A/N - this was on the backburner until I finished Trust Me but here we go...keep reviewing and I'll keep posting...

Chapter 12 – Uninvited Guest

"Excuse me." Chloe looked up and quickly slipped her hands to her sides as the whole table looked at the back door. "Can I come in?"

Clark swallowed seeing Lana dressed in her new usual black attire and silky straight hair. He knew that she was not exactly comfortable being there after catching him and Simone, but she was still welcome. He was still in love with her on some level. More so, he was concerned with Chloe. After learning what her real feelings could be for Lex, he wondered how Lana was going to handle her latest potential boyfriend venture not being interested in her at all.

Lex got up and opened the door for her to the surprise of Chloe's. She sat in the chair next to his and quietly sulked. "Lana, Mrs. Kent just put out dessert. Come on in." Lana shook her head in disbelief at Lex. He's eating dinner with them, with Chloe and them.

Thinking that she might get some more face time with Lex, she obliged as Clark retrieved another chair for the table. "Thank you."

"So, what brings you by?" Chloe watched as Lex struck up a casual conversation with a woman that he had obviously had something for for years.

"I just needed to talk to Clark and return some things. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I came by to check on how the progress of my auctions and sales were going with Mrs. Kent and just ended up staying for dinner." Lex was careful with her. He knew that she had been his interest at one time but strangely enough had not, at least not yet, remembered his obsession with her. His thoughts had been so focused on his father and their problems.

"Oh," she said dryly. "Auctions?"

Chloe took a baited breath waiting to see if he would say it. Lana was her friend admittingly but she was tired of waiting in the wings behind Lana for a boyfriend. Clark watched Chloe as she smiled at Lex and Lana, but he could see the look of concern on her face. "Oh, you haven't heard? I'm moving back to Metropolis and turning the Mansion into a bed and breakfast."

He watched as Lana dropped her fork and gaped at the rest of the table. They went on explaining the plans that Lex had for the place, including putting in a golf course and tennis courts and creating a nature trial out to Crater Lake. She was in shock. How could he just up and leave like this? Doesn't he care about anyone around here? He touched everyone's life someway and then just picks up and disappears. What the hell?

"Wow, that sounds great. Umm, thank you Mrs. Kent for the wonderful dessert, but I need to be getting back on the road. Clark, I'm just going to leave the stuff out in the front of the house." Lana got up as Lex stood in polite response.

"Lana."

"No, I'll call you tomorrow. You guys seem to have a lot to do and I have final exams calling me." Lana glared at Chloe. "Are you going to be coming back tonight?"

"I don't know actually. I've been working here the last couple of days and staying in the Talon." Chloe saw Lana nod her head unapprovingly and realized that she had started to see it. Lex had looked at her as she spoke to Lana and he could read her face too. She closed the door and headed to the car.

Lex got up and walked out the door. Jonathon and Martha cleared the table, hoping to be able to distance themselves from yet another love triangle mess that Clark would be getting involved in. Clark and Chloe looked out the window to see the confrontation.

"Lana," Lex grabbed her arm as she hurriedly walked to her car. "Look, what is your problem? Everytime I have seen you this week, you've been defensive and angry?"

"You know exactly why I'm angry." She pulled her arm out of his grip and turned to face him.

Lex was completely clueless, "Really? Well, it's news to me."

"Lex, I'm love with you, ok? I can't get the kisses that you gave me whether you were hopped up on some weird chemical or actually meant them out of my mind. I mean what put you in this state was a woman you hired to break me and Clark up and it worked. I didn't even need that – I was…"

Lex put his hands on his hips and concentrated on her every word, "You were what?"

Lana couldn't take it anymore. Wrapping her hands around his head she kissed him, trying to force her tongue to open his mouth to no avail. Grabbing her by the arms, he pushed back. "Look, I don't want to upset you, really, but I don't remember you. Not that way." Lana started to open her mouth, but he cut her off. "You can't just force it – something like this."

"You tried to." She stopped and refocused. "So, you just run away from it – like moving?"

"If going back to Metropolis is what you think running away is well then ok. To me though that's what I remember. Why can't you just be happy that I get some memories back. Us fighting like this – this is what you want me to remember about you?"

"No, but what about you and Clark and Chloe. It's not like you remember them either."

Lex crossed his arms in irritation. He hadn't quite figured out the right words for him to appease her. "True about Clark and his family, but they have been very helpful with my situation. The fact that I had left them in charge of my personal affairs before the accident proved that I trusted them even if they didn't trust me." He waited as Lana nodded in some sort agreement.

"Ok, what about Chloe? She and you seem very close." Lex closed his eyes and sighed. Placing his hand in the small of her back, he led her to her car silently as she waited for his calculated response.

"She's my source for news – both old and new. Besides, she is my memory, albeit a long time ago. She and I knew each other way before Smallville and when I woke up, she was a familiar face from my past."

"So, there's nothing going on?"

Lex halfway laughed in retort although his thoughts betrayed his words. "Come on – I'm trying to get my life back – you think I'm trying to start a new one? Look, she's a friend, just like you but she and the Kents are patient. I know – believe me – I'm having the hardest time understanding where all of this will leave me. I wish I knew."

Taking him by the arm, she pressed again, "I can help you – we can go over the projects we worked on together and what happened between us."

Lex shoved his hands further in his pockets and stiffened his arms at her touch as she continued to plead. He wasn't sure why he was so turned off by her advances. It wasn't as if she was out for his money or his name but she seemed so needy. So young. This woman and Chloe were of the same age and yet one had never quite matured. She dressed the part but was far too young still in spirit. He knew her Achilles heel as well. "What about Clark? He still loves you – I can tell."

Lana let go of her grip on his arm and her other hand rubbing his chest. Her eyes flashed in disappointment and anger. "I'm not talking about him – this is about you and me." Lex calmly waited for her to continue. Seeing her eyes start to glass over with tears, he succumbed and wrapped one arm around her, pulling him into his chest. "But Lex…"

"No," Lex stated softer as he held her. "Lana, go home. Come by and talk to me all you want – I enjoy the company, but us isn't happening. And yes, I'm going to move. Maybe you should move on – I know from the way you look at him, you still have something for Clark and he's a great guy." Lex held onto the door as Lana started the car.

She stared at him sadly and pulled the car door closed. Driving off, Lex stood in the Kent driveway rolling his head and sliding his hands in his pockets. Looking back at the house, he could see Chloe's sad face. Letting out a large sigh, he headed back in the house.

Walking up the steps he saw Clark come out on the porch to retrieve the box she had left. "Chloe?"

Clark knew what Lex was asking. "In the living room."

"How is she?"

Clark turned and looked disappointed at Lex. "I've seen that look before myself when I told her Lana and I were together. Chloe, though, up until now I would have never suspected. Actually, before the accident, she…"

"Hated me? I have a relative remembrance of that. Or at least a suspect."

"Well, things are different now, for both of you and she's … she wasn't happy." Lex rubbed his face and closed his eyes.

"Damn," Clark heard Lex mumble under his breath as he pulled the back door open and walk into the kitchen.