Antigone - R

[AlabamaWorley]

Title: Antigone
Rating: R
Summary: Post-Shattered, written in the break before Asylum
Disclaimer: If someone was paying me to do this, I wouldn't be pimping it across the 'net for free!
Feedback: The amount I get will determine the length of this fic. Please let me know you're reading!

A/N: So here's the deal - I wrote this last year as part of a five-part series, but the other four parts are not Chlex - at least not primarily so. I am intending to sort of rewrite this as I go so it makes sense for y'all as a standalone story, combining this original story with the pertinent parts of two others. The first part is a matter of pasting it in - later on, I'm going to have to rewrite a bit (there's an original character whose relationship with Clark is the crux of all five stories, and I have to make it all make sense without her) so it may come more slowly. There is going to be a point in the fic where I'm going to say "Stop here if you want a happy ending, continue if you want the rest of the story."

So, my question to whatever angels read along is this: do you want it all rapid fire, or shall I pace out the parts I'm not rewriting?

Anyway, on with the story! :biggrin:

************************************************** ***********
Prologue

Lex walked out of the hospital reflecting on what he had just told Lana. How could he be so sure there was a guy out there for her? Sure, she was a sweet kid, and she’s probably find someone once she’d grown up a bit, who was he to instill confidence in anyone when it came to love? He was the Ross Gellar of Smallville, yet he still thought there was someone out there for everyone? He sighed as he got into his car, then turned the radio up very loud to drown out his melancholy.

Three hours later, Lex sat as his desk. Again, he was deep in thought. He’d never dreamed a high school girl could be so good at digging into someone’s past. Though he’d tried hard to scare her, he was actually very impressed with the potential of Miss Chloe Sullivan. He made a note to look into increasing her pay without alerting his father.

-----------------------------------------------------

Two weeks later, Chloe sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands. Lex wasn’t crazy. She knew it; Clark knew it. But for some reason, Clark was unwilling to consider the fact that they could help him. Chloe thought it might have something to do with Lex hurting Lana, but it was really irrelevant. If Clark were in trouble, Lex would be right there; if the reverse wasn’t true... Chloe needed Lex in one piece, mind included, and she was going to make sure she got him.

[AlabamaWorley]

“Dr. Stevens, this young woman has a few questions about one of our patients. She’s a reporter.” The nurse that addressed the administrator of Belle Reve was obviously not impressed with the young woman that had demanded an audience with her employer. Dr. Stevens sighed, then sat back in his chair.

“Very well,” he replied. “Show her in.”

The nurse waved to someone in the corridor, then stepped aside to let her in.

------------
Chloe hunched over the keyboard of her laptop underneath the extra workstation at the front desk. She typed frantically, praying that the facility’s computers were up to date on processing speed. She breathed a quick sigh of relief when her screen confirmed that the appropriate files had been downloaded into the network drive. She disconnected her laptop from the workstation and quickly packed it away, then pulled a small device from her coat pocket. Crawling under the console that controlled the doors to the patient rooms, she unplugged the keyboard, then reconnected it to her tiny toy. Suddenly, a door opened further down the corridor.

“I’m sorry Miss Lane, that’s really all I can tell you about Tina Greer. She wasn’t here for very long, and we didn’t get more than a glimpse of what was going on in her head...”

Chloe peeked around the corner, then ran for her car. A few minutes later, she was joined in a parking lot down the road by her cousin, a pretty brunette that looked to be a couple of years older.

“Did you get it done?” Lois asked, glancing nervously back at the asylum compound.

“Got it!” Chloe said, giddy with success.

“Are you sure you’re okay alone from here? I can’t believe your friend Clark is being such a jerk about this!”

“Yes, definitely. I don’t want to get you any more involved than I already have.” Chloe’s stomach started to churn as she realized that her success meant she had to go through with the next part of her plan.

“Okay, good luck then. I sure hope Lex can get you out of your mess with Lionel. Next time, call me before you make any moronic decisions!”

Chloe laughed, then hugged the other girl tightly.

“Thanks a lot, Lois. I couldn’t have pulled this off...”

“Yeah, yeah. You owe me big!”

“The biggest!” Chloe replied with a grin. “See you at Christmas!” She waved as Lois drove away, then went home to put the next step in motion.
--------------------------
That night, Chloe waited in the shadows outside the entrance to the sanatorium. If her watch was synchronized correctly, and if the hacker she’d paid off really knew his stuff, the door should be opening right about...

... now. She slipped in and hurried down the hall towards the locked doors that led to the patient rooms, her backpack clutched tightly over her shoulder. Stopping at the console in front of the barrier, she quickly removed her snooping device from the keyboard, then typed in the password her laptop had gleaned from it earlier in the day. She watched the second hand sweep around the face of her watch, then hit the “enter” key just as her Trojan Horse woke up.

The sprinklers kicked on outside of the patient area, dousing everything with water and effectively distracting the graveyard staff. The power went down in security, temporarily trapping the guards inside their control room with no way of seeing what was happening in the rest of the hospital. Chloe raced down the hall, knowing she had exactly five minutes before the system would reboot to completely cover her tracks.

Lex’s room was easy to find, as he was completely exposed by a two-way mirror. Chloe plugged her laptop into the key panel and punched a few buttons. A tiny click let her know the door was open. Lex looked up as she entered his cell and squinted at her in the near darkness, but it was obvious he hadn’t been sleeping.

“Who’s there?” he mumbled, nearly incoherent.

“Lex, it’s Chloe. I’m getting you out of here.”

“Chloe?” Lex repeated, confused.

“Yes, Lex. I’m Chloe.” Tears filled her eyes as she realized Lex was drugged completely out of his mind. Shaking herself, she quickly unstrapped his straight-jacket and helped him don the shoes and jacket from her backpack, then gently pulled him towards the door.

“Wait,” Lex said, trying to return to his pallet on the floor. “We can’t leave Julian!” He carefully lifted his small pillow into his arms and handed him to Chloe, smiling happily. She took the pillow and cradled it close to her.

“Okay, Lex,” she said softly. “Let’s go.” By the time the system shut down, Chloe had gotten Lex through the small gap she had found in the fence and into the trees beyond. Her car waited on the small dirt road that led out of the woods. Chloe strapped Lex into his seat; he cuddled his pillow contentedly all the way back to the Sullivan home.

(TBC)

A/N: Don't forget to let me know what pace you'd like to see for the posting!

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: fantastic so far. and I love reading more storys so bring em on, tough it would be nice to wait for the chlex tweeked ones. about the unhappy ending though, hmmmm, whatever ending you give it is up to you, being your story and all, though I do enjoy a happy ending, but if it not apropreate, then, ah hell, I am just rambleing.

MORE! :blinkkiss:

[hfce]

Oh great start more please...


Hope :chlexsign2:

[MissMed03]

oh this is wicked awesome....
update ASAP

[Susan S]

Oh that was good! I loved Lex being concerned with leaving "Julian" behind. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Susan S

[tiger04]

that was good. hope you update soon.

AT

[ColumbiaBlue]

More! More!! More!!! MORE!!!!

More soon. :biggrin:

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[eurydices falling]

ooooh! me want honeycombs.....and more of this fic. :yay:

can't wait for the next installment. it looks like it'll be a good one.

[autumngold]

It's so sad and sweet how Lex is still trying to take care of Jullian!! Thanks for making this story Chlex!! Hope to read more soon!! :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[kezz]

Cant wait for more, this was great!

Kezz...x.x.x.

[Kit Merlot]

Man, I do adroe your fics! Please continue :biggrin:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: If only they could bottle feedback into a pill form, who would need uppers? :blinkkiss: Thanks for reading! Here's the next bit - and remember, I trade my already finished updates for feedback, so keep it coming :devil:

*******************************************

Chloe sat in the rocking chair in her bedroom watching Lex sleep. It had taken him quite a while, but he’d finally drifted off when she sat down beside him and rubbed his back the way she did for the kids she used to babysit. He still didn’t seem to recognize her, but he was very complacent. She wondered how he would behave when the medication began to wear off.

Noticing “Julian” had fallen to the floor, Chloe picked up the pillow and idly arranged a tiny bed for it in her laundry basket. She was exhausted, but afraid to sleep. She had to tell Gabe she was too sick to go to school the moment he awoke, plus she couldn’t take a chance on Lex getting away from her. She finally decided to do some reading for the classes she would miss, and was nearly asleep in her history book when she heard Gabe’s alarm two hours later. When she heard his shower shut off, she waited a couple of minutes, then rushed into the hall bathroom and feigned violent illness as loudly as she dared without disturbing Lex. Gabe appeared a few moments later.

“Are you sick, baby?” he asked, concerned for his daughter.

“Yes,” she moaned. “I’m going to bed.”

“Okay, honey,” he said. “You call me if you need anything, okay?”

Chloe nodded, then tottered back to her bedroom. She waited anxiously until she heard Gabe’s truck leave the drive, then breathed a sigh of relief. Leaving her door open, she pulled Lana’s radio into the hallway so she could listen to the local news within sight of Lex. She found what she was listening for immediately.

“...no clues or suspects in the escape of Lex Luthor from Belle Reve Psychiatric Hospital. Citizens are warned that Luthor is deranged and dangerous. He is described as early 20s, about six feet tall, and bald. He may or may not be aware of his surroundings. Any information should be reported to...” Chloe quickly clicked off the sound as Lex stirred, but he rolled over and was still. She slipped downstairs to get some breakfast and caffeine, then trudged back up to return to her homework.

Lex slept until 2:30. He opened his eyes to find Chloe tucking in her shirt, her hair still wet from the shower.

“Chloe?” he whispered. He wasn’t quite sure where he was or how he’d gotten there.

“Lex!” she said, crossing to the bed. She sat down beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungry. Thirsty. Lost.”

She squeezed his hand and nodded.

“It’s okay, you’ve been through a lot. You’re at my house, and you’re safe, but we need to keep you hidden for now until we can get you some help.”

Lex looked her blankly, then simply nodded.

“I’m going to go get you a sandwich, do you like ham?” When he nodded again, Chloe ran downstairs and grabbed the sandwich and chips she’d prepared earlier. She threw a banana on the plate, then snagged the milk and a glass and went back upstairs. She sat quietly while Lex ate everything she’d brought. When he leaned back with his milk, she spoke again.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” She wasn’t sure he’d heard her, but he finally responded.

“I don’t know,” he said. He abruptly laid back down and fell immediately asleep.

“Okay, Lex. I’ll be right here,” Chloe whispered.

When Gabe arrived home three hours later, Chloe met him at the bathroom door, but discovered her flimsy story wouldn't be necessary.

“Honey, I hate to do this to you, but I have to go to Metropolis for two days. Do you think you’ll be okay? I can say no if you’re really feeling bad.”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll probably stay home again tomorrow, but Mrs. Kent can call the school for me. You just got this promotion, you can’t risk it now!”

“Okay. I have to grab some things, then I’m going.”

“Have a safe trip. I love you!” Chloe said before she closed her door. Unable to believe her luck, she sat down on the floor with her laptop and got to work looking for a safe doctor for Lex.

Sometime during the night, Chloe awoke with a start. She was leaning back against the bed, and someone was gently tapping her head.

“Lex?” she asked groggily. “Are you okay?”

“Edge. I got the video of his confession. I went home. And then...” He faltered. “That’s it.”

Chloe climbed up onto the foot of the bed and sat facing her new friend. She told him the events of the week he’d lost, watching his reactions as she chose her words. She left out the worst of what he’d done, thinking he probably wasn’t quite stable enough to deal with Lana’s condition or the suffering he’d caused the man whose truck he’d stolen. When she was finished, he didn’t speak for some time.

“I need a shower,” he finally said.

Later, they sat at the kitchen table eating by candlelight. Chloe had left the lights on upstairs, but drawn all the curtains before allowing Lex on the main floor. She didn’t want to raise any suspicions.

“So you have no idea how I got to Edge’s house?” Lex asked after he’d cleaned his plate.

“No. They found a car completely demolished and the house pretty torn up, but there was no one around.”

Lex sighed, then suddenly sat up with a jerk.

“Where’s Julian?” he asked, looking around frantically.

“He’s...” Chloe hesitated, surprised by his sudden lapse. “He’s asleep upstairs. I made him a little bed.”

Lex jumped up and started toward the stairs.

“I have to check on him, I have to make sure...” he stopped, then turned back to Chloe. “I have to... “ He looked at her in horror. “Julian’s...”

“Lex, he’s-”

“No. I just... I just need to sleep.” He dragged himself up the stairs, and Chloe heard her bed creak as he climbed in. Fighting back tears, she went upstairs to resume her vigil.

The sun was rising when Chloe fully realized what she had gotten herself into. Lex awoke violently, drenched with sweat. His body jerked hard enough to knock her headboard against the wall repeatedly. His incoherent mutterings were peppered with an occasional scream, and his hands alternated between gripping the sheets and pounding against them. When he started vomiting, Chloe panicked, cursing herself for not finding out what drugs he’d been on and what his DTs might do to him. She ran to the bathroom and soaked several towels with cool water, then tried not to sit in the mess as she did her best to gently wipe his face. When she realized he was going to be sick again, she lifted him to a sitting position, afraid he would choke otherwise; as a result, the next round covered her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she started again with a clean towel.

Hours later, Lex was finally silent. His body was still. For the first time in weeks, he slept peacefully. Chloe eased her legs out from under him and stood. She staggered into the bathroom and stripped out of her clothes, throwing them all into a plastic bag. She showered for a very long time, then dressed in an old t-shirt and shorts she’d worn earlier in the fall when she and Lana had painted the kitchen and the living room. Then she went back to her bedroom.

Chloe stripped one side of the bed, then laid a clean sheet over the mattress. She carefully scooted Lex onto it, then removed the rest of the bedding and stuffed it in a bag with her clothes. Thankfully, it hadn’t been cold enough to put her heavy comforter on the bed yet. She got the bleach out of the hall closet and scrubbed her hardwood floor, glad Gabe wasn’t home to see her abuse the finish that way. She then gently pulled Lex’s shirt over his head and tugged his sweatpants off, but respectfully left his boxers in place. After she’d stuffed his clothes in with everything else, she stripped again and stuffed those clothes in as well, then took another shower. After she’d dressed and taken the garbage bag out to the curb to be picked up with the rest of the trash in the morning, she went back up to her room.

Lex was still sleeping soundly. Barely hesitating, Chloe laid another clean sheet on the bed. She got a clean blanket from her dresser, curled up next to him and fell immediately asleep.

------------------

The next morning, Chloe awoke to the ringing phone. It was Martha Kent.

“Chloe? How are you feeling today?” she asked.

“Um… not great. Do you think I could stay home one more day?” Chloe replied, hoping she sounded weak and exhausted. She certainly felt it.

“Sure sweetie! I’ll call the school for you again.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Kent! I really appreciate it.”

“Do you want me to have Clark drop your homework by?” Martha said before Chloe could hang up.

“No! I mean, Pete’s bringing it by, I already talked to him.”

“Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything. Feel better!”

Chloe said goodbye, then hung up. She rolled onto her back to find Lex watching her.

“Dare I ask why I’m waking up nearly naked in your bed?” he asked. Though there was no color in his face and he could barely hold his head off the mattress, Chloe was encouraged by the return of his dry wit.

“Do you remember anything?” she asked as she sat up.

“I remember coming home from a meeting with Morgan Edge. Everything else is a fog.” He paused for a moment, then continued quietly. “What did my father do to me?”

Chloe sighed and toyed with the fringe on the blanket. Then she started her recap again, this time appending a brief description of the previous day’s activities. When she finished, she looked up at Lex to find he was watching her intently. She was certain he’d comprehended what she’d said this time. Suddenly uncomfortable, she jumped up.

“Are you hungry?” she asked, heading for the door.

“Kind of,” he replied. “I have a terrible headache.”

“I’ll bring some ibuprofen,” Chloe said over her shoulder as she jogged down to the kitchen. When she returned a few minutes later, she propped Lex up on some pillows, then helped him get settled with his chicken noodle soup. Unfortunately, he stopped a few bites in. Recognizing his symptoms, she grabbed the trashcan beside her desk and shoved it in front of him just in time. When he collapsed back against the pillows, she rested her hand briefly on his cheek, then smiled bravely.

“I’ll go get some ice for your head.”

When Chloe returned, Lex had dozed off. She stretched out next to him and held the ice against his forehead until she drifted off to sleep.

******************************************

A pounding on the front door woke Chloe. Her stomach clenched in panic.

“Stay here,” she told Lex, who was trying to rise. “I’ll take care of it!”

When she peeked through the window next to the door, she nearly collapsed with relief. It was Pete, his arms loaded down with books from her locker. She let him in.

“Hey, next time you want me to do you a favor, you might tell me. I think Clark thought I’d gone stupid when I had to act like I forgot about bringing your homework.”

“Sorry Pete, I just... I couldn’t have him come here.”

“Why? Afraid he’ll never come around to liking you if he sees you looking this rough?” Pete teased.

“Looking—You are such a jerk!” Chloe exclaimed, swatting Pete’s arm.

“You know I’m playing with you! You don’t look that sick, though. What’s up?”

“I...” Chloe faltered. “Pete, can I trust you?”

“Of course,” he replied, as he set the books down on the coffee table.

“Completely and totally, even if you think what I tell you is crazy and you want no part of it?”

“Chloe, I can tell you, in all honesty, I am the most trustworthy person I know.”

Chloe eyed her friend for a minute, then led him up the stairs.

“I stole Lex Luthor.”

Pete stopped cold, staring at the back of Chloe’s head.

“Oh, shit...”
-------------------------------

Gabe would be home soon. Lex had showered and changed into some clothes Pete had stolen from his brother’s closet. The Ross boys had a clubhouse in the woods near the farm that would serve to hide him until they could come up with safe medical attention and legal help.

Chloe was still standing on the front porch when her father pulled in. She hugged him tight before following him in the house.

(TBC)

[eurydices falling]

petey is such a sweetie. and nekkid lex is pretty sweet too regardless of the circumstances. so you can just give me my next update now. i'm ready for it.

um...hello...i said i'm ready

ugh..i'll wait, but only for a little longer

[kitten]

:biggrin:


“I stole Lex Luthor.”

Excellent! I like how he trusts her even in his delerium. Only Chloe could pull off something like this.

[tiger04]

that was really sweet chloe taking care of lex like that. hope you update more soon.

AT

[AlabamaWorley]

Thanks for reading! :biggrin: My turn...

***********************************************

Three weeks later, Lex sat at his desk in the mansion. His new security had just alerted him that Chloe had pulled into the drive, and he found he was anxious to see her. He was still amazed that a high school junior had worked the miracles she’d accomplished for him over the past weeks, and was almost sorry the intrigue had slowed momentarily. He was still hoping she could help him track down Morgan Edge and pin this whole debacle on his father, but he needed a breather to concentrate on his business first. He’d spent the morning securing two of the top physical therapists in the country for Lana’s personal use, and then sent her a dozen roses as he had every morning for the past several days. It didn’t change what he’d done, but it was a start until he figured out how to turn back time.

When Chloe entered, he leaned back in his chair. He knew that part of her reasoning for helping him had been to reconstruct the barrier between herself and Lionel, but he also knew that wasn’t all that motivated her. Chloe had a good heart, and she was a loyal to a fault, brief slip-up with Lionel notwithstanding. It seemed people like that were getting harder and harder to come by.

“How are you feeling today?” Chloe asked after she’d settled into a chair in front of the desk.

“Better,” Lex replied. “I’m still have some shaking, but the doctor has assured me that will clear up within a few days. He’s given me something to help straighten out my sleeping cycles, but it’s only a one-month prescription.”

“That’s good, we don’t need you going junkie on us!” Chloe said with a grin. “I have to hurry, I only have a 30 minute pass from school. I’m supposed to be dropping the Torch off at the Ledger office, but I did it this morning before class.”

“Then I assume that means you have something for me?”

“Yes! I got all of Darius’ background check information cross-referenced and came up with these three names for you to look at. I can start digging on them too, unless any of them jump out at you.”

Lex looked at the three names and shook his head.

“I don’t know any of them. See what you can find out--” Lex stopped as the doors to his office banged open.

“Miss Sullivan! Shouldn’t you be at school?”

Chloe froze at the sound of Lionel Luthor’s voice. Lex rose from his chair as his father swept into the room, closely tailed by security.

“Mr. Luthor, we tried to stop him, but--”

“It’s alright. Wait outside the door, you can escort him off the premises in a moment.” The guard nodded, then hurried out.

“Giving an interview, Lex? And here you haven’t even contacted your own father since your miraculous recovery.”

“Oh yes, Dad, how have you been?”

“Not so good, Lex. It seems I’m going to have to let one of my best employees go. You know how… the economy can be sometimes.”

Chloe gritted her teeth to keep from reacting to Lionel’s words. She knew he was threatening her again, but she had to trust Lex to handle it. She relaxed a fraction when he walked around the desk and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder.

“Really? My payroll could stand a few more good employees, be sure and have him send me a resume,” Lex replied pleasantly.

“Yes, my lawyers informed me that you had managed to reclaim LexCorp’s assets. Here I was so close to getting the Smallville plant shut down.”

“What exactly is the purpose of this visit, Dad?”

Lionel looked at Chloe, then back at Lex.

“I think this is better suited to a private conversation, son.”

“Why? Are you afraid for the media to hear what you have to say? Or are you afraid that I’ll tell everyone about your affiliation with Morgan Edge and about how you killed my grandparents?”

“You have no proof of those maniacal rantings Lex. You have been ill--”

“The only way you can make that case is if you release my medical records. I would advise against that, Dad, since you’d have to explain how such a menagerie of hallucinogens made their way into my system.”

Lionel stared at his son for a few more moments, then turned to Chloe.

“Miss Sullivan, I’ll need to have a word with you. We need to talk about your performance at the Daily Planet.”

Chloe took a deep breath and held it for a second, torn between pride and doing the right thing. Lex’s gentle squeeze on her shoulder made up her mind.

“Mr. Luthor, I’ve really appreciated the chance you’ve given me to work for you at the Daily Planet. Unfortunately, my grades have been slipping. I’m afraid I have to quit.”

Lionel’s eyes burned for brief second.

“If you really think that’s the wisest decision...” He turned and walked out the door.

*******************************

Pete sat at Lana’s bedside, a notebook propped in his lap as she dictated her English homework to him. He had volunteered for the job, knowing Chloe could use a break. The room was filled with the perfume of the roses that lined every available bit of counterspace.

When she’d finished answering the last question, Lana closed the book and looked at Pete.

“I think I need to talk to Lex,” she said quietly.

“Are you sure?” Pete asked. He knew Lex felt horribly about what he’d done, and he wasn’t quite sure a Lana-lecture was really necessary.

“I know it wasn’t really his fault,” Lana said. “I want him to know that, and I want him to hear it from me.”

Pete nodded, surprised at her attitude. He started to reach for the next book, but Lana spoke again.

“Why hasn’t Clark been to see me?”

“Uh… because you told him you didn’t want to see him.”

“I… I did what?”

Pete opened his mouth and then closed it again, unsure of what to say. Lana’s shock seemed genuine, so he told her the truth.

“You told Clark that you understood why he kept secrets from you and worried about you getting hurt. You said you almost got killed because of his secrets, and it would be best if you stayed away from him.”

“Oh no,” Lana breathed. “I don’t… Pete, I don’t remember him ever coming! I don’t think that at all!” Her eyes filled with tears. “You have to tell him for me, right now. Tell him… just get him here, okay?”

Pete nodded and stacked the books neatly next to the bed, then rose to leave. He was nearly to the hall when he heard Lana’s soft thanks. He turned back to smile at her before he went to find his friend.

As it turned out, Pete encountered Lex first. He was just down the hall, checking on Lana’s progress with the preliminary physical therapy exercises. He glanced up as Pete stopped beside him.

“Homework all done?”

“She wants to see you,” Pete replied simply.

When Lex entered Lana’s room, she had resumed reading the next section of her science book. He hesitated near the door, but she immediately gestured toward the bedside chair.

“Lana--” he began.

“No, Lex, you don’t have to say anything. I know… I know that sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. And I know that you would be the first person to forgive me if the situation were reversed.”

Lex looked at his lap and breathed deeply before he responded.

“Thank you Lana. I can’t excuse what I’ve done so easily, but you don’t know what your forgiveness means to me.” He paused for a moment. “Is there anything else I can do for you? I was planning on having private tutors sent in, but I wasn’t sure if you really needed--”

“No, no, Lex, I’m doing fine with my schoolwork. Chloe and Pete have been helping me every night. But…”

“But?”

“Well, I ran Pete off to… run some errands, so he didn’t get a chance to finish writing everything out for me.” Lana hesitated, wondering if she was pushing her luck, but Lex picked up the notebook and pencil from her side and smiled.

“You may not like my penmanship, but I’ll do my best.”

When the night nurse came a few minutes later to announce the end of visiting hours, a look from Lex sent her quickly away.
-------------------------

The next day, Lex decided it was time to pay a visit to the Kents. Chloe had told him about some of the things he’d accused them of, and he’d been too ashamed to knock on their door. But his visit with Lana the previous evening had reminded him that there were people that cared about him beyond the façade of his name, and he had high hopes that Clark and his parents would forgive him as she had. However, he was still nervous when he pulled in the drive of the Kent farm.
When Clark opened the door, Lex relaxed immediately.

“Lex!” Clark exclaimed. “I… we’ve been really worried about you!”

Martha quickly appeared behind her son and pushed him out of the way to hug Lex. Surprised at the motherly gesture, Lex was touched by the love that exuded from this woman. When she released him, he stepped back to look at them both.

“I think I owe your family a tremendous apology--”

“No, Lex,” Jonathan said as he appeared in the kitchen door. “You don’t owe us a thing. We should’ve tried harder to help you. Whether or not you can ever prove it, we know what a snake your father is, and we didn’t take the time to consider that before we assumed that the problem was with you.”

“Well, then… I… That really means a lot to me, Mr. Kent. You keep showing me what it is to have a real family, and I…” he hesitated, unused to being at a loss for words.

Martha smiled and put her arm around him, drawing him into the kitchen.

“Come on, we were about to have breakfast.”

-------------------------

Later that morning, Lex was driving away from the Kent farm when his cell phone rang. Seeing Chloe’s cell number on the caller ID, he answered immediately.

“Lex? I’m in big trouble!”

“Where are you? What’s going on?” He could hear her muffled sobs through the poor connection.

“I… They tried to run me off the road.. I barely got out…”

“Where are you?” he asked again.

“I’m in the trees at the edge of the dam…” Lex barely heard the rest as he peeled out onto the blacktop at the end of the Kents’ road. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as the speedometer passed into triple digits, but he kept Chloe on the phone until he reached the dam. Pulling off into the dirt, he saw her run out towards his car. Before he realized what he was doing, he pulled her tightly against him and gently stroked her hair as she cried into his shirt.

After Chloe was settled in the passenger seat of his Porsche, Lex looked over the edge of the ravine next to the dam and saw her car half-submerged in the water at the bottom. His stomach was still churning slightly when he pulled back onto the road; he debated whether to head for the hospital or take Chloe back to the mansion to assess her seemingly mild injuries. Before he’d decided, her cell phone rang.

“Hello? Yes, this is she. Yes, he’s my… Oh God. Oh my God, I’ll be right there.” Chloe hung up the phone and turned to Lex, panic widening her eyes. “We have to get to the hospital. My father’s had a wreck.” She curled up in the passenger seat and began to sob.

**********************************

Lex was standing at the hospital vending machine when a familiar shadow fell across the display.

“Lex, what are you doing here?” Clark asked.

“Chloe’s father had an accident. Also, Chloe had an accident. I’m waiting to see if they are alright.”

“That doesn’t sound normal.”

“It is if you’ve crossed my father.” When Clark remained silent, Lex looked up at his friend. “Did you think I got out of Belle Reve on my own, Clark?”

“She… but I…” Clark couldn’t believe Chloe had done something so serious without him, but he knew he hadn’t been very willing to help when he thought his secret was at stake. Now he had another friend to be guilty over. Lex simply nodded at his confusion.

“Among other things, yes,” the young billionaire replied. He selected a package of chocolate donuts, then retrieved a soda from the top of the machine. Clark followed him down to the emergency room waiting area.

“So are they okay?” Clark asked.

“Chloe’s fine, just scratched and bruised. Mr. Sullivan is in surgery, but the doctor didn’t seem overly concerned.”

“Isn’t he supposed to start at LexCorp on Monday?”

Lex nodded silently as he sat down and opened his donuts. After offering one to Clark, he broke off a piece for himself.

“So how did your visit with Lana go?” he asked.

“Oh, uh... okay. We had a long talk, and… I’m not sure, but I think I agreed to give dating another try.”

Lex nearly choked on his donut before giving Clark a knowing smirk.

“You think?”

“Well, I don’t really know, she was saying a lot of things, and I…” Clark trailed off, a helpless look on his face.

“Women,” Lex said with understanding. Clark sighed and nodded, then shoved his donut in his mouth.

A few minutes later, a nurse came out.

“Mr. Luthor, you can see Miss Sullivan now.” Lex rose and gestured for Clark to follow. When they reached Chloe’s room, Lex started to speak, but Clark hurried over to draw Chloe into a tight hug.

“Are you okay?” he asked, keeping one arm around her.

“I’m fine,” she replied, “just a little banged up. How’s my dad doing?”

“I’ll go check,” Lex said quickly. Seeing Chloe resting so comfortably against Clark’s side bothered him for some reason, and he suddenly didn’t want to be in the room.

(TBC)

[Béatrice]

Awww Poor Lex.

More? :biggrin:

[kitten]

Secret meetings and subterfuge. Some of my favourite Chlex. Wonderful chapter.

But I don't want Gabe to die. Chloe has suffered enough. Lex should be able to protect both of them.

[S.Ann Smith]

Aww... I love this story... more please

[asharnanae]

:ohmy: :blush: :yay: :worship2:


GAH..... wha........... OMG THAT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!! more more please more! :worship2:

[kezz]

Aww... I love this story... more please

Ditto!

Kezz...x.x.x.

[hfce]

I love this story. Its like my old tv show Hart to Hart. The husband and wife detective team. Instead its Sullivan- Luthor. ;)


Hope :chlexsign4:

[TheDragonLady]

Aww... I love this story... more please



Ditto!

Kezz...x.x.x.

Double... Ditto...

Yeah...

[tiger04]

I enjoy the way you are having lex figure out his emotions for chloe; even thought he doesn't really know he has them yet. Hope Gabe is ok but, with him in the hospital where is chloe going to stay? with lex :hush: . i hope that you will post more soon. I really like this story.

AT

thanks for the two updates in one day.

[estrellalily]

damn clark!! he doesnt love her, lex does!! Grrrrrrr stupid farm boys! :tease:
please update again soon ;)
~estrellalily

[autumngold]

I'm really enjoying this great story!! I'm really glad that Lex is starting to realize that he has feelings for Chloe!! You should so write for Smallville!! This story is much better than any episodes I've seen!! Please update soon!! :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[ColumbiaBlue]

Chloe eyed her friend for a minute, then led him up the stairs.

“I stole Lex Luthor.”

Pete stopped cold, staring at the back of Chloe’s head.

“Oh, shit...”

That made me laugh SO loud and it's 1:00 in the morning here... I could *see* that exchange go down between Chloe and Pete.

*sniff sniff* I miss Pete.

More soon!

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Y'all are just too good to me :D No worries about Gabe, he was fine. We're jumping ahead a bit now. Remember, this was originally written on the break after Shattered, so Helen was still a loose thread I thought they might pick up and Lana had recently been trampled by Stompy.

Hope, my favorite memory of Hart to Hart was when they went through a really long carwash so they could have some "Personal" time!

*********************************************

Several Saturdays later, Chloe burst into Lex’s office. Ignoring his greeting, she set her laptop up on his desk and plugged her digital camera into it. He waited until the first picture appeared on the screen, intrigued; when he saw it, he understood the reason for her urgency. Chloe clicked through the photos until she came to the last, where one of the subjects held a gun to the other one’s head. Lex looked up at Chloe expectantly.

“That’s it,” she said. “I was afraid they would see me if I took anymore.”

“And if there were another… I assume I would be looking at proof that I am now, without a doubt, a widower?”

“It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen, Lex. I know Helen was an awful person, but… I wasn’t really expecting…” Chloe stopped, her voice shaking. Lex caught her hand in his and squeezed it tightly.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently. Chloe nodded, but her face was very pale. He stood and led her over to the couch, and they sat in silence for several minutes while she stared at the wall. Finally, she spoke.

“I’ve seen those men at LuthorCorp.”

“Yes, they work for my father’s security team.”

“Should we call the police?”

Lex leaned back and contemplated his options. Even if they did show the pictures to the sheriff, and even if the set had included one of Helen’s actual assassination, he knew Lionel would come out of it squeaky clean.

“No, they’ll never connect this to my father. Let’s just hang onto these for now, until we have more information.”

Chloe nodded, and they sat in silence for a few more minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Lex said suddenly.

“Are you late for a date?”

“No,” he replied with a chuckle. “I just thought you’d be going to the dance.”

“Oh,” Chloe said, looking at her lap. “I didn’t have a date, so…” She trailed off, but Lex could tell she was disappointed. He looked at her for a minute, then grabbed her arm and stood.

“Let’s go.”

“What?”

“Let’s go see the dance.”

Puzzled, Chloe followed Lex out to his car and allowed him to drive her to the school. Once there, they slipped up onto the catwalk above the dance and peered down at the students. The gym was dark, but Chloe managed to pick out her friends.

“There’s Clark and Lana,” she whispered. “And Pete and… what’s-her-name.”

“You don’t like her?”

“I don’t know her, but from what I can tell, there isn’t much to know.”

“She looks easy.”

“Pete hopes so,” Chloe replied, then looked at Lex in surprise.

“What?” he asked, feigning innocence. Chloe shook her head and grinned, then looked back down. She watched Clark talking to Pete, his arm snugly around Lana’s waist. Lana held a cane lightly in one hand, but it wasn’t necessary with Clark nearby. Chloe waited for the old sting to come into her chest, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as she’d expected.

The bouncy beat faded, and David Grey came over the speakers. The couples drifted out onto the floor to dance to the romantic tune, and Chloe sighed deeply. She started at Lex’s hand on her elbow, unaware that he’d been watching her the entire time.

“Dance with me,” he said softly. Chloe was surprised at the sudden butterflies in her stomach as she allowed Lex to pull her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to return to her dreary thoughts of Clark, but found herself concentrating instead on the warm, masculine scent filling her nose. She sighed involuntarily at the whisper of breath that stirred her hair and laid her head down on a shoulder that was much broader than she taken the time to notice.

knock me over stone cold sober
not a thing i could say or do
'cos baby when im walking with you now
my eyes are so wide
like you reached right into my head
and turned on the light inside

Lex closed his eyes. As long as the song kept playing, he wouldn’t have to consider what on earth he was thinking…

Be Mine Be Mine…
-------------------------

Later that night, Chloe dozed on the office couch. She’d been going through some files while Lex reviewed business goals for the coming week. He was just considering getting a blanket for her when she jerked awake and screamed. He was at her side at an instant, and pulled her shaking form into his arms.

“He just… he just put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger,” she said, a step away from hysteria. As he tried to comfort her, it suddenly occurred to him that normal people did not take brutal murder in stride quite the way his family did. He rubbed Chloe’s back until she drifted off again, her head resting lightly against his chest. Listening to her breathe, Lex suddenly had an overwhelming urge to be normal.

*****************************************

“Did you come home last night?” Lana asked from the doorway of Chloe’s room.

“What? Oh, no, I uh... fell asleep at the mansion.”

Lana raised an eyebrow, but dropped it when her roommate rolled her eyes. She stood and watched Chloe read for a few moments, but finally, she couldn’t resist.

“You sure spend a lot of time there.”

“Well, you know, I’m doing some research for Lex, and he pays me well, so...”

“Well, you know, I make a lot of coffee for Lex and he pays me well, but I don’t go visit him almost every day,” Lana teased. Chloe felt the blush coming over her cheeks, and spoke quickly to cover her own confused feelings.

“Lana, in case you haven’t noticed, billionaire playboys are not knocking down my door. You may need to have your medication adjusted.”

“I’m not on medication anymore, I... Hey!” Lana couldn’t help laughing, despite her belated realization that she was being mocked. “I just think... maybe there could be something there.”

“Well...” Chloe hesitated. She started to tell Lana about waking up in Lex’s arms the night before. He’d been sound asleep, his cheek against the top of her head. Rather than disturb him, she’d rested quietly against his chest and stared out into the dark night; the sun was just coming up when he finally stirred. He’d gently brushed the hair out of her face, and she’d pretended to wake up and panic about being out so late.

But Chloe hadn’t decided for certain what she thought of that herself, and she definitely wasn’t ready to share it with Lana.

“Did you come home last night?” she asked instead. When Lana stuttered over her answer, Chloe smirked. “Anything you’d like to share?”

“No!” Lana exclaimed. “We didn’t... I mean, we... but we didn’t!”

Chloe burst out laughing and Lana stormed off, but Chloe heard her giggling before she very dramatically slammed her door. Chloe slowly got up and closed her own door, then returned to her bed. After staring at the phone for several minutes, she finally picked it up and dialed.

“Hi, Mrs. Ross, it’s Chloe. Is Pete around?”

----------

Lex had never been nervous about taking the initiative with a woman. That was what scared him about Chloe; it had been nearly two weeks since he’d woken up to the scent of her flowery shampoo, and he still hadn’t gotten up the nerve to ask her out. He wasn’t sure why he was so hesitant. The age difference could have been a major factor if Chloe hadn’t been... well... Chloe. And the situation with his father – that was just one more thing they had in common.

“Is that spot on your desk doing some trick visible only to you?”

Lex jumped at the sound of Chloe’s voice, and looked up to find her watching him with a puzzled smile on her face. He hoped he wasn’t blushing as he sat up quickly and tried to cover.

“I, uh... I was up late last night, I guess I’m just a little tired. What can I do for you?”

“I got some information on one of Darius’ previous partners. He’s definitely a bust, I just wanted to let you know.” She laid a file folder on his desk and turned to go.

“You’re going?” Lex asked, stalling.

“I have to work on a lab project with Clark. It’s due tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Lex replied dumbly as Chloe again turned to leave. Now or never, he thought. “Have dinner with me Saturday night." Chloe turned back, and she looked very unsure of herself.

“You have a new project for me?” she asked. Lex’s heart sank, and he suddenly found a string on his shirt that was very intriguing.

“No, I...uh.. well, I just--”

“Okay.” Chloe said. Lex looked up to find her beaming happily. He returned her smile, and she left.

---------------------------

In the car, Chloe decided it was definitely time to involve a girlfriend. She pressed a speed dial button on her cell phone.

“Lana! When was the last time you cut school to go shopping?”

*****************************************

Lex reclined on the couch, idly watching the end of Rugrats. The young billionaire lived in fear that one day some of his business associates would find out that he and Clark had a weekly ritual of watching Spongebob for an hour every Saturday morning.

When Clark came in, he flopped down on the over-sized chair. After a few moments, Lex could not avoid the fact that his friend had fixed him with a very pointed stare.

“Are you going to try to beat me up?” Lex asked without turning his gaze from the television.

“I don’t know yet,” Clark replied. “What are your intentions toward my friend?”

“I intend to take her out to dinner and maybe to a movie, then bring her home.”

“Why?”

Lex looked at Clark in surprise.

“Pardon me?”

“Why do you want to take Chloe out on a date?”

“Because I, unlike some morons, can see that she is a beautiful, intelligent, vivacious young woman.” He returned his attention to the opening credits of Spongebob, but not before seeing his friend flip him off. “Truth hurts,” he added with a grin.

“Lex... don’t you think you’re too old for her?”

“I’m not going to try to take advantage of her, Clark, I intend to take this very slowly. Besides, it’s only six years. Ten years from now, it won’t matter in the slightest.”

It was Clark’s turn to look surprised.

“You’re thinking there might be a ten years from now between you?” At Lex’s silent smile, Clark relaxed and turned toward the television. “Okay. No bike racks then.”

(TBC)

[autumngold]

Yay!! :yay2: Lex and Chloe on a date!! Please don't let Lana dress Chloe in pink!! Great update!! I can't wait for more!! :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[hateSmallvilleLoveChlex]

Spongebob! HA!! This is so good. Update soon, k?

[kitten]

Yummy Lex. Is there anything he can't do?

Great chapter, except I'll now be thinking about Lex whenever I see Spongebob Squarepants.

[S.Ann Smith]

I'ts ok lex, ur secrets safe with us :lol:

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: CLASSIC!!! Loved every word! :blinkkiss:

[ColumbiaBlue]

Okay, so I was going to post all of my favorite lines and parts in this chapter but it started to get a little excessive... It's safe to say I loved this ENTIRE thing. So... I've highlighted a few exceptionally exceptional lines and moments from the exceptional chapter. LOL

“He just… he just put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger,” she said, a step away from hysteria. As he tried to comfort her, it suddenly occurred to him that normal people did not take brutal murder in stride quite the way his family did. He rubbed Chloe’s back until she drifted off again, her head resting lightly against his chest. Listening to her breathe, Lex suddenly had an overwhelming urge to be normal.
Okay, I felt sorry for, laughed at, and swooned at Chloe and Lex all at the same time... Lex realizing that "normal people" react differently to murders than him... I dunno why but I giggled. And him wanting to suddenly be normal... :wub:

That whole exchange between Chloe and Lana... At first, I thought it was Lana getting all jealous and snity about the fact that Chloe has the attention of Lex but... I really like your Lana! She's funny! And I like that her and Chloe seem to be close in this. Just another example of wasted potential on the writers of Smallville...


“You’re going?” Lex asked, stalling.

“I have to work on a lab project with Clark. It’s due tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Lex replied dumbly as Chloe again turned to leave. Now or never, he thought. “Have dinner with me Saturday night." Chloe turned back, and she looked very unsure of herself.

“You have a new project for me?” she asked. Lex’s heart sank, and he suddenly found a string on his shirt that was very intriguing.

“No, I...uh.. well, I just--”

“Okay.” Chloe said. Lex looked up to find her beaming happily. He returned her smile, and she left.
Just... SQUEEEEE

Clark and Lex and their Saturday morning ritual of watching SpongeBob Square Pants... Adorable and hysterical.

“Are you going to try to beat me up?” Lex asked without turning his gaze from the television.

“I don’t know yet,” Clark replied. “What are your intentions toward my friend?”

“I intend to take her out to dinner and maybe to a movie, then bring her home.”

“Why?”

Lex looked at Clark in surprise.

“Pardon me?”

“Why do you want to take Chloe out on a date?”

“Because I, unlike some morons, can see that she is a beautiful, intelligent, vivacious young woman.” He returned his attention to the opening credits of Spongebob, but not before seeing his friend flip him off. “Truth hurts,” he added with a grin.

“Lex... don’t you think you’re too old for her?”

“I’m not going to try to take advantage of her, Clark, I intend to take this very slowly. Besides, it’s only six years. Ten years from now, it won’t matter in the slightest.”

It was Clark’s turn to look surprised.

“You’re thinking there might be a ten years from now between you?” At Lex’s silent smile, Clark relaxed and turned toward the television. “Okay. No bike racks then.”
I loved that! Loved it loved it loved it! Can you write for the show? And can we have another update like... now?

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[hfce]

Oh my God I thought I was the only one old enough to remember Hart to Hart. :lol: I am glad I am not alone. ;)

I love this chapter because finally someone sees what a treasure Chloe is and I am glad its Lex. :D


Hope :chlexsign2:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: I'm so glad y'all liked that part, it was one of the two scenes I wrote the story around. Now on with the show...

*******************************************

Chloe sat quietly in the car after Lex closed her door. Dinner had gone very well, she thought. She had been lucky enough to be sitting directly across from a mirrored wall, so she had kept close tabs on her face and teeth the entire time she was eating. There had been no uncomfortable lulls in the conversation; on the contrary, she had been amazed at how much they had to talk about that had nothing to do with Smallville, Lionel, or investigative reporting.

But now he wanted her to pick the movie, and she was in a panic. If she picked a romance, he might think she was trying to push things. If she picked horror, she’d probably wind up in his lap… and he still might think she was trying to push things. She didn’t want some tearjerker that would cause her mascara to run, but after the fantastic conversation they’d just had over dinner, she didn’t want to ruin the connection with some mindless action-adventure. Chloe sighed deeply as Lex slid in the driver’s side.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“What? Oh, sorry. I was just trying to think of a good first date movie.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Chloe wished she could take them back. Neither of them had gone so far as to refer to the evening as a date, and she had a paranoid feeling that she was somehow misunderstanding his invitation. But he didn’t even flinch before replying.

“I would suggest either a romance or a horror movie.”

Chloe glanced over in surprise to find a small smile playing around his lips. Later, as she snuggled happily under his arm during a fairly intense love scene in the movie they’d chosen, she wondered why she’d been worried at all.

----------------------------------

“Lex, I know you don’t want to go to the Junior Prom. I appreciate that you are making an effort to make me happy, but it really isn’t necessary. I’d much rather spend the evening doing something we will both enjoy!”

“You’re sure?” Lex didn’t want Chloe to miss out on things just because of him, but he also really didn’t want to go to the Prom.

“Positive,” she replied. She was standing very close to him, and she smelled so good. Lex had managed to keep from kissing her over the six weeks they’d been dating, but there was only so much that could be expected of him… He was half an inch from her lips when his office doors slammed open in a way that could only be one person.

“Lex! Am I interrupting?” Lionel asked. He was barely making an effort to contain his contempt for the pair in front of him as he circled around to his son’s desk chair.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d not sit there, Dad,” Lex said, careful to remain calm since Chloe was in the room.

“Oh really?” Lionel sneered, glancing at his watch. “School is starting soon, I guess you must be anxious to get on with your statutory rape.”

Chloe grabbed Lex’s arm and blurted out the first thing that came to mind in a desperate effort to keep him from punching his father.

“Actually, Mr. Luthor, I’m 17. I’m over the legal age of consent.” She immediately realized she’d made a serious mistake when Lionel began to laugh.

“Ah, now I see your interest in the little white trash reporter, son.” Chloe couldn’t hold Lex back anymore, and she cringed as his fist connected solidly with his father’s jaw. As Lionel fell back against the wall, the house security rushed in to pull Lex off of him. Lionel got to his feet and wiped the blood away from his mouth. He smiled at his son, then turned to Chloe.

“Just get out, Dad! Don’t talk to her, don’t talk to anyone! Get out!” Lex said, his voice devoid of anything but fury. But Lionel stopped for a brief second next to the frightened young reporter and whispered softly in her ear.

“I was glad to hear your father recovered so quickly from his wreck. I hope nothing else happens to him while you’re seeing Lex… you know, any more accidents .” He swept out the door laughing quietly to himself as Chloe clapped a hand over her mouth. The security guards released their employer to follow him and make sure he didn’t cause any trouble on his way to his limo.

By the time Lex wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, she was sobbing hysterically. She jerked away from him and moved toward the door.

“I have to go! I can’t be here anymore!” She started to run out the door, but Lex easily caught her and pulled her back.

“What are you talking about? You’re too upset to drive, just wait a minute.”

“He said… he… I’m not going to be responsible for my father’s murder! I can’t see you anymore!” Just saying the words brought on a fresh bout of tears, and she pulled away from him again. Lex did the only thing he could to keep her from walking out the door.

“Chloe, I love you.”

She stopped, her hand on the doorknob, then turned around and looked directly at him.

“What did you say?”

Holding her eyes with his own, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Pressing a button, he was quickly connected to the Smallville plant.

“I want twenty-four hour surveillance on Gabe Sullivan. Don’t let him know for now. That’s correct. Thank you.” Lex disconnected the call and put the phone back in his pocket. Still watching Chloe, he crossed the room until bare inches separated them. She leaned back against the doors, her stomach doing flip-flops.

“I said I love you,” he repeated. Chloe opened and closed her mouth twice before she remembered how to make sound come out.

“I love you, t-”

Her lips were even softer than Lex had imagined.

**********************

Clark stood staring out the window of his barn loft, lost in thought. He didn’t hear Pete until his friend was at his shoulder.

“Hey man, the Prom’s tonight! What are you so gloomy about? Did you just outgrow your tux or something?”

Clark turned and smiled absently at his friend.

“It’s nothing, Pete. Just thinking.”

“You look like you’re wound up over a woman. Did you and Lana have a fight?”

“No,” Clark said, blushing slightly. “I-” He floundered for a moment before being rescued by his mother.

“Clark! Pete! I’ve got the corsages ready, come see if they look alright!”

Clark ran down the stairs. Pete’s face was unreadable as he watched his friend go, then slowly followed.

-----------------------------

Chloe giggled as she tried to free her finger from Lana’s intricate pin curls without pulling them all apart.

“Your dress doesn’t have to go over your head, does it?” she asked.

“No! Oh, can you imagine trying to get it on if it did?” Lana said. She twirled her eyeliner pencil as Chloe put the last pin in place. “It looks great, thank you so much!”

“Well, you know, if reporting falls through, I guess I’ve always got a future in cosmetology,” Chloe said with a smile. She stepped down off the footstool and sat down on the edge of the tub to watch Lana apply her make-up.

“What are you and Lex doing tonight?” Lana asked between eyes.

“I don’t know. Probably just renting a movie or something,” Chloe replied. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Chloe opened the door to find a courier holding a large white box. She took it and thanked him, then glanced up the street out of habit. The surveillance van was there, just as it was every other hour of the day.

When she got in the house, she laid the box on the kitchen table and opened the envelope taped to the top.

I’ll pick you up in two hours. Tell your father you’ll be home by dawn.

Chloe opened the box. At one end was a shoe box, and the rest was filled with something wrapped in tissue. She peeled back the delicate paper and caught a glimpse of some very expensive material and a Versace tag. Squealing with delight, she raced up the stairs.

“Lana! Hurry up, I need the mirror!”

---------------------------------

Lex couldn’t stop looking at Chloe. She was absolutely stunning in the dress he’d picked out. In the sunset, the shimmery material caught the light, and the shadows accentuated her curvy figure as he helped her from the back of the limo. She squeezed his hand tightly as he led her toward the waiting LexCorp jet.

“Oh my! Where are we going?” she exclaimed.

“San Francisco.” Lex replied simply. Chloe thought she might literally swoon.



Lex had rented out an entire restaurant for the evening. It was beautiful. A terrace dining room overlooked the city, and just inside the door was a ballroom where a band was setting up for the two of them.

“I hope you like lobster,” he said as he held her chair.

“Um… I don’t know,” she replied with a nervous giggle. “I hope so too!” A waitress brought salad and a chilled bottle of sparkling grape juice. Chloe sighed as she looked out at the view, then took the glass of juice Lex poured for her.

“You are amazing,” she said softly.

“So are you,” he replied. As she watched the lights of the city, her face filled with wonder; he couldn’t find the words to tell her how beautiful she looked at that moment.



Later, Lex walked Chloe to her front door. They’d danced far into the night, as he taught her all the fancy dances and she taught him all the cool ones. When the music slowed and Lex held her close, Chloe wished again and again that the night would never end.

Under the glow of the porch light, she turned to face him.

“This was absolutely the most wonderful night of my life,” she breathed. He nodded as he leaned down to kiss her. After a few moments, he pulled away and checked the curtains of the windows that over-looked the porch.

“What are you doing?” Chloe asked, completely mystified.

“Checking for your father,” he replied with a smirk before resuming with his good night kiss. Chloe had barely stopped giggling when they heard another limo pull up. The sunroof slid back, and Lana popped up out of it.

“You have two minutes, then the porch is mine!” she called. Chloe rolled her eyes and turned to Lex, who sighed dramatically.

“I don’t think I can do this with an audience,” he said grimly. She laughed and hugged him tightly. Before long, she was curled against him on the porch swing, while Clark and Lana snuggled in the over-sized chair opposite. Their laughter woke Gabe, who came out and sat with them until the sun came up and the boys went home.

(TBC)

[LaLa]

:partyhat: ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh! i'm putting my party hat because it's so beautifully written that it makes me want to dance in glee!! - oh! glitters! stars! ohhh! angels and halos! i love life! - hum hum, ok, u get the idea!

love lex, love chloe, love everybody...except for once, liolio aka MB, he's a nasty bugger in this one - punch yay!-

xoxo LaLa i want more more more moremoremoremoremore! :devil:

[kitten]

:huh:

Well, that's it then. I'll have to build a miniature Smallville set and make some Chloe and Lex dolls and make them act this out. Too bad about school and work and such, but those are the breaks. :chlexsign2:

[pop55]

you know what... sometimes the simple things are the most beautiful...and you've just show it in this chap... :worship2:

[tiger04]

That was a sweet chapter. Loved the part about the dancing.

AT

[AlabamaWorley]

Thanks for sticking with me! Feedback is right up there with chocolate, you know...

***********************************

Chloe sat alone on Lex’s jet and stared out the window. She still felt guilty for lying to Gabe, but he never would’ve let her spend the weekend at Disneyworld with Lex if she’d told him the truth. And she would be going to a journalism conference in Miami with Lois – first thing Monday morning.

But that wasn’t the thing that was bothering Chloe the most. Though Lex had made a special point to tell her that the suite he’d reserved had two bedrooms, she was still afraid he was going to expect more from her than she was ready to give, and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings or make him angry when she told him no. It wasn’t that she didn’t ever want a physical relationship with him… just not yet.

Footsteps behind her alerted Chloe to Lex’s return.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, but your chaperone was late,” he said.

“Chaperone?” she asked, twisting around in her seat.

“I think it has to be at least ten minutes before you can actually call it late,” Lois said, shoving past Lex to sit down beside her cousin.

“Then you’re late,” Lex said, looking very pointedly at his watch. Lois ignored him, but Chloe looked up with a smile that seemed to mix a wide range of emotions. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, then went up to let the pilot know they were ready to leave.

------------------------------------

“Come on, Lex,” Clark said. “Alumni are even invited to the Homecoming Dance, there will be lots of people there older than you.”

“Older than me, hunh? Wow, they must be ancient,” Lex said, punctuating his sarcasm by throwing the football hard into Clark’s stomach. Clark rolled his eyes before snapping the ball to Pete.

“Look, all I’m saying is that Chloe will tell you she doesn’t care about missing important dances, but I’m sure she really does. This is one you can take her to without worrying about standing out.”

“Yeah, man, and then she’ll have some extra nice feelings about you afterwards,” Pete added with a wink as he tossed the ball back to Lex. “But if you touch her, I’ll kick your ass,” he added, belatedly considering who Lex’s date was going to be. Lex looked the young football player up and down, then laughed.

“Yeah, okay,” he said, throwing the ball on. Clark grinned, knowing Lex was just trying to get a rise out of Pete. He was really glad that the two of them were slowly forming a friendship.

“I’ll help him,” he said, just for good measure.

“I don’t need any help with this punk,” Pete scoffed, charging Lex. The two landed in a heap on the ground and proceeded to try to pin each other in the recently combined field. Doubled over with laughter, Clark jumped at the hand that patted his back.

“I wish I had a camera,” Jonathan said, shaking his head. “I know a lot of people that would pay to see Lex Luthor eating dirt.” Still chuckling, they jogged over to break the two up before either gained an advantage.

“You going to play with us, Dad?” Clark asked as he hauled Lex off of Pete.

“Sure,” Jonathan agreed. “We’ll show these two ruffians how it’s done.”

Later, Martha watched them out the kitchen window as she mixed some lemonade. It occurred to her that Lex was the only one playing that didn’t know her son could kick the ball halfway to the moon; but on the other hand, Pete probably wasn’t thinking about that either as he ran for all he was worth to score a touchdown. She reached for four plastic glasses and smiled to herself. Among his friends and family, at least, Clark would always just be a normal boy.

------------------------------------

At the dance, Chloe sighed deeply. Yet another country song was playing.

“Is this for the benefit of the parents or what?” she asked, disgusted. She was not willing to try and make the best of music this bad. Clark and Lana were happily two-stepping around the gym, while Pete and his current girl were making eyes at each other near the punch bowl.

“You want to go?” Lex asked hopefully.

“Yes,” Chloe replied. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “And I know just the place!”

Half an hour later, Chloe led Lex out onto the rickety dock that reached into the Kents’ pond.

“I love it out here,” she said as she carefully sat on the rotting boards, “but the only time I’ve come is when Clark and Pete were fishing. It kind of spoils the moment when you have to worry about two idiots flinging sharp hooks around your face.”

Lex laughed.

“Clark tried to teach me to fish one morning. I declined all further invitations.”

Chloe giggled as she leaned back in his arms. He kissed her softly on the neck, then lightly traced her jawline. When she twisted to meet his lips with her own, he shifted position to lay her down on the dock. Lex agonized over his next move for a few minutes as he continued to kiss her, but when her fingers loosened his tie and began to unbutton his shirt, his decision was made for him. He reached under her arm and unzipped her dress. They were both so focussed on each other that they didn’t notice the approach of another couple until they heard footsteps on the dock.

“I’ve always thought this place was sort of romantic,” Pete said in his smoothest voice. He was quite surprised when his date suddenly screamed, and even more shocked when he heard another scream at the end of the dock. “What the… Chloe? Lex!!”

Chloe quickly yanked her dress up as Pete covered his face. Pete’s date, on the other hand, happily ogled Lex as he buttoned his shirt.

“I warned you, Luthor!” Pete said, glaring as best he could with his eyes covered.

“It was my idea!” Chloe exclaimed as she got to her feet.

“Chloe! You have no… can I look yet?”

“Yes.”

“You have no business coming out here with guys! Do you want to get a reputation for being a skank?”

“What did you come out here for?” Chloe shot back.

“That’s different, I’m a guy!”

“I’m not,” his date said with a sniff. “What am I doing out here?”

“What are any of you doing out here?” Clark asked as he and Lana suddenly appeared from the trees. “This is my pond!”

“Oh, that’s it!” Pete’s date said angrily. “I’m leaving!”

“Can I call you?” Pete called after her.

“Oh, Pete, she’s just a tramp. You should’ve seen her staring at Lex’s chest,” Chloe told him. Lex smiled proudly until Pete fixed him with a dirty look. An engine rumbled on the field road, and yet another pair of voices came to them through the trees.

“We must have scared them off,” Jonathan said.

“Good,” Martha replied, “I’d hate to find someone else in our spot.” She stopped short when she saw that there were five someone elses in their spot.

“I don’t think this dock can hold anymore people,” Lana said, easing off of the old wood to hide behind Clark.

“What... Are you kids drinking?” Jonathan demanded.

“No!” Clark said quickly. “We were just… uh… we were just…”

“Fishing,” Pete supplied lamely. They all stared at each other in silence.

Lana was the first to start giggling.

-----------------------------

Jonathan and Martha won the game of Trivial Pursuit in their living room later that night. Pete protested that he could’ve had it if he hadn’t been playing alone, but Clark knew that his parents had been quizzing each other with the questions for years.

[kitten]

:partyhat:

Pete! YAY!

Great chapter.

[autumngold]

I love your last two chapters!! :wub: Pete needs to learn to watch what he says in front of his date!! :biggrin: Hope you post more soon!! :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[tiger04]

more please

AT

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: awee, that was fantastic, loved the docl sceen, but damn them for ruining the chlex.

[hfce]

That was so cute. :wub:


Hope :chlexsign2:

[AlabamaWorley]

Lana quickly wiped down the countertop near the cash register as she waited for an elderly woman to find the correct change for her coffee. It was the day after Thanksgiving, and the big shopping day meant good business for the Talon as well. All of her waitresses were working, and Clark had even agreed to come in to help out after he finished doing some things for his father.

A jingle of sleigh bells announced that another person was coming in. After gorging themselves on mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie the night before, Chloe and Lex had helped Lana decorate the cafe for the holidays. Tired as she was, she loved the cozy feel the greenery and candles leant to the ambience of her home away from home. It made her think again about asking Lex whether they could work something out about her renting the apartment upstairs after graduation.

As Lana closed the cash register, she looked over to see who the new customer was. The man she saw sitting there was definitely not who she’d expected, nor wanted.

“Miss Lang,” Lionel said with his best smile, “Had I any idea of the business you were doing here, I might have taken more of an interest in your little coffeehouse when I had it in my possession.”

“It’s a busy day,” Lana replied in the most polite voice she could muster. “What can I get for you, Mr. Luthor?”

“Actually, I was hoping for a word with you.”

Lana took a deep breath and tried to control the shaking in her voice. She knew what this man had done to Lex, and tried to do to Chloe and Gabe. One wrong step could mean a lot of trouble.

“As you can see, we’re very busy today. It’s really not the best time-”

“Oh, I’ll just be a minute. I don’t think you want to pass up this conversation.” Lionel was still smiling, but his voice had hardened in an obvious warning.

“I really don’t have time right now,” Lana said, breathing easier as another customer came to the register. “But please, have a look at the menu.” She turned to ring up the ticket that was handed to her, thinking perhaps Lionel would go. She was mistaken.

“Miss Lang! I need to speak with you right now. Your help can handle the clientele.” He stood and started to make his way behind the counter to head into the kitchen. But he suddenly realized that someone was blocking his way.

“What- Mr. Kent. What a surprise. How did you happen to be right here at this very moment?” Lionel asked, an expression of near glee coming over his features.

“I came in through the kitchen so I could get an apron,” Clark said smoothly. “Customers aren’t allowed behind the counter. Safety reasons.”

“I need to speak to Miss Lang. Excuse me,” Lionel said, attempting to step around Clark. His brief humor had quickly dissipated.

“Lana’s busy. And I think you know Lex doesn’t want you here,” Clark said, refusing to step aside. He knew he could be endangering his friends and family standing up to Lionel, especially in public, but the man had to learn he couldn’t always have his way.

Lionel was suddenly aware that the Talon had fallen silent. Stepping away from Clark and looking around, he was surprised to find that the eyes focused on him were more hostile than not. He turned to Lana.

“Another time, then,” he said with a sneer.

After he left, conversation in the coffeehouse slowly returned to normal. Clark waited until Lana had finished with her customer, then walked over and hugged her.

“You okay?” he asked.

Lana looked up at him, her eyes wide with terror.

“Clark, I think we’re all in big trouble.”

*****************************************

That night, Lana sat on her roommate’s bed, idly crinkling the material on the comforter as she listened to Chloe talk to her boyfriend on the phone. Finally, the young reporter whispered some private things, then hung up the receiver.

“Well?” Lana asked expectantly. While she had faith that Clark could keep her safe from nearly anything, it was very reassuring to know that they had Lex standing between them and Lionel as well.

“He said to stay here. He’s still got the surveillance watching us, and he’s going to see what can be done about putting some guards closer to the house. He said the guys trailing my dad haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary.”

Lana nodded and started to respond, but there was suddenly a crash from downstairs. She screamed and clutched at Chloe’s arm. Chloe started to reach for the phone, but suddenly all the lights went out. This time both girls screamed as they scrambled toward the window. Chloe yanked the blind cord and a masked face appeared in the glass. As they ran for the door, the glass shattered behind them, but neither looked back.

In the hallway, another masked figure charged from the shadows and grabbed Lana by the throat. Chloe swung as hard as she could, and her fist connected solidly with the attacker’s jaw. He stumbled, and Lana rammed her elbow into his stomach, then shoved him. They ran on toward the stairs, but what they saw there stopped them both.

A man stood at the bottom, a raised gun pointed directly at them. Before either could move, he fired.

Suddenly, Lana crashed backwards into Chloe. Chloe thought for certain her friend had been shot until she realized Lana was looking behind them, bewildered. The man that had chased them from her room lay dazed on the floor, blood trickling from his nose.

She turned back to the man that had shot at them, fearing he would try again. Instead, she saw him suddenly fly into the air and crash into the wall... for no apparent reason. She thought she must be seeing things, but Lana’s sudden grip on her hand let her know she wasn’t. For a moment, she felt as though she was in a tornado, and could have sworn Lana’s hair actually blew into her face. Then the front door crashed open, and Lex’s four-man security team rushed in. Shots were fired from the kitchen, and Chloe realized there must be more attackers in the house.

One of the security guards raced up the stairs and pulled the girls to their feet. He led them slowly down the stairs; at a signal from another guard, he shoved them across the small foyer and out the front door. They were immediately met with a hail of bullets from a van that screeched to a stop in front of the house. Chloe tried to drag Lana back in, but the door was suddenly slammed in her face. They dove behind the porch railing; it was obvious the old wood would not protect them for long, as it was already splintering under the onslaught.

Clark leaped from the window of Chloe’s bedroom, then peeked around the front of the house just in time to see the girls dive for cover. He hesitated, unsure whether he should try to disarm the men or just grab his friends and run. Guilt rose unbidden as he remembered another time he’d been faced with the option of running away with a friend and chose to leave him behind; he pushed that memory down, unwilling to sacrifice Lana and Chloe while he reflected on his regrets.

He quickly scanned the inside of the house with his x-ray vision. To his dismay, the four guards that had charged in to protect the girls were all down, and two of the intruders were moving toward the front door. Making his decision, Clark leaped over the porch railing and dove down beside the two huddled there.

“Clark!” Lana exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Keep your head down!” he shouted in reply. The two inside the house were taking aim through the window – a quick blast of heat vision melted the glass and disintegrated the gun barrels. Clark supersped into the house and knocked both men unconscious, then returned to Lana and Chloe before they realized he’d gone.

“What are we going to do?” Lana whimpered. Clark could see blood trickling down her face from an angry gash; he guessed she’d been hit by a sharp bit of wood. Chloe was sobbing into her cell phone, presumably to Lex. Clark knew they didn’t have time to wait for reinforcements. Using a combination of his x-ray and heat vision, he melted the weapons of two of the gunmen.

With a squeal of tires, the van drove away. The girls were already running for Chloe’s car. He jumped into the back seat, and they sped off.

****************************************

Clark stood staring out the living room window, watching for any sign of trouble. Chloe and Lana sat on opposite ends of the couch, each clutching a glass of eggnog as if their life depended on it. Finally, Lana spoke.

“Clark, where are your parents?”

“They always go to Metropolis the day after Thanksgiving. They won’t be home until tomorrow.”

The phone rang.

“Hello?” Clark said guardedly. “Lex, what did you find out? Are you sure? What about your guys? Oh. Uh, okay.” He paused for a moment, as Lex spoke again, then mentally shook himself before replying, “Yeah, she’s right here.” He held the phone out to Chloe.

“Lex?” she said softly. “What’s going on? Yes. Yes, I know. Where’s my dad? Are you sure? Okay, that’s a good idea. I don’t… I don’t think so, everything was pretty well destroyed. What? No, you may not blow up the whole house. We’ll figure something out. Okay. Can I come- Oh. Okay. I love you too.” Chloe hung up the phone, then looked up at Clark and Lana. Disappointment was plain over her features. “He sent my dad to Hub City for a few days, didn’t give him time to go home. We’re supposed to stay here for the night, and start working on getting the house straightened up tomorrow.”

“Didn’t anyone call the police?” Lana asked. “It was like a war zone there for a while.”

No one answered, and they were all silent for a few more minutes. Abruptly, Chloe stood and grabbed her keys.

“Where are you going?” Clark asked.

“To see Lex. I know he’s busy, but I just need to see him for a few minutes.”

“Chloe, if he didn’t want you at the mansion right now, there’s probably-”

“He probably just wasn’t thinking about the fact that I need him right now,” Chloe cut in icily. “I won’t keep him, I just…” she trailed off and took a deep breath.

Realizing she was about to cry, Clark looked away to keep from embarrassing her.

After Chloe left, Lana walked over to Clark and wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead on his back. He sighed, and continued his vigil over the front yard.

--------------------------------------

When Chloe arrived at the mansion, she was surprised by the number of somber-looking vehicles parked in the circle drive. She slipped inside without being noticed and quietly made her way towards Lex’s office. If he was too busy, she thought she might just wait in the library. She stopped in the corridor when she heard his raised voice.

“How much was he paying you? It couldn’t have been too much, considering you were apparently not competent enough to kill two defenseless teenage girls!”

“I didn’t… we didn’t…” a wavery voice tried to reply.

“You didn’t what? You didn’t know who you were supposed to kill? Do you think I’m that stupid? How could you take a job without knowing your target?”

“We were just supposed to take out the guards… only a few knew what we were doing there…”

“Oh! So you were only supposed to kill my men, my most trusted employees whose families I now have to call to tell that Daddy’s not coming home? Do you know how hard it is for me to find trustworthy security? ”

“I… I’m sorry.” The other voice stammered. There was a soft click, then the voice continued, rising with panic: “Wha… what are you doing?”

Chloe tiptoed closer to the door and peered through the slight crack. Lex’s back was to her, and his arm was slightly raised. Chloe could barely see the edges of the man two guards held on his knees.

“What does it look like?” Lex asked. “You tried to kill the woman I love. I need her to be safe. Those two things are obviously not mutually exclusive.” Suddenly there was a sharp explosion; after a few moments, Chloe dimly realized that Lex had just shot the man. She gasped and stumbled back from the door, then turned and ran down the hall. She heard cursing from the office, and the door banged open.

“Stop! Stop right… It’s Miss Sullivan, sir.”

Chloe didn’t wait to see if Lex was coming. She reached her car and fumbled blindly with the keys, her vision clouded by hysterical tears. Unable to think straight, she only knew she had to get away from all things Luthor. She had just gotten the key into the lock when Lex grabbed her arm, and she jerked away from him.

“Get away from me! Don’t touch me!” she screamed, pushing him as hard as she could. She unlocked the door and opened it, but he slammed it shut again.

“Chloe, stop! Listen to me! We need to talk about this.” He caught her shoulders; when she continued to fight him, he pinned her against the car door. Knowing she couldn’t get away, she took deep breaths until her voice was calm, then closed her eyes as she spoke. She couldn’t stand to look at him and equate the man she loved with the monster that had just committed murder.

“Why did you do it, Lex?”

“Do what?”

“Kill your father’s man.”

“I did it for you, Chloe,” he said as he tried to brush her hair from her face. Her eyes snapped open and she looked him straight in the eye. Her lips seemed to move very slowly as she spoke.

“I would never have wanted that, Lex.”

He released her, slowly realizing that he had made a serious mistake.

“Chloe?” he whispered.

“Stay away from me, Lex. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Stunned, he stepped back and stared dumbly after her as she drove away.

----------------------------------------

Just before midnight, Chloe sat silently on the bed in the Kents’ guest bedroom. She was curled into a ball next to Pete, her head resting on her friend’s shoulder, and he gently rubbed her back as she stared into the darkness. Occasionally, he tried to get her talk, but she couldn’t seem to put together enough words to form a complete sentence. She had refused to tell any of them what had happened, but they all had gathered that she and Lex had split up. If Pete had had his way, he would’ve headed straight over to the mansion with a baseball bat, but Clark had refused to let him go until they knew all the details.

Pete glanced at the clock, then shifted slightly.

“Chloe? I have to get home. Do you want me to send Clark or Lana up?”

“No,” she replied, burying her face in the pillow. He waited for her to say something; when nothing else was forthcoming, he sighed and headed downstairs.

A few minutes after Pete left, there was a pounding on the door.

“Do you think he had an accident?” Lana asked.

“I hope not,” Clark replied, rising. The pounding continued until he opened the door.

“Pete, what- Lex.”

“I need to see her.”

“I don’t think Chloe wants to see you right now, Lex. Come out to the loft and-”

“I need to see her,” Lex repeated.

“Lex, why don’t you just tell us what’s going on,” Lana began. She didn’t get far before Lex started yelling.

“Chloe! I know you hear me! I need to talk you!”

Clark quickly lifted him off of the ground and hauled him out the door. Lana slammed it behind him, then stood shaking, unsure of what to do. Finally, Clark came back in.

“I think he’s leaving,” he said.

“I don’t hear his car,” she replied. Clark looked at her for a moment, then ran back outside. Lex was nowhere to be seen, but a rustling on the opposite side of the house gave away his location.

“Oh, Clark, he’s going to kill himself,” Lana gasped. Lex was dangling precariously between a gutter and the porch. The flimsy support that held the gutter to the house was obviously about to give. Suddenly, he leaped onto the porch roof in an impossible swing. Climbing to his feet, he crossed to the window of the guest room.

“Chloe!” he called as he rapped on the frame. “Let me in! I need to see you. Please, Chloe, open the window.” He waited for a few moments, then slumped against the glass. Clark and Lana couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the tone of his voice was obviously pleading. Clark wasn’t sure if he should give him some privacy or go pull him off of the porch.

Lana started to go inside to Chloe, but stopped as a scraping noise echoed across the yard. She looked up and saw Lex climbing through the open window into Chloe’s waiting arms.

---------------------------

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he whispered over and over into her ear. She clung to him and wept.

(TBC)

[kitten]

:ohmy: Poor Lex and poor Chloe, but what a realistic twist. Just the sort of misunderstanding that might be enough to split them up. More soon please? :worship2:

[asharnanae]

:ohmy: woah!Damn, What Next! Great chappy.

[hfce]

Well damn :ohmy: more please....



Hope :chlexsign4:

[S.Ann Smith]

Awwwwww... More please

[tiger04]

more please

[ColumbiaBlue]

Holy shit... Well, that was a lot to take in. More soon!

~Manda :blinkkiss:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: I forgot to mention that the last part was my tribute to Streetcar Named Desire... can't you just see Lex in the rain hollering "Chloooo-eee!"? :blinkkiss:

Kind of a short update, but there's a bigger one, baby smut included, for tomorrow. It's kind of a transition place in the relationship, and I'm gong to have to start some revising after that to make the story work without its companions. Thanks for sticking with this!

**********************************

A couple of hours later, Chloe again faced the darkness of the spare bedroom, alone with her thoughts. Lex had apparently drifted off, spooned tightly against her even as he slept. She doubted she could get out of the bed without waking him, and she’d was battling her inner monologue as she decided whether to try.

Lex had killed a man. A man was dead because of her.

That man had killed others. He had tried to kill her and Lana.

And it was all because of Lionel Luthor – a man who had raised a son that could kill in cold blood.

Chloe felt the hot tears start down her cheeks again. She had known about Lex shooting a reporter to save Jonathan Kent, but this was completely different. Tonight, he had killed an unarmed, defenseless, terrified man. But he’d thought at the time that he was doing the right thing, and he was devastated when he’d realized that he’d simply done what his father would’ve wanted him to do. Chloe heaved a deep sigh.

“What are you thinking?” Lex asked softly. Chloe started, then shifted around to face him.

“I thought you were sleeping.”

“How could I be sleeping?” he asked. His voice was flat, completely devoid of energy.

Chloe sat up and buried her face in her knees; the silence returned. After several minutes, Lex spoke again.

“So you’re done with me then?” He counted to himself while he waited for an answer. When he got to 500, he realized he was making a fool of himself by waiting, but he couldn’t bring himself to get up and leave the room. He might’ve lost her, but he wouldn’t leave until she made him.

By the time he got to 2000, it was killing him to stay. He got up and slowly crossed the room, wondering where in the hell he thought he was going to go. But as he softly turned the knob, he could’ve sworn he heard Chloe whisper his name. He turned to find her looking at him with wet cheeks and dry eyes.

“Come here,” she said. He obediently went back to sit on the end of the bed.

“Chloe...” he began.

“Lex, you can’t live your life like this,” she interrupted. “You can’t be your father. You aren’t a monster like he is, and I won’t let him turn you into one.”

“You won’t?” Lex asked dumbly. Chloe scooted across the mattress and took his hands in hers, then studied them as she considered her reply.

“I don’t ever want to think about this night again,” she whispered. Lex freed one of his hands and tipped her chin up so she was looking into his eyes.

“I won’t ever let you down again,” he said softly.

“I know.”

*********************************

One Monday afternoon in late April, Chloe bounced her way into Lex’s office and perched excitedly on the edge of her chair as she waited for him to finish his phone conversation. When he finally hung up the receiver, he leaned back in his seat and looked at her.

“Yes?” he asked, knowing full well what she was going to tell him.

“My letter came from KU-Metropolis!”

“And?”

“And... I didn’t open it yet.”

“Why?”

“Lex! They are only the best J-School in the country, even better than MU! What if they said no?”

“What if they said yes? You won’t know to show up if you don’t open it!”

Chloe stared at the envelope for a few seconds, then threw it across the table to Lex.

“You open it!”

Lex chuckled softly as he slit the envelope. He read the entire letter with a poker face, then looked up at Chloe.

“Well?” she asked, barely breathing. Lex just smiled at her, and she leaped out of chair with a squeal and ran around the desk. Lex pulled her into his lap as she read for herself with a huge grin on her face. But as she reached the end, her smile faded.

“What is it?” Lex asked.

“My scholarship is only for a quarter of the tuition. My dad makes too much to qualify for financial aid, but he can’t afford the rest.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“No, I already checked into it. I can get student loans, but that’s going to add up to a lot.” Disappointment was plain in her voice.

“You’re joking, right?” Lex asked again.

Chloe looked at him and shook her head.

“No, I really-”

“Chloe,” he interrupted. “Do you really think I wasn’t planning on paying for this?”

“No! I mean, yes! I can’t let you pay for this! Lex, I would never ask you-”

“You didn’t ask me,” he said as he eased her off of his lap and crossed to his bookshelf. “I put a deposit down on an apartment close to campus when you told me you were applying. I have the brochure for the complex right here, we can go look at it this afternoon and see if you like it.”

Chloe stood where Lex had left her, her mouth hanging slightly open. He was just beginning to think perhaps he’d done the wrong thing when she ran into his arms and covered him with giggly kisses.

(TBC)

[hfce]

I loved how they made up. But I am surprised Chloe gave in so quickly with the money thing. But I would probably do the same if it meant living with Lex. :D


Hope ;)

[asharnanae]

:blush: It was good that she was able to forgive him, and lex is so cute, bying an apartment! Damn, why can't I have a BF like that! :worship2:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Herein lies the love scene of the story. I think it's just R, let me know if anyone feels it needs something higher. Thanks for reading!

*****************************

Lana sat quietly on the edge of her roommate’s bed. With the exception of putting on her dress, she was ready to go, so she was passing the time by watching Chloe put on her make-up. The blonde girl was prattling endlessly, as she often did when she was nervous. Lana knew that if she waited long enough, Chloe would eventually say what was really on her mind.

“Have you and Clark… you know… consummated your relationship?” Chloe asked suddenly. She was blushing furiously, but Lana was the only friend she had that she could talk to about this.

“Have we wha- Oh! No, we haven’t.”

“Oh. Well, have you… come close?”

“Um… no. Not at all. It’s kind of strange, Whitney used to try to go for it at least once a month, but Clark doesn’t act like it’s ever crossed his mind. It’s like he’s… just not interested.”

Chloe raised her eyebrows, surprised. She knew Clark was a nice guy, but he was a guy…

“Well,” she said with a grin, “we know he has a secret… maybe it’s a little less profound than what we expect!”

Lana giggled and threw a pillow at her.

“He’s not gay! He’s just… a tremendous gentleman, is all.” Rolling her eyes at Chloe’s peals of laughter, she decided to change the subject - sort of. “Do you think Pete’s ever… done it?”

“Oh, no,” Chloe replied as she returned to her hair. “Why else would he keep taking out these girls with bad reputations? He’s trying to score, and he just can’t quite manage…” Both girls started into another round of giggles. Finally, Lana rose and headed for the door.

“I have to get my dress on. The guys will be here soon.”

“Okay,” Chloe said, hiding her disappointment. Lana hadn’t even asked if she and Lex were considering doing it - and that was what she’d really wanted to talk about. She sighed, then retrieved her dress from the closet door.

------------------------------------------------

Later that night, Chloe and Lex sat at a table with Clark, Lana, Pete, and Pete’s date. The coronation was about to begin, and Chloe was painfully aware of how immature the event must look through her boyfriend’s eyes.

“Are you sure you’re doing okay?” she whispered in Lex’s ear. He squeezed her hand and nodded.

“I’ll be fine until after we see who won,” he replied. “But after that… I may start to get restless.”

Just then, the junior class president took the stage.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s find out who the 2005 Prom King and Queen are!” The crown erupted into cheers, and the young woman waited patiently for quiet.

“Okay, the guys were a tough race, but it all came down to one in the end. It is my pleasure to crown Pete Ross as Prom King!” The cheers began again as Pete, beaming broadly, made his way to the front. Lana and Chloe screamed the loudest, but Pete’s date sat preening before her compact, certain she was about to be announced as Queen.

“All right, you all, now it’s time to let Pete crown his Queen so they can lead the next dance. The Prom Queen is… Lana Lang!”

Lana’s jaw dropped as Chloe grabbed her in hug. She’d felt like she’d left her queen days behind when she’d given up her pompoms, and her shock was genuine. But when Clark pulled her out of her chair and gave her a little push toward the stage, she realized it was real. Somehow, she made her way to the front and allowed Pete to nestle the glittering crown into her upswept hair. Dumbly, she followed him onto the dance floor and moved into his arms.

“They like us! They really, really like us!” he whispered.

Lana’s mind snapped to attention at the smooth sound of Pete’s voice in her ear. As she rested her head lightly on his shoulder, it struck her how much more comfortably matched her body size was to this young man’s than to her own boyfriend.

“I guess they do,” she replied, guiltily shoving the thought away.

---------------------------------------------------

Two hours later, Chloe tried to fade into the couch in the billiard room as Lex raged into his cell phone.

“Do you have any idea how sensitive that research was? That was for government use only! Loose on the black market… I don’t even want to think about it!” He paused and took a deep breath. “How many vials did you say were stolen? And none of the research? Oh, and I suppose they think they deserve bonuses for doing part of their job? I want the entire security team replaced within two weeks! Yes, fine. Unless it’s an emergency, don’t bother me again before morning.” He clicked the phone shut and hurled it into a chair across the room, then flopped down on the couch next to Chloe.

“Do you need to go?” she asked, trying hard to conceal the disappointment in her voice.

“No,” he said. He took a long, slow breath, then blew it out quickly. “I told you I was going to teach you how to properly shoot pool, and I’m going to. Now come on.” He pulled her up and shoved her abandoned cue back into her hands. “Shoot the orange ball into the corner pocket.”

Chloe smiled shakily as she leaned over the table and pretended she knew how to line up the shot. Her first attempt completely missed the cue ball, and her second sent it spinning in the opposite direction of the orange one. Lex burst out laughing and returned the white ball to its original position.

“You’re doing it all wrong,” he said as he moved behind Chloe. He gently bent her over the table again, then slid his hands down her arms until they covered her own. He bent her fingers around the cue into the proper position, then tipped the cue to the correct angle. Chloe held her breath as Lex guided her left hand back, then forward, causing the orange ball to drop neatly into the corner pocket.

“You see how that worked?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she replied. “But I’m not left-handed.”

Lex’s silence let her know she was in trouble before his fingers found their mark. She wiggled up onto the pool table to try to escape, but he quickly followed and flipped her onto her back, pinning her down with his legs. She shrieked with laughter as he continued to tickle her. Finally, she was able to free an arm and grabbed one of his wrists. She was always at a distinct disadvantage in this situation, because Lex was not even remotely ticklish, so all she could do was try to fight him off.

At last, Chloe was able to get a firm grip on both of his wrists and wedge one leg between them. Lex conceded defeat and collapsed to the table beside her.

“Ouch!” he exclaimed, sitting up immediately.

“What is it?” Chloe asked, concerned.

“There was a ball under me,” he replied, rubbing his side. Chloe slid her fingers underneath his hand and gently massaged the spot.

“Right there?”

“Yeah,” he said. “But that doesn’t really help. Maybe you should kiss me and make it better.”

Chloe laughed softly as Lex leaned into her. His hurt was quickly forgotten as his lips met hers. When he moved atop her, her fingers found the buttons of his shirt and quickly undid them. She threw the shirt to the floor and slid her palms along the smooth skin of his chest, then over his shoulders and as far as she could reach down his back. Her breath caught in her throat as his hands moved across her dress; the flimsy silk did little to mask the heat of his touch from her sensitive skin. Involuntarily, she arched against him as his tongue grazed the side of her neck. He stopped and looked at her.

“Somehow, I hadn’t envisioned making love to you for the first time on the pool table.”

“Me either, actually.”

Lex stood, then carefully lifted Chloe off of the table. He led her by the hand up to the third floor, an area Chloe had never visited.

“What’s up here?” she asked, her nerves loosening her tongue.

“Bedrooms, bathrooms, linen closets… nothing exciting,” Lex replied as he opened one of the many doors.

Inside, his bedroom looked much as Chloe had imagined it might. The black furniture was very masculine, and the room was sparsely decorated. The windows held panes that matched the rest of the castle’s stained glass.

But the thing that drew her eye was in the center of the room. Four posters supported a canopy of some sort of gauzy material, and the curtains that hung over the side were parted to reveal the biggest bed Chloe had ever seen. The head was covered with black and purple pillows of various shapes and sizes. The purple cover was made of a material that looked suspiciously like velvet, and was turned back to reveal black satin sheets. Chloe blushed as she imagined how the soft sheets would feel against her skin.

Lex closed the door softly behind her, then traced her arm with the tips of his fingers.

“This look more like what you had in mind?”

“Perfect,” she breathed as she melted into him.

----------------------------------------------------

Clark and Lana sat on the couch in the loft. Lana stared at him in wonder.

“Are you playing a trick on me?”

“No, Lana, I would never joke about something like this.”

“I… Clark, I don’t know what to say,” she said, panic slowly coloring her words.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know it’s a lot to take in. Just.. just promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“Tell anyone what? That you have superpowers? That you caused the meteor shower? They would think I was crazy!”

“Lana, I understand it’s a lot to take in. I just need to know… I need to know if you can live with it.”

“I don’t… I need time to think about this!” She jumped up and ran down the stairs and out into the night.

“Lana wait! At least let me drive you home! Lana? Where are you?”

From her vantage point at the kitchen window, Martha had seen which way Lana had run into the cornfield. But she had a feeling she knew what was happening, and knew her son probably needed to be alone. Her heart breaking, she climbed the stairs to her bed.

----------------------------------------------------

Chloe couldn’t quite remember how she’d made it across the floor and into the gigantic bed, but she thought Lex must’ve carried her. Her dress was missing, and it suddenly dawned on her that she hadn’t been able to wear a bra under it. A quick glance down confirmed that she was clad only in her underpants. Even though she purchased them with just this scenario in mind, her stomach suddenly clenched with fear. She realized her entire body must’ve stiffened, because Lex looked up from her collarbone with concern in his eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked gently. “We don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know, but I want to. I’m just.. I’ve never done this before, and I just… I’m just… I’m not really sure…” she trailed off, mortified by her inadequacy. “You’re probably used to girls who know exactly what to do.”

“You know what I’m not used to?” Lex asked. When Chloe shook her head, he continued. “I’m not used to women who want to do this for love, not for money, or for what they think they will get out of me later. So really, this is kind of a first time for me, too.”

Chloe smiled, tears filling her eyes.

“I do love you,” she said.

“I know.” His mouth returned to her collarbone, and slowly moved down her sternum to her breasts. She gasped as his tongue taught her some new things about her body. Somehow, she managed to get his pants off without making a fool of herself, then tried to remember exactly what the girls in Lana’s romance novels at done at this point. Her hands carefully began to rub his nether regions as she tried not to giggle at the thought of all the words the books had used to describe that area. She had a feeling Lex wouldn’t appreciate her laughter the first time she touched him there.

He did, however, appreciate what she was doing. He moaned and gripped her elbow tightly, then allowed her to continue for a couple of minutes. Then he reached down and slid her panties over her hips and threw them to the side. When his hand found its way between her legs, Chloe released him and gripped the sheets. Her hips moved against his hand even as she knew she must be turning purple with embarrassment.

“Just relax,” he whispered softly in her ear. She leaned her head back against the pillow and concentrated on the feeling his fingers were causing, and very shortly had the first orgasm of her life. She was barely aware of him rummaging around in the shelves behind her head until he produced a condom and began to unwrap it.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked one last time.

“I’m positive,” she replied.

He moved on top of her and gently placed himself inside of her. Slowly, he began to move in and out. When Chloe clenched her teeth, he stopped.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… it’s not too bad.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No.”

Lex continued for a few more minutes, and Chloe slowly realized that it didn’t hurt anymore. A few minutes after that, she thought she might even be starting to enjoy it.

“I… I don’t know what to do,” she confessed, wondering how many times she could blush in one night.

“Just move however feels good.”

Tentatively, she began to move her hips against his. Lex slid one of the small, round pillows under her lower back, then kissed her hard. Chloe forgot all about being embarrassed after that.

(TBC)

[Béatrice]

That was really cute. :wub:

[autumngold]

Wow!! :yay: This is such a great, realistic story!! I'm so glad that Chloe stayed with Lex, I was afraid that she'd never forgive him after the killing!! Thanks for the three wonderful updates!! I can't wait to read more!! :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[hfce]

That was very good. :D


Hope ;)

[kitten]

:biggrin:
Your story has all the best things about Chlex. It can be so fluffy one second and so grim the next without having to compromise the story (or the canon!). Wonderful!

[AlabamaWorley]

A?N: I want to say one more big thank you to everyone for reading this story. I've decided not to mess with rewriting the end, because, well, I like it the way it is and I think any effort I made would show as a half-hearted attempt. I think I've included enough to tie up any loose ends. I intend to have my fics archived on a personal site within the next week or two, so if anyone is interested in the rest of the story (all of SV, a new woman, Barbara Gordon, Bruce Wayne, and the Justice League), let me know. I'll put the address in the advertising section when I have it.

Again, thanks for sticking with me, your feedback means a lot :blinkkiss:

-----------------------------------------------------

Just before dawn, Lana sat in the loft of the Ross’ machine shed. Pete sat a few feet away, watching her silently. He’d been up here with his date the night before, certain he was finally going to score, when Lana had climbed up the ladder sobbing. His date was already in a bit of a snit over losing out on the queen’s crown, and had stormed off in a huff even after Lana had apologized profusely and offered to leave. Pete hadn’t been too upset, though; Clark had told him he was going to tell Lana that night, and he knew she probably really needed a friend more than he needed to get laid.

At this point, though, he wasn’t really sure how much good he’d done. Lana was convinced Clark was the cause of all the problems in her life, even though he’d told her over and over that she couldn’t blame him for the meteor shower. He thought she might eventually listen to reason, but there didn’t seem to be anything more he could do.

Unable to bear the silence or the subject any longer, Pete spoke.

“So, do you think you’ll still need some help with the Clover Kids this summer?” he asked.

“Um, probably,” Lana replied with a sniff. “Won’t you be busy at Smitty’s, though?”

“No busier than you’ll be at the Talon.”

“You’ll probably have a lot to do to get ready for school.”

“Actually, I’m not going to college. I’m going into the police academy, but that doesn’t start until October.”

“The police academy?” Lana asked, surprise evident in her voice.

“Yeah, it seems like Smallville attracts bad sheriffs. I’d like to be the first good one.”

Lana’s face was mostly in shadow, but Pete thought he saw a hint of a smile.

“I think I want to stay in Smallville, too,” she said.

“Really? I thought you wanted to get out of here.”

“I used to. But you know, a lot’s happened over the past couple of years. I like to think I’ve grown up some. Plus, the Talon has become such a huge part of my life, I’m not sure I could just walk away. I’m thinking about asking Lex to redo the apartment upstairs so I can rent it.”

“Wow. Well, it’s nice to know you’ll still be around.”

“You mean since Clark and Chloe are leaving?”

“Actually…” Pete trailed off, unsure how Clark’s plans might have changed since he and Lana wouldn’t be a couple anymore. “Actually, yeah, that’s exactly it.”

A few minutes later, she asked him to take her home. He cursed himself the whole way back to his house for even considering kissing her goodnight.

-----------------------------

Just after dawn, Chloe awoke in Lex’s island of a bed. She’d been certain he’d lose her in the vast expanse of blankets, but it seemed they’d both been too tired to move much. When she shifted slightly, a dull ache manifested itself in a very personal place. She tried to be quiet, but a quiet “Ow!” slipped out unexpectedly.

Lex rubbed her lower back gently.

“A hot bath would probably help that,” he said.

“Oh, did I wake you?”

“No. I’ve been pulling your hair for the past ten minutes trying to wake you.”

Chloe giggled, then pushed him toward the edge of the bed.

“Then I guess you’d better be in charge of the bath,” she told him in her snottiest voice.

“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her lightly, then went into the adjoining bathroom.

Rolling onto her back, Chloe stared at the canopy as she listened to the water run. She knew she had to be the luckiest girl in the world.

----------------------------------

That afternoon, Lana climbed the stairs to the barn loft, her heart heavy. Though she’d asked for time to think, she’d known her answer immediately. Clark stood staring into space. Lana shivered when it occurred to her that he could be looking for his home.

At the sound of her step, he turned. Though she tried to keep the poker face Lex was always encouraging her to master, she knew when she looked at Clark that she’d failed. He turned back to the darkening sky, and Lana forgot her speech. Realizing it didn’t matter now, she skipped straight to the end.

“Clark, I’m so sorry.” With that, she left.

------------------------------------

Chloe took a deep breath. The late June sunshine was hot on her back, but she couldn’t blame it totally for the sweat that dripped between her shoulder blades. As she stood at the entrance of LuthorCorp, she knew a small part of her was worrying that she’d never come out.

A few minutes later, she found herself being ushered into Lionel’s private office. The elder Luthor watched her with a bemused grin on his face until his secretary left the room, then walked around the desk to sit directly in front of her.

“So, how did you get away from my son without alerting him to your purpose in coming to Metropolis?”

“How do you know I didn’t tell him?”

“The fact that you are here alone tells me plenty, Miss Sullivan.”

Chloe glared at him for a moment, but then remembered that she’d decided it would be best to keep the visit as short as possible.

“What do you want, Lionel?” she asked, not bothering to conceal her feelings toward the man.

“Lionel? What happened to ‘Mr. Luthor’?”

“That would suggest even the slightest modicum of respect, and I have none for you.”

“Well, well, it looks as though Lex’s personality is rubbing off on you a bit, my dear,” Lionel replied with a laugh. He walked around to stand behind her chair, and Chloe felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to twitch.

“Better his than yours,” she said, hiding her discomfort. “Now are you going to tell me what you called me here for?” She couldn’t stop herself from cringing as Lionel began to massage her shoulders. When she tried to pull away, he yanked her back against the chair. “What are you doing?”

“It occurred to me that the only thing my son could offer you that I wasn’t was a physical relationship. I thought perhaps you’d rethink our arrangement if I threw that into the mix.”

Chloe felt the bile rising in her throat as she jerked away from him and stood.

“You creepy son of a bitch,” she said icily. “I’d sooner fuck a dog.” His laughter infuriated her further as she stormed toward the door, but she stopped when he addressed her again.

“So I suppose you’re going to run and tattle now?” he sneered.

“You’d better hope I don’t.” She left the office, then rode the elevator to the ground floor. Once outside, she hailed a cab and took it three blocks up the street to a public parking lot. She got out and ran over to Lex’s Porsche. As she got in, he was throwing the transmitter equipment into the small space behind his seat. He started to get out of the car.

“Wait here,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Lex, no!” Chloe said, gripping his arm tightly. “Let’s just go home.”

He hesitated for a moment, then got back into the car and slammed the door. As he drove away, she began pulling the wires out from under her shirt. Her shoulders still burned where Lionel had touched her.

“I really need a shower…”

-----------------------------

“You’d think she could at least try to be on time picking up her kid,” Pete grumbled as Mrs. McCallister drove away in a her expensive SUV. Lana laughed as she walked back into the 4-H Center and began to stack the nearly-finished projects against the wall.

“I don’t know. She probably needs her free time. Being rich and spoiled must be really hard!”

Pete joined her laughing, then stopped suddenly.

“Oh, man, do you think Chloe will turn out like that?”

Lana rolled her eyes.

“I’m not even going to answer that, you goof!”

Pete helped Lana clean up the assorted paints and craft supplies, then waited by the door while she shut out all the lights.

“Ready?” he asked as she joined him by the door.

“Let’s go.”

Pete walked Lana to her own SUV as he’d done every night for the past two weeks. This time, they both stopped at the driver’s door and stared at each other for a moment. Pete looked away first, then cleared his throat. He was trying to force himself to speak when Lana suddenly did it for him.

“Do you think Clark would kill us both if we started dating?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Look, Pete, I didn’t even realize I was developing a crush on you while I was with Clark. But it’s obvious to me now that I was, and I’m pretty sure you feel the same. I don’t know if it will work out, but I’d really like to give it a try.”

“I don’t know,” Pete said again. When Lana stared at him with raised brows, he finally conceded. “Okay, I’ll talk to Clark. But if he’s not okay with it, I can’t do this, as much as I want to. And another thing: you’re going to have to get over all these issues you have with him now, because you know you’re just being silly. He’s my best friend, and that’s never going to change.”

“Fair enough,” Lana replied, a bit taken aback. Nevertheless, she stared at him for another minute, then realized they were both leaning closer and closer to one another. She started to close her eyes, but Pete suddenly jerked away.

“I have to talk to Clark first.”

------------------------------------

A whistle blew at Smitty’s Feed and Seed, signaling the end of the workday. Clark looked up from the bag he was filling, then over at Pete.

“You ready?”

“Just about,” Pete responded. “I just want to finish this stack.” Clark nodded, then added his full sack of corn to the row he’d already completed. Jack Smith, their boss, appeared in the open doorway.

“Kent? Ross? Y’all comin’?”

“In a minute, Smitty,” Clark told him. “I want to get these bags closed so mice don’t get in them.”

“Okay. But you boys hurry up – no sense in staying late on a Friday night.” Clark grinned at Pete. As soon as Smitty’d gone, he became a blur, and in the time it took Pete to move his last feed sack, Clark was finished lacing all of his bags of corn. Pete chuckled, then flopped down on his pile. Clark raised his eyebrows.

“What’s up?”

“Well… I need to ask you something - but you have to promise me you’ll hear me out without getting mad.”

“Ooookay. Again… what’s up?”

“I’m asking you this because you are like a brother to me, and I wouldn’t ever want anything to mess that up. And believe me, whatever your answer, I’m going to honor it.”

“Pete, you’re starting to scare me.” Clark said, laughing. “What’s the question?”

“Well…” Pete hesitated, then continued in a rush. “Okay, I know things went badly for you and Lana when you told her your secret, and I know you still had feelings for her. I also know two months isn’t very long, but I was wondering how you felt now.”

Clark, getting the gist of where this was going, sat down on a nearby case of empty sacks.

“I… I guess I’m pretty much over it. It’s… it’s a little hard to keep having feelings for someone who has rejected you for telling her the truth she begged for.” He tried to keep his voice light, but he had a feeling Pete probably caught the bitter undertone. “Why do you ask?”

“Because… Look, man, if it’s not okay with you, just say so, and it’s over. But… well, you know Lana and I have been working together as group leaders for the Clover Kids, and with the Fair coming up, we’ve been together almost every night for a couple of weeks now. And… Clark, if it’s not cool, just tell me…” Pete looked like he expected to be hit with a blast of heat vision at any moment.

Clark took a deep breath.

“Pete, it’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s… Of course I wish things could’ve worked out with Lana and me, but they didn’t. And it would be really selfish of me to tell you no. For all we know, you could be soulmates or something!” Clark tried to laugh, but the result was a hollow bark.

Pete nodded slowly.

“Alright, Clark, thanks. And listen, if you change your mind…” He trailed off, clearly concerned that his friend might do just that.

“Pete, I promise. It’s okay. Just, you know, don’t expect me to double date anytime soon.” Pete rose with a grin, his relief obvious.

“Okay. Hey, I’ll call you tomorrow, maybe we can play some ball or something.”

“Okay, Pete. See you later.” Alone in the warehouse, Clark sighed. He had been honest with Pete – he wasn’t pining over Lana. But it was still a reminder that he was starting feel like a perpetual third wheel. He decide to go visit Lex.

------------------------------------

Chloe sat nervously on the couch in Lex’s office. He’d sounded very serious when he’d called and asked her to come over right away, and she was racking her brain for any reason she might have given him to break up with her. She knew she was probably being silly, but she still wished he’d hurry up.

Finally, he hung up the phone, then stood and walked over to sit beside her.

“You look nervous,” he said.

“So do you.”

“I am,” he replied.

“Why?”

“Well, because I-”

“Because you what?”

“Shush and I’ll tell you!”

Chagrined, Chloe closed her mouth and sat back on the couch.

“Chloe, you know I haven’t had the best luck with relationships in the past. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of one healthy, successful relationship I’ve had ever… until you. Now that we have this, I don’t want to ever let it go.” Lex pulled his hand out of his pocket and knelt on the floor in front of her. “Will you do the honor of becoming my wife?”

Chloe sat in shocked silence until she realized Lex’s extended hand was beginning to waver. She practically leaped off of the couch and pulled him up so she could kiss him.

“Is that a yes?” he finally asked when she let him up for air.

She barely paused before kissing him again.

“Of course.”

Lex managed to reach behind his head to slide the ring on her finger before wrapping his arms tightly around her.

When the butler ushered Clark to Lex’s study, the third wheel feeling hit him full force. Lex and Chloe were locked in a passionate kiss, and it looked like it could go further at any moment. Clark turned to leave, but misgauged the position of the door in his embarrassment. Lex and Chloe looked up in surprise.

“I knew I should’ve shut that door,” Lex smirked.

“I’m sorry, I guess it’s a bad time…”

Lex let go of Chloe and moved to greet his friend.

“On the contrary, please come in. Chloe and I have some exciting news, and I’d be thrilled to share it with you first.” Clark looked from one to the other blankly. When his expression didn’t change, Chloe lost her composure. Squealing excitedly, she rushed toward him.

“We’re getting married!” she exclaimed. “Look!” She thrust her hand toward Clark, and he caught her fingers in amazement.

“Wow, that’s some rock!” He then looked up quickly. “I mean, congratulations! That’s really great!” He hugged the bouncing Chloe with one arm, and reached around to shake Lex’s hand with the other.

“Thank you, Clark. I don’t think I’ll ever find a better woman than this one, and luckily she agrees.” Chloe released Clark to swat Lex, and he caught her back in his arms as she kissed him again. Clark cleared his throat.

“Um, I think Mom’s probably got dinner ready, so I’ll…” Realizing neither of his friends were listening, he made a hasty exit, closing the door to the study behind him.

(END)

[hfce]

Aww that was a great ending. I loved it. But it is screaming to me epilogue. I want to read about the wedding. :D


Hope :chlexsign3:

[autumngold]

I was so, so scared that Lionel was going to hurt Chloe!! I don't blame Lex for wanting to kill him!! This is a great story!! Thank you for the happy ending!! :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[Sab_Luthor]

:yay2: :yay2: what an awesome story that was great. a fantastic story like i love them.
great job another one please

[Ami Rose]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Oct 28 2004, 10:32 AM
“Um, I think Mom’s probably got dinner ready, so I’ll…” Realizing neither of his friends were listening, he made a hasty exit, closing the door to the study behind him.
For a second, I almost felt sorry for Clark. Almost! :biggrin: :devil:

[darkangel]

This was good. I even feel slightly sorry for Clark

[ggdoll18]

LOVED these lines----

Lex reclined on the couch, idly watching the end of Rugrats. The young billionaire lived in fear that one day some of his business associates would find out that he and Clark had a weekly ritual of watching Spongebob for an hour every Saturday morning.

[arkakitty]

Awesome story, loved it :)

[happybum]

fab story!! Liked the ending. Sequel??

[purpleant]

This was a beautiful story from beginning to end! I love that Chloe helped Lex with his dad. I also enjoyed the slow progression of their romance. You are an amazing writer.

Thank you ;)

[starmoon]

perfect and the ending was great.

[spaceboi's pixie]

this story rocks

[~*~Tasha~*~]

Great story. I enjoyed reading this one. Lionel was wayyy creepy. I'm glad that things worked out for Chloe and Lex. {beams} That always makes me happy.