GONE
CHAPTER TWO
Author's notes: Wow, I had no idea that my foray into Chlex fiction would be so warmly welcomed! Thank you to everyone who reviewed-and those who didn't, but took time to read it anyway. For anyone who's wondering, the story IS Chlex, and any Chlucas interaction is purely platonic. In my other SV story, however, it's the younger Luthor going after our brilliant reporter, so give that a check in a little while.
One more thing-this chapter's a bit longer, seeing as it's more narrative than dialog-y. I hope the length makes up for the time between updates.
Update List:
"If you're gone-maybe it's time to come home."
-If You're Gone, matchbox twenty
* * *
It took Chloe about another two to three weeks for her reporter instincts to kick back in. They weren't even at full speed yet, and it was more a necessity than anything else. But sitting around the castle all day was getting boring, and because she had a few more days before mid-winter break was over, she decided to start her own little investigation.
* * *
Four days after Lex introduced her to the Gray Room, he'd knocked on the door and asked to come in and talk. She was sitting at the table drawing scribbles on the thick paper, and realized that since she really didn't have anything better to do, and because he'd asked so nicely, that she would let him in.
If he noticed that the room looked almost precisely the same as when she'd been given it, he didn't let on, though she was almost positive he was searching to see if she'd brought in any mirrors. The truth of the matter was, she wasn't ready for mirrors. She wasn't ready to see herself, to see what she'd become. And she had a feeling it was going to be some time before she would.
"We haven't really talked about your," Lex paused, searching for the right word, "expenses. Everything you need, of course, will be covered, but I thought we should go over a few things."
She motioned to the other seat at the table and he sat gratefully, drawing out a thin black leather case and pushing it with two fingers over to her. When she made no move to open it, he continued, "Inside you'll find several credit cards and some cash that will be refilled when necessary. I've already set up two bank accounts for you, one here and one in Metropolis, from which you can draw freely at your discretion. If you require any more money, you can either come to me or use one of the cards-there's no limit on them."
Chloe's brows rose briefly, and he remarked offhandedly, "I'm still not sure that was the wisest thing to do-giving a very savvy woman unlimited funds-but my father assures me that in order to learn how to manage money, you need money. And lots of it, apparently." He considered the very odd conversation he'd had earlier with his father about the proper "allowance" for Chloe, and vowed not to let Lucas know that they were equals in that respect.
Lex cleared his throat. "Any questions?"
She shook her head slightly, keeping her eyes steadily on his in the same unnerving way they had been for the past five minutes.
"Right. Well, I've still got some work to finish-lunch will be in about an hour or two. What do you feel like eating?"
"Doesn't matter." Chloe foresaw the angry look on his face before it fully appeared and added, "I meant, I'll eat whatever you're having."
"Oh. Okay. See you at lunch."
Lex had all but left the room when she called after him. "That staring thing really works, doesn't it?"
Before he could answer, the automatic doors closed, leaving him with the image of Chloe staring after him.
* * *
The money sat on the table for a long time. Chloe stared at it, half- expecting it to spontaneously combust and turn the edges of the table black. When it didn't, she glanced at the very-mod looking clock in the corner and realized that she'd just wasted 20 minutes doing nothing.
As if her brain had permanently taken over and refused to let her body know what was going on, she found herself walking over to the pullout laptop. With a few clicks and keystrokes, she'd located the address that she'd require for later.
She reached for a thin, gray-what else?-phone. "Lex? I need to go into Metropolis next week. By myself. For the day."
* * *
Apparently, having a parent die was pretty much a blanket excuse for the inexcusable. Aside from a very minor initial confrontation about her plans, and a few more questions to get her transportation and meals squared away (Lex was very insistent about her eating habits) Chloe was safely tucked inside a sleek limousine, heading for Metropolis. Last night, she'd had some time to go over her plans and solidify them so she'd be all set for today.
Inconspicuously dressed in a pair of black pants and thick black turtleneck- it was always cold in the manor, Lex preferred it that way-with a big black satchel to hold her things, Chloe waited for the car to arrive by the LuthorCorp building. She'd made up some flimsy excuse that the elder Luthor had some of her father's files-which was complete BS, and Lex knew it; Gabe had worked for LexCorp, and his files were accordingly housed at the Smallville Plant-but needed to be in the heart of the city to accomplish her mission.
Being the smart girl that she was, she knew that losing the security Lex had put on her would be the first step. She didn't intend to lose them all day-that might incur future, stricter enforcement-just for about an hour or so, to keep them away while she finished what she had to do and so they couldn't report back to Lex-as she knew they would-on where she'd gone and what she'd bought at that time.
When the driver let her out of the car, she immediately headed for the public bathrooms outside the LuthorCorp building. 'They really *do* give a crap,' she thought, smirking to herself. Black clothes were switched for blue jeans and a slightly darker navy scoop-necked top and thrown inside the bottomless bag. She capped her bright hair with a red beanie and headed out the janitor's entrance.
Two more minutes down wet and poorly lit corridors had her exiting the other side of the block and she headed downtown. It wasn't until she saw the big white apple on the awning in front of her, that she allowed a tiny smile to cross her face. Watching 'Alias' had come in handy, and while nothing as drastic as dying her hair and getting another identity was required for today's outing, she *had* come to refer to it as The Mission.
Chloe pushed open the thick glass doors and walked inside.
* * *
Precisely 25 minutes later, she was walking out of the store, with a slightly heavier bag over her shoulder. There was an office supply store across the street and where she purchased a thick, white binder. That also went into her bag. She checked her watch and headed back for LuthorCorp. She'd been gone for almost an hour. Security would be getting worried. They might have already called Lex.
She would have stopped at a Mac machine to get cash, but knew that a performing a trace on the transfer and getting the video feed for a Luthor who knew his way around such problems wouldn't be very difficult. It was better that she'd said nothing as Lex handed her a few more hundreds and combined them with her earlier stash. It made for an easier transaction when she'd made her purchases and sped up the process so she could move faster.
One of the things that everyone (Pete, Clark, and Lana) had expected of her was the ability to obtain information, and quickly. It was part of her title. She was an investigative reporter. Or so she said. One thing they never took into consideration was the lengths she would go to get the actual information. If Clark knew *half* of what she did on weekends, falling out of Lex's window would have seemed like a walk in the park.
She'd done some pretty crazy things to get a story. Right now it was a tie between hiding in a dumpster for three hours, only to be emptied in a garbage truck that was driven to the outskirts of Metropolis very late at night, and the time she'd snuck into the penthouse apartment of a very prominent senator and had to fake her way out of it as a lost collage student. (Yeah, it hadn't gone too well.)
Not for the first time, she wondered why her father-the closest person to her on the earth, the man who knew her the best-had placed her with Lex. Why not someone like Nell? The Kents were out for the obvious reasons; Clark and money. Pete's family already had too many kids, and she had a feeling Judge Ross would not look so kindly on her "investigative habits," especially when they sometimes (most of the time) fell on the wrong side of the law.
But she had cousins in Metropolis; they'd come to the funeral. She hadn't wanted to see them then, but family was always a nice thing to fall back on. In her defense, she hadn't really wanted to see anyone that day, and her memory of it was still very blurred around the edges.
And somehow she'd gotten stuck with Lex. Or vice versa.
Poor guy.
* * *
Trevor Raines was precisely 23 seconds from walking into his boss's office to tell him that his best men had lost the young girl when he got a call from his main guy in Metropolis.
"We found Tinkerbell. She's only been gone for about 45 minutes-she ducked into the bathroom, and walked out, no different, just now. She apologized for taking so long and we're heading for the mall now."
He sighed. "Watch her like a *hawk*, Sam. She's smart and resourceful; if anyone can get away from us, it's her. He doesn't want her out of sight for at least the next six months; figures she's a bit of a loose cannon. Frankly, I don't blame him."
"Got it, Boss. She's getting out of the car now. We won't let her out of our sight."
"See that you don't." He ended the call and closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to gather his wits. Either way, he had to go see Him. He'd want to know, if he didn't already.
Chloe Sullivan was an extremely wise young woman. She knew how to make the most out of a situation. That she'd done something other than given his men the slip didn't even cross his mind. She knew what she was doing and he'd bet his next month's paycheck that she'd had her own agenda before the car even left the Manor.
He knocked on the door and waited for admittance.
Lex was sitting at his desk, fingers steepled, alternating his gaze from the computer screen to Raines himself. "What happened?"
"Security lost her for a short time. They have her back now."
"Is she okay?"
"She's fine." He took a deep breath and locked eyes with his employer. "If I may speak freely, sir," Lex waved him on negligently, "I believe Miss Sullivan had her own excursion planned before entering the city."
Lex nodded slowly, considering. And what he said next threw Raines for a loop. "I know she did. I was expecting it."
Raines was confused. "Sir?"
Lex rose from his seat and wandered over to pool table and lazily racked the balls into the triangle. "Let's just say I would have been worried if she didn't." He pulled a cue off the wall and leaned over the table, preparing his shot. From beneath hooded eyelids, he looked at Raines. "Was there something else?"
"You don't want us to find out where she's been?"
Lex released the cue with a satisfying crack. "It's not really necessary, is it? Let her have her freedom. After all," he moved around the other side of the table and sent two striped balls flying into separate pockets, "her father just died."
It was from the ironic twist of his lips and lilt to his voice that Raines discerned Lex either knew where the young woman had gone, or at least had a very good idea, and was content to let it lie. "Understood."
"Inform me when she's on her way home, would you?"
"Of course, sir." He pulled the doors shut behind him and Lex stared at the dark mahogany for a few moments.
Then he reached for the phone. "Lucas? I need you to go check out something for me in Metropolis."
* * *
Chloe realized she was being followed before she'd hit her third shop in the five-level mall. There were the good guys, the two security guys that Lex had briefly introduced her to earlier this morning, and she knew they kept a comfortable distance. Normally, she would ask them to dress in less conspicuous clothes and have them walk with her, but today she was feeling very solitary. Over the past few weeks, she'd gotten used to Lex popping in to check on her every now and then, gotten used to eating her meals with someone more suited to be her older brother than her father (she had a feeling Lex had personally requested that Lionel take his meals separately when staying in Smallville), become gradually accustomed to seeing his face before going to sleep at night.
The first time she'd woken up in his room, in his bed, her first thought had been as far from 'I've-been-mourning-my-father-for-two-months' as possible. It had been more along the lines of 'Oh-my-god, I'm-in-Lex- Luthor's-bed-and-I-don't-remember-how-I-got-here.'
That had been immediately followed by, 'Damn.' Then she'd realized what line her thoughts were taking and freaked herself out beyond words. He was six years older than her, he was *Clark's* friend, he was her *guardian*, for God's sake! Not to mention, emotionally unavailable.
Though she wasn't too big on emotion right now.
Even with her mind processing a thousand thoughts per second, she was sharp enough to realize when she was being tailed. Every time she turned unobtrusively to check behind her, the person evaded her. At first she thought she was imagining things, but she'd followed enough people to know what it felt like. It was almost like having a sixth sense; you felt their eyes on the back of your neck (when you had short hair, this was much more intensified than say, Lana), you got nervous, every turn you made felt like someone was making it too. You began to check yourself in every reflective surface, trying to catch a glimpse of your shadower.
She was very close to stopping short and demanding just who in the hell was following her-either security didn't know or didn't care, maybe the person didn't pose enough of a threat; but appearances could be very deceiving- when someone all but body-checked her into a garbage can.
It surprised her that she went down so quickly, and easily, and fleetingly thought that maybe Lex had the right idea with this whole eating theory. Then she looked up to see a young man, maybe early to mid-twenties, garbed in a black leather jacket and dark jeans.
"I'm so sorry," his voice sounded eerily familiar and yet insincere at the same time, "are you all right?"
Before she could answer, he'd gathered up her bags and handed them over to the two security men. They hovered so closely over her, making sure she was okay, that she was unable to get a closer look at him, and hadn't had the chance to fumble at his sunglasses to see what color his eyes were.
Inwardly cursing her luck and getting irritated at the way the two were fussing over her, she shot up from the floor. "Enough! I'm fine!"
A young mother walking past with her son shot her a disapproving look. Probably thought she was some spoiled rich girl.
'Well, she's got one-part of it right,' she reflected, automatically checking her satchel to make sure all paper and plastic was accounted for. 'But that doesn't explain why that guy was following me.'
"I'm finished." She announced purposefully, heading for the doors. One of the men radioed for the limo, which was waiting at the curb when they walked into the not-so-gentle breeze.
Chloe climbed in and rested against the plush leather gratefully. Being intrepid sure took a hell of a lot out of you. She was exhausted; mentally and physically. Her investigation would have to wait for later. When she got home, Lex would no doubt want a full report on her day-or at least an abbreviated, edited version-and she needed to start thinking about what to say.
She looked out the window and saw the bumper-to-bumper traffic.
For now though, she could close her eyes. The rest of it could wait.
* * *
Lex knew the two men Raines had placed on Chloe. Max and Sam. Sam and Max, two of a kind, both happy newlyweds to two lovely women waiting patiently at home for them in Metropolis. He decided that he would let today's indiscretions slide, even though there was no way Chloe should have escaped them, nor should Lucas had gotten that close.
But he was starting to believe that there was the occasional good in people and that sometimes, just sometimes, mistakes were made and learned from. That, and he knew Chloe would pick up on it immediately if he fired them.
The thought, however, crossed his mind, especially when he saw from his office window, Max-or was it Sam?-carrying her small form inside the manor. The first thought that flew into his mind was that she was injured, or had been harmed.
He moved from his desk and left the office so quickly that he nearly plowed into his father.
"What's the hurry, Lex?"
He spared him a glance and continued in the direction of the front hall. "You wouldn't understand."
That was why he didn't hear Lionel mutter softly, "I understand more than you think, son."
Because he was already meeting security at the door, taking Chloe out of the other man's arms and bringing her personally upstairs. She was out cold, but they assured her it was pure exhaustion. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, he had to agree and wondered if school in two days time would be the wisest move.
"Wha-Lex?" Her eyes opened, still cloudy with sleep.
He smiled gently in the darkness, grateful that she couldn't see. "It's me. Go back to sleep. We can talk later."
Her eyes rolled sharply at his comment, but closed so fast he wondered if they'd even been open in the first place. Within seconds, he knew she'd fallen back asleep-sleeping with someone gave you more than the average insight into that individual's sleeping habits-and absently smoothed back some of her hair.
She was finally resting. That was good. It meant she was starting to heal. The loss of her father was still raw, still deep, and would no doubt be affecting her for some time. But she was moving on, at least in the grieving cycle.
The question was, what, exactly, had prompted it.
* * *
End chapter two.
Author's notes: Wow, I had no idea that my foray into Chlex fiction would be so warmly welcomed! Thank you to everyone who reviewed-and those who didn't, but took time to read it anyway. For anyone who's wondering, the story IS Chlex, and any Chlucas interaction is purely platonic. In my other SV story, however, it's the younger Luthor going after our brilliant reporter, so give that a check in a little while.
One more thing-this chapter's a bit longer, seeing as it's more narrative than dialog-y. I hope the length makes up for the time between updates.
Update List:
"If you're gone-maybe it's time to come home."
-If You're Gone, matchbox twenty
* * *
It took Chloe about another two to three weeks for her reporter instincts to kick back in. They weren't even at full speed yet, and it was more a necessity than anything else. But sitting around the castle all day was getting boring, and because she had a few more days before mid-winter break was over, she decided to start her own little investigation.
* * *
Four days after Lex introduced her to the Gray Room, he'd knocked on the door and asked to come in and talk. She was sitting at the table drawing scribbles on the thick paper, and realized that since she really didn't have anything better to do, and because he'd asked so nicely, that she would let him in.
If he noticed that the room looked almost precisely the same as when she'd been given it, he didn't let on, though she was almost positive he was searching to see if she'd brought in any mirrors. The truth of the matter was, she wasn't ready for mirrors. She wasn't ready to see herself, to see what she'd become. And she had a feeling it was going to be some time before she would.
"We haven't really talked about your," Lex paused, searching for the right word, "expenses. Everything you need, of course, will be covered, but I thought we should go over a few things."
She motioned to the other seat at the table and he sat gratefully, drawing out a thin black leather case and pushing it with two fingers over to her. When she made no move to open it, he continued, "Inside you'll find several credit cards and some cash that will be refilled when necessary. I've already set up two bank accounts for you, one here and one in Metropolis, from which you can draw freely at your discretion. If you require any more money, you can either come to me or use one of the cards-there's no limit on them."
Chloe's brows rose briefly, and he remarked offhandedly, "I'm still not sure that was the wisest thing to do-giving a very savvy woman unlimited funds-but my father assures me that in order to learn how to manage money, you need money. And lots of it, apparently." He considered the very odd conversation he'd had earlier with his father about the proper "allowance" for Chloe, and vowed not to let Lucas know that they were equals in that respect.
Lex cleared his throat. "Any questions?"
She shook her head slightly, keeping her eyes steadily on his in the same unnerving way they had been for the past five minutes.
"Right. Well, I've still got some work to finish-lunch will be in about an hour or two. What do you feel like eating?"
"Doesn't matter." Chloe foresaw the angry look on his face before it fully appeared and added, "I meant, I'll eat whatever you're having."
"Oh. Okay. See you at lunch."
Lex had all but left the room when she called after him. "That staring thing really works, doesn't it?"
Before he could answer, the automatic doors closed, leaving him with the image of Chloe staring after him.
* * *
The money sat on the table for a long time. Chloe stared at it, half- expecting it to spontaneously combust and turn the edges of the table black. When it didn't, she glanced at the very-mod looking clock in the corner and realized that she'd just wasted 20 minutes doing nothing.
As if her brain had permanently taken over and refused to let her body know what was going on, she found herself walking over to the pullout laptop. With a few clicks and keystrokes, she'd located the address that she'd require for later.
She reached for a thin, gray-what else?-phone. "Lex? I need to go into Metropolis next week. By myself. For the day."
* * *
Apparently, having a parent die was pretty much a blanket excuse for the inexcusable. Aside from a very minor initial confrontation about her plans, and a few more questions to get her transportation and meals squared away (Lex was very insistent about her eating habits) Chloe was safely tucked inside a sleek limousine, heading for Metropolis. Last night, she'd had some time to go over her plans and solidify them so she'd be all set for today.
Inconspicuously dressed in a pair of black pants and thick black turtleneck- it was always cold in the manor, Lex preferred it that way-with a big black satchel to hold her things, Chloe waited for the car to arrive by the LuthorCorp building. She'd made up some flimsy excuse that the elder Luthor had some of her father's files-which was complete BS, and Lex knew it; Gabe had worked for LexCorp, and his files were accordingly housed at the Smallville Plant-but needed to be in the heart of the city to accomplish her mission.
Being the smart girl that she was, she knew that losing the security Lex had put on her would be the first step. She didn't intend to lose them all day-that might incur future, stricter enforcement-just for about an hour or so, to keep them away while she finished what she had to do and so they couldn't report back to Lex-as she knew they would-on where she'd gone and what she'd bought at that time.
When the driver let her out of the car, she immediately headed for the public bathrooms outside the LuthorCorp building. 'They really *do* give a crap,' she thought, smirking to herself. Black clothes were switched for blue jeans and a slightly darker navy scoop-necked top and thrown inside the bottomless bag. She capped her bright hair with a red beanie and headed out the janitor's entrance.
Two more minutes down wet and poorly lit corridors had her exiting the other side of the block and she headed downtown. It wasn't until she saw the big white apple on the awning in front of her, that she allowed a tiny smile to cross her face. Watching 'Alias' had come in handy, and while nothing as drastic as dying her hair and getting another identity was required for today's outing, she *had* come to refer to it as The Mission.
Chloe pushed open the thick glass doors and walked inside.
* * *
Precisely 25 minutes later, she was walking out of the store, with a slightly heavier bag over her shoulder. There was an office supply store across the street and where she purchased a thick, white binder. That also went into her bag. She checked her watch and headed back for LuthorCorp. She'd been gone for almost an hour. Security would be getting worried. They might have already called Lex.
She would have stopped at a Mac machine to get cash, but knew that a performing a trace on the transfer and getting the video feed for a Luthor who knew his way around such problems wouldn't be very difficult. It was better that she'd said nothing as Lex handed her a few more hundreds and combined them with her earlier stash. It made for an easier transaction when she'd made her purchases and sped up the process so she could move faster.
One of the things that everyone (Pete, Clark, and Lana) had expected of her was the ability to obtain information, and quickly. It was part of her title. She was an investigative reporter. Or so she said. One thing they never took into consideration was the lengths she would go to get the actual information. If Clark knew *half* of what she did on weekends, falling out of Lex's window would have seemed like a walk in the park.
She'd done some pretty crazy things to get a story. Right now it was a tie between hiding in a dumpster for three hours, only to be emptied in a garbage truck that was driven to the outskirts of Metropolis very late at night, and the time she'd snuck into the penthouse apartment of a very prominent senator and had to fake her way out of it as a lost collage student. (Yeah, it hadn't gone too well.)
Not for the first time, she wondered why her father-the closest person to her on the earth, the man who knew her the best-had placed her with Lex. Why not someone like Nell? The Kents were out for the obvious reasons; Clark and money. Pete's family already had too many kids, and she had a feeling Judge Ross would not look so kindly on her "investigative habits," especially when they sometimes (most of the time) fell on the wrong side of the law.
But she had cousins in Metropolis; they'd come to the funeral. She hadn't wanted to see them then, but family was always a nice thing to fall back on. In her defense, she hadn't really wanted to see anyone that day, and her memory of it was still very blurred around the edges.
And somehow she'd gotten stuck with Lex. Or vice versa.
Poor guy.
* * *
Trevor Raines was precisely 23 seconds from walking into his boss's office to tell him that his best men had lost the young girl when he got a call from his main guy in Metropolis.
"We found Tinkerbell. She's only been gone for about 45 minutes-she ducked into the bathroom, and walked out, no different, just now. She apologized for taking so long and we're heading for the mall now."
He sighed. "Watch her like a *hawk*, Sam. She's smart and resourceful; if anyone can get away from us, it's her. He doesn't want her out of sight for at least the next six months; figures she's a bit of a loose cannon. Frankly, I don't blame him."
"Got it, Boss. She's getting out of the car now. We won't let her out of our sight."
"See that you don't." He ended the call and closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to gather his wits. Either way, he had to go see Him. He'd want to know, if he didn't already.
Chloe Sullivan was an extremely wise young woman. She knew how to make the most out of a situation. That she'd done something other than given his men the slip didn't even cross his mind. She knew what she was doing and he'd bet his next month's paycheck that she'd had her own agenda before the car even left the Manor.
He knocked on the door and waited for admittance.
Lex was sitting at his desk, fingers steepled, alternating his gaze from the computer screen to Raines himself. "What happened?"
"Security lost her for a short time. They have her back now."
"Is she okay?"
"She's fine." He took a deep breath and locked eyes with his employer. "If I may speak freely, sir," Lex waved him on negligently, "I believe Miss Sullivan had her own excursion planned before entering the city."
Lex nodded slowly, considering. And what he said next threw Raines for a loop. "I know she did. I was expecting it."
Raines was confused. "Sir?"
Lex rose from his seat and wandered over to pool table and lazily racked the balls into the triangle. "Let's just say I would have been worried if she didn't." He pulled a cue off the wall and leaned over the table, preparing his shot. From beneath hooded eyelids, he looked at Raines. "Was there something else?"
"You don't want us to find out where she's been?"
Lex released the cue with a satisfying crack. "It's not really necessary, is it? Let her have her freedom. After all," he moved around the other side of the table and sent two striped balls flying into separate pockets, "her father just died."
It was from the ironic twist of his lips and lilt to his voice that Raines discerned Lex either knew where the young woman had gone, or at least had a very good idea, and was content to let it lie. "Understood."
"Inform me when she's on her way home, would you?"
"Of course, sir." He pulled the doors shut behind him and Lex stared at the dark mahogany for a few moments.
Then he reached for the phone. "Lucas? I need you to go check out something for me in Metropolis."
* * *
Chloe realized she was being followed before she'd hit her third shop in the five-level mall. There were the good guys, the two security guys that Lex had briefly introduced her to earlier this morning, and she knew they kept a comfortable distance. Normally, she would ask them to dress in less conspicuous clothes and have them walk with her, but today she was feeling very solitary. Over the past few weeks, she'd gotten used to Lex popping in to check on her every now and then, gotten used to eating her meals with someone more suited to be her older brother than her father (she had a feeling Lex had personally requested that Lionel take his meals separately when staying in Smallville), become gradually accustomed to seeing his face before going to sleep at night.
The first time she'd woken up in his room, in his bed, her first thought had been as far from 'I've-been-mourning-my-father-for-two-months' as possible. It had been more along the lines of 'Oh-my-god, I'm-in-Lex- Luthor's-bed-and-I-don't-remember-how-I-got-here.'
That had been immediately followed by, 'Damn.' Then she'd realized what line her thoughts were taking and freaked herself out beyond words. He was six years older than her, he was *Clark's* friend, he was her *guardian*, for God's sake! Not to mention, emotionally unavailable.
Though she wasn't too big on emotion right now.
Even with her mind processing a thousand thoughts per second, she was sharp enough to realize when she was being tailed. Every time she turned unobtrusively to check behind her, the person evaded her. At first she thought she was imagining things, but she'd followed enough people to know what it felt like. It was almost like having a sixth sense; you felt their eyes on the back of your neck (when you had short hair, this was much more intensified than say, Lana), you got nervous, every turn you made felt like someone was making it too. You began to check yourself in every reflective surface, trying to catch a glimpse of your shadower.
She was very close to stopping short and demanding just who in the hell was following her-either security didn't know or didn't care, maybe the person didn't pose enough of a threat; but appearances could be very deceiving- when someone all but body-checked her into a garbage can.
It surprised her that she went down so quickly, and easily, and fleetingly thought that maybe Lex had the right idea with this whole eating theory. Then she looked up to see a young man, maybe early to mid-twenties, garbed in a black leather jacket and dark jeans.
"I'm so sorry," his voice sounded eerily familiar and yet insincere at the same time, "are you all right?"
Before she could answer, he'd gathered up her bags and handed them over to the two security men. They hovered so closely over her, making sure she was okay, that she was unable to get a closer look at him, and hadn't had the chance to fumble at his sunglasses to see what color his eyes were.
Inwardly cursing her luck and getting irritated at the way the two were fussing over her, she shot up from the floor. "Enough! I'm fine!"
A young mother walking past with her son shot her a disapproving look. Probably thought she was some spoiled rich girl.
'Well, she's got one-part of it right,' she reflected, automatically checking her satchel to make sure all paper and plastic was accounted for. 'But that doesn't explain why that guy was following me.'
"I'm finished." She announced purposefully, heading for the doors. One of the men radioed for the limo, which was waiting at the curb when they walked into the not-so-gentle breeze.
Chloe climbed in and rested against the plush leather gratefully. Being intrepid sure took a hell of a lot out of you. She was exhausted; mentally and physically. Her investigation would have to wait for later. When she got home, Lex would no doubt want a full report on her day-or at least an abbreviated, edited version-and she needed to start thinking about what to say.
She looked out the window and saw the bumper-to-bumper traffic.
For now though, she could close her eyes. The rest of it could wait.
* * *
Lex knew the two men Raines had placed on Chloe. Max and Sam. Sam and Max, two of a kind, both happy newlyweds to two lovely women waiting patiently at home for them in Metropolis. He decided that he would let today's indiscretions slide, even though there was no way Chloe should have escaped them, nor should Lucas had gotten that close.
But he was starting to believe that there was the occasional good in people and that sometimes, just sometimes, mistakes were made and learned from. That, and he knew Chloe would pick up on it immediately if he fired them.
The thought, however, crossed his mind, especially when he saw from his office window, Max-or was it Sam?-carrying her small form inside the manor. The first thought that flew into his mind was that she was injured, or had been harmed.
He moved from his desk and left the office so quickly that he nearly plowed into his father.
"What's the hurry, Lex?"
He spared him a glance and continued in the direction of the front hall. "You wouldn't understand."
That was why he didn't hear Lionel mutter softly, "I understand more than you think, son."
Because he was already meeting security at the door, taking Chloe out of the other man's arms and bringing her personally upstairs. She was out cold, but they assured her it was pure exhaustion. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, he had to agree and wondered if school in two days time would be the wisest move.
"Wha-Lex?" Her eyes opened, still cloudy with sleep.
He smiled gently in the darkness, grateful that she couldn't see. "It's me. Go back to sleep. We can talk later."
Her eyes rolled sharply at his comment, but closed so fast he wondered if they'd even been open in the first place. Within seconds, he knew she'd fallen back asleep-sleeping with someone gave you more than the average insight into that individual's sleeping habits-and absently smoothed back some of her hair.
She was finally resting. That was good. It meant she was starting to heal. The loss of her father was still raw, still deep, and would no doubt be affecting her for some time. But she was moving on, at least in the grieving cycle.
The question was, what, exactly, had prompted it.
* * *
End chapter two.