Title: Waiting is the Hardest Part

Chapter Completed: March 12, 2003

The grouping had moved to the Smallville hospital waiting room. Lana could not stand still. She paced or roamed the halls. Waiting for news always killed her. Pete and Chloe were seated, her eyes staring off blankly as he affectionately held her hand. Clark wasn't watching them now, his attention was on Lex, who was chillingly silent and almost still leaning against the wall. Lionel's present was not seen.

Clark went over to his friends, whose eyes were squeezed shut. "Lex," the boy was careful with his voice, "I'm sure she'll be fine. It was really just a fall and…"

The millionaire's eyes shot open, an intense glare escaping them and drilling into the figure before him, "She was pregnant Clark!" His stare was deep and foreboding, and startled the farm boy. Spotting a doctor, Lex stalked after him, determined to find out what was going on, why he had not heard any news.

Clark looked hopefully at Chloe, who just nodded sadly through closed eyes, before slumping into a chair. It wasn't bad enough to have failed to help one person, but now two. One completely defenceless.

"Clark!" Martha and Jonathan rushed over to where the teens were all clustered.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she wrapped her arms around her son, "When Lana called and said you were at the hospital…" she drifted off.

He looked over at Lana's guilty face, "I'm fine mom." Obviously, he thought, as he pushed away from her.

"Why are you here song?" Jonathan asked taking notice that the friends all appeared fine also, thankfully.

"There was an accident, with Anna Clarkson," Lana more then helpfully offered as she walked closer to them, "fell down the stairs in the mansion." Her big eyes were shinning, wanting sympathy and attention. All her life that was the only way to get it, through sympathy.

"And it's all my fault!" Clark blurted, pushing out of his chair and stomping down the hall.

Chloe looked confusedly between Pete and the Kents. She caught what he said, but what did that mean.

"I'll go talk to him," Pete left her side to go after him. Jonathan agreeing to follow, leaving the three girls to themselves.

"Mrs. Kent," Lana whined with her best hug me look splattered on her face, as she approached her for comfort.

Martha was unable to turn her away, unable to turn any child away. She opened her arms for the wet-eyed girl to cuddle into. The surrogate mother of the group turned to her other daughter, who was sitting alone. And she wanted to support her.

Chloe shook her head, declining the motherly affections. She wasn't used to it, and hadn't needed it yet. Stretching her brave-sad smile across her lips, she ignored the streaks left on her cheeks and turned her attention away. She was still curious about Clark's outburst. And where Lex went. And of course how Anna was. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap nervously. It was her habit. Biting her lip she got out of her chair in search of an answer to one of her questions.

-x-x-x-x-

"Clark," Pete jogged up to the disgruntled hero, "hey man."

He was just standing at the end of a hall, as if the hospital had trapped him there. His head hung in a hang-dog expression.

Looking back the best friend spotted Pa Kent striding over toward them, "How could this be your fault?" He turned back when he heard the footsteps stop.

"It was just an accident son," Jonathan nodded along with the other member of their secret clad family.

"Right. What could you have done," the other boy shrugged.

Clark looked up now, much like Lex had before only sadder, "That's just it! I could have done something, I could have done everything," he lowered his voice now, "We all know what I could have done. I could have caught her before she fell. Could have protected the baby. I could have, but didn't." His voice rose, " That's why it's my fault." He crashed his back and head against the wall in defeat and self-torture.

The others looked back and forth between each other, but really had nothing to say. They could not understand what it was like for Clark; to have that power and great fear. The whole confusion inside his head. And the daily angst over what to do, what actions and risks to take.

"Son," his father made the only attempts at reassuring him that he could. Placing the affirming hand on his slumped shoulder, "Some things are just ment to happen. No matter what you do, it can't be changed." He hoped that would put some comfort in his son's heart, "We don't even know…baby?!"

Clark nodded, only surprising the farm man more and making himself sadder.

Pete only shrugged, "No on really knew. Lex just sprung kind of sprung it."

Jonathan thought back to the time he had met her. The rather sweet looking girl who came to pick Martha up, not exactly one who would be intimate with the Luthors. "Huh," he let that settle, "Some things just happen," he repeated it as much to explain it to himself as his son. He had used that explanation with himself concerning Clark on numerous occasions. Things just happen.

-x-x-x-x-

Chloe spotted Lex seated in another part of the small hospital. His body was slumped in the chair like someone had tossed him there. Worried that he had received word, and neglected to inform anyone else, she walked toward him. She stopped when she noticed that Dr. Bryce moving toward the same destination, the young reporter hung back.

He was eerily silent and still as the doctor approached, "Lex," her voice was quiet, but boomed in the still hall.

He pulled himself off the chair t stand before her.

To Helen the millionaire was so warn. She thought she would take some pleasure in causing him pain. In that twisted-scorned woman way. But seeing this, she just felt for him. Breaking away from her professional role she touched his arm in a gentle, sympathetic way.

Lex pulled away, straightening his stance and form in the classic Luthor manner. He just looked at her expectantly.

Dr. Bryce nodded, understanding what roles he wanted them to take on, "Miss Clarkson should be fine. She's resting now. There was a bump on her head that we were concerned with, and a bruise on her spine. But other then the fractured rib, seems she'll make a full recovery. We did have to sedate her." She rambled into comfort and out of professional.

He waited, just waited for the other shoe. As did Chloe. She was relieved to know that Anna was physically undamaged, relatively. But there was a looming concern. And without thought, she held a breath.

Helen couldn't meet Lex's eyes now, and nervously cleared her throat. She had broken this news before but never to someone of personal acquaintance, "She miscarried."

Chloe didn't gasp from her hiding place, only leaned her forehead against the cold wall and expelled the breath from her tightened lungs.

Lex didn't react, at least not outwardly, "I want a paternity test done," he was all business with his demand. He cut the good doctor off before she had the chance to object, "It's important for me to know." His eyes burrowed into the woman before him. He needed to know just what game fate had played on him now. He needed to know what pain this was.

She nodded for him, she would see to that personally. "She'll be in room 316 after ward," She added as he started off toward the lab.

Chloe retreated back to the waiting room, her heart that little bit heavier.

-x-x-x-x-

Lex had sent everyone home. All but Chloe. When he returned from the lab he was surprised to find the Kents had joined the waiting group, but at the same time not. They were always hanging around at certain events – But he didn't have the energy to delve into that question right now. He wanted them all gone. He didn't want such a large audience for this, since now was when he had to maintain airs.

"She's fine. Just getting needed rest now," he assured them.

Clark looked uneasy still, but received comforting strokes on his broad back from his mother. Must be nice, Lex looked noticed with a deep bitterness.

Even Lana let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. The millionaire guessed he wasn't the only one putting up airs. And this being the first time he ever watched these people, he noticed the little quirks that bothered him so.

"Thank you – all for staying," he felt like he was closing a press conference, "But there's no reason you shouldn't go home and get rest yourselves."

They nodded.

"I left my car at the mansion," Pete looked at Chloe hopefully, they had crammed into her car to get there and he was hoping to cram again to spend more time with her.

"I'm staying," she stared at Lex. That told him she already knew more then he had told the rest.

He nodded, giving her the permission she never asked for.

"I'm sure we can squeeze you and Lana into the truck," Mr. Kent told Pete, while actually trying to figure out how this was going to work.

The jilted friend simply nodded, saying goodbye to Chloe and an acknowledgement to Lex.

They had all left Lex and Chloe there. Not even a call from her father had made the girl leave. It was like she had made an unspoken vow to be there, and Lex did admire the stubbornness if he didn't understand the friendly devotion.

There was no verbal communication between the unlikely pair; they were just reading each other. One like a trained journalist and the other a ruthless businessman. By doing this he realised that Chloe had always known about the pregnancy and now about the miscarriage, and questionable paternity. She had that look her in eyes. Not one for a poker face. And Chloe learned of the demons raging behind the eyes and heart of the young man next to her.

"Coffee?" he asked at her yawn.

"That'd be great," she reached for her purse, which he waved off.

"I think I can cover it," he teased as he went off in search of the recharge.

Returning promptly with two cardboard cups of steaming dark liquid, only assumed the stuff was coffee. He managed a small smirk when he found Chloe asleep in the uncomfortable chairs. He carefully set the cups down and draped his jacket over the sleeper. Boss or not, Gabe would kill him if anything happened to his daughter. He could only imagine the protectiveness of a parent –never experiencing it or having the chance to act on it.

Figuring this was the best alone-time, Lex made his way to room 316. He was putting this off.

Anna was still asleep. Helen had explained something about sedating her hysterical behaviour. But he smiled at how peaceful she looked. Like she was just having a restful sleep after one of their nights together. Or even a midmorning pregnancy power nap.

A frown pulled at his lips when he noticed the bruise on the side of her face. The slight discoloration had shattered the fantasy formed in his mind. And his hand lightly touched it, cringing at the pain he was sure was there.

"Anna," he whispered soothingly as he took the seat nest to her. She stirred almost unnoticeably. He swept the stray hairs away from her face, surprising gentleness from the town-claimed monster spawn. A slight twinkle from under the hospital gown caught his attention. His fingers ran down to feel the chain and pull out the delicate charm. The remembrance of her promise made at the ill-fated party made him smile, and even relax. He was happy for the false sense of security that the chain around her neck gave him.

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A/N: Damned writer's block and term papers.