Title: Surprise, Surprise.

Author: Lucy Mars

Disclaimer: Please, they don't belong to me.

Chapter #7: Shattered Peace.


His skin warm, his muscles languid and his body at peace with all the elements, Lex fought against consciousness. He wasn't ready to wake up yet. Everything was too perfect. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was different about this particular morning. He didn't know why, but there was an extra source of warmth nestled beside him. Yielding flesh was pressed up against him and silky hair was brushing against his smooth chin. Hair, now that was definitely not his.

Curiosity winning over his desire for sleep, Lex cracked an eye and his vision was flooded with offending sunlight. Bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the blinding light, Lex felt a body shift against his and burrow deeper into him. Looking down at Chloe's sleeping face, Lex felt last night slam into him. He remembered now. He didn't think he'd ever forget to sound of her cries or how hot her tears stung. Crying women had always been a secret weakness of his and for some reason that surprisingly enough didn't surprise him, a crying Chloe was ten times worse.

Their bodies were tangled together and Lex didn't want to make Chloe feel uncomfortable. He'd woken up with women he knew and women he didn't know before, but never had he woken up still fully dressed. Watching her face carefully, Lex tried to extract himself as gently as possible. Whatever sleep she got now would only help her, not harm her. Of course, Chloe never made anything easy.

Half asleep and half fighting against natures call to wake up, Chloe felt Lex move away from her and instinctively tightened her grip on his arm. She wasn't ready to let go yet. She didn't want to let go of him. He radiated security and right now, she wasn't ready to forfeit it. Opening her eyes, Chloe silently pleaded with him to stay. There was nothing provocative about her gaze or her hands as they swept down his arms. It was all so innocent that Lex wasn't sure what to do. Seeing Lex's hesitation to stay, Chloe tangled her fingers with his and tugged him closer.

Feeling her fingers weave together with his, Lex admitted defeat. There was nothing he could deny Chloe. Not even himself. Silently agreeing by squeezing her fingers, Lex Luthor felt like a king among men that morning when Chloe smiled up shyly at him and nestled herself back against his relaxing body.

Together, they greeted the sandman once more.


***

Exhaling the last breath of sleep, Lex felt himself jolted awake by the realization that he was alone in bed. Sitting up, Lex scanned his empty bedroom and wondered if maybe it'd all be dream, that maybe he hadn't really held her in his arms last night as they slept. His feet hitting the floor, Lex felt a wave of panic wash over him. A flash of blonde outside his window catching his attention, Lex crossed his room in record time and squinted against the morning rays. Even from here, three stories up, Lex could make up Chloe's petit frame sitting in the middle of his open field, huddled under his black coat. Her face was tilted up towards the sun and for one brief second, Lex could see peace settle around her.


***

Letting the sun warm her cold skin with its feather light touches, Chloe pulled Lex's jacket tighter around her and inhaled his familiar scent. Even his soft jacket felt like his arms around her. Firm but gentle. Just like him.

"What are you doing out here?"

Breathing in the cold morning air, Chloe waited for Lex to sit down beside her before she answered him. "Just sitting here. I'd forgotten how peaceful it was."

His eyes following hers out towards the slowly brightening horizon, Lex knew what Chloe was talking about. There were still days that the silence and the stillness stunned him. "Couldn't sleep?"

Tearing her eyes away from the cloudless sky, Chloe gave Lex a wry smile. "I had enough sleep." It was really the best night of sleep that she'd had in a long time.

"Been out here long?"

"I don't know," Chloe told him honestly, "You looked so peaceful sleeping, I didn't want to wake you yet."

Peaceful, huh? Now that wasn't a word that was associated with him often. "How do you feel?" Lex probed gently, resisting the urge to reach over and touch her bruised face.

Bringing her eyes back out to the morning sky, Chloe replied softly, "I've been better."

"Does your head hurt?"

Her fingers moving up to the small bump at the back of her head, Chloe assured Lex, "I'm fine. It's just a little bump."

"You've got a hard head?" Lex teased.

"Yeah," Chloe chuckled, "I've got a hard head." Sitting in companionable silence, Chloe wordlessly scooted closer to Lex when she noticed him shivering and wrapped his jacket around the two of them. Last night he shared his warmth with her and this morning she would share hers with him. She would always share hers with him.

Holding Chloe as they watched the last touches of morning fall into place, Lex whispered softly against her hair, "It gets better."

She didn't need to ask him to clarify. "Do you still miss her?"

He always would. You never forget your mother. "I always will, but eventually the pain fades away."

"I don't want the pain to fade away," Chloe said with an adamant shake of her head.

"Why?"

"Because," she whispered, her voice faltering slightly, "It would be like he never existed. It would be like me forgetting about him."

"You never forget," Lex promised Chloe, "You always hold onto the happy memories. He'll live inside of you and the million and one moments that you two shared."

She wanted to believe him, but there was still so much doubt. There had been so much uncertainty in her life that she was afraid of believing anything, anyone. "How can you be so sure?"

"You never forget the ones you love," Lex murmured, unconsciously tightening his arms around Chloe, "Your heart would never let you."

Leaning back against Lex, Chloe held on to him as tightly as he held onto her. She believed him. Maybe it was the knowledge that he spoke from experience, or maybe it was the fact that she knew he would never lie to her. Lex would never lie to her.


***

"Bloody hell!" Louis exclaimed after listening to Chloe retell her horrific night, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Chloe repeated, for what felt like the fiftieth time, "Louis, I'm fine, I swear. Lex busted in and saved me and everything."

"You sure know how to scare a bloke, Chloe. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Do you want me to get you the number of the doctor Lex dragged out here to check me out?"

"Maybe,"

Chuckling, Chloe watched Lex slip in and out of the room again. What was he up too? "I'm sorry if I sacred you, but I'm all right now."

"Lex took care of it?" Louis inquired, mentally running over all the kneecaps he could have broken if Chloe needed him too.

"Yeah," Chloe said trying not to think about what that meant, "Lex took care of it."

"All right," Louis sighed, "Well, what am I going to do for entertainment without you here to entertain me, pixie?"

Laughing, Chloe shook her head. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

"How are you going to survive up in the provincial little town without me to entertain you?" Louis demanded playfully.

"I've got Lex," Chloe replied cheekily, "I'll manage."

"Replacing me already?" Louis asked with mock horror.

"Never," Chloe answered getting up and following Lex out of the room. What was he doing?

"You'd better not be," Louis warned, "I'd be crushed if you did."

"I promise," Chloe said rounding a corner and losing site of Lex. Where did he go?

"Good. Listen love, I've got to run, but I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye." Chloe grinned hanging up the phone. Where did he disappear off too?

"Looking for me?"

Spinning around, Chloe frowned at Lex's grinning face. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

"I know so," Lex said taking Chloe's arm and leading her down the hall.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To see what you're so curious to find." Lex smirked, "You say you don't want to be a reporter anymore, and yet, I still see that reporter gleam in your eye."

"What you're seeing is curiosity," Chloe corrected following Lex into a brightly lit room full of shopping bags and boxes. "What's this?"

"Your room," Lex said gesturing at the massive room.

"My room?" Chloe echoed with disbelief.

"Your room," Lex confirmed pulling Chloe in when she didn't make any move to come in herself, "Do you like it?"

"Lex," Chloe breathed looking over the spacious room that was tastefully decorated, "it's beautiful."

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Lex told her dryly, "I figure you can help me haunt these halls now."

Laughing, Chloe shook her head as if trying to wake herself from a dream. "You didn't have to do this."

Shrugging, Lex pointed at the bags and boxes that were stacked in the corner of the room. "Pick something to wear and shower. I'll be in my office." Without giving Chloe time to object, Lex swept out of the room.

"I hate it when he does that."


***

Padding through the silent mansion, Chloe followed the sound of Lex's distinct voice to lead her to his office. It'd been so long since she'd been here that Chloe was afraid that if she made a wrong turn she'd lose herself in the maze that was this forbidding castle and really end up haunting the halls.

Finally reaching the familiar room, Chloe marveled at how it seemed as if nothing had chanced. All the furniture and decorations were still the same. She'd never though Lex to be the sentimental type, but it seemed as if he liked to keep things exactly as they were. Too bad real life couldn't be like that.

Catching site of Chloe, Lex wordlessly pointed to the phone he was holding and gestured at the coffee set beside the fireplace. Nodding in understanding, Chloe made herself comfortable as she waited for Lex to wrap up his call.

Rolling the warm mug between her cold hands, Chloe sat curled up in front of the fireplace and watched through wet bangs as Lex conducted business. It was interesting to just fade into the background and observe him in his element. He was so absorbed with his conversation that Chloe was sure the room became a soft blur to him as he focused all of his energy on the task at hand. Chloe could still remember when writing did that to her. It consumed her and held the rest of the world at bay until she achieved what she'd set out to do. She missed that passion that she once had. Watching Lex do what he loved, mainly getting what he want, Chloe felt the void in her begin to throb. Maybe one day she would find something that drove her like becoming a reporter did, but until then, she'd be content living vivaciously through Lex.

Even over the phone, Chloe knew Lex could command the attention and respect that some people could never dream of receiving, without even trying. Her eyes following him as he paced, argued, ordered and conquered, Chloe felt a small smile work its way over her lips. He was amazing.

Quirking an eyebrow at her when he caught her watching him with a small smile on her face, Lex returned her smile with a smirk when she just shrugged her shoulders and went back to his phone call.

Sipping her drink and watching Lex go back to his conversation, Chloe didn't even notice the third party looking at her with disbelief.

"Chloe?"

Whipping her head around at the familiar, yet foreign voice, Chloe felt whatever peace she had achieved with Lex shatter. "Hey Clark,"


***

TBC.