A/N: Hey all I know it's been ages but I just moved back to campus at University so things have been crazy. I don't know if y'all are still reading this but I figured I'd post for old times sake and if ya are then congratulations to me and I'll continue on.
Chapter 15 (I think)
A Pressing Conference
Chloe gripped the handle leading to Lex's office and pressed it open gently as she stepped inside. She surveyed the office through lidded eyes, almost dreading the confrontation between her and her husband. She was the reason that he left their bed so early. To cover up another one of her blunder's. The death of his Father.
She slowly removed her coat and draped it over the armchair and walked to the bar that held crystal pitchers of different types of alcohol. Chloe had noticed that when Lex was stressed he always took a swig of one of these various poisons. She figured it couldn't hurt her anymore than she had already hurt herself.
She removed the stopper and sat it down with a clank as she poured the amber liquid into the tumbler beside it. Lifting the glass to her face she stared at it with avid interest as the liquid moved happily within its confines.
Try as she might deny it, the limo ride back had been hell. Sitting alone in that spacious and elegant matter, with no one to talk to, nothing to distract her, she found herself alone with her thoughts.
And his eyes.
Not the eyes of her beloved husband.
The dying eyes of his Father. Eyes usually so full of fire and wickedness that had changed to become empty and hollow. She wanted to forget, to pretend it never happened and when she made love to Lex it was forgotten. Even as she spoke with Lana, the incident was tucked so far away in the back of her head that no thoughts, unpleasurable ones, of that night had resurfaced.
And then the news broke. Lionel Luthor was dead. The businessman known for his power and resilience was taken to the afterlife by a mere car accident. At the thought, Chloe scoffed in spite of herself.
She brought the glass to her lips and closed her eyes as she felt the burning liquid slide down her throat. The effect was instant, and some strange heat coursed through her body making her chest burn in the process. A feeling of lightheadedness swept through her and she immediately walked to couch and sat on it.
She stared at the glass in her hand once again as she sat it down on the glass table beside her. She instantly realized that she didn't like the taste of Scotch.
She leaned her head back gently on the leather sofa and closed her eyes gently praying to God that Lionel's gaunt features wouldn't greet her with darkness as her eyes shut out the light.
After moments of silent prayers, she heard a click from the door as it opened and closed and almost silent footsteps approached her. A gentle smile curled on her lips.
"You're late, Lex, I was about to call for a search party," she said, smirking, her eyes still closed. She waited for a response and maybe even a kiss for about a minute before she opened her eyes to survey the figure before her.
"Hello, Chloe," said Clark softly.
Her body tensed immediately and she sat rigid on the couch. "Clark," she said tersely, "to what do I owe the pleasure? Come here to insult me or maybe to blame me for my Father's predicament?"
"No," he said, casting his eyes to the ground, "I actually came her to see Lex. His Father died you know." Clark watched as her demeanor changed immediately at his words. She seemed, if possible, more stiff, and much paler than he had ever seen her. For a moment, he thought she was going to cry before she relaxed her features to stare at him with a stony expression.
"Of course I know his Father died," she snapped, "and I certainly hope you didn't brave the roads of Smallville to tell *him* that," she said rising from couch, taking her glass of Scotch with her. 'Great, I don't even like this stuff and Clark is driving me to drinking,' she thought.
"No, of course not," he said, blushing, "I just wanted to offer my condolences."
"Oh, so you'll offer Lex condolences but you hardly look at me while my Father is lying in a coma in ICU," she spat bitterly, draining the burning liquid.
"Chloe…" he began, but stopped figuring nothing he could say would make up for his behavior.
Clark wasn't sure when he realized it. Maybe it was when she opened her eyes to realize he wasn't Lex, or maybe it was when he inwardly winced at the tone she used as she spoke to him. No, he wasn't completely sure when he realized it, but he knew that things would never be the same between he and Chloe, again.
Chloe was about to ask Clark to leave when the office door opened once more and Lex strolled confidently in, frowning at the scene before him. He walked toward Chloe whose features changed from a disgusted scowl to a bright smile as her husband completely ignored Clark's presence and walked toward Chloe and enveloped her in a gentle hug.
Chloe smiled brightly as his hands encircled her waist. She pulled herself away from him and tipped up to kiss him. As his lips met hers, she felt all the anger and insecurity melt away as his tongue danced with hers.
"Nice to see you to," he said, after he gently pulled back and stared at the boy before him. "Clark?"
"Hey Lex," he said, his head still turned, not wanting to watch Lex and Chloe's fervent display of affection.
"Was there something specific that you wanted, because I'm thinking that there are far more *pleasurable* things I could be doing with my wife in your absence," he said, turning his head to Chloe and pressing his lips against her forehead.
"I just wanted to offer my condolences regarding your Father's death," said Clark, meeting Lex's gaze and blushing furiously at the innuendo laden comment Lex just presented. Clark looked to Chloe and noticed her stiffen again at the mention of Lex' Father's death. Something was going on with her and it had something to do with Lionel and his sudden demise.
"Save your breath, Clark," Lex said, feeling the stiffness in Chloe's body and pulling her towards him. "My Father's death is nobody's loss," he said dryly.
Clark remained silent as his eyes bore into Chloe's noticing that something was shining inside her green orbs. Something that greatly resembled guilt.
Chloe broke Clark's gaze and buried her head in Lex's firm chest as his soothing hands tangled in her silky locks.
"If that's all, Clark, perhaps you should be going, Chloe and I have a press conference to attend this afternoon," Lex said to Clark suggestively. Clark's eyes fell on Chloe again and noticed her arms encircle Lex's waist as she hugged him tightly. His eyes furrowed in bewilderment and then locked in concentration, realization dawned on his face. The guilt, the stiffness and Lex comforting his wife probably meant that they were or already had conspired something together and he knew in his gut it had something to do with Lionel. 'She didn't,' he thought to himself. Chloe would never do anything like that. Besides there was no reason for it. Everyone hated Lionel Luthor, but to kill, no, as much as Chloe had changed Clark knew she wasn't a murderer. He knew it in his bones.
Lex noticed the emotions that flitted across Clark's face and frowned inwardly. "Lex and I are very busy Clark," Chloe said finally, not liking the way Clark was surveying her, "I think it's best that you do leave. Now."
"Right," Clark said slowly. "I'll- I'll be seeing you Chloe, Lex," he said, as he walked quickly out of the room toward his truck downstairs.
Lana tapped her fingers on the kitchen table expectantly. She had called the Kent's twice already and Clark was nowhere to be found. She hadn't planned on talking to him after he told her to go away and stay out of things she didn't understand that night at the loft.
Chloe's words had gotten to her. The man she had loved had truly been lying to her, to all of then, well mostly all of them, assuming that Pete didn't know and she was almost sure he did.
She watched the phone again and picked it up, dialing the phone to the Kent farm for the third time that day.
"Chloe, you're going to have to compose yourself at the conference," said Lex as he pulled on a pair of black trousers.
"I know," she said quietly, buttoning the knee-length black skirt that she and Lex decided she should wear. Lex had muttered something about him wanting to wear a bright yellow shirt to celebrate the death of his Father but decided against it. "After all," he had said, "we are technically supposed to be mourning, not joyous."
"Although, if you do continue to get rigid every time his name is mentioned, people might think you actually cared so technically that might not be a bad thing," he said smiling at her. She couldn't help but smirk at his sense of humor and light heartedness as the situation.
Sure he had been ready and willing to kill his Father for her, but she had wondered if it had changed things when she did it. She looked at herself in the mirror as she noticed Lex walking towards her. She sighed contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her.
"It was bound to happen, Chloe," he said into her ear as he placed butterfly kisses on her cheeks.
"What was?" she asked, closing her eyes, as his breath warmed her cheek.
"My Father's death. It would have either been me killing him or somebody else. I just got beat to the punch that's all. So stop feeling guilty I'm not angry with you Chloe, my Father really was the devil and he proved that to me on a daily basis. He deserved what he got and you deserved to give it to him."
"I love you, Lex," she whispered quietly, opening her eyes and raising her arms to stroke his neck. She raised her eyes to look at their reflection in the mirror. They were a team now and it was no secret they were both made for great things. And now they would achieve them together.
"And I love you Chloe," he said against her neck, "so much."
"Mr.Luthor, what are the plans for Luthorcorp., now that Lionel has passed," asked a dark-haired reporter from the sea of news people attending the conference on the grounds of the mansion.
"There will be a merger of Luthorcorp., and Lexcorp., and the name will change to Lexcorp., despite popular beliefs that the company will be broken apart. According to my Father's will that was reviewed today by myself and my lawyer, Lionel left the entire corporation to me and my wife," said Lex, squeezing Chloe's hand as she stood silently beside him. She desperately tried to hide the smile that was threatening to break across her face. She loved watching Lex in action, it always made her feel safe. "Next question."
"Has an autopsy already been performed on Lionel Luthor?" asked a balding man from the group of spectators.
"No and there will not be one. The authorities have decided, upon the viewing of the body and the testimony of the truck driver, that no autopsy it necessary and no charges will be filed against the driver. Next question."
"Mrs. Luthor, how does this tragedy affect you and your new life as Lex Luthor's wife?" asked a black woman three rows back.
"It doesn't affect it at all. I loved Lex before his Father's untimely demise and I will continue to love him the same, if not more so after the result," said Chloe gracefully, squeezing Lex' hand. He smiled softly at her gesture and her comment.
"But won't the merger and him heading the company place more strain on your marriage?" continued the woman.
"There was no *strain* on our marriage to begin with. And I highly doubt that him becoming president and CEO of Lexcorp., will do anything to our marriage. I believe in Lex and I certainly believe in our marriage and I would appreciate if you would stop trying to insinuate that our marriage will be torn down by business, miss. Next question," she said authoritatively as Lex's faced formed a full blown smile at the reaction her comment had with the crowd.
He also noticed that instead of clamoring his name, the journalists and photographers were now shouting hers.
Before the conference, Lex couldn't help feel slightly anxious about how Chloe would respond to the sharp witted reporters that would clamor for her attention. Yet again, Lex Luthor was amazed by his wife.
"No more questions," Lex commanded, as he led Chloe toward the double doors of the house as lights flashed and their names were called around them.
At this moment and time, Lex felt like nothing could bring him down.
Clark turned off the TV as the press conference at the Luthor mansion ended. He had watched almost spellbound at Chloe's reaction to the reporters questions. In the beginning, she was very taut and uncomfortable, but eventually relaxed as her face fell into a mask much like Lex's when he was trying to hide his emotions. Clark knew that there was something more happening that neither Chloe or Lex were letting on.
He vowed to himself to find out what it was.
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. But I swear Clark has to be the most meddlesome ass creature on earth 
. I mean, damn, why doesn’t he get himself a life already. One that doesn’t involve interferring in other people’s affairs 
. For someone who is so guarded about his own secrets you would think he would know when to leave well enough alone. I'll be glad when he finally gets what’s coming to him 
.
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