Title: Strength, Reserve, Control
Part: 4/?
Author: Cam
Author's Email: camerada2006@yahoo.com
Pairing: Chloe/Lionel, Clark/Lois, Chloe/Lex
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I'm not making anything off of these great characters. Honestly!
A/N: OMG! I had no idea it's been a month since I last updated this. I'm so sorry to leave it on such a cliffhanger - but RL has kept me pretty busy, so it's been hard to update anything. I promise not to wait so long to post the next part!
Also, Anything denoted by //THIS// is a quote which is not mine. They do, however, belong to Coldplay and Sheryl Crow, respectively. Feedback greatly appreciated.
*~*~*~*
FOUR
Lex slipped into the closet and closed the door behind him as Chloe jumped off the bed nervously.
Lionel, smiling, swung open her bedroom door. "I thought you said you were nude."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Chloe said, determined to make the best of an absolutely terrible situation. She put her hands on her hips, and stood up straighter, pretending not to care that her legs were on display.
"Not disappointed at all, dear," he said, then tilted his head. "I thought I heard someone in here."
Her mouth dropped open slightly, but she recovered quickly. "Oh, that was just my tape recorder. You know - from the Kaplan interview I did last Friday."
"Of course," Lionel said agreeably. He took a seat on the chair by her vanity, and Chloe prayed that Lex would remain quiet. "Chloe," Lionel inspected the brush that lay on the table, "what names were you considering?"
"What?"
"For the baby - what names?"
"Oh," Chloe tugged on a robe as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Well, I really don't know, Lionel. I mean, that's months and months away . . ."
"It only takes a few months before we know the sex of the baby, and after that, we're going to need time to have all of the furniture made," he sighed. "Lillian handled everything when Lex was born."
A distinct thump was heard in the closet. Lionel looked up. "What was that?"
"Um, I don't know," Chloe said quickly. "Perhaps if we hired a consultant, someone who could help me with all of the details . . ." she trailed off as Lionel stood and walked to the closet.
"Lionel!" Chloe fell back on the bed. "Ow! My ankle!" She cringed internally at her non-existent acting skills.
Lionel looked at her suspiciously. "Is there someone in the closet?"
"No," Chloe said unconvincingly, just as a second thump was heard.
"Hmm," Lionel said.
Chloe gave up pretending to rub her ankle.
"Yes," Chloe said.
"Who, might I ask?" Lionel sat at the vanity again.
"Well . . ." suddenly she saw the proverbial lightbulb. "You know that whole, um, infidelity thing we were discussing yesterday?"
"You found someone so soon?" He looked surprised, but pleased.
"Yeah!" Chloe said, enthusiastically. "We sort of ran into each other last night and . . ."
"You didn't go out last night," Lionel said. Chloe watched him warily, waiting for the moment when he'd get a lightbulb of his own.
It took a moment, but surely enough-
"Lex!!" Come out here!" Lionel walked to the closet swiftly and yanked open the door. Lex strode out calmly, smirk in place.
"Why, hello, Dad," Lex said pleasantly, taking a seat next to Chloe on the bed. "Did you sleep well?"
Lionel looked at Chloe, then at Lex, then back to Chloe. "My son? You settled on my son?"
"I'd hardly call it settling," Lex said, tossing an arm over Chloe's shoulder. She stared at him, stricken. She didn't know what to do, what to say, how to react. She considered shoving Lex off of the bed and making for the door -
"I wasn't speaking to you Alexander," Lionel admonished. "Chloe, what have you to say?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Lionel," Chloe glared at Lex, who seemed to be taking entirely too much pleasure from the situation. "Lex came in here to ask me for assistance in procuring the Tower."
Lex's smirk changed to a frown. "Chloe-"
"Lex, I'm sure we can work something out. Can't we, Lionel?" She looked up at her husband pleadingly.
"I thought I made it perfectly clear yesterday - I do not intend on giving that building to Lex."
"You're not being fair - I mean, I know that fair isn't exactly in your business vocabulary, but still!" Chloe racked her brain for a reason, any reason at all. "Please do this, if not for Lex, then for me? We're having a baby, aren't we? We can give him everything in the world. I'd feel so much better about it if I could be sure that there wouldn't be any resentment."
Lionel sighed. "Fine, Alexander. 8 million."
"Done," Lex smiled, standing to shake his father's hand. "I'll have my lawyers draw up the papers immediately."
"Please do," Lionel said.
"Thanks, Chloe," Lex said gratefully, bending to kiss her cheek. "I really appreciate it."
"Sure," Chloe said softly, trying to ignore the heat Lex's warm breath sparked.
He left the room silently, and Chloe stared down at her feet, which were sinking into the luxurious white carpeting.
"Chloe?" Lionel dropped to one knee and lifted her chin up. "Don't let him be a weakness to you. Lex will use you for all you're worth, and never regret it."
"I wonder where he picked up that trait," Chloe said grinning sharply to mask her anger.
"I'm hurt," Lionel, smiled, showing he was anything but. He stood. "What are your plans for the day?"
"Oh, I don't know," she said brightly. "Jump off a bridge, maybe." Chloe looked at Lionel, wondering if (hoping?) he'd see how helpless she felt.
"That isn't something to joke about," Lionel said curtly. "Go shopping. Find an exposé of some kind. Or better yet, a paramour."
"Maybe," Chloe said noncommittally. Lionel grunted.
She crawled back under the covers and waited for him to leave.
This isn't me, Chloe thought, sighing. I have never felt so - so absolutely wretched over anything. God, what are the Luthors doing to me?
She felt like her spirit, her essence was slowly being poisoned, and there was little she could do to prevent it.
//Come on now, oh my star is fading, And I see no chance of release . . . //
She had to get up. Had to go. Had to see. To do something important. Or just SOMETHING.
Chloe flung the covers from her and stood. She did her morning ritual: stretched a little longer than usual, went for a cold shower instead of scalding, and hunted up her last short skirt, knee-high brown boots and sweater. In the mirror she stared at her hair. Something had to be done about that. The length was hindering, and she'd never been a fan of long hair anyway. Maybe because of Lana . . .
Chloe pulled on her clothes, grabbed a purse, and dashed down the stairs, calling, "Lionel, I'm going out! I'll talk to you later!" She didn't really care whether he'd heard her or not. To make a point (she wasn't sure to whom), Chloe turned off her cell phone.
In the penthouse garage, she went with the Spyder - the first car Lionel gave her after they got married. She hadn't driven it in more than a year, as Lionel complained it wasn't professional. Well, today, Chloe Sullivan was going to be far from professional.
She slid into the car, taking a moment to adjust to the strangeness of creaking leather.
Then she was off, streaking through the city like lighting bolt, tasting the rainy air, laughing because she was only 25 after all, and there was plenty to laugh at; though she couldn't think of anything at the moment.
She pressed play on the stereo, wondering what long-forgotten CD remained. It was a mix Clark had made her in college. Out of habit, she began singing along, words rolling effortlessly off her tongue.
"'I miss the innocence I've known,'" Chloe sang loudly (and badly), "'Playing Kiss covers, beautiful and stoned . . .'"
Bobbing her head to the music, Chloe stopped at an intersection. The street was empty and shiny-wet on the Saturday morning. It was a bit disconcerting. If she turned right, it would take her uptown to the shopping district. If she went left, it would lead her downtown where she could stop at the salon for a haircut, but would have to drive by the Planet, where Lois was sure to be working. And that meant Clark was there. If she went straight, the road would turn into the freeway. That self- same freeway would take her to Smallville, where her dad and Pete and Lana lived.
The song changed.
//I only come home when I'm so all alone . . . //
The quick flash of a siren, and suddenly a police officer was pulling up beside her. "Is there a problem - Mrs. Luthor?"
"It's Sullivan," she said, throwing him a blinding smile.
"Of course," he stuttered, taken aback by the intensity. "Are you all right?"
"Splendid," she said, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, the light is green." He gestured toward it.
"It would be," she muttered; glancing down at her hands, then back up at him. "What's your name?"
"James. Tony James."
"Thanks for checking on me, Tony," Chloe said sweetly. "I really appreciate it. You know it's rare to find such a concerned officer in such a large city." He was very adorable. He reminded her of Whitney - a lump formed in her throat and she swallowed hard.
"I can give you my card, if you'd like, Ms. Sullivan."
"That would be so sweet of you, Tony." Chloe watched as he wrote another number on the back. "As long as you call me Chloe."
"Certainly," he said, handing her the card. "That's my cell phone - you can reach me anytime."
Chloe waited for him to add the words "And for anything." But he wasn't quite that forward, and she smiled over his innocence.
"Thanks, Tony," she smiled. He grinned and drove off.
Chloe made her choice and did the same.
*~*~*~*
tbc
Part: 4/?
Author: Cam
Author's Email: camerada2006@yahoo.com
Pairing: Chloe/Lionel, Clark/Lois, Chloe/Lex
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I'm not making anything off of these great characters. Honestly!
A/N: OMG! I had no idea it's been a month since I last updated this. I'm so sorry to leave it on such a cliffhanger - but RL has kept me pretty busy, so it's been hard to update anything. I promise not to wait so long to post the next part!
Also, Anything denoted by //THIS// is a quote which is not mine. They do, however, belong to Coldplay and Sheryl Crow, respectively. Feedback greatly appreciated.
*~*~*~*
FOUR
Lex slipped into the closet and closed the door behind him as Chloe jumped off the bed nervously.
Lionel, smiling, swung open her bedroom door. "I thought you said you were nude."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Chloe said, determined to make the best of an absolutely terrible situation. She put her hands on her hips, and stood up straighter, pretending not to care that her legs were on display.
"Not disappointed at all, dear," he said, then tilted his head. "I thought I heard someone in here."
Her mouth dropped open slightly, but she recovered quickly. "Oh, that was just my tape recorder. You know - from the Kaplan interview I did last Friday."
"Of course," Lionel said agreeably. He took a seat on the chair by her vanity, and Chloe prayed that Lex would remain quiet. "Chloe," Lionel inspected the brush that lay on the table, "what names were you considering?"
"What?"
"For the baby - what names?"
"Oh," Chloe tugged on a robe as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Well, I really don't know, Lionel. I mean, that's months and months away . . ."
"It only takes a few months before we know the sex of the baby, and after that, we're going to need time to have all of the furniture made," he sighed. "Lillian handled everything when Lex was born."
A distinct thump was heard in the closet. Lionel looked up. "What was that?"
"Um, I don't know," Chloe said quickly. "Perhaps if we hired a consultant, someone who could help me with all of the details . . ." she trailed off as Lionel stood and walked to the closet.
"Lionel!" Chloe fell back on the bed. "Ow! My ankle!" She cringed internally at her non-existent acting skills.
Lionel looked at her suspiciously. "Is there someone in the closet?"
"No," Chloe said unconvincingly, just as a second thump was heard.
"Hmm," Lionel said.
Chloe gave up pretending to rub her ankle.
"Yes," Chloe said.
"Who, might I ask?" Lionel sat at the vanity again.
"Well . . ." suddenly she saw the proverbial lightbulb. "You know that whole, um, infidelity thing we were discussing yesterday?"
"You found someone so soon?" He looked surprised, but pleased.
"Yeah!" Chloe said, enthusiastically. "We sort of ran into each other last night and . . ."
"You didn't go out last night," Lionel said. Chloe watched him warily, waiting for the moment when he'd get a lightbulb of his own.
It took a moment, but surely enough-
"Lex!!" Come out here!" Lionel walked to the closet swiftly and yanked open the door. Lex strode out calmly, smirk in place.
"Why, hello, Dad," Lex said pleasantly, taking a seat next to Chloe on the bed. "Did you sleep well?"
Lionel looked at Chloe, then at Lex, then back to Chloe. "My son? You settled on my son?"
"I'd hardly call it settling," Lex said, tossing an arm over Chloe's shoulder. She stared at him, stricken. She didn't know what to do, what to say, how to react. She considered shoving Lex off of the bed and making for the door -
"I wasn't speaking to you Alexander," Lionel admonished. "Chloe, what have you to say?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Lionel," Chloe glared at Lex, who seemed to be taking entirely too much pleasure from the situation. "Lex came in here to ask me for assistance in procuring the Tower."
Lex's smirk changed to a frown. "Chloe-"
"Lex, I'm sure we can work something out. Can't we, Lionel?" She looked up at her husband pleadingly.
"I thought I made it perfectly clear yesterday - I do not intend on giving that building to Lex."
"You're not being fair - I mean, I know that fair isn't exactly in your business vocabulary, but still!" Chloe racked her brain for a reason, any reason at all. "Please do this, if not for Lex, then for me? We're having a baby, aren't we? We can give him everything in the world. I'd feel so much better about it if I could be sure that there wouldn't be any resentment."
Lionel sighed. "Fine, Alexander. 8 million."
"Done," Lex smiled, standing to shake his father's hand. "I'll have my lawyers draw up the papers immediately."
"Please do," Lionel said.
"Thanks, Chloe," Lex said gratefully, bending to kiss her cheek. "I really appreciate it."
"Sure," Chloe said softly, trying to ignore the heat Lex's warm breath sparked.
He left the room silently, and Chloe stared down at her feet, which were sinking into the luxurious white carpeting.
"Chloe?" Lionel dropped to one knee and lifted her chin up. "Don't let him be a weakness to you. Lex will use you for all you're worth, and never regret it."
"I wonder where he picked up that trait," Chloe said grinning sharply to mask her anger.
"I'm hurt," Lionel, smiled, showing he was anything but. He stood. "What are your plans for the day?"
"Oh, I don't know," she said brightly. "Jump off a bridge, maybe." Chloe looked at Lionel, wondering if (hoping?) he'd see how helpless she felt.
"That isn't something to joke about," Lionel said curtly. "Go shopping. Find an exposé of some kind. Or better yet, a paramour."
"Maybe," Chloe said noncommittally. Lionel grunted.
She crawled back under the covers and waited for him to leave.
This isn't me, Chloe thought, sighing. I have never felt so - so absolutely wretched over anything. God, what are the Luthors doing to me?
She felt like her spirit, her essence was slowly being poisoned, and there was little she could do to prevent it.
//Come on now, oh my star is fading, And I see no chance of release . . . //
She had to get up. Had to go. Had to see. To do something important. Or just SOMETHING.
Chloe flung the covers from her and stood. She did her morning ritual: stretched a little longer than usual, went for a cold shower instead of scalding, and hunted up her last short skirt, knee-high brown boots and sweater. In the mirror she stared at her hair. Something had to be done about that. The length was hindering, and she'd never been a fan of long hair anyway. Maybe because of Lana . . .
Chloe pulled on her clothes, grabbed a purse, and dashed down the stairs, calling, "Lionel, I'm going out! I'll talk to you later!" She didn't really care whether he'd heard her or not. To make a point (she wasn't sure to whom), Chloe turned off her cell phone.
In the penthouse garage, she went with the Spyder - the first car Lionel gave her after they got married. She hadn't driven it in more than a year, as Lionel complained it wasn't professional. Well, today, Chloe Sullivan was going to be far from professional.
She slid into the car, taking a moment to adjust to the strangeness of creaking leather.
Then she was off, streaking through the city like lighting bolt, tasting the rainy air, laughing because she was only 25 after all, and there was plenty to laugh at; though she couldn't think of anything at the moment.
She pressed play on the stereo, wondering what long-forgotten CD remained. It was a mix Clark had made her in college. Out of habit, she began singing along, words rolling effortlessly off her tongue.
"'I miss the innocence I've known,'" Chloe sang loudly (and badly), "'Playing Kiss covers, beautiful and stoned . . .'"
Bobbing her head to the music, Chloe stopped at an intersection. The street was empty and shiny-wet on the Saturday morning. It was a bit disconcerting. If she turned right, it would take her uptown to the shopping district. If she went left, it would lead her downtown where she could stop at the salon for a haircut, but would have to drive by the Planet, where Lois was sure to be working. And that meant Clark was there. If she went straight, the road would turn into the freeway. That self- same freeway would take her to Smallville, where her dad and Pete and Lana lived.
The song changed.
//I only come home when I'm so all alone . . . //
The quick flash of a siren, and suddenly a police officer was pulling up beside her. "Is there a problem - Mrs. Luthor?"
"It's Sullivan," she said, throwing him a blinding smile.
"Of course," he stuttered, taken aback by the intensity. "Are you all right?"
"Splendid," she said, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, the light is green." He gestured toward it.
"It would be," she muttered; glancing down at her hands, then back up at him. "What's your name?"
"James. Tony James."
"Thanks for checking on me, Tony," Chloe said sweetly. "I really appreciate it. You know it's rare to find such a concerned officer in such a large city." He was very adorable. He reminded her of Whitney - a lump formed in her throat and she swallowed hard.
"I can give you my card, if you'd like, Ms. Sullivan."
"That would be so sweet of you, Tony." Chloe watched as he wrote another number on the back. "As long as you call me Chloe."
"Certainly," he said, handing her the card. "That's my cell phone - you can reach me anytime."
Chloe waited for him to add the words "And for anything." But he wasn't quite that forward, and she smiled over his innocence.
"Thanks, Tony," she smiled. He grinned and drove off.
Chloe made her choice and did the same.
*~*~*~*
tbc