Title: Breaking Chloe Sullivan

Summary: Her strength is intriguing him, her fire captivating him, but can she survive his interest? Lex decides it's time to find out, what exactly will it take to break Chloe Sullivan?

Shipping: Chlark Chlex mostly Chlark

Major Characters: Chloe Clark Lex

Author's Note: I'm trying I swear! But I'm attempting a book right now, and the muse for the two of them is kind of running and playing a little game of hide and seek.

Previously:

Chloe

"Hi there sweetheart." Chloe felt her heart stop. Not him... Please God not him! When Clark knocked on her door hours later, Chloe was in the shower. And when she went to answer the door, her eyes weren't rimmed red from crying. The lights weren't on, and the vodka was where she had left it, untouched. "Clark. I don't want you to stay." She wanted to get up and run after him, throw herself into his arms, let him tell her she was safe again. But you're not.

Clark

He wrapped his arms around Lana, trying to forget about it, trying to shrug it off. But even as Lana kissed his neck, Clark felt a knife stab him, felt it twist in deeper. It hurt. Her refusal of his comfort… it hurt him. More than he could realize, more than he had thought it did. And still he told himself it didn't, it shouldn't have. He had Lana to take care of, besides, Chloe could take care of herself. She doesn't need me.

Lex

Ch. 12 Fearless

He appeared to be checking the latest figures of his newest business requisition but in truth his eyes saw nothing, none of the numbers or words on the report registered in his mind at all. His thoughts were otherwise occupied, his attention completely focused on the cell phone resting six inches to the right of his laptop. It's black casing would shake when someone called, making a vibrating sound as it clashed with his glass desktop.

If someone ever called.

It had been far too long already. The seconds were stretching into minutes, the minutes into hours, and Lex's patience was wearing thin. He'd already used so much of it, waiting for her to cross the line, waiting for her curiosity to overpower her fear. It should have disappointed him that it took her so long, but the only emotion that filled him as he thought of her was admiration. The things she had accomplished… and all without his help… it astounded him.

The noise and feel of the vibrations startled him so much he jumped in his custom leather chair. His hand felt clumsy as he reached for the phone and flipped it open, putting it to his ear.

"Yes?"

"Mmm Lex you've gotta try her sometime. Absolutely delicious."

"Thank you for your services. I'll contact you again if the need arises."

"God I hope it does. This is my favorite job."

Lex snapped the phone shut, sitting back in his chair and trying to relax his breathing. Come on Lex, that's what you wanted. Now she's back in her place. He rubbed his temples with stiff fingers, knowing the head ache coming would keep him from getting to sleep tonight. Clark and Chloe… together again. It just didn't sit well with him, and now he felt the need to reintroduce himself into her life.

That was why, when she went to work in the morning, Perry would call her into his office with a new assignment for her. Only for her. She would have to come to his office and interview him. As of yet, he was undecided about whether or not he was going to reveal that he knew who she was, that he'd known all along.

Rising to his feet, Lex walked to his bar and poured himself a glass of brandy. Sipping it carefully he looked out the window. From his office window in Metropolis, he could see the top of Chloe's apartment building. And every night he had to stop himself from going over there. Can you control yourself when she comes here Lex? His self control was always a little harder to maintain when he was around her, and it had been so long.

It had been years since he'd touched her skin, since he'd held her body close to his. So much time had gone by since he'd heard her voice, watched her mouth move as she called him out on his innuendos. When was the last time he'd seen her intelligent eyes look at him with anything except fear and hatred? But of course she wouldn't remember that… She didn't remember any of it, he'd seen to that.

But he did. He remembered every detail. His hands clenched around his glass as he remembered her screams, her wide-eyed look of panic. She'd asked him what he was doing, she'd asked him to stop. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

Lois Lane was interviewing him. It seemed kind of ironic to him, and his lips twisted into a smirk that resembled something more like a grimace. Lois Lane would be asking the questions.

But it was Chloe Sullivan he had all the answers for.

Clark walked through the door to his and Lana's apartment and quietly shut it behind him. He moved noiselessly through the rooms until he reached the bedroom. Slipping out of his shirt and pants, he climbed into bed beside her and prayed to God she wouldn't wake up.

"Where've you been?" Her tone was innocent, as if she was simply curious. But this was not the first time he'd attempted to sneak back home at some un-Godly AM hour. It wasn't the second either. Clark hesitated, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to tell the truth either.

"Lois's place, we were working on this new thing Perry gave us." Okay, so half a lie.

"Again?"

"Lana I'm sorry." Now she twisted around to face him, sitting up. He watched her long black hair fall softly over one shoulder, watched her satin night gown slide up on her small body.

"You're sorry?" He winced at the tone of her voice, she was barely containing her fury.

"Yes Lana, I'm sorry. I just lost track of time."

"That seems to be something you're exceptionally good at Clark."

"Lana-"

"No Clark!" She jumped out of bed, and he followed suit, trying to go over and comfort her. But she pushed him away, not willing to calm down.

"I'm so sick of this Clark!"

"What?"

"I never see you anymore! You're always working, you're always with Lois!"

"Lana I am not always with Lois." That part was true, sometimes he was out stopping bank robberies and murders in back alleys. But he couldn't tell her that.

"You spend more time with her than you do with me!"

"I work with her Lana I spend all day with her, it's not like I have a choice."

"But all night Clark?"

"Lana…"

"See? You're out of excuses!" He wasn't though, he was just out of the ones he could actually tell her.

"Lana can you please just let it go?"

"No Clark! I can't believe you even asked me that! This is so important to me… I just… I can't believe… Don't you care about us anymore? Don't you care about me?"

"Of course Lana, of course I care." Once again he tried to walk forward and wrap his arms around her, and for the second time she pushed him away. Although this time it was more gentle, and the hurt look in her eyes pained him more than the feel of her hands pushing him away.

"Clark…" Oh here it came.

"Clark I think it would be best if we took a break for a while." How many times had those words been uttered from those perfect lips? Far too many.

He knew his eyes looked wounded, he could feel it. But he nodded, quietly accepting her decree. Stepping forward, he kissed her on the forehead, pausing for a long moment with his lips pressed to her skin. And then he turned and got dressed, never once looking back as he grabbed a bag from the closet and shoved some clothes into it. As he walked away he closed the bedroom door behind him, and it was only after it was shut that he heard her begin to cry.

Walking out of the apartment, his bag slung over one shoulder, Clark went to the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. As he watched the doors shut he sighed. He could still hear her crying. Shutting off his super hearing, he picked up his cell phone.

"Chloe?"

"Clark?"

"I'm sorry if I woke you up Chloe. Lana and I are… taking a break. I was wondering if I could crash on your couch tonight? I'll find a hotel in the morning I just-"

"Sure Clark come on back."

"Are you sure?"

"Clark."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few."

Walking at normal speed could be very relaxing. It gave him time to think. It wasn't necessarily a good thing tonight, all that extra thinking had him remembering all of the other times Lana had left him, or told him to leave, or something of a similar nature. It was getting to be so that he could predict exactly when she would call him. It would be two weeks, give or take a day or two, when his cell phone would read Lana as it rang in his hand.

And he always answered.

The week after that they'd go out to breakfast or lunch, a harmless meal that couldn't be called a date. Not really anyways. After that it was only a matter of time. Sometimes it took her a month, sometimes two. Once it had even lasted for seven months before she'd asked him to come back. Always she would call him intermittently, come up to see him with seemingly innocent excuses. The longest they'd gone without her telling him they needed to split up was this past stretch, this past two-year period where they'd bought that apartment together.

There was one other thing he could measure like clock-work, one other aspect of the situation he knew so well that he had the amount of time down to a science. Although this time it was almost like cheating, because this time he was counting the amount of days that would pass from her request to his affirmative answer. And yes, the answer was always yes.

His last answer had taken Lana a week to pull out of him. A week of convincing, of long phone calls and spur of the moment lunch dates. He was helpless to say no to her when she had that pleading look in her eyes, when she reminded him of all the things he'd put her through, he had to wrap his arms around her. Her small body always felt nice in his arms, her skin was always so soft, and it brought back so many memories that his resistance never held up for long.

Is it a good thing she has to convince you to come back all the time? He walked into Chloe's apartment building and stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the 7th floor. Of course it's a good thing, I love her, she loves me. We belong together. We always have. The door opened as Clark shook his head, giving up his self-convincing.

Chloe heard the knock on the door before she was actually ready for him to come in. Who're you kidding Chloe, you won't ever be ready. She walked across the room to the door, going slowly, trying to relax her face and banish her nerves from her body. It wouldn't be helpful for Clark to see her jumping at shadows. When she opened the door she was a little more prepared.

"Hey Chloe."

"Hi Clark, come on in, you can put your stuff wherever."

"Thanks Chloe, I owe you."

"Don't worry about it Clark, it's no big deal." In truth Chloe was almost grateful that he was here, that she didn't have to spend the night alone.

"So I'll take the couch I guess." Oh crap. She couldn't go in that bedroom. She just couldn't.

"Umm, yeah, okay." She'd have to figure out a way around that. He threw his stuff on the floor by the couch and sat down heavily, putting his head in his hands. Chloe hesitated for just a second before going over to sit next to him, and hesitated again before putting her small hand on the expanse of his broad back and rubbing it soothingly, trying to comfort him.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Umm… I just… I feel like you've heard it all before."

"Well Clark it has been awhile since I've given you Lana advice. I don't think we should break the tradition." If he heard the trace of bitterness that entered her voice he didn't acknowledge it.

"It's just that she always does this." He looked up, meeting her eyes, straightening up and not looking at her hand when she took it off him.

"She gets mad and breaks up with me and then sooner or later she wants me back."

"Well Clark, you are kind of hard to let go."

"But I take her back Chloe! Every time!"

"Why?"

"Because I love her." The answer sounded worn to Chloe, a refrain he'd gone back to one too many times.

"So what's the problem?"

"She just keeps doing this! It's a never ending cycle, the twisting of the tornado that is my life just keeps going round and round and round. It's not healthy."

"So why does she break up with you?"

"Because… because I lie to her. And I miss things and I'm late all the time and… I'm forever screwing up."

"Why?"

"Because Chloe! Just… because." Ahh. There was that thing again. That thing he would never tell her. The one that was always messing up his relationship with Lana. It was just like high school, exactly the same. Back then Chloe had been counting on Clark's secret to keep them apart or separate them. She'd actually prayed that it would.

"Clark…"

"Chloe… I… I can't." He wouldn't tell her. Even now, with all they'd been through, he wouldn't tell her. But now it was a little easier for her to accept, now she knew what it was like to have a secret you didn't want to tell anyone. A secret you hid so deep, that you were the only one it could eat away at. A secret that was so hard to keep out of the light that sometimes you felt exhausted with the effort.

"Clark it's okay. It's going to be okay." She pulled him into a hug, wrapped her arms around him, and he put his around her too, holding onto her like she was the only thing he had left. How could his arms feel so right? Chloe never wanted to let go, she just wanted to live here, here in his arms and against his chest, feeling his soft hair on her neck. She just wanted to stay here… the only place she really felt safe.

She'd left for work before Clark, not wanting it to appear that they had spent the night together, even if nothing had happened. Even if the only thing that had was that she'd fallen asleep with him on the couch. It was the first good night's sleep she'd had in as long as she could remember. Her step had a little more spring in it today, the circles under her eyes weren't as dark.

"Good morning Judy," she said, smiling at the mail girl as she handed her a stack of files.

"Morning Lois. Umm, Perry wanted to see you when you got here, he's in his office."

"Oh, God, what'd I do now?"

"Who knows?" Chloe laughed, putting the files on her desk and walking over to the door to Perry's office. She opened the door without knocking.

"Lane!"

"Morning. What've you got for me?"

"I think you're going to love this. You may kiss my feet and pronounce me the best editor ever if you wish."

"Not in your wildest dreams Perry. Just spit it out already."

"Lex Luthor wants an interview. And he asked for you." She couldn't hear Perry talking, barely saw his mouth move. She didn't hear his phone ring, almost didn't comprehend that he picked it up. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her chest was suddenly constricting and it felt hard to breathe. Lex? Now? He would find out. All these years she'd avoided his detection, ducked behind people at social events, made excuses to get out of introductions, always making sure her picture was small and distorted when it was in the paper. All of that would be for nothing now. He would find out.

"Perry!"

"Hold on Lane, I'm on the phone." Chloe waited, trying to think of excuses for why she couldn't do the interview. Each one was worse and more desperate than the last. Shit. When he hung up the phone she jumped on him.

"Perry I can't do the interview!"

"What? Lane are you sick! This is the interview of your life! Lex Luthor never gives interviews. Not ever! And now he wants you – you! – to do one! This will make your career!"

"I already have a career Perry!"

"Why don't you want it?"

"Because… I… Perry I just don't! For… for personal reasons!"

"Seriously Lane! Get over it! I know you hate the man, now's your chance to grill him, to pin him to the wall!"

"Perry!"

"No! You're doing it! Get out!"

"Perry!"

"Get out!" Like a stubborn child she stormed out of the room, throwing herself down on her desk. Shit. How was this going to work? She couldn't do it. She couldn't. But… maybe he wouldn't notice. She had been so young… and he wasn't Clark, he'd had so many women go in and out of his life surely he wouldn't remember the little girl he'd been forced to take care of all those years ago.

With that thought in her head, reassuring herself, Chloe made the call, scheduling the appointment for tomorrow at one. She stayed up all night that night, thinking of questions, trying to figure out what his answers would be and how she could respond to them. The one thing she refused to think about would be what would happen if he recognized her. Because it wouldn't happen. It just wouldn't.

She didn't tell Clark about the interview. He was out doing something, and he'd found a hotel, even though she'd told him he could stay with her as long as he'd needed to. She picked up the phone a couple times, wanting to call and tell him, wanting to ask his opinion, wanting him to tell her she was doing the right thing in preserving her job. But he had enough on his plate with this whole Lana thing, he didn't need her problems too.

"Mr. Luthor will see you now." Chloe stood up, nervously adjusting her skirt and her jacket. Come on Chloe! She straightened up, reminding herself that she was Lois Lane, and she ate men like him for breakfast. This would be fun. There was nothing to worry about. You are Lois Lane, and you are fearless. She followed the pretty young secretary to the door.

"Thank you." Those teeth had to have cost a fortune. Maybe more than her boob job. She walked in and swallowed as the door closed behind her.

"Lois Lane. I don't believe we've had the pleasure."

So??? I know I know, took me forever. Sorry!