Safe Harbor (PG-13)

[sydsvaughn]

Title: Safe Harbor
Author: SaraC
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Spoilers: None really, but based around plot ideas of "Precipice"
Pairing: Chlex

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be.

Author Note: Okay, first off, let me say this fic is in response to the episode "Precipice." While there will not be any spoilers for the specific episode, the plot might seem a bit familar since I intend to bend this fic to sort of a twisted, much more explicit <eg> Chlex version of some themes of that episode. I really, really needed to write this after seeing the episode and I hope you all will enjoy where I&#39;m going with this. It&#39;s a bit intense at first, but it has to be. I promise though, lots of Chlexy goodness is forthcoming. Hope you enjoy&#33;&#33; (Oh and for this fic and in protest of "Precipice" ... she-who-shall-not-be-named does not exist. Ever. Anywhere.)

~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1


Chloe shivered as she slipped through the high school&#39;s front doors and into the cool air of a beautiful autumn night. Pulling her jacked closer around her body, she hurried down the steps absently noting the crackle of the multi-colored leaves under her feet. Her mind was still occupied with the latest edition of the Torch she&#39;d just put to bed, so she did not see the two figures that suddenly appeared from the shadows.

"You know, young women shouldn&#39;t be walking alone after dark. It can be dangerous to their health."

Chloe stopped dead at the menacing voice, forcing down a shiver of fear as she turned to face Chris Felton and Marty Sayer. Both were fellow seniors and very large football players. Both also had smug looks on their faces that made her uneasy.

"Chris, Marty, is there something you needed?" She was glad her voice sounded calm and serene, masking the slight fear she couldn&#39;t help but feel.

"Actually Chloe, there is something we wanted and you&#39;re the only person who can give it to us- both of us actually." The evil glee in Chris&#39;s voice sent a real shiver of fear down her spine, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"Wow, what a surprise, I was under the impression you football jocks didn&#39;t want anything to do with lil&#39; old reporter me." The fear came out as snark in her voice and she suddenly realized it might not have been the best way to reply.

"Oh, we want a LOT to do with you." This time it was Marty&#39;s slick voice that spoke, and to her unease, he had somehow moved behind her and was nearly whispering in her ear. The fear was starting to take over now but she knew she needed to remain calm lest they suspect.

"Well, maybe we should set up an appointment for tomorrow at the Torch office. I&#39;d be happy to talk to you then-" She was cut off by the unpleasant feel of Chris&#39;s hand grabbing her arm.

"I don&#39;t think so Chloe. You see, what we need can&#39;t be gotten in the middle of a crowded newspaper office. It&#39;s a bit more personal."

Chloe knew in that moment that she was truly in trouble. Still, she gave one more valiant effort, trying to shake off Chris&#39;s hand as her mind tried to remember any tidbits she&#39;d picked up on self-defense. "Guys, it&#39;s late, I&#39;m tired, if you can put this off until tomorrow-"

Chloe uttered a muffled shriek when Marty&#39;s arms closed around her in a vice grip as Chris smiled vindictively at her.

"No Chloe. You see, some of us have been wondering if there&#39;s a real woman inside the hard-nosed Chloe Sullivan you see every day. The two of us decided it was time to find out."

Chloe&#39;s heart froze as one of Marty&#39;s beefy hands closed over her breast through the thin shirt she wore. Jumping in outrage, she started to struggle as the adrenaline of fear hit. To her horror, Marty simply wrapped one arm around her throat, starting to choke her. Unable to breathe, she felt pure terror close over her as Chris reached out and ripped the front of her shirt clear down the front.

The fighter in her struggled harder, trying to find the strength to lash out with her arms or legs but found it difficult to do anything since the arm at her throat was cutting off her breath. She felt sick as Marty pulled her to the ground and Chris threw himself against her legs to stop her struggles. Black spots appeared before Chloe&#39;s eyes as she tried to scream without breath. Tears formed in her eyes as she felt two sets of male hands pawing at her as she heard more clothing rip but she was fast losing consciousness as her lungs were deprived of air.

In that instant, she found herself stupidly wondering when Clark would appear to save her. But she knew that her so-called best friend was in Metropolis and had no way of knowing what was happening. Still, if she had been Lana, he would have been there. It was a petty thought to have in this moment when her life hovered in the balance but the lack of oxygen must have affected her brain. Worse off, the final thought she found herself having as blackness closed in on her was regret that she would never get a chance to kiss Lex Luthor.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lex wasn&#39;t sure why he was driving past the high school at this late hour of the night. Usually he would have taken the outlying roads to the mansion but something had him steering his car through town. Sighing, his mind already occupied with the numerous business affairs awaiting him, he barely caught the movement from the bushes near the front steps of the school.

But something caused his eye to stop and to his horror, he was able to make out two figures apparently struggling with something on the ground. More accurately, he had a bad feeling it was someone. Even worse, he could only think of a few people who might be around the school this late at night.

Screeching to a halt, he jumped from the car and raced towards the figures, who seemed oblivious to anything but their task. As he neared, he could clearly make out a third figure, pinned beneath one of the others, apparently unmoving. But there was no mistaking the shock of blonde hair against the dark ground.

"Hey&#33; What the hell are you doing?"

The two figures, football players he guessed from their build as he reached them, suddenly turned to glare at him.

"This doesn&#39;t concern you Luthor, go home."

Lex struggled to hold back the nausea he felt as he recognized Chloe&#39;s limp body beneath the boy who had spoken. He could only hope that she was simply unconscious and not dead. Thankfully, it looked like aside from ripped clothing she was untouched. He felt a wave of relief at the knowledge but knew she wasn&#39;t out of the woods yet.

"Oh really? Last I heard taking a woman against her will, much less an unconscious one was called rape. And in that case, it does concern me." His fury was building as the two jocks laughed and the taller one ran a hand down Chloe&#39;s chest and stomach. Every instinct he had urged him to pull out his gun and show these two bastards who they were dealing with. But he forced his temper down, knowing that could only be a last resort.

"Why do you care? She&#39;s just a girl, you&#39;ve got plenty of women, let us have this one."

Lex&#39;s hand clenched into a fist as the second boy ran a heated gaze down Chloe&#39;s limp body. Lex knew time was running out, and to his horror, it looked like Chloe was barely breathing. Enough was enough.

"Gentlemen, you have less than three seconds to leave." His voice was cold and hard, a sure sign to those that knew him that he was reaching the breaking point.

"And if we don&#39;t? What are you gonna do, call daddy to come rescue you? Or you simply gonna take her for yourself, in traditional Luthor fashion? I hear she&#39;s pretty hot in the sack or at least she will be by the time we&#39;re through with her."

Lex saw red and before he knew what he was doing, the gun was in his hand and pointed at the two jocks.

"I believe your time is up." This time, he could tell his tone and his words hit home as the fear finally dawned in both pairs of eyes. "You will leave now and never touch Chloe Sullivan again. If I hear you&#39;ve tried anything or spread any kind of rumors about her, you will regret it. That&#39;s a promise and Luthors&#39; never break a promise. Are we clear?"

He watched the bravado fade as he cocked the gun and pointed it at the taller of the two.

"Come on Marty, she&#39;s not worth it anyhow." With that, the two boys took off at a run neither looking back.

Shoving the gun back into his jacket pocket, Lex raced over to Chloe&#39;s unmoving figure. He had to fight down another wave of nausea as he noted the marks that were quickly forming against the tender skin of Chloe&#39;s neck and breasts where harsh fingers had gripped and bruised. Leaning close to her mouth, he was relieved to hear very shallow, slow breathing. Grabbing his cell, he quickly called 9-1-1 and reported their situation. When the call was made, he gingerly reached over and closed the young woman&#39;s ripped shirt, thanking whomever that it appeared the bastards hadn&#39;t done any permanent damage, seeing as her jeans were still in one piece.

"Chloe, Chloe, can you hear me? I need you to wake up&#33;" He knew she probably couldn&#39;t hear him, but he was desperate to have her eyes open. He needed to know she was all right.

"Chloe, come on, don&#39;t do this to me sweetheart, wake up&#33;" Lex was unaware of the endearment he&#39;d used as he stroked her cheek and lightly brushed her hair, whispering desperate words, trying to get her to wake up. His heart leapt as her long eyelashes suddenly fluttered and her eyes slowly opened.

"Lex?"

The word was barely a whisper, her vocal chords raspy from being held in a stranglehold for too long, but for Lex, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The sound of someone calling her name suddenly invaded the warm blackness she&#39;d been floating in. She frowned, hating the fact the voice was disturbing the sudden peace she&#39;d found. Still, the voice was so desperate, she found herself unable to resist its call, needing to know who was so desperate to see her. When her eyes finally fluttered open, she was amazed to find herself staring into the very familiar, very concerned orbs of Smallville&#39;s resident playboy billionaire.

"Lex?" Her voice sounded raspy to her and she wondered why, not to mention why she was cradled in a pair of strong arms she&#39;d dreamed about frequently for the past year.

Suddenly, the memories hit along with the pain. She whimpered as the bruises on her neck and breasts began to throb as her mind flashed back to being pinned to the ground by Chris and Marty. Suddenly, Lex&#39;s arms were too reminiscent of her attackers and she began to breath hard, struggling to pull away.

Lex immediately read the panic in her eyes as she started to struggle and very carefully released her, laying her gently on the ground as he tried to make his voice as calming as possible. He was filled with fury at what those idiots had reduced this brave young woman to but he knew this was a normal reaction in cases such as this. What sucked was that it was happening to one of his friends.

"Chloe, it&#39;s okay&#33; You&#39;re okay. It&#39;s Lex, I&#39;m here and no one is going to hurt you. No one." He sensed his words were penetrating through her fear as she stopped struggling and went quiet, her eyes confused as she stared into his.

Chloe struggled to remember that this was Lex and that he wouldn&#39;t hurt her. Something in his eyes, or maybe the tone of his voice as he tried to calm her made her realize he really wouldn&#39;t hurt her. The sense of relief that swept over her was quickly replaced again by the pain wracking her body. She whimpered as she tried to swallow and felt a sharp pain. She began to choke, barely noticing as Lex quickly moved to her side and helped her into a sitting position.

"It&#39;s okay Chloe, you&#39;re going to be okay. Relax." Lex was worried even as he continued to murmur soothing words to her as she choked for breath his heart hurting for her as she struggled to comprehend all that had happened. He thanked God when he heard the ambulance sirens approaching. "The paramedics are coming Chloe, just hang in there and it will all be okay. Trust me."

He felt something in his heart squeezed as she suddenly reached out and latched onto his arm, her eyes looking desperately into his as the red flashing lights washed over her face.

"Don&#39;t leave me."

Chloe knew she sounded desperate but she didn&#39;t care. She was in pain and confused and definitely scared and right now, Lex&#39;s was the only face she could trust. Her eyes pleaded with him even as the paramedics rushed to her side. Moving her grip from his arm to his hand she begged him with her eyes. Her eyes closed in relief as he simply nodded and squeezed her hand, keeping their fingers interlocked as he turned and began explaining to the paramedics what had happened.

~*~*~*~*~

Lex sighed as he settled against the side of the ambulance, his hand still tightly clasped in Chloe&#39;s. The young woman had refused to let go of his hand and for some reason he found himself strangely reluctant to let it go. He closed his eyes as images of what could have happened to her if he hadn&#39;t arrived when he did flashed through his mind.

"Lex."

His eyes flew open at Chloe&#39;s whisper and he immediately leaned over squeeze her hand.

"It&#39;s okay Chloe, I&#39;m here. You&#39;re going to be fine."

Chloe wasn&#39;t sure where she was but all she knew was that the pain had finally subsided and Lex Luthor was holding her hand. An amazing image when she thought about it, although she wondered if this moment was the exact appropriate one to be thinking it. Still, the fear of earlier was lingering but at the moment she was more concerned with the bald man staring worriedly into her eyes.

"Lex, I&#39;m okay." She knew her raspy voice wasn&#39;t exactly reassuring but she took satisfaction from the light that suddenly appeared in the bald billionaire&#39;s eyes.

"Don&#39;t try and talk Chloe. You need to conserve your energy." Lex was simply glad she seemed coherent and aware as he looked into her expressive eyes. His grip tightened on her hand at the look she gave him.

"Thank you." She knew it wasn&#39;t much but it was the best she could do at the moment. The reality of what could have happened if Lex hadn&#39;t shown up when he did was enough to send a shiver down her spine. "If you hadn&#39;t-"

Lex cut her off by placing a finger against her lips. "Don&#39;t even think about it. Just relax, you&#39;re going to get checked out and everything&#39;s going to be fine. Rest."

Chloe felt a familiar spark of frustration at being ordered around but she felt so sleepy she decided to keep quiet this time. There would be plenty of other opportunities for verbal judo when she was just feeling a little more coherent.

Lex smiled softly as he watched her drop off into sleep, knowing she wanted to resist it. His heart felt better at realizing that while it had been a traumatic experience she was well on her way to overcoming it. His grin disappeared as his mind went back to the two boys who had put Chloe where she was at this moment. He cracked the knuckles of his free hand as he imagined what he could do to make them pay.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Several hours later a very tired Chloe found herself being discharged into the custody of one Lex Luthor. Several doctors had checked her over thoroughly and despite Lex&#39;s urging she stay overnight for observation, had deemed her bruised and battered but okay to go home. Right now, all she wanted was a long hot shower to scrub the residue of her attackers off and a pair of clean pajamas. She leaned her head wearily against the seat of Lex&#39;s Porsche as she let the soothing jazz CD he&#39;d put in ease her frazzled nerves.

"Chloe, I really think you should have stayed overnight." Lex knew it was a battle he couldn&#39;t win but he needed to try. The doctors had confirmed that she was suffering from bruises and cuts and emotional trauma but nothing more serious. Still, he would have felt better if she&#39;d spent the night under their care.

"Lex, I know you&#39;re concerned and I thank you, but right now all I want is a long shower to wash the filth of those guys off and a long night&#39;s sleep." She knew she sounded testy but she couldn&#39;t help it. The reality of what had almost happened was beginning to hit and she knew a breakdown was coming. She really didn&#39;t want anyone around to witness it either.

"Then stay at the mansion where I can keep an eye on you to make sure you&#39;re all right." Lex wasn&#39;t sure where the words had come from but to his surprise, he found he meant them. The though of her being alone tonight was something he didn&#39;t want to contemplate.

Chloe sighed, then winced at the pain as she tried to lift her arm to brush a few stray hairs from her eyes. "Lex, I appreciate the offer, but I&#39;d feel more comfortable at home. Besides, if my dad calls, I want to be there to talk to him." She knew Lex couldn&#39;t argue that one, especially since it was his orders that had sent Gabe off to yet another fertilizer convention in Edge City.

"Gabe&#33; I should have called him-" Lex was cut off by Chloe&#39;s quick plea.

"No. Lex, I don&#39;t want him to know. I don&#39;t want anyone to know." She knew she sounded desperate but she couldn&#39;t help it. The thought of her father or anyone else for that matter, knowing how weak she&#39;d been, how helpless and afraid, sent a totally different bolt of fear through her.

"Chloe, you have to tell your dad. He&#39;ll find out anyhow since I have it on good authority that all the doctors and nurses at Smallville General talk." Lex didn&#39;t like the pleading tone to Chloe&#39;s voice. It sounded like she was ashamed, something she definitely should not have been.

"I&#39;ll tell him Lex, but an abbreviated version. He doesn&#39;t need to know it all, he&#39;ll only worry more and he&#39;s got enough to deal with dealing with Lana and myself not mention his job." She sighed in relief as Lex, after a long pause, nodded.

"As long as you tell him. And speaking of Lana, I should call her to be with you tonight-" Again he was cut off.

"No. Lana is busy tonight. She doesn&#39;t need to be bothered. I&#39;ll be fine, I just need to sleep." She hoped she sounded heartier than she felt. The thought of spending a night alone in her house wasn&#39;t exactly appealing after her ordeal but she&#39;d be damned if she&#39;d let Lex Luthor see that. Chloe Sullivan was very much like him in the respect that she did not let people see when she was feeling weak.

Lex&#39;s concern deepened as he heard the wavery quality to Chloe&#39;s voice and familiar with the signs, knew she was closer to the edge than she probably knew. He ran a hand across his scalp as he tried for a neutral reply.

"You&#39;re not staying alone. Trust me, you need someone there and I can call Lana-"

"No&#33;" Chloe didn&#39;t mean to shout, but she couldn&#39;t help it. Lex was the most frustrating person she knew, even more so than Clark. She sighed at his confused expression, knowing she had to explain. "Lana is with Clark in Metropolis. The Kents&#39; took them both out to celebrate Clark&#39;s 18th birthday. I don&#39;t want to disturb them, especially Lana, she&#39;s been looking forward to this date for a long time."

Lex heard the bitterness in her voice and surprisingly, found a not so pleasant sensation in his chest as he realized she must be upset over Clark and Lana finally getting together. He&#39;d hoped she was over her crush on Clark but now he wasn&#39;t so sure.

"Chloe, I&#39;m sure Lana and Clark would want to be here for you, Clark especially if he knew what you&#39;d gone through-" He was really getting tired of being cut off by the blonde but he remained quiet as she launched into a hoarse, yet familiar rant.

"Lex, it&#39;s not about Clark. It&#39;s not even about Lana. I got over those two a long time ago." She spoke the truth although she couldn&#39;t deny the spark of jealousy she felt at realizing that Lana would get to spend Clark&#39;s special day with him instead of his so-called best friend.

"Then what&#39;s bothering you so much Chloe?" Lex found himself truly wanting to know as he looked over at the pensive girl seated next to him. He knew there was more to her feelings than she was saying but stupidly, his mind was still processing the knowledge that she was over Clark. The thought sent a wave of relief through him that he did not want to analyze at the moment.

Chloe sighed, twisting her fingers and feeling her body begin to ache as the pain killers began to wear off. She wondered if she dared tell Lex the real reason she was still so reluctant to bother Lana and Clark. Taking a look into his dark eyes, she read the curiosity and concern in them and it warmed her heart. It had been a long time since anyone other than her father had looked at her like that. Sighing, she realized if nothing else she owed Lex her honesty.

"It&#39;s stupid really, petty now that I think about it." She stumbled over her words not sure how to phrase it without sounding stupid. "I mean, it&#39;s not like Clark was anywhere around Smallville tonight, so its not like he could have known-"

"But you&#39;re upset that he wasn&#39;t there to rescue you, like he would have been if it were Lana." Lex didn&#39;t question how he knew the end of her thought but simply stated it as if it were a fact. And from the look in her eyes, he knew he&#39;d hit on the truth.

Chloe sighed, wondering if she should be worried that Lex Luthor could read her so easily. Still, he&#39;d hit the nail on the head and it was pointless to deny. "I told you it was stupid, I should be more worried about a lot of other things."

Lex sighed as he turned the car into the Sullivan driveway. "Chloe, don&#39;t apologize. If anyone knows about Clark&#39;s tendency to appear when needed, it&#39;s me." Her small laugh made him feel better, even though he knew she was still hurting. "Besides, just think of it this way. You&#39;re the only female in this town at the moment who can say Lex Luthor rode to your rescue."

Chloe felt something warm flutter inside of her at his words as she realized the truth of them. Not to mention the fact that she was finding herself more and more glad it was Lex who had come to her rescue.

"So can I call you my own white knight now?"

Lex&#39;s groan made her feel a lot better as he pulled the car to a stop and immediately jumped from it to walk around to her side. For some reason, she sat quietly and waited for him to open her door instead of her usual mode of jumping right out. Then again, she really didn&#39;t feel like jumping at the moment. She winced at the pain that shot through her arm as Lex reached to help her from the car.

"Chloe? Here, lean on me." Lex felt the worry hit as he noted her wince as he helped her towards the house and instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, taking most of her weight as he steered them towards the front door.

"Thanks Lex, I&#39;m sorry I&#39;m so helpless. It&#39;s very unlike me." Chloe knew she was babbling but she couldn&#39;t help it. She was frustrated she couldn&#39;t do this on her own and that Lex had to help, but she knew she couldn&#39;t have made it here without him.

"Chloe, shut up and let me take care of you okay?" Lex was happy to note his words shut her up as he reached for her key and unlocked the front door. With a little more maneuvering, he managed to get them both up to Chloe&#39;s room, watching n concern as she collapsed onto the bed. "Are you going to be all right? I could run a bath for you-"

Chloe laughed at the image of Lex Luthor running her a bath. She was surprised to feel the slight tingle of arousal the thought sent through her aching body.

{{Great girl, now is the perfect time to let those sexual fantasies of Lex reign free}}

"It&#39;s okay Lex, I can handle things from here. I know you must be anxious to get home-" She was cut off by his finger across her lips.

"If you won&#39;t let me call Lana or Gabe, then you&#39;ve just gotten yourself a houseguest for the night. I&#39;m not leaving you alone Chloe." Lex hoped his stern tone conveyed his message and to his surprise, he found Chloe simply nodded before struggling to her feet and heading for the bathroom.

"If you&#39;re going to stay, make yourself useful and make some coffee. Please?" She gave him a tired smile as he simply nodded and disappeared out her bedroom door. Closing her eyes when he was out of sight, she sank into a nearby chair, feeling her limbs start to tremble with reaction to everything that had happened. She just had to hang onto it a little longer however until Lex had fallen asleep on the couch, then she could break down.

Struggling to the bathroom, she stripped her clothing, shuddering as the move brought back the image of Chris tearing her shirt. Pushing it from her mind, she started the water and dragged her aching body under the spray. Sighing in relief, she began to scrub what she could of her body, determined to feel clean after the grimy hands that had touched her. Twenty minutes later she emerged, feeling only a little better. Swallowing several of the pain pills Lex had thoughtfully left out for her, she struggled into her robe and padded back down to her room. She couldn&#39;t help but smile as she entered and found Lex sitting in a chair by her bed, two steaming mugs of coffee sitting on the table next to him.

"Coffee&#33; You&#39;re a God Lex Luthor&#33;" With that, she slid into her bed and reached for the mug, hoping he hadn&#39;t noticed her wince as sore muscles protested the quick action.

Lex frowned as he noted her wince, his heart aching for the pain she must be in. And for the turmoil he knew she was headed for. He could read it in her eyes. Chloe hadn&#39;t processed what had nearly happened and when she did, it wasn&#39;t going to be pretty. He knew this because he knew her and knew that she was very much like him. She didn&#39;t show the world when she hurt but when that bottled up emotion shattered it was a raging storm. Lex had always faced those moments alone and he was determined that Chloe would not have to.

"I&#39;ve been called worse," he finally said as she smiled at him over the rim of her mug. He noted the coffee seemed to relax her as she snuggled down under the covers. He didn&#39;t know how to broach his worries over her mental state so he remained quiet, waiting to see what happened next.

Chloe watched him carefully as she sipped her coffee, noting how the soft light of her room gave him a dangerous yet seductive look. Strangely, she had never felt safer. Still as she tried to relax, the images of the past few hours, of what had nearly happened to her, began to play in her mind. She started trembling as she pictured Chris&#39;s large hands tearing at her clothing, felt the breath stalled in her throat as Marty choked her.

Lex set down his mug and reached for Chloe&#39;s as he saw the fear and terror begin to darken her eyes. Setting the mug gently on the night table, he moved a little closer to her trembling form, wanting to reassure her he was there. He watched carefully as she began panting, struggling for breath as her hands clenched into fists on the covers. Tentatively, he reached to cover her hands with his, knowing she probably couldn&#39;t feel the grasp as the emotions battered her.

Chloe couldn&#39;t help but begin to panic as the images of Chris and Marty loomed before her along with the remembered sensation of violation. The trembling in her body grew stronger as she relieved the moment and she unconsciously began whimpering in fear and pain. Without realizing it, her hands tightened on Lex&#39;s as the full force of her memories hit.

Lex felt his heart torn as he quickly moved to sit next to Chloe on the bed, her pitiful cries and whimpers making him feel more helpless than he had in years. "Chloe, shhhh, it&#39;s okay, I&#39;m here, you&#39;re safe." He kept whispering the words against her ear as he gently pulled her into his arms, hoping his warmth would ease the trembling of her body.

Chloe was struggling through the nightmare of pain and fear when the sensation of a warm pair of arms around her registered. They weren&#39;t the harsh, hard ones of Marty, but strong, comforting, caring arms, along with a familiar voice whispering that it would be all right. Her eyes suddenly focused on the man sitting next to her and the concern in his eyes as he held her in a loose embrace.

The dam broke at that look and the first of many wracking sobs shook her small frame. Burrowing closer to Lex&#39;s warmth, Chloe threw all thoughts of dignity to the wind and let herself be pulled tightly against his body as she sobbed heartbrokenly into his chest. Her arms closed around him in a vise grip as she shook and trembled, releasing all her pent up anger and fear in loud, angry sobs.

Lex simply held her close, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words against her ear. He knew she needed this release and he would let her cry as long as she needed wishing only that he could take away her pain. It scared him a little, these intense feelings he was suddenly realizing he had for Chloe Sullivan. Although if he were honest, he&#39;d been feeling them for a long time, he just hadn&#39;t wanted to admit them.

Chloe wasn&#39;t sure when she finally stopped crying but when she managed to calm her body and lift her head, she found herself embarrassed to realize that she was wrapped tightly in Lex&#39;s arms. A position she&#39;d dreamed about for sure but under vastly differently circumstances.

"God Lex, I&#39;m so sorry-" Her pitiful ramblings were stopped by the look in his eyes.

"Don&#39;t be sorry. You needed to get it out. Now you can deal with it and I&#39;m going to be there to help you through it." He smiled at the wonder he saw slowly replace the embarrassment in her eyes.

Chloe wasn&#39;t sure how to respond to his words but she did know they started a warmth inside her that was slowly overcoming the cold she&#39;d felt since her attack. Numerous responses to his words filtered through her tired mind but she decided on the simplest at the moment as sleep began to claim her aching body.

"I hope you know what you&#39;re in for." With that, she instinctively snuggled her head against the warmth of his chest, vibrating now with his low laughter. She wrapped her arms lightly around his waist to achieve the sense of security she felt simply from being in his presence. Within moments, she drifted off into the blessed blackness of sleep.

Lex felt his laughter subside as her soft body pressed itself to his and she snuggled down against his chest. He hadn&#39;t exactly intended on spending the night in Chloe&#39;s bed, but now that he was here, he really felt no desire to leave. He&#39;d deal with the consequences in the morning. Besides, he knew Chloe&#39;s ordeal was far from over.

While he was relieved she seemed to be over the immediate worst, he knew it would be a long road to recovery and there would be plenty of pitfalls along the way. Not to mention he didn&#39;t trust that those two lugs wouldn&#39;t try something again. Which just meant he had to come up with a plan to both help Chloe regain her self-confidence and protect her at the same time. Snuggling her closer, trying not to analyze these new protective feelings for the woman in his arms, sleep finally claimed his tired body.

~*~*~*~*~*~

[Queen Of Tact]

oh, I liked that.... Please please post more soon....

CC

[drina]

Wow...no words to describe what i feel.

You&#39;ve done it again, writing another great piece. you have the greatest characterisation of Chloe and Lex, so insightful and true to character. Keep it up. :applause:

[Sway]

okay, there was neither a TBC or The End at the end of that, so i&#39;m gonna close my eyes and hope that its a TBC, cos that was one of the best fics i&#39;ve read and i need more.

: Sway

[Tandy]

Great job&#33; It was very intense, very well done. hmy:
Tandy

[bluemoongirl23]

Excellent. That&#39;s all I can come up with now. I mean, very well-done. Please post more soon.

Blue

[sydsvaughn]

Title: Safe Harbor (2/?)
Author: SaraC
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17

Spoilers, notes and disclaimers in Chapter 1

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 2


Clark and Lana were talking quietly as they pulled into the Sullivan driveway. However, their conversation came to a halt as they noticed the car parked in front of the house.

"What is Lex&#39;s car doing here at 4am?"

Lana shook her head at Clark&#39;s question as worry suddenly clouded her mind. "You don&#39;t think something happened to Chloe do you? Or Gabe?" She knew she had a tendency to panic but couldn&#39;t help it. The Sullivans&#39; had become her family over the years and she hoped nothing bad had happened.

The two quickly jumped from the car and made their way to the house. Using her key, Lana unlocked then pushed open the front door, noting the downstairs was dark. Not a good sign since Chloe usually left a light on. Clark moved ahead of Lana towards the stairs, carefully scanning the house for anything amiss. As he reached the top floor his gaze immediately x-rayed through Chloe&#39;s bedroom door. Lana crashed into him as he stopped dead as the sight of two skeletons, in the same bed, registered.

"Clark? Why did you stop? I need to check on Chloe." Lana pushed past the young man, immediately going for the door. Clark tried to stop her but didn&#39;t make it in time.

Lana&#39;s loud gasp brought Lex awake faster than he would have imagined. Opening his eyes, he found himself faced with the amusing sight of Clark and Lana wearing identical shocked expressions. He sighed, a quick glance at the clock on the bedside table told him it was the wee hours of the morning and the stiffness in his neck alerted him that he&#39;d been in the same position for quite a few hours. Chloe it seemed thankfully, was still asleep, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

He sighed as he heard Lana start to sputter something and held a finger to his lips motioning for them to be quiet as he began the not extremely welcome task of removing Chloe&#39;s arms. To his surprise, he found himself reluctant to let her go having gotten used to the feel of her warm body against his. But Clark and Lana would not wait and he really wasn&#39;t sure what to say, or how much to tell, knowing Chloe wanted to talk to them first.

Ignoring the pang of loss he felt as Chloe finally curled up into a ball after releasing him, he stretched and rose from the bed, turning back to tuck the covers carefully around her still form. He found himself fighting the urge to place a gentle kiss against her smooth forehead but realized that with his audience it probably would not be the most advantageous move at the moment. He sighed, taking a final look at her before turning and motioning for Clark and Lana to follow him from the room.

When the three had reached the living room, Lex tiredly sank onto the couch, wondering where to begin. Clark however seemed to have no qualms about things.

"What the hell were you doing in Chloe&#39;s bed Lex?"

The bald billionaire sighed and ran a hand over his smooth head as he weighed his options on how much to say. He did not want to trivialize Chloe&#39;s traumatic experience but then again, would it be more traumatic if he told Clark and Lana before she did?

"Chloe had a run in with a few over zealous football players outside the school tonight. I happened to drive by and saw the whole thing then stepped in to help and gave her a lift home." He stopped as both Clark and Lana tried to interrupt.

"What do you mean overzealous?"

"Is Chloe okay? God Lex, what happened? Is she all right?"

Holding up a hand for silence he sighed before replying. "Chloe&#39;s okay now, but there were a few hairy moments. However, she&#39;s fine, just a little bruised-"

"Bruised? What the hell aren&#39;t you telling us Lex?"

He couldn&#39;t help but be surprised the heated comment came from Lana rather than Clark. Still, he could tell both of his friends really cared and that made it a little easier to explain.

"Putting it bluntly, they tried to rape her." There, it was out and had received the shocked and horrified expressions he&#39;d expected so he continued on quickly. "She&#39;s okay, they didn&#39;t succeed, but they came close." His hands tightened into fists as the anger again surged through him. Forcing himself to control it, he missed the looks both Clark and Lana shot him as they watched.

"Is Chloe- how&#39;s she coping?"

Clark&#39;s question made Lex smile wryly. "She&#39;s a fighter and she&#39;s going to be fine. However, when we got home, it all hit pretty hard and I wasn&#39;t going anywhere so she cried it out on my shoulder and we fell asleep."

He tried not to squirm at the look Clark shot him, obviously trying to read between the lines of what he&#39;d just said.

"Oh how horrible&#33; But Lex, you really think she&#39;s going to be okay?" Lana&#39;s concern made his smile disappear as he explained his fears.

"I know she will, but she&#39;s going to have some rough patches." He sighed as the two looked at him curiously. "She&#39;s going to feel helpless and vulnerable, natural reactions to such an experience. But knowing Chloe, she&#39;s also going to be fighting mad that she couldn&#39;t do more to protect herself. Hopefully that&#39;s where I can help."

Clark watched his friend carefully, able to see that Lex really meant what he said and that his concern for Chloe was genuine. If he didn&#39;t know better, he might have suspected that Lex felt more for Chloe than just friendship. But right now, that was the last thing he should be worrying about.

"What do you mean Lex?" Clark was curious to know just what his friend planned to do while at the same time he rather resented the way Lex seemed to be taking over Chloe&#39;s recovery plans.

Lex smiled mysteriously. "Let&#39;s just say I&#39;m going to help Chloe master the skills she needs to never feel unable to cope with such a situation again." He laughed harshly at Clark&#39;s worried expression. "Relax Clark, I&#39;m talking about self-defense training. Kick boxing, awareness, things like that, nothing more."

Lana shot Lex a look, wondering about the young Luthor&#39;s motives as well. She&#39;d known for a while about Chloe&#39;s crush on Lex but now, she was beginning to suspect her friend&#39;s feelings might not be one sided as she&#39;d often thought. Still, she had to admit, Chloe couldn&#39;t be in better hands to overcome such a trying ordeal.

"Well, I&#39;m guessing the first order of business will simply be dealing with Chloe when she wakes up." Lana forced her tone to be pragmatic, her mind already wondering what might happen when Chloe awoke. The worry on Clark and Lex&#39;s faces did not do much to reassure her.

"I&#39;ll stay with her. A friendly face is probably what she needs to wake up to. I can crash on a chair in her room-"

Lex did not like the irrational wave of jealousy that shot through him as he immediately put a stop to Clark&#39;s words.

"Actually Clark, I&#39;ll stay." He held up a hand at both Clark and Lana&#39;s protests. "Chloe&#39;s comfortable with me. Besides, she probably won&#39;t be too happy I told you what happened since she wanted to tell you herself. Best that I&#39;m there to explain." It was a reasonable, logical explanation. Lex only wished he could convince himself of that.

Clark definitely did not like the idea of Lex staying in Chloe&#39;s room but he had to admit his friend had a point. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, noting the concerned look Lana gave him.

"Well, I&#39;m staying too so I&#39;ll fight you for the chair." Lex simply nodded, too tired to do much else.

"Fine, then I&#39;ll go back upstairs. If you need me, you know where I&#39;ll be." With that, he bid his worried friends good night and climbed the stairs again towards Chloe&#39;s bedroom. He couldn&#39;t help but feel a sense of relief as he entered the room and walked over to the bed, slipping easily beneath the sheets. He smiled in satisfaction as Chloe&#39;s arms immediately returned to his waist, holding him tightly as she snuggled her face against his shoulder. He really could get used to this. The thought should have scared him but he sleep once again claimed him before he could react.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Several hours later, Lex again found himself woken from sleep. This time, however, he was awoken by the feel of a soft warm hand resting between his legs. His eyes shot open as he turned his head to look at the sleeping woman next to him. Chloe was obviously still out like a light, but her hand must have had a mind of its own. Cursing his body that was now reacting to her innocent nearness, he forced himself to slip from the bed and out of her arms. It would definitely not do to have Chloe come awake to his erection, especially after last night.

Sighing, yelling at himself for even thinking such thoughts about Chloe, he made his way into the hallway and towards the bathroom. He hoped Gabe might have an extra toothbrush since his mouth felt stale and gummy and he was sure his breath was horrible. He passed Clark coming up the steps and simply nodded to his friend before disappearing into the bathroom. He tried not to feel jealous as he watched the farmboy slowly enter Chloe&#39;s room, knowing he was only concerned for a friend, but it wasn&#39;t working. Determined to hurry back, Lex set about searching the Sullivan bathroom for what he needed.

Chloe&#39;s high pitched scream had him dropping the towel he was holding and bolting back towards her room several moments later.

~*~*~*~*~

Clark felt his heart beat painfully as the soft morning light revealed the black and blue bruises on his friend&#39;s throat. Chloe looked so small and innocent lying there and his blood boiled at the thought that anyone could do such a thing to her. He felt a stab of guilt at realizing too that he hadn&#39;t been there to save her. Thank God Lex had been. Still, it wasn&#39;t a pleasant feeling knowing what could have happened.

"You can&#39;t save everyone Clark, no matter how much you want to." Lana&#39;s soft voice made him start but his gaze never left the figure lying to still in the bed.

"But I wasn&#39;t even here. Lex had to save her. I couldn&#39;t." He knew it was stupid, irrational to think he could save everyone, but the woman lying there was like his own sister and he hated feeling so helpless.

"Clark, thankfully Lex was there. Nothing bad happened. And I for one feel a lot safer knowing the both of you are out there doing what you can to protect us fair maidens." Lana hoped he would heed her words, the last thing she or Chloe needed was Clark suffering through a guilt complex.

Both started as Chloe suddenly began to moan and thrash around in the sheets, obviously in the middle of a bad dream. Clark instinctively moved towards her, reaching for her shoulders, trying to gently wake her from the dream.

"Chloe, wake up, you&#39;re having a nightmare." His words obviously weren&#39;t doing the trick so he gently shook her shoulders relieved when her eyes suddenly shot open. His eardrums however nearly cracked as she shrieked and began to struggle against him.

~*~*~*~*~

Chloe was in the middle of a horrible dream in which Chris and Marty had her pinned against the wall and were lewdly grabbing her wherever they could. She struggled with all her might to break free of their grip, trying to figure out why a distinctly different voice was suddenly urging her to wake up. When she finally managed to open eyes she&#39;d squeezed shut in terror, she did not recognize Clark&#39;s face so close to her own. She saw Chris instead and the fear hit her like a lightening bolt. Uttering a blood-curdling scream, she began to fight again with all her might.

In the back of her brain, some part of her knew instinctively that she needed Lex. She wasn&#39;t sure why but she wasn&#39;t going to fight it. She tried to cry out his name, desperately hoping he&#39;d hear and come save her.

Clark felt shock run through his system as he heard Chloe scream Lex&#39;s name, the fear in her eyes truly frightening him. He nearly did not recognize the blur that suddenly shot across the room and pushed him from the bed. Stumbling back, Clark and a wide-eyed Lana watched as the young billionaire wrapped the distraught woman in his arms and began whispering soothing words against her ear.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lex&#39;s heart stopped as he burst into the room and saw Chloe clawing at Clark, a mask of fear over her eyes. Not even stopping to think, he rushed for the bed, adrenaline and surprise giving him the advantage as he pushed Clark off the bed and reached for Chloe.

"Chloe, shhhh, it&#39;s okay, I&#39;m here. You&#39;re safe." He desperately whispered the words against her ear, using calming strokes against her hair and back, breathing a sigh of relief as she began to calm.

The fear was slowly receding as Chloe became aware of the familiar, strong arms now wrapped around her, giving her a feeling of safety and security. Taking several deep breaths, she felt her gaze come back into focus and she managed to open her eyes to see a very worried Lex Luthor rocking her gently, the concern in his eyes nearly heartbreaking.

"Lex, you&#39;re here. You didn&#39;t leave." She knew it sounded pathetic but she didn&#39;t care. Her emotions were still running high and all she wanted to do was curl up against Lex and block out everything around her. She settled for buying her head against his shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Breathing deeply, she let his familiar scent and warm chest absorb the last of her fear. When she finally felt she could speak and breathe normally, she pulled back slightly to smile up at him.

"Sorry. I seem to be making a habit of losing it around you." She felt her heart thump strangely at the tender look he gave her as he brushed a piece of hair off her forehead.

"It&#39;s okay. I promise I won&#39;t hold it against you." Lex felt his mind relax as her familiar smile dawned at his teasing words, knowing her fear had passed for the moment. Refusing to examine what sparked the urge, he once again pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him as he breathed in the unique scent that was shampoo mixed with Chloe.

Clark and Lana were watching the scene with mixed emotions. Lana was heartbroken to see the pure fear on the normally unflappable expression of her friend. However that pain was tempered by relief at realizing that Lex seemed to be the cure for Chloe&#39;s turmoil.

Clark too was relieved that Lex seemed to be able to comfort Chloe but part of him was still a little shocked she&#39;d reacted the way she had to his attempts to wake her up. He understood she might not have recognized him on waking from a nightmare but a part of him felt wounded that she instinctively called for Lex instead of him. Irrational he knew but it rankled just the same.

Lana hesitantly stepped forward when it seemed Chloe had calmed. "Chloe, um, is there anything you need?"

Chloe&#39;s head shot up from Lex&#39;s chest as she heard the soft voice. Her gaze quickly turned to take in the two people watching them with various emotions. She was suddenly hit with the memory of rather violently attacking Clark. She wondered if she should feel embarrassed but as Lex continued to stroke her back gently she decided it wasn&#39;t worth it to get upset.

"Hey guys. Sorry Clark, I didn&#39;t mean to attack you." She felt a bit better as her words seemed to ease the pain she saw in his eyes. However the guilt reflected there was going to annoy her if she didn&#39;t focus on avoiding it. Something Clark was obviously not willing to do.

"Chloe, God, I&#39;m so sorry I wasn&#39;t here-"

She stopped him with a raised hand, trying to hold her temper. The last thing she needed was to listen to Clark ramble on about his guilt. "Clark, don&#39;t apologize. You can&#39;t save the world and lucky for me, Lex was around to play my knight in shining armor." She couldn&#39;t help but smile to herself as she saw the amusement in Lex&#39;s eyes at her words. Turning her gaze back to him she smiled outright. "Don&#39;t get cocky there Mr. Luthor, the next time it could be me saving you."

Lex didn&#39;t bother to hide his amusement at her words, realizing that the Chloe he knew and enjoyed was back. It had been an even bigger boon to his ego to hear her slight put down of Clark in her reply. Although he knew the sarcasm would go right over his friend&#39;s head.

"You never know Chloe, stranger things have happened." He smiled as she sighed and settled a little more comfortably into his arms. Part of him was terrified she seemed so relaxed like this with him. A larger part however was enormously enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.

"Well, Chloe, it seems you&#39;re feeling a bit better, although those bruises- do you need anything?" Lana sighed as Chloe&#39;s eyes darkened, hating to bring up the memories but knowing if the bruises did not hurt now, they soon would.

Chloe sighed, shivering lightly at the edges of the nightmare still in her mind. She instinctively burrowed closer to Lex, glad to feel his arms tighten around her. But even as she relished in the safety of Lex&#39;s embrace a part of her began to feel angry at needing that security.

Lex could clearly see the turmoil dawning in her eyes and knew instinctively the anger he&#39;d forecast was coming. With a reluctant sigh, he gently released her, not surprised to feel a sense of loss when she slid back against the pillows and closed her eyes.

"Chloe, you okay?"

She tried not to wince at Clark&#39;s concerned voice as she struggled to sort out her mixed emotions. One minute she wanted nothing more than to stay in Lex&#39;s embrace, the next she wanted to charge after her attackers and make them pay.

"Chloe, it&#39;s okay to be angry. No one is going to fault you."

She opened her eyes at Lex&#39;s soft words, wondering if he&#39;d read her mind. The understanding expression in his eyes should have irritated her but instead it reassured her. He knew what she was feeling without her having to say it. She didn&#39;t want to question why that knowledge made her feel a whole lot better.

"I hate the fact that I couldn&#39;t do anything&#33;" She knew the words were bitter but she couldn&#39;t help it. The anger was beginning to dawn and she felt helpless to fight against it. "I hate the fact that if you hadn&#39;t come along, I could have been hurt much worse&#33;" She didn&#39;t care that Clark and Lana had taken a step back at her vehemence, she only knew that Lex stayed right where he was unafraid of her response. It was heartening in a strange way.

"I hate feeling like a victim and having nightmares and most of all I damn well hate being scared&#33;" She nearly screamed the last words as she smashed her fist into a pillow, a tear falling down one cheek.

Lex simply remained quiet, reaching out to gently brush the tear off her cheek when she&#39;d calmed. The anger and fear in her eyes nearly broke his heart but heartened it as well, knowing she was ready to fight back.

"Chloe, all that is perfectly normal." He deliberately made his voice relaxed and not condescending. He needed her to calm down to see the sense of his plan. "What you need to do now is channel that anger into something else, to learn to protect yourself against bastards like those two jocks." He smiled as he saw the spirit that had been missing from Chloe&#39;s brilliant eyes return. That was his Chloe, a fighter until the end.

He wondered, however, if he should be worried that he&#39;d just referred to her in his mind as "his Chloe."

Chloe heard the sense in Lex&#39;s words and from the look in his eyes knew he had a plan. Suddenly, the anger seemed a little less heated. "So, I take it that&#39;s the "help" you told me you&#39;re going to give me to get through this?" Despite the fear of the past 24 hours, she couldn&#39;t help but feel her heart skip a beat at the amused look he sent her. Damn the man knew how to get a girl all hot and bothered with a simple smile, even after going through the hell she&#39;d been through. And she had to admit, the realization that Lex would be there for her through it all gave her a warm fuzzy feeling inside. She&#39;d just have to analyze why that was later.

Lex smiled as he read the acceptance and relief in her gaze. "Exactly. As soon as you feel up to it, we&#39;ll get started." He laughed at her mock frown as she made to get up. "But not today." He halted her protest with a small push that sent her back into the pillows. Ignoring her annoyed look, he leaned over to tuck the covers more securely around her. "Today you need to rest. I know you&#39;re ready to do something but you need to relax one more day to get your strength back. Trust me."

Chloe didn&#39;t like the fact that she knew he was right. Her body was still tired and achy and the thought of moving did not hold much appeal. Still, she was anxious to get back to her life, to prove to herself that she wasn&#39;t a helpless victim.

"Chloe, you&#39;re only a victim if you believe it." Lex smiled softly at her wide-eyed look, knowing she was wondering how he&#39;d just seemingly read her mind. He didn&#39;t have the heart to tell her that he could read all her emotions in her eyes. "Trust me, tomorrow we&#39;ll work on getting your strength back and your defenses up. I promise."

Chloe sighed, knowing that Lex would prove true to his word. "I&#39;m holding you to that. And Lex," she paused as he stopped in mid-rise from her bed to look down at her. "Thanks for saving my life." She tried not to choke up as she whispered the last words but couldn&#39;t help the tears that shone in her eyes.

Lex felt his own emotions teetering on a dangerous edge as he tried to smile. Reaching over, he brushed his thumb down her cheek, cursing the way even the simple touch had his body hardening.

{{Right, now is the perfect time to think about those sexual fantasies you&#39;ve been having about Chloe}}

Pushing the arousal down, he chose not to fight the urge that made him lean over and place a lingering kiss against her forehead. Pulling back, he smiled into her surprised eyes.

"Anytime Chloe." With that, he winked at her and headed for the door. "I&#39;ll call you later this afternoon to make sure you&#39;re okay," he called as he turned back for a final look at her. "Don&#39;t hesitate to call me either if you need anything, I&#39;ll leave instructions for you to be put right through. I mean it Chloe, anything you need."

Knowing he had to leave now or risk saying something even more stupid, Lex smiled at her and offered a goodbye to Lana and Clark before leaving. He cursed his fickle body the whole way down the stairs and on the drive home. He needed to get his emotions under control if he was going to help Chloe reclaim her life. Not to mention he needed to attend to the matter of dealing with the bastards who&#39;d attacked her. With a grim smile, Lex picked up his phone and began dialing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC...

[xmag]

Yes, Lex can help her, not only with the self defense lessons, but about the fact that she was almost raped. I haven&#39;t seen this episode, but according to your posts on various boards, it didn&#39;t look like the "after" of such a scene on a young girl&#39;s life, were treated.

[bluemoongirl23]

This is wonderful. I love the tenderness between the two of them and seeing how Clark and Lana react to them. Keep the chapters coming.....and soon. :

Blue

[sydsvaughn]

Title: Safe Harbor (3/?)

Disclaimers, notes and spoilers in Chapter 1

Author Notes: Okay, you knew it was coming. I had to rewrite the "boxing scene" from "Precipice" to my Chlex satisfaction after nearly losing my supper while watching it. So please, as you read this chapter, it pleases me to think of it in the context as it was broadcast last week, only with the two people I wanted to see in it&#33; Hopefully, it will ease the sting of that scene for many since I already feel better having written it. And if you couldn&#39;t bring yourself to watch the episode, look at this view as what should have happened&#33; Enjoy&#33;

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 3


Chloe sighed as she let the warm water wash over her body, the bruises already beginning to fade. Luckily, it was cool enough outside that a turtleneck would cover them today from curious eyes at school.

School. She shivered as she realized that more than likely, she would have to see Chris and Marty in the halls. The thought was not pleasant but after a weekend of contemplating, she was pretty sure she could handle it. However, what she was more nervous about was what she would do if they tried anything again. Not that she expected them too, especially in front of witnesses but she wouldn&#39;t put anything past them.

She and Lex had talked about whether or not to go to the police and report the attack. Lex wanted her to but she had convinced him that it would do no good. A few not-so-subtle reminders about how Smallville felt about its jocks and how local law enforcement had dealt with him and her in the past had convinced him to let it rest. Although as she&#39;d told Lex, she wasn&#39;t ruling out a little personal justice when she felt ready to indulge in it. She could still see the strange smile on Lex&#39;s face and for some reason it had reassured her more than any police action could have.

Not that Lex hadn&#39;t considered hiring someone to watch her. She&#39;d put an end to that with a very heated phone conversation yesterday evening. The same way she&#39;d put an end to Clark&#39;s overprotective declaration that he would watch her like a hawk. While she was grateful to both her best friend and the billionaire for wanting to make sure she felt secure, she knew that she would never accomplish that until she took steps to get the feeling herself. Which was why she was scheduled to spend the evening at the mansion where Lex had promised to help her work on doing just that.

But first, she had to get through the school day. Taking a deep breath, she emerged from the shower and set about using more makeup than usual to hide the slight bruising on her arms. Dressing comfortably in a purple turtleneck and jeans she took a final look in the mirror to make sure she looked put together. She refused to acknowledge the butterflies in her stomach as she made her way to her room to grab her backpack.

The butterflies were soon replaced with anger at feeling so nervous about simply going to school. She was a grown woman who had narrowly avoided a bad situation but she had. And she was going to do everything in her power to move on and make those bastards pay&#33; She smiled to herself as she realized she might have a Luthor streak in her somewhere since she was seriously contemplating ways to make Chris and Marty&#39;s life hell.

"Chloe, you ready?"

She sighed at Lana&#39;s perky voice but knew it was time to face the day. One final look in the mirror and she was satisfied no one would know her traumatic experience of last week. Running downstairs she sent the young woman a smile as Lana followed her out the door and to her car. Climbing into the driver&#39;s seat the smile widened even more as she sniffed the coffee Lana handed her as soon as she was settled.

"You&#39;re a lifesaver Lana, thanks." Taking a huge gulp, she closed her eyes and let the flavor wash over her taste buds. Feeling much better, she turned the key and with a smile at Lana, headed for school. Halfway there, in the middle of a heated debate over the radio station with Lana, her cell phone rang. Reaching for it, she couldn&#39;t deny the way her heart jumped at the familiar voice on the other end.

"Chloe, you doing okay?"

Lex felt a wave of relief as he heard her light laugh through the phone line. He&#39;d been thinking about her all weekend, knowing how heading back to school today would not be the easiest experience. Still, he took heart from the fact that she&#39;d sounded good when he&#39;d talked to her yesterday and was looking forward to their appointment tonight to work on some self-defense techniques. Still, he wouldn&#39;t be able to start his day without making sure she was okay to start hers. It was a strange feeling to be so concerned about someone else but he wasn&#39;t going to fight it.

Chloe felt a wave of confidence sweep over her at his concern. Despite her mantra of doing this herself, she was glad to have Lex in her corner. "I&#39;m fine Lex. Really." Lana gave her a strange look from her position in the passengers seat but she ignored it.

"I just wanted to make sure we&#39;re still on for our appointment tonight." Lex knew it was a stupid excuse to call and he had a feeling she&#39;d see right through it, but he didn&#39;t care.

"You better believe it. Something tells me after today, I&#39;m going to need to release some aggression. Hopefully you can handle me&#33;" She smiled at Lana&#39;s choked gasp even as she heard Lex&#39;s amused laughter.

"I don&#39;t think handling you will be a problem Chloe. Call if you need anything, okay?"

Feeling better at hearing her laugh, he said his goodbyes and after disconnecting, immediately dialed another number. Waiting impatiently for it to be picked up he sighed in relief when it finally was. "Is it taken care of?" Receiving an affirmative reply he muttered a terse goodbye and settled back into his office chair, steepling his hands in contemplation. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he realized that Chloe hopefully would not be encountering any type of problem from Chris or Marty today.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chloe was surprised how easy it had been to get back into her usual routine. It probably helped that so far, she hadn&#39;t seen either of her attackers. A morbidly curious part of her wondered why that was so but tried to ignore it. Clark and Lana had good intentions but were starting to annoy her with their constant presence. One of them always seemed to be with her and it was getting stifling. She could only be glad Pete was out of town. She didn&#39;t want to think about his reaction at knowing what had happened to her and who had caused it.

"Chloe, you doing okay?"

She gritted her teeth and smiled at Clark&#39;s words, knowing he didn&#39;t mean to irritate her but succeeding admirably.

"I&#39;m fine Clark, but I&#39;d feel better if you and Lana would quit asking me how I&#39;m doing&#33;" She didn&#39;t mean to sound so sharp and she could tell Clark was a little hurt. It was getting a little annoying to tell the truth especially since he had no reason to be. Still, she needed to at least make an attempt to be cordial. "Sorry, a little jumpy here, but seriously, I&#39;m okay. I&#39;m just going to go work on the Torch, which I can do just fine by myself."

Seeing Clark&#39;s not too sure nod, she turned and headed for the Torch office. She really needed to get away from her friends and immerse herself in the latest edition. Sighing in relief, she noted the absence of any other people in the room and settled into her chair. Within minutes she was completely absorbed in her work and oblivious to everything around her.

The sense of being watched was what finally drew her attention back to the present. Forcing down the unease, she turned to look at the doorway, trying not to jump at the figure that filled the entranceway.

"Chris what the hell do you want?" She knew it was false bravado but she wasn&#39;t going to let him intimidate her. Besides, she felt a little more confident at seeing his right arm was in a sling. She really didn&#39;t want to know how that had happened but she had a suspicion.

"Really Chloe, you think I&#39;m stupid enough to make any outright reference to our little conversation Friday night?"

She really hated the tone of his voice and the fact that he was treating an attempted rape so lightly but figured it was better for the moment to not show that irritation. "Frankly, I&#39;m surprised you even have the nerve to come near me. You&#39;re lucky I didn&#39;t report you to the police."

"Oh Chloe, you think anyone would believe you? The over-eager cub reporter prone to reporting meteor stories and freaks over the good old football players?"

She wanted to strike him but instead reigned in her temper forcing herself to take it easy. At least she was grateful she was feeling anger now and not fear. "I think you should leave. Now." The determination in her voice made her proud and the knowledge that he had an arm in a sling made her braver as she took a step towards him. She&#39;d be damned if she&#39;d let him see that there was still a little fear inside her at his menacing build.

"Have it your way. But Chloe, I&#39;d be careful walking alone at night. After all, most of the football players are still looking for an answer to the question Marty and I asked you. Of which we will all deny if word gets out of course." There was no menace in his voice but she knew he&#39;d just given her a warning.

The anger shot through her veins like fire and she couldn&#39;t help but take a step towards him. The idea that he was telling her she wasn&#39;t safe if she "told on them" was an affront to everything in her. How dare he take her sense of security and try to shake it up even more&#33;

"I really don&#39;t care to hear what you have to say Chris. You can&#39;t scare me anymore now that I know what type of person you are." She was proud her voice remained steady.

"You think you&#39;re so smart Chloe Sullivan, I&#39;d be careful if I were you." With that definitely menacing statement, Chris turned as if to leave. But Chloe could not let him have the last word.

"Oh Chris, I think it&#39;s you who should be careful. Wouldn&#39;t want your other arm to get broken now, would we?" She knew it was a stab at thin air but she had to take it. And if the look on his face was anything to go by, it hit home. She only wondered if it were Lex or Clark she had to thank. She suspected the former.

She couldn&#39;t help but breathe a sigh of relief as the football player&#39;s large body disappeared down the hall. Sinking back into her seat, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, only now realizing how fast her heart was beating. Now that the coast was clear, she felt her hands begin to shake as the residual fear set in. Biting her lip, she concentrated on taking deep breaths, picturing Lex&#39;s eyes in her mind. Several moments later she felt composed enough to open her eyes.

The fear was still there but the anger was building again. She hated feeling like this, like a victim. Forcing her thoughts to calm she became even more determined to overcome the feeling. Lex&#39;s lesson was looking more and more appealing by the minute. Sighing, she struggled to get back to work, only wondering for a moment that after having two faithful shadows all day, neither had been around when she might have needed them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lex smiled as he watched Chloe jump from her car and walk towards the front door with determination. The smile disappeared and he felt a stab of anger as he remembered how scared she&#39;d looked Friday night. His hands clenched into fists as he imagined pounding them into one of the bastards&#39; faces. He forced his hands to relax as he heard his butler ushering Chloe towards his office. He didn&#39;t have to force the smile that appeared on his face as the small blonde breezed through the door.

"Lex, good to see you. Let&#39;s get down to business&#33;" Chloe was raring to go, the anger of earlier having turned into adrenaline and she was looking for a way to release it. She came back to herself at Lex&#39;s laughter as the bald young man moved across the room to greet her.

"Well, at least you seem eager and that&#39;s how you have to be to get back on your feet." He couldn&#39;t help but smile as he watched the energy crackle around her. Gone was the look of helpless fear, replaced by a steely determination. Which immediately made him wary. "Chloe, is everything all right? You didn&#39;t run into either of those bastards today, did you?" His heart sank as he watched the way her eyes darted away from him. "Chloe, tell me."

Chloe sighed, realizing she couldn&#39;t hide anything from Lex, not that deep down she hadn&#39;t wanted to tell him. "Chris decided to offer me a warning today-"

"What the hell did he say? Did he try anything?" Lex was seething inside, ready to hunt down the jock and shoot him on site. Not to mention the people he&#39;d hired to make sure Chris thought twice about approaching Chloe. Obviously he&#39;d have to look into better people. But he could worry about that later, right now, Chloe was his main concern.

"Lex, it was okay." She didn&#39;t know why she did it, but she found herself walking over to him and placing her hand on his arm. He looked so furious he was starting to worry her. "We were in the Torch office and he had a broken arm so I wasn&#39;t really worried. Although I would like to know how he got that broken arm-"

"Chloe, quit changing the subject. Did he threaten you?" Lex had to steer her away from the line of questioning he could see in her eyes. He would tell her eventually what he&#39;d done but right now he didn&#39;t want her to know or worry. Although he had a feeling she already had a pretty good idea.

Chloe let his change of subject slide, determined to bring it up later. With a sigh, she dropped her hand from his arm and repeated Chris&#39;s words and her interpretation of them. Not to her surprise, Lex felt the same.

"I still can&#39;t believe he had the guts to threaten you. But I&#39;m proud you stood up for yourself, and I bet it felt good, didn&#39;t it?" Lex watched her carefully as she processed his words and her emotions, relieved to see a slight smile dawn on her face.

"It did feel good, but the fear was still there." She figured if anyone deserved her honesty, it was Lex. "I want to get rid of that fear and I want you to help me."

Lex smiled as he held out a hand and motioned her to follow. He decided not to think about how easily Chloe took his offered hand and clung to it as he led her from his office and to the room he&#39;d had prepared specially for tonight&#39;s session.

Chloe was surprised to note how good it felt to have her hand held in such a reassuring grip. Not to mention her host looked particularly delectable tonight in a pair of what looked like tailored sweatpants and a soft black sweatshirt over a black T-shirt.

"Wow Lex, going casual black for the night? I&#39;m shocked&#33;" She broke into laughter as he raised an eyebrow at her before leading her through a huge wooden door.

"Don&#39;t be. By the time we&#39;re through here, hopefully nothing will be able to shock you ever again." He knew he should stop there but the devil in him made him tack on a little more. "At least when trying to defend yourself."

Chloe shot him a look as he winked and let go of her hand to find the lights. Had Lex just been flirting with her? She shook herself, sure she had imagined it. Lex was here for one reason- to help build her defenses. He couldn&#39;t possibly be attracted to her, could he?

"So, you&#39;ve gotten quiet, not sure you can handle it?" Lex knew his tone was taunting but he had to get things off to the right start. Mad Chloe was what he needed to help her through this. Although he wasn&#39;t going to tell her how cute she looked when she was mad.

"I can handle anything you&#39;ve got Mr. Luthor. Bring it&#33;" She knew she sounded like a deranged cheerleader but she couldn&#39;t help it. If Lex thought she was going to back down, he was in for a surprise.

Lex simply smiled as he handed Chloe a pair of boxing gloves and led her to a punching bag hanging in the center of the room. He had to force his eyes back into his head as she shrugged off her jacket to reveal her body cloaked in nothing more than a skintight pair of spandex and what looked like a cutoff tank top.

Chloe noted his gaze and tried not to blush even though she felt a flicker of heat run through her at his look. Now was definitely not the time for these emotions, but she wasn&#39;t going to deny she was pleased by the fact he&#39;d noticed her attire.

Clearing his throat, Lex gave her a few instructive tips and then took his position behind the punching bag. He felt the frustration rise as Chloe took a few well-aimed punches but barely shook the bag or missed it altogether. Obviously a different tactic would be required. Her irritated words suddenly brought him out of his thoughts.

"I can&#39;t even get the bag to move. I don&#39;t see how I&#39;m supposed to take on a guy twice my size." Chloe tried not to sound whiny, hearing enough of it from Lana, but she couldn&#39;t help but express her frustration. Hitting a punching bag was well and good but it wasn&#39;t like hitting Chris or Marty in the face. She really didn&#39;t see how this was helping.

"Chloe, getting the upper hand isn&#39;t about size, it&#39;s about decisiveness and speed." Walking around her as he spoke he didn&#39;t even stop to think about what he was doing. Placing his hands on her arms, he stepped up until he was almost pressed directly against her back. His intent had been to show her the correct arm position for maximum hitting potential but the feel of her warmth against him had his mind suddenly going blank.

Chloe caught her breath as she felt Lex almost plaster himself against her back. His hands rested lightly on her arms and she could feel the tingle that shot through her body at his nearness. Unlike being around Chris or Marty, being this close to Lex felt good. Scarily almost too good. But after the pain and suffering she&#39;d been through, she wasn&#39;t going to take Lex&#39;s closeness for granted. She couldn&#39;t help but shiver then as she heard his next words almost whispered against her ear.

"You have to commit. Right now you&#39;re only putting part of yourself into it." Lex knew he should step away from her but he couldn&#39;t seem to make his body obey his mind. She simply felt too good against him and if the slight hitch in her breathing were any indication, she was enjoying it as well. He couldn&#39;t help but feel a bit of pride that she seemed to have no problem with being close to him. He made his voice deliberately deeper as he continued to instruct her by nearly whispering in her ear.

"If you want to be effective, you have to put your whole body into it." He knew it was evil of him but he couldn&#39;t stop himself from allowing his chest to press directly against her back as he showed her how to follow through with her arm moves. He also took care to deliberately brush his hands along her arms enjoying the feel of the smooth skin against his palms.

Chloe felt her whole body liquefy as Lex&#39;s twisting and turning of her arms pressed their bodies against and then away from each other. It was now arousal that was firing her body. Arousal for Lex Luthor, a man so out of her league it was laughable to even think about it. The feeling gave her a burst of angry energy as she delivered a hard punch to the bag.

"There that&#39;s it, channel your anger." Lex was pleased to note her punches becoming stronger, although she still had a way to go. He figured she could do even better if he let her arms go and let her swing herself, but he wanted to be selfish and enjoy the feeling of her body against his just a bit longer. Her ironic laughter made him start.

"Not all of us are as angry as you." Chloe knew there was truth to her words and couldn&#39;t deny she said them to get a spark of reaction. But to her dismay, Lex moved away from her and back around to the other side of the punching bag.

{{Great, can&#39;t even enjoy a good thing when it&#39;s pressed right against you. Smart Chloe, really smart}}

Lex smiled to himself as he noted the annoyance in her eyes as he drew back and moved away. His own body too was protesting the loss of her warmth but he knew they had to get this lesson back on track. He could think of where he wanted things to go later. Right now, Chloe&#39;s well-being was more important than this inappropriate but not unwelcome desire.

Deciding anger was the best bet to get her worked up, Lex planned his next words carefully. "What&#39;s to be angry about Chloe? It&#39;s not like a couple of overgrown jocks tried to rape and harass you or anything." He was rewarded when her eyes darkened and she struck hard at the punching bag. "It&#39;s not like you felt helpless when they shoved you down and tried to strangle you." This time, Chloe let out a cry of anger as she began to punch the bag in earnest, each stroke hitting home with a wallop that surprised him with her strength.

Was it wrong of him to suddenly find himself intently aroused by a sweating, angry Chloe who was now punching the hell out of an inanimate object? God he hoped not because he was rather enjoying the sight. Now if only he could convince his body to not react quite so noticeably. He thanked God for loose fitting sweats.

Chloe was unaware of Lex&#39;s thoughts. All she could see were Chris and Marty&#39;s faces instead of the punching bag. The anger and pain surged through her, lending strength and speed to every punch. Letting the emotions sweep her away, she was amazed to find herself delivering a well-placed roundhouse kick to the bag. Lex&#39;s gasp as the impact sent him sprawling across the floor brought her back to the present.

"Lex&#33; Oh God, are you hurt?" Running over to where he lay, she threw herself onto her knees and began trying to pat his face as he struggled to sit up. Her efforts were hindered as she realized she still wore the boxing gloves and she sighed in frustration as she used her teeth to try and pry them off.

Lex couldn&#39;t deny the appeal of worried Chloe hovering over him, but his male pride was a little wounded at his undignified flight across the room. Still, the sight of her pretty white teeth gnawing at the strings of the boxing gloves sent very inappropriate images of what that mouth and those teeth could do to him through his mind.

"Chloe, I&#39;m fine, really." He struggled to his feet, reaching to bring her with him as she finally succeeded in removing the glove. His body jumped to awareness as Chloe began patting him down, trying to see if he were injured. Quickly removing her hands from his body, he put a slight bit of distance between them. It really wouldn&#39;t do to frighten her off by noting how aroused he was getting from her simple touch.

Chloe hid her smile as she watched him move a little farther from her. It didn&#39;t take a genius to figure out why he was suddenly uncomfortable about touching her. The knowledge that he was aroused gave her a powerful sense of feminine satisfaction. That satisfaction was fast drowning out the anger and need for revenge she&#39;d felt just a few moments ago.

Lex&#39;s eyes turned suspicious as he watched the expressions flit across her face. He swallowed hard at the sudden predatory look he saw cross her features as she moved towards him. His body hardened at the look even as his mind began to protest.

"Chloe, you&#39;re doing well. Your right hook needs some work but overall, I&#39;d say we made great progress." Lex was annoyed to find his words sounded just the slightest bit desperate as he watched her move closer. But he&#39;d be damned if he&#39;d give her the satisfaction of inching away.

Chloe noted that he wasn&#39;t backing down as she carefully advanced. She gave him points for not seeming intimidated. Still, she wanted to see that demeanor crack just a little bit. After feeling like a bruised and beaten victim, she was ready to feel like a woman again. Lex was going to help her with that aspect of her recovery as well, whether he knew it or not.

"Progress is all well and good Lex, but maybe we should work on that right hook." She licked her lips as she came to a stop literally inches away from his now tense body. Keeping her eyes on his, she mimicked his earlier move and walked to stand behind him. Reaching her arms around his body, she positioned her hands against his biceps, thrilling to the strong feel of them under his warm flesh. "You seem to have a decent right hook yourself if these muscles are anything to go by."

She felt a tremor of desire rip through her as she pressed her body directly against his back, shivering as her breasts flattened against his muscles. She hadn&#39;t expected to feel this much arousal when she&#39;d set out on this little mission but she wasn&#39;t going to deny how good it felt. "Maybe you could show me the right "stroke" I need to rock someone&#39;s world. And not necessarily in a bad way."

Lex&#39;s eyes darkened as he felt her soft breasts against his back, her hands now tracing little patterns against his biceps. Her words were having a decided impact on his body and her little comment on "stroking" was definitely hardening his body in all the right, or in this case wrong, places. Struggling for control, he tried to make his voice sound normal.

"Rocking worlds is not a bad thing but it might be a bit too soon to take things that far. I think we&#39;ve done enough for this lesson. You did quite well." He knew it was a cop out and his body protested it all the way. But now was definitely not the right time to explore exactly what Chloe Sullivan was up to.

But that time was coming.

Chloe pouted, knowing he was right but loath to give up the warmth his body generated against hers. Desire notwithstanding, she simply felt safe and content. Something she hadn&#39;t felt in quite a long time. But Lex was right, tonight was not the time. But if his reaction was anything to go by, that time was coming soon and she couldn&#39;t wait.

Reluctantly she stepped back but not without allowing her hands to sweep down his arms in a deliberate stroke. Smiling to herself as she saw him shiver, she turned and headed back across the room to where she&#39;d dropped her coat.

"Thanks for the lesson Lex." She gave him a heartfelt smile as he moved to help her on with her coat. The feel of his fingers brushing over her neck as he lifted her hair free of the jacket sent a shiver down her spine. Turning quickly to face him she smiled as she read the vying emotions in his eyes. It was nice to know she wasn&#39;t the only one affected.

"I feel a little better but I think we&#39;re going to have to have a few more of these "sessions" before I feel confident enough to defend myself." The seductive smile that crossed his face had her body flushing again as her mind took off on a very arousing track.

Lex had to force himself not to kiss her, even though her eyes were begging him to. Chloe was still struggling with a lot of emotions and he didn&#39;t want her to regret anything he or she might do. But he was looking forward to exploring these emotions at future "sessions."

"I completely agree. Shall we say tomorrow at the same time?" Her delighted smile had him hiding a moan as her eyes sparkled at him.

"Sounds like a plan." Throwing caution to the winds, she reached up and brushed a light kiss across his cheek. It took everything in her not to let her lips find a way to his. Pulling back she shot him a sweet smile before slipping past him. "I&#39;ll see you tomorrow, and Lex," she winked at him as she finished, "I think we should work some more on my "stroke." I wouldn&#39;t want it to disappoint you again."

With that she flashed him a seductive smile and slipped through the door. The huge grin stayed on her face all the way home, along with the welcomed feel of arousal coursing through her body. It was a far better feeling than fear or anger. She only hoped she could withstand the anticipation of the entirely too long period before she would see Lex again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lex stared after her for a long time after the door closed. He was processing her parting shot and trying not to imagine exactly what "stroke" Chloe wanted to perfect. Feeling his body harden at the images now bombarding his mind, he ran a shaky hand over his scalp and headed upstairs for a long, cold shower.

As the water cascaded over him, he found himself smiling as he remembered the satisfaction in her eyes as she&#39;d pounded the bag within an inch of its life. His eyes darkened with desire as he remembered the feel of her soft lips against his cheek as she&#39;d kissed him goodbye.

Chloe Sullivan was by turns the most exasperating and arousing woman he&#39;d ever known. He&#39;d started this whole thing in an effort to teach her to save herself from any situation but now he found himself wondering if he might be the one in need of saving. With a long sigh he finished his shower and headed for bed. But he fell asleep with a smile on his face and the memory of Chloe&#39;s kiss on his mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

End 3/?