The Bachelor (R)

[scifichick774]

Title: The Bachelor
Author: scifichick774
Rating: R
Category: Romance/Humor/Drama
Spoilers: Everything through the spoilers for season 3 at Kryptonsite.
Summary: Semi x-over with the reality show of the same name. Chloe/Lex
Disclaimer: Obviously not mine. I’m just playing with the imaginary characters’ lives for fun and not for profit.
Feedback: Yes please.
Archival: Sure – just let me know where.
Author’s Note: Kind of a rip-off of Rant’s reality show idea, so thanks for that hon. ;) Also, you should know that I don’t watch the show that this sort of crosses over with (The Bachelor), so there will probably be a lot of inconsistencies. Just ignore them and pretend that they’re not there if you’re a fan of the other show. Oh – and Lana will be slightly OOC – because I’d like to believe that she becomes less self-centered after she marries Pete.

~*~*~*~*~*~

*Beep*

“Hey honey, it’s Dad. Just called to see how the meeting went. Give me a call back when you get home.”

Chloe sighed and tiredly ran a hand around the back of her neck. The meeting in question had gone exceptionally well, but the promotion her editor had offered her as a field correspondent would mean a move back to Kansas – Metropolis specifically – and she wasn’t sure she wanted that.

After all, there were reasons that she chose to go to college in Gotham; that she took extraordinarily heavy class-loads to graduate a full year early; and that she took a job in that city despite offers from other papers across the country.

Though it was true that she missed seeing her dad more than a couple of times a year, she had no desire to tempt fate and pick at old wounds.

*Beep*

The sound of the answering machine signaling another message snapped her out of her thoughts and she found herself staring at the small black plastic box expectantly.

“Miss Sullivan,” a chipper female voice started. “This is Janice Gooding with ‘The Bachelor’. I have great news for you!”

Chloe furrowed her brow in confusion and then reached out with her hand, her index finger hovering above the delete button as the woman continued.

“Your friend Lana Ross sent in an application for you to be a contestant on our show; and from that, the pictures, and the candid video footage we received, we’ve selected you to be a participant for our next show.”

Chloe’s eyes widened as Janice left her office number – a number whose area code she recognized as being in Los Angeles – and said that she’d be receiving a packet via courier the next day with release papers for her to sign and travel accommodations to the island where the show was going to be filmed this time.

Chloe listened to the message again to assure herself that she had indeed heard it correctly and then gritted her teeth as she removed her cordless phone from its base on the wall.

She grumbled under her breath and paced impatiently while she held the phone to her ear and waited for someone to pick up on the other end of the line.

“Hello?”

“Hey Pete – it’s Chloe.”

“Hey! How’s it going?!” Pete asked excitedly. “Gotham treating you okay?”

“Fine – good,” Chloe answered, not wanting to get into specifics of what was going on in her life at that exact moment. “You?”

“*Really* good. Just found out last week that Luthor’s gonna be out of town for a whole two weeks next month.”

Chloe smiled.

“I still can’t believe you’re working for him.”

Pete snorted.

“Join the club,” he said. “And it’s been what? Almost three years now?”

Chloe blinked. Had that much time really gone by? She quickly did the minor calculations in her mind, remembering that Pete had finally sucked up his pride and pitiful family vengeance to get a job at Lex Corp when Lana told him that she was pregnant with their first child. It had been Chloe’s second year in Gotham, the year before she graduated, so the timing fit.

“Wow.”

“Yeah. So what were you calling about?”

“Actually, I needed to talk to Lana. Is she there?”

“Yep. Hold on a sec.”

She heard him call out Lana’s name even though the receiver was muffled by what she assumed was Pete’s hand.

“Chloe?”

“Lana,” greeted tersely, though not as much anger fueling her voice as there would have been if she hadn’t spoken to Pete first. “You’re a dead woman.”

“Excuse me?”

“You signed me up to be on *‘The Bachelor’*?”

“Oh,” Lana said. “Oh! What happened? Did they call you? Do they want to set up an interview…or…they didn’t turn you down, did they?”

“They want me to be on their next show,” Chloe sourly informed her. “Apparently all the stuff you sent them was enough for them to bypass this interview thing you mentioned.”

“Chloe! That’s great!”

“No. No it’s not. If I wanted to be on some stupid reality show, then I would have signed up myself, Lana.”

“No you wouldn’t have.”

“Because I don’t want to be on the show!”

“Chloe…” Lana said, trailing off as she thought about how best to phrase her argument. “When was the last time you went out on a date?”

“Last week.”

“Oh,” Lana said in surprise, causing Chloe to roll her eyes. “Well, when was the last time you went out with the same guy more than once?”

“It’s called being selective, Lana.”

“It’s called being a workaholic, Chloe,” Lana countered. “It’s like you’ve been super driven toward nothing but journalism since junior year.”

Chloe closed her eyes as Lana’s words brought back memories that she had trying desperately to repress.

She had gotten in over her head while trying to gain information on her friend Clark Kent for Lionel Luthor. His son, Lex, offered to come to her rescue, but then fell into a web of lies and drugs that Lionel wove for him, and she had to end up rescuing him instead by helping Clark to get Lex out of a mental institution.

The next half year bounced her back and forth in the ongoing battle between the Luthor men, the end of which was brought on by Lex copying his father’s example and drugging him; but the substance he used wasn’t intended to make Lionel seem crazy to everyone else, it was given to kill him.

Chloe lived with the guilt every day that she had never turned Lex in even though she had witnessed everything; trying to ease it over time with the same excuse she had given herself at the time: Lionel made Lex’s life a living hell from day one and he would have destroyed hers as well. He needed to be taken care of.

She realized that Lana was still prattling on about something and took a breath as she tried to focus on what the other woman was saying.

“You’ll kill yourself if you keep living that way. You need some sort of balance.”

“And competing with a bunch of other women over some loser is supposed to provide that balance?”

“Well…not when you put it that way. I just meant marriage in general,” Lana said. Chloe sighed and Lana frowned sympathetically. “If nothing else, it’s being held on an island in the Caribbean this time. Maybe you could just look at it like a vacation. And who knows? You might like the guy.”

~*~*~*~

Three weeks later...the island of St. Vincent…

“Okay, now that we’ve gone over all the rules and introductions, I’d like to remind you – before we bring out our bachelor – that all of the paperwork you’ve signed is legally binding,” Chris Harrison, the host of the television program said. “Meaning: if you’re lucky enough to be that one special girl and you accept his proposal, then you will be required, and have already agreed, to sign a prenuptial agreement. Is that understood?”

Murmurs went through the crowd and the brunette sitting next to Chloe leaned toward her.

“I bet that means he’s rich,” she half-whispered, practically giddy at the prospect.

“Probably,” Chloe agreed in a bored voice.

She’d been surrounded by these people since her plane touched down two hours before and she was already sick of them. There were maybe five of the other contestants that she could stand to talk to for more than ten minutes at a time, and all of them were there because their friends or families had volunteered them as well.

The woman sitting next to her was not one of them.

Chloe glanced down at her watch. According to the itinerary that had been handed out, they had four hours of ‘mingling’ with the bachelor after he was introduced and then they got some free time while the man made his decision on who to cut from the first round.

‘*Four hours*,’ Chloe thought grimly. ‘Maybe I can just say something to let him know that I’m not interested and he’ll let me leave early.’

“Alright, then without further ado,” Chris said, bringing Chloe’s attention back up to him. “I give you, your bachelor, Lex Luthor.”

Chloe’s eyes grew wide in a combination of mortification and panic, only relaxing a little when the woman next to her scrunched up her face in disgust as Lex walked out.

“He’s *bald*,” she said with obvious repulsion. “Ugh. Just my luck. The one time I decide to go out for the show is the first time they decide to get some follicley-challenged guy. Like I really want *that* gene passed onto my kids? Not.”

Chloe opened and closed her mouth in surprise and the woman, whose nametag read ‘Cynthia’, looked over at her.

“What?” Cynthia asked.

“First of all, he’s bald because of radiation from a meteor shower he was caught in when he was a kid,” Chloe said in a hushed voice so as not to draw unwanted camera attention to herself. “And second, hair loss and baldness are passed down from the mother’s side, not the father’s.”

Preparing herself for a catty comeback or a snotty look, Chloe was taken off guard when Cynthia’s hands flew up to her hair.

“Oh God no,” she whimpered pleadingly. “You’re joking, right? Just joking?”

Chloe shook her head a little and Cynthia cringed.

“Wig?” Chloe asked compassionately.

“No – but my mom ---”

“Gotcha.”

“God. You don’t see any like…patches or anything do you?” Cynthia asked, leaning down a little so Chloe could check her hair.

“Nope. You’re all clear – er – you know what I mean,” Chloe said with an embarrassed, yet bemused smile. Cynthia let out a breath of relief. “Maybe the gene skipped you, or is recessive or whatever.”

Cynthia nodded.

“Still,” she said. “I better blow this guy off just in case. I mean, if he was really rich then he obviously could have afforded transplants or something. That prenup thing is probably just something they tell every group of women.”

Unsure of any response that wouldn’t make her sound like a bitch or inadvertently end up forcing another shallow bimbo at Lex, Chloe merely grinned.

She noticed that the women were standing up to get in a line to go shake hands with and say hello to Lex and she sighed in resignation.

‘This should be interesting.’





TBC…

[Impress]

ok I agree with Chloe. This should be interesting. can't wait for Lex's reaction. more soon.

[vardaquareien]

Originally posted by scifichick774@Nov 30 2003, 02:28 PM
‘This should be interesting.’
...yeah you can say that again!!!

Poor Chloe! I would've killed Lana for doing that...well actually she wouldn't have to do anything for me to kill her! :devil:

Can't wait to see what you're gonna do with this one!

[slayer44]

It's going to be hilarious to see his reaction when he see's Chloe. Can't wait for an update :)

[hfce]

Oh this sounds good. :biggrin: More please...




Hope :chlexsign2:

[Robyn]

EEEEEE! This story is awesome. Great beginning. And I also can't wait to see how he reacts. Update soon pleeeease. :chlexsign1:

[ColumbiaBlue]

Loving this already!!! :yay2: :yay2: :yay2: I can't wait to see Lex's reaction when he sees Chloe!

~Manda

[Not An Addict]

Oh god . . . the idea of Lex on 'The Bachelor' . . . you know, if you wanted to kill me there were easier ways. A knife. A gun. A good fast-acting poison. But no, not you. You choose to make me laugh myself to death. You're cruel, woman. CRUEL!! That being said, I can't WAIT to see what happens next! I know it's probably not why you named her Cynthia, but I just keep seeing that character from 'Days of Our Lives'. Hee! Ok, time for some islandy Chlex. And . . . ACTION!

[drina]

Oh yes! I love this reality show. Can't wait to see how Lex will react when he sees Chloe there as one of the participants vie-ing for his hand. :biggrin:

[BrightStar]

Oh Kris, this is just too funny. I don't watch 'The Bachelor' either, but I am soooo ready to laugh my butt off. Like Chloe, I can't wait to see how 'interesting' this meeting turns out. More soon!

:biggrin:

~Galen

[sara_noele]

And so there is another story of yours I adore. :wub:

Can't wait to see how Lex reacts.

[miss_sixty1115]

Great beginning... Can't wait to see how lex will react... More soon please

Julie ;)

[nickielh]

This should definatly be a very interesting story. Can't wait to see how it pans out.

Nickie

[autumngold]

I can't wait to find out what Chloe will say to Lex when she greets him! Will he be surprised to see her, or did he set this all up with Lana? The beginning of your story is so great, I think I'm addicted yet again to another one of your wonderful stories!! You rock!! :chlexsign4:

[randa]

i cant wait until they meet. the shock!! another wonderful beginning as always

randa

[Lulucifer]

Oh.....this is good. :wub: wonder if Lana knew it was Lex....or maybe Lex put Lana up to it...hehehe....write more soon. great story.

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: :worship2: :biggrin: Fantatic!!!! Yet another great story!!!!! I am adicted already!!!!

[Béatrice]

I have to admit that for once this stupid Lana made something good. Thanks to her interention, Lex and Chloe will spend some time together. :hehe:
It's going to be really interesting. I can't wait for the next part. :yay:

[WolviesLover]

Oh you've outdone yourself this time. This is hysterical! I can't wait for more. *wraps self around leg until you come back and update*

[Kendrix03]

Can't wait until Lex arrives :biggrin: This is a great ff idea and I can't wait until the next update.

[Sab_Luthor]

oh oh oh oh c'mon come back please you can't let us just like that please come back you are killing with all this suspens

[argentlife]

Is it just me or do I sense a back story between Chloe and Lex?

*just sitting here, waiting for the update*

Loved the story, the idea is just wonderful and to read how Chloe's handled that *cough* bitch *cough* was hilarious.

Thanks for another great start

[happy bunny]

Ooh, I'm gonna love this, I know it. Can't wait for some chlex interaction, it will definitely prove to be interesting. One little question, what's Lex doing on the Bachelor to begin with? Feel free to ignore.

Oh yeah, and update soon.

[ladymichelle]

I love it! :yay2: :yay2:
I can't wait to see how Lex reacts to Chloe or how the other girls will react when they learn that Chloe and Lex have history.
Update soon please!

Michelle

[sylvia]

Oh wow, very interesting first chapter! Can't wait for the next update :)

[ghostwriter]

heh, interesting, veeeeeeeeeeeeeery interesting. :biggrin: Can't wait to see how lex reacts lol

[airria]

I always hated this show, but i just love the chlex version! :wub:

More please soon!

[jem]

oooooohhhh.... exciting stuff... please please update soon!?

[Not An Addict]

You know, you said you'd update this afternoon . . . and then you didn't . . . and then I CRIED. Is that what you want, Kris? To make me weep? You cruel, heartless thing. No, in all actuality, I realize something probably came up that prevented you from posting. But pleeeeeease update soon! Pretty please? I'll give you a pony. ^_~

[scifichick774]

“Do you mind if I take cuts?” Cynthia asked. “I really hate to leave you with him after I let him know that he has no chance, but you know, it’s like a band-aid. You just have to do it.” Chloe blinked at Cynthia’s mixed metaphor and then grinned as she politely stepped behind her. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Unfortunately, it was a problem. It left Chloe right smack at the back of the line, and she had a bad feeling that she would be expected to stay and chat with Lex a little longer than the others had while the crew got the ‘informal gathering’ set up.

‘Maybe he won’t recognize me,’ Chloe thought hopefully. ‘You’re wearing a nametag,’ a little voice inside her head pointed out. Chloe frowned, looking off to the side so Lex couldn’t see her face as Cynthia approached him.

“Hi…Cynthia. Nice to meet you,” Lex said, shaking the young woman’s hand.

“Ye-ah – about that ---” Cynthia started, trailing off and giving him a slight grimace. Lex arched an eyebrow. “No offense, but I can already tell that we’re not compatible. So, if you’d cut me out of the running tonight – that’d be terrific. Thanks.”

She patted Lex’s upper arm somewhat condescendingly and then shuffled off to talk to some of the other women who were standing by the buffet table.

“O-kay,” Lex strung out under his breath.

‘Shit,’ Chloe thought. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and plastered a fake smile on her face as she awaited his reaction to seeing her there.

“Chloe?” Lex asked in startled surprise.

“Lex,” she returned.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Chloe pointed out. “Last time I checked, you didn’t need any help in finding a wife.”

“I lost a bet,” Lex said dismissively with a slight shrug of one shoulder. “It happens. What’s your excuse?”

“Lana signed me up without my knowledge.”

A corner of Lex’s mouth lifted upward.

“Will funeral arrangements be necessary?”

“She’s alive…for now.”

Lex gave her a curt nod of his head.

“Even if she did apply for you – you could have easily opted not to participate,” he said in an observational tone. “Why come on the show if you weren’t interested?”

Chloe smiled, though it was more cat-like than amused.

“Two words: Caribbean island. When you live in a city like Gotham, that’s a hell of an incentive.”

“Ah. So, you were…what? Hoping to get a tan and that the guy wouldn’t choose you?”

“Something like that,” Chloe said with a more genuine smile.

“Okay,” Chris said, slapping his hand on top of Lex’s shoulder. “It looks like you two are hitting it off, but you need to spread your time out a little more evenly. The other girls are starting to get jealous,” he continued with a wink, not so covertly motioning Lex toward the small groups of women waiting to vie for his attention.

Chloe snickered and Lex turned back to face her.

“You find this amusing, don’t you?”

“Kind of,” Chloe admitted, her smile softening at Lex’s displeased look. Apparently he *really* didn’t want to be there any more than she did. “Come on Lex, you have to admit that the whole situation is kind of funny. Billionaire playboy forced to go on a reality show because he lost a bet with…”

“Your ex actually.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. The only man she had sort-of dated that Lex would know about was Clark, and the last she had heard they weren’t exactly on speaking terms.

“Wayne has a really sick sense of humor,” Lex continued, his lips curling into an oddly twisted smirk after the words came out of his mouth. “Although, it looks like I get the last laugh.”

“Bruce?” Chloe asked. “I went out with him *twice*, Lex. That hardly constitutes an *ex* status. Of course, with *your* relationship history, I suppose…”

Lex gave her a tight, non-humored grin.

“No need to get into that,” he said. “After all, this show is about my possible future, not my past.”

Chloe glanced past where Chris was standing, looking back and forth between them with a mixture of irritation and suspicion, to the women gathered to clamor for Lex’s attention.

Then she let a derisive, scoffing snort slip from her nose.

“Good luck with that,” she said mockingly, leaving Lex to stand there in surprise while she walked away to talk to one of the few women she got along with; the one who coincidentally happened to be the closest to a possible exit.

If timed correctly, she could slip away from the group and the cameramen, and have some time to herself on the beach before Lex gave her the boot during the first round’s eliminations.

“Well, that was different,” Chris said. “It almost seemed like you two knew each other.”

“We do. We haven’t seen each other in a few years, but ---”

“Oh. That’s…unexpected. I’ll have to consult with legal to see if she can stay on the show or not.”

“I thought that was my decision.”

“It was – I mean – it is…maybe,” Chris uncharacteristically stammered. He plastered a clearly fake, really nervous smile on his lips. “Hey – look! You r future bride could be in that bunch. Better go find her.”

~*~*~*~

“And then I thought – why not just combine them?” a woman said as if it was the most obvious conclusion in the world, flailing her hands excitedly in front of her as she spoke to Lex. “I made regional manager the next month,” she continued proudly, oblivious to his boredom. “Can you believe it?”

“Remarkable,” Lex replied with no enthusiasm whatsoever and then looked pointedly down at his watch in the hopes that the woman would get the hint.

She didn’t.

It had been like that for the last four hours. From boring to vapid, to just plain trying too hard; Lex hadn’t met one woman that stirred enough feeling in him to even make him want to have sex, let alone get married.

‘Well, there was…’ he trailed off, refusing to complete the thought.

The unexplained reunion with the one person other than himself who knew how his father had really died had gone smoother than he would have expected it to, but that was the problem. It had gone *too* smoothly.

The lively banter he had long ago referred to as verbal judo was still there, but now it was perfected rather than coarse, and perfection was unsettling – especially when he was associating the word with Chloe Sullivan.

With someone like Lana Lang, it would have been fine to use the word, because it was everyone else’s idea of perfection – not his. But with Chloe…he had never applied anyone’s standards to her other than his own and the fact that he had now subconsciously associated the word ‘perfect’ with her in any sort of context was…disturbing.

He made a silent vow to make Bruce Wayne suffer dearly when he got back to the ‘real world’.

Lex’s eyes scanned the large room for the woman who was occupying far too many of this thoughts. If he could talk to her again before the ‘party’s’ time ran out in a couple of minutes, then perhaps he could see her for who she truly was, who he had always pictured her as.

Clark’s bubbly teenaged friend who got in over her head when she agreed to work for his father.

Except she wasn’t.

Not anymore.

The beautiful, confident woman he had bantered with had more than shoved that fact in his face without even trying.

He frowned when he looked all over the room but couldn’t find her. Even if there was no physical attraction between them, at least their conversations provided some sort of mental stimulation; and that was much more than he could say for the woman he was supposed to be talking to.

He motioned to Chris with a lift of his eyebrows, pursing his lips a little when the man scurried over to him.

“Problem?” Chris asked, causing the woman Lex had been listening to yammer on to let out an offended huff of air and stomp away.

“Where’s Chloe?” Lex responded.

He needed to speak with her and get the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach settled once and for all. They would talk and he would either convince himself that their previous conversation had merely been a fluke, the familiarity of it being what caused the spark of…something…to run through his veins.

Or, they would talk and he would see their relationship for what it was, what it should have been all along. Friendship.

Lex was fine with either of those options, conveniently denying the possibility of a third.

“Chlooooeee,” Chris strung out, hoping that rolling the name off his tongue would equate the name with a face.

“The woman I know,” Lex said to remind him.

“Oh! Um…” Chris paused and looked around, but didn’t see her. “I don’t know. Maybe she went to the bathroom?”

Lex caught sight of the open patio doors smirked. It was so like the Chloe he used to know to take a good opportunity when one presented itself.

“Or escaped,” he said, more than half-tempted to follow her example.

Chris followed his gaze and then shook his head in opposition to Lex’s suggestion.

“I’m pretty sure those doors have been open the whole time,” he said. “There’s no reason to think that ---”

Lex slapped him on the back.

“Just find her before the elimination bit.”

“But that’s not until tomorrow morning.”

‘Oh, God,’ Lex inwardly groaned. “I thought it was supposed to be on the first night.”

“Usually it is, but since the participants had to fly here…”

‘At least I’m staying in a different house so I don’t have to spend my entire night with these people,’ Lex thought and then gave Chris a tight grin. “Well, I guess that gives you ample time to find her then, doesn’t it?”

[Béatrice]

Why did you stop here? I want more. Please! :yay:

[nickielh]

I'll second that...........More Please! Great update.

Nickie

[miss_sixty1115]

Great great job!!! More please!!!!

Julie ;)

[Not An Addict]

Hee hee! Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Why do I get the feeling that somewhere in Gotham Batman is kicking criminal ass with just a bit more joviality than usual? ^_~ Ok, initial conversation: great. Lex denying the possibility of wanting her: beautiful. And am I the only one secretly rooting for crazy naked moonlit beach sex? No? Ok, good. ^_~ This is fantastic. Your muse is on the right track focusing on this one, I feel. More, pretty please!

[randa]

ok, im ready for my second...wait, third helping cause this is too much fun!
i know you have that whole rotation thing, but you should just skip that and write mostly this :biggrin: , ok, so i know its not fair to the others, but im greedy so i want more!!

randa

[hfce]

More please :worship2:


Hope :blinkkiss:

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: love it!!!! just fantastic!! :worship2:

[ColumbiaBlue]

Why'd you stop it theeerrreee?? :crygreen: We're dying for more, don't cha know!


And am I the only one secretly rooting for crazy naked moonlit beach sex?

I SO agree with you! Lots of it too! Damn that Chris guy or whatever his name was for making Lex mingle with the other airheads. Can't he recgonize chemistry when he sees it? Update update update soon!!!

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[Susie Q]

Ok, I’ve never actually watched the show but I know the general premise and I find the thought of Chlex going ‘The Bachelor’ route insanely funny. I can’t wait to see where you take this. Although this 'crazy naked moonlit beach sex' thing sounds like a pretty good idea. :tongue:

[ghostwriter]

As much as i want an update for deserted (and that's a lot, lol) i'm all for leaving the rotation thing and just getting la load of this, and plenty of beach sex in the mix of course.

Can't wait for an update :biggrin:

Ellie

(sorry i didn't review earlier but i was in a hurry :blush: )

[Lulucifer]

Yay, an update. So where the heck is Chloe?? Did she get into some kinda trouble??? knowing how she is with that sorta thing.
Write more soon.
:chlexsign4:

[ladymichelle]

This story is awesome! And although I love Deserted I am very happy that you updated this one instead!
I would love to hear what some of the other girls had to say about the attention Chloe is getting from Lex.

Michelle

[jem]

oh yay update.......

please do it again soon

[vardaquareien]

crazy naked moonlit beach sex

crazy naked moonlit beach sex

crazy naked moonlit beach sex

:blush: Sorry, I just read the words crazy naked moonlit beach sex and all other thought went flying out of my head :drool:

So....add my vote for crazy naked moonlit beach sex!!! :yay3:


...oh and great update! :hehe: - want more!!!

[sara_noele]

Get her back, now!!

Love the story and you can add me to list of people-who-want-crazy-moonlight-sex!!!

[drina]

I'm surprised that cynthia didn't go gaga over him. after all, he's LEx!

[Sab_Luthor]

Originally posted by ColumbiaBlue@Dec 4 2003, 10:17 PM
Why'd you stop it theeerrreee?? :crygreen: We're dying for more, don't cha know!



I SO agree with you! Lots of it too! Damn that Chris guy or whatever his name was for making Lex mingle with the other airheads. Can't he recgonize chemistry when he sees it? Update update update soon!!!

~Manda :blinkkiss:
i totaly agree with you
this chris is so stupid
update soon

[WolviesLover]

Woo! Nice update, as always. Can't wait for more!

[scifichick774]

The next morning…

Lex groaned when he saw the cameras already filming him as he slipped out of his bed.

“I don’t think the viewers are going to care about *my* morning routine, guys. How about you take your cameras over to the house where the women are staying?”

“There are plenty of guys over there,” one of the cameramen said in a reassuring tone.

“Lucky bastards,” the other man added.

“Yeah. You see that blonde that straggled in after dinner? They reamed her bad, but man – hot!”

Lex cleared his throat to bring their full attention back to him and was about to ask about ‘the blonde’ when the first cameraman spoke again.

“Anyway, we’re the ones assigned to you for the first part of the day.”

“Great,” Lex mumbled with heavy sarcasm.

He left the room to take a shower and get dressed, scenarios of Chloe ‘straggling in’ flitting through his head. Surely she wasn’t so upset over having to be there that she would have gone and gotten drunk, but Lex could think of little else that the cameraman had meant other than just using the word as a general term. He made a mental note to ask him about it later.

That thought in his mind, he walked into the dining room to get breakfast, practically running straight into Chris and the cameras following his every move.

“So, what do you think?” Chris asked.

“Other than the fact that this is a monumental invasion of privacy?” Lex retorted.

“No – I meant about the girls,” Chris clarified. “Tough call or do you have a pretty good idea of who you want to get rid of?”

“I don’t suppose ‘all of them’ is an option?”

Chris resisted groaning in exasperation, but just barely. The people in editing were going to have their work cut out this time around.

“What about Chloe?” he finally asked, slipping into his television persona with frightening ease. “She managed to slip by our cameras and got reprimanded for sneaking away from the ‘get to know you’ party to go sunbathe, but for the small amount of time you were talking to her yesterday, there seemed to be some spark-age.”

‘Sunbathe?’ Lex thought, frowning when he had to forcefully push away mental pictures of Chloe lying on a towel on the beach clad in nothing but a bikini. “You’re mistaking chemistry with the comfort of seeing a familiar face in an uncomfortable situation. As I told you yesterday, Chloe and I already know each other, so of course our conversation seemed more at ease than the other ones.”

“Right,” Chris said almost dismissively. “So…did you try the dating thing and it just didn’t work out? Or…”

“We were friends of a friend,” Lex interrupted shortly.

“Ahh,” Chris strung out. “And you didn’t want to go out because you thought that the mutual friend might get hurt. Interesting.”

“I didn’t say that,” Lex objected.

“But now you’re both here,” Chris cut in, trying to get *some* good clips for the show. “Maybe it’s fate.” Lex squared his jaw with impatience. “Any hints as to else might make the cut?”

“No.”

Chris paled a little at Lex’s menacing tone, but tried not to let it phase his onscreen persona too much.

“Secretive – hmm – well, some women like that,” he said. Turning away from Lex, he placed a cheesy game-show host smile onto his face as he stared into the camera. “And we’ll see what our bachelor likes – and doesn’t like - in a woman when we come back from commercial break for our first set of eliminations.”

The cameras stopped rolling and Chris sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“I know you’re not here by choice, but you’re killing me here. Can’t you work with the guidelines of the show a *little* bit?”

Ignoring Chris, Lex frowned down at the food that was set out on the table. Whatever little appetite he had died the second he saw Chris and the camera crew, so he lifted his eyes and gave Chris a dry expression before motioning to the door with his head.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

~*~*~*~

The selection of who was to stay and who was to leave went by with incredible speed and Chris cursed under his breath as Lex showed no emotional reaction whatsoever to letting any of the women go. They were going to have to put some sort of suspenseful music in the background or people would stop watching the show after the first episode.

After considerable pleading on Chris’s part, Lex managed to only whittle down the number of women to fifteen instead of zero. And much to her surprise, Chloe was one of the women remaining.

She pulled him to the side when the cameras seemed to be focused on the women’s reactions to the news – be it good or bad – and glared at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed quietly so she wouldn’t gain the cameramen’s attention.

“What do you mean?” Lex asked with false innocence and a tiny smirk.

Chloe looked at him pointedly.

“You know what I mean.”

Lex grinned.

“Our conversation yesterday was cut short and since you chose to go get a tan rather than stick around for the excruciating four hours that I was forced to endure with the rest of those women, I thought you might have more to say.”

“So, this is your way of punishing me because I didn’t stick around to watch you *not* make a love connection?”

“It’s sounds petty and mean-spirited when you say it that way,” Lex said. “Just look at it as a couple more days of vacation.”

Chloe grumbled something under her breath, but then released a sigh and a small smile slid across her lips.

“Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

“No problem. Of course, it *does* come with the condition that you tell me how you managed to sneak out of here with your swimsuit for sunbathing yesterday.”

“I…uh…didn’t,” Chloe said. Lex arched an eyebrow and Chloe tried to push down the blush that she could feel rising to her cheeks. “But the beaches around here are pretty secluded because of the shoot and ---”

“You lay out *naked*?”

“Shh,” Chloe scorned when Lex’s voice rose too high and she got a couple of looks from the women who were waiting in thrown-together lines to have their one-on-one time with the cameras in the other room. “Do you mind? I already got bitched out in front of everybody yesterday. They don’t need to know all the details too.”

“Since when did you start caring about what other people thought or said about you?”

“Since you sentenced me to another two or three days here,” Chloe retorted. “Or did you not know that I have to share a room with four other women?”

“I’m sure that will change now that ten of them are leaving,” Lex said, his tone a mixture of consolation and teasing.

“Somehow I doubt it,” Chloe grumbled. “They’ll probably use the extra rooms for storage space or something.”

Lex let out a low chuckle.

“So, may I assume that Lana will be facing some sort of horrible death after we get back?”

“*We*?”

‘Damn,’ Lex thought, not even noticing his slip of the tongue until Chloe caught it. “You weren’t going to wait for me so I could watch? I’m hurt, Chloe,” he quickly covered, earning an amused smile from the woman he was talking to.

“Well, it’s not like you were planning to make a tape for me of you getting even with Bruce.”

“You live in Gotham,” Lex said with a shrug. “You could probably catch it on the news.”

“I could,” Chloe agreed. “If I watched the news.”

Lex arched an eyebrow at her.

“You’re a journalist.”

“A *print* journalist.”

“Only because you turned down the anchor job at KLAB.”

“I’m not even going to ask how you know about that, but I turned it down for a *reason*.”

“Ahh – the snobbery finally shows through.”

“It’s not snobbery – it’s self preservation. I’m already being stalked by some weirdo who calls himself ‘the Scarecrow’. And like you’re one to talk anyway,” Chloe pointed out.

Lex’s expression fell serious.

“You’re being stalked?”

“By a guy who calls himself *the Scarecrow* – or weren’t you listening?”

“From what I’ve heard, lots of villains in Gotham give themselves nicknames.”

“No,” Chloe corrected. “The papers give them nicknames – all except Scarecrow, who comes on the scene decked out as a *scarecrow* and declares who he is as he’s pulling off a gem heist. What happened to the good old days of the bad guys not wanting to get caught by the police?”

Lex snickered.

“Did he get caught?”

“Sadly no,” Chloe said. “But only because most of the members of Gotham’s finest are either paid off or incompetent.”

“And what about Batman?” Lex asked jokingly.

Chloe smiled.

“In the middle of a hostage situation at the Gotham Museum of Art at the time,” she said, continuing on in a generally patronizing tone. “It was almost as if the Scarecrow and the Joker had it planned.”

Lex smirked.

“Which is what you hinted to in your article,” he said knowingly.

“Somebody has to point out the obvious – even if it does only earn the admiration of the criminals who plotted out the crimes.”

“Hey! Great!” Chris said, clapping his hands once loudly as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “I talked to legal and everything’s cool – no problem having you on the show.”

“You thought there would be?” Chloe asked in surprise.

“Only because you already knew each other,” Chris said in his defense. “But everything’s fine. For some reason, they just said to do whatever you said,” he told Lex with confusion.

Lex gave him a tight, but humored grin.

“Great. Let’s start by sending everyone else home too.”

Chris laughed.

“Pretty sure they didn’t mean that much – but nice try,” he said, slapping Lex on the back and earning a scathing look from the bachelor. “Right. Okay. Group dates are the next thing on the agenda and the production crew has set up primarily beach related activities given our location…”

“Can’t say they don’t know how to get ratings,” Chloe mumbled, causing Chris to look at her questioningly. “Girls in bikinis,” she provided with a condescending smile.

“Oh. Right. Yeah,” Chris said before clearing his throat. “But there’s some other stuff too – sailing, shopping, dining out…”

“Sunbathing naked,” Lex said with a smirk and a teasing, pointed look at Chloe.

Chloe rolled her eyes but Chris looked horrified by the suggestion.

“No, no!” he objected. “They’d have to use those little black censor strips – and this is supposed to be a family show.”

“It is?” Chloe asked mockingly, earning a snicker from Lex’s lips.

“Yes! So no,” Chris said, “no naked anything.”

Lex frowned petulantly and then looked at Chloe.

“So, you want me to tape that segment on the news for you?”





TBC…

[happy bunny]

:lol: This is so great so far. So funny. But *frowns* no naked anything, does that mean no crazy naked moonlit beach sex? Then again, Chloe and Lex were never much for following rules. *g*

[WolviesLover]

Hey, you brought in Batman stuff! I love Bruce and all his villians. Though..he and Selina Kyle need to get their acts together and go out already! Glad you updated so quickly!

[Pam]

Yippea! You updated. I love it, wehen you update so fast.

I love this story, although I have never seen the TV-Show. Another great chapter.

But I definitely need more!! :yay2: :yay2:

[Béatrice]

PLease update 'cause I want more :chlexsign1:

[Sab_Luthor]

:pclol: oh man that was hilarious great i loved it

[Not An Addict]

*pounces* Mmmm, Chlexy banter. Tasty. ^_~ I honestly don't hate Chris; I feel kind of bad for him, and I'm amused by his inability to get Lex to do anything. I'm a little irked by the 'no naked' clause, but I don't hate him. Still, I have confidence that Lex and Chloe will find a way to get around that rule if they really want to. ^_^ And if Chloe has a room all to herself . . . ^_~ Loved it! *hugs* Now more! Please?

[vardaquareien]

Great update!!! Loved watching Chris get steamrolled by Lex at every turn! :hehe: That guy's gonna need a holiday at the end of this. I loved that you brought in Chloe's Gotham life and how she's being stalked by the Scarcrow. Loved the Verbal judo!!! Now I need more!!!

[Kendrix03]

I love this fic and was suprised to find two updates. Yah ! :biggrin:

[autumngold]

:worship2: You are way beyond even wonderful!! I love all of the Chlexy banter!! Will Lex be spending a lot of his time on the beach trying to get a glimpse of Chloe sunbathing? Thank you for all of the updates, can't wait to find out what will happen on Chloe and Lex's date!! :yay2: :chlexsign4: :worship2:

[ColumbiaBlue]

Yaaaay! You updated!!! :yay2: :yay2: :yay2:


“No problem. Of course, it *does* come with the condition that you tell me how you managed to sneak out of here with your swimsuit for sunbathing yesterday.”

“I…uh…didn’t,” Chloe said. Lex arched an eyebrow and Chloe tried to push down the blush that she could feel rising to her cheeks. “But the beaches around here are pretty secluded because of the shoot and ---”

“You lay out *naked*?”

I can almost see the look on his face when he said that!
It'd be a combination of :huh::eyebrows::drool: these three I think. lol!!!

Great update! Loved it loved it loved it! Now go write more!!!!!

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[miss_sixty1115]

Great update and great story!!! Very funny!!! More soon!

Julie ;)

[airria]

OMG, tis story is hilarious! Please make the two of them go skinny-dipping :drool:

[randa]

chlexy banter was sooo much fun!
and chloe naked...well, i bet lex has good dreams tonight ;)
more soon!

randa

[hfce]

:lol: great update. I love the banter well done.


Hope :)

[carebear72884]

wonderful, i love this story, reality tv is so much better when it is chlexy.

[sara_noele]

Love the bantering! Hilarious! More, more, now... :lol:

[Val]

Love it! Yet another great story! Keep updating often! Please???

[sylvia]

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Why do I get the feeling that somewhere in Gotham Batman is kicking criminal ass with just a bit more joviality than usual? ^_~

Heh, that's just what I thought :D

Typically I'd hate shows like The Bachelor, but the fact that the said bachelor is Lex, and that he's making life difficult for that moron Chris, plus, of course, the fact that it's Chlex, rather mitigates that. So my final diagnosis is that this is a great story, and that I'll be expecting the next update ASAP :)

[Blaire023]

lmao, this is great, i can't beleive it took me this long to find the time to read it. But now that I have...*looks over at nightcap and deserted* you are soooooooo mean!

~B

[Sab_Luthor]

where is my fantastic update please

i don't see it :chlexsign3:

[gravelgerdie]

Great Job... Loving this story:)

Suzanne

[drina]

it'll b funny to see lex interacting with the other girls. not that i'm not loving the chlex banter, but the bachelor is all abt women trying to get one up on the other participants. i bet the other girls will b really jealous when they see how natural chloe is with him, and they try to sabotage her...hehehe

[ladymichelle]

I LOVE this story, please update soon!

Michelle

[katspell]

:biggrin: :worship2: More more more. Please. We love CHlex Banter, and love poking fun at Bats... Don't leave us wanting....

[Gaia]

A new post is really needed!!UPDATE!!!!!!!PLEASE!!!!
But it truelly is amazing:applause:

[gina]

I don't know how I missed this fic before, but I love it so far! You write Chlex banter perfectly. And I'm all up for the aforementioned crazy naked moonlit beach sex.

More soon please! :biggrin:

[Sab_Luthor]

please update :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen:

[Housten]

*cough cough* update *cough cough* :cliffhanger: :cliffhanger: :cliffhanger:

[scifichick774]

A few hours later…

“Ooh – wait till he gets a look at me in this,” Lucy, a pretty redhead with a horrible competitive streak, said as she smoothed her hands over the light fabrics of her tight blouse and skirt. She spun around and flashed a smug, yet teasing smile at Chloe and the other three women in the room. “You all may just as well stay here.”

Chloe let out a half-snort, but not for the reason that Lucy automatically assumed she did.

“What was *that* for?” Lucy asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“Calm down. I’m not trying to pick a fight with you,” Chloe said, shrugging off Lucy’s defensive behavior and walking over to where some of her clothes were hanging so she could select her own outfit.

“Then why did you make that sound? Like you thought I was full of shit?”

A tiny, amused grin raised the corners of Chloe’s lips.

“No – too easy,” she muttered under her breath. “Because I already tried to get out of this ‘group date’, but that Chris guy said I had to go.”

“Yeah, right,” Lucy said incredulously. “Why would you *try* to get out of the date?”

Another woman, Nikki, rolled her eyes.

“I can’t imagine,” she said dryly, her tone laced with heavy sarcasm.

Lucy’s mouth dropped open in astonishment at Nikki’s gall.

“Are you implying that she doesn’t want to go because of *me*?”

“I’m not implying it,” Nikki said, rising from her seat to stroll menacingly over to Lucy. “I’m *saying* it.”

“Humph,” Lucy scoffed. “Please. Like she’d actually give up her chance to cozy up to Lex just because she and I don’t get along?”

Nikki let out a sharp, sardonic laugh and Chloe did her best to listen to the impending cat fight without making it look like she was.

“Are you blind or just stupid?” Nikki asked.

“Excuse me?!”

“Chloe doesn’t *need* to ‘cozy up to Lex’. They already know each other. Or did you not overhear that little tantrum that Chris threw over by them this morning?”

“What?” Lucy asked through a clenched jaw, turning swiftly to glare at Chloe. “You’re a plant?!”

Chloe’s eyes widened.

“No!” she quickly disputed. “No – my friend Lana signed me up for this thing without me knowing about it. I didn’t know Lex was going to be the bachelor any more than you did.”

“But you like each other?” Lucy asked pointedly, dejected that she had gone through applications and interviews and had flown all the way to the island only to have some short and curvy blonde girl get the upper hand because she already knew the guy.

“Well, we don’t *dislike* each other,” Chloe answered. “We’re friends…” ‘Sort of,’ she thought. ‘But they don’t need to know that.’ “*Just* friends.”

This time Nikki snorted.

“Then why did he keep you past the first elimination? He’s here to try and find a *wife*, Chloe. No matter how good of friends you were, he wouldn’t get rid of another real prospect if he didn’t like you,” she said.

Chloe inwardly grimaced. If she told them the truth about Lex only being there because he lost a bet with Bruce, then things could turn really ugly really fast.

“Well, as much as I hate to admit it,” she started, finally selecting a pale blue dress that would compliment her green eyes and bring out the new light golden hue of her skin. “Work has been really…trying…lately. When Lex and I first saw each other in line, he noticed the circles under my eyes. He told me kept me around so I could have a couple more days of vacation. Okay?”

She added the last part on a defensive note, hoping that the other women would buy the story. It wasn’t entirely a lie and it would hopefully be enough to satiate them. She would just have to make a point to ask whoever was in charge to clip that part from the final cut before the show aired.

Lucy frowned almost…sympathetically.

“You do look tired,” she finally acquiesced. “Okay, I’m willing to believe you for now.”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Gee, thanks.”

“But if I see him looking at you as anything other than a friend, then you’re on even ground with the rest of them.”

Chloe furrowed her brow ever so slightly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Lucy started as she stalked over to her, “That you’ll stay out of my way if you know what’s good for you.”

In that instant, any teasing glee that Chloe felt over Lex having to be there was gone. These women may not want him for his money, but they didn’t want him for him either. And even though he wasn’t looking for a wife, Chloe would hate to see him end up in another loveless marriage, this time with someone who fawned over him just so they could win him like some kind of blue ribbon.

Lex may have done some horrible things in his life, but he didn’t deserve that. Nobody did.

‘Then again, it was his own fault for making the bet with Bruce to begin with,’ she thought. Lucy gave her a pointed glare before leaving the room to go to the bathroom and Chloe inwardly smirked. ‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I can’t teach her a lesson if the opportunity arises. It’s not whether you win or lose – it’s how you play the game.’

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back in Gotham…

“I’m going to ask you once and only once. Why didn’t Chloe Sullivan write an article on the Brookbury jewel heist?”

Donald Rhys, Chloe’s editor at The Gotham Times, shook under the aim of the gun that was pointed at him, but his inquisitive nature overran his common sense.

“W-were you behind it?”

The gunshot barely sounded through the silencer on the barrel, but Rhys’s wide-eyed, suddenly limp body slumping to the floor was enough to make a few of the women in the newsroom scream.

The masked man holding the gun turned around to face his employer, head held high as he awaited his next order.

“Now that you’ve all seen what happens when my questions *aren’t* answered, let’s try again, shall we?”

The Scarecrow eyed the people cowering along the walls and huddled together on the floor. His gaze settled on a woman who was crouched down near the desk that had Chloe’s name on it.

“You,” he finally said. “Why didn’t she write the article?”

“Sh-she’s not here. She’s on vacation.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t say – I swear.”

The Scarecrow motioned to one of his hired thugs and the man aimed a long gun at the woman’s head.

“Wrong answer.”

The bullet pierced through the woman’s skull, but instead of the screams that followed Rhys’s death, the air was met with a deep bellow.

“Enough!”

The Scarecrow turned to face the owner of the voice.

“Batman,” he greeted nonchalantly.

“What are you doing here, Scarecrow? What do you want?”

“Don’t you mean – what’s it going to take to get me to stop killing innocent civilians?”

“Well?” Batman asked impatiently.

“No trying to disarm my men, capture me, and leave me for the police? I’m disappointed,” the Scarecrow jibed. “Or did you actually do your homework and find out that I have a new toy? I must say, portable explosives are a wonderful thing.”

“What do you want?” Batman repeated.

“It seems my pretty bird has flown away.”

“Imagine that. A bird flying away from a scarecrow,” Batman said mockingly.

The Scarecrow squared his jaw.

“You asked what I wanted,” he started, strolling over to Chloe’s desk and picking up her name plate. “Bats have wings – go find her.”

He tossed the name plate at Batman and then leaned back against the desk.

“Surely you don’t think I’m actually going to bring her here?”

“You will if you want all of the people in this lovely high rise to live,” the Scarecrow said. “And you’d better put a rush on it. Clock’s ticking.”

~*~*~*~

Lex groaned and leaned forward to rest his hand on the wall and let his head drop down. He was in the middle of his third group date that day and was now convinced more than ever that he was going to lose his mind by the time the two weeks were over.

Although he had plenty of experience dealing with almost every kind of woman that was left for him to choose from, he was used to dealing with them on an individual, one-on-one basis – not all at once.

He could handle the overly flirtatious contestants who kept pawing at him, were it not for the jealous and pouting women that they left in their wake. He could handle the competitive women who only saw him as a trophy, were it not for the fact that he was having to deal with more than one of them at the same time.

The really problematic part of the equation was that he had to feign enjoying everyone’s company when he didn’t. If he could simply tell them that he wasn’t really interested in any of them, then things would be a lot easier.

Of course, that was the other issue nagging in the back of his mind. He found himself more and more interested in one particular woman, the woman who wasn’t even there for him.

Chloe.

She was being friendly enough in her special, snark-filled way, but she wasn’t clamoring for his attention like the other women and for some reason it bothered him. He wasn’t sure why, because he certainly never would have expected that kind of behavior from her under any other circumstances, but…

‘God, she looks good in that dress,’ he thought. Quickly followed by a mental correction of, ‘No! No. I don’t like her. I was just…admiring a beautiful woman’s figure. Yes. That’s it.”

“Lex?”

“What?” Lex snapped in tired irritation.

“Are you feeling any better?”

Lex frowned. Admittedly, it had been a rather pathetic move on his part; lying to Chris and the others by saying that he thought he must have food poisoning or something because he felt sick to his stomach, when the truth was that he just needed some time away from the redhead named Lucy who kept batting her eyelashes at him and grabbing him inappropriately in public.

What was worse was that he could plainly see that she wasn’t doing it because she liked him, but because, for whatever reason, she was trying to make Chloe angry or jealous. And worst of all, it didn’t seem to be working.

“Not really,” he finally answered.

“Sorry,” Chris said sympathetically. “I just wanted to let you know that we went ahead and cancelled the rest of the last group date for the day. Not to be insensitive, but it looks like your food poisoning actually had good timing.”

“Glad I could be of assistance,” Lex replied sourly.

Chris gave him a tight, non-humored grin.

“Your girl Chloe got a call at the producers’ house, so she had to leave. And no offense, but no Chloe – no ratings. You have like zero chemistry with anyone else so far.” Lex rumbled something under his breath. “What was that?”

“Who would be calling Chloe here?” Lex asked, not bothering to repeat the slew of murmured curse words he had said moments before. “Who would even have the number?”

“Don’t know,” Chris said with a shrug. “Must have a lot of connections to be able to get through though.”

Lex set his jaw.

“Bruce,” he said through gritted teeth.

“The guy you lost the bet to?”

“Yes.”

“And Chloe’s ex?” Chris asked, causing Lex to glare at him. “Huh. Think they’re in on this together? You know, to keep tabs on how you’re doing?”

“I think it’s time I found out,” Lex said with heavy suspicion. “Where’s the producers’ house?”




TBC…

[Blackberry]

Ahh, and the plot thickens!! really wonderful how you've adapted the tv show... i swear they should have it to be more like this... haha... wouldn't that be a hell of a thing to air! can't wait for more! :biggrin:

Blackberry

[katspell]

:yay: :yay: fun fun fun. Maybe we can have a Brucie-Lex temper tantrum with much chest beating..... Poor Lex, surounded by beautiful women and the one he wants to talk to has to go back to Bruce..... LOL

[Val]

Oooh Bruce! :biggrin:
Jealous Lex! Very good... hehehe
I want more soon, Kris! Please update!?

[tigroon]

:worship2: :worship2: :worship2: :worship2:

all bow before mistress scifichick

:worship2: :worship2: :worship2: :worship2:

[Not An Addict]

Hee hee!! *dances* Ok, I think the Scarecrow might be my new favorite villain. ^_^ I love him! But how is this going to work? If Chloe has to go back . . . then what's gonna happen with the show? And, perhaps most importantly:

WHERE ARE MY SMOOCHIES??

Other than that, great chapter! ^_~ *hugs*

[autumngold]

How is Chloe going to get out of her confrontation with the Scarecrow? Will Batman help her or will Lex? The Scarecrow is horrible!! Poor Chloe!! She can't even have a vacation!! Thanks for the update!! :chlexsign3:

[Cheryl]

And yet another awesome chapter! The whole bird/scarecrow comment had me chuckling, and the jealous Lex?? :drool:

[scifichick774]

Chloe had already left by the time Lex reached the producers’ house, so he headed over to the house where the contestants were staying.

“Lex,” one woman cooed, grabbing onto his arm.

He didn’t even bother to look at her as he took her hand off of his arm and began walking back toward the bedrooms. If Chloe wasn’t in one of them, then her things would be, including the proof he would probably need to see whether she was actually a plant for Bruce or not.

He stopped mid step in the doorway when he saw Chloe frantically shoving her clothing into her bags, sniffling while unshed tears welled up in her eyes.

“Chloe?”

Chloe glanced at him and swallowed.

“I have to go,” she said.

“What happened?” he asked, noticing that her hands were shaking, and therefore automatically assuming the worst.

“Bruce called. M-my editor, Rhys…”

“What about him?”

“The Scarecrow showed up at the newsroom, apparently demanding to know why I wasn’t there. He killed Rhys and a reporter named Wendy. He’s…God, this is surreal…he’s holding the rest of the entire office building hostage until I come back.”

“What? That’s crazy.”

“Well, no one ever accused him of being sane.”

“Chloe ---”

Chloe caught a furious-looking Lucy out of the corner of her eye, shooting daggers at her with her glare from where she stood in the living room.

“Oh, yeah,” Chloe said as if she had remembered something. “Think you can do me one last favor for friendship’s sake? Or at the very least blackmail’s?”

“Considering what you have on me, I’ll have to say yes.”

“Good,” Chloe said.

She closed the space between them and rose onto her toes to grab his face and bring his mouth down to hers. Lex’s eyes were wide in startled shock at first, but he quickly took control of the kiss, parting his lips against hers and driving his tongue into her mouth while his hands gripped and glided along her waist and back.

Chloe began to pull away from him, sucking lightly on his lower lip as she finally let go. She was surprised and slightly unnerved by the amount of passion the kiss had generated, not to mention the arousal it spurred within her veins that had chosen to pool between her legs until she was wet, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on questions that she’d probably never be able to answer.

“Thanks,” she said.

“Any time,” Lex replied with a pleased smirk.

“Don’t marry Lucy, she’s an over-competitive hag,” Chloe said and then turned her attention back to her bags. “Which, I guess I am too, since I kissed you just to make her angry.”

“I don’t mind,” Lex said. Chloe gave him a hint of a smile and shook her head lightly at his flirtatious manner. “Do you really think it’s wise to give into this guy’s demands?”

“No,” Chloe answered.

“Then why are you going?”

“Because it was important enough for the police to have Bruce use his connections to call me here,” she said. “Because more people – more of my friends – are going to die if I don’t. I don’t have a choice.”

“Chloe ---”

“I have to go. They got me on a flight heading out in a couple of hours,” Chloe interrupted, zipping up her roll-on suitcase. “But it was good to see you again – even if it was under such bizarre circumstances.”

“You too,” Lex said. “Don’t forget to send me a tape of your revenge on Lana.”

Chloe let out a sad laugh.

“I’ll address it to Mr. and Mrs. Luthor,” she teased with a wink and turned to leave the room. But then she turned back around. “You know – assuming I live through this.”

“Of course.”

“Bye Lex.”

“Chloe.”

Lex frowned and then pursed his lips as he watched her walk away.

‘Bruce called…’

‘Oh, yeah. He’s definitely going to pay,’ Lex thought.

~*~*~*~

Lex waited impatiently as the phone rang, poised to verbally attack the man who would undoubtedly answer on the other end of the line.

“Wayne.”

“So, is there really a madman holding people hostage or could you just not stand the fact that she was here with me?”

“Luthor,” Bruce greeted coolly. “To answer your questions – yes, there’s really a madman holding people hostage. The Scarecrow has developed some sort of unhealthy attachment to Chloe. And no – I wasn’t threatened by the fact that she was there with you. In fact, I only just found out about it when I was asked to use my connections to call her there.”

“Which is *why* you weren’t threatened. You knew she was going to have to go back to Gotham.”

Bruce sighed.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with whatever petty rivalry we might have, Lex. People’s lives are at stake,” he said.

“About that,” Lex started. “It’s not like you to put a woman in such a dangerous situation.”

“Technically, I’m not the one doing it – the police are,” Bruce said, grimacing as he spoke the words.

Before he had even seen Chloe’s name on the desk name plate, he was apprehensive about giving into the Scarecrow’s demands, and bringing Chloe into it only made things that much more complicated. He knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to come if it meant possibly saving her friends and colleagues, but he also knew that trouble seemed to follow her – as exhibited by the Scarecrow demanding for her in the first place – and that there was a good possibility that she might not come out of the situation alive if he brought her to the building.

It was quite possibly one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make, but he was left with little other choice since no one in the underground community seemed to know anything more about the portable explosives other than the fact that the Scarecrow was in possession of them.

“There’s got to be another way,” Lex said, snapping Bruce from his thoughts.

“She’s the only thing he asked for.”

“So send in a private team to take him and his goons down,” Lex argued. “It can’t be *that* difficult – especially not with your military connections.”

“He…” Bruce paused and sighed again. “He’s got the entire building rigged up with some sort of portable explosives that nobody knows anything about. I call anybody to go in there and the entire place will blow.”

“Don’t be stupid. He’d never blow up the building while he’s in it.”

“I’m not convinced of that. In fact, everything that the news reports about him basically says otherwise. He has an uncanny ability for escaping death.”

“Great,” Lex muttered sarcastically. Then a thought occurred to him. “Wait a minute. Did you say portable explosives?”

“Some kind of clay-like substance with tiny, almost fluorescent green flakes inside – no discernable wiring to disable it. The police say they’ve never seen anything like it.”

Lex cringed, knowing exactly what kind of explosive device Bruce was talking about. Unfortunately, he might not be able to put a spin on it that Bruce would find believable.

“If it’s what I think it is, I might be able to help you.”

Bruce arched an inquisitive eyebrow.

“You know something about this?” he asked in an accusatory tone.

“About the explosive - *maybe*,” Lex said. “Before my father died, he had labs working with some meteor rocks that had extraordinary abilities. One field of his research, as always, was aimed toward military application. If the substance is how you described it, I can almost guarantee it came from one of his companies.”

“Which you’re in charge of now,” Bruce observed pointedly. “And have been for some time.”

“Some of his less-than-legal operations were hidden from me, but this sounds exactly like the sort of thing that he would have been involved in,” Lex said, skirting over directly lying to Bruce.

“Can you find out how to disarm the explosives?”

“I can try. Let me make a few calls.”

“Okay. But according to what I’ve heard, the police don’t have much time. The Scarecrow has only given them until tomorrow morning to find Chloe and bring her to him.”

‘Tomorrow morning – I only wish I had that long,’ Lex thought, remembering that Chloe mentioned that her flight would leave in a couple of hours. “I’ll see what I can do.”

~*~*~*~

Two hours later…

“What do you *mean* the flight has been cancelled?!” Chloe yelled. “Why would they do that? There’s nothing wrong with the weather and I *needed* to be on that flight.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, ma’am,” the man behind the desk said. “It might be a problem with the plane itself – they didn’t say. They just called and said that the flight had been cancelled.”

Chloe let out a sigh of despair and ran a hand raggedly through her hair.

“You don’t understand,” she said weakly. “Is there another flight leaving soon that I can get on?”

“None directly to Gotham.”

“What about somewhere else? I could get a connecting flight and ---”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Chloe twirled around to see Lex standing there with his hands in his pockets and a tiny smirk gracing his lips.

“Lex --- please tell me you didn’t cancel my flight,” she said. “You know I need to be there. As much as I’d like to, I can’t just stay here to play buffer between you and the other women on the show. There are people’s lives at stake.”

“Nobody’s life is at stake, Chloe,” Lex said calmly. “The situation has been resolved.”

“Resolved,” Chloe repeated. “*How* exactly?”

“The police figured out how to disarm the explosives, your stalker is in custody, and your friends at work are fine – well, except for your editor and that one reporter…sorry about that.”

Chloe shook her head a little.

“It’s okay,” she said in disbelief. “I won’t say I’m happy that he’s dead, but Rhys wasn’t exactly a great guy.”

“And your friend?”

“Wendy,” she replied with a frown. “We weren’t friends – more like rivals.”

“So, really the Scarecrow kind of did you a favor,” Lex observed.

“Let’s not go overboard,” Chloe said.

“Well, now that one competitor is out of the way, how about we take care of your other one?”

Chloe furrowed her brow.

“What do you mean?”

“I think you said her name was Lucy?”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“We’re not in competition…because I’m not really trying to win you like some stupid trophy,” she corrected. “But…” she trailed off as an evil grin started to lift the corners of her mouth. “What did you have in mind?”





TBC…

[hfce]

More please that twist is very interesting.



Hope :ohmy:

[Not An Addict]

YAY! SMOOCHIES!!!

And yes, Lex, what do you have in mind for making Lucy see green, hmm? Can't wait!!!

[krissilee06]

I love this story.....it's so different from all the other ones i've read.....and it's REALLY GOOD.....so PLEASE....UPDATE SOON!!!!

krissilee06

:chlexsign2:

[Queen Of Tact]

Kris have i told you how much i love you? If not I love u i love u i love you....... Now get ur but back here and post some more..... cause u have me hooked, and I really need some more....

CC

[gina]

Woo! They kissed! :yay:

Loved the updates. This is getting very, very interesting!

Hehe, can't wait to see what plans Chloe and Lex have in store for Lucy! Please update soon!

[happy bunny]

Hee hee. Can't wait to see what Lex has planned to piss off Lucy.

*reclines with popcorn and gets ready for the show* This should be interesting.

And am I the only one who thinks that we haven't seen the end of Scarecrow just yet? Wondering what's going to happen with him, too...

[sara_noele]

Oh Kris I love you so much! Two updates, how wonderful is that? :yay:

And they kissed! :wub:

Can't wait to see, how they will make Lucy jealous.

[Impress]

woo hoo. two updates. I so adore this story. more now...er soon.

[Sab_Luthor]

oh what is his plan
please i want to know
come back i love this
is he going to ask chloe to marry him

[ColumbiaBlue]

Two updates! :yay2: :worship2: :yay2: :worship2: :yay2: :worship2:

That Scarecrow guy is a hoot. I bet Lucy's going to be reeeaaaaly unhappy when she sees that Chloe isn't leaving after all. And I can't wait to see what Lex and Chloe are up to. Love the new chapters!!! Update soon!!!

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[carebear72884]

love it!!! thanks for the updates, they were great, and i am hoping to see another in the near future. and i hope it is very chlexy, i loved how she kissed him to get back at the other girl, it was clasic. good job, keep it coming

[autumngold]

:hug: You are the best! What an excellent chapter! Thank you for letting Lex deal with the situation and save Chloe!! :applause: Is Bruce going to start investigating Lex now though? I can't wait to find out what Lex has planned for Lucy, :hammer: she deserves it!! :chlexsign4:

[Susie Q]

Yay, for Lex saving the day. http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/clap3.gif Although I think he knows more about the origin of those explosives than he’s saying. http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/heverbryn.gif Can’t wait to see what the Chlex come up with to get back at that Lucy heifer.

[miss_sixty1115]

Two upadtes!!! That's so great !!!! And I love this story!!! Please more soon...

Julie ;)

[ghostwriter]

Hmmm revenge :evilbat: he he he he

*ahem* more please :yay:

Ellie

[WolviesLover]

I love how immersed Chloe is into the Batman world as well. Very nice chapters, I hope to read more soon!

[Val]

Oh I love it!
Go Lex for being a bastard and helpoing creating the bombs and then disarming them! And good, make Chloe show that Lucy shes the one for Lex! :biggrin:

[sylvia]

Great chapters! I like it when theres friendship/rivalry between Lex and Bruce Wayne. Lex was scarily efficient about the explosives, though.

So. Do we get more updates soon? I can't wait to find out what happens in the next few group dates!

[katspell]

great update, please don't leave us waiting to long.
:eyebrows:
Can't wait to see what kind of trouble our fav couple get into now...

[Lover]

:drool: :worship2: :drool: :worship2: :drool: :worship2: :drool: :worship2: :chlexsign3:

[randa]

genius, pure genius is what you are
i cant wait for the revenge :devil:

randa

[Sab_Luthor]

oh c'mon update please

[Pieper]

please update soon. I need more of this fic.
Femke :biggrin:

[tigroon]

So do I !!!!
give us an update pleeeeease :crygreen:

[ladymichelle]

I love this story, please update!
:worship2: :worship2: :worship2:

Michelle

[autumngold]

Thank you for all of your wonderful stories and updates!! :biggrin: Have a wonderful New Years!! :party: :party2: :dance:

[Sab_Luthor]

ummm please you have to update
please i need an update :worship2: :worship2: :worship2:
i beg you :crygreen: :crygreen: update soon :crygreen: :crygreen:

[marrycherry]

please update soon
:chlexsign4:

[Gaia]

[COLOR=red][SIZE=7]Update please,please,please,please,please,please,please,p lease,please,please,please,please,please,please,pl ease,please,please,please,please,please,please,PLE ASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this story :chlexsign3: You are wonderful :worship2: :worship2: :worship2:

[scifichick774]

A/N: The beginning of this chapter flips back and forth between the next evening, which is the current time, and the previous day, which is in italics. Hopefully it won’t be too confusing to follow.

~*~*~*~*~


The following evening…

“Honestly…I don’t know,” Chloe said, sighing and then raking her hands through her hair before she adjusted her sitting position in front of the camera.

Alone in the large confessional room that the show had set up for the women to rant or rave about the experiences they were having, it still wasn’t enough privacy for Chloe to voice the feelings that she was having trouble admitting to herself.

“I’m thinking that this whole thing was a bad idea,” she continued. “I just had this…urge…to bring Lucy’s ego down a few notches. I’ve had to deal with so many women like her in my life; one who basically stole the only guy I’ve ever really loved just by being the small town princess and batting her eyelashes at him; and…” Chloe trailed off with a release of breath. “This is going to sound so petty – because it *is* - but I think I wanted to get even, you know? I wanted to show someone who usually gets any guy she wants that women who don’t look like they’re twelve years old forever can get the guy too, but it really had nothing to do with Lucy herself at all. And now…”

Chloe looked away from the camera and when she turned back, her eyes were cast downward.

“I think I’m in over my head.”

Lucy fumed. She had been nothing less than thrilled when she saw Chloe leave the house with her bags. The passionate kiss that Chloe had planted on Lex was nothing compared to what *she* was capable of, especially since her only real competition had to quit the show for personal reasons.

Not that she ever got the chance.

No.

Lex had practically chased after the blonde woman like she - and the other contestants – were completely irrelevant. And things were only getting worse as the time progressed.

They were supposed to be on a ‘group date’, damn it! Not a ‘watch the prize act like a lovesick schoolboy while ignoring everyone but Chloe’ date.

Lucy snarled. It made her sick and it made her jealous, but most of all, it made her angry.

Chloe and Lex were kissing – *again* - with no regard to anyone else’s feelings. Hell – with no regard to anyone else’s *existence*.

One of Lex’s hands pressed at Chloe’s back and the other tangled in her hair and tightly caressed the back of her head to keep her from pulling away.

“Ooh – cute,” a female voice cooed appreciatively, shaking Lucy from her thoughts.

She turned to see the other women on their group outing, all ignoring the seemingly happy couple in favor of sifting through racks of clothing in the expensive boutique that they had been taken to.

Lucy rolled her eyes. Either these women didn’t know how much Lex Luthor was worth, or they had simply given up on the fight to win him in favor of a little national camera time and a few outfits that they never would have been able to afford on their own.

Truth be told, if the bachelor had been some average shmuck without any money to back up his looks, then she may have considered doing the same. But the fact remained that it wasn’t somebody out to get their fifteen minutes of fame while supposedly looking for a fiancée that they probably could have found by just going to a dating service in the city they lived in; it was Lex Luthor.

Lucy squared her jaw as Chloe pretended the cameras didn’t exist and allowed Lex to back her into a dressing room. The door closed behind them and Lucy’s hands clenched into fists.

‘So, she’s gonna play dirty, huh? Fine. Let the games begin.’

Chloe was trembling and could only hope that it wouldn’t be visible on camera.

“He…” she paused and closed her eyes, disbelieving that she was even thinking about voicing the topic of her inner-most thoughts aloud for anyone and everyone to hear and judge her on. “I think I might be developing…feelings…for him,” she continued in quiet discomfort, concern edging her tone.

She wasn’t scared of people’s image of her, but of the words she was speaking.

Few people, if any, *really* knew Lex; and even though she hadn’t seen him in years, she was one of the people who came the closest.

There was a side to him that was almost opposite of the suave, charismatic persona that he presented to the outside world; a side that was dark and insane, that was cunning and ruthless; that was evil.

Chloe was scared because she knew it, had witnessed it first hand, and still found herself drawn to him. Her head lopped down limply between her shoulder blades as if in defeat. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if Lex was going to choose to keep her there again; not when he had to narrow his choices down to two finalists that night. After all, there was little point in her sticking around to make Lucy jealous if he didn’t choose Lucy – which he already said he wasn’t going to – now was there?

Her head sprung up at the sound of gunfire permeating the normally sound-resistant room and her eyes snapped to the door. Chloe could just barely hear screaming, and then what she assumed was yelling since she could make out that someone was talking, even if she couldn’t make out what was being said.

As impossible as it was, her heart seemed to freeze in place and pump wildly at the same time. She rose from her seat and took hesitant steps toward the locked door to see if she could find out what was going on without getting trapped in the middle of it like she did so many times back when she lived in Smallville.

She hunched down onto the floor and pressed her ear as close as she possibly could to the tiny crack underneath the door.

“Where is she?” she heard a male voice ask, sending a shiver down her spine.

She knew that voice; hours of watching and rewatching high quality digital surveillance tapes had permanently etched it into her mind.

‘It can’t be,’ she unsuccessfully tried to assure herself. Another gunshot rang out and Chloe flinched. ‘Okay, it can be. Damn.’

The Scarecrow was not known for his patience or for any kind of mercy when dealing with people who didn’t immediately give him whatever he was after. She couldn’t say she was heartbroken over the loss of anyone who was in the other room since they were all virtually strangers; but they were still people, and a lump lodged itself in her throat at the thought of anyone dying because of her.

“Last time I saw her, she was headed toward the bathroom down the hall.”

Chloe’s jaw clenched when she heard Lucy speak, but gave thanks that the bathroom the redhead was referring to was near the confession room she had actually gone into so the other woman made the wrong assumption. It might buy her a little time; not a lot, but a little; and that was better than nothing.

“Don’t aim that thing at me,” Lucy said indignantly, causing Chloe to go wide-eyed in disbelief at the woman’s stupidity. “*I’m* the one who saw the news clip of you asking about her on TV and called to tell you that she was on the island to begin with. You *owe* me.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open in shock because of Lucy’s admission and she made a sudden amendment in her mind about feeling bad for anyone’s death. If her psychotic stalker decided to kill the conniving little bitch in the other room, then so be it. It would be fate, destiny…

“You *what*?!” a male voice hissed angrily.

The lump in Chloe’s throat fell to her stomach.

‘Lex,’ she thought worriedly. ‘God. He’s not supposed to be here for another hour. What is he ---” she trailed off when she noticed the time on her watch, indicating that she had been in the confession room longer than she thought she had been. “Crap,” she muttered under her breath. “He could run a little late? Just this once?”

She let out a breath and pushed herself to her feet, her eyes closing as she reached to unlock the lock on the door. Lucy was one thing, but she couldn’t let Lex be in danger because of her. The lock clicked and she opened the door, appearing suitably startled when she found herself at the barrel-end of an automatic rifle. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the practically giddy utterance of the minion pointing the gun at her.

“Found her, Boss!” he yelled out.

Chloe forced a confused expression on to her face so they wouldn’t think that she had been listening in the whole time, but it quickly morphed into an angry, disturbed look as the man grabbed harshly at her arm and tugged her over to the living room.

A smile spread across the Scarecrow’s lips at the sight of her; a smile that seemed…familiar – and not because of the hundreds of pictures she had seen of the man. Chloe frowned. Was it possible that she knew him outside of his costumed persona? Still, she couldn’t place him with just a smile, and figured that she’d need to play along if she and the people who hadn’t already been killed were to get out of there alive.

“Scarecrow,” she proclaimed with feigned surprise.

“Sweetheart,” the villain cooed.

“What are you doing here?”

“Retrieving you, of course,” he replied.

“Me?”

“I’ve got to say, I was horribly disappointed when I found out that you left me to try and marry a complete stranger,” the Scarecrow said. “Of course, he didn’t turn out to be a complete stranger, now did he?”

Chloe’s gaze flickered over to Lex and then back to the Scarecrow.

“I wouldn’t have left Gotham, but a friend of mine signed me up for the show without my knowledge,” she said, side-stepping the Scarecrow’s somewhat rhetorical question about her and Lex already knowing each other.

She briefly wondered if the man in front of her, if he could even be called that, was someone that she knew back in Smallville, but quickly wrote his knowledge off to the fact that Lucy had probably mentioned it during the conversation that spurred him into coming to the island.

The Scarecrow grinned and closed the space between them with a few long strides. He lovingly stroked her cheek with the back of one of his gloved hands.

“I knew it had to be something like that,” he said.

Tipping his head slightly to the side as he lowered it, he stilled his approach when Lex growled loudly from where he had been shoved to the floor against the wall.

“Don’t touch her!” Lex snapped.

“Lex!” Lucy reprimanded quietly from where she was seated.

The Scarecrow rolled his eyes. He hadn’t come there to be surrounded by shows of emotional theatrics. If he wanted that, then he would have stayed in the dumpy little town he had been raised in.

“You know, I never did like tattle-tales,” he said, raising the hand with his gun in it and aiming it at Lucy. Without any long-winded, threatening displays, he pulled the trigger and shot Lucy twice in the head. Gasps and a couple of whimpered screams sprung from people’s throats, but he ignored them and turned back to look at Lex. Motioning at the few remaining *alive* women in the room with his gun, he spoke. “Feel free to choose the next wife who will try to kill you out of the group I’ve so graciously narrowed down for you, Mr. Luthor. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he said, lifting something from his pocket that looked like a small spray perfume bottle. He sprayed a mist in Chloe’s face and her eyes lolled back in her head before she fell unconscious into his waiting arms. “I have who I came here for.”




TBC…

[katspell]

ha, that Lucy b**** got exactly what she deserved.

Some one had better save Chloe.

[Blaire023]

hmmm, wonder who the scarecrow could be...

and ha! The Scarecrow not only got who he came there for, he also just took away Lex's kissing buddy. And Lex'll be damned if he's gonna give up hot-lips just cuz some raggedy straw stuffed man says so.

...or maybe he'll shrug and pick out the woman who's the least whiniest and let Scarecrow take off with hot-lips. Afterall, he doesn't know she likes him in any way other than the kind you feign to make someone jealous. Not that he doesn't mind being used, cuz well, first of all, he's used to it, and second of all, it's hot-lips that's doing the using.

...did any of that make sense?

Enh....I go to bed now.

~B

[hfce]

Oh wow what are doing to me Kris? :crygreen: Please come back and tell me chloe will be ok.. Please....... :crygreen:


Hope :crygreen:

[asharnanae]

damn! now thats what I call a fic!! this is getting soooo good! :yay:

[autumngold]

You did it again, another excellent update!! You so rule!! Poor Lex must be going crazy!! Please don't let him get killed!! I can't wait to find out who the Scarecrow is!! Update soon, please!! :chlexsign4:

[miss_sixty1115]

You evil!!! :devil: You can't stop here and let us wait!!!!! You have to come back!!! NOW!!!!

Julie ;)

[Susie Q]

Oh well, so much for the Scarecrow being in custody http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/Yahoo_20.gif. And can’t say I’ll shed too many tears for little miss Lucy http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/indifferent08.gif. But poor, unfortunate Chloe. She just can’t seem to rid herself of those damn Smallville kryto-mutants http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/sad20.gif. Huh. I wonder who he is and what his undoubtedly insane plans are for Chloe? http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/smilie_confused1.gif

[Not An Addict]

Oh now, THIS is a twist I didn't expect! So the Scarecrow has a secret, does he? *evil grin* EXCELLENT. I have my theories, but I shall keep them to myself until presented with further evidence. Hee hee hee. And really, Lucy should have known better than to offer help to the criminally insane. Oh, sure, sometimes it ends well and they reward you by sparing the life of a loved one. But more often than not--especially when they didn't ask for your help in the first place--it just gets you shot in the head. Tragic. Only . . . not. Ok, now I need another update! With more smoochies. ^_^

What? I need my vicarious thrills.

[Kit Merlot]

I loved the update! Now we are going to have to start guessing the identity of the Scarecrow!!

I'm glad that Lucy got shot--I'm sorry, but she contacted a known psychopath who has been stalking Chloe, to insure that Chloe wouldn't be competition for Lex anymore! How twisted is that?

I also love that Chloe is drawn to Lex, even though she's aware of his dark side.

WELL DONE :biggrin:

[krissilee06]

Yay! I love it! I hope lex saves chloe :ohmy:

krissilee06

[Queen Of Tact]

Kris!!!!!! I'm going to kick ur but girl, how could u just stop like that!!!!!! U love being evil don't u.... Come on u can tell me the truth i know u do..... But please please please please be a bit nice and get back asap and post more!!!


CC

[Val]

As usual you stoped where you SHOULDN'T have stoped! :tease: You're evil!
Just update this soon! Please?

[happy bunny]

Hee! I don't think I even have to tell you how awesome this chapter is. I'm dying to find out who the scarecrow is; I have a couple guesses but they're more likely than not wrong, so I'll keep my mouth shut.

What does it say about me that I snickered a little when Lucy got shot?

One last thing... Please, please, please update as soon as you can!

[Calliope]

Aww, poor Lucy was killed.

Oh, wait. that's a good thing. :hehe:

Hmmmm....who could the Scarecrow be? :unsure:

[sylvia]

Interesting plot twist there, can't wait to see who the scarecrow is. Gotham is weird.


I love that Chloe is drawn to Lex, even though she's aware of his dark side.
Me too =) It's nice that the confessional dialogues give us insight into the characters' feelings.

[gina]

Great update! But poor Chloe! I hope she gets out of this mess okay. I had to smile when Lucy got shot. Well, I don't think anyone will miss her terribly.

This fic is awesome! Can't wait for more! :)

[sara_noele]

Loved the update, have to think about who scarecrow is. Hmmm?

Probably...hmmm...or.....hmmm?

[Lilith The First]

well. you left me speechless.

and that's something

[S.Ann Smith]

muahahahaha Lucy's gone! *does a dance, while chanting "Lucy's gone"*

*cough* anyways, hurry up and update so we can tell if Lex is going to save the day, or if supes has to.... It's going to be Lexy right?

I'm going to stop blabbering now :biggrin:

[ElizabethV]

OMG! Poor Chloe! I hope Lex does something fast to save her! Or Bruce or Clark can step in and help.... Anything so the show will go on. :)
I would also say poor Lucy, but... yeah, I don't think she'll be missed much. Stupid girl! She called up Scarecrow- stupid, stupid!
Anyway, I really hope you'll update soon! I really want to know what happens next!!

[ladymichelle]

Hooray, Lucy's gone and the Scarecrow is some Smallville freak! And Chloe and Lex are getting closer!
:applause: :applause: :applause:
I can't wait to see what happens next!!

Michelle

[Pieper]

Great update. More soon please.
Femke

[MissMed03]

I love this fic. I started readin it at FF.net but they take so damn long to update. Did i mention I love this fic? *sighs loudly* I thinks it's about time for an update, how bout you? (No need for response that question was pretty much rhetorical) :worship2:

[randa]

lucy dead....good
chloe taken...not so good

now lex has to find her and all that fun stuff, but who is this mistirious man from her past? cant wait to find out

randa

[carebear72884]

that was really good, i love the fact that lucy is dead, now for lex to save chloe and all will be right. update soon.

[vardaquareien]

Hmmm so the Scarecrow's a Smallville Krypto-freak? Very intriguing! I have my suspicions as to who it could be but I'll keep them to myself for now....especially seeing as I'm probably wrong!!! :hehe: Even though it's a bad thing, I love that the Scarecrow has taken Chloe coz I just know it's gonna be fascinating and exciting and...Lex's gotta go after her!!! Oh and I love you for killing Lucy - the biatch!!!

[scifichick774]

Chapter 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce was fuming. Not only had the Scarecrow managed to quickly escape police custody, but the few men he had with him when he was arrested had taken cyanide capsules to kill themselves rather than give the authorities information on their leader or his new whereabouts.

He growled under his breath. The Scarecrow was planning something big, he knew it in his gut – but he couldn’t *do* anything about it unless he found out where the villain was biding his time.

The sound of his cell phone ringing jolted him from his thoughts and he found himself sliding the slim, black piece of plastic and metal from his inner jacket pocket; ready to bark at whomever was on the other end of the line, whether they deserved it or not.

“Wayne,” he answered gruffly, steeling the emotions bubbling so close to the surface in favor of keeping up appearances.

“You said the Scarecrow was in custody,” Lex seethed.

“Luthor?” Bruce asked, slightly confused as to how Lex had gotten the news of the Scarecrow’s breakout so soon, and wondering why it mattered so badly.

“Well?” Lex asked impatiently.

“He was,” Bruce said. “But ---”

“He escaped,” Lex finished for him.

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t think that I might need to know that after it happened?!”

Bruce frowned. Lex had a temper, but he wasn’t known to be the sort of man who would throw a tantrum unless it was warranted. An unsettled feeling twisted in his stomach and he raised his free hand to start rubbing at one of his temples with his fingers.

The Scarecrow must have found out where Chloe was and had either gone to get her or had sent some of his minions to do his dirty work for him. Either way, it wasn’t going to be a pretty conversation.

“What happened?” he finally asked, resigned to the very real possibility that the Scarecrow now had Chloe in his possession – or would soon.

“What *happened*?” Lex repeated incredulously. “One minute you’re assuring me that he’s in custody and that Chloe’s safe and the next he’s showing up here and killing people!”

“Damn,” Bruce cursed under his breath. “Is Chloe alright?”

“He took her,” Lex said through gritted teeth. “He killed three people, injured four others – including myself, and then he *took* her.”

“I’m sorry.”

Lex growled something that Bruce didn’t quite catch, but was certain that he didn’t need repeated, so he let it be.

“You knew he was dangerous,” Lex finally accused.

“Of course,” Bruce said. “So did you. Stable people don’t take people as hostages and try to blow up buildings.”

“Why didn’t you have extra guards put on him?” Lex countered, ignoring Bruce’s point completely.

Bruce was the one in Gotham, not him, and therefore he was the one responsible for the situation. After all, there was only so much Lex could do when dealing with city officials that weren’t on his payroll.

“I did,” Bruce said in his own defense. “But this isn’t some podunk villain from Kansas like you’re used to dealing with, Luthor. He’s smart, athletic, resourceful, and extremely well-organized. Not to mention he has an uncanny ability for staying alive when nobody else seems to be able to.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“I think I know him better than you.”

“Apparently not, since I have reason to believe that he *is* from Kansas,” Lex said.

Bruce frowned and furrowed his brow. He had been trying to get information on the Scarecrow’s real identity since he arrived on the scene in Gotham, and the thought that Lex had that information and just wasn’t sharing it with him was aggravating.

“What have you heard?” he asked.

Lex let out a small breath.

“When he was talking to Chloe…” he trailed off and ran a hand over his smooth head. “The look on her face – it was like she was trying to place his voice.”

“Hmm,” Bruce hummed in thought.

“I’ve done everything I can on my end – shut down the airport, closed off most of the charter sail companies that he might use – but if he’s as good as you say he is, then he’ll find a way off this island. I need you to take care of things on your end if he brings her back to Gotham with him.”

“I will.”

“I mean it, Bruce. No ‘the police will handle it’ shit. I want him dead and I want Chloe back safe.”

“I’m not going to kill anyone, Lex,” Bruce said. “But if he’s foolish enough to bring her back here, then I’ll deal with the situation.”

~*~*~*~

One of the Scarecrow’s minions pensively cocked his head to the side as he looked down at Chloe’s sleeping form.

“Why isn’t she waking up?”

The Scarecrow rolled his eyes.

“Do we really need to have this discussion again?” he asked irritably.

“Well…”

“I didn’t realize she’d lost weight since the last time I saw her up close,” the Scarecrow barked. “And the dose I put in the syringe was enough to take down someone much larger anyway to make sure that she stayed knocked out until we got away.”

The minion frowned.

“Is she okay?” he asked. “My sister’s a nurse and I know you’re not supposed to just give more of something to ---”

“Get out!”

The minion nodded briefly and quickly scurried from the room, closing the door behind him.

The Scarecrow walked over and locked the door, cursing under his breath the entire time. The people who worked for him were loyal to the end, but not always that bright. When he turned to look back at Chloe, he let out a small sigh.

He had waited so long before making his move, so many months of watching from afar before finally donning the ‘Scarecrow’ persona to get her notice him; that he could hardly believe she was finally there with him - even if she was unconscious.

The Scarecrow grinned and ran his fingertips gently over Chloe’s cheek. She might have been his back in Smallville if he hadn’t been drawn in by Lana Lang’s unintentional, meteor rock-influenced, mutant ability like everyone else in the town had been.

A short period of time away from the brunette girl had been enough to rid him of the strange desire to always play hero around her; leading him to be suspicious of what had prompted the response in the first place.

Absence seemed to be the key to breaking whatever spell Lana had on him and because of the realization, he found himself reluctant to return to the dirt-water town he had been raised in. But he knew he needed to. It was the only place to find an answer to the question that plagued his mind; the only place to find Chloe.

As far as he could tell, the blonde reporter seemed to be the only one not falling at Lana’s feet, something that he was once convinced was necessary to survive. But, no. Chloe had somehow, through her research into the meteor rocks and the people affected by them, found a way not to be corrupted by whatever it was that Lana was giving off that screamed for people to love her, and he wanted to know what it was.

He made an effort to spend more time around Chloe to find out what she knew, but in the end she kept her secrets well-guarded, and he knew he had to leave Smallville for good if he didn’t want to be completely re-infected by what he considered to be a virus.

He was slowly falling for Lana’s unwitting charms once again, despite the fact that he wanted Chloe; and since the meteor rock radiation had graced him with…abilities…as well, he’d be damned if he was going to spend the rest of what he knew would be an extremely long life wanting one woman but unable to control himself from fawning over another.

But now…now he had what he had wanted all along. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear.

“Chloe,” he huskily half-whispered. “Time to wake up, Chloe.”

Chloe didn’t stir and the Scarecrow frowned.

“Wake up,” he growled.

Still no response.

Then a thought occurred to him – an insane and practically incoherent thought – but a thought nonetheless. A sly grin curled up the corners of his mouth and he leaned to brace his hands on the bed on either side of her.

“Waiting for your prince to kiss you?” he chuckled out, a hum rising from the depths of his throat as his tongue darted out to wet his lips.

In one smooth, swift movement, he peeled away the mask that had become like a second face and lowered his lips to hers. Pressing with remarkable sweetness, he drew back to hover over her as Chloe unconsciously reacted to the kiss and moaned tiredly as her body began to wake.

Her head tipped to the side and she opened her eyes, blinking and squinting at the light the room provided. Her vision was blurry and she tried to remember what had happened and where she was.

The warm breath she suddenly felt upon her skin didn’t answer her questions, but it did tell her that she wasn’t alone.

“There’s my girl,” the Scarecrow cooed, the sound of his voice finally causing Chloe to turn her head and face him.

The cloudiness in her gaze started to clear and her eyes grew wide as her mouth dropped open in shock.

“Wh---”

“Shh,” the Scarecrow said, placing a finger over her open lips and closing her jaw with the rest of his hand. “You’ve had a hard day. You need to rest.”

“But ---”

Chloe furrowed her brow in confusion and tried to shake her head, only to be met with a dull, throbbing pain. She scanned her surroundings quickly, frowning when recognizing the familiar setting of what was undoubtedly a hospital room.

And from the ‘blue color of death’ that the walls were painted with, she guessed it was Smallville Community Hospital.

‘But that’s impossible,’ she thought. ‘I was…’ Her thoughts tapered off and a tiny frown marred her features. She was what? Where? The answers seemed on the tip of her brain, but just out of reach for her to see them.

Finally, she fixed the man she didn’t realize was her captor with a questioning stare while breathing shallow, rapid breaths that she hoped he wouldn’t notice.

“What happened?”

[hfce]

I have a feeling its jackass super guy. He makes me sick. :tease:




Hope :tease:

[Clannadlvr]

Woo hoo!!!!! You updated!!!! Yay!!!

*dances dances*


She might have been his back in Smallville if he hadn’t been drawn in by Lana Lang’s unintentional, meteor rock-influenced, mutant ability like everyone else in the town had been.

A short period of time away from the brunette girl had been enough to rid him of the strange desire to always play hero around her; leading him to be suspicious of what had prompted the response in the first place.

I KNEW there had to be a reason for the "Lana love" other than her damned perfect hair and pink pda! Eureka!!

Oh, and I also love how Lex wants the Scarecrow dead, but as we all know, Bats won't kill. Seems like Lex might have to take matters into his own hands. *grins*

Hmmm....and who IS the Scarcrow? I mean, someone from Smallville that was entranced by Lana? Who doesn't want to play hero around her? Doesn't exactly narrow it down, does it? *sighs*

Can't wait to read more.

[Blackberry]

ooh!! i think i know who it is!! is it is it? there was that little hint.... or maybe i'm just reading it wrong...? I will wait and see!

*sits in front of screen intently waiting for update* :biggrin:

[Not An Addict]

MONKEY! I can't believe you left it there. No . . . no wait, I can believe you left it there. Aside from that, this was a great chapter. Loved the bits about Lana and "the virus". Explains her unsettling tendency to get away with murder. More, please! Crazy!Protective!Lex is so much fun!

[MissMed03]

Wow that was very inritguing and everyone else knows who Scarecrow can be but I must be pretty damn stupid cuz i think it's Clark or oh god is it Whitney? He does seem the type. *sighs* Please update soon, i'm going to be thinkin about this all day in lecture.

[autumngold]

Ok, Lex needs to get his butt off that island and go rescue Chloe!! Bruce might not be willing to kill him but at least Lex won't have that hang-up!! Or maybe Chloe could kill him herself?!! :biggrin: Thank you so much for another excellent chapter!! :chlexsign4:

[carebear72884]

yea! an update, but who is it? i keep thinking clark, but somehow that doesn't seem possible, so who else could it be? or is a new person all together? argh, i want to know now, and i want Lexy to save her, soon please, update now.

[Czech Angel]

Thank you so much for updating!
At first I thought it was Clark, but after reading the chapter again (yes I'm that obsessed) I realized it can't be him. See check out this line:

***since the meteor rock radiation had graced him with…abilities***

Clark is an alien. The meteor rocks didn't give him powers. So that's my theory.
I'm not positive until I get an udate.*Subtle hinting. Subtle hinting* :biggrin:

[ElizabethV]

I'm really glad you updated! :) But I'm still totally worried about Chloe. I liked the conversation btwn. Lex and Bruce- Lex is so worried about her! I also liked that the meteors are why everyone in Smallville seems to go Lana-crazed.
She might have been his back in Smallville if he hadn’t been drawn in by Lana Lang’s unintentional, meteor rock-influenced, mutant ability like everyone else in the town had been.

I really hope Chloe will be OK! Can't wait to read more!

[Val]

OOoohh WHO IS IT? I have two names popping into my mind but... *shrug*
See, I need you to update this ASAP so I can have more hints as to WHO the scarecrow is!

[katspell]

yippee for the update, and btw yippie for the minion. I just love minions. Don't mind me, I blame the snow, it makes me wish I had little minions to shovel my walk.

Love the Lana remarks, but I'm completly blown away as to who the guy might be.

[sylvia]

If the Scarecrow's someone like Clark - which I suppose would explain how he managed to get her off the island without the airport and the jets, but wouldn't explain the minions - please have him die a suitably nasty death. Thank you.

:D

[Kit Merlot]

Kris, Great update--but you can't just leave it like that???
Chloe kidnapped and in the evil clutches of the villain--and she doesn't realize that the man is the Scarecrow--he better not hurt her!! I also like an overprotective and frantic Lex working with an equally upset Bruce. Good stuff!

Please continue :biggrin:

[Blaire023]

Originally posted by scifichick774@Feb 3 2004, 09:19 AM
?But this isn?t some podunk villain from Kansas like you?re used to dealing with..."


You know, hehehe, when it all comes down to it...*snickers* doesn't Lex Luthor eventually fit into that billing?

And hee, this whole Scarecrow thing should be interesting.

~B

[MagnusXXN]

I too thought it was Clark, but then remember hes Superman by this time. And I doubt the man of steel dressed up like a scarecrow and killed people.

So who does that leave? With the way it sounds this guy didn't know about his powers until later.

Lets say after the Smallville series.

So the guy would be normal, at one time in love with Lana, enough to play her 'hero'.

Hmmm.......I'm going to say Pete?






): )

[gina]

Eek, I hope Chloe realizes soon that the Scarecrow is right in front of her. I'm kind of undecided on who I think his real identity is. I so want to find out.

I loved the reason why Smallville's population is infatuated with Lana. That's gotta be the *only* explanation of why people are so obssessed over her!

Great chapter like always. Can't wait for the next!

[sara_noele]

Well, at first I thought hmmm, Clark? But wait he can't hurt anyone, okay not intentionally. When he hurts someone, he mostly does it without knowing it. We all know he is not the brain in the show.
Maybe some guy who was just the freak of the week?
Don't know...

Still a great update.

[Susie Q]

Originally posted by scifichick774@ Feb 3 2004, 08:19 AM
He made an effort to spend more time around Chloe to find out what she knew, but in the end she kept her secrets well-guarded, and he knew he had to leave Smallville for good if he didn’t want to be completely re-infected by what he considered to be a virus. Well I know. The virus must be eliminated…eradicated…and quickly before it replicates! Quarantine the town and spray it down with a really big can of...of...um virus killing stuff http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/Erm.gif.

I think I have a handle on the Scarecrow’s identity unless I’m reading too much into Chloe’s interrupted exclamation. And if it is who I think it is then I don’t want him to die, even if he is an obsessed nut-case. But with Lex chomping at the bit, well, his chances of survival looks to be a little slim. Still though, I do wanna see Lex come charging to the rescue :tongue:.

[Shay]

Lovin this...and my guess is Whitney.

More Soon
Shay

[vardaquareien]

Originally posted by Shay@Feb 6 2004, 05:38 AM
Lovin this...and my guess is Whitney.
Yep! Me too!!!

I dunno maybe it's coz of the whole "Scarecrow" thing! It was him that strung Clunk up in the pilot. Maybe that's why he chose that persona. Also the idea of him getting out of Smallville to het away from Blana. He could have faked his own death so that he'd never have to be around The Hideous Pink One again. That's my theory anyhoo. Plus there's the fact that when Chloe wakes up the first thing after seeing him that she tries to say is "Wh-". Now she could have been going to ask "Who?", "What?", "Where?", "When?" or "Which?" but she may also have been going to exclaim "Whitney!" Again, my theory: sticking to it! ;)

Loved Lex and Bruce's conversation! Lex frantic for Chloe is always a good thing!!!

[Charmingjen]

eek... I was with everyone else when I thought it was Clark, but then I realized it just CAN'T be him. Then I started to think...maybe Pete?? Very curious here. I usually wait till fics are complete to read them that way I don't have to wait for updates, but I love this story and all the twists you have in it. I'm really REALLY looking foward to an update.

Rock on Kris!
;) Jen

[scifichick774]

A/N: I think most of you have guessed already, but it’s still fun. *smile*

~*~*~*~*~

Lex glanced over at the other occupants in the room. Those that hadn’t been shuffled off to the hospital for more serious injuries included Chris, a few cameramen, three contestants, the producers (who hadn’t even been in the house at the time of the shootings), the police, and himself.

Chris seemed pretty shaken up and although he had made his first few days on the island uncomfortable and irritating, Lex couldn’t help feeling marginally bad for the state the man was in now. He had his arms wrapped around himself as he talked to a police officer and his eyes were glazed over with a horrified expression.

As Lex looked around the room, he noticed that it seemed to be a common reaction. In fact, he and the police detectives were apparently the only ones who weren’t completely flipping out over what had happened – at least not in the traditional sense. Angry enough to kill the Scarecrow with his bare hands? Yes. So scared of the man coming back again that his body was shaking and he was practically wetting himself? No.

He growled under his breath. After he got Chloe back safely – and he was getting her back – then he would kill the Scarecrow and make Bruce Wayne’s life a living hell for letting the bastard go in the first place.

He frowned as he thought on that. If it hadn’t been for the lost bet to Bruce, then he never would have gone on the show or been reacquainted with Chloe, never would have fallen in…

Oh.

Well, that explained quite a bit. He would have never gotten this irrational if Chloe had been just another vapid socialite, or one of the many women who only liked his money rather than him. And there was the rub. Chloe wasn’t like them. Chloe was…Chloe. He had managed to fall in love with the one woman who, by all rights, didn’t even have to let him live a life of freedom instead of behind bars, let alone spend time with him on an island for a stupid reality show.

His heart clenched. She had only been spending time with him because she wanted to get even with Lucy for some catty comments the other woman continually made. She had only indulged him with witty conversation and lingering kisses because she was essentially trapped on the island with him by contract until he let her go home. She didn’t love him. Even if he got her back, she might never love him.

After all, how could she? She had seen him at his worst. And though she had seemed to put any harbored ill-will against him aside, Lex didn’t deny the possibility that she might very well run away from him and rush to Gotham the second she was freed from the Scarecrow’s hold.

Still…it was a chance he had to take. He couldn’t just let her die or suffer at the hands of a madman because she might not love him.

Lex glanced to his side when someone cleared their throat beside him. He gave the other man a slight upward nod of his head in greeting. There was little that could be said. Or at least that’s what he thought.

“The police found…” Chris started, pausing when Lex’s eyes seemed to widen to three times their normal size. He cleared his throat again. “The police found a videotape. Chloe was apparently in the diary room when…you know.” Lex gave him an impassive stare and Chris returned it with a sad, serious expression. “Normally, it would be totally off limits, but…I think you should take a look at it. It…um…it might be the last time you see her.”

Lex drew in a deep breath. He refused to accept that Chloe was dead, or even that the Scarecrow would kill her. The villain was obviously obsessed and once a person reached that level of insanity, there was a kind of illogical reasoning that took over. As long as Chloe talked to the man, he would not kill her. He could delude himself into thinking whatever she said meant something else, but she was talking to him and that was what mattered.

He nodded once and Chris slowly started walking toward the room that the videotape was in. Chris motioned with his head to the seat and then went over to push a couple of buttons on some electrical equipment. Lex sat alone in the room as Chris silently shut the door behind him and the videotape began to play.

Chloe’s image sat on the screen and she looked...distraught. Lex frowned as he heard her take a breath and start talking.

“Honestly…I don’t know,” Chloe said, sighing and then raking her hands through her hair before she adjusted her sitting position in front of the camera. “I’m thinking that this whole thing was a bad idea,” she continued. “I just had this…urge…to bring Lucy’s ego down a few notches. I’ve had to deal with so many women like her in my life; one who basically stole the only guy I’ve ever really loved just by being the small town princess and batting her eyelashes at him; and…” Chloe trailed off with a release of breath. “This is going to sound so petty – because it *is* - but I think I wanted to get even, you know? I wanted to show someone who usually gets any guy she wants that women who don’t look like they’re twelve years old forever can get the guy too, but it really had nothing to do with Lucy herself at all. And now…”

Lex’s frown grew deeper. If he had been wondering what Chloe’s feelings for him were, she had essentially just confirmed his suspicion that she didn’t love him. But, if that was the case, why did she look like she had been put through the ringer? Why did she look like she was having such a difficult time accepting something she already knew? He leaned forward in the seat and kept listening, his eyes peeled on the woman that he would find and rescue, that he would somehow convince to marry him, even if she didn’t love him.

Chloe looked away from the camera and when she turned back, her eyes were cast downward.

“I think I’m in over my head.”

Lex furrowed his brow. What was that supposed to mean?

Chloe was trembling so much that it was clearly visible on camera.

Was she scared of him? Not that she didn’t have a right to be, but she hadn’t said anything, and for some reason the thought that she had been holding something that big back bothered Lex.

“He…” she paused and closed her eyes, disbelieving that she was even thinking about voicing the topic of her inner-most thoughts aloud for anyone and everyone to hear and judge her on. “I think I might be developing…feelings…for him,” she continued in quiet discomfort, concern edging her tone.

Lex’s breath hitched. She loved him – or was ‘developing feelings for him’. And she hadn’t told him. She had just continued with their charade as he had, pretending to like each other while pretending to not really like each other, while actually falling for each other. It seemed monumentally twisted, but right just the same.

His heart began to beat faster, a tiny grin rising to his lips until he saw what came next on the tape.

Chloe’s head lopped down limply between her shoulder blades as if in defeat, but quickly sprung up at the sound of gunfire permeating the normally sound-resistant room, and her eyes snapped to the door.

She rose from her seat and took hesitant steps toward the locked door, effectively putting her out of camera range.

Lex could guess what happened next. His head started to spin, first with the fear that he was wrong about the Scarecrow’s level of psychosis and that he might never see Chloe alive again, and then with the knowledge that he was going to find her and bring her back if he had to search the entire island by himself. He wasn’t going to let her get away from him. Not when he had just found her again. Not when she loved him.

The door clicked open and a policeman stood in the doorway, greeting Lex in much the same manner that he had greeted Chris moments before.

“We think we might have a lead,” he said. “I was told to tell you.”

Lex didn’t need to be told twice. Ignoring the pain that throbbed through his head because of the wounds he had suffered, he practically jumped out of his chair. He was going to find Chloe.

~*~*~*~

The Scarecrow stroked her face with the back of his hand and Chloe jerked away from his touch in confusion.

“What the hell is going on, Whitney? The last time I saw you, you were…no wait. That was Tina Greer pretending to be you,” she rambled, narrowing her eyes as memories began to seep into her mind. “You’re dead.”

Whitney arched an amused eyebrow.

“I am?” he asked jokingly; a broad smirk on his face as he looked down at himself and then back at Chloe. “Wow. I look pretty good for a dead guy.”

Chloe let out an irritated breath.

“Okay, you’re not dead – you’re just supposed to be,” she said, pausing for a second and making a face before continuing. “That totally didn’t come out how I meant it.”

Whitney chuckled.

“How did you mean it?” he asked. Chloe tried to push herself up to a sitting position, but Whitney eased her back down. “You’ve had a rough day,” he explained. “You should stay lying down.”

Chloe sighed.

“Whitney – what’s going on? Really?” she asked. “Everyone thinks you’re dead. Lana ---” she stopped suddenly; her mind assaulted with memories of Lana and Pete’s wedding, of Lana signing her up for the show without her knowledge, of…

Chloe’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open ever so slightly in shock. For the first time since she had woken up minutes before, she finally took in Whitney’s appearance and what he was wearing.

“You’re the Scarecrow,” she gasped.

Whitney smirked proudly.

“The one and only.”

“Oh God,” Chloe muttered sickly under her breath.

Whitney’s expression fell.

“What’s wrong?”

Chloe shook her head.

“I thought…I woke up and it’s a hospital with the blue color of death like Smallville’s and…I thought maybe the last few years of my life had just been a dream or something…” she babbled, settling on a lopsided grin at the end. “And wow – that just made me sound *really* mental.”

Whitney smiled, pleased that Chloe wasn’t flipping out about him being the Scarecrow…at least not yet. He wasn’t stupid. He knew there was a chance – a *good* chance – that she wouldn’t be thrilled by the alter ego he had taken on.

‘Or that I killed her friends…’ he absently pointed out to himself. ‘Oh, well. What are you gonna do?’

When he pulled himself away from his thoughts, he noticed that Chloe seemed to be studying him intently.

“You’re the Scarecrow,” she said again, a strange level of understanding now lacing her tone.

Whitney grinned at her.

“We’ve established that.”

Chloe looked perplexed.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why…everything? If you were alive, why didn’t you just come back to Smallville? Why show up in Gotham as a scarecrow? W---”

“You seemed to like the last one,” Whitney interrupted. Chloe furrowed her brow. “Clark,” he clarified.

Chloe’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes flashing with sudden comprehension.

“You did this – all of this – because of me?” she asked. “Why? Why would you do that?”

Whitney leaned over her and dipped his head to press his lips against hers. He kissed her softly, running his hand up her side to pin one of her arms if necessary. She wasn’t reciprocating and though he weighed significantly more than she did, he didn’t want to chance her sucker-punching him.

Finally he pulled back, but his face still loomed over hers, his eyes searching hers to see if she had accepted his answer. From the look on her face, she had - *and* she hadn’t.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, her voice coming out so light that he might not have heard it had he not been so close to her.

Whitney brushed his lips against hers.

“You never suspected?” he half-whispered against the supple skin.

“That you were still alive or that you were the Scarecrow?” Chloe asked.

“That I liked you,” Whitney said, cocking his head to the side pensively after saying the words. “Although I’d like to hear answers for the other two as well.”

Chloe shook her head lightly.

“You were in love with Lana…you were always…”

Whitney let out a derisive scoff of air through his nose.

“I was infected. I was never in love with her,” he said. Chloe’s eyebrows rose in surprise and questioning. “Lana has…abilities…because of her initial exposure to the meteor rock that killed her parents and the ongoing exposure from the necklace she wore.”

Chloe blinked as she took in the information.

“Wow,” she uttered in astonishment. “That explains so much.”

“And here I thought you knew all along,” Whitney said.

“No – I mean – I thought *maybe* she had some kind of pheromonal thing, but I didn’t have any proof. And it’s not like anyone would have ever believed me anyway.”

“Mmm,” Whitney hummed in agreement, kissing her again. She still didn’t reciprocate and he rose back up with a sigh. “What’s it going to take to convince you that I love you?” he asked, pushing himself away from her and standing up to pace. “I steal so I can provide for you; I kill those who stand between us…what more do you want?”

“Nothing!” Chloe burst out. “I just…I thought you wanted answers to the other two questions?” She didn’t know if the stalling tactic would work, but it was the only thing she could think of besides allowing him to have his way with her or letting him kill her, and neither of those was a viable option in her mind.

Whitney’s expression softened and he grinned leeringly at her.

“Such a smart girl,” he cooed. “Okay,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. “We can play. What are your other answers?”

Damn.

Chloe swallowed. She hadn’t thought about that.

Much to Whitney’s displeasure, she shakily pushed herself up to a sitting position, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that encompassed her.

Whitney frowned as she grabbed at her head with one hand.

“I told you that you should lie down. You need your rest,” he admonished.

“I’ll be fine,” Chloe said dismissively. “And it’s weird talking to you while I’m lying down and you’re standing up. We’re in a hospital and that makes it seem too much like you’re a doctor. I don’t know if you remember this, but I don’t have the best track record with hospitals or doctors.”

“Oh,” Whitney said, startled by her admission. “Right. Sorry.” He moved to sit down next to her. “So…answers?”

Chloe drew in a deep breath and kept her eyes on the wall instead of turning to face him.

“As far as you being the Scarecrow…I honestly had no idea it was you. I did wonder if it was maybe someone from Smallville, but you didn’t really exhibit any powers, so…”

“I can’t die,” Whitney cut in.

“What?” Chloe asked, her eyes darting over to him.

“I can’t die,” he said again with a boyish smile. “It’s my ‘meteor freak’ ability.”

“Wow. That’s…a really good one,” she said after a moment’s thought.

Whitney’s smile grew.

“And me still being alive?”

Chloe frowned.

“I looked into it,” she admitted. “They never found your body, just your dog tags…it seemed too coincidental. But I thought it was a government cover-up or something. Like they recruited you into some special unit of the military that no one is supposed to know about.”

“Chloe ---”

Suddenly, there were loud sounds coming from the other side of the door and Chloe and Whitney’s attentions were both drawn to the noise.

“What’s going on?” Chloe asked, trying to stand, but sitting back down when she realized she was too dizzy and weak.

“I don’t know. I’ll go find ---”

There was a loud thump and the door smashed down toward them. Chloe instinctually shielded her face with her hands, but Whitney, having grown accustomed to his newfound powers, stood his ground.

He wasn’t expecting the police to be using high-dosage tranquilizer darts instead of bullets. He was hit three times but didn’t fall to the floor until the fourth feather-tipped dart pierced his skin.

Chloe was hyperventilating. She was sure of it. Too taken off guard to scream, she succumbed to the dizziness that had been threatening to push her back to sleep and passed out.




TBC…

[MissMed03]

I KNEW IT! ME! ME! ME! HA HA HA HA HA! Yes, now that's what I'm talking about. Phenonemenal chapter, bring on the smut! What? Did i just say that? What's this story rated anyway? Who care bring on the smut anyway! Okay *sighs defeatedly* don't bring on the smut... just update soon, okay?

[Blackberry]

wow... :huh:

all of that makes sense though! three hoorahs for the update! :yay2:

[MagnusXXN]

Can't die?

Wow, as far as freaky powers goes, thats a really good one. And dang, I'd thought it was pete.

But I like this. ANd can't wait to hear more.

More Chlex!!! And maybe someone slapping Batman around a bit, I just can't get enough of that.







): )

[Clannadlvr]

Kris! You come back from a week away and you give us SOOOOO MUCH Chlexy goodness!! *hugs Kris*

First off, I think it's absolutely brilliant that you linked the Scarecrow villain of the Batman comics with the idea of the scarcrow from the first season of SV. Such a smart intercontextualization.

(uh....sorry...been going a lot of grad work, including musically adapted literary criticism, so I've got all these big words on the brain. Sorry! *sheepish grin*)

Secondly....

He frowned as he thought on that. If it hadn’t been for the lost bet to Bruce, then he never would have gone on the show or been reacquainted with Chloe, never would have fallen in…

Oh.

I love the way you show this! Lex realizes his feelings for Chloe and they just woop him upside the head! *hugs Kris again*


Oh, and Miss Med? *hee hee* You crack me up!!


I KNEW IT! ME! ME! ME! HA HA HA HA HA! Yes, now that's what I'm talking about. Phenonemenal chapter, bring on the smut! What? Did i just say that? What's this story rated anyway? Who care bring on the smut anyway! Okay *sighs defeatedly* don't bring on the smut... just update soon, okay?

Really nicely done, Kris. Can't wait to read more!

[autumngold]

I hope this time Chloe wakes up in Lex's arms!! It's scary though, if the Scarecrow can never die then he's never going to leave Chloe alone!! How will Lex stop him? Like always with your stories I just can't wait for your next update!! Thanks for this chapter!! :chlexsign4:

[ColumbiaBlue]

“I was infected. I was never in love with her,” he said. Chloe’s eyebrows rose in surprise and questioning. “Lana has…abilities…because of her initial exposure to the meteor rock that killed her parents and the ongoing exposure from the necklace she wore.”
AHH! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!! I laughed so hard when I read that! lol

More sooooon!

~Manda

[Sab_Luthor]

wow whitney :huh: :huh: i never thought one moment the scarecrow will be him
great update it was about time but it worth it
more please

[Béatrice]

:huh: Scarecrow is Whitney. And he can't die? That doesn't sound good.

Please update soon. :worship2:

[hfce]

That was wow :ohmy: more please.....


Hope :)

[Not An Addict]

Mwah-hah-hah-hah!! GREAT update. ^_^ You've written Whitney so deliciously evil--I love it! Of course, I'm wondering how you keep someone captive when they can't die, apart from keeping them constantly tranquilized. Hmm. Anyway, are they going to go back to the show, or are they just going to cut their losses on that front? ^_~ Can't wait for more!!

[gina]

Wonderful update! I loved Lex's sudden realization of his feelings for Chloe. Please say that the end meant that Chloe has been rescued from the Scarecrow so she and Lex can reunite.

I love this fic! Can't wait for more! :)

[WolviesLover]

Wow. I, for one, didn't guess it was Whitney. I am ashamed. :dry: Pity. Oh well..What was this about him killing her friends? Doesn't sound good..Though I guess you could have meant some of the people she worked with? Perhaps he think she was friends with them? I'll just have to see! Loved the update.

[sylvia]

“I can’t die,” Whitney cut in.

“What?” Chloe asked, her eyes darting over to him.

“I can’t die,” he said again with a boyish smile. “It’s my ‘meteor freak’ ability.”

“Wow. That’s…a really good one,” she said after a moment’s thought.

:lol: This is too funny.



More Chlex!!! And maybe someone slapping Batman around a bit, I just can't get enough of that.

And ditto on that^!

[vardaquareien]

Whoohoo!!!http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v28/vardaquareien/Smilies/do-dah.gif Squee!!! I was ri-ight! I was ri-ight!

Loved your reasoning behind Whitney being the Scarcrow: the fact that Chloe liked the last one aka Clark.

I loved the way that Lex realised his feelings for Chloe and that he was able to see her tape and find out that she felt the same way!!! :yay3:

[ElizabethV]

An update!! YEAH!! And Whitney can't die... that doesn't sound good at all. But I still love the fact that Lana had powers- and that's why EVERYONE was so infatuated w/ her. I liked when Lex got to see what she said on the video. :) I can't wait until they're reunited, again! Hope you can update again soon! :chlexsign1:

[Val]

“I was infected. I was never in love with her,” he said. Chloe’s eyebrows rose in surprise and questioning. “Lana has…abilities…because of her initial exposure to the meteor rock that killed her parents and the ongoing exposure from the necklace she wore.”

HA! I knew it! I also knew it was Whitney!
I want more! :blinkkiss:

[ladymichelle]

Wow it was Whitney, never guessed!
This is a great story I can't wait for the next part!

Michelle

[sara_noele]

I agree with Michelle. I never thought of Whitney. but that makes it even more interesting.

Liked the whole tape thing, very sweet. :wub:

[S.Ann Smith]

Nice update Kris.. but I have to say I was thinking it was clunk, cuz of the not dying thing... but I like how it's whitney b/c it explains alot... now all we need is Lexy saving her.. lol...

[scifichick774]

It was a strange situation; coming back to consciousness while being carried. Loud yet murmured conversations and still-wailing sirens filled Chloe’s ears, pushing her back to a waking state. She blinked a few times in surprise when she took in where she was and what was happening; the fact that she was moving, but not of her own volition. And more importantly, she thought, whose arms she was cradled in.

She recognized immediately that it wasn’t a fireman or a police officer, or even a member of some country’s military, as the shirt he was wearing was lilac-colored and had the first few buttons undone. She inwardly sighed. No. She knew exactly who it was. She shifted her body and cleared her throat to get his attention.

“Lex?”

He stopped walking and grinned down at her, but didn’t move to try and place her on her on her own two feet.

“You fainted,” he explained when he saw the less than comfortable look on her face.

“I figured,” Chloe shot back with a quirky smile.

“I’m taking you to a hospital.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was just *in* a hospital.”

“A condemned one with who knows how many of the Scarecrow’s sycophants still running around in it.”

“Oh.”

“I just want to make sure you’re safe and that whatever he gave you doesn’t have any lasting effects.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital anyway.”

Chloe arched an eyebrow as Lex began walking again.

“Are you planning on carrying me all the way there?” she asked snidely. “Because you’re making me feel *way* too much like the damsel in distress here.”

Lex matched her raised eyebrow and then smirked.

“I’m sure you had everything under control, dear.”

Hey! I did!” Chloe objected to his derogatory tone. “Well…except for the whole passing out thing – but I’m blaming that on the residual sedative he drugged me with.”

“Which is why I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“You do know that I hate hospitals, right?”

“I’m aware of that.”

“But you’re still taking me to one --- and on foot no less.”

“Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself if you pass out again,” Lex baited.

Chloe rolled her eyes, but regretted the action when her gaze fell upon his chest. More specifically, the area of taught skin that his open shirt left exposed. She cleared her throat again.

“We should have that cough looked at,” Lex teased.

“Are you gonna put me down or what?”

“Are you going to hit me if I say ‘or what’?”

Chloe snickered and then smiled.

“Try it and find out.”

“Ahh,” Lex drew out in mock understanding. “So, those ‘feelings’ you were talking about on the video diary were of the homicidal variety.”

“Clearly,” Chloe jibed back before the full extent of his words made their way through her brain. When they did, her eyes grew wide and she squirmed in his arms, struggling to make him put her down. “Wait a minute. You *watched* my video *diary*? Those things are supposed to be private – well…at least until they’re aired on national television…and oh my God. What was I thinking?!”

“That you were developing feelings for me,” Lex reminded her with a smug smirk.

Chloe groaned.

“You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”

“No. I have every intention of rewinding the diary for our grandchildren again and again and they’ll wonder why you were so upset about liking me,” he teased.

“And then *I’ll* answer – telling them how your dad *really* died.”

Lex pretended to think about it.

“Better not. Wouldn’t want them to get any ideas,” he said. Chloe snorted and Lex smiled at her, stopping in front of an ambulance, but not letting her down from his arms. “You know…it’s traditional to get married and have kids before having grandchildren. Some people would even say mandatory.”

“Wow. That was quite possibly the worst proposal I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Lex frowned.

“How many have you had?”

“I said heard, not had. And probably about as many as you’ve given.”

“Does this time count?”

“No.”

“So two then,” Lex said. Chloe’s eyes widened and then she shrank back a little in his arms. Lex’s eyes narrowed. “How many?”

“It’s not important.”

“Chloe,” he said warningly.

“Only five,” Chloe admitted, a displeased look crossing her face right after she said it. “I can’t believe I outnumber you. I thought for sure that --- oh, wait. You have three. Still though.”

“I think I’d remember proposing a third time.”

“You’d think,” Chloe agreed with a half-nod of her head. “But you never got back all those memories that the shock therapy erased.”

Lex paled in panic. Chloe knew something from his only semi-returned missing seven weeks that he didn’t? The idea would have been slightly exhilarating if something didn’t seem off about it. He didn’t remember dating anyone, and surely any woman he dated during his ‘missing time’ would have jumped at the chance to marry him and take his money.

“I proposed to someone?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“Uh…”

“Chloe?”

“Me…actually,” she said. “But you were totally drunk at the time, so I really shouldn’t have even counted it in my five or your three.”

“I was drunk and I proposed to you,” Lex repeated.

“Yes.”

“But you still say that this was the worst proposal you’ve ever had?” he countered in disbelief. He knew from experience that if he had enough to drink that he could be less than a gentleman, so he couldn’t imagine that what he said to her had been any better than the haphazard skirting about he had done just moments ago.

“Your last one was kind of…sweet…in a sappy, sloppy, drunk kind of way.”

Lex gave her a dry look.

“And yet you didn’t marry me,” he pointed out.

“I was in high school,” Chloe retorted. “And like I said – you were drunk. *Really* drunk.”

Lex grimaced.

“Do I want to hear this?”

“Probably not.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“I will if you put me down.”

Lex glowered at her, but gently lowered her to set her feet on the ground; allowing one hand to stay on her waist just in case she tried to renege on her side of the agreement and take off before he and the paramedics could get her shoved into the back of the ambulance.

Chloe smiled devilishly at him and Lex immediately had a sinking feeling that it was going to be far worse than he thought.

“Keep in mind that everything you said was slurred – and I’m paraphrasing because I don’t remember it word for word,” she said.

“Fine,” Lex said through gritted teeth. He wished she would get on with it already.

Chloe cleared her throat and grinned.

“‘You know – if we got married, my dad’d never be able to touch you. And why should you save yourself for someone like Clark anyway? He’s not smart enough to keep you interested, and it’s not like he’d know how to give you an orgasm. So what d’ya say?’ Then you spilled your drink, got down on your hands and knees to try and pick it up, and fell asleep on the floor.”

“Charming,” Lex mumbled. “I can’t imagine why you didn’t take me up on the offer.” Chloe laughed. “So, how exactly was that proposal any better than the one today?”

“Well…then you were trying to protect me from an evil sociopath and the possibility of never having good sex. Today you were just hinting that I should become some sort of brood mare.”

“I seem to recall already having saved you from an evil sociopath before I proposed today,” Lex said.

Chloe frowned slightly and looked down at the ground before raising her eyes to meet his.

“Whitney’s not a bad guy,” she started, pausing as she winced. “Well, okay, *technically* he is, but…” she paused again and shook her head. “What do you think they’ll do to him?”

“He’s being extradited to Gotham as we speak. They don’t have the death penalty, but maybe they can ship him somewhere that does.”

“It wouldn’t work anyway,” Chloe said. Lex raised a questioning eyebrow. “His ‘meteor rock ability’ – he can’t die.”

“Huh,” Lex said thoughtfully. “I’d say nice one, but it clearly impacted his sanity since he kidnapped you and…he has killed several people.”

“And that makes him unlike the other freaks from Smallville in *what* way?”

“Good point,” Lex conceded. “At any rate, I’m sure something can be worked out. Even if it’s just keeping him under constant sedation in Arkham Asylum.”

“That’s in Gotham.”

“Yes.”

“I *live* in Gotham. You’re okay with him living in the same city as me?” Chloe asked in surprise.

“No, but you’re moving to Metropolis.”

“No, I’m no-”

Lex pulled hard on her waist, dragging her body flush against his and holding her there. Chloe’s breath hitched as she felt his erection pressed against her, but quickly covered her reaction by resorting to a questioning look and a snide, rhetorical comment.

“You’re turned on?”

Lex smirked at her.

“I always am when we banter.”

Oh.

Chloe felt the heat rising to her cheeks, but was unable to stop it, so she simply looked away from him with embarrassment; knowing all too well that their bouts of verbal judo – even back in Smallville – had always aroused her as well.

“I’ll…um…I’ll have to remember that,” she stammered, looking back at him. Lex arched an eyebrow and Chloe smiled because she could tell that he thought he had the upper hand until her statement. “Grandchildren have to come from somewhere, right?”

The smile that split Lex’s lips beamed down at her.

“Is that a ‘yes’?”

“No,” she said. Lex looked confused, but before he could speak, Chloe beat him to it. “You never actually asked me a question.”

“I know,” Lex replied somewhat apologetically. “We have to save the ‘official’ proposal for the cameras. It’s in the contract.”

“They’re still filming?” Chloe asked incredulously. “After everything that’s happened?”

“Never underestimate a television producer’s greed,” Lex only half-joked. “If anything, this whole thing will give them better ratings.” He stopped and his grin slipped into a smirk. “Maybe not as good as if they’d caught you on tape when you were sunbathing naked, but I’m willing to bet that they’ll still get exemplary ratings for their time slot.”

“Isn’t that what got you into this mess in the first place?” Chloe asked. Lex furrowed his brow. “Making a bet with Bruce?” she reminded him.

Lex grunted in response. So much for revenge. He’d never hear the end of it as it was since he now fully intended on marrying Chloe.

“You never did say what it was about,” Chloe continued, the corners of her lips twitching upward with his obvious discomfort.

Lex frowned. Had he really gotten so mixed up in a web of murder, overly competitive harpies, and meeting – or rather *re*-meeting the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with because of such a stupid bet?

“Poker. He won,” Lex said, his distaste for the subject fading into slight incomprehension. “Never should have let him use his own deck. I’m pretty sure the cards were marked.”

Chloe winced.

“Did they have bats on them?” she asked guiltily. At first Lex looked surprised, but then he looked suspicious. “Sorry,” Chloe apologized before Lex even asked the question she knew he was going to ask. “You’re right though – they are marked. He sort of confiscated them after he lost to me on our second date.”

“You were playing cards with Bruce? Chloe ---”

“Well,” Chloe started defensively. “He wasn’t answering any questions. I had to have *some* way to make him talk. Let’s just say that you’re not the only one he indulges in stupid bets with.”

“Dare I ask who won?”

Chloe looked decidedly offended.

“*I* did. Why do you think he took the cards?”

Lex’s reaction wasn’t what she expected, as he threw his head back and let a hearty laugh escape his throat.

“I hope it was worth it,” he said.

Chloe gave him a long, measuring look that made his stomach flip-flop. When she finally nodded her head once, he knew that they weren’t talking about whatever it was that she had asked Bruce; but the final result of them ending up on the same reality TV show and – even though neither one of them had admitted it to the other – falling in love with each other.

“Yeah. I think so.”



TBC...

~*~*~

A/N: *phew* Just the epilogue and then this one is over folks. Remember to let me know what you think.

[Clannadlvr]

Kriss!!!!!!!!! You updated!!!! *hugs*

I LOVE the banter in this update. You've got their one upmanship down pat...and I love how that turns Lex on. *grins*


And Lex carrying his somewhat unwilling damsel in distress??

*floats away on a cloud of happiness*

Can't wait to see the epilogue...

...and I'm curious...when are they going to say those three little words?

Oh, and Chloe beating Bruce at poker? Priceless!

I just love this, hon, update soon!!

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: you make me soooo happy. loved the update, and aweeee, it sooo lovely. and the bat card, nice touch! :yay: :worship2:

[LarkLuthor]

Originally posted by Clannadlvr@Mar 27 2004, 11:41 PM
Kriss!!!!!!!!! You updated!!!! *hugs*
*floats away on a cloud of happiness*
My words exactly, except in reverse order. Update, update. :yay2: :biggrin: :yay2: :biggrin: :yay2: It was wonderful! Awesome chapter!

Lark

[jem]

aaahhhhhhhh.......... *happy sighs*.........

that was awesome..... youre such a great writer... thanks so much for
updating!! the way you initiated their talks of proposals?? AWESOME>>>

absolutely loved it... more soon please!!! :yay:

[hfce]

Yeah you updated I loved it.



Hope :chlexsign2:

[carebear72884]

*giggles* I love this fic..It so sweet..update soon

[Not An Addict]

*snuggles you* Yay! Love the banter. Love, love, love, love, love it. But I believe we had a little discussion already about the epilogue . . . about something that needed to be in it . . . *raised eyebrows* I believe you know what I'm referring to. Get to it, woman! *hugs again* Yay!!! ^_^

[vardaquareien]

Brilliant chappy!!! :yay3: Loved everything about it! Lex's first drunken proposal was pure genius :hehe: - he's so cute!!! How could she have said no? :biggrin: And I love the way he gets aroused everytime they banter! :devil: If I were Chloe I'd be bantering 24/7!!! Can't wait for more!

[autumngold]

This is absolutely the best update!! I love the Chlex banter and the talk of grandkids!! Just the fact that she woke up in Lex's arms makes it so romantic!! This has been such a wonderful story!! I can't wait for the epilogue!! :chlexsign4:

[sylvia]

Awww.... hey I kinda liked Lex's proposal. Chloe's just picky. Glad you finally updated, it's been a lot of fun following this story =)

[Val]

Aww that was so cute! Loved the proposal/grandchildren talk!
Why does it have to end!? :(

[ColumbiaBlue]

Aaawww. Perfect. Can't wait for the epilogue!

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[gina]

Yay, update! This was really sweet. I loved the Chlex banter and their talk of marriage! Can't wait for more! :)

[Shay]

Loved it. Chlex ...always a good thing.

Shay

[sara_noele]

Aww, sweet... loved the banter. Love the story. Only one chapter to come.. :crygreen:

[LarkLuthor]

Can we have the epilogue now? Please.

Lark

[ElizabethV]

Aw! I liked Lex's proposal. It was a little unorthodox, but good all the same! :) It kinda fits him and Chloe- the proposing in the middle of verbal judo. Can't wait for the epilogue and happily ever after!
:chlexsign3:

[becky]

Oh wow!!

Just read this whole thing in one go and I absolutely LOVED it!! Really original plot, and the whole scarecrow thing was really fantastic: i had a hunch it was whitney!! hehe.

I'm not a huge fan of batman... well, I like it, but I'm not a fic reader or anything, but this story was really great in that respect: I could totally see Chloe in Gotham (explaining her absence from Superman cannon) and I'm really getting into the Wayne/Luthor rivalry... I'd love to see him on the show - this fic joins the many others in showing that his character could really work with the Smallville gang.

Please hurry with the epilogue! I want, scratch that, NEED a big romantic ending with loads of cheesy 'US reality show' gimmicks. lol. Extras crying in the background... sea lapping at the shore... white doves flying around...

then of course a slightly less populated nightime scene with crazy naked moonlit beach sex :devil:

LMAO.

~Becky~
:chlexsign3:

[LarkLuthor]

A month and a half is enough of a wait for the epilogue! Come Back and feed the Fanfic Fiends their dessert! *Fanged purlple creature glares then walks away in sadness*

Lark, The Great Fiendish One

[scifichick774]

A/N: Okay, so things don’t always happen the way you plan them. This was supposed to be part of the epilogue, but there were a zillion other things and…*sigh*. The short version is that the epilogue would have been ten times longer than any of the other chapters in the story if I did it the way I initially intended and I didn’t feel that was right. So it’s being broken up. Many apologies for the inconvenience.

~*~*~*~*~

One week later…

Lana turned her head and smiled brightly at her husband, covering his hand with one of her own. She knew he hadn’t been in the best of moods for days now, but had hoped that arriving at the airport and getting on the plane would make things more real for him; apparently it did, but not in the way she wanted.

“Isn’t this exciting?” she asked, her smile faltering a bit as she observed his sour, silent demeanor.

Pete scowled and kept his eyes fixed on the seat in front of him rather than giving his wife the courtesy of looking over at her.

“If you say so,” he responded.

Lana sighed.

“Pete, we’re on an airplane – in free first class seats with no kids – going to one of your best friend’s weddings. You should be happy for her, but instead you’ve just been moping. What’s the matter with you?”

Pete frowned.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I just have a bad feeling about the whole thing. I can’t explain it.”

Lana gripped his hand a little tighter, but more as a reflex action than support. They had already had the same discussion at least a dozen times since receiving a phone call from the producers of ‘The Bachelor’, informing them that Chloe had included them on her list of wedding guests and that they’d be flown to the island of St. Vincent and provided with a three night stay, all at no cost to them if they came.

Even if Chloe wasn’t getting married, Lana had desperately been wanting a vacation and jumped at the chance to go somewhere exotic without her and Pete’s baby and toddler in tow. Her aunt Nell had begrudgingly agreed to watch the two small children after Lana gave her a long guilt trip about how she did everything her aunt asked while growing up and surely she wouldn’t have a problem letting Lana finally have some ‘me’ time.

“If this is about the guy she’s marrying again…”

“We don’t know anything about him, Lana,” Pete interrupted. “He could be a mass murdering psycho for all we know.”

“Pete, they screen their candidates *really* thoroughly. They wouldn’t have set her up with some abusive alcoholic or ‘mass murdering psycho’.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Pete ---”

“Lana? Pete?”

The couple looked up to see their old friend Clark Kent grinning stupidly down at them.

“Hi Clark,” Lana greeted sweetly. She was thankful for the short reprieve from the conversation with her husband that was rapidly growing hostile and beamed a smile at the man who had loved her so long ago.

“Hi,” he replied, pushing the glasses that now adorned his face up onto the bridge of his nose. He turned and lifted his small suitcase up to the overhead bin so he could put it away. “Guess you guys are going to Chloe’s wedding too, huh?”

A loud, derisive snort came from directly behind him.

“Everyone and their dog is apparently. Now step aside, Smallville. You’re blocking the aisle.”

“Oh – right…sorry, Lois,” Clark said, trying to push down the blush that rose to his cheeks and failing.

Lois pushed her way past him, inwardly groaning when she saw that she was going to be sitting across from the intern’s two hick friends, which meant there was a very real possibility that fate was once again not on her side and she’d be sitting right next to Clark.

‘Great,’ she thought with heavy sarcasm. ‘Just great. I must have done something really bad in a former life to deserve this.’

Frowning, and then gnawing on her lower lip, she stood on her tiptoes to give her height that her high-heels didn’t offer, and attempted to heft her carryon bag into the overhead compartment. She clumsily fumbled with it until Clark took it from her.

“Here – let me.”

She watched in amazement as he lifted it and stowed it away with relative ease.

“Thanks,” she said. ‘At least he’s good for something.’

Clark blushed again and shrugged as he ducked his head.

“No problem,” he murmured. Lois all but ignored his pathetic display and moved to sit down in her roomy seat by the window. A giddy smile lifted up the corners of Clark’s mouth when he saw where she sat. “Wow! Looks like we’re sitting together, Lois.” Lois glared at him. “Well…not together, but ---”

“I know what you meant, Clark,” Lois sighed out in irritation. “Now, why don’t you just sit down so all of those nice people can get past you?”

“What?”

Clark glanced behind him to see a crowd of angry and annoyed people waiting not-so-patiently for him to stop blocking the aisle. Because of his super strength and his preoccupation with Lois, he hadn’t moved an inch when they tried to shove past him. He blushed again in embarrassment.

“Oh. Sorry everyone!” he said, speaking a little louder than he normally would so the people near the door could hear him.

He offered them a small wave and then slipped into his chair. There were a few grumbles and groans, and more than a couple of scowls in his direction after he finally sat down. Lois made a point of steadily looking out the window even though they hadn’t taken off yet.

Pete snickered to himself. He had witnessed first hand how geeky and awkward Clark could be around a girl he liked when the young man in question was still carrying an unrequited (at the time anyway) crush on his future wife in junior high and the early part of high school.

‘Same old Clark,’ he thought. ‘Wonder-boy turns into a walking catastrophe when he’s around a pretty girl…Well, except for Chloe…’ After the people finished passing by, he gave Clark an upward nod of his head to get his attention. “Hey – you heard anything about the guy Chloe’s marrying?”

“No,” Clark said with a frown. “But then, she and I barely get a chance to talk anymore. You?”

“Nah,” Pete responded dejectedly. “Lana thinks it has something to do with the show’s rules though – like she hasn’t told us because she can’t.”

Lois rolled her eyes as she couldn’t help but eavesdrop on Clark and Pete’s conversation. She couldn’t fathom why her cousin had ever been friends with them, let alone invited them to her wedding; a wedding that would be on national television no less.

God. She could picture it now. Clark would hold up his glass to toast the happy couple, stammering over his words and then tripping while shuffling his feet nervously, sending him falling face first into the wedding cake. She snorted to herself in amusement. At least it would give her an angle on the article she was planning to write about the wedding other than simply giving hints on who ‘the bachelor’ had chosen as his bride.

She frowned and a pensive crease wrinkled between her eyebrows. Even for a reality show coupling, the upcoming nuptials seemed rather sudden. Usually the couple dragged out their fifteen minutes of fame as long as possible by delaying the wedding until after the show had completed airing all of its episodes. And though Chloe had a tendency to act just as impulsively as she did, Lois couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t some sort of back-story that she didn’t know about.

Unfortunately, it sounded like Chloe’s ‘friends’ were in the same boat she was, so they wouldn’t be any help. No. For getting any real information, she’d have to be sneaky and sly and seek out Chloe’s father. But because she hadn’t seen him in the waiting area before boarding, and she had been intentionally ignoring possibly being shot with one of the scathing glares that people were sending Clark on the way down the aisle, she didn’t know where he was seated – or even if he was on that flight at all.

She half-leaned across Clark, not noticing his stunned expression as she focused her attention on Pete.

“Hey – where’s Chloe’s dad sitting?”

Lana smiled to herself. Finally, a conversation about Chloe she could get into without having somewhat jealous, nonsensical arguments thrown at her. She leaned across Pete to answer Lois.

“He left yesterday,” she said. “You should have seen the look on his face when he told me about the producers calling him. He didn’t know that she had even gone on the show and he was…less than happy about it. I didn’t dare mention that I was the one who signed her up to go on.”

“You signed her up?!” Clark and Lois exclaimed at the same time.

Pete slumped further into his chair in a futile effort to make himself invisible. Even though he had nothing to do with Lana’s interference in Chloe’s life, he was going to get blamed for this somehow. He just knew it.

“Lana, why would you do that?” Clark asked. As Pete suspected, the next comment was aimed at him. “And how could you let her?”

Lana sighed. So much for not getting into an argument.

“You don’t know because you haven’t been keeping in touch, but she wasn’t living her life, Clark,” she said, hoping that the dig against him not maintaining his friendship with Chloe would help distract him from the issue at hand. She congratulated herself as the ploy seemed to work and his face fell.

“What do you mean?” he asked after a moment, and Lana realized that his face was contorted in confusion rather than guilt.

“All she was doing was working all the time,” she replied.

Lois gave her a spiteful, incredulous look. She knew enough of Lana’s antics from Chloe’s stories back in high school to know that Chloe made a concerted effort to never become like the damsel in distress sitting across the aisle from her. And now the woman thought she had a right to judge and dictate what Chloe should be doing with her life? Hell no!

“Yeah – and it paid off,” she retorted. “She’s made a name for herself in Gotham. People respect her and the articles she writes. Do you have any idea how rare that is for her age?”

“But her social life was suffering,” Lana argued, her voice turning slightly whiney as she pleaded with Lois to understand. “She was barely ever going out on dates and when she did, it was never with the same guy more than once or twice.”

“Did you ever think she might have standards?” Lois shot back, her frustration with the impudence of the other woman growing more and more every time she spoke.

“That’s what she said,” Lana said with a roll of her eyes. “But she was never going to find someone at the rate she was going. And she’s my friend; I didn’t want her to end up alone.”

“Not every woman needs a husband, picket fence, and runny-nosed brats to be happy or feel fulfilled,” Lois said, regardless of the fact that she already suspected there was just no reasoning with the woman. “And she seemed perfectly fine the last time I talked to her.”

Lana’s mouth hung open in shock. Who did this lady think she was, talking to her like that?

Clark finally sensed the open hostility between the two females and cleared his throat, throwing a bashful, apprehensive smile to both of them.

“Actually – and I’m not taking sides here - but Lana, I know your life works for you…but Chloe has always seemed more career-oriented. I mean, you remember how she was with the Torch.”

Lana began to open and close her mouth, her eyes wide as she gaped like a fish at Clark. Had he really just taken someone else’s side over hers? But he never did that! She pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest, flopping her head hard against the back of the chair as she pouted and seethed.

‘Unbelievable,’ she thought. And then, after a moment of uncomfortable silence, she lifted her chin higher. “Well, I was obviously right since we’re on the way to her wedding.”

She and Lois ignored each other throughout the rest of the flight.




TBC...

[Blackberry]

lol I really like Lois! She's so awesome. hahahaha :)

[LarkLuthor]

GAAHHHH!!!!!!!! LOIS! :biggrin: I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU! :worship2: :worship2: :worship2: Wonderful, wonderful chapter! I loved Pete's reactions and the Clois and Lana/Lois interactions! :drool: :drool: :drool: More soon? Please?

Lark

[ElizabethV]

Ha! I love the Lois/Lana argument about Chloe, and Clark taking Lois's side. :biggrin: Lois is great! A lot like Chloe, but they are family. :) Can't wait to read more! Especially when they find out who she's marrying.

[Clannadlvr]

Oh...man...Kris!!! I just can't wait to see how they react when they get off the plane and realize Chloe is marrying Lex!!!

*giggles*

Oh, this is going to be sooo good....

[becky]

wahoo! an update!

Liked it a lot and can't wait to read more... Lois is fabulous :biggrin: - you can so see her being related to Chloe!!

~Becky~
:chlexsign3:

[Impress]

fab hun.

[newbatgirl]

I love the Lois/Lana argument. Totally great. I can't wait til they see what Chloe has been up to!

Update soon.

[hickchick]

Yay! thankyou Kris for finally updating!

Lios is very funny, i like the way you write her!

awsome update!

more soon please! :biggrin:

[autumngold]

Thank you so very much for this wonderful update to your story!! I love it so much!! I can't wait til everyone gets to meet Chloe's fiance!! :biggrin: Please don't let Lana, Clark and Pete cause Chloe and Lex too many problems!! Will Bruce be the only one not surprised? Can't wait for your next chapter!! :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[gina]

Great update! I totally love Lois, it's so nice to see someone finally sticking up for Chloe.

Can't wait for everyone's reaction to Lex as the guy Chloe's going to marry! :)

[hfce]

More please...


Hope :)

[Not An Addict]

Hee! Yay, an update!! *dances* Loved the interaction between the four of them. Heh. Go Lois! And as always, I LOVE it when you have Lois calling Clark 'Smallville'. ^_^ Love love love love love it. More! Please? (Psst--I'll let you have some chocolate and I won't tell Al. ^_~)

[Sab_Luthor]

oh man that was so funny i so loved the interaction between lois and lana
great update more please

[carebear72884]

haha, the lana/lois agurment was wonderful, great job, update soon!!

[Kit Merlot]

Geat update! You just KNOW that Lois would hate Lana :biggrin:

Lois is so cool, I can totally see her and Chloe as cousins. :cool:

WELL DONE

[Val]

Originally posted by Clannadlvr@May 13 2004, 05:35 PM
Oh...man...Kris!!! I just can't wait to see how they react when they get off the plane and realize Chloe is marrying Lex!!!

*giggles*

Oh, this is going to be sooo good....
Hee ditto!
Pete is probably going to have a heartattack!

[sara_noele]

Thank you, that there will be more than just this chapter! :biggrin:

Great banter between Lois and Lana. Can't wait when both will know who Chloe will marry. ;)

[sylvia]

The typical squabbling relatives are so funny in this scene. I almost pity Clark, to be stuck between Lana and Lois.

Can't wait to see what happens next (:

[Lex]

Hey I just caught up with this fic and its really great! Can't believe the scarecrow was Whitney but it was an interesting twist... Plus Lex and Chloe falling for each other was sweet I just can't wait to see what Clark and the others will think when they realise the Bachelor is Lex, lol! Hope you update soon! :biggrin:

[prosthetic ballerina]

Absolutely love this fic! Especially how Clark is still a bumbling idiot...Lois is fab as usual, and as snarky as Chloe. Can't wait for their reaction to the marriage and Lex! Haha, update soon, keep up the great work!


“‘You know – if we got married, my dad’d never be able to touch you. And why should you save yourself for someone like Clark anyway? He’s not smart enough to keep you interested, and it’s not like he’d know how to give you an orgasm. So what d’ya say?’ Then you spilled your drink, got down on your hands and knees to try and pick it up, and fell asleep on the floor.”

:goof: LMAO!! That's the kinda action we need on the real show, damnit!

[scifichick774]

The next day…the morning…

Gabe sighed as he walked into the room where his daughter seemed perfectly calm and relaxed. Appearances were deceiving and he knew the situation better to know that Chloe’s posture was just a façade.

“You okay?”

“Dandy,” Chloe replied without missing a beat. Without looking up and over at him either.

“Sweetheart ---”

“Don’t,” Chloe interrupted. “I don’t need another lecture, Dad.”

“I wasn’t going to give you one,” Gabe returned, causing Chloe to finally turn her gaze upon him with a skeptically arched eyebrow.

“You weren’t?”

Gabe grinned sheepishly.

“Okay, I was,” he admitted. “But I won’t.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Chloe…” Gabe stopped talking and took a few steps into the room, closing the door behind him before making his way over to the couch where Chloe sat. “It’s not that I don’t like Lex ---”

“But you don’t.”

“No – I do. I’m just not sure I like him for you. Does that make sense?” Gabe asked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued. “I --- I don’t know. This is all just so sudden. I get a call out of nowhere saying that: by the way, your daughter’s getting married and didn’t tell you about it. And then I come down here and find out that you’re marrying Lex…Try to understand, Chloe. The last time I talked to you, you were rambling on about how much you liked living in Gotham. You didn’t say anything about dating anyone, let alone going on a show to possibly get married.”

Chloe gave him a small smile.

“Because I didn’t know about it,” she said. “Someone signed me up for it without my knowledge or permission and when they called to tell me that they’d selected me, I was just as upset as you are. “But then I thought about it, and a few days’ vacation from the cold, rainy gloom that is Gotham’s continual weather didn’t sound so bad. But I had no idea who the bachelor would be and no intent to try and win him over regardless.”

“But you did.”

Chloe sighed.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like?” Gabe prodded. “I’ve been here for two days – well, not counting the time it took to fly here – and even though I’ve gotten the ‘official’ story, there are a lot of pieces missing that people seem intent on not filling in for me. What’s going on, Chloe? What happened? There aren’t any cameras around right now. Just tell me.”

Chloe sighed again, closing her eyes as she brought a hand up to rub the suddenly tense muscles at the back of her neck.

“It’s a long story. Are you sure you want to know? Because if you just want me to give you the highlights ---”

“Chloe,” Gabe warned.

“Right. Okay. Where to start…” Chloe began, unconsciously raking her teeth over her lower lip in nervousness. Her dad was a good guy with a reasonable temper, but even he had his limits, and she had no real desire to test them. “Okay, like I said before, Lana signed me up for the show ---”

“What?! Lana? Lana’s the one who got you into this? You didn’t tell me that!”

“I didn’t?”

“No. You said someone. Someone – not Lana.”

“Oh. Well, it was Lana,” Chloe said nonplussed, eager to skip over what seemed like such a meager detail in the grander scheme of things. She could have sworn she heard her father growl under his breath, but ignored it and continued to forge ahead. “Anyway, so I thought – hey, vacation – and agreed to come here.

They put all of the contestants in the big living room/family room combination area and explained the rules to us again – just in case some of them couldn’t read what they had signed before coming here – and then they brought out Lex and introduced him to the group.

I was mortified. Beyond mortified. But at the same time, I was kind of relieved. I knew he wouldn’t like me or expect me to like him, so I’d be sent home early and that would be the end of it.”

“Except it wasn’t,” Gabe interjected.

“Well…no,” Chloe said. “They herded us through a line like cattle to shake hands and say hi to him. I was at the end of the line, and as I got closer, I saw that he was just as unhappy about being there as I was. When it was my turn for the meet and greet, he asked me what I was doing there and I asked him the same.”

“And what did he say?”

“He lost a bet,” Chloe said with a smile.

Gabe rolled his eyes.

“Figures,” he mumbled. “So, you told each other what you were doing there, and then what?”

“He was actually really…nice. I think it was primarily because he didn’t want to be there and I was the only one not clamoring for his undivided attention though. He suggested that he pick me to survive the first round eliminations so I could have a few more days of sunshine and I said thanks.”

Gabe frowned.

“So far this doesn’t sound…”

“Exciting?”

“No…it just doesn’t sound like something everyone would try to keep from me.”

“I told you I could skip ahead to the highlights if you wanted.”

“No, no. I want to know everything. I get lost when you skip over stuff,” Gabe said. “Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that’s how you got away with so much in high school.”

“Hey!”

“Well, it’s true.”

“You want to hear what happened or not?” Chloe said with only mild aggravation. In truth, she was trying not to laugh. Her dad didn’t know the half of what she hadn’t even glossed over during her high school years and she wasn’t about to tell him now.

“Sorry. Go ahead.”

“Um…okay…let’s see…oh! I mentioned that I was kind of being stalked by the Scarecrow.”

“What?”

“He’s a bad guy. Bad guys in Gotham all get nicknames. Usually the papers are the ones who come up with them, but ---”

“I know who he is, Chloe,” Gabe ground out. “Why didn’t you tell me he was stalking you?”

“Kind of stalking me,” Chloe corrected. “And it really wasn’t a big deal until recently. Now are you going to let me finish or not? Because you know, I should really be getting ready for the stupid announcement thing they’re having in the hotel’s banquet room.”

Gabe grumbled something inaudible, but Chloe recognized the begrudging consent just the same.

“Anyway, a few days passed and some of the women were just taking the whole thing waaaay too seriously. Ultra-competition girls. They seemed to be in it more for the prize of winning rather than falling in love or even getting the publicity. It was kind of scary actually. There was this one girl named Lucy who…” Chloe paused and frowned.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just wondering if speaking ill of the dead will put some sort of karmic hex on my wedding.”

“The dead?”

“Uh…well…you wanted exciting,” Chloe said with an apprehensive grin. “Are you sure you don’t just want the highlights? It would be a lot faster and if you have any questions, I can just answer them afterward.”

“Fine,” Gabe said through clenched teeth. “Just get to it, would you? How did you go from being passably friendly with Lex to agreeing to marry him? And how does the Scarecrow stalking you fit into all of this?”

Chloe smiled at her dad’s impatience, but held her tongue, knowing that commenting on it would be playing with fire.

“Wh--- the Scarecrow got upset because I didn’t cover some heist he pulled off, so he took it upon himself to get my attention by killing my editor and another reporter at my paper.”

Gabe blanched.

“Oh my God,” he murmured. “I skimmed over a small blurb about the killings at your office, but when you weren’t mentioned, I figured you were safe.”

“Yeah. And I was – until he found out where I was,” Chloe said. “But that comes later. First, I was called and told about the deaths and tried to get a plane back to Gotham because of it. The flight was cancelled and I was upset, but Lex came to the airport to let me know that he pulled in some favors and that the Scarecrow was in custody and there was no need for me to go back there.

Then, he asked for help in getting Lucy off his back, so I agreed. It was a pretty lame plan, but we pretended to like each other so he’d have an excuse for ignoring her overzealous advances.”

“And pretending turned into reality,” Gabe said knowingly.

“Not right away, but…yes. The more time we spent together, the more we realized we have in common and the more we started to realize that there was something there. It wasn’t something either of us planned on. It just…happened.”

“I see,” Gabe said. Creasing his brow as he remembered something Chloe said, he tipped his head a little to the side and gave her an inquisitive look. “Wait. What do you mean he found out where you were?”

Chloe drew in a breath and then released it. It was a shame that this was the only camera-free time she had with her dad since he arrived. It would have been nice to be able to tell him about everything before they bombarded him with the news of who her fiancé was or ‘suggesting’ that he go spend time with Lex to get to know him.

“I was in the video diary room when I thought I heard some guns go off. The room is sound-resistant, so I knew it must be bad. I heard screaming and --- it wasn’t good. I could hear that it was the Scarecrow and his men and…they hurt people, even killed a few. They were going to kill Lex if they didn’t find me, so I had to leave the room.

One of the men grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hall at gunpoint, shoving me toward the Scarecrow, who greeted me like I was his girlfriend. I know I’m not explaining it well, but it was surreal. The short of it is that I was drugged, kidnapped, and then rescued when Lex and the police found out where I was.”

“Oh.”

“I’m really not describing it very well. Maybe you should ask to see the footage. I’m sure that Chris would be thrilled to tape your reaction to seeing everything that happened.”

Gabe gave her a tight grin.

“I think I’ll pass,” he said. “Besides, I’m sure the cameramen will have their hands full with recording everyone’s reactions to finding out that you and Lex are getting married.”

Chloe smiled.

“You and Bruce are the only guests who know who both parties are, so yeah. It should be…interesting.”

Gabe blinked.

“Bruce?”

“Wayne.”

Gabe’s eyebrows rose up in surprise.

“You invited your ex-boyfriend to your wedding?”

“He’s not my ex-boyfriend. I only went out with him twice.”

“For you that’s an ex-boyfriend.”

“Nice,” Chloe said sarcastically. “And totally untrue. If you’re going to go by those standards, then I have three ex-boyfriends coming to the wedding.”

“Three?”

“Bruce, Clark, and Pete,” Chloe ticked off, folding down her fingers as she spoke.

“Pete? When did you go out with him?”

“Right before Lana did,” Chloe said, a twinge of bitterness creeping into her voice. But she knew it was for the best. After all, Lana had ended up with the life that she and Pete both wanted and that Chloe would have run away from screaming before letting it get that far.

“Oh.”

Suddenly, it all made sense. Chloe’s early graduation, her rapid departure from Smallville, her less-than-frequent communications with the people she knew back in Kansas…

He looked down at the floor and then slowly up at his daughter, his hands clasped together on his legs in a pensive position.

“Are you happy, Chloe?” he asked. “I know you haven’t had an easy life and I know I’m partially to blame for that – with everything that happened with your mom and then moving you to Smallville…wow. That really turned out to be a horrible decision, didn’t it?”

“Dad ---”

“But…are you happy now? I mean, does Lex make you happy? Because if he doesn’t, then you shouldn’t marry him, Chloe. Regardless of how much chemistry you might have with him…chemistry isn’t everything. And after all you’ve been through, you deserve to be happy.”

“Wow! That was great!” came a voice from the doorway. Gabe and Chloe both looked over, surprised, and not pleasantly so, to see that the door had been opened while they were talking and a cameraman had gotten God only knew how much of their conversation on tape. The intruding voice, however, belonged to Chris, and he smiled broadly, seemingly oblivious to the severe disruption he had caused. “Keep rolling. We’ll clip it and show her answer after a commercial break.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes, but then a small smirk slid across her lips. She turned her attention away from Chris and to her dad with the same expression.

“Yes. He makes me happy. And even if he didn’t, I would still marry him. Do you know how many connections he has? I’ll bet he could get somebody wiped out just with the snap of his fingers.” She twisted her head back to give Chris a meaningful look, causing the poor man to pale and visibly swallow nervously.

“I – uh – I think we should go. After all, she’s still got to get ready for the announcement.”

~*~*~*~

“Geez. That’s it? You’d think with who he is, more people would’ve showed up.”

“That’s all they invited. Wanted a small, private ceremony.”

“You know, I don’t understand that. If I’d just been through what they have…? Well, first of all, I’d be suing the fucking show for traumatizing me – and I sure as hell wouldn’t be jumping into getting married; no matter how much I liked the chick. Small ceremony to save money or not, I wouldn’t do it. Not that he needs to worry about saving money anyway since the show is paying for everything, but still…”

“Yeah, well…rich people are weird.”

“Tell me about it. If I were her, I’d be running far, far away as fast as I possibly could. I’m still wondering if he blackmailed her into saying ‘yes’. Did you see the look on her face when he proposed? She smiled, but it was like… ‘I really don’t have much of a choice, do I?’”

“I know. And I wouldn’t put the blackmail bit past him. I’ve read some stuff in the papers about him and the guy’s a monster. They gloss over it really well of course, but you can tell. And you saw how psycho he went when that other guy took her. That’s gotta be sayin’ something.”

“On from one psycho to the next.”

“At least the one she’s marrying has money.”

“The other one did too – just not as much. And he was honest about how he got it.”

“Yeah. Of course, the costume had to be a turnoff, eh?”

Both cameramen laughed and the worried frown that graced Clark’s lips slipped even further, so it looked like he was scowling at nothing. They had only been at the hotel for one night and the little news about Chloe he had been able to glean from eavesdropping on various discussions hadn’t been very encouraging.

Apparently she was marrying someone rich; he had been able to gather that much. This was backed up by murmurings among the show’s crew and the fact that Lois had excitedly pointed out Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen, Lucas Luthor, and a few other people who ranked among the social elite.

She pointed out that it was too much of a coincidence for them all to show up at the same time, on the same island, at the same hotel if they weren’t there for the same event, be it the wedding or something business-related. When she put it that way, Clark looked around the banquet room, half-expecting Lex to show up as well.

Thankfully, he didn’t see any sign of him, but acquiesced to the validity of her theory all the same and didn’t bother to try and stop her as she ran off to bombard some of the wealthy individuals with questions as to whom the groom was. After all, he was just as curious, but didn’t doubt for a second that Lois’s tenacity could get answers faster than his practiced bumbling.

‘Although I could always be wrong,’ he thought as she began to return to him, walking with an angry scowl on her face and a weight to her steps that was only present when she was particularly pissed off about something.

“What. An. Asshole.”

Clark raised an inquiring eyebrow and Lois huffed out a furious breath through her nose.

“I can’t believe Chloe dated that guy! No wonder she didn’t go out with the same guy more than a couple of times! All the guys in Gotham are probably like that!” she fumed, not pausing since she apparently saw Clark as nothing more than a sounding board to spout off to. “Ugh! I know you’re not Mr. Athlete, Clark, but do you think you could go give Bruce Wayne a good swift kick in the ---”

Clark cleared his throat as he blanched; only regaining the color in his face in the form of a blush to his cheeks when Lois glared at him.

“Um…not that I wouldn’t…”

“But you wouldn’t,” Lois said knowingly.

“Uh…well…no,” Clark said. He needed to change the route of this discussion and he needed to do it now; otherwise Lois would be on him about ‘how it wouldn’t kill him to act like less of a loser’ again. “What did he say to make you so mad anyway?”

Lois gave an aloof flip of her hand in the air.

“Can’t say…show rules…same old bullshit. Just said that we’d be finding out soon enough at the announcement at breakfast and then made some cryptic comment under his breath about how he hoped he could talk Chloe out of it because she’s too good for him – him being the mystery groom.”

She stopped and sighed before continuing on in irritation. “Tell me how it’s fair that he gets to know who both the bride and groom are before anyone else? Well, fuck him. I hope Chloe does go through with the wedding just to spite him and that he grows old and alone because he could never love anyone but her.”

Clark frowned.

“That’s not very nice, Lois,” he quietly admonished.

Lois rolled her eyes.

“And it was nice of him to not only give me no info on the future Mr. Chloe Sullivan, but to tell me to stay away from the Scarecrow story if I knew what was good for me? Not.”

Clark crinkled his brow.

“You asked him about the Scarecrow? But…that’s all the way in Gotham…and Chloe already wrote ---”

“Yeah – which is the reason I asked him. Chloe’s article about the Scarecrow’s capture was full of gaping holes and lacking any sort of detail. And you know she’d never write something like that unless she was forced to remove all the good stuff.”

“I guess,” Clark said, not entirely convinced. “But maybe she just didn’t get all the information. I mean, she was here on St. Vincent’s when it happened and…she was probably pretty busy with planning the wedding and everything.”

Lois snorted derisively.

“Like they’d actually let her plan it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? It’s her wedding.”

“Ye-ah,” Lois strung out, using a tone that let Clark clearly know that she thought he was an idiot. “A wedding that’ll be on national television. They can’t just show Chloe and this guy in some boring ten minute wedding at the county clerk’s office.”

She paused and shook her head. “They have to make it look good; to perpetuate the myth that every girl loves the color pinks and wants to be surrounded by flowers and fabrics that will make everyone swoon.” Frowning stubbornly, she lifted her chin in defiance to any dumbass comment that Clark dared to make. “You mark my words Clark; the only thing Chloe will get a choice in for this wedding is whether or not she goes through with it.”



TBC...

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: Damn but if today aint the day for cracking updates!!!!!!! wonderfull chappy!!! :worship2:

[autumngold]

Love your new update!! :wub: I think you have Lois totally in character!! I can't wait til everyone finds out Chloe is going to marry Lex!! Thank you for this new chapter!! :yay2: :chlexsign1: :yay2:

[hfce]

Oh my Lord you updated. I loved it. Chloe is making the right choice. More please...



Hope :)

[Kit Merlot]

Great update! I love your interpretation of Lois--PERFECT :biggrin:

[sylvia]

Yay, an update! I loved the Chloe/Gabe conversation, the reactions were very in character, especially the way Chloe ruined Chris' footage:

“Yes. He makes me happy. And even if he didn’t, I would still marry him. Do you know how many connections he has? I’ll bet he could get somebody wiped out just with the snap of his fingers.” She twisted her head back to give Chris a meaningful look, causing the poor man to pale and visibly swallow nervously.
Heh. Anyway, can't wait to see how else Chloe and Lex will make Chris' life difficult with their... unorthodoxies at the wedding. Also can't wait for all the others' reactions when the find out who the mystery groom is.

Thanks for the chapter and more soon please!

[Queen Of Tact]

*jumps up and down* Kris I loved the update!!!! hehehe loved Chloe... I so can't wait to see the look on Clark and Loise face when they see who Chloe is going to marry!!!!

CC

[Impress]

great update

[Val]

“He’s not my ex-boyfriend. I only went out with him twice.”

“For you that’s an ex-boyfriend.”

Heh, sounds like someone I know.... :p

Loved it Kris! I'm glad you're updating again! Can't wait to see Clark's and Lois' reactions to Lex! Please don't make us wait too long! Give us the wedding! :biggrin:

[sara_noele]

:yay: An update! Thank you.

And they still don't know who Chloe will marry, except for Gabe of course, its so funny.

[LarkLuthor]

Oh, that was wonderful! Wonderful! Have I mentioned I love this fic best of all your work? And that's a lot of good stuff out there. Look at my fanfic fiend: :drool: He's so happy! So ravidly waiting for another update. (hint hint) Okay, I won't go to begging already. I'll wait a week or two.

Hehe, can you imagine Clark trying to kick Bruce's ass? The only others able to make Superman as uncomfortable as Bruce can, are Martha Kent upset at him and Lois Lane when in rabid/reckless mode.

Lark

[Clannadlvr]

*grins*

I love your Lois Lane. She's just spot on perfect.

And the following just made me grin:


This was backed up by murmurings among the show’s crew and the fact that Lois had excitedly pointed out Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen, Lucas Luthor, and a few other people who ranked among the social elite.

Ollie's there!!!

Yeah, yeah, I'm a Green Arrow geek, but that just made me all shades of happy.

[scifichick774]

The so-called banquet room was small and much less ornate than the ones Clark had been in while covering various social events for The Daily Planet; the space seeming that much more crowded because of the thick tension that lay heavily in the air. The palpable buzz that sounded up from the guests’ hushed voices had steadily grown into a dull roar as they waited for a representative from the show – or possibly the bride and groom themselves – to arrive.

He noticed that the only person who didn’t seem to be actively engaged in speculation of one kind or another was Bruce Wayne, and he assumed that was largely due to the fact that the man, if he were to be believed, already personally knew both of the participants in the wedding everyone had gathered on the island for. Still, the silent resolve was unsettling and Clark felt a great urge to storm across the room to him and do just what Lois had not-so-kindly suggested just a half hour before.

In fact, he even found himself starting to rise from his chair – just to have a chat with Bruce, he reasoned - before stopping when he saw the other man do the same, only Bruce’s eyes weren’t fixed anywhere near him. They were focused on the door. Clark turned in his chair so he could look over his shoulder and his breath caught in his throat.

Chloe.

It had been years since he’d seen her in person and the few phone calls and Christmas cards he’d received hadn’t changed the image of her that had stayed in his mind. Cute, spunky, eccentric, determined…

He couldn’t believe that he’d been foolish enough to think she hadn’t changed at all – especially physically. After all, no one looked like they did when they were a teenager forever; so why had he still had that picture of her with the flipped out hair in his mind?

Her skin was now a light golden hue, which he supposed was due to her time in the Caribbean while filming the show; her hair was light and streaked by the rays of the sun, and although the cut was still original, it was very different than the one she’d worn through high school. Her body…

Clark casually lifted a hand up to his mouth to make sure no drool was seeping out at the corners. Whatever remnants of baby fat she had the last time he’d seen her, they had now been sculpted into voluptuous curves that were probably making half of the men in the small room share the same reaction he was having to her.

The men in the room…

The thought jerked him from his stupor. The reason they were all there…Chloe was getting married. Married. As in permanently attached to someone else who wasn’t him. He frowned and just barely managed to notice that a man he didn’t recognize was now standing in front of the podium at the front of the room and clearing his throat loudly to get everyone’s attention.

“Hi,” the man said, shooting a toothy smile out at his small audience. “Well, I guess most of you probably already know who I am…” He paused and waited with an expectant look on his face, only to cough into his hand when everyone watching him gave him completely blank expressions in return. “O-kay,” he strung out, muttering the word half under his breath. “I’m Chris Harrison, the host of The Bachelor.”

Still no response awaited him and he shook his head ever so slightly. Apparently no one in the crowd watched the show or they just wanted him to get on with the announcement already. He was hoping it was the latter.

“And – uh ---” he cleared his throat again and pushed the fake smile back onto his lips. “This breakfast is what we affectionately refer to as the ‘meet and greet’. We’ll tell you who your friend or family member is marrying and allow each of you to have some time talking to their significant other so we can get your reactions on whether you think this marriage will work or whatnot. That said, I’ve been asked to make sure everyone signed their disclaimers?”

A low rumbling hum of assent came from the crowd in front of him and he nodded a couple of times to let them know that he understood their reaction.

“Good, good. Now, as you may already know, we usually have the happy couple come up here while we show you some clips of what’s already been filmed so you can see how ‘the bachelor’ arrived at his decision and then talk about it with them afterward.”

He stopped and took a sip of bottled water to calm his nerves, hoping that they edited out the fact that his hand was shaking for the final cut of the show.

“But because of some…extenuating circumstances…we’ve decided to do things a little differently this year. We’re going to throw them to the sharks immediately.” He smiled at his quip, but the expression slowly fell and he could have sworn he heard crickets where the audience was supposed to be.

“That was actually metaphorical, but whatever,” he mumbled to himself, regardless of the fact that his microphone was still on. “The point is that you get quality quizzing time with your friend or family member’s significant other. To that end, I’d like to ask the bride’s guests to move into the next room, where you’ll be able to talk to her groom to be, and the groom’s guests to remain in here to talk to the bride. Any questions?”

“Can we skip to the part where we object?” a deep, humorless voice called out.

Chris let out a nervous laugh. “Heh. Good one,” he said, choosing to immediately avert his eyes from the heavy scowl Bruce Wayne was shooting at him. He still couldn’t believe that the man had been included on both Chloe and Lex’s guest lists. But then, his presence there and obvious objection to the union might make for good TV, so who was he to complain? “Now, bride’s family and friends, if you’d follow those two men into the next room, please?”

With a sweep of his hand, he motioned to the two men standing by some far doors that they were just opening. Clark narrowed his eyes. They looked more like bodyguards than lackeys for some stupid reality show. But then, he knew that Chloe’s fiancé was wealthy, so it only stood to reason that he would have security around him.

He was tempted to lower his glasses and have a peek through the wall with his x-ray vision, but as it was, Lois was already shoving him in a motion that meant he should get up, and he figured he would find out who Chloe’s betrothed was soon enough. He just wished he had a better feeling about it.

Chris wore the fake smile that was plastered on his face with stubbornness. It wouldn’t be much longer and then this whole fiasco of a round of ‘The Bachelor’ would be over and he’d resign. Or not. Hey, it couldn’t get much worse than it had been this time, right? Still, he’d take a nice long vacation either way – preferably somewhere not in the tropics.

“Okay,” he said after the remnants of Chloe’s guests were shuffled through into the other room and the doors closed with only a modicum of sound. “Honored guests of the groom, I present you with his bride to be; Miss Chloe Sullivan.”

Chloe walked up to the front of the room and gave the side of the room that remained filled a small smile. She didn’t know why she was feeling nervous; she knew Bruce and had already met a couple of Lex’s other guests at various Gotham social events that she’d been required to cover for her paper in her first year working there.

Perhaps it was because they weren’t reacquainting on friendly terms – not exactly anyway. They were there as Lex’s adversaries; they were there to judge her, to pick her apart in the worst ways possible. The sight of Bruce’s disapproving scowl only seemed to reinforce her theory.

She quickly turned her eyes away from him and moved to sit in one of the chairs beside the podium that Chris was motioning to. She took a breath to brace herself. This was going to be the worst out of the one on one interviews she’d had to give since arriving on the island and the fact that she knew it didn’t exactly help ease her nerves.

Chris took the chair next to her and smiled pleasantly for the cameras, though he’d had enough practice so it looked like the expression was aimed at Chloe rather than the black film recorder perched on top of a cameraman’s tripod behind her. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that his short amount of allotted time with her was going to be the easy part.

Few of Lex’s guests were going to care one way or the other whom he was marrying and all he had to do was coax some personal information out of Chloe before leaving her to mingle with the group while he introduced Lex to Chloe’s guests. He’d be lucky if he came out of that one alive, so he was going to make sure to extend his time in the first room as much as possible.

“Chloe, I know you already know or have met a couple of the people that Lex invited, so to give those you haven’t met some history, let’s start out with the basics,” he said. “You’re twenty-two and a resident of Gotham City, where you work as an investigative reporter for The Gotham Times.”

“Yes.”

“That’s a rather demanding career,” Chris commented pointedly, hoping to earn some kind of reaction from the woman other than the underlying hostility that he could tell she was barely covering up.

“It can be,” Chloe agreed, relaxing a little when she saw Chris’s face flicker with annoyance because of her short, to the point answers. However, her stress level jumped right back up with his next question.

“Lex is an established businessman in a city on the other side of the country and I’m sure you’re devoted to your job. Have you given any thought to how that’s going to work after you get married?”

Chloe frowned. “We’re still trying to come to an agreement on that,” she finally admitted in cautious wording. “I was offered a promotion to being a field correspondent in Metropolis about a month ago, so I’ll probably take that position since it would be easier for me to relocate than for Lex to.”

Chris’s smile was practically maniacal. It scared her.

“Good. That’s good,” he said. “That way the readers who’ve become…attached to you…won’t have to resort to extreme measures just to read your articles.” He hoped the nervous tick that just decided to start tweaking one cheek wouldn’t show up on camera.

Chloe ducked her head for a moment and tucked some hair behind her ear. The bastard had to bring that up. Not that she didn’t understand; it was one of the reasons she knew this interview was going to be difficult, but that didn’t mean she could control her every emotion on the topic either.

Whitney, despite his meteor rock-induced psychopathic tendencies, had only been trying to get her attention. It put his guilt on her shoulders and at the same time made her feel sorry for him. Neither of which were emotions she could afford to indulge if she wanted to make it through the next few minutes without breaking down in tears on a show that would be aired on national television.

“Speaking of which, we’ve had no shortage of action on that front while filming this time around. The Scarecrow, a notorious villain in Gotham’s underworld community, actually tracked you down here and kidnapped you after kill-”

“That’s enough.”

Chloe’s eyes darted upward and toward the audience where the voice had come from. She had never been so glad to see Bruce’s solemn form moving toward her as she was at that moment.

“She’s not responsible for what the Scarecrow did here – or anywhere else for that matter,” he continued, shooting a cold, warning glare at Chris.

“I know, but…” Chris trailed off and swallowed in fright.

If he’d had any question as to why both the bride and groom put Bruce Wayne on their lists, it had just been answered. Apparently the man was loyal to a fault, despite the fact that he had gone out with Chloe in the past. And he was scary. Not ‘I’ll make your life a living hell if you continue with this line of questioning scary’, but ‘I’ll make it so your life is non-existent and they’ll never find the body’ scary. He didn’t need to say it with words; his body language conveyed the message quite effectively.

“Perhaps now would be a good time for you to go introduce Lex to Chloe’s friends,” Bruce suggested, glancing over to see how Chloe was doing before turning his glare back upon Chris. “I’m sure we can get along with you.”

Chris nodded quickly and stood up to leave, making a motion with his hands for the cameramen not to film his rapid departure to the adjoining room.

Chloe grinned as the host ended the interview by scurrying over to the closed doors and leaving the convention room that they were in. “Wow. That was awesome,” she said, her grin sliding into a small smile as she rose from her seat and looked up at Bruce. “Wish you’d been here the whole time. That guy’s been driving me crazy.”

One corner of Bruce’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, but it was more reassuring than amused. Other than that, he looked completely serious and as stoic as ever. “He was out of line,” he said, pausing for just a second before frowning. “I haven’t gotten a chance to speak to you. How are you doing?”

“I’ll be okay.”

“That’s not what I asked you.”

“From this heartwarming scene, I’m guessing that you already know each other,” a man said as he strolled up from where the audience sat.

“Yes,” Bruce answered curtly, perturbed by the interruption, but not being able to do much about it because of the many cameras that were recording the scene as it happened.

“Ah,” the young man said, promptly choosing to ignore the looming figure in favor of running his eyes up and down Chloe’s and then smirking. “No offense, but you don’t look like the kind of women Lex usually marries.”

“None taken, considering all of the women he’s married before have tried to kill him,” Chloe replied with a smirk of her own.

Lucas’s lips split with a broad smile as he let out a loud, surprised laugh. “Smart and cute. So I guess this is the part where I ask if you’re marrying my brother for his money or if you have any plans of your own to kill him.”

“No and no, Lucas” Chloe replied with a roll of her eyes.

Lucas appeared mildly surprised. “He told you who I was?”

“I already knew from your visit to Smallville.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “You were in Smallville?” He openly ogled her once again. “Kind of seems like I’d remember that.”

“We never met,” Chloe said with a light shake of her head. “But the details of your visit were relayed to me via Clark, Lana, and Pete.”

“I was wondering why they were here,” Lucas said with a distasteful grimace. “You’re still friends with them then?”

“Not exactly,” Chloe admitted with a one-shouldered shrug. “But my job has pretty much been my life; it hasn’t given me a lot of time to go out and make new friends. Plus, Lana was the one who signed me up for the show without my knowledge, so I felt kind of obligated to invite her. And where she goes…”

“The others go,” Lucas finished for her. “Gotcha.” He looked over to the closed doors and his lips curled into a wicked smile. “Wonder how they’re reacting to finding out that you’re marrying Lex.”

~*~*~

Chris took a breath to steady himself and hopefully return some color to his face since he was sure all of it had drained with Bruce’s unspoken threats against him. The small crowd turned to face him and, upon a quick scan of the room with his eyes, he was thankful to see that everything was still relatively peaceful. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that would change rather quickly after he announced Lex’s name and he came in from the hallway.

“Everyone,” he greeted with another fake smile. He made his way up to the front of the room and simply stood there. There was no podium set up in this room, but it wasn’t really necessary. He already had everyone’s full attention, and the portable microphone hooked to his shirt would carry his voice throughout the room. That was enough. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Just get to it already,” Lois snapped impatiently.

She was tempted to follow the statement with a comment about what a jerk he was for keeping them in the dark this long, but decided against it as murmurs arose from the people around her in support of what she said. She noticed that Chloe’s dad remained silent; running his hands down his face as if he knew the announcement was going to go badly. Her Uncle Gabe was generally a good judge of character. She was willing to bet he was right.

Chris flashed her a tight, fake smile and then looked over to the door that Lex was supposed to come in through on his cue. “Alright then,” he said. “Without further ado, I present to you, Chloe’s husband to be; Lex Luthor.”




TBC

[chril1]

with the leaving of the chapter where you did, i'm confused do you have a death wish? because i'm thinking up numerous painful ways that i can kill someone with many miles of land and water inbetween, but i'll come up with something.

soooooooooooo, update? :blush:

yeah, no i didn't think so

love lea
xxx

[tiger04]

ahhh I can't stand that you left the chapter there. I really want an update. please please update soon.
Thanks
A.T.

[hfce]

More please....


Hope :chlexsign2:

[campbti]

great update, can't wait to hear the reactions lex gets and his responses. this is a great fic, I am glad you are still writing it. love it, More soon please.

[sylvia]

Oh you just had to end it there... just as well, I bet the next chappy will be explosive.

Loved the update, especially the part where Chris gets intimidated and scurries out of the room. And the rubbing it in Clark Kent's face was good too. A very fun and interesting read and I'm glad you decided to continue it longer.

Hope you'll update soon!

[Val]

*Glares* I know this is for plot's sake, but did you really have to stop there, Kris? C'mon I'm dying to see Gabe's, Lois', Lana's and especially horny boy Clark's reactions to Lex!

Love the update and love Bruce (but thats not new), it was great how he helped Chloe! Oh and Lucas? Hee! So great!

More soon???

[LarkLuthor]

Hehe. :biggrin:

Nice chapter but it was mostly suspence, so you'll have to update it sooner than usual. :cool:

Lark

[SinnerSaint]

It is very dangerous to have a wonderful chapter like that and to just leave it hanging. I mean , seriously , you get us all excited and then just leave us foaming at the mouth ? You amaze me with your total lack of fear. I am inspired. That being said , I advise you to either write another chapter or to run like hell cause I'm coming after you ..... just kidding. Sort of. Please write more !

[autumngold]

I love your updates!! They always leave me satisfied but wanting more!! Wow, what a cliffy!! I can't wait for everyone's reactions to Lex!! Thank you so much for the new chapter!! Can't wait for your next post!! :worship2: :chlexsign4: :worship2:

[AlabamaWorley]

I just read all of this - interesting twist with Scarecrow, and amen on the Lana power! But is it bad that I actually enjoyed your Clois interaction just as much as the Chlex? :huh: Good stuff!

[Kit Merlot]

I adore this fic, and I love that Clark was stunned at how gorgeous Chloe is :biggrin:

Too bad, Farmboy, she's with Lex now!

And I love Bruce coming to her defense.

Now, we need to see everyone's reaction to Lex. This ought to be good :chlexsign2:

WELL DONE!

[LarkLuthor]

Update?

Please?

Pretty Please?

Pretty Please, I beg you?

Pretty Please, I wish you dreams filled with Chocolate covered Lex?

Lark