Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those who reviewed the last chapter. Big shout out to shadowglove! Hope you enjoy this! I appreciate the feedback. And if anyone is still unsure whether this is going to be a Chlark or a Chlex, this chapter should answer that. So on with the reading...
Divided Devotions
Chapter 8
Lois and Clark were sitting on the steps of the school, looking completely pathetic.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Lois asked sullenly.
"I don't know. Aren't you the brains of this operation?" Clark countered just as sullenly.
"No that would be Luthor." Lois gave him an evil look.
"If Mandy doesn't know how to reverse the effect then how will we get Chloe back to normal?" Clark looked at Lois expectantly.
"How the hell should I know? I basically did the entire investigation anyway, so maybe it's time you and Luthor come up with something good." Lois shot back.
"Maybe we should just wait until it leaves her system." Clark braced his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his fists.
"How about not? You're just enjoying the attention that she's been giving you." She shot him an accusing look.
"Well do you have a better idea?" Clark glared at her as he took out his phone.
"Oh come on! Give up already. You already tried twenty times; he's not going to pick up." Lois closed her eyes in frustration.
"I'm trying in case he picks up. Maybe he'll have news on the drink." Clark insisted stubbornly.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Lois ignored him as he tried again. The boy was obsessed. Maybe he finally realized that Chloe was worth pursuing. She seriously wanted to club him if that was the case.
Clark groaned audibly. Lex was still not picking up his phone. He had no idea where he and Chloe were and they still did not have a cure. This day just kept getting progressively worse.
Lois jumped to her feet, "Come on Smallville, no use acting like a bunch of kiddies. We should go to the Torch and figure out what we can do." She said decisively.
Clark looked at her uncertainly. "Chloe's the one with the researching skills."
"And I am her cousin, so it must be in the blood. Come on, it's better than all that wallowing that you're doing. You're acting like some lovesick puppy." She eyed him critically.
Clark stood up with renewed conviction. Lois was right, there was no use sitting around, they would have to be proactive, "Fine, let's try and figure out what else we can do."
"That's the spirit." Lois clapped his back as they headed for the locker rooms.
Lex held out his hand to her. Chloe smiled at him gratefully as she took his proffered hand to steady herself. They've just touched down at the helipad at Luthorcorp.
"This is just amazing." Chloe said breathlessly as she took in the view. She flashed Lex a bright smile as she let go of his hand and walked towards the rails for a closer look.
Lex shook his head at her eagerness to see more. He had no idea if she would actually like the surprise that he prepared for her, after all in her current state, her mind was focused on less than important matters. But he had to at least try and see if the normal Chloe was still inside the devoted one. He walked over to where she was standing and simply smiled at her as she continued to take in the view.
"You have a perfect view of the Daily Planet." She informed him when he finally reached her.
Lex nodded and focused his gaze on the other building instead of the young woman beside him.
"I've never seen the Planet from this angle. I usually have to look up to see that bright globe." She hooked her arm through his as she pointed to the revolving sphere with her free hand.
"It certainly is awe-inspiring." He commented offhandedly.
She looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "You don't sound too impressed, maybe because this building towers over the Planet. But still, it certainly is beautiful." She fixed her stare back on the structure.
Lex heard the longing in her tone, it wasn't too obvious that he was glad that he paying attention. "Then I guess you will actually like what I arranged for you." He freed his arm from her grip and took her hand in his.
She turned her gaze back on him and looked at him questioningly.
"I believe you will get an even better view of that globe." He nodded at the direction of the other structure. "No more than a few feet from the actual globe I believe."
"No way!" Her eyes widened at his words. "We're going there?" Her question was filled with awe and excitement.
Lex nodded and the next thing he knew Chloe practically threw herself at him. Not that it was new or anything, the last couple of days she had been throwing herself at him, but this was literal and if Chloe wasn't petite they would have ended up sprawled on the ground, not exactly his ideal situation.
"Amazing!" Chloe smiled at him when she pulled back slightly. She was brimming with such happiness that for a second he saw a shadow of the real Chloe, the Chloe who was driven to the point of recklessness when it comes to her investigations, the Chloe who dreamed of working for the Daily Planet.
Lex raised his hand to caress her cheek and couldn't help but agree with her, but he was not actually thinking of the Daily Planet. Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation; her cheeks were rosy red, her lips curved into such a beautiful smile.
She leaned against his touch and closed the gap between them. "You are amazing Lex." She whispered softly as she looked up at him.
Lex was completely entranced by her. The way she uttered the words, it was as though she truly believed them herself. The trust that he saw in her eyes, it was enough to incapacitate him. She said that she trusted him a number of times during their partnership, but a part of him did not fully believe her. He thought he was just a means to an end for her. And he tried to look at their time together the same way. But now, he did not know what to believe.
Chloe rested her cheek against his chest, "Simply amazing." She said ever so softly.
Lex cleared his throat, effectively breaking the moment. He would file away what happened and mull over it at a later date. For now he would deliver on his promise. "So shall we?" He created some distance between them and held out his arm.
Chloe placed her hand on his arm and smiled at him, "Lead the way Mr. Luthor."
"Do you really think that Chloe likes Lex?" Clark asked Lois as they worked their way towards the locker rooms.
Lois stopped in her tracks and looked at him as if he had a screw loose. "You're still on that?"
Clark rolled his eyes at her. "I just can't get over-"
"You can't get over the fact that Chloe is actually interested in someone else, someone who doesn't have CK as their initials." Lois cut him off derisively.
"It's not that. It's just that…it's Lex." Clark uttered with such exasperation.
He was not sure if jealousy was the only driving force behind his inability to believe that Chloe would choose Lex. But he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact. If Lois was right and the drink was emotion based then he would have a harder time with the aftermath of the situation. He would be dealing with a Chloe who had feelings for him... and for Lex. He and Lex would be competing against each other, should Lex decide that he wanted to pursue Chloe as well. His relationship with Lex was already in tatters, a direct rivalry would only embitter them against each other.
"Look, for as long as I can remember Chloe has been hung up on you. I think it's healthy that she found someone else to…like. And Luthor may be the son of the devil, but you can't deny that he's helped Chloe before." She pointed out reasonably. Lois never thought she'd live the day that she would be defending Lex Luthor. She looked up at the sky, waiting for Armageddon to begin.
Clark ran a hand over his face, "I know, he saved her life and her father's life, I know all that. But it doesn't mean that he's good for her."
"I suppose you think you are." Lois looked at him critically.
Clark folded his arms across his chest, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Lois countered.
Before Clark could muster a response they were interrupted by someone calling his name. He turned around and found himself face to face with Lana. "Uh…Lana, hi." He forced a smile.
"Hi Clark." Lana's smile was forced as well. "I was wondering if you've noticed how odd Chloe's been acting."
Clark rubbed the back of his neck, he did not want to tell Lana all the details of what was going on with Chloe but before he could think of an answer Lois spoke for him.
"Chloe's been acting…odd for the last three days and you just noticed it now?" Lois shot Lana a critical look.
She really had nothing against the other brunette. She actually had an actual conversation with the girl when everyone thought that Chloe was dead. Maybe she was so overcome with grief that she did not fully process the situation, but now that she though about it she decided that she did not like Lana Lang. The girl did not even bother to return for the funeral of her supposed best friend and it took her three days before she finally figured out that there was something wrong with Chloe.
"Yeah, I tried to talk to her earlier and she just ignored me." Lana looked confused at Lois' tone.
"She just hasn't been her self." Clark mumbled quietly.
"Do you know why?" Lana focused her attention on Clark since Lois was glaring at her.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. Go back to your own life and don't worry about Chloe, it's not like you're going to lose sleep over her situation." Lois once again took the reins of the conversation.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lana shot Lois a resentful look.
"I'm sure Lois is just worried-" Clark tried to control the situation.
"I meant that it's not like you're particularly concerned about Chloe. After all it took you three whole days before you finally noticed that there is actually something going on with her. And let's not forget the fact that you did not even come for her funeral, sure she wasn't really dead but you didn't know that. A good friend would have come, come hell or high water, if their friend died from a freaking explosion. So yeah, let's not pretend that you and Chloe are actual friends when you're only concerned that someone deigned to ignore you." Lois finished crossly.
Lana looked positively outraged at Lois' exposition. "I am Chloe's friend. You have no right to say anything, you barely know me."
"Look guys can we not-"
Once again Lois interrupted Clark, "I may not know you, and I really don't want to, but I know your type. So why don't you just run along and keep living in Lana-land. We'll try and restore Chloe back to normal so she won't ignore you again." Lois looked at Clark expectantly and tapped her foot impatiently when he said nothing.
Clark rolled his eyes at Lois and smiled at Lana, "I'm sorry about her. She's just worried about Chloe. But-"
Once again someone cut him off. But this time he was interrupted when someone barreled into him, slamming his body against the doors to the locker room. Clark was lying on his back and found himself staring at his football coach. He growled at the situation, once again his coach was attacking him. Good thing he was back in tiptop shape, he could at least defend himself. He just had to control himself and not beat Coach Teague to a bloody pulp.
"You should have stayed away from my girlfriend!" His coach shouted at him as he slammed his fist on Clark's face.
"Wow." Chloe grinned as she stared shamelessly.
Lex smirked at her expression. When they reached the Planet they immediately took the private elevator and headed straight for the top. He had no intention of showing himself to the rest of the staff of the most influential paper in the nation; he had no desire to be chased by reporters looking for an interview.
He managed to secure his visit by dangling information on an upcoming merger he had on the works for Luthorcorp. And he would certainly do it again if only for the look on Chloe's face.
"I mean the view from your building was great. But this…wow." She smiled at him ruefully and turned her focus back on the globe.
"I thought you'd appreciate it." Lex replied easily. He watched as she touched the stone, which elevated the globe from the ground, tentatively. There was a certain reverence in the air surrounding her as she allowed her hand to come in contact with what she called a work of art.
"I do." The wonderment was evident in her voice. "I've always dreamed of working here. I would dream of coming up here and just taking a break from being in the bullpen." She turned towards him and held out her hand. "Come here. Touch it."
"I've been here before. I'm sure it feels the same." Lex shook his head dismissively but took her hand anyway.
Chloe shook her head, clearly she did not approve of what he said. She guided his hand and placed it flat against the surface. She placed her own hand on top of his and whispered, "Can you feel it?"
"Feel what?" His brows furrowed. Chloe was acting even stranger.
"The pulsing need, the pulsing need to know." She looked at him as if he should feel what she felt.
He looked at her intently, her words alone was enough to mesmerize him.
"It's there. It's why I wanted to work here someday. When I was younger I used to walk by this building all the time. Even when it was completely out of my way I would make it a point to come here. I felt it…" She traced her fingers over his hand.
"Feel what?" Lex was really curious where she was going with her thought.
"The call, it was like this place was calling me. And I knew then I was meant to be an investigative reporter." Chloe was completely serious. "Oh well." She shrugged helplessly.
"What do you mean oh well?" He demanded as he extricated his hand from underneath her touch.
"I have no time to spare." She answered, entirely unconcerned.
Lex frowned at her words. For a second he thought that Chloe was back to normal. He had hoped that the trip to the newspaper of her dreams would trigger her desire to become the top reporter she was destined to become. But obviously they would really need the cure. "You can still become an investigative journalist." He declared resolutely.
"But I'm devoted to you. And Clark. I have no time for my dreams." Chloe said slowly, as if by saying it slower Lex would be able to understand what she was saying.
"You can still pursue your dreams Chloe." Lex uttered, disapproval coloring his entire tone.
Chloe shook her head smilingly as she placed a hand on his chest. "I can't Lex. I have to devote my time to you and Clark."
"You don't have to devote your entire time to me. Or to Clark. We would understand if you want to pursue other things." He grabbed her hand and held it tight.
"But I don't want to pursue other things. I'm devoted to you." She frowned slightly; she was obviously disturbed by what he was trying to say.
"Why?" He looked deep into her eyes as she waited for her answer.
"Why what?" She seemed puzzled by his question.
"Why are you devoted to me?" Lex finally managed to voice out what he had been thinking about since the entire thing began.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Chloe's frown deepened.
"I have no idea why you would want to be devoted to me." Lex answered honestly.
Chloe rolled her eyes, "If you wanted an ego boost you could have just asked." She told him teasingly.
"I'm serious Chloe. Why would you want to be devoted to me?" He held her hand tighter.
"Because you're amazing Lex." She said it as if it was a given. "You've been there for me when I had no one. You didn't have to help me with that thing with your father. But you did. And you were wonderful this summer. You're an amazing man Lex Luthor." She smiled at him.
She looked like she believed every word that she said. Lex felt overwhelmed with such a foreign emotion, he was at a loss, and he could not name what he was feeling exactly. So he allowed himself to be driven by pure instinct.
He settled his hands on her waist and pulled her body flush against his. She squealed at his action but she immediately wrapped her arms around his waist. Lex brushed his lips against hers, tentatively at first. He pulled back and said "I'm not perfect Chloe."
Chloe's eyes had drifted shut when he first kissed her. Her eyes opened at his words. "I know you're not." She replied breathlessly.
"Don't hate me. When all is said and done, I don't want you to hate me." He uttered gruffly.
"I could never." She raised a hand to caress his cheek. Lex captured her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her palm.
Lex desperately wanted to kiss her fully. Her soft lips were taunting him, teasing him to just give in and kiss her soundly already. But he was not about to add to his list of transgressions. Clark and Lois could very well have the cure. And he would do anything in his power to make sure that the next time he kissed her she wouldn't be under the influence of meteor rocks.
"Let's go home." Chloe smiled at him as she allowed their hands to intertwine.
Clark could hearing Lana and Lois yelling at Jason to stop.
He simply put his hands up, as if to protect himself. He was amazed that his coach was still able to land some blows. Maybe the presence of the drink in his system was protecting him. Jason's knuckles should be broken by now but he was still punching him.
Clark finally managed to get up from the floor and was simply walking backwards. It seemed like backing away was just encouraging Jason to keep up with his hits.
Clark felt his back connect with something solid, effectively halting his retreat. The boiler room, they finally reached the boiler room and it seemed like nothing would stop Jason.
'Maybe one of the girls could hit him with something.' Clark thought idly as he put his hands down to tell them just that.
Jason grabbed his collar and slammed him viciously against the door, he heard the door break and he was once again free to continue with his backward progress.
A cloud of steam obstructed the girls' view. Clark thought that maybe he finally got his opening; maybe he could finally use his powers to put a stop to Coach Teague's violent tendencies. And maybe he wouldn't object so much when Lex insisted on getting the man fired, if the flare of anger that he saw in his friend/rival's eyes earlier that day was anything to go by. He fully intended on using his powers against his nutty coach when the man shouted at him.
"I told you to stay away from her. But you didn't listen. This is your own fault Kent!" Jason practically screamed at him.
Clark had no idea what the hell he was talking about. He was about to knock Jason unconscious with one move but he could see Lana and Lois clearly so he could only assume that they could see him as well. They once again had a clear view of the fight. He cursed the fact that he got stuck with working with Lois and he also couldn't help but feel the mild irritation at Lana's presence.
Lana. Now that he thought about it the two occasions, his current predicament included, came when he just spoke to Lana. Coach Teague seemed irritated when he was talking to Lana during practice the day before. Could the girlfriend he was talking about be Lana?
Clark exerted a little effort to duck from Jason's next blow. The next thing he knew Jason screamed in agony. It gave him a moment's pause, especially since he did not do anything that would warrant such a reaction.
Jason somehow managed to come in contact with a hot pipe when Clark evaded his blow. Now the other man was on the ground, his hands were completely red from touching the pipe.
Lana raced towards the fallen man while Lois walked over to where he was standing.
"Damn Smallville! That was one hell of a fight." Lois commented offhandedly.
"We should get him to the hospital." Clark said worriedly. He was worried about the welts that were developing in Jason's hands.
"W-what happened?" Jason looked at Lana and then at Clark, he seemed completely different from the man who was beating, or trying to beat him earlier.
"You were attacking Clark." Lana held his hands gently, inspecting him for other injuries.
"And telling him to stay away from your girlfriend." Lois piped in. "Say, aren't you new around here? When did you find the time to find a girlfriend?"
Clark saw Jason and Lana exchange guilty looks. He shook his head; before he could fully form an opinion about his ex and his coach canoodling he realized something else. "You're normal again!" He said excitedly.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Maybe he's just trying to get you to let your guard down again." Lois looked suspiciously at Lana and Jason, who were both still sitting on the floor.
"No, Lois. I think he's normal again." Clark grabbed her arm and steered her out of the boiler room. "The pipe. I think it made him normal again." He told her once they were out of Lana and Jason's earshot.
"Heat? That's the cure?" Lois was not convinced.
"Direct contact with heat." Clark took out his phone, eager to impart the news to Lex.
TBC