Title: Territory: Claim and Destroy

Chapter Completed: January 20, 2003

Lionel didn't squint as the Kansas sun shone directly into his room, no need to. He had no physical proof of the time, just knew that Anna was late with the morning routine. And Lex hadn't bothered to poke in on him yet. He could just feel power slipping from him. He ventured into the hall, calling out for her, "Anna. Anna," using the perception of him as the needy and abandoned. He knew the power of guilt and planned on using it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Anna stirred slightly, nestled in this safety. She didn't want to leave the new-found, rich bliss; the silk sheets, down pillows and Lex's warm body pressed against hers. She was content and even happy in the warm and sensual afterglow. But the calling continued, Lionel kept calling her name and threatening her here. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. The sound and feel of Lex's breathing combating with the urgency of Lionel's voice. She wished to stay where she was, even prayed for it, safe and warm and where her duties never existed. But she didn't want it to invade here, this little piece of paradise. Especially didn't want it to wake Lex and tell him.

"Anna," Lionel came closer to the door.

She became nervous, internally twisting in turmoil. Slipping out of the bed, so carefully as to not disturb her mare as he slept at her side. She sighed with defeat as she left the safe warmth of his sleeping embrace, letting his arm fall to the bed. Watching him sleep there, all innocently and sweet, his comment from the night before drifted in her head.

"Anna?" Lionel again.

She had to rush now, scanning the floor for her clothes, any clothing but wanting so much more to stay and watch the peaceful sleeper. Hastily, she pulled on her skirt and his shirt from the pervious night before quietly stepping out to the hall.

"Lionel," she approached him, trying to fix her hair and maintain a kept-up appearance, instead of the clothes off the floor look. Even if he couldn't see it, she felt like she needed to.

"Where have you been?" the senior Luthor waited for her and the coming excuse. This held a certain amusement for him.

"I…I was drying my hair," after she said it she wanted to smack herself for it, "I had a shower then was drying my hair. Lost track of the time," it was the only thing she could come up with. Her mind and body still recovering from the night before.

His face expressed that he didn't exactly accept that. He leaned into her, his head tilted to the side of her neck. Inhaling deeply, exhaling with displeasure. The scent was gone, it had changed. The light fragrance of her was gone, replaced by sweat and sex. And there was another, one he knew but couldn't place.

He pulled back, his face stone. Anna's adrenaline rushed. She was terrified he'd know, and couldn't figure out what he would do.

He turned and started walking back to his room. "Come," a simple and direct order. All that was missing was the snap of his fingers to make her owned.

She hung her head slightly, and followed. Any liberation from orgasm last night was being taken away. She had a duty and was held captive by it, for it, to it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Lex stirred, his arm probing into the now empty side of the bed. The hand feeling out across the silk plane, his brow knotted in the confusion of her not being there. He opened his eyes slowly, fearful he was leaving a dream for the stark reality. But he had been so sure of it. So sure of her, of them, of it all. Even sure of what he felt. A smile spread across his face, he ment what he said. He really could love her. She just seemed special…and as he looked around the room, she also seemed to be gone. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling; a happy sigh escaped him and even a little chuckle.

But then he began to really wonder where she had disappeared to. He may have actually missed her. He climbed out of bed, surveying the trail of clothes on the floor. His smile was in amusement and happy contentment. But he couldn't quite shake the negative nagging in his head.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Do you want breakfast?" Anna asked tentatively, she felt completely out of place again. Not that she was comfortable before, just accustomed, but that was lost.

"Skip it," Lionel waved it away. He circled her, like stalking prey. And like out of animal instinct he stopped directly in front of her, face on. "Something else," the words hissed out his mouth as he moved to claim her lips.

In reaction she turned, his mouth landing in the hair at the side of her neck. She knew how damaging that move was.

He grabbed her by the shoulder. Furry rising in him. She disrespected his authority. Infuriating him farther was the recognition of the other scent on her. It was Lex, Lex's cologne. He pulled back to face her again, his mouth twisted in a deranged grin.

This disturbed her. It was like he gained another sick pleasure from it. And she shuddered.

He pressed her back against the nearest piece of furniture, one hand slid down her arm clasping on with a tightening grip, as the other began travelling. It cut across her thigh and up her hip toward her breast. He had to mark out his territory, reclaim it. Now it was his hand on her bare skin, slipping under the fabrics covering her. The scene played out like a John Donne poem, his sureness that she was his territory, only ment for his use. He pressed his lips to hers, the force of his urgency smashing her lips into her teeth. She tasted blood.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Lex walked down the hall, his step light but head heavy with the feeling of impending dread. A clatter from his father's room lead him there, his search for Anna also directed him.

He peered into the room, stopping short – in mid-step and mid-thought – Gaping at the scene in front of him. His father had his lover pressed against the dresser. Those hands covering everywhere his were. He felt sick but couldn't turn away, not until they knew he was there, he had stumbled on to this. Her face was turned away, so no one could see him. It was only when he saw her hands move that he found a voice, or noise, or movement to inform them of his presence.

She pushed back on Lionel's shoulders, turning to view the figure at the open door.

"Lex," she choked out in a pathetic voice.

That was all he needed, he couldn't stomach anymore. Rage and pain surged through him, he had to get out of there, leave this home.

She looked back to Lionel, his face had that same deranged smile across it. He had killed two birds with one stone. He had exhibited power over them both. Her chest heaved to sob, but no tears spilled. She lost the human capability to do it, the creature trapping her had destroyed it. May have destroyed her.

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A/N: The John Donne poem I'm referring to is, Elegy XIX

Sorry about the time on this one…I got bad marks on two papers in the last while…and haven't really felt like writing. It's hard to write when someone says you're poor at it! :(

But the next one should be up in by Thursday…