AN: I have no affiliation with the products mentioned in this update, but if Hershey's wants to give me Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, I won't complain.
The Visit
Episode: Siren
The first thing Chloe did when she got home after work was leave her shoes by the door. Then she changed into a comfortable pair of lounge pants and a tank top. Finally, she collapsed on her bed intending to take a nice long nap before she had to make dinner.
She chose to ignore the boxes piled around her new apartment, figuring she'd be able to find everything much easier when it was inside a labeled box. Some would call it laziness, but she preferred the term decisively reluctant. Besides, she would unpack someday…soon…eventually.
At the moment she needed to unwind from work. She had more time to concentrate on her articles since Perry had revamped the security at the Planet after the incident with the fishnet queen last week. Most likely, it wouldn't keep people like the Black Canary out, but it did cut down on Clark and Lana coming to her during working hours to run a search. As much as she loved her friends, even the most loyal person would not be able to handle the amount of boundary crossing that those two had done.
Of course, Clark could sneak in if he wanted, but it would have to be an emergency and he'd have to be quick about it if he didn't want security to kick him out. This left no time for bitch sessions.
She hadn't heard from him since the newest enemy turned hero left town. More than likely he and Lana had made up. Probably chose to do a quick repair of their problems instead of really questioning the reason for those problems' existence. At this point, she was just thankful to be out of it, and prayed for a long break before the return.
The sound of the doorbell told her that life was indeed too good to be true.
She slowly pulled herself off the bed, mentally cursing whoever was on the other side. She'd answer the door but she'd take her sweet time doing so. When she had, she immediately wished she hadn't.
Lana stormed past her, not even bothering to ask for admittance. "I can't believe you would do something so thoughtless!"
Chloe took a breath but refused to shut the door, she wanted Lana out as soon as possible, especially if this was her attitude. "Hello Lana, nice to see you. Welcome to my new place. No a home warming gift wasn't necessary."
"I don't have time for this. I have an emergency. Lex sold the Talon and they are turning it into a parking lot. Do you know what that means?" She flailed her arms around in the effort to make grand gestures and held her eyes open so wide that she could have been mistaken for a doll.
Despite Lana's rather obvious attempt at showing emotion, Chloe couldn't resist the quip. "That there will finally be more parking spaces down town?"
"Chloe!" Lana added a foot stomp to elaborate her frustration.
Chloe shook her head at Lana's antics. While she was just as frustrated she managed to hide it outwardly except for in her eyes and in her voice. "It's his business. He can do with it what he wants. You chose to let him buy you out a long time ago. So I don't see where you get off blaming him or me."
"You were subletting the apartment from me. You were supposed to let me know." More stomping.
Chloe laughed at Lana's audacity. "I'm sorry but since you decided to marry Lex, Lois and I have been paying him rent. That's how you wanted it. You wanted him to take care of all the business in your life so you could be a leisurely wife. It's not my fault things didn't work out for you in that department. I can't help it that you didn't think to reverse that decision."
"That's not the point, I need your help. You have to write an article to save the Talon." More arm flailing with a touch of pointing her finger at Chloe.
"I think it was the point. And I'm not going to write anything. The Daily Planet does not care if some small town coffee shop goes out of business. Go to the Ledger if this means that much to you." Chloe still had the door open so she swept her hand in front of her, hoping Lana would get the message.
No such luck. "I did but they also refused. The lot will be providing parking spaces for the newspaper workers."
"Well there you have it."
"How can you be like that? What about all that the Talon meant to you?" Arms stretched widely.
The Talon did hold some memories but Chloe knew that while the world changed she could still have those memories. And when she boiled down her feelings about it, the Talon would just be one of those places she bought coffee and lived for a while. "Let me put it this way. I nearly died more times while working at the Torch and that will always mean more to me then sipping coffee at your Talon. Just let it go. You haven't been active in that business for years now."
"But it's a connection to my parents. You don't understand. Your parents are still alive." Lana brought out what she must have thought were her sad eyes. They seemed more dead-like to Chloe.
Even though she had spent time with her parents, Chloe still held on to the lost years with her mother and the separation she had to endure from both of them now because of growing up. Her overwhelming feelings couldn't stop her from saying, "Technically, one of your parents is too. And if I'm not mistaken you had more of a chance to get to know him then you ever did either of your parents while you were three. Plus the fact that Nell has always been in your life." She may have gone too far but it was time that Lana realized she had never lived the life of the orphan she claimed to have. "Maybe it's time you stopped holding on to pointless concrete items and just focus on their memories. They aren't going to care if an old movie theatre is torn down."
And apparently what Chloe had said either hadn't hurt or hadn't sunk in because Lana moved onto her next defense. "So you just want me to let Lex win. Let him know that he can still affect me. He's probably hoping I'll come back to him just to save the Talon." She stopped to obviously ponder, taking out her new unnecessary reading glasses and placing the earpiece between her teeth like one of her professors had done when he was teaching Astrology or Agriculture or Algebra or something. "I wonder if it could work."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Had Lana lost her mind so much that she could be this brazen in front of Clark's best friend?
"I'm not serious. I'll just let him think he will get me back. Then I'll ditch him as soon as the deed is in my hands." Lana smiled as if her plan was pure genius.
"First of all, he already sold it off so even if you tried that skanky scheme, Lex couldn't help you. Second, I know this is going to be detrimental to your worldly view, but not everything is about you. Lex probably decided it was time to get out of a business that had been bleeding him for years."
Lana dropped her shoulders and pouted. "You're right. Going to Lex won't help. I'll have to go see the new owner. Do me a favor and don't mention any of this to Clark. I wouldn't want him to think that I still had feelings for Lex. This is simply business." Her look was oddly patronizing, as if Chloe wouldn't understand the concept but could she please just go along with what Lana was saying.
"Just leave." Chloe pushed Lana toward the door and out into the hall. Shutting it in her face before she had to hear one more word.
Taking a moment to be thankful that Lana was finally gone and wishing she had her tape recorder because she doubt Clark would believe any of this without proof, she went into the kitchen to start dinner. She had only made it a few steps before the doorbell rang again.
Reaching for the door, she said, "I thought I made it clear Lana that we were done talking."
"I've been called a slew of different derogatory names but that has got to be the worse." The visitor said with a smirk.
Chloe laughed at his joke but couldn't let him win the round so easily. "Hello Lex, are you here to bug my new place?"
"Tempting, but I think it would be a waste since Clark would just search and destroy as soon as I leave. Actually, I brought you a house warming gift." He picked up the rather large basket but made no effort to ask if he could be invited pass the door.
She cocked her head to allow admittance and he followed her to the kitchen where he placed the basket on the counter. She wasn't surprised to find her favorite coffee, wine and chocolate. Lex had bought what she liked and not what was most expensive. She wondered if he'd gone to the store to buy the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or had the company ship them personally.
Noticing her staring at the orange and brown package, he said, "Store bought. I actually had to fight one lady off for the last bag. I can see why you like them so much."
"I'll write to Hershey's telling them not to bother with the campaign about the chocolate and peanut buttery goodness. Just say it's worth the fight. I'm sure they'll double their profits if you'd reenact the scene for their next commercial."
"I think I'd prefer 'Lex Luthor, how do you eat your Reese's? ...I'd take them all so I could rule the world.'"
"And to think you wasted your life in business when advertising was clearly your niche in life." She ended with a smile.
She went back to the basket surprised to find: Bactine, Neosporin, Band-Aid adhesive bandages in different sizes, Ace bandages, ThermaCare HeatWraps, sterile gauze pads, adhesive hypoallergenic tape, trauma shears, tweezers, disposable non-latex gloves, swabs, alcohol wipes, saline solution, Hydrocortisone cream, Antihistamine cream, Calamine lotion, Advil, Tylenol, Bayer aspirin, Benadryl, Aloe vera lotion, burn gel, several Epipens, ipecac, and frighteningly what she was sure were military style QuikClots and high volume bandages and gauze.
Upon her questioning glance, he informed her, "This is just my way of saying that I encourage your need to risk your life while investigating. I wanted to buy you full coverage medical benefits but I'd figure you'd just yell at me and I wanted this to be a somewhat nice visit, so I held off. But if you ever need life saving surgery, I will be paying the bill and you can argue with me once you are feeling better." He finished with a soft smile. "I want you to enjoy your life whether it's helping Clark or Queen. Or does he prefer you call him Green Arrow."
Not bothering to question that Lex knew about Oliver's extracurricular activities, she moved on to her next topic. "So I guess that chase scene last week was for my benefit."
"Ms. Lance was instructed not to hurt you but we both know the risks we take when working in this kind of business." He stared at the spot on her cheek where only a slight scratch appeared.
She had heard about Lex's stabbing and cursed Clark for not bothering to help Lex when he easily could have. "And even if I still had the disk?"
"Nothing, but you did an amazing job of sneaking through my system. My tech geeks have their work cut out for them next time." She had thought as much so she wasn't as upset by the loss. She was grateful for Lex's confidence in her hacking skills.
Lex moved toward the door not wanting to overstay his welcome but not wanting to leave either. "I'll see you around."
"See you and thanks for the medical center in a basket." This time he was rewarded with one of her genuine, bright smiles. He nodded with a smile of his own and a soft look in his eyes before leaving. She shut the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes. With all the emotions Lex stirring within her and confusing her, she was most grateful for that bottle of wine right now.
TBC
