hooray for updates!
Chp 10 is here! I'm gonna really be moving the story along now, so have fun, and hold on tight, cuz it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
(special thanks to my reviewers)
. . .remember, reviews make me feel pretty. If my self esteem goes to the gutter, I blame you. . .
WARNING: Lex's storyline's gonna get crazy.
WARNING 2: in a few chapters, we may see intimate clois. Break out the mood lighting!
Chapter 10: She's Back!
Clark found himself staring blankly at the ceiling of his loft. Images of Lois kept flashing in his mind. He saw her sleeping in his plaid t-shirts, wearing a red bathing suit at the beach, smiling so that her eyes glowed and he was nearly blinded by her pearly whites. But the one event that kept playing over and over in his mind (which was probably the only thing keeping his heat vision in check) were Lois' words to him at the hospital. She had something to tell him, and he could tell that it was important. She was only serious when she absolutely needed to be, and Clark noticed that there was no hint of sarcasm in her voice. He wanted to know what was so important. So he picked up the phone and began to dial. . .
"So, did ya miss me Clark?" Chloe's voice rang from the stairwell. She moved slowly from the pain in her side, and bandages bulged from the side of her blouse, but her smile was radiant none the less.
"Chloe! Wow, I never thought I'd be this happy to see you limping into my loft . . . when were you discharged?" Clark asked, setting down the phone.
"A few hours ago. I managed to drive here myself, and even picked up a little something on the way here" she said, revealing two bags of McDonalds in her hands. They cleared a place on the coffee table, and sat together, happily filling themselves with Big Macs and sodas.
"This is such an improvement over the cardboard garbage they gave us in the hospital" Chloe declared between bites.
"Chloe, maybe you should stay here for a few days, until you feel better. I don't know if it's safe for you to go back to your dorm yet,"
"Clark, I'm fine. I can take care of myself" Chloe retorted, rising from her seat. "OW!" she yelled in a surge of pain, followed by a string of profanities. "Maybe I could recover here for a few days" She grunted, holding her side.
"No problem, Chlo, you can take my room"
"But what about Lois?"
"She'll survive sleeping on the living room sofa for a few nights. I'll crash up here"
"Thanks, Clark"
Lex sat in his study. He wasn't doing anything in particular, which was an unusual event. Since he was a child, Lex was always preoccupied by something, but on this cold November night, he simply sat, staring blankly at the fireplace. He admired the flames, how they could at the same time be warm and comforting and destructive. He wanted the power that fire held; it was trumped by nothing.
Lex sensed something moving from the corner of his eye, breaking him of his trance. He whisked around, only to see the open window causing the curtains to flutter. He rose and shut the windows. But there it was again; it moved like a shadow, but before he could get a glimpse of it, it disappeared from his sight. He ran to the window, but saw nothing. He ran all the way out the door, and onto the street, but saw only the glint of the sun over the horizon and felt only a slight chill down his spine.
"So, Clark, have you enjoyed your vacation from the strange and unusual?" Chloe inquired.
"I'm an alien, Chloe. My life is nothing but strange and unusual."
"Not that, Clark. I mean the murder of Lionel Luthor! I may have been on hiatus from our little mission but I want to jump right back into solving that case. This could be my big break, you know," she retorted.
"The thing is, I don't know if I want to go back to that case, Chlo. You were almost killed, and my powers may have been caught on tape by that godforsaken camera and taken who knows where!" Chloe frowned. "I'm done playing superman."
The glint in Chloe's eyes disappeared. Her smile faded, and a pale gloom moved over her face, knowing that Clark had given up. But Chloe wasn't ready to give up as well.
"OK, Clark. You don't have to help me anymore. But I'm gonna solve this story if it's the last thing I do . . . With or without you."
