Lex set his newspaper down on his desk and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. It was nice to be home, even if home was in Smallville. After the weekend that they'd just had he would be happy to move on and forget all about his birthday…at least until next year anyways.
A soft knock sounded at his office door, and the door swung open before he could answer. It was Chloe, dressed in her coffee cup pajamas…and she was carrying a package in her hands. "Hey," she greeted. "I know you're busy catching up on work, but I just wanted to give this to you before I go to bed. Can you believed I forgot it in my room for the whole weekend?"
Lex smiled at that, knowing that she had been so bombarded with plans the week before that it was a miracle that she'd remembered to pack anything. "So the Caymans were pretty much a bust," she sighed and sat down in the chair in front of his desk, crossing her legs and holding his gift on her lap. "Don't worry, next time I promise that your birthday party will consist of a few gifts and a really big cake…possibly with a pretty brunette hiding inside of it."
"It was nice of you to plan a party for me either way," he insisted, trying to hide how actually touched he had been at the gesture…even if everything did turn out to be a disaster. "I appreciate it."
"Yeah?" she asked with a mischievous grin. "Well just remember that my birthday is March 5th. I wouldn't be opposed to Jude Law jumping out of my birthday cake either."
"I'll remember that," Lex smirked. He pushed the paper in her direction. "Have you seen today's Daily Planet headline?"
Chloe shook her head and picked up the paper. "Mob boss Dimitri Katz sentenced to serve fifteen years in state penitentiary; Governor Averman currently under investigation by FBI," she read. "Well good. Did they ever find out who the snitch was?"
"It was James Avery," Lex told her. "He'll be under investigation too, but that confession of his will help him get a much lighter sentence."
"Ah, yes," she dropped the paper. "It's nice to see that not all government officials look the other way…at least not all of the time. I wonder who will be the new governor?"
"They'll hold an election once this is all settled," Lex shrugged.
"Maybe you could run," she kidded. "You're very photogenic and I could write all of your press releases."
"If I ever do run for something you'll be the first one I call," he promised with a small smile. Chloe grinned back and they fell into a silence. After a few moments she shifted, a bit awkwardly, and rose to her feet again. She walked around the desk and forcefully handed him the package in her hands.
"I really am tired," she confessed. "I think I'm experiencing coffee withdrawal. Remind me never to do it again."
"Okay," he nodded, fingering the shiny paper and elaborate bow on the gift.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked. When he nodded she smiled again and wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly. "Happy Birthday Lex." He allowed a small smile to drift over his face and hugged her back quickly. She pecked him on the cheek once and then was gone from the room before he even realized it.
Once the door had closed behind her he looked down at the package in his hands, wondering what it was. He shook it, feeling the weight of it, and figured that it must be a large book. Never being one of those 'saving the paper' kind of people, he deftly untied the bow and ripped the paper open, to reveal…a book. There was no title on the shiny new leather cover, nor on the spine, and the outside edges of the pages were lined in the same gold that collector's editions often came with.
Curious now, he opened the cover, hearing the familiar creaking noise that resulted the first time that you opened a brand new book. A note from Chloe was the first thing that he saw, tucked in between the publisher's information (he chose to ignore the watermarked Wayne Industries stamp) and the cover. He picked it up and read it.
Lex,
Happy Birthday!
I really had no idea what to buy for the billionaire that has everything…so I had to get you an original. Trust me when I tell you that this is going to be a bestseller some day, and you'll own the first printed copy.
The book's incomplete now, and it still has a working title, because…well I guess you'll see why…
Love Chloe
He was intrigued now, just as she had probably intended him to be, and flipped forward to the title pages and dedication. "Corporate Prince: Alexander Luthor," he read quietly to himself. "A Complete Biography, by William Curtis." Lex blinked in surprise, knowing the author, before flipping quickly to the dedication page. "For Lex, so the world will always remember how Great he was, CS."
He turned to the chapter listings and smirked at the headings there. Chloe may not have actually written the book, but he had no doubt that she had a major influence in the content. He flipped forward to the last entry, just before the pages turned blank, and read the last paragraph that was printed there.
"At the age of only twenty three years, Lex Luthor came into power in one of the largest corporations in the continent. Even as the mighty Titan fell, and the Prince took power, the world watched in anticipation wondering if the son would outshine the father. There was no doubt as to the man's greatness, but only in which way would it present itself to the world…"
END.
A/N: Okay everyone, that's the end of Episode 9…finally. I realize that the ending's a little campy, but try to keep in mind that the book was from Chloe, and that is how the Chloe in my universe sees Lex. Plus, I really just wanted to get it done.
A little preview for the next episode:
It's Halloween in Smallville, but don't go looking for a meteor-induced escapade…on All Hallows Eve the only thing that's affecting our favorite Smallvilleans is a little witchcraft… (duh, I know that was so lame)…
And for those of you who want it, I've enclosed the Table of Contents that I scribbled out in an earlier version of the Closer, the one that Chloe would have written for Lex's book. It didn't really make sense to write it in the episode anymore, but I thought you might be interested.
Table Of Contents
Chapter One Silver Spoons: The Luthor Empire
Chapter Two Meteor Capital: There's No Place Like Smallville
Chapter ThreeEducation System: Antics of a Bored Billionaire
Chapter FourHappy Birthday: Exile to Smallville
Chapter FiveLittle Green Rocks and Clark Kent
Chapter SixBlack Widows: Desire Atkins and Dr. Helen Bryce
Chapter SevenLittle Brother, Bigger Problems: Lucas Luthor
Chapter EightTrial and Errors: The Road to the Supreme Court
Chapter NineRise and Fall: Of a Titan and a Prince
To Be Completed…
Printed in Metropolis, KS. 2004
Copyright Wayne Industries
William Curtis