A/N: Thanks to all of you for your encouraging reviews and your constant support.
Here´s the last instalment. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 13: For Chloe´s Sake
OUTSIDE METROPOLIS GENERAL HOSPITAL
Lionel´s limousine parked in a lateral alley, and Jeffries killed the engine, waiting for his master´s first-born to step out. The chauffeur had stolen some furtive glances at Lex in the rear mirror throughout the ride and had noticed his distinctive pale complexion was whiter than usual. There had been a couple of times along the way he had thought the young man would order him to pull over in order to throw up. Jeffries had been too many years in Lionel Luthor´s employment not to know when to speak and when to refrain from asking questions, and he knew this was one of those times in which his discretion would be more than appreciated.
¨Would you rather we spun for a few more minute, sir? ¨ he asked with a touch of concern in his voice.
¨No, thanks, Jeffries. I just need a couple of minutes. Wouldn´t you have a cereal or a chocolate bar that you could give me? I haven´t eaten anything in hours. I think I need a sugar boost. ¨
¨Sure, sir, ¨he smiled, opening the glove compartment.
¨Damn! ¨exclaimed Lex, eying a pair of blue jeans and a red jacket he knew only too well. ¨Thanks, Jeffries. I won´t need you any longer, ¨he dismissed the chauffeur, stepping out of the limo. ¨Clark! ¨he shouted, and the Kansas farm boy stopped dead in his tracks.
¨Lex, ¨he responded with a scornful look.
¨What are you doing here? ¨asked Lex, taking off his shades and tucking them in his inner pocket.
¨I´ve come to see, Chloe, ¨he snapped.
¨Chloe? ¨he cocked an eyebrow.
¨Don´t feign ignorance, Lex. You´ve got her locked up in this hospital. ¨
¨I´m afraid you´ve been misinformed, ¨he answered tersely. ¨I have no one locked up. ¨
¨Don´t you dare lie to me, Lex, ¨screamed Clark, taking him by the neck and smashing him against a wall.
¨Release me, Clark, ¨said Lex in excruciating pain.
¨What´s happened to your neck? ¨asked Clark, looking at it with a frown.
¨Before or after you squeezed it, Clark? What does Martha feed you on that farm? ¨he asked hoarsely.
¨What have you done to Chloe? ¨
¨I haven´t done anything to her, Clark. ¨
¨I know you and your family, Lex. You contaminate everything you touch. ¨
¨I´ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, Clark, but I´ve never consciously hurt anyone I care for. ¨
¨You don´t care for anyone but yourself, Lex, ¨he said venomously. ¨You´re incapable of feeling anything pure for another human being. ¨
¨Maybe I´m undeserving, but I won´t let you desecrate what I feel for Chloe. ¨
¨Chloe? ¨ he shouted outraged. ¨Now, it´s Chloe. What about Lana? ¨
¨I was blind, Clark, and so are you. ¨
¨You killed her. ¨
¨I didn´t, Clark. Although there were times I wished I had. ¨
¨She didn´t deserve to end like she did. If you had stayed away from her... ¨
¨She would have destroyed you, Clark. You never knew her, not like I did in the end. ¨
¨ What´s that supposed to mean? ¨
¨I´ve always envied you, Clark. You´re so devoid of malice. Always thinking the best of people. I admire you and pity you at the same time. It´ll be a hard fall if you ever wake up. ¨
¨If waking up means being like you, I´d rather stay as I am. ¨
¨Could we put our enmity aside for a while, Clark? For Chloe´s sake? ¨
¨What´s wrong with her? ¨
¨We don´t know. She´s asleep and doctors can´t find the way to bring her back. ¨
¨Asleep? ¨
¨Remember? ¨he opened the collar of his shirt. ¨I wouldn´t be here talking to you if it weren´t for her, Clark. I was dead. ¨
¨I don´t understand. ¨
¨I´ll share this with you, Clark, because I know how good you are at keeping secrets. God knows you´ve been hiding the biggest secret this side of the universe. Don´t look at me that way! I´ve known it for a long time, and I know what you´re thinking but... she hasn´t told me. She´s the best friend you could ever hope for, Clark. I´m aware I don´t deserve her, but I love her like I´ve never thought I´d love a woman and, for the first time in my life, my feelings aren´t unrequited. She´s got an extraordinary gift, Clark, the gift of life, ¨explained Lex passionately.
After a long and revealing chat Clark looked at his former friend turned bitter enemy with new eyes. He had had qualms about the real reasons which had prompted Lex to let Chloe get close to him. Clark had thought she was part of an elaborate agenda to get to him but now, looking into Lex´s blue-grey eyes, he found again the 21-year-old young man he had rescued from the sinking Porsche seven years before. He saw the man who had befriended him and helped him so many times in the past, the friend worth-saving. Maybe Chloe was the moral compass he needed so desperately. Maybe Lex wasn´t completely lost as he had thought. Clark still found it hard to forgive him for what he had brought on Lana, but the eternal optimist in him wanted to believe every life was worth-redeeming.
¨Come, Clark. Let´s go see Chloe. She´ll love to know you´re here, ¨finished Lex, propelling Clark forward.
METROPOLIS GENERAL HOSPITAL- SEVENTH FLOOR
¨Mr Luthor, ¨called a smiling Dr Stephens, ¨Miss Sullivan´s asking for you. ¨
¨I´ll call for you, Clark. I´m sure she´ll want to see you, ¨he answered with a catch in his voice and eyes brimmed with tears.
¨I´ll be right here. Take your time, Lex, ¨said an emotional farm boy, looking at his retreating figure and remembering the old days when he used to look up to the billionaire as he would an elder brother.
¨Hey! How are you, sleepy head? ¨murmured Lex sweetly, sitting down on Chloe´s bed.
¨Lex, I´m so sorry! ¨she sobbed, enveloping him in a tight embrace.
¨There´s nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart, ¨he answered, scattering kisses on her hair and wiping her tears with his thumbs.
¨Look at your neck, Lex, ¨she whined, touching the yellowish-purple bruises with gentle fingers. ¨I killed you. I know I did. And then... I don´t know what happened. I can´t explain it. One minute I was crying my eyes out and the next I was floating free from all bodily chains. I saw you stir, Lex, ¨she panted, locking her eyes with the silver blue orbs in which she had got lost the night she had given herself to him. ¨I´m a freak, aren´t I? ¨she cried with a touch of despair.
¨You aren´t a freak, love. You´re a miracle, my miracle. You brought me back, Chloe. You brought me back and almost died in the process, ¨ he soothed her, brushing her lips with his.
¨Lex? ¨she sobbed, snaking her arms around his neck, ¨is it true? ¨
¨What, baby? ¨he asked, brushing her hair off her forehead.
¨Is it true what the doctor said to mum this afternoon? ¨
¨I´m afraid I haven´t been informed of this conversation, Chloe. ¨
¨That... that I may be... that we may be.. ¨she mumbled, averting her eyes and turning crimson.
¨Chloe? ¨smirked Lex, tilting up her chin. ¨I seem to recall you weren´t this shy almost two weeks ago when you didn´t mince your words and asked for what you wanted. ¨
¨I can´t ... ¨she shook her head.
¨Why not? You´ve never been afraid of asking questions in your life, Chloe. ¨
¨I´ve never been so afraid of asking someone a question knowing I might hurt him in the process, ¨ she confessed.
¨You wouldn´t, Chloe. I know you know what it was I didn´t want Lana to find out. It didn´t take me long to figure it out. Your last words in the crypt spoke volumes- that you wouldn´t have minded, remember? ¨
¨Then... I must have heard wrong. ¨
¨No, you haven´t, honey. There´s a chance we might be pregnant. ¨
¨We? ¨she cocked an eyebrow.
¨Well, I´ve had something to do after all. ¨
¨But how did it happen? ¨
¨Didn´t Desirée teach you anything in those classes at school? ¨he smirked.
¨Oh, shut up, Lex. You know what I mean. ¨
¨ I know... ¨ he sighed, nuzzling her neck, ¨we sometimes can´t help our inquisitive nature. But there are some things we should both learn not to question. ¨
¨Lex? ¨whispered the young reporter.
¨Mm? ¨he responded, pressing a kiss on her pulse.
¨Did you mean what you said when we were... ¨
¨Do you need to ask? ¨ he said, cupping her face in both hands and meeting her lips in a hungry kiss which left them both panting.
¨Just checking, ¨quipped Chloe, flashing her luminous Sullivan smile.
¨You´ll give me a heart attack one of these days, Sullivan, ¨he murmured, nibbling her lower lip.
¨Is that Clark? ¨she stopped him, putting both her hands on his chest.
¨Why do you always have to mention our favourite farm boy when things start to get interesting? ¨
¨I can see his red cheeks from here, ¨she chuckled.
¨That´ll teach him not to use his X-ray vision to spy on his best friend, ¨stated Lex, giving her a peck on her nose.
¨What? ¨asked Chloe with a strangled voice.
¨It´s OK, love. I´ve known it for a long time, and I´ve told him so. ¨
¨Are you friends, again? ¨
¨I can´t say things are or will ever be like before between us, but we´ve signed a truce, ¨he confessed with the ghost of a smile.
¨Thanks, Lex. It means a lot to me. I love you but... ¨
¨I know, Chloe. And I understand what it means to lose your best friend... ¨
¨Have you told him? About Lana and your brother, I mean. By the way, Lex... you´re narcotic. You´ve almost made me forget about Lucas and the whole Morpheus business. ... Lex? What is it? What´s wrong? ¨she asked concerned when she saw the strange look in his eyes.
¨Everything´s fine, sweetheart. Everything´s taken care of, ¨he smiled sadly.
¨You didn´t..., did you? ¨she panicked.
¨I didn´t, ¨he reassured her.
¨Who did, then? ¨ she frowned. ¨Lex? ¨
¨It´s over now, Chloe. Let it rest, ¨ he responded gravely.
¨It isn´t over, Lex. I can tell something awful´s happened. You can´t lie to me, Lex. I know you. ¨
¨You´re safe. Your mum´s safe and we´ve managed to prevent a major national crisis. ¨
¨Uh? ¨
¨I promise I´ll tell you all about it. Just give me time, Chloe, ¨he croaked.
¨Your dad? ¨
¨Chloe, ¨he beseeched her.
¨OK.OK. I´ll wait. But what about Clark? You haven´t answered my question. Does he know about Lana and Lucas? ¨
¨I haven´t told him and I´ve got no intention of doing so. Let him keep his dreams. This world needs men like him just as it needs people like me. ¨
¨Evil, you mean? ¨she responded.
¨You can´t be that blind, Chloe. I´m no goody-two-shoes. ¨
¨God help me if you were! I´ll have an enigmatic dangerous and delivish handsome kind of guy any day. Let Kansas girls keep their innocent farm boys- they make good friends but they´re toddlers in the field of passion and romance,¨ she said seductively, snaking her arms round Lex´s neck.
¨Chloe? What has that coma done to your libido, girl? Clark and your mum are still out there, and you´re putting some not so innocent ideas in my mind. ¨
¨Rain check then, ¨she pouted playfully. ¨Shall we ask Clark in? ¨she added, looking out of the window with affection.
¨Sure. I´ll have you for the rest of my life, I can lend you for a couple of minutes, ¨he smirked.
¨You´re full of yourself, Luthor, ¨she pinched him.
¨Whatever you say, Sullivan, ¨he murmured in her ear.
¨Let him in, Lex, ¨she pressed a warm kiss on his mouth. ¨I´ll get back to you later. ¨
¨You´d better, ¨he warned her from the doorway. ¨Clark, she´s all yours. ¨
¨Don´t you dare, Luthor! I´m not a commodity. I´m my own woman. You hear me? ¨she shouted from the bed.
¨Hormones, ¨Clark shrugged and smiled sheepishly. ¨What? ¨he asked with a puzzled look. ¨Oh! I´ve heard Dr Stephens talk with the lab technician. ¨
¨You´ve heard him? ¨said Lex cocking an eyebrow.
¨ OK, I´ve eavesdropped, satisfied? ¨he conceded.
¨What´s that about Dr Stephens and the lab technician? ¨he frowned.
¨Ah, it´s confirmed, Lex! You´re going to be a daddy, ¨Clark patted him on the back and turned the doorknob. ¨By the way, act surprised when he tells you, ¨he added before entering Chloe´s room and shutting the door behind him ¨Hi, Chlo´! ¨he exclaimed ¨We´ve got a lot to catch up on, ¨he beamed.
Meanwhile, Lex had a quiet conversation with Chloe´s physician and the head of gynaecology to discuss the patient´s condition. It was agreed she´d stay in hospital for a minimum seventy- two hours for further studies and check-ups. The professionals told Lex everything seemed to be doing fine, but they didn´t want to risk any relapses- Chloe´s case was atypical to say the least.
¨Lex, son? ¨ said Lionel, placing a hand on his shoulder.
¨Dad? ¨ answered Lex, turning around and meeting his father´s eyes.
¨How´s she doing? ¨he asked with a note of concern in his voice.
¨She´s awake, ¨ he swallowed the lump in his throat. ¨She´ll be fine. ¨
¨Is it true, son? ¨he asked shakily.
¨What, dad? ¨ he asked, trying to slip back on his mask of cool detachment.
¨That you´re going to be a father. ¨
He had wished to hear those words so much, but he daren´t hope- having Chloe in his life was blessing enough. Still incapable of processing the news he had just been given, Lex shuffled his feet and tried to pull himself together before voicing his answer.
¨Lex, is it true? ¨insisted Lionel.
¨Yes, dad, ¨ he answered, raising his blue-grey eyes. ¨She´s ... carrying our baby. ¨
¨It´s a lucky child, ¨said Lionel with misty eyes. ¨She´s an extraordinary woman, Lex. And... you´ll be a great... father. ¨
¨Dad, ¨ croaked Lex, feeling a sudden tightening in his chest.
¨Lillian would be so proud, son, ¨ he whispered.
¨D... Dad... about... ¨rasped Lex.
¨Lex, we´ve survived a lot, son. We´ll see this through.¨
¨But ... he was your son, too. ¨
¨You´re my son and you´re alive. You´re happy, that´s all that I´ve ever wanted. ¨
Chloe hugged Clark tightly and felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks as she saw Lionel embrace Lex for the first time in years.
¨Is everything OK, Chloe? ¨asked Clark worried.
¨Yes, Clark. Everything´s fine at last. ¨
Being jilted at the altar had been a blessing in disguise.
THE END