Banner by Cheryl
Notes: Hello all this is my first crossover story for Chlex and Supernatural. Your feedback is always welcomed and thank you to lj715 for acting as my second pair of eyes.
As we have a number of fics on here with the same titles, I'm just going to poke my head in here for a bit and will be doing the same in the other similarly titled fic. For those looking for Kit Merlot's fic: Shadows of the Past~tigerbaby
Title: Hidden in the Shadows
Author: Letia84
Rating: R For Adult Language, Sexual Content, and Violence
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Owned by DC and Warner Brothers
Summary: Chloe has been searching for her mother since she was twelve and has hit one dead end after another. To her surprise, she isn’t the only one looking for her and Lex Luthor comes to her with news of her mother’s whereabouts. After seeing her mother for the first time in thirteen years, Chloe learns her condition cannot be cured by modern medicine. Looking deeper into her mother’s past, Chloe finds she was connected to the world of the paranormal. To bring her mother out of the shadows of her past and into the light of the present Chloe enlists the help of paranormal professionals.
Chapter 1 Found
Chloe breezed into the Talon on another scorching summer day in Smallville. The summer was progressing nicely for her and in matter of weeks she would be rid of the small town to start her life as a full time college student at Met U.
The only thing holding Chloe in Smallville was her father. He was more then enough reason to stay. Chloe knew Gabe understood, more then anyone, that her dreams were awaiting her in Metropolis.
“Can I have an iced coffee please?” Chloe made her order with the clerk at the counter, hoping to get a morning jolt and something to cool her off.
“Sure thing Chloe.” After spending so much time in the Talon, the clerk knew Chloe well enough. One of the great things about Smallville that Chloe would miss was the fact that everyone seemed to know everybody and that made investigating rather easy.
“Thanks Ann.” Chloe dropped her money for the beverage and clutched the cool plastic cup in her hands while lower her lips to the straw for the first refreshing sip. “Ahh.” She said, relieved to have the cool drink, and then turned to head out.
To her surprise, waiting just behind her was the one Talon patron she didn’t want to see. Lex Luthor was right behind her, watching her closely, and Chloe wanted to be as far away from him as possible.
The last time they spoke was a week ago in the caves. Chloe was simply looking at the world Clark had given up and didn’t understand why. All his powers that could have been put to good use were going to waste because Clark wanted to be with Lana.
It was a selfish reason she never really understood after everything Lana and Clark had been though. Clark Kent wasn’t the only selfish person in Chloe’s life right now and the man that held that title was standing right in front of her.
After what happened during the meteor shower, Chloe had lost all hope that she and Lex were actually friends and could possibly be more. She could have died but his only concern was for the secret, about Clark, that still eluded him. A secret she promised to keep and always would.
It was well known that Lex could be cruel but, never did she think he could be that way with her. Even though they hadn’t spoken that year, Chloe never thought Lex wished her any harm but he proved her wrong that day in cave.
Chloe returned the straw to her mouth and brushed past Lex without a moments pause. She didn’t want to have another fight with him on what really happened to her that day.
“Hello to you to Chloe.” She heard his smug voice behind her and Chloe knew better then to take the bait but did anyway.
“So you’re talking to me now?” Chloe paused and turned to face him as he was facing her. “You must want something from me.”
He gave her the slightest grin moving in closer to her. “Actually, I did want to talk to you. Your father said you stepped out and I assumed that you’d be here getting a pick me up and cooling off.”
She watched him closely and saw the beads of sweat collecting on his bald head. He was dressed very casually in a grey t-shirt and dark trousers. Chloe couldn’t help but think that Lex was attractive and, many a time, had personal fantasies about him. Those fantasies didn’t really mean anything because Lex Luthor would never think of her that way.
“Nothing gets past you.” Chloe snapped back at him and took another sip of her icy drink.
“You can be rude or you can listen to what I have to say.”
Chloe was certain what he wanted but let him say it. “What do you want Lex?”
He took a step back and nodded towards the back of the Talon. “You might want to step into the back for this.”
Chloe wasn’t about to go into a confined space with him alone after he went off on her like a crazed person. “I think whatever you have to say can be said right here.”
One of his eyebrows raised, his shoulder shrugged and he said something she wasn’t expecting. “We can talk about your mother right here if you want to.”
She could have slapped for being so open about her mother knowing full well her mother’s history. Chloe’s secret about her mother was one she shared with two people in her life and Lex was the second. While in hiding, Chloe revealed more to him than she should have but it was a relief to get some of her demons out in the open.
Chloe didn’t say a word and pushed past him to make her way to the back of the Talon. Lex followed behind her closely then moved ahead of her, opening the door leading into the theater area.
“What do you know about my mother?” Chloe wasn’t sure why he said what he did but, if he knew something about her mother she had to know.
“I know you’ve been looking for her and I wanted to know how your search has favored this year.” She looked at him intently and something was wrong. Out in the Talon, Lex was stiff and strong but back here his demeanor changed. His eyes were lowered, his face had softened and Chloe thought she could detect a hint of nervousness in him.
“Why do you care if I’ve found her or not?” His curiosity seemed out of place and it was very troubling.
“Please answer the question. I’m not playing some sort of game with you. I know it’s important to you to find her and I just want to know how the search has gone.” She watched him hold himself back, as if he wanted to do something but knew he couldn’t
Chloe hadn’t told anyone the truth about what she’d found. She told Clark she had found her mother but, the person she thought was her mother wasn’t. At another dead end, Chloe took a break from searching for her during the summer.
Why Lex wanted to know any of this was beyond her. He hadn’t expressed an interest in her life all year but, right now, the look in his eyes told her different.
“I thought I found her but…” Chloe paused and swallowed hard over her words. She knew the truth all this time but, admitting it was causing her chest to ache with grief still not knowing her mother’s whereabouts. “I was wrong.”
Looking down at the coffee in her hands, Chloe watched the ice cubes melt slowly. She was focusing on those cubes, as opposed to looking at Lex and facing the reality that she may never find her mother.
“Chloe.” Lex whispered her name reaching to touch her shoulder. His hand squeezed her lightly and Chloe set her gaze back on him. Lex was trying to comfort her and it wasn’t something he’d done in almost a year.
“Lex, why are you asking me about my mother?” Chloe said, edging away from him and not really wanting him to easy her worries.
“You may not like this but when you told me she was missing I hired a private investigator.” He stepped back, knowing he was invading her personal space.
Chloe’s eyes narrowed and she felt the floor dropping down around her. “You had no right to do that. I never asked you for help.” She hadn’t found anything but, a professional looking for her mother could find what she never could. Lex could ask only so many questions but, he had no right to do so behind her back.
“I know that.” Lex acted as if he couldn’t stand away from her for long. Moving in closer to her, he made Chloe back up against the wall behind her. “I know you are very capable of heading your own investigation but I wanted to lend you a hand.” Lex’s voice was soft and what he said next must have been difficult for him to say. “You know about my mother. You’re the only person that knows the whole truth. I know how it feels to lose one and if I could help you get her back then…” He paused and turned away from her.
The last time they spoke there was so much animosity between the two of them but, right now, it was like nothing had changed between them. Chloe knew about Lillian and what happened to her when Julian was born. She had no idea she was the only one that knew the whole story and always thought sharing what happen to their mothers brought them closer to together.
Chloe wiped away the perspiration that colleted on her hand from the iced coffee and reached out to touch Lex’s bare arm. Her initial anger about what he’d done was gone and she just wanted to know what he knew about her mother. “Lex, I understand and you’re right I do need help. Please tell me what you’ve found.”
He turned back to look at her. Changing the focus back to Chloe, her mother, and her problems seemed to put him at ease. “Last week my PI found her.”
“What?” Chloe yelled at him and let go of his arm. Her anger returned quickly with this news. “You saw me last week and didn’t say a word. Why tell me now? Have you been holding this information so I’ll tell you what happened in the caves?” Chloe breathed out and tried to get herself under control. “I told you I don’t remember and can’t believe you, of all people, would withhold information about my mother from me.”
Chloe could feel herself getting hotter than she felt when she was outside in the summer heat. It was for certain, now, that Lex’s selfishness extended farther than she ever thought.
“Chloe, I’m not holding this over you.” His voice was stern and louder than when they started. “But the last time we spoke, it wasn’t the ideal situation for us to talk about it.”
“Right, because you have to know the truth.” Chloe started to turn and leave. Whatever he knew; he wasn’t going to tell her without her telling him something first.
Lex moved behind her quickly grabbing her arm and turning her to look at him. “Wait, I haven’t told you what I found.”
She struggled in his grip and wanted him off of her. Squeezing the iced coffee in her cold hands Chloe did the unthinkable and tossed the drink in his face.
“Goddamn it Chloe!” Lex yelled and let her go wiping back light brown liquid from his face.
Chloe thought she was free but he was right on her again. He grabbed her harder this time pushing her up against the wall. “Let me go.” Chloe tried to get away again but he held her in place with both hands on her arms.
“I don’t want anything in return for what I’ve found.” He was still yelling, squeezing her arms tighter as she struggled.
“Yeah right, you only care about yourself Lex. You don’t care about my mother.” Chloe stopped fighting and rested back against the wall.
“You’d be surprised how much I care about you Chloe, even if you toss cold beverages into my face when I’m trying to be your friend.” He let her go once she stopped fighting and used the dry bottom of his shirt to wipe his face.
Chloe got a glimpse of his toned chest and abs but was too angry to think about how good it looked. They weren’t friends anymore and, for him to say that, was the ultimate insult after ignoring her all year. “Be my friend Lex, tell me what you know.” Chloe assumed he just ran into the same dead end she had.
He breathed out a long, heavy breath then pulled something from his back pocket. “My PI took this picture last week.” He handed the photo over to her and continued his story. “It was taken in an asylum in Colorado. She’s been there for some time now and they haven’t been able to help her since she committed herself. If you want to see her the doctors think it might help bring her out of the state she’s in. Chloe, I haven’t told your father but…”
Lex kept talking but Chloe couldn’t hear him. He handed her the picture and that’s all she could see. Gabe gave her a few pictures of her mother but her vague memories didn’t prepare her for what she saw in the photograph. It was an image of her mother in a white hospital gown looking towards a nearby window. Her eyes were just as green as Chloe’s but they looked so lost. She studied the curves of her face in the image and saw the little lines that formed there over the years.
Chloe felt one tear fall down her cheek, then saw it drop on the picture she was staring at. Her mother was found and she had to see her. She had to see her after being without her for thirteen years.
By now, Lex stopped talking and was standing awkwardly in front of Chloe when she looked up at him. He was soaking wet from the iced coffee and looked so concerned for her. If he was going to be her friend then Chloe would make Lex go the extra mile for her. “Can you take me to her?”
He nodded twice. “Yes, when do you want to leave?”
“I want to leave right now.” Chloe looked back at the photo and was resolved to do this at that moment with or without Lex’s help.
He reached for her shoulder again getting her to look at him. “Let me make a few calls and we can go.”
Chloe watched Lex reaching for his cell phone and let him take care of the arrangements. She hadn’t taken his help in so long but needed it now, more then ever, to get through this. Chloe was terrified at what she would see when she saw her mother in the asylum but, had to know the reason why she left her.
Her mother was found and she was one step closer to having her in her life after years of being without her. After years of feeling like she would never know who her mother really was, Chloe could finally learn the truth.
TBC
Chapter 2 Haunted
Notes: After reading tigerbaby's note I have gone back to the list of titles I had for this story and changed it. I had no idea that kit had a fic of the same title. I guess great minds think alike.
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