3.

Lex cleared his throat and looked at the small blonde huddled in the corner of the room. She sat with her back to the dirt wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, her forehead resting on them. He watched her hands clench and unclench, watched as her body seemed to shake. He walked over to her, cleared his throat again, ridding the anger that was rising up. He squatted in front of her, keeping his distance and stared at her as she raised her head to look at him.

"Hi."

Chloe looked past him, over his shoulder and around the room. He shouldn't be down here without the doctors. Why was he here?

Her eyes came back to his and held as she licked her dry lips. Lex maintained eye contact, had to remind himself not to be distracted.

He put a hand to the front of his shirt. "I'm Lex." He searched her eyes for recognition, thought he found a spark of memory returning to her. "Do you remember me?"

Chloe rocked forward onto her heels until she was squatting like him. She formed the words slowly in her mind, tried to make her tongue and teeth into the same patterns he had. "Lex."

Lex smiled and dropped his hand back to his side. "You're Chloe."

Chloe stared deep into the blue of his eyes. "You're Chloe."

Lex laughed and was rewarded with a backhand to his face, causing him to stumble backward onto his ass. His face sobered quickly and he pushed himself up to his elbows. He rubbed his jaw and cheekbone with one hand as he studied the girl in the corner. She was still in a squatting position, and she was looking at him curiously. Lex struggled to sit up, the right side of his face throbbing. He clenched his jaw and moved it around, squinted his right eye, didn't feel anything crack. "It's not exactly a handshake, but I suppose it's a start."

Chloe stood up slowly and walked over to him, stared down at the man sprawled on the dirty floor. "You're Chloe."

Lex shook his head and said, "No. Your name is Chloe." He put his free hand to his chest. "My name is Lex."

Chloe looked at him in confusion. He was speaking, and he wasn't making much sense to her. Her name wasn't Chloe. Her name was 'pet'. Or 'it'. She couldn't ever remember being called anything else. She looked down at his hand, splayed against his chest, and didn't miss the way he flinched when she dropped to the floor and sat on his outstretched legs. She touched her hand to his, reminded herself not to hurt him.

"Lex." She took his hand with hers and put it to her chest, over her heart. "Pet."

Lex's eyebrows rose considerably. His mind raced at the fact that she'd just ordered him to pet her. He felt her heart beating under his fingertips, could feel the slope of her breast pressed into the heel of his palm. Then what she said clicked in some deep recess of his mind. "No." He shook his head, almost violently. He took his hand out from under hers and put it to his chest. "Lex." Then he placed his hand over her heart again. "Chloe." He searched her eyes, waited for any sign of recognition to set in. "Not pet." He waited until she looked up from his hand. "Chloe." He strung her name out, let it roll off his tongue, off his lips, slowly and enunciated. "Chloe."

Chloe pursed her lips and raised her shoulder to rub at her chin. Still she kept her eyes on him. "Chloe." She repeated slowly. And earned a nod from the man she continued to straddle. "Chloe." She said again with more conviction. Lex smiled at the tone of voice she used. She smiled right back and with a balled up fist, smacked him in the middle of his chest and said, "Lex!"

Lex fell backwards, the air whooshing from his lungs. Damn the girl could pack a punch, and he didn't think she even meant it. She was just excited. Atleast, he hoped that was the case. Chloe gasped and settled her hands on his shoulder, leaned down to look into his face to make sure he was okay. His breath wheezed in and out and she felt puffs of it on her face. Then her eyes met his and she realized how close their faces really were.

Lex's mind was more focused on breathing and although he'd noticed her leaning over and looking at him, he didn't react. He hadn't planned on it. Then her eyes met his, and shifted lower to his lips and the next thing he knew she was leaning in closer and rubbing her parted lips to his.

Lex groaned at the act and willed his body not to respond. Who the hell knew what she'd do if he accidentally got an erection and she happened to feel it? She'd probably amputate it by hand. The image that came with that thought had him cooling down quickly and he watched her face as she pulled back and looked down at his mouth. She touched her fingers to her lips and then to his. "Chloe...Lex."

Lex's smile looked more like a grimace and he put his hand to her shoulder, trying to get her to sit back so he could sit up.

"Yes."

Chloe shook her head and lunged her face toward his, her lips bumping into his. "Chloe...Lex."

Lex saw the question in her eyes. "Kiss?" He was pretty sure she was asking what it was called, the action she was fumbling for.

She sat back then and studied him. "Chloe...Lex...kiss." Her face bloomed with a bright smile and he let his head fall back as his mind tried to absorb it. He felt her weight move off of him and looked down to see her standing over him again, her hand outstretched. "Hi."

Lex shook his head and got to his feet, took her hand and shook it gently. "Hi."

Chloe laughed, delighted and shook his hand harder. "Hi."

Lex grinned back and stilled her hand with both of his. "Very good."

"Good."

Lex stifled the urge to laugh. Instead he nodded and took hold of her elbow and led her over to where the light shone down directly. "So, Chloe. I don't know if you'll understand this or not, but I'd like to get you out of here."

Chloe smiled up at him and blinked. "Good."

Lex let go of her and rubbed at his forhead. "Okay, how can I put this?" He dropped a hand and took hers carefully. He started to lead her over to the stairs and motioned with his free hand, pointed up to the ruined door to the lab. "Lex," he put her hand to his chest, "take Chloe," he put his hand to her chest, "out." He pointed their joined hands up the stairs and Chloe frowned.

"No."

"No?" Lex asked looking down at her. She shook her head and swallowed. "Kimble."

Lex sighed and blew out a long breath. "Dr. Kimble isn't here."

"Good." Chloe said, nodding.

Lex closed his eyes, briefly. "Look, I don't want to have to drug you or anything. You have to come along willingly." When she just continued to study him he muttered, "And I can't speak caveman all day." He eyed her collar, narrowing his eyes at the LuthorCorp logo. It had to be some type of a latch. Maybe if he could convince her to take it off? He remembered what had happened the last time he'd tried to touch it. Remembered her "doctor" clearly stating that only her master was allowed to touch it. Well, he thought bitterly, her master, his father, was fucking dead and wasn't coming back if Lex had any say so.

"Okay, so we're going." He clasped her hand in his, felt her fingers clutch against his and squeeze. "Up the stairs, Chloe." He led her to the bottom step, waited for her and when she didn't take a step, he did instead. He gave her hand a little pull, waited for her to join him. When she did he looked down at her and smiled slowly. "All right, I guess we're doing this." He led the rest of the way up the stairs and was surprised by the group of people waiting there.

All three security men stood off to the side, watching in awe as Chloe seemed to burrow deeper into his side. He nodded at each of them, held his head up high and walked through the lab and out a door that led to the lobby of the building. When they got through the lobby, he headed for the front door and was brought up short by the man running toward him. Dr. Kimble.

"Mr. Luthor." The older man panted as he came to a stop in front of them, causing Lex to halt.

"Kimble." Lex replied tightly.

"Sir, you can't just...just...take her out. She isn't ready. She needs to be medicated..."

Lex opened his mouth to cut off the doctor when Dr. Kimble reached up to grab the lapel of his suit jacket. Chloe's hand shot out from nowhere and latched onto the arm that belonged to the doctor. Her eyes were locked onto Kimble's, narrowed to green slits.

The laugh that came from Kimble was strained and his face turned a garish shade of red. From embarrassment or pain, Lex wasn't sure.

He put his hand on Chloe's arm and patted her softly. "You can let go."

She didn't react and Lex applied a little more pressure until she glanced over at him, not taking her eyes off of Kimble's for more than a few seconds. "Let go of him." Chloe replied by shaking off Lex's hand and then twisting her arm and the arm she held until Kimble let out a muffled cry of pain.

She stepped up to the doctor and leaned in close. "Lex take Chloe out."

The words were spoken carefully, slowly, and she waited until Kimble overcame his surprise at her speaking to him. He nodded slowly and was rewarded with Chloe dropping his arm. She tucked herself back into Lex's side and Lex steered her around Kimble and out the front doors.