Chapter 10
"I want a milkshake," Lauren demanded, pounding her small fists on the counter to emphasize her demand.
"I said no, Lauren," Lana repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. She took a wet rag and began to wipe down the Talon countertops.
"But I want one *now*!" Lauren repeated, her eyes lighting up like tiny flames.
Lana stood in front of Lauren and looked the girl in the eyes. "Aunt Lana said no," Lana said firmly. "I won't say it again. Next time you'll go to time out."
Lauren huffed, rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms in front of herself.
With a sigh Lana turned and began to wash out the coffeepot. She turned on the water and let it run until it got hot. She squirted soap into the coffeepot and stuck it under the water before grabbing a sponge and scrubbing it out. "Lauren, you may have a banana or a pear," Lana said, scrubbing the pot. "Lauren?" Lana asked when the girl didn't answer.
Lana set down the coffeepot, and picked up a towel to dry her hands. "Lauren?" she asked, turning to find the barstool now empty. "Lauren? Lauren!"
Lana walked around the counter, then around the coffee shop. She began to breathe heavily when she still didn't see Lauren. She put a shaking hand to her throat, looking around in disbelief.
"Mrs. Luthor, are you alright?" asked a boy who was sitting amongst a group of teens.
Lana turned, her eyes misting, "Have you seen Lauren?"
"The Kents' daughter?" asked a young girl.
Lana nodded silently.
"No, but we'll help you find her," the boy said, standing up. "Ashley, and Paul, let's go check outside. Jenna and Rick, go check the theater."
"Thank you," Lana said, jogging to the flower shop next door.
Nell was behind the counter arranging a bouquet of lilies.
"Nell, have you seen Lauren?" Lana asked, frantically looking around the small shop.
"No, isn't she with you?" Nell asked, looking at Lana in confusion.
Lana raked a hand through her hair and took a ragged breath. "She's gone. She's.gone."
Nell walked around the corner and put a hand on Lana's arm. "Lana, you have to calm down. Go back to the Talon. She's probably behind the counter sneaking a candy. I'll call Chloe and Clark," Nell said calmly. "It's okay. We'll find her."
Lana nodded, blinking back tears. When she walked outside someone called her name. She turned to find Ashley and Lauren walking hand-in-hand toward the Talon. Lana jogged to them and dropped to her knees. "Lauren, where were you?"
"She went to the Beanery," Ashley explained. "Convinced one of the waitresses to give her a free milkshake, too."
Lana roughly wiped a tear away and stood. "Thank you so much Ashley," she said, picking Lauren up.
"No problem, Mrs. Luthor," Ashley said with a smile, following Lana into the Talon.
Lana set Lauren on a barstool and went back around the counter. She took a few deep breaths, but couldn't calm herself. When Chloe and Clark walked in a few minutes later Lauren was sitting happily at the bar drinking a milkshake.
"Mommy!" Lauren said happily, throwing herself into Chloe's arms.
Chloe held Lauren, and looked at Lana. Lana was sitting behind the bar. She was still breathing hard and crying.
"Lan, what happened?" Chloe asked.
Lana looked up slowly as if she was afraid Chloe would strike her. "I- I wouldn't give her a milkshake. I only turned around for a second and she was gone. Ashley found her at the Beanery, trying to get a milkshake from a waitress."
"Lauren? Did you walk away by yourself to get a milkshake after Aunt Lana told you not to?" Chloe asked, as Clark went around the bar to try and calm Lana.
"Yes, Mommy," Lauren said guiltily.
"We are going to have a very serious talk tonight, young lady," Chloe told her daughter.
"Am I in trouble?" Lauren asked, ducking her head.
"Yes," Chloe and Clark answered at the same time.
"Lana, it's okay. She's here now," Chloe said when Lana raked a hand through her hair again.
"I only looked away for a second. I yelled at her. I didn't mean to," Lana said, a fresh wave of tears falling.
Chloe set Lauren on a barstool and walked to a corner of the Talon, pulling out her cell phone. "Lex, it's Chloe. Can you come to the Talon? Lauren walked off by herself. No, she's fine, but Lana's not. I'm not sure, she's really upset. Alright, see you in a minute," Chloe said, hanging up the phone, and walking back to Lana and Clark.
Chloe could hear the squeal of Lex's tires as he sped into a parking slot in front of the Talon a few minutes later. He strode in, his eyes searching out his wife.
Lana stood and walked around the counter. She wrapped her arms around Lex's shoulders and buried her face in his neck.
"Shh," Lex crooned, smoothing her hair. "It's alright. I'm here. Lauren's okay, you're okay."
Lana and Lex stood that way for over a minute before Lex led them to a secluded couch in a corner of the Talon. The couple sat and Lex took both of Lana's hands in his own.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked, brushing Lana's cheek affectionately.
"I lost Lauren. I lost her. I turned around and she was gone. I didn't know what to do," Lana said, her eyes misting again.
"She's here now, Lan. She's okay," Lex assured her, rubbing her hands with his.
"I know, but she wasn't. For that short period of time I didn't know where she was, or what had happened to her. A million thoughts ran through my head. What if she had been kidnapped? What if she had fallen into one of the gutters? What if she had run into the street and been hit by a car?" Lana said, tears falling again.
Lex wiped the tears from her cheeks. "But she wasn't. She was at the Beanery getting a milkshake."
"But I didn't know that. I yelled at her, Lex. All she wanted was a milkshake. If I had just given it to her, she wouldn't have left," Lana said, her eyes searching Lex's.
"If you had given in she would have walked all over you, Lan," Lex told her.
Lana began to cry again. "What kind of mother will I be if I can't even watch a five- year-old. Why should I be trusted with an infant?" Lana asked.
"That's what this is about?" Lex asked, squeezing Lana's hands gently. "Lana, this doesn't mean you'll be a bad mother. Sometimes things happen. Things you can't control."
"Why can't I control it? Lex, today I lost a little girl. I didn't lose my keys, or my watch. I lost a person," Lana said, her eyes searching Lex's.
Lex smiled. "You've lost a person before. Harry wasn't a child, but still."
Lana had to laugh. "Lex, I'm serious."
"I know you are," he said, pulling Lana to him. "You're going to be a great mother, Lana. You'll have so much love for our child. You'll be perfect."
Lana sighed against Lex. "I love you, Lex."
Lex kissed Lana's shoulder. "I love you, too."
"I want a milkshake," Lauren demanded, pounding her small fists on the counter to emphasize her demand.
"I said no, Lauren," Lana repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. She took a wet rag and began to wipe down the Talon countertops.
"But I want one *now*!" Lauren repeated, her eyes lighting up like tiny flames.
Lana stood in front of Lauren and looked the girl in the eyes. "Aunt Lana said no," Lana said firmly. "I won't say it again. Next time you'll go to time out."
Lauren huffed, rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms in front of herself.
With a sigh Lana turned and began to wash out the coffeepot. She turned on the water and let it run until it got hot. She squirted soap into the coffeepot and stuck it under the water before grabbing a sponge and scrubbing it out. "Lauren, you may have a banana or a pear," Lana said, scrubbing the pot. "Lauren?" Lana asked when the girl didn't answer.
Lana set down the coffeepot, and picked up a towel to dry her hands. "Lauren?" she asked, turning to find the barstool now empty. "Lauren? Lauren!"
Lana walked around the counter, then around the coffee shop. She began to breathe heavily when she still didn't see Lauren. She put a shaking hand to her throat, looking around in disbelief.
"Mrs. Luthor, are you alright?" asked a boy who was sitting amongst a group of teens.
Lana turned, her eyes misting, "Have you seen Lauren?"
"The Kents' daughter?" asked a young girl.
Lana nodded silently.
"No, but we'll help you find her," the boy said, standing up. "Ashley, and Paul, let's go check outside. Jenna and Rick, go check the theater."
"Thank you," Lana said, jogging to the flower shop next door.
Nell was behind the counter arranging a bouquet of lilies.
"Nell, have you seen Lauren?" Lana asked, frantically looking around the small shop.
"No, isn't she with you?" Nell asked, looking at Lana in confusion.
Lana raked a hand through her hair and took a ragged breath. "She's gone. She's.gone."
Nell walked around the corner and put a hand on Lana's arm. "Lana, you have to calm down. Go back to the Talon. She's probably behind the counter sneaking a candy. I'll call Chloe and Clark," Nell said calmly. "It's okay. We'll find her."
Lana nodded, blinking back tears. When she walked outside someone called her name. She turned to find Ashley and Lauren walking hand-in-hand toward the Talon. Lana jogged to them and dropped to her knees. "Lauren, where were you?"
"She went to the Beanery," Ashley explained. "Convinced one of the waitresses to give her a free milkshake, too."
Lana roughly wiped a tear away and stood. "Thank you so much Ashley," she said, picking Lauren up.
"No problem, Mrs. Luthor," Ashley said with a smile, following Lana into the Talon.
Lana set Lauren on a barstool and went back around the counter. She took a few deep breaths, but couldn't calm herself. When Chloe and Clark walked in a few minutes later Lauren was sitting happily at the bar drinking a milkshake.
"Mommy!" Lauren said happily, throwing herself into Chloe's arms.
Chloe held Lauren, and looked at Lana. Lana was sitting behind the bar. She was still breathing hard and crying.
"Lan, what happened?" Chloe asked.
Lana looked up slowly as if she was afraid Chloe would strike her. "I- I wouldn't give her a milkshake. I only turned around for a second and she was gone. Ashley found her at the Beanery, trying to get a milkshake from a waitress."
"Lauren? Did you walk away by yourself to get a milkshake after Aunt Lana told you not to?" Chloe asked, as Clark went around the bar to try and calm Lana.
"Yes, Mommy," Lauren said guiltily.
"We are going to have a very serious talk tonight, young lady," Chloe told her daughter.
"Am I in trouble?" Lauren asked, ducking her head.
"Yes," Chloe and Clark answered at the same time.
"Lana, it's okay. She's here now," Chloe said when Lana raked a hand through her hair again.
"I only looked away for a second. I yelled at her. I didn't mean to," Lana said, a fresh wave of tears falling.
Chloe set Lauren on a barstool and walked to a corner of the Talon, pulling out her cell phone. "Lex, it's Chloe. Can you come to the Talon? Lauren walked off by herself. No, she's fine, but Lana's not. I'm not sure, she's really upset. Alright, see you in a minute," Chloe said, hanging up the phone, and walking back to Lana and Clark.
Chloe could hear the squeal of Lex's tires as he sped into a parking slot in front of the Talon a few minutes later. He strode in, his eyes searching out his wife.
Lana stood and walked around the counter. She wrapped her arms around Lex's shoulders and buried her face in his neck.
"Shh," Lex crooned, smoothing her hair. "It's alright. I'm here. Lauren's okay, you're okay."
Lana and Lex stood that way for over a minute before Lex led them to a secluded couch in a corner of the Talon. The couple sat and Lex took both of Lana's hands in his own.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked, brushing Lana's cheek affectionately.
"I lost Lauren. I lost her. I turned around and she was gone. I didn't know what to do," Lana said, her eyes misting again.
"She's here now, Lan. She's okay," Lex assured her, rubbing her hands with his.
"I know, but she wasn't. For that short period of time I didn't know where she was, or what had happened to her. A million thoughts ran through my head. What if she had been kidnapped? What if she had fallen into one of the gutters? What if she had run into the street and been hit by a car?" Lana said, tears falling again.
Lex wiped the tears from her cheeks. "But she wasn't. She was at the Beanery getting a milkshake."
"But I didn't know that. I yelled at her, Lex. All she wanted was a milkshake. If I had just given it to her, she wouldn't have left," Lana said, her eyes searching Lex's.
"If you had given in she would have walked all over you, Lan," Lex told her.
Lana began to cry again. "What kind of mother will I be if I can't even watch a five- year-old. Why should I be trusted with an infant?" Lana asked.
"That's what this is about?" Lex asked, squeezing Lana's hands gently. "Lana, this doesn't mean you'll be a bad mother. Sometimes things happen. Things you can't control."
"Why can't I control it? Lex, today I lost a little girl. I didn't lose my keys, or my watch. I lost a person," Lana said, her eyes searching Lex's.
Lex smiled. "You've lost a person before. Harry wasn't a child, but still."
Lana had to laugh. "Lex, I'm serious."
"I know you are," he said, pulling Lana to him. "You're going to be a great mother, Lana. You'll have so much love for our child. You'll be perfect."
Lana sighed against Lex. "I love you, Lex."
Lex kissed Lana's shoulder. "I love you, too."