Chapter 27- Not Our Business
"Lex, you of all people should know that I don't like fishing around in other people's business," Pete told him.
"We know that, Pete. We're not asking you to get in his business," Lana answered for Lex. The three were sitting in Lex's sitting room.
"Yes. You are. You're asking me to talk to him. What you think I can say is beyond me," Pete replied.
"I'm asking us both to talk to him, and I'm asking for Lana to talk to Chloe. We have got to do something about this, because God knows Clark and Chloe won't," Lex pointed out.
"Remember last time we ran interference? Remember what happened?" Pete asked hotly.
Lex sighed. "Yes, Pete. I remember. It won't be that way this time," Lex said, tired of trying to convince Pete to go along.
"It won't be that way, because we are going to let them handle it," Pete replied, standing firm in his decision.
"Pete, they can't handle it or they would have by now," Lana said in desperation.
"You're right. They can't fix it, so what the hell kind of a chance do you think we'd have?" Pete asked. "Maybe it can't be fixed. Maybe Clark did so much damage in high school that he has no chance of getting back the most precious thing in his life!"
"Don't say that!" Lex boomed, resisting the urge to stand up and tower over Pete.
Pete sat up, and leaned toward Lex. "Why? Because you're afraid that it's true? Yes, Chloe forgave Clark. Good for her! She still doesn't love him. You can't force her to love him!"
Lana put her hand on Pete's arm to stop him. "We're not trying to force her," she said calmly. "We just want to make sure that they each know what is going on with the other."
"I will not tell Clark about Chloe. That is for her to tell. By telling him I am betraying her confidence and that is something that I refuse to do," Pete told Lana.
"You're not betraying her confidence," Lex insisted.
"Lex, listen! You want me to tell Clark what Chloe has told me. What Chloe told me as my best friend. What Chloe told me in confidence. I refuse to do that. You go right ahead and tell her everything. But when it blows up it will be in your faces," Pete said angrily.
"Pete, calm down," Lex urged.
Pete took a deep breath. "Chloe will find out that we told Clark. Chloe will then proceed to go from angry to irate in a matter of seconds. When she looks for someone to blame she'll pick the people who told her secrets. That being me, and Lana. Therefore, once again 'turning her best friend against her.'"
Lana seemed to think for a minute. "Lex, he's right."
Lex let out a breath in a huff. "I'll explain it again. Pete, you and I go talk to Clark. We tell him the main idea. Whatever that may be if I could convince you or Lana to tell me! Meanwhile, Lana is talking to Chloe. Telling her the main idea."
"Lex, I know I'm upsetting you. I wish it could be some other way. Chloe knows how Clark feels. She knows Clark is desperately in love with her, and wants her more than he wants life itself. She knows this because we keep pushing it, and because it's the way she felt three years ago. Clark doesn't exactly know how Chloe feels. He knows how she used to feel, because that's what he feels like right now. Telling Chloe, whether it is from Lana or us, would just cause her to become more agitated. When she gets agitated, Lex, she moves away from Clark, not closer to him," Pete explained.
"But she's so far from him right now," Lana complained.
"That's where you're wrong. Chloe is closer to Clark than ever. She forgave him. Neither of you can understand the magnitude of what that means. This is amazing that she's reached this point. I am so extremely proud of her. It took a whole lot for her to put the past behind her, but she finally has. Do you two realize what this means?" Pete asked.
"That it will be a hell of a long time for her to fall back in love with him," Lex said softly.
"I hear you, Lex," Lana agreed.
"You two are impossible. For some reason you just can't see how far she's come," Pete insisted.
"I just want her to be where she was before," Lex replied.
Pete took his opportunity. "I'll tell you what I told her. Where she was was a scared, hurt, unloved girl who had no one to turn to. She was miserable, sick, depressed. For her to go back to the way she was before she left would mean for her to go back to being that shell of a person."
Lana looked shocked.
"That's what you're asking of her every time you press her to start where she left off," Pete explained.
"I think we were wrong," Lana said in horror.
"Now you know what I mean," Pete pointed out.
"We still can't give up," Lex urged.
Pete put his hands up in surrender. "You go ahead and talk to them, but be warned. If they come to me I'm going to tell them exactly whose idea it was, and who told what."
"Then let's hope they don't go to you," Lex said, defiance in his eyes.
"Yes, let's hope they don't," Pete said, matching Lex's stare.
"Lex, you of all people should know that I don't like fishing around in other people's business," Pete told him.
"We know that, Pete. We're not asking you to get in his business," Lana answered for Lex. The three were sitting in Lex's sitting room.
"Yes. You are. You're asking me to talk to him. What you think I can say is beyond me," Pete replied.
"I'm asking us both to talk to him, and I'm asking for Lana to talk to Chloe. We have got to do something about this, because God knows Clark and Chloe won't," Lex pointed out.
"Remember last time we ran interference? Remember what happened?" Pete asked hotly.
Lex sighed. "Yes, Pete. I remember. It won't be that way this time," Lex said, tired of trying to convince Pete to go along.
"It won't be that way, because we are going to let them handle it," Pete replied, standing firm in his decision.
"Pete, they can't handle it or they would have by now," Lana said in desperation.
"You're right. They can't fix it, so what the hell kind of a chance do you think we'd have?" Pete asked. "Maybe it can't be fixed. Maybe Clark did so much damage in high school that he has no chance of getting back the most precious thing in his life!"
"Don't say that!" Lex boomed, resisting the urge to stand up and tower over Pete.
Pete sat up, and leaned toward Lex. "Why? Because you're afraid that it's true? Yes, Chloe forgave Clark. Good for her! She still doesn't love him. You can't force her to love him!"
Lana put her hand on Pete's arm to stop him. "We're not trying to force her," she said calmly. "We just want to make sure that they each know what is going on with the other."
"I will not tell Clark about Chloe. That is for her to tell. By telling him I am betraying her confidence and that is something that I refuse to do," Pete told Lana.
"You're not betraying her confidence," Lex insisted.
"Lex, listen! You want me to tell Clark what Chloe has told me. What Chloe told me as my best friend. What Chloe told me in confidence. I refuse to do that. You go right ahead and tell her everything. But when it blows up it will be in your faces," Pete said angrily.
"Pete, calm down," Lex urged.
Pete took a deep breath. "Chloe will find out that we told Clark. Chloe will then proceed to go from angry to irate in a matter of seconds. When she looks for someone to blame she'll pick the people who told her secrets. That being me, and Lana. Therefore, once again 'turning her best friend against her.'"
Lana seemed to think for a minute. "Lex, he's right."
Lex let out a breath in a huff. "I'll explain it again. Pete, you and I go talk to Clark. We tell him the main idea. Whatever that may be if I could convince you or Lana to tell me! Meanwhile, Lana is talking to Chloe. Telling her the main idea."
"Lex, I know I'm upsetting you. I wish it could be some other way. Chloe knows how Clark feels. She knows Clark is desperately in love with her, and wants her more than he wants life itself. She knows this because we keep pushing it, and because it's the way she felt three years ago. Clark doesn't exactly know how Chloe feels. He knows how she used to feel, because that's what he feels like right now. Telling Chloe, whether it is from Lana or us, would just cause her to become more agitated. When she gets agitated, Lex, she moves away from Clark, not closer to him," Pete explained.
"But she's so far from him right now," Lana complained.
"That's where you're wrong. Chloe is closer to Clark than ever. She forgave him. Neither of you can understand the magnitude of what that means. This is amazing that she's reached this point. I am so extremely proud of her. It took a whole lot for her to put the past behind her, but she finally has. Do you two realize what this means?" Pete asked.
"That it will be a hell of a long time for her to fall back in love with him," Lex said softly.
"I hear you, Lex," Lana agreed.
"You two are impossible. For some reason you just can't see how far she's come," Pete insisted.
"I just want her to be where she was before," Lex replied.
Pete took his opportunity. "I'll tell you what I told her. Where she was was a scared, hurt, unloved girl who had no one to turn to. She was miserable, sick, depressed. For her to go back to the way she was before she left would mean for her to go back to being that shell of a person."
Lana looked shocked.
"That's what you're asking of her every time you press her to start where she left off," Pete explained.
"I think we were wrong," Lana said in horror.
"Now you know what I mean," Pete pointed out.
"We still can't give up," Lex urged.
Pete put his hands up in surrender. "You go ahead and talk to them, but be warned. If they come to me I'm going to tell them exactly whose idea it was, and who told what."
"Then let's hope they don't go to you," Lex said, defiance in his eyes.
"Yes, let's hope they don't," Pete said, matching Lex's stare.