Everything In This World
By Viv
*~*~ Part Forty ~*~*
"Dad -" Chloe stomped after her father obstinately, prepared to repeat the arguments that she had pleaded for the past hour or so. "You said you'd accepted Lex as part of my life. I don't see what the enormous problem is. It's not like I'm running off to Vegas with him - which by the way, I would never do, because how lame would it be to have Elvis at my wedding?"
"No Chloe. I'm sorry, I can't let you go." Gabe Sullivan ran a tired hand over his eyes, clearly frustrated and wary of his hypersensitive teenage daughter. "And before you repeat what you just said to me half an hour ago, it's not because I don't trust you with Lex. I'm just not comfortable with letting you go to Metropolis with him - overnight." He struggled, clearly willing for Chloe to drop the subject and let him get on with the newspaper clutched in his hands.
But Chloe was one of the most obstinate people on this side of the galaxy and she wasn't out of breath yet, not by a long shot. "But Dad -"
"Chloe." He finally roared, putting his foot down metaphorically. "I said no. Nothing you say will change my mind so please, can we talk about something else? Besides," He sighed heavily, opening the paper in his hands deliberately. "We still haven't talked about your prom night."
"What?" Chloe exploded. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?
"Don't use that language with me young lady." Her dad replied sternly, standing up in growing anger. Chloe could feel her control on her own emotions rapidly slipping as she struggled to maintain her taut expression into one of neutrality. "And it has to do with everything. Lex is -" He paused to take a breath, almost willing himself to calm down from the cacophony of emotions that flittered across his normally genial face. "Lex is a fair minded, principled young man who frankly, is much better to work with than any other person that has ever been sent down to the plant by Lionel Luthor. But," he rebutted at the triumphant look on Chloe's features, "that doesn't mean I entirely approve of him as a ... well, for you."
"You don't approve of him for me? What is this, the age that made the dark ages look like a romp in fairy floss land? I'm 17 Dad, not seven. I'm old enough to choose whoever I want to go out with and in your own words," she threw his words back at him, her hands on her hips, "Lex is fair minded and principled. What do you think will happen if I went to Metropolis with him?"
"Obviously what happened on prom night." Her dad put down the newspaper, his lips pursed tightly together. "And don't lie to me Chloe, you don't do it very well. I know you didn't get back until morning."
Chloe spluttered. It was on the tip of her tongue to deny it, but he was right - she sucked at lying. And she didn't particularly want to lie to her dad right now, intense disagreement about Lex notwithstanding. "So? I never lied to you about that. And to reiterate - I'm 17. I'm old enough to know what I'm doing."
"Chloe, I'm not going to police your every move. I let prom night slip because I learned a long time ago that you'll do whatever you want to do and it would just make you more determined to do it if I tried to stop you. I know you're mature and responsible. I just want you to be careful with Lex and not rush headlong into things like you usually do."
"I am careful." She implored, feeling her righteous anger drain slowly out of her like a deflating tire. "I don't think Lex will ever hurt me. I mean, not intentionally. And -" she gulped, awkwardness coming off her in waves at what she was about to say to her father of all people, but she rushed on regardless. "And I love him. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Her dad's entire demeanour softened as he gazed tenderly at his daughter. "Of course it does sweetie. All I want is for you to be happy." He frowned as he paused, a slightly guilty cast coming onto his features. "I ... had a talk with Lex about your prom night." He began, eyeing his daughter nervously as Chloe's brows shot sky wards. "We had a discussion about ... what I believe happened."
"A discussion ... about what exactly?" Chloe said evenly.
"Chloe contrary to popular belief I was actually young once and as a young man I ... I know exactly what went on that night." Before Chloe could protest or hyperventilate from embarrassment or most likely both, he hurried on. "And that's to be expected. But the only reason why I didn't say anything was that Lex assured me his feelings for you were both genuine and honourable, and if I had thought for one second that he wasn't being truthful with me, it wouldn't have made a difference whether he was my boss or not. So Chloe, I'm not being unreasonable here. I just don't want you to get hurt."
Chloe's eyes grew to saucer-like proportions at the images flashing through her mind at that particular conversation. 'Gee Lex are you having sex with my daughter?' 'Why yes Gabe I am, is that a problem?' 'Why no, as long as your intentions are both genuine and honourable.'
Because how out-of-this-world awkward would that have been?
And why hadn't Lex informed her of this tiny but significant detail? She wasn't asking for much was she? Something along the lines of, 'Hey guess what Chloe, your dad and I had this incredibly surreal conversation about you today, and by the way, he asked whether I was having sex with you but now everything's okay because my feelings are genuine and hey, do you want to eat out tonight?' Surely that wouldn't have been too much to ask?
Chloe sighed, looking down at an invisible spot on the carpet. Her dad was being his inexplicable and infuriatingly traditional self, but a small part of her appreciated the lengths that he would obviously go to protect her. Which gave her a growing warm and fuzzy that threatened to displace her anger at him for his medieval attitude to her relationship with Lex.
"Dad, I know it's only because you care ..." She swallowed down her emotion. "And believe me, I totally get it. I'm your only offspring, and I have a habit of getting myself into trouble, either of the natural disaster or creepy stalker guy variety. But you're just going to have to trust me on this." She inched closer to him as she looked trustingly into his eyes. "To use a tired and entirely way too beat up cliche - you need to let me make my own decisions sometimes. And if it turns out to be a mistake, I'll just have to live with it."
He sighed, his eyes shining with warmth. "I know. It's just that you're growing up so fast."
Chloe rolled her eyes as she gave a small laugh. "Said like every true father on the place of the planet I'm sure." She said a derisively, in an effort to cover up her shakiness.
He brushed an errant blond strand of hair off her face gently. "You look like your mother." He said quietly, making Chloe's breath hitch. "But more beautiful." He sighed wistfully as he smiled a little shakily, wrapping Chloe into a unique bear like hug that only her dad could give her. "Okay, you can go."
Chloe disentangled herself from her father's arms incredulously. "I can go?"
"You can go."
"I can go?" Chloe repeated, just in case she was having a hallucination caused by the slightly icky corn beef sandwich she had at lunch.
"You can go to Metropolis." Gabe enunciated clearly. "Just be careful - and take some protection."
Chloe's face went from overjoyed happiness to boiled lobster-like embarrassment as her face blanched. "Ah - yeah sure Dad. I'm going to go away now." Turning around, she made a quick getaway to her room before her dad decided to lecture her on the basic uses of a prophylactic. Which would sadly have been a number of years too late and really, there were just some things that a girl should never have to willingly talk to her father about.
It was only when Chloe closed the door to her room that reality began to sink in. "I'm going to Metropolis with Lex." She said aloud to herself. "I'm going to Metropolis with Lex." She was going to spend the night with Lex - legitimately and with full parental approval.
An insane smile broke over her face. It was a good day to be Chloe Sullivan today.
(c) December 2002