~First off, I'm a Chlex 'shipper. The characters etc aren't mine, I just like to make 'em dance. The Lex I write is in love with Chloe, and is kinda possessive and territorial. If she was ever taken from him, he would probably destroy the world. As it is, she provokes whatever vestige of conscience or morality he has. BTW, Lrnd - Lex got stabbed in Club Zero - I see him as keeping the scar as a reminder~
~This is the sequel to -Leaving Normal-, so it takes place before -A Game of Pool-. Everything up to 'Drone'. The timeline is probably going to go pants in 'Crush', and then I'll be off into AU land.~
~I've upped the rating on my stories because some little snot flamed me about bad language. These are for the grown-ups.~
1. Meet the Parents
MARTHA
Clark's lurking in the barn again. Jonathan says that that is normal teenage boy behaviour. I suspect that he's got that wretched telescope trained on the Potter house again.
Sometimes I could slap Nell Potter, however many excuses Jon comes up with for her. She's kept that poor girl trained to some impossible ideal. She always was jealous of Laura. Lana has to be the perfect princess. I recognise the 'White Knight' syndrome - something the Kent men do well.
I'd always hoped that Clark would wake up to that nice child Chloe. Instead she's been swept off her feet by Lex Luthor. And that put Nell's nose out of joint, too. I just know she was hoping that Lana's 'business venture' at the Talon would develop further.
Talk of the devil...that car of his has just screeched up. And he's brought Chloe with him. Helping her out of the car like a gentleman, and being pushed gently in the chest.
"You go play with Clark. I'm going to talk to Mrs. Kent."
The look he sends after her is so lost and so hungry that I have to look away.
GABE
My little girl is all grown up now.
And to think I was just worried about my job when they told us Luthor Jr. was coming to the plant. We'd all heard what an evil little prick he was. Instead, first day on the job, he comes striding in, hand out-stretched, knowing my name. Well-groomed, friendly, and with eyes like a shark. I thought that bald head was just affectation.
But this is the guy who faced down that nut Jenkins. That cold-hearted bastard of a father of his just sent him in against a gun-toting whacko. Nothing at any fancy college will prepare you for that. And this rich kid fresh out of college talked him down - I still don't know how. Just got himself and the Kent kid out, and got the company to look after its own. His father was pissed, but with the Press as witnesses, there wasn't much he could do about it. That was the day the guys at the plant stopped thinking of him as 'the kid'. He put his ass on the line over staff cuts, and we still managed to post a bonus this quarter. A good man to work for.
It still doesn't make me happy that he wants to date my daughter. One of my guys has a brother in the Metro PD. I know a lot of records went missing, but I know what was in them. DWI, Possession, Assault. Rich kid stuff. And then it all went real quiet. I just hope he's grown up now.
JONATHAN
Well, well. The brat is back. Martha's a sweetheart, and she has a soft spot for any waif and stray that crosses her path, but this one...I don't like him. I don't like his father. I don't like what they do, what they stand for. I don't like the way he makes me turn into an intolerant rube every time I set eyes on him.
And now he's dating Clark's friend, the little Sullivan girl. Gabe must be mad.
God help us, what a combination. Chloe's a sweet kid, but she can't keep her nose out of anything. The adoption thing was too close - even Martha doesn't know the half of that. And Luthor - I don't trust him as far as I can spit. Neither of them are stupid, and they're both just too close to Clark.
Just being threatened by that little prick of Luthor Sr.'s made me feel sick. Nearly burnt a hole in that fancy purple shirt of his.
I know it was a nice thing Lex did for the Fordmans. I nearly choked on the compliment, but it was worth it for the way his face relaxed. Since that moment he told me that he envied my family, I keep seeing the lost kid in the overly expensive suit that Martha sees. I can't blame him for Clark growing up. I just - still don't trust him. The scientific mind can be a bitch.
MARTHA
I have never been so frightened in my life as when I saw Tyler touch Clark. To watch something like that come near your child and not to be able to prevent it.
Does Gabe feel that way about Lex?
~I know I missed one parent out - he's in a later chapter!~
~This is the sequel to -Leaving Normal-, so it takes place before -A Game of Pool-. Everything up to 'Drone'. The timeline is probably going to go pants in 'Crush', and then I'll be off into AU land.~
~I've upped the rating on my stories because some little snot flamed me about bad language. These are for the grown-ups.~
1. Meet the Parents
MARTHA
Clark's lurking in the barn again. Jonathan says that that is normal teenage boy behaviour. I suspect that he's got that wretched telescope trained on the Potter house again.
Sometimes I could slap Nell Potter, however many excuses Jon comes up with for her. She's kept that poor girl trained to some impossible ideal. She always was jealous of Laura. Lana has to be the perfect princess. I recognise the 'White Knight' syndrome - something the Kent men do well.
I'd always hoped that Clark would wake up to that nice child Chloe. Instead she's been swept off her feet by Lex Luthor. And that put Nell's nose out of joint, too. I just know she was hoping that Lana's 'business venture' at the Talon would develop further.
Talk of the devil...that car of his has just screeched up. And he's brought Chloe with him. Helping her out of the car like a gentleman, and being pushed gently in the chest.
"You go play with Clark. I'm going to talk to Mrs. Kent."
The look he sends after her is so lost and so hungry that I have to look away.
GABE
My little girl is all grown up now.
And to think I was just worried about my job when they told us Luthor Jr. was coming to the plant. We'd all heard what an evil little prick he was. Instead, first day on the job, he comes striding in, hand out-stretched, knowing my name. Well-groomed, friendly, and with eyes like a shark. I thought that bald head was just affectation.
But this is the guy who faced down that nut Jenkins. That cold-hearted bastard of a father of his just sent him in against a gun-toting whacko. Nothing at any fancy college will prepare you for that. And this rich kid fresh out of college talked him down - I still don't know how. Just got himself and the Kent kid out, and got the company to look after its own. His father was pissed, but with the Press as witnesses, there wasn't much he could do about it. That was the day the guys at the plant stopped thinking of him as 'the kid'. He put his ass on the line over staff cuts, and we still managed to post a bonus this quarter. A good man to work for.
It still doesn't make me happy that he wants to date my daughter. One of my guys has a brother in the Metro PD. I know a lot of records went missing, but I know what was in them. DWI, Possession, Assault. Rich kid stuff. And then it all went real quiet. I just hope he's grown up now.
JONATHAN
Well, well. The brat is back. Martha's a sweetheart, and she has a soft spot for any waif and stray that crosses her path, but this one...I don't like him. I don't like his father. I don't like what they do, what they stand for. I don't like the way he makes me turn into an intolerant rube every time I set eyes on him.
And now he's dating Clark's friend, the little Sullivan girl. Gabe must be mad.
God help us, what a combination. Chloe's a sweet kid, but she can't keep her nose out of anything. The adoption thing was too close - even Martha doesn't know the half of that. And Luthor - I don't trust him as far as I can spit. Neither of them are stupid, and they're both just too close to Clark.
Just being threatened by that little prick of Luthor Sr.'s made me feel sick. Nearly burnt a hole in that fancy purple shirt of his.
I know it was a nice thing Lex did for the Fordmans. I nearly choked on the compliment, but it was worth it for the way his face relaxed. Since that moment he told me that he envied my family, I keep seeing the lost kid in the overly expensive suit that Martha sees. I can't blame him for Clark growing up. I just - still don't trust him. The scientific mind can be a bitch.
MARTHA
I have never been so frightened in my life as when I saw Tyler touch Clark. To watch something like that come near your child and not to be able to prevent it.
Does Gabe feel that way about Lex?
~I know I missed one parent out - he's in a later chapter!~