Home - NC-17

[AlabamaWorley]

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine... yet! Bwahahaha...
...what do you mean, delusional?
Summary: This ended up being fairly autobiographical (right up until the whole turns out kinky part, of course :rolleyes: ), but I hopefully kept them mostly in character. It takes place about ten years after Chloe graduates from high school.
Feedback: I haven't decided if this is a one-shot or if I intend to write more. Please let me know what you think. I am, after all, a feedback whore!

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Chloe flopped her hand down on the mattress, careful not to let her wet fingers touch her clean sheets. She groaned in frustration, then caught her breath as she listened for a sign from the next room that its occupant was awake. Satisfied that he wasn't, she grabbed her robe and headed for the bathroom to clean herself up, resolving for the umpteenth time not to bother with masturbation anyanyanymore. It was completely unsatisfying, and just served as a messy reminder of exactly how pisspoor her current situation actually was.

She turned on the hot water in the shower, then stripped down and waited for the water to heat up. Once she was in, she let her head fall against the wall as the water streamed over her. She didn't regret having Ben for a second, but her life had certainly changed in the five years since she'd learned of his impending arrival. She'd moved home from Metropolis immediately after he'd been born so that her dad and Mrs. Kent could help with the baby while she finished up her degree at the local private college. She'd gotten a job at the Ledger; unfortunately, the position was secretarial as opposed to journalistic. She kept in close touch with Clark and Lois, and the newly married Lana and Pete were right there in Smallville. Unfortunately, life with the little man precluded any great social calendar.

Not that one was hovering over her anyway, of course. She'd been on one date since she'd returned to Smallville, and the guy had been such a total dud, she'd been forced to lie to him to get him to leave her alone. So, the last man she'd been with had been Ben's so-called father, and he certainly hadn't been anything worth screaming, or even moaning, about, much less emotionally fulfilling. She could live with little conversational stimulation, God bless the internet, but sometimes…

Well, that was how she wound up taking showers in the middle of the night, wasn't it?




The next day, Chloe returned from her lunch break to find a folder full of papers on her desk. The post-it on top read simply Get signed today.

"Nice," she muttered. "Like you couldn't have given me this to take care of while I was out for lunch anyway. Don’t you fuckers know it's hot outside?" She quickly rifled through the documents to see where she needed to go. There was a sealed envelope containing what she assumed was a draft article requesting initialed approval, a contract guaranteeing exclusive rights to an ongoing report, and a brief memo allowing permission to use certain photographs and personal memoirs. None of that was curious in itself; the typed name below each blank line was.

Lex Luthor.

Chloe picked up her keys and headed for her car.




When she arrived at the mansion, the butler silently led her out to the garden. Dreading the heat, she quickly unzipped her cardigan and tossed it over a stone bench. The zippered, crocheted tank dress underneath wasn't exactly professional, but if Lex couldn't see fit to meet her inside, he could take what he got.

As it turned out, her clothing was the last thing she needed to worry about. Lex knelt in the garden shirtless and barefoot, clad only in a pair of jeans. He was setting up an intricate system of mirrors in the dirt, all focused on an arrangement of meteor rocks and petri dishes full of various chemicals. He didn't look up at her approach, but he did acknowledge her presence.

"Miss Sullivan. It's been a long time."

"Yes it has. And suddenly I wish I had my camera."

Lex chuckled softly and held his dirty hands up for inspection. Sweat trickled all the way from his head to his waistband, running in slow rivulets across his torso, turning to mud where it met stray spots of dirt.

"I occasionally like to conduct my own experiments before I bring the idea to my research team. Most people forget that I do have a masters degree in biochemistry."

"I see. And you don't have dirt in Metropolis?"

Lex's face sobered.

"I take it you didn't read the articles in that folder." Chloe shook her head. "Conditions in Metropolis weren't as desirable to my business as they once were. I'm moving my base of operations to Smallville. It's to be officially announced when that story goes to press."

"Superman got you down?"

"Taxes, actually," he replied with a smirk. "Most of my employees were more than willing to relocate and take the lower property taxes here in Smallville instead of seeking employment elsewhere."

"A billionaire, worried about some petty taxes?"

"Of course, Miss Sullivan. I can't keep my money if I allow it to float away at every opportunity."

"Of course." She grinned at him, wondering in the back of her mind what the real story was, and at the same time not really caring. Lex was Lex, and Lex wasn't Lionel, and that was really all that mattered to her anymore. The dangers of investigative journalism seemed far less worthwhile to a woman with a small child than they had to a high school girl with virtually no responsibility but herself.

"So, what about you? Lana tells me you have a son. I took it that there was no husband to go with him?"

"You took correctly. It's just me and mini-me."

"Bad breakup?"

"Married man. I haven't seen him since I told him the good news." She shrugged. "Water under the bridge."

"Any prospects?" He rose and brushed his hands off on his jeans, then took the folder and pen from her.

"None. Which sucks, because Ben is starting to notice that all of his friends have two parents, but…"

"You must be lonely."

"Some nights."

He smiled slightly, then turned his attention to the contents of the folder. As he read, Chloe wandered down the path, admiring the flowers as she went. Despite her skimpy dress, she was still sweltering, and sweat began to pour off of her. She easily killed fifteen minutes touring the garden before Lex caught up to her, the folder closed once again.

"Please have copies of these faxed to my office. The Ledger has the number."

She nodded as she took the folder, then lifted the fluffy white dandelion puffball she held in her hand.

"All this space, and this is the only weed I found."

He took it from her, and she noticed his gaze was obviously lingering at her cleavage. She glanced down, and felt her face burn when she realized she'd pushed the zipper down while she was wiping at the sweat that ran between her breasts. Luckily, nothing important was showing, so she chose to ignore it, and thought he had too when he spoke.

"Well, we'd better give him a fighting chance then," he said softly. He blew lightly across the puffy head, and Chloe shivered. Unfortunately, the tiny seeds blew straight into her chest. Had she been looking up, she would have seen Lex's triumphant grin, but she was busily wiping at the little invaders that stuck to the sweat on her skin. As a result, she jumped when he caught her wrist.

"Allow me." His voice had lowered in pitch, and she felt it reverberate through her stomach and into her lower regions. She shivered visibly when he traced a slow line between her breasts with the index finger of his other hand. Pausing only to flick away the seeds, he moved on to skim the edge of the material that suddenly seemed to barely cover her. Her nipples hardened as her breath caught in her throat. Her eyelids drifted to half mast and she focussed on his bare torso. Without thinking, she dropped the folder and moved the zipper further down her body.

Taking advantage of the new slack in the material, Lex pushed the straps of the dress down her shoulders, exposing her bare breasts. His hands moved to cup the milky globes, and Chloe had a moment of panic when she considered the stretch marks she'd earned over nine months of pregnancy and eight months of nursing her son. Lex, however, seemed undaunted by the mottled skin, and she was soon pressing against his fingers as they massaged and pinched her sensitive nipples. She reached up to skim her own hands across his broad shoulders and down the muscles of his arms. It had been literally years since she'd had the opportunity to touch a man that way, and she had no intention of wasting the chance she'd been randomly handed.

Her hips had begun an involuntary undulation by the time her palms started up his back, and Lex slid one hand down to squeeze her bottom. The other caught her by the shoulder and bent her back slightly to give his mouth access to her heaving breasts. The sensation drew a low moan from her throat, and she cupped the back of his head, holding him in place as she quickly finished unzipping her dress and shook it off of her arms. His tongue ran agonizing circles around her pebbled nipple, then quickly flicked it several times before sucking it hard into his mouth. She moaned again, louder this time, and slid one leg around his waist, standing on tiptoe to rub herself against the growing bulge in the front of his pants. He obliged her by gripping her ass in both hands and pressing her harder against him before switching to the other breast. The delicious friction created by her panties sliding against her soaking wet center had her whimpering as she clung to his shoulders.

Suddenly, he thrust her away from him. She started to protest, and then she felt the hard wood of the garden fence against her legs. Lex practically dove to his knees in front of her and dragged her panties over her hips before letting them slip to the ground so Chloe could kick them away. He pushed the delicate folds at her center apart with his thumb and probed her lightly with his tongue. She squirmed with pleasure, which prompted him to lick a slow line from her dripping center to the top of her clit. Her leg wrapped around his shoulder of its own accord, opening her further to him as she pressed him closer. His tongue danced across her moist skin, igniting feelings she'd never gotten from her own fingers, or from any other man, for that matter. As the sun beat down on them, he slid two fingers inside of her. After thrusting hard a few times, he curved them expertly into her g-spot, and she began to pant. Seconds later, her back arched across the fence when she came with a keening cry.

Her inner muscles were still spasming when Lex stood abruptly. She clung to the fence rails for support and watched as he quickly undid his pants and shoved them to his ankles. He caught her roughly under one thigh and hauled her leg around his waist before plunging hard into her. She shrieked in pleasure and thrust against him just as he lifted her completely off the ground and pressed her fully against the boards. He was pounding into her hard and fast, and she could do little more than ride what he gave her… and revel in the feel of her sweat slicked skin sliding against his chest, stimulating her already throbbing nipples, bringing her closer and closer to another mind-shattering orgasm.

"Oh God, you're so tight," he whispered hoarsely in her ear. "So hot, so wet… come for me Chloe, I can't… I can't… come, baby, come now…." His voice trailed off into gasps, and she relinquished her grip on his shoulder with one hand to reach between them and rub her own clit. The added pressure gave her just the edge she needed, and she moaned in ecstasy as her head lolled and her eyes rolled back in her head. Her fluttering walls pushed Lex put of control, and he came in short, powerful thrusts, groaning her name.

They stayed that way for a few long moments before Chloe's legs slowly slid down. She collapsed against him and her head fell to his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently before carefully extricating himself and picking up her clothes from the grass. They dressed quickly, and she retrieved her folder and pen from the ground.

"Well… um… I guess I'll see you around Smallville then." she said shakily.

Lex chuckled a bit and nodded.

"I guess you will. Thanks for stopping by."

"Sure. Um… See you later." She started to walk back to the house to leave, but his hand on her waist stopped her.

"Chloe," he said softly. She turned to look at him and his lips slowly descended over hers. The kiss was slow and almost languid, but no less erotic for that. His tongue licked a burning line across her lips before sucking the lower one between his teeth. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck, and he pulled her close as he deftly licked her upper palate. Their tongues dueled briefly before he pulled back to rest his forehead against hers.

"Let's do this again soon," he said, smiling.

"Okay," she whispered, her signature grin lighting up her face.

"Very soon?"

"Call me."

She was almost out of sight when he called to her one more time.

"It's been a long time, Chloe."

"A very long time, Lex."

And then she was gone.


(end?)

[kitten]

I keep squinting at that last word and it still seems to say 'end' but other than that a wonderful opening chapter for a story. Great smut, realistic characters and an interesting premise.

[tiger04]

:yay2: :yay2: :yay2: More please more. That could be such a great start to a story. I hope that you will update again.

AT

[lexchloe]

(end?)

End? What is this end you speak of?????


Great start, that was some very smutalicious :smut: :drool: . I'd love to see what kind of a relationships develop between Chloe and Lex (emotional as well as sexual) and Lex and Ben.

[Rae]

Hee. I'm incapable of saying much else. So, hee. That was a great fic! I sincerely hope you'll continue this, AlabamaWorley. It would be interesting to see Lex around children, especially one as young as Ben. Plus, the Chlex! You write it so well. Makes me all tingly.

And I'm crossing my fingers Ben will get his very own (bald) daddy.

[June]

Delicious story. Loved the smut, loved the Chlex, loved the scene in the garden with Lex and no shirt. Ah, just loved this.

*sniffs around* I think I smell a sequel. Maybe? Possibly? Surely you set it up for possible smut filled Chlex encounters and you can't let that go to waste can you?

[Zannie]

You had me from the beginning with poor frustrated Chloe. And then the situation you set up with her life-experiences was so real it was achey. And then I kind of melted into a puddle of drool at the image of bare-chested Lex wearing jeans in the mud. And then they started talking and were so thrillingly in character. And then . . . and then . . . and it just got better from there.

But I'm pretty sure you have one typo. That word you spelled "end" should be spelled "TBC." Otherwise, it was absolutely perfect.

More. More. And then some more after that.

Please?

[autumngold]

Originally posted by Rae@Jan 10 2005, 11:30 AM

And I'm crossing my fingers Ben will get his very own (bald) daddy.
Exactly!! Ben also needs brothers and sisters!! Please continue!! :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[hfce]

You are writing more right? This is not the end right? :devil:

[crankychick]

:nono:
And then she was gone.
You get back there, girl - my smut quota for the day has not been met!

AlabamaWorley, that was a great SmutPicnic. I hope you continue it, but if not, I'll read this one over and over again. :worship2:

[chril1]

(end?)

i do not understand this word, neither do i accept it, it goes against all i believe in.

also it would be beneficial to you if you were to continue ;) , not that i bribe or anything

love lea
xxx

[buddyfozzy]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Jan 10 2005, 08:42 AM
(end?)
Surely that's a mistake, what you really mean TBC.

This was such a great start, the smut was amazing! :smoker: :smoker: :smoker:

I would love to see them have a relationship, and Lex with Chloe's little boy....Lex with a kid is so cute. :wub: :wub: :wub:

[asharnanae]

MORE!! that cant be the end, its a typo, say it is!!! :blinkkiss:

[AlabamaWorley]

a/n: Flattery is definitely the way to convince me! I think I can fit a plot line I've been wanting to try into this fic, so we'll see where it goes.

This next part is a bit of raunchy conversation between girls, mostly for character building and entertainment. I might be slow after this, because I'm still outlining the rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The phone was ringing when Chloe entered her house the next evening, Ben in tow. She tossed her purse in the general direction of the couch and grabbed the cordless off of the desk. Ben kicked off his sandals and headed for the TV.

“Hello?”

“You sound out of breath.”

“I just got in, I ran for the phone.”

“Oh, sorry. How’s the little man?”

“Good. He’s already communing with the cartoons.”

“That kid watches too much TV.”

“Yes, Mommie Dearest. What do you want?”

“How long have you known? And why didn’t you give me the scoop?”

“I just found out yesterday.”

“Editing the article?”

“No, I got it from the source.”

“You talked to Lex?”

Ben’s head popped up over Chloe’s shoulder just before his little arms caught her around the neck.

“Who’s that, Mommy?”

“It’s Lois, honey.”

“Can I talk to her?” His chubby fingers were already reaching for the phone. Chloe heard Lois’ chuckle over the line before it was removed from her ear. While Ben chatted with their cousin, she slipped off her shoes and went to change her clothes. By the time she returned, Ben was making non-committal noises into the phone while he focused most of his attention on the screen in front of him. When Chloe knelt next to him, he handed her the phone without a word.

“Okay, you’re done!” she said into the receiver, laughing.

“I knew I was losing him. He talked for a few minutes, though.”

“Yeah, he’s getting better.”

“So anyway… you talked to Lex?”

“Yep.”

“Was it awkward?”

“At first,” Chloe said, smiling to herself.

“I hear that smile, Chloe Sullivan! You nailed him, didn’t you?”

“Just a minute, let me get into the bedroom…” She quickly locked the front door, then darted back into her room, away from Ben’s young ears. “Yeah, I did. Well, actually, it was more he did.”

“Chloe, you shouldn’t be getting involved with him. He’s bad news now!”

“I’m not getting involved, Lois. It was just.. I don’t know… a hello between friends.”

“But you’ll do it again, won’t you?”

“Well, probably. I’m a lonely woman, Lois. I need companionship.”

“Geez. How long has it been since you two last… did it?”

“Um… let’s see, he got engaged to number three about eight years ago. About that long, I guess.”

“Slut.”

Chloe giggled.

“You’re just jealous you can’t get into the big red underpants.”

“That’s really none of your business,” Lois replied in her snootiest voice.

“Fine, I’ll just ask Clark.”

“He won’t tell you.”

“No, but I’ll be able to tell by the shade of his blush what the answer is.”

“Oh, shut up! Clark respects me, he wants to wait until we get married.”

“Oh, you’re getting married now?” The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. “Lois!”

“No! Well, he hasn’t proposed yet, anyway. And I don’t know that I’d want to.”

“Why, because of the whole cape thing? You’d be an idiot to let him go. Besides, you’re obviously not getting past first base until you let him put a shiny ring on that finger.”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“What? New developments? Spill, bitch!”

“Let’s just say my little vibrating friend is now Clark’s little vibrating friend. And, I found the answer to our question about whether or not the superspooge could blow a hole in me.”

“Oooh, too much information. Tell me anyway.”

“It cannot.”

“Have you tested this theory?”

“I have, and my throat is fine. He promised me that never, even in his most adolescent Lana-fueled sessions with auto-erotica, did he ever cause any sort of damage to any bed sheet, toilet bowl, or shower enclosure at any time.”

“Oh my God, he confessed to spanking it over Lana?”

“Men will confess to a lot of things if you lick them the right way.”

Both women collapsed into peals of laughter, which brought Ben running into the bedroom.

“What’s so funny, Mommy?”

“Oh, Lois just told me a funny story about Clark. Go back to your show, I’ll be done in a minute and then we’ll eat.”

“Okay.” He ran back the way he’d come, and Chloe returned to her conversation.

“So is he big? Any weird alien plumbing I should know about?”

“Of course, and no, dork. Back to Lex. What the hell?”

“We were talking in the garden, and then suddenly we weren’t talking. You know, sometimes it just happens.”

“With you and Lex, it always happens. Outside, hunh? Was it good?”

“Of course. It was like we’d never been apart.”

“So… what? You’ll be his booty call girl again until he finds another high society tramp to hook up with?”

“Maybe. Maybe I’ll find true love first, you never know.”

“True.” Lois sighed. “You know Superman is the real reason he’s leaving.”

“I know. But I don’t want to know.”

“Chloe…”

“I know, Lois. But I’m not getting that involved in his life. I don’t even want him to meet Ben. I just want no strings and no intrigue. Just… just let me know if there’s anything particularly Lionel-like I should know about, okay?”

“So I should keep the extra-shady industrial espionage and the illegal testing and dumping to myself?”

“Yeah. I’m sure I’ll read about it in the Planet, right?”

“Right. Hey, Clark’s here, I’ve got to go.”

“Tell him hi for me. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, Chloe.”

Chloe hung up the phone and stared at the wall for a moment. Briefly, she wondered what on earth she was thinking, but she knew Lex wouldn’t let her get involved in anything that could get her or Ben in trouble. Not anymore.

Humming happily, she went to fix her son’s supper.


(TBC)

[autumngold]

I'm so glad that you're continuing this great story!! So is Ben's dad who I think it is? Please, please update soon and let me know!! :wub: :chlexsign4: :wub:

[lexchloe]

:yay: :yay: You're continuing the story, big :hug: for you then!!!!! So this isn't the first time they have hooked up??? Interesting. I kinda hope the no strings fun turns into something deeper. Can't wait for more.

[kitten]

:yay:

*does a zippy dance*

I knew I was reading that wrong. It was the end of the first chapter.

[asharnanae]

:cool: now thats cool! :blinkkiss:

[marcela]

I really enjoyed this story. Maybe because Lex and Chloe were very into character, in my opinion. Definitely because of the opportunity of a shirtless Lex. But mostly because of Chloe's son. I think it adds a realistical view of things, because it could so happen, you know? And it does happen in real life. Plus, I think it would be nice to see Lex being a father for this kid, because it's very important that children grow up having a relationship with their father. I hope you continue writing this story, it seems to have a lot of potential.

[June]

Your not really planning to keep Lex away from Ben are you? I think I would like to see that interaction. And definately more Lois, I love Lois, I adore a well written Lois. Ah, AlabamaWorley, this story is fast becoming addicting. Can't wait for more.

[hfce]

Why do I get the feeling that Lex has something to do with that child? Hmmm :devil: Or am I reading it wrong??.... More please.... :biggrin:


Hope :chlexsign4:

[Thessaly]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Jan 10 2005, 09:21 PM
“Well, probably. I’m a lonely woman, Lois. I need companionship.”
Don't we all. And yet not all of us get "companioned" by Lex Luthor up against a garden fence. More's the pity.

Please write more of this lovely fic because I can foresee trouble coming, despite Chloe's resolve not to get Ben or herself mixed up with Lex's world. Also I can foresee more smut. Lots of it. Uncanny, that.

Thessaly (Medium to Rare)

[Ainur]

:biggrin: Very entertaining. Can't wait for more.

[randa]

im loving this fun little fic you have going on here


randa

[Rae]

“I’m not getting involved, Lois. It was just.. I don’t know… a hello between friends.”

I'd love to see what their 'How are you?' is like. And, uh, where can I get a hello like that? :devil: Looooooooooving this! I'm so glad you updated.

[sydsvaughn]

Yep, I too would like to know where you get a "lex hello" like that one. Sigh. I so can't wait to see where you go with this, it's intriguing!

SaraC

[jem]

didnt chloe tell lois her last time with lex was eight yrs ago?? how old is ben?

[Zannie]

Hooray! I knew that "end" at the end was just a typo. Now many more chapters of Chlexy goodness and in-character, hilarious dialogue. Like this:


Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Jan 10 2005, 10:21 PM
“Oh my God, he confessed to spanking it over Lana?”

“Men will confess to a lot of things if you lick them the right way.”


Hee hee hee hee hee.

Great plot developments, what with the background between Chloe and Lex and everything. Can't wait to see how you develop this.

More soon please.

[AlabamaWorley]

For those of you wondering, Chloe and Lex haven't been together for about eight years and Ben is four, so this is not that story :)

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!

[crankychick]

It was just.. I don’t know… a hello between friends
:chlexsign1: That's hello, the Chlexy way :chlexsign1:

I'm so happy you're continuing this and kudos on that great Lois/Chloe dialogue scene. It's great when the women come out to play :cool:

[Ori]

This is a really great story, from the excellent beginning that showed so much promise to the funny chat between cousins. I can't wait to see where the next segment goes. Maybe a little Lex thinking. A little Ben and Lex interaction. This is amazing. Thank you for writing such a great story.

[Sab_Luthor]

it's a very interesting story i loved it so far
sooo lex is the father huh
more soon please

[Chimera0523]

Great story!! So Chloe knows about Clark and she has Lex’s son. Could the plot twist any more? Got to love it. :chlexsign4:

~Michelle

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: I've puzzled over this story at length, desperately trying to take it from the fairly fluffy PWP it was supposed to be to either an in-depth, emotional tale or a solid sex comedy.

Not gonna happen. If it totally starts to blow, let me know and I'll do what I can. Thanks for all of the encouragement!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lex glanced at his watch: 10:56 a.m. He tapped his pen on his desk as he carefully studied his schedule for the rest of the day. He had an appointment at 11:00 that he intended to cut off by 11:45 at the latest, at which time he would call the Smallville Ledger and inform them that he remembered Chloe’s considerable journalistic talents from when she was in high school, and that he wanted her to be his personal liaison between LexCorp’s new home offices and the local paper. He would further demand her time for most of the rest of the afternoon for interviews with himself and the human resource department on the company’s plans for hiring locally over the next six months. Once Chloe arrived, he would hand her the written releases he’d had drawn up, make sure she stowed them carefully in her bag, and spend the next several hours breaking in his new desk, couch, windowsill, private conference table, and any other bit of his office suite that they found sturdy and useful.

It had only been six days since he’d seen her in the garden. Already, he couldn’t imagine how he’d gone eight years. Motherhood had been kind to her already ample curves, and the young face that had been so naughtily irresistible before had matured into a very sexy woman. And best of all, she hadn’t been with anyone in some time, if her tight--

The intercom buzzed and his secretary announced the arrival of his 11:00. Lex adjusted himself quickly and stood to greet his guest. Brad Caruthers co-owned a small chemical supply company that LexCorp frequently did business with. While the young man was really a nobody in the grand scheme of things, it still wouldn’t be appropriate to greet him with a the beginnings of an overanxious hard-on, especially in light of recent tragic events.

“Brad, good to see you. I was so sorry to hear about your wife and son.”

“Thank you, Lex. I appreciated the donation you made in their honor.” He fumbled with his tie for a moment before rushing on. “I won’t beat around the bush, I know you’re a busy man. They’re actually why I’m here.”

Lex gestured for the other man to sit while he did the same.

“What can I do for you?”

“I don’t know if you are aware of the events surrounding the death of my family.”

“Only what I saw in the paper. It was very foggy, the truck jack-knifed out of nowhere.”

“Right. Only it wasn’t out of nowhere. Long story short, my partner has been trying to bully me into selling my half of the business to him for some time now. Over the past couple of months, it’s gotten pretty ugly. I’m sure he was behind their deaths.”

“I see.” Lex contemplated the situation for a moment before replying. He hated this kind of stuff. It reminded him of something Lionel would do. “And where do I fit in to all of this?”

“I know you know people. I just need a phone number.”

The response was expected, but Lex needed a little more before he would take the bait.

“For what, exactly?”

Caruthers looked down, presumably gathering his courage. He was visibly shaking, and Lex had a sudden pang of sympathy for him. He had just lost his family. He was about to take pity on him and prompt an answer when the other man looked up at him, his eyes red with his barely concealed anguish.

“I want him to go through what I’ve gone through. I want his wife and daughter.”

That was not expected... or acceptable.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to put you in contact with someone who can kill an innocent woman and her child as revenge for the death of your family?”

“They are no more innocent than Sherri or Jordan were! I want him to know what he’s done!” Caruthers had lost all pretense of control at this point, and seemed to be on the verge of hysteria. Lex was suddenly overwhelmed by the situation, and quickly scrawled a number from his rolodex onto a scrap of paper.

“I won’t help you kill innocent people. But if you want to take care of your partner, call this man.” He thrust the note at his associate. “Please don’t contact me about this matter again.” Mumbling his thanks, Caruthers hurried from the room.

Lex flopped backwards in his chair and sighed as the momentum carried him towards the wall. Briefly, he closed his eyes and tried to get back the feelings he’d had before his appointment.

But he’d suddenly remembered exactly how it had been so easy to let Chloe Sullivan’s soft, sweet body go for eight whole years, and why he’d moved onto the vapid brunettes he’d chosen for wives three, four, and five. If Caruthers had the nerve to ask, the man whose phone number he had been given would kill whomever he wished, regardless of what Lex had told him. He’d kill Lex himself if offered enough. Hit men were not generally concerned with the guilt or innocence of their victims, only the price on their heads. In corporate war games, to be close to a big player made you a target – a fact Lex knew only too well, as marriage number four had not ended in divorce.

So Lex didn’t stay close to people he truly cared about. And, above all else, Chloe was his friend. Her safety, and that of her son, came above the base needs of his thoughtless dick.

Looking back at his schedule, he penciled in a surprise plant inspection for 1:00. On his way out the door for lunch, he tossed the releases in the recycle bin and asked his secretary to set up an interview between the head of HR and the Ledger.

Some people were just worth too much to risk.




Chloe was getting into her car to go to lunch when her cell phone rang. She snatched it out of her purse anxiously and scanned the caller ID. Cursing herself for getting overexcited about nothing yet again, she answered.

“Hi Lana.”

“Hey! I know you’re about to go to lunch, so I won’t keep you. I just wanted to see if you and Ben were free for dinner on Friday night.”

“Oh God, don’t tell me I’m confused about Pete’s birthdate again.”

Lana laughed.

“No, you have three more weeks to remember to shop. I just wanted to have Lex over to welcome him back to Smallville, and I thought it would be nice if there was more than one friendly face.”

“Right, and that one face sure as hell won’t be Pete’s.”

“He’s promised to be civil! I told him it would be good for his plans to become sheriff if he learned to get along with people he doesn’t like.”

“Uh-hunh. Or in the case of Lex, people on which he’d like to inflict some police brutality.”

“Exactly! So can you come?”

Chloe stared out the windshield of her car, torn. On the one hand, Ben loved to play at the Ross farm, complete with its three dogs that adored him. On the other hand, Lex hadn’t called in six days. He was probably totally regretting their little tête-à-tête in the garden, and it would be completely humiliating to have to face him over dinner.

“Hello? Chloe? Are you there?”

Then again, she could always just be rude to him. Maybe Ben could even spill something on him.

“Sure, we’ll be there. Want me to bring anything?”

If nothing else, Pete would enjoy it.

(TBC)

[crankychick]

But he’d suddenly remembered exactly how it had been so easy to let Chloe Sullivan’s soft, sweet body go for eight whole years, and why he’d moved onto the vapid brunettes he’d chosen for wives three, four, and five. If Caruthers had the nerve to ask, the man whose phone number he had been given would kill whomever he wished, regardless of what Lex had told him. He’d kill Lex himself if offered enough. Hit men were not generally concerned with the guilt or innocence of their victims, only the price on their heads. In corporate war games, to be close to a big player made you a target – a fact Lex knew only too well, as marriage number four had not ended in divorce.

:badboy:Lex, mon ami, what did you do or what was done to you? I felt awful for Caruthers, but that feeling was displaced quickly by the curiosity I have for Lex's briefly mentioned wives, in particular no. 4. How much has he been scarred by the sudden loss and how will those ghosts affect his blossoming relationship with Chloe?

Great job and a welcome update! :biggrin: Cannot wait to read more and I think you're doing a great job.

[lexchloe]

:yay: Update!!! Ah Lex there you go again being all noble, don't you see you're standing between Chlexers and :smut: ? You could end up geting hurt!!! :biggrin:

It's nice to see how much he obviously care's for Chloe since he's unwilling to put her in danger. I felt bad Caruthers and how he lost his family and even though I think his plans for revenge are wrong I can get why he wants to make his partner suffer. Can't wait for Lana's dinner party and Chlexy tension.

[buddyfozzy]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Jan 25 2005, 10:33 PM
Some people were just worth too much to risk.
I'm happy that Lex cares so much for Chloe. :wub: :wub:

Can't wait for the dinner, wonderful update!!! :yay: :worship2: :yay:

[hfce]

Oh this will be a fun and I feel naughty dinner. :devil: Great update by the way and shame on Lex for waiting so long to call her. ;)




Hope :chlexsign4:

[tiger04]

That was great update. I can't wait for the friday dinner. When they are all in the same room.

Please update soon

AT

[autumngold]

I have the feeling that Lex is going to regret not getting back in touch with Chloe, no matter how noble his reasons might be!! Thank you so much for the update!! I can't wait for your next chapter when Chloe and Lex meet again!! :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[randa]

dinner is evil for those two, but now they just have to sneek off :devil:
great update


randa

[Zannie]

I'm so happy about the new chapter. I was just about to consider nagging for an update--very glad I didn't have to look so desperate.

Very interesting developments, with some intriguing character development of Lex. For some reason, this line struck me as very sweet:


Her safety, and that of her son, came above the base needs of his thoughtless dick.

Like everyone else, I'm really looking forward to the dinner scene. And I hope that Chloe is very rude and witty and that Ben spills something bright red on one of Lex's favorite shirts--just for kicks.

Great update. More soon please.

[June]

Maybe the reason Lex has so many wives is because deep down he knows that once he gets married to Chloe (which is destined, come on!) that's it, he's stuck with her for the rest of his life. Which isn't a bad thing in the least, but he's just... exploring his options.

Looking very, very forward to the Dinner. And don't worry Zannie, I was just about to start nagging too.

Great chapter.

[sydsvaughn]

I love this chapter... although, part of me wonders if you've red herringed us by Brad's 'vendetta' and just who it might be against. Then again, I could be crazy when I start overanalyzing this lovely fic.

More soon please!

SaraC

[Rae]

Great update! I couldn't stop smiling. :biggrin:

So, uh, when do we get more? Hmm? Chop, chop&#33; <Claps hands>

[Thessaly]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Jan 25 2005, 09:33 PM
“He’s promised to be civil&#33; I told him it would be good for his plans to become sheriff if he learned to get along with people he doesn’t like.”

“Uh-hunh. Or in the case of Lex, people on which he’d like to inflict some police brutality.”

“Exactly&#33; So can you come?”
If Lex is there, that last question is pretty much redundant. I just hope they&#39;re slightly more discreet this time. Pete will make sure Lex is peeing blood if he catches him "saying hello" to Chloe in his house.

Also Ben is too young to know about these things.

Wow, I sounded teacher-stern there. It may be misleading. I really want the smut. More please?

Thessaly

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Thanks for all the lovely feedback&#33; I&#39;m actualy planning to post another upddate after this one tonight, but I can only write so much smut (even short smut) at a time, especially at work. ;) Also, I want to think about whether and what to write for the meal, as the next important thing occurs after dinner. As a result, this is fairly short again - sorry about that.

So, here&#39;s the predinner. Smut flashback and (hopefully) some comedy. Maybe even some plot, you never can tell about these things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Lex approached the sheriff’s department patrol car in the other lane, he automatically moved to slam on the brakes of his custom-built Lamborghini. But when his eyes tracked to the speedometer, he found himself in the unusual predicament of driving under the speed limit. Despite the fact that he was undoubtedly going to be late, his subconscious was dreading the impending arrival at the Ross (formerly Potter) farm and the awkward situation he was sure to encounter.

It had been over a week since he’d seen Chloe. He hadn’t called her, though he knew he owed her an explanation at the very least. He’d even gone so far as to actively avoid her, driving past the Talon and heading back to the mansion instead of keeping an appointment with Martha... all because he’d seen Chloe leading Ben into the establishment by the hand. He couldn’t see her, especially not with her son. It was just too damn complicated.

But here he was, heading off to have dinner with her- in the lion’s den, no less. Pete Ross would string him up by his balls if he ever found out that Lex had touched her, much less used her and then left her hanging. He’d never buy that pathetic excuse of not wanting her to get hurt, because he would rightfully feel that Lex never should have allowed Chloe to be put into a position where it might have been a concern in the first place. And, as everyone knew, Chloe and Lex together always meant trouble wasn’t far behind. Slowing for the turn onto the first gravel road, Lex’s mind drifted back to the first time he’d been with Chloe.

It was just a few weeks after Lionel’s release from prison. He’d done an admirable job of keeping up the Good Samaritan pretense, and had even managed to procure a grant from the state to open an office in downtown Smallville for the purposes of operating a Human Development Corporation.

Lex hadn’t bought it for a minute, and Chloe wasn’t far behind. After several failed attempts at subtle reconnaissance, they’d decided to conduct a late night break-in on the office. They’d found the information they’d been looking for easily enough, but the sudden appearance of a rent-a-cop had startled them. They’d raced through the back alleys of the downtown district, unable to shake the guard and his partner. Finally, they’d reached the back of the Talon and Lex had quickly keyed in the security code to open the door. They’d ducked in and huddled in the outer entry just before their pursuers had rounded the corner. Unfortunately, Lex didn’t happen to also have the key to open the inner door. Before long, they’d heard several police officers join the chase, so they’d been trapped. It was almost an hour before the sounds dissipated.

It was only about a four by four space. It was cold. They’d been sort of panting, adrenalin-charged, caught in the moment, standing very close together to keep warm. Lex had no idea how they’d gone from listening with bated breath to the final departure of the last officer to groping blindly in the dark enclosure. He remembered Chloe yanking off her gloves to unzip his pants when he was still working on her neck. He’d already been mostly hard; in retrospect, the feeling of his erection pressing into her back might have been what had prompted Chloe to turn to him in the first place. But still...

“Chloe, slow down. Why don’t we get out of here first? We can go back to the mansion or--”

“If I break curfew again, especially if my dad finds out I was with you... I don’t even want to contemplate the length of grounding I would receive.”

“What time do you have to be home?”

“Midnight.”

Lex had released her to press the light on his watch.

“That’s twenty minutes from now.”

“It takes me ten to get home.”

He’d attacked her then. His gloves had come off, and he’d reached under her shirt to squeeze her breasts with one hand while he’d made quick work of the fly of her jeans. His fingers slid easily into her warm, wet canal. He’d tweaked her nipples and stroked her clit briefly, but then her hands had found their way inside his pants. He’d gasped as she massaged his sack while she gently freed his cock. He’d turned her quickly, and she’d braced her palms against the wall while he pulled her pants over her hips.

“Condom?” he’d managed to rasp.

“Pill,” she’d replied. He’d entered her then, and they’d groaned together at the perfect fit. He’d immediately begun moving slowly inside of her - long, deep thrusts that had her moaning. She’d grabbed his hand and pulled it between her legs. Pressing her fingers over his, she’d tutored him in her rhythm until he felt her begin to shake somewhere deep inside. Her hand had darted up her shirt, and he’d imagined her teasing her own nipples. He’d felt her walls start to flutter around him, and barely managed to hold off his own release until he was sure she was in the midst of a full-fledged orgasm.

The freezing winter air put a serious damper on their post-coital moment.

“Lex, that was incredible, but I have to go. I’m freezing my ass off here, and its bare state is really not helping matters.”

He’d leaned away from her then, and the shock of cold air on his wet shaft had had him agreeing immediately. They’d dressed in a rush, then carefully peeked out the door. Finding the way clear, they’d run off toward movie theatre parking lot where they’d stashed their vehicles.

Lex shook his head as he pulled into Pete and Lana’s driveway. Chloe’s car was already there, and the thought of facing her immediately deflated the slightly stiff feeling he’d acquired in his pants. Taking a deep breath, he opened the car door.




Chloe was standing in the kitchen window absently shaking the lingering water from the noodles in the colander. She saw Lex’s fancy new car pull in behind her little economy number and suddenly felt woefully inadequate. Maybe it was PMS, but she really wasn’t sure she was up to snarking him into indigestion after all. Why on earth would she have expected he’d still want anything to do with her anyway? Of course he wouldn’t call--

She slammed the colander down hard enough to cause Lana to look up from the pot she was stirring at the stove.

“Did the sink offend you somehow? Pete says it’s demon-possessed.”

“That’s because Pete is not the plumber he claims to be,” Chloe replied, chuckling despite her inner battle. “I was just having some unpleasant nostalgia. You know, high school inadequacies we thought we grew out of and all.”

Lana glanced out the window to see what Chloe was looking at. Lex was nearly to the house.

“You’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and gosh darnit, people like you. And if that doesn’t help, just keep reminding yourself that although you both have crazy mothers, your dad is way cooler.”

Chloe was just about to laugh when a small figure darted around the corner of the house... closely pursued by three less small figures. Before Lex could react, Ben had leaped onto the side of the porch, and a Great Pyrenees, a black Lab, and a very large Collie were plowing into the billionaire. He went down immediately, and all three dogs commenced with enthusiastic licking and pawing of the newcomer.

Ben stood in bashful shock on the porch. Pete, who had apparently been tailing the group, was also on the ground, clutching his stomach and rocking back and forth as he gasped for air between guffaws. The last thing Chloe saw before she collapsed to the floor in a fit of helpless laughter was Lana racing out the door, alternating between calling the dogs and berating her husband.

(TBC)

[buddyfozzy]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Feb 9 2005, 12:16 AM
“You’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and gosh darnit, people like you.
HAHA&#33;&#33; One of my all time favorite SNL sketches&#33; :yay: :yay: :yay:

Wonderful update, the smut was hot&#33; :smoker: :smoker: :smoker: I love the ending with Lex being tackled by the dogs. :hehe: :lol: :hehe: :lol:

[hfce]

The smut was :drool: that was god. But the end was :lol: I loved it.


Hope :)

[randa]

im glad lex got attacked by the dogs. it was perfectly hilarioius
more soon


randa

[June]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Feb 9 2005, 12:16 AM
He’d attacked her then. His gloves had come off, and he’d reached under her shirt to squeeze her breasts with one hand while he’d made quick work of the fly of her jeans. His fingers slid easily into her warm, wet canal. He’d tweaked her nipples and stroked her clit briefly, but then her hands had found their way inside his pants. He’d gasped as she massaged his sack while she gently freed his cock. He’d turned her quickly, and she’d braced her palms against the wall while he pulled her pants over her hips.


Hot, back of the alley smut, there&#39;s nothing like it.

I enjoyed this update greatly, can&#39;t wait for more.

[Shanna]

Okay, I&#39;m a relative newcomer to the world that is Chlex. Hey, better late than never, right? Anyway, may I just say...ahem...

YOU TOTALLY ROCK&#33;&#33;&#33;

Your fics are so well written. The wording flows seamlessly and it&#39;s a pleasure to read each chapter. Oh, and the smut completely fogs up my monitor.

Now that this portion of the sucking up has concluded, please post more&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

Shanna :suckup:

[autumngold]

Excellent update&#33;&#33; I can just picture Pete laughing too hard to call his dogs off&#33;&#33; Thank goodness for Ben&#33;&#33; Even if Chloe&#39;s snarking isn&#39;t up to par, Ben and the dogs should have shook Lex up enough so he won&#39;t notice&#33;&#33; Post again soon please&#33;&#33; :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[sydsvaughn]

The image of Lex bowled over by the dogs ... priceless&#33;

Loved the update&#33;

SaraC

[lexchloe]

:yay: Alley smut = :drool: Lex being knocked over by the dogs :lol: Can&#39;t wait to see where the rest of the night takes them.

[Zannie]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Feb 9 2005, 12:16 AM
“Lex, that was incredible, but I have to go. I’m freezing my ass off here, and its bare state is really not helping matters.”
Perfect Chloe line.

I&#39;ve got to say, I&#39;m very much impressed by the back-of-alley-entry-space-while-being-pursued-by-rent-a-cop smut.

And I like that Lex feels frustrated and kind of guilty over the Chloe situation. But that doesn&#39;t mean that I didn&#39;t howl with laughter when those wonderful dogs knocked him down and started licking him to death. You can always count on dogs to do the right thing . . .

Great update. More very soon please.

[Blaire023]

lmao, did lana just quote stuart? *g*

i&#39;m loving this so far, sorry it took me so long to find it. ;)

[Mrs.Luthor]

Originally posted by buddyfozzy@Feb 9 2005, 01:19 AM
HAHA&#33;&#33; One of my all time favorite SNL sketches&#33; :yay: :yay: :yay:
Have you seen "Stuart Saves His Family"??? That movie is HILARIOUS...especially if you&#39;re a big SNL fan. :biggrin:

[Delphine]

Loved it loved it loved it&#33;&#33;&#33; Keep up the good work, I WANT more I tell you&#33; More&#33; :biggrin:

[Blu_FireFly81]

I&#39;m sooo lovin this fic&#33;

:chlexsign3:

[Sidhe]

That was beyond fantastic&#33; PLEASE keep up this fic&#33;

:chlexsign4:

[red turtle]

:chlexsign4: More please&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; :puppyeyes:

[BellaMR]

Fabulous so far. I can&#39;t wait to see what Lex does if he ever manages to pull himself out from under the dogs. Anytime you want to add that would be great. How about now? ...... now? ......now? sigh I&#39;ll guess I&#39;ll just have to wait patiently then.

[Zannie]

Okay, I&#39;ve tried to be patient. Really. I have. But I&#39;m really very needy. And Lex is still being attacked by dogs.

And my nagging of crankychick paid off, so I thought maybe I&#39;d try it with you too.

Update soon, please.

Please?

I&#39;m planning a shout-out to you in my next chapter of "Road Tripping," so maybe that can count as a bribe.

Are you responsive to bribery? To begging and pleading? To threats? (Because I can do threats too.)

All right. That&#39;s all. Just update soon.

Please.

[malugargula]

OMG what a wonderful fic
I&#39;m loving it
Please update soon

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Thanks to everyone for all of the feedback and encouragement. Sorry for the delay.

This one&#39;s for Zannie, who bribes like a pro :blinkkiss: It&#39;s only fitting, since my total lack of planning before starting this has resulted in the necessity of including a flashback in every entry - a technique you have gotten down pat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luckily, Ben was the first one to enter the house. He ran over to his mother and threw his little arms around her, torn between a bout of shyness regarding the stranger outside and a need to share in her glee over the antics of his three good friends. By the time Lana entered, Lex in tow, and headed for the bathroom, Chloe was calmly listening to her son describe the new kittens in the barn loft. She was very careful to not look at her former paramour, and as a result maintained her straight face until Pete came in. One glance at his delighted expression had her burying her face in her son&#39;s little neck to mask the giggles and snorts that she couldn&#39;t control.

Dinner was strained, yet uneventful. Ben answered Lana&#39;s questions about preschool, Lex answered Lana&#39;s questions about his relocation, and Chloe answered Lana&#39;s questions about the latest news in the Ledger. Pete threw peas at Ben when he thought Lana wasn&#39;t looking, and Lex threw sad glances at Chloe when he thought no one was looking. For her part, she didn&#39;t look at him at all.

Finally, the meal ended. Chloe helped Lana clear the table, then hustled out of the kitchen when Lex joined them.

"Ben? Sweetie, we need to get going&#33;"

The little man in question careened around the corner of the living room, a tractor in each hand and a protest on his lips.

"Pete said I can spend the night&#33;"

"Oh no, short stuff. I said it was okay with me, but you had to ask Lana and your mom." Pete chuckled as Ben eyed his mother warily, then darted into the kitchen. "He&#39;s getting maximum back-up, just in case."

"Are you sure you want him here all night? He&#39;s pretty wound up."

"No problem, we&#39;ll wear him out. It&#39;s good practice."

At that moment, Ben darted back into the hallway and leaped into his mother&#39;s arms.

"Lana said she loves to have me, Mommy. Can I stay? Please?"

"I guess so. But you better behave yourself&#33;"

"I will&#33;" He returned her Eskimo kiss, then reached for Pete. As the pair returned to the living room, Chloe heard her son ask why the stranger in the kitchen had no hair.

"Because," Pete replied, "he&#39;s so bad, his hair was afraid and ran away."



When Chloe got back into town, she was reluctant to go straight home. Despite the fact that it was a relief to occasionally get a break from motherhood and work at the same time, the house always felt strangely empty without Ben home to keep her company. So, she drove to the Talon instead.

She settled into a private corner booth with an Irish creme cappuccino and the latest copy of the Talon literary magazine Martha had been trying out. Lana had done some lovely sketches of summer flowers to decorate the pages, and Lois had submitted one of her sappy romance stories. Chloe was pleased to see that six other people had participated, four more than the previous month. Martha and Gabe had both tried to convince her to write a human interest story to balance the lighter fiction, but she had declined - though not without noticing the increasing communication between her father and the widowed Mrs. Kent. Jonathan had passed away shortly after high school graduation, and Martha had grieved for him for years. But lately, she and Gabe had been spending quite a bit of time sharing home-cooked meals, and had even recently taken Ben to the zoo together. Luckily, Clark was taking it well.

Chloe had very nearly convinced herself to get up and go home when a shadow fell over her table.

"Miss Sullivan. May I join you?"

Without looking up, she sighed and nodded. Lex slid into the booth across from her, a steaming cup of black coffee in his hand. After taking the barest sip of his drink, he leaned back and considered her carefully, obviously calculating how best to phrase what he&#39;d come to say. While she waited to hear his excuse, her mind idly drifted back to the last time he&#39;d given her that look.

"I have to tell you something."

He&#39;d let himself into her tiny apartment in Metropolis. It was only a block off campus, which was convenient for her as a then-sophomore in college. She&#39;d been trying to take a relaxing hot bath; it had been a stressful week of finals, and it was freezing cold outside. A few candles provided the only illumination in the tiny room.

"Okay," she&#39;d replied, sitting upright in the tub. She&#39;d pretended to be oblivious to the bubbles that slid down her bath oil-slicked skin, and to the way he watched the water drip from her nipples, suddenly rock-hard in the chilly air.

"Chloe." He&#39;d even closed his eyes. "I can&#39;t have a rational conversation with you like this."

"What, these?" She&#39;d playfully flicked a droplet before it had a chance to fall on its own. "It&#39;s not my fault you left the bathroom door open. The space heater is only so effective, you know."

He&#39;d feigned aggravation, but when she&#39;d stretched up, he&#39;d bent from his perch on the side of the tub to meet her lips. His kiss was immediately urgent, almost desperate; the arm that snaked underneath her arms was nearly lifting her from the water, while his other hand clutched the back of her head with fingers she was certain were branding her skin. She&#39;d pulled back, and he&#39;d followed her with a splash. They&#39;d twisted onto their sides, legs tangled, water sloshing everywhere. His tongue had lapped the moisture from her skin in a line from the corner of her mouth, along her jaw, and dipping beneath her earlobe, and then down. Her breasts were again under the water; she started to lift herself to give him access, but he&#39;d pushed her back down until her nipple was barely beneath the surface. His mouth had briefly closed over it and provided her scant relief before he&#39;d retreated to hover over it. She couldn&#39;t see what he was doing - as a result, the shriek she released when he forcefully blew a mouthful of water straight onto the peak was as much from surprise as it was from pleasure. Laughing, he sat up and removed his sodden coat, tie, shoes, and socks, tossing them in the general direction of the sink.

She&#39;d been busy admiring the way his soaked silk dress shirt clung to his torso, so the clink of the tub drain being released was unexpected. Her disappointment was curtailed, however, when Lex had immediately turned the water on. He&#39;d adjusted the temperature, then reached up. The massaging showerhead, his housewarming gift when she&#39;d rented the apartment, had had very long hose…

He&#39;d nudged her legs apart and knelt between them. He&#39;d started the spray on a low-pressure pulse, and it felt wonderful. She&#39;d rested her knees on the sides of the tub and reclined on her elbows, her head lolling back as she relaxed into the sensation. When he&#39;d increased the pressure after a few moments, she&#39;d looked up at him to express her appreciation. Instead, she&#39;d found him watching her wantonly spread, wet body hungrily. Aroused even further, she&#39;d begun moving her hips against the spray and bent her arms around so she could fondle her breasts. He&#39;d started to bend over her, but she&#39;d suddenly changed her mind.

She&#39;d rolled partway up, careful to keep his hand and its toy between her legs. She&#39;d made quick work of his button and zipper, then pushed the clinging, wet material from his hips. His cock was barely free before it was in her mouth, and he&#39;d sagged against the side of the enclosure as her tongue had blazed a path up and down the bottom of his shaft. Her head bobbed a few times before she took the head between her lips and sucked hungrily. She was rewarded with a bit of precum, and she&#39;d rubbed her tongue hard against his tip to savor the taste of it in her mouth.

Without warning, he&#39;d increased the pressure of the water on her clit. Her hips had jerked, and she&#39;d fallen back again. He&#39;d bent over her once more and suckled her breast as the showerhead pulsed onto her swollen core. With a long, guttural moan, she&#39;d come for what felt like ages, then collapsed onto the floor of the tub.

Lex had quickly turned off the water, then lifted her out. He&#39;d laid her on the bath mat, then made quick work of his clothes before kneeling between her legs once more. He had deftly slid two fingers inside of her and pumped them in and out a few times to get her juices flowing again before he shifted his position, lifted her hips, and plunged in to the hilt. She&#39;d grabbed the bottom of the cabinet to brace herself, and he&#39;d fucked her hard and fast. Though she&#39;d never admit it, she&#39;d thoroughly enjoyed the caveman approach he&#39;d taken that night, despite the fact that she knew she&#39;d face a challenge walking across campus normally the next day.

After he&#39;d come, he&#39;d collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her neck. She&#39;d almost drifted off to sleep before he&#39;d finally pulled away and allowed his length to slide from her. They&#39;d carefully laid his clothes across the towel racks and the shower curtain rod, and he&#39;d spent the night in her bed.

Although they&#39;d had sex at least twice a week for nearly two years, that was only the third time they had spent the entire night together. Both of the previous times had been the result of bad weather. Though they had never reached a point where Chloe would have called them "lovers" over "friends with benefits," it was still nice to wake in Lex&#39;s warm embrace…

…which was why it had been such a shock when he&#39;d brushed the hair out of her face, told her how beautiful she looked in the morning sun, and informed her that he was getting married and could never see her again.

Chloe snapped back to the present when she realized Lex was speaking to her.

"…sorry I never called you, Chloe. I just realized that it wasn&#39;t in the best interest of yourself or your son for us to become involved again."

She sat up and glanced around the Talon. With the exception of the lone waitress and her boyfriend, who were making goo-goo eyes at each other at the counter, there was no one around. She turned back to him.

"You know, I&#39;m a big girl, Lex. I think I can make my own decisions about who I do or do not become involved with. Besides, I wasn&#39;t aware that a quick fuck in the garden constituted involved. And I certainly wasn&#39;t planning on relating that experience to my son."

"I know that you are a grown woman, and fully capable of taking care of yourself. But it&#39;s just not safe…"

Chloe laughed sharply.

"You&#39;re right, Lex, it wasn&#39;t safe. But that&#39;s really my problem, isn&#39;t it? I can&#39;t imagine that you were planning on spending the next two weeks worrying about whether or not I&#39;ll start my period on time. And thank God you are incapable of carrying or contracting anything."

Lex stared at her for a few moments before he managed a reply.

"You&#39;re on the pill."

"No, I&#39;m not."

"Yes, you were always on the pill."

"That was eight years ago. Do you really think I&#39;ve been maintaining my birth control regimen all that time just in case you decided you wanted to pop back in, literally, sometime?"

Lex&#39;s eyes narrowed.

"I guess I should have realized you weren&#39;t using anything anymore, since you have a child now. Perhaps this unprotected sex is becoming a habit for you?"

Chloe&#39;s hand actually twitched, and she was sure she was going to slap him. She managed to contain herself, though, and settled for grabbing her purse and standing.

"Fuck you, Lex," she hissed. "You don&#39;t know shit about me anymore, and that&#39;s thanks to a decision you made. I will not sit here and be judged by someone who&#39;s been through as many women as you have. Not that it&#39;s any of your business, but Ben&#39;s father was the last man I was with until you last week. I was used to being alone, and now…" She sputtered for a moment, trying to think of a way to complete her sentence without completely humiliating herself. "Now I have to start all over&#33;" Feeling the burn of tears, she stormed out, past the two teenagers who paid her no mind, and out to her car.

Unfortunately, her pride would not let her wipe her eyes before she was away from the Talon, so she had a bit of trouble determining where, exactly, her key was supposed to go to open her car door. A hand on her arm caused her to throw her keys on the ground in a fit of frustration.

"What, Lex? What the hell do you want from me now?"

"I&#39;m sorry. I didn&#39;t mean for things to go this way."

"Whatever." She bent to retrieve her keys, quickly swiping at her tears before she stood. She succeeded in unlocking the door, but the hand that had stayed her arm now prevented her from getting into her car.

"Chloe," he said softly, "do you know what happened to Monica?"

She took, a deep breath, trying to place the name.

"Monica… your fourth wife?" At his nod, she continued. "As I recall, she was killed by a carjacker. I always assumed Lionel was behind it."

"No. She was on my father&#39;s payroll. She was killed by another business rival. Unfortunately, it didn&#39;t keep his company from going under, or prevent his suicide a few weeks later."

"Suicide?"

"Close enough. My point is, I don&#39;t let people I truly care about get close to me anymore. You were my best friend, Chloe. You didn&#39;t care about my money. You didn&#39;t mind when I said we had to stop having sex. But I heard you sobbing through the door after I told you I couldn&#39;t see you at all. Ending our friendship nearly killed us both, I know that." He stopped to gently wipe a tear from her cheek. "But I can&#39;t risk getting it back, because I&#39;d be terrified that someone would hurt you or your son to get to me."

Chloe closed her eyes and chewed on her lip for a moment. When she looked at him again, she reached up and gently cupped his face in her hand.

"Take care of yourself, Lex." She climbed into her car and drove away.



She was almost asleep when she heard the knock at the door. She didn&#39;t even look out the window before she opened it - there was no need.

He kicked the door shut and she melted into him.

"Just for tonight," he whispered into her hair.

"I know," she replied. Her last coherent thought was to hope that Pete didn&#39;t bring Ben home in the morning without calling first.


(TBC)

[hfce]

The smut was :drool: nice but I almost was going to come after Lex for saying those things to her. But he made it up at the end. :clap:


Hope ;)

[Ori]

The tangled webs weaved. Wow. It just keeps getting deeper and deeper. Martha and Gabe interesting.
Someone should sit Lex down and go "fourth marriage and what did we learn from this experiences?"
No birth control huh?
Well this should be interesting.

[autumngold]

My heart is breaking for poor Chloe&#33;&#33; Except for Ben she is so alone&#33;&#33; Thank you so much for the update&#33;&#33; How is Lex ever going to be able to make things right with Chloe? He&#39;s hurt her so much&#33;&#33; :crygreen: :chlexsign4: :crygreen:

[Queen Of Tact]

*cries* that was so sad.... I loved it........

Ok, i&#39;m all up to date on this great fic, so you can mpost more again soon k...


CC

[Reese]

I...but...what...

Okay, let&#39;s start with some quotes and see if that helps...


"Because," Pete replied, "he&#39;s so bad, his hair was afraid and ran away."


:pclol: This is the first of a handful of lines in this fic that actually had me either A) laughing out loud or B) yelling out loud at the monitor.

And yes, it&#39;s a good thing I&#39;m home alone or else I&#39;d have some exclaiming to do...


…which was why it had been such a shock when he&#39;d brushed the hair out of her face, told her how beautiful she looked in the morning sun, and informed her that he was getting married and could never see her again.


As with this line where I actually yelled --out loud...at my monitor -- , "Oh, no he didn&#39;t&#33;"


"Just for tonight," he whispered into her hair.


Oh, who are you trying to kid? Huh? Do we look like we&#39;re buying that?

No, I didn&#39;t think so. :tease:

Great update and happy birthday&#33;

Reese

[lexchloe]

Great update. Loved the flashback :drool: and the Chlex confrontation. I really wanted to :hammer: Lex for sleeping with her then telling her he was getting married though :nobad: but on the other hand I can understand that he thinks that staying away from her is for the best, stupid noble idiot.




Just for tonight," he whispered into her hair.
.

Ahh denial our faithful friend so good to see you again. More soon please

[Sidhe]

Hmmm. Ben&#39;s father is a married man, huh? Lex, you got some splain&#39; to do.

More updates please&#33;

[Zannie]

Oh my. Bathtub smut, complete with massaging showerhead and caveman sex. Oh my.

For some reason, I loved this line:


Pete threw peas at Ben when he thought Lana wasn&#39;t looking, and Lex threw sad glances at Chloe when he thought no one was looking. For her part, she didn&#39;t look at him at all.

And Pete&#39;s joke to Ben about Lex&#39;s hair--that Reese quoted above--was priceless.

I love how much history and backstory you&#39;ve developed between them. You haven&#39;t had to give us a huge amount of information, but it still feels like their past connection is just loaded with emotional resonance.

Also, I like how you&#39;re dealing with the birth control issue. Although I wish Chloe hadn&#39;t stopped herself from slapping him after Lex&#39;s cruelly snide comment.

And, finally, Chloe&#39;s entire reaction to that comment is so precise, so psychologically realistic, it&#39;s almost breathtaking:


I was used to being alone, and now…" She sputtered for a moment, trying to think of a way to complete her sentence without completely humiliating herself. "Now I have to start all over&#33;" Feeling the burn of tears, she stormed out, past the two teenagers who paid her no mind, and out to her car.

Unfortunately, her pride would not let her wipe her eyes before she was away from the Talon, so she had a bit of trouble determining where, exactly, her key was supposed to go to open her car door. A hand on her arm caused her to throw her keys on the ground in a fit of frustration.

"What, Lex? What the hell do you want from me now?"

*shivers* It&#39;s so true that it gives me chills.

Wonderful, wonderful stuff. More very soon please.

Zannie *feeling ridiculously pleased with her bribery efforts and encouraged now to use that strategy more in the future*

[star del mar]

Ok so good smut but...

You stopped there?&#33; Great chapter, update soon&#33;&#33;

Steph*

[Baily007]

please - do not leave us hanging for too long&#33; I need some reassurance that Chloe will be happy again WITH Lex&#33;

[Zannie]

I just reread the your latest update and realized I&#39;d forgotten to mention something before. And I was afraid to just edit my earlier post, in case you aren&#39;t as pathetically needy as I am and read every piece of feedback at least a dozen times.

So, anyway, I really liked this:


You didn&#39;t mind when I said we had to stop having sex. But I heard you sobbing through the door after I told you I couldn&#39;t see you at all.

Just those two sentences speak volumes about the nature and depth of relationship you&#39;re portraying between Lex and Chloe. I love it.

All right. I&#39;ll stop now.

[Lily]

I love this fic&#33; I love the history you&#39;ve given them. And the smut aint bad either&#33; Can&#39;t wait to see where you take it.
-Lily

[sydsvaughn]

Yep, I&#39;d say we need another chapter and we need it now. :)

Loved this one and the history you&#39;re painting for them&#33;

SaraC

[Rae]

Whoa-hoa-hoa. That was a great update&#33; You gave us humor, smut, angst, and sweetness. I could kiss you right now&#33; But that would make me a little creepy, so I&#39;ll settle for thanking you profusely for this wonderful fic.

Thank you&#33; Thank you&#33; Thank you&#33;

[Norah]

I love this story&#33; I just read it from the beginning. I really like how all of your characters seem to be real grown-ups and not teeny-boppers masquerading as adults, which is the case in a lot of Smallville fanfic I read. Your story is funny, hot, and realistic. I can&#39;t wait for more.

[buddyfozzy]

Wow, that was hot :drool: :drool:


"Just for tonight," he whispered into her hair.

Yeah right :hehe: :hehe: :hehe:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: *sighing happily* I just adore feedback. And yes, I read it obsessively too. I poke around for clues as to what I need to emphasize or try harder with. You guys are so cool&#33;

So, I finally figured out exactly where the plot is going. It just sort of materialized on my keyboard while I was typing, it was uncanny. I hope y&#39;all enjoy it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you think you really might be pregnant?” His whisper barely stirred the predawn air.

“I doubt it. It was early in my cycle.” She shifted sleepily in his arms and burrowed into his chest.

“Let me know as soon as you find out.” He stroked her hair gently for a few moments before softly kissing the top of her head. “I should go. I don’t want to risk anyone seeing my car here that wasn’t already up in the middle of the night.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath to try to keep her tears at bay. “It won’t mean anything to anyone if we run into each other sometimes, right?”

His sad smile nearly undid her, but the nod that accompanied it eased her churning stomach a bit.

“I think having the occasional coffee in my own establishment with one of my best customers is a completely innocent and natural occurrence.” He slid out of the bed and dressed quickly. He hugged her goodbye, and then he was gone.




Chloe was just finishing a game of Candyland when the phone rang. Ben raced to answer it; she could tell by his responses that it was Lois on the other end. Chloe had called her shortly after Lex’s departure, but Clark had answered the phone. She had feigned having had a nightmare, and Clark had offered to come sit with her until she fell back asleep. As tempting as the offered comfort had been, she hadn’t wanted to put her friend out over a lie, and she had declined.

Luckily, Lois hadn’t fallen for the fib.

“Something happened with Lex, didn’t it?” she said, foregoing a greeting. Chloe ruffled Ben’s hair before he ran off to play in his room.

“Yeah. He doesn’t want to be around me very much because he’s afraid something might happen to me, or worse, to Ben. I can’t argue with that. So, we’re going to remain very casual acquaintances.”

“I’m getting the feeling that the part you forgot to say was ‘except for last night’.”

“Yeah. Except for that. Ben was at Pete and Lana’s.”

Chloe heard Lois’ light chuckle over the line, and she smiled in spite of herself.

“Well, I told you last week was a hello between friends. Consider this goodbye.” Lois laughed harder, and Chloe tried not to think too deeply about the implications of what she’d just said. She didn’t want to start crying when Ben was around to ask questions.

“Well, I have to say, Chlo-worm, I’m a pleasantly surprised to hear that Lex Luthor still has his heart in at least one right place. Here I thought he’d traded it in when the mileage ran out on his soul.”

“Funny. I guess it doesn’t get much use though. You have to feel sorry for the guy, he can’t have any real friends, because the mere association could be enough to get them killed.”

“Yeah, I feel sorry for him about like I feel sorry for King Midas. He made his bed, and now he has to lie in it all by himself.”

“It’s probably a little easier to judge when the man lying in your bed is a superhero.”

“Chloe, nothing is easy when the man lying in your bed is a superhero.”

The line was silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Lois. I know that. It’s just...”

“I know. It’s okay.” Lois took a deep breath. “Listen, I’m calling from the parking garage, I told Clark I left something in the trunk. I’d better get back upstairs.”

“Okay. Thanks for calling.”

“No problem, I was dying to hear what happened at dinner last night anyway. Are you going to be alright?”

At that moment, Ben came back into the room and snuggled himself into Chloe’s lap with a book. She hugged him with her free arm and he kissed her on the cheek.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I’m going to be fine.”





Jason stormed into Lex’s study early Saturday evening and marched over to the bar.

“Mr. Teague, I believe most people consider Saturday to be a traditional day off. Can I help you with something?”

“Your father is a psychotic asshole.” Lex could all but hear him grinding his teeth.

“Yes. And your mother is a manipulative bitch.”

Jason turned and smirked at Lex before crossing to sit in the chair in front of the desk.

“Right. But my mother hasn’t recently been hassling Martha Kent, or anyone else in Smallville that I know of.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Lana just called me. She’d seen Mrs. Kent this morning at Farmers’ Market. Apparently, Lionel’s gotten a bug up his ass over Clark again, and he’s been calling her at work and at home several times a day.”

“My father has been looking for a reason to call Martha Kent several times a day for almost fifteen years. I suspect his reasoning has more to do with her recent public outings with Gabe Sullivan than with anything to do with Clark Kent.”

“Because we all know how Lionel loves a Sullivan.”

Now it was Lex’s turn to smirk.

“Of course.”

“Anyway, regardless of his true reason, Mrs. Kent is not taking the attention well.”

“I can imagine.” Lex rubbed his scalp thoughtfully. “See if you can find out how serious his interest is. If it’s minor, he won’t risk a public restraining order with the election coming up. If it’s not... I’ll take care of it.”

“I’ll let Lana know we’re looking into it.” Jason rose and started toward the door. “I assume you’d rather Clark not be informed?”

“No,” Lex said as he returned to the work on his laptop. “We’ll tell him after it’s been taken care of. If Superman can’t even take care of his own mother...”

Jason nodded and left. What was between Lex and Clark was nothing he wanted to be involved in. He’d make sure Lana felt the same.




After she’d put Ben to bed, Chloe sat idly staring at her bedroom wall. Lois’ earlier comment about Lex’s lack of heart had her thinking about the past, a place she’d found herself revisiting a lot over the past weeks.

Lex had never been heartless as far as she was concerned. He’d been nothing but good to her, even as far back as the time she’d been unceremoniously dumped out the window of his mansion. Everyone thought they hadn’t spoken for months after Lionel’s trial, but they didn’t know about the late night calls or the regular emails that they opted to keep private. Chloe hadn’t mentioned it to Clark, but Lex was the reason she’d found out about her mother’s mental state in the first place.

And perhaps Clark also didn’t know about Lex’s efforts to protect Chloe from the same downfall, but Lois certainly did.

The new treatments had safely completed the initial testing phase, and Lex had done considerable research on them himself before he’d allowed Chloe to participate as a case study. His approval had earned her a two-week stay at the KU-Metropolis University Hospital, where they treated her every evening before bed and observed her twenty-four hours a day.

The first treatment had not gone well. Actually, it had gone very well as far as the end result, but Chloe had had a seizure just after she returned to her room, and started vomiting shortly thereafter. Lex was there through all of it; though somewhat embarrassing, it was mostly just a comfort to have his familiar presence nearby, watching over her.

After her stomach had finally calmed down and the doctors had been satisfied that she would not have any more convulsions, they had left her alone for the night. When Lois had arrived at the beginning of visiting hours the next morning, Lex was asleep in the chair next to her cousin&#39;s bed. She&#39;d found him in the same position every morning after until Chloe had gone home.

Post-partum depression had very unfortunate effects on the women in Chloe&#39;s family. Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding her pregnancy, she&#39;d never even had a bad crying jag.

And she knew she had Lex&#39;s heart to thank for that.



That night, Gabe’s phone was ringing when he returned home from his first official date with Martha. He didn’t quite make it before the machine picked up, so he stopped to listen to who it was before answering.

“Gabe Sullivan. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from Martha Kent. She doesn’t belong to you.”

He grabbed the phone.

“Hello? Hello?”

The line was dead.


(TBC)

[Krysia]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Feb 25 2005, 02:24 AM


“Well, I told you last week was a hello between friends. Consider this goodbye.” Lois laughed harder, and Chloe tried not to think too deeply about the implications of what she’d just said. She didn’t want to start crying when Ben was around to ask questions.


This is my favourite part because it kinda hits close to home with me. The way you see a situation while you are in the middle of it and the way a best friend tries to make it seem less doomed.
I love the Martha Gabe Lionel twist
great chapter.

[Sidhe]

Nooooo&#33; You come back&#33; *Sniff* :crygreen:


No really, that was a fantastic update. Poor Lex, that man needs a serious hug. Looking forward to the next update.

[hfce]

Isnt there somewhere to get Chlex together and kill lionel? :biggrin:
That was so sweet what Lex did for Chloe. No wonder she can&#39;t stay away from him.

[lilinny]

Fantastic&#33;&#33; Hopefully that is not the end of Lex and Chloe. And Gabe what will happen? I can&#39;t wait to find out&#33;&#33;&#33; :worship2:

[June]

“Your father is a psychotic asshole.” Lex could all but hear him grinding his teeth.

“Yes. And your mother is a manipulative bitch.”

*claps hands* loved it.... boy did I ever.

Can&#39;t wait for more.

[Reese]

“I’m getting the feeling that the part you forgot to say was ‘except for last night’.”

Heh. Smart girl. ;)


“It’s probably a little easier to judge when the man lying in your bed is a superhero.”

“Chloe, nothing is easy when the man lying in your bed is a superhero.”


Hmm...interesting point. Way to offer a little sympathy Lois & Clark&#39;s way. I wouldn&#39;t have bothered if you hadn&#39;t pointed me in that direction...

Oh, and as for the rest of it? My head is spinning&#33; I thought this was going to just be Chloe/Lex once-in-awhile romp fest but now? Now there&#39;s plot...and intrigue...and Lionel/Martha...and Lois/Clark...and Jason/Lana (okay, this part I could do without...but whatever)...and Gabe getting death threats and...

Whew. Can we take a breather with the next chapter and just get a little smut? I need a little down time and I find that...

Okay, not even going to finish that. Zannie would have a field day with it ;)

Good stuff...looking forward to more,

Reese

[Shanna]

I love the little pieces of background you give with the flashbacks. It really helps to build the characters and their relationships.

Oh, and poor Gabe. His wife leaves him, he gets transferred to Smallville to manage a crap factory, gets fired for no reason, almost gets blown up, was unemployed for who knows how long, and now that he might be finding some happiness that darn Lionel has to go sticking his obsessive compulsive nose into Gabe&#39;s love life.

I also loved Pete&#39;s line in the previous part about Lex being so bad he scared his hair away. lol. Too cute.

Shanna

[Ori]

A beautiful update. Thank you for including Chloe&#39;s realization that Lex has been acting for her benefit in many ways. ( I love the fact that he helped with her families mental background and that he took care of her.)
The intereaction was well written.
Candyland. Only game that is worse is Chutes and Ladders.
I will still like to see some Ben and Lex talking.
The side plot of Gabe/Martha plus the threats is interesting.
thanks for the great update.

[Zannie]

I don&#39;t actually have time to read this update tonight, I just wanted to come and gloat on this thread as well about how your threatened blackmail plan over on the "Irrevocable" thread wasn&#39;t successful.

So here&#39;s the gloating: ha, ha, ha&#33;

Okay. Had to get that out. I&#39;ll read and feedback tomorrow morning. Thanks for the quick update.

[sydsvaughn]

This is intriguing ... and I can&#39;t wait to see how things play out&#33;

SaraC

[autumngold]

Please don&#39;t let anything bad happen to Gabe&#33;&#33; Maybe Martha should just marry Lionel and keep everyone happy&#33;&#33; :biggrin: Seriously though, thanks for the wonderful new chapter&#33;&#33; I love how you show Lex taking care of Chloe during her treatments&#33;&#33; Post again soon please&#33;&#33; :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[star del mar]

Ughh, I hate Lionel. He just needs to leave everyone alone and move to his own little island. As for Lex and Chloe, I dunno man, they just need to jump each other...AGAIN...and I need the good stuff this time :biggrin: Anyway, great update, can&#39;t wait to read more soon

Steph*

[Yarvarni]

oh lionel, give it up&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[Baily007]

:yay: Oh my GOSH - this keeps gettin&#39; better and better&#33; :yay: I&#39;ll check again tomorrow and there&#39;ll better be another update or I&#39;ll call in sick ;)

[lexchloe]

:crygreen: feel so bad for Chloe and Lex having to stay away from eachother. Liked the Chlois conversation and the flashback of Lex being there for her through her treatment. The Lionel/Martha/Gabe plot sounds interestin, can&#39;t wait to see where this goes.



“Your father is a psychotic asshole.” Lex could all but hear him grinding his teeth.

“Yes. And your mother is a manipulative bitch.”



Had to put this in cos I loved these lines.

[Zannie]

Wonderful, wonderful update. I have only one small complaint. Um . . . you jumped into this chapter too late. We missed all the smut&#33; I&#39;m sure that was simply an oversight, so I&#39;ll try not to hold a grudge. As long as it doesn&#39;t happen again.

*whimpers* What happened to my smut?

But, seriously, great chapter. And I really like the new plot twists.


So, I finally figured out exactly where the plot is going. It just sort of materialized on my keyboard while I was typing, it was uncanny.

This is usually the way it works for me too. Only, sometimes I&#39;m expecting the plot to materialize and it never does (happened in "Road Tripping"). So I have to work around it and pretend that was the plan from the beginning.

I love how all of your characters are so well-rounded and fleshed out--like real people and not the caricatures we sometimes get on the show. And, like someone said earlier on this thread, like actual grown-ups.

This was a very touching, motherly moment:


At that moment, Ben came back into the room and snuggled himself into Chloe’s lap with a book. She hugged him with her free arm and he kissed her on the cheek.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I’m going to be fine.”

And, although this has been quoted by several other people, it stands to be repeated once more:


“Your father is a psychotic asshole.” Lex could all but hear him grinding his teeth.

“Yes. And your mother is a manipulative bitch.”

Priceless.

Very interesting revelation of backstory in this chapter. Can&#39;t wait to see where you go from here.

More soon please.

ETA: I was also irrationally moved by the image of Lex sleeping in the chair next to Chloe&#39;s bed in the hospital. I just adore that dear man.

[Norah]

I loved the update. I like how you are developing the plot with Lionel, Gabe, and Martha, and you show good characterization of Lex and Chloe. I like that she has a son in this story. Great job. Can&#39;t wait for more.

[buddyfozzy]

I loved the flashback in this chapter, I like the idea that Lex helped Chloe this way to make sure she doesn&#39;t end up like her mother. :wub: :wub:

God, I hope Lionel doesn&#39;t do anything to Gabe. :ohmy: :ohmy:

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: It seems I&#39;ve committed a major faux pas in bypassing the smut in between the last two updates. I&#39;ve done my best to rectify the matter, considering this is actually a smut-free addition. I&#39;ve also finally arrived at the Ben/Lex interaction - Ori, I hope you enjoy it&#33;

Reese, miss queen of the angsty short, you&#39;re killing me with this skip the plot business :lol: And Zannie, you are so lucky you&#39;ve written so much Road Trippin&#39; and a lot of excellent feedback. Otherwise, it would be on :p

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. I adore every one of you&#33; Sorry it&#39;s a rather short update, but my own little "Ben" just went down for a nap, and Mommy would like to take one too :blush:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six weeks passed. Late summer turned to fall, and the weather cooled. Besides the Potter land, Pete and his brothers had leased the Kent farm from Martha, and they started getting the machinery ready for the harvest. Clark came home on Saturday afternoons and stayed until Monday morning; Chloe had no doubt that he saved the Ross boys several thousands in repair when only Pete was looking. She spent several evenings a week with Martha and Lana, helping them bring in the last of their vegetables to sell at the market and canning what they kept for themselves. Gabe was ever-present, loading Ben&#39;s red wagon to its brim and helping him drag loads to the trucks or to the cellars.

Time flew, and Chloe was almost too busy to worry about whether she&#39;d ever get to talk to Lex again. She saw him all of twice. The first time, they&#39;d passed on the road, an enthusiastic wave their only contact. The second, she&#39;d been working at her desk at the Ledger, unaware that he was even there. A gentle squeeze on her shoulder had startled her, but he hadn&#39;t faltered from his conversation with her boss as he walked on by.

So, when she saw him enter the Talon one afternoon, she was immediately alert. She was sitting in her favorite back booth; Ben&#39;s hot chocolate cooled across the table from her while he worked the kitchen, charming cookies out of the waitresses. Lex didn&#39;t appear to have noticed her, so she took the opportunity to study him.

He had always been fascinating to observe. Every move seemed calculated, but she knew the easy grace came naturally to him. Even when they were intimate, he rarely lost that fluid control except for a few intense moments at the very end.

As she watched, Martha placed some papers in front of him. He picked up a pen and twirled it between his fingers as he read over them. Chloe&#39;s eyes tracked their dexterous movement, entranced by the way they

deftly teased her nipples, bringing her close to orgasm just from his expert ministrations that

kept the spin even and flowing without losing

his delicate touch on her breast, she whimpered in frustration, but his hand had skimmed across her stomach, paused briefly to massage her hip, then darted between her open thighs. She had moaned and thrashed on the bed as his fingers rubbed her clit, occasionally dipping inside of her to brush against the spot that had her clenching the pillow as her body responded to

the rhythm. Apparently satisfied with what he&#39;d read, he quickly signed his name, then put down the pen to pick up his coffee. He took a sip, and then his tongue made the barest appearance to

plunge into her center, eliciting a keening sound from deep inside her throat. He&#39;d then moved back up to take the throbbing bundle of nerves between his lips and suck it into his mouth, stimulating her further as he used his tongue to

lap at a stray drop. Her eyes remained focused on his lips, and it seemed they moved in slow motion as they

brushed against hers, softly coaxing a response from her. She had complied, allowing him entrance. His tongue had danced with hers, the movement reminiscent of the way their bodies writhed together, tangled in the sheets. She had ventured on, gently stroking the tip of her tongue behind his teeth; he&#39;d caught his breath at the tingle in the sensitive skin at the edge of his gums. Eventually, he&#39;d moved sideways, and she&#39;d hummed in delight as his lips

formed the words he was directing towards Martha. She reached for the papers, and the pen rolled onto the floor. He braced his hand on the edge of the counter before

bending her forward on the bed. Kneeling behind her, he&#39;d slowly entered her, easing the ache she&#39;d been begging him to relieve. She&#39;d gripped the top rail of the headboard with both hands for leverage before she&#39;d begun moving against his thrusting hips; his hands covered hers, fingers entwined, and he&#39;d buried his face in the hair that clung to her shoulder. Their pace had steadily built - needing him deeper, she&#39;d arched her back, her body

bending over to retrieve it. Chloe didn&#39;t see him return it to the counter… she was lost in her replay of their last night together.

He was nearing the end, she could tell, because his thrusts were becoming more and more erratic, and the words he gasped and grunted were incoherent. She&#39;d already come twice, but knowing this was her last chance for who knew how long, she&#39;d been greedy.

"Lex… not yet… I&#39;m almost..." She&#39;d been unable to complete her request, but he&#39;d miraculously understood. He&#39;d pulled one of his hands free from hers and cupped her pelvis, his middle finger sliding easily between her wet lips. There was no longer any finesse to his movement, but the added pressure was all she&#39;d needed. Her spasming walls had pushed him over an edge he was already diving from, and the only word on his lips was

"Mommy&#33;" Ben jumped into the booth across from her and dropped his booty onto his little plate. "I got four cookies&#33;"

"Oh, I don&#39;t think so, little man," she chided, squirming uncomfortably in her seat as her memory faded. "You can have two, and we&#39;ll take the other ones home."

"No, you have two and I have two," he explained, his little fingers crumbling her half as he pushed them onto her napkin. "We can share."

"Well that&#39;s awfully sweet of you," she replied with a smile. She picked up the chocolate chunk cookie to see what was underneath. "Wait a second. How come I got the raisin one?"

"I don&#39;t like raisins," he said around a mouthful of M&M cookie. He held his own chocolate chunk very close to him, knowing his mother would make a grab for it. She laughed.

"You little stinker&#33; You know I don&#39;t like raisins either&#33;"

He giggled in delight at his trick, but quickly stopped at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

"I like raisins. Do you think your mom would like to share with me?"

Ben looked up at the looming bald man, then ducked his head. He fiddled with his napkin as Lex slid into the booth next to Chloe.

"He&#39;s really bashful. I doubt he remembers you from before."

"Yes, I do," Ben protested. "Pete&#39;s dogs jumped on him." Again overcome by his shyness, he scooted over to the corner of his bench, where he could watch the stranger without being too close.

Lex chuckled.

"Indeed they did." Sensing Ben would rather not be addressed directly, he turned to Chloe. "How have you been?"

"Good. Busy. You?" She was feeling a bit bashful herself, but it was more because of the damp feeling she&#39;d acquired in her panties over him not five minutes before than from any hesitation regarding the man himself.

"Not bad. Business is good, and the plant expansion is ahead of schedule." He leaned back in the seat, careful not to get too close to Chloe. They could only keep up the appearance of being casual acquaintances if he made certain not to look too comfortable.

"So I read," she replied. Unsure of what else to say, they sat in companionable silence as they drank their coffee. Ben finished his cookies, then fixed Lex with a curious stare. Chloe was about to distract him when he spoke.

"Did you really scare your hair away?"

Chloe choked on her drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lex&#39;s jaw clench, but whether it was to contain amusement or displeasure, she couldn&#39;t tell.

"Ben&#33; That was very rude&#33; You apologize to Mr. Luthor right now&#33;"

"But Pete said--"

"Ben&#33;"

"I&#39;m sorry," he replied automatically. His lower lip quivered, and she immediately felt guilty.

"It&#39;s okay, Ben. I&#39;m used to people asking about my hair. The reason it fell out was because of the meteor shower. Do you know about the meteor rocks?" When the little boy nodded, he continued. "Well, I was just a kid when they fell, and I was out in a corn field close to where Pete&#39;s dad lives. For some reason, they made all of my red hair fall out, and it never grew back."

"Red like Martha&#39;s?"

"Red like Martha&#39;s," Lex confirmed.

"The meteor rocks can do bad things," Ben explained. He&#39;d obviously had this lesson several times. "We should never touch them."

"That&#39;s right, they can do lots of bad things. Did you know that when your mom was younger, she used to--" At that point, Chloe picked up the raisin cookie from her napkin and shoved it into Lex&#39;s mouth.

"She used to be scared of them because they&#39;re dangerous," she filled in. "We should never touch them, and if we see them we should get a grown-up right away. Isn&#39;t that right, Mr. Luthor?"

"Right," he managed, chewing his rather large cookie. Ben watched him soberly.

"Did it hurt?"

Lex swallowed and took a drink of his coffee before replying.

"What, the cookie? No, your mom was just being silly."

"No, did it hurt when you lost your hair?"

Lex cocked his head slightly, considering the question.

"No, I don&#39;t think so. It did scare me, though." He grinned suddenly, a true smile that was rarely used in public. "You want to feel?"

Wide-eyed, Ben nodded. Lex swung around the table to sit next to him, and he tentatively laid his fingers against the skin. When nothing happened, he quickly stood and rubbed his palms all over the bare scalp.

"It&#39;s shiny&#33;" he exclaimed. Lex chuckled and gently tickled the boy&#39;s tummy. Ben yelped and fell backwards, but Lex effortlessly caught him and lowered him back to the seat. Chloe&#39;s throat tightened at the easy interaction between the pair - it was such a shame that they couldn&#39;t spend more time together.

Apparently, she wasn&#39;t the only one to realize that the visit was suddenly appearing too personal.

"Listen, Ben, I have to go, but I&#39;ll talk to you some other time, okay?"

"Okay, Mr. Luthor."

He ruffled Ben&#39;s hair.

"Call me Lex. And next time you see Pete, will you do me a favor?"

Ben nodded.

"Ask him how come he stopped growing before he was finished."

He stood and picked up his coffee, then caught Chloe&#39;s hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze. "Miss Sullivan."

"Mr. Luthor," she replied, smiling despite her shaking head. As he walked away, he heard Ben&#39;s tiny voice reprimanding her.

"Call him Lex, Mommy&#33; Did the meteor rocks make Pete stop growing?"


(TBC)

[hfce]

I love Lex interacting with Ben. They were so cute. I so wish Lex would change his damn mind. The smut was :drool:


Hope :)

[lexchloe]

I don&#39;t know whether to laugh or cry. That was so :wub: and cute and funny but so sad at the same time because it&#39;s like a glimpse at what they could have but can&#39;t :huh: if that makes any sense. Really liked the interspersing of what was going on in reality and Chloe&#39;s memories, very cool. Can&#39;t wait for more.

[marcela]

Awwww, Lex and Ben are so adorable together. I want Ben as my son and Lex as my lover too. Can I have it?

LOve the story, keep doing the wonderful job.

[BellaMR]

"It&#39;s shiny&#33;" he exclaimed.

That had me laughing so hard I woke the baby. Oh well it was worth it. Loved the interaction betwen Lex and Ben.

If its been six weeks, this should mean that Chloe knows whether or not she&#39;s pregnant, right? If she was pregnant or still wondering, she would have said something. I think.

Keep up the great work.

[Thessaly]

Originally posted by AlabamaWorley@Feb 26 2005, 10:38 PM
Her spasming walls had pushed him over an edge he was already diving from, and the only word on his lips was[/i]

"Mommy&#33;"
Jesus Christ, Alabama&#33; That was just wrong&#33;

I know that normally he goes for brunettes (which, I suspect, is more than a little Freudian) but that&#39;s left me with a terrible mental image. I have to go and bleach my frontal lobes now.

Despite that, this was another fantastic chapter and I loved the Ben/Lex interaction. More please?

Thessaly *thanking God that other writers claim to make up the plot as they go along. I was getting worried about mine, which is rambling about like a drunken tramp*

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: awweeee :wub: adorable, and smut&#33; wonderful&#33;

[Yarvarni]

the interspersed erotic material was very nicely done1 Loved Lex & Ben as well as the continued "feud" with Pete

[oropheria]

:biggrin: That was so cool&#33; I loved Lex and Ben interacting and the little wistfulness I couldn&#39;t help but feel watching a non-but-could-be-if-only family. It was a great update and I really liked the typical Smallville bits woven into the Chlex. I&#39;d love to know when Chloe got domestic enough to can veggies (damn that&#39;s hard at first&#33;) and how Lex got so comfy with kids.

HOWEVER, the absolute best part was the seamless blend between the present reality and the flashback smut&#33;&#33; That really takes talent to make it flow so naturally and it was wonderful. Not that I would&#39;ve been able to come back to reality in between the Lexy memories, but Chloe&#39;s obviously mentally stronger than me. :blush:

Can&#39;t wait for more&#33; Oh, and the preggers question would be answered, yeah? Unless she has a totally erratic cycle. It happens.

[buddyfozzy]

Aww, Lex and Ben are just adorable together. :wub: :wub: :wub:

Loved the smutty flashback of their night together....I wondered if we were going to see that. :yay: :yay2: :yay:

[Sidhe]

Originally posted by buddyfozzy@Feb 27 2005, 02:52 AM
Aww, Lex and Ben are just adorable together. :wub: :wub: :wub:




[/QUOTE]



Ditto. I love the Pete reference too.

[Gina41283]

lol awwwww... you gotta let ben ask pete the question&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; please update soon&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[autumngold]

I can&#39;t wait til Ben starts questioning Pete&#33;&#33; Great update&#33;&#33; I hate how Chloe and Lex are staying away from each other&#33;&#33; Maybe that will change in the future?&#33;&#33; :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[star del mar]

Awww, that was a cute chapter. It was sweet to see Ben finally accepting Lex and opening up to him. I hope that there will be more of that and the question for Pete? That was great, LOL, update soon&#33;


Steph*

[June]

The interaction between Ben and Lex was so adorable.


"Call me Lex. And next time you see Pete, will you do me a favor?"

Ben nodded.

"Ask him how come he stopped growing before he was finished."

Loved it, can&#39;t wait for more.

[crankychick]

:hehe: and then
:drool: and then
:heart: with some
:love:

I love your story, Alabama and Ben/Lex? Too cute. He needs the down-to-earthness that a child can provide and he&#39;s probably more trusting of a child than adults right now. Love that dynamic.

[randa]

ben and lex are way cute together

more soon, cause this story is getting better every minute


randa

[Reese]

Reese, miss queen of the angsty short, you&#39;re killing me with this skip the plot business

*ponders* Queen of the Angsty Short? Huh. I like it.

And what do you mean "skip the plot business"? I&#39;ve never said any such thing&#33; *re-reads last bit of FB* Damn it, Zannie&#33; Have you been signing in under my name again? ;)


As she watched, Martha placed some papers in front of him. He picked up a pen and twirled it between his fingers as he read over them. Chloe&#39;s eyes tracked their dexterous movement, entranced by the way they

deftly teased her nipples, bringing her close to orgasm just from his expert ministrations that


ROFLMAO&#33; Okay, so it&#39;s been a long day, right? And I&#39;m kind of tired and distracted, right? So then I go to read this and I&#39;m like "OMG&#33; What is Lex doing to Martha Kent with that pen&#33;" ROFLMAO&#33; I realized I better pay closer attention this go &#39;round because apparently Ms. Roll Tide here is trying to give me a heart attack for not paying her story the appropriate attention when being read.


"Ask him how come he stopped growing before he was finished."

Okay, note to self (yet again): Do not drink when reading this fic.

Either that or get a waterproof monitor ;)

Reese

[sydsvaughn]

You know, the image of Lex and Ben is just too sweet. And I LOVED the line for Pete&#33;

Erotic flashbacks work so well ... and you write them wonderfully&#33; Can&#39;t wait for more&#33;

SaraC

[kitten]

:biggrin:

Sweet, darling, wrapped-around-a-certain-Sullivan&#39;s-finger Lex Luthor should be an action figure. I&#39;ll take seventeen and keep them all for myself. Unfortunately I get the feeling there will be some kind of fallout from their renewed relationship, but I&#39;m so glad he gets along with Ben.

It works so much better with my soft, fluffy dreams of a Chlexy family.

[Shy Butterfly]

Ben is such a sweet and cute little kid&#33; :wub:

Hope you update in the near future.

[devilish]

aww that was sweet :wub:
keep up the good work&#33;&#33;

[Zannie]

Her spasming walls had pushed him over an edge he was already diving from, and the only word on his lips was

"Mommy&#33;"

Yeah, that is just WRONG. But brilliant. The whole integration of the smutty flashback and current observation of Lex was perfectly executed. Sharp and witty and powerful.

I loved the Lex/Ben interaction. They both are just adorable.

I was tired and crabby when I woke up today, but you&#39;ve just made my morning much better.

And thank you for the smut, despite the disturbingly jarring "Mommy&#33;" ending.

[Ori]

Aww&#33; So sweet and funny (Ben and Lex.) Mr. Luthor is going to have a hard time resisting the Sullivans. the intereaction was really realistic. Kids will say whatever comes to mind.
Is Chloe pregnant or not? You are probably leading up to something suspenseful with this nice little update.
I liked how Chloe is a responsible single mother, who has a support network.
Thanks for the great update.

[malugargula]

Oh Ben and Lex are so sweet together
Please update soon
I&#39;m loving it

[Baily007]

:wub: just one single word: awesome&#33; :wub:

[squeezumstang]

spacing out to think of hot smutty sex, yeah i think that
might just sound a teensy bit familiar...

more hotness, pretty please.

susan

[starmoon]

I love this story it is sexy and cute. I just love Ben he is the sweetest child and so incenent. :wub: I hope Lex and Chloe get into a relationship soon. Update soon please. I would love to see more interaction between Lex and Ben. :chlexsign2: :cool:

[psychgirl81]

I am really enjoying this story. Like everyone else I thought the lex/ben interaction was adorable. I hope you update again soon.

[Norah]

I must have missed the last update of this somehow. The talk between Lex and Ben was the cutest thing in the world. And that fantasy was hot and really well done with the switching back and forth. Now it's been a while since you updated so I'm sure the next part is coming soon, isn't it?

[lilinny]

It was hot but very cute! Another great chapter!!!

[ptite_mily]

Aaaargh! I'm hooked!
Someone kick me outta here, i should be working and not reading and waiting for updates!
BTW: Update coming soon? *puppy eye* :-)

[fanette]

lex and ben are so sweet

[Baily007]

Aaaargh! I'm hooked!
Someone kick me outta here, i should be working and not reading and waiting for updates!
BTW: Update coming soon? *puppy eye* :-)

Me too. How am I supposed to get any work done when I have to check for an update every second hour (I'm more the hoping kind of person :-)) ???

[AlabamaWorley]

It warms my heart to find that I'm not six pages back after my unwilling hiatus! I've started the next update, and it's all plotted in my head, so I should have it up by Tuesday or Wednesday. Thanks for all the lovely replies!

[Lily]

Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssseeee update... I'm dying here....
-Lily

[Baily007]

Tuesday or Wednesday? There IS a silver lining - YAY! Can't await it :-))

[Queen Of Tact]

I just loved the last ch... Lex and ben were so cute together.... I can't wait for another update.......


CC

[AlabamaWorley]

Better late than never, right? ...sorry for the delay!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chloe jumped out of bed to turn off the alarm clock. She was halfway there when she realized that the noise that had jolted her awake was actually the phone. She hurried back and stabbed the button to answer the cordless that lay next to her bed.

"Hlo?" Her voice was scratchy, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello?"

"So are you or aren't you?"

"What?"

"Are. You. Or. Aren't. You?"

"Lex, it is…" She crossed the room so she could see the clock in the bathroom. "3:00 in the morning. What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Don't be snippy with me. I asked you to tell me when you found out if you were carrying my child or not, and I haven't heard anything about it."

Chloe walked back to her bed in silence and crawled under the blankets.

"Chloe?"

"What?"

"Are you or aren't you?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm not." She heard a sigh, then an amused hiss.

"Are you actually awake?"

"Getting there." There was a loud honk and then the sound of a departing vehicle over the line. "Where are you?"

"Grandville. The payphone outside the Shell station. I needed a safe line."

"So you drove to Grandville? Why didn't you just ask me today? Or stop by my office in, you know, six hours?" Despite her groggy state, her heart warmed a bit to know he had been worrying about her.

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to know." Another car went by. "I also had another question."

"Okay."

"Tell me about Ben's father."

"Umm…" Her groggy brain struggled with the random question. "Boring sex, kind of a redneck, idiot. There's not much to tell."

"You said he was married."

"Yeah. Well, he got married while we were together. His wife has to be totally blind. He was sleeping with me, a friend of mine, her husband, and another guy, and she still married him."

"He was what?"

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, I haven't seen him since I told him I was pregnant. I don't even think about him."

"What's his name?"

Chloe hesitated, a smile playing around the edges of her mouth. She knew where this was going, and as tempting as it was…

"You wouldn't know him."

"I'd like to. What's his name?"

"Lex, I know what you're thinking."

"Name."

"No."

"Chloe…"

"Who knew you'd be so comfortable with kids?" She laughed at his silence, picturing the annoyed look on his face at the change of subject. "Ben was quite impressed with you."

"No thanks to Mr. Ross, apparently."

"Oh, God, you two… " she said, laughing harder. "Keep my son out of your blood feud, please."

"My apologies," he replied, chuckling. "Ben is very quick. My nephew is five, and I don't think he speaks as well."

"Nephew?" This was new.

"Lucas' son, Duncan. He also has a three year old daughter, Danielle." Lex's voice was that of a doting uncle, and Chloe unexpectedly felt tears spring up.

"I didn't know Lucas was still around here."

"He's not. He and his wife pose as the caretakers at my home in Miami. I try to make it down there every six weeks or so. I never thought I'd find myself bowing to anyone's whims, but I guess I'd never really considered children in my life."

"Here I thought you were all alone in the world," Chloe managed around the lump in her throat.

"Oh, no. I have the Dunlevy family every six weeks. If I can manage a cup of coffee with the Sullivans on the opposite six, I should be able to manage genuine human contact at least every three weeks." His voice was dry; Chloe wondered if it was the late hour that allowed him to permit the hint of self-pity to his tone. Her silence must have been telling. "That was a joke."

"I know. But it still blows." They sat quietly, listening to each other breath. After a few long moments, she heard him yawn.

"You should get home. I don't want you falling asleep on the road."

"I should. I have an early meeting."

"I'd say to call me when you get home, so I'd know you made it, but…" She sighed. "Drive safely, okay?"

"Okay. Good night, then."

"Good night."

"Oh, Chloe?"

"Yes?"

"Name?"

"Goodnight, Lex!"

The next morning when Chloe got to her desk, the first thing she noticed was a pink message slip on top of her keyboard. To the casual observer, the concise message from an apparently anonymous caller would have seemed an even mix between cryptic and uninteresting. To Chloe, it was a morning greeting that could be topped only by her son's warm, snuggly hugs:

home safe…




Halloween dawned cloudy and cold. The wind was brisk, and Chloe dreaded telling Ben that his cool Superman suit would have to be covered with a coat. She giggled again as she reminded herself to pick up the costume from Mrs. Kent over lunch… little did Ben know that he would have the most realistically made red underwear this side of the real thing.


Pete bent to kiss his sleeping wife goodbye. Lana stirred slightly and caught his sleeve to pull him back down. He submitted to her drowsy embrace for a few moments before he forced himself to pull away.

"Gotta go, shorty."

She smiled sleepily and burrowed back under the covers.

"Bye, babe. Don't forget to pick up my tire, please. The spare is totally flat."

"I won't. Remember to call Chloe before noon if you need anything, she'll be headed this way."

"Mmm-hmmm…"

Grinning, Pete patted in the general vicinity of her bottom before heading out the door.


Just before noon, Martha was finishing up Ben's costume when she remembered that she'd forgotten to bring home all the trick-or-treat candy she'd purchased the night before. She picked up the phone to try to catch Chloe before she got out of town and ask her to pick it up from the Talon on her way out, but the phone was mysteriously dead. Brow furrowed, she grabbed the cell out of her purse, only to discover she'd forgotten to turn it off, leaving her with no battery power. Muttering under her breath, she plugged the phone in and went in the kitchen to try and raise Lana on the CB radio. Before she'd made it that far, she heard the sound of gravel crunching in the drive.


Chloe slowed her car to make the turn onto the dirt road that led to the Kent farm. She was in a hurry, because she'd forgotten to pick up a special treat for Ben and needed to get back to town before her lunch break was over. Deep in thought about the tractor she intended to buy at the farm supply, she didn't notice the Surburban following her until its twin was about to hit her head-on.


Lana was fixing her lunch when the CB crackled to life at high volume.

"Lana? Lana! Call 911!"

Grape tomatoes bounced across the floor as she grabbed the mouthpiece off of the radio and jabbed at the button with her thumb.

"Mrs. Kent? What's wrong?"

"I don't… I think they're Lionel's men, they're coming in, you have to--" The radio went dead. Lana raced across the room and yanked the phone off the hook, only to find there was no dial tone. She snatched her cell phone and her keys out of her purse and ran out the door.

The 911 operator was already working on the dispatch by the time she skidded to a halt next to her very flat tire. She changed direction, shifting the keys in her hand until she came across the right one. Pausing at the door to the machine shed, she disconnected her first call, then stabbed the first number on her speed dial.

"Pete! Get to the Kent Farm right now!" She stuffed the phone in the pocket of her cardigan and dragged the heavy door open.


Chloe struggled to catch her breath as the airbag slowly deflated. She fought to keep her spinning head under control in order to inventory possible weapons in the car, but there was no time. The door opened, and she was roughly hauled from her seat.

"What do you want? Let me go!" She cringed at the shrill sound of her voice, but she was out of practice at life-or-death situations. Vainly, she tried to free herself from the iron-grip of the very large man holding her, but the unmistakable feel cold steel pressed into her neck stopped her. The door of the second vehicle opened and another man stepped out.

"Miss Sullivan, I'd suggest you cooperate. Otherwise, we might be forced to have our comrades that are collecting your son take him elsewhere until you are in a condition to be safely left alone with him."

Chloe had never really believed that a person's blood could truly run cold. But at that moment, it felt as though her body had literally frozen from the inside out. A tremor started low in her spine and radiated outward until every bit of her shook. Her teeth began to chatter, and she gasped for air.

"No," she whispered. Burning tears welled up, then spilled from her eyes onto her icy cheeks. Forcing her throat to clear, she tried again. "Not Ben. He's just a baby… Please, I'll do whatever you want, just leave him alone!"

"Sorry, honey. Our instructions are for both of you." The man glanced at his watch, then nodded at his partner. "Come on, we're supposed to rendezvous at the Kent woman's place in four minutes."

Chloe was nearly paralyzed with panic, but her mind was hyperfocused on the one person that could save her son. She took a deep breath

please God let him be in Metropolis

and screamed.


Martha's own breath came in big, hiccupping sobs, but she held Jonathan's shotgun in steady hands. She was mostly hidden behind the couch, with only the top of her head peeking up from behind the big gun. Shelby crouched beside her, his old body shaking.

"Mrs. Kent," one of the intruders said in a soothing voice. "Put down the gun and come with us. Please? We'd hate for someone to get hurt."

"You will get hurt if you don't get out of my house," she said in a voice stronger than she felt. The man slowly pulled a cell phone from his pocket and waved it at her.

"No, no, I don't think so. But all I have to do it make a call, and little Ben Sullivan will. Another call after that, and his mommy goes with him."

"You're bluffing," she spat, horrified at the thought.

"Am I?" He started to push a button.

The high-pitched whine of an approaching vehicle stopped him.


Chloe's head throbbed from the warning blow she'd taken from the butt of her captor's pistol.

"Do that again and you'll be one sorry little bitch," he hissed. He tightened his grip around her neck and dragged her again, this time more roughly. Chloe's feet came out from under her and she dangled, choking, from his elbow. She saw his free hand rise to strike her…

… and then suddenly she was falling to the gravel. A shadow briefly flitted over her, and then there was a loud grunt as her former captor flew into his partner, causing both of them to crash into the other Surburban hard enough to dent the frame. They fell in a motionless heap by the side of the road.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" Strong arms lifted her from the ground and tried to pull her into a hug. She pushed them away.

"Ben, Clark! You have to go get Ben! They're taking him!" Her voice, edged with hysteria, was nearly incomprehensible, but she could tell by the look on his face that he'd understood.

"He still goes to the YMCA daycare?"

She nodded, and he was gone. She stared at the unconscious men on the ground for what seemed like an eternity before he returned, clutching Ben tightly against his chest. The little boy was ecstatic.

"Mommy! Some bad men stole me from daycare, and I was really scared, and I cried and you didn't come, and then Superman came and he beat them up and brought me here and we flew!"

Sobbing, Chloe took her son from her friend and hugged him tightly before looking him over carefully. There was a tear in his shirt and a scratch on his face, but other than that he was unharmed. She squeezed him again.

"Oh, sweetie, I was so scared. I'm so glad you're safe!" She released him with one arm to reach for Clark's hand. He knelt next to them and pulled them both into a hug, and she took strange comfort in the sound of his heart beating nearly as wildly as her own.

Suddenly, he jerked away.

"Someone's coming." He pushed the behind the Suburban and peered down the road. The car approached quickly, and soon even Chloe could see that it was Pete, with the siren on his deputy car screaming. The car ground to a halt beside them.

"Clark! Lana called… Man, something's going on at your mom's house."

Chloe barely saw the panic flit across her friend's face before he disappeared.

"Chloe, what's going on? What happened?"

"I don't know, Pete, but we're okay," she replied, lifting Ben in her arms and hurrying towards the undamaged Suburban. "Go to Lana now, we'll be fine."

Pete hesitated for a moment, before throwing gravel from his spinning tires. He was barely out of sight before Chloe sped away in the opposite direction.


The man with the phone backed slowly toward the door and glanced out in time to see a four-wheeler fly by the porch. The engine ground to a halt just out of sight. He reached for his gun and pushed the screendoor open at the sound of feet pounding on the wood, then suddenly screamed and clawed at his face. Startled, his partner turned just in time to see him fly backwards into the kitchen. Shelby leaped from behind the couch and tackled the distracted man to the ground, then found his throat and growled menacingly. The gun skidded across the floor and came to a stop under Lana's waiting foot.

"Mrs. Kent? Are you okay?" she asked. She kept the pepper spray on her keychain fixed on the men on the floor as Martha quickly joined her with the shotgun. Sirens sounded in the distance. The front door banged open and Superman burst through the door in a swirl of cape.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine."


There was one man in the world Chloe trusted to save her son in an emergency. But there were two she trusted to prevent one from ever happening, and the first had just rushed off to save his mother.

By the time she reached the study, Lex was already on his feet and rounding the desk. He took in her bloody hair, her tear-stained face, and Ben's ripped shirt.

"Chloe?"

Something in her sensed safe haven, and the last of her control snapped. Great sobs wracked her shoulders, and Ben patted at her face with his tiny hands, suddenly afraid again.

"They tried to take my baby," she choked out. Then Lex's arms were around her, her son tucked safely between them.

[Queen Of Tact]

Oh that was a great update!!!! I'm so glad Ben and Chloe are ok... Great job I can't wait to read more... I have a feeling Lex is going to want some blood after this.....


CC

[star del mar]

I'm so glad you updated!!! I was missing this story but you came back with a lot of action, now hopefully everyone's ok and they can go after Lionel..if he's the one who did it...I'm just assuming :) I can't wait for more!!

Steph*

[meg20]

Great you finally updated! Loved the action and that chloe decided to go to Lex at the end of the chapter. Hope for more of this wonderful ficlet!

[lexchloe]

ooohhhh its getting exciting now!!!! Who tried to grab Chloe, Ben and Martha???? So glad she went to Lex for help and that she trusts him so much. Can't wait for more.

[Zannie]

Oooh! The action here just shot through the roof. Exciting and intriguing, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds.

I'm loving Lex in this story. I just adored how he was nagging for Ben's father's name and how anxious he was to find out whether she was pregnant, and this just made me mushy:


The next morning when Chloe got to her desk, the first thing she noticed was a pink message slip on top of her keyboard. To the casual observer, the concise message from an apparently anonymous caller would have seemed an even mix between cryptic and uninteresting. To Chloe, it was a morning greeting that could be topped only by her son's warm, snuggly hugs:

home safe…
Such a little gesture that speaks so loudly . . .

And the final bit in this chapter was moving and rich with emotional resonance:


Something in her sensed safe haven, and the last of her control snapped. Great sobs wracked her shoulders, and Ben patted at her face with his tiny hands, suddenly afraid again.

"They tried to take my baby," she choked out. Then Lex's arms were around her, her son tucked safely between them.
Wonderful stuff. Now I wonder, if I ask for smut, whether they'll be another sexy flashback in the next chapter.

[Norah]

I love this story more and more. It's exciting and sweet. The emotions are very realistic. I'm glad you updated again and can't wait for more. Lex was so cute on the telephone.

[kitten]

"Here I thought you were all alone in the world," Chloe managed around the lump in her throat.

"Oh, no. I have the Dunlevy family every six weeks. If I can manage a cup of coffee with the Sullivans on the opposite six, I should be able to manage genuine human contact at least every three weeks." His voice was dry; Chloe wondered if it was the late hour that allowed him to permit the hint of self-pity to his tone. Her silence must have been telling. "That was a joke."

"I know. But it still blows." They sat quietly, listening to each other breath. After a few long moments, she heard him yawn.





"Ben, Clark! You have to go get Ben! They're taking him!" Her voice, edged with hysteria, was nearly incomprehensible, but she could tell by the look on his face that he'd understood.

"He still goes to the YMCA daycare?"

She nodded, and he was gone. She stared at the unconscious men on the ground for what seemed like an eternity before he returned, clutching Ben tightly against his chest. The little boy was ecstatic.

"Mommy! Some bad men stole me from daycare, and I was really scared, and I cried and you didn't come, and then Superman came and he beat them up and brought me here and we flew!"

Sobbing, Chloe took her son from her friend and hugged him tightly before looking him over carefully. There was a tear in his shirt and a scratch on his face, but other than that he was unharmed. She squeezed him again.

"Oh, sweetie, I was so scared. I'm so glad you're safe!" She released him with one arm to reach for Clark's hand. He knelt next to them and pulled them both into a hug, and she took strange comfort in the sound of his heart beating nearly as wildly as her own.



By the time she reached the study, Lex was already on his feet and rounding the desk. He took in her bloody hair, her tear-stained face, and Ben's ripped shirt.

"Chloe?"

Something in her sensed safe haven, and the last of her control snapped. Great sobs wracked her shoulders, and Ben patted at her face with his tiny hands, suddenly afraid again.

"They tried to take my baby," she choked out. Then Lex's arms were around her, her son tucked safely between them.




I have never been so relieved in my entire fic-reading life to get to the part where Superman delivers Ben to Chloe. Maybe it's just because there's a new baby in the family, but I was sweating and making death threats in my head and jittering all over the place. And I love that with a few paragraphs you make Clark the hero he should be instead of the asshat SV makes him.

And Lex the concerned uncle . . . *heart stops, thuds and starts again* I'm not rushing Chloe or anything, but if there was ever a man who could be a devoted husband and father she's hugging him at the end of this chapter. *smooshes Chloe to Lex and runs to get a cleric*

*one hug for your imagination, one for your glorious momminess, and one more for posting an update*

[Zannie]

Yes, it's me again.


And Lex the concerned uncle . . . *heart stops, thuds and starts again* I'm not rushing Chloe or anything, but if there was ever a man who could be a devoted husband and father she's hugging him at the end of this chapter. *smooshes Chloe to Lex and runs to get a cleric*
I've never been particularly maternal--seldom get mushy over kids or feel a compulsion to have Chloe and Lex start producing offspring--but, you know, as nonky so brilliantly expressed, there's something about this fic that produces those feelings. It's quite unusual for me and thus a little unsettling, but still . . . I'm awed at how you've managed to convey those emotions without descending into hokey cliches.

And I have to give kudos to nonky for the phrase "glorious momminess"

[hfce]

Oh my God who were those men? Are they after Chloe and her son because of Lex? :confused: I am so glad she was saved and Clark saved her son. But i am worried this will let Lex push her away. :( More please...


Hope :)

[BellaMR]

I don't think I've ever been relieved to see Clark, but you've done it. When Chloe started screaming, my first thought was "She's in the middle of no where. What good will that do?" Thank God for her quick thinking. I loved that Lana came to the rescue before Clark.
I am glad Chloe finally got them some place safe, Lex's arms.
Can't wait to see Lex on the warpath.

[sydsvaughn]

Now this was a chapter ... LOVED how everyone worked together and sending Chloe and Ben to Lex ... PERFECT!

SaraC

[Thessaly]

Fantastic update! But lip-wobblingly worrying, especially when Superman had to rescue Ben from the bad men. The bad men should be smushed into a bloody paste imo, particularly after that threat to keep Chloe separate from Ben. I nearly whimpered.

And yeah, Lex is the one I'd go to for protection from armed kidnappers. Mind you, I'd go to Lex for protection from paper cuts. I'm easy. There's no shame in it.

Thessaly

[zoeyscott]

That update was incredibly well written. I could picture everything in my head.

[ptite_mily]

Humor, action and tenderness...I love it!

[lilinny]

Now that was an exciting chapter!!! Just don't take so long to update.

[Yarvarni]

i could just hear the saddness in Lex's voice when he was speaking of his neice & nephew

[fighterangel]

awww... Love Ben, you have the kid obliviousness down perfect. But Lex I'm so in LOVE with: the late night call because he was worried about her, him with his nephew and niece (awww), his little note for her at work, and the way he held both Ben and Chloe. Great Job. Update soon.

LA

[darlc]

fantastic story, cant wait for the next update

[AlabamaWorley]

I'm so glad y'all are enjoying the Ben aspect of the story. As I've mentioned before, much of this (as far as Chloe's lifestyle and back story, that is - everything she told Lex about Ben's biological father, for example) is autobiographical, and Ben is wholly modelled on my own four-year-old son (who was, incidentally, Superman for Halloween in 2003). I love reading the FB you all leave, it's been so helpful in shaping where I want to take the rest of the story. That said, Zannie, no more customer satisfaction smut - I FINALLY have the story plotted through until the end, and I am a woman on a mission. And nonky, a hug for you for "glorious momminess"! Now, I'm off to stand next to Thessaly and be safe from paper cuts, and possibly earn a restraining order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh my God! Where are you?"

Chloe cringed. If Lois had already made it from Metropolis to Mrs. Kent's home, she'd been MIA longer than she'd realized. Gabe was probably worried sick.

"I'm… uh… I'm somewhere safe. I don't know if I should say more than that." Ben shifted on the couch next to her. Lex had supplied him with Cheetos, chocolate milk, and the remote to a six-foot screen, and he'd all but forgotten his ordeal of the past few hours. Chloe, on the other hand, had refused to let go of him. She'd put the television on mute numerous times, certain she'd heard suspicious sounds. When it occurred to her that she might finally be losing her mind after all, she'd picked up the phone to see how Mrs. Kent and Lana were doing.

"Good point," Lois was saying. "Ummm… are you having coffee?"

"No."

"Talking to the police?"

"No."

"Hospital?"

"No."

"Are you… Oh! Are you… um… someplace with a garden fence?"

"Am I wha--" For the first time in hours, Chloe cracked a smile. "Oh yeah. Yes, I am someplace with a garden fence." Her smile quickly faded at Lois' reaction.

"Chloe! What the hell are you thinking? Do you even know what's going on?"

"No. L-- He went off to find out a while ago and never came back."

Lois sighed heavily.

"Apparently, Lionel has been threatening your father for some time now over Martha. They chose to ignore it, and then this happened."

"That can't be right. Dad would have told me."

"Clark didn't know either. I guess Lana and Pete knew because Lana saw Lionel bothering Martha a while back. Jason Teague is here and he knows. It was only family they kept in the dark." Lois sounded annoyed.

"Jason? Why is he there?"

"I guess Lana told him a long time ago. Lex sent him here today to arrange for security, but Clark won't allow it."

"Wait, Lex knew?"

"Sure did. Listen, I can come get you. Gabe is staying here tonight, and Clark and I are going to be here, too. It's the safest place for you and Ben."

Chloe hesitated. She was annoyed that Lex hadn't mentioned the situation to her, but it was entirely possible that he assumed she knew and didn't want to have an uncomfortable conversation about it. She knew there was no way he was in league with Lionel, and he undoubtedly already had extra security lined up for the evening.

"No, Lois, I think I'm staying here tonight. Ben and I are incidental, I doubt he'll be after us again right away. You all stay there, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Chloe, that's crazy. You need to be here, you know it's safer."

"Probably, but I'm sure we'll be okay. No one knows where we are. I'll call--"

"Hang on."

Chloe heard the phone jostling around, and then heard the muffled sound of Lois' voice. A lower-pitched rumble answered, followed by more scuffling.

"Chloe? I'd be a lot more comfortable if you were staying here tonight. I'll be here, and Lois and Martha… and Clark." The reason for the emphasis was obvious.

"I know, Dad. And you might be right. But I really feel like I can be more… um… useful if I stay here. I promise, I'll be there first thing in the morning."

"At least let me come get Ben."

"No." Chloe shuddered slightly and squeezed her son close against her side. "I'm keeping him with me."
Gabe sighed heavily. He was silent for a few moments before he replied.

"Okay, honey. I'm not going to argue with you. But if you need anything…"

"Scream real loud, got it." She smiled at the faint chuckle over the line.

"So I hear. I'll see you in the morning. I love you. And… I'm really sorry about all of this."

"No, Dad, it's not your fault. I love you too."

After she hung up the phone, Chloe rose from the couch and walked over to the closed door of the room. She opened it slightly and peeked out. A large man in a suit sat in a chair directly opposite.

"Excuse me, how do I get Lex to come here?"

The man pulled a small radio from his belt.

"I'll get him for you, Miss Sullivan. Do you need anything else?"

"No, we're good. Thank you."

When Lex entered a few minutes later, Chloe had had time to process the information she'd been given. She was waiting on the stool next to the small bar in the back of the room so Ben wouldn't hear their conversation. Lex barely had a chance to sit down before she dove in.

"Your father is doing all this crazy shit over a woman? Will the Trojan Horse be arriving soon?"

Lex shook his head, the hint of a smile playing around his lips.

"It does seem to be a bit of a change of pace from perpetrating the shady dealings of Capitol Hill."

"Where would he even get the money to hire those guys?"

"I'm sure he keeps a lot of special interest groups very happy. Having funded one or two myself in the past, I know they have a lot to offer the willing and persuasive."

Chloe closed her eyes and sighed. Lionel Luthor was supposed to be a part of her past. His shadow was never supposed to fall over her son. Yet here she was again…

"How long have you known about this, Lex?"

"Several months. I had no idea he would go this far, or I would have taken you under my protection weeks ago. He has an election coming up. This was a sloppy move."

"Well, I would think someone would have seen fit to tell me my father was being threatened by the diabolical madman that's tried to have us killed before." She jumped down off of the stool and began to pace the floor before the bar. "And over a woman! He tried to have my son kidnapped over a fucking woman!"

"I know," Lex said wryly. "It's inane, and clichéd, and incomprehensible, and totally out of character." He shrugged. "What can I say? He's been known to do strange things before." He caught Chloe by the hand to halt her pacing and pulled her to stand beside him. "Are you hungry?"

"I guess."

"Hey Ben," he called, leaning around her. "Do you like pizza?"

Ben jumped up and ran over to hug Chloe's leg.

"Cheese!"

"Done!" Lex replied, sliding off the stool. He caught Ben by the waist and legs and flipped him upside down, then commenced to tickling his tummy on the way out the door. He grinned at the little boy's delighted squeals.

Chloe stood staring for several moments after they'd left the room. It seemed Lionel was not the only Luthor full of surprises. Her hand drifted up to press against her chest and her stomach suddenly felt very warm.

"Mommy, come on!"

She went.



Late that night, Ben slept soundly, burrowed deep under the covers. Chloe reclined next to him in the king size bed with her pillow propped behind her. She was trying to read, but the unfamiliar sounds of the old castle at night kept her constantly distracted. She was starting to rethink the wisdom in not going to the Kent Farm - at least there, she knew Clark's superhearing would detect any danger long before she heard it herself.

A light knock nearly scared her out her wits. She darted out of bed and grabbed a heavy candelabra off of the antique dresser before crossing to the heavy door.

"Who is it?" she hissed.

"It's just me, Chloe."

She quickly put down the candelabra and set her back against the small table. Pushing hard with her feet, she slid it away and turned the key in the lock. Finally she opened the door.

Lex stood before her wearing deep purple silk pajama pants, a quizzical expression, and nothing else.

"I'm just being cautious," she said defensively.

"By scratching my floors?"

"Aren't all henchman terrified by the thought of an unrepairable groove in a fine wood floor?"

"Undoubtedly," he replied with a smirk. "May I come in?"

She stepped aside to allow him entrance, then locked the door behind him and moved to slide the desk back in place.

"Please," he said with a grimace. "Allow me." Grunting slightly, he lifted the heavy oak table and gently deposited it in front of the door. "I'd rather repair a hernia than replace the floor."

Chloe grinned, then shivered and hurried back under the covers. Lex sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.

"I've been thinking about how to deal with my father."

"Me too. I say we start by giving him a manicure with a pair of pliers. After that, we can work on his teeth. What do you think should come next?"

"Your immediate employment with the neo-Gestapo."

"Lex, he--"

"I know, I know. But Chloe, violence isn't going to be the way to handle this. My father is a master at that game, and I'm not willing to put anyone's life at risk in a contest I might not win."

"So what can we do?"

"I'm going to run for his seat in the Senate."

"You're kidding."

"No. I've been considering politics for some time now, I may as well take this as a sign."

Chloe nodded slowly. She noticed the goose bumps on Lex's bare skin and scooted closer to Ben, then held the blankets up. He slid under them without argument.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want. I can hire a nanny for Ben during the day while you're at work. For that matter, take a leave of absence. I'll have extra security at all hours."

Chloe shifted slightly so she could look up at Lex.

"No. I appreciate the offer, but staying with you will only open us up to a whole other contingent of enemies. You told me so yourself. We're leaving in the morning to stay with Mrs. Kent and my dad."

"That's the last place you should be."

"Clark will be there."

The silence was nearly tangible. Chloe wished she could take back the thoughtless words, but they were true. Regardless of Lex's anger with his former friend or his slighted feelings at her admission, Clark was better security than anyone Lex could ever provide.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It's okay," he replied after a few moments. "I know you're right. And you have Ben to worry about. Clark will keep him safe."

"I wonder what he intends to do to Lionel."

"I've already made Teague aware of my plan and he was going to explain it to Clark. Hopefully he will see reason. My father will be much easier to deal with when he's out of power."

"You know, it's funny. All this time, we've been so careful to avoid each other so no one would come after us. Now we're in trouble anyway, just because my dad happened to fall for a woman that your dad already wanted."

Lex wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

"At least I got to spend the evening with you and Ben."

Chloe laughed softly.

"Ah, the silver lining. And how on earth did you get that train set together so quickly?"

"I had it special ordered for my nephew, and it was just delivered yesterday. It was assembled for my approval and hadn't been packed away yet."

"I feel terrible that he had to miss trick or treating."

"Bring him by tomorrow night, I'll have candy for him. I'm sure Lana and Martha will be glad to play along as well."

She patted his chest lightly.

"Lex Luthor, dispensing excellent parenting advice. Who'd have guessed?"

"No one in their right mind, I'm sure." He smoothed a strand of hair away from her face. "You should get some sleep, you've had a long day."

Absently, she stroked Ben's shoulder.

"I can't sleep. I just…" She sighed. "I can't."

"I'll stay right here. I won't let anything happen to you tonight, I promise."

"I can't ask you to do that, Lex."

"You didn't." He gently pushed her head toward the crumpled pillow. "Sleep."

Chloe took a deep breath and smiled.

"Maybe for a few minutes." She snuggled up next to Ben and kissed him on the cheek, then closed her eyes.



When dawn broke, Lex put down the book Chloe had been reading and turned off the light. He curled up behind her and laid his head on her pillow, then reached across her and rested his hand on Ben's tiny fist. Before the sun completely cleared the horizon, he was asleep.

[hfce]

Aww that was so sweet and the end was cute as well. They are the perfect family. :D

Hope :)

[June]

The update before this one? Wonderful. the opening scene warmed my heart.



When dawn broke, Lex put down the book Chloe had been reading and turned off the light. He curled up behind Chloe and laid his head on her pillow, then reached across her and rested his hand on Ben's tiny fist. Before the sun completely cleared the horizon, he was asleep.


I just have no words. I loved this paragraph, I loved this entire chapter. It was sweet and it just sort of hurt... like you could feel chloe's pain. Loved it, really loved it.

If I beg can you update quickly? This is wonderful and I need *more*.

[star del mar]

"Me too. I say we start by giving him a manicure with a pair of pliers. After that, we can work on his teeth. What do you think should come next?"

"Your immediate employment with the neo-Gestapo."

LOL, that line had me laughing. That was a sweet chapter, I just love Lex...as for Lionel...grrr, just get him away! Great update!!

Steph*

[meg20]

So sweet, always like it when they act like family.
Great story, please continue!

[Zannie]

When dawn broke, Lex put down the book Chloe had been reading and turned off the light. He curled up behind her and laid his head on her pillow, then reached across her and rested his hand on Ben's tiny fist. Before the sun completely cleared the horizon, he was asleep.
That last paragraph was so sweet it made my belly ache (in a good way, not an ill way).


That said, Zannie, no more customer satisfaction smut
Hmph! Not even a little, bitty smut scene? A flashback quickie? A fast grope in a closet?


"Your father is doing all this crazy shit over a woman? Will the Trojan Horse be arriving soon?"
Nice.


He caught Ben by the waist and legs and flipped him upside down, then commenced to tickling his tummy on the way out the door. He grinned at the little boy's delighted squeals.

Chloe stood staring for several moments after they'd left the room. It seemed Lionel was not the only Luthor full of surprises. Her hand drifted up to press against her chest and her stomach suddenly felt very warm.
Yeah. Mine too, Chloe.


Lex stood before her wearing deep purple silk pajama pants, a quizzical expression, and nothing else.
Yum.


"I'd rather repair a hernia than replace the floor."
I like Lex's priorities.

Another great update. Congrats on getting the story all mapped out until the end. Can't wait for more.

[fighterangel]

omg that's so cute. I loved the end. Please update soon

LA

[squash]

that was so adorable, i just love this lex, he's so sweet

[autumngold]

Great updates!! I hope that soon Lex and Chloe realize that they are safer together than apart!! I really liked the end of the chapter, Lex staying awake to keep Chloe safe!! Post again soon please!!

[Kandya]

I story with a baby...just what I've been dreaming of. How did you know? And I like the mystery that I think is there. Maybe I'm reading too much into. One thing that I notice is that there sex scene was kind of like reading an fight sequence, maybe you meant it to be like that or maybe you didn't but that is what is seemed like to me. All in all I enjoyed it.

[Kandya]

Chapter something on page 11 was just absolutely incredible. That back and forth thing you did was just awesome. I read it twice. It's so freakin' creative. I love. I applaud you. I'm speechless...it was great x infinite.

[Kandya]

!
she was out of practice at life-or-death situations.

This was very funny though the chapter wasn't very funny. Can't wait for the next next update.

[Kandya]

I've been waiting for them to fall asleep togehter...

[crankychick]

...no more customer satisfaction smut...

Can we bid on a fondle? How about a frisk? J/K


"Your father is doing all this crazy shit over a woman? Will the Trojan Horse be arriving soon?"
Ha! Go Chloe with your Greek comedic references


Before the sun completely cleared the horizon, he was asleep.
Dammit, 'Bama, I used to be immune to stories with babies, Lex and Chloe but that was very well done. It's what he's always needed, what Chloe's only witnessed and what little Ben is accomplishing with his cute, honey-child ways - real family togetherness.

[campbti]

That was just so sweet, I love Lex as a parent figure. I am sure he would devote the same energy and focus to it that he does to his work. Update again soon when you can. I just love Ben and the interaction with Chloe and Lex.

[BellaMR]

That was as sweet as a huge chocolate bunny on Easter. And I didn't even get a tummy ache.
Can I just say ewww at Lionel lusting after Martha? Hands off of Mama Kent! She's Gabe's woman now.
I love the idea of Lex ousting Lionell from the Senate.

Great job.

[Thessaly]

"Aren't all henchman terrified by the thought of an unrepairable groove in a fine wood floor?"

Heh. Soooooooo funny. And I hear you can send them into a tailspin if you spill red wine on a cream carpet.

The Ben/Lex interaction was so sweet that my tummy went squidgy. And I'm fairly sure that it's not caused by the industrial amounts of chocolate I've eaten in honour of Our Lord Jesus and his resurrection.

More please?

Thessaly

[lilinny]

Great chapter. I wonder what's going to happen next.

[Zannie]

I nobly promised myself I wouldn't request smut anymore (and that has nothing to do with your saying smut-requests wouldn't work), but I never mentioned not begging for updates.

So please? Just a little update? Doesn't even have to be smutty. Any kind of update will do. A brief, meaningless Chlex conversation even. I'm not picky or demanding or anything.

*whispers* the longer the better . . . the funnier the better . . . the smuttier the better.

Please?

[AlabamaWorley]

I know, I know. It's all in my head, I just haven't had time to transfer it to my fingers. I'm actually almost to the end, and there IS smut coming! But alas, I just haven't had the time.

I'll try really hard to work on it tonight, I promise.

[meg20]

Hope you´ll hold your promise.

It is a fantastic fic and it needs an update, dieing to know what happens next.

Keep up the good work!

[welshy]

The end of that chapter was so sweet, I hope there's going to be more

[ptite_mily]

*pouts* Me want update *pouts some more*

[Baily007]

Hey - it's really been a while since we had news on this wonderful fic! I miss Chloe, Ben and Lex and I even more miss their interaction :o)

[jess]

I just finished reading this. Great story! I love the interaction between Lex and Ben. Damn Lionel. Does he have to have everything his way all the time? As a known Lurker I must congradulate you for writing such an awesome fic that I had no choice but to post.

[Norah]

How I wish there were an update. This story is so great.

[Zannie]

How I wish there were an update. This story is so great.

You know, Bama, I think Norah is right. An update is definitely in order. And, while I appreciate any and all stories you're gracious enough to provide me with (*ahem* especially those including pictures), I won't be content until I get another update of this one.

Please?

[AlabamaWorley]

Wow, I even have lurkers coming out, cool! I know, I'm shameful. Y'all are so sweet to keep hounding me, I'm glad you're still interested after my negligence.

The conclusion will be up today, I promise. It may be very, very late today (in fact, it may technically be tomorrow) because it's going to be really long to get everything in, but I want to get it done.

And yes, there will be smut...

[ptite_mily]

*makes happy dance* yay! Hurry up!

[Blaire023]

oooh *points*

i just caught up.

i've decided i'm going to retire. I'm done writing fic, all I want to do is sit here and read it.

You're doing a beautiful job with this. And as some of you may know..I myself have a 4 year old. Oh, sorry, 4 and a 1/2. Beleive me, to them that 1/2 mark is like a huuuuuuge deal.

I'm loving Ben/Lex, Lex/Chloe, Ben/Chloe. All of them are interacting so good with eachother.

As a single mom, I'm totally feeling Chloe's pain.

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Okay, so I lied. I didn't finish. Some of this took a bit more out of me than I'd expected, so I need a break - mainly because I'm now in no mood to write smut. So, I'll get the rest up tomorrow.

Let's see, important things to know... first, pretend Onyx and Spirit didn't happen. The sudden character changes for Lionel and Jason were just too much for me to try to work into my characters, and since I don't particularly appreciate inexplicable personality changes, I don't want to mess with trying to fix them. Second, the poetry in this and future updates is mine, technically, legally, etc. If you hate it, that's fine. It's all been written for some time, so you're not going to damage a fresh, raw nerve if you criticize it. It just seemed to fit. And the David Boreanaz part is the real story!

And finally... please remember when you're reading that I'm trying to stick with realism and moderate your screaming accordingly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later, Chloe bypassed the breakfast line at the counter to grab a copy of the new Talon literary magazine and rush off to a partially hidden booth. She flipped the pages anxiously.

The next installment of Lois’ romance novel... a series of charcoal sketches from Lana... recipes for a full course meal from Mrs. Kent... another mystery story from Mr. Ross... a book review from the library...

She huffed impatiently as she flipped through thirteen more submissions before finding what she wanted on the very last page, the result of having gotten the piece to Mrs. Kent after the issue had already gone to the printer. Poetry had never been her strength, but this one was very personal for her.

The Storm
by Chloe Sullivan

Ripples begin
in calm waters.
An overwhelming desire to protect is
balanced by an overwhelming need for shelter.
With a bolt of lightning,
the thunder begins a slow rumble:
the complete union of
body, mind, and soul.
The salty, wet ocean
tastes no sweeter than the salts of a lover.
The storm's voice roars
to the tempo of throbbing summer heat;
a perfect telepathy
conceived in love.
Wave after trusting wave of unrelenting ecstasy
pounds on the shores of strong, broad shoulders.
The explosion of the senses
is detonated by intimate touch.
Slowly, the tides ebb
and the tempests calm;
soft purrs of noncommunication
understood clearly by another.
The ripples smooth out;
muscles relax.
But heart and soul intertwine
more tightly with every storm.

She flopped back against the seat in relief, but her stomach was churning.



Lex absently chewed his lip as he stared at the display on his laptop. He was writing a speech for his first appearance since that morning’s press release announcing his candidacy, and he not only needed to give an excellent impression of the campaign he intended to run, but of the new party he was creating to back him.

The perfect sentence had just entered his head when the doors to the study slammed open in a manner that left no doubt to the identity of his unwanted visitor.

“I just read a very interesting article in the paper that absolutely reeked of the poison pen of one Miss Chloe Sullivan. Am I to assume, Lex, that you’ve finally run out of steam over stealing LuthorCorp away from me and have decided to again join with that mentally questionable young woman to take away my power that I have earned since then to give back to the people who have given me so much?”

Lex’s brow furrowed. If Lionel was making statements with such dubious sentence structure, he must really be upset. It would be a shame to waste the slim advantage, especially considering the payback he'd earned for his rude comments about Chloe.

“You can either take the high road and suppose I’m so anxious to be just like dear old dad that I can’t wait until he’s done living his life to attempt to emulate it, or you can go low and wonder if I don’t perhaps feel you need something more constructive to do with your time than terrorize poor, innocent citizens with your hyper-obsessive villainy.”

“Villainy? Really, Lex?”

“Really, Dad. I have my people monitoring the local railroad lines for damsels in restraints after your sloppy work last week.” He clucked his tongue disapprovingly. “Very un-Luthorlike.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The narrowing of Lionel's eyes was barely perceptible.

“Of course not.” There was no sense trying to delve into it any deeper. The goal was to keep the Sullivans and Mrs. Kent safe, and forcing the conversation would only jeopardize that end. It occurred to Lex that his plan had probably already worked; as with many things that had happened in Smallville over the years, the attempted kidnapping of two women and a child would be glossed over as if it never happened. “Did you need something else, or did you just drop in to wish me luck?”

Lionel cocked his head and smirked at his son.

“May the better man win.” He turned and swept out, his arrogance trailing behind as a nearly palpable presence.

Lex returned to his laptop as though nothing of interest had transpired. The desperate desire for his father's love had faded a bit more with every attempt on his life; really, the man was no longer of any real consequence unless he was threatening someone else. When the danger had clearly passed, Lex's interest in the man went with it.



When Chloe walked out to her car, Jason Teague was leaning casually against the hood. His tailored clothes looked extremely out of place against her faded, dingy paint; she never would have guessed that the young, handsome football coach who'd traveled around the world for love would have become the polished and powerful man who answered only to Lex Luthor. He'd shed his idealism at the same time he'd shed Lana Lang, and although he remained friends with both girls, he was a totally different person.

But different didn't mean bad. Chloe beamed at him.

"Are you taking me to lunch?"

"Of course." Unlike his boss, genuine smiles still came easily to Jason; he offered one along with his arm to escort her across the street to the Meteor Café.

Despite its corny name, the restaurant was an excellent place for a private meal - the convenience wasn't by accident, as he had had it remodeled as such immediately upon purchasing it six years before. It was here that Lois had told her that Clark had finally shared his secret, and it was here that she had come to tell Lois she was pregnant when she was too afraid to tell her father. As a result, Chloe knew enough to raise an eyebrow when Jason led her to the very back of the café, to a table behind a glittering green screen. The poem she'd written suddenly weighed very heavily on her mind.

"What's going on?" she asked warily after he'd taken his seat in the booth across from her. Their lunch was already laid out, which further signified his need for privacy. Chloe knew he trusted his staff implicitly; though she wasn't sure exactly why, she knew that she could be certain there were no hidden bugs in the table service.

"Can't a fellow have a private lunch with a beautiful woman without having an ulterior motive?"

"Sure. But that's completely irrelevant to this lunch. So, what's going on?"

Jason sighed as he took a bite of his salad, then chewed thoughtfully before answering.

"Lex was really pleased with the piece you wrote for him."

Chloe's mind whirled. The implications of Jason arriving to deliver Lex's opinion of her poem suddenly felt very sleazy, and she wondered if she was about to be offered some proposition that would have her unable to face her friend ever again.

But he was still speaking.

"He felt like you mixed just the right amount of journalism and personal directive, which was what he always liked about your work in the Torch."

Chloe took a deep breath. The press release, of course. Lex was pleased with the press release she had written announcing his intention to take his father's Senate seat. She hoped her blush wasn't obvious.

"He'd like for you to be his full-time press correspondent."

She was immediately startled out of her relief.

"I… Jason, I have a job. I can't take on an obligation like that."

"You misunderstand. He's offering you a full-time position. It will be solely associated with the campaign, so you won't ever be affiliated with LexCorp."

"And after the campaign? Then what am I supposed to do?"

"You would make the transition to his Senate office."

"I can't drag Ben off to Washington."

"His local office, of course. And you'll have very little public contact with him, which will keep the danger by association to a minimum."

"What if he doesn't win?"

"You'll be taken care of, don't worry."

"This is crazy. My father would have a coronary. I'm sorry, but I can't even consider it. Tell Lex thanks anyway." She dug into her salad.

After a couple of bites, it became apparent that Jason was staring at her. She swallowed hard.

"I guess I'm not welcome for lunch anymore, hunh?" She grabbed her purse and started to slide out of the booth, annoyed.

"Sit down. Chloe, you are not making great money right now. You live in a shithole one step up from the trailer park. Ben is four years old and still sleeps in a toddler bed. People are dealing drugs down the street. Do you really want your son to grow up poor white trash?"

The tears sprang up instantly. No one had ever spoken those words aloud to her, but they struck some very deep fears for Chloe. It suddenly occurred to her that Lex had probably seen and thought all of those things the night he'd spent at her house, and it was too much. Her hand clapped itself tightly over her mouth, and she struggled blindly to get out of the booth. But before she'd cleared the screen, Jason caught her wrist and jerked her down beside him.

"You know I am your friend, and I care about what happens to you. I don't want to hurt you, but you need to face facts, Chloe. Lex can offer you a very good income doing work you will enjoy far more than answering phones and typing memos, and you know it. If you're too damn stubborn to take the job for yourself, think about what it will mean for Ben."

Chloe couldn't stop sniffling long enough to answer, but she took the napkin Jason offered to wipe her eyes. He hugged her with one arm and she reluctantly rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," he said softly. "But you know I'm just trying to look out for you. Give your notice at the Ledger. We'll have the campaign office set up by the time your two weeks are up, and your desk will be waiting. Okay?"

She closed her eyes and prayed for a sign, but all she felt was the light brush of Jason's breath across her hair as he waited for her answer.

"Okay."

He never even mentioned her poem.




"You know you're up a creek."

"Yeah."

"He's going to be really pissed."

"Yeah."

"And I'm going to hear about it nonstop for the next fucking week because you're in Smallville and I'm here and he's going to take it as a totally fucking personal affront."

"You knew what you were getting into when you moved in with him."

The quip was not appreciated.

"We're family, you know. You should really be making more of an effort to not complicate things for me, Chloe."

"I tried. You saw the grief I suffered being in love with Clark Kent. Teaching by example was really the best I could do for you, and you just threw it back in my face."

Lois tried for a snappy comeback, but finally just laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Have you told anyone else?"

"Just Dad. Pete won't be any happier than Clark, so I'm putting off telling Lana."

"Did Gabe have kittens?"

"I don't know. He just got really quiet, then asked to speak to Ben."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

"Did you tell Ben?"

"Yeah. He was excited. He can't wait for a bigger room with a big boy bed."

"Sweet."

"At least somebody was happy."

"Well, for the record, I think this is just about the stupidest stunt you've pulled. I mean it, Chlo, this is really pushing the bounds of total idiocy."

"I figured."

"And for my grudging acceptance and non-nagging silence, I expect the inside scoop on any and all breaking news."

"I also figured."

"And, if and when you purchase a blue dress from the Gap to visit the Senator's office for a cigar, I expect full disclosure."

"Off the record."

"Of course. And don't think I didn't see that poem."

"I had an excellent dream about David Boreanaz."

"Uh-hunh."

"Thanks for not freaking out on me, Lois."

"Yeah, well. Don't count your chickens before I tell the superfreak. You are soooo busted…"



Late that night, Chloe sat staring into the darkness, curled into the corner of the couch. She'd left the door open, knowing he'd be along eventually. A sudden breeze stirred her t-shirt, and then he was beside her. Anger radiated from him, but she didn't move away.

"Why would you do this, Chloe?"

"Opportunity's not knocking down my door, Clark. It's a good job. It will look really good on my résumé."

"Lois said you sounded like you were thinking long term."

She sighed, and then shrugged.

"I don't know what I'm thinking. I just know Ben needs me to have a good job, and this is a chance I can't pass up."

"Ben needs you to have a job that doesn't put you in more danger than you can even imagine. Do you have any idea what Lex is into these days? Do you know how many people hate him?"

"Do you know how many people hate you?" Chloe gasped at her outburst. She hadn't meant to say it - it had just come out. But she wouldn't take it back, because it was true.

Clark was silent for a long moment before answering.

"Yes, I do. But no one associates me with you or anyone else I care about. Lex is just out there. He'll never hide his power, because he thrives on it. And because of that, it is not safe for you or Ben or anyone other decent person to be in the way."

"I'm not in the way. I'll simply be another of many employees. He knows it's dangerous as much as you do. He won't make a public spectacle of our association. He won't even slee--" She stopped short. "Slee-- Uh…Sl--" She fumbled in agony, knowing what was coming.

"You're sleeping with him again?" Clark's voice was deadly calm, and Chloe felt a shudder start low in her spine.

"No! Just… just a couple of times. A few months ago. It just happened."

Clark rubbed his face tiredly.

"Chloe… Dammit." He got up and walked over to lean his forehead against the window. She couldn't see his face very clearly in the dim light from the streetlamp, but she knew he was probably struggling between instinct and control.

"I'm sorry, Clark. I know you're disappointed in me, and I don't blame you. From your point of view, I'm acting totally irrational and crazy. But you have to see it from my angle, too. I'm just trying to live my life as best I can. I've made some choices that have left me with different options than yours or Lois'. Lex is my friend, in an unconventional way, and he's a person, too. A very lonely, very conflicted person." She paused, wondering if her words were sinking in... if she even had a point. "I owe it to both of us to give this a try."

His deep breath was audible in the quiet night.

"Promise me you'll get out at the first sign of trouble. Don't ask questions, don't second guess yourself. Just come straight to me."

"I promise." She stood on shaky legs and took a hesitant step toward him. A long stride carried him back to her, and the warm hug reassured her that he wasn't angry anymore.

(TBC)

[hfce]

I loved the update but I am sorry I am tired of Clark's lectures. Let her be happy for once you big dumb alien. I loved your poem it was very good. :D


Hope ;)

[autumngold]

You write amazing poetry!! Normally I'm not much of a poetry fan, but your beautiful piece was so moving!! After I read it silently I had to read it again out loud because I liked the sounds of the words you put together!! (I'm sorry, that probably made no sense; isn't it good that I don't write!! :) ) I really liked your update also!! This is a great story!!

[Krysia]

I wanted to start screaming at Clark , how can he allow Chloe and Ben to live the way they do [ I know there isn't really much he can do , but still he's the one with the hero complex he should help his friends] and than he goes and is all "ow you shouldn't be doing this", "Lex is no good". Grr ,but he did get some brownie points for telling her he will be there for them if something should happen. Anyway Stupid Clark made me angry especially since Chloe is all confused about what to do.
I kept waiting for somebody to comment on her poem [ btw WOW on the poem]. And than Lois did and the interaction between them was just sweet. Great work :) Thank you for updating.

[meg20]

This was a wonderful chapter with a best poem ever. Clark is really annoing, he needs to let Chloe live her own life and butt out.
Hope you won't delay the next chapter too long and update soon.
It was a really good update!!!!
:hug:

[Zannie]

You write amazing poetry!! Normally I'm not much of a poetry fan, but your beautiful piece was so moving!! After I read it silently I had to read it again out loud because I liked the sounds of the words you put together!! (I'm sorry, that probably made no sense; isn't it good that I don't write!! :) )

It makes perfect sense. I teach English, and probably once a week I tell my students that they have to read poetry out loud in order to understand it. And you can usually tell when it's a good poem because of the way it sounds when you read it out loud.

Bama, yours reads out loud beautifully, and it's a lovely, rich poem that fit perfectly into this story.

I don't have much time this morning, but I'll be back later to leave more detailed feedback. But I loved everything. Loved the Lex/Lionel conversation, loved your take on Jason, loved Chloe's response to the whole situation/decision, loved how in character you kept Clark.

And for now all I have left to say is . . .


"I had an excellent dream about David Boreanaz."

. . . a likely story.

[lexchloe]

Great update. Loved Lionel and Lex clashing, Chloe and Jason as friends and even Clark looking out for Chloe. It'll be interesting to see where the new job takes Chloe and Lex's relationship and how Lionel could possibly use that against him. Really, really liked the poem and Chloe's reaction when she thought that Lex had read it. Can't wait for more.

[hippiez]

I can't even remember how long I haven't been here... Your story was the first story to satisfy my crave for Chlex stories after a long time, and I have to tell you... Your story gave everything that I want! Hope that you can update it soon! ^-^

[Blaire023]

"Yes, I do. But no one associates me with you or anyone else I care about. Lex is just out there. He'll never hide his power, because he thrives on it. And because of that, it is not safe for you or Ben or anyone other decent person to be in the way."

dude! clark's smart and stuff. musta happened when he got his edumacation from college. :)

anyways, i loved the update, the personal struggle. although if i had been chloe i would have instinctively smacked jason, but hey, not everyone is the same.

and i understand the not in the mood to write smut. it's hard stuff, chicky, no pun intended

[Thessaly]

“Really, Dad. I have my people monitoring the local railroad lines for damsels in restraints after your sloppy work last week.” He clucked his tongue disapprovingly. “Very un-Luthorlike.”

Heh. It's funny because it's true. You can totally see Lionel twirling his moustaches and sneering, "Ar-har, my proud beauty" before bursting into maniacal laughter.


"And, if and when you purchase a blue dress from the Gap to visit the Senator's office for a cigar, I expect full disclosure."

"Off the record."

"Of course. And don't think I didn't see that poem."

"I had an excellent dream about David Boreanaz."

I think we've all had those dreams. Mine are more Spike-y. Snaps for the Monica reference.

This chapter rocked like a good 'un. I particularly want to see Ben's reaction to his new room with the big boy bed. I bet Lex has (ahem) a Big Boy bed.

More please?

Thessaly

[lilinny]

Wow a thousand times. Fantastic chapter. What is Lex up to? Will he read the poem? I can't wait to what comes next.
:respect:

[star del mar]

Well I'm happy that you updated! I love this story and though there wasn't any Chlex interaction, I'm glad to see that at least Lex is still thinking about her...and I can't wait to see what his reaction will be to her poem. I'll be waiting patiently for another update :)

Steph*

[June]

*jumps up and down excitedly*

Bama Updated! Bama Updated! Bama Updated!

I'm exhausted and wouldn't be able to do this chapter justice by trying to read it now in my sleep induced haze, so first chance I get tomorrow I'm coming to read and review. I'm so excited!

[Zannie]

All right--I'm back. Finally had a chance to write some more specific feedback. And can I just ask? How did this get to the second page in just two days? The forums have been really active lately.


A week later, Chloe bypassed the breakfast line at the counter to grab a copy of the new Talon literary magazine and rush off to a partially hidden booth. She flipped the pages anxiously.
This is so true. It's exactly my reaction and behavior whenever anything of mine is in print. Even if you know it's going to be there, there's this crazy anxiety until you actually see it for yourself. And I love the contents of the literary magazine--particularly that Lois is writing a romance novel by installment.


“I just read a very interesting article in the paper that absolutely reeked of the poison pen of one Miss Chloe Sullivan. Am I to assume, Lex, that you’ve finally run out of steam over stealing LuthorCorp away from me and have decided to again join with that mentally questionable young woman to take away my power that I have earned since then to give back to the people who have given me so much?”

Lex’s brow furrowed. If Lionel was making statements with such dubious sentence structure, he must really be upset.
Loved this. 1) "Dubious" is one of my favorite words at the moment. 2) After reading Lionel's dialogue, I was all "What? What did he say? Is that really Lionel speaking? What happened to his beautifully cadenced syntax?" Loved that too much emotion pushes him over into wordiness and bizarre linguistic patterns.


hyper-obsessive villainy
Just really liked that phrase.


When the danger had clearly passed, Lex's interest in the man went with it.
Really interesting insight into Lex's character and his relationship with his father.


He'd shed his idealism at the same time he'd shed Lana Lang,
Loved (LOVED!) this line.


The implications of Jason arriving to deliver Lex's opinion of her poem suddenly felt very sleazy, and she wondered if she was about to be offered some proposition that would have her unable to face her friend ever again.
Poor Chloe. How horrible to have the poem on her mind, and then hear what Jason said. Of course this is what she would immediately think. I get an icky feeling just imagining it.


Do you really want your son to grow up poor white trash?"

The tears sprang up instantly. No one had ever spoken those words aloud to her, but they struck some very deep fears for Chloe. It suddenly occurred to her that Lex had probably seen and thought all of those things the night he'd spent at her house, and it was too much. Her hand clapped itself tightly over her mouth, and she struggled blindly to get out of the booth.
This is just heartbreaking. Such a natural and believable reaction--and just this little bit of prose introduces enormous depths of emotional backstory in Chloe. It almost made me tear up on the second read.


"Did you tell Ben?"

"Yeah. He was excited. He can't wait for a bigger room with a big boy bed."

"Sweet."

"At least somebody was happy."
Very sweet.


"Yeah, well. Don't count your chickens before I tell the superfreak. You are soooo busted…"
Great Lois line.


Chloe felt a shudder start low in her spine.
I know exactly what kind of shudder you're talking about here. Great turn of phrase.

And as for the poem . . .


With a bolt of lightning,
the thunder begins a slow rumble
These lines seem simple and almost inevitable, but they create an entire image perfectly. Lovely.


The salty, wet ocean
tastes no sweeter than the salts of a lover.
Adored these lines. I love the whole storm/sex equation, and these particular lines really got me going--er, in a literary way, of course.


tempo of throbbing summer heat
I feel shuddery just reading this.


Wave after trusting wave
Now why do you suppose I keep wanting to read this as . . . "wave after thrusting wave"?


on the shores of strong, broad shoulders
Yum. And wonderful metaphor.


But heart and soul intertwine
more tightly with every storm.
Absolutely perfect.

Wonderful, wonderful update. Now where's the rest? Huh? Is it coming soon? Please?

[Norah]

This was a great update. I love your poem so much, you're really talented at putting words together in a powerful way. I also liked all the different conversations in this chapter, particularly the one between Jason and Chloe. Clark is acting sort of jerky, but I think it's totally in character. I can't wait for the rest of this.

[June]

I've been waiting for two days to finally get the chance to read this... it was so worth it.

The entire poem was beautifully written and used amazing well in this chapter, but this part:


the complete union of
body, mind, and soul.
The salty, wet ocean
tastes no sweeter than the salts of a lover.



I read over and over again. I love the 'Complete union...' part especially, I'm not sure why.



The ripples smooth out;
muscles relax.
But heart and soul intertwine
more tightly with every storm.




That part too... just beautiful.




you can go low and wonder if I don’t perhaps feel you need something more constructive to do with your time than terrorize poor, innocent citizens with your hyper-obsessive villainy.”



I love Lex vs. Lionel banter battles, and the hyper-obsessive villainy totally had Lex winning this round because well, it was funny as hell.




"He'd like for you to be his full-time press correspondent."


*jumps up and down* I knew it! I knew that was coming!



I like your brash, take charge Jason in this. I don't like that he used Chloe's fears concerning Ben and his future (low blow if you ask me) to get her to consider the job, but someone had to do it, and I was glad it was him instead of Lex. I think I would have slapped Lex silly if he had been the one to do it. I like that you made it come from a somewhat neutral party.





"You knew what you were getting into when you moved in with him."


The quip was not appreciated.



"We're family, you know. You should really be making more of an effort to not complicate things for me, Chloe."




God, I love your Lois too. That was a spon on Lois comment.





"Promise me you'll get out at the first sign of trouble. Don't ask questions, don't second guess yourself. Just come straight to me."



"I promise." She stood on shaky legs and took a hesitant step toward him. A long stride carried him back to her, and the warm hug reassured her that he wasn't angry anymore.



I even like your Clark in this too. I like how he's protective over Chloe, and for me it's with good reason. In the beginning of the story it was established that Lex isn't who he was in Smallville, he's darker now, and who else would see that besides Superman? I like that Clark looks out for Chloe the way he does, simply because he also lets her do what she wants. He's not forbidding her to see him (which would achieve in making me hate him) he's just simply saying do what you want and when it blows back up in your face- i'll be there. A totally shitty thing to do, but it is, in my opinion better than the other option. Which makes me respect him and loose respect for him at the same time.

I don't know if you've gotten the picture Bama, but I love this story, A LOT, down to the very last detail, and cannot wait for the next update.

[callunaaurora]

Great story.
I just read the whole thing and I love it. The characters actually seem realistic and as one FB said Clark is actaully a hero and not an "asshat" likw SV makes him. I also really like that everyone knows that Clark is Superman because going with the SV timeline in the future how could they not know. I cant wait for the rest of the story.

CA

[Madison_Writer]

Wow, really good. You're an amazing author. Loving the Chlex

[starmoon]

i love this update please write more soon.

[Norah]

Please come back and update. I love this story.

[meg20]

Please, please, please come back and continue this story!!!!

[SinnerSaint]

People need to stop writing such damn good fan fic because I obscees easily and this is taking over my life. Update please!

[angelslady]

Just caught up with this story, and i am hooked lol please hurry back and update soon, can't wait to find out what happens next. :)

[Zannie]

Bama, are you there? Is it time for an update yet? Please?

*grumbles about being reduced to begging so pathetically*

[AlabamaWorley]

*cackles maniacally at begging Zannie, then stops short in fear of retribution*

It is time! I started it yesterday afternoon and am hoping to finish today.

[Yarvarni]

wonderful absolutely wonderful.......

[Norah]

It is time! I started it yesterday afternoon and am hoping to finish today.

:ecstatic: Yay, I can't wait for the update!

[carebear72884]

Bama, I love it! I can't belive I never read it before. Great story, great work. I have never seen someone start with a fluffy PWP and turn it into such a great piece. Update soon, I can't wait for more.

[kimmie]

Really love this story... please come back and update SOON!!!!

[Zannie]

Hmph! I begged and everything. And it's Wednesday now and still no update. Maybe I can muster up a little more supplicance.

*cringes at lowering herself so much, but is now desperate enough to try anything*

Puh-leeeeeeeeese! Pretty please. With sugar and smut on top! Update soon.

*regains her dignity and pretends this never occurred*

I hope you were able to work through the troubling first scene, and I hope your real life clears up quickly--and not just because I want an update. Although I do. Want an update. Really, really bad.

[Baily007]

Ok fellas, Zannie started it and I strongly agree: Screw dignity - it's begging time!
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE update!

[lj715]

I love this story & need to know what happens next. Please update.

[meg20]

Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please UPDATE ALREADY!!!:beg:

[godddess1]

OMG this fic is sooo good. I'm getting quite suspicious about Ben's paternity you know..Nod,Nod Wink,Wink Update soon Please

[Baily007]

Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please UPDATE ALREADY!!!:beg:

Pleeeeeease!

[chril1]

dude man you're wrong

update

lea
xxx

[lj715]

Please update, want more!

[meeaz]

ahh this fic is so delicious! awesome job! and yeah so i (and everyone else) really want to know who ben's dad is, so please include that soon! (it should be lex!) more soon please!

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Anybody remember this story? Yeah, me either...

Sorry for the shortness, but I'm still writing. This just seemed like a good place to break and post... also, I'm a feedback whore, and I need some encouragement :blinkkiss
**************************************************

After the build-up to Chloe taking the job from Lex, the transition to actually working for him was completely anticlimactic. On her first day, he thanked her for taking the position and welcomed her to the team. After that, he rarely spoke to her, and when he did, it was strictly in public and directly related the campaign. However, “Free Coffee and a Cookie at the Talon” coupons mysteriously appeared in her desk often enough to reassure her that he was merely honoring his promise to keep her safe, and she tried not to feel bad about it.

The months passed, Lionel did his level best to smear Lex in the media. In return, Chloe wrote article after article rehashing hidden LuthorCorp scandals and the trial that had briefly put Lionel in prison. If she felt uncomfortable putting information under her own name, she passed it off to Lois, where it easily made the front page of the Planet. Clark remained silent regarding both candidates; unable to pick the lesser evil, he reported on Superman, crime, and the Governor’s race.

One afternoon in late August, Chloe had been diligently working on a new article that refuted Lionel’s social reform platform with a point-by-point review of his questionable employment practices and out-of-court labor board settlements. The office had been empty for at least half an hour due to the annual pre-season scrimmage at the end of the high school football camp; several players from the Sharks would be playing with the local boys. As a result, the building was totally silent when she clicked ‘Save’ and leaned back in her chair.

“If you’re finished, could you come here, please?”

Chloe nearly leaped out of her seat, and the echo of the keyboard tray banging against her knee reverberated through the room.

“Oh my God! I thought you left with Jason!”

“No, I walked outside with him, then came back in after he left. I believe you were in the restroom at the time.” Chloe couldn’t see his face, but she could hear the trademark smirk in his voice. She walked to his doorway and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Lex, I think you should know that I find it highly disturbing that you keep track of my visits to the ladies room,” she said as she leaned against the frame.

“You obviously keep track of my comings and goings.”

“Not to the potty. You’re my boss, it’s only natural for me to keep track of whether or not you are on the premises. Not that I would be slacking, or anything--”

“Potty?”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Preschool speak.”

“And how is Ben?”

“Uh-oh, I believe that qualifies as a personal question. Should I close the blinds before answering?”

Lex sighed dramatically as he turned back to his monitor.

“No, definitely not. And leave the door open when you come in and sit down, I’d hate for anyone to think we were in here alone in private.”

Chloe chuckled as she moved towards the chair.

“Ben is great. He started kindergarten this week, and he loves it.”

Lex looked up in surprise.

“He’s that old already?”

“I know. I can’t believe it either.” She watched Lex thoughtfully for a moment. “You know, you could come see him. We’re planning to barbecue tonight, why don’t you come over? You haven’t even seen our new house.”

“I... Chloe, you know that’s not a good idea.”

“Yes, Lex, I know that’s not a good idea in the grand scheme of things, but really, what will it hurt? You’re running yourself ragged. This is the first night you’ve had off in weeks. What are you going to do, sit in your castle with the amber-colored drink of the week, dial in a brunette, and call it a night?”

“I don’t dial in brunettes,” he replied sharply. At her raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “Anymore.”

“So... you don’t have any reason to say no. I’ll even invite Pete and Lana, that will make it safe, right?”

“I would love to, really, and thank you for asking, but I just don’t think I should.” He swiveled in his chair and retrieved a piece of paper from the printer, then turned back and handed it to Chloe. “The reason I called you in here. Could you have something ready with this information by the first of next week?”

She took the paper without looking at it and stood to leave.

“Of course, Mr. Luthor. Have a good evening.” Her voice was cold; the abrupt change of subject had obviously stung. She hurried out of his office and left the building moments later.

He wanted to call her back... but it really wasn’t a good idea.


That evening, Chloe patiently kicked the soccer ball back across the yard to Ben as she carefully turned the burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Her return wasn’t quick enough for her son, though.

“Mom, games are fast! You have to kick it faster!” He grabbed her free hand and tried to drag her toward the small field he’d set up with cones. “Come on, play with me!”

“Sweetie, I’ll play in a few minutes, okay? I have to get the meat cooked. We don’t want burned supper!”

Ben slumped dejectedly on the small patio.

“I wish I had a brother. If I had a dad, I could have a brother.”

“I know, sweetie.” Chloe couldn’t remember the first time Ben had made it clear that he knew he was missing something, but her abject sense of failure became more pronounced with every reminder. She held her breath until the tears went away and returned to the meat.

As a result, she was nearly scared out of her wits for the second time in as many hours when a smooth voice suddenly broke into her thoughts.

“I’m glad you didn’t invite Pete and Lana. That would have negated relaxing for the evening.”

Chloe turned quickly, flinging the hot dog that she had been turning across the yard when the tongs turned with her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I believe I was invited.”

“You said you weren’t coming.”

Any reply Lex would have made was cut short by Ben’s appearance at his side.

“Hi Lex! Want to play with me?” He held up his ball hopefully. Lex squatted down next to him and took the ball.

“You know, I haven’t played soccer in years. You think you could remind me how?”

“You just kick it! Here are the goals...” Ben raced off to show his new playmate where to aim. Lex slipped out of his jacket and tie and tossed both to the still-gawking Chloe with a grin.

Much later, Chloe joined Lex on the swing in the backyard.

“Is he asleep?”

“Yep. He was worn out after all that running.”

“He’s very good for his age. I’ll have to make sure he’s chosen for the LexCorp team next year.”

Chloe laughed as she leaned against the arm Lex had casually draped behind her.

“Great. Just remember that when scholarship time comes around in a few years, I’m sure he’d be glad to play at Met U.”

“Of course,” he replied, absently rubbing her shoulder. “You know I’d be glad to pay for his education.”

“Oh,” she said, blushing. “I didn’t mean--”

“I know.”

They swung in silence for several minutes before Chloe spoke again.

“But while we’re on the subject of you giving me free stuff, how come I never got a pair of diamond earrings?”

Lex snorted and hugged her against him.

“You want a pair of diamond earrings?”

“No, not particularly. I just wondered why I never got any.”

“Well...” He twirled his fingers in her hair as he watched a jet fly by high overhead. He’d never given the matter any conscious thought, but why hadn’t he given her the earrings? She certainly deserved them more than any of the vapid tramps he’d gifted with them. “I suppose... The earrings are a way of saying ‘goodbye, don’t call me again because I already forgot your name.’ I never wanted you permanently out of my life. Our relationship changed, but it didn’t stop me from caring about you.”

Chloe nodded her approval and squeezed his thigh in appreciation. Suddenly, she stood up.

“Good answer. Now go before I try to seduce you.”

“You want to seduce me?”

“Kinda. So hit the road before you let me.”

Lex stood, smiling broadly.

“Yes ma’am, if you insist.” He kissed her on the forehead and picked up his jacket and tie from the arm of the swing. “Thanks for supper.”

She stood beside the swing until she heard his car drive away, then sat back down to rock by herself. It was a long time before she went to bed.

(TBC)

[Zannie]

So I was giddy when I popped by and saw that you had just updated. Absolutely giddy, despite the shortness of the update. But now I'm getting a little worried. This chapter, plus a few other things you've said, are starting to freak me out. This is going to end happily, isn't it? Isn't it? Oh, God, please say it will.

Other than the rising panic, the update was absolutely wonderful.


“Lex, I think you should know that I find it highly disturbing that you keep track of my visits to the ladies room,” she said as she leaned against the frame.

“You obviously keep track of my comings and goings.”

“Not to the potty. You’re my boss, it’s only natural for me to keep track of whether or not you are on the premises. Not that I would be slacking, or anything--”

“Potty?”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Preschool speak.”

I'm still giggling over that whole exchange. When Chloe first said "potty," I snorted, then thought about how appropriate it was for a mother to say that, and then wondered how Lex would react. I can just picture his face as he repeated the word. Delicious.


“I don’t dial in brunettes,” he replied sharply. At her raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “Anymore.”

I found this remark endearing for some inexpressible reason.


“Of course, Mr. Luthor. Have a good evening.” Her voice was cold; the abrupt change of subject had obviously stung. She hurried out of his office and left the building moments later.

Poor, poor Chloe. What a terrible situation for both of them. But I'm sure Bama has a way to get them out of this. You do, don't you? Don't you? (notice how my voice rises in panic on the repeated question)


“Mom, games are fast! You have to kick it faster!”

I love your Ben stuff. I don't hang around with many little boys, but even I know that this sounds precisely little-boy-like.


She held her breath until the tears went away and returned to the meat.

Excellent strategy, Chloe. I've used it many times myself.

I loved that Lex stopped by. And I loved her flinging the hotdog across the yard out of her surprise to see him. *sighs sappily* Lex is so good with kids.

He's also sometimes good at handling difficult questions. Like this . . .


“Well...” He twirled his fingers in her hair as he watched a jet fly by high overhead. He’d never given the matter any conscious thought, but why hadn’t he given her the earrings? She certainly deserved them more than any of the vapid tramps he’d gifted with them. “I suppose... The earrings are a way of saying ‘goodbye, don’t call me again because I already forgot your name.’ I never wanted you permanently out of my life. Our relationship changed, but it didn’t stop me from caring about you.”

No wonder Chloe had to run away before she gave in to temptation and jumped him.

Now you have to get back here soon and fix this. I'm sure you can think of a way for them to be together. Can't you? Can't you? Can't you?

*panic once more setting in*

[teejei]

A/N: Anybody remember this story?why of course i still remember! was actually surprised by the update. :D now for the FB...


“I wish I had a brother. If I had a dad, I could have a brother.”see? the kid has a point, Chloe. start listening. :P


Good answer. Now go before I try to seduce you.”

“You want to seduce me?”

“Kinda. So hit the road before you let me.”

Lex stood, smiling broadly.

“Yes ma’am, if you insist.”awww, Chloe! why did you have to be such a killjoy? :nono:

Loved it and am asking for more. :wub:

[JosiCuervo]

“Good answer. Now go before I try to seduce you.”

“You want to seduce me?”

“Kinda. So hit the road before you let me.”

Lex stood, smiling broadly.

“Yes ma’am, if you insist.” He kissed her on the forehead and picked up his jacket and tie from the arm of the swing. “Thanks for supper.”

She stood beside the swing until she heard his car drive away, then sat back down to rock by herself. It was a long time before she went to bed.

This is the best. Honesty is always best...especially when it comes to seduction. I know it's best to have him leave, but that doesn't make me any less disappointed that he didn't let her. Yes...I'm a smutaholic...

Great update, 'Bama...Looking forward to the next one hopefully soon?? :blinkkiss

[lj715]

OMG! I can go to work a happy woman now that you've updated . A really great story, I read through it too quickly though. Like most pleasurable things, I was done too soon & left wanting more. Love the Lex/Ben relationship, hope Ben is Lex's. Please let me be right.

[kimmie]

OMG, I'm hooked on this fic, that last chap was so lovely, i love family man Lex!!!!!

Update again really soon

PLEASE!!!!!!

Kimmie

[Krysia]

Although it was an short update it was still sweet and I loved it. My favourite part was when Ben asked for a brother, because it was both a sweet and a painfull moment. And I loved that Lex showed up at Chloe's place after all, it took me by surprise that he did i thought he wouldn't come after he declined the offer earlier.

[meeaz]

great update! i loved the bit about the seduction and ben wanting a dad-aw! chloe should listen to him and marry lex, of course. waiting for the next update!

[Yarvarni]

You updated!!!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lilinny]

You Updated!!!!!! :nsparty:

Don't abandon this story. I have to find out if Lex and Chloe become a family.
It's so sweet!!!!!!

[campbti]

I love Ben and Lex interaction. And the end was so funny. But please let her seduce him at some point. PLEASE!!!!

[Ori]

Your back. A good way to end my day. This is an excellent story. It is sweet and realistic. But hopeful with touches of romance and honesty.
I really don't see how Lex is going to be able to resist Ben much longer. I am so glad that you are going to keep writing this story. It is one of my favorites.

[Norah]

I'm glad you updated, I love this story!! Lex is really cute with Ben and I hope Lex and Chloe will be able to work everything out. I love the part about Chloe wanting to seduce Lex. Please post more very very soon and maybe let her seduce him!!! :grin:

[June]

*does her little Home update dance* Ah, I get back from a long, day and this is what I get? B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!


Anybody remember this story? Yeah, me either...

*gasps in horror* How could I forget this wonderful story?




What are you going to do, sit in your castle with the amber-colored drink of the week, dial in a brunette, and call it a night?”

“I don’t dial in brunettes,” he replied sharply. At her raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “Anymore.”


First of all, that comment had me laughing my ass of so much I almost fell off my chair...



“Good answer. Now go before I try to seduce you.”

“You want to seduce me?”

“Kinda. So hit the road before you let me.”


The entire last scene between Lex, Chloe, and Ben was beautifully written and hearwarming the way that just made me want to sigh and go "awe" about a thousand times... which I did-- at least once. The Chlex interaction you write is light and sometimes fluffy and flows exactly the right way so the next moment it can be dark and angsty if the situation warrents it. I love that you can write like that, and I love this story so much words can not express how much. Please, Please, update soon.

[hfce]

Oh so no smut huh. Hmm they will end up together at the end right? :beg:


Hope ;)

[Shanna]

Yay! An update! An update! I love this story. I don't typically get into fics that have kiddies involved, but you've written Ben as such a cutie pie. The tension between Lex and Chloe is great, and I was so glad to see he took her up on her offer of dinner after all.

Honestly, I was waiting the entire time to read about a flash going off, expecting Lionel to have someone tail Lex to dig up some dirt.

More soon...pwease?

Shanna

[SinnerSaint]

This is actually such a sweet story. Please update soon . I really like the Ben/Lex interaction and think Lex would make a great daddy for him.

[meg20]

This was a very sweet chapter, loved Ben so much in this. I'm so glad you finally posted this story!
Update sooner this time!!!

[star del mar]

I was DESPERATELY hoping for smut because you write it oh so well especially when they're all sweaty and stuff, lol. Altogether though I was glad to see that you updated! Even if it was a small step I'm glad that Lex showed up, he's trying and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more homely or smutty encounters :D Update again soon!

Steph*

[Zannie]

Bama? Have you finished writing the smut yet? I woke up this morning and was all excited about seeing the fruits of your labors. *sighs* But no update. Damn that Lilo and Stitch for interfering with my smutty expectations.

[AlabamaWorley]

A/N: Look at Miss Impatient Pants! *snickers* There was more to the update than smut, you know! And, I had to be in a different mood to write it, so I had to wait until this morning.

Okay, here's the last real update, with a short epilogue and personal commentary to follow (probably late tonight or tomorrow). Thanks to everyone still reading after six weeks of hiatus, I really appreciate your very kind comments. It makes writing so much more fun!

Again, the poetry is my legal own. The actual title of the piece is "Sunrise," but I changed it for the context of the story. Incidentally, I like the new title so much, I might just leave it. Oh, and the conversation with Ben in the first scene is absolutely true-story - I had the exact same talk with my own munchkin last Saturday night.

Without further ado...
*************************************
For a Tuesday in November, the day was exceptionally warm. Chloe had splurged on a beautiful ombre dress and matching wrap that had cost $75 from the Newport News catalog. She knew she would be woefully lacking compared to the richly dressed women that would be at the party at the mansion, and she knew Lex would have given her the money for a dress if she’d asked, but the swirling blues and greens in the material were just the right colors for her. Besides, the draped neck would emphasize her top and hopefully distract from bottom.

At least that was how she’d felt about it when it arrived. But now that she was getting ready to leave, the dress seemed to highlight everything she wanted to hide. Maybe I should have bought a girdle, she thought. Hmmm... do they still make girdles?

“Ben!” A minor stampede of little feet came charging across the house, and her son appeared before her. “What do you think?” She held out her arms and did her best imitation of a catwalk turn. The small face lit up.

“You look pretty, Mom!”

“Thanks, baby,” she said, hugging him tightly. Sure, it was cheating to ask when she knew what he’d say, but it made her feel good. But when he pulled back, he carefully examined her belly and patted it gently.

“What? Do I look fat?”

He stepped back and, after a few more moments of study, slowly shook his head.

“No, it’s all right.”

That was a new one. Glancing in the mirror one more self-conscious time, she sucked in as hard as she could and followed him out the door.



When she arrived at he party, Chloe made her way over to Jason.

“Have any numbers come in yet?” she asked.

“No, nothing yet. The polls don’t close for another fifteen minutes, so we don’t expect anything for probably an hour, at least.”

“Oh, right. I can’t believe I’m so nervous!”

Jason laughed and handed her a drink from a passing tray.

“Is Ben with Lana and Pete?”

“No. They were going to keep him, but Lana has morning-noon-and-night sickness pretty badly, and she really wasn’t up to the task. He’s spending the night with my dad.”

“And with Mrs. Kent?”

“Don’t even go there, Teague. My stomach is churning enough as it is.” She turned to look around the room. “I’ve never seen so much money in one place.”

“Yeah. Lex’s backers turned out in full glory. He’s going to have to kiss a lot of ass to say thank you for this.”

“Where is he, anyway?”

“Conducting interviews in his office. He should be out shortly.”

Lex was indeed out shortly, and entered the room to an overwhelming ovation. He made a short speech to thank everyone for coming, then stepped down to mingle with his guests. Chloe chuckled with amusement at the rush of young, rich daughters that made a beeline for his side.

Finally, the precincts began reporting in. A bigscreen TV ran constantly, keeping the partygoers abreast of not only the Kansas senatorial race, but the Presidential race as well. The local station cut to the parties for the Governor candidates twice, and Chloe spotted Lois and Clark in the background at one of them.

As the evening wore on, it became obvious that Lex was going to win the election. It also became obvious to Chloe that one particular female had won the new Senator’s affections for the evening. Galatea Stanopolis, the daughter of a Greek shipping magnate, was firmly attached to his arm, and Chloe had seen Lex whispering into her ear more than once. She was slightly appalled that they would make their plans for the night so obvious in front of Galatea’s father. Nonetheless, when Lex slipped into his office around 10:30 to take the call from his father conceding defeat, the slender brunette went with him.

Hours later, a decidedly tipsy Chloe sat at a small table playing Go Fish with a definitely drunk Jason. Everyone else was gone, but he was too drunk to drive and not yet willing to admit he would have to stay overnight (what was left of it, anyway) at the mansion.

“Do you have any fives?” he asked, his words slightly slurred. Chloe looked at the cards already in pairs on the table.

“I think the better question, Jason, is do you have any fives? There are already four on the table.”

Jason peered closely at his cards, then burst into snorting laughter. Chloe snickered a little as he threw his hand on the table and slapped his leg.

“I’ll be damned, I don’t.” He laughed for a few more seconds, then suddenly became very, very serious. “Chloe, I have to tell you something.”

“Yes, Jason?” she asked, leaning forward to give him her complete attention. She knew what was coming, but it was so much more fun to pretend she didn’t.

“I’m really drunk.” With that confession, he rose abruptly and went in search of another drink. Chloe started to follow him, giggling hysterically, but a new figure entered the room and she stopped in surprise.

“Lex? What are you doing down here? I thought you’d be all wrapped up in Aphrodite by now.”

Lex snorted and walked slowly across the room.

“More like Medea. She left with her father. They stayed so long, I was afraid you’d be gone.”

“No. I’ve been sitting with Jason. My house is just empty anyway.” Her voice trailed off as Lex continued to stalk toward her. “Did you want me to... um... do a victory interview... or somphf--” Her question was cut off by Lex’s mouth descending over hers. She quickly wiggled away from the arms that sought to embrace her and backed away. “Lex, what are you doing?”

“Attempting to kiss you – and apparently not doing a very good job of it since you had to ask.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Not even remotely.” He reached for her again, and she let him kiss her for several seconds before backing away again.

“Lex, what are you doing?”

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her.

“Either I’m having déjà vu, or I need to ask if you are drunk.”

“I know you’re kissing me, smartass,” she said rolling her eyes. “But why? You were with a hot brunette bimbo all night, and now you’re coming on to me?”

“I told you, she went home with her father. I sent her away as quickly as I could. Tonight, I want to be with you.” He kissed her lightly, then looked deeply into her eyes. “Chloe, we’re celebrating our victory. Can’t we pretend we won... just for tonight?”

She swayed toward him, and he knew he had her. Her kiss was tentative at first, but soon her tongue was exploring the delicate ridges behind his teeth as her hands slid up and down his arms and across his shoulders. Lex tightened his grip around her waist and swung her around so her back faced the door, then slowly began walking her towards it. The romantic gesture would have been very successful if they hadn’t suddenly crashed into a solid object. Chloe yelped in surprise.

Jason laughed hysterically.

“I... knew it! I knew.... you’d crash right... into me... if I stood here!” he gasped. Chloe tried to give him a dirty look, but she couldn’t contain her giggles.

“You have got to be the stupidest drunk I’ve ever met!” she exclaimed as she watched him stagger toward the couch in the corner. She barely noticed as Lex carefully removed the long wrap from her shoulders.

“Imma sleep it off now,” he informed her as he threw himself onto the expensive leather. “It’s passing out time for Jason.”

“Indeed,” Lex replied. “If you puke in here, you’ll clean it up yourself.” He was very busy behind Chloe’s back; she belatedly realized what he was doing with her wrap.

“Lex! Lex, stop, I can’t walk backwards that fast in these shoes!” He didn’t respond as he continued to lead her toward the door by her bound hands. Jason began to do his best imitation of cheap porn music as he waved goodbye.

Cursing and shrieking, Chloe made it to the stairs before she actually tripped. Lex was there instantly, preventing her from crashing to the floor.

“Untie me,” she demanded. He tried to kiss her again, but she quickly jerked her head away. “No, you untie me first, barbarian.”

Chuckling, he put his arms around her and tugged at the loose knot.

“You were distracted. It was time to leave.”

As soon as her hands were free, Chloe grabbed Lex’s tie and scooted up the steps.

“I’m paying attention now, and it’s my turn. Can you keep up?” she taunted. Lex lunged at her and rose quickly, effectively sweeping her off her feet.

“Pull all you want, you won’t get far.”

Chloe generally tried really hard not to be some giddy girl overwhelmed by stunning displays of masculinity... but she decided to relax her standards for the moment. She buried her face in Lex’s neck, rubbing her tongue over his pulse in a way that she knew turned him on. He groaned in appreciation as he moved quickly towards the landing.

“I’m too heavy, you should put me down.”

“I’m going to take you where you land, so you’d better hope I make it to bed.”

Glancing over his shoulder at the gleaming hardwood floor, Chloe whispered two words in his ear before making better use of her tongue.

“Walk faster.”

By the time he dumped Chloe unceremoniously onto the bed, Lex’s arms were shaking from the strain of carrying her, and his legs were shaking from the strain of his cock pressing insistently at his zipper. He crawled on top of her and allowed her to roll him onto his back. She made quick work of the buttons on his shirt, then bent to tease his nipples with her teeth. He tangled the fingers of one hand in her hair while the other slowly tugged her zipper down her back.

Chloe slowly tasted her way up the contours of Lex's chest, across the hard line of his collarbone, and up his neck to his jawline. Feather-light kisses led to his waiting mouth as he pulled her arms out of the top of her dress. She shimmied her hips so the dress fell down to her knees, and Lex flipped her back over to pull it off. She kicked her shoes off while she watched him strip down to his boxer briefs. But when he returned to her arms to reclaim her mouth, she stopped him with a finger over his lips.

"Why, Lex?"

"What?"

"Why did you want to be with me tonight? Not that I'm complaining, but why keep coming back?"

"I suppose for the same reason you let me. We're like some tragic, classic love story… Pyramus and Thisbe, or… What is it?"

Chloe swallowed hard, frantically searching his face.

"Love?"

"Love?" He looked confused for a moment before his face softened. "Love, Chloe. Don't you know I love you?"

"No," she whispered, "I didn't."

He stroked her cheek, then bent to kiss the tears that slowly ran down her temples into her hair.

"I do. Always, Chloe. I love you." His lips found their way back to hers and paused for the briefest moment.

"I love you, too."

They didn't speak again for some time. The rest of their clothes seemed to melt away as their bodies tangled and twisted in the satin sheets. Hands and mouths drifted hungrily across peaks and valleys of ever-saltier skin, punctuated by frequent moans of pleasure seemingly summoned from within. Chloe's entire body tingled from the onslaught of Lex's years of experience; when his tongue found its way across her undulating hips to land at her core, her fingers crushed the velvety pillows that had been strung haphazardly in their wake. Her orgasm came quickly, arching her back off of the bed from the force of her spasming muscles. She was still panting when he slid back up to kiss her deeply, and she spread her legs willingly to allow him entrance.

But the first thrust jolted her mind, and she quickly pushed him back.

"Lex," she gasped, her breath coming in short bursts, "stop. We need a condom."

"No condom. We're clean." He attempted to resume his rhythm, but she pushed harder and struggled to get out from under him.

"No! I can't get… I'm not doing this again." She knew her near-hysteria was irrational, but she couldn't stop the tears that flowed once more. Lex caught her face in his hands and gently tipped it toward him.

"Can't do what, Chloe? What is it?"

She took a deep, shaky breath.

"I already have one baby without a father. I can't have another one. I can't do it to Ben, and I can't do it to me."

Lex's countenance had never been so raw and open to her. His eyes closed and his chest heaved, and for a moment, she was certain he was going to be sick. He sucked in air as though he were drowning. Finally, after several long, agonized seconds, his eyes opened and he moved, a barely perceptible shake of his head.

"Chloe, I would… I told you, I love you. Do you really think…" His voice trailed off as he searched her face for affirmation, some sign that she believed him, believed in him.

"Promise?" She wanted to believe him, but so very much was at stake.

"I promise… I love you…"

She closed her eyes and held her breath for the briefest of moments, then made her choice. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she pulled him closer, cradling him between her thighs and rocking slowly.

"I believe you, Lex… I love you…"


Dawn was breaking when Lex finally pulled out of her embrace. He propped himself up on one bent arm and looked down at her.

"Give me two years. I'll make it safe for you, and for Ben. Then we'll get married."

Chloe blinked in surprise.

"Married? Really?"

"Yes, really," he said, chuckling. "I do want to be with you, Chloe, more than anything. I want to be Ben's father, I want to have more kids… everything you deserve. But I just need about two years to take care of business."

She smiled at him, then pushed herself up on her elbows and leaned into his kiss.




The next day, Lex left for a business trip overseas. He gave the campaign staff the week off. Chloe spent most of the day dozing blissfully on the couch while Ben watched movies and played. Lois called once, but she let the machine get it; she wanted to be fully awake (with Ben preferably asleep) for the conversation they would have.

On Wednesday, Chloe had just returned from picking Ben up from school. She was puttering around the kitchen fixing lunch, listening to him recount his morning, when she heard the unmistakable sound of a person walking through her living room. She grabbed a large knife out of the drawer and rushed to get between the door and her son just as the person stepped into the room.

"I'm guessing I did something particularly awful while I was drunk that I don't now recall?"

"Jesus, Jason, you scared me to death," she replied, lowering the knife. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to knock?"

"Yes - fast, hard, and preferably with a blunt object."

"Funny. You want some lunch?"

"Jason, sit by me! We'll have peanut butter and jelly," Ben said. He was already rummaging in his special drawer for another plate.

"Not today, little man, I have to get going." He ruffled Ben's hair. "School going okay?"

"Yeah. Did you know Saturn has icy rings?"

"Is that right? I thought they were just rocks." Jason turned back to Chloe and handed her a magazine. "I just wanted to make sure you saw this as soon as it came out."

Chloe looked down at the cover. It was the Talon literary magazine.

"Oh, right, Lois's big conclusion is supposed to be in here. She was afraid it would be out late, Martha had some big last-minute hold-up. Thanks for dropping it by."

"No problem," he replied with a grin. "I'm headed to Metropolis for a few days, see you later."

"Bye, Jason." Chloe rolled her eyes as his porn music from two nights previous drifted back to her. "Not in front of the kid, please…"

She quickly finished Ben's sandwich and cut it into four, then started a banana peel so he could get it open. Once his plate was in front of him, she sat down in her own chair to look at the magazine.

Several minutes later, she was feeling very silly as she dabbed at her eyes with her shirt. Lois had finished her story with a return from the dead and some very mushy romance, the kind that always had Chloe in tears. Laughing at herself, she flipped through the remainder of the pages. There wasn't much of interest, though she thought she might hang one of Lana's floral sketches in the bathroom. When she reached the last page, she started to close the cover, but something in the title stopped her. She read it through twice before she allowed herself to believe what she was reading. Dancing around the kitchen with Ben's laughter as accompaniment, she clutched the magazine to her chest and giggled hysterically before finally melting to the floor to lean against the cabinet and read it again.

After the Storm
Anonymous Submission

Still and cool
the darkness waits,
anticipating the event to come.
A deft breeze
stirs the air.
Without fanfare,
the first glimmer
peeks over the edge.
Even from this early bit,
the building heat is apparent.
A hazy purple
enters the fray,
and is joined by other colors.
They appear slowly,
each arriving alone,
then carefully mixing
to enhance the whole.
Dew-covered petals begin to open,
waiting their turn.
The display swells in pitch;
hues too numerous to count
become one.
Animals stir
as the soft light
ignites their lair.
The colors begin to burn
from below;
these final seconds
seem agonizingly long,
the tension building
until surely the world must burst.
Only then does the star burst forth,
the brilliant light melting all in its path…

…"you are a god,"
she whispers.
Her breath is cool
on his wet skin.
"In your heaven,"
he softly replies…

…thus, the day begins.



"So, what did you think of my story?" Lois asked when Chloe called her late that night.

"It was good! I got real tears and everything."

"Thanks. What about that anonymous poem? I think it was from Gabe to Martha, don't you?" She was trying very hard to sound serious, Chloe could tell, but the undertones gave her away.

"Yeah, Lois, I sure do. As a matter of fact, I think about my dad writing erotic poetry for Clark's mom all the time, I think it's kind of hot."

"Oh, God. Let's just stop that right now."

"Yes, let's. Any other guesses?"

"Well, I would say Clark wrote it for me, but since we're officially waiting until after the wedding--"

"In which case, you'd better set a date if you ever want to get laid again…"

"--it can't be him. Ross isn't eloquent enough for anything like that, and Lana wouldn't get it anyway. The 'After' part of the title suggests that it could very well be a sequel… Plus, Martha went way out of her way to get something in at the last minute… which leads me to believe you have a little something to tell me."

"Oh, maybe just a little."

"Victory fuck?"

"Well, that's what I thought at first, but no." Chloe took a deep breath. She was desperate to tell someone, but she was also afraid. "He wants me to give him two years to get his life sorted out. Then he wants to get married!"

The line went completely silent. Chloe waited for a full minute before she spoke again.

"Lois? I know you think it's bad, but he's going into politics now. He has to get out of all the shady business so he can present a clean image to the voters. It's going to be okay."

"Chloe, I… I'm glad you're happy. That's just not what I expected to hear."

"You think it's a mistake to even think about getting involved with him."

Lois sighed heavily before responding.

"I think two years is a long time from now. A lot can happen. Maybe you should just go one day at a time and see… just see where everything lands."

Chloe felt tears welling up, and she tried to will them out of her voice.

"I know things can change, Lois. But I also know Lex can change, and I know he really wants to. I trust him."

"Okay, Chlo-worm. But if things don't work out… well, just don't put all your eggs in a maybe basket, all right?"

"I know. I'm not going to tell Ben yet. But I had to tell someone."

"I'm glad you told me. I guess that wasn't the reaction you were looking for."

"It's okay. I knew you wouldn't be overjoyed."

"I just want the best for you and Ben. Hey, speaking of, I have some good news."

Chloe sniffled a bit before replying.

"What's that?"

"There's an opening at the Planet. It's basically just a proof-reading position, but I know Perry likes your work. The pay is decent, and you could probably move up pretty quickly."

"Thanks for thinking of me Lois, but I have a job. I work for the new Senator."

Lois sighed.

"I know. It was just a thought."

"Thanks, Lois. Really, I do appreciate it."

"Yeah. Clark's home. Goodnight, Chloe."

"'Night."

After she hung up the phone, Chloe sat in her dark bedroom imagining Clark's reaction when Lois told him her news. It wasn't going to be pretty, but she didn't expect another late night visit. After all, he had two years to nag her over this one.




Early Sunday morning, Chloe was awakened by a knock at the door. She struggled to free herself from the blankets without waking the little man that had crawled into bed with her at some point during the night. Grumbling to herself, she finally yanked open the door, only to be blinded by the rising sun.

"Oh, God dammit," she hissed, quickly covering her eyes. She stumbled onto the porch to look for her visitor and tripped over something underfoot. She bent to retrieve it and came up with a small velvet box and a newspaper. She squealed with delight at the obvious jewelry packaging and glanced at the paper.

It was folded open to a specific page. The society news stared up at her, screaming a headline she wasn't prepared to see.

Luthor Weds Heiress to Stanopolis Fortune in Private Island Ceremony

The box fell from her fingers goodbye and bounced on the old wood, a conversation don’t call me again long-forgotten echoing in her ears I already forgot your name… The newspaper fluttered down beside it as a quick breeze blew her haphazard locks away from her eyes.

"Chloe?" he asked, searching her face. "Lois sent me, we just got the paper. Neither of us follow the society reporters, so we didn't know, but there was something there…" His gaze drifted down to the fallen pages. "Oh."

Chloe fell into his open arms. She clutched at his shirt, her legs shaking, afraid she was going to be sick. He quickly lifted her and carried her the short distance to the white wicker rocker.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay…"

"No. No." Her voice was tinged with hysteria, and she curled into a near-fetal position in his lap. "What did I do? Why did I…" Her breath tangled with a sob in her throat, and she choked. Clark gently rubbed her back, murmuring softly into her hair, and a wail finally broke free. "Oh God, what's wrong with me?"

Gritting his teeth to conceal his rage, Clark rocked her slowly and held her tight. When Lois arrived a couple of hours later, they were still in the chair: Clark, ever rocking, and Chloe, her head on his chest, her face completely empty. Lois tried to speak to her, but she only stared at some point beyond her shoulder.

Lois went in the house to wait for Ben to wake up.


(epilogue to follow)

[Louise]

First I just want to say that this part


The box fell from her fingers goodbye and bounced on the old wood, a conversation don’t call me again long-forgotten echoing in her ears I already forgot your name… The newspaper fluttered down beside it as a quick breeze blew her haphazard locks away from her eyes

was absolutely gorgeous even as I was devastated for Chloe. There was just something about reading it that was so desolate and shivery - and I can't explain why but I loved it and read it at least five times!

In the context of what happens later this line


"I suppose for the same reason you let me. We're like some tragic, classic love story… Pyramus and Thisbe, or… What is it?"

makes me want to kick Lex very hard. No you're not some Greek tragedy doomed by fate, you're doing all the dooming and heart breaking yourself you ass by marrying someone else! Take some bloody responsibility!

Oh and the way he just - ugh it makes me so cross! - told her he loved her and convinced her not to use protection and said he'd marry her and all that cliched crap that you believe because you really want it to be true - it's like he made a fool of her which I really hate.

That said, part of me kind of liked this because they remind me of Carrie and Big from Sex and the City, and I always loved how he could marry and sleep with a thousand other women, but Carrie was the one he kept coming back to, and it was romantic in a weird way. And Lex will come back...won't he?

Fantastic update, and your poetry is very beautiful :)

[Yarvarni]

ackkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!! What the F*&@! They have GOT to be wrong!

[Krysia]

No you're not some Greek tragedy doomed by fate, you're doing all the dooming and heart breaking yourself you ass by marrying someone else! Take some bloody responsibility!

Amen to that!
I knew there was something wrong with the picture. I couldn't get rid of her sooner, yeah right. I knew there was something wrong, but I wanted lex and Chloe to be happy together so very much I just ignored it. I believed he really wanted to be with her but stupid rich bimbo and her dad wouldn't let him. And now I'm thinking perhaps he was so happy not only because he won the election but because the bimbo agreed to get married on the island. ANd that just makes me sick, because I don't want him to be ever capable to be this cruel towards Chloe.
I hope Superman kicks his ass, after Lois tears him a new one!