Title: Princess of the Tower.

Author: NickyJean

Summary: Chloe learns too much and the lengths Lex would go to protect her from his father.

Disclaimer: Not yet but I'm trying…do you think I can get anything with my good looks. Well if not can I use yours?

Timeline: Future fanfic that takes place in late season two.

Chapter One * Discovery*

The pain was numbing but Chloe knew her mind was actually in a haze from the drugs that were forcefully pumped into her system. She tried to awaken her groggy limbs but they refused her every whim. The only sense that was working was her sense of sound. Needless to say it wasn't much of a comfort.

"I don't understand why we just don't pop her. You know Mr. Luthor isn't going to like loose ends." The voice was harsh but sounded nonchalant about the thought of ending her life. It drove a shiver down her spine.

"The town's too small. Her missing would bring up too many questions considering everybody she's talked to about this. If she gets hurt it's all over the town that Mr. Luthor had something to do with it and we don't want that."

"Of course you two idiots mentioning my name constantly would leave me absolutely no choice but to kill her now would it?" The cold voice of Lionel Luthor was the one bucket of ice that drove Chloe to full alertness. She stayed perfectly still, but her mind fog had lifted and the bruises she suffered in her capture were beginning to throb.

"Now, what are we going to do with you, little one?" Lionel asked rhetorically as he paced the room. The two gunmen wisely remained silent as Lionel contemplated his next move. "Snap her neck then total her car, and make sure this one is believed to be an accident."

Chloe fought to keep her fear from showing as she continued to feign her earlier drug induced state. Then she heard one of the men approaching and Lionel's retreating form. Chloe panicked. "You can't do this Mr. Luthor. You'll never get away with it."

Lionel stopped dead in his tracks as he turned to the girl tied helplessly to a chair. "I'm not used to being told what I can and can't do Ms. Sullivan, especially by children."

"Well, this child was on the phone when goon one and two broke into my house to kidnap me. The person I was talking to heard me scream and knows something's wrong. It won't be long until they come to you looking for me."

Lionel turned facing his two henchmen. They looked guiltily in return. "You incompetent fools!" he screamed in frustration. Lionel was almost at a loss at what to do next. "Who were you talking to?"

"Some how I don't think I'll be telling you that until I'm …I don't know untied and out of here," Chole's words dripped of superiority she didn't feel. Lionel smacked her with the back of his hand. The pain she expected, but the taste of her own blood in her mouth scared her a little. Not enough to sign her own death warrant, but enough to put fear in her eyes that would please Lionel to no end.

"Oh, you're never getting out of here. It's more of a question on how long you will be tortured before you die."

To Lionel's surprise she didn't flinch at his threat, but erased the fear from her eyes and glared at him. "Bring it on big boy. But you might need help. After all it takes a real man to beat up on a sixteen year old girl." He was driven to fury and rose his hand to strike her again. He was stopped in mid swing by the strong hand of his son.

Both, Chloe and Lionel were so caught up in their battle they didn't notice he arrived.

"Alexander," Lionel hissed disapprovingly, "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from making a mistake. You are not going to kill her."

Lionel took in his son's defiance and couldn't believe the arrogance of the boy. Lionel walked over to goon one and took the gun the goon had hidden under his jacket. Everyone was frozen in the room as they watched him calmly walk up to Chloe and put the barrel against her head. "And what would make you say that, son?"

For Chloe's part she refused to show any outward signs of terror, but her breathing became labored. Lex, on the other hand, almost visibly shook for a moment, but then took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. "You can't shoot her in front of me. That would make me a material witness. I could send you to prison without a thought."

"Please Alexander, give your father a little credit. After they find Ms. Sullivan's body beaten and battered after your tragic car accident it would be totally understandable how you would blame yourself and OD on heroin. Being the concerned father I am I would immediately admit you into the best rehab center in Switzerland. I think their program takes two or three years." Chloe gasped at the coldness of a father to his only son. Her eyes flickered and her body finally shook in fear. Lionel couldn't help but look at the girl. "I can threaten you until my face turns blue without a reaction, but I say one bad thing about Alexander and suddenly you are terrified."

"That's our intrepid report," Lex muttered. He finally looked at her and his heart quickened at the thought of her dying before his eyes. "I told you to back off, Chloe. I told you that this story was just going to get you hurt."

"Well, tell your father not to leave arms deal meeting information so out in the open." Both men gaped at her. "Come on, I'm a kid and I found the information with just a slight snoop. What could a real reporter do given half a chance."

"A real reporter would have been shot for trespassing," Lionel snapped back. "If you wouldn't have had stupid children as your friends they would have never been allowed in the house to begin with."

"That's right, this is my fault. Let me handle it," Lex argued.

"What are you going to do son? Give her selective amnesia?" Lionel asked sarcasm dripping from every word.

"No, she would just figure it out somehow again, anyway," Lex said half joking. "We have two properties that are totally isolated from the world. They would both be perfect to keep her from saying anything destructive."

"What are you talking about?" Chloe asked her eyes growing wide.

"My, dear boy, are you negotiating with me?" Lionel almost laughed.

"I believe I am," Lex defended.

"What are you talking about, Lex?" Chloe asked again, her blood freezing in her veins.

"In order to negotiate you would need to have something I want. What could that possibility be?" Lionel returned the gun to his goon and was fascinated by the turn of events.

"First, you want me under your thumb. What better way than to threaten an innocent child every time I step out of line? You would basically have me at your beck and call. Something I haven't been since I was what, thirteen? For some sick twisted reason you want me in your life and to actually act the obedient son."

"Hey!" Chloe was ignored as Lex continued.

"What on earth would make you think that I want you to be my son? You've been nothing but a constant disappointment."

"I don't know, maybe it was the year you spent faking blindness and wanted to spend 'quality time' with me. I must have earned some of your respect because otherwise you wouldn't have wasted your time. I figure it has to do with the fact that I struggled so hard to fight you are when you were closing the plant."

Lionel only snorted in response so Lex just continued.

"Second, you want me to travel more. Get out of this burg I believe. Well, we can't have a prisoner I don't see. I would at least have to visit her two weeks every month. I can't constantly hang out with Clark if I'm off all the time and working the rest of the time."

"You haven't really told me anything that would convince me."

"Next, I can start taking over the family business."

"You already do."

"No, the business that got Chloe into this mess in the first place. I could do it under LexCorp, leaving your company virtually clean."

"Now that is interesting, but," Lionel looking like he's pondering his options. "It's not enough."

"I know who she was speaking with when she was kidnapped. I can assure you they won't talk."

"Who?"

"Now father, you taught me better than that," Lex smiled coldly at his father. "There is one more reason you should consider."

"And what's that?"

"If she is hurt, I will kill you. I don't care what happens to me afterwards, but I swear on my mother's grave if Chloe dies I will rip you apart, piece by piece. Not professionally, but bodily."

"Why Alexander, do you like this girl? I've never seen you so passionate about anyone." Lionel looked the girl over again. "Don't you think she's a bit young for you?"

"You sadistic sick bastard," Chloe yelled, tired of being talked about like she wasn't even in the room.

"I can see what you like about her," Lionel leered at her as she shot a fiery glare at him, "that 'Taming of the Shrew' quality. If you have her under lock and key, she of course would have to wait for you. Not to mention the hero complex you are giving her. She won't be able to help but fall in love with you eventually. I'm sure once you've had her and are done with it you will probably kill her yourself just so I can't tell you what to do anymore. It will be interesting to see how long this girl will last." Lionel extended his hand and smirked a bit. "Deal."

Lex clasped his father's hand realizing he just made a deal with the devil and signed away his soul. "I'll go make the arrangements."

Lionel pinned his son down with a glare. "You will still have to fake an accident. Make it appear she's dead. I can't have anyone searching for a kidnap victim."

Chloe shook as Lex just nodded and turned for the door. Her eyes widened, 'This is it. He's really going to do this.' She had to stop him. "You can't do this Lex. You can't take my life from me." He continued out the door. "Don't do this Lex, I'll never forgive you if you do this."

She didn't cry, though she really wanted to. Lionel gave her credit for her strength. He held a syringe in his hand and flicked it to allow the liquid to settle. Then, during her ranting to his son, he imbedded the needle in her skin causing her to flinch. "So my dear, where would you prefer to go first Scotland or the Caribbean? I would suggest the Caribbean for now. Consider the weather in Scotland. You would have to get used to that up there, but the countryside is just lovely."

She looked at Lionel as if he had lost his mind, but the drug took immediate effect and her world began to fall away. "Well, if you wake up in mid flight, we'll decide then."

Drugged, her words slurred slightly, "But the person, the one I was on the phone…" she had trouble finishing the statement.

"You mean the phone call with my son," for her credit even with the drugs she showed no outward sign that he was right. "How else would you explain him here so quickly? He would have had no time to tell anyone of you and there fore no one would have any time to tell him if it were someone else on the phone other than him." He laughed as she continued to slip further into unconsciousness. "He was probably warning you of the danger you were getting yourself into." She felt him push the hair out of her face. "I think my son does like you, and it should be interesting to see how long he remains vulnerable to someone like me."

As he watched her finally fall asleep he just stared at her. Lex was very fond of this girl and Lionel had to admire his taste. Lionel himself couldn't abide such strong wills; he didn't have the time to waste to break them. He wouldn't have minded trying to break hers, but children really weren't his style, maybe when she's older. Three years or so. Until then, let Lex deal with their little hostage. "Get her to the jet," he ordered as he went upstairs to pack.