A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

By Allegra

See Part One for disclaimers etc.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As always, a big thank you to my lovely reviewers, especially Polly for all your long analyses! I hope this is turning into a worthy birthday present. To A - I will keep the Clark/Lana situation going, but it's going to be secondary to the Lex-angst plot I'm working up to. Speaking of Lex, Tandy, IrisHart & other Chlexers, I hope this chapter delivers a bit of titillation for you!

I know this story is a bit long-winded but that seems to be the pattern of my writing - sorry :)!! Anyway, the real Lex stuff is coming up now. Give it two chapters for him to really get himself into trouble & the whole gang will be involved in helping him out (cue Lana/Clark tension & Chloe/Lex stuff). Thank you all for being so patient.

CHAPTER 9 : ALL CHANGE

Lex's fists collided with the punch bag, first a left hook then a right in rapid succession. It felt good to have an excuse to pound something every once in a while, usually when corporate goons weren't budging. He had never been the fit kid at school, always wheezing from asthma, and with his shock of red hair and privileged background, Lex had always been somewhat of an easy target. He had quickly learned to play to his strengths - using brains to make friends and enemies alike. Physical prowess wasn't something his father had ever particularly admired. Lionel did not consider brawn an acceptable substitute for brains and he didn't believe the two could go hand in hand. Either you flexed the muscle in your head or you flexed your biceps, there was no middle ground.

Lex supposed that lesson was one of the few confidence boosting aspects of his father's teachings. He was convinced Lionel enjoyed watching him fail in so many departments, it wouldn't have surprised the young man if Lionel had changed his opinion just to sink Lex even lower in his eyes.

Thrashing his troubles out with the punch bag or a long session in the gym was just enough invigoration to keep Lex feeling fit and ready to tackle the day ahead. If someone had asked him why he had suddenly felt the urge to go down to the underground gym at the mansion in the middle of the night, Lex wouldn't have been able to answer them. However, if that person had asked a psychiatrist, the answer would have been crystal clear. Lex was feeling foolish and perhaps even a little vexed by his appointment with Dr. Stowe.

As a child, he had suffered too much from frail health and, as an adult, the possibility of reverting to such inadequacy was more than Lex could bear. He did not want to admit that there could be anything wrong with him and pushing his body to it's limits was the only way to put his mind at rest. Challenging and pushing was the Luthor way. It was the only way to conquer one's fears, as Lionel had told him countless times.

So, two hours later, after ten laps of each stroke in the pool, a few miles on the treadmill, some weight pulling and boxing, fatigue finally caught up with the young billionaire. He was satisfied, though, that the routine was enough to clear his conscience. There was certainly nothing wrong with his fitness regime so Lex grabbed a towel and headed out to the pool once more to savour the cold bottle of spring water he retrieved from the fridge.

By the time he had pulled out a sun lounger from the pool hut, he was already feeling more energised again. Usually, after such a long and arduous workout, he relished an hour to kick back and relax, maybe close his eyes for a few moments and tune the world out. Instead, the icy water slipping down his throat only made him feel rejuvenated and almost ready for another session in the pool. Refusing to obey the strange urges of his body, Lex slung the towel onto the floor, lay back and closed his eyes. A short nap was what he needed, that's all.

"Wow, Chloe, that's great!" Clark flung his arms round his friend in a bear hug. For a moment he felt her tense in his arms, reminding him of the unrequited love which still lay between them. Settling back into friendship was going to be tough.

"Congratulations, Chloe. You really deserved that internship. The work you do on the Torch is so good." Lana's eyes shone with genuine delight at her friend's good fortune. That was the one of the aspects of Lana Lang which inspired Clark, her generosity both in word and deed. He wished his own thoughts weren't tainted with the vague relief that putting some distance between himself and the blonde reporter wouldn't help their strained relations when she returned to school in the fall.

Pete plonked himself down on the sofa beside Chloe and ran one arm round her shoulder, squeezing it. "You must be psyched. Guess they must know raw talent when they see it."

Chloe grinned, unable to contain her own excitement. The phone call had come early that morning before school and she had babbled for the entire bus journey. Now, happily housed in the Talon for a hard-earned mocha coffee and some highly valued chin-wagging with her favourite people, life couldn't be more perfect. "I still can't believe it," she smiled, "I'm actually going to spend my summer working on a real newspaper. School breaks up tomorrow and I've got the summer job of a lifetime."

"Yeah, someone's got a guardian angel on their side," Lana added. She didn't envy Chloe. Goodness knows the girl had worked hard enough to earn such a break but the prospect of the future months serving coffee at the Talon wasn't exactly high flying stuff for her; in fact it wasn't even interesting. With Whitney fighting for his country and Nell busy with her latest squeeze the summer wasn't shaping up to well for her.

Clark had offered to take her camping for a weekend with Pete in tow and the idea had sounded fantastic until Saturday's debacle. From the moment their lips had touched, Lana had known it could only end badly. Part of her wanted Clark, of course it did, but a larger part knew how much she valued him as a friend. She didn't want to jeopardise that any more than he did and, if the truth be told, the teenager was enjoying being single for a while. With a boyfriend like Whitney there were always compromises - football games and nights when he'd go out with the guys in place of a date with her. She wasn't saying Clark would be the same but it was nice not to have to even contemplate it.

Her gaze wandered to the dark-haired teenager across the table, the way his blue eyes widened with animation as he listened to Chloe regaling them with stories. To an outsider, Clark Kent must seem the greatest catch in Smallville, maybe even Kansas. Tall, athletic, handsome, caring, fairly academic and the saviour of countless unfortunate victims in the small Tornado Valley town. But if those same outsiders knew the secrets he hid, maybe they wouldn't be so quick to embrace him. It wasn't the big secrets or lies, it was the small untruths, the omission of facts or avoidance of confrontation about situations that irked Lana. Maybe one day he would let her in the way she had him. "I'd better get back to work, guys. What can I get you?"

Pete went for his usual americano and Clark couldn't resist the creamy hot chocolate Lana made so well. Chloe grabbed the menu. "Tonight, I'm celebrating, so I'm going for something a bit special. I'll have one of those..." she said, pointing to a bizarre coffee concoction with hazelnut syrup and chocolate sprinklings on top, "...and a slice of the apple pie looks great."

Clark sat back in his chair, "Hey, you don't have to pay for pie, Chloe. My mom would make you one all of your very own."

"Is that so? Well, I guess I'll just have to stop by the Kent place later and see if I can scrounge a celebratory pie."

Lana disappeared off to prepare the drinks, casting a wistful glance back in the direction of the merry group. Busying herself with espresso machine, she took the moment of calm to survey Clark's features. She had done it countless times in her own head since Saturday night, relived the way he had leaned in to kiss her. She could still feel the touch of his skin against hers, inhale the clean smell of after shave and fresh straw. If only things weren't the way they were, if only the Clark Kent who wanted her so badly was the same Clark Kent she wanted for herself.

"A penny for them?" The husky voice was instantly recognisable and pulled Lana from her reverie in embarrassment. Lex Luthor smiled innocently at her. She could tell from the way his eyes followed her gaze to where her friends were sitting that he knew she'd been watching Clark. Yet, with his usual diplomacy, he made no mention of it.

She smiled in discomfiture and pulled her hair back behind her ears, unconsciously. "It's nothing, just tired I guess."

Lex leaned forward on the counter, watching her carefully as she fumbled with the coffee beans. "School's out for summer tomorrow, isn't it? You must be looking forward to a break."

Lana rolled her eyes. "Yeah, except that school will just be replaced with shifts in this place."

Lex's brow furrowed slightly. "Lana, balancing life and work is a precarious act but it's important to give yourself some freedom."

"This from a Luthor? Are you telling me that you and your father got to such an elevated position through play as well as work."

Lex smiled, thoughtfully. "Touche. But don't forget you're only sixteen, Lana. A better life won't come to you behind a coffee shop counter but it's not exactly like time's running out on you."

Lana nodded, comprehending his words only too well. If she didn't want to be a waitress for the rest of her life and be stuck in Smallville as so many citizens had been before, then she'd better heed his advice. Sometimes Lex's brutal honesty was disarming but she appreciated his frankness if not for the dissatisfaction it swelled in her heart then for hearing a voice that cut through the small town mentality Smallville was prone to generating. "Point taken. What can I get you?"

Clark glanced up from Chloe's glowing face to the figure standing at the counter with Lana. In his long coat, Lex cut a fine figure as he picked up a cardboard coffee cup and strolled over to the table. "I hear congratulations are in order, Miss Sullivan."

Chloe wished she could wipe the ridiculous grin off her face but it just wasn't budging. "Thank you, Mr. Luthor," she replied, returning the formality. She was about to thank him as well for his words of encouragement that night at the mansion but thought better of it. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate to mention a late night trip to Lex's in front of all her friends. The fact that she hadn't mentioned it before would only fuel rumours that she was hiding things from them. In a way she felt like she was.

Chloe knew she was just a school girl in Lex's eyes, no matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, but it made her feel special knowing of important executives he spoke to every day and the fact that a sixteen year old could still engage him in conversation just as well. In her head, she could still daydream that there was something desirable in Chloe Sullivan, even to a man who could have any woman he liked. She added with a wry smile, "Besides, you might not be congratulating me so heartily if you knew how many sample articles featured your good self in them."

Lex arched a suspicious eyebrow. "Just don't get the Metropolis Globe onto me as well. The Torch is one thing but I don't think even I could cope with a flock of city journalists without squirming." Of course, that was a lie, but he could tell Chloe understood he was teasing.

She laughed, "I'll try to keep the wolves at bay, but I don't know, Lex. You have a strange way of getting involved with the weird and wacky headline stories these days."

He chose to ignore that comment. It was true that he had been involved in his fair share of public ordeals in the past. Even dismissing his unruly behaviour in Metropolis as a teenager, Smallville had thrown up its fair share of anomalies - invisible boys, car crashes, shape shifters posing as him to rob banks... The list was getting pretty long and before long it wouldn't even be funny thinking about how many times he featured on Chloe's 'Wall of Weird'. It didn't exactly make him or LuthorCorp look good.

Lex turned his attention to Clark, "Clark, did you still want to bend my ear about something?"

Clark frowned, trying to recall what his companion was referring to. "Oh, no, that was nothing. Just...nothing." Mentioning his love life issues in front of Chloe and Pete was not a clever move.

"Fine. Well, you guys have a good evening." Lex was subtle enough to take the hint and headed for the door.

The midsummer warmth of a blood red sun melted like butter over the Kent farmstead. Evening was drawing on, Martha's favourite time of day. The hard labour was done and the world was winding down. She looked forward to snuggling up to her husband out on the porch swing, a hot cup of coffee in her hand and the smell of straw lingering on his shirt as she leaned against his chest. Tonight was going to be one of those evenings when the stars were bright in the sky and everything was perfect.

"Here you go, sweetheart." Martha handed Jonathan a mug of freshly ground coffee and sat down beside him. She stared out across the fields and sighed contentedly.

Jonathan draped a strong arm around her shoulders. "I know what you're thinking about," he murmured in her ear as he kissed the top of her head.

"Mmmm," she replied. Martha didn't need to say any more. Whenever she had the chance to take stock of her life, she thanked the Lord for the miracle he had sent her. A son so perfect she couldn't have envisaged better.

"And there he is," Jonathan smiled, tilting his head in the direction of their dark-haired son scaling the porch steps. Clark approached them, his boots clonking on the wooden boards. "You're home late." Jonathan heard Clark's sigh but couldn't help the instinctively protective paternal tone in his voice. It was only natural to be concerned on a school night, even if the summer holidays started the next day.

"Yeah, sorry," was all the teenager mustered up in response.

"How was Chloe's celebration?" Martha enquired.

"It was nice. It was good to see her happy." Clark leaned leisurely against the porch banisters and followed his parents' gaze out over their property stretching into the distance. "Listen, mom, dad, I don't want you to freak or anything but..." He paused a little too long and Martha swooped on him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Clark, what is it? You can tell us." Her urgent voice wasn't exactly the epitome of reassurance but Clark could already imagine the scenario in her head.

"What did you do?" Jonathan stabbed.

"Dad, mom, calm down. I didn't do anything! There's just...well, I didn't exactly tell you the whole story about the tramp the other night. There was something else."

"Something else?" Martha queried, trying hard to steady the concern in her voice.

"I got really weak, like I do around kryptonite." His parents sat quietly for a moment, weighing up what that knowledge implied. Clark continued, "But the thing is, he's still out there..."

"No, Clark. I don't want you going out in those woods after him." Martha's voice was severe and desperate to exert some kind of authority. It made no difference that her son could handle himself better than a wrestler, she worried like any other mother about him getting hurt.

To her relief, Jonathan backed her up. "Your mother's right, Clark. The woods are dangerous and even if you do find this man, unless you're going to encase yourself in lead, you'll be defenceless."

"So what are you suggesting I do?" Clark retorted. "Come on, you've seen the papers - full of all the weird side effects people have suffered due to kryptonite exposure. None of them are good. This man threw me to the ground and he kept looking at Lana! What if he follows her or assaults someone? I couldn't live with myself. Mom, Dad, I'm the only one who can see the kryptonite in his veins, the only person who can see the lethal potential in this guy. I've got to do something!"

Their son's agitation was obvious and the Kents knew that he was right. Just a moment's worried exchange was all they needed to agree. Jonathan sighed wearily, "Fine, but I'm coming with you. We'll track this man together, do you hear?" Clark opened his mouth to protest but found himself thwarted. "No arguments, son. You know you can't bring him in alone."

The impressive Scottish mansion appeared out of the night gloom like a scene directly from a Gothic novel. The imposing wrought iron gates were full of forbidding as Chloe drew up to the side of the driveway. She braced herself as she rang the intercom buzzer and waited for an answer. Wondering, too late, if it was past considerate visiting hours, she glanced anxiously at her watch. Unless Lex Luthor had suddenly started bedding down at school kid hours, he should still be up and about. Besides, there were plenty of lights glowing in the countless stained glass windows.

"Hello?" The voice was unfamiliar, distorted through the tinny intercom system.

Chloe leaned close to the receiver. "My name's Chloe Sullivan. I'm a friend of Lex's." She hoped that last part wouldn't be considered too much of an elaboration on the truth. After all, she had only interviewed him professionally a few times for the Torch but since then, she had shared a few private conversations with him - near the woods and at his mansion. The word 'friend' might be taking a liberty but hopefully Lex would let it slip.

To her relief, the gate whirred open and Chloe stepped inside the grounds, slowly picking her way up the path to the front door. The door opened just as she raised her hand to knock and a man, whose stuffy garb implied he was the butler, showed her into the hallway. It never failed to impress. The oak panelled walls, coats of arms and antique furniture was a perfect means of intimidating any potential Luthor rivals or business associates. Everything about the castle reeked of the hard-edged businessman - astute, contained, not flamboyant but expensively tasteful.

The man showed her quickly into Lex's study. "Mr. Luthor will be with you shortly. Make yourself comfortable." Chloe smiled graciously and, as soon as the door was closed, took the rare opportunity to dissect the few personal effects scattered around the room. Most of the furniture and frivolities were not even Lex's but artefacts brought with the castle or dusted off from the attic. The range of books around the room was impressive but did not tell Chloe anything more than she already knew about Lex from his occasional lectures - some history, Greek mythology and philosophy.

As her eye travelled along the shelf, Chloe caught sight of a well-worn book which had probably seen several generations of fingers thumbing through its pages. She pulled it out for a closer look, turning to the frontispiece for a date. Her eyes widened - 'The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner' by James Hogg, 1824. The only place she'd be likely to see such an relic would be in a museum and, even then, behind glass where sticky fingers could not spoil it.

"A first edition." Chloe whirled at the sound of Lex's husky voice in her ear.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Not at all. It's one of my favourites." Lex took the book from her and scanned the first few pages, a small smile crossing his lips as he cursively read words he had not seen in so long.

Chloe edged forward, looking from Lex to the book he cradled like a child. "One of the relics from your dad's attic?"

Lex shook his head, his gaze still lingering on a passage in the book. "From my private collection actually. My father never appreciated Gothic literature very much. He considered it too melodramatic for his taste." Lex glanced up at Chloe's interested face. "Have you read it?"

"No. I've never heard of it actually. Would I like it?"

Lex placed the book sentimentally on the desk and leaned against the edge. "It's about a man who believed his religious beliefs had already saved him from Hell, that he would join the kingdom of Heaven regardless of the sins he committed. So, a stranger arrived and prompted the man to commit a series of horrifying crimes including murdering his half-brother, mother, a girl and a preacher, all under the supposed auspices of divine justice. Eventually, he started to believe that the then-deceased stranger was in fact the Devil and exhumed his body. Upon examination, he found that the skull had two horn-like protuberances." Lex's steady blue eyes pierced Chloe's in search for the first response.

She swallowed dryly. "He killed his own half-brother and mother and thought he was beyond reprimand? That sounds awful."

Lex smiled sadly. Everyone's response to the novel were the same. "Perhaps. Some men walk a darker path than we could ever understand."

Chloe shook her head. Given a neutral subject to discuss, she felt more secure and on even ground. "I think that's a convenient excuse for someone's behaviour. No one falls into darkness without first leaning towards it, rationalising it."

Lex nodded, mutely. Chloe was quite unlike her other friends. She had a hard, determined edge which he found very appealing. Both Clark and Lana were almost too perfect in their perspectives on life, too willing to find a reason to forgive and make the world aright. He knew otherwise, he knew that not everyone can be saved and that some people's mistakes were unforgivable. Chloe did, too. Beneath her sunny demeanour, there was a steeliness worthy of any Luthor employee. "Would you like to borrow it?" he asked, holding the book out to her.

Chloe regarded it slyly, as if she expected it to be poisonous. "I'm not sure. From what I hear so far, it would just make me really angry."

Lex laughed. "Please don't take my potted synopsis as a good guide. Perhaps we could debate the path of right and wrong in more detail then."

Was that he flirting with her? Chloe could hardly entertain the idea for long but his offer certainly implied that he would welcome seeing her again. She might be a deluded school girl, but she wasn't turning down the chance to spend more time with Lex Luthor, regardless of how uncomfortable he made her feel sometimes. "Sure. I guess I could give it the benefit of the doubt." She slipped the book in her bag and turned back to her host.

"Lex, I actually came here because there was something I felt I had to ask."

Lex raised his eyebrows with interest. "Oh?"

Chloe wrung her hands, painfully aware of how unappreciative this would sound. Damn, why did she always have to come and see him on negative missions? "I know this is going to sound awful but I just have to ask..."

Lex finished the sentence for her. "No, you got it all on your own."

Chloe frowned, "Excuse me?"

"Wasn't that what you were going to ask me? If I did pull any strings to get you that job after all? The answer is no, I didn't. You got it all on your own merit, Chloe. You should be proud."

Chloe felt herself blush under his close examination. Was she that transparent? "Thank you. I just...I guess... That was pretty rude of me, Lex. I'm sorry."

He batted a hand. "Forget about it. You lack confidence in your own ability, Chloe. Don't undervalue the talent you have."

She shifted uncomfortably. It was bad enough that she had come into his house bearing such suspicion but to be complimented in return was like twisting the knife in her misgiving heart. "Thank you," she murmured, unwilling to revel in his kind words. "Well, I'd better not keep you."

"Good luck in Metropolis, Chloe." Lex escorted her to the front door in true gentlemanly style and Chloe couldn't help but let her mind wander into the fantasy world where he might take her in his arms and kiss her. Maybe some time away from Smallville was a good device to keep her wild imagination at bay. In small towns there was always a danger of letting tiny parts of one's life overgrow the space they deserve. Lex was rapidly becoming the centre of her daydreams and Chloe couldn't let him damage her cynical journalistic mind any further.

"Thank you, Lex." She quickly darted down the path, aware of his sharp eyes boring into her back as the gates swung closed behind her.


As always, please, please, please, please, please review. It doesn't have to be anything big, just one word would suffice as to whether you like it or not. The only reason for posting it anywhere other than my own hard drive is to share it with all you lovely people!!