
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2481221.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M
  Fandom:
      Smallville
  Relationship:
      Lex_Luthor/Chloe_Sullivan
  Character:
      Lex_Luthor, Chloe_Sullivan
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-10-19 Updated: 2015-02-15 Chapters: 6/? Words: 18436
****** The Villain in Me ******
by phillydragonldy
Summary
     Sometimes you know right away the impact a person will have on your
     life. Sometimes you don't. Either way, I know who is responsible for
     who I became.
     Most of you will probably think this is about the boy. It isn't. It
     isn't even about the girl you may think.It is about HER.
     Honestly, I am not really sure what could have changed how things
     turned out. Maybe if she trusted me, maybe if she let me
     explain.Mostly, I think things would have been different if she loved
     me too. Maybe then I would never have found the villain inside me.
     Pairing: Chloe and Lex (Chlex)
     Rating: PG - NC-17 depending upon chapter
     Timeline: Entire Series
Notes
     Prologue
     Sometimes you know right away the impact a person will have on your
     life. Sometimes you don't. Either way, I know who is responsible for
     who I became.
     Most of you will probably think this is about the boy. It isn't. It
     isn't even about the girl you may think.
     It is about HER. My lodestone, my albatross, and the lost key to my
     salvation. My nemesis and the only heart I needed.
     Honestly, I am not really sure what could have changed how things
     turned out. Maybe if she trusted me, maybe if she let me explain.
     Mostly, I think things would have been different if she loved me too.
     Maybe then, I would never have found the villain inside me.
***** Meeting *****
It may seem odd, but all these years later, I still remember every detail of
the first time I met her.  She was cute and young and blonde.  In my life, this
should have made her fairly forgettable.  But for some reason I didn't forget. 
Then or since.  I didn't recognize her for who she would become, but I didn't
forget her either.
===============================================================================


I decided to seek out the bright, 15-year-old Chloe Ann Sullivan for two
reasons.  Neither of them were the one that I told Clark.

First, I was curious about this girl that Clark spoke of so much.  She was
obviously very important to him.  He spoke of her almost as much as he spoke of
the beautiful and elusive Lana Lang.

Honestly, when he described both girls, I thought this Chloe Sullivan and her
wild ideas seemed much more intriguing than the delicate brunette.  But the
heart wants what it wants.  That is certainly something I came to understand
all too well.  For me, Chloe would prove the elusive one.  The one always
sought and rarely captured, but I had no idea about that at the time.

My second reason for seeking out Chloe Sullivan was because, in a town where
everyone hated me and blamed me for every single problem based on nothing more
than my last name, she didn't.  From my plant manager -- Chloe's proud father,
Gabe -- I learned of her wild theory about the meteor shower being responsible
for many of the strange goings-on in Smallville.

Turns out it wasn't such a wild idea.

So I found myself at Smallville High in a room that proudly declared itself to
be "Home of the Torch."

The huge collection of articles, snapshots, clippings, notes, and other
assorted ragtag media should have made it feel like the den of an obsessive
conspiracy theorist.

It didn't.

The room was full, but bright and colorful, with a logical order to all of it. 
The person that "owned" this space took pride in every detail.  That person had
a deep desire to know the truth, even at the risk of walking a line others may
see as crazy.   It felt like the home of someone very thorough and extremely
clever.  Someone able to make connections other people would miss.

I thought it fascinating.  I found myself looking over the array of articles,
notes, and other details for much too long.  I had only intended to meet the
girl to take her measure, inquire about her theory, and leave.  Instead, I was
interrupted as I was still reviewing the work thirty minutes later by Clark.

I'm not sure why I lied.  Maybe because I didn't want to reveal my fascination
with the workings of the mind of a girl I'd never met.  Maybe it was just
habit.

"How'd you end up here?" Clark asked.

"My plant manager, Gabe. He's always going on about his daughter, the reporter
at the Torch. Thought I'd drop by and say hello. She wasn't around, but I was
struck by this."  I indicated the clippings on the wall.

"That's Chloe's hobby. She thinks she can trace all the freak things in
Smallville to the meteor shower."

I knew this already from my earlier Internet research, but I wanted to hear
Clark's take on the idea.

"Interesting theory," I hedged.

"Most people think it's crazy."

I didn't think it was crazy at all.

When the girl finally made her appearance, she wasn't what I expected.  Small,
cute, blonde.  Colorful.  Not my type, even if she hadn't been 15.  More than
that, she didn't look at all like the person I expected from the fierce
determination I saw around me.

"Mr. Luthor."  She smiled as she said my name.  A real smile.  Most people
didn't do that.

I found myself smiling back.  Also a real smile, which was odd.  "It's Lex.
Clark was just telling me your meteor theory. I like it.  Especially since most
people think my company is secretly behind everything that goes wrong in
Smallville."

Her eyes and smile were bright, but her reply told me more.  "That's the
reigning theory."

She was obviously not the least bit intimidated by me.  Though I was trying to
be friendly, most people were still at least a little nervous.  She wasn't. 
Also interesting, she was willing to go on record that she was thinking outside
the box.

"Are you the only one that blames the meteors instead of me?" I asked.

"Pretty much. Well, there is Mr. Hamilton."

And just like that I was sent on my first search into information about the
effects of the meteor shower.  Thanks to Chloe Sullivan.

"Call me when you're looking for a summer job. I've got friends over at the
Inquisitor."  I offered in my throw-away favor way.

Now that I think about it, she never did take me up on that offer.

She went and got herself an internship at The Daily Planet all on her own
instead.

Bravo, Chloe.

===============================================================================


Maybe I should have paid better attention that the memory of the girl stuck
with me.  But in my defense, I was pretty distracted at the time.  I was trying
to build an empire from scraps and figure out the secretive, heroic boy that
saved my life.  Even after growing up under my father's harsh care, I still had
light in me.  I was drawn by hope of a true friendship with the boy.  True
friends were not something I had ever found in the privileged circles of my
life.  Bald at nine, I was a freak. My money gave me a pass into their world,
but never welcome.  Something about Clark made me feel like I may find real
acceptance. Maybe it was because my efforts to buy it failed. Whatever the
reason, whenever the chance arose for me to help him out, I jumped at it.

So when I found out through the grapevine that the "small get-together" Clark
invited me to was blossoming into a full-fledged party.  I decided to up the
event a bit for his sake.

But for some reason when the large fireworks I had arranged for started going
off, I found myself checking Chloe's reaction.

===============================================================================


I saw her in passing a time or two after that, including when she helped
investigate the strange powers of Bob Rickman.  Her keen investigative sense
and logical intuition gave us just the link we needed to find out what was
going on with the strangely persuasive man.

But I can't say I really thought about her much.  She was 15, after all, and I
had a trail of ready bed-warmers.

It wasn't until Clark asked if I would be willing to do an interview for The
Torch that I really got to match wits with Chloe Sullivan for the first time.

===============================================================================


I will admit, I was surprised by the direct, aggressive way she started the
interview.  This was not the happy, shining girl I had seen before.  Even
having witnessed her impressive investigative skills, I expected to meet with a
girl grateful for the chance to interview local, and international, royalty.  I
didn't have a crown, but I certainly had the castle. I find it funny now, since
I know her so much better, that I thought then she would ever be dazzled by
something so vainglorious.  Instead, I was surprised and more than a little
entertained to be confronted with a real reporter.  This was the heart of her. 
Chloe on the story.  Chloe after the big bad.

And the big bad was me.

Huh.  Maybe she had it right all along.  It was just me that didn't see that
truth.

Can you blame me for loving such a woman?

At the time, in such a young girl, I found it a game.  A little 15-year-old
girl writing for her high school paper thought she could crack Lex Luthor.

Chloe asked Clark impatiently, "Are you ready now, Clark?"

"Yeah. I forgot to press the record button. Sorry."

I couldn't help smiling at my friend's sheepishness.  The girl was clearly the
one in control of the pair when doing something so clearly on her turf.

Actually, it was my turf, since it was in the study of my mansion, but she was
totally unfazed.  She was the interviewer and obviously saw herself as number
one in the room.

I found that amusing as well.  Few people would think themselves the bearer of
the upper hand when confronting a predator in its lair.  Even fewer might one
day be right.

"So, Mr. Luthor. Are there anymore secret construction projects going on at
LuthorCorp like Level 3?" she asked directly without a trace of apology or
smile.
"Please, call me Lex."  I deflected the question easily.  I had too much
experience with reporters to be caught flatfooted, even if I hadn't expected
such a brazen question from a high-schooler.
"Okay, Lex. Are you going to answer my question?"
"Chloe..."  Clark warned.
"What?" she snapped at him.

He clearly didn't have a good way of explaining what he saw as a breach of
etiquette on her end.
"It's okay, Clark. Our critics are our friends. They show us our faults."
"Benjamin Franklin," Chloe said, naming the author of the quote to my
surprise.  I let my admiration show in a small nod.
"Excuse me, Mr. Luthor. Your father's on the phone," one of my guards
interrupted us.
"I need to get this." I told the girl.  She flashed a look at me as if thinking
this was my way of weaseling out of the interview.   I looked back at the
guard.  "I'll take it in the conservatory."

Honestly, I was sorry to have to leave our conversation.  The exercise was
proving significantly more interesting than I had anticipated, but I still had
a healthy fear of my father.  He easily won out over the blonde girl and even
the boy in the study.

I leaned in toward Chloe to make sure I had her full attention.  For some
reason, I wanted her to know I wasn't just blowing her off.  "I look forward to
resuming our verbal judo," I told her truthfully even with through the veneer
of charm.

She smiled at me.  A smile of acceptance, and some warmth.  A smile for an
equal that has played a good game and with whom you wish to match again.

I returned the smile.

Verbal judo.  I didn't know it at the time of course, but those words would go
a long way in encapsulating our relationship.  Two opponents trying to get the
better of the other in a match of wits, wills, and negotiation.

It still amazes me how well matched we were.  And how long it took me to
realize it.

===============================================================================


Next time I saw her, she was lying on the wet grass outside the mansion as rain
and glass fell around her.  She had been thrown through one of the stained
glass windows of the mansion.  She and Clark were attacked by robbers breaking
into my library vault.  She had fought back against one of the burglars, but he
had managed to overpower her and throw her through the glass and out onto the
roof.  She had managed to cling for a moment to the roof edge before losing her
grip.  She fell three stories to the lawn below.  As the lightning flashed,
illuminating her still form, she looked dead.

I wonder now if it would have been better for all concerned if she had been.

===============================================================================


I saw to it that she got the best possible medical care.  I even went to
visit.  I told myself it was not because of anything special about her, but the
incident happened on my property.  I called the doctors, then the lawyers. Told
them to ready a settlement.  Surprisingly, neither Chloe nor her father ever
sued.  I had forgotten that detail.  It seems the people that I most wished to
buy never were for sale.

===============================================================================


The doctors informed me when Chloe woke up and that she was on the road to a
full recovery.  Even apart from the legal ramifications, I found myself happy
to hear that.  I had lied to Clark about wanting to handle the thieves myself
because of what happened to Chloe.  The truth was I needed the disk they had
stolen back, but I still found myself glad to hear the plucky girl would suffer
no lasting damage.  Considering the terrible fall, she had been very lucky.

I called the local florist shop myself.  Unusual for me to do it personally,
instead of delegating it, but it seemed appropriate.  I had them create a
horseshoe shaped arrangement.  I had thought of it as a joke.  A lucky
horseshoe.  Never did actually follow up to see if she got it - flowers or
joke.  I kind of had my hands full, and once I knew she would be fine, I mostly
pushed the event from my mind.  Mostly.

It was the first time, but certainly not the last, that Chloe Sullivan would be
harmed because of me.

===============================================================================


When Chloe got out of the hospital, I really wasn't surprised to receive an
email message from her.

Rematch?

That was all it said.  Just one word, but I knew exactly what she meant.

Chloe still wanted her interview.

I smiled and replied.

Willing to tackle the dragon in his lair again? 

Her response was almost instantaneous.

I'll bring a fire extinguisher.  Friday 8pm?

I thought of a few snappy responses about virgin sacrifices and teeth, but
decided against them.

That will be fine.  I'll let my staff know to expect you and Clark.

Again, an almost instant reply.

Thank you, Lex.

===============================================================================


Funny how those early days in Smallville would play out over the next few
years.  Chloe on the story.  Chloe fighting against seemingly impossible odds
and coming out stronger.

Clark so concerned about what is right that he doesn't see what is necessary. 
Lana thinking only of herself.

Me trying to buy them all.  Of them, Lana was the only one that ever came to me
for money.  The day Chloe awoke in the hospital after the fall, Lana came to me
for the first time with hand out to save her beloved Talon.  People are so much
easier to manage when they owe you and they know it.  Even though at the time I
did use window dressings like "partnership" to make it more socially
acceptable.  Even so, the truth was that was how Lana first gave herself into
my power.

I often remind myself that Lana started out a good person, thought that
changed.  My money corrupted her.  I corrupted her.  In the end, she took the
money, faked her death, stalked me, and did everything in her power to destroy
me.

Chloe never fell so far from grace.  But then I've never met a stronger person
than the little blonde.  She pitted herself against me time and again, but she
never tried to destroy me in the way the twisted Lana did.  Even as much as I
think she sometimes wanted to.  Even at her most practical, the light in her
was always greater than the darkness.

But she managed to destroy me anyway.

Ah, but I digress...

===============================================================================


Friday came around and so did Chloe.  Though without Clark.

"Where's Clark?" I inquired of her.

She shrugged out of her jacket and gave it to the servant.  "He had to help
Lana with some project.  I figured I can just set up the camera before we get
started and leave it rolling.  I won't have any pans or push in/outs, but it
will just have to be enough."

"We could have rescheduled again," I pointed out.

Her look was surprisingly sharp.  "Oh no, not going to fall for that."

"Fall for what?" I asked with a small smile.  Though I already knew the answer.

Her eyes narrowed.  "Not going to let this reschedule, reschedule, and
reschedule again until you 'forget' you agreed to do it.  Or until you think I
lose interest and give up."  Her eyes narrowed.  "You said yes.  This is going
to happen."

"Is this your way of putting me on notice to be wary of what I agree to do
around you?"

Her eyes stayed narrowed as she sought the trap in my words.  She knew I was
having some fun at her expense, but was trying to see if there was more behind
it.  There was, of course.  I was trying to gauge her resolve.

"Yes, Lex.  I'd say that is fair.  I don't take broken promises lying down."

Her look was surprisingly serious and very targeted.  I knew she wasn't
speaking specifically about the interview.  She was also talking about my
friendship with Clark and my taking over the Smallville plant.  I actually
caught myself blink in surprise.  Was she really...warning me?  Me?  This tiny
little blonde highschooler...was trying to intimidate Lex Luthor?

I wondered briefly what it would be like to have such a fierce little ally
fighting for me.

Then she broke the moment.  The fierceness melted away, and she was again just
a bright and eager girl.  "So, back to the library I assume?  You'll have to
lead the way, this place is a maze."

I smiled back and gestured for her to follow me down a hall.  "Right this way,
Miss Sullivan."

===============================================================================


The article she wrote based on our interview was surprisingly balanced.  She
had grilled me in depth about Level 3, my plans for the Luthorcorp plant, my
Metropolis past, my anticipated future in Smallville, and more.  Insightful
questions that were not easily fobbed off and were not just a rerunning of
facts that would already be widely available on the Internet.  I give few
interviews, and when I do agree to one, I always hate questions that could have
been answered by a 60-second google search.  One thing I had expected her to
inquire about, but she skipped over, was research into the meteor rock.

Was it really possible she didn't know I had started looking into the effects
of the rocks on my own?

Even so, the portrayal was not a puff piece.  It wasn't particularly kind, but
it was fair.  She obviously had her doubts about some of the plans I described
for the plant and Smallville, but was willing to give me the benefit of the
doubt after outlining her concerns for the readers.  She left it up to the
readers to take the information given and come to their own conclusions.

So not what I hoped for, since I had done the interview as a favor for Clark,
but being given a fair treatment in Smallville was a success in and of itself.
***** First Loves *****
Love comes to each of us in different ways.  When I moved to Smallville, my
heart was untouched.  Though that would certainly change, much to my pain and
sorrow.

Clark told me he had been in love with Lana since they were children.

Lana seemed to be infatuated with whatever man was currently paying her the
most attention at the time.

For Chloe, it was Clark.  I don't know when it started for her, but the moment
I saw them together it was obvious.  It was also clear he had no idea.

===============================================================================


"I really messed up," Clark told me over the phone.

"What's wrong, Clark?  What did you do?"

"I told Chloe that I would sign us up for a journalism conference in Metropolis
on Saturday, but I got distracted, and --"

"And by distracted, you mean 'was busy with Lana' right?"

"Ummmm...yeah."

"So now you need tickets if you expect to ever get out of the doghouse with
Chloe."

"Yeah..."

I smiled.  This was easy.  "I'll make a call and see if I can get you some
tickets."

"Thanks, Lex."

"No problem, Clark."  He didn't hang up and I got the impression something else
was eating at him.  "What else is on your mind, Clark?"

"Do you think I've been ignoring everyone else in favor of you and Lana?"

I blinked.  That wasn't a question I expected.  "I'm not sure, Clark.  Why do
you ask?"

"Chloe said something..."

"Ah, ok.  Well, I guess you are the only one that can say for sure.  How much
time have you made for your other friends?"

"Well, I..."

"Clark, take it from someone that has a very short list of people they can
really call friend.  Make the time for the important people in your life."

I heard a heavy sigh on the phone.  Then, "Thanks, Lex.  I've got to get to
class."

"No problem, Clark."

After the boy hung up, I just shook my head.  I still don't know how he could
be so blind.  It seemed obvious that Chloe was annoyed at Clark for more than
just going MIA on her, but until one or the other of them were willing to speak
up, I would let that dog lie.

Though it didn't take long.

===============================================================================


I stopped by the Kent farm and sought out Clark in his loft while I was there. 
"What are you reading? 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus'?"

"I'm trying to get an insight into the female psyche."
I smiled and brandished the book.  "I seriously doubt you'll find it in here.
What's the problem?"
"I've got these two amazing friends who both happen to be girls."

Ah, so he finally saw what had been so obvious about Chloe.  "For argument's
sake, let's call them Lana and Chloe."
"I've always liked Lana, but I can never get near her. I just found out that
Chloe likes me and I think I may have feelings for her too."

A true embarrassment of riches.  I was happy for him, but also frustrated by
his inaction.  It's so strange that I recall hoping he would choose Chloe and
not the elusive Lana.  I really saw her as the better fit for my friend.

I was right about that, much to my own later pain.

Though at the time all I said was..."So which one do you want to pursue?"
"That's the thing, I want to protect my friendship with both."
I let some of my annoyance show.  How could he be so blind?  "Then you'll never
get either one."
He clearly didn't appreciate my advice.  "Thanks. I think I'll stick with the
book."
"Clark, love isn't about playing it safe. It's about risks. Unless you're
willing to put yourself out there, you'll never know."
"Have you ever been in love before?"
"I've only loved two women in my life. One died and the other betrayed me."

I know Clark thought I meant romantic love, but that wasn't the reply I gave. 
At that point, my deepest heart was still my own.  The women I was talking
about were my mother and my old nurse, Pamela.

It's interesting that the two women that were causing Clark so much confusion
at the time would both end up doing their own damage to my heart.  One trying
to tear it out and the other succeeding.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Some people are meant to be alone," I replied.

Maybe I should have taken my own advice.

===============================================================================


I understand what Clark saw in Lana.  She was undeniably beautiful, kind, and
had a sort of purity.  I remember pushing him time and again to pursue her, but
he never did.  He insisted on waiting, taking the high road road over and over
again, which just seemed to push the two of them apart.

Not like me.

I never hesitated when I was provided an opportunity.  In my case, most of
those opportunities I found in Smallville were for the undervalued Luthorcorp
#3 and later Lexcorp.  I was desperate to build a life outside of my father's
power and used any means given to me.  Including some not particularly safe or
ethical work with meteor rock and its applications.  Later, some of those works
would come back to strike at me, but at the time they provided some very
exciting results.  Many of those shady projects kept the company afloat when
everyone, my father included, were trying to bring it down.  Ethics were not my
highest priority at the time.  Or any time really.  That trait gave me a unique
advantage in a difficult position.  I felt no shame in using an unconventional
source to uncover new areas of potential research -- Chloe Sullivan.

Clark often told me about the investigations and and hunches Chloe had for her
"Wall of Weird."  Most also went on to be published in her newspaper - The
Torch.  I owe Chloe quite a bit from those early days.  Her in-depth research
into "meteor freaks," along with the various incarnations, and myriad (often
illegal but profitable) usages of meteor rock was fascinating.  Projects
looking into using meteor rock to project fear, walk through walls, even
invisibility.  What she published often became the groundwork for additional
research in my own labs.

Not that she knew about that.

I am not sure why, maybe it is just a hunch of my own, but I also have the
feeling that Chloe Sullivan was somehow involved in more than one of my close-
calls.  Maybe it is just because whenever something out of the norm went on in
Smallville, she was never far away.  She was like Clark that way.  Unlike
Clark, she wanted to know the why's of the events and not just be there to save
the day.  She wanted the whole story.  She always was a true reporter at heart,
seeking the truth and bringing it to light.  I just happened to benefit as a
side-effect.

It is a such strange sensation now -- to owe thanks to her, considering all
that happened between us.

But back in those early days, it should come as no surprise that when I wanted
the best possible girl for Clark, I wanted Chloe for my friend.  Not Lana.
===============================================================================


Turns out Clark did finally give Chloe a chance after saving her from being
buried alive.  He asked her to Spring Formal.  Then he left her at the dance,
and afterwards they decided to put their friendship above all else.  I never
did understand what caused them to do that.  Then Clark returned to his pining
for Lana.  And Chloe continued to pine over Clark.

Idiots.

Maybe if they had both followed their hearts then, I never would have risked my
own.

And lost.

Though love of a sort was about to find me anyway in the form of Desiree
Atkins.

A one-week courtship and some meteor-rock powered pheromones and I found myself
married.

Though the punchline of the event might be the guestlist for the wedding, which
included Clark, Lana, and...yes, Chloe.

Then my "wife" tried to kill me.

Well, Desiree did like to picture herself as a trendsetter.

===============================================================================


Helen.

Beautiful, driven, smart.  I was instantly attracted, despite the thorns she
had out when we first met.

Our courtship was the most traditional of all my wives and dalliances.  Maybe
that should have been a warning in itself.

Nothing with Chloe was ever traditional, but it was still the closest I've ever
come to true joy.

Then, Chloe was still so young, just sixteen, but I remember the first time I
really saw the woman Chloe would become.  The woman that would always meet me
as an equal and drive me mad with desire.

Not surprisingly, it was when she was being difficult.

===============================================================================


Clark had come down to the caves just after I hired Dr. Frederick Walden to
translate the paintings on the cave walls.  After the doctor threw a tantrum, I
agreed to let him have his way and kick out all visitors.

I didn't even notice Chloe until the doctor shouted at her.  She had climbed up
onto a ledge in the cave and was looking down at us like some sort of wild
deity.  After Clark called her, she descended with surprising grace and an even
more surprising smile.

"What are you smiling at? I want those photographs," Doctor Walden challenged
her snippily.  He then attempted to take her camera.

Bad idea.

Meeting his shocked look challengingly, Chloe told him bluntly, "You're the
cunning linguist. Why don't you translate this?"  She paused to give each word
proper emphasis.  "Kiss... my... ass."

She snapped the camera from Walden's grasp and strode away as I tried hard to
fight back a smile.  The doctor was a prick, and I admit I liked seeing him put
down so firmly.

I liked it less when she turned that attitude on me.

===============================================================================


I stopped by the Kent's barn to see Chloe in Clark's arms.

"My own personal superhero. I always knew there was something special about
you, Clark Kent," she was saying to him.

I thought I should announce my presence before things between them
got...heated.  "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"You are," Clark said with obvious annoyance, putting Chloe down.  It was then
that I saw she had done an interesting sort of dark striping to her hair and
her clothes were unusually short and tight.  A part of me that had no business
thinking reacted to the look.

After some confusing banter, Chloe and Pete agreed to let me have a quiet word
with Clark.  But not before Chloe turned her newly cruel wit on me.  "You know,
I always wondered."  She marched up to me in a way I had never seen from her
before.  She looked me up and down in a very clearly assessing way.  "For a boy
who has all the money in the world, you'd think he could afford a good toupee."

I'm not proud of it, but that frank and surprising assessment was...hot.  And
wrong.  And hot.

Then she was gone and I was left feeling dirty for where my mind and body had
gone in those few brief moments.

===============================================================================


Those uncomfortable feelings around Chloe lingered far past when they should
have faded.  They didn't go so far as to interfere with my relationship with
Helen.  Though maybe if they had, I would have been spared another failed
marriage.  As it was, I didn't suggest to Helen that Chloe receive an invite to
our wedding.  It was never brought up as an issue though, since this was a much
more formal and planned affair than my shotgun to Desiree.  This wedding was to
be a full upper-crust event.  Much of the day is a blur of polite smiles and
forgettable music, but Helen looked radiant.  I spent a great deal of time
amusing myself with all the ways I would make love to my new wife when we
reached our secluded honeymoon spot.

That was our last happy day.

Like all good things in my life, my joy turned to ashes.  For the second time,
my newly minted wife tried to kill me.

This time, by arranging a plane crash.

Helen's plan failed, and I found myself stranded on an island, unsure of
exactly what had happened to bring me there.

===============================================================================


I really am the worst judge of love.
***** The Rabbit Hole *****
There has always been a darkness inside me, but I know the exact moment when it
began to eclipse the light.

It was the first time I killed.

The first time I took up a weapon in anger and used it to snuff the life from
another. I had come close once before as a boy, but was stopped. Though I still
thought Duncan, my friend, died anyway when he was hit by a car after I beat
him bloody.

Even so, there is a difference between almost killing and actually killing.

And the man I killed didn't even really exist.

His name was Louis and he was just a figment of my imagination, a malaria
delirium.

Or maybe he was a part of me.

He was trying to kill me, so I killed him instead.

When I returned to Smallville, I remember speaking about it to Clark.  I didn't
tell him I had killed, or the nature of my delirium, but I admitted to the
impact it had on me.  I still remember the exact words of my reply when he
asked what had happened to me on that hellish island.

"Something I didn't know I was capable of. It's ironic. In the most remote
solitude I still managed to find an enemy. I suppose I was just hallucinating
from malaria, but the enemy I found was real. I got a good look at myself, or
at least the part I've always tried to ignore."

Clark's answer was surprisingly thoughtful. I learned later he had quite a
bender over the summer as well. "Lex, I guess we all got to take a look at our
dark side sooner or later."

"The problem is if you stare at it long enough, it can get hard to tell the two
sides apart."

Even now, I'm not sure what part of me was the true killer.  What I did know
was that if any part of me was to be saved, I needed to find a light.

I knew it was a false hope even on that god-forsaken island, but I still hoped
it would be Helen. Then when she tried to kill me yet again, I even turned to
my father.

I couldn't have chosen two worse people to lean on.

It was only by following another lost soul down a rabbit hole of secrets and
lies would I finally start to see the light in me again.

===============================================================================


I got "Welcome back from the Dead" flowers, messages, and invitations from
everyone from The First Bank of Switzerland to the Kents.  But not a peep from
Chloe.  We weren't exactly friends; in truth, we were only slightly better than
casual acquaintances, but I still remember being rather disappointed. Not hurt,
just...disappointed. I thought she would be glad of my non-death. She was one
of the few people in Smallville that I thought saw me for myself and not my
name. 

As it turned out, it was my allying with my name that was the reason for her
radio silence.

Upon my "death," my majority shares in Lexcorp were willed to my father.  He
promptly returned my company to Luthorcorp.  The outstanding Lexcorp shares
that had been purchased by my employees the previous year were also bought
back, and the employees' jobs were returned back under the Luthorcorp umbrella.

Upon my return, I could have chosen to tear my company away from Luthorcorp
again since it had been wrongfully dispersed, but I didn't.  The betrayal of my
wife, and my near-death had left me somewhat rudderless.

Overall, my company was actually performing better under Luthorcorp than it had
been under Lexcorp. I didn't see the point in a drawn out legal battle when
things had been managed well in my absence.  There was no more talk of closing
the plant.  Lexcorp employees had been well compensated for their shares and
their mortgaged properties cleared of debt.

I admit to a certain weakness at this point.  Even if the company had been
doing poorly, I don't know if I had it in me at the time to go against my
father.  Bruised as I was, I wanted to belong, not to fight. I wanted to see
everything work out.  I wanted to be a part of the family business again, not a
rival.  I thought I could find peace there.

I was wrong.

What I didn't think about, was how the employees I had left behind would see my
return to the family fold.  I had only looked at the financial aspect and saw
they were above board.  It never occurred to me to think they would still
expect more from me.  I had been removed as their ally and leader, why would
they would still want me to represent them?  Why would they still expect
loyalty from me?  It was such a foreign concept, it didn't cross my mind once.
 But then, I didn't think anyone ever expected anything from me but the worst.

From Chloe's point of view, my nostalgic return to the Luthorcorp fold was a
betrayal.  From the very beginning, her father Gabe had been one of my
strongest supporters both under Luthorcorp and then Lexcorp.  In fact, he was
one of the main parties that convinced other employees on my Lexcorp buyout
plan.  He had successfully run the Lexcorp plant for me, and when the company
reverted to Luthorcorp, he had been quietly reabsorbed.  I don't know how Gabe
saw it, but when I returned from the dead and chose to work for my father
instead of breaking Lexcorp free, Chloe saw this as traitorous to the employees
that had stood with me.  They had fought to break free with me, but I had
returned to the Luthorcorp fold without any fuss.

I know now that I went about it all wrong.  I should never have submitted so
easily to my father.  He only saw it as weakness.  For Chloe's part, I wonder
now how she would have reacted if I had fought.  Even if I lost.

As it was, with my capitulation, came the end of my independence.  And the
independence of those working under me.  We were now all subject to the whims
of my father. Including Gabe.

What I didn't know was my father was applying no little pressure on Chloe
because of that.  Lionel had also come to discover what I had the previous
year.  Chloe Sullivan was an invaluable resource for the weird and unexplained
of Smallville.

What neither my father nor I ever could have guessed was the exact direction
one of Chloe's investigations would take.

Me.

===============================================================================


A week or so after my triumphant return to Luthorcorp, I was attacked outside
the office.  Clark saved my life (again), this time from a bullet fired by a
disturbed kid. Clark explained I was on the kid's -- Van's -- hit list because
he thought I may have some sort of meteor ability. What he didn't say was why
anyone thought I was meteor altered.

Turns out, one of the many research projects Chloe was working on was
identifying possible meteor infected individuals.  I had made her list.

It seems her interest in me went beyond a Torch article.

On my way back into Luthorcorp headquarters after meeting with the police, my
phone rang.

Chloe Sullivan showed on the caller ID.  I was surprised...but strangely
pleased.  Few people were as unintentionally stimulating as the young blonde.
She hadn't reached out to me since before my disappearance, and I found myself
missing our interactions.  I was unsure what would finally bring her to contact
me weeks after my return, but I forced myself to let the phone ring three times
before answering.

"Yes, Chloe?"

"Lex. Are you alright? Clark told me about the attack."

I was surprised by her concern, but didn't let it come through the mocking tone
I employed. "I'm fine, Chloe. I've been through much worse recently than a
deluded adolescent."  I paused a moment, but she didn't reply immediately.  I
could almost hear her thinking.  Probably about how much to tell me of her real
reason for calling.  I decided to prod her.  "Was that the only reason for your
call? Concern for my welfare?"

"Ummm...no."

I waited silently. Interesting thing about people, most hate silence. If you
use it well, they will tell you almost anything just to fill the sound void.
Chloe was no exception.

"Lex, he went after you because of me."

I froze in my tracks. She had my full attention now. "Explain." I said in a
clipped voice. I didn't like being threatened.

"I was...researching you."

"Researching?"

"Yes. I have a...list. I thought you may be meteor infected."

"Why would you think that?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"I've never been more serious, Chloe."

"You survived the meteor shower, a near-fatal car accident, and a plane crash.
You heal extremely fast and never get sick.  You have a white blood cell count
that is off the charts. How does all that happen without some sort of boost?"

I paused. She had a point.  I didn't think to question how she knew my medical
details.  Chloe had incredible resources for someone just 17 years old.  That
wasn't important right then anyway.  The important part was...she may be
right.  I had never thought the cause of my surviving so much might be because
of...me.

"I'll take your theory into consideration, Chloe."

"Do it or don't. I gave you the warning about you being on the list Van is
using. My obligation is fulfilled."

"Your obligation? Is that how you see me?"

"What else would I see you as...Mr Luthor?"

I didn't miss the switch from Lex to 'Mr Luthor.' Or the coldness that entered
her tone at the words, though I didn't understand it. We had been casually
friendly before I left. What changed? Something to do with my being a Luthor,
which was new for Chloe.

Before I could spend anymore time pondering, one of my security people waved
for my attention.

"I need to go, but your warning has been noted...Chloe." I was very careful to
emphasis my use of her first name. We were battling over something, and I knew
that the casual use of her name wouldn't be missed as a sally.

I hung up without letting her get out another word.

===============================================================================


That night I started a new investigation.  Or rather, an alternate to an
existing investigation.

Could the reason for all my close calls and near-death escapes be found within
my own DNA?

===============================================================================


Shortly after that my mind is blank.

I lost seven weeks of my life thanks to the electroshock my father had me
subjected to in the mental hospital. I only have short snippets and impressions
of that lost time.

Interestingly, though I have almost no memory of those lost weeks, I still have
feelings about what happened. My intellectual connection to the events during
that time may be gone, but not my emotional reactions.

Trust doesn't come easily for me. I also don't understand when people give me
their trust without my earning it.

So it was the strangest thing when I found myself trusting Chloe Sullivan
without knowing why.

Though that didn't stop me from firing her father from Luthorcorp when my
father requested it.

===============================================================================


A few weeks after I got out of the mental institution and had resumed work
under my father at Luthorcorp, I became the surprising shelter for Chloe
Sullivan. She summarized it well when she said my mansion was the last place
anybody would look for her. I had just fired her father and I knew Lionel had
him blacklisted as well. I felt a little bad about that since Gabe was a good
man, but I wasn't willing to battle my father over it. 

On top of that, my father had taken back the Torch computers, which were how
the email killer was selecting attackers to go after Chloe. 

So when Clark called and asked me to hide Chloe while they tracked down the
email killer, I agreed. As to be expected from any story of Chloe's, it proved
fascinating.  Even more important, Doctor Garner and Summerholt gave me hope
for recovering the lost seven weeks of my memory. Sadly, that part never came
true, but like so many leads in those early days, I had Chloe to thank.

Though, again, she didn't know about that.

At the time, I don't know why I was so surprised that Doctor Garner would go to
such lengths to attempt to silence her. I was equally dismissive of Clark's
initial guess that my father might be been behind the attempts on her life.

Chloe did have a way of pissing off the high powered and morally challenged,
even while she was still a minor.

I know, for me, there were days when I didn't know if I wanted to kiss her or
kill her myself. Maybe it was the mix of the two that made her so irresistible.

After seeing her safely into my care, Clark left to talk to Doctor Garner,
leaving me alone with Chloe.  I remember looking up at her and being struck by
her strange expression.  She looked...lost.  It was such an odd look for her. 
It made her seem scared and naked and very young.

The look brought forth an equally strange response in me.  I
felt...protective.  As a rule, I don't shelter people in their weak moments. I
take advantage of them.

That wasn't what I felt watching Chloe. I wanted to guard her.

I found it an uncomfortable sensation.

I gave a quick excuse and abandoned her alone in the library. Though I did tell
her to make herself at home.

Huh. Maybe I should have chosen my words with more care.  Now I wonder where
she decided to snoop since I gave her such a perfect opportunity.  I have no
doubt she did.

As it turned out, I really shouldn't have been so concerned for Chloe's safety.
Over the course of two days, the little blonde fought for her life against four
determined attackers and won.

I should have been concerned about all the digging she would do left alone in
my library.

===============================================================================


After securing our cyber killer, I confronted Doctor Garner myself. The
research that Chloe had done for her article on Summerholt was very impressive.
I could now see why he was willing to kill to keep it suppressed.  I decided to
use it as leverage to force Garner to cease his attacks against Chloe, as well
as help me try to recover my lost memory.  I even employed a classic blackmail
technique to do it.  I took the moral high ground while forcing him to my
will. 

The attacks against Chloe stopped immediately.  As a further balm, I had the
computers returned to her beloved Torch.

Unfortunately, the memories I sought of those lost seven weeks remained
elusive, but other, older, ones would come to light. 

Not even I can always win.

===============================================================================


Next time around it would be Lana in need of protection.  That was considerably
less unusual.  I actually thought of Lana as a friend, in part because she was
one of only a handful of people completely at ease in my presence.  Lana was
also easy to understand, and her damsel-in-distress manner was appealing.  She
was warm, kind, uncomplicated, and always saw the good in people.

This made her a born victim.

Enter Adam Knight.

===============================================================================


I like puzzles.  I always have.  I like them even more when those puzzles are
people.

I like them less when they threaten someone I care about.

Adam Knight.  His behavior and records didn't match even under the most cursory
investigation.  The warning signs were all there.  I just needed to know if he
proved a threat.

I was starting to form my own suspicions about "Adam Knight" when I saw I
wasn't the only one thinking to solve the puzzle of the mysterious new man in
Lana's life.

===============================================================================


I wasn't the least bit surprised to find Chloe also on the case.  She is
fiercely protective of those she cares about, and quickly saw the
irregularities in Adam as well as I.  During a concert at The Talon, I watched
her covertly enter the apartment above and followed.  I couldn't resist
watching her for a moment.  She was clearly an old hand at snooping, because
she bee-lined for one of the most common places people think they are clever to
hide things.  Under the bed.  If I hadn't interrupted her, I'm sure her next
stop would have been the underwear drawer.  As it was, I let my eyes roam over
her curvy backside as she crouched to look under the bed.  The backside was
sweetly rounded and very distracting.  I thought idly about what kind of
underwear she might have on under the snug pants she wore.  I was only brought
back to my senses when she got up from the floor.  Surprised by my train of
thought, I went on the attack to cover my silent ogling of her.

"Last I heard, breaking and entering were still against the law," I told her.

"I could say the same thing to you," she replied without a trace of guilt.

I've always enjoyed our riposte, and this was no exception.  We exchanged what
little we knew about the new boy in Lana's life.  Then, knowing we had reached
a tacit agreement to work together on this one, I left her to her snooping.

Delegation was how I looked at it.  Chloe was one of the best investigators
that not even money could buy.  I would let her follow the trail and she would
come to me if and when I was needed.

I knew she'd uncover the truth.

And of course, she did.  And it was more than I ever could have dreamed.

===============================================================================


She easily outpaced my own half-hearted investigation and traced a serum from
Adam's apartment, investigated his records, and tracked down a high-level
researcher at Metropolis University before hitting a brick wall and bringing me
back into the loop.

That's the thing about Chloe, she doesn't ask favors.  She collaborates.  Maybe
that is why we had never become friends, even though we shared so many people
in common.  She never needed me like Clark and Lana did.

I didn't know it at the time, but she had learned about debt and obligation
from the same hard tutor that I did - Lionel Luthor.

Only when we were allies did she come to me.  Like she did with Doctor Tang.

Chloe was right, my name and connections did get me in to see the good doctor. 
Then I used those same tools to blow the lid on her illegal research and get
her fired when she refused to play nice with me.  Unfortunately, Doctor Tang
chose to shelter under my father's wing instead of mine.  Even so, I had a new
piece for my puzzle.

Then both Doctor Tang and Adam Knight disappeared.

Chloe had found answers there too -- both the who and the where.  Luthorcorp.

She really is quite amazing, isn't she?

However, that is where I decided I had to step in.  Both for her sake and
mine.  I couldn't risk her making my father aware of our investigation or have
her put in danger.

Stupid protective instinct.

Looking back, maybe I should have let Chloe handle it.  I overplayed my hand,
and my father put me on the hook for the murders of Doctor Tang and her
research staff.

Things suddenly got much more complicated and I had to cut a deal with the FBI
to escape the setup.  That fateful agreement would set off an unstoppable chain
reaction that would start the first cracks in my friendship with Clark, make an
enemy of my father, and lead to my unexpected rescue by the little blonde.

But that came later.
***** A Tale of Two Girls *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
In the months after my return from death, the island, and then the mental
institution, my connections to the people in my life went through several
shifts. Some for better, some for worse.  The most striking of these changing
relationships was between myself and two young women.

I built a stronger bond with Lana, something I thought was a real friendship.

And Chloe and I were first really drawn together.

Lana was a friend to me from some of my earliest days in Smallville.  She was
easy to know and understand.  She was also one of the rare people in town that
was willing to look past my last name.  She felt comfortable around me from
almost the first day we met, and was easy asking for help from others.  Even
from people she barely knew.  In many ways that was a good quality.  Most
people were eager to help the beautiful young brunette, and I was no exception.

Unfortunately, this also put her on the radar of dangerous and undesirable
people.  They saw her as an easy target.  A target that could easily be
manipulated and controlled.

Again, I was no exception.

Chloe was Lana's opposite in many ways.  Lana loved her coffee shop, but it
wasn't part of who she really was.  For Chloe, being a reporter wasn't about
what she did or where she worked.  It was a part of who she was in her soul. 
This was also both a good and bad trait.  Her curiosity and pride in her skills
got her into more trouble than twenty cats let let loose in a fish market.  But
those same traits also sharpened her mind and instincts into weapons that she
then used to break herself free.  Though not without cost.

That the two became such friends never failed to surprise me.  Lana with her
prom-queen looks and sweet temperament.  Chloe with her fire and snark.

Not to mention their shared love of Clark Kent.

Any two lesser women would be trying to claw out the eyes of the other as a
rival.  Instead they became roommates and friends.

How remarkable.

===============================================================================


The two young women were so different -- Chloe and Lana.  Though between them
they found far more than their fair share of trouble.  How exactly that trouble
came to the girls and how they dealt with it said so much about them.   For my
part, I tried to protect Lana whenever I could, and Chloe whenever she would
let me.

Mostly trouble seemed to find Lana.  She was rarely the one that sought it
out.  In the same way, she always looked outside herself for help.  Once after
being attacked, she came to me for self-defense lessons, but stopped after
several weeks.  Though she did keep some of the skills learned, she instead
mostly chose to rely on others for protection and help.  Beautiful Lana, a true
damsel in distress.  What she never quite understood was that few knights are
as pure-hearted as Clark Kent.  I'm certainly not.

Such weakness is a vulnerably and I exploited it to reshape her without
conscious thought.   I didn't have any intentions when I did so, but it is
second nature to me to reform people and circumstances to my best advantage.  I
thought it was friendship, that I was making her stronger, but I wasn't.  I was
making her more and more dependent on me.

All action fell to me.  All problem resolution was because of me.

That isn't a real friendship.  That was me allowing someone to work their own
way into my debt.

Not so Chloe.  She seemed to seek trouble at every turn.  She was always poking
her nose into dangerous territory and relying on her own quick wits to save
her.  She genuinely thought she could bluff/sneak/think her way out of any
trouble.  Shockingly, she was mostly right.  It also helped that she had great
good luck.  The number of lucky saves she had was almost equal to my own.

Even when she did get in over her head, she rarely sought help from others to
save her.  Her seeking shelter with me from the email killer was an exception.

And of course there was Clark.  But then, there was always Clark -- asked for
or not.

It wasn't until much later that I really understood why Chloe so rarely sought
help from others.  Caught in a weak, vulnerable moment, her curious nature and
hubris allowed her to fall prey to an unscrupulous manipulator.  From him, she
learned her lesson well about owing favors from the same hard teacher as I did
- my father.  When Chloe failed to abide by the terms of the "agreement" he set
with her, Lionel decided to use his power over her father's position to teach
her a lesson.

And to make it worse, I was the tool my father used to exact his pound of
flesh.  I fired Gabe Sullivan and blacklisted him at my father's order.

But that didn't keep Chloe from fighting back.  In fact, I think that was a
major miscalculation on my father's side.

Very few people decide to put themselves up as opponents to my father.  Very
few win.  Even fewer live to enjoy their victories.

None were high-school girls.

From Lionel, she learned better than to let another person gain any control
over who you are.  I'm still impressed that even his mastery failed to turn her
into his puppet.  In fact, she managed better than I ever did.  No matter how
much I fought it, I still became in large part who my father made me.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  This is about Lana and Chloe, and how I
shaped one, and the other shaped me.
===============================================================================


Part of my nature that came from my father was how I handle people.  Or more
accurately, how I manipulate them.  Some people are so easy to manipulate, that
I don't even realize I'm doing it.  It's just second nature to me.

For example, Lana.

If you ask most people that knew Lana before and after our ill-omened marriage,
they would say it was during that time that I twisted her, corrupted her.

That isn't true.

It was much earlier than that.

Though the reasoning was still the same.  I realize now that even back then, I
was trying to manipulate Lana into becoming a match for me.  Or more
accurately, I was trying to shape her into the woman that was already the
perfect match for me.

Chloe.

I just didn't realize yet that she was.  I had a hard time seeing past her
youth, funky clothes, and bright, wild hair.

Besides, I wasn't ready to accept that I wouldn't need to "fix" her to be my
match.  I didn't understand then that if you have to tear a person down and
rebuild them to fit an image, the final result wouldn't be a partner or an
equal.  The result would be a twisted, broken shell.

Maybe that is why the people I find the most fascinating are the ones I have
difficulty manipulating.  I also find them much more frustrating.  People like
Clark.  And Chloe.

===============================================================================


I've found there are two main types of people that are difficult to
manipulate.  The first are people like Clark.  People that suspect you are
playing a game, but either don't care or refuse to play.  These people can
often be hurt by manipulations, but rarely end up placed how you would desire.

The second type of person are those like Chloe.  People that see the
manipulation, understand it, and are willing to use, follow, break, or tease
out the game to fit their own needs.  The second group can make intriguing
opponents.  When they are incredibly clever and determined young women they can
be particularly riveting opponents.
===============================================================================


That year, the more I got to know Chloe, the more I found myself pushing at
Lana.  Her sweet nature and desire to help people made her easy to manage, easy
to understand and control in a way I never could with Chloe.  Without conscious
thought, I used my power over Lana, trying to shape her into the other girl. 
The more Lana came to me for help and advice, the more I pressed her.  She put
up some resistance, but I'm very good at what I do.  She caved.  Every single
time.  I don't think I made a single suggestion that year that she didn't
conform to.  I really thought I was helping her, but it was easy.  Lana was
always the type of person that let herself be defined by others.  First her
Aunt Nell, then her quarterback boyfriend, then Clark, then me.  The pattern
would continue through many other iterations, with her giving up control of her
own self to another.

Years later, when I decided to pursue Lana, her capture was a forgone
conclusion.  I knew exactly how to handle the young brunette to bring her to
heel.  She was weak and I exploited that to bring her to me.  Without conscious
thought I had been pulling her tighter and tighter to me for years. 
Unfortunately, by the time she was fully mine, all those actions deformed her. 
The creature in her skin was barely recognizable as the the sweet innocent she
had been before she tangled herself in my web.

Unlike Chloe.

Chloe.  I could never touch the core strength of her -- to corrupt it or
capture it.  She had reservoirs of will deeper than some oceans.  Chloe was
able to match me -- both with me, and later against me -- but she was the
exception.  The only exception.

Chloe had a pragmatism that let her see and manipulate the gray of life.  The
fascinating element was how she learned how to properly wield it without
letting it inside.  She would get some hard lessons early on that showed how
damaging such compromising weapons can be.  So she learned how to use them
without succumbing to it herself.  She channeled the gray without letting it
touch the light within her.

And when the time came, she could fight darkness with darkness.  The trick to
it was, by then she knew never to use it against someone undeserving.  This
protected the core of her, the brightness and clarity of her.

She would use darkness against me.  But then again, I certainly deserved it.

There was a time though, when she used her light for me.  Light that would
tempt, haunt, and obsess me for the rest of my life.

But not yet.

===============================================================================


If you truly want to know a person, one of the most interesting experiments you
can do is to give them their desire and see how they react.

For Lana, this was acceptance into a Paris art school.  A ticket out a
Smallville and a chance to start fresh.  At first she balked over it, but I was
able to show her that if you have the chance to grow, to achieve a dream, you
take it.  You don't quibble over the life you leave behind.  As with all
things, she gave in and decided to go to Paris.  There was no way for us to
know it at the time, but that trip would set Lana on the road to a strange and
powerful darkness.

For Chloe, her granted desire was the ability to learn the truth from others. 
To get all the answers she so desperately craved.

Those hard lessons I mentioned?  This was one.  Chloe got her greatest wish,
and employed it ruthlessly.  For good and ill.
===============================================================================


When Clark told me "a friend" of his had been snooping around the Levitas lab
and been exposed to the substance there, I knew immediately who it was.

Chloe Sullivan.

No one else was likely to break into one of my labs just on the off chance
there could be something worth the snoop.

This left me severely conflicted.  The gas had a 100% mortality rate, but I
couldn't think of another person that would be more likely to use their truth-
telling ability more effectively than the little blonde.  If she could get my
father to admit to something that could satisfy the FBI, that could get me off
the hook for the set-up of the lab murders.

But I didn't want her to die either.

So I decided to play both ends of the odds.  As soon as I knew of the break-in,
I had my team scrambling to find a cure, but until it was ready I would employ
Chloe as an interrogator.

I made a call to the little blonde and told her I had an urgent matter to
discuss concerning a Luthorcorp project that had me concerned.  I asked her to
come meet me at the mansion.

She swallowed the bait whole.

===============================================================================


She was waiting in the study by the time I made it back to the mansion from the
Levitas lab.  I knew she wouldn't be able to resist the lure.  Especially when
it was true.  "Chloe, thanks for coming."

"Yeah, well, I only have a minute. Clark just called me about a story that
broke at the hospital, so..."

"Then maybe you can just give me the abridged version of your field trip to
Luthor Corp the other night.  Let me guess... somehow, no one can resist
telling you the truth."  Her expression never changed.

"Are you looking for an apology?"  I suppressed a smile, though I think some of
it may still have come through.  Brashness and honesty all in one.  I admired
that.

"No."  An apology was the last thing I wanted.  I gripped her arms so she would
understand how important my next words would be.  "Chloe, I want you to use
your gift to help me get back the weeks my father stole from me."

"Lex, I don't think your dad would go to such extremes to destroy those
memories if they didn't pose some sort of a threat to him," she said with
narrowed eyes.  "Maybe you should just leave it alone."  Then she walked away. 
My mind works fast.  Even before she got to the door I realized two things.

One, she may be protecting me.  That was a very strange concept, but it led me
to thought Two.

If she knew to protect me...she must know what she was protecting me from.  I
said as much...in my way.

"Why do I get the feeling you know more about this than you're letting on?"

"I don't know anything about that."  Before I had time to challenge the lie,
she went on the attack.  "I do know that because of you, my dad can't get a
job.  So why would I help you?"

And I had to tell her the truth.  Even though I hadn't meant to.

"Because my father is the one who ordered his dismissal."  I had to pause and
admire how well the Levitas gas worked, even against me.  Or maybe for me...I
looked at her conspiratorially.  "You know that's the truth, don't you?"

Her face turned pained.  I was worried for a moment before she attacked again. 
"Meaning that my family's future is just one chess move in the endless game of
one-upmanship played by you and your dad?"

"It's not a game, Chloe.  You're the only one who can get me the truth."  When
my father put me on the hook for the murders he broke the rules.  With a single
stroke he showed me how little I mattered.   I was just another tool to be
wielded.  My silly delusions of a better relationship between us after my
return from the island were just that.  Delusions.

Her eyes narrowed and she paced around me in a slightly predatory way.  It was
an odd sensation to feel stalked by Chloe Sullivan.  "Why do you keep doing
this to yourself? Why can't you just walk away from your father?"

Lost in my own thoughts, I replied without even trying to fight the truth
compulsion.  "Because he won't give me the only thing I've ever wanted from
him."

"And that would be?"

Then I saw the trap, a yawning void.  I wanted to say "respect" or "freedom" or
"control of the company."  But I couldn't fight the Levitas.

"I want him to love me."

My first reaction was shame.  I had never wanted to admit how much I wanted
that.  Even knowing it would never happen.  Then I realized it was the first
time I had ever really admitted that.  Certainly not aloud.  I hadn't even
wanted to admit it to myself, but there is truth in the old saw.  The truth can
set you free.  Saying it, I knew it was truth.  But even knowing that, I saw
another truth.  It wouldn't stop me from doing whatever I needed to.

Meeting Chloe's eyes, I saw compassion there.  And something else. 
Understanding maybe.  But not the disdain I would have expected after admitting
to such a weakness.

I found myself caught in her gaze at the moment.  Her eyes were deep green
pools that reflected my own image back, but softer somehow.  Trapped, I stared
into her eyes for a long time.  Too long.

I think that was the first moment I saw the light in her.  She had just used
her powers against me, but the gray her her action was wiped away by the
brightness of her.

It gave me hope for a light in me too.
Chapter End Notes
     Author's Plea: I am running a winter SecretChlex story/art/vid
     exchange over on livejournal. If you are interested in participating,
     signups are now through 1/01/2015. For details, you can visit the
     livejournal page. It is secretchlex at livejournal dot com. Let's all
     spread some Chlexy love this winter!
***** Party Games *****
She lied to me, of course.

After Clark somehow located a serum to reverse the effects of the Levitas gas I
went to see Chloe.  I knew the chances were slim, but I had to know if she had
succeeded in acquiring any damning information from my father.  I needed to
free myself from the trap he had set for me.

In retrospect, stopping by the house of a former employee I had fired to visit
his teen-aged daughter may have seemed a little off. The reality was even more
so, but I didn't let that stop me.  When I made my way to the Sullivan house,
my intention was to apply some subtle pressure to Chloe to see if she had
gotten anything useful from Lionel before losing her truth ability.

Instead I ended up agreeing to host a birthday party for Clark.

===============================================================================


I parked in the drive of the little Sullivan house.  Apparently, the purchase
of the large house on the golf-course had been stopped once I had fired Gabe. 
A twinge of guilt nibbled at me for that, but I pushed it away.  I needed to be
bad cop.  Chloe hadn't come to me with anything after recovering from the
effects of the truth gas, but that didn't mean she hadn't succeeded in learning
something from Lionel.

It would be like her to keep a bombshell truth to herself until she was ready
to release it.

I knocked firmly, but not aggressively, on the front door.

The door opened on the smiling face of Lana Lang.

Shit. I had forgotten about Lana as Chloe's roommate.

"Hi, Lex.  Can I help you with something?"

I thought fast.  I didn't want Lana to know about my attempted manipulation of
Chloe.

"Hi Lana.  Do you have a moment?  I have an idea to run by both you and Chloe
if she is home."

She smiled that lovely smile of hers and opened the door wide.

Chloe was sitting on the floor before coffee table in the small, bright living
room.  Her laptop was open in front of her, her fingers flying over the keys. 
A pen was held between her teeth.

Writing a damning expose on Lionel Luthor perhaps?

Her eyes didn't leave the screen in front of her when she spit the pen out of
her mouth.  "Who is it?"

Before Lana could reply, I spoke up.  "Hello, Chloe.  You look well after your
mishap."

She didn't know it, but I already knew she was fully recovered.  After the
accident on the bridge and the untested quality of the cure serum, I had found
myself...worried for her.  My cool manner helped hide any bit of that weakness
coming through.

She smiled at me.   A real smile.

It left me dumbfounded.  I had expected more coldness, maybe suppressed rage,
not...warmth.

"Hello Lex.  Yes, I'm back to my normal self."

I smiled slightly in return, some of my confusion evident.  Chloe's "normal
self" was not someone to underestimate. "Glad to hear that."

Snapping the laptop closed, she asked in a friendly manner, "Is there something
I can do for you, Lex?"

I kept my smile in place.  The idea that struck me when Lana had opened the
door instead of Chloe was forming quickly into a solid plan.  As I worked it
through, I realized it had a higher potential of working that any sort of
intimidation that I had originally had in mind.  Especially given my
unexpectedly warm reception.

Holding my smile, I replied, "Why yes, actually, there is something I need from
you."  I turned around to meet the wide, curious eyes of Lana still behind me,
including her in the conversation.  "I could use some help from the both of
you."

Chloe's expression almost glowed with curiosity.  "Oh yeah, and what is that?"

I let my smile widen as I saw the bait being set.  "I need your help with a
party."

===============================================================================


My friendship with Clark had become severely strained by the search of the Kent
farm by the FBI under my father's direction.  Clark was angry at being dragged
into the power plays between my father and I.  I tried to explain that it
wasn't my doing, but no one wants to hear their suffering was just collateral
damage.

Seeing Chloe's modest little house and Lana smiling in the doorway had given me
an idea that I hoped would kill several birds with one stone.

I would throw a surprise birthday party for Clark.

Firstly, I hoped the gesture would help soothe some of the tension that had
developed between Clark and I by showing him that I valued our friendship
enough to make an effort.

Secondly, arranging to host the party at my mansion with the help of the girls
would put me closely into contact with them in a more relaxed setting.  And by
"them" I really meant Chloe.  Under the guise of working together on the party,
I could discreetly probe her for any sort of knowledge she may have gleaned
while she had the Levitas power.

Thirdly, my instincts told me that Chloe knew something about my father's
dealings.  Something she knew before the truth gas exposure.  Something that
she was keeping from me.  While she inexplicably seemed to have warmed towards
me, she certainly didn't trust me.  I was sure that, when pressed, she wouldn't
be willing to go out on any ledges for me.  I hoped that working together on
something as well -- fun-- as a party would give us some more time to mingle
causally.  Add onto that the basic "good guy" move of throwing a party for a
person we both cared about, and it might help build a little faith between us. 
I had to show her I wasn't like my father, that I was a person that deserved
trust and any help she had been holding back.

Let the games begin.
===============================================================================


I quickly outlined my plans for holding a surprise party at the mansion for
Clark's 17th birthday.  Lana was immediately on board, but Chloe needed more
convincing.

"I'm not sure, Lex.  I've seen the kind of parties you throw.  Not really
Clark's thing at all.  He's really more steak-and-cake than champagne-and-
caviar."

I smiled.  That was exactly the kind of response I had been hoping for.  "You
see why I need your assistance then."

"I think that's a wonderful idea!"  Lana enthused, but Chloe just held me in a
measuring look, weighing my motives.  I was sure she knew I was more than
capable to doing the party on my own.  I could see her turning over the puzzle
in her mind of why I would come to her and Lana for assistance.  I didn't let
anything of my motives show in my eyes as I held the Chloe's gaze without
flinching.  I'm not sure what conclusion she came to, but she broke the contact
first.

"Alright, Lex.  We're on board."

I let my smile widen again.  "Excellent.  Why don't we meet up at the mansion
in a few hours and go over details?"

"Today?"  Lana asked, sounding disappointed.  "I can't.  I have to be at The
Talon in an hour."

"We could meet at The Talon instead," Chloe offered quickly.

Lana shook her head.  "No, that won't work.  I have to do inventory today, so
won't have time to work on this.  Could we do tomorrow?"

I saw my opportunity and jumped on it.  "Chloe and I could go over to the
mansion, determine a setup and theme today.  Then we could all meet at The
Talon tomorrow to go over a catering list."

Chloe looked at me sharply, as if surprised that I would seek out her solo
company.  Despite her thawing towards me, it was as if she was trying to sense
a trap.

She is a smart one.

Even so, I hadn't left her much choice in the matter unless she wanted to seem
unreasonable.

She let out a slow breath.  "Alright.  I need to finish this article, then I
head over to the mansion."

I smiled again, and I'm sure there was a bit too much victory in the smile. 
"Excellent."

===============================================================================


True to her word, Chloe's car pulled up to the mansion two hours later.  I
watched from the study window as she got out of her little car, unloaded a huge
purse, and snatched up her laptop.  I found myself smiling.  Leave it to Chloe
to bring a laptop along to plan a party.  I was sure she would have the entire
event outlined and ready for publication within an hour.

I heard the bell ring and the voice of my butler as he opened the door and
greeted Chloe.  She murmured something in reply that I couldn't quite make out,
but I was sure it was just a typical friendly greeting.

A moment later, the study door opened on a blonde whirlwind.

Without preamble, Chloe launched right into action.  "Alright, Lex, let's do
this thing."

"Alright, " I agreed, swirling the scotch in my glass.  "Where do you think we
should start?"

Chloe stripped the laptop bag from her shoulder and plunked both herself and
the computer bag into one of the chairs.  Settling herself, she pulled the
computer out and flipped it open.  "How about the guest list?  Knowing who and
how many people to expect should give us some ideas on where to go with
everything else."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

===============================================================================


Two hours later, we had a guest list, a theme -- Blue -- and a rough timeline
set for Clark's party.

I still couldn't understand it, but the warm regard I had felt from her at the
Sullivan house was still there.  And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out
why.  I didn't think she would be divulging any secrets yet, but the sharpness
that had plagued our association since I had fired her father was distinctly
lessened.

And the mystery of it was driving me crazy.

Chloe closed her laptop full of notes after sending myself and Lana an email
copy of all the details we had determined.  "Thanks, Lex.  This was a good
idea.  I admit I was surprised when you first suggested it, but I think Clark
will really like it."

I smiled slightly and replied truthfully, "I hope so too."

She put her computer back into her bag and sat for a moment looking at me with
her hands clasped over the bag.  I could feel her weighing her words in her
mind.  I waited patiently to see what she had to say.  I found myself hoping
she would clue me in to why her anger was so conspicuously absent.  Then I
fought a wave of annoyance at myself as I realized how much the girl's mood was
impacting me.  I was supposed to be the one working on her, not the other way.

"Lex, I know that things between you and Clark are...rocky right now."

I hadn't known what to expect, but of all the things she could have said, I was
still surprised that she brought that up.  To give myself a moment to think, I
took another sip from my glass.

She continued.  "I don't know what happened between you two, but I know that
Clark takes perceived betrayal very hard."  She grimaced.  "As I learned
recently."

Oh?  Now what was this?

"Chloe, what do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter, " she evaded.  "What does matter, is you just need to show
him you are there."  She smiled.  "And I think this party is an excellent
start."

I don't know how she did it, but I suddenly felt like the party had been her
idea all along and not mine.

And seeing her smile, I was glad for it.

===============================================================================


As planned, I met with Chloe and Lana at The Talon the next day where we set
the catering menu...and ordered the eagle ice sculpture.

Don't ask.

After the menu was set, I found myself chatting comfortably with the two
girls.  Even though I had a mountain of paperwork waiting for me, I found
myself lingering over my latte.  It was such a strange and pleasant sensation
for me to be involved in their lively chatter, that I stayed long past when I
should have left.  Lana was anxious about if she had gotten into the Paris
School of the Arts and Chloe was reassuring her.  I had to hide my smile behind
my cup.  I had pulled some strings.  Lana would be accepted by the prestigious
school.  I expected the acceptance letter would arrive in the next few days. 
For her part, Chloe assured me the computers that I had upgraded and returned
to The Torch were working perfectly.  Without thinking a smile stole over my
face to meet her own.

Something had definitely changed.  I just wasn't sure what.

But I liked it.

I cleared my throat, suddenly realizing the trail of my thoughts.  "Well, I can
have my staff do all the decoration setup Saturday morning.  Would either of
you ladies like to supervise?  Otherwise, I can have my staff handle it."

"Wish I could, Lex.  But I have to be here," Lana replied.

I turned to look at Chloe.  She shook her head as well.  "I have to finish an
article, but I can stop by early afternoon and check everything over."

"Sounds good, " I replied and draining my coffee, left.

===============================================================================


By the time mid-afternoon on Saturday rolled around, I found myself
inexplicably watching from the front windows for Chloe's car.  My confrontation
with Lana had not gone as I had planned.  I had pulled strings to get her into
the school and now it seemed like she wanted to back out.  All because I had no
interest in holding onto the coffee shop.  The wavering was highly annoying.

Strange that the changed opinion of another woman would be so distracting to me
then.

I found myself looking forward to seeing Chloe, and possibly getting some
answers for her thawing towards me.  I played the conversation we had while she
was under the Levitas gas over and over in my head.  My instincts told me it
was something there that changed her mind.  I just couldn't see what it was.

When I saw her cute little car pull up the mansion drive, my heart rate picked
up in the same way it did before I walked in to close a large business deal. 
Like my body was preparing for the battle ahead, by sending adrenaline racing
through my veins.

But there was no corporate tangle or battle to fight.

I was just walking a 17-year-old girl around some party decorations.

I knew the setup would be flawless, even considering the silly ice sculpture
Lana insisted Clark would love.  My staff was extremely competent and used to
throwing much larger events than this little surprise party for Clark.  Even
without the detailed plans Chloe created, this would be a walk in the park for
them.

So why in hell was I so keyed up?

===============================================================================


Our exchange as we looked over the decorations was relaxed and cordial, but
didn't give me any more clues to Chloe's sudden change of heart.

Afterwards, as I watched her climb back in her car, I growled slightly to
myself.  This puzzle was frustrating as hell.

But I had other things to worry about first.

There was a dagger I wanted to find.

===============================================================================


My plan to win myself back into Clark's good graces hadn't taken into account
one very unfortunate variable.

The birthday boy never showed.

But a crazed Jeremiah Holdsclaw did.

Chloe was extremely anxious when a half-hour had passed since we expected Clark
to show.  We had told him it was to be a little going-away party for Lana.  We
thought there was no way he would miss that.

But he had.

To soothe Chloe's concern, I stepped out to have a word with my staff and see
if anyone at the front gate had seen Clark.

No such luck.

But then we saw  figure moving around outside the library.  We assumed it was
Clark.  I exchanged a smile with Chloe and moved to stand next to her.  But she
didn't seem to notice, and moved to join her friend Pete.

The figure walked in, but it wasn't Clark.  It was Jeremiah Holdsclaw looking
for my father.

I admit, fear and surprise got the better of me.  Had Jeremiah done something
to Clark?  That would explain why he hadn't come for Lana.  I looked over at
Lana, but Jeremiah saw the look and misinterpreted it.  He seized Lana.

I was not willing to let a friend be harmed to protect my father, so I gave in
to his demands to locate Lionel, though I did my best to warn my father about
the man coming for him.

When it came right down to it, I knew I had chosen my side months ago.

And it wasn't the side with my father.

===============================================================================


So the party was a bust, the future leader of the Kawatche clan was dead, and
the dagger had dissolved into dust before my very eyes.

What a crap weekend.

So it was an unexpected pleasure when Chloe Sullivan was announced by my butler
as I sat in my study.  Up until that moment, my plans for the day had involved
a daunting stack of files, including the sale of The Talon, and a bottle of a
particularly mellow scotch.

As the butler said her name, I wondered what version of Chloe I would see
today.  The friendly smile of my party-accomplice, the cold disdain of the
wronged daughter, or...something else.

She marched in, with fire in her eyes, brandishing a stack of papers.  "Lex,
why did you turn down our offer to buy The Talon?"

Ah, so today it was fire and fury.

I smiled, almost relieved.  I knew how to handle this Chloe.  Her phrasing
tipped me off to her real reason for her barging into my home this way.  It
told me she wasn't truly angry about losing the chance to buy The Talon.  She
needed to know why she had lost it.

She wanted answers.

Typical Chloe.

"Hello, Chloe.  Please come in."

She glared at me from the middle of the room, unfazed by my pointing out her
rudeness in marching into my home with accusations.

"Cut it, Lex.  Why did you turn down the offer my dad and I put in to buy The
Talon?"

I sipped my scotch and mulled how best to frame my reply.  The truth of it was,
Lana had told me that Chloe and her father had expected me to arrange a loan
for them.  I had been more than willing, both to ease my conscience and to
secure a hold, but they hadn't done so.  When their fully funded offer had come
in instead, I did some investigation.  The incident with Gabe's overlarge house
purchase before I had fired him had made it clear Gabe was clearly financially
unwise.  Even so, I'm sure it was pride that kept Gabe from coming to me, even
though I was willing to forward a loan.  Instead, Gabe had gone to a
particularly predatory bank and secured a loan with a cleverly disguised
balloon rate that would be impossible for him to pay off.  Buying the coffee
shop the way Chloe and her father had planned would ruin them utterly.

Not to mention that Lana claimed she didn't want them to buy the shop.  Though
if it had been a sound investment for The Sullivans, I would have gone through
with the sale.

But I couldn't tell Chloe that.  I had done enough damage to her father,
without lowering Gabe in his daughter's eyes by exposing his financial
incompetence.

"I'm sorry, Chloe, but I received a better offer."

She stepped up, eager now, sensing a challenge.  "We can beat it, I'm sure of
that."

I shook my head, "No, Chloe.  The paperwork is signed.  I'm afraid it is a done
deal."

Chloe looked sad, but not heartbroken.  As I expected, she wanted to know why
she had lost.  She didn't actually care about winning.

While I saw her thought process, I couldn't quite understand it.  I needed the
WIN, even when I didn't care about the prize.

So I watched her with some interest when she flopped down in in swirl of
colorful bag, coat, and clothes into one of the armchairs.  Our business was
concluded, but she looked like she planned to stay a while.

"Is there something else I can do for you, Chloe?"

Her eyes cut up to me and an evil gleam shone in her eye.  "Get my dad a job?"

I had to turn away to hide a smile.  I had walked right into that one, but I
couldn't give her the answer she so clearly wanted.  I still had to mange my
father, and that meant I couldn't go against his express wishes where Gabe
Sullivan was concerned.

But maybe I could...

A sudden thought occurred to me and I looked back over my shoulder furtively. 
Chloe was smiling with a trace of...triumph.

I had to blink as I saw the truth.  Chloe Sullivan had tried to play me.  She
had come in here in faux righteous indignation about the sale of The Talon,
when she had really planned to use the opportunity to pressure me to get her
father a job.

And she had come surprisingly close in getting it to work.

I shook my head, fighting a small smile, as I admired her nerve.  If she had
been just a little older and experienced, if she knew better how to school her
expression, it may have actually worked.

She was still patiently waiting for me to reply, purposefully giving me time to
-- what?  Consider what I could do for Gabe?  I let her stew a moment more
before breaking the silence just as it became uncomfortable.

"I can't do that, Chloe."  I seized her gaze with my own.  "But I think you
knew that."

She smiled unapologetically.  "Nothing ventured, Lex."

With that, she collected her things and made her way to the door.  I had turned
away when I heard her footsteps stop just in front of the library door.

"I saw the loan my father took out this morning.  And all the conditions."  I
heard her draw in a breath, but didn't turn around.  "Thank you for turning him
down, Lex."

Wait.  She knew and she had still come --

I swung around with my mouth open to speak, but she was already out the door.

My hands clenched into fists.  I wouldn't go after her and demand she explain
exactly what she had been thinking by --

Then all the anger drained out of me, and I felt an admiring smile form across
my face.

She had known the trick she played, and though I had won, she had shown me her
hand at the end.  Just to show me she had known it was a game all along.

Maybe she was better at this than I had given her credit for.
***** Choosing Sides *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
I may have been winning small battles with Chloe, but I was clearly losing the
war against my father.

That is, until an unexpected ally came to my rescue when it looked like all was
lost.  My father had caught me wearing the FBI wire.  When he tore open my
shirt to reveal its damning presence, I knew that I would never get anything
from him that would satisfy the FBI.  I was on the hook for the lab murders and
my only shot of freeing myself had just been torn asunder.  I had fought
against him and lost.

Then Chloe Sullivan stopped by unexpectedly once again.  I guessed she had a
new ploy to try to twist me into finding work for her father again, and
frankly, I wasn't in the mood to humor her efforts.  I had been dressed down by
my father, the FBI, and Clark all within the last few days.  The last thing I
wanted was another guilt trip from Chloe.  I told my staff to turn her away.

So I was surprised when the butler tentatively knocked on the study door
again.  "Sir, I'm sorry, but she insists it is urgent.  I can turn her away
again if you wish, but she is quite...forceful."

I sighed.  I knew if I didn't agree to see Chloe, then I would likely have to
filter through a report tomorrow about an unexpected break in or security
compromise at one of the Luthorcorp labs.

That was just the way Chloe operated when words like "urgent" came into play.

"Fine, let her in."

===============================================================================


It was such a strange thing, but the moment she came into the dark and
elegantly masculine room, everything seemed brighter.  I found myself blinking
to determine if it was just a trick of the light.

It wasn't.  Yes, she stood there in a beam of sunlight that had peaked out from
behind the clouds just for her, but it was something...more.

It was her.  She was so bright and vibrant and just so alive, that the static
space seemed to react.

And then she handed me my salvation like some sort of unexpected angel.  A very
snoopy, headstrong angel, but my deliverance nonetheless.

"Lex, I just heard that you've been working with the FBI from Clark.  That you
are looking for something that could put Lionel away."  She paused, before
continuing.  "I've come to help."

I had less than 24 hours to come up with something before it was me being
hauled off in cuffs, and despite her many skills, I couldn't figure out what
Chloe expected she could do that I hadn't already tried.  As I had told Clark,
my father was exceptionally good at covering his tracks.  Chloe coming by "to
help" almost felt like she was poking fun at me.  I didn't appreciate it.  I
stopped much too far from her for comfortable conversational distance.  If she
thought she really was going to taunt me that way, I wasn't going to make it
easy.  There was only one thing that would really help at that point.  "So you
have information that could put my father in prison."

I expected her to say No, of course.  Maybe even hedge that with only access to
such-and-such she might be a step closer.

Her reply was quite a surprise.  She paced towards me, her expression intent. 
"So did you before he obliterated those seven weeks of your memory at Belle
Reve."

What?  Was that what my father had gone to so much trouble to destroy? 
Something I had known that could see him locked away?  The worst part was...I
could see him doing it.  I could see him subjecting his own son to such a
treatment to secure his own freedom.  But now that may have been for naught. 
If Chloe was really telling me what my heart was leaping to hear...

I kept my voice calm as I asked, "You know what he was trying to hide?"

"Lex..."  She stepped even closer, within touching distance, but still apart. 
"Your father murdered his parents.  In a tenement fire. He hired a crime lord
named Morgan Edge to do the dirty work."  My mind raced.  There was no statute
of limitations on murder, but it sounded too good to be true.  Chloe kept
filling in the blanks of those missing weeks.  "You got Edge's confession on
videotape, but Daddy Dearest destroyed it."

And there it was.  The hook had set, only to snare me into false hope.  Still
my voice was a little choked with disappointment.  "Then there's no proof."

I moved around her.  Away from another dashed hope.  It was stupid, but for
just a few seconds I had allowed myself to dream that this crusader of truth
had actually come to the rescue.  I should have known better.

I had mountains of accusations without proof.  They were all useless.  Just
like this one.

Then Chloe turned the tables on both my father and I with a sunny smile.  "Only
the voicemail confession of Lionel Luthor himself."  That caught my attention
and I turned back to meet her smiling face.  "He tried to scrub it out, but
erased voicemails are like deleted computer files, and someone with enough pull
and the right password can resurrect them from the cyber graveyard."

Had she done what I suggested all those weeks ago under the truth gas?  Had she
really gotten a confession from Lionel?  It was too good to be true.  It had to
be a trap.  "Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

Her expression told me I was clearly an idiot, as if the answer should have
been obvious.  It wasn't a look I was used to getting.  "Your psychiatrist
didn't accidentally wrap her car around a tree. You showed me the
investigator's body on a slab in the morgue. Luthor family politics can get a
little grim."

She was right about Luthor politics.  Almost every twisted thing my father had
ever done to me he had written off as a way to "make me stronger."  I didn't
remember the morgue slab, but it didn't sound out of character.  I was probably
trying to protect her.  To show her what she faced.  Clearly, from her run-down
she did.

But she was still willing to put herself into danger.

For me?

I felt incredibly, indescribably thankful and impressed by the exceptional
bravery of the woman before me.

"Chloe."  I stepped closer.  Despite everything, I still felt I had to warn
her...again.  I put my hands on her arms.  Her corduroy jacket was soft, but
her arms were pleasantly muscled underneath.  I don't think I had ever touched
her before.  I'm not a touchy sort of person, but with Chloe it was...nice. 
"It means a lot you're willing to do this for me."  Her eyes shifted away.  Was
she not doing this for me?  "But if you come forward, you're putting yourself
between my father and the FBI. That's not a very safe place to be."

She swallowed.  She was afraid.  She should be.  She'd have to be really stupid
not to be.  "I know. But I can't get out from under your father's grip by
myself."  My father's grip?  What had happened between her and Lionel?  Then I
remembered how he had asked me to fire Gabe, and had him blacklisted.  Then the
incident with the Torch computers.  I had thought there was just some minor
insult my father had been avenging.  It appeared there was more to it than
that.  Then she said the most surprising, strangely wonderful thing to me.

"Besides, I know you won't let anything happen to me."  Then she smiled at me,
before catching herself and trying to look properly solemn.

I was sorry to see that smile go.  I kept my expression under control, only
allowing myself a tiny quirk of a smile in response.  I couldn't let her know
what that statement meant to me.

She was choosing to trust me.  After everything I had done to not deserve it,
she was still choosing to trust me.  With her very life.

It was an extraordinary gift.

Holding her green eyes, I said the only thing I could.  "Thank you."

She smiled at me again -- as warm and bright as a summer's day -- and suddenly
I felt something in me that had gone dark and cold...grow warm.
===============================================================================


We sat and talked for hours after that.  She told me all about her deal with
Lionel.  How he had found her in a weak moment and offered to repair her
beloved Torch and win her a column at The Planet to boot.  She guessed now that
it was really him that had destroyed her newspaper to start with, just to seem
the white knight when he came to the rescue.

When Chloe failed to abide by the terms of the "agreement" he set with her, the
column at The Planet disappeared, she was blacklisted, and the computers from
The Torch were seized.  Then Lionel decided to use his power over her father's
position at Luthorcorp to push home the lesson just a bit more.

And to make it worse, I was the tool my father used to exact his pound of
flesh.

By the time Chloe left, a few puzzle pieces started shifting in my head.  My
father had known about the wire.  The FBI agent was pressing me about dropping
the case in 24 hours, even though at least some of the recordings should be
incriminating enough to keep the investigation open.  The raid on the Kent
farm.  Lionel pressing Chloe for information on Clark.

My father had been busy.

I hadn't realized until then, he had been working behind my back to subvert me
at every turn, even going so far as to bring Agent Lodor over to his side.  He
had tried the same with Chloe, but failed.  I quirked a smile to realized that
Chloe had more strength of character than an FBI agent.  Though if my father
had Lodor in his pocket, and had already gone after one friend of
Clark's...others may also be in danger.

I fingered the transcript of the voicemail Chloe had given me.  Now that I had
proof to back up one of my father's crimes, I had to find Lodor and get him
back on the right side.  My side.

And now, Chloe's side.

Putting down the evidence, I started making calls.

===============================================================================


Looking back, I wonder now at what point my father saw his error in making
enemies of both Chloe Sullivan and myself.  After everything he had done to cow
and discredit us both, I like to guess at what point he realized his mistake. 
Was it when they snapped the cuffs on him?  When his voicemail transcript was
read?  Or was it not until they pronounced sentence?  I'm sure he never
predicted that we would come together not once -- but twice -- to bring him
down.

I guess when it came right down to it, Chloe and I both chose the side that
would set us free.

Even if being free led us to nearly lose our lives, and did cause me to
lose...something else.
===============================================================================


I'm not really sure why I decided to stop by the Kent farm.  Maybe it was
because I was anxious about my father going free on bail, and Clark's family
home always seemed so stable.  Maybe I just wanted to talk over my concerns
with a friend.  I had already spoken to Chloe, but Lionel was too slick in how
he couched his threats to her.  Nothing she could provide for the bail hearing
would be considered clear first-hand evidence of my father posing an imminent
danger.  However, I knew that if my father was released on bail, he'd never see
the inside of a cell again.  The only way he'd be locked up as he deserved, was
if he was forced to stay there.  He wouldn't be nearly as effective at pulling
whatever strings needed pulling to free himself from inside prison.

As I talked it over with him, Clark once again came to my rescue when he agreed
to testify about what he saw at Belle Reve during my electroshock
"treatments."  Lionel had been willing to turn his own son into a vegetable for
the sake of covering up his murderous past.

My anger at Clark's revelation that he too knew about my father's crime was
brief and hot.  He had kept the secret from me, for what he hoped was my own
safety.  I didn't like it, but after everything my father had shown himself to
be capable of, I couldn't blame Clark too much.  Especially not when he was now
putting himself in danger as well.  With the sort of first-hand testimony Clark
had from Belle Reve, it would be impossible to argue that Lionel was anything
but an ongoing danger.

===============================================================================


As his next gambit, I wasn't really surprised when my father asked for me to
come visit him in prison.  I know his mind must have been furiously working on
how to get free from the moment Agent Lodor had put him in cuffs.

What I didn't expect was an emotional plea as part of a dying wish.  It was
just so...un-Luthorlike.  My father would never do anything so...human as die. 
Not to mention what his death would mean for me.  I'd been unable to let him
die before, but it would be different if he was taken by illness.  I'd be free
of him, but without the guilt.

You see, I still had morals back then.  Things I wouldn't do.

Still, when he had his doctor's send me his records, I still looked them over. 
To my shock, he hadn't been lying.  He was actually dying.

I think it shows how much my allegiances had shifted, that my first thought
wasn't for my dying and imprisoned father.  It was for the only person keeping
him locked up.

I thought of Chloe.

===============================================================================


I called Chloe and asked her to come by the mansion.  I had to warn her of the
danger.  Not only had we caged a dangerous enemy in Lionel Luthor, but now he
was desperate and dying too.

When she arrived, I briefly outlined for her what my father had told me about
his condition.  He had gone to every major medical institution in the western
world and none could help him.

Lionel Luthor was dying.  Quickly.  He'd be gone before the year was up.

"I'm sensing you're having second thoughts. Lex, I understand if you want to
back out. I mean, he needs to be punished for what he did, but he's still your
father. And he's dying."  Her voice was filled with compassion.  It was strange
to hear someone that had suffered so much at the hands of Lionel Luthor offer
sympathy at his death.  Then the most bizarre thought struck me.  Her
compassion was not for Lionel, it was for me.  Chloe was concerned for me. I
kept my face carefully blank, lest I give away how her words struck me.  How
touched I was, but I had resolved on a course.  My father's imminent demise did
nothing to change what needed to be done.  If I let the charges be dropped
against him, I would stay on the hook for the lab murders.  And worse,  my
father would win the last battle between us.  I couldn't let that be how things
ended between us.

And I wasn't the only person that would be impacted by this choice.  That Chloe
would offer to let the charges go -- for MY sake, just so I wouldn't have to
face sending my dying father to prison -- was incredible.  I was only just now
starting to understand how important my unexpected, but suddenly very precious
ally, was to me.  And not just because I had promised that together, we would
see ourselves free of Lionel.  And it certainly wasn't for something as naive
as a need to bring much-delayed justice to his door.

I just found that I very much wanted to keep all the promises I had made to
Chloe.

For once, I felt like I was on the right side.

"Yeah. And he's gonna draw his last breath in prison, not the VIP suite at
Metropolis General."  She nodded in agreement, holding my eyes. Her expression
was concerned, but I had to be as strong for her as she was willing to be for
me.  I stepped close and gripped her shoulders tightly, making sure I had her
full attention.  She had to be clear on what we were up against.  "But only if
you're still willing to go through with this."

"I don't think I like the sound of this," she said, sensing more behind my
words.  Smart girl.

I let her go and turned away.  If I kept looking into those brilliant green
eyes, I wasn't sure what I would do.  Probably something dumb like try to
protect her, when what I needed to do most was put her in danger.  "Chloe, a
dying man has little to lose. My father used a bizarre blood platelet cocktail
to raise the dead, then pinned the murders of the research team on his son. Who
knows what tactics he'll use to avoid going to prison?"

"Yeah, but the FBI guaranteed our safety. I mean, they're putting me and my
father in protective custody until after the trial."

"Then what?" I asked.  By now, I well knew how little the promises of the FBI
meant.  My father had easily corrupted Agent Lodor.  It would be the effort of
only a moment for him to find out the location of Chloe's safehouse.  I'd have
to find a better option to keep her safe.

"Lex, are you trying to scare me?"  She looked scared, her eyes wide.

"I'm worried about you, Chloe. I want you to have all the facts before you walk
into that courtroom."  Because God help me, if she walked into this blind and
something happened to her...

"Your father's intimidated me long enough. I'm not backing down."  She looked
terrified and her eyes had a suspicious shine.

I've read a thousand versions of the same sentiment -- That being brave,
doesn't mean an absence of fear.  It means that you can do what needs to be
done, despite of the fear.

I've never known anyone braver than Chloe Sullivan.

And it was my job to keep her safe.

===============================================================================


It was a close call, but Clark did show up to testify against my father as a
imminent threat to society if he was released on bail.  As soon as Lionel was
led back to prison in handcuffs, I knew the real battle had begun.  The battle
for Chloe Sullivan's life.   And my own.
Chapter End Notes
     This has been a busy week of writing for me. Check out 2 new one-
     shots by me. "Choices" a Chlex story, and "Love Letter" a Chlark
     story.
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!
