Lana had left Clark's apartment earlier and had driven over to the park to walk around and think some. Why had Clark called me over to his place to talk about Lex? Did he still have feelings for me? Is that why he did this? To make me think badly of Lex so I would break off the engagement? Lana stopped and looked out over a small pond. She really didn't know what to think. Clark had said he wasn't tying to break them up and she knew he wasn't the kind of person to throw empty accusations around about people.

But Lex had been good to her. He had always looked out for her since they first meeting. They had remained friends for the whole time that she and Clark had yo-yoed back and forth. She had gone to him for advice and cried to him about her troubles with Clark. He had always listened to her. After her break-up with Clark, he was there with a comforting shoulder for her. They didn't really get together until a few years down the road. She had never seen anything that would make her think what she was doing was wrong.

But, it must have been hard for Clark to revisit our past by calling me up. He definitely seemed uncomfortable in the situation. Could he actually be right? Could I be walking into something I know nothing about? Lana looked out over the pond again as the sun began to go down. She then realized how late it had better getting going.

Lana couldn't help but feel things were slightly different as she walked into the penthouse apartment that Lex owned. She tried to act as if nothing as happened as she looked over at him, but couldn't help but think if she did really know him or not.

"You look beautiful." Lex cooed as she walked over to him. It didn't seem to her that he had noticed anything different.

"Thanks. You do as well." Lex smiled at her. "Did you have a good afternoon?"

"Yes. I ran a few errands and then went over to the park for a while," Lana answered. "You?"

"Just business as usual" Lex stepped over to her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes" Lex extended his hand toward the door. "You go on I'll get the lights." Lana turned around and didn't see the dark look that quickly passed over Lex's face for a moment before the mask went back in place and he went out behind her.

Two days later…

Clark hesitantly got up and answered the knock on the door. He didn't want any company or was expecting any right now. He didn't even check to see who it was before opening the door. The only reasons he didn't ignore the noise all together was that it would be rude and whoever it was wouldn't go away.

Clark opened the door to see Chloe standing there with a very perky smile on her face. She had two pizza boxes under one arm and a plastic grocery bag hanging from the other.

"I thought you could use some comfort food."

Clark looked at her responding with a very weak smile. "Chloe, I really don't…" his words were cut off by a very stern "Clark Kent!" Clark's eyes grew wide with the tone of her voice. It was almost the same tone as when his mother used when he was little and had been caught doing something he shouldn't.

Chloe's face and tone softened with concern as she continued. "You have been moping around all day at work and have hardly said a word to anyone. You may not want any company tight now, but you need some whether you want to admit it or not." She paused for a moment before smiling up at him again. "So, are you going to let me in or am I going to drip all the way down the hall?"

Clark opened the door fully stepping out of the way for Chloe to come in. "Drip? Pizza doesn't drip."

Chloe placed the two pizza boxes on the coffee table in front of the couch before turning back to see Clark's perplexed look.

"No, but ice cream will." She pulled two pints of ice cream out of the plastic bag. "Now, you just sit down here while I go and put these in the freezer for now."

Clark obeyed without anymore argument. He really hadn't wanted to see anyone but was touched by Chloe's concern. Chloe looked over at him as she finished putting away the dessert glad that he hadn't protested any more and was going along with her plan. "You want to use paper plates or napkins?"

"Napkins are fine."

Chloe thought about tearing off some sheets, but then decided just to bring the whole roll. That way no one would have to get up for more. "What do you have to drink here?"

There's some coke cans in the fridge." Chloe returned placing the cokes and the roll of paper towels on the table beside the boxes.

Clark eyed the whole roll of paper towel and looked at Chloe with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, I've seen you eat pizza before."

"I'm not that bad!" Clark tried to act hurt, but couldn't help but smile. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who really knew him.

Chloe opened the boxes with a flourish. "I got a pizza with everything on it, except anchovies for you. Ham and pineapple for me."

Make that it was VERY nice to have someone who really knew you. "Thanks, Chloe. This was really sweet of you to do this." Clark tore off several sections of the paper towels and grabbed a slice of the pizza.

Chloe did the same as well. "That's what friends are for." Both munched happily for a moment without saying anything before Chloe brought up what she had wanted to know about all day. "So, how did the meeting go Saturday?" Chloe asked innocently as she picked at a piece of pineapple.

"What meeting is that?" Clark asked in the same tone Chloe used, although he knew exactly what she was asking about.

"The meeting with Lana." Chloe tried to act exasperated just to go along with Clark.

"Oh, that one." Clark looked over at Chloe as she rolled her eyes at him. "So, you bribe me with pizza and ice cream to try and get me to talk?"

"Yeah, is it working?" Chloe smiled at him for a moment before continuing. "I came over because I'm really concerned about you. I thought you might need someone to talk to."

Clark smiled at her. "Thanks, Chloe I appreciate that." Clark took another bite of his pizza. "You know, I may have to do something to get you to bribe me more."

Chloe reached over and wanted to slap him, but decided she didn't want to her hand so she decided on giving him a playful shove. "So, am I going to find out or not. I can still take back my ice cream you know." She gave him a mock stern look to try and emphasize her point.

Clark put his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. "Okay, okay."

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses and saw reason." Chloe smiled at him. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say it didn't go good."

"No, I didn't get anywhere with her" Clark shook his head dejected. "I didn't even get to talk with her like I wanted to."

"What happened?" Chloe asked as she finished off the last bit of her slice of pizza.

"She was wearing a necklace…. and it wasn't an emerald" Clark placed the uneaten crust of his last piece inside the cardboard box.

"Kryptonite?" Chloe's eyes grew wide with concern. "Are you okay?" Chloe started to get up to have a better look to make sure.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Clark waved her off and Chloe settled into her seat again, but she kept a close eye on him. "I had to stand across the room from her I don't know what she thought about that."

"Where'd she get a kryptonite necklace from?" Chloe wondered out loud.

Clark's eyes took on a harder tone as he answered. "Lex."

"Is that what she said or are you just guessing?"

"She thought it was an emerald. She said Lex bought it for her as an engagement present and himself a matching ring."

Chloe saw the look in Clark's eyes when he said Lex's name. "Yu don't think it is just a fluke. Do you? You think Lex purposefully had jewelry made with those rocks in them."

Clark only nodded his head in response.

"Bt why?" Chloe asked to the question to the air. Clark seemed to be lost in thought at the moment. "ven if Lex didn't want Lana to be near you, he doesn't know it affects you."

"I've often wondered just how much he does know." Clark seemed to momentarily have forgotten there was someone else in the room as he stared straight ahead. Chloe reached over and placed her hand on top of Clark's arm softly. She used her other hand to turn his face towards hers. "Hey, how could he? I don't think Lex is the type to sit on this type of information."

"You're probably right." Clark said the glassy look disappearing from his eyes. "He has just become consumed by his hatred of Superman and had unwittingly roped Lana in."

Chloe leaned back again in her seat. "You're not going to try again are you?" Chloe looked over at Clark concerned when she got no response. "You're not dealing with just Lana now, you're also dealing with Lex. You could get hurt."

Clark just nodded his head as he spoke softly. "I know."

Chloe decided not to push the subject any further. "So, how did Lana act?" Chloe was curious how Lana was as well since it had been a long time since she had spoke to her also.

Clark snorted softly. "She defended him. She said he was a good man."

Chloe knew ahead of time that would likely be Lana's reaction. What other reaction would you expect from someone who seemed as happy as Lana did and was newly engaged. Chloe could just about read on his face what was going through his brain then. "Clark, Lex has her brainwashed. You're a good person. Its Lana's loss, not yours."

Clark exhaled slowly and then smiled over at Chloe. "You're right. Thanks for reminding me."

"So, how did the visit end?"

"Lana began to notice that I wasn't looking too well and I had to tell her she needed to leave so I could lie down."

Clark saw the slightly stunned look on Chloe's face. "I didn't want to be rude, but it was getting pretty bad by that then and she wanted to come over and try to help me."

"Its okay, Clark" Chloe said. "I'm just surprised she noticed and left without doing anything."

"Yeah, well I probably don't have to worry about a return visit." Clark's eyes then sparkled for the first time all night. "I think it is time for dessert."

"Definitely."