Chloe and Lois were giggling about something when Clark returned. Chloe turned a deep shade of pink when Clark walked in.
"Hey, Clark," she said, trying to compose herself. She fanned her flushed face with her hand.
"Hey, what are you two laughing at?" Clark couldn't help but smile at them.
"It's nothing, just girl talk," Lois said, as the she and Chloe looked at each other again, suppressing another fit of giggles. Chloe cleared her throat and looked expectantly at Clark as Lois excused herself from the room.
"Where were you?"
"I went to Luthorcorp, to see if I can find out anything about this Katherine Trumpet," he said to Chloe, "the offices were closed though, so-," he paused, making sure no one was within earshot in the office, or in the hall, "I snuck down to the lab-to look around."
"I met this other doctor, Dr. Mason Hines. He wasn't too friendly or forthcoming," Clark added. Chloe furrowed her brow.
"Mason Hines, why do I know that name?"
Clark watched her shuffled through some papers on her desk, until she found the printout she was looking for. She read over it and then handed the page to Clark.
Clark looked over the page, raising his eyebrows. He looked up at Chloe.
"I discovered that interesting tidbit when I started doing research about Lionel's final months," she said to him.
"I think we need to talk to Lila about this," he said, picking up the phone to call her. Chloe nodded in agreement.
Chloe and Clark met Lila at the café in Lila's hotel. She was waiting for them when they arrived and stood as they approached, smiling to them both.
Clark waited for Chloe and Lila to sit, before he took an empty chair.
"Lila, we think that Katherine Trumpet and Mason Hines were the ones following us last night," Clark said, sparing no time for any pleasantries. He handed her the printout Chloe had shown him. Lila read over the paper, her eyes widening in surprise, and shock.
Lila sat speechless for a minute. She hadn't been expecting to hear what Clark just said, or to read what she'd just read. She looked down at her hands in her lap as she bit on her lower lip, her mind racing. Then she nodded.
"Okay," she looked between Chloe and Clark. "Okay, so what now?"
Chloe glanced sideways at Clark and then faced Lila.
"We need to know everything you know," she said.
Lila nodded and began speaking about what she knew.
Dr. Mason Hines was still in the lab. He hadn't moved from his lab bench, and he was still surrounded by various tools and pieces of wiring.
The main door into the lab beeped and opened. Dr. Hines rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. He hated distractions, and after the interruption from the reporter, his usually short tolerance was cut even shorter. He hastily covered his work with a towel and sat at the bench, waiting to see who the new visitor was disrupting his work.
He heard the heels clicking on the cement floor before he saw the person. The visitor turned the corner, and Dr. Hines saw the blond head of Katherine Trumpet. He exhaled sharply, unaware until then that he had been holding his breath.
She walked hurriedly toward him with a strained expression on her face. Her heels clicked louder the closer she got to Dr. Hines at the lab bench. He removed his magnifying glasses in exchange for his regular frames.
"Dr. Hines, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I thought you should know, the body was discovered. The offices are closed today as a result," she was breathing heavily, like she'd just run a race.
"Thank you, Ms. Trumpet," Dr. Hines replied, as he removed his regular frames and put the magnifying glasses back on. He picked up his soldering tool and removed the towel from the bundle of wires and chips he was working on. He was neither surprised, nor upset about the news.
Katherine watched him for a moment. She knew this entire situation was getting out of hand, and she regretted her involvement already. His nonchalance was beginning to grate her nerves.
"Mason!" She exclaimed.
He paused, and turned his head to look at her.
"Katherine, my dear," he said coolly, "please, calm yourself. Everything is fine. There's nothing linking us, and the FBI was so preoccupied with investigating Lex for Lionel's disappearance, thanks to yours truly, even if they started now, they wouldn't find anything. We are fine."
Katherine was not comforted. She accepted his reasoning, but she was afraid something had been missed. There was a glitch in the plan. She just couldn't put her finger on it. She sat in the stool next to Dr. Hines and exhaled.
"When are we going to make a grab for Lila again?" she asked him.
He studied her, satisfied that she had sufficiently calmed herself.
"Well, it was a mistake to try and grab her last night, I realize now. We shouldn't have made such a bold move," he shook his head. "I think tonight, no one will miss her until Monday, and by then it'll be too late. We can lure Luthor here tomorrow," he nodded his head, convinced this was the best plan.
"So, tonight?" Katherine reiterated. Mason looked at her, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't get squeamish on me. We've come a long way. We have to see this through," he turned back to business. "Now if you would kindly leave me alone to finish this."
Clark and Chloe both agreed that Lila shouldn't be alone. So she agreed to accompany them back to uThe Daily Planet/u.
As the trio approached the door to the office, they heard laughter and women's voices. As they rounded the door and entered the office, there was Lois laughing with Lana. Clark froze in the doorway, shocked at the unexpected appearance of Lana Lang.
Chloe on the other hand smiled and rushed up to Lana, giving her a big hug. Lana watched Clark over Chloe's shoulder. Smiling, but almost forcibly so. Lila stood a little ahead of Clark, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, smiling at the obvious happy reunion between the two women. When she saw Clark's face, her smile faltered a bit. She looked back to Lana, and saw the unspoken connection between them.
iThis is the girl/i, she thought, ithe one that came between Clark and Lex/i. Lila then noticed some similarities between herself and Lana. They were both fairly petite, although Lila was at least 2 inches taller. They both had long, dark hair, and they even had the same color eyes it appeared. Lila felt a pang little jealousy.
"I didn't know you were going to be back in Kansas!" Chloe exclaimed her joy at seeing Lana after all this time totally eclipsing the dangerous situation she had been discussing not ten minutes earlier. Lois stood to the side, smiling. She glanced at Clark, and in a perverse sort of way, enjoyed his obvious discomfort at the situation. It was like that scene on the Kent farm those six or so years ago. The first time Lana came back from Paris and rescued Lois from the man with the metal arms in the graveyard. She had to laugh at the similarities. But she did feel bad for Clark. Suddenly her mind turned to Lex. She furrowed her brow as she wondered how Lana's return would affect Lex, and his fractured friendship with Clark.
"Hi, I'm Lana Lang," Lana smiled and introduced herself to Lila after her reunion with Chloe was complete.
"Lila Lotz," Lila replied, returning the smile.
Lila looked between Chloe and Lana, not sure what to do next. Lana also stood in place, looking from Lila, to Clark. She started to register the situation when Lois piped up.
"Who wants some coffee? I could use a caffeine break, I've been writing all day, and my fingers are tired," she attempted humor. She snagged Chloe's elbow, and made eye movements towards Lila, indicating they both should leave the room with Lois.
"Sure!" Chloe took the hint and told Lana they'd catch up that night. Lana agreed to have dinner with Chloe.
Lila didn't want to leave the room. Even though she'd just met Clark yesterday, she was already feeling possessive and a little jealous over Lana's presence. But she reluctantly left with the other two girls, stealing one last glance at Clark, who hadn't stopped staring at Lana since they'd come into the room.
After the three girls left, Clark and Lana stood where they were a moment longer, staring at each other.
"You look really great, Lana," Clark finally managed to say. And it was true. She was tan and had a bright look in her eyes. She looked happy.
"So do you Clark," she responded, giving him that genuine, crinkled nose smile that stopped his heart him every time.
Time slowed for Clark, and every detail of the moment was etched permanently in his mind. Lana slowly crossed the room towards him, her eyes and her hair brightly shining, the collar of her shirt folded wrong on one side, the charm bracelet Clark had given her for her twenty-first birthday hung on her wrist, and glittered in the afternoon light coming from the windows. She reached Clark and enveloped him in a hug that to Clark, felt like he'd returned home.
At first he resisted the feeling, but only for a millisecond. He wrapped his arms around Lana and hugged her back, as tight as he could safely allow himself. He lowered his head to the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent. All the emotions and events of the past three years came rushing back in a tidal wave.
When they parted, Lana had tears on her cheeks.
"I wasn't sure what kind of a reception I would get, especially since I totally blind-sided you by showing up here unannounced. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to see you. So, here I am," she said, looking up at Clark with those huge, doe-eyes, giving him another smile.
"When my mom told me you were going to be in Smallville, I was afraid of what might happen. I know we need to talk about what happened the last time we were together, and I was afraid you'd still be angry with me," Clark responded, reaching out to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Lana gently pulled Clark's hand away from her face as she lowered her eyes.
"I was mad for awhile, Clark. But then I realized it didn't matter anymore. Things have changed, I've changed. I realized that I wasn't the right person for you to be with. I loved you so much. I still do love you, but as a friend," she added quickly.
"But I'm not who you're destined to be with. We had our moment in time together, but your future is with someone else. I think you know that," Lana finished quietly, watching him closely.
Clark looked back at her, surprised that he wasn't more upset about what she'd said. They looked at each other for awhile. Clark slowly realized too, that what they went through last year didn't really matter anymore. Things between him and Lana were over, but they could still be good friends. Time and distance had afforded them the ultimate luxury of healing their hearts. It was sad, but at the same time, it was like he was suddenly freed from a huge burden. A burden he'd put on himself, but a burden nonetheless.
"I've gotten involved with someone, anyway. And I think you have too," Lana gave him a genuine, friendly grin. Any feelings of jealousy he might have felt faded when she smiled.
"I just met her yesterday," Clark laughed. They both knew they were talking about Lila.
"She's the first woman I've seen since you left," he added sheepishly.
Lana looked at him, a little surprised. Clark laughed at her. She made to hit him on the arm but stopped short of doing it.
"To be honest, I thought you'd be hooked up with Chloe by now," Lana said, almost hesitantly. Clark looked at her curiously and she shrugged.
"I'd rather you be with someone I know will love you completely, and treat you well, than a complete stranger who I know nothing about," she added.
"That makes sense," Clark responded, "But Chloe and I work better as just friends. After all that we went through, I'd rather leave things as they are. So, who's your stranger?"
"He's not a stranger. And it just sort of happened by accident, us falling in love," Lana was on the verge of getting defensive. Clark started to get nervous about what she was working up to admitting.
"Clark, after I left Smallville, I was so lonely and hurt. I couldn't write Chloe about my feelings, because I knew she was too close to you and I didn't want to risk her telling you my thoughts. My aunt is so far removed from my life now that I couldn't confide in her. And Lois was too involved with everything that happened, I didn't feel like I could talk to her. So, I went to the last place I'd ever have thought, but probably the best place to work out my feelings about you. I went to Pete," Lana stopped to gauge Clark's reaction.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I wasn't expecting that," Clark announced, honestly. "Pete and I usually talk maybe once or twice a month, and he never once alluded to anything."
"Don't be upset with Pete, I made him swear not to tell you. I knew this information had to come from me, and I had to be sure to tell you when the time was right," Lana quickly added. She looked concerned.
"I'm not mad, I'm just, shocked, really," Clark said.
"Pete and I started off as pen pals, and then we started talking on the phone. About four months ago Pete made a trip to Paris. There was a decided difference in the way I felt for Pete, versus my feelings for you. It was when he came to see me that I knew that you and I were officially at an end. You were my past but Pete is my future."
"I stopped over to see him on my way here, and he's so scared that you will hate him for this," Lana added when Clark didn't respond right away.
Clark still couldn't wrap his mind around what was happening. He slowly shook his head in disbelief and smiled dumbly.
"I just can't imagine you and Pete! When his mom moved them from Wichita to Washington D.C. near the end of our senior year, we kind of lost track, only talking a few times a month," he remembered when Pete had told him that he was going to go to college out east; dashing their plans of going to Met U together.
"It's kind of weird, but I guess it's like you said," he shrugged, "I'd rather you be with someone I know will treat you right, then a stranger I've never met, and know nothing about."
In the break room down the hall, Lois, Chloe and Lila were sitting in uncomfortable silence. Chloe and Lois exchanged glances, while Lila sat staring at her untouched cup of coffee.
"So, Lila," Lois looked to Chloe for help, as Lila raised her head.
"How long will you be in Metropolis?" Chloe asked as she raised her eyebrows towards Lois. Lois gave Chloe a shrug as she drank her coffee.
"Until Wednesday," Lila answered, fidgeting in her chair. She cleared her throat.
"Um-so, Clark and Lana were involved, right?" She got the nerve to ask, and Chloe nodded the confirmation slowly.
"And the reason Clark and Lex are no longer friend's is because of Lana?" Lila asked, looking between Lois and Chloe. Lois didn't know how to respond. Obviously, Clark told her something about what had happened. The looks on their faces must have been confirmation enough for Lila. She stood up from her chair and paced the room.
"I know I just met him yesterday. I can't help but feel like we're connected, maybe it's all that we've been through over the last twenty-four hours," Lila laughed, "I feel like an idiot right now. Why should I be jealous?"
"Lila," Chloe started, "Lana and Clark have a, well, complicated past," she offered, finding it ironic that now she was making excuses about Lana and Clark. She looked sideways at Lois, and Lois just shrugged.
"I know, and I'm not looking for you to reassure me. I mean, Lana is your friend," she stopped pacing and sat back down.
"I'm worked up over all this stuff that's been happening. I never imagined when I left my house the day before yesterday, that in the next forty-eight hours I'd make career magic, meet an amazing man, get involved-unbeknownst to me-in some sinister plot, be followed, again for reasons unknown, then find out the man I'd previously been involved with was brutally murdered…" Lila trailed off.
Lois and Chloe sat uncomfortably across from her, not sure what to do, or say.
"I'm sorry?" Lois offered, and Chloe elbowed her in the ribs.
"Ooof," she elbowed Chloe back.
"Like I said, you don't need to say anything, I just needed to vent," Lila leaned back in her chair, staring out the 20th floor window, towards the Luthercorp building.
Chloe and Lois gave forced smiles and they resumed the uncomfortable silence.
Awhile later, Lana and Clark came down the hall to the break room. Lila tried to appear relaxed, but felt like she was the biggest imposter in the room.
"Chloe, I'm exhausted, can I crash at your apartment for awhile?" Lana asked.
"I'll get my keys out of my desk," Chloe nodded and darting out the door.
"It was nice to meet you Lila," she smiled, "Lois, Clark, I'll see you later," and with that she was gone.
"If you'll excuse me, I do have a deadline to meet tonight," Lois ducked outafter Lana.
Lila looked sheepishly at Clark. He was smiling back at her. She relaxed a bit.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Why?" Clark looked confused.
"I don't know," Lila laughed, feeling ridiculous.
"Want to get some air?" Clark offered, as he held out his hand.
Lila nodded and took his hand.