Experiment 001

Chapter 12: Two Hours Prior

Lex woke around 6:30 a.m. He stretched and became instantly aware that he had slept badly. He arched his back and brought his hands to wipe the sleep from his eyes when he remembered exactly why he had slept so badly. He jerked into a sitting position, completely ignoring his protesting muscles, "Alley?" He called fearfully. When he received no response he pushed himself to his feet and called more loudly, "Alley, answer me!" Even if she was in another room she should be able to hear him...she could hear a pin drop a mile away. "Alley!"

"No need to shout, Alex."

Lex nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to see Alley brushing her dripping hair, with a smile on her face. He took a breath to slow the beating of his heart, and smiled, "Hey, don't do that. How did you get away without me noticing? And are you okay?"

Alley smiled, "Cause I know you. And yeah, I will be. Just got to re-quaw-sha. Get the...blood....moving?"

"Flowing, but close enough. What do you mean, you know me? I'm probably the lightest sleeper on the planet how did you walk across this hardwood floor and I not wake up?" He wore a smile to make sure Alley would know that he was joking.

Alley closed her eyes and seemed to grow a few inches. "Who said anything about walking?"

Lex looked at her feet and shook his head. "I wouldn't stay like that for long, someone might take notice."

Alley shrugged. "It helps. Just like the sun. Makes those rocks get out of my system quicker. I've been running around all morning. Still feel hot and cold together, but most of it is gone. I believe he just wanted to make me not able to fight."

Lex nodded, the smile vanishing and taking his light mood with it. "I'm sorry. I should have been there. I knew I shouldn't have let you go alone. I don't want you going anywhere alone."

"I don't want to go anywhere alone. But I have to go to school. I have to find Pete. I have to...to thank him."

Lex smiled, "Thank him, yes. Though it might help if you actually said something about your feelings. Not that I'm prying into your life or anything."

Alley blushed, "Tell him? I'll start rambling in Kryptonian, and he'll laugh at me. Besides...he..."

"I could always tell him for you."

"CY!!!! You wouldn't dare!"

Lex laughed, "Course not. But after what happened here last night—"

"He probably doesn't want to ever see me again."

Lex smiled, "You want to go talk to him. I'll take you. Finish getting ready, I'll be waiting."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll go talk to him for you."

She stuck out her tongue, "Frushau."

Lex smiled, "Such language."

Alley smiled, "Jor-El would kill me if he heard me."

Lex smiled, "I might not be the better teacher, but at least I'm more fun." He saw Alley smile and continued, "What does Kal-El mean?"

Alley looked away and started to brush her hair again, "I-I have to finish getting ready. I wa-want to be there early enough to talk to Pete."

"Alli-Oxah, talk to me. Tsukai. You have been avoiding that question for days."

"Kal-El is the reason I was sent here, Alex." She lowered her head, "I didn't do what I was supposed to. He was so little, I-I was supposed to help him. I-I messed up. The ship didn't work right." Tears started to gather in her eyes, "I didn't do it right. And he was all alone."

"He?!" Lex asked, he put his hands on her shoulders, and as the first tear started to fall, he wiped it away. "Kal-El is a he?"

"Jor-El's only son."

"What?!"

"I was sent here to make sure Krypton stayed alive. To make sure that someone knew that it had existed. And to make sure that someone lived. To make the computer wrong. To maybe one day get justice for what was done. Krypton was a noble planet, Alex. And I won't let anyone disgrace that. We allowed ourselves to be fooled, but you can not damn us for one mistake. Even if it cost us everything. We let our ignorance rule. We trusted when we should not have. Unfortunately, trust is something Kryptonians give long before it is earned, that is just how we are. Alex, everything is confusing. Kal-El doesn't know anything he's supposed to. I failed. And I don't know how to fix it. I don't even know if I can. He thinks that Kryptonian's were monsters. I can't let him keep thinking that. I can't tell you any more, Alex. I'm sorry. But I just can't. No one can know about Kal-El. Frampson can't get him. I failed once, I won't fail again. I held him, rocked him, sang him to sleep. He was an infant. His father taught me, and when he was old enough, I was to teach him."

So many thoughts flitted through Lex's mind. One in particular that he had suspected for over three years. But it was shot down at her last sentence. "Kal-El is younger than you?"

Alley nodded, "By seven years." She shrugged, "Or close enough. Seven on Krypton. It gets messed up. Days were longer, years where shorter, it about evens out. But not exactly."

"Alley, tell—"

"Will you just trust me that I can't?"

"Will you at least tell me why?"

"Let me protect you, for once?"

Lex nodded, "I don't like secrets, Alley."

"Then it's not a secret. It's just waiting to be told."

"When?"

"When this is over. When I can not be afraid. When I know that it won't hurt you."

Lex didn't like the thought of her having do deal with this alone. He protected her, not the other way around. "And when will that be?"

"Soon."

Alley wouldn't look him in the eye. She didn't like to keep secrets, she never had. The only conclusion Lex could draw was that she was trying to protect Kal-El. Seven years...eleven. An eleven year old, how was an eleven year old boy supposed to deal with being told that he was from another planet? She felt guilty for not doing what she was supposed to. "Alley it wasn't your fault! Frampson is the one who made you lose everything. Jor-El would forgive you."

Alley gave a weak smile. "I should finish getting ready. I need to get to school."

"Alley, don't run away."

"I'm not. I won't let Frampson control me. I have to go to school. He won't see me weak."

Lex nodded. "I'll be waiting."

A/N: I thought that I would make all of you sweat for just a while longer. Next week I'll give more on Pete's little slip. I hope the title helps, but this actually happened before Alley was brought to school. This chapter was twice as long, cause it included what happened with Pete and Chloe and Alley...but I decided to wait on that. Next week people. That's all. Be patient. I just watched the behind the scenes thing for Smallville. It was interesting. Michael Rosenbaum is so sexy. I love Lex. Clark Kent...::shrugs:: not my type. But the special was informative. I've always thought that Lex just wanted someone to care, I mean REALLY care. That's why I came up with Alley. Too bad...you think I could change this into a script form, fix the little errors that have come up due to new info from the eps, and send it in? I mean, wait till I finish the entire thing before you really decide, but yeah. Sigh...I don't think it would work so well without Pete though. And I refuse to change her interest to Clark, I mean, to her Clark is the baby she sang to sleep and changed diapers for....ew. But I'm glad Chloe really didn't die. The whole Lois thing bothers me. But...yeah. Please review. Tell me what you think so far. This fic is slowly coming to an end. But I find that I need to say a lot more about the Lex/Alley relationship and the Pete/Alley one. Hmmm....I have some thinking to do.

Please review!