"GONE"
CHAPTER ONE
Notes, Disclaimer, Archiving, Spoilers and Summary: See PROLOGUE.
UPDATE LIST:
"If you're gone-maybe it's time to come home." -If You're Gone, matchbox twenty
* * *
(One Month Later.)
2x(2 + 6)(x + 1) =?
3x(4 + 2) * 2x(3+5) =?
Chloe's pencil tapped back and forth on her Algebra II textbook, wondering if osmosis truly worked, and if so, would you go about it by placing your head against the back or the front of the book.
"While your impersonation of Ms. Spears is downright scary, do you suppose there is an easier way to signal for help?"
She moved in the deep leather couch to see Lex standing above her, hands in his pockets. When he'd moved, she wasn't sure, but it was a bit disconcerting to see him so close. She scooted back as far as the modern couch would allow and let him pull the textbook out of her hands.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was even doing it."
"You never stuck me as the type who would replicate her actions by choice. If you're that stumped, maybe you should call it a day. It's not as if it won't be here tomorrow." Lex didn't smile, but the look he bestowed on her wasn't particularly unkind, and she was confused. He was being nice. Lex wasn't nice. Not to her. Maybe to Clark, but after all, he *had* saved his life, and she supposed there was a clause in a contract somewhere that said you had to be nice to people who saved your life. She wondered if she would have to be nice to Lex, because he was trying to save her life right now. If not from death by algebra, and thereby boredom, than simply by keeping her occupied so she didn't have to dwell on. . . unpleasant things.
Chloe curled up in one of Clark's old sweatshirts that Martha had brought over with the produce two days ago. Lex didn't have sweatshirts lying around; at least, not the big ones that you could just disappear in when you didn't feel like seeing how loose your jeans really were, because the thought of swallowing that perfectly prepared meal was just too much to handle.
"Chloe."
She looked up. "Sorry. What did you say?"
Lex sat down on the table across from her and leaned close so that he could be eye-level with her. A part of him wanted to take her hand, but realized that she might be a bit freaked by that at this point in time, so he settled for a 'straight into your eyes until there's nothing else to look at' gaze instead. It was one of the few things that worked when nothing else would get and hold her attention.
"Stop." She looked up, startled, and dropped the hoodie strings she'd been playing with absently. "No, not that," he sighed, feeling like the big bad wolf and unable to help but smooth back some of her hair carelessly, inadvertently surprising them both. "I mean, stop apologizing. You have *nothing* to be sorry for. And stop walking on eggshells around me. You won't piss me off. I tolerate frustrating people on a day-to-day basis. What I *won't* tolerate, however," he continued, "Is the way you act around me. I'm not going to kick you out if you break something or want to have a temper tantrum. I'm not going to get upset if you need something and we don't have it here. Chances are, I'm not going to have half the stuff you need simply because I'm a guy and I don't *know* what you need." She would have smiled at this remark, but her muscles were out of practice.
"Treat this place like it was your home, Chloe. Because that's how it's going to be for a while. And I won't have you uncomfortable or miserable if there's something we can do about it. Understand?"
Chloe nodded.
"Good." He ran a hand over his scalp. "What do you feel like eating?"
Her eyes shifted away and he cursed his staring abilities. He *knew* they had to be worked up; she was no ordinary business partner and wasn't afraid of him. At least, he *hoped* she wasn't afraid of him.
"I'm not really-"
Obviously, other tactics would have to be brought into play. "-Enough lying," he cut her off; rising and feeling his temper start to simmer. "You haven't eaten in days, you look like a skeleton, and you've all but vanished in that sweatshirt. I realize that Clark is a buy guy, but seriously. If you don't eat something soon, I'm going to have to get an IV hooked up to your arm."
"But I want to vanish," she said quietly, not rising to his threat. "If I vanish, then it won't hurt so much. Everything is too bright, too loud, and too *colorful*. I can't stand it. I just wish it were all gray. At least if it was, then I wouldn't have to care."
He knew he was in very dangerous territory right now. "Care about what, Chlo?" Lex asked quietly, neither of them noticing the shortened use of her name.
She turned pain-filled green eyes on him, and he felt the anguish slam into him, worse than any one of his previous-and frequent-concussions. "That I'm still here and he's. . . not."
Two tears dripped heartbreakingly down her cheeks and he cursed himself for not having done this sooner. With a swiftness that was still gentle, Lex moved her over and awkwardly maneuvered his arm around her shoulders. Slowly, very slowly, she cried soundlessly until there were no tears left. Then she just stared at him and laid her head on his shoulder. He waited until her breathing deepened into sleep before allowing an angel-soft kiss to her forehead.
"You are going to get through this. I swear."
* * *
The next morning, Chloe woke up in a room she wasn't familiar with. It was dark, and she found that she liked darkness a lot. Darkness was good; you could hide from people in the darkness. She rolled over, closed her eyes, and went back to sleep.
* * *
Lex stared at the blonde in his bed. It wasn't the first time there'd been a blonde in his bed, and it probably wouldn't be the last. It was just he first time he hadn't had sex with her first.
Last night, after falling into an exhausted sleep in his arms, Lex realized he had a bit of a situation on his hands. Literally. If he put her in her own bed, as he had been doing for the past seven weeks, she'd wake up sometime in the night, wandering the halls like a ghost. God knew she looked like one. So he had one of two choices. Stay in this uncomfortable couch the entire night, and wake up with some aches in very odd places, or go up the stairwell in his office that led straight to his room.
After all, if she was getting sleep, there was no reason why he shouldn't.
So he'd carried her upstairs and gone to sleep at the early hour of eight. Apparently, Chloe wasn't the only one exhausted.
Now he had another dilemma.
It was Tuesday. Tuesday meant his weekly phone call from Lucas, who had been hinting about coming home for a brief visit. Lex wasn't sure he wanted to open that can of worms just yet. His brother or not, he was loud and obnoxious and very much a teenager. In comparison, Chloe now possessed the demeanor of a very depressed 30-year old orphan. And Lucas would shake things up quite a bit.
Maybe he could get him to push it off for at least two more weeks. It was Chloe's house too, and she had some say in the matter. He would bring it up to her over breakfast-which he would now be joining her at, as he would with all of her meals-to make sure she ate *something*.
There was also a project he wanted completed by the end of the week, and that was going to require more of his attention than expected. Lex settled on working at home today. There was no reason why he couldn't, it wasn't as if he *had* to be at the Plant, there was a very capable and well- functioning staff there, and he had a remote uplink on his home laptop.
That settled, he decided to let her sleep in his bed for as long as she needed to. He would check on her sometime after lunch and see if she'd woken up. Until then, there were calls to make, the least of which belonged to Lucas, around 10. It was their custom; Tuesdays at 10, and Lex saw no reason to change it now.
* * *
"So, is she wrecked?"
Lex leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his eyes. Why had he agreed to take this call again? "She's not *wrecked*, Lucas. She's grieving."
"Grieving enough to spend the night in your arms? Yeah, I'll bet it's grief."
"Lucas," he growled warningly, wondering why he'd told his younger brother about Chloe's current state of mind.
The younger teenager sighed. "Jeez. Protective, much? What, you think I'm going to corrupt her or something?"
"The thought *had* crossed my mind." Lex replied dryly, shifting his attention to the plant productivity spreadsheet.
Lucas made a rude noise. "Please. That's Dad's thing, not mine. Besides, doesn't she have any other friends to keep her on the straight and narrow?"
"She did. Except half of them are gone now. Lana Lang moved to Metropolis with her aunt, until the end of the school year. Pete Ross hates my guts because Dad stole his father's land. And Clark can only drop by so much."
"Man, they weren't kidding when they named it Smallville." He took a deep breath. "So. You want me to wait a few weeks until she's. . . *stable*?"
Lex's hand hovered over the mouse. "I beg your pardon?"
He could feel Lucas roll his eyes. "You don't want me to come right now, right?" He asked gruffly.
"Ah. . . "
Lucas became exasperated. "Lex. You said she's a mess. The last thing you need right now is for me to show up and throw her world upside-down, right?" There was no answer. "Come on. You've been debating how to bring it up ever since you answered the phone."
Lex was disturbed that he had picked up on that, partly because they'd only known each other for such a short time, and partly because Lucas was, well, a Luthor. And Luthors didn't do. . . nice. Unless there was an ulterior motive at work here.
"Do you need money?" He asked bluntly.
"What?!" Lucas sounded outraged. "Why would I need money?"
"Why would you willingly offer to do something like this?" Lex countered, closing the laptop and focusing all his energies on the phone call that had shifted into unknown territory.
A long pause. "You know, you're not the only Luthor who can do something nice," he said quietly into the phone.
Lex was dumbfounded.
"Okay then. Well, call me with a date, and I'll show up when she's ready. Talk to ya soon, Lex."
He heard white noise and then heard a dial tone, and slowly hung up the phone.
The day was getting weirder and weirder.
There was a rustling of noise and he saw Chloe stumble out of the stairwell and into his office. Her hair was adorably mussed, and there were pillow creases on her cheek. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, aware that he was staring at her and wondering how in the world he'd gotten in this position in the first place.
"Thanks. For um, letting me sleep. . . with you." She would have blushed, if there was any blood left in her system to do so, but it all rushed to her head and suddenly, the room looked black.
Lex shot out of his chair and caught her just before she fell. "Whoa, hang on."
Chloe ruthlessly pushed aside waves of fatigue and used his eyes like they were a beacon. "Sor-" the word died on her lips at his dark look.
"That's it." He reached for a wafer-thin phone resting on the coffee table and stabbed in a number with all the ferocity of a madman. "I need a chicken Caesar salad, cheese fries and a root beer in here as fast as you can. Two cappuccinos would also be appreciated." He had to restrain himself from slamming the phone down and turned to her expectantly.
"Chloe, you are dangerously close to being anemic. You're not leaving until you eat everything that comes through those doors."
She'd never seen him this angry before. Granted, blacking out wasn't high on her list of things to do, but it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Though cheese fries sounded really good. . . damn the man for knowing her favorite foods and putting them all together like that!
She took a deep breath. "I heard a mention of coffee?"
A slightly triumphant look flashed across his face before receding into what she was rapidly recognizing at his mask, something he hid behind every day. "You will also drink that when it comes. I have a suspicion that the reason you look half dead is partly because you're undergoing caffeine withdrawal. Just because Lana's not here to run the Talon and give you free coffee, doesn't mean you should go without it. We have several machines that can do the exact same thing, the only difference is that you won't have to wait in line."
Speaking of arrivals, Louis, the head of staff, and Lex's most respected ear at the Castle, walked in with a heavily laden tray. He set it on the table in front of them and lifted the silver covers off to reveal the food Lex had requested minutes earlier.
"Do you need anything else?"
Lex glanced at Chloe, whose eyes had nearly glazed over at the scent of the beverage she'd loved and missed so much. And it sure as hell wasn't root beer. "No, that will be all for now. Thanks."
He got up and reseated himself at the desk, flipping open the computer and continuing to work on the abandoned spreadsheet. He risked a glance over the slim cover. Chloe was gripping the bone-thin china like she'd been in the desert for the past year without fresh water. Finally, some progress. He allowed a smile and got back to work.
* * *
Chloe spent the next few days rediscovering her appetite for food and life in general. She tested everything the way a child tests cold water; with one toe, making sure that it's safe before proceeding. Gradually, she overcame her self-inflicted ban of coffee and drank so much of it, it was hard to tell where one cup ended and another began. There was something to be said for having your own cappuccino maker, she mused, sipping a vanilla latte while sitting on the main landing of the stairs.
She liked to come here and lean her head against a banister, counting the minutes until someone passed by, going from one end of the house to the other. Occasionally, she got the chance to see Lex's business acquaintances ushered in through the front doors and got an idea of why he was so jaded all the time.
These people were boring. She said so, quietly, while sitting by herself, as she took another sip.
"I've always thought so."
Chloe was proud for not splattering the precious liquid all over herself. She was starting to get used to his odd way of starting a conversation in the middle of her thoughts or just popping out of the blue.
He stood up and waited for her to finish her drink. "Come on. I have something I want to show you."
Lex walked them down a long hallway and stopped in front of a regular looking door. He handed her a key and used one of his own to open it. When they stepped inside, her jaw dropped. The entire room was gray. And not just one shade of gray, either. All shades, ranging from light to dark. But entirely gray.
"I suppose it's a bit redundant to tell you that this is the Gray Room, but," he shrugged briefly. "You can bring color and noise in here when and if you see fit. It belongs to you, and the only other person with a key, is me. Not even security can get in." He watched her eyes fill with wonderment. "That doesn't mean you should lock yourself in here for days at a time, but when it gets to be too much for you. . . "
Chloe let her eyes wander over the room. It was simple, and clean, if a bit plain. There was a small, twin-sized bed, nightstand, and large circular table in the center of the room, while a painted wooden bowl filled with gray markers rested atop. A light gray pad lay next to it. There were also two other doors.
Lex followed her gaze. "A bathroom and a closet."
There was one window, with long gray draperies that were currently pulled closed. One entire wall had a built-in, waist high bookshelf. All the books were gray. She wandered over to it and looked at some of the titles. Her old paperback favorites were mixed in with her schoolbooks and there was also some poetry that looked suspiciously like the type found in Lex's study. Displayed in the center of the console, was a flattened-looking CD player, and it currently housed Billy Joel's "Shades of Gray." At the very end of the shelf, two knobs protruded. She pulled and a desk lowered down. On it rested a brand-new Apple computer. . . in Titanium gray.
This must have taken hours. Days, even. And she hadn't heard a peep from anyone, least of all Lex, about it. He had done it for her. A wave of gratitude washed over her and for the first time in a long time, she could feel the beginnings of a smile. It still felt foreign to her, but she forced it out anyway. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you." Her voice was no more than a whisper, but her mouth was right next to his ear and he heard her clearly.
Lifting her clear of the floor, he squeezed her loosely. "You're welcome." Lex set her down gently, and Chloe had the sensation of coming back to Earth.
"I just realized something."
Lex looked at her expectantly. "What's that?"
"There are no mirrors in here."
It was good to see some of her reporter instincts kick back in. "You're right. It was done on purpose. If you want mirrors, Chloe. . . then you have to bring them in."
There was a huge metaphor to that, she knew. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to understand it yet. Suddenly she was very tired and wanted nothing more than to take a nap.
He must have seen it in her eyes because the next thing she knew, he was dragging her over to the bed and pulling back the dark gray comforter for her. She slipped off her shoes and climbed inside, asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Lex looked down at her, at how she looked completely out of place in the drab room. She was vibrantly colorful, something he hoped she would realize in the coming days. The room would be a form of therapy for her. He wondered if the day would come when she would be ready to leave the room and lock it up altogether.
'Someday,' he thought, closing the door behind him, knowing she would sleep the night. 'When she's ready.'
* * *
End Chapter One.
How's the pace so far? If things are moving along too fast (or too slow), let me know. The next chapter will be out soon. I just wanted to know if I could do this and if I'd get Lex's character right in the process. Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments.
Don't forget to review!
If you've made it this far, let me just re-announce that I'm looking for a Smallville beta for this and my other story. All information is on my author page; so let me know if you're interested!
Notes, Disclaimer, Archiving, Spoilers and Summary: See PROLOGUE.
UPDATE LIST:
"If you're gone-maybe it's time to come home." -If You're Gone, matchbox twenty
* * *
(One Month Later.)
2x(2 + 6)(x + 1) =?
3x(4 + 2) * 2x(3+5) =?
Chloe's pencil tapped back and forth on her Algebra II textbook, wondering if osmosis truly worked, and if so, would you go about it by placing your head against the back or the front of the book.
"While your impersonation of Ms. Spears is downright scary, do you suppose there is an easier way to signal for help?"
She moved in the deep leather couch to see Lex standing above her, hands in his pockets. When he'd moved, she wasn't sure, but it was a bit disconcerting to see him so close. She scooted back as far as the modern couch would allow and let him pull the textbook out of her hands.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was even doing it."
"You never stuck me as the type who would replicate her actions by choice. If you're that stumped, maybe you should call it a day. It's not as if it won't be here tomorrow." Lex didn't smile, but the look he bestowed on her wasn't particularly unkind, and she was confused. He was being nice. Lex wasn't nice. Not to her. Maybe to Clark, but after all, he *had* saved his life, and she supposed there was a clause in a contract somewhere that said you had to be nice to people who saved your life. She wondered if she would have to be nice to Lex, because he was trying to save her life right now. If not from death by algebra, and thereby boredom, than simply by keeping her occupied so she didn't have to dwell on. . . unpleasant things.
Chloe curled up in one of Clark's old sweatshirts that Martha had brought over with the produce two days ago. Lex didn't have sweatshirts lying around; at least, not the big ones that you could just disappear in when you didn't feel like seeing how loose your jeans really were, because the thought of swallowing that perfectly prepared meal was just too much to handle.
"Chloe."
She looked up. "Sorry. What did you say?"
Lex sat down on the table across from her and leaned close so that he could be eye-level with her. A part of him wanted to take her hand, but realized that she might be a bit freaked by that at this point in time, so he settled for a 'straight into your eyes until there's nothing else to look at' gaze instead. It was one of the few things that worked when nothing else would get and hold her attention.
"Stop." She looked up, startled, and dropped the hoodie strings she'd been playing with absently. "No, not that," he sighed, feeling like the big bad wolf and unable to help but smooth back some of her hair carelessly, inadvertently surprising them both. "I mean, stop apologizing. You have *nothing* to be sorry for. And stop walking on eggshells around me. You won't piss me off. I tolerate frustrating people on a day-to-day basis. What I *won't* tolerate, however," he continued, "Is the way you act around me. I'm not going to kick you out if you break something or want to have a temper tantrum. I'm not going to get upset if you need something and we don't have it here. Chances are, I'm not going to have half the stuff you need simply because I'm a guy and I don't *know* what you need." She would have smiled at this remark, but her muscles were out of practice.
"Treat this place like it was your home, Chloe. Because that's how it's going to be for a while. And I won't have you uncomfortable or miserable if there's something we can do about it. Understand?"
Chloe nodded.
"Good." He ran a hand over his scalp. "What do you feel like eating?"
Her eyes shifted away and he cursed his staring abilities. He *knew* they had to be worked up; she was no ordinary business partner and wasn't afraid of him. At least, he *hoped* she wasn't afraid of him.
"I'm not really-"
Obviously, other tactics would have to be brought into play. "-Enough lying," he cut her off; rising and feeling his temper start to simmer. "You haven't eaten in days, you look like a skeleton, and you've all but vanished in that sweatshirt. I realize that Clark is a buy guy, but seriously. If you don't eat something soon, I'm going to have to get an IV hooked up to your arm."
"But I want to vanish," she said quietly, not rising to his threat. "If I vanish, then it won't hurt so much. Everything is too bright, too loud, and too *colorful*. I can't stand it. I just wish it were all gray. At least if it was, then I wouldn't have to care."
He knew he was in very dangerous territory right now. "Care about what, Chlo?" Lex asked quietly, neither of them noticing the shortened use of her name.
She turned pain-filled green eyes on him, and he felt the anguish slam into him, worse than any one of his previous-and frequent-concussions. "That I'm still here and he's. . . not."
Two tears dripped heartbreakingly down her cheeks and he cursed himself for not having done this sooner. With a swiftness that was still gentle, Lex moved her over and awkwardly maneuvered his arm around her shoulders. Slowly, very slowly, she cried soundlessly until there were no tears left. Then she just stared at him and laid her head on his shoulder. He waited until her breathing deepened into sleep before allowing an angel-soft kiss to her forehead.
"You are going to get through this. I swear."
* * *
The next morning, Chloe woke up in a room she wasn't familiar with. It was dark, and she found that she liked darkness a lot. Darkness was good; you could hide from people in the darkness. She rolled over, closed her eyes, and went back to sleep.
* * *
Lex stared at the blonde in his bed. It wasn't the first time there'd been a blonde in his bed, and it probably wouldn't be the last. It was just he first time he hadn't had sex with her first.
Last night, after falling into an exhausted sleep in his arms, Lex realized he had a bit of a situation on his hands. Literally. If he put her in her own bed, as he had been doing for the past seven weeks, she'd wake up sometime in the night, wandering the halls like a ghost. God knew she looked like one. So he had one of two choices. Stay in this uncomfortable couch the entire night, and wake up with some aches in very odd places, or go up the stairwell in his office that led straight to his room.
After all, if she was getting sleep, there was no reason why he shouldn't.
So he'd carried her upstairs and gone to sleep at the early hour of eight. Apparently, Chloe wasn't the only one exhausted.
Now he had another dilemma.
It was Tuesday. Tuesday meant his weekly phone call from Lucas, who had been hinting about coming home for a brief visit. Lex wasn't sure he wanted to open that can of worms just yet. His brother or not, he was loud and obnoxious and very much a teenager. In comparison, Chloe now possessed the demeanor of a very depressed 30-year old orphan. And Lucas would shake things up quite a bit.
Maybe he could get him to push it off for at least two more weeks. It was Chloe's house too, and she had some say in the matter. He would bring it up to her over breakfast-which he would now be joining her at, as he would with all of her meals-to make sure she ate *something*.
There was also a project he wanted completed by the end of the week, and that was going to require more of his attention than expected. Lex settled on working at home today. There was no reason why he couldn't, it wasn't as if he *had* to be at the Plant, there was a very capable and well- functioning staff there, and he had a remote uplink on his home laptop.
That settled, he decided to let her sleep in his bed for as long as she needed to. He would check on her sometime after lunch and see if she'd woken up. Until then, there were calls to make, the least of which belonged to Lucas, around 10. It was their custom; Tuesdays at 10, and Lex saw no reason to change it now.
* * *
"So, is she wrecked?"
Lex leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his eyes. Why had he agreed to take this call again? "She's not *wrecked*, Lucas. She's grieving."
"Grieving enough to spend the night in your arms? Yeah, I'll bet it's grief."
"Lucas," he growled warningly, wondering why he'd told his younger brother about Chloe's current state of mind.
The younger teenager sighed. "Jeez. Protective, much? What, you think I'm going to corrupt her or something?"
"The thought *had* crossed my mind." Lex replied dryly, shifting his attention to the plant productivity spreadsheet.
Lucas made a rude noise. "Please. That's Dad's thing, not mine. Besides, doesn't she have any other friends to keep her on the straight and narrow?"
"She did. Except half of them are gone now. Lana Lang moved to Metropolis with her aunt, until the end of the school year. Pete Ross hates my guts because Dad stole his father's land. And Clark can only drop by so much."
"Man, they weren't kidding when they named it Smallville." He took a deep breath. "So. You want me to wait a few weeks until she's. . . *stable*?"
Lex's hand hovered over the mouse. "I beg your pardon?"
He could feel Lucas roll his eyes. "You don't want me to come right now, right?" He asked gruffly.
"Ah. . . "
Lucas became exasperated. "Lex. You said she's a mess. The last thing you need right now is for me to show up and throw her world upside-down, right?" There was no answer. "Come on. You've been debating how to bring it up ever since you answered the phone."
Lex was disturbed that he had picked up on that, partly because they'd only known each other for such a short time, and partly because Lucas was, well, a Luthor. And Luthors didn't do. . . nice. Unless there was an ulterior motive at work here.
"Do you need money?" He asked bluntly.
"What?!" Lucas sounded outraged. "Why would I need money?"
"Why would you willingly offer to do something like this?" Lex countered, closing the laptop and focusing all his energies on the phone call that had shifted into unknown territory.
A long pause. "You know, you're not the only Luthor who can do something nice," he said quietly into the phone.
Lex was dumbfounded.
"Okay then. Well, call me with a date, and I'll show up when she's ready. Talk to ya soon, Lex."
He heard white noise and then heard a dial tone, and slowly hung up the phone.
The day was getting weirder and weirder.
There was a rustling of noise and he saw Chloe stumble out of the stairwell and into his office. Her hair was adorably mussed, and there were pillow creases on her cheek. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, aware that he was staring at her and wondering how in the world he'd gotten in this position in the first place.
"Thanks. For um, letting me sleep. . . with you." She would have blushed, if there was any blood left in her system to do so, but it all rushed to her head and suddenly, the room looked black.
Lex shot out of his chair and caught her just before she fell. "Whoa, hang on."
Chloe ruthlessly pushed aside waves of fatigue and used his eyes like they were a beacon. "Sor-" the word died on her lips at his dark look.
"That's it." He reached for a wafer-thin phone resting on the coffee table and stabbed in a number with all the ferocity of a madman. "I need a chicken Caesar salad, cheese fries and a root beer in here as fast as you can. Two cappuccinos would also be appreciated." He had to restrain himself from slamming the phone down and turned to her expectantly.
"Chloe, you are dangerously close to being anemic. You're not leaving until you eat everything that comes through those doors."
She'd never seen him this angry before. Granted, blacking out wasn't high on her list of things to do, but it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Though cheese fries sounded really good. . . damn the man for knowing her favorite foods and putting them all together like that!
She took a deep breath. "I heard a mention of coffee?"
A slightly triumphant look flashed across his face before receding into what she was rapidly recognizing at his mask, something he hid behind every day. "You will also drink that when it comes. I have a suspicion that the reason you look half dead is partly because you're undergoing caffeine withdrawal. Just because Lana's not here to run the Talon and give you free coffee, doesn't mean you should go without it. We have several machines that can do the exact same thing, the only difference is that you won't have to wait in line."
Speaking of arrivals, Louis, the head of staff, and Lex's most respected ear at the Castle, walked in with a heavily laden tray. He set it on the table in front of them and lifted the silver covers off to reveal the food Lex had requested minutes earlier.
"Do you need anything else?"
Lex glanced at Chloe, whose eyes had nearly glazed over at the scent of the beverage she'd loved and missed so much. And it sure as hell wasn't root beer. "No, that will be all for now. Thanks."
He got up and reseated himself at the desk, flipping open the computer and continuing to work on the abandoned spreadsheet. He risked a glance over the slim cover. Chloe was gripping the bone-thin china like she'd been in the desert for the past year without fresh water. Finally, some progress. He allowed a smile and got back to work.
* * *
Chloe spent the next few days rediscovering her appetite for food and life in general. She tested everything the way a child tests cold water; with one toe, making sure that it's safe before proceeding. Gradually, she overcame her self-inflicted ban of coffee and drank so much of it, it was hard to tell where one cup ended and another began. There was something to be said for having your own cappuccino maker, she mused, sipping a vanilla latte while sitting on the main landing of the stairs.
She liked to come here and lean her head against a banister, counting the minutes until someone passed by, going from one end of the house to the other. Occasionally, she got the chance to see Lex's business acquaintances ushered in through the front doors and got an idea of why he was so jaded all the time.
These people were boring. She said so, quietly, while sitting by herself, as she took another sip.
"I've always thought so."
Chloe was proud for not splattering the precious liquid all over herself. She was starting to get used to his odd way of starting a conversation in the middle of her thoughts or just popping out of the blue.
He stood up and waited for her to finish her drink. "Come on. I have something I want to show you."
Lex walked them down a long hallway and stopped in front of a regular looking door. He handed her a key and used one of his own to open it. When they stepped inside, her jaw dropped. The entire room was gray. And not just one shade of gray, either. All shades, ranging from light to dark. But entirely gray.
"I suppose it's a bit redundant to tell you that this is the Gray Room, but," he shrugged briefly. "You can bring color and noise in here when and if you see fit. It belongs to you, and the only other person with a key, is me. Not even security can get in." He watched her eyes fill with wonderment. "That doesn't mean you should lock yourself in here for days at a time, but when it gets to be too much for you. . . "
Chloe let her eyes wander over the room. It was simple, and clean, if a bit plain. There was a small, twin-sized bed, nightstand, and large circular table in the center of the room, while a painted wooden bowl filled with gray markers rested atop. A light gray pad lay next to it. There were also two other doors.
Lex followed her gaze. "A bathroom and a closet."
There was one window, with long gray draperies that were currently pulled closed. One entire wall had a built-in, waist high bookshelf. All the books were gray. She wandered over to it and looked at some of the titles. Her old paperback favorites were mixed in with her schoolbooks and there was also some poetry that looked suspiciously like the type found in Lex's study. Displayed in the center of the console, was a flattened-looking CD player, and it currently housed Billy Joel's "Shades of Gray." At the very end of the shelf, two knobs protruded. She pulled and a desk lowered down. On it rested a brand-new Apple computer. . . in Titanium gray.
This must have taken hours. Days, even. And she hadn't heard a peep from anyone, least of all Lex, about it. He had done it for her. A wave of gratitude washed over her and for the first time in a long time, she could feel the beginnings of a smile. It still felt foreign to her, but she forced it out anyway. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you." Her voice was no more than a whisper, but her mouth was right next to his ear and he heard her clearly.
Lifting her clear of the floor, he squeezed her loosely. "You're welcome." Lex set her down gently, and Chloe had the sensation of coming back to Earth.
"I just realized something."
Lex looked at her expectantly. "What's that?"
"There are no mirrors in here."
It was good to see some of her reporter instincts kick back in. "You're right. It was done on purpose. If you want mirrors, Chloe. . . then you have to bring them in."
There was a huge metaphor to that, she knew. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to understand it yet. Suddenly she was very tired and wanted nothing more than to take a nap.
He must have seen it in her eyes because the next thing she knew, he was dragging her over to the bed and pulling back the dark gray comforter for her. She slipped off her shoes and climbed inside, asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Lex looked down at her, at how she looked completely out of place in the drab room. She was vibrantly colorful, something he hoped she would realize in the coming days. The room would be a form of therapy for her. He wondered if the day would come when she would be ready to leave the room and lock it up altogether.
'Someday,' he thought, closing the door behind him, knowing she would sleep the night. 'When she's ready.'
* * *
End Chapter One.
How's the pace so far? If things are moving along too fast (or too slow), let me know. The next chapter will be out soon. I just wanted to know if I could do this and if I'd get Lex's character right in the process. Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments.
Don't forget to review!
If you've made it this far, let me just re-announce that I'm looking for a Smallville beta for this and my other story. All information is on my author page; so let me know if you're interested!