Clover

By JayneFaire

Clex

NC-17

Season 7

Cover #4/5

Metropolis - -The Isis Foundation - -Night

The room was dark and each screen was on and recording every detail of her ex-husband's life. Lana Lang would glance up from her sketches every so often to take in any peripheral movement she'd imagined. She hated having to sketch each artifact out by hand, but when Clark almost found her screen captures in her briefcase the week prior, she knew she had to play everything a little safer while living on the farm. She glanced back to the main screen before her where she'd caught an image of Lex's safe just before he'd emptied it of most of the relics he'd collected almost three years ago. He'd been searching for the crystals in her senior year of high school; that year when she'd been possessed by what she now realized hadn't been magic as it had been advanced Kryptonian science. All the pieces he had remaining, she assumed, had been assigned some real value by Lex and his clearing up of the vault even further helped her narrow her focus onto what was left.

There were a handful of items from all around the world, each resembling some ancient mystical creature or some deity. Some were simple pots and vases. She sketched quickly, continuously checking the time. Clark would expect her home for dinner and the Aunt Nell excuse could only go so far.

She held up the four pencil drawings she'd made. They were the four to which Lex seemed to cherish the most. One was a Grecian wrestling urn which, of course she knew, had nothing to do with wrestling. Another was a tribal mask from somewhere deep in the Congo. The third was an Indian clay pot adorned with a sacred cow. The last resembled a little Buddha made of red jade . . . except . . . she narrowed her eyes on it. The Buddha was a woman. It had many breasts and long, center-parted hair. There was an illicit grin on her full face and she was as sensual and sexual as she was round.

"Hmm," Lana hummed. Putting the sketches away, she turned off the lights and left the room in darkness, a few red beams left denoting that Lex's home was still being watched and recorded.

Smallville - -The Kent Farm - -Day

Kara Kent bounded down the stairs to greet the smell of Saturday morning breakfast. "I find it amazingly cruel that you raise the animals, kill them and then eat them."

"There is no killing of animals on this farm," Lana chided, placing a plate of bacon on the table. She was in her suit and wearing an apron over it like a true domestic goddess of the 21st century. She bustled around the kitchen, reaching here and there for cups and glasses and utensils.

"I meant in general," Kara said, plopping down into a chair and scooping some bacon into a plate. "On Krypton we would just grow our meat. There wasn't any killing involved. But I can't judge. In the old days, we must have had your primitively brutal way of obtaining food." She bit into a strip of bacon with a gleeful smile, "I love this stuff!" She grabbed a bottle of maple syrup and poured it all over her bacon. "Where's Clark?" She asked, her mouth full.

"You're not used to waking up with the sun yet," Lana smiled, glancing out the window into the far distant horizon.

Kara's cheeks turned red and her eyes widened, "Oh crap! He wanted me to help him this morning!" She zipped through breakfast, cleared her place setting and washed her plate within two seconds. Slowing down to take a glass from Lana's hand to get some orange juice, Kara bumped into Lana's attaché which was on the counter. "Sorry Lana!" She exclaimed, bending to scoop up the papers that had fallen to the floor.

Lana's shocked expression wasn't seen by Kara but it was as if all the blood had rushed from her face. "No, Kara, it's alright, go help Clark. I'll pick this u - -"

She heard Kara squeak with what seemed to be delight. "Oh! It's Clovaru!" She said, holding out the pencil drawing of the female deity. Her eyes were wide and childlike and she was completely amazed. Lana froze in mid-step and a chill crept up her spine. A second later a giddy kind of anticipation was bubbling within her stomach. Kara turned to her, "Where did you see this?"

"I was just doodling," she said, leaning over the girl who was still crouched on the floor. "Clovaru?" She encouraged.

"That's what the elders called her, her appropriate title. My father would never have me call her anything but Clovaru but she was known all over Krypton as Clover. She is a goddess of the old belief."

"The old belief?"

"Mythology. She was the fertility goddess." Kara flipped the image over and showed it to Lana, "Like that's not apparent," she laughed. Lana tried to laugh with her but she couldn't hide her curiosity. "A newlywed couple would receive a Clover on their wedding night. Each statue was imbued with science."

Lana frowned, "How can you imbue anything with science?"

"Humans call it magic, but it's not sleight of hand or tricks or mysticism. Imagine Harry Potter not as a wizard, but as a mathematician. Everything had a calculation to it: how flight works, true invisibility, opening up portals to other worlds, all of it was a specific calculation, even love."

Lana gasped. "Kara . . . Kryptonians had a calculation for love?"

"Oh, not to make love, not like your imaginary love potions where two people who hated each other would wake up head over heels. Nothing like Midsummer Night's Dream. No, Clover was to enhance what was already there. Like an aphrodisiac, but beyond the sexual. If there was a true connection between the bride and the groom on the honeymoon night, then when they both touched Clover, the mutual affection would be enhanced until death. There was no divorce on Krypton. It's one of the reasons why Clover was the only deity of the old beliefs to survive."

"So . . . it enhanced their love for each other?"

Now Kara's eyes brightened, "Not just that. It exchanged perfect knowledge between the two."

"Perfect knowledge?"

The girl's cheeks reddened, "Umm . . . how to please your partner, absolutely." Lana's expression fell. Kara went on, "Couples were never out of tune. They would know, always, how to express their love to one another."

Lana's voice took on a faraway tone. "And would you have to be married for it to work?"

"Generally. She had to be activated. It was the bride's parents who had the power to initiate Clover. For obvious reasons," she smiled.

"But only generally?"

Kara blanched, "Well, there was only one other option, a catalyst that would force activation, but that was too dangerous."

"What was it?"

A voice called out from the doorway, "Ms. Lang?" Kara and Lana stood up from their crouching positions and saw a chauffeur at the doorway. He was an older Asian man with salt and pepper hair. "Your ten o'clock meeting with Make-A-Wish?"

"I'll be right out, David," Lana said to the driver. Lana began packing away her papers back into her attaché.

Kara finally started to question Lana's curiosity with a wrinkling of her brow. As Lana was about to leave, Kara took her arm, "Where did you see that statue?"

Lana shook off her grasp with an easy smile. "I told you. I was doodling." She knew she wouldn't be able to bring up the subject again for a while but it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting her hands on that Clover. If it were true, she and Clark would be linked forever and he wouldn't need to have any fear about their being intimate together anymore. He'd know exactly what to do not to hurt her.

She exited from the backdoor of the Kent farm, the door slowly closing on a still suspicious Kara standing in the kitchen.

Entering the back of her town car, Lana restrained her desire to pull out the image until she was halfway to Metropolis, just in case Kara had decided to watch her from afar. Finally easing her anxiety, she dug into the bag and pulled out the penciling. Grabbing her cell phone she dialed a number given to her a while ago by none other than Lionel Luthor.

A gruff voice answered on the other line, "Hello?"

Holding up the image, Lana smiled. "I need to have something retrieved."

Part Two

The Catalyst

Smallville - -The Kent Farm- - Afternoon

That Saturday afternoon, Clark Kent tried to procrastinate that day's produce deliveries as long as he possibly could. As a U.S. Senator, his mother could now afford to hire a delivery man to make the trips throughout their small town and out to Granville and Middleton. The delivery man, within his various trips, would also find his way up the only hill in Smallville and bring produce to the Luthor Mansion. Unfortunately, as it was sure to happen as harvest rolls in and the chilly weather starts to make its way into lives, flu season would hit nearly every person in Lowell county and the Kent delivery man was no different.

"Alright, Danny," Clark said into the telephone. "It's okay, you sound really bad. Just rest and don't worry about it . . . I'll do the deliveries . . . okay, bye."

He looked over to Kara and sighed. She looked over the lists of delivery addresses. "You don't want to go to the mansion," she said, astutely. "I can do it," she offered.

Clark looked like she'd just lost a bit of her sanity, "I don't want you anywhere near Lex, got it?" He took the list from her hand.

She pouted. "Fine. Well, I can do Granville?" She said, pulling the Granville list.

"Middleton," he corrected her, taking the Granville list and handing her the Middleton list.

"But Granville has the best shops!" She insisted, taking the Granville list again.

"Yeah, and I don't want you shopping. You haven't really wrapped your mind around what a budget is, Kara." He pulled the list back and pushed the Middleton list back to her.

"Lana gave me some- - " She bit her tongue and closed her eyes. Her mouth was so big, she chided herself.

Clark turned to her, his face not hiding his upset. "How much?"

"Umm . . . that's my business," she nodded, moving quickly to the back porch to load the new Kent family truck. The old red one was parked near the recent gift from Lana to the household - -a glossy blue Ford 450. When Lana presented it to him he'd quickly refused but Kara had pushed past him and grabbed the keys from Lana's hands and jumped into her new car. He hated to admit it but since her marriage to Lex, Lana had become an expensive gifter. He realized only now why Lex had always insisted on such grand gifts- -it was his desire to hide something he was privately ashamed of. It was his method of penance. It made him uneasy now that perhaps Lana had learned this from him and the deeper worry was what was Lana making penance for?

"Wasn't the truck enough? What else did she give you, Kara?"

Kara zipped from the porch to the cab of the truck, quickly piling the produce into the back. "It's nothing. Maybe a small . . . college fund?" She jumped into the truck and smiled, "Be back later!" She said, waving her hand which showed the Granville produce list.

Clark looked down to his own hands and saw the Smallville and Middleton lists. Darting his eyes back up, he saw her peel away down the lane. "Kar- -" She was gone. He slumped and looked forlornly down to the papers. Last on the Smallville list was The Luthor Mansion. "Great."

Metropolis- - The Isis Foundation- - Afternoon

Lana's assistant walked into her office and handed over a manila folder. "Thank you," Lana said, placing the folder next to her. As her assistant left the room, Lana raised a thin headset. Securing it over her head she said, "Are you ready?"

The voice over the device said, "Sure. If you're positive about this."

Lana pressed a button on her desk and there was a click at her door, locking it. She swiveled in her chair and raised a remote control, opening the screens, displaying the many interior views of the castle. She stood from her chair and walked along the screens. "There's too much security around at night. Saturday is delivery day for most of the mansion's supplies. You can get in and at the ground floor no one will look at you twice as long as you have the badge I sent you."

"The courier was late."

"He'll be fired," she said, stopping at the central view of Lex in his study. "You'll just have to worry about Lex."

The mysterious and shrouded man raised his taser and grinned, "No, he'll have to worry about me."

Smallville- - The Luthor Mansion- - Afternoon

Clark stood outside the mansion with the last crate of produce in his arms. He stared up to the gothic architecture and sighed. He shook his head, "In and out, that's it. I won't even see him," he said, nodding to himself with a small smile. He narrowed his eyes and peered through the massive stone to see Lex sitting in his study, working on something or another. "Now, just stay there," he said quietly.

He walked into the service entrance. A man in black walked past him, his eyes looking curiously around. Something inside Clark tugged on him and he stared to the man who'd just walked by. He couldn't explain why he was feeling so strange but after all these years Clark had learned to trust his instincts. He continued along down to the kitchens but he was constantly flashing his gaze back and through stone and mortar, wood and plaster to track the man in black.

A few stories up, Lex Luthor was working at his laptop. He hated taking his Saturdays to work on the lower level failings of his vice presidents but it seemed to become a weekly occurrence. There would soon have to be a management shift and he was already dreading the headlines that would result. His Bluetooth headset was in and he was arguing with the VP of European Affairs.

"No Hans, I don't want you to send me the figures, I'm looking right at them . . . yes the updated figures . . . no, it's not a small bleed Hans, it's a jugular cut . . . where's the money going? . . . well, you need to start knowing . . . I don't care how late it is in Munich . . . get them on the line . . . yes a conference . . . yes now." He heard his door open and he glanced up to see who had decided to disturb him. He found himself staring at a masked man who had his finger over his lips and a 9mm in his other hand. Lex tried to fight the urge to sigh but he couldn't help it. He took the headset from his ear. The man gestured for him to toss it to him. Lex threw it and the man let it fall to the floor where he instantly smashed it.

"Okay," the man finally said, holstering the gun and pulling the taser. "Open the safe," he said, gesturing to the bookshelf to Lex's left.

Lex arched his brow with an exasperated grin. Not only would the management of LuthorCorp have to be overhauled, but so would his security team. He stood from his desk and moved to the bookshelf. Selecting a few books in a specific order he activated the sliding mechanism and the wall opened out. The man remained behind him at a safe distance. In the safe was about a million dollars in bonds, some cash in dollars, pounds and euros. There was also, on the high shelf, out of obvious sight, four ancient artifacts. Lex expected to be ordered to hand over the money but no,

"The red statue," the man ordered.

Lex frowned. No one had known these were in here. Well, no one but his father and . . . Lex smiled. He pulled the small statue down and palmed it. Turning to the man he walked confidently out of the safe and closed it behind him. He narrowed his eyes on the man. "What does Lana want with it?"

Metropolis- - The Isis Foundation- - Afternoon

Lana Lang's face turned red and her features pinched together, her nostrils flaring. "Just take it from him!" She ordered.

Smallville- - The Luthor Mansion- -Afternoon

Clark Kent waved to the head chef and started heading back out of the mansion. Exiting the service entrance he frowned and looked over his shoulder, remembering the man in black. He scanned the ground floor but the man wasn't there. He considered that the man may have left but looking back up through the castle, his eyes went through the walls of Lex's study and what he saw caused his face to flush and he zipped back into the mansion.

Lex tossed the statue up into the air, as if it were a soccer ball. "Would she still want it if it was in more pieces than one?"

Over the man's earpiece he received very distinct orders from his employer, "Do what you have to do!"

"There's enough voltage in this to kill you," the man warned, stepping closer. Lex grabbed the statue and motioned to throw it hard against the far wall.

Lana screamed, "No!" The man pulled the trigger on the taser. The dual nodes slammed into Lex's chest. Electricity surged through his body and a red light consumed him.

"Lex!" Clark shouted, throwing open the double doors of the study and racing to Lex's side. He took Lex in his arms and the red light surged through them both. Clark and Lex's eyes locked onto each other for the briefest of moments and in Lex's hand it was as if Clover's smile deepened.

The charge dissipated and they both fell to the ground.

Metropolis- -The Isis Foundation- -Afternoon

Lana seemed completely frozen. "Clark . . ." She watched her man grab Clover and race out of the mansion. Her eyes never left the screen, watching Clark and Lex lay side by side.

Part Three

A Kiss and a Revelation

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Evening

Time in Clark's world seemed to move in staccato. In one moment he was waking up. In another he saw Lex beside him, not breathing. He felt something leap in his chest and a moment later Lex was in his arms and he was already racing through the Emergency Room doors of the Smallville Medical Center.

"Help me!" He shouted and it was like time remained flashing by him. He was laying Lex on a gurney and following the medical team through the halls. In another flash he was standing alone outside the operating room door and the world stretched out endlessly behind him, his stark shadow long and solitary. He blinked and he was sitting in Lex's room by the door. He blinked again and he was a little closer. Again and again he found himself closer and closer until he was right by his side, leaning next to him, watching him breathe.

His hand was moving and before he knew, he was holding Lex's hand.

In another moment, he was moving it to his cheek.

"Mr. Kent?" Clark felt time slam into him and he realized that he was sleeping, curled up in the chair next to Lex's hospital bed. He looked up to see a young female nurse standing at the door. "Visiting hours are over," she said.

Clark looked down to Lex and he frowned at the prospect of having to leave. "Can't I- -"

"No, I'm sorry. Only family."

He nodded, uncurling himself and rising to leave when he felt a hand clasp onto his own. Clark looked down and saw Lex's eyes slowly open. To the nurse he said, in a quiet but authoritative voice, "He is family."

Granville- -Lana Lang's Town Car- -Evening

"Are we almost there, David?" She anxiously asked her driver.

"Yes, ma'am."

Lana watched as Smallville drifted past her window and she sighed. When she'd watched Clark shake off his taser hit those few hours ago she was relieved. She'd feared, more than anything, that he would have been hurt or worse in her attempt to secure their future together. Now that she was sure he was safe, she allowed herself to focus on collecting Clover. She couldn't say that seeing Lex lying as still as death bothered her. She really didn't feel anything at all for him and perhaps a dark part of her heart hoped he was dead. If anything, she feared when he woke up. He was the only one who suspected that she'd been the one after Clover. She could easily deal with the police. A smile or two here and there and the fallback on the fact she was Lana Lang and he was Lex Luthor would get her out of anything he accused her of . . . but Clark. Clark would be a whole different story.

The car pulled up to the corner of Washburn Avenue and 8th Street in Granville. It was dark and the streets were empty in this, the industrial section of the town. Lana peered out her window and saw a car from some distance away flare its headlights. She reached down and grasped a bulging yellow envelope. David came around and opened the door for her. Lana exited and walked towards the other car. The man she'd hired to retrieve Clover stepped out of his vehicle and held a small parcel, wrapped in brown craft paper. They approached one another and stopped halfway between both cars in the wide alleyway. Lana placed the envelope on the ground and the man handed her the package. She pulled away the paper to see the small red jade statue.

"Nice work," she said, walking away from the man and the envelope and reentering her car.

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center - -Evening

"Mr. Luthor- -" the nurse began in protest.

Lex struggled to sit up and said very coolly, "Last time I checked, my name was on the wall out there," he said, pointing to the hall. It was true. The Alexander Luthor Cardiac Wing had been dedicated to the medical center over four years ago. "If I can't choose Clark over my father for a visitor then I may have to have a talk with the trustees."

She paled and nodded, exiting the room.

"Lay back down," Clark said, placing his hand on Lex's shoulder. "Your heart stopped."

"I'm a little young for a heart attack, Clark," he said, his hand absently going to Clark's to push it off but instead, he held it close.

"Well, that's what the doctor's called it. You were hit with a couple thousand volts of electricity."

Lex tried to smile it off as he set himself back down to the bed. "I'll heal . . . I always do. Besides, why worry? It seems you're always there for me. Right?"

Clark sat and pulled his chair up, their hands instantly linking again. "You know I am."

"Do I?" Lex asked, closing his eyes and absentmindedly rubbing soft circles on the back of Clark's palm. "One day you were there and the next day- - "

"I'm here now, right?" He asked, leaning in closer to the bed, propping his elbows up but never releasing Lex's hand.

Lex brought their joined hands up and with his finger, he brushed Clark's cheek. "Are you?"

Clark inched closer, "I- -I thought I lost you."

Smallville- -Lana Lang's Town Car - -Evening

David pulled the town car up to the Smallville Medical Center and went around to open the door for her. Lana stepped out amongst the small but growing collective of news reporters stationed outside the medical center. When, on her way back to the farm, she'd heard the news reports on Lex's accident she imagined the opportunity for some good public relations would insulate any backlash that might result if Lex made accusations against her.

"Ms. Lang!" They all shouted, watching her emerge from the car.

"Thank you all for your concern regarding my ex-husband. We may no longer be married but I still care very deeply for him and I truly appreciate seeing that you all care for him as well." She imagined that was enough of a statement until she was able to test the waters with Lex himself.

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center - -Evening

"I don't- -" Clark whispered, moving closer to Lex. "- -know what I'd do- -"

"You'd- -" Lex breathed, raising his head, closing the distance between them. "- -survive."

Their lips touched and for a moment everything became very light and bright. Sound muted all around them. They moved in closer, the touch becoming a kiss when they both suddenly pulled away, their eyes wide.

"What- -"

"What just- -"

Clark's heart was racing in his chest and Lex's monitors were singing.

"Something's - -" Clark began, his eyes roaming over Lex's mouth.

"Definitely - -" Lex began, touching Clark's face.

"Wrong- -" they both said before their lips touched again and the kiss this time was deeper, longer. They could feel the difference in this connection than they'd ever had in any their entire lives. There was something so right about it that they fell into one another.

"Lex- -" Clark gasped, Lex's tongue licking the roof of his mouth. The sensation from his lips melted through his body and he felt a heat like he'd never known before in his groin. Suddenly, something like a quickening surged through Clark Kent. His entire body was struck with euphoria and when he opened his eyes, they were a deep red. Clark moved to reach his hands under the thin white hospital sheet when they heard the door open followed by a gasp and then punctuated by a thud.

They both darted their attention to the room entrance and the moment Clark released connection with Lex, his eyes returned to their normal green.

Laying unconscious on the tiled floor was Lana Lang.

Part Four

War

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Night

Lana Lang sat on an examination table with a cold pack against the knot on her forehead. She was staring, unblinkingly ahead, ignoring Clark who was standing next to her. At the doorway, seated in a wheelchair, sat her ex-husband, Lex Luthor, wearing an imperceptible grin on his face. The daggers they sent one another weren't hidden in anyway from Clark.

"How's your head?" Clark asked her, looking ashamed and reaching for the cold pack when she flinched away. His hands lowered and he fidgeted. "Lana, please- -I-I don't know- -"

"Can you get me something to drink?" She asked him without even looking. "Please," she added, as if in an after thought.

Clark nodded, looking completely dejected. "Okay," he said, walking slowly out of the room. He tried not to look at Lex as he passed but it was as if he just couldn't help glancing down to his bright blue eyes. As he passed, he unconsciously allowed his fingers to brush against Lex's shoulder.

Lex smiled at the connection and looked to Lana as more ice seemed to form and build around her body. Clark left them alone in the room. They were both quiet for a while before Lex rolled the wheelchair closer to her bed.

"So . . . was that it then? Your master plan for wooing Clark was to get his heart with a lightning bolt and a little red idol?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're playing innocent victim so well Lana but I know the truth. You think you can guilt him into forgetting that he kissed me?"

She lowered her hand and grit her teeth, "Lex, last time I checked, you were into women. This doesn't bother you? At all?"

He frowned, retaining the playfulness in his eyes. "On some level I know it should, but whatever happened makes it all okay. I guess once it wears off I'll have a few more issues to work through."

She looked away and said quietly, "And if it doesn't wear off?"

He took a deep breath and his smile returned. "You're not really understanding this feeling. It feels right. More right than anything I've felt in my entire life. When Clark and I . . ." He bit his lip. "Well, if it never wears off, all I have to say is&emdash;that's really bad luck for you."

"I'll fix this," she told him, throwing down the cold pack onto the bed.

It was then that Lex narrowed his eyes, "No, you won't."

Clark walked into the room then, carrying Lana's favorite soda. Lex watched as her eyes brightened and she stretched out her hand to Clark.

"Thank you, so much," she said, oozing sweetness. "Clark, please take me home?"

He looked from Lana to Lex, "You- -forgive me?"

She smiled, full and with a small laugh, "For what? I can't blame you for what Lex did. We know how he is," she said, locking her eyes onto his and forcing the words as if to convince him. "It was cruel and mean and he needs help," she turned her sight to Lex. "I know you're jealous, but that was a new low."

Lex raised his brow at her. "You've got to be- -"

"Lex," Clark began. "I'm going to take Lana home. Don't expect me to come back here." And even though the words he was saying had one meaning, the look in his eyes said something else. Something like regret and sadness. He took Lana's arm and she leaned heavily against him, her head to his chest. Walking past Lex's chair she gave him a dark smile.

Reaching the door, Clark turned back to the room and a flash of anxiety flared in Lana as she gripped his shirt. Please . . . keep walking.

"I hope . . . you'll be okay," Clark turned his eyes sharply away and left with Lana on his arm, down the hall.

Lex remained in the room, alone, realizing she'd just declared war.

Smallville- -The Kent Farm- -Night

During the first hour of sleep, Clark and Lana were side by side. At the second hour, Clark had rolled a few inches away. Upon the third hour, he was even farther. When the fifth hour approached, he was simply standing by the bed, in the lonely darkness.

Turning on the bathroom light, he looked to himself in the medicine cabinet's mirror. He looked pale and drawn. There were dark shadows under his eyes. He frowned at how such a significant change in his appearance could have occurred in so little time. Splashing some water on his face, he touched his chest, feeling an ache in his heart. It was like he couldn't breathe. Glancing back up to the mirror, for a flash he could have sworn he saw Lex standing behind him. Clark spun around and only saw an empty bathroom.

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Night

Lex lay on his hospital bed suffering through a fitful sleep. His hands would grip and release the sheets under him and his face would clench and relax as something deep inside him ached. He was having trouble breathing. There was a flash of Clark's face behind his eyelids and his eyes snapped opened to a vastly empty hospital room.

He took a shallow breath and mumbled, "Clark."

"I'm here." He heard a voice from the doorway and looking up, there he was. Clark walked quickly into the room and was at his side in a moment.

"You said you weren't- -" Lex started as he curled up from the bed.

"I wasn't- -" Clark said, using every last of his self control not to look south of Lex's eyes. "I couldn't sleep," he explained, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.

Lex smiled, laying back down, watching Clark. "Me either."

"I don't understand what's going on." He whispered, resting his head on the side of the bed, staring into Lex's eyes.

"I don't want to understand it," Lex said, realizing these were words and concepts he'd never uttered in his entire life. He'd always wanted to dig deeper into mysteries and figure things out but now, he truly feared that discovering the truth behind this would erase it all away. "I hope I never understand it."

Clark hesitated a moment, thinking about Lana but then seeing Lex's eyes in the darkness erased everything else away. "Me either."

Their hands touched and they fell asleep, not realizing they were both breathing to the same rhythm.

Smallville - -The Kent Farm - -Morning

Lana Lang opened her eyes to the bright day and smiled. Turning to the other side of the bed she frowned. It was empty. Grabbing her robe she jogged down the stairs to see Kara Kent sitting pensively at the kitchen table, looking at the Smallville Ledger.

"Morning, Kara. Where's Clark?" Lana asked.

"You know how you told me I hadn't learned to wake up with the sun?"

"Kara- -"

"You were right. I set my internal clock to bring me up with the dawn and I'm out of bed when everything's still dark."

"We need to get you an alarm clock then. Have you seen Clark?" She insisted.

"Wait for it, this is the interesting part. So instead I come down here for a snack when I see Clark sneaking down the stairs. It was all very suspicious. That's when I saw his face, Lana. He looked sick."

"Sick?"

"I wasn't sure how sick when I saw him speed off. So I followed him. He went to the medical center. I figured he's delusional, right? There's nothing they can give him if he's sick. No Earth medicines. But he didn't go see a doctor, Lana. He went up to the cardiac wing. He went to Lex's room." She held up the news paper and showed Lana the headline: Billionaire Nearly Electrocuted, Saved By Local Hero, Clark Kent. "That's when I realized what kind of sick Clark was."

Lana took a step back, "Kara- -"

The young Kryptonian girl threw the paper to the floor. "Love sick!"

"Oh God- -"

"So it all fell into place!" She shouted, rising to her feet. "Doodling? I must have been crazy to even&emdash;doodling?!"

Lana's hands went to her face as she tried to restrain her scream.

"Where's Clovaru?!" Kara demanded.

Lana looked to the floor and muttered, "The barn."

Kara looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes as she scanned the Kent barn. Spotting the little idol she zipped out and back in within a second. She placed Clover on the kitchen table. Shaking her head she looked to Lana, "You don't have any idea what you've done, do you?"

"There must be a way to make this right - -"

"You're not understanding!" Kara insisted. "If Clover worked then it is right. There's no reversing what happened. Clark and Lex are one now. Til death!"

Lana's face suddenly relaxed. "What did you say?"

"Lana - -"

Til Death . . .

Part Five

Reasons

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Morning

For a hospital bed, Lex Luthor was amazed at the peacefulness of his sleep. He'd not slept this well since before the meteor shower had turned his life upside down. His eyes blinked open to take in the tranquil, sleeping face of Clark Kent. Breathing steadily and resting with a relaxed smile, Lex watched Clark with infinite interest. He truly felt he could lay this way, and only this way, for the rest of his life. He looked at their linked hands between them and he moved to kiss Clark's. The flesh was warm and, to Lex's surprise, too soft to belong to a farmer.

Clark felt a tingling sensation against his skin and opening his eyes to the new day he saw Lex's smooth features. Realizing that Lex's lips were on him, he smiled and repeated the gesture, kissing the back of Lex's hand. There they lay, entwined in an almost kiss until a voice came that rattled their world- -

"What is this?"

They were both startled by the sudden entrance of Lionel Luthor. Clark was about to withdraw his hand but Lex held him tight. Clark glanced down to him and through the cool and confident look of absolute self-assurance there was something that Clark could now perceive that he'd never been able to see before in Lex's expression. Under all his defiance was a look that Clark could only define as springing from a deep well of fear. He returned Lex's grip, telling him he wasn't alone.

Lionel watched the exchange and walked farther into the room, his gaze locked onto his son. "Clark, go home."

Lex held tighter, his knuckles turning white. "He's staying."

"Oh Lex, you do not want Clark to be witness to this conversation, of that I can assure you." His voice dropped a few registers, sending chills up both their spines, "It would not be wise."

Clark felt the sudden cold of Lex's hand before he released Clark's palm.

"Lex?"

"It's okay, Clark," Lex said, nodding. He added with a grin, "Lana should know where you've been tonight."

Clark's eyes closed and his face pinched, "Oh- -"

Lex allowed a full smile, "You forgot?"

Clark sighed, "I'll be right back," he promised.

Walking away from the bed, Lionel sidestepped him and spoke very quietly in his ear, "I don't know what my son did to you- -"

"He didn - -"

Lionel took his arm, "Yes! He did." Was all he would say before he released him. Clark glanced back to Lex and they shared a look of mutual uncertainty before Clark headed out of the room.

Lionel turned on his son but Lex spoke first, "I didn't realize I warranted a visit."

"Tokyo is still eighteen hours away, Lex. I got on the plane when I found out."

"Let me be grateful then."

"Don't try and misdirect the conversation- -"

"I'm in a hospital bed after suffering a heart attack. You're my father. I suppose I'm being irrational to believe that the conversation would possibly be about me."

"Only half about you. The other half just left the building."

Lex's face tightened, "I know."

Lionel walked up quickly to his son's bed and Lex did all he could not to show any fear. His father's eyes were on fire and his voice was harsh, "What games are you playing at, Lex? What have you done?"

Lex broke eye contact with the man; he couldn't bear the look in his father's eyes. "You mean other than almost being killed?"

"What did you do to Clark?!"

That pain returned in his chest at the mention of Clark's name and he flinched, the alarm on the wall giving a warning bleep. Lex touched his chest and closed his eyes as his breathing became ragged. Lionel looked up to the monitor and that seemed to be the only thing that calmed his anger.

"Lex?"

His son brought his gaze up and his eyes were glassy with tears. He spoke through his pain, "You want to know what happened?" He looked to his father's black gloved hand that hid his terrible scars. "Then you're going to have to ask Lana."

"What?"

"Go away."

"Lex- -"

He rolled over onto his side and mumbled, "Get out."

Just outside the hospital room, Clark Kent stood against the wall having listened to the entire conversation. Upon hearing Lana's name an expression of confusion flit across his features before he set his jaw and sped away.

Smallville- -The Kent Farm- -Morning

"Lana!" Clark called out as he threw open the kitchen door. His cousin sat around the table on her laptop with Clover next to her. Kara looked up to him and wore an expression that was half smile and half disquiet.

"She's not here," she said. "Do you like Niagara Falls?"

"What? Kara, where's Lana? And what is that?" He asked, seeing the idol on the table.

"Niagara Falls, the Canadian side. They have some great honeymoon packages."

"What?" He asked again.

"Lana left. We had a talk and she seemed upset. Granted, that's to be expected." She said from the side of her mouth, her eyebrows raised. "Do you think you'd ever move to Massachusetts?"

"What? Where did she go?"

"I don't know, but she seemed to be in a hurry. David came for her so she's probably halfway to the city by now." Clark felt like kicking something, but he stopped himself. He'd just have to fix whatever he broke. "New York seems nice and Lex has the money to live in the better parts," she said, clicking away at the computer again.

Hearing Lex's name, Clark felt a pinch of something in his chest. He sat down at the table, his breath coming short. "What are you doing?"

"Clark?" She asked, over the screen. "Does your heart hurt?"

He nodded, the pain becoming steadily worse.

"Crap," she said. "It's the love sickness. It'll get really bad until you two . . . uhh . . . finally . . . umm, consummate."

His eyes shot wide open, "Kara- -"

She paled, "Ohh . . . right. You have no idea." She closed the lid on the computer. "Um . . . Lana did something yesterday. It kinda chose your life mate. Lex." He frowned and she went on. "This is the Kryptonian Goddess, Clover," she said, gesturing to the little red statue.

FIVE MINUTES LATER

Kara was up and pacing back and forth before the table, "So, you and Lex are now bonded. There's nothing to do about it so I was just researching places where you two could get married and live relatively comfortably- -"

Clark sat at the kitchen table, his mouth open, his eyes wide, his body rigid.

"Clark?"

He blinked.

"Clark?"

"Umm . . ."

"I figured since Canada allows same sex-marriages and they are also traditionally known for their beautiful honeymoon waterfalls- -"

"Uhh . . ."

"Well, you have to get married! You're an El, it wouldn't be right if you weren't. It would be shameful!"

He closed his eyes, "Oh my head- -"

She nodded sympathetically, "It's the love sickness. Clover is supposed to be initiated on the wedding night and then right after the bride and groom are supposed to . . . you know- -" She was doing hand gestures and his brain was officially spinning. "You'll never be able to be more than a couple of hours apart before your bodies start breaking down. You see, you have to consummate."

His hands were shaking. She saw this and hurried over to him, taking him under her arm. "Wow, you've got it bad."

"Kara- -" he began quietly. "You're telling me this isn't real," he said. His reactions, up to this point, when viewed by an objective witness, might have been construed as Clark finding some distaste in what his cousin had been relating to him. One might have read his quiet shock as aversion to the prospect of making love to Lex. Logic told him that he should have felt something like repulsion but all he could comprehend was that Kara had told him that what he felt for Lex wasn't real, that it had been done to him by Lana. That she had planned on entrapping him.

"Oh Clark, no. It is. It is real. Clover doesn't invent love, she makes it bloom. Somewhere inside of your heart, you loved Lex, not his body but something inside. You truly felt love for him and he felt the same for you. Clover has to be mutual and the love there has to be deep. It's the only way she would have worked."

He shook his head, "Then it would have worked for me and anyone else I cared about."

"No, they'd have to care about you too." She sighed and turned away, "That's why it wouldn't have worked with you and Lana."

"What?"

"She wanted to force Clover on you. That's not love. Not true love."

He lowered his head with a nod. It was a sad revelation for him. "I have to find her."

"No, you have to go back to Lex, wait until he heals, and . . . have some quality time together."

The idea alone brought a blush to his cheeks, "I can't believe you're encouraging this."

She folded her arms across her chest, "Come on Clark. Our planet is gone and so is our entire culture. This is the closest to the Kryptonian version of Christmas as I'll get."

He smiled, "We had a Christmas?"

She beamed, gesturing to the little red deity, "Yep! Clovarukah!"

Part Six

Puppetmaster

Smallville- -The Kent Farm- -Morning

Clark Kent stepped out of his home's backdoor ready to return to the hospital when a phone call buzzed at his side. He looked down to the caller ID and saw Lana's name appear. He almost didn't want to answer but he knew he would have to. "Lana?"

"I know Kara told you what happened."

"Yeah, she did. Why did you make me feel like this was my fault?" He quietly asked, remembering how coldly she acted towards him the night before.

"I was angry at myself and I was taking it out on you, I'm sorry."

"Why would you do that? How could you? You nearly got Lex killed. For what?"

"For you!" She insisted, the tears in her voice carefully breaking down his anger. "For us! So you wouldn't have to be scared anymore! So we could live together as a real couple." Her tone became softer, "I did this for you."

He closed his eyes. "And now what? It's over Lana. And I'm sorry, I really am, but . . . I can't explain what's going on but all I know is that I- -I," he was about to say that he loved Lex but it wasn't something she needed to hear. "I can't be with you anymore."

"Clark please. Please don't do this. You can't, you know what Lex is, you know what he's done. How can you just ignore all of that?"

As if a shadow had been lifted from his eyes, Clark's heart spasmed and he gripped the blue fabric covering his chest. "Lana, please- -"

"Victor? Wes Keenan? All those men. 33.1. Chloe? Chloe's mother? How can you just erase everything he's done to all those people?"

There was another strangled thump in Clark's chest and he leaned against the yellow house. "Stop- -"

"Stop telling the truth? I know how loving Lex can make everything he does and has done just fade away but it doesn't fade away Clark and he'll change you and he'll ruin you- -"

Clark whispered, "Like he ruined you?"

There was silence. Silence for so long.

When she spoke again, it was with full composure. There was no emotion in her voice at all. "Why don't you ask him how exactly he ruined me, and then try and rethink your feelings for him." The line went dead.

Metropolis- -Lana Lang's Town Car- -Morning

Lana dropped her phone next to her and opened up a file folder. Inside the folder was the image of a young man with a note scrawled on his photo noting: UNSTABLE in red letters.

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Morning

Lex Luthor was standing by the window to his room and peering out to the bright, early fall Sunday. For the first time in years he felt inclined to go to church and thank God for something. Leaning his head against the glass he tried to calm the dizziness there. It hurt so bad when Clark wasn't- -

"Clark?" he said, seeing his reflection, his spirits instantly lifting. Turning around with a smile he saw the look on Clark's face and hesitated.

Clark stood at the doorway looking as if his world were falling apart. Lex took a step towards him but Clark instantly moved back, the motion sending a sharp ache through his chest. Biting back the pain he said, "I can't stop what I'm feeling."

Lex's face fell and a strange panic shadowed him. "You want to?"

"I have to. This wasn't supposed to happen." He took a few steps into the room before he realized what he was doing. He froze dead in his tracks. "You aren't- -"

Lex nodded, trying to restrain the fact that hearing this was breaking his heart. "A woman? Well, I could say the same Clark, but I'm not."

"No." Clark said, taking a few more steps forward before stopping himself. "You aren't someone I should feel this way about."

His sight became unfocused and he stared down to the ground, his eyes wide. "Clark- -"

"You've done some terrible things- -"

Lex went to him, closing the gap between them. "I told you, I've been telling you, for months. I've changed. Everything I've done, I'm trying so hard to take it all back. I have."

"I want to believe you- -"

Lex reached out for him but Clark turned his face. Lex's hand hovered in the air for a few moments before he took another determined step forward and grasped onto the lapels of Clark's red coat, holding him close, their bodies pressed together. "Then believe me," he insisted, pulling the fabric closer. "Every file, every abandoned facility, you can have all my passwords and you'll see all that I've done and everything I'm trying to undo."

Clark placed his hands over Lex's but didn't move them. "And Lana? Will I see what you did to her?" And under his grip, he could feel Lex releasing him.

"Everything I've done, I find myself sorry for. Everything but that."

"Lex- -"

He pulled away and leaned against the bed, "She never told you? . . . No, I don't suppose she did or you probably would have brought this up long ago. If I tell you this, and if you can find a way to forgive me, will you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"You reciprocate the full disclosure."

Metropolis- -The Isis Shelter- -Morning

David held the front door open for his employer as Lana entered the Isis Foundation's Youth Shelter. Aimed at providing a home for those children and teens who'd been rejected by their parents due to their meteor abilities, the Isis Shelter was a 24-hour care facility that provided a safe, welcoming environment and education up to the high school level. Occupying a five-story renovated factory building on the tip of Metropolis Island, Lana walked up to the reception desk as several children walked by on their way to Sunday devotional saying a few quick, 'Morning Ms. Lang's and 'How are you Ms. Lang?'

She smiled graciously to them and waved. Turning to the receptionist she was handed a few interdepartmental notes. "Thank you, Robert," she said to the younger black man behind the modern blue glass desk.

"Welcome, ma'am," he said in a deep voice when he paused and seemed to be listening to something when he passed his hand over a blank post-it and as he withdrew his palm, it was covered in script. "Dr. Langley wants you to have this," he said.

"I was going down to talk to him anyway," she replied, going through the notes. Robert nodded and passed his hand over the post-it again and the writing disappeared.

She headed to the empty staff elevator and pressed her thumb against a sensor there. The elevator went down, below the basement and subbasement. It opened up deep underground to a long, wide hallway in shades of light purple. Lining the hallway were glass walls that looked in on individual rooms and in these rooms were young children and teens, some adults. Walking past the walls, the faces would glance up to her and smile. She smiled back to them, talking step after step under the fluorescent lights.

"Ms. Lang," A middle-aged man with graying blonde hair, wearing a lab coat, said to her as he exited one of the rooms.

"Dr. Langley, how's everyone today?"

"All doing well, even Jeffrey. No smoke, no scorch marks at all. Everyone . . . except for Celeste. She's been having nightmares again."

"33.1?"

"Yes. I'm having serious doubts about her capability to return to society."

"You have doubts about them all, Dr. Langley&emdash;" She said to push away his concern but he shook his head, taking her arm.

"No, Celeste is . . . beyond help."

Lana frowned. "I'll talk to her."

Seated alone in her room, Celeste Garvey stared absently ahead. At twenty years old, Celeste was a well-built, strong young woman with raven black hair and almost clear, crystal blue eyes. Lana opened the white door to her room and walked in alone. Celeste's eyes brightened.

"Ms. Lang," she said with a gracious smile.

"Hey, Celeste. How are you? Dr. Langley said you haven't been feeling well."

The young woman looked away, "I keep seeing him. When I'm awake now."

"Lex?"

Celeste flinched, "Walking down the hallway, looking so righteous. I just wanna&emdash;" she began, her clear eyes clouding over with oily black. Her bed began to rise off the ground.

"Celeste!" Lana called out. The bed fell hard to the floor and the girl's eyes cleared. Lana had seen this before. It was a meteor related psychosis and it was irreversible. All the inhabitants of this lower level facility were beginning to exhibit this behavior. Lana hated to admit it but Lex had been right to remove them from the general population.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Lang," she apologized, closing her eyes and biting her lip in shame. "I'm trying."

Lana looked across the way into the next room and saw the man she'd actually come to visit. The young man marked UNSTABLE in the file folder. He stood in his room tossing flames between his hands. Looking back to Celeste she said, "I have an idea."

"Ms. Lang?"

"How would you like a day trip?"

Celeste's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Really. Just you and me out for the afternoon."

"Oh thank you Ms. Lang! I'd like that so much! Where can we go?"

Lana tapped her Manolo Blahnik covered foot. "Oh, somewhere peaceful where you'll never have to think about . . . him, at all." She touched the girl's face, "How would you like to see my hometown of Smallville?"

Part Seven

Truths, Secrets & Lies

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Morning

Clark Kent stood at the foot of Lex Luthor's bed waiting for him to collect his thoughts. Lex sat on the hard mattress holding one arm across his chest and the other with a finger against his lips. It was a mannerism he'd adopted from his father that seemed to help him think clearly. He would need all his thoughts together for this. Finally laying his blue eyes on Clark he carefully said,

"Do you believe me when I tell you that there was a point in time when I loved Lana?"

The words should have made Clark angry at Lex for his plain declaration for a girl who just yesterday had been the love of Clark's life, but instead there was a bud of jealousy growing against Lana for having held Lex's heart, and then there was anger with the knowledge of what she'd done to him the day before. "I believe you," he said.

"Okay," Lex took a deep breath. He had to explain it all properly because any part, taken out of context, would damn him. "Because I loved her, that's why I- -" And he couldn't. He couldn't say it.

Clark looked down to his hands and almost mumbled, "Hurt her?"

"No, no Clark, I swear, the things I did, I did to make sure she was never hurt."

"Just tell me."

Lex grit his teeth and stiffly said, "Lana didn't miscarry our baby, Clark. She was never meant to carry it to term."

Clark's face flushed and he slowly shook his head, "What did you do?"

"It wasn't our child Lana was carrying . . . it was her clone."

Clark was horrified, "You didn't- -"

"I had to protect her," he said quietly.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It was never alive! It was engineered a vegetable. I created it because I didn't want anything to happen to her." He got off the bed and went to him. Clark was struggling to even look him in the eyes. "I once had a dream . . . I saw how my life could have been if I'd made certain other decisions. It started out beautiful and it was everything I ever wanted but then it became a nightmare. I had her and then I lost her. I watched her die and I couldn't do anything about it. I held her in my arms and she- -I couldn't let it happen, Clark. I couldn't see her die and go on. I don't know if you can even understand what I'm trying to say- -"

Clark could only helplessly stare at him.

He continued, "I decided after waking up, I would never live through that. That's why I made the copy . . . It was an organ donor."

"Lex- -"

"I didn't care about the ethics. I wasn't going to wait for them to argue it out on Capitol Hill. If anything happened to her, I'd just be helpless. Turning back time isn't an option, I had to think practically. Through all of it, I did it for her. Making her believe she was pregnant was the only way to give her the hormones needed to collect her eggs, create the copy and replace it so it could grow to the point where it could live outside her body. It wasn't a baby. There was no brain, no consciousness. It was a . . . bank. I went past moral boundaries, yes, I tore them down but if Lana was ever in the position that she'd need something, anything, the copy would be there. It was my only way of safeguarding her."

Taking a deep breath, Lex stood before him, everything finally out. "There's nothing to say after that, Clark. That's what I did. This is who I am. I'll be sorry for everything else but I did what I did because I couldn't lose her." He extended his hand, palm up. "That's the truth."

Clark looked down to the proffered palm and didn't hesitate as he clasped it, "You can't love like that."

"I'm learning," Lex said, searching Clark's eyes. "I'm standing here asking for forgiveness of something I don't feel contrite about. What kind of person does that make me?"

Clark sighed and pulled him into a close embrace. Whispering into his ear he said, "A confused person."

Smallville- -The Kent Farm- -Morning

Lionel Luthor walked up the back staircase to the small yellow farmhouse and approached the door. Visits with his former daughter-in-law weren't altogether pleasant things but what had to be done had to be done. Knocking on the door, he was greeted by Kara Kent.

"Mr. Luthor?" She asked, trying to keep a smile on her face.

"Kara," he nodded. "Good morning and sorry to call so early but I needed to speak to Lana- -" his sentence was cut off when he saw the little red statue on the kitchen table. Brow knotting, Lionel stepped past Kara and into the Kent home. "Where did you get this?"

Kara walked up quickly, "Garage sale?"

He gave her a faint smile, "Good try Miss Kent but I don't recall the last time my son ever had a garage sale at the mansion." As he spoke, something itched deeper in his memory but it wasn't a recollection that belonged to him. From the remnants of what was left of Jor-El within him he muttered, "Clover?"

Kara's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's on the tip of my- -" Suddenly, the memory hit him with full force. "My God&emdash;" It all came to him. Looking about the room for something resembling clarity he saw the title of the Smallville Ledger and it made sense. "What on Earth has that mad woman done?" He asked, looking to the girl. She gave a weak shrug.

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Afternoon

"You continue to be a medical mystery, Mr. Luthor," Lex's cardiologist, Dr. Vargas said, putting his stethoscope back around his neck. "Your scans show the heart of a perfectly healthy man, not one who's suffered the trauma you've suffered through not twenty-four hours ago."

"I think that sounded like a clean bill of health," Lex mused with a smile.

"I'll never understand it but that's okay. I'll have your release papers drawn up," he said, writing in the chart and moving to exit the room. He paused for a brief moment, looking Clark over before finally leaving.

Clark walked over to the bed and leaned against it next to Lex. "I think insisting that I stayed in the room- -"

"Was the only way he'd believe me when I said I was good to go home. I don't know why, but when you're not around I feel like my heart's going to stop. But now, when you're here, I feel . . . invincible," he said quietly as he leaned in closer to Clark.

Clark looked to Lex's lips and mumbled, "Me too."

Inching their hands together, their fingers touched and something warm and soft flowed through them. Leaning together, they touched forehead to forehead and closed their eyes, just listening to the quiet noise around them. Clark brushed the tip of his nose against Lex's. He dipped down and kissed the side of his mouth sending goose bumps over both their bodies.

"This is wild," Lex mumbled with a smile, moving his face and brushing his mouth onto Clark's.

"Mmm," Clark moaned, the undeniable sense of euphoria tingling through him. Moving his other hand up, he cupped Lex's cheek and brought him closer. Pushing together, the pleasant ecstasy became a want, a need, as if two halves had to be melded to become whole. Lex's hands were in his hair and Clark didn't know when his own had betrayed all logic and was now on Lex's stomach and moving lower still.

"Not here," Clark panted, protesting but didn't stop even as his hand was in the waistband of Lex's pants and touching something so hot and smooth that all claims to rationality were absolutely lost. A red glow was now penetrating the thin skin over his lids.

"Not here?" Lex moaned with a grin and a heavy breath as Clark's warm hand was holding him, touching him, massaging him with frightening precision. He felt himself losing all sanity to Clark's hand as the cool hospital air breezed over him, Clark freeing him.

"I didn't say anything," Clark smiled, gripping Lex's cock and not realizing how, but knowing exactly what to do to make him moan.

With a wicked grin Lex mumbled against his lips, "You're a bad liar."

It was then that Clark broke the kiss, his eyes becoming green as he opened them again.

"Clark?" Lex asked, his voice rough. Clark released him. Tucking himself back in, Lex searched his eyes, "What?"

Breathing heavily he looked down to his fingers and nodded. Looking up again he said, "You wanted full disclosure, right?"

Smallville- -The Talon- -Afternoon

"Wow," Celeste said, walking into the coffeehouse. "So, you used to own this Ms. Lang?"

Lana walked up behind her with a reminiscent smile, "Yeah." She failed to mention who the current owner was. "My parents met here."

"That's really cool. I'm sure they love this place." She hadn't been out of the shelter in so long that actually being in regular clothes and seeing the world was like a breath of fresh air for the girl. She had money in her pocket and a craving for a really outrageously sweet cappuccino.

Lana bristled and noticing this Celeste asked, "Ms. Lang?"

"My parents were killed in the first meteor shower," she said quietly.

The young woman's face fell, "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I just try not to think about them anymore."

"I hate what those meteors did to us. In their own way, they ruined both our families," she started to stare absently and Lana took her hand to shake her out of it.

"Isis is your new family," she said.

The girl beamed, "Yep!" Walking to the counter, they were about to order a coffee when Celeste looked to the newspaper stand and saw the Smallville Ledger. Something dark crossed her eyes and she grabbed the paper.

"Celeste?" Lana asked, hoping her grin was sufficiently hidden. "What's wrong?" The girl's gaze raced over the page as every word, every line was absorbed and her eyes growing steadily darker. "Celeste!" Lana called out as all the coffee cups and mugs on every table suddenly floated into the air, defying gravity.

The paper dropped to the floor and the girl looked to her benefactress, "He's here."

Lana took a few steps back, "Who Celeste?"

The girl's head snapped to face the large double doors and they flew off their hinges, flying high up into the air and slamming into a few parked cars across the street. The cups and mugs exploded sending hot coffee, glass and broken china everywhere. Everyone was screaming. Stretching her palms to the ground, Celeste Garvey rose herself into the air and began to glide to the door, whispering,

"Luthor."

Part Eight

Sing for Absolution

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Afternoon

The time had come for Clark to finally bare it all and tell Lex the true nature of his origins. His stomach was fluttering and he didn't realize he was shaking until Lex reached out for his arm to steady him. Could Clover have Lex love him, even if the revelation was too much for him? "Lex . . . I'm- -I'm not who you think- -"

The wall exploded.

His reflexes were faster than his thoughts as Clark pulled Lex from the crushing debris flying out from the destroyed concrete and cinderblock wall. Lex found himself cradled in Clark's arms across the room within a fraction of a second. His gaze was to the wall as more debris was catapulted towards them, rocketing to his face. His eyes were frozen wide with the realization that his death was imminent when Clark extended his hand and crushed the half-ton slab against his bare flesh. His gaze darted to Clark and they shared a moment of awe before a figure appearing through the rubble drew their attention.

The day was bright behind the figure and the light silhouetted her in sharp contrast making her appear as only a dark shadow. She was floating in midair over forty feet and two stories of nothingness. Coming closer into the destroyed room her features became clear and they could now see that she wore an expression of pure and vicious hate and her stare bore down on them as black and oily pools.

"Do you know my name?" The woman asked in a quiet whisper.

"Celeste?" Lex said in recognition. Of course he knew her name. He knew all of their names. "What are you doing?"

She smiled but there was no emotion behind it, only the mask of something covering the pain underneath. "I'm killing you." She twitched her head to the side as a piece of torn rebar was raised from the wreckage. Without another thing said, the narrow iron pipe was hurtling for his skull. He didn't have time to even close his eyes when Clark caught the metal bar an inch from Lex's throat.

Clark Kent rose to his feet, shielding Lex and facing off with this new enemy. He tossed the metal rod to the ground. The entire floor was in commotion and the sounds of screams could be heard from every direction. Police sirens were approaching from the distance and hospital and Lex's personal security were racing down the hall to the room. "Who are you?" Clark asked her.

"A victim," she said with a sad pout. "He destroyed my life!" She said, pointing to Lex.

"Tell the truth, Celeste." Lex said, rising to his feet. "You can't decide to do something like this and lie."

She covered her ears and closed her eyes. A torrent of wind rose up around her as if a tornado were brewing within the small confines of the room. "Stop," she said with a heavy breath. The broken concrete and pieces of jagged glass were being brought up all around her.

"Tell the truth!" Lex demanded, his eyes blurring and burning from the swirling dust.

"You destroyed my life!" She repeated, like a mantra.

"You killed your parents!" He said over the powerful wind.

"It was an accident!" She screamed, exploding all the rubble out around her. Clark took a powerful inhalation and exhaled, sending it all racing back towards her. She held up her hands and shielded herself before any of it connected with her. She was breathing hard when the dust settled and her gaze was narrowed on Clark. "You're one of us, why are you protecting him?!" She screamed, extending her palm. Clark's eyes opened wide as he felt something invisible and stronger than anything he'd ever felt on Earth tighten around his neck and press against his chest. He choked as the air was squeezed from his body.

"Clark?" Lex called out to him. "Clark!" He screamed.

Celeste stepped towards them, "Don't you know what he'll do to you? He'll lock you up like a rat in a cage." Clark's vision was darkening at the sides and everything was starting to tunnel. "I'm saving you from that," she said.

Everything was dulling-- sight, sound, even the feel of Lex's hands around him. Before everything went black he could hear Lex say to him, "I'm sorry."

Lex Luthor watched Clark's eyes roll when an anger such as he'd never felt in his entire life came upon him. An inch from his hand was the discarded rebar and in his heart was the pain that Clark was moments from dying. It was blindly that he gripped the metal and he didn't see when he swung out for the girl but he connected with her shoulder in such a way as to pull the bone completely from the socket. In her scream, Clark was released. He gasped and choked, doubling over to regain the breath he'd lost.

"Mr. Luthor! Get down!" Lex heard the command and fell to the tile alongside Clark as a series of gunshots rang through the hospital corridor.

Celeste Garvey stopped nineteen of the twenty rounds aimed at her. The 20th bullet escaped her notice and buried deep within her skull. Falling bonelessly to the ground, she was dead before the echo of the shots finished their reverb.

"Clark?" Lex breathed, hovering over him. Clark's eyes were turned to the dead girl lying not five feet away from him, her once black eyes now surprisingly clear and blue. They were open and dead and they seemed to stare into his soul. "Clark?" Lex begged him to turn to him, to look at him, just to acknowledge him, even a little. "Please--please look at me."

"You had her in 33.1 didn't you?" Clark asked, moving away from the body, but his eyes still locked on hers as Lex's security team entered the room.

"I didn't do this to her, you have to believe that- -"

Clark nodded absently, "I know."

Lex's hand went to his cheek, finally drawing his gaze, "Clark?"

"The meteor shower did that to her." He was shaking. Lex held his hands which were ice cold. "You didn't cause the showers," he said quietly.

Lex shook his head, "I've been trying to clean up the mess they've made. My methods however breed fanaticism."

Clark stared at him, his green eyes helpless and hollow, "I'm sorry."

"Clark- -"

"All this time . . . you've been trying to clean up the mess I made coming here."

Smallville- -The Kent Farm- -Afternoon

"So, you're Jor-El's vessel?" Kara asked, sitting around the Kent kitchen table.

"And you're not from the Kent side of the family, though I figured as much," Lionel Luthor said, sitting across from her.

"Well, this is very strange," Kara mumbled.

"Besides the obvious implication, I'm assuming you mean something else is strange?"

"Well, being both Jor-El and Lionel, you now have two sons who are in love with one another. I hope that doesn't count as incest," she pondered. Before he could reply she twirled the computer screen around, "Do you think Lex would like Niagara Falls?"

"Sir?" A voice called from the back door. They both turned to see Lionel's driver at the back door. "There's been an incident at the Medical Center."

Lionel rose to his feet, his long black coat sweeping his calves, "Incident? Dispense with euphemisms, Vincent."

"There's been an attempt made on your son's life. He's well, but your presence is being requested."

Lionel managed to restrain his anger until his driver left them and walked out of earshot before he turned to Kara, "Twice in the span of two days?"

She frowned before it dawned on her. "Lana?"

"How much did you tell her about Clover's power?" He asked, fully knowing and his tone was accusatory.

She bit her lip, "Too much?"

He slammed his knuckles to the table surface, shaking the wood and bouncing the little idol and the computer screen. "Lana Lang is out to kill my son!"

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Afternoon

Lex and Clark sat alone together in an examination room. It had been a constant stream of doctors, nurses and police for the past half hour. Lex sat at the foot of the exam table, his legs hanging off the side. Clark sat at the side of the table, his left shoulder touching Lex's right arm.

"I knew," Lex said quietly. "Not the broader truth, no. But I knew you were different. I suspected it though."

"You never said anything," Clark replied.

"What could I have said that wouldn't make me seem like a completely insane person? 'Hey Clark, I know you're a space alien'. Your deflection techniques would have made me believe I needed therapy."

Clark had a flash of Lex in Belle Reve, electricity racing through him. "Therapy for knowing the truth," he said barely audibly.

"Then came the discrepancy," Lex said, not noticing.

"Like?"

"Like the fact that of all the aliens I've ever met, you would have been the only one that wouldn't have been definable as homicidal maniac."

Clark nodded with a small grin, "All the aliens you've met have been criminals."

"And you?"

Clark tried not to blush, "Son of the warden."

Lex nodded, "Ah."

"I couldn't tell you. It's not that I didn't trust you- -"

Lex shook head with a smile, "Of course it was because you didn't trust me and I don't blame you. Like you said Clark, I've done some terrible things."

"There were a lot of times when I wanted to tell you . . . before."

"Before I twisted our relationship on its head? Understandable. I have this great tendency to push away those I care about just by caring about them in the intense way I'm suffer to do." He leaned back against Clark's strong shoulder. "You're right. I can't love like that."

Feeling Lex relax against him brought a smile to Clark's face. It showed so many things in that simple gesture. Comfort, relaxation, ease. Everything he'd hoped to retain when the truth of who he was finally came out. Clark held his hand out and Lex clasped his palm to his, their fingers intertwining. "You realize you're in love with an alien?"

Lex smiled. "I think my intensity demands it."

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Afternoon

Lana Lang watched the sheet-covered body of Celeste Garvey being rolled away from Lex's room and she listened as person after person confirmed that Lex Luthor had survived. She stood in the rubble as many people passed her by but none seeming to notice or see her at all. Her shadow drew long on the broken floor and her body seemed to be thrown into stark silhouette, reminiscent of the girl she had driven to her death, just minutes before.

She whispered to everyone and no one in particular, "This isn't over."

Part Nine

This Thing Between Us

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Afternoon

Lionel Luthor hurried through the busy corridors of the Smallville Medical Center. The commotion was dizzying as police, doctors, nurses and the press clogged the hallway. Upon realizing who it was breaking through their line, journalists and photographers alike spun on their heels to take a shot or get a word from the President of LuthorCorp. Lionel said nothing as a pair of Lex's security officers led him past the line.

"Where's my son?" He asked one of them.

"He's with the police."

"I want this hall closed and the press gone."

"Yes sir."

"Who did this?" He asked looking at the immense damage.

"The younger Mr. Luthor identified her as a Celeste Garvey. Records show she was a patient at Belle Reve."

"Garvey?" He ran the name through his memory. "Garvey . . ." and like his son, Lionel too recognized the name. "She couldn't have- -" he mumbled. Moving alone the tiled floor that was slowly giving way to broken rubble, Lionel caught sight of Lana Lang ducking away down the hall. Quickly moving over the broken glass and past the assembled crowd of police, Lionel hit the intersection only to see a stairwell door closing. Throwing the door open he heard the sound of steps retreating from below.

"Lana!" He shouted, racing down the stairs towards her.

Lana emerged to the back of the medical center and moved quickly towards her car, the afternoon autumn sun shining down on her. She ignored Lionel's call to her as she all but avoided hitting a full run.

"What did you do?!" He shouted to her as she reached the car.

"I have places to be Lionel," she coolly answered, finally turning to him.

He came to her and stood dangerously near. "What? Back to Isis to recruit another lost child to play assassin?" She prickled at this and narrowed her eyes. He gave her a smile that had no humor in it. "Don't imagine all that you do is hidden from me Ms. Lang. I've been watching you rather closely these last few months. Did you think after your little display of aggression and abduction that I'd somehow give you the benefit of the doubt that you weren't completely psychotic? Ten million dollars and a mind bent on vengeance is a dangerous thing, trust me, I know."

"I have no idea- -" she began but he gripped her arms.

"Innocent fawn is a rouse best left to perform for Clark or someone else who's still blind to your fangs and claws but I've seen them bared my dear and you do not fool me."

She twisted from his grip. "You see dirt everywhere you look because it's all you know. You failed as a husband and you failed as a father and somehow you think you can have a second chance? Don't act so concerned about Lex when all you care about is Clark. You do not fool me," she repeated with an icy smile that matched his own.

Lionel pursed his lips for a moment before saying offhandedly, "Why my son ever thought the world needed two of you is beyond me."

She slapped him. Even and hard across his face. Her eyes were fierce and they were glossy with tears she tried to fight.

"I understand why your wife did what she did more and more everyday." She wiped her eyes with a swift motion. "I only regret she started with Julian and not Lex."

His resolve had been built over a lifetime of hardship and Lana Lang wouldn't be the thread that unraveled him. Like most of everything in his life, her words affected him only in the places that weren't visible to the human eye. Hearing her words and pushing them away he said with resolve, "I won't let you hurt my son."

David opened the door for her and Lana slipped into the backseat of the car. She let down the window, "You damaged Lex long before I met him."

The car pulled away.

Somehow that pushed through his defenses and appeared in a crinkling around his eyes.

Smallville- -Lana Lang's Town Car- -Afternoon

Upon entering her car, Lana quickly pulled out her cell phone, her gaze locked on a receding Lionel Luthor. "Are you still in the Medical Center?" She asked in lieu of a greeting after the gruff voice on the line answered.

"Yes ma'am," he said in a low tone.

"I need something cleaned up at the southeast stairwell. You have about two minutes."

"What about Luthor?" He asked, peering into the room where Lex and a group of Smallville Sheriff's deputies were talking. Clark was seated in the corner. This man had been her beta plan if Celeste had decided to let bygones be bygones when she'd discovered Lex had been so close. Granted, Celeste had done exactly as she'd been expected to but Lana hadn't counted on the presence of Clark. She was sure that sending another meteor infected would end with the same results so the old fallback of a man with a gun was what she counted on. Clark was fast, but was he faster than a speeding bullet?

"Just deal with Lionel."

"Lionel Luthor? I'm not killing Lionel Luthor," his voice carrying almost a sense of awe under the fear.

She bit her lip to stop herself from cursing. Of course, the underworld wouldn't be just what it was without Lionel Luthor. Retribution for killing him was such that it prevented her from doing just that all those months ago. He had too many good friends in low places. "I just need him out of play for a few hours. Can you handle that?"

"That I can handle."

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Afternoon

Upon reentering the building, determined to warn his son . . . his sons, Lionel Luthor stepped through the door when everything suddenly went black.

Smallville- -The Luthor Mansion- -Evening

"My entire adult life, I honestly can't remember ever being fussed over," Lex said as Clark plumped his pillows for seemingly the third time. Lex could clearly recognize that it was all nervous energy and tension. Clark's eyes did their best to avoid his and he fidgeted when finally forced to stay still. He reached out and took Clark's hands in his. "My dad never fussed over anything, least of all me."

"Lex- -"

"So I need you to know how much this means to me." The silence that washed over them was strong and Clark took a deep breath and smiled. They were in Lex's bedroom after hours of tests and exams that were done to make sure the attack on him hadn't reverted the positive diagnosis he'd received earlier that day. With a clean bill of health, he'd insisted on returning home. Now he and Clark were occupying the same space, finally alone. Lex tugged him down from standing and Clark sat next to him on the bed. They were so close now and Clark could hear Lex's heart beating, the throb pulsing through his ears and shaking his mind. He had to try and focus on something else, he had to.

"What I can't understand is how come you're still able to avoid even looking at me? I feel like I'm going to stop breathing every time I blink," he smiled.

"Are you sure about this?" Clark nervously asked, forced now to stare into those bright blue eyes. "We're- -we've- -this is new to both of us and so much is going on and --"

Lex kissed him. Partially to quiet him, partially because he'd been staring at his lips move with building need. Clark fell into him and he could feel a slick hot butter feeling sliding under his skin. The idea of melting into something like a kiss was foreign to him until this moment. He wondered if he'd ever really felt love until that day if this is what it really felt like.

"I'm sure." Lex whispered against his lips. "I don't want to think anymore. We've been stuck on thinking and now I know what you've been living with. We've been forced to analyze every single part of our lives so much that- -that if we step back now - -"

Clark leaned his head to Lex and closed his eyes. "This thing between us, it's real isn't it?" He asked.

"I hope so, or I'm ruined," Lex laid his lips on Clark's once more. "Nothing's going to feel like this ever again," he breathed.

Clark smiled, feeling that familiar surge of something indefinable flowing through him. "Sometimes you're so- -"

"Logical," Lex muttered, his lips going to Clark's neck. His hand slipped through cotton flannel and down cotton jersey into blue denim and soft boxers. Clark gasped feeling Lex's hand on him. Clark leaned into him and his hips moved forward.

"And this is so - -"

"Illogical?" He asked, never imagining that holding another man's cock could make his own so hard so fast.

He whispered, "Wonderful."

Metropolis - -The Isis Foundation- -Evening

Creating an alibi wasn't the most difficult thing to do. You just had to make sure you showed your face at a department store. Make a purchase or two with your credit card before the act and a few minutes after the act in a city that lay three hours away. Sign your name clearly and bring up a few obscure things to the cashier and make her laugh. She'll remember you better that way. Buy a piece of electronic equipment that has to be explained ad nauseum and you have an alibi that would even stand up in kangaroo court.

Lana walked into her private office with half a Christmas list's worth of digital machinery that she could now operate with her eyes closed. Opening up her screens she scanned the images to locate Lex's place in the mansion to relay to her man who was now on the inside.

What she saw in Lex's bedroom made her legs tremble under her.

"Oh God . . ."

Part Ten

Perfect Knowledge

Smallville - -The Luthor Mansion- -Evening

"Wonderful?" Lex repeated, his breath heavy. He freed Clark's smooth cock from the folds of fabric and for the first time in his life, looked down on another man in something beyond desire because the word didn't fit, couldn't. It was something primal and needy and he felt his heart thumping in his chest that this was good and right and perfect and nothing in his life had ever felt perfect before.

Clark's eyes rolled up in the absolute wonder of it. Lex's lips and breath tickling and caressing his neck and his strong, rough hands holding him firm and tight and so much stronger than he'd ever been touched before. He snaked his hand into Lex's soft waistband and enjoyed the touch of silk on his skin before burning hot flesh met his finger tips and silk became obsolete in his mind. It became nothing. It couldn't begin to compare to the smooth, velvet-soft touch of his skin. Lex's hips rocked into his grasp and something told Clark what to do to make that yearning more needful, more frenzied. Leaning his head he rubbed his cheek against Lex's, telling him through the language of the body that he was ready, that it was time for all the uncertainty to become something for the past, something to be forgotten.

Bringing his gaze up to meet Clark's they came to the silent conclusion that this was it. "I love you, Clark," Lex said. He didn't realize he would say the words until they'd been said and he didn't regret them. They felt so true.

Clark didn't understand this strange new pain in his chest. It was like he couldn't breathe or think or even be, but it was awesome and terrifying and beautiful. He took a strangled breath and said, I love you, Lex," and it was as if everything in their world has vanished all around them. The ground under them, the air around them, the sky over them. All was gone and it didn't matter.

"I love you," he whispered again with a stunningly bright smile that just took Lex's breath away.

"Oh God . . . you're beautiful," he murmured, bringing a palm to cup Clark's cheek and then running a few gentle fingers through his hair as if he'd never seen him before. "I was so blind."

"Lex- -"

"All this time . . ." He said, taking Clark behind the neck and pulling him into a deep kiss.

Neither knew if one or the other was doing the pushing or the pulling but the bed was suddenly horizontal under them. Lex lay over Clark, his knees on either side of him. Caring little for buttons or the cost to repair them, Lex took his silk pajama shirt and gave his tailor something to work on the following day as he tore the fabric from his chest. He threw it wherever he could, only caring that it no longer served as a barrier between he and Clark.

Smiling, Clark took Lex by the sides and rolled him over, switching places. "Tell me what you want, Lex," Clark said in a low, quiet voice, the fire behind his eyes glowing red like embers. He secured his position over him and leaned in, like a predator surveying his prey. His motions and movements were feline and, added to his size and powerful strength, the impression was that of an untamed wild thing. He smiled and the devil was there in it. He lowered his lips to Lex's neck and drew his hot tongue along the smooth white collar bone. "Tell me what you want," he said again, this time whispering in Lex's ear.

"I don't want to be me tonight," Lex breathed, his breath catching as Clark kissed behind his ear.

"You don't want to be in charge, that's what you mean," Clark said, translating Lex's thoughts.

Perfect Knowledge.

"No more spreadsheets, no more conference calls, no more demands," he said, his voice slick and mesmerizing. He trailed a line of kisses from the well in Lex's throat down, down, down to the tender flesh of his navel and lower and lower still until he once again met with that soft silk.

"And what do you want, Clark?" Lex heavily asked as the fabric covering the rest of him was being slowly pulled down past his hips and down his thighs, his thick cock coming free and standing away from his body.

Clark leaned back and looked over Lex's naked form. The smile on his lips was possessive, knowing, and it scared and thrilled Lex at the same time. "I just wanna be me," he said.

Lex reached out his arm and before he completed a single blink, Clark was standing by the edge of the bed, completely nude. Lex Luthor rose up on his elbows from his prone position and with unhidden amazement, took in the sight before him. He'd imagined what lay beneath the flannel as men are prone to comparison but seeing Clark then, knowing that he was his, forever, now. It made a powerfully built and tanned body more. Godlike in strength and face it meant so much more that Lex knew Clark was his. Lex extended his hand again and he was in Clark's arms within a moment.

"Tell me you're mine, Lex," Clark said, their eyes locked on each other, both kneeling upright in the grand bed, navel to navel. Clark's hand had found Lex's cock and his fingers were wrapped around his shaft pulling him, pumping him, filling him with want and need. His other hand was on the small of Lex's back, holding him close and near. Their faces were centimeters away and he marveled at the wonderful blue of Lex's eyes. He remembered thinking, the day they met, that they were the gentlest eyes he'd ever seen. "Tell me," he ordered, his wrist twisting just a little and the motion doing something so perfectly right to Lex's senses that the older man broke eye contact first as his eyes rolled and his knees weakened under him but Clark held him upright, his pumping never ceasing. Lex leaned on his shoulder, black spots popping before his vision.

"Oh God, Clark&emdash;What are you doing to me?" He gasped and Clark twisted his hand again and Lex's hips hungrily pressed into his palm.

"Say it," Clark said, his voice buttery and wickedly playful.

"I'm yours," Lex moaned, his face tight as sweat beaded on his forehead and a drop rolled down his neck. He didn't know what happened but all he felt was a rush of breeze against him and suddenly Clark's hands were slick and wet. "Oh God," he groaned again, gripping Clark around his shoulder and holding onto him as the pace quickened to that point almost past human perception and his thoughts were just fragmented desires and emotions, primeval in his mind. Want, Hot, Now, Need, "Fuck," he said, his consciousness doing what it had never done before . . . releasing.

"Clark!" He screamed and the black popping became a black veil as his body clenched and finally released a lifetime of tension and restraint in stream after stream of hot cum. He felt Clark lowering him down to the bed but the darkness was still over his vision. He was breathing hard but he still couldn't catch his breath. He was thinking but there weren't any thoughts. He'd been alive all his life but only tonight did he start living.

An arm draped over his chest and a leg leaned over his thigh. Clark was next to him, holding him. They were becoming intertwined and Lex knew he'd never allow anything to separate them for the rest of their lives.

"I wanna be inside you," Clark whispered into his ear.

Those words sent a thrill through him that was ratcheting up the buzz already zipping around him. Lex grinned, looking into those beautifully big blue-green eyes. Leaning in he kissed him and murmured, "Your turn." Pulling away from Clark's warm embrace, Lex slinked down the bed, his eyes never leaving Clark's gaze. Laying his hands flat on those powerful thighs, Lex urged him onto his back. Clark's cock stood up thick and tall and Lex was amazed that it was only half hard. Taking his hand onto the shaft he returned his sight back to Clark and now the tables were once again turned. Clark's skin was firm and smooth and so hot. He couldn't understand why it was that the moment he touched Clark that his mouth started to water but something he never could have imagined before had come upon him.

Gripping the base, Lex lowered his lips until he was kissing the purple head of Clark's cock. Snaking out his tongue, he twirled the flesh over Clark's flesh and watched a heavy grin form on his face. "You like to be teased, don't you Clark?" Lex asked allowing his breath to play over the sensitive skin. "Is that it?"

The grin became another of those bright smiles, "I guess I do."

Lex took Clark in hand and licked the underside of his shaft from root to tip sending jolts of pleasure though him. Reaching the head, Lex bent over and ran his tongue along the top of Clark's cock from tip to root and kissing his lower stomach as he hit the base. He gripped him and began to pump him up and down, torturously slow, his fist closed over the thick shaft. Clark's hips began to rise up to meet his motions and small sounds of pleasure were escaping him. "Is this what you want?" Lex asked, leaning his mouth over his cock and slipping his lips over the head. This was no longer a kiss but a suck that moved down into a swallow and soon Lex's mouth was moving up with his fist as it squeezed Clark tight.

Clark closed his eyes and he breathed hard. Lex's hot wet mouth was turning him inside out.

"This is what you like, Clark?" Lex asked, releasing him with a pop and licking him clean.

"Lex&emdash;" Clark's hips jerked and he opened his eyes, the embers brightening to a full flame. Lex was still bent over the bed when Clark was suddenly no longer under him, but rather, Lex felt hands on his hips behind him, drawing him back to the edge of the bed. Clark bent over Lex's back, holding him in a possessive clutch. "No more games," he said, his hands hot and slicked once more as he massaged the firm ass under him.

"No more games," Lex agreed, leaning against the silk comforter, open, ready, willing, waiting. Clark spread Lex open and with a glossed finger he pushed against Lex's barrier and penetrated him in a smooth motion. Lex gasped, the sensation so foreign but God so good. He gripped the sheets tight and breathed to relax himself around Clark's welcomed intrusion.

"Let go, Lex," he whispered. "Let all of it go."

And by 'all of it' Clark was speaking to them both about two lives lived within the boundaries other people had created for them. Expectations other people had invented for them. It was time they both got what they wanted and they wanted freedom and release and most of all, each other.

Another finger entered him and it felt like the most wonderful kind of liberation. "Fuck me, Clark. Make love to me later but fuck me now," he gasped as Clark reached around and gripped his reviving cock.

Clark withdrew his fingers and with one knee on the bed, he lined his swollen flesh to Lex's ready hole and slowly pressed onto and into him, the skin hot, his hole tight and Clark swearing to himself that nothing on Earth could possibly feel this wonderful. "Lex- -" he gasped and moaned pushing farther in until he was stopped by his own body. Lex was biting hard on his lip. He'd expected pain but this wasn't anything like pain. This was joy, personified. He wanted more, he needed more and he leaned back against Clark, his smooth, hairless skin loving the feeling of Clark's soft, dark hairs against his ass.

With a heady smile, Clark withdrew from Lex almost all the way, feeling the cold of the air on him before pushing right back into the warmth of the man under him. It started slow as they sought out to understand these new sensations and feelings and yearnings and cravings. In and out like a metronome counting seconds and not beats.

"This is so- -" Lex began, his head on the bed, his eyes closed and his breath heavy. "God, it's so- -"

"Yeah," Clark agreed, knowing the exact word Lex wanted. He pumped Lex's cock in one hand, feeling it grow and build once more. With the other hand on Lex's hip, he pushed and withdrew, pushed and withdrew as wave after wave of body tingling ecstasy rolled over him. His breath came faster with his yearning building and growing. Lex's breathing was quickening as Clark's grip on him became faster and the hollowness he'd felt his entire life, but couldn't explain, was filled by the one person he could truly say he loved in all the world.

Faster and faster, thrust after quick thrust until all that existed was the need to be one, finally.

Lex gasped, his body stiffening, "I'm cumming!" He screamed, his nails digging into the mattress. In that instant Clark tilted the angle of his cock down and in that single motion Lex Luthor's will was blown completely away. "Oh shit!" He cried, his body shooting out load upon load of creamy white cum. The dark veil returned and it was accompanied with the highest pitched wail he'd ever heard in his life but he didn't care.

Clark held Lex's hips in both hands now and he wasn't far as his own body tightened and from within him and into Lex flowed and overflowed the strongest orgasm of his life. He poured cum into Lex's hot ass and felt it slide down the side of his cock. He jerked once, twice, and a final time before he knew his legs weren't strong enough to hold him upright anymore. Pulling away from him, Clark toppled onto the bed, his head buzzing. It was like the world was moving under him and he didn't want it to stop.

He thought he slipped into something like a waking nap when he felt a hand on his cheek. Clark opened his eyes to see Lex curled up next to him, a true smile on his face. The silk sheets were crumpled between them but it didn't stop them from looking into each other's eyes and knowing that tonight, they were reborn.

Smallville- -The Smallville Medical Center- -Evening

Lionel Luthor furiously tried to break the bonds that held him for what seemed like an eternity. He'd woken with blood dripping down the side of his face and the smell of bleach and the feel of steam all around him. Once he reoriented himself and the spinning of his head stopped he could see he'd been trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey in the Medical Center's laundry. His gag was secure and the ropes binding him were tight and unforgiving. He'd been kicking the pipes near him for an hour at least but the noise around him drowned away these calls for help. Closing his eyes he pictured both Lex and Clark at the mercy of the insane Ms. Lang.

Recapturing his resolve, he kicked and kicked and kicked the pipes with fervor.

A floor up in the building, two maintenance men were on their way to the laundry room.

"A knocking?"

"That's what he said."

"The damned pipes were redone after the shower. What was that? Not even three years ago."

"Doesn't stop the knocking."

Entering the laundry room they listened carefully and heard the repetitive clang of pipes. "See? A knocking."

"Who ever did plumbing on those- -Holy shit!" The man shouted as he and his partner turned the corner to see a very exhausted but relieved, Lionel Luthor.

Metropolis- -The Isis Foundation- -Evening

What she saw in Lex's bedroom made her legs tremble under her.

"Oh God . . ."

On the screen before her she saw her ex-husband, Lex Luthor, in his familiar violet robe, leaning over his bed to kiss the person seated there. Drying his hair was Clark Kent, a happy smile on his face and one of Lex's pajama pants sheathing his body.

With shaking fingers, she turned on the sound.

Smallville- -The Luthor Mansion- -Evening

Lex smiled against Clark's lips. "I think we should shower together more often," he said.

"We should do a lot more together," Clark replied, tugging on the belt at Lex's waist.

"You're insatiable."

Clark only nodded in agreement. Lex leaned in; completely ready for round . . . he lost count, when his cell phone rang. He frowned, set on not answering it when Clark said,

"If you tell them to call back later, they won't keep calling."

"You are a wise man, Clark Kent," Lex smiled, walking over to his side table and looking to the caller ID. His father. "Damn," he muttered. This was one call that wouldn't stop with simple ignoring. "This I have to take," he said with a frown.

Clark nodded, understanding Lex was a busy man but he couldn't really help the pout that formed on his face. Lex just stared at Clark for a while, nearly entranced by the supple fullness of his lips when Clark laughed, "Lex, the phone."

Snapping out of it, Lex inhaled and stepped out onto the balcony. "Not even a face to face, dad?" He asked, wondering what kind of father could hear what happened to his son and not even show up, even to make an appearance for the cameras.

"Are you alright?!" His father's voice was frantic with worry. It was a worry Lex never could have imagined existed in his father's emotional repertoire.

"Dad?"

"Get out of the house, get somewhere safe."

"Dad!"

"Lana Lang has you in her sights Lex; she won't stop until you're dead. She's the one who sent Celeste after you this afternoon and for the last four hours she's had me locked away so I can't warn you- -"

"What?!"

"Lex?" Clark called out from the bed, rising to his feet.

Metropolis- -The Isis Foundation- -Evening

The audio for the monitor labeled 'Lex's Cell' was echoing off the walls. If Clark heard any of this . . . she'd deal with Lionel later but she had to stop Lex from telling Clark.

Touching the button on her headset she quickly spoke to her man, "You have to move quickly. Do you have the package I sent?!"

"Yes ma'am," the voice replied.

"Go. NOW!"

Smallville- -The Luthor Mansion- -Evening

"Lex?" Clark called out from the bed, rising to his feet. He headed for the balcony when he suddenly felt a familiar fiery burn under his skin. His energy was racing out of him as every muscle in his body ached and clenched. Sweat sprang up all over him and he felt sick and nauseous. Gripping his stomach, his legs weakened under him and he fell hard to the wood floor.

"Clark?" Lex called out, seeing Clark double over. His phone slipped from weak fingers and he ran over to Clark, coming up next to him as the room filled with an eerie green light.

"Something's wrong," Clark gasped, pulling around and seeing the silent man creeping up to them, a round, brown paper wrapped package in his hand, a silencer-enabled gun in the other. The package glowed green. "Lex!" Clark gasped through the pain, pulling Lex towards him with all the energy he could muster and pulling him out of the path of a bullet a moment before it would have burrowed through his brain.

Losing the element of surprise, the man dropped the package and raised the gun to Lex. The glowing round parcel rolled under the large bed. Scrambling away from Clark to draw the man's fire, Lex ran across the room narrowly missing shot after shot as he dropped and slid over to his closet which had been designed as an emergency panic room. He dove into the walk-in bullet-proof mahogany structure and grabbed the silver 9mm he kept in there at all times.

Breathing hard he turned the corner and let off three shots to the man, one clipping him in the shoulder. He screamed and sent more bullets towards Lex.

"Drop the gun!" Lex shouted.

The man looked to his arm and knew his chances of just strolling out of the mansion were slim. He looked down to the kid on the ground and in terms of hostages, he would do. Grabbing Clark up and tightening his arm around his neck in a headlock, he pressed the gun into Clark's side.

His employer's voice screamed through his headset, "Put him down now!"

"Sorry boss lady," he mumbled, pulling the earpiece out and tossing it to the ground. "I've got your friend here, Mr. Luthor, so I would advise you drop your gun!"

Lex's body went cold and he looked out to his bedroom. There Clark was, in the masked man's hands, a gun to his side. He never would have left him if he knew the man would use Clark as a shield. Of all things, he never would have imagined Lana having a hand in that.

"Alright!" He shouted, getting to his feet. He dropped the gun to the floor, in the man's field of vision, before stepping out from behind the steel-core wall. His hands were up and his eyes were focused on Clark's. He looked so weak and so scared. "Let him go, I promise I'll let you leave."

Clark, in the confusion of pain that was his mind, heard something through the cacophony: the man laughed. It was low and all in his throat but he heard it and it was dark and evil.

"Sorry Mr. Luthor," he said, raising his gun to Lex's face, "I have a job to finish."

"No!" Clark screamed, twisting his body just enough to shift the man's hand, the bullet that was expelled from his gun going wide and missing Lex completely. Pushing his body backwards, Clark tripped the man and they both fell backwards on the floor. He could barely keep his thoughts together but Clark knew he couldn't lose Lex. It was something a little red idol didn't have to convince him of. He hardly had any strength but he rolled over on top of the man and pressed his finger to the bullet wound in the man's shoulder and that was enough to draw out more tortured screams of pain.

"Clark!" Lex screamed and a second later a gunshot rang in the air.

Clark Kent looked down to the man who was under him, smoke rising out from between them. He clenched his jaw, and swallowed hard but it didn't stop the bitter taste from bubbling back up his throat. Blood was falling onto the man's dark shirt.

Falling . . . from him.

Eyes rolling, he went limp and he collapsed onto the gunman.

"Clark?" Lex said, his head shaking.

The assassin pushed the body off of him and scrambled up when the last thing he ever saw was a flash of metal and the last thing he ever heard was Lex Luthor's rage punctuated by the swish of a fireplace iron and the crush of skull.

The blood covered, cast iron bar fell to the floor and so did Lex Luthor. He dropped to the glossy wood and took Clark up into his arms.

"Clark?"

There was no reply. There was so little blood.

He pressed his fingers under Clark's jaw but he felt nothing. He felt nothing.

"Oh God, oh God," he whispered, over and over, clutching Clark tighter. There was just a dime sized hole in the center of his chest and a single stream of blood. "Please, please&emdash;"

A buzzing was burning behind his eyes and he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop it. The buzzing started to overwhelm him as everything around him started to disappear when he heard a soft scream. His name. Someone was screaming his name.

"Clark?" It was enough to bring him back and Lex looked down to him, listening closely when he realized it wasn't Clark's voice calling him. It was Lana's. Lying next to him on the floor was the small earpiece the assassin had removed and thrown to the ground just a moment ago. With blood covered, trembling hands, Lex took the small device and put it in his ear.

"You killed him," he whispered.

"The package!" She screamed into his ear. "The package under the bed. It rolled under the bed! Get rid of it!"

Lex blinked, trying to understand. "What- -"

"There's still a chance! Get the package under the bed!"

The moment he heard the words 'there's still a chance' Lex laid Clark gently to the ground and raced to the side of his bed. Under it he saw the round brown paper parcel. Reaching under he grabbed a hold of it. "Now throw it away! Get it as far from him as you can!" Lana shouted. Lex ran to the window, out onto the balcony and sent the brown package soaring far, far away.

From behind him he heard a gasp for air. Spinning around he saw Clark choke and fight to catch his breath. Lex stood on the balcony, frozen, unbelieving and stunned. "Clark?" He said, moving back into the bloodstained room. He was shaking. He dropped down next to Clark and his breath caught when he saw Clark's eyes blink. Lex looked to the hole in his chest and watched in utter amazement as the bullet burrowed back up and out from under his skin and his flesh knitted itself back together.

"Clark- -" he said quietly, not wanting to break the spell if it was a spell. Clark looked up to him through hazy vision and with worried eyes before he fell into unconsciousness. He was still breathing, deeply now. Lex felt for a pulse and it was there.

"He's alive," he breathed.

"Oh thank God," the voice on the other end said through shaking breath.

Lex Luthor looked at the scene before him as night crept over the tiny town of Smallville. Blood, bullet holes, a new slew of painful memories added to his life.

"How did you know it was under the bed, Lana?"

She didn't answer. Lex looked up to the security camera in his bedroom. What was supposed to be a closed circuit connection that generally went straight to video tape and was only viewed if there was an incident, Lex now understood what the camera's true function was- -Lana Lang's eyes and ears into his life.

Curling up off the floor, Lex pulled the earpiece out and set it on the side table. With a paperweight he crushed it. He went back to the mahogany closet and retrieved his gun. He walked over to the camera and looked straight up to it. With an empty, dead voice, Lex said very simply, "I'm going to kill you." Raising the gun, he shot out the camera.

Metropolis- -The Isis Foundation- -Night

Lana Lang removed her headset, staring at the single, solitary static screen. Leaning against her desk, she felt like she was going to vomit.

Smallville- -The Kent Farm - -Morning

Clark Kent opened his eyes to a bright autumn Monday. Taking a deep breath he smelled the familiar scents of his home. Jolting up, his vision went dark and his head spun.

"Careful, lay back down," the familiar voice of Lionel Luthor said to him.

"Is Lex- -" he breathed, his body trembling.

"He's fine, now lay down Clark, you've been through hell," and though he said the words, Lionel Luthor seriously doubted it. Clark hadn't gone through hell at all if what Lex had told him of the night before was true. If Clark had really died in his arms. Hell had no claim over Clark Kent. None at all.

"Where is he?" Clark asked, lying back down onto his pillows.

"Well, seeing as the lovesickness no longer," he coughed, "has a hold over either of you, he went to Metropolis this morning to settle a few accounts."

"Accounts?"

Lionel gave him a warm smile, "Rest Clark. Just rest," and as he said it his cell phone rang. "I'll be right back," he said, moving out to the hallway. The caller ID revealed a call from his son. "Did you find her?"

"She's gone. Her office was cleaned out, everything was destroyed."

"She worked fast," Lionel said.

Lex grit his teeth, "People tend to do that when their lives are on the line."

"You'll find her. It's only a matter of time. She knows it."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Dad. When you push a person up against a wall- -"

"- -the wall becomes a springboard."

"You taught me that."

Lionel grimaced. Yes, he most definitely had taught his son that lesson. "You think she'll strike back?"

"At this point it's self-preservation."

The father sighed, "I hate to imagine this isn't the last we've seen of Ms. Lana Lang."

"How's Clark?"

"Awake, I'll give him the phone." Lionel walked back into Clark's bedroom to see the young man seated against the window sill. "You should be resting&emdash;" Lionel began to protest.

"The sun's stronger here," Clark said quietly. "Is that Lex?" Lionel nodded, handing him the phone. "You're going after Lana aren't you?"

Lex felt like a spotlight had suddenly been shined on him. "I was. She ran very quickly."

"I want you to promise me something," Clark said, looking over to the sun-kissed day.

"Anything."

"Don't hurt her."

"Clark- -"

"I'm not an idiot Lex. I know what she did and I know how last night could have ended. How she wanted it to end. I'm not asking you because I'm still blind to her- -I know what it will do to you."

Lex smiled, "You and your cousin are exactly alike."

Clark frowned, "Kara?"

"Hi Clark!" Kara called out across the line. She sat reclined in Lex's passenger's seat.

"Wha- -what are you doing with Lex?"

"Making sure he doesn't ruin a good thing."

"Kara- -"

"We had one black sheep in the family and that was my father. We don't need another one." Clark opened his mouth but had no idea how to reply. "Bye Clark!" She said before the phone hung up.

Looking to Lex she asked, "Niagara falls. Yes or no?" Lex crinkled his brow at her.

Clark stared at the phone. Looking to Lionel he said, "My family is so . . ."

Lionel chuckled, putting an arm over Clark's shoulders, "Yes I know . . . We are."

Gotham City- -The Persephone Center- -Evening

She looked over herself one last time and frowned at the change. Hours at a discreet upscale salon had left her with a mass of spiral red curls. If permed hair was the price for anonymity then permed hair it was to be. She adjusted the clear lens glasses on her face and squinted through the pain of new, blue contact lenses.

Seated at her desk, she put away the mirror with a knock on the door. "Come in," she called. Into the still redecorating office walked her assistant and her guest. Standing up she came around the glass and metal and greeted the young man, "Dr. Crane."

Dr. Jonathan Crane shook hands with his financier, "Ms. Kore."

"I'm so pleased to finally meet you face to face; I've heard great things about you."

He smiled and it was dark and humorless, "I very much doubt that, ma'am."

"It all depends on who we talk to and what we are talking about."

He nodded, "Of course."

"Talia, please call Dr. Langley. We would like to view the facility."

"Yes, ma'am." The assistant left her and Dr. Crane alone.

"You seem tired," Dr. Crane observed.

"It's been a very long day, trust me."

"I like the new name. Kore? It's different."

"I'll tell people that it's Japanese. The current back story is that my mother was French and my father was from Japan."

"I suppose it explains that," he said, looking to her nameplate which read, Célimène Kore. "Célimène? If I remember my Molière correctly- -"

"Le Misanthrope: Ou L'atrabilaire Amoureux. Yes," she smiled. "Célimène had many suitors but she didn't want to lose them, so she kept them all- -"

"And as a result, lost them all. It's a tragic name."

Her smile tightened, "I tell anyone who is that curious that my mother just thought it was pretty."

Smallville- -The Kent Farm- -Afternoon

He heard the car pulling up and that brought him quickly to his feet. Clark went out of kitchen, leaving his half eaten lunch and a small red statue on the table to see Lex's Mercedes drive down the lane. He stood on the steps of the back porch and watched as Lex emerged from the silver car.

Lex Luthor looked to the small yellow farmhouse that had, for so many years, represented everything he'd ever wanted in his life. He'd always yearned for Clark's life, for a taste of normalcy when now he realized that the old saying, the grass is always greener on the other side was painfully true.

Looking to Clark standing there, well, healthy, color in his cheeks, he shook his head and took every step towards him as if it were his last. Reaching the foot of the stairs he looked up to Clark's smiling face. He extended his arm and Clark took his hand, their fingers intertwining.

Walking up the steps and taking Clark into his arms, Lex quietly said, "Don't ever leave me."

Gotham City - -The Persephone Center - -Evening

It was a labyrinth that extended acres under the Gotham suburbs. Only ninety-eight percent complete, the Center would have to start welcoming residents months before schedule.

"I have to say, I was surprised when I received the phone call last night that the schedule had been fast tracked."

"Events out of my control," she thinly explained as they followed Dr. Langley throughout the entire serpentine structure.

"The double-blind transfer of residents from the previous facility has already begun," Dr. Langley explained. "Every effort is being made to ensure not one resident is traced here." She nodded as they passed white cell after white cell. "Once we receive them then the rehabilitation&emdash;"

"That's all Dr. Langley," she said, clearly angry at the man.

He sighed, "Yes, ma'am."

Dr. Crane watched the scene with interest. Once his new colleague was out of earshot he joked, "People shouldn't forget that Célimène was a viper."

"That she was."

They walked on. Soon they opened up to a vast, large space as wide as a football field and as expansive, all lined with concrete. They stood above the empty space almost thirty feet up in a niche in the wall. She held onto the cast iron balustrade.

"The other names?" He quietly asked, watching her eyes scan over the massively vast, empty space.

"Kore is another name for Persephone."

"And Isis and Persephone were both goddesses of the underworld," he nodded.

She turned on him, her eyes feverish. "That's not all. Persephone is life, death and rebirth." Looking back down to the concrete field she took on a faraway look in her gaze as images of hundreds of children superimposed over her vision and she seemed to watch them on the field, fighting, becoming stronger, growing. "The focus of the Persephone Center is no longer the same focus as Isis was. Rehabilitation isn't what this organization is about Dr. Crane." She pressed a button to her left and all the lights went out over the immense field. They stood at the niche, looking into absolute darkness. "We're building an army. Never forget that."

THE END