Part 12: Fertiliser

Lana knocked on the door to Chloe's hospital room.

She had not seen Clark since the previous day when the paramedics checked them over and told them they could go home. Clark had offered her the spare bedroom at his house seeing as she wouldn't be sleeping in her usual abode for a while but she had declined the offer saying she needed a little break from the craziness that is Clark Kent's life. Lana saw that this clearly upset him but told him that she would stop by and see him later on.

"Hey there Chloe, you feeling any better?" Looks like she's the one that might need a butt skin graft.

"A bit. I have to keep these cool packs on for a few days to reduce the risk of scaring." I heard some doctors outside my room talking about experimental skin grafts, possibly something about my butt?

"I'm sure you'll look just great when they're done with you here" Lana comforted. This is mightily weird. I don't even know what to say to her, she practically had her hand down my pants just yesterday.

"I like your flowers"

"Me too. My favourites are the roses Pete gave to me. He said I'd like them on two accounts, firstly cos they're pretty and secondly cos they were grown with some fertiliser derived from meteor rocks, they're meant to glow in the dark or something. He said that even my flowers should be meteor freaks." Pete's just so thoughtful.

Looking across at the roses brought back a painful memory for Lana,

***Flashback***

"Ah Crap!" I utter as my finger shoots to my lips. Nice way to show how much you care Clark. Give the girl a rose with thorns on. I personally doubt he was going for the symbolic 'take the good along with the bad' meaning, more like the 'Clark = insensitive dumbass' meaning. The blood seems to have stopped trickling from my finger as I hold it up to the light to regard the most recent scar courtesy of our good friend Mr. Kent.

"Sometimes I just wish I knew what it's like to be Clark Kent" I whisper to the deserted Talon. "Guess I'll never know."

***End Flashback***

Lana looks down at the short cut on the tip of her index finger and then mouths the words she said again.

So it really was my fault then, not Clark. Didn't see that coming.

Lana strolled over to the bouquet and started inspecting it.

"Lana, what are you doing?"

"Just checking for thorns, I don't want you to go hurting yourself" or making any off-hand wishes.

Satisfied that the roses were thorn free Lana wanted to leave. "I should be going, I have a shift at the Talon." Liar, you just want to get away from her. It's not entirely lying; it's not a shift at the Talon I have to leave for, however it does involve my business partner. I sure am glad Clark didn't find out about that.

"Bye then Lana"

Lana turns away and reaches for the door before turning back. "I nearly forgot, I bought you a present."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah" Lana retrieves something small from her jacket pocket and hands it to a shocked Chloe. "Clark said it was your favourite flavour."

She's my friend, yet I do this to her. I think 'friend' is a little kind, after all what type of friend goes and tries to seduce the guy she knows you like, the guy who you were heartbroken over because of a trashed date only the day before? Answer: an ex-friend

Lana bent down and whispered to her ear, "They did a great job with your hair as well."

Pulling back, Chloe saw the knowing look in Lana's eyes. Shit, she knows and I don't think I'm going to get the same 'didn't recognise her' treatment as before.

"If you don't want a special edition of the Torch to be printed then you'll stay away from him, understand? We can all stay 'friends' just as long as you remember that he's mine and that your deluded crush is not going to stand between us anymore so keep your hands to yourself and get over it." Lana almost growled the last part. It's about time someone told that whiney, self-delusional cry baby the truth. "Just in case we're unclear, he doesn't love you and never has." Way to twist the knife. I think that I was maybe a little over-zealous with the truth sprinkles but at least now we know where we stand. Hehe, I like being a bitch sometimes, makes a change. Bwah, Bwah, Bwahahahaha! Stop it.

"We're clear." Holy crap, who knew Lana could be so.so un-Lanalike? Does this mean I'm Lana's bitch now?

Lana nodded and exited, leaving a stunned Chloe in her wake.

Getting into her truck Lana looked especially pleased with herself. Now it's time to have my cake and eat it.

- Luthor Mansion -

Lana strolled into Lex's study to find him sat on a couch infront of a roaring fire.

"You're late" Lex remarked as he got up to greet her, sly smile etched across his face.

"Sorry, I had some pressing business to attend to." Pressing a pillow over Chloe's face kind of business.

"That's alright," Lex reached down, grabbed her by her hips and pulled her roughly against him, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "I'm sure we can find a way for you to make it up to me."

Lex is such a great guy; I just don't know how I didn't realise it before.

As romantic music picked up in the background and the lights dimmed, Lana's arms wound around Lex's neck and their faces edged slowly together. Lana breathed in the heady scent of his cologne and splayed her hands across his back as Lex's hands moved slightly lower.

Lex and Lana's eyelids fluttered shut as his head dipped lower.