Chaos Theory

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"On the house," Lana said as she delivered a tray of coffee's to Clark, Lex, Chloe and Carrie.

"Thanks, Lana. It's not much as celebrations go but why don't you join us?"

"Thanks, but Sandy called in sick today so I've hardly had time to catch my breath. Congratulations," she told Chloe.

"To your first front page by line in the Daily Planet," Carrie said, raising her coffee mug to clink it with Chloe's.

"It's a little unbelievable, isn't it." Chloe grinned.

"Just tell me you won't forget me when you hit the big leagues," Clark said. Kissing her cheek.

"Never," she turned to him and smiled.

"Lex?" Carrie asked, turning to him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm really not sure," he answered honestly. "I never had a lot of love for the man but I never thought he might be a killer."

"I'm sorry, Lex."

"No," he took Carrie's hand. "He killed my grandparents, he deserves what he gets."

"Still, he is your father." She squeezed his hand then released it. After what they'd done a few weeks ago, she didn't want him getting the wrong impression.

"I'm not sure I ever had a father," Lex said. "I had a teacher. For a long time I didn't realise what I was missing, until I saw Clark and Jonathan together."

"They're good people," Carrie agreed.

"Are my ears burning?" Clark asked, finally tearing his eyes away from Chloe.

"We were just saying how annoying you are," Lex said with a straight face.

"And that you really should find a more sophisticated aftershave than Brut." Carrie added with a grin.

"I can see the headline now," Chloe said as Clark gasped with mock hurt. "'Teen kills former friends in brutal coffee shop slaying'."

They all laughed.

"Well," Lex said. "Since a coffee isn't really celebration enough for our future Pulitzer prize winning journalist, how about dinner in Metropolis tonight?"

"Thanks Lex, but my Mom is cooking a celebration dinner tonight," Clark said. "You're invited, of course."

"Well thank you, but it's not really a celebration when someone gets stuck with the washing up," Lex said. "I'll talk to your parents, see if they'd like to join us."

Adam Knight listened to the conversation with interest, not because he wanted to but because he had to. He didn't understand why Lionel Luthor was so interested in a bunch of high school students and he hadn't been given an explanation when he asked. Instead he wrote down everything they did, then sent the information to Lionel.

"Can I get you anything else?" Lana asked, approaching Adams table.

"Yeah, how about a date?" If he had to be stuck in Smallville, he reasoned that he should at least try and have a little fun. He'd spotted Lana as the first time he walked in here and he wanted to get to know her a lot better.

"Um, sure, I guess," she smiled. "Why not."

"Great."

III

Adam's apartment was close to the school campus and paid for courtesy of LuthorCorp, though no one else knew that. It was dark when he entered and he froze as he heard a voice from the shadows.