looked out the window she realized that the bus was pulling into the station. Chloe picked her duffel bag up of the floor between her feet, preparing to disembark.
Once the bus came to a stop at the station Chloe stood up and retrieved her other bag from the overhead compartment. Her two bags in hand, Chloe maneuvered her way into the line of people in the aisle and slowly made her way to the front of the bus.
Stepping off the bus Chloe looked around taking in her surroundings. Other than short trips to see relatives with her Dad, Chloe hadn't been back to Metropolis since they had moved. She had to admit that after living in Smallville for the last few years, being in the city by herself was overwhelming. She sure wished that Lois or her Aunt or Uncle would have been able to meet her at the bus station.
With a sigh, Chloe slung her one bag over her shoulder and headed in the direction that the cabs were picking up people. From the look of the crowd already gathered over there, Chloe figured she'd have a bit of a wait. Still, getting a cab was easier than walking to the subway station with her bags.
"Chloe," she heard a familiar voice call out as she walked toward the crowd. She stopped and looked in the direction that she had heard the voice coming from.
At first Chloe didn't see anyone she recognized. She was probably just hearing things anyways. She was about ready to resume walking when she saw a familiar figure break through the crowd.
"Chloe," Cecily called out again as she hurried toward where Chloe was standing. Cecily was dressed in a knee length business skirt, and blazer which Chloe figured meant she was coming from work. "I was hoping I wouldn't miss you," Cecily told her as she joined Chloe on the sidewalk.
"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked bluntly.
"Lex called me this morning. He told me that you had to end up taking a bus to Metropolis this morning because of some things that came up at the plant and asked me to meet you here."
"What about work?"
"I managed to get a few hours off this afternoon. There's a LuthorCorp car waiting for us," Cecily told her reaching out and taking Chloe's duffel bag from her. The two girls started walking in the direction that Cecily had come from. "We'll go to your cousin's. I have time to help you get settled at your cousin's place and then the driver will drop you off at the Daily Planet and take me back to work. Lex has even arranged to have a car to take you back to your cousin's when your done with your orientation."
"I take it that was all Lex's doing?" Chloe ventured already knowing the answer. It amazed her at how fast Lex was able to get things arranged sometimes although she wasn't complaining. It would be nice to not have to worry about hailing cabs and getting herself around the city this afternoon.
"He felt bad that your Dad had to work today after he had been given the day off. He just wanted to make sure you got where you needed to be today despite your father not being here."
"Well, tell him thank-you for me," Chloe told her as they approached the waiting car. The driver had the back door of the car already opened for them and took the bags from them as the approached. Chloe got into the backseat followed by Cecily as the driver put the bags in the trunk. "This definitely beats trying to hail a cab," Chloe commented as she sat back in the comfortable seat.
The driver shut the back door and then walked around to the driver's side of the car and got inside himself.
"And thank-you for taking off work to meet me," Chloe told Cecily as the car started moving. "I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it," Cecily told her. "I remember what it was like coming back to the city after spending an extended period of time in Smallville. The two places are quite different."
"You can say that again," Chloe told her. "I didn't think coming back to the city would bother me but the prospect of having to deal with it alone got kind of overwhelming."
"I actually have a favor to ask you Chloe," Cecily told her.
"What is it?" Chloe asked her curiosity immediately piqued. She and Cecily had always gotten along but they had never really been that close.
"My best friend is leaving for the summer for Europe a week from this Saturday which means she won't be able to be my maid of honor. I was wondering if you would take her place?"
"Surely you must have other friends you could ask."
"Yeah, there are other people I could ask," Cecily admitted thinking about some of the girls she knew from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Although, when she and Abigail had moved out of the sorority house and into their own apartment halfway through their junior year, she had started drifting away from her sorority sisters. While, she planned to invite them she really didn't feel close enough to any of them to have them serve as her maid of honor.
She had know Chloe longer than she had any of them anyway. Because she didn't go to school in Smallville, Cecily had never been that close to anyone her age in the small town. As a result, when she was there, especially in the summer, she had tended to hang out with Clark and his friends. As a result she had gotten to know Chloe and Pete pretty well.
"Fact is though," Cecily continued, " I feel closer to you than any of them. It would really mean a lot to me if you would do it."
"Yeah sure," Chloe told her. "I'd love to do it." She felt honored that Cecily would even ask her. Plus it would mean that she and Clark would be together more during the wedding.
"Thank-you," Cecily said leaning over to give Chloe a hug. " Martha and I were going to pick out my wedding dress this Saturday while she's here in Metropolis. Why don't you join us and we can get your dress at the same time."
"That will be great," Chloe said
The two girls made small talk the rest of their trip. By the time that the car pulled up in front of Chloe's Uncle's apartment building Chloe's nerves had completely disappeared.
The driver opened the door for the girls. They climbed out of the car while the driver got Chloe's bags out of the trunk.
"Would you like me to carry them to the apartment for you?" the driver asked politely looking at Cecily.
"No we can manage," Cecily told him as she took one of the bags from him and Chloe took the other.
"Very well," the driver said. "I'll be back to pick you up in an hour and a half."
"Yes, thank-you," Cecily replied.
As the driver headed towards the driver's side of the car, Chloe and Cecily turned toward the building. As they walked, Chloe dug the key to her Uncle's apartment out of her purse.
"Your father's on his way," came the voice of Lex's doorman over the intercom.
"Thank-you Davis," Lex said casually. He was sitting behind his desk, his feet propped up on top. He had just gotten back from the plant, after he had spent the morning their with Gabe Sullivan as the computer experts tried to track down the problem that had made the computer system crash late last night.
Lex had been their since late last night. He had been joined by Gabe, the plant manager around six this morning. By the time he had left the computer system was fixed and up and running. Gabe had insisted that Lex leave, as he was capable of getting the facility back to normal operations. Lex didn't doubt that he could and hadn't argued with Gabe's instance that he go home.
If it wasn't that he had been expecting his father, who had called this morning and told him he was coming down, Lex would have been trying to get some sleep. Lionel Luthor claimed he had to get away from Metropolis but Lex had a feeling he had something else that was bringing him to Smallville and Lex had a hunch as to what that something was though.
The door to his office opened, and Lionel Luthor walked in guided by Dominic, his personal assistant.
"Hello Dad," Lex said as he swung his feet to the floor and stood up. He crossed the room and took his father's arm from Dominic. With a nod he dismissed the assistant. He had no intention of having an audience when talking with his father.
"I'll call for you when I'm ready to leave, Dominic," Lionel said before Dominic could say anything. He had anticipated his son's reaction to his assistant.
"Yes, Mr. Luthor," Dominic said before turning and leaving the library, closing the door quietly behind him.
"So what's bring you to Smallville Dad?" Lex asked as he lead his father over to one of the easy chairs.
"I told you," Lionel said easily as he sat down in the chair, "I needed a break from Metropolis."
"Sure Dad," Lex commented as he sat down in the chair across from his Dad. He leaned back in the chair getting comfortable. "So why are you really here?"
"Ah, I see I've taught you well," Lionel said laughing a little. "But alas, you are right my son. Something else does bring me here," he told his son as he reached into his inside jacket pocket and removed some papers which he held out to Lex.
Lex sat up and reached for the papers that his Dad was handing him. He already knew what they were without even looking at them. He had been waiting for his Dad to bring the subject up.
"You do realize that this is pointless. Cecily is just like the rest of her family, she has absolutely no interest in our money," Lex told him as he took the papers from his father.
"You haven't even looked at them yet son. How do you know what they are?"
"Because I know you Dad," Lex told him unfolded the packet of papers, revealing them to be exactly what he had thought they were - a prenuptial agreement. He had known it was coming, had already mentioned it to Cecily so that it wouldn't come as a surprise to her. "This isn't really necessary," Lex said tossing the agreement on a nearby table and sitting back in the chair again.
That was one of the things that mystified him about the Kents - their total lack of interest in his money. Like when Clark had returned the truck he had given him as a gift for saving his life.
"One can never be too careful son," Lionel admonished.
"Don't worry Dad," Lex said, "The agreement will be signed and returned to you long before the wedding. Wouldn't want you disinheriting me now would I?"
"I'm only thinking about your well being son,"
"Sure, you are Dad. Now, if you don't mind, I've had a long night and would like to get some rest."
"So I've heard," Lionel said casually. He could feel his son's curious glance on him. Probably wondering if he had anything to do with the computer problems at the plant, which he didn't this time. He wasn't going to bother denying it though. Let his son wonder. "If you'd be so kind as to find Dominic for me, I'll be on my way then."
"Sure, Dad," Lex said standing up. He quietly walked toward the door and left the room.
Lionel leaned back in his chair and listened to his son's footsteps fade away in the distance.
He would never admit it to his son, but he agreed with Lex's assessment on the subject. The prenuptial agreement probably was unnecessary. Cecily Logan-Kent didn't strike him as someone who would marry someone for money. She had too much integrity for that not to mention she had broken up with Lex once. His son couldn't have found a better young woman to marry no matter how long he had looked. In fact, the only thing about this wedding that surprised him was that it had taken this long to come about. The first night he had seen the young couple together he had figured his son would be married within a year.
The ball, a function to "celebrate" LuthorCorp's take over of a local pharmaceutical company, had only just started. Lionel had been chatting with the former co-owners of the company, when Lex had entered with his date.
He had seen the girl around the mansion several times in the past weeks as she and her son were working on a chemistry project together. He hadn't introduced himself, as he tried to stay out of his son's personal life. He wasn't sure how to deal with his son's rebellious nature and the more he tried to get involved the more his son rebelled. He had finally made the decision to let the phase run its course. He was sure Lex would eventually grow out of this rebellious stage of his.
Still, when Lex had mentioned he had invited Cecily to this event Lionel had been intrigued. He knew what kind of family Cecily Longan-Kent came from. Her mother, Morgan Logan was a successful businesswoman with the second biggest company in Metropolis. She had never married and had raised her daughter more or less on her own, despite the heart troubles that had plagued her when her daughter was young. As for Cecily's biological father, Lionel knew him too. Jonathan Kent was a farmer down in Smallville, where Lionel had a fertilizer plant. Jonathan Kent was married and he and his wife had an "adopted" son. Nine years ago, Lionel had helped arrange the no questions asked adoption after Jonathan Kent had saved Lex's life following the meteor storm that had hit Smallville that day. There were times when Lionel still wondered where the boy came from and why Jonathan Kent had wanted to keep his adoption quiet.
Since Lex had mentioned his intentions on bringing Cecily here, Lionel had done a little more looking into what the girl was really like. He had liked what he had found. Cecily was a bright girl, near the top of her class at the university. She had been valedictorian for the private school she had graduated from. Her professors had only glowing things to say about her. She was hardworking, and serious minded. Along with going to school full time she sang at local hangouts with a band she had formed and managed since she was fifteen. Lionel had gone to hear the group secretly one time and had actually been impressed by them. Although pretty, she wasn't the drop-dead gorgeous type that Lex usually dated. In fact, she was the complete opposite of the girls Lex normally dated which puzzled him and gave him hope.
It hadn't been too long when Lex had come over and introduced his date to his father. Lionel could tell the girl was nervous but still managed to conduct herself with the class and grace of someone who was use to the surrounding atmosphere. He could easily see how his son could be taken by her.
He had watched the young couple all night long. Lionel could see that they both cared for one another and was secretly glad. Lately his son had been dating the daughters of his business partners. Lionel knew his son was just trying to get to him, and to his dismay it worked. Lex was one of the few people who could get past his defenses. Maybe his son was finally through with playing games.
Still, he knew he couldn't let his son know that he actually approved of him dating this girl. Knowing Lex, he would probably break it off just to spite his father.