Chapter 14

Lex did not wake up from his self-induced coma for over two months. Harmony had gone straight to work learning the company, but there wasn't much she could do. During the day, she struggled to understand what was going on with the company, but it was being run by company heads who tolerated her only because of the power of attorney that Lex had drawn up, protecting her from banishment in an instant such as this, and each evening, she returned to the hospital. Eventually, Lex was released, allowed to return home, where he was cared for by an in-home nurse while Harmony was gone. She stayed with him when she was home, though.

The holidays came and went, and Harmony did not participate. The mansion was decorated for Christmas, but Harmony did not acknowledge the work. She went about her business, and the presents remained under the tree. Harmony struggled to keep going, but each day she felt a little more like she was beginning to sink into her own sorrow over Lex's unchanging condition.

Until one day, in the heart of winter, Lex's condition did change. One Saturday morning in January, Harmony entered his room and began what had become her usual routine of changing his bandages and washing his healing body. He stirred, moaning in his sleep, startling Harmony so that she jerked on the bandages still covering his head.

"Ow," he moaned softly. His eyes slowly opened, focusing on Harmony's stunned face. "'Morning, Beautiful."

Harmony stared at Lex, and then began to sob. She choked on her tears, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she laid her head on his chest. She couldn't stop herself, and she felt foolish for crying when Lex had finally returned to her, but the tears wouldn't cease. Pulling herself onto the bed, she laid down beside him burying her face in the curve of his neck. When she felt his arms wrap around her, holding her tightly for the first time in so long, her tears of happiness finally stopped.

"Welcome back," she whispered, kissing his lips gently, then his cheek. "I've missed you."

Lex lay back against the pillows, keeping his arm clamps tightly around Harmony's shoulders. "How long have I been out?" He asked.

"It's the middle of January," Harmony answered, looking up at his face.

He glanced down at her in astonishment. "January?"

"Yeah, Lex," Harmony nodded. "You had a heart attack in the hospital after you were rescued, and have been in a coma ever since."

"Wow," Lex stared at the ceiling. "That's a long time. You've been here this whole time?"

"Of course," Harmony sat up, slightly offended. "What, did you think I was going to run at the first sign of trouble? Fair-weather company, is that it?"

Instead of responding, Lex looked toward the window and the sunlight streaming through the stained glass. Actually, yeah, he admitted to himself.

Harmony leapt to her feet. "You did, didn't you?" She could feel herself getting angry, and did nothing to control herself. "Lex, how could you think that? After everything we've been through together, after everything I went through to- oh, forget it." She stormed to the bedroom door, then turned back to him. "When you're ready to tell remind me that my uncle's still wrong about you, call me. Until then, I'll be giving his opinion a second look." She slammed the door behind her.

Outside the bedroom, Harmony fell against the wall. "How can he think that?" she sobbed. She was more hurt and angry than she'd been in a very long time. She felt like her heart had been torn out and kicked.

She ran to her room, the tears pouring down her face. Grabbing the phone, she dialed Lana's number. "Lana," she cried. "Can you come over? I know it's early, but I really need you."

"Harmony?" Lana's voice was groggy. "What's wrong?"

"Good news is that Lex is awake," Harmony choked.

"That's great!" Lana chirped excitedly.

"Bad news is that he's surprised I'm still around!" Harmony's tears began falling anew.

"Oh my goodness," Lana sounded very shocked. "I'll be over in a few minutes. Do you mind if I bring backup?"

"Sure," Harmony sighed. She collapsed on the bed. "Just get here quick."

After hanging up the phone, she picked up a picture from her nightstand. It was of her and Lex together, one afternoon in Clark's loft. She had jumped onto Lex's back, and he hadn't expected it, but he'd laughed. Clark had gotten a really good picture, and she'd paired it in a gold double frame with another picture she and Lex had had professionally done at a photo studio in Metropolis. Snapping the frames shut, she stuffed a pillow on her face and wailed into the down.

Outside the hall, Lex sat in a wheelchair, staring at his lap as he listened to Harmony cry. A single tear fell, for the first time since he was a child.

Lana and Chloe held Harmony's hands as they sat on her bed. "What happened?" Chloe asked.

Harmony sighed. "He woke up, we talked for a minute, and after I told him he'd been asleep for since before Thanksgiving, he asked 'You've been here this whole time?' like it's a big shock, or something."

Lana leaned forward to give Harmony a hug. "I'm so sorry, Harm."

"Why does it hurt so much that he has so little faith in me?" Harmony asked as her tears began again.

Lana handed Harmony a Kleenex. "Have you thought about how you feel about him?" she asked. "I mean, the closer he is to your heart, the more it's going to hurt when he breaks it."

Chloe nodded in agreement.

"I guess that makes sense," Harmony sniffled. "I'm just not sure if I'm ready to say out loud how I really feel, you know?"

"Yeah," Chloe looked knowing, but quickly wiped the look from her face. "But you need to do something. Do you know how Lex feels?"

"I thought I did," Harmony sighed, dropping her eyes to the shimmering blue comforter.

"You know you do," Lana pressed, lifting Harmony's chin. "Think about him. Really think about him, and tell me that you don't know in your heart how Lex feels about you."

Harmony stood up off the bed, walking over to the window to watch the horses as they kicked in the snowy morning sunshine. "He bought that black mare for me last summer at Metropolis' auction," she pointed to one particular horse. "Then, later, he bought that roan for me because the black needed a stable mate. He was so sure she was lonely." Harmony chuckled.

Lana grinned. She, too, was a lover of horses, and had been very impressed by the quality of the animals when Lex had brought them home to Harmony. "I guess it makes sense," she smiled. "And it was a good excuse."

"Excuse?" Harmony turned to Lana quizzically. "For what?"

"To show you what he doesn't know how to say."

"Harm," Chloe piped up from the bed. "He's a guy. Guys do stupid things, usually without thinking, and they don't always know how to say they're sorry. And Lex is an especially insensitive man at times. He grew up knowing that everyone was out to get him, to destroy him, to stop him. You know what I mean? I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you."

Harmony sighed. "You're right. I mean, God made women because men don't think, right? We have to forgive them because they need us around to keep them out of trouble."

They laughed together, then Harmony disappeared into her closet to change into a pair of jeans and a cut-off jersey that showed her belly.

"I guess I'll go talk to him now," she said. "Have you guys had breakfast yet?"

When they both shook their heads, she instructed them to help themselves to the kitchen, then she hurried down the hall to Lex's bedroom.

"Lex?" she knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"

From the other side of the door, Harmony heard Lex call "Just a second," then the door was pulled open.

Lex sat in the doorway in a wheelchair, looking up at Harmony for a moment, then turned the chair around, wheeling it back toward the bed. "You came back," he said flatly, not looking at her.

"Of course I did, Lex," Harmony sat down on the bed next to Lex's chair. "I came back to talk to you."

"To see if I'd apologize for what I said earlier?"

"It'd be nice, but that's up to you," Harmony shrugged. "No, to apologize to you for implying that my uncle's opinion of you might be right."

Lex glanced up at her, but he still refused to look her full in the face. A part of him had taunted him that his innate paranoia about women had been proven right when she'd said that, even though another part of him had argued that he'd deserved every word of the comment. His pride had forced the issue so that eventually, his paranoia won out.

"I'm sorry," Harmony continued. "I know you better than anyone in this town. I know Uncle J couldn't be more wrong about you if he tried. I shouldn't have said otherwise, no matter how hurt I was feeling at the time."

Lex took Harmony's hands in his own, kissing the fingertips. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he said. He felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and at the same time, his chest felt like it was going to burst. He'd hurt her, he hadn't believed in her loyalty, or in what his heart told him about her, and yet, here she was, apologizing to him. "I didn't mean what I said. I would never intentionally hurt you, Harmony. Please tell me you can forgive my stupidity."

Harmony grinned, taking Lex's face in her hands as she kissed him. "Of course I can."

"Good," Lex feigned seriousness. "Now, help me get out of this chair and back into bed before I pass out."

With a laugh, Harmony gently eased Lex onto his feet, surprised to find that he weighed so little. After Harmony had Lex settled comfortably back into bed, he squeezed her hand. "I came to a conclusion, my dear," he said in all seriousness.

"What's that?"

"Men are idiots."

Harmony's laugh rang through the mansion.

Lex healed with surprising speed. Within a week after Lex woke up, the in-home nurse left, only turn return for a daily visit to check on him, and his doctors were very pleased with his recovery. He graduated quickly from the wheelchair, then to crutches, and before he knew it, he was dependant only on a mahogany cane Harmony had ordered from him as a gift.

As Valentine's Day neared, Lex thought about what to do for Harmony. He knew he wanted to do something very special, but he wasn't sure exactly what. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the phone and dialed Clark's number. Clark hadn't been around the mansion since Lex had woken up from his coma, and Lex wasn't sure why.

"Clark," Lex smiled when the younger man finally answered. "How've you been?"

"Fine," Clark sounded a little distant, but maybe he was just outside. "How are you feeling? Sorry I haven't been around. I've been pretty busy here at the farm."

"I'm good," Lex paused, smiling to himself. "That cousin of yours is quite a nurse."

"Ew," Clark gagged. "That's gross, Lex. She's my cousin!"

Lex laughed. "That's not what I meant! Listen, can you come by this afternoon? I need your advice."

"Sure," Clark agreed. "As long as you don't talk about Harmony playing nurse again."

"Alright," Lex thought the whole thing was funny, but he agreed. "I'll see you then."

Clark arrived early in the afternoon, while Harmony was out with Lana and Chloe. "You're looking well," he said when Lex stood up from behind the desk, supported only by a cane. "Especially for someone who should probably be dead."

"Well, I had a lot of help in my recovery," Lex held out his hand, indicating to Clark to have a seat. "Which is why I asked you here. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I have to do something for Harmony. I know she missed Thanksgiving and Christmas because of me, so I want to make up for that with Valentine's Day."

Clark whistled. "You sure have your work cut out for you."

"Thanks," Lex smirked. "Now, are you going to help me, or not?"

"Yeah, I'll help you," Clark sat up straight. "What exactly do you want to do?"

"Something big," Lex leaned forward excitedly. "Something she deserves."

That weekend, Harmony spent Friday night and Saturday morning with Clark, because Lex, to her shock, had kicked her out of the mansion until he sent for her Saturday afternoon. She fell asleep on Clark's couch, and woke to the sound of the tractor outside.

"Clark?" she called, and in typical Clark fashion, he was there in an flash, courtesy of his powers.

"Hey, Harm," he flopped down on her legs, causing her to slap at him until he got off.

"That hurt!" she screeched. "You're heavy!"

Clark laughed. "I'll make you some breakfast," he offered, then skipped down the stairs so she could change.

Soon, she was in the kitchen, sitting at the Kent's dining room table as Clark cooked. "What's Lex got planned?" she asked.

Clark didn't look at her, but she could see his ears twitch. "What makes you think he's got anything planned?" he asked.

"Clark," Harmony looked at her young cousin skeptically. "Today's Valentine's Day and he kicked me out. I guessed. 'Cides, Little Cuz, you're a bad liar."

Clark winced. "Yeah, I guess that was sort of a giveaway."

Harmony grinned. "Just a little. So, what's he planning?"

"Harmony," Clark glared at her. "You know I can't tell you. It's a surprise. What's the matter with you?"

Harmony huffed. "Fine."

Clark laughed. "Eat your breakfast. You'll find out when Lex is ready."

Jonathan and Martha joined them a few minutes later, and for the first time in a long time, Harmony enjoyed a happy, carefree meal with her family. They talked about a lot of the things that had happened over the past year since Harmony had come to Smallville. Harmony elected not to mention Secret, or the covert operation to rescue Lex, at least until Clark did.

However, Clark seemed more interested in keeping the conversation light. Harmony helped Martha clean up the dishes, and they returned to the table, where they stayed until almost lunch.

Finally, Jonathan pulled himself up from his chair. "I have to get back to work," he said as he pulled his coat on.

"What's there to do in the winter?" Harmony asked.

"You'd be surprised," Clark answered. "We have to keep the snow off the barn, we have to keep the hay from freezing, then there's the usual chores of milking the cows, collecting eggs, feeding all the animals, mucking stalls. Winter doesn't change what we have to do."

"Ew," Harmony took a sip of her coffee. "I'll stay in here, thanks."

Martha laughed. "You're not safe in here, you know."

Harmony stared at her. "What?"

"Sorry, dear," Martha pointed to a pile of clothes Harmony had only vaguely registered as sitting on the oversized chair next to Martha's sewing machine. "On a farm, clothes are constant casualties, and we don't have the money to replace torn items. You can imagine how much time I spend in front of that sewing machine."

Harmony hung her head. "So you're telling me to pick my poison."

Clark perked up. "You know, I never thought of it that way. It's perfect!"

Martha glared at her son. "You're not helping, young man."

"I'll be outside with Clark and Uncle J," Harmony stood up from the table, eying the mound of laundry that needed repair. "More fun than sitting inside sewing."

Martha grinned. Somehow, it didn't surprise her that her niece would choose the company of her son to her sewing machine. "Alright," she nodded. "Bundle up. It's cold, and unlike your superhuman cousin, you're not impervious."

Harmony quickly put on a heavy coat and pulled a hat over her head. She hurried out the door before Martha had a chance to try changing her mind. "See ya!" she called over her shoulder.

Harmony was shoveling dirty straw from the horse stalls, heaving the wet, heavy stall-covering into a wheelbarrow, when she heard a car pull into the driveway. Setting down the heavy shovel, she walked outside where Jonathan and Clark were already waiting. A long black limousine waited, and Harmony recognized Lex's driver waiting by the rear passenger door. With a smile, Harmony jogged to the car.

"Buy, Clark," she threw her cousin's scarf at him. "I'll call you later."

With a wave, Clark and Jonathan returned to their chores, and Harmony climbed into the car. Waiting on the opposite seat was a giant teddy bear holding a rose, and a card. With a grin, she opened the letter as the limo started back down the driveway.

" 'What flies without beating its wings, roars without a mouth, and can carry anything from insects to vehicles?' "

The card was written in Lex's handwriting, and signed by Lex.

"A riddle," Harmony murmured. She thought for a minute, speaking each clue out loud, before rolling the dividing window down. "Head to the jet," she instructed the driver, hoping she'd find Lex's next clue. "Lex is sending me on a riddle hunt."

Sure enough, at the jet, the pilot waited to escort Harmony inside. A box of chocolates waited, and another card. This one read, " 'I see you without eyes. My face is flat, but I glow. Though I have no handwriting, my signature is unique to me. I know everything about you, yet nothing at all. I can run at lightning fast pace without ever leaving my desk. What am I?' "

Harmony stared at the window, then she looked down at the card again. "Wait. Next stop is his office." As she started to walk away, she noticed two plane tickets lying on the table. "Virgin Islands?" she stared at the tickets. One was in her name, the other Lex's. Stuffing the tickets in her coat pocket she hurried from the plane, grinning larger than any time she could remember.

In Lex's office, Harmony ran to his desk, dropping the teddy bear and chocolates on Lex's couch on her way past. There, on top of the computer monitor, sat a small felt box. Harmony's heart beat faster. "This looks like a ring box," she mumbled.

Carefully opening the box, she found, instead of a ring, another card. "Had me there, Lex," she collapsed into the chair, laughing. Then she read the card.

" 'This one's easy because you took too long with the last one'," the card opened, and Harmony screeched, but she was still grinning. "You're an ass, Lex. 'Future's eyes are lover's dreams. The place you've been is where you'll find me.' "

At first, as she pulled off her coat and hat, dumping them next to Lex's gifts, Harmony thought with exasperation that he was talking about the jet, or even the Kent farm, but then she noticed the computer monitor. On it was a map of the mansion, with Lex's bedroom highlighted. "He's good," she chuckled. "His room. The place I've been. Real specific." Still, she found herself anxious to get there, so she hurried, taking the steps two at a time.

She found Lex's door ajar, so she pushed it open. With a gasp, she stared at the room. The fireplace burned brightly, but the room held a romantic hue. A few candles were seated in various points, and the bed was covered in velvet rose petals. Lex knew how much Harmony loved roses, but on the nightstand was a large vase of fresh violets, another of Harmony's favorite flowers. She breathed in the scent of the flowers, unsure how he'd gotten them in winter, but unwilling to care at the moment. Many of Lex's ancient drawings and weapons had been removed, replaced by images of mountains, wild animals, and horses that Harmony was sure Lex had chosen specifically for her. Last, Harmony saw, next to the fireplace, Lex had set out a beautiful arrangements of roses and wine. They too, were breathed in, and wondered about of a short moment.

Then, Lex stepped out of the shadows. "You made it," he smiled, pulling Harmony close.

"I'm here," she grinned. "This is fabulous."

"The best is yet to come," Lex promised, reaching into his pocket. He stepped away from her as he drew his hand out.

"Harmony Marie Kent," Lex knelt on the plush red carpet. Harmony gasped. "I love you. I've wanted to tell you that for quite some time, but I wasn't sure how. You've been wonderful to me, even when I didn't deserve it. I haven't given you much of a reason to stay with me, but you have, even when you hated me. But I think I loved you from the first time I saw you over a year ago in the coffee shop. You're tough, dedicated, brilliant, and beautiful. That's why I ask you, not as Lex Luthor, entrepreneur, boss, or multi-billionaire, but as a man on bended knee, to be my wife."

As he slid the most beautiful diamond Harmony had ever seen on her finger, her mind went blank, and the tears began to fall.