Coppertone Sunsets (R)

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets (R) (COMPLETE)

Yasmine32068

Author’s Notes: Because I miss my hometown I have set this story there. Desitn Florida is on the Panhandle between Pensacola and Panama City. If you have never been there then you have missed out on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!!! This is a darker piece after my last stories but I hope that you all enjoy it anyway. After the sentencing of Lionel Luthor, Chloe tries to comfort Lex with some unexpected results. It doesn’t follow any continuity but rather traces the twisted depths of my mind. Please let me know if you want to archive this… Just so I know where I can visit my babies.

Disclaimers: Muse, did you check the couch? How about the bottom of my purse? Nope, no money found. Smallville characters were not harmed in the writing of this piece of fiction. Sorry guys, no money made in using these characters either. Smallville and the WB are still raking it in. Thanks for asking.

Day of Lionel Luthor’s Verdict:

“Has the jury reached their decision,” the judge asked.

“Yes, your honor, we the jury find Lionel Luthor guilty of two counts of the murder in the first degree of Lachlan and Eleanor Luthor. In regards to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder of Chloe Sullivan and Alexander Luthor, we find the defendant guilty on both accounts.”

Chloe couldn’t tear her gaze away from the younger Luthor’s face as he sat stoically through the verdict process. His face was a mask, cold, cool, and aloof. His eyes were the only thing that gave his emotions away. They burned with an inner rage that sent chills chasing down her spine.

In the time that Chloe worked with him to gather evidence to use against his father she realized that he had most everyone in Smallville fooled. People tended to view him as a cold clone of his father. They had forgotten that they were the people that had a hand in changing this man. The populace often shunned him unless it was necessary with the exception of Clark Kent and for the first few years he had hovered on the outside with all of his attempts to lend aid were usually met with fear and suspicion.

She was guilty of it herself. Chloe thought with a wry twist of her mouth as she watched him rise and get drawn in to conversations with the States Attorney. She rose also and made her way to where he had been standing and she could see that he was trying to lock down his emotions in a tight fist. She casually moved to stand next to him, her suit jacket grazed his and she slid her small hand into his much larger one as she made brief small talk with the attorney.

She felt his icy fingers tighten reflexively around hers as she made their escape. He was silent as she led him through the courthouse and into the cafeteria and through the back door where she had parked her car for a clean getaway. She knew that the reporters would have the front and sides of the building swamped but no one ever things to stake out the garbage cans.

The silence in the car was heavy and slightly oppressive as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. She noted the tight areas around his eyes and his tightly pressed lips. She let loose with a soft sigh as she flipped the radio on to relieve her tension.

“Why?” Lex asked her softly. She could feel him staring at her profile as they neared the gates of his estate. She knew the real question. Why had she gone out of her way to help him she wondered? It was the raw pain that lingered in his eyes that caused her to make the snap decision to lead him out of there.

“You needed me to,” she told him quietly as she completed the turn. He didn’t say anything else the rest of the drive. She pulled to an easy stop and stared up at the beautiful mansion. They both sat in silence and stared at the house that had been her refuge for the last couple of months.

“I should be going,” Chloe broke the silence with the soft sounds of her voice.

“Stay and have a celebration drink with me,” Lex asked quietly. Chloe nibbled on her lip a moment before nodding and together they exited the car.

Together they entered the mansion. Lex strolled with his particular trade mark swagger. Chloe followed in his wake feeling unsure of Lex’s mental state at the moment. His actions were so unlike him. There was an air of tension that surrounded him that could have been cut with a knife. Chloe followed him into his offices and hesitated at the doorway as he stalked towards his wet bar. He immediately poured himself a large glass of scotch and tossed it back with his typical smooth practiced movements.

“What can I get you?” he asked and he poured himself another.

“Whatever you have there is fine,” Chloe nervously slid her suit jacket off and draped it over a chair before moving to join him. Chloe sipped her scotch at a much slower rate then Lex was. He smirked at the wry twist to her lips as he took her glass from her and downed it. Lex poured her a glass of white wine in its place. Silence descended as they sipped their drinks. Chloe moved to the pool table to relieve some of the oppressive weight that had now settled between them. She tried to ignore to sounds of crystal every time Lex refilled his glass.

“What kind of man puts his own father in prison,” Lex asked quietly. His normally detached expression was filled with pain.

“Don’t do this to your self,” she told him gently.

“My father murdered his parents and now I have made sure that he is locked away in prison. Is this my destiny slapping me in the face?” he asked his voice rising with his agitation.

“This doesn’t have to be your destiny, Lex. You were someone who wanted justice,” Chloe said as she moved slowly towards him, “Someone who needed to protect himself and his friends.”

“Is that we are?” he asked as he poured himself another drink.

“You weren’t the one that did anything wrong, Lex,” Chloe replied choosing to ignore his question.

She was startled by his sudden movement as he stood before her. An intense air moved with him and for a brief moment Chloe was both afraid and thrilled by the carefully controlled anger that surrounded him. She could feel her pulse pick up and begin to race at his nearness.

“Are we friends, Chloe,” he asked again. His eyes bore into hers searching for the truth.

“No,” she finally said hesitantly. “I wouldn’t call us friends.”

He reached out and gently took her smaller hand in his. His fingers felt icy against her skin.

“I feel so cold,” he told her simply.

His eyes were full of his pain but he wore his usual cool expression as he laid he hand against his cheek to soak up the warmth. Chloe stepped closer into the shadow of his body to wrap her other arm around his lean waist for a hug. She wasn’t sure how he was going to react at her embrace. For all of the months that they had spent working towards their common goal they never touched each other or found themselves in such an intimate situation.

“You’re not alone, Lex,” Chloe said. “I’m here.”

She watched as the pain slowly was replaced by anger. She felt his light clasp shift and become something harsher.

“Yes, you are,” he said with a deceptive calm. He fisted his hand in her hair with a painful grip. “All because you went digging for the truth,” his eyes bore into hers angrily.

Chloe gasped at the painful tug of her hair and tried to moisten her suddenly dry lips with the tip of her tongue. Lex followed those movements with an eagle sharp eye taking in the racing pulse that throbbed at the base of her neck. Her eyes widened when took her mouth in a bruising kiss. He parted her lips with the first sweep of his tongue and Chloe struggled against the heat of his mouth.

It seemed to excite him more as she felt him harden against the friction of their bodies. She suddenly found that she wasn’t fighting him but rather had begun to enjoy the ravishing of her mouth as her traitorous body had other plans. They tore at each other’s clothes in a frenzy of passion.

His hands were bruising in his intensity as he lifted her from where she stood to spread her out on the pool table. There was no gentleness in him as he demanded her responses using his body. Chloe dimly realized that he needed this outlet as he thrust his way into her body roughly taking her. She hissed at the sudden intrusion of his body. She shook with the force of his punishing movements and met his anger with quiet acceptance. She knew that Lex wasn’t out to truly hurt her. Before she could begin to fully enjoy the building of tension within her body, he gave a harsh groan. She could feel him reach his orgasm as he pulsed and throbbed inside her collapsing against her body with his face buried against the side of her neck. She soothed the slight tremors that still wracked his body with gentle hands until she felt him shift against her.

Lex fought against the urge to fall asleep where he was as he disengaged his body from Chloe. He glanced at her noting the red marks on her breasts and neck. Lex felt a stab of remorse and shame as he gazed at his handy work. He suddenly found that he couldn’t look her in the eye as he reached out to help her up. He steeled himself when she flinched from his touch.

Chloe felt numb with embarrassment as she reached for her clothes. She could feel her cheeks stained red with a blush.

“Chloe,” Lex began unsure of how to proceed as he ran an agitated hand over his smooth scalp.

“I’m fine. You’re fine. So together, we are fine,” Chloe could feel her face burning even more as her mouth ran away with her as she franticly pulled her pants on. Lex slid his pants on over his lean hips and watched her as she finished dressing.

“Chloe please,” Lex stood there with his hands clenched in his pockets.

“Hey consider it, satisfying a curiosity,” Chloe started for the doors.

“I’m sorry,” Lex said to her retreating back and he watched it stiffen.

“Sorry for what Lex? Sorry that it was me? Or that I wasn’t someone else?” she asked without turning around.

“Both,” he replied honestly. He had never viewed Chloe as anything other than Clark’s gal pal. Now that had changed.

“Good bye, Lex,” Chloe called out as she left the room. She was thankful that he couldn’t see the tears running down her face.

*-*-*-*
Five Years Later

Something in the child’s laughter drew the sharp gaze of Lex Luthor. From his balcony he could see a little girl with curly white blonde hair playing with her mother on the sugary white sands of the beach. They played together with such abandon that his own lips softened as he fought the urge to smile at the domestic scene. The woman’s face was hidden under a large straw hat that cast shadows. Her tan body was luscious and toned as she chased the little girl down to tickle her. Her pale blonde pony tail matched the same shade of sun bleached white blonde as the child’s. The child gave another shriek and Chloe Sullivan’s face appeared before his eyes.

His treatment of Chloe Sullivan often came back to haunt him over the years. She never again made an attempt to contact him the few months before she mysteriously disappeared from Smallville. When they had run into each other in public she often gave some flippant response about having something to do and he never got a chance to say what had weighted heavily in his heart. The woman on the beach had Chloe’s open laughter. His gaze returned to the two of them as a sudden gust of wind blew the woman hat off and sent it tumbling down the beach.

“I’ll get it, Mommy,” the child called out as she raced down the beach after the hat. The woman took a moment to stretch towards the sun. Lex felt a slow burning anger begin to build as Chloe stood there.

[Julie]

Please enter a rating in the thread title and rating and disclaimer in the first post.

[Skye]

wow!! amazing new story!! definitely hope you can update this soon because i want to know for sure if the little girl is Lex's daughter? PPMS???

[Goldielocks]

so im guessing he fathered a child, chloes child...woah that chapter was amazing...i actually can't beleive he didnt go after her...and now he's agry for what???it's his damn own fault...awesome job

plz ud soon

[hfce]

I like the start of this. I can't wait to see how this goes.

Hope :)

[cwong]

more more!!!

[Blackberry]

yes, definitely add more :) this is really interesting~~

[senay-jor]

This is sounding very interesting. Definitely, looking forward to reading more.

[Krysia]

Great begining. I loved all the angst between them and I think that was a great summary of what Lex probably went thorugh after the trial. My favourite part was how Lex couldn't seem to get warm, until Chloe helped him. I think it was a great visual. So is the little girl their daughter? Please write more soon.

[planetcal]

Interesting start can't wait to read more!Looking forward to your next update.

[persephone47]

Oh, that's such a great start, I can't wait for an update. I wonder what Lex will do...

[itsjustXchar]

WOW~!~ That was definitely an interesting start. I loved how there's <i>finally</i> a writer who makes Chloe and Lex's daughter(im guessing Lex is the father) a BLONDE~!~!~!~

[Gaia]

Great start. Really well made:D
Next one please

[Sandy]

Interesting start! I can't wait to read more! PPMS! :)

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets


Yasmine32068

A war rages in side the man sitting in the nondescript rental car. For week Lex followed Ms. Sullivan and her daughter trying to get a better look at the child while his investigators sniffed around and tried to get more information on Chloe. Now he was reduced to sitting outside their condo in the early morning waiting for signs of the household to come awake. He watched as the child came bounding out of the house and race down the long driveway to retrieve the morning paper and run back up the driveway only to stop at the porch where there was a patio table and chairs.

He climbed out of the car and walked carefully up the driveway his eyes drinking in the sight of her pale blonde hair and tan legs swinging back and forth as she spread the paper out on the table carefully.

“Mommy, I gots the paper,” she yelled over her shoulder.

“You HAVE the paper,” Chloe yelled back with affection evident in her voice from somewhere in the house correcting her.

Her legs stopped swinging when she noticed him coming up the driveway. Lex sucked in a painful breath as he took in the sight of her face for the first. The child was the spitting image of him when he had been her age. Her piercing cerulean blue eyes were sharp as they took in everything about him traveling from the top of his bald head to the tips of his shiny dress shoes. He had never felt more thoroughly examined in his life.

“Mommy, Daddy is here,” she bellowed again.

From inside the house Lex heard something break and a few seconds later Chloe appeared in the doorway dressed in simple blue jean shorts and a tee shirt only slightly out of breath.

“Shit,” Chloe muttered while her daughter crowed.

“You owe the jar a quarter,” the child giggled.

“Savannah, honey why don’t you go next door and see if Brittney up,” Chloe told her as she tore her eyes away from the stony set of Lex’s face.
“But,” Savannah glanced at Lex.

“Now please,” Chloe glanced at her daughter. “We have to talk.”

Savannah recognized something in her mothers tone and nodded her head solemnly as she did as her mother asked. Together they watched as Savannah fly across the manicured lawns to the house next door.

“Do you want to do this inside or out here,” Chloe asked him in a deceptively calm voice.

“Inside if you don’t mind,” he told her. His face set in a mask of cool indifference.

The muggy heat was already starting to make Lex feel wilted and he could feel a trickle of sweat running down his head. Chloe nodded and turned to walk back inside the cool house. She stepped past the small marble foyer and into the living room. Lex glanced around the house curiously taking in the simple furniture and the scattering of children’s toys and books. The room had a homey feeling to it.

“You don’t seem too terribly upset that I am here,” he said in a calm voice as he stepped closer to the entertainment center taking in the many photographs that sat there. There were pictures of his daughter on a pony ride and a great many on the beach with the powdery sand and emerald waters as a backdrop.

“Should I be, Lex,” Chloe asked. As she bent to pick up a few scattered toys and tossed them towards a corner.

“Why Savannah,” Lex asked her curiously as he watched Chloe. For all of her poise she was nervous. He could see her pulse raced and throbbed in her throat and there was a fine tremble to her hands.

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “She was born in Savannah and the name suited her,” she paused and glanced at him. “Her name is Savannah Lillian Sullivan- Luthor.”

“Why didn’t you tell me,” he asked quietly.

“Tell you what, Lex,” Chloe felt the first trickling of anger. “In case you hadn’t noticed I was there that night. There wasn’t any closeness going on Lex. There wasn’t any burgeoning intimacy.”

He flinched as if she had physically slapped him. Her words fell like hammer blows to his soul. His guilt had always been shoved into a tiny compartment so that he could struggle to pick up the pieces of his life after the shambles his father had left it in.

“You needed what I had to offer and you took it without a backwards glance.” Chloe watch as his face had become shuttered and closed off.
“Besides, I did try to tell you. I called several times to your house and your offices before I left Smallville. You were either busy or out of town on business. I couldn’t get past your guard dog of a receptionist. So, where exactly was I supposed to tell you in the middle of the freaking Talon,” Chloe felt good to have gotten that off her chest. The weight of her secret was finally lifted. She took a deep breath and struggled to keep her emotions from running away with her.

Lex quietly retreated and sat in one of the over stuffed chairs as he watched her inner struggle. The changes in Chloe weren’t just physical. They were emotional too. She had lost much of the girlish baby fat of her school years and was now lean and toned. She was different from the girl that he knew in Smallville. She had more self- controlled and maturity. She used to wear her emotions on her sleeve and now he wasn’t sure what was going on behind her eyes.

“Why did you keep her,” Lex asked her softly. She could have gotten rid of the child if she had wanted to.

Chloe sighed feeling suddenly very drained. “How could I? This was just as much my mistake as it was yours that doesn’t mean that I had to,” her voice trailed off. “She is a part of us, Lex. There was never any question of not keeping her,” she stated simply.

“You love her,” he stated. It felt so strange to him to see a loving parent.

“Of course I love her. I carried her in my body and through everything she never demands anything more than my love, no matter how bad I think I have screwed up,” Chloe took a deep shuttering breath.

“Tell me about her,” Lex demanded. His need to know what his daughter was like over took everything else.

Her face shone with an inner light as she spoke of her daughter or rather their daughter.

“She’ll be six in July and she is in the third grade. She was always a fast learner. She walked before she was a year old,” He watched as Chloe’s face softened as she bragged about her daughter. “She is so smart, Lex. God is she smart. She has to constantly be kept busy or she’ll find something to do,” Chloe chuckled. “She is always wants to know the how and why things work.” Chloe paused and glanced at Lex’s face. She could feel a blush steeling over her cheeks. “God, I must sound like a rambling idiot,” she glanced away.

“How does she know who I am,” he asked her.

There was a brief glimpse of pain that dimmed some of the light from Chloe’s eyes. “We had just moved here when she was three. She noticed that the other children at her daycare got picked up by their Daddies. So one day I went to pick her up and she was so quiet and so still,” Chloe frowned at him and stuck out her bottom lip. “She always looks like that when she has something on her mind,” Chloe told him as she moved towards the book shelf.
“She wanted to know why her Daddy never picked her up from daycare. I didn’t know what to tell her so I figured that the partial truth was the best. I told her that you were very busy and had important work,” Chloe glanced down at t he scrapbook that she held in her hands and hesitated before handing it to him.

It was filled with newspaper clippings and articles that had been written about him and LuthorCorp.

“I started it while I was pregnant with her,” Chloe turned to stare out of the sliding glass door at the beach that was her backyard. “I figured that someday I could explain it to her,” Chloe wrapped her arms around her waist hugging herself.

“So you were going to raise her by yourself and knowing all about her Daddy that didn’t want her, is that it?” Lex rose from his chair. His anger was evident in his face when he spun her around to look at him. “Why didn’t you tell Clark,” he demanded.

“Don’t you dare take that holier then thou attitude with me, Luthor,” She struggled to keep the tears out of her voice. “Yeah, right tell Clark,” she snarled back at him. “Hey, Clark, by the way I screwed your best friend on his pool table and got knocked up. Do you mind breaking the news to him?” Chloe reached up and jabbed a finger at his chest. “Or hey, what about telling Lana,” she jabbed at him again backing him up as she advanced in her anger. “Gee, she fits into that whole telephone, television, and tell Lana. The news would have spread faster than malaria in a third world country!” Chloe took a deep breath and stalked to the other side of the room fighting to regain her composure. Her angry tears poured down her face.

“I was planning to sue you for back child support. You would have found out about her then,” Chloe figured that it was better to let the bomb drop now than to wait until he found out when he got back to Metropolis.

“What,” Lex asked incredulously. “You were planning to tell me through lawyers?”

“Do you have a problem with your hearing,” She asked him. “You are not the easiest man to get a hold of.” Chloe wiped a tired hand over her face and took a deep breath. “She needs things that I can’t give her. She needs to be challenged and our public schools can’t do that here.”

“So what do you propose,” Lex asked her in a biting voice.

“I want you to take her back to Metropolis. You can set her up with appropriate tutors and teachers,” Chloe choked on her words. She desperately wanted to take them back but she knew that she couldn’t. She would swallow her damn pride and do what she had to for her child.

“And what will you do,” he asked with a deceptive calm.

“I will pack up the house here and get everything settled. I’ll follow you back to Metropolis. I should be able to buy a house once I sell the condo and we’ll go from there,” Chloe sucked in a lungful of air and swallowed her pride with it. She knew that Lex would make sure that she had all of the things that Savannah needed.

“Once I get her to Metropolis what makes you think that I won’t just file for custody and take her from you,” Lex asked coldly sending a trickle of fear through Chloe.

“Because once upon a time, Lex we trusted each other and now I am putting my trust in you to make it right with our child,” she drew a steady breath and firmed up her backbone. “I know what it’s like growing up knowing you have a parent out there that doesn’t want you and so do you. Please tell me that you aren’t going to repeat history,” She searched his face looking for some sign but she realized that he was wearing his poker face. “She deserves to have both of us in her life, Lex”

[Goldielocks]

oh u update...yeah...im so happy to see u updated this brilliant story.. S.L sounds a lot like lex...

[hfce]

Oh my goodness this is so good. I can't wait to see what Lex's answer will be. More please..


Hope :)

[ldydee81]

wow that was great i can't wait to see what happens next :) please hurry and update again soon :)

[Kikina]

Interesting beginning ;) and great second chapter, wanna read more, update soon, please :grin3:

[itsjustXchar]

OK...This is definitely <b>NOT</B> one of those stories that I can take bit by bit. So if you keep this whole "update daily" thing going on, I believe that I will love you forever~!~

[itsjustXchar]

OK...This is definitely <b>NOT</B> one of those stories that I can take bit by bit. So if you keep this whole "update daily" thing going on, I believe that I will love you forever~!~

[Skye]

I am so glad that they talked but those two sure have a bumpy road ahead of them. PPMS??

[persephone47]

That was a great update, I can't wait for another one, this fic's getting more interesting by the chapter

[campbti]

Very interesting start, I like that Chloe wants to put her daughter first but she doesn't have to quit hand her over. I have a feeling that Savannah will get through to Lex where few have. SHould be a fun ride can't wait.

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 3

Author's Notes: I am not sure how often I am going to be able to keep updateing everyday But I'll do my best. For some reason my muse is taking her darned time with it!

Chloe retreated upstairs to wash her face. It gave Lex a few precious moments to pull himself together when the front door blew open. He watched as his daughter streaked past the living room not seeing him standing in the shadows. She was followed by a woman that looked like she was a few years older than Chloe. Her long cinnamon brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She followed Savannah into the house and shut the front door. She paused in the foyer regarding him with cool eyes before stepping into the living room.

“She has friends here that love her and that little girl,” she drawled out her southern accent very pronounced. “If ya`ll don’t do right by her, we’re prepared to come get her and we’ll be loaded for bear.”

“Are you threatening me,” Lex asked shocked that this woman that stood a foot shorter then he did would so boldly make such a statement.

“Nope, I just telling ya the facts, I know a good many gator ponds, Luthor. Chloe told us you’re a pretty smart guy so I won’t need to threat ya. You just make sure ya do right by them an` I won’t have to make a beer cozy outta your pecker,” the woman said bluntly as she glanced at the offending member of his body.

“Didi,” Chloe gasped at her friend as she came into the room. She gave a rueful shake of her head and tried unsuccessfully to smoother the smile that threatened to envelope her face. She stood next to the smaller woman and threw one arm around her shoulders to smoother her mouth with her hand.

“Lex, don’t pay her any attention. She is just being an over protective mama bear. She tends to let whatever is in her head fall out of her mouth,” she gave Didi a little shake.

“Diana Stevens, this is Lex Luthor. Mouth of the South met my former verbal judo partner,” Chloe said as way of introduction and warning. “You two play nice.”

“Well, I just wanted to see if ya`ll were still planin` on commin` to the party,” Didi asked her. Lex watched as Chloe looked torn.

“Oh, well, I don’t know,” she glanced at Lex and found no help there. “Some friends are having a party on the beach and Savannah was looking forward to going.”

“Well, please don’t change you’re plans because of me,” Lex said.

“Do you have swim trunks,” Chloe asked him.

“No, but I am sure that I can come up with something,” Lex said feeling strangely pleased to be included. He attributed the feelings to spending time with his daughter.

As Didi head towards the front door she called back to the pair of them, “Ya’ll better get some of that industrial strength sun block or that damn Yankee is going to burn up like a match!”

Lex was only half focused on what the woman had called out. He had spotted a small face peering at him. He cleared his throat at Chloe and glance pointedly towards the area that his daughter was hiding. Chloe glanced at him first with confusion and then back to see what had caught his attention. Suddenly she too caught a glimpse of tousled blonde hair.

“Come here, Peanut,” she called to her.

Savannah was a blur of motion as she raced to her mother’s side. Chloe gave a soft grunt as her daughter’s sturdy body collided with her thighs. Lex reached out a steadying hand to help her and felt an almost electrical shock of awareness flash through him as his hand made contact with the petal soft skin of Chloe’s shoulder.

“Come on honey, I know that you aren’t shy,” Chloe’s tone was soft and light as she finger combed her daughter’s hair.

Lex felt something tighten painfully in his chest as he watched the two of them together. He barely had any memories left of his mother and at times he couldn’t even recall her face. Over the years she had become a phantom. Savannah peeked up at him and buried her face even tighter against her mother’s side. Chloe glanced up at Lex to see him frowning.

“Well, my goodness he certainly looks like he is mean enough to eat little girls for breakfast,” Chloe teased. Lex immediately wiped the frown from his face and it settled into a small smile.

“You are very tall,” Savannah whispered. Lex immediately squatted down so that he was her level.

“Is that better,” he asked her softly.

Chloe raised a trembling hand to her lips as she watched a pair of perfectly matched blue eyes stare intently at each other. People had always told her that Savannah looked just like her but now faced with Lex she realized that they only shared hair coloring. She was the image of her father.

“Hey, we need to get this show on the road if we are going to make the party,” Chloe told the pair of them. “Are you hungry, Peanut,” Chloe asked her daughter.

“Can Daddy make me breakfast,” Savannah asked her mother with a shining up turned face.

“Oh I don’t know honey,” Chloe glanced at Lex.

“I handle a corporate take over any day of the week,” Lex told her with a smirk. “I think that I can handle breakfast.”

“Oh, famous last words,” Chloe laughed at him. “I am going to enjoy my shower,” Chloe leaned over and kissed the top of Savannah’s head and headed up stairs.

*-*-*-*
Once Lex decides on a course of action he generally liked to stick to it. Unfortunately he had to deviate from his course several times. With his daughter he found himself constantly being veered off track. First she led him into a small but clean kitchen and showed him where her dishes were kept. Then she dragged him to her room to show him her collection of sea glass and shells. Then back to the kitchen to show him her impressive set of art work on the refrigerator.

“I like my Beauty and the Beast bowl best for my breakfast,” Savannah prattled on. “I heard Aunt Didi say that she hated Beauty and the Beast because she said that it was trite effort in love conquers all but in reality love doesn’t conquer all but I don’t understand what trite means,” Savannah looked up at him. Before Lex could open his mouth and answer her question Savannah was racing off on the next topic of conversation. Lex was feeling just a little stunned at how much information could pour out of such a young mouth.

“And what did your mother tell her,” Lex asked as he rummaged around looking for her cereal. Savannah went over to a tall set of cupboards and pointed.

“Mommy said that love isn’t supposed to conquer. You can still be the same person just made stronger,” Savannah told him with wisdom beyond her years.

Lex found the various boxes of children’s cereal which sparked a debate over the virtues of Crunch Berries verses Coco Puffs. The argument was finally settled when Savannah informed him in an imperious tone that since he had never tried either of the cereals that his opinion was groundless.
“You forgot the orange juice,” Savannah informed him.

Chloe walked into her kitchen to find Lex sitting elbow to elbow with his daughter at her kitchen counter eating coco puffs with Savannah happily munching Crunch Berries and watching morning cartoons. Occasionally she noticed that Lex would dip his spoon into his daughter’s bowl to steal a few bites and she was doing the same to him. Chloe was suddenly struck with the rightness of the feeling and she could feel something soften around her heart as she gazed at the pair of them.

Lex having sensed her there turned around to see Chloe’s warm gaze and gave her a small warm smile of his own. His gaze sharpened at he took in the sight of Chloe dressed in a light blue bikini top and a pair of low riding cut off shorts. Her long blonde hair was pulled back and fell in a thick braid down the center of her back. He watched her as she moved around the kitchen and poured two cups of coffee adding a splash of cream and sugar to them both just the way he’d always taken his coffee. Lex never felt as aware of a woman as he did at this moment.

*-*-*-*
Lex spent the next few hours in almost a befuddled haze. A quick trip to the local Wal-Mart and he was armed with a pair of swim trunks, flip flops, and a tee shirt that his daughter helped him pick out while Chloe shopped for sun block and few other items. When they had finally reached their destination Lex was feeling a little more back in control. The part of the island that they ended up on was on the sound side Chloe explained to him. They always came to this side of the island away from the tourists. The local park was littered with gazebos and barbeque pits for grilling.

Chloe watched Lex carefully. Again Chloe was reminded of how Lex seemed to hover on the outskirts of most social interactions when it came to the general public of Smallville. She was surprised to find herself worrying more about his feelings getting hurt than anything else.

Lex carried her cooler and lawn chairs as they made their way to the gazebo filled with her friends. He wondered briefly how many of them knew about him. After a brief introduction Lex found himself drawn into the small group of men. He caught Chloe’s eye with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk as she was drawn into conversation with her girlfriends. He watched as she slathered sunscreen on her impatient daughter before turning her loose to go play with the other children.

“My goodness kid you have been holding out on us,” Chloe’s friend Tammy spoke up as she eyed Lex from a distance. “I can see why Tony had no appeal for you if you had that waiting behind the scenes.”

“Yeah, talk about a blast from the past and he’s loaded too,” Didi told her as she took a sip of her soda can.

“My god, Didi,” Chloe laughed at her friend as she moved towards the group of men.

“Can I borrow him for just quick second guys,” Chloe asked as she led Lex over to some lawn chairs. “Sit please,” she asked him. Lex eyed her suspiciously before he sat. Chloe smoothed the Coppertone sun block over the top of his head and ears. Her hands were gentle and Lex could feel his eyes slide shut at the pleasure her touch invoked. When she smoothed the sun block across his shoulders he gave a groan of pleasure.

The happy sounds of children playing added to the haze of comfort that Lex was feeling and for the first time in years he felt relaxed. Before he could really examine those feelings there a shriek of a child’s voice that caused Chloe’s head to whip around. Lex was on his feet and racing for the beach where the children were gathered. He found his daughter crying and a little boy crying and holding his bloody nose. He felt his heart in his throat as he quickly examined his daughter’s tear streaked face.

“Savannah honey, are you okay,” Lex examined her with anxious eyes but only found a few scrapped knuckles. Savannah threw herself in her father’s arms and clung sobbing as Lex stood up and gently patted his daughter’s back in comfort.

“Brittney, what happened,” Chloe asked to girl as the boy’s parents rushed over.

“Oh my god, you’re bleeding,” the boy’s mother exclaimed. Chloe glanced at her and immediately tensed.

There was no love loss between Vivian Carson and herself after her husband made a fumbling pass at Chloe at the last get together. After that they were constantly at odds. It was made even worse when their son Ricky Jr. liked to bully the smaller girls around.

“Aunt Chloe, he pushed her,” Brittney said as she tugged on Chloe’s jean shorts. “Then he told her that she was a liar cause she didn’t have no Daddy,” Brittney looked to her mother for help. “When Savannah stood up he pushed her again and then she punched him in the nose,” she informed them in a breathless rush.

“You let a girl punch you in the nose,” Rick asked his son his tone was harsh.

“That little brat probably started it,” Vivian snapped. “She goes around telling stories about this mysterious father of hers.”

Chloe could feel herself freeze into place as the air of tension suddenly surrounded Lex became something that was almost tangible. Chloe could recognize the signs of Lex holding on to his temper by a thread.

“That’s funny because I am standing right here,” he bit out in an icy voice. Chloe glanced over at Didi and was met with widely shocked eyes and a raised eyebrow.

Vivian gave a mocking laugh as she tossed back her hair. “So Chloe finally managed to pin it on some poor dope,” she crowed.

“Shut the hell up you bitter hag,” Didi snapped as she stepped up to Vivian. “You’re just pissed because you don’t have enough bounce in your flounce to keep your old man at home. Everyone knows that Rick tomcats around he just happened to get caught while trying to move in on your friend.”

“I think that ya`ll better get some ice on Ricky’s nose,” Darren told the older Rick when the older man made a slight move towards his wife. Darren simply crossed massive arms across his barrel chest and blocked Rick. After a tense moment the Carsons took their child and left.

“Here take her for a minute,” Lex told Chloe. She stood holding her daughter who had stopped crying to watch the interaction between the adults. Lex moved off to intercept the Carson’s and Chloe could tell by the sudden paling of their faces that what Lex had to say wasn’t very nice.

“Mommy is Daddy mad at me,” Savannah asked her in a small voice.

“Oh, I don’t think so peanut,” Chloe sat at the waters edge as the waves lapped over her leg. “You have to always stand up for yourself and protect yourself the best way that you know how but it’s not nice to hit people just because they are mean Peanut.”

“Why,” Savannah asked.

“Because Savannah it’s not what civilized people do,” Lex’s warm voice floated over the two of them.

“Yes sir,” Savannah said in a tiny voice.

Lex sat next to Chloe and dragged his daughter into his lap. “Let me see,” he said with a mock growl, “are you ticklish.” Savannah’s shrieks of delight were almost ear splitting. Lex was vaguely disappointed when she finally raced down the beach to join the other kids.

Chloe could only stare at him with open mouth wonder.

“What,” he asked her feeling a little self conscious.

Chloe blinked at him and gave him a genuine smile. “You’re amazing with her.”
Lex ducked his head a little to rinse his hands in the water. “She scares the hell out of me Chloe,” he told her honestly. “Besides I don’t want to be a father like mine was. It’s obvious that you have raised her to be affectionate and open. I would hate myself if I ruined that.”

[hfce]

Oh this is getting so good. I am so glad they are getting along. More please...


Hope :)

[Krysia]

Uuu I would love to know what Lex said to the Carson's. Great chapter, I'm enjoying the way you have written both Lex and Chloe, and Savannah is just so sweet. I can't wait for more interaction between them.

[Goldielocks]

this story only gets better with every passing chapter

PLEASE UPDATE, SOON

[kimmie]

i am actually in love with this fic, please oh please come back with more soon!!!

Kimmie

[Gaia]

I'm loving this fic. It showes another side of Lex that is just so surprising. And why can't these two have a normal loving relationship- they are perfect for each other.
Oh and I know that this is so uncivilized of me...but good punch Savannah!:D

[Skye]

woohoo!! I love Savannah!! Great update!! PPMS??

[kel722]

Cute Story!!!!Can't wait for the next update.I totally adore Savannah.Can just picture her with her blonde hair.Can't wait to see how the relationship between Chloe and Lex is going to develop.
Keep up the good work!!!!

[campbti]

What a cute update, love that she punched him. And that lex is good with her, I'm not sure our smallville lex would be that easy going but maybe. I like the fact he admitted that she scared him. can't wait for more.

[persephone47]

that's such a wonderful update, I love the character interaction, can't wait for the next part...

[LaLa]

whoa that's great! i have to admit everything happens so fast but the characters are true so, that's cool
please, next update!

[teb85]

I love this already !!! It's great to see a different side to Lex and he is just so adorable with his daughter. I can't wait to see where you go with this please update !!!

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 4

The rest of the day passed in blissful serenity. The adults all spent turns in the water keeping an eye on the younger children and keeping the horsing around by the older kids to a minimum. Chloe watched Lex from a distance. Even though he was no longer dressed in a thousand dollar Armani suit he still carried himself with the same trademark self assurance that bordered on arrogance. The only time that he did not distance himself was the time he spent playing with Savannah.

“My goodness, woman, I kin feel the heat of that gaze from here,” Didi drawled at her. Chloe snapped her head around to look at her friend and tried to shake her off with a laugh.

“Oh, come on, Didi, I am just making sure that they are fine,” Chloe smiled at her friend.

“Girl, that is not the man that you described to me before,” Didi told her. “And he watches you too.” Chloe could feel a blush working its way up her cheeks.

“God girl, he’s fine all right,” Chloe’s friend Kathy piped up.

“So how did you meet him,” Chloe’s friend Tammy asked as she sat on another lawn chair next to Didi.

“He was a friend of a friend back in Smallville when I was in high school,” Chloe told them. Chloe told them about how the two of them meet at the Torch. She told them about the verbal sparring and hesitantly told them about them working together to put Lionel Luthor behind bars.

“Sounds like that man had a bit of a crush on you too darling`,” Didi told her. Chloe gave her a skeptical look and a scoffed at the very idea.

“A man as wealthy as that doesn’t own a cappuccino machine of his own? He constantly turned up at the Talon and the Torch? And to consistently show up in both places where you were certain to be? Not to mention saved your bacon on more than one occasion,” Tammy and Didi glanced at each other knowingly over Chloe’s head.

“Come on you guys,” Chloe shook her head at her friends not wanting to believe what they were telling her for an instant. “The man constantly had woman throwing themselves at his feet.”

“And girl you are that fish that got away,” Tammy told her. “Let’s look at this from another side. He shows up here of all places. Why? Nobody ever comes to this po-dunk of a town unless they are on vacation or involved with the military base. Granted they are one of the biggest testing facilities but he told you he was here under a construction contract for a new resort?”

“You guys are crazy, just for the record,” Chloe said as she got to her feet. “I am going for a swim,” as she started for the water.

*-*-*-*
“Hey, man,” called Didi’s husband Darren. “I’m up for the next watch,” he told him as he joined Lex on the beach.

Lex found himself drawn into general small talk with Darren and found that he enjoyed the friendly banter that was reminiscent of time spent with Clark Kent. Clark and Lex had grown apart since Chloe’s disappearance from Smallville. For the most part Lex had drawn it up to Clark going to college and then his work at the Daily Planet but now he was left wondering if his friend had known that Chloe had left town pregnant with his baby in spite of what Chloe had told him.

Lex felt his eyes drawn to where Chloe sat amongst her friends and chatted. It was not arrogance on his part that caused him to realize that he was the subject of topic it was the fact that every now and again they would glance his way and go back to gossiping. After watching for a few minutes he had decided to go check out what the girls really were talking about.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Darren told him as he reached out a hand to stop him. “Once those four get gossiping there is no stopping them,” he told Lex as a way of warning him. It was about that time when Didi and Chloe made their way down to the waters edge and separated. Chloe glanced around and spotted her daughter’s tawny head amongst the other kids and began wading out into the water.

*-*-*-*
Chloe waded out until the water reached her hips and took a deep breath and dove under water. She swam until her lungs burned and crested the water to roll over on her back to float. The shrieks of the children were dimmed by the water and she relaxed as she listened to the sounds of her breathing. She felt something brush against the bottom of her foot. She gave a reflexive kick thinking that it was an overtly curious fish but her foot connected with something a little more solid then a fish. She sat up when she realized that she had kicked Lex.

“Oh my god, you scared the hell out of me,” she exclaimed at him as she treaded water. Lex chuckled at her.

“You should have seen the look on your face,” he laughingly told her as he dragged her body flush against his. Chloe wrapped one arm around his shoulders as she realized that the water was too deep to for her to stand but not too deep for him.

“What are you doing,” she asked him startled by the sudden contact of his hard sun warmed body.

“Keeping you from treading water,” he told her with a warm smile. “Until now I never realized how short you were,” he told her with a smile.

His face was taking on a nice shade of tan and there was no sign of him becoming sunburned. His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners with his amusement and Chloe fought the urge to kiss those sculpted lips that were for once not twisted in a sardonic smile. She had been fighting her awareness of him all day. Lex of old, held a dangerous appeal. His cool aloofness, mercurial temper, and ruthless energy that he held himself in Smallville were always a little daunting. He was like a dangerous fire and like a moth she had been drawn to it. Lex the father, held a different appeal for her. He seemed warmer and more approachable. Around their daughter’s watchful eyes he changed slightly and became some thing of a different temptation.

Chloe slide her legs around his hips to hold her self still against the slightly pulsing rhythm of the ocean. She watched his eyes darken slightly at the silken touch of her legs against the smooth skin of his waist and felt her own pulse speed up. His hands slide down her waist to cup her ass as he shifted her slight weight to rest more firmly against his stomach. She could feel her nipples tighten against the light friction of his chest and she felt like she was burning up from the inside out.

Lex sensed the sudden tension in Chloe. When she didn’t push him away like he had expected he tightened his grip on her body to draw her more firmly against him. He angled around so that she could see the beach and the children playing but slide one hand to glide against the soft skin at the back of her thighs with a light stroke. Her eyes flew up to meet his and he gave in to the temptation.

His lips lightly brushed against hers as a feathered caress and pulled back to see her eyes. Chloe slide one of her arms around to lightly cup the back of his head and drew him down for another kiss. This time her lips parted against his questing tongue, she tasted like heaven a heady combination of salt and sunshine. Her hips beat an age old tempo against his as the rhythm of the ocean lent its aid and he could feel himself harden against the slight friction. The shriek of a child in play suddenly brought them both crashing to earth as Lex rested his forehead against hers panting slightly as he struggled to reign in his desire for her.

“Hey ya`ll,” Didi called out a few feet from them. “This is a PG-13 beach.”

Chloe raised her hand to wave to Didi indicating that they had heard her. Lex noticed a fine tremble to the slender limb as Chloe settled it gingerly on his shoulder.

“Why, Lex,” Chloe asked. “I guess I am trying…” She glanced up into his closed face and felt her desire fade.

“Chloe,” Lex started as he walked slowly to shallower water to set her down. “I was about as screwed up as I could get after my father was sentenced and I took advantage of a teenage girl. It wasn’t one of my finer moments,” he told her through clenched teeth.

Chloe opened her mouth and shut it again. “You self righteous bastard, did it ever occur to you that if I didn’t want to be there then I wouldn’t have been? Or are you so convinced at your sexual godhood that poor little me was just too flattered by the attention,” Chloe growled at him.

“I’d just sent my father to prison and fucked my best friend’s buddy on my god damn pool table,” Lex yelled at her.

“I wasn’t expecting an undying declaration of fucking love Lex,” Chloe growled back at him as she headed for the beach. “Just a little common courtesy and respect” she told him.

Lex glared out at the open waters of the sound and let the happy cries of the children pour over him. He glanced back to find that Chloe had made it back to the beach. She ran lightly up to the gazebo and grabbed a towel.

“Ya know my wife and the girls may think that I am a little dense sometimes,” Darren told him as he approached from the other direction.

“What do you mean,” Lex asked him fighting down the urge to go after her.

“After her father passed a way a few years ago, Chloe got rip roaring drunk at our house. She told us that she aint been with nobody since the father of her baby,” Darren told him with a frown.

Lex swallowed hard but forced himself to ask, “Did she ever say why?”

Darren shrugged, “She said no one could stand in his shoes. I watched over the years as that little girl held men at bay that were beating down her door but she aint never gave in to any of them.” Darren glanced at the man standing next to him with a critical eye noting the tension that surround Lex.

“I don’t know and don’t want to know what happened but it’s been like she’s been waiting on something or someone. I gotta tell ya I love that girl like a sister but it can be like beating your head against a wall when she gets a notion in her head.”

Lex gave a small smirk as he watched Chloe gathering things together in the evening light. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” Lex frowned and glanced at the other man.

“Why are you telling me this,” he asked.

“Cause she’d never tell ya herself,” Darren grinned at him. “She loves ya and she’s pissed at ya. She’d cut off her own nose just ta spite her face. She’s kinda ornery like that.”

Lex smiled at the warm feeling in his chest. Chloe loved him and what he was feeling for her went past his typical feelings of lust for a woman. She was the only person that he knew that didn’t give a damn about his name, how much money, or power that he had. She had always demanded to be treated like an equal. Suddenly he was tired of fighting the feelings that had always been there since she was in Smallville and accepted that he loved her. He loved her then and he loved her now. Now all he had to do was convince her that he loved her.

[Gaia]

FINALLY!!!!!! Took him long enough. Darren is a smart man to finally paint everything black and white for Lex:D
Next part please.

[Skye]

FINALLY!!!!!! Took him long enough. Darren is a smart man to finally paint everything black and white for Lex:D
Next part please.

Yes!! I second that. ;)

[itsjustXchar]

Im Lovin' It!!! These breaks in between(the chlex) are going to be the death of me! BUT the story is still great with and extroadinary plot. Keep it up!

[kirt30]

that was such a good chapter please add more soon

[hfce]

It took Lex long enough to figure it out I am glad he will finally convince Chloe. I can't wait to see what happens next. :D

[persephone47]

I can't wait for the next update, hopefully they'll work everything out

[pipersmum]

FINALLY!!!!!! Took him long enough. Darren is a smart man to finally paint everything black and white for Lex:D
Next part please.

I couldn't agree more :D

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets Ch 5

Author’s Notes: This next part maybe a little too violent for some readers. Just thought that I’d give ya’ll a warning!

*-*-*-*
Every instinct in Chloe’s body was screaming. Lex was up to something and she had no clue what it could be. He never said a word to her while they packed up her SUV nor did he say a whole lot to her when she dragged him and Savannah to McDonald’s for dinner. She did have to hide a smirk while explaining to him what a Big Mac was. They watched together as their daughter played on the playground but Chloe still couldn’t shake the feeling that the shoe was about to drop.

Darkness had fallen by the time that they had reached the house. Chloe was feeling too tired at that moment to bother with pulling the truck into the garage. Lex got out and reached into the back seat to unbuckle the sleeping Savannah while Chloe grabbed a few things out of the back of the truck. He followed her while she led the way to the house.

Chloe was busy trying to juggle the items she was carrying when Lex’s hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her arm causing her to nearly drop everything that she was carrying. He was frowning at something past her head when he handed the sleeping child to her.

“Go back to the truck, lock the doors, and call the police,” he told her in an urgent whisper as he started for the partially open front door.

Chloe noticed Didi and Darren pulling into their own driveway and headed for them at a trot.

“Someone broke in and Lex went inside the house,” Chloe told them the terror evident on her face as Darren took off for her place at a run.

Didi ran into her house to call 911 as Chloe hugged her sleeping child to her body. What were only a few moments felt like hours as the girls stood and waited, ears staining for the slightest sounds. They both let go of the tension that they were holding when Darren and Lex appeared in the doorway. They rushed across the lawn when they noticed Darren holding a bloody nose.

“Oh my god,” Didi cried when she saw her husbands condition. “What happened?”

Darren however was grinned weakly at his wife. “He’s got a wicked right cross,” he smirked at Lex, “for a rich boy.”

“I am sorry,” Lex told him stiffly as he glanced at Chloe. “He surprised me in the dark.”

“Hell no,” Darren lightly punched the leaner man in the arm good naturedly. “It was solid; I’ll just remember to call out or something.” Darren headed into his house to get ice for his nose while everyone stood outside waiting.

Lex blew out some of the tension that he’d been hold when Chloe realized that he genuinely felt bad for striking the other man.

“Hey Didi, could you put Savannah down for me,” Chloe asked as she handed her daughter over to her.

“Sure I’ll put her in with Brit Brat,” Didi told her as she headed into the house with the sleeping child.

Chloe wrapped her arms around her waist and headed for her own front door.

“Chloe wait,” Lex said as he laid a light hand on her arm. “I don’t want you to go in there.” He glanced away with troubled eyes and scowled. “It wasn’t a random break in,” he told her.

“What do you mean,” she asked studying the tense lines of his face and then took off at a trot while shaking off his hands.

Chloe flipped on the downstairs lights as she entered the house. At first her eyes had trouble adjusting to what she was seeing. Splotched of crimson decorated one off white wall of her living room and glass from her smashed picture frames littered the floor mixed with puddles of crimson. There was a distinct coppery scent in the air and Chloe struggled to keep the contents of her stomach down. Her pictures of Savannah that she had so proudly framed were stuck to the wall in a pattern that spelled out, ‘Mine’.

She turned away to wrap her arms around Lex. She was panting to keep her nausea at bay as his arms gathered her tightly against his taunt body. Lex held her slender body against his as she shook with the force of her sobbing.

*-*-*-*-*

Lex managed to convince the police to let him take Chloe and Savannah away from the crime scene but not before threatening the police chief should he spot any details of the crime in the papers. He made arrangements for Chloe’s friends to find another place to stay for the night. The bodies of the Carson’s were displayed in an obscene fashion in Chloe’s bedroom.

He was for the first time freely willing to admit his fear. He watched as Chloe mechanically moved around his hotel suite. She still hadn’t regained any of the color in her face and had been unconsciously folding and refolding one of Savannah shirts. He flipped on the shower in his bathroom and went back into the bedroom.

“Come on,” he told her as he gently as he took the shirt and laid it down on the bed. He led her into the bathroom and undressed her with caring hands slipping out of his own clothes.

Chloe dimly realized that Lex was taking care of her and another piece of her heart broke. She leaned her forehead against the shower and allowed her tears to flow free. She felt his hands lightly turn her around and she sobbed her fear and misery against him. They hadn’t left anything untouched. All of their clothes and personal items had been destroyed. Chloe cried for the family that lost their lives so senselessly.

“Find them for me,” she struggled to regain herself. She stared up at Lex with red rimmed hard eyes. “Find who did this and make them pay, Lex,” her voice was hard as she stared at him. “They killed that family and threatened my baby; you find them and make them pay.”

[persephone47]

Yay for another update so soon, I'm adicted to this fic, can't wait to see how things progress, I wonder who could have done it.

[hfce]

EEK!! That was scary why did someone do that? What do they have against Chloe? More please I want to find out. ;)

[Skye]

I really can't wait to read the next part!!! :)

[kcsgirl82]

I love this story!!!!!!!! I'm so glad that Lex finally realized his love for Chloe, now if he can just get her to believe him!!!
I hope Lex can keep Chloe and Savannah safe and find the person responsible for this horrible crime!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Goldielocks]

maybe it wasent someone after chloe, perhaps they were after lex, but what better way is do destoy him is by déstoing his family, o maby it was lionels men

[Gaia]

Who could do such a horrible thing? And with Chloe, she is a force not to play with, not to mention Lex.
Update and clear it up please:)

[pipersmum]

I wonder who did it??? Was it a message for Chloe or was they trying to get to Lex through Chloe???

Either way I am gonna be guessing now so please come back and update soon so I can find out which it is and who it is!!! :P

[Kit Merlot]

I'm really enjoying this story!

So, the person who killed the Carson family, has to be somebody who was at the party, right? That is how the person knew that the Carson's son tried to bully Savannah, and insulted Chloe.

That is about the extent of my detective work:D

But this person thinks of Savannah as theirs, and that is frightening. Update soon, okay?

[katieandjason]

Does this person also tie in to the reason Lionel was hospitalized? Update Update Updaaaaate!

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets Ch 6

Awareness slowly crept back into Lex’s consciousness and the first thing that he felt was the weight of someone’s stare. His eyes snapped open to find Savannah standing a few inches from his head. The sharp retort and growl instantly died on his lips at her undisguised curiosity.

“Savannah, what’s wrong, honey,” he asked and cleared his sleep roughened throat.

“Why aren’t we at home,” she asked him as she played with a corner of his sleep rumpled sheet.

Lex studied his daughter’s face for a moment and opened up one side of the blankets. The thoughts of his mother having done the same when he was younger briefly passed through his head. She gave him a wide smile that lit up her face and half flopped and half jumped into the bed to snuggle with him.

“Because,” he paused as he gently smoothed her sleep rumpled hair and thought about how much he wanted to tell her. “I thought it would be nice to have a sleepover,” he finished feeling slightly foolish. She sat still for a moment and wiggled around to glance up at his face.

“Mommy too,” she asked as she stared at him with serious eyes.

“Of course with Mommy too,” he smiled down at her.

Savannah sat up to slide out of the bed. “You did it wrong,” she informed him with a frown. Lex could only raise an eyebrow at his daughter.

“Did I,” he asked in an amused voice.

She nodded her head at him sagely and tugged at his much larger hand to drag him out of bed. He followed her curious to see where she led him.
“You are supposed to sleep in the same bed when you have a sleepover,” she informed him and she led him into the other bedroom where her mother was sleeping. They paused at the foot of the bed where Chloe was sprawled out almost dead center. Lex hesitated and then glanced over to see Savannah giggling.

“She always snores when she is really tired,” she told him and proceeded to climb into bed with Chloe.

Chloe slowly woke up to find her daughter climbing into the bed with her.

“Mmm, where’s my snuggle monster,” she asked her sleepily as she ignored her daughter’s cold feet to drag her against her sleep warm body. She felt the bed dip in on the other side and glanced over slightly startled to find Lex climbing in on the other side.

“Lex,” she asked him as he adjusted the covers over the both of them as he spooned behind her.

“I evidently don’t know the rules of having a sleepover,” he cocked his head towards Savannah hoping that he didn’t have to say anything more than that. “Savannah is being kind enough to give me lessons.”

“I see,” Chloe said as she lost her self in the feel of his hard body against hers.

Lex used the perfect opportunity to lay a hard arm across Chloe’s waist to playfully tug on his daughter’s hair. He was rewarded with a giggle from Savannah and felt the strange sensation of peace as he felt Chloe relax against the comforting shelter of his body. This was his family and even as they settled in to go back to sleep he couldn’t shake the heavy feeling in chest that someone was out there trying to hurt them.

*-*-*-*

Morning sun light streamed through the partially open windows and across Chloe’s face as she woke up. There was a soft murmur of masculine voices coming from the living room area and no Savannah. She made a quick stop in the bathroom and exited the bedroom tugging on a robe as she stepped out of the bedroom.

There sat Lex dressed in one of his thousand dollar suits peeling an orange for his daughter who was perched on her father’s lap like the reigning queen of Sheba. The remains of their breakfast were sitting on the coffee table in front of them. They glanced up as she came out of the bedroom and she noticed that both Lex and Savannah wore the same expressions of cool detachment. Chloe struggled not to let her amusement show.

“Good morning,” Lex said to her before turning his attentions back to the two men who were also sitting with them wearing business suits. “I’ll expect a comprehensive and detailed report in a week,” he told the men as they rose when Chloe entered the room. They nodded their heads in agreement as they shook hands with Lex. One man dared to reach towards Savannah but stopped at Lex’s cold eyed glare.

“She is just too cute,” the man said as way of explanation. “My daughter is about the same age,” he told Lex.

“Just as long as the expected revenue exceeds the initial cost within the next two years of completion, my cuteness is not with standing,” Savannah told the man in a cool voice that was reminiscent of her father’s as she sucked noisily at her orange section.

Her comment left the adults momentarily speechless before the two men made for a hasty exit. Chloe could hear one of them ask how old the child was in a low tone.

“How old did Mr. Luthor say she was,” one man asked the other.

“Six,” replied the other guy.

“The sharks get younger and younger every year,” the first man said as he glanced back nervously. As soon at the door shut behind them Lex and Chloe let loose with peals of laughter while Savannah calmly finished her orange.

“Where did you learn that,” Chloe asked her daughter wiping away her tears of humor.

“Daddy,” Savannah told her as she slid from her father’s lap. “I need to wash my hands,” and she raced off for the bathroom.

The mini adult once again replaced by an active six year old. Lex had a grin that stretched from one ear to another as he closed the distance between himself and Chloe to wrap his arms around her and give her a fierce hug.

“Well, she didn’t that from my side,” Chloe muttered slightly disgruntled.

“She is perfect,” Lex told her with a smile. “She could be the new face of LuthorCorp in the making.”

“I guess the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Chloe said ruefully. “What’s next,” as she grabbed a cup of coffee.

“We pack up and head back to Smallville,” Lex told her. “My business here is completed for now.”

“And what about the other,” Chloe asked him with a frown as she moved towards her bedroom.

“I already have those wheels in motion, Chloe. Don’t worry we’ll get to the bottom of this,” Lex told her as his good mood dulled somewhat by the passing look of fear on her face.

*-*-*-*

Any other time Chloe would have enjoyed the trip but the closer that they had gotten to Kansas the more nervous she got. Lex was the picture of calm except for the slightly tight look around his eyes. Savannah must have picked up on her parents’ uneasiness because in turn she was restless and cranky. Chloe was never more relieved when Savannah finally napped somewhere over Mississippi.

“Do you want to stop in Metropolis to shop for Savannah and yourself,” he asked her as he rested his head against his seat and watched Chloe pickup the few scattered toys and books that Savannah left laying around the small compartment. It was these intimate moments that he realized was missing from his life. He was surprised to find that he enjoyed the trip so far even with Savannah’s bad temper. It felt right. It felt normal.

“That would be fine,” she told him. It chaffed Chloe’s pride to have to take his money. Lex watched as she restlessly moved around the cabin.

“I called Didi and Darren before we left,” he told her. “They will be making the move to Smallville in a few days.”

Chloe’s head snapped around and she stared at him with shock. She had to shake off the creepy feeling like he knew everything inside her head.

“I need a good accounting manager at the plant and with Didi’s background she’d be perfect,” he told her with his custom smirk.

He glanced out the window and thought about his daughter’s tear stained blue eyes that was so filled with sadness at the thought of leaving her best friend behind. It was that look of misery that caused him to pick up the phone and make arrangements for the family to have a place to live and packer to come to the house.

Of course they balked at the thought of moving but that was soon over come when Lex dangled the starting salary in front of her nose. Besides he genuinely liked the family and also wanted to make sure that the family would stay safe. This was his best opportunity to do so.

*-*-*-*

In spite of Lex’s objection’s Chloe shopped rather sparingly for herself. The shops in Metropolis almost tripped over themselves to make sure that they were well cared for. Chloe smiled as she watched Lex playfully argued with Savannah over choosing the correct Barbie dolls and accessories. Lex would occasionally glance at Chloe for her opinions of his daughter’s selections and she was happy to give him either a nod of okay or a small frown of no.

“I was prepared to have to have to fight with you,” he said softly as they waited for Savannah to finish trying on some clothes.

“Would it have made a difference,” Chloe asked him. “Besides I know you, you would have just made the purchases for her anyway, “

Lex had the grace to glance away sheepishly. Chloe told him with a half hearted shrug. “Besides I have learned to pick and choose my battles.”

“Well, thank you for letting me spoil her a little,” Lex said with a laugh.

“Just make sure that I don’t come home one day to find a pony in my house,” Chloe teased him. Lex grinned at her and laughed.

“Don’t worry I’d have a stable built for you in the back yard,” he joked as Chloe laughed and gave him a light slap to the arm.

“Well, I think that the Luthor fortune can survive a few Barbie dolls,” Chloe teased him back with an easy manner.

It was late afternoon before they got on the road to Smallville and Chloe could feel her tension returning as they drove back. She felt apprehensive about coming back to face Clark, Lana and the rest of her old friends but she tried to cover it up under the disguise of silliness that seemed to have taken over the vehicle.

Lex’s SUV of course had all of the latest equipment which meant that Savannah was amused by the DVD player that she got all to herself. By the time that Lex turned onto his driveway Chloe managed to push most of her feelings to the background.

Both of the adults enjoyed the wide eyed look on Savannah’s face as they led her into the house.

“You live in a castle,” Savannah said with awe. “Are you a Prince like in the Little Mermaid,” Savannah asked while eyeing her father suspiciously.

“Once a long time ago he was,” Chloe told her with a small smile. “Then he grew up and became a King.” Lex glanced at Chloe in shock at this piece of fanciful musings as he led them into his study to summon the staff for introductions but before he could deny her statement they were startled by the sound of a voice that they both never thought that they would hear again.

“Well, now I wouldn’t say that Ms. Sullivan,” came a cold hard voice from the upper balcony. “My son may be reduced to being a Prince yet again.”

[pipersmum]

You updated and it was great :D That was so sweet savannah telling Lex he was doing the sleepover wrong and all going in and sharing Chloe's bed ;)

Loved Lionel at the end I can't wait to see what he makes of his grand daughter!!!!

Looking forward to more soon I am really enjoying this story :D

[Goldielocks]

Oh This Story Gets Better With Each Passing Chapter, Plz Ud Real Soon

[hfce]

Damn it it was going so well. Why did Lionel have to ruin it. Grrrrr.
I so loved Savannah you go girl you are one fine matchmaker and I can't wait to see Lionel's grand daughter give him hell. LOL!!! More please....

Hope :)

[Gaia]

And the devil has arrived aka Lionel. And what will the man think of Savannah? we shall see.
Next part please:D

[hellinean]

It's better and better!!!
Savannah is a great child! and i really like the relationship of chloe and lex!
I hope Lionel would be softer with his granddaughter!!!

[persephone47]

Great job. I lovethe character interaction. Can't wait for the next update.

[Krysia]

Aww, how sweet. I loved the sleepover part, and than the breakfast was just too much. I couldn't stop grining. They make a wondeful family, and now with Lionel in the picture I can't wait to see his reaction to his granddaughter [ and hers to him]. More, please.

[itsjustXchar]

UH OH! here comes big daddy LUTHOR!

[celticangel]

Great story. Can't wait to see Lionel's reaction to having a granddaughter!! Update soo please!

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets Ch 7

Savannah watched with wide eyed interest as her parents formed a barrier in front of her. She opened her mouth to complain that she couldn’t see but she noticed the hard set of her mother’s jaw and instinctively knew that there was something bad going on. She glanced up at her father and he looked okay and since he was smiling that funny little smile that he sometimes got so she moved to stand on the other side of him to take his hand. Then Savannah stared up at the older man who was staring at her intently. The man looked a little pale as he walked down the stairs to stand near the massive fire place.

“What are you doing here, Dad,” Lex asked him as he felt his daughter slide her tiny hand into his.

He glanced down to see her worried eyes staring up at him. Lex gave his daughter a wink to reassure her and gazed at his father. He watched as his father’s carefully crafted facade of mocking boredom cracked. He was slightly startled to se several emotions passing through his father’s face.

Lionel Luthor walked slowly forward his eyes locked on Savannah’s face. Lionel ignored his son’s question as he slowly sank into one of the leather side chairs near the fireplace. He watched as the small blonde miniature of Lex cocked her head at her parents and she watched the older Luthor with no fear.

Chloe started forward to confront him until she felt Lex’s hand on her arm. She glanced at him to snap a retort until she saw the look on his face. He glanced down at his daughter that was standing by his side. Chloe ground her teeth together with frustration.

Savannah let go of her father’s hand and before Lex could get a grip on her she went and stood before the older Luthor.

“I am Savannah Lillian Sullivan-Luthor,” she told him in a hauntingly mature voice. “Are you really my Daddy’s father,” she asked Lionel Luthor with her head slightly cocked to one side.

“My god, Lex,” the older Luthor breathed almost too stunned to say much more than that. Lex watched as the older man struggled to pull himself together but not before twin tears rolled down his father’s craggy face.

Savannah stepped closer to wipe away the man’s tears with her small hand.
“Don’t cry Grandpa,” Savannah told him softly as she patted his knee.

Lionel lifted a shaking hand to gently touch the hair of the small girl that stood before him. He breathed in the light childish scent of her as he slowly smoothed the baby fine hair at the child’s temple. Lionel had envisioned many things occurring when he was finally released from prison but this was the one thing that he was not expecting. The child wrapped her baby soft arms around his shoulders and gently squeezed.

“Savannah,” Chloe called to her daughter softly. “Come here honey,” she asked. Savannah slowly released her grandfather to grin at him.

“This is so neat, Mommy. We now have a whole family,” Savannah beamed at Lionel.

“When did you get out,” Chloe asked the elder Luthor in a hard voice.

“This morning,” Lionel stated and then caught the glance that passed between his son and Ms. Sullivan.

He took a moment and studied the young woman. The love that she so obviously had for her child spoke louder than words ever could but Lionel also sensed an underlying current of intimacy between Lex and Chloe. He watched the couple as Chloe told them that she’d take Savannah upstairs to get settled while Lex and his father talked. Lionel also noted the squeeze of hands that Chloe gave Lex. Savannah wrapped her baby arms around Lex’s leg and gave him a squeeze before leaving with her mother.

“Lex, she is beautiful,” Lionel told his son honestly. “I just can’t believe how much she looks like you when you were that age.”

Lex stared hard at his father for a moment and walked to his bar. He grabbed bottle water and gave his father a few minutes to pull himself together.

“Did you have any contact outside of the prison, Dad,” Lex asked him in a cold tone.

“You mean besides my many attempts to contact you,” Lionel asked him with a trace of bitterness.

“Did you,” Lex stared at him with flinty eyes and his temper boiling just under the surface.

Lionel took a deep breath as he watched his son apprehensively. There was something going on and he did not like being left out of the loop. Lionel Luthor had plenty of time to reflect over the last seven years about a great many things, things that mostly concerned his son and their relationship.

“No,” Lionel told him as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. “This is my release information and my probation officer’s number. Please feel free to call them,” Lionel said with a smirk. He smothered the hurt feelings he had in his chest when Lex took the packet from him and did just that. “You don’t believe in my rehabilitation do you,” Lionel asked as he poured himself a scotch.

“I believe in what I know, Dad,” Lex replied coldly. “You tried and nearly succeeded in killing both Chloe and myself. Not to mention you even had your own parents murdered. You manipulated the Kent’s and anyone else that suited you. So you’ll have to forgive me if I am finding your sudden newly found conscious a little difficult to believe,” Lex growled at him. “If you don’t mind me saying if I never laid eyes on you again I would have been perfectly content,” Lex turned to pick up the phone and ignored his father who sat in silence for once.

“No snappy come back, Dad,” Lex asked as he punched in a series of numbers by memory.

“What do you want me to say, Lex? It’s all true. I suppose that I could waste my breath in trying to convince you other wise but what is the point? You were never one who easily changed their mind. I always admired that about you,” Lionel ran a tired hand over his face. “I am not here to upset you, Lex. Irregardless of what you may currently think of my previous actions I…” Lionel paused and swallowed his pride. “I just wanted to see you.”

Lex masked his amazement at his father’s confession in spite of what happened in the past he wanted to hope that maybe his father had a change of heart but he was not willing to put his hopes and desires above Chloe and Savannah’s safety and happiness.

“You are welcome to stay here,” Lex told him. “But let me make something very clear. You will be polite to my daughter and Chloe while you are here. If you do anything to hurt either of them they won’t be able to find enough pieces of you to bury.”

“Are you threatening me,” Lionel asked not shocked by his son’s venom but rather by his rapid defense of the two ladies.

“You taught me a long time ago not to make idle threats so you can take it as a promise,” Lex turned his back on his father and hit send on his phone. He stared out of the huge stained glass window as the phone rang in his ear and listened as his father left the room.

*-*-*-*

Much to Lex and Chloe’s amazement Savannah took to Lionel Luthor like a duck to water. She charmed the elder Luthor into telling stories of her father from his younger days. She was a startling mix of brash forwardness and unwavering fear. Lex was amazed to hear the rusty sounds of his father’s laughter several times during dinner. She informed Lionel that she wasn’t going to a boarding school when the subject was brought up because studies have shown that they could be a detriment to the creative processes of a person.

After dinner they ended up in Lex’s study. Lex was amazed when his father disappeared to pull out several volumes of photo albums. Savannah sprinted off to fetch her scrap album of her father. It was one of the few things that Chloe managed to salvage from the condo. It wasn’t until Savannah carried it over to Lionel to share did Chloe realize that there was genuinely something slightly softer about Lionel.

Savannah was amazed to find pictures of her father with hair. She stared at Lex several times with a hard look.

“Honey, what’s wrong,” Lex finally asked her.

“Where did it go,” she asked as her mother who had followed their conversation gasped in shock.

“Savannah Lillian Sullivan-Luthor,” Chloe gasped at her daughter. “What did I tell you,” she asked her with a frown.

The Luthor men watched as Savannah’s eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled. Then she blinked the moisture away and set her chin at a stubborn slant that was pure Chloe.

“You said not to ask so many questions of someone who didn’t have all their limbs because it is rude,” Savannah told her dutifully before adding, “but I was asking about his hair not his limbs.”

The men caught each other’s expressions as they struggled to stifle their laughter. Lionel was staring up at the ceiling with sudden interest and rubbing his bottom lip with his hand to conceal his smile. Chloe glanced at Lex to find him pressing his lips together but his eyes danced with thinly concealed humor.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Savannah came over to stand by her father’s chair. Lex swallowed his laughter at the site of his daughter’s contrite face.

“Its okay, honey,” he told her as she climbed up into his lap. “You can always ask me anything.” He gave his daughter a hug and smoothed her baby fine hair down. Savannah’s face broke into a wide grin and she planted a wet child’s kiss against the side of his face.

“So where did it go,” she asked him again as her mother threw her hands into the air with a helpless gesture and Lionel roared with laughter. Savannah glanced around at the adults with some confusion. “What,” she asked. “He started it.”

[pipersmum]

Great update Savannah has certainly charmed both of the Luthors I think she has them wrapped around her little finger already!!! Lionel seems to be nice lets hope he stays that way!!!!

I can't wait for more :D

[Goldielocks]

sAVVENAH IS THE CUTEST LITTLE LOTHOR, AW SHE SO CUTE...I AGREE WITH PIPERSMUM, SHE DEF. HAS THEM ALL WRAPPED AROUND HER LITTLE FINGER....SHE'S SUCH A CHARMER

I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE, PLZ UPDATE TOMORROW OR TODAY

[Gaia]

Now we have a cute Luthor...thank heavens! She is just sooooooo sweet. And honest with a child curiousity:D
Next part please

[hfce]

Oh my goodness I love Savannah. She is so cute. Iknew she would charm the pants off Lionel. Lets hope he doesnt ruin his chance to know her. Great update.


Hope :)

[apollo]

oh my, that was so cute. i am loving the way that this story is going

[itsjustXchar]

i LOVE this story!!! if it ends up in the fanfiction graveyard, i'm sueing!! ;-P

[tesila]

great story. i luv how the relationship is progressing realistically.update soon.

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets Ch 8

Author’s Notes: I am so glad that everyone is enjoying this story so far and thank you for all the wonderful responses! I almost didn’t write this piece but I am pleased with the way that it is coming together!

*-*-*

Chloe rolled over and punched her pillow in frustration. The last couple of days passed with a surreal haze. Who would have known that Lionel actually had any parenting skills? He was amazing with Savannah. What had occurred while he was in prison seemed to have change Lionel for the better. He was the model grandfather not only to Savannah but also to Savannah’s best friend Brittney. Chloe’s friends arrived and then there was the hustle and bustle to help them get settled in Smallville. Everything should have been perfect but there was a tension that seemed to exist underneath the surface between her and Lex.

Of course this being Smallville it didn’t take long before Chloe’s old friends showed up. At first they acted pretty much how Chloe expected them to act. Oh, poor Chloe suffering at the devious hands of the evil Luthor manipulations. How could Lex have seduced a teenage girl and so casually cast her aside when she turned up pregnant.

That didn’t bother Chloe nearly as much as when Lana called Savannah a bastard. Lex came home to find Clark trying to wrestle Chloe off of Lana Lang. Chloe had wrapped one hand in her long hair and was systematically bouncing her head off the floor. He reached the warring pair just in time to see Chloe plant a foot in Clark’s groin. Man of steel of not Lex couldn’t help but to feel the young reporter’s pain as he desperately trying to suck air back into his lungs. It took the both of them to wrestle the girls apart. Lex held Chloe against his body with one hand wrapped firmly around her slender waist.

“Get out you self righteous bitch,” Chloe snarled at the stunned pair. She struggled against the hard arm that Lex had wrapped around her waist.

“What did you do Chloe? Whore yourself out to get your next scoop,” Lana snapped back viciously as she wiped the blood from her face. Lex was half tempted to let Chloe go again as she struggled against him.

“That’s enough Lana,” Clark snapped at Lana. He glanced at his friend. Lex could see that the younger man was trying to contain his undisguised hurt. “Chloe, you shouldn’t have gone through this alone,” his eyes flickered to Lex.

“Well, that was my choice wasn’t it, Clark. Believe it or not Lex really didn’t know anything about it. I never told him,” Chloe yelled at him. She gave a harsh bark of laughter at his stunned look. “What was I going to do? Trap Lex into something that neither of us was ready for? God, his fucking father just went to prison you ass or did you forget that he was on the verge of loosing everything? Or maybe I should have lay all my screw ups at your doorstep to fix,” Chloe took a deep breath and stilled her movements against Lex as she struggled to regain control. She could feel Lex behind her. He was tense and wary.

“And what made you come crawling now,” Lana snarled at Chloe. Chloe stiffened her back and lifted her chin.

“Because my daughter needs her father more than I needed to hold on to my pride,” Chloe told her with angry eyes. “And because there is nothing that I wouldn’t do to make her happy.”

“What about you, Chloe? Are you happy,” Clark asked her as he studied her face.

“How I feel is irrelevant, Clark,” Chloe told him. She could feel Lex flinch behind her. “This is far from being an ideal solution. Let’s face it, I was supposed to be writing for the Daily Planet by now but I ended up on a different path. I don’t have the time, desire, or the energy to wallow in my own self pity. I have a child to take care of,” Chloe snapped as she stepped away from the shelter of Lex’s body. Clark saw the shuttered look that rested on Lex’s face.

“Maybe we should talk about this later,” Clark said hesitantly as he caught the look on Lex’s face.

“Why,” Chloe asked him. “After all the years of keeping secrets from the people that we claimed are our friends I refuse to do it again. I have nothing to hide from Lex and I won’t say anything to you that I wouldn’t say to his face.”

Chloe crossed to the wet bar to grab one of the blue bottles of water off the top and glanced at the three people standing before her. Lana still had an angry look on her face but she was no longer struggling against Clark. Clark stood there in silence. His ever expressive eyes held a hint of hurt and frustration. Lex had moved to stand by the fireplace. His face was what concerned Chloe the most. He wore his typical look of aloof detachment but by now Chloe had learned that it was his armor.

“Savannah is happy here, Clark and that is all that I care about,” Chloe told him suddenly feeling very tired. “But you both would do well in remembering one thing,” Chloe told them as Clark led Lana towards the doors.

“What’s that,” Clark asked her as they both glanced back at her.

“There is no animal more dangerous in the world then a pissed off mother,” Chloe told them. Her eyes locked on Lex as the two left.

“I guess the reunion didn’t go well,” Lex asked as he joined her at the bar to pour himself a glass of scotch.

“Actually it went pretty much as I expected it to,” Chloe told him with a shrug. He glanced at her startled.

“Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting to come home and find you locked in a tussle with Ms. Lang,” Lex told her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
Chloe laughed with amusement at his almost comical look of shock that she had caught a glimpse of.

“Oh, Lex, you should have seen the look on your face,” Chloe laughed. “You couldn’t have been more shocked,” Chloe could feel her tension drain away as she leaned weakly against his shoulder chuckling.

Lex waited for the familiar distain that usually accompanied the thought of anyone laughing at him but he was pleasantly pleased to find none forth coming. He glanced down at the tops of his expensive dress shoes and then over at Chloe and her eyes were dancing with good humor. This time the arm that he draped around her was friendly as he gave her an unexpected hug. Chloe closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist a returned the affectionate gesture. She drank in the scent of his cologne and enjoyed the warmth of his body. She felt his shift slightly to wrap his other arm around her waist as he laid his cheek against the top of her head.

“You really don’t need me do you,” he asked her quietly and he drank in her light clean smell of her shampoo.

“Savannah needs you,” Chloe told him softly.

“I know that but you don’t need me,” Lex stated again. Chloe sighed and stepped away from him.

“I don’t know what I need, Lex,” She firmed her chin at the quick look of hurt that passed in his bright blue eyes. “I know that I…” her voice trailed off as she glanced at the stained glass window. “I know that I desire you but I, we can’t afford to let lust get between us.”

“Who’s to say that lust is the only thing that we have,” Lex asked her challengingly.

“What about Savannah? What happens to her if things don’t work out between us,” Chloe wrapped her arms around her waist.

‘Don’t you think that we owe it to her to explore whatever this is between us? Do you think that I’d throw you or her out just because it didn’t work out,” he asked. Chloe sighed and went to sit on the leather couch.

“I’m scared Lex,” She glanced at him then adverted her eyes and ran frustrated hands through her hair.

“Good,” Lex stated as he came to sit next to her on the sofa. “Because I have been terrified everyday since I first laid eyes on you and Savannah.” Chloe glanced at him with shock.

“I told you years ago that I didn’t want to become my father and I certainly don’t want to be the type of parent that he was,” Lex said as he stared down at his tightly clasped hands in front of him. “I have read every book on parenting that I can find but I have had to force myself to take your cues on how to deal with Savannah. Do you think that this has been easy for me,” he asked as he caught the look of shock on Chloe’s face.

“You are amazing with her, Lex,” Chloe reached over to take one of his larger hands.

“And all it would take is one harsh word and I’d end up hurting her,” Lex told her with the remembered pain of his father pointing out his every flaw and failure. “I don’t want to be the one to hurt her and I am scared that I am going to but now I can’t imagine her not in my life,” Lex with drew his hands from Chloe’s gentle grip. “I never wanted anyone having that much control over me but she does have me wrapped around her little finger. I’d give her the stars if she asked for it.”

“Why are you telling me all of this Lex,” Chloe asked him as she struggled against her own shared feelings of fears and insecurities as a parent.

“Because I need you to understand that I have just as much to lose as you do. All the money in the world won’t fix my heart if you decide that we didn’t work and you walked out with her.”

Chloe felt like she had been suddenly dropped in a different dimension. She briefly wondered who this man was and what had he done with the real Lex Luthor. She had a feeling that this was about as emotionally open as Lex had ever been with anyone and for a brief moment she felt honored.

“I don’t know how to do this, Lex,” she told him as she moved to stand in front of him.

“And I do,” he asked her. “I would be easier if I knew that you were only out for the money but you aren’t. So I find myself sharing the same boat and in uncharted waters,” he told her as he smoothed his thumb down the silken curve of her cheek. He lowered his head to taste the sweetness of her lips but one brush was all he had the chance to snatch. The doors of his office were thrown open by a very energetic Savannah.

*-*-*-*-*

In the few days that passed there hadn’t been time to finish the conversation that had been started. Chloe found that she had no time alone with Lex. He’d come home from work sometimes too late to join them for dinner but he always made time to play with Savannah and then he would lock himself in his office working late hours.

Chloe had gotten the impression that he was burning the candle at both ends and it needed to stop. It would be just like Lex to pull away after an emotional confession but he didn’t need to avoid her. His confession did not make him weak in her eyes. If anything it added to the attraction that she was already feeling for him. She rose from her bed and padded barefooted down to his office to find the lights leaking from under the doors.

She opened the doors quietly to find him poring over reports and papers scattered all over his normally neat and tidy desk. His head snapped up to see her standing hesitantly in the doorway. He leaned back and watched her with a cool expression.

“Is there something that you need,” he asked her in a neutral tone. Any person would have been put off by his tone and demeanor but Chloe knew Lex liked to hide behind his armor.

“Yeah there is,” Chloe said as she gently shut the door of his office and crossed the expanse of room. She noted the tight lines around his tired eyes and the tension in the way that he carried his shoulders. She crossed to stand before him and promptly plucked her butt down on the stack of papers that he had organized into neat piles.

“Chloe, it took me hours to sort through those,” Lex told her with frown and a touch of annoyance in his tone.

“Shut up, Luthor,” she said to him with an amused tone. She set one bare foot on the arm of his chair and pushed so that he faced the window. She smoothed the bunched material at his shoulders and began to message the tight muscles that she found there. She worked over the tense muscles with sure strong hands until she felt his start to relax.

“You are going to work yourself into a heart attack by the time you’re 35 if you don’t slow down, Lex,” She told him quietly as he grunted a response. “Have you eaten,” she asked him.

“I don’t need you to mother me, Chloe,” Lex snapped as she felt him stiffen up.

“No, you don’t, Luthor,” Chloe snapped back at him as she spun his chair back around and leaned in. “You need someone to knock you off your damned high horse, Lex. I am concerned about you,” she stared at him. Her eyes were angry until she stared into his tired eyes and leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead.

She cocked her head at him with a smile and said, “How are you supposed to amass your daughter’s billions if you are too tired to think?” He raised an eyebrow at her bold physical touch. In the time that they had found each other again Chloe never made an overture to touch him. She smoothed a hand down the side of his face.

“Come to bed, Lex,” she urged him and took his hand and gently tugged.
He rose on suddenly weary legs and followed her to his room. He sat down tiredly on the side of his bed and toed off his shoes. She randomly started looking through the drawers of his dresser until she came across his pajama bottoms. He peeled off his shirt with a sure movement. She urged him into his bathroom with a slight push as she picked up his shoes to return them to his closet.

A steaming hot shower had left him feeling a little bit better and by the time that he returned she had pulled back the sheets of his bed and put away his discarded clothes. There was a plate with a sandwich and a glass of milk on his night stand. Chloe was sitting on the bed with a few pillows behind her back flipping through a few television stations.

“What is this,” he asked as he peered suspiciously at the sandwich.

“It’s your daughter’s favorite,” Chloe assured him. “Peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich. Hey, don’t knock it until you have tried it. I craved that sandwich the entire time I was carrying her. It was about the only thing that I could keep down,” Chloe told him with a laugh.

She watched as Lex took a tentative bite. It was different from what Lex was used to but good none the less and he polished off the sandwich and the glass of milk. He settled into bed and felt relaxed for the first time in days. They sat in companionable silence until Chloe started to get up. Lex glanced over at her and smiled.

“You know you could sleepover,” he smiled remembering his daughter’s lessons in sleepover etiquette. He watched as Chloe hesitated. “Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen, Chloe,” Lex assured her.

“That’s just it, Lex,” Chloe shook her head. “There is a lot that I want to happen,” she glanced at him with the dim light of the television casting muted shadows across his face. “But I think that you need some sleep more,” she finished with a smile. He took her and tugged her to his side of the bed until she sprawled out across his chest.

“Stay with me,” he whispered against her lips. His lips held the familiar softness of the other day as he grazed them against her mouth.

Chloe opened her lips slightly in invitation as she invaded his mouth with her tongue. Chloe was bombarded with the sensation of coming home. It was in his kiss that she found what had been lacking in every man’s kiss since that night here in the house. She groaned against his mouth as his hands traced a mindless pattern across her back and shoulders. She suddenly found herself lying on her back as Lex rolled her over.

“You are so beautiful,” he breathed as he smoothed the hair back from her face. He bent his head to kiss her again and Chloe felt herself go up in flames. His hands began a lazy exploration of her body.
“Lex, please,” she gasped as she pulled her mouth away fr
om him.
She shifted restlessly beneath him craving the touch of his skin. He didn’t pay any attention to her as he was busy nibbling the sensitive skin of her shoulder. Chloe could feel goose bumps breaking out across her skin. It felt like every nerve in her body between her breasts and groin suddenly came alive. His unhurried explorations were driving her mad.

She wasn’t aware of where her night gown went to as he nuzzled her bare breasts. Ruthlessly he worked each one until she could feel each tug of his mouth in her stomach. Her hands franticly clutched at his body as she in turned applied lips, tongue and teeth to whatever was in reach. She could feel herself explode as he finally slid a finger against her throbbing clef. Her body tightened and clenched as he stroked her wet heat and he swallowed her cries of pleasure as she gasped for air.

He rolled away briefly to fumble with the condom that he had pulled from his nightstand until Chloe reached around from behind him to gently take him in her hand. She tasted the salty smooth skin of his shoulders as she stroked and smoothed the condom over him. His hands held hers harshly to stop her steady movements as she felt him taking in deep breaths fighting to control his own excitement.

She maneuvered around so that she straddled his lap to slowly take him into her depths. She gasped in pleasure with her head thrown back as she eased her self down on his hardness. His hands grasped her hips with a punishing grip as he resisted the urge to thrust his way into her tight, demanding, body. Chloe opened her eyes to find Lex staring at her. She smooth her hands across his bare shoulders and kept her eyes locked oh his as she felt herself climbing to crest again.

Lex had never seen anything so erotic as Chloe sharing her pleasure with him. Her face flushed and her hips rising and falling with a rapid speed as he felt her inner muscles begin to tighten around him until she had spasm with the strength of her release. It was everything that he could do to contain his own pleasure as he flipped her on her back to drive himself into her silken depths. She never stopped pulsating around him as she mindlessly clawed at his back until his own release escaped. With a harsh groan he finally gave up the fight.

Lex fought against the boneless relaxation that he felt as he listened to their heart beats slow their frantic pace. She feathered kisses against the side of his neck and smoothed her hand across the back of his head. He slowly moved away to dispose of the condom and curled his self against Chloe’s warm body to sleep.

[itsjustXchar]

that was sooooooo adorable!! keep up the amahhhzing work!!

[pipersmum]

That didn’t bother Chloe nearly as much as when Lana called Savannah a bastard. Lex came home to find Clark trying to wrestle Chloe off of Lana Lang. Chloe had wrapped one hand in her long hair and was systematically bouncing her head off the floor. He reached the warring pair just in time to see Chloe plant a foot in Clark’s groin. Man of steel of not Lex couldn’t help but to feel the young reporter’s pain as he desperately trying to suck air back into his lungs. It took the both of them to wrestle the girls apart. Lex held Chloe against his body with one hand wrapped firmly around her slender waist.

“Get out you self righteous bitch,” Chloe snarled at the stunned pair. She struggled against the hard arm that Lex had wrapped around her waist.

“What did you do Chloe? Whore yourself out to get your next scoop,” Lana snapped back viciously as she wiped the blood from her face. Lex was half tempted to let Chloe go again as she struggled against him.

This part had me in stitches excellent I just picture Chloe attacking Lana :D

Great update and Loved Lex asking Chloe to sleepover ;) I can't wait to read more.

[persephone47]

Wow, great chapter, I can't wait for the next update, the Savanna scenes are wonderful.

[cwong]

brill...

[hfce]

That was just brillant. This story gets better and better. I hope this is a new beginning for Chloe and Lex. The smut was great. :D


Hope :)

[lj715]

I just caught up with this story. How could I have missed this, it's unbelieveable. Love how Savannah has Lionel & Lex in the palm of her hand. Ch8 smut was so good. Can't wait to read more.

[Gaia]

That didn’t bother Chloe nearly as much as when Lana called Savannah a bastard. Lex came home to find Clark trying to wrestle Chloe off of Lana Lang. Chloe had wrapped one hand in her long hair and was systematically bouncing her head off the floor. He reached the warring pair just in time to see Chloe plant a foot in Clark’s groin. Man of steel of not Lex couldn’t help but to feel the young reporter’s pain as he desperately trying to suck air back into his lungs. It took the both of them to wrestle the girls apart. Lex held Chloe against his body with one hand wrapped firmly around her slender waist.

“Get out you self righteous bitch,” Chloe snarled at the stunned pair. She struggled against the hard arm that Lex had wrapped around her waist. .

Go Chloe Go Chloe Go Chloe. She soooooo deserved it:)

[Goldielocks]

That Was Amazing

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets Ch 9

The insistent ringing of the phone jerked Chloe out of her deep sleep. She opened her eyes feeling slightly disorientated as she glanced around the unfamiliar room. She heard Lex’s quiet murmur’s come from the other side of the room as she leaned up on one elbow and shoved her mass of sleep tumbled hair out of her face. She was unsettled by the fierce look upon his face as he hung up the phone.

“Lex,” she called to him quietly as she pulled the sheets higher across her bare breasts. She watched with a heavy heart as his smooth mask fell back into place and for a moment she was chilled.

“Hey, I have to go,” he told her as he sat on the edge of the bed and traced her passion swollen lips.

“What is going on,” Chloe asked as she sat up and tucked the sheets tighter around her.

“Please keep Savannah at home today,” Lex asked as he glanced away his voice tight.

“Fine, but tell me what’s going on,” Chloe demanded as she jerked away from his light caress.

“I,” Lex paused and study her face for a moment. “Why do I get the feeling that you won’t be content until you know everything?”

“Does it involve this family,” Chloe asked with a hard look in her eyes. “Just remember before you answer that Mr. Luthor, in my mind that includes anything that involves Didi’s family, and you fall under that umbrella. I maybe a little rusty as an investigator but I’ll get to the bottom of things,” she slid off the side of the bed as she muttered half under her breath, “one way or another.”

Lex let out a frustrated breath of air at her hard eyed glare. He hated it when she referred to him as Mr. Luthor. It usually meant that her defenses were up and she was ready for a fight.

“Why can you just let me handle things,” Lex asked her as he tried to side step the question. He watched as she pulled the sheets free of the bed and stepped around to face him. They had fallen asleep after making love with the TV on. The dim light cast dancing shadows on her features as she knelt in front of him.

“I don’t need a knight in shining armor Lex. I never have. I leave that to girls like Lana,” she reached out and smoothed a tender hand down the side of his face. “What I need is a partner. It has to be an equal partnership or nothing at all.”

“There was a break in at the elementary school,” Lex told her as the blood drained from Chloe’s face. He grabbed her icy fingers in his warm grasp. “I am going to go down there and see what I can find out but I want you to call Didi and tell her to take the day off and come for a visit and to bring Brittney,” he dragged her into his lap. “But stay here until I get back.”

“So you think that this may have something to do with down south,” Chloe asked him as her frozen mind started the wheels turning.

“I don’t know but I am not willing to risk Savannah are you,” Lex asked her and then smirked at her icy glare. “I didn’t think so,” he said as he kissed her soundly and sat her on the bed.

*-*-*-*

A quick shower and Chloe felt a little more in control as she strolled down to the kitchen to find Lionel and Savannah eating breakfast. Lionel argued about using to ostentatious formal dinning room but Chloe quickly vetoed that idea by insisting that Savannah didn’t need so many new changes in her life but she conceded to using the dining room for dinners.

“Savannah, Brit is coming over today, why don’t you get some movies together and make sure that your room is tidy,” Chloe said as she kissed the top of her daughters head.

“We have school today,” Savannah told her as she slurped down her milk from the side of her bowl.

“Nope, no school today,” Chloe informed her and wiped her chin free of the few drops of milk that she had missed.” We’re playing hooky today.”

Chloe watched as Lionel laid the paper that he’d been reading to one side. Chloe couldn’t help but to smile at Savannah excitement as she charged out of the kitchen. Since Lionel moved back into the house, they have walked on eggshells around each other. They occasionally traded barbs that usually made Lex cringe when he heard about them but they were careful not to do it in front of Savannah. Lionel waited until Savannah was out of the room before turning his eagle sharp eyes to the mother of his granddaughter.

“Chloe is everything alright,” he asked as he studied her jerk movements and noted the pallor to her face.

Chloe sighed over her coffee cup as she studied the man sitting at the breakfast table. Lex had decided that the least that Lionel knew the better but nothing that they had been able to dig up so far even barely pointed a finger in Lionel’s direction.

“You know I have to thank you, Lionel,” Chloe said as she smeared strawberry jam on her toast. She noted his slight start at her surprising statement.

“For what,” he asked in a wary tone.

“Well, if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t have Savannah would we,” she asked him. Chloe held up a hand as he started to reply. “It wasn’t a start to an argument it was just a statement of fact. All of the pain that we have gone through has led us into having that kid in our lives, hasn’t it?”

He nodded his agreement wondering where Chloe was going with this.

“So you’re saying that you would have never been charmed by Lex,” he asked her delicately.

“No, I wouldn’t have,” Chloe told him honesty. “He was an arrogant, manipulative, stuck up, little rich boy with whom I had nothing in common with except our shared friendship with Clark Kent. I don’t think that either of us was even remotely on each other’s radar,” Chloe told him with a laugh.

“Do you have a point,” Lionel asked as he took a sip of his coffee watching Chloe with hooded eyes.

“Savannah maybe in danger,” Chloe told him bluntly as she checked the hallway for Savannah.

“What do you mean,” Lionel snapped as he leaned forward his body language suddenly vibrated with intensity.

Chloe told Lionel everything that had occurred in the south and then finished with news of the early morning break in at the elementary school. Chloe was taken a little back by the trembling rage that coursed through the elder Luthor.

“And you and Lex didn’t see fit to tell me any of this until now,” he asked his anger apparent in his voice.

“We didn’t tell you because we had hoped that there would be nothing to tell you,” Chloe said. “Now I am not so sure that this whole thing is aimed at Lex or me.”

“Do you think that this might have something to do with your journalism,” Lionel asked her in a cold tone.

“No,” Chloe stated. “I haven’t written an article since the Torch.” She noted his look of surprise.

“Why,” he asked. Chloe spotted something underneath his elbow that caused her to stare wide eyed at Lionel.

“What’s that,” she asked as she pointed to the book partially covered by his elbow.

“This,” Lionel said as he dragged the book out as he gave a slight smile. “I discovered this writer during my hiatus,” He told her.

“Oh,” Chloe asked casually as she took the book from Lionel to examine. “Do you like it,” she asked as she turned the book over to read the inside book cover.

“I think that the third book was the best but it is a great read. I find the author’s insight to the business world and its pitfalls to be fresh and exciting,” Lionel said as he took the book back from Chloe.

“She has another one coming out in the fall you know,” Chloe told him.

“What makes you think that the write is female,” Lionel asked her with a frown as he glanced down at the initials C.E. Boyd.

“Because Boyd was my grandmother’s maiden name,” Chloe informed him and laughed with delight at his look of shock. “Chloe Elizabeth Boyd at your service,” Chloe laughed at his look of surprise. “Lionel, even in high school you said that I had talent,” Chloe grinned at him impishly. “Are you going to take that back now?”

“Well, of course not,” he laid the book down with a slight frown. He glanced into Chloe’s face and saw his granddaughter’s pixie smile reflected there. “So I take it that you have done rather well for yourself.”

“At first no, we lived with my father while he was alive and I wrote those first two books as fast as I could,” Chloe smiled at her memories of her early days trying to take care of Savannah and working a full time job to help her dad out. They had finally decided that it would be cheaper for Chloe to stay at home with the baby rather then trying to find suitable daycare.

“Towards the end of the second book Dad came home with a really bad cold,” Chloe told Lionel with remembered pain in her eyes. “It had turned into pneumonia and he died four days later.”

Lionel reached out a hesitant hand before laying it on her arm. “Chloe, I am sorry for your loss. Gabe was a good man,” Lionel told her softly.

Chloe snapped her head up with surprise. Her tears wet on her face. Lionel wiped a hand across his own face before releasing Chloe.

“There were many things that I had come to regret during my incarceration, my treatment of your father being the one of the biggest,” Lionel finished with a husky voice. “I am an old man, Chloe, and I find that I am quickly running out of people that I need to make amends to before passing on.”

Chloe gave him a watery smile as she took Lionel’s offered napkin to wipe her tears.

“Dad’s life insurance took care of the funeral and I took what was left and pointed the car west and ended up in a little town in Florida,” Chloe told him.
“I took the advance on my next book and invested in LuthorCorp ventures,” Chloe told him with a shrug. “Lex has the Midas touch and with my contacts at the daily Planet I managed to make some pocket change. Of course the books just kept flying off the shelves. So that’s how I could afford a condo in Florida,” she asked with a smirk.

Lionel could only stare at the young woman in shock and admiration. “So you never needed the things that Lex could ‘provide’ for her,” he asked her with wonder.

“Well, I don’t have the ‘deep’ pockets of a Luthor,” Chloe mimicked his emphasis on deep. “We wouldn’t starve. Besides Savannah needed her father, so when he showed up on my doorstep I knew that it was time for a new phase in our lives.”

“You have been very careful to keep your personal life out of the spotlight,” Lionel stated as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then glanced at Chloe with a narrowed gaze. “You understand that Lex is going to be furious because you kept this from him.”

“Well, maybe at first but truthfully we haven’t really talked about it,” Chloe told him. “He’s never asked how I have supported myself all these years so I never had the need to tell him.”

“So you don’t think that I have had anything to do with what’s going on,” he asked her in a cool tone as he switched gears.

“Oh, cut the crap Lionel,” Chloe snapped at him all traces of her good humor gone. “You could have taken your revenge when I cashed in Dad’s life insurance policy but you didn’t. Savannah holds no threat to you and if you wanted retribution I think that you would have taken it by now. I’d really like to think that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt her,” Chloe told him. “I need you to watch her back Lionel. I trust you to take care of your family.”

Lionel reached across the breakfast table to take her hand.
“Thank you,” he said warmly.

*-*-*-*

When Didi arrived and they had gotten the children settled in the playroom Chloe found that she reached a whole different plan of embarrassment when it came to her friend. With the girls safely playing in the next room Didi did not hesitate in sharpening her claws on Lionel.

“So this is the magnificent bastard,” she asked Chloe as she cocked her head and studied the elder Luthor with a teasing smile.

“Excuse me,” he replied with shock as he paused in mid- pour of his coffee.

“I am sorry, Lionel,” Chloe said as she glared at her best friend. “Her tourettes syndrome occasionally flares up and she is helpless to stop the words pouring out of her mouth,” Chloe told him ruefully. Didi threw back her head with a hearty laugh. Lionel laughed at Chloe’s thinly veiled unease as he took a seat next to Didi.

“Well, there was once a certain little blonde amongst our mists that used to suffer from the same problem,” he said as he leaned over to pat Chloe on the knee.

“I may have suffered from it but I certainly didn’t enjoy it unlike some people,” Chloe mumbled under her breath.

“So I got the title ‘Magnificent Bastard’ did I,” Lionel grinned at Didi and the two of them seemed to enjoy take shots at each other.

Chloe spent the rest of the day trying to referee the two of them and hoping that neither of them drew blood. Periodically Chloe would excuse her self and try to reach Lex at his office but was always told that he was busy with one conference or another. Chloe finally stormed his private office to see if she could find the number to his cell phone.

She paused in shock as she found Lex with mountains of paper work on his desk and a beautiful brunette that was standing so close that Chloe was sure that Lex could feel the heat of the woman’s body as she was leaning over the arm of Lex’s chair reviewing some of the paper work on his desk. Suddenly Chloe realized where she had seen this woman before. She had been in a few of the newspaper articles that often featured Lex at charity events and balls.

Lex shifted slightly uneasy in his chair. He watched as several emotions passed through Chloe’s face and he wore a slight frown trying to figure out what had caused her anger this time.

“That will be all Maggie we’ll pick this up tomorrow,” Lex told his assistant.

Chloe watched as Maggie picked up a few remaining folders and packed them away in her briefcase.

“Hi, I’m Maggie Charles,” the slightly older woman said to Chloe as she stopped next to her and extended a hand.

“Chloe Sullivan,” Chloe replied as she hesitantly shook the woman’s hand. The woman gasped and glanced at Lex with wide eyes and a pale face.

“Oh Lex,” she cried helplessly. “Ms. Sullivan had called for you several times today,” she turned to Chloe. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize that you were,” the woman paused and glanced at Lex, “friends with Mr. Luthor.” Something about this woman set Chloe’s teeth on edge. While her tone was polite there was the undercurrent of something that was vaguely implied as something dirty.

“Well, I am certainly surprised to find you home, Lex,” Chloe said as she glanced between the two. Chloe fought against the warmth in her cheeks as she silently drew the line in the sand and laid her claim.

“It’s okay Maggie,” Lex assured her. “Next time just make sure that you put all of Ms. Sullivan’s call through.” Maggie smiled and walked briskly from the room.

“I have been slowly going out of my mind with worry and you’ve been sitting here all day working,” Chloe snarled at him as she approached his desk.

“You were busy with company and I wasn’t sure how to drag you away from my father without arousing his suspicions,” Lex told her as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Chloe watched his familiar gesture of a stress induced headache and she crossed to get him bottled water and some pain relievers.

“I told you father about it this morning,” she told him as she handed him the medication and the water. Lex paused slightly before taking her offerings.

“Why did you do that,” he asked her in a frigid voice. Chloe watched as he took the medicine and drank down the water.

“Because we’re idiots,” she told Lex bluntly. “You father spends a lot of time with Savannah and he needs to know that there is something going on so that he can protect her better.”

“I am still investigating any involvement that he may have in this,” Lex growled at her.

“Bull, Lex,” Chloe snapped back at him. “Don’t you dare use Savannah in your little power struggle game, damn it. After all this time we haven’t found one solitary concrete piece of evidence to point at your father.”

“Have you forgotten that he is a master stagiest,” Lex roared at her. “How long did it take for us to gather information the last time?” Chloe felt her eyes narrow as Lex yelled at her.

“If you recall I had some evidence and so did you. It was only when we put together all the pieces did we get him,” she took a calming breath and crossed to stand in front of him. “And if you think that I am going to let you stand here and yell at me like one of your flunkies then you have another thing coming, Mr. Luthor. You don’t scare me or intimidate me so you’re wasting your breath.” She smirked until she noticed that his wide eyed shock was focused past her shoulder. Chloe whirled to see Lionel and Didi watching the two of them argue and felt her self blush.

“I always wondered what the coming apocalypse would sound like,” Didi said to Lionel in a stage whisper.

“It’s refreshing to see my son beating his head against a brick wall,” Lionel replied back.

“Oh, don’t mind us,” Didi said as they stepped into the room and closed the door. “We’re here for the fireworks.”

“Indeed,” Lionel said as he sat down in one of the leather chairs that flanked the massive fireplace. “I was particularly enjoying to flunky comment,” Lionel said with a smirk.

“No sense in encouraging them,” Didi drawled out and slapped playfully at his arm. “Another few minutes and they would have either shaken the foundation or had gotten loud enough for the kids to hear,” Didi said in reproach and even Lex had the grace to flush as he got his temper back under wraps.
“Well there is no sense in repeating your self three times, Lex,” Didi told him. “We’re all here now; ya might as well spill the beans.”

[pipersmum]

Great another update already :D The scene with Lionel and Chloe was very touching you have written Lionel really well and likeable!

Chloe is going to have trouble with Lex's assistant Maggie I can see that coming a mile away :wth: Chloe should sharpen her claws! LOL

Loving this story I really want to know who is behind all the attacks, so please update again soon :D

[hfce]

That was wonderful I love the interactions with all the adults. Chloe marking her territory aww how cute. LOL!! I can't wait to see what happens next.


Hope :)

[persephone47]

Yes, spill the beans we ALL want to know. In other words update soon.

[Goldielocks]

Awesome Ud As Always

[Gaia]

As good as always. And so Chloe is a writer....a well-off writer:D You go girl:)

[lj715]

Great update. I'm glad Chloe told Lionel about what's been going on & I love the way Lionel & Didi get along.

Maggie has got to go ! If she gives Chloe any problems , I think Chloe should give her the same treatment as Lana.

Glad that Chloe is a writer. I wonder if Lex will be upset because she didn't tell him this?

Can't wait for the next chapter.

[itsjustXchar]

i just read that chloe/lana fight AGAIN and im stilling laughing at the mental pictures!! great update by the way!!

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 10

Lex glanced at the expectant faces of the adults sitting in front of him. He pushed back his frustrated feelings that had been boiling under the surface since he walked out of the bedroom this morning. Arguments with Chloe always gave him disturbed feelings, even when she was a schoolgirl. She was never afraid to match wits with him and while he found it refreshing he also felt unbalanced by it.

“The children’s classroom was broken into and vandalized,” Lex told them as he watched Didi and Chloe glance at each other. Lionel stared down at the space between his shoes and didn’t make a comment.

“How bad was it,” Chloe asked in a soft voice. Lex glanced way and then looked at the two women before him.

“Who ever did it killed the classroom rabbits and the security guard that I hired for extra security is in a coma,” Lex watched as the blood drained from the faces of both of their faces.

“The strangest part is that,” Lex told them as he crossed to sit tiredly next to Chloe and absently started rubbing her between her shoulder blades. “They didn’t find any signs of trauma so we are waiting to see what the blood test result in but it doesn’t look good for him.”

“There was writing on the walls again wasn’t there,” Chloe asked him with steel in her voice. Lex nodded his head.

“Do you think that there is a chance that the guard would recognize his attacker if he wakes up,” Lionel finally spoke up.

“Are you worried,” Lex asked in a rather nasty tone that left everyone staring wide eyed at him.

“Don’t make a bigger ass of yourself then you already are,” Didi snapped at him with annoyance. “I bet the old man can’t fart without you knowing about it.”

“Leave your husband and marry me,” Lionel teased her as he patted her knee to comfort the hot tempered southern woman.

“Sure, except you’re about as real as a pair of perky tits on a fifty year old woman,” Didi snapped at him without any real heat as Lionel threw back his head and roared with laughter.

“If I was ten years younger and you were single I’d give you a run for your money, young lady,” Lionel laughed with the ease of teasing a friend.

“There still wouldn’t be enough Viagra in the world for you to keep up with me old man,” Didi smirked at him.

Lex stared at his father with shock and wonder. He glanced at Chloe to see her rolling her eyes at the pair.

“They have been like this all day,” she shrugged at him as she watched their antics with a shake of her head.

The adults turned their heads to see Savannah and Brittney enter the room. Brittney bounded over to Didi to snuggle against her mother for a moment. Chloe watched as Savannah approached at a much slower pace. Chloe immediately stood up and approached her daughter, her every sense was on alert.

“Savannah, baby what’s wrong,” Chloe asked as she took in her daughter’s pale face and the twin spots of color on her wan cheeks.

“I feel funny, Mommy,” and Chloe’s eyes widened in horror as her daughter slid boneless against her. Chloe was alarmed at the amount of heat that her daughter’s body was giving off.

“Savannah,” Chloe gave her a slight shake trying to wake her up. “Lex,” Chloe couldn’t keep the panic from her voice as she turned to him. “God, Lex she is burning up.”

Chloe was joined by the adults as Lex laid his large palm against his daughter’s head. Chloe watched his lips tighten as he checked her pulse.

“Get the car, Dad,” Lex barked. “Didi, I need you to call the hospital and let them know that we are coming in.” Lex strolled to the wet bar and snatched one of the clean towels kept there and he soaked the towel in cool tap water. Chloe blinked away her tears as she smoothed her baby’s hair back from her face and murmured lovingly to her. The others scurried off to carry out Lex’s tense orders.

“We need to get her temperature down,” he explained as he laid the cold towel under Savannah’s shirt. “Can you carry her or would you like me to,” he asked. Chloe was strangely comforted by the fear that she saw in his eyes because it mirrored her own.

“I’ve got her,” Chloe told him as she rushed to follow him towards the front door. “You had better still have a freaking love for them damn fast cars.”

*-*-*-*-*

The trip only took a few minutes but it felt like hours to Chloe. When they arrived at the emergency room doors Chloe could have sobbed with relief as she saw the staff waiting as they pulled up. Didi may be new to Smallville but it was evident she knew what name to use to get people to jump.

Together Chloe and Lex followed the emergency room staff until they were stopped from following by one of the nurses.

“Please Mr. Luthor, we need to give the doctors room to work and we need to get her medical history down,” the nurse told them in a calm and serene manner that cut through their joined terror and snapped the both of them to the present.

“Okay,” Chloe said as she tried to regain control over her emotions. “Okay, give us just a moment,” she took a deep breath and glanced at Lex to find him displaying his usual trade mark cool but she noticed how bad his hand trembled when he reached out to wipe it over his face.

“Go Lex,” Chloe gently shoved him towards the outside emergency room doors. Lex frowned and was prepared to snarl at her but was cut off when she shoved him a little firmer. “Go call your team of specialist, doctors, god, and whoever else we need. Get their asses down here freaking pronto,” Chloe told him as the nurse lead her towards the nurse’s station and began to fill out the necessary paperwork. When Chloe felt a hand squeeze her shoulder she was surprised to find Lionel and Didi standing there.

“Does your daughter have any allergies,” the nurse asked.

“No,” Chloe grasped Lionel Luthor’s hand in a death grip as they stood together. “She has never been sick a day in her life until now,” Chloe choked as she fought against the tide of tears that threatened to over whelm her and found the strength to swallow back her tears.

“She is going to be fine, Chloe,” Lionel tried to reassure her. “She’s strong. After all she is a Luthor.” Chloe smiled weakly at him.

“She’s stubborn,” Chloe told him. “She’s a Sullivan.”

“Such formidable traits for anyone to deal with,” Lionel smiled at her. As he led her to the waiting room chairs. “So my granddaughter never suffered from any sort of illnesses,” he asked as he sat her down.

Chloe had a slight frown on her face as she thought back. “Isn’t that strange, when Brittney caught the chicken pox last year we keep the girls together hoping that Savannah would catch it so that we could kill two birds with one stone but she never caught it. She has never had so much as a cold,” Chloe said with wonder. “I always chalked it up to healthy Luthor genes.” Her eye caught sight of Lex pacing in front of the emergency room doors where he was obviously calling in the cavalry and trying to keep an eye out for the doctor.

“Chloe can you remember anyone strange being at or around the house over the last couple of days,” Lionel asked her. Chloe thought about it for a few minutes and shook her head.

“No one except Maggie, Lex’s assistant,” Chloe said with an angry tone. She glanced out at Lex and missed the exchanged look that passed between Lionel and Didi.

*-*-*-*

The minutes passed like hours. Lex rejoined them to sit on the chair that Lionel vacated to make room for him.

“Where’s Brittney,” Chloe asked Didi when the silence became too much.

“With Darren,” Didi reassured her. “She’s fine.”

They watched as the doctors and nurses bustled around the emergency room waiting area. Chloe could feel herself flinch every time she heard the sounds of a monitor. It was only when her nerves could no longer take the strain of waiting did she see a doctor approaching them. She stood to meet the Doctor half way. She knew that Lex had come to stand next to her. She could feel him rest one hand against the small of her back as they waited for the doctor to speak.

“Mr. and Mrs. Luthor, your daughter is resting comfortably for the moment,” the doctor told them and Chloe sagged weakly against Lex, some of her tension draining away. “Her fever is still extremely high but I have to admit I have never seen anything like her initial blood work,” the doctor informed them as he led them to a private waiting room. “Her white blood cell count is unusually high which I think is helping but in order for the cells to be that high there would have to be a massive infection and there is none present.”

“What does that mean,” Lionel snapped as the Doctor visible flinched at the frigid tone of Lionel Luthor.

“It means that Savannah is fighting against an infection that we haven’t seen before,” the doctor told them in a shaky voice. Chloe watched as the doctor cleared his throat before continuing. “Has she been sick lately,” the doctor asked her.

“No,” Chloe told him as she glanced at Lex. “She has never been sick a day in her life.”

The doctor looked slightly confused. “I wanted to know why she had been prescribed penicillin.” Chloe watched as the blood drained completely from Lex’s face and for a second she thought that he might collapse.

“She’s never been prescribed penicillin,” Chloe told him as she watched Lex with confusion. “I don’t think that we even have any in the house. I’m allergic to the stuff.”

“Well, we are still running test but it appears as if her blood is fighting against the penicillin that is in her system. The only thing that we can do at this point is play the waiting game to see if her body can fight it off on her own,” the doctor told them as he moved towards the door. “She is being moved to a private room and I’ll have a nurse show you where that is in just a few minutes.”

Before Chloe could question Lex a nurse appeared at the doorway and asked them to follow her. Chloe could feel her tears hover to the surface as she struggled to keep them from falling. Her daughter looked so tiny lying motionless in the hospital bed. Various monitors and tubes connected her to the machines that recorded her vital signs.

Lex slowly approached Savannah’s bedside and took one of her tiny hands in his much larger one. Savannah’s eyes fluttered and opened her dulled gaze settled on her father. Lex could feel himself tremble at her look of complete trust.

“Daddy,” she called to him as he leaned over to brush his lips against her hot forehead.

“I’m here, baby,” he softly told her. “You just hurry up and get better,” Lex told her as her eyes drifted close.

Lex closed his eyes against the rage and pain that pounded in his veins. Chloe watched as a solitary tear leaked from the corner of his eye. Before she could touch him his eyes snapped open and Chloe was terrified of the rage that was contained there before his smooth mask fell into place.

“What is her blood type, Chloe,” he asked as he leaned over and kissed his daughter’s forehead again.

“AB positive, why are you asking, Lex,” she asked as she watched him snatch Savannah’s chart from the foot of her bed and quickly scan the chart.
“Did you have to deal with an Rh factor while you were pregnant,” he asked her in a cold tone.

“Yes, but her doctor took care of it while I carried her,” Chloe told him. “Damn it Lex what the hell is going on,” Chloe snarled at him.

“Over the last year we have been developing a new antibiotic. Hydrocillin, was supposed to be break through drug for people that are allergic to penicillin. Water based soluble that is both cost effective to both the manufactures and patients,” Lex told them as he returned Savannah’s chart to the foot of her bed and crossed to where Chloe was standing. “We ran into a problem with it,” he continued. “It was proven to be ineffective on certain blood types. Instead of strengthening and boosting white cells it mutated and causes the blood cells to turn on each other in AB positive blood types with a rare Rh factor,” Lex told them. “I’ll be back. I need to go check on something’s at LuthorCorp,” he told them.

“This is not your fault, Lex,” Chloe told him as she grabbed his arm. His eyes flickered towards the bed.

“Tell that to her,” he said as he brushed past her.

[hfce]

Oh no it was going so well. I hope Savannah is going to be ok. Please don't let anything happen to her. :beg:

Hope :(

[Goldielocks]

i hope savannah get's better and lex not beatin him self to much for this little factor...the ud was great

please update soon

[lj715]

Omg, poor Savannah. I can't believe you left it there, I was really getting into it . So, I've been trying to think of who could be doing this? Who could've slipped her the Hydrocillin? Could it be Maggie? Or, maybe someone who is known to everyone. Maybe Darren? I don't know. Hope you'll update very soon.

[pipersmum]

Oh no poor Savannah is ill I hope she gets better!!! Loved the banter between Didi and Lionel :P

Now poor Lex feels responsible I hope he sorts out exactly what happened and if Maggie was behind it!!

Please update agin soon.

[teb85]

Poor Savannah. I wonder who is responcible? I loved the scenes with Lionel and Didi very funny !! Please come back and update soon !!

[persephone47]

Great job, I can't wait for the next update, I hope Savanaha will be okay...

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 11

Disclaimer: I am not making any money from the use of this Nine Inch Nails Song. It was simply the inspiration for this chapter.


Burn
By Nine Inch Nails

This world rejects me
This world threw me away
This world never gave me a chance
This world gonna have to pay

Lex stifled his feelings of despair and focused on his burning rage as he drove. His rage and pain were the only things that kept him from being ripped apart. Once again he was left feeling helpless against his fight against the world. He tried to focus on what Chloe had told him in the hospital. “This is not your fault, Lex.” He fought against the useless feelings of helplessness. If his suspicion proved to be true then someone was going to burn. He’d happily throw the match on the pyre of their existence and watch them burn.


Well I don't believe in your institutions
I did what you wanted me to
And like the cancer in your system
I've got a little surprise for you

He parted the crowds of people that always seemed to be bustling in and out of the busy LuthorCorp building by the strength of his anger. Any other day Lex would have enjoyed the constant rhythm and flow of people as they moved through their busy day but it wasn’t the case of this evening. People scurried out of his way with just one blazing look of his burning blue eyes.

“I want the head of security in my office in 10 minutes,” he barked at the startled young guard who had been chatting up a woman at the security desk.

“I believe that he has left for the day,” the guard told Lex as his eyes drifted back towards the young woman standing before him. Lex felt his lips twist into a bitter smile.

“I don’t care if he is in the Congo,” Lex bit out in an artic tone. “I want his ass in my fucking office in ten minutes.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Luthor,” the young man stammered out. He was taken aback by the angry tone of his employer. He’d watched Lex Luthor stroll through the doors of LuthorCorp for a few months but this was the first time that Lex had ever been so cold or abrupt.


Something inside of me
has opened up its eyes
Why did you put it there?
Did you not realize?
This thing inside of me
It screams the loudest sound
Sometimes I think I could

Burn

Lex focused his eyes on the woman who had paled at her employer’s rage. She was slowly gathering up her things while keeping one eye on Lex as if he had suddenly grown horns and a forked tail.

“What do you do here,” he snapped at her as his gaze raked over her slightly rumpled appearance.

“I work in the file room,” she stammered out hesitantly as she felt the palms of her hands break out into a sweat. Lex nodded at her.

“Follow me,” he growled as he turned away and headed for the bank of elevators that led up to his offices. He never glanced back but rather moved forward with determined strides. She was left to scuttle after him as she hurried to catch up to him. It was a silent and tense ride to the top floor. Mr. Luthor had not made any attempt to talk to the confused young lady and she was left wondering if she would have a job at the end of this.

“I need you to call Dr. Forester,” Lex told her as he threw open the doors of his outer offices. “I want to see him in ten minutes,” he continued as he strolled through his domain and then paused as he stopped just before his own offices. “Nothing that occurs here tonight will not leave this room is that understood,” Lex asked in a menacing tone as his gaze flickered over the clerk’s slightly plump figure.

“Yes sir,” the woman assured him and she scurried to do as he bid.

“And get me the last inventory for Department C,” he continued. “And then call down there and inform them that I want another inventory ran right now. I want that copy before the ink dries.”

Allison wasn’t sure what was going on but she was pretty sure that it was major. Her employer’s every movement screamed a thinly veiled threat of violence. She hurriedly made the calls that he had requested of her. She spotted the coffee maker in one corner and got it started. She wasn’t sure why Mr. Luthor didn’t call in his legions of personal secretaries but his penchant for working late was well known. Ten minutes later she was setting a fresh cup of coffee and the files that he requested down by his elbow as he stared out of the darkened window of his office with a brooding gaze.


I look down at where you're standing
Flock of sheep all on display
With all your lies piled up around you
I can take it all away

“Do you have children,” he asked her in a surprisingly quiet voice. She started at his question. It had become common knowledge within the walls of LuthorCorp that he had a daughter. There were new photographs of a smiling pixie face little girl decorating his credenza.

“Yes I do, two to be exact,” she told him with a soft smile.

“Are you ever afraid for them,” he asked as he grasped his steaming mug and leaned forward.

“Every second of everyday,” she told him obviously puzzled by this line of questioning.

“What do you do,” he asked as he leaned back. His tone was only slightly warmer but the violent energies that had surrounded him still vibrated under the surface of his demeanor.

“I pray that I don’t screw them up,” she told him as honestly as she could.



Something inside of me
has opened up its eyes
Why did you put it there?
Did you not realize
Something inside of me
It screams the loudest sound
Sometimes I think I could

It took hours for Lex to finally finish doing his own personal research but there were still a few pieces of information that he wanted to gather before he went to the police with what he had discovered. He personally supervised his team of scientist as they frantically raced against time for an antidote.
He fought against the dark side of him that he always struggled to keep down. He wanted nothing more then to hunt down the culprit and brutally destroy the threat to his family. He knew realistically that it was not something that he wanted Savannah to have to see or live with. For the first time in his life he concerned himself with the retribution that his actions would have on another person. He knew that Chloe would be able to rationalize his actions but he hated the thought of his armor being dulled or tarnished in anyway before the burning honest light of his daughter. Lex’s Jiminy Cricket came in the form of a tiny girl with tousled blonde hair and big blue eyes. If anything happened to her he doubted his ability to keep from destroying everything around him.


I'm gonna burn this whole world down
I never was a part of you
I am your savior
I am corruption
I am the angel
Of your destruction
I am perversion
Secret desire
I am your future
Swallowed up in fire

[lj715]

WOW, great chapter! Are you getting tired of me saying that? Love that Lex is actually considering what the effects of his revenge would have on Savannah. I really love this story, can't wait for the next update.

[pipersmum]

Great another update already I am loving this story but you already know that I look forward to more soon ;)

[hfce]

That was so good. I actually felt the anger from Lex. Good job in conveying that. I am glad he is starting to see the actions he takes will affect his family.
More please....


Hope :)

[persephone47]

That chapter was wonderfull, is it bad that a huge part of me just wants him to say she'll never find out and then hunt down the guy that did it, I con't waith to findout whe did it and what will happen to them, great update, I can't wait for more.

[itsjustXchar]

soo intense...i love it!

[Goldielocks]

this fics get's better with each chapter, amazing work no seriously it is...thank u so much for the ud

[Gaia]

Amazing updates! Lex is out for blood as it seems. And make Savannah well again. Please.

[cnl2003]

Holy crap - how'd I miss this incredible fic?!? I love it! Please update soon!

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 12

A small part of Chloe wanted to rally against Lex for leaving the hospital but she knew in her heart that it would have driven him insane to be forced to sit and do nothing. He was and always would be a man of action and if anyone could figure out what was going on with their daughter it would be him.

She glanced at Lionel Luthor who sat half slumped in the small hospital chair by the window. She no longer had any doubts that the man loved his granddaughter. It was evident every time that the child opened her eyes. He would rush out of the room to grab the nearest medical staff that he could find. He might not be in control of LuthorCorp any more but Chloe certainly was willing to take advantage of Lionel’s forceful presence when it came to Savannah. The man literally had the hospital staff jumping through the hoops and a few that Chloe suspected he created.

“Mr. Luthor,” she touched his arm gently but got no response. His deep and even breathing was steady. The poor man flat out refused to leave the room. “Lionel,” she called to him a little louder. “Dad,” with that his eyes snapped open and pierced her with his gaze.

“Sorry, I must have drifted off,” he glanced anxiously at Savannah and relaxed at the familiar sounds of the beeping monitors. He ran a hand down his scruffy face. The lines of his craggy face seemed to have deepened in the few hours that they had been here.

“I hate hospitals,” he declared as he stretched and rotated his neck and shoulders with an audible pop. “Once when Lex was just a few months old we had to rush him to the ER,” he glanced down at his feet. “I had never been more terrified when they told us that he had developed pneumonia and bronchitis,” he glanced at Chloe with a far away look in his eyes. “I, we almost lost him and I swore that I would do everything in my power to make him strong enough to fight anything.”

“He made it,” Chloe said softly and she reached out and took his cold hand in comfort. “And he is one of the most determined, fearless, and strong men that I know,” Chloe bit her lip before glancing at Lionel. “But he didn’t have to sacrifice his humanity in becoming that man, Lionel. He loves that little girl and no matter what happens between us, that love he has for her will make him even stronger. He has to be in order to protect her.”

Alone tear trickled down the side of Lionel’s face as he glanced at the young woman before him. She held the beauty of youth in her skin but her intelligent hazel eyes held wisdom beyond her years. Of all the women that Lex had involved himself with over the years this was the only woman that Lionel thought could even remotely match his son. She brought fire and passion to his son’s cold existence and Lionel felt lucky enough to brush that heat to warm his tired heart. Chloe leaned over and kissed Lionel’s cheek.

“Will you stay with her,” she asked as she dug through her purse that Didi brought. “I need to make a phone call.” He nodded silently at her as his eyes focused on the rise and fall of the diminutive chest of his granddaughter.

*-*-*

Chloe walked with a brisk pace as she headed out the front doors of the hospital. She wanted desperately to get to the bottom of this. The familiar thrum of excitement of the hunt coursed through her veins but she stifled the urge to go hunting for the answers herself.

No one other then Didi’s family knew where they had actually had gone. Chloe and Didi had concocted a story about a dying relative in New York as a part of their cover. Tickets for two were even bought at the local airport to throw anyone off the scent of their trail.

Chloe dialed a number that she hoped was still the same from memory. The line on the other side seemed to ring forever before someone picked it up.

“Clark,” Chloe asked.

“Chloe,” his sleep roughed voiced sounded like he had been asleep for a change. “Are you alright,” his voice became anxious.

“I need your help,” Chloe told him without preamble. She could hear him rustling around.

“What is going on,” he asked as he voice suddenly became sharp and clear. Chloe explained to him in great detail what had been going on.

“The only suspect that I have at this point is Maggie, Lex’s assistant,” Chloe told him. “Can you find out everything that you can about her?”

“Yeah, that’s not a problem. Where are you at,” he asked.

“At the hospital,” Chloe chocked on the words and scalding tears fell down her cheeks. The tears that she held back broke free as she sobbed. “The bastards tried to kill my baby, Clark.”

“I can be there in a few minutes,” Clark said. His own distress at the sounds of Chloe’s sobbing evident in his voice.

“No,” Chloe declared as she struggled to regain control of her own emotions. “You find out what I need to know and call me back before you do anything else Clark. Swear to me you’ll call me back.”

“Of course I will,” Clark soothed. “We’ll get to the bottom of this I promise,” Clark hesitated a moment before asking the next question. “Is Lex there with you?”

“No,” Chloe told him but hurried to explain that he had gone to check into some of his own contacts.

“The bastard shouldn’t have left you to sit there alone, Chloe,” Clark’s displeasure was evident in his voice.

“What was he going to do, Clark? Sit on his thumbs when he could be hunting for a fucking cure or the person that is responsible,” Chloe growled at him.

“I’m sorry,” Clark said softly.

“It’s just too easy to lay the blame at his feet isn’t it,” Chloe asked him quietly. “I am surprised that you didn’t lay all the blame for getting a story scooped at my feet. Just do this for me, Kent and we’ll call all the years of hiding your secret even,” Chloe told him in a cold voice and then hung up.

She knew that Clark would do it because the Boy Scout in him could do nothing less. She dialed the next call with trembling fingers as she wiped the tears from her face.

“What happened,” Lex asked without preamble. It never had a chance to ring on her side before she heard Lex’s anxious voice.

“Savannah is the same,” Chloe told him as she heard him exhale the breath that he had been holding. “I just wanted to give you a call and let you know that I called Clark in on this. So you wouldn’t be surprised if he turned up with questions.”

“Why did you do that,” he snapped in anger. His frustrations boiled just under the surface of his voice.

“Because I can’t leave Savannah to do my own fucking digging and your resources couldn’t investigate their way out of a wet paper bag. They never could, Mr. Luthor,” Chloe told him in a frosty voice. Chloe took a deep breath and let it out before continuing. “I taught him, Lex. He’ll find the answers that we need and he’ll be relentless because I asked him to do this,” she told him in a cold hard voice.

Lex paused as he watched his lab technicians hustling around him. He heard Chloe’s pain, anger, and frustrations in her voice. He knew like himself she would not be satisfied to sit in the background and do nothing but he also knew that she wouldn’t leave her child alone long.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled not feeling at all comfortable apologizing. No one but Chloe would have dared to call him to the floor and chastise him over his behavior.

“Have you been able to come up with anything at all,” Chloe asked him as his mumbled apology warmed her heart.

“We should have the antidote in the next hour,” Lex told her. The relief was evident in his voice.

“Well, hurry the hell up Luthor I want my baby home soon as possible,” Chloe told him in a lighter tone. Her relief flowed through her veins at his news.

“Is it home,” Lex asked quietly.

“It is with you and Savannah there,” Chloe told him honestly. “Home is where ever you both are at,” Chloe stared out at the parking lot as the night had started to give way to the coming day. “I love you Lex,” she told him quietly. “I didn’t always but I do now. I,” she paused to gather her thoughts. “I hated you for so long for changing my life. Until I realized that you had changed it for the better. Hurry home to us,” Chloe disconnected the phone and slid it back into her pocket.

It scared her to give anyone that much power over her. To confess her love to someone that could possibly break her with a careless word or a thoughtless action. Lex Luthor had a proven track record with his ability to do both. She knew that he cared about her but she wasn’t really sure what went on behind the facade that he liked to present the world. He was an enigma that she was willing to explore.

[pipersmum]

Great update :D Chloe called Lionel Dad that made me smile!! Does Clark know that Chloe has a child by Lex???? The ending was really sweet Chloe confessing her true feelings for Lex :wub: I would like Lex to express his feelings for Chloe and maybe open up about his feelings the day savannah was concieved ;)

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[lj715]

My gosh you upate quickly! I love it of course. Love that Lionel cares so deeply for Savannah. I'm glad Chloe clued Clark into what's going on. He's such an idiot though. He does something nice like offer to help Chloe all he can, then erases it by insinuating that Lex has abandoned her.Woohoo, Chloe told Lex she loved him. I'd feel a little better if he had gotten the chance to say that he loves her before you ended the chapter. He does tell her he loves he....doesn't he? He better.

Can't wait for the next chapter.

[hfce]

Yes you updated. This is one of my favorite stories. I am so glad lex has a cure and Chloe told him she loves ihm. Now its his turn. :D


Hope :)

[Skye]

This is certainly becoming one of my top ten favorite stories. And love it even more with each new update. And aww!! Chloe told Lex she loves him.

[persephone47]

That was another wonderful update, I can't wait for more.

[Goldielocks]

I Was Smiling Like A Damn Fool When I Read Chlo Called Lionel Dad..that Was Adoreable....chly Will Get Through This

Awesome Ud

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 13


Author’s Notes: I’m sorry guys for such a short chapter but real life has to come first! Anyway I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for their feedback on this story! Thanks so much for coming along on the ride!

*-*-*-*

Chloe’s eyes felt hot, tired and gritty as she sat next to her daughter’s bedside. She watched endlessly as the doctors finally had to resort to putting Savannah on life support. They tried countless measures to get Savannah’s fever down but they had finally reached a point when nothing was working and they resorted to placing icy cloths against her body to try and keep the fever from raging.

Lionel had tried to talk Chloe into going back to the house for some rest until she snarled at him. He finally couldn’t take the sounds of the machines and fled the room. She just sat holding her hand and willing the air into her daughter’s lungs. Until she felt someone’s warm hand settle heavily on her shoulder causing her to start. She glanced up into Lex’s exhausted pale face.

“Come on give them some room to work,” he told her as he gently led her from Savannah’s side.

Chloe rose on trembling legs that threatened to collapse beneath her and followed Lex from the room. Lex knew how he felt about his daughter having only had her in his life for a few months. He just couldn’t fathom the depths of pain that Chloe must be going through having carried her in her body and enjoyed her shinning presence all these years.

He had been forewarned by Lionel that Chloe had finally reached her breaking point when the doctor’s told her that Savannah may need long term care due to the amount of brain damage that might have occurred from running a prolonged fever. The last hour she wouldn’t let the nursing staff anywhere near Savannah. She changed and covered the wet towels that cover Savannah herself.

“You should have listened to my father and returned to the house. You’re not going to do her any good if you collapse,” Lex told her as he wrapped his arms around her slight waist cradling her body against his and rested his head against the top of her head. For a moment he felt comforted by the familiar scent of Chloe’s shampoo.

“I can’t leave her, Lex,” Chloe told him in a trembling voice as she struggled to keep her tears out of it. “She needs me here.” A shudder passed through her slight frame as she watched the specialists that Lex brought with him from Metropolis.

“Lex,” Chloe turned her head to find his assistant standing there looking polished and elegant in her business suit. “Ms. Sullivan,” she nodded her head in Chloe’s general direction. “I am sorry but we really need you to finish looking over these contracts and get them signed this morning,” the woman told them.

Chloe shook off Lex’s arms and stepped away from the shelter of his body as a cold rage engulfed her. With two quick strides forward she was rewarded with the satisfying sound of her fist striking the taller woman in the face. Chloe welcomed the sudden shock of pain as it traveled up her arm at the jarring impact. Maggie hit the floor in a graceless sprawl as blood sprang from her broken nose.

“Fuck your contracts,” Chloe snarled in rage as Lex grabbed her around the waist and bodily lifted Chloe away from the fallen woman before Chloe could do any further harm. Lionel stared with first shock then admiration at Chloe as he moved to help the fallen woman up. Maggie was forgotten as they all froze as the monitors in Savannah‘s room suddenly screamed to life.

Lex almost dropped Chloe as she suddenly became boneless in his arms except for her frantically drawn breath. Then he felt like he was holding on to a wild cat as she struggled to break free of his grip. She tore free to stand before the observation glass. Together the three of them watched helplessly as Savannah fought for her life.

“Please god,” Chloe muttered in prayer under her sobbing breath as her tears coursed down her face.

*-*-*-*-*

Clark ground his teeth together in frustration as he arrived at the Daily Planet ten minutes after his conversation with Chloe. He spent the last four hours calling on everything that he could think of digging for dirt on Maggie but he was coming up with nothing. Margaret Elizabeth Connor was as clean as a whistle. He even went as far as talking to her relatives and neighbors.

“Why the long face Smallville,” Lois asked as she bounced into their shared work space with her cup from Starbucks.

“I am at a dead end,” Clark said as he threw down his pen in frustration.

“Well, what are you working on? Maybe I can help,” Lois asked as she sat on a corner of his desk and took a sip of her coffee.

Clark hesitantly explained the situation to Lois as she sat there and stared at him in shock.

“You mean to say that Luthor knocked up my cousin and just found out about it,” she asked in with wide eyed shock. “Not to mention that they have some sort of psychotic killer after them.” Clark felt his lips tighten and nodded his head.

“Yep, that’s it in a nut shell,” Clark said as he shuffled through the background checks and notes that lay scattered on his desk.

“Okay let’s think outside of the box,” Lois told him as she turned to her desk. “But just as long as you realize I am going to kill my cousin as soon as this is all over with,” Lois told him in a flippant tone that she used to hide her hurt.

“If we don’t find out who is behind this you may have to stand in line,” Clark told her.

[teb85]

Oh no !!! Don't let anything worse happen to poor savannah!! This is written so well and all the emotions are very realistic. I love Lionel in this fic it's great to see another side to him. I just hope they get the cure in time !! Can't wait for the next installment!!!

[hfce]

Oh no poor baby. Please let Savannah wake up with no damage. I don't want her to die. :(


Hope ;)

[lj715]

ACK!!!! Omg, I hope Savannah is ok! I hate when a child is sick, you feel so helpless. Well, @ least Chloe got to take out her frustrations on Maggie's face. What happened to Lex's antidote? They didn't give it to her yet , did they?

You are updating this story so quicky, I love it. Can't wait for the next chapter (please let Savannah be ok...please).

[pipersmum]

Fantastic Chloe punched Maggie 3 cheers for Chloe hip, hip, hooray :P
Clark has found nothing on Maggie that can't be right surely??? Maybe Lois and Clark will have more luck together!!
Savannah is fighting for her life she is going to be alright isn't she......you would do that to us would you.........???? Pretty please let Savannah be ok :D:D

Love this story and look forward to more.

[Gaia]

make Savannah well again- she can't die. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

[Shane77]

Oh my god! This story is amazing!
Plz don't let Savannah die!
Can't wait for the update!

[katieandjason]

WHAT?! YOU STOPPED THERE?! Real life can wait. Seriously. It's dull, boring, and annoying. Don't you feel like getting away? So come watch a sunsets! And, you know, maybe write a little. Or a lot. Whatever.

This is a great story, and you are a wonderful writer. I can't say how pleased I am with these daily updates. :D

[itsjustXchar]

i loooooove it!! please keep up the incredible work!! So glad Lois is in it now!!

[persephone47]

Great chapter, I can't wait to see if she's okay and who's behind it all, this is quickly becoming one of my favourite fics.... :)

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 14


Author’s Notes: Did ya’ll really think that I’d let Savannah die?! For shame!!!!


*-*-*-*

Gone was the usually look of scorn from Lionel Luthor’s face as Chloe watched his tears fall in a silent steadiness. This was the first time since Lionel’s release that she could remember the two men standing so close or seeing Lionel put a comforting hand on Lex’s shoulder trying give him a measure of silent comfort. For those agonizing moments the two men were joined in a common goal. They all silently willed Savannah to take her next breath.

Martha Kent had been told by Clark what had transpired in a hurried phone call from Clark. She and Jonathan immediately hopped in the truck to race for the hospital. They had always liked Chloe and her bubbly personality and wanted to be there in support. What they had found was something that even caused Jonathan’s grumbling to stop. The two Luthor men had surrounded Chloe with their arms wrapped around her in support. None of the people standing there were paying any attention to the people in the hallway. Their total attention was focused on the frantic movements within the hospital room.

Martha gripped her husband’s hand tensely as they watched one of the doctors stepping away from the small figure laying the room to give his report to the family waiting outside.

“Mr. Luthor, it was touch and go there for a moment,” the doctor told them as his face broke out in a relieved grin. “But I think the hardest part is over with. We still won’t know what the long term effects are going to be. A prolonged fever like hers can have some residual side effects but I think that right now everything looks good. We won’t know until she wakes up. That little girl is a fighter,” he told him with a smile as Chloe sagged with relief.

Lionel Luthor gave a very un-Luthor like shout of triumph as he threw his arms around both his son and Chloe.

“When will she wake up,” Chloe asked with tears in her voice.

“Not for several hours yet,” the doctor told them. “Right now she is in a natural sleep and that is what is best for her body’s recovery. I really don’t expect her to wake up until sometime tomorrow,” the doctor looked at the bedraggled people before him. He knew that Lex had personally over seen the making of the antidote. He pushed his team and himself the hardest.

“Go home and get some rest, hot meal and a shower,” he told them. “You are not going to do Savannah any good if I have to admit any of you for exhaustion.”

Martha watched with tears in her eyes as the family drew their first breath relieved of air. Lex’s face was buried in the neck of Chloe and they watched as the younger man’s trembling became an almost full body tremor. Chloe whispered words of comfort as she rested her face tenderly against the younger Luthor. Lex raised his head and wiped his tears away and glanced at Chloe with a faint tinge of pink to his cheeks.

“Don’t be afraid to love her, Lex. She is not afraid to love you,” Chloe had whispered to him.

“See to the family of security guard that was brought in and let them know that this is an option,” Lex told the doctor in a slightly hoarse voice. Lionel was the first to spot the Kent’s as they stood a few feet away.

Jonathan,” he nodded at the other man. “Martha what brings you both down here,” Lionel asked with surprise as he drew the attention of Lex and Chloe who were still clinging to each other in relief.

“Clark told us that you were here,” Martha told them a little hesitantly. She was still taken a back by the obvious changes in the Luthor family dynamics that wasn’t there before. She was both surprised and pleased by what she had found.

Before Lex would have held himself away from everyone in a tensely coiled fashion and baited Lionel with thinly veiled malicious enjoyment. Lionel would be watching everyone for signs of weakness and constantly encircling the younger Luthor like an old wolf worrying about his territory. There were now signs of obvious cracks in both their armors and the gulf that had previously existed between the father and son had grown slightly smaller.

Martha watched in shock as the petite blonde that actually had the nerve to reach up and kiss the craggy face of Lionel. She smiled at the older man with fondness and relief. She was holding Lex’s hand with such obvious affection that Martha could only shake her head and cock an eyebrow at her husband.

“Thank you for coming,” Lex told them in his cool cultured voice as he finally managed to regain some measure of control.

“Chloe, how are you holding up,” Martha asked with a mother’s concern as she embraced the younger woman. Chloe laughed and ran a shaking hand through her hair with a shaky laugh.

“Like I’ve been ridden hard and put up wet,” she told Martha with a huge tired grin. Then she turned to face the two Luthor men. “I want to stay until Didi and Darren get here to sit with Savannah. I don’t want her waking up with strangers.” She glanced at the older Luthor and noted the stiff way that he held his upper body.

“You need a massage and a pillow. You’re stiff from napping in a hospital chair,” she told him in a no nonsense tone of voice. “And you just plain stink, Lex,” she teased the younger man with a wide grin.

“Let me make arrangements for Savannah to be moved to a private wing and for the security detail and we’ll go home,” Lex told her as he kissed her cheek his hand reaching for his ever present cell phone.

“I’ll arrange for a car,” Lionel told her as he kissed her other cheek and threw his arm around his startled son. “If you don’t marry that girl Lex, I swear to god I will,” he told him as they strolled off down the hallway.

Chloe was left with a stupid grin on her face as she rolled her eyes at Lionel’s comment.

“Okay,” Jonathan Kent drawled out as he watched the interchange between all of them silently. “Who are those people and what have you done with the real Luthors,” Jonathan asked as he watched them. Martha and Chloe glanced at each other and laughed with amusement.

“I take it that Clark called you,” Chloe asked as her attention was once more drawn to the observation room. She watched as the nurses cleaned Savannah up and prepared to move her.

“Yes he did,” Martha told her as she glanced between her and her husband.

“Okay, well then let me give you the skinny non-fat version of what’s been going on,” Chloe told them as she glanced back noting the look that passed between Martha and Jonathan Kent.

“I got pregnant and never told Lex. Dad and I moved because he couldn’t find a decent job here to save his life,” Chloe told them as she took a deep shuddering breath. “Dad passed away a few years ago due to complications from pneumonia and Lex found us in a little town called Fort Walton Beach, Florida. There was a murder in my condo and we ended up back here for Savannah’s sake and I think that’s it in a nut shell,” Chloe told them. “As for the rest you know as much as I do.”


*-*-*-*


Chloe tried to relax her sore and tire muscles under the pounding pulse of the shower. She had never been so scared or prayed so hard when Savannah’s heart stopped. Her whole world had ceased to exist at the moment. She stood flanked by two of the most powerful men in the world and knew what true helplessness meant as she watched her daughter struggle for her life.

She finally let the hours of tension and fear wash away as she sobbed against the cool tiles of the shower. For once she finally understood why the Luthor’s held themselves in such a tight and controlled manner in public. She felt the need to put on a brave front in order to protect Lex and Lionel from her aching emotions. She had raised her face to the pulse of the water to wash away the rest of her tears. Savannah was going to be alright and that was all that mattered. Chloe started as she felt a hand brush along her stomach and she opened her eyes to find that Lex had joined her in the shower.

“Knock much, Luthor,” Chloe asked with a startled gasp. Lex smiled down at her.

“Sorry, I thought you heard me,” he smirked at her as he drew her soft slippery body against him. “Hey are you alright,” He asked noting her reddened eyes. She gave him a brilliant smile that lit her up from the inside out.

“Yeah I’m great now,” she told him touched by his show of concern.

“Well, you did tell me that I stink and you seemed determined to use up all the hot water,” Lex continued as Chloe reached for the bar of soap and began to lather Lex up as he backed her under the pounding jets of the shower and bent his head for a kiss.

Chloe’s hands slowed their gliding movements as she lost herself in the taste of him. Suddenly she felt like she couldn’t get close enough as she pressed her body against his growing arousal. His hands trailed up he sides to cup the fullness of her breasts as she gasped against his mouth. Her body trembled with a sudden awareness. Her hands trailed down the hard planes of his stomach and it was his turn to give a startled jump as he tore his mouth away from hers.

“Ticklish,” Chloe smirked at him as he studied her flushed face and glowing eyes. She cupped her soapy hands around his pulsing hardness and slowly began stroking his length until he snatched the soap away from her and briskly lathered up his own hands. Chloe giggled when he threw the bar over his shoulder to land noisily on the floor of the shower.

“Tease,” he mocked growled against her lips as his body gave an involuntary thrust against her slick hands.

“Who’s teasing,” she asked with a gasp as he began to stroke and glide his hands across her aroused body. “I am merely making sure that all of your good parts are clean,” she told him in a prim voice.

“Good parts,” Lex muttered as he gave he her extend nipples a gentle tug and she felt a corresponding pull all the way to her groin. He turned her around so that the force of the water washed away the soap as he captured her lips in another searing kiss and his elegant hands made sure that she was rinsed squeaky clean.

Suddenly the playfulness vanished under the weight of their passion. Chloe found herself pressed against the cool tiles of the shower gasping for air. Lex knelt to nibble, lick, and stroke his way down her passion heated body. His mouth teased the sensitive skin above her hip bone as he parted her hot center with a slender finger. His thumb rolled against her clit with alternating pressure as he drove her excitement to new levels. Chloe could feel her inner muscles flex and tighten around his fingers as he drove her closer to her orgasm.

Lex replaced his thumb with his tongue as he stroked it wetly against her excited flesh. Her nails bit lightly into the sleek muscles of his shoulder as she pulsed and contracted around his thrusting finger. She cried his name when she found her release. Her legs threatened to collapse as he slowed the stroking of her hot center.

“Bed, condom, now,” she panted as his thumb returned to stroke in lazy circles against her over heated flesh.

Her hips jerked with an almost pained movement as he continued to stroke against her over sensitive flesh.

“Please Lex,” she gasped and begged.

They never quite made it to the bed. With an impatient snap of his wrists Lex shut the water off as Chloe fumbled for a couple of towels. Together they were mostly dry as Lex seared her with passion filled kisses. He reached into a drawer and fumbled with a condom until Chloe broke his kiss and snatched it away from him. Her teeth scrapped lightly against his shoulder finding a few drops of water that they had missed trying to dry off. Her smaller hands lightly stroked his hardness as she smoothed the condom over him.

Chloe shuttered against the cold contact of the vanity against her stomach as Lex pressed against her from behind. Chloe watched as his stormy blue eyes as his first slow thrust seemed to cause Lex’s eyes to close briefly. Chloe’s head fell back to lean against the hard shoulder behind her. His heated eyes drank in her passionate responses to his every movement. His hands gripped her hips hard to still her frantic movements as she bucked and moaned against him. When she clamped down hard against him he lost the tenuous grip on his control and with a groan he felt the pound pleasure of his own release.

[lj715]

First of all, I'm so glad Savannah is going to be ok. I was surpised that the Kents went to the hospital. Just didn't expect a visit from them. Love how Lionel told Lex that he should marry Chloe. The new family dynamic is great.

Secondly, OMG! That was some shower. Sounds like after the shower is gonna be pretty interesting too.

Great update,more please.

[bluelila]

God execellent chapter. I love the new family dynamic.

[Gaia]

Loved the update. And thank god Savannah will be alright



“Okay,” Jonathan Kent drawled out as he watched the interchange between all of them silently. “Who are those people and what have you done with the real Luthors,” Jonathan asked as he watched them. Martha and Chloe glanced at each other and laughed with amusement.


Now that was funny!!!!:D
NExt update please

[hfce]

That was great. :D And I am so glad Savannah is going to be ok. The smut was :drool:


Hope :)

[cnl2003]

OOOhhhh, this keeps getting better and better! More please!

[itsjustXchar]

So...he is going to marry her right?? Lex, I mean. Great update, by the way!

[teb85]

Fantastic update, I'm pleased Savannah is going to be ok !


Lionel told her as he kissed her other cheek and threw his arm around his startled son. “If you don’t marry that girl Lex, I swear to god I will,”

I loved this line and it's great to see a different side to Lionel being written,
and Wow, I wish I had a Lex and a shower like that !! Can't wait for next chapter !!

[pipersmum]

Fantastic update, I'm pleased Savannah is going to be ok !


Lionel told her as he kissed her other cheek and threw his arm around his startled son. “If you don’t marry that girl Lex, I swear to god I will,”

I loved this line and it's great to see a different side to Lionel being written,
and Wow, I wish I had a Lex and a shower like that !! Can't wait for next chapter !!

I couldn't agree more :D

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets (15/?)


Awareness crept back into Chloe’s consciousness in small increments as she stretched luxuriously. She came awake feeling vaguely surprised at how well rested she felt in spite of her activities the hours before. Lex made love to her several times until she was completely sedated. She had gotten an almost vague impression like he was a man that had been starving to long. Now she woke up feeling slightly sore and alone but knowing Lex he was probably handling LuthorCorp business that he had neglected earlier in the day.

After a quick shower chased away the cobwebs and a phone call to Didi put Chloe in a bubbly frame of mind as she emerged from the bedroom. Savannah hadn’t woken up yet but the doctors were still optimistic and everything looked good. Didi also informed Chloe that Lionel Luthor had just shown up to relieve them so she was going to go home.

Chloe hesitated when she heard the sounds of Lex’s voice coming from his office.

“Why are you behaving like this,” he had asked. Chloe frowned at the tense tones in his voice.

“Did you really think that I was going to just sit around and wait while you played the family man, Lex? I wanted to see her face,” his assistant asked in a throaty voice and a harsh mocking laugh washed over Chloe as her stomach clenched. “You told me that you were only lulling her in to lowering her defenses while our attorney’s got their information together to proceed with the custody battle.” Chloe could feel her blood freeze at the possessive tone in her voice.

“They are still investigating her background,” Lex told her smoothly. “You know that these things take time.”

“How much time, Lex,” Maggie’s voice dropped into a husky murmur. “I feel like I have been waiting forever.”

Chloe could hear the rustling sounds of clothing as she backed slowly away from the door. A deep burning pain filled her senses as she snatched up the keys to Lex’s Porsche and strolled briskly to the garage.

She drove quickly to the hospital and parked. She sat for a few minutes with her head resting on the steering wheel of the car and sucked in deep breaths before exiting the car. By the time she had reached Savannah’s floor she felt a little more in control and her pain had given way to a burning anger.

Lionel looked up from his book that he was reading when she entered the room.

“Hi,” he said. “Lex just called. I thought that you’d be riding in together,” Lionel asked as he watched Chloe make her way across the room to kiss her daughter’s cool forehead.

“He was busy with Maggie,” she told him in a neutral voice as she sat on the foot of Savannah’s bed and stared at the monitors surrounding her child’s bed. Something in Lionel froze at the tone in Chloe’s voice as he watched her carefully. “I guess he is planning on fighting me for custody of Savannah.”

“What! You must be mistaken,” Lionel said in shock.

“I guess that Lex and Maggie not only have a good work relationship but they also have a private one too. He’s been lulling me into a false sense of serenity before sending his pit bull lawyers after me,” Chloe told Lionel as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

Lionel was taken back by the raw pain and anger that lined the face of the normally bright and sunny young woman. He rose slowly from his chair and laid his book aside. Lionel rested his hands on the tops of Chloe’s shoulders.

“I knew that he’d have me investigated. Hell, he would have been stupid not to so I expected that but,” Chloe’s voice trailed off as Lionel felt the tension vibrating through the younger woman’s body. “I never expected him to whore himself out like this,” she told him coldly.

“What are you going to do,” he asked her as he gave her shoulder’s a light squeeze. He felt inadequate as he tried to comfort the young woman before him. He knew that there had been a sense of greater intimacy that had surrounded his son and Chloe. He had sincerely hoped that they would be able to work out their relationship.

“Fight him. It’s the only thing that I know how to do, Lionel. I just,” he felt her shoulders tremble and sag slightly under his hands as Chloe struggled to get her emotions back under wraps. “I had hoped that we would work things out between us so that we didn’t have to put Savannah through this,” he listened as Chloe’s voice broke and she took a deep shuddering breath and felt her shoulder’s square.

“Let me give you a moment to pull yourself together,” he told her as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You know that I’d be more than happy to help you anything that you need to take care of Lex,” he told her in a hard voice. “You just let me know.”

Chloe squeezed his hand that rested on her shoulder “Thanks. That means a lot Lionel,” She told him quietly.

“I may not have been a good father, Chloe but I know that every child needs their mother and my granddaughter will have hers by god,” he told her in a tone of voice that she had not heard in years. It was the tone of the magnificent bastard.

*-*-*-*

Lionel almost trembled with outrage at his son’s audacity. He wasn’t sure what he was up to but Alexander had a lot of explaining to do. He almost missed his son as he hurried to catch the elevator that opened up. His hands fisted in Lex’s shirt as he shoved the startled younger man back inside the elevator slamming him into the wall hitting the down button. The elevator began to slide to its decent smoothly when Lionel hit the stop button between floors.

“What are you up to Alexander,” his voice shook with suppressed anger. Lex jerked harshly away from his father and straightened his clothes.

“Alexander,” Lex growled out contemplatively. “Maybe you should start with what I have supposedly done to incur your wrath this time, Dad,” Lex bit out dryly.

“Fine are you planning to fight Chloe for custody of Savannah,” Lionel asked him point blank. Lex paused and stared at his father like he had lost his mind. Then his cool defenses slid back into place.

“Is that any of your business,” Lex asked in a frigid voice and stared hard at his father.

“Please Lex,” Lionel said softly. “Don’t do this to Savannah. Don’t make the same damn mistakes that I did with you,” Lionel raised a trembling hand to his face. “Don’t make her hate you like you do me.”

Lex stared up at the ceiling of the elevator struggling to get his emotions under control.

“No, I am not planning to fight Chloe for custody of Savannah,” Lex glanced at his father and felt a faint stirring of pity for the older man. “Why would you think that?”

“Chloe, overheard you talking to Maggie,” Lionel told him and felt heartened as Lex took on a pallid shade. His eyes opened wide and he was clearly startled when he let loose with a muttered curse.

“No, no, it’s not what she thinks,” Lex ran an agitated hand across his bald scalp. “I think that Maggie is either the murderer or knows who is and is helping them.” Lex looked frantic as he pushed the button for the ride back up to the top floor.

“Then you had better be careful walking into that room, Lex,” Lionel warned.

*-*-*-*-*

Chloe paced the length of the room turning her choices over in her head as she went. She could always take Savannah and just leave but that would end up hurting Savannah. No matter what idea she turned around in her head she couldn’t seem to shake the thoughts of her consequences hurting her daughter in the long run. Chloe stood in front of the darkened window. She gazed out not really seeing anything in particular when she heard the sound of the door opening.

“I hope that you brought me an extra large coffee,” she said without turning around.

“Chloe, we need to talk,” Lex told her quietly as he moved to stare down at his daughters sleeping face. Her cheeks were starting to take on a healthier color he noted.

“I don’t think so Mr. Luthor,” Chloe told him in a frigid tone. “I think that all the talking we need to do is between our lawyers.”

Lex strolled across the room with tight tension to grasp Chloe around her shoulders and turn her around. Before he could get any words out there was a noise that came from the bed that caused them both to freeze. Chloe jerked away from his grip and moved quickly to the bed to see that Savannah had opened her eyes and was looking around a little groggy.

“Hey peanut,” Chloe whispered softly. “About time you woke up.”

Savannah stared up at her with her bright blue eyes and Chloe could feel the sting of her tears. Chloe perched her self on the edge of her daughter’s bed and took her hand gently in hers.

“Daddy,” Savannah whimpered softly as her gaze swept the room and finally settled on the man standing by the window.

Lex felt his heart crack when he heard his daughter calling for him in such a pitiful voice. He moved to flank the other side of the bed and mimicked Chloe’s position as he sat gingerly. Savannah wiggled around so the she could rest her head against her father’s thigh with a sigh. Lex stroked the tangle of blonde hair lightly.

“It hurts,” Savannah told him as her hands fluttered towards the IV tubes.

“I know but you can’t mess with that,” Lex told her as he stopped her fluttered movements with his hands.

“Let me go find a doctor,” Chloe said softly. Lex just nodded as he let his relief wash over him.

Chloe leaned over and kissed the side of her daughter’s face as she moved away. She paused to glance back at the pair sitting on the bed and she knew that she could never take Savannah and run. The point had been driven home when she woke up and just wanted her daddy to make everything better. A small portion of Chloe’s heart was vaguely jealous but she squelched that emotion. She stepped into the hallway to find Lionel with a cup holder with three coffees talking with the Kent’s. Chloe grabbed one of the nurses that walked by and told her that her daughter needed to see the doctor.

“She’s awake,” Chloe called out to Lionel as she approached.

“Oh my god, that is great,” Martha beamed as she threw her arms around Chloe for a quick hug. Jonathan leaned in to hug the younger woman and rub her back gently.

“Go, see your granddaughter before she starts asking for you,” Chloe tells the older Luthor with a smile and a small shove. They watched as Lionel hurried down the hallway and into Savannah’s room.

“Is she alright,” Martha asked Chloe with a slightly anxious voice.

“She seems a little groggy but she is talking,” Chloe told them as she wrapped her arms around her waist for a moment.

“Could I ask a huge favor of you,” she asked the Kent’s as she stood there and tried to form a list of things that she needed to take care of.

“Sure,” Jonathan assured her. “What do you need?”

“I need a ride tomorrow to buy a car,” Chloe told him. “I ended up driving Lex’s Porsche down here and that was nerve wracking enough.”

“But doesn’t Lex have a whole garage full of cars,” Martha asked with a quick glance at her husband.

“Yes, but none of them are mine,” Chloe told them. “Besides I need something that will hold up to an active child and let’s face it I would be scared to death if Savannah spilled a drink in one of Lex’s cars."

“Okay we’ll pick you up in the morning,” Jonathan assured her.

“Yes, we actually just stopped by to see how you were doing,” Martha told her.

“Have you heard from Clark,” Chloe asked hopefully.

Martha shook her head. “No, not yet but I am sure that he’ll call with something soon,” Martha assured her and glanced over her shoulder to see Lex striding down the hallway.

Chloe waited until they had stepped into the elevators before turning to face Lex. He never stopped walking except to take her by one of her arms and almost forcefully walk her down the hallway until he found an empty room.

“I am not planning to take Savannah away from you and I am not sleeping with Maggie,” he bit out in a hard tone.

“I heard you, Lex,” Chloe told him in an angry tone. “Tell me I am crazy but you were clear as a bell. You planned on getting me to relax my guard long enough for your lawyers to build a case against me. Or were you planning to use this as an example of what a misfit mother I am,” She trembled with her hurt and rage. “Or maybe were you planning to tell the judge what a slut I am because of the way I jumped in the sack with you.”

“Do you really think that I would do that to you,” Lex asked in a neutral voice.

“Before I overheard you and your girlfriend I would have said no,” Chloe told him. Lex sighed as he stared at Chloe.

“I think that she is involved but I have no proof yet,” Lex told her with a hurt tone in his voice.

“So you’re trying to set her up,” Chloe asked him suspiciously as she turned away from him.

“I maybe a cold blooded bastard but do you really think that I could hop from your bed and straight into another woman’s,” Lex asked harshly as he grabbed her by her shoulders to make her look at him.

Chloe hung her head slightly as she digested what he had said. She had told him that she loved him and he had never discussed his feelings. Ordinarily she wouldn’t have needed such reassurances but after the last couple of days she needed the words. He had shown her with his body but now she wanted to hear him say it. She needed to hear him say it.

“Can you say it, Lex,” she stared up at his shuttered blue eyes. She felt her own eyes filling with tears at his continued silence. His eyes were unreadable until her first tear broke away and rolled down her cheek.

“Don’t,” he whispered hoarsely as he wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb.

“That’s what I thought,” Chloe said as she tried to step away from him only to be jerked against his hard body.

His lips scalded hers as he demanded entrance into her mouth with his tongue. Lex could taste her tears and the words that he wanted to say seemed to choke whatever voice that he might have thought to give her. He gave her everything that he had in the passion of that kiss willing her to taste the truth of what he felt. He was terrified to give voice to his feelings. He was afraid that his curse, his love would destroy them both. If he didn’t say it then it held no power over them. He gentled his assault on her mouth until he was feathering light kisses against her bruised lips.

“Please don’t cry, Chloe,” he whispered against her lips. “I can’t,” his whisper was lost as he captured her lips again.

“I know Lex,” Chloe sighed against his mouth. “But one day you will.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

“Well, Smallville, another freaking dead end. I’m out of ideas,” Lois threw her oversized bag on the chair next to Clark’s desk as she sat on the edge.

Clark leaned back and watched as Lois toed off one of her shoes then the other one. In the process her skirt rode up slightly revel a long expanse of firm silky thigh. She massaged one foot against the other to relieve the soreness.

“There has got to be something that we are missing,” he told her as he dragged one of her narrow feet into his lap and began to rub the ball of her foot with a firm touch.

Her voice caught slightly as she groaned in appreciation. “We have talked to her friends, her neighbors and even her mom. What else is there,” her voice trailed off with a husky moan that caused Clark to raise one eyebrow with amusement.

In the last few years he and Lois had began to share a banter that was vaguely reminiscent of his friendship with her cousin Chloe except with more bite. His eyes roamed the scattered papers and pictures that littered the top of his desk until he focused on a list of names.

“She has never had a boyfriend,” Clark told her as she opened her eyes with a disgruntled look.

“What are you talking about Clark,” she asked with a frown.

“She has had roommates and friends that were all female,” Clark told her excitedly. “We assumed that she didn’t date because she was on a fast track but what if she didn’t date men because she’s,” Clark paused. Her face held a look of confusion and he rolled his eyes. “Think outside of the box, Lois”

“She went to college at Harvard,” Lois said picking up his trail of thought. “So who else do we know went to school there?”

[Goldielocks]

awesome ud..the new info about maggie and lex hurt me along with chlo...i certanly hope he's plotting maggie..but u never know with a luthor...cant wait for more

[hfce]

Girl I was about to stop reading when Lex and Maggie were talking. I was so mad. Thank God Lex has a plan. If not I get first dibs to kick him in the nuts. :D I am glad Savannah is awake.


Hope :)

[lj715]

I knew Lex's plan with Maggie was just to find out if Maggie's involved with all that's been going on ( @ least, it better be). Really great update, can't wait for more.

[Krysia]

“She has had roommates and friends that were all female,” Clark told her excitedly. “We assumed that she didn’t date because she was on a fast track but what if she didn’t date men because she’s,” Clark paused. Her face held a look of confusion and he rolled his eyes. “Think outside of the box, Lois”


This part scared me more than the whole mess with Maggie[ it was pretty stupid of Lex not to tell Chloe that he has something planed,I hope he has learned his lesson that they are in this together] because if Clark is the one telling Loise to think outside the box the world has to be coming to an end. More, please.

[pipersmum]

OMG when I read what Lex and Maggie was discussing I was very :mad: !!!

I couldn't believe it but thank god that all turned out to be a ploy to get to what Maggie is really upto!!

As usual Lionel was great and glad Chloe and Lex are together again! It sounds like Clark may have finally found something I look forward to the next chapter soon, pretty please :D

[teb85]

Great update, Although I almost fell of the chair when I read the Lex and Maggie conversation. I'm so glad it's a set up and Lex has a plan! Can't wait for next installment.

[Gaia]

He'd better be plotting.
Next part please

[Shane77]

Excellent chapter!
PLZ update soon!

[katieandjason]

YAYAYAY! Savanah is better, Chlex is good, and Clark and Lois finally have a new angle. :D :D :D :D

I love this story. Is it possible to get an update twice a day? I really hate waiting.

[persephone47]

Great update, I can't wait to see what Maggie's up to...

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets (16/?)


Bright and early the next morning found Lex and Lionel both immaculately dressed sitting at the breakfast table. Each of them had a section of the paper and they were diligently ignoring each other as Chloe listened to the rustle of the newspaper and the gentle clink of silverware.

“Good morning,” she said as she breezed into the room. One of these days these two were going to have to seriously talk. She brushed her lips against Lex’s for a morning kiss and tasted briefly his toothpaste and morning coffee. She noted her novel sitting next to Lionel’s elbow. “Good morning,” she said to him as she leaned over and gave his craggy cheek a kiss before taking her seat.

She tapped the cover of the novel and arched an eyebrow at him as they shared a secret smile.

“Do you two want to let me in on the joke or do I need to hide the silverware,” Lex asked. He was surprised at Chloe’s show of affection towards his father and more importantly his father’s obvious affection for one of his would be victims.

“Have you ever read this author,” Lionel asked his son. Chloe choked slightly on her first sip of her morning coffee as she shot Lionel a quick frown.

“No, I don’t think that I have,” Lex said with a slight frown as he watched the pair in front of him and picked up the book to examine the outer jacket.

“The writer has a fascinating head for dramatics,” Lionel told his son while enjoying the shocked look on Chloe’s face.

“A complement coming from you, Dad, this writer must be impressive,” Lex told him as he slide the book back across the table. “I have to go into Metropolis this morning but I’ll be back this afternoon,” he told them. “Are you both planning to spend the day at the hospital?”

“I am headed there directly,” Lionel told him. “I gathered a few of Savannah’s things to keep her occupied,” he gestured to the bag that was filled to the brim with his grandchild’s toys, books, and movies.

Chloe leaned over to stare into the bag with raised eyebrows. “Wow! I am surprised that you don’t have her entire playroom packed up,” she teased the older man.

“Well, it all wouldn’t fit into the bag Ms. Sullivan,” Lionel told her smugly.

Chloe frowned slightly. She could almost swear that he put the emphasis on the Sullivan.

“And are you riding in with Dad,” Lex asked as he finished his cup of coffee and prepared to leave.

“No I have an errand to run first,” she told him. Lex turned to face her with a slight frown.

“Chloe,” he began until she raised her hand to stop his next comment.

“I promise that I am not out snooping. The Kent’s are picking me up to take me car shopping,” she told the surprised men.

“I realize that you haven’t lived here long,” Lionel told her as he glanced at his son. “But there is a whole garage full of cars, including some that actually run,” he said with a smirk at Lex.

Chloe nodded as she took a fortifying sip of her coffee. “Yes but they aren’t mine,” she told them.

“If you wanted your own car all you had to do was ask,” Lex told her with a frown as he gathered his things together.

“But it still wouldn’t be mine,” Chloe said as she leaned back watching both of their reactions. Her lips twitched at the identical looks of confusion that passed over both of their faces.

“But,” Lex started as she held up a hand.

“No buts Lex,” she told them. “I am perfectly capable of buy a vehicle for myself. I have the money and a ride all I have to do is go pick one out,” she informed them as one of Lex’s staff knocked on the door.

“Mrs. Kent is here to see Ms. Sullivan,” the older man informed them.

“Charlie,” she said with a mock sternness. “How many times do I have to tell you its Chloe,” she asked.

“Sorry Ms. Chloe,” the older man apologized with a small smile then he gave a start. “Mr. Luthor your helicopter has landed,” he said as he turned towards Lex. “And the car is waiting for you whenever you are ready, Mr. Luthor,” he told Lionel.

Chloe watched as a muscle tightened in Lex’s jaw line. “Fine,” he said but his tone was clearly not happy.

Martha walked into the breakfast nook in time to hear Chloe telling Lex Luthor to shut up and give her a kiss. She had to hide her smile behind her hand and she noticed that Lionel was biting the inside of his cheek as his own lips were twitching with amusement. Lex started to walk in Chloe’s direction but pause when he spotted Martha Kent standing there.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” she told him as she entered the room.

Chloe stood as she did and walked around the breakfast table. She grabbed the lapels of Lex’s suit in a light grip and kissed him with a searing heat. The loud thud of his briefcase hitting the floor was heard a few seconds later. Martha busied herself with getting a cup of coffee while Lionel studiously returned to his newspaper. Chloe broke the kiss that threatened to sear her senses with a small gasp.

“Go to work and bring home the bacon honey,” she teased him as she bumped her nose playfully against his and smoothed his jacket down with tender hands. His breaths came in slight pants as he rested his forehead against hers. Lex smoothed a hand through her long hair.

“You should,” he started to say but she cut him off quietly.

“I know that you can afford to buy me a vehicle but it still wouldn’t be mine,” she brushed her lips against his gently. “Don’t clip my wings Lex. I can’t live like that.” She stared into his eyes for a moment. “You had better get going,” she said as she stepped away from him as he moved off.

“You know Martha if his competitors ever learned to negotiate like our Ms. Sullivan then LuthorCorp would be in serious trouble,” Lionel told Martha in a stage whisper. He watched with enjoyment as a blush stole up Chloe’s cheeks.

“Yuk it up old man but don’t you have someone waiting on you,” Chloe asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I give them a year before I’ll be bouncing my next grandchild on my knee,” Lionel told the laughing Martha Kent. He snatched up the bag and left a sputtering Ms. Sullivan behind.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Lex strolled through LuthorCorp with a deceptively casual ease. He tightened his control on his emotions as he smiled at the occasional workers that he passed. Since having taken over control of LuthorCorp from his father’s reign he made notable changes amongst the moral of the workers or at least he tried to.

“Good morning Lex,” called his newest office secretary. “How’s that baby of yours,” Allison asked quietly as she handed him his mail and a fresh cup of coffee. Lex could feel his lips curl into a soft smile as he thought about the phone conversation that he had with Savannah this morning.

“She’s good,” he told her. “She seems to have taken well to the antidote,” he told her as he gestured her into his offices. Allison was the woman that helped him out that night he stormed into LuthorCorp ready to burn the world down.

“She looks like a doll,” Allison told him. “Oh, before I forget,” Allison told him. “Maggie stopped by the office earlier this morning and dropped these reports off for you to look over. She said that she would be working out of the Smallville Plant all day if there were any questions,” Allison told him.

Lex watched as his eye told him a different story then what his ears heard. Allison’s eyes shifted nervously away from his for a moment and that grabbed his attention right away. Lex frowned as he noted that it was barely 6:30 in the morning.

“Were you here already,” he asked as she handed him the stack of reports.

“I just wanted to get a head start on the proposal that you asked me to type up,” she told him with a grin. “After all I just got moved up I’d hate to piss off the boss my first week here,” Allison told him bluntly.

It had taken her a couple of hours that night to get over her fear of the imposing Lex Luthor who was in a snit but in the end it was her quiet efficiency and a steady stream of excellent coffee that made Lex decide to move her up into his offices. He knew from his conversation with her that she was a single mom raising a couple of kids on her own. The move had ensured that she would have flexible hours and better pay.

“Is there something about Maggie that makes you uncomfortable,” Lex asked as he took a sip of his coffee and gestured to the chair across from his desk.

“Not so much as uncomfortable but odd,” Allison told him as she slid into the seat that he offered. “She asked questions about your itinerary that struck me as odd. Who you were meeting with and where you’d be all day,” Allison told him as she watched him somewhat nervously. “Then it struck me. Why would she ask all those questions when she is suppose to be your assistant or make it a point of telling me that she’d be working at the Smallville Plant all day? Then she went into your offices and started looking around for something,” Allison grimaced as she told him the last part. Allison fidgeted with her watch for a moment. “The whole thing struck me as being so odd that I,” she paused to glance at Lex to judge his reaction.

“What did you do,” he asked quietly as the wheels in his head began to turn.

“I stole her security pass for the Smallville Plant and set a security detail on her to follow her and track her movements,” she blurted in a rush her face pale against the rush of temper that she was certain to come her way as she slide Maggie’s security card across his desk.

Lex picked up the security card that Allison had laid on his desk and fingered the edge slightly. He leaned back in his chair rocking slightly as he watched her face turn pale. He was surprised at her audacity and it reminded him of something that Chloe would have done.

“Here is what I want from you,” Lex told her as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk. “I want you to take the rest of the day off and go down to MU. Get enrolled in a few of their evening business courses to finish your degree,” a small smile began to spread across his face as he enjoyed her wide eyed shock. He knew that she never got a chance to finish school.

“But I can’t,” Allison started to object.

“Tuition and books will be covered by LuthorCorp,” Lex told her over riding her objects. “And there will have to be another salary raise to cover the cost of child care,” he told her with a grin.

“But,” Allison paused as she felt almost overwhelmed by his generosity. “Why,” she asked.

“Because I can’t have my new personal assistant trying to help me run the business with only a couple of business classes under her belt,” Lex informed her. “Anyone who is smart enough to trust their instincts and do what they think is right is someone that I want on my team,” Lex glanced away for a moment. “Besides you were not afraid to work with me the other night when my,” Lex paused uncomfortably. “Temper was not at best.”

“God, Lex, I would kill anyone who dared to threaten one of my babies. Why should you have felt any different? You’re a parent that’s how you are supposed to feel,” She told him urgently. “And I think that you were in better control then I would have been.”

The arrival of the other secretaries in the outer offices put a hold on the rest of their conversation. He followed Allison out of the offices and told his secretaries to inform people that he was in a meeting and did not want to be disturbed. Since Allison stole Maggie’s security pass and she wanted him to think that she would be at the plant all day then he was gambling that she would head for the house.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Lionel and Chloe spent the better part of the morning trying to contain a six year old child who was bored and already tired of being in bed until Savannah had finally worn herself out enough to fall asleep.

“Remind me to pack two bags next time,” Lionel told Chloe with a tired satisfied smile. He began to pick up the scattered toys from around the room.

“Take your moments of peace where you can, Grandpa,” Chloe teased as she reached for her ringing handbag. “You know she’ll be just as big of handful once we get her home.

“I just don’t remember Lex being this active,” Lionel smiled.

“That’s because you’re really old,” Chloe said with a smirk as she glanced at her caller ID and saw that it was Clark. “I have to take this,” she told him as he waved her away. She flipped open her phone and headed out of the room a crisp pace.

“Where have you been and what have you found out,” she asked without preamble.

“Hi to you too cuz,” Lois said with a laughing tone.

“Lois,” Chloe asked in shock. “Oh my god, it’s been a long time!”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I had to find out from Smallville that I have a second cousin,” Lois snapped at her with a slight censuring tone to her voice.

“Look can you bark at me later about that,” Chloe asked then hesitated. “So did Clark bring you up to speed?”

“Pretty much,” Lois told her as she glanced around the airport vaguely wishing that she was still a smoker. “We’re in Boston and boy you’d never believe what we found out,” Lois told Chloe.

“Well, spill,” it was Chloe’s turn to snap at Lois.

“Lex’s assistant Maggie went to Harvard Business School,” Lois told her as if that was supposed to explain everything.

“Yeah and,” Chloe drawled out ignoring the slightly agitated nurse hovering around her.

“Helen Bryce also went to Harvard,” Lois informed her. “And they are or were lovers,” Lois finished with relish.

“You’re shitting me,” Chloe gasped as she struggled to grip the implications of what Lois told her.

“Evidently the two women were as close as two peas in a pod,” Lois went on. “And after Helen’s unfortunate disappearance it seems that Maggie also took an extended vacation in Europe with an unknown female companion under the guise of recovering from her loss.”

“Oh my god,” Chloe gasped. “I have to go. I need to warn Lex,” Chloe told her with a slight tremor to her voice.

“You can’t use that cell phone in here,” the nurse told her with a sharp tone and a frown.

Chloe spun on her heel and raced for the nearest elevator and she moved. Her fingers trembled slightly as she dialed Lex’s private number. She prayed that she could reach him in time.

[Goldielocks]

omg this is gettin more intresting with every passing chapter...please us soon like today perhaps, plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[teb85]

Omg !! Once again you can't leave it like that, Things are really starting to get interesting and now with Lois and Clark's new info I can't wait to see what Lex and Chloe will do to Maggie and Helen when they got hold of them !! As usual loved it and am looking forward to the next installment !!

[pipersmum]

This just gets better and better I love this story you had some good dialogue in there like this.

“I know that you can afford to buy me a vehicle but it still wouldn’t be mine,” she brushed her lips against his gently. “Don’t clip my wings Lex. I can’t live like that.” She stared into his eyes for a moment. “You had better get going,” she said as she stepped away from him as he moved off.


This made me chuckle!

Martha walked into the breakfast nook in time to hear Chloe telling Lex Luthor to shut up and give her a kiss. She had to hide her smile behind her hand and she noticed that Lionel was biting the inside of his cheek as his own lips were twitching with amusement. Lex started to walk in Chloe’s direction but pause when he spotted Martha Kent standing there.




“Yuk it up old man but don’t you have someone waiting on you,” Chloe asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I give them a year before I’ll be bouncing my next grandchild on my knee,” Lionel told the laughing Martha Kent. He snatched up the bag and left a sputtering Ms. Sullivan behind.

Lionel is just great in this story! :D

So it seems they are finally going to be able to get something on Maggie!! I can't wait to read the next chapter.

[hfce]

Oh my God you have to update now!! I want to see what happens next. My heart is pounding in anticipation. :eek:


Hope :)

[campbti]

Huh, didn't peg that one. That was cute. i like Lex's new assistant. And the Luthor clan is amusing as always. very good. can't wait for more.

[naughtyChloe]

OMG Can this be Helen's big plot to get back at Lex. I loved the part where Lex gave Allson the chance to go back to school was that Chloe and Savanah's influince you think.

[lj715]

I'm suppossed to be doing my wash but, I HAD to read your update!!! OMG, Helen & Maggie were/are lovers??!!!! I never saw that coming. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Love this story.

[Krysia]

“I just don’t remember Lex being this active,” Lionel smiled.

“That’s because you’re really old,” Chloe said with a smirk


:D This part cracked me up. I simply adore Lionel in this story. I can't wait to see more of his interaction with Savanah. And I hope he will use some of his charm to get Chloe and Lex to be officialy together. I also hope Allison will become even more involved in the story.

[katieandjason]

Holy smokes! Helen Bryce? That's a blast from the past and a twist no one uses. Crazy coldhearted biatch. I can't wait to see how that pans out. :D

Also, love love LOVE Chloe's negotiation skills. I personally think that kissing someone senseless is the best way to get what you want. ;)

[planetcal]

OMG Helen and Maggie!!!!!!!! I love that Lex is helping Allison finish her degree. Hope to see more of Allison in the story. Glad to see that Savannah is all right. But please come back and update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[itsjustXchar]

H-H-Helen?? whoa! i sooo did NOT see that one coming. Have I mentioned how much I absolutely adore your writing? Well, if not you're excellent! Keep up the amazing work! Oh, and you do know that there will be a sequel to this, right? ::smile:: lol just messing around but if you did in fact write a sequel I would know whom it was for. LOL ::hugs::

You're Rad!!

[shelyra]

I just love this story, especially how the Luthor men are wrapped around Savannah's little finger. Also there's just so many twists and turns! I can't wait for the next chapter.

[persephone47]

I'm totally hooked, and I can't wait for the next update...

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 17

Chloe tried to reach Lex several times before her fear gave way to panic. She called his offices only to be told that he was in a meeting. She hung up the phone one final time and was prepared to throw it across the parking lot when Lex’s business number showed up on the caller ID.

“Lex, where the hell have you been,” she growled out.

“Ms. Sullivan, this isn’t Mr. Luthor,” a female voice told her. “This is Allison Cross; I, um, work for Mr. Luthor. I happened to be in the office when your call came the last time. He is on his way to Smallville,” Allison told her with a rush.

“Do you know how long ago he left,” Chloe asked her feeling vaguely relieved that someone was at least trying to help her out.

“No, but I think it was about the same time that I left to run some errands which was about 45 minutes ago,” Allison told her.

“Did Lex say anything about a woman named Maggie,” Chloe asked her.

Allison bit her lip and did some really quick thinking. She knew that this was the mother of Lex’s child Savannah but she was hesitant to tell her what had occurred this morning.

“Please,” Chloe asked. “He could be in real danger.”

Allison retold Chloe the information that she had told Lex and when she was done she listened to the harsh sounds of Chloe’s breathing.

“Okay, you had better make sure that Lex gives you a solid raise when this is all done with,” Chloe told her.

“Is there anything that I can do to help,” Allison asked.

“No, you have been great. Thanks,” Chloe hung up the phone and ran back inside the hospital to grab her purse.

“Lionel,” Chloe said some what breathless from her mad dash back inside.

“What’s going on Chloe,” Lionel asked with a worried tone to his voice.
“Lionel, I need you to stay with Savannah. Don’t let anyone in here that you don’t recognize,” Chloe gasped out as she snatched up her purse. Before she could make it back to the door Lionel grabbed hold of her arm.

“Chloe what is going on,” he asked again as he struggled to keep his voice low.

“I think that Helen Bryce is involved,” Chloe gasped out at the hard hand that gripped her above her elbow. “Which means with her background you can’t let anyone near Savannah until we catch her. Please watch her for me Lionel,” Chloe glanced at her daughter with an anxious frown. “I have got to catch Lex before he finds her or she finds him.”

“Be careful,” Lionel told her with concern echoing in his tone as he dragged her close for a quick hug. “You and Savannah are very important to both Lex and me.”

Chloe gave him a quick squeeze and head for the door.

“What is it with you Luthor men and your inability to say I love you,” Chloe half muttered under her breath.

“Those three little words aren’t big enough to encompass all that we feel,” Lionel told her with a sad smile.

“Haven’t you guys heard,” Chloe asked as she turned to Lionel with a grin. “Size isn’t everything,” she told him as she left.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Lex threw open the doors silently hoping that he was wrong about Maggie. He had already placed a phone call to the Smallville Plant only to be told that Maggie had not shown up there. He was vaguely disappointed to find her going through his credenza.

“Did you leave something behind,” he asked with a deceptive calm as he strolled through the doors is a casual manner.

Maggie spun around with a gasp

“Lex, what,” she paused and took a deep breath to cover her shock. Then her face became shuttered and expressionless.

“What are you doing here was just what I was going to ask you,” he said as he slammed the doors of his office shut. “As for me I live here or did you forget?”

He headed for his wet bar and reached for his brandy container then grabbed a sealed bottle of water. With quick and efficient movements he uncapped it and took a long pull from the bottle. When he turned around he found that Maggie had a gun trained on him and felt his face drain of color.

“Does this mean that you aren’t happy with the new dental insurance,” he asked in a flippant manner. Every muscle in his body felt tense but he just wanted answers.

“You always were a condescending prick,” Maggie growled at him. The gun in her hand was steady as she watched him closely.

“I knew that you’d never let her go. Even after all these years, Lex, you always felt a need to play hero to that pitiful Smallville gang,” Maggie told him with a maniacal gleam in her eyes.

“What are you talking about Maggie,” Lex asked perplexed as he watched her looking for an opportunity to distract her.

“Don’t call me that,” she shrieked at him. “Don’t you ever call me that again,” she spat at him. He watched with a sinking feeling as she tightened the hold on her gun. “She died because of you.”

“Alright,” he held his hands up. “Alright, what name should I use then?” He watched as tears filled her eyes and silently began to fall.

“What’s wrong Lex,” she laughed harshly. “Don’t recognize your own wife or was she too easy to sweep under the rug?”

“Helen,” he said shocked. He knew that Desiree would have never been able to pull off such a complicated scheme but Helen was dead. “How did Maggie die, Helen,” he asked looking for a way to distract her. He knew that this woman in front of him wasn’t Helen.

“You killed her,” Maggie/ Helen told him. Her voice rose with agitation. “You killed her the day that you made her disappear. What did you, do you bastard, throw her off the plane,” she asked.

Lex could feel a trickle of sweat roll down his back as his mind raced for answers.

“Why did you wait this long,” he asked as he took a hesitant step forward. The rapport of the gun was deafening as the vase next to him shattered. He immediately froze.

“Don’t come any closer,” she snapped at him. “I need you alive for now, Lex.”
“Why,” he asked again.

“Because you have to suffer as much as I have, Helen was the only person that loved me,” the woman in front of him moaned as she slowly lost hold of reality. “You have to loose everything that you ever loved too. You have to pay for your crimes, Lex,” she told him as her insanity gleamed in her eyes. “I am going to kill that bitch and her brat and you are going to watch. I want you to see them suffer. I want you to carry that with you for the rest of your short days, Lex,” she laughed without humor. “I have been a good girl, Helen,” she stated as she slipped further into her dementia. “It was so easy to get you down to that little hick town. I knew once you spotted that kid you would know that she was your devil spawn. Then you had to feel fear Lex,” she paused and glanced at him curiously. “You have never felt fear but you felt it this time didn’t you,” she asked as she giggled. Her gaze kept shifting around the room. “You were always mine Lex,” she growled as her hand tightened once again on her gun.

Lex felt nauseous at the thought of having to endure her torture that she had obviously planned for him. His fear for his family rose and threatened to chock him as he stood there.

“That’s where you are wrong you bitch,” spat the familiar furious tone of Chloe and Lex felt his world shift on its axis.

Lex was helpless as he stared at Chloe’s face. His heart swelled with love as he watched her face down this insane woman. He was deafened this time by the sounds of two guns going off as Maggie/ Helen brought her weapon around and fired. The impact of the bullet spun Maggie around as Chloe stared at him for a moment before the gun that she was hold slowly slipped from her grasp and tumbled to the floor. Chloe slowly slid to the floor but not before Lex spotted the crimson stain that had began to slowly spread across her shirt front.

[kimmie]

Oh My God!!! What!!! Noooooooooo!!! Please don't let Chloe die... She can't I need a happy ending...

Come back and fix this...PLEASE!!!

Kimmie

[apollo]

what are you doing? you can not hurt chloe. hasn't lex been through enough? but however it was a good update. please update soon.

[hfce]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE NOT CHLOEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! :beg: She can't die... :(

[Shane77]

Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can't kill Chloe! That's so not fair and if you tell me life is not fair, i will kill you lol!
Amazing chapter! And update soon plz!

[pipersmum]

:eek: OMG!! You can't leave it there pretty please you have to come back and update! This isn't in angst so shes not going to die right????

I absolutely loved this bit! LOL.

“What is it with you Luthor men and your inability to say I love you,” Chloe half muttered under her breath.

“Those three little words aren’t big enough to encompass all that we feel,” Lionel told her with a sad smile.

“Haven’t you guys heard,” Chloe asked as she turned to Lionel with a grin. “Size isn’t everything,” she told him as she left.



Please, please, please come back and update!

[teb85]

Fantastic update but you can't leave it there !!! Come back and put things right, Lex just almost lost his daughter at the hands of this woman and now Chloe too ?? That can't be good!! looking forward to the next installment.

[lj715]

NO WAY!!!! First Savannah almost dies & now Chloe is shot. I have full faith that you will fix this so....get to fixing. Update soon please.

[Gaia]

Nonononononononononononononononononononononononono nonono....not good. Not good at all. You make Chloe well. She has to be safe for them to be a happy family:(
Update as soon as you can please.

[campbti]

Damn it, you can't just leave it like that. And why must people make themselves knows, shoot first, monologue later....

Hurry back... great twist by the way

[Goldielocks]

i loved the last ud but my favorite part is

“What is it with you Luthor men and your inability to say I love you,” Chloe half muttered under her breath.

“Those three little words aren’t big enough to encompass all that we feel,” Lionel told her with a sad smile.

“Haven’t you guys heard,” Chloe asked as she turned to Lionel with a grin. “Size isn’t everything,” she told him as she left.

thats so true:P

and then i kept reading and my face was like :eek: u cant , i repeat let chloe die

[planetcal]

Oh NOOOO Chloe. Come back you can't just leave it like that!!!!!!!!!!! Please update soon.

[yasmine32068]

Coppertone Sunsets 18

Thirteen Months Later:

“You know Ms. Sullivan I could always count on you to prove me wrong,” Lionel told her with a wide grin as he gently bounced the newest member of the Luthor family against his chest. He stared down at the little pink face with fascination as the baby opened his mouth to yawn tiredly.

“Everyone needs a hobby, Lionel,” Chloe said with a weary grin as she shifted feeling more than a little uncomfortable from her ordeal. “I really do wish that you and Lex would have let me have this baby at the house with the mid-wife rather than the hospital,” Chloe said some what disgruntled.

“Well, Lex and I agreed that we would have rather you had the best medical staff at your disposal,” Lionel told her with a slightly condescending tone.

“Oh my god,” Chloe exclaimed causing the elder Luthor to start with surprise.

“What’s wrong,” Lex demanded with a frown as he escorted Savannah into the room.

“I think the devil just donned a parka,” Chloe said with a faint wide eyed look. Lex stood there with a slight frown that marred his usual smooth features.

“What are you talking about,” Lionel asked somewhat hesitantly.

“I always said the day that you two agree on anything is the day that hell freezes over,” Chloe said with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Man, the devil must be mighty cold,” she mournfully as she hid her humor behind a straight face as the two men glanced at each other and broke out with wide grins.

“Oh, Mommy owes the Disney jar two quarters now,” Savannah piped up with a disapproving voice as she scrambled to sit on her mother’s bed with her fathers help. Chloe slid over to make room for her daughter as she did the corned of her hospital gown sag slightly to revel one creamy shoulder marred by a small circular scar.

Lex dropped a light kiss on the blemish but felt his gut tighten in remembered horror and panic at the sight of Chloe’s blood being spilt. In an instant nothing mattered to him except that he wasn’t able to protect yet another loved one from his curse.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chloe gasped from the pain in her shoulder as she collapsed slowly to the floor. Lex was at her side before she even hit the floor. She let her eyes drink him in.

“Are you okay,” she asked in a pain tighten voice. Chloe hissed as Lex applied pressure to the bleeding wound.

“I’m fine,” he told her with a gentle voice. “Hold on please, Chloe. Don’t talk right now, we’ll talk later,” he said with a strange note in his voice. Chloe realized that he was worried.

“I figured it out between Allison and Lois’s phone calls,” Chloe gasped out as police and EMT burst through the doors of Lex’s study.

“I need help here,” Lex growled out.

It seemed like an eternity passed as he sat in the waiting room waiting on the doctors to tell him something about Chloe’s condition. He endured the reassurances of the parade of friends that passed through the waiting room with a stoic silence as he struggled to choke back the almost crippling fear that threatened to consume him. Maggie didn’t need to torture him hideously he was doing a good job by himself.

“This is why I never remarried after your mother died,” Lionel told him in a quiet voice as he sat next to his son.

“Dad,” Lex gritted out through clenched teeth. “I am not really in the mood to endure one of your riveting lectures on our dysfunctional family dynamics.”

“Fine then just listen for once in your stubborn existence,” Lionel growled back at his son. Lionel took a deep and steadying breath. “Your mother was one of the most infuriating and stubborn women I ever had the misfortune of meeting but I adored the ground that she walked on,” Lionel told him as Lex’s eyes widened in shock. “She was from the old neighborhood where I grew up. Her family had just moved into the apartment complex across the street where we had lived.”

“I thought you told me that she had been a daughter of one of the business men that you had known,” Lex asked in confusion.

“In away she was. Her father had worked for Morgan Edge,” Lionel told him. “Have you ever thrown a rock in a body of still water and watched as the ripples expanded outwards?” Lionel glanced at Lex and watched him nod. He couldn’t tell what was going on behind his son’s hooded eyes.

“Edge had already become something of a name amongst the less than scrupulous members of society and he was looking to expand his own territory when he sent Lillian’s family to move into the neighborhood,” Lionel told him. “Lilly and I spent a good six months circling each other like a couple of dogs fighting over a scrap of meat because of the nature of the neighborhood we traveling in the same circles and were forced to endure each other’s company more times to count.”

Lex gave a slight start as he listened to his father speak. Lex watched in almost fascination as his normally stern father’s face softened at his memories. He knew that this was the truth that his father was speaking.
“Then one day coming home from school I heard raised voices coming from one of the allies near our house. When I ventured forth to investigate I found that two of the school jocks had cornered Lilly and were in the process of trying to take obvious unwanted liberties with Lilly,” Lionel’s voice hardened as he remembered his old anger.

“I beat both of those boys half to death with a piece of two by four that I had found and I told them that I would come back and kill their whole families if they ever opened their mouths or touched her again. I took Lilly home to her family. She had been banged up pretty bad. Her family of course was grateful for what I had done,” Lionel cringed slightly.

“Something changed between Lillian and me after that. I found myself walking her home and I constantly worried about her,” Lionel smiled softly at the happier memories. Lex was for once hesitant to speak fearing that his father would stop talking or close back up.

“She was never meant to live in the harshness of that neighborhood. She really didn’t have the temperament for it. Her father was grateful to have his daughter in one piece constantly badgered me into doing little jobs for him until in a moment of weakness I did. Of course once I did they had their claws in me,” Lionel’s eyes filled with regret.

“Your grandfather worked hard and played hard. That was no lie,” Lionel told Lex as he glanced at him. “When he drank he was the meanest son of a bitch you would ever want to meet. One day he broke my arm over some infraction that I had committed. Lillian found me lying in the dirty hallway and dragged me back to her apartment. Your mother and I had been seeing each other on the sly because if her father ever found out that that I was dating his daughter I have no doubts that he would have killed me. At some point in my delirium from the pain I told him that I wished that they were all dead. I spent the night in their guest room doped up from the painkillers that the hospital had given me. I never knew about the fire until the next day. When the insurance money came in I asked Lillian to run away with me. I promised her that I would take care of her,” Lionel told him.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before,” Lex demanded. “Why didn’t you tell the truth in court,” Lex asked in frustration.

“To what end, Lex,” Lionel said quietly. “I was guilty of killing my parents as surely as if I put a gun to their heads and pulled the trigger. I knew what kind of man that Lillian’s father was and if I had kept my mouth shut my parents would still be alive,” Lionel snapped back.

“All I have ever wanted was for you to be strong enough to resist those mistakes that I had made. Then after your mother’s death I didn’t know how to console myself much less a child who still needed his mother,” Lionel told him trying to keep the emotion out of his voice and failing.

“You were so much like your mother both in face and temperament that it hurt to look at you. So I packed you off to one boarding school to another. By the time that I could finally face you it was too late. There was just this huge void between us,” Lionel told him with regret evident in his voice.

Lex looked at his father and for the first time he understood some of his father’s obsessive actions. He felt the first glimmer of hope. Something that Lex hadn’t felt in a long time. Lionel drew in a shaky breath as he stared back at his son.

“I would never trade a second of the time that I had your mother in my life,” He leaned forward and to rest his hand on Lex’s arm. “She is going to pull through this Lex. She is just too stubborn not to,” Lionel reassured him as he glanced up and watched the doctor head their way.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chloe finally woke up from the anesthesia feeling no pain. Lex was holding her hand and his shining head rested on the edge of her bed. Lex was snoring lightly as she reached out her other hand to smooth across the back of his neck weakly. She glanced around and spotted Lionel once again sitting in another hospital chair sound asleep with his head resting on the wall behind him. She noticed finally that Lex was staring at her with his bright blue eyes.
“You know we may be charged rent for the amount of time that we spend in the hospital,” Chloe cracked weakly.

“I think I can afford that,” Lex told her softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’d been shot,” Chloe joked back quietly. She gripped his hand tightly as he started to rise. “Please, don’t. I was kidding, I am actually feeling no pain,” Chloe told him and smiled when Lionel grunted and for a second his snoring had stopped before resuming its steady stream. “Tell me what happened?”

“It seems that Maggie was Helen Bryce’s lover from back in their college days. The police found her diaries from back in those days. She had introduced Helen to my father after having met him at one of the social functions. Which explains why she made it a point to avoid meeting my father,” Lex informed her.

“So after Helen disappeared she went nuts and set up this scheme to try to kill you,” Chloe finished for him. She watched at the smirk that twisted Lex’s lips.

“That’s it in a nut shell,” he told her.

“Did I kill her,” She asked quietly. Lex hesitated before nodding silently. He watched as Chloe closed her eyes for a moment.

“To bad,” she told him in a hard voice. “I’d like another crack at her again for what she put Savannah through,” Chloe paused and then her eyes opened wide and worried. “If you are both here where’s my daughter,” Chloe asked anxiously.

“She is in the next bed sleeping,” Lex told her as he leaned over and drew back the curtains to revel her sleeping daughter. “You both should be going home in the morning,” Lex told her. “Marry me,” Lex asked as Chloe settled back in the bed.

“Why,” Chloe asked him as she searched his beloved face for some sign of what he was feeling.

“Because,” Lex paused as he choked on his words. “We’re good together and I care about you and Savannah. Besides Savannah needs stability,” he finished lamely as he watched her eyes cloud over with pain. He knew what she wanted to hear but again he felt choked by the very thought of uttering those words out loud.

“I love you Lex but I can’t marry you,” She told him as the tears fell slowly down her cheeks. “It’s all or nothing.” He nodded through the tight feelings that gripped his chest like an iron band.

“Does this mean that you are moving out of the house with Savannah,” he asked in a tight voice.

“No,” Chloe told him. “I don’t want to unless you don’t want us there any more,” Chloe stated.

“I’ll never let you go, Chloe,” Lex told her in a hard brittle voice.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Lionel watched as Lex kissed Chloe and smoothed back her mussed hair with a tender hand. At least this time they were there for the birth of Gabriel Lionel Luthor. He glanced down at the sleeping face of his grandson. He watched for months as Lex and Chloe danced around the issues of marriage. He had hoped when Chloe had gotten pregnant that she would have finally buckled and given in to Lex but true to Sullivan form she never did. Lionel’s eyes took on a gleam as he began to plot her down fall. Oh yes, it was time for the magnificent bastard to rear his ugly head and this time for a worthy cause.

*-*-*-*

Author’s footnotes: Hey, I wanted to thank everyone for the generous support of this storyline. I have enjoyed writing this and absolutely fell in love with this version of the characters too and yes I am plotting a sequel Sunrise Kisses (Thanks to a little birdy planting the idea in my head) but I am not sure how soon that will be. I still have “Heaven is a Place on Earth” to finish.

[Krysia]

A part of me is sad that the story is finished, but another [ larger one] can't wait for the sequel :)

[lj715]

NOOOO, it's over! I really loved it! So happy that they had another baby ( thank you). I'm so glad that you're gonna have a sequel. I need more interaction between Lex & Chloe ( more smut, as much as "R" allows), Savannah needs to have a little breakdown over having a new brother. I don't understand why Chloe won't marry Lex. Loved Lionel's confessional there ( good background info on how he met Lillian , his life with his parents.) You did a great job. Can't wait for the sequel.

[hfce]

That was wonderful but its not finished right? Lionel will get Lex to say I love you and they will get married right? :beg:


Hope :D

[pipersmum]

I am sad it has finished but really happy that you are going to write a sequel :D If only Lex would tell Chloe he loved her and can't live without her maybe then she would have said yes!!!

Lionel is fantastic and I am looking forward to see what he comes with to get them married ;)

Thankyou for writing such a great story and I will keep my eye out for sunrise kisses :D In the mean time I will look forward to updates of Heaven is a Place on Earth!

[Goldielocks]

OMG OMG OMG...THAT WAS AMAZING, oh another beaty in the luthor family...i understand why chlo wont marry him and she's right...i know he loves her even a blind man can see that but a girl has to hear it no matter what...i know she knows he loves her but she got to hear from him so chlo's doing the right thing...i have to say i love lionel in this story and savannah they r becoming my fav 2 characters in this fic...hehe crazy i know...but they r so cute..CANT WAIT 4 THE SEQUEL

WILL U BE POSTING THE SEQUEL IN GENERAL THREAD???????

[katieandjason]

I started reading this and thought to myself... 'Wait, did I miss an update? Impossible!' And I was right, it was impossible. :D So I just kept reading and it all made sense. I like how you handled the flashback, it set it up nicely for plot continuation without a filler chapter.

Oh! And a sequel already! YIPPEE!!! The MB is returning to get Chlex married? I'm cool with that. You cool with that? Yeah, go ahead. :D ;)

[persephone47]

Wonderful story, and a great ending. I can't wait for the sequel!

[welshy]

That was a great ending and I can't wait for the sequel, especially to see what the MB has planned for the two :)

[teb85]

Omg! I'm so sad this has finished but pleased your planning a sequel ! The ending was fantastic and loved the way it was written with the flashbacks !! Great job, I Loved it !!!

[Shane77]

This story was amazing!
Can't wait for the sequel!

[Louie]

Wonderful story, I can't wait to see a scheming Lionel (hehehe using all that well practiced bad for good). Jumping over to read your other story now.

[happybum]

i fell in love with your story and couldn't stop reading. Best spent hours procrastinating. =] i can't wait for the sequel b/c im hooked.

[Charlie]

Exellent story. I look forward to the sequel.

[persephone47]

WILL U BE POSTING THE SEQUEL IN GENERAL THREAD???????

That;s a good point, where will you be posting the sequel?

[yasmine32068]

Sooner or later it will be in the general thread and thank you all so much for your warm support of the story line... This is actually my third ever story!

Yasmine32068

[persephone47]

thank you all so much for your warm support of the story line... This is actually my third ever story!

Yasmine32068

You writing is wonderful, I've just recently started reading fic here and when I started reading yours I was drawn in, you've done a great job, I never would have guessed that you just started writing. :)

[itsjustXchar]

Hmm..little birdy, eh? ::secret smile:: lol WOW! I just got back in town, and this was most definitely what I needed to make me feel at home! The ending of this story was great! Although, Chloe will marry Lex, right? ::nudge nudge scoot scoot:: I guess I'll see, eh? The story has been wonderfully, well, wonderful!

Awesomeness!

[Skye]

aww!! Such a beautiful story!! So glad that I finally got the chance to read it all the way to the finale.

[xxasaxx]

Great story! now i can go read the sequal!

[summer_enchanted]

Really loved this story. I'm so happy you decided to start a sequel. :)

[stwbrrydelight]

Oh, god please tell me there is a sequal to this thing. I must know how "the Magnificant Bastard" plots Chloe's downfall and the marrage.

Wow, this story was wonderfull....tonight was really slow at work and i was able to complete the entire story in one sitting. I am so glad i found the story after it was completed, if i had found it earlier I would probably gone nuts waiting for the posting of new chaps.

[arkakitty]

Really Really Really a great story =)
Could not stop reading it.

[malugargula]

This fic is amazing
I loved your Lionel
Great work

[Nimmie]

So cute and so sweet and so full of drama. Interesting to see a friend of Helen's. loved allison and Didi. Looking forwards to reading more of your work.

Thank you
N

[elementia]

That was such a great story. I really enjoyed it!!

[sullivangirl]

wonderful story.... wish there's epilogue, still want to read about luthor family....Lionel with the youngest Sullivan-Luthor baby is something to see. Great story.

[truenesfaratu]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story

[Ami Rose]

Love it! Sad that Lex cant say those three little words! But still an amazing story!