Things given and things kept
When Chloe disappears Clark knows who to talk to.
The words crushed him more then the thought ever could.
Not that she was missing but because he wasn't around this time, but someone should have saved her.
If not Jimmy then surely Davis should have saved her from disappearing without a trace.
For the first month he searched because not even Chloe Sullivan could vanish in to thin air unless she had help.
And that help was buried six feet underground.
At least he was promised that and he never thought to check himself.
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He knew he was wearing himself out, even if he wasn't superman, he knew he had a limit but he wouldn't stop.
He promised them all to help protect them, it was only fair after what his presence in their life meant to their safety.
Lana begged him to stop, his mother begged to him to let the girl be in peace even Lois told him to back off because after everything Chloe went through she deserved not to be dragged into this all again.
How could he explain to them all that what made him human assured him that Chloe would never give up without a fight and if that fight wasn't enough then he would carry on for her, he would finish this fight.
A year, a whole year passed before he thought to check the one place, the one person who could manage this.
If he had anymore strength left to feel angry he would have smashed that mockery of a tombstone until it was nothing more then dust.
The son of a bitch even found a way to cheat death.
With new determination he searched for not only his best friend but the man who once thought was in need of friends.
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Each week he came back to the mockery and lost what ever emotions he should have felt towards the supposed dead man, he only felt truly alien now because even now he could bring Chloe back.
The rain didn't bother him nor did it registered with him, staring at that mockery he thought that maybe just maybe he could move on.
Lex Luthor had the power to make Chloe disappear, when he was thought dead it would mean Chloe just gave up against some unknown force and let her self be carried away.
If Lex had taken her then at least he knew Chloe would have fought to the end, he knew this enemy.
"For someone who declared they hated Lex Luthor you sure like visiting his grave" despite the scarring, despite the scars that littered his face lightly Clark would know him anywhere.
"I just need to know" Clark's voice wasn't that of a boy fresh from a small town, nor was it of a man who had the world on his shoulders.
"Lex Luthor was killed in a car explosion" the shadowy figure admitted coming to stare with a smirk at the mockery of a grave.
"About her… I need to know about her" Clark barked barely holding back his powers to glare at the man beside him.
With a smirk born of years of being unloved, uncaring and turning bitter the man looked at him and there they stood.
Clark Kent and Lex Luthor; aged not by years but by what they perceived as being right.
"I've been dead for two years Clark; I'm not your little blood hound who has to come running to you when you've lost your little friends" the growl, the half turn all prove to Clark that he had his hand in helping Lex become the man he was just like Lionel did.
But he didn't care… if Lex could use people then so could he.
"You're meant to be protecting them anyway" Lex snarled never looking back, never acknowledging the other one.
"Chloe is my friend and I tried" "did you?" the snarl and demand caused him to stare in disbelief.
"I watched Clark, I watched you push her away, brush her off when you got the nod from Lana. You thought she was yours but in truth she stopped being yours the moment she understood she didn't need you to save her" it was the truth, it was cold and it was hateful.
Just like everything else in their relationship.
"Then why did you take her… why did you kidnap her all those years ago" Clark has to ask, has to know he was lying.
"You gave her to me Clark… you gave her to me, it was an easy deal for you because I had Lana and she was still yours" Lex spat turning his burning eyes to Clark burning the truth into him.
" I didn't give her to you this time" "why do you think I took her… I should remind you Clark that I have been dead for two years" Lex growled before he turned to the rain once more.
The sins could never be washed away.
"Every word you say is a lie Lex" Clark retorts standing trying to bare all his super human strength, his proof that he could change the world for the better.
"I haven't taken anything from you Clark… I haven't taken anything" Lex sound almost remorseful but it was a lie.
Luthor's only knew how best to lie and nothing else.
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Two months passed before he took the next step, to end the fight or to allow her to go, Clark wasn't sure but he did know that Lex was the key to this.
Living or dead.
"I waited long enough for you to come back; one thing I always knew Clark was this wasn't over" Lex swirled the amber liquid in his glass, the boxes sat in mocking silence knowing their time would come to bare witness to this last lie.
"I want her back; I won't stop Lex until I find out" "WHAT" his snarl fit in time with the splintering of the glass.
"Clark this isn't about saving someone anymore… it isn't about you being the hero, your just as selfish as me" Lex ground out each word, each insult hoping to drill them in to the other man standing before him.
"I never took anything that belonged to you; I took Lana from you because I wanted to hurt you and I did. But even when I took Chloe I thought I could hurt you instead I just ended up giving you another ego push that proved you were the hero" Lex couldn't smirk when Clark dropped his head not in defeat because that wasn't something he could feel anymore.
"So I never took anything that belonged to you in the true sense… because Chloe didn't belong to you, you just thought she did" Lex snapped turning away to allow his words to truly sink in, to really hurt this alien in ways he never had before.
"I won't stop; I won't stop until I find her Lex and god help you when I find her" Clark warned only hearing a dry chuckle as his response before he left.
"God won't help us anymore Clark" Lex whispered filling the silence with the only thing he could hope was the truth anymore.
"Lex" her whisper, her husky voice filled the void in him for the briefest of moments. Clark wouldn't stop and neither would he.
"Shhh, I'm back now" he promised feeling her silky hair fill his hands, her flowery scent encage his whole being.
"Why was you away for so long" she demanded with that childish pout that he knew if she ever asked for the truth he would tell her everything.
But he knew that pout would vanish the moment she remembered, she regained her old life. She would hate him more then anyone else would.
"Some one didn't want me to sell the mansion" in the darkness he could lie to her, he could believe he was someone else.
"Why; we never use it" she mumbles already falling into that comfortable sleep that held no pain and no lies.
"Just their way, sleep… tomorrow we'll be happy" he promised more to himself then her, but she never had to know.
She never had to know about her life as some small town reporter, the best friend of the boy who would never love her back.
"I'm happy already Lex" she mutters before sleep over takes her and he is once more left alone.
He never lied to Clark, he never took anything from Clark Kent.
He took what was rightfully his.
And Chloe Sullivan was his the moment both he and Chloe understood that Clark Kent couldn't save them.
Clark gave Lex away the moment he stopped seeing the good; Clark gave away Chloe the moment she sacrificed her self for the good in Lex.
Chloe was given and Lex had decided she was going to be kept.
It was a long day at work with nothing to do then just listen to music and think about writing something... here is the end result.