CHAPTER 21: Resurrection
OUTSIDE THE GROUNDS OF THE LUTHOR ESTATE- SMALLVILLE
It was close to nine in the evening but the full moon was illuminating the fields like a giant lantern, a fact which made Clark and Oliver's stakeout decisively uncomfortable because they had had to rely more on the characteristics of the terrain than their camouflage- and that meant having to lie on the muddy ground which was the only area hidden from the road. Oliver had convinced the farm boy to do without his trademark red jacket, which would have given them away since it stood out like a beacon, and was now enjoying the Kryptonian's discomfiture.
"More pizza?" asked the Archer, eying the only piece left in the cardboard box.
"No, thanks. I don't know how you can eat so much of that stuff now that it's cold," grimaced Clark.
"Well, one gets used to it. This is what a stakeout is like when you're a regular guy trying to do something extraordinary. Not much to do except wait and drink weak coffee while eating a sandwich or something one can stash away," Oliver explained, cleaning the tomato sauce off his fingers. "Too pedestrian for you, Clark?"
"I just think it's silly to be waiting here when we could be closer," fumed the farm boy.
"I know you could have slipped through the wrought-iron gates unnoticed but that would have left me outside because there's no way in hell I would let myself be caught by Luthor men again. We're here to watch Chloe's back and her daughter's, and I'm doing this for Lois."
Clark felt the sudden urge to ask Oliver if there was still something there. Although Lois seemed to have put their affair behind, he had the impression Queen might want to rekindle the fire. The Kryptonian had to remind himself they weren't deep in the mud to discuss their love lives and that their objective was to watch out for some whackos who wanted to punish Lex for helping break up the biggest crime syndicate in America- that meant not only the billionaire's skin was at stake but that of Chloe and their innocent child's.
"Why don't you use your super vision to check out Chloe's still in one piece? Somehow I don't think our follicle-challenged nemesis will put a finger on her- even I can't deny the guy's besotted- but I can also tell you're dying to leave my sorry ass freeze here while you break in to make sure," sighed the Green Arrow.
"We're here to protect their lives not to spy on them," stated Clark grimly.
"Is that you speaking or is that something your parents would have said?" smirked the older man. "Could it be you're afraid of what you'll see? That the woman in there is no longer the girl you once knew and that she wants to be with him? Did she know?"
"What are you hinting at?" frowned Clark.
"Did she know your secret? I know you never shared it with Lana. Chloe sounds like a different kind of girl and, if she's anything like Lois..."
"She's never been as obnoxious as Lois," he interrupted Oliver.
"I meant curious, Clark. Do you think she knows? Are you afraid she might tell him something?"
"You said he already knew."
"I said he knew I was the Green Arrow and that he suspected you were special. I have a hunch he even knows something about your weakness. Still, I'm sure he'd love to have his suspicions corroborated- and what better way than to get the truth from the person he trusts and loves most in the world."
"She'd never betray me," murmured Clark.
"I got the impression you weren't on the best of terms before she left town."
"Don't you think I know she might not be there if I had handled things differently? What do you suggest I do? That I barge in and kidnap her and their girl? One moment you try to stop me and the next you talk as if you wanted me to take her and the kid away." glared Clark.
"I'm playing Devil's Advocate, that's all."
"I think there's something more than that. I don't know what happened between you and Lex before I met you, Oliver, but I'm not planning to put Chloe and her baby in danger just so you can have your revenge. You'll have to think of another way. You're a businessman; play your battles with Lex in that arena. I have had my differences with him and our relationship's suffered a great deal because of some of his decisions," he spat, "and some of mine as well," he added grudgingly. "However, I won't let you bring more misery upon Chloe, Oliver. She doesn't deserve it and God only knows what he'd do if she were snatched away from his side. There's so much hurt a man can take and you know the kind of life he had with Lionel, Oliver. Lex is a sleeping tiger we should try never to rouse."
"Does this mean we'll forget about 33.1 and all those secret projects he's been working on?" asked Oliver grimly.
"We'll have to find out where he's got that incriminating evidence that could send you to jail first and start thinking of alternative courses of action. I'm afraid sabotage through direct action is no longer an option now that he knows what to expect and what my vulnerability is. Let's give him a truce until this is over- I owe him as much for having sent you to cover my back and Lana's. We'll see if this changed-man attitude is an act or if Chloe's managed what we thought impossible these last few years. Now... tell me about that flying rat..."
INSIDE THE LUTHOR MANSION
Lex signed the last document on the rather thick pile he'd brought to the anteroom and then put down his Montblanc to stretch out a little and massage the coiled muscles of his neck and back. He took a sip of the now lukewarm coffee Moira had brought from the kitchen and he eyed his future mother-in-law as she dozed off in the armchair next to the four-poster. Had he not seen the love the older woman felt for his daughter in the way she behaved around Chloe, he wouldn't have believed or trusted her to such an extent. This passivity of his was so unlike him that he wondered if his own freak nature hadn't rendered him susceptible to Moira's powers of persuasion.
He left the dossiers on the coffee table and got up from the armchair determined to make the call he'd been putting off; he couldn't risk losing Chloe now that destiny had brought them together again. In the back of his mind there was another argument he'd put forward not to phone one of his 33.1 doctors to check Chloe over as soon as they'd arrived at the mansion; he resisted having anyone treat her as if she were a phenomenon. Lately, he had been questioning a lot of his past decisions concerning the biggest and most ambitious of his projects, and the unexpected revelation of Chloe's own powers had brought everything closer to home. He'd have to make a decision soon concerning the future of 33.1 and its branches- the ones which had survived the infiltration performed by Queen and his gang.
"Mm," moaned a nauseous Chloe, trying to sit up on the four-poster and falling back on the mattress.
"Chloe!" reacted Lex, rushing to the bed, relief patent in his voice.
"God, I feel as if I had fought twenty-five rounds and got pummelled by the other guy," she mumbled. "Lex," she added in a raspy voice, stretching out an arm to touch the left side of his abdomen," is it really you?"
"Yes. Lie back, Chloe," he replied softly, brushing off a couple of stray hairs and pushing her gently to lie on her back once again.
"There was... so much... blood," she choked, feeling her eyes turn watery."Are you sure... I'm not dreaming? How...? " she babbled confused.
"I'm alive and well. You can see it by yourself," he replied with a soft smile, leaning down to brush her lips with his. "Pinch me if you want," he offered when she started to untuck his shirt in much the same way Laurie had done before her.
"Shouldn't I be the one pinching herself?" she quipped. "How can this be possible? I... You had two bullet wounds... I tried to stop the haemorrhage with my own hands... I felt... You were bleeding to death..."
"Chloe!" interrupted Moira, leaving her armchair to sit down on the side of the bed opposite Lex. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"Mom? I don't know. I... It wasn't a dream, was it?" she stammered with a speculative look in her eyes. "You were shot, weren't you?" she asked Lex, frowning her brow.
"Yes, I was shot," he confessed, swallowing the lump in his throat."Chloe," he murmured, taking her shaking hands in his when she looked at them with haunted eyes.
"What am I? This is the reason... you left, isn't it? Because I'm... a freak," she choked, turning to Moira with trembling lips.
"No, Chloe, that isn't true," her mother shook her head.
"You aren't a freak, Chloe," replied Lex passionately, cupping her face. "You're a miracle."
"Am I?" she sobbed, letting him wrap her in his arms."All that blood in my hands... " they heard her say, her quivering voice muffled by his shirt as she clung to him still feeling the need to ascertain he was really alive. "This wasn't the first time, was it? " she sobered, shooting a questioning glance at Moira. "I never hurt my hands playing kickball."
"No," said her mother faintly.
Lex saw Moira fidget under her daughter's gaze and then met the older woman's eyes when she looked at him as if she were asking him for help.
"What? " asked Chloe nervously, observing the silent exchange. "Lex?" she frowned, lifting her head off his shoulder to bore her expressive deep emerald eyes into him.
"Chloe," he said quietly, grabbing her gently and then moving his hands up and down her arms in a gesture meant to soothe her.
"You knew?" she told him with a catch in her voice. "How long?" she added grimly, squirming to free herself from his hands.
"You weren't meant to find out this way," he explained calmly.
"How long, Lex?" she repeated, crossing her arms in front of her chest."Please, tell me you haven't been hiding this from me all the while," she croaked, remembering the conversation they'd had soon before they made love in the penthouse for the first time. It had been such a special night and she had felt so cherished, trusted him with so many of her fears that she wished he hadn't betrayed her that way. If he had had the answers she`d been looking for and he'd let her torture herself with the thought that maybe she was going mad, she would never be able to forgive him.
"Since the day your mother woke up," he replied gravely, seeing her release the breath she'd been holding.
"You lied to me, Lex," she murmured, biting her lower lip to prevent it from trembling so much. "Both of you lied to me. "
"We thought it was for the best at the time, sweetheart," Moira butted in.
"Please, leave..." whispered Chloe in a raspy voice, grabbing the bedclothes to cover up her suddenly cold body.
"Chloe..." began Lex, feeling a desperate need to have her reassure him this wouldn't become a new roadblock getting on the way of their happiness, that he hadn't ruined everything by trying to protect her from the truth.
"Please, Lex, just leave."
"Let me explain," he continued, trying to resist her entreaty.
"Don't. Not now. I... just can't talk about this now," she told him, sliding down the covers and fighting the urge to fling herself into his arms and hear him say everything would be all right, that she was the same girl he'd fallen in love with and that her wielding this God-like power was nothing to be afraid of. The urge got stronger when his hand hovered over her head. She closed her eyes tight willing him not to stroke her hair or lean forward to press a kiss on her face before leaving the room. She wasn't a clinging, fragile damsel-in-distress; she'd never been one. She'd come to him for help once, but she'd always been his equal and she wanted to reclaim that. She was no longer Karen Fairchild. She was Chloe Sullivan and it was high time she licked her wounds and face her demons on her own to come to him whole. Only then would she be able to hear him out and make herself be heard.
LEX'S STUDY- EARLY MORNING
It'd been a long sleepless night, which Lex chose to spend in the loneliness of his den with a bottle of his best bourbon and a stack of LuthorCorp dossiers that ended up untouched. The sun had risen a couple of hours ago and he was still wearing last night clothes, which were rather rumpled after slouching back in his favourite leather armchair wondering when Chloe would speak to him again and what she would say. He couldn't remember feeling so impotent since the day he got the phone call informing him of Chloe and Gabe's deaths, and he hated that feeling; he'd never been able to accept not having the control of a situation and control was something he'd never willingly given up before Chloe and only on occasion.
The struggle to keep the balance of power in their relationship had always been one of the most energising aspects of their coming together. However, these past weeks he'd relinquished his control to make her feel safe and allow her to set the pace of their rebuilding relationship. He'd only taken the control from her once in the last days and it had been without her knowledge. They'd been living in a kind of limbo and Lex was more than aware it'd come to an end the moment she sent him away the previous night. The old Chloe Sullivan- the one he'd fallen in love with- was almost ready to resurface at last; he could feel it because he knew her only too well and he couldn't wait for it to happen.
Lex got up from his swivel chair, grabbed a bottle of Tŷ Nant from the wet bar, uncapped it and took a big gulp of cold water to clean the after taste of bourbon in his mouth. He'd ask his butler to have the decanters taken away and the bar replenished with non-alcoholic beverages and fresh fruit juice. Drinking had always been a means to numb whatever was corroding his spirit, an attempt to fill the void his life had become; however, he no longer wanted to hide behind a bottle. Luthors were fighters and he'd never been one to step down from a challenge, least of all when it was something he considered worth the effort and the anguish- and what he had with Chloe was more than worth it. For the first time in years he felt he had a chance at happiness, and he wasn't going to sabotage it by trying to asphyxiate or manipulate Chloe the way his own father had done with Lillian.
Fresh from the shower and feeling more revived after having a mug of strong black coffee while finishing his ablutions, the young billionaire left the bathroom adjoining his study and climbed up the stairs to head to the nursery. On opening the door he found Laura was no longer in bed so he decided now was as good a moment as any to knock at Chloe's. Getting no answer and hearing no sound coming from the room where he expected to find their small sprite kissing her mummy good morning and cuddling in bed, he turned the doorknob with a quickened pulse to find no one inside.
"Are you looking for Chlo' and Laurie?" Moira's voice surprised him. "They're not in the house."
Lex had been expecting something momentous to happen that morning; however, he'd never expected for Chloe to leave and take their daughter with her without even a goodbye. He knew she was in shock and that she resented his not sharing with her what he'd found out about her condition sooner, and yet he'd thought she'd stand up to him and not run away.
"It's not what you're thinking, Lex," continued Chloe's mother softly, noticing the coiled tension which had suddenly seized the young man. "Laurie came to the room to wake her up, and your cook fixed them something to have breakfast on the grounds."
"They shouldn't have left the house," he stated, unclenching his fists a little as the realisation that they hadn't deserted him started to sink in."It isn't safe yet."
"So I told her when I came down, but it appears she knows something we don't."
LUTHOR MANSION GARDENS
Lex opened a lateral door and walked around the mansion to the gardens at the back. The girls weren't picnicking on the lawn or sitting in the cosy furniture set he very rarely used, and it wasn't until he heard Chloe's musical laughter that he located them somewhere beyond the labyrinth. His body relaxed yet a little more; they were safe and sound and the security of the mansion hadn't been breached by the Joker and his clowns.
Following the sound of Chloe's voice he arrived at the bench where his father used to sit with Martha Kent during his blind spell. Ironically, the very same woman who'd graced the spot with her presence to keep company to the man who'd almost destroyed him was now chatting animatedly with the blonde whose love had helped reshape the young billionaire's world. Martha was the only older female other than Lillian and Pamela who had treated him and loved him like a son; she was the parent he had never had in Lionel and the mother he'd lost when he was twelve. Mrs Kent was definitely someone he'd miss having in his life. Seeing her bond with the two most important people to him was an extra source of happiness, especially when his own mother would never get to be at his wedding with Chloe or see her own grandchild grow up.
The first one to notice his appearance was Laura, who scrambled to her small feet and ran to his encounter talking excitedly about the Kent farm and all the animals they had there from cows to chicken, from horses to ducks and- most importantly- a dog. Did he have a dog growing up? Was there a dog on his property? Could she have a dog if she was a good girl? Lex had never seen Laurie so excited and couldn't help but smile at his daughter's rosy cheeks and bright green eyes.
"Good morning, Lex," chuckled Mrs Kent.
"Senator," he replied warmly, coming closer to them after telling Laura they'd have to talk it over with her mum.
"Martha, Lex," she corrected him, standing up to give him a kiss on the cheek and a short hug. He still found it hard to have people be this tactile around him; he'd never let anyone invade his personal space after Lillian's death and no one had ever loved him enough to break down the walls he had erected around him till this red-haired mother and the two women who were back in his life. "There's no need to stand on ceremony, honey," she said quietly and he closed his eyes briefly savouring the faint perfume of lilacs that reminded him of his own mother.
"OK. Martha," he smiled faintly, meeting Chloe's suspiciously bright eyes before she picked up Laurie and sat the girl on her lap.
"I'm so happy to see you three in one piece," Martha told him with sincere relief in her voice, looking at the young family and noticing the enigmatic glances exchanged between the couple.
"Luthors have always been survivors," stated Chloe, holding Lex's gaze.
"You sure have a powerful guardian angel," Martha cocked an eyebrow.
"Maybe more than one," he murmured.
"Considering all the times you've survived after being attacked or fighting for your life, you must be right," she smiled, noticing the way he'd suddenly slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers- a defensive gesture of his she recognised very well. Sensing some strange urgency crackle in the air between the young couple, she decided it was time to leave. "Oh! Look at what time it is! I should better be going. I still have a couple of orders to deliver," she exclaimed, checking out her wristwatch. "Laurie, how about showing me the way to the kitchen? I have to pick up the empty crates, and maybe we can have Cook cut you a piece of that chocolate pie I brought as a house-warming present?"
"With cream?" asked the wide-eyed girl, looking at her mother, and already feeling her mouth water.
"Go," acquiesced Chloe with a sigh.
"Love you, Mommy!" shouted Laurie on Chloe's lap, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek.
"Wow! All this hugging and kissing since you came to wake me up! Are you sure you didn't know about this pie when you dragged me out of bed?" laughed Chloe, pinching the girl's nose.
"No," she frowned.
"OK. Go with Martha," the blonde reporter patted their daughter on the rear.
"Have a small piece, Laurie, or there won't be your favourite ice-cream for dessert at lunch," spoke out Lex as she sprinted away with Clark's mum.
"Mrs Kent's a very wise and perceptive woman," stated Chloe, turning around on the bench to fix Lex with her deep emerald eyes. "You shouldn't have lied to me, Lex."
"I did it only to protect you, Chloe. You were very vulnerable; you didn't need to have a burden of this kind on your shoulders then."
"I'm not doubting your intentions, Lex. And believe me, I wouldn't like to have this power changed for another if it'd meant seeing you die in that limo, but I'm still mad at you and Mom. You both knew I'd been trying to put the pieces of my life together, to discover who I was," she replied gravely. "And this," she added stretching out her hands in front of her," is a very big portion of whom I am."
"You weren't meant to find it out the way you did."
"Then when? "
"I hadn't thought that far."
"We've always treated each other as equals so don't you dare be condescending, Lex. I know you better than that. Were you even going to tell me? "
"I honestly don't know... "
"Even though you knew I was having nightmares every night?"
"I knew your bad dreams were connected with your Mom and when I found out the real reason for her leaving you and Gabe... that she'd never been insane... I knew I could help you get some peace of mind and I did something about it."
"But you both kept a tiny detail out from your account..."
"I've seen what knowing can do to people, Chloe. I didn't want you to go through that."
"Am I the only one? Is there anyone like me in your collection at 33.1?" she asked grimly.
"No," he replied curtly."You're the first one I know of whose powers are meant to heal not to hurt."
"What was your first thought when you learned about my power and my Mum's? " she asked, observing him closely. "And don't lie to me this time."
"What is it that you want me to confess? I'd never let any harm come to you or Laurie, Chloe. I love you."
"You're not answering my question. Did you think of having your scientists probe us?"
"33.1 is meant to help those affected by the meteor rocks to learn to live with their powers and become useful members of our society."
"That's not what I asked. I want to hear you say it, Lex."
"Say what?" he exploded.
"You don't have to hide from me. We've never been able to resist digging for answers, trying to explain the bizarre and find the why of things. I just want you to admit what I already know."
"What good would that do? I would have never done it."
"But for a moment you thought about it. Your saying it won't stop me from loving you, Lex. Is that what you're worried about? That I'd get scared and run away."
" I just need to know this hasn't ruined what we've been rebuilding."
"It's changed things. I'm no longer the same woman you made love to the night we came back from the hospital. I know who I am at last and I want you to stop pretending you're someone other than yourself. That might have worked with Lana but that's not who you are."
"Do you expect me to confess I've always been my father's son and that this leafy hamlet's never been wrong about me?" he glared, clenching his jaws
"Now you're been deliberately obtuse. You'll never be your father."
"How do you know? I've been fighting against it for years, Chloe, but the darkness is there waiting to unleash itself."
"Was this why you didn't want to tell me about my power? Were you afraid I might torture myself just like you with the thought of when it would stop being dormant and what would happen if it were unleashed?"
"Maybe. Yes," he conceded grudgingly.
"Well, let me tell you something, Lex, you forgot a very important variable- us. We've got each other and Laurie and not just that, there's people who care and won't let us walk down that path- Lois... don't frown!... my Mom... Mrs Kent... Even if something horrible were to happen... Yes, Lex, you can't control everything that goes on around the world no matter how intelligent and resourceful you are..."
"I might not be able to control the whole world out there, but a little collaboration from the players involved would help minimise the risks of something horrible ever happening. You weren't supposed to leave the house," he told her smoothly.
"We weren't supposed to leave the property. We're in the gardens, aren't we?" she replied, making an encompassing gesture with her arms.
"This isn't time for semantics."
"But I'm all for semantics, Lex. I'm a writer and I seem to remember you yourself have always been very careful in your choice of words out of your vast and impressive lexicon."
"Well, it appears long exposure to Chloe Sullivan has short-circuited that skill of mine. The Joker and his merry clowns could turn up when we least expect them, and being out in the open as if we were sitting ducks..."
"Haven't you strengthened your security at the mansion after all those concussions and break-ins?" she cut him off with a mischievous grin.
"This is no time for jokes, Chloe. We should get inside."
"I like it here. And, by the way, our clownish friend and his gang aren't coming. They're under lock and key in Gotham."
"What?"
"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you! Bruce called. I told him you were in the shower and asked him to give me the news. We talked a little. He's a fascinating, guy. I'm thinking about visiting his old castle once this trial is over..."
"Stop talking about Bruce and tell me more about the Joker and Intergang."
"Jealous, Lex?"
"Of Bruce? He's not your type," he snapped.
"I don't know. Let's see: young, handsome, brooding, a billionaire, owns a large corporation, loves fast cars... Should I continue?" she chuckled.
"He's got hair and I haven't."
"An insignificant detail. "
"Bald men are sexier."
"Says who?"
"I remember someone whispering that in my ear in the throes of passion a few nights ago," he murmured throatily, coming closer to her.
"Don't you believe everything a woman tells you when she's desperate to be brought to completion."
"When were you going to tell me he'd called?"
"Eventually," she smiled.
"Am I forgiven?" he asked, stopping in front of her.
"You'll have to work hard for my forgiveness."
"I'm very diligent. I can think of very pleasurable ways to earn it, ways that will satisfy us both," he smirked, brushing his lips against the column of her neck.
"It sounds good," she moaned as he kissed a very special spot behind her ear.
"Thought so," he whispered in her ear.
"I'm still mad at you."
"I know," he replied, locking his mouth with hers in a brief and soft kiss.
"Your prowess in bed won't get you off the hook. I want to have access to 33.1, Lex."
Her final words didn't take him by surprise. He knew her well enough to expect her to come back to the issue she had briefly touched on the first night she sought refuge at the penthouse. They'd chosen not to discuss LuthorCorp's most hush-hush and questionable project because there were bigger problems to deal with at the time. Now that a solution for those urgent issues was well under way, they would have to discuss things out in the open.
Had she requested this a few weeks ago his answer would have been another. However, the recent developments had made him reevaluate the project which had absorbed most of his energy in the past four years. Chloe and a limousine ride had succeeded where Queen and his band of terrorists in costumes had failed; he was now convinced it was high time to reformulate 33.1.
"Let's get inside. I have a proposal for you," he replied in a businesslike voice, resting his hand on her lower back.
"Indecent?" she cocked an eyebrow.
"I think you'll like it, and I'm being serious now," he told her as they walked along the lawn towards the mansion.
"Does that mean you weren't talking seriously when you promised to make a very satisfied woman out of me?" she quipped.
"Far from it. I'm determined to render you the happiest and most sated woman on earth," he whispered huskily, bringing her closer to him.
"I'm starting to think Lois was right. I should be more careful of what I say in the throes of passion. I'm afraid your head's actually got as big as the Sharks Stadium already."
"What can I say? I've always been an overachiever."
"We'll talk about that tonight," she nudged him."Now it's time to get serious."
"But I was serious."
"If you think you can distract me with your seduction techniques and make me forget about this 'proposal' you mentioned when I uttered the words 33.1, you can think again, pal. "
"You've always been a hard nut to crack, Chloe Sullivan."
"Look who's talking."
"I thought that was one of my main allures," he smirked, holding the door open for her to step in.
"You're anything but boring, Lex. Now, let me check up on our little strategist in the kitchen to see if she hasn't guilt-tripped Cook and his staff so that she can have a bigger portion of that scrumptious chocolate pie. In the meantime, you can start collecting your pen drives, dossiers and whatever you have. I'll get back to you to discuss your proposal and let you know my conditions in ten minutes."
"I was under the impression I was the master in this house," he frowned, slipping his hands in the pocket of his black trousers.
"The old Chloe Sullivan's back, Lex. You should better get used to that idea. There's no master or subject in this relationship- we're partners and we're equal," she stated categorically before turning around and leaving him standing at the double doors of his den.
Lex watched her walk purposefully along the corridor which led to the service aisle, and he couldn't help but smile softly at the way she held her back straight and her chin high. Yes, his witty, snarky and playful verbal judo partner of the past was back.