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: Once again, not mine. I'd be clever but I'm all tapped right now…

Distribution: Please tell a friend, then tell me…drop me an e-mail…then have at it…

A/N: I know I know, it's been so long, and I can hear what you're thinking…where's the love. Well with the holiday's finally drawing to a close and the demands of psycho relatives finally at a dull roar instead of the banshee scream it once was, I am finally allowed to let my creative juices flow so get a bucket and away we go…. Now there is a flash back part in here that should be from Clark's pov but hey, I'm the author right? So forgive me that it kind of ends up more from Chlo's perspective. Feel free to R/R… Thanx to my Beta Sarah...Luvin' U!!!

Chapter 9

March 2004

Clark ignored the leaves as they danced around him. He ignored the music the wind played as it coursed through the trees. He never saw how the sky swirled in heavy shades of gray in perfect accompaniment with the wind. Clark didn't even acknowledge the unseasonable bite in the wind, much to cold for a day of late March. The nip in the air was so bitter that a normal man would have shivered.

However, he wasn't a normal man was he? He never noticed the cold. Flames couldn't hurt him. He had superior strength, superior speed. He could jump higher and see farther. Yet he found it all worthless if he couldn't protect his loved ones, his family, and his friends. First Ryan then Chloe.

His fingers ran over the cold marble of the tombstone. He traced the inscription for what must have been the millionth time since it was placed there. The marker was the lasting reminder of one who loved so much and touched so many. Even with his eyes closed, his mind whispered the words that were permanently scribed across his heart the same as they were on the stone. 'In loving memory of Chloe Sullivan, Beloved daughter and cherished friend, ever the intrepid report and truth seeker, June 12, 1987 - April 23, 2003.'

He fought against the fresh tears he swore should have been all dried up. Guilt consumed him. With Ryan, despite his feeling of helplessness, he still was there for the boy. Trying everything he could to save the child. At least for him, he tried.

However, with Chloe, the thought caused Clark to sob out the pain in his heart. His guilt rose like bile, choking him. He couldn't stop his wondering mind from bringing the image of her angelic face to his mind. He couldn't stop the memories that flooded him. The disappointment, the hurt on her face, the last time they were together, and the last moment he saw her.

~*~

Clark lounged in his Fortress of Solitude. His focus was at the house not far away. He, with a combination of his X-ray vision and his super powered sight, watched Lana study. Her hair was down and draped across her shoulders. He memorized her movement as she nibbled on her pen in frustration. With his super hearing he knew she was working on her history essay involving the Queen of Scots. He couldn't help but smile as she recited, for the third time her words, trying to perfect, perfection.

"Clark, did you even hear me?"

Chloe's angry voice intruded on his thoughts. He was so engrossed in what he was watching that even with his enhanced abilities he never even heard her approach. He swung around startled and blushing slightly. "Chloe, uh, I didn't, uh, hear you, uh," he stammering brought a smile to Chloe's face, "What's this about help?"

Chloe took a brief look out the window and when her eyes met his they were sparkling with a mischievous light that made Clark feel like a boy with his hand in the cookie jar. "Lana watching again?" she asked knowing the answer.

Instead of answering he tried to change the subject, "You mentioned help."

"Subtle, Clark, but I'll allow this change of direction." She plopped on the couch near him and got straight to the point. "I have an informant ready to talk but I have to get to Metropolis."

Clark rolled his eyes and sighed, "Not this again. Chloe, I thought you let this go. There is no way Lex's father is involved in some terrorist activity. Don't you think my mother would have noticed something like that?"

"Clark," she hissed in frustration. She really didn't have time to go over 'again' the information she uncovered about Red Claw and documentation she discovered about the new biological weapon. Every instinct in her told her there was a story here and more importantly if she could prove this she could be saving lives. Of course who was she to deny that it would also be Pulitzer material? (Should be question mark) "I know how you feel about Lex, but this isn't about him. It's about his father. He is doing something; not only illegal, but also these are terrorists Clark. They kill people and Mr. Luthor could be providing the means for thousands of people's deaths."

"Lex said he'd look into it and get the proper author-"

"I know what Lex told you, but this is his father. You can't expect him to betray his own father. He's his only living relative. Don't you think you're asking a bit much of him?" Chloe knew it was a nasty tactic but it was ridiculous to believe that Lex would turn on his own father.

"He has before, with the plant, when Mr. Luthor fired my mother, even our friendship with him is against his father's wishes."

"There is a big, huge, Grand Canyon difference between being friends with someone you're parents don't approve of and getting the only parent you have twenty to life in a federal penitentiary." She was tired of the same old argument. "The point is, I have to get to Metropolis tonight. He's going to talk about the project he was working on for LuthorCorp."

"You believe some man is going to risk his life for a sixteen year old girl?"

"I'm a reporter, Clark," Chloe stated with pride and a little hurt.

"You are a reporter for a 'high school paper'. Like some guy is going to reveal top secret information to some ordinary girl."

"I may be a lot of things but I'm anything but ordinary." Out of hurt she turned and started for the ladder. "I came to you because I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend-"

"Not if you think so little of my dream. Even Lex has more respect for me then that. I knew I should have asked Pete. I would ask Pete only he and Linda weren't busy tonight."

"Pete knows about this?" Clark asked in shock.

"No," Chloe grumbled. Somehow, animosity aside, Lex had been able to convince Pete that Chloe shouldn't be on this story. She was beginning to feel as if the world was turning against her and it was all Lex's fault. "Pete doesn't know about the trip to Metropolis." Seeing a break in his protective armor, "Listen are you coming or not because I will go alone."

"Go where," asked the melodic voice of Lana Lang.

"Lana," Clark said all thoughts of the world beginning to slip away.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I thought, I mean, I didn't know you were here," addressing Chloe.

"I don't know how you could have missed it. My car's right out front," Chloe muttered. Lana gave her a look that reminded her of a deer caught in headlights mixed with guilt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap," Chloe admitted, "It's just that 'certain people' are stone walling me."

"I just wanted Clark to look over my Essay, but it can wait." Lana turned to leave.

"Lana wait, I'd love to look it over," Clark said while rushing to Lana's side.

Chloe's eyes grew wide at the blatant reminder of her importance to him when Lana was present. "Yeah, I was just leaving. I have an appointment to keep." Chloe raced for the ladder hoping to escape before her pain could show.

Clark felt immediate shame over his action and caught up to Chloe before she reached the barn door. "Chloe, I'm sorry. Don't leave like this."

"What? Don't go away mad, just go away. Thanks for the concern but I do have more important things to do."

"Chloe, it's not like that and you --"

"You're right Clark, this has absolutely nothing to do with my being a reporter on a story you think is to dangerous, or even that it could possibly destroy Mr. Luthor's life and by extension Lex's.

This is about you and you're obsession for the great Lana Lang. Nothing in this world are as important as that girl and for once in my life not only am I not going to give a damn but I'm going to give you a piece of advise. Something that I've learned, loving someone and being with someone are two different things. You care about her but it doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't do anything about it, so what if she doesn't love you in return at least you tried. You put your heart on the line and take the risk and I'll tell you something from personal experience, there is a very good chance that your heart will be ripped out and left bleeding on some dance floor. At least it would have been a shot; at least you tried. Then after the dust settles, you are finally able to move on to what's important.

Life goes on Clark, whether the woman or man of your dreams loves you in return or not. This obsession you have and nothing being more important then the ideal of the girl. It's not fair. It's not real. She's a real girl up there and deserves a little bit more respect then some swimsuit edition put up in some guy's room. You may talk to her but until you really talk to her and listen to her in return, well, you're just no better. I hope this is the last night this little obsession of yours takes precedence over life itself. Because there is a big wide world out there and until you get over this 'thing' you'll never be able to appreciate it." With that she stormed from the barn and hopped into her car. That last thing Clark saw was her taillight fading faintly into the distance.

~*~

Clark was lost in the moment. The images flashing through his mind. Sure he blamed himself for Chloe's death for a while, but his friends and Lana got him through that. He was finally able to move on with his life without the guilt. He moved on with Lana.

That's when dreams, well nightmares really, started. He relived over and over again Chloe's first interview at the Luthor mansion. The first time he couldn't save her. His guilt returned in full force. He started distancing himself from Lana hoping it would lessen is night terrors. But during recently they've only gotten worse.

He was jarred from his thoughts by the sound of an engine in the distance. He could distinguish Lex's voice even from the great distance from where he was to the road outside the cemetery. It took Lex a little while before he was by Clark's side.

"I miss her too," Lex whispered honestly. However, the time Lex had been apart from Chloe was insulting less then what Clark was facing. "Did you come to tell her the good news?" Clark gave him a questioning look. "My friend the modest one. You're internship with the Planet. I know Chloe's proud of you." 'At least she will be when I tell her,' he added silently.

"She should have been the one accepting it, not me. I'm not half the reporter she was."

"Don't sell yourself short. You shouldn't compare yourself to her. I know she would honestly believed you deserved this in your own right."

"It's all my fault Lex, Chloe's death, the car accident. Everything. If I went with her, I could have saved her, I would have."

"Is that why you've been doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Clark, you've been trying to save the world single-handedly ever since I met you. Me, Chloe, Lana, Pete, your parents, even my father, which though good of you, might not have been the best of ideas," Lex joked, but Clark didn't look to even be listening. "I've heard the stories, I been there too. You've been risking your life constantly, crashed school buses, and the Talon fire, even the accident at the school. While I respect you're desire to save the world; I can't help but feel that doing it out of guilt for Chloe. That's just wrong in some way."

"How can helping people be wrong?"

"It's not wrong in and of itself. Yet, you should be helping people because it's the right thing to do, not because you're trying to elevate some wrong you believed you did. My father gives money to charity all the time but it's not out of the kindness of his heart. It's for tax deductions. Does that mean those charities are any less grateful? No. Does it take away all the bad things he's done? No."

"You don't understand, I, she, the last time I saw her, we fought. About you, that damn story, but mostly about Lana. How my 'obsession' for her was more important then my friends and she was right. I should have been with her that night. She should be alive right now not--" he couldn't say it, still after all this time.

Lex felt his pain and gave his friend a comforting hug. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. It's my father who's Satan. I tried to block off all avenues of her investigation, so she had no choice but to dig deeper. That's what really sent her to Metropolis and that's why the accident occurred. If I would have helped her, instead of throwing obstacles in her way she never would have," he stopped himself from revealing too much of the truth.

"No, Lex, that's not true. Chloe is, was much too stubborn for that. She would have-"

"See, if I'm not supposed to feel guilt over Chloe's death then neither can you. She wouldn't want you living in the dark of it Clark. She was too alive for that," Lex choked on the 'was' but didn't let it stop him. "This fight you had about Lana. Is that why you stopped talking to her? She told me how distant you've been."

"I can't look at her anymore without it reminding me…"

"Clark," Lex said with a shake of his head, "I may not of known Chloe as well as you but I do know that she would have wanted, does want you to be happy. Moreover, we all know that Lana would make you happy. Chloe would never have wanted you to throw you're life away for hers. She would have wanted you to live for her. To give her the gift of knowing that she inspires the good in you not the guilt. To know that when you think of her you smile and not cry, that you love life because of her not resent it. You meant the world to her Clark, if she knew how much pain she caused you it would destroy her."

Clark turned a sad eye to the marker of the girl he'd done nothing but miss since her passing. "I came here because I missed her. I feel close to her here."

"I feel close to her too, but not because I'm here. It's because I'm with you."

~*~

After few more moment of silence between the two friends they made their way to Lex's limo. "Clark, there is another reason I came to town. Something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The government is responding to a claim that the meteor that hit here might have an effect on the plant's products that hasn't been detectable before. They have filed for a temporary shut down of the plant."

"Can they do that? We'll fight it right?"

It always amazed Lex how every Smallville problem was everyone's problem. It must be that small town family feel. "There won't be a fight. The board members have decided the profit loss margin isn't worth the fight, since other ventures have been more profitable. They, we," he emphasized with shame, "We have decided to close the plant and divert the capital to other areas."

"You don't have to close it, could you possibly sell it."

"The government is making that impossible until after a thorough investigation. That could take nine months to a year, and only then could we sell. It's been decided to shut the plant down and sell off everything."

"Lex, I know you, you could stop this. You have sway with the board, you could--"

"Listen to me Clark, this is going to be difficult for you to hear, but I agree with the decision. I'm not like Bruce Wayne; I can't go around pumping money into charities. This is a business decision, not a personal one, and it's not in the best interest of my stockholders to do anything different. I'm sorry."

Clark couldn't believe what he was hearing. This wasn't his friend. The guy he met three years ago. This wasn't the man who stood by him and fought his father to keep the plant open. "You've changed Lex. You didn't used to be the bottom line type of guy. You used to care about those employees, their families. What are they supposed to do now?"

"Those who want to relocate, will be given the option but--"

"You want to destroy the lives they built and the only home some of these people know. There has to be another way Lex," Clark insisted.

"Like I said, I'm not Wayne, I can't, I won't make a decision like this based on anything other then what's best for the company."

"You mean, what's best for you." Clark accused..

"I'm sorry you feel that way Clark." With a sigh Lex got into his stretch limo and waved the driver on. As the car speed off in the distance Clark's mind raced with the information. There had to be a way, there just had to be. Then his mind clicked and with a quick glance to make sure he wasn't being watched, he sped off with super human speed home. He could only hope that his plan would work and that his only hope was willing to help.

~*~

TBC