Author's Note: I wrote this quite some time ago. In fact, way before Season Five began and quite possibly before I had finished watching Season Four so it may be a fair way off from the Smallville characters we know now… I just hope you can all enjoy it regardless.

Chloe snapped her cell phone shut and rejoined Clark and Lana at the table, sighing softly and shaking her head to loosen her hair. Her attempts at growing it out weren't working as well as she had hoped; she'd booked an appointment at a salon in Metropolis to have it returned to its usual short, shaggy mess. Not that she had told anyone, particularly Lex. He had wanted her to grow her hair long but it just wasn't possible, it was driving her mad. Clark offered her his condolence smile as she sat down and she gave him a tired smile back, she was too angry to do anything else and it bugged her that Clark already knew what was going on. It didn't really surprise her though; Lex's phone-calls always had the same theme.

"What's up with Lex?" asked Lana, taking a tiny bite of Clark's chocolate muffin before returning it to his plate.

"He's got another meeting before he can come home. I guess it's just us again tonight," said Chloe, Lana smiled and nodded. She didn't really know what else to say, Lex's cancellations had become more frequent recently and had coincided with Chloe's change in style. Lana found it odd that the black clothes and dark make-up suited Chloe more than her usual wardrobe and wondered if Lex had appreciated the changes in her since they had officially announced their relationship. "You know what; I don't feel up to playing gooseberry tonight. You guys go without me; I think I'll just head back up to the mansion,"

"No Chloe, stay with us. You're not playing gooseberry," insisted Clark but Chloe's mind had been made up and she was already standing.

"Thanks Clark but I'd rather just get home; I'll call you tomorrow though. Maybe you can come over or something," she smiled wearily and pulled on her floor length coat, literally sweeping out of the Talon.

She slammed the library doors shut and collapsed into the leather chair in front of the unlit fireplace. When she and Lex had first started to flirt with each other, she had been thrilled and when he finally asked her out, she was so excited she could hardly breathe. Now, now was a different matter completely. She was fully aware that it was her own fault for believing that exciting and dangerous Lex Luthor would always be there but these days, board meetings and business deals came first. It was rare that Lex would take her out for dinner anymore, they had stopped going clubbing in Metropolis and the excitement was gone. The only thrill she got from their relationship now was using Lex's credit cards and living in the mansion. She wished she could add their bedroom exploits to that list but lately, that side of their relationship had been going downhill too. It made her wonder if a fancy home and expensive clothes were enough but that was usually the moment she admitted to herself that despite her bravado, she did love Lex. As much as he had changed, she did love him. Smiling at her own romanticism, she stood from the chair and walked to the large stained glass windows, looking down on the lit gardens. High up the road at the gates, Lex swung his Porsche onto the driveway and sped up to the front door. Chloe watched him get out and slam the door shut behind him, a beaming smile creeping across her face as she heard his footsteps in the hallway and then the door handle being pushed down. She turned around to face him; he looked stunning in his navy wool suit and a familiar stirring in her groin made her smirk.

"I'm sorry about tonight, I hope Clark and Lana weren't too upset with me," he said, striding across the room and taking Chloe in his arms, brushing his lips lightly across her cheek.

"They understood, it was me who was pissed off," she said softly, leaning in and smelling the collar of his shirt, breathing in his scent. He moved back, their moment of affection too short lived for Chloe's liking.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," he smiled, kissing her briefly before moving to the drinks cabinet and pouring himself a glass of scotch.

"I'm going to take a bath," sighed Chloe, fully aware that Lex wouldn't display any more affection for her that night and would find it difficult to discuss anything other than business. "I'll leave the door unlocked if you want to come up later," She closed the library doors and wondered if Lex would take her up on the invitation, she walked up the main staircase bare-footed, enjoying the feel of the wood under her skin. She never imagined that she would be living in the Luthor family mansion, let alone living with Lex Luthor as her boyfriend. It was odd how easy it had been to adapt but she knew it was the money; at the start of their relationship she had refused all gifts and displays of his wealth had not impressed her but now, the security of being with Lex Luthor was comforting. Her wardrobe was overflowing with over-priced dresses that she had only ever worn once and matching shoes that had never touched her feet. Lately, she had started wearing more black, more leather and had added black streaks to her blonde hair. Not that Lex had noticed.

She was still intrigued by Lex despite his openness with her. She wanted to know everything about him as a teenager, as the original wild child but whenever she brought it up, he would simply tell her it was a past he'd rather forget and the conversation was over. It was hard for her, she was at the age where she wanted to go clubbing until six in the morning, experiment with drugs and live a little but Lex had already lived that life and he didn't want to go back. The issue of Lex's past was a stumbling block for Chloe, she was so desperate to see that wild side of him but it was the only thing he kept hidden from her. She smiled to herself, why did she always fall for men with secrets? She turned the bath taps and watched the whirling water fill the tub; she wondered again if Lex would join her but she knew it was wishful thinking, sleep was his only agenda tonight.

Lana had been worried that she would have nowhere to live once Chloe had moved in with Lex, but a show of affection from the most unlikely place had provided her with a small flat in the centre of Smallville. Her biological father, Henry Small, had clearly been keeping an eye on her even if she never got to see him anymore. She had every intention of refusing it but once Chloe announced her intentions to live at the mansion, Lana had no choice but to accept the overly expensive gift. She walked hand in hand with Clark up the street to her building, stopping outside the front door to fall into each other's arms. Lana had never expected her relationship with Clark to last this long; he was still secretive and often dashed off on strange missions that he refused to talk about when he inevitably returned to her but she had managed to work around it. She was willing to deal with the secretive side of him; she loved him far too much to give it all up over something so small.

"Are you coming up? I've got a present for you," she smiled; Clark frowned and kissed her cheek softly, breathing her in as he did.

"I can't. Dad's dragging me to some farmer's convention in Granville for a couple of days, remember? We're going first thing in the morning," said Clark, holding Lana to his chest.

"Will you be back for Friday? We're supposed to be going to Metropolis with Chloe and Lex," she whispered into his t-shirt. He pushed her away so he could look at her, stroking a hand down her face and leaning in to kiss her gently.

"I'll be back on Friday morning, you can give me my present then," he smiled, Lana laughed quietly and stood on her tip-toes to kiss Clark again before walking through the entrance to the building, leaving Clark to walk back down to the Talon and drive his truck back to the farm.