Couple(s): Chloe/Lex
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. Lex owns his sexy self. The title comes from the Tal Bachman song of the same name.
Spoilers for: the other five chapters
Author's Note: This starts right where five left off. I know this part is really, really sappy, but I decided that it needed some pointless schmoop. I know nothing about tapping phonelines or detective work, so if I have some details wrong, kindly don't flame me.
The Darker Side of Blue
Lex didn't sleep. Lex didn't think. Lex didn't feel. That night, he simply stared blankly at the off-white ceiling of his and Chloe's bedroom, his very soul aching. His wife had fallen asleep with her cheek resting on his bare chest, but she had tossed and turned so much that she was in a completely different location an hour after they had turned out the lights. It was a restless night for them both.
It must have been around three o'clock--the time when Lena usually cried for a bottle--when, finally, he threw aside the sheets and headed for the door.
"Lex," Chloe muttered from the bed. He paused, not sure if she was simply talking in her sleep, or if she was actually awake. "You aren't goin' to do work, are you?"
He was running completely on autopilot; he didn't know *what* he was going to do. "No," he assured her in a whisper, "I just can't lie here anymore. Go back to sleep, hon."
Sitting up, she sighed. "Want some company?"
"Yes," he said, and meant it.
"Great." Her voice was devoid of any emotions, an observation that would have alarmed Lex, if he hadn't been feeling the same way.
**Feeling. Right.** He extended his hand, and she grasped it. The couple headed downstairs in their pajamas--she in boxers and a tank top, he in silk pants--and instantly wandered into the living room. He lowered himself onto the couch, and she gingerly sat next to him. His buried his face in her hair, breathed deeply the familiar scent of baby powder, vanilla, and a fragrance that he could only describe as, 'Chloe'. It stirred something in his heart; he didn't know what, but it was something.
Her hands wound around his neck, and she moved her mouth to his. Their kisses were loving and intense. "This feels wrong," he whispered, pulling back for a second.
She licked her lips and gazed at him sadly. "I don't want to sound trite, but I can't just sit here and be miserable."
"Why not?" he asked, though there was no animosity in his question. "All the people I've ever loved have been taken away from me in some way or another: Julian and Mom died; you almost stayed with Clark; now this..." She cut him off by kissing the top of his head softly. He closed his eyes as her lips rested against his ear.
"Don't say that I almost left you for Clark ever again. Do you understand me?" she said softly, her voice suddenly undercut with a sharpness that he hadn't heard for a while.
"You'll excuse me if I'm still a little jealous. I saw you making out with him on your porch, for crying out loud! Then when you find out that I got the phone call, all you could do is tell me how disappointed you were that I lied about my research! Have you not gotten over your love for him? Have you been living a lie all these years? I want the truth, Chloe."
Chloe gripped his upper arms, wondering if she should scream or laugh at his words. Neither option was very appetizing, so she leaned her forehead against his and sighed. "Oh, Lex. You have no idea...*no idea* how passionately I love you. I wish you would believe me and stop being so insecure."
Tilting her chin so that he could gaze into her beautiful eyes, he drew in a slow breath. "Tell me," he whispered, letting the air out, "tell me why you love me."
**He's fishing for compliments at a time like this?** She was incredulous how self-centered he was being. "I-I've never had to put my feelings for you into words before."
Lex's gaze was steady, his voice suddenly calm; his hands rested at his sides. He was collected. Mystified, she took a deep breath. His eyes never wavered from her face, he never so much as flinched.
"Well, I love you because you're you."
"That's not good enough, Chloe. Describe, in detail, exactly what about me is so lovable. Don't feel the need to censor yourself; just say whatever comes to mind. Throw in my faults, if you want to." No indication of what he was trying to accomplish.
**He's certainly not being narcissistic. But what is he doing?** The reporter in her was desperate to answer that question, so she went along with her husband. "I love you because..." He was watching her, waiting. She continued. "I love you because, first and foremost, you're sexy. You're sexy because you're outwardly and inwardly beautiful. You're confident and outspoken, yet patient and gentle. You have a sentimental side, but only Lena--" Her voice caught, but he made no sign that he noticed. "-only she, Martha, and myself get to see it. You aren't afraid to let your guard down and be completely wild, however--such as the food fight last night. You're, perhaps, the sweetest, most considerate, most respectful man I've ever known. You're an amazing kisser, and you're very..good in bed." He didn't even crack a smile at her lewd remark. "You have some flaws, but they add to your absolute perfection."
She blinked and focused her gaze on his beautiful hands which were folded in his lap. "You have fabulous hands. That sounds like a silly thing to say, but your hands are soft and comfortable; yet they reveal that you have a--this sounds really corny--quiet inner strength."
If he had been the one talking about her, her ego would have been fed; she would have been grinning or making out with him, or both, despite the emptiness she felt. Yet, when she finished, he looked as though she'd just droned on about the stock market.
"Tell me about my flaws." Once again, he sounded flat.
She rolled her eyes. "Lex, what are you doing?"
"Tell me about my flaws."
She chewed on her lower lip, darting her eyes back to his face. His own eyes drew her in again. "I don't want to offend you."
Nothing.
"Just remember that you asked for it...you can be really nasty sometimes; you don't let your temper flare up unless it's necessary, but when you do--you're awful. You don't argue well, for another thing; you're more stubborn than I am, you always refuse to back down. There are times when I fully expect you to--to hit me."
She swallowed, then clenched and unclenched her hands. "But you don't. That's another thing I adore about you, Lex: you aren't at all like your father. Don't deny that you worry about that! Where he was abusive, you're simply firm. Where he was conniving and evil, you're curious. Maybe you're a bit unethical at times, but I think you mean well." She lowered her attention to his inviting lips. "I don't blame you for what happened. I don't, and I never--"
"Stop talking about that," his flat voice demanded, one of his aforementioned hands touching her mouth. "If you mention how sorry you are again, I'll go back to bed. Understood?"
Chloe nodded, not insulted by what he said; she knew he wasn't ordering her around. "Yes."
His hand went back to his lap. "Describe what it was like for you when we first danced at that party, all those years ago. Then, tell me what our first kiss was like for you."
**What the hell?** she asked herself again, still stumped. "Our first dance was a little awkward, to be honest; at the time I didn't know whether or not I liked you in any way. Still, I remember that I had just insulted you, or said something that made you visibly upset. I had never seen you that way, and I hated the pain in your eyes, hated knowing that I caused it. So I did the only thing I could: I told you that I loved the song that was playing, just so I could have an excuse to ask you to dance."
She paused to gather her thoughts, not bothering to see if Lex had moved; she knew he hadn't. "The second you put your arms around my waist, I was overcome by a flood of emotions that usually only affected me when Clark was around; I felt tingly, dizzy, and extremely giddy. I wrote it off as nerves--I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of you, as much as I hate to admit it--but then you pulled me close so I was leaning against you, and I lost all control. I was on fire all over, as pathetic as that sounds"
Biting her lip again, she recalled their first kiss. "We kissed after the dance. You said that it would be New Year's Day in some far away country two seconds from then. I asked if that country had a name, and you said that it probably did. Then, I realized that I wanted you to kiss me. It bothered me immensely that I, anti-mainstream Chloe Sullivan, wanted to be kissed by Smallville's most notorious--former, I hope--play boy. Still, I moved toward you."
She paused again, once again thinking. "When I finally felt your lips, it wasn't like fireworks, as so many people say. It was more about honesty, as strange as that sounds. I can't put it into words."
"Try," he prompted, as flat and emotionless as before.
She nodded, then plowed ahead before she could change her mind about how to phrase her statement. "It was like you told me everything about yourself in those few, short seconds; like you divulged all your secrets, your wants, your desires...everything that you'd ever kept hidden suddenly became known to me. When it was over, I knew that I was head over heels in love with you. I also knew that I couldn't have truly loved Clark; that was just infatuation. But with you...wow. The next day, when I went to visit you, I thought that I would spontaneously combust when you smiled at me. Then we started to talk, and I said that I loved you. That was it; there was no turning back. Even before you said that you loved *me*, I knew you were the one. I suppose I was a little scared, which is why I kissed Clark that day. But it was always you, Lex." She concluded her rambling in a whisper.
"How do you feel now?"
She'd had enough. "What the hell, Lex?" Chloe snapped.
"Right this second, Chloe, how do you feel?"
Shutting her eyes, she delved into her soul; she wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear. When she opened her eyes once more to answer him, she was amazed by what she discovered. The despair had lifted. "I feel normal, Lex."
It struck her; what he'd been trying to accomplish with all of his nosy questions was clear: he'd been trying to get her to remember sensations, emotions. When her comprehension glowed on her face, her husband broke into a sincere smile.
"Thank you," she said softly,
"You're welcome." His smile approached his eyes as he grabbed her hand and stroked her palm with his thumb.
Though she didn't think she'd ever fully return to herself, Chloe felt good enough to playfully run her fingers over his scalp. "I don't want to talk anymore." He bent down to press his mouth against hers in a passionate, all-consuming kiss.
Then his cell phone rang.
* *
"Answer it," she ordered, an edge returning to her voice.
Lex needed no further encouragement. "Hello?" The scorn that filled the simple word was palpable.
His body went rigid, his teeth clenched. "What do you want?" He listened for about five minutes, his sharp, beautiful features clouding with anger. "Did you hurt my daughter?"
Chloe gasped when he held the phone a few inches away from his ear; the shrieks that traveled through the wire were deafening. She clamped a hand over her mouth and bolted toward the downstairs bathroom, where she was instantly sick.
When she returned to the living room, shaking and pale, her husband was still talking. "Why do you want my research?" He made no efforts to keep the contempt out of his tone. "No. I won't give it up."
**'No'? That's your daughter, you--** She censored herself before she mentally went off on him. All she could do was squeeze his free hand until his knuckles turned white. If there was one thing the reporter hated, it was being helpless.
"Why. Did. You. Kidnap. My. Daughter?" He was seething, and gripping her hand so tightly that it went numb. "That's not a reason! Look, if you don't bring her back alive in the next twenty-four hours--I'm not afraid of you." More wails from their daughter. Chloe yanked her hand from his and covered her ears fiercely, the tears welling in her eyes.
"That's an empty threat, and you know it as well as I do. When I find you, I'll have you killed. In fact, I might do it myself. That's one promise I'm going to fulfill." He didn't cry, didn't let himself get choked up.
**Don't make them angry!** she pleaded.
"You heard what I said." The dial tone blared and he snapped the receiver shut. He was trembling and gasping for breath.
His earlier attempts to distract his wife from the emptiness she felt hadn't been wasted; instead of being numb, Chloe was filled with pure, unadulterated fear and loathing. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, and held him.
"Lex," she whispered hoarsely, "what did they say?"
He was fighting to breathe, and she first thought he was having an asthma attack; she didn't bother to recall that he'd been mysteriously cured of his childhood condition during the meteor shower. "They don't want ransom, they just want my research so they can kill Clark."
* *
Six-fifteen in the morning. Chloe and Lex were still on the couch, no longer touching. Martha was puttering around in the kitchen, having said that she had to do something to keep from breaking down. Kyle was in Lex's office, checking out the taped phone call.
"Want some eggs?" Martha asked quietly, coming out of the kitchen, sounding as though she'd been sobbing.
"No," Lex said flatly, staring straight through her.
"No, Martha, thanks," Chloe whispered. She gave Lex a sideways hug and pressed her face against the crisp, white shirt he'd thrown on an hour before. "I suppose we just have to wait," she remarked unnecessarily. The silence and her inability to do anything were beginning to drive her mad.
"What else is there to do?" was the rhetorical reply. He finally turned his head and forced himself to smile at her. "We've made it this far, Chloe." He couldn't find it in himself to use her nickname.
A question popped into her head. "Why didn't they just take your findings outright?"
Lex was quiet for several minutes, thinking about what she'd asked. "That would be too simple, I guess; but I really don't know how to answer that."
Footsteps in the hallway made them dart around, naked hope on their faces. Kyle shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "It's gotta be from a pay phone. The person was obviously disguising his or her voice...I'm so sorry."
"I told them I would kill them," Lex announced loudly, causing his wife to jump. "I mean it."
Kyle stood in front of the couch, holding the tapping device loosely in one hand. "I know you're angry, Lex, but I don't know if saying those things was the best idea."
"Why not?" He was getting confrontational. "They won't harm her as long as they don't have my papers!"
The detective rested a hand on Lex's shoulder. "Refusing to give up your files wasn't the right thing to do; that just made him angrier, and more likely to do something reckless."
Chloe blanched. "I didn't need to hear that."
The sound of the phone ringing made everyone cease their discussion. After staring at it for a full thirty seconds, Lex snatched it. "Hello?" he barked. "Clark..." He sank against the cushion in relief.
"Clark!" Chloe yelped, suddenly animated. She wrestled the unit from Lex and clamped it against her own ear. "Clark, you have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice."
Leaning over, Lex tried vainly to hear the other half of the conversation.
"What have you heard?" Chloe's forehead furrowed. "What? Why would he do that?" She switched the receiver to her other ear. "You're kidding! Are you okay? That's fantastic. Here, talk to our private detective."
Kyle fumbled with the phone before ordering Clark to, "talk."
Lex's eyes were pleading with her to reveal what Clark had said. "What? Tell me," he whispered, visibly anxious. "Did he find her?"
Chloe was silent until Kyle was finished. "They paid Clark a visit when Lois was at work, posing as delivery men. Obviously they don't know everything about him; they tried to give him a tranquilizer shot. He fought one of them, but the other had a meteor rock in his pocket so Clark was helpless against him. He did, however, use his x-ray vision to see inside the wallets of both men. They had IDs, though he thinks they might be fake. He also has the license plate number and can identify them completely."
"How did they know that Clark is Superman? Why is this good news? Did Clark see Lena? Why didn't he trail them?" Lex was filled with questions, and he was fully prepared to do his own investigating if he didn't get some answers.
"He doesn't know how they knew," Kyle broke in, pacing swiftly around the room. "This is great news, Lex, because it means they came out of hiding. We can also run the plate number, though if they're smart they'll ditch the vehicle. He didn't follow them because, at the time, he didn't know Lena was missing; he actually thought that they were working for you, which is why he called."
"Oh, that's fabulous," Lex muttered with plenty of sarcasm. "How is that supposed to bring our Lena back? Damn Clark and his weakness!"
Chloe started to rub his back, but he pushed her hands away. "Sweetie, it's a bigger lead than we had. We'll get her back." Though she was a bit more optimistic, her face was still heavy with worry.
"I'll go make some calls and see if we can't trace the car and/or the men." Kyle was all business, striding purposefully back to Lex's office.
Martha came out of the kitchen again, wiping her damp hands on the long-sleeved blue shirt she wore. Motioning for Chloe to scoot over, she lowered herself onto the couch. "Lex, you know Clark would've helped if he had known."
"That doesn't bring our daughter home, now does it?" he snapped. "Who told him, anyway?"
Kyle returned to the room and sank his long body onto an armchair that matched the couch. "About your daughter? I just did. He said that he'll do what he can."
"'Do what he can', great. If he seriously thought that those bastards were working for me, then he obviously doesn't tru--"
"Shut up, Lex!" Chloe yelped.
His eyes widened at the annoyance in her voice, but he obeyed.
"What did you find out, Kyle?" Chloe continued, turning toward the detective.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose as though he were warding off a tension headache. "The car is registered to the men who visited Clark, but whether they're using fake identities--which is more than a strong possibility--we don't know."
"Do you have an address, or anything?" Martha spoke up, her arms around Lex and Chloe's shoulders in a gesture of comfort.
When Kyle nodded, Chloe stifled a gasp. **He knows where my baby is!** she thought, though she knew she was being unrealistic. **It's never that easy** she reminded herself.
"We know where they were residing last time they were busted for drug possession. I wanted to talk it over with you before I sent a team there to check it out. But, I can get some people out there immediately."
Lex shook his head fiercely. "No. We're going."
"Lex, don't be stupid," his wife said bluntly.
Twisting so he could look at her, he frowned. "You said that you wanted to help with this."
"With *finding* them. I don't want you to put yourself in any unnecessary danger!"
He reached across Martha to grasp Chloe's hand. "I won't. Come on, what happened to the gung-ho, risk-taking Chloe Sullivan I married?" he asked softly.
"She got pregnant and a little wiser," was the flat response.
Despite the tension he felt, Lex chuckled. "If you say so."
Kyle, who had been watching the exchange silently, held up a large hand. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but we've been wasting time. Are you all coming with me, or not?"
"Yes," Chloe announced, surprising her husband. "It's my daughter, after all. Shouldn't we have police backup, though?"
"I don't want the police involved, because, then, this will become a front-page story. I'm not doing that to Lena." Lex said this while pulling Chloe to her feet. "I have a gun in my office. I'll go get it." He rushed off.
This was news to Chloe. She gaped at Kyle. "He has a *gun*? Why do I always get told these things at the last minute?"
"Maybe he didn't want to alarm you," Martha suggested, stretching her arms and yawning. "I'm going too, just so you know."
Lex arrived, shot gun in hand, in time to hear the last part. "You sure?"
"*Yes*."
He smirked and pocketed the weapon, then slipped his arm around his wife's waist. "M'kay. Let's go."
"We'll take my car," Kyle announced, leading the way to the front door.
TO BE CONTINUED
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. Lex owns his sexy self. The title comes from the Tal Bachman song of the same name.
Spoilers for: the other five chapters
Author's Note: This starts right where five left off. I know this part is really, really sappy, but I decided that it needed some pointless schmoop. I know nothing about tapping phonelines or detective work, so if I have some details wrong, kindly don't flame me.
The Darker Side of Blue
Lex didn't sleep. Lex didn't think. Lex didn't feel. That night, he simply stared blankly at the off-white ceiling of his and Chloe's bedroom, his very soul aching. His wife had fallen asleep with her cheek resting on his bare chest, but she had tossed and turned so much that she was in a completely different location an hour after they had turned out the lights. It was a restless night for them both.
It must have been around three o'clock--the time when Lena usually cried for a bottle--when, finally, he threw aside the sheets and headed for the door.
"Lex," Chloe muttered from the bed. He paused, not sure if she was simply talking in her sleep, or if she was actually awake. "You aren't goin' to do work, are you?"
He was running completely on autopilot; he didn't know *what* he was going to do. "No," he assured her in a whisper, "I just can't lie here anymore. Go back to sleep, hon."
Sitting up, she sighed. "Want some company?"
"Yes," he said, and meant it.
"Great." Her voice was devoid of any emotions, an observation that would have alarmed Lex, if he hadn't been feeling the same way.
**Feeling. Right.** He extended his hand, and she grasped it. The couple headed downstairs in their pajamas--she in boxers and a tank top, he in silk pants--and instantly wandered into the living room. He lowered himself onto the couch, and she gingerly sat next to him. His buried his face in her hair, breathed deeply the familiar scent of baby powder, vanilla, and a fragrance that he could only describe as, 'Chloe'. It stirred something in his heart; he didn't know what, but it was something.
Her hands wound around his neck, and she moved her mouth to his. Their kisses were loving and intense. "This feels wrong," he whispered, pulling back for a second.
She licked her lips and gazed at him sadly. "I don't want to sound trite, but I can't just sit here and be miserable."
"Why not?" he asked, though there was no animosity in his question. "All the people I've ever loved have been taken away from me in some way or another: Julian and Mom died; you almost stayed with Clark; now this..." She cut him off by kissing the top of his head softly. He closed his eyes as her lips rested against his ear.
"Don't say that I almost left you for Clark ever again. Do you understand me?" she said softly, her voice suddenly undercut with a sharpness that he hadn't heard for a while.
"You'll excuse me if I'm still a little jealous. I saw you making out with him on your porch, for crying out loud! Then when you find out that I got the phone call, all you could do is tell me how disappointed you were that I lied about my research! Have you not gotten over your love for him? Have you been living a lie all these years? I want the truth, Chloe."
Chloe gripped his upper arms, wondering if she should scream or laugh at his words. Neither option was very appetizing, so she leaned her forehead against his and sighed. "Oh, Lex. You have no idea...*no idea* how passionately I love you. I wish you would believe me and stop being so insecure."
Tilting her chin so that he could gaze into her beautiful eyes, he drew in a slow breath. "Tell me," he whispered, letting the air out, "tell me why you love me."
**He's fishing for compliments at a time like this?** She was incredulous how self-centered he was being. "I-I've never had to put my feelings for you into words before."
Lex's gaze was steady, his voice suddenly calm; his hands rested at his sides. He was collected. Mystified, she took a deep breath. His eyes never wavered from her face, he never so much as flinched.
"Well, I love you because you're you."
"That's not good enough, Chloe. Describe, in detail, exactly what about me is so lovable. Don't feel the need to censor yourself; just say whatever comes to mind. Throw in my faults, if you want to." No indication of what he was trying to accomplish.
**He's certainly not being narcissistic. But what is he doing?** The reporter in her was desperate to answer that question, so she went along with her husband. "I love you because..." He was watching her, waiting. She continued. "I love you because, first and foremost, you're sexy. You're sexy because you're outwardly and inwardly beautiful. You're confident and outspoken, yet patient and gentle. You have a sentimental side, but only Lena--" Her voice caught, but he made no sign that he noticed. "-only she, Martha, and myself get to see it. You aren't afraid to let your guard down and be completely wild, however--such as the food fight last night. You're, perhaps, the sweetest, most considerate, most respectful man I've ever known. You're an amazing kisser, and you're very..good in bed." He didn't even crack a smile at her lewd remark. "You have some flaws, but they add to your absolute perfection."
She blinked and focused her gaze on his beautiful hands which were folded in his lap. "You have fabulous hands. That sounds like a silly thing to say, but your hands are soft and comfortable; yet they reveal that you have a--this sounds really corny--quiet inner strength."
If he had been the one talking about her, her ego would have been fed; she would have been grinning or making out with him, or both, despite the emptiness she felt. Yet, when she finished, he looked as though she'd just droned on about the stock market.
"Tell me about my flaws." Once again, he sounded flat.
She rolled her eyes. "Lex, what are you doing?"
"Tell me about my flaws."
She chewed on her lower lip, darting her eyes back to his face. His own eyes drew her in again. "I don't want to offend you."
Nothing.
"Just remember that you asked for it...you can be really nasty sometimes; you don't let your temper flare up unless it's necessary, but when you do--you're awful. You don't argue well, for another thing; you're more stubborn than I am, you always refuse to back down. There are times when I fully expect you to--to hit me."
She swallowed, then clenched and unclenched her hands. "But you don't. That's another thing I adore about you, Lex: you aren't at all like your father. Don't deny that you worry about that! Where he was abusive, you're simply firm. Where he was conniving and evil, you're curious. Maybe you're a bit unethical at times, but I think you mean well." She lowered her attention to his inviting lips. "I don't blame you for what happened. I don't, and I never--"
"Stop talking about that," his flat voice demanded, one of his aforementioned hands touching her mouth. "If you mention how sorry you are again, I'll go back to bed. Understood?"
Chloe nodded, not insulted by what he said; she knew he wasn't ordering her around. "Yes."
His hand went back to his lap. "Describe what it was like for you when we first danced at that party, all those years ago. Then, tell me what our first kiss was like for you."
**What the hell?** she asked herself again, still stumped. "Our first dance was a little awkward, to be honest; at the time I didn't know whether or not I liked you in any way. Still, I remember that I had just insulted you, or said something that made you visibly upset. I had never seen you that way, and I hated the pain in your eyes, hated knowing that I caused it. So I did the only thing I could: I told you that I loved the song that was playing, just so I could have an excuse to ask you to dance."
She paused to gather her thoughts, not bothering to see if Lex had moved; she knew he hadn't. "The second you put your arms around my waist, I was overcome by a flood of emotions that usually only affected me when Clark was around; I felt tingly, dizzy, and extremely giddy. I wrote it off as nerves--I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of you, as much as I hate to admit it--but then you pulled me close so I was leaning against you, and I lost all control. I was on fire all over, as pathetic as that sounds"
Biting her lip again, she recalled their first kiss. "We kissed after the dance. You said that it would be New Year's Day in some far away country two seconds from then. I asked if that country had a name, and you said that it probably did. Then, I realized that I wanted you to kiss me. It bothered me immensely that I, anti-mainstream Chloe Sullivan, wanted to be kissed by Smallville's most notorious--former, I hope--play boy. Still, I moved toward you."
She paused again, once again thinking. "When I finally felt your lips, it wasn't like fireworks, as so many people say. It was more about honesty, as strange as that sounds. I can't put it into words."
"Try," he prompted, as flat and emotionless as before.
She nodded, then plowed ahead before she could change her mind about how to phrase her statement. "It was like you told me everything about yourself in those few, short seconds; like you divulged all your secrets, your wants, your desires...everything that you'd ever kept hidden suddenly became known to me. When it was over, I knew that I was head over heels in love with you. I also knew that I couldn't have truly loved Clark; that was just infatuation. But with you...wow. The next day, when I went to visit you, I thought that I would spontaneously combust when you smiled at me. Then we started to talk, and I said that I loved you. That was it; there was no turning back. Even before you said that you loved *me*, I knew you were the one. I suppose I was a little scared, which is why I kissed Clark that day. But it was always you, Lex." She concluded her rambling in a whisper.
"How do you feel now?"
She'd had enough. "What the hell, Lex?" Chloe snapped.
"Right this second, Chloe, how do you feel?"
Shutting her eyes, she delved into her soul; she wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear. When she opened her eyes once more to answer him, she was amazed by what she discovered. The despair had lifted. "I feel normal, Lex."
It struck her; what he'd been trying to accomplish with all of his nosy questions was clear: he'd been trying to get her to remember sensations, emotions. When her comprehension glowed on her face, her husband broke into a sincere smile.
"Thank you," she said softly,
"You're welcome." His smile approached his eyes as he grabbed her hand and stroked her palm with his thumb.
Though she didn't think she'd ever fully return to herself, Chloe felt good enough to playfully run her fingers over his scalp. "I don't want to talk anymore." He bent down to press his mouth against hers in a passionate, all-consuming kiss.
Then his cell phone rang.
* *
"Answer it," she ordered, an edge returning to her voice.
Lex needed no further encouragement. "Hello?" The scorn that filled the simple word was palpable.
His body went rigid, his teeth clenched. "What do you want?" He listened for about five minutes, his sharp, beautiful features clouding with anger. "Did you hurt my daughter?"
Chloe gasped when he held the phone a few inches away from his ear; the shrieks that traveled through the wire were deafening. She clamped a hand over her mouth and bolted toward the downstairs bathroom, where she was instantly sick.
When she returned to the living room, shaking and pale, her husband was still talking. "Why do you want my research?" He made no efforts to keep the contempt out of his tone. "No. I won't give it up."
**'No'? That's your daughter, you--** She censored herself before she mentally went off on him. All she could do was squeeze his free hand until his knuckles turned white. If there was one thing the reporter hated, it was being helpless.
"Why. Did. You. Kidnap. My. Daughter?" He was seething, and gripping her hand so tightly that it went numb. "That's not a reason! Look, if you don't bring her back alive in the next twenty-four hours--I'm not afraid of you." More wails from their daughter. Chloe yanked her hand from his and covered her ears fiercely, the tears welling in her eyes.
"That's an empty threat, and you know it as well as I do. When I find you, I'll have you killed. In fact, I might do it myself. That's one promise I'm going to fulfill." He didn't cry, didn't let himself get choked up.
**Don't make them angry!** she pleaded.
"You heard what I said." The dial tone blared and he snapped the receiver shut. He was trembling and gasping for breath.
His earlier attempts to distract his wife from the emptiness she felt hadn't been wasted; instead of being numb, Chloe was filled with pure, unadulterated fear and loathing. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, and held him.
"Lex," she whispered hoarsely, "what did they say?"
He was fighting to breathe, and she first thought he was having an asthma attack; she didn't bother to recall that he'd been mysteriously cured of his childhood condition during the meteor shower. "They don't want ransom, they just want my research so they can kill Clark."
* *
Six-fifteen in the morning. Chloe and Lex were still on the couch, no longer touching. Martha was puttering around in the kitchen, having said that she had to do something to keep from breaking down. Kyle was in Lex's office, checking out the taped phone call.
"Want some eggs?" Martha asked quietly, coming out of the kitchen, sounding as though she'd been sobbing.
"No," Lex said flatly, staring straight through her.
"No, Martha, thanks," Chloe whispered. She gave Lex a sideways hug and pressed her face against the crisp, white shirt he'd thrown on an hour before. "I suppose we just have to wait," she remarked unnecessarily. The silence and her inability to do anything were beginning to drive her mad.
"What else is there to do?" was the rhetorical reply. He finally turned his head and forced himself to smile at her. "We've made it this far, Chloe." He couldn't find it in himself to use her nickname.
A question popped into her head. "Why didn't they just take your findings outright?"
Lex was quiet for several minutes, thinking about what she'd asked. "That would be too simple, I guess; but I really don't know how to answer that."
Footsteps in the hallway made them dart around, naked hope on their faces. Kyle shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "It's gotta be from a pay phone. The person was obviously disguising his or her voice...I'm so sorry."
"I told them I would kill them," Lex announced loudly, causing his wife to jump. "I mean it."
Kyle stood in front of the couch, holding the tapping device loosely in one hand. "I know you're angry, Lex, but I don't know if saying those things was the best idea."
"Why not?" He was getting confrontational. "They won't harm her as long as they don't have my papers!"
The detective rested a hand on Lex's shoulder. "Refusing to give up your files wasn't the right thing to do; that just made him angrier, and more likely to do something reckless."
Chloe blanched. "I didn't need to hear that."
The sound of the phone ringing made everyone cease their discussion. After staring at it for a full thirty seconds, Lex snatched it. "Hello?" he barked. "Clark..." He sank against the cushion in relief.
"Clark!" Chloe yelped, suddenly animated. She wrestled the unit from Lex and clamped it against her own ear. "Clark, you have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice."
Leaning over, Lex tried vainly to hear the other half of the conversation.
"What have you heard?" Chloe's forehead furrowed. "What? Why would he do that?" She switched the receiver to her other ear. "You're kidding! Are you okay? That's fantastic. Here, talk to our private detective."
Kyle fumbled with the phone before ordering Clark to, "talk."
Lex's eyes were pleading with her to reveal what Clark had said. "What? Tell me," he whispered, visibly anxious. "Did he find her?"
Chloe was silent until Kyle was finished. "They paid Clark a visit when Lois was at work, posing as delivery men. Obviously they don't know everything about him; they tried to give him a tranquilizer shot. He fought one of them, but the other had a meteor rock in his pocket so Clark was helpless against him. He did, however, use his x-ray vision to see inside the wallets of both men. They had IDs, though he thinks they might be fake. He also has the license plate number and can identify them completely."
"How did they know that Clark is Superman? Why is this good news? Did Clark see Lena? Why didn't he trail them?" Lex was filled with questions, and he was fully prepared to do his own investigating if he didn't get some answers.
"He doesn't know how they knew," Kyle broke in, pacing swiftly around the room. "This is great news, Lex, because it means they came out of hiding. We can also run the plate number, though if they're smart they'll ditch the vehicle. He didn't follow them because, at the time, he didn't know Lena was missing; he actually thought that they were working for you, which is why he called."
"Oh, that's fabulous," Lex muttered with plenty of sarcasm. "How is that supposed to bring our Lena back? Damn Clark and his weakness!"
Chloe started to rub his back, but he pushed her hands away. "Sweetie, it's a bigger lead than we had. We'll get her back." Though she was a bit more optimistic, her face was still heavy with worry.
"I'll go make some calls and see if we can't trace the car and/or the men." Kyle was all business, striding purposefully back to Lex's office.
Martha came out of the kitchen again, wiping her damp hands on the long-sleeved blue shirt she wore. Motioning for Chloe to scoot over, she lowered herself onto the couch. "Lex, you know Clark would've helped if he had known."
"That doesn't bring our daughter home, now does it?" he snapped. "Who told him, anyway?"
Kyle returned to the room and sank his long body onto an armchair that matched the couch. "About your daughter? I just did. He said that he'll do what he can."
"'Do what he can', great. If he seriously thought that those bastards were working for me, then he obviously doesn't tru--"
"Shut up, Lex!" Chloe yelped.
His eyes widened at the annoyance in her voice, but he obeyed.
"What did you find out, Kyle?" Chloe continued, turning toward the detective.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose as though he were warding off a tension headache. "The car is registered to the men who visited Clark, but whether they're using fake identities--which is more than a strong possibility--we don't know."
"Do you have an address, or anything?" Martha spoke up, her arms around Lex and Chloe's shoulders in a gesture of comfort.
When Kyle nodded, Chloe stifled a gasp. **He knows where my baby is!** she thought, though she knew she was being unrealistic. **It's never that easy** she reminded herself.
"We know where they were residing last time they were busted for drug possession. I wanted to talk it over with you before I sent a team there to check it out. But, I can get some people out there immediately."
Lex shook his head fiercely. "No. We're going."
"Lex, don't be stupid," his wife said bluntly.
Twisting so he could look at her, he frowned. "You said that you wanted to help with this."
"With *finding* them. I don't want you to put yourself in any unnecessary danger!"
He reached across Martha to grasp Chloe's hand. "I won't. Come on, what happened to the gung-ho, risk-taking Chloe Sullivan I married?" he asked softly.
"She got pregnant and a little wiser," was the flat response.
Despite the tension he felt, Lex chuckled. "If you say so."
Kyle, who had been watching the exchange silently, held up a large hand. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but we've been wasting time. Are you all coming with me, or not?"
"Yes," Chloe announced, surprising her husband. "It's my daughter, after all. Shouldn't we have police backup, though?"
"I don't want the police involved, because, then, this will become a front-page story. I'm not doing that to Lena." Lex said this while pulling Chloe to her feet. "I have a gun in my office. I'll go get it." He rushed off.
This was news to Chloe. She gaped at Kyle. "He has a *gun*? Why do I always get told these things at the last minute?"
"Maybe he didn't want to alarm you," Martha suggested, stretching her arms and yawning. "I'm going too, just so you know."
Lex arrived, shot gun in hand, in time to hear the last part. "You sure?"
"*Yes*."
He smirked and pocketed the weapon, then slipped his arm around his wife's waist. "M'kay. Let's go."
"We'll take my car," Kyle announced, leading the way to the front door.
TO BE CONTINUED