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June
24th January 2005, 08:37
Title: Five Minutes
Author: June
Rating: PGish
Disclaimer: Yes, well, if I owned these people… let’s just say things would be A LOT different…
A/N: No specific spoilers, AU, and lots and lots of Angst.


***


It was perfect. The day, the time, the dress, the tuxes, the bride, it was all perfect. Sickeningly so. Too much so she thinks.

They really did paint a picture of the perfect couple. The devilishly handsome business tycoon, the quick witted reporter. She was steadfast when he tended to be weak. She ruled and influenced the world with her words, he bought them with his money.

Everyone was waiting. Hundreds upon hundreds of people, waiting for her, waiting in the perfectly decorated cathedral in their perfect dresses and suits, waiting for the perfect bride to walk towards the perfect groom. The thought made her uneasy, nauseous. They were waiting for her, waiting with bated breath for the nuptials to be complete, joining official; it all to be sealed with a kiss.

Her heart, her ever so traitorous heart, constricted, a deep breath escaping her perfectly glossed lips.

“It’s all very natural sweetie,” Emma told her, fussing with the bride’s blonde hair, placing the tiara in the perfect position. The perfect tiara in the perfect position for the perfect bride. The hiss came automatically at the thought, echoing throughout the room as she glared in the mirror towards her friend, wanting to shout, to scream. “Everyone has doubts.”

It’s a reassuring smile, but it does nothing of the sort, just confirmed her thoughts because Emma didn't know. She didn't know what it was like to be looking in the mirror and not be able to recognize yourself, to have these painful doubts lingering in your aching head, betraying you, seducing you into the inevitable.

Chloe’s eyes caught Lana’s and the brunette smiles reassuringly as well, understanding to the best of her ability.

“It’s okay,” she told Chloe, and the blonde knows the words were meaningless, but despite that fact they still carried an significant amount of weight. She’s one of the only few that can truly and honestly claim to know the bride. Knew her long before her high society friends, with their money and presumptuous power. Lana knew what Chloe would never admit: that the reason she was marrying this man is because he is the next best thing, and Chloe knew, had learned the hard way, that sometimes life was just about compromise.

“I just,” Chloe began, shrugging out of Emma’s grasp on her shoulders, side stepping the fake blonde, her voice foreign to her own ears. “I just need space,” Chloe sent them all her beautiful, yet shaky Sullivan smile, “just a few moments.”

They all abide, picking up their floor length gowns in elegant fistfuls, making sure they don’t tear or taint the beautiful satin. Making sure they are the picture of perfection as well. But Lana, ever so faithful Lana, stayed behind, waiting until the last bridesmaid is out of sight until fittingly, the maid of honor approached the bride.

“It is okay,” the brunette began once more with her best smile, her hands tentatively gracing her friend’s bare shoulders, meeting the bride’s eyes in the mirror when Chloe doesn’t shrug them away like she had moments before. “If you don’t want to do this you don’t have to. I’ll understand,” a look passed between them, a sad smile gracing the beautiful brunettes face, “your father would understand.”

The last part is said just above a whisper, and the bride’s eyes close instantly, taking a deep, calming, desperate breath. She recognized the speech, recognized the words because she gave it to the woman behind her herself on the day of the brunette’s own wedding. Only she had not needed it. Lana had never doubted her love for her husband, never thought that climbing out of the window and never looking back was even an option. No, Chloe knew that if there were such a thing as fate, God had created it just for Lana and Pete.

It’s her father’s face that floods her mind then, the distant image of him walking her down the aisle making her heart break slightly, making Lana’s speech pointless because it should be coming from him. Her father should be the one telling her it was okay to be afraid. He should be the one telling her he’d take her away, that he’d make it okay just like he always promised.

Chloe wonders if her father knew of her betrayal, knew of the intimacy she shared with a man while she bore another’s diamond around her finger. Wondered if he could still look at his little girl dressed in white and somehow not believe that she did this to herself. Chloe wondered what her father would say if he saw her there, desperate, grasping for something but not knowing what. Craving an amount of reassurance that no one could ever give her.

“Chloe?”

Lana turns around at the sound of a knock at the door, but Chloe remains in place, hands running over the silk satin fabric of the dress, eyes following the beaded bodice, the long train, the yards and yards of stunning, expensive, elegant fabric.

“Five minutes,” Lois says and Chloe’s eyes snap up towards Lana’s and then to her cousins.

“Just give me a moment,” she tells them, eyes trailing down to her perfectly manicured fingers, to her left hand, to her third finger where a wedding ring would stay for all of eternity. Until death do they part because this is it, once it’s done there’s no going back, she knows that.

Lana nods knowingly, shooing Lois out of the room before closing the door, leaving Chloe alone, in the rapidly constricting room, alone with her thoughts and demons all gathering in the deep, hidden walls of her heart.

“What would you have me do?”

The words rang in her mind, their meaning, their coldness, the picture they painted searing her, scarring her. She grips the fabric between her fingers tighter, crinkling it.

“You want me to beg? Plead?”

She remembered the lowly laugh, the pinning glare. “Maybe you don’t know me at all then.”

A shaky breath escaped her, and she brpught a French manicured finger tip to her lips, her cheeks, trailing across them, tried recognizing the woman in white before her, but failedmiserably. Her breath hitches in her throat and her eyes tear, burn as she closed them, willing, commanding herself not to cry.

“You look beautiful.”

Her heart stopped beating. It had to of, because all the air just rushed out of her. A gasp escaped her as she turned, the dress swaying beautifully, painting the perfect picture save for the completely horrified look on what should have been a blushing bride’s face. She said nothing, stared, jaw slack, slowly and painfully taking in a deep breath.

“What are you doing here?”

It’s a harsh whisper, doesn’t even sound like her own voice, but she doesn’t care, just watches as he shuts the door softly behind him, nearing her, a sad smirk on his lips. He reached up a hand, his calloused fingertips trailing her cheek momentarily, just like she had done before. She automatically flinched, backed away, out of his grasp.

“What are you doing here?” She repeated, firmer this time, her voice managing to resemble her own.

“I needed to see you,” he said, taking a step back, his usual mask of indifference dropped, hurt laced on his stony features. “Needed to explain-”

“Don’t,” she hissed, crossing her perfectly tanned, perfectly toned arms across the strapless bodice of her dress. “I’ve heard what you had to say, I don’t want to hear it again,” her words were unforgiving, and she glared, remaining the picture she should represent: offended bride to be, offended by a ridiculous intrusion. But on the inside, on the inside her heart was bursting. Hope dwelled deep within her, hope that he’d come for her, her knight in shinning armor. She wants to laugh at the ridiculous thought, but she doesn’t, doesn’t do anything, doesn’t move.

“I will never be your prince Charming Chloe, I am who I am, I can’t change that.”

“I don’t want you to change that.”

“You do!” he had yelled, slamming his fist onto the desk in front of him, “You want me to be a part of this fantasy, you want me to sweep you off your feet and beg you to stay, beg you to be with me, I can’t do that. It’s not me and…” he had paused, looking at her, pleading with eyes she had refused to look at. “I can’t make that decision for you.”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Chloe watched as he took a deep breath, stuffing fists into his expensive pants, shuffled his feet. She swallowed thickly as the movement reminded her of the man waiting for her, her future husband. “I needed you to know,” he paused, looking up, eyes searching her face, “I need you to know…”

He trailed off and she just stared, stared at the elegant, fidgety, absolutely dreadfully beautiful mess he made, standing before her.

“Lex,” she begins, voice hollow, already hearing the echo of Emma’s heels down the marble hallway.

“I had this all planned out, every word, went over it and over it,” he shook his head, voice sad, eyes sad, face sad. He was just sad, and her heart soared at the fact that after all these years she’s finally gotten something from him besides cool indifference. Lex merely stared at her, took in the vision in white before him, closed his eyes for a fleeting second, wondering what it would be like for her to walk down his aisle, to join his world. “I came here to beg, I came here for you Chloe.”

She looked affronted, stared at him and shook her head in disgust. “I came to you,” Chloe hissed, voice hushed, tone accusing, “Three weeks ago I came to you, I begged,” she pointed a finger at herself, shoving his shoulder lightly with her free hand to get him to look at her instead of the floor. “And you do this, you come here and you do this five minutes before I’m suppose to get married?” A dry, condescending laugh escaped her lips, and the sound makes him shiver, take a step back.

She made him weak, but he was too desperate to do anything about it.

“I love you,” he met her eyes, and reached for her, his hand landing on her arm. “I’m doing what you wanted, I’m begging, I’m pleading with you not to marry him…It’s just a little late that’s all.”

She couldn’t fathom when this happened, when he became a shell of the man she knew, when he learned how to beg, to plead. It wasn’t about loving her, she wouldn’t let herself foolishly believe that. It wasn’t about her, it was about having what you couldn’t have. She knew that, she knew that game all to well. She had learned it from the man in front of her after all.

The hint of a smirk on his face irritates her beyond a point of no return and she wants to smack it off.

Before she knew what she was doing the resounding smack echoes within the room, her hand burning as she drops it to her side, fingers clutching the fabric desperately as she watched him stumble slightly, caught off guard.

“Why are you doing this?” she cried, her voice catching in her throat. “Why?”

“I love you.”

“Saying that doesn’t solve anything. You said it yourself, love is never the resounding factor, doesn’t solve your problems. Nobody gets their happily after,” she spat, stomping her foot childishly, because that’s what he made her feel like: a child. A helpless, powerless child.

“I want to try,” he whispered, nearing her then, closing the distance, hands cupped her face, forehead now against forehead.

“I can’t,” she whimpered in response, eyes closed in effort to stop the tears that had already begun to fall. “Not now, it’s too late.”

His hands were tender, his breath mingled with hers, and she feels him, feels his presence invading her senses. Forbidden touches, whispered words, forgotten gestures all filled her mind, flooding it and she feels her hands fisting themselves in the sleeves of his jacket. The tears fall rapidly then, silent, graceful and beautiful just like her. He brushes them away, tenderly, with more love and devotion than he’s ever showed her. With all the love and devotion he’s ever wanted to show her.

“Chloe?”

She tried to move away but he didn't let her, just closes his eyes and she knows he’s ignoring Lois’s voice, her pounding knocks.

“Chloe come on,” it’s Emma’s voice now, impatient and needy, “It’s time.”

Chloe’s heart speeds up, breath caught in her throat and a sob escapes her, “Don’t,” Lex pleads his voice a harsh whisper. He shakes his head, his forehead still pressed harshly against hers.

Fingers reached up, trailed against his flushed cheeks, her palms cupping them tenderly. He turns his head, pressing a kiss into her palm and she hisses, as if physically wounded. She considers it for a moment, giving in, because this really should be enough, he’s begging, and she knows it’s a humiliating act he’s never participated in before. He is a Luthor after all, but she can’t, knows it, breaths it, that very breath turning her lungs to ice.

“I can’t,” she shook her head, moving out of his grasp, brushing a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth before brushing pass him.

There was a pause at the door, he could feel it, but doesn’t turn. He couldn't watch her walk away, towards an aisle where he wasn‘t waiting for her at the other end. Chloe brushed at the wetness on her cheeks, one hand on the knob of the door. Her voice is strong when she speaks, and he knew the tears are gone, knew she looked just as perfect as she did when he first saw her. A vision in white, a perfect vision in white. It broke his heart knowing it wasn’t his.

“I always knew you would never be prince charming to my Cinderella,” she chuckled, sadly, and he could feel the frown, and it broke his heart all over again. “But I was okay with it.”

The door was shut quickly behind her, and she took the bouquet from Lois, smiling softly towards her cousin, catching Lana’s avoidance, knowing that she was the mastermind behind the whole thing.

Breathing became harder and harder to do as she made her way down the aisle, that god awful music playing in the background. Chloe tried to concentrate, step, pause, step again, pause again. But everyone was looking at her, staring, smiling, and she hears the hushed whispers. Her eyes cought sight her groom, and she knew then, at the sight of his handsome face, that she was marrying a fantasy. She knew it’s wrong, knew she should turn back, but on a higher level she believed it was time do the right thing.

So she continued walking, her feet in their expensive shoes carrying her unconsciously and slightly unsteadily, the man she’d left in the room minutes earlier invading her thoughts, tainting her, leaving her branded.

A woman’s heart is a magnificent thing. It’s filled with secrets, and lies, hopes and dreams, caves and secret passages within it’s fragile walls. It’s filled with memories of past loves, ambitions. It’s not the ring that binds husband and wife together, it is simply the woman’s heart, because it is a beautiful thing, in all it’s fragility, it is always truly beautiful. It’s where a woman’s innermost thoughts lye, it’s where her battles are chosen and lost. It’s large, winding, a cavernous cave, but it only has room for one.

Chloe backed away when her groom reached for her hand, shook her head, tears building in her eyes. She shook her head, as she meets his eyes desperately, the man before her, the good, beautiful man before her. A gasp penetrated throughout the cathedral and she could feel the anger rising within him, his annoyance with her desperation to explain. She cried then, not because she was sad, but because the hurt in his eyes scare her more than she expected. She watched him stalk off, the hundreds of people standing as he does so, staring, judging, watching her every move.

She shruged Lana’s arms away, ignored Emma’s sputters of confusion. Doesn’t notice the worried look Lois sent Clark only to notice he wasn’t there. She collapses onto the ground, the yards and yards of fabric spilling around her, creating a sea of glorious white.

A woman’s heart is a magnificent thing, the gift a bride gives her husband on their wedding day.

She knew that, knew that’s why she couldn’t marry him.

Chloe Sullivan had already given her heart away.

Queen Of Tact
24th January 2005, 08:52
great job..... But why, oh why muct i read angst... I need happy fic, ok i must go go a read a happy... I can't wait to read ur next fic.....



CC

kitten
24th January 2005, 08:59
:ohmy:

I know this is in the short stories section but I have so many questions. Does Lex try again? Who is Chloe supposed to be marrying? Can she go through with it?

This was lovely and the tension was amazing, but I need more closure. :huh:

Please?

Reese
24th January 2005, 09:10
OK, so first question: where's the epilogue? The sequel? The next chapter where everything works itself out? I'm sorry, I must have missed it. Just point me in the right direction and I'm there.

No, really. Go ahead. Just point.

Wait...why the hesitation? I mean there is going to be a happy ending, right? RIGHT?!? :ohmy:

*sigh* Anyway, moving on...



No, Chloe knew that if there were such a thing as fate, God had created it just for Lana and Pete

OK, I've never shipped those two, I never plan to ship those two, but you know what? With that one line I'm willing to think about it. Well done.


“I came here to beg, I came here for you Chloe.”

OK, so one short quote to comment on how AMAZING the whole Lex refusal part was...so right on! And then to have him show up at the last minute like that? Amazing. Believable. Heartbreaking. Good stuff! And I won't quote it but Chloe's belief that it was more about winning than love for Lex? Take the previous three adjectives and put them here because they apply. Again. :)


catching Lana’s avoidance, knowing that she was the mastermind behind the whole thing.

And by this we mean that she was trying to get Chloe and Lex together, right? That she's a good friend to Chloe, right? That I don't have to turn around and write a fic where she dies a horrible, painful death...RIGHT? :evilbat:

*clears throat* Sorry, sorry. Sometimes my muse hops up on the keyboard and takes over. Don't mind her. She has *issues* ;)

And great description at the ending with Chloe surrounded in white. I got a great visual of the moment because of it.

So is there such a thing as too much feedback? If so, sorry...but this one won me over with some of the details and I just wanted to share :)

Reese

lexchloe
24th January 2005, 09:28
:worship2: I read this on FFnet. Loved it there and I love it here. Good job.

autumngold
24th January 2005, 17:28
Heartbreaking story!! I'm so glad that Chloe didn't marry her betrothed, now Lex just has to realize what he had and go after it!! Prove to Chloe that he really wants her!! In other words, sequel please!! Pretty please!! :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

hfce
24th January 2005, 18:38
Man that was so sad. :crygreen: :crygreen:

Kit Merlot
31st January 2005, 19:12
I love this story, but I feel badly that Lex didn't get to see that Chloe didn't go through with the wedding.

I thik a sequel might be in order :biggrin:

crankychick
31st January 2005, 23:02
June, wow. I finished reading the first chappy of your continuation, but this SS really got to me. I cannot wait to see how you continue to develop this story.

For now, though, I'm over here crying. :crygreen:

Nadia_
1st February 2005, 03:13
Originally posted by crankychick@Jan 31 2005, 11:02 PM
June, wow. I finished reading the first chappy of your continuation, but this SS really got to me. I cannot wait to see how you continue to develop this story.

For now, though, I'm over here crying. :crygreen:
Glad I'm not the only one crying over here...


That story was just briliant! I particularly like the repetitions of the "perfect" word, because just by doing that you achieved to show that the situations wasn't perfect at all, and also a kind of sarcasm when Chloe said them, just with the way you used it.
And like I said about the sequel, you can make a story cruelly real but that still make us interested, and creates a sympathy with the character, because you see in them some of the same conflicts that we have to face some times...
Not to mantion that anyone is easily captivided with the strength of your words.



A woman’s heart is a magnificent thing. It’s filled with secrets, and lies, hopes and dreams, caves and secret passages within it’s fragile walls. It’s filled with memories of past loves, ambitions. It’s not the ring that binds husband and wife together, it is simply the woman’s heart, because it is a beautiful thing, in all it’s fragility, it is always truly beautiful. It’s where a woman’s innermost thoughts lye, it’s where her battles are chosen and lost. It’s large, winding, a cavernous cave, but it only has room for one.

My roommate only read this paragraph, and she beguin to cry with me...

randa
2nd February 2005, 07:24
that was heartwrenching :crygreen: im sitting here at work with tears running down my face it was that powerful

:worship2:

randa

Delphine
4th March 2005, 23:59
I read this because of a recommendation in the fanfic discussion and i am so glad I did. The imagery is amazing, I only wish that this was a continuing thread and not a short story!

starmoon
5th March 2005, 01:26
That was just so sad :crygreen: I am glade Chloe is not marring that man but she should be with Lex not alone :tease: You should make a squel were Chloe and Lex end up together happly. :wub:

Ami Rose
11th March 2005, 00:13
Wow! I almost started crying myself! That was said!

Lots of Love,
Ami Rose

Magdalene
11th March 2005, 00:29
A woman’s heart is a magnificent thing, the gift a bride gives her husband on their wedding day.

She knew that, knew that’s why she couldn’t marry him.

Chloe Sullivan had already given her heart away.

Okay, despite how so so sad this story is, I loved those last three lines. Those last three lines give me hope. Because of those last three lines I am begging for a sequal and some Lex/Chloe togetherness. You can't let it end there, not after that. Just the fact that she's now jilted the groom and still in love with lex, I need more! Because if her heart belongs to lex, and lex really loves her, and deep down you know he does, then there is no reason what-so-ever that they can't now get together.

Woot! Okay, random rambleness done now.
Corinne

Reese
7th April 2005, 05:10
I don't think June will mind if I respond to this on her behalf...






Now, wonderful story, but where's the happy ending? You aren't going to just leave it there are you? That would be cruel and inhumane... You aren't like that are you June?



Actually, she has a prequel up in the NC-17 forum (at the end of the 2nd page or so) entitled "Everything and Nothing at Once" (I think that's it). It's a WIP so feel free to help me apply the (friendly) pressure for updates!

And I think that while a prequel is lovely, a sequel would also be welcome. Don't you agree?

Reese

Christy January
24th April 2005, 03:38
Oh my God, that was so beautiful. I was sobbing at the end when I thought she was going to marry the other man (his name wouldn't happen to be Bruce, would it?). I NEED a sequel. But first I need to wipe the tears off my keyboard.

AlwaysPretending
24th April 2005, 07:14
This was an excellent piece and completely heart wrenching. I'm glad that you have surcumbed to pressure and have begun a prequel (although I agree, a sequel would be nice also!) and now I'm off to track it down!

Kerry

bluengreenswmer
25th April 2005, 06:20
that was so moving, i was sobbing. Granted, it could be cuz im PMSing, but still, it was great.

zho9
15th July 2006, 22:09
That....Wow.