Eat Me - Sequel to Bite Me NC-17 (Updated Feb. 26, 2010)

[JennyD13]

Hello everyone!

Finally, I got a move on and started on a sequel to my completed NC-17 fic called Bite Me. I hope you like it, I love reading the fiction on this site! Hopefully I can uphold the great standard of writing here!

Anyhoo, I own nothing (however that does not stop me from playing with them in naughty ways :devil:) And this fic is most assuredly NC-17, so BE WARNED!!!! This really has no spoilers and takes place, not in the Smallville universe, but in my own mind.:grin3: This fic makes allusions to the first one, but it is not necessary to the story. The plan is to update every couple of days.

Summary: It takes place about a month after Bite Me, and Chloe, still living with Lex in the Penthouse in Metropolis, is asked by Lionel himself to infiltrate an girl's boarding school to find out what happened to a family friend.

Hum. Actually, I think it's more interesting than my sucky summary makes it sound, so as usual please READ and REVIEW! Tell me what you like and don't like so I can make it betta!

And once again, I include a suggested soundtrack, cause that's the way I roll!

Happy New Years, lovely readers!


Chapter 1

(Back in Black – AC/DC)

Chloe smiled to herself as she rode the mirrored elevator up to the penthouse that had become her home in Metropolis over the last few weeks. Her temp job at the Planet was going very well, even though she was just a glorified gofer. Hey, everyone had to start somewhere. She smoothed out her red silk blouse and black skirt and dug her keys out of her bag before the doors opened.

She stepped out into the short, wide hallway and the smile fell from Chloe’s face as the bloody picture in her mind’s eye projected itself onto the sparking clean, white hallway. Benny the guard lying on the floor. The pool of his blood spreading across the carpeted hallway, soaking into the soles of her shoes. His dead eyes staring; his corpse grinning at her from the gaping ear to ear gash in his neck. Chloe felt an ache in her chest. The same ache she felt every time she entered the hallway. Poor Benny. A life stolen by Jacob Sokoloff, an evil genius masquerading as a caring humanitarian. Oh. And he was a fucking evil werewolf. And Benny had died because of her. Chloe fought back tears. He had had a wife and two daughters, one five and one eight. Lex had set them up for life, but money was a poor replacement for a doting father and loving husband.

Chloe blinked and greeted the new guard and she hurried toward the door. She didn’t know his name.

She unlocked the penthouse door and stepped into the empty living room. She shut the door behind her with a sigh, as if she could leave the pain and the guilt in the small, pristine hallway. She rested her head back against the door for a few seconds and wondered if Lex was home yet. She dropped her bag on the black leather couch and headed toward his office; her red heels clicking loudly against the hardwood floor. The only time she didn’t feel like she was living in a museum was when Lex was with her. One person did not need all this room.

She smiled and bit her lip. Chloe heard him before she saw him; his voice emerging from behind the heavy oak door. She snorted and poked her head in the room. The man in question was standing up, one hand on his lean hip, the other hand holding his cell to his ear. He was impeccably dressed in grey slacks and a white dress shirt. His face was a lovely shade of red and he was yelling at some poor, unfortunate soul who had crossed him. He was sexy when he was angry. She couldn’t help the laugh that popped out of her mouth. Lex turned to look at her when he heard her laugh and rewarded her with a wide smile.

About a week after the whole werewolf shenanigan, Chloe had begrudgingly sat down with Lex in the library and called to inform her father about their relationship. It wasn’t her idea, it was Lex’s. Something about wanting to do this right. Which would’ve just melted Chloe’s heart if she hadn’t of been the one who had to break the news to her father. She had pouted and glared at Lex as she dialled her home number. When her dad had answered the phone, he had been in a great mood and Chloe REALLY didn’t want to ruin it for him. After a couple of minutes of inane conversation (and a pointed look from Lex), she had explained to her father that she was now in a relationship with Lex Luthor…his boss. There was yelling. Lots of yelling. And Chloe didn’t even tell him that she hadn’t slept in her own bed since her first week there. After a few moments (where she could have sworn her father was having a heart attack), her dad had demanded that she return home immediately and mumbled something about ‘goddamn billionaires’ thinking that they ‘owned everything’. Chloe had put her head in her hands at that point and Lex had taken the phone from her. She had jerked her head up and had viciously shaken it at him. What? Was he fucking crazy? Lex had bravely endured the majority of her father’s wrath. Well, compared to HIS father’s wrath, it probably more like her father’s tantrum. Anyway, he had calmed her father by telling him that nothing untoward had happened between them and that they were rarely alone. It amazed her how easily the lies rolled off of his tongue and he even had the gall to look at her and wink as he was telling her father this. Chloe had snorted and put her head in her hands once more as she listened to Lex tell her father how much he genuinely cared her and how well her job at the Planet was working out for her. Surprisingly, when Lex had handed the phone back to her (with a cocky grin on his face), her father had been much more calm and collected. He was still pissed, but he grunted that she could do a lot worse than Lex. And then he launched into a spiel about how she didn’t owe Lex anything, even though he had helped her by getting her a job and letting her stay in his penthouse. It was the closet thing to the sex talk she had had with her father and just as awkward. Yes, dad. I know, dad. He doesn’t expect that, dad. Chloe expected that and got plenty of it, but she wasn’t about to tell her father that.

All and all, it went much better than expected. It had gone better than the talk with Clark. He had been packing to come and get her and threatening Lex with bodily harm before she managed to calm him down.

Chloe sauntered over to Lex and put her arms around his waist. He was still yelling into the phone, but his other arm wrapped around her and held her to him. Abruptly, he clicked off the cell and stuffed it into his pocket.

“Tough day?” Chloe asked, listening to his heartbeat through his chest. His presence made her feel much better.

“Not particularly.” He answered jovially.

Chloe laughed.

“Did you feel like…?” Lex started before his cell interrupted him.

“Excuse me…” He mumbled as dug it from his pocket and flicked it open. “Luthor.”

Chloe felt his body tense as he listened to the person on the other end. She cocked her head and looked worriedly up to his face. His good mood had vanished and he was now scowling. Lex clicked off the phone without saying goodbye and slipped it back into his pocket.

“What’s wrong, Lex?”

“That was my father. One of our business acquaintances seems to have disappeared without a trace.” He answered, resting his hand on her cheek. His eyes were clouded; he was lost in thought.

“I’m sorry…” Chloe shrugged. She didn’t know what else to say.

“Dad told his father that we would help find out what happened to him. We have very lucrative dealings with this family. He’s worth almost as much as I am. His disappearance hasn’t been leaked to the press yet and his father wants it dealt with as quickly as possible. Which means…” He explained as he looked pointedly down to her.

“Lex, you know that I won’t leak anything if you don’t want me to. I will help you though, if you need me.” Chloe answered truthfully. The reporter in her was chomping at the bit to write the story, but it wasn’t worth it. Since she had fallen in love with a Luthor, she had found out that breaking the story wasn’t always the best thing. Life wasn’t black and white; it was all shades of grey and sometimes secrets were kept for a reason.

“You might take that back when you find out who it is.” He said with a hint of a smile.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him.

“Have I met him?”

Lex sighed.

“Not formally. Remember when we went to Taboo?”

Chloe nodded, her brow furrowing. How could she forget her only foray into the most exclusive sex club in Metropolis? Thankfully, Lex had not suggested that they go back there. Although, the outfit she had worn there was used more than once. Lex really liked those boots…Wait a second, was Lex saying something? She reluctantly pushed the images from her mind.

“Remember when I punched that guy?” He continued.

Chloe froze.

“That asshole?! The guy who pushed me down on the stage?! The one with the pencil dick!? THAT’S the guy that’s disappeared? I’m not surprised! He’s probably buried in the basement of some girl he tried to rape!” Chloe shouted, pushing away from him and putting her hands on her hips. “Good riddance!”

Lex laughed.

“You’re sexy when you’re angry, you know.”

Chloe forced back a smile.

“Don’t change the subject!”

“Chlo, I didn’t say he was a friend of mine. I can’t fucking stand him. But we make a lot of money from dealings with his family. This is why my father volunteered our services.” He explained. It was hard for her to concentrate on what he was saying when his eyes roamed over her body like that. “And that’s not even the bad news.”

Chloe pouted.

“What’s the bad news?”

Lex smirked.

“Dad has requested our presence for supper tonight. Go put on something fancy.”

Chloe sighed. And then looked up at Lex in confusion.

“Your father hates me. Why is he requesting my presence at dinner?” She asked warily. “Oh God, he’s not planning on getting me back for that little slap in the face, is he?”

Lex laughed and shook his head as he once again took out his ringing phone. Chloe bit her lip and watched him answer. He was talking to someone about exporting in something. Chloe didn’t bother paying attention. A sly smile crossed her face as she sauntered over to him. He stopped pacing and distractedly smiled down at her as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He didn’t seem to notice as she prodded him gently backwards. He finally gave her an amused, quizzical look as she pushed him back onto his rolling desk chair. Apparently he was really distracted, because it wasn’t until Chloe kneeled down in front of him and started to undo his belt that her intentions finally dawned on him and he shot her a look of adoration.

Lex’s voice did not change in the slightest as she pulled his pants and boxers down over his hips and started stroking his dick until he was rock solid; she felt his pulse throb through the thin, silky skin. She didn’t expect his voice to change, though. He was much too proficient for that. Years of holding in his feelings have made him an expert at it.

Chloe looked up to him and gave him a naughty little smile before she bent and circled her tongue around the tip of his erection. He slouched further down in his chair and stroked her cheek with his free hand. Chloe felt her face flush with desire and she kept her eyes on his as she slid his impressive cock into her mouth as far as she could. He tasted salty and perfect and she moaned as she started to bob her head up and down. She hollowed her cheeks, increasing the pressure and speed and she inwardly smiled as she noticed that Lex was asking the person on the other line to repeat things. Chloe cocked her eyebrow at him and she raised her left hand from his thigh and started softly stroking his balls.

Lex shut his eyes tightly and told the man on the other end that something had just come up and that he would have to call him back. He pressed end on the cell and tossed it on his desk. He then grabbed Chloe’s arms, hauled her up until they were both standing and slammed her against the wall beside his desk. She cried out is surprise and passion. There was undisguised lust in his eyes and he maintained his gaze as he bent and aggressively pulled her snug skirt around her waist.

“That was a very important call, Miss Sullivan.” He rumbled.

Chloe whimpered as he pushed her panties aside.

“I’m sorry.” Chloe murmured innocently. “I just couldn’t help myself.”

Lex growled and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her heart was pounding and she was shaking in anticipation. Finally, he thrust into her and they both cried out.

“Fuck, Chloe…” He murmured as he placed on hand under her ass. He captured her wrists with the other and held them above her head. “You’re so fucking hot.”

“Yes, Lex. Fuck me.” She repeated over and over, matching his thrusts.

It wasn’t long before Chloe felt her abdomen tighten; coiling tight like a spring. Lex bent his head down and bit her neck and she sailed over the edge; her vaginal muscles spasmed around him and he followed her seconds later.

Lex let go of her wrists and Chloe slid her legs down to the floor. They stood shaking and holding each other.

“You…are a very…naughty girl...Ms. Sullivan.” Lex panted, his forehead on hers.

Chloe giggled and looked up at him.

“You like me that way.”

Lex laughed.

“Yes, I really fucking do.”

[hfce]

EEK!! It took me a bit to remember this story. But the moment it clicked it was on. I loved it and the smut. :drool2: I can't wait to see what happens next. :D

[JennyD13]

Thanks for reading!:blinkkiss

Chapter 2

(It’s My Life – No Doubt)

Chloe reluctantly unwrapped her arms from around Lex’s neck. She had taken to pouncing on him whenever they were alone on the elevator. Lex sighed and dropped his hands from her bottom. She couldn’t help the tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she sized him up. And he looked great tonight. He was dressed in a black suit (of course), a crisp white shirt, and a thin black tie. Chloe decided to wear the dark red strapless dress she had worn to Club Viper. This time, however, she wore her hair swept up in a delicate gold clip that Lex had given her. She left her ears and neck bare. The only other piece of jewellery she wore was the gold bracelet with the tracking device. Lex still preferred her to wear it just in case. She supposed she couldn’t blame him for being paranoid. She was now involved with a Luthor, and in some circles that made her a target. Chloe just had a chance to check her face in the mirror before the elevator doors opened to the lobby and Lex took her arm and led her out. She gave him a bright smile.

After a very short limo ride, Lex led a very nervous Chloe into a ridiculously expensive restaurant where Lionel was patiently waiting for them. He was sipping chardonnay and reading something in a file folder.

“Don’t look so nervous.” Lex leaned down and whispered in her ear. “He’s not going to bite you.”

Chloe giggled and shot him a look as they walked toward the table. Before they got there, a beautiful red haired woman stepped in front of them and Chloe noticed the smile that slithered across Lionel’s face. The woman, who was impeccably and expensively dressed, completely ignored Lex’s arm around Chloe’s waist. In fact, she completely ignored Chloe’s existence. Chloe sardonically cocked an eyebrow. A little green eyed monster was weaselling his way inside her, pissing her off as it did so. She glanced again at Lionel. He had planned this. She could read his intentions as if they were on a checklist before her. A girl from Lex’s past. Rich, beautiful, kind of evil – check. Arrange for her to “accidentally” meet Lex – check. Get rid of that pesky, devilishly good-looking Ms. Sullivan - check. Jackass.

“Hello, Lex.” The woman purred. “It’s been a long time. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Lilith.” Lex sighed.

Chloe looked up to his face and nearly burst out laughing. He looked bored. Hmmm. Maybe she didn’t need to be jealous after all. Lex looked down at her and gave her a hidden wink. He held complete devotion in his eyes and Chloe immediately knew that being jealous of this hussy was silly. He only had eyes for her. Ha! Eat it, bitch!

“Now, if you will excuse us. We have an appointment with my father. But I’m sure you already knew that.”

With that, Chloe did burst out laughing and Lex circled around the disgusted-looking woman. Reaching his father’s table, he pulled out a chair for her to sit without waiting for an invite.

“Nice.” He said to his father as he settled in the chair closest to her.

“Son, I have no idea what you are talking about.

They both gave him the same pointedly derisive look.

“Oh, Lilith?” Lionel replied with a sly smile, staring at Chloe even though he was addressing his son. “I happened to run into her today and mentioned that I might be meeting you for dinner tonight. I guess she wanted to see you. Why ever did you break up with that charming young lady?”

Chloe rolled her eyes and reached for her glass of water.

“Well, Dad, that would be because you slept with her.” Lex jovially replied.

Chloe tried not to spit her mouthful of water over the table.

Lionel’s eyes snapped from her to glare at Lex. There was a surprised glint in them. Apparently Lionel didn’t know that Lex knew that.

“Yes. Well…” He said coldly, changing the subject. “I trust your job at the Planet is going well, Ms. Sullivan.”

“Yes, thank you.” She replied, attempting to sound equally bored. She didn’t think she succeeded. Not that Lionel would care either way.

The three of them made small talk until the waiter arrived; Lionel trying not to look at Chloe with distain and Chloe trying not to crack a wine bottle over Lionel’s head. And because she was forced to spend time with her boyfriend’s awful, awful father, she was well on her way to finishing said wine bottle. Lex ordered a medium-rare steak for himself and the salmon for Chloe. Lionel ordered the veal. Which he probably spiced with the salty tears of newborn babies. Lionel, disguising himself as a gentleman, waited until the awkward meal was over before bringing up the reason why he wanted to meet with her.

“I have a business proposition for you, Ms. Sullivan.” Lionel said suddenly.

Chloe’s head snapped up to stare at him and Lex’s forked screeched across his desert plate.

“What do you mean, ‘business proposition’?” Lex demanded, slamming his fork down so hard it rattled the plates on the table.

“Just for the record, I’m not going to sleep with you like Skanky McSlut over there. I find you unquestionably repulsive.” Chloe deadpanned.

Huh. Maybe she had had one glass of white wine too many.

Lex snorted and tried to maintain his scary face.

Lionel stared at her in silence for a good 30 seconds before he decided that the best reaction was to simply ignore what had just come out of her mouth.

“As you know, an acquaintance of ours has gone missing. His name is Talbot Sklanksy, the son of Albert Sklansky, who is the highest paid lawyer in Metropolis. He also has a lot invested in LuthorCorp. Talbot was last seen in the company of five girls from a very exclusive boarding house located near the most prestigious private school in Metropolis. Now, the police have questioned them, but that led to absolutely nothing, of course. What I need for you to do is to join the sorority under an alias and find out what those girls are hiding. There is something more to the story there, I know it.”

“No.” Chloe stated matter-of-factly. She glanced at Lex and was slightly surprised that (judging by the look he was shooting toward him) Lionel’s head hadn’t exploded yet.

“Yes, Ms. Sullivan, I know you won’t do any favours for me out of the kindness of your heart. I will, however, promise you exclusive rights to the story.”

Chloe, who had opened her mouth to say no again, promptly snapped it shut and started to consider his offer. It was a good opportunity. At worst, nothing would be going on. At best, something big was happening and it would jumpstart her career like a fucking hairdryer in the bathtub.

“No.” Lex growled. “Absolutely not. You are not using Chloe for anything.”

Lionel, who had read Chloe’s reaction with expertise, smiled.

“Lex. It’s not up to you. Chloe can make her own decisions.”

Lex violently shoved his chair back from the table and before Chloe could say a word, he had yanked her chair back, nearly spilling her on the floor.

“Lex!” She hissed. “Will you wait a second?”

Lex turned his attention on her, which wasn’t all that good considering the vein on his forehead that always popped out when he was angry, was now visibly throbbing.

“Are you actually considering this!?” He hissed back.

“This is a great opportunity! Just sit down and let me ask a few questions.” Chloe whispered, bravely maintaining eye contact with the furious billionaire. His right eye started to twitch. That wasn’t a particularly good sign, either.

“Sit!” She mouthed to him, turning her head away from Lionel’s prying eyes.

Lex glared at her and sat down once again and Chloe glanced around. The people at the tables near them were doing a wonderful job attempting to look like they were not eavesdropping.

“Why are you asking me to do this?” She asked Lionel, trying to ignore the smugly satisfied look on his face.

“Well, Ms. Sullivan, you are the right age to infiltrate this sorority and I have no doubt you will be able to find whatever they have hidden. Your ability to uncover secrets is inferior to none. I speak from experience.”

“And it has nothing to do with the fact that asking me would cause an argument between your son and I. Or, that you would have no qualms about seeing me dead if this turns out to be dangerous.” Chloe answered, incredulous.

“No, Ms. Sullivan. Those thoughts haven’t crossed my mind.” He said with a small smile.

“I bet.” She answered.

Chloe thought for a moment.

“If I agree to do this, I have a few conditions.” She said, glancing at Lex.

“Chloe,” Lex said through clenched teeth, “You are honestly not considering this, are you?”

“Can I tell you my conditions fir…?”

“No. You are not doing this. It’s too dangerous. No. That’s my answer. Absolutely not.” Lex interrupted, staring down his father.

Chloe’s anger flared up and she forced herself not to shout. How dare he!? He didn’t own her. But, of course, that was what Lionel wanted. A rift between them.

“Lex, it’s ultimately my decision.” She said evenly, giving him a sharp kick underneath the table. “Now listen to my conditions.”

They stared at each other for a few moments. Lex should know better. His intimidating stare wouldn’t work on her. He made a slight motion with his head, signalling for her to continue.

“One, I work with Lex. I report to him. I plan with him. He comes up with the safety measures. I have minimal contact with you.” She said to Lionel, keeping her eyes on Lex.

“Agreed.” Lionel said.

“Two, you take care of all the expenses.”

“Of course.”

“Three, I want exclusive interviews with you, Albert Sklansky, and Talbot Sklansky if he is found alive.”

“Agreed.”

Chloe turned away from Lex and faced the older man.

“You’ve got a deal.”

Lionel smiled widely and handed her the folder he had been flipping through when they had arrived at the restaurant.

“We’re done here.” Lex growled.

He got up and hauled Chloe up by her elbow. He dragged her out of the restaurant without another word and left his father to get the bill.

Chloe mentally prepared herself for a fight. A big one.

[somethingeasy]

woah! Am I the first to review? I'm NEVER the first to review! It's pretty awesome (for me, since I have no life!) :P

Two chapters into this particular fic, and it’s already getting really good :D I love it! First of all, thank you SO much for bringing in Lionel early into this fic… and making him a fairly integral part of the plot line. Lionel always brings along a delicious amount of spice, excitement and dark-humour with him into a fic, and I adore him for that reason.

So, once again, THANK you, for bring Lionel in on early!!

heh! I suppose I should also comment on the other things that I also enjoyed about the fic, eh? Let’s start from the beginning…

Chapter One
I think chapter one started off really well summing up most of the action that had taken place in the prequel to this fic. The summing up was also done in a very clever and natural manner where Chloe brought up her recollections through associated memories, such as the part where she remembered the death of her lovely, charming security guard, Benny. I liked Benny from ‘Bite Me’, so it felt good to see a little bit of grieving for him.

LOL! And we’ve finally covered Gabe’s and Clark’s reaction to Chloe new relationship, eh? It’s about time. I have to say that it was a slightly conspicuous omission to not have Gabe, Clark, Lois or any of Chloe Smallville friends so much as make an appearance in ‘Bite Me’. I didn’t mind Clark’s omission so much, since it IS a Chlex story, and it’s about time Chloe moved on past him. But Gabe and Lois are family, and they shouldn’t be cut out of Chloe’s life just because she’s involved with Lex Luthor.

So it was extremely gratifying to see Gabe brought into the fold. Now he finally has an inkling about what’s the latest in his daughter’s life. I have to admit that I was slightly irate at the way that Lex blatantly lied to Gabe. It just didn’t seem right to first completely shut Gabe out of Chloe’s life, and then later tell him only part of the truth about Chloe’s serious relationship. It is disconcerting and slightly terrible that Lionel Luthor is much better informed and personally closer to his child as compared to Gabe Sullivan’s relationship with his baby. Dammit, Gabe’s supposed to be the good dad!

But perhaps Lex decided discretion was the better part of valour in this particular instance, eh? LOL! Heaven’s knows what Gabe would do if he knew that his baby was being repeatedly ‘defiled’ by the Luthor bastard. He’d probably make his way to Metropolis armed with steak knives or something.

I liked the way that a new mystery was introduced straight off from the first chapter. And it was especially fantastic to see a character from the prequel tied into a central plot of this storyline. Yes, I know that this particular character was an obnoxious prick, but I will also say that he was quite memorable, LOL! The prick with the needle-like penis who struck out big time with Chloe, ROTFL! Who can forget him?!

Heh… I think Chloe makes a good point that the bastard is probably buried in the basement of a person that he happened to push too far with his ‘charming personality’.

Many, many thanks for finishing up the chapter with sweet (but still hot and amazing) smut, Jenny! Your readers very much appreciate that! Or I should be specific and admit that I ADORE your smut writing. You have a special talent for building up the sex scenes with enough heated detail to get the heat rising, even in winter. Thanks for that!

And I also love the way that you manage to thread romanticism and a wicked sense of humour into the smut as well. I really enjoyed the taunting, playful way that Chloe ambushed poor Lex during his very important phone call with a blow-job, knowing full well that Lex wouldn’t be able to conduct business in the middle of oral sex… but also that Lex would certainly not tell Chloe to ‘wait until later’, ROTFLMAO!

Chapter Two
squeee!!! Chapter two was friggen fantastic. As much as I enjoyed chapter one, that was a basic ‘setting up the scene and characters’ introduction chapter. It was during this chapter where the plot really got cooking!

First of all, I’m sure I’ve made it clear that one of the things that I loved most about this chapter was Lionel Luthor!!! The magnificent bastard has such an irresistible, memorable presence that adds spice onto ALL of his scenes. I love it!!

ROTFL! It seems like Lionel is still up to his old tricks of making subtle (and not too subtle) moves get under Chloe’s skin, and perhaps drive her away from his son. Poor Lionel must be gnashing his teeth in frustration at the thought that Lex is madly in love with someone who cannot be intimidated, bought off (or seduced) by Lionel. Lionel doesn’t even dare to so much as threaten this girl properly because Lex is too much in love with her to allow his father to get away with such things.

LOL! Poor Lionel is stuck with only cheap, petty tactics, such as dangling Lex’s ex-girlfriends in Chloe’s face, hoping to spark off her insecurities, OR encourage Lex’s gaze to wander. Heh, you get an A for effort, Lionel, but dream on!

Oooh, we finally got some details about the story behind the disappearance of the obnoxious prat from the club, eh? Apparently the idiot got himself kidnapped (or killed) by five sorority airheads? That’s, quite frankly, embarrassing! Talbot is never going to live this down, once he gets rescued of course.

ROTFLMAO! Oh dear me, I initially read the name as ‘Skanky’ before doing a double-take and reading the name properly as ‘Sklansky’. Was that a Freudian insert, Jenny? ROTFL!

I was squealing in delight to see Lionel in top manipulative form. Yes, it’s always fantastic to see Chloe snarking at the MB, and usually getting the upper hand through sheer nerves, guts and a steel spine… but it’s also amazing to see Lionel’s manipulative skills shining through… and seeing all of his little pawns dancing away to his tune.

In the end, it will only make us appreciated Chloe all the more once she regains the upper hands in whatever game Lionel has set in place around her, right?

Anyhow, it was fantastic seeing Chloe being fully aware that Lionel is essentially playing her. Even better, she knew exactly what kind of advantages he was gaining by setting her on this investigative path… driving a wedge between her and Lex, as well as putting her on a path that might (hopefully) lead her to danger, chaos and death. Can you imagine Lionel gleefully rubbing his hands together at those happy thoughts? LOL!

It seems like the first part of his plan is already working. Lex is enraged at the way that Chloe is knowingly jumping into Lionel’s plans… especially since Chloe is doing this very obviously against Lex’s explicit wishes. It only rubs salts in Lex’s wounded pride to know that Chloe is ignoring him in his father’s presence. Lex might no longer want his father’s approval as he once did… but I’m certain that he does want Lionel to respect him… and watching Lex’s opinions be completely disregarded and ignored by Chloe (in Lionel’s presence no less), without so much as a discussion has to be pretty humiliating for Lex.

It was most definitely not a smart move for Chloe to NOT take Lex aside for a quick discussion before jumping on Lionel’s offer. She’s going to be paying for that later.

I can understand that Lex’s ‘forbidding orders’ came from his care, concern and anxiety for Chloe’s safety… but he really should have known better than to have taken that imperious, commanding tone of voice with her. Doesn’t he know by now that Chloe tends to jump right if anyone orders her to jump left?

I thought Chloe’s conditions were a good compromise to Lionel’s plans. Indeed, I think that if Chloe had discussed these conditions with Lex privately first, before stating them outright for Lionel, then Lex would have found it much easier to be more accepting of the situation. Instead, Chloe just took in Lionel’s words, and negotiated purely by herself, completely disregarding Lex’s opinions and input.

For heaven’s sake, Chloe. You have a first class negotiator on your side who adores you, AND he has tons of experience of dealing with Lionel Luthor. Make him part of the negotiation process instead of shunting him aside like a naughty child! He might have well had some REALLY great conditions of his own to contribute to the negotiations after all.

Heh… Despite her cunning brilliance, Chloe still sometimes shows her youth, inexperience and naiveté, doesn’t she? She made the same mistake in the prequel when she ran off to face the mad doctor to rescue Lex. Her over-confidence got her drugged and trapped in a reinforced room practically within minutes of meeting the doctor. Now her over-confidence is leading her down the path towards potential stupidity again.

Heee! Chlex fight scene in the next chapter. I simply cannot wait. Ooooh, is this going to be their first fight as a couple? It’s about time that they took a step out of the hazy ‘honeymoon stage’ of their relationship, and started dealing with some realistic problems and disagreements. I can’t wait to see the upcoming chapter. Please update soon!

Erm…. Just one little request. I remember leaving a little note in my review for the prequel fic, asking for the scene of Lex sharply and violently backhanding Chloe to be re-visited? In the form of a photograph that happened to be taken by some quick photographer, and then published in the local newspapers…?

Anyhow, I decided making a request couldn’t hurt. Feel free to completely disregard this request if you so wish. Completely up to you whether it works or not.

Thanks for the great writing, Jenny! Good luck with the upcoming chapters!

[JennyD13]

Chapter 3

(Kiss With a Fist – Florence & the Machine)

“You FORBID me?!” Chloe screeched; her hands were clenched into fists and her nails were biting into her palms. “Are you fucking kidding me?! You better get over this macho power trip really fucking quick because I’m losing patience with you.”

Chloe stomped through the door as soon as Lex flung it open. They had been screaming at each other since they had gotten into his limo. They subdued slightly when they walked quickly across the lobby and continued as soon as the elevator doors shut. The poor security guard must have heard them coming at least three floors away and tried his best to blend into the bland surroundings. He had stared at her with an expression that read either ‘She’s the bravest girl I’ve ever seen’ or ‘The girl is a fucking lunatic’ and it almost made her smile. Almost. She was too fucking angry. In fact, Chloe was pretty sure she had never been so angry in her life. And that included her hormone-induced hissy fits when she had turned into a werewolf. She could feel the rage turning her white skin an irate red. Her limbs trembled with it.

Lex walked in behind her and slammed the door. The sound echoed through the penthouse.

“Oh! Forgive me about giving a shit about my girlfriend’s safety!” He yelled, stalking past her straight to the bar in the large living room. The mirror she had broken had been replaced and he glared at her reflection. “God forbid that I don’t want you working for my father! You’re not a werewolf anymore, Chlo, you’re human. You have no powers. And going undercover investigating a possible murder is not only foolish but extremely dangerous.”

Chloe clenched her eyes shut.

“I know I don’t have any super powers.” She spat, walking up to the wall of windows overlooking a dark Metropolis. “And, I’m not working for your father, I’m working for you. Maybe you would have heard me say that if you hadn’t been so busy plotting his murder in your head! Trust me, I hate your father. He’s a horrible, horrible man. I don’t trust him, I trust you. This is why I wanted you in charge of my safety. This could be a huge opportunity for me. I want to work with you on this, Lex, but you don’t fucking own me. You can’t forbid me to do something.”

Lex slammed an empty glass down on the bar and whirled around to face her.

“I want you to be SAFE!” He shouted, throwing his arms up. “What the hell is wrong with that!? You would think that my girlfriend would trust me on this instead or arguing. How would you like me to react, Chloe? With indifference? I want to protect you and I can’t do that if you insist on putting yourself in dangerous situations. I am two seconds away from calling your father and sending you home.”

“You’re going to call my FATHER?!” Chloe screamed, baring her teeth at him. “What am I? Six years old?! Is that what you think of me as? A little child-whore for you to play with and throw away when she causes trouble? If you don’t want anything to do with this, fine. Don’t help. But don’t EVER disrespect me by threatening to call my father, Lex.”

Chloe turned away from him and walked a few steps before thinking better of it and facing him again.

“If I have to do this on my own, so be it. I’ve been in plenty of dangerous situations without you. But you are not SENDING me anywhere, Lex Luthor. You want me out of here, I’m gone. I don’t need your help.”

Chloe again turned on her heel and stormed toward the hallway leading to Lex’s room. All her stuff was in there now. Again she turned to face him, interrupting what ever he was about to say.

“SHUT UP!” She shrieked, anger coiling in her chest. “I don’t want to fucking hear it. You’re reacting EXACTLY the way your father expected you to. If anyone should grow up, it should be you. Maybe then your goddamn troll of a father won’t be able to play you like a fucking violin.”

Chloe whirled around and stomped into the hallway. Her throat hurt and she was dangerously close to tears. She blinked her eyes furiously to keep them at bay. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“Chloe, get the fuck back here.” He shouted from behind her. “WE ARE NOT FINISHED WITH THIS DISCUSSION.”

She snorted in scornful amusement. Oh yes, we fucking are. Stupid Chloe, she thought, falling in love with a Luthor. She guessed it was only a matter of time before it ended. The powers that be couldn’t let her be happy for long. She made it to the end of the hall and through open the heavy oak doors but before she could enter, Lex grabbed her elbow and flung her into the wall in the hallway.

“Goddamn it, Chloe!” He shouted; his face flushed and his eyes flashing with fury. “We are not done talking about this!”

“You think you scare me, Lex?” Chloe spat, the fury in her eyes matching his own. “You think you intimidate me? You don’t. You should fucking know better. And yes. We are done.”

(Hey Man, Nice Shot – Filter)

She turned to leave and she was slammed into the wall again, this time he held her in place, his fingers biting into the flesh of her upper arm. Before Lex could open his mouth to say anything, Chloe swung her free fist as hard as she could in the awkward position and caught him in the jaw. His head snapped to the side, but he recovered quickly and he stared at her in shock for a split second and tightened his grip on her arm. She cocked her hand back to deliver another blow, but he caught her fist and pushed that arm against the wall as well; her knuckles stung from the contact with his jaw. She glared at him, her chest heaving. He was red faced; his eyes were fierce and dark and met he her glare unflinchingly.

“Let me go.” Chloe demanded through clenched teeth. Her head was still swimming with rage, but her body was reacting to his closeness; to his brutal passion.

Lex studied her face carefully. Swiftly, his mouth descended on her and Chloe responded, biting and sucking his bottom lip. His grip on her arms loosened and she took the opportunity to break free and throw her arms around his neck, clutching the stiff material of his jacket. But Chloe didn’t want to feel that. She wanted to feel his hot skin underneath her fingertips and she roughly pushed him away from her. A guilty look appeared on Lex’s face, like he thought that he went too far; that he had been a little too rough. She ignored the expression and ripped his shirt open; the buttons skittering across the hallways shiny, hardwood floor. Before he could react, she yanked the shirt and jacket from his shoulders and they pooled on the floor behind him. She left the black tie around his neck and twisted the material around her fingers while she looked up at his face through thick, black eyelashes. Gone was the guilty look. There was a smirk on his face and she pulled him down to her and kissed him fiercely. She kept a strong grip on the tie and with her other hand, Chloe scratched her nails down his torso and started to undo his belt.

While she peeled back his belt, Lex grabbed her shoulders and swung her away from the wall and started to back her into his room. As Chloe pushed his pants and underwear over his hips, Lex stepped out of them swiftly, pushing her until her bottom hit his oak dressing table. A spilt second later, Lex was ripping down her dress, leaving her naked except for a pair of red lace panties. She felt his fingers biting into the flesh of her ass and suddenly she was dropped onto the table in a sitting position. Lex leaned forward and ravaged her mouth, while his fingers found the tie wrapped in hers and wrenched it from her grasp. He loosened the soft, black material from his neck and broke the kiss for only a split second when he pulled the tie over his head.

Lex ran his fingers down her arms and Chloe shivered. When he reached her wrists, trapped them behind her back, tying them tightly together with his tie. With that done, he wasted no time and spread her legs wider, pulling her ass to the edge of the table. He pushed her underwear aside and plunged into her. Chloe cried out as he leaned forward, snaking one hand behind her neck. He pulled her closer, brutally stifling her with his mouth. She wrapped her legs high around his waist, and leaned back against his hand, trusting him to keep her balance. As his thrusts became harder, the dressing table began to knock against the wall and the assortment of bottles and things that he had been lined up neatly fell over, a few rolled and smashed on the floor. If Lex noticed, he didn’t let on, he just ripped his lips away from Chloe’s and rested his forehead against hers, watching her face. Chloe stared into his dark eyes. She was almost there already. Lex knew how to touch her, how to fuck her; he spent hours learning her and everything he did was pitch perfect. His hand tightened around the back of her neck; his grunts becoming more desperate. When he came, he threw his head back and yelled; the muscles in his neck straining. Chloe came watching him.

Shaking, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. Chloe dropped her legs from around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. She didn’t have anymore fight in her. She just wanted to cuddle up with him in bed. With a sigh, he slid his hands down her back to her tightly tied wrists and untied her. She immediately wrapped her hands around his neck.

“I’m sorry I hit you.” She said sheepishly, leaning back to look at his jaw. There would be a slight bruise, but he’d had worse. Actually, Chloe was a little disappointed. She thought it was hard enough to warrant a bigger mark, at least.

“Are you sorry you didn’t leave more of a mark?” Lex asked, grinning.

Chloe pouted.

“No, that would be terrible. It’s just that I thought you’d get a bigger bruise, not that I want you to get a bigger bruise.”

Lex laughed. Chloe grinned. At least he had a sense of humour about it.

“I love you, Chloe.” He smiled, kissing her forehead.

“I love you, too, Lex.” She replied. “Even if you do drive me completely nuts sometimes.”

“I just want you safe. That’s all.”

Chloe sighed.

“I know. I can’t fault you for that.”

Lex smiled triumphantly.

“I can, however, blame you for treating me like you own me. I’m not one of your possessions.” She said. “And you threatened to call MY FATHER!”

“That…” He sighed. “That was a mistake.”

Chloe laughed.

“I don’t want you to leave, Chlo, and I will help you. But I am not happy about this.”

“I know.” Chloe replied softly, hugging him. “Thank you.”

Lex grunted his reply and carried her to the bed. She giggled as he dropped her on the large mattress and they snuggled comfortably under the blankets.


Chapter 4

(Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Greenday)

Chloe stepped out of the limo and smoothed down her emerald green silk dress. An impeccably dressed older man got out behind her, straightened his jacket and took her arm. She smiled demurely as he led her up the steps of a stately old manor. It was a huge red brick building with white window frames and dark green shudders. The porch seemed to run around the entirety of the house; it was the same dark green of the shudders and it had pots of pretty red and pink snapdragons decorating it. There was a small bronze plaque by the door. It said, ‘D.P.Casba IX’s Council of the Four Lotuses’ and was decorated with four lotus flowers in full bloom. Chloe winced at the awkward wording. Something about it nagged at her. Chloe sighed nervously as her ‘father’ rang the doorbell.

This was it. Dorothy Pearl Casba the 9th’s house for rich bitches. Established in 1912, the Council of the Four Lotuses housed six girls of the best breeding whose parents were busy elsewhere. It was sort of like a sorority for high school girls who were rich. Scrooge-McDuck-swimming-pool-full-of-money rich. The house itself was in Casba’s family for generations before that. It was situated a few blocks away from Metropolis’s oldest and most prestigious private school for girls, which was established about 20 years before it. Dorothy Casba herself was quite the mystery. All that was known about her entire life filled a paragraph. She went to said private school and graduated with honours. She established the Council when she was 23 after the rest of her family died in a blaze at one of their other homes in Gotham. Two aunts (unmarried), one uncle (widowed), her mother and father and her 3 year old twin brother and sister. All wiped out in one tragic house fire. She became a sort of a recluse after that. She accepted six girls at one time. Just six girls, never more than that, even though they had more than enough room. The only other piece of information of note was that she hated men. She was a tried and true misandrist, yet she bore a daughter at 56 years old, which was almost unprecedented in 1945, let alone now. Her daughter, Pearl Casba, 64 and unmarried, now runs the Council in place of her mother who died in 1968.

This was the house that she was going to spend the next couple of weeks in. Away from Lex. And sex. This was gonna suck on so many levels. Exactly why had she agreed to do this again? Oh yeah, because she was a reporter and she wanted more from life than a rich boyfriend and great sex. Although, she had to say, those things were awesome. Lex was awesome. Chloe steeled herself. She had spent the majority of her eighteen years of life completely celibate. A couple of weeks weren’t going to kill her. It might suck, but it wouldn’t kill her, damn it!

Things had moved along faster than she had thought they would. Yesterday morning, Lex was still pissed and stomped off to work, only gracing her with a begrudging smile when she told him how cute he was when he sulked. One quick kiss and he was gone. He had called about an hour later to tell her that he hired one of his most trusted security people to play her rich father. Chloe had thanked him and had gotten dressed and had went shopping on Lionel’s dime. Which was just excellent. She bought scores of fabulous clothes and shoes and, of course, gold jewellery that matched her tracking bracelet (which, surprisingly enough, Lex had not welded onto her wrist). That night, when Lex came home, they sat down cross-legged by the fire with some Chinese takeout and discussed the cover that he had devised.

Chloe would become Ava Winchester, daughter of Benjamin Winchester, an archaeologist. His career didn’t make him rich – his family did, which made his career choice one of passion and not financial gain. Benjamin’s grandfather made a fortune in diamond mining. Both he and his mother had no siblings. Ben’s mother had inherited everything from her father and Ben had inherited everything from her. And now Ava was sole heir of the Winchester fortune. The cover was not a product of their imaginations. The Winchester’s were a real family. As Lex had put it, it wasn’t identity theft per say, they were just borrowing their names for the greater good. Besides, using existing records would be much easier than creating two new people out of thin air, and the Council would most definitely do a background check. Since their actual home was in Gotham, nobody would suspect anything, at least not for a couple of weeks. Which (hopefully) would be all the time Chloe would need to figure out what was what. So, Ben Winchester had taken his young daughter to Scotland to participate in a dig. He had thought it would be good for her and hoped that she would share his passion. According to Lex, Ava had not. She had hated it there and that was why Ben was leaving her in the care of the Council. In actual fact, Ben and Ava Winchester were indeed at a dig in Scotland, but contrary to Lex’s story, Ava was having the time of her life and they were still there. Sneaky Lex.

The old wooden door opened with a haunted house style creak and startled Chloe out of her thoughts. Her ‘father’ Joe quickly and politely greeted the small, middle-aged woman who had opened the door. She was impeccably dressed in a navy dress and a pearl necklace and had her hands clasped demurely in front of her. Although she shook Joe’s hand, she was stared at Chloe, her ice blue eyes unblinking. Chloe plastered a smile on her face, trying to hide her discomfort. She suddenly had the feeling that the stoic lady knew about her and their plan. But, thankfully, as Chloe shook her cold, smooth hand, the lady smiled invitingly and Chloe’s panic dropped.

“Ava. It is so nice to meet you. Your father told me all about you. Please, both of you come in.”

Joe and Chloe shared a look as the lady stepped inside the darkened hall and, with a hand on her arm, Joe led her inside.

“I’m very sorry about that door.” The lady said as she hurried them down a dimly lit hall. “It needs to be oiled!”

She led them halfway down a long hallway until and ushered them into a large room on the left. It was her office, and like her, it was expensively decorated. Persian rug. A giant fireplace on one side with what looked like a genuine Monet hanging above it. Antique red oak desk with matching chairs. Wall to wall library on the other side of the room. Picture window over looking the expansive backyard behind the desk. Chloe didn’t want to think about what she would do to claim this room as her own. It involved whips and chains and wasn’t very pleasant.

“Oh! I should introduce myself! Silly me!” She tinkled as she turned abruptly and grasped Chloe’s hand tightly. “I’m Pearl Casba, Ava. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise, ma’am.” Chloe answered with a smile. Again, she tried to keep her discomfort from showing on her face. Pearl’s eyes were glowing with excitement – that special kind of excitement that one tends to see in the eyes of only lunatics and religious fanatics. Pearl continued to completely ignore ‘father’. There was definitely something up in this house.

“Please sit down.” Pearl added almost as an afterthought, waving towards the two chairs on the other side of her giant desk. She sat in her large high-backed chair and clasped her hands together on her neat desk. The chair and desk dwarfed her, making her look like a character from Alice in Wonderland.

“Thank you so much for meeting with us on such short notice.” “Father’ Joe said as he sat and crossed his legs.

“It’s my pleasure!” Pearl responded, beaming at Chloe. “You are very well respected, Dr. Winchester, and Ava has all the qualifications that we look for in our girls.”

Yeah, Chloe thought, money. Again, she smiled; making sure that her cynicism did not wash over her face.

“I worry about the welfare of my daughter when I’m away, and unfortunately I travel quite often. I couldn’t believe our luck when I discovered that you had an opening. It doesn’t happen often.” Joe said, turning on the charm.

“Yes. I just wish the circumstances were better.” Pearl replied. Her eyes had not left Chloe. It was creepy. “Unfortunately, one of our girls…she…there was a tragic accident. She was depressed, although nobody knew it, and she took her life by jumping off one of the buildings of the Twin Oaks private school. It was quite unexpected. A tragic loss.”

Chloe watched Pearl closely as she talked and although her face twisted in remorse, the sadness did not reach her eyes and it disturbed Chloe. Pearl’s pained face was perfect mimicry. This woman felt absolutely nothing about the loss of her charge.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Chloe said politely.

Pearl’s face immediately dropped the mask and she smiled broadly.

“Why, thank you, dear. But we cannot dwell in the past. As you may very well have guessed, Ava, this meeting is just a formality. You references are impeccable. We would love for you to be a part of our little family.”

Chloe smiled broadly and tried to show excitement. She hoped she was a better mimic than Pearl.

“Thank you so much, Ms. Casba!” Chloe exclaimed.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll feel so much better when I’m away knowing that my daughter is safe here.” Joe said; discomfort evident in his voice.

“Now, as you may already know, we are almost done our year at our Metropolis location. We have many comfortable locations around the world…”

“Really?” Joe questioned. “I’m sorry, but I do not remember you mentioning that to me. How many other locations do you have?”

Pearl pursed her lips in controlled annoyance.

“I do apologize, Mr. Winchester. I thought I mentioned that when we spoke on the phone. We have three or four locations. We will be staying here until the end of December. Then in the New Year, we will be traveling to our location in England. We find that the change of scenery is good for the girls and helps them learn much more about different cultures. Will you be joining us, Ms. Winchester?”

“Yes,” Chloe answered, “I do believe so.”

“Excellent!” Pearl exclaimed as she stood. “Well, now that that is settled. As discussed with your father, you’ll be attending some summer classes. I’ll go get you a uniform. What size are you, dear?”

And just like that, Chloe was in. She received her uniform, thanked Pearl again and then they were leaving. Joe led her to the waiting limo and the driver opened the door for them. When she was getting into the limo, she felt like she was being watched and she looked to house. Pearl stood in the window by the door, with a wide and chilling smile on her face. Chloe waved and got in, happy to be away from her scrutiny. Only when Joe had closed the door and sat across from her did she realize she was holding her breath.

“I would not let my daughter within 10 feet of that woman.” Joe said, shaking his head.

“So it wasn’t just me then? She was really creepy, right?” Chloe asked.

“It wasn’t just you, Ms. Sullivan. I got a bad feeling from that bi...woman. She didn’t make eye contact with me once. Not once! And she looked at you like you were, I don’t know, dinner or something!”

Chloe let out a humourless laugh.

“Yes, she really did, didn’t she?” Chloe asked while chewing her lip nervously.

“Ms. Sullivan…”

“Chloe, please.” She interrupted.

“Chloe…Are you sure you want to do this? There is something very wrong in that house.”

Chloe smiled at him. She wasn’t so sure anymore.

[hfce]

oh I agree with that guard. Chloe don't do this. :nono: EEK!! I am sacred for her. :(

[CrazyGirlWriter]

oooooo i'm loving this story already. and OMG to your sex scenes. i want you to write mine they are so good. i can't wait to find out what is wrong in that house or what miss casba really is. update soon please

[somethingeasy]

The fic is becoming more engrossing and intriguing with every passing chapter. I love it!

Heeee! I was rather hoping that there would be some angry-sex in this chapter… and I got exactly what I was hoping, pleading and silently begging for. THANK you for the delicious, smoking hot smut, Jenny!!

LOL! It was most definitely a lot of fun, as well as exceedingly satisfying seeing Chloe getting into a high level shouting match with Lex. I think this is the first real fight that they’ve had so far, isn’t it? They did it very well, despite the fact that it’s only their first time, eh? LOL! It was really amusing seeing all of Lex’s staff (both serving staff and even bodyguards) hiding themselves away, quavering in their boots at the sight of an enraged Lex Luthor being goaded into an even higher fury by his insane girlfriend, who just refused to shut up! ROTFL! At least, that’s what they were thinking, I’m sure, LOL!

The best part was that I could see both Chloe’s and Lex’s point of view during the argument. Lex knows that Chloe is throwing herself into a dangerous situation… at Lionel’s suggestion no less. Of course he’s going to think that she’s being reckless and foolish.

And Chloe ALSO has a good point that Lex is letting his instinct to control get the better of him right now. In fact, it’s not only his urge to control, but also his temper that’s getting the better of him. Lex is usually a great deal more smooth, subtle and effective when it comes to controlling people through careful maneuverings. Ordering Chloe not to do something was a really stupid thing to do… and Lex is paying the price for that.

Oh no he didn’t! He didn’t threaten to call Chloe’s father, did he? Oh wait, he DID! ROTFLMAO! Oh, the poor, foolish, idiotic man. ROTFL!

Heh… next time, maintain a little more control over your temper if you want to have any hope of controlling Chloe, Lex. Be crafty, cunning and subtle! BUT… Lex is madly in love with Chloe… so being subtle about her is pretty much out of the window, isn’t it? Excellent! I like the idea of Lex being too emotionally charged to be able to practice proper Luthor cunning with Chloe.

I loved, LOVED the way that the argument turned from heated words into physical confrontation. Of course Lex is never going to hit Chloe, or anything barbaric like that… but I was thrilled to see the argument take the transition into physical force, where Lex grabbed her as if to hold her still against her will… even if it is only for a few moments… JUST for the satisfaction of seeing her obeying his will… just for a moment.

LOL! And it was only for a moment, since Chloe is more than willing to up the ante on any physical force that Lex is willing to bring to the party. I actually laughed and sqealed in delight seeing her haul back her fist and right-hook his jaw.

LOL! It was beyond hilarious seeing, after the fight, how Chloe was actually disappointed that she didn’t leave a heavier mark on Lex… even while she was feeling guilty for hitting him, ROTFL! Don’t worry, Chloe, next time you can grab a paperweight or something.

And then it got even better :D Because the physical fight turned from fists to fucking! Heeee!! Awesome! And beyond hot!!

I was especially thrilled by that little moment, where Chloe pushed Lex off her, and he immediately got off, momentarily guilt-stricken and anguished at the thought that he might have taken physical force too far into actually forcing Chloe into sexual relations. Thanks heavens the heartbreaking anguish only lasted a moment before Chloe was pulling him back to her again. Great job in capturing and conveying that moment, Jenny. And all that purely through Chloe’s point of view! Wow!

The sex was amazing!! I cannot describe how hot, arousing, thrilling and satisfying it was to see them both clawing at each other’s clothes and skin in their desperation to feel each other. The amount of force that they both used on each other was… wow! I loved the way that they both used their fury to fuel their sexual desire… because that was really amazing and intense!

And the aftermath of the angry-sex was fantastic… because it was made clear that all the fury had been vented and used up… leaving nothing but a desire to cuddle, reconnect, apologize and make-up.

*happy sigh* I think the Chlex couple has figured out a pretty effective formula on how to deal with fights, eh? LOL! I find myself hoping that Lionel has yet more plans to stir up fights between the two of them, LOL!

The introduction to Dorothy Pearl Casba was fascinating. I really appreciated and enjoyed the history that was provided of the place, Jenny. It added on another layer of intrigue and even realism to find out about the ‘rich historical background’ of this elitist establishment. No elitist establishment would be complete without some kind of a pedigreed background, eh? LOL!

hmmm, the history of the women who seem to come part and parcel with this establishment was also equally rich and fascinating… and ever so mysterious. I don’t know whether we’re ever going to get any of the answers behind these mysteries, but I love contemplating the possible explanations behind them.

I DO wonder what the heck is the significance behind the number ‘six’ for this dorm house. That is a ridiculously low number, and I can’t imagine the kind of snobby fights that must break out amongst the upper ranks trying to get their precious daughter/s into this place. Not to mention the lengths they’re willing to go through to keep their daughters in this exclusive dorm home? The possibilities are seriously creepy!

And Chloe is going to be stuck in this mysterious, creepy, disconcerting house for a couple of weeks at least. Yikes! And the door even has that damned haunted house creak?!?? Run away NOW, Chloe!!!

I loved the attention and detail that you gave to constructing Chloe’s cover-story, Jenny. I loved the idea of Chloe engaging in a bit of ‘light identity theft’ in order to infiltrate this place. I’ll bet that Ava Winchester probably also looks considerably like Chloe Sullivan… a short, curvy blonde… probably with green eyes as well. Lex is not the type of person to not consider the finer details of a cover story.

Erm… was it my imagination… or did the interior of the office seem exactly like Lex’s study in Smallville? Right down to the unneeded fireplace to the side of the room? LOL!

Pearl already strikes me as a fascinating character. It was slightly unnerving reading about Chloe’s observation about the unusual light in Pearl’s eyes… like those of a ‘lunatic-level religious fanatic’? And there was also the disconcerting fact that Pearl only seemed to see Chloe, not acknowledging the presence of Chloe’s ‘father’ at all. This is highly unusual, since most other matrons of dorm houses (especially those catering to the elitist ranks) would always directly address the parental figures above the heads of the children/wards. That’s where the true authority usually lies after all, doesn’t it?

Holy heavens! There has been a recent suicide in the house? I was wondering how Chloe was able to find space for herself in the dorm considering that it limits itself to six people only. It seemed just a little too convenient that the house only happened to have collected five girls this time.

The only thing I am puzzled about is how Chloe was able to get herself that newly vacant space, since I suspect that there must be a mile-long waiting list for this place. How did Chloe, Lex or Lionel get her name (or Ava’s name) bumped to the top?

Lex is going to throw a HUGE fit when he finds out about the ‘special travel privileges’ that this dorm offers to its girls. He’s going to have to arrange security that spans across several countries… and it’s damned difficult to get airtight security while your subject is traveling across oceans and continents.

heh… I was glad to see that even Chloe’s ‘dad’ had picked up on the heebie-jeebie vibes off Peal. I ALSO picked up on distinct hungry and predatory vibes off that woman. It’s remarkable that any parent is willing to let their daughter stay in this place after their first meeting with Pearl Casba. I guess exclusivity will draw all sorts, even against survival instincts.

Thanks for posting. I anxiously await further developments in future chapters.

[JennyD13]

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I'm really glad you find Pearl interesting, hfce and somethingeasy, i tried really heard to convey a creepy, almost surrealistic view of both the house and Pearl!

And you were dead on about Pearl's office, somethingeasy - I modeled it after Lex's office - wicked catch!

And thanks, my fellow pervs, for lovin' the sex! Ahhhhhh yeeeeeah!

Chapter 5
(Beautiful Dirty Rich – Lady Gaga)

Chloe had gotten home earlier than she thought. This had struck her as a little strange. For a place that was ridiculously exclusive, that must have a waiting list a mile long, she sure got in easily enough. Maybe she was underestimating the power of money. No telling how much of the green stuff Lionel had thrown at the Council. Maybe that’s why Pearl was so excited to take her in. The rest of the afternoon was spent taking to her father and Clark. Neither of them needed to know what was going on, so she didn’t even consider telling them. If she did, they would both automatically blame Lex, which was incredibly ironic, and come out to get her. Cause she was five, apparently. After she got off the phone, she moped around the penthouse wishing that she were at work at the Planet. Lex dealt with that, too. He called and explained that there was an emergency and that Chloe needed a couple of weeks off. Of course they said yes. No one says no to a Luthor.

She decided that she wanted to do something productive until Lex came home, so Chloe started to pack. She once again tried on each new outfit to see if they looked as good as they did in the store. Satisfied that she did indeed look like a rich bitch, she took off her last outfit and padded over too the bed. She was about to pull on her jeans and t-shirt, but her eye caught the bag that contained her school uniform and she decided to try that on as well. When she was finished she looked in the mirror and shrugged. It wasn’t that bad. It consisted of a grey mid-thigh pleated skirt, a fitted white blouse with a navy and red striped tie and a fitted navy vest. She reached up to take off the tie when she heard Lex come home. Chloe heard him call out to her and she skipped barefoot out of the bedroom, following his voice.

“I’m here, Lex.” She answered, following his voice into his library/office.

She stepped into the large room as he put his briefcase on his desk. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger and Chloe felt a pang of guilt. She knew it how stressed he was about the whole situation and part of her just wanted to call the whole thing off. She knew she couldn’t just give it up; the reporter in her was like a hungry bloodhound chasing a scent. Or, more accurately, a werewolf. That part of her would not be able to let it go; if she did the mystery would haunt her.

“Hey, babe!” She said walking into the large room. “Bad day?”

Lex smiled and looked up, promptly doing a double take. His eyes slid slowly down her body and then up again and Chloe grinned.

“So,” He said nonchalantly, “a school girl uniform, huh?”

“Yup!” She exclaimed, bouncing over to him and hopping up to sit on his desk. Lex crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at her, a smile playing on his lips.

“Well, Ms. Sullivan, at least you look your age.” He drawled, sitting down and pretending to be interested in taking out his laptop.

“Oh, Mr. Luthor, do I make you feel old? Oh, I mean, your age?” She shot back innocently as she crossed her legs and started twirling her short blonde hair around her fingers.

“You most definitely do not make me feel old. You do, however, make me feel like jail time would definitely be worth it.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Chloe grinned.

“Never mind. You’re too young to understand. I’ll explain it to you went you’re older.” He replied as he trained his eyes on the laptop screen beside her, trying desperately not to look at her legs.

“Oh, please, Mr. Luthor.” She pouted. “Explain it to me now.”

Chloe grinned and leaned forward as his lips twitched with the smile he was hiding.

“I really want to know…” She said as she bit her lip and tried her best to look chaste.

He finally glanced at her legs and as she opened them, his eyes grew darker. With that, Chloe felt a familiar fluttering in her chest, as if she was falling, and she took a deep, anticipating breath. His dark eyes crawled upward pausing at her open thighs and straining breasts before Lex returned her gaze. Without breaking eye contact, he stood up and with a hand on either side if her, he leaned in, stopping inches from her lips. Chloe held her breath and spread her quivering thighs further apart.

“Oh, naughty Chloe. Are you sure? Are you just…aching…to find out?” He murmured. His sweet breath tickled her lips and she unconsciously licked them. Lex’s grin turned predatory and she had to force herself not to rub the erection straining against his pants.

“Yes.” She whispered as his right hand toyed with the hem of her skirt.

“Well, then…” he murmured, tilting his head and lightly kissing her neck.

Her sigh became a gasp as he slid his right hand away from the hem and between her legs, lightly stroking her through her moist panties. She moved her hips in time with his fingers and for every millimetre she gained, his fingers teasingly retreated. Lex gently nipped at her neck and leaned back, watching the pleasure contort her face. She was hot, burning up; her cheeks were flushed and she found her breath coming in gasps. Her head was swimming with the sensation of him.

“How does it feel?” He asked, locking eyes with her.

“Good…so good…” She gasped.

“Do you want more?”

“Yes!”

“Say please.” He demanded, slowing his fingers to manipulate her response.

“Please.” She grunted and he smiled triumphantly. And once again her horniness overcomes her pride. We really do need to work on his control issues, she thought, as he applied more pressure with his fingers. But later. Later would be good.

Lex moved his left hand up her thigh and hooked his finger in her panties, and she lifted herself up so he could slide them off. The satiny material slid from his fingers, forgotten, and he slowly leaned in once again, kissing her expertly until she was light-headed. Before her cloudy mind realized what was happening, he loosened her tie and opened her vest. His nimble fingers made short work of the buttons of her blouse. As soon as he had access to her bra, he yanked down the white satin and shuddered as he saw her taut, pink nipples. Lex grabbed her hips to stop her rocking movements and he stooped to suck one of her throbbing nipples into his hot mouth. Chloe cried out, desperation ringing through it. He took turns sucking and laving both sensitive nubs and Chloe put her quivering arms behind her, bracing herself against the desk so she wouldn’t fall back. Lex pressed his erection against her; just the material separating him from the place she wanted him most. Lex groaned at the contact, his fingers biting into her hips.

Suddenly, Lex grunted and pushed himself back, much to Chloe’s disappointment. Red-faced and watching her, he unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down. He sat down on his chair and Chloe excitedly hopped down off of her perch and nearly tripped over herself in her hurry to straddle him. When she finally sank down on his dick, she laid her forehead on his and they both sighed. She loved to have him buried inside her, filling her up. She loved the slight trace of pain as he stretched her. Chloe planted her small hands on his shoulders and, bracing herself on tiptoes that barely reached the floor; she started to ride him in earnest. She shut her eyes and needed his shoulders like a cat as she lost herself. Lex wrapped his arms around the small of her back and hugged her to him tightly, helping her thrust faster. The position put delicious pressure on her clit and she started to shake. She snaked her arms around his neck and tightened her hands into fists.

“Open your eyes.” Lex murmured.

Chloe obeyed and stared into his dark eyes and Chloe felt that familiar pull, that indescribable tightness that wanted to explode inside her. She thrust urgently against him bringing them closer to climax.

The front door slammed. They didn’t stop – they couldn’t.

“Son?” they heard Lionel call out from the living room.

“I…hate…that…man…” Chloe whispered, thrusting desperately.

Chloe threw her head back and bite down a scream as she came and Lex followed her by seconds, viciously thrusting up into her, not bothering to quiet his grunt of release. They grinned at each other for a split second and she climbed off of him and they both rushed to dress. Lex was finished first – he only needed to button his pants, buckle his belt and tuck in his shirt.

“Let’s hope he decided to get a drink first.” He grinned as he helped Chloe dress.

Now that the excitement of the orgasm had drained from her, she was desperately trying not to give in to her impending mortification. She buttoned the top couple of buttons on her blouse and hastily tucked it into her skirt. As she was doing this Lex fixed her tie and buttoned the three large buttons on her vest, which thankfully covered the unbuttoned ones underneath. They managed to look like they were otherwise engaged in something on the laptop, Lex sitting and Chloe crossing her arms and standing by him, just as Lionel barged into the room, an iced drink rattling in his hand.

(Sympathy for the Devil – Guns’n’Roses)

They looked up and tried to look surprised and innocent, with slightly flushed faces.

“Hello, Dad.” Lex said, sounding bored.

Chloe couldn’t speak. She was afraid her voice would come out quivering. She gave the man a tight-lipped smile and a nod. She hadn’t even begun her undercover operation so he was probably going to ignore her as usual. She hoped, anyway. Lex covertly elbowed her in the thigh and Chloe looked down. His face said not to look so guilty, but there was laughter in his eyes. What the hell did he expect from her!? His father, who happened to be a psychopath, just walked into a room two seconds after they finished having sex on his son’s desk chair. She thought she was acting pretty fucking calm under the circumstances!

Lionel walked one of the chairs that sat in front of the desk and sat down. He wasn’t really paying attention to them and he definitely wasn’t paying attention to Chloe. For once she was glad that Lionel was too pompous to notice her. Dick. Lionel leaned closer to the desk to lay his drink down on a coaster and she had to force down her panic. Oh fuck. Oh fuck! He’ll be able to smell it. Can you actually smell sex, or does that just happen in the movies? He totally knows I just banged his son, holy fuck! Her thoughts were racing as she covertly examined his face. Nothing. He flicked some folders on the desk in front of Chloe. No, no. He always treated her like crap. He knew nothing.

“Those are the dossiers of the five other girls in the Council.” Lionel said, nodding toward the folders. “I don’t know any of the families and they are proving very hard to track down. I have people working on it.”

A flippant comment as a way of greeting? Chloe was way too relieved to allow herself to despise him right now, so she let it go.

Douche.

Well, almost let it go.

“Did you hear me calling?” Lionel asked, reaching for his drink.

Chloe answered ‘yes’ at the same time Lex answered ‘no’ in a cliché that had no right happening in real life. Lionel furrowed his brow and looked at them, really looked at them for the first time.

Oh fucking hell.

“Sorry, I just meant that I heard something…” Chloe stammered while Lex fought to keep the smirk off of his face.

Lionel looked at Lex, then Chloe and thankfully decided to drop it. Chloe breathed a sigh of relief and uttered a silent ‘thanks’ to the powers that be. (Author’s Note: You’re Welcome.)

“Have you looked over the numbers for Metropolis Electric yet?” He asked Lex suspiciously.

“No, not yet. I just arrived.” Lex replied, opening a file on his computer.

Lionel put his glass back down on the desk and stood up, making his way behind the desk to file the file over Lex’s shoulder.

“We have to improve sales…” Lionel started.

Chloe didn’t hear anything else after that. Just silence buzzing in her ears, because she had looked down and saw her white satin panties crumpled on the floor. The only thing worse than Lionel discovering that she had just banged his son was Lionel seeing her panties. Gross. She pretended to stretch, which totally wasn’t the oldest trick in the book, and kicked the panties under his desk. Unfortunately, they did not travel far enough. Chloe grimaced, quite sure they were about to be caught and Chloe would have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge that the anti-Christ had seen her panties. Then, Lex moved his foot and covertly covered the material with an expensive Italian loafer just as Lionel stepped beside him. She raised her eyes to meet his. He was enjoying this way too much for her liking. Chloe stifled the impulse to smack the back of the head and grabbed the dossiers, making a hasty escape to the door.

“I’m just going to let you gentlemen talk business in peace.” She mumbled over her shoulder.

She grabbed the door handle and was two steps from freedom when Lionel stopped her.

“Ms. Sullivan?”

Chloe winced and turned back with what she desperately hoped was a normal expression. Lionel could smell weakness.

“No sarcastic comments today?” He asked; his eyes were narrowed and he was looking suspicious again.

“I guess I have too much on my mind. I’m sure I’ll have some for you tomorrow.”

Lex grinned widely and she again resisted the impulse to march over and smack it off his face. Maybe he was used to almost getting caught having sex by his father, but she wasn’t.

Chloe had just shut the door behind her, when she felt the result of Lex’s good time run down the inside of her thigh. She sighed. First shower, then laundry, then dossiers, she thought as she ran into Lex’s chambers and headed toward the bathroom. At least Lionel hadn’t seen her panties. Life was still okay.

[superag]

HAHAHA! What a wonderful smutty update that was funny in so many ways. YOu know that Lionel had to know; he was just being a good little man and not rubbing Chloe's nose in her own panties. Funny.

[somethingeasy]

heee! It was a delight to hear that I guessed rightly about Pearl’s office being ominously familiar to Lex’s mansion study… the same accursed study that he’s nearly been killed in about a million times.

And I also appreciated the note made early in this chapter about how every suspicious it was that Chloe managed to get in with relative ease as a resident in this exclusive dorm. HAH! I knew it sounded too weirdly convenient. I hope that’s a mystery that also gets answered.

It was a little disconcerting hearing about how Lex called the Planet for Chloe and procured some ‘time-off’ for her by using his influence. That was most definitely NOT a good move on Chloe’s part, since it doesn’t reflect well on her professionally to have her rich, powerful boyfriend call in on her place of work telling the editor that she’s taking some unexpected time off, and her job had better be waiting for her when she’s ready to come back again.

Oh, Chloe! What were you thinking?!? It would have been so much more impressive if only she had pitched the story idea to her editor, asking for the time off to do an investigative piece. Now her editor thinks she’s a flake who depends on her besotted boyfriend to bend the world to her wishes… not realizing that she’s actually asking for the ‘vacation time’ to dedicate herself to an intensive undercover investigative piece.

In many ways, Chloe still needs to learn a lot about adjusting to life as a Luthor girlfriend… and actively work against the urge to let Lex make everything in her life easier for her with a wave of his bank account. I don’t blame her, since it’s pretty damned tempting, I’m sure… but it has repercussions.

Anyhow… onto the smut! You have an amazing talent for writing sexy scenes, Jenny! It’s amazing! ROTFLMAO! The moment I saw Chloe trying on the school-girl outfit, I knew that it was going to be followed by a ‘school girl and older man’ smut scene involving. LOL! And I wasn’t disappointed at all :D

I loved the way that Lex’s eyes practically lit up like fireworks when he spied Chloe in the schoolgirl outfit. ROTFLMAO! Even Lex Luthor is susceptible to the ‘naughty schoolgirl’ fantasy, eh? LOL! I love it! And it was delightful to see Chloe immediately getting his dirty mind-set, and playing along with it.

It was friggen awesome seeing Lex teasing Chloe relentlessly and slowly… just like he really WAS seducing a timid, naïve virgin. You can tell he was really enjoying this… especially since it allowed Lex to indulge his dominating, controlling nature.

I liked how Chloe noted that Lex’s control issues were coming out to play… and made note that something will have to be done about that tendency of his. But, for now, she can just let him get away with it… this one time, LOL!

I thought I was going to scream and horror as well as howl with laughter at the realization that Lionel had come for a visit at the Worst. Time. Possible. ROTFLMAO! Oh dear me… Lionel just happened to show up at the precise moment when Chloe and Lex just couldn’t stop mid-fuck… no matter who had come over for a visit.

I think the Magnificent Bastard Satanic-senses were tingling and letting him know that right now was the best time to drop in on his son and the lovely girlfriend, LOL!

I was VERY amused by the way that Lex managed to sound blasé, casual and even slightly bored in his father’s presence… even though he had only JUST managed to adjust himself out of post-coital disarray only two seconds before Lionel entered the room.

It only deepened my enjoyment and bemusement to see how, in heavy contrast, Chloe was seriously freaking out about the situation… and only managed to keep from shrieking by keeping her mouth tightly shut, LOL! On top of all that, Lex was actually getting a thrilled sense of amusement from seeing how he managed to get away with pulling the wool over Lionel’s eyes… AND how Chloe is freaking out over it. ROTFL! Chloe is seriously going to be clonking his beautiful head with a paperweight the moment she gets him alone.

I already mentioned this, but I really enjoyed getting all the details of Chloe’s freak-out experience. She was actually imagining Lionel being able to smell the sex that had just taken place in the room? ROTFLMAO! Actually, to be honest, I’m not sure myself whether it IS possible to ‘smell sex’ in a room. It’s just that so many smut stories are built on that premise, that one assumes there must be some truth to it, eh?

Actually, the more genuine danger was Chloe panties lying on the floor nearly at Lionel’s feet. Ouch and eeek! There is NO way that Chloe would have been able to look at Lionel in the eye EVER again if the magnificent bastard had discovered and gleefully pointed out the panties on the floor.

I was honestly expecting Lionel to be a whole lot more interrogative, sharper and nastier during this meeting. Chloe was practically vibrating with guilt, shame, fright and horror. How the hell did Lionel miss all those vibes?! I’m sure Chloe wasn’t being very subtle about her emotions at that moment.

Perhaps Lionel is just so determined to pretend that Chloe doesn’t exist, that he completely ignored her presence to the extent of not noticing her emotional state. LOL! Oh, Lionel, you poor fool! You missed something grand, and you’re never going to get a chance like this ever again.

All in all, Chloe was damned lucky that Lionel just didn’t seem as sharp and scarily observant as usual. Perhaps he’s coming down with a cold? That would also explain why he didn’t ‘smell the sex’ in the air too? ;)

Hopefully Lionel will get over this ‘cold’ soon. I miss Lionel being an interrogative, sly, cunning, scary bastard! Yes, I know, I’m a sick person! I’m resigned to it.

Great chapter. Thanks for posting. Please update soon!

[hfce]

Oh my God I loved it. :rofl: They almost got caught and man that was close. I thought for sure he would say something. I am glad Lex had fun with it. :D

[JennyD13]

Hi everyone! First I must apologize! MY computer died and I lost just about EVERYTHING on it! Luckily, my brilliant fiance managed to retrieve this off the burnt carcass that was my old computer/lifeline. Whew!

And, once again, thank you very much to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! And, God, somethingeasy? How astute are you? You caught alot of things in the subtext that I just threw in there! Amazing! :blinkkiss I had Lex call in to the Planet because I wanted to convey a sort of switching of allegiances for Chloe - although she still wants to get the story, she is becoming aware of the fact that a lot of the things in Lex's life cannot be revealed to the general public. And Lionel, I think, did TOTALLY know that something was on the go, but he didn't want to push his luck. Chloe is doing him a big favour and with any luck, might get her out of his son's life. So he's doing his best to shut his smarmy mouth.

Anyhoo, thanks y'all! And sorry about the wait!


Chapter 6

(Time is Running Out – Muse)

Chloe sat on the dryer as her uniform spun in the washer. She was perfectly able to admit to herself that she was hiding from Lionel. She was quite sure he had figured it out. Just like him to ruin a good time. The laundry room in which she was presently hiding was in a hidden alcove in the hall leading to Lex’s rooms. Rich people apparently didn’t want to be reminded of such things, she thought unkindly. Her ire was directed at Lionel and it was born out of deep embarrassment, which she was also freely admitting to herself. Just because she accepted it, didn’t mean she wasn’t pissed about it. So, here she was, sitting on a dryer in a tiny, hot, hidden room, reading dossiers and waiting for the washer to finish as if it was the most normal thing in the world. The more she read about the girls, the more she knew she wouldn’t like a single one of them.

Dossier 1: Alliah Tswana – an absolutely stunning South African heiress with green eyes, perfect dark completion and glossy back hair. Her family made a fortune in the diamond industry. Achieving straight A’s. No criminal record. She was the last to be seen with Talbot Sklanksy, leaving Club Viper with him. What these high school girls were doing at Club Viper at 2 in the morning was not mentioned. Of course, Chloe had been there and she was just finishing high school so she shouldn’t throw stones. Dossier 2: Allison Myles – an absolutely stunning blue eyed, short blonde haired Canadian heiress whose father had developed a real estate empire. Achieving straight A’s. No criminal record. Dossier 3: Anke Mulheron – an absolutely stunning chocolate eyed brunette from Sweden. Her great grandfather made a fortune in the newspaper business during the 40’s. Achieving straight A’s. No criminal record. Dossier 4: Trudy Horne – an absolutely stunning blue eyed, black haired heiress from England. Her great grandmother was Vera Horne, an 18-year-old popular actress who had completely disappeared without a trace in during the height of her popularity in 1931. Trudy’s great-grandfather managed to avoid the financial collapse of the Great Depression and made billions trading stocks and starting a hotel chain during the 1940’s. No criminal record. Achieving straight A’s. Dossier 5: Mariko Lei – an absolutely stunning Japanese beauty with long black hair and dark brown eyes. Her father was the founder and CEO of an electronics company. Achieving (shock!) straight A’s. No criminal record.

Chloe sighed. Wow, how am I ever going to remember this plethora of information, she thought sarcastically. So they all have beauty, brains, and more money than Scrooge McDuck. How the hell was she going to fit in with these girls!? They were so beautiful that they nearly took Chloe’s breath away every time she looked at their pictures. Yeah. Right. She was going to fit in with these girls like Lex would fit in at a barn dance. Lex himself had schooled her on how to act, but it did nothing to ease her nervousness.

Something irked her and wouldn’t lie still in her brain. None of them came from America, which was just fine, except it made if very hard for anybody to verify anything about them. No one really knew them or their families. Something was going on there – she had a feeling deep in her gut – something much more dangerous than was immediately apparent. She was still wondering how the hell she was going to fake inbred class when the washer buzzed the end of its cycle. She hopped down and was reaching for the washer handle when the oak panel door opened, startling her. She turned and gave Lex what she hoped was a suitably dirty look. He was leaning on the doorframe grinning at her.

“So,” he said, “This is where you’ve been hiding.”

“I am not hiding!” Chloe stated vehemently, shoving her damp clothes into dryer. “I’m doing laundry.”

Okay. So she wasn’t willing to admit it to him.

“You know, you don’t actually have to stay here and wait. They’re not my father’s style and they won’t fit me.”

Chloe giggled despite herself.

“Stop making me laugh!” She demanded as she flicked a Bounce sheet into the dryer and turned it on. She turned to face him, crossing her arms and leaning against the washer. “Do you think he knew?”

Lex chuckled and stepped forward, hugging her. She buried her head in his chest and breathed him in. She wished she could smell him like before – that strong, simple scent of Lex she loved – but it existed only in her memory now and, not for the first time, she felt a pang of loss for her werewolf self. There was now only a hint of that intoxicating scent, masked behind soap and cologne. But, hey, it was better than nothing!

“Who cares?” Lex answered, taking her face in his hands. “Besides, I turned all the security cameras off so there wouldn’t be any physical evidence.”

“Well, at least there’s that!” Chloe laughed.

“The big, scary man is gone now, so you can come out.” He said while deflecting Chloe’s fist, laughing. “Did you get to go over the dossiers?”

“God, you’re such a jackass.” Chloe replied. “And yes, I read the dossiers. And I told you, I wasn’t hiding.”

“Of course you weren’t.” He said as he hauled her panties out of his pants pocket and dangled them in front of her.

“Oh, fuck right off.” She said, grinning and grabbing the panties from him.

Chloe explained everything she learned about the girls (which wasn’t very much, thank you Lionel) as they left the hidden alcove and entered his room. Took her new Louis Vuitton suitcases out of the closet and laid them on the bed. Lex opened them up as she started to gather her new clothes from the closet.

“How the hell am I going to fit in with these girls, Lex? Look at them! They’re, like, goddesses!” She exclaimed, pointing at the folders she had flung onto the bed beside her suitcases.

“What do you mean?” He asked, picking the dossiers and flipping through them. Chloe watched his face carefully as he looked at the pictures of the girls.

“Look at them, Lex.” She said hopping onto the large bed. “Their prime rib and I’m…spam.”

Lex rolled his eyes and flicked down the folders.

“These girls don’t hold a candle to you and everything you are, Chlo.” He said as stood in front of her and ran his fingers through her soft hair. “Don’t think that they do for a second.”

“I love you.” Chloe beamed at him.

“I love you.” He said as he leaned down and kissed her. “You’re it for me.”

She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Mr. Luthor. You do have a way with words.”

Lex laughed and kissed her cheek. Suddenly, he froze.

“Wait a minute…” he said, letting her go. “What about the girl who killed herself?”

“Oh! I forgot about her!” Chloe murmured, taking her laptop out of her purse, placing it on the bed.

It didn’t take her long to find an article about the tragedy in the Daily Planet online archive. She remembered reading it at the time. Her name was Lottie McBride, a stunningly beautiful (surprise, surprise) red head from Ireland. According to the article, her family made its fortune in the shipping industry. It was hard to believe the smiling girl in the picture took a nosedive off the clock tower of the Twin Oakes School for Girls. She looked happy. Her Council sisters found her. No family was available for comment and none attended her funeral, which was held in Metropolis, not in Ireland.

“Why was she buried here? That’s strange, isn’t it? Wouldn’t her family take her to be buried in Ireland?” Chloe asked, chewing her lip.

“Yeah, it is.” Lex said, rereading the short article. “Hopefully we’ll find out more when dad tracks down the families.”

Chloe shut the computer and started absently playing with her hair. God, something about this whole set up was just not right. “Do you think it’s purposeful that none of the families are easily contacted?”

“Possibly.” Lex replied. “It is strange.”

Chloe sighed and flopped back on the bed. She told him about the meeting and how fucking strange Pearl was, which didn’t really put his mind at ease. That was why she didn’t want to tell him in the first place. He growled and stomped about the room and cursed his father and basically threw a fit. Chloe tried to keep a straight face. He was sexy when he was angry.

“Babe?” Chloe interrupted.

“What?” He snapped, brooding.

“First of all, stop looking like you’re about to kill someone.”

He stared at her, his expression unchanging.

“Fine, fine. You can kill someone if you want to.”

He barely cracked a smile.

“Pearl said something else. She said that the Council owned ‘several’ other homes around the world and that they change locations yearly.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you.” She said, getting up. “Come on, Lex! I’m leaving tomorrow. Don’t be mad!”

Lex grunted and helped her finish packing. By the time they cracked open a bottle of wine and cuddled on the couch in front of the fireplace, he was in better spirits. They enjoyed each other’s company for the remainder of the night. It was so easy for Chloe to let go and relax with him and she knew he felt the same. She made him laugh. When they reluctantly decided to go to bed, they made love in the firelight. It was slow and warm and perfect. It was enough for her to quit all of her silly plans and stay and make him happy. Luckily, her pride was strong and she wouldn’t make such promises. She fell asleep with her head on his chest listening to his heart beating.

[somethingeasy]

While reading through the dossier alongside Chloe, I was a little puzzled initially about why Chloe decided that she didn’t like any of them already. They all seemed quite smart as well as rich and beautiful. Until I realized that the reason why Chloe didn’t ‘like’ any of them was because she felt just plain intimidated by them. Poor Chloe is still sporting a bit of that high-school inferiority complex, and that’s effecting her gauge in judging others.

LOL! I was hugely amused by Chloe’s irritated sigh about how she was expected to remember all this remarkably varied information about all these women. Actually, the only thing that really sets them apart is their country of origin. I was actually delighted to see that this exclusive dorm house does NOT limit itself to American elitist heiresses only, but actually opens its doors on an international level. That is pretty damned impressive… although it is quite suspicious that there are no Americans at all in the bunch. Chloe was quite right in picking up on the oddness of that detail.

ROTFLMAO! Oh that bastard, Lex! I was both furious and highly amused to see him actually gloating and smirking at Chloe about their recent brush with supreme embarrassment. You know, I’ll bet that Lex would NOT have been embarrassed at all at the idea of Lionel catching him in a compromising position with Chloe. I’m not saying Lex is an exhibitionist (although that is a possibility), but I am saying that Lionel has probably caught enough details of his son’s sexual activities and transgressions for Lex to just no longer feel embarrassed about it.

Which means that he’s just having fun with the notion of Chloe being horribly embarrassed about something that doesn’t affect him at all! The bastard! LOL!

I was delighted to see Chloe venting her insecurities at Lex. There are a lot of fics where Chloe internalizes her insecurities and complexes, until they finally end up leveling her. So it’s good to see that this Chloe takes the more healthy approach to venting her feelings out into the open where Lex can listen to them, and deal with them accordingly.

I think it’s possible that Chloe’s bout as a werewolf left her more able to be open. She’s just gotten used to listing out her fears and symptoms to Lex, and trust him to help her through them. So it makes sense that she’d feel comfortable venting out her more ‘mundane’ fears as well now.

Or, perhaps it’s just because Chloe’s a little too young right now to have built up those barriers that I’m used to seeing on her…?

Anyhow, whatever the reason, it was good to see Chloe revealing her fears about being ‘less’ than these amazing, rich, beautiful, intelligent women who are going to be her roommates… and seeing Lex helping her deal with those fears. *happy sigh* Isn’t he a dreamy boyfriend!

The dossier on Lottie was very peculiar. It seems like this girl was like all the rest of her roommates, where the world was just waiting to be plucked like an oyster for her delight. It was ALSO very strange (as well as eerie) that her body stayed behind in the US instead of being shipped back to her family.

All in all, the oddities of this case are beginning to mount up, fast! And the case has just barely begun. I have no idea how much more creepy and convoluted this case is going to get later into the fic. I really don’t blame Lex for getting so testy about this. Already the investigation smacks of weirdness and danger, and he’s being forced to just sit back and let Chloe walk into this without protest. The poor guy must be chewing on his tongue to keep words like ‘I forbid this!’ and ‘don’t you dare…!’ back in this throat.

It was good to see them getting this one relaxing, soothing night side by side together. I’m definitely getting some ‘calm before the storm’ vibes off this chapter, so it’s good to see Lex and Chloe enjoying their last few moments of peace before upcoming disasters upend everything.

[hfce]

I liked this update very good. But I am still scared for Chloe. ;)

[JennyD13]

Chapter 7
(When I’m Gone – 3 Doors Down)

As Chloe scurried around doing last minute chores, Lex stood by the door with his arms crossed, grumbling, clearly scaring the hell out of Papa Joe. Chloe was puttering around, successfully ignoring his tantrum. Joe was standing as still as he possibly could – no sudden movements, no noise whatsoever – lest he be the focal point for the young Luthor’s wrath.

“Tell me this, Lex…” Chloe said as she put on her knee-high black skinny-heeled boots. She was wearing an expensively simple silk black dress with a pencil skirt and had straightened her hair into a fashionable bob. Dark red lipstick completed her look. “How can a grown man throw a tantrum like a mopey five year old and still manage to look sexy?”

Lex’s brow furrowed and Joe unconsciously took a step back.

“I’m not throwing a tantrum.” He barked, looking menacing.

Chloe sighed and stepped up to him.

“Babe, you can look as cranky as you want,” she said, taking his face in her hands, “but I’m still going to do this. And we both know, when it comes to me, your bark is worse than your bite.”

A smile pushed through his cloudy features.

“I don’t like this.” He said, relaxing his features.

“No!” Chloe exclaimed in mock-shock. “You’re kidding me! I never would have noticed! Would you have?” She pointed to Joe, who looked at her like she had just betrayed him and sent him to his death. She sighed and turned her attention back to Lex. “Sweetie, I know you don’t like it. But getting the story…it’s…what I was born to do. And you yourself took care of the safety precautions. Right? I’ll be fine! I’ll be gone for a week, tops.”

Lex grunted. Chloe grinned at him and gave him a long, soft kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly and when the kiss was over, he rested his forehead against hers.

“Check in with me every hour.” He ordered.

“Okay, baby.” She grinned. “I’ll check in with you everyday.”

Lex grunted his reply again and reluctantly released her from his embrace. She smoothed down her dressed and smiled at Joe.

“Okay, Pops, let’s hit the road.”

Joe grinned and picked up her suitcases. Chloe grabbed her purse and gave Lex one more quick kiss on the cheek before she left. She nodded politely at the hall security guard, who once again reminded her of Benny, and followed Joe into the elevator.

***

The limo stopped in front of the Council mansion and Chloe let out a nervous sigh. Joe’s face darkened as he noticed Pearl looking out the window by the door. The day was cloudy and threatened rain and it suited the mansion. It reminded Chloe of an old castle in a 70’s Hammer Horror film. Wonderful.

“Mr. Luthor’s right, Chloe. You shouldn’t do this.” Joe said, stopping her before she could open the door.

“There’s something going on here, Joe. The reporter in me needs to find out what it is. Lex’s family friend disappeared and these girls know something.”

“He’s lucky to have you. He better realize that.”

“I think he does. But thank you.” Chloe smiled.

“Watch out for yourself. Trust Pearl about as far as you can throw her. And lock your door at night.” He said, looking her dead in the eye, worry showing in the lines by his eyes and mouth.

“I will.” She said, returning his serious gaze. And she meant it. Lex would kill her if she wasn’t paranoid. Which was enough to make her paranoid.

They got out of the limo and she took Joe’s outstretched arm and walked with him up the steps while the limo driver got her luggage out of the trunk. They both tried to exude excitement that they didn’t feel. Big smiles, light steps, lies. Pearl opened the door and Chloe forced her fake smile to spread wider. Her jaw muscles started to ache.

“Hello again, Ms. Casba!” She said jovially.

“Ava dear! Call me Pearl!” She exclaimed, again ignoring Joe completely.

“I’m so happy to be here, Pearl. Thank you!” Chloe said as she clasped the older woman’s paper dry hand.

“Come in, come in.” Pearl said as she stepped aside, letting them in the old house.

The limo driver stepped in behind them with her bags.

“Third floor, second door on the left.” Pearl said with barely disguised distain, shooing the man away.

He disappeared up the stairs. He was good. The look on his face was placid – no emotion shone through. She then turned the absolute least of her attention to Joe.

“Well, Mr. Winchester,” she stated primly, “we would like to get Ava acclimated as quickly as possible, so, if you would be so kind as to make your goodbyes here.”

Wow. Not only was Pearl a possible sociopath, she was also a huge bitch.

A dark look washed over Joe’s face. Pearl wouldn’t have noticed because she barely looked at him, but Chloe did and she understood exactly what the look meant: Pearl was a bitch and he would rather not leave her here alone. He stepped forward and wrapped her in a bear hug.

“Bye, baby.” He said for Pearl to hear. He lowered her head and whispered, “Be careful. Put a chair against the door at night. Call me if you need me.”

Chloe nodded and whispered, “Thank you.” And then louder, “I love you, daddy! Take care of yourself and call me when you get to Scotland.”

Joe kissed her forehead and smiled. He left without saying anything to Pearl. She wouldn’t have given a shit either way. Pearl shut the door behind him and turned to Chloe, giving her a wide, creepy as hell smile. It most definitely did not put Chloe at ease, not even a little. There was something sinister behind that smile – like one of those small yappy dogs. Sure, they’re cute to look at, but if you get close enough to pet them, they’ll take your fucking finger off. She would be putting her chair by the door tonight. And if the other girls were as fuck-nuts as this old lady, she wouldn’t stay the night at all. She would run and tell Lionel to dig in the basement. Because there were definitely some bodies down there.

“Come on, Ava dear. I’ll show you to your room.”

They met the limo driver coming down the stairs as they went up. He might have been a ghost, as far as Pearl was concerned. Chloe smiled and said thank you. He smiled and shook his head and shortly after, she heard the door close. She didn’t have to fake a smile when Pearl led her into her assigned room. It was amazing. It was a huge, airy, corner room that was painted a pale yellow. The four large windows, which were covered with white lace curtains, over looked the expansive backyard. There was a large red wood four-poster bed with a matching desk, bookshelf and two overstuffed chairs.

“This is beautiful!” Chloe exclaimed, grinning. “Thank you, Pearl!”

Pearl smiled in obvious delight. She walked to a wooden door at a ninety-degree angle to the entrance of the room. She looked like a kid on Christmas morning. “Oh, I’m so glad it’s to your liking! And this is your closet.”

Pearl opened the door (as if she was expecting fan fair) to reveal…an empty closet. An absolutely normal walk-in closet.

(Promise Reprise – Silent Hill soundtrack)

Oh. And just like that, the bad, creepy feeling was back. Thank you, Pearl, for being so fucking strange and taking that bit of normalcy away from me. She looked like she was waiting for Chloe’s reaction, so Chloe smiled uncomfortably and said, “Oh! Wonderful!”

Pearl sighed and nodded as she shut the door. “Come dear.” She said, taking Chloe’s arm. “I’ll give you the grand tour. I hope you’ll be at home here. Your other sisters are not here, but they should be home soon so you can meet them.”

The third floor was made up of ten bedrooms (only 6 of them in use) and three spacious bathrooms with claw-foot tubs and what looked like antique fixtures. Chloe bit her tongue. She wanted to ask why they didn’t take in more than six girls when they had room for four more. And each bedroom could easily fit three girls in more comfort than any dorm room, not that these girls would want to share their space. All the occupied bedroom doors were open and looked into rooms equally as impressive as her assigned room. They were clean but lived in, but here was something odd about them that she couldn’t put her finger on. Pearl hurried her down to the second floor, which was just as impressive as the third. There was a large rec room including a huge plasma screen TV and all the fix-ins, a bookshelf filled with DVDs, comfy couches and chairs, oak table and another bookshelf full of games and puzzles. Opposite the rec room, there was another small bathroom. Next to the washroom there was a library with wooden tables and comfy chairs with reading lights. The rest of the floor consisted of Pearl’s rooms. Chloe wasn’t treated to a tour of them.

The first floor had a parlour that was obviously meant for entertaining guests. It had Victorian style couches – the expensive kind that had cushions like cinderblocks – with a matching oak table and side table with a silver tea set. The room also had a wide stone fireplace that looked like a great, black yawning mouth. The room opposite looked to be a reading room or someplace the girls could hang out and talk. It was still expensively decorated, but not nearly as prim as the parlour was. The door opposite that library office of Pearl’s that Chloe coveted was a fully equipped gym with one side of room walled completely in mirrors. Cause everybody wanted to watch themselves work up a sweat, apparently. Further down the hall was a large kitchen. It was strange and very sterile and it looked like it belonged in a hospital. Through two swinging doors was the dining room with a long oak table and three high-backed chairs on either side of the table and one on the end. It was strange because the table was huge and could fit at least twelve people. Pearl lead Chloe out of the dining room through a door that led into the hall. She pointed to a staircase and followed Chloe down, which Chloe wasn’t too comfortable with. Pearl struck her as the kind of person who would push someone down the stairs and then go upstairs and make some tea without a second thought. Great, Chloe thought, I’m living with a sociopath. Some would argue that she should be used to that, considering whom she was currently shacked up with, but wasn’t used to living with one who would actually kill her. They made it down the stairs without incident and Pearl turned on the florescent lights, revealing an exquisite, exceptionally maintained pool that looked like it was built when the house was. Chloe was amazed and told Pearl how beautiful it was. She didn’t look particularly excited; of course, it wasn’t a closet. There was a large alcove filled with pristine white towels on the other side of the pool and a room beside the staircase that housed the laundry facilities.

Lastly, Pearl showed Chloe the garden, which was surprisingly extensive for one located smack dab in the middle of Metropolis. The stone path that led around the garden was shaped vaguely like a light bulb with a fountain and benches in the centre. The centrepiece of the fountain was a nude girl who seemed to be dancing while the water endlessly poured out of a carafe tilted in her hand. The other side of the path, the side that faced the tall walls that protected the garden from the urban jungle outside, Pearl had planted exotic plants, some of which Chloe had never heard of before, which Pearl proudly identified when they passed them as they strolled on the path.

“As you can see, gardening is my hobby. I have quite the green thumb.” She said excitedly (just normal-excitedly, not closet-excitedly). “That one there with the purple flowers and yellowish fruit is called the leafy Mandrake and originally comes from Southern Europe and North Africa. That bushy shrub with the small clusters of red flowers is called Lamberta Formosa. It yields a lot of nectar and it’s native to Australia.”

Chloe didn’t ask what purpose the nectar served and although the plant was pretty, it didn’t smell all that good to her. She allowed Pearl to put her arm in hers and she ushered Chloe around the path. She evidently was very proud of her garden and Chloe could understand why – it was very extensive and beautiful and obviously took a lot of work and love on her part. The majority of plants weren’t native to America, Pearl explained. Chloe thought that Pearl most definitely have a green thumb. It must be hard to make so many different species of plants thrive someplace so unlike their natural environment.

“These,” Pearl said, pointing at another species of angry red flowers, “are Snap Dragons. I also have them in pots on the front porch. These were the easiest. They are very common.”

Hmmm, Chloe wondered, would Pearl dismiss me just as quickly if she knew I was common? Most definitely.

“Now these!” she exclaimed, pointing at her pride and joy. “This is the common Unicorn Plant which is found in the Southern US and Mexico.”

When tried to imagine a plant that deserved the name ‘unicorn’ she could only come up with a fantastically beautiful plant that was sparkly and pink and had fairies dancing around it. This was not the case. In reality (since reality liked to screw the human race), they were ridiculously misnamed, ridiculously ugly plants that took up the entire back wall of the garden. They were fucking horrifying. These were more akin to the giant man-eating plant in the movie ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and looked like they would eat fairies for dessert and laugh about it later. They had large, sickly yellow flowers with purple spots and large curving beaks that resembled tusks more than a horn. Chloe had no idea who had the gall to compare these things with unicorns. Or why Pearl seemed to love them so, although she doubted she would ever understand Pearl. Thankfully. They were hundreds of the ugly things all clustered together along the wall and Chloe decided she would definitely not be visiting the garden again.

“What’s really interesting about them is that they are carnivorous!” Pearl continued.

“What?” Chloe croaked, stopping abruptly.

Pearl looked at her face and laughed. “Insects, dear! They eat insects!”

“Oh!” Chloe sighed as she forced a smile on her face.

Pearl led Chloe along the other crawling ivy covered wall, which seemed to be made up almost entirely of herbs, which she named as she passed.

“I use a lot of these in my meals. I do the cooking here myself. Let’s see…parsley, mint, bay laurel, star anise, horehound, aloe stalks, calendula, gingko, ginger…” She trailed off as she led Chloe back to the house.

All in all, Chloe spent her time with Pearl with a smile plastered on her face, feigning rapt attention while attempting not to flinch every time Pearl touched her, which was way too often for Chloe’s liking. As they entered the house through the back door, they heard voices from further inside.

“Oh! Fabulous! The girls are home!” Pearl exclaimed as she hurriedly ushered Chloe forward. “They are probably having tea in the parlour. I can’t wait to introduce you.”

Chloe nervously smoothed out the front of her black dress. Okay, she said to herself, be nice, don’t shoot your mouth off and, most importantly, you’re name is AVA.

(Smile Like You Mean It – The Killers)

She stepped into the parlour and Pearl introduced her. There was a horribly awkward moment when all the impeccably dressed women stopped sipping their tea and appraised her. Oh, Jesus. That’s it, Chloe thought, they know I’m not rich! They can sniff me out! They’re like money bloodhounds! How the hell did I ever think I was going to get away with this? What happened next completely stunned her because it was the only thing she was not expecting. They all stood and, smiling, welcomed her with opened arms. And not in a fake way – Chloe knew what that was like – it was genuine and she was flabbergasted. They led her over to an uncomfortable couch and immediately started to make her feel at home. Pearl passed her some tea and she took a sip. She was relieved. As much as she hated to admit it, she loved the warm and happy feeling of belonging. Rejection had hurt and scarred her. Living like an outcast sucked, and although she acted like she didn’t care what those cheerleaders said about her when she passed them in the hallway at school, it cut her inside and it ached. She did believe that it made her a stronger person, but it was still unpleasant. Lex understood that completely. She hadn’t been ashamed to tell him and he told her that he felt that way himself at times.

Anke, the brunette who seemed to be the leader of the group, announced in a sweet voice almost untouched by a Swedish accent, that after tea, they were taking Chloe out for a celebratory lunch.

“That would be lovely. Thank you.” Chloe said politely, taking another sip of her tea. She was very thirsty, but refused to gulp down the entire cup. She had a sneaking suspicion that they would consider that uncouth.

Alliah tossed back her shining, black mane and gave her a warm smile. “How do you like the tea, Ava? It’s Pearl’s special anise recipe. She spoils us!”

Chloe hadn’t noticed, but the tea was actually very good. It was sweet with a slight taste of liquorice.

“This is wonderful!” She honestly said to Pearl who nodded back.

“An old family recipe.” She replied with a slight smile.

The tea seemed to revitalize her and she was looking forward to lunch with the girls. Hopefully she would be able to name drop Talbot Sklansky to see their reactions. She found herself hoping that there would be none; that these girls were blissfully unaware of everything. She also hoped Pearl stayed home. Chloe wasn’t sure about the details yet, but whatever badness was going on here, Pearl Casba was behind it.

[hfce]

Chloe dear don't drink the tea. I have a feeling it is not good. ;)

Lex had me :rofl:he is so cute when he pouts and carries on. Only Chloe can get him to do that. :P But I am with Joe on getting out while you can. That lady is scary. Is she a man hater by the way? The way she treats any man that come nears her is very weird.

I can't wait to see how the next chapter goes. This story still creeps me out. :D

[superag]

Ahhh Chloe, the licorice twist to the tea seems to make me think absinthe has been added to the tea for a more 'exciting' punch.

I am very intrigued by this story and hope that Lex can keep Chloe out of trouble from the distance he is at.

[somethingeasy]

Awesome! The new chapters have started coming in quickly again :D My thrice-a-week treat has returned!! *takes a moment to turn some cartwheels*

ahem… okay, back again. Back to the review: I really enjoyed the hilarious beginning where Lex is glowering in the corner as Chloe gets ready to leave with Chloe completely unconcerned about his glares. It was even funnier to see the strong, tough bodyguard, Joe, quavering in his own little corner, trying to be unobtrusive and NOT get the enraged Luthor’s attention on himself, while Chloe carried on with her business in a blasé, matter-of-fact manner. Joe must have thought Chloe was either suicidal or insane… or perhaps just incredibly lucky! LOL!

It was really fun seeing Chloe mocking Lex for ‘throwing a tantrum’. Lex probably doesn’t have anyone daring to condescend to him (except for his father of course), so it’s always fun to see him taken down a peg or two by Chloe, in her gentle, teasing manner, rather than Lionel’s sharp, cutting, demeaning method.

It was lovely seeing that Lex’s glowering was only coming from a place of fear and concern. I can sense that he was nearly beside himself in terror imagining all the horrible things that will happen to Chloe the moment he lets her out of his sight. His ‘order’ for her to check in every hour shows the extent of his worry about the situation. And yet, he STILL doesn’t stop her from leaving? I really admire the mature and healthy way that Lex is handling his fears. He’s actively resisting the urge to go overboard trying to physically restrain Chloe from leaving… which is considerably out of his normal mode of handling all weird and anxiety-ridden situations… to practice an obsessive amount of control over them. Good for you, Lex!

awww, Joe was so sweet when dropping Chloe off at the ‘Mansion of Impending Doom and Horrors’. I can tell that Chloe doesn’t just represent a pay-check to him. He actually likes her as a person too, and is genuinely concerned about her well-being. Perhaps his role is getting to him, and he’s starting to develop actual paternal feelings for her? lol!

Pearl puzzles me deeply. I can tell that she gives off some kind of sociopathic vibe to practically everyone she meets. Which makes me wonder what the heck are the parents of the elite class thinking when they drop off their babies here?!? Don’t they pick up on this vibe at all?! It’s not possible that they just don’t care!

Chloe’s mounting concern over the vibe Pearl was giving off, with her mannerisms, smile, etc, was also growing more intense by the second. Chloe’s anxiety was very nicely highlighted by the way that Chloe was depicted as just a finger length away from grabbing her bags and running away from this place, telling Lionel to just go ‘digging in the basement for bodies’. Creepy! *shudder*

Pearl’s response to all people except young teenage girls also puzzles and concerns me… a lot! She seems obsessed with Chloe to the point of ignoring everyone else in her sight. I’m not picking up any particular animosity towards other people from her… just a singular, focus on Chloe that happens to exclude everyone else as ‘uninteresting’ dismissed accordingly in Pearl’s eyes. That level of obsession might be hot in Lex Luthor, but it’s friggen eerie and creepy in Pearl.

Chloe room was beautiful, but what was the deal with the closet?!? I didn’t know whether to be amused or creeped out by that tiny moment. It obvious made quite an impression on Chloe because her mind kept drifting back to that moment for the entirety of the day.

heh… truth to tell, I don’t know whether I should be rooting for Chloe to go exploring that closet for hidden passageways… OR hope that she nails it shut in case there are monsters in there, LOL! I guess I’ll have to wait to see what Chloe decides to do.

The mansion (it really is a huge, beautiful, stately mansion!!) was damned impressive. But I can see Chloe’s awe for the place was tainted with some disdain over the immense waste of space. It IS slightly peculiar that only six girls live in a place that’s big enough for much, MUCH more… but I suppose I can understand that there are people who long for the days when there actually was space like this accepted as a given birthright to the elitist, noble members of society. Huge sprawling mansions and estates that belonged to a single person, to do with as he/she pleased. Such things are disappearing nowadays, but I’ve seen signs of people who try to hold onto homes like those, provided they can afford them. Anyhow, it’s unusual, but not as odd as one might think.

What I DID find off was the complete lack of servants around the mansion. Mansions need an army of serving staff and cleaning people to keep the place in working order. Yet Chloe didn’t make note of any servants around this place, not even in the kitchen?!

The garden was breathtaking! I was VERY impressed. I only have a thumb that can be called green from gangrene… which means that I destroy everything that I attempt to nurture and grow, so I always find it very impressive to see beautiful, lush gardens filled with delicate, difficult and beautiful greens. It was nice to see Pearl displaying a more ‘natural’ sort of enthusiastic energy for a impassioned hobby (as opposed to an obsession with Chloe, or excitement over a closet). It makes Pearl just a little bit less creepy to see her as a ‘normal’ person in this regard.

hmmm, I noticed that Chloe assumed that Pearl would have dismissed her immediately if she had known that Chloe was ‘as common as snapdragons’. I wonder if that’s true… whether Pearl’s obsession with Chloe stems completely from Chloe’s fabricated bloodline and heritage. It would be interesting to find out what is Pearl’s reaction to teenage girls who are not from a privileged class. Actually, I wonder whether concern for pedigree (blue blood, dukes and earls as ancestors) plays a part in Pearl’s selection of her girls… or whether it’s only necessary for the girls to have first-generation rich parents. Lionel Luthor, for example, is the most powerful man in the world right now, but he’s most definitely NOT a blue-blood.

LOL! I have to admit that I adored the plant, The Unicorn. It tickled my sense of humour to imagine a frightening looking, ugly, carnivorous plant named ‘The Unicorn’, ROTFL! Granted, the plant is not going to be funny (or very funny) if I find out that it’s been receiving meteorite enlaced fertilizer, and now sings ‘Feed me!’… actually, I lie.. even that would be funny! LOL! I have a slightly twisted sense of humour.

On the whole though, I can, at the very least, the usefulness of these plants, and why Pearl would have so many of them lining her garden walls. They probably keep the insect population down.

I was delighted by the end of the chapter, and the introduction of Chloe’s dorm-mates. I have to confess, I was looking forward to finally seeing them being depicted and developed as fully fleshed character rather than far-too-similar facts on a dossier.

And they were nice, which is awesome! I’m so glad, Jenny, that you didn’t go with the old ‘spoiled rich girls’ cliché when building these characters into the story. Quite honestly though, considering that they’re all straight A students, I was expecting at least intelligent young women… and I’m slightly biased where I believe that higher intelligence most usually results in good, decent, friendly people. I like the idea of these girls being privileged rather than spoiled… if you see the difference in what I’m saying…? These girls have led wonderful, privileged lives, where they’ve been provided with the best of everything, but haven’t ended up spoiled because they were brought up properly.

It was a little heart-wrenching to see Chloe experience a moment of heartache where she realized just how badly she wanted to be, just this once, be accepted in a group. I didn’t fully appreciated how awful it must have been for Chloe to have been an outcast during all of high-school. Sure, she knew that she was an outcast because she was unique, intelligent and even intimidating… but I’m sure that was only a cold comfort when she was sitting in a class while a bunch of pretty cheerleaders discussed their plans for a party weekend that did NOT include her presence.

So it was delightful to see something in Chloe become warm and soothed with the easy acceptance of these girls into their group. And yes, I know that they’re actually accepting just another privileged member of the elitist class like themselves as far as they’re concerned, but I hope that they will also grow to genuinely become friends with Chloe too.

erm… was I the only one who screamed ‘don’t drink the tea’ when Pearl mentioned ‘old family recipe’ as the basis of this ‘anise tea’? Or perhaps I’m just paranoid? Or perhaps Chloe’s not practicing the paranoia that they promised Lex she would exercise? tsk, tsk!

Anyhow, this was a great chapter, Jenny. Thanks for the quick update. I hope your computer issues have been, more or less, resolved by now. Please update soon!

[starmoon]

i love this story so far it is very sexy.

[JennyD13]

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Reviews make my day! And, a shout out to somethingeasy for her awesome reviews and almost eerie instincts of what is to come!

Chapter 8


(Hell Just Ain’t the Same – Theory of a Dead Man)

Chloe exhaustedly fell into her assigned bed. It was a wondrously comfortable mattress, but it felt strange. She was wearing a silk nightie and the large bed was sadly depressingly empty. She was used to sleeping nude with Lex by her side and she didn’t like the feeling of sleeping alone anymore. Or not having great sex before she went to sleep, but that was beside the point. It was cold and she was moping, but that was beside the point as well. Great. One night away from him and she was becoming maudlin. Pathetic. Knowing him, he was probably moping around and verbally abusing his employees. She grinned and reached for her cell. She still had on her tracking bracelet because she promised him she wouldn’t take it off (even though, she had argued, he knew exactly where she was going to be. He had not been amused). Her taser was hidden under her mattress and her panic button was hidden inside a gold locket that was…inside her jewellery box. Oops. She stood and quickly slipped the long chain over her head. She forgot about that one. She walked over to the door and locked it as Joe had suggested as she dialled Lex’s number. She flopped back down on the bed and waited for him to pick up.

The afternoon and night had passed pleasantly, if uneventfully. She had quickly fallen into the routine of school friends with the girls and Chloe found that it was easy to talk to each one of the striking girls. These were not the rich bitches she was expecting. She liked them… and that presented a problem. She had relaxed easily around them and every time one of them had called her Ava, she had very nearly opened her mouth to correct them. She felt bad about lying to them. What would they feel about her if they found out she was just Chloe Sullivan? Or exposed Pearl as a possible murderer? Thankfully, Pearl had stayed home, citing chores to take care of. It elicited groans from the girls, but Chloe had just about cheered. She’d had enough of Pearl that morning. The girls seemed to genuinely enjoy Pearl’s company. Chloe found that strange.

Granted, another thing that was strange was their attitude toward men. Chloe had gotten the distinct impression that they hated them. With a fiery passion. They were attracted to them; they spent as much time as any other schoolgirl gossiping about men and flirting with them. But there something in their eyes, an edge in their voices and even comments thinly veiled as jokes. They talked about men as if they were the equivalent of puppies. Was that normal? She didn’t think so. So much for equality. Complete derision of the other sex was how these girls rolled. Chloe…er…Ava pretended to have similar views, which seemed to make them very happy.

“Luthor!” Lex barked into the phone as he picked up.

Chloe laughed. “You’re terribly intimidating on the phone, you know. How many people just hang up on you in fear?”

“Chloe!” He growled, relief filtering through it. “Where the hell were you?! You could have called sooner, damn it.”

“Sweetie, I’m fine.” She sighed. “I was with the girls all day. I couldn’t very well haul out my phone and call you in front of them, now could I?”

He grunted.

“Everything went fine, in case you are wondering.” She continued. God, she was going out with a five year old.

He sighed. “I’m sorry. Just tell me everything.”

Chloe explained the lay out of the house and garden, her feelings about Pearl and the girl’s apparent hatred of men.

“I think you should see if you can get into Pearl’s apartment, if the woman ever leaves the house. And inspect the garden a little more, if she spends a lot of time out there.” He suggested, obviously forgetting that he didn’t want her there in the first place. Recovering himself quickly, he gruffly said, “But be careful.”

“Are you going to be pissed at me forever?” She sighed.

“Chloe, I’m not pissed.” He replied, sounding pissed.

His voice softened. “I’m worried. And when I get worried, I get mad.”

“I love you, too.” She said, smiling.

Lex laughed. God, she missed him! She felt guilty about her day of man bashing. How come in order to feel some superiority people have to bring others down? Chloe was all for equality. She was a vocal advocate of equality for everyone, but what those girls thought was far from fair. She wasn’t used to biting her tongue if something rubbed her the wrong way. Chloe would usually tell those girls exactly what she felt about their view, but Ava needed to fit in and had to vaguely agree to them. Thankfully, they never really stayed on the subject for long, so Chloe could relax and not worry about that vein in her neck exploding every time she had to politely nod instead of saying something snarky at some bigoted comment.

“I’ve gotten used to you keeping my bed warm, Ms. Sullivan. I want you back here as soon as possible.” Lex joked.

“Ha!” She said. “You’ve gotten used to something else, and so have I.’

“I’ve gotten used to going to sleep with you in my arms every night. I’ve gotten used to having you with me so that I know that you’re safe.” He said softly, sadly. “That’s all that’s important to me, you know. Keeping you safe and happy.”

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears in.

“Please come home, Chlo. You don’t have to do this.” He continued, his voice strained. “I feel helpless knowing that I can’t keep you safe. That’s why I’m so angry, do you understand?”

Not for the first time, Chloe cursed the drive inside her that forced her to uncover the truth. It kept her on this path despite all obstacles and she couldn’t do anything about it.

“Lex, I do understand. I love you with all my heart. I am completely yours. But I need to do this. It’s part of who I am and I can’t change that. Please understand, I hate worrying you, but there is something wrong here and I need to find out what. It’s what I’m best at.”

Lex sighed. “I understand that, but it doesn’t mean I have to enjoy you putting yourself in danger. I never will.”

“I know. I don’t expect you to. Just respect me, that’s all I ask.”

(Phonography – Britney Spears)

“You know I do.” He grumbled. “If I could say no to you, you’d be locked up in my chambers right now.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad, I suppose…” She grinned.

“I think it would be marvellous.” He said. She could tell he was smiling.

“And why is that, Mr. Luthor?” She asked, playing with the hem of her silk nightie. She felt herself starting to flush.

“Well, I could do whatever I wanted to you, couldn’t I?” He answered; Chloe could hear his office chair squeak as he leaned back.

“Yes, I suppose you could?” Chloe smiled, stroking her thigh.

“I want to watch you.” He murmured; and she groaned as she imagined him cupping his erection. “I want to sit on my couch in front of the fire. I want you to strip slowly for me, Chloe.”

“Yes, Lex.” She whispered, closing her eyes and picturing him sitting on the couch, his erection straining against his black pants.

“Strip down to your panties and sit on my lap.” He said, his voice deepening.

In her mind’s eye, Chloe saw herself straddle him; gazing at his flush face and fervent eyes.

“I want to touch your soft skin. I want to slide my hands from your hips up to your perfect breasts. I want to circle your nipples with my thumbs until they’re hard and aching. I want you to beg me to use my mouth.” He smirked.

“Yes, Lex! Please, suck them. Please…” Chloe panted, rubbing her breasts through the silk, pretending it was Lex. She could almost feel his hot mouth on her sensitive nubs.

“Get on your knees,” He demanded, “and touch yourself.”

Chloe did as she was told, spreading her thighs wide and voicing a shuddering sigh as she slipped her hand into her panties and started rubbing her swollen clit in earnest. She moved her hips in time with her fingers and moaned. She heard a door shut on the other end and Lex cursed.

“Hi, Dad.” He growled.

“SONOFABITCH!” Chloe shouted, immediately holding her breath to listen. She heard no one out in the hall. She couldn’t stop the delicious rhythm of her hips and when she spoke again, she was whispering. “Lex, I’m so close, I can’t stop!”

“You don’t have to.” He answered, his voice all business.

Chloe groaned at his words, a thrill shuddering through her and she threw her head back.

“I want to kneel in front of you.” Chloe moaned, working her slippery fingers. “I want you to undo your belt and pants. I want you to take your rock hard dick out.”

She heard Lex’s breath catch.

“Yes.” He said, his voice normal. It was turning Chloe on. “Do that.”

“I want to lean forward and lick you up and down. I want you to fist my hair and set the pace as I take you all into my mouth. I want you to show me how you like it, baby.”

Chloe licked her lips; she could almost taste him on her tongue and she moved her fingers to her entrance, circling the slick opening.

“Lex…” She moaned, “I want you pull me up by my hair, until I’m straddling you again. I want you to move my wet panties aside and to tell me to fuck you. I want you to grab my hips as I sink down on your dick.”

Chloe cried out and sank down on her fingers; Lex whispered a curse under his breath.

“That’s a good idea, Chlo.” He said, an almost imperceptible quiver in his voice.

“Lex!” She sobbed, coming undone. “I wish it was you, Lex! I want you here, between my thighs! Yes, Lex, please fuck me. Yes, fuck me! Fuck me harder, Lex!”

“Jesus.” Lex whispered; and it sent Chloe over the edge. She threw herself face down and screamed into the mattress; riding out her orgasm against her slippery fingers and wishing that they belonged to Lex.

With her free hand, Chloe found the cell on the bed beside her and brought it to her ear.

“Are you still there?” She asked, panting.

“Absolutely.” Lex answered; she heard the smirk in his voice.

“Lex, you’re good. You’re fucking amazing and you’re not even here.”

“I know.” He said matter-of-factly and she laughed.

“Your dad still there?”

“Of course.” He growled. “I do have to go now, my father’s here.”

“I’m sorry you can’t…relieve the tension. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She sighed.

“You better, Chloe. Thanks for the update. I’ll explain everything to my father right now.”

“Thanks, Lex.”

“Goodnight, Chlo.”

(I Know There Is Something Really Wrong Here, But Is There Any Chance We Can Just Ignore It? – Debbie Wiseman)

Chloe waited until the line went dead, sighed contently and hung up. At least that was still an option. A wonderful, wonderful option. She got up and walked over to the door, unlocking it. She poked her head out. The hall was dark, but there were noises coming out through some of the doors and light shone from underneath. She’d have to wait for later to go exploring. She sprinted quietly to the bathroom to wash her hands and brush her teeth. When she was safely back in the room with the door locked, she sat at her desk and opened the brand spanking new Mac that Lionel had given her. Ugh. Lionel had given her…the words felt dirty on her tongue. She answered emails and researched The Council online. Nothing she already didn’t know. Something told her that they were not the kind of people who aired their dirty laundry online. No MySpace page with video showing Talbot’s murder with commentary by Pearl. Too bad. It would have made her job so much easier. Chloe deleted her search history, just in case. She shut the computer and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was 1 am. She yawned and stretched. She rubbed her blurry eyes as she walked to the door and unlocked it. The hall was completely dark. There was no noise or light coming from underneath the doors of any of the rooms now. Good. No one up to discover her poking around. She grabbed her flashlight out of her bag, and with one last, longing look at her bed, she went out into the dark hallway.

Chloe crept down to the first floor. She decided to leave the rooms and the second floor with Pearl for when nobody was home. Unoccupied rooms being the easiest to investigate according to common sense. As she walked down the steps, she hit a particularly squeaky step and stopped to listen. Of course. Old house, squeaky fucking steps. A cliché just kicked her in the ass. She tried the parlour and study area first, but it yielded no secrets to her. She searched the bookshelves and cabinets and even the fireplaces. She checked under the cushions and under furniture – the only thing she found was 5 bucks in change. Which she pocketed. These girls did not need more money, damn it. That was a free venti non-fat white moka with extra whip at Starbucks. And she deserved it! Sneaking around this creepy old house in the middle of the night! She searched the patio and the coat closet – nothing except for expensive outerwear, umbrellas and awesome shoes. No! I have better things to do right now than try on shoes!

Chloe crept back into the hall and went directly to Pearl’s office. If she had remembered it before, she wouldn’t have been on her hands and knees searching under furniture. She turned the old-fashioned door handle, but it was locked. Shit. She turned and opened the closet under the stairs. She was going through old boxes when she heard some creaking boards upstairs. Pearl…

Chloe jumped out of the closet, softly shutting the door, and hauled ass into the kitchen when she heard the squeaky step. She ran across the expansive kitchen to the fridge, almost slipping as she abruptly stopped and grabbed the handle. She opened the fridge door just as Pearl turned on the light. Chloe pretended to be startled by Pearl, who seemed to be genuinely startled.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, Pearl! I was just really thirsty and I came down for some water.” Chloe exclaimed, holding up a bottled water.

“Oh my, you startled me, dear!” Pearl said, putting a hand to her heart. “I just came down for the exact same thing.”

Chloe opened the fridge again and grabbed another bottle of water, passing it to Pearl.

“Thanks, dear.” Pearl said as she grabbed Chloe’s arm. “Come on, walk me to my room.”

An uncomfortable silence reigned as she and Pearl walked up the stairs to the second floor.

“Goodnight, dear.” Pearl said as she walked down the hall to her rooms.

“Goodnight, Pearl.” Chloe replied as she started up the stairs to the third floor.

Well, the night’s exploration was a total bust. The only thing she discovered was that Pearl locked her office. That’s why Lionel paid her the big bucks, she supposed. She was walking down the dark hall toward her room when a noise made her freeze. She held her breath and listened. There it was again. It sounded like it was coming from Mariko’s room and Chloe crept over to the shut door and put an ear to it. Mariko was moaning loudly. Chloe grinned and bit her lip. Oops… She was about step away when she heard a deep, animalistic grunt. She jumped back, all trace of humour erased from her face. Something about the sound startled her; there was something behind the deep voice that scared her and she backed away. Creeping into her room, she told herself how silly she was being. So what if Mariko sneaked someone in for a bit of fun? It was none of her business, even if the man sounded like a fucking beast. It was strange, but she wasn’t here to report the sexual escapades of the girls to Lionel. Chloe locked the door behind her and turned off the light, using the moonlight streaming into the windows to walk to her bed. Chloe cuddles up to her spare pillow and pretended to be in Lex’s bed. She thought of him and drifted off to sleep.

[athena]

Yay! Update. Thanks Jenny.

It’s funny how this fic has nailed me. I really like they’re actually behaving like a couple. Of course the smut is a bonus, but the heart to heart talk is something really important. They know they’ll have to work things around and they know they will do that in time because they love each other.

I could kill Lionel if it was me. We say Clark has “the” timing, but in this fic it’s Lionel. I bet MB is having fun by doing it on purpose. Poor Lex.

What’s really going on there? Are we having supernatural creatures coming into the plot? At first I thought witches (not the Harry Potter good types) but really evil ones. Brewing potions and all, but when you said beast … I thought demons or werewolves. Are you telling us soon? ( I know you just updated, but we do have to try , don’t we?)

Great job Jenny!

[somethingeasy]

And, a shout out to somethingeasy for her awesome reviews and almost eerie instincts of what is to come!

I’m just enjoying the subtext that I manage to interpret, Jenny. Thanks for putting in the layers of meaning for me to delve into :D

I had to laugh at the way Chloe woke up taking inventory of all the ‘devices of extreme paranoia’ that Lex had ordered her to insert about her person. A panic button in a necklace? I’d like to say that I was surprised, but the only thing I’m surprised about is that Lex didn’t insert microchip trackers into her very bones. Anyhow, Chloe’s inventory was pretty funny, because I can imagine that she was hearing Lex’s voice yelling in her head in an outraged tone, demanding to know why wasn’t she wearing ALL of her security devices… and does he have to assign some kind of microchip under her skin to make sure she doesn’t forget them next time.

Or perhaps she was expecting that Lex was going to demand an inventory the moment he answered the phone, just to check up on her vigilance? LOL!

I liked the new details I got about the girls in the house. I was very pleased to see that Chloe/Ava is getting along quite well with them. I was hoping that they would be the friendly, decent, nice kind of girls. However it was surprising to hear that they’ve adopted the same contempt towards men that Pearl’s family seems to be well-known for. I didn’t imagine that rich, intelligent, privileged girls like these (who are used to being the ones who set the trend and tone of their environment rather than follow it) would be so easily brainwashed. I wonder what the heck happened.

Damn… it must be the tea!!! Chloe, don’t eat or drink anything from that house!!

The phone conversation with Lex was delicious as well as great fun. I loved the way Chloe teased Lex, bringing a smile to his face that had probably not appeared since the moment she disappeared from the penthouse. It was good to see Lex kind of contributing some ideas to Chloe’s investigation, even though I can see his contributions were half-hearted at best, and not really enthusiastic at all.

But Lex explained his reasons for being so ‘huffy’ about this whole business… and his reason were of the sort that made it impossible for Chloe to stay mad at him. How can Chloe stay mad at her boyfriend when he tells her he’s only acting up like a brat because he’s anxiety-ridden about her well-being. I loved that!

I was also astonished to see Lex admitting to feeling helpless and weak because she wasn’t around… and because he wasn’t absolutely certain that even HE could keep her safe in this current situation. Lex was actually admitting that he’s not in full control of a situation?!? Wow! This version of Lex Luthor is most certainly a lot more psychologically stable and emotionally healthy than most other Lexes that I’ve become used to. To tell the truth, it’s slightly unnerving to see Lex being so open, honest and direct about his feelings. Lol!

Or perhaps Lex knew that expressing his anxieties is the best way to guilt-trip Chloe into coming back home asap? LOL! The manipulative bastard!

I can see it tore Chloe apart to refuse Lex’s pleas (woah… Lex pleading?! woah!!). But despite how painful it was, it was good to see Chloe choosing not to halt her own development and her own passions in order to subordinate herself to her boyfriend’s life and lifestyle. Chloe has to lead her own life in this partnership with Lex… otherwise there’s a very real danger of her losing herself in Lex’s overwhelming Luthor lifestyle.

I know it was hard… but Chloe made the right choice. Erm… even if the choice DID involve staying inside the spooky mansion and continuing the possible murder investigation (eep!).

heeee!! Phone sex! That was an unexpected delight! THANK you for throwing in that treat, Jenny! :D I loved it!

Lex was amazing during the start-off, where he got Chloe all revved up with his purring descriptions on everything that he was imagining doing to her over the phone cable line. His words were gorgeous, breathtaking and amazing! I have to wonder just how much experience he’s had in phone sex… OR perhaps he rehearsed all of this before-hand? OR, perhaps he’s just really talented, and all of this is straight out of his imagination from the top of his head. Wow!

I thought I was going to die laughing when Lex greeted his father just when Chloe’s responses were getting seriously heated up. LOL! That bastard’s creepy ‘destroy my son’ senses were tingling at him again to enter at that precise moment, weren’t they?!

Perhaps the bastard has Lex’s phone-line tapped? I really wouldn’t be surprised.

LOL! It was a lot of fun seeing Chloe turning the tables around on Lex, and taking the initiative in the phone-sex conversation, so she ended up leading the session… and this was while Lex was trying to hide his responses to Chloe from an avidly attentive Lionel. LOL! Hilarious… and creepy!

I was quite impressed with Lex managing to maintain his even, level tone of voice throughout. And I agree with Chloe that it was seriously hot seeing him maintaining outward control when you know he’s exploding inside. Wow! Iron control is sexy, baby!

hmmm, and speaking a little further on Lionel and his tapping tendencies. I really would not trust that laptop that Lionel bought for Chloe. Unless she happened to purchase it herself using only Lionel’s credit card…? But I get the impression that Lionel personally handed over this machine to Chloe… and I’m SURE he must have filled it with all kinds of creepy, intrusive recording-spy devices that probably measure everything she writes and views, as well as her responses (heart-rate, pupil dilations, etc) while she’s viewing and writing.

It was a lot of fun seeing Chloe getting back into the meat and drink of her passion… sneaking around, snooping and gathering information. I can see that she was reveling and thrilling in the experience. It’s been great living in a sensual, sexual haze with Lex for all these months, but I can tell that it was exhilarating for Chloe to indulge her other passion now.

Although I’m sure it would have been more thrilling for Chloe if only she had found something useful besides enough change for a over-priced cup of coffee, lol! It’s a pity that she hasn’t yet gained access to the more interesting and sensitive areas of the mansion… but give it a few days, and I’m sure Chloe will be making her way around the spooky mansion like a ghostly butler in no time.

Hmm… I wonder what Pearl was doing up wandering around the place in the middle of the night. Was she prowling for after-hour snoops? Or was she engaged in clandestine operations of her own? I don’t believe that she was down here for a glass of water. She seemed to latch onto Chloe’s excuse for after-hour walking too quickly for that to be the real reason. It would have been much more convincing if Pearl had said that she was just having trouble sleeping… OR that she was watching TV in the lounge… or essentially ANY excuse besides Chloe’s lame, last-minute explanation about water.

You would have thought that a creepy woman like Pearl would have learned to have learned to be a little sneakier or something.

The final sequence was unnerving and highly disturbing. I’d like to think that the moaning and grunting noises coming out of Mariko’s room were signs of the girl just having ‘a really good time’… but my mind keeps throwing visuals of poor Mariko being tormented, in pain and forced into… horrible situations. I can’t help but think that Mariko was in pain that night somehow… that something was attacking her… and that Chloe walked on by without any real feeling of alarm or worry.

Chloe is going to feel dreadful when she eventually (inevitably) finds out that Mariko was in trouble that night, and that Chloe walked on by without doing anything to help the poor girl.

This was a fantastic chapter, Jenny! Thanks for the quick update. I look forward to the next chapter. This fic is really getting good, and I can’t wait to see what creepy, monstrous, horrible and traumatizing thing is going to pop out of the woodwork.

[hfce]

Uhm.. something tells me she is not dealing with humans. Am I right? :eek:

[CrazyGirlWriter]

Totally not human. I'm guessing those plants in the garden are important and i can't help wanting to scream at chloe to lock the closet but maybe i'm being paranoid (and weird its just a fic...okay a really good fic but still just a fic)

I can't wait for an update and i'm betting on some kind of demonic deal pearl and her family has going on i mean come on her mother dorthy's entire family is wiped out. Then Dorthy forms the council at age 23 accepting only 6 (demonic number some think) girls at a time has a kid way late in life and then dies when her daughter is 23. hinky.

see now i'm getting all crazy about it. I LOVE IT!!! can't wait for more. Your stories are awesome Jenny.

[JennyD13]

I'm sorry for the delays everyone! More computer troubles! Thanks for reading and having patience!

Chapter 9

(Little Lies – Fleetwood Mac)

Chloe startled awake by Trudy when she barged into her room. She moaned and reluctantly sat up, biting back a saucy comment. Trudy was dressed to the nines and smiling at her. Chloe smiled back and glanced at the clock…8:15am. Ugh.

“Come on, Sleepyhead!” Trudy said, prancing over to Chloe’s mirror to run her fingers through her shining black bob. “Get up and get dressed! We always go out to brunch on Sundays.”

Fuck off and let me get some sleep…was what she wanted to say.

“That’s really nice.” Chloe was what she actually said, wiping her face with tired hands. She felt like she was drugged. “Are all the bathrooms taken?”

“The downstairs is free, but Anke will be done with the one at the end of the hall in a couple of minutes, and that one has the best water pressure.”

“Cool.”

“So, we’ll all meet in the foyer in an hour?” Trudy asked as she walked to the door.

“Sounds great.” Chloe lied, smiling. What Chloe really wanted was another good five hours sleep. “Thanks, Trudy.”

No problem, Ava.” She said, giving Chloe a bright smile as she shut the door.

Chloe threw a startled look toward the door. Didn’t I lock that? She was sure that she locked it before she went to bed last night.

“Oh, what the hell.” She whispered as she flopped back down on the bed. Starting your morning with an uncomfortable sense of anxiety was awesome. Especially after last night. She had gotten to sleep easily enough, but it quickly turned restless. She kept having nightmares about her closet door opening and something with glowing yellow eyes watching her from the dark. She was embarrassed to admit that she had gotten up to inspect the closet at least three times. Thanks again, Pearl, for being so goddamned weird about my closet.

Chloe sighed and grudgingly lifted the blankets off of her. She got up and picked out a fresh bra and panty set and a forest green wrap dress. Which she LOVED. She poked her head out the door to verify that the shower was free, grabbed her shower bag and raced to claim it. She showered and quickly dressed. She left her hair curly and spent most of the time on her makeup – she wanted to look like she belonged with the Council. Matte foundation, pressed powder, dark green eyeliner on her upper lid, black mascara and shiny lip-gloss. And it only her about 40 minutes. Sheesh.

When she was sufficiently primped, Chloe grabbed her small handbag and went out into the hallway. She didn’t get small handbags. There was no room for anything in them – especially not her prized laptop. The one in question was the size of Chloe’s regular wallet, which begged the question why someone would buy a ridiculously expensive tiny bag when they could just take their wallet instead? She shrugged and walked across the hall to Mariko’s room. She was sitting in front of her vanity mirror putting the finishing touches on her black eyeliner. No big burly man in here now.

“Hello, Ava!” She said as she glanced up and saw Chloe’s reflection in her mirror. “How was your first night?”

Mariko was glowing. She definitely had sex last night.

“It was great. My room is fantastic.” Chloe replied, leaning on the doorframe. “This house is fantastic.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Mariko replied, trying to pick out the appropriate pink lip-gloss. “Which one do you think?”

“This one.” Chloe indicated after coming closer to examine the two colours Mariko held up. She left out the fact that the only way the other pink would look good was if you happened to be a doll named Barbie.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Mariko?” Chloe asked, pretending to be nonchalant and looking around the room.

There were no pictures. Not one. None of her family or her friends at home. That was what she found weird about the rooms! No pictures. If they were away from their families for such an extended period of time, shouldn’t they have pictures? Chloe had a picture of Clark and Pete on her dressing table at home. She even had a picture of her father sitting on Lex’s dresser at the penthouse. Lex had discovered it one night when he glanced over at his dresser after they finished making love. That had been a little awkward, but after they had faced it away from the bed, it had stayed there untouched. She loved her father and she missed not seeing him everyday. It was normal to have pictures of loved ones displayed. Maybe there could be a reasonable explanation of why one or two of the girls didn’t have any. Some families weren’t worth remembering. For that, she could feel bad for them. Parents who cared more about traveling and business than spending time with their kids. It was disgusting and made her wish that there was some sort of written test you had to take in order to have offspring... She could guarantee that Lex didn’t have any pictures of his father up at private school. But all six of the girls? Taken into account with the disappearance of Talbot Sklansky, it seemed eerie. Then again, maybe she was looking into things a little too deep. She didn’t have the best night’s sleep, what with the monster in her closet and all.

“I have many toys, Ava. None of them very important.” Mariko grinned at Chloe’s reflection, snapping Chloe out of her reverie.

Okay, wow. Chloe thought as she giggled the appropriate amount for such a ‘witty’ joke.

With that, Anke called up from the foyer and Chloe and Mariko hurried downstairs to meet the rest of the girls.

X----------------------------------X

(Crazy – Jem)

The Council (sans Pearl, thank God) sat down to brunch at their usual table on the patio of a high-class bistro downtown. Chloe was munching on her fruit salad as Anke was talking about the Journalism courses she was planning on taking this coming September. She was the oldest (and evidently the brightest) and she was finishing up her high school courses this summer so she could start college in the fall.

“That’s amazing, Anke. Congratulations! I envy you. I would love to know what I would like to do for the rest of my life.” Chloe said, raising her coffee cup for a sip. “Where are you planning on going?”

“Met U, for now. That way I can stay with the Council.” She smiled, demurely popping a grape into her mouth.

Chloe nodded.

“In fact, we are all planning on staying together and going to the colleges and universities near Council Houses.” Anke continued, staring at Chloe with bright brown eyes.

“This…” Mariko said, indicating the girls sitting around the table, “is our true family. The Council Mansions are like our true homes.”

“Our ‘real’ families…” Allison started, adding another spoonful of brown sugar to her tea. “They are just people we happen to be related to. None of us feel close to them, really.”

“I know what you mean.” Chloe added, allowing her face to cloud over. “My father’s interest is elsewhere. As long as he knows that the heir to the family trust is safe, he doesn’t stick around long enough to actually keep me safe himself. I begged him to take me on a dig in Scotland so I could be with him and as soon as we got there he passed me off to his assistant. Who, might I add, tried to get his grubby little hands in my pants the first night I was there. It was awful.”

Chloe thought a mental apology to Mr. Winchester. She was sure he wasn’t such a bad guy.

The girls nodded in unison.

“So, you can understand why we all want to stay together.” Trudy questioned.

“Yes, I can.” Chloe smiled

The five girls shared a look that made Chloe feel slightly uncomfortable. Why did she get the feeling she was on the verge of joining some kind of cult? If I find a shrine to Charlie Manson in that house, I’m so gone, Chloe thought, as she bit into a piece of melon. She heard someone call her name and she froze. The male voice called her REAL name.

Oh.

Fuck.

Me.

Chloe knit her eyebrows in confusion and looked around. Clark was standing in front of the patio, leaning on the wooden fence, dressed in his customary plaid and a grin that could melt a glacier. Chloe had to fight the feeling of happiness she felt upon seeing her best friend, which was easy to do when she realized her cover was about to be blown wide open. Panic hit her in the stomach like an anvil. Okay. Think fast….think fast….think…fast….think…

“Chloe! Come here!” Clark smiled and waved her over.

SHIT!

Chloe turned back to the table and to the strange looks from the silent girls.

“Did he just call me ‘Chloe’?” She asked, feigning disgust.

They nodded and she sighed, acting hurt.

“Excuse me.” She said as she got up and turned her back on the table.

As she strode over to Clark, she couldn’t help returning his wide smile. It was good to see him, and she fought the urge to run over and give him a hug. There was none of the familiar longing for him inside her chest; someone far superior had replaced him. This fiasco could work out in her favour after all. When she reached him, she crossed her arms and made her back as straight as possible. She wanted her body language to scream ‘ANGRY’.

“Hey Clark!” She whispered, grinning.

He lifted his arms to give her a hug and he shook her head and took a step back. Her heart broke a little when she saw the smile fall from his face.

“I’m sorry. I can’t explain right now. Talk to Lex.” She whispered, smiling apologetically. “It’s really awesome to see you. I’m also sorry about this.”

Chloe promptly smacked him across the face. Clark looked flabbergasted. She shot him one more ‘I’m really sorry’ look and stomped back to her table. She held back a wince. Her hand hurt like hell. What the hell was he made of? She thought, Steel? She sat down and when she glanced back, she was relived to find that Clark was gone. Her sister’s on the other hand, were looking at her expectantly; their eyes shining with the promise of gossip.

“I’m so sorry about that.” Chloe said as she laid her hands on her lap with what she hoped looked like class. “That was Mark. I met him last week at the airport when we arrived from Scotland. Long story short, I spent the night with him. And he can’t remember my fucking name. I could just kill him.”

Chloe looked up as Alliah patted her hand sympathetically.

“He looked really happy to see you.” Allison smiled. “You must have rocked his world.”

Chloe laughed. “Not so much, if he couldn’t remember my name.”

“Let me tell you a little secret…” Alliah said, as she leaned into the table; a smirk on her face, “Men…are morons. That guy isn’t even good enough to use as a footrest.”

Chloe ignored the instinct to punch that grin right off of her face. No one talked about her best friend like that! She grinned instead. It was hard to do and she had the distinct impression she might be developing an ulcer from all this holding back.

The girls looked at each other and grinned. Bingo. She had found her ‘in’.

“Guys are dicks, Ava.” Anke said. “Pure and simple…”

“And literally…” Trudy interjected, giggling.

Anke grinned. “And literally. You see why we don’t have boyfriends.”

Chloe glanced at Mariko. No guilt on her face. Her midnight visitor must have been one of the ‘toys’ she had been talking about.

“I’m beginning to see what you mean. I’ve gotten nothing out of any of my relationships with men except sex. And not all of it was even good sex. I was with a man named Talbot Sklansky last year. That couldn’t even be described as mediocre sex.” Chloe said, looking for any subtle reactions her name drop might have elicited. Nothing except laughter. Damn it!

“Men are okay to play with, but nothing else.” Allison said, as she popped a piece of her muffin into her mouth.

“Your sisters are your family now.” Anke smiled reassuringly. “We take care of each other.”

Chloe hoped she looked reassured and not creeped the fuck out, which she totally was. For some reason, these girls reminded her of the twins in The Shining. Come play with us, Danny. Forever and ever and ever…

“I think I’m going to like living with you girls.” Chloe happily lied through her teeth. “Thank you for making me feel so welcome.”

“It’s a pleasure to have you here, Ava.” Trudy smiled. “Who wants some of my omelette? It’s huge…”

Chloe let the conversation continue on without her. Boy, had she read these girls wrong. She had been sure that they had nothing to do with Tal’s disappearance, but now she wasn’t so sure. There was something about the way they acted now that made her uncomfortable. Given their attitudes toward men, even if they had known something about Tal, would they have even remembered his name? Chloe acted like she was paying attention for the rest of the meal and nudged around the fruit on her plate. She had lost her appetite.

X--------------------------------------------X

(Better Than Me – Hinder)

Chloe hurried down the sidewalk toward LuthorCorp. She had told the girls that she had promised her father that she would look in on a family friend who worked downtown and she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. She had told them that she really didn’t like him that much and they said they understood and would meet her at home later. She wanted to see if Clark had talked to Lex yet and it seemed like the perfect excuse to go and visit him. What could she say? He was addictive. Like chocolate. Or Southern Comfort. No! Like Coffee! Definitely like coffee. Chloe pushed open the heavy doors and winked at Joe, who was standing guard in the lobby.

Finally she made her way up to the top floor of the building and Lex’s office. As soon as she stepped off the elevator she could hear Lex’s angry voice from behind closed doors and she winced. She should have known that they would have an argument about her. Clark seemed to be inching to get onto Lex’s case about something ever since she told Clark about their relationship. Chloe walked up the doors and let herself in quietly. They didn’t notice her.

“Do you think I’m happy about her doing this, Clark?” Lex yelled, slamming his fist down on his desk. “I’m really fucking not. Chloe has a mind of her own and you know as well as I do that you can’t tell her ‘not’ to do something!”

They were facing each other, both leaning over Lex’s large desk looking like tiger’s ready to do battle over a piece of meat. The said piece of meat being Chloe. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door.

“I tried once to stop her from doing it and she nearly took my head off. I’m not going to lose her by ordering her to go against her nature.” Lex continued. His voice softened and Chloe could detect a ghost of a smile on his face.

“If ANYTHING happens to her, I’ll hold you personally responsible, Lex.” Clark yelled back, standing up straight and clenching his fists.

“What else is new, Clark?” Lex snarled, throwing his hands up. “I’m always the villain in this black and white world you seem to live in!”

Chloe smiled. God, he was hot when he was angry. There was something so wrong with her.

“She’s my best friend.” Clark hissed through clenched teeth. “What, I’m supposed to just stand by and allow her to be hurt by your stupidity?”

“I LOVE HER!” Lex responded, slamming his fists down on the table again. “I would DIE before I’d let anything happen to her. And as hard as it is for you to believe, she loves me. I don’t know why, Clark, but she does. ”

“You ‘love’ her? And you still let her do something risky like this? What if she uncovers a murderer, Lex? What happens then, when someone tries to shut her up? Where will you be? Right here in your office. You don’t deserve her. You never will.” Clark asked, cruelly.

Chloe winced. That hurt her because she knew it hurt Lex. Then old reliable anger kicked in. Oh, hello old friend.

“Clark Kent! What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Chloe interrupted from her place by the door. Both men turned to face her. Chloe walked up to them. “How could you say something so cruel? I’m ashamed of you.”

Finally, Clark swallowed his anger and realized that he should be ashamed.

“I love him. He makes me happy. So, please, try to be happy for us. If you can’t do that, try not to be a fucking dick and deal with it like a man. Because I’ll kick you’re fucking ass if I ever hear you say something like that again.”

They both opened their mouths to speak, but Chloe held up her hand.

“Oh, no. I’m not finished. You two going all ‘caveman’ over my well-being? Yeah, that was kind of hot. Clark, I appreciate all the protectiveness, I really do. But you crossed the line. Lex is right. I have my own mind and will not be told what to do. So stop fighting already, okay? If I’m ever in danger, most likely I’ve gotten there all by my self, despite the best efforts of you both.”

Clark sighed and turned back to Lex.

“Chloe’s right. I’m sorry. I overreacted and…I acted like an idiot.” He said, sticking out his hand for Lex to shake.

Lex smiled and nodded, shaking it. The smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Clark turned and walked over to Chloe. “I’m sorry, Chlo. Guess I am a little overprotective of you. Listen, I can stay and help…”

Yeah. That would be perfect. That way, instead of waking up in the middle of the night to sneak about the mansion to look for clues, she could wake up in the middle of the night and sneak out of the mansion and try to stop these guys from killing each other. Awesome. Besides, if things like that came out of Clark’s mouth again, she would be forced to punch him in the face, and judging from the sore hand she received when she smacked him, she would probably break something.

“Clark, go home. I’m fine. If I need you, I’ll call. I always do.” Chloe smiled, grabbing his hand.

Clark furrowed his brow, but could help smiling back. “Just be careful.” He replied as he bent down to give her a quick hug. He reluctantly turned and left the office.

Chloe shook her head and walked over to Lex. He looked tired. She threw her arms around him and he lifted her up to sit on the desk.

“You okay?” She asked, stroking his cheek.

“He’s right, you know. I don’t deserve you. You are…incredible…and I’m…I’ve...the things I’ve done…” Lex said, shaking his head.

“Lex. We’ve talked about this before. I love you...all of you. And yes, you do deserve me. The stress and all.” Chloe replied, taking his face in her hands

“Yes, well the stress is worth it.”

“Besides, you’re familiar with the Christmas Carol, at least you will be this Christmas when I make you watch it with me fifteen times. It’s never too late to change your old miserly ways.”

Lex laughed and Chloe gave him a 1000-watt grin.

“Guess I owe you an apology too, huh?” He asked, raising his eyebrows.

“No,” Chloe laughed, “I know why you’re grumpy. If we switched places, I’d be pissed too. If you were apathetic about it, I think I’d be insulted. So, two of the three most important men in my life act like complete assholes when I decide to throw myself into something potentially dangerous. At least I know I’m loved.”

Lex laughed and kissed her.

(All or Nothing – Theory of a Dead Man)

“You are.” He said, brushing a lock of her hair off her cheek with his thumb. When the curl was safely behind her ear, he brushed his thumb across he bottom lip. “I don’t understand why you chose me”

“You don’t have to. I know why.” Chloe said, pulling him down by his tie so she could kiss him softly.

Lex sighed when his lips touched hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Soon, their simple kiss turned into something much more and she leaned back on her elbows, reaching out for him.

“Not here.” He whispered.

He wrapped her lithe legs around his waist and carried her to the couch, laying her on her back. He moved to sit next to her, but then stopped.

“One moment.” He smirked as he jogged to the door and bolted it. He jogged back over. “Now, where were we?”

Lex kneeled between her legs, bending to give her a smouldering kiss. He undid the tie on her wrap dress and she worked on unbuttoning his shirt as she studied his flushed face. Opening her dress as if she were a Christmas present, he swallowed as he took a moment to stare at her body. She cocked her head and smiled up at him, feeling slightly self-conscious.

“Perfect.” He murmured as his hands roamed her stomach, pausing only to unhook the front clasp of her purple lace bra. “You’re so perfect.”

Pushing the lace out of the way, he palmed the mounds of her breasts, massaging them until she arched her back and cried out. He sat back, quickly ridding himself of his shirt and tie and unbuckled his pants. Eyeing her panties, he slipped his fingers under the lace material and Chloe giggled as he slid them down her thighs, lifting her legs to slide them completely off. Lex kissed her leg from her ankle to her knee and, with a groan, he pushed his pants down, freeing his erection. Grabbing her hips, he pulled her up until her ass rested on his thighs. Fisting his dick, Lex circled the tip around her clit until she begged him to slide inside her. With a hand on her hip, he plunged into her wet core, stretching her. He felt like home to her and they both moaned, his grip on her hip tightening. Chloe threw her hands above her head and grasped arm of the couch. Lex leaned over, keeping one hand on her hip and placing the other close to her hands, kissing her. Chloe seized his wrist and whimpered into his mouth.

“Chloe…” Lex growled as he started to thrust into her. “Oh fuck, you feel…Chloe, you feel…perfect…”

He moved his arms beside her, propping himself up on his elbows and burying his feverish head into the crook of her neck. Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulders, stroking the back of his smooth head with her right hand.

“I love you.” She whispered, and he released a wanting cry into her neck.

“Please…” He murmured as he moved one of his arms down and hauled it higher on his hip.

Chloe gasped as she felt him bury his dick to the hilt inside her. She loved to feel him inside her; to feel him, hot and throbbing, deeper inside her than anyone has ever been. He seemed to reach that arcane and secret place locked away unfathomably deep inside her soul; and she loved everything that was he was: brave, dangerous, generous, egotistical, loving and murderous.

“I love you, Lex.” She whispered repeatedly, until she felt him stiffen and come inside her.

Chloe went over the edge with him and rode out her orgasm as roughly thrusted into her, emptying himself inside her. They lay together, clutching one another until their breathing returned to normal. He lifted his head and gave her a slow, open-mouthed kiss and she revealed in it.

“If you hadn’t of just beat me out, I would be carrying you home over my shoulder.” He joked, reluctantly kneeling up.

Chloe groaned as Lex left her, that depressing feeling of emptiness once again settling on her. Alright, alright, she told her inner slut, I’ll visit him again tomorrow…

“I would like to see your employee’s reaction to that.” Chloe smiled, sitting up.

With shaking limbs, she got up and gathered her clothes.

“Yes.’ Lex laughed, “I would, too.”

“Okay, I’m going to run to your washroom and get cleaned up. I have a few hours before I have to be back for supper. I’d like to hang out here, if you wouldn’t mind.” She said, heading to his private bathroom with her clothes gathered in her arms.

“Of course I wouldn’t mind you being here.” Lex answered, watching her walk away. “But I don’t think…”

“Ah, no. Shush!” Chloe demanded, turning on her heel to face him. “No! No talk about how I shouldn’t be doing anything! We just had beautiful, spiritual sex and you will not ruin it by pissing me off, Lex Luthor!”

His chuckle followed a grinning Chloe into the washroom.

[hfce]

Yeah those girls are not human and Chloe better be careful. ::/:

Clark is a dick head who needs to step off. :wth: The sex was :drool2: more of that please.

[somethingeasy]

These girls are obviously evil and/or brainwashed. There is NO other reasonable explanation for their excessively cheerful dispositions at that early hour in the morning!!!! I vote we cut off their heads now, before they become truly dangerous and start serving Chloe tofu for breakfast!!

erm… I’m not a morning person. Can you tell? ;)

It was seriously creepy hearing about Chloe’s nightmares from the night before. I was only (half) joking when I made that comment about monsters in the closet. Now it turns out that Chloe is having nightmares about ‘yellow eyes watching her from the open closet door’?! *shudder* Creepy! Perhaps it’s just a nightmare, but I vote that Chloe nails that closet shut, right now!

In fact, it might be a good idea for her to nail her bedroom door shut as well, to make sure that she’s not woken up every firggen morning by an overly cheery heiress.

I didn’t know whether to be relieved or yet more worried about how Mariko seemed fine, happy and even glowing this morning. This could suggest that Mariko was actually enjoying a grand sex-capade in bed last night… or it could mean that she was tortured and violated so horribly that the memory was forced out of her head.

I shared Chloe’s thought about the strangeness of none of these girls having personal mementos of family and friends inside their rooms. Even in the unlikely situation that all six of these girls are estranged from their families, they should at least have some pictures of friends, pets and other such companions in their rooms, right? It’s practically the first thing a girl does when she moves into a dorm-room… hangs up photographs to remind her of the people she’s left behind. It’s just not possible that these rich, smart, desirable young girls are all complete hermits with no social life prior to the dorm-house.

Sitting down with the girls and ‘enjoying’ their company alongside Chloe wasn’t as much fun as I thought/hoped it would be… and I can see Chloe didn’t enjoy it that much herself. And I think I know why. The girls seem nice enough, but all of them are completely interchangeable. Not a single one seems to have a distinct personality for herself. Instead they all echo each other’s views and opinions like mirrors reflecting into infinity.

This lack of personality seems to stem from some kind of obsession with that dorm-house that they’re all living in. Not a single one of them seems to be able to separate herself from the mansion, either in location or in ideology. It’s unnerving.

I thought Chloe’s stray thoughts about a cult were too disconcertingly accurate to be funny *shudder*

I finally got a chance to laugh during Chloe and Clark’s ‘friendly’ encounter. ROTFL! Oh poor Clark! I was quite proud of Chloe for coming up with a play-acting solution that not only preserved her secret identity, but also further endeared her to the rest of the man-hating girls because she put on a show of belittling and humiliating her one-night-stand fellow. Very efficient and effective, Chloe!

LOL! I felt so very sorry for poor Clark. The dear boy was obviously so bewildered… and perhaps even a little hurt by Chloe just attacking him for no reason whatsoever. But at least he caught enough of her hurried explanation to know not to push… and to go to Lex for further explanations on the matter. It would have been pretty awful to have Chloe’s carefully constructed cover blown by this silly, chance encounter.

I kept feeling a sympathetic sense of fondness for Clark until the scene in Lex’s office. Clark was acting over-bearing and obnoxious towards Lex, and I was truly disgusted and disappointed. I was hoping for better from Clark… Instead he reveals himself to be obnoxious, possessive and immature… not to mention rather annoying. Clark was acting as if he had some huge right of entitlement to dictate the terms of Lex’s behavior towards Chloe. You’re not Chloe’s father or brother or anything, Clark! You don’t get to tell people how to behave towards her… at least, not unless she specifically asks you to!

I was glad to see that Chloe decided to make a quick visit to Lex’s office to check up on the two men. It seems her instincts were right on the money that she would be needed to stop bloodshed from occurring.

Chloe’s outraged ranting was exactly what Clark deserved and needed to snap him out of his obnoxiousness. I only wish that the scolding hadn’t been necessary. It’s actually embarrassing to see a boy Clark’s age being dressed down for his behavior in this manner. I imagine that both Chloe and Clark were embarrassed about the scolding. Lex however, I’m sure enjoyed seeing Clark being dressed down, LOL! The bastard!

Well… he enjoyed seeing Clark scolded, AND he probably reveled in Chloe yelling at Clark about how much she loved Lex, how well he treated her, and how he was exactly the kind of boyfriend that she wanted and needed in her life.

Although, it seems Chloe’s refutation of all of Clark’s accusations didn’t really have that much of an effect on Clark. Lex seemed really depressed, even after Clark had left the scene with his tail between his legs. I can see he has serious insecurity issues when it comes to whether he truly ‘deserves’ Chloe.

I found this to be fascinating since I had assumed that all of Lex’s issues (of this sort) had been mostly resolved during their time together in ‘Bite Me’. Lex was there as Chloe’s only means of support during a time when she desperately needed a rock to hold on to, when she felt she was losing her mind, emotional stability and psychological equilibrium. It was a terrifying time for Chloe, and Lex was there to help her through all of that…. such an experience surely must have convinced Lex that he (perhaps) did deserve to be with the woman he loved, since he’s proved how good a mate and partner he can be to her during her time of need…?

BUT… it seems like Lex still have some serious issues. The only explanation that I can come up with is that Lex feels that Chloe only clung to him so tightly during ‘Bite Me’ was because she was desperate for help from anyone… and Lex happened to be the closest person around to hold on to. Now that Chloe is out of danger, perhaps she’s only staying with him out of habit, gratitude, or perhaps even pity…? That’s what he might be thinking…?

Anyhow, I hope there are plans to play with this extreme insecurity in the future :D I want to see evil things happen in this fic! MWAA HA HA HAAA!

I’m just going to go into complete guess-mode over here… and guess that the reason Lex’s insecurity was highlighted in this chapter was because he is eventually going to be given HUGE cause to doubt Chloe’s love for him. I’m guessing that whatever has ‘infected’ and brainwashed the other girls in the mansion is going to get to Chloe as well… and she’s also going to become a man-hating stepford-sister, who starts viewing Lex as her ‘boy-toy’. Not a person that she loves, but merely as a sex-toy to be taken on and off the shelf from time to time.

heee!! I’d LOVE to see Lex’s reaction to something like that!!!!! Having the woman he desperately loved treating him like a disposable, replaceable toy. Wouldn’t that be awesome, Jenny?!?

I’m not being very subtle in my hints, am I? :P
Just carry on with the fic with whatever plotline you have in mind, Jenny. Feel free to ignore my requests if they don’t fit into your plans :D

The smut was awesome, as always! It was beautiful seeing Lex unwrapping Chloe as if she was the best gift anyone has ever gotten. He was actually in awe of her… in awe of the way that he was allowed to touch her and have her. I loved that! It builds up further on his insecurities, as well as how very much he loves his Chloe.

I have no words to describe how much I LOVED the smut. It was amazing, hot, intense, incredible… and all the while it had this undertone of beautiful sweetness that made me melt into goo even while I was sizzling. It was amazing bonding sex… the perfect kind of sex that you’d expect between a Chloe couple who know they are just about to be separated from each other, and therefore need a few minutes of solace and reassurance in each other’s bodies.

I can’t wait to read the next chapter. Please update soon!

[CrazyGirlWriter]

I'm addicted to this story. and the house chicks are totally starting to freak me out. i hope chloe doesn't go all man-hater. it would kill lex. so please update soon and feed my addiction.

[JennyD13]

I'm so sorry about the late update! My computer problems should be fixed soon!
Thanks for the lovely reviews!:blinkkiss

Chapter 10


(Moonlight Sonata – Beethoven)

Chloe stepped into the eerie, candlelit dining room and stopped short as four of the five girls turned to look at her. Awkward. Pearl seemed to have pulled out all the stops. There were two ancient silver candelabra on either side of the long table and it made the ancient looking silverware lying exactly so on the crisp white table cloth, shine. Matching the white candles, a tall glass vase with long stemmed calla lilies stood proudly as the centrepiece. The girls greeted her cheerfully and guided her on of the empty seats in the middle. The dead girl’s chair…she suddenly found herself thinking. It was a surreal feeling, replacing a girl who had died so tragically, and it was not completely broken as Pearl and Allison entered the room carrying trays of hot food.

“Oh, Ava! What timing!” Pearl exclaimed as she placed bowls filled with mashed potato, peas, green beans and carrots on the table and put the tray on a counter behind her. Allison followed suit and placed a large tray filled with meat and a wine bottle on ice on the table. Did rich people buy their way around the whole legal drinking age think? Oh, please. Like she could judge. Lex got her liquored up as much as he could. Pearl started pouring out the thick-looking red wine into each of the seven glasses around the table. The look of it turned Chloe’s stomach. It seemed to have the consistency of red milk. Gross.

“This wine, I make myself. You’ll never taste anything quite like it.” Pearl announced proudly for Chloe’s benefit. The girls nodded in agreement and were already greedily sipping the strange liquid. Could something as thick as that be considered liquid? Chloe didn’t know. And she reeeeeeeeeally didn’t want to find out. She took a sip, trying very hard not to screw up her face. It tasted like cough medicine with a weird metallic aftertaste. She smiled and nodded. She refused to open her mouth for fear that her inner child would yell, ‘ewwwwwwwwww’ and embarrass the hell out of her.

“Alright.” Pearl sighed as she sat down. “Help yourself, girls”

There was a sudden burst of voices and bustle as the girls filled their plates. Each one of the plates looked the same: a little of each veggie and alotta meat. Wow. These girls do not shy away from the meat. She would usually make an off colour joke at the moment, but she kept her mouth shut and spooned the veggies onto her plate and a little of the meat. It looked like stringy roast beef covered in dark gravy.

Before the girls dug in, Pearl raised her glass.

“To Ava. We are very happy to have you as a part of our little family.” She toasted.

The girls raised their glasses, Chloe included, and said ‘To Ava!” as she nodded her thanks. Oh God, she was going to have to taste that wine again. Damn it! She took a sip of the cough syrup wine and her inner child stomped petulantly. And then there was silence. Awkward, awkward silence. She looked around as she absently twirled the meat with her fork. They seemed to be waiting for her to take a bite and she reluctantly did. It tasted sort of like chicken. Maybe it was lamb? All Chloe knew was that it wasn’t all that appetizing.

Chloe was starting to become very uncomfortable. She felt like she was somehow on trial. That made sense. These were teenage millionaires. Anyone would-be who joined their group would be on trial. But something about the way they were acting was…creepy. She was using that word a lot lately.

“Hummm.” She said for their benefit. They seemed very satisfied with her response. “This is delicious! Thank you so much, Pearl, for going to so much trouble. Everything is fabulous!”

Pearl beamed and they all dug in. Like, really dug in. Chloe watched in amazement, her fork half way between her plate and her mouth, and thought that she would very likely lose a hand if she reached for more mystery meat.

Chloe forced herself to polish her plate and by the time the meal was finished, the large tray was picked clean of all but a few stringy bits of meat. She waited excitedly to see if any of the girls would get up and lick the platter. Instead, they got up and gushed their thanks to Pearl.

“Ava,” Alliah said, turning toward Chloe, “we’re going to the play Medea at the Metropolis Bicentennial Auditorium tonight. Would you like to come?”

Hmmmmm, Chloe thought, a play about a mother who kills her children to get back at her cheating husband? No thank you, man-haters, I think I’ll pass. But sneaking around all of your rooms sounds like a blast.

“Oh, thank you, but I‘ll think I better pass. I still have a lot of unpacking to do and I’m a little tired. I really appreciate the invite though.” Chloe replied politely.

“Of course!” Trudy exclaimed. “If you change your mind, were leaving in a half hour.

The girls left and Pearl stood to clear the table. Alright, time to bite the bullet and talk to the crazy lady…

“Would you like some help with the dishes, Pearl?” Chloe asked, already gathering up plates.

“That would be lovely, dear.”

Silence accompanied them as they brought the dishes into the kitchen. Chloe blew out the candles and made her way through the dark room with the last batch of dishes.

“Pearl. Can I ask you something?” Chloe asked as they loaded the dishwasher.

“Absolutely.” Pearl replied.

“Why don’t you have someone around to help you in the kitchen and to do the cleaning? It can’t be easy to take care of six teenage girls.”

“Oh, trust me, it isn’t! But I love cooking and all the girls help out with the cleaning. And you’re all responsible for your rooms and laundry.”

Chloe nodded. That seemed reasonable enough.

“I’m glad we have some responsibilities.” Chloe said, putting a cup on the rack. “It teaches us the value of hard work. I guess it would be more difficult to deal with six spoiled teenage girls.”

Pearl laughed. “Yes. That’s true.”

Chloe tells her all about the day’s events. A show of trust, but mostly she wanted to name drop again and see if there was any reaction from Pearl. When she mentioned how embarrassing the ‘Mark’ situation had been, Pearl gave the exact same answers as the girls did, almost word for word. Hmmmm. Chloe thought, brainwashing maybe? When Chloe mentioned Tal Sklansky, Pearl froze for a split second; her grip on the plate looked like it would crack in two. The reaction was so quick, if Chloe hadn’t been watching for it, she wouldn’t have seen it. Jackpot. At least her instincts were right about Pearl. She knew something about Tal’s disappearance. Chloe continued like she hadn’t noticed anything.

“Why do men do that, Pearl? Why do they hurt you?”

Pearl stood straight and locked eyes with Chloe, a strange, distant smile on her face. She reached over and stroked Chloe’s cheek. Chloe had to stop herself by sheer force of will not to flinch back.

“Because they can, dear heart.” Pearl answered softly. “Because nobody stops them.”

Wow. Chloe felt extremely uncomfortable. Again. She tried to look at Pearl as if she was a new mother figure to her, but all Chloe could think about was how she was going to push the heaviest chair in her room against the door tonight.

“But now you’re here. And no one will ever hurt you again. You’re protected.” Pearl finished.

Chloe smiled brightly, hoping the brightness of her smile reached her eyes. They finished loading the dishwasher in silence and Pearl thanked her.

“Have a good night, Pearl.” She said as she all but ran up to her room. There was no way she was forgetting to lock the door to her room tonight.

~*~



(Here Without You - 3 Doors Down)

Chloe finished putting her stuff away, forgoing to display the fake picture that Lex had snapped of her and Joe. It would not fit in here. The girls left shortly after and Chloe crept out into the hall. She waited for Pearl to retire to her rooms, which thankfully only took about ten minutes. She hurriedly searched the rooms, making sure her footfalls were soft and unheard. She found normal things in all. Make up, clothes, books, laptops. But she found no correspondence or hidden pictures. It was like they completely wiped out whatever could remind them of their families. After she finished with the girl’s rooms, she searched the unoccupied rooms. Nothing but old furniture with sheets over them, gathering dust. It took her 40 frustrating minutes to find absolutely jack shit. She couldn’t find a door leading to the attic anywhere. No extra doors. No pull down ladders in any of the closets.

Chloe grumpily crept back to her room. There had to be an attic. She was on the top floor and there were windows above hers. And she was now pissed off that not only the occupants but also the house gave her the creeps. It was silly. It was just a house. A HUGE house but just a house, after all. Houses couldn’t hurt you. But she supposed any house with as many hiding places and a hidden attic was bound to unsettle. Lex’s mansion in Smallville did nothing to calm her nerves. But that was more museum than haunted castle. She grabbed her cell and phoned Lex.

“WHAT!” He yelled into the phone. Sheesh. She thought there little lovemaking session in his office today would calm him down, but no such luck.

“Hi, babe.” She said, flopping down on her stomach on the bed.

“Hi, Chlo.” His voice immediately softened.

“What’s up?” She asked, smiling. Like she couldn’t guess.

“Nothing. Just discussing things with my father.” Lex gritted through his teeth.

“Yeah. I can tell by your chipper voice.” Chloe laughed. “Listen, I won’t keep you from your happy little chat for long. I know how eager you are to get back to it…”

“How’d you guess?” He asked sardonically.

Chloe giggled.

“I was just wondering if you could research any of the girls who lived in this house before. Maybe we could talk to one of them. See if she knows anything.”

“Anything that gets you out of that house as soon as possible.” He growled, no doubt glaring at Lionel.

“I love you, Lex.” She said sweetly.

“You, too.” He responded.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Chloe asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“Your going to make me say it, aren’t you?” He laughed.

“You bet your ass, I am! Just think of how much it’ll piss him off.”

“I love you too, Chloe.” He said; a smile evident in his voice.

Chloe pictured the disgust on Lionel’s face and laughed. It was the little things in life that made it worthwhile.

“Night.”

“Goodnight.” Lex said and hung up.

She sighed and put the phone back on the dresser. What she really needed to do was get into Pearl’s office. She had a feeling that the door was locked for a reason (i.e. Chloe’s presence). She had the lock picks that Lois had given her for Christmas last year (lock picks being the definition of the spirit of Christmas) hidden in her handbag. It looked like a manicure kit – it wouldn’t be questioned if someone happened to go through her purse. She had been practicing whenever she could but was still not as adept at the art of lock-picking as she would have liked. People on TV made it look easy. In actual fact, it was slow and infuriating and made Chloe curse like a drunken sailor trying to find his way out of a bathroom stall. Since Pearl was still up, she couldn’t really go down right now. What would she say if Pearl came down and caught her with a pick stuck in her office’s lock? That she was just filing her nails? No. That would never work.

(Waiting…For You – Silent Hill Soundtrack)

Chloe decided that she would go down for a swim. She wanted to check out that pool at least once. It was beautiful! She changed into her black one piece and hauled her robe on over it. She slid on her slippers and left the room. She stopped off on the second floor and knocked on Pearl’s door.

“Hi, Pearl.” Chloe said politely when the older lady answered the door. “I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“Oh, not at all, dear.” Pearl answered.

“I was just wondering if it was alright for me to use the pool?”

“Absolutely. It’s there for your convenience.”

“Thank you.”

Chloe was just about to turn away when something occurred to her.

“Pearl? Have you lived here all your life?”

The woman smiled, remembering. “Yes. Well, with the exception of the other houses. I was born here.”

“It’s truly a beautiful building.” Chloe nodded; she wasn’t lying – it was a beautiful place. But there was something behind the architecture that made it rotten. “The previous girls must have been sad to go.”

“What’s that, dear?”

“Oh, I mean, the previous members of the Council. The ones who had stayed here before.” Chloe clarified, examining her face.

“Oh yes! Of Course.” Pearl said, shaking her head. “I love these girls. Sometimes I forget that they haven’t always been here.”

“Thanks. Sorry, again about disturbing you.”

“Not a worry. Be careful. The pool’s quite deep.” The older woman said as she closed the door.

Chloe hurriedly made her way down the steps. When she passed Pearl’s office, she checked the lock for good measure – locked. She poked her head into the dark gym and turned on the switch by the door. Just regular gym equipment. No corpses of mutilated men anywhere in sight. She wandered inside to check out the wall of mirrors. Everything was solid. No secret passages or hidden compartments with signed confessions. Damn. Would’ve made things so easy, too. She shrugged and left the room, turning off the light as she went. She also checked the laundry room on the way. Nothing there but a pile of dirty clothes in a basket on the washer – and she was NOT going through that.

It was the kitchen where Chloe finally found something interesting. There was a large walk-in freezer almost hidden in a corner on the other side of the room. It was locked. Why would someone lock a walk-in freezer? They had something to hide, that’s why. Another lock she’d pick tonight. Attempt to, anyway. Chloe left the kitchen and trotted down the dark stairs with visions of frozen dead men dancing in her head. She sighed, flicking on the light at the bottom of the stairs. She was going to need so much therapy when she was older. Before she had turned on the lights, it had been pitch black – there were no windows to shed light here. Before she got into the pool, she had a quick look around and found (shock! surprise!) nothing. She stepped up to the pool and shed her robe and slippers. She also took off her panic button necklace and tracking bracelet. The necklace, at least, could short if it got wet and she didn’t want Lex barging in here with guns blazing before she had a chance to find something.

Chloe dove in. The water, though the pool was heated, was colder than the rest of the room and the shock of it on her skin felt divine. She swam down to reach the bottom. Pearl was right – the pool was very deep. When she ran out of breath she surfaced. She loved swimming. She did a breast stroke forward and dove down again. Although the walls of the pool were white tile, there was a beautiful art-deco design in red tile on the bottom. She pushed off the bottom and surfaced once more and rubbing the water out of her eyes. She looked around the room treading water in the middle of the pool; her breath echoed. The lights flickered and she turned herself to look toward the light switches by the door. Nothing. She was starting to creep herself out. She had just decided to cut her swim short when the lights flickered again.

And went out.

Chloe stifled a scream. There was no light and the dark reminded her of a vacuum – it reminded her of the warehouse she had gone into to find Lex only a month ago. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply. There was nothing here that could hurt her – only the dark. It was irrational that she should be afraid right now. She calmly opened her eyes and began to swim over to the edge of the pool to get out. But before she could get very far, she furrowed her brow and stopped.

There was a sound by the side of the pool. Someone was quietly shuffling down the length of it and Chloe clamped her hand over her mouth and fought her rising panic. She tried to make as little noise as possible – just moved her arms and legs just enough to keep her afloat and breathed deeply through her mouth. She tried to follow the sound with her eyes, trying to get a glimpse of something – but she saw only black. The shuffling stopped…directly in front of her.

There was silence. Horrible, pregnant silence as if it was watching her. Chloe was terrified and she felt hot tears run down her cheeks. The quiet seemed to stretch on for hours and her chest started to hurt making it harder and harder to stop her breath from coming out in noisy gasps. Finally, it was broken by a sound she didn’t want to hear – a splash.

It was in the pool with her.

She bit her lip until she tasted blood and started moving backwards. Panic tightened her throat, stopping breathing altogether. Her eyes bulged, straining to see in the inky blackness.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes opened impossibly close to her.

A terrified scream ripped its way out from Chloe’s throat and she dove backwards, frantically swimming to the opposite edge of the pool. Water splashed into her open mouth, cutting off her scream and making her cough, though not enough to stop her frantic swimming. Finally, her knuckles scrapped ruthlessly against the tile, but she didn’t feel pain – she didn’t feel anything except alarm. She slapped her hands on the side and catapulted herself out of the pool. When she was standing on solid ground, she turned toward the pool, expecting to see nothing.

Instead, she saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring up at her from where she had just exited.

Chloe screamed again – a desperate, haunted sound; her hands pulled at her hair and she turned to run but promptly slipped and landed on her back, her head cracking against the solid tiles. Pain vibrated through her head and she shut her eyes and tried to clear it. When she opened her eyes again, the lights were on. She sobbed and sat up, a deep pain throbbing from the back of her head to her forehead. She turned her tear-streaked face toward the pool.

It was empty and the water was still.

Something had been there, of that she had no doubt. But it had gone and she found she could breathe again.

Chloe sat, taking in shaky breathes until she had stopped her crying and had calmed down enough to run her fingers over the pulsing bump on the back of her skull. When she looked at her quivering fingers, she saw a minimal amount of blood and rubbed the warm substance between her thumb and forefinger. Ten or more strands of her short blonde were threaded between her fingers. She looked at the palm of her other hand and it was the same. She must have pulled them from her head when…

Never mind. Never fucking mind.

Her head felt heavy and sore, and Chloe slowly stood, standing stock still until the sickening wave of nausea passed. She tried to clear her head by shaking it, but that proved to be horrible idea and fell back down onto her butt with her head between her knees until she felt well enough to try getting up again. Finally, she was able to stand without her vision going completely wonky and looked behind her. There was a smear of blood on the floor from where she had hit her head and she grabbed one of the pristine white towels and cleaned it up, discovering that her knuckles on her right hand were raw and bleeding as well. She wrapped the towel round her hand and walked as quickly as she dared around to pool to pick up her robe and put on her slippers. Trembling, she wrapped the terrycloth over her shoulders and heard something drop onto the tile. She looked down and saw her locket. She picked it up and automatically looked around for her tracking bracelet. It wasn’t on the floor and she dug into the robe’s deep pockets and couldn’t find it there either.

The bracelet was gone.

Chloe felt her stomach drop when she realized that it had taken it. She shook her head. No. Somebody had taken it. She was terrified and panicking right now and panic was not logical. You could not count on coming to any rational conclusion when panic was involved. Someone had scared her and had planned to scare her and Pearl was the only one in the house with her. True, she was an older lady but she was in shape.

Chloe rubbed her forehead; she was developing quite the headache. She walked to the stairs and raised her hand, hesitating at the light switch. She put her chin up and turned off the light, marching up the stairs as slowly as she could make herself (even though she could almost feel it walking behind her). She reached the hall and she finally look back. Nothing but blackness. She walked up to her bedroom and shut and locked the door. Leaving the light on, she walked to her bed and lay down, putting the pillow to her face. There, she cried until her stomach muscles hurt, letting all her fear and panic out along the way. When she had no tears left, she sat up and wiped her face.

Chloe desperately wanted to call Lex and tall to him about it. And although she knew what the outcome would be, part of her wanted him to come in and save her and kill whatever had tried to hurt her. But the bigger part of her was fucking pissed. She didn’t have anything on Pearl yet, except a couple of locked doors, and she would not be scared away, goddamnit! She was more convinced than ever that something screwy was going on here and she was going to fucking find out what. She sighed and dug some Tylenol out of her purse. She shook out three extra strength tablets, grabbed her shower bag and headed out for a nice, hot shower. As an afterthought, she hurried back into the room and grabbed her flashlight. Just in case.

[hfce]

That was a wolf and it was Pearl and Chloe needs to get out of there. :eek:

[athena]

Ewwwww!!! Tell me that it was “normal” meat and the wine contained just some weird herb based ingredient. The thought of it is makes my stomach swirl….

Yellow eyed creature? I don’t know why I don’t think it’s a wolf. My thoughts? It’s either demons or strange creatures X-Files’ like. There was one creature in the beginning of the X-Files series that fed on human livers. I was yellow eyed I believe. I also keep thinking about vampires. The way the girls brag about being so superior over men tells me they aren’t the regular spoiled teenager girls. Is Lex going to discover that the former students that left the house are either dead or disappeared?

Lex is going to be so mad at Chloe if she hides what happened from him, especially because he CAN track the bracelet and Chloe needs a replacement ASAP. Chloe, you’re smart, surely you can understand how wise is to have a tracking device on you all times especially when you are so prone to trouble, don’t you?

The chapter was creepy… and as usual I’m dying to know what happens next.

Good job!

[JennyD13]

athena, I freakin' loved that X Files episode!

Thanks all!

Chapter 11

(A Place of Mental Scars – Silent hill Soundtrack)

Chloe knelt in front of the walk in freezer with a flashlight in her mouth. Her arms ached from working the picks – this lock was much more complicated than the one she practiced on. A final flick of her wrist and the lock popped open and she gratefully dropped her tired arms. Thank you, Lois, she thought; B&E is such a practical skill to have. Taking the flashlight out of her mouth, she grinned and stood, pulling the handle. The door swung open ominously and steam swirled up and around her legs. She stepped in and the mist churned around her and seemed to seal her in. The freezer was full of white, opaque bags that covered what looked like bovine chest cavities hanging from swinging mental hooks on the ceiling. What. The. Fuck. How much meat do these girls eat? It looked like a butcher shop freezer.

She walked to the nearest bag and pulled down the zipper. Ummmm. Cow. She checked another. And another. Finally, she reached a bag that was smaller than the others and reached for a zipper on the top and slowly pulled it down. She knew what was in there. But she couldn’t stop herself from looking. She pulled open the bag and stared at the contents, stoic concentration on her face. Inside, she was screaming.

Talbot Sklansky hung from a meat hook; his torso was open and all his organs were gone. Frozen blood crystals glittered on his pale blue skin. Red rivulets frozen in their paths covered the lower portion of his body. His genitals were gone. Chloe knew from experience he didn’t have a penis to boast about, but at least he used to have one! It could have worked! She looked down and saw that the floor beneath her bare feet was a patch of red ice.

Still, she could not scream.

Chloe looked back up to Tal’s face and his eyes opened with a small cracking sound, like Lionel’s ice tinkling in his glass. His dead eyes were trained on her – they were just as white and opaque and lifeless as the bag that had covered him. His mouth opened and he tried to speak to her and it reminded Chloe of a fish trying to breathe out of water. Why was he trying to speak to her? It was crazy! He had no lungs! He had no organs left – he was gutted, for God’s sake! He couldn’t speak. So, why was he trying? She could’ve laughed if it wasn’t so damn mad! Chloe shook her head; there was a high-pitched arrhythmic buzzing by her left ear. She put her hands to them and backed away from Talbot, whose lips flapped in time with the sound. She backed away and she bumped into the carcass behind her…

…and sat up in bed.

(My Favourite Game – The Cardigans)

Breathing hard, she reached for her cell to turn of the alarm. Sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes, making them sting. She had slept with the light on after the incident in the pool (which she was desperately trying to convince herself was a terrifying, terrifying figment of her overactive imagination) because she refused to sleep any other way. She actually felt even more tired than she did before and her headache was back in full fury. She sighed. The house gave her nightmares. It fucked with her head. She doubted she would find Talbot’s body in the freezer but it was bothering her that it was locked. Who the fuck needed to lock a fridge?

Two-thirty in the morning and she was sneaking around the house again. Her father would be so proud. She grabbed her lock picking case, flashlight and tazer. The fuck if she was going anywhere without that ever again! She slipped out the door and down the stairs, lithely jumping over the squeaky step. Yup, I still got it, she thought proudly to herself and promptly stumbled over her feet walking toward the office door, because the powers-that-be seem to have a sense of humour. She rolled her eyes and knelt in front of the door and got to work.

Forty minutes (and a lotta whispered cursing) later, she finally opened the cock-sucking lock. She sighed and gave the lock one last triumphant glare, before she stood and slipped in, locking it behind her. Moonlight streamed in the large windows behind the desk and started with the bookshelves. Lots of encyclopaedias, Latin texts, books about flora, but no hidden compartments or cool secret passages. Nothing in the fireplace. Frankly, it was very disappointing. Finally, she sat down on the chair in front of the desk. It didn’t take her long to find a false bottom in the top left hand drawer. It was filled with what looked like male jewellery. Large expensive rings. Pocket watches that seemed to have stopped ticking long ago. Cuff links. Tie clips. Money clips. A heavy gold and silver crucifix. Wait…what? Chloe stared at it, puzzled. It seemed some how out of place. She turned the heavy thing over in her hands and a blade popped out of the bottom. It missed her fingers by and inch and she dropped it. What the hell kind of person hides a blade in a crucifix? She jammed the blade back in and had just dropped the offending object back in the drawer when she spotted it.

Suddenly, in her mind’s eye, she saw Talbot in front of her wearing nothing but a cruel smile and a diamond studded Rolex…

She picked up the very same diamond studded Rolex and her heart began hammering in her chest. She turned over the watch face and found engraved on the back in loopy writing, the initials T.S. Holy fuck, she finally found something. She slipped the watch into her pocket and put everything back the way it was. So, she now had proof that tied Pearl to Tal. But robbery was a long way from murder. What about the owners of all the jewellery in there? Did they all disappear too?

Chloe unlocked the door and poked her head out. All clear. She stepped out into the hall, locking the door behind her and hurried toward the stairs. She lifted her foot to the first step and froze. Oh yeah. The freezer. She crept toward the kitchen, suppressing the memory of her dream, which was still very vivid. Like her dream, she stuck her flashlight in her mouth and knelt before the thick steel door. Surprising, the lock was very simple and she was able to release it with ten minutes. Of course. The one she didn’t want to open. She held her breath and opened the door wide.

It was smaller than the one in her dream. It was half the size and stored stacks of meat and other products on metal shelves. Why the hell was this locked? The cold made her shiver and she examined the walls, but it was just a regular freezer. She stepped out and locked the freezer. Her head hurt way too much to deal with a nutty old bag that locked her meat up.

Chloe crept up to her room and was about to open the door when she heard a noise – moaning. Chloe grinned. Looked like Mariko had her gentleman friend over again. She furrowed her eyebrows and the grin fell from her lips. She walked down the hall toward the feminine groans. She passed Mariko’s room and stopped at Anke’s. She was leaning down to put her ear to the door, feeling like a bit of a perv, when she heard the same, disturbing animal grunt. Startled, Chloe backed away and crept to her room. What was going on here? Did they employ one guy to take care of all the girls?
She locked the door and double-checked it. She then dragged over her heaviest chair and stuck it under the handle. Satisfied that she was safe for now, she left the light on and climbed into bed.

(Eyes – Smashing Pumpkins)

Much like the night before, sleep came easily. Staying asleep was another matter. All her dreams turned sinister almost as soon as they began and Chloe found herself awake in the light filled room. Each dream started differently: in a meadow with a giant wolf (COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!), in the Talon with Lex, walking alone on a sunny forest path… They all ended the same – being stalked in a frightening dark world by a strange yellow-eyed creature. Her light filled world and her murky nightmares combined and she no longer could really distinguish reality from fantasy. She existed in that mysterious realm between sleep and awake where even monsters were real.

Opening her eyes just as the beast was about to strike during her latest nightmare, Chloe was greeted by a dark, empty room and sighed. She was safe. Moonlight streamed into the large windows, stretching long rectangles across the wooden floor.

Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek…

The closet door slowly opened and she lazily watched. Sigh. I’m still dreaming…she thought, why can’t I just wake up? When the door was open wide, a lithe black figure erratically crawled from the dark space with astonishing speed. She followed it with her eyes as it crossed the room and hid itself at the foot of the bed. After a torturous few minutes, it raised a white hand and plunked it on the bottom of the mattress. Another followed and nervousness invaded her lethargic state of mind. What if she wasn’t dreaming? What if the yellow eyed thing was coming for her? It pulled the sheets down until she felt the chilled air on the exposed skin. She was naked. Had she gone to bed nude? She couldn’t remember. Everything in her mind seemed muddled and she couldn’t concentrate.

Chloe’s fears immediately abated as the thing at the end of the bed pushed itself up and she saw first a bald head, then two dark eyes, then a familiar smirk. Lex crawled unto the bed and kneeled between her legs. His erection stood strong and stiff against his thigh and he bent to deliver soft, wet kisses to her hip. I am dreaming, she thought as she settled back to give her imagination free reign. Her imagination liked to go to such interesting places. And Lex was naked – which always marked the beginning of a very interesting dream. Her breath quickened; his lips felt like burning coals against her cool skin. Her chest fluttered with anticipation as he bent further and cocked an eyebrow. She knew what he intended; something he loved and did with zeal. He said he loved the taste of her. A low growl emanated from his chest when he bent and inhaled her scent.

Please, please, please, please…oh, Lex, yes! She thought pleadingly.

Lex spread her legs as wide as he could and grinned at her. His white teeth shone in the moonlight; his eyes were in shadow. He covetously licked his lips while she watched him. He bent his head down and licked her from her hot liquid centre to her clit and Chloe shut her eyes tight. He swirled his tongue around her swollen little nub, his deep grunts vibrating through her. His tongue was scorching hot and she could no longer distinguish between pleasure and pain. Much to Chloe’s frustration, his tongue moved away from her clit and teasingly circled her core. Suddenly, he plunging his tongue into her…again…and again…and again, until she was on the verge of coming. Before she could ask him, he removed his tongue and sucked her clit and she silently screamed as she orgasmed against his soft, burning tongue.

When she came down off of her high, she realized that Lex was now climbing up her body, armed with a predatory grin. He put his face close to her body, breathing in the perfume of her skin. He stopped moving when his face was inches from hers and his erection was pressed against her dripping centre. She could smell her juices on his mouth and she wanted more than anything for him to thrust inside her. Her eyes flicked up to his staring ones and she detected a yellow gleam. She looked harder, her heart pounding in fright. It’s eyes were completely yellow and the illusion of Lex was broken. Lying on top of her now was the yellow-eyed creature and she smelled burnt flesh and sulphur. It growled, baring it’s sharp teeth at her, for ruining the illusion and cutting short it’s fun. Tears ran down her temples and into her hair.

Chloe couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. She was completely paralysed.

It’s flesh was burnt black and crackling and it left sooty marks on her white sheets and skin.

Wake up, wake up, PLEASE wake up!

It’s member throbbed against her centre and she mentally recoiled.

God no, please don’t let that thing inside me! WAKE UP!

Chloe found she could slightly move her thumb and the paralysis that plagued her seem to fade. Fury appeared on the monster’s face and it’s razor sharp talons scraped down Chloe’s skin as it was being forced back into the dark. The closet door slammed a split second before Chloe’s world faded into black.

[CrazyGirlWriter]

I knew they was a monster in the closet. but what happened to all the guys whose things are in pearl's office? and is it an incubus? i can't wait for another update this is an awesome story.

[hfce]

Oh my God Chloe was almost raped by the devil. EEEK!!! She needs to get out of the f'ing house now!!! :eek:

[somethingeasy]

Chapter Ten

The dinner was really not that much better than the lunch as far as ‘creepy and surreal’ goes. This house is seriously disturbing… or actually, I should say that the inhabitants of this house are seriously disturbing.

It was definitely eerie seeing how the table had been set so formally for dinner. Is this how the girls enjoy dinner every night… with silver, fine china, crisp white table-cloth and even candles?! My own dorm dinners never came close to this kind of over-indulgence. It would be nice to call this indulgence ‘luxury’, except that I don’t really consider anything to be a luxury unless it is enjoyed… and I can’t imagine anyone truly enjoying a stiff, formal dinner setting like this every night. It just seems unnecessarily stressful for everyone.

The wine is something made by Pearl? She grows the vines and presses the grapes in her own backyard or something? That has got to be the strangest thing I’ve ever heard. How the heck does anyone grow decent grapes (and press them) in a mansion in the middle of a city?!

I loved how you presented this weird, strange idea of ‘home-made wine’, Jenny. It’s just strange enough to sound weird and wrong… but not in any way that you can mark with true precision.

Heh… and apparently the wine wasn’t all that tasty in the end… so it seems like a huge waste of time and effort.

Although, I’m getting the same sneaking suspicion that Chloe is that the wine might not actually be just wine *shudder*. Don’t drink it, Chloe!!

The girls’ huge appetite for mostly meat also made me raise my eyes. It’s been my experience that it’s rather rare for young girls from a privileged background to be huge meat-eaters. Perhaps I’m generalizing, but such girls genuinely prefer lighter and healthier meals, consisting of more fruits and veggies and white meat than huge amounts of red meat… especially mystery red meat!

I suppose I wouldn’t have felt so disconcerted about the idea of three or even four of the girls enjoying the meaty meal with such gusto… but all six of them? Now that is just weird, and I loved the way Chloe made a note of it, even if she couldn’t pinpoint a reason why it was so strange.

At least the question of the lack of servants had been semi-answered. Pearl claims that her six girls are responsible for keeping this place spotless… which means that it’s the six girls who are responsible for the dusting, polishing, floor cleaning and waxing, multiple bathroom scrubbing, kitchen duty, gardening, weeding and… yeah RIGHT! Six girls and one single matron are credited with keeping an entire mansion from falling into dust, rust and decay?! I don’t think so!! It’s a friggen mansion for pity’s sake, and that requires a LOT of dedicated upkeep. Not something that can be handled by six privileged students.

Pearl’s words about how men have a tendency to hurt women just because ‘they can’ came from a place of contempt and loathing, I’m sure if it… I felt it! I’m feeling more certain now that Pearl is not only disinterested in men… but she actively disliked them. Perhaps she even outright hates them.

After such a display of loathsome contempt, it was hard to take any comfort from Pearl’s promise of protection. It’s rather hard to trust a person like Pearl.

Awwww, poor Chloe didn’t find anything worthwhile in her second snooping session of the scary mansion, LOL! She’s so cute when she pouts over failed snooping. I loved the way that she called Lex after her ‘failure’ because she needed comfort and distraction from her mediocre investigation results.

And it turns out that she called at exactly the right time, because Lex needed a distraction of his own from his own troubles. It was lovely to see how just a few choice words from Chloe had Lex quietly smiling again. She really is a perfect match for him, isn’t she?

Oooh, boy… he’s going to be devastated when (if?) Chloe turns into another brainwashed man-hater like the rest of her dorm-mates :D Yes, yes… I’m a little bit of a sadist… but I only like to torture those I love…! That’s not a good thing, is it?

It was slightly confusing how Pearl needed a few minutes to remember all the other girls who have lived here in previous years. She acts so obsessively devoted to the girls who are here right now, that it’s definitely yet another strange thing to find out that she doesn’t really seem to instantly recall previous batches of dorm residents. Does she just dismiss them out of mind when their ‘purpose’ has been fulfilled…?

Oh my god! I felt sure that I was going to shriek with horror and terror at the sequence involving Chloe, the poor and the creature that entered the pool with her. I never shriek with terror over fanfic, Jenny, so this was truly amazing writing! You write action sequences and terror with as much skill and depth as you handle smut scenes :D Excellent!

Anyhow, back to the terror-stricken scene. I loved the way that the scene was slowly built up. First with the flickering and then death of the lights, so Chloe was left suspended in complete darkness. I really liked the description on how her fright was only increased because she was floating in a pool in complete darkness… as if it might have been a little more tolerable if only she’d had at least the comfort of firm ground underneath her. As it was, Chloe didn’t have anything to hold onto for support… only her own terror feeding in on itself.

The situation worsened exponentially when we heard the strange, eerie shuffling sounds by the side of the pool. Dear heavens, what the heck WAS that?!?

And then I actually felt myself stifling back a scream when I heard the splash and instantly realized that the thing was in the pool with her!!! Oh dear gods, SWIM, Chloe!!!

The fact that the monster in the pool was only seen by it’s glowing yellow eyes only made it more horrific. I was able to imagine every single horror monster that had frightened me as a child, and create an amalgamation of the most terror-inspiring beast possible…with yellow eyes… and it was swimming for Chloe!! For god’s sake, Chloe, SWIM!!

I felt like screaming with Chloe the whole way… but I did spare a moment to commend her for not freezing the way most people would have. *I* probably would have gone ‘tharn’ right in the middle of the pool while the beast came at me.

Thanks heavens though, Chloe did not freeze… and she managed to fairly leap out of the pool. Granted, she did end up slipping backwards and nearly cracking her skull open… but at least she escaped the pool into solid ground… even if the solid ground in question did end up spilling her blood when it connected with her head.

It was with a huge sigh of relief when I saw Chloe awaken to the lights back on again, and the monster gone. Although, I couldn’t help but wonder whether Chloe had been knocked unconscious for a few moments… leaving her inert, vulnerable body open to… whatever the monster does with young women *shudder* I sincerely hope not! Perhaps Chloe was only dazed, and didn’t lose consciousness at all. I’ll hold onto that thought.

The bracelet was missing? This is bad. The situation is only worse when you consider that Chloe is unlikely to report her missing bracelet to Lex… because she certainly doesn’t want to report the circumstances in which she lost the bracelt.

But, for heaven’s sake, Chloe, there’s no friggen use pushing the panic button on you person and alerting Lex that you’re in danger unless he can find you and rescue you!!!

I don’t think Chloe is thinking all too clearly right now. Not that I blame here, since the fright she’s just experienced would be enough to addle most people’s heads

Chapter 11

I was delighted to see that there were two rapidfire updates in quick succession… although this latest chapter ended on a TERRIBLE cliffhanger, Jenny, which has me panting for the next chapter asap, please!

I got a chilling thrill from the nightmare that the chapter started off with. I loved the way that you built up the ominous atmosphere, first with that eerily huge freezer, which brings up resonance of body lockers and Mafia dungeons… and then with the huge slabs of meat surrounding Chloe as she went further and deeper into the dungeon freezer. Even if we discovered that the meat was ‘merely’ cows, it was still disconcerting to be surrounding by wall to wall dead flesh.

This really helped build up the suspense until Chloe eventually reached the body. Poor Talbot. I know he was a bit of a jerk, and a sleaze, but it’s still a horrible way for anyone to die… even in a dream. *shudder* his genitals were torn off from him?! I sincerely hope he was dead (in the dream) before that happened (in the dream).

You have a real talent for building up ominous, thrilling and chilling scenes, Jenny. Amazing! It got even creepier seeing Talbot actually working himself up trying to speak to her. At this point, I was fairly certain (or at least hoping) that it was just a dream that Chloe was having… and it came as a huge relief to have Chloe wake up from this horrific scene.

squeee! Chloe finally hit the jackpot with her snooping investigations. She actually found solid proof indicating that Pearl had some kind of contact with Talbot… very suspicious contact since she’s got his diamond Rolex lying in her desk-drawer like some kind of goddamned trophy. Seriously, what the heck is it with all the cufflinks and male knick-knacks in the drawer?! It’s yet another layer of creepy on a VERY creepy woman!! Are ALL of those trophies of previous murders of other males who happened to annoy Pearl?

Whatever the answer, it seems Chloe finally has a definite lead that she can present to Lex, Lionel and even the Metropolis police to justify a search warrant. Pearl might be powerful and influential, but she cannot stand against the power of the Luthors pushing an investigation… and I’m sure the Skansky family also has some clout of their own that they would be more than willing to wield to find out what happened to their heir.

heh… the freezer was slightly anticlimactic…. but I loved the way that the suspense about the freezer had been built up. LOL! Nicely done, Jenny! You’re doing a great job in keeping your readers on an emotional high and low.

The creepiness spend back into place while Chloe was walking back to her dorm, and we heard moaning sounds coming yet again from one of the girl’s room… only it was a different girl this time. I know I mentioned before that the girls seemed interchangeable to a disconcerting degree, but this is getting a bit much. I STILL couldn’t help but shake the notion that the poor girl was being attacked somehow.

I suspect that Chloe sensed kind of the same thing… not enough to rush in and save her dorm-mate, but just enough to place a chair underneath her door.

Not that the chair underneath the door protected her really *shudder*

Once again, I really admire the way that the ominous, chilling ambience was slowly built up into a riveting climax in the ending scene of this chapter. I didn’t think you would be able to top the scene in the pool, but this incident was so much more horrific on a variety of levels.

I appreciated how the tone started to be built with the vague, but still disturbing nightmares, where Chloe was continuously hunted by a beast… only to wake up in relief from her dreams… and stumble into a real nightmare!!

The scariest thing was seeing that Chloe was too dazed (almost drug-like) to understand that this wasn’t just another nightmare… That the closet opening in a slow horror-movie manner wasn’t a dream, that the monster that came sliding out of the closet and scrabbling frighteningly quick across the floor to her bed wasn’t a figment of her imagination. It was all REAL, but Chloe was too dazed by sleep and the aftereffects of her dreams to even think about running or crying for help. It was terrifying!

Even more terrifying was finding out that the thing was headed right for her mattress… and that Chloe was completely naked, and open to violation and attack from the thing that’s creeping towards her.

It seriously did NOT help when the thing took on a simulated appearance of Chloe’s beloved Lex Luthor. In fact, it only deepened the horrific nature of the violation that the thing would have the galling nerve (and ability) to take on a trusted and beloved simulacra in order to get under Chloe’s defenses, and attack her when she was truly open and vulnerable to attack of all sorts… of a sexual nature as well.

Dammit! I’d like to say that I didn’t enjoy the erotic elements of the violation that was taking place. But it was genuinely arousing and erotic… which only made it all the more terrible and horrifying. This ‘thing’ can penetrate and violate Chloe’s mind with such smooth ease that it can lift out exactly how she likes to be touched by her beloved, and then use that knowledge to rape her. All in all, I liked the fact that you made the smut scene between Chloe and the thing hot and orgasmically amazing, because it added yet another layer of horror onto the monstrous scene.

I will also admit that I was holding my breath in terrified shock when Chloe finally broke the illusion and realized that it wasn’t actually Lex that was looming on top of her, waiting to penetrate her. It was a horrifying, terrifying moment to find out the truth, and I can’t imagine how terror-stricken poor Chloe must have felt… paralyzed, and knowing that she’s only moments aware from raped by some kind of thing!

Chloe’s inner chanting was nearly unbearable. Her fear about that ‘thing’s’ cock in her was thick and overwhelming… and I found myself chanting alongside her. It was with a HUGE sigh of relief when the ‘thing’ was pushed away (or pulled away?) somehow. I’m not sure whether it was Chloe’s breaking of the illusion, or whether it was Chloe wishing for the thing to GO AWAY that did it…but I’m pretty sure that it was Chloe who managed to save herself from the beast.

aaargh! And in the end, the whole scene faded to black… as if it was another ‘simple’ nightmare. How much do you want to bet that Chloe is going to wake up the next morning dismissing all of this as a terrifying dream… if she remembers anything at all.

Now I’m finally getting an inkling on how and why all the girls in the household have become rather rabid man-haters. While they don’t consciously remember being attacked and raped night after night, I’m sure a deep, inner part of them remembers being violated by something powerful, strong, overwhelming and male. I can very easily see how this would affect their outlook towards men in general… viewing them with suspicion and paranoia. Viewing all men with the knowledge that they cannot be trusted, and can (at best) be treated with contempt as objects or toys, if not dangerous ‘things’. These women themselves are being treated as consumable objects of a sort, their bodies used to sate some kind of creature… so it only makes sense that they would transfer this form of behavior onto their own objects of possible interest.

I think it’s going to be very interesting to have a chat with the girls who used to live in the dorm in past years… and find out how their relationship score, or their ability to relate sexually to people in general, has been since they left the dorm. I think that’s going to be VERY interesting and insightful!

In the meantime, I also can’t wait to see how Chloe reacts to Lex in the aftermath of this attack. Thankfully Chloe managed to escape being completely violated, but there was still an element of rape to what was done to her tonight. Even if she doesn’t remember, that’s sure to have some effects on the way that she reacts sexually to Lex… especially since it’s Lex’s face that’s connected to her memories of being held down and coerced into unwanted sexual relations.

In any case, it’s going to be interesting to see whether Chloe flinches away from Lex’s advances next time they’re together. Perhaps she even has extreme reactions like pulling away? screaming? hitting him to get him away from her? I can’t wait! It would be perfect way to show how Chloe is ALSO turning into another rabid man-hater like the rest of her dorm-mates.

Please update soon!

By the way, I almost hate to admit it… but I actually find myself hoping for another terror-filled encounter with the thing in Chloe’s bedroom. I really want to see another scene like this one. Perhaps one with the monster able to get a little more of whatever it wants from Chloe…? I did mentioned that I was a slight angst junkie before, right?

By the way, I kept having the word, Incubus flashing in my mind during my second reading of the chapter. I’m probably wrong, but it seems to fit this creature’s mode of operation…?

By the way, Jenny, I don't suppose you've ever seen the film, Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968), have you?

[JennyD13]

Chapter Ten

I never shriek with terror over fanfic, Jenny, so this was truly amazing writing! You write action sequences and terror with as much skill and depth as you handle smut scenes :D Excellent!



somethingeasy, that has to be the nicest thing anyone has ever sad to me!:puppydog: Thank you so much!

Thank you again, all, for r&ring!

And I LOVE the movie Rosemary's Baby! Go figure!:P

Chapter 12

(Evil is Alive and Well – Jakob Dylan)

“Wakey wakey, Sleeping Beauty!”

Chloe bolted up right in bed as Anke barged into her room. She stared at the open door and then at the chair that she had moved last night, which now sat in the corner of the room as if it had never been moved. What the fuck was going on here? She tried to shake all the cobwebs from her head.

“Our courses start in an hour!” Anke said as checked her perfect make up in the mirror.

“You’re doing summer courses too?” Chloe asked, her voice thick and slightly slurred. She was hoping to skip the courses today and go and visit Lex.

“Yes. Math and Biology, just like you.” She replied as she energetically skipped out the door and down the stairs.

No wonder Anke was so happy. She had sex with Mr. Fantastic last night. Chloe, however, felt as if she had been hit by a truck. She was about to let herself relax and fall back onto her comfortable mattress when she actually remembered what had happened last night and her heart jumped into her throat. First the incident at the pool, which pretty much guaranteed she would never go swimming again and then that…nightmare? It hadn’t felt like a dream. She looked down and discovered her breasts were bare, which apparently hadn’t bothered Anke in the slightest. She flicked her covers off of her shut her eyes. She got up, her torso burning and she rushed to the mirror to inspect the long, bloody scratches down her torso and thighs. Sooty black marks covered her legs and stomach amid the scratches. Terror sliced through her once again and all she could think was that Lex was going to be furious. Chloe was scared. It twisted and coiled in her stomach and ached in her muscles. It strained her heart and buzzed in her head, making it incredibly hard to think. She put her hands to her face and, forcing a wail back down her throat, marched open to the closet and ferociously seized open the closet door. And she found exactly what she expected. Shit all. She growled and ripped her uniform off the hanger, threw it on the bed and forced herself not to slam the fucking closet door. Chloe picked up her shower bag and glared at the fucking door-that-never-stayed-locked as opened it. First it had stalked her, TERRIFIED her, and then it violated her! And that’s exactly what it was, a horrible violation. It had taken the form of her lover and had deceived her. It was impossible for her to feel safe in this place. Anything…ANYONE, goddamn it! Anyone could come and go as they pleased.

Okay, Chlo, get a hold of yourself, she thought, taking a deep, cleansing breath. Look for possible explanations. Remember Ockham’s Razor: the simplest explanation is usually correct. The pool incident could be explained by Pearl slipping something hallucinatory into her food or drink and then someone running around in a cheap Halloween costume trying to scare her and stealing her bracelet. Ah, logic. It was making her feel better already. She looked down to her hands and wiggled her fingers. She was having trouble sleeping anyway; she didn’t feel particularly safe in this place. Maybe she got hot in the middle of the night and slipped off her nightdress. And s for the scratches, she could have done that to herself during the horrifyingly real nightmare. She glanced behind her and saw her nightie discarded on the floor. There, see? She thought, comforting herself, And as for the door that never stays locked and the moving chair, Pearl put me in this room and obviously she has a key or a secret way in. They’re fucking with my head.

Chloe growled and grabbed her shower bag and robe. She needed to get clean. It was not going to be a good day.

~*~

Chloe was exhausted when she got back to the Council House. Sleep depravation and an old monotone teacher did not mix well. Not to mention that she had already learned a lot of the stuff the old fart had taught. Her cuts ached under her stiff clothes and she felt as if she would give anything for a nice long bath and a glass of not-thick-as-milk wine. Unfortunately, that was the only kind of wine available and she would rather stick her tongue in a socket than take a bath in this madhouse. Anke bounced in the front door beside her and Chloe forced herself to smile brightly. It was getting increasing difficult to maintain her polite and happy demeanour. It was hard for her to sit next to Anke in the classroom without wanting to smack that happy grin off of her fucking pretty face.

Pearl rushed out with a tray filled with homemade cookies, the other four girls following behind her.

“Hello, girls!” The older lady exclaimed, ushering them into the parlour. “How was your day? Do you like your new school, Ava?”

“Yes, very much.” Chloe replied, sitting on the couch next to Mariko and crossing her legs at the ankle.

Pearl passed out teacups and ran to the kitchen to get her freshly made tea. As soon as she the out of the room, Mariko turned to Chloe, excitement shining in her dark eyes.

“We are sneaking you out tonight, girl!” She whispered, nodding at the other girls.

Alliah grinned. “We thought it was about time that we really let loose and celebrated you coming here.”

“Really?” Chloe grinned and pretended to look touched. She was too tired to actually be excited about getting out of this fucking house. The excitement would come later. As soon as night fell and she was alone in her unlockable bedroom with the monster in the closet. “Awesome! Where are we going?”

“Club Viper.” Anke whispered. “Hottest club in Metropolis.”

“Cool!” Chloe whispered back, “But, wait? How are we going to get in?”

“Oh, please.” Trudy giggled, “We’ve been there before. We know all the bouncers. And they like our money.”

Chloe laughed.

They heard Pearl walking back down the hall and Mariko put a finger over her lips, making sure Chloe wouldn’t say anything to the housemother. Cause, apparently, they thought Chloe was a moron. Oh, fuck off, Chloe thought, nodding at Mariko with a serious expression.

After tea, Chloe felt so much better. Like, ridiculously better. She had been looking forward to a nap but she didn’t feel she needed one anymore. And her long, aching cuts had stopped aching. She felt completely revitalized and spent sometime hanging out with the girls in the rec room. At one point, Chloe went the washroom and called Lex to tell him where she would be tonight. She didn’t tell him about anything else. She didn’t want him to freak out, which he totally would. Lex said he would be there.

Supper was a strange repeat of last night and Chloe avoided the strange meat as much as she could, filling her plate with veggies and bread. Again, at the end of the meal every scrape of meat was gone. She helped Pearl clean up again and the lady chatted about her garden and such but Chloe’s mind was elsewhere. Like Pearl’s excitement about Chloe’s closet the day she arrived. She wished she could just cut the pretence and confront Pearl about it. That could get her killed, though, and if she managed to survive, Lex would strangle her.

Pearl watched a movie with them that night – Macbeth – and then went to bed early. They said their goodnights and went upstairs to ‘bed’, where each girl excitedly made for their respective room to get ready.

(Strut – Adam Lambert)

Chloe dressed in a short, tight, low cut purple dress and sat down to apply her make up. She was starting to get excited – she really wanted to see Lex! Knowing he was going to be there made her feel at ease – like she was safe. She knew that she couldn’t go up and talk to him, but at least she could see him and pretend things are normal. She applied smoky purple eye shadow and a clear, shiny gloss and twenty minutes later, she was sneaking down the stairs and out the door. The night was moonless and cloudy and they made their way down the driveway and out the gate as quietly as they could. One of the girls had ordered a limo and it waited for them at the end of the street. They had obviously done this before. They laughed and popped open champagne.

When they pulled up to the club, it wasn’t nearly as busy as the time she came here with Lex. Oh, Lex. He had looked so good that night. As soon as she got in the door, Chloe couldn’t help scanning the club to try and locate him. Anke took her by the arm and led her to the bar, ordering six shots of Southern Comfort. Oh, hello, old friend, Chloe thought as she took brought the burning liquid to her lips; you’ll make everything all better again, won’t you? The girls giggled and slammed their glasses back down onto the bar.



Trudy took one elbow, Allison the other and Chloe found herself being led onto the dance floor. The liquor warmed her stomach and made her head happy and fuzzy and Chloe decided to let go and dance. Just clear her mind and have a little fun. She danced with her sisters and actually relaxed; she tossed her hair back and laughed. She danced every song with the five girls (breaking only to get another drink and she almost forgot that they were possible murderers, which was nice). She forgot about the thing waiting for her in her closet. She forgot about everything but the music and Lex, who she scanned the room for periodically. Finally she spotted him and tried not to grin – she should have known. He was sitting in shadow at a back table, his eyes glued to her. She saw him smile as he brought his glass up to his lips – he knew she had spotted him. How long he had been there, she had no idea. It was funny how a man with such presence could blend in to the background whenever he wanted to.

Lex was leaning back in his chair, one arm slung over the back and looked so much like he did at the sex club that the memories of her dancing for him, the rush, the intensity, flooded over her and her heart quickened. Lex liked a show and Chloe decided to give him one. Keeping him in her peripheral vision, she shameless used the five girls – bumping and grinding, bending and shaking - to titillate her boyfriend. She slyly watched him as she hooked her fingers into Alliah’s belt and wiggled to the floor. Thighs burning, she slowly moved back up and Lex’s fingers left his glass and rubbed his lips. The song ended and the girl’s shrieked laugher, amused by ‘Ava’s’ unusual boldness.

Chloe nodded toward the washroom, which coincidentally was located near Lex, and walked into the crowd. When she slipped off of the dance floor and into the hallway, she looked back to see if the girls were looking – they weren’t; they had already made their way over to the bar for another drink. Chloe left the entrance to the hallway and hurried through the maze of tables to the dark corner in which Lex was sitting. He had moved his chair back against the wall and was now completely covered in shadows. She ached to straddle him, to fuck him until his face crumpled and he growled her name. She wanted to feel him between her thighs, feel his skin against hers, to feel his pulse against her tongue as she sucked him off. Unfortunately, there were other people sitting at the tables she was manoeuvring around and (sense it was just regular, non-sex kind of club) they would probably get kicked out before they got to finish anyway. So, Chloe settled on the next best thing and sat on his lap – she wasn’t the only one doing that. At least she could keep an eye on her sisters this way.

“Hello, Mr. Luthor.” Chloe said as she leaned back and whispered into his ear. She felt his erection against her and she rubbed her ass against it.

“Quite a show, Ms. Sullivan.” He grunted, putting his hand on he abdomen and pressing her more firmly against him.

Chloe arched her back and whimpered in his ear. Fuck, he felt so damn good.

“Touch me, Lex.” She moaned, pushing his hand down from her abdomen and underneath her skirt.

“With pleasure.” He groaned and his deft fingers quickly moved under her panties and hit her sweet spot as only he could.

She spread her legs wider and clenched her fist as his other hand stroked her thigh. Chloe tried to keep her face neutral as to not draw attention to them, but he kept making that harder and harder to do as he stroked her moist clit. Her face flushed and she could barely keep her eyes open as she pumped her hips faster. He moved his fingers from her thighs up under her panties, to her dripping core. He rubbed her entrance teasingly with his index and middle fingers and she licked her lips in anticipation.

“Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!” She pleaded in his ear, clenching her fists.

Lex plunged his fingers inside her and she saw stars. She shut her eyes tight and, attempting to keep her scream inside, bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood. She rode out her pleasure on his fingers and shuddered as she came down.

“You…are…awesome…” She panted, opening her eyes to check out to see if anybody noticed that little bit of illicitness.

Someone did. He sat two tables away, alone and nursing a beer.

Leo, her cop. Chloe felt her heart drop. He carried a torch for Chloe and had told her to call him if things didn’t work out with Lex. Guess he knew that that particular phone call wasn’t coming anytime soon. That said, he was staring and it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. She frowned and told Lex to look over and as soon as he did, Leo got up out of his chair and disappeared into the crowd. Hmmm, Chloe thought, maybe he wasn’t so nice, after all.

Lex squirmed underneath her, his straining erection forgotten no longer. She grinned and looked around. Nobody was looking, but just in case she dropped a napkin on the floor.

“Oops.” She said innocently.

He laughed as she got down on her knees and crawled under the table. She knelt in front of his chair and leaned forward, kissing his erection through his black pants. He squirmed under her teasing mouth, but his face did not betray anything. He spent his life burying his emotions, and although his face was set in stone, his cock twitched underneath her lips and she knew he was close. She reached up and undid his belt and pants, pulling out his hardness. She was took all of him in her mouth and Chloe hollowed her cheeks and sucked him the way he liked. He fisted her hair and she looked up and found him watching her under heavy lidded eyes. He face was flushed, his jaw, clenched; and with one sharp tug on her hair, he came over her tongue. She groaned and swallowed around him until he was drained.

Grinning and sitting back, she used the napkin clutched in her hand to wipe her lips and hoped that damn Lacombe Outlast Lip-stain which she had laid down fifty bucks of Lionel’s hard earned money for was still on her lips and not on Lex’s dick. As Lex redid his pants, Chloe crawled out from under the table and sat on the chair next to him.

“Found it.” She grinned as she flicked the napkin down on the table.

Lex smiled.

“That’s it. You’re coming home with me and I’m not letting you out of my bed for about a week.” He said, bringing his glass up to his lips. He wiped beads of sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. “Christ, Chloe.”

“I would love nothing more than to come home with you.” Chloe said, truthfully. “But I have to check out the garden tonight.”

All the happiness that shone on Lex’s face was gone in an instant and Chloe felt a pang of guilt. Only stress and darkness there now.

“I researched the old students for you.” He said, his brows furrowing. “Chloe, are no records of any other girls joining the Council. No names, no addresses – nothing.”

Chloe cocked her head.

“What did they do? Burn all the records when they recruited new students?” She asked.

“I don’t know. But we haven’t been able to find any trace that any records ever existed. And the closest Lionel came to tracking down the families was that they did exist at one point in time, but the family lines are dead. They don’t exist anymore. We can’t verify what the dossiers said about them. The information came from the Council.”

“What the fuck, Lex?” Chloe asked. “What’s going on?”

Lex sat back on his chair and shook his head, his eyes cast downward. Abruptly, he leaned forward and fiercely pushed her skirt further up her thighs.

“WHAT ARE THOSE?” He roared, startling people sitting at the tables closest to them.

Ah, shit.

She really had to get back to the girls soon or they’d look for her. But she had to tell Lex what she knew, or he would make a very public scene. So she told him everything. About the night at the pool. About her missing bracelet. About the thing in her closet. About her door that never stayed closed. About the dream and the scratches that continued their merry way all the way up her torso. Finally, about the watch. His eyes grew dark as she spoke; his jaw worked and his face flushed a very interesting shade of purple – not in a sexy way but a very, very angry way. The vein on the side of his head throbbed and he looked like he was about to kill somebody. Mainly her.

“I know, I know, I know! I should have told you about it before!” Chloe said, raising her hands and trying to keep his impending aneurysm at bay. “And I know you’re ready to knock me out and drag me home, but you have to give me one more night.”

Lex bared his teeth.

“Baby, baby, please! Just one more night! That’s all I’m asking!”

“No.” He snarled.

Chloe glanced over and saw the girls looking for her. Fuck.

“I have to! I have to know what’s going on! I’m sorry! I’ll be okay, I promise!” Chloe said as she jumped up from her chair. “I’ll call you tonight. I have to search the garden!”

“Chloe!” He roared, but she was already disappearing into the crowd and his voice was drowned out by the music. Oh, he was furious at her and she promised herself that she would do anything he wanted to make it up to him.

Chloe ran into Mariko and she threw her arms around the raven-haired girl’s shoulders.

“Ava! Where were you?” She asked. “We were getting worried!”

“I’m sorry!” Chloe exclaimed, trying to sound excited and not absolutely horrible like she felt. “I totally just hooked up!”

Mariko squealed. “You did not!”

“I totally did!” Chloe nodded, jumping up and down. Chloe felt manic. Lack of sleep plus booze plus extreme guilt will do that to you, apparently.

They found the other girls and gathered by the bar and only then did she realize that someone was missing.

“Where’s Alliah?” Chloe asked, looking at the dance floor.

“She hooked up, too.” Trudy answered, “Only, she left with him, you slut, now I want details! Spill.”

The four girls looked at her expectantly and Chloe smiled.

“Alright. Let’s get the hell out of here and I’ll give you all the juicy details you want.”

Ten minutes later, they were safely tucked into the limo and driving home. Chloe sat on one side and the four girls on the other. It felt like the fucking Spanish Inquisition.

“Spill it, girl.” Anke demanded, smiling.

And Chloe did – and she mostly told the truth. With the exception of knowing who the dashing fellow was and helping out said acquaintance afterwards. Something told her that these girls would not find giving head anything but subservient and would rather cut out their tongues than actually do it.

“And then,” Chloe continued, “After I finished, I got up and left! I think he was pissed, but I didn’t turn around to find out!”

They shrieked laughter and Chloe tried her best not to wince. Apparently they whole-heartedly agreed that she had done the right thing.

And all Chloe could think about was how fucking furious at her Lex was.

The limo dropped them off by the front gates.

“What about Alliah? Will she be caught?” Chloe asked, taking off her uncomfortable shoes and padding up the paved driveway of the mansion with bare feet. Shouldn’t the girl’s feel a little bit guilty about letting Alliah go off with some stranger by herself? Wouldn’t any friend?

“No.” Anke replied, digging the key out of her handbag. “It’s not the first time Alliah’s done this. And she can take care of herself. She’s always back in her bed before sunrise.”

Anke unlocked the door and they snuck upstairs to their individual rooms. Chloe sighed as she turned on the light and closed and locked the door behind her. Not that it would actually stay locked, but she doubted she would be sleeping here tonight anyway. Lex would not let her stay for another one, so she had to finish her searching when the girls were all asleep. She looked at the clock and winced – 2:30. Ouch. She had to wait for at least an hour. She was so tired, but she couldn’t bring herself to sleep. Not in this room, not near that closet. Not in this fucking house. So she changed into grey sweat pants, a white tank top, and a grey hoodie and she kept awake by pacing and doing jumping jacks and finally she thought that silence had pervaded the 3rd floor long enough and she grabbed her flashlight and snuck out of her room.

[somethingeasy]

The chapter started out extremely well, but it took a strange turn during the end of it. First of all, I was pleased to see that Chloe actually remembered what had happened the night before… and she was appropriately horrified, terrified and revolted. I liked that the harsh, ugly word, ‘violation’, ran through her mind. She was violated last night, and she’s not going to hide from that word.

Heh.. but of course there’s only a certain limit that any person can continue contemplating a traumatizing truth without either going insane, or finding some way to repress. Chloe is obviously not ready (she just doesn’t have the time as yet) to deal with this realization, OR have a freak-out session, so the only option is to repress.

I thought Chloe’s methods of repression and rationalization were really impressive, as well as very realistically depicted. I really liked seeing the process of Chloe convincing herself into believing her ridiculous ‘reasonable explanations’ about how she ended up naked last night, where she got those scratches from, and how the heck that chair moved from her door! I can see how and why these absurd and stretched out explanations would seem a hell of a lot more reasonable, sane and ‘safe’ as compared to the truth of a monster in the closet that came out to rape her last night. I would never be able to sleep ever again anywhere if I really believed that to be the truth.

Heh… Chloe’s groggy and half-asleep state of mind probably also contributed to her easy acceptance of those flimsy explanation without too much probing or critical thinking.

It was fascinating seeing the dorm-girls actually acting like normal dorm girls for a change, and making plans to sneak out after-hours in order to enjoy some hot clubbing. Yes, it’s silly, but it’s a very normal teenaged form of silly that’s quite refreshing after so many days of extreme strangeness.

It was good to see Chloe having fun at the club with her fellow dorm members. She’s been tensed up for far too long, and she obviously needed a chance to kick back and relax and recuperate from all the ‘nightmares’ and ‘hallucinations’ that she’s been suffering from recently. I was glad to see that she was genuinely having fun with her sisters... thank heavens that they don’t show their brainwashed status while they’re dancing, eh?

LOL! Naughty Chloe really started having fun once she saw Lex peering out at her from the shadows. The man has a slight kink for voyeurism, does he? LOL! I think Chloe picked up on that kink, because that was one heck of a show that she gave him with her sexy dancing.

And Chloe’s fun got ten times better once she approached Lex and enjoyed an orgasm from him.

However, I was rather surprised by Chloe’s complete lack of trauma while she was being fondled by Lex. Yes, I know she’s repressed the memories of what happened to her last night, (dismissed the whole thing as a hallucinogenic nightmare), but I was still expecting some kind of averse reaction to sexual stimulation considering that she was violated by a ‘creature’ resembling Lex last night.

Yet, she enjoyed Lex’s touch, and the sexual escapades as if nothing had happened at all. I guess she’s better at that repression and denial than I gave her credit for?

Anyhow… the sex was hot, and that goes a long way to making my brain melt and stop over-analyzing.

Leo’s presence at the club was surprising and well as intriguing. Is his appearance in his fic completely random, or is he going to play a larger part in this story later. Interesting times ahead!

The news about all the other girls who have joined with this dorm establishment was… bewildering. What the heck could have happened that wiped out a wealthy, powerful and influential family in one stroke?!? Several families, in fact!! The thought is shocking as well as rather chilling. What the heck has the power to wipe away whole families (powerful, wealthy influential ones) without a trace, warning or even a hubbub of inquiry?!?

The fic turned really, really strange when Lex discovered the marks on Chloe’s thighs. All of a sudden, Chloe seemed to remember everything that happened to her as the honest truth. Without a twinge she abandoned the comfortable, coping mechanism of lying to herself and admitted that she had been violated last night, as well as nearly outright raped by a friggen monster in her closet.

And she did it without showing the least bit sign of hesitation, fright, anxiety or trauma. What the heck?!? How the hell does a girl admit to such things without[I] suffering through a freak-out session?!? It was unreal!

All I can imagine is that the creature somehow influenced her mind and skewed her thoughts, making her dismiss the violation and near-rape as ‘no big deal’.

Lex had completely the right idea when he started screaming that he was going to be taking Chloe home [I]now. And yet… he let her return back to the dorm house with barely a struggle?! Back to the raping closet monster?! What. The. Hell was Lex thinking?!?? Why the hell didn’t he GRAB her, and take her back to the penthouse?! Chloe is obviously not thinking clearly, but what can Lex’s excuse be?

Anyhow, this twist to the plot-line confused me a little bit. But I’m certain that things will become more clear in the upcoming chapter. I look forward to seeing how it goes.

[hfce]

Chloe needs to get the F out of there. :mad: She was raped and still wants to be there? What is she on? I hope Lex goes after her. :wth:

[JennyD13]

I wanted to show both that Chloe was in MAJOR denial about what was happening to her and that she was willing to share the Lex without any hesitation. Would she do that with anyone else? I don't think so. I tried to convey the fact that, although she thinks she's in control of the situation, it was out of her hands and Lex could plainly see that. He did grab her and take her away kicking and screaming because it was in public and it would not look good at all. Chloe disappeared into the crowd knowing that he wouldn't grab her and haul her home because somebody there would stop him if he made a scene.

As for the sex part, even though the thing took on Lex's likeness, there was no doubt in her mind that Lex would NEVER do anything to hurt her. She trusts him completely. Plus, she wanted to get away from all that crap and what better way to put it all out of her head than some hot club sex with her boyfriend? Or am I just pervy?

Anyhoo, on to the next Chapter! This is short and I'm sure you're going to hate me for leaving it here (tee hee)...

Chapter 13

(House of a 1000 Corpses – Rob Zombie)

Chloe crept down the stairs. She was quite used to the routine by now and she didn’t even have to think about skipping the squeaky step – she just did it automatically. She yawned as she snuck through the hall and every fibre of her body ached to be curled up in bed with Lex and not creeping around a scary mansion while she was suffering the effects of sleep depravation. As she passed the stairs leading down to the pool, she walked on the opposite of the hallway, pressing against the wall. She didn’t really think that the yellow-eyed thing would grab her and drag her down the steps. How silly would that be? Granted, she hadn’t thought the yellow-eyed thing would come out of her closet or stalk her in the pool either, so she’d err on the side of caution. Navigating the dark kitchen, she reached the doors leading out to the garden and slipped out.

The night was dark and she had no choice but to switch on her flashlight. As long as she didn’t aim it at any window, there wouldn’t be any problem. It may have been summer, but the night had chilled the air and Chloe hugged her hoodie around herself as she retraced her steps from the one and only time she visited the garden. The air was thick with the syrupy scent of mixed flowers and herbs and Chloe tried not to gag. It was sickeningly sweet and she wondered why it hadn’t affected her like this during her tour with Pearl. She decided that she would check out the path and the plants, then the middle ground and the fountain. She shook her head to wake herself and got started.

Chloe crouched and started searching the flowerbeds and the wall. By the time she was done the first side, she was covered in dirt and a sheen of sweat despite the cold night. She sighed and wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand and huffed when she realized that she streaked dirt across her face. Oh, what the hell. She was covered in it anyway. She turned toward the back wall and stopped. Fabulous. The goddamn unicorn plant. She held up the flashlight and crouched down on aching knees to inspect the soil. Something gleaming and white protruded from the dark earth. She cocked her head, her heart racing, and dug into the soft, moist ground. There were roots entwined around the hard white object and when she was finished digging around it, she had to pull it out. The roots seemed to pull back.

“Come on, you son of a bitch!” She groaned, her arms aching from the effort. “Fucking cocksucking goddamn…

Finally, she wrenched it from the ground, falling onto her back onto her back as it the earth around it lost the fight. She knocked her bruised head, momentarily forgetting about the object, and brought her dirty hands to her head. Wow, she thought, victory sure tasted sweet. She slowly sat up and the object rolled from her chest and onto the ground between her legs. She opened her bleary eyes and picked up her flashlight, aiming the beam at the object.

A skull grinned up at her and she clamped a dirty hand over her mouth. Guess we won’t be finding Talbot Sklansky alive. She scrambled back onto her knees and shone the flashlight back into the hole and the roots seemed to squirm away. She leaned in to look further and saw more white pieces.

“It’s a graveyard back here.” She whispered as she reached out her hand to touch one of them.

Before she could reach it, one of the plant’s thick branches wrapped around her wrist, the horn digging deeply into her hand. She shrieked, jerking her hand away and fell back once again. The bite was burning!

“How do you like my flowers now, Chloe?”

Chloe struggled to her feet and turned around. She felt drugged. Something in the flower’s bite? Pearl stood in front of her and the five girls were flanking her; they stood in a v shape. Chloe could barely see them in night and she sure as hell didn’t hear them walk up. Their faces were black holes and she wished she could see their expressions. Chloe dropped to her knees; she could no longer feel her limbs.

“I told you my plants were special.” Pearl giggled. “Lamberta Formosa – better known as mountain devil, Snap dragons – the devil’s flax. My baby seemed to have given you a little love bite. Devil’s claw! A much more accurate name, isn’t it?”

The last thing Chloe did before she lost consciousness and fell to the ground was reach up to her locket and press the panic button.

They were laughing.

[CrazyGirlWriter]

OMG Such great updates! They know her name is Chloe scary. They are all evil biotches. I wonder whats gonna happen to chloe. Thanks for the updates can't wait for more

[somethingeasy]

Thanks for the explanation behind Chloe’s and Lex’s behaviour, Jenny. It made a little more sense once I realized that Lex genuinely couldn’t just grab Chloe and drag her home… not because he had any compunctions about making a scene and embarrassing them both (because seriously, why would he care about silly things like that in a situation like this!) but because he knew that Chloe might kick up such a fuss that he would end up arrested, and unable to help Chloe once she needed help.

I still think Lex was being too cautious and skittish, and should have grabbed Chloe regardless of the risk, but now I can ‘sort of’ understand his reasons behind the inaction.

And I also understand how Chloe was able to enjoy sex with Lex without getting any post-traumatic flashbacks to her ‘nightmares’ the night before. Although, I’ll admit that I was hoping for a stronger reaction, considering the horrific terror that Chloe went through that evening. It didn’t leave an effect on her at all?!

Anyhow, onto this current chapter… Finally it’s time to go digging in Pearl’s cherished garden. And now we finally find out exactly why the garden is so cherished… because it’s a friggen graveyard!!

Pearl strikes me as the kind of person who would take an inordinate amount of pleasure and satisfaction over the idea of having her victims buried in her backyard. She probably enjoys going out and gloating over the skeletons and bodies as much as she enjoys the smell and texture of her flowers. Creepy!

Woah! I wasn’t all too surprised to see Pearl sneak up behind Chloe at this crucial moment. But I was astonished to see all five of the dorm girls right behind Pearl in a soldierly V-shape. I wasn’t expecting their brainwashing had carried them so far that they would be back-up to Pearl’s insanity.

Perhaps they’re sleepwalking…?

But, Chloe heard them laughing at her. Sleepwalkers probably wouldn’t laugh while they watched a person fall into a drugged swoon in front of them, right? Would they?

Anyhow, this was a terrible cliffhanger to leave us at, Jenny. Please come back and update now!

[JennyD13]

Sorry! Another cliffhanger! But this Chapters a little longer, at least!

Chapter 14

(I Put a Spell on You – Marilyn Manson)

Chloe stirred, aware that she was very uncomfortable and her brain seemed to be running at half speed. Her eyes fluttered. She was aware that she was sitting and that she couldn’t move her hands.

“Oh! I think she’s finally awake!” Allison exclaimed.

“Chloe! Chloe, darling girl, come back to us.” Anke said as she gently tapped Chloe’s cheeks.

She opened her tired eyes and blinked a couple of times, clearing her foggy vision. Mariko crouched next to her and put a cup to her lips. Chloe wanted so much to spit the liquid, whatever it was, into Mariko’s smiling face, but she was so thirsty. Chloe took a sip of the sweet liquid, then a gulp and then before she knew it she had drained the glass. It was Pearl’s tea and Chloe felt immediately better. Her brain was working at full speed again, thankfully. Now she could concentrate on how the fuck she could get out of here without getting herself killed.

Chloe looked around the room. She was sitting, tied to a chair, in the centre of a red room. She was surrounded by the smiling faces of Pearl and her girls, who were all dressed in thick black robes which kind of looked like backwards Snuggies. Classy. The girls who welcomed her a few days ago now had her tied to a chair in a fucking black room. Of course, she assumed that the Council had liked the dead girl #6 too and welcomed her, but maybe she grew a conscience and they turned against her just as quickly. She was murdered. The five stunning girls that stood in front of Chloe, the ones she was convinced had nothing to do with the disappearances, were cold-blooded killers.

The furniture was sparse – consisting of only old, sturdy woody chairs. There were 12 paintings on the walls, 6 on either side – mimicking the Stations of the Cross. Instead of depicting Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, it seemed to depict Lucifer’s fall from grace and his subsequent creation of hell. There were red pillows on the floor surrounding a large marble altar. Chloe cried out when she saw that Leo was bound to it, duct tape over his mouth. Guess she knew whom Alliah hooked up with. There was a great, solid gold pentagram hanging on the wall behind the altar and sitting underneath was a short cabinet with a golden bowl and chalice resting on it. It was a church; a perverted mockery of a Christian chapel.

Chloe looked back at the smiling faces.

“Seriously?” Chloe said, shaking her head. “You’re fucking devil worshippers?”

They all laughed joyously and nodded their heads.

Fabulous. She was kidnapped by devil worshippers. Lex was never going to let her out of his sight again. Lex…she had pressed her panic button before she lost consciousness. Lex and his security team must be on the way. Chloe tried not to let the hope she now felt show on her face. Now all she had to do was stall until they got here. She had to make them forget whatever they were planning to do to Leo, even if he had turned into a creepy stalker.

“Yes.” Trudy said proudly, “Why do you think we have such a funny sounding name? It’s an anagram. So others like us can find us. D.P. Casba IX’s Council of the Four Lotuses – nex paciscor cultus of diabolus. Latin meaning ‘death dealing worshippers of the devil’.”

“How clever of you.” Chloe said sarcastically. “I hate you break it to you, but ‘of’ isn’t Latin.”

Trudy shrugged her shoulders, but her smile never lost its lustre. Anke skipped forward and knelt next to Mariko, putting her hands on Chloe’s thighs. Chloe bared her teeth. If only she were still a werewolf…

“Not only do we worship the Dark One, the Dark One heard us and sent us…him. And he gives us all the power we could ever want.” Anke said, tenderly caressing Chloe’s cheek.

Damn it, Chloe, don’t bite her. Don’t bite her, don’t bite her, don’t bite her. You don’t know what she has…

“First of all, don’t touch me. Secondly, you’re all bat-shit insane.” Chloe said nicely, giving her best patronizing smile.

Mariko laughed, “Yeah. She’ll do.”

Chloe’s brows knitted together. What were they talking about? Where was Lex?

“I don’t really know how much you’ve figured out, Chloe, but I think you were on the cusp of figuring out everything.” Pearl said, dragging a chair down the aisle, placing it in front of Chloe and sitting down, crossing her legs demurely. Chloe stared at her. She looked much younger; her hair was down and lustrous, her skin was unwrinkled and flawless. This was far from the aging woman she had first met.

“We’ve had our eye on you, Chloe, ever since we saw you at Taboo.”

“What?” Chloe said, staring at Pearl.

“Our sixth girl…” Pearl started, sucking in a breath, “Well, she wasn’t working out. We had to eliminate her.”

“You threw her off the clock tower.” Chloe said.

“Yes. After…certain measures were taken, we…eliminated her.” Pearl said, “We also took Talbot. We saw what he did to you and how deftly you handled him. It impressed us. We set things in motion; we brought you here. The sacrifice…”

“Is that what Leo is, you bitch? Not a man. A sacrificial lamb? He didn’t do anything to you. He’s a good person.” Chloe spat. Shit. Wasn’t she supposed to draw attention away from Leo?

“He may have acted like a good person, but he wasn’t. In his heart, he was capable of very dark things. Like the things he wanted to do to you when he saw you writhing on the young Luthor’s lap tonight. He is, however, youthful and muscular and virile. But he’s not the sacrifice.”

“What is he then?” Chloe asked.

“Oh, Chloe!” Alliah laughed. “Don’t you get it yet?”

Chloe was so busy listening to Pearl that she had not noticed Alliah move behind the altar. She smiled at Chloe with religious ecstasy and took a long dagger out of a hidden pocket in her robe, raising it high above her head. Leo shook his head, his screams muffled behind his bound mouth.

“No.” Chloe shook her head. “NononononononoNO!”

“He’s supper.” Alliah grinned, plunging the knife down into Leo’s neck. He shuddered, blood pumping out into a chalice that Allison held next to his neck.

“FUCK!” Chloe screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She shut her eyes tightly. Please, Lex, please come!

The girls laughed.

“What did you think you were eating?” Anke giggled.

“Lamb?” Chloe whispered; she felt nauseated. I ate…she couldn’t finish the thought without gagging.

“Oh, don’t look like that!” Pearl coaxed, leaning forward and putting a hand on Chloe’s knee.

Why did they constantly feel the need to touch her?

“They keep us young, dear!”

“That’s why you lock the walk in freezer. You store bodies there and carve them up. You dump the remains in the garden.” Chloe said.

“Not only that, sweetie. I suppose you could call us witches, dear. The plants in the garden I use not only for cooking and spells. Remember, I told you the devil’s claw was carnivorous. With a little help, my babies take care of all the remains, bones and all. He made the nectar toxic. It dissolves everything eventually.” Pearl explained, as if it was the most rational explanation in the world. Adding credence to her explanation was the fact that she looked about 30 years younger.

“So…” Chloe spat, “eating the flesh of young men magically makes you young and your magic plants dispose of the bodies. Do I have that right?”

“With his help, yes. He allows it.” Pearl answered simply, apparently unaware of sarcasm.

“Right.” Chloe sighed, glancing at the door beside her. Come on, Lex!

Pearl grinned. “My real name is Dorothy. Dorothy Pearl Casba. I was born in 1889. I am 120 years old. I did not have a daughter. I just took her identity to keep people from asking questions. Of course, we were much less powerful at the time. We no longer have to rely on such public methods to keep people from asking questions.”

Chloe leaned forward.

“That’s crazy.” She said, hoping the conviction in her voice did not match the doubt she felt. Something in her eyes, what Chloe herself had experienced here…she knew that there was truth to what Pearl was saying. That religious fervour in Pearl’s…Dorothy’s…ALL of their eyes finally started to make sense.

“I’m 68.” Anke piped up, unasked. She showed off her figure by pulling the robe tight. “Not bad for a senior, huh?”

“I’m 76.” Trudy said, sitting down dramatically on one of the chairs. “My real name is Vera.”

Chloe nodded, the last of her disbelief leaving her. “You’re grandmother never disappeared.”

Trudy shook her head.

“I’m 62!” Mariko exclaimed.

“72.” Alliah grinned, licking blood from her fingers.

“You killed them, didn’t you? That’s why we couldn’t track down anyone related to you.” Chloe asked, appalled. “You’ve all killed your families…?”

They nodded in unison. Chloe thought about her father. She would never hurt him to be a part of this travesty.

“I’m 59.” Allison added, “I’m the baby.”

“And eating men, although enjoyable, is not the only way we stay young.” Alliah said as poked at Leo’s neck wound. “Pearl’s tea. It has all sorts of witched-up stuff in it. Anise for protection and youth; horehound for mental clarity and strength; gingko for longevity…”

Mariko, still kneeling in front of Chloe, peered up at her. “Didn’t you feel better when you drink it? Doesn’t it make you feel stronger?”

Chloe nodded. It did. Every time she drank it, she felt amazing. Before she had ingested it just a few minutes ago, she could barely add 2 plus 2. The second she had downed the tea, she felt perfect. It disgusted her; they kill people needlessly so they could stay alive…to kill more people to stay alive! There was absolutely no remorse! I was living with devil-worshipping snuggie-wearing sociopaths for the last week, she thought, glancing toward the door. Lex, please, please come!

“It feels so good to be one of us, Chloe.” Mariko nodded encouragingly.

“We want you.” Pearl said, motioning for Mariko to get up.

“You want me?” Chloe said distastefully. “As what? Dessert?”

They laughed as if she made the funniest joke in the world.

“No, silly! We like you! We want you to join us. To be the seventh member of our cult.” Pearl explained, clapping her hands together. She looked like she just bestowed Chloe with a Pulitzer. “You’re intelligent and deceitful. You’re perfect! And He likes you.”

“I prefer to think of myself as intelligent and crafty, thank you very much.” Chloe answered, haughtily. “And who likes me? Satan? Cause you can tell him to go straight back to hell. I’m really not worth the trip, what with a conscience and sense of empathy and all.”

“No.” Pearl laughed, ignoring the underlying venom in Chloe’s voice. “Our Master, Samael. He’s known as the ‘angel of death’ in some circles. He’s Lucifer’s right-hand man.”

The pride in Pearl’s voice disturbed Chloe.

“Riiiiiight.” Chloe replied.

“Stop pretending you’ve never seen him. He’s visited you. You haven’t been initiated yet, but all the extra calendula we’ve been giving you helps pull him through. We’ve put it in the water, the tea, the food…” Allison said.

Oh Jesus. Yellow-eyes. They’re talking about yellow-eyes…

Pearl grinned. “He comes form the closets, mostly. I did hear that you had an interesting encounter with him while you were swimming.”

“He chooses one of us every night.” Anke said dreamily. “He makes love to that lucky girl all night long.”

“He’s such a great lover, Chloe” Alliah said, looking up from Leo’s neck; his blood dripping from her mouth. She licked it off of her lips obscenely. “So much better than the man you’ve been fucking.”

Yeah, now Chloe knew they were insane. Lex’s skills were second to none.

“Yellow eyes.” Chloe stated emotionlessly. Something was wrong. Lex should be here by now. Did he think she was a lost cause after their argument at the club? Did he realize his father was right and he would be better off without her?

“That’s right! He likes you quite a bit. Says you have fire.” Pearl said as she stood, moving her chair back.

Chloe looked Pearl straight in the eye. “Let me go. I have people coming for me.”

“Correction. You HAD people coming for you.” Alliah said, finally leaving Leo’s corpse alone and coming out from behind the marble altar.

Chloe shut her eyes, icy panic numbing her. Oh, Lex, please be okay. Oh. Oh, there it was. The anger. This she could use.

They all lined up in front of her and, untying their robes, they let them fall to the floor. They were all nude; their youthful bodies marred with bullet holes, from which no blood leaked. They were already healing.

“Where’s. Lex.” Chloe asked through her teeth. She didn’t bother trying to hide her hate and disgust.

“It’s very hard to kill a witch.” Pearl grinned. She nodded at the girls. “Take her up.”

“He’s very pleased with you.” Trudy said, untying her hands. “Because of you, we have enough meat for three months!”

Oh Christ, Lex… what have I gotten you into this time?

Anke took her right arm, Allison, her left, and with Pearl leading and Alliah, Trudy and Mariko behind, Chloe was led out the door and into Pearl’s living room.

“You’ll really like being one of us, Chloe! We all get along so well!” Mariko exclaimed from behind her.

(Suspira – Goblin)

Pearl led them to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. Said bookshelf was filled with books on witchcraft and demonology. She pulled a book called ‘Pseudomonarchia Daemonum’ by Johnn Weyer and the bookshelf opened up. If Chloe hadn’t of been so frigging worried about Lex, she would have rolled her eyes. Now she finds and freakin’ hidden passageway! They walked up an ancient wooden staircase; the steep steps led to the attic. It was a large, dark room with no other doors and painted over windows. The three girls behind her stepped forward and hurried to light the candle sconces that hung from the walls. It did nothing to light the inside of the cavernous room. Finally, they lit two candles in the middle of the room, which revealed another altar that stood between them. Laying on the altar, prone and naked, was Lex. Chloe sighed with relief. He was okay; she could see his chest rise and fall. But why? Why’s everybody around here gotta be naked? Sure, they had taken off Chloe’s hoodie, but she still wore the dirty tank and sweats and she was feeling kinda overdressed, as silly as that seemed.

Pearl turned to face Chloe, her hands clasped demurely in front of her, as if she was about the give a tour at a museum.

“Samael needs a vessel to enter our world…” Pearl said, running her hands over her breasts, “To…fuck us, he needs a host. A worthy sacrifice. He doesn’t keep the bodies for very long. He burns them up from the inside and absorbs their souls. He’s part of two worlds. We have two find one man that fits Master’s…criteria. Your Lex fits it to a tee.”

Before Chloe knew what she was doing, she had wrenched her arm away from Anke and swung her fist towards Pearls smiling face. It contacted her nose with a satisfying crunch and she smiled victoriously as Anke grabbed her arm tighter than before. The pain in Chloe’s hand was definitely worth it. Well, she thought so until Pearl looked up at her. Chloe’s triumphant grin faded. What she had mistaken for loud, braying sobs was actually laughter. Pearl straightened her broken nose and wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. The bleeding had stopped immediately.

Oh, we’re fucked.

Anke leaned in; her lips uncomfortably close to Chloe’s ear. They all apparently chose to ignore her little outburst.

“The girl before you…” She whispered, “We don’t say her name, she fell in love with our sacrifice and tried to save him. Can you imagine? Trying to stop our lover from entering this world? We killed the bitch. It was not pleasant for her. Like Pearl said, it’s hard to kill a witch.”

She kissed Chloe’s ear lovingly and Chloe winced. If Anke noticed, she didn’t let on.

Finally, the other three left her to join the others in kneeling before the altar. They started to chant, quietly at first. Chloe looked around, panicked. What could she do? She had to do something to stop this. She ran toward the altar, hoping to disrupt the ceremony. Pearl looked up and Chloe was suddenly flying though the air. She hit the back wall and tumbled to the ground. She didn’t have time to brace herself for impact and when she hit the wall, she hit it hard and bounced onto the floor approximately where she started. Hmm. No wonder they hadn’t taken her punch seriously. The chanting continued, getting louder with each word until they were shouting in ecstasy. Chloe forced herself to her feet; she was dizzy and was aware that blood was running down her forehead. She needed to do something! Now! Now! Now! But what could she do? The flames of the candles burned higher and hotter until they resembled blowtorches; so hot at the wick it burned blue.

Lex started to shake.

“Lex!” She screamed. “Please, stop this!”

As soon as the flames of the candles scorched the ceiling and their chanting reached a fevered pitch, everything abruptly stopped. The girls stopped chanting, the candles burned dimly and rotten smell of sulphur pervaded the air. The only sound in the room now was a low, animal chuckle.

A sound which, to her horror, Chloe recognized.

[athena]

This was completely scary.:eek:

Although it’s good to know I was right about demons and ewwwww about meat and witches. This is beyond scary, because I never, ever thought that Lex could be a vessel.

What’s wrong with you Lex that weird beings like to use your body as vessels? We do love you but you really need to work on that...;)

They know her name!!! Run Chloe, run… please don’t let the demon “make love” or whatever they call it, to you. It’s not Lex. They might get all Constantine and make you bring over a real demon. If you run you can ask the devil himself, I meant Lionel, to put an end to this and make this creature regret ever touching our Lex.:devil:

Jenny, again you got me. Please don’t let us hanging here, update soon.

PS: Jenny this isn’t a hallucination she’s having is it?

[hfce]

JESUS!!!!!! I WAS RIGHT!!!! How are they going to get out of this? :puppydog:

[somethingeasy]

*wistful sigh* I guess I can give up all hope of Chloe being even slightly brainwashed in this fic. And I really was looking forward to seeing Lex trying to deal with a traumatized man-hating version of his beloved Chloe.

Oh well… bygones!

We finally have all the answers about this mystery delivered in one huge, overwhelming punch. LOL! I think Jenny got as anxious to get the mystery over and done with as her readers were to have answers. She just couldn’t hold back the facts and exposition any longer, and it ALL burst forth in one, single chapter.

I found myself rolling my eyes right alongside Chloe when she came to and examined her environment containing all the ridiculous clichés that screamed [/I]‘we’re Satanists – we also have club jackets’[/I]. Could those girls be ANY more obvious with their Satanic paraphernalia littered around in this secret room?!

Initially I was absolutely certain that the abundance of clichés in the room meant that these girls were more like Satanic posers rather than the real deal. Posers who happened to catch the attention of a real demon who decided to walk in and mess with them… except that it turns out that they’re actually serious witches… with some amount of power, a demon lover and fake youthful appearances and everything.

This goes a long way to explaining all the weirdness about the interchangeable ‘sisters’, and how the lot of them seemed completely oblivious to all the strange happenings around the dorm house, as well as Pearl’s creepiness.

And now we finally have an answer to all the moaning that was happening in the girls’ rooms whenever Chloe went snooping after-hours. It turns out that the girls were not being attacked, assaulted and violated after all. They invited that ‘thing’ into their beds… quite happily in fact. *shudder*

I don’t care if that ‘thing’ really is the best lover any woman can have. I cannot believe that something like that can touch a woman and not leave some kind of disgusting taint on her mind and body.

It was a major surprise to find out that these girls had actually set a trap for Chloe. They planned for Chloe to come and investigate them?! But the only way that could have been arranged was if they had been in cahoots with… DAMMIT! Lionel was part of this too?!? Lionel was the one who brought this investigation to Chloe’s attention, and he was the one who encouraged (practically pushed and shoved) Chloe into the dormhouse in the first place. Just how much did that old bastard know about the trap?!

Or was Lionel himself played by Pearl and her girls to get Chloe here? That’s also possible… a small hint dropped in Lionel’s ear to make him think that dropping Chloe off at the dangerous, haunted dorm house was a good idea? At the very least, it would get her out of Lex’s life for a few weeks, and at ‘best’ she would end up killed or swallowed up by the place.

I guess that’s a question for another time. For now, let’s focus on the present chapter.

Oh poor LEO!!! I actually liked the boy. He had the extremely good taste to develop a crush on Chloe, but back off when she let it be known that her preference was for Lex. He was a nice guy! And now he’s been killed as collateral damage for these disgusting, vapid witches?! They need to die, soon! A painful and torturous end!

Oh dear GOD!! And for all this time, Chloe has been consuming human flesh? I don’t know how she kept from retching right then and there. *I* felt sick, and I hadn’t been anywhere near the meat myself. Ugh!

It turns out that it wasn’t just the girls who wanted Chloe, but their pet demon as well. I wonder whether the demon played any part in their initial choosing of Chloe, or whether the girls go out like ‘talent scouts’ scoping out new bodies, bringing them to the house, and then leaving it up to the demon to ‘audition’ them. Perhaps it eats (teeth grinding up flesh into nothingness) the ones that fail the audition.

And, to make things worse, it turns out that the demon not only wants Chloe, but it wants Lex as well. While I usually like the idea of a ménage a trois as much as any smut-addict, that’s taking things to a disturbing level.

That was a horrible cliffhanger to leave the fic at, Jenny! JUST at the moment when Lex was possessed by a demon that wants to rape Chloe?! Post up the next chapter NOW!! Please?

[JennyD13]

Chapter 15

(Music Box/Tainted Love Mix – Phillip Glass and Marilyn Manson)

Chloe stood frozen while the Satanists jumped off of their knees and cheered. The candles started to burn normally. Lex sat up on the altar and all the girls vied for his attention, preening and hoping he would lavish attention on them. Chloe felt a pang of jealousy in her stomach. And then Lex turned his attention toward her and her stomach dropped. It was Lex no longer; the yellow eyes gave Samael way. The girls started running their dirty cannibal hands all over Lex’s body.

“Get the fuck off of him, you dirty bitches!” Chloe roared, turning her attention to Samael. “And YOU! Get the hell outta him!”

“Didn’t I tell you?” Samael exclaimed; his voice was not Lex’s. It was deep and inhuman. “Didn’t I tell you she had fire inside her?”

The demon leapt off the altar, eliciting giggles from the form the girls. Samael pushed passed them, ignoring the fevered faces of his worshippers.

“I’m going to enjoy you, Chloe Sullivan.” He said, walking toward her.

Chloe backed up; she was terrified – the monster in the closet made flesh.

“Please, let him go. Please. Please! I am begging you. You can have me, just let him go.” Chloe whispered, her hands outstretched.

“My lovely!” He growled. “I already have you! You’re my bitch for the taking!”

Chloe shook her head and took another step back.

“Please! I’ll give you whatever you want!” Chloe bargained.

“Are you trying to make a deal with me?” Samael laughed.

“Join us, Chloe.” Mariko coaxed. “We’ll be so happy!”

“You want me to become an immortal hell-whore who fucks a demon that happens to inhabit my boyfriend’s body.” Chloe said, trying to stall. What the fuck was she going to do?

“Yes!” Pearl exclaimed, thinking Chloe had finally gotten it.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuuck NO!” Chloe screamed and she promptly turned and ran toward the stairs.

Before she reached the first step, she tripped over something and went tumbling down the steep wooden steps. Went she came to a rest at the bottom of the stairs, it was not on the cold floor, but on the hot, greasy thing that had tripped her up in the first place. She rolled her eyes at the booming laughter she heard from the top of the stairs. She hoped she had amused him. Well, no one ever clamed that demons weren’t complete dicks. Chloe groaned and picked herself up, finally getting a good look at the thing. It was a blackened husk, a being that used to be a man. Chloe screamed and scrambled away. It was the former host – burned from inside out – he must have snuck up the stairs behind them before the girls started the ritual. Is that what was going to happen to Lex? Fuck that. She couldn’t let that demon devour his soul. She backed up and hit the wall, trying to think. She put her greasy hands in her hair and shut her eyes. Panic was doing her no good. Think, think, think! Wait, what did Anke say? About how the 6th girl feel in love with the sacrifice and tried to stop the ritual?

Chloe started as she heard Samael’s footsteps on the stairs. It sounded like Lex’s body had gained 200lbs and the stairs groaned underneath the weight.

How? How would someone go about stopping a satanic ritual…wait! Chloe laughed. Finally, she understood why someone would have a crucifix with a hidden blade in its length.

She slammed the bookshelf door closed

“Oh! I love games!” Samael roared from the stairway.

Chloe ran as fast as she could out of Pearl’s rooms and out into the hallway. Her ankle hurt terribly and it buckled under her every few steps, but she tried her best to ignore it. She reached the staircase just as Samael burst through the bookshelf and Chloe hung on to the banister and ran down the stairs.

“We are going to have SO much fun when I find you.” He laughed, stomping through Pearl’s rooms.

As Samael broke open the door and stomped out into the hall, Chloe’s ankle bent on the squeaky step and she tumbled down the last few steps, landing hard on her stomach. There were thundering crashes from each side of her and only when Samael dragged her up by her hair did she realize what had happened. The demon had jumped down the staircase and landed with one foot on either side of her. He hauled her up by the hair to face him and then dropped her on shaky feet. She flailed her arms to regain her balance and prevent falling over on her weak ankle. Samael laughed. Someone was having a good time, anyway.

“Oh, Chloe, I love seeing you like this. All dirty and full of rage and fear. You smell…intoxicating.” He growled.

Stall, Chloe, stall! Her brain screamed at her.

“Why? Why do you have to have him? I’ll stay here with you, I swear, just let him go! Please!” Chloe tried asking nicely, she really did, but her words came out hard and bitter. It was a demand, not a plea.

“I told you before, I have everything already!” Samael laughed. “But I do like hearing you beg…”

Beg? He called that begging?

“You like games, huh?” Chloe asked, trying on a grin.

“You know I do. I especially liked the game we played last night.” He said, reaching down to pump his erection. “When you spurted all your sweet juices all over my tongue.”

He licked his lips obscenely. “Oh yes, I loved that game.”

“Ah…yeah…” Chloe said, furrowing her brow. “Well, you stand by the stairs, close your eyes and count to twenty. If you find me, you can have me anyway you like.”

Samael nodded. “Alright. But do you know how I want you?”

He bent down and grabbed her chin.

“I want you screaming in fear.” He smiled, his face showing only a glimpse of the inhuman brutality he possessed. “I want to taste your blood. I want you curse me while I fuck you…”

“Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Chloe deadpanned. “Now, go by the stairs, count to twenty, then come find me.”

He grinned and took a step back and placed his hands on his hips. Chloe cocked an eyebrow.

“Close your eyes!” She exclaimed. “And no peeking!”

Running Up That Hill – Placebo)

“ONE!” Samael bellowed as he shut his eyes.

Chloe scrambled to Pearl’s office door, wrenching the handle.

It was locked.

Fuck!

“TWO!”

She turned around and ran into the gym, grabbing a weight from the floor.

“THREE!”

She ran back out and attacked the door handle. Four blows and she was in.

“FOUR! That’s an awful lot of noise, Chloe! I know EXACTLY where you are!”

Chloe rolled her eyes and carried the weight to the locked desk. For a demon, his intelligence was woefully lacking.

“FIVE!”

Chloe starting beating the vertical surface of the drawer.

“SIX!”

Chloe finally broke it open.

“SEVEN!”

Chloe reached in and dumped the contents on the floor, dropping to her knees and snatching up the silver and gold icon.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Samael asked, leaning against the doorframe. “Trying to find a secret passageway, are we?”

“I thought you were supposed to count to twenty?” She purred, jumping up and hiding the crucifix behind her back.

“Oh, my lovely, lovely Chloe.” He said, strutting into the room. “

He licked his lips as he ran his yes up and down her body. She kept her eyes off his huge erection. It wasn’t Lex. It wasn’t right. But she felt the familiar stirring inside her and she despised herself for the weakness. Shaking, she walked toward him, feigning compliance. When she stood in front of him, he grinned and put his hands on her cheeks, bending toward her.

“Remember you have to scream...” He whispered, his yellow eyes boring into hers.

“Kiss me first?” Chloe pouted, returning his stare.

Trembling, Chloe lifted her left hand and caressed his cheek; the skin was burning hot. She raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed him. He responded with violence; devouring her mouth and Chloe strained to endure his burning hot tongue writhing in her mouth. With tears running down her cheeks, she stealthily took the crucifix from behind her back and clicked out the blade. Was she really going to do this? Stab Lex? How could she hurt him? She steeled herself and tried to harden her heart. Lex needed her and she would do whatever it took to save him. Chloe sighed in feigned ecstasy and Samael grinned, sure he had won. The triumph melted from his face as she plunged the dagger into the flashy part of his side. She wanted to get rid of the demon, not Lex. He grabbed her hair as he started to shake.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” He screamed in her face.

Chloe grabbed his wrist and removed his hand from his hair. He was weak now.

“Sending you back to hell.” Chloe answered, smirking. “Get out of him. Go back and ask your boss to teach you about pride and its consequences. He knows all about it.”

Chloe pushed Samael away and he fell to his knees. He retched and vomited liquid fire. It took on a life of its own, wiggling across the floor and up the walls. There were awful screams from upstairs and finally the fire stopped flowing from Lex’s mouth.

“Chloe?” Lex croaked.

He was sweating and shaking and Chloe dropped the knife and kneeled beside him.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to hurt you, but I couldn’t think of anything else to save you!” She sobbed, pressing a hand over his stab wound. Blood was flowing freely through her fingers and it scared her.

“You did good, Chlo.” He rasped, weakly. “We’ve got to go.”

Chloe put his arm around her shoulder and helped him to his feet. The fire spread quickly and she helped Lex limp to the front door while Lex pressed his hand to his wound. She looked up the flaming staircase as they walked by. Five aged, burning women were stumbling down the steps, cursing Chloe for ruining everything. She turned her back on them and wrenched open the closet in the patio, helping herself to a short cotton jacket to staunch Lex’s wound and a longer coat to cover his nakedness.

Chloe and Lex left the burning mansion. They did not look back.

“The car…it’s parked in front of the gates. We have to get out of here before anyone comes.”

She nodded and threw the trench over his shoulders. It was too short and made of a sparkly material, but Chloe decided to keep the joke to herself, considering she had just stabbed him and all. Oh! And had gotten him possessed by a demon. Yeah, let’s not forget about that one. She’ll never be allowed to do ANYTHING without him bringing this up. They heard sirens as she helped Lex get into the passenger side seat. She got into the drivers seat and stopped. No keys. Sonofabitch! She looked desperately at Lex and he smiled weakly. He was so pale! She needed to get him to his doctor and the sirens were getting closer. He leaned in and punched a 5 digit code into a keypad by the steering wheel and the car started.

“Sometimes, your money really comes in handy.” Chloe smiled as she pulled away from the curb and put distance between them and the burning building. Thankfully, he brought an automatic. If he had driven one of his standards, they would be waiting for the police right now. Who the hell drove standards anymore? She called Lionel on the car phone and told him to have a doctor waiting in the penthouse when they arrived.

“You faced a demon for me, Chloe.” He said, unmistakable humour in his weak voice. “I’m impressed.”

“Lex, let me remind you that, if not for me and your damn father, I would have never had to face a demon for you, or, I don’t know, stab you, for that matter. How’s your side? Does it hurt?” She managed to say in one breath.

“It hurts like hell and it’ll need stitches but I don’t think you hit anything important.” He replied.

Chloe began to cry. “I’m so sorry!”

So much for being brave! She had never felt so bad in her life. Because of her, the man she loved had almost died horribly. Because of her, other men HAD died.

“Chlo, do you remember what happened in the bathroom at Taboo? When you were out of control and I had to…hit…you?” He asked, turning his head to look at her. There was nothing disguised on his face now – just blatant pain and remorse. “Do you know how awful I felt? I backhanded you, Chloe. I caused you pain. And I can still replay every lurid detail in my mind. Do you know why I did it? To save you from going over the deep end. I’m not saying it’s not going to haunt you, but you did it for the right reason. It was the lesser of two evils, Chlo, and sometimes those are the only two decisions life gives you.”

Chloe nodded. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.” She would be haunted by it. Every time she looked down to see the scar. In her dreams. But at least she still had him.

“Wait, I’m right? Can I somehow record that?” Lex joked, wincing as the car drove over a pot hole. “Those words don’t come out of you’re mouth that often.”

“I swear,” Chloe sobbed, ignoring him, “the next time your father comes to me with a proposal I’ll tell him to go fuck himself! I keep putting you in danger!”

Lex laughed.

“It’s okay, Chloe. And I would love for you to tell my father the go fuck himself. I would enjoy that immensely. In fact, you could tell him that once we get to the penthouse.”

Three fire trucks and an ambulance raced by them, the red flashing lights reflected on Chloe’s tear streaked face.

“I killed them, Lex. I killed all of them. How many security guards did you bring with you?”

Lex clenched his jaw and didn’t say a word. Of course he wouldn’t tell her.

“It’s my fault they’re dead. It’s my fault Benny’s dead. How can I live with something like that?”

Lex sighed and chose his words carefully.

“Chlo, those men…they knew what they were getting into. I know it doesn’t make you feel better about their deaths, but they were willing to lay down their live to protect yours. And unfortunately, that’s what they did. Every man and woman on that team knew what could happen. You’re never going forget them and how they died for you, and you don’t have to. A very wise woman told me once, that you can’t undo the past, but you can live a good life, one that makes you proud. You can show them that they didn’t die in vain.”

Chloe’s lower lip trembled. He was right. It didn’t make her guilt lessen, but he was right. She smiled.

“We’re almost home. Maybe you should be resting, not comforting me. Because I inadvertently got you possessed by a demon. And I stabbed you, you know. So stop being all wise and awesome and start being pissed at me. But thank you, anyway. For saying that.”

They parked in the back and went up the service elevator. Chloe checked his stab wound – the blood flow seemed to have eased and she sighed. Chloe pressed in the code to get into the apartment. The elevator opened into the kitchen and she yelled out. The doctor and Lionel entered quickly. A doctor she had never met before helped Chloe get Lex onto the kitchen table. She pranced about the kitchen, waiting for the doctor to complete his examination.

“Chloe, stop pacing. You’re driving me nuts.” Lex said, sounding annoyed. That was a good sign. If he was well enough to feel annoyed, then he wasn’t dying.

“Okay…” The Doctor began, opening up his bag. “He’s lost some blood, but not enough to be worried about. The wound itself is superficial. I can take care of this here. Whoever stabbed you didn’t do a very good job, Mr. Luthor.”

Chloe let out a manic, high pitched laugh and she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth when both Lionel and the doctor stopped to look at her. Lex smiled and put a hand over his eyes.

“Ahhhhh…why don’t I just tell you what happened, Mr. Luthor.” Chloe said, burying the all the manic-ness deep inside her. There were more appropriate times to let it out. “Let’s go out to the living room and let the doctor work in peace.”

Lionel nodded and walked out. Chloe took Lex’s hand and kissed it, then studied his pale face.

“You’ll be okay?” She asked.

He smiled and nodded, moving his hand from hers to stroke her cheek. Chloe bent to until her face was an inch from his.

“I love you.” She whispered, before she kissed him softly.

She reluctantly left him in the doctor’s care, and joined Lionel in the living room.

“Ah, Lionel? I think you’d better get yourself a drink…”

[CrazyGirlWriter]

Wow this was really really good. i love how it brought them even closer giving them a little more insight into each other. please tell me there's at least another chapter though i want to know how it all gets explained away

[hfce]

OH MY GOD!!! MY HEART IS STILL POUNDING!!! :eek: I almost peed in my pants. :rofl: I thought for sure Lex and Chloe were goners. But you managed to get them out of it. BLESS YOU!! :D I am so glad Chloe was quick on her feet and got rid of that devil. I am also vary happy those nasty girls are gone for good. YES!! I hope Chloe gives Lionel a what for. I f'ing loath that man. :wth:

[superag]

Awesome action! So glad to see everyone ok, or as well as can be. Keep up the great work!

[JennyD13]

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed my story! And finally...


Epilogue

(Viva La Vida - Coldplay)

One Month Later

“See ya later, dad!” Chloe called as she bounded out of her small, cozy home and to her elderly car.

She couldn’t help the huge grin. It was Friday night. Which meant it was date night. And that was AWESOME! Now that she was back living with her father and not her boyfriend, she was only allowed to see Lex on weekends, which was a struggle to say the least. She had stomped and had even reverted to crying (crying! Like she was five, which probably, come to think of it, didn’t help her case), but her father would not budge. Apparently he was still uncomfortable about her dating his boss, although she had no idea why. It wasn’t as if they were fucking like bunnies whenever they saw each other or anything. Oh, wait….Lex, however, seemed dead-set on making her father like him and he abided by the rules strictly. Damn it. It was very frustrating. She forced herself to calm down and not tear out of the driveway. It had only been a week. And it wasn’t like she hadn’t talked to him. Like all the time. But she missed him! Missed the feel of him when he slept. Pathetic, she thought, her grin growing wider.

Chloe would be lying if she said she didn’t miss Metropolis, because she did. Tremendously. She missed the bustling city, the people, the restaurants, the excitement. She especially missed living with Lex. Had she mentioned that already? But the media attention concerning the Council of the Four Lotuses fire had started to get on her nerves. It had more than got on her nerves. It had enraged her! It had been her story! It could have made her career! It was mystery and there was still a front page story about it at least once a week, even a month later. It wasn’t as if she could be tied to it – she couldn’t, Lex was too good for that. It was that she didn’t break the story. She couldn’t have. She was too close to it, the only survivor. If she had given a first hand account (highly edited, of course), there would be no way she could avoid being implicated in the deaths. So she had to keep her big mouth shut. It was just too big of a mystery for the public to let go. The house had burnt to the ground, much more quickly than a house that size should have. They could not find the cause of the fire or any accelerant that would have caused the fire decimate the house so quickly. They found five murdered, heavily armed men stacked in the freezer (untraceable to Luthors’) and five skeletal remains of what the coroner believed to be elderly women. In the garden, amid dead and rotting plants, they found traces of at least eight different men. They found no trace of the burnt out husk that Samael had used before inhabiting Lex – it was too far-gone and was completely destroyed by the fire. And the authorities still had no clue what had happened or the location of the four teens that had lived there. The current theory had to do with the Council being a high-class and super secret brothel. It was the closest one yet. The media had immediately pounced on a bewildered Ava Winchester and her father, who had never even left Scotland, let alone the rural dig site. It was quickly proven that they had nothing to do with the fire and they were left alone, thankfully.

Lionel had taken her story quite well, that night. Especially the part about her knifing his son; it was as if he almost developed a weird sort of respect for her after that. Almost. At least he had something to tell his business associate about his missing heir. Something the man didn’t want to hear, but at least it would lead to some sort of closure eventually. The doctor had patched Lex up as good as new. He had not lost as much blood as she had originally thought, thankfully. She felt infinitely better when he strode out of the kitchen. He looked like he was in pain, but at least he was walking. He had given her a smile and she had run to him and tenderly put her arms around his neck.

“I am so sorry…” She whispered once more, as he buried his face into her hair.

Lionel, the romantic himself, had cleared his throat rudely and said, “If you are quite done, I would like to talk to my son.”

The day after, Chloe had called Clark to do damage control. That had been fun. He had been freaking out and she had to tell him a pg version of the truth. Something told her he would not appreciate a play by play of her sexual escapades with Lex. After that, she had called her father. Her dad had known nothing, (and continues to know nothing, thankfully) so that had been quite a pleasant conversation, actually.

The rest of her time in Metropolis had been fortunately anticlimactic. She had spent the majority of her time enjoying Lex’s company and working at the Planet. It had been wonderful. Nobody had been attempting to kill her and she didn’t have to grievously harm Lex once! And on her last day, she had had a lovely lunch date with Papa Joe. Oh, Papa Joe. She had awoken one night after the incident, screaming. Her mind had once again taken her on a trip to the freezer in an old, burnt Council House. She had picked through charred rubble in her bare feet and a white flowing nightdress. The freezer door had opened for her, steam billowing out from the impossibly cold fridge. Stepping through it, she had looked down at the pile of bodies. Joe’s dead eyes had stared back at her. When Lex had shaken her fully awake and Chloe asked about Joe (how could she have forgotten about Joe?), Lex had explained that he was still very much alive. Chloe had called him the very next day and had asked him to lunch.

Unfortunately, the summer had ended and she had been forced to move out of the penthouse and go back to her real life. So here she was, attempting not to speed down the tiny streets of Smallville to the Mansion, her the first week of her senior year under her belt. She pulled into the long drive way and barely had the car in park before she yanked the keys out of the ignition and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. Chloe hurried up the steps, digging the key Lex had given her out of her purse. And by purse, she really meant shoulder bag so she was stalled at the door, still trying to find the damn keys at the bottom of the gigantic bag. She was impatiently hopping from one foot to the other when the giant door opened in front of her and Lionel stepped out. Both there faces fell when they laid eyes on each other.

“Hello, Ms. Sullivan.” Lionel sighed. Funny, the way he said it sounded more like a ‘fuck you’ than a formal greeting. “I take it my son has given you keys to our property.”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor, he has.” Chloe said brightly, slipping past him into the cavernous hallway. “Have a lovely day!”

Lionel mumbled something unenthusiastic behind her which, quite frankly, tickled her to no end. Chloe hurried down the hallway, the sound of her heels against marble echoing through the empty corridor. She checked herself in on of the mirrors on the wall. She was wearing a simple white summer dress and minimal make up – just some mascara and cherry lip gloss. Lex liked cherries. When she got to Lex’s office, she flung the doors open and pranced in, a big smile on her face. Lex met her grin with his own and got up from behind his desk. He looked hot; he was dressed in a bruise coloured sweater and black dress pants. Scratch that – he looked fucking yummy. She kicked the doors closed behind her and skipped over to throw her arms around his shoulders. On tip toes, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent of him and planting a kiss there.

“I’ve been away from you for a week and I miss you like crazy.” She said, lazily lifting her head and looking into his shining eyes. “Isn’t that pathetic?”

“Most definitely pathetic.” He murmured, moving one of his hands for her back to caress her cheek. “My bed’s cold without you.”

Chloe smiled at his words and cocked an eyebrow. “Now, is that because you miss me or because you now live in a drafty old museum?”

Lex pretended to consider her question and Chloe pulled her arms from around his neck. She didn’t step back and she was deliciously close to him.

“Can’t it be both?” He laughed, ducking one of her fists.

“I’m not just a space heater, Mr. Luthor.” She grinned, planting her hands on her hips.

“Not just…” He answered a spilt second before she tackled him.

If Chloe compared herself to anything, it would be a Chihuahua who thought it was a Doberman. So, at the end of the grunting tussle, she ended up on the floor flat on her back, panting, with Lex between her legs holding her hands captive tightly above her head. Which wasn’t a bad way to end a fight, really.

(Bad Things – Jace Everett)

“What do you want to do tonight, Chloe?” He asked huskily, a triumphant smirk on his face. “I could fire up the plane. We could be in New York watching a Broadway show in a couple of hours…”

“We could…” Chloe said, evasively, squirming against him. “Or, we could stay in…”

“I don’t know.” He said, bending down to kiss her neck. “Sounds kind of boring. What ever could we do to amuse ourselves?”

“I can think of a couple of things…” Chloe panted, “I haven’t been bad all week.”

“Oh, well, we must fix that immediately.” He replied and instant before he captured her lips with his.

He kissed her deeply and teasingly and lovingly. He raised his head and left her panting; her lips wanted more of him.

“You taste like cherries.” He murmured, his mouth nearly touching hers. So close, that when he licked his lips he also licked hers and Chloe moaned. “I love cherries.”

Lex freed her arms and ran his hands down the smooth curves of her body. She shamelessly took the opportunity to slide her fingers underneath the thick material of his sweater and push it up. Lex kneeled up and hauled the sweater over his head. Her eyes ran down his wonderfully sculpted chest. She winced when she saw the scar on his side and fingered it lovingly.

“None of that now.” He said, reading her gaze like a book.

Lex stood and leaned down; taking her outstretched hands he helped her stand. He gathered up her skirt and she raised her arms over her head so he could lift the dress off. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he ran his warm hands over her breasts, causing her nipples to tighten and ache. What had she been thinking about again? He remained close to her and he moved one hand up to her cheek, tilting her head up as he bent down to kiss her. She shut her eyes as he explored her mouth and she undid his belt and pants and pushed them down his thighs. He gasped and grunted into her mouth as she grasped his erection and started to slowly, teasingly pump her fist. His other hand moved to her other cheek and his grip tightened. He grunted into her mouth and delivered one finally searing kiss to her mouth before he let her go and pulled her hand away from his dick. He pushed down her white panties and she stepped out of both the material and her shoes as he led her over to the couch. Lex lay down on his side, indicating for her to do the same. She lay down on her side next to him, facing the same way – toward the burning fireplace.

The light was quickly fading from the windows; the firelight was fast becoming the primary source of light in the room. Chloe rested her head on Lex’s arm; his muscles moved beneath her cheek as his hand kneaded her breast. She loved it when he took her from behind. She smiled as she heard his breathe quicken next to her ear; she felt his hardness against the back of her thigh. His other arm was slung over her and stroking her abdomen. His fingers ventured lower and lower until he slid between her closed thighs and stroked her throbbing clit. She cried out and arched against him and he sucked in a breath. He removed his hand from her clit and he fisted his erection. Chloe arched further, sticking her ass up and he positioned himself at the entrance of her dripping core. He slapped his hand on her hip thrust inside her.

“Fuck, yes, Lex! Just like that.” Chloe groaned as he moved his hand to her swollen clit once again.

Lex worked her perfectly, and soon she was on the verge; her vision was becoming hazy, the fire became an indistinct blur. She moved her hand down to grab his wrist as he worked her clit. He thrust into her harder and she felt him hit that place deep inside her. The tightness within her exploded and stars danced behind her eyes. Lex moaned her name in her ear and emptied himself inside her. They lay there staring at the fire; Lex absently played with her breast.

“So, was that bad enough for you?” He murmured, kissing her ear lobe.

“Definitely not. Much more badness is needed to make up for a week of absolute purity.” She giggled, cuddling back into him.

“Can you do me a favour?”

“Depends on what it is.” Chloe answered; her eyes lids were getting heavier and she just wanted to close them and go to sleep in Lex’s warm arms.

“Get me a water while I go wash up?” He asked, slapping her thigh.

Chloe groaned and reluctantly stood and Lex laughed, jumping up and disappearing through a dark doorway. She sleepily shuffled over to the mini fridge and grabbed a couple bottled waters. Chloe had cracked open one of the bottles and wandered back over to the couch by the time Lex sauntered back in, a huge smile on his face.

Chloe froze and looked at him suspiciously. “What?” She asked, warily.

“Nothing.” He said, his grin remaining.

“Baby, you didn’t turn off the security cameras, did you?” She laughed, waving a finger at him.

“No, I remembered those.” He said, hesitating before he finished walking over to the couch. “This time, anyway.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and giggled. Great. All she needed was for Lionel to come across that tape. She held out the bottle to him.

“Lay those on the table, would you?” He asked.

Chloe looked at him strangely and put them down on the table in front of the couch. What was he up to? He stepped up to her, the firelight dancing on his bare skin and raised his hand, sliding his thumb across her cheek.

“I love you, Chlo.” He whispered, his hand resting on her neck. “More than I thought I’d love anyone.”

“I love you, too.” Chloe murmured, gazing up at him in confusion.

Lex got down on one knee and Chloe stared at him dumbly.

“Marry me, Chloe?” Lex asked, opening a black velvet box he had concealed in his other hand. “Marry me and I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life endeavouring to be a man that deserves you.”

Chloe was floored; she stared at the gleaming diamond ring in complete shock. Her knees shook. Her pulse pounded through her temples and suddenly the only thing she could hear was her rapid breathing. Her dad would have an aneurism then come back for the grave and kill her. Clark would kill Lex with his bare hands. And what about her? She was so young! She wasn’t even close to finishing her schooling. She wanted to travel. She wanted a career. Could she do these things married to Lex Luthor? She thought of a hundred reasons why she shouldn’t.

“HELL YES!” She shrieked, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around his neck.

One hundred reasons why she shouldn’t – but they didn’t trump the one reason why she should. She loved him.

“Really?” He asked.

Now it was his turn to feel flabbergasted. He expected her to say no? Dumbass.

“Yes, Lex!” She said, sticking her left hand out to him. “You know I can’t say no to you!”

Chloe tried to stop bouncing as he slipped the beautiful diamond ring on the third finger of her shaking hand. She held out her hand to look and let out another little squeal. It sparkled in the firelight and suddenly she felt that she was dangerously close to tears. Lex stood with her and pulled her to him, burying his face in her hair and inhaling.

“You’ve made me very happy, Chloe.” He mumbled, rubbing his shaking hands over her back.

“I love you, Lex.” Chloe replied, pushing him down onto the couch. She was determined to show him just how much.

They’d break to news to her father later. And in that version, they wouldn’t be naked.

End


(Author’s Note: I think there might be a trilogy in store. My brain just kind of outlined it for me. You have been forewarned.)

[athena]

Wow!

I stay away for one day and you wrapped up the whole story? How could I miss this?

First of all. I loved the end of it. It was touching the scene she faced the demon for Lex. It showed him how much she loved him and she thought very fast about the crucifix/knife. I wouldn’t ever have the spirit to take that action.

And Lex opening his heart by telling her she was right and that sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils was very well written.

I wish we could have seen Chloe telling MB to fuck himself… as you’re thinking trilogy, can we? *** grins***

The scene he asks her to marry him… wow…

I just don’t like the idea of Chloe not telling Gabe what happened and led her to know and love Lex so deeply so fast. I understand that she didn’t tell him, but a lie or even omission can’t stand for long. Someone lets something slip and there goes one beautiful thing – thrust – over the window… I believe her relationship with her father is based on thrust and honesty. Gabe will freak, but will come over.

I think the trilogy thing is an awesome idea. Go for it!

Thank you Jenny!

[hfce]

No this is done? :eek: But I want more. This was a nice wrap up but I want more. :D Yeah about the proposal. I hope she waits to get married until after she finishes college and start her career. 18 is to young to be married. ;)

So when are we getting part 3 tomorrow, next week? :P

[CrazyGirlWriter]

Oh wow loved the ending and am extrememly excited to read the third story in this trilogy. You are such a great writer and i love that Lex proposed to Chloe while they were naked right after having sex. sweet and funny.

Ok so now the only thing that confuses me is that there were only five bodies found. Shouldn't there have been six? I mean pearl plus the five "girls" that lived there right? So yeah anyway i just wanted to say (probably again) that i love your stories thanks for writing them.

[dkfuryan]

So lovely!!! And very VERY glad that you ended it with the posiblity of a third as the withdrawl is on the horizon. thank you!!

[Nicki]

Great sequel I wish you would do another one maybe about the wedding?

[Rachet]

Thank you for the 2nd, is there going to be a 3rd?

[crazychlexer]

loving ur stories soo damn much!!!!!!!!hurry up to the next one plzzzz!!!!!!!

[malugargula]

Loved the sequel too
Great mystery to solve, really interesting
I hope you decide making it a trilogy