**Chapter 3: It's Going Down**

"Lana," Lex greeted her with a welcoming smile when she came in. He was surprised to see her back so soon... particularly since he was sure she'd been planning on meeting up with Clark. But just because he was surprised didn't mean he wasn't pleased. "Sweetheart, are you... feeling... better?" The last two words were dragged out as Lana approached. There seemed to be something different about her. She was looking at him so...he put down the drink he had in his hand and watched her closely as she walked up to him and put her arms around his neck and talked about how her behavior had been different as of late. Truth be told, he hadn't realized exactly how different she'd been until this very moment... he hadn't realized how much that look of love had slowly drained from her expression.

But she was looking at him that way now, up to the moment she kissed him. He returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight like he was afraid to let her go. When he finally pulled away slightly, he looked down at her with a small frown of concern. "Lana...of course I'm thrilled that you...uh...that you're feeling better, but can I ask what brought about this change of heart?" Then he held his breath, almost afraid of the answer

How could she ever thought of leaving this wonderful man? His smile, his eyes... She loved every single thing in him. All she could think about was being with Lex. "I realized how harsh I might have seen... I realized how much I loved you and I never want to lose you.." She smiled at Lex, still looking at his eyes. Could she ever let go of looking into his eyes?

She then took one of his hand and rubbed it, as she looked in his eyes and kissed Lex once more. "I would do anything for you... Anything..." She said with a little kinky voice, still intense and passionate.

**

Clark had been looking at his watch for the past hour, wondering what was taking Lana so long. As he walked outside, his eyes fell upon Lois who was leaning against her car. "What are you doing here?" Clark asked. He took a deep breath and checked his watch again. He had expected Lana to have called by now. It hadn't been that long, yet he wasn't expecting Lana to stay as long as she had. She was supposed to be going to break things off and come back. Clark began to feel that he should have gone along with her instead of letting her go alone. Regardless of how Lex would have reacted.

**

Lana returned the smile. "Lex, right now..." She started, between two breathes, "All I want is you..." She paused and kissed him again, slowly reaching one hand down Lex's chest, to any man's sensitive spot.

"I want you in me... Now..." She said, as she encouraged him to keep kissing her all over her body...

Nobody had to tell Lex twice. He didn't know why sweet, tender Lana had suddenly decided to indulge her more aggressive side, but he also couldn't say he had any complaints. If anything, she was only sexier for it. When she finished unbuttoning his shirt, he yanked it the rest of the way off and flung it aside. Then, as he moved closer to her, he kept his eyes locked on hers, looking for any fraction of doubt or fear, but he didn't see any.

**

Enough. It had been enough. Clark had to go to the Mansion. He had to find a way to get rid of Lois, but it seemed almost impossible. Instead, he sighed. "I need to borrow your car."

Lois chuckled. "Sure.. But I'm coming with you farmboy."

**

Lex grabbed the bottom of Lana's shirt and yanked it off her. If her shirt and buttoned up the front, he'd have torn it open at that point. As he removed her bra and tossed it alongside the shirt, he realized that she still didn't seem scared of him, so he relaxed, finally willing to believe that for the first time, he didn't have to worry about going too fast or scaring her away.

Stepping between her legs, Lex began to kiss her again as he ran his palms under her thighs and lifted them, encouraging to wrap her legs around his waist. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight against him as he swung away from the desk, carrying her with him.

After Lex laid Lana gently on the floor on top of the plush carpet, he stretched out on top of her, bracing his weight on his arms so he didn't crush her as he kissed her again. Then he pulled away and smiled down at her as he picked up the decanter he'd set aside as he'd laid her on the ground and swirled it gently, letting the liquid inside slosh around to get her attention.

**

Clark looked over at Lois as he continued to drive, admittedly a little faster than the speed limit. "You don't understand, Lois," said Clark as he looked over at her. "If Lex does anything to hurt Lana...." Clark swallowed. He didn't even want to entertain such thoughts anymore. He looked back towards the road, and just in time to swerve out of the way of a motorist that had just pulled in front of him. Clark quickly maneuvered to right the truck. He sighed heavily and quickly turned to look at Lois once again. "Are you okay?" he asked. Clark knew that his super powers would protect him, but he was still concerned for Lois' safety.

A few moments later, they had arrived at Luthor Manor. Clark wasted no time getting out of the truck. In fact, he didn't even shut the engine off, much less try to circumvent security. Clark made a beeline towards the front door. He pushed open the doors and quickly stormed into the mansion. "Lana! Lana!" Clark called out hoping that he would hear her voice call back to him. With each passing second of silence, Clark's heart began to beat that much faster... fear constantly feeding his imagination. Was he too late? Was Lana even there?

It was at that point that Clark reached Lex's office. It was where Lex spent most of his time. Clark could only hope... could only pray that Lana was behind that door. His hands closed around the knobs of the door. Clark looked over his shoulder briefly, to see if Lois was still with him. He didn't care, but could hear security approaching from down the hall. It didn't matter to Clark. Nothing was going to stop him... not until he found Lana. Clark turned the knobs and pushed the doors open. "Lana? Lana, I...."

Lex was so wrapped up in the thought of making love to Lana that he didn't hear the intruder. At first. When he glanced up and saw their new voyeur, however, he instinctively grabbed Lana and pulled her close, shielding her with his body. Lana was modest; Lex knew she'd likely be embarrassed by the public display.

He was also furious that, yet again, this farmboy had come strolling into the Luthor Mansion like he owned the place, interrupting what had promised to be the best night Lex had had in a while.

"Do you mind!" he barked, not caring to hide his animosity for once. "Clark, I know that you somehow have come to believe that you are entitled to just walk in here whenever you want, but that privilege is being revoked right now!" He wanted to jump to his feet and punch Clark's lights out, but he didn't move from his spot as Lana's human shield. Instead, he turned his attention back to Lana and brushed a kiss across her temple, trying to minimize her embarrassment. "I'm sorry about this, sweetheart," he murmured.

Clark froze after taking a few steps into the room. His heart had gone from pounding with fear to being frozen solid. A look of horror, sorrow, anger and even a hint of disgust cloudned Clark's face. "L-lana?" he whispered barely able to speak. He stumbled back. He didn't want to see this, yet he coudln't tear his eyes immediately away. This wasn't true... it couldn't be. The image before Clark began to blur as tears began to swell in his eyes. "But... but...." Clark could hardly speak. His breathing got a little heavy as he reached up momentarily to grab at his chest. It felt as if his heart were literally breaking. How could she do this to him? He loved her... and she loved him... didn't she?

Lana didn't even hear a noise, her own covering the sound of Clark's voice probably. But when Lex stopped and started to speak, Lana opened her eyes and saw Clark. Oh... it was only him. How pathetic of him, trying to win her back. She let her arms around Lex, while he was protecting her privacy and looked more annoyed than humiliated.

"Clark, I'm sorry but whatever you thought there was between us... it's in your head." She said, as Lex leaned a kiss on her cheek. She then ignored Clark and looked at Lex, whispering. "It's ok. The day is not over." She couldn't help but get lost in Lex's eyes. He was the man of her life. The only one for her. Clark was... Clark who? He was a mistake. She wasn't going to make that mistake twice.

Clark looked at Lana almost in shock. It soon was replaced by an angry expression. He couldn't find any single word to say.

Lois grabbed Clark's arm. "Let's go", she said almost in a whisper.

After a slight hesitation and looking into Lana's eyes once more, finding nothing but disgust when looking at him, Clark stormed out the Mansion, decided to forget Lana Lang once and for all.

**

"Lex. It's over."

Lex was completely flabbergasted by Lana's sudden reversal. Two minutes ago, she'd been telling him she loved him, and now she was saying it was over? Did she honestly think she could get away with that?

Speaking sternly to her, as one would a small child, Lex said firmly, "Lana, you're overset. It's been a long day. I think you should go to bed, and we'll talk about this in the morning."

Of course, he wasn't a fool. He'd known that Lana was fickle in her affections and prone to switching her allegance when it suited her, occasionally on a capricious whim. But this seemed to be just too much. If she loathed him as much as she currently seemed to, then what had she been after downstairs? It seemed she'd been playing him for a fool, but if so, then why the act in front of Clark? Unless he was in on it too. But that seemed a bit much, even for the pleasure of humiliating Lex. No, there was something more to this.

"You've had a bad day," he said firmly, for once without even the barest hint of sympathy. "You're not going anywhere. If I have to call a doctor in and have you sedated to make sure you don't try to leave, I'll do it." He paused just long enough for her to believe he was finished and then added, "For your own protection, of course."

Lana stepped away from Lex. She didn't like the tone of his voice. She looked quickly to grab anything to help her protect herself from him, in case she needed to. She had imagine him do alot of stuff, but never would he hurt her. At least she hoped.

"Lex. It's over between us. Forget what hapened in the last hours, I wasn't myself and you know it, ok? I've been wanting to leave you even before we got married. Now let me go." She said firmly, still in towel and a pair of jeans in her hand.

That. Little. Bitch.

How dare she stand there and act like he was the villain here! Like he'd had something to do with her sudden shifting of devotion! What did she suspect, that he'd drugged her or something? Considering what he'd discovered earlier in the day about her own actions of late, that was a hell of a thing for her to accuse him of! And yet, he'd been willing to forgive her. He'd been willing to put the past behind him and move on, because she'd told him she loved him!

And now she dared to look at him as if he were something less than herself, as if he were beneath her, something to be crushed under her shoe and then just forgotten.

No, Lana had married him. She'd opted to take the last name of Luthor. She may be standing there now and saying she wanted to leave him before she married him, but if that was indeed true than it was indeed a pity she hadn't acted on the impulse earlier. Before it was too late. Because now he had her, and he'd be damned if he was going to let her go.

Lex was flooded with a hatred for Lana so intense, it was difficult to imagine at the moment that he'd ever loved her. She was everything he'd ever wanted, everything he'd ever dreamed. He'd yearned for her so long, for the world and the life she represented. A home. A family. A loyal and loving wife, to spend the rest of his life with. And now she thought she could tear all that away from him?

She was an idiot, to think she could distract him by accusing him of perfidity when it was clear that all of her previous actions had just been a ploy. An act. A way to hurt him one last time before she left.

Did she really, truly believe he'd ever let her leave?

Had she ever even known him?

"You're honestly standing there and accusing me of having something to do with your behavior? ME? I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing, Lana, but I assure you that you are both outmanned and outclassed. You think you're going to just leave me? Humiliate ME?" He stormed forward and grabbed her by the arm, not caring for once if he hurt her. Wanting, in fact, to hurt her as she was clearly trying to hurt him.

She put one hand on her towel, to make sure it wouldn't fall on the floor and kept looking at Lex, starting to feel a little unsure. And then, he gave her the look. Something in her, without thinking, made her step backwards a little more, tapping her hand on any desk in hope to find anything. "What? I'm not.. I'm not playing..."

"You clearly don't know who you're messing with. I'm Lex Luthor, and you may have taken the name, but you're obviously incredibly naive about what that means if you think I'm just going to let you walk out of here. If you really wanted to leave, you should have done so earlier, when you had the chance, but now...after that impressive display downstairs," Sarcasm dripped from his words. "I'm afraid you've lost your chance."

He gave her a firm shake, and her towel fell from around her and landed in a heap on the ground. His gaze raked her nude form, but for the first time, he was unmoved by the sight, so consumed was he by both his sudden anger and hatred. She was the one thing he'd ever truly wanted that he'd actually had a chance to have, and he wasn't going to let her take away the dreams he'd cherished so easily.

Soon, the felt the air surrounding her in her complete nudity. She felt completly vulnerable. And humiliated to be so easily at sight to anyone who could come into the room. And by Lex. She fought the tears. In all her life, she had never felt so scared and yet, she didn't want him to have the satisfaction to see her cry.

Fisting a hand in her hair, he tilted her head back slightly, not enough to cause her real pain, but definitely enough so that she wouldn't be able to get away unless he let her go. Of course, he knew all her self defense tricks - hell, he'd taught them to her. And that meant he knew exactly what her weaknesses were...but, then again, he made a point of finding the weaknesses of everyone he met. And Lana Lang had more than most. Maybe it was time for him to demonstrate that she couldn't walk out of his life so easily.

"Lex!!" She cried as her hair was pulled back. She was breathing heavily and did her best not to panic.

She listened to him and tried to ignore the fact that she was nude and focused on the situation. She slowly turned her head. "I know what you are capable of and that makes you a monster indeed."

He was scaring her, he knew, but he didn't care. For once, he didn't care. Let her be scared of him. If his was the way she wanted it, then to hell with her. She was scared now, but if she knew exactly what kind of man he'd been raised to be - exactly what being a Luthor made him capable of - then she'd be terrified into insensibility. This tiny bit of fear was nothing. "Did you honestly think I'd let you go?" he asked again, then leaned foward and murmured in her ear, in a mockery of a romantic murmur, "Don't push me, Lana. You're looking at me like I'm a monster, but I think it's pretty clear now that you have no idea what I'm capable of."

For a moment, Lex remained silent and so did Lana. She tried to see trough him. What was he thinking? For a moment, it was as if something had exploded in him. And of course she knew that if it was the case, she was the cause of it.

She wanted to tell him about his father, but for Clark's sake, since that problem hadn't been resolved yet, she just stood there, hoping this was just rage and that it would soon wear off. It had to. "You think I am your toy and that you can do whatever you want with me?" She said, breathing heavily. "You can't buy love, Lex. And you surely can't buy mine."

Lex gave an unamused chuckle and ran the back of his free hand down her cheek. "Oh, Lana...who said anything about love?" He was filled with disgust. At her. At himself. At the entire world, and a fate that would give him everything he'd ever dreamed of and then suddenly, cruelly, rip it away without warning.

He saw the tears in her eyes that she was unwilling to shed, the hatred and the fear, and as suddenly as he'd grabbed her, he released her but he didn't step back. "No, sweetheart," he said caustically, spitting out the endearment. "I'm not asking for your love, which is fortunate I suppose since I don't think for all your tender sentiments that you really know what love is. You demand it of everyone around you, but you're a bit of a hypocrite. You loved Whitney until you grew bored of him, and then you turned to Clark. You wanted him, until he didn't give you everything you wanted, and then you turned to me. Whitney. Jason. Adam." He paused. "Me. You do love making men dance at the end of your string, don't you? Until you grow bored and move on.

"How long, do you think, it will take until you drive Clark away like you have all the others? I suppose you think he's out there, waiting for you somewhere. After seeing you naked in my arms, begging me to fuck you, and knowing that I've had you...you really think he's going to want you back? Clark may be a boyscout, but even you have to know that he must find you disgusting, after your association with me."

With a chuckle devoid of humor, he said, "No, Lana, I don't want your love. And I certainly can't expect your loyalty, since I'm beginning to doubt that you even know what that word means. But you made a promise to be with me, to be my wife, to carry on the Luthor line. And I do expect you to live up to that promise...not because I want you any more, darling, but, frankly..." He paused and said almost tenderly, "Because I can."

Very deliberately, he took a step back from Lana. "You see, sweetheart. I know you. Better than you think I do; probably better than you know yourself. You need someone to take care of you, to tell you what you want. God knows you've never known that for yourself. Mostly..." He paused and made sure she was paying attention when he said very calmly, his softly spoken words all the more dangerous and hurtful for being spoken in such calm, "I know the monster that you are inside. Every deep, dark secret. You call me a monster, but inside, I think you realize that you're one yourself. And do you really think you can pretend to be the sweet, innocent girl you once were? You're not that good of an actress. Do you think a man like Clark could ever really love you once he realizes what you truly are?"

He let her think about those words. Then he took a single step back and shoved his hands in the pockets of the pants he'd hastily pulled on as he left the bathroom. "I loved you, Lana. Once. And because of that, you don't have to worry. I'm going to protect you from everything in the big bad world, just like you've always wanted. I'll even protect you from yourself."

With a heavy sigh, he told her sadly, "Of course you know, I can't keep you here indefinitely. I can't lock you up in my Mansion and never let you leave. But I warn you...You took away everything I ever wanted. You destroyed everything I loved. If you leave me...I'll be happy to return the favor."

Lana remained silent. All of this sure hadn't turn like she had expected. Not that she thought it would be easy but, that? Clark was right in the first place. He should have come with her. After all, she knew he could protect her. Protect her from what Lex had become. A Mr Hyde. A side of him she had never seen and now she somewhat regretted to have even fall in his arms. Biggest mistake ever.

What a bastard. At least she was released. She felt better, but not that much, since she was still in the nude, a fact she couldn't neglect. "And you think you know what is love? Kansas's playboy for the last few years. And the only women you somewhat fell or tried to kill you. And me... Wow... You had a thing for me back when I was in high school. I could feel it. And it wasn't that much hard to guess when you had Jason fired and when you tried to force me to live with you once." She paused. If she didn't know about love, he surely knew way less than her. "You took advantage of me after Clark broke up with me. I was lost and yeah at that moment, I needed someone. But you needed more than a friendship. You needed the only woman that your so called ex best friend had ever dreamed of. And I was fool enough to jump in this."

Lex shook his head and gave a loud bark of laughter. "Love maybe? No...I suppose I don't. After all, I thought I loved you, didn't I? But then I suppose everyone makes mistakes." Again, his gaze raked her body, and he arched his eyebrows at her and looked amused, as if he'd weighed the woman in front of him and found her wanting.

"That is, however, a very interesting interpretation of the past you choose to delude yourself with, my dear. Such an innocent; a victim in all of this. You'd make a wonderful Vestal Virgin. Why, anyone would think that you weren't just as culpable for the situation in which you find yourself. It's hardly like I drugged you and dragged you back to my layer. No, Princess, you jumped into this with both feet, eyes wide open. against the recommendations of just about everyone you know...including me, at one point. So are you sure you still want to play the princess, locked in her ivory tower?"

After being released, Lana had been trying to cover herself as best as she could, putting her legs thigh and one hand on her breast. He may had seen her many times before naked, but that's a privilege she was revoking now. As best as she could. She kept hearing what he had to say. She didn't want to, but it's like she couldn't turn her head away. And she hated that because the more he talked, the more she understood what he wanted and how sick he was. He wanted to destroy her. Make her feel like she was nothing. Or worse. That she was like him. She denied every of his words the more she could. But something was building inside. Something that made her sick. She wondered if he knew about the pregnancy. And thinking about it made her wonder. Did he want an heir? She was horrified at the idea of getting pregnant from him and to even being touched by him. "I am nothing like you." She said taking it as an insult.

Protection? She really didn't need *his* protection. And certainly not with all that it implied, whatever it really implied. Return the favor. It was something she didn't like the sound of. She didn't know what to think. Of course, she could simply back away and go see Clark. Go see Chloe. But could she ever win against Lex Luthor? It was rather live her life being depressive or try to be happy with all the worst that it could imply.

"What do you want Lex?"

Belatedly, he realized that Lana was trying to cover herself, and he scoffed and looked derisively at her. As if she could instill lust in him any more. He was immune, or so he told himself. But, god, the memory of her in his arms not even an hour ago...the memory of the way she smelled...the way she tasted...the feel of her bare flesh against his. For a moment, he squeezed his eyes shut in agony. Okay, so maybe he did still. He longed for her. He wanted her. Heaven help him, he loved her. And the very thought that she'd driven him to this made him hate her more than he'd ever hated anyone in his life.

With his hands in his pockets, he raised his eyebrows at her and nodded toward the door. "You want to go? The door's open." Then, after a pause, he said as if in afterthought, "Oh, and what do I want? I want you to understand just what it is that you do to people. You've played the cat long enough, and I have to tell you, Princess, that I'm better at it. So what do I want of you? I want to make absolute certain that, this time, you can't pretend that you don't know exactly what it is that you've gotten yourself into."

Lana didn't move and listened to Lex depicting how bitch she could be. She had never been more insulted by anyone. And she was filled with anger, which was hiding some pain. Because she did felt like h was crushing her. And he was winning. Lana didn't know how to take advantage for the moment. Not at this very moment. But she sure would take revenge, even though right now she felt trapped between wanting to go and scared if she did.

True. She did ignored everyone's advices. But it seemed that at that very moment, it felt appropriate. Or maybe she thought it did. Back then, she was mad at Clark. Oh she so was mad at him. Maybe Lex was right. Maybe she just needed someone to take care of her. But things had changed. She now knew why it had ended with Clark. She understood and truth to be told, he always had been the only one. She didn't want anyone else. And now, nothing could stop them from being together. Well, except the Luthors. She had now both of them blackmailing her.

"You're an asshole..."

She wanted to slap him. She wanted to shoot him. Anything to hurt Lex. But right now, she wasn't much in position for that. And also, she was too stunned by his words to react. She felt crushed and she hated that he could see it. All she kept in mind was to fight the tears. Fight any emotions she could let out that Lex could use against her.

After a moment of silence, Lana finally dared to move. Of course she wanted to leave, but first, some clothes would be appropriate. She didn't like the fact she had to find clothes in front of him. Worst, she hated that. She silently turned over and made few steps to find her pair of jeans and a shirt on the floor, allowing Lex to have a view of her naked back for a moment. She then picked up her clothes and closed her eyes for few seconds, while her back was turned over. She was fighting her emotions. She fought the tears and god knows she both felt raging tears and pain. She then took a deep breath and stood up again.

Luckily, there was an attached bathroom to the bedroom and Lana walked over there to lock herself up so she could put on clothes. As she locked it, she sat on the toilet and took another deep breath. She wished she could stay there for the next hour, trying to think straight. Trying to think about what she should do. But right now, this was the last place she wanted to stay.

After few minutes, Lana opened the door, hoping so badly that Lex wasn't there, making this harder. She carefully walked out of it and looked around. And there he was. Of course he was there. She wanted to not be afraid. But she had trouble dealing with the courage card after this exhausting afternoon.

Lex had waited for her to come out of the bathroom, waited to use words as weapons against her because they were the only weapons he had. God knew he didn't have it in his power to break her heart the way she'd broken his, so he wanted to break the rest of her. But when she walked out of the bathroom, when she apologized...it was too much, and he realized then the flaw in his plan. He wanted to crush her, but he doubted that all of his pretty words managed to inflict a wound as deep as the one she had just scored.

Lana made few steps towards the door, then stopped when she passed beside Lex. "I'm sorry... I... I never meant to hurt you..." She then put her head down, almost in resignation or ashamed, starting to make few steps towards the door. The only thing she was openly sorry about, was about what had happen earlier. She had to discover what happened.

For a moment, it was like he was watching himself from some place outside, detached. Listening to the words he'd spat so viciously at her. Loathing himself for what he'd done and, worse, for what he was prepared to do. In that one moment of weakness, his shoulders sagged and he turned his head away from her, for that moment unable to meet her eyes.

"This isn't...this isn't how I wanted this to end, Lana," he admitted softly, and in that moment, there was no way he could disguise all the pain and sorrow he was feeling. "I never wanted this. But..." Finally, he braced himself enough to look back at her, where she'd momentarily halted on her way to the door. With a sad smile, he gazed at the only thing he'd ever really wanted to hold on to - the only person he'd ever known who had ever even tried to pretend that they loved him and not his money, that they saw the man he as and could be...the man he wanted to be...and thought that there was something worthwhile about the image they were gazing upon.

Of course, he'd been wrong. But how had he ever managed to fool himself? She was everything he'd ever dreamed. Beautiful. Untouchable. Perfect. And he was...he was broken.

Lana couldn't leave just yet. Because for once, in the last hour, he wasn't saying something mean. She was seeing a new Lex. One she had never seen. The more he talked, the more she couldn't fight the tears coming to her eyes. She hated that. At this very moment, she couldn't feel mad at him. There was something stuck in her chest. And it hurt. Badly.

"I know.." She answered, half in a whisper, in response to the fact he never meant to end things like that. "Me neither..." And then, as he kept talking, few tears finally left her eyes, to run on her cheeks. Clark. having Lex talking abot Clark that way just was too much for her. Lex Luthor was the only man she'd known who could start a conversation threatning someone and making this person mad and ending it with making the other one feel bad. So bad.

"It was inevitable, wasn't it? That it would end this way. That you would leave. I never...I never stood a chance, did I?" It was said without pity, without recrimination. A single bald statement of fact. Because it was inevitable that she would have left him some day, and it had merely been insanity on his part to think differently. Because he was Lex Luthor, heir to the LuthorCorp empire, and if either of them had been locked away in a tower not of their own choosing a long time ago, it was he. Because he lost the battle a long time ago to be the man he wanted to be, instead of the man he was.

"He'll take you back, I'm sure," he admitted, and there was no doubt who he was talking about. "He's a good man." That Clark Kent was everything Lex Luthor was not or ever would be also went unsaid. "And I suppose it was only a matter of time until you left me for him. Meant to hurt me, Lana? I don't know that you ever had a choice." Feeling, for one last second, saddened by the path he had taken and the one that he saw stretched ahead of him, he finished, "I don't think any of us ever did."

Then he turned from her, from his weakness, and stalked over to the window overlooking the grounds. Locked in a tower, indeed. "Go on," he barked harshly, the words ripped from his throat - his last concession to the man he could have been, had so many things been different in his life - the man he doubted now that he would ever be. "You want to go to him, so go! I'm not going to stop you! Just get out of here!" he screamed, the cry of an animal that used bravado to try to hide the fact that it was wounded and bleeding.

He kept his back to her, knowing that when he finally did turn around, she would be gone. Along with every dream he'd ever had, every last bit of humanity in his soul that he'd tried to nourish. And then he'd take that path he saw ahead of him; he didn't have a choice. But maybe he never did.

It was better this way, he told himself sternly as he gazed with sightless eyes out the window. It was better that she leave, he reminded himself, his hands clenched into fists on the windowsill in front of him. Because if there was one lesson he'd learned in his life, it was that when Lex Luthor cried, he did so alone.

"Lex..." She started, few tears still running on her cheeks. She was about to make a step toward him and put one hand on his shoulder, but stopped. This wouldn't help. After a few seconds, she whispered in an inaudible sound 'I'm sorry...'

She then turned around and walked out of the bedroom, going downstairs and soon leaving the Mansion. Leaving a nightmare. And at the very end, she couldn't help but feel bad for Lex. Almost making her want to stay. But that part of her was deep down and right now, all she wanted was to get back to Clark. And find out about what happened to her earlier.

She felt free and as she got into her car, she gave one last look at the Mansion, saying goodbye to her old life. After few minutes, Lana was out of sight, once and for all.

**

Lex heard her leave, though there was a part of him that had wished she would stay. He stook in that same spot, staring out the window, for a long time after the sound of her footsteps had faded. By the time he finally stepped away from the glass, his hands weren't shaking any more and his face was devoid of emotion.

She had done what she had to do, that which was in her nature. Now it was his turn.

None of his staff were around, he knew - they always left the area when Lex and his wife retired to their bedroom, and they were far too well-trained to be lurking in the hallway in any event. Besides, the walls of the Mansion were thick; he wasn't going to be heard.

Very calmly, he walked over to the fireplace and picked up a poker. Then, keeping it roughly above waist level, he swung it in a wide arc and smashed through some of the knicknacks on Lana's dresser before tossing it aside. Then he walked up to the window and stared contemplatively down at the floor, lost in thought. Suddenly, he whirled and put his arm through the window, up to the elbow, almost smiling when he felt the rough shards catch on the fabric of his shirt, digging into his flesh.

Carefully extracting his arm, Lex looked down at the damage and did allow himself a small smile. Not too deep, the wound looked worse than it was. It was perfect. Strolling nonchalantly over to the bathroom, he grabbed a white hand towel made of Egyptian cotton off the rack and wrapped it gently around his arm. Then he walked out of the room, heading towards his study.

He was just outside the doors to his study when he saw one of his security guards - the same one, in fact, that had interrupted the Luthors' romantic interlude earlier. Gesturing for the man to follow him, he preceded him into his study and sat behind his desk, making sure that the guard could see his blood-stained arm.

"Is everything okay, Mr. Luthor?" the guard asked tentatively, clearly not certain if it was within his right to do so.

Lex began carefully, "Lucius, I'm afraid...Mrs. Luthor has been...she's left the Mansion, and for the time being, I think it would be prudent to tell the boys at the gate not to allow her admittance." Then he forced a grimace and a reluctant tone as he explained, "I'm afraid the...ah...stress of recent events has made her a little...it has been a little much for her. She's a little irrational right now."

When he saw the guard look down at the stained white towel and then back up at his face, Lex had to force back a smile. Excellent. He knew Lucius was piecing things together in exactly the way Lex had hoped. It didn't hurt that Lucius had witnessed the scene between the Luthors earlier, so knowing now that she'd left the mansion and had no intention to return would further cement the idea that she was perhaps not acting entirely like herslf. Neither did it hurt that the pregnancy had given her a few mood swings over the past month or so - perfectly normal for a pregnant woman, of course, but Lex wasn't above using them to his own ends.

"Should I call for a doctor, sir?" Lucius asked.

Lex shook his head and made a furtive attempt to hide his wounded arm under the desk. "This is nothing," he said harshly. Then he picked up the phone, a silent signal that the guard was to go and pass on his instructions. As he turned, however, an object glinted in the firelight and caught Lex's eye.

Frowning in thought, Lex rose to his feet. He remembered how Lana had accused him of drugging her, and it was true that her behavior had been a little strange. Picking up the bottle, he was pleased to see that there was still some water at the bottom. Lana had been drinking this; maybe it would help explain her sudden change of mood.

Returning to his desk, he sat behind the solid panel of oak and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He was definitely going to get the water analyzed for any foreign substances. Maybe there was something to Lana's assertion that she'd been drugged. He had a lot to do, and if this was going to work, he was going to have to be careful about how he went about his task.

Luckily, he didn't have to do it alone. No, he was going to have help, from someone who didn't even know she was going to do so. Chloe Sullivan.