Secrets and Lies (PG-15) April15th, 2009 THANK YOU

[SVfan1286]

So, Chloe and Lex aren't brother and sister? Well that's a relief. Hehe. And the reason Lex thought they were related was because Lionel told him during the trial?... And the reason Lionel did that, was just to mess with Lex's head and to break-up his and Chloe's friendship and possible relationship? Wow, he really was a heartless manipulative bastard. It's good that Lex finally knows the truth though.

I wonder who the "Iaian Seosamh Murray Grierson" guy is that Chloe found the name of in the safety deposit box that she unlocked with Lionel's key? Obviously Lex knows the name. And what does that guy have to do with Lillian? An ex-lover? Very mysterious.

Oh, great job having Lex find out Chloe's the one who saved him. Nicely done.

This chapter was intense and just wonderful. The questions keep on coming, and I can't wait for more answers. *grins* I look forward to reading more!!

[toryjhay]

Criminey! I am so relieved to know that Lex and Chloe are not at all related. Though I loved the explanation on why he chose to back away from her all those years ago. And Moira is actually feeling better, good for Chloe. Now I understand the title better, Secrets and Lies. Lionel sure had a hefty of both! Now I am curious about the guy with such a long name, it is a guy right? Well, can't wait until the next one, more soon please!!!!

[daria_103]

Another cliffhanger, I can't wait to find out how Lex knows him. Lionel not being his father would actually go a long way in explaining why he treated him the way he did.

I'm so relieved tha Chloe and Lex aren't really related but poor Moira having to go through that with Lionel and then having to use it as a means to protect Chloe. I'm really loving this fic I can't wait for the next update.

[lexie]

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback. I´m extremely pleased with the reaction this fic is getting from my regular readers and also from the newcomers, both on these forums and the other places where I´m posting it.

You´re all relieved, aren´t you? And, yes, that was another naughty cliffhanger. I promise a few answers and maybe another question or couple of questions in the following instalment.

[autumngold]

First of all, I just have to let you know how much I love your fanfiction!! You are such a gifted writer, and I have really enjoyed reading the interesting stories you've written!! Thank you for giving me so much Chlex enjoyment!! But, being stupid , I have a question? How could both DNA tests Lex did on Chloe be wrong? I understand how Lionel could have messed with the first one, but how did he even know Lex was doing the second? Don't misunderstand me, I'm so glad that Lex and Chloe aren't related, but I would still want to have another test done since Chloe's mother admits to sleeping with Lex's dad!! Thank you so much for the update!! Can't wait to read more!!

[lexie]

First of all, I just have to let you know how much I love your fanfiction!! You are such a gifted writer, and I have really enjoyed reading the interesting stories you've written!! Thank you for giving me so much Chlex enjoyment!!

Thanks a lot for your warm words. I´m glad to know I´ve contributed to filling your free time with Chlexy entertainment and that you´ve found it to your liking.

But, being stupid , I have a question? How could both DNA tests Lex did on Chloe be wrong? I understand how Lionel could have messed with the first one, but how did he even know Lex was doing the second? Don't misunderstand me, I'm so glad that Lex and Chloe aren't related, but I would still want to have another test done since Chloe's mother admits to sleeping with Lex's dad!! Thank you so much for the update!! Can't wait to read more!!

You aren´t stupid; it´s a valid question. First of all, you should remember Lionel always kept tabs on what Lex was doing. The blood sample Chloe had donated to the Red Cross was simply switched- as was suggested by Chloe herself. As to the other tests, the results were also manipulated by Lionel. Do you remember the MB knew of the existence of 33.1 and that he even transferred its patients and dismantled it once? It wouldn´t be far-fetched to think he could have used extortion with the doctors or lab technicians to provide his son with false results- i.e. he might have had them tell Lex Chloe was actually a Luthor when she wasn´t.

Also remember that in this fic it was Lionel who had Grant cloned and who faked Lana´s pregnancy- it´s a given he had bought several doctors.

Having another DNA test would be irrelevant to ascertain Chloe isn´t a Luthor because Moira had been more than a month pregnant when she found out she was expecting and, according to her, the calculations didn´t add up for Chloe to be Lionel´s. I hadn´t clarified it, but one can assume she either had sexual intercourse with Lex´s dad maybe a couple of months before she found out about her pregnancy or a couple of weeks before. That is to say, she was certain because of how advanced she was that the baby was Gabe´s.

[autumngold]

Thank you!! I feel so much better!! Can't wait for your next update to find out what Lex knows about his mother's lover!!

[dayamiracle]

This was so the perfect welcome home present...a new Lexie fic!!! Im so excited...running off to read it now...just wanted to say that first

[lexie]

Welcome to the thread. It´s nice to hear from you after such a long time. I hope you´ll enjoy this one as much as the others.

[lexie]

A/N: I dedicate these two chapters and the ones still to come to Linda, across the Atlantic- I wish you the best of recoveries and send you a big hug.

CHAPTER 8: Telltale Memories

LEX´S PENTHOUSE

The drive from the middle-class neighbourhood where Chloe had settled down when she moved back to the big city had been fast and completely silent. Hardly had Chloe climbed into the silver Porsche and buckled up than they were speeding across Metropolis in the direction of the expensively pretentious LuthorCorp-owned building where Lex resided whenever he wasn´t doing business abroad.

Although she had never set foot in the apartment, the large living-room was exactly like she had pictured it in her mind- cold, sterile and impersonal. There seemed to be nothing of Lex-the man- in it, nothing that could give the impression the penthouse was anything other than a convenient pied-à-terre. However, that impression changed when the billionaire took a key out of his pocket and unlocked a polished mahogany door that led into what must be his private den, his refuge to get away from the life he had tried to leave behind when he moved to rural Kansas. Everything was made of the best-quality wood and crafted by the most exquisite artisans- the walls were covered by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and, in front of the panoramic window which overlooked the city and the green plains in the distance, there was a beautiful solid oak desk. Chloe loved the smell of timber, wax and old books which mingled with his own heady masculine cologne. The study was an unexpected surprise and the view from the window, breathtaking.

“A few months ago a package arrived at the mansion, “ said Lex briskly as he sat on his swivel chair and unlocked the top drawer of his desk. “The new owners of my grandparents´ farm in Montana were doing some recycling and they came across a few belongings of my mum´s in the attic. They thought I might like to have them, so they politely sent them to me with a very courteous letter. Inside the package I found an old volume of Scottish poetry and a photo album recording all our holidays together on the farm,” he added in a voice charged with emotion. “It´s all I´ve got left of my mother apart from the watch I always wear around my wrist. He burnt everything that could remind him of her when we got back from the funeral,” he continued, leafing through the album until he got to the page he was looking for and stopped. “There was one photo which captured my attention because it was older and because it was obvious it hadn´t been taken in Montana. She looked happy and relaxed- the way she used to only when he was away on business and we had all the time to ourselves; but I wasn´t in the picture. Is this the man... Iaian Grierson? “ he asked Chloe, handing her the photo.

“He looks younger, but yes I´d say it´s the same man,” she responded, resting her eyes on the top of Lex´s head while he perused the old book in his hands.

“He must have given her this as a gift- it´s dedicated,” he murmured before reaching a bookmarked poem. “She seemed to have a special fondness for this passage:

A slender crosslet formed with care
A cubit´s length in measure due
The shafts and limbs were roads of yew
Whose parents in Inch Cailliach wave
Their shadows o´er Clan Alpine´s grave,
And, answering Lomond´s breezes deep,
Soothe many a chieftain´s endless sleep. “

“Sir Walter Scott´s `The Lady of the Lake´, “ responded Chloe with a smile.

“You know your British literature, Chloe,” he said with the ghost of a smile.” My mother loved Scotland, that´s why he had the castle brought stone by stone all the way from the shores of Loch Lomond- the lake mentioned by Scott. It was his wedding gift- a very pretentious one. You know, my mother said... when I talked to her at the hospital... that I just had to be patient, that all the answers would come to me when the time was right. The Clan of MacAlpin- the first King of Scotland- was the clan of the MacGregors. Grierson is but a sept of this clan.”

“This photo was taken in January 1979, according to what´s printed on the back. It doesn´t say where, but there´s a lake in the background. Weren´t you curious to know more when you got the album?”

“I was too busy with my crumbling marriage and trying to find out who was penetrating LuthorCorp compounds around the world to worry about an old picture.”

“When did your mother marry Lionel?”

“They married on February 1st 1979 after she came back from a two-month tour of the Scottish lakes,” he replied. “I was born a little under nine months later- which leaves a very narrow margin. He must have suspected something and in true Luthor-fashion dug up until he found out the truth.”

“Why did she marry Lionel if she was in love with another man... if she was carrying someone else´s child?”

I should have protected you and told him the truth before it was too late. Things would have been so different if I had... if he had, at least, known.

“My guess is she must have found out she was pregnant soon before the wedding,” responded Lex, remembering Lillian´s words at the hospital and realising she hadn´t been talking about Lionel but his real dad. Although she had discovered she was expecting before marrying Lionel, she hadn´t told her lover about the baby- a fact that she never forgave herself- and Lex thought he knew why. “My grandmother hated the Luthors. I remember overhearing arguments between her and my grandfather... she wanted mum to leave Lionel and bring me to live with them in Montana. Grandma said it´d been a mistake, that they should have found another way... I wasn´t old enough to understand the ups and downs of national and international economy then. It had been a marriage of convenience- Lionel had the money to help them out, and my mum had the right breeding and connections; plus, he was smitten by her looks. My mother loved her parents dearly and she wasn´t a strong person- she wasn´t determined enough to oppose either them or the mighty Lionel Luthor.”

“Do you resent her for what she did now that you know the truth?”

“Part of me wants to, but I´ve spent too much of my life living in the past. I don´t know if I´ll ever be able to fully forgive her but... “

“Is it at least a consolation to know he wasn´t your father?”

“It certainly lifts a heavy burden from my shoulders. It explains a lot- why he was so obsessed with Julian, why he cloned him and he went out of his way to show me I could never be enough in his eyes. He gave my mother the chance to fix things by giving him a son. Julian had been his true first-born and heir, but when she smothered the baby he was stuck with the bastard son of a wife he loved to distraction but who didn´t love him back. Not even Lucas was good enough- he was a Luthor but he had the misfortune of not sharing Lillian´s blood. If you ever feel like writing a soap opera, Chloe, I´ll give you the rights. You´ll have to change the names to protect the innocent, though,” he laughed ironically.

“Lex, “ she interrupted him with concern in her voice, “I´m sorry.”

“Why? Why should you feel sorry for being the bearer of the greatest news I´ve ever got in my life?”

“I wish I could tell you more about him,” she gulped, giving the photo back to him,” but I came against a brick wall.”

“I know enough and I know where to start,” he told her calmly. “Have you got your papers in order?”

“Excuse me?” frowned Chloe.

“Your passport?” he cocked an eyebrow.

“I used it once to visit Canada with Lois and my uncle during the hunting season. Why?”

“Johnson, get the jet ready. We´ll meet you at the airfield in forty-five minutes,” he ordered his pilot on the mobile.” Will that give you enough time to pack and grab your passport, Miss Sullivan?”

“What about Lucas and the estate attorneys?”

“They´ll be waiting here till we come back. Don´t worry, Chloe. I know for a fact Lucas is busy in Atlanta betting his monthly cheque. They have orders to draw him another for ten grand if he asks for it. After all, it´s his money, isn´t it?”

“I suppose so,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“We´re leaving for Scotland, then,” he finished, pressing a button under his desk, which revealed a hidden safe behind one of the bookshelves.” Pack light. You´ll get a new wardrobe, courtesy of LuthorCorp,” he smirked, taking a couple of wads.

“Lex, about that...” began Chloe.

“We´ll talk about it later, Chloe.”

CHAPTER 9: Partners Again

THE WATERS EDGE COTTAGE- LOCH LOMOND- SCOTLAND

When Chloe and Lex arrived in Edinburgh a rented Land Rover was already waiting for them on the tarmac. On the plane Lex had told her they weren´t staying in the capital city but heading straight to Loch Lomond, which was around sixty miles away. Iaian Grierson seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth and the only clues that they had were an old photo, Sir Walter Scott´s poem and a few scattered memories which Lex had repressed, and all of them led to the biggest lake in the U.K.

Chloe had left Metropolis in a rush but had made a call to Lois before getting on the jet to tell her she´d be away for a couple of days- she had lied about the destination, of course. The General´s daughter had pressured her for details and the blonde had just told her she needed some time away to finish a story she was working on. Mrs Kahn was a different matter altogether; Chloe was still working hard to show she deserved a second chance and couldn´t run the risk of losing her dream by asking for a leave of absence without providing the editor with a very good excuse. Lex had offered getting her a health certificate to present at the newspaper´s HR´s office, but she´d preferred not to leave any paper trails that might lead back to him.

Although the young woman was leaving the country an heiress to a large fortune, and she was doing it with none other than Lex Luthor, she didn´t feel like sharing the secret with anyone. Chloe told The Planet´s editor she was following the Luthor story and that she´d get something ready for the following week. She had no intention of writing anything about her recent findings or whatever they might discover in Scotland. Miss Kahn´s main concern and the public´s main interest should be Luthorcorp´s shady business and not the heir´s personal life. There´d be a story to write just not that story.

The hotel was a charming 1820´s lochside cottage surrounded by the romantic ambiance and natural beauty provided by its location. Chloe felt a tightening in her chest when they stepped out of the vehicle and she took in the breathtaking landscape. She had never thought of herself as the dreamy romantic-type but- now that she found herself amidst so much beauty in the company of the man she had almost died for and to whom she had almost given her virginity when she was barely seventeen- she discovered she wasn´t so different from the rest of her kind. Stealing a glance at Lex, who was opening the boot to retrieve their luggage, she wondered what he was thinking and told herself she should better stick to what they had come for before she made a foolish mistake.

The cottage was run by a charming middle-aged couple who had travelled around the world and collected antiques and curios that gave the indoors a unique and interesting atmosphere. The smell of the lounge reminded Chloe of Lex´s study in Metropolis´ penthouse, and she couldn´t resist the impulse to close her eyes and take a deep breath to fill her lungs with the clean and wood-perfumed air. The look that she saw in Lex´s blue-grey eyes when her eyelids fluttered open made her heartbeat quicken, and only the owner´s interruption saved her from babbling something stupid to overcome the uncharacteristic butterflies in her stomach. It was preposterous really- two months ago she was barely making ends meet and she couldn´t think of anything that would make her happier than bringing Lex Luthor down.
Whereas now, here she was, a rich woman helping Lex Luthor discover his own roots and feeling things for him she had thought dead and buried.

“I´m sorry, Mr Luthor. There´s been an unforgivable mistake,” said the middle-aged woman apologetically. “It´s the hunting season and we´ve had more bookings than usual. My daughter had taken a reservation before your assistant called, and she forgot to write it down. We´ve got only a double room available,” she explained, rubbing her hands nervously.

“Do you think there might be accommodation elsewhere in Balloch?” asked Lex calmly.

“I´m afraid not. I sent a couple with a child to the Cameron House Hotel and they were given the last room available.”

“Lex, we aren´t so far from Glasgow. Maybe we could... “ Chloe began, taking pity on the young woman who had forgotten to book them a room.

“I wouldn´t recommend leaving now, madam. There´s a heavy storm brewing and, by the looks of it, it´ll hit soon,” the owner of the hotel advised them.

“Chloe, it´d be just for the night. We´ll find some other place tomorrow morning. What d´ you say?”

“The Garden Room´s a double, but we could provide you with a cot and clean linen,” the lady told the couple when she saw the fair-haired girl hesitate.

“We´ll take it,” responded Lex when Chloe nodded her approval at last. Hell, he had survived sleeping in the open for almost three months while stranded on that damn island! He could survive spending a night in the same room as Chloe, right?

“OK. I´ll need your passports then and, while we deal with the check-in with the gentleman, Sherry can take your luggage and show the lady the room,” the Briton said with a smile.

“Take your time, Chloe. I´ll wait here while you freshen up,” Lex told her when she picked up her bag.

Three-quarters of an hour later a recently-showered and changed Chloe stepped in the Guest Lounge to find Lex relaxing in an armchair and sipping a pre-dinner complimentary sherry. It never ceased to amaze her how composed and unruffled he always looked- to the casual observer he wasn´t a man who had just arrived from a transatlantic trip after spending four hellish days and discovering he´d never been who he thought he was. Nobody else but her and Clark knew the billionaire had been in a coma and brought back to life by her magic touch either. Lex was anything but a regular guy.

“Better?” asked Lex with a small smile when she sat down on the sofa near his seat.

“I feel human again,” she responded in a similar fashion.

“Chloe,” he murmured as he leant forward.

“I left you a clean bath towel, a bar of soap and a new toothbrush at the foot of the bed,” she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Go ahead, Lex. Don´t take long, though, if you want to taste the local cuisine because by the time you get to the dining-room I might have eaten your serving and mine. I´m starving!” she laughed, trying to put off whatever discussion he had on his mind.

“OK,” he smirked, taking the hint.” At least save me a piece of Butterscotch and Chocolate Tart.”

“Butterscotch and Chocolate Tart?” she cocked an eyebrow.

“I had a look at the menu while you were away. I thought that´d be the kind of dessert Chloe Sullivan would order. Was I right?”

“Does it come with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side?” she asked, her mouth already watering.

“It can be as decadent as you want,” he said seductively, and Chloe thanked Scotland´s cold weather for the green cardigan that concealed the sudden goose pimples on her skin.

The hotel´s chef lived up to Lex´s expectations. The Escalopes of Salmon with an Avocado and Tomato Compote in a Basil Sauce were superb; the ingredients were first-quality and the fish was freshly-caught. Chloe seemed to enjoy his choice and launched on a hilarious account of a fishing trip she had shared with Lois and Uncle Sam for her fifteenth birthday. Lex listened to her attentively and found himself laughing a few times.

“You should do that more often,” she said after the waitress removed their empty plates.

“What´s that?” he responded, taking the bottle of Cuvée Dom Perignon and filling both their flutes again.

“Laugh,” she replied, dropping her eyes to see him pour more champagne in her glass. “I think I´ve had enough for tonight,” she added, putting a hand on top of the flute.

“There´s still that sinful Butterscotch and Chocolate Tart. The beverage won´t go to your head, I promise; you´ve got a full stomach.”

“Are you suggesting I´ve eaten like a pig?” quipped the reporter.

“There´s nothing of a pig in you, Miss Sullivan; I can assure you,” he said
smugly.

“I think I´ll have to run a few laps around the lake in the rain to burn all the calories I´ve ingested tonight,” she laughed, rubbing her stomach and wondering if her cheeks hadn´t turned pink like a stupid schoolgirl´s.

Lex thought there were other more pleasurable ways he could think of to achieve just the same goal, but reminded himself that wasn´t the reason he´d asked her to come along. It was hard to forget they weren´t two newly-weds on their honeymoon when he was sharing a candle-lit dinner with the woman he´d loved for seven years and thought could never be his.

“Are you going to finish that?” she asked, cleaning her fork and eying the piece of tart he´d left on his plate.

“Greedy, aren´t we?” he smirked, pushing the dish towards her.

“This is Heaven, Lex, “ she moaned, savouring the dessert in her mouth.

“It certainly seems that way,” he responded in a velvety voice as her hazel-green eyes met his.” We should ask for two cups of strong black coffee, don´t you think?” he added, feeling the sexual tension between them.

Chloe had dreaded the moment the time came for them to go to their room, even though Lex had been nothing but a gentleman in their rapport. True, their banter had been interspersed with sexual innuendo like the one they used to share over coffee at The Beanery and later at The Talon before Lionel Luthor had poisoned their budding romance with his lies and Lex had hurt her with his scathing remarks and his obsession to know Clark´s secret. However, she knew he´d never pressure her into doing anything she didn´t feel prepared for. Lex Luthor might be a predator and know how to charm a woman with his charisma and his intelligence, but he wasn´t the kind to force his attentions on an unwilling partner. All this she knew and, still, she was trembling like a leaf.

TBC