Beta: Olivia
Delta: Nefernat
Email: Keikokin@gmail.com
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Martha Kent often let her mind wander when she was in the hairdresser‘s. It wasn't a treat she indulged herself in often. Not keeping your mind on the world around you could be dangerous on the farm, doubly so when your son is a super-powered alien.
Clark.
She sighed.
Her precious baby. Clark was everything that everyone could have hoped for. He was a famous journalist, well respected in his field. Clark sent checks home to help keep the farm in the family, even if most of the property was rented out to the farm next door. On the weekends he came home to help out.
Yet in all his costumed glory, he was the world biggest hypocrite and it was tearing her baby apart.
And only she saw it.
But he lived it.
Clark had to be virtuous, of a higher moral standard than all the humans on the planet put together fighting for truth, justice and the American way. But his actions belied all that.
Lex Luthor knew it, thus the rift.
Over the years Lex had drawn Lana Lang into the rift. But eventually, Lana grew too bitter for Lex to control or wish to deal with so she took refuge in her beloved France. Martha couldn't even remember the hopeful young girl she had been when held in comparison to the bitter, angry, vengeful young woman she'd become.
It was a good thing that Clark never told Lana the secret.
If only Jonathan and I had let him tell Lex.
The refrain was so common in her mind it simply swirled about before dissolving in despair.
Lex Luthor had gone into the family business as expected. Lionel Luthor had gone on to travel the world when the game of corporate raiders got to be too much. He'd asked Martha to join him, but she couldn't allow herself to be happy with Lionel, of all people. It felt like she was betraying Jonathan. Lionel understood this and had left Smallville. Somehow Martha knew she'd never see him again.
Just like she knew she'd never see Lex again. The thought hurt. At one time she viewed Lex as another son.
But he was Alexander Luthor now. No one dared to call him Lex. Even Superman called him Luthor.
Martha felt her stomach twist again. She fumbled through her purse for her medicine to soothe the ulcers that started after Jonathan died and Lex became Alexander…when Clark lost his smile.
She'd do anything to make her baby smile again. But Clark wasn't happy. He was miserable. Clark needed Lex to be Lex again, to be his Lex, the friend he never replaced.
"Martha?" Blinking away her musings, she looked up. Seeing it was her beautician, Patty Wiles, she smiled and made the obligatory small talk while she was ushered back for her shampoo. She closed her eyes as the hot spray saturated her scalp, and returned to her thoughts.
If only she had some sort of sign that they could get along after all this time because the world couldn't take much more of Luthor versus Superman. It would destroy them all, she was sure of it. Was there anything left between the two men?
All too soon, she felt her hair being wrapped in a thick, terrycloth towel followed by a gentle push to her shoulders that indicated it was time to move to the stylist‘s chair. She moved mechanically, feeling oddly uncomfortable with how her thoughts had progressed. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes again and tried to focus on the conversations around her.
"…I think the old Carlson place is going up for sale."
"…Did you hear about Sarah Beckett? Twins!"
"…It's a picture of my third grandchild!"
"…Did you see what she wore to church?"
"…I hear the castle is being cleaned up."
Martha gasped inwardly. The Luthor castle had been vacant for years. She did her best to focus on the last conversation.
"My sister used to cook for him and she's been asked to return."
"Who? Is Lionel coming back?" one of the beauticians asked.
Martha opened her eyes and looked to see who was talking. It was Karen Muller. Martha could make out her blonde hair in a mirror in the corner; it looked like she was getting highlights again. She was not one to make up stories. In contrast, her stylist was Hannah Swanson, and she was one to spread rumor. It was an interesting combination. Martha smirked, now realizing where all of Hannah's well-informed rumors came from over the years.
"No, Lionel won't come back because of well, you know." Hannah whispered conspiratorially to one of the girls sweeping the floors of hair cuttings. The girl looked in Martha's direction. She pretended not to notice, fussing with her plastic apron's adjustments around her neck.
"So are you saying that Alexander is moving in?" Hannah asked with a hint of displeasure. "Is he trying to escape from Superman?"
Martha bit her lip nervously. Was that really his plan? Did he think Superman wouldn't bring the fight to home ground?
"No, my sister said that she never saw him so unhappy and lonely. Maybe he was happier here," Karen mused aloud.
"When he was in love with Clark?" the girl sweeping the floor asked innocently and a bit too loud. Even Martha's stylist had frozen in her snipping of hair. Her eyes met Martha's in the big mirror and Martha put a finger to her lips. Patty nodded, turning Martha's chair a bit to the right so she was completely hidden by the odd partitions in the room. Reaching up, Martha squeezed her hand in thanks.
"Oh don't be ridiculous," Karen retorted. "There were women parading in and out of that castle all the time. He's been married several times now."
"Did you ever see the way he looked at that Kent boy? I'm telling you the only reason all those women were paraded up and down were to make Clark jealous. But the boy was so hopelessly oblivious that he never took notice," Hannah said in a very all-knowing tone.
"Well, he did have male lovers in Metropolis as a teenager. But I thought he'd grown out of it and simply did that to irritate Lionel," Karen replied sounding uncertain.
"See, he's coming back because he can't stand being away from him. He probably knows that Clark is home every weekend and wants to patch things up between them." Hannah's smugness was evident.
"Oh, we must be talking about Lex and Clark?" Martha's mouth dropped. She knew that voice. It was Chloe Sullivan, who had gone to live in Metropolis continuing to work for the Daily Planet where Clark had gotten a job too. Was she visiting her father?
"How did you know?" Karen asked sounding a bit irritated to have the conversation's control taken further away.
"Please. Those two are the worst case of unresolved sexual tension I've ever known. Clark had the worst crush on Lex. Then Lex goes and hooks up with Lana thinking it would finally get Clark to see the light. But no, so Lex is left trying to make a relationship work with Miss Universe." The others laughed at Chloe's nickname for Lana Lang. "I can't even count the number of times they looked like they would just jump each other right in the Talon!"
"Well, he's coming back to take over the castle." Karen said matter-of-factly. "If he wants to see Clark it will be easy enough; although, if he had really wanted to, he could have done that in Metropolis."
"He's too high profile in the city," Chloe replied quickly. "If he wants Clark back in his life, he needs to be forgiven here where it all started. You'd have to understand how Clark's mind works, too. He's very sentimental and this would be Lex's only shot."
"Did Clark ever date in Metropolis?" Hannah asked eagerly. Martha rolled her eyes knowing Clark's lack of dating life was about to be the gossip for the next week.
"Clark? Nope. For a while I thought he and Lois might hook up but she never stopped seeing him as a farm boy." Chloe snorted.
The conversation moved to Lois and Martha soon became lost in thought again. She let Patty fuss over her hair longer than usual, each knowing that Martha couldn’t exactly walk out to pay with Karen and Hannah there. "They're in the back," Patty whispered suddenly whisking the apron off of Martha. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Martha smiled. Hope filling her for the first time in years, she squeezed Patty's arm. "Yes, and I think I know just what to do!"
Patty smiled and nodded. She'd certainly heard Martha worry herself sick over Clark enough times while sitting in her chair. Martha tipped her generously and paid quickly. Upon getting back to the farm she made a quick call to the Sullivan place to put her plans into action.
Chloe Sullivan smiled upon entering the castle. It had been a long time since she'd been there. Both good and bad memories cascaded through her mind. But she still smiled upon seeing the familiar figure coming down the hall toward her. "Lex!"
"I wasn't aware that we were talking." Lex said stiffly.
"Well, I suppose I deserve that." Chloe winced thinking of all the hard hitting exposes on Luthor Corp she helped Clark research.
"Yes, you do," Lex said dryly.
Undeterred Chloe gave her best smile. "Consider me thoroughly chastised [; it] It was only business. Can we let it go for old times sake?"
A hint of a smile tugged at Lex's lips. "Why Miss Sullivan, are you suggesting we let bygones be bygones and try to reestablish our friendship? Or is this some new interview method of which I am wholly ignorant?"
Chloe laughed hearing the teasing tone in Lex's voice. "This is off the record. I'm home visiting Dad, not on the clock. Besides, it really is good to see you[,] Lex. Can we just call Smallville neutral ground?"
Lex took a deep breath, assessing the sincerity of her words. Chloe waited, knowing the signs of being evaluated. At last Lex nodded. "Care for a drink?"
"Oh now that's different! I don't think I've had a drink here with you. Happen to have the makings of a Cape Cod?" She rolled her eyes. "Dad's driving me crazy!"
Lex snorted as he moved toward the bar in the office. "Join the club."
Thus began an hour long talk over how their fathers were each making them insane before Chloe was able to turn the topic around. "It must be weird for Clark not to have a dad anymore."
Lex stood and refreshed his drink. "We've all had our share of losses."
Chloe held her glass up for a refill. Lex smirked before complying. "But he really closed up after that."
"Yes, I noticed that," Lex admitted. There was a period of silence before he asked. "Have you seen him?"
"Not lately. He just broods at work, never goes out on dates and is a complete workaholic when he's not being a hermit." Chloe frowned. "It's tearing Martha up. She has ulcers now. Did you know?"
Lex's head raised up with concern as he handed Chloe her drink back. "How bad is it?"
"Well they aren't bleeding yet, if that's what you mean. I spoke to her today and she invited me out for dinner. She mentioned that she'd heard you were coming back into town and that she'd love to see you," Chloe said casually.
A true lessening of the tension around Lex's eyes showed Chloe how much that meant to Lex. "Mrs. Kent has always been nothing but kind to me. I should have kept in touch with her." He looked away. "But I don't think it's a good idea for me to visit."
"Oh come on, you can come with me to dinner. If anything goes wrong I'll be the volunteer buffer. Besides, without you there she'll start on the marriage inquisition." Chloe sighed dramatically.
Lex tilted his head inquiringly. "The marriage inquisition?"
"Oh you know, the most dreaded conversation any twenty-something, still single and career minded woman can have with a mother figure in her life." She changed her voice slightly to imitate Martha's dulcet tones. "So dear, are there any special young men in your life? Surely someone has caught your eye. I know that your father would love to live long enough to see grandchildren."
Coughing to cover up his amusement Lex summarized, "The Guilt Trip."
Turning pleading eyes on Lex, Chloe whined. "Please Lex, come to dinner with me?"
"I should have known you had ulterior motives," Lex snorted.
Chloe shrugged. "Hey, at least I didn't hit you up for a loan."
"Hmm, why do I suspect that it would have been less painful?" Lex mused aloud.
Martha carved up the last of the roast and set it on the table in satisfaction, wiping her brow. She pulled up a chair and sat down to rest. Making these big dinners used to be a lot easier, she mused to herself.
The doorbell rang and she dreaded getting back up again. Her relief probably showed on her face when Chloe and Lex walked in without her having to show them in. Chloe smiled and winked at her in triumph. Martha smiled watching Lex enter her home for the first time in years.
"Lex!" Martha called out with a smile. "Come give an old woman a hug!"
Strolling over gracefully, Lex handed her a bouquet of tulips. "Your beauty is timeless, Mrs. Kent."
She laughed. "You silver-tongued devil you. Oh, what beautiful flowers!" She bit on her lips thinking of the last person to give her white tulips.
Jonathan.
Chloe must have seen her eyes welling up because she chimed in a bit too quickly with, "Hey, I brought wine!"
Lex snorted. "Yes, from my cellar."
"Finders keepers," Chloe smiled.
"Good thing I keep the valuables in a safe," Lex retorted looking more at ease. "Can I help with anything Mrs. Kent?"
"Would you be a dear and serve?" Martha asked hopefully. She really was tired. "Chloe, would you get out the wine glasses?" As the guests went to work she apologized. "I'm sorry to be putting you to work. I really shouldn’t, but it's been a while since I've ""
"It's okay Mrs. Kent. We understand, don't we, Lex?" Chloe smiled at Martha, trying hard not to note the amount of silver in the ever-shrinking red. It was hard enough to watch your own parents get old; somehow seeing it on others’ parents made it doubly hard to ignore.
"Well, that's enough of that. You two need to call me Martha." She smiled and looked at the clock.
They were just settling down with their wine and food when a car pulled up. "Oh, are you expecting someone Martha?" Lex asked. Feeling oddly protective as the only male in the house he began to rise to his feet.
"What day is it?" Martha asked.
"Friday," Chloe laughed. "Let me guess it's Clark and so we need to go slaughter a cow?"
"I resent that remark Chloe," Clark replied coming in the door and tossing a sports bag on the floor.
Lex sat back down, suddenly unsure of his welcome. "Perhaps I should go."
Martha reached out a hand, "Nonsense." She covered his, patting it gently. "I'm sure Clark would love to see you."
Clark froze, taking in the fact that Lex was here. Lex sighed then stood. "No, I think its best if I ""
"No!" Clark said a bit too loudly. Then he looked at them all. "This is what home is about, family and old…friends." There was an awkward pause.
"Hey, I resent that, Clarkbar," Chloe laughed. "Geez, first you’re a grouch at work and now you are calling me old. No wonder my cousin wants to mount your head on the wall."
"That's pleasant imagery for dinner,” Lex offered.
"Clark, get yourself a setting and sit down next to your old mother. Then you can tell me why you're home early." She tapped her cheek meaningfully.
Walking over to place a kiss on his mother's cheek Clark said, "You're not old, mom. But I did tell you I had some vacation time coming up, remember?"
"Really? That's great, you can help Lex move in," Chloe supplied, quickly shoveling some food into her mouth.
Clark's head shot up his gaze meeting Lex's. "You're moving back into the castle?"
Martha covered Lex's hand again. "Yes, isn't it wonderful?"
"Why?" Clark asked sharply.
"I gave Lucas control of the Metropolis branch. It's time to see if he can handle some responsibility again. I can jet from here to the international branches just as easily from here as in the city. Possibly even easier." Lex drank some of his wine.
"Is that why you had your dad build that airstrip?" Chloe asked curiously.
Lex nodded, having just put some food in his mouth.
"You're serious?" Clark asked in disbelief. "Why now?"
Clark and Lex stared at each other over the meal. "I guess, I missed it here," Lex whispered. "The city was changing me into someone I didn't like."
"Is that why you didn't bite my head off when I called you Lex?" Chloe asked curiously. The question had been nagging at her. He didn't respond, which for Lex was an answer in and of itself.
"Clark dear, did you tell Lex about your book?" Martha patted Clark on the arm encouragingly. It was so nice to have them both together and within reach, she mused.
"I wrote a book," Clark said simply, closing up like a clam.
Chloe rolled her eyes and kicked Clark under the table. "About what? How come you didn't tell me?"
"Clark likes to keep secrets," Lex snapped.
And just like that it was out. Like a giant dinosaur it loomed above them, threatening to take away the façade of peaceful, old friends having dinner. The secret. Chloe knew, of course, it was impossible for her not to have found out over the years. But Lex wasn't on the inside looking out. He was on the outside looking in. Every secret he managed to figure out was painstakingly ripped out of Clark, a.k.a. Superman.
"Lex-" Clark began.
"It's Luthor to you Superman." Lex growled out, years of pain coming to the surface. "Did you think I was so stupid I wouldn't know?"
"Guys, come on," Chloe hissed looking with concern at Martha who was clutching her stomach looking pale.
"Mom!" Clark pulled Martha up a bit out of her chair at the same time Lex yelled out "Martha!" helping her from the other side. Together they carefully walked her over to the couch. Lex took the afghan off the back and began to make her comfortable. Clark ripped off his glasses, using his x-ray vision to find her ulcer pills. He opened the bottle and pressed a two of them and a glass of water that Chloe had gotten into her hands. The three of them worked together to make her drink and take the pills.
"Are you okay?" Chloe asked biting her lip nervously.
Martha smiled tightly, pain etched across her face. "Yes, they are just fussing." She looked up at Lex and Clark. Taking her hand and covering theirs she lifted Clark and put it over Lex's. "I think its time you two made up, don't you?"
Lex looked at Clark. "I shouldn't have said ""
"No, you're right. I should have told you years ago," Clark clutched at Lex's hand, making his fingers go slightly white.
Chloe shook her head. "Give her some air." She pushed them back into the kitchen before returning to Martha's side. Martha winked at Chloe and they each watched the two men hopefully.
Clark pulled out a chair and beckoned Lex to sit back down. Lex did so and played idly with the remainder of the food on his plate. Clark reached over and took his hand. "I guess I'm not too good at the being human thing, am I?"
Lex looked up sharply. "I don't care about that, Clark. It was never about that."
"You hate me," Clark whispered.
"I could never hate you Clark," Lex retorted.
"Right. You hate Superman. What's the difference?" Clark stared down at Lex's hand.
Lex took his free hand and lifted Clark's chin so their eyes met. "Superman is what you think this world needs. He's a political propaganda machine in action. Superman is not the same boy I remember that only tried to do good and save others. He's a preaching alien who acts as though he's better than all mankind, so we all better look to him for an example."
Clark blinked as though he'd been suddenly smacked. "Is that how you really see me?"
"Not you. Him," Lex clarified. "Don't you get it, Clark?"
Shaking his head in confusion, Clark stared at Lex in bewilderment. "How can you say that? We're the same."
"No you aren't!" Lex yelled suddenly aggravated. "I can't stand that self-righteous façade! He's a pompous windbag and everything that you aren't. That's why I hate Superman and everything he is!"
"You hate me." The voice was small and tiny now; so much like the fifteen year old that Lex was rescued by that he winced.
"No Clark, never…"
"But you said," Clark shook his head.
"Supervision or not, bottle glasses or not, you're still blind," Lex leaned over and brushed a light kiss over Clark's lips. Neither saw the two women in the back beaming in victory.
Clark lifted a hand to his lips as if unable to process what had just happened. He shook his head in show of his still present confusion.
Lex stilled his head with his palms placed on either side of his head and looked deeply into his eyes. "Don't you get it Clark? I love you."
"Then why…" Clark's voice was etched with pain.
"I hate him most of all because he never allowed us to get together. Lana was just a ruse to get you to notice me. Then it became a way of being as close to you as I could, even if it was being separated by one person. But he came along and I couldn't compete with the world, so I did everything I could to get you to notice me again."
"Lex." Clark's voice was shaky. "You mean all this time…we could have…didn't you know that I?"
Lex smiled. "You aren't making a lot of sense, farm boy."
"Didn't you know I've loved you since the day of the bridge?" Clark asked in disbelief. "But you kept giving me advice on getting this girl and that girl. I did it all trying to make you notice me!"
"And that's why we had to pull hen's teeth to get you two together." Martha smiled as the two turned to see her and Chloe beaming at them.
"Mom?" Clark laughed. "You mean you set us up?"
"WE set you up," Chloe grinned. "So can we finish dinner now before you two get all smoochy?"
"But why?" Lex asked in confusion.
"Do you have any idea what its like to work with Grumpy Bear over there?" Chloe threw a pillow at Clark as she and Martha stood up.
Lex laughed; turning back to Clark he kissed him again unable to stop smiling. "So what is the name of this book?"
"Angst and the alien," Clark smiled happily and honestly, before kissing Lex back with fervor. Chloe laughed.
No one noticed as a tear rolled down Martha Kent's cheek.
Her baby smiled.
Disclaimer: All Smallville and characters, settings, etc. from the Superman universe are the property of DC Comics, the WB and CW TV Networks and their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended nor malice toward the actors who portray them in the show.