1AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to rnelso1 for being my beta for chapter three and all subsequent chapters!
"It is good to tell ones heart."-A Chippewa proverb
Lex sat at his desk, staring off into space. He was planning on retiring until Lana wondered limply in. She looked depressed. She was often depressed lately.
"Lana," he greeted her. "Have a seat."
"I prefer to pace," she replied, uneasily and she began to do just that: pace.
She didn't have to tell him what the matter was. She was having problems with Clark again. Deciding it would be best to let her start their conversation, he pretended to work on his computer as the heels of her shoes clicked loudly in the vast silence.
"I've tried to make it work, you know," she burst and added, "I think I will take that seat now."
She trudged over to the luxurious sofa and collapsed onto it, rubbing her eyes in frustration. Lex, forgetting his pretense of working on the computer, leapt to his feet to join her.
"Did the two of you have a fight again?"
"No, I'm kinda past the point of arguing with him," was her reply. "This time I left before it could get to that point."
It took a great amount of restraint not to ask her what on Earth she was still doing with Clark, with all of her doubts and suspicions. Fortunately for him, Lex was artful in the craft of exercising restraint.
"Whatever he's hiding, Chloe knows it." She shook her head angrily. It was obvious she felt betrayed.
"How do you know?"
"Chloe and I are like sisters; we live together. We've even got a non-verbal language worked out. We can read each other like a book." she replied. "So, couple that with the fact that they've been pulling way too many all nighters at the Torch...well, you get the picture."
"Do you think they're having an affair?" Lex couldn't help but ask. He knew what Chloe felt for Clark.
"No." She shrugged her shoulders and played nervously with her bracelet. "It's not that. I can't really explain how I know that, but I just do." She went limp again, sinking into the sofa. "She just knows what I don't."
Lex hated seeing Lana so torn up. It was commendable for her to try to work things out with Clark, as much as he didn't want to admit it. However, he wasn't entirely sure she could work things out with Clark and he didn't know how to tell her that. Lex had hoped she would realize that on her own, but now, he was wondering if there might be a way he could speed the process along. The sooner she knew, the better.
"If you want, I'll try and get the secret out of him," he offered.
Lana turned to regard him. "If he hasn't told you what it is by now, I doubt he ever will."
"He rarely tells me anything of interest these days," Lex concurred.
Recently, Lex had found Clark down in the caves...just as his father said he would. He hoped Clark would be up front with him about whatever it was he was doing down there. By the end of their conversation, though, all Lex was left with was a measly excuse and a quick exit. It was frustrating, to say the least.
That incident, along with many others and Lana's testimonies, added to his suspicions of Clark. Did he feel bad of being suspicious of someone who he was friends with—someone who saved his life? Yes. Though, that was changing with time.
"Well, you are his good friend," Lana reasoned out loud. "Maybe he'll tell you whatever it is he can't tell me."
She deflated even more with a tired sigh and became transfixed by the fire burning in the hearth.
Lex's thoughts drifted back to Clark's secret. With some delicacy, he would find it out for Lana's sake and for his own reassurance. He didn't like to think that Clark was keeping secrets from him, when the only thing Lex kept from Clark was his feelings for Lana. That was with good reason, though.
His sense of guilt had begun to wane. He couldn't help how he felt and he hoped, with each passing day, that Lana's liking of Clark would also wane.
Lana lay on the couch, her eyes tired. "I hope he tells you what he's up to." She said sleepily.
Soon she was asleep. Her breaths were peaceful and her face had a look of serenity upon it. Looking angelic, he almost forgot how upset she had been only moments before.
He had to find out Clark's secret. She was counting on him and he wouldn't let her down.
The next day, Lex got on the phone with some contacts he wasn't proud of and some unorthodox alliances. There was one man, in particular, by the name of Sykes, that was of interest. He was a private investigator. Crooked, but with the right monetary incentive could be trusted to get the job done.
He was just the sort of guy Lex needed.
"I want you to follow Clark Kent," he instructed, laying down the young man's picture before Sykes. "I want to know everything he does, everywhere he goes. Don't let him out of your sight."
Sykes nodded.
"And whatever you find out," Lex added, "it stays between the two of us."
His tone was serious, laced with an ever so delicate amount of threat. When dealing with Sykes' sort, it was important that it be understood that you mean business.
Lex didn't hear anything from Sykes that night nor the next night. On the third night, he received an angry phone call.
"Where are you?" He demanded, amazed at the display of incompetence.
"Tijuana," was the angry reply. "The deal's off. That Kent fellow had some bird hanging around with him. She saw me, attacked me, and threatened me. She was tough, I'll give her that. I've got broken ribs, mate."
"Was this a petite blonde girl?" Lex asked. He was angry, but the thought of Chloe beating up Sykes was laughable. He couldn't really see it.
"No, her hair was brown...called Lois, I believe."
Lex's brow furrowed. "You disappoint me, Sykes. Don't expect any payment."
He hung up with a click and leaned back in his chair. Who on Earth was Lois? Was Clark's big secret another woman? That didn't really seem Clark's style. It was very strange.
The next day was Lana's graduation. Lex was a little apprehensive about going, because Clark would be there. However, it was important to Lana that he go, and he really didn't want to miss it anyway.
He found out who Lois was just before the ceremony. She was Chloe's visiting cousin, the daughter of a general, and very...outspoken. She kept going on about what a cute couple "Skippy" and Lana made. While it slightly amused him to hear Clark referred to only as "Skippy", he decided it might be best to steer clear of her, lest she somehow knew he had sent Sykes to spy on Clark.
He chose a seat across the crowd from Lois, the Kents, and Gabe Sullivan and shortly after, the commencement began.
Each student was called onto the stage and given their diploma. Just as Clark was receiving his, a terrible, unmistakable sound could be heard. It's wailing filled the air, sending a tense chill through the crowd. There was no tornado. Why were the air-raid sirens going off?
"A meteor shower is scheduled to hit Smallville, Kansas at three p.m., Central Standard Time," a voice boomed over the siren's loudspeaker. "A mandatory evacuation has be issued for Lowell County. Leave immediately."
The siren's horrible moan started up again and the crowd was flung into a state of pandemonium. A meteor shower was collectively the worst fear of the town. People were screaming and running every which way. Children were crying and students were streaming back and forth, trying to find their families.
Lex looked for Lana in the midst of the chaos, but it was she that found him.
"Lex!" she called, running up to him. There was a look of sheer terror etched on her pretty face, which became slightly relieved upon seeing Lex. She'd never been gladder to see anyone in all her life.
"Lana!" He offered his arm, which she took, so that they wouldn't get separated in the confusion. People were pushing and shoving, knocking Lana in different directions. Clinging on as tightly as she could, she managed to stay with him as he lead her to his Porsche.
As soon as they were both inside and the car was careening down the street, she asked, "where will we go?"
"First, to the mansion," he replied calmly. He wasn't calm, though. Inside he was almost panicking. The last meteor shower had nearly killed him, but he had to think rationally now. It wasn't just his life at risk this time. There was a life far more precious than his to think of sitting in the passenger seat.
"The roads are getting jammed as it is and the shower's going to strike in twenty minutes. We don't even know the size of it and we can't risk getting caught out in it," he explained.
Lana gulped and put all her trust in Lex. She found it wasn't very hard to do.
As soon as they burst through the mansion's double doors, Lex explained to his staff what was going on and asked for the chopper to be readied.
Lana was shaking and noticing this, he grabbed her hands firmly and promised her, "everything will be alright."
She gave a weak, nervous smile and nodded.
They waited in the study. Each minute that passed felt like an hour. Soon, ten minutes passed and still no word on the chopper. Each minute after that felt like a day. They were cutting it too close.
Lex stood up to see what was taking so long with the chopper. He looked out into the hallway. No one was there. The servants had left. Just as that realization dawned on him, the mansion was rocked by what felt like a small explosion. Loud crashes could be heard. Panic arose in both Lex and Lana and they turned to each other, eyes widened.
"We can't take off like this," he told her. "It's not safe. We're going to have to go down into the cellar and wait it out."
Placing his hand on the small of her back, he ushered her down into the dark depths of the cellar. It was cold and uninviting, but Lana couldn't think of a safer place to be other than a fall-out shelter.
She sunk down onto the icy stone floor and Lex sat down beside her. He had lit a candle; it was their only source of light, bathing them in an orange glow. She was shivering; he took off his jacket, which she accepted gratefully.
He wondered how long they would be down there.
"Thank for this, Lex," she said, breaking the silence. She wasn't talking about the jacket.
"No thanks is needed, Lana. I never would've left you there."
"Clark's there, I'm sure they'll be fine," Lex said. Giving the seriousness of the situation, he wasn't being sarcastic.
Lana nodded, feeling reassured.
Even though his jacket was draped across her, she was still shivering. She scooted closer to him, seeking warmth and comfort.
She was dangerously close. He wondered if he should put his arm around her. With Lana, it was hard to tell where the boundaries lay. She moved even closer. Did she want him to? She was right by his side, her arm was brushing his. It seemed she wanted to be held. Slowly, he put his arm around her and breathed a small sigh of relief when she didn't bat it away.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Why do you ask?"
"You just seem tense," she replied. If he was worried about the meteor shower, he should just say so. She could sympathize.
He couldn't lie to her and say it was the meteors. He felt perfectly safe from them in the cellar. He was tense because he had his arm around the most amazing woman he'd ever met in his life. Everything about her was stunning. Her personality, her wit, her scent...her everything. It was an extremely cruel and wonderful form of torture.
"Just being down here," he said, side-stepping her comment.
"It is frustrating not to know what's going on up there."
He nodded.
"But, it's not so terrible down here," Lana went on, the worry on her face ebbing. "In fact, all things considering, I quite like it down here."
"Do you?"
"Yes," she nodded. He could see she was blushing slightly. His heart skipped a beat.
"Why?" He couldn't resist the urge to ask that question.
"Because you're here." Lana felt herself blushing and, as his heart skipped another beat, so did her's. That line sounded so corny to her in her head, but somehow it just worked.
Her mind began to wander.
"Lex?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I like this."
"So do I."
It was indeed an extremely cruel form of torture. He needed her, he ached for her. He didn't want this moment to end. He wanted to tell her he didn't want it to end. He wanted to tell her that and...everything.
"Lana—
"I can't be with Clark anymore," she blurted, interrupting him. "We're just not working out—I see that now."
Lex felt as though his heart stopped beating. It wasn't a terribly bad feeling, however.
"Are you sure?" He asked, feeling as though he must've just imagined that sentence. He'd longed to hear it, but he hadn't expected to so soon.
"Clark and I," she replied. "We aren't the way it's supposed to be, if that makes sense. I love him, but it's not going to work."
I love him. The phrase rang in Lex's head. The only thing that stopped him from kissing her then and there. The word "love" sounded so unromantic flowing from her lips and that gave him hope. He would bide his time.