Payback Time (PG)

[Gaia]

Fine I'm not going to say that the update was short....
I like the Lois and Clark coming into the picture. Clark will most likely find out about Chloe, but not before Lex finds out about it. And the fighting her own ghost thing? Brilliant.
Next update please- if shorter then at least quicker. Right?

[lexie]

Disclaimer: see Chapter 1.

A/N: The climax's approaching- there are just two more chapters ahead. I hope you´ll have a ' ball ' !

Don't forget to review. I live for your comments.

CHAPTER 15: The Charity Ball

Chloe had never attended a ball of such a magnitude- the only one she remembered was her prom, and the memories weren't exactly pleasant. The man by her side, looking stunning in his dinner jacket and bow tie, made the event even more surreal and provoked her to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Never in her wildest dreams had she dared picture herself in a black lacy cocktail dress and high heels, being escorted to the most famous charity ball in Washington DC by one of the country's most elegible bachelors.

Chloe couldn't stop fidgeting with the exquisite piece of jewellery she was wearing, the Luthor heirloom Lex had clasped around her neck. As soon as she had set eyes on what hung from the chain- two interlaced L's- she had tried to give it back. The initials were Lindsey's as much as they were Lillian's, but they weren't hers. Only the look of hurt in Lex's eyes when she moved as if she were to unclasp it made her stop.

“ Mr Luthor, welcome to Washington, “ said Landower.

“ Senator, “ said Lex, shaking hands. “ May I introduce you to my personal assistant, Miss Lindsey Lawrence ? “

“ Pleased to meet you, madam. “

“ Pleased to meet you, senator Landower. “

“I must congratulate you, Mr Luthor. Your partner's by far the most attractive lady in this room. If you don't object, I'd like to ask her if she'd do me the honour of dancing with me tonight. “

“ She's her own woman, senator. “

“ I'll save you a dance, senator. But I'm afraid it can't be the first. “

“ Of course not, “ said Landower smiling. “ Now, if you excuse me, I've got to welcome some new guests. “

“ Go ahead, Landower. Duty calls, “ said Lex.

“ God ! I was about to puke. Remind me to wash my hands before dinner starts, “ she murmured, offering Lex her arm.

“ You'll have to make use of your tools as an actress, Lindsey. Landower's not the only two-faced politician we'll meet tonight, “ said Lex under his breath. “ Are you OK, Lindsey ? “ he queried when she communicated her tension to him.

“ Yes. Yes, I am. Would you care for a glass of champagne ? “

“What's the matter, Lindsey ? “

“ Nothing's the matter, Lex. Just nerves. I'm not used to these do's and I'm afraid of making a faux pas. “

“ I'd worry if you were a certain Daily Planet reporter I know. You'll do great. Relax, “ he calmed her, grazing her temple with a soft kiss.

“ What are you doing, Mr Luthor ? “ asked a shaky Chloe, scanning the room. “ You've just introduced me as your assistant. What will people think ? “

“ They should mind their own business. We've got nothing to be ashamed of. You've got no man in your life and I'm unattached. I see no harm in what I've done. Besides, I heard the senator and, believe me, now he knows how things stand he won't try anything on you. “

“ He didn't ... “

You may be thirty, Lindsey, but you're still naïve as regards men and what they want, “ interrupted Lex.

“ I'm not stupid, Mr Luthor. “

“ I've never said you were. “

“ And I know how to handle men. “

“ Not all of them are gentlemen, Lindsey. Don't forget where we are, “ he warned her. “ You're shaking again. Don't tell me you're cold because it's suffocating in here. You haven't lied to me, have you ? Is there a jealous lover hiding somewhere, waiting to pounce on me ? Lindsey ? “

“ Hey, Lex. It's been quite a long time, hasn't it ? “

“ Clark, “ responded Lex, “ what are you doing here ? “

“ Covering one of the most important annual events in the country, “ he explained, shifting his gaze to Chloe, who lowered her eyes and unconsciously tightened her grip on Lex like a lifeline. “ I'm here with Lois. Haven't you seen her ? Sorry, I didn't mean... “

“ It's all right, Clark. You don't need to apologise. I'm afraid she'd be a blur in the crowd. “

“ Hey, Smallville. Here you are ! I was chasing a waiter for an hors d'oeuvre but when I caught him up, that hack had already finished them off, “ said Lois, pointing in the direction of a senator's wife.

“ Lois ! “ chided Clark.

“ What ? “ she exclaimed. “ What's the use of travelling all the way up here if you only get boring conversation and stuffy people ? No offence, Mr Luthor. “

“ None taken, Miss Lane. It's strange to see you attending this kind of events. Why did you decide to tag along ? White normally assigns these stories to poor old Clark.“

“ Can't you smell something fishy in the air, Mr Luthor ? “ she asked. “ Excuse me, haven't we met before ? “ she added, eying Chloe with a frown

“ Sorry, I've forgotten my manners, “ answered Lex. “ Let me introduce you to my new assistant, Miss Lindsey Lawrence. Lindsey, Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Three to one. It certainly feels odd. “

“ Pardon ? “ asked Lois.

“ Miss Lawrence's a reporter just like you two. She works for a prestigious magazine in New York. “

“ What kind of stories do you write ? “ queried Lois.

“ Restaurant reviews. “

“ Restaurant reviews ? “ murmured Lois, observing her closely. “ Your accent's from the south, isn't it ? “

“ Yes, that's right. Lousiana. “

“ Were you born in Louisiana or... ? “

“ Lois ! “ exclaimed an outraged Clark.

“ What, Smallville ? I'm just curious, “ she confessed. “ Doesn't she remind you of someone, Clark ? “ she added, as an aside. “ I could swear we've met before. “ she insisted.

“ It wouldn't be the first time a person sees in another something that reminds him of someone he knew a long time ago, Miss Lane. It happens all the time, “ Chloe responded gravely.

“ Shall we sit down ? Dinner's about to start, “ added the younger Luthor, placing a hand on the small of Chloe's back and propelling her forward.

“ I'm afraid we've been assigned the same table, Lex, “ whispered Clark.

“ She's suffered enough on account of me and my dad. Try to keep a tight rein on your fiancée's mouth, Clark. “

“ I'll do my best but not even the General can handle her. “

Clark had had the shock of a lifetime when he realised who Lex's partner was. Although the plastic surgeons had done a magnificent job and the girl had re-invented herself, the luminous smile she had flashed Lex on entering the room had aroused Kent' suspicion. It didn't take long for his suspicion to turn to certainty when he saw those unmistakable green eyes at close range.

Meanwhile, Chloe thanked Lex internally for filling the uncomfortable silences and veering the conversation to safer topics. However, she was certain Lois would seek the perfect moment to corner her and ask her point-blank if she was her long-lost cousin. As to Clark, Chloe was almost convinced he had recognised her and was trying his best not to betray her in front of his fiancée.

“ It seems the dancing's about to start, Clark. Lindsey's promised a dance to Senator Landower but not the first one. As you know, I'm in no condition to dance. Would you do the honours ? That is if Miss Lane doesn't object, “ said Lex, looking in Lois' direction.

“ Go ahead, Clark. These shoes are killing me anyway. And maybe cue ball here can give me something to write about. “

“ I'll do my best, Miss Lane. Enjoy yourself, Lindsey. We'll dance when this is over. I promise. “

“ Miss Lawrence, shall we ? “ said Clark, offering Chloe his arm.

“ Sure, “ she answered, swallowing the lump in her throat and looking back at Lex.

“ Thirteen years is a long time, isn't it ? “ said Clark, once they were on the dance floor. “ How have you been ? “

“ What betrayed me ? “

“ Your smile and your eyes. You can fool a lot of people but not me. “

“ Do you think Lex... ? “

“ He knows. “

“ Has he told you so ? “

“ There's no need. Something he said before we sat at the table confirms it. “

“ Then, why doesn't he do anything about it ? “

“ There may be a lot of reasons. But I guess the main one's he's trying to protect you. “

“ I don't know how long I can go on like this, Clark. “

“ I promise it'll end tonight. “

“ Tonight ? Do you know something I don't ? “ she asked, raising her eyes to meet Clark's. “ Why are you here, Clark ? “

“ He phoned me and gave me the story of a lifetime. Then, I found out that I didn't have the scoop because someone had called Lois with a similar story quite at the same time. “

“ He contacted you ? “ she asked surprised.

“ You're made for each other. You think alike, “ stated Clark with his 100-watt smile.

“ Tell me, Mr Luthor, what are your intentions ? “ asked Lois menacingly.

“ I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate, Miss Lane. My intentions in regard to what ? “

“ Her. “

“ By her I presume you mean Miss Lawrence. I don't see what that has to do with you, Miss Lane. “

“ You're a smart guy, Mr Luthor. Yes, I mean Miss Lawrence- as she prefers to be called nowadays. And, being her only family, we both know it concerns me. “

“ I've got the best of intentions, Miss Lane, as you'll find out once this is over. “

“ You'd better or else... “

“ Lois, why do you always have to pick a fight ? “ chided Clark.

“ What makes you think we've been arguing ? “ asked a poker-faced Lois. “ Oh, oh. I think the shows about to begin... What time is it, Clark ? “

“ It's time for the first edition of The Daily Planet “ to hit the stands, Miss Lane, “ stated Lex. “ It's payback time, “ he finished with a broad smile.

Well... how's the story coming ? Eager to read what the intrepid four have discovered ? Leave your review, then, and maybe I'll be generous and post a new chapter by the beginning of next week.

[Gaia]

Uuuuh I am loving this!!! They all know jet play along- something big is about to go down.
Lexie more please quickly!

[hfce]

Great chapter.

[lexie]

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: Well, here we are. This is the final two-part installment that I hope will answer all your questions and leave you with a sweet smile on your face. I thank you all- the constant supporters and even those readers who were too shy to make a comment. I've really enjoyed writing this Chlex story !


Now, here are the two promised chapters. Enjoy !

CHAPTER 16: Uncovering a Conspiracy

The night of the charity ball would go down in history as the night four youths from Kansas almost brought down a government. Even though half a dozen agencies had taken part in the investigation and the eventual arrest of the whole Defense Committee and the vice-president himself, people in the street considered three intrepid reporters and a young billionaire, whose surname they'd learnt to hate, as the true heroes.

Just as Chloe had predicted, the intervening agencies were working on a hush-hush operation to arrest Landower and the other senators in their own homes. In the meantime, the Secret Service- with the President's sanction- would detain Senator Landower's brother-in-law and vice-president of the USA on his ranch in Montana. The administration's intention was to do some damage control by locking up the senators and Lionel Luthor in Guantanamo while having Chance resign from office, claiming some crippling medical condition. However, their carefully designed plan blew up in their faces when The Daily Planet exposed Landower, Chance and Lionel Luthor'ssecret dealings on its front page.

Two years after Lex Luthor shut down ' Janus ', his father Lionel resurrected the project and contacted Landower, whose senatorial campaign he had financed. They worked together to sell the ambitious project to the government with the idea of signing a multi-million-dollar deal to develop chemical weapons for the military. The whole Defense Committee embraced the idea in the face of the recent international events, which, according to them, called for a policy of rearmament. Yet, there was an insurmountable obstacle in the way, the President himself. Patterson had promised on his campaign he would reduce the country's arsenal and would do his best to improve America's image in the world. Therefore, giving the green light to ' Janus ' would discredit him in the eyes of those who had put him in office. At this point, Landower decided to play his strongest card; he would resort to his sister's husband and former CIA agent, Vice-president Chance.

After some secret meetings with the CEO of Luthorcorp, the second-in-command was on board and started pulling the strings to set plan B in motion. If they couldn't sell the project to the government, they would place the weapons elsewhere to convince the people of America of the need to rearm the country in case of a foreign threat scenario. Chance traced his old contacts from his days as an agent, and ' Janus ' was back on track. Yet, a project of such a magnitude required funds that were beyond Lionel Luthor's possibilities, but neither Landower nor Chance would allow that to stand in the way. Thus, several dozen fat deposits in off-shore accounts, held by some key members of the government, secured the necessary public funds diversion to cover the costs of the enterprise. However, as it usually happens with plans involving such a large number of people, a leakage took place and reached the Oval Office- the rest is history.

Chloe, Lex, Clark and Lois left the charity ball in Lex's limousine at the same time as the Secret Service led the whole Defense Committee out of the premises, and arrested Lionel Luthor and Chance in their homes.

“ Well, as the Bard once said: ' All's well that ends well ' ,“ stated Lex with a smirk.

“ You should have told me you were contacting the press, Mr Luthor, “ said Chloe, chiding him.

“ Likewise, Miss Lawrence, “ answered Lex. “ But let's not start arguing about something that turned out so well. “

“ How about having some champagne to celebrate the arrests for high treason, and our Pulitzer Prize ? “ suggested Clark, smiling broadly.

“ I love the idea, Clark, but couldn't we wait until tomorrow evening ? Miss Lawrence and I've got to go somewhere before. “

“ Yes, Clark, “ intervened Lois, nudging him in the ribs. “ There'll be plenty of time to celebrate. Besides, I'm dying to take off these damn shoes. “

“ It's a deal, then, “ said Lex. “We'll meet at my penthouse at seven o'clock tomorrow to toast a new beginning, “ he added while his chauffeur parked in front of Clark and Lois' hotel.

“ We'll be there, “ answered Lois. “ It's been a pleasure, Miss Lawrence, “ she said, looking at her cousin and stressing the surname before closing the door.

“ Where are we going, Lex ? “ asked Chloe when she realised the limo wasn't taking them back to their hotel.

“ Patience, Miss Lawrence. You've got to be patient just as I've been. “

This isn't over yet. Lex and Chloe open up in the final chapter just a scroll away.

[lexie]

Disclaimer: see Chapter 1.

A/N: This is the end folks !

CHAPTER 17: Full Circle

“ Come, Lindsey, “ said Lex, offering her his hand to step out of the limo.

“ What are we doing here in the middle of the night, Lex ? “ asked Chloe, her heart racing.

“ Robbins, have you got them ? “ he asked his chauffeur.

“ Here they are, sir, “ he responded, handing Lex a bunch of white roses.

“ Thank you, Robbins. Wait for us here. It won't take us long, “ said Lex before addressing Chloe. “ Look for an oak tree. You should be able to spot it. It's the only one on the grounds. “

“ OK, “ she answered with misty eyes, letting him take her by the arm. “ It's just a few steps away now, “ she added with a strangled voice.

“ Could you read what's written on it, please ? “ asked Lex when they stopped under the tree.

The young reporter focused her eyes on it and saw her own name carved on the tombstone lying under the oak.

“ Happy birthday, Chloe Sullivan, “ said Lex, turning round and handing her the roses. “ You're one lousy liar. You've got the greenest eyes I've ever seen, “ he said, wiping the tears off her face.

“ How long have you known ? “ asked Chloe chokingly.

“ For what felt like an eternity, “ answered Lex, cupping her face in both hands.

“ Why didn't you say anything ? “ she sobbed, “ Why did you hide from me that you could see again ? “ she asked, clinging to him for dear life.

“ I understand why you didn't tell me who you were from the start. In the consition I was, and taking into account what had happened the last time, you weren't sure I could protect you from my father. That was also the reason I had to bide my time well, Chloe. I had to make sure dad was behind bars and you were out of danger before making a move. I didn't want to lose you one more time around, “ he explained stroking her hair

“ All this time... we should have been honest with each other and put an end to our misery, “ she murmured, raising her glassy eyes to meet his stormy blue-grey ones.

“ It was the hardest thing I've ever done living under the same roof, not being able to touch you because I knew that there'd be no turning back. You've got to understand, Chloe, that if we had resumed the things where we had left them before the trial, there was no way we could have hidden what we felt to the world. I may appear cold and composed most of the time but when it comes to you, Chloe... ,“ he said, brushing her lips with his in a tentative kiss. “ I've missed you so much, “ he added emotionally, tasting the salt of his own tears on her mouth.

“ I'd struggled for so long to forget you, Lex, believing that I'd never be able to see you again. There were days I thought I had almost succeeded but, then, my world came tumbling down when I came across that damn article on the Net. As if getting used to the idea of a life without you wasn't enough, I had to cope with the fact that you might be permanently blind and more vulnerable than ever to your father's evil designs, “ she responded croakingly, caressing his left cheek.

“ You've grown into a beautiful woman, “ he answered, leaning on her right hand and grazing her palm with a kiss.

“ Well... I've got to thank Uncle Sam for that. The plastic surgeons did a pretty good job, don't you think ? “ she responded with the ghost of a smile.

“ You know I'm not talking about that, Chloe. You're beautiful inside, where it counts. “

“ That means you don't approve of my new appearance ? “ asked Chloe seemingly offended.

“ Far from it. I just wanted for you to know that I'd still love you without your surgeries... I feel so guilty, Chloe. If you hadn't been caught in the crossfire between me and my dad, none of this would have happened. I cannot imagine how much you must have suffered, “ answered Lex before Chloe silenced him by placing two fingers on his lips.

“ I wanted so much to blame someone for what had happened to both me and dad. But I could never blame you, Lex. It was me who walked straight into your father's trap and if there's any culprit here it is me and my own immaturity, “ she said before removing her fingers and looking down at the roses. “ They're beautiful, Lex, “ she added with a luminous smile.

“ I'm aware you're turning 31, but I asked Stevens to cut thirteen of them; one for every year my father's robbed us, “ said Lex, lowering his mouth to meet Chloe in a kiss that said everything he couldn't put in words. She tasted as sweet as she had that spring, the spring their hearts had finally recognised each other and had started beating as one.

“ I could get used to that, Mr Luthor, “ smirked Chloe, letting go of his lips reluctantly.

“ So... what do you say, Miss Sullivan ? “ asked Lex, his mouth hovering over hers. “Will we be toasting a new beginning tomorrow ? “

“ Oh, most definitely, Mr Luthor, “ she answered, flashing him the smile he lived for. “ Now, stop talking, Lex. And show me what I've been missing all these years, “ she finished, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing his mouth close to hers.

“ I'm at your service, Miss Sullivan, “ he answered, letting her see his knee-weakening smile.

THE END

Find a downloadable PDF version on my master list.

[hfce]

Aww that was a great ending. I am glad he figured out it was Chloe. great job with this story.

[Gaia]

awwwww....together at last. Lovely

[lexie]

Thanks for posting your reviews so promptly. I´m glad to have delivered what you were looking forward to and that the ending´s pleased you.

I hope you´ll find my present and future fics as enjoyable as this one.

[jem]

that was a great place and great way for lex to show how much he has continually cared for chloe over the years he thought she was dead... really touching and sentimental... yay happy ending!