Reasons, a smallville fanfic

Title: Reasons

Author: Sassy

Rating: PG

Pairing: Lex and Lana

Disclaimer: Still don't own them, although Michael Rosenbaum would be nice to own.

Summary: Set after the Season Three Finale, Lana hears about Lex being poisoned and returns to Smallville to make things right. It's a one-parter.

Reasons

Lana Lang had gotten on the airplane. She was flying to Paris first class upon Lex's insistence. She settled into the leather seat, only a degree more comfortable than the scratchy woolen covered seats in coach, and closed her eyes. The plane had been in the air for five minutes and she already missed everyone terribly. Especially Lex Luthor. He had been such a wonderful friend to her and for almost two years she had been harboring a secret crush on the bald billionaire. She didn't understand the feelings she had towards him, so she had never told anyone else. Besides, it's not like it would have mattered. Lex was twenty-three and a spoiled billionaire. He could have anyone he wanted and it definitely wouldn't be a seventeen-year-old, small town orphan. Lana paused her thoughts for a moment, trying to clear them. Was that what she wanted? For Lex to want her? Yeah. Like that would ever happen. She had Lex's friendship and she would never ask for more. She wouldn't even hope for it. Still, Lex's words echoed in her head over and over again.

"Maybe I'll see you on the Champs-Elysees…I haven't been to Paris in a couple of years and now I have a reason to go."

Did he have a reason? Would he come to Paris just to visit her? Would he be able to bring a little bit of home to her? Would he want to? Lana sighed and chewed nervously on her lip. The stewardess touched her shoulder gently and Lana barely heard the question she had been asked.

"A sprite, please."

The stewardess offered her a fake smile and handed her the drink before moving on. Lana needed to move on. She couldn't think about Lex for the whole plane ride. She was nothing more than a love-sick puppy. And if she thought about Lex the whole time, she would end up missing him even more. She didn't want that. Then again, there wasn't anything better to do. There rarely was anything better to do than think about Lex.

Lex Luthor poured himself a glass of scotch as he stood in solitude in his office. He'd never felt this isolated, not for many years. He'd gotten used to having friends that weren't only interested in him for his money. He'd lost them, though. Clark Kent was off pouting because Lex was interested in the supernatural. He just wanted Clark to trust him. He wasn't trying to violate Clark's trust, not really. He hadn't intended to hurt Clark. Lex was just too curious for his own good. On top of Clark hating him, Lana had left. Lana, who he had been able to go to when he was upset or frustrated or angry or happy, had left for Paris. It would be a good experience for her. She needed to escape the tiny town that he had found peace in, peace that she had never been given in Smallville. He had to be happy for her. He couldn't wish her back here. He'd been the one who had let her go. His mind flashed to the embrace they'd shared. He'd never felt so at ease then when he was with Lana at that moment. He was hers. She just didn't know it. Lex took a gulp from his glass. He would try anything to forget her and give anything to never forget her. He was full of contradictions at the moment. Just like he had been when he'd talked to his father in the prison cell. If his father really was dying, maybe he should be allowed out of prison. But Lex had quickly pushed that thought out of his mind when the realization that Lionel would only hurt more people if he were free. Even if they were Lionel's last moments. Chloe and Clark had seemed so brave to him, no fear of going against the invincible Lionel Luthor. They were teenagers and they were willing to give up everything, Chloe had even given up her home to testify against Lionel. So Lex had gone to the courtroom and watched as his friends or ex-friends testify against his father and stood by them. Now Lex was left alone in his office with no other friends but his scotch. Pathetic. He took another sip and noticed that something seemed off with the drink. It tasted a bit odd, like there was something in it. Lex coughed as the understanding hit him. His father had reaches far beyond his own. He was dying. He was being slowly poisoned. Lex fell back into the glass table, unable to stay upright. The glass spilled its contents on him as he fell backwards and the glass shards dug into his skin like thousands of little knives pricking him. He didn't cry or scream. He just lay quietly, waiting for death to come. Lana.

She entered her new dorm room, expecting drab white walls and curtainless windows. Instead, she walked into a wonderland of pink and blue. Lex. She grinned as she hurried into the room, spinning in wonder at the beautifully decorated room. It had to be Lex's doing. Lana flopped backwards onto the bed, wondering what Lex was doing in Smallville. He was probably celebrating the incarceration of his father. She had left the day his father's trial was scheduled. She had wanted to stay and be there for him, but Lex had insisted he didn't need her there. She needed to go on to Paris before the classes started. So she had left with a sweet goodbye to Lex. Lana sighed. She would miss Smallville. It had been her home for as long as she could remember. She would go back someday, she knew, but she had all kinds of opportunities at this school. She could receive an excellent education here. She could learn about a new culture and she would by anonymous. She wouldn't be forced into this box that Lana Lang was supposed to fit in. No one else knew her here. She was anonymous and new. She liked that feeling. She flipped on the TV that had been provided for her, not wishing to think about Smallville anymore. Everything was in French, so she was a little lost. She spoke French, but not fluently. As she flipped aimlessly through show after show, she got the oddest feeling. Something was wrong. She reached for the phone and dialed Lex's number. She had promised to call him when she'd gotten there. And maybe he would know if something was wrong in Smallville. Or at least he could put her worries at ease. So much for forgetting about Smallville. Unfortunately, the phone just rang and rang and rang. Maybe his batteries were dead. Or maybe he had his phone turned off. She turned back to the TV and found that she had landed on the news.

"Lex Luthor est alle a l'hopital après…"

Lana jumped off her bed, nearly knocking the television off its stand. She didn't hear the rest of the report; all she needed to know was that Lex was in the hospital. What had happened? She rushed back down to the street, no longer caring about her new school or her chance to become a new person. She had to get back to Smallville. It had been a mistake to leave. Look what had happened.

Lana hurried through the corridors of the hospital. She looked tired, but then again, she had been on a plane for hours, traveling back and forth from Paris. She looked for any of her friends, like Clark. Clark would be there for Lex, but there was no sign of him. Or Chloe. Lana wondered why no one was here for Lex. She finally stopped at the nurses' station to ask about Lex's room. She'd given up on finding someone there for him. The nurse gave her the oddest look, like why would she tell Lana where Lex was.

"You aren't the first teenage girl to ask about Mr. Luthor, miss. And like you, you'll have to wait until the news gives a report on his health or the recent magazine comes out with his story to find out."

"No, you don't understand. I'm Lana Lang. I'm his friend."
"I'm sure you are."

The nurse dismissed her immediately. Lana sighed, exasperated. Who was she supposed to ask to get Lex's room number? He needed someone with him. She needed to be with him. She started looking in every room on the floor until she finally found Lex. He was lying rigidly in bed, no sign of life except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. He looked sick and helpless. She'd never seen Lex look so vulnerable, except maybe when she'd found him on the ledge calling out to his dead baby brother. She watched him through the window for a moment, unable to enter the room. If she went in there, this whole situation would be real. She wanted Lex to be healthy, sitting at his desk with that know-it-all smirk he always wore. She didn't want to see him lying in a hospital bed, unconscious or worse, with a look of helplessness on his face. She glanced around her and saw that a nurse was heading her way. She had to go inside before someone escorted her from the hospital premises for stalking him. She put her hand on the door and took a deep breath. She had to go in then or she would never see him.

Lana's head lulled to the side, her hair falling onto his hand. She'd been in the hospital room for hours, never leaving his side. She'd finally fallen asleep around one in the morning in the most uncomfortable position, but she never noticed. Her silky black hair tickled his palm enough to make his hand move. Soon, his eyes were open to see what the intruding object was. His eyes widened as he saw Lana asleep in his hospital room.

"Lana?" He whispered her name reverently. He didn't want to disturb her, but his saying her name was enough to awaken her.

"Lex! You're awake!"

"Yeah, but my stomach hurts like hell." His voice was scratchy, but Lana had never heard a sweeter sound or complaint.
"That's probably because they pumped it. There was poison in your alcohol, Lex."

"Courtesy of my father."

"Really? The doctors thought it might have been attempted suicide."
"Not hardly. I know my father's in prison, but his reaches are far beyond prison walls."

Lana nodded, trying to grasp a world where sons put their fathers in prisons who in turn poisoned their sons. She had such a picturesque notion of parents, since her memories were so few. She never really had parents, so she expected them all to be like Jonathan and Martha Kent. She knew Lex and his father didn't get along, but she'd never really understood fully their relationship. She wasn't sure she wanted to anymore.

"Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this. It's probably dashing all your notions of families."

Lana shrugged nonchalantly, like she hadn't been shocked.

"I want you to tell me. You have to tell someone."

He smiled slightly, his lips still a little black from the charcoal they'd pushed down his throat.

"What are you doing here, Lana?" He asked as an afterthought. She was supposed to be in Paris. His brain was foggy, but not that foggy.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."
"Didn't I pay for a plane ticket to send you to Paris?"
"Yes. And you paid for a plane ticket back to Smallville, too." Lana laughed lightly, trying to downplay her return.

"Oh, I did? I thought that emergency fund I set up for you was for emergencies only."
"You being in the hospital doesn't count?"

"I suppose it does, but how did you know?"

"I had the oddest feeling when I got to my beautifully decorated room in Paris. Like something was wrong."

"So you flew how many miles to make sure everything was all right?"

"No. I called you and you didn't answer. Then I turned on the TV and it said Lex Luthor was in a local hospital. I flew home immediately."

"Ah, so I made the news. How exciting."

"But not unusual."

They fell quiet and Lex glanced down to see his hand entwined with Lana's. He liked the feeling of her small hand in his, but the minute she saw what he was looking at, she tried to pull it away. He held his grip tight, not allowing her to move it. He closed his eyes again, feeling like it was okay to relax with Lana there with him.

"I'm so tired."
"It's probably the medicine."

"Probably." He paused before asking another question, "Is Chloe okay?"

"Chloe? Why?"
"If my father got to me, he may have gotten to her."

Lana's eyes widened as she realized Lex could be right.
"I haven't talked to her since I got back. I'll go find her while you sleep."

"Okay."

Lana straightened and bent over to kiss his forehead. Lex smiled and turned his head to watch her leave. Lana was perfect. She always would be.

Lana stopped at the nurses' station again, wondering if it would be as futile to ask if Chloe was there as it had been when she'd asked about Lex. She'd tried Chloe's cell phone and received many out-of-service recordings. That worried her more than she could express.

"What room is Chloe Sullivan in? I've been living with her and her father the last year."

"She's in the burn unit, Miss. Room 17."

"Burn unit?"
"Yes."

"What about Mr. Sullivan?"

"There is no Mr. Sullivan here. Only a Miss Chloe Sullivan."

Lana's heart broke. Something was seriously wrong with Chloe. And her father was no where to be seen.

"Which way to the burn unit?"

"It's upstairs, floor 3."

"Thank you."

The nurse nodded curtly and Lana headed to the elevator.

Chloe's face was barely recognizable. The burns on her face were horrible. They had her in a plastic tent and oxygen was being flowed into it. Chloe's eyes were open, but they were empty. Lana walked inside, approaching Chloe carefully.

"Chloe?"
"Lana." Her voice broke and tears fell down her face. Apparently the salty water burned her wounds even more, which made her cry more.

"Oh, Chloe, what happened?"

"There was a bomb at the house we were supposed to be safe at. My dad-my dad's gone, Lana. He died."

"Chloe, I'm so sorry."
"Guess we're the same now. Orphans." Her voice was full of bitterness and anger. Lana could hardly blame her.

"What happened?"
"Lionel Luthor was ticked that I helped keep him in jail so he punished us."
"Lex is downstairs. He was poisoned."

"Well, at least he's alive. That's more than I can say for my dad. He didn't sign up for this, Lana. I did. I agreed to help Lionel a year ago just because I was mad at Clark. And now my dad's dead, I have no where to go and I'm covered with second and first degree burns."

"It'll be okay, Chloe."
"No, it won't. It will never be okay. It can never be okay."

"I'm so sorry."
"Stop saying that. I don't want your pity."

"I don't pity you, Chloe. I just am sorry I wasn't there."

Chloe turned her head, no longer able to look at Lana's perfect face. She was deformed now and looking at Miss Perfect wasn't helping. Lana and her perfect life. Well, Chloe would never have a perfect life. She would never be the same.
"Just leave me alone, Lana. I can't talk to you."

"I'll come back, Chloe."
"Please don't."

Lana's heart broke at the sentence. Chloe was angry with her. It wasn't her fault, but Chloe blamed her for some reason.

"Okay." Lana left the room, with another look back at Chloe. Chloe didn't look at her.

Lana had gone back to Lex's mansion to stay overnight. She needed to rest and take a shower and think. She didn't really have a place to go, so she figured Lex wouldn't mind if she stayed there for a night. She'd been right. The servants helped her as much as they could, bringing her food and clothes to wear. Now she was back at the hospital in Lex's room. He seemed more alert and the black smudges on his lips were gone. He was eating hospital food, a new experience for him.

"This stuff is disgusting."

"Yes, I bet it is."

"It's better than that charcoal, though."
"I bet it is."

Lana was sitting on his bed, a faraway look in her eyes. She looked worried and disturbed and upset. This was the least interesting conversation he'd ever had with her. Something was wrong.

"Lana, what is it?"

"Chloe."

"Did you find her?"
"Yeah. I found her. She's in the burn unit. Her father's dead. Their safe house was rigged to explode."

Lex knew it was his father's doing. He hated Lionel so much, he was glad he hadn't let his father out due to his illness. Lex was glad Lana had gone to Paris that day, though. Lana could have been killed in that safe house. She had been staying with the Sullivans, she would have gone to the safe house too. She could have been killed. But as he saw the guilt and pain on Lana's face, he knew she realized it too. And she regretted not being there. Lex pushed his tray away from his bed and pulled Lana closer to him.

"I'm glad you're okay. You could have been hurt, too."

"Yeah, I could have been hurt."

"Don't be sorry that you weren't there."

"But if I had been there…"
"Maybe you could have stopped it? No one knew what my father did. I didn't know. If I had, I would have stopped them from going into that house and I wouldn't have drunk that scotch."

"She's an orphan now."
"Well, she's in good company. I only wish I were so lucky."

Lana's eyes flashed anger and pain. He'd never seen Lana with such a reaction.
"Don't say that. You're father may be horrible and evil, but at least you had one."
"Sometimes I think it would have been better if I didn't."
"You have no idea what it's like to have no parents. Don't ever wish for it."

"I'm sorry, Lana. I wasn't trying to hurt you. But my father is an evil man."
"And he's in prison for it."
"And we see how well that worked out for all of us. We're in the hospital. The only thing I'm thankful for is that you weren't injured." He didn't say hurt, because she was. She was emotionally hurt. He could sense it from a mile away.

"Don't worry about Chloe, Lana. I'll see that she's taken care of."

"She hates me, you know. I went to see her and she wanted me to leave."
"She's probably pretty angry with everyone right now. You just have to give her a chance to heal."

"What about you?"
"I'm all healed up. Just a few cuts from that glass I fell on, but my father had nothing to do with that."

Lana sighed loudly, her lip quivering. Lex watched her fascinated by the responsibility she felt for other people's pain. He'd never known someone who cared about people that much.

"When are you going back to Paris, Lana?"

"I'm not."

"Why not?"

"I'm gone for a day and Smallville goes to hell. I'll be staying here. You all need me. Even you."

"I never said I didn't need you. I said it would be a good experience for you to go."
"And I went." She stopped and stared down at him as she rewound what he said in her head. His blue eyes showed the depth of his feelings, she could almost touch how deeply he felt for her. Still, she had to make sure.

"Did you just say you needed me?"
"Of all the people I know, I need you most."

Lana's eyes glittered with happiness for a moment, her entire face suddenly relaxed and joyful.

"When I heard you were in the hospital, Lex, I was so scared you were going to die."

"Well, I'm a little too stubborn to die so young. I don't rule the world yet."

Lana laughed delightedly.

"And you're not even thirty. You have a few years to go."

Lex lifted his hand up to touch Lana's chin. He cupped her cheek before pulling her down for a gentle, sweet kiss. His first real kiss with Lana Lang. She tasted of strawberries and whip cream, a taste that brought back good memories. Lex realized how involved he was in Lana's life and how much he wanted her to stay in Smallville with him. He didn't want to say good bye to her again and it didn't look like he was going to have to. Lana pulled away as the feelings of kissing Lex Luthor spread over her. She was tingling. She'd never tingled after a kiss before. She shared a smile with him before she curled up next to him on the hospital bed. No, she wouldn't go back to Paris, despite the beautiful room and opportunities that waited for her there. She had opportunities here. And she could always redecorate her room. She didn't need to be in another country to have them. Plus, she had Lex here.