A/N: WOW I made it past the crucial Ch 12 mark.., Thats a record for me if you haven't noticed ;)
13. Strawberry Shampoo
"How did it go with Clark?" He had asked her when she had gotten home. She threw her purse and heavy coat on the plush leather chair. The coat had been the first thing she bought in Gotham. It was dark. Warm. It helped her blend in.
"Surprisingly well." Had been her response as she went into the kitchen to get a drink of water. The coat wasn't helping her blend in though. She remembered thinking.
Now they were lying on the couch, watching the news. It was their routine. Every time the 6 o'clock news was on, they would sit and watch it together. It had been Lex's idea. He was trying to bring the old Chloe back as much as possible.
She kept fighting it. The old Chloe didn't want to come back. There was only her. She was all that was left. Lex was going to have to get used to it. But only the fates knew that she was going to have to get used to it as well. Something inside her didn't want her to. There was something hidden deep inside her that demanded that she stay true to her former self, and not let her slip away. At least not yet anyway.
He was holding her. Smelling the strawberry shampoo he had watched her buy with such fervour. She had dragged him to the supermarket. Not a normal place for Luthors to go. Luthors usually went to the bars while the servants went to the supermarket. She had dragged him down the bathroom aisle. Past the toilet paper, and the tooth paste. To the shampoo section.
He told her that she could have the products sent to her if she wanted them that badly. She just scoffed at the idea and went about, smelling each shampoo. Closing her eyes like she was imagining the actual fruit, or plant. She spent an hour doing so. A whole hour smelling shampoo like it was going out of style.
What was he supposed to do? She would have hurt him if he had left her. He would have felt guilty leaving her there because she was smelling shampoo. So he stayed. For the whole hour. Watching her like she was mad. Completely had lost it.
Finally she had decided on buying the strawberry, after making him choose between the strawberry and sour apple.
He had told her that it was audacious to even call a shampoo 'sour apple'.
She countered by telling him that if he didn't smell them both and give her an answer she would make damn well sure that they would be in the store for another half hour. Buying him shampoo.
"I thought it was obvious that I don't use shampoo." He had said softly, into her ear so nobody else would hear. Everybody was paying attention to them now.
She had rolled her eyes at him, and told him that car wax would have to do then. That was when he shut up and bought her the damn shampoo.
Not a bad investment if he did say so himself. He absently thought as he pulled her closer to him.
He was giving her another day to prepare to talk with Pete, and Lana. Lana especially. She would probably push Chloe back into the depression she was slowly emerging from. Lana would pull the "everybody-abandoned-me-and- don't-forget-about-my-dead-parents" routine. Lana wasn't the only person on the face of the earth who has lost her parents, and she needed to get her head out of her ass to see it. If anybody could it would be Chloe. And knowing Chloe she would take pleasure in telling the brunette where to go and how to get there.
Another day to prepare how she was going to deal with crying when she saw Pete. Another day before she had to see where her father, and her had lived before all the crap about Lionel Luthor had started. Another day was all she needed. That was all he was willing to give her.
Anything more than one day, and he was back at square one. Back to where he was with her after she had feverishly cleaned her Gotham City apartment after the confrontation with Lionel. He never smelt so much cleaner in his life. But not a drop of bleach was used. He dared to question her but decided that it would be for the better if he left well enough alone. For now.
But that was a different lesson that Chloe would have to endure. That would be the psychiatrist's job. But he would be there when the secrets would be revealed. He had to be. She would get pulled in again.
And she would go back to Gotham.
Go back to using a hair product that smelled like beauty store.
What would Lex do with the new strawberry shampoo then?
13. Strawberry Shampoo
"How did it go with Clark?" He had asked her when she had gotten home. She threw her purse and heavy coat on the plush leather chair. The coat had been the first thing she bought in Gotham. It was dark. Warm. It helped her blend in.
"Surprisingly well." Had been her response as she went into the kitchen to get a drink of water. The coat wasn't helping her blend in though. She remembered thinking.
Now they were lying on the couch, watching the news. It was their routine. Every time the 6 o'clock news was on, they would sit and watch it together. It had been Lex's idea. He was trying to bring the old Chloe back as much as possible.
She kept fighting it. The old Chloe didn't want to come back. There was only her. She was all that was left. Lex was going to have to get used to it. But only the fates knew that she was going to have to get used to it as well. Something inside her didn't want her to. There was something hidden deep inside her that demanded that she stay true to her former self, and not let her slip away. At least not yet anyway.
He was holding her. Smelling the strawberry shampoo he had watched her buy with such fervour. She had dragged him to the supermarket. Not a normal place for Luthors to go. Luthors usually went to the bars while the servants went to the supermarket. She had dragged him down the bathroom aisle. Past the toilet paper, and the tooth paste. To the shampoo section.
He told her that she could have the products sent to her if she wanted them that badly. She just scoffed at the idea and went about, smelling each shampoo. Closing her eyes like she was imagining the actual fruit, or plant. She spent an hour doing so. A whole hour smelling shampoo like it was going out of style.
What was he supposed to do? She would have hurt him if he had left her. He would have felt guilty leaving her there because she was smelling shampoo. So he stayed. For the whole hour. Watching her like she was mad. Completely had lost it.
Finally she had decided on buying the strawberry, after making him choose between the strawberry and sour apple.
He had told her that it was audacious to even call a shampoo 'sour apple'.
She countered by telling him that if he didn't smell them both and give her an answer she would make damn well sure that they would be in the store for another half hour. Buying him shampoo.
"I thought it was obvious that I don't use shampoo." He had said softly, into her ear so nobody else would hear. Everybody was paying attention to them now.
She had rolled her eyes at him, and told him that car wax would have to do then. That was when he shut up and bought her the damn shampoo.
Not a bad investment if he did say so himself. He absently thought as he pulled her closer to him.
He was giving her another day to prepare to talk with Pete, and Lana. Lana especially. She would probably push Chloe back into the depression she was slowly emerging from. Lana would pull the "everybody-abandoned-me-and- don't-forget-about-my-dead-parents" routine. Lana wasn't the only person on the face of the earth who has lost her parents, and she needed to get her head out of her ass to see it. If anybody could it would be Chloe. And knowing Chloe she would take pleasure in telling the brunette where to go and how to get there.
Another day to prepare how she was going to deal with crying when she saw Pete. Another day before she had to see where her father, and her had lived before all the crap about Lionel Luthor had started. Another day was all she needed. That was all he was willing to give her.
Anything more than one day, and he was back at square one. Back to where he was with her after she had feverishly cleaned her Gotham City apartment after the confrontation with Lionel. He never smelt so much cleaner in his life. But not a drop of bleach was used. He dared to question her but decided that it would be for the better if he left well enough alone. For now.
But that was a different lesson that Chloe would have to endure. That would be the psychiatrist's job. But he would be there when the secrets would be revealed. He had to be. She would get pulled in again.
And she would go back to Gotham.
Go back to using a hair product that smelled like beauty store.
What would Lex do with the new strawberry shampoo then?