Bygones
It was quiet. The very early morning bustle of garbage and delivery
trucks couldn't be heard from the penthouse suite. The orangish
yellow rays of the sunrise that filtered through the cream colored
blinds of their bedroom threaded golden highlights in Chloe's hair.
Her breathing was deep and even and she wouldn't waken for at least
another hour. Lex smiled. Chloe wouldn't wake up easily either. To
say that she wasn't a morning person was a complete and utter
understatement. She used the snooze button like some people consumed
coffee in the morning - she usually postponed her caffeine intake until
later in the morning. Lex didn't mind that Chloe liked to sleep late
while he woke up early. He loved watching her sleep. She wasn't a
peaceful sleeper, which wasn't surprising given that she wasn't a
peaceful person. Her nose would twitch, her forehead would wrinkle in
a frown - as if her dreams posed tough questions she struggled to
answer - and she would murmur softly. Sometimes she would say his
name. This was one of his favorite times of the day. Every since Lex
had fallen in love with Chloe, he had found he had many favorite times
of the day and they were all when he was with her.
The alarm flipped on in the middle of a trippy ballad by The Tea Party
and instead of grumbling something rude and crawling over Lex to hit
the snooze button, Chloe's eyes snapped open. She smiled. "Good
morning. I like this song." She leaned over and kissed him. "Only
thirty-six hours until I am Chloe Sullivan Luthor and we'll be winging
our way to...." She wrinkled her cute little nose as if trying to
remember their destination. "Where was it we were going to wing to?"
Lex wasn't fooled at all. He graced his wife-to-be with a superior
smirk. "I'm not telling."
"Why not?" Chloe whined. She jutted out her lip in a pout for good
measure. She had tried one their usual verbal jousts, sneaky
investigative reporting techniques, and even seduction and none of them
had pried the information of where they would be honeymooning from her
sly fiancee. "It's stupid not to tell. How am I supposed to pack?"
"Why are we driving to Smallville today so you can spend the night at
your Dad's house? Tradition." Lex countered. He knew it was driving
her crazy that she didn't know something and none of the skills she
normally utilized had uncovered it for her. "And don't worry about
packing. I had Martha do that for you."
"Really." Chloe sat up in bed. Already he could tell that she was
mentally calculating her wardrobe, sure that she could figure out their
destination by what was missing from her closet.
Before Chloe could get out of bed, Lex put a restraining hand on her
shoulder. He shook his head. "Sorry, love, that won't work. I gave
Martha the money to buy you a new wardrobe for the honeymoon."
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You let Martha Kent, the woman who had been
a mother to me, pick out what I'm going to ward on my honeymoon with
the incorrigible Lex Luthor?"
"Well, I may have picked out a few items myself. And Martha has always
liked me."
"Yes, she has." Chloe smiled wistfully. "Do you think Clark will come
to the wedding?"
Despite her bowed head, Lex didn't miss the shine of tears in Chloe's
eyes. He didn't care if Clark took off to the ends of the earth
without so much as a 'good luck.' Their friendship was over and had
been for a long time, but Chloe cared. Lex knew that she wanted them
all to be friends again. She wanted Clark to be okay with their
marriage and the life she had chosen for herself. Lex tilted Chloe's
chin up so he could see her face and he brushed her hair behind her
ears. "He's your best friend. Clark will be there." And he would be,
Lex vowed to himself. There would be nothing about their wedding that
Chloe would look back on and regret or make her feel sad. If Lex had
anything to say about it, Chloe would feel nothing but happiness for
the rest of her life.
*****
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Clark sighed as
the cliche ran through his head. He was in the barn loft back at the
farm, but unlike his teenage years, he wasn't obsessing over Lana Lang.
He was thinking about Chloe and her wedding. She was actually going to
marry Lex Luthor the very next day.
"Clark." Lex's greeting pulled Clark from his morose mood. He stood
a few feet away, his hands casually in his pockets, as he had stood a
hundred times before. Clark turned back to the soft pink rays of the
setting sun without a verbal acknowledgment.
The war of silence lasted a few minutes before Clark finally
capitulated. He knew that Lex wouldn't say anything else. "Don't you
have any last minute preparations to do or a bachelor party to be at?"
"My father hosted a sedate gathering attended by our business
associates back in Metropolis - it was bachelor party enough - and I'm
here on a last minute preparation." An actual smile crossed Lex's
lips. It wasn't a face-splitting grin, but it was the sincerest
emotion Clark had ever seen him display. "I would like you to come to
the wedding, Clark."
"I find that hard to believe." Clark folded his arms on his chest and
tried to figure out Lex's game. What would he have to gain by forcing
him to watch his best friend make the biggest mistake of her life? The
smug satisfaction of knowing that every word of their vows would twist
in Clark's gut? Wasn't it enough that he had taken everything he cared
about?
"It would break Chloe's heart if you weren't there and I plan on doing
anything in my power to keep her heart in one piece from now on."
There was a lot of things Clark could have said to Lex about that, but
he didn't get the chance. Lex had said what he wanted to, so he turned
and left without further argument or encouragement.
*****
It had happened. It had actually happened. They had said their vows,
they had been announced as man and wife, the bride had been kissed, and
they had danced the first dance. Chloe was his wife. Lex sighed and
took a sip of champagne. Finally, he could let go of the tiny doubt
that had refused to vacate the back of his mind every since he had
kissed Chloe in the coffee shop. The one that told him that eventually
she would see him - really see him - and leave. The funny thing was,
she had seen him - he confessed all of his dirty deeds - and she
married him anyway. She loved him.
The reception was in full swing at Luthor Manor. Chloe was alternating
dances with her father, Jonathan, and his father while Lex had danced
a few with Martha and Lana. Lex didn't mind that they were separated
for now, he would have her to himself soon enough. He noticed Clark
standing in a corner, not joining in on the festivities. He had shown
up at the ceremony as well. He hadn't offered any congratulations, but
Chloe hadn't needed any. Her face had brightened even more - if it had
been possible - when she had seen him. Lex knew that she saw this as
the first step toward all of them rebuilding their friendship.
Seeing that his new wife was being kept occupied, Lex took the
opportunity to slip away to the study. He had a few last minute phone
calls to make regarding the honeymoon. He had leased a castle in
Ireland for a month and wanted to make sure that everything was ready
for their arrival. After that they would spend another month roaming
around Europe - Paris, Madrid, Venice - anywhere Chloe wanted to go.
"Lex?" Lana walked hesitantly into the study just as he was finishing
his call. She looked beautiful as always in her lemon yellow strapless
maid of honor gown, her dark hair swept up in a french twist. "Are you
busy?"
"Just making sure that everything is set for the honeymoon. You look
beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as Chloe." Lana smiled and walked further into the
room. "She's glowing, Lex, I don't think I've ever seen her look so
happy. Or you either."
"I've never been this happy before." Lex rubbed his hand over his
head. His lips stretched in a grin. He hadn't stopped smiling all
day. "I didn't think it was possible to be this happy."
"Then I'm glad you found it. Congratulations and don't ever let it
go." Lana twisted the wedding band that graced her ring finger on her
left hand. "No matter what, don't let it go."
"I won't." Lex reached out and took Lana's hand. "I'm sorry, Lana,
about what happened with you and me and Clark. I shouldn't have taken
advantage...."
"You did no such thing," Lana interrupted him. "Nell was the one who
took advantage. She knew you were upset with your father and I had
just gotten that letter from Whitney...I shouldn't have gone to the
Talon that night I should have went home even though Nell had asked me
to stay out while she had her date over."
"She did cover all of her bases. Why didn't you go to Clark?"
"I knew you weren't in love with me and I didn't love you. You
couldn't hurt me and I needed that so I went to the Talon and I kissed
you."
"But I was the one who let it go too far. It should have been just a
simple kiss and then I should have taken you home. If I had then
Clark wouldn't have walked in on us and you two would be living happily
ever after."
"Maybe, maybe not. And as I recall, I was the one who took my shirt
off and you were the one trying to put it back on me when Clark walked
into the Talon." Lana sighed, but then her face brightened as she
smiled. "All that is over and done with now. We can't change what
happened, so let's just forget it and be happy. I am very happy for
you Lex, and Chloe." Lana reached up and gave Lex a hug.
It was something that Lex was getting used to - the hugging and
closeness with other people - so he hugged her back. "Thanks, Lana,
and if you ever need...."
"I don't believe it," Clark interrupted Lex. He stood in the doorway
stunned by the sight before him. Once again he had walked in on Lex
with his hands all over Lana. At least this time they were both fully
clothed - probably in deference to Lex and Chloe's wedding day.
"Actually, I do."
"Clark." Lana pulled away from Lex. She frowned at Clark. "It was
just a hug. I was congratulating Lex for not being stupid and letting
go of his love, but why should I bother explaining this to you? You
never really listened to what I said."
"I did to. Sometimes all I ever did was listen to you." Clark
scowled. He knew Lana was married to some ex-football jock that used
to be a friend of Whitney's. Between Lex and the jocks, he had never
really stood a chance. And now they were going to crush Chloe's heart
too.
"Sure, you listened, but you only heard what conformed to your version
of the perfect Lana. Why do you think I couldn't go to you that night,
Clark? Because all you would have heard was that Whitney and I broke
up. You wouldn't have wanted to hear about how I actually cared about
him and how he had really hurt me. It's not your fault, we were in
highschool, but it wasn't really anybody's fault what happened between
Lex and I either. We were all young and stupid and I am sorry if I
hurt you, but you hurt me too. Can't we just let it go?"
"I always cared about how you felt, Lana. You were the one who always
ignored my feelings." Clark turned to glare at Lex. He couldn't look
at Lana anymore. "And now you're ignoring Chloe's. How do you think
this is would make Chloe feel?"
"How would what make me feel?" Chloe's voice chirped from behind
Clark. She pushed by him into the room. "What's going on?"
"Why don't you tell her, Clark?" Lex's cool gaze met Clark's stormy
one, the challenge obvious. He would hate Clark forever if he ruined
this day for Chloe with his jealous suspicions.
"Why don't you?" Clark countered. He wanted to hear the lies Lex told
Chloe. Maybe then he could find a way to combat them, some evidence
that they were lies.
"Well, somebody tell me!" Chloe's smile faltered as her gaze darted
from her husband to her best friend. She laughed nervously. "Lana,
you want to fill me in?"
"It's nothing, Chloe, just your usual alpha male problems." Lana moved
forward and linked her arm with Chloe's. "We should get back to the
party. It's almost time for you and Lex to leave on your honeymoon."
Unfortunately, Chloe was too smart to fall for Lana's distraction. Lex
really didn't expect her to. She was intent on repairing the past
friendship between he and Clark so she wouldn't let any new trouble
crop up and destroy her plan. This was all going to worked out
tonight, for better or worse. "This is about what happened in the
Talon graduation year between you and Lex, isn't it?"
"You know about that?" Clark's eyes widened in amazement. If Chloe
had known about Lex and Lana then how could she have fallen in love
with him? How could she be so calm about them being alone in the
study together? "I found them alone in here together."
"So? There is nothing going on between Lex and Lana now, Clark, just
like there wasn't anything going on between them then."
"Is that what Lex told you? I'm surprised he told you anything at
all."
"Lex tells me everything," Chloe said softly. A sadness Clark didn't
understand entered her eyes. "Look, Clark let's just put the past
behind us like Lana suggested. I love Lex and I love you, can't you
accept that?"
It would be nice if he could. Clark wanted nothing more than to let
the past rest and be friends with Chloe while tolerating Lex. That
would be great, but not possible. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I can't do it.
I don't trust him. I don't trust him not to hurt you." Clark blinked
back his tears and turned to leave. There was nothing he could do now.
He turned to look back at Chloe one last time. "I do love you, Chloe,
and I hope like hell that I'm wrong, but I know I'm not." He left,
trying to blot the look of blank shock on Chloe's face from his mind.
That's not how he wanted to remember her. It didn't take long for Lex
to catch up with him in the hall.
"Clark." Lex rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder. He wanted
to do so much more, but knew it wouldn't be possible to break every
bone in Kent's body. He smiled instead - the evil smirk he was famous
for in certain business circles. "I was serious about not letting
anything or anybody hurt Chloe. I hate it that you have the power to
do that to her, but I have power too. You will know pain, Clark Kent,
I promise you that. I will destroy you."
*****
The life of a married man agreed with Lex. He loved everything about
it. He especially loved his beautiful wife. He had been married to
Chloe for a little over a year and his love for her just kept growing
every day. He had thought that love like this only existed in
fairytales - the ones his father had little use for, but his mother had
read to him anyway.
"Hey there, Corporate Raider, aren't you supposed to be wheeling and
dealing instead of staring into space?" Chloe came up from behind Lex
and dropped herself into his lap. She stared out at the city view
offered by his office window that had so caught her husband's
attention. "If you keep this up, how ever are you going to provide the
bread you're supposed to winning?" She laid her hand absently on her
abdomen.
Lex covered her hand with his and kissed the top of Chloe's head.
"Don't worry, I acquired a failing software company that owns a patent
to an interesting program. It'll become a part of LexTech and should
provide more than enough bread." He shifted her to a more comfortable
position and smiled down at her. "What brings you by?"
"Lunch. And I want to talk to you about something." Chloe looked
down at their hands, which was a sure sign that she was reluctant to
bring up this 'something,' but it was important to her.
"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Lex swung the chair around to
find a large picnic basket on his desk. "Ah, staying in, are we?"
Chloe jumped off Lex's lap and moved around to the front of his desk.
"You're quick, no wonder I fell in love with you." She started
unpacking the basket, producing food she had obviously prepared
herself. Turkey and cheese sandwiches made with crusty Kaiser buns
and probably slathered with mayonnaise. He smiled when she brought out
four champagne glasses and two large bottles - one filled with milk
and the other orange juice.
"What did you want to talk about?" Lex asked curiously as he reached
out and snagged a nectarine from the basket. He waited patiently as
Chloe finished fussing with the food. When she walked back toward him,
Lex pulled her back down onto this lap.
"I want to tell Clark." Chloe looked up into Lex's eyes and in them he
saw that she was asking for his understanding. She wasn't asking for
permission. This was something she was going to do. "I miss him and
maybe this will help him see that we are a family and that you love me
and you're not going to hurt me."
"I hope so, for your sake." Lex squeezed Chloe's waist. "But I don't
want you getting upset. You have to promise me you'll leave if he
upsets you. Stress isn't good for the baby."
"Our baby is fine." Chloe patted her slightly distended abdomen.
"And I promise to leave if I start getting upset. I love you."
"I love you too." Lex brushed a strand of blonde hair behind Chloe's
ear. He slowly navigated his finger down her jawline and neck in a
tender caress before dipping his head down to meet her kiss. His
tongue flickered out to lick at the seam of her lips and she opened
them. Her fingers tickled at the base of his skull. The kiss
deepened. This was heaven and Lex never wanted to leave. The best
part was that with the birth of their baby, things were only going to
get better.
*****
Life had gotten busy again and that was the way Clark liked it. It
gave him little time to brood about the loss of his best friend. He
hadn't seen Lana, Lex, or Chloe since Lex and Chloe's wedding day,
although he had heard a lot about the married couple. It had made the
papers when they had returned from their honeymoon and then they were
forever chronicled at various social and business events. Chloe
Sullivan Luthor was a hit with the public and she had raised people's
perception of the Luthors considerably. Their first anniversary had
made the front page, mostly because no one had believed it would last
that long, but it had and it didn't look like it was going to end any
time soon.
On days like this, Clark regretted his decision to walk away from
Chloe as long as she was involved with Lex. He would give anything to
hear Chloe's voice. Sometimes he would catch himself picking up the
phone to call her to tell her all about the news in his life.
Sometimes he wished he had told her about his powers and where he was
from and about the people he had helped. Sometimes he needed her
advice. But he had let her go. Chloe didn't belong in his world
anymore, the pictures in the paper made that more than clear. She
belonged to Lex's world now.
"Clark!" the voice that was once so familiar and now was alien yelled
from across the street.
It was folly to turn around. Clark knew that he should just keep
walking and pretend he hadn't heard her. But what if she needed his
help? Clark turned around. Chloe grinned and waved at him. She
waited for the walk light to appear, even though this side street was
nearly devoid of traffic, before dashing across.
"Hi, Chloe." Clark adjusted the strap of his backpack slung over his
shoulder. He really should get rid of it, he was out of college now,
but it was comforting.
"Hi, Clark." Chloe shuffled her feet. "So, how is everything?
Martha, told me about your internship at the Daily Planet.
Congratulations."
"Thanks. How come you didn't apply?" Clark frowned. Chloe didn't
look devastated and the papers certainly hadn't reported anything
about trouble in the Luthor marriage. The rings still sparkled on her
finger.
"Well, I've been a bit busy lately and things are going to get busier
otherwise I would have." Chloe wrung her hands in excitement and
bounced on her toes. She looked like someone had offered her the
position of editor at the Planet. "Clark, I have news."
"Yeah, you have been making the news lately instead of tracking it
down." He hated to wipe that smile from Chloe's face, but he couldn't
pretend that nothing had changed between them. It would be too hard
to be her friend with Lex hovering in the background. "Look, Chloe, I
have to go or I'm going to be late. I have an orientation meeting."
"Okay. Can we meet later? I have something important to tell you."
"I'm sorry, Chloe, but I haven't changed my mind." Clark turned
around and walked away.
"But, Clark, please..." Chloe's call stopped him. "I just...I needed
to say...to tell you...I still love you. You're still my best friend
and I want to tell you all good things in my life. I'm sorry you don't
want to hear them because they involve Lex. If you ever do change your
mind, give me a call."
Clark closed his eyes tight and clenched his fists as he listened to
Chloe's footsteps walking away from him. A harsh screech and the sound
of the grating crunch of metal on metal snapped Clark's head up and
his eyes open. A dull thud met his ears as he spun around.
Too late. He was too late. Clark stood dumbfounded as Chloe landed
on the curb. Her head hit the concrete with a sickening crack as the
car that had hit her careened down the street until it hit the side of
a building. Clark couldn't move. For the first time his powers failed
him. No superspeed, no flight, he couldn't do anything.
The persistent blare of the car's horn finally broke through Clark's
stupor and sudden paralysis. He was at Chloe's side before he even
realized he had moved. Her eyes were open, but they were empty. She
was still breathing though - shallow, wheezing breaths - but it was
good enough for Clark. An ambulance would take too long and he really
didn't care about any questions that might be asked, so Clark picked
Chloe up and ran. He had never pushed his superspeed that fast before,
but he had to make it to the hospital in time. He had to save Chloe.
He had to. Oh, God, there was so much blood.
*****
It was quiet. The very early morning bustle of garbage and delivery
trucks couldn't be heard from the penthouse suite. The orangish
yellow rays of the sunrise that filtered through the cream colored
blinds of their bedroom threaded golden highlights in Chloe's hair.
Her breathing was deep and even and she wouldn't waken for at least
another hour. Lex smiled. Chloe wouldn't wake up easily either. To
say that she wasn't a morning person was a complete and utter
understatement. She used the snooze button like some people consumed
coffee in the morning - she usually postponed her caffeine intake until
later in the morning. Lex didn't mind that Chloe liked to sleep late
while he woke up early. He loved watching her sleep. She wasn't a
peaceful sleeper, which wasn't surprising given that she wasn't a
peaceful person. Her nose would twitch, her forehead would wrinkle in
a frown - as if her dreams posed tough questions she struggled to
answer - and she would murmur softly. Sometimes she would say his
name. This was one of his favorite times of the day. Every since Lex
had fallen in love with Chloe, he had found he had many favorite times
of the day and they were all when he was with her.
The alarm flipped on in the middle of a trippy ballad by The Tea Party
and instead of grumbling something rude and crawling over Lex to hit
the snooze button, Chloe's eyes snapped open. She smiled. "Good
morning. I like this song." She leaned over and kissed him. "Only
thirty-six hours until I am Chloe Sullivan Luthor and we'll be winging
our way to...." She wrinkled her cute little nose as if trying to
remember their destination. "Where was it we were going to wing to?"
Lex wasn't fooled at all. He graced his wife-to-be with a superior
smirk. "I'm not telling."
"Why not?" Chloe whined. She jutted out her lip in a pout for good
measure. She had tried one their usual verbal jousts, sneaky
investigative reporting techniques, and even seduction and none of them
had pried the information of where they would be honeymooning from her
sly fiancee. "It's stupid not to tell. How am I supposed to pack?"
"Why are we driving to Smallville today so you can spend the night at
your Dad's house? Tradition." Lex countered. He knew it was driving
her crazy that she didn't know something and none of the skills she
normally utilized had uncovered it for her. "And don't worry about
packing. I had Martha do that for you."
"Really." Chloe sat up in bed. Already he could tell that she was
mentally calculating her wardrobe, sure that she could figure out their
destination by what was missing from her closet.
Before Chloe could get out of bed, Lex put a restraining hand on her
shoulder. He shook his head. "Sorry, love, that won't work. I gave
Martha the money to buy you a new wardrobe for the honeymoon."
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You let Martha Kent, the woman who had been
a mother to me, pick out what I'm going to ward on my honeymoon with
the incorrigible Lex Luthor?"
"Well, I may have picked out a few items myself. And Martha has always
liked me."
"Yes, she has." Chloe smiled wistfully. "Do you think Clark will come
to the wedding?"
Despite her bowed head, Lex didn't miss the shine of tears in Chloe's
eyes. He didn't care if Clark took off to the ends of the earth
without so much as a 'good luck.' Their friendship was over and had
been for a long time, but Chloe cared. Lex knew that she wanted them
all to be friends again. She wanted Clark to be okay with their
marriage and the life she had chosen for herself. Lex tilted Chloe's
chin up so he could see her face and he brushed her hair behind her
ears. "He's your best friend. Clark will be there." And he would be,
Lex vowed to himself. There would be nothing about their wedding that
Chloe would look back on and regret or make her feel sad. If Lex had
anything to say about it, Chloe would feel nothing but happiness for
the rest of her life.
*****
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Clark sighed as
the cliche ran through his head. He was in the barn loft back at the
farm, but unlike his teenage years, he wasn't obsessing over Lana Lang.
He was thinking about Chloe and her wedding. She was actually going to
marry Lex Luthor the very next day.
"Clark." Lex's greeting pulled Clark from his morose mood. He stood
a few feet away, his hands casually in his pockets, as he had stood a
hundred times before. Clark turned back to the soft pink rays of the
setting sun without a verbal acknowledgment.
The war of silence lasted a few minutes before Clark finally
capitulated. He knew that Lex wouldn't say anything else. "Don't you
have any last minute preparations to do or a bachelor party to be at?"
"My father hosted a sedate gathering attended by our business
associates back in Metropolis - it was bachelor party enough - and I'm
here on a last minute preparation." An actual smile crossed Lex's
lips. It wasn't a face-splitting grin, but it was the sincerest
emotion Clark had ever seen him display. "I would like you to come to
the wedding, Clark."
"I find that hard to believe." Clark folded his arms on his chest and
tried to figure out Lex's game. What would he have to gain by forcing
him to watch his best friend make the biggest mistake of her life? The
smug satisfaction of knowing that every word of their vows would twist
in Clark's gut? Wasn't it enough that he had taken everything he cared
about?
"It would break Chloe's heart if you weren't there and I plan on doing
anything in my power to keep her heart in one piece from now on."
There was a lot of things Clark could have said to Lex about that, but
he didn't get the chance. Lex had said what he wanted to, so he turned
and left without further argument or encouragement.
*****
It had happened. It had actually happened. They had said their vows,
they had been announced as man and wife, the bride had been kissed, and
they had danced the first dance. Chloe was his wife. Lex sighed and
took a sip of champagne. Finally, he could let go of the tiny doubt
that had refused to vacate the back of his mind every since he had
kissed Chloe in the coffee shop. The one that told him that eventually
she would see him - really see him - and leave. The funny thing was,
she had seen him - he confessed all of his dirty deeds - and she
married him anyway. She loved him.
The reception was in full swing at Luthor Manor. Chloe was alternating
dances with her father, Jonathan, and his father while Lex had danced
a few with Martha and Lana. Lex didn't mind that they were separated
for now, he would have her to himself soon enough. He noticed Clark
standing in a corner, not joining in on the festivities. He had shown
up at the ceremony as well. He hadn't offered any congratulations, but
Chloe hadn't needed any. Her face had brightened even more - if it had
been possible - when she had seen him. Lex knew that she saw this as
the first step toward all of them rebuilding their friendship.
Seeing that his new wife was being kept occupied, Lex took the
opportunity to slip away to the study. He had a few last minute phone
calls to make regarding the honeymoon. He had leased a castle in
Ireland for a month and wanted to make sure that everything was ready
for their arrival. After that they would spend another month roaming
around Europe - Paris, Madrid, Venice - anywhere Chloe wanted to go.
"Lex?" Lana walked hesitantly into the study just as he was finishing
his call. She looked beautiful as always in her lemon yellow strapless
maid of honor gown, her dark hair swept up in a french twist. "Are you
busy?"
"Just making sure that everything is set for the honeymoon. You look
beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as Chloe." Lana smiled and walked further into the
room. "She's glowing, Lex, I don't think I've ever seen her look so
happy. Or you either."
"I've never been this happy before." Lex rubbed his hand over his
head. His lips stretched in a grin. He hadn't stopped smiling all
day. "I didn't think it was possible to be this happy."
"Then I'm glad you found it. Congratulations and don't ever let it
go." Lana twisted the wedding band that graced her ring finger on her
left hand. "No matter what, don't let it go."
"I won't." Lex reached out and took Lana's hand. "I'm sorry, Lana,
about what happened with you and me and Clark. I shouldn't have taken
advantage...."
"You did no such thing," Lana interrupted him. "Nell was the one who
took advantage. She knew you were upset with your father and I had
just gotten that letter from Whitney...I shouldn't have gone to the
Talon that night I should have went home even though Nell had asked me
to stay out while she had her date over."
"She did cover all of her bases. Why didn't you go to Clark?"
"I knew you weren't in love with me and I didn't love you. You
couldn't hurt me and I needed that so I went to the Talon and I kissed
you."
"But I was the one who let it go too far. It should have been just a
simple kiss and then I should have taken you home. If I had then
Clark wouldn't have walked in on us and you two would be living happily
ever after."
"Maybe, maybe not. And as I recall, I was the one who took my shirt
off and you were the one trying to put it back on me when Clark walked
into the Talon." Lana sighed, but then her face brightened as she
smiled. "All that is over and done with now. We can't change what
happened, so let's just forget it and be happy. I am very happy for
you Lex, and Chloe." Lana reached up and gave Lex a hug.
It was something that Lex was getting used to - the hugging and
closeness with other people - so he hugged her back. "Thanks, Lana,
and if you ever need...."
"I don't believe it," Clark interrupted Lex. He stood in the doorway
stunned by the sight before him. Once again he had walked in on Lex
with his hands all over Lana. At least this time they were both fully
clothed - probably in deference to Lex and Chloe's wedding day.
"Actually, I do."
"Clark." Lana pulled away from Lex. She frowned at Clark. "It was
just a hug. I was congratulating Lex for not being stupid and letting
go of his love, but why should I bother explaining this to you? You
never really listened to what I said."
"I did to. Sometimes all I ever did was listen to you." Clark
scowled. He knew Lana was married to some ex-football jock that used
to be a friend of Whitney's. Between Lex and the jocks, he had never
really stood a chance. And now they were going to crush Chloe's heart
too.
"Sure, you listened, but you only heard what conformed to your version
of the perfect Lana. Why do you think I couldn't go to you that night,
Clark? Because all you would have heard was that Whitney and I broke
up. You wouldn't have wanted to hear about how I actually cared about
him and how he had really hurt me. It's not your fault, we were in
highschool, but it wasn't really anybody's fault what happened between
Lex and I either. We were all young and stupid and I am sorry if I
hurt you, but you hurt me too. Can't we just let it go?"
"I always cared about how you felt, Lana. You were the one who always
ignored my feelings." Clark turned to glare at Lex. He couldn't look
at Lana anymore. "And now you're ignoring Chloe's. How do you think
this is would make Chloe feel?"
"How would what make me feel?" Chloe's voice chirped from behind
Clark. She pushed by him into the room. "What's going on?"
"Why don't you tell her, Clark?" Lex's cool gaze met Clark's stormy
one, the challenge obvious. He would hate Clark forever if he ruined
this day for Chloe with his jealous suspicions.
"Why don't you?" Clark countered. He wanted to hear the lies Lex told
Chloe. Maybe then he could find a way to combat them, some evidence
that they were lies.
"Well, somebody tell me!" Chloe's smile faltered as her gaze darted
from her husband to her best friend. She laughed nervously. "Lana,
you want to fill me in?"
"It's nothing, Chloe, just your usual alpha male problems." Lana moved
forward and linked her arm with Chloe's. "We should get back to the
party. It's almost time for you and Lex to leave on your honeymoon."
Unfortunately, Chloe was too smart to fall for Lana's distraction. Lex
really didn't expect her to. She was intent on repairing the past
friendship between he and Clark so she wouldn't let any new trouble
crop up and destroy her plan. This was all going to worked out
tonight, for better or worse. "This is about what happened in the
Talon graduation year between you and Lex, isn't it?"
"You know about that?" Clark's eyes widened in amazement. If Chloe
had known about Lex and Lana then how could she have fallen in love
with him? How could she be so calm about them being alone in the
study together? "I found them alone in here together."
"So? There is nothing going on between Lex and Lana now, Clark, just
like there wasn't anything going on between them then."
"Is that what Lex told you? I'm surprised he told you anything at
all."
"Lex tells me everything," Chloe said softly. A sadness Clark didn't
understand entered her eyes. "Look, Clark let's just put the past
behind us like Lana suggested. I love Lex and I love you, can't you
accept that?"
It would be nice if he could. Clark wanted nothing more than to let
the past rest and be friends with Chloe while tolerating Lex. That
would be great, but not possible. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I can't do it.
I don't trust him. I don't trust him not to hurt you." Clark blinked
back his tears and turned to leave. There was nothing he could do now.
He turned to look back at Chloe one last time. "I do love you, Chloe,
and I hope like hell that I'm wrong, but I know I'm not." He left,
trying to blot the look of blank shock on Chloe's face from his mind.
That's not how he wanted to remember her. It didn't take long for Lex
to catch up with him in the hall.
"Clark." Lex rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder. He wanted
to do so much more, but knew it wouldn't be possible to break every
bone in Kent's body. He smiled instead - the evil smirk he was famous
for in certain business circles. "I was serious about not letting
anything or anybody hurt Chloe. I hate it that you have the power to
do that to her, but I have power too. You will know pain, Clark Kent,
I promise you that. I will destroy you."
*****
The life of a married man agreed with Lex. He loved everything about
it. He especially loved his beautiful wife. He had been married to
Chloe for a little over a year and his love for her just kept growing
every day. He had thought that love like this only existed in
fairytales - the ones his father had little use for, but his mother had
read to him anyway.
"Hey there, Corporate Raider, aren't you supposed to be wheeling and
dealing instead of staring into space?" Chloe came up from behind Lex
and dropped herself into his lap. She stared out at the city view
offered by his office window that had so caught her husband's
attention. "If you keep this up, how ever are you going to provide the
bread you're supposed to winning?" She laid her hand absently on her
abdomen.
Lex covered her hand with his and kissed the top of Chloe's head.
"Don't worry, I acquired a failing software company that owns a patent
to an interesting program. It'll become a part of LexTech and should
provide more than enough bread." He shifted her to a more comfortable
position and smiled down at her. "What brings you by?"
"Lunch. And I want to talk to you about something." Chloe looked
down at their hands, which was a sure sign that she was reluctant to
bring up this 'something,' but it was important to her.
"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Lex swung the chair around to
find a large picnic basket on his desk. "Ah, staying in, are we?"
Chloe jumped off Lex's lap and moved around to the front of his desk.
"You're quick, no wonder I fell in love with you." She started
unpacking the basket, producing food she had obviously prepared
herself. Turkey and cheese sandwiches made with crusty Kaiser buns
and probably slathered with mayonnaise. He smiled when she brought out
four champagne glasses and two large bottles - one filled with milk
and the other orange juice.
"What did you want to talk about?" Lex asked curiously as he reached
out and snagged a nectarine from the basket. He waited patiently as
Chloe finished fussing with the food. When she walked back toward him,
Lex pulled her back down onto this lap.
"I want to tell Clark." Chloe looked up into Lex's eyes and in them he
saw that she was asking for his understanding. She wasn't asking for
permission. This was something she was going to do. "I miss him and
maybe this will help him see that we are a family and that you love me
and you're not going to hurt me."
"I hope so, for your sake." Lex squeezed Chloe's waist. "But I don't
want you getting upset. You have to promise me you'll leave if he
upsets you. Stress isn't good for the baby."
"Our baby is fine." Chloe patted her slightly distended abdomen.
"And I promise to leave if I start getting upset. I love you."
"I love you too." Lex brushed a strand of blonde hair behind Chloe's
ear. He slowly navigated his finger down her jawline and neck in a
tender caress before dipping his head down to meet her kiss. His
tongue flickered out to lick at the seam of her lips and she opened
them. Her fingers tickled at the base of his skull. The kiss
deepened. This was heaven and Lex never wanted to leave. The best
part was that with the birth of their baby, things were only going to
get better.
*****
Life had gotten busy again and that was the way Clark liked it. It
gave him little time to brood about the loss of his best friend. He
hadn't seen Lana, Lex, or Chloe since Lex and Chloe's wedding day,
although he had heard a lot about the married couple. It had made the
papers when they had returned from their honeymoon and then they were
forever chronicled at various social and business events. Chloe
Sullivan Luthor was a hit with the public and she had raised people's
perception of the Luthors considerably. Their first anniversary had
made the front page, mostly because no one had believed it would last
that long, but it had and it didn't look like it was going to end any
time soon.
On days like this, Clark regretted his decision to walk away from
Chloe as long as she was involved with Lex. He would give anything to
hear Chloe's voice. Sometimes he would catch himself picking up the
phone to call her to tell her all about the news in his life.
Sometimes he wished he had told her about his powers and where he was
from and about the people he had helped. Sometimes he needed her
advice. But he had let her go. Chloe didn't belong in his world
anymore, the pictures in the paper made that more than clear. She
belonged to Lex's world now.
"Clark!" the voice that was once so familiar and now was alien yelled
from across the street.
It was folly to turn around. Clark knew that he should just keep
walking and pretend he hadn't heard her. But what if she needed his
help? Clark turned around. Chloe grinned and waved at him. She
waited for the walk light to appear, even though this side street was
nearly devoid of traffic, before dashing across.
"Hi, Chloe." Clark adjusted the strap of his backpack slung over his
shoulder. He really should get rid of it, he was out of college now,
but it was comforting.
"Hi, Clark." Chloe shuffled her feet. "So, how is everything?
Martha, told me about your internship at the Daily Planet.
Congratulations."
"Thanks. How come you didn't apply?" Clark frowned. Chloe didn't
look devastated and the papers certainly hadn't reported anything
about trouble in the Luthor marriage. The rings still sparkled on her
finger.
"Well, I've been a bit busy lately and things are going to get busier
otherwise I would have." Chloe wrung her hands in excitement and
bounced on her toes. She looked like someone had offered her the
position of editor at the Planet. "Clark, I have news."
"Yeah, you have been making the news lately instead of tracking it
down." He hated to wipe that smile from Chloe's face, but he couldn't
pretend that nothing had changed between them. It would be too hard
to be her friend with Lex hovering in the background. "Look, Chloe, I
have to go or I'm going to be late. I have an orientation meeting."
"Okay. Can we meet later? I have something important to tell you."
"I'm sorry, Chloe, but I haven't changed my mind." Clark turned
around and walked away.
"But, Clark, please..." Chloe's call stopped him. "I just...I needed
to say...to tell you...I still love you. You're still my best friend
and I want to tell you all good things in my life. I'm sorry you don't
want to hear them because they involve Lex. If you ever do change your
mind, give me a call."
Clark closed his eyes tight and clenched his fists as he listened to
Chloe's footsteps walking away from him. A harsh screech and the sound
of the grating crunch of metal on metal snapped Clark's head up and
his eyes open. A dull thud met his ears as he spun around.
Too late. He was too late. Clark stood dumbfounded as Chloe landed
on the curb. Her head hit the concrete with a sickening crack as the
car that had hit her careened down the street until it hit the side of
a building. Clark couldn't move. For the first time his powers failed
him. No superspeed, no flight, he couldn't do anything.
The persistent blare of the car's horn finally broke through Clark's
stupor and sudden paralysis. He was at Chloe's side before he even
realized he had moved. Her eyes were open, but they were empty. She
was still breathing though - shallow, wheezing breaths - but it was
good enough for Clark. An ambulance would take too long and he really
didn't care about any questions that might be asked, so Clark picked
Chloe up and ran. He had never pushed his superspeed that fast before,
but he had to make it to the hospital in time. He had to save Chloe.
He had to. Oh, God, there was so much blood.
*****