SKINWALKERS ARE LONG GONE
"According to the legend, a man came from the stars and fell in love a woman of the common people," Chloe related with a smile. She was in Dr. Helen Bryce's office where she scheduled to spend her time in order to get to know the woman who was doing her and Lex the biggest favor. "And the man from the stars never thought of himself as a being apart from them anymore."
"That sounds familiar," the brunette doctor replied. "Daughter of a working class man and her father's employer. Talk about stars and the common folk."
"Right." Chloe grinned. "As much as I adore Lex Luthor, I would hardly say that he doesn't hold himself apart from the rest of Smallville."
Helen considered that and slowly nodded. "I understand. Look at me. I'm helping the two of you pull this amazing act and whenever he walks into a room, he would hardly acknowledge my presence."
The blonde bit her lip and closed her hand over Helen's. "Oh I'm so sorry. I'm going to talk to him. You know, he should be really grateful. He should be kissing your ass." Helen's eyes gleamed and Chloe immediately said, "Figuratively."
"So," Helen started, "speaking of the guy, where is he? I can't believe that he's actually spending this long a time away from you after that hassle last week."
"What hassle?" Chloe asked innocently. "It was nothing but a mutant freak accident."
"That sent you to the hospital."
"For not more than thirty minutes. And it wasn't even needed. Clark just freaked out and took Lana and me. All I got was an abrasion and a few bruises in the arms where he grabbed me. No big deal."
"You wouldn't think so if you were with Lex on the ride over."
"He overreacts," Chloe assured Helen. "Anyway, I think he's still at the castle. With his dad. Meaning if and when he shows up, he's not going to be in the best mood."
Helen nodded. "Every girl has to deal with the problems of her guy, Chloe. Remember, you and Lex aren't that different from other couples. Aside from the fact that I have to pretend to be dating him to throw your father off, that is. And even that has been done before."
The phone on Helen's desk rang. "Is that Lex?" Chloe asked, peering at the caller ID. "He was supposed to pick me up ten minutes ago. Maybe he's canceling." She waited for Helen to give her permission before hitting the speaker button. "Hey!"
"Chlo, I'm glad you're still there."
"Hi Lex. Say hi to Dr. Bryce, the savioress, with blessing from my 800 SAT Verbal score." Lex's grunt of acknowledgment resounded, and Chloe smiled at Helen's eye roll. "Bad day?"
"My dad just offered me a partnership with one of his pet projects."
"Isn't that kind of good? He's trying to bridge the gap the past few months brought you."
"Chloe, we've not been the kind of family other people might think for the past twenty years. I don't know why we should start now. Or even how the heck he thinks we can fix things with a business deal."
"Maybe that's just his way of saying sorry," Chloe offered optimistically. Her brows furrowed when she heard the words that came out of her mouth. "Who am I kidding?" She sighed. Chloe looked at Helen. "May I?"
Helen nodded and picked up some of the paperwork that she needed to catch up on. Chloe picked up the handset and continued her conversation with Lex in a semi-private way. "I heard the click. So Helen can't hear me now?" Lex inquired.
"That's right. But she can hear me, so don't be too naughty." Her smile widened. "You want me to come over?"
"Nah. It's too smelly here with my dad around. But I really do miss you. How's your head?"
Chloe ignored the last question because Lex knew very well that she had completely healed two days ago. "I miss you too. And if you don't want me to come to you, then you better find a way to come to me, Lex."
Chloe became self-conscious when Helen looked up at her comment. She turned her back at the doctor and held the mouthpiece closer to her lips.
"I'm still going over some documents regarding the cave that my dad just purchased. I refuse to believe his plans for that are so."
"Small? Not ambitious?"
"Yeah. I know my father well enough to be certain that he doesn't start businesses that would yield a pittance."
"Uhmm."
"Sorry," he sighed into the phone. "Look at me, making a seventeen-year- old's ears bleed with problems reserved for oldies like me."
"Oh, you know, Lex, there are so many things wrong with that statement. Number one, my intellectual capacity is so much more mature than my actual age. Number two, you're so not old. Number three, if you can't unload on me, then what use do I have? It's what girlfriends are for."
She heard Lex snicker. "Point number one, I have noted and I very much appreciate. You know I won't be able to survive if I didn't admire you in all aspects. For the second one, I think that's a matter of opinion."
She interrupted him. "Do you actually want me to rethink the brilliance of our involvement, old man?"
"Touché." Lex found that he couldn't loosen his muscles enough to stop smiling. "And point three, I have so many answers to that that I will reserve for the time when you're not inside a room with Dr. Bryce."
"And when will that be?"
"Let me see." Lex picked up his calendar and flipped through the dates. "If I let myself be guided by the schedule my assistant prepares for me, then that would be in three and a half weeks, for thirty minutes."
"Great. She never marked a slot for your secret girlfriend."
"Did I ever share with you the concept of the word secret, Chlo?" he asked, pleased with her disappointment at the prospect of not seeing him for a while. "Lucky for you, I never did allow pen and paper to rule my life. How soon can you be home?"
Chloe glanced at Helen, who arched an eyebrow and wiggled her fingers to show her that she can leave anytime she wanted. Chloe clutched the phone closer to her ear. "Thirty minutes if I start walking now."
"Where's your car?"
"That car has celebrated more birthdays than I have."
"My dad's in one of the offices driving Martha crazy. Your dad's in the plant. Clark, Pete and Lana are involved in some extra credit conservation projects right?"
"That's right," Chloe confirmed. "We're all clear."
"Meet me at the back entrance of the hospital in ten. I'll even bring the car without a vanity plate just to be sure."
"You have one of those?" Chloe gasped.
"Stuff the snark and get your nosy butt out there in ten minutes. I'll see you then," he ended gruffly.
"I love you too," she grinned.
"According to the legend, a man came from the stars and fell in love a woman of the common people," Chloe related with a smile. She was in Dr. Helen Bryce's office where she scheduled to spend her time in order to get to know the woman who was doing her and Lex the biggest favor. "And the man from the stars never thought of himself as a being apart from them anymore."
"That sounds familiar," the brunette doctor replied. "Daughter of a working class man and her father's employer. Talk about stars and the common folk."
"Right." Chloe grinned. "As much as I adore Lex Luthor, I would hardly say that he doesn't hold himself apart from the rest of Smallville."
Helen considered that and slowly nodded. "I understand. Look at me. I'm helping the two of you pull this amazing act and whenever he walks into a room, he would hardly acknowledge my presence."
The blonde bit her lip and closed her hand over Helen's. "Oh I'm so sorry. I'm going to talk to him. You know, he should be really grateful. He should be kissing your ass." Helen's eyes gleamed and Chloe immediately said, "Figuratively."
"So," Helen started, "speaking of the guy, where is he? I can't believe that he's actually spending this long a time away from you after that hassle last week."
"What hassle?" Chloe asked innocently. "It was nothing but a mutant freak accident."
"That sent you to the hospital."
"For not more than thirty minutes. And it wasn't even needed. Clark just freaked out and took Lana and me. All I got was an abrasion and a few bruises in the arms where he grabbed me. No big deal."
"You wouldn't think so if you were with Lex on the ride over."
"He overreacts," Chloe assured Helen. "Anyway, I think he's still at the castle. With his dad. Meaning if and when he shows up, he's not going to be in the best mood."
Helen nodded. "Every girl has to deal with the problems of her guy, Chloe. Remember, you and Lex aren't that different from other couples. Aside from the fact that I have to pretend to be dating him to throw your father off, that is. And even that has been done before."
The phone on Helen's desk rang. "Is that Lex?" Chloe asked, peering at the caller ID. "He was supposed to pick me up ten minutes ago. Maybe he's canceling." She waited for Helen to give her permission before hitting the speaker button. "Hey!"
"Chlo, I'm glad you're still there."
"Hi Lex. Say hi to Dr. Bryce, the savioress, with blessing from my 800 SAT Verbal score." Lex's grunt of acknowledgment resounded, and Chloe smiled at Helen's eye roll. "Bad day?"
"My dad just offered me a partnership with one of his pet projects."
"Isn't that kind of good? He's trying to bridge the gap the past few months brought you."
"Chloe, we've not been the kind of family other people might think for the past twenty years. I don't know why we should start now. Or even how the heck he thinks we can fix things with a business deal."
"Maybe that's just his way of saying sorry," Chloe offered optimistically. Her brows furrowed when she heard the words that came out of her mouth. "Who am I kidding?" She sighed. Chloe looked at Helen. "May I?"
Helen nodded and picked up some of the paperwork that she needed to catch up on. Chloe picked up the handset and continued her conversation with Lex in a semi-private way. "I heard the click. So Helen can't hear me now?" Lex inquired.
"That's right. But she can hear me, so don't be too naughty." Her smile widened. "You want me to come over?"
"Nah. It's too smelly here with my dad around. But I really do miss you. How's your head?"
Chloe ignored the last question because Lex knew very well that she had completely healed two days ago. "I miss you too. And if you don't want me to come to you, then you better find a way to come to me, Lex."
Chloe became self-conscious when Helen looked up at her comment. She turned her back at the doctor and held the mouthpiece closer to her lips.
"I'm still going over some documents regarding the cave that my dad just purchased. I refuse to believe his plans for that are so."
"Small? Not ambitious?"
"Yeah. I know my father well enough to be certain that he doesn't start businesses that would yield a pittance."
"Uhmm."
"Sorry," he sighed into the phone. "Look at me, making a seventeen-year- old's ears bleed with problems reserved for oldies like me."
"Oh, you know, Lex, there are so many things wrong with that statement. Number one, my intellectual capacity is so much more mature than my actual age. Number two, you're so not old. Number three, if you can't unload on me, then what use do I have? It's what girlfriends are for."
She heard Lex snicker. "Point number one, I have noted and I very much appreciate. You know I won't be able to survive if I didn't admire you in all aspects. For the second one, I think that's a matter of opinion."
She interrupted him. "Do you actually want me to rethink the brilliance of our involvement, old man?"
"Touché." Lex found that he couldn't loosen his muscles enough to stop smiling. "And point three, I have so many answers to that that I will reserve for the time when you're not inside a room with Dr. Bryce."
"And when will that be?"
"Let me see." Lex picked up his calendar and flipped through the dates. "If I let myself be guided by the schedule my assistant prepares for me, then that would be in three and a half weeks, for thirty minutes."
"Great. She never marked a slot for your secret girlfriend."
"Did I ever share with you the concept of the word secret, Chlo?" he asked, pleased with her disappointment at the prospect of not seeing him for a while. "Lucky for you, I never did allow pen and paper to rule my life. How soon can you be home?"
Chloe glanced at Helen, who arched an eyebrow and wiggled her fingers to show her that she can leave anytime she wanted. Chloe clutched the phone closer to her ear. "Thirty minutes if I start walking now."
"Where's your car?"
"That car has celebrated more birthdays than I have."
"My dad's in one of the offices driving Martha crazy. Your dad's in the plant. Clark, Pete and Lana are involved in some extra credit conservation projects right?"
"That's right," Chloe confirmed. "We're all clear."
"Meet me at the back entrance of the hospital in ten. I'll even bring the car without a vanity plate just to be sure."
"You have one of those?" Chloe gasped.
"Stuff the snark and get your nosy butt out there in ten minutes. I'll see you then," he ended gruffly.
"I love you too," she grinned.