Almost Clark (Chapter Thirty-three)

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Lana," he breathed.

She stood there, smiling softly. She removed the large sunglasses and he saw tears in her eyes. "Clark."

He approached her slowly. It felt like a dream. It was Lana Lang in the middle of his field on a midsummer day. And she breathed and smiled and cried. He stopped a foot away and just stared. Was this a dream?

She blinked up at him, still crying softly. Her hair was shorter. She wore a dark suit, so unlike her usual clothing. She was still beautiful. He would have stared forever, but she moved forward, sobbing against his chest. It was then he knew. She was real. She was here.

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Chloe hung up the phone, near growling with frustration. Apparently, Lex's team was changing tactics. They had found "evidence" against the late Lionel Luthor. Clark had actually discussed this with her. They didn't think it was possible for a second.

"Chloe, he would have told me." She knew who Clark meant. The mysterious one with the red eyes. He'd sometimes aided Clark in catching these zoners. And if the Alien Bounty Hunter said Lionel was in with Jor-El, then they had to believe it. Jor-El may be a control freak, but aiding a murderer...

"Chloe!" She jumped at the scream. "Chloe!"

She shot to the back door. Was there trouble?

Clark was standing in the yard with a small, slight woman... girl? He was nearly bursting. She had a short bob and a smart suit. It wasn't until the sunglasses came off that she had an inkling.

"Lana!" she shrieked and ran forward, nearly knocking the slighter girl over with her speed.

"Chloe!"

Suddenly they were both crying and touching each other's faces. "I can't believe you're here," Chloe said in a teary rush. "How did you survive? He tried to kill you! Oh, my God, you're so tan. Where have you been hiding? Have you eaten? Come inside. We have leftover Chinese."

Lana laughed as Chloe led her to the house. Chloe looked back at Clark. He was grinning like a fool. It was only then that she had a slight pang of sadness.

It would all change. She shook her head and hugged Lana to her side. She'd get through it. She'd been through worse. She was just glad Lana was okay.

**********************************

When Chloe had finished plying Lana with everything in the house to no avail, she finally sat. Her hands were shaking, so she sat on them. Settling herself in the easy chair, she gazed at Lana and Clark on the couch.

"I just can't get over it," she gasped.

"Neither can I," Lana whispered. She looked around suddenly at the papers and coffee mugs littering the table. "I take it this is command central." She stared at Chloe. "So are you just hanging out or..."

"Oh, I live here... I... I mean..."

"Chloe's just staying with me," Clark cut in swiftly. "With my mother in Washington, it's nice to have the company."

"Oh." Lana looked relieved.

Chloe pasted on a smile. It hurt anew, knowing that she gave Clark more than just company and knowing that he would continue to pretend it didn't happen. Down to business, Sullivan. Nothing else matters. Just the truth. "What he did to you, Lana... or tried to. How did you survive?"

Lana glanced at Clark, he gaze hesitant. "There wasn't really anything to survive."

"Lana," Clark said seriously. "He tried to kill you."

She twisted her hands in her lap. "That's the thing." She looked from one to the other. "I... I killed me. I killed Lana Lang." She smiled a half-smile.

Chloe shot out of her seat. "What?"

"Calm down," Clark said quickly.

"But Lana, you..."

"Let her explain," he said through gritted teeth.

Chloe sat down. "Yes. Okay. Explain." Maybe there was something really good behind all this.

Lana took a deep breath and tears filled her eyes again. "I hardly know where to start."

Clark placed a hand on her knee. "Just start at the beginning." He looked to Chloe, a warning in his gaze. "We're listening."

She tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside she was screaming. "Yes, please go on, Lana."

"Well... It all started when I found out about the baby. Even before that, I had my suspicions that something was strange. But I... I went through with wedding. Lionel told me he'd hurt you, Clark."

Clark nodded and shot a look at Chloe. They knew what was behind it, but she also knew that it would be best for another time.

"But when I found out about the baby..."

Chloe leaned forward. "The miscarriage?"

Lana laughed bitterly. "There was no miscarriage. It's pretty hard to miscarry a baby that was never there." She got up and paced to the window. "Lex was slipping me hormones. It was a great idea. Even fooled me. I knew then, I had to leave. But I also knew he'd never let me go. Never let me be with the one man I truly..." She turned her teary gaze to Clark. Chloe didn't miss it. He nearly melted on the spot. "Well, I started planning. It was hard, considering he had someone watching my every move. But I had Nell. He didn't examine my visits with my own aunt." She moved to couch and sat down again. "It started with identification. Lex liked me to be free with money. He thought it would endear him to me. I had all the ready cash I needed. And it's amazing what it can get you." She groped in her purse, pulling out a wallet. She handed it to Clark.

"Lorna Leery," he said dully, handing it to Chloe.

"Yes. I had to start fresh. I knew that. Thank you," she whispered, taking the wallet back from Chloe. "I did it all through Nell who went through a third party. We got the house set up in Florida and the cars all under my new name. The timing was the most important part." She took another deep breath and stiffened. "I arranged to meet Lionel. Everything was set. We'd planted my ring just next to the car with enough blood on it to establish I was there. The explosion would be big enough to make sure there was nothing left of the body."

"The body?" Chloe asked. "But there was no body."

"Not in the end, no," she said sadly. "I'm not proud of it. But we had to make sure Lionel saw something."

Chloe covered her face. "Who was it?"

"I don't know. I left that up to the men Nell hired. She was just a Jane Doe from the morgue with my blood type. She would have been cremated anyway." Lana looked down. "I comfort myself with that."

Chloe looked to Clark, but he was staring at his hands, his expression unreadable.

"All I had to do was prop her up and jump in the van. Lionel made it easy. He turned away for just a moment." She smiled through her tears. "And I wanted so much to tell you." She turned to Clark. "Both of you," she added hastily, to Chloe. "But I couldn't. Not until I knew he couldn't get me. I feel awful, but... I was grateful when I heard about the flood." She turned to Clark again. "If he's gone, there's nothing our way now."

Chloe stood up. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

Lana blinked up at her. "Well, Nell called me. I came as soon as I felt ready. He died." She looked to both of them. "Didn't he?"

Chloe put a hand to her forehead. "Well, much like you, the rumors of Lex Luthor's demise are greatly exaggerated."

"What? What do you mean?"

"They found him in Topeka this morning," Clark explained.

"Oh, my God." Lana shot up. "I have to get out of here. He'll find me. He'll..."

"I think that might be difficult," Chloe cut in. "Considering he's in prison."

"Prison?" Lana sat down, sighing in relief.

"For your murder," Chloe clarified.

"Oh." She looked down at her hands.

Chloe stared down at her, waiting. "Well? Aren't we going to do something?"

"Do what?" Lana asked impatiently.

"Lex is in prison for a murder he didn't commit. You can't let this happen." Chloe looked to Clark, but he still gazed at his hands.

Lana looked up at her steadfastly. "Lex Luthor is a monster. When I told him I was leaving, he hit me."

Clark finally looked up. "He hit you?"

Lana touched her cheek lightly. "If it weren't for that, I might have just left without this sordid death, but... after that, I knew he'd never let me go alive."

Chloe sat down hard. "But you are alive."

"Not if he finds me."

"I can protect you, Lana," Clark insisted. "You know that now."

"Clark, I know this is for the best. You know what he's capable of."

"Yes," Chloe cut in. "But he's now going to go down for something he didn't do."

Lana stood up again, nearly eye to eye with Chloe. "But he would have."

"You don't know that."

"I know more than you think, Chloe," she said stiffly. "I also know that you have more than one reason for what you're saying. Maybe you'd prefer that I stay in danger..."

"How can you say that?" Chloe gaped at her. "I've mourned for you, Lana. I've been working like crazy to see that your husband goes down... and for a crime he didn't carry out!"

Lana backed away and sighed. "I know, Chloe. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I... I think I'm just tired. Can I just..."

"Sure," Clark cut in. "You can use my mother's room."

"Thank you." She threw a grateful look at him and started up the stairs, her elfin form retreating slowly.

"Clark," Chloe hissed. "You know as well as I do that this can't happen."

"Chloe, I think she's right. Lex is a monster and he's done worse, even to you and your mother."

"Yes, but not that we have clear evidence of yet. But I know we will. And I want to see him go down for something he actually did. Not based on a lie!"

"Chloe, stop. Just..."

"No, Clark. You know that, apart from what I do for you, I'm here for the truth. I always have been. And I can't let my conscience rest if..."

"The world is better off without..."

"What about truth, justice... the... the judicial process?"

"Chloe, that's enough!"

She drew back, trembling. "Fine." She moved away. "I'm going to The Planet." She turned and grabbed her purse and keys. "There are some secrets that are good, that do good. I have no problem keeping them. But some will rot inside you. Letting Lex Luthor die for something he didn't do. That's as good as murder."

"Chloe..."

She turned back, the door half-open. "Don't worry, Clark. I won't blow the secret. I'll just add it to the others. I'm great at secrets. You should know."

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