A/N:This is for autumngold, b/c she reviews here and at NS :D
11. Stubborn
Lex was in his study when he came in.
"Why didn't you tell me that she was alive?" There was a passion in his voice that Lex found he also possessed when taking about his new... roommate.
"She was waiting to tell you herself. How did you hear?"
"I overheard Lois and her talking. I seen her with my own eyes Lex." Although the man standing in front of him was his nemesis, Lex felt that he could find grief for him somewhere deep, deep, inside.
"Let her tell you herself though... Superman. Its a part of her healing process. It will help her escape her depression."
"She's... She's depressed?" The former farm-boy looked at him sadly. God he was dense.
"Of course she is. She lost everything three months ago. Her life; Gabe, her father. Everything. Life's not roses for her anymore Superman." Lex looked out the window at the sound of a car. "You should be leaving now. She's back."
Superman nodded. "I'll let her heal. She can tell me when she's ready." He said, before he was gone.
'I hate it when he does that.'
"Lex?" She was calling him, and calling him and he wasn't answering. He was home. She wasn't in the mood to go find him.
"I'm here Chloe." He called from the back of the penthouse. She followed were his voice was coming from, and found him reclining on the couch. "How did it go?"
Horrible. Anything but fine. Lois hates me. I want the earth to swallow me whole. I'm a horrible person. The words tried to bubble to the surface, and failed. The only thing that came out was tears. They ran out and she couldn't stop them. Lex sat up and offered her a seat.
When she took it, he wrapped his arms around her and held her. She cried a lot since they came back. Since the explosion. She cried herself to sleep. She woke up crying, Lex was always there to hold her. Lex holding her was the only thing that was keeping her together. He was her glue. She needed him. He kept her in one piece.
"I'm guessing this is a bad day?"
"She hates me."
"That's never stopped you before." He soothed her, and softly ran his fingers through her hair.
A fresh set of tears erupted down her cheeks and onto Lex's silk shirt. 'That was unexpected. I figured that her family would have been more supportive and glad to see her.'
"She'll realize what she's done I'm sure." 'Clark will help set her straight.'
"I hope so, I really missed her." She said softly. Almost too softly. If he wasn't touching her, if he wasn't so close to her, he wouldn't have known she had spoken.
"So Clark's next?"
"No."
Did he miss a memo or something? They were going to go to Smallville before seeing Clark?
"What do you mean no? I thought that was the plan." He didn't want to push her, if he did he could lose her forever. That would be worse than her actually dying in that explosion.
"I mean, 'No' as in 'No I'm not telling anybody else. They'll all react the same way as Lois. I can't go through that again."
"How did she react? I haven't heard the whole story yet Chlo'."
"She... " Her voice cracked. "She told me that...." Her voice trailed away. She didn't want to say the words aloud apparently. He thought sadly.
"What did she tell you honey?"
Chloe took a deep breath. "She told me that it would have been better if I hadn't survived."
There she had said it. The bomb was dropped and there was going to be nuclear radiation effecting everything around her. Around those words. Life sucked.
"Clark is smarter than that Chloe. He won't over react like Lois. He only lost you. Lois lost her uncle as well." He kissed her forehead. "Don't be so stubborn."
"I'm not stubborn." 'How dare he?'
"Are so. Prove to me that you aren't. Go finish explaining things to your friends. Lois will come around."
"Fine." She said crossing her arms under her chest. 'I'm so not stubborn.' "I'm not stubborn though." She declared.
"Alright you aren't stubborn."
"That's right. And don't you forget it Mister. Or you'll be sleeping on the couch. With no pillows." She said.
'I'm not stubborn.' She thought stubbornly. 'Oh God. I am stubborn! I won't admit it to Lex, he'd never let me live it down now.'
11. Stubborn
Lex was in his study when he came in.
"Why didn't you tell me that she was alive?" There was a passion in his voice that Lex found he also possessed when taking about his new... roommate.
"She was waiting to tell you herself. How did you hear?"
"I overheard Lois and her talking. I seen her with my own eyes Lex." Although the man standing in front of him was his nemesis, Lex felt that he could find grief for him somewhere deep, deep, inside.
"Let her tell you herself though... Superman. Its a part of her healing process. It will help her escape her depression."
"She's... She's depressed?" The former farm-boy looked at him sadly. God he was dense.
"Of course she is. She lost everything three months ago. Her life; Gabe, her father. Everything. Life's not roses for her anymore Superman." Lex looked out the window at the sound of a car. "You should be leaving now. She's back."
Superman nodded. "I'll let her heal. She can tell me when she's ready." He said, before he was gone.
'I hate it when he does that.'
"Lex?" She was calling him, and calling him and he wasn't answering. He was home. She wasn't in the mood to go find him.
"I'm here Chloe." He called from the back of the penthouse. She followed were his voice was coming from, and found him reclining on the couch. "How did it go?"
Horrible. Anything but fine. Lois hates me. I want the earth to swallow me whole. I'm a horrible person. The words tried to bubble to the surface, and failed. The only thing that came out was tears. They ran out and she couldn't stop them. Lex sat up and offered her a seat.
When she took it, he wrapped his arms around her and held her. She cried a lot since they came back. Since the explosion. She cried herself to sleep. She woke up crying, Lex was always there to hold her. Lex holding her was the only thing that was keeping her together. He was her glue. She needed him. He kept her in one piece.
"I'm guessing this is a bad day?"
"She hates me."
"That's never stopped you before." He soothed her, and softly ran his fingers through her hair.
A fresh set of tears erupted down her cheeks and onto Lex's silk shirt. 'That was unexpected. I figured that her family would have been more supportive and glad to see her.'
"She'll realize what she's done I'm sure." 'Clark will help set her straight.'
"I hope so, I really missed her." She said softly. Almost too softly. If he wasn't touching her, if he wasn't so close to her, he wouldn't have known she had spoken.
"So Clark's next?"
"No."
Did he miss a memo or something? They were going to go to Smallville before seeing Clark?
"What do you mean no? I thought that was the plan." He didn't want to push her, if he did he could lose her forever. That would be worse than her actually dying in that explosion.
"I mean, 'No' as in 'No I'm not telling anybody else. They'll all react the same way as Lois. I can't go through that again."
"How did she react? I haven't heard the whole story yet Chlo'."
"She... " Her voice cracked. "She told me that...." Her voice trailed away. She didn't want to say the words aloud apparently. He thought sadly.
"What did she tell you honey?"
Chloe took a deep breath. "She told me that it would have been better if I hadn't survived."
There she had said it. The bomb was dropped and there was going to be nuclear radiation effecting everything around her. Around those words. Life sucked.
"Clark is smarter than that Chloe. He won't over react like Lois. He only lost you. Lois lost her uncle as well." He kissed her forehead. "Don't be so stubborn."
"I'm not stubborn." 'How dare he?'
"Are so. Prove to me that you aren't. Go finish explaining things to your friends. Lois will come around."
"Fine." She said crossing her arms under her chest. 'I'm so not stubborn.' "I'm not stubborn though." She declared.
"Alright you aren't stubborn."
"That's right. And don't you forget it Mister. Or you'll be sleeping on the couch. With no pillows." She said.
'I'm not stubborn.' She thought stubbornly. 'Oh God. I am stubborn! I won't admit it to Lex, he'd never let me live it down now.'