A/N: Ok this chapter took a little while longer to write, but hopefully,
you'll love it regardless.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She jogged to the door at the first ring of the doorbell and slowly opened it, trying not to seem too enthusiastic. Lex looked up at her from where he stood and said two simple words.
"I can't."
She stared at him for a moment before slamming the door in his face. Lex sighed and pressed his hand against the closed door.
"Come on, Chloe. Let me in so I can explain."
The door flew open. "Explain, talk, demand," she snarked, punctuating each word with a jab in the chest. "That's all you ever seem to do. What is it this time? What's keeping you from doing what *you* want to do?"
Lex ran a hand over his baldhead, an obvious sign that he was nervous. "She's pregnant."
Chloe chuckled. "Like she was pregnant before? Come on, Lex. She's probably lying to keep you married to her."
Chloe's smile faded away at Lex's serious expression. "She showed me the test. She's pregnant."
Chloe nodded, not quite sure what to say. "So, this..."
"I'm so sorry, Chloe."
She leaned against the wall and looked directly in front of her, a harsh laugh escaping her lips.
"It was over before it even began."
He turned her face to look at him and brushed his lips gently against her own. When they pulled away, she noticed something in his eyes. Doubt. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. Either that, or...
"Well, I guess I'll... see you when I see you."
He nodded. "I guess so."
"Bye," she replied and closed the door. She'd no sooner locked the door than she ran to her room to grab a manila folder from her desk. She jogged over to the phone in the living room and plopped down on the couch. Dialing a number, she waited for the secretary to answer. Soon, she was being directed to his office.
"Hello. This is Chloe Sullivan... Yes, *that* Chloe Sullivan... I have a sort of business proposition for you... Oh believe me, you will want to see what I have... 3:00 tomorrows sounds great... I'll be there, good bye."
She hung up the phone, a slightly triumphant smile gracing her face before it turned into a somewhat evil one. There was no way Chloe Sullivan was going down without a fight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe sat on a bench in the deserted park, waiting for him to show up. She felt his presence there before she even saw him, and she braced herself for the worst. He sat down beside her.
"What do you want, Ms. Sullivan?"
"Oh, I don't see the need for formalities, Lionel. We're practically old buddies."
"What is this 'business proposition' you have for me," he asked, leaning closer to her, keeping his voice low and condescending. She pulled out the manila folder and let it fall onto his lap. He opened it and studied the contents, frowning slightly, but masking it well.
"Okay, you have my full attention now. I just want you to know that you're- "
"Playing a very dangerous game, I know. But I'm willing to play this game, as long as you're willing to give me what I need."
"Is that so," he asked seductively, running a finger down her cheek. She pushed it away.
"That's not what I meant. I'm willing to keep the contents of that manila folder in my possession, and my possession only... if you'll tell me everything I need to know about Lana Luthor, and your... 'involvement' with her."
He smirked at her and pushed the folder back towards her. "You're wasting your time. My daughter-in-law is none of your business. What is this really about, Chloe? I mean, I always knew you were bitter about Lex and Lana's relationship-"
"This has nothing to do with being bitter," she replied, trying to keep the hurt of Lana being referred to as 'daughter in law' down to a bare minimum. "This has to do with Lex being happy with his life. As you probably already know, Lana is pregnant."
"Of course I know that. I am part of the family, Chloe." He ran his fingers through his hair and got up. "I suggest you leave well enough alone before you get hurt." He started to walk away.
"Fine. But this," she raised the folder and smiled. "This will be sold to the first newspaper that I can reach. This can ruin you, Lionel, and you know that. Now, *I* suggest you sit down and talk to me."
He sat back down on the bench and looked her dead in the eye. "Lana and I... we have an understanding of sorts. She gives me what I want and need, and I keep her little 'indiscretions' secret."
"What indiscretions?"
"None that you should be worried about."
"She wasn't pregnant before, was she?" Lionel nodded slowly and Chloe laughed. "That's ALL you have on her? Lex already knows she faked the pregnancy. Why would she-"
"That's not the only thing I have on her. But this is all beside the point."
"So, you hold these little family secrets against her and she... gives you what you want."
"Correct."
"So, you're fucking your son's wife? How original of you, Lionel."
"Yes well, now that you know everything you needed to know, I'll be taking this." He grabbed the folder out of her hand.
"Hey!"
"And I don't expect you to have extra copies of this. Steer clear of me and my family, Ms. Sullivan. Do we understand each other?"
She nodded, a small smile forming at her lips when he turned to walk away. She got up and walked in the opposite direction when she felt a hand grab her arm and spin her around. Lionel snatched her purse from her and reached inside, pulling out a small recorder.
"Clever girl. Just not clever enough."
They both walked their separate ways, Chloe's anger getting the best of her. So now she knew something that could change everything, but had no proof. She could tell Lex, but he might not believe her. There was only one thing she could do.
She got out her phone and called one of her contacts in Metropolis.
"Hey, yeah. It's me. Look, I need you to look into two people for me... Just follow them tonight and tomorrow, see if anything happens. Lionel and Lana Luthor. Just take pictures, notes, do what you need to do. Okay? Thanks so much, I owe you one."
She hung up the phone and got in her car.
'Looks like it's time to revisit my old reporter days.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two mornings later, Lex and Lana found themselves sitting at the breakfast table, talking.
"So, how far along are you?"
"Just a few weeks. Not very long." Lana did a mental calculation and frowned slightly.
"Something wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Just... figuring when the baby'll be here."
He nodded. "That's going to be a while from now if you're only a few weeks." Lex seemed to do his own calculation in his head, but the butler knocked on the door and walked in.
"Mr. and Mrs. Luthor, the mail."
"I'll take that," Lana said, grasping the letters before Lex could. She scanned them and found nothing for her. She handed them to Lex.
"How kind of you," she responded, taking the letters and flipping through them. Bill. Bill. Junk... A letter from Bruce?
He opened it and took out the two sheets of paper enclosed in the envelope, not noticing the other contents. He read the longer one first. Seeing as it was just the contract to his and Bruce's business deal, he pushed it aside to read the other sheet of paper.
I have something of interest for you. I guess old habits really do die hard. You can thank me properly later.
Chloe.
He furrowed his eyebrows until he noticed the envelope. He pulled out the pictures and the small cassette and flipped through the pictures.
"Hmm, what is it dear?"
"I don't know." He shoved the pictures toward her until they were all visible and he never took his eyes off of her. "You tell me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She jogged to the door at the first ring of the doorbell and slowly opened it, trying not to seem too enthusiastic. Lex looked up at her from where he stood and said two simple words.
"I can't."
She stared at him for a moment before slamming the door in his face. Lex sighed and pressed his hand against the closed door.
"Come on, Chloe. Let me in so I can explain."
The door flew open. "Explain, talk, demand," she snarked, punctuating each word with a jab in the chest. "That's all you ever seem to do. What is it this time? What's keeping you from doing what *you* want to do?"
Lex ran a hand over his baldhead, an obvious sign that he was nervous. "She's pregnant."
Chloe chuckled. "Like she was pregnant before? Come on, Lex. She's probably lying to keep you married to her."
Chloe's smile faded away at Lex's serious expression. "She showed me the test. She's pregnant."
Chloe nodded, not quite sure what to say. "So, this..."
"I'm so sorry, Chloe."
She leaned against the wall and looked directly in front of her, a harsh laugh escaping her lips.
"It was over before it even began."
He turned her face to look at him and brushed his lips gently against her own. When they pulled away, she noticed something in his eyes. Doubt. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. Either that, or...
"Well, I guess I'll... see you when I see you."
He nodded. "I guess so."
"Bye," she replied and closed the door. She'd no sooner locked the door than she ran to her room to grab a manila folder from her desk. She jogged over to the phone in the living room and plopped down on the couch. Dialing a number, she waited for the secretary to answer. Soon, she was being directed to his office.
"Hello. This is Chloe Sullivan... Yes, *that* Chloe Sullivan... I have a sort of business proposition for you... Oh believe me, you will want to see what I have... 3:00 tomorrows sounds great... I'll be there, good bye."
She hung up the phone, a slightly triumphant smile gracing her face before it turned into a somewhat evil one. There was no way Chloe Sullivan was going down without a fight.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe sat on a bench in the deserted park, waiting for him to show up. She felt his presence there before she even saw him, and she braced herself for the worst. He sat down beside her.
"What do you want, Ms. Sullivan?"
"Oh, I don't see the need for formalities, Lionel. We're practically old buddies."
"What is this 'business proposition' you have for me," he asked, leaning closer to her, keeping his voice low and condescending. She pulled out the manila folder and let it fall onto his lap. He opened it and studied the contents, frowning slightly, but masking it well.
"Okay, you have my full attention now. I just want you to know that you're- "
"Playing a very dangerous game, I know. But I'm willing to play this game, as long as you're willing to give me what I need."
"Is that so," he asked seductively, running a finger down her cheek. She pushed it away.
"That's not what I meant. I'm willing to keep the contents of that manila folder in my possession, and my possession only... if you'll tell me everything I need to know about Lana Luthor, and your... 'involvement' with her."
He smirked at her and pushed the folder back towards her. "You're wasting your time. My daughter-in-law is none of your business. What is this really about, Chloe? I mean, I always knew you were bitter about Lex and Lana's relationship-"
"This has nothing to do with being bitter," she replied, trying to keep the hurt of Lana being referred to as 'daughter in law' down to a bare minimum. "This has to do with Lex being happy with his life. As you probably already know, Lana is pregnant."
"Of course I know that. I am part of the family, Chloe." He ran his fingers through his hair and got up. "I suggest you leave well enough alone before you get hurt." He started to walk away.
"Fine. But this," she raised the folder and smiled. "This will be sold to the first newspaper that I can reach. This can ruin you, Lionel, and you know that. Now, *I* suggest you sit down and talk to me."
He sat back down on the bench and looked her dead in the eye. "Lana and I... we have an understanding of sorts. She gives me what I want and need, and I keep her little 'indiscretions' secret."
"What indiscretions?"
"None that you should be worried about."
"She wasn't pregnant before, was she?" Lionel nodded slowly and Chloe laughed. "That's ALL you have on her? Lex already knows she faked the pregnancy. Why would she-"
"That's not the only thing I have on her. But this is all beside the point."
"So, you hold these little family secrets against her and she... gives you what you want."
"Correct."
"So, you're fucking your son's wife? How original of you, Lionel."
"Yes well, now that you know everything you needed to know, I'll be taking this." He grabbed the folder out of her hand.
"Hey!"
"And I don't expect you to have extra copies of this. Steer clear of me and my family, Ms. Sullivan. Do we understand each other?"
She nodded, a small smile forming at her lips when he turned to walk away. She got up and walked in the opposite direction when she felt a hand grab her arm and spin her around. Lionel snatched her purse from her and reached inside, pulling out a small recorder.
"Clever girl. Just not clever enough."
They both walked their separate ways, Chloe's anger getting the best of her. So now she knew something that could change everything, but had no proof. She could tell Lex, but he might not believe her. There was only one thing she could do.
She got out her phone and called one of her contacts in Metropolis.
"Hey, yeah. It's me. Look, I need you to look into two people for me... Just follow them tonight and tomorrow, see if anything happens. Lionel and Lana Luthor. Just take pictures, notes, do what you need to do. Okay? Thanks so much, I owe you one."
She hung up the phone and got in her car.
'Looks like it's time to revisit my old reporter days.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two mornings later, Lex and Lana found themselves sitting at the breakfast table, talking.
"So, how far along are you?"
"Just a few weeks. Not very long." Lana did a mental calculation and frowned slightly.
"Something wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Just... figuring when the baby'll be here."
He nodded. "That's going to be a while from now if you're only a few weeks." Lex seemed to do his own calculation in his head, but the butler knocked on the door and walked in.
"Mr. and Mrs. Luthor, the mail."
"I'll take that," Lana said, grasping the letters before Lex could. She scanned them and found nothing for her. She handed them to Lex.
"How kind of you," she responded, taking the letters and flipping through them. Bill. Bill. Junk... A letter from Bruce?
He opened it and took out the two sheets of paper enclosed in the envelope, not noticing the other contents. He read the longer one first. Seeing as it was just the contract to his and Bruce's business deal, he pushed it aside to read the other sheet of paper.
I have something of interest for you. I guess old habits really do die hard. You can thank me properly later.
Chloe.
He furrowed his eyebrows until he noticed the envelope. He pulled out the pictures and the small cassette and flipped through the pictures.
"Hmm, what is it dear?"
"I don't know." He shoved the pictures toward her until they were all visible and he never took his eyes off of her. "You tell me."