CHAPTER 10: Haven (Part 1)

A ranch in Montana

It was eight o´clock of a splendid summer morning and Chloe was sitting at the breakfast table, tasting the best cup of Brazilian coffee she had ever had. She had never been an early bird but she had got used to the new routine. Lex had been right; this was the perfect place to find the peacefulness her soul yearned for and the company she was in ensured she didn´t lose herself in isolation.

The table was laid in a manner that reminded her of breakfast at the Kents´. There were waffles, pancakes, maple syrup, homemade muffins and marmalade. Although Chloe had always preferred to star the morning with an invigorating cup of strong coffee and skip food until lunchtime, the gentle persuasion of the lady of the house had changed her habit. In fact, she now looked forward to the morning ritual when she would share breakfast with the elder woman she had grown so attached to.

¨Did you have a good night´s sleep, darling? ¨

¨Yes, Lisbeth. You don´t have to worry so much about me. ¨

¨What would I tell Alexander if he came back and found out you hadn´t been resting appropriately? Besides, I do care about you, Chloe. You´re a very lovable child and... though my Lillian was different from you in colouring and physique, you remind me of her in many ways. I wish Alexander had had her longer in his life. My son-in-law not only took Lillian away from us, he also tried to poison our grandson´s soul. There´s still hope for Alexander; I can still see something of his mother in him. He deserves so much to be happy... ¨said the patrician lady wistfully. ¨Now, ¨she sighed, putting a smile on her face, ¨what are your plans for today? ¨

¨I was wondering... would you give me permission to cut a bunch of white roses- maybe some jasmines- from your greenhouse? I thought of ... ¨she answered with a tremor in her voice.

¨Today´s another anniversary, isn´t it? ¨responded the elegant lady with a look of understanding in her eyes.

¨Would you mind? ¨

¨Of course not, dear. Tell the gardener to prepare you a pretty bunch. He´ll know who they´re for and will pick the best ones, ¨she smiled, squeezing Chloe´s hand gently.

The blonde reporter was sitting on a bench in the shade of a robust mahogany tree opposite the delicate white marble angel which guarded the tomb of their dead child. She had visited him for the first time with Lex the day she had arrived at the ranch, and she had made a habit of walking to the spot every morning during her stay. An outsider might have told her she was being morbid, rubbing salt into her open wounds, but it was part of her self-imposed therapy. Her moments of solitude in front of the grave helped her make peace with the past and let her embrace and gradually say goodbye to the child she´d never had the chance to hold in her arms.

The name with which Lex had christened the baby- Julian- and the place he had chosen for him to rest- Lillian´s favourite corner when she went on holidays with her parents- were proof of how much he had loved their son.

¨Is there room for someone else? ¨said a masculine cultured voice behind Chloe.

The young woman felt tears prickle behind her eyelids as she nod her assent, the lump in her throat too big for her to speak. It still amazed her how attuned they both were. She had wished with all her might he would come that day and be the someone she could lean on in order to say goodbye to their son. Lex had turned up with his usual grace and with that aura of self-assuredness which sometimes provoked her to slap him, but which today provided her with the serenity she craved for.

¨It´s time to let him go, ¨answered Chloe softly, her eyes somewhat misty. ¨Lex? ¨ she murmured, looking at the young tycoon´s profile and noticing a suspicious brightness in his blue-grey orbs.

Lex pulled himself together and turned around to face the blonde girl. She looked a lot more like the Chloe he had known back in the old days, when he and Clark were still friends. He had made the right decision in bringing her to his grandmother´s ranch. Even though he had reacquainted himself with Lillian´s mum just a little over five years before and had only been able to visit the elderly woman on very few occasions- fearful of rousing Lionel´s suspicions- he had instinctively known Lisbeth would provide Chloe with the loving shelter she needed so badly.

¨Chloe, ¨started Lex, cupping her face with one hand and wiping a stray tear away off her face.

¨Thanks, Lex. Thank you for loving him and... ¨she croaked, ¨for giving him Julian´s name. ¨

¨I didn´t know what you wanted to call him. We hadn´t mentioned any names. ¨

¨I´m glad you chose your brother´s name... and this spot... ¨she added, looking around her with a smile on her lips.

¨It was my mum´s favourite, ¨he responded, barely controlling the emotion which was threatening to overcome him.

¨So said Lisbeth. It´s beautiful. I never thought I´d say this. You know I´m a city creature just like you and that I´ve always regarded Smallville as a pit stop on my way back to Metropolis. Still... I could see myself living here, ¨she confessed. ¨Well... maybe not now, but in a couple of decades, ¨she smirked when Lex shot her a disbelieving look. ¨OK. Make that three decades and add a broadband internet connection or whatever they´ll call it then, ¨she laughed.

¨I´m glad you´ve found this retreat to your liking. ¨

¨Staying with your grandmother´s been like having you around. Now I know where your verbal skills and lexicon spring from. ¨

¨Lexicon? ¨

¨Yeah, well, you´re rubbing off on me, Luthor. ¨

¨Providing my rich vocabulary is the only thing that´s rubbing off on you, ¨he said, turning sober all of a sudden.

¨Lex, we´ve already discussed this.¨

¨I won´t change overnight, Chloe. Despite my efforts to the contrary, I´m still a Luthor. ¨

¨I remember calling you once the lesser of two evils and... ¨

¨Well, thanks, Chloe! That certainly is a consolation. ¨

¨Let me finish, Lex. In spite of how different we see on certain issues, unlike your dad, you have your heart in the right place. ¨

¨Sometimes, it doesn´t seem that way. ¨

¨I remember what you did for the Kents and for so many people when you had just come to town. I don´t know what happened later, you let yourself be dragged by the darkness surrounding your dad and your name- I suppose. I´ve done a lot of thinking these three months and... I sincerely hope I haven´t contributed to this downward spiral of yours, ¨she said, locking her green eyes with his.

¨We´re accountable for our own choices, Chloe. You can´t blame yourself for my decisions. ¨

¨This is a two-way street, Lex. You can´t take the blame for my actions, either. ¨

¨You know why I had to do it, Chloe. ¨

¨I do, but I don´t want you to do it again. I´m a big girl now, and it´s time I grew up... Could I ask something of you? ¨

¨A new laptop? You´ve got it. In fact, I´ve brought it with me. ¨

¨You have? ¨

¨No internet connection, I´m afraid.¨

¨Your a spoilsport, Lex. However, I do understand. You´ve made the right decision; it´d be too hard for my inquisitive mind to resist. So... thanks for the gift. ¨

¨You´re welcome. Now, tell me, what were you going to ask me for? ¨

¨I was wondering... Could you... ¨she cut herself off, ¨could you... ¨ she started again and focused her eyes on the angel.

¨Tell me, Chloe, ¨he said softly, turning her face gently to see her eyes. ¨What do you want me to do? ¨

¨My dad.¨

¨Yes? ¨

¨I´d like him... to lie here... next to Julian. He hated cemeteries... and this place... I know he´d have liked it, ¨she answered, biting her lower lip.

¨Consider it done. Still, we´ll have to wait a little bit. ¨

¨I know. Your dad, right? ¨

¨I promise you it´ll be over soon, ¨he said, caressing her cheek and smiling sadly at her before getting up.

¨Lex, ¨she called him, grabbing his hand to detain him.

¨What´s wrong? ¨he asked as she walked up to him.

¨Nothing´s wrong, ¨she answered throatily and, standing on tiptoe, placed a hand on his nape and brought their lips together.

Lex closed his eyes when he felt Chloe´s warm pliant lips on his. How much he had missed her breath upon his mouth! He let her mould her lips to his and, the moment the tip of her tongue traced the scar on his upper lip, he opened his mouth to invite her in. The kiss was languid and, as Chloe felt their tongues mate, her legs threatened to wobble. He tasted like mint and smelled so heavenly that she was afraid she would melt in a puddle.

Four years had gone by, but nothing had changed. She still tasted of coffee beans and chocolate and could make him lose his trademark cool with a kiss. He was hungry for her lips and had to make a supreme effort not to let his ardour take over. He wanted her to be the one to set the pace and decide how far and how fast they´d go.

Chloe couldn´t help but compare Jimmy Olsen´s endearing clumsiness with Lex´s confident loving skills and wondered what it´d feel like to lie in his arms again if just a kiss of his could make her feel so much. ´Oh, Jimmy, you never stood a chance!´ she thought, as she tugged at Lex´s lower lip and finished the kiss reluctantly with a beaming smile.

¨What´s so funny, Miss Sullivan? ¨asked Lex when he saw her stifle a laugh.

¨It´s a private joke, ¨ she beamed.

¨You´re going to give me an inferiority complex, Chloe. Have you by any chance found me lacking? ¨

¨Oh, come on, Lex!¨

¨So? ¨ he cocked an eyebrow.

¨So? ¨she echoed with a smirk.

¨What was it like? ¨

¨Nice, ¨she said, trying to look serious.

¨Nice? ¨ he frowned.

¨OK, very nice, ¨she amended. ¨I could feel my toes curl in my shoes, ¨she added with a smile. ¨You rocked my world, Luthor. Satisfied? ¨

¨There´s no need to overdo it, Chloe. ¨

¨It´s the truth, Lex, ¨she responded, looking into his blue-grey eyes . ¨I don´t know what you´re planning to do, ¨she sighed. ¨Just take care, please, ¨she begged him, pressing a quick kiss on his mouth. ¨Now, let´s say goodbye to Julian. Your grandmother must be looking forward to seeing you, and I want to open my present, ¨she finished, grabbing him by his left hand.