Before Sunset (Part Thirty)

(Banner by Selene2)

It's been tough, plotting this out, figuring what things from Arrival to Mortal to Hidden would have changed and what would have remained the same and just where everyone's headspace would be with Clark and Chloe missing for weeks after most of the events of Arrival. I'm trying to keep the characters driving the action as far as what did or didn't go down.


Part 30

"Is it that much cooler in Kansas City?" Lois was saying. "Because I'll evacuate there, too."

"Hmm?" Even the grass under her bare feet was warm. 

"That's where you were, right? Or did you say some other place? These mid-states always mix me the hell up."

"No. It was Kansas."

Her eyes snapped open. She'd been about to say the same thing. But she hadn't. It came from behind her. And the words were too much of a smug drawl to be her father's. She stiffened and turned, saw Lex leaning against the side of her house, a tight smile on his face.

"That's what they're saying all over town," he went on. "That's where you and Clark were. Am I right?"

"We were," she said, matching his smile. She'd done her homework on the long drive back. Those things she couldn't say for sure, she could easily imagine. "But it was pretty chilly." She turned to Lois, keeping her tone light, conversational. "Do you know how high they keep the AC in those high school gyms?" 

Lois shrugged. "Your tax dollars at work, as the General says." She stood and stretched. "I, myself, wouldn't mind as long as it was trained right on me." She tossed Lex a smile. "Hey, Luthor." She gave Chloe's shoulder a pat. "I'll go check on breakfast. Maybe I'll save you some."

Chloe forced a laugh and watched her go in miserably, wanted to call her back, beg her not to leave her alone with Lex. But that would look pretty strange. As far as Lois knew, Lex was nothing more than a benevolent billionaire who helped get her into the college she'd ultimately left, didn't pursue her sister with the law when he easily could have. Maybe she knew he and Clark had a semi-contentious relationship these days, but considering Lois' usual opinion on Clark, that did nothing to sway her against Lex. Chloe knew better these days. And that wasn't just about protecting Clark.

"What brings you here, Lex?"

"Just making sure you're alright. Last time we saw each other, the town was being ravaged, so..."

"It's very nice of you to stop by," she said, standing as he moved into the yard, "but as you can see, I'm fine."

He kept that same tight smile. "Well, you understand that I had to see for myself. I was very concerned about you when I woke alone in that cave. I must have somehow been knocked out." 

She had a feeling he knew exactly how, but she kept her calm. "That place was shaking like crazy, just a mess of falling rocks. I ended up running for it. I was relieved, myself, when I found out you were okay."

His smiled faltered a little. "Oh, were you?"

"We were never exactly pals, but I'd like to think we were allies once."

"Yet that somehow changed, didn't it?"

"Yes, well, you'll forgive me if I got over tangling with your family. I've lost enough."

Her distrust of Lex had grown all year, starting with how he ignored her after she turned her life upside down to convict Lionel. The wary trust that had been built was fairly wiped away when it seemed clear that all she was to him was useful. Yet she still helped him when he'd been accused of murder, not that he thanked her or anything, though he did thank Clark, apparently, which only seemed to further the fear that Lex only got close to you if he thought there was something in it for him. And when Luthorcorp's release of toxic chemicals that forced people to see their worst fears was summarily swept under the rug, what little trust she'd still had in Lex was swept away with it, a feeling that only solidified when Lex, split in two by more of his ridiculously dangerous experiments, killed a doctor working under him and attempted to kill her. Though it could be argued, and rightly as this was Smallville and just anything could happen, that was all the work of his evil twin, that twin was a side of Lex that existed and, she feared, was winning out.

It was surprisingly easy to slip into distrust of Lex. She'd already detested his father, though most of what she felt for Lionel these days was pity, with him now muttering to himself in Belle Reve after a year that was surprisingly lacking in evil deeds. It seemed Lex was taking over, as if somehow, somewhere a Luthor must be doing something shady or the universe was thrown off-balance. By the time, Lex dragged her forcibly to the caves, starting off this whole mess, she was finished with scrutinizing him to glean what good could be left. Now... Well, there was nothing left to protect about Clark. And she was not afraid to dance with Lex today.

"Anyway, Clark told me you'd been... concerned. That's why he went to find me." Let him imply what he could, ask his leading questions. She'd done her homework on the long drive back while everyone traded the wheel. And considering the havoc of the last weeks in Smallville and surrounding counties, there was no way for Lex to prove their story wasn't true. 

"Well, I looked for you myself," he said, moving closer, "even as far as the Yukon."

She huffed out a laugh. "The Yukon? In Canada?"

"Near the Arctic Circle. And yes. Crazy as it seems, there was a Chloe Sullivan checked into a hospital there for exposure."

She tilted her head to the side, trying for a look of mild curiosity. "Must be a more common name than I thought."

Her father poked his head out the door. "Breakfast's on the..." He trailed off, seeing Lex. "Mr. Luthor," he said with a curt nod. Her father was also reluctant to associate Luthors these days. Lionel had had made it nearly impossible to find work, after all. Lex putting them in protective custody, where they were nearly blown up and declared dead, hadn't helped his prospects after that. Both Sullivans were understandably eager to keep their distance.

"Gabe," Lex said, smiling again. "Just thought I'd welcome your daughter home. I suppose you were worried sick while she was missing in... Was it Kansas City?"

Chloe held in a smile. If Lex was trying to get something out of her father, there was nothing to get. She hadn't let her father in on her extracurricular activities since she was thirteen and they moved to Smallville, as she'd been constantly grounded in Metropolis for various instances of snooping in school offices, hospitals, and a few times in City Hall.

"Yes. I'm just glad to have her back," he said stiffly. "Don't keep her too long. Her breakfast will get cold."

Lex sighed as he closed the door. "Nice man. It's really a shame. I hear he's working mostly odd handyman jobs in town these days."

"Yes. It's not easy getting your life back when you're declared unemployable, then dead. I'm glad some people are willing to look past that."

"Those black marks my father put on his resume," Lex muttered. "Maybe I could clear a few of them up."

"We're fine," Chloe said, trying not to growl it. If Lex ever had any intention of doing that he would have done it this year, while they struggled to get by. There was only one reason he'd dangle that carrot now. But she had nothing he wanted. "I'd better get in before..."

"You know, there's something I don't understand. If you were safe all this time, with Clark, why didn't you come back once the dust," he gave a slight chuckle, "or the meteor rocks, settled?"

Mr. Kent had prepared her for this, for the situation in Kansas City gleaned from the news, the lootings and panic and FEMA's attempts to control the masses of exiled Smallvillians. "Clark and I are legal adults now. Most relocation crews were more focused on making sure minors got back to their families," she said smoothly.

"Still, it took the Kents some time to go fetch you, with you two only half a state away."

"That was all Mrs. Kent," she said lightly. "She wanted to get Clark and I checked over before we left." She gestured to her face. "As you can see, we got pretty banged up when the looting and panic went down in the city."

"Clark got..."

"Oh, yes," she said, feeling just a little smug. Martha had advised Clark to keep his injuries obvious, especially in front of Lex. "If you think I've got some bumps and bruises, you should see him." Maybe that would throw him off the Arctic trail. Even if he never believed her or Clark about where they were, maybe just seeing Clark's injuries would have him finally leaving him alone. It was probably too late to salvage their friendship, but there could be that. She smiled. "Clark's got a few battle scars just from trying to get out of the way. People go so crazy when they think the world is ending. I guess they thought the meteors would drop all over Kansas." 

"Yet it only happens in Smallville," Lex said, peering closely at her. "We both know there's more to this town than corn." He was trying another tack. She could feel the frustration coming off him in waves. Without catching her in the Yukon, without Clark being invulnerable... What did he have, really? She supposed the general crazy of this town was all Lex had left to unravel. "You used to expose everything about it, Chloe. But you've been strangely silent lately."

"Well, I am moving from high school to college," she said, not missing a beat. "I think I'll be dealing with bigger things than this town when I leave." Of course, that wasn't strictly true. If Lex did turn his attention to this town fully, she didn't think she would be able to sit idly by. With the small forays Lex had made into mad science this past year alone, it was obvious, he was picking up where his now catatonic father had left off. 

"So it's just you moving on. You and Clark remain close as ever, though, don't you? I have to wonder, Chloe, why you've always shown such blind loyalty to someone so obviously in love with another girl."

She dropped her smile. She wasn't about to dignify any of that. She wasn't about to even think of it herself. "You mean Lana, of course." She could change tacks as easily as he could. "I hear you've been very concerned about her lately. She says she saw a spaceship. You say she didn't. I've actually never known Lana to tell tall tales."

"She was in shock, obviously. Who can blame her, confronted with the same kind of meteor shower that made her an orphan? I'm trying to help her get in touch with reality."

"It's great you're taking such particular care with her sanity," Chloe said with a false smile. "But I really hope, with Clark and I back, she realizes who her real friends are."

"Oh, so that's you and Clark? And, tell me, with you two being such a dream team... How does Lana feel about that? You must have been awfully happy to have him all to yourself."

She definitely wasn't touching that topic. "You know, I haven't seen her yet. I doubt Clark has, either. And you remain pretty tightly focused on the affairs of a bunch of high school kids, especially Clark. You'd think you didn't have a corporation to run or a father to lock away."

He kept his smile, but it was tighter. "My father's being cared for by top professionals at Belle Reve and, as you yourself said, you're legal adults and not high school kids anymore."

"I guess not. Anyway, I've got a meteor survival breakfast waiting. If you want to know about Clark so badly," she went on, "Why don't you go see him?" He'd get the same story from him. That much, she felt secure on.

"I would, but he's conveniently not home."

"I don't see what's convenient about that. A lot of people aren't home and he's with probably with them, helping rebuild the town. I'll be pitching in myself, on the data side, at least. I'm not too handy with power tools."

"And here you said you were moving on to bigger things."

"Not until the summer ends," she said. "Those of us that care about this town would rather try to rebuild it than destroy it. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

He did drop his smile then. "This town would have no phone lines or power without the services donated by Luthorcorp."

"Isn't that sweet of you? I'm sure there's nothing to gain from all that control." With that, she moved up the porch. She was pretty weary, having to dance this little dance with Lex her first day back. But she was fine. Between starvation, freezing, and the emotional rollercoaster that was Clark this week, she'd survived worse things than Lex. "You have a good morning, now." 

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

This morning seemed never-ending. Clark stopped off Main Street, lowering himself to a bench. "Jeez, it's hot."

His father sat next to him, chuckling. "Welcome to humanity. It stinks."

"I stink." Clark shuddered, catching a whiff of himself. He'd never exactly had the problem of real, honest-to-goodness sweat before. He'd always used deodorant, but it hadn't been strictly necessary. "I thought I could handle this after trekking through the Yukon. I thought I'd even like being hot."

Jonathon took a long drink of water, then handed him the lukewarm bottle. "Just keep hydrated. You'll be fine. And just think, when this day's over, we can all have real showers."

That would be nice. They'd switched things up a bit. Instead of working on their home, they'd been helping on the construction half of Saul LoDato's home while he, being a real plumber (who used things other than duct tape like his dad and heat vision soldering like Clark once would), was getting their upstairs bath in working order. It was neat, in a way, the way everyone in town was helping everyone. But a part of him knew that he'd be able to do four times as much in half the time if he still had his powers. That and he'd be less sore. He stared at his father as he rubbed Bengay into his forearm. "Now I get why you always use that horrible stuff. Does it work?" 

"Not as well as I'd like," his father grunted, rubbing the stuff in, then handing him the tube. "Want some?"

"Yeah. Sure," Clark grunted, trying to sound as manly as possible as he took it. He'd felt kind of useless today, at times. His dad had given him a little rundown on power tools, but it took a while to get the hang of them. He'd been a little embarrassed as so many of the guys around him and a few handy women, even accountants and lawyers, seemed way more skilled with even a hammer than he was. They'd seemed surprised at his ineptitude as it was common knowledge Clark had worked on the farm for years. He'd just never got to use tools before, even the cool ones, as he had a tendency to accidentally break them. On the farm, his dad used his tools and Clark used his powers. It had worked best that way.

Still, as much as being without his powers had him worrying about the farm, his doubtful contributions to rebuilding the town, the newest generation of meteor mutants, and stopping whatever Lex might start playing with next, there were some perks. 

There was a part of him that got a little thrill from having this to share with his dad. He could compare injuries at the end of a long day, get advice on real guy things, like ham strings and pulled muscles and bench pressing stuff, and maybe beer drinking... though he supposed he was three years away from sharing a beer with his dad. He also wasn't in a hurry for that, after experiencing vodka. Maybe they could do stuff like shave together and play catch freely, without him being afraid of the ball putting his dad through the barn wall. 

"They're giving out free sandwiches at Tiny's," Ben Hubbard said, hurrying past. Several other men followed.

That was another perk. Every business in town was feeding those that were working on rebuilding -- maybe also to use up the frozen food that might go to waste if uneaten after the power outages. But Clark liked to think it was mostly about feeding the workers. Still, they'd had breakfast from Molly's Country Kitchen, water handed around everywhere courtesy of Luthorcorp, now lunch from Tiny's.

His father stood. "Better get there before they've got nothing but tuna left. Come on."

"I'll catch up," Clark said, rubbing the smelly cream into his sore wrist. He'd thought his dad's power drill was lightweight before he used it for hours on end. Anyway, he wasn't in a hurry. He liked tuna fish. He stood and moved slowly down Main.

It still looked like a waste land in spots, but not for long with the way everyone in town was bending over backward to help each other. As many terrible things had come from this shower, that was a good one. A fresh start. He supposed he was starting fresh, himself, not having seen this town from the perspective of just a normal citizen. He'd always felt sort of separate before. He loved his town, but he'd always spent so much time and energy protecting it that he'd not often thought of it as just somewhere to live. He moved past a Luthorcorp Cable van, several men eating from the back. He supposed they'd been working on getting phone, internet and TV fully restored. Chloe would like that, the internet part at least. He tried not to think too hard on Chloe because, really, the idea of her stupid month still made him mad. This day would be a lot easier if he thought, at the end of it, she was there. He supposed she was there, but not in the way he wanted her to be. He'd tossed and turned last night, feeling so strange, sleeping alone after all this time drifting off with her. Even in the car on the way back, they'd ended up wrapped around each other and there was almost a naked feeling to it, sleeping alone. Then again, he supposed that, even without her precious month, they wouldn't be able to sleep together. And he's slept alone most of his life, save a few frantic leaps into his parents' bed as a kid after a nightmare. He could do it again... for a month.

He put Chloe out of his mind as he waved at the Luthorcorp workers. They were all on the same team, after all, getting this town back in fighting shape. His dad had filled him in on Lex, and more of what his company was doing. He wasn't just working on restoring utilities. He was working on getting FEMA to funnel some more relief workers their way. As much as he resented Lex prying into everything about him, and about Chloe as well these last weeks, he had to admit that there was good in him helping the town. He supposed Chloe would say that was all about him making Luthorcorp look good. But Chloe didn't know the Lex that tried to shower him with gifts after he saved his life, always gave him advice, helped him with whatever he asked, worked hard on the farm to prove himself to Clark's father. Maybe he'd see Lex today. Maybe, now that he had nothing to hide, they could start fresh, too. There were times, even this last spring, that he missed that guy who wanted so badly to be accepted, to not be viewed like his father. That Lex? That was the one he'd like to meet again.

He rubbed at one of the cuts on his cheek, wondering if he could make it bleed a little. That could only help. He absently stopped in front of a darkened window and checked to see if there was any blood, then he saw movement inside. He looked up, realized he was under The Talon's marquee. Lana must be there. It had been closed, his mother had said, since the shower and Lana didn't seem inclined to open it, which Martha didn't think was healthy. "She's just holing up in there, shutting everyone out."

Clark stared between the boards blocking the windows, rather sadly, wondering if this would have happened if he'd come back. Probably not. If he'd been around these last two weeks, she might have had someone to keep her balanced, keep her paranoia about the meteor showers and about aliens from getting to her. And then... Well, maybe they would have started their relationship again. That was a change he could no longer regret. How many times did they have to keep trying before he realized he'd never fix what was broken in her? And how would they have gone on, even without his powers, knowing he was indirectly responsible for her being mostly alone in the world? The guilt of that had been the foundation for their entire relationship, him so desperate to give her back some of what his existence had taken from her. The irony was that he could be with her now with no more secrets and lies if he wanted to. But he didn't. He saw things between them clearly now. The problem was how to tell her without hurting her. He'd need a few days to...

"Clark?"

He jumped slightly as she appeared at the half-cracked door, gesturing to him. And he needed a few days, not a few seconds. He hadn't even thought of what to say. "Uh... Lana..."

She moved out slightly, looking rather frantically around before she pulled at his arm. "I've been waiting for you."

He let himself be pulled inside, wondering what the hell he was going to do now. He just stood there as she started to lean up to him, then seemed to think better of it. "No. Not yet. These damned people will think I'm open," she muttered, rather breathlessly. He just watched, dumb-founded, as she moved a board in front of the glass door. "They keep knocking on the door, asking when I'll be open and I can't even think of serving coffee right now." She moved back to him, gripping his shoulders, and he did move, then, moved his head to the side quickly and leaned down to embrace her, making sure her lips missed his.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said honestly, hoping that would take some of the sting out of all he'd have to say next. 

"I'm not okay," she said, a slight sob breaking her voice. "I will be okay. You're here now." She drew back, took a deep breath and seemed to calm down. "I've been waiting for you, Clark. I knew you'd find Chloe and come back to me. Now we can work together. We can stop them together."

"Stop who?"

"The aliens, Clark."

"Lana..."

"No. Listen to me. I'm not crazy. You have to know, with everything that's happened in this town, you have to know that we're not alone. And I saw them, Clark. You saw them, too, before you took me to the hospital, but you didn't see the space ship. You didn't see what they can do. They blew up all the police cars. They... shot fire from their eyes. Ask Lois!" She added in a panicked whisper. "She'll tell you. She was at the hospital. They hurt her just before I got them to come back to the mansion. Ask your father. They hurt him, too. The female... she picked the both of them up with one hand, Clark. That's not normal and Lionel... He'd gone crazy, his eyes were dead white. I think the aliens... I think they did something to him. And he was carving symbols into the floor and he said... He told me that Their home is their only poison.. He just kept repeating it. Their home is their only poison." She moved to one of the tables, littered with charts and books, as if searching for something. "He was talking about this!"

He instinctively recoiled as she turned back, holding a green rock, before he remembered it couldn't hurt him anymore.

"You know, I always knew it, somehow. I always knew the meteor rock was more than just stone. Remember my necklace? The one I gave Whitney... no. I mean..." She shook her head. "I mean Tina Greer. Another horrible thing that happened because of these rocks. But see, that's changed now." She moved to him, staring at the rock in wonder. "I used to say that so much bad luck came out of them that there could only be good luck left. And that's true. See, these rocks, they worked against the aliens. The only problem was that they figured it out. They sealed them up before they hurt, before you came and took me to the hospital. Now, I don't know where they went. Maybe they left us alone to find this... Kal-El they were searching for. But we can get more rocks. I've got piles of them in the basement now, with the new shower. I go out every morning and bring as many home as I can. I'm not crazy, Clark. I have a plan."

And that was the sad part. She wasn't crazy. Every word she said, he knew to be true. But letting her go down this path could make her crazy. "Lana, what happened to you was horrible, but... is this what you want to think about? You got through it and those... people..."

"Those aliens," she insisted angrily. "Call them what they are."

"Aliens, then," he said more gently, feeling strange saying the word aloud to her, even if it no longer applied to him. It hurt a little, hearing her say the word with such bitterness. But then she wasn't Chloe, who'd been excited about the idea of aliens, even years before she knew about him. "They're gone."

She sobbed slightly. "I really hope you're not going to pull on me what Lex did. I couldn't take it from you, too."

"Lana..."

"He says he wants to help me, but I don't believe. He says I owe him, but..."

"Owe him? For what?"

Lana paled and backed away. "You know Lex... I mean... just... because we own the Talon together. That's what I meant." 

But Clark had a feeling that wasn't what she meant.

"I don't care what he says. I don't need him. I'm not lying. And I didn't hallucinate."

"I don't think you did, Lana, but listen..." He took a deep breath and took her by the shoulders. "Those aliens are gone." He couldn't tell her how, but maybe he could make her at least see that was true. "They were gone before you woke up and they haven't shown up anywhere since. If they had, you would have seen it on the news, right?"

"There's no cable," she said, her brow furrowed. "No internet. We don't know all the news here. We don't know they're gone for sure. All we have is The Daily Planet and they might not know as much as..."

"I know. Remember, I wasn't here these last weeks." He tried to think of the most honest way to tell her they were gone. "If I thought for a second that they were coming back, I would tell you."

She pursed her lips, staring at him. "Maybe they... Maybe they found who they were looking for and left us alone."

Clark could only nod. "Maybe they did."

She nodded as well and pulled away. "Then we just need to be ready for them, ready if they come back."

"Lana... You went through something horrible, but it's over now."

"Clark, you don't know that."

"Well, here's what I know," he said, moving to the door. He gripped the board and pulled it away. "You can't hole up in here, hiding from everyone. You need sunlight and this town and these people. And.. and they need you." He turned back to her, tried for a smile. "And a good cup of coffee."

"I told you, Clark. I can't concentrate on serving coffee right now." 

He ignored her words and moved to the wide window, pulling another plywood board away. "Then don't. My mother works here, too. You know she'd take care of everything. But this isn't good for you."

"No. That isn't good for me," she said firmly. "There would too many people and I need quiet to do this."

"To do what?" Clark asked, trying not to yell in frustration. "To turn into a recluse?"

"Fine! I'll take more long walks. I need to keep gathering meteor rocks, anyway. And you can be with me." She moved to him. "I told you I love you and I meant it. And you told me..."

"I know I did," he cut in, bracing himself. "But Lana..."

"And you can work with me. I'm not some crazy recluse, Clark. I do have a plan. And now I have you to help me." She gripped him by the neck and pulled him down, meeting his lips.

And, damn him, he couldn't think of how to pull away. He was trying to think of how to stop this without hurting her when he felt a strange prickling awareness, as if they were being watched. Lana pulled back then buried her head against his chest.

"We can start over, Clark. I know you'll help me, you'll keep me safe. We'll save this town together."

He could only stare in wide-eyed horror above her bent head as he saw the very person he usually saved this town with. "Chloe," he breathed as she stared at them through the unblocked door, blinking rapidly and backing away. "Chloe?" She was gone.

"Yes. Chloe. She can help us, too," Lana said loudly, pulling back to stare in his eyes. "Of course. I should have thought of her before. Chloe's had these theories for years, long before I knew for sure about the meteor freaks. She can be the one to help us get them in."

"Get them in," Clark repeated dully, trying to extricate himself, looking around at her charts and books, thinking of her frantic musings and knowing that none of it had anything to do with him anymore. She didn't really have anything to do with him anymore. "Lana, we need to talk." He stared through the door. They really did. But not before he caught Chloe. He wasn't about to let her run off before he explained. "But I just need to..."

"Of course," Lana said, swiping at her eyes with a wide smile. "You've got all that work. But you're right, Clark. I'll call your mother. I'll open the Talon today." She squeezed his arm. "And tomorrow, we'll start again." She leaned up, kissed him quickly before rushing off to the back. 

He watched her disappear into the kitchen, then shook himself. He hadn't told her. But that was fine. He just needed more time. He needed to think of the right way to say it. Then... then he could do it. He just had to find Chloe first, tell her what she saw wasn't what she thought. Because he knew her by now. This second, she was probably working up some God-awful speech about what great friends they were. And he damned well wouldn't let her deliver it!

He moved out the door. "Chloe!"

He saw her down the street, trying to extricate herself from Lois, but not successfully. He was suddenly really glad Lois had stayed in town.

"Chloe!" He started toward her, but a car pulled into the Talon's alleyway, blocking his path. He would have just moved around it, but he doubted the person getting out would let him get away that easy.

Not when it was Lex.

Previous Part
PART THIRTY-ONE

As you see, Lana's gone a bit batty without Clark to help her forget the new shower. Also, there's been nothing standing between her paranoia and Lex's rather controlling plottiness, hiding that ship. I'm trying to best figure out how things progress from there. Hope to have a new chapter up soon, dealing with the very different aftermath of this than with Mortal directly as, you can imagine, some some things would be different.