A/N - Sorry for the delay. Feedback is appreciated. No copyright meant - just for fun!

Merry Christmas to Chloe – Chapter 5

Chloe sat her bags down in the small apartment her and her father still had over the garage. Her father would be out for a few more hours, and she had time to freshen up and put little things away. But all she could think about was Lucas. She hadn't expected running into him and really never expected the invitation although he knew nothing of the person he just invited. He hadn't even realized it was her, but he was still Lucas, he life's love.

Chloe woke to the door opening and her father dropping his coat. "Sorry honey." Gabe walked over and glanced through a set of pictures and papers and casually read. "Who took these?"

"I did, with a little advice from one of the photographers in London – the one I told you about." Chloe hung up clothes and straightened out her dress that she had bought while in Paris. "I hope the wrinkles fall out before tomorrow night."

Her father looked up from the articles and glanced at his daughter almost dancing in her dress. "Tomorrow night is the Christmas party in the gardens."

"I know, and I've been invited … by Lucas." Chloe turned around and hung the dress in the closet. Looking back at her father, she had seen that look the night before she had left the country. "Dad, please don't do this."

"How exactly did this transcribe?"

"He asked me, of course he didn't know it was me at the time, but all the same. I even asked about his fiancée and he called me family." Chloe sat down in the chair across from her father and sighed. She knew what he wanted to say. Six months ago he had told her the same thing, but she was more grown up, more mature. And to Gabe's credit of understanding he knew it was time for Chloe to learn, and perhaps get hurt, on her own.

Passing through the main corridor of the house, Lucas stopped and peered down the hall at Lex with a bag in his hand. "Hey brother, what brings you around here?"

Lex looked up and dropped both bags to his sides as one of the many servants continued to carry them up to his room. "I felt it would be easier to please dad and his need to impress the government would be's if I actually stayed here tonight and attended the pre-holiday party dinner." Lex flipped through the mail on the ornately kept piece in the main hall and absently looked at Lucas.

"I asked Chloe Sullivan to attend. Did you know she was back in town?"

Without looking over, Lex took a long sigh and closed his eyes, hoping he had just misheard his brother's remark. "Yes, she and I shared the jet back into the airport and then she took a second car back here to house." Lex dropped the mail back onto the desk and stared at his brother.

"Let me make this perfectly clear. This is a business party for dad and his military buddies. This is not the one night stand get together for you to hook up with Miss Sullivan. She is still the daughter of my employee, and you are still very much engaged to woman who is on the other coast right now. Her parents will be here. The media will be here." Lex leaned and placed his hand firmly on Lucas' shoulder and stared at him even more intently. "No. No Miss Sullivan. No dances in the atrium. Are you hearing me?"

Lucas pulled back and forced Lex's grip from his shoulder. "Brother, what do you take me for? I thought she would enjoy coming. She just returned from England – she has a right to have fun."

Lex turned and started to walk away, but the words 'fun' stopped hi in his tracks. Turning back to face Lucas, he clenched his teeth together. Pointing at Lucas from the first step of the staircase, he reiterated, "No fun."

Lucas watched and ignored the idle warnings that his brother set in front of him. He was an adult who had could control himself.

As Chloe descended the stairs in her new Parisian gown, she glanced out upon the crowd that had gathered as the sun went down behind the gardens. She had quietly stayed her place out of the Luthor's sight since her quick run in with Lucas. She knew her father was already upset with her desire to go on her own and possibly throw stones at the fragile relationship Lucas had built with Helen. But tonight she was invited, or at least she hoped the invitation still stood.

She nervously walked through the cathedral entrance and stood watching the band play. The full orchestra yet again played music that soothed the heart and mind, but nothing calmed Chloe. She secretly shook in her place, worried and anxious that neither Lucas or Lex would notice her. Lex. The name had not appeared in her thoughts since leaving the plane, but now her thoughts were torn.

She looked around and noticed both sons sharing a drink and conversation with another high-ranking officer in the Armed Forces. Smiling, she quietly took a glass of champagne and walked the perimeter of the gardens, admiring the beautiful people but never taking her eyes off the brothers.

Looking up over his shoulder, Lucas noticed the woman walking against the garden perimeter and eyeing him. "Excuse me," he dropped as he shook the man's hand and walked away.

Chloe swallowed and waited to find out what would happen next. She watched as Lucas in his perfect white suit strolled casually across the garden and made his way to her. "You're here."

Taking a deep breath, Chloe couldn't quite break a smile. She couldn't tell if he was happy or confused.

"You look beautiful." Lucas smiled and waited for a response.

"So do you, I mean look good." Staring at her feet, Chloe finally broke a smile but barely could look at Lucas straight in the face. She had stared at him forever from a distance, but he was hard for her to concentrate on up close. Nervousness gave way to the small laughter after her slip.

Putting out his hand, Lucas smiled and waited patiently, "Glad you could make it." Leading her into the gardens, heads begun to turn.

On the other side of the party, Lex and Lionel drank with heads of state and corporate gurus, celebrating the partnership that Lucas had put into motion. He marveled at his father's gift for common gab and wondered where exactly he had received his genes for disinterest.

"Lionel, this is such the perfect holiday party and such a lucky day without the snow. How do you do it? DO you and God have a pact?"

Lionel laughed and lifted his glass in response to the halfway good joke. "No, just common old friends. "

"I am so sorry that Helen couldn't be here; she was so much wanting to get off and see Lucas at one of the famous parties."

Lionel never heard the rest of the comment, he just looked across the yard at his Christmas gift from Helen and groaned. "I wish she was here too. She gave me a dog."

Lucas held Chloe's hand as he walked her around through the throngs of people. "I went to a party in the south of France during the Fashion Week. Everyone there spoke French, no one knew me and yet I still felt more comfortable there than I do right now." Chloe held her stomach as if she felt sick. Lucas didn't take his eyes off of her.

Grabbing a another glass of champagne, he handed it to Chloe, "Here, drink this as quickly as possible and things won't feel so strange to you. Besides, you've been to plenty of parties up there in that tree. You should be a pro by now."

Coming across the dance floor, Lionel walked with Helen's mother and asked, "Did Helen pick out the dress yet?"

"No, but the guest list is yet to be complete. We have six hundred so far and that's just on our side."

"That's not a wedding, that's the town you got your start in Lionel," Stanley added.

"Stop honey, it's going to be wonderful regardless how many people there are. Eelegant but simple, lavish but tasteful."

Leaning over and elbowing Lionel, Stanley laughed, "Cheap but expensive."

As the music started up again, Chloe saw Lucas talking to a couple of buddies and smiled at her as she noticed the song. Looking at her, he pointed, "The song's for you."

Chloe became jittery, the drinking wasn't enough. Lucas was engaged to another woman, his brother was suddenly as handsome as he was and completely not around. Confused, she grabbed another glass of champagne and guzzled it while Lucas finished speaking to his friends.

"Who's that?" Helen's mother asked as Lionel continued to talk to Stanley.

"Who?" Lionel looked up in the direction of Lucas and noticed the beautiful young woman that was on Lucas' arm.

"The one with Lucas."

Gawking for ideas, Lionel stuttered through his answer, "That's just…just oh my God. That's Chloe, Lucas has known her since they were two years old."

"Yes, but she didn't wear that dress when she was two years old."

Feeling the tension building, Lionel excused himself from the future in-laws and made his way to the dance floor before the couple started to dance. "Chloe Sullivan, when did you get back into town?"

"Yesterday."

"I almost didn't recognize you dear."

"Oh, it's the haircut," Chloe answered nervously. She had never spent much time around the eldest Luthor but was sure the awkwardness of her presence made him extremely uncomfortable.

"To say the least," Lionel sneered.

"Some surprise isn't she dad?"

"She certainly is, son." Lionel glared at the oblivious Lucas, who was completely lost in Chloe's eyes. Chloe, though, could feel the night coming to a swift end as she looked over Lionel's shoulder at the new in-laws staring down at her.

Watching Lionel angrily walk away, Chloe took a deep breath as she felt Lucas's grip on her hand and pull her toward the dance floor. "Dance with me."

"Now?" She wanted to so bad. This is what she had waited her whole life for, but the eyes that continued to glare in her and Lucas' direction were hard to ignore. Lionel had disappeared into the house, no doubt to find Lex and end the evening. Chloe knew the truth – the marriage was a business deal, and business deals in the Luthor family are the only things that are more important than family.

"Chloe, now, while the music is playing. It's harder when thy stop. Come on." Lucas took her in his arms and leaned her into him. She could feel her heart race as her grip entangled tighter in his fingers.

"You know I wish I had paid more attention to you before. I don't know what I was thinking of."

Chloe leaned back and looked into Lucas' eyes and smiled. "Yourself."

Laughing, Lucas gripped her around the back and whispered, "It feels so good to hold you. Do you know how beautiful you are?"

"No." Chloe couldn't find any other words. Shock went through her bones and she stopped moving.

"You're dazzling."

"Dazzling," she repeated. She felt like a trained dressed up monkey who was about to ge a treat.

"You are suddenly back in my life and are dazzling."

"Am I back in your life?"

"I don't think you realize what you have done to me."

Stopping the swaying against the music again, she dropped her hands but still held on to his. "Well, you better tell me." This was the moment, the moment she had watched for ages and it was hers. She couldn't look anywhere but his eyes; she knew the family would watch, she knew the rick involved but didn't care. Lucas had been her dream.

Leaning into her, Lucas brushed his lips against her cheek and whispered, "You're changing everything." Chlow swallowed, almost losing her control and put her arm around him and started to sway again.

On the porch overlooking the grounds, Lionel assumed more damage control. "She's like a sister to him."

"I have a sister Lionel – and we don't dance like that together." Stanley turned around and stared at Lionel and then walked away with his wife. Lionel looked upon the two that still swayed in each other's arms and knew things had to be settled.

Barging into the office that looked on the grounds, Lionel slammed the door as Lex finished up a phone call. "She's ruining everything."

Lex turned around and stared at Lionel as he threw back a glass of scotch from the bar. "What are you talking about dad?"

"Look out the damn window son. Chloe is ruining everything."

Lex peered out the window without reacting to his father's hysteria. Leaning against the pane, he contemplated the next move that would fix the mistake that Lucas obviously had made. He had warned him, he had threatened him, he had said 'no.' But Lucas was, in the end, being himself.

As he watched the two dance, he could only wonder what Lucas was telling her. Using the same lines on the young woman who grew up in the same house. She had, as much as Lex also realized, grown up.

"I can't believe this is happening. You are just transformed." Lucas whispered as he looked into Chloe's eyes.

"And you Lucas are exactly the same. You were perfect and you still are." Chloe stared beyond his shoulder in a cool but nervous calm. "Chloe, let's go somewhere we can talk."

Chloe backed up slightly to look into his eyes. She knew the phrase all too well. Leaning into him, she tried to avoid the inevitable, knowing the family would hate her forever. "Please Chloe."

Looking back at him, she nodded. "The solarium, it has to be the solarium. And you bring a bottle of champagne and you put the glasses in the back pockets of your slacks. And the orchestra has to play 'How Can I Remember.'"

Lucas looked at her in dumbfounded amazement. "Yes, I'll have them do that." Lucas leaned in and kissed her cheek and Chloe watched him walk away.

"And afterwards I'll wake up," Chloe said to herself as she rubbed her face and walked off the dance floor toward her surprising future events.

Meanwhile, Lucas went through his normal routine with a happier look on his face than in many months past. He hummed the tune the orchestra played to himself while fishing champagne glasses and shoving them into his pant's back pockets. Wiping the bottle down, he suddenly was cut off by his brother.

"Got a minute, we need you for a meeting."

"Well, actually I have another appointment." Lex smiled at his little brother and wrapped his arm around Lucas' shoulder. Laughing sarcastically, he walked Lucas away from the bar and his destiny.

Entering the family office, Lionel shut the door and turned around with a glare that could kill. "Lucas, I realize that some insanity may run in our family but did you just catch it in the last couple of hours? What do you think you're doing?" Lionel grabbed his son's shoulder and squeezed in irritation before Lucas pulled out of the grip.

"Get back here, I'm not done. Right in front of your very prominent future in-laws, not to mention media, you are hustling the chauffer's daughter."

"We were dancing," Lucas corrected coolly.

"Stop dancing."

"You mean to tell me I can't have a drink and dance with an old friend." Catching a glance from Lex, Lucas realized they knew right through him.

Lionel looked at Lucas and then at Lex. Picking up a glass of scotch and taking a swig, he sat down in the chair and stared at Lucas. "Do I look stupid?" Looking over at Lex, Lionel nodded his head, "You know I never thought of myself but maybe I am."

"You know I wasn't doing anything," Lucas offered.

Lionel jumped form the chair, spilling his drink and walked up to Lucas. "You were planning to."

"How do you know?" Lucas egged the question.

Lex had seen enough. This was it. "You are kidding right? You really must think we both are stupid. But obviously you are the one with that gene."

"Lucas," Lionel grabbed him by both shoulder, "you are like my own son."

"I am your own son," he corrected upset.

"Exactly, and this is what I get. Your mother endured 21 hours of labor to bring you into this world and it'll only take a few seconds to take you out. Now, here it is. You screw up with Helen, I will kill you." Lionel walked away, rubbing his head and drinking another glass of scotch.

"I don't know; there's something about Chloe. I know you think I'm crazy but I really think that I'm falling in love with her."

"Lex, bury me next to your mother and get a combined headstone."

Lucas rolled his eyes as he started to pace the room. "I didn't plan this. I can't help it. She's so something." Lucas sat the bottle of champagne down and took the glass form his father.

Lex watched the display eyeing in particular Lucas's pants. He knew the drill, and he hated the thought. Underhanded he admitted, but it would work, at least for the time being.

"The last time you found someone sensational and fell in love Lucas it costs the family a million and a half dollars," Lionel continued.

"This time it's different."

"Heard that one. But what about Helen. You finally find the right one," Lionel continued.

"Who has the right job, who has the right parents who have the right company. This is all just too perfect for you to let go of."

Lex cut in and offered his father another drink and the door, "Dad, let me talk to Lucas for a bit." He watched as the door closed behind his father and turned to Lucas. "What do you think Chloe wants? She's spent her whole life with her nose pressed against the glass or her body in that tree watching you at parties. Now you invite her to one. You are in fancy jacket and she knows you'll come with a bottle of champagne."

"That's not it – it has nothing to do with it," Lucas pleaded for the lecture to end.

"She knows what's coming – the jet to Martha's Vineyard, the cottage full of food and flowers, house seats to some sold out show, drinks at the Carlyle. A few days of that she would fall for anyone."

"You don't know her – the way she makes me feel." Lex looked at his brother and thought back to the airplane ride and her sweet smell as they lay in bed and talked for hours. Sure, he knew her from one dance. They had shared a night together. He pushed the thoughts that betrayed him from his mind and focused on Lucas who looked at him strangely.

"Lex, what happened on that plane?"

"Nothing, just like nothing is going to happen tonight, at least not with you."

"Well, I can't be engaged to someone when I feel like this." Lucas stared across the room and Lex grabbed him by the arm.

"Sit down." Lex was adamant. Lucas continued to grovel, but Lex again stated, "Just sit down."

Lucas turned and begrudgingly sat in the corner chair and screamed as Lex turned away to keep from snickering. Sad that he had to come to this, but it worked. Lucas continued to scream as Lionel appeared in the door again.

"What happened?"

"I sat on the champagne flutes – the glass hurts." Lucas continued to writhe in the seat, trying to keep from touching the cushion again.

"Dad, call for Dr. Calloway. He'll probably be at the seafood bar. Lucas, stay put and don't move."

Lex grabbed the champagne bottle and two more glasses from the office bar. "Bad?"

"What do you think," Lucas scowled as he elevated his now painfully bleeding butt cheeks from the seat. "But Chloe."

"I'll take care of her." Lex looked once more at Lucas and walked out of the office. "Dr. Calloway, put him out." The doctor nodded as Lex walked out of the house.

Chloe walked around the solarium in a daze. She was actually there. Lucas would arrive soon and they would dance together until he took her to his room and turned out the lights. That was all she ever saw. She never wanted to see the rest unless she was the woman. Now that had come true.

Lex watched her from the window. His heart pounded in strange nervousness. He was there for business, to end the deal with Chloe and Lucas. Yet, she was so beautiful than she had been even on the plane. She was smart and vivacious. He had watched her career expand while she had been gone and marveled. He hadn't looked upon a woman like this himself in years. But just like Lucas, Chloe had suddenly taken his breath away. This would definitely be an interesting end to the evening.

Opening the door, he quietly walked in and watched as Chloe turned around. "Lex?"

"I'm sorry Chloe, but Lucas was detained. He sent me." He watched her happiness fade from her face and set the glasses down. Opening the bottle of champagne, he poured two glasses and handed her one. "I'm sorry, you're upset. Of course."

"Yes, no. I really don't know." Chloe didn't. Lucas arriving and living out her lifelong dream would have been a once in a lifetime moment, but staring at Lex, she swallowed. Nervous around the more powerful Luthor, she remembered how casually they talked. She liked his presence, his power, his body. She smiled as she saw that he held a glass out for her.

"You disappeared."

Slightly giggling, she took the glass and smiled. "I'm a little tired. Why didn't he come?" She thought polite to ask, but she didn't know if she even cared now.

"He was on his way, but he had a slight accident and sat on the glasses."

"Oh God, is he ok? Should I go see him?" Chloe stared to hand the glass back and run for the house.

"No, I'm sure he is heavily sedated at this point. Try him in the morning." Lex brought the glass up to his lips and started to sip.

"They sent you to deal with me, didn't they?"

"What do you mean?" Lex sat the glasses down and pulled Chloe into him.

"Like a lawyer in a movie, they go to the unsuitable waitress or whatever. And says the family is prepared to offer a million dollars for the girl to go away. No, she says, one and a half million."

"Two million," Lex added and looked at her as Chloe back away and released her hands from his shoulder.

"No." She stared straight at him and refused.

"Five," he stated without looking at her. He couldn't. He now didn't want her to leave. Looking at her, he cracked a smile at her shock. "No self respecting lawyer would offer less to you Chloe."

"No self respecting waitress would ever take it," Chloe stared at Lex and moved forward to him, drawing her face more and more firm. She couldn't ignore the knot in her stomach of confusion. She wanted Lucas, but she couldn't shake are growing feeling for Lex, who undoubtedly had no feeling for her. He couldn't – he offered her five million dollars to leave.

"Good girl." Lex smiled and nodded.

"I've loved him all my life."

"Have you?"

"I thought I was over it."

"Surprise, surprise," Lex answered.

Shocked, Chloe stared at Lex and smiled, thinking of his reaction. "You don't object?"

"Object? To you? Look at you – it's as though a lovely breeze as swept through this whole house. "

"Even if the breeze comes from the general direction of the garage?"

"Chloe," Lex sadly added at her comment. He watched her she heard the song that was meant for them to dance to started. He moved closer to her and offered his hand. "Tonight you wanted this to be you. It's all in the family."

Chloe looked up at Lex and smiled, "I never thought of you as a dancer."

"Is it impossible to believe that I just want to dance with the most beautiful girl at the party? Then you don't know me." Lex pulled Chloe closer to him as she wrapped her arm further around his back. Leaning into him, she could feel her heart pound hard in her chest.

She leaned back and gazed into his blue eyes. "Oh, I almost forgot," Lex added and leaned in, laying his lips softly against Chloe's lips.

TBC