CHAPTER 11: The Visitor

Lex walked down the mahogany-panelled corridor, thinking of the look he had seen reflected in Chloe´s eyes. He had given her time and space- it was the right and gentlemanly thing to do- but he was growing restless. Realising she was also experiencing the same kind of anxiety had given him a certain degree of satisfaction for it meant not only that she was ready to give him a second chance, but that the wounds were healing.

¨Good evening, Bruce, ¨Lex greeted his former boarding-school classmate on entering the study.

¨Good evening, Lex, ¨answered the billionaire who Gotham´s criminals had come to know as Batman, getting up of the armchair and extending his hand for a handshake.

¨You´ve made quite an impression on my grandmother, and she´s a hard woman to please, ¨said Metropolis young tycoon, shaking Bruce´s hand.

¨She´s a charming lady. Your mother must have been a very beautiful woman, Lex, ¨came Wayne´s warm answer.

¨She was to me, ¨responded a poker-faced Lex. ¨So... what have you got for me, Bruce? ¨he asked, inviting him to resume his seat with a gesture of his hand. ¨A drink? Lisbeth´s asked for a light dinner to be served in case you were hungry,¨ he added, walking to a mini-bar.

¨That´s very thoughtful of her; and yes, I´ll have a double malt on the rocks, please, ¨said Bruce, sitting down in an armchair.

¨OK. Let´s hear what you´ve got to say, ¨responded Lionel´s first-born, handing his friend a tumbler and uncapping a bottle of Tŷ Nant for himself.

¨Your old man knows what he´s doing. It wasn´t at all easy to follow his steps, but you were right, Lex, LuthorCorp´s behind the recent disappearance of some of Arkham´s most notorious inmates. The project known as ´A New Tomorrow´ is founded by a ghost organisation whose funds are virtually untraceable.¨

¨How many of the missing inmates have been recruited as subjects for the project? ¨

¨All of them. ¨

¨My suspicions were correct then. My dad´s been using both Belle Reve and Arkham as suppliers of material for his latest research. ¨

¨Have you got any news from your contact in Belle Reve, Lex? ¨

¨He called me this morning using a scrambler I provided him with. He thinks they´ve got something planned for tomorrow night. ¨

¨That cannot be good for Smallville. ¨

¨We´ve got something that Gotham´s people didn´t. We know the when, the who and... we´ll get the where soon. All the inmates who have become part of ´A New Tomorrow´ have been implanted a tracking device courtesy of Lexcorp Electronics division. The procedure was performed at 33.1 with the cooperation of my contact at Belle Reve, and the patients were later returned to the sanatorium with their memories of the night erased. ¨

¨If you were able to convince this person to cooperate with you and have the patients transferred to 33.1, why didn´t you carry out an extraction operation? Dozens of patients would have already been saved. ¨

¨You aren´t looking at the big picture, Bruce. I would have saved a few but jeopardised countless others. I had to return the inmates or else my father would have found the way to make my access to them impossible. Considering last time 20 of the inmates who had been implanted were eliminated by my father´s team before they could take me to wherever it is he´s got the headquarters of this project, I had my researchers develop a new tracking device. The new implant leaves no scars and it´s injected directly into the bone marrow. I hope this time my father won´t sacrifice any new subjects before we have him in our clutches. By the way, does that charming childhood friend of yours still work for the D.A.? ¨

¨Rachel Dawes? Yes, she´s still at the D.A.´s office. And I believe this time you´ll be pleased to know I´ve predicted your next move. ¨

¨Will I? ¨

¨I´ve already talked with her- off-the-record, of course. She said the D.A. would be willing to make a deal with you if you gave them your father on a silver platter. She can´t promise you won´t have to serve some time. Even if you aren´t part of the project, you´re a member of the Board of Directors of the corporation which has financed it and, as such, you´re an accessory to the crime. ¨

¨I´m well aware of that. It´d be a small price to pay to see my father end up where he belongs. ¨

¨Gotham´s D.A. will just prosecute your father for Arkham´s disappearances, Belle Reve´s out of its jurisdiction. ¨

¨We´ll try to convince your friend to introduce Belle Reve some time during the trial. Even if the judge were to dismiss the allegation, it´d be already out in the open; and with the coverage this case´ll get, I´m certain the Metropolis D.A.´s office will be forced to open its own investigation. ¨

¨What I still don´t get is why Lionel would be interested in getting to Miss Sullivan. ¨

¨Her testimony could be damaging for him if he were tried for my grandparents´ murder, but I guess that´d be the least of his worries. No, what I fear is that he´ll want to use Chloe against me. He needs 33.1 for his project. He needs the equipment, the technology and the whole research I have. Prior to the flooding of Reeves Dam, my team had made an outstanding advancement. I was on the verge of providing our armed forces with an almost invincible weapon. ¨

¨ Aren´t you afraid Wayne Enterprises might steal your technology? ¨

¨Believe me, Bruce, Project Ares isn´t the kind of business an entrepreneur like you would get involved with. ¨

¨My morals aren´t as clear-cut as you seem to believe, Lex. I´m a shadier character than you think. ¨

¨Oh, I´m well aware of that, Bruce. Why do you think we´ve been friends this long? But I´m also aware of where you´d draw the line. And, trust me, this would be it. ¨

A couple of hours later, both billionaires emerged from the study satisfied with the strategy they´d been working on for the following evening. They were discussing the short-sightedness of political and military leaders who brought countries to war over oil- clearly their eyes should have been focused on water, according to Lex- when they reached the stairs and saw Chloe climbing down.

¨You´re still up, ¨said Lex with a hint of reproach.

¨I couldn´t sleep, ¨smiled Chloe, looking at the attractive young man standing behind him, ¨and I thought I could ... ¨

¨Eavesdrop? ¨finished Lex, cocking an eyebrow. ¨You can´t use the excuse of coming down to the library for a book. Remember you took one up when I left you to meet Bruce. ¨

¨Bruce? ¨she echoed, shooting a quizzical glance at the smirking brown-haired man. ¨Would that be Bruce Wayne, by any chance?¨

¨The one and only, ¨answered Gotham´s playboy, making a vow.

¨Lois hasn´t exaggerated for the first time in her life. You do look dashing in a tux. ¨

¨And who would this Lois be? ¨asked Bruce.

¨A reporter with a big mouth and lousy taste in men, ¨Lex butted in through clenched teeth.

¨She´s my cousin- Lois Lane, ¨she responded to Bruce. ¨And why do you say she´s got poor taste in guys, Lex? ¨she frowned, shifting her gaze to the younger Luthor. ¨Oliver´s a good-looking fellow. ¨

¨Oliver´s a pompous ass, ¨glared Lex.

¨Oliver? ¨asked Gotham´s billionaire with a puzzled look on his face.

¨Queen, ¨hissed Lex.

¨Well, I have to agree with Miss Sullivan... he´s no Quasimodo, ¨he said gravely and stifled a laugh when he saw his former classmate´s barely repressed rage. ¨Although, ¨he added conciliatorily, ¨his sanctimonious Robin Hood act can be a pain in the butt sometimes. ¨

¨His foundation´s helped a lot of people, ¨Chloe stoked up the fire.

¨Helping people in need´s fine. He just shouldn´t boast about it as if his current good deeds would erase the fact he´s a murderer!¨exploded Lex, leaving Chloe speechless.

¨Miss Sullivan, ¨Bruce greeted her, taking a step forward and grazing her hand with a kiss, ¨it´s been a pleasure. Now, if you´ll excuse me, I´ll go to bed. It´s been a very eventful day, ¨he excused himself, knowing full well Lex had already regretted his outburst and wouldn´ t like him to be present when the lady started with her line of questioning- it had taken Bruce just a couple of minutes to size the petite blonde up and realise she wasn´t a quitter.

¨It´s been nice meeting you, Mr Wayne, ¨she answered with a catch in her voice.

¨Be nice, ¨ he told Chloe under his breath.¨Good night, Lex, ¨he said calmly, looking at the poker-faced Metropolis billionaire.

¨Good night, Bruce, and thanks for everything, ¨he responded with the ghost of a smile.

¨We´ll get him, ¨finished Wayne, patting his friend on the back before climbing up the stairs to the bedroom Lisbeth had had aired for him.

As the sound of Bruce´s footsteps on the hardwood corridor receded, the green-eyed reporter walked up to Lex, who had turned around to go back to the study.

¨Lex, ¨choked Chloe, ¨what did you mean... ¨

¨Let it rest, Chloe, ¨he said coldly, pushing the oak double doors open.

¨I won´t just let it rest. You´ve called Oliver Queen a murderer and... ¨

¨What were you trying to do back there, Chloe? ¨he cut her off, grabbing a snifter and taking the stopper off a decanter. ¨Make me jealous?¨he asked, taking a gulp of bourbon.

¨What are you talking about? I´ve just happened to mention Bruce is... ¨

¨Wayne doesn´t need to be reminded 98 of the female population find him irresistible. He´s already too full of himself. And Queen? You had to go and talk about him when you know he made my life and Duncan´s a living hell at Excelsior. I regret the day I thought I needed friends like Queen and his gang. If I hadn´t been weak, Duncan would still be alive... I can do my best to stomach you finding Bruce attractive but not Queen, never Queen, ¨he smouldered.

¨I´m not in love with Queen, Lex. And I think Bruce Wayne´s an attractive and charming guy, but it isn´t the thought of him that keeps me awake at night, ¨she said throatily, covering Lex´s hand with hers and forcing him to put down the snifter. ¨Now, stop hiding behind a glass and tell me about Duncan. ¨

¨I don´t feel like talking about him tonight, ¨he murmured, fastening his eyes on her lips and then letting them roam over the features until his grey-blue orbs met her green pools. ¨Go back to bed, Chloe, ¨he sobered, putting some distance between the two.

¨Don´t do that, Lex. Don´t pull back, ¨she pleaded, grabbing his left-hand to stop him.

¨My talking about Duncan won´t help. Tomorrow´s a big day, Chloe, and I can´t afford going down memory lane right now, ¨he said matter-of-factly.

¨What´s going to happen tomorrow? Why is Bruce here?¨ she insisted. ¨Is this about your father? ¨she added as an afterthought when Lex closed like a clam. ¨What´s ´A New Tomorrow´? ¨ she ventured.

¨How much of the conversation have you heard, Chloe? ¨he tensed up.

¨I haven´t... ¨ she started.

¨How much? ¨he repeated, putting his hands on her shoulders in a gesture which reminded Chloe of the days when they had worked together to bring Lionel down.

¨Enough to know that everything I wrote about LuthorCorp in that article was true. ¨

¨Now you do understand why I couldn´t let The Planet print that article. It would have been like helping you sign your death sentence, ¨he explained, swallowing the lump in his throat as he caressed her cheek and resisted the urge to taste those lips whose sweetness he could still remember by just closing his eyes.

¨What are you waiting for, Lex? ¨she asked wistfully, bringing their bodies closer and feeling her skin tingle in anticipation when she saw his pupils darken.

¨I´ve been waiting four long years to hear you say that, ¨he confessed, threading his fingers through her lemon-scented hair and leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. ¨Chloe, ¨he murmured as he grazed her pulse with his lips and felt her heartbeat quicken.

¨Lex, shouldn´t we... ¨she moaned when Lex´s hand brush the underside of one of her breasts and he claimed her mouth in a desperately hungry kiss which left them breathless.

¨You´re so beautiful and so god dam selfless, ¨he said throatily.

¨Asking you to take what you want isn´t being selfless, Lex, ¨she responded with a catch in her voice. ¨I´m thinking about me for a change. I deserve to be happy and so do you. No matter what your bastard of a father has tried to make you believe or what others might think of you, you deserve to be loved just as much as I do, in spite of our flaws and our shortcomings, ¨she added, looking into his stormy blue-grey eyes. ¨No, ¨she cut him off, putting her hand on his lips, ¨let me finish, please. I know what you´re going to say... That you aren´t what I need in my life, that you don´t deserve me. Well, guess what, I´m not perfect, Lex. Hell, I can´t even give you another child... ! ¨she went on with glassy eyes.

¨Chloe, ¨he shook his head, tipping her face up with his hand, ¨there´s no woman in this world apart from my mum who´s meant or will ever mean as much as you do to me. Never ever think I´d love you less because you can´t carry a child now. As I see it, you´re already the mother of our son- Julian´s mother. There are thousands of babies who´ll never know the love of a mother and our baby did. Maybe you didn´t get the chance to hold him, but he was loved and he was wanted, and you carried him in your womb for almost six months, ¨he said passionately.

¨Lex, ¨she interrupted him with a strangled voice.

¨I´d do anything for you, Chloe. And if seeing you happy means having a child in our lives... there´s always adoption. We both know what it feels to be abandoned or unloved, ¨he finished, boring his eyes in her.

¨Then, let´s stop torturing ourselves with the past or what might happen tomorrow, Lex. I know there are no guarantees things will turn out the way we want them, and we´ve been through enough to know they can be snatched away from us in the most sudden and cruellest of ways. Stop denying what we both want, and don´t think about whatever it is tomorrow´ll bring. If your dad´s already found out about us, our not making love tonight won´t change a thing. I don´t want to wake up alone the day after tomorrow regretting not knowing what it felt like to be in your arms again, ¨she said emotionally.

¨It´s not in my plans to leave you alone, Chloe, ¨he responded, tightening his hold on her.

¨I´m not saying you´d do it on purpose, Lex. But I don´t know what you and Bruce have got up your sleeve, and I know your father better than to underestimate him. I don´t want to lose you, Lex, but neither of us are immortal and I won´t deny myself any longer out of pride or stupid stubbornness. ¨

¨How long have you been feeling like this, Chloe? ¨he murmured in her ear, feeling her shiver in his arms.

¨For a couple of months now, ¨she answered short of breath as he leaned into her.

¨Just a couple of months? ¨he smiled cockily as he brushed her lips with his.

¨You´re so full of yourself, Lex. I´ve always wanted you. Satisfied? Even when I hated you. Even the night you walked in the newsroom of The Planet and threatened me. I always told myself it was hatred, because admitting the truth was too damn difficult. Now... shall we stop babbling, Lex? Our verbal judo´s always been exciting and even arousing at times, but I´ve had enough of it for one night. ¨

¨Impatient, aren´t we? ¨he responded, coaxing her mouth open until their tongues met again in a kiss which reflected what was too come.

¨Who´s impatient, now? ¨she giggled as she felt the tell-tale signs of his body against hers.

¨Are you making fun of me, Chloe? ¨he asked parting her robe to caress one milky breast until her peak was so taut that she had to beg him to do something about it. ¨God, you´re so perfect, ¨he whispered, giving the same attention to her other breast while she fumbled with his belt.

¨Lex, ¨she moaned when his mouth moved from her breast to her stomach, scattering kisses all the way down until he reached the lace of her hip-high knickers and stopped.

The young billionaire looked up to lock his eyes with her green orbs and straightened up to press an almost chaste kiss on her lips. He knew her body was more than ready to sheathe him, but he didn´t want their lovers´ reunion to be on an uncomfortable sofa or, worse, on his grandmother´s mahogany desk. What they felt for each other was too sublime to be celebrated with a frenzied coupling more fitting for two animals in heat than for two human beings in love.

Lex wanted her to remember every caress, every kiss and every sigh. She had no memory of the summer night she had given her virginity to him, and he was aware this would be like the first time for her since she had never lain with anyone but him. In fact, he had almost cried in relief when she had told him she´d never gone beyond a few kisses with Jimmy.

¨Chloe, love, let´s go upstairs, ¨he said against her lips, threading his fingers through her hair.

¨Why have you stopped? Are you afraid someone might hear us? ¨she complained.

¨I want for it to be perfect, Chloe, ¨he responded. ¨And trust me on this one. My experience with you tells me we should be far away from curious ears, ¨he smiled knowingly.

¨Are you implying what you think you´re implying, Mr Luthor? ¨she cocked an eyebrow.

¨You´re a very passionate woman, Miss Sullivan. And that´s all I´m saying, ¨he smirked. ¨Fasten your robe, love. I wouldn´t like Bruce to get any ideas. ¨

¨What do you mean? ¨she frowned.

¨Knowing Bruce, he must be straining his ears to make sure there´s no threat lurking round the corners of the ranch. I don´t think he´ll sleep tonight. If he hears you go past his door, he might open it just a crack to have a look into the corridor, and I wouldn´t like him to see you half naked. ¨

¨Aren´t you coming up with me? ¨she answered, covering herself up.

¨I will. You go ahead to your room- it´s more secluded than mine. I´ll join you in ten minutes. ¨

¨But... ¨

¨Chloe... In the state I´m now I might get carried away. Being rough with you is the last thing I want; not when it´s been so long. Trust me, it´ll be better this way. ¨

¨I´m counting on your stamina, Mr Luthor, ¨she taunted him.

¨Go up before I forget my resolve, Chloe, ¨he said through clenched teeth.

¨OK, I´ll go. Just leave those decanters alone or I´ll think I´m an unsavoury task. ¨

¨Oh, there´s no fear of that. You´re intoxicating enough, ¨he murmured to himself as she shut the door carefully on her way out.

A/N: You can read the disclaimer in chapter 1. Bruce Wayne and the characters of Batman´s universe belong to Bob Kane and DC Comics.