(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 11
"Well, Mr Luthor" Chloe smiled as he walked her from the limo to her front door, "I had a very nice evening, thank you"
"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Sullivan" he smirked, as he copied her in using more formal words, in spite of the fact they had been much less than that all evening.
It was almost as if they were friends, though Lex was fast coming to realise he'd like to get to know this young woman in a different way to simply that. Clark was his friend, and as such the only one he really needed. A woman in his life, that he could learn to trust, even learn to love, that would be something special. It was not something he thought of much anymore, he'd started to give up on the idea that he'd ever find such a person, and then there was Chloe.
"So, I guess I should say good night, and get inside" she said, shifting almost nervously in front of him, "Its getting pretty late and I have all that beauty sleep to fit in" she giggled, hating that she was being this way, so girly and pathetic, so... Lana, for want of a better word.
She'd been fine for most of the evening. Talking came easily to her and sharing with Lex wasn't as weird as it might sound. They'd had a great time, he'd treated her like a lady, better than that, like a woman. At her age and with her looks and manner, it wasn't something she was used to. Clark and Pete saw her as a friend, her father saw a baby girl when he looked at her, and now here was Lex Luthor, the first man to look at her this way, like she was a woman, and more than that, a beautiful woman.
"I'm sure, Chloe" he said softly as he stepped in closer to her, "That you've had quite enough beauty sleep to last you a life time" he told her, as twin smiles seemed to find their way onto his lips and hers.
Chloe wasn't sure if she was breathing or not anymore and she didn't care much either as she anticipated the kiss that never quite happened. Their lips did not quite make contact when Lex's cell phone suddenly rang in his pocket and the unlikely couple almost sprang apart in surprise.
Muttering an apology, he turned away and took the call, not entirely surprised by the voice on the other end of the line, but moreso by what he was told.
The doctor was calm and collected as he told his boss that the deed was done. The ghostly apparition of Steven Stewart had been destroyed and would never be back to haunt them again, or cause any harm to anyone. Not wanting or needing further explanation, Lex only acknowledged that he understood, before hanging up on the man that was unimportant to him, especially right now.
"That was fast" Chloe commented when suddenly he was before her again, his call done almost as fast as it had occurred.
"Some things are more important than business, Chloe" Lex told her, and before the blonde had time to process what was happening, he kissed her.
The feelings Chloe was getting now, the tingling right though her being as Lex Luthor kissed her goodnight, this was worth the wait whilst he took the phone call, worth enduring the madness of the Halloween party the night before, worth all that she'd suffered whilst caring for other men in her life that didn't feel the same. It was like coming home, and unknown to her, Lex was starting to feel just the same about it.
"Yo, guys!" Pete scrambled to his feet, along with Clark, as the Dwarf posse came pelting across the field at a rate of knots, "What happened?"
"We did it" Lister told them with a grin, "but we cut it smeggin' close!" he explained, as the others caught up with him, all looking a little out of breath.
"Deactivate cloak" Rimmer commanded as he panted for air, and Kryten used a remote sensor control to do as he was told.
"So, do you have to go back now?" Clark checked, feeling terribly disappointed when he received a nod of reply from Lister.
Here were people that were also different like he was, who understood what he was going through, and what was still to come. As odd as they were, it was comforting to have them around. Though they'd been here just a day, Clark was sure he'd miss them when they were gone.
"Yes, we have to go right now" Rimmer said urgently, though no-one bothered to hurry up with their conversation on his account.
Cat and Kryten were halfway up the steel staircase and the hologram followed at speed, leaving just Lister on the ground with his two fellow humans.
"Look, you know I come from space, from another planet" Clark said quickly to his new friend, "I'm not sure where but maybe if you could wait a couple of days, maybe I could come with you and find my home planet"
"I thought you said his planet was de..." Cat started, only to have Lister interrupt, silencing him with a look and by making a cutting motion under his chin with his hand, "Clark, that's not possible" he said, turning back to the farmboy, "Sometime you'll find out about your past and your future but going into deep space, that isn't part of your life right now" he said, shaking his head.
"You know my future?" Clark checked, though he knew they were from a time ahead of his, he wondered how they should know his own future personally.
"We know a lot of people's futures" Rimmer explained from his position from the door at the top of the stairs, Cat and Kryten now already aboard and making preparations for take off.
"Can you tell me...?" the young Kent started.
"No" Lister interrupted "Don't ask, because you know we can't tell you anything"
"That causality thing, right?" Pete nodded, understanding why it might be dangerous to know your own future, and yet kind of wishing he could ask a few questions himself.
"But I will find out about my home one day?" Clark checked.
"Clark, mate, this is your home" Lister explained, putting a hand on the boys shoulder, "Earth is your home" he told him, "Just because its not where you come from, it's where you belong" he concluded, removing his hand and turning to board the green ship in front of them.
"Don't you belong here too?" Clark called after him.
"Nah" Lister shook his head as he reached the door of Starbug, "I belong back on the Dwarf" he smiled, "I've seen parts of my future, I wish I had time to tell you about it but I don't. See, I know my destiny is on that ship. It's my home now, it's where I belong" he shrugged.
Clark just nodded. Home wasn't necessarily where you were from, it was the place where you felt happy and like you belonged. His family and friends were here, he'd grown up on Earth, in Smallville, Kansas. Though he had a planet somewhere that he was borne of, this would always be home.
"Man, we're gonna miss you guys around here" Pete called only for Cat to poke his head around the door beside Lister and flash his fangs.
"Wish we could say the same, bud" he called down to the boy, "but if I don't get away from all this farm type dirt and take a shower soon, I'm gonna have to resign my post as best looking guy in the universe" he grinned, disappearing back inside the Bug, leaving Pete and Clark with amused expressions.
Rimmer it seemed had got him back inside and now came to chase up Lister.
"Come on, you goit, let's get out of here" he ranted, as Lister rolled his eyes, not at all bothered by the snapping of his so-called superior.
"You're gonna go far, kid. Believe me, I know" he told Clark, leaning over the rail at the top of the stairs, "See ya, smegheads" he grinned at the both of them then, before diapering into the ship.
"See ya round, Lister, my man" Pete waved after him.
The two boys were forced to step back then as the engines of the ship blew out flames and smoke as it took off and flew into the darkening sky.
"Bye" Clark called pointlessly as the ship became a green speck in the night sky.
"You think they'll ever come back?" his friend asked him, watching the same green dot as it disappeared.
"I don't know, Pete" Clark answered, not taking his eyes off of the sky "but I don't think I'll ever forget them"
"Me neither" the young Ross agreed, as he wandered out of the field.
Clark stayed a moment, just staring up at the blackness above him. Lister was right, wherever he had originally come from, it didn't matter. Earth was his home, now and always.
"Here we go!" Lister yelled as the Starbug headed for the timehole that had brought them here.
A bright flash of light and a bumpy ride brought them back to the space and time they had left just a day before, and yet their adventure to Earth in the twentieth century had seemed much longer.
"Relocating Red Dwarf's vapour trail" Kryten said, tapping on the console before him, "At present speed and course... goodness, sirs, it seems we are scarcely a day behind!" he said joyously.
"Right then, boys" Lister smiled as he gripped the controls, "Lets head for home"
The End