Title: A Chlex Story
Author: MitchPell
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville, it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using them for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: SEE! I told you there would be a Lex/Chloe scene in this one! And now that the ball is rolling, these two are going to be spending a lot of time together. I'm so excited! A lot of people commented on Chloe's lack of clothing during Jitters, so I decided to use it in my fanfiction. I've done a lot of research about the medical stuff, but if I've made any huge errors let me know. After all, I'm not an expert. I've decided that the episodes are going to take place on the week they were aired. So, since "Jitters" aired 12/11/01, the events that deal with "Jitters" in this fanfiction will take place during the week of 12/11/01. I'll try to let you guys know approximately what time of year it is. I'm going to using any and all spoilers, so read at your own risk. This story is going to be a long one. I already know that it is going to span the course of 7 years, and probably longer. I appreciate any and all feedback. Tell me whatever you think: the good, the bad, the ok, the grammar errors, etc… Trust me, I need the help!!
Summary: Lex and Chloe just seem right for each other. I don't know why, they just do.
Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com
Adri: Thanks again for all of the help! I really appreciate it!! Don't forget to post the next chapter of "Good Son!" The good people here at fanfiction.net deserve to read it!!
Faith: I hope you exams and papers are almost done! I can't wait for you to get back in the Beta-reading game!!
Tanya: I'm glad you liked the end to chapter #3. I had a hard time deciding how to end it. I have noticed that I end a lot of scenes with people going out doors. Even this one ends this way, but at least I don't actually write the word 'door!' Oops! Yes I did! Thanks for all of the beta help.
Leanne8582: Yes, Lex is so hard to write. I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I know and love the character, but he is still so hard to capture. I'm trying my best, and I hope I keep doing a good job!
Lrnd: Oh yes! Cliffhangers are the best! They kept you guys coming back for more! I'm sorry you didn't like Lord of the Flies. I loved that book. Yes, the hallway situation was one of my pet peeves in high school!
Anna: Hahahaha! I loved cliffhangers. Thanks. I really wanted to make this as accurate as possible with the medical stuff. I probably spent as much time researching as I have writing. But, I'm in to medicine and stuff like that, so it was no hard ship. Don't worry there is more Chloe/Lex coming up. I promise!
Deanz: LOL!! Don't you just love cliffhangers! I know I do! Don't worry, the answer to you question lies in this chapter! So go read! Quick, faster, faster! Oh, before you go, you did say you weren't giving me anything until I gave you something. Well, here is your answer. So where is mine? I must know!
mythirdeye: Thanks! I think that Lex really is 'so human.' But that he just hides it from the world. But that will all change!
"Lex! What's this I hear about you going to some party tonight?"
Lex looked up at Gabby from where he was dozing on the couch. "Clark's parents are out of town, and he's having a 'little' get together." He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought I might stop by with a little party favor." He gave her a half smile, before adding. "Why, is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is a problem! You haven't even finished your first week of treatment! Your blood cell counts are down, putting you at greater risk for infection. You should be avoiding crowds, not seeking them out!"
"Please, I highly doubt that any gathering that Clark throws together could be considered a crowd. He'll need all the patrons he can get." Lex lured.
"Oh, come on Lex. How stupid do you think I am?" Gabby shot back.
"Why, Dr. Mai, I would never attempt to insult your intelligence."
"Really?" She huffed. "You know, Lex, despite what you might think, I really do know what is best for you. And going to this party is far from it!"
"Hmm, I'm afraid I must disagree with you." Lex said with a smirk. He found it quite amusing that Gabby was getting all worked up over spending a couple minutes at the Kent farm. Besides, that was all the longer he planned on staying. The idea of attending a high school party wasn't exactly tempting, but he needed an excuse to get out of house. And what better reason was there than adorning the party of his only friend in this little pea-hole of a town.
Gabriella Lynn Mai sighed. She knew there was no use arguing with the man; he could be quite impossible. She figured that out shortly after they had first met a week ago. Last Sunday morning, Dr. Gatemen had called offering her a job as an in-home nurse to an acute myeloid leukemia (AML), subtype M0, patient. This man, she learned, was very rich and would only accept the best. And that meant that he wanted Gabby. While obtaining her PhD in Nursing, she had made quite a name for herself amongst her peers. She had worked with outpatients before, but she preferred the hospital environment. However, after seeing the salary she would be receiving, she couldn't refuse the offer.
That day movers arrived at her house, packed up her stuff, and moved her into the mansion of one Lex Luthor. The size of the castle had left her speechless. She was given her own quarters inside the main house, which consisted of her own bedroom, an adjoining bathroom, living room, and study. Ann, Luthor's housekeeper, gave her a tour of the house that included a room that had been recently set up with all of the medical equipment that she could possibly need. The tour ended in the kitchen where Gabby was introduced to Jenkins, Luthor's burly cook, and Hans, his German mechanic.
She was rather shocked at the size of the man's staff, which merely consisted of a housekeeper, a chauffer/gardener, a cook, a mechanic, two security personnel, and now a full time nurse. However, that didn't compare to her astonishment when she discovered just how little the staff was used. Aside from the bare minimum, they had relatively no duties. They were rarely even in the actual mansion, but spent most of their time in smaller house that could be found toward the back of the grounds. That made her wonder why she had been put up in the main house, and not with the rest of the staff. But she decided to file that question away until she could ask the man himself.
She didn't have the privilege meeting Luthor, until later that evening. He had just returned from the hospital, where they had done a spinal tap to make sure that the cancer hadn't spread to his spinal fluid, and inserted a Hickman central venous catheter. The experience had left him in a fairly unpleasant mood, which had unfortunately carried over into their introduction. He wasn't overly rude, but certainly not friendly. Of course she hadn't expected a man, who had found out yesterday that he was inflicted with cancer, would be all smiles. They shared a brief dinner during which they discussed the fine details of his treatment and slight changes that would have to be make to his lifestyle. He had been quite compliant with all of her requests; however, there were some things that he refused to alter. One of those being what he did with his social life.
"Look, you can't go. I mean you're still on a constant IV. You're so adamant about no one finding out that you're sick. How do you plan on hiding an IV pole?"
He smirked at her. "I believe you informed me that this would be finished by around eight, which is hours before I even plan on leaving. So, you'll have to come up with something better than that."
Gabby cursed under her breath. She had hoped that he would have forgotten about that little detail. But she should have known that it wouldn't have escaped his mind, nothing else did. "What about the nausea? I can tell by looking at you, that you're not feeling well."
"I've been nauseous all week, it's nothing I can't handle. Also, you've never had the opportunity to see me at my best. So, I highly doubt that you can gauge my well being by my appearance." Lex calmly retorted. He watched with amusement as she struggled to come up with another reason for him not to go, and then added, "If you are so concerned about my attending this party, why don't you accompany me?"
"Go with you?" She asked dubiously.
Lex raised an eyebrow at that. "Unless you feel that being seen with a Luthor would be too scandalous." He stated with mock offense.
Gabby couldn't help feeling guilty. She knew he wasn't truly upset, but she still felt bad. "Fine, I'll go with you. But, you have to promise me that if you feel sick at all you will tell me so we can leave."
"Whatever you wish." He gave her a half smile, and then stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me." He grabbed his IV pole and left the room.
Lex made his way upstairs, through his bedroom, and into the bathroom. After splashing some cool water on his face, he looked up at his reflection in the mirror. He looked just as terrible as he felt. His sweat-slicked skin was paler and drawn more tightly against his cheekbones. His blood shot eyes and the dark circles underneath them offset his ghastly facial features. He looked from his face to where his shirt was covering the exit site of the catheter that was located beneath his right collarbone. The insertion and exit sites were still tender, but not awful painful. His eyes traveled from his chest to the IV bag on the pole beside him. It had been his shadow, his over-looming shadow, one that he wasn't going to lose anytime soon.
He hadn't really known what to expect. Sure Gatemen and Gabby had run down the list of possible side effects, but nothing can truly prepare you for it. For someone who hadn't taken any non-recreational drugs since he was nine, it was quite a change. Every five weeks, he would receive three doses of daunorubicin in three days, and a continuous dose of cytarabine over five days. Then over the following two weeks he would receive a dose of cytarabine every twelve hours, and finally two weeks of rest before it started all over again. Along with the chemo drugs came the allopurinol to protect his liver, the dexamethasone eye drops to prevent conjunctivitis, and ondastetron to ease some of the nausea and vomiting.
At times Lex highly doubted the usefulness of the last one. In his opinion he had become much too acquainted with his bathroom floor. He had pretty much spent the last four days and three nights in this room. Eating had practically ceased as well during that time. Nothing wanted to stay down, and Lex had wanted to give up trying. If Jenkins was upset about the demand for his services before, he was furious now. Lex had overheard him shouting something about gourmet chiefs being paid to make broth and toast. Of course tonight, he had actually gotten to put vegetables and meat in the broth, and the toast was replaced with crackers.
Lex sighed as he pulled his attention away from the mirror. He shut the bathroom door, and then turned on the warm bathwater. He pulled the shower curtain closed to make the air surrounding the tub steamier. He peeled his cut-off t-shirt over his head, and tossed it on the floor. After stepping out of his sweatpants, he looked down at his cloths. Gone were the silk shirts and dress pants. They had been replaced with old cotton t-shirts, which were mostly cut-offs, and flannel sweatpants.
Truthfully, he didn't really miss his fancy cloths. Sure they were comfortable and showed off his body better, but they didn't provide the warm cozy feeling that the sweats did. The sweats were great for bumming around in, plus they didn't stick to him. He wondered how the fact that silk clung to the smallest bit of moisture had escaped him, especially since he owned quite a lot of silk. But it had. Now, even the thought of wearing it made him groan. Even the sheets had to go. He would never have thought that his silk sheets could be anything but comfortable. But after what little of Monday night he had actually spent in his bed, he had them replaced with flannel ones.
Lex shut the water off, checked the seal of his catheter dressing, and then climbed into the colossal tub. The light showed through the black curtain creating a gray tint inside of the tub. The water was hotter than he had expected. He was going to be bright red when he got out, but it felt great. He leaned back against his tub pillow and closed his eyes. He considered staying there all night. However, after the argument with Gabby and the fireworks arrangements he had made, he figured that he better go to Clark's party. He smiled at that thought. The fireworks were going to be great. He felt that he was finally getting a hand of this friendship thing.
Chloe strolled up the Kent family's driveway. She practically had to park her car on the road. Half the high school must have shown up. She was starting to think that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to put that flier up in the cafeteria. But, it hadn't been all her fault. Pete had practically forced her to do it. Peer pressure, it could be a real bitch.
After she hiked up the drive, she managed to squeeze in the door. The house was literally overflowing with people, people who were doing a fairly good job at trashing the place. In the past five minutes, she had lost tract of how many glasses she had heard break. She finally spotted Clark making his way through the crowd towards her. She had to laugh at the site. He obviously couldn't see that it was pointless to try to clean up the mess while the party was still in full swing.
"So…this is what you call a small gathering, right?" She teased. He had to suspect that it was Pete and hers doing that all these people were here. But he wasn't accusing, which didn't bother Chloe one bit. She didn't really feel bad about it, she was just afraid he would make her stay and help cleanup afterwards.
"Do you even recognize half these people?" Clark asked. Truthfully, she knew less than that. "Hey, watch the glass!" He called as he rushed off to try and salvage the unsalvageable.
Chloe shook her head. Poor, poor Clark, the boy had no clue what he was doing. He should have known to hide the glass, and whip out the paper products. Chloe wasn't a big partier herself, but even she knew to keep the breakables someplace safe. She caught site of Pete and made her way over to him.
"Hey Pete!"
"Hey Chloe. What took you so long to get here? I was starting to think that you weren't going to show." Pete asked.
"I practically had to twist my dad's arm to let me come. He reminded me that at the last party I went to I came back with a homicidal love interest. But I was finally able to convince him." She said with a smile. She paused for a minute to take in the crowd around her. Then asked, "So…do you feel at all guilty about the way this thing turned out?"
"The party? No! This is great. If we had left it up to Clark, it would have been me, you, Clark and Lana. And we all know how much fun that would have been. I don't know about you, but I prefer this much more than watching him pine over her all night."
Well, Chloe definitely couldn't argue with that. Speaking of Lana, there she is, Chloe thought. I don't understand why Clark is so infatuated with her. Yeah, she's pretty, and she's smart and nice and all that other junk. But she really doesn't have much life to her. I would even go, as far to say that the girl is boring, but then I don't know her very well. Just then she heard fireworks going off. Fireworks? Who brought fireworks, she thought. She followed Pete, Clark, and a couple others out the door to get a better look.
"Clark, man, how cool is this?" Pete asked.
"Pete, why didn't you just call the cops? It would have been a lot easier."
"Hey, I can't claim credit. It wasn't my idea."
"It was mine." Lex walked up the group. He couldn't help but notice the slight glare that Pete sent his way. "Call it a party gift. I hope you like it."
"It's great. I mean it's just…"
"Don't worry about he police. It's covered. I know this kind of party can make or break a reputation, and I wanted to make sure yours was a hit." He looked around and noticed Lana standing on the porch, without her boyfriend. Wow, Lex thought, maybe she's finally come to her senses and ditched the jock. He turned back to Clark. "I hear you're taking a tour of my plant tomorrow."
"It's a class field trip," Chloe said.
Lex really looked at Chloe for the first time that night. Holy cleavage! Was the first thing that came to his mind. He had to wonder just who she was trying to impress tonight, because she was certainly doing a great job. He pushed that thought away, and turned his attention back to the discussion at hand. "What'd you do wrong?"
"It's that bad, huh?" Clark asked.
Lex suppressed a smile as he chuckled under his breath. Only Clark wouldn't consider a class trip to a fertilizer plant punishment. And to top it all off, they were going on a Saturday. He felt a pair of arms snake around him, startling him. He turned and found that it was Gabby. He smiled at her, she definitely was doing a great job of playing this evenings date.
"Sorry I took so long. Someone overflowed the bathroom." Gabby said.
Clark let out a groan, while dropping his head in defeat. "I'm officially dead." He sighed. "Any chance you think I can barricade the entrance?" He asked no one in particular.
"Not alone, you can't." Gabby said. "It has almost turned into an all out brawl to get in there."
Clark turned to Pete. "Pete! Since you thought it would be such a great idea to invite all of these people, I nominate you to help me."
"What makes you think it was me?" Pete asked, a little exasperated.
"Because I know you. You're the only one who would have thought this would be a good idea. So now you're stuck on bathroom duty. Come on, lets go." This said, Clark grabbed Pete by the arm and hauled him off in the direction of the house.
"Lex, I'm going to head back to the car. You are coming right?" Gabby wined ever so slightly.
Lex had noticed the guilt cross Chloe's face when Clark dragged Pete off, and had decided to tease her. "I'll catch up with you in a minute." After Gabby had left, he turned back to Chloe. "Why Miss. Sullivan, I would never have guessed you would let an innocent man take the fall for something you were obviously involved in."
Chloe starred at Lex, her guilt and shock quickly replaced with a sly grin. She would never pass up a chance to banter, especially with Lex Luthor. "Who's to say he isn't guilty? He did sound like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar."
Lex smirked at that. "Though I agree with you there, I couldn't help but notice the almost unperceivable blush creep up your cheeks. It seems as if he was stealing cookies for two."
"Even if he was, it doesn't change the fact that he is guilty. Besides, one must remain free to reap the benefits of the heist, or the sacrifice of the other would be in vain." She quipped.
"I admire your logic." He gave her a once over and went to leave. After taking a couple of steps he stopped and turned back to her. "Just be wary of the one sacrificing, for he will expect retribution." He smirked at her slightly worried expression, and then added. "It was a pleasure meeting you again Miss. Sullivan."
A flood of images of Pete seeking revenge filled Chloe's mind so quickly that she barely registered what Lex had last said. She threw a quick, "you too," over her shoulder before running off to fess up to Clark.
As Lex watched Chloe dash off his smirk turned into a real smile. He was looking forward to spending more time with Miss. Sullivan. He had a feeling that something very interesting was going to come out of this new relationship.
TBC…
Author: MitchPell
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville, it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using them for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: SEE! I told you there would be a Lex/Chloe scene in this one! And now that the ball is rolling, these two are going to be spending a lot of time together. I'm so excited! A lot of people commented on Chloe's lack of clothing during Jitters, so I decided to use it in my fanfiction. I've done a lot of research about the medical stuff, but if I've made any huge errors let me know. After all, I'm not an expert. I've decided that the episodes are going to take place on the week they were aired. So, since "Jitters" aired 12/11/01, the events that deal with "Jitters" in this fanfiction will take place during the week of 12/11/01. I'll try to let you guys know approximately what time of year it is. I'm going to using any and all spoilers, so read at your own risk. This story is going to be a long one. I already know that it is going to span the course of 7 years, and probably longer. I appreciate any and all feedback. Tell me whatever you think: the good, the bad, the ok, the grammar errors, etc… Trust me, I need the help!!
Summary: Lex and Chloe just seem right for each other. I don't know why, they just do.
Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com
Adri: Thanks again for all of the help! I really appreciate it!! Don't forget to post the next chapter of "Good Son!" The good people here at fanfiction.net deserve to read it!!
Faith: I hope you exams and papers are almost done! I can't wait for you to get back in the Beta-reading game!!
Tanya: I'm glad you liked the end to chapter #3. I had a hard time deciding how to end it. I have noticed that I end a lot of scenes with people going out doors. Even this one ends this way, but at least I don't actually write the word 'door!' Oops! Yes I did! Thanks for all of the beta help.
Leanne8582: Yes, Lex is so hard to write. I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I know and love the character, but he is still so hard to capture. I'm trying my best, and I hope I keep doing a good job!
Lrnd: Oh yes! Cliffhangers are the best! They kept you guys coming back for more! I'm sorry you didn't like Lord of the Flies. I loved that book. Yes, the hallway situation was one of my pet peeves in high school!
Anna: Hahahaha! I loved cliffhangers. Thanks. I really wanted to make this as accurate as possible with the medical stuff. I probably spent as much time researching as I have writing. But, I'm in to medicine and stuff like that, so it was no hard ship. Don't worry there is more Chloe/Lex coming up. I promise!
Deanz: LOL!! Don't you just love cliffhangers! I know I do! Don't worry, the answer to you question lies in this chapter! So go read! Quick, faster, faster! Oh, before you go, you did say you weren't giving me anything until I gave you something. Well, here is your answer. So where is mine? I must know!
mythirdeye: Thanks! I think that Lex really is 'so human.' But that he just hides it from the world. But that will all change!
"Lex! What's this I hear about you going to some party tonight?"
Lex looked up at Gabby from where he was dozing on the couch. "Clark's parents are out of town, and he's having a 'little' get together." He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought I might stop by with a little party favor." He gave her a half smile, before adding. "Why, is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is a problem! You haven't even finished your first week of treatment! Your blood cell counts are down, putting you at greater risk for infection. You should be avoiding crowds, not seeking them out!"
"Please, I highly doubt that any gathering that Clark throws together could be considered a crowd. He'll need all the patrons he can get." Lex lured.
"Oh, come on Lex. How stupid do you think I am?" Gabby shot back.
"Why, Dr. Mai, I would never attempt to insult your intelligence."
"Really?" She huffed. "You know, Lex, despite what you might think, I really do know what is best for you. And going to this party is far from it!"
"Hmm, I'm afraid I must disagree with you." Lex said with a smirk. He found it quite amusing that Gabby was getting all worked up over spending a couple minutes at the Kent farm. Besides, that was all the longer he planned on staying. The idea of attending a high school party wasn't exactly tempting, but he needed an excuse to get out of house. And what better reason was there than adorning the party of his only friend in this little pea-hole of a town.
Gabriella Lynn Mai sighed. She knew there was no use arguing with the man; he could be quite impossible. She figured that out shortly after they had first met a week ago. Last Sunday morning, Dr. Gatemen had called offering her a job as an in-home nurse to an acute myeloid leukemia (AML), subtype M0, patient. This man, she learned, was very rich and would only accept the best. And that meant that he wanted Gabby. While obtaining her PhD in Nursing, she had made quite a name for herself amongst her peers. She had worked with outpatients before, but she preferred the hospital environment. However, after seeing the salary she would be receiving, she couldn't refuse the offer.
That day movers arrived at her house, packed up her stuff, and moved her into the mansion of one Lex Luthor. The size of the castle had left her speechless. She was given her own quarters inside the main house, which consisted of her own bedroom, an adjoining bathroom, living room, and study. Ann, Luthor's housekeeper, gave her a tour of the house that included a room that had been recently set up with all of the medical equipment that she could possibly need. The tour ended in the kitchen where Gabby was introduced to Jenkins, Luthor's burly cook, and Hans, his German mechanic.
She was rather shocked at the size of the man's staff, which merely consisted of a housekeeper, a chauffer/gardener, a cook, a mechanic, two security personnel, and now a full time nurse. However, that didn't compare to her astonishment when she discovered just how little the staff was used. Aside from the bare minimum, they had relatively no duties. They were rarely even in the actual mansion, but spent most of their time in smaller house that could be found toward the back of the grounds. That made her wonder why she had been put up in the main house, and not with the rest of the staff. But she decided to file that question away until she could ask the man himself.
She didn't have the privilege meeting Luthor, until later that evening. He had just returned from the hospital, where they had done a spinal tap to make sure that the cancer hadn't spread to his spinal fluid, and inserted a Hickman central venous catheter. The experience had left him in a fairly unpleasant mood, which had unfortunately carried over into their introduction. He wasn't overly rude, but certainly not friendly. Of course she hadn't expected a man, who had found out yesterday that he was inflicted with cancer, would be all smiles. They shared a brief dinner during which they discussed the fine details of his treatment and slight changes that would have to be make to his lifestyle. He had been quite compliant with all of her requests; however, there were some things that he refused to alter. One of those being what he did with his social life.
"Look, you can't go. I mean you're still on a constant IV. You're so adamant about no one finding out that you're sick. How do you plan on hiding an IV pole?"
He smirked at her. "I believe you informed me that this would be finished by around eight, which is hours before I even plan on leaving. So, you'll have to come up with something better than that."
Gabby cursed under her breath. She had hoped that he would have forgotten about that little detail. But she should have known that it wouldn't have escaped his mind, nothing else did. "What about the nausea? I can tell by looking at you, that you're not feeling well."
"I've been nauseous all week, it's nothing I can't handle. Also, you've never had the opportunity to see me at my best. So, I highly doubt that you can gauge my well being by my appearance." Lex calmly retorted. He watched with amusement as she struggled to come up with another reason for him not to go, and then added, "If you are so concerned about my attending this party, why don't you accompany me?"
"Go with you?" She asked dubiously.
Lex raised an eyebrow at that. "Unless you feel that being seen with a Luthor would be too scandalous." He stated with mock offense.
Gabby couldn't help feeling guilty. She knew he wasn't truly upset, but she still felt bad. "Fine, I'll go with you. But, you have to promise me that if you feel sick at all you will tell me so we can leave."
"Whatever you wish." He gave her a half smile, and then stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me." He grabbed his IV pole and left the room.
Lex made his way upstairs, through his bedroom, and into the bathroom. After splashing some cool water on his face, he looked up at his reflection in the mirror. He looked just as terrible as he felt. His sweat-slicked skin was paler and drawn more tightly against his cheekbones. His blood shot eyes and the dark circles underneath them offset his ghastly facial features. He looked from his face to where his shirt was covering the exit site of the catheter that was located beneath his right collarbone. The insertion and exit sites were still tender, but not awful painful. His eyes traveled from his chest to the IV bag on the pole beside him. It had been his shadow, his over-looming shadow, one that he wasn't going to lose anytime soon.
He hadn't really known what to expect. Sure Gatemen and Gabby had run down the list of possible side effects, but nothing can truly prepare you for it. For someone who hadn't taken any non-recreational drugs since he was nine, it was quite a change. Every five weeks, he would receive three doses of daunorubicin in three days, and a continuous dose of cytarabine over five days. Then over the following two weeks he would receive a dose of cytarabine every twelve hours, and finally two weeks of rest before it started all over again. Along with the chemo drugs came the allopurinol to protect his liver, the dexamethasone eye drops to prevent conjunctivitis, and ondastetron to ease some of the nausea and vomiting.
At times Lex highly doubted the usefulness of the last one. In his opinion he had become much too acquainted with his bathroom floor. He had pretty much spent the last four days and three nights in this room. Eating had practically ceased as well during that time. Nothing wanted to stay down, and Lex had wanted to give up trying. If Jenkins was upset about the demand for his services before, he was furious now. Lex had overheard him shouting something about gourmet chiefs being paid to make broth and toast. Of course tonight, he had actually gotten to put vegetables and meat in the broth, and the toast was replaced with crackers.
Lex sighed as he pulled his attention away from the mirror. He shut the bathroom door, and then turned on the warm bathwater. He pulled the shower curtain closed to make the air surrounding the tub steamier. He peeled his cut-off t-shirt over his head, and tossed it on the floor. After stepping out of his sweatpants, he looked down at his cloths. Gone were the silk shirts and dress pants. They had been replaced with old cotton t-shirts, which were mostly cut-offs, and flannel sweatpants.
Truthfully, he didn't really miss his fancy cloths. Sure they were comfortable and showed off his body better, but they didn't provide the warm cozy feeling that the sweats did. The sweats were great for bumming around in, plus they didn't stick to him. He wondered how the fact that silk clung to the smallest bit of moisture had escaped him, especially since he owned quite a lot of silk. But it had. Now, even the thought of wearing it made him groan. Even the sheets had to go. He would never have thought that his silk sheets could be anything but comfortable. But after what little of Monday night he had actually spent in his bed, he had them replaced with flannel ones.
Lex shut the water off, checked the seal of his catheter dressing, and then climbed into the colossal tub. The light showed through the black curtain creating a gray tint inside of the tub. The water was hotter than he had expected. He was going to be bright red when he got out, but it felt great. He leaned back against his tub pillow and closed his eyes. He considered staying there all night. However, after the argument with Gabby and the fireworks arrangements he had made, he figured that he better go to Clark's party. He smiled at that thought. The fireworks were going to be great. He felt that he was finally getting a hand of this friendship thing.
Chloe strolled up the Kent family's driveway. She practically had to park her car on the road. Half the high school must have shown up. She was starting to think that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to put that flier up in the cafeteria. But, it hadn't been all her fault. Pete had practically forced her to do it. Peer pressure, it could be a real bitch.
After she hiked up the drive, she managed to squeeze in the door. The house was literally overflowing with people, people who were doing a fairly good job at trashing the place. In the past five minutes, she had lost tract of how many glasses she had heard break. She finally spotted Clark making his way through the crowd towards her. She had to laugh at the site. He obviously couldn't see that it was pointless to try to clean up the mess while the party was still in full swing.
"So…this is what you call a small gathering, right?" She teased. He had to suspect that it was Pete and hers doing that all these people were here. But he wasn't accusing, which didn't bother Chloe one bit. She didn't really feel bad about it, she was just afraid he would make her stay and help cleanup afterwards.
"Do you even recognize half these people?" Clark asked. Truthfully, she knew less than that. "Hey, watch the glass!" He called as he rushed off to try and salvage the unsalvageable.
Chloe shook her head. Poor, poor Clark, the boy had no clue what he was doing. He should have known to hide the glass, and whip out the paper products. Chloe wasn't a big partier herself, but even she knew to keep the breakables someplace safe. She caught site of Pete and made her way over to him.
"Hey Pete!"
"Hey Chloe. What took you so long to get here? I was starting to think that you weren't going to show." Pete asked.
"I practically had to twist my dad's arm to let me come. He reminded me that at the last party I went to I came back with a homicidal love interest. But I was finally able to convince him." She said with a smile. She paused for a minute to take in the crowd around her. Then asked, "So…do you feel at all guilty about the way this thing turned out?"
"The party? No! This is great. If we had left it up to Clark, it would have been me, you, Clark and Lana. And we all know how much fun that would have been. I don't know about you, but I prefer this much more than watching him pine over her all night."
Well, Chloe definitely couldn't argue with that. Speaking of Lana, there she is, Chloe thought. I don't understand why Clark is so infatuated with her. Yeah, she's pretty, and she's smart and nice and all that other junk. But she really doesn't have much life to her. I would even go, as far to say that the girl is boring, but then I don't know her very well. Just then she heard fireworks going off. Fireworks? Who brought fireworks, she thought. She followed Pete, Clark, and a couple others out the door to get a better look.
"Clark, man, how cool is this?" Pete asked.
"Pete, why didn't you just call the cops? It would have been a lot easier."
"Hey, I can't claim credit. It wasn't my idea."
"It was mine." Lex walked up the group. He couldn't help but notice the slight glare that Pete sent his way. "Call it a party gift. I hope you like it."
"It's great. I mean it's just…"
"Don't worry about he police. It's covered. I know this kind of party can make or break a reputation, and I wanted to make sure yours was a hit." He looked around and noticed Lana standing on the porch, without her boyfriend. Wow, Lex thought, maybe she's finally come to her senses and ditched the jock. He turned back to Clark. "I hear you're taking a tour of my plant tomorrow."
"It's a class field trip," Chloe said.
Lex really looked at Chloe for the first time that night. Holy cleavage! Was the first thing that came to his mind. He had to wonder just who she was trying to impress tonight, because she was certainly doing a great job. He pushed that thought away, and turned his attention back to the discussion at hand. "What'd you do wrong?"
"It's that bad, huh?" Clark asked.
Lex suppressed a smile as he chuckled under his breath. Only Clark wouldn't consider a class trip to a fertilizer plant punishment. And to top it all off, they were going on a Saturday. He felt a pair of arms snake around him, startling him. He turned and found that it was Gabby. He smiled at her, she definitely was doing a great job of playing this evenings date.
"Sorry I took so long. Someone overflowed the bathroom." Gabby said.
Clark let out a groan, while dropping his head in defeat. "I'm officially dead." He sighed. "Any chance you think I can barricade the entrance?" He asked no one in particular.
"Not alone, you can't." Gabby said. "It has almost turned into an all out brawl to get in there."
Clark turned to Pete. "Pete! Since you thought it would be such a great idea to invite all of these people, I nominate you to help me."
"What makes you think it was me?" Pete asked, a little exasperated.
"Because I know you. You're the only one who would have thought this would be a good idea. So now you're stuck on bathroom duty. Come on, lets go." This said, Clark grabbed Pete by the arm and hauled him off in the direction of the house.
"Lex, I'm going to head back to the car. You are coming right?" Gabby wined ever so slightly.
Lex had noticed the guilt cross Chloe's face when Clark dragged Pete off, and had decided to tease her. "I'll catch up with you in a minute." After Gabby had left, he turned back to Chloe. "Why Miss. Sullivan, I would never have guessed you would let an innocent man take the fall for something you were obviously involved in."
Chloe starred at Lex, her guilt and shock quickly replaced with a sly grin. She would never pass up a chance to banter, especially with Lex Luthor. "Who's to say he isn't guilty? He did sound like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar."
Lex smirked at that. "Though I agree with you there, I couldn't help but notice the almost unperceivable blush creep up your cheeks. It seems as if he was stealing cookies for two."
"Even if he was, it doesn't change the fact that he is guilty. Besides, one must remain free to reap the benefits of the heist, or the sacrifice of the other would be in vain." She quipped.
"I admire your logic." He gave her a once over and went to leave. After taking a couple of steps he stopped and turned back to her. "Just be wary of the one sacrificing, for he will expect retribution." He smirked at her slightly worried expression, and then added. "It was a pleasure meeting you again Miss. Sullivan."
A flood of images of Pete seeking revenge filled Chloe's mind so quickly that she barely registered what Lex had last said. She threw a quick, "you too," over her shoulder before running off to fess up to Clark.
As Lex watched Chloe dash off his smirk turned into a real smile. He was looking forward to spending more time with Miss. Sullivan. He had a feeling that something very interesting was going to come out of this new relationship.
TBC…
