Title: A Chlex Story

Author: MitchPell

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville, it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using their stuff for a little bit of non-profitable fun. Nor do I own any of the poems. They all belong to their respective authors and publishers or whatever.

Authors Notes: My thanks go out to Adri, the best Beta Reader in the whole wide world, and the one who has helped me since the get go!!! Again, I want to apologize for the delay in posting. But my grandfather passed away recently, and that was really rough. So, I apologize. Sorry about the lack of Chlex in this chapter. It definitely isn't my best stuff, but it does have some good qualities. I'm still waiting for some feedback for my poll. As I've said I've noticed that my author feed back section is getting rather long. So, would you guys prefer me to move it to the end of the chapter, or keep it here at the beginning? Just let me know in a review. This is taking place during Shimmer. I hope that helps you guys know when things are going on. Like I've said before I've done a lot of research about the medical stuff, but if I've made any huge errors let me know. After all, I'm not an expert. I'm going to be using any and all spoilers, so read at your own risk. This story is going to be a long one. I already know that it is going to span the course of 7 years, and probably longer. I appreciate any and all feedback. Tell me whatever you think: the good, the bad, the ok, the grammar errors, etc. Trust me, I need the help!!

Summary: Lex and Chloe just seem right for each other. I don't know why, they just do.

Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com

************************************************************************

Adri: Woo-hoo! It's 4:10 am, and I'm finally ready to post! Thanks so much for all your help. You know I can't do it without you! Now go to bed! You need your rest! And so do I! Thanks again!

RedWitch: LOL! Don't frighten you workmates! Whew! *Wipes brow* I'm glad you're not mad at me! LOL! Yes, poetry is fun! Sorry, one of these days Chloe and Gabby will actually have a conversation. I don't know when, but I'll work it in somewhere. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

Merrie: LOL! Don't hurt yourself with the excitement. Please, the story isn't worth it. Thanks! I'm always afraid people won't find my humor funny, so I'm glad you did. I tried to update quickly! Did I do a good job? LOL! Thanks for forgiving me. And thanks again for reading and reviewing!

Queen of Tact: LOL! I'm sorry; I still refuse to divulge any info about how, when, or if Chloe will find out about the cancer. But yes, she might be putting a few things together. LOL! Thanks for the review! I'm glad you are still enjoying!

Gerb: Sorry, you miss the updates Gerb. But I don't really mind when you review, just as long as you do! Again, I can't say when, how, or if she'll find out about Lex's cancer. But thanks again for the review!

swimmin'fool: Um, ok. To be completely honest, your post confused me. But I'm glad you think the relationship is coming along nicely. I hope you continue to enjoy my story. Thanks again for the review!

mina: LOL! Why is that suspense? I don't understand why she needs to know! Just kidding! LOL! Good grief I hope it doesn't take me seven years to write it! I mean that the entire story will take place over the span of seven years. Though me and my beta were joking the other day about how I'm going to still be writing this when Smallville is long since off the air. Let's hope not, though! Thanks again for reading and reviewing.

lil: Thanks! Glad you liked it! Soldiering I am!

Kista: *Recovering for hugtackle* LOL! Thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked it! Woo-hoo! Go Star Wars!

Alicia: I know! I'm really sorry about how long it took me. But hopefully you read my author notes and understood. LOL! I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot things that happened in the fic. I know I do, and I wrote the thing! But I'm glad you are stilling enjoying the story! And I'm happy to give your day a boast! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Whoops, found another review from you. I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter too!

doroppu: Holy Cripes! What a review! *Blushes profusely at all the compliments* I'm really glad you are enjoying the fic so much. LOL! I think we've all wondered if Lex was bald everywhere. Wow! Thanks for the compliments on Clark. I'm the same way you are. I can't stand Clark half the time anymore. So the fact that you liked him in my fic wows me! Thank you so much! I hate cliffhangers, and I'm glad that appreciate that I don't do that to my readers. Again, I'm glad the medical stuff is believable. I try really hard. Don't worry, you'll find out what happened to Victoria next! Thank you. Thank you, for the wonderful review. I'm so glad you like the story so much!

Len: Aw. I'm glad you like my Lex. I really worry about characterization. So that means a lot. Hey, don't worry about the lack of reviewing. Better late than never is my rule. And sorry, but I still can't tell you about when or if Chloe will find out about his cancer. But thanks again for the review!

Becky: Wow! You read the whole thing! You realize that like 162 pages? LOL! Though I have to say, I'm flattered that you were hooked. Thanks so much for all the compliments! I'm glad you're enjoying my story!

Kudelko: LOL! Yes, it is a long fic. And this is just the beginning. Thanks for taking the time to catch up on it. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you liked it.

Allegra: Thanks! LOL! Yes, I know you meant funny. I'm glad you like the story. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Delaney: Thanks! I'm glad you took the time to get caught up. Yes! Lex is borrowing her strength! Sometimes I wonder if people get that, even though Chloe doesn't actually know he's sick. Thanks again for the nice review!

Erryn: LOL! Thanks for taking the time to catch up. Sorry, but you'll find that it takes me forever to update. I'm a slow writer. I apologize. LOL! More than 5k words! LOL! This puppy is 184 pages long! LOL! And that is less than ΒΌ of it. I hope I can maintain the characterization though! Thanks for the review!

******************************************************************

Chapter 12

Lex was in the hospital for a week before Dr. Gatemen and Dr. Brummel released him. After pumping his body full of antibiotics for about four or five days, they were satisfied that the bacterial bronchitis that had invaded his lungs was dead. It was at that time that Gatemen decided to start him back on his chemotherapy. However, they felt that he should remain in the hospital for another two days in case the chemo enabled the bronchitis to return.

Though, he had to admit, his stay hadn't been too terrible. Clark and Chloe had stopped in once or twice to say hello. Clark never stayed too long, but Chloe's visits were pleasantly longer. They didn't do much, but her mere presence was enough to make the afternoon more bearable. In fact, he actually found himself looking forward to her dropping in. But alas, all things have to come to an end. And after seven days of mild torture, Lex was finally able to return to the sanctity of his cold stone home.

He sighed as he stepped out of Gabby's cavalier. He grabbed his book and bag out of the backseat then headed up to the house. Just as they reached the front door, Lex heard an unfamiliar voice call out his name. With a small sigh, he turned to see Ann's daughter jogging up to him. He quickly racked his memory, trying to remember the young girls name.

"Lex," the young girl said again once she had reached them. "It's good to have you back." She told him. "We were really worried about you."

Lex smirked down at the girl. "Thank you, Miss Palmer."

Amy smiled nervously up at him. "You can just call me Amy."

"Alright, Amy." He replied, mentally thanking the girl for revealing her name, which had been eluding him. "I'm going to go in the house now."

"Oh, ok." She said, while fidgeting with her hands. "Is there anything you need, because I could let my mom know?"

"I'm fine." Lex told her, as he opened the door. "Have a good day, Amy." He called as he entered the house.

"Thanks, Lex!" The girl called. "Bye, Gabby."

Gabby smiled at her. "Bye, Amy." She said before following Lex inside the house and closing the door. "Was it just me, or was that a little weird?" She asked as the two made their way to Lex's study.

"It wasn't just you." He replied as he placed his book back in its place within the glass case. He took a quick glance at his desk and groaned as he saw the stack of mail and faxes awaiting his attention. He ran a hand over his newly throbbing head and turned to Gabby. "Am I scheduled to get a treatment tonight?" He asked.

Gabby nodded her head. "We didn't get your counts far enough down before you got sick. So you're probably going to need a couple more treatments before we can get back on schedule."

Lex frowned as he looked down at his watch. It was already five o'clock, so he only had about three hours before his treatment, which wasn't much time. He sighed as he made his way back out into the hallway and up the stairs.

"Do you want me to call Jenkins and have him make something for dinner?" Gabby asked, as she continued to trail after him.

"If you're hungry, then by all means. But I won't be joining you." Lex replied.

"You need to eat something, Lex." Gabby told him, as she stopped outside the door to her suite.

"I'll eat later." He replied.

"Lex."

"I can't right now, Gabby." He shot back a little hotly, before retreating into his room and shutting the door. He hadn't really meant to snap at her. But he was tired and he had the beginnings of a headache, which the mounds of work setting downstairs on his desk wasn't going to do anything to help with. With a sigh he tossed his bag onto his bed then made his way into the bathroom. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he went back to his office.

The first thing he did once he was at his desk was turn on his computer. As it was booting up, he started checking the multiple voice mails left on his phone. Lex half listened as Victoria's English accent played in his ear.

"Lex," the message played. "I'll be in Metropolis until you're well enough to return to the mansion. Give me a call."

Lex suppressed a groan before moving onto the next message. He had practically forgotten all about Victoria while he had been in the hospital. And he wasn't really looking forward to having her back in Smallville. The woman was a nuisance. But they weren't finished playing their little game, so he'd call her in the morning.

He cringed as the next message began to play, and his father's stern voice rang in his ear. "Lex!" Lionel's voice bellowed. "I'm still waiting for your proposal on how to fix the problem you're having reaching your weekly quota. This temporary solution you've come up with isn't going to work much longer. I expect to find you're proposal on my desk no later than tomorrow morning."

Lex rubbed the bridge of his nose as the message ended, and another picked up. "Lex! I thought I made it perfectly clear that that the proposal was to be on my desk this morning. I'm starting to seriously doubt your abilities to handle things at my plant. Now, I want that proposal by lunch."

Lex was slightly apprehensive as the message clicked off and the next started to play. "Son, Sullivan informed me of your little excursion to the hospital." Lex listened to his father chuckle. "If you needed a break that badly you could have simply told me. I sent you a list of reports that need to be written up. I expect them, as well as your proposal, the morning following your release from the hospital. Recover from your 'illness' promptly."

Lex sighed as he opened his email to find several messages from his father, as well as a few from Gabe and Nixon. Resigned, he ignored the few Nixon had sent and set forth on fulfilling is his father's long list of demands. He could already tell it was going to be a long night.

******************************************************************

Lex startled awake, jerking his head up from where he had fallen asleep at his desk, the eerie feeling that someone was watching him creeping down his spine. He looked cautiously around his dark office, but found nothing. He let out a long sigh as he scrubbed his hands over his face. It was almost 3:00 am, according to the clock on his computer, and he'd only finished about three-fourths of what his father wanted done. Then again, his evening chemo treatment had taken up several hours of his time.

Lex took a drink from the open Ty Nant bottle setting on his desk, and grimaced at the taste of the now warm water. He set the bottle down and leaned back against his chair, stretching out his cramped legs. He let his eyes fall shut under the weight of his eyelids, seriously considering just letting himself drift back off to sleep right there. A low grumble erupted from his stomach, signaling it had other things in mind and reminding him that he hadn't eaten since earlier that morning. So, he saved his files and the grabbed bottle of water from off his desk before heading to the kitchen.

As he walked down the hall, he still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. The smallest shiver ran down his spine, causing Lex to tightened his grip around the glass bottle in his hand, preparing to use it as a weapon if need be.

A floorboard creaked behind him, and Lex spun around, raised bottle in his hand. But once again, he found himself alone in the dark. "Great." He muttered. "On top of everything else, I'm going crazy."

He glanced down at his slightly damp leg and the small puddle on the floor where the remaining water from his bottle had fallen when he'd upended it. He gave a quick look around, just to be sure no one was watching, then used his shoe to spread the puddle out on the floor. Satisfied that the water would now evaporate much faster, Lex turned and continued down the hall to the kitchen.

Lex flipped on the kitchen light as he entered the large room. He made his way over to the fridge and pulled out the rest of the soup that he didn't eat for dinner. He heated the bowl in the microwave then sat down on one of the island stools. As he sat there, slowly eating as to not upset his stomach, Lex thought back on the night Chloe had come over and the food fight they had had. A smile crept across his face as he pictured her covered in whipped cream and cherry juice. And though he hadn't really had the time to think of it then, he'd had plenty of time to think of it as of late. She was beautiful.

She'd been stunning in that long form fitting dress she'd worn to the Christmas party. She'd been breath taking sitting there on top of him, with bits of cherry stuck in messy blond hair. She'd looked striking in the simple long denim skirt and red shirt she'd had on the other day at the hospital. And along with her looks, she had a personality to match. In fact, if the circumstances were a little different, he might even consider pursuing her. But the circumstances weren't different. She was still only fifteen or sixteen years old. She was still his plant manager's daughter. And therefore, she was still off limits. Well, at least for now.

Having finished off the soup, Lex got up and rinsed out his bowl before putting it and his spoon in the dishwasher. He then grabbed a bottle of Ty Nant out of the fridge, turned out the lights, and headed back to his office. Once back at his desk, he opened the top draw and retrieved a bottle of caffeine pills. After downing one of the pills with his Ty Nant, Lex put the bottle back and got back to work, hoping it wouldn't take long to finish his father's reports.

It was almost five in the morning before Lex sent the remaining reports to his father. Beyond exhausted, he shut down his laptop then slowly made his way up to his bedroom. He didn't bother to brush his teeth or change his cloths. He merely put his cell phone on the nightstand kicked off his shoes before collapsing onto his bed and pulling his covers up over his head.

************************************************************************

After checking his study, Gabby made her way back up to Lex's bedroom and knocked on the door. She waited a few minutes, before knocking again. When she still didn't receive an answer, Gabby knocked once more as a warning then eased the door open. She glanced over at the bed; the slow rise and fall of the mound of blankets the only evidence that Lex was indeed buried in there.

"Lex." Gabby called as she made her way over to the far side of the bed. "It's time for your treatment." She sighed when she still got no response. Another thing she had learned about Lex Luthor was that the man could sleep like the dead, and that during those times it was nearly impossible to wake him. Gabby placed her hand on the pile of blankets and shook it roughly. "Let's go, Lex. It's eight o'clock, your favorite time of day."

The mound shifted and one of Lex's shirt covered arms emerged from beneath the covers.

Gabby furrowed her brow, slightly confused by the gesture. "Come on, let's get downstairs and get this over with."

"I'm not moving." A very sleep and pillow mumbled voice replied.

"Excuse me?" Gabby asked.

"I'm not getting out of bed." Lex replied. "Bring the drugs to me."

Gabby rolled her eyes. "All my lab equipment is downstairs, Lex." She complained.

"I don't care. I'm not moving."

"You know, sometimes I think you do this crap just to be difficult." She snapped before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her.

After hearing the door close, Lex reached out and grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand. He flipped through his address book until he found the number he was looking for then hit call. After four rings, her voice mail picked up. "Victoria, it's Lex. I'll be home later this afternoon. So be here for dinner." With that he hung up and put his phone back on the nightstand.

A few minutes later, Gabby returned carrying a small bag and an IV pole. She sat on the edge of the bed, placing her bag on the floor. "Give me your right arm." She instructed, as she pulled out a bottle of ondansetron.

Lex rolled over onto his back and pulled the covers off his head. He then pulled his right arm out of his shirtsleeve, in order to give her full access, and laid it on top of the blankets. Gabby handed him two of the pills. "Take that." She said.

Lex sat up and swallowed the two pills dry. He then watched as Gabby put on a pair of gloves, and cleaned the inside of his elbow with alcohol and Betadine. After thoroughly cleaning the area, she inserted a needle into his vein and collected one tube of blood. Then, as she removed the needle, she placed a cotton swap over the small puncture hole and Lex bent his elbow to stop the bleeding. Gabby then set a catheter kit on his dresser. After opening the kit, trying to keep everything as sterile as possible, she took Lex's wrist and straightened back out his arm. She re-cleaned the area then proceeded to insert the catheter. She taped the end to his arm then stood up.

"Alright, Lex." She said, as she cleaned up what remained of the catheter kit. "Let me go run a CBC and we'll get started."

"Great." He replied as he lay back down.

He had almost drifted back off to sleep when Gabby returned. She checked his temperature and blood pressure real quick then hooked the bag of cytarabine solution to the IV pole, and connected it to his catheter. She adjusted the drip before pulling a book out of her bag and sitting down in the chair in the corner.

Lex rolled onto his side, making sure not to kink the tube running out of his arm. He was hoping to simply sleep through this. He took several deep, calming breaths, trying to push back the apprehension he felt. Eventually, exhaustion beat out his anxiety and he fell back to sleep.

He slept peacefully for about an hour, not even waking as Gabby disconnected the empty bag of chemo from his catheter, when he started to feel chilled, a sweat breaking out on his forehead. He cocooned his blankets tighter around him, trying to ease his shaking. As he shivered beneath the comforter and sheets, a wave of nausea rippled through him and Lex clutched a pillow to his stomach. He lay very still, hoping it would pass. But the next wave hit him full force, and he had to scramble to free himself from his covers. He managed to get his head over the side of the bed before throwing up the little bit of soup he had eaten late last night.

Gabby had jumped up as soon as she noticed him fighting to get out of bed. She helped him free himself from the bedding then wrapped an arm around his waist as he struggled to get to his feet. Once he was standing, she pulled his arm around her shoulder and guided his shaking form into the bathroom. She lowered him down to the floor, leaning him up against the wall next to the toilet. "I'll be right back." She assured him before going back into the bedroom to grab the comforter, the blanket that was folded at the base of his bed, and one of the pillows.

By the time she made it back to the bathroom, Lex was already gripping the edge of the toilet seat, vomiting. Gabby crouched down beside him and helped him to hover over the ceramic bowl. After his stomached stopped convulsing, Lex remained perched over the commode for a few minutes then leaned back against Gabby. "I think it's passed." He told her.

Gabby sat against the wall with Lex resting against her, reaching out and grabbing one of the blankets she'd abandoned to assist her patient. She pulled the comforter over to them and wrapped it around Lex's still shivering form.

"I don't want to be sick anymore." Lex whispered so quietly that Gabby barely heard him.

"I know." She replied. "But you're responding so well to the treatment." She reached over and grabbed the other blanket. "You're beating it." She told him, as she draped the cover over him. "It's not going to win."

"That's good." Lex muttered a little wryly. "I wouldn't want to have gone through all this hell for nothing."

Gabby chuckled softly. "I promise, Lex. I wouldn't do that to you."

Lex closed his eyes. He pulled one of his shaking hands out from underneath the blankets and laid it on top of Gabby's. "Thanks." He whispered. He squeezed her hand once then drew back into the warmth of his covers.

************************************************************************

Lex wasn't sure how long he had stayed in the bathroom, but eventually Gabby had made him get up and get back into bed. He had noticed that Ann had already been there to clean up the vomit beside his bed, and made a mental note to apologize to her later. Now, he was just lying there, unable to do anything more than fade in and out of sleep because of the small waves of nausea that swept through him. He must have been in a little dose for a few minutes, because he was startled when his bed dipped.

"Lex," Victoria pouted as she crawled across the bed. "When your staff told me you were in bed, I thought you'd be here all ready for me."

Lex pushed back a shudder when he felt her hand on his shoulder. "Victoria." He warned, as he remained lying on his side, his back turned to her. "I'm really not in the mood."

"Come on, Lex." She purred. "Why else would you still be up here when you were expecting me?"

Lex sighed as he pushed his blankets off himself and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm going to take a shower." He informed her, as he made his way to the bathroom.

"If you make that a bath, I'll join you." Victoria said, climbing off the bed and sauntering towards him.

Lex fought back the urge to roll his eyes and settled on shutting and locking the bathroom door in her face. It was extremely rude and would seriously piss her off, but he just couldn't deal with her right now. He pulled his shirt up and over his head, wincing when his sleeve caught on the catheter that was still in his right arm. He paused briefly, wondering if he should check with Gabby before getting the site wet. After all, he'd had to be very careful to not get his central line wet. But he simply shrugged off his concern, not wanting to risk running into Victoria while trying to find Gabby. So, he turned on the hot water, stripped off his sweats and boxers and climbed into the stall.

He stood there for a few minutes, relishing the feel of the water pounding into his back, before washing quickly. When he was done, he adjusted the shower head then eased himself down until he was sitting up against the back of the tub. He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He then dropped his head into his arms and just let the hot water wash over him.

Lex stayed there until the water started to cool. He then quickly got out of the shower and dried off. After checking to be sure Victoria was no longer in the bedroom, he slipped out of the bathroom. He dressed in a pair of nice slacks and a button down the front shirt. It wasn't the attire that he would prefer to wear right now, but something told him that he should dress more appropriately in front of Victoria. He glanced at his mother's watch setting on his armoire, and slipped it onto his left wrist. He then picked up his cell phone and dialed Clark's number as he left the room. He could shake the need to apologize to Victoria. So, he decided to buy his way back into her good graces. He listened as the phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"Kent residence." Martha answered.

"Mrs. Kent. It's Lex. How are you doing this afternoon?" Lex replied.

"Oh, hi Lex. I'm fine, thanks. How about yourself?"

"I'm fine." He lied. "You sell flowers, don't you?" He asked.

"Some. What did you need?"

"Two to three dozen white tulips." He replied.

"Well, I'll see what I can do. Anything else?" Martha asked.

"No, that's all. If it's possible, just have Clark drop them off at the mansion sometime tonight."

"No problem, Lex."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent."

"You're welcome, Lex."

At that Lex ended the phone call and entered his office where he found Victoria talking on the phone to her father. Lex went over to his desk, and called down for Ann to bring up some drinks. He then took down a pool cue, content to let the games begin.

************************************************************************

It wasn't until later that evening that Lex realized his watch was missing. Victoria had been in the process of starting what he feared was going to be quite a long make-out session. And he had glanced down at his wrist, hoping that by some small miracle it was late enough for Clark to be showing up. But it wasn't there. His mother's watch was missing. Now, almost three hours later, he still hadn't found it.

He'd looked everywhere, had retraced all his steps, but there was still no sign of it. And he was becoming desperate. He was checking underneath the furniture in one of the dens that he and Victoria had been in for the third time when a shiver crept down his spine. It was the same feeling he'd had last night, the eerie feeling that someone was watching him. He slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief when he found Clark standing there.

"Looking for something?" Clark asked as he smiled over the crate of flowers he was holding.

"My watch." Lex replied as he sat down on the couch. "The tulips look great."

"Yeah, you cleaned us out." Clark said, setting the crate down on the glass coffee table. "Mom said if you want some more you have to call Holland."

Lex grinned as he plucked one of the flowers and breathed in its sweet scent. "They're Victoria's favorite." He explained. A peace offering, he silently added, for my slightly childish behavior earlier. He had no sooner finished the thought than the crate of flowers seemingly jumped off the table. Lex starred wide-eyed at the flowers and slowly rose to his feet. "What was that?"

Clark grimaced as his stomach cramped, but the pain passed almost as quickly as it arrived. He furrowed his brow in confusion, unsure why he was feeling the effects of meteorites when there didn't appear to be any present.

"Clark?" Lex asked, concerned from having noticed his friend's discomfort. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Clark replied before kneeling down to pick back up the flowers. "You and Victoria must be getting pretty close."

Lex gave one more cautious look around the room then knelt beside Clark to help him. "You seem surprised."

"She just doesn't seem like your type."

Lex smirked. "Relationships aren't always about love, Clark. Sometimes they're about mutual goals. Not every girl is Lana Lang."

Clark frowned. "Yeah, sorry. It's none on my business, really."

Lex bit back a smile. "It's okay." He assured him. "I admire your standards. Don't lose that." After the flowers were placed back on the table, Lex began looking for his watch again.

"You know, I decided to fight for Lana." Clark informed him.

Lex turned to look back at his friend. "Good for you. Why the new attitude?"

"I decided to take the advice of a friend." Clark replied; a smile plastered on his face. Though the smile was quickly replace by a frown as he watched Lex continue to scour the room. "Don't you have another watch?"

Lex sighed before he got up off the floor. "I've got hundreds." He said. "This one's special. My mother gave it to me right before she died." He watched as Clark quickly glanced around the room then announced that he hadn't seen it. Lex fought back the urge to make a smart-ass comment about Clark's lack of actual searching, but instead asked, "What are you, part bloodhound?"

Clark fumbled to answer Lex's question for a minute, before lamely saying, "No, I.I live on a farm. I'm pretty good at finding needles in haystacks. How about I go check the library?"

Lex shook his head as Clark left the room then continued his search. He couldn't believe he'd lost his mother's watch. He rarely wore it for that exact reason. He was always paranoid that he'd lose it, or that someone would steal it. But it had just been a horrible day all the way around, and he'd wanted that little bit of extra support. It was something that he did almost unconsciously. Like the day Earl had taken Clark's class hostage at the plant, he'd slipped his watch on without even realizing it. Now, it was lost. And he'd never forgive himself if he didn't find it.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a large crash sounded from upstairs. Lex froze for a minute, fear rooting him to the spot. But his thoughts soon turned from his own well-being to Clark's, causing him to jump up and hurry out of the room. He met up with Clark at the stairwell, and let out a small sigh of relief before following his friend up to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, one of the closed doors to a guest bedroom was shaking and rattling, and a bright light was shining through the space between the door and the frame.

Lex stood there beside Clark, his eyes riveted on the door. He nearly jumped when Victoria came up behind him and asked what was going on. "Wait here." He told her, before moving past Clark towards the door. He took a deep breath as he slowly reached out and grasped the doorknob. But as soon as his hand touched the cold metal, the shaking stopped.

If he were being completely honest with himself, Lex would have admitted that he was a little freaked out. Though, after last night, the sinking feeling he'd had in the study, the incident with the flowers, and now this independently rattling door, he felt he had a right to be.

He took another deep breath then slowly turned the knob. He had no more than felt the bolts slide back when the door flew open and something brushed past him. Instinctively, he turned away and ran smack into Clark, who grabbed a hold of him. Slightly embarrassed for practically jumping into Clark's arms, Lex quickly composed himself and stepped into the room.

It was dark and Lex really couldn't see much except for the disheveled bed and the white feathers that were floating thought the air. He heard the faint click of the light switch before being rooted to the floor by the writing the black light illuminated on the walls. As he took in the crude cruses and threats, he couldn't help but be relieved that they weren't directed towards him. He turned slowly and smirked at the gapping Victoria. "I'd say someone isn't too keen on you being here." He told her. "You've only been here a couple of days and you've already managed to annoy one of the locals. That's quite impressive."

Victoria glared at him. "I'm glad you find this so amusing, Lex. But I hope you know that I won't stay somewhere I feel threatened."

Lex smirked at her. "I'm sure they just haven't warmed up to your charm yet." He said somewhat sarcastically. "You just need to give them some time."

She narrowed her eyes even further, deepening the glare. "Or maybe you should hire some real security." She snapped at Lex before looking pointedly at Clark. "It seems as if any hick can just walk right in." With that she turned on her heel and left the room, almost running into Gabby as she did so.

Gabby hesitated in the doorway as she looked around the room. "Wow." She muttered. "What happened?"

"The obvious answer would be that the room was vandalized." Lex replied. "But as for the matter of who or why, I'm don't know." He sighed as he scanned over the room one more time. "I have to call Rains and Jackson." He said as he pushed past Gabby on his way out of the room. "Don't touch anything." He called over his shoulder as he made his way back to his study.

************************************************************************

It didn't take long for Rains and Jackson, Lex's two security personnel, to find their way up to the vandalized room. The two looked around the room for a few minutes, before Rains turned back to Lex who was leaning against the doorframe. "Have you contacted the Smallville Police, Mr. Luthor?"

Lex raised an eyebrow at the man. "You're my head of security, Mr. Rains. I thought it best to get your opinion on the matter before involving the authorities. But if you feel their assistance is necessary then by all means call them."

Rains nodded towards Jackson, who pulled out a cell phone, apparently calling the local sheriff's office. Satisfied that his partner was doing as he was told, Rains turned back to Lex. "I'm going to go look over the security tapes. See if we caught the person who did this on tape."

"You do that." Lex replied as he pushed himself off the doorframe. "I'll be in my office, if you need me." With that Lex once again returned to his study.

************************************************************************

It had been pretty late by the time Sheriff Waid and his Deputy, Ethan, had left the mansion. They had taken pictures, dusted for prints, taken Lex's, Clark's, and Victoria's statements, and then announced that it was the work of vandals. Lex had been less than impressed. Yet he had somehow managed to keep that opinion to himself.

Along with the local law enforcement's less than stellar assessment was his own securities force's. Apparently the culprit or culprits had not only managed to actually make it into the house, but the security cameras had failed to capture their entrance and exit from the mansion. Yes, it was always nice to know what services you were actually paying for, Lex had mused.

Then of course after the police had left, Lex still had to deal with Gabby. He was just glad that Victoria was too busy reading the false files he'd created and stored in his computer the previous night to notice his absence. And she had apparently found something she'd thought was of interest, if the way she was attending to his stiff neck was any indication.

Lex relaxed into her hands as they massaged away knots that the stress of the last few days had left. He couldn't hold back a groan, and leaned in to reward her for her efforts. As he turned to deepen the kiss, he couldn't help but think that he'd like to carry this further. He didn't care for Victoria, but she had been patient. She hadn't pushed him too much when he'd turned her down again and again, while he'd been sick on chemotherapy. But he was done with treatments for a few weeks, and if he to be honest he needed some release. He was a twenty-one year old male after all. He did have his needs.

Though, just as things were starting to heat up a little, his father came bursting into the room. "Lex.you have disappointed me."

Lex sighed as he pulled away from Victoria and turned to face his father. "Hi, Dad. It's good to see you, too." He replied, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Would you mind telling me what she's doing here?" Lionel asked.

Lex smiled. "Right now?" He asked, fanning innocence. "Working on my neck. But knowing her, I think that's just a start."

Lionel chuckled. "Could this be a ploy to get my attention?" He asked, making sure to over emphasize 'ploy.' "Well done. It worked."

"I know this is going to come as a shock, but not everything in my life revolves around you." Lex shot back, making sure to keep his tone light.

"I understand." Lionel said as he moved over to the bar and poured himself a glass of brandy. "So you're simply being swindled." He turned back towards the two sitting on the couch, disgusted by the way Victoria was rubbing her hands up and down Lex's chest. "Would you excuse us, Miss. Hardwick. My son and I are going to have a little chat about family loyalty."

"It's all right." Victoria replied. "I'll run us a bath." She whispered to Lex before giving him a somewhat chaste kiss and getting up off the couch.

"I'll be there shortly." Lex said, fully intending on joining her.

"I'll send Sir Harry your regards." Victoria told Lionel as she passed him on her way out the door.

"Swell." Lionel replied, not giving one damn whether she actually did so or not.

Lex looked over at his father. "This is hardly business." He said.

"Generations of Luthors would beg to differ. It's always business, especially where the Hardwicks are concerned." Lionel informed him. "Lex, can't you see she was sent to distract you?" He took in his son's nonchalant attitude and found himself raising his voice in response. "Sir Harry has been nipping away at LuthorCorp for months!"

Lex shook his head in disbelief as he rose off the couch. "LuthorCorp is your company." He told his father. "I'm just one of its many expendable employees, as you made abundantly clear when you exiled me to this charming cow town."

"Empires are not brought down by outside forces. They are destroyed by weaknesses from within!" Lionel bellowed, before getting his emotions under control. "Lex, I've told you this. Smallville is your test. Right now, you're failing."

"Thanks for the update, but I know exactly what I'm doing." Lex replied.

"No, you don't. She is playing the only card she's got and you are falling for it hook, line, and sinker."

"My personal life is my business." Lex said, before turning and walking away. The man was giving him a headache, something he really didn't need nor want to deal with.

"Not when it affects my company!" Lionel called after him. "Then it's my business." He watched as Lex stopped his retreat and slowly approached him. "Lex, listen to this. If you sell out your family then you will truly be alone in the world." He said as he offered his son the glass of alcohol.

Lex looked down at the offered glass, before stepping away from his father. He could really use the drink, but wasn't going to risk his health because his father had pushed a few buttons. Instead he turned and looked at the older man. "I'm already alone, Dad." He said. "The only thing I stand to lose is my social status."

Lionel chuckled. "The same social status that funded whatever binge you went on last week?" He asked, his mirth quickly dissipating.

Lex shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't go on any binge, Dad. I truly was sick." He paused for a minute, trying to decide how much he should divulge to his father. "Sick enough to spend seven days in the hospital." He said, his tone slightly accusatory.

Lionel snorted. "Now, Lex, we both know that you haven't been sick since you were caught in the meteor shower."

"I'm well aware of that fact, Dad." Lex replied. "So, you can imagine my surprise when I woke up and was unable to breathe. Not to mention the fact that I had a temperature of 103 degrees."

"If that was the case, Lex, then why didn't you inform me of the situation? Why did I have to find out about it second hand from your plant manager?" Lionel demanded.

Lex shrugged, appearing as if his father's lack of concern for his welfare didn't bother him as much as it truly did. "I did want to worry you." He replied, somewhat smugly.

"You know, Son, these episodes of self-pity are becoming far too frequent for my liking." Lionel commented rather condescendingly.

Lex closed his eyes as he looked away from his father. "It isn't self- pity, Dad. It's simply a statement of the facts." He said. "Besides, isn't it a mute point?" He asked. "I'm alive. I'm out of the hospital. I'm." He paused for just a second, before forcing out the rest of his statement. "Healthy. Shouldn't that be all that matters?"

Lionel looked critically at his son. Lex's decline in appearance hadn't gone unnoticed by him. He'd seen it weeks ago, starting with the incident at the Plant. It hadn't been as prominent then. But now, one would have to be blind to miss it. Dark circles surrounded the boy's bloodshot eyes, and he was pale, too pale. His finely tailored clothes were hanging off of his frail frame. And he bet that if he pulled up one of those sleeves he'd find track marks.

Lionel watched as Lex winced, almost imperceptibly, at his harsh appraisal. "What are you on?" He demanded.

Lex scoffed. "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously. His father didn't reply; he simply kept his gaze fixed on him. "I'm not taking anything!" Lex exclaimed. "Jesus Christ, Dad, I just got through telling you that I've been in the hospital for a week!"

"Was it drug related?" Lionel asked. "Is that why I wasn't informed of the situation? You didn't want me to know you started using again?"

"I don't have to put up with this." Lex stated before turning away from his father and heading towards the door.

"I'm giving you one week to kick whatever you're on, Son." Lionel called after him.

Lex paused in the doorway; it was so tempting to tell his father everything. But he had promised himself that he wouldn't. So, he didn't turn back, but just kept walking out the door, making sure to shut it behind him.

************************************************************************

The days following Lionel's visit seemed to have flown by in a blur. After his father left, Lex and Victoria had spent the remainder of the evening and most of the next morning furthering their re-acquaintance. Which must have pissed off the castle's newly acquired ghost, because that evening someone or something tried to drown her in the bathtub. Fortunately, they only succeeded in giving Lex yet another reason to be thankful for having Clark Kent as his best friend.

After the attack, Victoria had insisted on going to Metropolis until the situation could be sorted out. Lex hadn't argued. Despite the fact that he didn't like her he still needed her alive in order for his plans on Hardwick Industries to go through. So, she'd left. And instead of wasting the little time he actually felt halfway decent lying around the castle, Lex had taken to the Beanery.

So earlier that afternoon, as he was sitting there nursing a bad cup of coffee, Clark had showed up. It had been nice to relax around his friend without having to worry about anything, such as haunted castles, the games between him and Victoria, and his father's ridiculous accusations. Though, their discussion of Clark's latest Lana woes was interrupted when Amy had come in. The girl had stuttered something about things going back to normal with Victoria gone and then made a hasty retreat when she learned the other woman was expected back at the mansion.

Lex would have preferred to return to Clark and his chat, after that short and slightly uncomfortable conversation. But Clark had mentioned that he'd noticed the girl was wearing a man's watch.

Lex had been somewhat skeptical at first. He'd known the Palmers for years, since Ann and Frank had started working for his father when Lex was only fifteen. But Amy had been acting somewhat strangely recently. And Lex had found her wandering around the mansion on several occasions, claiming to be helping her mother. Now, when he thought back on it, her change in behavior did seem to have started around the time he'd been diagnosed.

That was when she started having problems in school. That was when she'd started shutting herself up in her room. Ann had thought she was just having problems adjusting to the move from Metropolis. And since Lex had been diagnosed only a few weeks after the move, no one had seen the connection. In fact, no one had even suspected that a connection existed until Clark had noticed the watch. Then, the shrine they'd found in her room had confirmed it. The girl not only had an unhealthy obsession with Lex Luthor, but she was also willing to harm others who she felt threatened her place in his life. All of these events were the reason that Lex was now standing on his doorstep watching his housekeeper, his chauffer, and his gardener pack up the back of their SUV.

Lex let out a sigh, watching his breath disappear into the cold night air. He felt bad for the Palmers, he really did. But their leaving, though probably best for all concerned, was a major hassle. He had neither the time nor the energy to find and hire replacements. It wouldn't be that difficult to get another chauffer or gardener. But a new housekeeper was a different matter. A new housekeeper would probably have to be informed of his situation; therefore he'd have to find someone he could trust to keep their mouth shut.

He watched as Amy came up to him, her nervousness obvious by her constant fidgeting. "I just wanted to feel close to you." She said.

He gave her a thin smile, unsure of what to say to the young woman, who was for lack of a better word, stalking him. As Amy walked away and climbed into their car, Lex couldn't help but think that it was a shame. He caught the sight of Ann approaching him and turned to face her.

"Jeff is going to pack up anything else." Ann explained. "My husband will be back in the morning to pick it up." She paused for a minute, out of both uncertainty and embarrassment. "Again, Mr. Luthor, I."

"It's okay." Lex interrupted, stopping the poor woman from apologizing yet again. "It's okay. Drive safely."

Ann nodded her head then turned and climbed into the awaiting car.

Lex watched as two thirds of his staff drove off, and sighed. Once the car pulled out of the drive, he turned back to the house while pulling out his cell phone. He waited until the desk clerk picked up then said, "Yes, I'd like to leave a message for Victoria Hardwick." The words had no sooner left his mouth than the cell phone was jerked out of his hand. Startled, Lex spun around only to find no one behind him. He swallowed, trying to push down his fear. "Who's there?" He demanded. "Come out and show yourself."

He never saw the blow coming, but he felt it. He felt the fist connect squarely with his jaw, the force of it knocking him off his feet. He had tried to catch himself, but only managed to slightly slow his decent. The side of his head smacked off the concrete patio, leaving him dazed. His vision blurred and before he faded into unconsciousness, he felt two strong hands wrap around his wrists, dragging him into the castle.

************************************************************************

The first thing Lex was aware of was the throbbing, the throbbing in his jaw, his temple, and his tightly bound wrists. He blinked a few times, hoping to clear his vision. But through the fogginess he could still tell he was in the war room. The fingers of his right hand started to tingle, and he winced as he shifted, trying to restore the blood flow to his arm. As his head started to clear, he could hear someone mumbling in the background, but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He thought he recognized the voice, though. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Suddenly you care? Master Lex with his castle, his plant, his expensive cars. When did people ever matter to you?"

Lex knew that voice. "Jeff." Everything was coming together, now. Everything was making sense. He should have known. Amy wouldn't have been strong enough to almost drown Victoria. He looked around the room, trying to find the boy. But he couldn't see him. "Where are you?" He asked as he struggled to get up, flexing abdominal muscles that hadn't been overly exercised since November. Once he was upright, he somehow managed to get his feet underneath him, all the while listening to Jeff drone on about servants, and woodwork, and his parents. The boy wasn't making any sense. Lex never treated them like servants, at least not Jeff or Amy. But he never got a chance to argue, because he was silenced by a swift kick to the knee, which sent him plummeting back to the floor.

He grimaced as he rolled over, using his legs and bound hands to scoot across the floor. "What have I ever done to you?" He demanded, thankful when he felt the wall behind him.

"Not to me, to Amy." Jeff said. "She loved you and you threw her out like she was nothing!"

"I thought she was attacking Victoria." Lex replied. It was the truth. He never would have forced the Palmers to leave if Jeff hadn't started attacking Victoria. So, if the boy wanted to blame this mess on anyone, he had to turn to himself.

"That was me. I wanted to scare her. Make her leave. I wanted everything back the way it was for Amy. But you're not interested in love." Jeff snarled.

Lex could hardly believe what he was hearing. "That kind of love could get me arrested. She's a little young for me, Jeff!" He stated. His eyes widened as he watched one of his father's swords lift off the wall. He could feel the panic starting to bubble to the surface. This was not how he wanted to die, not by the hands of some psychotic teenager who was pissed that Lex didn't want to have a romantic relationship with his sister. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as the sword was swung through the air, before it came flying right at him. Lex squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head, not wanting to see where it hit him.

But by some miracle Jeff missed. And instead of impaling him, the sword embedded itself in the wall mere millimeters from his head. Lex turned and looked at the sword, whispering a small thanks to whoever might be listening. He tried to take a few deep breaths in order to calm himself. "Don't do this, Jeff." He said, the pleading in his voice noticeable to even his ears.

"Why not, Master Lex? Won't it be better this way?" Jeff asked. "Shouldn't I just put you out of your misery?"

But Lex never got a chance to answer, as Jeff grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. He wasn't sure how he heard it, but somehow Clark's voice cut through Jeff's tirade. "Clark!" Lex yelled, hoping that his friend could hear him. But even as he called out, Jeff was shoving him towards the wall. And as his head connected with the stone, he once again saw black.

************************************************************************

The next time Lex awoke it was to the touch of cold metal on his chest. He flinched away, wincing as pain shot through his body. He slowly peeled his eyes open and looked around, trying to gather his bearings. It was hard to hear anything through the pounding in his head, but he was vaguely aware of all the commotion going on around him. He tried to sit up, but was immediately pushed back down.

"Just relax, Mr. Luthor." An unfamiliar male voice said before shining a bright light in his eyes. "Can you tell me where you are?"

Lex blinked, trying to get rid of the sunspots that danced before his eyes. He looked around him again, the antiques lining the wall giving away his whereabouts. "The mansion." He answered. "Or more specifically, the war room." He let out a little laugh, though he wasn't quite sure what was funny.

"Can you follow my finger with your eyes?" The man asked as he stuck one of the gloved appendages in Lex's face.

Lex let out an annoyed sigh, but complied with the man. "Clark?" He called, certain that his friend was still there.

"Yeah, Lex?" Clark replied, moving into his friend's line of sight.

"I need you to find Gabby." Lex told him.

Clark frowned down at the other man. "Lex."

"Please, Clark." Lex said. "She left earlier this afternoon. I think she was going shopping or something. But I need you to call her, and tell her to come back to the mansion."

"Lex?" Clark asked, his confusion and concern evident in his voice. "Can't it wait till later? They need to take you to the hospital and."

Lex shook his head, immediately regretting the action as a wave of dizziness swept over him. "No. I'm not going to the hospital."

"Mr. Luthor." The paramedic interrupted. "Your friend's right. We need to bring you in to the hospital, do a head CT."

"No." Lex said firmly. He pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing at his body's protests and swatting away the attempts to keep him reclined. "I'm not going to the hospital." He told the paramedic before turning to look up at Clark. "Clark, my cell phone's in its charger on my desk. Would you please go get it?" He watched as Clark glanced between the paramedic and him before heaving a large sigh and exiting the room.

Once Clark left the room, Lex closed his eyes and leaned back against the nearby wall. God, he hurt. The pounding in his temples was almost too much to bear, and the throbbing in his jaw wasn't exactly pleasant either. There was also a distinct burn radiating from each of his wrists. He felt hands take one of his arms and start to unbutton the cuff of his shirt. He looked down and saw that the skin around his wrist was rubbed raw and even bleeding in some places.

"You really should consider going to the hospital, Mr. Luthor." The paramedic said, as he started treating the wounds. "You were unconscious for quite some time."

"Just dress the wounds." Lex replied, smiling as he saw Clark reenter the room, cell phone in hand. Lex took the phone in the hand the paramedic wasn't dressing and dialed Gabby's number. It rang twice before she picked up.

"Hello." Gabby called into her earpiece.

"Gabby." Lex said. "Where are you?"

"I just got off at the Smallville exit." She replied. "Why? What's wrong?"

"There was an accident at the mansion." He answered. "And I need you to get here as soon as possible."

"Are you alright?" She asked, as she knowingly increased the speed of her vehicle.

"A little banged up." Lex admitted. "But nothing too serious. I would just prefer it if you were here."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." She promised.

"Good. I'll see you then." And with that he hung up. Lex set his phone down before presenting his other wrist to the paramedic. "Thank you, Clark." He said as he gave his friend a small half smile.

"It's not a problem." Clark replied.

"Who's Gabby?" The paramedic asked.

"My assistant." Lex replied, wincing as the man wiped his cuts with alcohol. He looked back up at Clark, who was starring at him with a worried expression. "Where's Jeff?" He asked.

"Another team of paramedics already took him to the hospital." Clark said. "I kind of knocked him out."

Lex chuckled. "My personal hero. What would I do without you, Clark?" He drawled.

Clark smiled. "I don't know."

"Excuse me," Sheriff Waid said, successfully interrupting whatever else Clark was going to say. "We need to get your statement, Mr. Luthor."

Lex groaned. "What do you want to know, Sheriff?" He asked.

"Everything that you can remember." Waid replied.

Lex sighed. "I want to make one thing very clear, Sheriff. I do not want to file any charges against the guilty parties." He said firmly. When Waid nodded his head in consent, he continued. "Jeff Palmer, my housekeeper's son, was responsible for the vandalism and the attack on Victoria Hardwick. Earlier tonight, I fired the Palmers for personal reasons. When Jeff found out, he became upset and attacked me. That's all I remember." Lex lied.

"How do you know Jeff was the one who attacked Miss Hardwick and vandalized the room?" Waid asked.

Lex shrugged his shoulders. "He told me."

"When did he tell you?"

Lex smirked. "Right before he knocked me unconscious."

Waid nodded, before closing his notebook. "Thank you, Mr. Luthor. If we have anymore questions, we'll call you." And with that the man walked away.

By this time the paramedic had finished dressing Lex's wrists. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Luthor, you really should let us take you into the hospital."

Lex looked up to see Gabby come walking into the room, and smiled at the paramedic. "That won't be necessary."

"Lex!" Gabby called as she crossed the room and kneeled beside him. "What happened?" She asked. "You look like someone mistook your head for a punching bad."

"More like a battering ram." He joked, not quite sure where his good humor was coming from, because quite frankly he felt like shit.

"Is it alright to move him?" Gabby asked the paramedic. "He really shouldn't be sitting on this cold floor."

The man gave her a strange look, before replying. "Yes, it's alright to move him."

"Good." She said before turning back to Lex. "Come on, Lex, let's get you off the floor." She held out her hand for him, and helped pull him to his feet. He swayed a little, but managed to stay upright. "Clark, can you take him to his study?" She asked. "I'll be there in just a minute."

Clark nodded, before placing a hand on Lex's back and leading him out of the room, staying close in case his friend stumbled. Once the two were out of the room, Gabby turned back to the paramedic. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I'm Lex's private nurse. I'll make sure he's well taken care of."

The man was slightly taken back, but he recovered quickly. "You should probably know that he was unconscious for several minutes, but once he woke up, he was coherent." He told her as he began cleaning up his equipment.

Gabby nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him." She said. "Thanks for all your help."

"Not a problem." He replied.

Gabby gave him a small smile before heading to her 'medicine room.' She grabbed a couple cold compresses and a bottle of Tylenol then went down to Lex's study. When she entered the room, she saw Lex lying on the couch with his eyes closed and Clark sitting in the adjacent chair. She smiled at young man as she crossed the room. "Clark." She said. "Why don't you go on home? Lex will be fine." She watched uncertainty and concern flood his features, as he hesitated. "I promise you that he'll be alright." She said. "Besides, I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

Clark looked at her critically. He didn't really know this woman, but Lex seemed to trust her. So he figured that he could trust her as well. "Alright." He said as he rose off the couch. "But, just, let me know if anything happens."

"Of course," Gabby replied. She watched as Clark walked out of the room, before going over to the mini-fridge and retrieving a bottle of Ty Nant. She then made her way back to the couch and nudged Lex awake. "I can't let you go to sleep just yet, Lex." Gabby told him as he let out a groan. "Come on. Sit up." She instructed. "I have cold compresses and Tylenol."

Lex pushed himself into a somewhat upright position then accepted the drugs. He downed them with the aforementioned Ty Nant before slouching back down into the sofa. He lay on his side as he watched Gabby activated the two cold compresses. He took one and stuffed it under his throbbing jaw and placed the other on top of his pounding temple. He closed his eyes, losing the fight with his sudden weariness. "If you're not going to let me sleep, Gabby, then talk to me."

Gabby chuckled. "Alright." She replied. "I guess I could tell you about my day."

"Fantastic." He mumbled.

************************************************************************

Gabby wasn't sure how long she'd been talking when there was a knock at the door. She frowned, the recent events leaving her wary as to who would be visiting. She glanced quickly at Lex, who must have felt her looking at him, because he mumbled an "I'm wake." When there was another knock, Gabby let out a sigh before standing up and crossing the room to answer the door.

She couldn't help but smile at the person she found on the other side. "Hello, Chloe." She greeted. Though the two really didn't know each other very well, Gabby had come to like Chloe, if simply for the amount of time she'd spent visiting Lex while he was in the hospital. The girl had a certain way about her that seemed to lighten Lex's spirits. Which made her, in a way, the best medicine around.

"Hi, Gabby." Chloe replied. "I was wondering if I could talk to Lex." She noticed older woman's hesitation and added, "It'll just be for a minute."

"Sure." Gabby replied. "I need to use the restroom anyway. He's lying on the couch." She said, letting the girl enter the room as she slipped out.

Chloe slowly crossed the room and sat down in the chair beside the couch. She winced as she looked over the battered features of her friend. She'd been sitting there for a moment before ice blue eyes opened and locked with hers. "Hey, Lex." She said, giving him a small smile.

"Miss. Sullivan." Lex replied.

"I heard what happened." She explained. "So, I thought I'd come over and make sure you were alright."

Lex nodded slowly. "Clark?" He asked.

"Police scanner." She replied.

Lex raised an eyebrow at that.

"Hey, when you're a budding reporter you need to be on top of things." She said, happily.

"Of course."

"So." She drawled. "Clark Kent to the rescue again."

Lex smirked then winced at the pain that shot through his jaw. "He's becoming quite the savoir isn't he?"

Chloe smiled, causing her nose scrunch up. "We should start keeping a tally, see who he saves more, you or Lana."

"You wound my ego, Miss Sullivan." Lex replied.

Chloe shrugged. "I'm sure it'll recover." She quipped.

"Hmm." Lex murmured, his eyes falling closed under the weight of his lashes.

Chloe frowned, unable to help but notice that he was drifting off. "Well," she said. "I really can't stay long. I didn't tell my dad where I was going." When she didn't get a response Chloe stood up, pausing to look down at the man before her. She smiled as she kissed the tips of her fingers then gently placed them on his smooth forehead. "Bye, Lex." She whispered, before leaving the study.

TBC.