(2) The Middle
Here's Chapter two; hope you like it. Reviews motivate me to write more. I apologize for my rather shaky mechanics of writing; I am trying to improve on it. READ, ENJOY, REVIEW thank you kindly.
The party at the Talon was in full swing Lois patrolled the festivities monitoring the voter results online. She was on pins and needles, she had used the best of her knowledge, and strengths into making sure Lex Luthor ate Jonathan Kent's dust. Mr. Kent was too much of a nice guy, and he needed Lois's willingness to hit below the belt. Lois was going to make sure that Lex paid for that rude comment before about her being only a mere muffin jockey. She smirked as she thought about the rich boy losing to the simple Kansas farmer.
Clark came in alone, usually Lana was with him, but tonight he seemed to be flying solo. In a matter of minutes Lana entered the Talon and found Clark among the guests. The two kissed, and Lana gave Clark one of her million dollar smiles. Clark could bask in her smile forever. Before the pair had a chance to speak to one another, one last person grandly made an entrance. It was none other then Lex Luthor himself. The party goers became eerily hushed as Alexander Luthor dressed in his trademark suit of black with a dark indigo button up shirt. Clark frowned, Lana smiled, Lois held her breath, and Chloe did the same. Without hesitation Lex coolly walked over to Jonathan Kent.
Lex entered the Talon, and the response from those inside made him feel like he just announced that he was the one who kidnapped the Lindberg baby, slapped Mother Theresa, and shot JFK. He did not miss a beat though. He waded through the people and made his way over to Mr. Kent. In one fluid moment he pulled a bottle of champagne from his coat and handed it to his opponent.
"I just wanted to offer the first of many congratulations." Lex stated in a cool voice.
On the way to town, the advanced results had been sent to him, he had lost the election. Jonathan Kent had beaten him by only a few votes.
Mr. Kent was confused. "Lex I don't…"
"You do, but no need to say anything. If I can offer any assistance to you in your term, don't hesitate to ask." Lex said.
Lex grabbed Jonathan's hand in a firm hand shake; he also passed the box containing the champagne.
"Watch out for my Father; you and your family are in his sites once more." Lex said in a low voice.
He tapped the box with his fingers as he let go of Jonathan's hand. Lex could be as covert as his Father, but he chose to help this time around. Inside the box were some forms; to help the Kents out just incase Lionel Luther tried to sink his meat hooks into them.
Suddenly Lois pushed Lex aside and excitedly let him in on the great news. The radio in the Talon was turned up so everyone could hear the results. Lois turned smugly to Lex as Martha Kent enveloped her husband in a congratulatory hug.
Lois narrowed her eyes. "Not bad for a drop out muffin jockey huh? So you lost and now you want to get in good with the victor."
"You backed a reliable horse, well done. What I do beyond my show of good sportsmanship is between Mr. Kent and myself." Lex stated with a cocky smirk of his own.
Lois's feathers ruffled as she did not get the rise out of Lex that she wanted. She huffed out a breath to him, and turned back to Mr. Kent. She needed him to get ready to face the media, and for him to give his winning speech. She grabbed the new Senator away from Martha. Mrs. Kent smiled shyly at Lex, she felt bad for accepting Lionel's money, but it was what they needed. Lex smiled at her and nodded, as if to say without words that there were no hard feelings.
Lex beamed inside as Lois tried to bait him, but he had dealt with people worse then her. He had not played into her banter. Martha Kent looked at him with apprehension, he could see the hurt in her eyes, and there was no way he could stay mad at her. She reminded him too much, of the kindness his own mother possessed. He wanted to hug her, but instead he offered a simple accepting nod. In time perhaps, the weathered rope bridge between himself and the elder Kents would too one day be mended. Though he would never admit it, he loved being mothered by Martha Kent. He was shaken out of his thoughts as someone gently touched his shoulder.
Lana smiled. "That was a really nice thing to do."
Lex held out his hand to shake Lana's, but she bypassed it again and embraced the taller man.
"Hi! What? Lex asked playing dumb. "The champagne, I prefer to refer to it as being the good sport in the gentleman's game. Lana I also had an ulterior motive fir coming here, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I over stepped my boundaries; by several miles."
Lana shook her head. "It's OK, you said what I wished I would hear from Clark. It's good to see you here; actually this is the last place I thought I'd see you."
"Yes, probably you thought I'd be back at the mansion, brooding, and drinking enough scotch to fill Loch Ness." Lex quipped.
Lana nodded and laughed. "Yea, something like that, so you're OK with all this?"
"Well I am not overjoyed, but I figure there always next time, or maybe I'll just take the direct path and run for President." Lex reasoned and half joked.
Lana smiled and nodded. The pair shared another laugh and then embraced again.
Clark watched from a distance as Lana and Lex met up with each other. He used his super hearing to eves drop on their conversation. Something inside him twisted the wrong way as Lana embraced Lex. He felt this twinge for the first time when he caught the pair hugging at the hospital. He wanted to tell Lana everything, but when he tried his throat closed up. It was not that he didn't trust her with his secret; it was that she was friends with Lex. He hated that she confided more in Lex then she did in him. When he overheard Lex apologize to Lana, something in him snapped. Lex had tried something with Lana that had obviously failed.
Clark stormed up to Lex and shoved him away from Lana. Grabbing two fists full of Lex's shirt; he practically carried Lex out of the Talon.
Clark shoved Lex, "What did you do to Lana!"
"Clark nothing happened, it was only a mere misunderstanding." Lex Said as he regained his footing.
Clark growled. "Stay away from Lana! She's my girlfriend!"
Lana soon came out of the Talon; she stepped between her boyfriend and her friend.
"Clark STOP it, you're acting like a jealous jerk. Lex and I are friends." Lana said in anger.
Clark looked at her. "What did he do!"
"He didn't do anything but listen to me!" She shouted.
Lex stepped closer to Lana and touched her shoulder; she spun around to face him.
"It's OK Lana, I'm going to go. I just wanted to say I'm sorry, and to offer my best wishes to the new Senator. I've done that and now I'll go." Lex said diplomatically.
Clark tensed up as Lex touched his girl again, but he said nothing. Started to say something and then just nodded. Something had happened here, that was way too much out of character for Clark. Lana was just too surprised to deal with it right now. She sadly waved as Lex drove off into the night.
"What was that all about!" She said as she frowned.
Clark clenched his fist. "I heard him apologize and I thought he hurt you, again."
"Were you eavesdropping in on my conversation!" Lana blurted out.
Clark shut up; he realized his mistake, and his potential slip. He had heard the exchange because of his super hearing. He wanted Lana to know his secret, but this was not the way he was going to let her in on it.
Clark quickly made up a lie. "No…well yes sort of. I was trying to find Chloe, when I head you both talking."
It was a horrible, obvious, transparent lie. Lana could tell; and she was tired of the obfuscations.
"You listen to me Clark Kent, I am fully capable of looking after myself. I don't need you to shelter and protect me. I owe Lex Luthor my LIFE you got that! He almost DIED, and I was helpless. All I could do was watch as the bullet meant for me, hurt Lex instead. He took it for me, do you understand how that made me feel! To watch him slowly dieing, in pain, of a bullet wound? So if I want to be friends with him again, that is my choice. You better get used to it Clark Kent because no amount of this jealous, macho, chest beating will make me change my mind!" Lana shouted at him.
Clark looked away from her. "I don't trust him Lana; he'll only hurt you again."
"Then I will have to deal with the consequences; you got that, I won't sacrifice a good friendship because of your insecurities!" Lana said.
Clark frowned. "Well don't come crying to me when he runs over your trust like he did mine!"
Clark turned and left Lana outside; he did not mean to shout at her. He wanted no more then to gather her up and pour his heart out to her. His jealousy had him by the reins at the moment, and all he could see was his girlfriend in the arms of Lex Luthor. Lois gave him a sharp slap on the back, commending him on tossing the young Luthor to the curb. Her adulation only made him feel worse.
Lana seethed as Clark went from being a sweet, even natured person to a ranting, jealous brute. He had no right treating her or Lex like that; she flipped open her cell only to find she had no service. She wanted to call and offer an apology to Lex, but this technology glitch only made her angrier. She jammed her phone into her pocket, and turned to go back into the Talon. She stopped; she was still too worked up to be around that crowd. Feeling her keys in her pocket she turned away from the coffee shop, got into her car, and drove off towards Lex's house.
Lex was stoking the fire when Lana came through the doors of his office; she sort of inched her way in.
"Lana? What are you doing here?" Lex asked hanging the poker back on the stand near the fireplace.
Lana sighed. "I am so sorry about what Clark said and did. Are you OK?"
When Clark manhandled him, the teen's left fist bumped against his healing wound a few times. It hurt, especially that last shove, but he wasn't going to show any outward signs of discomfort.
"I'll live, only my pride is a little bruised." Alexander jested.
Lana shook her head. "Are you sure? I don't know what got into Clark tonight."
"If I was him I'd probably act the same way; take it as an endearment, rather than an insult." Lex stated dryly. "Call it the new version of a gentlemen's duel for a lady's virtue."
Lana smiled and laughed. Tonight was totally weird Clarks personality had done a 360 degree turn for the worst, and Lex's had done the same but for the better.
Lana nodded. "Is that what you call it now; a gentlemen's face off? I call it raving lunacy."
"You should be honored; his green eyed monster display only proves that he really loves you." Lex reasoned.
Lana crossed her arms over her chest. "I know he loves me, but acting like that is not the way to win me over. Why are you defending him?"
"Just because he despises me more then, well everything. Does not mean I won't stop treating him like I always have. I just chalk this up to being a sibling fight." Lex said with a shrug.
The suddenly movement of the shrug send stabs of pain into his chest. Lex grimaced and Lana saw it.
Lana got closer. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing just a little ache." Lex said touching the left side of his chest.
Lana rolled her eyes. "What is this lie to Lana day? First Clark and now you."
She brought her hands up to Lex's shirt and started to undo the buttons.
"Hey Lana wait…" Lex stammered and tried to bat away Lana's hands.
It was too late she had already caught a glimpse of the fresh red staining Lex's bandages.
Lana gasped. "You're bleeding!"
"It's nothing." Lex reasoned.
Lana replayed Clark's rough treatment, from grab to shove.
Lana started to unwrap Lex. "Did Clark do this?
"Look Lana it's fine; I've been scratching at it all night, I probably popped a couple of the stitches." Lex surmised.
Lana rolled her eyes not believing the lies, but she at least felt better that Lex was lying to calm her. She removed the last bit of gauze, and looked at the two spots that were bleeding. About two to three stitches on his incision had ripped loose, without the bandaging blood was trickling down his chest.
Lana pressed the wrappings to his wound. "Come on Lex, I'll take you to the hospital."
"Whoa wait, look Lana I appreciate the concern, but…" Lex started.
Lana wasn't going to hear of it. "Look you have a choice, I drive, you follow me, or I drag you kicking and screaming to the hospital."
Lana was not going to be budged; she spoke forcefully, and refused to listen to Lex. Lex could talk himself out of plenty, but this time he couldn't even get one work out.
"Maybe if you were this forceful with Clark, all your questions will be answered." Lex finally said.
Lana thought for a moment. "It's easier to talk to friends, you know."
"Look I'll go to the hospital, but I'll follow you." Lex bargained.
Lana nodded. "Deal! When you're done there, we'll go to the farm and get Clark to apologize."
"I won't hold my breath on that one." Lex stated calmly.
The duo shared an uncomfortable silence, before they hopped in their respective vehicles. Lana kept an eye on Lex in her rearview on the way down the road. She took out her phone and miraculously she had service again. She dialed Clark and waited for him to pick up.
Clark had calmed down, and was looking for Lana as the party wound down. He asked Chloe if she had seen his absent girlfriend. He had also taken steps to make sure his Father had stayed at the Talon. He convinced Lois to call the press to the Talon, and he had brought his Dad a smashing suit to wear. He would not explain why he was so nervous; the only person who knew was Chloe.
"I think she left, I didn't see her car outside." Chloe said with a puzzled voice.
Clark was about to say more, when his phone rang. It was Lana; she spoke to him forcefully. Clark tried to get a word in edgewise, but Lana wouldn't let him. Clark tried to pipe in more especially after she revealed that she had gone to Lex's place. Clark spoke quickly into his phone at Lana