Re: Ends and Means - R - Chapter 7 - 8/13
Loving how you write Alfred this part made me laugh“I figured as much, Master Bruce but I continue to try. The law of large numbers says I’m bound to find you in an agreeable mood eventually.”
Would Batman really blow up his own building???? And if he did does Lex know about it???
I can't wait for all the answers, but will we be getting any romance between Lex and Chloe or are we just going to have to guess
And so the plot thickens. You're doing a remarkable job handling the pacing and exposition of plot details. I'm very impressed (and a little envious) because I suck at doing that well.
I adore your Alfred. The voice is absolutely perfect.
Wonderful, wonderful.
leaving Batman with frustratingly low-punch count for the evening.So Funny, I'm such a dork as soon as it said Lawyer I was like Harvey and it is Harvey, but you never know if Gordons in on somthing Harvey probably is too.The law of large numbers says I’m bound to find you in an agreeable mood eventually
Cant wait to see what happens next
*snort* Yeah, because you should be thanking *us*. You put in the time and the effort to develop this fabulous story and share it with the rest of us, and give us new parts as quickly as you can and we . . . sit here waiting impatiently for the next part, and *we* are the ones who deserve thanks. Go right ahead and tell yourself that, honey. And while you're telling yourself that . . . nothing says thank you like more new parts. <wink>Thanks for sticking with me.
Loved, loved, loved this chapter. Alfred had me laughing out loud. (I can just picture the pout on Bruce's face as he muches away at his grilled cheese sandwich.) The description of Chloe in an investigative career as the type of workaholic who frightens other workaholics struck me as startlingly plausible, and her conversation with Danny along those lines had me giggling all the way through. The militaristic bone of contention between Lex and Bruce has me mightily intrigued. As part of the story behind the explosion, it unquestionably makes sense, but I can't help but think we don't have the full picture yet. If Lex thought that Bruce went behind his back and sabotaged the project that Lex, apparently, sees as his ticket to political office, then you'd think Lex would be doing everything in his power, including hiring investigators of his own, to look into it. It makes you wonder what Lex is so interested in hiding. Hmm, curioser and curioser.
Ah well, I'll just have to wait patiently and see where the story goes from here. And if you should feel like thanking me (and all your other faithful readers) with another update soon, just know that you'd be more than welcome! <wink>
:-)
Em
OK, not an update, sorry if you thought it was one (although I did get a great deal of writing done today). I’m just here to answer questions, comment on feedback, etc.
star del mar, arkakitty, darkangel, lexchloe, GemKat, hfce, et. al: All I can say is stay tuned, sorry! I really hope my resolution of this mystery does not suck!
Kimmie and pipersmum: Yes, this is a Chlex romance. Smoochies and other activities are coming, I promise. (Gee, was that a pun?)
Zannie, emnorth, et. al: If I could write an Alfred-centered fic that people would read, I would. He’s so much fun to write. He keeps popping up in here because I need a break from the intensity of the rest of the plot. Plus, I love testing his dialogue out loud because I get to use my phony British accent. (Nothing is worse than an ex-New Yorker faking a British accent, I assure you.)
Georgee5 and Louie: Comic geeks unite! I like Two-Face as a character. The parallels between him and Batman/BW are fun to explore, although I will not have time to do that in this story, since this is pre-Two-face. Maybe someday…
emnorth: *blush blush blush blush* Stop! You're killing me!
GemKat: Word on the anchovies. It boggles my mind that someone, somewhere, a long time ago, picked up an anchovy and said “Umm, hairy fish. I should eat that." And then thousands of people agreed!
Another great chapter
"The law of large numbers says I’m bound to find you in an agreeable mood eventually "
looking forward for more info to crack this case.
I am really enjoying your awesome story! I love Bruce Wayne, and am so happy that he is in this. I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Thank you
So I will stay tuned
A/N: Comic fans, this one’s for you. Of course, this story is set when Chloe’s ex had only one face… He’s cast in here more because of his profession than anything else. I wanted to make Chloe’s ex as much of a workaholic as she is… once I decided that, picking this character was just too easy.
Chapter 8
Wayne Manor…Bruce Wayne’s study…that evening…
Lex paced the length of the study for the third time in five minutes. It was not in his nature to be restless but then, these days, he found himself doing quite a few things that he once thought were not in his nature.
He was dressed in a tuxedo, and despite the fact that he was very used to formal wear, it was very much against his will that he found himself so attired that evening. Bruce had planned a charity event at his mansion for that evening and had convinced him that it was in their best interest for Lex to make an appearance. He had even asked that Lex arrive early so they could discuss “business matters” before the other guests arrived. Now Lex stood in Bruce’s study waiting for the other man to appear, annoyed that Bruce seemed to think that the rule of arriving “fashionably late” extended even to his own meetings.
Lex didn’t even recall which charity the event was benefiting and frankly, he had ceased to care. He just wanted to get through the evening and head back to his apartment as soon as possible.
In the past few weeks, he felt less in control of his life than at virtually any other time in is thirty-odd years. There were notable exceptions, of course. His “pharmaceutical phase” was one. The year leading up to his father’s incarceration was another.
And now, as if the plant explosion and…related events were not enough, he had to deal with seeing Chloe Sullivan again, and the feelings she stirred in him.
Lex braced one arm against the ornate mantle of the fireplace.
There, he had admitted it. Sort of. The woman stirred feelings in him. Feelings of what, though, he didn’t really feel like defining. He could try, but he was feeling out of control as it was, the last thing he needed was more distraction…
*****
Summer, ten years earlier…very late at night…
The telephone rang. If it were any other call at this time of night, Lex would have ignored it. He was sitting up in bed trying to review some important papers and he really didn’t need to be distracted. Except it wasn’t just any phone call. He reached for the small cell phone on his nightstand and flipped it open.
“Hey, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing…just couldn’t sleep,” replied Chloe. “I didn’t want to wake my dad again so I figured you might still be up…”
“I told you that you could call anytime, day or night, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, well most people say things like that and they don’t really mean them, particularly when the phone actually does ring at two in the morning.”
“I’m not most people.”
Chloe gave a mock sigh. “Ah, arrogant but so true. So it sounds like I didn’t wake you. Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I was reading a copy of the motion the prosecutors filed today. They’re trying to get the pre-trial hearing moved up.”
“Do you think they have a shot?” Lex could tell that Chloe was trying to keep her voice even but that the idea of being able to come out of hiding sooner excited her.
“Hard to say. My own attorneys helped them with the motion and it’s pretty solid. The problem is that Lionel’s attorneys are claiming that he’s not healthy enough to go to trial yet.”
“He’s stalling.”
“Exactly.”
Chloe exhaled. “I see… and how good of these lawyers of his?”
“They’re pretty expensive, but then so are mine.”
“Then why am I not reassured?”
Lex laid down the reports and cradled the phone closer to his ear. “Because it’s two in the morning and you’re thinking too hard about it. Chloe, you need to calm down. At least try to relax.”
“Easy for you to say, you get to sleep in your own bed every night. You get to get up in the morning and do normal things! You don’t close your eyes at night and see nothing but that house…” her voice was steadily growing louder. “Lionel’s the one who murdered people and I’m the one in prison! How does that make sense?”
“Chloe it’s not a prison, at least it isn’t supposed to feel like one.” Lex sighed and ran his free hand over his head. “What can I do? Do you want to stay somewhere else? Do you want me to see if I can find a bigger place, something that isn’t so cramped? How about some more books, DVDs?”
“No, the house is fine, the movies are fine, the books are fine…never mind. I’m sorry I yelled. You’re doing your best. You’ve already spent a fortune on us…”
“Forget about the money, the point of this is make sure you’re OK…”
“…so I can testify. I know, I know.”
“No, not just so you can testify…so you can come out of this knowing you did the right thing. Chloe, I know this feels like you’re being punished for what he did. Believe me, I know what that feels like. But you need to stay focused. In the end, it will all be worth it, I promise.”
“Lex…I appreciate the pep talk, I really do, but you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I’m not in the habit of doing that. I intend to keep this promise.”
Chloe paused. “Why are you doing this, Lex?”
“Doing what?”
“You could have handed my Dad and I back to the FBI, at least to some more competent agents, anyway. You could not answer the phone at night when I call. You could not send me boxes of books and DVDs to keep me occupied. Why are you going through so much trouble? I understand the need to keep us safe but this…feels different.”
“Well, number one, the books and DVDs are not to keep you safe; they’re for the safety of the guards watching you. I’ve heard that a bored Chloe Sullivan is a matter of national security.”
“Jackass, you’ll pay for that!” she exclaimed but Lex could tell she was laughing. Mission accomplished.
She waited until she caught her breath before speaking again. “I’m serious this time. We weren’t exactly friends before all this happened. I’m the stupid little teenage girl who made a colossal screw up because of a crush. Why should you care how I feel when this is over? All you really need to care about is if Lionel goes to jail; I’m just the means to the end.”
‘She doesn’t really think that, does she?’ thought Lex. But then he remembered all the times she had been treated like that, as the ‘go to girl’ for information and not much else. Always in the background. Always being asked to prove her worth even though she had done so dozens of times before.
“First of all, you’re not stupid, and you’re not a little girl. You’re a smart person who got manipulated into making a bad choice. It’s that simple. And why do I care? Because I’ve seen people who are older than you, smarter than you, richer than you, and with far more power and influence who would never even consider turning against Lionel Luthor. You’re doing it just because it’s right. You’re one of the bravest people I know, Chloe. You’d be surprised how rare it is that I meet someone like you.”
Chloe was silent for a long moment and Lex was fearful that he might have said too much and scared her away.
Finally she spoke, and to Lex’s immense relief, the humor was back in her voice “I think you need to hang out with a better class of people, Lex.”
With mock exasperation Lex retorted. “I’m working on it, I’m working on it…”
*****
“Mr. Luthor? Mr. Luthor, sir?”
Alfred’s smooth voice shook Lex from his reverie and he instinctively turned to face him. “Yes, Alfred, what is it?”
“Sorry to startle you, sir, but Master Bruce asked me to inform you that the guests are beginning to arrive so he will need delay your meeting until a bit later this evening.”
“Tell him he should have spent less time getting ready. What the hell took him so long?”
Alfred looked back at him with his typically bland expression. “Perhaps something came up to delay him.”
“Yes, and her name was Bambi or Candi or Randi…something she can sign with a heart, I’m sure.”
“Sir?”
“Never mind, Alfred.” Lex turned back to the mantle and his gaze shifted upward to the large portrait of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne hanging above it.
“You knew the Waynes pretty well, didn’t you, Alfred?” “
“I was in their service for many years, sir.”
“Then tell me, which one of them does Bruce have to thank for this stubborn streak of his?”
At Alfred’s perplexed look Lex added, “Indulge me a bit, Alfred. I have no desire to rush in there and mingle with Gotham’s so-called elite. Besides, I have a genuine curiosity about them. As you well know, Bruce doesn’t say much.”
Alfred seemed to accept this explanation. “I’d have to say that Master Bruce inherited his strong will from both of his parents. They were quite well-suited to one another as I recall. As a result, he received what one might call a double dose.”
Lex sighed, looking back up at the picture. “That explains a great deal. When he makes a decision, no matter how illogical, he sticks to it. Quite frankly, it’s starting to get old.”
Alfred cocked an eyebrow, and clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s illogical depending on the way you look at it, sir. I’m sure from Master Bruce’s perspective, his decisions make a great deal of sense… Of course, I don’t know what you’re referring to, specifically.”
Lex smirked. “Of course you don’t.”
“One thing you might consider, sir, is that it isn’t simply will that drives Master Bruce’s decision-making. He feels a strong sense of duty to the name he has inherited. Not unlike yourself. And, as you know, the weight of such a name can be difficult to carry at times.”
Lex frowned. “I hardly think it’s the same thing, Alfred. The name Bruce inherited was in much better condition than the one I got.”
“That hardly makes the burden any lighter to bear…sir. If I may be so bold, perhaps that is something you might keep in mind the next time you encounter the worst of Master Bruce’s will.”
Lex’s eyes shifted from the painting to the genteel butler’s face. He shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his face. “Perhaps. You are a wise man, Alfred. I wish you worked for me, though it’s not from lack of trying on my part that you don’t. You’ve turned me down more times than I can count.”
“Your offers have been generous, Mr. Luthor, but as I’ve said, I’m too far along in this life to make any changes now.”
“And far too loyal to phrase it any other way.” Lex turned from the mantle and straightened his tie. Alfred nodded wordlessly to indicate that it was indeed perfect. “I’ve put this off long enough, I suppose. Into the lion’s den for more idle chatter and nonsense we go,” declared Lex.
“Right, sir. One of the servers will be over momentarily with a glass of scotch.”
“You’re one in a million, Alfred.”
*****
Wayne Manor ballroom…a few minutes later…
Bruce smiled his best playboy smile at a young socialite across the room. The woman winked back in return and adjusted her snug-fitting velvet dress to display her cleavage to best advantage. She didn’t seem to realize that Bruce has played this silent game with most of the young, unattached women in the room. And if she did, she didn’t seem to care.
Bruce Wayne had mastered the art of flirting. There were few women he had encountered who didn’t respond to his attentions. Bruce had become so good at it his playboy persona that he barely had to think about switching it on and off, and at an event such as the charity fund-raiser he hosted at his Manor with Gotham’s elite, it most definitely needed to be on. Because, despite how well in place his public persona as a competent but easily distracted billionaire businessman was, it needed constant reinforcement. The Gotham media and others were always on the hunt for clues about Batman’s real identity. As long as Bruce Wayne appeared to be nothing more than rich, handsome and a little dim, they would be none wiser.
Bruce looked over at the doorway to the ballroom where Alfred stood and nodded slightly to acknowledge a silent hint from his butler. Alfred was signaling him that the more influential guests had begun to arrive and that Bruce should come over and great them personally.
Quickly Bruce navigated the room and positioned himself beside the arched doorway. Subtly smoothing down his shirt, he listened as Alfred greeted the guests as he opened the front door, a few feet away. It was Alfred’s way of insuring that Bruce didn’t accidentally call one of his guests by the wrong name or otherwise embarrass himself. Bruce didn’t actually need the reminders but he appreciated the effort all the same. It was nice not to have to rely solely on his own memory.
“Councilwoman Jimenez, Dr. Jimenez, good evening,” said Aflred. “You are both looking well. Right this way.”
Bruce formed his face into a smile and greeted the couple seconds later as they passed through the door. “Evening, Councilwoman, Doctor. Thank you for coming and showing your support.”
“Senator and Mrs. Waid. Good to see you again. You certainly know your way to the ballroom,” said Alfred.
Seconds later, Bruce greeted the pair. “Senator Waid, thank you for coming. Mrs. Waid, you’re looking lovely….”
This went on for several more minutes as more and more guests arrived. Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce began to scan the crowd in the ballroom for Lex. Bruce assumed Lex would be angry with him for postponing their meeting but he had had other things to attend to. Surely Lex wouldn’t have left altogether? He knew how important it was that their partnership appear intact…
He was so distracted by his search for Lex that he almost missed Alfred greeting his old college friend, now one of the rising stars in Gotham DA’s office.
“Mr. Dent, thank you for coming…and you brought a guest! It’s a…pleasant surprise.”
Bruce continued scanning the room for Lex as his friend Harvey Dent’s voice wafted in from the vestibule.
“Hey there, Alfred. I know I RSVP’d that I be coming stag but I managed to find a date after all. I didn’t think Bruce would begrudge an old friend one more guest. Particularly not one as lovely as this…”
“It’s quite alright, Mr. Dent. Pleased to meet you, miss,” said Alfred. “Right this way.”
Finally Bruce spotted Lex halfway across the room, lifting a glass of what appeared to be scotch from a server’s proffered tray. Lex looked over in his direction and frowned slightly as he swirled the liquid in the glass.
Bruce exhaled in relief in seeing Lex. At least he hadn’t stormed out. He had at least realized how important…
Suddenly Lex froze as he lifted the glass to his lips. He seemed to be looking at something over Bruce’s shoulder.
Instinctively, Bruce followed his friend’s gaze back towards the doorway.
“Bruce! There you are!” boomed Harvey, in his distinctive deep voice. ”It’s been too long, buddy! Good to see you.”
He shook Bruce’s hand enthusiastically, and pulled his companion closer to him with his other arm. “And this lovely lady agreed to be my date to this thing for some reason. Bruce Wayne, meet Chloe Sullivan.”
Bruce blinked.
Chloe. Sullivan.
Again.
Now in his house.
This damn woman was everywhere.
If she showed up one more time, Bruce thought he just might strangle her…
Or see about getting her fitted for kevlar…
As the thought of Chloe in kevlar flitted by, the heterosexual male part of Bruce’s brain took over and his eyes skimmed down the figure of the woman in front of him.
She was dressed in a form-fitting wine colored matte jersey gown. The gown had long sleeves but both the sleeves and the bodice of the dress ended just below her shoulders leaving them bare. Bruce had a pretty good understanding of the laws of psychics, but from where he stood, Chloe’s dress was held up by nothing but her cleavage and a few prayers.
Her loosely arranged up-do and simple teardrop gold earrings seemed specifically selected to emphasize the bare state of her neck and shoulders.
He reached her eyes and found them boring directly into his, challenging him, almost daring him, to do or say something.
“We’ve met,” he replied to Harvey, tearing his eyes from Chloe’s.
“Really? Where?”
Chloe slid her arm more snugly through Harvey’s. “Oh…we’ve bumped into each other once or twice around town. Gotham’s not as big as many think, Harvey,” she said, smiling at Bruce.
“And getting smaller every day. Glad you could both make it.” Bruce read her response immediately. She had been deliberately vague. However she had managed to convince Harvey to bringing her here, he must not know the specifics.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” agreed Harvey. “It’s a worthy cause. We’ll see you in a bit, Bruce.”
The couple began to step away. “Will you save me a dance, Miss Sullivan?” Bruce called over his shoulder.
“If you ask nicely. Mr. Wayne,” she replied, just loudly enough for most of the people nearby to overhear.
Bruce finished greeting his guests and quickly left the ballroom via a side door to collect himself. Lex appeared behind him a few seconds later.
“What is she doing here?” his friend wanted to know.
“I was going to ask you the same question. Weren’t you supposed to talk to her?”
“I did talk to her, and like I told you, we haven’t seen each other in ten years. She’s not likely to listen to me.”
“You still have a connection to her!”
“That I can use for what? Jedi mind tricks? In case you haven’t noticed, Bruce, she’s not easily intimidated.”
Bruce clenched his hands into fists.
“Neither am I.”
It was only when the words left his mouth that Bruce realized that he had said them in the tone that was more natural to him…the one that was several octaves lower.
End Chapter.
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This was my favourite part of the story for two reasons. First it cracked me upOriginally Posted by newbatgirl
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