Chapter 3
by Dynlubio

E-mail : [email protected]
Rating: R
Summary: Lex does Lana a favor.
Spoiler: Everything in Calling and Exodus except Lex and Helen’s relationship did not get complicated and the wedding and honeymoon took place with out a hitch.
A/N: This is like an alternate route I wished the writers took.
WARNING: Lex and Helen are married in this story! And they’re happy... or so it seems...LOL

***

Chapter Three

Steam rose from the tub as she dipped her foot in to check the temperature of the water. Warmth spread from her toes to the top of her head. Slowly, she eased into the lavender-scented water filled with bubbles.

She couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction as her tired arms, legs and back relaxed gently. She leaned back, closed her eyes and hummed along to the tune, her head bobbing up and down to the beat of the song coming from the CD player.

She lay there for ten minutes before she sensed, more than heard, the footsteps outside drawing nearer. The door opened.

"Take out the Linkin Park CD and this is my fantasy."

A sexy smile eased into her features and with out turning her head or opening her eyes, Helen answered, "Then turn it off."

Lex walked over to it and pressed the off button. "That’s better," he told her.

Actually it was more than better. His wife was partially covered with bubbles, her right knee bent and exposed most of her upper thigh, her dark hair coiled at the top of her head, some tendrils clinging to her wet neck. He undid the button of his shirt slowly, his eyes drinking her beauty.

"Lex," she implored, "What’s taking you so long?"

A laugh escaped him as he let his shirt fall to the tiled floor. His hands went to his belt as he answered, "I went to work this morning and I swear my employees wanted to kill me. They weren’t expecting me to be there. I don’t blame them. It is, technically, still our honeymoon. You made me wait all day. I’m taking all the time in the world."

Somewhere during his drawn-out speech, Helen opened her eyes and watched him undress. She drew her knees to her chest and inched forward as Lex slid in behind her. His arms went around her waist and she leaned against his chest.

"How was work?" he mumbled, her hair touching his cheek as he nuzzled her neck.

She let out a sound crossed between pleasure and protest. "Don’t start with that."

He darted out his tongue to taste the sensitive spot behind her ear. "This?"

"No. I meant work. You may continue that," she murmured.

"How was your day?"

She gasped in pleasure as Lex’s hand slid up to cover her breast. "Busy…I…um…have you talked to Lana yet?"

"Not yet. But I’ve made myself available."

Wriggling her hips so she’s sitting on the bottom of the tub, not on his lap; she teased him, "I certainly hope you’ve made yourself available for a talk, nothing more."

"Helen," he said in a mock scolding tone. "You’re not jealous, are you?"

Deep inside, what he said struck a chord. Lex told her about Lana’s stay in the mansion a day after the girl moved in. Helen wasn’t insecure about Lana’s presence. Sure, she was young and pretty but Helen knew Lex only thought of the young girl as a friend, a sister at most. No, it wasn’t Lana. It was the friendship the two shared -- that closeness, how comfortable they were with each other, that she envied. She wished she could be as comfortable with her husband but there were a lot of unresolved issues between them. She dared but think about them now.

"I have nothing to be jealous about," she answered, taking his hand and guiding it between her thighs -- not that he’d get lost or anything. She smiled as Lex did wonders to her with just a touch. She closed her eyes. Lana would only stay for a while, she was sure of that. She bit her lower lip as pleasure tingled her body. "I know you’re mine, Lex."

****

Lana stepped into the hallway as quietly as humanly possible and closed the door to her room behind her. She carefully made her way down the stairs, walked past the receiving room, into the dining hall and finally into the kitchen.

She opened the fridge, surveyed it and her stomach made grumbling noises. She rubbed her hand across her tummy as she took out a plate of leftover chicken and salad. After taking out a fork from the cupboard, she sat on one of the tall stools by the kitchen counter, and ate hungrily.

"I was afraid we had a burglar," Lex said. "And I was right."

Lana looked up guiltily. Strange how the chicken couldn’t seem to go down her throat.

He went to the other side of the counter to face her. "Don’t tell me you skipped dinner so we won’t be bothered."

"I won’t," she managed to say. She shoved a forkful of salad into her mouth, hoping it would be an excuse enough not to say anything.

Lex leaned forward, forcing her to look at him. "Or maybe you were simply avoiding me."

He got her. She nodded weakly. Lex waited until she finished the last morsel of food before he said, "Lana, I apologize for insisting you stay here in the mansion even though I knew you’d be here all alone. I should’ve told you to stay with Chloe at least you’d have someone to talk to."

Lana stared at him, surprised he was apologizing for being so kind as to offer his home as a refuge, "Lex, don’t. I mean at first it was scary to be here but being alone forced me to think about what has happened…and for that alone, I’m grateful."

"Aren’t your thoughts more dangerous, though?" he asked with a tiny hint of a smile on his lips.

She nodded. "More so, I’m afraid."

"Congratulate me."

She tilted her head to the side, surprised by the slightly wayward comment. "Congratulations," she said, afraid to add a question mark to it.

He stood up and said proudly, "I closed a multi-million dollar merger this afternoon. Let’s hope lady luck holds for me tomorrow during my meeting."

Lana gulped, her throat was suddenly dry. She stood up, the stool scraping against the floor, making a horrible sound that made her cringe. "I’m keeping my fingers crossed." She stifled a fake yawn. "Wow! Now I know how pigs feel like, after eating a good meal, I just want to curl up in bed and—"

"Sit down, Lana," he said in a tone that told her she had to sit back down.

She did. "What?"

"I’m here to help you. Just tell me what I can do."

Lana looked away. "Nothing -- I don’t know."

He wouldn’t give in, she knew it. "I’m not leaving until you tell me everything, anything." As if to prove his point, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.

After a full minute of silence and the intense staring, Lana couldn’t take it anymore. "What’s to tell, Lex?" she asked in frustration. "Clark left. I don’t know why, he just did. He said something about hurting the people he loved and then he just drove away. It’s too cliché to say it but that’s the story of my life." She was trying not to cry, but she knew, looking at Lex’s face, that she was also failing. And suddenly, she was angry. It was the story of her life, indeed. "My parents died, okay. It wasn’t as if they had a choice about leaving me, they didn’t. They’re dead. And Nell got married so she had to live with him. But Clark…he just left." Tears ran down her cheeks. "He asked me to go with him, you know? But I told him Smallville was my home and all my friends were here…If I knew how miserable I would be without him, I would’ve gone…but I didn’t...and now…" She found his eyes fixed on hers. "Smallville might be my home but Clark…Clark is my heart and I’d rather be without a home, than without him."

Lex watched silently as Lana cried all the hurt she’d been hiding inside. In his head, however, he was making a list of people to contact, buy, bribe or whatever it took to get his friend back. He reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly. "It’s going to be fine. We’re going to find him and bring him back."

"What if he doesn’t want to come back, Lex?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Why wouldn’t he, when you’re the one waiting for him? Trust me, Lana. Clark has waited too long to be with you. I’m sure he’s just off somewhere to think. He’ll be back," he said, his words sounding less convincing in his ears. But not hers. Lana nodded silently. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "I apologize for making you cry."

She smiled, wiping her tears. "I needed it." She stood up slowly. "Goodnight, Lex."

"Goodnight," he said after her, determined to start planning immediately.

*dynlubio 09/03

TBC