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Thread: Taking Over Me (NC-17) (complete) - Part 6, 'Always With You' series

  1. #21
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    Great update!!! This story is so amazing!!! Love the way you describe Lex's feelings!!! Please more soon!!!!

    Julie

  2. #22
    NS Full Member drina's Avatar
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    This stuff is just heart-wrenching, you know...the suspense is slowly killing me! please more!

  3. #23
    PHD in Procrastination Senior Member vardaquareien's Avatar
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    Sic 'im Lex!!!

    I...just...and...what...man you know how to stir up emotions girly!!! My fingernails are bitten down to the quick and I'm literally on the edge of my seat due to this fic!!! I'm just hoping there's gonna be violence in the next chap coz I really need some violence right now!!! Something really graphic and gruesome...do you see what you've done to me!!!? Do you? Please update! I need more!!!

  4. #24
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    I'll add to it and say "More soon please!" Go Clark!

    Nickie

  5. #25
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    ohhhhhhh i can't wait to see what happens next. REPLY SOON!! :yay: :worship2:

  6. #26
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    A/N: Not nearly as much violence here as I've had requests for, sorry. And THIS is why I warned you guys not to jump to conclusions. Bravo Manda for asking the question! See, the way I see it, being a Luthor's kind of like being in the mob . . . and that's all I'm going to say. All right, I hope you guys like this. The end . . . except for the epilogue. ^_~


    Chapter Three




    I look in the mirror and see your face
    If I look deep enough
    So many things inside that are just like you are taking over


    Lex prowled the hallways of the manor, waiting for his father. He was on his way. When Lex had called his office in Metropolis, Lionel’s secretary had informed him that Lionel had just stepped out; further prompting had her confessing that he was flying to Smallville for a surprise visit. It was beyond Lex how he had managed to keep his voice calm and even throughout the entire conversation, but he was fairly certain that none of the emotion that was humming through his blood had shown through in his tone.

    So Lionel was coming to Smallville. Lionel never visited without a reason, and the reason was almost never good. In the past Lex might have been curious, might even have felt a slight twinge of anxiety. He felt none of that now; now he felt only a cold rush of satisfaction. He wouldn’t have to search out his father as he had anticipated. Now, Lionel was walking right into Lex’s waiting arms.

    Lex had never felt anything like this rage before. It ran through his blood like fire, making him want nothing more than to grab something and pound it into dust. Some small part of his brain was aware that he would have to make an effort to keep from killing Lionel the instant he showed up. Oh, Lionel would pay. Lex would make him hurt until he was begging to die, begging for Lex to simply end it. But first he wanted answers.

    First, Lex wanted to know why.

    The servants had all cleared out of the mansion on Lex’s orders. Even after all this time it was still second nature to them; Chloe had never been comfortable with the thought of making love in the middle of the hallway when anyone was liable to walk up. Since Lex’s control was much less certain when he was around her, it had always been easier for them to simply send the servants away and see to things themselves. The situation certainly wasn’t the same now that Lionel was coming, but the implication still remained. Lex didn’t want any witnesses.

    A flash caught his eye as he stalked down the hall and Lex turned swiftly to his right. Only a mirror. Get a grip on yourself, Lex. Lex stepped closer, slowly approaching his reflection in the mirror. Anger and betrayal were clear in every line of his face, in the rigid set of his jaw, blazing out of his eyes like fire. The image in the mirror seemed to change, and suddenly Chloe was there, soothing away the tension and the pain. He saw her laughing up at him; he saw her under him, her eyes glazed with passion; he saw her next to him, her hand a comforting warmth in his. Then the image changed again and all that was left was Chloe’s bruised, bloodied face, her eyes drifting shut as her breath stopped.

    Rage was boiling in his blood again, and now Lex was seeing Lionel’s face in the mirror, hiding a smirk as he spouted false sympathies and reassurances. There was the sound of shattering glass and Lex snapped back to himself; the mirror was smashed, with one jagged piece still in the frame to reflect his wide and startled eyes. The other pieces lay scattered over the carpet, covered in specks of deep, wet red. Lex’s eyes drifted down to his left hand and winced at the sight of his bloody knuckles. The sight, however, rather than cooling his temper, only served to spur him on.

    Lex began to stalk down the hallway again, heedless of the broken glass he was leaving behind. He made it all the way to the study before he heard his father’s obviously excited voice calling for him, echoing off of the stone walls of the manor. Every muscle in his body tensed, and it took all of his control to stay where he was. Lex moved to the side of the door, standing completely still as his father’s voice grew nearer. Closer . . . closer . . . until finally Lionel strode confidently through the open door of the study.

    “Lex? I have some wonderful ne—”

    Lionel’s words were cut off when a hand wrapped around his throat. There was a quick whirling sensation, and he barely managed to keep his feet under him. Then the next thing he knew he was slammed against the hard stone wall, the room dancing with stars from the hard crack his head had received. When his vision cleared Lionel realized that he was pinned to the wall with Lex glaring at him from mere inches away, his hand pressed hard against the older man’s throat.

    “I want you to know that there’s no way for you to worm your way out of this,” Lex growled. Lionel wasn’t sure if it was simply the reduced flow of oxygen to his brain, but his son’s eyes seemed to glow with a kind of barely restrained madness. Lex spoke again as Lionel struggled to keep breathing. “Nothing you can say will keep me from making you feel as much pain as humanly possible. But before I tear you apart, I want to know why.”

    Lionel could only look at his son in confusion. Why what? Lex snarled and slammed Lionel’s head into the wall again.

    “Don’t try to pretend that you don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about, dad.” Lex spit out the word as though it tasted foul. “You’ve been working with Beruche. How long? How long did you have him watching her before you sent your goons out to kill my fiancée? A week? A month? Longer? Why did you do it? Why??

    Understanding dawned instants before Lex screamed the question at him. Lionel tried to choke out an answer, but Lex’s hold on him was too strong. Slowly, reluctantly, Lex loosened his grip. Lionel sucked in a breath and rasped out the one word that he could manage.

    “Harding.”

    Lex’s brow creased. “Harding? As in Harding Industries? What the fuck does that have to do with anything?”

    Lionel tried to speak again, but all that came out was a hoarse, rasping sound. With a growl of disgust Lex released him completely, and Lionel bent over double in an effort to drag more air into his lungs. He glanced up at Lex.

    “Harding ordered the hit on Chloe.”

    “Bullshit,” Lex snarled. “You’re not going to weasel your way out of this one by pawning the blame off on someone else. Not this time.”

    “By all means, Lex, kill me.” Lionel straightened and lifted one hand to rub gingerly at his throat. “I’m sure I’ve done more than enough in the past to warrant it. But if you kill me for this you’ll be making a mistake, son. I’m not the one who took her away from you.”

    “You’re lying.” But doubt was beginning to creep in, stealing his rage away bit by bit.

    “I’m not. I had no reason to hurt Chloe.”

    “No? It was her article that had you leaving Smallville with your tail tucked between your legs.”

    “That?” Lionel’s laugh rasped out and he shook his head in disbelief. “Son, despite whatever emotional attachment you may have to it, this town is small potatoes. I felt it was prudent to leave, yes; but I certainly bore the Sullivan girl no ill will. I’ve had far more damning things written about me, and those reporters are all still very much alive.” For a moment Lex thought he was hallucinating as a fond smile crossed Lionel’s face. “Chloe didn’t know that, of course; but she published her story anyway. She showed the kind of spark and determination that’s needed in a Luthor. You made a fine choice, Lex.”

    Lex shook his head, rage and doubt warring within him. “Even if it were Harding who ordered the hit, that still doesn’t explain why. Harding never even knew her.”

    “He didn’t have to. Any fool could see how much you cared for her. Harding Industries was never going to be a giant in the business world without acquiring another well-established company. By taking her away he weakened you. You haven’t been paying as much attention to your business as you should, have you? You’re ripe for a takeover right now, Lex. That was Harding’s design all along. Eliminate the girl to get to you.”

    “That’s sick.”

    Lionel shook his head. “That’s business. And if you let yourself actually think for a moment, you’ll know I’m telling the truth.”

    And despite his intentions, Lex did start to think. He knew that his company was suffering due to his lack of attention, and some small part of him that still cared had been wondering why no one had made a play for it yet. He was a prime target; by all rights Lex Corp should have been hacked into tiny pieces by this point. Yet somehow, his company was still in one piece. Which left only one conclusion, unsettling as it might be—Lionel had been watching his back. He had taken out HI before Harding had gotten a chance to take over Lex Corp.

    “Why hasn’t Luthor Corp made a bid on my company?” The words came out before Lex realized what he was saying, but as soon as he had spoken he realized that he truly did want to know.

    “I saw what losing Chloe did to you, Lex. I couldn’t take away your company after you had just lost someone that important to you.” At Lex’s disbelieving look Lionel smirked, shrugged. “Or perhaps I simply didn’t want my triumph tainted by taking advantage of what Harding had done. I can take you on at full strength, son; anything less than that would just be a hollow victory.”

    Lex nodded. That sounded more like the father he knew. But it still didn’t explain . . .

    “And Beruche?”

    “I hired him soon after the incident. It took him longer than it usually does—Harding covered his tracks exceptionally well—but he managed to come up with this.”

    Lionel stooped down and picked up a couple of files that Lex hadn’t even noticed him carry in. He handed one to Lex and stood back, waiting. Casting a suspicious glance at his father, Lex opened the file. His heart stopped, then started again at a frantic pace when he saw the face of one of the men from the alley staring back up at him. With shaking hands he began to flip through the papers. Pictures of all the men involved, along with reams of information on them, from where they lived to who their family members were to where they had attended primary school. His gaze returned to his father, staring at him with wide, wondering eyes.

    “Why did you do all of this?”

    Lionel’s jaw tightened. “Regardless of the fact that no ceremony had been performed, Chloe was family. When one Luthor is threatened, the attackers must be prepared for vengeance from the entire clan. There is nothing, Lex,” Lionel locked their gazes, “nothing more important than family.”

    “I see.” Though Lionel had done his best to bring him down over the years, his actions now made sense in a twisted sort of way. It was one thing for him to take Lex out; it was quite another for an outsider to do it. Lex glanced again at the file in his hand, and his eyes steeled in determination.

    “I know what you’re thinking, son.” Lex’s gaze returned to his father. “But I can assure you, everyone in that file has already been taken care of.” Seeing that Lex was about to say something, Lionel held up a hand. “Oh, I know that you probably would have preferred to deal with them yourself.” He held out the second file. “But I thought you might be more interested in going to see your fiancée.”

    For a moment Lex could only stare; an instant later, however, he had torn the file from his father’s grasp and was leafing through it with shaking hands. Medical charts from St. Christopher’s Hospital in Gotham, all with the name Jane Doe plastered across the pages.

    “Apparently Mr. Michaels, the man Harding put in charge, simply couldn’t go through with the plan to kill her. He had her stabilized and taken to St. Christopher’s. Beruche called from Gotham an hour ago, confirming that it’s her, and Mr. Michaels received a swift end.” Lex looked up to see a malicious coldness in his father’s eyes. “Rest assured, his associates will not receive such mercy. And as for Harding . . . he’s lost his company, and soon he will have also lost what paltry wealth and power he has managed to accumulate. I have the feeling that it won’t be long before he finds himself unfortunately accosted in the wrong part of town.” A sharp, shark-like smile flashed on Lionel’s face. “I hear that muggings can turn quite violent when the victim puts up a struggle.”

    Lex stood there, frozen to the spot. He had found her. After all this time, she was finally within reach. Lionel’s words were no more than a buzzing in his head and his eyes seemed glued to the file he was holding. It wasn’t until Lionel reached out to touch Lex’s shoulder that he finally snapped out of his daze.

    “There’s a helicopter outside waiting to take you to the airport, and the jet is standing by. You should be able to make it to Gotham in a matter of hours.”

    When the words finally penetrated to Lex’s brain it felt as if a huge surge of electricity had jump-started his system. The file fell unheeded from his fingers and he did something that he hadn’t even considered doing since he was a very young child. His arms wrapped around his father and pulled him into a hug; Lionel stood there for a moment, shocked, before his own arms went around his son. After a few moments more they pulled back, and with a smirk that seemed to say they would never speak of that again, Lex took off out of the room, running full-out for the front door.


    *************************


    I believe in you
    I’ll give up everything just to find you
    I have to be with you to live to breathe
    You’re taking over me


    The wind was warm and it rustled the flowers around her in a soothing whisper as Chloe lay back, looking at the purple sky above. She smiled and stretched, relishing the complete and total comfort she was in. Maybe she would make some more flowers later; but for now she didn’t want to do anything to disrupt this blessed state of relaxation.

    Her mind had different ideas, however. A niggling little thought kept creeping up despite her many attempts to banish it. Finally she gave in and sat up, trying to remember what she could have possibly forgotten that was important enough to be constantly dancing in the back of her mind. She came up empty in her search for answers; she always did when she tried to remember. A sense of frustration grew stronger within her until she could no longer sit still. She stood and began to walk across the rolling fields, paper flowers rustling as she moved.

    Perhaps it had something to do with her double. Yes . . . yes, that seemed like it was leading her in the right direction. While the other had been annoyingly vocal when she had first arrived, over time she had been prone to saying less and less until finally she simply stopped talking at all. Chloe had been glad at the time, but now it was beginning to worry her, though she couldn’t say exactly why. The other seemed to be growing fainter as well, now having reached the point of an almost ghostly translucence. Chloe couldn’t brush off the sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t quite right for someone to simply fade away like that. Things like that didn’t happen in real life.

    (What real life?)

    It just wasn’t natural . . .

    (Nature is whatever I want it to be.)

    Chloe shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. The other might be fading, but that wasn’t what she was forgetting. Something to do with something the other had told her once . . . something she had been quite insistent about . . . what had it been?

    "You have to leave this place.”

    Leave. But . . . leave for where? And how? There was more; she knew there was. But the memories were dancing just out of her reach, and no matter how hard she tried she simply couldn’t get to them. She scowled in frustration. Why couldn’t she remember?

    Suddenly there was something warm and wet on her hand; she lifted it to her face and saw a single drop of water roll towards her wrist and fall to the ground. More drops began to fall in a light, steady rain. But unlike the other rains there, this water was hot to the touch. Chloe frowned again. She hadn’t called this up. Gathering up her will she pushed it out, trying to dispel the hot rain, trying to make it leave. However, all of her efforts fell flat, and the rain continued to fall.

    Chloe brushed sodden strands of hair from her eyes as she looked around. The rain was everywhere, inescapable. Something had to be causing this. Her eyes scanned the horizon, and off in the distance she thought she saw some shape looming, vague and dark. She made her way through the fields, the ever-present sunlight streaming through the falling rain so that it glittered like gold. The shape drew nearer and nearer, until finally Chloe saw that it wasn’t a person as she had first thought, but something much larger.

    Closer still and she could see that it was a crumbling metal tower with stairs leading up to a large platform at the top. Dark rust covered large patches of it, and the ground around it was littered with pieces that had simply fallen off. It all seemed familiar somehow, though Chloe couldn’t put her finger on where she might have seen such a thing before.

    She chewed nervously on her lower lip, trying to come to a decision. The tower certainly looked less than sturdy, but if she could climb to the top she could be able to see farther, and maybe she could see whatever was causing this rain. Squaring her shoulders in determination she put her foot on the first stair and started to climb. She tested every step she came to, pressing to make sure that the stairs would hold her weight. There were times when she had to skip entire steps where rust had eaten away large, dangerous holes. She fell several times, slipping on the wet metal. Still she climbed, on and on. But the farther up the tower she got, the more difficult it became to take a single step.

    She was five steps from the top. With extraordinary effort she lifted her foot to the next step and pulled herself up. Four steps.

    It was so hard to keep going . . .

    Three steps.

    She should just give up and go back down . . .

    Two steps.

    Surely this was high enough . . .

    One step.

    The tower was swaying under her weight; Chloe grabbed at the railing and closed her eyes, willing it not to fall. She took a deep breath and focused all her energy. One foot on the platform . . . her other foot felt as if it were made of lead, almost too heavy to lift . . . she was up. As soon as both feet landed on the platform the crushing weight was gone, and the sudden freedom of movement had Chloe stumbling forward. A strange sensation began to overcome her and then, suddenly, Chloe remembered what the tower was for.

    The world was black around her. The plastic tube was gone from her throat; that was nice. The scratchiness of cheap material against her skin had remained; that was less nice. There was still the beeping, still the chirping, still that same harsh scent of chemicals. But there was something else there now, something riding over and under and around the cold, sterile smell. Something warm and familiar. Something she had been waiting for. And there was the feeling of someone’s hand around hers, a comforting warmth that she had missed for so very, very long.

    The darkness began to splinter, crack. Light began to show through, dim and gray. Finally her eyes fluttered completely open to the sight of regular, even ceiling tiles. She looked to the left and could see a second hospital bed, this one empty, and a large window being pelted hard with rain. Remembering the pressure on her right hand she glanced down, and her heart all but stopped when she saw Lex sitting next to her bed, his head bent over her hand where he was holding it in his.

    “Lex?”

    Her voice was raspy, almost nonexistent from long disuse, and she could barely hear it herself. Still, Lex’s head shot up at the sound, and the moisture that Chloe could feel on her hand was explained by the silent tears she could see on Lex’s face. He stared at her for a moment, unblinking, as though afraid that she would disappear if he looked away. Then one hand was holding tight to hers while the other reached for the call button. A doctor and nurse were in the room inside of a minute, and if Lex had been willing to take his eyes off of Chloe he would have been impressed with the way the pair only let their astonishment show for a moment before moving to check Chloe’s vitals.

    “I can’t believe it,” the doctor muttered. “She comes in, she’s in a coma for no discernable reason for over three months, with no sign of coming out of it; you’re here for half an hour and she wakes up.”

    “Is there anything you need, sweetheart?” the elderly nurse asked, brushing aside the doctor’s comments.

    “Water,” Chloe rasped. The nurse nodded and slipped from the room while the doctor shined a light into Chloe’s eyes.

    “Seems like everything’s normal,” he told them, disbelief clear in his voice. “We’ll have to run some tests to be sure, but from what I see here she just needs a bit of physical therapy to rebuild some of her muscles before she’s as good as new.”

    The nurse came in with the water that Chloe had requested and helped her drink a few mouthfuls while Lex reluctantly left her side to speak with the doctor. As soon as the man stopped talking he was next to her again, sitting gingerly on the bed with her hand held in his. The doctor and the nurse quietly left the room and Lex simply gazed at her for a while, lifting his free hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face. Chloe tightened her grip on his hand and gave him a shaky smile.

    “Waited for you.”

    Lex lifted her hand to his lips and placed a long, gentle kiss on her knuckles.

    “I’m here.”





    THE END

  7. #27
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    I’m such a sucker for a happy ending. Hey, I think I deserve it after all that angst and the bouts of depression you put me through. *pouts* And aww I’m glad Lionel didn’t turn out to be quite the complete bastard I thought he was.
    “Regardless of the fact that no ceremony had been performed, Chloe was family. When one Luthor is threatened, the attackers must be prepared for vengeance from the entire clan. There is nothing, Lex,” Lionel locked their gazes, “nothing more important than family.”
    Yeah, and so what the theme music from ‘The Godfather’ was playing in my mind. It’s not my fault. It was the mob reference in the A/N. So glad Harding and his goons got what was coming to them. Yup, I hope Lionel 'hurted them good.' Anyways, enough rambling. I just want to say how much I loved this story and will never ever doubt you again. :tongue: *Skips away happily to wait for the epilogue*

  8. #28
    Yes, I am that Fabulous Senior Member tigerbaby's Avatar
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    That was just

    Who knew that Lionel could be so sweet, in such a chilling Godfather kind of way?

    It was freaking me out reading all that angst. It was gut wrenching and I really, really hurt for Lex but thanks for making everything all right!!

    “Waited for you.”

    Lex lifted her hand to his lips and placed a long, gentle kiss on her knuckles.

    “I’m here.”
    So simple yet so deep.

    Beautiful.

  9. #29
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    Perfect ending to a perfect story. I'm so glad that Chloe and Lex finally found each other! That last scene was just beautiful.

    I can't tell you enough how amazing this fic is! Excellent job! I'm eagerly awaiting the epilogue! :biggrin:

  10. #30
    NS Full Member drina's Avatar
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    this is fantastic! yay! :yay:

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