Rewrite

Disclaimer: Still not mine...

Rewrite of a scene in “Delete”. Someone at Summerholt is trying to kill Chloe to kill a story and they are using mind control to do it. Emails have been sent to both Clark and Lana who then attempted murder. Clark has taken Chloe to Lex’s to keep her safe.

“Thanks for letting Chloe stay here, Lex” Clark says, stress written in his face. Ah Clark, always out to protect her…even when he knew she had betrayed him. Why can’t I just let his secrets alone?

“Whatever I can do to help.” Lex says smoothly from behind his desk. His blue button down and black slacks look crisp despite it being well into the afternoon. He stood and poured himself a drink of water. He turned, holding the bottle as an offer to both Chloe and Clark who both shake their heads.

“Yeah, this is the last place anybody would look for me.” Chloe says and then inwardly winces at the thinly veiled insult behind those words. Thankfully, Lex appeared willing to ignore it.

“Chloe, I'm sorry about what happened to your friend at the Daily Planet. You must've really had Garner over a barrel.” Lex looked like he was relishing the idea of Garner over a barrel.

“Too bad I didn’t realize that at the time. Seems I’ve gotten into a habit of getting in over my head.” Chloe replied. Yeah, that didn’t sound bitter at all.

Lex gives her a small smile and came around to sit on the corner of his desk. He looked so casual even though is voice was all business and Chloe felt her body flush as his slacks were pulled snug over one muscular thigh. Holy shit, get a grip. There were be no lusty thoughts about Luthors…even the bald ones.

“So your theory is that Garner has turned Molly into his own e-mail assassin, using hypnotic suggestion?” Lex sounded as if he almost doesn’t believe them and Chloe finds herself stiffening at his tone.

“It's not that far of a stretch. Summerholt goes from studying the brain to controlling it.” Clark shruged as if the connection makes perfect sense. Chloe shot him a small, grateful smile though part of her feels like Clark has an awful lot of practice believing the unbelievable.

“It's a pretty amazing breakthrough if you don't consider the application.” Lex sounds almost impressed and Chloe was forcibly reminded of who Lex’s father is.

“Yeah, who really cares about the application anyway?” Her voice was tight and intense. “And there’s no question about it…when it comes to brain warping, Dr. Garner is definitely the guy.”

Lex looks at Chloe thoughtfully and she struggles not to shift under his electric blue gaze.

“I'm gonna go talk to Garner.” Clark announced and then turned to leave. Chloe felt fear kick her in the stomach and reached out to grab his arm.

“No, no, Clark, don't, please. It's too dangerous.” Her voice sounded plaintive and even though Clark’s survived things no one should be able to she would never be able to live with herself if he died protecting her. It would be too much.

“I'm not the one he's looking for. It'll be all right. Just don't leave the mansion. I'll call you if I find anything.” And with that he was gone. Damn it. She was going to get everyone killed.

“Chloe, I have my tech guys trying track her. I'm going to go see what they've got. Make yourself at home.”

That was Lex, always with the perfect manners. At least, until you pissed him off. Unexpectedly he turned and shifted awkwardly.

“This probably isn’t the best time but…I’m sorry about having to fire your father.”

A flash of anger ripped through her but she suppressed it.

“You’re right Lex, now isn’t the time for this. My ability to politely handle bullshit is a little thin today.” Her voice came out sharper than she intended. Great, just great.

“Chloe…” Lex actually looked shocked and Chloe couldn’t help but feel some small bit of satisfaction at his expression.

“You know, Lex, I’ve known for a long time that this town is built on lies. But I never thought I’d be involved in them up to my eyeballs. I’m not enjoying it at all.” Her shoulders slumped and she resisted the urge to run her hands over her face.

“What are you talking about Chloe?” Lex was back in control of his face, face as empty and emotionless as a doll’s. Chloe gritted her teeth. It was expression that had always gotten under her skin.

“It means that you fired my father because your father told you too. And your father told you too because he was making a point to me.” Why was she telling him this? What could this accomplish? But there was her mouth moving and she hoped she wouldn’t come to regret this.

“Chloe…” Now he was looking at her with pity, as if she were having some sort of delusion that his father would ever pay attention to her.

“Don’t you dare condescend to me Lex,” she hissed at him. “Your father and I had a deal…one entirely of his making…and it came to end recently. I couldn’t give him what he wanted and he was less than pleased.” Again, the words were out her mouth before she had really thought it through.

“What deal is that?” Now his voice was like ice and she could see the wheels in his head turning, trying to figure out if she had been spying on him. Her laugh was bitter and angry.

“Don’t worry Lex, it didn’t have anything to do with you. At least, not as far as I’m aware. So, no hard feelings about firing my dad.” Again her face twisted with rage and bitterness. “I mean, I probably could have gotten him to spare my father if I’d been willing to brave a little sexual humiliation but I just…couldn’t stomach it. There…you see? You’re off the hook…I pretty much got my father fired.”

Now Lex really was staring at her like she really is crazy…face still but his eyes slanted at her warily. Poor Lex, swinging back and forth between paranoia and disbelief…it was practically the story of his life.

She stalked towards him, tired of being toyed with. Lex’s face shifts from disbelief to shock that she would dare approach him in that manner.

“Sit down.” She growled at him.

He eyebrows lifted and he made a small, annoyed sound in his throat.

“I really don’t have time for this.”

“Sit! Height is essential to convey the use of sexual innuendo as a weapon. Now put your ass in a chair.”

Lex rolled his eyes but steps back, sitting in a high-backed chair that looked incredibly uncomfortable. Good. Discomfort would only help her recreate the scene. She stayed in his space, forcing his legs apart to get close enough to him.

“Are you threatening me?” She hissed at him and she watched his whole body start in shock. Lionel Luthor’s quirks are burned into her brain and she knew she done a passable imitation of his voice and body language.

She tried to imagine Lex as a piece of meat, expendable and useful for not even an entire evening. He’s a sex toy…less than that since he isn’t even worth reusing.

“Is that so, Miss Sullivan.” She dwelled on the vowels of her name the way Lionel did…made her name sound…dirty. She lifted one hand and gently touched her fingers to his cheek. He jerked, as she had, and now his face did look afraid. Jesus, if Lex looked afraid she must have looked petrified. “Perhaps we come to some…other arrangement.” This she said low and growling, as if she had already stripped him, fucked him, and moved on. She ignored the small frisson of arousal that swept through her at the thought. Lex blinked in surprise.

Then she smirked and moved out his space. In a light, mocking tone she told him not to be hasty, that…”Money can buy a great many things.” And then she laughed. It was nowhere near Lionel’s level of vicious delight but Lex stared at her with his mouth hanging open so she had clearly hit on something.

“What did you say to my father to make him laugh?” Lex’s face in the past two minutes had been more animated than in the entire time she had known him.

“I told him to buy some manners.” Chloe felt drained after her foray into acting. Who knew it was so exhausting to be Lionel Luthor?

“You told my father to…to buy…” Lex looked at her with real fear in his eyes before his entire face shut down and the mask was back. Even his eyes managed to be near-empty. “What sort of…deal…did you and my father have?”

“No, Lex. I think I’ll keep my secrets. After all, that seems to be the way of things here in good old Smallville. Isn’t it?” She turned bitter, hard-edged eyes at him.

“You don’t trust me.” He made it a statement rather than a question and then shrugged. “I can’t say that I blame you for that.”

“I have learned that even fundamentally good people pick up nasty habits around your father. And I need some time to think.”

Lex nodded. “If you decide to tell…I’ll listen. I will protect you.”

“Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep, Lex.” Chloe replied softly though part of her warmed at his willingness to at least pay lip service to protecting her. Who knows, maybe it was more than lip service.

Lex’s mouth tightened into a thin line but he didn’t take his promise back. A long silence stretched between them until Chloe broke it.

“You should go check with your tech guys.”

Lex nodded and left the room. Chloe sank onto the sofa and scrubbed her eyes. There was no time for crying now.