Look at that! Not even a week since the last update! :D Hopefully this chapter is more entertaining than the last one? *sweats*

Anon. Reviews:

Melody Jane: You gift; thank you for your review! And whoooOOo knoOoOws? It's certainly a strange situation! :P

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The waiting was going to drive her mad. Everything in her life felt on hold indefinitely and Peyton despised it. Being home made her feel more sure of herself, more confident, but it also left her with a gnawing anticipation of when the other shoe would drop. The only power she truly held was that she knew this world and how it worked. She knew the people here and she had her family with her.

Now every time she fell asleep at night she wondered if she'd wake in the same bed in the morning. She checked her email obsessively. Hoping beyond logic that Dr. Henson might reply eventually. That maybe he'd be able to give her some answers. But after four days of nothing, she had to admit to herself that it was unlikely.

That didn't stop her from constantly checking.

She had another appointment that week since the MRI didn't come up with anything. They took some more blood and she saw another neurologist who went over much of the same information that she'd already known. As far as they could tell there was nothing wrong with her. No cause for her mysterious bouts of unconsciousness. The doctor suggested that perhaps she had an unusual case of narcolepsy.

They scheduled her for another sleep study.

Peyton went home irritated and feeling antsy. She was racking up the bills and she knew it was all for nothing. She brushed her fingers over the locket around her neck. It would happen again. That she felt certain of. After all, why wouldn't it? But she knew more about it now. There had to be a way she could be more prepared.

A letter; Peyton settled on writing a letter. If, when it happened again, she ended up being out long enough for someone to find her then at least there could be an explanation.

Please don't call an ambulance. Take me to the hospital if you have to, but please just wait for me to wake up. I don't know how long it'll take me, but please just wait.

She wrote "In Case of Emergency" in large letters on the envelope with a red pen and tucked the letter into her purse.

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Work the next day was normal. Things had started to smooth out with her work flow and her boss was starting to ignore her again, which suited her just fine. It wasn't quite time for her break yet and she was trying to check her phone on the sly when it buzzed as she pulled it from her pocket. Another email; probably spam. Peyton checked it anyway to put off working for a moment.

"Dr. Henson?"
Enough days had passed that Peyton just assumed she'd never hear from him again, and yet another reply sat in her inbox. She snapped a look to the opening of her cubicle to make sure no one was coming before hastily opening the message.

Miss Woods,

Apologies on my late reply, but I wasn't quite sure how to answer your questions and then I'm afraid it slipped my mind entirely. I can't say that I've ever heard of someone interacting with another dimension before. At least not one who hasn't also been on the cover of The Globe. No offense, of course. But you seem reasonable in all your emails, so I'll bite. Just what have you as proof of these encounters?

Oh, Peyton breathed. He was bored alright. Probably stuck on some mode of public transportation for an overlong period of time and had nothing better to do. She rolled her shoulders. Well, if he was going to ask then he was going to get an answer.

Dr. Henson,

Thank you for getting back to me after that last email. I-

Her phone went blurry and her vision black at the edges. Her body felt suddenly woozy. She slumped forward in her seat.

[]

Peyton opened her eyes and lurched forward, but something held her back. She was still sitting up but now her office was gone and only dull flatlands stretched out in front of her. There was a strap across her chest. A seatbelt. Peyton blinked a few times and looked to the left. A man about her age sat in the driver's seat, a black gloved hand was on the wheel as he stared out at the road with a steely expression. Peyton noted his lack of hair and gasped.

"Lex?"

His jaw ticked, as if just her saying his name was an offense, and refused to look at her.

"What."

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no! She couldn't be back now! She hadn't finished the email. She hadn't figured out what was going on! She hadn't even fallen asleep! Peyton took a shuddering

breath and tried to calm her thumping heart.

She looked back out at the road. There was a bridge coming up with what looked to be someone leaning against the rails and a semi heading the opposite direction as them, but otherwise it was dusty and barren. Peyton felt over her face, pulling down the visor to try and see if it had a mirror.

She was herself. She looked like she was her own age.

"What's going on? Where are we?"

"We went over this already."
He still hadn't looked at her and Peyton frowned.

"Slow down, Lex. You're gonna get us both killed. My gosh."

Lex visibly flinched, his eyes going wide as he finally turned to look at her with his mouth opening as if to speak if he could only find the words.

"I'm thinking it's been awhile for you, huh?" Her eyes flickered to the road when she thought she saw a dark shape. "It probably wouldn't be fair to still be ma-Lex! Look out!"

There was a large bundle of what looked like wire in the middle of the road. Lex's attention snapped back and he hit the brakes, trying to swerve out of the way. It did no good. They ran over the bundle and there was a deafening popping around them as the tires hit it. And then the car was careening to the right.

Right towards a boy who was still leaning against the rails.

Peyton screamed.

She could see a flash of the boy's terrified face, and then the car was smashing through metal and plunging down and down. She couldn't find anything to brace herself against, and the minute the car hit the water Peyton's head snapped forward and then to the side, bashing against the passenger side window.

[][]L.L[][]

There were no weights holding him down. Lex saw only sky as his body lifted off the ground and left all his inherited expectations behind. The land stretched before him and his eyes scanned passed the bridge. And then he was flying, soaring! He passed over the town of Smallville until he could see beyond. And beyond there was a hope. A future.

Lex sputtered and came to. A young boy was leaning worriedly over him, eyes shifting as he watched Lex waken. Lex blinked in confusion as he tried to sit up.

"I thought I hit you."

The boy swallowed.

"If you had I'd be…. I'd be dead."

The boy glanced back at the destroyed guardrail and Lex suddenly flipped to his knees.

"Peyton!"

"I was able to get-"

There was another body laying a couple feet away and Lex scrambled over to it. His heart plummeted as he saw her still figure. Leaning down, he listened for breathing and tried to get a pulse as his hands shook.

"No," he said. "No, I just got you back. Come on, Peyton."

There was blood along the side of her head and staining her dirty blonde hair and he tried to start CPR despite the possibility that it was the head injury that was keeping her unconscious. Lex performed a couple breaths then chest compressions. His own chest felt tight.

"Come on, Peyton! Wake up!"

Her body spasmed beneath his hands, and he tilted her to the side as she suddenly coughed up water mixed with blood. She took some loud gasping breaths as she lay limp in his arms, and Lex prayed to whatever may be out there that she was still there. He couldn't have lost her so soon. Not when he'd waited so long.

When she turned to look at him, her eyes were wide and her face was pale, and even though she was radiating fear he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. The body never showed such extreme emotions on its own.

But then she was sobbing and gasping for air again.

"The kid," she cried. "We hit the kid! Oh my go-"

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Peyton dry heaved as she sat up on her own. Blood and spit was all that came out and she tasted copper on her tongue; it throbbed painfully and she guessed she'd bitten it. There was a tightness to her face and pain shooting through her skull, but none of that mattered.

"We hit him." She panted. "We killed-"

"I'm ok!"

A dark haired teen jumped into her line of sight and Peyton stared, dumbfounded. The boy smiled sheepishly as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"You missed me. I'm ok!"

Her gaze shifted from the boy to Lex and back again, then up to the broken bridge. She could have sworn that they'd hit him dead on. Peyton lifted a hand to feel along her skull and came away with blood.

Perhaps her memory was faulty.

Her body went lax and a few more tears escaped her as she processed that no one had died and she'd just survived a car crash that she probably shouldn't have.

It took her shoulders warming to realize that Lex still had his hands steadying her. Inhaling deeply, she pushed aside the shock and panic as much as she could and turned to him. There was a cut on his forehead and he was a bit pale, but otherwise he looked uninjured. Peyton still couldn't help trying to notice if there might be some hidden injury on him.

"Are you ok," she asked. His lips turned up marginally as he stared down at her.

"I'll live," he said. "You're the one who needs to be looked at."

An ambulance and some police officers were quick to arrive even though it looked like they were out in the middle of nowhere. They all received shock blankets and the paramedics set to work on treating her and Lex. Her head wound wasn't as bad as it could have been; at least it didn't need staples. But the paramedics told her that she had a concussion and that she'd require monitoring for at least the rest of the day. All Peyton knew was that the minute they told her she couldn't fall asleep for the next couple hours that's suddenly all she wanted to do.

Shortly after, an old pickup truck came skidding into park and a middle-aged man came barrelling out of the cab and down the embankment, his eyes tight and mouth pulled thin.

"Clark!"

The teenage boy stayed wrapped up in his blanket as he greeted the man and was pulled into a fierce embrace.

"I'm ok!"

Peyton felt her throat close up a little at the reminder that they had come probably millimeters from killing this young boy.

She loitered near Lex, keeping close to him as she still shook in intermittent tremors and her legs wobbled beneath her.

"Where's the maniac who was driving that car?"

Her heart fell into her stomach a bit more and her gaze darted over to Lex a moment as the man turned a glare to a nearby officer.

"That would be me." Lex stepped forward with his blanket still draped over his shoulders and he held out a hand in greeting. "Lex Luthor."

The man only settled his gaze over Lex for a moment, but it only took that long for her to know that despite never meeting before, this man did not like Lex. Heck, she'd given her boss that same look a time or two even if it was only to his back.

The man ignored Lex's outstretched hand and went back to tending to the boy.

"Jonathan Kent," he said tersely. "This is my son."

Her eyes closed as she breathed out a shaky breath. She'd thought so. Of course. His son. They'd almost flattened this man's son. He had a right to not like them after that. Lex shifted awkwardly next to her.

"Thanks for saving our lives."

Peyton opened her eyes again to see Clark wrapped in his father's jacket, still drenched,

and felt the shock anew. The car was completely submerged. If they'd hit him, there'd be three bodies in that river right now. She tightened her hold on her blanket.

"Yes," she agreed. "I'm so-so sorry you had to-"

Clark shrugged as if the attention made him uneasy.

"Anyone would have done the same thing."

Jonathan tugged on the jacket and Clark stood to join him as they moved to head back up the embankment to leave. Lex swallowed, taking in a deep breath before he angled his body to follow where Jonathan Kent would be walking by.

"You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent; if there's any way I can repay you-"

Mr. Kent paused, clearly irritated, and leaned right in Lex's face. It sent a distinct message before he even had to open his mouth. Peyton felt nauseated once more. She put a hand over her mouth to hold back the urge to dry heave again.

"Drive slower."
She watched as the Kents left.

The sun was starting to really bother her. It was too bright; too hot.

"Lex?"

He looked away from the bridge and the car they were now pulling from the water and back to her. His eyes shone as he looked down on her. As a teenager he'd already been taller than she was, but he'd grown even more since she'd been gone and she hadn't.

He'd actually grown up a lot.
"Peyton, you're shaking. Come on, we should get you to an actual hospital."

He put an arm around her shoulders to lead her up the embankment and she groaned.

"Not the hospital again. I'm fine. I just need a nap."

"No napping; you heard the paramedic. Besides, we have a lot to talk about."

Lex had to help her up the embankment because her legs were still so weak, but he didn't seem to mind. She leaned heavily against him as her feet kicked up loose soil and rock.

"I'm sorry this was your first experience back here," he said as he finally helped pull her onto steady cement. Peyton sighed.

"I'm sorry I distracted you while you were driving."

He shook his head in disagreement, but was preoccupied with trying to arrange for them to be dropped off at the closest hospital and didn't contradict her.

Peyton stopped him with a hand on his arm which quickly got his attention. Gingerly, she brushed some hair away from her face and sighed.

"Is the hospital really necessary? I'm not sure how much more they could do for me. I mean, I practically just left one and I'm just-just tired."

Lex gently gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him, looking into her eyes as if to make sure there were no new symptoms to catch.

"You've had a considerable head injury," he said. "You have to go. I'll be there, and the doctors will be as quick as possible, ok?"

Peyton sighed and they both knew she'd accepted the decision.

Lex ended up allowing the ambulance to drive them to the hospital, Smallville Medical Center, since it was closest and the ambulance was already there.

That doctor visit was much like the ones she'd just gone through. Luckily they found no internal bleeding and her brain didn't seem to be swelling, so they cleaned her up a bit and let her go.

Lex had somehow arranged for another car, rental or otherwise, and by the time Peyton settled in the passenger seat she just wanted to close her eyes. The steady hum of the car made it oh-so easy for her to nod off.

"Eyes open. Come on."

Peyton startled as Lex snapped his fingers in front of her face. She grumbled unintelligently as she straightened in the passenger seat.

"You've awhile before you can go to sleep. And we still need to talk, so why not start now; it'll help."

"Fine," she said. "So, um, how many years has it been for you?"
"Four." Peyton hummed in thought.

"So you're, what? Twenty-one? Twenty-two?" Lex nodded.

"Twenty-one."

Peyton let out a muted, yet still victorious, bark of a laugh.

"Still older than you then," she said smugly. "I've got three years on you."

"Maybe there," he said, "but not here. I hope you enjoyed being twenty, because you're going to have to relive it. Besides, we're both adults now, so what's it even matter?"

She did not want to admit that he had any point at all. It was just weird for her. The last time she was here he was a minor and, while she'd appeared to be one, she had the mentality of an adult. So spending time with him exclusively seemed a bit taboo. Especially when he seemed so interested in her.

Now, though, they were on a more level playing field and it was giving her whiplash.

"Sorry if I'm still getting over the fact that you're not a teenager anymore. I have to find something else to bother you with now."

Lex cut his eyes to her briefly, probably to partially make sure she was keeping her eyes open. She noted that he was being intensely more cautious with his driving now.

"What about you," he asked. "How long does it feel like you were gone for?"

Peyton tallied the days up in her head.

"About two weeks. I'm actually a little surprised I made it that long."

The winding road finally curved around a corner and Peyton could see a familiar structure rising up to meet them.

"Oh. It's your castle!"

Lex's face tightened a bit.

"Yeah. Home sweet home now."

Perhaps if she were less exhausted she would've asked him why he seemed to be so bitter about living in this estate, but she didn't have it in her for a lengthy explanation or emotional gushing. Lex opened the gates and drove on through around the driveway and parked right in front of the main doors.

Peyton popped open the car door the moment the car stopped mainly because she was aware of the fact that she was tempted to fall asleep at any given moment. The cool air helped only a little, and she wobbled a bit on her tenuous legs as she braced herself against the car. Lex was quick to round the front of the car and offer an arm for support.

"Let's get you inside."

She accepted his support. Leaning back against his arm and wedged next to him she was able to make it up the stairs and into through the broad castle doors. The interior wasn't that much livelier than she remembered.

Protective sheets still covered most large pieces of furniture and Peyton had to wonder if this was a last minute move or if Lex really just enjoyed doing things himself.

"Where's the U-Haul," she quipped as he led her further down the wide hallway and into a side room. Lex pulled off the sheet from a couch and she sank into it. She shot him a look with a raised brow and tried to look as blasé as she could while feeling so beat up. Lex shrugged.

"Sorry. It hasn't all been arranged yet. I'll have people over to help with that as soon as I can."

Peyton huffed and rubbed at her eyes while pulling her legs onto the couch to tuck them underneath of her.

"Wouldn't be the first time I've crashed on an air mattress. Or are you fancy enough to have a futon?"

She jumped a bit when Lex actually grabbed at her ankles and tugged.

"Nope. No getting comfortable. You really are a terrible patient, you know?"

Peyton dropped her feet back to the floor but couldn't help scowling a bit. Were a few minutes of sleep really going to kill her? The doctor had said there was no bleeding in her brain!

"That would be the concussion," Lex said. His lips were curling upwards and it only made her glare more.

"What?"

"The irritability."

She smoothed out the places on her face that were tense and rolled her eyes while huffing out a puff of air.

"Believe me, you've never seen me irritable." Lex raised a brow and tilted his head in a

clear display of doubt. "Ok, well at least not extremely irritable."

He leaned back against another covered piece of furniture and crossed his arms as he looked down at her. There was a certain glint in his eyes, a lightness despite the seriousness of the situation. She'd forgotten that his eyes were more of a gray.

"It's nice to see you showing any emotion at all, to be honest. I'll take irritable."

Peyton wasn't sure what that meant. How could her expressions look that much different than the other Peyton's? But she didn't find herself in a mood to question the comment at the moment.

He looked so pleased with her presence, and she'd been gone so long from his point of view, that she felt a little bad breaking the mood. But she felt it was better that he was aware of the situation before it became too late.

"I didn't take anything you know," she said quietly. "I was actually-actually I was awake. I was at work." She looked down, frowning, and tried to process what that escalation might mean. "That hasn't happened before," she muttered to herself. "Anyway; I don't have anything in my system this time."

The look on Lex's face flickered and turned sour and Peyton's shoulders drooped.

"I'm sorry," she found herself saying. "I just wanted you to know. Ugh. I hate this. I feel like I show up here and disrupt people's lives every once in awhile and then leave. I mean, I do, but it feels worse than it sounds."

"What if I told you that you weren't?"

Peyton paused in sluggishly running her fingers through her tangled hair and cut her eyes up to Lex. At his expression she lowered her hands and directed her full attention towards him.

"Lex, of course I am. I've kept popping up here throughout your life probably confusing you a whole lot. And the other girl goes to limbo for all I know, because I know for sure we haven't been getting to trade places."

Lex pushed himself off the piece of furniture and positioned himself beside her on the couch. He leaned forwards towards her, maintaining a piercing eye contact that would have had Peyton fidgeting if she had any less self confidence. A moment of silence stretched out almost like he was debating what he was about to say before he spoke.

"There is no other Peyton."

There was a heavy pause and Peyton's jostled brain fought to find understanding.

"Of course there is," she argued. "There has to be."
Lex shook his head and lips pressed together.

"I have proof," he said. "But you probably shouldn't be concentrating on anything to intensely with that concussion. Right now do you want something to eat? Feel ok enough to shower?"

Peyton felt at her dirty, tangled hair again.

"Does this place actually have running water?"

The shower helped. Although she'd had to be careful when washing her hair and not reopen the cut on her head, it was worth the struggle and she managed to not fall over even once.

The bathroom was, of course, jaw dropping. From the stone work to its sheer size, Peyton counted herself lucky to even get to use a shower that belonged in a magazine. There was even an actual clawfoot tub, but she wasn't allowed to use that on the account that she could potentially fall asleep in it.

She didn't argue because she knew she probably would have and she would rather not have anyone bursting in the bathroom to check on her in such a state.

There wasn't exactly a change of clothes for her, but Lex gave her a spare sweater and set of sweats he had in a gym bag that was already in the mansion. He assured her that there was supposed to be some more personal belongings arriving before the end of the day.

Peyton rolled up the sleeves on the sweater and tied the sweats as tightly as she could before rolling those over once.

The hardwood was cool on her feet, and she kept on hand against the wall as she wandered back down into what seemed to be the main living area. Lex was pouring a glass of water when she found him back in the room with the couch. He turned to look at her when he heard her quiet footsteps and visibly swallowed. Peyton shot him a tired, closed-lipped smile before she sank back into the couch.

Lex brought the crystal glass over and offered it to her.

"You should probably stay hydrated," he said.

Peyton gave the glass a pointed look and then let it drift up to Lex. His brow furrowed a moment before understanding dawned.

"It's clean," he said drolly. "You saw me pouring it."

She accepted the water with a wry twist of her lips and took a sip. No bitter after-taste. Just crisp mineral water.

"No offense, of course," she said. "I know it was four years ago for you. It's just I'm supposed to be at work right now and-"

She cut herself off and groaned as she put the cold glass up against her forehead.

"My body is passed out at work. Crap. I'm getting let go for sure this time. My boss will say I'm incapable of getting the job done. He's right, yeah, but I still need that paycheck. Unless I can get back before anyone notices. Last time I was still in the ambulance."

Lex's hands enveloped hers, pulling them away from her face, and Peyton opened her eyes. She shivered slightly as her still damp hair pulled in cold air.

"If you want," Lex said, "I can show you all that research I've come up with about what's going on with you."

The fingers of her free hand curled tighter around Lex's.

"You have data," she asked excitedly. "You have proof that this is really happening to me?"

She couldn't help thinking of ways to get the information back to Dr. Henson. Lex smiled.

"I have proof."

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Thanks for reading guys! Reviews are highly appreciated!
And forgive me if this fic doesn't exactly follow the show. It's been awhile since I've watched it from the beginning!

Also, it's my fic and I'll do what I want.