Disclaimer: see Chapter 1.
Chapter 5: Harbinger of Bad News
" Hey, Lucas ! Turn on the DVD player and pop in the film, " said Chloe from the kitchen. " I'm bringing the popcorn. "
" I've brought two DVDs- an action film and a chick movie. Which one shall I put on first ? "
" Put on the action film first, " she said, putting the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. " If you play the chick one first, you'll doze off before the final credits. "
" What are you hinting at ? " he asked, throwing a cushion at her.
" Come on ! You know you've just brought the romantic comedy to humour me, " she answered, hitting him with the cushion before being interrupted by the bell. " Who might be at this time of evening ? " she asked with a puzzled look on her face.
" It's Bruce ! " said Lucas, looking through the peephole.
" Bruce ? Is Vicki with him ? "
" No, he's on his own, " he responded, unlocking the door. " Hey, Bruce ! What brings you to the neighbourhood on a Saturday evening ? Problems in paradise ? " he asked jokingly.
" I'm sorry for spoiling your evening, but I'm afraid I've got bad news. You see, the reason I'm here's... Lex. "
" Lex ? What's the matter with him ? " asked Lucas with a worried frown.
" He's OK. Well... not exactly... there's been a car explosion. "
" Is he injured ?" asked Chloe, turning off the TV.
" No, he wasn't in the car. His fiancée was. "
"Lana ? " asked Chloe chokingly. " How is she ? "
" I'm afraid she's dead, Chloe, " answered a sober Bruce.
" Dead ? Oh, my God, Lucas ! " exclaimed Chloe, bursting into tears. " Have you talked to Lex ? " she asked Bruce. " He must be devasted. Lucas, Lana and the baby... "
"I haven't spoken to Lex. He's unreachable, as you can imagine. Lionel phoned me and asked me to broach the news to you, Lucas, " explained Bruce. " The chopper's waiting for us at the heliport. We can be in Smallville within the hour, " he offered.
" You should go, Lucas. He'll need you there, " said Chloe, wiping her eyes.
" What about you, Chloe ? " asked a blanched Lucas. " Aren't you coming ? Lana was your friend once. Don't you want to say goodbye to her ? "
" What she once was won't be there, Lucas. I doubt there's anything left of her. Besides, my turning up at her funeral would be like rubbing salt into a fresh wound. Seeing you happily married, while Lex's been stripped of everything, would make matters worse. No, I won't go. I had decided to attend the wedding, and I was still thinking of what I was going to say when I met him. Now, I would definitely not know what to tell him. "
" OK. If that's how you feel... , " said Lucas, kissing her on the forehead.
" I'll pack your suitcase, " responded a teary Chloe, walking into their bedroom.
God ! All those years she had tried so hard to hate him. She had convinced everybody, including herself, she loathed the very sound of his name. The truth was he had wounded her deeply- not with words but with the distance he'd put between them. For close to a year they had become partners and good friends. They had worked together to send Lionel to jail and then, once she had testified, he had started to avoid her as if he found her of no use any longer. She felt discarded like an old toy, discarded when she thought there was more to them than a mere friendship.
When Lucas had told her about Lex and Lana, she felt a little tightening in the pit of her stomach, but it had been a fleeting feeling. She was a happily married woman now, and she couldn't help but feel glad for him. She was tired of trying to hate him, and God knew there had been too much suffering in his life. Chloe had been ready to put the past behind, and attending the wedding would have been the first step to rebuild their friendship but, now, she couldn't find the courage to see him face to face.
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