The Rise To Power; A Smallville Saga {Part 5 - Glass Heart}

Red

A/N: I don't own Smallville or any characters and places in the DC universe. Nor do I own the episodes that these chapters are based on and contain content from.

I also don't claim to be a writer. My inspiration is to get a creative outlet going.

I only own Tyla Nevin and what pertains to her character story.

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"What happened to the Talon?" Tyla exclaimed, looking between Lex and the entire coffee shop which looked like a love fest that only Cupid would throw up and concoct. There were red streamers and hearts littered all over the ceiling, streaming down in pools. Cinnamon-smelling bubbles floated about, reflecting the amount of red from the walls. She knew Valentine's Day was here, but she didn't think it was going to explode into something like this.

Lex frowned as if to reflect that he didn't plan his small investment to overthrow with commercialized love. "I just offered herbal tea, I didn't know of this," he replied, guiltily before taking her hand and planting a kiss on her lips. "Stay here, I'll be a minute." He walked off into the fray, dodging a large balloon of Cupid with a bow and arrow.

Tyla shook her head, suppressing her amused smirk, and looked around at the different neon displays declaring the theme of love. Her eyes fell to Clark who was just coming up the steps to the entrance where she stood. "Oh, hi Clark, what are you doing here?" She asked. With how lame the festivities were, she didn't expect him to be here, especially because he was more heartbroken as of late when he found out that Lana was working on something closer to his secret than he would have liked.

"I...had a bad dream," he mumbled. "Then I decided to take a walk and I think this might be worse."

She laughed in disbelief. He might be right. "What was it about?" She asked, curiously.

"It...was rather long. But Lex didn't have legs and I think you ran Spheer Industries."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't let Lex hear you say that."

"Let me hear him say what?"

Clark turned to see Lex with two takeout drinks in his hands. He looked between the two of them together and he tried not to look suspiciously at them. 

"Uh...that we were going to work on getting behind the whole thing with your father?" Tyla said, almost embarrassed. "I thought he would be the perfect journalist in the making, no? Maybe even public relations agent?"

She looked over to Clark who nodded slowly. It was better than anything. "I thought I could learn a lot from her." It was feeble lie but not that far from the truth. He knew how Tyla felt about stretching it with Lex. 

Lex cautiously walked up the stairs as if he was processing whether or not Clark was dragging Tyla into something. "Well...if it's under her watchful eye, then why not?" He finally said as he handed the cup with the herbal tea to his wife. He glanced back to see Clark smiling. It was almost sincere. "I appreciate the civility here, Clark." He nodded to Tyla towards the exit. He wasn't going to stay here, now that he saw what the coffee shop now looked like. 

"Right, um.... I'll see you at the reception party this Friday?" She wondered. It would be when they were originally going to get married. A dinner party was better than nothing at all and her mother had complained nonstop about the elopement since. "Your mother said you were joining us." Before Clark could give his hesitant answer, she gave him a quick wave before leaving with her husband out the door.

*****

Back at the manor, the halls were filled with people setting up for the reception in the hall. Each room was coming together, laced in green and white. Her family was coming in. Her friends from National City were already settling in their guestrooms upstairs. Ana was somewhere in the mansion, giving her boyfriend a tour of the place as if she owned it. Tyla didn't remember so many people being here at the same time. She ducked underneath a bench that was being carried out to the ballroom before she turned the corner to go into her home office as if an attempt to retreat.