II. Lex and Chloe
He was everything that Lucas admired. Lex Luthor, candidate for office in the United States senate, possessed all that Lucas could only dream of.
Lucas watched as heads turned at Lex's approach. His hand hovered over the gun invisible under his belt. Lucas was always ready to protect his brother. Not one flicker of an eyelash when Lex appeared in public.
Chloe was conspicuously missing from the party. It had been natural for Lucas to search for her after ensuring that Lex was safe. Once, his brother told him that Chloe Sullivan was his life. The absence prickled his sense of control. He did not understand why Lex and Chloe are making this harder for him. He would not be able to rest if he could not watch them both.
Lucas straightened when he saw Lex heading for his direction. Usually, Lex would go about his business alone and Lucas would be the shadow. It was almost as if Lex did not want to acknowledge his presence in front of an audience. Yet Lucas knew just how much Lex valued him. He had accepted long ago that there were roles for them to play.
"What is it, Lex?" Lucas inquired immediately when the millionaire was within hearing distance. There was an urgent reason for Lex to head to him.
"I need a favor," came Lex's smooth voice. Lex steeped closer and took his brother's elbow. Lucas listened intently. He did not need to respond. Lex knew that he never had to ask. "I need you to check on Chloe."
Lucas nodded. He wanted to ask, but he did not need to. He'd do it anyway.
Lex offered his explanation. "I'm worried about her. I know you're familiar with the threats that come with who I am. I tried to get her to leave with me."
"So she's at home?" Lucas inquired, only to make his retrieval quicker.
Lex nodded. "We had a fight. It was-" He ran a hand over his face. "It was my fault. I flew off the handle. I just need you to make sure that she's safe, Lucas. I won't be able to apologize until midnight if I wait until this affair is over."
"You want me to bring her here?"
Lex shook his head. "I doubt she'd come, although I'd love it. I can tell her I'm sorry a lot earlier. But if she doesn't want to, then just keep her safe. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Lucas frowned. "Would you like me to send someone so I can stay here for you?"
"I need my best man out there, Lucas. I can't think of anyone other than my brother."
"Lex, I'm your guard. Chloe has hers."
Lex took a deep breath and for the first time since he found Lucas, Lex closed his hand around his brother's. "Lucas, I just walked out of our house after telling her that I'm not ready for a kid."
Lucas' immediate thought was that Lex must have done something so brilliant as a child to deserve everything he was getting now. The next was that his brother may be a genius but he did not know what to do with heaven when he got it. Instead Lucas said, "Chloe knows that. I was around when you two agreed to wait. Was she pressing the issue?"
"She gave me photo paper print out that she got from her doctor." Lucas could see Lex's lashes trembling when his brother closed his eyes. "I told her that I had to think about it. And then I left."
Lucas remembered being unwanted. It had not been a great feeling for a six- year-old to find out your real parents did not love you enough to keep you. "I'll see you later." He turned around and called his primary security officer and left instructions for Lex's safety.
He rushed to his black Honda, the perfect car for low profile quality performance. Lucas could not presume to understand what went on in his brother's head most of the time. Lex adored Chloe. Lex had ambitions. Until this moment, Lucas was pretty certain that he knew Lex's priorities.
When he arrived at the house, Lucas turned off the engine and stepped out, scanning the surroundings for any suspicious people or cars. He was as aware as, if not even more so than, Lex of the threats to their lives. He would have preferred not leaving Lex, but Chloe was as much a target as his brother was. While Lex was now surrounded by media and by his security detail, Chloe was left in the private sanctuary of the house she shared with Lex, a place so big you can scream without being heard from the other side.
Stealthily Lucas let himself into the house and up the long flight of stairs that led to the floor where the bedrooms were. The house was silent and still, and he could not take any chances of alerting anyone lurking around to his presence. He took out his wallet and slid the key out of the photo wad. He pushed the door open slightly and peered inside.
She was an image he would not soon forget.
Lying on the center of the bed, a jewel on top of cool silk sheets, Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The oxygen was meant to steady her racing heart, calm her tumultuous emotions. She successfully managed to make whatever was inside her even stronger.
Intentionally leaving herself blind, she gripped the hard metal binding on her middle finger and slowly, excruciatingly pulled it off. One hard stone bit into her flesh, but Chloe merely sniffled and held the ring more tightly. Without minding the material value of the symbol, she threw it away from her, not the least bit curious about where it would land.
Lucas bent to pick up the heavy ring. He twirled it around on his fingers. The diamond winked at him. "Geniuses are often the stupidest people in the world."
Chloe opened her eyes and sat up on the bed. Her eyes swam in tears. "Did he send you to make things clear to me? Did you come here to tell me how stupid I was to get pregnant when he made it clear that it's not time?"
Lucas shook his head.
Chloe appeared to calm down. "Did he tell you to apologize for him?"
Lucas denied it again. He walked to the side of the bed and sat down. "He sent me to keep you safe," he answered, "so he can apologize to you himself."
She released a half-smile, half-cry, as she threw her arms around him. "I knew he'd understand."
Lucas bit back a teasing comment that it had not been too apparent. "You've got to forgive him. He's not used to dealing with real people, with real feelings. In that respect we're like our father."
Chloe smiled at Lucas. "He should take lessons from you." She craned her neck to look for her ring.
"Looking for this?" Lucas took Chloe's hand and slid Lex's ring on her finger. "Now don't lose that again. And get your clothes," he told her, remembering that Lex would feel better if he were able to apologize sooner. "You're coming to the party with me."
"When you're my baby's godfather, you're the one who's going to get bossed around."
Lucas shook his head. "I'll never be any kid's doting godfather, Chloe. Don't even think about it."
He was everything that Lucas admired. Lex Luthor, candidate for office in the United States senate, possessed all that Lucas could only dream of.
Lucas watched as heads turned at Lex's approach. His hand hovered over the gun invisible under his belt. Lucas was always ready to protect his brother. Not one flicker of an eyelash when Lex appeared in public.
Chloe was conspicuously missing from the party. It had been natural for Lucas to search for her after ensuring that Lex was safe. Once, his brother told him that Chloe Sullivan was his life. The absence prickled his sense of control. He did not understand why Lex and Chloe are making this harder for him. He would not be able to rest if he could not watch them both.
Lucas straightened when he saw Lex heading for his direction. Usually, Lex would go about his business alone and Lucas would be the shadow. It was almost as if Lex did not want to acknowledge his presence in front of an audience. Yet Lucas knew just how much Lex valued him. He had accepted long ago that there were roles for them to play.
"What is it, Lex?" Lucas inquired immediately when the millionaire was within hearing distance. There was an urgent reason for Lex to head to him.
"I need a favor," came Lex's smooth voice. Lex steeped closer and took his brother's elbow. Lucas listened intently. He did not need to respond. Lex knew that he never had to ask. "I need you to check on Chloe."
Lucas nodded. He wanted to ask, but he did not need to. He'd do it anyway.
Lex offered his explanation. "I'm worried about her. I know you're familiar with the threats that come with who I am. I tried to get her to leave with me."
"So she's at home?" Lucas inquired, only to make his retrieval quicker.
Lex nodded. "We had a fight. It was-" He ran a hand over his face. "It was my fault. I flew off the handle. I just need you to make sure that she's safe, Lucas. I won't be able to apologize until midnight if I wait until this affair is over."
"You want me to bring her here?"
Lex shook his head. "I doubt she'd come, although I'd love it. I can tell her I'm sorry a lot earlier. But if she doesn't want to, then just keep her safe. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Lucas frowned. "Would you like me to send someone so I can stay here for you?"
"I need my best man out there, Lucas. I can't think of anyone other than my brother."
"Lex, I'm your guard. Chloe has hers."
Lex took a deep breath and for the first time since he found Lucas, Lex closed his hand around his brother's. "Lucas, I just walked out of our house after telling her that I'm not ready for a kid."
Lucas' immediate thought was that Lex must have done something so brilliant as a child to deserve everything he was getting now. The next was that his brother may be a genius but he did not know what to do with heaven when he got it. Instead Lucas said, "Chloe knows that. I was around when you two agreed to wait. Was she pressing the issue?"
"She gave me photo paper print out that she got from her doctor." Lucas could see Lex's lashes trembling when his brother closed his eyes. "I told her that I had to think about it. And then I left."
Lucas remembered being unwanted. It had not been a great feeling for a six- year-old to find out your real parents did not love you enough to keep you. "I'll see you later." He turned around and called his primary security officer and left instructions for Lex's safety.
He rushed to his black Honda, the perfect car for low profile quality performance. Lucas could not presume to understand what went on in his brother's head most of the time. Lex adored Chloe. Lex had ambitions. Until this moment, Lucas was pretty certain that he knew Lex's priorities.
When he arrived at the house, Lucas turned off the engine and stepped out, scanning the surroundings for any suspicious people or cars. He was as aware as, if not even more so than, Lex of the threats to their lives. He would have preferred not leaving Lex, but Chloe was as much a target as his brother was. While Lex was now surrounded by media and by his security detail, Chloe was left in the private sanctuary of the house she shared with Lex, a place so big you can scream without being heard from the other side.
Stealthily Lucas let himself into the house and up the long flight of stairs that led to the floor where the bedrooms were. The house was silent and still, and he could not take any chances of alerting anyone lurking around to his presence. He took out his wallet and slid the key out of the photo wad. He pushed the door open slightly and peered inside.
She was an image he would not soon forget.
Lying on the center of the bed, a jewel on top of cool silk sheets, Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The oxygen was meant to steady her racing heart, calm her tumultuous emotions. She successfully managed to make whatever was inside her even stronger.
Intentionally leaving herself blind, she gripped the hard metal binding on her middle finger and slowly, excruciatingly pulled it off. One hard stone bit into her flesh, but Chloe merely sniffled and held the ring more tightly. Without minding the material value of the symbol, she threw it away from her, not the least bit curious about where it would land.
Lucas bent to pick up the heavy ring. He twirled it around on his fingers. The diamond winked at him. "Geniuses are often the stupidest people in the world."
Chloe opened her eyes and sat up on the bed. Her eyes swam in tears. "Did he send you to make things clear to me? Did you come here to tell me how stupid I was to get pregnant when he made it clear that it's not time?"
Lucas shook his head.
Chloe appeared to calm down. "Did he tell you to apologize for him?"
Lucas denied it again. He walked to the side of the bed and sat down. "He sent me to keep you safe," he answered, "so he can apologize to you himself."
She released a half-smile, half-cry, as she threw her arms around him. "I knew he'd understand."
Lucas bit back a teasing comment that it had not been too apparent. "You've got to forgive him. He's not used to dealing with real people, with real feelings. In that respect we're like our father."
Chloe smiled at Lucas. "He should take lessons from you." She craned her neck to look for her ring.
"Looking for this?" Lucas took Chloe's hand and slid Lex's ring on her finger. "Now don't lose that again. And get your clothes," he told her, remembering that Lex would feel better if he were able to apologize sooner. "You're coming to the party with me."
"When you're my baby's godfather, you're the one who's going to get bossed around."
Lucas shook his head. "I'll never be any kid's doting godfather, Chloe. Don't even think about it."