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Thread: My Last Breath (R) (Completed) - Part 3, 'Always With You' series

  1. #1
    Canon Whore Not An Addict's Avatar
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    My Last Breath (R) (Completed) - Part 3, 'Always With You' series

    Title: My Last Breath
    Author: Not An Addict
    Rating: R
    Category: Songfic, Angst/Romance
    Pairing: Chloe/Lex
    Spoilers: none
    Summary: Part Three of the ‘Always With You’ songfic series. Tragedy strikes.
    Disclaimer: My lawyers have informed me that I do NOT own Smallville, its characters, the band Evanescence or any of their songs. I’m currently seeking a second opinion, but until I get one let’s just assume that I own nothing, and don’t sue me.
    Author’s Note: I really, really, highly recommend listening to the song while you read this. Yeah, I know I always say that, but it's especially true for these next two. Just do it, all right? Now . . . I know that a lot of you liked the happiness of the last part, but . . . um . . . yeah. This one’s pretty heavy on the angst, folks. Be forewarned. But also remember: things are not always as they seem. *scurries away before people can start throwing things*




    The early Metropolis evening glittered around them as Lex and Chloe walked down the street, their hands clasped lightly in a comforting familiarity. The free fingers of Chloe’s left hand were toying with her ring, a grin occasionally lighting up her face when her thumb brushed over the cool stone. Lex noticed what she was doing and grinned himself, briefly squeezing the small hand he held in his.

    “Getting excited for the big day?” Chloe shot him a disbelieving look and gave a snort that he had the good sense not to tell her he found adorable.

    “I’ve been excited for the past year, Lex. I still don’t see why we couldn’t have just eloped.”

    “Because my father would have tracked us down. And your father would have come after me with a shotgun. Not to mention all our friends, who would have—”

    “Okay, okay, I get the point,” she grumbled. “But I don’t want to have to wait another six months.” She stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face him, stepping closer as she lowered her voice to a husky pitch. “I want to go on that honeymoon we’ve been planning and have you make love to me on the middle of some deserted beach. I want to shock the cabana boy when he comes in and sees us fucking on the kitchen counter. I want to be your wife, Lex.” His breathing had grown heavier as she talked, but Lex still managed a smirk before he brushed his lips lightly against hers.

    “And you will be. Until then . . .” He grinned down at her wickedly. “We’ll just have to settle for living in sin for the next six months.” Chloe couldn’t help but smile at that, and Lex continued. “You’ll graduate, and we’ll have the big wedding to appease our friends and family. And then we’ll be married,” his head lowered so that he could speak in her ear. “And we’ll have a wedding night that will leave you sore for weeks afterward.”

    Chloe shivered at his words, and when his eyes returned to hers he recognized the look there. Both of them more than eager now, they started off once more, making their way back to Chloe’s car that she had insisted on taking out. They had made it less than a block when they passed by an alley and were stopped by a voice calling from the shadows. A man stepped forward, his clothes dirty and torn; he wore ratty shoes that had probably been thrown out months ago, and a battered old stocking cap that covered a head of grimy dark hair. He glanced back at his comrades, still huddled in the cover of the shadows, before turning back to Chloe, fixing her with a hopeful gaze as he tried to keep his dirt-covered hands from fidgeting.

    “Excuse me. Don’t mean to bother, ma’am, but could you spare just a little change?” Chloe smiled at the man’s hesitant voice, oddly charmed by the faint southern accent and touched by this man who must be such a long way from home.

    “Of course. Let me just see what I have.”

    She let go of Lex’s hand to dig into her pocket, coming up with a handful of bills that she had stuffed in there earlier. When the man still looked hesitant she smiled again and walked over to him, pressing the bills into his reluctantly upturned hand. He gazed from the money to her eyes and took her hand in his, a sad smile gracing his stubbled face.

    “You truly are a lady, ma’am.”

    The back of his free hand came crashing down a moment later, sending Chloe sprawling to the trash-covered ground.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “Mr. Luthor?” Lex glanced up at the suited detective who stood in front of him, pencil still poised over her notepad. From the look on her face, this was not the first time she had called his name. “Are you all right? Do you need to take a break?” Lex shook his head mutely, and the woman glanced back at her notes. “All right, you said the man backhanded her, and she fell to the ground. What happened then?”

    “I . . .” Lex clenched his jaw, trying to choke down the emotion that wanted to steal his speech. His fingers fisted on his leg and felt the bandage taped to his thigh beneath his pants. “I lunged for the guy. That’s when the others joined in.”

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “Chloe!”

    No matter how he struggled, the men still held him firm. And while he logically knew that he would never be able to reach Chloe if they didn’t want him to, he continued to fight. His breath exhaled in a sharp burst when a hard fist slammed into his stomach, doubling him over. Chloe’s attacker still had her on the ground, his fists slamming into her repeatedly. Lex heard the crack of bone, and a red-hot rage took control of him when he caught sight of the blood covering one side of Chloe’s face, saw the awkward twist of her arm where it had been broken. With that sudden surge of adrenaline that Clark so often talked about, Lex felt his strength grow even as it spiraled out of his control.

    He wrenched his arms from the men’s hold, rage fueling his strength. The palm of his hand thrust up against one man’s face and had him falling to the ground, clutching at his broken nose and trying to staunch the heavy flow of blood with his fingers. A knee to the groin brought the second man to his knees, and the sound of the man’s jaw breaking under his fist gave Lex a savage thrill of satisfaction. When the third man spun him around Lex barely felt it; his hands locked on the man’s dirty shirt and threw him against the brick wall of the alley. Without stopping, Lex began moving towards the man that had his hands around Chloe’s throat, overpowering her weakening attempts to fight him off. Lex had only taken a step when he felt a blinding flash of pain rip through his thigh an instant before he heard the gunshot.

    His leg crumpled beneath him and he fell to the ground, dimly aware of the shouts around him and the sound of quickly retreating footsteps. Dragging his one leg behind him he crawled over to Chloe, slightly relieved when he saw her chest shallowly rising and falling. With shaking hands he drew out his cell phone and dialed 911, focusing all his energy on trying to remain calm as he explained their situation. The instant he hung up, his arms were around Chloe, rocking her gently back and forth.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “We were there for a while . . . not long . . . she stopped breathing, and someone pulled up; I thought it was the ambulance. Something hit me in the back of the head and the next thing I knew I was waking up in Metropolis General.” The detective nodded again and jotted down a few more notes until Lex’s voice drew her attention again. “Have you found Chloe yet? Has there been a ransom demand, anything?” Lex watched as the detective and Clark exchanged glances, and the bottom dropped out of his stomach.

    “Lex . . .” Clark glanced once more at the detective, and Lex couldn’t help but notice that the former farm boy’s customary tan complexion had faded to an ashy gray. “Chloe’s purse washed up along the river. The police dredged it and . . . her car had been dumped, Lex. They think her body was carried downstream before they could find it. They found . . . they found this at the attack site.” Lex reached out automatically when Clark held out his hand; Chloe’s engagement ring fell into his palm, and the minor weight of it felt like a slab of iron in his hand. Clark gestured helplessly with his hands when his friend seemed to go slack in his chair, simply staring at the ring he held. “Lex, I’m so sorry.”

    Lex barely heard Clark or the detective. He was dimly aware that he managed to speak at some point, managed to assure them both that he would be fine on his own. When they finally left he found himself going through the motions of preparing for bed; but his mind was somewhere else entirely. His mind was where he feared it would always be from then on, crouched in that dark alley with Chloe’s bleeding body in his arms.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “Lex?”

    Chloe’s voice was weak, raspy from the constriction of her vocal cords. Lex held her closer and fought for control.

    “Shh. I’m here.”

    Hold on to me love
    You know I can't stay long


    “Everything’s slipping away, Lex.”

    “Don’t worry. The ambulance will be here soon. Just hold on, Chloe.”

    “Lex, I don’t think I have very long. Please, don’t let go of me.”

    All I wanted to say was I love you and I’m not afraid

    “I won’t. It’s ok, Chloe, I’ve got you.”

    “I just—”

    A flash of pain shot through her and she gasped, wincing slightly while Lex tried to remain calm.

    “I love you, Lex. Always remember that I love you.”

    Can you hear me?
    Can you feel me in your arms?


    Pain tore at Lex’s heart. He continued to hold her and tried to focus on her eyes, hidden behind swollen red flesh already purpling at the edges. Through the pain, he tried to smile.

    “I’ll remember. I plan on dragging the words out of you several times a day, so there’s not much chance of me forgetting.”

    “Remember how I sounded. Remember how I felt when you’d hold me.”

    Holding my last breath
    Safe inside myself
    Are all my thoughts of you
    Sweet raptured light it ends here tonight


    “It’s ending, Lex.”

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    He slipped into bed and found himself unsure of what to do without Chloe’s warm body against his. In the time since they’d been together, there hadn’t been a night when he had slept in their bed without Chloe next to him. Mercifully, the pain medication that the doctor had prescribed began to set in and he dropped off to sleep, his mind returning once more to Chloe.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I’ll miss the winter
    A world of fragile things


    “Nothing’s ending, Chloe. You’re going to be fine.”

    But even he didn’t believe the confidence in his voice.

    “Think of me at the cabin next Christmas.”

    “Chloe—”

    “I still want you to go. I know how much you were looking forward to it.”

    Her breath was shallower now, coming in irregular little gasps as her lungs tried desperately to draw in air.

    Look for me in the white forest
    Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)


    “You have to stop talking like this, Chloe. I’ll always find you, no matter what happens, no matter where you go. You said you’d marry me, and if you think you can use death as an excuse to get out of it, you’re crazy.”

    At first, Chloe didn’t respond to his poor attempt at humor. After a few moments, her face grew panicked.

    “Lex? You’re not saying anything. Can you still hear me?”

    I know you hear me
    I can taste it in your tears


    Lex didn’t even notice the tears that had started running down his face until several of them fell on Chloe’s lips.

    “You’ll be fine, Lex. I love you.”

    Holding my last breath
    Safe inside myself
    Are all my thoughts of you
    Sweet raptured light it ends here tonight


    Her chest rose once more; but even though he watched for it, it never fell again.

    Screeching tires sounded at the end of the alley. The ambulance must have arrived. Lex’s eyes never moved from Chloe, even at the sound of the footsteps approaching from behind him. Then something hard and heavy connected with the back of his head, and everything went black.

    Closing your eyes to disappear
    You pray your dreams will leave you here


    “Lex! Lex come on, wake up!”

    The voice jerked Lex awake and he became aware of small hands gripping his shoulder, shaking him gently. His eyes snapped open and his heart stopped in his chest at the sight of Chloe gazing down on him, her face creased with worry. In an instant he was sitting up and had her wrapped in his arms, holding onto her as though his life depended on it.

    “It’s ok, Lex. It was just a bad dream.” Chloe’s voice was soothing in his ear, and he tightened his grip on her. “Whatever it was, it was just a dream.”

    “I thought I lost you.” His voice was muffled against her neck and she began to stroke his back, rocking him as she tried to soothe him.

    “Shh. I’m here.” He raised his head to look at her and she smiled comfortingly into his eyes. “I’m here.”

    Her lips brushed gently against his. Within seconds Lex had deepened the kiss, his tongue coiled around hers as she moaned into his mouth. He rolled them over and his hands trailed over her body, quickly followed by his lips tracing the same path. Then in one smooth motion he was inside of her, losing himself in the feel of her beneath him, around him. He thrust faster when she urged him on, his face buried against her shoulder.

    He leaned back to look at her, and Chloe’s dead eyes stared blankly back at him from her swollen, bloody face.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    But still you wake and know the truth
    No one's there


    Lex jerked awake, his heart pounding in his chest. The bed beside him was empty and cold when he reached out, feeling the last of the medication’s effect leaving his body.

    Say goodnight
    Don’t be afraid
    Calling me calling me as you fade to black


    For the first time since he had woken in the hospital, Lex felt tears forming in his eyes. The first one fell and he shattered, his body wracked with sobs so violent that at times he couldn’t breathe. It was only after hours that his exhausted body finally gave up.

    As sleep claimed him once more, the last sound in the still room was his voice calling Chloe’s name.




    END PART THREE

  2. #2
    sara_noele
    Just a Guest!
    “You have to stop talking like this, Chloe. I’ll always find you, no matter what happens, no matter where you go. You said you’d marry me, and if you think you can use death as an excuse to get out of it, you’re crazy.”
    That made me :crygreen:

  3. #3
    #2 SV Fan Robyn's Avatar
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    WOW! That was amazing! I wanted to cry throughout the whole thing. You made me think she was alive and it was just a dream, and it wasn't. :crygreen: I'll be ok lol. I've always wished that someone would make a Chlex fic with this song. Fantastic job! I LOVED it!

  4. #4
    see spot snark Senior Member happy bunny's Avatar
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    Holy shit! Holy shit!

    :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen:

    Get your butt back here and make it better! NOW!

    ...please???!!

  5. #5
    7 comes on too strong
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    Man Oh man.....*shakes head*

    This isn't the end, right??? :huh:

  6. #6
    NS Full Member
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    Wait....What?!....Ok, what the hell just happened here? Holy shit indeed. OMG, this is just so wrong.

    But also remember: things are not always as they seem. *scurries away before people can start throwing things*
    I certainly hope so, otherwise you're going to be dodging things big time missy.

    P.S.
    Good job though.

  7. #7
    Spunky Chick Senior Member hfce's Avatar
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    :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen:




    Hope :tease:
    "Everyone seems normal until you get to know them. "

  8. #8
    NS Full Member drina's Avatar
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    Although you have warned us, this is still a very big shock...oh dear...i'm so depressed now.

  9. #9
    NS Full Member Lulucifer's Avatar
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    :crygreen: :crygreen: :crygreen: I can't beliebe you did that.....
    Note to self: Never read Angst stories when depressed..... :crygreen: :crygreen:

  10. #10
    NS Senior Member Senior Member autumngold's Avatar
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    Please don't let Chloe be dead!! Please!! You said this is part 3, that means there has to be a part 4!! Please!! Lex needs to find Chloe, and they need to get married and everything needs to be ok, please!!! Great story, but remember, Lex has to find Chloe and everything has to be ok!! :chlexsign4:

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