Disclaimer: see Chapter 1 for a complete disclaimer.

A/N: Here's the second chapter. I hope it won't disappoint you.

Enjoy !

CHAPTER 10: You're not Alone

" Doctor, could you give him a sedative ? " Bruce asked the physician on duty at the ER.

" I don't need any tranquilizers, Wayne ! " exclaimed Lex.

" You're in shock, Lex. There's a limit to what a man can take. And I think you've reached that limit, my friend. "

" I can't. Don't you see, Bruce ? That bullet was aimed at me ! "

" We don't know that, Lex. "

" What is it that you can't understand, Wayne ? Lana's murder and now this shooting. That bomb was planted to kill me, Bruce. Her being in that car wasn't planned. And this bullet... if he hadn't pushed me, I'd be the one on the slab. "

" Take the pill, Lex, " said Bruce, handing him the tablet.

" Someone must talk to her, " uttered a tormented Lex.

" I will. "

" I must do it. I'm the reason he's dead and... "

" Lex, what are you going to tell her ? "

" The truth. "

" What truth ? Why not wait until the police inquiry to start putting the blame on someone ? You don't know what the truth is, but I promise we'll work together to find out who's behind this. Now, take the pill. "

" You aren't my damn father, Wayne. I'll speak with her and I won't let you stand in my way, " he stated, surprising Bruce with a punch in the face, and grabbing the keys to his Ferrari.

" Lex, wait ! " shouted, scrambling to his feet. " Oh, damn ! Who'd have known ? He's got a deadly upper-cut ," he exclaimed rubbing his jaw. " If only you knew you've taken the invincible Batman by surprise, Lex, " he said under his voice.

Chloe and Lucas' apartment was a ten-minute drive from the centre of Gotham, but it took Lex half the time to get there in his frenzy state. He parked Wayne's car in front of the entrance and used his brother's key to let himself into the building. A couple of minutes later he was at the apartment door, but plucking up the courage to ring the bell took him an extra ten minutes.

Chloe was working on her word-processor when the bell made her jump off the chair. Only Bruce rang the doorbell without using the intercom first- she'd never asked how, but he always managed to sneak up.

Aware of Gotham's high crime rates, Chloe kept a baseball bat next to the front door; so she approached the entrance stealthily, grabbed the weapon and looked through the peephole. She could only see a bald head from behind but she immediately recognised Lex's unmistakable bone structure. She put the bat back where it belonged and unlocked the door.

" Lex ? What are you doing here alone ? Where's Lucas ? " she asked, looking up and down the corridor in front of a dumbfounded Lex.

" Ch... Chloe ? " muttered Lex when he recognised the blonde reporter he hadn't seen in ten years.

" You weren't expecting to see me, were you ? " she said with that luminous smile he remembered so well. " What... " she started to ask, noticing the bloodstains on Lex's once immaculate white shirt. " You're covered in blood ! " she exclaimed. " Come in. Are you hurt ? Take off your jacket, " she added after closing the door behind them.

" Chloe... "

" Why don't you... "

" Chloe... stop ! " he exclaimed , grabbing her hands. " I'm not hurt, " he said, looking at her straight in the eye.

" Then... whose blood is it ? " she asked with a puzzled look.

" It isn't my blood... although... in a way it is. It should have been mine, Chloe, " he said with tears in his eyes. " Oh, Chloe ! I didn't know... Why have you kept this a secret for so long ? " he said , grazing Chloe's cheek with a hand.

" No... no.., " she said shaking her head. " It isn't true. It cannot be true ! " she screamed, retreating from Lex.

" Chloe... he's ..., " said Lex chokingly, walking closer to her.

" Don't say it, Lex ! " she shouted.

" I'm so sorry, Chloe, " he added passionately, taking her by her arms. " I wish it had been me. "

" Don't touch me !" she exclaimed, squirming to get away from his arms and punching him in the chest repeatedly. " He cannot be dead. I have to talk to him. He promised we'd talk tonight, " she blurted, dissolving in tears and letting herself be wrapped in Lex's arms.

" You're not alone, Chloe. I won't leave you alone. We still have each other, " whispered Lex in her ear while the sun set in Gotham.

Well, this was the first Chlex scene in this fic. What's your overall impression on this installment ? Are you interested in reading more soon ? Don't leave without letting me know what you think.