NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
One year has passed and another begun, and with it comes the stories from the December/January challenge.
This last challenge was designed for flexibility because the holidays were upon us and, as we all know, that can be both a wonderful and stressful thing. lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by December/January Challenge
Endings and Beginnings
One year is coming to an end as another is poised to begin. So what better theme could we have that covers the two months that see us through this transition than “Endings and Beginnings”?
In order to make a challenge as flexible as possible this month’s prompt can be broken up in three ways: You can write about beginnings and endings, you can write about just beginnings, or you can write about just endings. In this way it will hopefully be easier for people who would like to write two stories.
It is important, as it is with every challenge, to remember that the prompt can be interpreted in any way that strikes the author’s fancy. For instance, this could be about the ending and beginning of a relationship; the ending of someone’s life and the beginning of what follows; or the ending or a TV show and the beginning of the next. As long as Chlex is the main focus then your only limit is your own imagination!
As always, a ginomous thanks to the writers for participating; especially considering the hustle and bustle of the time of year. You guys are consistently awesome and we love you all for helping to make this community so great.
Also, a big thanks to the voters - your contribution to this process makes it worthwhile for the authors.
On a side note, if you're voting and want to leave a small note, please feel free to do so. The voting is anonymous and no one has to tell who they chose; a simple, "Great stories guys" won't reveal anything but can make a world of difference to the authors. And if you don't want it known that you voted at all, you can send me your reply in a PM and I will be more than happy to post it to preserve anonymity.
Voting will end on February 3rd at 11:59 pm (Pacific time). :)
Story One
Story Two
Story Three
Story Four
Also, look for the R/NC17 Challenge to be posted later tonight!
* Reposting because it totally helps if I include the poll. :rofl:
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
Story One
After The End
Lex knew it was a miracle he was alive, that he and Lana had both escaped his Panic Room without the use of body bags. He’d done his best to protect her, she was hardly able to help herself, after all, and getting shot at was something Lex was fast getting used to.
Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, he glanced down at the bandages that bound his chest, then carefully stood up, groaning at the pain that shifted through his entire being, or so it felt to Lex. Still, he forced himself to walk forward, making it as far as the end of the bed before his hand went to his wound and he couldn’t take it anymore.
“That doesn’t look like bed rest” she said from the door, and Lex found the energy to turn quite easily at the sound of her voice.
“Chloe” he smiled in spite of himself as he met her gaze, stunned by her presence but ever so grateful for it, “You know better than anyone I was never really good at taking things lying down” he told her.
“You always were a fighter” she nodded, knowing that at one time he had said similar to her.
They neither of them were exactly pushovers and it was their will to fight for what they believed in, for justice, and for their lives, that had first thrown them together and allowed them to become friends. Now things were so different, Chloe felt so strange and awkward hovering in the hospital room doorway. She almost wondered why she’d come here in the first place, and it was as if Lex’s thought mirrorred her own as he spoke.
“Not that I’m not grateful that you’re here but...”
“But why would I bother?” she chimed in, knowing he was going to ask the one question she wasn’t sure how best to answer, “Lex...” she began seriously, her eyes meeting his, and her nerve leaving her just as fast as it had appeared, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come” she shook her head, turning quickly away.
“She told you, didn’t she?” said Lex’s voice behind her, stopping Chloe from getting any further than one step, “Lana told you what I said about you when I thought my life was over” he said as she turned slowly around and faced him again, though she could not quite meet his eyes.
“Look, Lex” she said, brushing her hair off her forehead as she tried once again to figure out what she was going to say, on top of the hundred or so ideas she had before, having tried to plan it from the moment Lana told her the truth about Lex’s feelings for her, “You went through a lot, and if you want me to forget all this and pretend it didn’t happen...” she offered, her eyes averted from his gaze so she didn’t notice his moving forward until he was right there in front of her.
She barely had time to register his presence when his lips landed on hers in a brief but evidentally meaningful kiss. It was never going to go on long, he hadn’t the strength or breath of his own to deal with it, but that didn’t matter. The small action sealed a truth, proved to Chloe that Lex had not been guilty of delirious ramblings as he faded in and out of consciousness after receiving his gun shot wound. He had to have meant what he told Lana, the words of love he’d spoken, else why this moment?
“Chloe, I almost died today” he said softly, leaning on her a little as he spoke, “and it’s not exactly the first time” he smirked in spite of the seriousness of the moment before continuing on, “Lying there in that room, my life didn’t flash before my eyes, but I saw a few things much more clearly than I ever had before. I had so many things I could regret” he said as he stared down into her eyes, “but the one that kept coming to the top of the list was you. If I had to go out of this world, the only thing I’d hate myself for was not seeing you again, not telling you how much you mean to me” he explained, almost breathless by the time he’d finished and Chloe could understand that feeling.
He had knocked all the air from her lungs, and brought tears to her eyes with his words. Speaking of how he might’ve died brought back the fear she had felt on hearing the news, and knowing she could have been his very last thought was almost too much to bear.
“Do you have any idea how scared I was?” she said, voice trembling with emotion as she reached a hand to his face, as if to reassure herself he really was there, that this wasn’t all a dream somehow, “And not just this time” she continued, “but at Christmas, and all the other times you put yourself in danger?” she told him, one lone tear escaping down her cheek unnoticed, “Lex, two years ago you weren’t just my protector, you were my best friend, and I’ve been missing you all this time, thinking you didn’t even care about me”
Lex was sure he felt more pain seeing her cry than he ever had in any of his near-death experiences. She had meant so much to him, everything at one time, and yet he’d tried to push her away. So certain was Lex that Chloe would live a better life without him in it, he had walked away, let their friendship fall apart all too easily. He had been such a fool.
“Chloe, you’re all I care about” he swore, “I just, I didn’t think...” he tried to explain but the words wouldn’t come and the pain shooting through his chest was almost unbearable.
“Sit down” she said on seeing his distress, her practicality outweighing all other emotions in a second as she eased him down to sit on the edge of the bed and joined him there, still holding onto his hand, “You’ve been through a lot”
“And I’m glad about that” he said, despite how shocking he was certain that would seem, “It made me see clearly, Chloe, made me see what was important in my life”
Chloe was sure this couldn’t really be happening. They had moved on, fallen apart, she and Lex. They came from different worlds that collided for a few short months, but they were separate again now. She was a college student and a hero’s sidekick, he was running businesses and chasing spaceships with Lana.
“What about Lana?” she asked then, knowing it was probably best to forget the raven-haired beauty who had already taken one important man from her life, “She kept you alive...”
“Thinking of you kept me alive” Lex interrupted her, his hand at her face turning her to meet his eyes, “Lana could’ve been anybody. I’m grateful I wasn’t alone, but it was thinking of you, talking about you... It was all about you, Chloe” he promised her, and despite all that had gone before, she believed every word.
Leaning in, she went into his arms and wrapped her own carefully around his body, holding him tight as she dare without bringing him more pain than he already suffered.
“After all this time” she sighed against his shoulder, “I gave up, Lex. I gave up believing in the chance that we were anything anymore, that we were even friends” she cried, knowing it was stupid, but it was all she could find to do.
“I’m sorry” he told her, tears welling in his own eyes, not feeling anything of the pain he ought to have as he held her tight to his body, only relief she was here and she understood; she had not forsaken him.
“Don’t be sorry” she told him, pulling away just enough to see his face, “Just, please, Lex, don’t make me go through this again” she urged him, reading the promise in his eyes and moving in to softly kiss his lips.
It wasn’t going to end happily ever after, nothing in either of their lives ever had before, and neither Chloe or Lex expected it now, but they had each other, and would have until the end came, whenever that might be.
- The End -
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
Story Two
The Devil Moon
The beginning of the romance between the intrepid reporter Chloe Sullivan and billionaire tycoon Lex Luthor began in a manner typical for Smallville.
He helped save her from a murdering grave-robber.
Lex was not the type of man to be overly sentimental, and he did not believe in signs, or omens or that something was "meant to be."
Rather, he believed that a person made their own destiny by the choices that they made each and every day.
So when he began to dream of the gruesome death of Chloe Sullivan, he thought it was just his overactive imagination playing havoc with his emotions.
There had been a rash of grave robberies in the greater Metropolis area, and Lex knew, from reading The Daily Planet, that Chloe was covering the story for the paper.
In his waking hours, he refused to admit to himself that he was worried about Chloe's covering such a macabre story, so his sleeping mind had made Chloe a victim of the grave robber, thereby increasing his anxiety for the blonde reporter.
It was an odd Catch 22, but it was a clear and concise explanation and Lex clung to it, liking its simplicity.
After all, why would he be dreaming of Chloe, a young woman he had barely spoken to since she was a junior in high-school?
He'd only known about her attending Metropolis University on a journalism scholarship through his association with Lana Lang, her friend and roommate.
He hadn't actually spoken to Chloe face to face for an entire year.
Therefore, there was absolutely no way he could be remotely concerned for her well being.
Even though he knew from past experiences that she routinely took chances with her safety if a news story was involved.
Lex was determined to put the dream out his mind, but it didn't take him long to realize that this wasn't his subconscious, but an honest to God prophetic dream.
He had never spoke about it to anyone, not even when he was still friends with Clark, but twice in his life, he'd had dreams of people he knew, people he loved, dying.
And he had been helpless to save them.
The first had been Julian's death. In his dream he'd watched his mother suffocate the baby, but Lex had convinced himself it had just been a nightmare, so he'd ignored the warning.
The second dream had been of his mother dying from cancer. That dream had been filled with images of his mother's emaciated body turning into a skeleton.
It still tortured him to this day that he'd been unable to stop their deaths.
And even if he tried, he wouldn't have been able to ignore the recurring nature of the dream.
For an entire week he dreamt of Chloe's bloodied and mutilated corpse being found in a graveyard.
She was stabbed over a dozen times and was virtually covered in her own blood.
The first couple of nights, Lex barely made it to his bathroom before losing the contents of his stomach.
But he vowed to himself that the next time he had the dream, he would look more closely for details.
He shook his head, not even questioning that he knew with a strange certainty that Chloe's dying was going to happen.
Supernatural phenomena was an unfortunate by-product of life in Smallville, but unlike in his previous dreams, he was going to stop Chloe's murder.
***
For the next several days, he feverishly read anything written about the grave-robber, and there was nothing to point to the person being a violent or even a murderer but maybe that was because no one had yet to catch him in the act.
Through sheer willpower, he'd made good on his promise to himself and he now knew that the graveyard in the dream was in a wooded area, that the graves were rather old, and that there was going to be a full moon.
And as fate would have it, there was going to be a full moon for the next three nights.
Through subtle questioning, Lex had found out from Lana that Chloe was going to be visiting her father in Smallville for the weekend, and he'd felt partially relieved.
He would have an easier time following her movements and keeping her safe if they were both in Smallville.
One of his security staff had managed to plant a tracking device on Chloe's car but that wouldn't help much if she ditched her car, so he decided to have his various security personnel stake out the cemeteries within the Smallville area.
Chances were good that his people would catch the grave robber in the act, and no one would get hurt.
He smiled ruefully to himself that approaching Chloe with a dire warning of her impending death had never even occurred to him to be an option.
Knowing Chloe, she would have insisted on being part of the stakeout so she could get the exclusive on the robber's arrest.
He turned his attention to the list of Smallville cemeteries that would need guarding, narrowing it down to those that dated back to before the Civil War.
From reading Chloe's articles, he knew that she made a link from the dates of the robberies to Metropolis' auction houses suddenly being inundated with 18th and 19th century coins, silver candle sticks, china, and antique guns.
Lex just hoped that his calculations matched Chloe's.
He was driving by Tyler Park, when he saw Chloe's car partially hidden under a tree.
Lex barely paused to stop his car before he pulled out his satellite phone and dialed the police.
After giving the precise location of where they were parked, he closed his phone and set off on foot to find Chloe.
He knew that the security people tracking Chloe's car would see that she'd stopped and they'd investigate so he knew that additional back up was on the way.
He just had no intention of waiting for them.
Lex had barely taken two steps when he'd heard Chloe start to scream.
He took off running in the direction, thankful for the moon's lighting his path, but heedless of the branches smacking him in the face.
He could hear the sounds of a struggle coming from his one side, and he veered to the left, following the cries of pain, when he was suddenly in a clearing.
The moon was shining brightly over what had to be one of the surrealist moments in Lex's adult life.
He was in the middle of an obviously forgotten cemetery, with graves crumbling all around him.
There was one grave that was open, the smell of the decaying coffin permeating the air.
But what drew Lex's attention, and made him gasp in fear was the man crouched next to it.
He was a rather large man trying to subdue a much smaller person, and he was doing it while holding a very scary and very large knife.
The person he was fighting with was a very much alive Chloe Sullivan, her blonde hair covered in dirt, a bloody gash across her forehead.
She was gamefully grappling with the man for his knife, but she was starting to tire.
All of this passed through his mind in seconds before he was able to act.
Lex didn't even hesitate; he picked up a rock from the ground and knocked the man unconscious.
Chloe looked up at her rescuer, astonished to see Lex Luthor standing there.
He held out his hand to help her up, and she gratefully accepted it.
But before either one of them could speak, a helicopter was flying overhead, with a search light and police sirens could be heard in the distance.
It was right then that Chloe realized that things were never going to be the same again.
***
This truly was how Chloe and Lex’s relationship began, but luckily for the both of them, they didn’t dodge mad killers on a weekly basis.
The grave robber was arrested, Chloe got her front page exclusive, and Lex was finally able to get some rest.
He had a difficult time telling Chloe about the dream that lead him to the cometary, and she surprised him by not pressing him for details, trusting that he would tell her when he was ready.
Lex proposed to Chloe four years to the day that he helped save her, and she accepted with tears in her eyes.
But the reporter in her couldn’t resist one question. “But why did you choose this place?”
Lex looked around at The Talon, smiling when everyone in the coffeeshop started to cheer.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Did you really want me to propose in a graveyard?”
She shivered theatrically before answering, “No, that would be a little bizarre, even for us.”
But she couldn’t resist one more gibe. “But maybe we could get married there.”
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
Story Three
TITLE: "SATISFIED"
RATING: PG
A/N: The following ficlet is set in Season 7 and has 'Cure' as its background.
Here I am again; brought back from the brink of death, blessed with a new beginning, wondering for the umpteenth time if this will be the last, if God will give up on me the way I did on Him when he repeatedly denied me the one thing I’ve always wanted. Lying here in bed my mind brings me back to you and to that question you asked me point-blank induced by the all-powerful feeling of the Levitas serum four years ago. We’re different yet so similar you and I; have you ever stopped to think about that?
We`ve always revelled in our differences; they’re what makes us special and sets us apart from the rest. We’ve found strength in them to hide our weakness and insecurity from the world when, in truth, normal is what we’ve always wanted to be. The hope of enjoying what he’s always taken for granted in his life is what drove me to lure her away from him; as if by binding her to me I could be granted a new beginning, as if the blackness of the original sin that comes from being born a Luthor could be washed away. The hope of having what she’s always had in him is what’s driven you to this modern magician- this Highlander I tried to kill with my own hands for playing Dr Frankenstein in my backyard. You’ve gone to him seeking a new beginning to secure the love of the one who once took your virginity. You`ve gone to this modern Mandrake, eager to be something that neither you nor I will ever be- normal.
Masks have been second nature to us for years and we’ve grown so used to them that we can no longer take them off in front of the person who’s supposed to be our closest. Does he know? He can’t or you wouldn’t be risking it all. Don’t you think it’s funny that you and I, who have become such bitter enemies, can only be ourselves when we’re both alone in the same room? Have you ever wondered why we ended up this way? Do you remember who took the first step, who decided we weren’t worth the promise of a new beginning that summer? Does your photographer know how lucky he is? I wish he does. I wish your choice to put an end to the burden that is your secret gets you what I wished for you that summer.
This small rural town has been a blessing and a curse all in one. We came to it as city children, uprooted by fathers who dreamt of a new beginning for us away from the haunting memory of an absent mother and spouse. We arrived with the idea of making this a pit stop on our way to greatness and ended up being pulled by Smallville’s odd gravity. This Kansas corner was the beginning of the road that’s brought us here. It left its indelible mark on us. It tempted us with its rustic charm and its promises of a normal, happy life. The dream was within our grasp for a short while and then like sand it slipped through our fingers, confirming our identity as eternal outsiders whose blood and heart have been marked by the capriciousness of nature.
Life courses through my veins and floods your heart tainted in green, a blessing and a curse all at once. It’s only fitting and proper that I, the one raised by an egomaniacal father, should get the power of self-healing while you- the selfless sidekick- should get the gift of breathing life into others through the touch of your hands. Oh, I know it! Did you think I didn’t? You saved your cousin and gave your life for her. Would you have done the same tonight if you had seen me empty my gun in Knox’s chest? Would you have granted me a new start if Clark hadn’t arrived in time to stop him? This is one of those times when I don’t envy the power you’ve been given. I doubt I’d have spared my life if I’d been in your shoes.
I look at my Napoleon-franc watch- the remembrance of a stage in my life when I was loved- and hope it isn’t too late. Tonight I’ll be your knight in shining armour, but should I let your eternal hero take the credit for saving you just as I did that day a little over three years ago when you were rescued from that foundry? Would you automatically think of some secret agenda if it were me to turn up in the nick of time this once? I’m suddenly tempted not to run the risk of reading distrust in your green eyes again and feel the selfish urge to let you go ahead with your choice. It’s sheer madness, I know, and a desperate gamble but one that would yield infinite possibilities. A blank canvas on which to paint new memories. Another beginning.
The need to have someone in our lives who can see us just as we are and yet love us has made desperate people of us. Dare I mock Him in His face and go back to my Luthor ways? Dare I start formulating the best plan to keep you away from the world that will put you against me as soon as your mindwipe’s accomplished and Dr Knox is disposed of? The thought of a tomorrow different from this hopeless void I find myself in is alluring. The temptation to recapture what I felt and who I was with you that summer is overwhelming all of a sudden. I’m torn in two directions indecisive about the result. I thought she was my last chance to achieve happiness. But what if I was wrong? What if you’ve always been the beginning and the end of it all?
The car pulls up in front of Knox’s office and I close my eyes. I’m assaulted by images of happier times, when the first lines of our story started to be written- casual encounters over a cup of coffee with friends, verbal judo sessions which belied a communion of misunderstood souls we didn’t recognise until later in the game. I remember being blinded by your smile since the beginning, feeling your vibrant youth seep through my pores and reach dormant recesses of my jaded soul. I remember smiling from the heart for the first time in years, using facial muscles which have remained numb since the day we said goodbye at the safe house to close a chapter and start anew.
We, who have always prided ourselves on our strength, gave in to our old insecurities that night and ran away scared, becoming these two strangers who know each other so well and who can’t help but look for ways to hurt the one person that could make us happy. You remember it, don’t you? The moment our lips met I couldn’t tell you from myself. You were my beginning and I was your end. You were my fate and I was your birth. Have you ever experienced that in his arms? I know I’ve never found it again.
I open my eyes and unlock the passenger’s door. My mind’s already made up. I storm into the doctor’s office flanked by my bodyguards to find you gone and, in your place, the young man who introduced you into my life. We measure each other like bloodhounds fighting to be the first to pick up the scent. I fiddle with the iPod in my jacket, toying with the idea of taking the credit this time until my eyes fall on Knox’s pocket watch and my rational self makes an appearance once again. It’s too late to gamble now; there`s no way I could arrive in time to stop the step I know Knox has planned after the procedure you’ve signed in for.
I get to The Victorian Arms in time to see you leave the building sheltered by your best friend. I feel the unfairness of it all oppress my chest. I gave him the clues to be your knight in shining armour. I step out of the vehicle as I look at you from across the street. You’re crying on his shoulder and I can sense the door closing again. I start to turn around to see you suddenly lift your head and look my way. I’m bound to the spot, waiting for a sign. You mouth a word I haven’t heard addressed to me in a long time- thanks. And I see the memory of that summer kiss reflected in your eyes and feel blessed because he arrived in time to have it preserved in your mind.
Happiness is such an elusive creature. Normalcy’s only a mirage. I sport my first sincere smile in years. Though it’s not a blank canvas, it’s a beginning. This couldn't be further from settling. For now, I’ll start with “satisfied”.
THE END (or the beginning?)
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
Story Four
Title: A Distempered Tango
If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story
-Orson Wells
Sated in a post-coital haze is not the most opportune time to contemplate one’s destiny. Still, fools and philosophers alike often speak of it, of whether man can overcome his predetermined fate and change the future. Whether the right decisions made can alter the story’s ending, making a mockery of God and predestination with equal fervor.
This shouldn’t be one of those decisions.
Finding solace in the arms of a girl--a woman, only just barely so--who has seen enough to damn him ten times over and yet doesn’t know enough to let any of it scare her away, shouldn’t be the moment that alters his course.
And yet, lying in this bed with Chloe by his side, things seem different now. He feels almost clean, unsullied by the suspicions, the lies of the past few days. Shannon’s murder isn’t the first someone tried to pin on him (the Luthor name doesn’t exactly inspire innocence until proven guilty) and it probably won’t be the last. But someone believed in him this time. Believed and fought and if it wasn’t for her, he might not be here now.
This isn’t just about gratitude. He’s not fool enough to think it’s love either, but it reads an awful lot like a beginning.
And maybe the end has already been rewritten.
@~~~
The circumstances are all too familiar to him by now. A late night break in at Luthercorp, security systems disabled, cameras rendered useless by a lithe figure all in black. Lex is reasonably certain as to whom he’ll find hacking into his computer in the middle of the night, most likely leaving a trail of missing documents in their wake. Only two people he knows of are capable of getting past Luthorcorp’s security so easily and his wife is missing from her side of the bed. Again.
Still, he can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment when he opens the door.
“Now why am I not surprised to find you here?”
“Lex!” Her eyes are wide with surprise. “I was just…”
“Spare me the details, Chloe. Just tell me you left something behind. Or did you wipe everything you could get your hands on.”
At least she has the decency to look contrite. “I was only after one thing, Lex.”
“And did you find it?”
She doesn’t answer, doesn’t have to. It’s not their first time round the dance floor. Two steps forward, three steps back--it's the story of his life, and their marriage. And as much as he’d prefer a waltz--the two of them moving together, her taking his lead--when she looks at him from across the room, eyes shining with something close to regret and a spark of adrenaline fueled arousal, he knows he’ll settle for the tango.
“And what would you do if I said yes?” She murmurs with just the hint of a smile, the edge of a challenge that makes him think of punishments that aren’t really punishments at all, of silk cords and soft flesh and his name on her lips like a benediction.
Leaning against the doorframe, watching her gather up her things--secreting away all the devices she used to breach his defenses--he concedes this victory to Chloe.
“I think I’d have to take you home.”
@~~~
He walks in on her in the study, a file folder in one hand and a smoking gun in the other.
“When were you going to tell me about your plans for dear old dad? At the reading of the will?
Knowing it won’t make a difference, he feints right. “The retirement home in Florida? I hardly see how the choice in where my father spends his golden years is of any concern to you.”
“Save the lies, Lex. I’ve got enough evidence to convict you on premeditated murder if you go through with this.”
There’s no doubt in his mind that she does. And knowing Chloe, she probably has more back-up copies than there are farms in Smallville. There’s no talking his way out of this one, not like before. They won’t be burying their mutual disappointment in each other in a sexual haze this time, it isn’t just another mark on the score-card of their marriage.
Sadly, he doesn’t think she’s dancing anymore.
He corners her by the fireplace, barely enough room between them to breathe. “I would think,” he mouths quietly, grasping her gently by the arms, “you’d be the last person to shed a tear at Lionel Luthor’s funeral. After everything he’s done to you, Chloe, after everything he’s done to the people that you love.”
A light goes out in her eyes and somehow he knows it isn’t coming back, “It’s not your father I’d be crying for.”
@~~~
Luthor Marriage Falls Apart
Wife of three years cites irreconcilable differences
Lex looks up from the morning edition of the Daily Planet to find Chloe standing in the middle of his study, face set in resolution, a suitcase clutched in both hands.
“I wasn’t aware that it’s customary to file for divorce through such embarrassingly public venues.”
She doesn’t flinch, but then again, he never expected her to. “Lex, please.”
“Please what?” He asks, though it’s more of a demand than anything. “Please don’t make this any harder than it already is? Come on, Chloe, I’m not the one airing our dirty laundry to the first available reporter.”
“If it means anything, this isn’t exactly how I wanted it to end either.”
“But you did want it to end.” He doesn’t wait for her acknowledgement; it’s there on his desk in black and white print, in the bedroom they shared now devoid of her things. “What I don’t understand is how you could betray me like this. How my own wife--"
“Ex wife."
No! The thought is almost physical in its rejection. After everything she’s put him through, every time she’s crossed him, every failure he’s accepted in order to keep her, does she really think he’ll let her go without seeking repayment in full?
Stepping out from behind his desk, a dark chuckle escapes his throat. “You of all people should know it's not that simple. What we won't be finished by a mere piece of paper."
There are no tears, only a look of regret and a sad sort of acceptance. The eleventh hour has come and gone, and he can almost feel the hand of fate at his neck.
"No, Lex, we were finished a long time ago."
@~~~
The day the divorce was finalized, Lex stood on the courthouse steps watching her with a cold, hard hate in his eyes. She knew then that it wasn’t really the end but a new beginning, a new chapter, one writ in blood and pain and revenge.
She feared for her life that day, but she should’ve known better.
He wouldn’t touch her, not when there were much more twisted ways to make her cry.
A stray bullet from a gang war piercing her cousin’s chest, ripping her heart to shreds.
She can’t escape the nightmare landscapes, can’t run away from the images of the people she cares about most, her family and friends, perishing before her very eyes. Random, senseless acts of violence and chance that are chock full of intent and careful planning.
A hit and run driver running her dad’s car off a cliff and then speeding away before flames turn the sky into a kaleidoscope of oranges and reds, and thick, black smoke rolls across the road.
Everything happens for a reason, some reasons are just more subtle than others.
Her best friend caught in a stampede, her life and all her plans for a bright, happy future crushed in a matter of seconds.
For the first time since their marriage vows, Lex keeps his promise. And every time he stakes his claim anew, Chloe dreams of dancing, of the sweet push-pull of control, of eyes wild with arousal and fingers fierce with need, only to wake to a new horror, to find the dreams of what once was replaced with the nightmare of what her life has now become.
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
Story One: After the End
This was a great twist to the panic room episode. Admittedly, it’s been a long time since I saw this episode, but I do remember that Lex didn’t have the good sense to admit to any undying love for Chloe while he thought he was dying. Instead, I’m pretty sure he was hinting at some feeling for (ugh) Lana, wasn’t he? Ugh!!
Anyhow, this was a great twist to how it should have gone… and I have to say that it’s a great deal more believable and plausible too ;)
Story Two: The Devil Moon
I liked the wry, ironic tone of the beginning sentence. That really sucked me into the story from the get go. I liked the unexpected twist of giving Lex precognition powers… and making it clear that Lex refused to acknowledge these precog powers because he believed them to be too ridiculous to be actually real… OR perhaps he couldn’t tolerate the idea that even his precognitive dreams didn’t allow him the chance to save people that he cared about.
Except, this time he DID manage to save someone that he cared about… even if he didn’t know how much he cared about this particular person. Actually, I have to wonder whether his precognition powers were also informing him about his future feelings for Chloe… letting him know that this person was eventually going to be his beloved, even if she’s only a casual acquaintance right now. I like that idea!
The nightmares about Chloe’s backed and butchered body were horrific… although a sick part of me would actually have liked more detail on that. I know, I know… I’m a sick, sick person!
Overall, lovely story! The happy ending was wonderful. It was great to see that Lex managed to save Chloe all by himself, without needing the assistance of the cavalry that arrived just a few minutes too late. Good thing that the assailant was distracted enough to be defeated by a rocky thud to the head, eh?
Story Three: Satisfied
I get the feeling that I would have enjoyed this particular ficlet a great deal more if only I was more familiar with the episode that it was based on. But, despite being a little lost about plot details, I really enjoyed the ficlet. It was very lyrical in nature, and I liked the way that I was forced to read several lines over again to get a sense of what was being said.
It’s always a wonderful delight to see Lex engaged in musing poetry about his feelings for Chloe… especially feelings that involve great, deep admiration from afar as well as hope for something ‘better’ between the two of them in the future… and despair at the doubt that, in all likelihood, nothing is really going to develop. Poor Lex.
I especially loved that brief moment Lex had where he actually re-considered his decision to ‘save Chloe’, knowing that he wouldn’t getting any tangible reward… or even so much as a thanks, for his efforts. He actually considered letting Chloe sink or swim without his assistance, and I loved the insight this gave us into Lex’s mind-set.
This is a man who doesn’t do ‘the right thing’ instinctively without thinking twice. He has to think about what’s the right thing to do, and then decide whether or not to proceed with it. That might sound less impressive than Clark’s instinctive urge to save everyone and everything in his line of sight/hearing, but it’s actually more impressive to see Lex committing himself to do the right thing knowing he has genuine options otherwise.
The ending was gratifying. It was wonderful to see that, despite Lex’s firm belief that he won’t be getting a reward for his efforts, he DID get a note of thanks from Chloe… and it meant pure joy for him. Such a huge reaction for just a little silently mouthed thanks? Wow! I loved that! That ALSO gives us considerable insight into Lex’s character, and how the man would jump through hoops of fire for anyone who expressed the least bit of appreciation for him and his actions.
Story Four: A Distempered Tango
This was, without a doubt, my favourite story from the bunch! I loved, LOVED the use of the analogy, ‘the tango’, to describe the courtship, interaction and general relationship between Chloe and Lex.
It started off great with the quote… which expressed the tone of the ficlet perfectly… giving the readers a hint that this story is going to start off pretty romantic, but might degrade into something twisted by the end. The ficlet didn’t disappoint our expectations at all… in fact, it exceeded them!
It started off so sweet and romantic… or at least as sweet and romantic as a post ‘almost framed for murder’ incident can be. Nonetheless, it started off with hope, romanticism and sweetness. … and then, little by little, the author started to tear apart the relationship.
I LOVED the wry inner-comment Lex made about how he wished that he and Chloe shared a relationship that was more like a waltz. Where both of them moved in harmony and synchrony with each other; with him taking the lead (heh… dream on, Lex!). But then he had to admit that he also loved this fiery, ‘adrenaline fuelled’ tango that was their relationship.
And after the observation he made about ‘silk cords, soft flesh, etc’, I could see the appeal of the fire, adrenaline and implicit conflict of the tango :D
Unfortunately, it seems like the passion, love, adrenaline, fire and excitement of their relationship didn’t last. Chloe’s ardent adoration for her husband disappeared when he turned out to be a cold, callous killer. I loved the tragic poignancy of that line, “It’s not your father I’d be crying for.” Chloe was trying so hard to explain to Lex that he was effectively killing the man she loved inches at a time… despite her efforts to save him. It was so tragic that Lex simply couldn’t seem to understand what she was trying to tell him… despite the eloquence of her explanations.
The worst part was seeing both of them suffering at that moment. Chloe was seeing the man she loved disappearing in front of her eyes… and even Lex’s observed that she ‘didn’t seem to be dancing anymore’. He knew that she was beginning to distance herself from him, and seemed completely bewildered about the reason why.
Oh, Lex! Why, oh WHY do you have to destroy your happiness like this?!??
The scene following the headline in the paper was sharp and brutal. I loved it! I loved the tone underneath the Chlex couple’s words, where you could see both of them wounded, hurt and lashing out in pain at each other… and wanting nothing more than comfort and solace from the other.
I especially loved the way that Chloe’s sharp words, ‘ex wife’ was nearly a physical blow to Lex, sending him nearly reeling in pain, shock, anger and a raging desire to hurt back in return. At that moment, I realized that Lex was going to turn dangerous, and I felt such alarm for Chloe. What the heck was Lex going to do to her?!?
As it turns out, I had no idea just HOW dangerous Lex was going to turn out to be. He didn’t resort to his usual tactics of despoiling her professional career, or throwing mud into her personal life. Instead he went into vicious, ruthless killer mode where he went straight after her heart… her family and friends.
The worst part was seeing the brutal tactics that he used to kill off her family and friends… through guns, thugs and beatings. It was horrific, and it demonstrated the level of insanity that Lex had sunk to at that point.
I find myself wondering whether this kind of brutal insanity was the thing that drove Chloe away from Lex, or was did this brutality only emerge because Chloe left? It’s the old ‘what came first?’ question.
Anyhow… brilliant fic! I loved it! It was stunningly well written… amazingly plotted… and the characterizations were incredible! I can see there’s no chance of this fic being continued, since it seems to be a stand-alone, but feel free to write something longer and more detailed along this tone (pretty please?).
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
There's an entry for everyone's taste- from fluffier to darker. I'm glad that there were at least four stories, despite the time of the year. Good job! :blinkkiss
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
There are 4 extremely different but equally lovely fics for you to vote on, so please choose one and vote--I know I did:P
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kit Merlot
There are 4 extremely different but equally lovely fics for you to vote on, so please choose one and vote--I know I did:P
I second Kit; the deadline's fast approaching guys! Voting is anonymous and it takes just a sec. I'm sure all writers will welcome your support; it's a simple gesture that will show you're enjoying their work and that you're interested in the continuity of these wonderful challenges.;)
Re: NS Fanfic Challenge - #7 December/January 2009 - "Endings and Beginnings"
It seems that we have a winner folks! So a great big congratulations to:
Wonderful story!!!
And thanks to everyone who contributed. We had great stories this month and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for the next challenge.
~Sarah~
