[WIP] The Lesser of Two Evils - NC-17, Chapter 56 (May 27, 2016) [Archive] - Page 3 - NS Forums - Your number one site for Chloe and Lex (Chlex)

kitten

3rd August 2007, 12:56

A/N: Two things - this might not make sense since my eyes are too tired to do a good read through. If it doesn't please tell me. Second - I'll remind you this is not a nice story. I'll leave it at that for now. As usual, comments welcomed and I'll answer questions that don't ruin my plot.

Chapter 28 (Part 2 of 2)

Corinna Beckford was a long-time foster parent with a reputation that was better than saintly. She took in the troubled children of Metropolis already in their late teens, the ones who knew they had no chance of being adopted permanently. Their rebellions were dealt with fairly and reasonably, reassurances voiced as many thousands of times as they needed to believe they weren't in just another home. She didn't give up on any child, and her older foster children were living proof for new arrivals. She didn't stop looking after them after the government support cheques stopped. There was a depth of giving from her that made it nearly impossible to question her motives.

She was an ideal candidate to take over Chloe's care during her pregnancy. Lionel stood up as she was walked into his library, her wary eyes catching on his smile.

“Thank you for seeing me,” he said, extending his hand. “I'm aware you have a lot of responsibility but my profile makes it difficult to go anywhere without drawing too much attention. I'm afraid I'm already mortified.”

Her smile was tight and barely moved both sides of her mouth before she was serious. Her handshake had a tremble he ignored.

“I'm glad to consult with anyone, Mr. Luthor. You have questions about adoption?”

He waved her to a chair as the receptionist served tea in real china cups, a frilly custom he detested. Lionel drank a portion of the sugary slop before it got cold and even less appetizing. His guest sipped gingerly.

“That will be all,” he said, pausing until the receptionist left the room. “I have to ask you to take care of my grandchild, Miss Beckford.”

She kept a mild expression but her tone was slightly shocked.

“Mr. Luthor, I'm aware you're a widower, however you'll forgive me for assuming it's within your means to hire a nanny. Frankly, if we're talking about your grandchild it should be your son and his partner who speak with me.”

Lionel sighed and took another disgusting sip of tea. “If my son could be trusted adoption wouldn't be an issue. Frankly, Miss Beckford, he's a drug addict and his teenage girlfriend might be on drugs as well. I know for certain she is pregnant and I'm very concerned.”

Her sympathetic look was sharper than most and he kept his eyes on hers with faked openness. “I've covered up for my son too long and now I have to consider my grandchild above him. He's been in and out of rehab centers for years to no benefit.”

“I see why you're concerned. Legally and ethically separating a child from natural parents is a last resort,” she said, putting her teacup down. “Would it be possible to offer support to your son and his girlfriend?”

Shaking his head sadly, he frowned. “My son hates me. His girlfriend only knows his side and I am not presented positively in his memories. We have been estranged since before his mother died.”

Lionel stood up and paced slowly, letting his shoulder slump as he moved like a world-weary old man. He had never tried to be pitiful and it was uncomfortable. He was used to brooding and pacing from his offspring, detested it in his partners and used it against his enemies.

“Lex has turned his back firmly upon my help and that's probably my fault for enforcing treatment on him instead of being there when he was younger. We are a public family and I thought the risks were too great. My company will ride out a scandal but I cannot risk -”

He sighed, carefully underplaying the drama. He turned back and sat down.

“My grandchild can be saved and raised properly. Hopefully, his mother is not beyond saving. Lex eschews help and I have to accept that.”

Lionel met her eyes, and smiled sadly. “I have come to terms and must concentrate on the future,” he said, then threw back his head self-consciously. “Thank you for letting me go on about this. I know you're very busy.”

Her smile in return was genuine, confidential.

“I'm pleased to meet a man intent on helping his family,” she replied. “You're right to protect the baby first. It's just an innocent bystander to whatever is wrong with it's parents' life. Rehab is not an option at all?”

“I know my son and his history with drugs and women. He's made a number of almost criminally poor choices. I can't help but feel responsible.”

“All children have their own minds. I'm sure you did your best,” she soothed.

A drink in his hand would really work with the next bit of acting, and Lionel settled for hamming it up with his facial expression. “He's been wearing her down. I'm worried that he'll lose patience and simply put money in her hand and demand she have an abortion. I've never seen her stand up for herself.”

Restrained anger was starting to form in the woman's jaw as she asked, “Is there physical abuse?”

“I don't think so. I'm not aware of any. To be honest I could never have imagined my son as he is today. It's as if he's no longer the boy I raised.”

Lex was established as the worst person to see to Chloe's wellbeing. All that was left was to rule out Gabe Sullivan.

“Mr. Luthor, your son's girlfriend must have parents or a guardian. I feel they should be included in our discussion,” Corinna said sincerely.

Like leading a duckling with bread crumbs, he marveled. How has she managed several generations of teenagers?

“Her mother is gone. She abandoned the poor girl when she was a toddler. I suspect it's common ground that has kept Chloe's relationship with my son going. Her father is an employee of LuthorCorp. Frankly, a lot of reports I get about the man tell me he gets drunk at every opportunity on business trips. He is out of town much of the time and he prefers it – comes looking for the conferences if I don't assign them to him. His daughter is about to turn 18 but she has been raising herself for years.”

She told him he had her support and left in a hurry to return to her current foster children. Lionel smirked at the closing door. He would borrow Miss Beckford's good reputation and put it on his plans for Chloe and their child. Lex had forced an alteration that meant waiting a little longer for her to conceive, but the main aspects of the plan would work fine. He was assured as he poured himself the drink he'd wanted earlier.

Gabe Sullivan looked at his soon-to-be eighteen year old daughter and shook his head. He wanted to give her some of the spare time she was missing since taking her newspaper jobs. It was her choice and he was proud of her ambition but he didn't like her schedule.

It was worse than his own, and he worried about her. In a few years he'd get the promotion that would mean a more normal life and time he could spend with Chloe. Unfortunately it would come about the same time she would be graduating from college and either getting a master's degree or a permanent job. He was lucky to have seen a lot of his little girl during her first years but when his wife left them he had to give up that quality time. The bond was still strong but it made him sad.

He felt like he was missing large parts of her life and wondered if she did anything simply for fun. Drinking and flirting weren't his favourite ideas of what she could be doing but she deserved to have her share of youthful mischief.

“I think I know what's going on with you,” he said decisively. “You've been quiet and you haven't even joked about my herringbone suit and tie combinations. I've noticed I'm getting some old man ear hairs that you haven't made fun of, young lady. I know what's going on.”

He pointed at her with his fork and she knew he was kidding around – no father other than Lex's could comprehend her situation with anything like humour. Her smile was forced as she muttered a denial. If she could play the hormonal teenager it would make him stop.

I'm even legitimately hormonal, she thought. As a 17 year old fertility experiment I'm probably breaking hormone records.

“Dad,” she complained. “It's way too early for this. There isn't anything going on with me. I'm fine.”

She'd stopped sleeping completely except for half hour naps and the fits of exhaustion after she and Lex finished. Her limbs were dragging her slowly to the ground and she still managed to fill out scholarship forms and mail them out in symbols of hope. She might as well be making a thousand paper cranes and crossing her eyes, fingers and toes while she wished really hard.

“You're getting mature and dignified in preparation for your birthday and I won't have it. If I wanted a polite, respectful child I'd have adopted one. Make a rude face. I demand it. Ruin my appetite by flashing half chewed food. Like this.”

By setting a disgusting example her father got her laughing and her good mood lasted until he hugged her and left for work. She didn't want to go to school. Learning world history and math wasn't going to help her. She was cut off from any further information since Lionel had stopped calling on her. All her valuable leads were in Lex's hands and his investigators were people he trusted conditionally. She had to act out normal life and wait for him to save her.

The only thing she had to look forward to was the short time when her insomnia was no match for their post fuck nap. She was seeing Lex that night. Maybe she'd stay passed out for a few hours.

She sassed her way through high school with the facade of confidence she needed to keep from crying. One good thing about insomnia was the drugery of homework had a purpose. When it was too late to risk her father hearing her television she sat on the floor and wrote out questions and answers in the time-honoured method of rote learning. Smallville High School was far from innovative.

Handing in three weeks of homework at once got her out of her last class, and she went to The Talon office to pick up her notebook and lock up. Her cellphone rang as she was driving out of Smallville.

The display showed Lex's name and she decided to pull over before she answered. He made her too nervous to drive while she was talking to him.

“Hello.”

“Chloe, hello.”

She let out a nervous little giggle and put her hand over her eyes in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I'm tired. Why-why are you calling?”

She thought the severe exhaustion was a decent excuse but he didn't need more overly personal information about her life.

“I have some good news,” he continued gamely. “I heard back today and my employee found what we've been looking for.”

She uncovered her eyes and stared out the window for so long he called her name.

“Yes, sorry, I'm here. Are you sure?”

Chloe wished she could hide her emotions but she couldn't stop crying once she started. Lex was saying something else she couldn't hear as she muffled the phone wiping at her eyes.

“Listen, I'm going to be there in a few hours. Thank you for letting me know, but I need some time to let it sink in,” she said shakily. “Why don't we get into the details then?”

“Okay, I'll see you later.”

She hesitated over a goodbye and was glad when he hung up first. She felt flushed with gratitude and was crying so hard she had to take off her seatbelt and let it happen.

It worked. I don't understand how. I'm safe. Lionel can't get me.

The thoughts mixed in her head and she couldn't say she was happy yet. It would take a while but she had time.

The blond reporter was just pulling out onto the highway when another vehicle struck the passenger side. The little bug was pushed off the road again, her head slamming the window since she hadn't replaced her seatbelt. Chloe reached for her phone out of reflex and jumped when her door was pulled open. The tall man standing over her didn't smile or do any ot the other pleasantries at an accident. He looked angry, though he wasn't yelling.

She didn't think to struggle until his help getting out of the car became wordlessly manhandling her toward a group of other men. They were all wearing suits, and seeing her as if she was a large bug. They worked for Lionel.

I'll never see my father again, she realized.

She did everything she could to save herself. She screamed as loud and as long as she could, and tried to run though it hurt her arm when she jerked away. She kicked wildly when she was picked up and she threw her possessions to leave some sign behind that she had been taken against her will. People would see her car and know who the driver was. They would call her father and a search would begin. It was still daylight for a few more hours and the road was used often. Someone would come by and they would get help.

Her legs hit a hard metal surface and she cried out in pain. Two of the men had her hoisted up between their bodies and they were handing her into a van. A third man pushed her into crouch on the floor, her legs cramping within seconds of being folded up. In her last glimpse of her normal life, Chloe saw the fields and barns of Smallville. They bore witness as no one else could in the sparsely populated outskirts of town.

Synchronized to show up minutes after her car was stopped, an unmarked truck pulled up and the driver opened the trailer door. Positioning the ramp that formed when the door was tilted down to the street, the men rolled Chloe's idling car into the trailer and closed it. They picked up her scattered wallet, keys and other small items from her purse. In the late afternoon light they scanned the ground and were satisfied. There was nothing left of her in the unassuming spot, nor would anything be found.

The sickening movement of the van caused the first of many tears to fall as she huddled into herself and bit back more screams. She had to save her voice for a time when someone might hear.

Kit Merlot

3rd August 2007, 14:13

This was quite an exciting chapter!

Lionel's plan is extremely evil, and one I could easily see him perpetuating. Gabe is being an adorable father, worried about his daughter, and Lex has come up with some evidence to keep Chloe safe. And Chloe herself is beyond exhaustion--she's barely holding herself together

But now she's been kidnapped, and taken God knows where by a group of men in a van. Is there any chance that this is part of Lex's plan to help Chloe? That Lionel isn't behind it?

Man, I sure hope so--the alternative is that Chloe will now be at Lionel's mercy, which is not a pleasant thought.

Please update soon.

Gaia

3rd August 2007, 17:03

Man, I sure hope so--the alternative is that Chloe will now be at Lionel's mercy, which is no a pleasant thought.

My thoughts exactly....

Mrs.Queen

3rd August 2007, 20:25

Loved it. I hope Lex finds Chloe and kicks Lionel's ass. Update soon.

lj715

3rd August 2007, 20:43

Great chapter! Lionel...you are such a bastard! I feel so bad for Chloe. More please.

westwingwolf

3rd August 2007, 21:07

Since Lionel kidnapped Chloe, that won't mean that he's going to do anything to Gabe, right? I mean, it's kind of wasteful because he already got what he wanted so hurting Gabe won't help him and maybe saving him and just threatening him would continue to help with Chloe. And I'll shut up because I know Gabe's death is probably inevitable.

But Lex's isn't going to stop looking for Chloe. He'll be more worried when she doesn't show up and he'll find her. He's got to find her!

And stop dangling the idea of a baby in front of me. You know I want to see a nonky Chlex baby but it's mean to put it in a story where I don't want it to happen. If Chloe's going to get pregnant, she better be pregnant now and Lionel better never touch her.

BellaMR

3rd August 2007, 23:24

You are beyond evil, Nonky. After everything Chloe has been through, now she has been kidnapped??

At least Lex knows she is on the way and will be expecting her. When she doesn't show, he'll call out the hounds. Shouldn't he have somebody watching her anyway... maybe a GPS imbedded in her skin - something.

Lex has to find her soon. I don't want to think about what will happen to Chloe in Lex's clutches. Since he's already broken the law by kidnapping her, I don't think he'd have any problem not waiting for her 18th birthday to try to conceive a baby.

Please hurry with the next update. I might be having nightmares until I find out what happens.

somethingeasy

4th August 2007, 00:34

Corinna Beckford was a long-time foster parent with a reputation that was better than saintly. She took in the troubled children of Metropolis already in their late teens, the ones who knew they had no chance of being adopted permanently. Their rebellions were dealt with fairly and reasonably, reassurances voiced as many thousands of times as they needed to believe they weren't in just another home. She didn't give up on any child, and her older foster children were living proof for new arrivals. She didn't stop looking after them after the government support cheques stopped. There was a depth of giving from her that made it nearly impossible to question her motives.

She was an ideal candidate to take over Chloe's care during her pregnancy. Lionel stood up as she was walked into his library, her wary eyes catching on his smile.

Wow! I really liked how Nonky built up this woman as a beautiful, generous, soulful human being. One of those people that make the rest of us think there ‘might’ be hope for the human race after all… and then immediately this character was ‘tainted’ by association because she’s just on the verge of becoming an integral part of Lionel horrific scheming. Incredible use of a lovely, original character, Nonky!

He waved her to a chair as the receptionist served tea in real china cups, a frilly custom he detested. Lionel drank a portion of the sugary slop before it got cold and even less appetizing. His guest sipped gingerly.

heh, I also liked how Lionel had to force himself to observe all these social niceties and civilities, just this ‘one time’ to get what he wanted. He’s serious out of practice when it comes to being cordial and polite… he’s practically wincing through it, and his face seems on the verge of cracking.

“Mr. Luthor, I'm aware you're a widower, however you'll forgive me for assuming it's within your means to hire a nanny. Frankly, if we're talking about your grandchild it should be your son and his partner who speak with me.”

Lionel sighed and took another disgusting sip of tea. “If my son could be trusted adoption wouldn't be an issue. Frankly, Miss Beckford, he's a drug addict and his teenage girlfriend might be on drugs as well. I know for certain she is pregnant and I'm very concerned.”

Her sympathetic look was sharper than most and he kept his eyes on hers with faked openness. “I've covered up for my son too long and now I have to consider my grandchild above him. He's been in and out of rehab centers for years to no benefit.”

I’m glad to see that this woman wasn’t about to let Lionel intimidate or pressure her into doing something that goes against her morals and conscience. It must be hell for Lionel to deal ‘around’ something like a person’s ethics (instead of just ramming through them forcefully like usual).

But he seems be dealing magnificently well. He’s built up one VERY good and highly plausible story to completely discredit both Chloe and Lex. It would be easy to believe that Lex is still unsuccessfully recovering from his addiction problem, and that he got himself another brainless mistress who got accidentally pregnant. Poor Lex… what a horror it must be to lead a life that makes it so easy for people to believe the absolute worst about you.

Lionel stood up and paced slowly, letting his shoulder slump as he moved like a world-weary old man. He had never tried to be pitiful and it was uncomfortable. He was used to brooding and pacing from his offspring, detested it in his partners and used it against his enemies.

I REALLY liked how Nonky stressed the differences in the way Lionel was handling this negotiation as compared to his usual mode of operation. It’s a fascinating seeing him adjusting so well into a mode that he’s completely unfamiliar with.

“Lex has turned his back firmly upon my help and that's probably my fault for enforcing treatment on him instead of being there when he was younger. We are a public family and I thought the risks were too great. My company will ride out a scandal but I cannot risk -”

He sighed, carefully underplaying the drama. He turned back and sat down.

Oh, very, VERY nicely played, MB! He’s putting in just enough truth so make all the lies all the more believable. WOW!

“My grandchild can be saved and raised properly. Hopefully, his mother is not beyond saving. Lex eschews help and I have to accept that.”

Lionel met her eyes, and smiled sadly. “I have come to terms and must concentrate on the future,” he said, then threw back his head self-consciously. “Thank you for letting me go on about this. I know you're very busy.”

Her smile in return was genuine, confidential.

“I'm pleased to meet a man intent on helping his family,” she replied. “You're right to protect the baby first. It's just an innocent bystander to whatever is wrong with it's parents' life. Rehab is not an option at all?”

Un-believable! He’s completely won this woman over. She truly believes him to be the stalwart rock that’s holding his disintegrating family together. A model father and grandfather who’s first concern is family and his children. Horrors!

“I know my son and his history with drugs and women. He's made a number of almost criminally poor choices. I can't help but feel responsible.”

“All children have their own minds. I'm sure you did your best,” she soothed.

yack! :eek: She’s ‘comforting’ him, she goddamned COMFORTING the bastard. If only she had the slightest inkling on what was really going on in that tiny black heart of his.

A drink in his hand would really work with the next bit of acting, and Lionel settled for hamming it up with his facial expression. “He's been wearing her down. I'm worried that he'll lose patience and simply put money in her hand and demand she have an abortion. I've never seen her stand up for herself.”

Restrained anger was starting to form in the woman's jaw as she asked, “Is there physical abuse?”

“I don't think so. I'm not aware of any. To be honest I could never have imagined my son as he is today. It's as if he's no longer the boy I raised.”

ouch! He’s not only won her trust that he’s a good, decent and honest person, but he’s ALSO made sure that she would view Lex as a horrible, violent, semi-abusive, manipulative bastard. There is no way she would listen to any word against Lionel Luthor… especially when the opposing argument is about Lex’s ‘goodness and decency’.

Lex was established as the worst person to see to Chloe's wellbeing. All that was left was to rule out Gabe Sullivan.

“Mr. Luthor, your son's girlfriend must have parents or a guardian. I feel they should be included in our discussion,” Corinna said sincerely.

Like leading a duckling with bread crumbs, he marveled. How has she managed several generations of teenagers?

I cringed at the sheer contempt he felt for this fine, trusting and gentle lady. Granted, she IS being rather gullible, but Lionel is just revelling and gloating at the way he’s playing her.

“Her mother is gone. She abandoned the poor girl when she was a toddler. I suspect it's common ground that has kept Chloe's relationship with my son going. Her father is an employee of LuthorCorp. Frankly, a lot of reports I get about the man tell me he gets drunk at every opportunity on business trips. He is out of town much of the time and he prefers it – comes looking for the conferences if I don't assign them to him. His daughter is about to turn 18 but she has been raising herself for years.”

I was expecting lightning to strike him down at any second for this blasphemy. So far, he’s painted Lex, Chloe AND Gabe as untrustworthy, unsavoury addicts and lushes, and presented himself as the immaculate saint amongst all the sinners. I was choking at his unmitigated GALL!

She told him he had her support and left in a hurry to return to her current foster children. Lionel smirked at the closing door. He would borrow Miss Beckford's good reputation and put it on his plans for Chloe and their child. Lex had forced an alteration that meant waiting a little longer for her to conceive, but the main aspects of the plan would work fine. He was assured as he poured himself the drink he'd wanted earlier.

Lionel’s plan seems fascinating, interesting, and it seems to working itself on schedule… Of course, I don’t understand WHAT he’s up to… there are a couple of points that need clarification…

He said that he would have to wait a little longer for her to conceive? Does this mean he doesn’t plan to try and impregnate Chloe by her 18th birthday? Why not? Hmmm, my guess is that he wants to wait to make sure she hasn’t been impregnated by Lex first?

I’m curious about why he’s using a woman who just cannot be bought by Lionel’s standard coin of bribery and/or blackmail. Why does he need a woman of ‘good reputation’ over here? What’s the wily old bastard planning? Hmmm, he probably plans do use publicity in this somehow…? I can’t wait to see how he plans to put a favourable spin on the situation that involves abducting and raping an 18 year old.

Does Lionel truly think that Mrs. Beckford would ignore EVERYTHING that Chloe says as ‘delusional ravings of an addict’? Chloe will insist that she’s been given hormone treatments, kidnapped and raped by Lionel and then sequestered in Mrs. Beckford’s custody until she gives birth to Lionel male heir… Actually, it all sounds quite INSANE… no wonder Lionel thinks Mrs. Beckford would ignore everything Chloe said.

And then… once the male heir is born… Chloe will ‘unfortunately die during childbirth’, and then Lionel will present this new child as his ‘grandchild heir’, telling the public that it’s the result of an affair between his drug addict son and his abused mistress. He will discredit and blackball Lex from all business dealings, and settle down to raise his ‘new suitable heir’ to his liking.

That evil, EVIL bastard!!! I actually think I’ve got a handle on what his plan is… Am I right, Nonky?

Gabe Sullivan looked at his soon-to-be eighteen year old daughter and shook his head. He wanted to give her some of the spare time she was missing since taking her newspaper jobs. It was her choice and he was proud of her ambition but he didn't like her schedule.

It was worse than his own, and he worried about her. In a few years he'd get the promotion that would mean a more normal life and time he could spend with Chloe. Unfortunately it would come about the same time she would be graduating from college and either getting a master's degree or a permanent job. He was lucky to have seen a lot of his little girl during her first years but when his wife left them he had to give up that quality time. The bond was still strong but it made him sad.

He felt like he was missing large parts of her life and wondered if she did anything simply for fun. Drinking and flirting weren't his favourite ideas of what she could be doing but she deserved to have her share of youthful mischief.

Then we leave twisted Luthor-family dynamics for something sweeter and more wholesome. It was quite a contrast seeing the differences between the two fathers. And it only made the difference between the Luthors and the Sullivans parental patterns all the more stark and heart-breaking.

“I think I know what's going on with you,” he said decisively. “You've been quiet and you haven't even joked about my herringbone suit and tie combinations. I've noticed I'm getting some old man ear hairs that you haven't made fun of, young lady. I know what's going on.”

LOL! He’s really such an ADORABLE dad. I loved that he wasn’t afraid of seeming silly or undignified to bring a smile to his daughter’s face.

He pointed at her with his fork and she knew he was kidding around – no father other than Lex's could comprehend her situation with anything like humour. Her smile was forced as she muttered a denial. If she could play the hormonal teenager it would make him stop.

I'm even legitimately hormonal, she thought. As a 17 year old fertility experiment I'm probably breaking hormone records.

Heh, quite a black and dark sense of humour Chloe has developed over here. But it makes sense that, given her circumstances, it would be the ONLY kind of humour she’d be able to indulge in.

She'd stopped sleeping completely except for half hour naps and the fits of exhaustion after she and Lex finished. Her limbs were dragging her slowly to the ground and she still managed to fill out scholarship forms and mail them out in symbols of hope. She might as well be making a thousand paper cranes and crossing her eyes, fingers and toes while she wished really hard.

ouch! Poor Chloe! I remember in the last update how it was described that she was edging on the outskirts of a nervous breakdown. Her state seems to have deteriorated even more since then.

“You're getting mature and dignified in preparation for your birthday and I won't have it. If I wanted a polite, respectful child I'd have adopted one. Make a rude face. I demand it. Ruin my appetite by flashing half chewed food. Like this.”

By setting a disgusting example her father got her laughing and her good mood lasted until he hugged her and left for work. She didn't want to go to school. Learning world history and math wasn't going to help her. She was cut off from any further information since Lionel had stopped calling on her. All her valuable leads were in Lex's hands and his investigators were people he trusted conditionally. She had to act out normal life and wait for him to save her.

LOL! I’m seriously loving Gabe. I liked how Nonky gave him ‘some’ flaws as a parent… like the fact that he doesn’t (or cannot) spend as much time with his daughter as she needs, but he’s still a loving, attentive father despite the lack of time he gets to share with her. I loved how he so skilfully managed to chase away her burdens, just for a little while. Lovely!

The only thing she had to look forward to was the short time when her insomnia was no match for their post fuck nap. She was seeing Lex that night. Maybe she'd stay passed out for a few hours.

LOL! You think Lex would be flattered in knowing that he’s basically CHloe’s only guarantee for a good night’s sleep nowadays? Heh, he’d probably find some way to twist it into feeding his guilt-complex.

The display showed Lex's name and she decided to pull over before she answered. He made her too nervous to drive while she was talking to him.

How pathetic am I, that I squeeed happily over the fact that I was about to see a Chlex conversation… even if it WAS only via phone-call. I’m desperate for Lo2E Lex and Chloe action…

*sniff* And it seems like I’m not going to be getting any of that for a whole now :( Please have her rescued soon and in Lex’s arms ASAP?

She hesitated over a goodbye and was glad when he hung up first. She felt flushed with gratitude and was crying so hard she had to take off her seatbelt and let it happen.

It worked. I don't understand how. I'm safe. Lionel can't get me.

The thoughts mixed in her head and she couldn't say she was happy yet. It would take a while but she had time.

Yayyy for Lex… he saved her!!! Woo hoo! I KNEW he’s find a way! That dear bald darling!

She didn't think to struggle until his help getting out of the car became wordlessly manhandling her toward a group of other men. They were all wearing suits, and seeing her as if she was a large bug. They worked for Lionel.

I'll never see my father again, she realized.

I have to hand it to Nonky for maximizing the angst… Chloe had not even gotten a chance to have even a ‘moment’ of happiness about the good news before she was suddenly thrown into Lionel’s brand of chaos and despair again.

She did everything she could to save herself. She screamed as loud and as long as she could, and tried to run though it hurt her arm when she jerked away. She kicked wildly when she was picked up and she threw her possessions to leave some sign behind that she had been taken against her will. People would see her car and know who the driver was. They would call her father and a search would begin. It was still daylight for a few more hours and the road was used often. Someone would come by and they would get help.

Loved this part… I really enjoyed seeing Chloe giving it all she got and biting, screaming, kicking and struggling like a madwoman for freedom. She put up quite an impressive struggle considering how exhausted she is.

Ugh! Where’s Clark when you need him?

Her legs hit a hard metal surface and she cried out in pain. Two of the men had her hoisted up between their bodies and they were handing her into a van. A third man pushed her into crouch on the floor, her legs cramping within seconds of being folded up. In her last glimpse of her normal life, Chloe saw the fields and barns of Smallville. They bore witness as no one else could in the sparsely populated outskirts of town.

Chloe’s frenzied, hysterical struggles only made this part all the more tragic poignant. She tried so HARD to defend herself, but still saw her freedom being snatched away. Poor Chloe… and the nastiness has only begun.

Synchronized to show up minutes after her car was stopped, an unmarked truck pulled up and the driver opened the trailer door. Positioning the ramp that formed when the door was tilted down to the street, the men rolled Chloe's idling car into the trailer and closed it. They picked up her scattered wallet, keys and other small items from her purse. In the late afternoon light they scanned the ground and were satisfied. There was nothing left of her in the unassuming spot, nor would anything be found.

Yikes… and I thought it was bad enough seeing Chloe overpowered and manhandled into the truck… she ALSO saw her last bit of hope for an investigation being swept off. This is terrible, Nonky… it’s just horrible, terrible… and I. Want. More!!!

The sickening movement of the van caused the first of many tears to fall as she huddled into herself and bit back more screams. She had to save her voice for a time when someone might hear.

excellent! Despite the horrible setback, she hasn’t given up hope yet. AND Lionel still doesn’t know about how far along Team Chlex has gotten in setting him up and putting him away. I imagine he has NO idea about Chlex Teams involvement with the Feds. He doesn’t have a chance in hell in getting away with any of his plans. But Chloe’s still in great danger… he could still kill her, and while he would go to jail for it, she’s still end up tortured and dead.

Scary times ahead… You ended this on a deliberate cliffhanger, Nonky… Now you have absolutely NO right to complain about people asking for an update. Next chapter NOW!!!

(please?)

superag

4th August 2007, 01:46

Where do you get your attn to detail. I just read through this whole fic and can't give it enough praise. I love how everything is there so vividly.

Truly, I suck at reviews but I have to say that you must finish this animal---soon. I love the strength that Chloe has in all that she's going through and Lionel being as evil as all get out.

Keep up the intensity and I'm looking forward to riding the wave.

showntell

4th August 2007, 02:19

oh poor Lionel...forced to play something he is not...it must have hurt his pride so much...the evil weasel!

Poor Chloe she seems to be barely hanging in there. I hope she isn't pregnant and that Lionel doesn't mess too much with her.

Porr Lex...Iknow where most of his bad reputation comes from...hos father bad mouthingn him behind his back. God so evil

And I love it!!

More please

dagney

4th August 2007, 14:52

Damn, my heart is racing after that last chapter. It's so sad that Chloe has already given up hope. Lex to the rescue. dagney

lilinny

5th August 2007, 04:24

Lionel had to have done this!! Bastard!! The tension is killing me and I love it!! Can't wait for what's next. Lex better be saving her.

skauble

8th August 2007, 05:21

Two things - this might not make sense since my eyes are too tired to do a good read through. If it doesn't please tell me.

It makes perfect sense to me. You should write tired more often…and not tired. In fact 24/7 writing sounds good to me. Lol

Umm…I mean, as a member of DBN, you should take some time and rest. (Man that killed me to write).

Second - I'll remind you this is not a nice story. I'll leave it at that for now. As usual, comments welcomed and I'll answer questions that don't ruin my plot.

So, does Lex get Chloe back and then they defeat Lionel in the end?

Or does that count as a question that ruins the plot?

Corinna Beckford was a long-time foster parent with a reputation that was better than saintly. She took in the troubled children of Metropolis already in their late teens, the ones who knew they had no chance of being adopted permanently. Their rebellions were dealt with fairly and reasonably, reassurances voiced as many thousands of times as they needed to believe they weren't in just another home. She didn't give up on any child, and her older foster children were living proof for new arrivals. She didn't stop looking after them after the government support cheques stopped. There was a depth of giving from her that made it nearly impossible to question her motives.

She was an ideal candidate to take over Chloe's care during her pregnancy. Lionel stood up as she was walked into his library, her wary eyes catching on his smile.

Man, the MB is up to something huge. And as much as I worry for Chlex I have to admit that it’s fascinating to watch how his mind works and his plans unfold. The way he managed to vilify everyone else involved was only eclipsed by the fact that some how he made himself the sympathetic hero of the piece.

You write Lionel expertly. Must be all the sleeping with him, huh? Lol

“You're getting mature and dignified in preparation for your birthday and I won't have it. If I wanted a polite, respectful child I'd have adopted one. Make a rude face. I demand it. Ruin my appetite by flashing half chewed food. Like this.”

OMG I love Gabe. I’m so glad that he cares so much about Chloe and at least *someone* besides Lex is truly worried for her.

Of course this only makes things worse. With a father who loves her so much it makes her so much more vulnerable to Lionel’s evil machinations. It would be awful for Chloe to have no one, but at least then Lionel would have no way to manipulate her into doing his bidding.

It worked. I don't understand how. I'm safe. Lionel can't get me.

The thoughts mixed in her head and she couldn't say she was happy yet. It would take a while but she had time.

I was so happy for Chloe here. It was almost as if a weight had been lifted of my own shoulders. But then…

She didn't think to struggle until his help getting out of the car became wordlessly manhandling her toward a group of other men. They were all wearing suits, and seeing her as if she was a large bug. They worked for Lionel.

She didn’t even get a whole day to be happy. Not even one hour to savor her illusion of freedom. It almost made me cry because your writing is so amazing that I can feel Chloe’s exhaustion with her.

I'll never see my father again, she realized.

This was sad. And I think it was even more heartbreaking that she only had the one thing to miss. You’re killing me, nonky.

The sickening movement of the van caused the first of many tears to fall as she huddled into herself and bit back more screams. She had to save her voice for a time when someone might hear.

At least she’s still fighting.

This story is *so* amazing and compelling…like a crack addiction. I *have* to have more. I *need* to know what happens to Chloe and what Lex does once he realizes that Chloe’s been taken. He’ll be beside himself. Not only is he falling for Chloe, but he’s based so much of his worth and ability to be different than his father on saving her. I can only imagine what he’ll become if he can’t. For Lionel’s sake he better hope that Lex rescues her.

And I know that you just gave us an absolutely wonderful update of Bald Buddies, but if you had another update of LoTE in you I wouldn’t turn it down. But no pressure on my oath as a DBN member…Do we have an oath Mindy?

~Sarah~

summer_enchanted

9th August 2007, 12:39

Please update again soon. I love stories with Lionel included.:)

Kaimore

12th August 2007, 08:30

Shit shit shit! Seriously where IS Clark when you need him. Then again it's not like he was ever there before.

malugargula

14th August 2007, 05:02

OMG
Lionel really is the devil in your fic
Bastard
Lex have to realize that something is wrong and look for her
Please more soon

theweirdchick

14th August 2007, 06:04

:eek: Holy crap another wonderful chapter. Chloes interaction with her father is heartbreaking. Wonder how long it'll take anyone (besides Lex) to realize that somethings wrong. I cant wait for another update.

buffiy18

16th September 2007, 21:10

Great chapter! I can't believe when some light was starting to show through for Chloe, she gets nabbed by the goons of that MB! That is what keeps this Story interesting. Hope Lex gets a clue before it's too late.

Please update soon. This is a tough place to leave us hanging for over a month. :wub:

tatie87

19th September 2007, 04:32

All I can say is wow. This chapter is killer. Lionel is EVIL!!! Can't wait until u update next. Hope its soon!!!!

somethingeasy

4th October 2007, 13:41

oh, don't mind me. I know that Nonky is busy working on Trauma and doesn't really have have time for a Chloe-kidnapped and suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning while stuffed at the back of a van-Sullivan. I'm just here trying to explain the situation to Chloe... She didn't understand why she had been abandoned at this horrible, traumatizing and frightening moment... Actually, she STILL doesn't seem to get it, but I'll try to explain it to her again. erm... it would be helpful if I knew what to SAY to her. Any advice, Nonky?

slayathon

7th November 2007, 07:42

Any chance for an update

planetcal

7th November 2007, 07:53

Yes please update this story!!!!!

tiger04

8th November 2007, 06:31

Please please update. :beg:

dagney

20th November 2007, 04:18

Whats it gonna take to get an update? Name it .. Dagney

MelBee1985

21st November 2007, 01:16

*sigh* Finaly got to read the WHOLE story (Spent part of the night catching up!) ... Boy.. I love this... I love 'love-hate' twisted stories... And eve more this one, because it's realistic at some point. Even more than most of Smallville episodes :D

Keep on.. Can't wait to read what's going on next!

Kit Merlot

28th November 2007, 04:37

Nonky, you have been doing an excellent job updating Graceful Exit, but please do not forget this fabulously angsty story.

I need to know what has happened to Chloe: was she kidnapped by Lionel's goons, or were those men in suits actually on Lex's side or the FBI's?

Please let us know--thanks!:grin3:

JateSkateFATE815

6th January 2008, 04:30

Please update this!!!

Skye

7th January 2008, 19:49

Yes please update this! I cannot wait to see what will happen next with Chloe and what Lex will do once he finds out about Chloe? More please???

dayamiracle

15th January 2008, 04:24

PLEASE UPDATE!!! I need to know what happened to Chloe....or what will happen to Chloe...sometime soon would be great!

Cassandra Jean

15th January 2008, 07:11

Are we going to be getting an update anytime soon? Pretty please?

tatie87

9th March 2008, 18:17

Ok I've just re-read this story and I'm still in love. I have to know how Lionel's evil plan is going to unfolds. Please don't forget about this story and update it.

tiger04

14th March 2008, 06:10

Please Please Please update!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leo Princess

21st September 2008, 03:20

I've been away for so long that I need to re-read. During Christmas, when school's no longer killing me (yes, I am back in school again).

Ok, screw Christmas and screw school. I re-read this all tonight, and now I'm a member of the pack of rabid fans hoping you'll throw a fresh bone.

Please?

tanza

21st September 2008, 13:56

Not sure how I managed to miss this fic for like 2 years....but I love it!! Is there going to be an update?

cypanache

5th October 2008, 21:46

I know I told you this last night, but I am insanely in love with this fic. I am always a fan of the slow-build fics, and your characterizations of Chloe and Lex and the almost unsolvable insurmountable 'relationship' they find themselves in is nothing short of brilliant.

I know this fic is on hiatus and may never be updated but for the amazing 28 chapters you've given us, I'm very grateful. Thank you.

Nimmie

25th January 2009, 12:11

He nodded. “You do whatever you want, but I’d appreciate it if you would let me use my mouth to make you cum. I want to make amends.”

OH MY GOD this is uber fantastic, never seen a submissive lex before and it's just an amazing concept.

He could be though imagine. Thats right you did for us! Have I told you I love your writing (checks log) yes I have, but again. I love this too!

Must read the rest of this then sleep it's already after 11pm.

Squeee!

N

ok, done now. yes it's on hiatus, I'm goona go out now and kidnap you a muse. ok....

thank you
N

purplemoon123

27th January 2009, 10:23

I freaking love this story!! It only took me a couple weeks to read. But damn it's so good!!!

“His expectations have increased recently. He wants to fuck me for my eighteenth birthday.”

Well shit!!!

Luthor family politics were twisted, but the personal interactions were Freudian to the extreme.

Yeah, you Luthor's are really fucked up.

“You didn’t rape me, he did, and it happened the first time he looked down my shirt and told me he could afford to buy and sell my life with his pocket change.”

*shudder and represses the urge to gag* I love the MB but in this story I want him to fry!!

They tell him that he might be dying and he goes out to trap a teenage girl into his bed to use her as a brood mare.

Really fry!!!

He had accepted the variables coming together when Chloe and Lex met, but the plan was for Lex to introduce her to sex in a way that would push her toward fidelity for self-protection. If she associated young men with being used and abused, she would appreciate the benefits of an older man looking to settle down.

Twisted sick fuck!!

The guileless smile she shot at her employer covered her triumph nicely, and Chloe was on her way home minutes later. Perhaps for the first time in recent memory, Lionel Luthor was in a bona fide snit.

Lionel really didn't think that his plans would be ruined. So glad they were.

“Hello. How are you?”

Chloe ignored the polite question. She was okay, but only if she could deal with things one at a time. Talking about Lionel while worrying about going to Lex’s bed was not possible. Therefore she was not fine, which was the only answer anyone ever wanted when they asked how you were. No one wanted the responsibility of having a casual greeting turn into a sob story unless they were facing Lana Lang and therefore craving it like mad.

*snort* ... *cackle*

Chloe Sullivan mattered far more than she should.

Lex is falling.

The dark-haired boy missed the anger in her tone as he glanced at her. He looked but didn’t see anything about her. He flashed the smile that had won her heart so many times and she felt nothing.

So glad that Chloe is finally realizing that Clark isn't what all her fantasies made him out to be.

“How long do you have before someone misses you?”

And she realized she had done such a good job distancing herself from everyone that they might not miss her for days.

Oh my poor Chloe!!

I’m working on it, Chloe, he thought. Just give me a chance.

Oh my poor Lex!!

She would never smile in his presence. He would see it through surveillance photos, so his curiosity would be satisfied even if his emotions were not. Even if those emotions were a hindrance and an embarrassment.

He just keeps falling!!

“Mr. Luthor, I’m afraid there’s something that will prevent your plans for Miss Sullivan. The test results from your most recent blood sample-”

Oh thank the lord!!

“Sir, I’m aware, but the young woman’s tests have been excellent. She will do fine.” He paused and cold hazel eyes waited for him to moisten very dry lips before he spoke again. “There is a 70 per cent chance that you are infertile.”

Please let there be a report that changes it to 100 percent of infertility.

“Will I still be able to perform sexually,” he asked.

The doctor’s chagrin was palpable.

“I believe so, sir.”

Like I've said in this story the MB needs to fry!!! *shudder* I think that for this story his acronym should be changed to DSB; Disgusting Sick Bastard!!

"I hate this," Chloe said tonelessly. "I hate you. I’ll never have any kind of life now."

Oh, my poor Chloe. She's coming to the end of her rope and has no idea where to turn.

In the last few seconds before sleep, Lex realized he might be able to tell what Chloe was feeling, but he had no such recognition in himself.

Please do tell!!

Lex had specified a female doctor, the younger the better. He saw no reason to inflict more male authority figures on Chloe when she was grappling with too many taking over her life. He felt bad that a lot of his protection came in the form of directions on how to live. When she was older and recovered, he wanted her to be able to trust a man again. His father had ruined too much happiness.

LOVE your Lex!!! So understanding and just wanting for Chloe to feel safe and secure. Well the most that she can be while having Lionel breathing down her neck.

Lionel kissed her cheek, his hands sliding to her arms. He met her eyes and the fear there pleased him, so he gentled his grip.

*gag* DSB!!!

He blinked, testosterone clouding his apprehension. He hadn’t been careful enough. He had let Chloe and her frankness touch him. He’d been making love to her.

That was amazing!!! Makes my Chlexy heart pitter patter!!!

"Move your knees wider," he suggested. He pushed the loose folds of her robe out of the way and tried not to see the pain in her eyes. Chloe did it and tried again. It wasn’t much better and she shook her head. "Lean in and give it a minute. Tell me what kind of dog I should get."

Her arms went around his neck and she smiled on his shoulder for a split second.

Love this interaction!! They're having sex yet they're discussing pet's and what would be better suited for Lex. Just lovely!!!

Lex forced his body down into the sofa as she came, her hands meeting at the middle of his back and hugging him forward. He let the pressure in his groin release.

She was still hot around him when the doorbell rang. Chloe’s spine stiffened, her wary eyes on his.

"Lex, open up," Lionel called through the door.

Amazing hotness ruined by DSB!! He did it on purpose so that any time she had sex with Lex she would be afraid of him showing up again. He needs to fry!!

"Mmm, well," he mused, stroking his beard. "Perhaps I’ll have to find out what I’m missing. In the meantime, I want you to make the Brussels trip this year. You’ll leave on the 17th."

No you won't you sick fuck!!! Fry him! FRY him!!!!!

"I’m sorry, too. Hey, I forgot my lunch. Can I beg half a sandwich from you," he asked.

She hadn’t taken sandwiches to school in years. Chloe handed him her last five dollars and immediately realized it was her lunch money.

You got to be kidding me!! He can't speedy on home and make something but he can surely beg of Chloe. He can't even ask her how she's doing or if she's covered for her own lunch. Oh no he's too busy being Mr. Popular to even worry about his friend.

She checked the itinerary on the fridge after school and tears beaded in the corners of her eyes. Her father was back for the rest of the week

*sniffle* Just what Chloe needs. Her daddy. *continues sniffling*

He won't save her out of goodness, Lionel thought. Ambition and spite are more likely. She won't be able to trust him because she knows better. I'm betting all she can think about is my deadline on her birthday.

Lex won't save Chloe out of goodness but out of love. Never thoughtout that Lex might fall for her. Stupid sick fuck.

Most of the components were ready; all but one person was aware of the orders. He would schedule that meeting for tomorrow. He felt very sure, as settled into his plans as Lex was uneasy. It was about time Lex learned what it was to worry.

I don't like this!!! I really don't like this!!!

“I'm the crux of everything and nothing,” she murmured. “What a stupid world.”

WOW!! I have no words!! But WOW!!

This story is simply amazing!!! Please come back I need to know what happens!!! Even if it is rocks fall and everyone dies, well not really but how about rocks fall and they all land on Lionel and a couple rocks with small amount of Kryptonite land on Clark. :grin3:

*edited*

Missed the second part of chapter 28 and I gotta say. Holy fucking shit!!! You need to come back to this. We have that sick fuck deceiving an innocent woman about his "drug addicted son and girlfriend" so he can "protect" his "grandchild". And he's descrediting Gabe, he wished he could be a father as good as Gabe.

And also he just had Chloe kidnapped!!!! Please, please, please you need to fix this!!!!!!!

ptite_mily

20th August 2009, 19:06

You can't just leave it there !!! What know ? I want to know what happens to Chloe.
Will you be able to update soon ?
Pleasepleaseplease

macgurL91

10th October 2009, 20:17

what the?.. will there ever be an update?.. i am in need of an update.. and badly... please write some more... been too long now...(=

kitten

15th October 2009, 22:33

somethingeasy

16th October 2009, 08:10

maja

21st November 2009, 19:31

Great fic. I hope you will update it someday.

kitten

23rd November 2009, 11:10

Chapter 29

Chloe made herself stop crying with effort, sorry she had let Lionel's thugs see it from her. They didn't laugh at her – they were professionals – but they were definitely pleased with themselves for scaring her. One came close to stepping on her as he took his seat. She had been ashamed to hear herself yelp in alarm. Her mouth was set in anguish but she wasn't whimpering.

Noises were bleeding together like ink from wet paper. She heard one harsh male voice far away at first, before it was joined by another, both circling her predatorially. She ducked her head low to protect herself as well as she could, but neither of the men was even paying attention to her. They were having two different conversations, from two different ends of the van. She was going crazy.

Panic wore out slowly, letting her sluggish thoughts get somewhere. She wasn't going to able to physically get herself off the floor quickly. Her legs were tingling painfully. Motion sickness was numbing her stomach, made worse by the fear pumping inexorably through her blood. She could sit and think, but she couldn't be calm. Simple logic slogged in her mind, and she cursed the irony of being too quick at all other times.

When I don't show up, Lex will look for me, she told herself. I can survive anything for a few hours. Lionel doesn't want me dead.

She couldn't take on several men, nor was she going to be able to run from them after being jostled around on the van's floor. She had to wait and hope one of her choices had been right.

Lex looked at his watch and did the math again, hoping it was wrong. Chloe hadn't arrived and she'd had more than three hours to get there. He had checked traffic reports, but even a highway pile-up shouldn't have kept her this long. The weather was fine, and there were no significant delays. He had called the front desk to make sure the guard didn't turn her away, and added Chloe to the list of approved guests. He put down his empty glass and refused himself another.

He called the guards he had watching his father. Lionel was still on the premises at LuthorCorp, his meetings continuing like any normal day. No suspect vehicles had been there, no extra activity or hints of the plan going into effect were observed.

I would have known, he thought bitterly. I would have seen the his smugly malicious face and known today he was going to take her. I didn't want to face him until I had the upper hand.

She had been missing for hours, her cellphone ringing endlessly but never being answered. The guards told him there was no sign she had left Smallville's limits, all the while Lex had been indulging in self pity. He should have sent someone to bring her safely to him, or gone himself. Secrecy was a lesser concern than Chloe's safety.

He listened to the excuses and facts his employee kept listing out, tensing into a rage he couldn't vent. It wasn't anybody's fault except his own. Lex cleared his throat and interrupted. "I don't want to know the details unless they mean something useful," he said. "Look for her, everywhere, anywhere, follow any lead you get. I'm going to try her cousin." He hung up and pulled on his coat, rushing out the door.

The van rolled to a smooth stop after going very slowly for a quarter mile. Chloe figured it had to be a driveway of some sort because it was too even to be a secondary road. She pushed her back to the wall as the men got out of their seats. One of them reached for her, and she startled.

“Have to tie you,” he said blankly. “Hands, now.”

He grabbed for her again, roughly pushing her wrists together. Chloe looked at his unshaven face, and realized he was completely ordinatry looking. He had to be a few years older than Lex, but he was doughy in the middle and had a patch of acne on his cheek. She wouldn't have been afraid of him any other time. He wasn't even very brutal when he looped a plastic strip over her hands and pulled it tight so it locked shut.

“Please,” she whispered hoarsely, but he was already standing up and climbing down. The other men stood to either side, as if she could somehow lope away like a deer. She flicked her gaze around as they pulled her to her feet. It was evening, and they weren't in the city. The clear sky was bright like it would snow. She nearly fell as she climbed down, and the same guy who tied her caught her arm.

“Walk,” he directed.

The van doors closed with huge echoes in the empty space. She jumped. There were so many men, so many footsteps trailing behind her purposefully. She wasn't wearing her coat and it had been cold in the van. Chloe's teeth chattered audibly. She was led up a stone porch, into an alcove while the men unlocked the door. The house was not overly large, but it looked fancy. Her legs dragged a little as she was led over the threshold and into the dark interior. There was no heat inside, either.

Automatically, she started looking around for something to help herself. It wasn't very homey. Everything was expensively useless, and pristine. It was obviously not a full-time home, though she could sense a kind of occupancy from the way there was a mat in front of the doorway, and a coat rack off to the side. Lionel owned property all over the state, but she couldn't say where she was. It was debateable if the house even had a land line telephone or internet.

“Up,” her escort urged, his voice devoid of anything as he turned toward the stairs. She hadn't gone far when another man took her opposite arm to tug her to him.

“I'll take her,” he said jovially, and his tone was offensively happy. She turned to the blank man, but he gave her up without a hint of expression to tell her what was going on. The new hand on her tightened until she stepped left, in front of him as they ascended. She nearly had to run up the stairs to stay away from the grinding brushes into her hips.

The dimness made things nightmarishly vague when she desperately needed her observations to make a difference. He trotted her to a door and pushed it in on a creaky hinge. His crowding into her back made Chloe turn around hurriedly. He chuckled with soft cruelty. He wasn't ordinary at all. His face was lined with an expression of masculine bravado, and he had permanently narrowed eyes. His hand came off her to dip into his pocket, and came up with a folding knife. She flinched hard, stumbling into the room he'd opened.

“Just letting your hands free. Hold still. There's no where you can get to, now.”

He pulled her arms out and notched the knife under the binding. His mouth curled into what she assumed was left of his smile. The almost-sad guard might have pity, but this one liked her fear. She froze in place and hoped he was only going to cut what he'd said he would.

“You're going to make a pretty baby,” he said quietly, leering at her as he cut the plastic around her wrists. “Don't worry, we'll loosen you up.”

He barked out a cold laugh as his hand went down to his crotch to adjust the bulge there. Chloe slammed the door in his face, but she quickly realized the luxurious bedroom was no safer. The door locked from the outside, and she hauled a shallow, loud inhale through her nose.

Lionel had a reason for keeping her alive and relatively healthy, but his employees just wanted money and their turns with her. She didn't even know how to be afraid of what was happening.

Lex looked around the lobby of the respectable building, his eyes refusing to focus on the names next to buzzers. He missed the Lane apartment three times before finding it and leaning on the button. A female voice answered in a grunt.

“Hello? My name is Lex and I'm looking for Chloe Sullivan,” he started, but the buzzer drowned him out. He wondered if he was on camera and looking overwrought. He had fixed his clothing and washed his face before getting in the car, but he felt untidy and haggard.

It's not about you, he thought bitterly. None of this is about how you look. Be convincingly terrified and you'll get more from Chloe's cousin. Make her believe you're worried about Chloe, because it's certainly true.

He let himself in and rode the elevator in silence. It was without any bland background music, and the wait was an invitation to brood about what had happened to the the young woman he kept failing to protect. He had told her the worst was over, and his overconfidence made them both vulnerable. His fists jammed into his pockets, trying to channel some anxiety to stretching his jacket.

A tall brunette was standing outside when the elevator stopped. He looked her over with shock. There was no trait familiar to him – nothing that marked her as a relative to her younger cousin. Lex put his hand out.

“It's nice to meet you. I've heard-”

“Chloe doesn't talk about me to strangers,” Lois snapped. “Come on. We're talking about this in private.”

She shut the door behind them and stood with crossed arms, waiting for him to explain himself. Lex tried to meet her eyes and could only fake it. She sighed impatiently. “Chloe's not here, but she's an awesome person, so if she dumped you I'm not going to change her mind,” the young woman told him rudely.

Lois Lane was too much, and she dressed like it. Her shirt was too tight, too low and too red. Her jeans skimmed her legs like tights. Even her hair hung overgrown down her back. Her bold makeup made her look too young for it and simultaneously worn. She might possess a good mind and tact, but she only used the desperate toughness he now recognized as the inspiration for Chloe's hooker alter-ego.

“I don't want to bother her. She's missing. She was leaving Smallville to come see me, and I know exactly when she left. She should be here by now, and there's no sign of her,” he said carefully. “I'm worried.”

Eyes narrowed, Lois uncrossed her arms and shifed on her feet. “You're not traffic accident worried, or she-stood-me-up worried. What do you think happened to her?”

The truth was ripping through his veins in waves of thwarted adrenaline, but he couldn't use it with Lois. The story was too strange and complicated. It required proof and time to unravel. Lois was already suspicious. Revealing the situation to her family wouldn't save Chloe; it would only humilate her to the very people she needed to feel comfortable at all. It had to be a lie, but a close enough lie that whatever Lois might know would still be helpful.

“My father is a controlling man,” Lex said. “He would not approve of my dating Chloe and if he found out he might . . . borrow her for a meeting to either threaten her or bribe her out of my life. Now, I'm not saying Chloe and I will be together forever, but I don't want her to be terrorized. People should be afraid of my father. I-” he chuckled humourlessly, “-am afraid of my father.”

“So your scary dad took my cousin and you're not at the police station because?!”

“If the authorities are involved he'll cover everything up. That's usually not good for the people in the middle of things he's done. My father does this rather habitually. I can work against him subtly but if I declare war over this . . . I think Chloe is smart enough to play along, so she'll be angry but okay. He has no reason to hurt her.”

The brunette pulled a cellphone from her pocket and held it up. Her mouth twisted angrily. “Tell me again why I shouldn't call the police,” she jeered.

Lois Lane had more than one road rage incident in her file, and a few bar brawls. For someone barely out of high school it was almost impressive. She wasn't the type of woman to worry about her manicure if she thought he needed to be punched. Lex was proficient with a gun, but he didn't fight women. He backed down from Chloe's cousin, and she smiled a little in victory.

“If you call the police they'll put Gabe Sullivan on the news asking for his daughter back,” he said reasonably. “They'll start looking at Chloe's friends and family, then her boyfriends. They will spend hours and hours questioning me, because there's a direct connection. But they would never think of my father and he would have plenty of time to react badly. I know you love Chloe, but give me a day to fix this quietly.”

He gave her the unflinching stare that he learned in boardrooms. Her phone lowered as he watched her wilt. Lois blinked rapidly.

“I didn't know she was coming into the city,” she said. “I barely knew she was dating you. I don't think I can help, but I won't call yet.”

Lex nodded silently, and she glared at his sympathy.

“In twenty-four hours I want to be hugging Chloe! You're not the only one with a scary dad.”

General Sam Lane wasn't the most laid-back man, and he had a barracks full of new recruits to command. Lex hoped he didn't have to face Chloe's uncle with his hasty lies. He felt nervous just dealing with Lois. He tried not to let on how disappointed he was to have wasted precious time. He knew as much as anyone and it felt like nothing.

Chloe paced for a while, but she eventually had to admit that she needed to use the bathroom. The door had been taken down, as had the closet door. There was no window. Fresh patches of plaster were probably phone jacks that were filled in recently. There were no clocks, though she thought her watch was correct. It was getting late and her stomach was growling. She couldn't eat what they gave her, obviously, but she drank water from the bathroom tap.

Lionel will be finished work by now, she told herself. He has a long drive before he gets here. He might even eat first.

Her simple dinner had made it clear there was no private chef, so she really might have extra time while he had dinner. A tiny hope flickered like a guttering candle, and she tried to hold her breath inside her mind. She had to think about what might happen soon, but not too closely. The room was full of things to use, if she just figured out a plan.

Everyone she met kept trying to convince her she was just her body, but she knew she had a good mind. A tear fell to the floor, but Chloe kept moving around the big, cold room, thinking.

westwingwolf

23rd November 2009, 15:53

I know this is not going to end well. Great job keeping up the tension. Please let Lex find her, though I have a strong feeling it will be too late. Loved the interaction between Lois and Lex, it felt very real, I wish the subject could have been on better terms but still loved the work.

hfce

24th November 2009, 00:55

That was scary eek!! This won't end good. :eek:

Kit Merlot

24th November 2009, 01:01

I'm hoping against hope that Chloe finds a way to escape or that Lex finds her before Lionel gets to her or before his goons decide to "loosen her up."

The Lex/Lois conversation was wonderful--they both care for Chloe and want her back safely.

Thank you for updating this fic.

dkfuryan

24th November 2009, 02:33

so beautiful, yet very dark themes. I can't see this ending well for either of them. can't wait for your next update.

ambrosine

24th November 2009, 07:18

Wow. This fic is intense. I really hope Lex can intervene in time!

somethingeasy

25th November 2009, 17:50

Panic wore out slowly, letting her sluggish thoughts get somewhere. She wasn't going to able to physically get herself off the floor quickly. Her legs were tingling painfully. Motion sickness was numbing her stomach, made worse by the fear pumping inexorably through her blood. She could sit and think, but she couldn't be calm. Simple logic slogged in her mind, and she cursed the irony of being too quick at all other times.

Very nicely done, Nonky! I appreciated the visceral way that you portrayed Chloe’s panic, despair and terror… and the way that these emotions were insidiously stealing away her strength and equilibrium. I also really liked the way Chloe is telling herself to snap out of it; scolding herself for showing weakness in front of her kidnappers, even with the panicked terror clogging up her brain. This was a great way to set the scene for certain terrors and horrors on the way… erm… so when are those terrors and horrors coming exactly…?

When I don't show up, Lex will look for me, she told herself. I can survive anything for a few hours. Lionel doesn't want me dead.

heh… I’ll just bet that Lex would have been, not gratified, but humbled and horrified to know that how much Chloe was depending on him. He just doesn’t have faith in his own ability to save anyone. Good thing that Chloe (and the readers) know better that to use Lex’s self-assessment as final say on what he’s truly capable of!

I would have known, he thought bitterly. I would have seen the his smugly malicious face and known today he was going to take her. I didn't want to face him until I had the upper hand.

She had been missing for hours, her cellphone ringing endlessly but never being answered. The guards told him there was no sign she had left Smallville's limits, all the while Lex had been indulging in self pity. He should have sent someone to bring her safely to him, or gone himself. Secrecy was a lesser concern than Chloe's safety.

heh… I can see it’s barely been about a half-hour before Lex started wondering whether anything horrible happened to Chloe, and yet he’s well on his way to piling on the guilt and blame on himself. Martyr complex indeed, LOL! But I loved the way that he’s rushing forward on action, even in the middle of all the self-pity. Now there’s the delightful difference between Clark and Lex… Clark can most usually only focus on self-pity, whereas Lex knows how to multi-task!

He grabbed for her again, roughly pushing her wrists together. Chloe looked at his unshaven face, and realized he was completely ordinatry looking. He had to be a few years older than Lex, but he was doughy in the middle and had a patch of acne on his cheek. She wouldn't have been afraid of him any other time. He wasn't even very brutal when he looped a plastic strip over her hands and pulled it tight so it locked shut.

“Please,” she whispered hoarsely, but he was already standing up and climbing down. The other men stood to either side, as if she could somehow lope away like a deer. She flicked her gaze around as they pulled her to her feet. It was evening, and they weren't in the city. The clear sky was bright like it would snow. She nearly fell as she climbed down, and the same guy who tied her caught her arm.

“Walk,” he directed.

woah! This was a scarily accurate portrayal of a real thug, Nonky! Not someone who has become a hired thug because he enjoys inflicting pain and fear in others… but just an average-joe, who probably considers himself a nice guy… and in fact might be a nice guy, except for his inability to say ‘stop’ when he sees someone else doing evil things.

I loved the way that you captured him, not as evil, but just vacant, empty, lethargic and disinterested… and just as guilty of the wrong-doing as the person who planned and financed this kidnapping.

Automatically, she started looking around for something to help herself. It wasn't very homey. Everything was expensively useless, and pristine. It was obviously not a full-time home, though she could sense a kind of occupancy from the way there was a mat in front of the doorway, and a coat rack off to the side. Lionel owned property all over the state, but she couldn't say where she was. It was debateable if the house even had a land line telephone or internet.

Nonky, I loved the way that you captured the essence of a ‘gilded cage’ with this paragraph without actually using the clichéd phrase ‘gilded cage’.

The dimness made things nightmarishly vague when she desperately needed her observations to make a difference. He trotted her to a door and pushed it in on a creaky hinge. His crowding into her back made Chloe turn around hurriedly. He chuckled with soft cruelty. He wasn't ordinary at all. His face was lined with an expression of masculine bravado, and he had permanently narrowed eyes. His hand came off her to dip into his pocket, and came up with a folding knife. She flinched hard, stumbling into the room he'd opened.

I thought the first guard was terrible enough… but this guard was horrific! Now this is what we all imagine (in our nightmarish visions) when conjuring up the image of a vicious, brutal thug. Someone huge and strong who likes to use his strength to humiliate, bully and hurt others, for no other reason but pure amusement and enjoyment. The worst part is that I’m SURE that Lionel chose this kind of a guard on purpose, giving him strict instructions to freely frighten Chloe without actually ‘damaging’ her.

“You're going to make a pretty baby,” he said quietly, leering at her as he cut the plastic around her wrists. “Don't worry, we'll loosen you up.”

oh dear heavens, EW!! I wanted to cringe away from the screen, and from this guard character. I can’t imagine how dirty and disgusted Chloe must have felt in this man’s presence, where she could feel and smell him as well as listen to his repulsive words.

Your did a great job in building up the bleakness of Chloe’s situation, Nonky! Well done!

It's not about you, he thought bitterly. None of this is about how you look. Be convincingly terrified and you'll get more from Chloe's cousin. Make her believe you're worried about Chloe, because it's certainly true.

woah! Now this was a shocking, but pleasant, twist to the story. So Lois has been brought in as an active character? Awesome! Although Lex must be really desperate for help and leads if he’s approaching this stranger for assistance… so it’s not really the best of signs all things considered.

She shut the door behind them and stood with crossed arms, waiting for him to explain himself. Lex tried to meet her eyes and could only fake it. She sighed impatiently. “Chloe's not here, but she's an awesome person, so if she dumped you I'm not going to change her mind,” the young woman told him rudely.

Lois Lane was too much, and she dressed like it. Her shirt was too tight, too low and too red. Her jeans skimmed her legs like tights. Even her hair hung overgrown down her back. Her bold makeup made her look too young for it and simultaneously worn. She might possess a good mind and tact, but she only used the desperate toughness he now recognized as the inspiration for Chloe's hooker alter-ego.

LOL! Can you imagine Chloe’s blush and Lois’s rage if Lex ever voiced this opinion out loud… the idea that Chloe channeled Lois’s personality during her role as a hooker? ROTFLMAO! Damn, I’m already looking forward to the chapter where they can all be relaxed enough for that little confession to come forward for a short comedic moment.

But I really loved your brief, insightful and very compelling portrayal of Lois Lana, Nonky. Yes, she sounds brash, tactless and loud on the side of vulgar and tasteless… but she also sounds tough, aggressive, action-oriented and unstoppable. All in all, a great ally for anyone to have on their side. I think approaching Lois is one of the smartest moves Lex could have made… even if it WAS an act done in desperation.

“My father is a controlling man,” Lex said. “He would not approve of my dating Chloe and if he found out he might . . . borrow her for a meeting to either threaten her or bribe her out of my life. Now, I'm not saying Chloe and I will be together forever, but I don't want her to be terrorized. People should be afraid of my father. I-” he chuckled humourlessly, “-am afraid of my father.”

Very nice! I loved the way that Lex managed to come up with a story, right on the spot, that weaved truth and fiction into it so skillfully. Not only that, but he came up with this story under the panicky pressure of realizing that he cannot tell this scary woman that he raped her cousin the evening when he first met her, and since then has assigned himself as her sex-providing protector… awwwkwaaard!

Lois Lane had more than one road rage incident in her file, and a few bar brawls. For someone barely out of high school it was almost impressive. She wasn't the type of woman to worry about her manicure if she thought he needed to be punched. Lex was proficient with a gun, but he didn't fight women. He backed down from Chloe's cousin, and she smiled a little in victory.

LOL! I had to admit that I laughed in delight at the visual of Lex backing down, cringing from this scary lady… and it was even funnier seeing Lois exulting in the knowledge that she made him flinch, LOL!

“If you call the police they'll put Gabe Sullivan on the news asking for his daughter back,” he said reasonably. “They'll start looking at Chloe's friends and family, then her boyfriends. They will spend hours and hours questioning me, because there's a direct connection. But they would never think of my father and he would have plenty of time to react badly. I know you love Chloe, but give me a day to fix this quietly.”

erm… does Lex want Lois’s help even the slightest bit? Because I’m seeing him telling Lois that Chloe might be in dire kidnapped danger, but he’s also asking Lois not to interfere with his search for Chloe? So does he want her help or not?!

Anyhow, I agree with his reason that they should proceed cautiously and discretely (for now). Perhaps he’s hoping that Lois will be available to bring out the big guns, in the form of General Lane, if the situation becomes desperate enough. I can see how that would work.

Her simple dinner had made it clear there was no private chef, so she really might have extra time while he had dinner. A tiny hope flickered like a guttering candle, and she tried to hold her breath inside her mind. She had to think about what might happen soon, but not too closely. The room was full of things to use, if she just figured out a plan.

Everyone she met kept trying to convince her she was just her body, but she knew she had a good mind. A tear fell to the floor, but Chloe kept moving around the big, cold room, thinking.

At least Chloe is not being kept starving while waiting for Lionel to arrive. Knowing Lionel he would easily have ordered his men to keep Chloe hungry until he was ready to meet her. I guess he didn’t want to waste time feeding her before getting on with his torture upon his arrival.

I loved the way that Chloe is building up her strength and resolve… telling herself that it doesn’t matter how everyone around her keeps treating her like a disposable toy, because she knows she has worth and value that’s beyond any price they can command… the only thing they CAN do is use force to ‘steal’ her, since they cannot afford to buy her.

This is building up to a tense, ominous note, Nonky! I can’t believe you left it off over here. Come back and update now!! … please?!??

MelBee1985

26th November 2009, 03:48

Finally caught up to the last updated chapter! Well, I'm afraid Lionel will put his hands on her :( but I'm hoping for Lex to find wherever she is, though I doubt it. Lionel probably planned everything and by the time Lex can figure out where she might be, Lionel will have what he wants.

Awesome fic so far. I don't see Chlex love in a near future, so either the fics ends soon (no love) or to have love there will need to be alot more updates (who complains about it anyway :D ), hehe.

Keep going on ;)

MagnusXXN

26th November 2009, 16:15

Wow, I've been lurking on this story too long. Now I gotta post. Sweet! Can't wait to read more. See how things turn out. Didn't Lois know who Lex was? I mean, other then thinking he was Chloe's ex?

Anyway, it might be interesting to see General Lane come into the picture. Don't think he'd be too happy with what daddy Luther had planned. And seriously, a general could have him killed so much quicker then Lex could.

): )

MagnusXXN

7th February 2010, 22:16

Update now!

): )

meriks

5th April 2010, 00:33

please update this beautiful story=)

athena

8th April 2010, 05:23

Although I'm sure next chapter will be dark and scary, I couldn't stop myself from begging you for an update, Nonky.

Would you please update this fic soon?

Avalanche

9th April 2010, 04:32

Folks are still eagerly salivating over the torment and anguish to come! Though we marvel at your offerings and relish them all anew when the thought strikes, we still yearn for more!

kitten

9th April 2010, 09:42

NC-17/ Angst

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

Distribution: I have posted these stories and have control of them on this site. I don't want them to be posted anywhere else unless I'm the one posting them. Please take down my stories if you have them posted on another archive site. I understand I can't stop you from doing this but I hope by asking politely you'll respect my work and my wishes. If anyone has more comfort and convenience saving the text of a story to their own computer, I have no problem with that.

Spoilers: All up to Season 4, except things will be twisted to the tune of Lex having never moved to Cowtown, U.S.A.

A/N: What would Chloe Sullivan have had to do to get from under Lionel Luthor’s thumb if Lex had never moved to Smallville? What would she have had to sacrifice to earn the son’s help against the father?

AU for Season 3 and 4, and strongly rated for a good reason:
THERE WILL BE BORDERLINE NON-CONSENSUAL SEX.

Chapter Thirty

Lucas Dunlevy took his beer and left a few coins for the bartender. His luck was on a downswing, and he was in the market for some good karma. Behind him, he heard the coins being slung angrily into a tip jar. He couldn't afford much karma.

He was Lionel Luthor's son, illegitimate and largely unremarkable but for the trouble he found. He was about to become legal, and his gambling debts were substantial. It was believed he would inherit at least some of the Luthor fortune, if only to slight his half-brother. Their father had a sense of whimsy about his money. He'd joked about leaving it all to animal shelters rather than his son. Lucas was a secret, and he ventured his only value to Lionel was as a second son. Julian would have made a spare, but Lucas was born at a time when Lex had been an only child. It was the difference between a rushed abortion and a leveraged investment in his childhood.

The old bastard won't leave me a dime, Lucas thought. I could ask Lex, but he's not going to be interested in my problems. I have to make a deal.

He swung the bottle up and down in jerky swigs, trying to get some alcohol into his system quickly. The bar had a few pool tables and a dark section of tables with single chairs; the hardcore drunks congregated there. Most slouched, smelled bad and had weathered features. One was a bright-eyed young man a few years older than Lucas. He smiled and gestured to the second chair he'd pulled over.

“Good evening,” he said pleasantly. “You're drinking domestic? I guess you don't have our payment.”

He tipped back on his chair, his face measuring Lucas as he sat. He insisted on being called Regency, his code name, but there was such a thing as Luthor arrogance. It was a dominant gene.

“Reg! How are you? The wife and kids good?” Lucas tapped his bottle on the tumbler in front of his contact. “Great!'

Neither married, nor a father, the older man shrugged philosophically. “You know I have to ask about the money,” he said seriously. “Can you give me anything? I can talk to him about you if I have a grand, even.”

He brought his chair down and Lucas sighed. “I don't have the money. I've hit a losing streak, and my family doesn't give a shit-”

A round, hard press to his knee under the table made him stop, and Lucas identified the gun as a .45. Regency was scowling, his hands out of sight.

“I don't give a shit. Your family might care if you wound up in the harbour. You should make the call. You don't want to be one of the man's high-profile deadbeats,” the bookie murmured lowly. “You need to hand over something tonight, or you need to do that favour that was mentioned a while back.”

He didn't love his father, but Lucas didn't think arranging a meeting between Lionel and Morgan Edge was a favour for both of them. He'd used people, but he'd never sent anyone to die. Edge wanted a private meeting outside the city, away from the bulk of the LuthorCorp security. He wouldn't say why. Their shared history was not common knowledge and Lionel Luthor did not openly associate with criminals. He wouldn't take the meeting for Lucas' sake, even if he'd been asked to do so. It implied assassination, though no one had said as much.

“I bribed his driver,” Lucas said slowly. “You're sure this is all I need to clear my debt? I mean, you told me it was but I want to hear it again.”

“Mr. Edge has a business proposition for Mr. Luthor, and needs a meeting to pitch it,” Regency said, pulling the gun back. “There's no conspiracy, and you're just a conduit to get that meeting. It's a big favour, and we would value it generously. Mr. Edge gets his face time with your father and your debt is gone.”

It was too good to be true, and Lucas knew that. The swirling in his stomach reminded him it was empty stomach and his wallet even emptier. He looked at the bookie with disdain, but the other man didn't flinch. He was probably lying, or Edge was lying through him.

Lucas could still feel the chill of the gun on his leg. His last cash had gone to Lionel's driver and the bartender. He wasn't feeling good about walking away from this.

“There's a house outside the city. After work, probably pretty late, he'll be going there,” he said, his voice faint. “I have a map.”

He reached slowly into his jacket and took the folded paper out. It was similarly tucked away by Regency, who then stood up with a wide grin. “See, man? Easy. Don't worry so much.”

My father never loved me, he told himself. He never wanted me and he was never going to acknowledge me. He was never going to forgive me for not being the one who died.

Lucas downed the last of his beer but it wasn't enough. He reached for Reg's glass and drank it with a grimace. He wanted to follow Regency, shove him to the ground and take that gun away. He wanted the map back in his pocket. He wanted to forget playing peek-a-boo behind his father's tie.

Lionel walked into the bedroom slowly, hands in pockets as the guards locked the door behind him. Chloe stood up with a flinch. She told herself he was no more powerful now than before. He had her kidnapped and that was leverage. She could threaten him with the police.

“You didn’t touch your dinner,” he chided, his tone falsely gentle. He helped himself to a bite of the roll, then tossed it back to the plate.

“Let me go,” she said firmly. “People are looking for me. I’m not eighteen yet – the police will listen to my father. I’ll tell them you took me.”

She had felt the panic curdle in her stomach for hours, and Chloe was ready to make concessions. She’d give promises that disgusted her, and tell Lionel the things she knew about Clark. She would trade another girl to take her place, if that would save her. She wished she had been unsafe with Lex so she could make Lionel believe she was already pregnant by his son.

If there was anything good about the time to think, she had put all the smaller differences together in a cohesive whole picture. Lex was misguided, callous and wounded, but he wasn’t evil. He didn’t want to see Chloe suffer or ruin her life, even if he considered himself ruined by the things Lionel had used him to do to her.

The long, ugly wait was giving her less room to exist. Bits of who she thought she was were falling away like rotting petals on a crushed flower. Evil seeped over her life and dissolved holes. She couldn’t feel the protection of innocence anymore. She tried to focus on the good people in her life, but those were the ones who had no idea what was happening to her; she had taken pains to lie to them.

“Good evening, my dear,” he greeted calmly. “I’m sorry about the short notice, but I was so eager to see you. It’s time for us to find the increase in each other that we have only before discussed.”

His genteel, almost shy phrasing made her furious. He was standing there and implying with his sloped shoulders that she was the one being crass in her reactions.

“I’m going to wrap up some things before we begin. You should run a bath and wash your hair. It’s nice to soak after a trip,” Lionel smiled. “Put on the gown in the armoire, too. I had to estimate your size, but I think it will be lovely.”

Chloe sneered aloud, her face curling into a mask of distaste. “I won’t clean myself up so you can rape me!”

He blinked, but didn’t respond with outrage. “Bathe or I’ll send someone in to help you get ready. If you want the same men who dragged you out of your car to handle you and take off your clothing, be stubborn. I expect they’re hoping for their chances with you.”

Lionel’s hair shone in the diamond-faceted reflections of light down from the chandelier. He was flattered by the soft, artificial diffusion over his stark cheekbones. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut just before tears rolled out. She opened them to see his slow grin unfurling.

“This can be a private getaway just between us, or you can be a petulant whore in denial of your purpose, Chloe. I would think a bubble bath and a glass of wine before bed would be preferable to a group of thugs fingering you before they tie you down.”

There was a low, tuneless droning in her head and she felt dizzy as she turned mechanically. Chloe walked slowly into the bathroom and turned on the water. She waited to hear the bedroom door shut, and swallowed back tears.

Some woman in Lionel’s employ had bought high-end soap, shampoo, and lotion with the scent of roses. It was an old-fashioned, thick fragrance. Chloe hated it. She dried off and put on the gown in the armoire; the only item of clothing other than the dirty things she’d been wearing. She put her underwear and bra back on, in clear defiance of the tiny straps and cling of the gown. She avoided sitting on the bed and chose the seat at the vanity.

She felt drained, but her face looked normal. Her eyes were only a little bloodshot and she had colour in her cheeks. Even as she studied herself, Chloe watched the blush burn deeper and expand. She didn’t comprehend how all her feelings could be expressed in the same way she’d reacted when she wiped out on the stairs in front of half of Smallville High.

The edge of something cool and damp ran across the back of Chloe's neck and she looked up, startled. Lionel smiled at her in the vanity mirror and his teeth looked very sharp. The scent of perfume rose from her skin and she realized he was dragging the glass wand down her nape. For a second she had been sure he was using a knife or a piece of glass, cutting her. Even if it was broken, the little glass wand couldn't cut her skin. He was preparing her, doing his own dirty work for once. She felt like Christmas goose being apportioned and garnished to be served.

“When I started dating, I wasn't a teenager anymore. I had to get myself established,” he said mildly. “It was a different era, and things went more slowly. They were more concrete. If someone invested in you it meant they were handing you a cheque and shaking your hand. A few times it even meant just giving cash in an envelope. You built up your reputation so your handshake meant something.”

Her rushed bath had only made her feel dirty, but Chloe hadn’t wanted to give Lionel any excuse to throw her to his men. She used taking the towel off her hair to move away from him. He strolled a few steps away.

“I'm not sure anyone in your generation gets that. Everything is electronic, blips on screens, cards to swipe. The changes have been so great the simplest things I could tell you about my early life will sound like the stuff of ancients,” he mused.

“A date was something special. You had to save up money and make sure nothing would interfere. No woman would go on a date in slacks or even flat shoes. There was etiquette, too, a gentility. Flowers at the door, introducing yourself to her parents and letting her take your arm. Your date was a lady and you were at her service.”

He rested both hands on her shoulders, pressing down gently. “It has never been my intention to make you suffer. I'm sorry I gave you to Lex, and if he hurt you, even more remorseful. But in the long run, over the course of your life, he would hurt you far more than I ever could. You had to know that.”

Lionel leaned down and his mouth moved a sliver of space from her ear. Chloe stared into the mirror at them, her face a strange palette of pale and rosy flush. She shook her head and her lips parted to speak, but he was continuing.

“You had to know that you weren't missing out by being with an older man. You had to comprehend the mindset of your peers to know that they weren't enjoying their youth while you were robbed of it. I can do things for you that someone Lex's age wouldn't bother.”

He spread his hand over her breasts, plumping them, and buried his mouth in the middle. The moist feel of his tongue dragging down the cleft made her struggle. Chloe pushed him back and gritted her teeth on an uncontrolled noise. She needed to buy time and keep him talking. Lionel had to think he was capable of winning her over instead of just forcing her. She should play to his ego. The words wouldn’t form.

She crossed her arms over her chest. The long ivory gown was cold, and made her feel exposed. Lionel’s face had gone blank. His hands were curled into fists, and she lost all the intelligence that made her a target in the first place.

Stupid, mute and dressed in farcical virgin colours, Chloe stopped believing she could be saved.

asharnanae

9th April 2010, 11:44

fabtastic update, I just hope that lex will find chloe in time, before lionel has a chance to do anything...... but I have a feeling lex may be to late, in any case wonderful writing.

Kit Merlot

9th April 2010, 14:40

This story has me on the edge of my seat with fear and worry.

She crossed her arms over her chest. The long ivory gown was cold, and made her feel exposed. Lionel’s face had gone blank. His hands were curled into fists, and she lost all the intelligence that made her a target in the first place.

Stupid, mute and dressed in farcical virgin colours, Chloe stopped believing she could be saved.

I hate to say this, but Chloe's going to have to start thinking about her survival, and I'm sure that having to have sex with Lionel Luthor is preferable to getting gang raped by his thugs.

Of course, I would love it if Lex or Lucas showed up and got her out of the house, untouched and alive, because I don't think she'll be able to escape on her own.

Thanks for updating this truly awesome and riveting fic.

westwingwolf

9th April 2010, 22:16

Lionel is the kind of evil, you would kill yourself to get away from, but good to know Chloe is stronger than that. I'm not sure how longer that will last for her though. I know she's not getting out of this unscathed. Sadly, her torture has just begun. Lionel's good at downplaying Lex in an attempt to keep her from turning to him. Hopefully, Chloe knows better and won't buy it. I wish what Edge wanted was a set-up but somehow I don't think Chloe could be so lucky as for Lionel to be easily killed.

kcsgirl82

9th April 2010, 22:59

I hope Lex will get to Chloe before it is too late, even Lucas will do just as long as Lionel is taken down.
Thanks for updating this fic!!!!!

Cassandra Jean

10th April 2010, 07:43

I really hope that Lex or someone gets to Chloe before Lionel can actually do anything.

Thanks for the update, am looking forward to the next one!

somethingeasy

10th April 2010, 18:49

He was Lionel Luthor's son, illegitimate and largely unremarkable but for the trouble he found. He was about to become legal, and his gambling debts were substantial. It was believed he would inherit at least some of the Luthor fortune, if only to slight his half-brother. Their father had a sense of whimsy about his money. He'd joked about leaving it all to animal shelters rather than his son. Lucas was a secret, and he ventured his only value to Lionel was as a second son. Julian would have made a spare, but Lucas was born at a time when Lex had been an only child. It was the difference between a rushed abortion and a leveraged investment in his childhood.

The old bastard won't leave me a dime, Lucas thought. I could ask Lex, but he's not going to be interested in my problems. I have to make a deal.

Oh, awesome! I wasn’t expecting Lucas Luthor to make an appearance in this fic at all, so his appearance is a delightful surprise. I appreciated your providing us with a quick back-story of his AU history in this fic, Nonky. Most of the story seems about the same, except that there’s no information alliance between two brothers… and it appears that Lionel has had some form of taunting contact with Lucas before.

He brought his chair down and Lucas sighed. “I don't have the money. I've hit a losing streak, and my family doesn't give a shit-”

A round, hard press to his knee under the table made him stop, and Lucas identified the gun as a .45. Regency was scowling, his hands out of sight.

Yikes! Lucas’s life in this AU actually seems more miserable than it does in canon Smallville. Who would have thought that was possible?! Then again, that seems to be the case with pretty much all of the characters, since ALL of their lives are a little bit more miserable. Heck, even Lionel Luthor is living under a death sentence, knowing that he’s only got about 6 months to live, at best.

erm.. except perhaps Clark? Clark seems happier in this AU, but that about it, LOL!

Anyhow, I’m digressing. Onto Lucas again. I can’t say I feel too much sympathy for the dolt, since it appears that all of his troubles have come upon him because of his own stupidity. Honestly, he borrows money from the violent variety of bookies, loses it gambling… and then tries to get the money to pay back the bookies through gambling?!? Idiot! Dolt! Lionel would be laughing his head off if he knew the situation… right before he advised Regency to go ahead and shoot the fool.

My father never loved me, he told himself. He never wanted me and he was never going to acknowledge me. He was never going to forgive me for not being the one who died.

Lucas downed the last of his beer but it wasn't enough. He reached for Reg's glass and drank it with a grimace. He wanted to follow Regency, shove him to the ground and take that gun away. He wanted the map back in his pocket. He wanted to forget playing peek-a-boo behind his father's tie.

wow! I loved this new subplot that had been inserted into the fic. I don’t know whether Nonky had planned to bring Lucas and his connection with Morgan Edge from the very beginning, or whether it was a brilliant stroke of inspiration at the ninth hour… but it fits in seamlessly to bring yet another level of excitement to an already thrilling and shiver-worthy fic.

It seems like there are several points now converging together into some kind of a climax, which means that the fic seems to be building up to a close. I don’t know whether to be delighted or disappointed that the fic is finishing up. At least I can take comfort in the fact that there’s still a ways to go before the climatic ending. Until then I can enjoy the long, slow, drawn-put torture of the characters.

I loved how such a vivid and poignant portrait was built up of Lucas, in a scant few paragraph no less. He’s obviously a trouble-making good for nothing… but I can’t help but feel sorry for the hapless idiot, who has found himself mired in plots that are completely beyond him… but still being ‘important enough’ to realize some of the consequences of his actions.

I wonder whether he would still be feeling sorry for having placed Lionel in danger is he has any idea what daddy-dearest was up to right this minute…?

“Let me go,” she said firmly. “People are looking for me. I’m not eighteen yet – the police will listen to my father. I’ll tell them you took me.”

She had felt the panic curdle in her stomach for hours, and Chloe was ready to make concessions. She’d give promises that disgusted her, and tell Lionel the things she knew about Clark. She would trade another girl to take her place, if that would save her. She wished she had been unsafe with Lex so she could make Lionel believe she was already pregnant by his son.

Chloe’s defiant statement made me cheer for her; standing up to Lionel, even in a situation like this. But, after hearing about how close Chloe was to breaking down and begging Lionel to release her, I was all the more impressed that she managed to show defiance despite the gibbering panic that was eating away inside of her. She’s doing a magnificent job in not succumbing to her urges to curl up into a pathetic little ball at Lionel’s feet, cringing and squealing, don’t hurt me, please!

There’s no doubt in my mind that Lionel wouldn’t give her even the slightest bit of compassion and/or mercy. On the contrary, her pleads for mercy would only lead him to be yet more cruel, sensing weakness in his target. Lionel is JUST that sort of monster!

If there was anything good about the time to think, she had put all the smaller differences together in a cohesive whole picture. Lex was misguided, callous and wounded, but he wasn’t evil. He didn’t want to see Chloe suffer or ruin her life, even if he considered himself ruined by the things Lionel had used him to do to her.

wow! If there’s any silver lining to this horrendous situation, it’s the fact that Lionel’s monstrosity has led Chloe to appreciate exactly what monstrosity looks like in a human being. She will no longer view Lex to be untrustworthy, cruel tormentor; because she can now most definitely see the differences between father and son, and she recognizes that only one of them is her tormentor and torturer, while the other is her loyal, trustworthy, stalwart soldier.

The long, ugly wait was giving her less room to exist. Bits of who she thought she was were falling away like rotting petals on a crushed flower. Evil seeped over her life and dissolved holes. She couldn’t feel the protection of innocence anymore. She tried to focus on the good people in her life, but those were the ones who had no idea what was happening to her; she had taken pains to lie to them.

That was amazing writing, Nonky! I could see Chloe’s hopes, courage and optimism dying right in front of me. It was both breathtaking as well as gut-wrenching!

His genteel, almost shy phrasing made her furious. He was standing there and implying with his sloped shoulders that she was the one being crass in her reactions.

The bastard! He’s adopting that kind of tone completely on purpose, you know! It’s not only to patronize and infuriate Chloe, but it’s also to subtly brainwash her into believing that she’s the one who is being unreasonable, and throwing a childish tantrum fit about the situation, while he’s simply the realist who is trying to make the best of a difficult situation. The cunning, manipulative, evil bastard!

Chloe sneered aloud, her face curling into a mask of distaste. “I won’t clean myself up so you can rape me!”

Good for Chloe for using such an ugly and difficult word. Even rapists hate the word ‘rape’, because they never want to admit what they’re doing, even to themselves. They will convince themselves that the woman is playing ‘hard to get’ or that she’s pretending not to enjoy it… but even they get uncomfortable by the raw word, ‘rape’. I know it’s incredible and unbelievable, but I’ve read enough case-studies to know this to be true.

“This can be a private getaway just between us, or you can be a petulant whore in denial of your purpose, Chloe. I would think a bubble bath and a glass of wine before bed would be preferable to a group of thugs fingering you before they tie you down.”

Of course, Lionel is just the kind of inhuman monster who would be able to persevere with his plans, even when the sheer, brutal ugliness of them is remarked upon directly to his face. I think he flinched a little but at the word ‘rape’, but he certainly didn’t hesitate to continue with his plans for the evening.

In fact, he one-upped Chloe by showing her how the situation can turn from a single-person rape to a gang-bang, unless she ‘cooperated’. You’ve made the magnificent bastard truly creepy and shiver-worthy, Nonky! wow!

She felt drained, but her face looked normal. Her eyes were only a little bloodshot and she had colour in her cheeks. Even as she studied herself, Chloe watched the blush burn deeper and expand. She didn’t comprehend how all her feelings could be expressed in the same way she’d reacted when she wiped out on the stairs in front of half of Smallville High.

It was amazing seeing Chloe trying to reconcile the surreal quality of her intense situation and emotions into a something ‘normal’, familiar and identifiable. The poor girl is so completely out of her depth that she’s having trouble finding a simple reference with which to categorize what’s happening to her. This demonstrated perfectly exactly how lost and in over her head she really is. It also illustrates how Chloe is going to need miraculous levels of luck (or a bald, vengeful soldier) to get her out of this situation.

Hold on, Chloe! I’m pretty sure Nonky’s going to let you live through this… perhaps even to a happy ending… perhaps!

The edge of something cool and damp ran across the back of Chloe's neck and she looked up, startled. Lionel smiled at her in the vanity mirror and his teeth looked very sharp. The scent of perfume rose from her skin and she realized he was dragging the glass wand down her nape. For a second she had been sure he was using a knife or a piece of glass, cutting her. Even if it was broken, the little glass wand couldn't cut her skin. He was preparing her, doing his own dirty work for once. She felt like Christmas goose being apportioned and garnished to be served.

Oh that was an excellent metaphor… although I suspect Chloe wished immediately after that such an apt visual had not popped into her head. Finding the perfect analogy might be a carefully cultivated and treasured skills amongst writers, but there are times when it’s just not appropriate to think up scary thoughts.

I loved the sharp threats highlighted in this paragraph. Lionel’s sharp teeth in the cold reflection of the mirror, the glass digging into Chloe’s neck to spread on cool perfume… they all helped build up the tone of terror and threat, merely from what might have been considered intimate and romantic under VERY different circumstances.

Then again, that’s part of the horror of the situation, isn’t it? Lionel is taking great pleasure in creating a mocking farce of intimacy and romanticism, knowing full well that Chloe is terrified every second in his closeness.

“A date was something special. You had to save up money and make sure nothing would interfere. No woman would go on a date in slacks or even flat shoes. There was etiquette, too, a gentility. Flowers at the door, introducing yourself to her parents and letting her take your arm. Your date was a lady and you were at her service.”

Lionel is making such a mockery of pretending gentleness and patience. The bastard knows that Chloe doesn’t believe for an instant that he is capable of ‘niceness’ or kindness is any form… and yet he’s acting out the part of a real, first-class gentleman; the kind of person who wouldn’t even dream of touching a woman’s hand without asking for explicit permission. It’s a little too late to try and convince anyone that you’re just an ‘old fashioned’ charming gent, you vicious, horrific bastard!

He rested both hands on her shoulders, pressing down gently. “It has never been my intention to make you suffer. I'm sorry I gave you to Lex, and if he hurt you, even more remorseful. But in the long run, over the course of your life, he would hurt you far more than I ever could. You had to know that.”

Lionel leaned down and his mouth moved a sliver of space from her ear. Chloe stared into the mirror at them, her face a strange palette of pale and rosy flush. She shook her head and her lips parted to speak, but he was continuing.

“You had to know that you weren't missing out by being with an older man. You had to comprehend the mindset of your peers to know that they weren't enjoying their youth while you were robbed of it. I can do things for you that someone Lex's age wouldn't bother.”

UN-believable! Is Lionel mocking Chloe? Or does the deluded old bat seriously think that he’ll be able to convince that he sent Chloe to Lex (to be raped of her virginity) for her own friggen good?!? He’s speaking as if he’s expecting thanks from her, for taking a long-term view of a situation that she was too short-sighted, provincial and young to appreciate.

He spread his hand over her breasts, plumping them, and buried his mouth in the middle. The moist feel of his tongue dragging down the cleft made her struggle. Chloe pushed him back and gritted her teeth on an uncontrolled noise. She needed to buy time and keep him talking. Lionel had to think he was capable of winning her over instead of just forcing her. She should play to his ego. The words wouldn’t form.

This was amazing, Nonky! I knew what was coming, and all things considered Lionel really hasn’t done anything to Chloe… and yet this first touch wanted to make me gag in revulsion and sympathy. Perhaps it was the abrupt way he started handling her body, as if he was friggen entitled to take whatever he wanted, without bothering with preliminaries such as permission?

She crossed her arms over her chest. The long ivory gown was cold, and made her feel exposed. Lionel’s face had gone blank. His hands were curled into fists, and she lost all the intelligence that made her a target in the first place.

Stupid, mute and dressed in farcical virgin colours, Chloe stopped believing she could be saved.

That was a horrific ending to the chapter, Nonky… and yet it was a perfect place to bring Chloe and Lionel to. You’ve managed to strip them down to their most essential, basic selves… the monster and the maiden! The final scene had a (gothic/classic) fairytale or a mythical quality to it that all readers adore about epic poems and stories. Where the characters are stripped to their bare essentials before going into battle… or death.

aaargh! I think I’m getting a little incoherent here. I should stop now. Thank you SO much for the birthday update, Nonky :D It was greatly appreciated, and much loved! I look forward to the next chapters. The fic seems to be winding down to a close now…?

tatie87

12th April 2010, 23:31

I'm so excited about the update. Chloe is at Lionel's mercey and Lex so far doesn't know where she is. I really hope Lionel doesn't get to have his way with Chloe; becaue Chloe will be destroyed. I hold my breath for the next update.

pezgirl

15th April 2010, 16:21

I just read this whole thing from start to finish and I couldn't stop it's fantastic - I'm glad you've come back to it. I can't wait to find out what happens and fingers crossed Lex gets there in time.

kitten

25th April 2010, 05:18

Chapter Thirty-one

Lionel Luthor did not remember his youth – it was still as much a part of him as on his eighteenth birthday. He wanted to have more time to explain to his young mistress that she was misguided in her self-importance, but she was also gifted with an insight into the human experience. For her, he imagined every day was the last and the first. It was marked by newness and adaptation. She could only look back to things that were unfamiliar to her new adulthood, so it was as if every day existed in a pocket universe. For Chloe, there was only herself in a short span of hours partially lost to social obligation and sleep.

He wouldn’t trade his insights for her one, but he did appreciate the vehemence of her age. This was her defining moment and he didn’t blame her for fighting the definition. Her generation was taught women were above things like marriage and family. It was a failing society was paying for in low birth rates. Lionel could foresee a long life of accomplishments for Chloe, but he refused to accept it would have been any better for her than the inheritance he bestowed through their son.

“I regret that I could not give you the time to accept my intentions, Chloe,” he said firmly, carefully holding himself at a distance. “You and I were never meant to have a long or happy life together. Don’t close yourself off to this because it’s unconventional. You’re a loving soul and you couldn’t stop yourself from loving a child, even one with me as his father.”

“I'll never give you a son!”

“You have a soft nature, Chloe. I'll make sure you stay pregnant long enough you have to keep it, and soon after that he'll start to move,” Lionel smiled, his face almost loving. “You will bond, because you'd never blame an innocent child. You'll be his mother. And when you're raising my son, you'll need plenty of money. If you cooperate with the curriculum I've designed, my estate will be at your disposal. If you resist, the money will go to lawyers who'll take the boy from you. So you see, I'm not getting a son from you unless you give me a reason to take him away.”

Cassandra Jean

25th April 2010, 07:50

Glad to see an update, even if it was on the short side.

Can not wait to see how the situation with Lionel is going to play out. I really hope that Lex can get to her before Lionel manages to do anything.

somethingeasy

25th April 2010, 21:00

Lionel Luthor did not remember his youth – it was still as much a part of him as on his eighteenth birthday. He wanted to have more time to explain to his young mistress that she was misguided in her self-importance, but she was also gifted with an insight into the human experience. For her, he imagined every day was the last and the first. It was marked by newness and adaptation. She could only look back to things that were unfamiliar to her new adulthood, so it was as if every day existed in a pocket universe. For Chloe, there was only herself in a short span of hours partially lost to social obligation and sleep.

I always knew that Lionel always thought of Chloe as not quite a human being. As some kind of sub-human that was inherently inferior to him, and therefore to be used as a tool for his exalted purposes. But this is the first time that I see just HOW low an opinion Lionel has of Chloe. He’s thinking of her as some kind of a low-grade pet. Like a friggen goldfish, which has almost no memory beyond three seconds long, and no emotional depth to be concerned with.

Chloe, Lionel’s pet goldfish, a cute, feisty little creature that only needs to be fed, petted and soothed in order to forget everything that has happened prior to this day. It makes me shudder! THIS is the man who currently has complete power over Chloe?!

He wouldn’t trade his insights for her one, but he did appreciate the vehemence of her age. This was her defining moment and he didn’t blame her for fighting the definition. Her generation was taught women were above things like marriage and family. It was a failing society was paying for in low birth rates. Lionel could foresee a long life of accomplishments for Chloe, but he refused to accept it would have been any better for her than the inheritance he bestowed through their son.

Yet again I feel chills running up and down my spine to hear Lionel now passing judgement on, not only Chloe, but womankind as a whole as an ‘inferior race’ that has fallen off the true path. Chloe once accused Lex of hating women, but she’s in the presence of a true misogynist now. The mark of such a man is his tendency to blame ‘society’s failings’ on women in general choosing to take control of their own lives, and NOT agree to a life of marriage and babies as a given duty.

“I regret that I could not give you the time to accept my intentions, Chloe,” he said firmly, carefully holding himself at a distance. “You and I were never meant to have a long or happy life together. Don’t close yourself off to this because it’s unconventional. You’re a loving soul and you couldn’t stop yourself from loving a child, even one with me as his father.”

It made me shake my head in wonderment to see how Lionel truly thinks he’s being soothing, reassuring and probably even wonderfully patient with Chloe. He seriously believes that he can genuinely convince her to his way of thinking. That he can force himself (and his semen) into Chloe, and that she’s actually end up grateful for the honour of it all.

Seriously, has no single person ever, EVER said ‘no’ to Lionel on any matter? These kinds of delusions suggest that Lionel has never met a single person who refused to bow down to his every little whim and wish.

“I'll never give you a son!”

“You have a soft nature, Chloe. I'll make sure you stay pregnant long enough you have to keep it, and soon after that he'll start to move,” Lionel smiled, his face almost loving. “You will bond, because you'd never blame an innocent child. You'll be his mother. And when you're raising my son, you'll need plenty of money. If you cooperate with the curriculum I've designed, my estate will be at your disposal. If you resist, the money will go to lawyers who'll take the boy from you. So you see, I'm not getting a son from you unless you give me a reason to take him away.”

Poor Chloe must be friggen terrified by this speech. I’m sure she rationally and intellectually knows that she DOES have several allies against Lionel, such as Lex, and the Federal Officers that she managed to charm over to her side… but I can see how, right now, Lionel’s portrait of her future would seem so compelling and likely to happen.

Fortunately, I can already see several holes in Lionel’s plans. Not the least of which is the fact that he’s not expected to live long enough to see any newly conceived son of his grow to full term. He’s got less than a year to live, doesn’t he? Which means that he doesn’t have any means with which to enforce his rule on Chloe. He might set guards on her, but his dead hand won’t amount to much against Chloe’s and Lex’s living wills.

This is assuming that Lionel completed at least phase one of his plan… which is to rape Chloe and force his child into her. There IS admittedly a chance of that happening. I guess I’ll have to wait and see whether Lionel is going to get his chance to implement that part of his plan at least… or whether he’s going to be suffering complete failure of his plan.

Please update soon, Nonky!!!

Rachet

26th April 2010, 05:49

Please update soon. I hope that edge kills the MB when he gets to the house.

kcsgirl82

26th April 2010, 19:50

Lionel really is a deluded creep with visions of grandeur and its time he got what he truly deserves.
I hope Lex gets to Chloe in time!!!!
Thanks again for the update it was short, but it was great.

Avalanche

27th April 2010, 00:16

Ha! Thanks for the update!

pezgirl

28th April 2010, 13:16

Oh my god!! that was great, but really mea too, I can't wait to find out what happens.

Lel

29th April 2010, 11:22

Beautiful and heartbreaking and twisted and I have loved reading every chapter. I like the nuances in Lex's character and you have described and written him very very well and I think that Chloe is a masterpiece, beautifully tragic and I will enjoy reading more of this.

Lel x

Kit Merlot

29th April 2010, 14:39

“You have a soft nature, Chloe. I'll make sure you stay pregnant long enough you have to keep it, and soon after that he'll start to move,” Lionel smiled, his face almost loving. “You will bond, because you'd never blame an innocent child. You'll be his mother. And when you're raising my son, you'll need plenty of money. If you cooperate with the curriculum I've designed, my estate will be at your disposal. If you resist, the money will go to lawyers who'll take the boy from you. So you see, I'm not getting a son from you unless you give me a reason to take him away.”

This was damn chilling! And it just shows how well Lionel knows Chloe, that she would never intentionally hurt an innocent child. I hope you are planning on posting more of this gorgeous chapter--like the scene where Lionel keels over dead and Chloe is untouched and alive:grin3:

Nyx

29th April 2010, 18:11

Very twisted, but I think Lionel is right. Chloe would not take it out on a baby.
But I hope we don't have to find out.
So who is going to save her? And make Lionel pay?

welshy

30th April 2010, 18:17

Glad to see this story updated, lionel is truly twisted in this. I do hope there's going to be more soon.

Avalanche

10th May 2010, 00:06

Hey, nonky. Just wanted to say that there are a bazillion people who eagerly wait for more of this fic and the twisted dynamic you have going on here.

BellaMR

15th May 2010, 10:30

Please, Please Please continue this story. I've just reread for (I think) the fourth time. You might actually kill me if you make me wait another year to find out what happens to poor Chloe. I'm begging you.

FroggyJump

30th May 2010, 10:29

Like a pack of dogs and Lionel is at head, it gave me shivers. He truly is sickening.
So who finds them first? Lex, Edge or does Lois call in the cops.

This is hard but wonderful read. Look forward to when you can update.

MisS

4th June 2010, 04:04

stoping there? that's just EVIL!
really wonderfull writing...hope you update soon!!

MagnusXXN

15th July 2010, 01:09

Thats some evil shit. But at least its an update. Now we want more! : )

): )

Cmds1025

15th July 2010, 03:59

The Lesser of Two Evils
NC-17/ Angst

Except he was kneeling at her feet like he could be there indefinitely. He didn’t look humbled or put out, just quiet. He wore the mantle of a man of consequence with a loneliness that made him somehow stronger. He knew he was alone.

“You’re not my slave,” she said tightly.

He bent his neck all the way down and leaned forward until the top of his head was rubbing against her pussy. Her legs moved further apart to balance as he pushed forward with moderate force, rolling his neck up slowly with the motion.

She didn’t recognize the widened stance except for the benefits when Lex moved his tongue over her easily, making long sweeps before settling on her clitoris to jostle it in all directions. He rolled it between his lips and licked it until she felt dizzy with following the motion in her head. It wasn’t just his mouth working on her, because sometimes he would move his chin to press deliciously lower or push his nose down into her flesh and heat would spread as he inhaled and exhaled like he was smelling her.

Lex waited until Chloe was twitching constantly before he dipped his tongue inside her passage. She was wet and already starting to cling to intrusion, and if he had been allowed to use his hands he would have sunk two or three fingers inside. Instead, he extended his tongue as far as it would go and felt her hips roll fluidly to meet him. He couldn’t fill her this way, but he used clever flicks to taste her and urge her movements faster. He turned his head sideways and plucked at the swollen lips with his mouth, then repeated the motion on the other side.

It was all more complicated than she had thought, but simpler, too. It was hard to describe the physical actions, but immediately understandable to see or feel them.

When his tongue was inside it was clear how close he had gotten her, but Lex hesitated over the finishing move.
His jaw opened on her inner thigh and she gasped, but it was just a part of the other sounds she had been making. He raked his teeth over the damp skin and applied pressure as he sucked hard enough to bruise.

Her hips jerked harder than before and she was forced to lock her knees to stay upright, but the movement was toward him and not away. Lex moved back to take one last plunge into her center, then opened his mouth over the highest point of her pubis, anchoring his front teeth into the soft curls and closing his jaw slowly. His tongue caught her clit and pushed it up for his lower teeth to catch it and drag over the sensitive nerve endings.

And Chloe came, as Lex carefully gentled the bite to keep her spasming hips from cutting herself. She let out a long, low moan that made her sound desperate, ancient and mad, and him wish he could take the initiative to drive his throbbing cock into the space he was lapping at.

She couldn’t see or hear properly, but the wild flush of pleasure had taken away all of the anxiety Chloe felt and she was going to savour the mindlessness as long as she could. Her hands closed around Lex’s shoulders, first to keep from falling on him, then to pull him away from between her legs and onto the bed.

Chloe knelt higher and shifted up Lex’s body. She lined her hips up over him and bent her knees slowly, jumping when the head of his penis rubbed against her. She rolled her eyes at herself and looked down as she lowered herself again, this time successfully.

Too much and not enough. How is that possible at the same time?

Chloe was rolling her hips very slowly and Lex clenched his stomach muscles. He hated himself for thinking it, but her inexperience was a great turn on. It was exciting to know she was feeling things for the first time with him, and the novelty was a wonderful difference from the numbing presence of nameless women. It was hard to feel very deeply when you knew it was all superficial posturing for a pay out. With Chloe he knew she was really reacting to him and that he was really reacting to her.

She found a rhythm and a tilt of her hips that made the motion smoother and kept going, feeling the suppressed jerk of Lex’s hips as well but not objecting to it. He seemed to know what he was doing, because on the upswing of her slide down his motion made a sharp burst of sensation. It wasn’t all good or painless, but it felt urgent and she started moving faster.

He braced his shoulders and tried a harder thrust up, repeating it when she leaned in. He’d been helpless under her for long enough and it didn’t seem that she was satisfied with the depth she could get without his help.

“Oh, there . . . right there . . .”

Lex opened his eyes and found Chloe almost gone, her face flushed beautifully and her body swaying gracefully on him. He watched her as she lifted her hands off the mattress and leaned back, chest heaving.

“Close . . .”

He moved slightly lower on the bed and aligned them so that Chloe was coming down straight on his cock. She was precariously moving faster and faster and he let himself become mesmerized by the sight of her body swallowing his. Then the deaf, dumb, blind rush was over them and crashing down and he could only hope it was good for her.

dclfmv,.g.hnk;l'hmnb r/hj.;gjbh,mnlh;,n;hlj'j'h;,n ;'lh,;.jmngkfnhdghuiggwverfkdvhbfdkvb;....... died

damn girl that was hot.

galleta

30th July 2010, 05:43

:drool2: Great story! Can't wait for the next update.:popcorn:

Flyingwoman

30th July 2010, 05:52

One question: What happens next?

kitten

13th September 2010, 05:53

Warning: This fic has a warning for dub-con sex in all chapters, but this chapter goes further. The warning in this chapter only is for non-con, with graphic violence and severely abusive language. All of this may be triggering and you should read with caution.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Lex hung up the phone and turned restlessly to the desk, trying to think of another person he could call out. He had all his security personnel and most of the local FBI office trying to figure out where his father would have taken Chloe. His spies in his father’s office weren’t aware of any plans, just that Lionel was away for the night. He had briefly considered calling the police himself, but they wouldn’t have more information than the FBI. He had to trust the agents were monitoring other law enforcement for any sign of Chloe.

She was nearly a constant presence in his generic penthouse, and he wondered when it had happened. The recliner and blanket where she slept after the nurse’s visit smelled faintly of her perfume. He found blond hairs on his pillows. Typically Lex was irritated by the small signs of a woman being in his home, but this was different. He needed all those hints and memories of Chloe, even the very worst ones. Anything that made her feel real would help him find her.

It was nearly midnight – Chloe had been missing for nearly nine hours. She could be out of the state by now, even over international waters. The FBI wouldn’t call in Interpol unless they had some conclusive proof she was being taken out of the country. Lex had checked up on all the company jets and found them on the ground or engaged in legitimate business. He was out of ideas.

He paced out to the living room, bypassing the bar and what he thought of as Chloe’s chair. He meant to go to his bathroom and splash water on his face, but he ended up pushing the door to the spare bedroom and standing there as it swung slowly open.

There was nothing in the room to implicate him. Lex had ordered it cleaned and repainted. He didn’t know what to do with the space. It didn’t seem right to have other women sleeping in there after they did their time in his bed, but he was more adamant than ever about not spending the whole night with his passing flings. It meant something to let a person hold you while you were helpless. It would be a kind of betrayal of those women to give them that without meaning it.

He was tired of failing any woman unfortunate enough to cross his path. He was waiting out an urge to attach himself to the bar and drink himself numb when the doorbell rang.

Lex couldn’t remember ever running to answer the door, but he did it then. His body lurched toward the knob and he opened the door violently. It swung back and knocked a picture off the wall.

“I’ve done something fucked up,” Lucas told him, huffing boozy breath and leaning too hard on the doorway.

“It is the family motto. I don’t have time for the confession, Lucas,” he said impatiently. “Tell me how much you need and I’ll write you a cheque to cash. You can hide out until the banks open tomorrow.”

His half-brother shook his greasy hair uneasily, and stumbled into the penthouse. “No, Lex, I did something really wrong. I told Morgan Edge where to find Dad. I’m afraid he’s going to kill him.”

The vision of a bloody wreck of what used to be his father was the only bright spot in Lex’s mind. He shoved Lucas back and pulled his cellphone out. “Dad wouldn’t be so lucky. Go! You’re taking me there.”

Chloe wobbled on her feet, and Lionel gestured to the bed. She gave him an incredulous look, but he stepped away and sat in a chair. She lowered herself slowly down and sat just before her knees started jittering madly.

“There are probably a dozen people in this building would be accomplices to this,” she snarled. “One of them will help me.”

He grinned, satisfied and relaxed. Lionel was pleased with this last-ditch fiery display. Luthors needed to have the gall to do just about anything in full view. He had always suspected Lex’s primary weakness was a need to be liked. Nuns and dog walkers could seek approval, but powerful people lived their lives in solitude. Being exceptional was isolating, and the rewards were worth the paltry gains of playing nice.

There were thousands of corporations using the same dozen consulting firms, but Lionel did his hiring through his old neighbourhood. Chloe having his son was part of a special project, and required different standards from his associates. He had no doubt Lex would call his latest special projects team a new low, but it wasn’t anything other than a necessary step. It wasn’t as if those men would be invited to the office for drinks and after-work venting; they were brutes when brutes were called for.

Chloe was a latchkey kid, but she was well brought up. She would see the signs of criminal backgrounds, but not be familiar with the individual markers of their skill sets. She was probably too frightened by the entire situation to set her usually cutting insight on his men.

Perched on the bed, she parted her lips to take a gulp of air. He almost admired the attempt at brave dignity. If he had the time to spare her, Lionel might have searched for a woman willing to be bought. He leaned back and folded his hands together, trying to instill a sense of accord in their postures. It couldn’t hurt for her to actually enjoy the conception of their son. Female orgasm was meant to draw the semen more effectively into her womb.

“You met my new employees,” he said blandly, to Chloe’s stiff nod. “I chose them for particular requirement. One was looking at a murder conviction until I paid off the judge. His girlfriend must have died in a confrontation with a housebreaker, so the charges were dropped. The fact she was cheating on him was irrelevant to the legal process. Another of the guards is a pedophile, so he sympathizes with the inappropriate nature of my desire for you. One lost a scholarship to the ivy league because his high school girlfriend accused him of raping her when her parents found out she was having sex. A fourth used to run a shelter, but he lost his job when a group of young homeless women took advantage of his kindness to rob half a year's worth of donations. Shall I go on?”

Chloe shivered, her face draining of colour. Lionel smiled in contentment. “They hate women, and your stories and carefully plucked heartstrings won't work on them. You entered into an agreement with me, and you haven't been doing what you promised, so I've decided to use you another way. This is not fair, but it's your life and you'll have to live it. It's time you stopped whining and crying over it.”

Sliding smoothly to his feet, Lionel slipped off his jacket and threw it over the chair. He tugged his tie loose and pulled it over his head, leaving it knotted. It swung from his fist as he approached slowly. His hands flattened over the tops of her shoulders, toying with the thin straps of the gown.

She shifted, wanting to rise; he held her shoulders down. “I have not been whining and crying, I've been fighting you. I've been making sure what I know about you is known to other people,” she threatened. “I hope you enjoy prison.”

His sharp white teeth glimmered in the candlelight as he laughed. “My son? He hasn't been able to stand up to me for his mother or his brother, let alone for himself. He loved his mother more than anything. She was his entire world, everything soft and loving to him. But he let me destroy her, and he hasn't made a move to punish me for it. He won't protect you. He won't even find you until you're too far along to abort and in the custody of a foster home.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but Lionel's hand came down to squeeze her breast. “You had sex with him. I'm sure you gave it your all, but he's used to that. He's slept with anyone who makes the attempt. It doesn't mean loyalty to him.”

“You're wrong. Even if he doesn't want to save me he does want to beat you,” she said tightly. “He wants you to die and leave him everything, so you can know failure intimately in your final moments. And what you see as weakness in him has always been the ability to survive. He let you win because mentally you're the child and he's mature enough not to need the win.”

He looked at her curiously, studying her expression before he stroked along her neck. Chloe’s mind raced for solutions, another minute, another second before he violated her.

“You think you'll somehow get back to him, waddling with my son, and ask for his help? He'd give it. There's a core of familial spirit he never killed off. So he'd help you push out his own replacement, maybe you'd even become his wife because he's chivalrous at odd moments. But do you imagine he wouldn't feel the urge to wrap his hands around your throat and the screaming little bastard's and strangle you both out of existence? Even his neuroses don't crave that much of a burden.”

Poor Lex, she thought sadly. He tried so hard, and he’s failing. He really wanted to save me, but he’s not going to do it. What am I going to do? I should have thought of this and planned something to do.

Deep down, she knew the smart thing was to give in. She should just let it happen with as little violence as Lionel was willing to grant her, then concentrate on surviving to get away. Chloe knew she wouldn’t be killed, because Lionel wanted her alive and breeding. He wouldn’t want to do too much damage to her body, not when he needed that son he was so sure they could produce together. She knew he was possessive of her – he didn’t really want to hand her off to his pack of rapists. He’d do it though, if she pissed him off.

If I want to see my father and Lois and my friends again, I should just let him do it to me, she thought. If I live through this, I can get past everything that happens to me. It wasn’t so bad with Lex – he hurt me but he wasn’t deliberate about it. He just wanted sex and that was what I was for; I’m not a virgin anymore, maybe it won’t even hurt.

It would hurt her, though, and she had to hold her tense muscles in shaking stillness. Lionel was trying to seduce her in his odd, backwards way, but he didn’t want her whole after he’d fucked her. He wanted her to be broken so she’d have no plan and just follow his. Chloe desperately wanted to think she was better than that. She had Lex’s connections and the doctor he’d found. She was hardly a meek little girl without a mind of her own.

Instinct told her to fight dirty, but getting past Lionel meant facing a dozen men. When this went bloody, it wasn’t going to go back to the threats and preamble. If she made this physical, that would be Lionel’s excuse to treat her roughly. He was letting her stall because he enjoyed being mentally cruel, but he liked using his hands as well.

She was scared and it made her legs heavy with dread. She could feel twitches of anxiety all over, even – to her horror – on the inside of her body. When he forced himself in, she would tighten and that would feel good to him. It might even feel the same to Lionel as when Lex made her come and then fit his cock politely in to stretch her so Lionel’s doctor could confirm she was really getting screwed regularly.

“I’m glad you’re dying,” she sneered, teeth bared over the violent impulses she couldn’t be the one to let out. She had to give Lex every second his father would let slip by.

“A great many people are, Chloe,” Lionel purred complacently. He shrugged with a mild roll of his eyes. “And when I’m gone, they won’t want to see the messes I’ve left behind. Their eyes will go right through you.”

His smile rose as her face dropped into blankness. It was unrealistic to think Chloe wouldn’t fight at all, but there was a source of her strength he could undermine. If she lost all connection to other people, feeling alone would take much of the vigor out of her resistance.

“Remember this when you're thinking it's finally all over. I'll be dead, but I'm not going without making my marks on the world. Remember you'll be growing my crowning achievement in your belly, getting fat and stretched and stooped as it ruins your ability to hope. Remember that I was once inside you when the child is ripping you to enter the world. Remember how I predicted Lex would pity you, and take you in, ignoring the parasite at your breast. He might even ignore the lumps of baby fat and your sagging muscles to bed you. But you'll never be something he wanted or asked for. Your life as you planned it is over, and the sooner you adjust your expectations the better.”

It couldn’t be right that self-preservation and Lionel were both telling her to give him what he wanted. Chloe couldn’t do it. He hadn’t really done anything more than loom over her and grope at her shoulders, and she wanted to scrub herself with bleach. Unbidden, her hands came up and slapped him away. She ran across the room, stumbling and gasping. In the moment it took Lionel to recover his balance, she was at the door and realizing her mistake. There was no way out.

Chloe was too far gone with panic and adrenaline to stop. She threw herself in another direction, heading for the bathroom. There was a razor there, and chemicals. If she could find an aerosol can she could use a candle with it like a flamethrower. She was too young not to fight. She was too smart to have this happening to her.

He was chuckling meanly, snarls of rage escaping as she evaded him in absurd little bursts of flight. They skittered around the bed and Lionel dragged Chloe back by the trailing robe. She shrugged out of it and ran into the bathroom. He paused to catch his breath, scowling at a pain deep in his chest. He was too old and sick for this – he didn’t have time for the pleasantries anymore.

She was knocking down the toiletries in desperate search for something, and he applauded his decision to have the bathroom door taken out. It would be irritating to wait for one of the men to knock it down, just when she had provided this well-timed display of energetic running. Lionel didn’t try to grab Chloe again. He hauled off and struck her in the face.

Chloe made a mistake. She couldn’t find the hairspray and she was running out of time. She should have tried to ram his skull into the heavy fixtures, but she didn’t want to touch Lionel. He punched her, catching her on the chin. Both of her hands slapped over her mouth. She didn’t know if she was trying to keep her teeth in or covering from another blow. She only realized it was a mistake when he took both wrists and slipped the knotted tie over them. He pulled it taut and Chloe didn’t have her hands anymore.

“No! NO! FUCK YOU!”

“Yes, my dear, that is the goal,” he said, slightly out of breath as he pulled her out into the bedroom.

Chloe staggered and kicked at him, but her balance was too far forward. Lionel wasn’t holding her up, and if she fell her arms would wrench out of the sockets. She whimpered as he led her to the bed. His face was red with effort, but his expression was like a boy at a picnic. He had been anticipating this ugly scene like a child wished for a holiday.

“I’ll kill you,” she hissed. “If I don’t kill you, my father will! Lex will! There’s no one in the world who would let you do this!”

He punched her again, a quick, brutal jab at her abdomen, shutting her up. Chloe doubled over, still getting dragged to the bed. She jerked away and Lionel aimed lower, snapping a precise fist over her mons and shocking a squeal of pain from the girl.

“A hit to the groin is considered a male weakness, but it works for both sexes,” he said conversationally. “Any congregation of nerve endings will recall the pain very efficiently.”

In the next few seconds of dizzy agony, she was flipped onto the bed on her back. Chloe’s feet were still on the floor, and she kicked weakly at him. Lionel came down on top of her, stinking of tasteful cologne. The mattress on her right dipped as he got his hand up to unfasten his clothing. She whimpered and brought her bound hands down blindly. They hit a glancing blow that didn’t even seem to hurt him.

Oh god, oh god, please, she thought. Please just stop him, please stop him.

It was a thousand times worse than the first night with Lex, because it was all deliberate. Lionel knew she was afraid and unwilling, and he liked that about her. He knew she was unprotected and inexperienced. Chloe hadn’t even been with someone of her own choosing, and Lionel wanted to ruin her.

Terror was making her hot and weak, giving her a desperate urge for a bathroom. She let herself urinate and the warm stream soaked underneath her. If Lionel was going to rape her, she’d make it as ugly for him as she could. Chloe wished she’d eaten the lousy meal they’d given her, so she could smear shit on his cock.

“You know Chloe, some men like that,” he whispered in her ear, pressing thickly between her legs. Her sopping gown was still covering her, and she slapped at him as he gathered it up to her waist. “Life is too short to let the little things bother you.”

“Fuck you,” she snarled, unable to think anything but hate. “You’re going to hell!”

“I’ve made my peace with that.”

She was sobbing with outrage, eyes blurry with tears as she looked up into his smug face. Lionel pushed her hands off to the side, using his other hand to position his cock. He paused, gave her a long look as if to memorize her misery, and shoved into her with a single motion.

Chloe knew she screamed. Her throat burned over the noise ripping from her lungs. She writhed and hollered as he steadied himself – he wasn’t young and strong like Lex, and couldn’t hold himself above her with the same assurance. Lionel drew back and the staggering pain moved with him. Chloe wasn’t fighting with any thought she could save herself. She struggled in mindless motions to be away from the pain.

Lionel yanked at her hair and she slanted her head back for him. He fitted his hand around the front of her throat, pushing to show Chloe he could do worse. She gasped, gagging hoarsely as he thrust again. Her hips lifted in unintentional assistance for him to go deeper.

“No . . . “ she whispered, using the last of her oxygen. His hand closed around her windpipe and she bucked underneath him. She thought she heard Lionel laugh at her.

She knew it was only her body, but she could feel her soul ripping. He was laughing at her, taking everything and there was nothing she could do. Her limbs went slack and she tried not to cry. What little air she could draw in was needed. She couldn’t let him destroy her.

When the pain eased a little, she felt faint. Each grinding pain awakened a burst of energy that made every sensation unbearably specific without allowing her the strength to get away. She closed her eyes. It was all she could do just to breathe. He scrambled around on top of her, letting go of her hands. She pulled them up over her breasts, trying to put herself somewhere else until he was finished. Lionel leaned heavily on her belly and she curled her knees up. Her pussy tore with a jarring tug as he pulled out.

There were voices in the room, all male and shouting. She couldn’t hear Lionel above them. The urine stained bed was cold underneath her, and Chloe could only hope she had been rescued.

“Lex . . . “

tatie87

13th September 2010, 07:29

This chapter was all kinds of wrong. I'd been expecting a chapter like this since the very begining, but to actually finally read it was heartbreaking.

Rachet

13th September 2010, 08:22

Even though you now its coming it is still hard to read. I'm glad that Chloe didn't stop fighting.

Zannie

13th September 2010, 11:57

Oh dear - what a chapter to jump in on. Just for clarification, I haven't read all of the chapters I've missed in the years I've been away - and I don't have the emotional energy to invest in multi-chapter fics anymore, so I'm sure I won't be catching up. But I saw you'd updated this story that I started reading so long ago, so I decided to see what's been going on with this version of Lex and Chloe. My goodness, Natalie!

If anyone else was writing this story, I'd be really nervous - since it's so easy to go astray with handling such a charged issue. But you've always handled it with emotional realism and moral credibility - and this chapter is no exception (at least from what I can tell, having not read the last ten or twenty chapters!). And because it's so well done, it's really hard to read. Poor, poor Chloe.

I'm sure I've mentioned more than once on these forums that I don't see Lionel's character as one who would take a woman by brute force, but it looks to me here that you've shaped his character in a way that the scenario seems real and almost inevitable. Without knowing the backstory, he seems to have been pushed into a psychological corner that led him to react like this. I probably won't be around to read it, but I really hope that this is the low point and that Chloe and Lex can pursue both justice and healing in the rest of this fic. Healing more than anything else.

I know it's crazy to try to leave feedback on a story I haven't been keeping up with, but I just wanted to say I think you're amazing and I'm glad you're still writing your stories.

westwingwolf

13th September 2010, 19:51

You captured every disturbing image and terrifying feeling that a rape scene would evoke. Did very well getting into Chloe's thoughts so it was a fair amount of self preservation both in giving up and wanting to fight which seems like would be the thoughts of someone in the moment. Lionel's cruel taunting somehow made an already unbelievably awful situation that much worse so you really showed just how sick and disturbed he is. Now the fear is that his plans will come to pass, that Lex will not be able to find her or she won't be able to get away before anymore of Lionel's plan takes place. The fallout for Chloe is going to be a difficult road to travel, but I know no matter what you choose for the outcome, you'll write the story with same level of well written character emotions that you've been doing throughout this piece and especially in this chapter.

Also, I was going to put in that quote from last night, but I forgot what it was beyond starting with "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN nonky" and ending in "chopped liver."

Flyingwoman

13th September 2010, 23:56

Oh, God.

Agree w/Zannie - show!Lionel seems to me to have too much nouveau-riche snobbery to do something so undignified as to force himself on an unwilling woman, but for this Lionel, who embraces the mobster within, rape seems very in-character.

And we wait for the aftermath.

Kit Merlot

14th September 2010, 02:28

This was an absolute terrifying chapter and I have never wanted a fictional character to suffer more then I want the Lionel Luthor from this fic to.

But this line:

There were voices in the room, all male and shouting. She couldn’t hear Lionel above them. The urine stained bed was cold underneath her, and Chloe could only hope she had been rescued.

“Lex . . . “

gives me a small amount of hope that Chloe will get out of this alive and that she will heal.

Please update this gorgeously heart-breaking fic as fast as you can.

somethingeasy

14th September 2010, 17:08

woah! I know that you warned us about this possibility, Nonky… but I didn’t think you would actually go ahead with it. It actually took me by complete surprise to see Chloe raped by Lionel. I know it’s been building up since the beginning of this story, but I stupidly did NOT expect it to happen. I kept expecting a last-minute rescue.

But… the last minute rescue has become a cliché in fics, hasn’t it? And I do know that Nonky never goes by clichés.

I’m in desperate pain for Chloe, but I find myself more enthralled than ever before to find out just HOW are Chloe and Lex supposed to deal with this latest trauma. All in all, I highly approve of this new plot twist.

She was nearly a constant presence in his generic penthouse, and he wondered when it had happened. The recliner and blanket where she slept after the nurse’s visit smelled faintly of her perfume. He found blond hairs on his pillows. Typically Lex was irritated by the small signs of a woman being in his home, but this was different. He needed all those hints and memories of Chloe, even the very worst ones. Anything that made her feel real would help him find her.

I loved seeing how dependant Lex has grown on having Chloe in his life. He has an almost husband-like need to see signs of her presence scattered around his home… even if the signs are painful reminders of horrific events, he still wants her around him. I nearly squealed with delight hearing Lex referring to the recliner as ‘Chloe’s chair’… as if taking a nap in it once somehow marked it as irrevocably her property.

It was also heartening to see how frantic Lex was about Chloe. Not only because it was an obvious sign of his attachment to her, but it also meant that he was going to be expending all effort possible into finding her and bringing her back to safety again. Find her QUICKLY, Lex!!!

There was nothing in the room to implicate him. Lex had ordered it cleaned and repainted. He didn’t know what to do with the space. It didn’t seem right to have other women sleeping in there after they did their time in his bed, but he was more adamant than ever about not spending the whole night with his passing flings. It meant something to let a person hold you while you were helpless. It would be a kind of betrayal of those women to give them that without meaning it.

I find it interesting that Lex still thinks it’s possible for him to go back to his one-night stand lifestyle after this crises with Chloe is finished. He still has not realized that he’s far too attached to ONE woman now to remain a tom-cat slut? heh…. obliviousness, thy name is Lex! I especially love how he’s musing over thoughts of ‘other women’ even as he’s scanning the apartment for signs of Chloe’s presence and marking certain items of furniture as ‘hers’, LOL! he doesn’t see the contradiction in those two lines of thought at all, does he?

“It is the family motto. I don’t have time for the confession, Lucas,” he said impatiently. “Tell me how much you need and I’ll write you a cheque to cash. You can hide out until the banks open tomorrow.”

heh... if ‘obliviousness’ is a pseudonym for Lex, then obviously ‘perpetual screw-up’ is Lucas’s alter-ego. So this is the kind of family that Lex has grown up with. I’m actually amazed that he grew up with such a strong sense of duty, honour and loyalty and integrity, all things considered. Seriously, I’m awe-inspired as to how Lex has raised himself to be a good man, considering the complete lack of good influences in his life.

I do like how Lex, although irritated and exasperated with Lucas, STILL offers to help out Lucas in whatever way is required. I know it’s ‘only money’ for Lex, but I see genuine care and sincerity extended out towards Lucas... underneath all the exasperation of course.

His half-brother shook his greasy hair uneasily, and stumbled into the penthouse. “No, Lex, I did something really wrong. I told Morgan Edge where to find Dad. I’m afraid he’s going to kill him.”

The vision of a bloody wreck of what used to be his father was the only bright spot in Lex’s mind. He shoved Lucas back and pulled his cellphone out. “Dad wouldn’t be so lucky. Go! You’re taking me there.”

Oh happy, fortuitous day!!! Even a perpetual screw-up like Lucas can come in handy during a dire emergency. I was so pleased and relieved to see Lucas got a slightly delayed attack of conscience. Even if Lucas’s concern IS for Lionel, it still comes at a fortuitous moment.

There were thousands of corporations using the same dozen consulting firms, but Lionel did his hiring through his old neighbourhood. Chloe having his son was part of a special project, and required different standards from his associates. He had no doubt Lex would call his latest special projects team a new low, but it wasn’t anything other than a necessary step. It wasn’t as if those men would be invited to the office for drinks and after-work venting; they were brutes when brutes were called for.

Chloe was a latchkey kid, but she was well brought up. She would see the signs of criminal backgrounds, but not be familiar with the individual markers of their skill sets. She was probably too frightened by the entire situation to set her usually cutting insight on his men.

I find it fascinating that, after everything that Chloe has been put through, Lionel still views as a complete innocent. That’s really not much of a stretch in retrospect, considering the kind of brutes and monsters that Lionel acknowledges as his peers and lackeys, but it sends a shiver down my spine to see the comparative scale on which Chloe is measure in Lionel’s eyes. She’s just a friggen KID to him… and he’s taking extra, special pleasure in robbing her of his innocence and childhood. *shudder*

I also found the thought intriguing that one of the reason why Lionel has maintained contacts in the criminal world is because it was so easy for him to maintain contacts. It’s interesting that most businessmen might ALSO have Lionel’s inclinations towards violence, brutish tactics; but they simply don’t have the contacts and/or the training for it. I find it fascinating to imagine Lionel as the ruthless bastard that he is because of his unique ‘double-life’ and ‘double-education’ in dual worlds.

Perched on the bed, she parted her lips to take a gulp of air. He almost admired the attempt at brave dignity. If he had the time to spare her, Lionel might have searched for a woman willing to be bought. He leaned back and folded his hands together, trying to instill a sense of accord in their postures. It couldn’t hurt for her to actually enjoy the conception of their son. Female orgasm was meant to draw the semen more effectively into her womb.

Forthe briefest of moments, I actually entertained the thought that perhaps Lionel was feeling a tiny bit regretful about how Chloe was going to suffer at his hands. When he made his observations about finding a way to make her enjoy having sex with him, I actually considered that perhaps he’s not a sadistic monster who takes pleasure in her pain. But then it turns out that he only wants her to orgasm for practical purposes only... because he’s calculated that the chances of her conceiving would be enhanced if she ‘drew his sperm into herself’ by involuntary muscle spasms. Nope... he’s definitely still a sick, SICK sadist.

“You met my new employees,” he said blandly, to Chloe’s stiff nod. “I chose them for particular requirement. One was looking at a murder conviction until I paid off the judge. His girlfriend must have died in a confrontation with a housebreaker, so the charges were dropped. The fact she was cheating on him was irrelevant to the legal process. Another of the guards is a pedophile, so he sympathizes with the inappropriate nature of my desire for you. One lost a scholarship to the ivy league because his high school girlfriend accused him of raping her when her parents found out she was having sex. A fourth used to run a shelter, but he lost his job when a group of young homeless women took advantage of his kindness to rob half a year's worth of donations. Shall I go on?”

Chloe shivered, her face draining of colour. Lionel smiled in contentment. “They hate women, and your stories and carefully plucked heartstrings won't work on them. You entered into an agreement with me, and you haven't been doing what you promised, so I've decided to use you another way. This is not fair, but it's your life and you'll have to live it. It's time you stopped whining and crying over it.”

I shivered at Lionel’s description of his specially chosen employees. The amount of attention the bastard has given to making Chloe’s life absolute hell is awe-inspiringly chilling. Any ONE of those men strikes me as the kind of person that you wouldn’t want to be stuck with in a dark house… but the lot of them together… all of them presenting a united front against you? Horrific is far too tame a word to describe such a situation.

I was especially chilled by Lionel’s smooth, relaxed and utterly confident tone as he described these men… and the fact that they ‘hates women’. As if it was the most natural thing in the world to find and hire men like these to keep an eye on an uncooperative teenage girl. I suppose we should all be grateful that Lionel never had any daughters.

She shifted, wanting to rise; he held her shoulders down. “I have not been whining and crying, I've been fighting you. I've been making sure what I know about you is known to other people,” she threatened. “I hope you enjoy prison.”

His sharp white teeth glimmered in the candlelight as he laughed. “My son? He hasn't been able to stand up to me for his mother or his brother, let alone for himself. He loved his mother more than anything. She was his entire world, everything soft and loving to him. But he let me destroy her, and he hasn't made a move to punish me for it. He won't protect you. He won't even find you until you're too far along to abort and in the custody of a foster home.”

I admired Chloe SO much for keeping her wits, courage and spirits about her, even in the face of Lionel’s revelation about the exact nature of the thugs that he has prowling downstairs. Even when faced with a horrific, hellish situation, she still manages to spit defiance at Lionel.

And yet, every time Chloe manages to come up with a defiant statement to show Lionel how she’s NOT alone, helpless and at his mercy… Lionel then turns around and tells her precisely why all of her hopes are simple fantasies… and that she IS actually alone, helpless, and at his non-existent mercy.

I found Lionel’s assessment of Lex’s character to be intriguing and fascinating as well as very revealing. So this is what Lionel thinks of Lex? Lionel is suggesting that he broke Lex a long time ago, when he effectively destroyed Lex’s mother. I wonder whether Lionel truly believes that… whether he actually thinks that Lex is now incapable of mustering up a fighting spirit against Lionel.

“You're wrong. Even if he doesn't want to save me he does want to beat you,” she said tightly. “He wants you to die and leave him everything, so you can know failure intimately in your final moments. And what you see as weakness in him has always been the ability to survive. He let you win because mentally you're the child and he's mature enough not to need the win.”

Very nice! I was so proud and pleased with Chloe for coming up with this retort to Lionel’s assessment of Lex’s personality. I was especially pleased to see that she managed to wrap in a personal insult to Lionel while defending Lex. Good for you, Chloe!

erm... granted, perhaps it’s not the brightest thing to do to get Lionel mad when he’s getting himself ready to violate her... but I think it would actually be better for Chloe, in the long run, to present a fight to Lionel, forcing him to force her... rather than just giving into his demands and letting him to whatever he wants. Chloe will always be able to tell herself, later, that she presented a ferocious fight against Lionel. Even if she lost that fight, at least she fought!

“You think you'll somehow get back to him, waddling with my son, and ask for his help? He'd give it. There's a core of familial spirit he never killed off. So he'd help you push out his own replacement, maybe you'd even become his wife because he's chivalrous at odd moments. But do you imagine he wouldn't feel the urge to wrap his hands around your throat and the screaming little bastard's and strangle you both out of existence? Even his neuroses don't crave that much of a burden.”

Oh now that is truly horrible and insidious! I can see that these words are the ones that are probably going to stay with Chloe to haunt her, long after she’s been rescued and Lionel is dead and out of her life.

The most horrible and sinister thing is that Lionel knows exactly what he’s doing as he’s saying these poisonous words to Chloe. He knows that Lex and Chloe might actually have a chance to bond and form a strong relationship together, so he’s making a pre-emptive strike to end the relationship before it begins. He’s doing his level best to convince Chloe that Lex will never be truly sincere in any feelings that he professes for her in the future. If Lex ever tells Chloe that he loves her and he wants to be with her; Chloe will always hear Lionel’s words ringing in her head.

Deep down, she knew the smart thing was to give in. She should just let it happen with as little violence as Lionel was willing to grant her, then concentrate on surviving to get away. Chloe knew she wouldn’t be killed, because Lionel wanted her alive and breeding. He wouldn’t want to do too much damage to her body, not when he needed that son he was so sure they could produce together. She knew he was possessive of her – he didn’t really want to hand her off to his pack of rapists. He’d do it though, if she pissed him off.

If I want to see my father and Lois and my friends again, I should just let him do it to me, she thought. If I live through this, I can get past everything that happens to me. It wasn’t so bad with Lex – he hurt me but he wasn’t deliberate about it. He just wanted sex and that was what I was for; I’m not a virgin anymore, maybe it won’t even hurt.

It was distressing to see Chloe entertaining this line of thought. I completely understand of course. I’ve read plenty of believable accounts about women who ‘agree’ or submit to be raped merely under the unspoken threat of promised violence. A man wouldn’t actually SAY, outright, that he would severely hurt or kill a woman is she doesn’t cooperate, but he uses physical intimidation in a dark, lonely room to ‘seduce’ her into saying yes.

In Chloe’s case, Lionel’s threats are very explicitly detailed, and I don’t blame her for thinking whether it might not be smarter to just submit to Lionel’s sexual attentions, rather than fight and end up punished and damaged severely. It’s horrible and distressing to see Chloe musing over the possibility of just giving up, but it’s perfectly understandable. … But, oh please, FIGHT him, Chloe!!!

It would hurt her, though, and she had to hold her tense muscles in shaking stillness. Lionel was trying to seduce her in his odd, backwards way, but he didn’t want her whole after he’d fucked her. He wanted her to be broken so she’d have no plan and just follow his. Chloe desperately wanted to think she was better than that. She had Lex’s connections and the doctor he’d found. She was hardly a meek little girl without a mind of her own.

I was glad to see Chloe DID acknowledge that submitting to Lionel would not automatically result in a painless romp on the mattress for her. She knows that Lionel is a sick, sadistic bastard who enjoys cruelty. So chances are that, even if she cooperates, Lionel will hurt her regardless. Heck, he might even hand her over to his pack of rapists after he’s done with her just for kicks… to make sure that she’s completely broken.

She was scared and it made her legs heavy with dread. She could feel twitches of anxiety all over, even – to her horror – on the inside of her body. When he forced himself in, she would tighten and that would feel good to him. It might even feel the same to Lionel as when Lex made her come and then fit his cock politely in to stretch her so Lionel’s doctor could confirm she was really getting screwed regularly.

It added another layer of horror onto the situation to see Chloe realizing that not only her physical body wasn’t strong enough to fight him off, but that her body would even give pleasure to Lionel WHILE she’s fighting him. You really have a special talent for bleeding every drop of hellishness from your storyline, Nonky. Magnificent!

“A great many people are, Chloe,” Lionel purred complacently. He shrugged with a mild roll of his eyes. “And when I’m gone, they won’t want to see the messes I’ve left behind. Their eyes will go right through you.”

And ‘poof’, there goes another hope that Chloe didn’t even have time to take solace in as yet. It might have been possible for Chloe to think that Lionel’s most rabid enemies would feel pity and sympathy for Lionel last victim... but it’s also possible that people will just want to forget Lionel completely once he’s out of sight. And this includes forgetting about and disregarding all of Lionel’s ‘messes’ as well... One of the ‘messes’ incidentally including a damaged and broken blonde teenager.

His smile rose as her face dropped into blankness. It was unrealistic to think Chloe wouldn’t fight at all, but there was a source of her strength he could undermine. If she lost all connection to other people, feeling alone would take much of the vigor out of her resistance.

“Remember this when you're thinking it's finally all over. I'll be dead, but I'm not going without making my marks on the world. Remember you'll be growing my crowning achievement in your belly, getting fat and stretched and stooped as it ruins your ability to hope. Remember that I was once inside you when the child is ripping you to enter the world. Remember how I predicted Lex would pity you, and take you in, ignoring the parasite at your breast. He might even ignore the lumps of baby fat and your sagging muscles to bed you. But you'll never be something he wanted or asked for. Your life as you planned it is over, and the sooner you adjust your expectations the better.”

It’s really frightening to see how much insight and knowledge Lionel has about human psychology. His knowledge is probably comparable to most trained and experienced therapists. The difference being that Lionel uses his skills and insight to destroy people rather than heal them. Even now I can’t help but shake my head in horrified wonder at the skilful way that he’s pre-emptively destroying the Chlex relationship before it can properly begin.

I wonder whether Chloe will take note of the way that Lionel is paying special attention to undermining her faith and trust in Lex. Obviously Lionel wouldn’t be doing that unless he actually sensed that Lex would be a great source of help, comfort and solace for Chloe in the future, once Lionel himself is dead. By destroying Chloe’s trust in Lex now, when it’s still small and only barely budding, he destroys Chloe’s chances of getting help and support from Lex.

He was chuckling meanly, snarls of rage escaping as she evaded him in absurd little bursts of flight. They skittered around the bed and Lionel dragged Chloe back by the trailing robe. She shrugged out of it and ran into the bathroom. He paused to catch his breath, scowling at a pain deep in his chest. He was too old and sick for this – he didn’t have time for the pleasantries anymore.

She was knocking down the toiletries in desperate search for something, and he applauded his decision to have the bathroom door taken out. It would be irritating to wait for one of the men to knock it down, just when she had provided this well-timed display of energetic running. Lionel didn’t try to grab Chloe again. He hauled off and struck her in the face.

I think I felt a little sick while reading this. Lionel’s enjoyment and pleasure during Chloe’s panicked run is so visceral that I can almost feel it myself. He’s delighting in Chloe’s fear, despair and futile scrambling for safety. He’s relishing the thrill of catching her to break her. In fact, I get the distinct feeling that, for all this time, Lionel has been trying to goad Chloe into making this panicked run, because he wanted this moment where he could chase her down, and then start brutalizing her. While Chloe thought she was stalling for time, Lionel was only trying to provoke her into moving and acting the way that he’s undoubtedly played this fantasy out in his head.

Chloe staggered and kicked at him, but her balance was too far forward. Lionel wasn’t holding her up, and if she fell her arms would wrench out of the sockets. She whimpered as he led her to the bed. His face was red with effort, but his expression was like a boy at a picnic. He had been anticipating this ugly scene like a child wished for a holiday.

It was one thing for me to realize how much Lionel was relishing torturing Chloe, but it’s another layer of awful to see Chloe realize it too. But at least now she knows that, even if she cooperated, Lionel would not have given up the chance to inflict cruelty and brutality on her. She was right to fight him, and not to take the ‘sensible approach’ and try to appease him with submission.

He punched her again, a quick, brutal jab at her abdomen, shutting her up. Chloe doubled over, still getting dragged to the bed. She jerked away and Lionel aimed lower, snapping a precise fist over her mons and shocking a squeal of pain from the girl.

“A hit to the groin is considered a male weakness, but it works for both sexes,” he said conversationally. “Any congregation of nerve endings will recall the pain very efficiently.”

I think he enjoyed the satisfaction of inflicting pain on Chloe’s groin even before the rape started. He’s getting a sick thrill out of maximizing her pain.

In the next few seconds of dizzy agony, she was flipped onto the bed on her back. Chloe’s feet were still on the floor, and she kicked weakly at him. Lionel came down on top of her, stinking of tasteful cologne. The mattress on her right dipped as he got his hand up to unfasten his clothing. She whimpered and brought her bound hands down blindly. They hit a glancing blow that didn’t even seem to hurt him.

Oh god, oh god, please, she thought. Please just stop him, please stop him.

You did the perfect job, Nonky, in capturing Chloe’s terrified helplessness... and how all ofher strength is slowly leaking away with all of her courage. Uptil this point, I sense that Chloe was still entertaining the hope that she might be able to fight Lionel off, OR that Lex would come in for a last-minute rescue... but now I can see that all hope is leeching away. She’s beginning to give into the inevitability of the rape now.

It was a thousand times worse than the first night with Lex, because it was all deliberate. Lionel knew she was afraid and unwilling, and he liked that about her. He knew she was unprotected and inexperienced. Chloe hadn’t even been with someone of her own choosing, and Lionel wanted to ruin her.

In a perverse way, this was actually a heartening paragraph. Yes, I know that Chloe is suffering horribly right now, but it’s also good to see her drawing a definite distinction between this rape and the ‘semi-consensual sex’ that Lex inflicted on her during their first meeting. Chloe has been slowly working on forgiving Lex, but today’s experience might go a long way to helping Chloe see the difference between a true monster and the confused, oblivious man Lex was during their first meeting.

Terror was making her hot and weak, giving her a desperate urge for a bathroom. She let herself urinate and the warm stream soaked underneath her. If Lionel was going to rape her, she’d make it as ugly for him as she could. Chloe wished she’d eaten the lousy meal they’d given her, so she could smear shit on his cock.

“You know Chloe, some men like that,” he whispered in her ear, pressing thickly between her legs. Her sopping gown was still covering her, and she slapped at him as he gathered it up to her waist. “Life is too short to let the little things bother you.”

“Fuck you,” she snarled, unable to think anything but hate. “You’re going to hell!”

I wanted to cheer for Chloe. Even now, when it looks like rape is inevitable, all hope of rescue is lost, Chloe is STILL fighting and spitting with defiance at Lionel. Granted, I can see that he’s enjoying it... but I’d also like to think that he’s at least a little irritated and exasperated to see that Chloe won’t be easy to break.

Can I say that it’s also impressive to see how much Lionel can creep me out? Just when I think he can’t get any lower on the scale, he then starts laughing at the idea of Chloe’s fear-driven urine coming in the middle of the rape. The damned, creepy bastard’s enjoying THAT too?!?

Chloe knew she screamed. Her throat burned over the noise ripping from her lungs. She writhed and hollered as he steadied himself – he wasn’t young and strong like Lex, and couldn’t hold himself above her with the same assurance. Lionel drew back and the staggering pain moved with him. Chloe wasn’t fighting with any thought she could save herself. She struggled in mindless motions to be away from the pain.

Lionel yanked at her hair and she slanted her head back for him. He fitted his hand around the front of her throat, pushing to show Chloe he could do worse. She gasped, gagging hoarsely as he thrust again. Her hips lifted in unintentional assistance for him to go deeper.

I... I don’t think I have any words... except for incoherent adjectives at this point. Horrifying, terrible, loathsome, repulsive, horrific, evil! The fact that Lionel went all out with the rape to strangle Chloe while violating her... dear gods! I also think that this proves that this is definitely NOT Lionel’s first rape. He appears practiced at this, as if he knows what moves to make to subdue the female he’s violating, and at exactly which point to apply those moves. I’d even say that he appears recently practiced in this. Did he rape a few girls in preparation for this moment? For training and experience?

She knew it was only her body, but she could feel her soul ripping. He was laughing at her, taking everything and there was nothing she could do. Her limbs went slack and she tried not to cry. What little air she could draw in was needed. She couldn’t let him destroy her.

It was amazing to see how, even now, Chloe is STIL holding onto her sense of self, and telling herself that she WILL survive this, and she won’t allow Lionel to break and destroy her. She might no longer have the strength to fight, but she still hasn’t given up. Even so, I liked how it was emphasized that Chloe is going through massive pain, anguish and suffering right now... far beyond the ‘simple’ physical wounds that Lionel is inflicting on her.

When the pain eased a little, she felt faint. Each grinding pain awakened a burst of energy that made every sensation unbearably specific without allowing her the strength to get away. She closed her eyes. It was all she could do just to breathe. He scrambled around on top of her, letting go of her hands. She pulled them up over her breasts, trying to put herself somewhere else until he was finished. Lionel leaned heavily on her belly and she curled her knees up. Her pussy tore with a jarring tug as he pulled out.

Oh, poor Chloe. Even if her instinct to survive is still running strong, her strength has completely left her at this point. I think it sounded very true and plausible to imagine Chloe just curling up into a whimpering, hurting ball at this point... just unable to offer any kind of physical resistance anymore. It goes to illustrate how much damage has been inflicted on Chloe’s heart, body and soul. Now I can’t help but wonder whether even Chloe’s formidable will to fight and survive will be enough to carry her through this trauma. Actually, no... I have no doubt that Chloe is strong enough to recover from this eventually... but just how many years are we talking about?!?

There were voices in the room, all male and shouting. She couldn’t hear Lionel above them. The urine stained bed was cold underneath her, and Chloe could only hope she had been rescued.

“Lex . . . “

Oh please, PLEASE let it be Lex over there. I think the decision to put a brutal rape into this fic was a good one... but I don’t know whether Chloe can go through an experience like this again. Heck, I don’t know whether *I* would be able to go through this again!!!

Fantastic chapter, Nonky. Thank so much for the update! I look forward to the next chapter.

cbrunberg

14th September 2010, 21:16

it was a good decision to put in the rape scene but i hope that is the only time chloe goes thru that and i really hope lex is there.i don't think lionel broke lex he just thinks he did.i believe chole and lex will get thru this together and be stronger.lionel won't win

Ravenn

18th September 2010, 07:35

Chilling and gut wrenching, yet still AMAZING. So glad you updated, can't wait for the next chapter!

stephkenn

19th September 2010, 14:11

Can't wait for the next chapter!

dkfuryan

19th September 2010, 22:40

God that was painful. Horrible, painful, awful to go through that. I love your writing, everything is so real, the urine, the pain, the fear, everything. That was so painful to read but I need more, I need to see chloe get up and fight and show that this, that Lionel, can hurt her but that she will heal and fight to get her almost happy end. thank you!

Lillian

20th September 2010, 21:25

I like it, I like it, I like it!!!!!

stampiej

19th October 2010, 11:08

wow what a story, so dark and deep

jml

19th October 2010, 14:40

WOW! can't wait for the next update

BellaMR

31st October 2010, 04:14

I ususally avoid stories with too much angst in them. I feel RL can be hard enough, I like to escape into fics for something better. Your story, though, has had me hooked. I feel I am tormented with a need to know what will happen to Chloe and how she will recover from this latest and most horrific violation. Please update this fantastic story soon.

FroggyJump

1st November 2010, 15:41

I read that last update not long after you posted it and I logged off pretty much as soon as I finished reading it, that was months ago. The last two chapters have left me reeling from the grim situation that Chloe is in and I'm thankful that I get a moment to breathe before reading another chapter.

You have done such a wonderful job with dealing with a subject that can hard to handle in stories. As terrible as those last chapters were to read, you are one of the few writers that I would trust to deal with everything at the right moment and not rush to a conclusion good or bad. I look forward to the next chapter.

SVillefan

7th November 2010, 09:07

This has been great story. I really hope that Chloe doesn't believe the things that Lionel was saying to her about Lex before he raped her. I hope she realized it was just more of his endless mindgames. Even when he is about to get what he wants he still can't help himself and attempts once more to tear her apart emotionally. That was heartbreaking and hard to read. I can't wait for Lionel to die. Hopefully it will be soon. Please update soon.

kitten

22nd November 2010, 08:22

Chapter Thirty-Three

He was going to kill them both, and the only pity would be that Luthors had ever existed.

Lex drove them with all the speed he could get away with, his panic only altered by the pervasive dread of any kind of delay. It physically hurt him to brake at intersections, as if the thirty seconds without forward momentum was how he'd failed Chloe. He didn't look at his brother fidgeting in the passenger seat.

Lucas' confession had brought the only chance of saving Chloe. Lex knew if Lionel was going to follow his plan, he'd be anxious to do so right away. She wasn't yet officially missing and his father would probably want as much time as possible to enjoy it. His primary goal was a baby with Chloe, but he wanted to frighten and humiliate her, too. He would have to get back all the months of careful planning in what he did to her.

Lex concentrated on driving as well as he'd ever driven, using his best fearless disregard. He truly didn't fear anything more than getting to Chloe too late. He could not think of the details of her captivity, because that was the best way to freeze up and be useless.

She'll bait him, he thought. She's going to let loose all the vitriol she's been hiding and he'll take every word out on her body.

“When did you last talk to him,” he asked Lucas curtly.

“I can't say the old fossil and I have ever talked, mostly he gets his lawyer on the phone with me while he grudgingly signs a cheque.”

Lex slammed on the brakes, his brother lurching toward the dashboard as he gulped. Lex was furious, and he didn't bother hiding it.

“Last week but he wouldn't take the call. I needed money and he wasn't going to pay this time. He said last time he was done, and I guess he was being honest for once!”

Pulling into a different lane, the bald man concentrated. He was aware of Lucas settling nervously back into the bucket seat, and he didn't try to reassure him. If others had been responsible for Chloe's situation, he'd never forgive them.

“Have you ever heard the name Chloe Sullivan?”

“Is that your new girl? She goes to your place a lot recently, but I figured you weren't up for a threesome and you wouldn't appreciate me showing an interest. She's been with Dad, too, you know,” Lucas said, a hint of scorn in his voice for his father.

Lex's hand flashed out and grabbed at his collar, pulling it tight around his judgemental throat. “She hasn't been with him – he's been terrorizing her. And he has her now, so he can rape her. He's been feeding her fertility drugs in advance so that when he dies there'll be an heir other than you or I to leave everything. Chloe Sullivan is not a whore, and your speaking of her that way makes me suspicious you helped Lionel corner her.”

He released the young man, who shifted as far away as the sports car allowed. “I didn't know any of that; I check up on you and Dad in case – He's made no secret of wanting me gone, and it's not like you and I grew up together. You'll pay off my mistakes, but I have no illusions about my position. It's one thing to get my legs broken for a debt, but the thought of my only family killing me weighs on my mind,” Lucas said, his voice a rush of repressed emotions.

Lex wanted to believe his brother's claims. They weren't close, but they had a bond. He could tell Lucas about Lionel's eccentric whims and petty need to dominate every situation. There was no need to try to make sense of their father with his sibling because Lionel tormented them in the same ways. After a failed attempt to usurp Lex in concert with their father, Lucas had fallen short of expectations. He received money to keep out of company business and assure there were no family scandals from his actions. He was rejected, soundly, cruelly, but – like Lex – he was never completely let off the hook for being a Luthor.

“Do you know anything else that might help find Chloe,” he asked finally, trying to ease the rage-feuled roughness as he drove.

“Not really. She went to the penthouse to see you, and the castle in Smallville to see Dad. I wasn't watching her unless she showed up at one of those places. It's a coincidence I had the location of this house – I've never been there before,” Lucas said. He shook his head, as if years of being Lionel's bastard hadn't convinced him any despicable action was possible. “Where did he even find her?”

The attempt to drive like a moderately sane person was dropped in favour of holding back from punching the console. There was a strange feeling buried in the base of his skull that he might be able to knock loose if he shattered his head into the window. The words came from somewhere lower than his throat, a growl. “High school.”

Lucas' whispered curse left them silent in the hum of the overworked automobile.

Lionel had told her a man's employees reflected his own nature, Chloe thought vaguely. He had said the people he surrounded himself with needed to typify his style and sensibility. They wore suits, styled their hair, and maintained their nails. They worked out and ate properly. They assisted genes and exercise with plastic surgery once there was a need. They married with careful selection, and reared children to carry ambitious course loads in boarding schools at least too far away to visit each weekend.

He hired smoothly fashionable men with steely eyes, each one so meticulously pressed he could walk into a catalogue shoot for a men's store. Not all were handsome, few were terribly young, but they had a look that she'd only ever seen on movies or in the background of presidential speeches.

The men who had kidnapped her were sloppy and unprofessional, obviously a special group just for her. He never took her for granted in his plans. He'd gone out of his way to hire amateurs looking for a payday.

When Lionel got off her, she didn't see anything at first. Her hair was a mess and she stumbled to her feet, pulling down the horrible gown as she moved. Her back hit the wall next to the headboard, and she yelled hoarsely with a desperate note of hope.

“Lex?!”

“I'm afraid not.”

Shock was dulling everything but she used one hand to cover her chest and the other to push her hair out of her eyes. The man speaking to her was Lionel's age, with a scarred, grizzled face. His short, dark hair was cut nicely, but he looked hard. The men he had with him were a united front of unspoken threat, all of them beefy and tough. They were orderly in the way they fanned out and lined the room's walls. They weren't all in suits, but they weren't sloppy or unkempt like the freelance kidnappers.

“Not a good time,” Lionel said mockingly. He had pulled his clothes together and was preening at his hair. “A visit is better left to the city, don't you think, Morgan?”

Morgan Edge! She knew him; he was a gangster and had probably started a very long list of murders with Lionel's parents. His men weren't just thugs, they were organized crime. They did this for a living. She wanted to stare, but that might make him angry. If Morgan Edge was there with his men, she wasn't Lionel's anymore; they both belonged to him.

“We're such old friends, I thought you'd overlook my manners,” the other man said smoothly, his voice too remarkably assured for his oft-broken nose. “And I apologize to the young lady.”

She nodded at him dumbly. She could play this the right way and get free. He would think she was a hooker and let her out somewhere. She was young, blonde, and honestly baffled. It wouldn't be too difficult to be convincingly incapable of giving useful information. Maybe his facade of chivalry was even based a little in reality; he was old enough to have a daughter her age. Help came from odd corners when things were as bad as her last day.

It's been less than a day, she thought in awe. This whole thing with Lionel has only been the last two years of my life. It's a fraction of everything, a blink when I'm eighty. I just need to get past this.

“Maybe you'd like to freshen up,” Morgan Edge continued. “We'll be leaving shortly, and I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable.”

As if the word made it happen, her legs wobbled underneath her. There was pain. It was where she'd expected, but also in her arms and neck. Chloe realized she was alternately panting and holding her breath, and shook her head to clear it. She didn't want to go with these men, but she couldn't stay where she was. She needed to get back to civilization and get away.

Locking her knees, she plodded to the bathroom without a door, and turned her back on the room full of strange, violent men. Her clothes were on the floor, and the damp cloth from her bath was draped over the edge of the tub. Chloe picked it up and started washing her face. She scrubbed quickly, looking past the mirror to her slim chance.

She wasn't religious, but she knew miracles were just unlikely possibilities; she had to make it work.

Cassandra Jean

22nd November 2010, 08:50

Wonderful update. I really hope that Lex and Lucas make it to her before things get really bad.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

Flyingwoman

22nd November 2010, 20:40

Exciting twist, and I appreciate the disregard for canon wrt to Morgan Edge: I love the idea that there continues to be unfinished business between him and Lionel. I also appreciate that Chloe is not too traumatized to think strategically in this situation.

tatie87

23rd November 2010, 01:19

What the heck is going to happen with Edge now in the mix. I have a feeling Lex is going to be too late to the house.

somethingeasy

26th November 2010, 16:11

He was going to kill them both, and the only pity would be that Luthors had ever existed.

Lex drove them with all the speed he could get away with, his panic only altered by the pervasive dread of any kind of delay. It physically hurt him to brake at intersections, as if the thirty seconds without forward momentum was how he'd failed Chloe. He didn't look at his brother fidgeting in the passenger seat.

This was a great beginning to the chapter, Nonky. I could almost feel and touch Lex’s snarling, revolted hatred of all things connected to Luthor. It’s also interesting imagining that Lex’s hatred and revulsion was so clear that even Lucas was able to pick up on Lex’s anger. I’ll bet the younger brother was practically pressing himself into the door on the opposite side of the car, probably wishing for a bigger and wider vehicle.

But it was a terrible place to bring us to fresh after that god-awful cliffhanger you left us at with the last chaper. But I was still hoping that this was chronologically out of place from the last chapter, and we were seeing a flashback before Lex forcefully enters Lionel’s House of Rape and Horror. Turns out it wasn’t… but I still had my hopes up during the first read.

Lucas' confession had brought the only chance of saving Chloe. Lex knew if Lionel was going to follow his plan, he'd be anxious to do so right away. She wasn't yet officially missing and his father would probably want as much time as possible to enjoy it. His primary goal was a baby with Chloe, but he wanted to frighten and humiliate her, too. He would have to get back all the months of careful planning in what he did to her.

Lex’s vivid and fertile imagination AND his in-depth knowledge of his father’s character is making for some pretty horrific results right now. Lex simply cannot shut his brain off from imagining all the horrific torture and anguish that Chloe is suffering through at this very moment. And the tragic thing is that Lex probably STILL isn’t imagining the true horror that Chloe is going through right now.

She'll bait him, he thought. She's going to let loose all the vitriol she's been hiding and he'll take every word out on her body.

I loved how I can feel a combination of pride, despair, admiration and exasperation from Lex with regards to Chloe. He knows that his plucky girl is not going to just lie down and submit to make the situation easier for herself. Instead, she’s going to present herself as a brave, courageous, strong and absolutely irresistible target for Lionel to try and break down.

“Last week but he wouldn't take the call. I needed money and he wasn't going to pay this time. He said last time he was done, and I guess he was being honest for once!”

It’s only a small, brief glimpse, but it’s quite interesting seeing the inner workings between the Luthor family, as observed and reported from the family members themselves.

“Is that your new girl? She goes to your place a lot recently, but I figured you weren't up for a threesome and you wouldn't appreciate me showing an interest. She's been with Dad, too, you know,” Lucas said, a hint of scorn in his voice for his father.

I didn’t know whether to wince in pain… or shriek with outrage at this assessment of Chloe’s personality and character. How DARE Lucas say such horrible things about Chloe. And yet, Lucas is probably only speaking what everyone else already believes about Lionel’s ‘latest mistress’, who is apparently on a time-share between father and son *shudder*

Lex's hand flashed out and grabbed at his collar, pulling it tight around his judgemental throat. “She hasn't been with him – he's been terrorizing her. And he has her now, so he can rape her. He's been feeding her fertility drugs in advance so that when he dies there'll be an heir other than you or I to leave everything. Chloe Sullivan is not a whore, and your speaking of her that way makes me suspicious you helped Lionel corner her.”

heee! Very satisfying. I do admit that I believe Lucas was being treated rather harshly for a statement that was more stupid and thoughtless rather than malevolent and vicious. But still, it was very satisfying to see Lex nearly choke the life out of his brother for the slurs me made about Chloe.

And I will admit that Lucas earned some points when he exhibited appalled shock and horror finding out that Chloe was a friggen high school student. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I wonder whether any of the other potential rapists that Lex hired as goons might also feel a similar kind of appalled horror at the idea of a high school kid suffering like that…?

Sadly, I doubt it. I remember that Lionel chose one guy because he was a pedophile. Which suggests that all the goons have the same kind of mind-set with regards to women… regardless of age and/or experience.

He released the young man, who shifted as far away as the sports car allowed. “I didn't know any of that; I check up on you and Dad in case – He's made no secret of wanting me gone, and it's not like you and I grew up together. You'll pay off my mistakes, but I have no illusions about my position. It's one thing to get my legs broken for a debt, but the thought of my only family killing me weighs on my mind,” Lucas said, his voice a rush of repressed emotions.

And now suddenly I feel a small amount of pity for Lucas. He might sound a lot like a spoiled, petulant child in many ways… but he’s also a kid who has grown up under horrible conditions, with the absolute worst kind of role models possible. What kind of a person would anyone become while constantly wondering whether your own family is going to decide to kill you off for being an ‘inconvenient nuisance’ one of these days?

He hired smoothly fashionable men with steely eyes, each one so meticulously pressed he could walk into a catalogue shoot for a men's store. Not all were handsome, few were terribly young, but they had a look that she'd only ever seen on movies or in the background of presidential speeches.

The men who had kidnapped her were sloppy and unprofessional, obviously a special group just for her. He never took her for granted in his plans. He'd gone out of his way to hire amateurs looking for a payday.

Fascinating. I found it intriguing considering the kind of men that Lionel usually surrounds himself with… but also examining a completely different set of men that he ALSO feels familiar and comfortable with. Say what you will about Lionel Luthor, he’s extremely versatile and adaptive. Fascinating!

“Lex?!”

“I'm afraid not.”

DAMMIT!!! Not Lex after all. Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT!!! aaargh!!

And yet… a sick, twisted part of me is actually relieved that the drama is continuing a little while longer. Hmmm, more torture and agony for Chloe… oh dear me! … For some more chapters, you say? Oh dearie, dear! Just how many more of these intense and bracing horrific chapters are you going to force us to suffer through, Nonky?!? Many, MANY more?!?

Morgan Edge! She knew him; he was a gangster and had probably started a very long list of murders with Lionel's parents. His men weren't just thugs, they were organized crime. They did this for a living. She wanted to stare, but that might make him angry. If Morgan Edge was there with his men, she wasn't Lionel's anymore; they both belonged to him.

And, just like that, Chloe discovers that she’s not only entered a surreal nightmare filled with sneering, laughing jackals masquerading in human form… but she’s actually stepped into a classic gangster film. Complete with a quintessential organized crime boss, and his goon guards.

She nodded at him dumbly. She could play this the right way and get free. He would think she was a hooker and let her out somewhere. She was young, blonde, and honestly baffled. It wouldn't be too difficult to be convincingly incapable of giving useful information. Maybe his facade of chivalry was even based a little in reality; he was old enough to have a daughter her age. Help came from odd corners when things were as bad as her last day.

It's been less than a day, she thought in awe. This whole thing with Lionel has only been the last two years of my life. It's a fraction of everything, a blink when I'm eighty. I just need to get past this.

I can see that Chloe is losing a little piece of her mind and sanity right here in front of us. Perhaps many, many more chapters of this wouldn’t be a good idea after all. Not unless we want Chloe drooling and speaking in tongues at the end of the fic.

She’s seriously looking at the organized crime boss as a ‘chivalrous’ knight in armour waiting to rescue the fair, innocent maiden from the nefarious clutches of the Evil Villain. That is fantastic, Nonky. I can’t imagine a better way to convey Chloe’s desperation, disorientation, confusion and the splintering of her sanity any better than that.

As if the word made it happen, her legs wobbled underneath her. There was pain. It was where she'd expected, but also in her arms and neck. Chloe realized she was alternately panting and holding her breath, and shook her head to clear it. She didn't want to go with these men, but she couldn't stay where she was. She needed to get back to civilization and get away.

Locking her knees, she plodded to the bathroom without a door, and turned her back on the room full of strange, violent men. Her clothes were on the floor, and the damp cloth from her bath was draped over the edge of the tub. Chloe picked it up and started washing her face. She scrubbed quickly, looking past the mirror to her slim chance.

She wasn't religious, but she knew miracles were just unlikely possibilities; she had to make it work.

Excellent! Chloe’s been quite literally tortured, both physically and emotionally… but she’s nowhere near broken. Perhaps it’s the shock keeping the worst of her trauma, anger and grief at bay… but she’s keeping a remarkably clear head through this. Even NOW, fresh after her rape, she’s still clear-headed enough to keep considering opportunities for escape… and weighing her options about how best to stack the odds in her favour… as scant as those odds might be. I have no idea how the situation is going to change now that Morgan Edge has entered into the mix of villains. But it's definitely going to be interesting to see what he brings to the table.

This was a fantastic chapter, Nonky. Thanks for posting. Next one coming soon!?

cbrunberg

28th November 2010, 22:06

i hope lex gets there in time.you can tell lex cares for chloe.i don't like the morgan edge is there.

Ravenn

30th November 2010, 07:17

Morgan Edge! Eeek! I hope Lionel dies a painful fiery death for hurting Chloe and Lex comes to her rescue :) Can't wait for the next update!

poop

30th November 2010, 22:42

looking forward to the update!

mary

14th December 2010, 09:16

amazing! Dark, but amazing!

AngeliqueBeauPre

21st December 2010, 02:11

Really needing the update... awesome story...

emms14

16th January 2011, 00:38

DAMN!!!!! This fic is utterly amazing. Reading this has been like watching a train wreck in slow motion; you know that things could go horribly wrong and if they do you don't want to watch but something inside of you is still praying that death and destruction won't be the ending so you can't bear to look away. In any case, I admire the guts and creativity you must have to think up such a difficult story line and then actually write it and put it up to be read by others despite its extremely sensitive topics. I'm rather sad to see that it hasn't been updated in months but I'm crossing my fingers that it will be brought back to life because it certainly deserves and ending!

-emms14

LEXSUPERFAN

17th March 2011, 18:14

Hi.
This story is realy realy realy wonderful.
You are amazing.

ghaziak

12th June 2011, 00:57

wow. this is such a dark, twisted story and i am totally in love with it!!! amazing writing... Lionel is such a bastard and i hope Lex finds Chloe soon. please, update soon! :)

kitten

13th June 2011, 05:22

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chloe sat on a luxurious bench, strapped in with an extra seat between her and Lionel. She looked at the floor most of the time, but she had noticed all the expensive details of the car. It was a good sign; if she had a car like this she wouldn't be using it to murder people. Morgan Edge was maintaining a pleasant veneer, and had offered Lionel and her drinks when they got in. Lionel was on his third scotch, and they had only been driving half an hour.

He doesn't even seem that drunk, she thought hatefully.

The ride should have been more comfortable than her arrival at Lionel's country house, but it hurt to sit. Her mind was numb, but momentary swings of hysteria rushed through her and made her breathing heavy. She was dressed in her own clothes but they felt wrong, and the quick scrub with a washcloth hadn't come close to taking away the feel of Lionel on top of her.

She shoved that horror away. The future was too big to contemplate in chunks larger than getting herself to safety. They were going back to Metropolis; she knew the city and had people there. If she could just convince Morgan Edge she was of no importance, he'd drop her off somewhere public. She didn't have a phone or money, but she could find a payphone and call collect.

Lex had to be looking for her. She had no way to signal him aside from calling. She might be able to get into his apartment if he was at home, but he didn't seem like he'd sit there waiting. He would be angry – at himself and his father. He would do something, even if it was a random action without much direction.

Her mouth curved the tiniest amount at the thought of Lex Luthor driving around the city, peering out his windows for short, blond-haired women. It was amusing enough to lift the misery lying cold in her heart.

She had to plan her next move. It was tempting to give in and just go along, but with fewer moves to make she had to plan even better. She could push her way out and run, but that was miles off yet. They were still on the highway. In the wilderness, she'd lose her way quickly, and be lost in the night. Her body was battered, and she wouldn't be able to hike to safety.

Chloe was determined to live. She didn't know what would happen tomorrow, and she wanted to be there to see it. She wanted her dad, and Lois. She wanted to tell Lex she knew he had tried his best.

She kept her hands in her lap as tears rolled down her cheeks, not wanting to draw attention to herself by wiping them away.

The unpaved lane was rutted with several sets of deep tire treads and a flurry of mostly large footprints. The cooler night air was bringing up moisture in the soil, showing the evidence of recent activity almost deliberately, but all too late.

An empty driveway mocked him as Lex pulled up in front of his father's estate house. The building was actually a good investment, but too far out from Metropolis to be used more than a few times a year. A mistress had lived there for a while, but found it isolating and tiresome. Lex didn't blame her. There was nobody for miles, and even that depended on occupants in another of these country mansions further down the highway.

“Stay in the car,” he barked at Lucas, turning off the engine and making a point of putting the keys in his pants pocket.

“I can help,” Lucas protested. “I'll watch your back, I swear. I didn't know any of this was happening, and I wouldn't have helped him . . .”

The elder brother unclipped his seat belt and glared. “Do you have a gun? Do you have any idea who's in there? How many?”

Gesturing helplessly, Lucas shook his head. “I want to help you,” he said plainly. “I don't hurt women, Lex, and I had a part in this even though I didn't know it. I want to help her.”

Their opportunity for a surprise entrance was lost, but Lex didn't think it mattered. He figured the house was empty. Lionel had moved his plan to another location, or Morgan Edge had dictated the new space when he arrived with his men. Either way, it was important to look inside and outside the house immediately. Lex wasn't going to wait for his team to back him up.

He looked at Lucas' pale face, meeting his half-brother's eyes. “Someone should stay out here. You need to listen for vehicles, and yell if anyone drives up. Chloe is about five-five and skinny, a small shoe size; look for tracks just in case she ran into the woods or something. She usually wears dark colours but her hair is blond and she's very pale. If you find her, identify yourself and be gentle. Don't touch her – she doesn't like to be touched,” he said gruffly. “Tell her I'm here and lead her back to the house.”

Lucas let himself out of the car and watched as Lex stood up and stared grimly at the house. It was almost fully dark, and he knew voices and movement would be very loud if there was anything to hear. It was an old-fashioned home – no trendy glass walls or large windows - and there were no streetlights or moonlight.

“Do you – I mean, this place looks empty, Lex.”

“And it might be, but we came this far. I have to see it and maybe I'll know where to look next,” he sighed. He pulled back his jacket and took out a gun, expertly checking it to make sure it was ready. “Look, Chloe is young, but she's like you – smart-mouthed and bright. If she got away, she might be hiding here. Inside the house is more likely, so that's where I'll check. She probably knew she couldn't walk out, but she might have hidden in the woods. I have some of my people on the way, but they won't be here for a while. So I have to go in and look.”

“Okay.” Lucas was uncharacteristically quick to listen and Lex barely glanced at him before walking silently into the house.

By rights, he was better dressed for being outside, so he lagged behind for a moment and started around the corner. It bothered him to be unable to see more than few yards into the trees, but though the woods felt alive, they didn't feel inhabited. No people were lingering on the off chance someone might show up at the rarely used home. There would be no point.

The reality was that anyone still in the house would be dead or too injured to move. He was pretty sure he'd been right not to say so to Lex.

Lionel's estate house was furnished with expensive antiques that would only wear out from being cleaned too vehemently in case his father showed up. There was a small staff to keep the empty, unused house in pristine condition. Lionel was getting old and complacent about his money, piling on assets he never used for lack of time.

Lex switched on the first lightswitch he could find in the hallway, exhaling as it lit up a fussy candelabra on either side of the doorway. The worst case scenario was being alone in the dark, and at least he could see where he was searching. A moment later he frowned. Chloe would have turned on the lights if she was there. He desperately wanted to find her, but it wasn't looking likely. He didn't want to find her so battered she couldn't function.

As far as he knew, his father had never killed anyone with his own hands. Certainly there had been disappearances – convenient irresponsible turns from people who had a grudge against LuthorCorp. Sometimes a laywer or two ended up retiring suddenly, advising clients there was only bankruptcy waiting at the end of a legal battle against the company before settling down at a tropical hideaway. Money wired to a bank was different from shooting someone or beating them to death. It wasn't that Lionel was capable . . .

Shaking his head at his own stupidity, Lex shut down all thoughts that didn't help him scan the rooms. He shoved heavy draperies out of the way, opened doors, and looked behind high crests of chairs. He wanted to call out for Chloe, but that would signal anyone in hearing range. He would have to work quickly and cope with whatever he found.

The house felt empty and unsympathetic. He couldn't help but feel chilled, and it reminded him of old movies about hauntings. Lex shook off that thought faster than a blink, eager to reserve as much energy for helping her once Chloe had been found.

He was profoundly grateful to find the door in the kitchen led to a tiny storage room and not a full basement. Even with lights, that huge underground area would be impossible to secure without help. He intended to send his men through the whole house once they arrived, but that could be an hour off. He should have taken the helicopter, but there would have been no light to put down even if the driveway was fairly large. The dark, isolated location was perfect for Lionel's plans, and disastrous for a rescue.

I'm not going to obsess over difficulties, he told himself. I'll do what I can before the team gets here, before the FBI shows up and stonewalls me for any information.

He was purposefully staggering his information to the FBI about fifteen minutes later than to his own security. Lex firmly believed only a Luthor could fight Lionel and have a chance. The FBI would be welcome backup and exceptionally useful in keeping him out of jail once this scandal had broken, but for the moment he had to consider the best way to get Chloe's freedom.

Lionel's plan was longterm and would require some safe place for Chloe to spend her pregnancy. It was possible his father would want the birth to proceed in the same location. Lex was privy to his father's real estate holdings. He could access the accounts that would be used to refit a nursery and medical supplies for one of those houses. He had refused to do so earlier because his strategy was to make sure his father never got his hands on her. At least with Lionel's manipulations, he had some insight.

From the quantity of tire tracks, both his father and Morgan Edge had found the house. Edge was at least unaware of Chloe as a significant person in his problems. She was smart enough to stay quiet and try to play dumb; maybe would be let out somewhere in the city to give Edge privacy to kill Lionel.

His father had a broad streak of selfishness, even more prevalent than his desire to screw over his sons. He could sell out Chloe to his old partner, making her the more urgent target.

Chloe's name was on the records request that had produced the first leads to a connection between Lionel Luthor's parents and Morgan Edge's fortune. The case for a murder trial was going slowly, but the FBI knew enough to keep chipping away until they could make it stick. If Edge found out Lionel's unwilling companion was that reporter, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Lex's hopes suddenly warped to wishing Chloe was upstairs injured. He could only pray she had fought back and Edge had left her for dead while seeing Lionel Luthor as the more valuable prey.

He ran up the stairs loudly, breathing hard as he threw open doors. Every bedroom was empty, every bathroom clean and supplied with toiletries, and every closet mocked his heart pounding. The master suite showed signs of use, so Lex made himself plod back to see the horror up close. The bedding was pulled off on one side, the damp sheets stinking of urine. Bloody spots were trying to dry at the top of the stain. He clenched his jaw and paced to the bathroom. The door had been taken off the hinges, all privacy extinguished.

The acrid scent of urine competed with a floral perfume; the combination was obscene. Lex picked a nightgown up off the floor and turned it to the light until the damp and bloody middle was stretched between his hands like the story of his failure.

He hadn't been able to protect Chloe. She had to have given up on him. Lex hoped she was able to plan her own escape, because he was lost, too.

tatie87

13th June 2011, 07:39

I really really hope Chloe can get far away from Lionel and Edge. I horror of Lex finding the room Chloe was violated in.

somethingeasy

15th June 2011, 07:15

Chloe sat on a luxurious bench, strapped in with an extra seat between her and Lionel. She looked at the floor most of the time, but she had noticed all the expensive details of the car. It was a good sign; if she had a car like this she wouldn't be using it to murder people. Morgan Edge was maintaining a pleasant veneer, and had offered she and Lionel drinks when they got in. Lionel was on his third scotch, and they had only been driving half an hour.

He doesn't even seem that drunk, she thought hatefully.

The ride should have been more comfortable than her arrival at Lionel's country house, but it hurt to sit. Her mind was numb, but momentary swings of hysteria rushed through her and made her breathing heavy. She was dressed in her own clothes but they felt wrong, and the quick scrub with a washcloth hadn't come close to taking away the feel of Lionel on top of her.

I think the bland mediocrity of this scene made the situation all the more horrific. It’s absolutely terrifying to imagine that Chloe is in a state of numbed, panicked hysteria… while Lionel and Morgan make small talk across the limo from her. The fact that Lionel and Morgan treat this car-ride as an every-day, ordinary occurrence makes them all the more terrifying… that they can DO something like this to a teenaged woman, and not even note it… even while that woman is right there sitting across from them, not even recovered from her fresh injuries.

She shoved that horror away. The future was too big to contemplate in chunks larger than getting herself to safety. They were going back to Metropolis; she knew the city and had people there. If she could just convince Morgan Edge she was of no importance, he'd drop her off somewhere public. She didn't have a phone or money, but she could find a payphone and call collect.

I’m becoming more awe-inspired by Chloe with every passing minute. She’s been through the seventh circle of HELL, and yet she’s still thinking. She still maintains enough sense of self and sanity to be able to devise advantages and opportunities for herself, even while she’s hysterical, numbed and tharn from her rape.

Lex had to be looking for her. She had no way to signal him aside from calling. She might be able to get into his apartment if he was at home, but he didn't seem like he'd sit there waiting. He would be angry – at himself and his father. He would do something, even if it was a random action without much direction.

Her mouth curved the tiniest amount at the thought of Lex Luthor driving around the city, peering out his windows for short, blond-haired women. It was amusing enough to lift the misery lying cold in her heart.

I was also heartened and pleased to see that Chloe derived some little form of comfort and solace in the absolutely sure knowledge that Lex is definitely looking for her. She’s not delusional enough to expect miracles… that Lex is going to swoop in from nowhere and whisk her away from this horror. So she’s going to be working on increasing her own advantages and opportunities for escape, and NOT just rely on Lex coming in for a last-minute rescue of the damsel.

But she DOES know that he’s definitely looking for her, and that small bit of hope might be enough to sustain her for the upcoming days.

She had to plan her next move. It was tempting to give in and just go along, but with fewer moves to make she had to plan even better. She could push her way out and run, but that was miles off yet. They were still on the highway. In the wilderness, she'd lose her way quickly, and be lost in the night. Her body was battered, and she wouldn't be able to hike to safety.

I appreciated this, Nonky. I was just feeling a ray of hope and optimism for Chloe, and her chances of escaping. But then you provide the details of all the odds and disadvantages stacked against her, and it was made clear that Chloe is, most likely, going to go through possibly weeks more of torture before getting away. Thanks so much for destroying the small bit of hope that you just built up, Nonky ;)
Seriously, I do love the way you dangle hope and light, only to YANK it away, LOL!

Chloe was determined to live. She didn't know what would happen tomorrow, and she wanted to be there to see it. She wanted her dad, and Lois. She wanted to tell Lex she knew he had tried his best.

She kept her hands in her lap as tears rolled down her cheeks, not wanting to draw attention to herself by wiping them away.

And now suddenly there’s hope again. I forgot about taking into account Chloe’s sheer strength of will, determination, guts and courage. When it comes to impossible odds and million to one chances, you can always set your bets on Chloe’s will to succeed and survive! Her will to survive and succeed is actually stronger than Lex’s own survival instincts… especially when she’s backed up against a wall. And that’s saying a LOT!!!

An empty driveway mocked him as Lex pulled up in front of his father's estate house. The building was actually a good investment, but too far out from Metropolis to be used more than a few times a year. A mistress had lived there for a while, but found it isolating and tiresome. Lex didn't blame her. There was nobody for miles, and even that depended on occupants in another of these country mansions further down the highway.

I had to shudder at this description of the hideaway where Chloe’s rape took place. The isolated remoteness of this building suggests that Lionel bought this place for the purpose of his most depraved activities. And, considering that this place is associated with the term ‘mistress’ in Lex’s mind, I imagine all kinds of horrific, perverse sexual depravities performed on some poor slaves brought in for Lionel’s pleasure. Somehow, I get the feeling that Chloe was NOT the first person to be raped by Lionel in this building. He just seemed too well-practiced and self-assured in everything he was doing for it to have been his first time.

“I can help,” Lucas protested. “I'll watch your back, I swear. I didn't know any of this was happening, and I wouldn't have helped him . . .”

The elder brother unclipped his seat belt and glared. “Do you have a gun? Do you have any idea who's in there? How many?”

Gesturing helplessly, Lucas shook his head. “I want to help you,” he said plainly. “I don't hurt women, Lex, and I had a part in this even though I didn't know it. I want to help her.”

I’d like to think to best of Lucas, and believe that he truly does want to make amends for the part he played in this disaster. BUT, the truth is that he DID play a part in the making of this situation, and I find it hard to consider his trustworthy after that. Still, there’s always hope. He DID after all, help Lex locate this building, right? Too late to help Chloe, but at least it’s a possible lead on where she might have been taken…?

He looked at Lucas' pale face, meeting his half-brother's eyes. “Someone should stay out here. You need to listen for vehicles, and yell if anyone drives up. Chloe is about five-five and skinny, a small shoe size; look for tracks just in case she ran into the woods or something. She usually wears dark colours but her hair is blond and she's very pale. If you find her, identify yourself and be gentle. Don't touch her – she doesn't like to be touched,” he said gruffly. “Tell her I'm here and lead her back to the house.”

Lex’s concise, brief description of Chloe paints her as a victim, and I’m sure Lucas feels even more terrible about the part he played in her kidnapping than before. I DO love, however, how Lex warns Lucas that Chloe doesn’t like to be touched, partially because he wants to protect Chloe, but also partially because he knows that Chloe would attack and/or bolt if any move is made to approach her too close into her personal space.

“
And it might be, but we came this far. I have to see it and maybe I'll know where to look next,” he sighed. He pulled back his jacket and took out a gun, expertly checking it to make sure it was ready. “Look, Chloe is young, but she's like you – smart-mouthed and bright. If she got away, she might be hiding here. Inside the house is more likely, so that's where I'll check. She probably knew she couldn't walk out, but she might have hidden in the woods. I have some of my people on the way, but they won't be here for a while. So I have to go in and look.”

I loved it! Right after Lex painted Chloe as a delicate, fragile victim… he THEN makes clear all the qualities that make her strong, formidable and awe-inspiring. I always knew that Lex would never think of Chloe only as some kind of damsel in distress, but it’s also good to know that he’s also passed along this respectful and impressive portrait to Lucas as well.

Lionel's estate house was furnished with expensive antiques that would only wear out from being cleaned too vehemently in case his father showed up. There was a small staff to keep the empty, unused house in pristine condition. Lionel was getting old and complacent about his money, piling on assets he never used for lack of time.

heeee! I loved it! I love it when Nonky uses the character’s actions and decisions to describe their traits to me. It’s one thing to call Lionel decadent in his old age. But it’s quite another to SHOW how ostentatiously wasteful and decadent he really is with his possessions and wealth.

As far as he knew, his father had never killed anyone with his own hands. Certainly there had been disappearances – convenient irresponsible turns from people who had a grudge against LuthorCorp. Sometimes a laywer or two ended up retiring suddenly, advising clients there was only bankruptcy waiting at the end of a legal battle against the company before settling down at a tropical hideaway. Money wired to a bank was different from shooting someone or beating them to death. It wasn't that Lionel was capable . . .

Oh, Lex! All of this horrible knowledge about his father and worst case scenarios running through his mind sounds really horrific. But what’s even worse is knowing that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what his father is capable of doing.

The house felt empty and unsympathetic. He couldn't help but feel chilled, and it reminded him of old movies about hauntings. Lex shook off that thought faster than a blink, eager to reserve as much energy for helping her once Chloe had been found.

Anyone else had flasbacks of Behind the Veil from this description? ;)

Truth is that I think it was a very apt description of the house. I was actually imagining it as one of those quintessential haunted houses from really scary horror films. It just fits into all the traits; remote and isolated, owned by a wicked master who uses it for depraved rituals, with fresh blood all over it. It’s a friggen haunted house that Lex is visiting right now, and it’s no wonder that even a rational person like him is getting the superstitious heebie jeebies from the place.

He was purposefully staggering his information to the FBI about fifteen minutes later than to his own security. Lex firmly believed only a Luthor could fight Lionel and have a chance. The FBI would be welcome backup and exceptionally useful in keeping him out of jail once this scandal had broken, but for the moment he had to consider the best way to get Chloe's freedom.

Fascinating. I was concerned that Lex was being ridiculous and mounting some kind of heroic rescue completely on his own over here. But now I find that he DOES have help on the way… both official and non-official security forces to help him mount the rescue. It’s good to know that he hasn’t completely stopped thinking rationally while rushing in to rescue Chloe.

Lionel's plan was longterm and would require some safe place for Chloe to spend her pregnancy. It was possible his father would want the birth to proceed in the same location. Lex was privy to his father's real estate holdings. He could access the accounts that would be used to refit a nursery and medical supplies for one of those houses. He had refused to do so earlier because his strategy was to make sure his father never got his hands on her. At least with Lionel's manipulations, he had some insight.

This is one advantage that Chloe and Lex might hold over Lionel. Lionel might not actually know that both Chloe and Lex knew beforehand that he was planning on impregnating her? So he might not know that Lex has guessed that Lionel will need some kind of isolated, controlled location with medical supplied, mid-wives and nursery equipment to hold Chloe in. These requirements and logistics might give Lex the lead he requires to track down Lionel’s stronghold… maybe…?

His father had a broad streak of selfishness, even more prevalent than his desire to screw over his sons. He could sell out Chloe to his old partner, making her the more urgent target.

Chloe's name was on the records request that had produced the first leads to a connection between Lionel Luthor's parents and Morgan Edge's fortune. The case for a murder trial was going slowly, but the FBI knew enough to keep chipping away until they could make it stick. If Edge found out Lionel's unwilling companion was that reporter, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Oh crap! I didn’t even consider this to be another possibility. So it’s not bad enough that Chloe has ONE powerful, corrupt crime-lord who has her in his sights… She potentially has TWO crime-lords who would be targeting her, in their own separate ways. At least NOW I finally understand why Morgan was so anxious to meet up with Lionel. He heard the beginnings of this investigations, and wanted to check up on ‘his old partner’ to get some help in making this investigation vanish away.

The acrid scent of urine competed with a floral perfume; the combination was obscene. Lex picked a nightgown up off the floor and turned it to the light until the damp and bloody middle was stretched between his hands like the story of his failure.

He hadn't been able to protect Chloe. She had to have given up on him. Lex hoped she was able to plan her own escape, because he was lost, too.

wow! The description of the room was as vivid and horrific as any scene from the best of horror films, Nonky. It was a brilliant way to sum up the horrors and terrors that Chloe went through during her time with Lionel in that room. And it was the nihtgown that REALLY brought her traumatic experience home.

Brilliant writing! I’m just dumb-struck with amazement and terrified shock viewing the aftermath of Chloe’s rape. Lionel didn’t even bother to clean up after himself. Did he leave the room untouched as a taunt to Lex, or was he simply in a hurry to get away?

In any case, this was an AMAZING chapter. It wasn’t as brutal as the chapter with the actual rape itself, of course. But it was still mesmerizing in it’s creeping horror. It’s the kind of horror that becomes more intense the more you think about it. Please DO update soon!!!

Kit Merlot

16th June 2011, 02:31

I hope Chloe's able to convince Morgan Edge that he should just let her go and I also hope Lionel Luthor rots in jail for what he did to Chloe.

Thanks for updating this gorgeous fic.

kitten

17th June 2011, 04:30

Chapter Thirty-Five

Lex walked out of the house aimlessly, his hands scrubbed raw from a vicious urge to be clean. He had come back to awareness like a slap; standing there holding the evidence of Chloe's suffering like a holy object.

His drive to do something was stronger than any common sense or planning. He should be waiting for his people to arrive, but he needed to get back to the city. Morgan Edge had most of his holdings there, and would want privacy for whatever happened next. He was a businessman, and even crooked businessmen wanted a home turf advantage.

So they'll be taken to Metropolis to a private property, Lex thought. They'll be held there, for either a ransom demand or to be killed. Edge tries to stay relatively clean these days, and he has no real personal stake in Chloe. If she just allows him to overlook her, he might even send her back as a show of good faith.

He sent a text message to his personal banker, telling the man to pull as many millions as he could without tripping an internal review at the bank. It was an exasperating truth that the more money Lex had, the more people put restrictions on what he could do with it. If he needed ransom, he wanted to be able to deliver it as quickly as possible.

He tried to pull back from the situation and think logically. Edge had his father and a teenage reporter who had been socializing with both Lex and Lionel Luthor. Chloe had been digging into Lionel's past, and some of that effort had uncovered a connection to Morgan Edge. It was public record that she had accessed certain incriminating files.

Lex hoped the timing of Edge's attack had nothing to do with Chloe, but he was sure it was related. His father had distanced himself from his old life almost entirely. The two men might have once called themselves friends, but it was probably more accurate to say they'd been partners for a single large con. While Lionel had used his share to build legitimate deals, Edge had created an empire in prostitution, drugs and illegal transport.

Lionel had always chased after public approval and the inclusion in high society. His marriage had been another deal; a tie the upper crust couldn't ignore even when his money was gauche and brand-new. He donated to charities in order to obligate various hosts to invite him to functions where he could meet the rich and influential of Metropolis. He crafted Lex's education to let him move smoothly within those circles. It galled Lionel to see his success, because he knew his acceptance was conditional. Lex was born into the elite, and wore it effortlessly no matter how many times he was told he wasn't good enough.

Morgan Edge had no claims to society, nor did he care to buy them. He earned his money off the books, and kept it to himself. If he made charitable contributions, no one was aware of them. From what Director Curry had said, Edge was proficient with rackets and his expertise in cleaning up after himself was no more or less than necessary.

No man who'd been a successful criminal for decades would stoop to killing for fun. Lex clung to the thought, even as it illuminated another unsavoury truth; no man who'd been a successful criminal could ignore the opportunity to rid himself of a reporter investigating one of his murders.

His phone rang and he checked the name first. He wasn't talking to the FBI unless he had something he could share. What he'd seen inside the house was just as easily observed first hand. He didn't know where to look next, or he'd be on his way.

The caller was Lois Lane, and he sighed deeply. He had only given her his number out of desperation to keep her out of his way. She needed to be at home if Chloe made her way back there. Lex didn't have a single piece of reassurance to give that he hadn't already used on Chloe's cousin – to little effect. She didn't trust him, and he wasn't in any shape to pour on the charm.

“Hello Lois,” he said curtly, talking over her shouted questions. “I am still looking for Chloe. I can't tell you where, and you wouldn't be able to get here before the area was sealed. As far as I know, she is still alive. You have my word I'll keep looking until she is found.”

A sharp, barely muffled obscenity was obviously in reference to him, but Lex ignored it until Lois said, “I think I should call The General. He can help. He has the resources of the army. He has people who take classified assignments. The police would barely know anything happened before it was covered up.”

He shook his head adamantly, pacing in a tight circle to keep warm. He had known Lois would get pushy long before the day she'd promised him to work things out, but it had only been a few hours. He couldn't waste time arguing with her. It wasn't safe to let any information slip even to barter for her cooperation.

“I have this under control,” he stressed, scrubbing roughly at the sweat under his collar. “I know all the people involved and I can work around them. I'm very certain I'll be able to find Chloe.”

“Then why do you sound so scared,” she countered. “At least let me help you! I'll come over and we can figure out what she would do if she had the chance.”

Lex curled his hand around his car keys so violently he felt his knuckles stretch. “No, I don't think she'll be able to get herself out of this and come back, but I can get her back. When my father had her, I knew what he wanted, and now – I'm tracking down the current situation.”

He grimaced at his wording, afraid Lois would grasp the implication and decide he was lying. The last thing he needed was a heckling young woman prodding his guilt the moment she saw he was able to manage a deep breath.

“Your father doesn't have her anymore!? Who does?!”

“One of my father's enemies, a man who won't have any interest in Chloe,” Lex said, hoping his lie was partially true. “This man might let her go once he's content she won't expose his activities, or he might demand money. I'm having funds freed up if he asks for a ransom, and I'm putting word out that I'm invested in her safe return. I have every intention of paying whatever it takes, even if it means handing myself over.”

His spies would go to Suicide Slums, talk to every hunched figure on the street, making it known Chloe Sullivan was like a treasure just waiting to be found. People who might not normally look as a young lady was marched into a warehouse would recognize her. Word would spread, payoffs would flow freely, and eventually her location would reach Lex. He would pay a small fortune just to hear about her, and his net worth to deliver her back to her family.

“Everything you're saying,” Lois said in a clipped tone, “-has me convinced I have to call out the National Guard and anybody else I can think of. I believe you're trying, but I don't believe you care about Chloe as much as you do about cleaning this up quietly.”

At one point in his life, he would have been in knots about his father's secrets being found out. He would have been sickened to think of people seeing him as his father's victim or his partner in crime. He would have felt lost and dizzy just imagining how much of an outcast he could become without anything more than a well-placed phone call.

With Chloe captive somewhere, his disgrace felt almost like salvation.

“Lois, if you let me get her back safely, I swear I'll let Chloe publish as much of this as she wants,” he swore vehemently. “She'll have direct quotes and photos, if she wants. This is not about me, but it's happening in my world. I know I can help her, just like I know an outsider would get stonewalled. This man who has her – he's a businessman. He's not a good person, but he understands a deal. I'm prepared to put more into this deal than any other.”

His rant went on too long, hinted at too much emotion and irrational need, but Lois seemed to defrost toward him. She inhaled slowly, pausing as her temper cooled.

“You have the rest of the day,” she told him. “If I don't hear from you by tomorrow I'll call every agency I can find in the phone book.”

“You're doing the right thing,” Lex said hurriedly. “I have to go, but I'll call you with news as soon as I have Chloe with me.”

Lois's last comment was interrupted by his disconnecting, but she finished the threat anyway. As she was putting the phone down, it rang.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end shocked her. Uncle Gabe would have been waiting for Chloe's call to check in, and she needed a story to cover for her cousin.

“Oh, yeah, sorry about that. She got here fine, but then we had a little hot pepper eating contest. I'm afraid she's in the bathroom rinsing out her mouth like an amateur,” Lois said carelessly. “She's okay but the way she's acting she might be in there all night.”

Her uncle's small talk was torture, the light conversation prying tears from Lois' normally very stoic eyes. She mumbled and chirped little agreements, but finally had to get off the call before she freaked out.

“Uncle Gabe, she's asking me to bring her some milk,” she said apologetically. “I'm going to go help her out, but you should go on to bed. Chloe will call you tomorrow, I'll remind her about it. You have work in the morning.”

His mellow trust was brutal and she perched on the edge of the sofa as her body started to shake. His goodbye was warm, and utterly unsuspicious. More than once Lois had mocked Chloe's father for his seeming lack of attentiveness to their schemes, but he was just a very sweet man. He believed in his daughter's smarts to keep her out of too much trouble.

“Bye, Uncle Gabe.” She hung up, lips moving in a prayer she would have bet good money she'd forgotten in the intervening years since her last church service. Lois tried to leave her mind open to direction from any power, and heard only silence.

Lex Luthor had the rest of twenty-four hours, and after that she'd see him and anyone else who'd even looked at her cousin in a military lockup with his thumbs in screws. Lois had the distinct feeling she'd be seeing every one of those hours tick by through the night.

jml

17th June 2011, 17:44

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for continuing this. gr8 chapter

angelofgrace

23rd June 2011, 16:58

oh this story is a masterpiece.... i'm so so so so happy you didn't abandoned it... i really hope you'll be able to update soon... thank you, thank you, thank you....

somethingeasy

29th June 2011, 05:24

This chapter started off with a fascinating beginning. The twists are becoming more intricate and delicate. I love how everything is up in the air right now, and dependant on so many factors. What happens to Chloe from this point onwards depends on exactly what Morgan’s mood and motivations are right now, not to mention just how much he actually knows about who Chloe is.

And it’s also fascinating seeing how Lex is trying to prepare for every eventuality, where he’s passing the word around stating that he wants Chloe returned home safely, promising rewards to any possible informant, while ALSO getting a hefty ransom ready no informant except for Morgan himself comes forward. It’s really amazing seeing how many threads he has running to get Chloe home safely again, and how he’s maintaining on top of all of his plans.

Lionel had always chased after public approval and the inclusion in high society. His marriage had been another deal; a tie the upper crust couldn't ignore even when his money was gauche and brand-new. He donated to charities in order to obligate various hosts to invite him to functions where he could meet the rich and influential of Metropolis. He crafted Lex's education to let him move smoothly within those circles. It galled Lionel to see his success, because he knew his acceptance was conditional. Lex was born into the elite, and wore it effortlessly no matter how many times he was told he wasn't good enough.

This was a VERY interesting comparison run, not only between Lionel and Morgan, but also between Lionel and Lex. It’s fascinating seeing how Lex looks through Lionel’s eyes, not only as a product to be shaped, developed and eventually sold/disposed but also as competition. I LOVED the idea that Lionel would be actually galled by how Lex outshines his own father in a myriad of ways.

Morgan Edge had no claims to society, nor did he care to buy them. He earned his money off the books, and kept it to himself. If he made charitable contributions, no one was aware of them. From what Director Curry had said, Edge was proficient with rackets and his expertise in cleaning up after himself was no more or less than necessary.

No man who'd been a successful criminal for decades would stoop to killing for fun. Lex clung to the thought, even as it illuminated another unsavoury truth; no man who'd been a successful criminal could ignore the opportunity to rid himself of a reporter investigating one of his murders.

This was a brilliant assessment of Morgan as well. I’ve only seen Edge as a common thug, but now I can actually view, understand and respect him as a formidable, ambitious, unapologetic, intelligent and cunning mafia lord. I finally see Edge is not actually less than Lionel, but just follows different methods to success. In fact, I loved the idea that Edge might actually be more honest, in his own twisted way, about the kind of person he is. He’s a crime lord, plain and simple. Lionel’s a crime lord too, but hides it away, and even seems embarrassed by it to some degree. Morgan is unapologetically a crime lord, and he’s damned good at it.

“Then why do you sound so scared,” she countered. “At least let me help you! I'll come over and we can figure out what she would do if she had the chance.”

Lex curled his hand around his car keys so violently he felt his knuckles stretch. “No, I don't think she'll be able to get herself out of this and come back, but I can get her back. When my father had her, I knew what he wanted, and now – I'm tracking down the current situation.”

He grimaced at his wording, afraid Lois would grasp the implication and decide he was lying. The last thing he needed was a heckling young woman prodding his guilt the moment she saw he was able to manage a deep breath.

It was unexpected seeing Lois brought into the scene in such an intimate and integral way, but I LOVED it. I loved that Lois is fully away of the situation, and right on the edges waiting to lend her own formidable resources to help. I’m not sure whether Lex is right in refusing her help, but I like that Lois has decided to trust and respect him, for now, and agreed to stay on the sidelines by his request. It’s GOOD to know that they two of them are communicating and, more or less, working together. At the very least, they both are listening to each other. Chloe needs all the help that she can get from her side, and Lois’s help might prove to be the unexpected resource that was NOT anticipated by Lionel, and therefore might be the key to her rescue.

“Lois, if you let me get her back safely, I swear I'll let Chloe publish as much of this as she wants,” he swore vehemently. “She'll have direct quotes and photos, if she wants. This is not about me, but it's happening in my world. I know I can help her, just like I know an outsider would get stonewalled. This man who has her – he's a businessman. He's not a good person, but he understands a deal. I'm prepared to put more into this deal than any other.”

His rant went on too long, hinted at too much emotion and irrational need, but Lois seemed to defrost toward him. She inhaled slowly, pausing as her temper cooled.

“You have the rest of the day,” she told him. “If I don't hear from you by tomorrow I'll call every agency I can find in the phone book.”

squeeee! I loved that Lois sensed Lex’s intense emotional investment in Chloe, and realized that he probably wants her cousin home safe as desperately as she does. It’s great to know that Chloe and Lex will have at least one person on their side (emotionally) once their inevitable relationship comes out into the open.

“Bye, Uncle Gabe.” She hung up, lips moving in a prayer she would have bet good money she'd forgotten in the intervening years since her last church service. Lois tried to leave her mind open to direction from any power, and heard only silence.

Lex Luthor had the rest of twenty-four hours, and after that she'd see him and anyone else who'd even looked at her cousin in a military lockup with his thumbs in screws. Lois had the distinct feeling she'd been seeing every one of those hours tick by through the night.

heeee! I love it! Lex is busy pursuing all channels to get Chloe back home safely, and Lois is poised right on the edge of action, ready to rush into the rescue as well. Chloe is in a really horrific place right now, but at least I have hope that she WILL eventually be saved, and delivered back home to her loving, reassuring, understanding cousin. It’s wonderful to know that she won’t be alone in trying to deal with her trauma in the aftermath. She’ll have BOTH Lex and her beloved cousin there to lend emotional support, in whatever form she might need it.

But I’m getting far head of myself :P
Let’s just wait to see her actually escape from her evil, horrific situation first, shall we? Yikes! Please update soon, Nonky!

kitten

29th June 2011, 05:33

Chapter 36

“Lucas!”

His brother's voice rang through the trees, cold enough to slice off branches. Lucas turned back and started running, not eager to face Lex again but even less happy to consider pissing him off. As he made it around the house, he saw Lex hanging up his cellphone and putting it away.

“Hey, did you find – anything,” Lucas asked, tacking an awkward ending on a sentence that would definitely provoke Lex's anger.

“No.” Lex didn't say anything else until they were back in the car, headlights pointing out a lonely path in front of them. “You were serious about wanting to help?”

Lucas nodded, scrubbing cold hands on his knees. “I feel really bad about this. I didn't know anyone else would be here or I never would have given the map to them.”

Lex had already decided his half-brother's gambling days were over. The next time he got in over his head would either finish him off or teach the lesson no amount of handouts could. When the irresponsible behaviour had only hurt Lucas, it had been his choice not to do better. Now that someone innocent had been injured by it, mercy was gone.

“We can't change that now,” Lex said tersely.

He was fighting the urge to snap at anybody, and Lucas had played his small role without knowing how or why. Society disregarded bastards, but his father's younger son had been getting into trouble for years. Edge wouldn't have had to ask many people to find out how to get Lucas owing him. The steep debt was probably allowed to rise higher than Lucas could hope to pay off simply in cash. Technically, the young man was too young to gamble even in a casino. He was not quite twenty and his life skills consisted of small time grifting and betting.

Lex had always thought his brother's life was his own business. It wasn't as if they'd even met before Lionel produced a teenage Lucas like a rabbit out of a hat. Back then it had been a threat to replace Lex's leadership with a more malleable CEO. The situation had not allowed for any fraternal bonding. The plot had failed, Lucas had wandered off, and Lex had given him money when he was in need. He was too young and uneducated to bring into the company, and too wild to try to protect.

“This isn't your fault,” he told Lucas quietly, putting the car into gear and beginning the drive back to the city. It was easier to speak when he could only feel the quiet watchfulness without having to meet his half-brother's eyes. “Dad never did right by you or your mother, and I honestly didn't know you existed until he aimed you at me like a gun. I thought it was enough to toss you some money and make sure no one else came after you for being a Luthor. I should have known there would be people who would try to use you.”

“I can take care of myself,” came the reply, followed by a light scratching. Lucas was scrubbing his fingernails on the dash, gradually clawing through the leather. “I knew there was something up with those bets, but they kept taking my marker. I thought I just needed one good return and I'd be set for a long time. I'm not really employable in Metropolis. Thought I'd get out of town.”

It would be tricky hiring a juvenile delinquent who also happened to be a deliberately lost son of Lionel Luthor. Not many respectable businesses could take the chance of alienating LuthorCorp. Lex couldn't have hired Lucas either, unless he wanted to set up another showdown with his father. With Lionel sick and settling his estate, there would be no danger from Lucas. The stockholders and lawyers could be appeased with some paperwork guaranteeing the younger son wouldn't be getting significant power.

“I understand,” he told Lucas. “I'm going to need to focus on helping Chloe for a while, but after that I want to talk about hiring you. It's not going to be corner office, but you'll have a salary and some protection. I've been trying to insulate myself from anything you could do to me, but it was always Dad who was the danger. I know it wasn't your idea to takeover a corporation in your teens.”

The scratching paused, and Lucas held down the button to scan for radio channels. “You don't have to hire me – I wasn't going to say anything about this,” he said. “I'm not proud of my actions.”

Lex cleared his throat, unsure how to express his empathy. He had been manipulated many times, and each time felt like a violation of his will. He tried to see every angle, but Luthor politics had hundreds of angles. No amount of education gave eyes in the back of one's head.

“I'm not trying to keep you quiet,” he said. “If Chloe wants to prosecute, I'm going to insist you testify exactly what you know. This could turn into the biggest scandal in our family history and I don't care as long as she's okay. I'm not inclined to decide for her if her privacy is worth pressing charges. Dad is going to be dead inside a year, and she might have a lot more to deal with long term.”

Flicking off the radio, Lucas scrubbed at his hair. It was hanging in greasy strands over his forehead. He was always on the cusp of being homeless, but never quite there. Despite his recklessness, he had friends and girlfriends.

“Are you still living with that woman,” Lex asked.

“Hannah? No, her husband came back – again. I'm going different places. It's not like I have that much stuff, you know?”

Nodding, the billionaire turned out onto the highway. Leaving the trees made him feel freer, and he hit the gas without noticing how fast he was going. If there was ever a legitimate need for a sports car's extreme performance, it was getting him back to Metropolis that night.

“You should stay at one of our buildings for a while. You don't have to move in for good, but Edge might be looking for you now,” he told Lucas. “The next few months are going to be dangerous for both of us.”

“And Chloe.”

Lex felt his shoulders bunch and rolled them forcefully. “Chloe will need some support,” he agreed.

He intended to guard both his brother and Chloe, at least until Lionel died and his will was read. Any offspring with Luthor blood would be subject to a lengthy and intrusive study once the inheritance was announced. If she was pregnant, it might mean a life-long connection to his family.

“Would she keep it,” Lucas asked. “If she was pregnant?”

“She's . . . caring. I think it's possible,” Lex answered. “It's her decision if it comes to that, but I wanted to spare her having to make it.”

Plans unfurled in Lex's mind, passing the time he drove until they were within city limits. His phone rang several times, but he was ignoring his FBI contacts now. The FBI was too blunt a tool to use against Edge. He needed to make sure they were gathering evidence far behind him while he freed Chloe.

“Lucas? Chloe has a cousin in the city who knows she's missing. She doesn't know all the details, but I asked her to wait to tell anyone else. I have until morning,” Lex said. “I want to drop you off with this cousin: Lois. You can keep her informed and try to stall her from making any moves that will get Chloe killed. Can you do that?”

“Sure thing. What's her last name? Is she cute?”

Lucas had inherited his appreciation for women directly from the Luthor genes. It was almost enough to make Lex smile.

“She's an Army General's daughter and good at hand-to-hand combat. Be nice to her; she's worried about her cousin,” he said. “Tell her I'll get Chloe back.”

“I'm very charming,” his half-brother said sincerely. He looked out as Lex stopped at the curb. “Which one?”

“Lois Lane, the building straight ahead. She is armed, so mind your manners.”

“Please.” Lucas strolled up to the building like he owned it, scruffy jeans and dirty hair no obstacle to his confidence.

Lex waited until he was buzzed inside, then kept driving to his own apartment. He would check in with his contacts and put out an offer for Chloe's safe return. He would have to couch it as bargaining for his father's safety, and that of any companions also taken at the time.

He parked on the street to have his car available, and tipped the valet to keep it from being towed. The doorman greeted him and he nodded firmly.

“Any visitors tonight,” Lex asked.

“Not since you left, sir.”

“If a young lady arrives, send her up immediately,” he said.

There were no messages waiting in his penthouse, just a blatant emptiness he couldn't ignore since Chloe had pointed it out. The expectant air of a home without inhabitants made the decor feel more like art installations than functional pieces. Lex often wondered why people who were barely at home had live-in servants when he did perfectly well at night, but he wished for someone to meet him at the door. No one noticed his presence or absence, and it was the same as not mattering.

He pushed away the twinge of loneliness and went into his office. His round of phone calls told him what he'd known from the country house; Lionel and Chloe were nowhere to be found. His father had elaborate rituals to guard his privacy. The very security he'd created around himself was acting against a rescue effort.

Lex authorized his spies to buy a line on where Morgan Edge did business. He told them to send out the offer for his father's safe return, as well as compensation for anyone else snatched with his father. His employees were all competent, but people were afraid of Edge. By morning, someone would be tempted. He had to hope negotiations moved quickly. He believed Lois Lane would be glad to see any Luthor in jail. She wouldn't understand the danger of reporting Chloe missing.

He sat down to wait for news, ignoring the calls that were only questions he couldn't answer. When he next spoke to someone, he wanted to have something concrete about Chloe and how he could get her back. Lex turned his chair to the window and stared out into the night.

Metropolis hadn't looked so dark to her since the first night Lois helped sneak her out past curfew, Chloe thought. Then it had been for midnight fast food indulgence, and a relatively safe walk down to the neighbourhood stores. She'd had her brash and fearsome cousin with her, and Chloe could still remember the thrill of walking out into the unknown.

She had been thirteen, and no one had ever tried to hurt her beyond playground slurs. Chloe hadn't believed anything would happen, because the world didn't work like that; people didn't hurt each other for no reason. There were wars, and crime, but she was an ordinary girl on a regular night. She was not a target.

Her rise to being Lionel's favourite was the least special she'd ever felt. She couldn't even dig up a scrap of her better moments with Lex, or her short moment of false victory.

There was no thrill, or even feeling. She had shut down bit by bit until even the danger faded for her. She needed to get away, but on foot wasn't an option. Edge would have to see her as worthless and let her go.

“I was chosen for my discretion,” she said passively, pretending to study her manicure. “I'll be missed if I don't check in soon with my agency. I assure you, gentlemen, I won't recall a thing about tonight after I'm on my way.”

Lionel made a subtle motion on the seat, but his hands remained on his drink. Chloe forced a blank smile to her lips; that of a vapid whore waiting for a tip. She knew it was risky to bring attention to herself, but they weren't going to forget about her. Her odds of surviving improved the faster she got away from all these men.

Morgan Edge nodded with a lazy glint in his eyes. His face was rugged and aged prematurely. He was bigger than Lionel by fifty pounds, probably a few years younger and certainly more muscular. The look was cloying, and it made her feel the psychic imprint of all of his body down on top of her. If he had no stake in personally, he could give her to his men like a party favour. She couldn't tell him she knew he was a murderer. It was her only power and it didn't matter unless she was alive to accuse him. Chloe had to hide that small advantage tight inside her hand, and use it to make a fist.

Her frantic alliance – the FBI, Lex's investigation, justice – was far away from the world she was in while seated in a criminal's limo.

“You're a modest girl,” Edge said fondly. “It's obvious you're much more than the entertainment. You need to come with us. We're going to the hospital.”

His words were flat and innocuous. She needed a doctor. There would be help, witnesses. Except a man like Morgan Edge didn't pick up unfortunate young women and drive them to the emergency room personally. A man like him probably sent a lot of people to the hospital, but he wouldn't be seen dropping them off. She'd be a fool to think it was that easy to be safe.

“I'm okay,” she sniffled.

The crime boss reached under the bar and came up with a baseball bat, swinging hard and fast at Lionel's middle. Chloe shrieked and ducked away, but the bat kept at Lionel until he lost his grip on the seat and fell to the carpeted floor. His body rolled away from her, so she couldn't see his face anymore. He wasn't making noise, and he was twisted unnaturally. It was impossible to tell if he was dead.

“It's too bad our friend Mr. Luthor took such a nasty fall,” Edge said, leaning the bat on his knee. He cupped his hand over the weapon and nodded. “Luckily, my driver is very good, and he'll get us to the hospital right away. I only regret my factory is so hard to find at night. Every single building looks just the same, and the ambulance would never get the right one. So easy to be lost.”

Chloe dropped any pretence of jaded courage and pulled her legs up underneath her, hugging herself as she shook.

“Please let me go! Please! I won't say anything,” she begged. “Please, I haven't done anything . . . I won't do anything to you . . . I don't care what you do to him.”

His eyes scanned her deliberately, and she could almost see cracks ruining his implacably polite mask. “It's a tragedy you're so marked by your surroundings, Miss Sullivan,” he drawled. “Everything I'd heard about you suggested a compassionate soul. Perhaps Mr. Luthor simply ground on you the wrong way. I'll try not to make the same mistake.”

Edge poured himself another drink and sipped it leisurely, casting his eyes between the warehouses outside the car and the man on the floor. He didn't look at her again.

starmoon

3rd July 2011, 00:17

great update i can't wait for more. i just hope everything will work out in the end.

Pufkinz

3rd July 2011, 03:07

Wow... Really happy for the beating Lionel has recieved, hope he gets some more!! I really hope, Lex's move pays off and word gets to him the minute Chloe is spotted, cause I'm geting a feeling of "out of the frying pan into the fire" situation for Chloe.

Thanks for the update!!!!!!!!!

Kit Merlot

3rd July 2011, 03:52

I knew there was a reason I loved Morgan Edge--anyone who can casually beat down Lionel Luthor is okay in my book.

Flyingwoman

3rd July 2011, 07:04

This is getting a little terrifying. What does Edge want from her?

zadie

4th July 2011, 13:50

This story is seriously dark but that only makes me love the characters more. Testing them through adversity makes for unparalleled development. Very interested to see where this is going.

Excellent work (please continue soon)

georgee5

5th July 2011, 20:56

So I'm caught up. Started from the beginning last night so I would remember the nuances, and OMG! I absolutely hate acronyms, and look what you just made me do :) I am glad you are updating again, I hope we get to read an ending to this story. It probably won't be a happily ever after, but I'm assuming it will be a dead Lionel and a Chloe & Lex on the way to mending their various hurts/pains?

And now I am off to read "Witness Protection" because Zannie kept on you about it. I'll read, and if I agree, you might have another asking you to take it off the hiatus list.

kitten

8th July 2011, 01:26

Chapter Thirty-Seven

When his doorbell rang, Lex ran to answer faster than he'd gone to meet anyone since his mother's death. His alert posture behind his desk transformed into a ducking, exhilarating motion as his hopes rose out of sight.

It was stupidly vapid of him to hope -easily the least thought he'd put toward any action in years. It felt wonderful.

He disregarded what must have been an unholy amount of noise for his downstairs neighbours and sprinted through rooms, hating every square foot of luxury. Chloe was right about his apartment; it was obnoxiously large, expensive, and had no redeeming atmosphere. His shoes skidded on the foyer floor, but he didn't slow down. Catching himself on the wall, he didn't bother to hide his panting breaths. He pulled open the door without looking, heart racing.

Lex's brief optimism froze solid and shattered. The call girl in his hallway was young, blonde, and dressed to kill. Her dress wasn't red, and it didn't have the flawless gleam of real silk, but it was flattering. She had a jean jacket slung uneasily over the dress, a misstep that signalled urgency. She had to look up at him, and immediately took in details of his appearance; Lex supposed that was only fair. What she saw made her back up half a step and hover in the doorway. It was a sick re-enactment of that first night with Chloe, down to her obvious nerves as she looked at him. He didn't think he knew her, but his mind was occupied with much larger issues.

“I didn't call for anyone,” he barked. “I don't want company tonight.”

He knew his temper was shredded, and he'd take it out on her if she complained. His pride hurt to be so deeply unhinged, but the most kindness he could offer the woman was sending her away quickly. Lex was slamming the door in her face when she pushed it and leaned hard.

“No! Please! I have a message for you! You wanted to buy Lionel Luthor's safety,” she gasped. “I'm supposed to tell you-”

He moved back and the door swung wide with her weight, sending her off balance. He reached out and held her steady by her wrists. As Lex helped her keep her feet, he dragged her inside and closed it firmly. His glare fixed on her trembling, and he grabbed her purse to throw it away. He wasn't going to be shot now when he might be able to help Chloe.

“Talk.”

The woman's eyes were stuck on the purse, perhaps yearning for a weapon inside, or just the security of having it in her hands. She was in her twenties, at least from the wear around her mouth and eyes. Unlike Chloe, she was not new to any of this.

“Morgan Edge is taking Mr. Luthor and Chloe Sullivan to Metropolis General. He will check Mr. Luthor in under another name, so you should not try to interfere,” she recited woodenly. Lex could see she was barely comprehending her own words, only saying them as she'd been instructed. “You have to go to the hospital alone with the money, and someone will meet you there.”

“Who?” Lex still had her by one wrist, and his grip tightened threateningly when she shook her head.

“I don't know that. I was – They told me what to say and they gave me something of hers,” the woman said faintly. She pointed to her purse, moving very little.

“Something of Chloe's,” he said quietly, pushing away the potential horror of what that token was. His vision washed red for a moment that broke when his grip on her wrist made his messenger whimper. Lex let go, and gestured toward a chair standing flush to the wall. He glared as she sat down, pulling her feet in protectively and closing herself up.

When he was sure she wouldn't run at him, Lex walked over and picked up her purse. It was more suited to her jean jacket, and the cheap imitation leather had cracks all along the handles. He set it down on her lap and stood back, crossing his arms over his chest to brace for what he saw next.

The woman dug around for a moment and held out a cellphone. He recognized the model as Chloe's, even with the wave of relief. It was a part of her that could be replaced. Lex had been thinking of fingers, ears, a chunk of lip. He had imagined a soft blond curl across his palm, disembodied from the rest of her tresses. Even the bloodless, painless strands would have offended him to a depth he hadn't known he possessed.

He was still angry, but he could be rational now. He had his answer to the ransom offer. He would have to listen to the instructions. The phone wasn't proof his father and Chloe were alive, but it was convincing along with Lucas' confession. Horrible as it all was, he could make sense of it and move forward.

He'd been asking for this, verging on sending out vague prayers. Lex opened the phone and scrolled the display. The last activity had been his call. Chloe hadn't even had time to call for help, and the pang of sympathy for her reminded Lex of his guest. She shifted uncomfortably and eyed the door. She was one of Morgan Edge's employees, acting on his orders. Her appearance suggested she was a prostitute, but she might sell drugs or work in one of his backrooms where various illegal entertainments went on.

“Why the hospital,” he asked flatly. “Did you see them? Is Chloe injured?”

“I didn't see the – I wasn't – They made me remember what to say and take the phone. I didn't see anyone,” she stammered. “I looked out my window?” She wavered a bit, uncertain but not dishonest. Lex didn't call her on it. “There was a limo downstairs. It might have been them.”

She tucked her chin in as if expecting to be struck, and Lex swallowed an outraged snarl. He had no mercy for anyone except Chloe, but the teenager was looking to him for his compassion. She would probably see this prostitute as a person worthy of saving. Chloe would make excuses for the woman standing aside and abetting a kidnapping. The young reporter would tell him it was difficult to fight a man as powerful as Morgan Edge with money and resources; it would be suicidal with nothing to help.

The bland anxiety from the woman vexed him, made him almost want to take it out on her. Lex threw back his head and shuddered with repressed violence. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt his father, Lucas and himself. He wanted Edge floating in the harbour. Acting on any of those urges was stupid and impulsive. He had been in training to be cold and mechanical since childhood. His father had prepared him for war, and it was starting to feel like war to Lex.

“You don't say anything about this,” he said curtly. “Walk out of this building, report back if you have to, but otherwise forget every single detail. Just coming here and delivering your message, you committed three felonies for your boss. If I see you again, I'll have you brought up on every possible charge. Go.”

She popped to her feet and clacked over his floor, moving with jutting elbows and knees bent. It pleased him on some vicious level. He wanted to see guilty people prone and abasing themselves to make up for the grinding worry he was feeling. Lex had wanted to punish the whore himself, but he thought the justice he wrought should meet Chloe's standards. The woman was free to live her life as best she could.

He had things to do, and not much time to prepare. Extra time before he arrived would be suspicious to Edge. It was the deal of his life, literally, and every step had to be perfect.

Chloe had a friend in school long ago who owned a chameleon. The lizard wasn't very friendly with strangers, but once in a while it would sit on a lap or a shoulder. She didn't remember the chemicals that made it able to match its skin colouration to the surface to which it clung. It had stayed with her that even as fast as the lizard could camouflage, there was still an in-between when it looked like a mix of before and after.

Morgan Edge was no chameleon. When he transformed, it was instantaneous and total. He put the bat away under the bar, finished off his drink, hefted Lionel's body up onto the seat, and addressed her with a polite, distant tone.

“We're here,” Edge told her, extending his arm. “I know you're in shock, so let me do the talking. It's all been arranged. I'm afraid anything you say will only sound like babbling. I would hate for you to be sedated and not know a thing that was happening.”

The threat grazed off her battered self-preservation, but she didn't want to be more helpless. He climbed around her out of the limo, reaching in and tugging her arm gently until Chloe followed. She hadn't dressed for the night, but at least she was wearing pants instead of a skirt. Her filmy top blew gently around her waist and she pulled it back down.

“What about-?”

Two of Edge's men were gently guiding Lionel out of the other door, holding him up as the older man staggered. He was alive, and Chloe felt brief anger. He was the only man in the world she wanted dead, and he'd probably find some experimental treatment to survive his illness. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair.

She looked around at the cars and people, entertaining a thousand hopes of rescue. There was a young man who looked strong enough to help her, but he was alone and he wasn't stronger than a bullet. She couldn't call anyone since her phone was gone. Yelling crazy things at random people would make her look like she was being checked into the hospital.

She walked on Morgan Edge's arm, both of them glancing back while Lionel was seen to a wheelchair. He grumbled and made weak swipes at the flunkies, but went quiet when a nurse hurried over. She pushed Lionel inside another set of doors, and Chloe sat as her rapist was soothed and cared for.

Edge let her pull her arm away, and she clasped her hands together in her lap. Maybe it looked like prayer, but what she asked for wasn't remotely Christian. She wanted heads on pikes, bodies rolled in ditches. She wanted suffering and misery. She felt like she was able to point a gun at one of these men and shoot. It might be regrettable later, but now she was fighting for her life.

She looked around the room and saw the usual mix of parents with small children, elderly people, and young thrill-seekers who'd found their limitations the hard way. A clock showed the time, and she watched it tick away most of an hour before a new nurse walked over to them.

“Mr. Edge, Mr. Luthor is being moved upstairs. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to a waiting room where his doctor will speak with you,” she said politely. “Are any of you that are with him family?”

“I believe Miss Sullivan has become quite close with him,” Edge said, oozing smarm. “She's been interning with his office. So unfortunate she was present for this accident.”

Somehow, the nurse didn't notice his oily tone, or maybe Chloe was projecting that on his words. It was certain Edge meant to make her uncomfortable, but someone outside her situation might not see anything wrong with a teenage girl in the company of these monsters. The thought was sickening, and Chloe felt herself go pale.

“It is too bad,” the nurse said, looking at Chloe with a sympathetic nod. “We'll get you some juice along the way. You look like you could use the sugar.”

It had been a long time since any meal, and even longer for sleep. Chloe nodded and her arm was tucked back in Edge's elbow with proprietary deference. He even patted her hand.

“For privacy, I'd like to ask Mr. Luthor be registered under a pseudonym,” he asked. “It's the only way the poor man will get any peace from the media.”

His hold on her arm squeezed a little, and Chloe knew for sure that Edge was well-informed of her investigation into his past. She walked with him as his men filed in behind, closing her off from the door to the outside world. She could have made a run for it, but she didn't want to see what was behind the contained menace.

They were back in the city, in one of the places where people went to be safe. Lex would find her there, and she wouldn't have to drive down the panic and act. He would save her. She believed he would save her.

And if he didn't, Chloe thought bleakly, she wouldn't be alive to suffer anymore.

Cassandra Jean

8th July 2011, 06:54

Thanks for the update. I really hope that Lex gets to Chloe before Edge is able to do anything.

Update soon!!

somethingeasy

8th July 2011, 23:11

Lex had already decided his half-brother's gambling days were over. The next time he got in over his head would either finish him off or teach the lesson no amount of handouts could. When the irresponsible behaviour had only hurt Lucas, it had been his choice not to do better. Now that someone innocent had been injured by it, mercy was gone.

“We can't change that now,” Lex said tersely.

He was fighting the urge to snap at anybody, and Lucas had played his small role without knowing how or why. Society disregarded bastards, but his father's younger son had been getting into trouble for years. Edge wouldn't have had to ask many people to find out how to get Lucas owing him. The steep debt was probably allowed to rise higher than Lucas could hope to pay off simply in cash. Technically, the young man was too young to gamble even in a casino. He was not quite twenty and his life skills consisted of small time grifting and betting.

Sorry about the delay in reviews, Nonky. I was traveling, but now I’m back home again, so I’ll be trying to catch up on all the fics that have been piling up on me. There are a LOT of them, and I feel the urge to hide under my bedcovers and ignore them, BUT… one review at a time, right? Less daunting thinking of it that way. ;)

Anyhow, I loved how this chapter started with some real bonding time between the two Luthor sons. It’s fascinating seeing how completely different background and rearing has produced two such different brothers, and yet both are still fundamentally screwed up by the sins of the father. How the heck did Lionel manage to screw up a bastard son without ever actually being part of his upraising?!?? It’s a special talent!

In any case, I appreciated and loved how this crises has actually brought both brothers together. Yes, it’s also produced considerable friction, considering that Lex blames Lucas for Chloe’s current situation. BUT, Lex actually admitted that Lucas was NOT to blame for what happened. That it was in fact the neglect from his own father and brother that led Lucas to the vulnerable role of a patsy for malevolent mafia forces.

Most of all, I was so proud of both brothers. Lucas has hit his low point and received his wake-up call, which means that he WILL be actively working on improving his life. And Lex has managed to find (miraculously) some amount of mercy and compassion within, and promised to help his brother straighten up. I loved the ironic idea that it’s Chloe’s influence that allowed Lex to forgive Lucas for the small part he played in Chloe’s kidnapping and such.

“I'm not trying to keep you quiet,” he said. “If Chloe wants to prosecute, I'm going to insist you testify exactly what you know. This could turn into the biggest scandal in our family history and I don't care as long as she's okay. I'm not inclined to decide for her if her privacy is worth pressing charges. Dad is going to be dead inside a year, and she might have a lot more to deal with long term.”

“Would she keep it,” Lucas asked. “If she was pregnant?”

“She's . . . caring. I think it's possible,” Lex answered. “It's her decision if it comes to that, but I wanted to spare her having to make it.”

I think it’s becoming painfully obvious to anyone that Lex has it bad for this woman. I loved how every reference to Chloe is spoken with some amount of deferential reverence, as if Chloe is some kind of deity to be worshipped, protected, adored… and above all things… obeyed without question. Lex’s diffidence towards all things Chloe is very deep and extreme. The only question is whether it all comes from guilt and duty… or does it also come from pure genuine caring, affection, fascinating and love too? I’ll bet Lucas is wondering exactly the same thing.

“She's an Army General's daughter and good at hand-to-hand combat. Be nice to her; she's worried about her cousin,” he said. “Tell her I'll get Chloe back.”

“I'm very charming,” his half-brother said sincerely. He looked out as Lex stopped at the curb. “Which one?”

“Lois Lane, the building straight ahead. She is armed, so mind your manners.”

“Please.” Lucas strolled up to the building like he owned it, scruffy jeans and dirty hair no obstacle to his confidence.

LOL! Oh, this is actually going to be FUN to watch. It’s going to be very satisfying to see Lucas setting his smooth, cunning, confident nature against Lois’s brash, aggressive directness. Lucas comes from a background where he’s learned to be an underhanded con-artist and gambler… whereas Lois has always been a more aggressive hit first and throw questions at the pummeled form later kind of woman. It’s going to be interesting to see who gets the upper-hand in THAT kind of interaction, LOL!

There were no messages waiting in his penthouse, just a blatant emptiness he couldn't ignore since Chloe had pointed it out. The expectant air of a home without inhabitants made the decor feel more like art installations than functional pieces. Lex often wondered why people who were barely at home had live-in servants when he did perfectly well at night, but he wished for someone to meet him at the door. No one noticed his presence or absence, and it was the same as not mattering.

He pushed away the twinge of loneliness and went into his office. His round of phone calls told him what he'd known from the country house; Lionel and Chloe were nowhere to be found. His father had elaborate rituals to guard his privacy. The very security he'd created around himself was acting against a rescue effort.

Ouch! Lucas’s presence helped hide this… but I only began to appreciate now how Lex is noting his loneliness and isolation more acutely than EVER before. He’s always been alone… but now he’s truly beginning to appreciate how it feels to be lonely, without even that one, single blonde ally that he had managed to find. In Lex’s case, it’s definitely worse to have love and lost, than never to have loved at all.

She had been thirteen, and no one had ever tried to hurt her beyond playground slurs. Chloe hadn't believed anything would happen, because the world didn't work like that; people didn't hurt each other for no reason. There were wars, and crime, but she was an ordinary girl on a regular night. She was not a target.

I know that whatever was left of Chloe’s innocence has taken a HUGE battering since her kidnapping. BUT, I loved how this paragraph illustrated that there’s still at least the memory of perfect innocence and idealism left in her. Chloe’s sunny, warm-hearted nature hasn’t been eroded to the point where she doesn’t even remember ever feeling innocent and happy. It’s wonderful to be assured that Chloe still retains enough of her sense of self to still be recognizably her. Lionel has tortured and traumatized her, but he hasn’t changed her fundamental core nature, or her sense of self.

“I was chosen for my discretion,” she said passively, pretending to study her manicure. “I'll be missed if I don't check in soon with my agency. I assure you, gentlemen, I won't recall a thing about tonight after I'm on my way.”

Lionel made a subtle motion on the seat, but his hands remained on his drink. Chloe forced a blank smile to her lips; that of a vapid whore waiting for a tip. She knew it was risky to bring attention to herself, but they weren't going to forget about her. Her odds of surviving improved the faster she got away from all these men.

Morgan Edge nodded with a lazy glint in his eyes. His face was rugged and aged prematurely. He was bigger than Lionel by fifty pounds, probably a few years younger and certainly more muscular. The look was cloying, and it made her feel the psychic imprint of all of his body down on top of her. If he had no stake in personally, he could give her to his men like a party favour. She couldn't tell him she knew he was a murderer. It was her only power and it didn't matter unless she was alive to accuse him. Chloe had to hide that small advantage tight inside her hand, and use it to make a fist.

Wow! As I mentioned, it’s wonderfully reassuring to see that Chloe still retains, not only her basic sense of self, but also her wits, intelligence and canny sense of self-preservation as well. She hasn’t YET gone numb and deadened from the trauma… she’s still thinking about opportunities and advantages, and finding every way to turn the situation in her favour.

“Please let me go! Please! I won't say anything,” she begged. “Please, I haven't done anything . . . I won't do anything to you . . . I don't care what you do to him.”

His eyes scanned her deliberately, and she could almost see cracks ruining his implacably polite mask. “It's a tragedy you're so marked by your surroundings, Miss Sullivan,” he drawled. “Everything I'd heard about you suggested a compassionate soul. Perhaps Mr. Luthor simply ground on you the wrong way. I'll try not to make the same mistake.”

Damn! Chloe was VERY clever in the way that she presented herself as a useless, silly, unimportant hooker in order to get herself released. It was a great gambit… and it might even have worked… if only Morgan Edge had been slightly less well-informed about the situation.

BUT, as it is, Morgan seems to be well-aware of Chloe’s true identity… which means that he probably knows her to be the reporter who has been stirring up trouble for himself and Lionel. Oh, Chloe… Oh, NO!!!! Her situation was pretty bad to begin with, but now it’s been revealed to be the worst-case scenario possible.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

It was stupidly vapid of him to hope -easily the least thought he'd put toward any action in years. It felt wonderful.

He disregarded what must have been an unholy amount of noise for his downstairs neighbours and sprinted through rooms, hating every square foot of luxury. Chloe was right about his apartment; it was obnoxiously large, expensive, and had no redeeming atmosphere. His shoes skidded on the foyer floor, but he didn't slow down. Catching himself on the wall, he didn't bother to hide his panting breaths. He pulled open the door without looking, heart racing.

Wow! The image of Lex Luthor ridiculously pelting towards the doors, dignity be damned, actually skidding on his own marble floors was just… amazing! Nothing could have illustrated better his sheer desperate hunger to find and see Chloe again.

Lex's brief optimism froze solid and shattered. The call girl in his hallway was young, blonde, and dressed to kill. Her dress wasn't red, and it didn't have the flawless gleam of real silk, but it was flattering. She had a jean jacket slung uneasily over the dress, a misstep that signalled urgency. She had to look up at him, and immediately took in details of his appearance; Lex supposed that was only fair. What she saw made her back up half a step and hover in the doorway. It was a sick re-enactment of that first night with Chloe, down to her obvious nerves as she looked at him. He didn't think he knew her, but his mind was occupied with much larger issues.

I loved, LOVED the sick, twisted way that Lex drew up parallels between this hooker hired by Morgan Edge, and Chloe Sullivan appearing at his door for the first time. The poor man is hell-bent determined to torture himself in every way imaginable, isn’t he? He’s reminding himself of the myriad of ways that Chloe was so obviously not an experienced hooker, and he should have noticed that right away. AND he’s also torturing himself with avid memories and reminders of Chloe while she still remains elusively out of his grasp and sphere of protection.

heh… not that Lex allows himself to keep his misery and self-torture to himself alone. I rather liked the way the way that he kept venting and lashing out at the hooker. Actually, liked is too strong a word. I should say I was reassured by the way Lex was allowing himself to lash out. It would make him outright sick to keep all the pain and frustration inside without releasing it somehow. Morgan’s unfortunate hired girl just happens to be handy right now.

And it was good to see that Lex didn’t resort to brutality with her. He kept his temper limited to merely snarls and grimaces mostly tight, angry looks at her… rather than physical expressions. Good to see that he manages to keep some control over himself.

The woman dug around for a moment and held out a cellphone. He recognized the model as Chloe's, even with the wave of relief. It was a part of her that could be replaced. Lex had been thinking of fingers, ears, a chunk of lip. He had imagined a soft blond curl across his palm, disembodied from the rest of her tresses. Even the bloodless, painless strands would have offended him to a depth he hadn't known he possessed.

Holy crap! When Lex made note of ‘horrific possibilities’ flashing through his mind, I had NO idea what he meant. Not until he explicitly visualized all the horrific things that could have been sent as ‘belonging to and identifying Chloe’. BUT, then again, we mustn’t forget that we ARE dealing with Morgan Edge AND Lionel Luthor over here… and neither man would hesitate to cut Chloe and remove bits of her, purely to make a spiteful point.

She tucked her chin in as if expecting to be struck, and Lex swallowed an outraged snarl. He had no mercy for anyone except Chloe, but the teenager was looking to him for his compassion. She would probably see this prostitute as a person worthy of saving. Chloe would make excuses for the woman standing aside and abetting a kidnapping. The young reporter would tell him it was difficult to fight a man as powerful as Morgan Edge with money and resources; it would be suicidal with nothing to help.

The bland anxiety from the woman vexed him, made him almost want to take it out on her. Lex threw back his head and shuddered with repressed violence. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt his father, Lucas and himself. He wanted Edge floating in the harbour. Acting on any of those urges was stupid and impulsive. He had been in training to be cold and mechanical since childhood. His father had prepared him for war, and it was starting to feel like war to Lex.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor girl. She was obviously young. Not as young as Chloe, but still young nonetheless, and therefore someone who has most likely been entrapped and enslaved into working for Morgan Edge somehow. Perhaps it was only through her own mistakes with addiction, or perhaps it was poverty… one can’t tell. But it was pretty hard seeing her mistreated so harshly by Lex.

The only reassuring factor was that Lex himself remained aware that he was angry, not specifically at this woman, but at the situation in general, and was therefore controlling and restraining himself from being outright brutal to the poor thing

Morgan Edge was no chameleon. When he transformed, it was instantaneous and total. He put the bat away under the bar, finished off his drink, hefted Lionel's body up onto the seat, and addressed her with a polite, distant tone.

“We're here,” Edge told her, extending his arm. “I know you're in shock, so let me do the talking. It's all been arranged. I'm afraid anything you say will only sound like babbling. I would hate for you to be sedated and not know a thing that was happening.”

Wow! I love the picture that’s being painted of Morgan Edge, Nonky. It’s amazing seeing him described and depicted as someone who actually is Lionel’s equal in ruthlessness, cunning, control and even intelligence. Morgan is being shown as so much more than merely a thing, and I love it!!!

Two of Edge's men were gently guiding Lionel out of the other door, holding him up as the older man staggered. He was alive, and Chloe felt brief anger. He was the only man in the world she wanted dead, and he'd probably find some experimental treatment to survive his illness. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair.

I loved this! I really appreciated how this illustrated how a good part of Chloe’s innocence HAS indeed been lost forever. It’s not possible to feel this level of hate for someone, and still maintain some kind of general idealistic faith in humanity.

She looked around at the cars and people, entertaining a thousand hopes of rescue. There was a young man who looked strong enough to help her, but he was alone and he wasn't stronger than a bullet. She couldn't call anyone since her phone was gone. Yelling crazy things at random people would make her look like she was being checked into the hospital.

Chloe’s situation is just… horrible! I’m reminded of this old saying by this man on a small deserted island with no fresh water on it… water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink. Chloe is surrounded by people of all kinds right now… and not a single one can be called on to save her from these horrible men who are poised to torture and and/or kill her at any given moment.

“It is too bad,” the nurse said, looking at Chloe with a sympathetic nod. “We'll get you some juice along the way. You look like you could use the sugar.”

It had been a long time since any meal, and even longer for sleep. Chloe nodded and her arm was tucked back in Edge's elbow with proprietary deference. He even patted her hand.

“For privacy, I'd like to ask Mr. Luthor be registered under a pseudonym,” he asked. “It's the only way the poor man will get any peace from the media.”

Once again.. WOW! Morgan’s handling of this precarious, delicate situation is just… amazing! He might technically be a brutal thug, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t affect a gentle, delicate touch when the situation requires it. Just LOOK at the amazing way that he’s managed to explain Chloe’s presence here, AND hide away Lionel’s identity… all without threatening or bribing anyone, and drawing any undue attention towards himself and his true motivations. It’s truly amazing!

And I just LOVED the idea that he was actually subtly mocking Chloe about ‘the media’, letting her know that he was fully aware of her position as a snoopy reporter trying to ruin him. It’s possible that Chloe was reading too much into the remark, but now I’m beginning to think that Morgan truly IS capable of that level of sophistication, subtlety and dry, dark humour too.

I’m loving how the story is developing. Please do update soon, Nonky!!!

tatie87

9th July 2011, 07:59

I really hope Edge gives Chloe to Lex. Poor Chloe needs a break.

cbrunberg

10th July 2011, 02:25

lex better get to the hospital soon to save chloe.please update soon

jenwin23

19th July 2011, 08:09

This is a much darker story than I usually read, but it was strangely engrossing. I hope there is some peace for Chloe at the end of all this at least.

kitten

19th September 2011, 05:01

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“It's a very good hospital,” Morgan Edge assured Chloe, both of them watching as a nurse tucked an extra blanket over Lionel.

They were in a private room in an empty ward, only a few nurses coming over from Acute Care on the same floor. The nurses couldn't stay, but they would answer pages and check up on their patient. A doctor had seen Lionel in the ER, and admitted him discreetly after making him comfortable for the night. No one had told her anything directly, but she had heard 'internal bleeding' and 'CT' mentioned. He seemed disturbingly healthy, but maybe it was just Lionel's brave front.

They were both hostages. She didn't think the opportunity for chivalry would move Lionel to be a better person. It was left to her diminished brain power to get herself to safety. She had lost track of all the turns in the corridors; the blank walls in soothing nothing colours didn't give her anything to retain.

Chloe had noticed a lot of extra doors and dispensers with antiseptic hand gel. It was very quiet and clean. She assumed it was some kind of infection ward, pushed off by itself to manage the spread of an illness. The nurses kept clucking over the cold rooms, explaining they'd had to ask the hospital custodian to turn on the heat.

The nurses apologized for a lot of things; every wince and sneer from Lionel producing a stream of professional sympathy.

“I know it's uncomfortable, Mr. Luthor,” the current nurse told him. “You should be warmer soon, and I'll have some coffee sent in. Is the medication helping you?”

“Yes, it's fine,” he said impatiently, waving her off.

The woman took no offence, probably telling herself he was one difficult patient in the many she would treat. It didn't hurt that Lionel was a VIP in Metropolis. He could have had a suite for dignitaries with a huge floor plan and multiple guest sofas, but Edge had a whispered conversation with a doctor and they had all been led up to a more typical room. There was barely space for the two guards, Edge, Chloe and Lionel's bed, but the nurses squeezed past knees and elbows without suggesting anyone had to leave. It was past midnight, and any hope of being kicked out for visiting hours was gone.

Chloe stood up slowly, feeling the four men watching her as she moved. She rubbed her arms and shivered, reaching for one of the folded blankets stacked on a chair.

“Sorry, hon,” the nurse told her. “Should be better soon. I'll leave the extra blankets here. Is coffee okay for you?”

The young woman sighed, and nodded. Her father had tried to lure her away from caffeine with various substitutes, and the forbidden love had grown in persecution. She didn't know if she could drink it, but she could hold it. It would feel warm on her hands. The bottle of juice bought from a vending machine was too acidic. She was fighting a constant burning roll in her stomach, and thinking only made it worse.

“That would be great, thanks,” Chloe said blankly. She turned fully toward the nurse and realized this was a person who had trained to help people. Edge had brought his guards, but they were playing nice. Maybe this was her moment to get away. “Actually -”

Everyone in the room looked at her. Edge did nothing, but Lionel's eyes lit up like he was anticipating her next words. Behind the nurse's back, one of the guards pulled his jacket away from his holster and put both hands meaningfully down as if to draw.

She wondered how she looked to the nurse. She felt battered, but her clothes covered most of it. She was so tired she felt flat. Her body was off balance and sluggish. She couldn't stop thinking – but she was barely able to breathe. She didn't know if any plan would be clever enough when she felt so terrible. This woman might well die trying to help, and it would be for nothing.

“My stomach is kind of upset. Do you have anything like crackers, if it's not too much trouble?”

“I'm sure I'll come across the snack cart on my way,” the nurse said sweetly. “Our chocolate chip cookies are way too good for my own good.”

Swinging the blanket around her shoulders, Chloe sat back down and shifted her chair away from Edge. He glanced at her and gave a little smile. The nurse was leaving, her tread that quick and light step harried nurses everywhere learned from their first hospital.

“Is Lex coming,” Chloe asked plainly. Her voice creaked on his name, and she felt Lionel looking at her with prying interest.

“He told my messenger as much,” Edge replied.

She didn't know quite what to make of that. What kind of messenger would Morgan Edge have? God had angels, beer companies had blimps sailing over baseball games, and evil men should have demons; twisted, diseased heaps of flesh with eyes that spoiled everything they saw. There should be a warning before a man like Edge or Lionel had you, an omen to give a normal person a fair shot.

Upon their first meeting, she had been wary and upset. Her skin had bristled when he walked past her. Chloe had seen Lionel Luthor for a soulless moneybag. She had wanted to take his funds and use them to power her newspaper. He couldn't make her spy on her friends. She had thought then that her work was more important than her life. Snubbing Lionel seemed like a good plan – what could he really do to a minor? It had all been so underhanded and she hadn't signed anything. He had to go after her personal life because there was no legitimate deal to be made with an underage reporter for dirt on a local farmboy. It hurt to think how she'd outsmarted herself.

Adults had praised her ambition from her first days at preschool. They were somehow unable to expect her short body could hold focus and ingenuity. She was the shortest kid at day camp, and the first to figure out how to climb up to the forbidden treats cupboard. Bravery wasn't natural to her – she did too much thinking for that – but she could fake it until she accomplished her goals. What was bravery on one occasion became silly delusion. Lionel had her cornered before he'd even asked. He was working on levels she was still surprised to find existed, to say nothing of trying to get her feet underneath her to make countermoves.

Mistake after mistake after mistake, and all of it had come from her arrogant belief in her own brainpower. Experience counted, and it would collect on her mental boasts.

Chloe didn't know where it came from, but she was suddenly calm. She had gotten herself involved with Lionel, and though few people could have known how badly it would go, she could keep walking to the other side of this. She had to stop shivering and try to find where she stood now. Morgan Edge had no reason to dislike her personally.

“Are you going to kill me,” she asked, almost without tone.

“Oh, I never kill lovely young women,” he chuckled, crossing his legs and leaning toward her confidentially. “Not if I can help it. You have me in a bind, Miss Sullivan. A man's past is sacred.”

His past was bloody, greedy, and about as unholy as he could have made it short of burning churches. She twitched so even the end of her blanket avoided his knee.

“I wasn't trying to find out your past,” she said quietly. “I needed something on him.”

On the bed, Lionel's eyes glowed with some appreciation she was sure she wouldn't like. He smiled fondly and folded his hands peacefully. Her best attempt at getting him in prison amused him, and Chloe swallowed the urge to scream obscenities at him. He had heard it all before, and the loss of control would waste her energy.

“I understand you were defending yourself,” Edge said pleasantly. “And it does my heart good to see a little blonde David up against old, overgrown Goliath there. I'm not averse your living your whole life, Miss Sullivan.”

Her heart pounded. She could live. Telling it to herself didn't have the promise of hearing it from Edge. He seemed sure, still, confident.

“What do I have to do?”

Her morality adjusted every split second, an exercise in humility. She didn't want to be hurt, but if it meant not dying . . . She didn't want to hurt others, but she could justify it for her self defense. Lionel had taught her a lot, most of it dark and ugly.

“It's not up to you, but we'll have a decision soon,” Edge smoothed his collar and stood up to help the returning nurse with a tray. “Ah, thank you. I was just reassuring the young lady. Did you know a lot of people are afraid of hospitals?”

The nurse responded warmly to his banter, and Chloe looked down at her hands. She would make a deal if it set her free, but even that power was out of her reach.

Lex was glad the hospital lobby was mostly empty. The bright blue floor tiles shone an echo of moonlight with style the equal of any five star hotel lobby; a donation by LuthorCorp if he wasn't mistaken. In another half hour it would be midnight, and all but the Emergency doors would be locked to prevent mischief. Visitors and volunteers were gone until morning. The staff was fewer and more tired. He wouldn't be met by an administrator eager to walk him through a needy ward. He was reasonably sure no one would call in a tip to a tabloid, having spotted him there. His social life was uneventful lately, and he was glad for the low profile.

His left hand held a soft-sided briefcase; the largest he could find without resorting to a suitcase. It locked with his key tucked into an envelope in his pocket. He hadn't delayed for anything except to stuff money in the bag. His arm ached from the weight, held too tensely in a clenched fist.

Lex had the driver drop him off. He wanted the large car in case both his father and Chloe were freed once he'd paid the ransom. The limo would park around the back. His driver, a Puerto Rican man named Tino, was good at hiding the big vehicle when Lex didn't want attention drawn to his presence.

His shirt stuck with clammy sweat under a creased jacket. Lex could feel an overall greasy anxiety making him ugly and uncertain. He had meant his words to Lois Lane, but it was different walking into danger without any support. His guards were standing down or protecting the penthouse. When he had Chloe, Lex knew he would need a safe place to shelter her until she could go home.

He thought about calling the FBI agents, but they couldn't arrest his father until they could find him. Endangering Chloe wasn't an option. Lionel was probably not palling around with Morgan Edge for old time's sake, and saving one might mean saving the other.

He would pay a hell of a lot to save Chloe, even if it meant keeping Lionel around longer, too.

The lobby was modern and well-lit. It felt relatively secure and he could see in all directions anyone might approach. Lex sighed through his nose, and braced himself for the person who was meeting him. He had wanted a deal, and now he had to master his nerves until it came through. After that, he could go back to satisfying the black hole of rage directed at Lionel's manipulations.

A gangster was giving her a philosophy lecture, though it had evolved into some algebra as well. Chloe sat in the visitor's chair next to Lionel's bed and blinked as Morgan Edge calmly laid out her odds of living through the night.

“One death is an accident, but more than one becomes an event – something people notice, remark upon, remember. One death is anonymous and commonplace. Everyone knows of a single death. Problems arise when it becomes something conspicuous.”

So he's probably not going to splatter me all over the walls, she thought bleakly. Good to know at least one of my kidnappers has finesse.

“Sir,” one of the guards interrupted. “He's in the lobby.”

“Bring him up,” Edge said firmly. “Check the money before you come in. Not long now, Miss Sullivan.”

She swallowed hard before squeaking out a question. “Lex?”

Edge nodded, busy watching his guard button his coat over his weapon and hurry out. Chloe didn't care about being ignored. It was the best thing that had happened to her that day. If Edge didn't care, and Lex paid for her freedom, she could go home. Her fears could turn to the raw, damaged feeling in her soul, and hiding it from her poor, innocent father.

She might live. She might live and she had no idea how to feel happy about it.

Cassandra Jean

19th September 2011, 06:20

Thanks for the update. Can not wait to see what happens next. Hopefully Lex can get Chloe out of there with out without too much trouble.

Lynzie914

19th September 2011, 07:45

Yay! I was excited to see you had updated! This was amazing, as usual. I loved the inner look into what was going on in Chloe's mind and her survival instincts as she tried to find a way out. Though my heart kind of broke for her when she asked him what she had to do to survive. Great job, I can't wait to see what happens once Lex gets there.

Rachet

19th September 2011, 12:36

Wow. I really missed some update. Hope that Edge is going to play things strait with Lex. Thanks for the update.

somethingeasy

20th September 2011, 14:42

Chapter Thirty-Eight

They were in a private room in an empty ward, only a few nurses coming over from Acute Care on the same floor. The nurses couldn't stay, but they would answer pages and check up on their patient. A doctor had seen Lionel in the ER, and admitted him discreetly after making him comfortable for the night. No one had told her anything directly, but she had heard 'internal bleeding' and 'CT' mentioned. He seemed disturbingly healthy, but maybe it was just Lionel's brave front.

Heh… there’s a part of me that’s deeply, deeply satisfied and even happy at the idea of Lionel suffering from the agonies of internal bleeding. It’s only fair, considering that I’m certain that HE did significant damage to Chloe’s own internals before she was ‘rescued’ by Morgan Edge. Anyhow, it makes me very happy to imagine Lionel in severe damage and pain… and it also gives me tremendous satisfaction imagining him being held as a hostage right alongside Chloe.

It’s unfortunate that Lionel would still be probably be considered the more powerful and less ‘disposable’ in Morgan’s eyes though. Even in this situation, Chloe and Lionel are STILL not on the same level.

The woman took no offence, probably telling herself he was one difficult patient in the many she would treat. It didn't hurt that Lionel was a VIP in Metropolis. He could have had a suite for dignitaries with a huge floor plan and multiple guest sofas, but Edge had a whispered conversation with a doctor and they had all been led up to a more typical room. There was barely space for the two guards, Edge, Chloe and Lionel's bed, but the nurses squeezed past knees and elbows without suggesting anyone had to leave. It was past midnight, and any hope of being kicked out for visiting hours was gone.

Just another infuriating fact to Chloe’s world… the rich, powerful and brutal get all the privileges and advantages… while little ‘nobody plebeians’ like Chloe herself only get to be victims. Even when Lionel’s being held hostage by a thug, he’s STILL treated with intimidated fear and respect… whilst Chloe is only casually and discreetly ignored. I rather liked the suggestion that Chloe is showing a measure of indignation about the inherent unfairness of the situation.

Only a measure of indignation though… mostly, she just seems resigned to the cynical reality that power, advantages and victories more often go to the bad guys rather than the good guys.

“That would be great, thanks,” Chloe said blankly. She turned fully toward the nurse and realized this was a person who had trained to help people. Edge had brought his guards, but they were playing nice. Maybe this was her moment to get away. “Actually -”

Everyone in the room looked at her. Edge did nothing, but Lionel's eyes lit up like he was anticipating her next words. Behind the nurse's back, one of the guards pulled his jacket away from his holster and put both hands meaningfully down as if to draw.

She wondered how she looked to the nurse. She felt battered, but her clothes covered most of it. She was so tired she felt flat. Her body was off balance and sluggish. She couldn't stop thinking – but she was barely able to breathe. She didn't know if any plan would be clever enough when she felt so terrible. This woman might well die trying to help, and it would be for nothing.

VERY nice, Nonky. I really liked the suggestion that Chloe was feeling like an invisible nobody for a few minutes, while Lionel and Morgan practically sucked all the attention to themselves… only to realize that she’s not invisible to everyone… nope… she’s only invisible only to the people who might possibly be able or motivated to help her. As for the people who wish her harm, injury, blood and death… oh yeah… she’s VERY much the center of their attention *shudder*

She didn't know quite what to make of that. What kind of messenger would Morgan Edge have? God had angels, beer companies had blimps sailing over baseball games, and evil men should have demons; twisted, diseased heaps of flesh with eyes that spoiled everything they saw. There should be a warning before a man like Edge or Lionel had you, an omen to give a normal person a fair shot.

Upon their first meeting, she had been wary and upset. Her skin had bristled when he walked past her. Chloe had seen Lionel Luthor for a soulless moneybag. She had wanted to take his funds and use them to power her newspaper. He couldn't make her spy on her friends. She had thought then that her work was more important than her life. Snubbing Lionel seemed like a good plan – what could he really do to a minor? It had all been so underhanded and she hadn't signed anything. He had to go after her personal life because there was no legitimate deal to be made with an underage reporter for dirt on a local farmboy. It hurt to think how she'd outsmarted herself.

Oh, Chloe! This was heartbreaking… and also amazing! I actually LOVED hearing Chloe passing recrimination on herself for not being able to recognize the kind of danger that Lionel was all along. As if it would be anywhere near normal for a sheltered teenagers to be able to truly comprehend and foretell the depths of evil that Lionel was capable of.

I loved the bitterness in Chloe’s musings as she thought about how men like Lionel should come with SOME kind of warning sign, before you started dealing with them. Otherwise, how is someone ‘normal’ supposed to have a fair chance?!? Brilliant writing and characterization, Nonky. It not only told me so much about Chloe’s views about Lionel and Morgan right now, but ALSO let me learn a lot about how Chloe viewed Lionel before this situation escalated into such horrific madness… when she still believed him to be a reasonable and ‘normal’ human being… with some limits and boundaries to the atrocities that he’s capable of committing.

I also love how Chloe’s entanglement with Lionel has now left her so much more bitter, and yet also wiser and more savvy about dealing with ‘people like that’. Which is precisely why she’s regarding Morgan Edge with such a cautious, wary, resigned attitude. Her dealings with Lionel have actually schooled her to having a more accurate idea on dealing with Edge as well. It’s unfortunate, that this kind of wisdom and knowledge if the kind that erodes away courage and the initiative to act. Speaking of which…

Adults had praised her ambition from her first days at preschool. They were somehow unable to expect her short body could hold focus and ingenuity. She was the shortest kid at day camp, and the first to figure out how to climb up to the forbidden treats cupboard. Bravery wasn't natural to her – she did too much thinking for that – but she could fake it until she accomplished her goals. What was bravery on one occasion became silly delusion. Lionel had her cornered before he'd even asked. He was working on levels she was still surprised to find existed, to say nothing of trying to get her feet underneath her to make countermoves.

Brilliant, Nonky! I also loved the idea that Chloe’s newfound savvy knowledge about the real workings of an evil mind make her feel as if her strength, courage and ambition have all been leeched away from her. I really can’t blame her for worrying about her own sense of courage and initiative. Quite honestly, being still, silent, submissive, meek and passive might actually be Chloe’s best way of surviving through her time in the company of these two evil, EVIL men.

“I wasn't trying to find out your past,” she said quietly. “I needed something on him.”

On the bed, Lionel's eyes glowed with some appreciation she was sure she wouldn't like. He smiled fondly and folded his hands peacefully. Her best attempt at getting him in prison amused him, and Chloe swallowed the urge to scream obscenities at him. He had heard it all before, and the loss of control would waste her energy.

“I understand you were defending yourself,” Edge said pleasantly. “And it does my heart good to see a little blonde David up against old, overgrown Goliath there. I'm not averse your living your whole life, Miss Sullivan.”

Squeee! Oh, this was such a wonderful, reassuring relief. After all that thought about Chloe’s courage perhaps deserting her… we find out that Chloe has NOT actually been rendered as gutless as she feared.

AND, this was perhaps the first time that we got to see Morgan actually talking with Chloe like a human being, rather than a victim, pawn and hostage. I was delighted to actually get a sense of respect from Morgan for Chloe. Of course, it could have just been faked, since we all know that Morgan lies more easily than he tells the truth… BUT, somehow, I feel that Morgan’s respect for Chloe might actually have been genuine and sincere… when he referred to her as ‘David’ tackling ‘Goliath’.

Heeee! And I have to admit, a part of me even preened at the idea of Lionel ALSO looking at Chloe with something akin to wonder and admiration. Granted, Chloe is right that it’s rather offensive that Lionel appears more amused and entertained by Chloe’s attempts to imprison him rather than frightened or intimidated. BUT, Lionel is exactly the kind of twisted f*ck, who would consider it a great compliment to Chloe to admire the kind of knife that she’s using to try and kill him.

“What do I have to do?”

Her morality adjusted every split second, an exercise in humility. She didn't want to be hurt, but if it meant not dying . . . She didn't want to hurt others, but she could justify it for her self defense. Lionel had taught her a lot, most of it dark and ugly.

“It's not up to you, but we'll have a decision soon,” Edge smoothed his collar and stood up to help the returning nurse with a tray. “Ah, thank you. I was just reassuring the young lady. Did you know a lot of people are afraid of hospitals?”

The nurse responded warmly to his banter, and Chloe looked down at her hands. She would make a deal if it set her free, but even that power was out of her reach.

Oh, Chloe! It’s just amazing seeing the layers and levels of ways that Nonky makes Chloe suffer… just a little bit more! It’s not enough that Chloe has just realized that sacrificing and selling her ethics and morals for her freedom would be worth it, but then she also discovers that her morals are NOT actually worth as much coinage as she initially thought. Ouch! I don’t think there would have been any more effective way to drive the point home to Chloe… that she has nothing to bargain with!!

His shirt stuck with clammy sweat under a creased jacket. Lex could feel an overall greasy anxiety making him ugly and uncertain. He had meant his words to Lois Lane, but it was different walking into danger without any support. His guards were standing down or protecting the penthouse. When he had Chloe, Lex knew he would need a safe place to shelter her until she could go home.

He thought about calling the FBI agents, but they couldn't arrest his father until they could find him. Endangering Chloe wasn't an option. Lionel was probably not palling around with Morgan Edge for old time's sake, and saving one might mean saving the other.

He would pay a hell of a lot to save Chloe, even if it meant keeping Lionel around longer, too.

Eep! I think it was a huge mistake to NOT inform the FBI or anyone about this ransom. Lex is essentially walking straight into danger, without so much as his own hired bodyguard to keep him safe. Lionel and Morgan have their own guards and thugs with them to act as enforcers ALL THE TIME. You would have thought that Lex would have at least considered those odds, before just rushing in for the rescue.

But, we already know that Lex has huge trust-issues… plus, there’s always the possibility, that some members of the FBI are in Morgan Edge’s pay. After all, how else would Edge have learned about the charges being gathered up against him in the first place? How else would he have learned about Chloe’s name?!? Perhaps Lex was right in his deduction that he couldn’t’ trust anyone.

A gangster was giving her a philosophy lecture, though it had evolved into some algebra as well. Chloe sat in the visitor's chair next to Lionel's bed and blinked as Morgan Edge calmly laid out her odds of living through the night.

“One death is an accident, but more than one becomes an event – something people notice, remark upon, remember. One death is anonymous and commonplace. Everyone knows of a single death. Problems arise when it becomes something conspicuous.”

So he's probably not going to splatter me all over the walls, she thought bleakly. Good to know at least one of my kidnappers has finesse.

I know that Morgan is speaking in a reasonable, smooth and even amiable tone of voice here… but I know threatening intimidation tactics when I hear them. Morgan is giving the illusion of being ‘a nice intellectually bent gentleman’, while ALSO letting Chloe know about how brutal he can be, when needed. Scary bastard!

Edge nodded, busy watching his guard button his coat over his weapon and hurry out. Chloe didn't care about being ignored. It was the best thing that had happened to her that day. If Edge didn't care, and Lex paid for her freedom, she could go home. Her fears could turn to the raw, damaged feeling in her soul, and hiding it from her poor, innocent father.

She might live. She might live and she had no idea how to feel happy about it.

Aaaaargh! You leave it off here, Nonky?! Come back and update NOW!
Heh… actually, I honestly do like getting small chapters, a little piece of the story at a time. It’s actually fun getting little bits of progress that I can analyse thoroughly and completely. BUT… it also leaves you frustrated and wanting for more at the end… every time. … To be fair… I’d probably be equally frustrated, even if it was a longer chapter :P

Oh well… just please update soon, Nonky!

kcsgirl82

20th September 2011, 23:17

Poor Chloe! I hope Lex can get her far away from Lionel and Edge!
Thanks for the update!

Kit Merlot

24th September 2011, 01:10

This was both lovely and heartbreaking--lovely that you updated and heartbreaking watching the hell Chloe is living through.

I can't imagine how absolutely horrible Chloe must feel, and yet despite what she thinks, she is as brave and clever as always. I'm slightly worried at Lex's reaction to finding out about Lionel's raping Chloe--I just want Lex to take Chloe away and back to safety.

Excellent work on this story.

cbrunberg

25th September 2011, 22:15

i can't wait to see what happens when lex gets there.he not going to be happy about lionel raping chloe.interested to see how lex gets chloe way from lionel and morgan.

Jehye

1st October 2011, 20:27

Wow, this story is amazing. I was a little unsure about reading it, especially after how devastating the first chapter was for Chloe. The desperation in the story makes it so edgy and tragic. I'm fascinated by your depiction of Lex as both the reason for Chloe's trauma and the one trying to heal her. Lex as both a damage character and a healing force is an interesting choice. I can't wait to see how this goes. Thanks for updating this!

Jehye

BackupLover

3rd October 2011, 01:51

I always get so excited to see updates of this story! It's been such an intense ride, and I feel it could be an actual storyline had Smallville been on something like F/X- and the writers not been OBSESSED with Lana Lang.

kitten

9th October 2011, 04:16

Chapter Thirty-Nine

It had all the coiled civility of a set mousetrap.

Lex couldn't help but feel it was too neat, too perfect for the misery he felt on Chloe's behalf and the guilt that was all his own. He was being given all the privacy and space he could ever ask to step calmly into the open.

The man who'd crossed the lobby was impeccably turned out, with a suit that was easily a match to Lex's own. His shoes, tie and shirt were less exclusive, but of the appropriate materials and audaciously new. His steps echoed crisply with his confident strides, and the jacket slipped back just enough to display the butt of a gun. This neat, stylish man was one of Chloe's captors, and he was momentarily in charge of Lex's future. He could shoot, or he could show the billionaire upstairs to make a deal.

Frankly, he could shoot anyway, take the money, and make his own deal with Morgan Edge's praise as currency. Lex's own employees had demonstrated that 'stab in the back, wag tail at supervisor' behaviour often enough to send tension down to his stance. He braced to run, though running was his absolute final move. Everything he could do for Chloe had to be done.

“Mr. Luthor,” the man greeted. “I'll need to check your case and then we can go join the others.”

His curt gesture was jerky with resentment, but Lex walked to a bench and put the case down. He stood back after the latch was opened, and waited while the other man flicked through the stacks of bills.

“How much?”

“A million and a half in cash, and half a million in bond certificates,” Lex said. “My banker did the best he could, but I had to pull the money without getting noticed. More can be arranged with a longer deadline.”

He nearly cringed at his own wording. This might be a deadline in the literal sense, and he had yet to see proof anyone had survived the invasion to the country house. In a real negotiation he would name a top figure, the highest he would go if the price was more than he'd offered. He couldn't imagine doing that and living with it later, so he waited.

There was no answer, but the case was patted and sussed out to the guard's satisfaction, then closed firmly. Lex picked it up and followed as he was led to the elevators. His shoulder tore with the weight, but he reminded himself of his circumstances. The money was all the control he had, and his composure was vital.

It seemed odd nobody was wondering about Morgan Edge, Lex Luthor and Lionel Luthor in the same building at the same time. It was safest to assume no outside help would notice and care. Edge was never stingy with bribes or threats. It was likely better no one interfered.

“The young lady with Mr. Luthor; did she require a doctor?”

“Just Mr. Luthor,” came the laconic reply. “He has some internal injuries from a fall.”

It brushed his psyche with the smallest flutter of relief. If Chloe wasn't injured, they had a chance of simply walking away. Lex put the case down in the elevator, and flexed his hand. He watched as the other man pressed five, and then flicked his gaze to the numbers above the door.

A lower floor would be easier to escape from, but he was still aiming for a ransom. He and Morgan Edge had never crossed paths before, and there was no reason this had to become a lasting feud. Even if the man had killed his grandparents, Lex couldn't take vengeance for people he'd never known. If they were like his father and destitute as well, maybe it was a mercy his childhood hadn't had several drunk bullies.

He followed silently as they got out in a deserted hallway. A placard on the wall said it was a infection ward, though Lionel Luthor would never be shoved in with contagious patients. More likely it was their only completely empty area, which assured the privacy Morgan Edge would want for this sordid business.

They walked for a full minute, through double doors and half-lit corridors. There were signs of life, but no one around. It was cold, even for a hospital. He didn't want to breathe too deeply, because it made the back of his mouth taste like strong cleaners. Lex tried to count doorways, but nothing made an impression other than the rare signs giving directions to elevators or stairwells. He only needed to know the way out, anyway. He and Chloe would be leaving within minutes, he told himself firmly.

The guard stopped and gestured into a patient room, tipping the door open with his foot. “Go ahead,” he said.

Lex knew better than to argue, though every tendon in his neck balked at turning his back on the man. He walked inside with a smooth, even step, holding the case with barely the smallest swing.

“Ah, there you are. Hello, Lex.”

Morgan Edge rose from a visitor's chair, but Lex was momentarily struck dumb by the sight of his father in a hospital bed. The man who'd raised him was pale and almost slight. He was sitting up, but it was clear he was in pain. An IV was strung from one hand, the tape holding the tube showing a stain of blood underneath.

“Hello son,” Lionel sneered.

The usual judgement was carried by the simple greeting, and the contempt that had begun without any cause when Lex turned ten and failed somehow to be a Luthor. The unspoken jibe was too much, and Lex spun around to find Edge taking his hand to shake. He resisted the urge to pull away. Outrage would set them visibly at odds, and he had to think of this as dispassionately as he could.

“Mr. Edge,” Lex murmured. He ended the handshake as quickly as possible. His eyes went to the other chair, where a blond head of mussed hair was showing above a blanket-swathed form. “Chloe.” His exhale of relief made it a breathless kind of exclamation, and he cleared his throat. “I was told we could discuss terms.”

He tried to look at Edge and make himself unmoved, but he wanted to stare at Chloe as if her existence depended on his gaze.

“And we can, but please, I can see you want to check on Miss Sullivan. Come inside and we'll close the door for privacy,” Edge said pleasantly. He stood back, and Lex brushed past him to the chair next to Chloe. The guard who had met him in the lobby came in and shut the door with a pronounced clatter of the latch.

She didn't look up, but the set of her shoulders was too high and awkward for her to be asleep. He shoved the case under his seat and touched her gently. Chloe shivered, and her chin lifted just enough to convince Lex she wasn't drugged.

“Lex-” she whispered. Her eyes were damp and glittery with panic. The claustrophobic room was pouring heat, and she seemed to need the blanket just to keep from shaking.

“I know,” he said, even as the dread set in his gut that no one could know the malevolence she'd faced. He could save her life, but he was the last person to claim any ability to heal her trust. “We're leaving soon, okay? I promise, I'm not leaving here until you're free.”

She nodded, and a tiny spark of a smile tried to form on her mouth. It fell off immediately, but the trace of gratitude made it necessary to Lex that he do this right. Her dulled, tangled hair was still the colour of midday sun, framing a fresh bruise blooming crimson and purple on her chin. She sat up taller, shifting her legs with the suggestion of pain on her face. He felt his teeth grit on rage, and repulsed it from his mind. Anger had no focus, and he'd always cultivated his obsessive side to be focused on his goals. His goal today was to free Chloe, if it cost his life, his father's life, his fortune and his reputation.

“What are your terms,” Lex asked tersely, standing up and putting himself in front of Chloe pointedly.

The gesture wasn't unnoticed, but Edge simply nodded with a satisfied grin. From the corner of his eye, Lex had seen the crime boss get a whispered bit of information from his guard; probably a confirmation that Lex had brought money.

“Of course. I was – concerned a few weeks ago when a gentleman took a tour of my neighbourhood, asking about my feckless youth. The man was hired by you, Mr. Luthor, and he wanted to know how to put your father in prison. He found out a few unfortunate events I consider deeply mortifying, but was unable to bring that information back to you as he met with an accident,” Edge said.

His implication was murder, but no court would ever accept such a glancing reference as a confession. Lex would have to wrangle his investigators and find out who was missing. He filed that away and inclined his chin a single time. It was not agreement.

“I fail to see what Miss Sullivan has to do with all this,” he bluffed. He could feel her tension double behind his back, and sensed he'd misstepped.

“Miss Sullivan was working with you, and she found a record of my association with Lionel. I don't know exactly what her grudge is, but I can guess a few possibilities. At any rate, I have no personal issue with the young lady. I happened to surprise her in my urgency to meet with your father, and she was naturally invited along to sort this out. I don't really mind if Lionel should go to prison, but I would mind if I were to be locked away. I like my life now, and see no reason to revisit the mistakes of the past.”

Lex got the message; they could lay this to rest with Lionel's sacrifice. If his father took the blame for his grandparents' deaths without implicating Edge, Lex and Chloe were beside the point. He wanted to look over his shoulder at her, and quashed the impulse.

“I wanted him in prison. I won't apologize for that, though my investigation veered unintentionally in your direction, Mr. Edge,” he said plainly. “Miss Sullivan has her own reasons, but no problem with you. He kidnapped her. I can call my FBI contact and have my father serving a life term one way or the other. There would be no need to dig into a decades old incident that might have been an accident when there is an open-and-closed felony charge waiting to be filed.”

The bargain was a fair one. Lionel would be locked up and away from all of them, Morgan Edge would continue his business, Lex would be out of his father's long shadow, and Chloe could recover. He was willing to ransom her regardless, but this way it benefited Edge to have all of them leave that hospital room alive. He was a businessman, and had to weigh murder carefully against his larger interests. It couldn't be for mere convenience or anger.

The two guards had positioned next to the door, and were standing with arms folded behind their backs. Lex didn't fool himself about getting past them. He wasn't sure Chloe was able to run, and he couldn't go without her.

“You're not incorrect,” Edge drawled. “A jury would fall over itself to defend poor Miss Sullivan from a brute like Lionel. But I don't like that idea. A good lawyer works wonders, and doubt is powerful. I think if Lionel were dead, no one would have any profit in sniffing out his crimes. It would make me feel better to have this finished. I am willing to do you the favour of getting rid of your father for you.”

The death creeping up on his father would fall on him today, and Lex couldn't celebrate. He wanted the bastard dead, wanted freedom from Lionel's will and manipulations, but he couldn't take it on himself. His head must have shaken back and forth in an unconscious negation, to echo Chloe's shocked gasp.

“You said-” she mumbled, then her voice came clearer. “You said death was messy and suspicious.”

Inside the cold of his chest, Lex felt a burst of warm solidarity. Chloe hated his father, but she recognized the impairment he would suffer putting his own father to death. She was defending Lionel's life because Lex knew it was what he should do. He just couldn't get the words out.

“The unexpected death of a young, healthy person is complicated, but Lionel is essentially an old, sick man. He had a nasty fall just today, and sometimes it's the littlest things that break down a strong man.” Edge smiled his empty, implacable baring of teeth. “Between the money you brought and the assurance my old friend Lionel won't be able to whisper any secrets about me, I would be glad for you and the young lady to walk away free and clear. ”

Lex croaked, “What if I can't . . .”

“Then I'm afraid I would have a personal issue with you and Miss Sullivan. The solution would be unpleasant for all of us, but more for you and she, Mr. Luthor. No compromise is perfect, but let's all agree this is the least innocent blood we're likely to shed,” Edge said frankly. He stood back to let Lex see his father in the hospital bed, staring back with utter calm.

“I always knew you didn't have what it takes to make the hard cuts,” Lionel said, his voice sounding dry. “Come here, son.”

Tenderness lived in Lex for the barest hint of acceptance from his father. It starved and starved over the years, but didn't die. He felt the tug as he turned around and helped Chloe to her feet. She staggered a bit, but was able to walk normally after a moment. Lex kept her hand and pulled her behind as he walked over to the bed. Her fingers were icy in his, but she held on as strongly as his fierce grip.

“Dad,” he began. His chest hurt, his head hurt, and he knew all of this was the illusion of a choice. Either Lionel died or they all did. It didn't make giving in any lighter.

“I'm not interested in a disgraceful display, Lex,” Lionel said sternly. “I'm ready for my end, but you have to run the company. I won't have LuthorCorp crumbling as my legacy. You keep the company strong for my heir.”

The deep hazel gaze went beyond Lex to Chloe's belly, and she moved with a jerky start. Lex realized it had all happened according to Lionel's plan, and even now she might be pregnant. He stared down at his father and all the rage came back amplified with that curious admiration Chloe inspired. Lex hadn't known positive feelings could feed negative ones, but the more he saw of her goodness threw his own family's evil into knife-edged shadows. He leaned in and his hand curled over his father's shoulder with hard pressure.

“I used to think there was something that had made you hard and despicable, but I know now it was just your own choices. I'm sorry to have wasted my pity. You deserved everything that's happened to you, including what's going to happen once I get Chloe out of here,” Lex whispered. “Most of my life I wanted to be like you in some ways; I'm ashamed now to think I might have done it.”

Lionel didn't even blink, simply craned his neck to better see Chloe at the end of Lex's other arm.

“My dear, take care of my boy,” he said, smiling as if he wasn't about to die. He made it clear he wasn't referring to Lex or Lucas. She shuddered, and looked away. “I'd get a move on, Lex. Morgan is not known for his patience.”

There were thousands of things left to be said, and no goodbye would ever encapsulate the regrets and anger Lex was feeling. He backed away from the bed and nudged Chloe in front of his body. A glance at Morgan Edge showed the man casually buttoning his suit jacket, and smoothing it with long motions down his chest. At the mobster's nod, one of his guards pulled the door and held it open. Lex stared as Edge walked toward the bed.

Lex had the irrational urge to scream for help and fight all three of them. He felt Chloe shiver and knew he had to put her safety first. He tried not to push her, but they needed to go fast. Once they were at a safe distance, they could process the last day. He had the feeling it would take years to really understand all that had happened, and why.

Lex was almost certain he'd never really understand.

Cassandra Jean

9th October 2011, 06:39

Thanks for the update.

So glad that Lex was able to get Chloe out of there, even if it means he had to willingly allow the murder of his bastard of a father. Lionel finally gets what is coming to him, and even though he knows he is about to die he still has to be an ass towards Lex.

tatie87

9th October 2011, 07:35

I hope Lex can come to terms with Lionel's end b/c there is really not much he could have done to save Chloe and himself. I'm really interested to see what happens B/T Chloe and Lex now. Can't wait to read more!

cbrunberg

10th October 2011, 02:59

glad lionel is gone.and yes lionel was a jerk to lex.can't wait to see what happens between chloe and lex.

Kit Merlot

11th October 2011, 02:30

A damn interesting update!

I like the idea of Lionel's coming to such a horrible end but now I have the specter of Chloe's carrying his child to ruin any joy I have at his death. DAMN!!

Keep up the excellent work:grin3:

kitten

11th October 2011, 02:47

Chapter Forty

He tried to push her faster through the corridors but they were full of abandoned carts; full of equipment. They bumped a food service and juice splattered over a puke-green hospital wall, but Lex just kept hauling Chloe, steering her around things when he could and ramming them out of the way with their combined mass when panic overwhelmed him.

There had been no choice other than this, he told himself. It was a good deal for his father. Lionel only had a few weeks left anyway. He was bedridden and in pain. Hospitals in the U.S. took a very harsh view on euthanasia. He would have had to suffer every moment of his death with no respite.

It was fair, more than fair. He and Chloe were young, both of their ages combined less than Lionel's lifetime. They deserved to live. They had suffered so much at his hands. He owed them.

Chloe was so small in his hands and she was still moving despite everything that had happened. Her hair was flipping into his eyes and he was so grateful he hadn't let her down. She felt so young and so dependent on him, and as much as he sometimes wanted to run back down the hall and save his father he knew she wouldn't be able to escape without him. She had been held hostage and threatened. She had been raped by him and he owed her. She was so brave and he was trying so hard to be noble for once.

She stumbled down the suspiciously empty hallways and wondered where the nurses and doctors were. There weren't even any patients and the lack of hospital din was sickening. She was straining her ears and didn't know why. Lionel wouldn't cry for help; she didn't even know if he could anymore.

Lex was gripping her too tightly and she couldn't resist him as he propelled them along. Her awareness was spotty and sometimes she knew why they were running down the hallways of a Metropolis hospital and other times she didn't and was surprised when it came back to her.

Escaping. We're running away so Morgan Edge doesn't shoot us.

She'd never really seen anyone get shot. She'd seen the Pulitzer Prize winning photo of a man being executed but she had taken it in as a professional. It was a news photo and the emotions she felt were based on her ambitions. She wondered at the power of her work to create an image that striking and meaningful, but she'd never thought about the man whose life was just about to disappear.

She was thinking about it now, and every cop show she'd ever seen where the bodies were stacked up three deep and fake bullet wounds obliterated faces and limbs. She wondered if Edge would shoot Lionel in the face. She wondered if he had wanted an open casket. She wondered if Lex was going as crazy as she was, and hoped he wasn't because she didn't think her mind would get back to normal.

They weren't moving fast enough and Lex prodded Chloe into a full-out run. They passed the elevators and he didn't slow down because the stairwell was on the far side of the floor. His bargain was with Edge but one of his men might be trigger happy and shoot them anyway. Edge might decide three bodies were worth the trouble to save his own freedom. He had to save Chloe.

He wondered how much time had passed and couldn't think well enough to judge. It felt like forever and he wondered if his heart would give out from the strain. Wondered if his heart was breaking, and wondered at the cause. Wondered if it was already broken or even existed to be broken.

It would be impossible to unravel his arms from around her body to check his watch and he couldn't see that well anyway. There was warm salty fluid covering his face and obscuring his vision. He didn't know if it was sweat or not. Didn't want to think about what else it might be because he couldn't afford any weakness.

She was hot in his arms like she was when he made her come, and shaking just as much. The similarity was comforting in a way - familiar. They were always in a crisis together, only together because of crises.

Her ankle was throbbing and she assumed it had twisted in one of the millions of steps they had taken since Lex had pushed her into a run. It hurt and she was afraid and the thought came again.

We're running away so we don't get shot, probably in the face so Dad won't even be able to have an open casket . . .

She was lost and even Lex was starting to move uncertainly. He was lurching them in one direction and keeping on her back until they came to a dead end and had to turn around again. She hated the hospital, hated the walls and the smell and the sick people. Hated the fear and despair that lingered after the bodies were buried.

Wondered if Lex was lost and they would be caught. Wondered if he felt guilty and hoped he wouldn't feel bad if she died because no one in her life had tried so hard for her.

Wondered if her father would be too sad to go to her funeral or visit her grave with flowers. Wondered if he would get sick and there would be no one to take care of him except Lois. Lois was too impatient with people and she hurt their feelings a lot more than she knew. She was intrusive and she had lost her mother too, but it had made her crass and irreverent when she should be sensitive.

Lex's chest was heaving against her spine and Chloe knew if one of them fell they both would. She couldn't leave him behind and he wouldn't leave her. She kept to her feet and felt him falter, then regain his balance. It frightened her because he was always, always graceful, but he was shaking and sweating and breathing hard.

Lost, fucking lost in the goddamn hospital hallway and can't fucking find the door. Of all the fucking, goddamn times to lose my sense of direction.

Lex stopped berating himself as Chloe's small hands stopped clutching his and pushed on the handle. It was a huge metal fire door with an alarm and a magnetic lock, and she wasn't strong enough to get it open. He watched larger, male hands join hers on either side and realized as his arms stretched that he was helping her and they were about to get away.

He still couldn't think how much time had passed and wondered if he had missed it, wondered if his ears were blocked or that he was hysterically deaf because he couldn't remember listening to anything for so long. Saw the door opening slowly because even their combined strength was dwindling almost to nothing, but then the colder air of the stairwell hit his wet face and he felt Chloe shiver.

His arms folded over her chest again and he kept the door swinging open by leaning his shoulder into it. Her little hands were back and sweaty on his and in the instant before the door was open enough to trigger the alarm he knew his hearing was still perfect.

One gunshot echoed perfectly down the hallways they had traversed, and his perfect hearing picked up the sound that was as precise and unmistakable as any television sound effect. His ears ached with the pinging repetition as it stretched and held on to him.

His entire body jerked in reaction, backward and then slumping forward as his knees bent. Chloe's did the same because he was gripping her like she was the last of the world - they were glued together with sweat. He was about to fall and there wasn't an ounce of strength left to keep her upright or keep himself on his feet.

Even at a distance she let out a little scream of fear, because it was all too plausible that the shot had been fired at her or Lex; hitting one of them would mean hitting both of them. She saw a bullet flying through the air into his back with a tiny volcanic burst of blood, then saw it pass right through to dig into her, and saw them both bleeding on the floor halfway out the door that was their escape.

Chloe waited for it, but there was no pain except the pain of running away and being held so hard against Lex that she could feel his shirt buttons imprint into her back and his limp genitals against the curve of her left buttock. His hands were around hers and swallowing them up and he was still moving them forward even though they were bent over.

Did we duck and it missed us?

Lex had been falling, about to doom Chloe or perhaps just kill her by falling on top of her and driving her tiny, delicate skull into the concrete floor, but the alarm klaxon started and it pulled him back up. The instant flush of new anxiety flooded him with energy. It was designed to tap into a long forgotten part of humanity that knew how to flee, and suddenly he did and it was the most simple thing in the world.

He wanted to live, he wanted to Chloe to live. He had to run and make her run and never look back and stop thinking about the man who was his only constant sprawled over a blood-soaked bed.

It was easy to take her smaller body and loose limbs and get them down the stairs. He had to use the railings as a crutch because there was something wrong with Chloe's left leg and it was dragging. She was making a noise that he couldn't define, but it was hurt and made him feel hurt. Reminded him of the first night he had met her and violated her and treated her like a whore.

“Lex . . .”

Her voice was pitiful and it was the only warning before she collapsed. They didn't fall, by some miracle, and he picked her up and carried her in his arms. Gravity did most of the work to get them down to the doorway that led outside. His body was doing all the decision-making, his tired limbs relishing the coolness of the unheated stairwell. Chloe was shaking in his arms and he wondered if she was cold.

He wondered how long it would take before his father's body was cold, and if it would be longer than the time it took to cool the barrel of the gun that shot him.

They somehow made it to the bottom of the stairs and there was another fire door. Lex looked down at Chloe and saw her arm was dangling limply in front of them, about to be pinched between their bodies and the door if he tried to lean it open. He reversed position and laid his back on the cold steel, hunched his shoulders as he levered it open, then pulled her up to rest her head on his shoulder. She was awake because he could hear her trying not to hyperventilate.

He manoeuvred them through the door and emerged in the parking lot to see it was a beautiful night. It was rare when the sky was suitable for stargazing. Usually there was very little to see beyond the bright electronic billboards of downtown Metropolis.

Another unusual sight was the stretch limo waiting a few hundred feet away, and Lex's self preservation instinct kicked in enough to check the license plate. He hunched down as low as he could go with Chloe in his arms. When he was sure it was his, through many hard blinks and much squinting, he resettled her against him and walked toward it.

The chauffeur got out like nothing was wrong, with a perfectly pressed suit and his hat held respectfully against his side. He politely nodded and opened the door as Lex crawled onto the seat with Chloe dangling over his arms. There was no recognition of the oddity of it all, or of the sorry state of their clothing and apparent exhaustion. This particular employee had been with Lex since he was fourteen and learned that girls would sleep with him because he was rich. He had been the only sober witness to most of the lost weekends that had accompanied Lex's addictions. He had apparently seen it all, though Lex's memories were fuzzy about the actual events.

“Take us back to the penthouse,” he said.

The man nodded politely once again and shut the door even more politely, so that it didn't make a sound. Lex couldn't remember his name.

Chloe was suddenly more limp in his arms and he looked down to see her eyes closed. She probably wasn't unconscious, but he wouldn't mind if she was. It was amazing she had staying alert for so long, and a testament to her fortitude that she was even alive.

He was so sorry for everything, but his brain was already sorting out the apologies for him. He was sorry his father was dead, bastard though he was. He was sorry his mother was probably in hell and sorry that his father would probably end up there as well, because they were both murderers. He was sorry he had to be who he was and know what he knew. He was sorry that his father had lived and died by the gun. He was sorry that there was a tiny blond body lying on top or underneath him in some way he couldn't sort out, and that she had been kidnapped twice and and that he had shoved his penis inside her when she was still a virgin and made her bleed. He was sorry that she had been cruelly used by both him and his father and that he still couldn't feel happy that his father was dead.

He didn't feel saved. He didn't feel he had to right to claim he had saved Chloe, so he propped her head against his chest and stared blankly as they were driven home.

FarrahLea

11th October 2011, 04:34

Those were two intense chapters. I am glad that Lex was able to save Chloe. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. Thanks for the updates!

Rachet

11th October 2011, 06:51

Now for all of the fallout. Thanks for the updates.

tiger04

12th October 2011, 05:17

Thank you for the updates!!!

somethingeasy

14th October 2011, 17:43

Sorry about the delay in reviewing, Nonky. I was ecstatic to see not just one, but TWO fantastic, thrilling, climactic chapters one right after the other. THANK YOU so very much!!!

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Frankly, he could shoot anyway, take the money, and make his own deal with Morgan Edge's praise as currency. Lex's own employees had demonstrated that 'stab in the back, wag tail at supervisor' behaviour often enough to send tension down to his stance. He braced to run, though running was his absolute final move. Everything he could do for Chloe had to be done.

I really liked how the chapter began detailing the extreme edge of danger that Lex was in. I really loved how it was made clear that Lex is honestly defenceless, without any allies or back up, to the extent where he can be taken out by some random, lowly minion that Morgan Edge has on his payroll. It’s not just the big players in this really awful negotiation that Lex has to fear, but even the little fishies swimming alongside him. I can see that it is a very humbling situation for Lex to be in, but then again this whole story has been all about placing Lex in a humbling, self-effacing state of being, hasn’t it?

“A million and a half in cash, and half a million in bond certificates,” Lex said. “My banker did the best he could, but I had to pull the money without getting noticed. More can be arranged with a longer deadline.”

He nearly cringed at his own wording. This might be a deadline in the literal sense, and he had yet to see proof anyone had survived the invasion to the country house. In a real negotiation he would name a top figure, the highest he would go if the price was more than he'd offered. He couldn't imagine doing that and living with it later, so he waited.

Did I say it was a humbling position that Lex found himself in? No. It’s not just ‘humbling’, it is outright humiliating for Lex to be forced to scamper for a huge chunk of bribe money, deliver it by himself like a good little messenger boy, and then be greeted by this minion who is thumbing through the bills and checking Lex’s person for self defence weapons. I think the worst thing is seeing Lex actually and honestly cringing in front of this lowly thug for hire, fearing that the money he brought over would be rejected as ‘inadequate’. Humiliation!!! Heh… Damn, I love though!

At least it was a relief to see Lex relaxing incrementally when he heard that Chloe was essentially all right… or at the very least, not in need of immediate medical attention. In a situation such as this, you have to savour whatever small measures of luck and victories new happening to get your way.

A lower floor would be easier to escape from, but he was still aiming for a ransom. He and Morgan Edge had never crossed paths before, and there was no reason this had to become a lasting feud. Even if the man had killed his grandparents, Lex couldn't take vengeance for people he'd never known. If they were like his father and destitute as well, maybe it was a mercy his childhood hadn't had several drunk bullies.

I greatly appreciated how it was made clear that there truly is no real personal hostility between Lex and Morgan. It somehow makes it better that Lex is being blackmailed by a stranger that he is essentially disinterested in, rather than some much despised enemy. The humiliation of dealing with and even bending one’s neck over for a distant stranger is not as intense as the humiliation of bending one’s neck for a loathed enemy.

Besides which, feeling essentially dispassionate and neutral towards Morgan means that Lex will keep a cooler head while negotiating; be less likely to lose his temper or something. And Morgan himself will also negotiate coolly, not feeling any urge to snap Lex’s neck out of any sense of personal dislike.

That being said, there is still something fundamentally creepy about a blackmail and hostage negotiation being conducted while everyone is just so darned dispassionate and controlled about the situation.

“Hello son,” Lionel sneered.

The usual judgement was carried by the simple greeting, and the contempt that had begun without any cause when Lex turned ten and failed somehow to be a Luthor. The unspoken jibe was too much, and Lex spun around to find Edge taking his hand to shake. He resisted the urge to pull away. Outrage would set them visibly at odds, and he had to think of this as dispassionately as he could.

heh… I might not have been expecting Lionel to greet Lex with any outward sign of relief or happiness, but that was mostly because I didn’t think that Lionel would want to show weakness of any sort. I did NOT expect Lionel to actually be sneering and jeering at his son with absolutely, obviously and genuinely no feeling of relief or happiness. As always the magnificent bastard has flown over my expectations and left me open-mouthed with gaping wonder at his intensely despicable level of self importance.

“And we can, but please, I can see you want to check on Miss Sullivan. Come inside and we'll close the door for privacy,” Edge said pleasantly. He stood back, and Lex brushed past him to the chair next to Chloe. The guard who had met him in the lobby came in and shut the door with a pronounced clatter of the latch.

She didn't look up, but the set of her shoulders was too high and awkward for her to be asleep. He shoved the case under his seat and touched her gently. Chloe shivered, and her chin lifted just enough to convince Lex she wasn't drugged.

“Lex-” she whispered. Her eyes were damp and glittery with panic. The claustrophobic room was pouring heat, and she seemed to need the blanket just to keep from shaking.

Dare I say it, but it might be seen as a kind, decent and chivalrous act for Morgan to invite Lex to see over and attend to Chloe first before starting hostage negotiations. BUT, it’s altogether possible that Morgan decided that a closer look at Chloe might unsettle Lex, and therefore make it easier to take advantage of the young billionaire.

Whatever Morgan’s reasons, I’m grateful that Lex and Chloe finally, after far too much time separated from each other, finally have a chance to reconnect. It’s not under ideal circumstances, but I’m certain that I CAN see the two of them drawing strength from each other. Chloe is relieved and strengthened by the knowledge that ‘her soldier’ has come for, and Lex would relax a little bit knowing that Chloe is mostly unharmed, sane and coherent and ready to leave with him the moment it is safe to do so.

His implication was murder, but no court would ever accept such a glancing reference as a confession. Lex would have to wrangle his investigators and find out who was missing. He filed that away and inclined his chin a single time. It was not agreement.

“I fail to see what Miss Sullivan has to do with all this,” he bluffed. He could feel her tension double behind his back, and sensed he'd misstepped.

“Miss Sullivan was working with you, and she found a record of my association with Lionel. I don't know exactly what her grudge is, but I can guess a few possibilities. At any rate, I have no personal issue with the young lady. I happened to surprise her in my urgency to meet with your father, and she was naturally invited along to sort this out. I don't really mind if Lionel should go to prison, but I would mind if I were to be locked away. I like my life now, and see no reason to revisit the mistakes of the past.”

Lex got the message; they could lay this to rest with Lionel's sacrifice. If his father took the blame for his grandparents' deaths without implicating Edge, Lex and Chloe were beside the point. He wanted to look over his shoulder at her, and quashed the impulse.

I thought it was remarkable seeing how smoothly, easily and skillfully Morgan navigated and negotiated Lex into exactly the state of mind that was required to his advantage. First, Morgan drew Lex’s attention to the fact that death and murder comes quite easily to Morgan as an option to solving day-to-day problems. THEN he goes on to show that he knows all about how Chloe has been investigating him and is therefore a threat to him, suggesting that it would be the safest and most prudent thing to kill her in order to protect himself.

All of this was done as a setup to the final coup de grâce, where Morgan presents the perfect temptation to Lex; Lex gets to rescue Chloe, carrying her away from the monsters and dragons like the proverbial knight in shining armour, and all he has to do is simply allow Morgan the chance to kill Lex’s father, coincidentally the very monster that has been emotionally tormenting and physically brutalizing Chloe. It is so obvious that Morgan spent considerable time working out and possibly even reversing the spiel he was going to be pitching to Lex.

I most certainly cannot blame Lex for taking this highly tempting offer. Indeed, I might go as far as to say that taking Morgan’s offer was the best decision that Lex would have made under the circumstances. That being said, it was still heartbreaking seeing Lex suffering the guilt and anguish of sacrificing his own father to a ruthless killer, even if it was to save an innocent life. Brilliantly done, Nonky!

“You said-” she mumbled, then her voice came clearer. “You said death was messy and suspicious.”

Inside the cold of his chest, Lex felt a burst of warm solidarity. Chloe hated his father, but she recognized the impairment he would suffer putting his own father to death. She was defending Lionel's life because Lex knew it was what he should do. He just couldn't get the words out.

I was quite impressed, awe-inspired even, with Chloe and the way that she is putting aside her own feelings in consideration for whatever hesitation that Lex might be feeling. Seriously, this woman has been literally tortured, emotionally and otherwise, over a series of several months by this man, and now she is raising her voice negotiating for his life.

Not for the sake of Lionel himself, obviously; but purely because she can sense that Lex might be distraught and devastated and heartbroken if forced to hand his own father over to be killed. Even if the father in question is a cold, distant, emotionally abusive bastard to Lex, Chloe still somehow finds it within herself to not one to sever even the possibility of a bond between the two men.

I suspect that Lionel himself might have been a little impressed? Or perhaps, he saw this as a weakness; Chloe being unwilling to take the final step to save herself by allowing her tormentor to be decisively executed? Sometimes it’s really difficult to tell what Lionel might be thinking about any given situation. It’s one of the reasons that makes him so dangerously unpredictable, and yet also such a tantalizing character to read about.

Tenderness lived in Lex for the barest hint of acceptance from his father. It starved and starved over the years, but didn't die. He felt the tug as he turned around and helped Chloe to her feet. She staggered a bit, but was able to walk normally after a moment. Lex kept her hand and pulled her behind as he walked over to the bed. Her fingers were icy in his, but she held on as strongly as his fierce grip.

“Dad,” he began. His chest hurt, his head hurt, and he knew all of this was the illusion of a choice. Either Lionel died or they all did. It didn't make giving in any lighter.

“I'm not interested in a disgraceful display, Lex,” Lionel said sternly. “I'm ready for my end, but you have to run the company. I won't have LuthorCorp crumbling as my legacy. You keep the company strong for my heir.”

I have to say that I absolutely LOVE the design that Nonky has created for her character of Lionel Luther. Even when faced with the horrific situation of complete abandonment to the extremely unlikely mercies of a ruthless killer and therefore certain death within the hour… even THEN Lionel Luther is still every inch the magnificent bastard who lives to make life miserable for everyone around him.

I wasn’t expecting his last words to Lex to be any sort of plea for forgiveness or even an attempt at last-minute reconciliation, but I certainly didn’t expect the final exchange with his son to be merely a contemptuous order to maintain LuthorCorp until it was ready to be inherited by ‘the real heir’ to Lionel’s legacy. Seriously, is very last words to Lex were akin to a command given to all not very bright underling being forced to take Lionel’s last words on his deathbed.

Right up till the end Lionel maintained his imperious stands and attitude as an evil, arrogant magnificent bastard, never to be forgotten by anyone who attended him, right up until his final minutes. I think I would really like to know exactly what were Lionel’s truly last words…What were the last words that Lionel imparted to Morgan before his former partner in crime and, presumably, old childhood friend, shot him dead?!?? I’m sure, whatever he said, he was magnificent!!!! Lol!

Lex had the irrational urge to scream for help and fight all three of them. He felt Chloe shiver and knew he had to put her safety first. He tried not to push her, but they needed to go fast. Once they were at a safe distance, they could process the last day. He had the feeling it would take years to really understand all that had happened, and why.

Lex was almost certain he'd never really understand.

Poor Lex! Even now, let’s much look like a man who got away with his life rescuing the woman he ‘might’ be in love with, so much as he resembles a little lost boy who has no idea how he got lost in the first place, or even fully comprehended WHAT he’s actually lost. There is no triumph or victory at the end of this chapter. The girl is safe, the monster is dead and all enemies had been left behind… and yet it still feels like a retreat after a devastating defeat. Brilliantly written, Nonky! I feel shivers running up and down my spine!!! WOW!!

Chapter Forty

There had been no choice other than this, he told himself. It was a good deal for his father. Lionel only had a few weeks left anyway. He was bedridden and in pain. Hospitals in the U.S. took a very harsh view on euthanasia. He would have had to suffer every moment of his death with no respite.

It was fair, more than fair. He and Chloe were young, both of their ages combined less than Lionel's lifetime. They deserved to live. They had suffered so much at his hands. He owed them.

I mentioned before how this escape from the hospital more closely resembles a defeat then a victory, and this whole chapter was dedicated to driving that home to the readers. I loved it! I loved how, barely seconds after abandoning his monstrous father to die, Lex can’t help but feel guilt, anguish and even intense grief over the bargained and conceded loss. Even after it was made clear that it was a matter of his and Chloe’s life, the life of innocents, in exchange for the life of all irredeemable monster. Even after the monster in question contemptuously told Lex to effectively get out of his sight, even then Lex can’t help but feel an irresistible urge to turn back for his father… and to fight that urge to turn back with every fiber of his will and intellect.

She was thinking about it now, and every cop show she'd ever seen where the bodies were stacked up three deep and fake bullet wounds obliterated faces and limbs. She wondered if Edge would shoot Lionel in the face. She wondered if he had wanted an open casket. She wondered if Lex was going as crazy as she was, and hoped he wasn't because she didn't think her mind would get back to normal.

I appreciated and highly approved of the fact that Chloe herself didn’t feel any sense of victory, exaltation, exhilaration about the escape either. I loved the way that Chloe’s mind was going insane imagining all the gruesome detail of the execution that had been bargained for the sake of saving her life. She is obviously not feeling guilty about condemning Lionel to his much deserved fate, BUT she’s not really satisfied in any kind of vengeful sense.

Despite everything that Chloe has gone through, it’s a huge relief to see that she hasn’t become tainted by her experiences. Despite everything, she still doesn’t harbor any true desire for gruesome, bloody vengeance; demanding blood for blood and agony for agony. In other words, Chloe is a much better person than I could ever hope to be.

As a matter of fact, I loved the entire chapter and how it detailed and carried forward a running monologue of Chloe’s and Lex’s thought patterns as they ran through the hospital. The erratic, near incoherent and yet still intense running stream of their thoughts was not only fascinating, but also an insightful look into how the two of them were reacting to the experience that they both have suffered through.

Plus, it’s also interesting to see how pain, fear, stress and the general lack of sleep impairs thinking to the extent where two intelligent, observant and keen eyed individuals literally cannot find their way down the straight corridors of a public building down the stairs to the ground floor without becoming panicked and lost.

Most other authors would simply have written this scene as a simple one paragraph of Lex and Chloe walking down the corridor, down the elevator and immediately to the are waiting by the entrance… But NONKY torments her characters every bloody step of the way, LOL!

One gunshot echoed perfectly down the hallways they had traversed, and his perfect hearing picked up the sound that was as precise and unmistakable as any television sound effect. His ears ached with the pinging repetition as it stretched and held on to him.

His entire body jerked in reaction, backward and then slumping forward as his knees bent. Chloe's did the same because he was gripping her like she was the last of the world - they were glued together with sweat. He was about to fall and there wasn't an ounce of strength left to keep her upright or keep himself on his feet.

Holy CRAP!I think we just heard Lionel being executed over here. And yet, despite Lex’s and Chloe’s rather extreme reaction to the gunshot, it still feels almost anti-climactic, doesn’t it?

He wanted to live, he wanted to Chloe to live. He had to run and make her run and never look back and stop thinking about the man who was his only constant sprawled over a blood-soaked bed.

I think we’re just seeing the beginnings of grief over here, aren’t we? First steps are shock and disbelief, aren’t they? I actually find myself looking forward to seeing Lex (and Chloe too) going through their own reactions of grieving, raging, hoping and even eventually recovering, in the aftermath of this kind of trauma. I know… there has been plenty of drama, trauma and torment already… but it’s still not enough, dammit!!! Don’t tell me that you all had your fill yet, you liars! Lol!

The chauffeur got out like nothing was wrong, with a perfectly pressed suit and his hat held respectfully against his side. He politely nodded and opened the door as Lex crawled onto the seat with Chloe dangling over his arms. There was no recognition of the oddity of it all, or of the sorry state of their clothing and apparent exhaustion. This particular employee had been with Lex since he was fourteen and learned that girls would sleep with him because he was rich. He had been the only sober witness to most of the lost weekends that had accompanied Lex's addictions. He had apparently seen it all, though Lex's memories were fuzzy about the actual events.

WOW! I really loved and appreciated, Nonky… how you provided Lex with a small respite this day… by providing him with a trusted, familiar face to turn to, at the end of his grueling hostage negotiations and blood sacrifice. It was fascinating to find out that Lex DOES have some employers that he can genuinely count on as loyal, supportive and trustworthy… and even more fascinating to discover that the employee is a chauffer… of all roles. VERY interesting! Not a mothering house-keeper or cook… not a diligent bodyguard or butler… and not even a dutiful maid-servant in charge of washing his dirty linens… but a chauffer. Brilliant!

He was so sorry for everything, but his brain was already sorting out the apologies for him. He was sorry his father was dead, bastard though he was. He was sorry his mother was probably in hell and sorry that his father would probably end up there as well, because they were both murderers. He was sorry he had to be who he was and know what he knew. He was sorry that his father had lived and died by the gun. He was sorry that there was a tiny blond body lying on top or underneath him in some way he couldn't sort out, and that she had been kidnapped twice and and that he had shoved his penis inside her when she was still a virgin and made her bleed. He was sorry that she had been cruelly used by both him and his father and that he still couldn't feel happy that his father was dead.

He didn't feel saved. He didn't feel he had to right to claim he had saved Chloe, so he propped her head against his chest and stared blankly as they were driven home.

It’s funny… I ought to feel cheated somehow, shouldn’t I? Cheated of the chance to celebrate a clear, decisive victory right alongside Lex... cheated of the chance to enjoy the safe, happy reunion between Lex and Chloe… and yet… I just don’t! Somehow, this pyrrhic victory feels more ‘real’ and more in keeping with the general tone of this story as a whole. It just… well… fits!

Not that I’m not holding out hope for a clearly happy ending in some future chapter… but I’m loving it so far, and even looking forward to seeing yet some more torment as well as cautiously low key and understated sighs of relief, before Chloe and Lex finally just relax and celebrate the sense of being alive and free properly.

Please do update soon, Nonky. I look forward to the next update!

georgee5

6th November 2011, 04:59

I am amazed every time. Just... Wow...

kitten

10th January 2012, 04:03

Chapter Forty-One

A few blocks from the hospital, memory started throwing random details back into the flow of Lex's mind. His driver was Tino. He had hated piano at first, then become something of a talent before his time was called to the business.

He had seen Lucas once when they were children, across the big lawn of the Smallville house - Lex's nanny pulling him away so he didn't see the way his father laughed his mistress and their son off. The nanny had been sweet and smelled of freesia. She had let him stay up to perfect the math skills Lionel had praised without understanding how many hours of Lex's young life were spent plodding through exercises. Miss Sarah had gone away soon after his mother, slamming a door on his childhood. He held Chloe tighter.

Tino pulled into the garage at Lex's building, past several checkpoints and one live guard. The driver pulled them up as close to the elevator as possible without blocking them from using it. He came around and opened the door with an implacable calm that was the only thing keeping his employer from hyperventilating.

It could be assuming too much, but Tino wasn't questioning their destination. He had every right to insist Chloe was too unwell to return to the apartment. He might even question if Lex was trustworthy caring for her. He was simply quiet and helpful, holding Chloe on the seat while Lex climbed out and picked her up. His arms were weakening, and he closed his eyes to the pain.

"Sir, I think we can keep her arms over our shoulders, and she'll be safer in the elevator," Tino said tactfully. He had to notice the shake of Lex's muscles.

"Yes," he said, nodding. "Thank you."

Carrying the young woman between them, they stood silently in the elevator as it rose. Tino moved to get out with them when they reached the penthouse, and Lex cleared his throat. He bent down and picked Chloe up bridal style. She was too light to be real, but he was exhausted. It was hard to breathe regularly. His head was beginning to ache.

"We'll need some privacy, if you don't mind. Feel free to go see what's in the kitchen for dinner, Tino. I know it's late," he said. "I'd appreciate it if you could start a pot of coffee, then you can go home for the night."

"Of course, sir." The unassuming man took off his very traditional hat, tucked it under his arm, and went off to his task with absolute calm.

It was a stark reminder that the man who drove his limo was probably more respectable than he was, Lex mused. He couldn't recall a single flub or misstep from the driver. He treated call girls with the same class and manners as he did visiting LuthorCorp executives. More than anything, Tino was kind. He had tirelessly picked Lex up from drunken sprawls, and several times called for an ambulance that had likely saved his life.

Pushing aside a strange sentimental turn, Lex carried Chloe toward the master bedroom. It was the only bed left since he'd dismantled the guest room, and the bathroom was close when she needed it. He set her down as gently as he could, and ended up having to lean over her as his back cramped.

Lex cringed at the dirty knees of her jeans, but he couldn't take off her clothes while she was sleeping. He wasn't sure it was sleep, and other words made him afraid for her. She needed to rest and he couldn't handle hysteria, so maybe it was better she lay down. It was beyond him to offer comfort and sanity to anybody else until he could think.

He covered Chloe up to her chin and looked at her face. It was hard to say if there were many small bruises or one large one covering her chin. Her lips were dry and chapped. There were scuffed, darkening marks around her wrists. Her other injuries weren't evident, and he tried not to imagine them. She was tired - perhaps broken - and he had to remain functional.

The room was comfortable but he turned the heat higher. If Chloe was in shock, keeping her warm would help. Lex paced a few times beside the bed, and the new shaking in his hands rose up to his shoulders and throughout his body. He lowered himself to the floor and rocked on his knees until the sensation of suffocating eased.

Holding on to the mattress edge, he stood up stiffly. He went into the bathroom to wash his face. The cold water was miraculous, and he put his head under the faucet to savour it. Later, he would shower until he felt clean. He would scrub for hours, and drink to a blackout.

Lex glanced at Chloe on the way out, and turned on the lamp for a dim light. As he shut the door, he gritted his teeth on the urge to wake her. He would call the doctor, and get her discreet help. He stood in the hallway and used the number he'd been given, leaving a disjointed message that failed to give any real information. It was enough that the doctor would come, and he only cared about Chloe.

Tino was in the kitchen, eating a sandwich at the counter. He picked his hat up from the other bar stool and walked over to the fridge quickly.

"There are more sandwiches," the driver said. "And hot coffee. I would have put some on a tray, but the young lady didn't look like she'd want any now."

"No, thank you, Tino. This is good, for now." Lex cleared his throat, but his voice sounded like he'd been screaming for hours. He poured coffee and sat down. "Please, eat your meal. I'll get something in a minute."

Timidly, the driver put the plate on the counter and sat down next to Lex. He had a big cup of black coffee, and Lex struggled for something to tell him. There was no accusation from the other man, but that was worse. There was enormous guilt, and he was the only one left to shoulder it.

"I need to ask for your discretion, Tino," he said hoarsely. "Miss Sullivan and I have been working together to free her from an unsavoury deal she made with my father. We succeeded, but along the way another dangerous man became involved. You'll hear by morning that my father is dead. I didn't kill him, and neither did Miss Sullivan, but that's all I can safely tell you. That other man . . . he's agreed to leave us alone unless the reality comes to light. It would be - ideal - if you wouldn't mind forgetting you'd seen Miss Sullivan with me until today. I'll think about the details later."

Tino was a college graduate in some kind of mechanic program, as Lex recalled. He had been around businessmen and overheard enough to know how to talk without saying anything. It was clear he was contemplating something as he finished his sandwich. Lex tensed, and his sore back knotted. He was prepared to pay off anyone who had been witness to part of the last shameful day, but he didn't want to lose faith in one of his closer employees.

"Mr. Lionel Luthor had an accident, and you went to the hospital to visit. Maybe, he was in the car and it hit Miss Sullivan's cab? A fender-bender, and when she was released you gave her a ride. A kindness, that happened at a particular time that matches with the sad loss of your father? It is private business, but that was my understanding, sir," Tino said slowly. "I'm sure it's not my role to know more than that."

Lex put down his coffee and rubbed his face. It felt awful to be plotting lies, and he wasn't capable of doing it well. He was very lucky to have a loyal driver. "I think you have a good accounting of it," he agreed. "Miss Sullivan has her own car, though. We'll have to see to the repairs in the morning. Perhaps you know a good body shop. I am . . . not inclined . . . to bother with an insurance claim, under the circumstances."

A broad hand rested on his forearm for a few seconds, offering a silent reassurance. Lex felt ashamed of all the indecent, illegal activities he'd exposed the driver to over the years. He surely didn't deserve any compassion.

"Tino, it's been a long night and you should go home. I'm just going to make some calls and get Miss Sullivan settled," he said, sitting up straight. "I won't be going anywhere for the rest of the night."

It wasn't a particularly early night, but Tino hesitated. "I'm not needed anywhere else, sir."

"I'm sure your wife doesn't think so. Please. It will be a difficult week, and I have to make some arrangements."

"I understand, sir. As a suggestion . . ."

Lex nodded wearily. He knew he should be thinking of all the angles and any set of eyes that might have a conflicting version of events. He needed to find Chloe's car, have it brought to the city, and fixed quickly. The furor of Lionel's funeral would help overshadow what would normally be a mildly newsworthy event. People noticed when the CEO of a major company had a car accident.

The FBI would have to be placated somehow. He wasn't sure how he would do it, but they would not be allowed to bother Chloe. There were a thousand things to do, and he could barely focus on anything. Director Curry would run circles around him if he called now.

"It might be the best time to offer retirement to Mr. Luthor's main driver. I don't think he ever took to Mr. Luthor, and he wasn't good with privacy. He would take a few bills to let somebody know where Mr. Luthor was going. If he could afford it, I think he'd be happy to take his wife somewhere warm to live," Tino said seriously. He was holding his hat with both hands, turning it uncomfortably.

That same driver was probably Lucas' source, and had helped them find Chloe. It wasn't his fault she was gone by the time they arrived. Lex nodded and picked up a sandwich from the plate.

"I'll probably be making some changes once a decent interval has passed," he said. "Thank you for letting me know. Goodnight."

Bowing his head, Tino put on the hat and left quietly. Lex took a bite of the sandwich and discovered he was hungry. He devoured two more, and finished his coffee. The caffeine added to his anxiety, but at least he felt competent again.

He dialed the doctor and left a better message, actually giving her information she'd need. "Dr. Concord, this is Lex Luthor. My friend is a patient of yours, and she needs a house call. We are at my apartment, and you should bring your supplies. Getting her to a hospital would be . . . unwise. Please come as soon as possible."

He logged into his computer and was relieved to see news outlets hadn't been informed of his father's death. Lex called his security team leader and asked for an update of the scene at the country house. His ex-military team leader, retired Cpt. Drew Hansen, sounded tired and frustrated.

"The FBI got here about an hour and a half behind us," Hansen told him. "They barred us from the house. We burned the bedding and towels from that bedroom-"

Lex didn't need to be reminded which bedroom, but he found himself holding his breath at the imagined stench of misery and fear.

"-before they got here, or it would have been evidence. We wiped down the common surfaces for fingerprints. There were few signs of a young woman in the house, though there were some other things; sedatives without a prescription, restraints, some other unpleasant sexual items. It looks as though the house was used for liaisons, perhaps not entirely consensual. We couldn't get it out."

He could give a shit about aspersions on his father's name. He might just pepper his eulogy with anecdotes of the domestic abuse and explosions of temper Lionel had indulged over the years. Lex wasn't going to cover for his father anymore, but he had to think of his employees. He had to consider Chloe's privacy.

"I'm not cleaning up after my father," he said. "Have you found a car registered to a Chloe Sullivan?"

"Yes, sir. A few miles away at a closed weighing station, there was a rig and driver waiting for a destination. He had the car in the trailer, though it's not fit to drive. It looks like it was rammed on the driver's side. My guy says it's salvageable. He's staying with the truck and keeping an eye on it."

Lex swallowed down a fresh surge of rage. Lionel's men had forced Chloe off the road. They could have killed her. It was obvious his father's sanity had splintered, his former strategic brilliance becoming deadly shrapnel.

"That car needs to be in Metropolis tonight - in fact it was never out of the city," he said. "Miss Sullivan drove it here, and she was in an accident with my father's car. Since she is blameless, I will be paying for repairs, and I want them done as soon as possible. If anyone asks why the car was shipped instead of towed, tell them it was for privacy. I will find a garage to take it, but I want that car on the way now."

"Of course, sir. What do you want us to do about the FBI?"

It was a good question. Lex was loathe to admit weakness to Curry, but he needed time to sort out all the pieces that made up his cover story. He squeezed his eyes tight and thought frantically. The answer came int Lionel's voice; an old lesson from childhood. He was a Luthor, and short of cooperating with court orders and IRS demands, he wielded a great deal of power. He would use or misuse it for his own purposes, as long as he could justify them to himself.

"Tell them you were told to check out the house, because I was looking for my father," he said. "I'd heard there was a downturn in his health, and I couldn't get him on the telephone. There was some confusion where he was, but it's since been sorted out. Tell them I had never been to that house before now, and I cannot comment on what they might find of my father's residence. Tell them there is no emergency, as Miss Sullivan has also been located."

He hung up with the security team leader and called his PR head. Public opinion would save him if the FBI decided to press him, and that meant acting like a perfectly grieving son. He had to reassure LuthorCorp shareholders, and officially take up the leadership of the company. He had to create dozens of positive stories a day, until the mysteries surrounding his father's death were forgotten.

Steeling himself to speak to the cagey professional who shaped his public image, Lex reminded himself she would have no idea of all the lies he was feeding her. For all she knew, he was the stoic heir of his father's empire. For all she knew, their public feuds had hidden a warm, familial closeness Lex had to come to terms with losing.

He had lost his father. There was grief, but it was stale and over a decade old. He didn't have to try to be sad. Finally, on the seventh ring, the woman picked up with a sleep-roughened voice.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor," Constance Gerald said. "What can I do for you?"

"My father died tonight," he said shortly. "I'll need you to get the announcement out before it gets to the morning papers without any comment to pacify the investors. I can't come in right now, but we should be able to do this from your home office. I want a simple announcement, quelling any nasty rumours about the circumstances, and getting ahead of anyone who might attack the company. There will be no layoffs, and there will be no shedding of assets. The company will carry on to be a credit to its founder."

There was hurried rustling on the other end of the phone, probably Mrs. Gerald dressing and taking notes. She mumbled an agreement, no trace of resentment for being awoken before dawn to write a press release.

"Absolutely, Mr. Luthor," she said firmly. "I'm heading to my computer now."

Lex nodded to himself and gave her a minute. He had lost control but it was coming back to him. He would protect Chloe and his company. He had no other choice.

Cassandra Jean

10th January 2012, 07:10

Thanks for the update. I have been waiting to see what happens with this one, and am happy to see that Lex was able to get Chloe away from Lionel and Morgan Edge. Hopefully there isn't too much trauma to Chloe and she and Lex can help each other heal.

Rachet

10th January 2012, 07:30

I'm so glad Lex is handling things that need taken care of but both him and Chloe will melt down for real at some point. And I'm dreading the surprises that the MB left for them in his wake.

tatie87

10th January 2012, 20:32

The whole Lex and Tino dynamic was very interesting. How Tino has watched and been a part of the ups and downs in Lex's life. Can't wait to see how Chloe is going to turn out in this all.

somethingeasy

16th January 2012, 15:17

Chapter Forty-One

Aargh! Sorry about the massive delay in reviewing, Nonky. I feel horribly sick, but I’m feeling much better now.

This was a fantastic chapter. The last chapter was all about Lex and Chloe suffering through the aftermath shock of their ‘negotiations’ and escape from the cross-fire between despicable, evil forces. This chapter is more about recuperation and recovery… with Lex finding his sense of equilibrium and balance again. Chloe, naturally, will need some more time before SHE starts getting ready to move on and recover… but it’s good to know that at least Lex is on the ball in handling the aftermath of this horrible, horrible situation.

He had seen Lucas once when they were children, across the big lawn of the Smallville house - Lex's nanny pulling him away so he didn't see the way his father laughed his mistress and their son off. The nanny had been sweet and smelled of freesia. She had let him stay up to perfect the math skills Lionel had praised without understanding how many hours of Lex's young life were spent plodding through exercises. Miss Sarah had gone away soon after his mother, slamming a door on his childhood. He held Chloe tighter.

It was a stark reminder that the man who drove his limo was probably more respectable than he was, Lex mused. He couldn't recall a single flub or misstep from the driver. He treated call girls with the same class and manners as he did visiting LuthorCorp executives. More than anything, Tino was kind. He had tirelessly picked Lex up from drunken sprawls, and several times called for an ambulance that had likely saved his life.

The previous chapter made a point of highlighting how alone, isolated and therefore vulnerable Lex and Chloe were, especially against the standing armies that Morgan and Lionel commanded. So I liked and appreciated how this chapter highlighted that Lex actually DOES have allies and support, in unexpected places. It’s true that his staff can’t help him fight his battles with him, but they CAN provide comfort, solace, support, reassurance and help in a hundred other different ways… ways that help Lex regain his strength in order to continue fighting.

Loved it! It was heartening and wonderful to know that, despite being neglected and emotionally abandoned by his parents, and isolated and scorned by his peers… Lex still DID always have some kind of reliable support system and companionship to keep him from killing himself.

Pushing aside a strange sentimental turn, Lex carried Chloe toward the master bedroom. It was the only bed left since he'd dismantled the guest room, and the bathroom was close when she needed it. He set her down as gently as he could, and ended up having to lean over her as his back cramped.

Lex cringed at the dirty knees of her jeans, but he couldn't take off her clothes while she was sleeping. He wasn't sure it was sleep, and other words made him afraid for her. She needed to rest and he couldn't handle hysteria, so maybe it was better she lay down. It was beyond him to offer comfort and sanity to anybody else until he could think.

He covered Chloe up to her chin and looked at her face. It was hard to say if there were many small bruises or one large one covering her chin. Her lips were dry and chapped. There were scuffed, darkening marks around her wrists. Her other injuries weren't evident, and he tried not to imagine them. She was tired - perhaps broken - and he had to remain functional.

I remember how previous chapters illustrated the sheer gutsy strength that Chloe possessed within herself. She might have been over-powered by Lionel’s forces, and then by Lionel himself, and then kidnapped again by a gangster… but she always remained alert and vigilant, assessing her situation and finding loopholes to allow her escape from her situation. Despite the horrific trauma she had been going through, she always remained strong.

Which is why I really appreciated how she’s being depicted as so fragile and breakable over here. In Lex’s view, Chloe has been through the kind of trauma that would break most highly trained soldiers… which is precisely why he can’t help but see her as near the breaking point, if not clear over it. Even the readers themselves cannot be sure that Chloe was not pushed over her limits during those hours that she spent, awaiting rescue, in Morgan’s company. That she was not pushed over the edge when leaving her tormenter to be finally killed by another ruthlessly evil man… that she didn’t break during those harrowing moments waiting for the gun-shots that killed Lionel, running away to perhaps safety outside the hospital.

We hope that Chloe had held onto enough of her immense strength of will to retain her sanity during those final few hours… but we can’t really be sure… not until she wakes up and speaks.

"Mr. Lionel Luthor had an accident, and you went to the hospital to visit. Maybe, he was in the car and it hit Miss Sullivan's cab? A fender-bender, and when she was released you gave her a ride. A kindness, that happened at a particular time that matches with the sad loss of your father? It is private business, but that was my understanding, sir," Tino said slowly. "I'm sure it's not my role to know more than that."

Lex put down his coffee and rubbed his face. It felt awful to be plotting lies, and he wasn't capable of doing it well. He was very lucky to have a loyal driver. "I think you have a good accounting of it," he agreed. "Miss Sullivan has her own car, though. We'll have to see to the repairs in the morning. Perhaps you know a good body shop. I am . . . not inclined . . . to bother with an insurance claim, under the circumstances."

"It might be the best time to offer retirement to Mr. Luthor's main driver. I don't think he ever took to Mr. Luthor, and he wasn't good with privacy. He would take a few bills to let somebody know where Mr. Luthor was going. If he could afford it, I think he'd be happy to take his wife somewhere warm to live," Tino said seriously. He was holding his hat with both hands, turning it uncomfortably.

Squeee! Omigosh! I friggen LOVE Tino!! He’s amazing and awesome! It’s one thing to drive your boss away from a crime scene, but it’s a whole new level of loyalty to help that same boss to cover up the crime as well. Tino’s loyalty is extraordinary and awe-insipring enough… but it’s also his sharp, astute attention to detail that helps the readers appreciate how damned lucky Lex is to have an employee like this.

Of course… it might not be luck after all. It might just be Lex’s own charming, charismatic ability to attract highly skilled, intelligent hardworking people to swear undying loyalty to him. I’ll bet that Lionel would have found it damned difficult to inspire THIS kind of loyalty from HIS employees… not unless he either intimidated or over-paid them into submission.

"The FBI got here about an hour and a half behind us," Hansen told him. "They barred us from the house. We burned the bedding and towels from that bedroom-"

Lex didn't need to be reminded which bedroom, but he found himself holding his breath at the imagined stench of misery and fear.

Gah! Even oblique references to all the evidence of Chloe’s rape in That Room are still freshly horrifying. Damn you, Lionel!!!

"-before they got here, or it would have been evidence. We wiped down the common surfaces for fingerprints. There were few signs of a young woman in the house, though there were some other things; sedatives without a prescription, restraints, some other unpleasant sexual items. It looks as though the house was used for liaisons, perhaps not entirely consensual. We couldn't get it out."

He could give a shit about aspersions on his father's name. He might just pepper his eulogy with anecdotes of the domestic abuse and explosions of temper Lionel had indulged over the years. Lex wasn't going to cover for his father anymore, but he had to think of his employees. He had to consider Chloe's privacy.

Yikes! I don’t think I really want to know what else was there in that house besides everything that we saw in The Rape Room. It makes sense though, that Lionel would have gotten for himself a whole houseful of sexual torture paraphernalia to use on Chloe during her enforced stay at that house. The bastard probably went on a gleeful shopping spree to gather together all the equipment and ‘toys’ required to break Chloe.

Hmmmm… and it’s also an interesting, AND plausible, idea that this house might have been used for sexual liaisons of dubious consent long before Chloe ever arrived. After all, Lionel as good as admitted that this wasn’t his first rape… so it does make a repulsive sort of sense that Lionel probably continued to indulge in the practice of rape, even after he became a ‘legitimate’ business man.

Lex swallowed down a fresh surge of rage. Lionel's men had forced Chloe off the road. They could have killed her. It was obvious his father's sanity had splintered, his former strategic brilliance becoming deadly shrapnel.

HAH! I knew it! I knew that I wasn’t the only one who saw fundamental flaws in Lionel’s ‘brilliant’ plans. I KNEW that I wasn’t the only one who took in the details of his plan with aghast, appalled astonishment, wondering how the bloody heck Lionel thought he could get away with it. It’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only one who thought Lionel was cracked out of his mind in kidnapping Chloe and setting her up in some kind of twisted birthing home, until she finally dropped a baby.

It was a good question. Lex was loathe to admit weakness to Curry, but he needed time to sort out all the pieces that made up his cover story. He squeezed his eyes tight and thought frantically. The answer came int Lionel's voice; an old lesson from childhood. He was a Luthor, and short of cooperating with court orders and IRS demands, he wielded a great deal of power. He would use or misuse it for his own purposes, as long as he could justify them to himself.

Awwww… Although I know Lionel’s voice came in mighty useful in centering Lex over here, and helping him sort out and settle the frantic nature of his thoughts… I STILL felt a distinct shiver of revulsion imagining Lionel’s smooth, mocking voice in Lex’s head. And I’m quite sure that Lex probably suffered a chilly little shiver himself.

"My father died tonight," he said shortly. "I'll need you to get the announcement out before it gets to the morning papers without any comment to pacify the investors. I can't come in right now, but we should be able to do this from your home office. I want a simple announcement, quelling any nasty rumours about the circumstances, and getting ahead of anyone who might attack the company. There will be no layoffs, and there will be no shedding of assets. The company will carry on to be a credit to its founder."

There was hurried rustling on the other end of the phone, probably Mrs. Gerald dressing and taking notes. She mumbled an agreement, no trace of resentment for being awoken before dawn to write a press release.

"Absolutely, Mr. Luthor," she said firmly. "I'm heading to my computer now."

Lex nodded to himself and gave her a minute. He had lost control but it was coming back to him. He would protect Chloe and his company. He had no other choice.

Yep… there we see it… For better, or for worse… Lex is regaining his equilibrium, and becoming the smooth, manipulative, scheming bastard that is needed for this impossible situation. Let’s see how that turns out, shall we? Personally, I’m wary, and yet optimistic about how things are going to turn out from here on in. Let’s see whether Nonky is done torturing her characters, eh? Lol!

georgee5

18th January 2012, 03:02

Every time, it's worth the wait. Thank you.

leeleeginevra

25th January 2012, 05:29

This is such an engaging story. It leaves me anticipating the next chapter that will be put up and so happy when the new chapter is put up. Thank you for a great story!

starmoon

13th February 2012, 00:11

i really like this story and can't wait for more please update soon.

alicat

14th February 2012, 00:47

Loving it :)

skyblue78

14th February 2012, 00:54

Somehow managed to miss this update....please post more soon! I really like the complexities in this story. There is no black and white, just many many shades of grey.

kitten

18th February 2012, 17:00

Chapter Forty-Two

There was someone calling her, but Chloe didn't want to wake up. She hurt, and the deep, dreamless sleep helped numb her. She tried to cover her face with her arms, but it sent a sharp agony up to her elbow. She flinched and sobbed. A soft hand lowered her arms down.

"Chloe, I know it hurts, but I need you to help me now," the female voice said. It wasn't unkind, but it definitely held an order.

Chloe moaned as she tried to sit up. She blinked as a woman's hands helped her lift up just enough to be propped up on pillows. Her arms were hanging down into her lap. She watched her own fingers twitch with a disconnect that was frightening. Her focus was too shattered to reach out to her own body.

"It's Dr. Concord. You're at Mr. Luthor's apartment and he called me here to help you," the woman said, sounding somehow friendly, placid and upset at the same time.

She put a hand warmly on Chloe's shoulder, and held it there. It was comforting, and she seemed to be trying to help, so the teenager nodded. "Okay."

It wasn't remotely okay. She wanted to be at home, in the twin bed her father had bought for her. She wanted to be safe and untroubled. Chloe knew she had to convince the doctor and Lex she was fine before they'd let her go.

"Can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I was raped." The blunt words crackled with repression, and Chloe shook her head. It was her voice, but it didn't sound like her. It didn't sound human. "He wanted me to get pregnant. I need something to stop it."

The doctor had removed her hand, and was digging in a medical bag. She was sure to look at Chloe's profile when she asked, "Who hurt you, Chloe? I know you were here alone with Mr. Luthor, but you don't seem afraid of him. Is he the one you're talking about?"

A purse-sized box of tissues was placed next to her hip, anticipating a need for them.

"No, his father. His father wanted to replace him and he needed a new heir for the company. Lex came to get me back. Don't blame him," Chloe told her. "Anyway, it's done. I need birth control to make sure and all the STD tests. He didn't use protection."

A nicely manicured hand took her wrist and held it while pulse beats were counted off. Dr. Concord's body heat was almost visible to Chloe, and she shivered violently.

"Did they teach you first aid at your school? You're in shock. You'll feel cold and disoriented for a while, but it's not dangerous unless you have injuries that are neglected. I'll take good care of you, but I need to know more."

Shaking her head, Chloe was faintly aware of irritation that should have been closer to the surface. She noticed it, and brushed it off, because she knew it was better - safer - to say as little as possible. The events of the past day didn't even sound like facts to her.

"He kidnapped me, and raped me, and then the other man kidnapped both of us. I guess the plan was to kill me, too, but then he . . . didn't?"

Not being sure about whether or not she'd died had to be a really bad sign, Chloe thought.

She moved and her body sent out a thousand distress signals. Her spine turned to water and she moaned hoarsely. Dr. Concord frowned and her hands hovered over her patient.

"I need you to keep still and try to be calm, Chloe," she said. "I know you've had a bad few days, but I don't want you to aggravate your injuries. I have to assess you before I can give you something for the pain. Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere."

It wasn't an exaggeration. Chloe knew she couldn't be as beaten up as she felt, but she wasn't able to convince her body.

"Okay, that wasn't a very helpful question. I'm sorry. Let's try this; wiggle your toes and tell me if that hurts."

Her legs were stiff and her feet cold, but Chloe felt okay until they had moved up to her thighs. She shifted uneasily, and the ache inside flared up.

"My thighs are bruised, I think," she said. "And between my legs."

The childish answers seemed like more than she could manage. Chloe felt tears bead in her eyes and blinked furiously. "My stomach, too."

Dr. Concord was palpating her middle with a careful pressure and an even more careful expression. Chloe took the tissue box and pulled a few out. She had to use her left hand, and the motion was awkward.

"I suppose you haven't eaten a good meal in at least a day?"

"No. Not much of anything, but I skip meals a lot. My arm - my right arm - really hurts."

The gentle diagnostic touch ranged her left arm first, then skirted the right. The doctor made a face at the swelling she found.

"I think that's due an x-ray," she said. "But that will take some arrangements, so let's check out the rest of you. Your chest is okay?"

Chloe nodded. Her good hand curled under the damaged one, as she flexed the fingers. It hurt but it was reassuring.

"Shoulders are okay. What date is it, and who's the president," Dr. Concord asked.

Chloe told her, and idly wondered what her father thought of not spending her birthday with her. She would have to lie to him, and he would worry anyway. A broken arm was impossible to hide.

"I don't want a cast," Chloe said quickly. "My dad can't see me in a cast or anything."

"I can't promise that. If it's broken a cast is necessary. We can ice it and see what the x-ray shows. Your face is bruised. Are having any trouble inside your mouth? Loose teeth, pain, cuts?"

"No. It wasn't that hard. You're not going to tell my dad, are you? I know Lex said you're discrete, but I want to hear it from you."

"You're my patient and you just turned 18. I can't divulge your records to anyone without your permission. Mr. Luthor did explain the extra risk of your situation. That being said, your family could be a great help to heal."

Chloe shook her head. "He'd just worry. It's me and him and he always feels bad for working so much. I'll follow your instructions really well."

Frowning openly, Dr. Concord sighed. "I think you're going to face a harder recovery than you're expecting, but I won't disrespect your privacy. We'll have to take you somewhere to be treated. I can promise my clinic will be private for you tonight, but that means getting you there before my regular patients arrive. Let me speak to Mr. Luthor, and I'll get that ice for you."

Dr. Jane Concord left the bedroom to find Luthor hanging around the hallway. He looked shamed for a moment, but straightened up to ask, "Well?"

"I think her most serious injuries are vaginal and to her right arm. I know she was raped. Is her arm a part of that?"

He looked at the floor, radiating guilt. If he'd been smarter, faster, better than his father, Chloe would still be the innocent young woman who had thanked him effusively over the phone less than a day ago. If he hadn't been so quick to call her with what he'd thought was their victory, Chloe wouldn't have let her guard down.

"We had to get away fast. I was helping her down some stairs and she passed out. I had to catch her, and I was probably rough. It was get her out of there or -" His gut burned and Lex cut himself off and pushed down anxiety. "I suppose it could have been before, too. She was in a car crash. They ran her off the road. You need to check that as well."

Dr. Concord put up a hand and shook her head. "That's what I want to tell you. I can't treat her here. I know you said there might be people watching outside the building, but it's very early. Is there any way to go to my clinic now? I need x-rays and I'll have to call in at least a few nurses to help. Will I be getting them killed if I call them to work?"

Lex fisted his hands in his pockets. "I can send security over there, but there shouldn't be anyone after Chloe now. We - I made a deal."

Arching her back in irritation, the doctor brushed at her loose hair. "I see. I suppose this deal means she won't get any justice for what she's been through." The set of her mouth was as harsh as her tone was neutral.

"She'll get to live - to outlive the bastards who hurt her. It's all the justice I could give her without getting us both killed. She's already outlived one of them."

The brief charged silence was crushing. Lex hurried to add, "I didn't kill anyone. I wanted to, but I didn't. This deal lets Chloe recover and go back to her life. I know I screwed up, but I'll do anything to make it salvageable."

Sizing him up, she grabbed his wrist and looked at her watch as she counted. "You're pretty close to shock. Trouble breathing? Chest pains?"

Lex chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't be so lucky to die now, doctor. I get to live with how this went down."

She shrugged off his dramatic words, and let go. "You have to come to the clinic with us. Get your security going, and I'll call my nurses. Chloe's been waiting too long."

He didn't think Chloe would want him near her for any reason, but Lex had to see it through now. He dialed his security and started giving orders.

tatie87

18th February 2012, 22:18

Poor Chloe and Lex, both of them are in shock. How are they ever going to go back to real world after everything that has happened.

georgee5

19th February 2012, 02:14

intake of breath... exhale of breath... I have been fortunate enough to have never been in Chloe's situation. I can only hope that she can get though this. I have to wonder if she will ever be able to be with Lex - the man, instead of Lex - my only hope of survival.

Well done. Please don't let this one go back to the graveyard. Lex and Chloe need a resolution.

cbrunberg

19th February 2012, 20:54

cant wait for the next chapter.loved that lex got to her and took care of things.i hope chloe can get past this a can be with the lex the man.also hope chloe lets her family and lex help her heal

kcsgirl82

20th February 2012, 06:23

Thanks for the update!
I hope Lionel rots in hell for what he did to Chloe and all that he has done to Lex. I hope Chloe will be able to recover from this both mentally and physically. I hope Lex doesn't push Chloe away because he feels guilty for not preventing Chloe's rape, and that Chloe will let Lex and her father be there for her during her long road to recovery.

somethingeasy

20th February 2012, 14:27

Chapter Forty-Two

Chloe moaned as she tried to sit up. She blinked as a woman's hands helped her lift up just enough to be propped up on pillows. Her arms were hanging down into her lap. She watched her own fingers twitch with a disconnect that was frightening. Her focus was too shattered to reach out to her own body.

"It's Dr. Concord. You're at Mr. Luthor's apartment and he called me here to help you," the woman said, sounding somehow friendly, placid and upset at the same time.

She put a hand warmly on Chloe's shoulder, and held it there. It was comforting, and she seemed to be trying to help, so the teenager nodded. "Okay."

It wasn't remotely okay. She wanted to be at home, in the twin bed her father had bought for her. She wanted to be safe and untroubled. Chloe knew she had to convince the doctor and Lex she was fine before they'd let her go.

"Can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I was raped." The blunt words crackled with repression, and Chloe shook her head. It was her voice, but it didn't sound like her. It didn't sound human. "He wanted me to get pregnant. I need something to stop it."

Holy crap! The bluntness with which Chloe stated what has happened to her is frightening in its unflinching directness. I don’t know whether it’s a good sign or a bad sign. It could mean that Chloe is confronting, admitting and dealing with everything that happened to her in a very direct, efficient manner. OR it could mean that she’s allowing her trauma to consume and overwhelm her to the point where she finds it difficult to think about other things with which to distract herself.

What the case, I was so, SO relieved to see Chloe FINALLY getting to meet up with a doctor to actually treat her injuries. It only just occurred to me how unspeakably cruel it had been for Morgan Edge to have taken Chloe to a hospital, surrounding her with pain medication as well as medical professionals… and only made her watch her rapist getting medical treatment, while she herself was told to sit quietly in a corner, suppressing her own pain and trauma. Granted, Lionel was being kept as a patient more to control him rather than to ‘treat him’, but it still means that Lionel was getting more medical attention than the girl he had JUST finished brutally raping!!!

The doctor had removed her hand, and was digging in a medical bag. She was sure to look at Chloe's profile when she asked, "Who hurt you, Chloe? I know you were here alone with Mr. Luthor, but you don't seem afraid of him. Is he the one you're talking about?"

A purse-sized box of tissues was placed next to her hip, anticipating a need for them.

"No, his father. His father wanted to replace him and he needed a new heir for the company. Lex came to get me back. Don't blame him," Chloe told her. "Anyway, it's done. I need birth control to make sure and all the STD tests. He didn't use protection."

Now this was indeed a very good sign. Chloe didn’t even flinch… heck, she didn’t even have to suppress a flinch at the question on whether she had been attached and raped by Lex Luthor. A few weeks ago, Chloe WOULD have had to put some effort into suppressing the shudder-worthy memory if her rather brutal, traumatizing and painful loss of virginity to Lex. But now… she’s obviously not even giving it a second thought. She knows exactly who is to blame for all the pain, suffering and trauma that she’s been through so far, and it is most emphatically NOT the younger Luthor. Excellent!

"Everywhere."

It wasn't an exaggeration. Chloe knew she couldn't be as beaten up as she felt, but she wasn't able to convince her body.

"Okay, that wasn't a very helpful question. I'm sorry. Let's try this; wiggle your toes and tell me if that hurts."

Her legs were stiff and her feet cold, but Chloe felt okay until they had moved up to her thighs. She shifted uneasily, and the ache inside flared up.

"My thighs are bruised, I think," she said. "And between my legs."

The childish answers seemed like more than she could manage. Chloe felt tears bead in her eyes and blinked furiously. "My stomach, too."

Dr. Concord was palpating her middle with a careful pressure and an even more careful expression. Chloe took the tissue box and pulled a few out. She had to use her left hand, and the motion was awkward.

"I suppose you haven't eaten a good meal in at least a day?"

Good GODS… that was painful even to listen to! I don’t really want to think too long or too thoughtfully or lingeringly on the kind of agony that Chloe is in right now. I knew that she was hurt really bad… but it’s only now occurring to me the sheer length and breadth of recovery time Chloe is going to require. And that’s for physical recovery only! I think it might easily take years, if not a whole lifetime for emotional recovery.

It also made me flinch realizing that, on top of being brutalized and pummelled… Chloe was also semi-starved into an extra weakened state. It’s, quite frankly, an amazing testament of her intelligence, determined and sheer force of will that she wasn’t broken by this experience. I still remember how, despite her injuries and semi-starvation, she STILL managed to continue thinking and planning the whole time… observing all weaknesses and loop-holes, and trying to desperately skive out opportunities to escape.

Granted, in the end it was Lex who rescued her. BUT, it was pretty obvious that Chloe put her utmost into devising ways and means to get out of this horrific situation before Lex assured her rescue.

"I don't want a cast," Chloe said quickly. "My dad can't see me in a cast or anything."

"I can't promise that. If it's broken a cast is necessary. We can ice it and see what the x-ray shows. Your face is bruised. Are having any trouble inside your mouth? Loose teeth, pain, cuts?"

"No. It wasn't that hard. You're not going to tell my dad, are you? I know Lex said you're discrete, but I want to hear it from you."

"You're my patient and you just turned 18. I can't divulge your records to anyone without your permission. Mr. Luthor did explain the extra risk of your situation. That being said, your family could be a great help to heal."

Chloe shook her head. "He'd just worry. It's me and him and he always feels bad for working so much. I'll follow your instructions really well."

Oh, Chloe! Even now.. even NOW… when she’s been through absolute hell… she still can’t stop thinking of others before herself!!! She’s denying herself the emotional support that her father represents, purely because she doesn’t want him hurt.

Well… ok… I suspect that it’s partially because Chloe doesn’t want her father seeing her as ‘damaged’ or ‘tainted’ in any form. She still wants at least ONE aspect of her life to remain the same after the Luthors as it was prior to Lionel Luthor entering her life. She wants her relationship with her family and friends to still remain the same, stable, predictable set of dynamics that she remembered. I can understand that.

But it still strikes me as so sad that Chloe feels the need to keep such a HUGE aspect of her life a secret from all of her loved ones. This will probably make it more difficult in terms of emotional recovery (and perhaps physical recovery too?) for her?

"I think her most serious injuries are vaginal and to her right arm. I know she was raped. Is her arm a part of that?"

He looked at the floor, radiating guilt. If he'd been smarter, faster, better than his father, Chloe would still be the innocent young woman who had thanked him effusively over the phone less than a day ago. If he hadn't been so quick to call her with what he'd thought was their victory, Chloe wouldn't have let her guard down.

*sigh* Oh, Lex! It’s completely NOT a surprise to see Lex brooding over an inordinate amount of blame over this situation. It’s one of his favourite pastimes, isn’t it? Assuming blame for things that were always, quite honestly, [UI]beyond his control[/I]! It’s both endearing and exasperating!

Hopefully Chloe will emerge out of her own shocked, traumatized state just long enough to let Lex know that she doesn’t blame him for what happened… that she’s actually grateful to him for saving her life… despite considerable risk and cost to himself.

Dr. Concord put up a hand and shook her head. "That's what I want to tell you. I can't treat her here. I know you said there might be people watching outside the building, but it's very early. Is there any way to go to my clinic now? I need x-rays and I'll have to call in at least a few nurses to help. Will I be getting them killed if I call them to work?"

Lex fisted his hands in his pockets. "I can send security over there, but there shouldn't be anyone after Chloe now. We - I made a deal."

Arching her back in irritation, the doctor brushed at her loose hair. "I see. I suppose this deal means she won't get any justice for what she's been through." The set of her mouth was as harsh as her tone was neutral.

Yeouch! Talk about judgmental, eh? BUT, I can’t really bring myself to resent her for this attitude. Any rudeness that she’s displaying towards Lex is out of a sense of outrages protectiveness on Chloe’s behalf. I think Lex grudgingly admires that motivation as much as I do, considering that he’s NOT blowing up at her, or making any icy comments of his own in retort.

"She'll get to live - to outlive the bastards who hurt her. It's all the justice I could give her without getting us both killed. She's already outlived one of them."

The brief charged silence was crushing. Lex hurried to add, "I didn't kill anyone. I wanted to, but I didn't. This deal lets Chloe recover and go back to her life. I know I screwed up, but I'll do anything to make it salvageable."

Woah! The fact that Lex spoke with such blasé satisfaction about Chloe’s rapist (his own father) not living anymore… to a rather suspicious, wary stranger with no real loyalty towards him… it makes me think that Lex is a LOT more tired and run down than he’s letting on. That comment was a slip that could have been taken out of context as a murder confession!! Lex really has to be a LOT more careful about what he says. THINK before speaking, Lex!!!

Sizing him up, she grabbed his wrist and looked at her watch as she counted. "You're pretty close to shock. Trouble breathing? Chest pains?"

Lex chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't be so lucky to die now, doctor. I get to live with how this went down."

She shrugged off his dramatic words, and let go. "You have to come to the clinic with us. Get your security going, and I'll call my nurses. Chloe's been waiting too long."

Heh… is that actual sympathy for the doctor on behalf of Lex. Is she displaying concern for his own injuries because he managed to thaw out her opinion of him? OR, is that just her sense of duty and her oaths as a doctor overtaking her personal sense of dislike and mistrust for the man?

Either way, it’s good to see that Lex was, at least, offered some help for his own injuries too. His trauma might be piddling compared to Chloe… but that’s ONLY because Chloe’s own trauma was just so overwhelmingly vicious, brutal and horrific… that Lex’s own torments, pains and emotional scarring can only look trivial by comparision.

Next chapter… an actual conversation between Chloe and Lex…? Pretty please?!??

Great chapter, Nonky. Thanks for the awesome update. I look forward to the next one. Whether it has an Chlex conversation in it or not… I’m really looking forward to it!

Rachet

22nd February 2012, 22:29

I'm still dreading the social worker that the MB had in his pocket.

leeleeginevra

23rd February 2012, 09:38

Yea! Updated! I'm so happy; Thank you for the update!

luthor&sullivan4eva

25th February 2012, 18:20

Slightly dark and twisty just the way I like it.

chlexfan10

4th March 2012, 09:41

What a great story! Chloe is definitely going to have a long recovery ahead of her. I can't wait for the next chapter.

Cassandra Jean

5th March 2012, 07:27

I really hope that Chloe is okay and she and Lex can get past this. Hopefully she is not pregnant with the bastards' baby; any baby Luther that she might produce in the future should be Lex's.

starmoon

29th March 2012, 05:43

great update please continue and i love the darkness of the story it rocks. i just hope chloe is going to get better soon.

Cassandra Jean

2nd April 2012, 07:04

Just went back and re-read a great portion of this story and I must say it is even better the second time around. I can not wait to see how you wrap this one up.

Dizzy

5th April 2012, 21:11

I am completely captivated and have never wanted so much for an update! I am in awe of yr talent and amazing ability to capture that raw emotion to make yr readers to feel as if they are there experiencing it up close and personal alongside with Chloe and Lex. I am eagerly awaiting an update and hope there is an ending to this masterpiece and not given up on. Thank you!

kitten

15th April 2012, 07:36

Chapter Forty-Three

If she didn't want to end up in a hospital ward, Chloe thought, she needed to pull herself together. She looked around at Lex's bedroom and spared him a moment of pity. When the detachment wore off, she was going to need some really good pills. He had to carry on with his family business, while Chloe could be blissfully useless for a while. The awful things inside her head would go with her, but they hadn't happened in her home.

She took a tissue with her uninjured hand, and brought it to her face. She kept crying in micro-bursts of trauma that didn't last long enough to fracture her calm. Bravery was beyond her, but something was holding her together and she wasn't going to question it.

Wiping her eyes emphasized their soreness, and she moved to blow her nose. Chloe inhaled and the warm scent of expensive liquor mixed with custom cologne made her heartbeat skitter. She threw the tissue down, but the smell of Lionel was on her hands.

Knowing he was dead didn't stop the pounding fear. She was off the bed before meaning to move, hobbling on a swollen ankle to lock the bedroom door noisily. Chloe leaned on it as Lex and Dr. Concord started knocking and calling. She couldn't let them in until she was clean.

Walking to the bathroom took ages, and she curled her hurt arm to her chest. Chloe leaned on walls and tried not to use her weak leg. The ankle felt paper thin and simultaneously grossly enlarged. She locked the bathroom door as well. Lex and Dr. Concord were rattling the bedroom door, trying to get to her.

She stripped as fast as she could, but it was hard even having her own fingers touch certain areas. Chloe ended up leaving her underwear on, and standing under steaming water with her eyes squeezed shut. She held on to one of the fancy towel bars, and gasped as the humidity made her nose run.

She needed soap and shampoo to really wash, but her vision failed her. She crumpled onto one of the benches and listened to the door splinter over Lex's yelling.

Chloe needed surgery. Lex Luthor sat in the small and bright waiting room as, down the hall, his partner against Lionel was prepared for an operation. He knew the colour scheme was supposed to be cheerful and family friendly. To his eyes it felt forcibly optimistic. He looked at the clock and sighed in exhaustion as his watch agreed it was just past seven. He didn't know if he'd make it to noon.

Dr. Concord had spent a moment explaining to him as if he were a worried spouse deserving of comfort. It was a 'minor procedure.' Chloe would be given local anesthetic by another doctor, and laid out on a table in a room used for the clinic's outpatient services. She wouldn't be in pain, and a sedative would calm her. Dr. Concord had assured him all the comfort Chloe could be afforded would be offered.

It might even have worked if he was a usual worried loved one, but the reality snaked poisonously through his thoughts. He and Chloe weren't friends. She likely wished she'd never met him. She needed to be sewn up inside, and her his father had raped her without protection. It went without saying that Dr. Concord would do everything she could to heal the physical damage. Lex didn't know what could help Chloe's state of mind.

She was checked out, as if she'd willed herself into a reality where she was visible but beyond reaching. He had ruined three chairs knocking down the bedroom and bathroom doors, every second of delay almost ensuring he would find Chloe gagging on pills or opening her veins. The relief of finding her almost naked in the shower was fleeting. Dr. Concord had helped Chloe shower and dress. The girl had followed silently as she was dressed and driven to the clinic. She had been nearly catatonic.

The doctor had been upset the DNA was washed off. Lex knew there was too much risk in documenting anything about the last day. Luthors collectively held retainers with every elite lawyer in the state, who would expertly defend Lex or Lionel from any charge. Seeing their machinations, more than any remorse over his DUI, had taught Lex he was much safer treating them as cautiously as men like Morgan Edge and Lionel.

He would have to convince Dr. Concord to honour his deal. She was a compassionate, upright woman, who would have trouble understanding the idea that Edge and his men didn't stop at locked doors or even state lines. If Edge thought Chloe would say anything to ever implicate him, he would kill her.

We'll have to stay in touch, he thought hysterically. I'll have to show Edge that I have enough contact with Chloe to protect her in case he decides to kill her anyway. This is never going to be over for her.

In his gut, he felt a little twist of obscene hope. Chloe would know more of him than this terrible period of her life. She would have the chance to perhaps forgive his failure. She had believed in him, erroneously, but he had never stopped trying to find her. He could do much worse than grim tolerance from a woman like her.

Lex ground his teeth and stared at the exit. He wanted to be anywhere else, but he was more than a little obsessed with Chloe Sullivan. He could see why Lionel had wanted to keep her for himself.

So I am ultimately like him, Lex thought. How nice to feel a connection now.

He leaned back and felt the cheap plastic chair flex. There was a gouge in the plaster worn by thousands of patients and loved ones each year settling in to wait. It was tidied up slightly by a coat of paint, but it showed the anxiety of the women who saw Dr. Concord.

Lex tried to push off the harrowing failure. He told himself he wasn't in there being drugged and stripped, so he had no right to complain. He wasn't the first man to sit helplessly in the waiting room while a woman he cared about was treated. Prospective parents came here to be told the pregnancy was doomed. If they could get through that he could sit until he was of use.

The outer doors were locked, and there was a sign up turning people away. Dr. Concord had cancelled her clinic hours for the morning, lying about a family emergency. She had called in a few nurses and the anesthesiologist. All of them were her personal friends and had agreed to guard Chloe's privacy.

He had considered calling a lawyer to have a confidentiality contract written, but it would be another trace of Chloe's ordeal. Dr. Concord seemed to be convinced he was not to blame for Chloe's injuries. Lex didn't want to insult her and risk getting kicked out of her office.

Chloe pulled gingerly at the thin robe a nurse had provided. She had used the doctor's office phone to call her cousin. She needed a next of kin to pick her up or the operation had to be delayed. Lois and Lucas were on their way, hopefully before morning traffic clogged the streets.

Talking to Lois had been exhausting, even the few words needed to give the address. Chloe wasn't sure she could get herself back up on the exam table without falling, so she sat in a chair and stared blankly at Dr. Concord's bulletin board.

I'm never going to be the same, she thought wonderingly. A thousand surgeries can't undo this. Even if I wanted to tell people what happened to me, I don't think I'd know how.

Cassandra Jean

16th April 2012, 05:32

Thank you for the wonderful update.

Poor Chloe and Lex; I really hope that they learn to lean on one another and get through this together.

Rachet

16th April 2012, 11:05

This is so heart rending. I really want you to come back and make it all better but I know the story demands that they work through things not have the magic fix.

Kit Merlot

17th April 2012, 02:26

This is so tragically true to life for all rape victims and their loved ones, but as horrible as this is, Lex will make sure that Chloe will get the help she need, physical and mental. And she might not believe it right now, but Chloe is strong enough to get through this.

Continued excellent work on this story.

zho9

17th April 2012, 19:22

This story always leaves me speechless. It's so amazingly heart-breaking.

trckyrcky

19th April 2012, 05:05

Oh Wow, I finally got a chance to catch up on the latest chapter and I can't wait to see what will happen next. Update, Update, Update Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

somethingeasy

20th April 2012, 15:44

Chapter Forty-Three

Wiping her eyes emphasized their soreness, and she moved to blow her nose. Chloe inhaled and the warm scent of expensive liquor mixed with custom cologne made her heartbeat skitter. She threw the tissue down, but the smell of Lionel was on her hands.

Knowing he was dead didn't stop the pounding fear. She was off the bed before meaning to move, hobbling on a swollen ankle to lock the bedroom door noisily. Chloe leaned on it as Lex and Dr. Concord started knocking and calling. She couldn't let them in until she was clean.

She needed soap and shampoo to really wash, but her vision failed her. She crumpled onto one of the benches and listened to the door splinter over Lex's yelling.

This was an awesome beginning to the new chapter. Chloe has been granted a reprieve, so far, because she was too shocked and numbed to really feel anything. But now that her strength is slowly returning, so is the ability to feel and process what happened to her. I LOVE how it’s the equivalent of watching someone’s foot recover from falling asleep… with little tingles of feeling, just before the pain gathers up into needles of pain. Right now, it’s pretty horrible… but it’s only the starting tingles that Chloe is beginning to feel.

It might even have worked if he was a usual worried loved one, but the reality snaked poisonously through his thoughts. He and Chloe weren't friends. She likely wished she'd never met him. She needed to be sewn up inside, and her his father had raped her without protection. It went without saying that Dr. Concord would do everything she could to heal the physical damage. Lex didn't know what could help Chloe's state of mind.

Oh, Lex! He’s just not willing to acknowledge that he is a victim too of everything that happened. His trauma wasn’t as horrific as what Chloe went through, but he needs to STOP thinking of himself as one of the villains of the stage… who deserves yet more punishment, rather than healing of his own. I think it’s up to Chloe herself, poor shocked, broken, numbed Chloe, to help Lex out of this… and help him begin to heal as well.

He would have to convince Dr. Concord to honour his deal. She was a compassionate, upright woman, who would have trouble understanding the idea that Edge and his men didn't stop at locked doors or even state lines. If Edge thought Chloe would say anything to ever implicate him, he would kill her.

We'll have to stay in touch, he thought hysterically. I'll have to show Edge that I have enough contact with Chloe to protect her in case he decides to kill her anyway. This is never going to be over for her.

In his gut, he felt a little twist of obscene hope. Chloe would know more of him than this terrible period of her life. She would have the chance to perhaps forgive his failure. She had believed in him, erroneously, but he had never stopped trying to find her. He could do much worse than grim tolerance from a woman like her.

It was horrible thinking about how, even now, after the Big Bad Guy is dead, even NOW, Chloe cannot ever truly get truth and justice for what happened to her. She’s forever going to have to keep ALL of these experiences a secret, otherwise risk having yet some more horrible people coming after her.

It’s a good thing that Chloe is still in a semi-numbed state, and is not yet thinking of the bigger ramifications of what happened to her. Nope… it’s Lex alone who is thinking of the long-term, and the horrors and complications that have yet to be sorted out.

And I love the way that all of Lex’s long-term foresight and strategic thinking is being applied to the sole cause of keeping Chloe alive, healthy and safe. He’s really NOT putting any thought into his own safety, health or happiness… he’s not thinking about his own healing and recuperation, but only thinking about how best to help Chloe get her life back. What an amazing man!

I do take SOME comfort in the notion that it will be through helping Chloe find safety and happiness again that Lex will find a way to heal too… find a way to his own sense of peace, health and happiness as well.

Lex ground his teeth and stared at the exit. He wanted to be anywhere else, but he was more than a little obsessed with Chloe Sullivan. He could see why Lionel had wanted to keep her for himself.

So I am ultimately like him, Lex thought. How nice to feel a connection now.

Oh, Lex! NO!!! Granted, it IS an obsession he’s developed… and it might not be a healthy fixation, considering that he’s neglecting his own well-being because of his focus on Chloe. But his obsession is completely the opposite to Lionel’s obsessions, in terms of goals and methods. Chloe really, REALLY needs to find herself and tell him that!!

Talking to Lois had been exhausting, even the few words needed to give the address. Chloe wasn't sure she could get herself back up on the exam table without falling, so she sat in a chair and stared blankly at Dr. Concord's bulletin board.

I'm never going to be the same, she thought wonderingly. A thousand surgeries can't undo this. Even if I wanted to tell people what happened to me, I don't think I'd know how.

Ah hah! It appears that Chloe is, finally, beginning to understand the deeper and fuller ramifications of what has happened, and how it’s going to be affecting the rest of her life. Her gaze is, understandable, focused inwards… on her own painful future and healing… but I think she won’t be able to help herself from wanting to take care of Lex’s emotional trauma as well. Just let her recover a little bit, and then she can help Lex start recovering too.

Great chapter, Nonky. Thanks for the amazing update. I look forward to the next installment. Please post more soon!

trckyrcky

20th April 2012, 20:11

My heart goes out to Chloe and her suffering. It's not going to be easy for Chloe and I'm glad you did not try to suger coat this story and make the rape incident like it's was something she can just forget. It will never be easy and time does not heal all wounds. It takes a lot of support and even if knowing the person responsible is no longer alive, it is never easy to just let go and continue to live your life.

Flyingwoman

21st April 2012, 06:20

I think the aftermath of this is in some ways even more terrifying than the anticipation of it. Granted, Chloe's still in shock at the moment, but it feels as if whatever fight was left in her has died.

freeverse

12th May 2012, 22:54

i love this.

TrinityR

16th May 2012, 18:57

can;t wait for more:) Great story!

kitten

15th July 2012, 21:11

Chapter Forty-four

Lex wasn't eager to face the censure of Lois Lane, but she could comfort Chloe. He would write cheques for the medical staff and to defer the expenses of shutting down the clinic. Lucas wasn't a natural choice for moral support, especially among the moral, but he wouldn't remind Chloe of Lionel. A new face had to be better than the face of an abuser, Lex thought.

He had dressed and spoken like his father since puberty, as a very conscious effort. He had learned to match Lionel drink for drink by the age of fifteen. When he'd turned eighteen, whoring his way through Metropolis had been his birthday wish. He had accomplished it and not slowed down, compounding his empty sex with drugs and alcohol. Lex hardly remembered the last woman he'd had who hadn't been getting paid for her indulgence. He had embraced corruption as another facet of ambition; a comfortable rut of flawed behaviour he was happy to excuse in himself.

He was never going to be virtuous. Teetotaling and drug PSAs were as foreign to Lex as doing his own housework. In a situation where real skills were needed, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. His grasp of strategy had been a life-long talent, but even that had faltered against his father's plans for Chloe.

His hands felt numb and empty. He wanted to go in and sit with Chloe, but he had never comforted anyone. Staring at her and fumbling for old chestnuts about tomorrow being another day was worse than keeping to himself, he thought. He wished he was . . . better. A good man could have done something for her more personal than paying off witnesses.

Absolute sobriety was probably impossible, but he could cut down his drinking. In the thick of his fears for Chloe's life, he'd had the nerve to long for a scotch. That shame should get him on track to look at the rest of his vices.

It was best to distance himself from Morgan Edge and his rackets anyway. It was too easy to lace club drugs with poison. If any one of Edge's prostitutes was still willing to see him, Lex was certain she would have to be up to something for her boss. That world was a small one, and unconcerned with fair dealings. He was about to step up to lead a company, and his social life would multiply with staid parties where deals were hammered out over champagne. People would be watching. Edge would be watching, and take advantage of weaknesses, so those weaknesses had to be culled.

How could I let another call girl in without thinking of Chloe? I have to live better or I'll be seeing her in every woman, Lex told himself.

He stood up and glared at the clock hanging smugly, telling him it was only six minutes later than when he'd last checked the time. Lois and Lucas should be knocking soon, and it was his job to let them in. They were supposed to hurry so Chloe could have her surgery and start recovery.

Someone had to help her, and he found himself coming up dead last on the list. He was almost relieved when Lucas' ridiculous secret knock came from the other side of the door.

His legs felt jittery and stretched like rubber, going from numbness to searing twinges, but standing up would be giving in to pressure.

Chloe only slept for a few hours after the surgery. Lex spent the time trying to force his muscles not to bunch and cramp in the seat he refused to leave. Lois had claimed the other chair at her cousin's bedside, her eyes flicking distrustfully at him as she gave every nonverbal cue invented to make him obviously unwelcome.

"I'm sure you have stuff to do," she said, faking a smile. "I'm here now, and I can take care of her."

Lex was too tired to be civil. He shook his head and stared at Chloe's hand curled on the scratchy hospital blanket. "My father is dead and deserves none of my time. My brother is trying to flirt with an ob-gyn to get a recreational oxycontin prescription, and my company would require my giving a shit to benefit from my efforts. Today, I am here for Chloe."

He knew the operation went well, and there was no physical reason the reporter wouldn't wake up, but Lex relaxed when Chloe's eyes finally opened. She looked at him vaguely, the absolutely neutral gaze of a dreamer.

"Are you comfortable," he asked quietly.

She rolled her head heavily away, as her cousin took her hand. "Hey Chloe, you're going to be fine," she said tenderly. "We're going to have to get some really good ice cream, just like after I got my tonsils out."

Lois kept talking, lapsing effortlessly into memories of funny shared events. They were closer than Lex was to his own father and brother. It was like looking at a family on a cheesy television show; foreign and plausible in a way he could feel but never have. He stood up awkwardly and pushed the chair out of the way in the tiny recovery room.

"I'm going to get someone in to check her and see when she can go," he said.

Lois gave a dismissive twitch of her hand, but Chloe turned to look at him again. He was moved to say something, but he fumbled at it. "I don't want you to worry about this - I'll handle the details. We'll have you home soon."

"I know," she said weakly. Her mouth twisted at the corners and he left before she started to cry.

Dr. Concord was in her office, falsifying patient records to cover up Chloe's existence as her patient. Lex knocked briefly and stepped inside to sit at one of her bright pink chairs. He sniffed at the aroma of strong coffee, and she nodded toward a carafe on a side table.

"Help yourself, though a night of sleep would probably do better," she said. "Is Chloe awake?"

"A few minutes ago," Lex replied. "I sent a nurse in, but she seems okay. I'm going to have to move her somewhere more secure."

"If you're going to do that today, it will have to be later. I want her here for at least another few hours," the doctor said. "Sugar packs in the bowl, and creamers in the drawer."

He shook his head, to both statements. Drinking the coffee black, he looked out the window and frowned at the bright midday light. "Then moving her will have to wait until after dark. It's not just about concealing what happened to her. In order to make the story work, I have to create another event that explains how she was injured and why I'm paying her medical bills. What about her arm?"

"That," she paused to take a long swallow of coffee, " - is a different matter. Pregnant women usually try to avoid x-rays, and we don't do emergency medicine here. I have a friend who will treat an anonymous patient for me at the hospital. I'd have to make a call, but I'm pretty sure after icing the arm that it is at least fractured."

Lex put down his cup and leaned on the desk. "Chloe is a reporter. She needs function in her hands. What will it cost to get your friend today?"

Dr. Concord stood up and walked to her printer. She stared at the pages emerging, and said, "It's not about cost. My friend, who I'm not going to identify, will have to do what I'm doing and submit fake paperwork. People don't pay by cash for hospital visits anymore. It's going to look suspicious."

He crossed his arms and his mouth tightened. He didn't care about the money involved, but delay would prolong Chloe's suffering. He had chosen this doctor because she had seemed able to bend rules to protect her patients.

"I have no desire for this person to be caught. Give me the instructions to be sure we are not caught."

"You're too high profile. So Chloe and her cousin will have to go, alone, and not mention the surgery she just had. She'll have to give whatever story you intend to use. She'll have to be awake and alert, or some over-eager resident might try to admit her overnight. And if you're willing to listen to some advice, I really don't want you to make her lie about what she's been through. If there's any way to keep her safe and let her tell her side of things - it would help Chloe in the long run."

She folded papers and stuffed them into an envelope, carrying it back to her desk. As she sank into her chair, Lex noticed she was wearing a wedding band. She might well be a mother, too, and he could see why the doctor was pushing for Chloe's rights.

"I don't think you recognize the risk in that," Lex sighed. "The recent attack on Chloe is the least of what these men have done. They will kill me, in spite of my security. With me dead, any deal is forfeit. There have been decades long investigations that haven't resulted in jail time. They just killed one of the richest and most influential men in the city, and the only thing they're worried about is what Chloe knows. If you can't provide the confidentiality you promised, please connect me with someone who can."

The woman looked sad, and shut her eyes for a long moment. "I'll need a series of cheques to cover the hospital charges. My friend will fill them out with what looks like monthly payments and file them over a reasonable span of time. And then we'll have to see what we can do for Chloe without getting her into trouble."

"Thank you."

Lex left her to make the appointment, looking for his brother in the small maze of exam rooms and supply shelves. He had to go see his accountant in person and get some cheques prepared.

cbrunberg

16th July 2012, 02:15

like chapter.glad you updated.can't wait to see see what happen next.

Cassandra Jean

17th July 2012, 06:34

Thanks for the new chapter! I am so happy to see that this story is continuing!

tatie87

17th July 2012, 16:45

So excited to see an update!!!! It feels like Chloe and Lex just keep getting deepere in the quick sand with no rescue in sight.

Rachet

17th July 2012, 23:18

Thankyou for the new update. I hope things start inproving for them. And please have Chloe make Lois lay off the hostilaty tward Lex. She knows he has had a bad time of it too.

Kit Merlot

18th July 2012, 03:29

Good for Lex for working so hard to keep Chloe safe and he's chosen well with Dr. Concord--she seems like a really good person and I like how she's trying to help Chloe with her recovery.

trckyrcky

18th July 2012, 06:01

Yes, we got an update to the story. I am so touch Lex. He really cares about Chloe and he is making so much effort to ensure she is safe from Morgan Edge and spending so much money to continue to keep her safe. Hopefully, Chloe will be able to get thru. the ordeal and get together with Lex.

kitten

20th July 2012, 07:21

Chapter Forty-five

Lex skulked around the city like vermin, making brief and nearly silent appearances at his accountant's office, his own corporate office, and his apartment. Tino had shown up for worked as usual, but Lex didn't want to waste time in the big car trying to ease it in and out of traffic. He wasn't too tired to drive, and his fastest car suited his mood.

Now if only I didn't feel like finding the nearest cliff and driving right off, he thought tiredly.

He had a whole book of blank cheques, drawn on a shell company where the employees did not even know Lex Luthor was their major shareholder. He had hurriedly gulped down a coffee and some toast his driver insisted on making. There were arrangements to be made for Lionel, and the police seemed eager to speak to him about the circumstances of death. He had no time for it. Lionel Luther had done everybody a favour dying, and doing so in a hospital meant there was no need to identify the body. Lex would not have rushed in to do so even if it meant his father ended up in potter's field in an anonymous grave.

He would leave Chloe to make sure she was protected and getting the help she needed, but it was not for Lionel to claim one more second of his time.

Lex was fairly certain this cloud of hatred for everything his father was wouldn't extend to running the company. He knew a fair number of employees, and respected their rights to be led by someone who wanted the corporation to succeed. His frustration was temporary, he thought hopefully, and ambition would take over once he'd had time to adjust.

This wouldn't kill him, but Lex felt hobbled. Feeling better seemed like a longer journey than he had the will to travel. He wouldn't give up on Chloe, but he had to put his limited energy toward getting her well.

He squinted into the skyline and wondered whether letting himself think of futures - his own, Chloe's, or some entangled joint prospect - was a mistake.

Chloe sat up gingerly and made herself pick up the juice box Lois held out. It made her fingers too cold, and her stomach was churning in warning. She put the straw between her lips, plugged it with her tongue and mimed drinking until her cousin turned away.

"You can stay with me tonight," Lois said certainly. "Tomorrow I'll drive you home. We'll have to talk to Uncle Gabe soon, but I think we can convince him we were just twigged about your car accident instead of - We'll make sure he doesn't worry too much."

She turned away and brought back a large purse, packed too tightly with clothing to zip. Lois pulled out a blouse and tugged on the cuffs.

"I think I brought something kind of stretchy. It will be easier to take off for the x-rays."

Nodding, the blonde looked around for a place to put the juice. She had a whole array of snacks crowded on her knees, and a stack of magazines was thumped down on one foot.

"Sorry," Lois yelped. She made a face and Chloe shrugged.

"I didn't feel it, really."

"You can still feel your legs though, right," her cousin frowned.

"Yeah, my legs I can feel, but a few magazines didn't hurt me, Lo. Can you put this on the table or something?"

The juice was plucked away and Chloe was treated to Lois' nurse mode. Her good wrist was seized and her pulse counted, then her forehead was tested for fever. She mumbled a little protest and her cheeks went red with mortified feelings.

She had longed for Lois to know everything she was going through, but the reality was awful. Lois was older and wiser in most ways, and Chloe felt like an idiot for ever getting near a Luthor. She was on drugs to ease the worst of the pain, but Dr. Concord couldn't give her anything very strong. Weeks of appointments would bring back the memories of her current pain even if she healed perfectly. Her life would revolve around being a damaged secret.

"So, as far as I know, the private ambulance will pick us up, and we'll go right to the outpatients door to meet with this doctor friend who's sneaking you in. When we get there, the paperwork will be filled out already, but you'll have to answer to the fake name. The bills will be paid by Junior-" Lois sneered as she referred to Lex. "-and all we have to do is play along with whatever name they hide you under."

The chipper voice and can-do attitude only made Chloe's oppressed feelings heavier. She didn't want to do anything, even if it put her body back together. She last remembered wanting something just before she'd locked herself in Lex's shower. Hot water had momentarily pulled her away from the deep awareness of her body's damage. There had been harsh satisfaction in scrubbing Lionel's signs away.

She would not have his baby. There was equal relief in knowing the rather inadequate precautions with Lex had worked, too. She was barely able to get a straw to her mouth. She wasn't fit to be anybody's spy, and obviously unsuited to be a whore. Her emotional reserves were too empty to be a mother, even one who gave her child away. She had prayed so long to be simply useless.

No one would want her now, and Chloe let a tiny, bitter chuckle out from dry lips.

Lex had briefly flicked through the many messages his employees had been collecting while he neglected his responsibilities. He needed to go to the hospital and sign for the release of his father's body. In record time, the medical examiner had done the required autopsy and found nothing to indicate what had really caused his death. Morgan Edge was practiced at murder.

The paperwork was a convenient excuse to hand off the blank cheques to Dr. Concord's friend. If he was able to sneak a visit, he could also check on Chloe. He had to speak to her at least once to assure himself she wasn't going to break down and confess what had really happened if the FBI agents hassled her.

He didn't want to have her lie, but truth would be dangerous. The investigation of his father had been building steam, and it would be difficult to discourage Assistant Director Curry after rallying the agent to find the manpower.

The morgue was on the lowest sub-basement, but Lex was invited to an office instead. He greeted the hospital administrators, a wholely unnecessary gathering of five of them, and sat down in the plush chair they urged him towards. His lawyer read over everything first, he signed without asking any questions, and he was shaking hands around the room with his lawyer inside ten minutes.

When he had convinced everyone else he was fine to see himself out, Lex made his way upstairs in the most distant stairwells he could find. He was becoming glad for the small meal Tino had pushed in front of him. At the time it had just been easier to accept the kindness, but he felt slightly more capable with some nourishment.

He left the stairwells and entered a tiny, beige room with chairs. It looked precisely like every other waiting room ever built, and exceptionally ugly at the same time. The hand-me-down coffee table was piled with battered magazines and a pair of scuffed white sneakers with thick rubber soles. A man dressed in white scrubs stood up and nodded.

"You must be Dr. Concord's friend," he said, watching as Lex took out the cheques. "Miss Zachary came in about twenty minutes ago. Her films showed a fracture but she's getting a soft cast. It should heal fine. She'll be home inside an hour."

The man was acting fairly naturally, no wink-and-nod subterfuge present as he moved closer. Still, it was the second time in a day Lex had been to the hospital to make a secret payoff. He was worried for Chloe and would have liked to visit her to check if she needed anything.

That's rich, his conscience needled. Are you going to give her a basket of kittens to cuddle? Will roses and a box of chocolates make it all better?

Lois was right to guard her cousin like Cerebus paced the gates of the underworld. In her eyes, he was a monster and the son of a monster. There was no gift or restitution to comfort her cousin. Lex knew he could ask for Chloe's room number, but he'd only get into an argument with Lois and draw attention they couldn't afford.

He couldn't buy Chloe. He couldn't charm her. He couldn't even see her. As he handed over the cheques, the billionaire said, "I'm glad she's doing well. Please let her know I'm thinking of her."

The man left and Lex sighed deeply. He'd been thinking of Chloe nonstop for weeks, and if he wanted his sanity he had to stop. Out of respect for her, he had to conclude she wanted to be off his mind just as badly as he needed the space back for his own aching psyche.

Cassandra Jean

20th July 2012, 08:22

Thanks for the new chapter.

My heart is breaking for both Chloe and Lex. Hopefully they will be able to heal with one anothers' help.

somethingeasy

20th July 2012, 18:46

Chapter Forty-four

He had dressed and spoken like his father since puberty, as a very conscious effort. He had learned to match Lionel drink for drink by the age of fifteen. When he'd turned eighteen, whoring his way through Metropolis had been his birthday wish. He had accomplished it and not slowed down, compounding his empty sex with drugs and alcohol. Lex hardly remembered the last woman he'd had who hadn't been getting paid for her indulgence. He had embraced corruption as another facet of ambition; a comfortable rut of flawed behaviour he was happy to excuse in himself.

He was never going to be virtuous. Teetotaling and drug PSAs were as foreign to Lex as doing his own housework. In a situation where real skills were needed, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. His grasp of strategy had been a life-long talent, but even that had faltered against his father's plans for Chloe.

It looks like Lex is going to be loathing himself, pretty much forever, unless Chloe helps him out. He honestly NEEDS her forgiveness and absolution if he’s ever going to forgive himself. His self-loathing has reached obsessive proportions… which is completely NOT a surprise considering how irrationally obsessive this poor man generally IS.

I find it fascinating seeing all the ‘common traits’ that Lex sees between himself and Lionel. No matter that the two of them look nothing alike, and how they’ve been adversaries most of their lives… Lex still can’t help from painting himself as a ditto copy of his father. Irrationality levels of obsessiveness, I tell you!!!

Worst of all is seeing how Lex completely blames himself for any and all similarities that he perceives between father and son. He sees himself as cultivating all of these deplorable, horrible qualities… as if a young man really has any choice but to want his father’s affections, admiration and respect. It’s only, tragically, natural that Lex would emulate his father, as a desperate means to get his affections and attentions.

It was best to distance himself from Morgan Edge and his rackets anyway. It was too easy to lace club drugs with poison. If any one of Edge's prostitutes was still willing to see him, Lex was certain she would have to be up to something for her boss. That world was a small one, and unconcerned with fair dealings. He was about to step up to lead a company, and his social life would multiply with staid parties where deals were hammered out over champagne. People would be watching. Edge would be watching, and take advantage of weaknesses, so those weaknesses had to be culled.

How could I let another call girl in without thinking of Chloe? I have to live better or I'll be seeing her in every woman, Lex told himself.

It is a huge relief and pleasure to find out that Lex has not only quit drinking excessively, but he’s ALSO resolves to stay as far away from the dubiously legal side of business practices from now on. At least he won’t be falling into the trap of adopting quick, easy illegal and unethical business strategies… at least, never without remembering this one hard lessons that he learned from Lionel and Morgan.

Heh… it’s completely NOT a surprise to find that Lex has also lost his taste for call-girls. Actually, I believe Lex lost his taste for prostitutes a LONG time back… that very night that he brutally and unknowingly took Chloe’s virginity. He’s probably never going to view even something like Pretty Woman the same way again. And I suspect that he’s probably also going to be looking in contempt at any and all business cronies that use prostitutes on a regular basis. Everyone knows that there’s no one more zealous than a true convert after all. And Lex has been completely and irrevocably converted to the ‘Prostitution is abusive and exploitative’ side of the road.

Chloe only slept for a few hours after the surgery. Lex spent the time trying to force his muscles not to bunch and cramp in the seat he refused to leave. Lois had claimed the other chair at her cousin's bedside, her eyes flicking distrustfully at him as she gave every nonverbal cue invented to make him obviously unwelcome.

"I'm sure you have stuff to do," she said, faking a smile. "I'm here now, and I can take care of her."

Lex was too tired to be civil. He shook his head and stared at Chloe's hand curled on the scratchy hospital blanket. "My father is dead and deserves none of my time. My brother is trying to flirt with an ob-gyn to get a recreational oxycontin prescription, and my company would require my giving a shit to benefit from my efforts. Today, I am here for Chloe."

LOL! Oh, can you imagine how incredibly awkward Christmas and other such holiday family get-togethers are going to be once Chloe and Lex officially become a couple? Granted, Lex and Lois are BOUND to become more genuinely civil towards one another, given enough time. But I get the feeling there’s ALWAYS going to be this tension between the two of them. Let’s hope they always manage a civil smile for one another, at least while in Chloe’s presence, lol!

That being said, I do appreciate how they ARE making an effort to be… if not polite, then at least not vicious towards one another, while in Chloe’s hospital room. It’s more than clear that they do NOT enjoy each other’s company, but at least they’re not getting into a wrestling match trying to throw one another out of the room, lol!

Lois kept talking, lapsing effortlessly into memories of funny shared events. They were closer than Lex was to his own father and brother. It was like looking at a family on a cheesy television show; foreign and plausible in a way he could feel but never have. He stood up awkwardly and pushed the chair out of the way in the tiny recovery room.

awwww. I haven’t mentioned it, but I really am VERY glad that Lois is there with Chloe. While I do acknowledge that Lois’s presence is driving a wedge between Lex and Chloe, I also acknowledge that the explicit love, care, affection that Lois bears for Chloe should help to a considerable degree. Chloe needs unconditional emotional support, as well as an easy reach to a very close, trusted confidante. Lois fits that bill perfectly.

BUT… that being said… I can imagine Lois becoming quite suffocating in her care and concern for Chloe. Let’s see whether it becomes too much, eh? Lol!

"That," she paused to take a long swallow of coffee, " - is a different matter. Pregnant women usually try to avoid x-rays, and we don't do emergency medicine here. I have a friend who will treat an anonymous patient for me at the hospital. I'd have to make a call, but I'm pretty sure after icing the arm that it is at least fractured."

Lex put down his cup and leaned on the desk. "Chloe is a reporter. She needs function in her hands. What will it cost to get your friend today?"

"I don't think you recognize the risk in that," Lex sighed. "The recent attack on Chloe is the least of what these men have done. They will kill me, in spite of my security. With me dead, any deal is forfeit. There have been decades long investigations that haven't resulted in jail time. They just killed one of the richest and most influential men in the city, and the only thing they're worried about is what Chloe knows. If you can't provide the confidentiality you promised, please connect me with someone who can."

The woman looked sad, and shut her eyes for a long moment. "I'll need a series of cheques to cover the hospital charges. My friend will fill them out with what looks like monthly payments and file them over a reasonable span of time. And then we'll have to see what we can do for Chloe without getting her into trouble."

Wow! I knew that Lex would be working hard to make sure that Chloe received all the care and protection that was needed. But I didn’t realize just how quickly and yet also carefully Lex was going to have to start managing all this care and protection. He’s just BARELY had time to get over his shock… he’s still in the midst of guiltily grieving AND celebrating his father’s death… while also dealing with an intense bout of self-loathing and self-hate… and yet he’s STILL managing to juggle Chloe’s care, while maintaining a protective secrecy about her injuries and identity.

I am seriously impressed… not to mention awe-struck at the intensity of the attention to detail that Lex is maintain to make sure that Chloe gets FULL recovery, and gets back to whatever she can salvage of ‘normalcy’. His comment about Chloe regaining full functionality of her hands, because ‘as a reporter, needs them them’, just made me swoon with delight!

Heh… and I also loved how, the whole time Lex was arranging for Chloe’s care, I could easily imagine the doctor just looking at him with a judgmental, censuring expression on her face. Her whole body practically screaming contempt and disdain towards this poor man. And poor Lex probably just TOOK that silent judgment, as his due punishment. Oh, Lex!

I don’t blame the doctor for her attitude. She doesn’t know the whole story… doesn’t get the whole picture. It’s only natural that she would cast Lex as a controlling, villainous manipulator over here. It’s just a darned shame that her inaccurate judgment will be further intensifying Lex’s own feelings of self-hate.

Chapter Forty-five

He had a whole book of blank cheques, drawn on a shell company where the employees did not even know Lex Luthor was their major shareholder. He had hurriedly gulped down a coffee and some toast his driver insisted on making. There were arrangements to be made for Lionel, and the police seemed eager to speak to him about the circumstances of death. He had no time for it. Lionel Luther had done everybody a favour dying, and doing so in a hospital meant there was no need to identify the body. Lex would not have rushed in to do so even if it meant his father ended up in potter's field in an anonymous grave.

He would leave Chloe to make sure she was protected and getting the help she needed, but it was not for Lionel to claim one more second of his time.

Ouch! I know that Lex has excellent, reasonable and justifiable cause in celebrating his father’s death… BUT I feel really uncomfortable for him. It just isn’t healthy for Lex to completely shut off any and all feelings, and feel absolutely and completely disinterested in Lionel’s passing.

Lex didn’t have much of a father, but Lionel WAS his father… and a part of Lex always held onto to the HOPE that Lionel would, somehow, one day, become a loving, close father to him. Lex hasn’t lost a father, so much as any HOPE of having a father. But even the loss of that impossible hope would hurt. Burying that grieving under a veneer of defiant self-satisfaction at the bastard’s death isn’t going to make that grief go away.

Lex was fairly certain this cloud of hatred for everything his father was wouldn't extend to running the company. He knew a fair number of employees, and respected their rights to be led by someone who wanted the corporation to succeed. His frustration was temporary, he thought hopefully, and ambition would take over once he'd had time to adjust.

It was a huge relief to find out that Lex’s sense of Luthor-loathing wasn’t going to extend to taking over Lionel’s company. Lex might hate himself AND his father, but at least he doesn’t extend that hating resentment over to LuthorCorp too.

Perhaps burying himself in the satisfaction of succeeding at work will provide him with SOME amount of solace, triumph, victory and fulfillment. All the emotional fulfillment that he was robbed of upon rescuing Chloe might be gotten through success in other things…?

OR, perhaps we should just hold our hopeful breathes, waiting for Chloe to grant her absolution, before Lex can finally feel some measure of peace and fulfillment…?

This wouldn't kill him, but Lex felt hobbled. Feeling better seemed like a longer journey than he had the will to travel. He wouldn't give up on Chloe, but he had to put his limited energy toward getting her well.

He squinted into the skyline and wondered whether letting himself think of futures - his own, Chloe's, or some entangled joint prospect - was a mistake.

*wistful sigh* oh, Lex! It was the BOTH of you that survived this horrendous situation together. Stop trying to deprive yourself of sharing in Chloe’s moment of freedom.

*sigh* Lex can’t help it. He can’t help but think himself as part of the problem in Chloe’s life, rather than a huge part of the solution. Oh, LEX!!!

Nodding, the blonde looked around for a place to put the juice. She had a whole array of snacks crowded on her knees, and a stack of magazines was thumped down on one foot.

"Sorry," Lois yelped. She made a face and Chloe shrugged.

"I didn't feel it, really."

"You can still feel your legs though, right," her cousin frowned.

ROTFLMAO! I can just imagine that Chloe probably doesn’t know whether to laugh, cry or scream at Lois’s over-whelming sense of Care and Concern for her little cousin. Just imagine… Lois yelping in panic because she thought that a stack of magazines on Chloe’s leg might have hurt! A. Stack. Of. Magazines!!!! Good grief, it wasn’t even a stack of proper books!!!! Lol!

I can easily imagine Chloe feeling, not only exasperated, but also rather embarrassed and humiliated at being treated as a Victim, with a purposely capital ‘V’. Chloe probably feels like an idiotic, helpless damsel, viewing herself through Lois’s overly-solicitous behavior.

I know that Lois is doing her best to be helpful and supportive, and is probably trying her best to navigate a very touchy, sensitive and difficult emotional mine-field… and I appreciate how the woman is doing a truly wonderful job in making Chloe feel a little less alone. BUT, I can also easily see how Chloe would probably want at least some time away from Lois.

The chipper voice and can-do attitude only made Chloe's oppressed feelings heavier. She didn't want to do anything, even if it put her body back together. She last remembered wanting something just before she'd locked herself in Lex's shower. Hot water had momentarily pulled her away from the deep awareness of her body's damage. There had been harsh satisfaction in scrubbing Lionel's signs away.

She would not have his baby. There was equal relief in knowing the rather inadequate precautions with Lex had worked, too. She was barely able to get a straw to her mouth. She wasn't fit to be anybody's spy, and obviously unsuited to be a whore. Her emotional reserves were too empty to be a mother, even one who gave her child away. She had prayed so long to be simply useless.

No one would want her now, and Chloe let a tiny, bitter chuckle out from dry lips.

Oh, Chloe! Oh the poor girl! Oh, NO!!! While it was delightful hearing about the ‘harsh satisfaction’ that Chloe gained from knowing that she was free from Lionel’s touch and reach forever… it’s also a damned shame to find out that she still can’t get away from his influence… not completely.

Nonky, I really appreciate how you didn’t make Chloe feel the clichéd sense of ‘tainted filthiness’ in the aftermath of her trauma. I do realize that there’s a reason why this is a cliché… because this feeling IS based on truth. But I really liked how Nonky introduced a really interesting, original sense of PTSD haunting in Chloe… a feeling of hollowness, rather than a feeling of filthiness. As if Chloe has been scooped out of everything that was clear, clean, valued and worthwhile… and has been left as a shell of her former self… with a ‘life’ that’s ALSO a shell of it’s former self as well.

Brilliant writing, Nonky!!! :D
Really unnerving, traumatic, tragic and haunting! I loved it!

He didn't want to have her lie, but truth would be dangerous. The investigation of his father had been building steam, and it would be difficult to discourage Assistant Director Curry after rallying the agent to find the manpower.

Once again, I love seeing all these details about how Lex is just deftly managing all of Chloe’s outside troubles, while she’s trying to heal herself from within. I love how he’s handling all of this without troubling her in the slightest about what he’s up to, and all the trouble that he’s taking to make the whole scandal all ‘go away’.

I also realize that Lex is keeping secrets from Chloe about how he’s managing to clean up what is essentially THEIR shared mess… but I don’t see it as being controlling, secretive or manipulative. Is see it as being kind, discreet, generous with his time and carefully considerate about keeping Chloe from troubling information while she’s still recovering from PTSD.

But… I do wonder… who is helping Lex through HIS PTSD?!?? Is he even eating or sleeping properly? Who is making sure that he’s taking care of HIMSELF too. Chloe has Lois acting as a caregiver and watchguard... so what does poor Lex have?!??

He couldn't buy Chloe. He couldn't charm her. He couldn't even see her. As he handed over the cheques, the billionaire said, "I'm glad she's doing well. Please let her know I'm thinking of her."

The man left and Lex sighed deeply. He'd been thinking of Chloe nonstop for weeks, and if he wanted his sanity he had to stop. Out of respect for her, he had to conclude she wanted to be off his mind just as badly as he needed the space back for his own aching psyche.

Oh, Lex! I can see how this kind of attitude is only going to lead to misunderstanding and yet more unnecessary distance between Chloe and Lex. Lex is going to keep his physical and emotional distance from Chloe, thinking that she wouldn’t want a reminder of his father around herself. And Chloe is going to assume that Lex is keeping his distance because he doesn’t want Lionel’s ‘used up leftovers’. Especially not since the leftovers have been picked clean of all worthwhile bits.

Oh, the two!!! Heh… just when I thought everything was resolved after Lionel’s death… it turns out that there’s STILL some grief, trauma and helpless fear to be dealt with. I can’t wait to see how it’s all resolved in the end.

Please update soon, Nonky!!!!

trckyrcky

21st July 2012, 11:37

This is great! I did not expect an update so soon but I am not complaining. I can clearly see that less is nothing like his father. He really cares for Chloe and what happen to the people at Luthorcorp. I know the title is The Lesser of Two Evils but from what I had read so far, I don't think Lex is remotely evil at all.

cbrunberg

24th July 2012, 00:36

so glad you updated it.i hope chloe and lex can both help each other to heal.lex is doing everything he can to help chloe

kitten

27th August 2012, 02:45

Chapter Forty-Six

Lex was too drawn to resist all the demands that had been pushed back until Chloe's medical needs were met. He knew those who answered to him thought his lot was easier, but it required strength to say 'no' to endless requests. 'Yes' was so much easier, especially when things felt hopeless. 'Yes' got approval and acceptance and he desperately needed both.

He went back to the penthouse in a daze, his hands tingling with the stupid urge to do something useful for Chloe. He knew calling would not be welcome. Money would be an insult. His presence endangered her privacy.

There was nothing, not to do or say or think. There was an empty seat with his name on it, but he was not actually there, even when Tino carefully delivered him to each meeting. He was a living effigy of himself.

People thought he was grieving; apologizing for their timing as they dragged words out of him that Lex wasn't sure were truths. They needed him to throw his weight around so they could adjust to his running of the company. His disinterest made meaningful decisions impossible.

He took phone calls from nervous executives, assuring them they were not automatically fired just because they'd been hired by his father. Neither would there be a clearing house of all of his father's cronies, unless they resisted Lex's leadership. He spoke to lawyers, and accountants. He made an excruciatingly long call to the large funeral home that handled arrangements for Kansas governors and cardinals. He filed for permits to close the street in front of LuthorCorp.

They'll want a parade, he thought incredulously. They want an event of the scope of a dead pharoah, with the publicity of a new flavour of soda.

It astonished him to see the changes in the city. Any resentment of the money and power his father had wielded so sadistically was shrugged off. Newspapers, including the one Chloe worked for, printed editorials memorializing Lionel Luthor's contributions to society. The business pundits made predictions for the future of the company. Stocks wavered, but people were waiting for the first mass sell-out from a shareholder. They were watching Lex for any sign of weakness or disrespect. Unlike a private citizen, Lex could not do what he needed to get through. There was a proper way to grieve a man like his father, and he would be criticized for doing otherwise.

Even in death, Lionel could make things happen. He was getting a solitary tomb on a rise in the cemetery that held the famous and elite on million dollar real estate. Everyone was creating the myth of a late paragon, a pillar of the community. Praising him now that he couldn't do any harm was easier than acknowledging his flaws.

In the days before the funeral, Lex was soothed by few things. Lucas had somehow endeared himself to Lois Lane, so there were a few updates about Chloe's condition. She was at home with her father, resting. The plot to cover up her ordeal had fooled Gabe Sullivan, which in turn was saving his life. The plant manager wasn't the type of man to let his daughter's abusers go unpunished. Chloe was all he had aside from a few modest assets, and he would take care of her until she was feeling up to looking out for herself.

But the trick to getting to the end of the day without becoming a slurring heap was not to think about Chloe and her loved ones, he'd realized.

Instead of drinking excessively, Lex poured one double and took in the city. He looked out and tried to think about all the people behind lighted and darkened windows. Most of them had never met a Luthor personally. Most of them had never fallen under Lionel's plotting. Most of them were innocent of the evil that had died a few days ago, now absurdly mourned by everybody except his two sons, two young women and a deeply conflicted doctor.

It only felt like Lionel had handled and fucked over everyone Lex knew. In reality, he was being replaced in people's minds. After the funeral, if the pomp and circumstance satisfied what they were expecting, it would seem almost boring to obsess over a single person now gone.

Lex wanted to live to an advanced age, if only to see the day when people struggled to remember his father's first name. He wanted the future to sweep his father away like yesterday's sidewalk trash, unremarked and nearly unseen. He wanted to be in that world now, beyond the burden of acting like he was somehow moved by his father's death.

He had made the trade, and it was worth living with the memory. Chloe had lived. Lex had lived. Lionel had preached ruthlessness since Lex's childhood, like calling down the prophesy of his own death. It might even have given the old man some satisfaction.

Lex poured out his drink untouched, and hoped very strongly his father had never been genuinely proud of him.

Lois had made up an excuse to visit on the weekend, despite Chloe's protests. They didn't get together in Smallville often because Lois didn't like the little town. Lex had told them to keep to their usual activities, and the cousins often went whole months without a visit. The visit wasn't typical, and it would make keeping quiet harder than being by herself.

She keeps talking about it, the reporter thought angrily. Why doesn't she understand I don't want to say anything about the worst thing that's ever happened to me?

Chloe's sprained ankle had been better by the second day, though her whole body was creaky from lying around. Her fractured arm was dead weight, and she couldn't type. Her face bruised up in a rainbow of hues, but nothing was really damaged. Internally, her stomach ached where she'd been punched and the stitches stung when she peed. There was no question now that she would recover physically. She had not believed it at first.

Her father had been too horrified she was hurt to ask a lot of questions. It was simple for him to think a traffic accident was the cause, and his guilt was bad enough knowing he couldn't have changed the event by being there. He was kind and sweet, but ultimately took what she said at face value. She found herself resenting his calm assumption that she would be 'back at it soon enough.' If he had been more intent on discipline, she would have been safely at home instead of meeting with Lionel. If he had just noticed her exhaustion he might have started supervising her in time to make a difference.

Rationally, Chloe understood her father had done his best. Her teachers, her editor at The Daily Planet, even total strangers worked hard to protect her in many different ways. She was lucky to be alive and have anything of her old life remain.

She was just . . . there wasn't enough time in the rest of her life to express how angry she was. She hated herself for not finding a way to escape. She hated her father for letting her be a precocious reporter without backup or protection. She hated Lex for ever, ever touching her; even when she'd insisted, even when she'd liked it. She hated Lois for knowing what she'd been through. She hated Clark for existing and Morgan Edge for sneering at her while she struggled not to cry.

If she could damn someone by willing it, Lionel was burning. Chloe knew feeling negative about everything wasn't helping her, but she couldn't shut down the steady drone of her rage. As her body felt better, her mind swirled with revenge. She needed to punish someone. Her misery needed company.

In other moments, she lay like a pile of rags across her bed, propped and coddled into helplessness. She didn't know herself in the quiet, injured young woman who dabbed lotion on healing bruises and ignored everything in the paper except an elaborate funeral.

Lois spent most of her visit up in Chloe's bedroom, both young women pretending to watch movies with purposefully light plots. Instead of bunking on her cousin's floor, Lo took the guest bedroom. She added her eerie silence to Chloe's own, and the two of them made wary conversation about inconsequential things. Lois had always been the tough and worldly one, and even she was shocked by the Luthors.

Lionel had ruined everything. He had ruined her. Chloe was glad when Lois drove back to the city, and relieved when her father stopped hanging around to wait on her. She needed a long time to accept that she had made it home to her father.

She needed to be able to sleep without waking up whimpering and gagging on scotch.

Cassandra Jean

27th August 2012, 05:38

Poor Lex and Chloe; they are so miserable. Hopefully they will stop distancing themselves from one another so that they can help each other deal with everything that went on.

Rachet

27th August 2012, 21:32

I hope Chloe doesn't take out her anger on Lex.

talon

27th August 2012, 21:53

oh wow. so i remember reading the first chapter of this story and now this last one. I am guessing that lionel raped chloe. i feel so awful- but i think chloe's feelings were depicted well in this chapter! I'll have to catch up on the middle stuff.

somethingeasy

28th August 2012, 17:25

Chapter Forty-Six

I really loved the run-down, dazed, shell-shocked and completely exhausted description of Lex in the first section. I’m beginning to wonder whether the poor man is getting ANY amount of sleep at all, or whether he’s been living purely on ten minutes worth of stolen cat-naps per 24 hour days.

The description of Lex being weary completely to the ends of his limits left ME feeling stressed and exhausted… and I’m on vacation!!! I liked how Lex felt so vacant and empty… just going through the motions on the routines of being ‘Lex Luthor’, without really feeling connected or emotionally bound to any of his decisions of actions.

I especially loved how the ONLY thing that really measured with any kind of realism or emotional resonance in Lex’s weary haze, were thoughts of Chloe. It was only all of his worries, anxieties, depression and obsession about her that really jerked him into any semi state of awakening. Brilliantly written, Nonky.

Heh… and I loved the irony on how, after his death, people were beginning to venerate Lionel Luthor… dedicated reverential columns in the newspapers, speaking about his accomplishments on the streets and televisions news channels… and even giving his poor ‘grieving’ son a little bit of respectful room to maneuver while he’s adjusting to his new lot in life. It’s so ironically funny, that I can’t even find it in myself to be mad about it. It’s just so ludicrously ridiculous, that it’s more funny than maddening.

And I also loved how Lex is, more and more, distancing himself from everything that his father was, and everything that his father wanted him to be. Starting with Lex’s own determination to NOT become a thug like dear dad… to small things, like choosing NOT to use alcohol for any numbing, sedating purposes.

And as for Chloe… the poor girl is in a desperate state, but going through a different kind of numbed suffering than Lex. While Lex has some routine actions and behavior to use to numb himself… Chloe doesn’t have that kind of luxury. The poor girl is trapped in a hospital bed, with nothing but time on her hands, and her horrific memories for company. I liked the description on how she’s using intense hatred and anger to distance herself from the terrors of her memories. Anger against Lex, against herself, Lois, Gabe, Clark… anyone and everyone who was even peripherally connected to what happened to her.

Sadly, I can easily see how Lex would end up becoming the easiest and most obvious target for all that rage. Even in this state of near maddened anger, Chloe wouldn’t want to say anything that would truly hurt and damage her relationship with Gabe, Lois or Clark. She wouldn’t be able to rant at them about what happened to her, and how it was all their fault… not without causing some serious ruptures in their relationship, as well as needing to explain exactly how, what, where and WHY it was their fault.

It would be so much easier just to rant at, and blame Lex for everything that happened to her. Not only wouldn’t she have to explain her convoluted reasoning as to the ‘why’, BUT he would probably not even fight back. He’d just take her anger and blame as his due, apologize, and just keep accepting more… no questions asked.

Poor Chloe and Lex. Despite my fears about Chloe and Lex being trapped in this vicious kind of blame game, where he is martyred to her unhealthy mad rage, I still think their best chance at recovery is to recover together. Lex needs Chloe to tell him that she forgives him… that she’s actually grateful for everything that he did to save her. And Chloe needs Lex to tell her that she’s STILL beautiful, pure, whole, strong and untainted from everything that happened to her. That she’s STILL an innocent, from any perspective, and she shouldn’t keep regarding herself as irrevocably broken.

The poor, emotionally shattered kids. I look forward to seeing them find the path towards slow recovery. Please update soon, Nonky.

Kit Merlot

29th August 2012, 02:52

Chloe had lived. Lex had lived

As horrible as this is going to be for Chloe to endure, I hope she remembers that she and Lex have survived everything that Lionel has thrown at them--I hope the abusive rapist is spinning in his grave.

I also like that Chloe has Lois to lean on-she's going to need all of the support she can get.

Continued excellent work on this gorgeous fic.

FarrahLea

10th September 2012, 03:42

Well that was such a sad state of affairs. Both Chloe and Lex seem so broken. I do hope that things start to get better for both of them. Thank you for your latest update. I'm truly looking forward to the next one!

tiger04

16th September 2012, 04:36

I feel for both Lex and Chloe. I open that you can updated again soon.

kitten

3rd October 2012, 00:46

Chapter Forty-Seven

Protect Chloe became the dull roar in his head, droning as he undertook a coverup to rival anything Lionel had ever conceived. When he hated himself, he told himself he was protecting Chloe. When an odd, misplaced flicker of pride crept in, Lex reminded himself he was doing wrong;excused it only because he was doing it for her.

In the weeks since his father's death, Lex had been busy destroying evidence and paying off any potential witnesses. He had whitewashed Lionel's reputation almost to nothing in the final years of his life. People seemed to enjoy the idea of a sick, rich man attempting to make amends with his various donations. It pacified them to think Lionel had turned away from his wealth and sought peace in generosity.

Lex had ducked meetings with the FBI as long as he could, but three weeks after the funeral he was back at the office seven days a week. He made it official with his assistant, ensuring the woman would take special care to keep it private. Assistant Director Curry arrived twenty-five minutes early, as if suspecting Lex of engineering another missed connection.

"Mr. Curry, please have a seat," Lex had said absently. He deliberately dropped the title and continued scrawling notes on a contract. "I can have Ms. Varens bring coffee if you like."

The older man shuffled uncomfortably and settled in the chair with a little disdain. "Mr. Luthor, I realize you have had a busy month, but I thought you were very concerned about your friend Miss Sullivan. Your attitude change leads me to think you were never genuine or you have stopped caring about her welfare."

Taking a leisurely sip of coffee, Lex smiled dangerously. If Curry knew how much he thought of Chloe and everything to do with her, the FBI agent would be trying to prosecute Lex. Maybe the investigation was just another part of the inheritance; the estate of the late magnificent bastard. One of the few luxuries he had that registered for him was the utter disregard for disapproval from all but one living person.

He would not roll over for the FBI to accuse him of his father's crimes. Lex was the barrier between Chloe and Morgan Edge's entire network of thugs. Prison was not something he could allow.

"Chloe was in trouble because of my father. Naturally, I saw that was wrong and wanted her to receive help," Lex said coldly. "If I were religious, I might say help came in the form of his death. I'm content with the knowledge he can't hurt anyone now, which includes Chloe. I also can't imagine the FBI has the money to waste on building a case against a dead man. We were unable to get any evidence to back up the suspicions about my grandparents' death. If this case were a research program in my R and D lab, I'd be cancelling it."

Money was not unlimited, Lex knew, even for rich men. For working stiffs like Curry, the bottom line groaned under too much overtime. The government was forced to budget, creating a kind of financial food chain for all the various departments. The FBI existed under pressure to do more with less, and would not be celebrated for obsessing over an apartment building explosion decades ago. Even the city had not bothered to investigate more than a few weeks.

"That's not your decision, Mr. Luthor. You realize how easily I could turn this investigation on you and your company? There are hundreds of people working for you in this building-thousands in the city. Some of them might have been asked to do things they are ashamed of, and want to confess," Curry told him. "And that is without my involving Miss Sullivan."

Rage pulsed in the quick twitch of his hand, and Lex put his pen down. He wrapped his hand around the coffee cup and wrung it like a neck.

"I never bet on employee loyalty, Mr. Curry, so there may well be some people who want to tell you things about LuthorCorp," Lex said distantly. "I'm certain my father didn't stop his questionable activities at the door from the street. However, I've been trying to distinguish my leadership from that of my father. Mine is a legitimate business and operates inside the law. If you want to know more than that, present my lawyers with the appropriate paperwork."

"And your friend?"

"Miss Sullivan is anxious to get on with her life, Assistant Director Curry. She has had an ordeal few people would come away from alive, let alone with her grace. I continue to be available if she should need anything, but I feel she will not."

Curry nodded slowly, and stood up with exaggerated nonchalance. "What if I told you a young blonde woman was in that hospital where your father was shot, accompanying a group of older men?"

Lex felt his face turn to stone, and didn't fight to keep his expression normal. He put out his hand and held it steady in front of Curry, signalling a farewell. "People got hurt around my father more than once. Chloe is okay now, and I'd be happy to arrange a meeting so she can tell you herself. I couldn't be more mortified Lionel Luthor was my father, but I don't think forcing people to relive their victimization will accomplish anything."

The FBI agent ignored the handshake and pushed his hands into the pockets of his cheap suit. He strolled the boundary of Lex's office with his gaze touching on every object. There was nothing personal there, only very superficial trappings of style and personality. Lex bristled at the imposition it represented.

"I don't need your permission to visit Chloe Sullivan. I have a lot of the evidence I'd need to charge her with murder, as a matter of fact. She disappeared for most of a day, along with her vehicle, phone, everything. That's almost unheard of for a teenage girl," he said caustically. "And at the end of that very unusual day, your father was shot in a hospital room where he'd been registered under an alias. Chloe Sullivan had a very strong motive to want your father dead. Doesn't it matter to you someone ended Lionel Luthor without any justice for all those people he's hurt?"

If it came to it, Lex would confess to the murder. If they charged Chloe, he would step forward and offer up himself. His lawyers could claim temporary insanity on his part. They could air the various tests Lionel had made of his childhood. They could reveal the whole story of Chloe's kidnapping. He would not worry about himself if there was an opportunity to make up for not saving her before.

"I care about many things I can't change. My primary concern in this - the only reason I was even bothering to acknowledge your investigation - was to spare people the damage I knew Lionel was capable of inflicting. I did everything I could for Chloe and it fell short. She didn't kill anybody. Even if she had, it would have been self defense. No one who really speaks to Chloe Sullivan could believe she's a killer."

Striding back to the desk, Curry smiled coldly. "Well, it sounds like you've really spoken to her, Mr. Luthor. I'd like you to set up that meeting. ASAP. I'll let myself out."

Lex waited until Curry had to be out of the building before he sank down behind his desk and smacked both palms down as hard as he could. The pain washed hotly through his body, joined by a deeper pang that Chloe's safety was so out of reach.

When he thought back over it later, Lex wouldn't be able to decide whether Chloe had met him of her own choice or because she felt pressured. He tried to recall the fumbling way he'd contacted her, but couldn't fix on the exact wording he'd used. He'd mentioned Curry and the FBI, but only because asking about her health seemed too intrusive.

He hadn't been sure why he wanted to see her, except that knowing she was in the city for a doctor's appointment had made it impossible to ignore.

They really had nothing to say to each other. Lex had handled things as well as he could after her rape. Chloe would be given the best medical care and he would be grateful to pay for it. Lucas had been over to Lois Lane's apartment several times to hang out, and passed on the news of Chloe's recovery.

Her car had been refurbished like new and returned to her with some paperwork from his lawyers to make it seem aboveboard. Gabe Sullivan seemed a bit baffled at the idea of Chloe's car being struck by Lionel Luthor's stretch limo just hours before the billionaire went into a precipitous decline. It only marginally explained why Chloe had gone to the hospital with his father, but Lex couldn't appear too anxious to quash everything about the day.

Lex had his lawyer draft a letter apologizing to Chloe - which had stung badly with poisonous irony - for the inconvenience of the accident and her injuries. In his last act before taking a golden parachute, Lionel's chauffeur had signed a similar letter outlining the fictitious details of the accident. It absolved Chloe of any responsibility, and said the accident had been caused by the chauffeur's distraction when his employer became ill while they were driving.

She deserved to know he'd done his part to keep her safe. Chloe also needed to know Curry wanted to talk to her. Lex still couldn't decide if the threat to charge her with murder was a ploy to get some cooperation salvaging some part of the FBI's case against Lionel. He wasn't sure how far he could push Curry without starting a war of court orders that would make Morgan Edge violently proactive in defending himself against legal trouble.

The culmination of his worries and strategies made him stupid and reckless. Chloe stepped into his apartment timidly, dressed in a very long sleeved sweater and loose jeans. Her mumbled greeting was unintelligible, but her pale skin looked like velvet.

"I've missed you," Lex told her, abruptly reaching for her hand.

Lex had no way of explaining himself. He didn't even know why he'd been shocked that she recoiled. His own joy had blinded him to their reality, and he deserved to suffer.

He deserved anything Chloe might do to him.

Rachet

3rd October 2012, 02:52

My heart hurts for Lex. And with the way Chloe is dressing and acting I don't think the healing is going that well. Hope helping each other helps them truly heal.

trckyrcky

3rd October 2012, 04:19

Great update. I hope Chloe and Lex will take the proper to heal and lean onto each other for support. No one else will be able to emphatize with them because only they know what Lionel was capable of and they knew the truth. They need to rely on each other and help each other get past their demon and hurt.

skyblue78

4th October 2012, 01:31

This is a beautiful update, it makes me feel for both Chloe and Lex. Chloe's suffered, but I feel bad for Lex when she flinches away from him, especially when he's prepared to sacrifice himself and confess to shooting Lionel if it means saving her. Please please let them start opening up to each other!

Cassandra Jean

4th October 2012, 05:33

Thanks for the new chapter.

My heart is breaking for both of them. Neither one of them seems to be doing good on their own, so maybe they will allow each other to help them in the healing process.

Kit Merlot

7th October 2012, 00:04

This was just lovely!

Good for Lex for doing everything in his power to protect Chloe and to help her and to stop the FBI from hasseling her.

"I've missed you," Lex told her, abruptly reaching for her hand.

Lex had no way of explaining himself. He didn't even know why he'd been shocked that she recoiled. His own joy had blinded him to their reality, and he deserved to suffer.

He deserved anything Chloe might do to him.

Oh man, but this is painful! I hope we get Chloe's POV on this because I bet that she's not trying to intentionally hurt Lex.

Continued excellent work on this fic.

somethingeasy

7th October 2012, 12:13

Chapter Forty-Seven

So, SO sorry about the delay in the review, Nonky. Needless to say, I loved the new chapter, and see it representing how Lex and Chloe are becoming sicker because of their time apart from each other. It’s becoming more and more obvious that the only way these two can heal, is only by helping each other heal, together!

Heh… I loved the irony on how Lex firmly believes that he IS proactively helping Chloe to heal, but staying as far away from her as possible, while also re-arranging all the elements of her life around her… ‘for her own good’… not realizing how isolating Chloe while also pseudo controlling her from afar would do more harm than good.

Yes, I know that Lex is doing a lot to help make Chloe’s life easier… such as paying off her hospital bills, refurbishing her car, arranging for an alibi to explain the damage on the car, etc, etc… BUT… he’s not consulting Chloe on ANY of this. He’s just ‘taking care of her’, without even asking about her own personal preference on any of these major decisions. Perhaps I’m wrong, and Chloe will appreciate having Lex smooth away all these troubles, allowing her space to properly heal before tackling real life…. BUT, I fear that Chloe will feel that she’s being ‘managed’ and controlled, rather than protected and cared for. Perhaps if Lex actually talked to her during all this smoothing over…?!?

Most fascinating thing was seeing how Lex is harming himself by isolating himself from Chloe, while also justifying whitewashing and covering up behind Lionel’s and Morgan Edge’s bloody heels. He truly believes that he’s doing everything he can to be ‘good and noble’, without taking a step back and seeing the HARM he’s doing… to himself as well as to Chloe. Fascinating!

Heeee! I loved how it was Federal Agent Curry, of all people, who actually attempted to reconnect Chloe and Lex back together again… by berating Lex about being keeping away from Chloe during a time when she obviously needs him. LOL! You know it’s got to be obvious, when even the Federal Agent can see that a girl needs her rapist’s son to be near her.

I approved of the way that Lex did NOT immediately fall back into common sense, understanding Agent Curry’s point of view. For all that Lex claims to be selflessly working on Chloe’s behalf, he is extraordinarily fixated on his own issues and sense of morbid self-pity only. I know that he thinks that Chloe would only see him as a horrific reminder of everything that happened to her under his father’s ‘care’, BUT Lex really needs to kick himself out of that foggy self-pity and self-loathing, to see how Chloe would obviously be SUFFERING because of this isolation, rather than healing.

So, once again, I really appreciated how Curry was essentially kicking Lex out of his miasma. Heh… I really liked how, in the end, it was an implied threat to Chloe that really got to Lex… when Curry suggested that he would be investigating the reports he’s heard about ‘a young blond woman being present at the time and place of Lionel’s death’… that there might even be enough evidence to charge Chloe with murder. I really want to believe that Agent Curry was only saying all of that to give Lex a kick-start out of depression… I want to believe that Agent Curry is NOT an ambitious scumbag, who will chase after a victim, in order to get some kind of glory prosecution score for himself.

Nope… nope… Agent Curry’s a good guy… end of story!!!!

Hmmm… unless Curry’s the really wily type who is perfectly aware that Lex will, without hesitation, sacrifice himself to keep Chloe out of jail. Perhaps this was Curry’s attempt to get Lex to confess to Lionel’s murder, purely to keep Chloe out of harm’s way…? That bastard!

Anyhow… whatever Agent Curry’s motivations, I still LOVE HIM for kicking Lex into finally, finally reaching out to Chloe.

Heh… the meeting wasn’t the best of new beginnings, BUT I’m still absolutely certain that this was the best and most healthy move that Lex could make, for both of them! I look forward to the next chapter. Please update soon!

tatie87

7th October 2012, 21:42

Great update!!! The emotional turmoil Lex and Chloe are in is just awful. I really want them to find away to heal together and get over Lionel's legacy.

cbrunberg

9th October 2012, 02:00

thanks for the update.you can feel the emotion pain they are both going thru.i hope they can both start to lean and open up to so they can both heal and hopefull move forward together.you know lex really cares for chloe

georgee5

10th November 2012, 07:17

I continue on with my previous statement, "Just... Wow." Great writing that draws you in and makes you care about the person you don't think you are supposed to like is amazing.

trinna

13th November 2012, 03:31

more please

malugargula

27th November 2012, 05:31

This fic is so great, so intense
I can't wait to read more

cmc

24th December 2012, 10:41

great fic cant wait for the next update

Jehye

29th December 2012, 03:11

Really glad to see this story is still going forward! It's such a tragic story, I really want to see chloe heal and find some happiness.

dira

3rd March 2013, 18:35

great story!!!!....after the storm please some sunlight now...Chloe and lex healing...maybe Lucas and lois helping the pair

tabtcat

8th March 2013, 06:06

Great story, thankyou.

Cassandra Jean

7th April 2013, 05:03

Why do I have a really bad feeling about Agent Curry? I hope he isn't planning on causing problems...he won't like what Lex will do to protect Chloe.

kitten

5th May 2013, 19:36

Chapter Forty-Eight

I have to go, Chloe told herself. Lex said it's important and the last time something important happened between us he was helping me escape. I should trust him enough to have a meeting with him.

Her legs wouldn't step off the elevator. She had declined Lois' company because her cousin was incredibly rude even with people she liked, and Lex wasn't on Lois' birthday guest list. They did need to talk, if only to agree they were keeping their joint secrets. She made herself take a deep breath and ignored the twinge of her ankle. The sprain had healed, and her wrist was doing a lot better. There was no physical reason she couldn't make it another few steps into Lex's apartment.

She owed him simple courtesy, if nothing else. She'd agreed to talk and he wasn't a chatty guy. He had better things to do than make up reasons for awkward visits. He wasn't going to touch her . . . or anything.

Her arms ached from hugging herself anxiously, and she felt light-headed. The reluctance to be with Lex in his own domain was a physical urge to avoid contact. Her skin crackled at the idea of being touched. It practically blistered trying to picture allowing a polite handshake.

She had been in his bedroom, in his bed, and hadn't been overwhelmed to the extremity she was now.

She wanted to accept the logical differences between Lex and Lionel, but their similarities weighed. There was a set, cynical freeze of a smile they both did, and that slow, sardonic laugh signifying harsh bemusement. Their hands were shaped the same, with the same deceptively veiled strength. There was no reason for Lex or Lionel to have the ability to toss her around like a pillow. She knew what Lionel did with his strength. He had raised Lex in his image.

The shove to the bed, the choking, had been teaching her to submit or die. Chloe hadn't even had time to make the choice before it was out of her hands. She couldn't stop fighting but she couldn't win. It was over but it wasn't ever over inside her memories. What should have been a merciful blur was a gallery of deep hurts she always pictured as if she'd been a third party in that bedroom. The pain was vividly personal, but it was accompanied by the oddest sense of surreality.

Lex might do things that invited this kind of life, but she was a regular person. She didn't deserve this, and it should never have been her. The Sullivans were hard workers and quietly endured the struggles they faced. Their problems were bills overdue and relationships with inconstant people.

It wasn't fair of her, or even logical. She wasn't her parents and Lex wasn't his father. The air felt like mud drawn into her lungs, a filthy grit of tension inside her mouth. But Chloe got her feet to move forward on an internal chastisement of fair play. 'You can't judge a book by its cover,' from elementary school, was followed by, 'Judge not lest ye be judged,' from the Bible. She reminded herself of all the times Lex seemed so willing - nearly desperate - to help her. He hadn't meant to fail.

He had failed, though.

She shook herself out of the endless damaged thoughts. Misery would still be there after this meeting, as it had been every day for months. Chloe knew there would be effort involved in healing, but nothing she tried seemed to do any good. She was stuck in the most horrible mindset. Every day was a plodding march through ordinary activities that held no interest or importance. She had tried to talk to Dr. Concord, and the words got stuck. Later, at home, they appeared in her head in a shouting rant that kept her from sleeping.

She would get over this. She would. She just needed some kind of beginning, a steady footing in the world that had become harsh and painful. She took a step out of the elevator, feeling the pressure of the doors waiting to close. A brief impulse to move clear - a safety lesson from childhood, she thought - pushed a more everyday concern into her thoughts.

I'm right not to want to feel unsafe, Chloe told herself. I'm justified in moving away from danger. Lex is danger. So we'll have this one conversation and I won't come here again.

It got her walking. She even thought she'd be able to knock on the door and speak to him once he'd let her in. But she wasn't going to sit, and she didn't want something to drink. Their business now should be covered by a few minutes in his foyer.

Having her boundaries set eased her slightly. She arrived at his door, knocked and stepped into the apartment on rote. A polite greeting swallowed itself before he could have really heard it, but he was looking at her with something like excitement. His eyes clicked over her sweater pulled over her knuckles, her jeans dragging a bit on the floor, her hair and face and maybe her soul.

He looked glad. Not just welcoming, but as if her presence meant something. He came at her, body angling after his longer reach.

Chloe bristled and slapped his hand away before it could curl around her fingers. Her vague notions of polite and businesslike interaction were out the window. She bared her teeth. Trust was the wrong impulse. Polite sacrificed her to his whims.

"No! I'm not yours," she yelped.

His face fell, like disappointment dropped on whatever had made him happy moments earlier. Chloe ignored the change. She called up all the sour rage and burned it like fuel.

"You don't get to touch me - and - I'm not yours! I never wanted you! You make me sick!"

Lex gathered himself and began to speak softly, "I'm sorry, Chloe, I didn't-"

She laughed, a grinding noise too deep for her chest. "I asked for your help. I needed you and you didn't - you - "

He looked taken aback, as if any of it could be new information. Her fist darted out at him, hitting his arm and drawing back before he could retaliate.

"You've known what your father was for years, probably your whole life! You could have saved me if you'd really been willing! You could have saved everything from him! Even at the end, you're not the one who did it. It took another man - another of my kidnappers - to free me! You knew what it would take and you wouldn't do it!"

Chloe charged at him, shoulders down in a pose she'd learned watching Clark at football practice. Lex backed away hurriedly, jarring his hip into a small table against the wall. He huffed with the impact as she shoved him.

"Every dollar you have is blood money," she said bitterly. "Do you expect me to believe there weren't perks you enjoyed? You liked getting laid. You liked having power. People are afraid of you because he taught you to be like him. I was so stupid to trust you!"

Her barely healed ankle and the still knitting wrist bones were absolutely painless. Chloe felt like she could slap and scream at him for days without even feeling tired. It was the first pleasure she'd had in recent memory. She ignored all those high-minded ideals of compassion that had tricked her into Lex's apartment.

She was actually looking around for a weapon when he dropped to his knees with his arms up. "Chloe? Please."

As she gaped at him, Lex lowered his head and allowed her to do what she would to him. It snapped her out of the quiet, raging place in her mind and tears rose in her eyes. She had been going to hurt him. She didn't even have a reason, but the sick certainty in her stomach told her it had really happened.

Her cloudburst of tears only made her feel more terrible and she covered her face. She couldn't even run away, blinded by tears and ashamed of herself. Luthors had made her into a monster, and she was becoming afraid of her own need to lash out.

He wouldn't grab at her. That had been the mistake setting off her explosion of flailing violence, and Lex would not repeat it. Restraining Chloe would break her faster than she could beat him to death, so he dropped to the floor and allowed it.

Lex knew she was past reasoning, but he tried for both their sakes. What she was doing didn't connect with who she was, and later this would hurt her.

"Chloe? Please."

He was out of words, but it didn't matter. The fire in her stance changed to ice. She froze, and the gentlest tap shattered her.

Chloe stumbled toward the door, knocking it shut with a whimper. She propped herself in the corner and shook. Lex didn't know what he was waiting for, but he knew silence and patience were necessary.

The entire future stretched before him like a mocking smile, expecting him to realize some impossible solution for Chloe. He stayed on his knees.

Rachet

6th May 2013, 02:35

Make it better soon please. I don't think ether of them can take any more.

somethingeasy

7th May 2013, 09:03

Chapter Forty-Eight

Holy hells, I didn’t properly appreciate just how intensely Chloe was screwed up until I saw her reaction in this chapter. In retrospect though, her state of mind and instinctive reaction to anything resembling Lionel Luthor makes perfect sense!

I loved the build-up right from the beginning of the chapter… showing how Chloe’s anxiety and panic was developing, layering and building from the very instance that Lex first proposed this meeting with her. I also loved how Chloe intellectually knew that Lex was her ally, AND that he was doing everything possible to help her, AND that she still needed him to sort out her life… and yet none of the rational thinking could stop any of the panicked anxiety that was building up over meeting with him.

I was also fascinated by how, despite how logic, reason and intellect might say it isn’t fair, Chloe can’t help but blame Lex for not stopping Lionel from kidnapping her, OR rescuing her before Lionel performed his atrocities on her person. Once again, it all makes sense. Of course none of this is fair, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t understand how and why Chloe would feel this way.

It actually sent shivers down my spine watching Chloe drawing the comparisons between the two Luthors. Lex is indeed his own person, with a set of values, principle and honour system that’s different from his father’s… BUT there’s no getting around the fact that Lex was raised by Lionel, and couldn’t help but pick up several mannerisms, habits and other undeniable similarities from his father. Now that I think about it, I can’t imagine the kind of Lionel-inflicted horrors Chloe can’t help but remember every time she sees Lex… his ‘Luthor-like’ gestures, facial expressions, speaking style and the like. Chilling!

All of this makes me realize just how incredibly naïve I was in thinking that Lex and Chloe would be able to help each other heal. I STILL believe that they both need each other for the healing process, but I’m now beginning to realize that they’re also going to need to heal separately before being able to withstand each other’s company. Or at least Chloe is going to have to recover from a lot of damage, before she’s ready to accept anything from Lex.

That being said, I think Lex made amazing headway in his reaction to Chloe’s panic attack. He didn’t even try to stop her from hurting him. He just stood back and let her continue a completely unrestrained assault on him. He allowed himself to be completely helpless and vulnerable to whatever she wanted to do to him, which was exactly the thing that would make Chloe STOP that assault. Whatever happens, Chloe would feel horrified and intensely ashamed about beating on a helpless person kneeling in front of her.

This was an amazing chapter, Nonky. I’m so, SO pleased that you decided to continue this fic, and I look intensely forward to upcoming chapters.

tatie87

7th May 2013, 20:42

Chloe is a freaking mess. How in the world is Lex ever going to make it right. If there is even a right.

Kit Merlot

9th May 2013, 00:59

Man, but this was so painful! Chloe is in so much emotional and physical pain and she doesn't know how to even be comfortable in her skin.

Nox

13th May 2013, 01:37

I feel terrible for both Chloe and Lex.
Thank you for updating.

kitten

25th June 2013, 03:56

Chapter Forty-nine

Nothing stopped. Chloe graduated high school and worked through the summer, applying for scholarships that would help her afford Met. U. She spent time with a few friends, but felt keenly there was no lasting bond with the people in Smallville. Most of her classmates were plotting lives at college as far away as possible. She might have gone out of state as well, if her financial situation didn't rest so heavily on funding from the university.

Seeing Clark was a horrible strain. She always felt the need to explain her quieter, more distant behaviour. He would be appalled at what she'd been through, and would do his best to comfort her. She couldn't explain, of course, nor was she up to giving a convincing lie. A big, encompassing hug would freak her out, anyway. The emotional distance demanded he stop the casual, shallowly affectionate touches that had confused her priorities.

Chloe wanted to be able to separate the bad things she'd endured from the people she'd been protecting. The rage had drained off after the explosive, violent day with Lex. She'd learned to be calm again, albeit a nervous calm. Lois visited on weekends, and her father had been at home more. They each knew bits and pieces of what had happened, and put a lot of effort into keeping her company. Her arm in a sling had made outings tiresome, and home felt safer.

Lex was relegated to an email once a month, checking that Edge wasn't bothering her. Chloe never replied with more than a single word. The FBI had never come to interview her, and she didn't really care what he had done.

She saw Dr. Concord every few weeks. Sometimes they talked about nothing in particular. Other appointments were tearful, bewildered discussions about why Chloe had been the one Lionel wanted. It was irrational to think she had said or done something to inspire his vicious brand of obsession, but she couldn't ignore the feeling.

The move to the city was harder than Chloe had expected. She'd known it was impossible to leave her dad without a good cry. Everything else seemed to inspire a good cry, too. The busy, co-ed dorms made her nervous. Sleeping with a stranger in the room was hard. She worried about saying or doing odd things.

Classes were her grounding influence. She studied and wrote. Her portfolio filled, though she couldn't claim to be well-rounded. Despite managing a friendship with her roommate, Erica, she didn't seek out other people.

It was difficult to face about herself, but she had looked to college as a mysterious solution for her life. On campus, the fresh start would garner her popularity, good friends, academic success and personal satisfaction. It wouldn't be like high school, where the choice of the wrong shoes sabotaged her chances. There was room for her to be who she was with like-minded people.

In reality, it was more complicated. She could have had a large group of friends, but her fear of parties and anyplace noisy pushed her toward quieter types. Her grades were good because that was the part of her life where she was most comfortable.

Satisfaction was beyond her. Chloe's goal was to be where she wanted and to build herself up for the future. Strength came from holding herself up by her fingernails and waiting for normal days.

Lois sipped her cafeteria coffee and grimaced. "You need an espresso machine," she complained to her cousin.

"I also need a big lottery win and a place with running water somewhere other than the group bathrooms," Chloe said. "I have cinnamon in my purse."

"Better than nothing." After doctoring her drink, the brunette looked at her assessingly. "Isn't college supposed to make you fat?"

Looking down at herself, Chloe shrugged. "I use my meal card. Besides, I walk everywhere."

Lois glanced around at the other students, nodding. "Okay, as long as you do eat. I thought this might be too much for you right now, but you look fine. You know there's nothing wrong with taking a year off, right?"

The blond pursed her lips. "I didn't die, Lo. I don't want to delay the rest of my life until I'm entirely over what happened. I'd just sit home reliving it in my head all day. He's gone, and I hear from Lex once a month. Whatever he's doing, no one has been bothering me. Honestly, some days I almost forget about it."

Fiddling with a loose button near her impressive cleavage, Lois peeped at her cousin. "You know it wouldn't be healthy to forget it, Chloe. I'm here if you need to talk. I mean, I know you're tough because I made you flip your bike off a picnic table . . . You don't have to be over it until you really are."

Smiling gently, Chloe pondered the last few months. She didn't feel unsafe in a general way. Her comfort level with people touching her was very low, and dating was out of the question for a long time. She got up in the morning with a sense that every day was a little improved. She could sleep most nights. Her focus was back.

"I've been dealing with it, and I have days where it seems fresh in my mind. I also have days where it's not very close to me and I don't poke at it to get it stinging. I appreciate the offer, though. I know it's an awkward subject."

Lois snorted, pushing her cup away to slap at the table. "Awkward! No offense, little cousin, but you managed to find the weirdest damn trouble I've ever heard - me! I can't figure out what you even say to Lex when he calls. Lucas and I tried to think how that conversation would go and it broke our brains."

Clearing her throat, Chloe sighed. "He just emails, it's not a big deal. He asks me if the FBI agents have been bugging me and I say they haven't," she said quietly. "I don't know what else he'd want to ask."

Lois squinted up into the fluorescent lights. "Maybe he - I think he'd help you, if you wanted. I think that's what he's asking. Lucas says Lex is depressed. I can't imagine he's grieving his psycho father."

There was no shiny, neat lesson to be had, and Chloe didn't want to listen to any other pain. She had plenty of her own to work out. She stood up and held on to the back of the chair, digging fingernails into the wood.

"He'll get over it or he won't. It's none of my business, Lois. See you."

There was a dry spell for her. It removed the issue of dating but the anxiety was inescapable. Chloe got through social interactions - she didn't bond or enjoy any of it. Her body simply carried on as she pretended to be confident. Wanting somebody seemed alien to her.

Then, three years later, her sex drive switched on. She found herself frustrated and restless. She had dreams instead of nightmares about sex. Dr. Concord said it was a good sign. Chloe was horrified because all the dreams were about Lex - a sweet, tender version of him she somehow trusted.

It wasn't as if she didn't know nice guys. There were several who had seemed interested until she politely but firmly set them back on safe, distant ground.

"But why him," she asked Dr. Concord explosively.

Their doctor-patient relationship had matured to a frank, respectful way of arguing their points without mercy. Chloe was tired of keeping lukewarm friendships and sexless dinners. She just didn't want to want Lex.

"I think Lex is the only part of your sexual history that counts to your libido. You were traumatized and you can't grasp the idea of a wholly new partner," the doctor said carefully. "You've had friends who always seem to be breaking up with an ex while still sleeping with him? It's a comfort level, maybe even something as simple as muscle memory. Lex is your measure of men, sexually."

"That's not normal," Chloe whined.

"I am not confident with a lot of mental health practice - which you know because I've repeatedly begged you to get a proper therapist," the older woman said. "Two things I remember from my psych rotation are normal is relative and some people don't get to be normal. I would never push you toward Lex if you weren't drawn to him organically. On the other hand, it does make sense on a level."

Chloe thought that level had to be much lower than she was willing to stoop. "He's the last guy in the world I should want."

Down the hall, a medical secretary unlocked a door with many failed attempts. Dr. Concord looked at the slightly open door and checked her watch. Seeming to disregard the noise, she leaned forward.

"Okay, if Lex is the last guy in the world, who's the guy who should win your affections? It's not cheating to think about a million of them if it helps you work through a tangle. Your high school crush can't be married with kids already."

That was Clark, but . . . She couldn't think of Clark that way anymore.

"He's not - suitable," Chloe said, hesitating. "He's like looking at an old report card. It's nice to remember but I don't want to pretend it's high school. I became much older than him five years ago, and I can't put myself back in that place."

"You outgrew him?" They met late in the evening, long after Dr. Concord's work day began. The clinic was technically closed, but Lex was still paying astronomically for Chloe to keep her routine. The doctor still looked far too alert when she sank back in her chair to gloat. "So perhaps when your world was turned inside out, so was your taste in men. Last on the list is now the clear winner."

Chloe was shaking her head, barely able to hold in nervous giggles. "No. Nononono - I mean, how would that even work?"

It was mostly a rhetorical question. Even with the very lax rules governing their makeshift counseling, both of them knew Dr. Concord shouldn't be offering dating advice. It wouldn't work, not for a single second, and Chloe knew it in her bones. She knew it with enough certainty to be slightly disappointed.

"Well, it wouldn't be easy. I know you'd have to initiate it," Dr. Concord said seriously. "Sexual chemistry decides more than people like to admit. So, really, why not Lex?"

Chloe was still in mid-gape when the clock ticked off the remainder of their session. But now the thought was lodged in her brain, just as dangerous as any bullet.