Part 14
Three months without a call or a letter. Twelve weeks in which anything and everything could have happened that he knew nothing about. Lex Luthor cursed himself for each one of the almost hundred days that followed that single night where he let go of control.
He was well aware that she was confused. He should have stayed awake. But Lex knew Chloe enough that even if she had been thrown the way she had been by everything he showed her, she would not have done something without thinking. She had probably decided to leave the moment he left the penthouse, waiting only for his return, hoping that he would say or do something that would make her change her mind.
He made love to her and whispered sweet promises.
Obviously the wrong thing to do.
And so for three entire months he had mulled over his next actions. Even Clark Kent's visit the day after she disappeared from his life didn't matter to Lex. Where Clark had once been so important to him that he would have done anything, Clark Kent's presence these days were loathsome at worst and irritating at best.
"Where is she?" the caped wonder demanded when he once more landed on the balcony.
Lex had woken up to the empty bed just an hour before. He had been furious, but eventually calm enough to attend to his morning rituals and shrug on the expensive clothes that he could remember her loving the feel of against her cheek, her lips, her palms, the softness of her belly. He vowed to go into the office and contact all the private investigators who had ever been in the Luthor payroll to search for her.
"She isn't here, Superman."
Clark walked into the room, not waiting to be invited. He had always been the calm one, the reasonable guy who his friends would turn to to settle an issue. Clark had always been the strong one too. He could easily snap someone's neck in two should he wish it. That was why there was still the slight hesitation present in his manner when he stepped inside. For the past two years since the accident, he always found himself losing control of his temper whenever he was confronted by Lex-a former best friend and even more, Chloe's fiancé. Losing control for Clark Kent could be deadly to those around him.
"I know everything," he told the bald man who stood still in front of the mirror, fixing his tie. "I went to Smallville, Lex."
"Finally got the guts to use your powers and make certain, didn't you?"
"It wasn't a matter of being a coward that made me reluctant all this time," Clark said. "It was because I respected her."
"You hesitated," Lex corrected, "because you didn't have the guts. You've always suspected that I did something nefarious, Clark. If I had your powers I would have checked on it the first time I could have."
"That's where we differ, Lex. I still have some morals." Rather than explode on him, Clark found Lex's cold gaze moving to him disturbing. Lex continued to fix his tie. And then, he grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. "Where is she? Where did you put her, Lex?" Clark knew that he should have run after Chloe the moment she left the penthouse. At the time he had been weakened and still slightly disbelieving that she was there, standing, speaking, breathing, despite the evidence. By the time he had recovered his wits enough, Chloe had gone, leaving him with absolutely no idea where she ran to.
Instead of answering, Lex took his briefcase and proceeded to the door, throwing a reminder behind him to, "Close the windows on your way out, Superman."
Lex picked up the letter from one of his investigators. In these last three months, he was still waiting to hear of any progress in their search for Chloe. He tore the edge of the envelope and silently browsed through the letter.
With a low growl, Lex Luthor crumpled the paper and threw it to the trash can. He dialed the number on the speaker phone, and then settled back on his chair. "Mr Evans."
"Mr Luthor."
"I don't see why it's taking you all this time to search for one civilian."
"Mr Luthor, there is no paper trail to be found. All information on Chloe Sullivan dropped off a couple years back."
"If it were that easy, I wouldn't be paying you this inordinate amount of money," Lex snapped. "Now get me some new information or you're off the case."
Lex turned off the phone and closed his eyes. There were still piles of papers to go over--contracts and deals to sign. He had always been a busy person, and Lex had always been able to handle the pressure of running millions of dollars through several companies. These weeks have been hell however, when every waking moment was dominated by her.
Chloe needed one thing from him. He was intelligent enough to have caught on it. But he couldn't understand why she left like that without a way to know whether or not he was even trying. She had to have some sort of connection to Metropolis or to Smallville. Chloe would not give up on him. He just knew it. They would destroy each other before she ever gave up.
~~
The office was composed of grays and blacks. The young woman shivered as she entered, although she should be getting to used to it. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway as she made her way to the large desk.
"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully.
The man behind the desk blinked up at her. He closed the laptop and nodded back in greeting. "Morning. I take it there's no problem in the publicity front."
The woman waved a hand airily and sat on the chair in front of her superior. "There were a couple near misses with chemical spillage but I have them already settled. There was a minor outcry with the forested area west of the Banks. I'm driving there this afternoon to see what I can do."
"Very efficient. I have to thank my lucky stars that I have you to work for me, Ms Alexander."
Her lips curved slightly at the reference. "I have never really thought of Lois Lane as Bruce Wayne's lucky star."
The young billionaire let out a grunt of laughter, and she teased him about him prude version of hilarity. "Let's just say that your arrival were two pluses to my account."
"I'm surprised that Lois actually told you that she'll leave off the interview you promised her if you'll take me. I never thought of my worth in the negative."
"Lily," Bruce assured her, "if I had known you were this good of a worker, I would have given Ms Lane. two interviews."
"Two!" Lily Alexander tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and rose to her feet. "Flattery, Mr. Wayne, will get you everywhere," she announced with a faint hint of sarcasm that he enjoyed hearing. "But enough of that. I did drop by this early to settle a matter with you. The turn of the conversation makes it harder, of course, but it has to be done."
The man's face turned serious and inquiring at once. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head. "I wanted to give you this." She handed him a piece of paper. "It's awful for me to do this, I know. You gave me an opportunity that I cannot thank you enough for. But I've trained Jeff Arnolds and he will be a capable-"
"Lily," Bruce interrupted after reading the letter, "you're not resigning on me now."
"I have to, Mr. Wayne. I'm head of public relations. It won't be seemly to- I just need to do this, sir. It's for the company's own good."
"How is the resignation of the best PR head I've ever had be good for the company? Explain that to me, Ms Alexander, if you please."
The blonde took a deep breath and released it at once. "I-I-Mr. Wayne, you see I-"
"Maybe I should fire you. I've never known you to have this poor a vocabulary."
She glared at him. "It doesn't appear seemly for the PR head of Wayne Enterprises to be an unwed mother, Mr Wayne."
"You're saying that you're pregnant," Bruce reiterated, causing her to roll her eyes at the obvious import of what she had already said earlier. "But I think that's excellent," he continued, still in that grave voice.
"How would that be?" she asked, surprised. From what she knew of Bruce Wayne, he was rather a stiff collar from the most functional family ever before he lost his parents. His family values would therefore be very small town even if he lived and breathed Gotham.
Bruce Wayne regarded the blonde woman that Lois Lane had foisted on him more than two months ago. Lily Alexander, as she and Lois said her name was, had no record even slightly matching the ones they narrated. But the intelligence and desperation that shown through both women's eyes caused him to rethink booting them out of the manor house and actually allowing her to try her hand at the job. To his amazement, she excelled in her work and that was what was important to him. Pasts didn't matter, no matter how fabricated hers was. He had to give her a reason that wouldn't sound subjective.
"I've always been rather prudish," he began, and saw Lily bite her inner cheek. "So it would be a nice image to see Wayne Enterprises being so liberal and free." When she still appeared doubtful, Bruce pressed forward where he knew her logic and work ethic would not allow her to balk. "Tell me that that isn't the best publicity you can't think of for the company, Ms Alexander, and I'll help you pack up your office."
The twinkle in her eye assured him that he was on the right track. "Let it not be said that I made Bruce Wayne do something so menial," she replied lightly. Before she left the office, she said, "But I am not going in front of the camera to show the world what a modern boss you are."
"Whatever you want." He tipped his head and waited for her to leave the office before returning to his online conversation with his old college friend, whom he was wooing to sign a deal with him for an agricultural chemical that his scientists were working on.
~~
He didn't really have a lot going for him right now.
This realization hit Clark really hard while sitting in his office desk chair staring at the computer screen. He'd been working on a story exposing the malpractice of a Smallville doctor when he asked himself what he was doing typing this helpful information when he could do better by actually fighting injustice head-on. His calling had always been to help people. But did he really have a dream?
His parents always dreamed of having a child, and like a gift from heaven, Martha had told him once, he dropped from the sky.
There's Pete and Lana, who are following their bliss together. Pete's calling for public service hadn't been set aside as he fulfilled his and Lana's dream of having a beautiful family. Clark knew how happy it made Lana to have children as lovely as hers, with a complete set of parents. Lana's children would never have to starve for parental affection the way that Lana had when she was younger.
Whitney Fordman, who once thought about playing for life, was now creating his own dream serving in the military. He met his wife there and from what Clark saw when Whitney last visited Smallville, was very content. Whitney was not made for Smallville. That was certain.
When he heard Lois arguing with their editor about a story she wanted to cover, Clark realized that his partner was in a job that she had always dreamed of since she was a kid. Reporting was Lois Lane's dream. Journalism was her passion-this burning need to uncover the truth and reveal it to the world. Clark knew that if this woman ever found something that would rock the world, she would not hesitate to expose it.
She wasn't so different from Chloe that way. But Chloe had been able to control that need when she found out inconsistencies about him. Clark didn't think that Lois would be capable of sitting on a story. In fact, Clark was right here in the newspaper office because of Chloe. He was living her life. That thought emphasized to him the fact that he still hadn't figured out what really happened.
Even Lex Luthor had a dream, a picture of a perfect family with a woman he loved beyond reason. And he did everything in his power to keep that dream within reach, even if it involved deception and destruction.
Clark Kent didn't have a dream.
The digital sound from Lois' desk caught his attention. He peeked over and then waved for his partner. "You've got an email from a Lily Alexander," he told her. Her eyes widened and she pushed him away from the screen as she quickly scanned through the contents.
He could feel Lois' cursory glances his way. She was up to something. Lex's words briefly teased his brain. He was capable of reading that letter even with Lois sitting before it. The question was if Clark was willing to sidestep ethics in order to find out what he wanted.
Lois picked up her bag and yelled at the editor. "Hey Perry! I changed my mind. I need a couple of days off to go to leave town."
"What?" the older man exclaimed. "You just verbally bludgeoned me into covering the city reception for Luthor's donation." Clark latched on to that phrase. Lex donating would translate to something being done underground. He just knew it. "I just called Marie to tell her that the assignment is canceled."
"Listen, Perry, I really need this. I'll call you once I'm there!" Lois hopped over to the elevator.
Clark couldn't believe his luck. Lois Lane would never back out of an assignment as huge as that for minor reasons. Lex Luthor was on the race for the senatorial slot, a step closer to his plans of becoming president. When he turned around, he itched at the sight of Lois' blank screen.
He took a deep breath. Clark pushed the power button and opened the inbox of Lois' desktop email program.
Three months without a call or a letter. Twelve weeks in which anything and everything could have happened that he knew nothing about. Lex Luthor cursed himself for each one of the almost hundred days that followed that single night where he let go of control.
He was well aware that she was confused. He should have stayed awake. But Lex knew Chloe enough that even if she had been thrown the way she had been by everything he showed her, she would not have done something without thinking. She had probably decided to leave the moment he left the penthouse, waiting only for his return, hoping that he would say or do something that would make her change her mind.
He made love to her and whispered sweet promises.
Obviously the wrong thing to do.
And so for three entire months he had mulled over his next actions. Even Clark Kent's visit the day after she disappeared from his life didn't matter to Lex. Where Clark had once been so important to him that he would have done anything, Clark Kent's presence these days were loathsome at worst and irritating at best.
"Where is she?" the caped wonder demanded when he once more landed on the balcony.
Lex had woken up to the empty bed just an hour before. He had been furious, but eventually calm enough to attend to his morning rituals and shrug on the expensive clothes that he could remember her loving the feel of against her cheek, her lips, her palms, the softness of her belly. He vowed to go into the office and contact all the private investigators who had ever been in the Luthor payroll to search for her.
"She isn't here, Superman."
Clark walked into the room, not waiting to be invited. He had always been the calm one, the reasonable guy who his friends would turn to to settle an issue. Clark had always been the strong one too. He could easily snap someone's neck in two should he wish it. That was why there was still the slight hesitation present in his manner when he stepped inside. For the past two years since the accident, he always found himself losing control of his temper whenever he was confronted by Lex-a former best friend and even more, Chloe's fiancé. Losing control for Clark Kent could be deadly to those around him.
"I know everything," he told the bald man who stood still in front of the mirror, fixing his tie. "I went to Smallville, Lex."
"Finally got the guts to use your powers and make certain, didn't you?"
"It wasn't a matter of being a coward that made me reluctant all this time," Clark said. "It was because I respected her."
"You hesitated," Lex corrected, "because you didn't have the guts. You've always suspected that I did something nefarious, Clark. If I had your powers I would have checked on it the first time I could have."
"That's where we differ, Lex. I still have some morals." Rather than explode on him, Clark found Lex's cold gaze moving to him disturbing. Lex continued to fix his tie. And then, he grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. "Where is she? Where did you put her, Lex?" Clark knew that he should have run after Chloe the moment she left the penthouse. At the time he had been weakened and still slightly disbelieving that she was there, standing, speaking, breathing, despite the evidence. By the time he had recovered his wits enough, Chloe had gone, leaving him with absolutely no idea where she ran to.
Instead of answering, Lex took his briefcase and proceeded to the door, throwing a reminder behind him to, "Close the windows on your way out, Superman."
Lex picked up the letter from one of his investigators. In these last three months, he was still waiting to hear of any progress in their search for Chloe. He tore the edge of the envelope and silently browsed through the letter.
With a low growl, Lex Luthor crumpled the paper and threw it to the trash can. He dialed the number on the speaker phone, and then settled back on his chair. "Mr Evans."
"Mr Luthor."
"I don't see why it's taking you all this time to search for one civilian."
"Mr Luthor, there is no paper trail to be found. All information on Chloe Sullivan dropped off a couple years back."
"If it were that easy, I wouldn't be paying you this inordinate amount of money," Lex snapped. "Now get me some new information or you're off the case."
Lex turned off the phone and closed his eyes. There were still piles of papers to go over--contracts and deals to sign. He had always been a busy person, and Lex had always been able to handle the pressure of running millions of dollars through several companies. These weeks have been hell however, when every waking moment was dominated by her.
Chloe needed one thing from him. He was intelligent enough to have caught on it. But he couldn't understand why she left like that without a way to know whether or not he was even trying. She had to have some sort of connection to Metropolis or to Smallville. Chloe would not give up on him. He just knew it. They would destroy each other before she ever gave up.
~~
The office was composed of grays and blacks. The young woman shivered as she entered, although she should be getting to used to it. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway as she made her way to the large desk.
"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully.
The man behind the desk blinked up at her. He closed the laptop and nodded back in greeting. "Morning. I take it there's no problem in the publicity front."
The woman waved a hand airily and sat on the chair in front of her superior. "There were a couple near misses with chemical spillage but I have them already settled. There was a minor outcry with the forested area west of the Banks. I'm driving there this afternoon to see what I can do."
"Very efficient. I have to thank my lucky stars that I have you to work for me, Ms Alexander."
Her lips curved slightly at the reference. "I have never really thought of Lois Lane as Bruce Wayne's lucky star."
The young billionaire let out a grunt of laughter, and she teased him about him prude version of hilarity. "Let's just say that your arrival were two pluses to my account."
"I'm surprised that Lois actually told you that she'll leave off the interview you promised her if you'll take me. I never thought of my worth in the negative."
"Lily," Bruce assured her, "if I had known you were this good of a worker, I would have given Ms Lane. two interviews."
"Two!" Lily Alexander tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and rose to her feet. "Flattery, Mr. Wayne, will get you everywhere," she announced with a faint hint of sarcasm that he enjoyed hearing. "But enough of that. I did drop by this early to settle a matter with you. The turn of the conversation makes it harder, of course, but it has to be done."
The man's face turned serious and inquiring at once. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head. "I wanted to give you this." She handed him a piece of paper. "It's awful for me to do this, I know. You gave me an opportunity that I cannot thank you enough for. But I've trained Jeff Arnolds and he will be a capable-"
"Lily," Bruce interrupted after reading the letter, "you're not resigning on me now."
"I have to, Mr. Wayne. I'm head of public relations. It won't be seemly to- I just need to do this, sir. It's for the company's own good."
"How is the resignation of the best PR head I've ever had be good for the company? Explain that to me, Ms Alexander, if you please."
The blonde took a deep breath and released it at once. "I-I-Mr. Wayne, you see I-"
"Maybe I should fire you. I've never known you to have this poor a vocabulary."
She glared at him. "It doesn't appear seemly for the PR head of Wayne Enterprises to be an unwed mother, Mr Wayne."
"You're saying that you're pregnant," Bruce reiterated, causing her to roll her eyes at the obvious import of what she had already said earlier. "But I think that's excellent," he continued, still in that grave voice.
"How would that be?" she asked, surprised. From what she knew of Bruce Wayne, he was rather a stiff collar from the most functional family ever before he lost his parents. His family values would therefore be very small town even if he lived and breathed Gotham.
Bruce Wayne regarded the blonde woman that Lois Lane had foisted on him more than two months ago. Lily Alexander, as she and Lois said her name was, had no record even slightly matching the ones they narrated. But the intelligence and desperation that shown through both women's eyes caused him to rethink booting them out of the manor house and actually allowing her to try her hand at the job. To his amazement, she excelled in her work and that was what was important to him. Pasts didn't matter, no matter how fabricated hers was. He had to give her a reason that wouldn't sound subjective.
"I've always been rather prudish," he began, and saw Lily bite her inner cheek. "So it would be a nice image to see Wayne Enterprises being so liberal and free." When she still appeared doubtful, Bruce pressed forward where he knew her logic and work ethic would not allow her to balk. "Tell me that that isn't the best publicity you can't think of for the company, Ms Alexander, and I'll help you pack up your office."
The twinkle in her eye assured him that he was on the right track. "Let it not be said that I made Bruce Wayne do something so menial," she replied lightly. Before she left the office, she said, "But I am not going in front of the camera to show the world what a modern boss you are."
"Whatever you want." He tipped his head and waited for her to leave the office before returning to his online conversation with his old college friend, whom he was wooing to sign a deal with him for an agricultural chemical that his scientists were working on.
~~
He didn't really have a lot going for him right now.
This realization hit Clark really hard while sitting in his office desk chair staring at the computer screen. He'd been working on a story exposing the malpractice of a Smallville doctor when he asked himself what he was doing typing this helpful information when he could do better by actually fighting injustice head-on. His calling had always been to help people. But did he really have a dream?
His parents always dreamed of having a child, and like a gift from heaven, Martha had told him once, he dropped from the sky.
There's Pete and Lana, who are following their bliss together. Pete's calling for public service hadn't been set aside as he fulfilled his and Lana's dream of having a beautiful family. Clark knew how happy it made Lana to have children as lovely as hers, with a complete set of parents. Lana's children would never have to starve for parental affection the way that Lana had when she was younger.
Whitney Fordman, who once thought about playing for life, was now creating his own dream serving in the military. He met his wife there and from what Clark saw when Whitney last visited Smallville, was very content. Whitney was not made for Smallville. That was certain.
When he heard Lois arguing with their editor about a story she wanted to cover, Clark realized that his partner was in a job that she had always dreamed of since she was a kid. Reporting was Lois Lane's dream. Journalism was her passion-this burning need to uncover the truth and reveal it to the world. Clark knew that if this woman ever found something that would rock the world, she would not hesitate to expose it.
She wasn't so different from Chloe that way. But Chloe had been able to control that need when she found out inconsistencies about him. Clark didn't think that Lois would be capable of sitting on a story. In fact, Clark was right here in the newspaper office because of Chloe. He was living her life. That thought emphasized to him the fact that he still hadn't figured out what really happened.
Even Lex Luthor had a dream, a picture of a perfect family with a woman he loved beyond reason. And he did everything in his power to keep that dream within reach, even if it involved deception and destruction.
Clark Kent didn't have a dream.
The digital sound from Lois' desk caught his attention. He peeked over and then waved for his partner. "You've got an email from a Lily Alexander," he told her. Her eyes widened and she pushed him away from the screen as she quickly scanned through the contents.
He could feel Lois' cursory glances his way. She was up to something. Lex's words briefly teased his brain. He was capable of reading that letter even with Lois sitting before it. The question was if Clark was willing to sidestep ethics in order to find out what he wanted.
Lois picked up her bag and yelled at the editor. "Hey Perry! I changed my mind. I need a couple of days off to go to leave town."
"What?" the older man exclaimed. "You just verbally bludgeoned me into covering the city reception for Luthor's donation." Clark latched on to that phrase. Lex donating would translate to something being done underground. He just knew it. "I just called Marie to tell her that the assignment is canceled."
"Listen, Perry, I really need this. I'll call you once I'm there!" Lois hopped over to the elevator.
Clark couldn't believe his luck. Lois Lane would never back out of an assignment as huge as that for minor reasons. Lex Luthor was on the race for the senatorial slot, a step closer to his plans of becoming president. When he turned around, he itched at the sight of Lois' blank screen.
He took a deep breath. Clark pushed the power button and opened the inbox of Lois' desktop email program.