The Memoirs

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The little thing was back!!!! Samson didn't know what it was called, only that it liked to chew on his tail and eat the stuff that came out of his back end, but that was okay. Now there were all of them to play with the little thing!

As soon as Yellow Lady had yowled at him and the others, they'd hauled puppy butts out of the bedroom and almost knocked over the two Lex-smelling dudes on their escape.

And then... there he was! The little thing was back! Samson barreled down the hallway towards him.

YEAH! The BARKERS! Awesome!!!!!!! His annie had put him down, the little pink demon running off to prolly go put ookie gooey stuff on someone ELSES face, and Shaney was FREE! HAHAAH! His HOUSE! Heck. Yeah.

Annie had put some ucky sweaty pant things on his legs, but man, he'd gotten rid of those RIGHT off, and now his pampie covered his bum, like daddy said. Always gotta have the pampie on the bum. But, whatever.

Okay, and he was having a great time finding all his old stuff when he'd seen...the barkers. The brown things, that licked him. And how cool WAS it that there were more of them? Awesome, man, awesome.

Helloooo. Cleo blinked at the tiny Them, nudging Artie in his head so he'd pay attention. They'd escaped before the yellow lady stepped on them, but look! What was THAT?

Artie whuffed once, and nosed at it. When it didn't make any scary moves, he licked it.

And it licked back.

Coolness. Artie plopped down on the floor on top of the squirmy little things and started licking like crazy, whoofing at his sister to get her butt over and help.

AWESOME! YEAH! WOOO! He gave a big laugh, grabbing the thingies ear as the other two licked him and WOOOO! Explosion of *giggles*. Awesome! He loved this! Why hadn't daddy bought him fuzzy things like this before?!

Oooo yummy! Cleo licklicklicked, snuffling at it and licking... ew, its head, but it was okay, cause it laughed! Well, that was kind of cool, so she licked even more, nosing it in the arm and happily bouncing. Yay! Something FUN! Finally! Maybe it could help them collect shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lionel had gone back into Clark's room at the feminine scream, but when he ascertained that everything was all right, he sighed, and looked back at Dominic. "I am going to step on those dogs of Clark's yet."

"If you see me with a plastic bag and a stick with a nail in it in the middle of the night, don't ask." Dominic muttered, though he grinned at his lover, tucking his hands into his coat pockets... slipping one out to rub the back of his neck, gazing at his lover for a moment before reaching for his hand, and linking them. "I love you, Lionel."

"I won't." He wound his fingers through Dominic's, and then cursed again when one of the dogs nearly knocked him off his feet. "Goddammit!" he swore. "Where the hell are they running?" He looked down and around, then followed the bouncing puppy along the hallway until--"Dominic! Those puppies. They have Shane!!"

Dominic peeked around the corner, blinking... and choking on a snort, as he glanced up at his lover with shining eyes. "I think Shaney has the pups, darling."

HORSEY! COME ON! Give him a ride, already! He grabbed two ears, not sure which ones, falling over and exploding into more giggles as the fuzzy things licked. HEE! Yeah!

"SHANE!!!!! You leave those puppies alone this instant! Christ only knows what they're carrying!!" Lionel thundered, dropping Dominic's hand as he strode down the hall.

Artie just lifted his tail and showed the Noisy Dude his butt. Come on, what's a dog gotta do to get left in peace, huh?

Oh. My. God.

Shane looked up, face covered in puppy drool... and gasped.

No. No way.

Wait... was it?

No, way. His... his best friend was...

STANDING RIGHT THERE!

Dominic's eyes widened into twin spheres when Shaney gave a baby scream, and promptly burst into tears. "Well, that was unexpected." He followed his lover, keeping a wary eye on the dogs and not getting too close, as he shooed them on their way. "Off with you, mutties."

Lionel picked up his pace and swept the crying baby into his arms. "There we are, my young man. Yes, I know." He sat down, right in the middle of the floor, in the middle of dogs and everything, holding Shane to his shoulder and patting his back. "Hush now, my young gentleman. Gentlemen do not cry."

HIS BESTEST FRIEND WAS BACK! BACKBACKBACKBACKBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shaney... just... sobbed, holding on with great big handfuls of whatever he could get, and hugged him sososososososso tight. He was BACK! HERE! BACK! Or, maybe, Shaney was back, but who cared???? This was where he was supposed to BE! And he MISSED HIS BESTEST FRIEND!

"Please, Shane, don't cry." Lionel rocked the little boy in his arms, rubbing his back and stroking his hair, talking quietly to him. "I'm here. Your uncle Lionel is here, I'm not going to let anyone take you away again, not even your father. I'm here, my young man. I'm here."

Dominic's grin was wide, both eyebrows lifted as he scooted the puppies back enough to crouch next to his lover, one eyebrow lifting as he peered into big, blue, wet eyes, gently cupping the back of the babies head and rubbing his cheek. "Hullo, baby boy. Your uncle missed you as much as you missed him you know, darling." He leaned in and kissed the top of his head, chuckling when the baby snuffled.

Shuddery sigh. This... was... so... great. He thought his bestest friend was gone forever, like mama. But no! Here he was! AWESOME! And he let out a squeal, sitting up with tear streaks all over his face and a big grin. Just... beamed. "Inol!"

"That's right, my boy. Lionel." He just grinned at Dominic. "See? He's a smart little fellow." He nodded at Shane's grin. "He's damned smart, not like his father." He rubbed his beard over Shane's cheek, teasing him.

Dominic chuckled again and rose, shaking his head at them. "I wonder where his papa is runnin'. Thought he'd have another week or so to come into Smallville, after all." A shake of his head, kissing Shaney again and climbing to his feet. "Gonna go find him, Lionel, he may want to get in on the carpet laying for the buildings. Bloody phenomenal at it, he is, as well."

Lionel just nodded. "I think Shane and I will go and get cleaned up, and then we'll meet you in the television room. I do believe the Care Bear DVDs I ordered for him finally arrived."

"Air air." Shaney snuffled, beaming at him and rubbing his face against his bestest friends beard. He had huge handfuls of hair and wasn't. Letting. Go. Care bears! Awesome!

"I'll be back in a bit, and than we're off to go work, Lionel, darling." Dominic smiled, kissing them both before stepping around the dogs, and walking down the steps. The house was oddly quiet... except for his best friends laughing roar, and a tinkling, soft, female laugh. His eyebrows creased, and vaguely wondering what female he picked up last night, Dominic opened the door to the parlor... blinkblinkblinking at Gideon, holding Lindy in his lap.

...What? "Er?"

"Morgan!!" Lindy beamed at her brother. "Y'didna tell me Gideon was here!" She hugged Gideon again, kissed his cheek, and bounced up to hug her brother. "You look like you've been poleaxed."

Another blink, though he returned her hug... blinkblinking at Gideon... Lindy... huh? For the first time in a long time, he was completely baffled. "Darlin', not that I'm no' completely ecstatic to see you, but what the bloody hell are ya doin' here?"

Lindy blinked. "Y'mean Lionel didna tell you?" She'd told Lionel not to tell anyone, but hadn't expected him to take it so… literally.

"Uh... no." Carefully said, blond brows lifting as his eyes narrowed. What the bloody hell hadn't Lionel told him?! "Wha's happenin'?"

"The short of it is, hi roomie." She gave him a little wave.

What? He held her arms length... a million thoughts. Ellie's hurt. Their house was burglarized. It burned to the ground. Someone was hurt. He looked at her in panic, giving her a soft shake. "What happened? Is everyone alright?? Where's me Ellie?!"

"Ellie's upstairs, brother. She's sleepin'. Wore herself out on the plane, she did. Everybody's okay, thanks to Graham and Lionel." She put her hands on his forearms, squeezing gently. "Roddy came back."

"WHAT?!" He was aware he was bellowing. He didn't give a fat rats ass. "HE CAME BACK!? Why didna' anyone TELL ME?!"

"Because Lionel took care of him." And her voice was completely adoring. "As soon as we called him and told him that Roddy had come and Graham had him at gunpoint, he sent a whole team of people in to take care of us. He brought me and Ellie back here, just as fast as he could."

"WHAT?!" He bellowed it even louder, letting his sister go and thundering out of the door. It slammed open with a punching smack, and he stomped right up to the stairs, roaring up the steps, "LIONEL LUTHOR YOU GET YOUR BLOOMIN' ARSE DOWN HERE NOW!"

Lionel poked his head out from the bedroom, and ignored the roaring as he finished wiping Shane clean of dog drool, tucked him back into a fresh diaper that he'd found under the sink from last time, and tucked the baby, bare-chested against his shoulder and proceeded calmly down the stairs. "I'll thank you not to take that tone with me, little cricket."

"I'll thank you TO LET ME IN ON THINGS WHEN MY FAMILY IS NEARLY KILLED!" Dominic bellowed back, snarling at him and taking only a single step back enough for Lionel to come in. "Why didna'ya TELL ME my Lindy ha' been fucking threatened?!"

Lionel ignored his ranting lover as he looked at Lindy. "Do you happen to have a clean shirt for young Shane here? I'm afraid the other is covered in dog drool."

"Of course; it's in with my bag." She reached down, to the bag of toys she always kept close for Ellie, and pulled a blue shirt with a blue Care Bear on it and handed it to Lionel. "There you go."

"Thank you, Lindy." Lionel sat down at the table and sat Shane on it, tugging the shirt over his stomach. "There you go, my young man. Lindy, did you sleep well?"

Dominic very carefully lifted his beloved nephew, handing him to Lindy, and smacked his lover. Arms, mostly, giving the mountainous creature he called husband a shove, as well, glaring at him and getting this close. "I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You." He said clearly, enunciating each word carefully as his eyes sharpened.

"There are Care Bear DVDs if you'd like to take Shane upstairs to watch them," Lionel continued quietly. "They were specially ordered for the young man, with enhanced sound and colors." Then he dropped his eyes to his lover. "If you expect any sort of answer out of me, Dominic, you will not speak to me in that manner. At all."

Patience? Lost. He let out a sound of frustrated fury, stalked across the room, and slammed himself shut in Lex's office.

Lionel reached his arms out for the baby, tucked Shane back into his arms, and kissed Lindy on the cheek. "I'm glad to see you, Lindy." He very calmly and very collectedly followed Dominic into Lex's office. "If you are going to storm out on me, Dominic, you will at least do it in a civilized manner."

His face was very dark and stormy, walking up and down the office as he fought in vain to calm himself. He. was. Going. To. Kill. His. Lover. His sister had almost been killed... within the past few days, because it would have taken her at least a day to get here. And Dominic hadn't known. No one had thought to inform him on his beloved sister's whereabouts, and he didn't even look at his lover, stomping back and forth.

"Stop that sulking this instant. I didn't put up with it when you worked for me, I shall not put up with it now." He rubbed Shane on his shoulder, holding him tightly.

"I am not sulking. I am going to beat your ass, is what I'm going to do. Why didn't you fucking tell me Lindy was in danger? Eh?" Dominic turned then and glared at him, pointing a finger. "You should have told me."

"Because, Dominic, it was handled. By my people, Lindy wasn't hurt, and it was something that she wanted put behind her. I don't air the fact that you had difficulties with nightmares and flashback, nor do I air any other confidences that are given to me."

"She is my sister, Lionel. Can you understand what knowing my sister, and my husband, kept something so huge from me? God, damn you, I thought we were past this, I thought you could tell me anything. But you kept the well-being of my sister away from me! She could have been killed by that lunatic, or, or hurt or something and no one thought it dire to tell me?!" Dominic snarled, glaring at him.

Whoa. Hello. The bestest friend and Ommie were mad. Uuuuht oh.

"Had something happened, I would have told you despite this." He shifted Shane higher onto his shoulder. "However, Lindy was in no danger once my people arrived on the scene. I brought her and Eleanor back to stay with us until they've found a place of their own."

"Lionel, dammit." Dominic finally looked up at him, eyebrows tense and furrowed together. "Did you even think to tell me?"

"No, I didn't. As I said, I'm not in the habit of passing out confidences."

The words burned, and Dominic's anger faded, just... looking away from him and furrowing his brow, looking out the window for a long moment. "You're my spouse, Lionel. Even if it was breaking a confidence, I would tell you. I've told you many things many times that Lex had told me, that he asked me not to tell you. But I did, out of his best interest. You simply did not tell me because Lindy asked you not to?"

Lionel shrugged gently so as not to dislodge the baby. "That's right. She asked me not to, and I didn't. Clark's asked me not to tell his parents about his child, and I have not. You have given me many confidences that I have not spoken of without your permission."

He let out a soft, quiet breath, and nodded, looking away. God, dammit, he didn't like it. Not one bit. But he understood why his lover had done it, even if it hurt him. So he just looked away and fell into one of the chairs in front of Lex's desk, and stayed there.

Lionel moved to sit behind his son's desk, putting Shane on the surface of the desk and held him there, hands on the boy's waist. "You don't like it."

"No, dammit. I don't."

OOOOOO! Shiny! AND look! There were those things daddy called 'No!'.!!!! Yay! He picked up on of them, peering at the end of it. When that pieces was sticking out, he could draw ALL over the wall!!!! Where was it at? Hmmmm.

"No, Shane. If you'd like to draw, we will do it on paper." He turned Shane around, taking the pen out of his hand and putting a pencil in it instead, and then put a sheet of paper in front of him. "There you are."

He looked up at Dominic. "I'm sorry, for what it is worth."

"No, you're not." He watched the baby tap the pencil against the glass cheerfully. He refused to let himself get hurt over this, fucking refused. Because right now was not the time to be squabbling with his lover, not with the problems going on at LuthorCorp. So he just pinched the bridge of his nose, hard, and wished to God for a drink.

God, he just loved his bestest friend. He turned and gave him a kiss... or, well, pushed his mouth against him, and squealed, giggling as he colored. YAYAYAYAY!

Lionel returned the kiss, pressing his lips to the back of Shaney's head, rubbing his shoulder as he scribbled. "That's my little artist." He looked back at Dominic again. "You're right; I'm not sorry for keeping my word. But I am sorry that it hurts you."

He didn't say anything for a long moment, just rubbing his lips in a habit he'd picked up from his lover, staring into the corner of the room. His eyebrows were furrowed, his mind thinking, eyes focused on nothing as he did so. Not thinking about anything in particular… just thinking.

Hooray! He'd made bestest friend and Shaney! YAYAYAY!

Lionel didn't say anything either. Instead, he looked down at the picture Shane had scribbled, picked up the baby and the pencil, tucked the picture into his pocket, and headed to the door of Lex's office. "I will be working upstairs if you need me." That said, he left Dominic to stew as he climbed the steps to the bedroom. "Come with me, little man. We'll find something for you to watch while Uncle Lionel works."

Dominic watched Lionel go out of the corner of his eye...not saying anything until he'd gone, and climbed to his feet, calmly. And as soon as he had he snatched the closest thing, a small decanter of brandy, and hurled it as hard as he could. It smashed in a thousand pieces, brandy spilling everywhere, and he let out a string of curses... none of which were in English. "Go bpléasca scata Fomhórach ólta do cheann!" He snarled at the door, opening the other door that led out of Lex's office and slamming into his study. It was dark. This was good.

He needed to brood.

At the sound of shattering glass, Gideon sighed, and slipped Lindy off his lap. "Aye. D'ye wanna tak'le th'bloody fool, or shell I?"

Lindy shook her head. "I think I better. I think Morgan's mad because Lionel didn't say anything to him about Roddy. I wanted to tell him myself, after he saw that Ellie and I were okay. Besides... I'm his sister and he likes me. He won't hurt me."

"An y'think th'id'it'll hur'me? I c'n kick that scrawny arse back to Cobh, e'en from dis'ere chair!"

She just grinned. "I just think it'll be better comin' from me." She looked around the kitchen, ended up with two coffee cups--both matching little fat angels, one a boy and one a girl, and filled them with coffee. She put them on a tray with a half a batch of her chocolate Kahlua cookies, and then followed the Gaelic swearing until she found her brother and knocked on the door.

Dominic looked up, eyes dark and brooding. He'd sat down in one of the thick leather couches, the thick drapes having been drawn, and he looked up, glowering at the door. Fucking hell, he didn't have time for this, nor did Lionel. They had work to do... go see the Foremen of the six construction crews. The meeting was in twenty fucking minutes, and he was pissed as hell as he opened the door, scowling at Lindy and almost closing the door again before he just turned and went to sit down again.

"Can I come in, Morgan? Or will I be gettin' in the way of your spectacular brood? And before ye say no, I have Kahlua cookies and hot coffee."

"I'm no' brooding, godammit." He growled, from the corner of the couch he'd sacked himself into.

"Really? Couldna proved it by me." She leaned against the doorway. "Is that a no or an aye?"

"Fine, alrigh'? Just... come in an' sit down somewhere, an' leave me be."

"Okay." Lindy came in and put the cookies and coffee down on the low table beside the couch, and then sat down on top of her brother, snuggling in beside him.

"Aye, but tha's no' a good thing to be doin' to a man of my current mood." He growled, darkly, but didn't have the heart to shove her off. ...Though he wanted to, valiantly.

"Mmm," she mmed, reaching out for a cookie and nibbling daintily. "Wha's brought on th'mood?" she asked, offering him a bite of her cookie.

He shook his head, looking away from her. "You know plenty well what did."

"I never know wi'you, my brother." She tucked her feet back under her and kept nibbling on her cookie.

"Why didna' ya tell me what was happenin', Lindy? Why? Hurt me, you did, as I'm a man grown and do not expect me own sister to not trust in me ta help her." He said quietly, staring into the corner as his eyebrow creased.

"Why d'ye think I didna?" she said, brows furrowed. "Wasn't meant to hurt you, Morgan. You're my brother, and I love ye more than the rest cause you know me. But I know you too, now, and I know how y'worry and fret. Wasna no need. I told Lionel not to tell you till I could, till you could see Ellie and me and see we were all right. But y'flew off the handle at Lionel before I could get another word out."

"Because he should have told me, godammit." But even as he said it he saw his error, and leaned forward, setting his forehead in his hands. "Dammit, Lindy, I dunna' worry n' fret. I'm no' a woman. I could have helped, quick as can be. I'm no' some excitable Irishman, dammit."

"No, of course you're not an excitable Irishman. That's why y'just flew off wi'out listening." But her voice was smiling at him, because she knew he loved her just that much. "Morgan, you've got the most excitable temper of all of us, Graham included."

"No, I don't!" He cried, glaring back at her. "No, I dont. Not s'much so that people canna' come to me! What type of person does it make me, if so?"

"Aye, y'do. An' I'm glad of it." She leaned over and hugged him. "Morgan, think for a minute. You can't drop your own life at the beck an' call of your sister anymore." She ruffled his hair gently. "Esp'cially when you're a six hour trip away. You'd have got here just in time to help me step on the plane."

"Dammit, Lindy. I dunna' like thinkin' I canna help you. God, dammit." He said, darkly, leaning forward again to rub his face. "I shouldna' snapped at Lionel. But dammit, why did you tell him not to tell me?"

"Because I wanted to tell you m'self, once you'd seen Ellie later today and seen there was nothin' to be getting upset about!" She thumped his arm. "B'lieve me, brother. Now that I'm t'be living here too, you'll be hearin' from me lots more than you want."

He just... he shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face. "I'm going to go apologize to him. We've both been stressed, and I'm takin' it out on him. I'll be back sometime later."

"Want me t'go with you? Moral support?" she offered.

"No, I've got it under control." He said quietly, and left her as he stepped out into the hall. God, dammit, fucking seventh circle of hell. He took a deep breath and walked up the steps, and it galled him to be apologizing. But he didn't want his lover upset at him, and they had too long a day with too many things to do not to keep full attention on it. So he walked up the steps, rubbing a hand over his mouth, and opened the door to their office.

Lionel didn't even look up from the desk as the door opened, as his back was to it and he was watching Shane drawing on the floor. "Just leave the coffee beside the bed, Enrique. I'll get it in a moment." His hand didn't pause in the notes he was making, nor did he lose his place in the book balanced in front of him.

"I's me."

"Dominic. Come in; whatever you are looking for should be buried somewhere on the desk," he said, waving vaguely to the stack of papers beside him.

He would not get angry. He would not get angry. "I came to apologize, Lionel."

Lionel's hair moved as he shook it. "There's no need; you're angry for a valid reason, and I accept that you are. I merely refused to argue with you about it, because there is simply too much to be done."

"I snapped at you, when there was no reason for it. I understand you have to keep your word… its one of the things that makes me like you so much. So... I'm sorry for being angry. The entire situation with Roddy is just... very difficult, and I didn't expect her to be here because of him."

Lionel put his pen down and turned in his chair at that, his face blank. "I accept your apology, Dominic," he said softly. "I understand why you were angry about it." He turned back around, and went back to work, pulling out notations from the book in front of him.

The blank face only hurt him worse, and he watched his back a moment before turning and closing the door behind him. He went down the steps, across the front hall, and out the front door, letting it slam behind him. Damn fucking man, goddammit, goddammit.

~ * ~ * ~

And it was with that bright, beautiful mood that fueled the slam of Dominic's Jaguar door. The drive hadn't helped... in fact, he was only more incensed, and his face showed it. He was stressed for time, angry because his husband hadn't accepted his apology, angry at himself for being angry at Lionel for DOING something that Dominic respected. God, dammit, but he was his husband and... GRRAAHHH!

The construction teams were waiting in what seemed to be at least a hundred trucks, parked right outside of the enormous chunk of land Lionel had bought for the houses. They were there in force, and really, the only thing that they needed was organization and control. The land was right behind the business buildings, and all the foremen, six in total, were waiting for Lionel to come and set it into motion.

Well, they were just going to have to deal with the vice president.

His long coat moving with each step, Dominic stepped through the gate of the lovely fence that had been installed a few days prior, nodding at the men cleaning the buildings. Old machines and broken desks littered the lawn where they were cleaning the buildings out, and tomorrow morning, if things went as planned, they'd be able to start getting things in. He walked across the cement, carefully avoiding the budding winter grass just beginning to re-grow, and pulled open the door... sighing softly. Carolyn. Thank. You. Jesus.

"Darling, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably starve?" She asked, smiling. She gave his cheek a kiss and thrust out a huge pack of paperwork, eyes twinkling up at him as they walked across the gorgeous tile. It was the first time she'd been in the buildings, and oh, she just loved them. They were perfect. "The men are waiting for you in the large conference room on the second floor. You have eighteen messages... five from some news anchor, the others from your assistants. They're freaking out, apparently... like a little flock of birds, all in an uproar. Charles called. Give him a call back when you can. Where's Lionel?"

"Home. What did Charles want?"

"His wife went into labor yesterday evening, and he won't be in to work tomorrow, I don't think."

"Fabulous." Dominic lifted his head and looked up at the enormous ceiling, where... hee. "Dogwood, 'ello!"

"'Sup, man!" Dogwood waved from the top of the scaffolding, riding the wiggling wood like the pro he was. "Leave Big Daddy at home, didja?" He raised his goggles just enough to squint down. "Tell your homies here to lay off the walls, cause I don't need no more chippin' of the paint than I already got!"

Two of the foremen were leaning against the wall, and one of the jumped guiltily and pulled himself up straight. "Ah. Sorry!" He yelled up to the man on the scaffold.

"Don't worry, I'll let them know!" Dominic called back, slipping into his pocket for his cell phone. He didn't recognize the numbers on the front screen and deleted them, instead dialing up head of his little chicken coup as he called down. "Gentlemen, the meeting is starting, please take your seats." And back up, paying attention into his little phone as he and Carolyn whisked up the steps.

And, guilty, she loved seeing her men in action. A pity Lionel wasn't here... he would have been proud of his little cricket. And she bit off the smile, instead taking notes of what Dominic was saying in her little palm pilot.

"Oh thank God!!!!!" Charlie Siegel was barely twenty five, and he was terrified. To death. Of Dominic Senatori. The mere thought of screwing up had him nearly pissing his pants. "Mr. Senatori!!" he shouted into the phone. "Oh man. Mr. Senatori, thank God!!"

There were fifteen people in all, six foremen, their team managers, Carolyn, Dominic himself, and Dogwood way up on the scaffolding. The one who'd be leaning against the wall raised his hand as soon as he settled into his seat.

"Lower your voice, Mr. Siegel." Dominic said clearly, concisely, his voice steel as he spoke. "Carolyn tells me there seems to be a problem... but there really is no problem, correct? Because if there was, you'd be asking for change at the corner of 86th street, and you really don't want to do that, now, do you?" He looked up at the men, nodding at Carolyn. "I'm terribly sorry, gentlemen, please excuse me for just a moment. Carolyn will be handing out the team plan, and Id like all of you to look over it, and make any notations of which you feel needs further explaining, or changing of some sort. I will be with you in five minutes." Dominic stepped from the conference room, standing in the hall outside the door as Carolyn did her thing inside. "What, exactly, do you need from me, Mr. Siegel?"

"Phone calls!! Ringing off the hook here!!!! Diane Sawyer! Your mother!!! Says you're married to Lionel Luthor!! Wants to break the story! Please don't fire me!!!"

He... blinked His mouth... dropped. Another blink... another, and he stared at the wall in disbelief. "What?"

Charlie was quaking. Literally quaking, on the other end of the phone. "Diane Sawyer and her office has been calling all weekend! Your mother told her that you were having dinner with your husband Lionel Luthor and you couldn't be disturbed and now she wants to tell the world and have interviews with you and Mr. Luthor and she won't stop calling and it's not my fault I swear!!"

"Mr. Siegel? If you don't calm yourself righ' now, I'll be doin' more then firing you the next time I see you. Are we clear?" He dropped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose tightly. "Who else knows? Among the six of you? You better say no one, Mr. Sigel."

"Me and Michelle, cause Michelle took one of the other messages from Ms. Sawyer while I was in the bathroom!!" He was dancing from one foot to the other, doing a nervous jig.

"Good. If either of you say a word, to anyone, about this before I call you back, may all of Gods angels help you. Clear? I want the financial reports for section B done possibly yesterday. The instant you have them, fax them to the mansion. You do have the number still, yes?"

"Th--they--they're done!" he squeaked. "M-Mr-Mr. Luthor got them fi-five minutes ago!!"

"Good." And he took pity on the lad. Just a little. Even if he was getting treated better then Dominic ever did at that position and rank. "You're doing very well, Mr. Siegel. I expect you to keep up this type of work. I'll contact you again, stay by the phone." And he hung up... and stopped, before dialing Lionel. He was stewed to a hot boil, and he wasn't going to tell him anything until he'd calmed down, dammit.

"Thank you sir!" Charlie squeaked out, and then tossed the phone down on the desk before fainting.

Dominic turned around, slipping his phone into his coat pocket, and walked into the conference room. "Ladies, gentlemen, I'm sorry to have taken so long."

There was a quiet murmur from the assembled group, and then...

"Goddamn son of a whore!" Dogwood's swearing rang out over the empty building. "Sorry!!" he yelled out again. "Didn't mean to interrupt!!!"

Carolyn sneaked out of the room quickly, skipping down half the steps so she could see Dogwood, and hissed, "Everything alright?"

Dogwood looked down. "Yeah, doll. Everything's great, just hadda chunk of my own work fall on me. Nothin' I can't fix up with a little bitta plaster."

Dominic glanced up in surprise at the vehement swearing, smiled a little, and looked back on the group as he took a seat. "Hello, ladies, gentlemen, I'm Dominic Senatori, for those who don't know me. Mr. Luthor couldn't be here today, and asked me to fill in for him. Are there any questions, complaints, suggestions that I can help with before the building for the day begins?"

One of the foremen raised his hand. "John Williams, Williamson and Reeves Construction. Mr. Senatori... even if we max out our crews, with overtime and everything, there's no way we can do this without hiring a lot of extra manpower, and we don't have that kind of capital on hand!"

"Yes, I understand that, sir. However, we have a few resources left to our disposal. We're going to have Habitat for Humanity come out early tomorrow morning, and add another and hundred and fifty men for your perusal. We're also going to have the high school students, 600 strong, come out for their community project and aid the HH foreman in putting up homes. We need 1500 homes, gentlemen. Mr. Luthor and I hired the best, and the best is what we expect from you. Your goal is 1500 houses. That's two hundred houses for each company. The blue prints have been made... you all have a copy?"

A ripple of positive nods across the room. "We have them," Williams answered. "And if the Habitat people come out, then it might be doable."

"Fantastic. Mr. Luthor and I don't expect miracles... we're just asking for them. We were set against an extremely tight deadline, and its already too late to stop plans. So this is really the only viable choice right now. We'd be very grateful to you, all of you, if you could meet this goal. Are there any questions, comments, anything? Please, feel free to ask." Dominic said, professional guy on as he pulled out his own paperwork, ready to clear up any problems or questions.

A soft murmur, a couple of elbows thrown, and Williams stood up again. "I hate to keep nitpickin', but have you guys thought about roads and stuff? There's gonna be a lotta congestion comin' in from the city and all, and it's gonna be a bitch to get in an outta these developments, if there ain't roads."

The thought had Dominic's mind whirring, mapping out Smallville in his head. The two main highways led from Richardsonville, one from Metropolis, three lane highway, too many people, FUCK. "You'll have to pardon me for seeming so surprised... this came quite as a surprise, in the last few days. Mr. Luthor and I never thought we'd be doing this so quickly, right now. You have a point, Mr. Williams. Have you any propositions today?"

"Yeah, I do. Lookit the map here, page three? Since we're sittin' right behind these buildings, why can't we tap into this old freight road that used to run into the paint plant? Course you'll hafta get a road crew out here to re-pave the sucker, but I got a brother'n brother-in-law, Jackie Rubenstein, who do that kinda stuff. If you can get them a team of about five or ten guys who know diddle 'bout asphalt, you can have a two-road blacktop straight from the housin' developments to the plaza here." He pointed. "You'll have t'bushhog that whole area out backa here anyway t'park at, no matter how y'come in."

"I like it. Have it done. Have Mr. Rubenstein contact Carolyn's office and have it set up, I'll let Mr. Luthor know this afternoon. One of you here... ah.." Dominic peered at his list. Contractors Inc.? Who's the one representing them today?"

A burly man of about Graham's size stood up. "That'd be me, sir. Charley Lineman." There was so much Bostonian in his accent that his name ended up as "Cholly" instead of "Charley."

"Hello, Mr. Lineman. I'm aware that your company will be doing the parking, laying of asphalt?"

"Yessir, that we are." He nodded. "Call me Cholly."

It amused him, because without the carefully hidden accent, the mans was thicker than his own. But he didn't say anything, simply nodding at him and shifting. "When can you have it down by?"

"We can work around the rest of the crews, cause we'll be layin' some of the sidewalks between the buildings too." He gave an affable grin. "We can meet up with the Rubenstein boys and plan it out and meet 'em as far down the track as they need us to."

"Get it done, quick as you can. If possible, by Wednesday. We need someplace for our employees to park, as we're planning on having them come out and set their workstations just as they like it. Hopefully, it will go as quickly as we're planning." Dominic closed his notebook, after having scrawled messages and notes to himself, and nodded at them. "Is there anything else, gentlemen?"

Charley raised his hand. "If you'll take a look at this... if you let us asphalters re-draw the lines, we can get you twenty extra spaces in the big lot right here." He tapped his paper with his pen.

"Aye, and sirs, that brings me to another important suggestion. In the future, whatever ideas you have that you feel will improve what you're doing? Run it by us, and make sure it won't impede with the other companies. But by all means, please do it."

There was another ripple of nods through the group, and another spate of colorful swearing from Dogwood.

"DOMINIC! My MAN! Could you tell these guys to be as careful as humanly possible around this artwork? If it looks new, bang up against it all ya want. It's got slickgloss over it, and you could piss on it and not mess it up! But the stuff that looks old? LAY OFF IT, DUDE!"

Dominic winced, and pointed. "That's our resident painter. He's reconstructing all the artwork in the buildings. Please limit any wanderings into the buildings, please, and don't touch anything. More than likely, its wet or broken. And please, pass that on to all of your workers."

"AMEN, BROTHER!" Dogwood bellowed.

He grinned… couldn't help it, shaking his head and rubbing a hand over his face. "Lord, Jesus. Regardless, thank you, all of you, for coming out here on a Sunday. It won't be forgotten gentlemen."

"Glad to do it, sir!" Charley nodded. "We'll be out here bright'n'early in the morning!"

"Thank you, all of you." Dominic rose, and offered his hand to them, shaking each of their palms tightly before nodding at Carolyn and whisking out of the room, already pulling out his cell phone. Okay. He was calm. Er. So he dialed the mansion, his packet of papers, notes, phone messages and general shit Carolyn seemed to shit in his arms.

"Lut'or Residence." Ms. Bird was humming along to a song in the background as she picked up the phone.

"Hello darlin', its Dominic. Is Lionel there? Get him on. Tell him we've got a small, minor, large problem. Also? Hide my mother before I find her and kill her."

"Herr Lionel is upstairs wit de baby," Ms. Bird pointed out. "I vill page him for chu." She hit the intercom button that would start the pager going off in Lionel's office. She cackled at the threat against Rosalyn. "Chu von't hef to vorry. She und Enrique vent out for de groceries."

"Ms. Bird? She told Diane Sawyer Lionel is my husband."

Ms. Bird nearly dropped the phone, and started swearing in German. "She didn't!"

"Yes. Yes, she did. I'm having a small heart attack. Is Lionel there? Tell him if he doesn't get on this phone right now I'm going to kill him in his sleep."

"He's not answering de page. I vill get him for chu." Ms. Bird charged up the steps, swearing into the telephone with every other step until she was pounding on Lionel's door.

It opened as she pounded on it, and it revealed an exhausted Lionel, curled up in bed with Shane, a pillow thrown over the pager to shut it up. "Chu should see dis. He is sleepink vith the baby." She leaned over and bellowed in his ear. "CHU HAVE A PHONE CALL HERR LIONEL!!"

Lionel woke up and had his arms not been wrapped around Shane, he'd have swung. "For the love of Christ, woman. There had better be someone dying on the other end of the phone!!"

"It is chur husband and I em not scart of chu, bully!" She thrust the phone at him and flounced out.

Lionel sighed, rubbing the sleep out of tired eyes as he put the phone to his ear. "Yes?"

Dominic just... he didn't know whether to laugh, or to cry, rubbing his face with the arm currently holding all his shit, knowing Carolyn caught it from slipping out the bottom of his arms, slipping it in until his hand came down, catching it as he and Carolyn whisked down the steps. She rushed ahead of him, grabbing her coat and papers, briefcase tucked under her arm, and followed him out the door. "Lionel, if you see my mother, I am giving you free reign to ring her throat like a chicken, hang her from the rafters, and beat her until she bleeds cheese."

"I just woke up, Dominic. What in the name of hell are you rattling on about your mother?"

"She told Diane Sawyer you and I are married."

Lionel was quiet for a very, very long moment. "I'm going to either kill your mother, or buy her something exquisite."

Dominic was holding himself on by a thread. "Hide her. If you see her, tell her that if she comes in contact with me, that son or not, I'm going to lock her away in the worst old folks home in the country and watch her rot."

A quiet pause. "I will pass the message on. Though I believe she is currently out, as I saw her leaving with Enrique before Shane and I decided we needed to nap."

"Stop it. Before you even think it, stop. I want the world to know. However, I did not want it to be on 20/20!"

"You would prefer Barbara Walters? Or perhaps 60 Minutes?" The dry wit in his voice substituted for the eyebrow that was currently elevated. "I am sure Ms. Sawyer will agree to whichever show you prefer."

"That's not funny." Dominic glared into the phone, whisking to the jag with Carolyn quickly on his heels. He handed her the phone while he dumped the paperwork in the trunk net, beeping open the car.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor! Missed you today. If it helps, I think the world should know, and 20/20 is a great venue." Carolyn was hyper talking, dumping her own things in the trunk as Dominic cursed in a few different languages beside her. "Its better then having FOX cover it, or having them do a Michael Jackson like interview on you, you know? Diane Sawyer is accredited." She held the phone just out of Dominic's reach, continuing on as he leaned over the clutch, trying to snatch at her and cursing. "Plus, you both are adorable, and you have to share your--" Dominic snatched the phone back in that instant. "HAPPINESS!" She called.

"Charlie called. I scared the living shite out of him, but only he and another of my drones know. Do we do it, Lionel? That means, interviews, the like. Oh, I'm feeling sick."

Lionel just blinked at the stream of chatter coming out of Carolyn, and before he could get two words in, Dominic yanked the phone back. "Of course we do it. Because if we don't, they will only get more obnoxious and more intrusive on our lives together. At least in this fashion, we will have some say over what is and isn't aired."

He was terrified. He cranked his jag and got it out into traffic, his belly flipping and tensing with knots. "And this couldn't have come at the worst time, because you're angry at me, and... I'm going to call Charlie back. Our other Charles, also? Won't be here till day after tomorrow, his wife is in labor. I'll call you back." He hung up before Lionel could say anything else, and he lost his nerve, and he drove his car into a ditch, handing the phone back to Carolyn as he maneuvered around three trucks, driving out into the neighborhood up over the hill. "Dial Charlie. Fourth number down... should say "Drones"."

Carolyn did so, setting the phone to her ear as the phone began to ring... then handed it back to Dominic.

Dominic took it, pressing it to his ear as he stopped at a stop sign.

"Dominic Senatori's office." Charlie was sitting at the desk, scribbling with one hand and sucking down coffee with the other. He'd recovered from his faint quite nicely, and was trying to get back to work.

"It's Mr. Senatori. I want you to tell me, detail for detail, what Ms. Sawyer told you."

SHIT! "Mr. Senatori!!!!!!" He scrabbled for the messages. "Um... Okay. Here. She says that she, uh, she talked to... Rosalyn Senatori, which is your mother, and she said that Rosalyn said that you couldn't come to the phone because you were having dinner with your husband, and then she said it was Mr. Luthor." WEIRD AS FUCK! but Charlie didn't say anything about it. "Then, um, she called back again and said that she had some pictures from the hotel but nobody there would talk, and then the third time she called, she said something about a video with you guys kissing and stuff, and to please get in touch with her before she had to air it on Tuesday!!"

"Fuck." And that was all Dominic said, furious into the phone. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

"I didn't do it! I swear, honestly, please, all I did was take a message and say that you'd call her back as soon as you could, please don't kill me, I'm a good worker and I'll do anything you say just please please please don't kill me!!" Charlie was starting to hyperventilate again.

"Mr. Siegel? Calm yourself, right now. I won't be having another insurance claim because you've hit your head again, alright?" Dominic spoke clearly, and concisely. "I want you to patch me through to Ms. Sawyer. Now."

Carolyn rolled her eyes from the passenger seat, pushing a lock of extremely curly dark hair behind her ear. "The boy should have been a teacher. Dominic, you make him piss his pants every time he talks to you."

At that, he couldn't help but smile, eyes twinkling as he cruised down the street. "Of course I do. Damn kids need to have a healthy fear for their bosses, you know." Than back into the phone, barking, "Now, Mr. Siegel."

"Y-y-yes sir, M-M-Mr. Senatori!!!!!!" Charlie nearly dropped the phone. "Hold on, hold on, just one minute." He put Dominic on hold, and then with shaking fingers dialed up the number that Diane Sawyer had left with the office. After a bit of hyperventilating as he was on hold himself, he made it through to Ms. Sawyer and had her holding for Dominic as he switched back over. "H--here she is." Charlie hit the button, and then flung the receiver down on his end, terrified and shaking.

"Hello? Mr. Senatori, thank you for returning my calls."

"Ms. Sawyer, a pleasure as always. What might I do for you this morning?" Dominic said coolly, elegantly, biting off his accent as much as he could with a practiced tongue. He pulled to a stop, taking the engine off, and spoke softly but poised and classy.

"Mr. Senatori, I was hoping that I could arrange to talk to you and Mr. Luthor to verify the information that your mother gave us, and then secondly, to give you a public forum in which to... I think the term is 'come out.' We have procured videos and photographic evidence, and we'd like to air them with your consent, but we're prepared to do the story whether you and Mr. Luthor care to participate or not."

"Yes… my assistant gave me the news just a short while ago. Ms. Sawyer, might I be completely frank with you?"

"Of course, that's what I was hoping for." Diane drummed her nails on the tabletop of her desk.

"Mr. Luthor... Lionel, and myself, had been waiting for an opportunity in which to tell the public of our nuptials. However, I doubt either of us expected you, of whom we've had troubles with before, to be the procurer of this delicate information. We will be willing to allow you share this information with the public at large... but it will be under our terms. At the moment, ma'am, we are in a bit of a--" Fucking hell, he clamped down hard on his accent, nervousness having brought it out and FUCK. "We're in a bind, business wise, and the worst thing that could possibly happen would be for a news program to embarrass either of us. Can you understand what I'm saying?"

"I do understand that, Mr. Senatori. May I call you Dominic? My point in this phone call is to offer nothing but professional courtesy and concern. I'm quite aware of the current predicament that LuthorCorp is in--it's been world news, after all--and my producers and I both agree that this could be beneficial to both of us, especially if you spin it that Metropolis is wanting the move shut down for publicity of the city openly associating itself with a same-sex couple."

Dominic thought for a moment, pondering as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "Ms. Sawyer... Diane. If you can assure to Lionel and myself that this will be a classy endeavor, than you have our support, and we will do what we can amidst the current mess in our hands to help you."

"I've been authorized by my producers to offer you and Mr. Luthor co-executive production positions. I'm not sure if you're aware of what that means, but you will be involved in setting up the shots, picking the location of the interview, and setting veto boundaries for the questions. We'd actually like the segment to go live, but if you prefer a pre-taped segment, we can work that into the show, and cut around the videos and photographs to provide your commentary."

"Indeed." He thought again for a moment, mussing quietly. "I'm on my way back home at the moment... I'd like to talk to Lionel about this. When we've reached a decision,.. I'll have my assistant patch us through again. Expect to be hearing from us before noon."

"You can call my office directly at 322-555-6448," she reeled off. "That rings directly to my assistant's office, and he'll put you through to me as soon as you're done."

"Fabulous." He grabbed Carolyn's pen and wrote the number down quickly on his hand, so he wouldn't forget it. "We'll be in touch Ms. Sawyer, good day."

"Thank you for taking my call." Diane hung up the phone, and despite her icy exterior, whooped loudly. "WE GOT 'EM HOOKED!! BOOK' EM AND COOK 'EM!"

"Carolyn?"

"Yeah, cupcake?"

"Lionel and I are going to tell the world."

"Its about fucking time."

Dominic paled, cranked the car, and drove back out onto the street.

~ * ~ * ~

It was nine a.m. on the lovely Sunday morning, and all Clark could do was breath in the softly scented air and smile. Spring was budding, the birds were singing, and he was running at his break your heart pace across the fields. He didn't dare fly alone...the risk of getting caught was too much. Plus? Didn't know how to control it. He'd tried, for an hour, to take off. And instead? Had landed on his face on the concrete below his and Lex's bedroom window. So, regardless, Whitney and Chloe went home, Lex was in his lab working, and Clark had the morning to himself.

His father had called, wanting to talk to him, and even though the memory of his mom and dad fucking like bunnies was a little... too fresh. He was positive he could never look at them again without turning pink.

Regardless of that harrowing little fact, he zoomed onto Kent property, passing Bessie and her calf, and slowed down when he saw his father pitching hay. "Hey, dad!"

Jonathan was working in the barn, dropping down hay bales to fill the troughs with, when Clark ran into the barn. "Son!" He'd been wanting to talk to Clark since the unfortunate walking-in incident the other day, because it had seemed that Clark had something important to tell him, and it'd be lost in the confusion. "Glad you're here, son."

"Yeah, I'm here, dad." He smiled at him, blushed pink, and plopped on the nearest hay bale all tied up and ready for the market, grinning and rubbing his neck.

"First of all..." and here Jonathan blushed. "Got to 'pologize for th'other day. Didn't mean for you to be seein' that."

"Yeah… I... uh." Hard swallow, and he shifted on the hay, wincing and hardly being able to look up. "You kind of scarred me for life, dad."

"Didn't mean to, son." Jonathan dropped down from the hayloft, sliding down the ladder and rubbing his hands on his jeans. "Thought th'door was locked."

"If it helps, Lex was very amused at my horror." This time Clark offered another smile though, leaning forward and bracing his palms on the hay between his legs, sighing as he looked around. "Didn't know it was time for Farmers Market again. Winter passed fast, huh?"

"Yeah, it did. And all in a hurry, too. One day, it was cold and blustery, an'then the next day, sun's shinin' and the flower's are startin' to grow up again. Can't say it's not time for it though, specially after that blizzard." He shoved the pitchfork in his hands into another bale of hay and looked down on his boy. "Clark, seemed like y'had somethin' important to tell your mother and I when you came in th'other day."

He looked up, his heart full of whispered words and pain, and gave another smile, shaking his head. "Nah. Oh! Except I can fly now. New development. Lex and I were walking the other day, we fell into one of those subterranean caves... no way out. So… I flew out. Lex said he had a feeling I could fly all along, I was just being a wimp about it. Which I was, and still am."

"Fly?" Jonathan... just blinked. "Like, a bird? A plane?"

Clark couldn't help smiling, nodding at him and shifting, bringing one leg up under him on the hay. "Like a bird, and a plane, dad. I did that weird thing where I change...get really big and buff, and my eyes are all opaque. But yeah, fly. Crash landed, but I flew for a while. It was... definitely a neat experience."

"Now that's... that's... that's a new development, son." His brow furrowed. "You said you crashed? Are you all right? Come here, stand up. Lemme have a look at you, boy."

It was distinctly strange trying to talk to his father like he was still a normal sixteen year old boy. He felt... he felt old, but for his fathers sake he put up the appearance, sighing as if heavily put upon, though he smiled and stood. "I crashed. I'm fine. No broken bones, believe me. I had Lex with me, and he's fine too."

Jonathan snorted. "Lemme be th'judge of that." He ran his hands lightly over Clark's body, shoulders, arms, legs, chest, all seeking for injuries. The last place he checked was Clark's back, and as he skimmed his palm down Clark's spine, he felt something... odd. "What'd you do to your back, son? Molting sc--" Jonathan's words were cut off as he lifted the hem of Clark's shirt and saw the huge scar that spanned almost the width of his son's entire back. "What the hell?"

Oh, fuck.

Clarks eyes widened and he shuddered, shifting away from his fathers hand and looking at anywhere but him as he backed up. "I...I should go, dad. You've got work to do, and I'm just being in the way, and, a-and, I'll go talk to mom for a sec, kay? S… so, I'll see you, okay?"

"Clark, hold it right there, son. What's that? How'd that happen?" He narrowed his eyes at his son. "Did that Luthor boy do somethin' to you, Clark?"

"No. No, dad. Lex didn't do this... I did. Just… please don't ask, okay? Don’t." The scar was burning, as if horrified to be found by this person, and Clarks arms came up to cross across his chest, demeanor changing. He went from the facade of happy go lucky to the nervous, sad, skittery thing he'd become as of late.

"I'm gonna ask, Clark. How'd you do that to yourself, you can't even reach half that!" He put his hands on his hips and glared at his son. "Now dammit, tell me what's wrong. Or do I gotta call Luthor Junior and find that out?"

"He won't tell you. Its none of your business. Butt out." But his words were trembling as he spoke them, looking away. His dad couldn't know. If his dad knew, his mom would know, and the baby they'd worked so hard for would die. Not like his own baby, no, no, no, and he took a deep, shallow breath, gulping it in into his starving lungs. His heart was slamming against his chest and he swallowed, hard, looking away and starting towards the barn door.

"Clark!! You answer me this minute! I'm still your father, even though you're livin' with Lex Luthor, and you'll answer to me or you'll come home and not see him until we get this straightened out!"

It was the stick that broke the camels back. In the still functioning part of Clarks mind, that wasn't overcome with absolute fury, he understood that, and years down the road, would connect it with the first time he and his father had a serious argument. Or, well, the first time Clark told him the hell off.

"You know, Dad? You don't have that power over me anymore. I'm sorry to tell you, but while you and mom have been having a fun, cookie cutter world, I've been with Lex, suffering through probably the worst thing that has, and ever will, happen in my life. You have no right, and no say, in who I'm with. I don't give a living fuck if you like him or you don't, because he's mine, and no power on this earth will take him away from me. Not you, not mom, not anything. He's mine, and I'll be damned if you'll do anything to jeopardize that. You don't care about me anymore. You've got Mom, and a new baby on the way, and who really gives a shit about Clark, right? I moved out because of you, but you really didn't want me in the first place, did you?"

Jonathan was stunned. "I don't know where you get off talking to your father like that, but I know who's causin' it. Knew from the start that Lex Luthor wasn't gonna be good for you, and now this is just the proof of it. I've always wanted you, Clark. You've always been my son, and I've always wanted you here with us. But after you left, you didn't wanna come back and I didn't say nothin' and neither did your mother cause we both want you to be happy. But if you're gonna sit there and tell me I don't have the right to tell you what's what, then you got another think comin'. I've raised and loved you for fifteen years, Clark, and that gives me th'right."

"No, it doesn't. It doesn't give you any right." Hot pain and tears at the back of his throat, and he was choking on every word, spitting it out even as his eyes filmed over and his skin paled as he yelled back. "It doesn't give you any right. You don't know me, and in the past three months you haven't given a shit about me. You don't know who I am anymore, and nothing can change that. You asked me not to be jealous of that baby, dad. Well you know? I am. Okay? I am jealous of it. Because you guys get to ha-have him, and love him, and play with him and watch him grow, and I didn't get that. I didn't get that and you do, and I hate you for it."

"Didn't get that? What are you talking about, Clark? You're not makin' any sense!" Jonathan moved closer to his son, burying his hurt at the rest of the words, true or not, and tried to concentrate on Clark. "We gave you alla that, Clark, best we could."

"No, goddammit, you don't understand." He moved back as Jonathan moved forward, wishing to God Lex had come with him. He needed his aushna' so much right now, and he felt his heart fluttering, sobbing out for him through their link even as he backed away from his father. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I have to go, dad, I'm sorry. Please, forgive me for this, I'm sorry."

"Clark, if you go, I'm gonna follow you, no matter where you go. You go back to that house, and I'm gonna follow you until you tell me what's goin' on."

Back at the estate, in the lab, Lex's head shot up as his arm jerked, sending empty glass vials crashing to the ground. "Clark!" he yelled out, unaware he was screaming verbally as he reached out through their link as hard as he could. "What's wrong? Clark!"

"Dad, no. Please don't. I c… can't. I can't. Because if I do, its all going to come out, and I can't do that. I can't let mom lose hers like I lost mine. You c-can't go through the same pain, you can't. Dad, please."

"Lost your what, son?" Jonathan wanted to shake his son by the shoulder into making sense. "You're not making any sense, Clark. Now what's goin' on?"

The tears were there, ready to fall, and they couldn't come out. He was trying, violently as he could, to keep them at bay, and his heart searched for Lex, beating hard and frantically in his chest. He couldn't even speak to his aushna, just giving him a million thoughts and images of what was happening right now, and the words formed before he could stop them, looking into his fathers deep blue eyes as his own finally spilled over. "My baby."

"Baby?" Jonathan reached out and wrapped his arms around his son. "Clark... your baby? What are you talking about? who had a baby?" He hugged, tightly, not really caring about the answers because it was obviously hurting his son, and he just held him. "Clark..."

Lex ached. The pain was fresh and knew, slicing through him and through his lover like angry little knives, and he cried out. More glass crashed in his wake but he didn't know it as he tore up the stairs, and through the house, plowing through and ignoring all the questions and concerns as he burst through the garage door. Didn't even stop to think, just jumped into the first car he found keys to, the silver Lamborghini, and laid rubber out of the driveway.

"M… mine, dad, my baby, m.." Clark wanted so badly to hug back, and he couldn't, and the one person he'd vowed not to tell knew, and he was so ashamed with himself, so deeply guilty, and he tried to make him let go, pushing against his fathers chest until all he could do was wrap his arms around his fathers back and let himself be held. He felt Lex coming, knew he'd be there soon, and he was squeezing in air past his tight lungs, aching to breath. "I hate you, h-hate you because you... you get what I lost."

Jonathan just held his son tightly. "Clark, I don't know what you're talkin' about. But I don't care. We'll figure it out together. Just... talk to me, son. Please." He tightened his grip on Clark again as soon as he felt Clark's arms accepting him. "Jus' tell me."

Lex could barely breathe. His foot was all the way down on the accelerator, e was shifting gears like a man possessed, and he was choking. Tight fingers of dread, ache, and guilt wrapped around his throat and squeezed, and he gasped softly as he spun his wheels, laying another spate of rubber on Route 5 as he took the turn into the Kent driveway on two wheels and slammed on the brakes as soon as he hit gravel.

The car slid all the way down to the bottom of the drive, stopping inches away from slamming into the barn. Lex exploded out of the driver's side. "CLARK!"

Jonathan just glared at the bald man as he charged into the barn. "What the hell are you doin' here, drivin' like a maniac and bellowin' like a bull??"

Oh, God. He sobbed, pushing from his fathers embrace and wrapping his arms around his lover, his aushna', hugging him as tightly as he could as he pressed his face into Lex's warm shoulder. He hugged him as hard as he could, his heart and soul screaming with guilt and pain and apology, even as he sobbed. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I can't be strong, I'm sorry Lex, so sorry, please, so sorry, sorry, didn't... he saw it, and I had to tell him, but he doesn't know what I'm saying and I love you, I'm sorry."

"Sssh, it's okay, it's okay." Lex wrapped his arms around Clark, soothing him and stroking him, pulling him away from Jonathan and back towards the hay bales. "No... you are strong, it's okay, it's all right. I love you, Clark, there's nothing to be sorry about." His thumbs stroked Clark's cheeks, cupping and framing his face, soothing him and loving him. Soft kisses were pressed Clark's temples, head pressed to Lex's shoulder. "It's okay. Come on. Let's take you upstairs, okay?" He pressed another kiss to Clark's face. "You can lie down in the hammock while I deal with your dad, okay?"

I f-feel like I can't control myself anymore, like I can't... like I can't control myself anymore, like... like I k-keep… I was happy, and then, then I got sad and I don't know why, Lex, you h... h..." He gulped in air, fighting to calm himself down as he pressed his forehead to Lex's, greedily taking a little bit of Lex's quiet calm, keeping it in his heart as he fought to calm himself down, to breathe normally. A minute... two, later and he was breathing better, his tears were sitting in a ball in his throat, and he could breathe a little bit better. Just a little, enough. And he looked up at his father, standing there beside them, and whispered, "I had a baby. He died, though. He wasn't yutkind--" He swallowed hard, closing his eyes a moment to swallow another breath. "He wasn't formed. He died. That's why my back is like that."

Lex gave an evil glare to Jonathan Kent. "Are you happy now?" He cradled Clark close to him, feeling the fresh stabs of pain through him and his aushna' both, trying to shield Clark from feeling both their pains as well. "It's okay, baby. You don't have to tell him anything. It's okay."

"I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about... when did Clark have a baby?? What the hell is going on, Luthor?"

He was having a panic attack. He knew it. The intelligent part of his mind said so. But he couldn't help grasping Lex's arms tightly, pushing closer to him and swallowing hard. He let out a violent sob, shaking away from his lover, striding away, and he grasped his fathers head, his voice screaming in his language but he couldn't even understand it. He grasped his fathers head and connected it with his, hard.

Felt his father's worry. Felt his anxiety, his distrust, his pain. And as violently as he'd ever done, to anyone, Clark wiped the memory of the last six minutes free from his fathers mind.

And the power of it was so hard, so unbelievable, that as soon as it was done he let go, stumbling, falling on his ass... and opening his eyes, a lance of red exploding from each iris.

Lex moved. Faster than he thought he was capable of moving. The red beams shot out, aiming towards Jonathan, and he hit the older man like a bulldozer, sending him down on his back and then turning to his aushna'. "Clark! Close your eyes!!"

Jonathan felt the grip on either side of his face, bringing his forehead to rest against Clark, and then... nothing. A bright, white sheet in his mind for minutes, and he didn't even feel Lex tackling him.

Clark shut his eyes and rolled onto his belly, until he could control his powers. On his knees, body twisted in on itself, he shut his eyes until he could get control of himself. He was aching, every molecule screaming, as he took into his heart the six minutes he'd taken from his father.

Thoughts of Martha. Their new baby. The joy and pleasure and beauty he felt in the coming of a new child, so that the one he already had would feel complete. Converting the old office into a nursery, right next to Clark's old bedroom. The cows, the pride of his farm, the accomplishment. Clark took it all in, screaming until it was sealed and vaulted away, and looked up. The rafters were burning, Lex keeping his father safe, and Clark didn't think... just reacted.

His lungs burned, his breath hitched twice, and when he opened his mouth, a line of pure ice shot from his lips. He tapped into his lovers memory of how to control it, eyes slit... then shutting as he put out the raging fire, and closed his mouth... letting out a harsh sound in his throat and keeping his mouth tightly closed.

Lex stayed pressed on top of Jonathan, covering the older man's head with his arms, feeling Clark tap into his thoughts and pick out how to use and control the power that Lex had learned how to control. He felt the third lung expand and contract against the back of his chest, felt the cold rush of air whoosing through the barn, and then dropped Jonathan, moving to crouch beside Clark, and wrap him in his arms. "Clark, baby... what the hell did you do?"

Jonathan grunted on the ground, eyes blinking. "Wha... what's happenin'?"

He couldn't speak, not yet, it was still moving around in his lung and he grasped Lex tightly, eyes closed as he fought to slow it down. A moment later he leaned over, coughing up and spitting out ice crystals, rubbing them from his icey blue lips, and blinked up at his lover. It took a moment to focus...and when he did, his eyes traveled to his father, staring in horror and disbelief.

"That's right, Clark. Cough it up, hack it out. I was spittin' up ice crystals the last time I did it," Lex whispered softly, pressing a quick kiss to blue lips to warm them up as he rubbed Clark's back. He looked at Jonathan, who was just starting to warm up. "Are you all right, Mr. Kent? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I took you down rather hard; Clark's just getting used to the new power." He picked himself up off the floor and gingerly dusted himself off as he held out his hand, to pull Clark to his feet.

Clark nodded, climbing to his feet... knowing the rape he'd just committed on his fathers mind and all he could do was turn, grab Lex, and rush out of the barn. He was pale, sheet white, listening with a sick dread to his father, to Lex's heartbeat, to his own mind, all but dragging Lex out to the car. "I'll..." Voice raspy, he called it as clearly as he could. "I'll be back later, dad." He grabbed Lex and physically opened the door, getting him in, and then getting into the passenger side, not speaking as his arms came around himself.

Jonathan rubbed the back of his head and the ache on his back where Lex had slammed him down. "Okay, son! Hurry back now!! Your mother and I love you visitin', even if it is just a little while!" Whistling cheerfully, Jonathan picked up the pitchfork and started to break up the bales of hay before distributing it to the animals.

Lex didn't fight as Clark dragged him out and shoved him in the car, and he didn't argue as he cranked the engine and peeled out about as quickly as he'd peeled in. Once they were on the road, Lex looked at his lover. "What happened, Clark?"

He was shaking, his breath stuttering in and out, and he let Lex see the travesty he'd just committed. He felt an enormous, heart wrenching *guilt*, and he curled in on himself, laying his head on the door as he closed his eyes. Oh, Christ. Christ, almighty.

Lex watched, like a movie behind his eyes, as he drove. "Jesus, Clark. How did you do that?"

"I don't know. I don't know. Lex, oh, God. My dad. Lex, I can't. I can't do this anymore. Lex, please." He turned his head, begging his lover and grasping his arm. "Lex, I can't do this anymore. I have to go away, I have to stop before I hurt all of you. Lex, I have to hide. I can't do this, I can't keep hurting the people I love. I can't. Please, god, please."

"No." Lex didn't lose his grip on the wheel. "You're not. You're not going away. You're not hiding. Dammit, Clark... you didn't hurt Jonathan! I don't know what you did but the man was shovelin' hay when we left! He's not hurt." he felt for his lover, though. He could feel the anguish. "He didn't feel anything. Didn't move when I tackled him."

Clark shook his head, but no tears would come. He just sat back, closing his eyes as his lover drove. Every nuance, from the way the car smelled, to the ticks of the engine under them, to the sun shine streaming in through the window, made him want to destroy it. Destroy everything around him. He couldn't live like this anymore. Every time he turned he was making a mistake, everything that was done around him made him begin to panic. He couldn't do this. He couldn't. And his voice was quiet, but dull and soft, as he spoke. "We need to see a therapist."

"Yeah, we do." Lex was quiet. "Dominic is, or at least he has been. Perhaps we can talk to him and get some recommendations."

Clark didn't say anything more, silent as his lover drove.

-fin-

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