westwingwolf
23rd December 2009, 00:18
Title: X’s and O’s
Author: westwingwolf
Spoilers: Everything before Season 5 "Lexmas"
Rating: PG
Summary: Chloe gets a little push for the Christmas holiday.
AN: Unfortunately, I couldn't think of an original plot so I figured if I had to steal one, then I'd steal a classic.
Chloe briefly wondered if she should be worried that working late at the Daily Planet was her ideal way of spending the holidays. In all honesty it wasn’t her first choice. She was supposed to take a plane to Gotham to spend Christmas with her father but a snow storm had prevented any travel to and from Metropolis. The Kents had generously offered her the chance to spend Christmas Eve and Day with them, but she only agreed to a promise of making an appearance on Christmas Day. Having to watch the Kents, Clark and Lana being all holly and jolly when she had no one was too depressing to suffer through for more than an hour. She was happy for Clark and Lana, honestly she was. She’d just be happier if she had someone to share in her own happiness…or at least someone who would make fun of the Clark and Lana mush fest with her.
And Lois drunk on eggnog so didn’t count.
So in lieu of being without a joyous holiday environment, she opted for a productive environment that brought her a different kind of joy.
She was in the middle of rewriting her opening paragraph when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look but saw nothing. Figuring it was just the light and shadows playing tricks on her, she turned back to her monitor. However, that was when she noticed the male figure standing in front of her desk.
Even in the quiet and empty space, that wouldn’t have scared her. However, the fact that the man standing before her was her previous and deceased editor Max Taylor did. She backed away to put some distance between them. Oddly enough for a dead person, he didn’t look that bad. She had heard the details of his death were pretty gruesome.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Easy there. I know given the circumstances you won’t believe this, but there really is no reason to be afraid of me.”
Chloe straighten her height to appear less vulnerable. “I’m not afraid. A little freaked to be speaking to a ghost, but not afraid. You are a ghost, correct?”
Max answered with a nod and a slight smile, “Yes, and I’m here to pass on a message…well technically a warning but that sounds ominous, and this gig is already difficult enough without adding pressure to it.”
She was reluctant to ask because messages from beyond the grave were rarely, if ever good, but she had no choice. “What’s the message?”
Wanting to have some fun, Max used an obviously fake spooky voice. “You will be visited by three spirits later this evening. The first will be at the stroke of one…”
This so wasn’t happening to her. She was a good person. She wasn’t a saint by any means but she always tried to help others, and no way should she be given this speech. “Wait! You can stop right there. I know where this is going. I just don’t know why I have to be one to endure it. I know of at least two people who deserve this more that I do. And shouldn’t you be in chains?”
Max scoffed, “Why would I have to wear chains? I didn’t do any wrong in life. As for what you are implying, well this gig is kinda different. Besides one of those candidates you speak of is way past the point of this working, and the other…” He paused to contemplate how best to explain the situation. “Well if someone visited him with the intent to change his path, the message would just get jumbled on the way. Let me put it this way: Lex Luthor is not moved by mystical messages. He understands actions and words. If the higher ups want to get through to him, they’ll need someone on Earth to do it for them. But enough about Lex for now, I’m here about you. Just keep your mind and heart open to what the spirits have to show you, and you’ll be fine.”
Max had just started to disappear when Chloe called out to him. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you. If it wasn’t…”
“Stop right there. You tell Clark all the time he can’t be held accountable for other people’s actions. Take your own advice.” And with that he was gone.
Chloe looked at the clock that read 12:15 am. In forty-five minutes, she would be meeting the Ghost of Christmas Past. Well, it wasn’t as if she could say it would be the strangest thing to happen to her.
* * *
At exactly one in the morning, a beautiful red headed woman in a white flowing gown appeared before her. From all the research Chloe had done on the Luthors, she immediately recognized Lillian.
“You’ll be playing the part of Christmas Past in this production, I assume?” Chloe asked.
Lillian smiled. “Smart girl. Now before we get started, what questions do you have for me?” At Chloe’s surprised look, she answered, “You are a born reporter, my dear, of course you would have questions and I’ll do my best to answer them without giving everything away. The Powers are very strict about what can and can’t be told.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Right, heaven forbid, literally, they do anything easily.”
Lillian shared in her humor, “Yes, free will can really put a damper on life.”
Chloe actually laughed at that. “I guess the most prominent question I have right now is why are you here as my guide? No offense, but I’d think they’d send someone with a deeper connection to me.”
“None taken. The truth is I asked for this post. And that’s all I would say on that matter. Is there anything else?”
Chloe bristled at Lillian’s answer. Apparently, Lionel wasn’t the only who taught Lex how to remain tight-lipped with reporters. “Not right now, but I’m reserving the right to ask later.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way. Now let’s be on our way.” She grabbed Chloe’s hand and instantly the walls of the newspaper’s basement disappeared before them.
When Chloe looked again, she was surrounded by stained glass windows, church pews decorated with bright red bows, and poinsettias lining up toward an altar. A manger scene stood at one end of the platform while the pulpit stood at another. She recognized the setting as the St. Stephen Cathedral in Metropolis. Her father and she were not particularly religious but they always made the effort to attend Midnight Mass services. By the decorations and sight of the night sky through the windows, she guessed that was happening now. Looking around, she spotted herself and her father sitting near the end of a pew on the left side, four rows from the front. From the look of her age, she guessed she was around five which meant this was her first Christmas without her mother. She remembered her dad trying so hard to make this Christmas extra special and as normal as possible for her. At the moment, he was currently trying to get little Chloe interested in watching the lives animals of the manger scene but she refused to look.
Chloe walked to her younger self to see what was so interesting that she refused to indulge her father. Little Chloe was writing a notebook. She remembered now. She wanted to play tic-tac-toe but her father didn’t think it was appropriate to do so in a church, so she was forced to play against herself. It wasn’t much fun from either way she looked at it.
As looked on, the double of her Christmas Past guide and a young Lex Luthor approached Little Chloe’s pew. Lex took the seat next to her younger self with his mother sitting at the end. Why didn’t she remember this moment? Had she really blocked out her first encounter with Lex?
Not surprisingly Ghost Lillian read her mind. “In your young mind, you weren’t meeting Lex Luthor. You met Lex, another young child who was in need of some Christmas cheer as much as you were. He’s eleven now. In less than a year, Julian will be born and well…so much sadness for someone so young. His father and I share the responsibility in how we’ve burden him over the years. I’m hoping soon something will go right for him.”
When Chloe looked back, her younger self had just noticed her new companions. She mentally cringed at what the inquisitive girl would ask the prematurely bald boy. At that age, she was full of just as many questions but lacked the tack in asking them.
The little blonde held up her pen and paper and asked, “Will you play tic-tac-toe with me?”
Lex looked agreeable for a moment before some sense of Luthor decorum must have taken over. “I don’t think that’s allowed at Midnight Mass.”
“That’s what my daddy said, but really he just knows I’ll beat him. You’re not afraid of losing to a little girl, are you?” Chloe had to be a little impressed that at age five, she wasn’t afraid to challenge a Luthor, even one that was only eleven.
Lex stared her down for a moment before declaring “I’m ‘X’s.”
They eagerly played several games before their competiveness made them a little too loud and they had to be reprimanded by their respective parents.
“You know, Lex wasn’t eager to play with other children whether they were his age or not. You brought that out in him that night.” Ghost Lillian mentioned as she and Chloe observed the children. She allowed Chloe to ponder her comment before declaring, “Well, it’s time to get you back to the Planet so your next guide can take over.”
Chloe stayed Lillian’s movement. “Wait, that’s it? Aren’t you supposed to show me several past Christmases? Don’t I warrant at least one more?” Every incarnation of Scrooge she’d seen got at least two visits to the past. She didn’t want to be greedy but she knew there were some good Christmas moments she would like to experience again.
Lillian shook her head. “No. What you have seen is sufficient for now.”
Lillian took hold of Chloe’s hand and before she could protest any further, she found herself back in the basement of the Planet and Lillian was gone.
Chloe stared at the ceiling. “What do you expect me to do while I wait for the Ghost of Christmas Present?!” She yelled but predictably received no answer. She wondered who would appear next. Unfortunately, she had known several people who died over the years, but none with whom she had been particularly close. Though in retrospect, that didn’t seem to matter with her last guide.
She was about to fool herself into thinking she could get back to work when Alicia Baker stood before her. “Yeah, I know, I’m probably the last person you expected to see. Though, I suppose you didn’t expect to see any spirits before this whole ordeal got started so maybe it’s a wash.”
Chloe swallowed to allow herself a moment to think of what she should say to her new companion. “Maybe you can tell me why you are here. Other than you know…to show me how people are currently spending Christmas.”
Alicia grinned mischievously. “Oh that’s easy. I was chosen because I’ve already revealed information to you in recent history. Apparently it’s going to be our thing now. But I don’t expect I’ll be seeing you again so I guess it’s a short-lived thing. No pun intended.”
Chloe forced a smile. “Right, about that…um…” What was the proper way to discuss another person’s death?
Alicia waved whatever comment Chloe would have said away. “Oh don’t worry about that. It’s not your place. And I know everything that has happened since my death. Am I happy that Clark moved on relatively soon? No, but I can’t blame you for that. And I’m glad he has you around to help him. But he’s not the one we have to worry about.”
Before Chloe could inquire further, Alicia grabbed her hand and soon they were standing in Lex’s office at his mansion. Sure enough, Lex was sitting in his leather chair while staring into the fire. A full glass of scotch in his hand. ‘Carol of the Bells’ was playing in the background. He had to choose the creepiest Christmas song known to man. At least he wasn’t being completely maudlin and listening to ‘Ave Maria.’
Alicia dropped Chloe’s hand and spun around to face her with a huge smile. “You know the cool thing is I never really lost my power. I even got a little upgrade.” When Chloe didn’t say anything, Alicia continued, “Come on. That’s a little death humor for you. Can I at least get a pity laugh?”
Chloe shook herself out of her trance. “Sorry, it’s just that I’m detecting a pattern here. So why does someone or something around here,” she motioned her hands upwards and to her sides, “think I am the one who has to help Lex? I don’t remember him being too helpful to me when he dragged me to the caves during the meteor shower last summer.”
Alicia nodded in agreement before adding “But in all fairness, you did lie to him beforehand and then knock him out afterwards. Still, when he came to, his first thought was to find you, and after everything, he was the one who brought you back from the Yukon. Not to mention the fact that he protected you from his father the previous year.”
Chloe grudgingly admitted that the first part was true, and their partnership was mutually beneficial so she couldn’t say Lex was being selfish during that time. She came to him, and he didn’t have to agree to help her. He could have taken his father on his own or left the situation as it was, but chose to see the benefits that each of them brought to the table. But she refused to budge on the Yukon situation. “He brought me back because he wanted answers about Clark, not because he was worried about my disappearance.”
Alicia shrugged. “Perhaps, but you never really asked him. Can you blame him for having questions? Before I showed you the truth, wouldn’t you have done and given anything to know Clark’s secret? What would you think of a person who didn’t ask questions when one moment he’s speaking to you in Kansas, and the next thing he knows is you’ve disappeared and are found in another country? You didn’t approach Lex for help because he was an idiot who didn’t care to question the truth. You’re going to judge him now when you have no real idea what he would do with the information, but Lionel’s fair game to trust all of a sudden.” Alicia’s stare gave no leeway on what she thought about the subject.
Chloe had to admit to herself that when it came down to it, the only reason she was against Lex was because she was for Clark. She couldn’t let Lex figure out Clark’s secret. She couldn’t let him have so much power. And somehow the game had remained the same but Lionel and Lex had switched sides. But maybe they hadn’t switched at all. Maybe she was the one who forced them to change in her view. Lex had become her foe so Lionel was now her…accomplice would be the best word for it. She didn’t trust him. She’d be a fool to do so, but she needed his help to take on Lex, and he was all too eager to do so. She could almost trick herself into believing that they weren’t partners. They certainly weren’t as close as she and Lex had once been. She thought she could believe she was using him, but Lionel could just as easily be using her.
And all of this because somewhere along the way Clark and Lex had declared war.
She had no clue as to what Lex would do with the information about Clark. Obviously, she couldn’t ask, but she would get nowhere if she pushed him into the box marked ‘enemy’ and never gave him the chance to be anything different. Clark had forgiven her after their trust had been broken. He’d had even given the girl standing before her another chance and she had done much worse.
If Lana could be Clark’s girlfriend and still be on friendly terms with Lex, then there was no reason that Chloe couldn’t at least try to do the same.
With a resigned sigh, Chloe asked Alicia “Do I even need to speak with the third spirit?”
Alicia crinkled her nose and said, “No, he’d really just be a formality at this point. I don’t foresee any scary grave moments in your near future. Plus, you know he doesn’t really talk much.”
Alicia held out her hand and as soon as Chloe took it, she was standing alone in the basement once again. Before she could allow herself to slip into denial and brush the whole encounter off as too many late nights, she formulated her plan.
She had a friendship to repair.
* * *
St. Stephen’s was decorated in much the same way as she had seen her memory. The only difference being that it was empty save for her and the now much older Lex Luthor. She had convinced Father Merlot to allow them a precious hour of the Christmas Day uninterrupted in exchange for an in depth article on the churches charity efforts. She could help get the word out for them and hopefully accomplish her goal, a win-win for all.
When he heard Chloe approach, Lex turned away from the manger scene. “I’m here as requested. So what’s this new story about LuthorCorp that you thought I’d want to comment on? Does it have something to do with this cathedral? Is there some plan that I don’t know where I’m going to tear this place down and put in a mall?”
Chloe figured she deserved that. He wouldn’t have come at all if he wasn’t the least bit threatened or intrigued by her note, so she couldn’t be upset by the fact that he assumed the worse when she wanted him to do so. “No nothing like that. Let’s sit.”
The quirk of his eyebrow was the only indication that he gave for the oddity of her choosing the fourth pew on the left instead of any of the previous three. Still, he made no protest and sat down beside her.
Chloe gave him a sheepish smile before admitting, “I don’t know if a church might be the best place to admit that I lied about there being a story, but I needed to get you here, where we first met.”
Lex wasn’t surprised. He was stoic when he shook his head in remembrance. “Midnight Mass.”
“Right. I know we’ve come a long way since tic-tac-toe, and everything is very different now, but despite it all, I do still want to be your friend. There are things I can’t discuss with you because it’s not my place to tell, just as I know there are things you can’t tell me because my career would interfere. However, I was hoping in the spirit of Christmas, we could establish a truce. We accept that these issues will not change, but try to establish and maintain a friendship by promising not to force either of us to back down on our beliefs.”
Lex remained silent for a while contemplating the offer. “Do you think this can really work?”
Chloe sighed before answering, “Honestly I don’t know, but I do know that I can’t completely give up your friendship without at least trying to make this work.”
Lex smiled at her hopeful expression. “So what shall we do as our first act of renewed friendship?”
Chloe pretended to think really hard before declaring, “Let’s play tic-tac-toe!”
Lex laughed at her eagerness. “Okay, but I’m ‘X’s.”
The End
Author: westwingwolf
Spoilers: Everything before Season 5 "Lexmas"
Rating: PG
Summary: Chloe gets a little push for the Christmas holiday.
AN: Unfortunately, I couldn't think of an original plot so I figured if I had to steal one, then I'd steal a classic.
Chloe briefly wondered if she should be worried that working late at the Daily Planet was her ideal way of spending the holidays. In all honesty it wasn’t her first choice. She was supposed to take a plane to Gotham to spend Christmas with her father but a snow storm had prevented any travel to and from Metropolis. The Kents had generously offered her the chance to spend Christmas Eve and Day with them, but she only agreed to a promise of making an appearance on Christmas Day. Having to watch the Kents, Clark and Lana being all holly and jolly when she had no one was too depressing to suffer through for more than an hour. She was happy for Clark and Lana, honestly she was. She’d just be happier if she had someone to share in her own happiness…or at least someone who would make fun of the Clark and Lana mush fest with her.
And Lois drunk on eggnog so didn’t count.
So in lieu of being without a joyous holiday environment, she opted for a productive environment that brought her a different kind of joy.
She was in the middle of rewriting her opening paragraph when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look but saw nothing. Figuring it was just the light and shadows playing tricks on her, she turned back to her monitor. However, that was when she noticed the male figure standing in front of her desk.
Even in the quiet and empty space, that wouldn’t have scared her. However, the fact that the man standing before her was her previous and deceased editor Max Taylor did. She backed away to put some distance between them. Oddly enough for a dead person, he didn’t look that bad. She had heard the details of his death were pretty gruesome.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Easy there. I know given the circumstances you won’t believe this, but there really is no reason to be afraid of me.”
Chloe straighten her height to appear less vulnerable. “I’m not afraid. A little freaked to be speaking to a ghost, but not afraid. You are a ghost, correct?”
Max answered with a nod and a slight smile, “Yes, and I’m here to pass on a message…well technically a warning but that sounds ominous, and this gig is already difficult enough without adding pressure to it.”
She was reluctant to ask because messages from beyond the grave were rarely, if ever good, but she had no choice. “What’s the message?”
Wanting to have some fun, Max used an obviously fake spooky voice. “You will be visited by three spirits later this evening. The first will be at the stroke of one…”
This so wasn’t happening to her. She was a good person. She wasn’t a saint by any means but she always tried to help others, and no way should she be given this speech. “Wait! You can stop right there. I know where this is going. I just don’t know why I have to be one to endure it. I know of at least two people who deserve this more that I do. And shouldn’t you be in chains?”
Max scoffed, “Why would I have to wear chains? I didn’t do any wrong in life. As for what you are implying, well this gig is kinda different. Besides one of those candidates you speak of is way past the point of this working, and the other…” He paused to contemplate how best to explain the situation. “Well if someone visited him with the intent to change his path, the message would just get jumbled on the way. Let me put it this way: Lex Luthor is not moved by mystical messages. He understands actions and words. If the higher ups want to get through to him, they’ll need someone on Earth to do it for them. But enough about Lex for now, I’m here about you. Just keep your mind and heart open to what the spirits have to show you, and you’ll be fine.”
Max had just started to disappear when Chloe called out to him. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you. If it wasn’t…”
“Stop right there. You tell Clark all the time he can’t be held accountable for other people’s actions. Take your own advice.” And with that he was gone.
Chloe looked at the clock that read 12:15 am. In forty-five minutes, she would be meeting the Ghost of Christmas Past. Well, it wasn’t as if she could say it would be the strangest thing to happen to her.
* * *
At exactly one in the morning, a beautiful red headed woman in a white flowing gown appeared before her. From all the research Chloe had done on the Luthors, she immediately recognized Lillian.
“You’ll be playing the part of Christmas Past in this production, I assume?” Chloe asked.
Lillian smiled. “Smart girl. Now before we get started, what questions do you have for me?” At Chloe’s surprised look, she answered, “You are a born reporter, my dear, of course you would have questions and I’ll do my best to answer them without giving everything away. The Powers are very strict about what can and can’t be told.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Right, heaven forbid, literally, they do anything easily.”
Lillian shared in her humor, “Yes, free will can really put a damper on life.”
Chloe actually laughed at that. “I guess the most prominent question I have right now is why are you here as my guide? No offense, but I’d think they’d send someone with a deeper connection to me.”
“None taken. The truth is I asked for this post. And that’s all I would say on that matter. Is there anything else?”
Chloe bristled at Lillian’s answer. Apparently, Lionel wasn’t the only who taught Lex how to remain tight-lipped with reporters. “Not right now, but I’m reserving the right to ask later.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way. Now let’s be on our way.” She grabbed Chloe’s hand and instantly the walls of the newspaper’s basement disappeared before them.
When Chloe looked again, she was surrounded by stained glass windows, church pews decorated with bright red bows, and poinsettias lining up toward an altar. A manger scene stood at one end of the platform while the pulpit stood at another. She recognized the setting as the St. Stephen Cathedral in Metropolis. Her father and she were not particularly religious but they always made the effort to attend Midnight Mass services. By the decorations and sight of the night sky through the windows, she guessed that was happening now. Looking around, she spotted herself and her father sitting near the end of a pew on the left side, four rows from the front. From the look of her age, she guessed she was around five which meant this was her first Christmas without her mother. She remembered her dad trying so hard to make this Christmas extra special and as normal as possible for her. At the moment, he was currently trying to get little Chloe interested in watching the lives animals of the manger scene but she refused to look.
Chloe walked to her younger self to see what was so interesting that she refused to indulge her father. Little Chloe was writing a notebook. She remembered now. She wanted to play tic-tac-toe but her father didn’t think it was appropriate to do so in a church, so she was forced to play against herself. It wasn’t much fun from either way she looked at it.
As looked on, the double of her Christmas Past guide and a young Lex Luthor approached Little Chloe’s pew. Lex took the seat next to her younger self with his mother sitting at the end. Why didn’t she remember this moment? Had she really blocked out her first encounter with Lex?
Not surprisingly Ghost Lillian read her mind. “In your young mind, you weren’t meeting Lex Luthor. You met Lex, another young child who was in need of some Christmas cheer as much as you were. He’s eleven now. In less than a year, Julian will be born and well…so much sadness for someone so young. His father and I share the responsibility in how we’ve burden him over the years. I’m hoping soon something will go right for him.”
When Chloe looked back, her younger self had just noticed her new companions. She mentally cringed at what the inquisitive girl would ask the prematurely bald boy. At that age, she was full of just as many questions but lacked the tack in asking them.
The little blonde held up her pen and paper and asked, “Will you play tic-tac-toe with me?”
Lex looked agreeable for a moment before some sense of Luthor decorum must have taken over. “I don’t think that’s allowed at Midnight Mass.”
“That’s what my daddy said, but really he just knows I’ll beat him. You’re not afraid of losing to a little girl, are you?” Chloe had to be a little impressed that at age five, she wasn’t afraid to challenge a Luthor, even one that was only eleven.
Lex stared her down for a moment before declaring “I’m ‘X’s.”
They eagerly played several games before their competiveness made them a little too loud and they had to be reprimanded by their respective parents.
“You know, Lex wasn’t eager to play with other children whether they were his age or not. You brought that out in him that night.” Ghost Lillian mentioned as she and Chloe observed the children. She allowed Chloe to ponder her comment before declaring, “Well, it’s time to get you back to the Planet so your next guide can take over.”
Chloe stayed Lillian’s movement. “Wait, that’s it? Aren’t you supposed to show me several past Christmases? Don’t I warrant at least one more?” Every incarnation of Scrooge she’d seen got at least two visits to the past. She didn’t want to be greedy but she knew there were some good Christmas moments she would like to experience again.
Lillian shook her head. “No. What you have seen is sufficient for now.”
Lillian took hold of Chloe’s hand and before she could protest any further, she found herself back in the basement of the Planet and Lillian was gone.
Chloe stared at the ceiling. “What do you expect me to do while I wait for the Ghost of Christmas Present?!” She yelled but predictably received no answer. She wondered who would appear next. Unfortunately, she had known several people who died over the years, but none with whom she had been particularly close. Though in retrospect, that didn’t seem to matter with her last guide.
She was about to fool herself into thinking she could get back to work when Alicia Baker stood before her. “Yeah, I know, I’m probably the last person you expected to see. Though, I suppose you didn’t expect to see any spirits before this whole ordeal got started so maybe it’s a wash.”
Chloe swallowed to allow herself a moment to think of what she should say to her new companion. “Maybe you can tell me why you are here. Other than you know…to show me how people are currently spending Christmas.”
Alicia grinned mischievously. “Oh that’s easy. I was chosen because I’ve already revealed information to you in recent history. Apparently it’s going to be our thing now. But I don’t expect I’ll be seeing you again so I guess it’s a short-lived thing. No pun intended.”
Chloe forced a smile. “Right, about that…um…” What was the proper way to discuss another person’s death?
Alicia waved whatever comment Chloe would have said away. “Oh don’t worry about that. It’s not your place. And I know everything that has happened since my death. Am I happy that Clark moved on relatively soon? No, but I can’t blame you for that. And I’m glad he has you around to help him. But he’s not the one we have to worry about.”
Before Chloe could inquire further, Alicia grabbed her hand and soon they were standing in Lex’s office at his mansion. Sure enough, Lex was sitting in his leather chair while staring into the fire. A full glass of scotch in his hand. ‘Carol of the Bells’ was playing in the background. He had to choose the creepiest Christmas song known to man. At least he wasn’t being completely maudlin and listening to ‘Ave Maria.’
Alicia dropped Chloe’s hand and spun around to face her with a huge smile. “You know the cool thing is I never really lost my power. I even got a little upgrade.” When Chloe didn’t say anything, Alicia continued, “Come on. That’s a little death humor for you. Can I at least get a pity laugh?”
Chloe shook herself out of her trance. “Sorry, it’s just that I’m detecting a pattern here. So why does someone or something around here,” she motioned her hands upwards and to her sides, “think I am the one who has to help Lex? I don’t remember him being too helpful to me when he dragged me to the caves during the meteor shower last summer.”
Alicia nodded in agreement before adding “But in all fairness, you did lie to him beforehand and then knock him out afterwards. Still, when he came to, his first thought was to find you, and after everything, he was the one who brought you back from the Yukon. Not to mention the fact that he protected you from his father the previous year.”
Chloe grudgingly admitted that the first part was true, and their partnership was mutually beneficial so she couldn’t say Lex was being selfish during that time. She came to him, and he didn’t have to agree to help her. He could have taken his father on his own or left the situation as it was, but chose to see the benefits that each of them brought to the table. But she refused to budge on the Yukon situation. “He brought me back because he wanted answers about Clark, not because he was worried about my disappearance.”
Alicia shrugged. “Perhaps, but you never really asked him. Can you blame him for having questions? Before I showed you the truth, wouldn’t you have done and given anything to know Clark’s secret? What would you think of a person who didn’t ask questions when one moment he’s speaking to you in Kansas, and the next thing he knows is you’ve disappeared and are found in another country? You didn’t approach Lex for help because he was an idiot who didn’t care to question the truth. You’re going to judge him now when you have no real idea what he would do with the information, but Lionel’s fair game to trust all of a sudden.” Alicia’s stare gave no leeway on what she thought about the subject.
Chloe had to admit to herself that when it came down to it, the only reason she was against Lex was because she was for Clark. She couldn’t let Lex figure out Clark’s secret. She couldn’t let him have so much power. And somehow the game had remained the same but Lionel and Lex had switched sides. But maybe they hadn’t switched at all. Maybe she was the one who forced them to change in her view. Lex had become her foe so Lionel was now her…accomplice would be the best word for it. She didn’t trust him. She’d be a fool to do so, but she needed his help to take on Lex, and he was all too eager to do so. She could almost trick herself into believing that they weren’t partners. They certainly weren’t as close as she and Lex had once been. She thought she could believe she was using him, but Lionel could just as easily be using her.
And all of this because somewhere along the way Clark and Lex had declared war.
She had no clue as to what Lex would do with the information about Clark. Obviously, she couldn’t ask, but she would get nowhere if she pushed him into the box marked ‘enemy’ and never gave him the chance to be anything different. Clark had forgiven her after their trust had been broken. He’d had even given the girl standing before her another chance and she had done much worse.
If Lana could be Clark’s girlfriend and still be on friendly terms with Lex, then there was no reason that Chloe couldn’t at least try to do the same.
With a resigned sigh, Chloe asked Alicia “Do I even need to speak with the third spirit?”
Alicia crinkled her nose and said, “No, he’d really just be a formality at this point. I don’t foresee any scary grave moments in your near future. Plus, you know he doesn’t really talk much.”
Alicia held out her hand and as soon as Chloe took it, she was standing alone in the basement once again. Before she could allow herself to slip into denial and brush the whole encounter off as too many late nights, she formulated her plan.
She had a friendship to repair.
* * *
St. Stephen’s was decorated in much the same way as she had seen her memory. The only difference being that it was empty save for her and the now much older Lex Luthor. She had convinced Father Merlot to allow them a precious hour of the Christmas Day uninterrupted in exchange for an in depth article on the churches charity efforts. She could help get the word out for them and hopefully accomplish her goal, a win-win for all.
When he heard Chloe approach, Lex turned away from the manger scene. “I’m here as requested. So what’s this new story about LuthorCorp that you thought I’d want to comment on? Does it have something to do with this cathedral? Is there some plan that I don’t know where I’m going to tear this place down and put in a mall?”
Chloe figured she deserved that. He wouldn’t have come at all if he wasn’t the least bit threatened or intrigued by her note, so she couldn’t be upset by the fact that he assumed the worse when she wanted him to do so. “No nothing like that. Let’s sit.”
The quirk of his eyebrow was the only indication that he gave for the oddity of her choosing the fourth pew on the left instead of any of the previous three. Still, he made no protest and sat down beside her.
Chloe gave him a sheepish smile before admitting, “I don’t know if a church might be the best place to admit that I lied about there being a story, but I needed to get you here, where we first met.”
Lex wasn’t surprised. He was stoic when he shook his head in remembrance. “Midnight Mass.”
“Right. I know we’ve come a long way since tic-tac-toe, and everything is very different now, but despite it all, I do still want to be your friend. There are things I can’t discuss with you because it’s not my place to tell, just as I know there are things you can’t tell me because my career would interfere. However, I was hoping in the spirit of Christmas, we could establish a truce. We accept that these issues will not change, but try to establish and maintain a friendship by promising not to force either of us to back down on our beliefs.”
Lex remained silent for a while contemplating the offer. “Do you think this can really work?”
Chloe sighed before answering, “Honestly I don’t know, but I do know that I can’t completely give up your friendship without at least trying to make this work.”
Lex smiled at her hopeful expression. “So what shall we do as our first act of renewed friendship?”
Chloe pretended to think really hard before declaring, “Let’s play tic-tac-toe!”
Lex laughed at her eagerness. “Okay, but I’m ‘X’s.”
The End