The Lesser of Two Evils - NC-17, Chapter 56 (May 27, 2016)

[Kitty Black Cat]

Why is a fic so wonderful in the graveyard? No fair! I'm gonna cry for hours and then pout. Please this fic is great, original, well written and with details that made me love it more and more as I read. Please continue this. please please please please please!!!!!! It's a talented work and it is just so sad to leave such a good and strong piece unfinished. Please try to continue this!

[zho9]

Any chance of an update?

[Vampbabe20]

I have just read this story at work and I can't wait for an update.

[Leo Princess]

Awwww, I guess life has had you doing plenty of non-fun things too, huh. I hope you'll be able to update this fic very soon. It's a wonderful story, and I've always been a sucker for angst.

[peapod]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your fics!!! Please update soon, this one is really good.

[somethingeasy]

This is without the doubt the BEST Chlex fic I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I almost feel like I am being unfaithful to Zannie for proclaiming 'you are the very, very best', but I'm sure if she ever reads this fic, she'll probably forgive me

It's not only the hot, kinky and imaginative smutty scenes that make this a fantastic fic (although the thought of Lex having sex without using his hands, or with a collar around his neck makes me want to pant)... hmmm Hot Collared Lex (drooool)... eh-hem... what was I saying?

oh yeah... its not only the sex that distinguishes this fic from the multitudes, but the character potraits that you have made of the main characters (Lex, Lionel and Chloe). I have never seen anyone capturing the essence of these character with the same eloquence that you have managed. Magnificient work.

You have made Lionel into a very believable magnificient bastard that we can 'almost' empathize with, if not empathize, then we can at least understand his reasons and thought process behind his abhorrent actions. Most fics make Lionel commit evil acts 'just because he can'. You actually make an effort to justify his actions (in his own eyes at least) in a way that makes him seem more human to your readers.

Not to mention Lex. Its obvious that this Lex is nowhere near the semi-civilized and warm Lez of the Smallville universe (early seasons), yet although he is potrayed in a non-sympathetic and sometimes harsh light, he still proves himself to be (at the core of him) a man of honour and principles. Fantastic work.

And Chloe is amazing. Incredibly strong, bent but not broken. This Chloe has been through hell and emerged all the stronger for it (and all this done without making her into a Mary-Sue). Incredible plotting and characterization. I do hope you continue this fic and update soon. I'm going nuts trying to figure out what happens next...

please update...

[Zannie]

This is without the doubt the BEST Chlex fic I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I almost feel like I am being unfaithful to Zannie for proclaiming 'you are the very, very best', but I'm sure if she ever reads this fic, she'll probably forgive me

As it happens, I've kept up with this fic from the beginning, and have been hounding nonky to update her fics in the graveyard for months. She's sworn they aren't abandoned, so we still have hope that they'll be updated. Although I actually think this one is nonky's second-best fic. Her best is "Witness Protection." However, any of her older fics she'd like to resurrect would be most appreciated.

That said, I'm still not sure I entirely forgive you for such unfaithfulness.

[somethingeasy]

Oh dear. My unwavering love for Nonky has incurred the wrath of Zannie. I considered pulling a Lana and keep both authors confused as to where my true affections lie, but the fact is I get enough of that nonsense from the 'Writers of Lana Inanities'. I'm sorry Zannie, you know I love your and care for you(r work) a great deal, but my soul lies within the paragraphs written in 'The Lesser of Two Evils'

I just finished re-reading this fic, and it was actually more incredible and satisfactory the second time around. Certain lines just keep recurring to me at the oddest moments. Especially the little concersation/exchange that took place in an earlier chapter...

You are not my slave.
you are my soldier.

This struck a chord, and I actually find myself spouting/reciting these sentences to myself at the 'oddest' times. It was the perfect line/s to sum up the relationship between Chloe and Lex in this fic.

Also loved the small paragraph where Chloe is comparing the personalities of the two Luthors.

His humility and consideration for her went against everything Lionel was, but the resolve and persuasion were common in both father and son. Lex was stronger in it, more patient and more resolved. He wasn’t blinded by the arrogance of thinking he had everything worked out in his favour. He took notice of the details and nuances of behaviour that Lionel felt superior enough to ignore.

I think he’ll beat his father, she thought. I think he can do it.

This paragraph just killed me. I believe I've mentioned before how much I enjoy the way you have been painting out a clear and eloquent picture of your various characters (their personalities, motivations, thought process, etc). This was an exemplary example of one such painting.

I also loved the way she's starting to gain confidence in Lex. This includes not only having faith in his abilities to deal with Lionel, but also believing in him to protect her. And I appreciate the way her trust is growing not just out of desperation, but because she actually believes him to be a person worthy of it.

He didn’t understand the drive he had to protect her. She wasn’t a damsel or a helpless victim. He didn’t look at her and see weakness, even when he saw her sick and frightened. Beaten down as she was, Chloe still had the perseverance to find him and enlist his help. The nerve it took to rebel against Lionel was rare enough, and finding it in a teenage girl awed him.

Her manner hinted at a resilience he envied, because she was timid but not devastated by his father’s harassment. Why it hadn’t crushed her was a mystery he wanted to solve.

How did you do it alone so long, he wondered. Who helped you be strong enough?

Also loved this paragraph, because it paints a clear and beautiful picture of Chloe's personality.

And also because it clearly established that although Chloe needs his help and protection, Lex does not see her as a helpless victim or a person inferior to him in strength of will, determination or ruthlessness. He clearly admires her, and thinks of her as an equal rather than as a 'duty'.

I finished re-reading through this fic (yet again). At what point should I start worrying about addiction and checking into 'Nonky Anonymous'? I actually went a significant step beyond 'just' reading trhough my favourite scenes. I actually went through the entire thread and copied n pasted everything onto a word document. Now its possible for me to read the entire thing in one stretch without searching and skipping over all those reviews that kept interrupting my fix

There is a good reason for me to write a review (besides just gushing inane praises and compliments). I was wondering what kind of arrangements Lionel had made for his Chloe-Lionel combination son to be raised and 'trained in a manner befitting a Luthor heir'.

Lionel has been told that he only has about 6 more months to live. He knows he will never get the opportunity to raise the child himself. What could he do to MAKE SURE that this child is raised appropriately (from his perspective)? Lionel would not be the kind of fellow to risk delegating or losing control over something this important, so how what could he do to make sure Chloe's child would end up more 'worthy' of the Luthor Empire... Especially since he will not be there to personally train and judge the child? A child who will belong to a woman who

has the spine the consistency of steel

I loved that observation by the way

anyhow, looking forward to future chapters. please continue this fic... Actually if you get a chance to answer my question, perhaps you'll have time to answer just one more...

I know you said that you have every intention of finishing this fic (and all your other graveyard fics), and I believe you. But I was wondering whether you know how this fic will continue/end. Do you have the plot planned out or are you just 'winging it'? Has the story been relegated to the graveyard because of lack of ideas/inspiration rather than lack of momentum?

Whatever the answer, I have no doubt that the next/upcoming chapters will be wonderful. Even of you are just making it up as you go along, you are far too talented to let the plot go to rot

Once again, looking forward to the next update...

hmmmm. Somehow Zannie believes that my compulsive-obsessive reviewing 'might' encourage you to take this fic out of the graveyard all the sooner. I don't see how my rantings would help, but is there is even the slightest chance of it being true... Please update 'The Lesser of 2 Evils'.

I'm still dying to know the complete details of Lionel's plans, and I want to see the moment when Lex falls in love with Chloe (and REALIZES he is in love with Chloe) and vice versa. I want to see the moment Lionel realizes that Chloe and Lex are working together against him. I want to see the moment when Lionel decides to make his last desperate move against the lovers. I want, I want, I WANT..... There is so much that needs to be said, done and resolved in a fic of such magnificient potential.

ahem. Allrighty then, I can only abase myself so far before I start feeling embarrassed... Unless I find out I need to humiliate myself even further for an update, in which case I'll be happy to roll over and expose my belly

[JosiCuervo]

Dude. I'll send you your very own Superman Box'O'Smut if you update this fic. You know you want it...

Nude photos? Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?? Porn???

Um...that's all I got.

Pretty please...

Erica

[kitten]

A/N: For all the non-believers, I'm updating a graveyard fic. Now, I'm not saying I'll be quick about it, but they will all get completed. I've not been ignoring the reviews, and I'll be writing busily.

These chapters are dedicated to Josi, because she's had a hard couple of months and she offered the most effective bribes. Yes, I can be bought.

Same warning for quasi-non consensual sex as previous chapters.

Chapter 24

She had been dreaming about palm trees and a wind that smelled of ocean she’d seen only a few times in her life. Chloe rubbed her face as her body wiggled around in the catlike stretches and bends of waking up. She rolled to her back and felt for the edge of her twin bed. Her hand opened on more bed, too much to reach the end.

Not her familiar little bed. Not her father’s comfortable home. Not Lois’ sofa.

Even startled, Chloe didn’t move quickly. Her eyes darted around, her other senses registering. It was the obvious luxury of the room that identified it as Lex Luthor’s bedroom. Her whiff of cologne warmed by body heat told her he was still in the bed with her.

Finally, the memory of their sex came to her. She had let him be on top, plunging in and out of her body. She had liked the way it felt - at least some of it. Her guard had been down and she had fallen asleep there.

Chloe pulled her arm to her chest and there was a specific pain in the crook of her elbow. A small bruise surrounded a scabbed pinprick. Things became a little better then. She had been sick and weak and the nurse drawing blood had been the last straw for her. She hadn’t been stupid and careless to sleep in Lex’s bed. Her body had passed out.

Having found a reasonable cause, she turned just her face gingerly in the direction she could feel the man was. He was asleep, leaning on pillows against the headboard. It made his face younger.

She shifted her weight and the mattress flexed without a sound. No squeaking springs for the richest men in the state, she mused drowsily.

She piled the blankets over her naked body and sat up, moving between glances to Lex. The hushed whisper of silk seemed very loud to her when she replaced the covers. Her bag and clothes were almost the only clutter in the room. She gathered them up and crept out into the hallway.

The clammy feel of her upper thighs and between her legs had her longing for a shower. Chloe headed for the other bedroom and let herself in. If she was going to be unceremoniously tossed out Lex probably would have done it last night. She braced herself for a flashback to her first night there, only the room was unrecognizable. The furniture and carpet were gone and it was repainted - blank. Nothing remained of the place where she’d been violated.

It made her wonder about Lex and his reactions to their situation. It must bother him but he rarely showed it. He probably worked hard to be the neutral tactician he was out of bed. And in bed . . . well, she had no frame of reference, so she couldn’t tell how he was in bed except experienced.

Chloe opened the bathroom door and it was a different room, too. Still a bathroom, and likely the same fixtures. However, the soft buttermilk wall colour had continued from the bedroom, with light sienna accent pieces and trim mouldings. The glaring whiteness of the tub, sink and toilet blended sedately. Taking a breath, she waited. No panic. Discomfort, definitely an urge to hurry and leave before Lex woke, but nothing out of the ordinary.

She moved towels within reach - those were also a soft yellow - and started the water hot, trying to get herself moving more quickly. Seeing her co-conspirator was too full of oddities.

It wasn’t as late as she feared and Chloe was dressed by 7:30. Her stomach was rumbling and it was too late to make her first class. She thought about it and decided she could miss the day. She didn’t feel able to fake her normal life. Her father was on yet another business trip and she was doing well enough in all her subjects to handle losing one day’s instruction.

After another tiptoed walk she sat on the ugly grey sofa to put on her boots. They were easier to pull up than shed.

She would have been grateful for the fruit platter Lex had provided the night before, but Chloe couldn’t bring herself to root around the kitchen for breakfast. It was too familiar and it went further than her deal with him.

She pulled on her coat and slipped her hands into the pockets for her keys. Checking the phone showed one missed call and no message - Clark. He had a big game last night. Of course, now that he was the star quarterback he thought every game was the big game. When she had tried to get him to write about school sports teams before he was part of one he had argued their insignificance.

Chloe wasn’t sorry she’d missed his call. There was increasingly little to say that was remotely friendly.

She gave the lobby guard a nod on her way out. He didn’t offer to walk her to her car. Maybe only the night shift did. The drive to Lois’ apartment building was relatively fast, and her brunette cousin let her in on the first knock.

"Hi! Come in," she said cheerfully. "I’ll be just one second."

Lois disappeared into her bedroom and low conversation hummed behind the closed door. It was no surprise there was a guy around. Lois had been temporarily cohabitating with boyfriends since she was sixteen. They moved in for a few weeks or months and were gone after a while. Most of them were good guys but Chloe thought her cousin was more interested in some of them just for company. Her father was posted at some hot-bed of military activity, her mother had died of lung cancer when she was 12, and her little sister was in a European boarding school. Lois had a kind of premature empty nest syndrome coupled with abandonment issues.

"-afternoon, but call first, okay?"

"Yeah, I will," the tall blond guy said, closing the bedroom door after he and Lois. "Hey," he said to Chloe.

"Hi."

He ambled to the door and left, hitching his jeans up on his hips. The two young women regarded each other solemnly before bursting into giggles.

"So he’s a moron," Lois said. "That’s okay sometimes. Besides, I woke him up and chased him out. Usually he’s good for more than a ‘hey.’"

Chloe took off her coat and shrugged. "I didn’t say anything, did I?"

Hanging up the coat, Lois looked at her younger cousin oddly. "What are you doing here so early? Or, if my eyes don’t deceive me, late?"

Her face flushed and Chloe shrugged again. She didn’t need to say much to satisfy her father about her whereabouts. Working at the Planet meant her time could be explained with a new assignment. It was one of the few blessings of working the equivalent of two part-time journalism jobs and going to school full-time. It was assumed she stayed with Lois in the city, but in this case Lois would know better. A few lies were needed. For some reason she told the smallest part of the truth.

"I’ve been at a guy’s place all night. There was no way to get to school on time so I was going to skip."

Her tone even produced the appropriate mood of slight embarrassment and physical satisfaction a woman her age was supposed to feel about her lover. Lois seemed convinced.

"Well, shit! The fine example I’ve set has finally taken hold," she gushed. "You should definitely skip. We need to talk about your guy."

Damn. Chloe hadn’t prepared any false details for the lie. She just took the most misleading fact and expected her cousin would be satiated. She didn’t talk about her boyfriends at length, so someone else’s wouldn’t appear to be interesting enough to disarm the practised sophistication Lois cultivated.

"There’s no big excitement. He’s nice."

Lois huffed and started the coffee maker. "Nice isn’t hot. Is he?"

"Yes," Chloe admitted, and it was true once again. "But it won’t last. He and I are going to be over pretty soon."

Whirling around, the other girl grabbed her shoulders and held her still to look at her. "Fucking hell! Someone has come around to the way it really works. What did Clark do that was so bad to lose your devotion?"

That wasn’t a topic worth recounting. He actually become more neglectful as her problems became more dire. He had seen her at her worst and the obvious warning signs she hadn’t concealed well didn’t make a dent in his gleeful popularity. What was her pallor to the most sought-after superjock in school? Nothing he even saw.

"I got fed up. That’s not happening, at least not soon. So I’ll spend my time with a man who knows I’m there," she said crisply, hoping to put the talk to rest. "I’ll get what I need where I can."

Lois missed the tepid confidence and reacted to the words with a sly grin. Chloe had heard the same sentiment from her often, and she knew her echoing it would be a good distraction. Lois loved being right.

"Good! It’s about time. So this new guy is big city - that’s good. What school does he go to?"

Chloe blanked on the name of every high school and said, "He doesn’t. I mean, he’s at Met. U. In business."

Lois’ ponytail bounced as she dug around in the fridge and found two eggs, flourishing them past her cousin’s face. Her robe swished as she strutted happily to the stove. Chloe’s visit was giving her a chance to play house. Even if she hadn’t been hungry, the blond would have humoured it. It was probably hard being stuck with too much independence to seek out other people, and too little experience to enjoy living alone.

"Excellent. Didn’t I say you needed an older man? How’s the sex?"

Last night it had been great. The first time had been horrific, the second awkward, the third good. It had been 20 days and four visits and he was undeniably on her side. Lex was trying to save her. He saw her pain and tried to relieve it when he could. It was her problem that she hated he could tell what she needed him to say and do, sometimes when she had no idea. That insight was the arsenal he was using to help her.

"It’s good," Chloe said, her voice taking on a shyness.

Eyes narrowed, her cousin put her hands on her hips.

"Don’t get sappy on him, Sullivan," she ordered. "You said it won’t last and there’s a good reason why you believe that. The point of the older man is to avoid the overly sentimental traps of high school romance."

"I know," Chloe agreed.

"Good. Tell me his name."

"Uh . . . Alex."

Lois looked at the eggs in the frying pan and sighed, stirring them. "Solid name, very manly. He doesn’t make people call him Alexander, does he?"

"He shortens it."

Flicking off the stove, her cousin gave the eggs a last rough stir.

"Good for him. That’s a sign of confidence. Now, these started out scrambled so I had to go with it. I can try again, but I have a tendency to scramble," Lois told her. "Pour some juice while I attempt toast. You sound stuffy."

Chloe let her self-appointed life coach boss her into eating two slices of toast with her eggs. Her orange juice was refilled twice. Lois even gave her a gentle noogie and refused help with the dishes. She sent her to the living room to drink her coffee and relax. Lois apparently approved of both her own all-night guest and Chloe’s choice of bed-mates.

I don’t know if I should have told Lois, she thought. It’s a relief but she’ll have a lot of questions now.

If they could be honest it might help to know how Lois kept her feelings out of her hook-ups, or maybe it would send the whole situation into a catastrophe. There was one of General Lane’s personal firearms in the bedside table for protection and her cousin had plenty of attitude to waving it in Lionel’s face. She was fearless in protecting her little sister, Lucy, and Chloe.

Chloe’s conscience wouldn’t allow complete honesty. At least the boyfriend story was a good cover for any number of nights in Metropolis. If the worst happened it would also let her ask Lois to go with her for an abortion.

Shuddering at the thought, Chloe stretched out on the sofa and closed her eyes. Sleep had helped, but her body still felt odd and sickly. It hadn’t felt entirely like her own for a long time.


Chapter 25


Lex was buying lunch for a business associate when he found Chloe’s appointment card in his wallet. He would have given it to her, but she’d snuck out. There was no sign of her when he woke up.

He finished paying and said his farewells, the card hidden in his pocket. It would have eased his mind somewhat to call Chloe and make sure she was okay. He ignored the impulse. His behaviour had to remain unremarkable for Lionel’s observers, as did hers.

His office provided a peaceful atmosphere to mull over the predicament. The evidence was being pieced together, slowly but diligently. Lex knew he couldn’t ask for faster results. His people had to watch their own backs as they worked and he didn’t want more blood on his hands. The blood tests were being processed as quickly as possible without compromising their veracity. The next time he saw Chloe they would know whether or not she was pregnant. It was a razor’s edge - his father had to believe in the risk, but that risk had to be minimized secretly. Condoms failed sometimes, so it depended on which Luthor the fates would favour.

He felt a need to do something to find out how his father had been spending his time. There was an ominous drift of purpose with the small amount of harassment Chloe was suffering. A few phone calls were barely counted as threats. She had been called to meetings for almost two years, all of them on short notice and nonnegotiable. Suddenly, her presence wasn’t required for two weeks.

Lex dialled Lionel’s office line and let it ring to the secretary. Dropping in for a visit was the best chance of pinning down the current strategy. Along the way he could get the appointment card to Chloe. He wanted a trustworthy doctor to see her immediately.


"Hey, I think there’s something wrong with your phone," Clark told Chloe, picking up the device and looking it over. "I tried you two nights ago and there was no answer."

She had known it was a mistake to come to school. The Torch was really her only reason why she still bothered. Summer school or detention weren’t serious dangers anymore. Her mental health day with Lois was completely undone halfway through the morning. At any rate, she wasn’t going to explain to Clark where she had been and why she hadn’t wanted to talk.

"No, it’s fine. I’d have called you back if you left a message."

He flushed, but his large smile didn’t hold up his modest words. "It’s not important. I scored the winning touchdown and I was excited. What did you have to do in the city?"

Her mouth twisted and Chloe made it turn up into a polite grimace.

"Work," she said, knowing he wouldn’t be interested in the particulars. "Nothing special."

He nodded, juggling the cellphone like a mini football until she took it and put it away.

"Publish or perish," he quipped. "Hopefully you’ll make it to the next game. The coach had us planning this play where I circle around the outside on a . . . "

She glanced down at her mail and started opening envelopes as Clark lapsed into jock speech. Incomprehensible as it all sounded, he seemed to enjoy bragging at her. The right moment arrived for a pause and she threw out a thoughtless inquiry.

"Really?"

He started up again and Chloe sorted her mail into useful now, useful later and never useful piles. There was an unmarked envelope among them with no return address, so she opened it cautiously. A dozen or so sheets of white printer paper folded into a thick letter, except all the pages were blank. Flipping the envelope over, she rolled her eyes. The humour of pranks like this escaped her. She shook the envelope upside down and a card fell.

When she read the innocent rectangle the walls felt like they’d fallen on her. The distance and safety of her high school newspaper office was shattered. Physically, Chloe was in a room with Clark. Her mind flew several directions at once; to her father’s side at work, to the room with Lionel where he undressed her with his still-cold lustful gaze, and to the penthouse where she had sex with Lex not quite against her will but not quite in agreement with it either.

Her life wasn’t high school, friends and classes. The real parts of it were facing down rich, powerful men and their attempts to use her body for their own ends. She was a pawn.

No wonder Clark Kent didn’t mean as much as he used to. He had no place in a life like that except as cannon fodder.

Smiling wanly, Chloe tucked the appointment card in her purse. She continued to react to Clark, politely and even warmly, but she wasn’t there. She said goodbye when he did and followed the bells around from one lecture to another. She went home and cried for hours. There was no going back and there never had been.


Lex had always thought his father’s decorating scheme was an unpleasant mix of Ernest Hemingway at his most hyper masculine and Liberace at his most toned down. The Scottish castle transplanted to Smallville, Kansas, was a nightmare of poor choices. Antique weapons were hanging anywhere they could fit, and the stained glass windows tinged everything red or purple. A devout Freudian could write a book on the psychology of Lionel Luthor’s attraction to polished swords.

All of it left little room to breathe, even for the castle itself. If Lex was in charge of the household his first task for the staff would have been to store the antiques. If the authentic stone walls and floors weren’t old enough for someone’s tastes, he would let them rifle through dusty crates at their leisure.

He and his father did have a common appreciation for scotch, so both were holding a glass. Lex hadn’t met with his father completely sober since he was fourteen.

"What brings you here, Lex? I would have been at the office tomorrow."

The large fireplace blazed behind Lionel in unselfconscious symbolism, and the younger man smiled wryly.

"I prefer to talk about some things in private," he said mildly. "This is a personal matter, not a business one."

His sire’s face changed in a fleeting way, then stilled at a relaxed expression.

"By all means."

"I wanted to thank you for your gift," Lex said, trying to appear reluctant or proud instead of angry. It was never wise to appear too grateful until the repercussions of the gift were clear. "Chloe Sullivan has been just what I needed. I wouldn’t have thought a lack of experience could be so refreshing."

The phrasing was crafted and memorized to be leading to the older man, but not goading. It might inspire Lionel to talk more than he intended to. There were the rare days when the liquor dropped inhibitions.

"You’re welcome. An outlet is very important as you take on more responsibility," he replied.

"I was hoping to get the name of another girl like her for a friend of mine."

Eyes darting for a moment, Lionel leaned forward obligingly. "Of course. Give me the name of your friend and I’ll have an arrangement by the end of the week."

Just like that, Lex marvelled. One or two calls and another young woman would be sold like a sex toy.

The nastier qualities of his father had been clear for a while. They usually didn’t get such a forthright display. The billionaire pimp act was more openly evil than Lionel typically owned up to.

"My friend probably wouldn’t want that," he said, quirking an eyebrow. "If you have a number to call that will be fine."

Lionel threw back his entire drink and gave it to his valet to be refilled.

"I’m afraid not, Lex. It’s a rather exclusive service and you need a direct recommendation to be accepted. In a few years you could vouch for him, but for the moment you’re still under my membership."

Lex shrugged shallowly and put his drink down. He had to leave before the politeness was beyond him. He hadn’t learned anything new, but tipping his hand would be worst.

"That’s too bad. I’ll let my friend know the rules and get back to you. I would be unfortunate if he had to miss out. I’m seeing Chloe a few times a week," he said, letting arrogance shade it.

A speculative turn of his chin and his father nodded. "I’m glad one of my gifts has hit the mark. A young woman can be so nicely malleable in the right condition, just the cure for a jaded mind," he said. "The offer stands for your friend."

Lex stood up and made his face freeze blankly. The unabashed pride was particularly unbearable. Lionel was treating Chloe like an object he’d been lucky enough to discover first.

"Goodnight Dad," he said tightly.

"Son."

When the valet followed behind Lex to see him out, Lionel strode slowly to the massive ebony desk.

I wonder what that really was, he thought. It’s quite a long drive for a thank you he doesn’t want me to have the satisfaction of hearing. What have you been saying, Chloe?


The same nurse left Chloe with a paper gown and dizzying fears about the results of her tests. Maybe she couldn’t handle hearing she was sick or pregnant. It would be good to hear good news. Bad news might debilitate her.

Ultimately, years of good manners overruled the protests. She’d never liked the doctor, but her father had instilled a sense of obligation too strict to walk out. She had an appointment with a busy doctor and it wouldn’t do to waste the doctor’s time. Getting the results was better for her sanity than anticipating them. It still took a lot of anxious twitching before she could take off her underwear.

There was a short knock on the door that was repeated when Chloe didn’t answer. She blinked. No doctor had ever seriously waited at the door of the exam room.

"Come in," she called.

A woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties stepped in, opening the door only as much as she needed to slide her slim form through. She closed it immediately afterward and smiled reassuringly.

"Hello, I’m Dr. Concord. You’re Chloe Sullivan?"

"Yes. Chloe."

The smile got bigger and a twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Okay. You can call me Jane if you like. Sometimes it’s weird, so please yourself. I’m informed there are some special circumstances for you, but it’s usually best to get that kind of information directly. You’re under FBI protection?"

Chloe nodded. Maybe it was the nearly two years where silence had cursed her to sleepless, friendless nights, or maybe it was just the end of her rope. She told the doctor everything that didn’t implicate Lex. Then she waited. Folders were delivered by Nurse Adams. Numbers were read out. Eventually, Dr. Jane ended up rubbing her back gently and offering tissues.


There was a little alcove next to the penthouse elevator, and Chloe stood there checking her reflection for a long time before she opened Lex’s door. She was still trying to process the doctor’s words, still struggling to feel the same thing more than two minutes in a row. Everything kept shifting around and causing odd reactions. A few days ago she’d realized her life didn’t seem real, and now she felt too real. Reality was highly overrated.

She wasn’t pregnant. The tests and the pelvic exam told her that horror wasn’t a reality yet. On the other hand there had been many other tests and they weren’t nearly as conclusive. There were four fertility drugs floating around her blood, three experimental hormone cocktails meant to increase her odds of producing a male child, and other substances that were likely ingredients in the making of the other drugs.

That was all the proof she would need to convict Lionel’s chosen doctor of misconduct. That wouldn’t keep anything up for long. The doctor might even disappear before police arrived to question him. The main target had to be Lionel.

She went in, took off her coat and headed straight for the sofa, knowing Lex was waiting. He had to give permission for her to use the elevator up to his apartment, so he was probably eager to know what was holding her up.

"Hi."

Chloe sat, letting her knees give out and drop her. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her with a questing look. She smiled minutely.

"I’m not pregnant."

In fact, her period had started hours after her doctor appointment, ridiculously convenient after being late almost a whole month. It was just too late to prevent her from worrying, and exactly on time to present a new awkwardness to the night with Lex. It threw their agreed upon method into a spin. She wasn’t even sure how to talk about it.

"Good," he said, cracking a little smile, too. "That must be a relief for you."

He posed it just slightly like a question, not wanting to impose feelings on her she might not have. It seemed rational she’d be relieved, but rational thought and actual experience didn’t always come together smoothly.

Chloe nodded. "It is. Um . . . thank you for finding a female doctor. It helped," she said shyly.

Lex had specified a female doctor, the younger the better. He saw no reason to inflict more male authority figures on Chloe when she was grappling with too many taking over her life. He felt bad that a lot of his protection came in the form of directions on how to live. When she was older and recovered, he wanted her to be able to trust a man again. His father had ruined too much happiness.

He looked over the lab results, though they didn’t mean a lot to him other than the summary notes scrawled across the bottom of the page. Chloe sat quietly, letting him read.

"So the effects of the drugs are unclear," he asked.

"Right now they are. There are some special tests that I’ll have to go in for, but the supplies have to be shipped in. Dr. Concord will let me know. Physically I’ve been better. I think I had the flu last week."

He studied her for a long moment, lingering on her face and the return of colour to her cheeks. Some good news had made her stronger, hopefully strong enough.

"I’m glad. I’ve talked to my FBI contact and he said he’d like to talk to you sometime next week. It will be secret - probably a meet at a restaurant and a short drive to a travel agency," he told her. "There will be more specific details later, but you don’t have to prepare. Wear what you’d normally wear, try to make it like any other day."

"Do they really think it’s wise that Lionel’s men see me going to a travel agency? I don’t want him to think I’m taking off or anything," she said.

Lex considered that, his eyes brooding. There was a small risk of a hasty reaction from the people following her - they might grab her off the street to prevent her from fleeing. His father hired for brawn and experience, not necessarily smarts.

"I’ll pass that along and see what they can do about an alternate location," he said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes more and he flipped through the lab results again. The quantities of some of the drugs sounded so large, too large for the petite woman sitting next to him. She was suprisingly near, well within arm’s reach, and he had an urge to touch her. Putting an arm around her shoulders wouldn’t be completely out of line, except for his promise he wouldn’t have his hands on her. The vow was working in a setup that shouldn’t have worked at all, and Lex didn’t touch her.

He stood, putting the file away and giving Chloe a long look. She returned it and averted her eyes.

He’d had that moment before - it was a date moment. A partition of time between the greetings and the sexual tension. In normal circumstances they might be deciding if sex was going to happen. The lack of choice was galling. Lex wondered if she knew it as a date moment or just another indignity. He sat back down.

"I, uh, I have a small problem," Chloe said, her face heating up. "My period started yesterday."

She felt like an imbecile. She didn’t feel ashamed. Her periods were healthy and natural. Still, she wouldn’t ask her father or her male friends to buy her tampons. She especially didn’t think Lex was so involved in her life he needed to know. There was no medical reason why they couldn’t have sex, but it felt complicated and messier. She had to at least tell him, because there was no way she could let him go down on her right now, even if he would. It was common courtesy, just not one she’d had to exercise before.

He took in the embarrassment. Anger clenched his jaw and he pushed it away. This was not the way a young woman should have to manoeuver her first sexual relationship. Everything was skewed and he wasn’t able to help Chloe correct the associations she was making. What he knew about healthy, stable relationships could be engraved on the head of a pin.

"It’s not a problem for me," he said. "Unless you’re in pain."

She shook her head. "No, but . . . We can’t do things the regular way. I don’t want to. It’ll be messy and I just . . . "

"I have a way around that."

Lex waited for her to ask what it was, leaning back to imply he was giving her the time she needed. Her eyes were fixed on his hands, wide and shiny.

"I still don’t want your hands on me," she said apologetically. "I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be difficult."

A noblewoman from Monaco had once requested a million dollar race horse from him for the pleasure of her company at dinner. When she’d learned there would be drinks and a reception before dinner, her price had gone up a diamond necklace. Chloe, in comparison, was an angel. Even if she’d been raised a noblewoman she wouldn’t be difficult.

"You shouldn’t apologize, Chloe," he said, squaring his shoulders. "It’s for you to decide what happens to you. My idea was that we get into the shower and work something out that you’re comfortable with."

The penthouse master bath had a gym shower with benches and safety bars. It was originally installed as a ready-made wheelchair accessible feature. The shower wasn’t much smaller than the bedroom, and there was plenty of space for both of them. She tried not to be shocked by the idea of shower sex, but the childish reticence rose once more. Her face must be purple.

Unfortunately, she was committed to the plan they’d used so far. Changing it now was dangerous. She trusted Lex to an extent, and no better ideas were coming to mind.

"Okay."

They made the same careful walk to the bedroom, far apart and silent. Lex started the shower and undressed first, taking a condom from the box in his bedroom. Chloe had gone pale, her lips clamped shut and her eyes blinking spasmodically.

She didn’t know why it was different, but it was. When Lex took off his clothes and laid them on a chair he was drastically naked. He seemed unmoved as he glanced at her quizzically.

"I’ll be a minute," she said, hating the pinched, virginal squeak of her voice.

Lex opened the big glass door and stepped in, acting for all the world as if he showered with a slack-jawed teenager watching him every day. Chloe couldn’t fathom how couples shared a bathroom without embarrassment, or why they’d want to. She stared at the sinks, the bathrobes, the mirror, the fresh flowers that had to have cost more than $100 for the size of the bouquet. Finally, at a loss to any recourse, she started undressing. It helped that Lex kept his back turned, nonchalantly soaping up and ducking under the spray to rinse off.

I’m being an idiot. It’s the same as the last time, she told herself. It’s only a problem if I make it a problem. I told him my issue and he offered a solution. I have to at least try it.

She stood under another shower head. It simulated rainfall and the water did feel good. She came close to forgetting she wasn’t alone as she used the expensive liquid soap. If she closed her eyes and turned her back it was as if the evening was over and she was about to go home.

"Chloe."

He was sitting on a wooden bench installed into the wall, his hands behind his back. His posture was remarkable and he made the strange scene something calm with his stillness. She approached very slowly, holding her breath. Her chest was at the level of his face when she stopped, their legs brushing. Lex leaned up, water beaded on his skin, his eyelashes extra dark with wetness.

"You have to tell me the new rules," he said.

She didn’t know the rules. It was alluring to be naked with him. He looked, felt and smelled good. He spoke with a little gruff edge in his voice that she liked, even if she’d never heard it before. The rules were broken when he spoke and she didn’t mind. They had probably been stupid rules to begin with.

"No hands," she whispered. "But mouth, maybe."

His eyes were pointed at her breasts and she liked that, too. He nodded and moved in, easing closer, moistening his lips. He exhaled over her skin first and Chloe shivered. The heat of the shower was making sweat run down their bodies, and Lex was hard. He rubbed his upper lip lightly on her breast and glanced up at her face.

She nodded. This wasn’t safe and it wasn’t right, but she enjoyed it physically. Lex was running his lips laguidly along the lower curve of her breasts, never applying pressure or going near the nipples. He had his eyes closed as if he was enjoying himself. The pleasure was slow, dragging with the speed he was using to reach her stiff, flushed nipples. He circled to the upper curves, bypassing the nipples and bringing a gasp to her lips before she realized.

Chloe’s hand extended and she held onto his shoulder, bracing her legs further apart. Maybe she did understand shared bathrooms and shower sex. The water was a primal drumming on the tile and the steam gave an otherworldly haziness to her vision. She closed her eyes and she could smell the soap and shampoo and the organic scent of their sweat. She was distracted when Lex took her right nipple in his mouth, sucking hard once.

A shock like pleasure ran down her belly to her clit, the sensation almost as potent as a real touch. She looked at Lex and found he was waiting for her again, his eyes warm. She was sorry on the first night she’d been so resistant of his mouth on her breasts. It could have made everything much different.

"That’s good."

He nodded and continued with less restraint, using more tongue and suction, building up speed and jostling her breasts with his jaw as he switched from one to the other. Chloe was grasping both of his shoulders, her hands curled over his strong shoulders.

She liked that he was strong and that he was willing to protect her. She even came close to liking him for few minutes, lust and power weaving an illusion with the steam. The sensations got closer to her orgasm but they peaked before it happened. Lex pulled back and tilted his face up to hers, shaking his head.

"I don’t think you’ll come this way," he said. "I’m sorry."

"It’s okay. Put on a condom," Chloe said shortly.

She straddled him, steadying herself on his arms. He braced his palms flat on the bench, compensating for her balance as she worked up to penetration. Her legs adjusted, slid forward and he was inside.

As Chloe swayed and clenched around him, Lex stared at her face. Her eyes were closed most of the time, and when they opened they didn’t focus anywhere. She gasped and purred under her breath, her face moving into his and then away. He found his balance and thrust carefully, his feet not quite stable on the wet floor. A strand of wet blond hair was dragging damply over his chin like a stroking finger. He felt her tighten and release deliberately.

"Fuck."

She didn’t think of the word as something said, just as an indication. He was close and she was close. The fear was less than it had ever been, and she was proud of herself. This was something she could master and survive. It wouldn’t break her.

Chloe sped up and Lex did the same, his fingers gripped in the wooden slats. He wanted to hold her chest against his, but she was arching back and away. Her mouth was coming so close to his face it felt like she was coming in for a kiss. Several times he let out a little disappointed grunt when it looked as if they would, but she moved at the last second. It startled him and he came suddenly. The quick, deep final thrust took her with him.

She held on desperately as her body exploded, taking all the tension left. She felt powerful, invincible.

And Lex knew it when he looked at her. Her green eyes shone with it. All he’d wanted was a split second of her mouth on his. He also knew something terrible - Chloe herself was the biggest liability he had to protecting her.