Disclaimer: I own nothing Superman or Smallville. Wouldn't be working if I did.

It was hard being Lana Lang. She didn't know why, but people expected her to be perfect. Just the word caused her to cringe.

She'd had to be the perfect cheerleader because both Nell and her mother had been as well. She'd had to be the perfect, supporting girlfriend because Whitney was supposedly the perfect boyfriend. She'd had to do SO many things that she didn't want to do, but because she knew that it was what others expected of her.

She had to be someone different with Nell, with her old friends, and even with Clark! She had to be the docile, nice, understanding girl he obviously thought the epitome of perfection.

That was probably why she'd gravitated instantly towards Chloe Sullivan. Chloe didn't treat her like a perfect little crystal doll who should be pitied because she'd lost her parents when a little girl. On the contrary, she could be mean with the realities she spouted—and Lana prayed that she'd never change—that their amazing friendship would never die.

She hadn't cared much when Clark and her broke up—once again. It'd been easy to see him regularly since they were in the same group of friends. But the fact that Chloe had just blown her off tore at her heart like steel. And for Klara?

Growling, Lana looked around the Talon. It was way passed closing time, but here she was, alone in the dark, sipping on coffee that'd gone cold hours ago. Chloe usually would be here, helping her close up and then they'd talk into the late of the night. It wasn't because they would part their ways. After Gabe had died, Lana'd move in permanently to keep Chloe company. Their friendship had only grown more until…until…until this KLARA had appeared.

If Lana hadn't known better she'd think that Chloe was smitten by the brunette with olive skin and green eyes. The moment they'd met in the TALON (of all places!) they hadn't separated. Last night Chloe hadn't even come home! She'd given Lana a quick call to say that she'd be spending the night at Klara's, and Lana had to keep from gnashing her teeth when she'd heard the other woman's voice in the background telling Chloe (in a voice that sounded too seductress)to hang up and come to her.

Her cell rung. "Hello?"

"Is this a Miss…" There was a pause. "Lana Lang?"

She didn't recognize the voice, so her answer was slow. "Yes."

"And do you know a Miss…" Again there was a pause, as if the woman on the other end were looking down on a piece of paper. "Chloe Sullivan?"

"Yes. She's my best friend." Hazel eyes narrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

"I'm nurse Geoffrey from the Smallville Clinic." The woman announced. "And I'm calling you because Miss Sullivan had your name and number as her contact."

"What happened?" She shot out of her seat. "Is something wrong with Chloe?"

She'd nearly got into an accident getting to the hospital, but it wasn't a wonder. She'd been driving like a maniac. Rushing into the ER, she found the receptionist and went towards her, leaning her weight heavily on the desk.

"I'm looking for a friend. Chloe Sullivan?" Seeing the lost look on the young woman's face, she growled. "She was brought here in the ambulance. Car accident!" She nearly screamed the last two words.

"Oh!" Understanding finally dawning, the young receptionist pointed the way and quickly explained in which room.

Flinging the door open, Lana's horrified gaze fell upon a bruised and battered Chloe, lying face up in the hospital bed, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep. Like a ghost, Lana someone floated towards her, going to stand by her bedside, bending over, tears forming in hazel eyes, falling down upon the cheeks of her best friend.

"Chloe." Her voice was choked as she hesitated before letting her fingers brush her fallen tear from Chloe's ashen cheeks.

"She can't hear you."

Twirling around, anger burnt in her chest as her gaze fell upon the girl sitting in a chair in the corner. She wore a hospital robe, and a huge bandage marred her perfect features.

"You." Lana hadn't known that her voice could sound like that. "This is your fault!"

Karla sighed and shook her head. "We were both…distracted, but it's the fault of the drunkard who ran into us, not mine."

"No, it's you." She knew she was being unfair, yet she couldn't care. "Ever since you've come to Smallville only bad things have happened! You've changed Chloe! You've nearly killed her!"

"I'd never intentionally hurt Chloe!" While Karla had always been polite whenever she was around Lana, the other girl had always known that the dislike was mutual, and the hatred in her eyes only proved her theory. "I love Chloe!"

That shocked the breath out of Lana as she just stared at the girl in front of her. "What are you saying?" She stammered.

"I said I love her." Karla repeated, the fire still burning in her eyes. "I don't care that she's in love with someone else, or that when she's with me she's imagining someone else. I don't care because she's too damn incredible to lose!"

Floored, Lana leaned against the bed. "You—you and Chloe—you're a couple?"

"Not officially." That voice was challenging, as was her stance.

She couldn't believe it. Chloe was with someone and she hadn't told her anything. She--. "She still loves Clark?"

"Clark?" The face Klara made was of disgust. "You really don't know her as well as you think, huh?" That was snide.

"Who is she in love with then?" Lana demanded. "Who are you substituting?"

There was a moment's silence as Klara breathed out a sigh so pathetic it actually touched a cord in Lana's heart. Green eyes met hazel. "Has it never occurred to you that we could pass for sisters?"

It took her a whole two seconds to realize where Klara was getting to with that, and she gasped, turning to look at Chloe before returning her shocked gaze to the other woman. "Me?" She squeaked, hand to her heart as it throbbed out of control. "Chloe likes me?"

"Loves." The word was obviously hard to get out. "She didn't tell me. She didn't need to. It's in her eyes when she sees you, when she speaks of you." She was now growling. "For some reason or the other she thinks you're perfect."

Looking up in surprise, Lana knew she was blushing, and that she was smiling. For the first time, perfect wasn't something to cringe at. For the first time, she knew what other people felt when they were complimented such. It wasn't a requirement, Chloe just—she—Chloe thought she was perfect.

Klara's sigh brought her out of her daze. "And it's reciprocated. I have nothing to do here." Going to the door she turned and spared Chloe another glance. "Take care of her."

"I will." Watching the other girl leave, Lana pulled up a chair next to Chloe and leaned close to her, allowing her fingers to caress her skin. She didn't know how to deal with these strange feelings welling up in her heart, but they made her happier than she had in a long time.

It was hours when Chloe awoke, but when she did, Lana was still sitting there, smiling down at her shyly.

"Lana" Chloe whispered in a croaked voice.

"Hey." Her smile grew tender. "You gave me a fright back there."

Clouds of worry filled those amazing eyes as Chloe frowned. "Klara. Is she--."

"She's fine." Fighting the ugly jealousy that exploded at Chloe's obvious worry, Lana had to remember that although Chloe worried about Klara, she loved her. That was enough to make the smile genuine. "She left some hours ago."

"She left?" Surprise was obvious on her ashen face.

"Yeah. She realized something and decided it was best to leave."

"Realized something?" Chloe's frown was confused, making her oh-so much cuter than normal. "Realized what?"

For a moment she considered waiting, but she could hear Clark and Pete down the hallway, and knew that it was only seconds before they barged into the room and took away the intimacy of the moment. It was now or never.

Leaning forwards, until their noses nearly touched, Lana's gaze traveled from Chloe's wide eyes, to her blush, to her lips, and back again. She licked her lips, enjoying the fact that Chloe's eyes had unknowingly followed the movement.

"She realized," Lana whispered, lowering her face even more until her lips were a breath away from those of Chloe's. "That I think you're perfect too."

Closing her eyes she pressed her lips against Chloe's and relished in their softness. When Chloe responded to the kiss, throwing her arms around her neck and lowering her even more, Lana's heart soared and she felt possessiveness, jealousy that Klara had tasted Chloe. Her own kiss grew brutal, trying to rub off every trace of the other woman. She climbed onto the bed, careful not to hurt her bruised friend, never once separating their kiss, going deeper.

Instead of complaining, Chloe groaned in pleasure. She made a sexy little purr in the back of her throat when Lana began to caress her with her hands.

And that was how Clark and Pete found them when they opened the door.

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