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.
A/N: I want to thank all my reviewers…you're so sweet to care and my beta…you're the best to help out and to praise as much as you did…by the way I love your side comments…they make it totally worth while just to write it. And now on with the show:
Chapter 3 *The effect of not so veiled threats*
Lex arrived on the island a week after Chloe's "funeral". He was getting worried. For the five days since his arrival she never left her room and she rarely ate, if ever. It was like she was slowly killing herself. She had barricaded herself in the room allowing no one to enter. The only reason he even knew she had food was because he caught a glimpse of her sneaking out one night. He didn't mention it, fearing that confronting her would actually make her stop.
"Alexander, are listening to a word I say?" Lionel snapped.
Luckily if Lex was good at anything it was having his mind in two places at once. "Of course father, you were mentioning the drug cartel that will be laundering money through LexCorp. You said I should use Steffard. He's your head of accounting, right?"
"Exactly, please pay attention."
"Don't you think it would be wise not to take people directly out of your company to place in mine."
"Normally I would agree with you, but he will be going under the name Gipson when you hire him. The guy has more aliases than most of the Mafia."
"You would know," Lex muttered.
"Listen, I'm doing you a favor. I don't have to walk you through all this information. I could just give you the contacts and let you make all the mistakes."
"We both know that wouldn't be good for business. You can't use me if I'm in jail."
"Keep that in mind son. You can't protect your girlfriend if you're caught. So pay attention."
Lex almost snarled. "What good is me keeping her alive if she's just going to kill herself upstairs anyway?"
"For goodness sakes Alexander, don't be such a moron. Just break the door in and force her to behave. She's a prisoner, not a spoiled wife," Lionel spat out in disgust.
"She's not my girlfriend and she's not my prisoner. Otherwise I would have let her go by now."
"Oh, of course, I forgot, this is all my fault. I'm the one that told the child to come sneaking around our estate snooping for clues like one of the meddling kids for the dog cartoon."
"Jenkins, when did you become the king of pop culture?"
"What?" his father asked confused.
"Never mind," Lex muttered.
Lionel continued, "It's not my fault she couldn't just mind her own business and leave well enough alone. It's not my fault you had to have that Wayne gentleman in the house giving her the perfect reason to be in my home when we weren't there to safeguard the information."
"She did just come to interview him. She stumbled on the information. She all but admitted that she wasn't purposefully looking for it."
"Son, she's lying. I've seen her kind before, though admittedly older. She knew what she was doing from the beginning."
"You're absolutely right, Father. How could she have been so foolish? The only proper punishment is to lock her away in secret locations and make the world think she's dead." Lex scoffed. "Allow me to point out it is your fault for doing illegal activities that could get you in trouble in the first place."
"I've had it with your insubordinate attitude toward me. I have half a mind to get that girl and make her the pleasure of all the guards on this island."
"You sick—"
"See, that's what I'm talking about, no respect for the man that raised you."
"The man that shipped me off from one boarding school to another, you mean. What actual raising of me have you done? Mom spent more time with me in the short time she lived than you have ever since. How is that raising me?"
"Here we go again. Poor me. I lived as every other person of my station but I wish I were a pauper farm boy because at least his family loved him. You really do have to come up with a new complaint. That one is just tired."
Lex shot up from the chair he was sitting in. "You better make sure Chloe stays healthy and alive, because I swear the minute that chain is broken, this dog will turn on his master."
"Oh, Alexander, such dramatics. You can't be that worried the girl is starving herself to death. It's the in-thing, from what I hear. She'll be fine. "
Lex couldn't believe the insensitivity; no, it went beyond that. There wasn't a word that described the depths of debauchery that this man sank to. He just shot up from his chair and stalked from the room.
He raced out of the Manor as soon as he was out of sight of his father and walked along the shoreline trying to clear his head. The waves crashed softly against the sand. That's when he heard water splashing a bit louder then the surf itself. He gazed out on the horizon and saw nothing. Well, almost nothing. There in the distance further down the shoreline was a head bobbing in the water.
He went in for closer inspection and to his shock he saw it was Chloe. She dove in the waves as they headed toward the shore. He watched her frolic in the water for what seemed like hours. He hid behind some of the trees as she came ashore and grabbed the towel she had brought herself.
Lex watched her intently. Water had made her clothes practically translucent. She had such a perfect petite body with curves and lushness. He remembered the time back in Smallville when he first noticed himself staring at her. He knew it was more than just physical appreciation. She had wit and brains and he couldn't help but be attracted to her. She was just a child of sixteen, and though at sixteen he had thought himself a man, he refused to have the same thoughts of her. She was just too young and though worldly, naïve in so many ways. If she were older though, he knew for a fact she wouldn't even have remembered Clark's name once he got through with her.
Once he noticed the attraction, he couldn't help but notice the trouble she was constantly in. Of course, Clark was always there to rescue her before. Yet this time he wasn't there. This time Lex was the rescuer. Some white knight he turned out to be. He ended up signing over every ounce of integrity that he didn't know he had and made her a prisoner of his father's. Now both her and he were caught in a mess of his own making that required him doing his father's bidding at the drop of a hat or having her pay the price.
What really irked him was that if it hadn't been for Bruce noticing Chloe sneaking out of his house he wouldn't have been on the phone with Chloe at the time of her kidnapping. It was all just a tragic chain of events that lead to her becoming the center of his world and him feeling at fault for not being able to save her more effectively.
He knew how dangerous his father was. He had no doubt that Chloe would have been dead without his intervention. Yet, getting her to see that would be something else entirely.
Lex couldn't resist following her at a safe distance as she walked calmly through the trees. She picked some of the fruit along the way and nibbled at her bounty.
'Damn her, she hasn't been starving herself,' he realized with mixed feelings. Then, as they reached the house he watched her shimmy up her trellis to her balcony. "Now how long has she been doing that?" Lex was left wondering.
~*~
Chloe stood on her balcony munching on one of the mangoes she hid in her pocket. It was sweet and juicy. She took in a deep breath of sea air and turned to enter her room.
As she opened the French doors, she immediately felt Lionel's presence. She turned first to the door, noticing that the dresser she had barricaded it with was shoved out of the way. Then she saw Lionel sitting quite comfortably in a corner of her room reading the newspaper. She didn't say anything and he didn't acknowledge her presence. The only sound was her eating her mango. Though she already lost her appetite she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction that he caused it.
Finishing the article he was on he turned to her. "Did you have a good swim my dear?" It was the only show that he even noticed her dripping wet.
Her lips formed a snarl and she waltzed to her bathroom and grabbed a second fluffy towel after covering herself with the terry cloth robe.
Lionel didn't expect an answer so he just continued as Chloe dried her hair. "And here Alexander has been going through Purgatory worrying about you."
"Well, do me a favor. Why don't you both skip Purgatory and just go straight to Hell?"
"My, you are just a wit aren't you? No wonder my son finds you fascinating."
Chloe rolled her eyes, "Why are you here?"
"As I said, my son has been worried about you to the point of distraction. We can't have him distracted during this important time."
"You mean the shifting of evil from father to son? I'm sure meeting the who's who of illegal drugs and arms cartel, as well as going over those who have sold you their soul for a song and dance, and turning over the keys to the nine gates of hell, is very tiring for you and the poor boy."
"You have no idea," he muttered, yet when she rolled her eyes again he got angry. "Don't be impudent, girl. It takes versatility and skill to run an empire. I can't afford to have it put to risk by my son growing concern for your well being."
"Well, Lex is your son. I'm sure he's up to the challenge."
"You're not paying attention," Lionel growled out frustrated, "He won't be 'up to the challenge' if he's worrying about you and then getting caught."
"Funny, I'm having a real difficult time caring."
Lionel stood up and stalked toward her. When they were nose to nose, him looking down on her, he glared at her. "You better start to care. Alexander is the only reason you are alive right now instead of buried in that hole back in that hick town. How about showing a little gratitude."
"Gratitude?" she stammered in disbelief. "For being alive. Oh, whoopy, I'm alive. Of course I'm a prisoner no matter how gilded the cage is. Everything I've ever wanted and dreamed of is gone. Everyone I've ever loved and whose ever loved me thinks I'm dead. Yeah, this is what dreams are made of."
"Oh, poor you. Funny, I'm having a real difficult time caring," Lionel smirked. "You have been allowed too much freedom for too long. You will be at dinner tonight and we dress for dinner here. "
Chloe did not like having her words thrown back in her face, especially by this power hungry Prince of Darkness. She refused to allow herself to be intimidated. "Please, your hollow threats mean nothing to me. What are you going to do, kill me again?"
"Your father works at that pathetic plant in Smallville, doesn't he?"
"You know he does and you already made it clear with Lex that you wouldn't be closing the plant down."
"I'm nothing if not a man of my word." Chloe scoffed, but Lionel continued moving back to his chair. Instead of sitting in it, he leaned on it, both his hands grasping the back. "He must miss you terribly. A man in that type of circumstance may find it difficult to move on. Might become distracted and less attentive to his surrounding. He may even start to become, shall we say, accident prone."
"You bastard," she hissed, a shiver running down her spine.
"Language, dear girl. I expect better from a child of your humble upbringing."
Chloe wondered if his smirk could get any larger. "Lex would never believe for a second that it was an accident," she rationalized.
"But by then, your father would be dead and he would be more concerned with protecting you. So you, my dear, have a choice to make." He watched her eyes, waiting for the moment she realized she had no choice. He didn't have to wait long. With a smile of pure triumph he continued, "You will start joining us for three meals a day. And if you want to go swimming or exploring the island you will either be escorted by Alexander or some of the guards."
"Shouldn't Alexander, be more focused on the business at hand and not on entertainment for the captive audience."
"Yes, he should but he's not. Despite what you may think, I do not want Alexander to end up in jail."
"Of course you wouldn't. That would be bad for both the family business and the family name."
He seethed a bit, but quickly recovered. "Be that as it may," he said walking to her closet. He shuffled through the clothes, most of which still had tags on them. All the finest clothes money could buy and all freakishly her size. Finding something he considered acceptable he tossed it onto the bed. "Dinner will be at seven. I expect you to be there in that dress looking presentable. Do you understand me?"
When she met his eyes there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he meant the threat he gave her earlier. Anger flashed in her eyes, her lips compressed in a tight line. Feeling completely helpless and not liking it one bit she nodded in agreement.
"Now that's a good girl," he said condescendingly "I'll send Rosalynn up to help you with your hair. "
As soon as Lionel walked out of the room he heard her scream in frustration. It was shadowed by something crashing against the wall and most likely shattering.
~*~
Lex sat at the dining room table at exactly seven. He took his regular seat to the left of his father, who was already seated. "I just got off the phone with Mr. Tankgo. He said the shipment left the harbor and should be arriving in Florida by the end of the week." He noticed his father not paying the least bit of attention. "Father, I'm here, we can start dinner now."
Lionel turned to his son glaring. "No, we are waiting."
Lex was a little surprised at his father's hostility. He was sure he hadn't done anything that would have upset him today. "Why are we waiting?"
In answer to his question, he heard footfalls running through the adjoining room only to stop short before they came to the archway. Chloe came into view, stopping short at the entrance. As she walked into the room, both Lex and Lionel rose. She came into the room but stopped half way to the table trying to subdue the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
To Lex, she was a vision. Dressed in a soft ocean green-blue strapless dress, it made her skin seam softer. Her skin had picked up a bit of a tan that he didn't notice when he saw her on the beach earlier that morning. Her hair was curled slightly around her face making her appear as one of those fifties movie stars. She wore earrings that dropped mid neck. They were a deeper blue with only a hint of green in the each gem surrounded by diamonds. A matching pendant lay gently on her throat held by a choker made with the same material as her gown.
Lionel looked between his son and his hostage. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he cleared his throat, getting Lex's immediate attention. Lionel motioned to his son and Lex understood the meaning. He moved to the opposite side of the table and pulled out the chair for her.
Chloe, for her part, was a little too self-conscious and didn't notice what was going on around her. She didn't move to the offered chair. Lionel cleared his throat again, a bit more loudly this time and Chloe snapped to alertness. Her eyes met Lionel's and they shared a mutual glare. Hers of pure hatred, his of something you would give to a bug on your shoe. She moved into position and Lex slid the chair in easily.
"Thank you," she whispered hotly. When she did turn her gaze to Lex, he was left with no doubt that she felt the same for him as she did for his father. He sighed as he made his way back to his seat across from her.
Lionel ignoring that either spoke looked directly at Chloe. "You're late," he hissed.
"Well, kill Rosalynn. She was the one who insisted on just the right jewelry."
Rosalynn had the decency to pale as Lionel turned his murderous gaze on her. "Go and notify the servants to begin serving." She turned to bustle out the room when the edge of Lionel's voice stopped her cold. "And next time, I expect Ms. Sullivan to be at dinner on time. Is that understood?"
She mumbled and a yes sir and made a quick escape through the door.
"Take a Prozac, Mr. Luthor. Haven't you ever heard of being fashionably late? I'm here aren't I?"
"And I'm sure you're familiar with the fact that 'time waits for no man,'" Lionel rebutted.
"Yeah, I think the white rabbit said something like that in Alice in Wonderland," she mumbled.
"You must admit that it was worth the wait," Lex offered trying to elevate that rising tension. "You look lovely, Ms. Sullivan."
"Oh, shut up," she spit out.
"I'm not your enemy, Chloe," Lex said almost desperately.
"No, you're just my jailer," Chloe snapped back.
"Children, please. If I didn't know any better I would think you were married."
Both Lex and Chloe gave Lionel identical looks of disgust, but any response was cut off with the arrival of the servants.
"So, how long have you been sneaking out to go swimming?" Lex asked under hooded eyes after they were left in the room again.
Chloe looked at Lionel, "You told him?"
Lionel actually rolled his eyes, "Please, why would I care enough to tell him?"
"I saw you on the beach today. You know you don't have to sneak out. You are more then welcome to use the front door."
"That's funny I've been ordered to use the front door. Just like I've been ordered to take you with me if I want to go 'exploring'. And just like I've been ordered to this meal and every other meal when you both are in residence."
"Ordered? I can't imagine you following orders," Lex muttered.
"Mr. Luthor threatened to kill my father if I wasn't a good girl." She stated with false ease.
Lex eyes widened in shock as he turned to his father. Lionel sighed with great effort and looked from Lex to Chloe. Chloe just shrugged while spooning her soup. "What, you didn't mention it was a secret," she replied matter-of-factly. "A family like this shouldn't have secrets. It's bad for business."
"Father, how could you?"
"Don't be naïve, Alexander. You wanted to know how she was, well now you know. She's been living off the island better than the cast of Survivor."
"Again with the pop culture reference. It's kind of creepy, Dad."
"Why don't you focus on your little reporter over there and find out why she has the skills of a Navy Seal," Lionel ordered.
"I have gone camping before. Pete and Clark showed me a few tricks, not to mention Mr. Kent and my dad. I may not have liked it, but it doesn't mean I wasn't any good at it."
"Ms. Sullivan, you are just full of surprises," Lex commented while smiling at her.
"I'm also full of contempt. Why don't you just kill me and get it over with? I really don't relish a lifetime being in your company," she was looking at Lex as she spoke the words and she saw the pain flicker in his eyes. She refused to feel bad for it.
Lex made a quick look at his father to make sure he wasn't taking Chloe up on her offer. Lionel appeared not to notice or care that she spoke. Lex turned his attention back to Chloe.
"Ms. Sullivan, there are two types of people who live in this world, those who die for their principals and those who live for them. I was under the impression that you were a survivor. 'That which does not kill you, shall make you stronger.'" Lex spoke smoothly, but with purpose.
Chloe didn't like the fact that he was trying so damn hard to be reassuring. She didn't want Lex to see the hope in her eyes. "Mr. Luthor, may I be excused."
Lionel looked up at the girl to his son then back to Chloe "Yes, but I expect you to be down here at eight for breakfast."
"Ten would be better, Father. Chloe's not much of a morning person."
"Fine, but you will be accompanying her for her morning swim, so get those business meeting taken care of at first light."
Chloe rose from her seat as soon as Lionel nodded. She tried to ignore the conversation, but at the mention of the word business, she couldn't help but give Lex a sad look. It was actually painful to see a crime lord in the making. It was even worse to know she was the main reason for it.