Chapter 20

Clark's wonderful, abilities-free life of mortality was to be short-lived. One day, as Harmony awoke with the dawn, she and Martha stood in the kitchen making coffee, she was greatly shocked to see Clark sneak into the kitchen with Lana tucked under his arm. Jonathan's words froze in his mouth. Clark and Lana stared in horror as Martha, Jonathan, and Harmony all stared back at them.

Harmony was the first to move. "I think I'm going to sit this one out," she picked up her coffee cup, swinging her legs away from the counter. "Somewhere else." She hurried out of the house to the barn, where she kept herself busy, even after she saw Lana's car throw gravel as it sped down the driveway.

She stayed in the barn for the entire day, mucking stalls, cutting wood, sharpening tools, cleaning tack, and doing whatever else she could find. She just didn't want to go back to the house. She knew she was in one of her moods. But she just didn't feel like shaking it. Being around the animals was soothing. Lex had made no effort to contact her since the meteor shower. He had come to the hospital every day while she recovered, paid the bill, and had been an active part of her physical therapy. He kept her room filled with fresh flowers, delivered every day, and when she was discharged, he was there to take her home. He even had a new truck waiting for her, though it wasn't the same kind that had been destroyed in the shower. Yet, since then, she'd spent most of her time with Clark. Something had happened between Lex and Clark that Lex refused to tell Harmony about. Harmony was sensing that Lex had other things on his mind, and she worried that frequently those other things included Lana Lang.

One day, both Lex and Jonathan told Harmony that they were going to run in governor election. Lex assumed that Harmony would be by his side every step of the way, because she was his fiancé, but Jonathan was equally sure of her support, because she was his niece.

Finally, one day early in the campaign, Harmony got tired of them both fighting over her to choose a side, and she told them both the same thing:

"I'm not going to choose one way or the other based on personal affiliation," she started. "I love you both. I can't choose between either of you. To do that, I'd have to turn my back on the other one, and I won't turn away from either of you, either. I'm sorry if that makes you mad, but I'm going to sit out the campaigning. I'll listen to the campaigns just like everyone else, and I'll vote for whom I think is best for the office. I'll vote for the candidate that I think is most qualified to govern the state."

To Harmony's surprise, they both took her declaration very well. She did, however give the Kent campaign a contribution that she didn't give Lex, a contribution that Lex never found out about.

Lex spent the early weeks of the campaign in extremely busy, so Harmony tried to stay out of his way. She spent most of her time home with her horses or the library. Frequently, she would stand on the balcony above Lex's office, watching him work, where he didn't know she was watching. But as often as not, she was in Metropolis, out of the way of the campaign entirely, with Chloe.

"I feel like this campaign has completely taken over his life," she was saying one day as she lay sprawled on Chloe's bed, not long before Christmas. "He hasn't paid me any attention since he started this thing."

Chloe flopped down next to her. "He's just busy."

Harmony didn't say anything, but stared at the ceiling.

"Something else bugging you?" Chloe asked, gently swatting Harmony's arm.

Harmony sat up, situating herself so she faced Chloe. "Yeah, actually." She tucked a strand of her now-shoulder-length hair behind one ear. "You've been friends with Lana for a long time. What hold does she have on guys? What's her secret?"

Chloe grinned. "That, huh? No one knows. Lana's always been our own local Snow White. Why?"

Harmony sighed. "Because I'm tired of fighting with myself about what's right in front of me. No matter who wears his ring, Lana holds Lex's heart. There's no point in denying it, is there?"

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Harm, I don't- that's not-"

Harmony shook her head. "I'm sure it's not her fault. Lex is as enraptured by her dark beauty as every other guy she's met, including my bumbling cousin. What can I say? I'm a street rat. Hard to compete with Lana Lang, right?"

Chloe smirked. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened between you and Clark if Lana weren't in the picture? Do you still think about Clark?"

"Sometimes," Chloe answered distantly, then jerked. "Wait a second. First of all, I would never wish for them to break up. Second, you're his cousin. Isn't it weird to talk about Clark like that?"

Harmony chuckled. "First of all, I'm not wishing bad thoughts on them either. I'm just wondering. I wonder too. Like, maybe my relationship with Lex would have a fighting chance if Lana weren't always around. That still sounds way harsh. Second, no, it's not weird. Yeah, he's my cousin, but that doesn't matter. Nitpicking his love life, and his past, is fun. Makes good conversation, and good harassment material."

Chloe grinned. "I see. Well, there was one point where we almost got together in high school, but his feelings for Lana got in the way. I've always been a little jealous of his feelings for her, but it's more important to me to be friends with him. You know?"

"Yeah, I do," Harmony nodded. Just then, her phone rang. "Hello? Hey, Clark. We were just talking about you." Clark sounded like he was running, and he was speaking too fast for Harmony to hear clearly.

"Clark?" Chloe crowded close to Harmony. "Hey, Clark!" she yelled into Harmony's phone.

"Chloe, move!" Harmony laughed as she shoved the younger girl away. "Sorry, Clark, what was that?" she stood up, plugging the ear opposite the one she was holding her phone up to. "Slow down, Little Cuz. What's wrong? I can't understand you."

Just then, there was a frantic knock on Chloe's door. It was Clark. "Lex was shot," he panted, eyes bulging. "A couple of people wanted to steal his car. He gave up the keys, but they shot him anyway. I don't know anything yet, Harm. I had to call you. I was worried about you. I didn't want you to find out from someone else, or on the news, or in a paper or something."

Harmony dropped her phone. "Wha-sh-shot? He-he's-he's not-?" She couldn't finish the thought.

Suddenly, her knees gave out, and she started to fall. Quickly, Clark caught her, gently lifting her to Chloe's bed. He sat down next to her, holding her until she stopped shaking. Harmony didn't hear Chloe dial Jonathan Kent, but Clark nodded his approval.

Finally, Chloe hung up her phone and crawled across the bed. "He's in surgery. He only got shot once, and he's strong and healthy. Mr. Kent said that the doctors are pretty positive he'll pull through."

Harmony didn't see Chloe look over her head at Clark with sad, skeptical eyes, shaking her head, even ask she spoke in a positive, cheerful tone.

"Come on," Clark encouraged Harmony to her feet. "Let's all go to the hospital. Do you want to take your car, or do you prefer Clark Transportation?" He tried to make her smile and was rewarded with a halfhearted smirk as she handed him her keys. Chloe followed close behind, pulling her door shut.

At the hospital, they waited with everyone else. Lionel saw Lex for a moment before Lex went into surgery, then again after he came out, and finally, Harmony was able to see him.

"Please wake up, Lex," She whispered softly. She kissed his hand. "I'm still here. I don't know what's happened to us lately, but just pull through this, and I'll try to make everything better. I will, I swear. I'll figure out what's happened between us. Please, just wake up. Come back to me, Lex. I love you."

Then, Lex turned his head, though he didn't open his eyes. He squeezed Harmony's hand. Softly, he began to murmur, so that Harmony had to stand up and lean closer to Lex's face.

"What, Lex? What are you saying?" Harmony whispered. She gently touched his cheek.

He turned into her touch, smiling softly in his sleep, then murmured again. "Lana."

Harmony pulled back. She picked up her coat from the back of her chair and eased open the door. She didn't speak as she walked slowly through the halls of the large hospital, down to the main floor and out into the cold night, where she flagged down a cab. After instructing the driver to take her back to MetU, she went back to Chloe's room, where she found Clark and Chloe already there.

"What happened?" Clark asked. "You left Lex's room, and he's not even awake yet. Why'd you leave? Harm, what's wrong? Why didn't you say anything?"

Harmony just shook her head. She didn't trust her voice, so instead she stared at the floor, hand shoved deep in her coat pockets.

"Did he say something in his sleep?" Chloe guessed. She was afraid she knew what the answer was gonna be.

When Harmony nodded, Chloe asked, "Is that something a subject of a conversation from earlier this evening?"

Again, Harmony nodded, and Chloe hugged her. "I'm sorry, Harm."

Harmony went back to the Kent farm, and Lex dove full-force into the campaign. After another long conversation with Chloe, this time including Martha, Harmony decided not to break off her engagement to Lex. Rather, she would wait until after the campaign and try then to work things out.

Harmony just hoped there was still something between them to work out when January came and the campaign results were announced.