Author: MitchPell
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything that has to do with Smallville, it’s characters, DC comics, or the WB. I’m just using them for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: I thought I might want to explain my version of Lex a little. I’m going with the idea that Lex is the cool, suave, ever calm character we see on TV. But that is just his public front. I imagine that in the privacy of his own home he is just like any other 21 year old. Also, I figured that Chloe would have had her 16th birthday sometime in September. I’ve decided that the episodes are going to take place on the week they were aired. So, since “Craving” aired 11/27/01, the events that deal with “Craving” in this fanfiction will take place during the week of 11/27/01. I’ll try to let you guys know approximately what time of year it is. I’m going to using any and all spoilers, so read at your own risk. This story is going to be a long one. I already know that it is going to span the course of 5 years, and probably longer. I appreciate any and all feedback. Tell me whatever you think: the good, the bad, the ok, the grammar errors, etc… Trust me, I need the help!!
Summary: Lex and Chloe just seem right for each other. I don’t know why, they just do.
Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com
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After Lex left the Torch office, Chloe turned to face Clark. “Wow, I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.”
“What do you mean?” Clark asked while furrowing his brow.
“Well, Lex Luthor, a man I barely know, just offered me a summer job. That’s rather pretentious, don’t you think?”
“Chloe, Lex was just trying to be nice. He was probably just trying to say thanks for not blaming him for everything that happens in this ‘leafy little hamlet,’ as you’ve so lovingly labeled it. Think about it, the guy bought me a truck and tried to pay off all my family’s debt because I saved his life. Sometimes, I think that it’s the only way he knows how to say thanks.”
“Or maybe he is just trying to get you in his debt. After all, if I accept his offer doesn’t that mean I owe him something. I personally do not want that man having anything to hang over my head.”
“Chloe, come on, Lex isn’t a bad guy. He’s just a little misunderstood.”
“Whatever you say Clark.” Chloe flashed him a big grin. “I wanted to thank you again for getting me into the Animal Control Offices today.”
Clark smiled back at her. “Don’t worry about it. But remember, I’m expecting you to come through on your part of the deal. Lana’s party is two days away, and I still don’t have any ideas.”
“Don’t worry Clark.” Chloe said. She tried to sound cheerful, but ended up sounding a little snappy. What does Clark see in that girl any way, Chloe thought? She is the only person I know who can turn every conversation into something concerning her. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
Clark gave her another megawatt smile. “Well, I’ve gotta go. I’ve got chores and stuff to do at home. I’ll catch you later?” Clark grabbed his bag and headed out of the office.
“Sure. Bye Clark,” Chloe yelled over her shoulder not bothering to look up from the article she had started reading.
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Lex laid wake in his ridiculously large bed. Despite the softness of the mattress, and the smooth coolness of his silk sheets and pajama bottoms, sleep was eluding him. His mind continually wandered back to that morning’s physical. Between researching and visiting the ever-impudent Dr. Hamilton (he still couldn’t believe the man had called him a freak) and helping Clark get together Lana’s birthday present (he had to admit the drive-in movie was an excellent idea), he had managed to keep his mind off the test results that were looming over him. But now, with nothing else to distract him, he found himself pondering his health. The physicals were meant to check for the heart disease that had claimed his mother’s life. They weren’t supposed to find cancer.
No, this can’t right be, he thought. I don’t get sick. Ever. Sure when he was young he was always sick. He couldn’t go outside in the winter without coming down with something. The combination of the colds and his asthma had actually caused him to spend a fair amount of his childhood in the hospital. But all that had stopped after the accident. He had traded his hair for the sickness. All in all it hadn’t been a bad deal. Sure the kids had harassed him about his baldness, but his red hair had gotten similar reactions. Lex sighed as he looked over at the clock on his nightstand. It was 3:00 am, which meant that he had been lying there awake for 2 hours. Giving up on the possibility of falling asleep, he headed downstairs to his study.
Lex placed his favorite mix CDs into his sound system, and placed the setting on random. He plopped himself down in his desk chair, opened his laptop and began his search. After two hours of browsing through various medical journals and general info sites, he fell asleep to the sounds of Creed’s “What’s This Life For.”
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Chloe hung up the phone. She always found it shocking how much information she could get out of people. Not that she was complaining. She was rather happy that the doctors at Smallville Memorial didn’t seem to understand the fine details of doctor-patient confidentiality. She bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen where she found her father sitting at the table. “Morning Dad,” she said while leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek.
“Morning sweetheart,” he replied before taking a sip of his coffee. He put his paper down, and regarded his daughter as she rummaged through the cupboards, retrieving everything that was needed to make herself a bowl of Lucky Charms. “Chloe, would you mind telling who you had to call at 7:00 in the morning,” he asked.
Chloe looked up at her father. She opened her mouth to say something, but failed to find any words that could break through the shock of her father knowing she had been on the phone. She looked down at her cereal, before replying. “Oh, uh, I called Pete to make sure that he didn’t forget to bring in his article for the Torch. He’s been so preoccupied with Jody that he has been a little scattered brained about everything else,” she said not looking over her cereal bowel at her father.
“Chloe, I don’t appreciate being lied to.” She looked up at him as he paused for a moment before adding; “you called the hospital to find out about that boy who was taken to the hospital yesterday, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she mumbled, returning her gaze to the green colored milk that remained in her bowl.
He sighed, and rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Chloe, we talked about this. I don’t want you going around and putting yourself in situations which might cause you to get hurt.”
“Dad, I’m not!” She protested.
“Really. Someone or something attacked this boy, Chloe. You don’t think that your snooping around might make you the next potential target.” He lowered his voice and then added. “Listen, sweetheart, I understand your love of investigative journalism. I just don’t want to see it put you in a situation in which you will get hurt.”
Chloe looked up and smiled slightly at him. “I promise dad, I’ll be careful.”
“That’s all I ask. After all, we wouldn’t want anything to stop you from getting your Pulitzer.” He added while shooting her a smile.
Her slight smiled turned into a full-fledged grin, as she got up and put her bowl in the dishwasher. “Speaking of which,” she said while pouring a cup of coffee, “did I tell you I met Lex Luthor yesterday?”
“Really?” Gabe asked.
“Yeah, he stopped by the Torch office. I can’t believe I didn’t tell you.”
“Well, you were rather busy last night ranting about self-centered girls, blind boys, and birthday gifts.” He teased while trying to suppress his chuckling. She shot him a glare, to which he held up his hands in mock surrender. “Why’d he stop by?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t say, and I forgot to ask.”
Her father gasped. “Chloe Sullivan, investigative reporter, forgot to ask Lex Luthor, billionaire’s son, why he had taken time out of his day to visit the local high school newspaper office? I must say I’m rather shocked.”
“Yeah, I know. It must have been his job offer that caused it to slip my mind.” She quipped.
“He offered you a job?” Gabe asked in disbelief, his tone on the boarder between humorous and concerned.
“Well, not a job, but the use of his connections to get a summer internship.”
“And what was your reply to that?” All of the humor had left his voice.
“Actually, he didn’t give me a chance to reply. Plus the way he said it didn’t really require a response. It was as if he wasn’t going to accept a refusal to his offer.” She watched her father frown at this, so she quickly added; “don’t worry, dad. I’m not going to make use of the offer. As much as I miss Metropolis, I don’t particularly like the idea of spending my entire summer alone in the city. Besides, when I do get a summer internship, it is going to be because of my journalistic abilities and not because of Luthor’s friends.”
“Well, I’m glad to here it honey. Just out of curiosity, which paper did his offer apply to?”
“Ugh,” She groaned. “The Inquisitor. Can you believe that? I mean, if he was going to get me an internship you would think it would at least be at a half decent paper. Even the Smallville Ledger is better than the Inquisitor.” They both chuckled at that. “Well, I’m going to go finish getting ready for school. I’ll see you when you get home from work.”
“Ok, sweetheart.” She hugged him and placed another small kiss on his cheek, before bounding back up the stairs to her room. Gabe smiled as he watched his daughter leave. He was very proud of her. But what father wouldn’t be. She was smart, feisty, confident, fun, and pretty. She was a complete package, and he dreaded the day when the males at her school figured that out. He let out a sigh, grabbed his coat off the back of his chair, and left for the plant.
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Lex was woken by someone lightly shaking his shoulder.
“Mr. Luthor.”
Lex cracked his eyes open to the sound of his housekeeper’s, Ann, voice. His back and neck were stiff, and his legs were slightly numb. Still half asleep, he managed to mumble a barely audible, “hhmm,” into the arms that cushioned his head.
“Mr. Luthor, Dr. Vargas is on the phone. He says that he needs to speak with you.”
“What time is it?” His voice still slightly mumbled from sleep.
“It is 7:00 in the morning.”
“God.” He sat up and scrubbed his face with his hands, and then reached for the phone. “Thanks, Ann,” he said in a way of dismissal. She nodded her head and walked from the study. He waited until she had gone before speaking into the phone.
“Dr. Vargas, what can I do for you this fine morning?” Lex asked, his voice slightly on the sarcastic side.
“Mr. Luthor, when was the last time you ate?”
The question threw Lex off a bit. He thought for a moment. He had some Twizzlers while he was watching Conan, but that was the last thing he had eaten. Conan ended at 12:30, so that had to be the last time he ate. “Around 12:30, why?”
“Perfect! I need you to come into the hospital. We want to run a couple more tests, to confirm what we’ve found. When is the soonest you can be here?”
Lex’s mind was racing. What could they have found that they needed to confirm? Or did they find nothing, and just wanted to run a couple more tests to be thorough. He suppressed his panic and spoke calmly yet somewhat condescendingly. “Who is we, and what kind of tests?”
“’We’ are a few of my colleagues and myself. We would like to obtain a bone marrow sample, and we would like to do it today.” The hint of annoyance in the doctor’s voice aggravated Lex. It was his health they were talking about, and he felt he had a right to ask questions. Especially when he was being order to give up his entire day to run to his least favorite place in the world, to perform a procedure that wasn’t putting him at easy about what they found. “I can be there in three hours,” Lex said.
“Good! Don’t eat anything, and have someone drive you. I’ll see you in three hours.” With that Dr. Vargas hung up the phone, leaving a slightly angered and panicked Lex on the other end. He immediately called the plant and informed his secretary that he wouldn’t be coming in, and that he wasn’t to be bothered unless it was an emergency. He called Frank on the intercom and told him to bring the limo around. He jogged upstairs, showered, got dressed, and headed out the door.
TBC…
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