Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville;(
Angels or Devils
Chapter 11: Finale
ILana,
I once had a dream that I lost you. I kept seeing myself in a white room. There were no doors. I was trapped, plagued with feelings of utter loneliness and a pained heart. Calling for you, and not able to hear you. My body ached inside, the emotions just ripping my soul apart. I woke up and found you by my side... asleep. I looked at you. Without words, without mere expressions, I heard you. You gave me strength, quieted my fears... unveiled my escape. We have this secret language, we need not be awake for. That's our connection, the immortal bond between us that brought me back to you.
I'm left now with useless words, when all I want is to hold you, see you, hear you. I don't want to lose our connection... I want to retrieve it... so I can bring you back to me.
Lex/I
~*~*~
Spread out, legs dangling over the side of the king-sized bed, laid a hung-over and sleeping Lana. She still wore yesterday's corporate suit, now wrinkled and untidily clinging onto her. It was very much unlike the controlled, business Lana to allow herself to overindulge in alcohol, yet all the new revelations of the past days had been too much to embrace. She needed a release, time to step aside from all the begging emotions and the confusion of her love life. So, she grabbed two bottles of Dom Perignon and without much inhibition, welcomed the sultry warmth of the wine to invade her body. As the hours trickled away, Lana found herself slurring words and remembering nothing except his face. No matter how much she wasted away the thousand dollar wine, Lex was always at the forefront of her mind, memories, and thoughts. Only the deep slumber kept her away from the madness.
Until now...
The insolent, piercing and never-ceasing ringing of her phone suddenly managed to stir the drunken-stupor of her consciousness. Lana struggled to open an eye as the sun blatantly blinded her; nevertheless, she mustered enough strength to flip over and open both eyes as she stared into her ceiling, trying to regain all her mental faculties. The ringing continued to sound off, urging her to make a move even though she still hadn't deciphered the noise.
"Ah, my head," Lana complained out loud as she clumsily lifted herself up into an awkward sitting position. "Stop the ringing!" Holding her temples, she frowned upon the relentless noise. At last, it motivated her to look for the phone. Falling to the floor, she crawled to the cordless telephone lying upside on the ground.
Tactlessly, she pressed several buttons to pick up the call. "Hello... hello, who is this," she inquired angrily, yet still oddly dumb-founded.
"Lana, this is C.Z.," announced her partner on the other end. "God, you sound bloody awful! What's wrong?"
Rolling her eyes, the hung-over ice queen sighed, "Nothing... I just had a little too much to drink yesterday," she answered. "Anyway, why are you calling me so early in the morning?"
"Lana, it's 3 in the afternoon," C.Z. chuckled in amusement. "Nonetheless, my dear, I presume your liberating, alcoholic feast must have been in anticipation of our win."
Furrowing her eyebrows, Lana was having a hard time following the English designer especially after hearing she had slept into the afternoon. "What are you talking about, C.Z.," she asked as she massaged her right temple, attempting to soothe away the pounding headache.
"Darlin', hadn't you heard? We got the Blythe account," she revealed enthusiastically.
"Our bid beat out Lex's?" Lana questioned, surprised by their victory. She had somewhat expected in her arrogant moments, but the reality of it was truly unexpected.
"Apparently so," she answered, reveling in their new accomplishment. "Although I can careless, Blythe did say something that seemed a bit peculiar. He remarked something about there being no real competition in the end. My guess is that our bid must've been quite outlandish or-"
It was quite an unusual statement. Blythe would never divulge such information without there being some reason, and obviously C.Z. had no clue as to what it was. Something just didn't seem right. "Alright," Lana interrupted the British's reasoning. "We won, that's all that matters. I have to get cleaned up now... I'll talk to you later, C.Z."
Not waiting to hear her anything in return from her partner, she quickly ended the call and made a new one. "May I please speak to Mr. Blythe," she asked the receptionist at the other end of the line. "Tell him it's Ms. Lang, thank you."
Seconds later, the call was transferred to the English mogul. "Ah, hello, Ms. Lang... and may I say congratulations on your new property," he greeted.
"Thank you, sir," Lana replied, attempting to sound sober and cool.
Clearing his throat, he kindly questioned, "Is there anything I can do for you, Ms. Lang?"
"Actually, sir, there is," she swallowed nervously. "Earlier you spoke to C.Z. and said to her that there was 'no real competition in the end.'"
"Yes, I might've mentioned that," Mr. Blythe concurred as he smiled to himself, inwardly amused at the love-struck businesswoman.
"If I may ask, sir, what did you mean by that," Lana inquired, hoping for some clarification.
"Though I am not at liberty to say," he began. "I will trust you keep it to yourself... you see, Ms. Lang, the reason there was no competition is due to Lex's decision to withdraw his bid. He came in yesterday and determinedly withdrew his bid, believing you were more deserving of the property and not LuthorCorp."
Chills ran through her skin as she felt her chest constrict, she suddenly found it hard to breathe. "I see, Mr. Blythe," she managed to say, struggling to remain composed.
"Nonetheless, it is a grand victory," Mr. Blythe announced. "Congratulations again... seems like you got yourself a winner– that is, perhaps there are two. Well, I wish you well, Ms. Lang, and we'll speak again to finalize the deal."
Hanging up the phone, Lana slowly stood up, feeling the dizziness of Dom Perignon's effects. She breathed in and out to calm her thoughts and emotions. As she stumbled over to the bathroom, she stepped over a disheveled paper. It was Lex's letter. Picking it up, she remembered why she had decided to drink the night before. The feelings from obscurity had risen, enveloping and urging her body to remember when her heart wasn't a protected fortress... when she knew what love felt like. Still, there was fear, haunting every fiber of her emotions.
Yet, why fear when he had proven to be everything she wanted in him? He had kept his promise without even consenting to it.
"Forget fear, Lana."
Her own words became a fortitude of drive. Hurriedly, she got in the shower, allowing the water to resurrect the strength of the old Lana and leave the ice queen to drain into oblivion. The start of new day may have begun in the afternoon, nevertheless it was beginning with a refreshing glimpse of hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After walking the streets of Paris for hours, Lex finally arrived at the hotel. He was exhausted, drained from the insomnia of the night before. Constant thoughts of Lana and memories of yesteryears plagued him, he found himself continuously awakened by them. He knew he had to get out of Paris before he ended in another sleepless night.
Walking into his room, Lex was met by an unexpect visitor. It was none other than his father who undoubtedly must've heard of the lost of the Blythe contract. "Lex, where have you been," the elder Luthor questioned authoritatively. "I've been waiting for you for hours now."
"I've been out," he answered, short and simple.
"Well, tell me, Lex... did you have fun parading the streets of Paris while your former teenage girlfriend stole the Blythe account from right under your nose?" Lionel Luthor was clearly livid, having all his expectations and efforts blown to pieces.
Sighing in annoyance of his father, Lex at last decided to vent. Smiling devilishly, he wet his lips as he usually did before his witty remarks confounded his victim. "Actually yes... I did have fun parading the Parisian streets, reveling in your lost and my triumph," he divulged as his father frowned in perplexity and anger. "Oh, I'm sorry, you didn't know... I expected you would find out sooner, I guess I should have allowed two years to elapse."
"Lex, do not play games with me," Lionel warned.
"Trust me, father, I don't play games," he retorted with equal vexation. "I withdrew the bid. I told Mr. Blythe we were no longer interested in his land." The older Luthor stared in maddening astonishment, repulsed by his son's actions. While Lex looked on pleased, "I figured that was enough compensation for your manipulation of Lana."
His jaw was clenched in rage as he reprimanded, "It seems like I have taught you nothing, Lex."
"On the contrary, father, you've taught more than you'll ever know– that of being just as artful in scheming. Perhaps now, you'll think twice before attempting to control my life," he contended, walking towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch." Leaving him without a second to debate, Lex exited the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minutes later...
Rushing through the crowd of people in the lobby of the Regal Hotel, Lana ran to a closing elevator. She managed to squeeze in before it left, anxiously pressing the button to the top floor where she knew Lex was staying. When the elevator finally arrived at her destination, she hurried to his room number, knocking quickly and incessantly.
To her surprise, she did not find the Luthor she was hoping for. "Mr. Luthor," she frowned. "Where's Lex?"
"Ah, well, if it isn't the new owner of the Blythe property, Ms. Lana Lang... I suppose congratulations are in order," he snidely greeted. "I am no sore loser, so I will congratulate you for using your feminine wiles in acquiring what you wanted. Quite tactful, if I may say so."
Rolling her eyes at his ill remark, she tried to ignore him as she glanced around to see if there was any signs of Lex. Clearly there weren't any, she had to find out where he was. "I'd thank you if I didn't hear the obvious hint of jealousy in your voice. Quite flattering, if I may say so."
Rudely knocked into business mode, he gazed at her with despise. "Ms. Lang, I'll put it to you plainly... stay away from Lex," he threatened sternly. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Nor, does he deserve a conniving mistress like yourself."
"Conniving? Did you forget who sent his henchman to spy on my business transactions," she questioned, growing impatient with the malicious tycoon. "Mr. Luthor, I suggest you invest your time elsewhere and stop concerning yourself in my life and Lex's. We are all adults after all."
Simpering in his arrogance, he gently wiped a strand of hair out of her face as she pulled away swiftly. Arching his eyebrow in amusement, "Ms. Lang if you're as smart as you think you are, you'll stay away from Lex. He will never love you as you'd want him to... rather, you will become his trophy."
"I think you have him confused for yourself, sir. I know he would never do as you did to your wife... the one trophy you lost." The words surrounded Lionel, leaving him speechless as Lana immediately left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the airport...
The sky was clear, a few clouds painting the scene as the sun gradually drowned itself from sight. Lex looked on, his thoughts dwelling on the woman who he would probably never hold in his arms again. It was useless, really. Everything he had done he knew was not in vain, yet the emptiness that set in was relentlessly powerful. Without her, he felt hollow, detached with everything around him. Lex knew this feeling had to end, he had to escape. There was no reason anymore why to continue loving someone who had moved on... with good reason too... she knew the hurt he was capable of.
Time had come for him to move on as well.
He walked towards the gate, refusing to look back. Entering the plane, the flight attendant showed him to his seat. There was no one next to him... no one in the entire the plane for that matter. It was the company plane which he had chartered for the whole week. Lex liked it that way. There was no one to bother him, not a soul to interrupt his contemplation.
Perhaps he spoke too soon. "Mr. Luthor, a call has been made to detain departure for a few minutes. They spoke to ground control, but the reception was unstable. All they heard was to stop the plane," explained the flight attendant. "It might have been a business associate."
"Highly doubtful," he answered, annoyed by the delay. "I don't see why we are not moving along when an unreliable and unknown call has been made. If there isn't anything wrong with the plane, there is no reason why to detain from taking off. Just tell the pilot to go."
Nerved by the tone of his voice, the attendant quickly turned around and relayed the message to the pilot.
As the plane began moving along the runway, Lana ran towards the gate Lex had just stepped off. She was met by an official, stopping her from going further. "Please, I need to speak to Lex Luthor," she struggled to move ahead.
"Madam, his plane is taking off as we speak," the official revealed.
"But, I called to stop the plane," Lana stepped away from him, not wanting to realize that Lex might actually be gone.
The official simply signaled towards the window. She directed her gaze at the glass behind her and saw the LuthorCorp airplane elevating into the air. Lana had done everything possible to speak to him, to stop the plane from leaving... perhaps he did everything to turn away from her.
Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One week later...
The night was quiet, the streets of Smallville were left alone. No one seemed to be hanging on the sidewalks or driving to a nearby destination. All but one person seemed to invade the silence of the town. In the Talon, sat the lonely prince of Smallville. It was 10:30 and it was business as usual. Lex was meeting a buyer interested in the Talon. Whoever it was, he didn't care, all he wanted to do was get rid of the one place that constantly reminded of him Lana. Since he had decided to move on, this was certainly one way of doing so. He had kept the Talon alive for far too long, even when Lana had sold her chairs long ago.
Impatiently, he waited for the buyer who for some reason wanted to meet at this hour. He wasn't about to argue especially considering there weren't many interests in Talon. Too many saw Smallville as an unlucrative place of business. Besides, the buyer's financial advisors, the only people Lex had spoken to, had put up a good price in his name. Lex now grew curious to see who this big investor was.
As he waited, he looked around the Talon, finding it hard to stop reminiscing the times he spent here with Clark... and Lana. When he began meeting up with her on a nightly basis, everything seemed simple. He remembered how often they would get lost in each other's eyes, how often they bantered about frivolous things, the last night when she kissed him... thanking him for the orchid. It was difficult to think of those moments, especially now that he was in the process of selling the place.
Walking towards the counter, where she had often stood, arranging orders or grabbing something for their nightly conversations, he reveled in those old memories. He dazed off as he looked onto the clean cups and kitchenware, not aware that someone had also invaded the empty surroundings.
"I hope I'm not too late," a familiar voice filled the Talon.
Lex stirred, turning around slowly as he recognized the voice. Quite surprised but remaining expressionless, he gazed at his visitor, "Lana...." He was in awe, yet quickly remembered what he had decided. "No, you're just in time– that is, if you're the mysterious buyer."
She had expected a cold welcoming, but hoped it would soon dissolve. "I am the buyer, however I have no intention of making any financial deals. I've come for another reason," she swallowed nervously, encouraging herself to continue.
Lex arched his eyebrow,"I see, well I'm sorry, but-"
"Please, just hear me out," Lana waved him off, urging him to listen. He nodded almost unnoticeably in return. Taking the initiative, she began, "The past two years have meant nothing to me. Yes, I accomplished things I never thought I could. It was empowering, I felt like I could beat out all competition... and I did. Yet, all the victories, everything that I succeeded in meant nothing. Inside, I was dying... I lost myself, I hid the pain, tirelessly tried to forget everything that I was. I was dead without even knowing it. Until you came to Paris, and reminded me what it was to be alive again. You also reminded me that I had a heart... and that I was still in love with you."
"Lana..." Lex called, wanting to stop her from making a mistake.
Yet, she continued, "Lex... we've lost each other too many times. I know we've both made mistakes, but I trust you, I trust each other. My only escape is you. Now, I want to retrieve our connection."
Lex looked up, her last words bringing back the image of his letter. He was speechless, floundering in her words, realizing what this meant...
"Say something please," her eyes watered as she pleaded for some words.
He closed the proximity slightly between them, silently without any sign of expression on his face or eyes. "What took you so long?"
Allowing a tear to slid down her face, she exhaled, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Lana smiled as he walked near her, taking her hand as she turned towards the door. As they quietly exited, Lana yielded their steps, turning to him. Looking up at him, she did what she'd been dying to do for so long... she placed her lips on him, kissing him softly, each proving their love for each other as they allowed all their emotions into that one kiss.
Several seconds, finding they both needed to breathe, they let go. Lana gazed up at him, "So, does this mean I get the Talon? I mean, that's the only reason I let you kiss me."
Lex grinned amusingly, quickly feigning seriousness, "Only if you sleep with me."
Holding tightly to his hand, she opened the door as she replied, "I think that can be arranged."
Following behind her, this time he stopped her, turning her to him, "I knew I loved you for a reason." Before she could banter back, he kissed her, in more anticipation then the last, eagerly and playfully devouring her lips.
Once out of breath, he still held her hand, leading her towards his convertible. They drove off, screeching tire and all, bringing back the life to Smallville as they brought each other back to themselves.
THE END
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Whoa... that's it folks. I hoped you all liked the ending. I'm thinking of writing an epilogue but that all depends on you guys. I just hoped you all enjoyed the story altogether. And of course, thank you so much for all the reviews... they were beyond encouraging. Special thanks to those devout reviewers like Angie, LeoJade, Diana Troy, and many others, please forgive me for not mentioning all your names. To all readers, I hope I kept you interested... and made a Lex/Lana trooper out of you, if you weren't already;)
Angels or Devils
Chapter 11: Finale
ILana,
I once had a dream that I lost you. I kept seeing myself in a white room. There were no doors. I was trapped, plagued with feelings of utter loneliness and a pained heart. Calling for you, and not able to hear you. My body ached inside, the emotions just ripping my soul apart. I woke up and found you by my side... asleep. I looked at you. Without words, without mere expressions, I heard you. You gave me strength, quieted my fears... unveiled my escape. We have this secret language, we need not be awake for. That's our connection, the immortal bond between us that brought me back to you.
I'm left now with useless words, when all I want is to hold you, see you, hear you. I don't want to lose our connection... I want to retrieve it... so I can bring you back to me.
Lex/I
~*~*~
Spread out, legs dangling over the side of the king-sized bed, laid a hung-over and sleeping Lana. She still wore yesterday's corporate suit, now wrinkled and untidily clinging onto her. It was very much unlike the controlled, business Lana to allow herself to overindulge in alcohol, yet all the new revelations of the past days had been too much to embrace. She needed a release, time to step aside from all the begging emotions and the confusion of her love life. So, she grabbed two bottles of Dom Perignon and without much inhibition, welcomed the sultry warmth of the wine to invade her body. As the hours trickled away, Lana found herself slurring words and remembering nothing except his face. No matter how much she wasted away the thousand dollar wine, Lex was always at the forefront of her mind, memories, and thoughts. Only the deep slumber kept her away from the madness.
Until now...
The insolent, piercing and never-ceasing ringing of her phone suddenly managed to stir the drunken-stupor of her consciousness. Lana struggled to open an eye as the sun blatantly blinded her; nevertheless, she mustered enough strength to flip over and open both eyes as she stared into her ceiling, trying to regain all her mental faculties. The ringing continued to sound off, urging her to make a move even though she still hadn't deciphered the noise.
"Ah, my head," Lana complained out loud as she clumsily lifted herself up into an awkward sitting position. "Stop the ringing!" Holding her temples, she frowned upon the relentless noise. At last, it motivated her to look for the phone. Falling to the floor, she crawled to the cordless telephone lying upside on the ground.
Tactlessly, she pressed several buttons to pick up the call. "Hello... hello, who is this," she inquired angrily, yet still oddly dumb-founded.
"Lana, this is C.Z.," announced her partner on the other end. "God, you sound bloody awful! What's wrong?"
Rolling her eyes, the hung-over ice queen sighed, "Nothing... I just had a little too much to drink yesterday," she answered. "Anyway, why are you calling me so early in the morning?"
"Lana, it's 3 in the afternoon," C.Z. chuckled in amusement. "Nonetheless, my dear, I presume your liberating, alcoholic feast must have been in anticipation of our win."
Furrowing her eyebrows, Lana was having a hard time following the English designer especially after hearing she had slept into the afternoon. "What are you talking about, C.Z.," she asked as she massaged her right temple, attempting to soothe away the pounding headache.
"Darlin', hadn't you heard? We got the Blythe account," she revealed enthusiastically.
"Our bid beat out Lex's?" Lana questioned, surprised by their victory. She had somewhat expected in her arrogant moments, but the reality of it was truly unexpected.
"Apparently so," she answered, reveling in their new accomplishment. "Although I can careless, Blythe did say something that seemed a bit peculiar. He remarked something about there being no real competition in the end. My guess is that our bid must've been quite outlandish or-"
It was quite an unusual statement. Blythe would never divulge such information without there being some reason, and obviously C.Z. had no clue as to what it was. Something just didn't seem right. "Alright," Lana interrupted the British's reasoning. "We won, that's all that matters. I have to get cleaned up now... I'll talk to you later, C.Z."
Not waiting to hear her anything in return from her partner, she quickly ended the call and made a new one. "May I please speak to Mr. Blythe," she asked the receptionist at the other end of the line. "Tell him it's Ms. Lang, thank you."
Seconds later, the call was transferred to the English mogul. "Ah, hello, Ms. Lang... and may I say congratulations on your new property," he greeted.
"Thank you, sir," Lana replied, attempting to sound sober and cool.
Clearing his throat, he kindly questioned, "Is there anything I can do for you, Ms. Lang?"
"Actually, sir, there is," she swallowed nervously. "Earlier you spoke to C.Z. and said to her that there was 'no real competition in the end.'"
"Yes, I might've mentioned that," Mr. Blythe concurred as he smiled to himself, inwardly amused at the love-struck businesswoman.
"If I may ask, sir, what did you mean by that," Lana inquired, hoping for some clarification.
"Though I am not at liberty to say," he began. "I will trust you keep it to yourself... you see, Ms. Lang, the reason there was no competition is due to Lex's decision to withdraw his bid. He came in yesterday and determinedly withdrew his bid, believing you were more deserving of the property and not LuthorCorp."
Chills ran through her skin as she felt her chest constrict, she suddenly found it hard to breathe. "I see, Mr. Blythe," she managed to say, struggling to remain composed.
"Nonetheless, it is a grand victory," Mr. Blythe announced. "Congratulations again... seems like you got yourself a winner– that is, perhaps there are two. Well, I wish you well, Ms. Lang, and we'll speak again to finalize the deal."
Hanging up the phone, Lana slowly stood up, feeling the dizziness of Dom Perignon's effects. She breathed in and out to calm her thoughts and emotions. As she stumbled over to the bathroom, she stepped over a disheveled paper. It was Lex's letter. Picking it up, she remembered why she had decided to drink the night before. The feelings from obscurity had risen, enveloping and urging her body to remember when her heart wasn't a protected fortress... when she knew what love felt like. Still, there was fear, haunting every fiber of her emotions.
Yet, why fear when he had proven to be everything she wanted in him? He had kept his promise without even consenting to it.
"Forget fear, Lana."
Her own words became a fortitude of drive. Hurriedly, she got in the shower, allowing the water to resurrect the strength of the old Lana and leave the ice queen to drain into oblivion. The start of new day may have begun in the afternoon, nevertheless it was beginning with a refreshing glimpse of hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After walking the streets of Paris for hours, Lex finally arrived at the hotel. He was exhausted, drained from the insomnia of the night before. Constant thoughts of Lana and memories of yesteryears plagued him, he found himself continuously awakened by them. He knew he had to get out of Paris before he ended in another sleepless night.
Walking into his room, Lex was met by an unexpect visitor. It was none other than his father who undoubtedly must've heard of the lost of the Blythe contract. "Lex, where have you been," the elder Luthor questioned authoritatively. "I've been waiting for you for hours now."
"I've been out," he answered, short and simple.
"Well, tell me, Lex... did you have fun parading the streets of Paris while your former teenage girlfriend stole the Blythe account from right under your nose?" Lionel Luthor was clearly livid, having all his expectations and efforts blown to pieces.
Sighing in annoyance of his father, Lex at last decided to vent. Smiling devilishly, he wet his lips as he usually did before his witty remarks confounded his victim. "Actually yes... I did have fun parading the Parisian streets, reveling in your lost and my triumph," he divulged as his father frowned in perplexity and anger. "Oh, I'm sorry, you didn't know... I expected you would find out sooner, I guess I should have allowed two years to elapse."
"Lex, do not play games with me," Lionel warned.
"Trust me, father, I don't play games," he retorted with equal vexation. "I withdrew the bid. I told Mr. Blythe we were no longer interested in his land." The older Luthor stared in maddening astonishment, repulsed by his son's actions. While Lex looked on pleased, "I figured that was enough compensation for your manipulation of Lana."
His jaw was clenched in rage as he reprimanded, "It seems like I have taught you nothing, Lex."
"On the contrary, father, you've taught more than you'll ever know– that of being just as artful in scheming. Perhaps now, you'll think twice before attempting to control my life," he contended, walking towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch." Leaving him without a second to debate, Lex exited the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minutes later...
Rushing through the crowd of people in the lobby of the Regal Hotel, Lana ran to a closing elevator. She managed to squeeze in before it left, anxiously pressing the button to the top floor where she knew Lex was staying. When the elevator finally arrived at her destination, she hurried to his room number, knocking quickly and incessantly.
To her surprise, she did not find the Luthor she was hoping for. "Mr. Luthor," she frowned. "Where's Lex?"
"Ah, well, if it isn't the new owner of the Blythe property, Ms. Lana Lang... I suppose congratulations are in order," he snidely greeted. "I am no sore loser, so I will congratulate you for using your feminine wiles in acquiring what you wanted. Quite tactful, if I may say so."
Rolling her eyes at his ill remark, she tried to ignore him as she glanced around to see if there was any signs of Lex. Clearly there weren't any, she had to find out where he was. "I'd thank you if I didn't hear the obvious hint of jealousy in your voice. Quite flattering, if I may say so."
Rudely knocked into business mode, he gazed at her with despise. "Ms. Lang, I'll put it to you plainly... stay away from Lex," he threatened sternly. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Nor, does he deserve a conniving mistress like yourself."
"Conniving? Did you forget who sent his henchman to spy on my business transactions," she questioned, growing impatient with the malicious tycoon. "Mr. Luthor, I suggest you invest your time elsewhere and stop concerning yourself in my life and Lex's. We are all adults after all."
Simpering in his arrogance, he gently wiped a strand of hair out of her face as she pulled away swiftly. Arching his eyebrow in amusement, "Ms. Lang if you're as smart as you think you are, you'll stay away from Lex. He will never love you as you'd want him to... rather, you will become his trophy."
"I think you have him confused for yourself, sir. I know he would never do as you did to your wife... the one trophy you lost." The words surrounded Lionel, leaving him speechless as Lana immediately left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the airport...
The sky was clear, a few clouds painting the scene as the sun gradually drowned itself from sight. Lex looked on, his thoughts dwelling on the woman who he would probably never hold in his arms again. It was useless, really. Everything he had done he knew was not in vain, yet the emptiness that set in was relentlessly powerful. Without her, he felt hollow, detached with everything around him. Lex knew this feeling had to end, he had to escape. There was no reason anymore why to continue loving someone who had moved on... with good reason too... she knew the hurt he was capable of.
Time had come for him to move on as well.
He walked towards the gate, refusing to look back. Entering the plane, the flight attendant showed him to his seat. There was no one next to him... no one in the entire the plane for that matter. It was the company plane which he had chartered for the whole week. Lex liked it that way. There was no one to bother him, not a soul to interrupt his contemplation.
Perhaps he spoke too soon. "Mr. Luthor, a call has been made to detain departure for a few minutes. They spoke to ground control, but the reception was unstable. All they heard was to stop the plane," explained the flight attendant. "It might have been a business associate."
"Highly doubtful," he answered, annoyed by the delay. "I don't see why we are not moving along when an unreliable and unknown call has been made. If there isn't anything wrong with the plane, there is no reason why to detain from taking off. Just tell the pilot to go."
Nerved by the tone of his voice, the attendant quickly turned around and relayed the message to the pilot.
As the plane began moving along the runway, Lana ran towards the gate Lex had just stepped off. She was met by an official, stopping her from going further. "Please, I need to speak to Lex Luthor," she struggled to move ahead.
"Madam, his plane is taking off as we speak," the official revealed.
"But, I called to stop the plane," Lana stepped away from him, not wanting to realize that Lex might actually be gone.
The official simply signaled towards the window. She directed her gaze at the glass behind her and saw the LuthorCorp airplane elevating into the air. Lana had done everything possible to speak to him, to stop the plane from leaving... perhaps he did everything to turn away from her.
Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One week later...
The night was quiet, the streets of Smallville were left alone. No one seemed to be hanging on the sidewalks or driving to a nearby destination. All but one person seemed to invade the silence of the town. In the Talon, sat the lonely prince of Smallville. It was 10:30 and it was business as usual. Lex was meeting a buyer interested in the Talon. Whoever it was, he didn't care, all he wanted to do was get rid of the one place that constantly reminded of him Lana. Since he had decided to move on, this was certainly one way of doing so. He had kept the Talon alive for far too long, even when Lana had sold her chairs long ago.
Impatiently, he waited for the buyer who for some reason wanted to meet at this hour. He wasn't about to argue especially considering there weren't many interests in Talon. Too many saw Smallville as an unlucrative place of business. Besides, the buyer's financial advisors, the only people Lex had spoken to, had put up a good price in his name. Lex now grew curious to see who this big investor was.
As he waited, he looked around the Talon, finding it hard to stop reminiscing the times he spent here with Clark... and Lana. When he began meeting up with her on a nightly basis, everything seemed simple. He remembered how often they would get lost in each other's eyes, how often they bantered about frivolous things, the last night when she kissed him... thanking him for the orchid. It was difficult to think of those moments, especially now that he was in the process of selling the place.
Walking towards the counter, where she had often stood, arranging orders or grabbing something for their nightly conversations, he reveled in those old memories. He dazed off as he looked onto the clean cups and kitchenware, not aware that someone had also invaded the empty surroundings.
"I hope I'm not too late," a familiar voice filled the Talon.
Lex stirred, turning around slowly as he recognized the voice. Quite surprised but remaining expressionless, he gazed at his visitor, "Lana...." He was in awe, yet quickly remembered what he had decided. "No, you're just in time– that is, if you're the mysterious buyer."
She had expected a cold welcoming, but hoped it would soon dissolve. "I am the buyer, however I have no intention of making any financial deals. I've come for another reason," she swallowed nervously, encouraging herself to continue.
Lex arched his eyebrow,"I see, well I'm sorry, but-"
"Please, just hear me out," Lana waved him off, urging him to listen. He nodded almost unnoticeably in return. Taking the initiative, she began, "The past two years have meant nothing to me. Yes, I accomplished things I never thought I could. It was empowering, I felt like I could beat out all competition... and I did. Yet, all the victories, everything that I succeeded in meant nothing. Inside, I was dying... I lost myself, I hid the pain, tirelessly tried to forget everything that I was. I was dead without even knowing it. Until you came to Paris, and reminded me what it was to be alive again. You also reminded me that I had a heart... and that I was still in love with you."
"Lana..." Lex called, wanting to stop her from making a mistake.
Yet, she continued, "Lex... we've lost each other too many times. I know we've both made mistakes, but I trust you, I trust each other. My only escape is you. Now, I want to retrieve our connection."
Lex looked up, her last words bringing back the image of his letter. He was speechless, floundering in her words, realizing what this meant...
"Say something please," her eyes watered as she pleaded for some words.
He closed the proximity slightly between them, silently without any sign of expression on his face or eyes. "What took you so long?"
Allowing a tear to slid down her face, she exhaled, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Lana smiled as he walked near her, taking her hand as she turned towards the door. As they quietly exited, Lana yielded their steps, turning to him. Looking up at him, she did what she'd been dying to do for so long... she placed her lips on him, kissing him softly, each proving their love for each other as they allowed all their emotions into that one kiss.
Several seconds, finding they both needed to breathe, they let go. Lana gazed up at him, "So, does this mean I get the Talon? I mean, that's the only reason I let you kiss me."
Lex grinned amusingly, quickly feigning seriousness, "Only if you sleep with me."
Holding tightly to his hand, she opened the door as she replied, "I think that can be arranged."
Following behind her, this time he stopped her, turning her to him, "I knew I loved you for a reason." Before she could banter back, he kissed her, in more anticipation then the last, eagerly and playfully devouring her lips.
Once out of breath, he still held her hand, leading her towards his convertible. They drove off, screeching tire and all, bringing back the life to Smallville as they brought each other back to themselves.
THE END
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Whoa... that's it folks. I hoped you all liked the ending. I'm thinking of writing an epilogue but that all depends on you guys. I just hoped you all enjoyed the story altogether. And of course, thank you so much for all the reviews... they were beyond encouraging. Special thanks to those devout reviewers like Angie, LeoJade, Diana Troy, and many others, please forgive me for not mentioning all your names. To all readers, I hope I kept you interested... and made a Lex/Lana trooper out of you, if you weren't already;)
