TITLE: Double, Double, Love & Trouble? – Chapter 3
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)
SUMMARY: Rewrite from the end of the episode 'Unsafe.'
SPOILERS: Everything!
DISCLAIMER: All Smallville character belong to their respective whatever, the WB, etc. etc.
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile:)
DEDICATION: To all the fellow Nuns, writers, reviewers, and readers at NWP, and of course Jensen!
RANT: Sorry I'm not writing as quickly as I used to. Real life really does not give you much time! But I am trying.

He opened the door to her apartment and actually wasn't happy it was not locked. But then again with what he had heard about Alicia, a locked door wouldn't have stopped her. He saw her jump at the sound of the door closing behind him. "Lana…" he said softly. She turned around and his heart broke at her tear stained face.

He quickly walked the few steps it took to get to her. She almost collapsed into his arms. Warm drops of water soaked his shirt as his arms held her. His hands caressed the back of her head. He mumbled comforting words into her ear as he rocked her lightly back and forth.

She sniffed into his chest, and then shook her head trying to clear it. She swallowed hard and pulled her head back to look up at him. "Thanks."

He put a few strands of hair behind her ear. "No need. Do you want to talk about…" He didn't need to finish because she nodded and pulled him towards the couch. He sat down, and she curled up next to his side, laying her head on his chest, her legs out to the side. His arm came out around her, holding her to him. His other took hold of her other hand. They sat there for a few minutes, just each looking at their intertwined fingers. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

She took a deep breath. "I don't know."

He looked down at her quizzically, "You don't know… what exactly?"

Lana turned her head up towards him, "I don't know… how I am I supposed to feel. I… I…" She just shook her head at her frustration.

"You don't have to know," he replied.

She sat up on the couch next to him. "I'm… afraid." She said and quickly wiped a tear away. He squeezed her hand. "I'm… upset. I'm… I'm…" She stood up and started to pace, "I'm really... Really… Angry!"

Jason got up from the couch, standing to the side, watching her go back and forth. "You have every right to be."

"Yeah!" She agreed with him. "I mean… how dare he!" She stopped and looked at him. "He's supposed to be my friend! And he brings HER here."

He was slightly glad she had used the word 'friend' in her reference to Clark. Otherwise… He stopped that train of thought. This was about Lana right now.

"Is he insane?" she asked. She just couldn't fathom what was going on. She turned to Jason, "Does she have some weird spell over him or something where he has just lost his mind completely?" Before he could even answer. "Do women just turn men into total morons?"

He had to stop this quickly otherwise he knew somehow he would get the brunt of this. His hands came out to lightly hold her shoulders. "Lana. I will admit that men do have a weakness for women…" He could see her start to talk. "BUT it doesn't give HIM an excuse to hurt someone he is supposed to care about. You have every right to be angry, and upset." She nodded in agreement. He moved closer and looked her in the eyes as her pulled her closer, "Just like you have every right to be afraid." She swallowed. "And it's perfectly normal to try and mask that fear with anger."

She wrapped her arms around him and hid her face back into his chest, her words shuddering into his chest as she spoke, "Make it go away."

He held her tighter, "If there was any way that I could, I would."

She nodded and knew he would, "Just don't let go."

"I'm not going anywhere." He guided her back to the couch. She again leaned into him as they held onto each other quietly, taking in the comfort of just being there for each other.

After awhile Lana slowly sat up, and Jason watched her carefully. "I'm going to take a shower," she said as she stood up.

He nodded his okay and rose behind her. He headed to the table and his books, "I'll be right here," he said as he sat down.

Her arms wrapped around him from behind, "Or you could join me."

He turned his head around to look at her, "Excuse me?"

She smiled at him, "I asked if you wanted to join me."

He studied her face, trying to see if she was teasing him, but there was no indication that she was. "Lana… you don't mean this." He could see her about ready to object, but he turned in his chair and took her hand. "With everything that has happened tonight I would have to seriously question your intentions… your reasons for wanting to…" He left it hanging. He moved his thumb over the back of her hand. "It won't make you forget what happened. It won't make you feel safe. If anything it would make it worse."

She shook her head, "How would being so close to someone I love make it worse?"

He smiled at her, and brought her hand to his heart, "We are close. But sex… it makes people very… vulnerable… especially the first…" He didn't need to go on, he could see he had gotten through to her. His hand came to the side of her face. "Now go take that shower. Let me study. I'll be right here."

She grinned back at him, "Okay." She pulled away and started to walk to the bathroom, "One of these days Mr. Teague you better not play hard to get." He shook his head at her as he started to page through his book.

Lana walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She peeled off her clothes and pulled on her bathrobe. She needed to relax. She opened one of the cupboards and took out a few aromatherapy candles and lit them, placing them strategically around the bathroom. Slowly she could smell the room fill with the soft, relaxing sent. She turned the shower on, walked over to the door, turned down the lights to a soothing level, and as an afterthought locked the door.

Jason heard the door lock and gave a small smile. Yeah, and she thought she was ready, he thought as he turned another page.

She pulled back the clear curtain, checking the temperature of the water and then got inside. Turning to wet her hair, her body shivered slightly. She looked around trying to figure out where the breeze had come from. She shook her head, trying to dismiss it and leaned her face into the jet of hot water.

A scream barely escapes her lips as the shower curtain pulled away from the rod and wrapped around her tightly, cutting off her air supply. She struggled, trying to remove the plastic, trying to gasp for air. The attempts were in vein. After a few moments she passed out and fell into the tub.

Jason's head sprung up from his studies, as a loud thump is heard from the bathroom. He jumped up from his set and ran to the door trying to open it. "Lana?" he asked with worry in his voice. With no answer he kicked the door open and entered the bathroom. His eyes widened in panic and he ran to the tub. He fell to his knees next to Lana lying in the tub with the curtain wrapped around her, the water running down onto her. "Lana?" he said again.

Still with no answer, he quickly turned the water off, leaned into the tub pulling her into a seated position. Her head rolled backwards, his hand came to the side of her face, "Lana? Hey, can you hear me?" His other hand grabbed her shoulder. "Lana? Lana. LANA, look at me."

She still wasn't responding. Quickly he stood and pulled her body out of the tub, laying her on the floor. His fingers went to her neck, his held breath leaving him as he found a pulse. He leaned down to her mouth, and felt her soft breath on his cheek. Partial relief rushed through him. He looked around and found her bathrobe and laid it over her.

Gently he raised her head and upper body from the floor. "Lana…" His hand moved back to the side of her face. "Lana come on, wake up." Her eyelashes started to flicker. "Yes, that's it. Open your eyes." Her dark eyes slowly opened. "Thank God." He said and kissed her forehead.

"What…"

He shook his head, "I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me." He said as he carefully helped her to her feet, and somehow managed to get the shower curtain off her without seeing anything he shouldn't. She was wobbly as she tried to tie the robe around her. He tied it for her, and before she could do anything she found herself in his arms, and being carried out of the apartment.

"Jason…"

"We're going to the hospital. No arguments."

She really didn't have a choice, because in less than a minute they were already out of the Talon, and she was being placed in his passenger seat. The buildings and lights flew by the window of the car. She saw the worried look on his face as he talked into his phone, and glanced over at her numerous times. And while it seemed like things were moving it slow motion, thing were also moving very quickly. Before she knew it a nurse and Jason were helping her into a wheel chair. Her mind was still a jumble as she slowly got onto the examining table, and the nurse was pushing Jason out of the room. "No…"

They turned towards her. "I'll be outside, let the nurse look at you." He told her as the door shut behind him. The nurse came towards her pulling the curtain around them and then started to help her into a hospital gown.

Jason walked out of the room and moved over to the wall, leaning heavily against it. His heart was still going a mile a minute. Panic still washing through his veins. Running footsteps made him look up and see Chloe and Lois rushing towards him.

"How is she?" the blond asked.

"Conscious, but other than that…" He ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Lois laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. The three of them looked into the exam room as the nurse pulled the curtain back, and started to take Lana's vital signs. He attempted to give her a comforting smile.

The girls turned back to him, "What happened?"

He tried to tell them what he could. Problem was, he really had no idea what actually did happen. "And I brought her here…" He finished as the nurse poked her head out of the room.

"Mr. Teague?"

"Yes?" He moved towards her.

"Could you come in? She's a little…"

He didn't let her finish and was walking into the room. Lana's hand latched onto his and he leaned down resting his cheek on the top of her head. "I'm right here," he said softly. A few moments later the doctor walked in to start his own examination after he consulted the nurse.

Lana looked up at Jason. "Chloe and Lois are here if you want…" She shook her head, and squeezed his hand. He touched the side of her face, "You're going to have to let go when the Doctor takes a look at you." As the nurse walked out of the room and the doctor moved towards her, she took a deep breath and let go of Jason's hand. He moved around behind her as the doctor started to ask questions and look into her eyes.

A few moments later he saw Lana sit up straighter as she looked out the window into the hall. His eyes followed her gaze and saw Clark talking to the girls. Lana turned from the window. Her eyes went to Jason's in a silent request. He squeezed her shoulder lightly and moved towards the door.

He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He stood in front of Clark's view into the room. His jaw clenching, "Clark. Lana doesn't want to see you."

Clark tried to look around Jason, and he moved himself into his line of sight once more, blocking Lana. "What part of she doesn't want to SEE YOU, don't you get?"

"I'm worried about her."

"Oh really. You bring a girl that tried to KILL her basically to the place that she LIVES, and you are worried about her?" Jason shook his head.

Lois looked at the two men and made a quick decision. "Hey, Smallville, how about we go to the cafeteria and get some coffee."

"I don't want…"

"Sure ya do," she grabbed his arm and pulled him in the other direction.

Jason mouthed his thanks to her. She nodded as she pulled Clark around the corner.

Chloe patted him on the shoulder, "I'll stand guard. Now get back in there."

"Thanks," he said as he took at deep breath and walked back inside with the best smile he could put on his face.

To be continued...

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