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Reese
24th January 2005, 00:39
Title: Necessary Lies
Author: Reese
Rating: PG -13
Disclaimer: They're not mine...blah blah blah...wish they were...blah blah blah.
Author's Notes: Once again, my muse has decided to take my two favorite characters and make their lives a living hell. Sorry, I don't know what's got her in such a mood lately.
Words of Gratitude: To Bennie, because my muse wouldn't even bother to mistreat characters (aka show up!) if she didn't know you'd be around to point it out to her. Welcome to Smallville. The S3 DVD's are in the mail ;)


***


“It’s your choice, son.” He waited for some acknowledgement of what he was saying. “Either you get rid of her or…well, you’ll leave me no choice but to take care of the situation myself.”

Lex spun around at his father’s last words. “Don’t worry. There will be no need for you to do anything, I assure you. I’ve got this under control.”

“Well,” Lionel stood up and straightened his jacket in preparation of his departure. “I’m glad to hear it.” He started to walk towards the door but stopped and turned back to face his son. “Oh, and Lex? Think long term, would you, when solving this particular situation for us? For I assure you that this request is not a temporary one nor one that will require my walking this earth to be enforced. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes. Crystal.”

“Excellent.” Lionel continued his path towards the door. “Until we meet again, son.”

Lex cursed silently to himself as he turned back to the window.

How am I going to do this?

Another, louder and more assertive voice in his head answered.

It doesn’t matter how. Just do it. You owe her that much.


***

“Hey, Lex.” She tossed her bag on the couch as she entered. He marveled at how comfortable she was now in his presence. There was a time when he could sense her tense every time he entered a room. But now? Now she acted like she belonged there, in his personal space and refuge, like no one ever had before.

I guess sex can have that effect on people.

Well that and declarations of undying love.

He winced at the last thought.

“Chloe, we need to talk.”

“Yeah, so I figured.”

He just watched her for a moment, wondering if she knew something already.

“Well you did call me and ask me to come over so…”

Oh, so that’s what she meant. Damn.

“Lex, what is it?”

There it was again. He could see the slightest bit of uneasiness seep into her posture as she stood before him. She’d entered the room as though she was going to walk right over and sit on his desk but now she hovered on the far side of it from him, unsure of whether or not that was such a good idea.

He prayed she would decide against it and just stay where she was. He needed this desk between them. It was his only defense against her at this point.

“Lex?”

“Chloe, we made a mistake.”

She just eyed him for a moment before stuttering out her response. “Wait. What? Run that by me again.” She shook her head and sort of laughed at the end, like she was trying to shake it off.

He couldn’t let her.

“You heard me.”

“OK, so what if I did? Why don’t you explain what it is exactly you meant by it though.”

“You know what I meant by it, Chloe. You’re a smart girl.”

There was a sharp intake of air on her part in response. “Wow, that’s a backhanded compliment if ever I’ve heard one.”

“Let’s face it, Chloe. It’s not the first time, nor the last, that I’ve made such a mistake. But I am sorry that I made it with you, being that you’re Clark’s friend and all…”

“Oh, Clark’s friend? Wow, that's a change. The other night I was the one you’ve been waiting for all of your life but now? Now I’m just Clark’s friend?” She was going for angry but by the end, he could hear unshed tears in her voice.

“Come now, Chloe. Must you be so melodramatic? It’s really most unbecoming. I would have expected more from you.”

“More from me?” More from ME?!?” She started to take a step towards him and it took all of his might not to take a step back. He needed the distance between them. Luckily, he still had the desk between them.

She placed her hands on the desk and leaned forward. “Are you fucking serious, Lex? Is this even for real? Or is this some kind of sick test you put all of your girlfriends through?”

He swallowed hard before plastering the sly smile on his face and speaking. “Girlfriend? You really are prone to exaggeration, aren’t you Miss Sullivan?”

He wasn’t sure what part exactly, but something in the comment hit her like a ton of bricks.

The tears pooled around the edge of her eyes and she took a step back from the desk. She was stunned, her eyes wide and unblinking as she started to tremble.

He forced his feet to stay planted, his arms to remain at his side.

“Lex…did you ever love me?”

A simple ‘no’ would not suffice, he knew that, so he threw in a chuckle first. “Come now, Miss Sullivan. What is there for me to love?”

She nodded, eyes still wide but now looking away from him and fixated on a spot on the floor in front of her.

“So the other night…?”

“As I’ve said, a mistake. And one I make, I’m afraid, more often than I’d like to admit.” He almost laughed at the end, as though finding himself in this situation and saying these words to her were amusing to him rather than heartbreaking.

“Oh.”

It was just one syllable, not even a word really, but it said more than any collection of words ever had.

He waited for a moment and watched her, watched her break right before his very eyes, knowing that he was the reason.

Knowing that these necessary lies he was telling her were the reason she was crumbling before him.

He took a deep breath and let it sound impatient. “Miss Sullivan? If you don’t mind, I do have some important matters to attend to this afternoon.” He gestured to the door.

She looked at him and her head fell to one side. She was watching him, observing him, like she was looking for something.

He prayed that for once Chloe Sullivan would be unable to locate the truth she so desperately sought.

“I don’t know why but you’re doing this for a reason.” Her words were slow and calculated and sounded almost…hopeful.

And he simply couldn’t allow for any of that.

“You’re right,” he conceded, throwing his hands up and smiling at her. “As usual, your instincts are right on the money.”

“So why? Why say those things? Why lie to me like that?” She started to walk towards him as she spoke.

“Oh, Miss Sullivan, please…don’t misunderstand me. I haven’t spoken a single untruth during this entire exchange. I have just managed to omit some of my reasons, that’s all.”

“And what reasons would those be?”

God, Chloe…please don’t make me do this.

“Please, I feel we’ve wasted enough time on this subject.” He gestured to the door again. “If you could please just see your way out.”

“No. Not until you tell me why.”

Dammit, Chloe. Always so stubborn…

“If you insist.” He looked at her again, displaying the most wicked smile in his arsenal and hoping it would turn her off this line of questioning.

But, needless to say, it didn’t. It never had. What made him think he’d have any luck with it this time…the time he needed it most?

“I’ve just come to realize, Miss Sullivan, that if I’m going to dip into the high school dating pool, that you really aren't the best catch, so to speak.”

“Excuse me?” She looked completely taken aback.

And he hadn’t even gotten to the hard part yet.

“It’s just that…how do I say this? There are better options available to me at Smallville High than the editor of the school newspaper.” He said the last words with condescension, knowing they would hit their mark.

“And what better options are those, exactly?” Her anger was starting to put a little spark back in her eyes.

He was sorry that he was going to have to do something about that, too.

“Well, it turns out that our friend Clark might have had the right idea about a certain raven haired former cheerleader.”

Her mouth dropped open.

But he couldn’t stop there.

“Granted, I never thought I was one for the cheerleader type, former or current. But Miss Lang does bring so much more to the table…don’t you think?”

He took a step towards her…but she took one back.

And that’s when the tears started to fall. Her hand came to cover her heart instinctively as though she sensed it shattering into a million pieces inside of her. Pieces that, if not held in place, would come crashing down around her and be lost to her forever on the floor of his study.

He almost smiled at the thought of having something of hers to hold on to when this was all over.

Because, by the look on her face, it was indeed over.

She wiped at her eyes with one hand, and blindly reached for the bag behind her until the other hand managed to locate it.

She pulled herself together enough to turn and face him directly.

“I loved you.” Her words were soft and true and tore at something inside of him he wished would just die already.

“Please, Miss Sullivan. There’s no need for such…” He tried to sound disgusted, annoyed…any emotion other than the one he actually felt.

There was already one broken person in the room. No need for there to be two.

“I loved you so much that when your father came to me yesterday, for the first time I wasn’t even afraid of him.”

His head snapped up at her words.

“I loved you so much that I knew no matter what he said or threatened or offered, it wouldn’t matter. Want to know why?” She didn’t even wait for a response from him, not that he could have offered one at this point anyway. “Because I was going to be the one person in your life that would never abandon you. Not even with Lionel Luthor pulling out every trick in his extensive bag to make me do so.”

“He tried to make you leave me?” He attempted to sound composed and together, amused even, at the idea.

But he knew he failed. And he was pretty sure she knew it, too.

“Oh yes, he tried ,” she emphasized the last word. “But you know what I told him?”

This time she waited for him to respond. All she got was a shrug.

“I told him that there was nothing in this world that could keep us apart. Not even him. I told him that he could come at us from any angle because this time he’d met something that his money nor his determination could touch. I told him we understood each other and believed in each other.” She paused. “I told him we were forever.”

She stopped and watched him for a moment before cocking her head to the side.

“Seems I was wrong though, huh?”

He looks up at her, tears threatening around the edges of his eyes, and shakes his head in disbelief.

He sees that she’s now regained her composure and is standing tall before him, the spark back in her eyes.

“Just remember, Lex. This isn’t his fault. Not this time. You did this to yourself.” She stops and just stares at him. “You did this to us .”

“I didn’t know…I thought it was necessary…”

She just watches in silence as he leans against the wall behind his desk, looking for any support to hold him upright as he processes this most recent turn of events.

“You were wrong, Lex.”

“But Chloe,” he starts towards her but she simply shakes her head, halting his advance.

“I have to go.”

He doesn’t try to stop her, just looks away so as not to see her walking away from him.

“Oh, but Lex?” He looks up at her, hope in his eyes. “The Lana thing? Nice touch. Very effective.”

With that, she turns on her heel and exits without another glance in his direction.

He leans back against the wall and tries to breathe but he’s choking on the truth.

She’s right. I did this to myself.


***


Chloe dug around violently in her bag trying to find her keys. She almost dropped it when the sound of her cell phone broke her from the hunt.

“Hello?” She barked.

“Ahh, Miss Sullivan. I take it by your tone that I was correct in my prediction?”

Chloe gritted her teeth and willed her voice not to crack. “Pretty much.”

“I am really so very sorry to hear it, dear. But, as I said, he simply isn’t worthy of you.” He paused, waiting for some kind of reaction.

He didn’t get one.

“I’ve been telling you all along that it takes a particular kind of individual to recognize and fully appreciate a woman such as yourself.”

Chloe had to swallow hard to avoid gagging at his words.

“And now it seems that my son, I’m ashamed to say, has joined Clark Kent in proving himself unworthy of your affection.”

“What are you getting at?” She was tired of waiting, she wanted him to get to the point so she could hang up, find her keys and get the hell out of here.

“All I’m saying is this, Miss Sullivan. Ask yourself, who has been the only person in recent memory who has appreciated you for all of your many and varied talents?”

“You’re right, Mr. Luthor. I should go home and bake my dad a cake to thank him for being the one person in my life that I can trust.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions, Miss Sullivan. If I were you, I’d ask your father about the house he recently put a down payment on in Gotham. Assuming, of course, that he hasn’t already told you about his plan to move you there by the end of the month?”

Chloe managed to swallow her initial reaction. “He mentioned it was a possibility, Mr. Luthor. But nice try.” She laughed at the end as though she’d won.

She was wrong to do so.

“Ahh, well, I’m happy to hear it. It would have been a shame to find out that your own father has been keeping things from you, now wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know. But I could ask Lex about that if you really needed an answer.”

“Oh well now, Miss Sullivan,” he laughed and she felt a chill run up her spine. “There’s no need for that, I assure you. You’re just as qualified a source as anyone, I’m afraid.”

She couldn’t help but bite. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I think the fact that your father has been in contact with your mother all of these years and hasn’t even bothered to tell you disqualifies him from Father of the Year status…wouldn’t you agree?”

“You’re lying.” She wants to believe it but something in her voice gives away that she doesn’t.

“Am I?” He pauses. “According to your mother, he’s been telling her that you want nothing to do with her and aren’t the slightest bit interested in seeing her even though she now lives in Metropolis.”

“According to my mother? What? You’ve spoken to her?” She’s gasping for air and leaning against her car for support.

“We had dinner earlier this week, as a matter of fact. Lovely woman…much like her daughter.”

Silence.

“What is it you want exactly?”

“To reunite a daughter with her mother, of course.”

“What else?” There’s a hint of resignation in her voice, she knows there’s more to it than that.

“Well, I must confess, I’d love to have you working for me again, Miss Sullivan. I have missed our time together.”

“I’m afraid that’s not an option, Mr. Luthor, because, as you said, I’m apparently moving by the end of the month.”

“Well, of course I’ve already considered that which is why I’ve made arrangements for your accommodations in Smallville and in Metropolis. That way you can finish out the school year there and yet have somewhere to stay here in Metropolis so you can be close to your mother.”

“And let me guess, these accommodations in Metropolis will also be handy in case there’s ever any LuthorCorp business that needs attending to in the area as well?”

“See, Miss Sullivan. Yet again, you prove yourself a wise investment on my part.”

“And these accommodations, when would they be ready?”

“They already are.”

She takes a deep breath and shakes her head, before placing it in her free hand.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry to say it but people are often quite predictable, especially when it comes to their shortcomings, Miss Sullivan.”

Something in his voice almost sounded sympathetic.

He almost sounds human, Chloe thought.

“Miss Sullivan?”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor?”

“I’ll have someone come by to collect you and your things this evening.”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor.”

“And Miss Sullivan?”

“Yes?”

“Please, call me Lionel when we’re not in the office.”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor.”

She snapped her cell phone shut, taking one last look at the window to Lex’s study above her before successfully digging out her keys and turning back to her car.

From above, Lex watched as she pulled away and realized that he wasn’t the only one who’d lost Chloe Sullivan that day.

Everyone who’d ever known and loved her had lost her.

She belonged to his father now.

And in that world, there wasn’t room for anyone else.


***

kitten
24th January 2005, 00:50
:crygreen:

*goes to bed blubbering*

Janet
24th January 2005, 01:00
“All I’m saying is this, Miss Sullivan. Ask yourself, who has been the only person in recent memory who has appreciated you for all of your many and varied talents?”

“You’re right, Mr. Luthor. I should go home and bake my dad a cake to thank him for being the one person in my life that I can trust.”
Lionel you bastard.


From above, Lex watched as she pulled away and realized that he wasn’t the only one who’d lost Chloe Sullivan that day.

Everyone who’d ever known and loved her had lost her.

She belonged to his father now.

And in that world, there wasn’t room for anyone else.
Reese, you're evil and I love you. :crygreen:

lexchloe
24th January 2005, 01:26
NOOOOOOOO!!! :cryblue: :cryblue: You have to fix this right now!!! The :devil: MB can't win, it goes against everything Chlex!!!

Zannie
24th January 2005, 02:59
I'm sure the "1/1" in your title was a mistake. There has to be another part. Because Chlex stories simply cannot end like that.

I'm all for angst--ask anyone--I can't even keep it out of my funny, fluffy stuff. I love angst, think it's necessary in a realistic Chlex relationship . . . but there has to be something else after it. Otherwise, we'll all just go to bed blubbering like nonky.

Now, of course, this is well-written and powerful, with great dialogue and realistic emotional development. But I'm still waiting for the next part that you somehow forgot to mention.

It's Chlex, after all. There's angst; then there's a satisfying resolution. It doesn't necessarily have to involve orgasms--although that's my satisfying resolution of choice. But I'm convinced you have more planned than you've told us about. You do. Don't you? Please?

Great story throughout. Just needs a little epilogue to make it perfect.

*tries to use subliminal messages on Reese: "Happy ending," "Reconciliation," "Satisfying resolution," "Orgasms."*

Did it work?

tiger04
24th January 2005, 03:38
AAAHHHH. I was so close to crying :crygreen: :crygreen:
With the acceptation of chloe now belonging to lionel that was a great story.

AT

Ainur
24th January 2005, 05:42
No, no, no, no! Crap! :crygreen:

autumngold
24th January 2005, 06:04
I'm so mad at both Lex and Chloe!! Both of them shouldn't have given in to Lionel!! Such a sad, sad story!! :crygreen: :crygreen:

lexodus
25th January 2005, 01:48
Wow.

Um. . .

Words fail me right now.

That was really good and so sad. Poor Chloe and Lex. And Chloe belonging to Lionel? That poor girl. You have to write a sequel. I mean, Clark can rescue her for all I care, just get her away from Lionel.

Reese
25th January 2005, 10:48
Thanks to nonky, coughy, lexchloe,Zannie, AT, Ainur, autumgold and lexodus for all the feedback! :)

I enjoyed some of the feedback here so much, I just felt like responding :blinkkiss:


Reese, you're evil and I love you.

Coughy: Thanks! Now *that's* the kind of FB a girl like me loves :devil:


*tries to use subliminal messages on Reese: "Happy ending," "Reconciliation," "Satisfying resolution," "Orgasms."*

Did it work?

Zannie: At cracking me up? Yes. At talking me into Happy, Satisfying Orgasms of Reconciliation? No.

Heh. Happy, Satisfying Orgasms of Reconciliation? Now that's a fic summary if ever I've heard one! :cool:

Plus, Zannie, I'm going to leave the orgasms to you. Preferably ones in the back of pick up trucks with big biker-types looking on. So, you know...get to work! ;)


You have to write a sequel. I mean, Clark can rescue her for all I care, just get her away from Lionel.

lexodus: Hmm...what do we have here? I came here to let everyone know that my muse wasn't able to come up with an idea for a sequel but then you plant this seed? Hmm...

Someone get me some water and Miracle-Gro, STAT! :yay2:

Reese

lexodus
25th January 2005, 23:11
Originally posted by Reese@Jan 25 2005, 10:48 AM
Someone get me some water and Miracle-Gro, STAT! :yay2:


*drops a gigantic bag of Miracle-Gro and 50 gallons of water in front of Reese*

I can also supply some kryptonite if you need growing process to go faster. :blinkkiss: Beware of the results, though.

starmoon
7th February 2005, 06:46
I love this story but I hope you make a sequeal were Lex will save Chloe and they cany finaly be together. :blinkkiss: What I can't belive is what Lex did to Chloe :crygreen:. He is so stupid because even if she was threatened with death she would still want to be with him.

AlwaysPretending
2nd April 2005, 08:50
Hey Reese!

My sister is out of the house, so I'm finally getting a chance to read all of your fanfic - and, judging by this one (which is the first that I've read so far), I'm going to be in for a treat - I L O V E D this! Its so twisted, with Lionel being his typical self and manipulating things in the background - I really enjoyed how you had both Lex and Chloe bending to his will because, really, that's just what happens. They don't call him the Magnificant Bastard for nothing!

Well done, Reese, this was great.

Off to the next one!

Kerry

teejei
3rd April 2005, 18:33
“Miss Sullivan?”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor?”

“I’ll have someone come by to collect you and your things this evening.”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor.”



From above, Lex watched as she pulled away and realized that he wasn’t the only one who’d lost Chloe Sullivan that day.

Everyone who’d ever known and loved her had lost her.

She belonged to his father now.

And in that world, there wasn’t room for anyone else.
***
*shakes fist* you...you...!!!!

*sighs and slumps shoulders in defeat*

all hail Reese, Queen of Short Story Angst! :D:D:D

stupiderthnu
4th April 2005, 16:08
It was beautiful, made me feel, you are an artist and I love your work.

kimmie
27th December 2005, 04:33
Brilliant short fic, so moving1 When Lex said the Lana thing, i swear my heart broke for Chloe!

Kimmie

zelda
27th December 2005, 05:18
I could totally see it happening, but Chloe will never be broken! Feel free to write a sequel where she gets revenge for him moving pawns around her like a chessboard.

somethingeasy
15th June 2006, 13:10
heh heh heh... I adore evil Lionel. And I adore the way your Lionel character managed to manipulate and insinuate himself into becoming the most important, pertinent and actually 'trusted' person in Chloe's life.

He obviously had too much respect for Chloe to manipulate or coerce her directly, so instead he played around with all the 'other' important people in her life... until they proved themselves unworthy in some form or another. An interesting, original and innovative way to woo Chloe... and very effective :D

please write more Lionel in your fics. You do him SO well :D

sadie kate
15th June 2006, 16:11
Man, this DEVASTATED me. In a totally awesome way.

Zannie
13th July 2008, 13:00
Lookie what I found . . .

You know, I'd completely forgotten that this was the thread where we came up with "Happy, Satisfying, Orgasms of Reconciliation." Wow. That seems like ages ago. *checks date* I guess it was.

Anyway, if any fic is screaming for a sequel, this one is. Dig deep for your inspiration.

SVfan1286
14th July 2008, 02:26
This story was awesome! Really well written, such a bittersweet short story... I loved it! The way Lionel manipulated Chloe and everyone in her life was masterful!

excusemymuse
16th July 2008, 03:22
my god! I cried! It was just so emotional and heartbreaking. The fact that Chloe knew just, made me feel infinitely more heartbroken for them.

Lune
28th July 2008, 22:03
I resent everyone who says the sequel should be Clark/Lex/*insert random guy here* saving her from Lionel. F that, the sequel should be Chloe figuring out a way to get revenge on them all then of course forgiving the stupidity of her father & Lex and then the aformentioned Orgasms of Reconcilliation...... yeah, I know I can't spell, shhhh....

Seriously, I'm all for the whole "rescue the damsel" stuff in most stories, but this one just *screams* for "Chloe Power" even if its like 20 years later lol.

Ok, that was my $0.02.

missylou47
18th August 2008, 19:14
Oh that was heartbreaking! Poor Chloe!!! I'm so mad at Lex even though I still feel bad for him. Lionel is such a manipulative ass I can't stand it!!! Are you really going to write a sequel? Please please please please please!!! I feel so sad for Chloe and Lex a little too!

Ami Rose
14th August 2012, 04:10
:crygreen:

*goes to bed blubbering*

Thats how I feel now after reading this

hfce
14th August 2012, 14:45
*Shakes head* Why? *crying*

ladyfayerie
9th October 2012, 07:42
Made me cry! Too sad! :( Bad Lionel!