Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Twilight.

(Just a slight crossover with Vampire Knight because of my version of the Artemis Rod).

Okay, I'm SUPPOSED to be writing CHLOE/CLARK friendship oneshot, and yet here I am, writing this oneshot instead. You people are EVIL! Somehow you're killing my inspiration to write other stories (cries melodramatically).

Set after "When Rosalie Met Chloe" and "Meet the Cullens".

This should be a three-or-four-shot.

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Dodging the blade swinging for her head, Chloe ducked and twirled, kicking the feet from under her attacker, only giving her a couple of seconds advantage before the creature with the blade hands flipped expertly back onto his feet and charged her once more.

"Don't you guys ever give up?" Chloe asked, voice a pant, before diving to where Artemis had been flung out of her hands moments before. Her hands went around the Artemis Rod and with a swift flick of her wrist the rod elongated, crackling with what would seem like blue electric waves, turning into a deadly scythe worthy of the Angel of Death himself.

The creature glared, changing its stance, warier now that she had her weapon once more despite the fact that she was covered in slices, bleeding trails of thick red all over her body, and considerably weak.

"Aw, come on, don't you wanna dance?" Chloe taunted, twirling Artemis over her head before assuming a defensive position, eyes narrowed. "This time though, I lead."

Charging forwards Chloe swung the blade and twirled, only missing the demon by a millimeter. Twisting away from a jab of its blade, she swung Artemis and didn't even flinch as blade connected with bone and an inhuman screech echoed throughout Duncan's Field as warm blood spurted out from the stub that had once been the creature's right arm. The blood spurted out onto her face, drenching her in its warmth, bathing her in red.

The creature howled, falling to its knees and cradling the stub that'd once been its hand in agony, eyes flashing red and black.

"I asked you nicely." Chloe announced, standing before the defeated creature, Artemis resting behind her neck across her shoulders in a leisurely position. "I said 'I'm not even asking you to stop hunting---just stop hunting in Smallville.' Didn't I?"

The creature glared up at her, snarling.

"But would you listen? No. They never do." She sniffed, somewhat offended. "It's the height, isn't it? 5'3" just isn't intimidating."

The creature roared and threw itself at her.

With a swift movement Artemis was pulled from its place on Chloe's shoulders and more blood squirted out onto her as the creature suddenly fell to its knees, staring at her in horror before its head slid off its neck with a neat little slice.

Chloe closed her eyes and concentrated, only relaxing once she couldn't sense anything around her. She opened her eyes and sighed, shoulders slumping, her whole body in pain. Usually Clark was more help than this but Duncan's Field had an excessive amount of Kryptonite on it, just driving passed it made Clark feel a little woozy. Plus, he'd gone to help the League in India, had been with them for the last month.

I'm so tired.

Dropping to the muddy earth, Chloe pulled out her cellular and typed a quick message to an unlisted number.

Done.

Catapulting Sheep

Closing her eyes, Chloe fell back into the mud, exhausted. She'd had to fight five of those creatures and the battle had left her drained. The blonde really couldn't remember when she'd gone from the bubbly blonde with ambitions of working in the Daily Planet to the woman who spent her time dealing with the supernatural and battling it.

A beep from the phone in her hand caused her to slowly bring it to her gaze.

She was just so tired.

Excellent.

Lynching Leopards

Even though both her and Lex used phones that were supposed to be virtually impossible to trace they still left their few text messages brief and criminally vague. They'd even chosen the odd names with their initials just to add an extra measure of secrecy to their correspondence. It wouldn't do for Lionel Luthor to ever find out that his son was helping her.

Their odd alliance had begun years ago when they'd joined forces to send his father to jail for the murder of Lex's grandparents. Lex had kept Chloe as safe as he could but Lionel had men and creatures everywhere working for him, and a meteor freak had ended Chloe's life for the first time when she was only seventeen years old. Her dormant Meteor power had activated during her death, reviving her and leaving her forever seventeen.

Of course, prison hadn't been able to keep Lionel forever. A couple of months and a miraculous 'conversion' found him free and taking charge of his company once more. The elder Luthor swore that he was a new, different man, and somehow managed to fool everyone into believing he was a 'changed man'---everyone but Chloe and Lex, although the latter made the peace with his father to be able to keep a closer eye on the bastard.

It was disgusting how everyone was so happy to believe that Lionel Luthor could change from the morning to the night. He was considered a role model, an example of how the good in humanity could change people.

Chloe hadn't known whether to be angry or horrified when she'd discovered that Lionel had somehow managed to seduce Lana during one of her and Clark's many breakups. Of course, this breakup was supposed to have been it, but still, Lionel?

The blonde had had to console one heartbroken friend and try knock some sense into the other. Lana hadn't listened to Chloe, saying that the blonde had never let go of her 'grudge' and Chloe had found out with the rest of the world that Lana Lang was soon to be Lana Luthor.

Lex had found the news hilarious, Chloe horrifying, and Clark heartbreaking.

Of course, the marriage hadn't lasted long at all, and Lana had gotten a huge amount of money in her divorce settlement. Chloe never understood what prompted Lana to start Isis, but it was the first intelligent thing the brunette had done since she'd broken things off with Clark.

Lionel had then turned his attention on Chloe. She remembered being kidnapped and experimented on, the man trying to understand her meteor powers and seeing if she'd come back from any death. If it hadn't been for Lex discovering and slipping the information discreetly to Clark Chloe would probably have still been in that laboratory being killed in different ways for 'the advancement of science' and Lionel Luthor's own sick entertainment.

That was when she'd decided that she needed to disappear for a little while and learn how to defend herself. With the money she'd saved up for college she disappeared for a whole year, traveling the world and learning all she could.

It was in Japan that she found Artemis. She'd taken the mystical weapon off of a demon huntress' dead body, slaying the beast who'd killed Artemis' previous owner. Chloe had never been in a fight without Artemis since that day.

When she'd returned to Smallville a year later Chloe accepted the job Lana offered her running Isis and thankfully while Lionel was still interested in her he'd delved into other experiments using meteor rocks so he couldn't use his whole time to make her life impossible.

Instead he liked to sic his newest creations on her and see how she faired, if she lived---if she died---and if she came back to life.

Bastard needs to find a more constructive pastime.

Hooking a now compact and harmless Artemis into the strap around her upper thigh, Chloe tried to sit up but found that she didn't have the energy. Fighting hours on in with a vastly uneven number of enemies at once had taken a lot out of her, as had the various injuries she'd sustained during the fight.

Maybe Lex was right.

Maybe it was time she stopped fighting the minions and faced the tyrant.

I just don't think I'm strong enough to do so right now.

Curling up into a ball in the mud was agony, and yet Chloe did so, closing her eyes, wishing for the strength to stand up and at least stumble towards her car---or whatever was left of it. And yet she couldn't even find the energy to open her eyes.

If I don't get my injuries tended to I'll bleed to death.

Those were the last things she thought before succumbing to the darkness.

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"We got here too late. She's already dead."

A growl was heard and Chloe felt like she was rising. She was moving. She was cold.

"She'll wake up."

"We should take her home." A cold hand found its way to her throat. "No heartbeat, no pulse, I don't feel her breathing."

"I saidshe'll wake up."

"I never said she wouldn't. Stop being so testy, if it wasn't for me we wouldn't have known what was happening and be here you know."

"Let's take her home."

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"How's she fairing?"

Chloe felt warmth now, warmth and softness all around her.

And safety.

"Still nothing."

"Not even a faint heartbeat?"

"No."

Fingers of ice trailed down her cheek.

"She'll wake up."

"I know."

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"Where were you?"

Chloe wanted to moan, to groan, to let the voices know that she wasn't happy with the noise, with the tension.

"I returned to the field we found her in. I got a good look at the bodies of the creatures she fought. They---they are monsters. How could she have fought them off all by herself and won? She shouldn't have had to fight them! Not them nor the others!"

"You shouldn't have gone out, the sun's out strong."

"I wore the hoodie, don't worry."

"How can you say that? You're acting unlike yourself, you have been since the last time we were here."

"Alice. Now is not the time."

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"Did she ever mention to Rose how long she stays dead?"

Chloe is able to sense more now, like the texture of that voice, the presence of a body so familiar now from hours of its proximity. She recognizes the cool touch that has more than once softly brushed her hair from her face and the gentle caresses against her skin.

"Not from what I've heard. But she did mention the fact that she was dead for a couple of hours the first time."

"It's been a day."

"She'll wake up."

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When Chloe gasped her first breath of life it was agony. Blood began to be pumped through her now beating heart, flowing forcefully through veins and feeding muscles that'd begun to harden in death. People were always scared of death, but the worst part of dying was the rebirth.

It hurt like a bitch.

Green orbs flew open.

"Shhh, calm down." That soothing male voice whispered close to her, hand on her shoulder, keeping her pinned to the bed when she wanted to jolt up into a sitting position.

Chloe screamed, closing her eyes as tightly as she could, as her body's insides twisted and turned, tightened and relaxed, agony a part of her just like her breath.

And then it was all over, leaving her breathless, thoughtless and disoriented, lying heavily against the bed.

During it all his cold hand kept a protective hold on her, his voice soothing the fire that burnt her insides like hell.

"Here, drink some water slowly."

Chloe slowly opened her eyes as his arm went around her back and carefully raised her up so that she could drink the cold water from the glass he held to her white, parched lips. The liquid was nearly as heavenly as the cold of his skin, dousing the fire within her.

The blonde looked up at the one whose presence had been most present to her during the odd moments of awareness in death.

"Ed…ward…" her voice was hoarse and her throat scratchy.

"Hello." He smiled down at her, hair falling down into his face. "You gave us a scare. Do you always take this long to revive?"

"How---long?" Chloe rasped out before taking another longer sip of water.

"A day and a half." Edward grimaced, slowly lowering her back onto the bed when she'd drank her fill. "Maybe more. I stopped looking at the clock after the first day."

"Less----than usual." Chloe forced the words out, swallowing saliva desperately, trying to wet her throat enough so that it didn't hurt when she spoke. "Two days."

Of course, it depends on if I have to re-grow anything back.

Edward frowned, placing the half-empty glass of water back on the table. "What happened? Alice saw a vision of you fighting some monsters and dying, we caught the first flight out and broke every speed record from Metropolis to here but we couldn't make it on time."

"It's…nothing." Chloe took in a deep breath, looking around her room, wondering why it felt different. "The usual."

At least this time I fell unconscious before I died. I was so numb from the blood loss I only had a prickly sensation. Thank God. Last time wasn't this painless.

Edward's fists clenched. "You will return with us to Forks."

She snorted. "Yeah, right." Blinking when all she got was silence, Chloe turned her surprised eyes on a glowering Edward. "You're serious?"

"You are not safe here, Chloe."

"I have responsibilities here Edward!" Chloe vaguely realized that she was now able to speak normally, and that she'd managed to sit up on her own as well. The recovery process was surprisingly fast this time around. "I can't just abandon Isis, abandon everyone and run to Washington just because I got a little careless during a fight!"

"Chloe, I ventured out and saw the cadavers of these creatures you fought." Edward's eyes were black ice. "They were monsters, multiple monsters you had to duel with alone. It is amazing that you were able to kill them all before succumbing to your wounds! If you had been in Forks I---."

"J-just wait here mister!" Chloe leaned forwards and pressed her hand against his unbeating heart. "I don't need anyone to take care of me. I'm fine. See? Even if I die I come back good as new, all I need is a resting period." She pressed against his chest when he opened his mouth. "No, Edward. I get it, really I do. You come from a time when men had to be gallant and save the pretty damsels in distress. It's engrained in your brain, I get it, but I'm a feminist, and a damn strong one at that. I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

Edward watched her, eyes narrowed. "You will not come with me to Forks."

"No." Chloe shook her head. "My world is here. Chloe Sullivan has never run away from anyone or anything and isn't about to start to do it now."

The vampire continued to watch her before he stood, determined. "Then I will stay here."

Chloe nearly fell out of the bed. "What?"

"You obviously need protection and are too stubborn to accept the protection you'd have in Forks, so I will stay here and protect you."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What part of I don't need protection didn't you get?"

"The part where you actually believe it!"

The blonde metahuman and bronze-haired vampire glared at each other, at a stand still, neither backing down, growls and snarls escaping their lips.

"Did I come back at a bad time?"

Black and green orbs swerved to the doorway, where Alice stood, looking happy and a little nervous at the same time.

"Alice." Chloe smiled at the vampiress.

Alice grinned brightly and sauntered into the room, throwing herself on Chloe's bed and hugging the blonde. "We were worried about you. When I saw you dying Edward and I got on the first flight out."

"He told me." Chloe ignored the seething vampire and smiled at his 'sister'. "Thank you, but you really didn't have to do that."

"Of course not." Edward snorted to himself. "We should have left you dead in the mud, or so you keep saying."

Chloe glared at Edward. "All I said was that I didn't need protection!"

"The fact that you've died so many times says otherwise!" Edward shot back.

Chloe opened her mouth, realized that she had no comeback for that, and closed her mouth, deciding to just glare at him.

Edward, realizing he'd won that argument, smirked smugly at her.

Alice giggled. "You two are acting like children."

"He started it." Chloe grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

Edward snorted, looking away.

"You did!" Chloe gasped at his silent denial.

He scoffed.

Oooh! Next time I'll tell Rosalie to do something worse than tell all his obsessive fan club he secretly wants them!

Edward's eyes widened as he turned to Chloe in outrage. "That was you?!?"

The blonde paused, frowning slightly, wondering what he was talking about. "Huh?"

"You---you're the reason Jessica Stanley renewed her infernal stalking! You!" The vampire glared, pointing his finger accusingly at Chloe.

Chloe was confused for a moment, wondering how in the world---and then it all fell into place. "You can read my mind."

Edward froze.

Alice looked between vampire and metahuman, a large grin on her amused face.

"You can read minds and you never thought to warn me?!?" Chloe shrieked, outraged as she threw her pillow at him, hitting the vampire square on his face. "That's invasion of my privacy! How dare you?!?"

Edward held the pillow in front of him, glaring at her from over it. "I don't see any reason why I would have to tell you anything! It's not like you thought of anything incriminating or embarrassing." He paused, looking down at the pillow. "You---your brain is always working, you're always thinking. 'I have a meeting tomorrow with the my newest client.' 'How many weeks until I have to order more office supplies' 'I need to spend more time at work, those kids need me, we're doing so well' 'I won't lose to him' 'Even if I can help one of them this will have not been in vain'."

Alice smiled slightly.

"You never once think about the trivial nonsense women are usually consumed by." Edward paused for a second, refusing to look at her. "You---your thoughts are fascinating."

Chloe knew she was blushing as she looked up in surprise at Edward Cullen, unable to understand how he found her thoughts fascinating. If anything they proved just how dull she was. All the thoughts he'd mentioned were work-related, proving that she really didn't have a life outside of Isis.

Alice suddenly winced. "Uh oh."

"What?" Edward asked, turning to her with worry in his eyes.

"Rose just found out. She's pissed." Alice hugged herself before turning to a confused Chloe. "When I had the vision Rosalie and Emmett were out on a hunting trip. They just came back and Carlisle told her. She'll be calling us any sec--."

Immediately Alice's phone began to ring. "I hate being right." With a sigh she answered her phone and walked out of the room, Rosalie's shouting audible to the metahuman and the vampire who now watched each other in awkward silence.

For a lack of something to do, Chloe reached for the cup of water and finished the liquid with one large gulp, making sure her mind was purposely blank---something that seemed to annoy Edward.

"I don't get something." Chloe finally spoke, glancing up at the awkward looking vampire. "How could you know what I was thinking if you were all the way in Forks?"

"I---for some reason I can still hear you." Edward admitted, leaning against the wall, not looking at her, hugging her pillow to his chest. "Never happened before, usually I have to be in a certain distance from someone to hear what they're thinking."

"But you can hear my thoughts despite the fact that we're in different states?" Chloe asked, intrigued, forgetting her previous anger.

Edward finally looked and her and nodded.

Alice walked in, sighing. "Rosalie's coming with Emmett and Jasper. Says we should have tried harder to get into contact with her."

"I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about." Chloe announced. "I die all the time. It's no big deal."

Both vampires glared at her.

The sound of a car pulling up into the parking lot caused Chloe to suddenly wince and throw herself out of the bed, nearly tumbling as her feet caught in the blanket. "No No No No!" Hurrying to the window she peeked through the blinds and then jerked away, turning her back on the window and closing her eyes tightly. "Dammit."

"What?" Edward asked, by her side in a second. He peeked out of the window, gazed at the person striding towards the door purposely, and then turned his gaze on a visibly terrified Chloe. "Who is that?"

"My cousin." Chloe squeaked. "I was supposed to meet her at a bar last night! She thinks I stood her up! I'm dead! AGAIN!"

Alice just giggled, not helping the situation one bit.

The sound of a furious Lois Lane pounding on the front door reverberated throughout the house.

"Does your cousin know about you and what you do?" Edward asked carefully.

"She knows that I'm a metahuman---the second time I died was because I brought her back to life." Chloe whispered, eyes still closed. "But she doesn't know about vampires, demons, and the rest. She thinks that Metahumans are the extent of the weirdness in the world!"

The pounding got fiercer.

"CHLOE ANN SULLIVAN! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

Alice got up and skipped out of the door.

"Where are you going?" Chloe hissed at her.

Alice paused and twirled in the doorway, grin bright. "To let her in, of course." And with that she skipped away, giggling to herself.

Chloe groaned and leaned her head back against the window frame. "Hey Edward? Is that offer of protection still standing?"

She couldn't help but whimper when all he did was chuckle.

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Not sure if I'll let Lois into the vampiric secret or not. Will see what goes down.

Review?