Everything I am, and everything in me,

wants to be the one you wanted me to be.

I'll never let you down, even if I could,

I'd give up everything, if only for your good.

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong,

You can hold me when I'm scared, but you won't always be there.

So love me when I'm gone, love me when I'm gone.

-- When I'm Gone, 3 Doors Down

It was a very fine line between focus and obsession; even more so than love and hate, as the old saying went. One could be so completely focused on a certain task, or subject, or person, that one never even realized when the line was crossed. Not so with love and hate. When you crossed from one emotion to the other, not matter how subtle the slide, you knew it.

The worst was feeling both emotions at the same time, for the same person. When you wanted them to see you as their only, and yet knew that they looked upon you as hell on earth. Even worse was when it was your own flesh and blood, your own child, who couldn't stand the sight of you. Hating that because you needed the love that used to be evident, even when it was your doing that drove it away.

Even when you did it deliberately.

Which brought Lionel back to the subject of his obsession. For it was no longer focus when you resorted to drugging and hypnosis, and not even self-delusion could name it so. It was no longer a game when the life you sought remained consistently out of grasp and you did whatever it took to get it back.

Toying with the glass of brandy, holding the lead-cut crystal to the muted glow from the Tiffany lamp, Lionel studied the golden depths that were as fractured and cut as his relationship with his son. A bitterly satisfied smile crossed his lips as he contemplated the layers that his son now possessed. Lex had always been a complicated child, precocious and incredibly intelligent. Now he was a man, those qualities had grown apace.

That had been the main problem with his rebellions, either as a child or a young adult; Lex had always been so...inventive...about it. After sending his son to Smallville, Lionel had predicted that the insipid and uninspiring nature of the people who lived there would push Lex into getting back on track; back on the track that Lionel had laid out for him.

Imagine his surprise.

Surprise. No, that didn't really cover it. Shock was a much more accurate adjective. That Lex had nearly killed someone on his first day there hadn't been the shock. That Lex had developed a friendship with the young man he'd almost killed, the son of Martha and Jonathan Kent of all people, that had been the shock.

The spiral from there had been a rippling effect that had assumed proportions of amazing strength. Ties that bound, indeed. Being drawn into the Kent family, very firmly against Jonathan's will. Becoming an investor in that ridiculous coffee house. Running and taking over the plant on his own initiative when Lionel had done his best to sabotage it.

If it had been perpetrated against anyone else, it would have constituted bragging rights. Well, not that he would ever really do so, but the action had been quite clever, even by Luthor standards. Things had, of course, gone downhill between them from there.

Hence the obsession.

Everything Lionel had done, was out of love for his son. Not the love that Lex thought he wanted or needed, thanks to the poisoning of his mind from one Clark Kent, but love nonetheless. And yet, at the same time, Lionel hated his son as well. Hated with the purity of emotion reserved for angels and devils. It wasn't for the plebeian reason that he'd struck out on his own, no, that was something Lionel admired in any man. And it wasn't because he'd turned his back on his family, though of course that rankled deeply.

Come to think of it, he wasn't entirely certain why he hated Lex so passionately, so violently. It had something to do with the happy glow in his eyes and the lightness to his step, even the way he now stood. Not because they were there, but because Lionel hadn't put them there. Lex was his son before he was Clark's lover, and if it was the last thing he did, Lionel was going to make sure that Lex understood that.

If he had to kill Clark in the process, well, that was all to the better.

* * * *

Waking in his favorite place, Clark's arms, Lex smiled sleepily and instinctively turned into the heat his lover continuously gave off. It was like having his own private heating pad, only a lot more fun.

"I can hear the evil genius cackle from here, Lex," Clark murmured through a yawn. "Don't even think about it."

Grinning, Lex yawned as well and kissed the nearest portion of skin he could reach without actually moving. "Do we have to get up?"

Clark sighed. "Yep."

"Why?"

"Because if we don't, I'm going to get my ass kicked by my mother and it's really not a pretty sight," Clark answered, a smile in his voice.

Snorting, Lex replied, "That's a matter of opinion."

Clark poked him rudely and rolled them over suddenly so that he was on top. Leaning in for a long, deep kiss, Clark sighed into his lover's mouth and enjoyed the lazy return.

A sharp knock at the door startled them both, then the door opened and Martha poked her head in and stated, "Time for breakfast, boys."

Lex shook with silent laughter at Clark's scandalized expression as the other man yanked the blankets up around them and exclaimed, "Mom!"

The blush was a bonus.

"Clark Kent, I know perfectly well what you look like without clothes since I bathed your bare bottom many a time. Good morning, Lex," Martha greeted with a smile.

Lex waved, though he couldn't see much of his erstwhile mother-in-law from beyond Clark's bulk, and said, "Morning, Martha. Do I smell muffins?"

"You do. Downstairs in ten minutes, boys, or you might not get anything to eat," Martha warned.

"Thanks, Martha, we'll be right down," Lex assured her. Clark just groaned, his head plunking down onto Lex's shoulder, which afforded him an excellent view of Martha's broad grin. She winked at him, then left, shutting the door behind her.

Lifting his head, Clark complained, "All you do is encourage her! I swear, one of these days she's going to just walk in and catch you buck naked."

Deliberately teasing, Lex replied, "Between your father and you, I doubt there's anything on a man's body that she hasn't seen."

Clark's mouth dropped and he exclaimed, "Lex! That's my Mom you're talking about!"

With a chuckle, Lex observed, "You're just so easy, Clark, I can't help myself."

The narrowing of Clark's eyes would have been disconcerting at any other time. Since they were due downstairs shortly, though, Lex wasn't too worried. Or, he wasn't until Clark wriggled under the blankets and pounced on his cock. Lex restrained his shout of surprise and sudden lust by shoving his hand into his mouth.

The tight, wet suction was inflaming and hardened him too-quickly, almost painfully. Groaning wasn't as easily stifled and Lex blushed in embarrassment, praying that no one was walking by the door. Clark knew exactly what he was doing, had since their very first time somehow, and it wasn't long before Lex's balls tightened and he hissed, "Clark, fuck, coming, coming, oh fuck!"

A swirling lick around the tip of his cock finished him off and Lex groaned, emptying his seed into Clark's mouth. He felt the other man swallow and shuddered violently at the erotic and deliberate gesture. Panting and struggling to bring his breathing under control, Lex just lay there as Clark rolled off the bed with a satisfied grin.

Wishing he had the strength to throw a pillow at the other man, Lex muttered, "Bastard."

Clark's grin just grew bigger.

After being lovers for a few weeks, Lex had accepted that Clark just didn't need to get off as often as he did. He'd also accepted that it took disgustingly little effort on Clark's part to get Lex hard and desperate to come. It didn't mean that he liked it, but he accepted it.

Clark tossed him clothes, already dressed, and said, "Better hurry or I might just eat all your favorite muffins."

"Bastard."

* * * *

Clark was chuckling as he jogged down the stairs to the living room. In the corner was a huge, festive Christmas tree, brightly decorated with a ton of presents just waiting to be opened. He was itching to get at the small box with his name on it and Lex's writing. He had promised not to peek and it was just killing him not to know what was in it.

Taking a furtive look around, Clark headed for the tree and picked it up.

"Don't even think about it, young man," Jonathan cautioned from behind.

Groaning, Clark set it down and faced his father. "It's not fair! Just one present?"

Stern, but with a twinkle in his blue eyes to belie the tone, Jonathan said, "Not until after breakfast when we're all here."

Clark made a show of putting the present back where it had been resting before joining his father, who laughed and put an arm around his shoulder.

"Good man. I knew you were made of sterner stuff than that."

Snorting, Clark grabbed the streak that was his sister as she rounded the corner, and tossed her into the air. She shrieked and giggled, settling into Clark's arms and pressing a messy kiss to his cheek. "Morning, munchkin."

"Clark, please don't get her going," Martha ordered with a sigh. "Where's Lex?"

Clark gave her an innocent look and answered, "Getting dressed. He always moves a little slow in the morning."

She eyed him suspiciously as she placed the basket of muffins on the table, but didn't contradict him.

Setting his sister in her high chair, Clark belted her in and sat in the chair beside her. He and Lex had taken to keeping her occupied so that his parents could have some time together, even if they were still in the same house.

As if on cue, Lex entered the dining area, his hand brushing across the back of Clark's neck in greeting as he took the seat on Elizabeth's other side. He automatically leaned over to kiss the red curls and she giggled, patting his smooth pate while he was close. With a grin, Lex sat back and reached for toast...only to miss it because he was suddenly six inches off the seat and floating. He panicked and croaked, "Clark!"

Clark looked over at Lex and exclaimed, "Elizabeth! Put him down!"

She just giggled and Lex floated higher, his arms waving as he furiously tried to maintain his balance..

"Mom!"

"Elizabeth Ann Kent! Put Lex down this instant!" Martha ordered loudly.

Lex grunted in pain when his ass connected with the hard, wooden seat, but gave Clark a reassuring smile through the wince. "I'm fine. Just a bruised backside and dignity."

But Clark had already focused his attention on Elizabeth and was staring into her eyes intently. "What you did hurt Lex, Elizabeth."

A lower lip trembled, then Elizabeth started crying, reaching for Lex with a drawn out, "Lex!"

Clark watched as Lex exchanged a helpless look with his mom, who shrugged and indicated for him to pick her up. He unstrapped the girl and she immediately launched herself into Lex's arms, snuggling close. Breathing a sigh of relief, Clark leaned back in his chair. Lex was the only one that Elizabeth did that to and she had to understand that he could be hurt if she wasn't careful. She seemed to think that Lex was her own personal toy. He didn't want to know what he'd do if his sister seriously injured his lover, even accidentally.

What an unexpected development, too. They'd all thought that his folks would have an easier time raising their second child, but if anything, it was more difficult. Though physically, Elizabeth was perfectly fine, and perfectly normal, her mental abilities were completely off the scale. Whatever the ship had done to heal his mom enough to get pregnant in the first place, had obviously done something to her eggs as well.

Elizabeth could move anything with a thought and projected some kind of telepathic field that could make you do what she wanted before you even knew that she was doing anything. Fortunately, she was also very sensitive. Just by imagining what she could have done to Lex and trying to force her to see and feel it, Clark had been able to impart something important. He hoped. With a snort, he observed to his father, "Good to know that I broke you in for this kind of thing."

Jonathan laughed agreement and said, "There's never a dull moment at the Kent farm."

"Lex, you want me to take her?" Martha offered.

Lex smiled and shook his head as he settled Elizabeth on his lap. "I think Beth and I are going to eat together."

Martha smiled in return, even as she shook her head. "You're going to spoil her."

"Which is my privilege as her uncle," Lex replied, grinning.

After that, breakfast was pretty normal. There were a few minor spills when Elizabeth reached for something with her mind and abruptly stopped. Clark smiled to himself as Lex reassured the girl in her gifts and worked with her to control it. Though control didn't really seem to be an issue, it was more a matter of knowing when not to use it, just as had happened with Clark as a kid.

He could remember many a time that his parents had had to teach him the same kind of judgement. Like Lex was doing now, with a calm, soothing voice and plenty of smiles and hugs. He sighed, wistful at the sight, and wished that they could have their own children, knowing that Lex would be an incredible father. But unless he suddenly had the strange alien ability to morph into a woman, that wasn't going to happen.

"What's wrong?" Lex asked suddenly.

Startled that his lover had picked up on his mood change, though he knew he shouldn't be, Clark smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. Just thinking."

"Not on Christmas morning," Lex ordered firmly. He reached over and grabbed Clark's shirt, drawing him close for a sweet kiss.

Clark knew he had a goofy grin on his face when he pulled back, but didn't care. Bouncing with eager happiness, he exclaimed, "Presents! Come on, we're done eating!"

"Presents, presents, presents!" Elizabeth agreed in a chant.

"Clark," Martha sighed in exasperation.

Getting to his feet, Clark grinned and reached for Elizabeth, who pushed off Lex. Clark thought that she actually floated for a second before he caught her, but couldn't be sure. Without waiting for his family, Clark aimed for the living room, but suddenly Lex ran past him to the tree. His frown of curiosity because an earnest frown when he saw Lex had snatched up his present. "Hey! I want to open that first!"

With an evil grin, Lex shook his head and retreated to the sofa. "Not a chance, farm boy. You're going to wait until everything else is opened first."

"Lex!" Clark shut up abruptly, realizing that he'd just whined. He didn't whine.

Lex laughed and teased, "Yes, Clark? Something you wanted?"

Elizabeth bounced in his arms and he set her down, sitting on the floor beside her. Haughtily, Clark answered, "Not a thing."

Snorting, Lex said, "Get to work, Clark, I see a lot of presents with your name on them."

Martha and Jonathan joined them with laughter, settling on the couch beside him.

Though he grumbled, Clark was grinning, too as he reached for presents and distributed them to the proper recipients.

* * * *

It was a couple of hours later, when the floor was strewn with ripped wrapping paper and gifts were half in and half out of their boxes, that the doorbell rang. Lex grinned to himself and suggested, "Clark? Why don't you get that?"

Clark shrugged and easily got to his feet, Elizabeth trailing after him.

"Lex? What's going on?" Jonathan asked.

Giving the older man what he hoped was an innocent look, Lex replied, "What makes you think there's something going on?"

Chloe and Pete were heard from the front hall, talking to Clark and exclaiming over Elizabeth. Though it was mostly Chloe doing the exclaiming.

"Because Chloe and Pete don't generally come over on Christmas day," Martha answered for her husband.

Taking a deep breath, Lex got to his feet as the others came into the living room, Clark's present tumbling nervously between his fingers. This could either be really good, or really bad, depending on how Clark took it. Nothing like having as many witnesses as possible so your lover couldn't kill you.

"Lex? Chloe and Pete said you asked them to come over this morning," Clark announced with a frown.

Lex nodded and agreed, "I did. Would you come here, Clark?"

Still frowning, Clark did so and Lex held out his gift. "Open it."

Turning wide, slightly suspicious eyes to Lex, Clark took the slender package and opened it. Lex watched closely as those beautiful green eyes widened even further and Clark gasped at the content. A heavy, masculine bracelet in platinum, chain-links with 'Forever' etched into it, a letter per link.

Swallowing heavily, Clark looked up at Lex and asked in a strangled voice, "Lex?"

"I know you can't wear anything that identifies you as you when your out as Superman," Lex began hesitantly. "But I wanted to give you something to signify what you mean to me, which is everything. In front of the people who matter most to us."

Holding out his arm, Lex waited.

"There's no clasp," Clark observed, taking the chain out of its case.

"I know. You'll need to fuse it on."

There were a few gasps, but the only reaction Lex was paying attention to was Clark's. He didn't yet know if it was positive or not, because Clark hadn't moved, was just standing there, dumb-stricken. Finally, Clark placed the chain on Lex's wrist, the lettering face down, and held the two ends together. Lex didn't feel anything except a vague warmth, but at the end of it, the chain was sealed.

It was heavier than he'd expected, even with trying it on at the jeweler's, but felt comforting, solid, like Clark himself. Meeting Clark's eyes, he saw love and tenderness, maybe a little possessive pride, staring back at him.

"I'll make sure that I'm worthy of this," Clark vowed softly.

Breathing a shaky sigh of relief, Lex licked his lip and found himself wrapped in Clark's arms, his mouth taken in a slow, sweet kiss.

When Clark pulled back, Lex was startled to hear clapping and looked at everyone else in surprise. They were hugged and congratulated and Lex realized that he'd really done it. Somewhat stunned, he just leaned against Clark, grateful for his lover's strength and love.

* * * *

"I wasn't sure whether to strangle you or kiss you stupid for surprising me like that," Clark admitted, grinning ruefully.

Lex smirked and said, "I was kind of counting on that."

"That figures," Clark agreed, moving closer. He liked the brightness to Lex's eyes since that morning. He also liked that Lex pretty much hadn't left his side throughout the day. Taking his lover's arm, he traced a finger along the smooth bracelet and said, "It's perfect. Thank you."

A little hesitant, Lex asked, "Why did you face it down?"

Clark shrugged and answered, "Everyone who's important knows exactly what it says. I don't care about anyone else. The fact that you want to wear it is all that matters to me."

Feeling ridiculously pleased, Lex grabbed Clark's shirt and tugged his lover close, bringing him down for a lingering kiss. Clark's arms went around his waist, pulling their bodies close. Lex relaxed into the feel of his hands knowing that his lover's incredible strength would never be accidentally unleashed on him.

He hadn't thought about it the first time they'd made love, hadn't actually thought about it until a few days later. His insatiable scientist's curiosity had questioned why Clark didn't crush him when he was in the throes of an orgasm and had no control. He'd asked Clark about it when it had occurred to him, who'd blushed and said, "My birth parents made sure that I'd be able to have a mate by tinkering with my mind before they sent me here. Somehow, I automatically compensate for the differences in our strength."

He'd never even thought to question that before Clark had fucked him hard enough the first time to leave bruises for days. He'd always bruised easy, but it had been discolored and painful even more than usual. Clark had been shy about doing it again, but Lex had teased him mercilessly, employing every sexual trick he had learned over the years until Clark had given in. The second time, the bruises had been halved, and the third time almost nonexistent. After that, there had been none, so Lex assumed that the adjustment period was over and Clark's body and subconscious now knew exactly how much pressure Lex could and couldn't take.

Of course, he did occasionally like to feel it the next day, so he would just have to provoke Clark into overdoing it when the mood struck. For now, the gentle kissing and caresses that Clark was bestowing felt perfect. A perfect counterpoint to the emotional drain of the day, even if it had been a happy drain.

Clark pushed him onto the bed and began to strip for him, slowly and provocatively. Lex licked at his lips and leaned back on his elbows, watching avidly. The shirt was gone first, revealing the broad, muscled chest and washboard abs. The jeans came down a button at a time and Lex groaned in anticipation, then bit his lip to keep himself quiet. They might be as far from Elizabeth and the elder Kents as possible, but they were still in the same house.

"God Clark, you're so fucking hot," Lex murmured, knowing his lover would hear him perfectly.

Clark's lips curved into a wicked grin and he replied, almost as softly, "So are you. Off with the shirt, Lex."

Shivering at the commanding tone, Lex yanked the shirt off and threw it at Clark, who caught it and breathed it in. Lex's cock twitched violently at the sight and he moaned, strangling it in his throat to keep it as quiet as possible. Clark shimmied, God damned shimmied, out of his pants, his cock rising full and heavy when freed from his jeans. Lex hissed in shock, "Fuck, Clark! No underwear?"

Smirking now, Clark stalked to the bed and leaned over him, pushing him back before answering, "I was planning to fuck you senseless anyhow, so why bother?"

Lex uttered the now familiar refrain of, "Dead before my next birthday."

With a soft laugh, Clark seized his mouth and slowly plundered it, his tongue dancing with Lex's in a leisurely tango. Lex felt his body respond with an almost hyper awareness and the vague thought crossed his mind that somehow Clark's body was becoming very necessary for his continued peace of mind and balance.

Then Clark's hand cupped his groin and thought flew out the window, vague or otherwise, and he moaned into Clark's mouth. The hand gripping him was firm and steady, rubbing him as if to bring him off. Pulling his lips from Clark's, Lex gasped, "Want you to fuck me Clark, please!"

Clark's breath hitched and his eyes narrowed as he whispered, "I said I was going to fuck you senseless and I meant it."

Within a couple of seconds, both of their pants disappeared, along with Lex's boxers. He stifled another moan by grabbing Clark's hair and yanking his head forward into a savage kiss. Clark shifted them firmly into the middle of the bed and lube magically appeared in his hand, though really, Lex felt the split second where the kiss broke off and restarted, so Clark had super sped to get the lube.

Gratified that he wasn't the only one about to go out of his mind with want, Lex spread his legs and hitched his hips up wantonly. Clark hissed again and squirted the slick onto his fingers, pushing two in without ceremony and wiggling them around. Lex grunted at the fullness, even as he relaxed into the motion, wanting more. On the one hand, he was still really glad that he hadn't done this with anyone else, but on the other, he knew that he'd been seriously missing out for years and it ticked him off.

The fingers withdrew and he sighed as Clark's cock pushed at the entrance to his body, slowly moving inside. Clark leaned forward to kiss him again, sucking in Lex's gasping groan as he plowed forward, not giving any quarter. He didn't stop until they were balls to ass, then he just stayed put as they both caught their breath.

Lex clenched his ass muscles and bit Clark's lip impatiently, ordering, "Fuck me, already!"

Grinning, Clark muttered, "Impatient much?"

"Just when your cock is up my ass and I'm dying for it," Lex retorted, somewhat amazed that he could still think clearly enough to put a sentence together.

Clark pulled out a little, then jerked back in, drawing a gasp of pleasure from them both. From there, the friction and force only increased and Lex couldn't stop himself from getting louder, even as it embarrassed him. Clark's hand descended unexpectedly onto his mouth at the same time as his lover's cock scratched by his prostate and he shouted in reaction to the bolt of need. His shout was thoroughly muffled by Clark's hand, though, for which Lex was grateful.

The last thing they needed was Martha or Jonathan coming to investigate any shouts, which they would do if they thought he was having another nightmare.

Moaning and gasping was a lot more difficult to do when you could only breathe through your mouth, but with the way Clark was pounding against Lex's ass, he managed it. The need was a continuous wave, his balls clenching tight as they prepared to release. Relishing the slick thrust of Clark inside him, Lex gave himself over to the sensations.

It was only a few more hard shoves against his prostate before Lex cried out and came, hot fluid spurting between their bodies. Clark kept going, face locked in a tight grimace that seemed to herald more pain than pleasure, but Lex knew better. When the moment came, Clark's face drained of everything except the most shining expression of bliss, giving a final, savage thrust into Lex and holding still against him, spilling his seed as deep into Lex as he could.

Clark collapsed onto Lex, his hand falling away as he panted heavily. Lex barely had the strength to wrap his arms around his lover. He held tight when Clark started pulling away and whispered, "Stay."

Not arguing, Clark remained where he was, his head resting on Lex's chest and his cock still inside Lex's body. Every so often, Lex just needed this, to feel as close and connected to Clark as possible. When they woke, Clark would be supporting them and they would be separated, but for now, Lex reveled at how it felt to be so in tune. "Love you, Clark, forever."

With a gentle kiss to Lex's throat, Clark whispered back, "Love you, Lex, forever."

* * * *

"I could strangle them for scheduling this meeting the day after Christmas," Lex grumbled as Clark walked him to his car.

Laughing, Clark teased, "You're just annoyed because driving in your current condition is not going to be pleasant."

"Bastard."

"You keep saying that, and yet my parents have been married a long time, Lex. Maybe you need to look up the meaning?"

Lex snorted and pulled him in for a lingering kiss. "You behave. I'll be back tonight."

"If the roads get bad, don't chance it. I'll come home instead," Clark ordered.

Eyes rolling, Lex replied, "Yes, Daddy."

"Ooh. New kink, Lex?"

"Funny," Lex deadpanned. "I'll call you before I leave."

Clark rewarded him with a longer, deeper kiss. "I'll miss you."

Flushing at the unexpected and completely sincere statement, Lex couldn't help smiling. "You're too good to be real, Clark, anyone ever tell you that?"

* * * *

Pete looked around the Kent farm with a frown. Usually by this time of the morning, Clark was outside doing some kind of work with his father, but he didn't see anyone. The truck and Mrs. Kent's car were gone, too, so they'd probably gone into town. But all of them?

Uneasy, Pete called out, "Clark? You here, man?"

When there was no answer, he headed for the barn. It wasn't likely that Clark was too involved with something in there not to hear him, but it was possible. He tried to push the door open, but there was something in the way. Pushing harder, Pete was able to open it enough to poke his head in. "Oh fuck!"

Collapsed on the other side of the door was Clark, looking pale enough to be dead. Immediately in view was a trail of large meteorites. Shoving himself the rest of the way through, Pete grabbed as many of the rocks as he could and threw them into the back of the barn. When he was done, he grabbed Clark and dragged him out of the barn, grunting under his friend's weight. The cold and the snow made it difficult to keep a firm grip, but he did it.

Stopping at the porch, Pete knelt beside Clark. The pallor of Clark's skin was nothing compared to the grossly wrinkled condition of the veins standing out in relief. It was like Clark wasn't made from anything solid, that if Pete touched him wrong, he'd just crumble and break away. "Clark! Clark, wake up! C'mon, man, don't die on me, Lex will kill me!"

There was no response and Pete had no idea what to do. He ran inside to the phone and dialed Lex's cell.

* * * *

Lex hid his irritation at the cell phone's interruption and apologized to the others in the meeting, "I'm sorry. Excuse me for just a moment."

Getting to his feet, Lex left the table, pulling out his phone as he went. Glancing at the ID showed it to be the Kent's and he frowned. "Hello?"

"Lex! Oh my God, Lex! It's Clark! I think he's dying!" Pete exclaimed.

Lex's heart stopped and for a second, everything went dark. Keeping himself in control by force of will alone, Lex demanded, "What happened?"

"I don't know. I came over to hang out and found him collapsed in the barn surrounded by meteorites!"

Oh fuck! "All right, calm down. Where are Martha and Jonathan?"

"Gone."

"You pulled him clear, right?"

"Of course! Christ, Lex, you can't see him! He looks like…"

"Pete! You have to calm down and do as I say. Bring him into the house, into that first guestroom down the hall and close the door. It's lead-lined and should protect him from any additional affects. When that's done, call me back. I'm on my way."

"Okay, I got it."

The connection was broken and for a couple of seconds, Lex couldn't move. Forcing himself into action, he returned to the table and said, "I'm sorry but there's been a family emergency and I have to leave. We'll reschedule."

Their confused surprise barely registered as Lex spun and headed for the door, feeling every link in the chain around his wrist like a lifeline.

* * * *

It seemed an eternity before Lex's phone rang again. "Pete?"

"Yeah. He's set," Pete answered. "He looks better, but he still hasn't come to."

"Just keep an eye on him, there's nothing else we can do right now," Lex ordered, maneuvering around a car on the highway.

"Okay. I can do that. Lex, what the hell is going on? Who could have done this?"

Grim, Lex could think of at least one person, but didn't want to give voice to his suspicions just yet. "There's no chance it was an accident?"

"Not unless the damn things lined themselves up in a row just far back enough that Clark wouldn't see them until it was too late."

"Right. Just checking. Look, I'll be there in about an hour. Don't leave him alone."

"Got it."

"And…get the shotgun, Pete. It's locked up in the cabinet, but the keys are in the first drawer in the kitchen."

Pete didn't say anything at first, but then he cleared his throat and said firmly, "Got it. He'll be safe, Lex, I promise."

"Thank you."

* * * *

By the time Lex got to the farm, he was so tense that he felt like he was going to snap. When he pulled into the driveway, he was relieved to see not only Pete's car, but Martha and Jonathan's vehicles as well. The engine was barely off before he was out and running towards the house. Clark met him at the door and Lex threw his arms around his lover's neck, the force of his impact enough to push the bigger man back a step.

Heart racing, Lex held on as tight as he could, reveling in the solid arms holding him back. Finally, he pulled back and took a close look. Clark was paler than usual, but didn't seem in pain, or hurt in any way. "How do you feel? How long were you exposed? How close were you?"

"Still kind of queasy," Clark admitted. "Dad and Mom packed up the rocks and drove them to the field to get them out of range. And I think I was about a foot away from them for nearly an hour."

God. With a shaking hand, Lex cupped Clark's face and whispered, "You could have died."

Clark nodded. "I think, I think I nearly did. If Pete hadn't shown up when he did…"

"Don't!" Lex ordered sharply. "Don't say it."

Clark pulled him close again, wrapping his arms around Lex, who collapsed against him. They stood like that for a long time before Lex reluctantly pulled away. "We should join the others."

"Mom and Dad're a little freaked," Clark warned him.

Laughing a little, running a hand over his head, Lex asked, "And I'm not?"

With a faint smile, Clark put his arm over Lex's shoulder and led him inside. Everyone was in the living room, looking as tense as Lex felt. He couldn't even offer them a smile as he and Clark sat on the loveseat.

For a few moments, no one said anything. Then Pete shifted and asked, "Who could know about the meteors and how they affect Clark?"

"Well, there's Dr. Walden, except that he was still a vegetable the last I checked," Lex reported slowly.

"How would he know?" Martha questioned.

Lex shrugged and said, "He was hit with the same beam of information from the caves that Clark was, only he's human, so his brain couldn't handle it and went on overload."

"But there's no one else."

Lex looked at Jonathan and almost squirmed under the older man's intent gaze. "Well, that I know of for sure."

"Who do you think it was, Lex?" Clark asked quietly.

Not meeting anyone's eyes, Lex replied, "My father."

There was a dead silence in response to his statement. Without looking up from the uninteresting wood knot in the floor, Lex continued, "He knows how much I love and value Clark. It's entirely possible that he is trying to…eliminate Clark so that I'll return to his side."

"Son of a bitch!"

"Jonathan, calm down!"

"I will not! If Lionel Luthor thinks that he can just waltz in here and try to kill my son, he's got another thing coming!"

Lex finally looked up and found Jonathan on his feet and heading for the door. "Jonathan, wait!"

Though he turned back, Jonathan didn't look any calmer. "What?"

"We don't know for sure that it was him. This could have been a feint, a way to test the waters. He could be guessing and if you storm over there now, he'll know for sure," Lex pointed out.

"What if he isn't guessing?"

Feeling more sure of himself, Lex said, "He is. If he really knew about Clark for sure, he'd have made a bullet of the stuff and shot him between the eyes."

Jonathan flinched at the blunt statement. "God, Lex…"

"I know. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?" Lex replied with a faint smile. "Both that he would do it and that I know him well enough to anticipate his movements. Please, sit? We'll figure this out."

After a long moment, Jonathan nodded abruptly and returned to the living room, sitting back down beside Martha.

Clark took his hand and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

Holding Clark's hand loosely, Lex thought about it for a long moment then said, "Nothing for now. I'll pay my father a visit and talk to him, try to find out what he's doing."

Alarmed, Clark shook his head. "No way! What if he drugs you or something!?"

"I won't eat or drink anything while I'm there," Lex assured him.

"You can't go alone," Clark said stubbornly. "I'll go with you."

Lex snorted. "Right, like that's going to happen."

"I'll go with you."

Everything looked at Martha in surprise and she shrugged, explaining, "We can always say that you were taking me someplace nice as a Christmas gift. I seriously doubt that Lionel would suspect anything if I'm with you."

"Martha…"

"Hush, Jonathan," she ordered. "This is Clark's life at stake and, well, Lionel likes me so he's not going to hurt me."

Jonathan's jaw tightened dangerously, but he didn't voice any other objections.

Lex sighed faintly, grateful that someone was going to be with him. As much as he didn't want Clark within viewing distance of his father, Lex knew that facing him alone would have been very hard to do. And not because of the drugging and hypnosis, though that was a consideration. "Thank you, Martha, I think that will work perfectly. It will put him off his guard. As well, he doesn't know that we know about the hypnosis, so he has no reason to suspect that I'm going to be anything but conciliatory."

"When should we do it?" she asked.

He thought about it for a moment, then answered, "Probably tomorrow or the day after, if you're free?"

Somewhat grim, she stated, "I am for this."

* * * *

Lionel re-watched the video thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair and contemplating the new information. He'd suspected that Clark had some kind of allergy to the rocks. Everyone who was in Smallville at the time of the meteor shower, especially the children, had some kind of reaction. Most of them had developed bizarre, mutant abilities over the years.

Considering the number of near-death experiences that Clark had not only lived through, but come through without a scratch, Lionel was betting that his particular mutant ability was invulnerability. Which had made it especially difficult to plan a contract hit. Not anymore, though.

The television showed Clark writhing in pain on the barn floor, his very skin protesting the proximity of the meteorites in a disgusting, bubbling fashion. Then Clark collapsed and remained motionless, his breathing getting more and more shallow as time went on. In all likelihood, if his black friend hadn't pulled him away, Clark would be dead.

Knowledge is power indeed.

* * * *

It felt very strange for Clark to be walking into the Planet as though no one were trying to kill him. He reached his desk and sat heavily, staring at the papers and files of stories that he was in the middle of. Lex had insisted on his going back to school and work, though school was moot because of winter break anyhow.

Mr. White had been surprisingly understanding when Clark had explained things to him, well, as much of it as he could at least. The older man had told him that he still had a job but warned him not to pull another stunt like it again. Clark had, of course, promised exactly that.

"Clark! Hey, how was your Christmas?" Lois asked, sitting at her desk.

He smiled ruefully and answered, "Pretty typical for a Kent event."

"Yeah? Anything exciting happen?"

Clark's thoughts turned to the bracelet around Lex's wrist and he flushed.

Leaning forward, Lois ordered, "Give, Clark! What happened?"

"Uh, Lex and I got hitched, sort of," Clark answered, a grin spilling out.

Lois' jaw dropped and she demanded, "What!? Details, Kent, right now!"

So he told her about the surprise gift and the vows in front of their family and best friends.

When he finished, she sighed and said, "Now that's romantic. Hey, where's your ring? Don't tell me you're too macho to wear jewelry, cause I won't believe it."

Clark shook his head. "No, I'm allergic to metal so I can't wear anything."

"All metal?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep. I wish I could wear something for Lex," Clark sighed wistfully.

"Well that sucks."

"Yeah."

They were silent a moment, then Lois commented, "Well, these stories won't write themselves. What do you have on the Shelson expose?"

* * * *

Lex kept a light grip on Martha's arm as they entered his father's office, but he wasn't entirely sure who the touch was supposed to reassure. Lionel was seated casually behind his desk, though he stood upon catching sight of Martha and walked around the desk to meet them.

Holding out a hand, he greeted, "Martha! This is a pleasant surprise."

Martha smiled and replied, "Lex and I were on our way to a shopping spree, which I told him was too extravagant for a Christmas gift, and I thought it would be nice to stop in and say hello."

"Nothing is too extravagant for such a beautiful woman," Lionel complimented, bringing her to the sofa a short distance away.

Lex followed and said, "Hello, Dad."

Lionel glanced at him with a faint smile. "Lex. I trust everything is well?"

Nodding, Lex replied, "Everything's fine."

"Did you have a nice holiday?" Lionel asked Martha, sitting beside her.

Lex snorted to himself and thought with customary bitterness, I had a great holiday, thanks for asking, Dad. No, the gift and card you never sent were just wonderful.

Taking a spot on the chair opposite the leather sofa, Lex observed the other two for a few minutes without getting involved with the conversation. To his surprise, his father seemed genuinely interested in Martha's welfare, far more so than Lex had ever seen him with anyone else. Even after everything that his father had done to him and Clark, he couldn't completely repress the flare of jealousy.

God. Am I really that pathetic? he thought sourly. I can't stand the sight of him, and yet some perverse part of me still wants his approval. Someone shoot me now.

"I understand that LexCorp did exceptionally well last quarter, Lex. Congratulations," Lionel said.

Startled, and a little wary, Lex replied, "Thanks. Sorry to hear about your losses."

Offering a wry smile, Lionel stated, "Fortunes of business, as you well know. Though I expect that to change shortly."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I've initiated a new bio-chemical research division and I expect that the news will generate some interest."

"How so?"

"We'll be studying the long term effects of new radiation treatments for cancer. My own recent brush with it has instilled a desire to eradicate the disease."

Lex eyed his father thoughtfully, knowing that he was being told this for a reason. "I see. And which radiation treatments will you be studying?"

"Well now, that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Lionel replied. "You know, you're quite talented in this arena. You wouldn't consider heading up the division, I presume?"

Lex nodded and agreed dryly, "That would be correct."

"Hmm. Too bad. I'm sure you'd find it very interesting."

Martha shifted and asked, "In what way?"

With a faint smile, Lionel explained, "Lex has been fascinated with mutations and evolutionary research since he was a child. That's why he went against my wishes and didn't get his masters in business."

Lex froze at the pronouncement, his mind splintering into several different trains of thought from: He's opening up research on the meteors for real now, to He knows about Clark, to I really need to check on Dr. Walden and make sure he's still a vegetable, to There must be a recording device on the farm somewhere, probably the barn, and finishing with, The son of a bitch is toying with us!

"Sorry, Dad, but I wasn't interested in business at the time."

"You are now."

"True. Maybe I'll go back to school," Lex suggested, standing. "And we really have to get going."

"Of course. It was wonderful to see you again, Martha," Lionel said, walking them to the door. They were almost out the door when he continued, "I hope Clark's in good health."

Lex stiffened but kept a neutral expression on his face as he answered, "Clark's fine, Dad, thanks for asking."

"Well, I know how important he is to you. Was that a gift? I don't recall you being into jewelry before."

Lex's eyes followed his father's gaze to the chain around his wrist. He smiled and twisted the chain so that the lettering and the lack of a clasp were visible, holding it out for the older man to see. "More of a symbol than a gift. I bought it for Clark."

Lips twisting with disgust, Lionel observed, "To show who you belong to?"

"I belong only to myself, Dad. Clark knows and understands this," Lex replied easily. "However, this tells him that I'm never going to leave him, not while there's breath left in my body. And to be honest, if anything were to happen to Clark, I wouldn't continue on without him."

Lionel's gaze narrowed at the clear, firm statement, but all he said was, "Isn't that romantic."

"It's the truth, Dad. Believe it," Lex warned.

They stared at each other for a long time, until Martha cleared her throat hesitantly. Lex glanced at his mother-in-law and smiled, reassuring her wordlessly as he said to his father, "Bye, Dad. Take care."

Lionel nodded slowly and replied, "You, too, Lex. Martha."

Though inwardly he was shaking, Lex held it together until they were back in the car. Pretty good, considering that he'd just warned his father off of killing Clark.

Martha gripped his shoulder and asked, worried, "Are you all right, Lex?"

Taking a steadying breath, Lex nodded. "I'm fine."

"I might not be as clued in to the nuances of your father, but I'm pretty sure I just heard him say that he was going to open a division that's going to study the meteors?" Martha questioned. "Probably in an effort to destroy my son."

Lex nodded. "That's right."

"And you said that if anything happened to Clark, you'd kill yourself?"

Lex gave another nod. "Right again."

Disturbed, Martha requested, "I'd like to go home now, Lex."

With a faint sigh, Lex turned the ignition key.

* * * *

It took a single phone call to get someone Lex trusted out to the Kent farm to sweep for bugs. He made another few calls after that to find someone to search the remainder of Smallville for whatever meteors his father might have missed. Unfortunately, Lex was pretty damn sure that his father wouldn't have dangled that particular carrot if he hadn't been disgustingly sure of himself.

After that was taken care of, he had a million things to take care of in regards to the merger that he'd left hanging to rush to Clark's side the day before. The merger that was no longer going to happen. He didn't remember falling asleep, but suddenly Clark was sitting on the couch beside him, shaking him lightly. Groggy, he looked up at his lover and mumbled, "Clark?"

Smiling, Clark answered, "None other."

"What time is it?"

"Almost nine. I'm sorry I'm so late, but we got a lead on a story at the last minute," Clark apologized.

Pushing onto his elbows, Lex yawned and waved it off. "No problem. I entertained myself."

"So I see."

Making a face, Lex pulled him in for a brief kiss before leaning back against the couch.

"How'd it go?"

"Well, my father had your parents barn bugged, so he knows how the meteors affect you. And he threatened you in front of your mother, so he's definitely not going to send us a congratulations card or a wedding gift. On top of that, the merger fell through, and I'm pretty sure it's because my father met with Mr. Jenson last night," Lex reported tiredly.

Clark rubbed his shoulder then shifted to sit on the other side of Lex, pulling the other man's head onto his thigh. He started rubbing Lex's temples and offered softly, "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"He's going after LexCorp because of me, how isn't that my fault?"

Lex closed his eyes and countered, "He's going after LexCorp because of me, Clark. He's trying to put me in my place, which he thinks is at his side."

Shivering a little, Clark said, "Not a chance."

"Exactly. But he thinks it is and he also thinks that he can bring me to heel like some kind of well-groomed dog," Lex said, irritation creeping into his voice.

"Ssh, easy," Clark soothed, placing a hand on Lex's chest. He grinned, loving the way Lex calmed to his touch. "Look, why don't we have a light supper and then go to bed?"

Lex snorted. "Trying to bribe me with food and sex?"

"Yes."

"Good."

They both laughed and got to their feet, where Lex held tight to Clark for a moment, looking up at his lover. Tenderness and love bubbled up and he whispered, "No matter what, Clark. I want forever with you."

Clark leaned down and teased a gentle kiss from Lex before agreeing with a happy sigh, "Forever, Lex."

Pulling back after another moment, Lex turned towards the kitchen, saying, "Your mother's pretty freaked, so you should give her a call. Let her hear your voice."

"She called me at work already," Clark informed him, falling into step behind him.

Lex grinned and turned around to tease him when shock ripped through him. There was a red dot on Clark's chest and his own words sizzled through his mind, If he really knew about Clark for sure, he'd have made a bullet of the stuff and shot him between the eyes.

Or the heart in this case.

Without thinking, Lex slamming into Clark and drove them both to the floor, but not before something slammed into Lex. He screamed in pain as two more somethings hit him in the lower back, feeling the agony of what had to be bullets tearing through his internal organs.

He vaguely heard Clark shouting for him, but the darkness' call was too strong to resist.

* * * *

"Lex! Lex!" Clark exclaimed frantically, pulling Lex behind the cover of the couch.

He yanked off his shirt and pressed against the blood pouring out of the other man's chest. Clark could feel the waves of radiation from the meteorite but ignored them and the nausea trying to overwhelm him. He kept pressure on the wounds as best he could, but there were three and he only had two hands. Ignoring also the potential witness of the assassin, Clark sped stripped into his superman costume and scooped Lex into his arms.

Striding to the balcony, he kicked open the doors, shattering the remainder of the glass, and leaping from the edge. It was only two minutes to Metropolis general and he flew right up to the door, shouting, "I need a doctor here! Someone!"

He was surrounded right away by medical personnel and set Lex gently on the gurney.

A woman in her mid forties with a no-nonsense attitude demanded, "How is he injured, Superman?"

"He was shot three times in the torso, but it's not any kind of bullet that I've seen before," Clark lied. "It must have been an assassination attempt."

"Assassination…why?" the woman asked.

"It's Lex Luthor," Clark answered.

Her expression didn't change, which he gave her credit for, and she asked, "Do you know if he has any medical allergies?"

Though it felt like his soul was ripping in two, Clark replied, "I don't know Mr. Luthor personally, I know his lover, Clark Kent. I heard the shots while I was in the area and responded."

"Oh, of course. Well, thank you for your help, Superman."

He watched for a moment as she joined the medical team already at work on Lex, wheeling him to the nearest emergency room. Swallowing heavily, Clark sped from the room and went in search of the assassin.

Following the trajectory of the bullets, Clark looked out from their balcony and scanned the opposite building with his x-ray vision. He saw a man running down the fire escape and, from the fact that he was almost to the bottom and carried a case of some kind, knew that it was the assassin.

Keeping a firm reign on his temper, Clark flew to the alley where the fire escape let out and waited in the shadows. When the man jumped to the pavement, Clark grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and slammed him into the building. The long case fell from limp fingers and clattered to the ground.

"Who hired you?" he hissed, fingers clamped around the man's throat.

Though fear showed plainly in the man's face, he shook his head.

"Let me guess…Lionel Luthor hired you to kill Clark Kent, didn't he?"

The blue eyes widened in shock.

"That's what I thought. You're in a delicate position here, whoever you are," Clark began, steel in his voice and an unrelenting grip. "On the one hand, you just tried to kill a friend of mine and may have succeeded instead in killing his lover. That pisses me off so that I want to bring you right to jail and throw away the key. You're never going to find a hole deep enough to hide from Lionel. On the other hand, I could get the Feds to protect you from Lionel if you turn evidence against him. It's your decision."

Swallowing heavily, the man whispered, "Please, Superman, help me."

Clark stared into the man's eyes for a long moment, then nodded and said, "We have a few details to go over first."

* * * *

Running into the emergency room at normal speed, Clark skidded to a halt at the reception desk and exclaimed, "I'm here for Lex Luthor! How is he?"

The woman held up a hand and replied, "Calm down, sir. Now, are you Mr. Kent?"

Clark nodded, his heart thundering as he waited.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

Stunned, Clark couldn't speak. Finally, he gasped, "What?"

"You heard the woman, Clark. Leave. Depart. Go away."

Clark stiffened at Lionel's satisfied voice and faced the man. "You have no right to keep me from seeing him!"

"Actually, I do," Lionel countered. "Lex never drafted a will, so I'm his legal guardian and determine his medical treatment until he's lucid. Though, of course, these things are tricky and sometimes recovery takes a very, very long time."

The threat ran through him like icy water down his spine. "You wouldn't!"

Lionel gazed at him coldly and replied, "Try me."

"Excuse me, but which of you is responsible for Lex Luthor?"

"That would be me, doctor."

Clark looked pleadingly at the doctor and said, "I am."

The doctor from when Clark had dropped Lex off eyed them both for a couple of moments before asking, "Which of you gave him the bracelet?"

"Uh, I did," Clark answered. "Well, he bought it, but it's, you know, instead of a ring. Since we can't, you know, get married or anything."

Her gaze angled to Clark and she reported gently, "One of the bullets struck a kidney, so we had to remove it, but the second went straight through. He made it out of surgery, but he lost a lot of blood before Superman was able to get him here. Also, one of the bullets lodged near his spine. We haven't been able to remove it yet because of the swelling, but it's not life threatening in and of itself."

Feeling faint, Clark staggered back a couple of steps and hit the wall, unable to grasp the extent of the injuries. "Is he…will he live?"

Compassionate, the doctor grasped his hand and replied, "We don't know, he's in a coma right now. If you want to sit with him, you can."

"No, he can't," Lionel interrupted.

"Mr. Luthor?" the doctor asked.

"That's right."

"You're going to have to wait in the reception area."

"Excuse me? I'm Lex's legal guardian!"

Arching an eyebrow at him, she replied, "And I'm his doctor, so what I say, goes. I highly doubt that you're what your son needs to give him a reason to live. Park it in the waiting area."

Clark didn't waste time on anything other than relief that he was going to be allowed to see Lex. He followed the doctor into the recovery room where Lex was hooked up to several different machines and an oxygen tank. Shaken by the sight, he stopped at the threshold.

The doctor touched his shoulder and said, "You should hold his hand when you talk to him, give him a point of reference."

"Uh, thanks. And thank you for letting me in here," Clark said. "I would have gone crazy without being allowed to see him."

"Considering the permanence of that bracelet, I gathered that," she said, smiling faintly and giving him a gentle push towards the bed. "Don't worry about anything except reaching him. I'll take care of the legalities."

Clark continued the rest of the way to the bed and sat on the edge, ignoring the chair altogether. Careful of the wires, he took Lex's hand and kissed it, hearing the door close behind the doctor. Agonized at the thought the Lex was in this condition because he'd been trying to save him, Clark whispered, "God, Lex, what were you thinking? Don't you ever do anything like this again. You said you wanted forever with me and I'm keeping you to that."

* * * *

"Mr. Kent?"

Clark jerked upright at his name and looked over at the doctor, who was surrounded by medical personnel. Getting to his feet, he asked warily, "Yes?"

"We're going to move Mr. Luthor to a private room in ICU," she explained.

Alarmed, Clark repeated, "ICU? You said he was stable!"

"And he is," she assured him. "We just need to keep a good, close eye on him. Why don't you take a few minutes to go speak to your family? They arrived about an hour ago and I put them in the private reception area. I already explained the situation to them, so they know the extent of his injuries. You can follow this young man here."

"What about, ah, Lionel Luthor?" Clark asked hesitantly. He didn't want to go outside if it was going to get him barred from the room, not even to talk to his parents.

With a somewhat vicious smile, the doctor answered, "I believe that Mr. Luthor is having some legal difficulties of his own at the moment. Don't you worry son, you'll be allowed to see your lover again."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Clark nodded. He kissed Lex's forehead and left the room to let them move Lex.

His parents weren't the only ones in the waiting area. Chloe, Pete, and Lois were also present and accounted for. Clark headed straight for his mom and was folded into her arms, even though he had to bend to get the full hug. His father's arms also surrounded him and he just stood in their love for a long time, soaking up their strength.

When he finally pulled back, Clark saw that Chloe and Pete had hustled Lois out of the room to give them privacy. "Lex took those bullets for me. Lionel had hired someone to kill me. What will I do if he…if…"

"He's going to be fine," Jonathan said firmly, gripping Clark's shoulder tight. "Lex is too damn stubborn to be anything except perfect, you know that."

"But…"

Martha nodded and agreed, "You're father's right, honey, Lex is going to pull through and be better than ever."

"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Jonathan suggested.

"I'd just gotten home. We were, uh, we were just going to make some dinner and go to bed," Clark reported softly, blushing a little at the euphemism. "Lex turned around to tell me something and must have seen the laser sight on me because next I know, he shoves me to the ground. All I could see was the blood, it ruined my favorite sweater. He must have been wearing it to…feel, uh, close to me...while he waited for me to get home."

Then Clark couldn't force another word past the tightness in his throat. Everything hit him at once and he dropped to his knees, arms around his midriff and shaking uncontrollably as sobs ripped out of him. He was gathered swiftly into his parent's embrace, but Clark was trapped in the memory of Lex on the floor, bleeding more than he could stop, of the meaty thud of impact as the bullets tore into his lover's body, one after another.

* * * *

"God," Lois whispered, retreating from the door. She'd never seen that kind of reaction from anyone before. Even when Clark had been dead set that Lex had gone bad, there hadn't been this…outpouring of emotion. She felt wrung out just from watching it, it was impossible to imagine was Clark was actually going through.

"Hey. What did you find out?" Pete asked.

Startled, for a moment Lois thought that he was talking about her peek into the private room. Then she realized that he was talking about Lionel and a grimly satisfied expression surfaced. "The Feds are holding Luthor in custody as we speak. Rumor has it that he took out the contract, although why, no one knows."

Chloe snapped, "It could be a hundred reasons why with Lionel Luthor."

"No argument here. Everyone knows that they've been gunning for Luthor for years," Lois recapped. "Until tonight, when Superman caught the assassin red-handed, there was no direct evidence linking him to any of his purported crimes. My source said that the man's singing like a bluebird in springtime in return for protection from Luthor for not finishing the contract properly."

"Damn. How'd you like that kind of family?" Pete muttered. "Brother kidnaps you and your Dad tries to kill you."

Chloe took his hand and said, "Lex is lucky that Clark saved him before he went too far down that path. He could have been the worst one of the bunch."

Pete nodded agreement. "Yeah. He was pretty scary there for a while."

"Look. I'm going to try and nail down an official statement. You coming with, Chloe?" Lois asked.

Hesitating, Chloe looked at the door that led into the private area. "No, Clark's going to need all the support he can get."

"Chloe, he's a reporter too, he knows that you can't stick around."

With a sigh, Chloe shook her head and said, "Then maybe I'm not a reporter."

There was a surprised silence from both Pete and Lois, then Lois shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll check in when I can."

With a last look at the door to Clark's grief, Lois focused on the best way that she could help Clark. That was to make sure that the whole world knew exactly what Lionel Luthor was capable of doing.

* * * *

"You didn't have to stay. There's nothing here for you to do," Pete said softly. "Clark really would understand."

Chloe smiled. "I know, but I can't just leave him here to get a story. He wouldn't do that to me."

Leaning in for a brief kiss, Pete commented, "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

She relaxed into his arms and said, "Love you, too, Pete."

* * * *

Clark walked into Lex's new room, which looked almost identical to the last one, and pulled the chair as close to the bed as he could. He knew that he was going to be there for a long time. Taking Lex's hand, brushing his own against the cool, bare scalp, Clark whispered, "You have to make it, Lex, you have to. I can't do this without you and I won't. Please wake up, love, please."

There wasn't any response, so Clark sighed and settled in to wait, kissing the lax hand in his grip.