The Memoirs

Lex hung up the phone, sighing carefully. It was only noon--heh, only--and already, Clark was upset with him. He'd have known it even without their bond, but through it, he felt the sadness, slight anger, and confusion.

Another deep sigh. He loved Clark, and hated the thought of making Clark angry with him. And yet, there hadn't been any other real choice. He just hoped Clark would forgive him--and the Kents--for hiding this. He nodded absently to Enrique as he picked up his car keys from the table by the door, and headed out to the garage. He started at the keys in his hand, exchanged them for the keys to the blue Lamborghini, and slid behind the wheel.

He was parking in front of Chloe's house in just under three minutes, and he powered the engine down as he got out of the car and locked it with the remote. His shoes tapped loudly on the cement of their walkway, and he rang the bell once.

Soft thumps of bare feet rang across the hardwood floors as she came downstairs. Wearing a robe, wet hair, and nothing else, Chloe peered out of the small glass designs in the door, spotted Lex, and tucked her wet locks of hair behind her ear as she pulled the door open and tightened the rope of her long pink terry cloth robe tighter around her belly. "Hi Lex! Come on in, my dads off at the factory."

"Now that's a shame... seeing as how it's your dad I wanted to talk to." But he smiled as he teased her, and then closed the door behind her. "I thought pink was a Shayla color?"

"Sure is, but she's rubbing off on me." Chloe smiled at him, eyes never leaving his, even if her cheeks flushed softly. She hadn't gotten to talk to him for quite some time, not really, since Clark's party, and she shifted on tiny bare feet absently. "He just went for some paperwork… he'll be home in about ten minutes. Would... uh." A flash of teeth, as she remembered she was a mess right out of the shower. Fuuuck. "Would you like a drink or something?"

"I'll have... or something." He reached out and slid his fingertips over her face, then kissed her softly. "As long as you don't mind, that is."

Her insides turned to such liquid she was sure her belly button was oozing pink Chloe-goo. She reached up, on tip toes, to skim her lips back over his...shyly, and blushed softly as she licked her lower lip. "Nope. No. Me? Don't mind."

Lex looked down. "I have to say that pink isn't really your color, but... I'd be lying. It's quite becoming on your skin." His wide palm traced the flush that spread over her throat. "Although I don't think your father would be very happy to come home and find Lex Luthor with his half-naked daughter."

"Fucking me over the countertop." She breathed it, softly, as her fingers came up to palm the back of his hand, her eyes wide as she looked up at him in pure, deep adoration. "Thrusting inside me... biting and sucking on my breasts."

"The thought did cross my mind." His hand slid back into the open neck of her robe, then down to tug the ties open and reveal his skin as he stroked her belly with the heel of his hand, teasing her navel before sliding up to thumb under the swell of her breast. "But I'm not quite... a minute man."

"Shame." Another gusty, breathy word escaped on a sigh, as she arched her back up and pointedly took his palm, dragging it lower, over teeny tiny cotton panties that were see through and in the shape of angel's wings. "Such a shame. There's… power in a New York minute." Chloe murmured it, quietly, as her fingers traced his body... the outline of his crotch.

Lex's long fingers slipped deftly under the feathery wings and stroked against her skin, feeling soft hairs stroking against his palm as he slid his forefinger up and down her slit, barely parting the lips with each teasing stroke. His free hand reached up and caught her face, looking in her eyes, memorizing.

"Knew you'd make time, sugar." A soft gasp, a giggle, and her fingers were poised to unbutton his pants when she heard the car door slam outside, and her father cough.

Oh, shit.

She jumped away, wrapping her robe tightly around her and high up, closed, tightly as she could, as she dashed into the kitchen, taking out a glass from the cupboard, motioning Lex towards a stool with a single hawk eye, and began the process of making lemonade.

Lex followed her out to the kitchen, and started taking off his jacket. He listened for the door to open, and when it did... "... but thank you. You really don't have to go through all this trouble, Chloe. I just stopped by to talk to your father for just a minute. I didn't mean to interrupt your studying."

Study of the male anatomy, perhaps. But Chloe's smile was sunny and warm as she poured a tall glass of the lovely drink, and opened the fridge to get a wedge of lemon out from the Tupperware on the third shelf. They always kept fresh fruits in her house for some odd reason, like they were masters of the fruit and not of the candy bar. "Not at all. He should be..." Her face went cold, a little stormy, as she looked at him. "Here. Dad, Lex came over to talk to you."

Gabe... just sighed. "Good afternoon, Lex." He put down the briefcase full of paperwork for the opening, and sighed again. "Chloe, how are you?"

Lex watched the interesting by-play, and didn't say a word other than, "Hello, Gabe."

"Fine." No more, no less, and she didn't bother getting her father a drink, just handing Lex his on a little napkin with faces all over them. "We were just talking about school."

Gabe raised an eyebrow at Lex. "I didn't realize you and my Chloe were friends, Lex?"

Lex prided himself on the fact that he didn't choke on his lemonade at that statement. "Well, I've gotten to know your daughter through Clark, and through some of the things LuthorCorp's done for the Torch at the high school, and I'd like to think that we're in the... getting to know one another process." Another quiet sip of his lemonade.

Chloe smiled, brightly, at Lex, and her expression went cold and dark at her father. "He's helping me with my studies, and he was giving me pointers on math problems. I was explaining to him some ideas for the Torch for Clark, as well."

Lex looked from father to daughter. "I'm interrupting. I should go."

Gabe shook his head. "No, Lex, it's all right. What did you need?"

"Well, I heard from Clark that it's going to be a requirement--God only knows why--for the student body to watch my father's interview tonight, and I was hoping that Chloe could come over and watch it with Clark and I. Might give her a heads up on whatever assignment comes out of it, and it will definitely help Clark." Another calm sip of his lemonade, and he wondered if he could go to hell for lying to his girlfriend's father.

Chloe wondered just what kind of education would be going on with Clark, Lex, and Whitney, but she kept carefully quiet, as her eyes rose steadily to gaze into her fathers. She hated the bastard, but she also had a few months left of being a minor, and she'd like to stay here, with her boyfriend.

"Lex... you do know that Chloe's grounded, right?"

"Yes, sir, I do. I was hoping you'd let her come out tonight, with Clark and I, to my home. You can trust me, Mr. Sullivan. I'll take care of your little girl."

A deep sigh as he met Chloe's angry gaze. "Lex, could you excuse us please, for a moment?"

"Of course." Lex picked up his glass, and wandered back into the living room, and sat back down on the couch.

Gabe looked steadily at his daughter.

Chloe looked steadily, right back, as she watched Lex, out of the corner of one sharp blue eye, slip into the living room. She met her fathers gaze easily, rebellion in her heart but a calm, quiet coolness in her eyes, as she tucked her wet hair behind her ears and looked at him.

"Well, Chloe?" Gabe asked softly. "Are you going to hate me for the rest of your life?"

"Probably." Answered back, just as softly, but with a hard, cold edge to it.

"Then why am I going to let you go see Clark tonight?" he asked, keeping his voice pitched low. "If you're going to hate me no matter what I do, why am I going to break your grounding?"

"You don't really have to. Its your choice. But I'm not going to bend, because of something nice hanging in front of my eyes." I'm not a donkey, I'm not a slut.

But she was. And it shamed her, deeply.

"You can do whatever you want."

"Then I'm sorry, sweetie. The answer's no. You can watch it here."

"Fine." She said it with her head held high, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her chin quiver, and gathered a glass of her own lemonade before she left the kitchen. Hurt eyes at Lex, a mouthed I'm sorry, and she was up the steps, lifting her robe the slightest bit so she could walk. She hated him. Hated her father so much she could barely breathe.

Gabe sighed as he watched her go up the stairs, and leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Lex?" he called out.

Lex started half off the couch when she walked by, and nearly followed her up the stairs until he heard Gabe calling him. "Yes, sir?"

"I give up. Go ahead, take her. Tell her you're kidnapping her. Sneaking her out. Whatever. Just... make sure she has fun tonight, okay? And have her back home by midnight."

Lex looked from Mr. Sullivan to the empty stairwell. "Gabe..."

"Please don't, Lex. I know you mean well, but you don't have a headstrong daughter."

Lex swallowed hard. No, he didn't have a child. "You're right. I don't. I just have a father I've hated nearly all my life. You see, my father was too proud to apologize, to say he was sorry or to say that he overreacted or shouldn't have done something he did. And I hated him for that, and for not being able to admit to me or to himself that he'd done wrong. Chloe and I are becoming friends, Mr. Sullivan, and I'd hate to see that happen to you and your daughter."

Gabe sighed again, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Lex, I appreciate your advice, I appreciate that you're worried about my daughter and I, but I'm not going to apologize, to you, to her, or to anyone else for being a father. That's what I am; her father. And I won't be anything else. If she's going to hate me for that, then she's just going to have to hate me for it."

Lex sighed. He'd tried. "All right, Mr. Sullivan. I've done all I can here. I'm going to take Chloe and leave." Gabe didn't answer him, and Lex walked up the stairs, knocking on the only closed door in the upstairs. "Chloe?"

"Go away." A half sob on the last word. Crap, she hated being Chloe Sullivan. Maybe if she'd just been someone... different, it would have all worked out, but no. She got stuck without a mom, with asshole for a father, with being a slut, and she just... she hated being herself, as she wept piteously into her hands and tried to stop, in vain. No way could Lex see her bawling like a two year old.

"Chloe, if you don't let me in, it's quite possible I'm going to break down your door."

CRAP. "I-its open."

Lex tried the knob, turning it and pushing the door open. He opened it just wide enough to slip in, and then shut it behind himself again. "Chloe... come here." He sat down on the bed beside her, and held his arms out to her. "It's gonna be okay."

A loud, harsh, wracking sob, and she crawled into Lex's arms, wrapping them around his neck and crying into his neck. She didn't know what else to do, she was supposed to be strong, but she wasn't strong, not by a long shot, and she just...she couldn't take this anymore. She couldn't. She was stuck at home with him, alone when he wasn't working, not allowed to watch TV, cause he'd parental locked it, or get on the internet, because he'd disabled the internet completely in the house for the month. She was without human contact but for HIM, and only felt the smallest reprieve when her friends came to visit her.

Which just brought on another round of horrible self pity, as she sobbed.

"It's okay." Lex stroked her hair, kissed her cheek as he soothed her, holding her close. "Come on. I need you to do something for me. I need you to get dressed, okay? I'm taking you out of here." He didn't let her go, however, just held her tightly, arms around her and holding her.

"It… sucks to be me." She sobbed it, quietly into his shoulder, and his arms were so strong, his voice so soft, his cologne so lovely, and he was safety in its corporeal form. She snuffled, loudly as she moved back, rubbing her sleeved arm over her wet, splotchy, red face, and her chin trembled again as she fought to control it.

"I know it does, but we're going to change that." He rubbed her cheekbone with his thumb, brushing away her tears. "Can you get dressed for me? Pack a bag with just a couple changes of clothes? Can you do that for me?" His hand was brushing over her hair, and he was talking simply, calmly, trying to calm her down.

She shuddered on her deep breath, little body wracking softly as she fought to calm down. "Clothes. Yes. Where... where are you? Taking me? Does dad know? Please, get me out of here, I'm going to lose my mind, Lex."

"I'm taking you to my house, Chloe. Just for now, and we'll work something out later." He rubbed his hands up and down her back. "I'm taking you with me, because I can't stand seeing you like this." He used his hands on her back to pull her in close. "I'm going to take care of you."

Another hard snuffle, voice plugged and she could barely breath, as she hugged him. "That was so Fatal Attraction I'm freaking out." Another hard sniffle, a little crooked grin, and she let go of him and climbed to her feet. "Lemme... there's an old backpack, under the bed. Its my sleepover backpack."

"Then get it." He let go of her, and pulled out his cell phone. He spoke lowly, ordering Enrique to set up the guest bedroom beside theirs. He lowered his voice again, and told him to prepare it for two people, a couple. Then he hung up and tucked his phone back away as he watched her. "You're beautiful, Chloe."

"Bull." She knew her face was splotched, her eyes rimmed, as she shucked the robe in the middle of the floor and tugged on a purple, snug baseball type shirt with the quarter sleeves, sliding into a pair of jeans, and then tennis shoes without socks, before she began to get her things into the bag.

"No, it's not." Lex ran his hand over her leg, tickling the back of her knee. "You are beautiful. You're strong, even when you think you're not. And you love, even when you think you don't."

"Don't give me that poetic bullshit." She threw it at him, blue eyes flashing. "I hate him. I hate him. He's made my life a living hell, and I understand what I did was wrong, and I understand I'm grounded, but he isn't even treating me like a human being with feelings, like an adult. He says he doesn't have any grounds to treat me like one. Sanctimonious bastard."

Lex sighed. He hadn't thought this would be easy. "Chloe... How would you react if you found out your father was sleeping with... say, Whitney's mother?" He asked it because it was the first possible person he could think of.

"I wouldn't call him a slut to his fucking face." She retorted with venom on her tongue, a distaste that rooted deep, and she stopped mid packing, and motioned her hand about. "Tell me. Tell me why its okay for a guy to sleep with fifteen different women and be called a player and be accepted by society, but for a girl, to be in a long term, loving relationship with a man and to have sex is so WRONG?!'

Lex's allegiance suddenly shifted. "He called you a slut?"

"Yes he called me a slut, and maybe I am," And the tears started, deep wracking sobs escaping her. "And maybe I am like my mom, but that's my business, not his. The first time, first time that I do anything, and he DOES this to me. I never talked back, I never did anything wrong, and now..." She turned away, in fury, and threw some underwear in the general vicinity of her back as she ducked down to the bottom shelf of her dresser and went for socks

Lex got up and walked across the room, grabbing Chloe's arm and jerking her around. "You're not. You're not a slut, Chloe. You're nothing of the sort." He tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her against his chest. "You're not. You'll stay with us until we get this taken care of."

"Its mine to get sorted out, Lex." But her arms came around his waist, tightly. "Its gotta stay in our family. I'll deal with him, when I'm ready." She didn't bother answering to the other stuff, just hugging him tightly to her for a brief moment before ducking down for her makeup case.

Lex bent right down with her. "You are part of my family, Chloe. As much as Clark is, you are."

"I know, but you know what I mean." She answered, as she rose with her travel case of makeup and another pair of socks.

"Yes, I do know, and so do you." He tucked the socks into the bag for her and held it out. "What else do we need?"

"Toothbrush." She nodded and turned back to her little bathroom, appearing a moment later with her face cleaner, her favorite sponge, and her toothbrush in hand, dumping it into the backpack. She grabbed her hoodie, pulling it on and zipping it up before taking her backpack and sliding it on.

Lex looked at her. "Little Red Riding Hood meets Hip-Hop fashion," was all he commented on it, and then held out his hand. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

She glared at him but took his hand, firmly, linking their fingers... hers painted a pale petal metallic rose, his strong and firm, and held tight.

"You feel like lunch?" he asked softly, opening her bedroom door and leading her down the stairs. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

She wanted to see Whitney like she needed oxygen. "No. Not hungry."

"Go on out to my car." He tossed her the keys. "I'm going to the kitchen to get my jacket, and I'll be out in a moment."

"Liar." She sniffled it softly as she walked down the steps, head held high, and opened the door, closing it behind her with a light click, and stared for a moment uncomprehending at the Lamborghini sitting in their driveway.

Well, alright.

Lex did just as he had said; he walked into the kitchen and picked up his jacket.

The urge to deck Chloe's father had never been greater. But he didn't say a word as he shrugged into his coat and walked out the door.

Chloe was staring at his baby. "You want to drive?"

"Yeah right. It probably drives on the other side." A snort.

"No, it drives on the same side a normal car does." He paused. "Have you ever driven a stick shift before?"

"If automatic means stick shift, sure." She shook her head and divulged the keys. "Sorry. Just... get me out of here. Please. Now. I know he can see me from the kitchen, and I need out of here."

"I'll let you drive the Corvette to dinner tonight; it's got automatic transmission." Lex took her backpack as he thumbed the remote that unlocked the doors and opened the car. "Come on." The backpack was tossed in the back seat, and Lex got in the driver's seat. "Let's go; I know just the place."

"Okay." She slid into the front seat and closed it, tugging her seatbelt on as she got a tissue out of her pocket. Her nose was runny as hell and she rubbed it with a tissue, snuffling hard as she shifting and laying back against the cozy seat.

"Good." Lex looked to make sure she was settled in, and then floored the car. He up and downshifted, and within ten minutes, they were outside of Whitney's house. "Go on, talk to him. I'll wait out here for you; tell him you're both coming over to my house tonight. If he's home alone, let me know."

"Oh, God." She had wondered just where they'd been going, and she wrenched the car open, leaping out onto the sidewalk and racing up the steps. A little bouncy, as she'd forgotten a bra, but she didn't care as she rang the doorbell and her entire body clenched in excitement, waiting impatiently for her lover as she bit her lip and hopped foot to foot.

Whitney was in the middle of putting a carburetor back together. Their house was spotless, except for the kitchen table where his tools were spread out, but he was cleaning the gas intake on the truck's carb when he heard someone at the door. "One second!" He wiped his hands on the grease towel over his shoulder, then opened the front door. "Chloe!!"

"WHITNEY!" She launched herself at him, hooking a leg around his thigh as she hugged him like there wasn't a tomorrow, arms tight around him and squeezing as hard as she possibly could. "Whitney, Whitney, we're stealing you away! Is your mom home?"

Whitney engulfed her in his arms and staggered back into the house, kicking the door shut. He showered her face with kisses and ran his fingers through her hair. "No, she's at work, what's going on? Are you okay? Who's we? Aren't you going to get in trouble?"

"We're doing some... research, I'm fine, Lex, dad let me leave. Call your mom... hold on," She got out of his arms enough to open the door and motion Lex in from the street, before wrapping her arms back around her lover so, so tightly.

Whitney barely let her go long enough to open the door, and he crushed her again. "We're doing research? What are researching, plane tickets to Cancun?" He kissed her cheeks, and moved out of the door so Lex could come in.

"We're actually researching how to get the two of you out of your homes and together for a night."

Chloe's head bobbed like she were a human bobble, her blue eyes shining in happiness as she squeezed her hunka man around the waist tightly and kissed his chest gently, hugging him close to her tenderly. He smelled so good, like oil and saw dust and man, and she just... she just beamed as she sniffed at him.

"Come on in." Whitney carefully backed up, lifting Chloe's legs up around his waist so he could move, and let Lex into the house. "Where's Clark?"

"He's still at school, sadly, and after that, he's going to be working an afternoon shift at the Talon. Should be more than enough time to get the two of you guys settled in and ready."

She giggled and wrapped her legs around his hips, holding him tightly to her as she peppered kisses all over his smooth cheeks, holding on tight around his neck. "Call your mom. Let Lex talk to her." She beamed it as she hopped down again, hugging him tightly as she mouthed, Get my present?

Whitney flushed. "I got it." He squeezed her back just as tightly. "I love you." He looked over her shoulder at Lex. "Why are you calling my mother?"

A smirk crossed Lex's lips. "You know. My father's interview tonight just turned into a school assignment to watch."

Chloe caught the wicked twitch of his lips and her eyes widened. "I don't think we're going to be watching much of anything." Chloe stage whispered up at her boyfriend, squeezing his hand as she dashed up the steps. "I'll pack for you!"

Whitney just blinked as his girlfriend raced up the stairs. "THE CLOSET!" he yelled after her. "DON'T OPEN IT!!!!"

Lex just snickered. "Whitney? Your mom?"

"Oh, yes." Whitney shook his head. "Lex... how's she doing?" His fingers dialed the store without thinking, and waited for his mom to pick up.

"I've seen her better; she misses you, she hates her father, and I think she's suffering a serious case of lonely cabin fever."

"Fordman's, can I help you?" Subdued, gentle voice answered. Lorry was knee deep in her finances for the store, and she was becoming increasingly dismayed at the numbers she was seeing on the paperwork. John was four months from graduating, and they had both planned on putting him in Smallville Community College, at least until she could get the problems with the insurance company sorted out. He hadn't been upset over it, but she had. She wanted her baby to have the best possible life, and this... this wasn't helping at all. She sighed, softly, and rubbed her face carefully as she held the receiver to her ear quietly.

"Mom, it's me. Look... Lex came over to talk to you. Can you talk to him for a minute? He says it's something about school."

She blinked. "Yes, dear, sure." His friendship with Lex Luthor was… a bit more than slightly disconcerting, and she slid her glasses off, as well as her shoes under the desk, and rubbed her face.

"Thank you." Lex took the phone from Whitney, and then pulled the boy over to lean against him instead of the wall. "Mrs. Fordman? Lex Luthor. Clark's working this afternoon, and he asked me to see if you would allow Whitney to come to our home tonight for my father's interview. I've been informed that it's a school-wide requirement, and Clark and I thought it might give Whitney a heads up, as it were, for catching up on his assignments when he's able to return."

She blinked a few times, looking up as she listened to him. "Hello, Lex." She said kindly, and listened to him without interruption until he was done. "I'm sorry, that won't be possible, sweetie. I'll be in Metropolis overnig--... Put John back on the phone, please."

To his credit, Lex didn't choke. "Of course." He passed the phone back over, muffling it briefly against his shoulder. "John?"

"Shut up, Lex." But it was grinned. "Yeah, Mom?"

"Can I trust you, John?" She asked it, quietly, without preamble. "Tell me now. Will Chloe be there? And don't you lie to me."

Whitney looked up the stairs, then at Lex. "Yeah, mom. She will be."

Dearest Jesus. "I'm going to be in Metropolis overnight, settling with the lawyers, John. I don't want you home alone, but I do not want you doing anything you shouldn't be doing. Can I trust you, baby? Can I trust you to keep your hands to yourself?"

"Of course you can, Mom." Whitney cringed, but he kept his voice steady. He did not like lying to his mother, but there wasn't that much of a choice. "You can trust me."

She wasn't dumb. The tears clogged in her throat, and it took her a moment to clear them through. She felt so close to her mother in that moment, and she felt so badly for hurting her so many years ago. "I trust you, John. I trust you to be a responsible adult, and I trust you to not give me any more to worry about."

"I'll be good, Mom. Don't worry about me."

"Be good, baby. I'll be home tomorrow morning."

"I'll be home, Mom. Don't worry. If you need me, call me at the Luthors, okay? I'll come to Metropolis with you." He sighed. "I love you, Mom. Be careful, okay? You're by yourself."

"I love you, dear. I'll be fine, don't worry." A soft chuckle. "Put the bacon in the fridge, so we can have a big breakfast tomorrow. Pancakes, waffles, eggs sunny side up. We'll have a big breakfast and celebrate your dear dad's penny pinching."

"You got it. Bacon and eggs, pancakes and waffles. I'll stop on the way home tonight and get some milk; we're almost out." He grinned. "I can't wait. I'll see you in the morning."

"I love you baby." A soft chuckle. "Say hi to Clark for me."

"I will, don't worry. I love you, Mom."

"Bye, sweetie."

And in that moment, as Lorry was hanging up, Chloe, with her shock of blond hair, was trooping down the steps with Whitney's backpack, larger than her own, slung over her back. One of his hats was on her head, and she peered up at her lover under it, dimples winking in each cheek. "Clean boxers, toothpaste, jeans and a t-shirt. Good?"

"Bye, Mom." Whitney hung up, and looked up to snicker at his girlfriend. "Yeah, that's good. You didn't get crushed by the closet, did you?"

She shook her head, but her eyes were wide. "Its like a nightmare in there. I peeked, and had to push the disaster back." A shake of her head. "I got your Catwoman t-shirt for pajamas, I hope you don't mind." One eyebrow came up, as she giggled wickedly and looped an arm through Lex's, starting towards the door. "I might have to ask you for a favor, Fairy Godmother."

"I'm not a Godmother, Chloe. I'm a godfather. However, I can't argue the fairy part. What's your wish?"

Whitney lagged behind a second, and picked up the phone. "Lex? What's your phone number?"

Lex paused. "555-9937."

Whitney quickly turned on their call forwarding feature, so that any calls would be sent to Lex's. "Okay. Now we're ready."

She watched, eyes dancing, and squeezed Lex's arm with Whitney's back pack hanging over her back and butt. "A cat suit. The one from the movie. Think I can get a duplicate of it made somewhere?"

Lex shrugged. "Rico can have it for you in a day. He does a little tailoring on the side."

Oh, man. Chloe beamed at him. Broadly. "I love having a Luthor as a sha'nauch." She reached back, giggling wickedly at her lover as she reached for his hand.

Whitney slipped his hand into Chloe's and tugged his backpack off her shoulder. "Dare I ask what you're asking?"

"No, I think you'd be happier with it as a surprise. Well, my little bobbleheads," he said calmly. "Where do you want lunch?"

"Anywhere." Chloe smiled it at him as she wound her arm tightly through her lovers, kissing his lips as she squeezed and pointed at the blue Lamborghini sitting on the curb. "Plus? We get to ride in that. Didn't you say you wanted to look at the guts of it once?"

"Absolutely not," Lex answered firmly. "Hans is the only person allowed under the hood. You are, however, welcome to drive if it you know how to drive a stick shift."

She tucked long blond locks behind her ear and rolled her eyes as she took the backpack back from her lover and opened the trunk Lex had just remote controlled open. Her conversation with Clark still lay heavily on her heart, her fathers accusation even heavier, and she wanted to rub against her chest softly as she closed the trunk. Didn't, but she smiled at the two men a little guardedly.

Lex's eyebrow rose. "Whit? Hello? Drive a stick shift?"

Whitney tore his eyes away from the sleek lines of the car. "Huh? Oh. Right. Yeah. I know sticks; my dad's car was a stick."

Lex tossed the keys to Whitney, and looped an arm around Chloe's waist. "Then drive. McDonald's." He tugged Chloe close. "Back seat. You and me. Now."

She smiled a little up at him, and the fact that Lex was going to eat McDonalds struck her as... entirely too funny, cause she giggled helplessly as she slid into the back seat. Most cars, the backseat of two doors were dinky and not as plush as the front two. Not so in this orgasm on wheels, and she purred like the car chick she was softly as she stroked over the leather doors.

"Wow." Whitney slid into the front seat and pushed it back just enough for his legs to hit the pedals. "Lex, are you sure--"

"Yes, I'm sure." He slid into the seat beside Chloe, and shut the doors behind them. "Whitney, drive. Chloe, talk. Now."

"Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are disgusting, I'm completely addicted to that show on VH1, I Love The Eighties. Seen all ten episodes, twice. There is absolutely nothing on from twelve to two, so I usually watch one of my movies... lemme tell you, Xena reruns are better on tape than on TV. I ran out of my favorite lip gloss, and I'm wearing a kind that sticks and is icky, but its all I've got, you know? Whitney smells like sin, like that Old Spice cologne Clark got him for Christmas, and the shirt he won at school during one of our extremely lame pep rallies." A nod, as she crossed her legs cozily. "And your entire outfit must cost, roughly, what? Eleven hundred dollars?"

Lex sighed. "Fourteen, and that's not exactly what I meant, Chloe. I meant, about what it is that's really bothering you."

"That I'm a big slut. What else?"

"You're not a slut, Chloe. I don't care who says it." He took his hand in hers. "I want you to believe that. You're nothing that you don't believe that you are."

Chloe's fingers wrapped around his, as she shook her head. She was, but she didn't feel like explaining herself, as she smiled at her lover in the rearview mirror. "To grease and fries, White Knight."

"Chloe, please. That's what I am here for."

"Later." And it was all she said, as she met his eyes. "Now, fun. Clark has to work, you said? We could go visit with him at the coffee shop. He looks so cute in his little apron. By the way, the hair chopping?" her eyebrow came up. "Come clean. Was he trying to look like you?"

A soft chuckle as Whitney merged easily into traffic. "No. He was getting rid of excess baggage, he said. I gathered from Jor-El that it's a way of mourning."

"Really?" She tipped her head to look at him. "He looks hot. Really… really hot. The word jaw line suddenly has a whole new meaning. He looks... really pretty, which is pretty much all I can do to explain it. You know, though, he looks like a guy in this porn I've got."

Lex choked at that. "You... you... you have that one???"

"What one?" She stared at him.

"The one with the construction workers," he wheezed out between gales of laughter.

Chloe's lipped turned up as he started laughing, and she tipped her head with a puzzled smile. "Well, yeah. How do you know? Its a nice story, a really nice porn. Not just about the sexy man fucking, you know? A lot of sweet moments and kisses and stuff." She tapped Whitney's shoulder. "He and I have seen it, together, more than once."

"Clark... Clark and I... are getting it... from... from Rico and Aden... who have the whole thing... on DVD!!!!" More laughter.

Her lips curved up. "Ohh." Not that she knew who either man was, or if the Rico was the same one who'd make her the cat suit, but she guessed yes. "Its one of the best porns out there, so I'm not surprised."

"Oh yes. It's quite good." Lex leaned back in the back seat. "There is going to be no eating in this car, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Whitney threw off a snappy salute.

Chloe rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "How Clark puts up with you, I'll never know."

- = - = -

Charlie leaned against the wall of the elevator, waiting for it to hit the ground floor. Once it was down, he'd go and make sure the way was clear for the two men he worked for to exit through, and the car would be waiting to take them wherever it was they were going.

He so wanted to cry. His shoulders were shaking, mostly in shock, because this was the first time he'd seen either of them break. Lionel was stonily silent, Dominic was near tears, and Charlie was a nervous wreck.

The elevator door dinged, and he started out of the car, sending it straight back up to the floor.

Complete silence. Dominic's mind, for once, wasn't raging, wasn't screaming, wasn't computing. He was just quietly, deeply, numb. Tears locked in his eyes and wouldn't go away... not that he really knew, other than his blurry vision. He was one word away from screaming and falling apart, but right now his briefcase was tightly in hand.

Couldn't look at his lover. Didn't have it in his heart to. They hadn't said a word to one another, because this had been no ones fault. She'd run because she'd been harassed by the media, and now, as two tears escaped his eyes, he didn't think about them, hot on his face as they rolled down.

His daughter, yet to be implanted, now would never have that chance of life.

His daughter. Gone.

Lionel was silent. He hadn't spoken since he'd given the message to his husband, simply because there was nothing else to say.

He blamed the universe; the same universe that had deprived Lionel of his son Julian, his grandson Richard, had now conspired to deprive him of his daughter.

Nothing remained inside of him now, all of his hopes and dreams for a loving future and family wrecked and destroyed because he had dared to openly love someone.

And Emily? She was blinking. The elevator had opened, and two blank men and her... well, her Charlie, had all come out. She met his eyes, her own brown ones widening as she looked at the men, then at him, like what's going on?. They looked like misery, and the paperwork she'd had tucked under her arm for them to look at kinda got...well, on the backburner, anyway.

Charlie noticed Emily as soon as he got off, and he took the papers from her without a word. "Wait right here," he said softly, and tucked them into the briefcase he carried for Lionel. He tucked them both into the car, gave the briefcase to the blank-faced man, and shut the door, listening to the engine rev as it cut through the swath of reporters.

She stood just where Charlie had told her, her eyes wide as she stared at the doors and the two men. They'd looked... bad, and the interview couldn't have gone that bad, right? She plopped on a corner of the fabulously sprawling stairs, smoothing her long skirt as she waited for Charlie. Oh boy.

It took him and the sheriff's deputy nearly ten minutes to disperse the crowd, and he'd nearly gotten into three fistfights while doing it. But they'd all gone, and he came back into the hallway, sitting at the foot of the steps and looking up at Emily. "Hi."

"Hiya." The workers who had come in to start putting their things up, to begin official work on Wednesday, were still milling about, but the big building was mostly empty now, as she'd waited quietly. She had watched though, and man, what a shock, to see him coming back in and sitting a stair or two below her, and having that look on his face. "What's? Going on? Are you alright?"

"All right? No. I'm not. They aren't. Something." He put his head down on his arms, as they were crossed over his knees.

Oh boy. Like the good Emily's of the world, she slid awkwardly down a step... then another, and tentatively, gently, wrapped one skinny arm around his strong back, and pulled him a little closer to her. "Want to... talk? About it? I'm not so bad listening, when... when I? Don't stutter." A soft clearing or her throat. "Something? With Diane Sawyer?"

"No. The interview actually went... very well." Charlie leaned back, situating himself against Emily and letting his head lean on her shoulder. "It's Melissa, their surrogate mother. The home health care nurse the clinic assigned to her went to her apartment today, to pick her up for the final prep for the implantation. She wasn't there. She's picked up and left town, and her landlord told the people at the clinic that her things are packed up to be shipped to Canada."

"Oh, no." To her horror, her eyes filled with tears. "That... sucks. So, so much. I wish? There was something… something I could do." Twin tears escaped, as she set her cheek on his hair and her voice got stuffy. "Its so horrible that they? Mr. Luthor and Senatori? Won't have this chance. They... they are good men, good people."

"It does suck." Charlie closed his eyes. "They were both looking forward to that little girl, so much. She... she already had so much love, from the both of them. I heard them talking--arguing, really--about bringing her to work versus leaving her in the day care here. Lionel refused; he wanted to take her up to his office and have her there."

Oh man. Oh, MAN. "I… I would offer, my... my body, but...but, I..." Huge, *huge* secret to him, as her eyes shook to his. "Had a hysterectomy." She lifted up her shirt and lowered her skirt the smallest bit, so he could see the long scar from nearly hip to hip. "Can't have babies." Which had her voice catching. "But if...I could? I would."

"I know you would." He looked up and registered the scar, but he didn't say anything for a minute. "What happened?"

"Car. Accident?" A nod. "Really, really bad. Jaws...of life? Bad. God me out...but..." She reached down and brought the hem of her skirt up a little, and brought the long socks down, where her legs were scarred, beautiful shapes but ugly for the scars that would never fully heal. "All over. My body? Especially down on my bottom half. Was... skewered. Bad."

Charlie ran his fingertips lightly over the scars. "I'm not sorry for them," he finally said, at length. "Because if you didn't have them, then you wouldn't be alive today to be with me."

If she hadn't been so sad for Mr. Luthor and Mr. Senatori, she would have smiled. "Flirt." ...Not that she wasn't being one, too, but she said it nonetheless, and carefully tugged her long socks, pinstriped with every color of the rainbow, back up, and tucked her skirt down carefully.

"True." He sighed softly. "I've never seen either of them hurt like that, Emily. I don't know what they're going to do, or how they're going to make it through this."

"I don't... know either." Her heart swelled for him, as she carefully brought him closer. "Thank you? For telling me. Trusting me."

"You're welcome." He leaned his head back against her shoulder, looking up at her from beneath. "Of course I trust you. I just... don't exactly know why."

"Because... I'm trustyable?" Asked quietly, though she smiled a little.

"Yeah. You're definitely a trusty type person." Quiet sigh, and he shook his head. "Mr. Luthor was about to cry, Em. I swear he was. And I've never seen either of them break down. It's... kind of scary."

"Well...he? Is a heartless big… well, bastard," And she blushed hotly for saying such a word, "But… human. And? He and Mr. Senatori had...been looking forward to? Her. They asked... Dogwood and I? To paint her nursery, of Sleeping Beauty."

Charlie just nodded. "Yeah, I know. He asked if I thought Dogwood would have the time, and then took care of it himself." Another shake of his head. "It's things like this that make me hate the media," he said softly. "Hate my job."

"The media...they....they were looking for a story, doing their job, Charlie." Quietly said, as she let his head rest against her breast again, gently stroking his hair softly as her eyes filled with tears. Her knobby knees knocked as she tucked them close, gently stroking his hair softly. "They're...they're like? Restless warriors, running... running through time. But when... their guard was let down, when... they finally let themselves believe and trust, it... it was taken away." Her eyes filled with more tears, and her voice was hitching, to her mortification. She couldn't help it. "Is... there a way? She can be found?"

He shook his head. "I doubt it. We don't know where she went, only where she'll end up. And nobody knows when that will be. Mr. Luthor has people out searching for her, scouring the train stations, bus terminals, airports, car rental places, everything. From here to Metropolis, even in Granville. But nothing. If we don't find her soon... they're going to lose their baby before they even had a chance."

"Charlie?" She looked down at him. "Let's go look for her. I? Don't have to be back to school for three weeks. We? Can go look for her. Find out who she is... where? She's from."

"Back to school?" he asked softly, looking up. "We know who she is--at least, what her name is. And where she's going is Canada. But Em... we're talking twenty-four hours, maybe thirty-six."

"Then? What? Are you waiting for?" She looked down at him again like he were an idiot, carefully keeping his face up. "This? Things believed in? Is... the art of life. You can have as many brush strokes as… you want. But the art comes out when you... help? Other human beings in their grief. So? We get some clothes... we go."

"I can't just abandon Mr. Luthor and Mr. Senatori. Not when they're going to need me the most. Em, you saw them. I can't leave them here to face the media and everything else alone! They're going to need me, and I've got to at least try to be here."

"Then I? Will go." A stout nod.

"I need you here with me," Charlie said softly. "Not running around looking for someone we're not going to find in time, but here. With me, making sure I don't screw things up."

Maybe things with little Charlie wouldn't work out, after all, and she looked at him sadly for a moment. She was impulsive, quick to the draw, and that's how she had always lived her life. Quick, fast, make the decisions, muddle through them, and come out victorious. Everything in her gut was telling her to go looking for this bitch, but she didn't speak as she looked at Charlie softly for a long moment. "Okay. I'll...stay? With you."

"Do you realize how much your eyes give away?" he asked softly, trailing his fingertips over her jaw.

Crap. "Been... told." Her throat bobbed tightly, and without her realizing it, her fingers had brought his hand to her face, squeezing the fingers tightly.

And when she reached forward, to kiss him, she didn't really know what happened.

One moment it was sweet, chaste, innocent... and then she opened her mouth, and all was lost.

He tasted like sunshine, vanilla mocha and something distinctly beautiful, distinctly Charlie Siegel. Her head tipped, the slightest bit and the hand that had been cupping his on her face moved to his hair to slide through, and bring him closer. Deeper, where she could feel their mouths melting and her heart fluttering.

Charlie kissed her back, smiling softly against her mouth, kissing her deeply as he could. He ran his fingers through her hair, tugging her gently closer, licking and sampling her taste with gentle thrusts of his tongue. His other hand caressed her face, pulling her in close as his arms slipped around her, squeezing her tightly and hugging her.

Oh man. She just... had to hug back, bringing him closer as her arms came around his neck and she took in breaths whenever she could, though, of course, breathing was definitely not on her list of stuff to do. She squeezed him close and kissed harder, now that she had gotten the general gist of it... though always letting him lead and control, as she reacted under each of his thrusts into her mouth, each stroke down her back.

And he was happy to leave it at kissing, for now, taking in short breaths of air when he could, rubbing her soft curls between his fingers, stroking them against her back as he held her close.

She kissed him one final time, letting go to take in a shaky, deep breath, then another, panting softly as she lay her cheek against his and closed her eyes. Teenie arms fell from his neck to around his waist, and she wrapped around them tightly.

"We'll go if you want to," he said softly. "Just let me call Mr. Senatori and tell him we're going."

"Nah." She said it quietly herself. "I... believe? In your opinion. I'll stay... we'll stay."

"But you want to go," he said softly. "I saw it in your eyes when I said no. You were upset that I said no. So let's go."

"Just a little... upset." Her big brown eyes opened, and she let herself look at him. "I... am trustyble... and you? You... have? My trust. I trust you... we? Should stay, for them."

"Thank you," he said softly, looking relieved. "It's where I belong, Em. With them, doing my job. But not... not if it makes you unhappy."

That she'd become that important to him freaked. Her. Out. ...Not all in a good way, either. "I...understand? Definitely understand."

"Good." He was oblivious to the rest of her reaction. "Thank you."

"That's… fine. I? Should go. Have work to finish." She let him go, and climbed unsteadily to her feet.

"Emily? Thank you. Seriously." He got to his feet too, standing a step below her. "You're amazing."

"Mmm." A little nervous shift. Leaving. Now. "I'll? See you later. Call? Me."

He caught her wrist. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine." Blurted much too quickly. "Just...fine. Fine! Yes."

"No, it's not. But I can't force you to tell me anything." He dropped his hand. I'll call you tonight, all right?"

"Uh huh. Not… forced. Things to think about... you! For you." Crap she sucked at this, and she barely kept herself from wringing her hands.

"You don't have to lie, Emily. If I make you uncomfortable, just say so." Charlie shoved his hands back in his pockets. "Maybe this isn't a good time; I'll go and call you later."

Crap. Again! "You… don't make me? Uncomfortable. You? Scare me."

Charlie stopped with his foot on the bottom stair. "Scaring you is the last thing I want to do."

"Its... long. A long. Story. That... is not good. Right now? We... are concentrating, on, on Mr. Luthor and Mr. Senatori. Later, when we're... not concentrating? Anymore."

He nodded. "I can wait until you're comfortable to tell me. I won't push."

Because he looked so hurt, and her throat caught at the expression he had, she squeezed her fingers tightly together and whispered, "I'm just scared. You... know? Scared. Because… you like. Me."

He looked up at her then, standing on the stairs above him. "Yeah. I do. I like you a lot, Em, and I'm sorry that scares you. But I'm not going to stop liking you, unless you tell me that you despise me and hate my guts, in which case I won't have much choice in the matter."

"You're... so cute. Damn you." She muttered it, as she reached down for him to take her hand, as she lifted her skirt enough so she wouldn't tumble to her death.

Charlie climbed back up the steps and took the hand she held out to him, kissing it gently before lacing his fingers through it.

"Take me? For some lunch?" She asked him, as she squeezed those fingers tight and they began to walk.

"Of course. Anywhere you want to go, and I promise, this time? No meat." He gave her a soft smile, and tightened his grip on her hand.

"No meat." Except you, you hunka burnin' love.

He smiled at her again, and tugged her down the stairs behind him. "Let's go. I'm in the mood to either beat someone up, or eat a horse."

Emily was staring at him as they walked outside. "That is so...nasty. A horse? That had... better, you know, be sarcasm."

"It's not sarcasm." Charlie grinned. "It's hyperbole. You know, exaggeration. I wouldn't eat a horse, no, but I'm hungry enough to eat an animal of it's size."

"...Oh." She coughed softly. "Then? Okay. I don't..." her eyes flashed with playfulness, now. "Condemn? You? For eating meat. You're just... uneducated."

He snorted at that. "You just haven't discovered the joys of carving into a huge, honkin' steak with the juice and the blood everywhere."

She paled. Physically, and her mouth dropped. Verge. Of. Tears. "A poor, beautiful animal had to... to die? For you. Don't… even..." The tears came, big gulping ones, on a loud sob.

Charlie just blinked. Stopped dead in his tracks. "Don't!! Don't cry!!" He dug through his pockets for his white linen handkerchief and pressed it into her hands. "Please don't cry!!"

She was just sobbing, in huge gulping sobs, tears pouring from her eyes as she thunked down on the three steps that led down from the Zeus building platform to the concrete and park right in front of it, and just cried her heart out for the poor animals of the world who were thought of in steaky blood then in having souls.

Charlie plunked right down beside her. "Emily, please!!! Don't cry!!" He petted her shoulder awkwardly, tried to hug her. "It's not that bad! I promise, I'll never eat meat, ever again, if you just won't cry about it!!"

Oh man, which made her cry even worse, as she leaned into him and cried into the handkerchief he'd given her, just wailed.

"Emily, please, don't!!" He dug through his pockets, hunting for more tissues, but came up empty handed and just held her against his shoulder instead. "I won't ever eat another animal, I won't even think about it, please oh please, stop crying!!!"

She kept sniffling, hard, shakily, as she leaned against him, little tears still trailing her face as she wiped at them a little, sniffling softly. She turned her face into his neck, taking a hard, shuddering breath, and sniffled all over again.

"Sssh, it's okay, please don't cry. No more animals., I promise."

"Poor… cow... had to... die... for... for food... poor cow, wi-with? A soul? Dead." Another hard snuffle, a shaky sigh, as she blew he nose into his hanky, rubbing her face with it and thanking God for once that she didn't wear makeup.

Charlie petted her shoulder again. "I think the cow would have been happy, because he was making sure other people could live by giving them something to eat, you know? It's not like they're being mowed down by serial cow-killers. They're feeding people, you know?"

"They… don't! Feed me!!! I! Do not! Eat what once breathed!" She proclaimed it on another bout of tears, but she was crying and talking at the same time. "I do not! They are… being killed! Surplus!"

"They don't feed you, baby, but... there are like, millions of people around the world who do. I mean, hamburgers, steak, tongue, calf liver, shoulder roasts, rump roast, bits for stew beef, even the entrails are used for like, dog food, and ground up in hot dogs and meat snacks and stuff, and then chow hide is used for like, clothes, and leather stuff, and then the bones are snapped for the marrow which is also used for dog food, and then what's left is processed in factories into liquid waste and disposed of."

That he knew so much about it only made her cry worse. "Horrible! I do not... wear! Anything made by… animal! No… leather, no… hide, no… nothing!"

"But they're not being sacrificed in vain, and they're killed quickly because the fear and adrenaline spoils the taste of the meat! They don't suffer, and they donate a lot to society!!"

She stood up, took off her shoe, a flipity floppity little thing, and beat him about the head for saying such a thing. "SPOILS THE TASTE?!" She screamed it, thunked him once on the head, dropped her shoe, stepped back into it, and stomped off.

"WHAT'D I SAY?" Charlie yelled after her, and just dropped his head into his hands. "I should have stayed in Cleveland."

 

-fin-

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