Coming Home by Quin Rhodes

A petite blonde teenager paced in the middle of her living room, throwing boxes and wrapping paper right and left in what, to an outsider, would look like random hysteria. Her friends, however, knew that Chloe wasn't prone to these types of outbursts, so there had to be a method to her madness.

"Hey Chloe, what are you looking for?" Clark placed his hand on her shoulder, slowing her frantic movements. He had been best friends with Chloe and Pete for years now, and their parents all called them the Three Musketeers. Today they were at Chloe's house celebrating her seventeenth birthday. Chloe's dad had wanted to throw her a big party with everyone from school, but she had opted to go with a simple birthday dinner and her two best friends.

They had already finished eating Chloe's birthday dinner and were now sitting around the living room amidst the devastation that used to be the wrappings of her presents.

Chloe stopped rummaging through the debris long enough to answer. "I thought that maybe there would be an envelope from my aunt. I asked her for something specific, and it's not here."

Chloe's dad slowly moved around the room, collecting the wrappings and placing them in a large garbage bag. "I didn't get anything from her, Honey. She's probably waiting until she sees you to give you her present."

Chloe frowned at her father. The phone rang, and she rushed up to get it. "I bet that's her now."

She grabbed the phone and threw it up against her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Baby. Happy Birthday!"

"Hi, Aunt Theresa! Thanks. I'm sorry you couldn't come down for my birthday."

"I know. I wanted to. I'm afraid I have more bad news. I wasn't able to get you those tickets you asked for."

"Damn! Oh, sorry. I'm sure you tried."

"I called as soon as the phone lines were open, but by the time I got through, the concert was already sold out. I got you something else instead. I'll give it to you when you come up next weekend."

Chloe sighed deeply. "Thanks for trying and thanks for calling. I'll see you next week."

"I'm sorry, Baby. I know how much you wanted to go. I hope you have a great birthday. Bye."

"Bye." Chloe hung up and let her head drop.

Pete walked over to his friend and put an arm around her shoulder. "She couldn't get the tickets, huh?"

Clark walked closer to his friends, confused at the exchange. "Tickets to what?"

Chloe answered quietly. "The Lex Luthor concert. He's coming to Metropolis, and I was hoping my Aunt Theresa could get me tickets."

Clark turned his puzzled face to Pete. "Lex who?"

Donna waited patiently outside Mecca Arena. She had been waiting for hours in the blazing heat, but Lex would be here any minute and he would be able to fix everything.

She smiled at the thought. Lex knew she would never steal from him or from his fans. Brian, that asshole manager who controls Lex, had accused her of taking a signed guitar and costume, but she knew that Lex sent those to her as a thank you for her work on his fan club. It was simply a mistake when they were shipped in the same box as the charity items.

Lex knew she was his biggest fan. They had only met briefly a couple of times, but they had connected on a deep level, and he knew that she wouldn't do anything to harm his reputation. He would see her waiting in line and raise hell. He would be appalled that she was made to wait outside with all of these common fans. She knew she would be escorted right through the barrier when Lex showed up--and wouldn't that security guard feel stupid when she waltzed past him.

Then she would have a chance to explain, and she would be able to run the fan club again. Hell, Lex probably was never told that she was fired. Brian probably never told him that she wasn't running the club any more--that would explain why the ouster had lasted so long. Yeah--Lex didn't know!

A limo approached the crowd. Donna smiled and shook her head at the screaming fans. It was good to show enthusiasm, but she would never make such a display. It was beneath her, just like these common fans.

She was looking forward to their reaction when they realized that a good friend of Lex Luthor's had been in their midst all along.

The limo stopped and the driver got out, rushing to open the rear door.

Lex Luthor stepped out of the limo, immediately waving to his fans.

He looked at his security, nodded, and headed toward the gate that separated back stage from the public area.

Some women in the crowd screamed as Lex approached, and Donna smiled. Lex was coming to get her. He shook a few hands through the chain-link fence and signed a few autographs.

Donna grinned brightly at Lex and pushed her way to the gate. "Lex! It's great to see you."

Lex looked right at her, smiled, waved, and turned around to head back to the staging area.

He briefly turned back to face the crowd when he was even with the limo. "Thanks so much for coming out. I hope you enjoy the show!"

Donna watched in shock as Lex disappeared into the building. He had ignored her. After everything she had done for him, it looked like Lex believed that liar of a manager. How dare he ignore her!

Donna violently pushed through the crowd that still lingered, still hoped for another chance to see the great Lex Luthor. She was unable to do anything right now, but he would pay for ignoring her. They all would pay.

Four months later

The air was clear and crisp as the three teenagers sped along Route 39, heading to Clark's house. It was Indian Summer and the normally serious trio felt giddy as they rode in Pete's car with the top down, enjoying the change in weather.

Clark was in the backseat, watching his two best friends argue over which music to put into the tape deck. Chloe wanted to listen to the new Creed tape, but Pete was holding out for the new Tragically Hip. If they didn't choose soon, they'd be at Clark's house and the issue would be moot.

Clark smiled. At this moment, he didn't care what music they chose. He was enjoying the rare carefree Saturday afternoon. He had finished his chores early, so his parents had released him for the whole day.

Clark didn't have as many of these carefree days as other teenagers did. Sometimes he felt cheated, but most of the time, he knew that he had a higher calling than those other teenagers.

As soon as he had finished his chores earlier that day, Clark had rushed over to the local coffee shop and hangout, the Talon, to meet up with his two friends, hoping they could spend the day together. They had told him that they would be there for the morning, with no real plans for the day in case he was able to join them. Now the teens were headed back to his house to pick up his jacket and some food, then they were planning on driving all over the county with no particular purpose. Random road trips were one of Clark's favorite things.

Pete wasn't paying much attention to the road since there normally wasn't much traffic in this part of town, so Clark saw the bus first. "Pete, slow down."

The music debate ended as the car stopped behind a disabled bus. Clark had never seen a bus like this one. The body looked like a standard Greyhound passenger bus, but it was painted a bizarre shade of deep purple with a black racing stripe along both sides.

The teens got out of the car and walked to the front of the bus, where a very frazzled looking older man was looking under the hood.

"Can we help you, Mister?" Pete was the first to reach the man.

The older man looked down from his perch on a step ladder, situated so that he could work under the hood of the bus. He looked to be between 55 and 60 years old, with long wavy salt and pepper hair hanging down past his shoulders. His arms were oily from working on the engine, but his jeans and shirt had miraculously been spared from the oil and grease. "Thanks for stopping. Only one other car has passed by. We have a cell phone, but it's not much good if you don't know who to call or exactly where you are."

"You're outside Smallville. About five miles from my house, actually. I'm Clark Kent." Clark smiled at the man and extended his hand in greeting. "It's odd that the car didn't stop. They must have been from out of town. I don't know of anyone local that wouldn't have stopped to help."

"Thanks, son, it's always good to know exactly where you are." The man smiled back, wiped his hands on a rag that been hanging on the hood, and shook Clark's outstretched hand. "I'm James Williams, road manager and personal driver to Lex Luthor. This is his rig, and if we don't get it started up soon, we'll miss our gig in Metropolis tonight."

"Lex Luthor? Wow! I love his new album." Clark winced at Chloe's squeal. He had never seen her this excited about anything. He turned toward her as she continued in a calmer voice. "Isn't it odd that you're driving the bus? And where is everyone else?"

Clark placed his hand on Chloe's arm, trying to calm her. He could feel her trembling with excitement, but he didn't understand why a singer would have this much hold over his friend.

James laughed and nodded to the interior of the bus. "Lex is meditating. At least that's what he calls it. I think he's doing deep breathing exercises simply to keep from killing me at this point. He hates to be late. The rest of the band went on to Metropolis last night. Lex had to do an interview this morning, so he stayed behind in Kansas City--that's where we played last night. I stayed with him so I could drive him to Metropolis. Lex likes his privacy, and I don't really trust anyone else to handle him alone."

Clark left Chloe's side, stretched and peered under the hood of the bus. "Let me see what I can do. This doesn't look too different from the old tractor I have to constantly repair at our farm."

James climbed down from the stepladder to let Clark get a better look. "Have at it, son. Anything you could do would be greatly appreciated."

Clark was so absorbed in the puzzle of the engine he barely heard the argument taking place inside the bus. He could hear phrases like "give it a rest," "nothing will happen to me," "he's just a kid" and "I can take care of myself" in a calm, soothing voice. A more insistent, louder voice countered with phrases like "you don't know who he is," "weird things have been happening," and "at least keep the cell phone." Clark let the two voices cascade over him, not bothering to decipher their meaning.

When Clark next looked up from the engine, his friends were nowhere to be seen. "Chloe? Pete?" Clark stepped off the stepladder and went to the side of the bus.

He stopped dead in his tracks, knocked breathless at the scene that awaited him. The most beautiful man that Clark had ever seen was sitting, lotus position, on the side of the road, utilizing the shadow cover made by the bus. His eyes were closed and his breathing even, as he didn't seem to notice Clark's presence.

Clark stared at the ephemeral sight. The man was young, not much older than Clark, probably in his early twenties, and completely hairless as far as Clark could tell. His bald head was perfectly shaped and proportioned to the rest of his body. His chest was well developed and completely hairless as well. There wasn't even a trail of hair leading into the loose cream colored linen pants, the only piece of clothing the man wore.

Clark had never had such a reaction to anyone. He had little experience with sexual attraction or dating, and now he finally knew why the girls in his class hadn't interested him. He shook himself out of his hormone-induced stupor. "Sir? Excuse me, sir?"

The man opened his eyes and slowly turned to look up at the teen. "Ah, yes. My savior, I hope. Were you able to decipher the riddle of the engine?"

Clark blushed under the attention of the older man's gaze, but he wasn't sure why. "I think so. But your driver seems to be gone--with my friends."

"Yes. They told me they were going to your house to get some help. I don't know when they'll be back. They haven't been gone all that long actually." The man on the ground unfolded himself gracefully, standing up to face Clark.

Clark stared at the man. He couldn't seem to keep his gaze off the perfectly sculpted chest. He was finally embarrassed enough to break the spell and look into the young man's eyes when he spoke again.

"I'm Lex Luthor. Thank you for stopping. I don't know what we would have done if you and your friends hadn't come along." Lex extended his hand in greeting.

Shaking the proffered hand, Clark smiled shyly. "I'm sure I found the problem, but I won't be able to get it fixed without some help. It looks like someone tampered with one of the connecting wires to the engine. I've repaired it as much as I can, but it needs a plastic cap to finish the connection and to be safe. I'm sure I'll be able to get it running as soon as my friends get back. I looked over the whole engine, but that seems to be the only problem. Do you know why anyone would want to make you late for your show tonight?"

Lex paused briefly, then shook his head. "No, nothing comes to mind. We've just been having some bad luck lately. It's probably just a loose connection that came off down the road somewhere. The bus didn't catch on fire or anything." He smiled, but then sobered quickly and added, "It wasn't something really dangerous, was it?"

"I guess not. Maybe it was a loose connection." Clark thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't make much sense for someone to disengage that particular wire. Even though it looked like someone had cut the connection, then hastily reattached it, there was no purpose in it. The only thing that would happen when the wire disconnected is what did happen--the bus stopped.

Lex shook his head, then smiled directly at Clark, effectively dropping the issue. "So you know my plans for the night, but what are yours?" Clark thought he could fall into the depths of that smile and lose himself forever.

"Ummm. I guess I don't have any. My friends, Chloe and Pete, and I were just going to drive around and hang out. There's not much to do around here."

"Then I insist that all of you be my guests at the concert tonight. We always hold back tickets for family and friends. This is the last stop on our North American tour. I'd love for you all to see the show." Lex reached out and patted Clark on the shoulder. "That is, of course, if you actually are able to fix the bus. If not, it would appear that I won't have any plans tonight either."

Clark could feel his breath and heart rate quicken. He wanted nothing more than to get to know this incredible man, but he didn't want to get his hopes up too high. He still had one big obstacle to overcome. "I'll have to ask my parents."

Lex glanced down at his clothing. "Hang on a minute. I've got a cell phone in the bus. I'll go and get it." Clark quietly watched the man leave, then waited as Lex retrieved the phone.

He emerged a short time later with his phone in hand, after adding a blue t-shirt and sandals to his attire. "Here you go. Maybe you can catch your friends, too. If they're able to come along, have them grab some clothing and things. You can all spend the night at the hotel with me. James and I can give you a ride back tomorrow."

"Thanks." Clark moved a few steps away from his new friend to get some privacy and some space. He had determined that his brain did not function on all cylinders when Lex was nearby and he would probably need all of his powers of persuasion to convince his parents to allow him to go.

Clark dialed the phone, hoping that he could catch his parents before they left with Chloe and Pete to come back to the bus.

His mother answered the phone on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom. I was hoping I'd be able to catch you before you left. Are Chloe and Pete there yet?"

"Yes. They're in the barn helping your Dad put a few tools away before we come back out to see if we can help with the bus. Do you need any special tools to fix the engine?"

"Oh yeah, make sure Dad brings a plastic cap to finish off an electrical connection. It looks like a wire came loose and popped off the cap. I thought that maybe someone loosened the connection, maybe even cut through part of the wire, but the cap probably came off during their tour at some point and the wire decided to disconnect here. Dad and James can check it out when they get here."

"Okay, Honey. I'll be sure to tell him. Anything else?"

Clark gathered his courage and said a quick and silent prayer before making his next statement. "I was calling because Mr. Luthor invited us to come into Metropolis tonight, go see his show and stay in the hotel with him. They'll be coming back this way tomorrow, so we can even ride with him." Clark knew his speech had quickened, but he wanted to get his plea heard before being shut down. "Please, Mom, can I go?"

Clark heard the sigh, and prepared himself for the disappointment that would most likely follow. "Clark, I just don't know if I'd feel comfortable allowing the three of you to go into the city with a complete stranger for the night."

Clark tried not to whine as he seized the perceived opening and made his case. "Mom. He's a respected musician who is trying to show his gratitude to the people who stopped to assist him in his time of need. Please, Mom?" Clark lowered his voice and glanced at Lex who had resumed his seat in the grass under the shade of the bus. "You know nothing could happen to me, and I'll take care of Chloe and Pete. Chloe has an aunt in Metropolis. If anything happens, I'm sure we can get to her for help--but I swear, nothing will happen. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Please?"

"Okay, Clark. I'll talk to your Dad. If Chloe's and Pete's parents agree, then I'm sure I can convince your father to go along with it."

Clark smiled brightly. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best. Can you grab my backpack for me? And throw in my jacket with a change of clothes for tomorrow."

"Yes, son." Clark could practically hear his mother's smirk, but he didn't care. His mom could tease him all she wanted, as long as she allowed him to go to Metropolis. "I'll also make sure we stop by the Sullivan's and the Ross' so your friends can get their stuff, too. Will you be okay with Mr. Luthor until we can get to you?"

"Sure, we'll be fine. See you soon!" Clark rang off and walked to Lex, who looked up when he heard the footsteps approaching.

"Well, that smile looks promising. What did your parents say?"

Clark dropped down to sit next to Lex. "My mom said it should be no problem as long as Chloe's and Pete's parents agree. I'm sure we'll be able to go. She said that they would stop by both houses before they came back here. Thank you so much for inviting us."

Lex smiled and turned around to face Clark. "I'm looking forward to the company. Life on the road can be very boring, especially at the end of such a long tour."

Clark shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe that your life would be anywhere close to boring. You travel all over the world, getting cheered by millions of fans. You probably have women throwing themselves at you every night. I've never been out of Kansas and I can't even get a date for the homecoming dance. Your life doesn't sound too boring to me." The teen was embarrassed by the timbre of his voice. He hadn't meant to sound that pathetic. Something about this man made him want to be completely honest and forthcoming. He'd have to be careful about that.

"And I can't believe that you couldn't get a date to homecoming. I know you have to be lying to me." Clark's momentary embarrassment was forgotten as he met the gaze and teasing smile of the other man. "A musician's life is overly glamorized--A new city every day, never knowing where the next meal will come from, sleeping in a different bed each night, only coming home for a few days each year. Hell, I don't even know where home is anymore. I put my stuff in storage and gave up my rented condo when I left on this extended tour. None of these things promote a healthy relationship with oneself, so a relationship with someone else is almost impossible. I can't wait for the end of this tour so I can have some time to relax and stay in one place for a while, even if I don't know where I want to be yet." Lex's gaze had drifted during his speech and he now stared longingly at the wheat field a few yards in front of him.

Clark was moved by the emotional tone to Lex's monologue. He was silent for a while, he caught himself almost falling into a meditative state as he let the man's ideas sink in. "I guess I never thought about it that way before. I've only been to one big concert in Metropolis and it seemed like the band was on top of the world. I guess I was envious of what they seemed to have. I didn't think of any negatives."

Lex's head had turned back to Clark as the young man spoke. He again had his full attention turned to Clark. "Don't get me wrong. I know I have a great life. I like to travel and meet new people--and I'm most alive when I'm on stage performing for people who truly enjoy my music. I just wanted you to know that it's not all glitz and glamour. You'll probably see both sides of the music business if you can come with me tonight."

"What about friends or family? You must have someone to go home to." Clark was amazed at the intimacy of the conversation. He had never before clicked with someone so completely.

Lex shook his head as if the question didn't bother him at all. "Not really. My mother died when I was very young, and my father and I had a falling out. He actually disowned me when I decided to become a musician. Have you ever heard of Luthor Corp?"

"No. Is it your corporation?"

"My father's. It's a multi-national Fortune 500 company. I was supposed to be Father's right hand man until he decided to retire, then he would hand the reins over to me. He was less than pleased when I failed to go along with his plans. He should have anticipated it, but I'm sure he thought my protests were simple teenage rebellion."

Clark was shocked at the matter of fact way Lex discussed his family. If he didn't have his parents, he would be devastated. "I'm sorry to hear that. You've never been able to make up with your father?"

Clark thought he detected a slight sadness as Lex rubbed at the back of his neck, but he couldn't be sure. "After I had some success out in Los Angeles a couple years ago, I tried to contact him again. I thought maybe if he saw how well I was doing, he wouldn't think I was trying to be a leech on the family fortune. He wouldn't even take my calls." Lex's head dropped briefly, but he recovered quickly. "Being on my own at such a young age really helped me grow, though--and I've been really lucky. It didn't take me long to be able to support myself with my music. I was a true overnight sensation, and those just don't happen in music."

Clark was quiet for a moment. He had never known his biological family. He didn't know why they had placed him in that spaceship and cast him out on his own when he wasn't any more than a baby. At least he could imagine that their world was falling apart and his parents were trying to protect him from harm. Lex had been cast out by his father for nothing more than following his dream.

He struggled out of his reflective thoughts. "What about friends? You must have had some friends growing up that you've kept in touch with."

Lex slowly shook his head and Clark thought he looked more bothered by that question than by the idea of losing his family. "I don't really have any friends. I have lots of business acquaintances that I'm friendly with, but this kind of life doesn't promote friendships."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I meet someone now I rarely know whether they like me for me or for my fame and money. The few times I tried to open up when I first became well known, I got burned. It's made me a little trigger-shy."

Clark couldn't contain his disbelief, gesticulating wildly, almost hitting Lex in the process. "What about school friends? You must have some friends from your childhood? You're not that old!"

Lex laughed, "Thanks a lot, I think. Yeah, I'm not too old. But I never stayed in one place long enough to make any real friends. I grew up in a world of money and status. It wasn't about how much money your family had, but how old that money was. My dad built his company from the ground up. Our money was new. The kids at the private boarding schools I went to were fourth or fifth generation millionaires. When I was young it bothered me, and when I was old enough to act out, I did. I was kicked out of every prestigious boarding school in England, then worked my way through the old schools of the North East. Finally my dad gave up and put me in a public high school. That's where I hooked up with my first band."

"You didn't keep in touch with any of them?"

"When I left for Los Angeles, I made a clean break. I hadn't known those guys very long, and didn't really miss them. When my dad disowned me, I was thrown out on my own for the first time, and I liked it. It was scary, but liberating." Lex was quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in memories of the past. "What about you, how did you meet the friends you were riding with?"

Clark was startled by Lex's question. He had been lost in watching Lex's responsive face. He smiled fondly when thinking of his friends. "Pete was the first kid I ever played with. We've been best friends forever. His family owns the biggest business in town. It's that creamed corn factory you passed a few miles back. Chloe's dad was brought in a few years ago to be the line manager. Pete was asked to show her around, and we've been hanging out together ever since."

Lex smirked. "Is there a big call for creamed corn around here?"

Before he could think of a suitable comeback, Clark heard an approaching car and moved to the front of the bus to see his father's truck coming toward them. He was surprised to find that so much time had passed. He was also slightly disappointed to see his parents and James in the front seat, with Chloe and Pete in the back. He had been enjoying his conversation with Lex more than he had enjoyed anything in months. He turned back to face Lex, jerking his thumb at the approaching vehicle. "Here comes the cavalry."

Jonathan and Martha Kent stepped out of the truck, followed closely by Lex's driver, James. Martha approached Lex, who had followed Clark to the front of the bus, while Jonathan headed toward his son. Chloe and Pete jumped down from the back of the truck and met up with Martha and Lex.

Clark met his dad at the front of the bus. "What's the problem, Son?"

"I think all it needs now is the plastic cap to be wired on to finish the connection. Check it out."

Jonathan stepped up onto the ladder and peered under the hood. "Looks good." He reached into his pocket and took out a plastic cap, screwing it down tight on the loose connection. "Go see if James wants to try it now."

Clark got the driver, who climbed into the bus. "Tell me when you're ready."

"Dad, are you ready?"

"Sure, start her up."

Clark relayed the message to the driver. "Okay, James, let's see if it's fixed."

James started the engine, which turned right over. "Yes!"

"Dad, does it look alright?"

"Yeah, you did a great job." Jonathan slammed the hood and went over to meet Clark at the bus door.

James kept the engine running, and stepped down to meet up with Clark and Jonathan. The three then moved over to the group still talking next to the Kent's truck. Their conversation stopped as the smaller group approached.

"I knew you were my savior." Lex smiled at Clark, who tried to hide the blush that rose on his cheeks.

He was glad that no one had time to notice his discomfort before the driver interrupted. "I'm sorry, Lex, but if we're going to make it to Metropolis in time for sound check, we need to get on the road. Thanks, folks, I really appreciate the rescue." Lex nodded at his driver and James moved back to the bus.

"Yes, thank you very much for all your help." Lex turned his attention to Mr. and Mrs. Kent. "I promise to take good care of your son and his friends. Nothing will happen to them while they are with me."

Clark had a momentary feeling of panic when he saw his father turn to Lex with a serious look on his face. Jonathan said nothing for a full minute--one of the longest minutes of Clark's life--before Chloe broke the silence.

"Thank you for all your help, Mr. Kent. I promise I'll call my aunt if we need anything while we're in the city."

Lex and Jonathan exchanged looks of promise and warning before Jonathan nodded to Lex, who slowly moved to follow his driver into the bus.

Pete and Chloe quickly said their good-byes and hurried to catch up with the rock star. Clark let out a sigh of relief and lingered to send his parents off properly. "Don't worry. I promise nothing will happen. Lex is a good guy. Thanks again for letting me go." Clark hugged his mom, then opened her door so she could climb into the truck.

"We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good time." His father gave him a stern warning look, but his eyes were soft and Clark knew that his mom hadn't had to fight too hard to get his dad to let him go for the night.

Jonathan started the truck, and Clark waved as they drove away. After his parents were safely on their way, Clark hurried to join the group, which had already boarded the bus.

The bus made it to Metropolis in just under three hours, but to the new friends, it seemed like half the time. They had quickly moved through conversational topics like they were old friends. The teens talked of school and Smallville, while Lex told them tales from the road. Both sides were fascinated by the stories they were being told.

The group stayed in the bus when they arrived at the hotel, allowing James to pick up the keys to their rooms. Chloe stared out the window at the incredible high-rise hotel. She had lived in Metropolis for most of her life, but had never been able to see the inside of such a fancy hotel. She knew that this night would be one to remember.

She had seen a group of fans lingering outside the front entrance to the hotel as they had passed. James had driven the bus to the back parking lot, skillfully avoiding the crowd. Chloe wondered why the bus hadn't attracted more attention, since it was clearly not a normal tour bus. But then again, she knew that if she had been looking for a rock star like Lex Luthor, she would have been looking for a limo or a chauffer driven luxury car. She wouldn't have given the bus a second look either.

"How long will you be able to hang out with us, Lex? We know you have to work." Chloe needed to know the plan for the evening so she could be ready for anything. She'd always been a planner, and tonight would be no different.

"I'll get you all settled into your rooms, then I'll have to go over to the concert venue for sound check and the like. I don't know how long I'll need to be there. You're welcome to come along, or you can stay here and when I'm finished, we can meet up for dinner before the concert."

Chloe looked to her friends, who seemed to be deferring to her at the moment. Of course she knew that wouldn't last if she made what they considered to be the wrong decision. "I've never been able to see a sound check. I'd love to tag along if you don't think we'd be in the way."

Lex smiled at Chloe and glanced at Pete, who was nodding. Chloe thought his gaze lingered on Clark, but when he turned and spoke to her, she convinced herself that it was her overactive imagination inventing things again. "I don't mind in the least. Having you along will make that boring time much more pleasing."

James boarded the bus, key cards in hand. "We have the entire top floor, Lex. The band members are already settled in their rooms. You have the presidential suite along with the two rooms on either side of it. One of those rooms has a connecting door to your suite and the other doesn't. The suite has two bedrooms and a fold-out couch in the main room."

"That will work out just fine. Thanks." Lex turned to the three teens. "Chloe, you can have the room that connects to the suite. It will give you more privacy, but we'll leave the connecting door unlocked, so you can come and go into our rooms at any time you'd like. Pete and Clark can bunk with me. They can fight over who gets the spare room and who gets the couch. That leaves the other room for James. Would that be alright with everyone?"

Chloe was excited to have her own room in such a posh hotel and quickly agreed for the whole group. "That sounds great."

James handed out the key cards as the group gathered their bags to go upstairs. "I saw some kids in the front of the hotel, Lex, but the back entrance and the back elevator are clear. Nothing looks out of the ordinary. We should be able to get to the rooms without any problems."

"Thanks, James." Lex turned to the group. "Unfortunately, I have to worry about security everywhere I go. Some overzealous fans have been known to sneak past the first line of defense. A few at a time are fine, but when it becomes a mob, it can be dangerous."

"This tour has been worse than most, though, and you know it."

"James." Lex scowled at his manager's comment. He turned to the teens. "We've been having some problems this tour. Nothing major, just little mishaps here and there. Some of the crew have been overreacting, saying the tour is cursed or something. But I didn't think James believed all the hocus pocus."

Chloe looked at James, who was sheepishly staring at the floor.

"We'll watch your back." Clark said it with such conviction, Chloe wondered what he thought he could do. Clark had barely heard of Lex Luthor this morning. She wasn't even sure if he had ever heard any of his music, but now he seemed to be ready to give his life for the star's security. One more weird note to add to the oddness that was her friend Clark.

Lex smiled at his protector. "Thanks, Clark, but I think it'll be okay. Security is never too far away, and I'm not afraid of the gremlins--but we still shouldn't loiter on the way to the room. Are we ready?"

Everyone nodded and they headed to the back door. The elevator was empty and it was a quick trip to the top floor. Chloe walked with the boys as they went into their room. She had always thought of Clark and Pete as "the boys," but her thoughts were turning toward Clark in a different way lately.

Chloe had a major crush on the taller of her two best friends. He was so sweet and adorable. The fact that he was built like a Greek God didn't hurt either. She knew that she was still just one of the boys to Clark, but she hadn't yet figured a way to get out of that category.

One thing that gave Chloe hope was that Clark seemed oblivious to anyone of the opposite sex. Sometimes she caught him staring at the local princess, Lana Lang, but it never seemed like a sexual longing. She thought it was probably more of a connection due to the loss of parents at such a young age.

Lex opened the door to the suite and ushered the teens inside. Chloe had never seen such elegance. The suite was much more like an apartment than a hotel room. The door opened onto a beautiful hallway covered with mirrors and artwork. A door to the right opened into a simple half bathroom, with only a sink and toilet. A door to the left opened into a large walk-in closet. The living room had a large leather couch and two leather recliners off to one side, facing a huge television set. A table and a desk were on the opposite side of the room. There were two doors on either side of the main room, she could only guess that they opened into the two bedrooms. Chloe gasped at the small kitchen that she found around the corner.

Lex smiled at her reaction. "I know, it's a bit much, especially for one person. But the record company insists that I maintain a certain standard. Another reason I'm very glad that you all could join me tonight."

He turned to the boys. "Have you decided which one of you gets the bedroom?"

Chloe was ready to witness a major argument, or at least a minor skirmish, but Clark surrendered immediately. "I'll take the couch. I don't mind."

Pete's smile lit up the entire room as he ran off to find his bedroom. Chloe threw a puzzled look at Clark, who simply shrugged--and was that a blush when he glanced over to Lex? Maybe there was a reason that Chloe had never seen Clark pay attention to the opposite sex. It would be just her luck that the object of her desire would be gay. In a funny way, it actually made her feel better. If Clark were gay, then he wouldn't be rejecting her, he would be rejecting her entire sex. Chloe watched as Lex smiled back at Clark, a sparkle in his eyes. Yes, this could be a very interesting development. She decided that she would have to watch the two men closely tonight.

"Chloe, would you like to drop your bags? Then we should really go to the concert hall." Lex walked her over to the connecting door and opened it. "Come on back when you're ready and we'll all leave together."

Chloe smiled and thanked Lex, then hurried into her own room to freshen up. She didn't want to miss one moment of the night.

Donna watched as the bus approached the hotel. So, that country hick was actually able to fix the bus.

She had planned everything, only to have it screwed up by that damn plaid-covered do-gooder and his friends. The wire had come off perfectly, on a remote Kansas farm road with no help for miles. James would have gone off to find help, leaving Lex alone at the bus. It was perfect, until those stupid teenagers rolled up. Since when did teenagers stop to help anyone?

She had been following the bus, not knowing exactly when the wire would disconnect. She hadn't been sure the timing would put the bus on a remote enough stretch of road, but when she passed the disabled bus, she had been elated.

She had pulled out of view, then found dirt roads to use to get back to within a mile of the bus, from there it had been a simple walk through the corn. She was shocked to find a convertible stopped behind the bus with those meddling teens talking with the driver when she returned.

She had waited to see what the group would do, but when the driver left with some of the kids, but not all of them, she had to retreat. She would just have to try again in Metropolis.

She watched as the bus bypassed the front entrance and approached the rear. These stupid fans didn't even realize Lex had arrived. She walked away from the crowd, planning her next move.

The Metropolis Concert Hall was the city's largest venue, and still this concert had sold out almost immediately. Chloe knew she had blown her cover as a Lex Luthor fan when first confronted with the idea of meeting him at the bus, but she thought after that little slip, she had done very well in keeping her cool--at least on the outside. Inside, she was as giddy as a schoolgirl, as the saying went.

Lex had to immediately go to work upon arrival at the venue, but the teens had been given crew member backstage passes, allowing them to venture unescorted anywhere and everywhere in the building. They quickly went exploring, although Clark was determined not to go too far, so they wouldn't miss it when the band took the stage. They walked around backstage, watching the crew unload instruments and set them up onstage, then they wandered out to the seating area, finding the seats they would be occupying for the concert later that night.

The teens were sitting in their seats when the band took the stage. "Hey, guys, let's wander up to the balcony. I'd love to see what the stage looks like from up there." Chloe started to get up, expecting her friends to follow her.

Clark stayed in his seat. "Nah, I think I'll just watch from here."

Pete got up and followed Chloe. "Okay, we'll meet you back here after they're finished. Lex said he wouldn't be too long once they're finished checking the sound levels on stage."

Chloe wasn't sure if she wanted to go up to the balcony now. She thought it might be more interesting to watch Clark's reactions to their new friend. But she knew that she'd have more time for that later, during the concert, so she and Pete headed up to the balcony.

They arrived on the balcony without too many wrong turns. Security had stopped them a couple times to check their badges, so they were able to get directions from the last guard. The band had already taken the stage by the time they had found the way. The view was great, but Chloe was glad they would be on the floor for the actual concert. It was too hard to see the facial expressions of the people on stage, and she was looking forward to watching both Clark and Lex during the concert.

She took the opportunity to speak privately with Pete during a break in the music. "So, what do you think of Lex?"

"I don't know. He's kind of hard to figure, I guess, but seems okay to me. I think it's a little odd that he'd invite three kids he had just met to be his guests for the night, but I'm sure not complaining. Why, is there a problem? Did he say something that bothered you?"

"No, nothing like that at all. " Chloe was quick to reassure her friend. "I just thought that Clark took a quick interest in him, and he seemed rather taken with Clark. I wanted to get your opinion of that dynamic. Clark isn't really someone that usually opens up to someone that quickly."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's a little strange, but I don't think anything is wrong with it. Lex seems like a cool guy, and Clark has always been a really good judge of character. Besides, it's good to see him interested in something or someone new. He's been in the same old rut for a long time."

"Good. I thought it was all right too, but I wanted to get your opinion. Let's head back down. It looks like they're about finished."

While they were on the stairs, they heard a loud crash, followed by screaming and loud curses. They both immediately started running toward the stage to see what happened.

When they arrived, they saw Clark on one side of the stage, holding Lex behind him. Lex was peering out from behind Clark's back, trying to get a look at the chaos on center stage.

A broken stage light had crashed from the rafters, leaving pieces of plastic, metal, glass and wire strewn about the stage.

James was in the middle of the group on stage, barking orders to everyone. "Okay, let's calm down. Get this cleaned up. We were finished with sound check anyway. Make sure nothing was damaged, check all the instruments and rework the lighting. Let's go people! Move it!"

Chloe and Pete hurried to join Clark and Lex. "What happened? We were on the stairs, and we missed it."

Clark turned to his friends, but his hand still stayed on Lex's stomach, casually keeping the man from moving. "Lex almost got killed by a falling light." He turned directly to Lex. "I suppose you'll say this was an accident too? I don't like these coincidences, Lex."

Chloe looked to Lex, puzzlement clear on her features. "What does he mean, Lex? What else happened?"

Lex shook his head sadly and stepped away from Clark's grasp. "Your friend here seems to believe someone has it out for me. He said earlier that the bus engine looked curious, and now he's seeing conspiracies in the lighting design."

"I think he might be right, Lex. There have been too many `coincidences' on this tour." The group all turned to James, who had approached unseen.

Clark stepped to James. Chloe had never seen him look so angry. "What exactly do you mean?"

James quickly stepped back and put his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Wait a minute, Son. Don't kill the messenger. I told y'all earlier this tour has had more than its share of problems. I know I'm not the only one looking forward to the end of it."

Clark spun on his heel to face Lex. "Where is your security? This is the second time today that you could've been seriously hurt. Something needs to be done. Now!"

Chloe watched her friend with interest. She had never seen such a fierce display of concern from him before. Sure, he had always been the first one to help out when anyone was in trouble, he even had rescued more than one Smallville citizen from harm coming from weather or what she believed was meteor craziness, but this fierce protective streak she had never seen before.

Lex placed his hand gently on Clark's shoulder, a gesture that immediately seemed to soothe the teen. Chloe immediately thought of calming the savage beast, but stopped herself from making any comments, content to watch the exchange from the sidelines.

"Clark, I do have security. Plenty of security." He turned to James, clearly willing the man to stay quiet. "I still think it's just a couple of random, unrelated events. But I see how these two incidents happening in one day could worry people, so I'll have James hire some more security for tonight's show, okay?"

James immediately took out his cell phone and walked away, yelling at whomever was on the other end to hire another local security company for tonight's show, no matter the cost.

Clark leaned his head toward Lex's hand, which was still resting on his shoulder. "Okay. I'm sorry I reacted so badly."

"Badly? Are you kidding? I don't know how you got up here so fast. If you hadn't have grabbed me and pushed me aside, I may have gotten hit." Lex patted Clark's shoulder, then released it.

Chloe's ears perked up at the comment. She thought that Clark always seemed to be at the right place at the right time to make the saves. She had theories, but she had never really delved deep into the mystery of Clark Kent, a little afraid at what she might find. "What do you mean, Lex?"

"Clark yelled at everyone to get down, then came out of nowhere and threw me to the ground just as the light hit. I've never seen anyone move that fast before." Lex turned a puzzled face to his new friend. "How did you get up here so fast? I could've sworn you were on the third row when the light hit."

Clark ducked his head and smiled sheepishly. "I had moved to stand at the edge of the stage during the song, then I heard something weird, like a cable snapping or something. I looked up and saw the light coming right at you. I guess adrenaline is a good thing, huh?"

Chloe and Lex both looked skeptical, but Pete seemed to take it in stride, as usual. "Clark, man, you are one lucky SOB."

Lex shook his head as if to shake off the questions Chloe knew he had formulated, just as she had. "I'm not needed here anymore. Have you seen enough, or do you want to look around some more?"

"I'm hungry. Is there any way we can get some food?" Clark answered for the group. Chloe smiled at her friend, Clark was always hungry.

Lex nodded at the tall boy. "Sure. Come on backstage. We'll check in with James and let him know that we're going out to get dinner. I also have to verify the exact time that we'll have to be back."

Donna slammed her fist on the steering wheel of her car as she sped away from the auditorium. How in the hell did that kid get on stage so fast? He had been nowhere near Lex when she released the light. There's no way he should have been able to get to Lex in time.

He had ruined her plans for the second time in one day. It had taken her weeks to create a backstage all access pass from the old one-day passes she had collected from dumpsters in various venues along the tour. Security had never been too tight on this tour, but it had slowly been getting better.

She had been amazed at what had been thrown out along the way. She hadn't been able to get close enough to anyone to swipe the badges everyone wore around their necks while backstage, but she had seen enough of them to know exactly what they looked like, and with all of her scrounging, she had been able to make a badge that passed security as long as no one looked too hard or long at it. She had seen a few security guards backstage, but it was amazing how much she was able to get away with by simply acting as if she belonged.

Who the hell was that kid? She hadn't even seen him get up from his seat. He was sitting in the third row when she dropped the light, she was sure of that. By the time the light hit the stage, he was throwing Lex to the ground. That was not physically possible.

There was something wrong with that boy. Donna made a quick right turn, almost picking off the couple stepping into the crosswalk. This wouldn't stop her, she had one surprise still waiting for Lex. And if that didn't work, she simply would have to reformulate her plan and wait until after the tour.

The group climbed onto the stage, then went through the wings to find James. Lex smiled and nodded to the crewmembers he passed. Chloe was impressed at the rapport the star had with the laborers. It was clear he was well liked and respected by those who worked for him. That fact went a long way in convincing Chloe that Lex was truly a good person. Chloe's dad had always told her that if she wanted to know whether or not someone was a good boss, she only had to look at the interaction between that person and his employees. She agreed with her father, and by that criteria, Lex was scoring good points.

They found James speaking with the other members of Lex's band. Lex introduced the two groups, and conferred with Chloe on the best places to eat in Metropolis.

"Hey, Lex." Chloe looked up as the bass player, Scott, approached Lex. "Do you mind if we tag along? We haven't had anything to eat either, and it might be better to stick together. There's safety in numbers, and James wants us all to stay together until the extra security shows up. Besides, it looks like you have a charming tour guide." The bass player smiled at Chloe, who blushed bright red.

Lex grinned, "Sure. It's fine with me. Chloe can even pick the restaurant. We should get going. James said we should be backstage before the venue opens at 7, and it's already 4."

After a brief discussion of what everyone liked to eat, Chloe decided to take the group to a local steakhouse. She knew that it had great Kansas beef, and could easily accommodate the fairly large group while still giving them some privacy from any fans that might want to approach the band.

Pete looked around the table. He couldn't believe he was eating dinner and hanging out with rock stars! This was one of the best nights of his life.

The food was great and the company even better--and they hadn't even seen the concert yet. Lex's bass player, Scott, was in an animated discussion with his band mates while Chloe sat practically in his lap. Pete wasn't sure he liked that arrangement, but he noticed that Scott didn't seem to mind at all.

The most interesting interaction was between Clark and Lex. Pete hadn't really noticed it earlier, with all of the conversations going on around him, but Lex and Clark seemed to be in their own little world.

He watched as they subtly moved closer together, casually touching each other on the shoulder or arm while they talked in hushed tones.

Pete tried to get Chloe's attention, but she was oblivious to anything other than Scott. Pete took a moment to reflect on these new developments.

He had feelings for Chloe, but hadn't been able to make a move on her because of her infatuation with Clark. Was it coincidence that she was flirting with Scott, the first romantic interest other than Clark that Pete had seen Chloe chase, while Clark seemed to be finding interest in someone of the same sex?

Pete never thought of Clark as gay, but he had to admit it didn't surprise him. Clark never seemed too interested in girls, and was completely oblivious to Chloe's feelings towards him.

Maybe Chloe's line of questioning about Lex at the auditorium and her sudden interest in Scott meant that she noticed that Clark only had eyes for Lex before he did. It wouldn't be the only time she caught on to something first.

Pete and Clark had been friends since before the first grade. Clark had done many things to solidify their friendship through the years, but Pete always remembered one instance in particular. He had a hard time being the only black kid in first grade. Lots of bullies had picked on him until little Clark Kent found out about it. Somehow the little boy had thrown the bully through the classroom door and since then, nobody messed with Pete or Clark. Friends like Clark were hard to come by, and he'd be damned if he'd abandon his best friend just because he liked guys.

Decision made, he continued to watch the interaction between the two men. Lex seemed to be a good guy, and he was clearly interested in Clark. Maybe this would bring Clark out of his shell a little bit. He had been in a funk since before school had started, and Pete hadn't been able to get him excited about anything. Somehow he thought Lex would be able to do what he hadn't.

Lex picked up the tab, and the group happily headed back to the concert hall. The teens were invited to stay backstage to watch the opening performers, but decided that they should settle into their seats and allow the band to get ready for their performance in peace. They agreed to meet Lex in his dressing room after the last song.

The music was too loud for the teens to speak to each other, so they relied on hand gestures and screaming to tell each other how much they were enjoying the show. If anyone had told Chloe yesterday that not only would she be at the Lex Luthor concert, but that she would be his guest, staying in his suite, she would have had that person committed. But here she was, with her two best friends, and she couldn't keep the megawatt smile from her face.

She was enjoying the music immensely, but even more enjoyable was watching Clark's reaction to the beautiful man onstage. Chloe had enjoyed the sight of a smooth Lex Luthor wearing tight, form-fitting black leather pants, black lace-up boots, and a billowing white linen shirt, but when she looked at Clark, she knew that her suspicions had been confirmed. When Lex had walked out onstage, Clark had looked like the proverbial deer caught in headlights.

Chloe had been watching her best friend off and on for the entire performance, and Clark had barely moved. He seemed to be a million miles away as he stared, unblinking, at the man singing before him. Chloe also had fun watching Lex. He made a point of singing to the three of them often, but she knew who he was truly enamored with.

The set was incredibly high energy, and Chloe was impressed at how well the entire band, but especially Lex, endured the long and arduous concert. The teens didn't even bother to try to leave their seats after the last song of the show. No one in the venue had left, and it was clear that the band would be back to play encores.

When it was time for the first encore, Lex was clearly drained, but he came back onstage with a large grin. Chloe noticed that he had ditched his boots, and was now walking barefooted around the stage. They performed another high-energy song, one of their earlier and much loved classics.

The band left the stage again, and again, no one moved from their seats.

Lex was exhausted when he left the stage after his first encore. He knew they had to do at least one more, and he knew what song he wanted to leave them with.

He quickly threw off his sweat soaked shirt and grabbed the towel one of the stagehands held out to him. The band was still jazzed, but he was fading fast.

"Okay guys, sorry, but this has to be the last encore. I'm dying here."

The band gathered around him as he told them which song would end the tour.

After what seemed like an eternity of cheering, but was likely only about a minute or so, the band came back, followed by Lex. Chloe grinned hugely and turned to stare at Clark.

Lex had come on stage sans boots again, but now also without his shirt, wearing only the tight black leathers, with a towel draped around his neck. A crewmember had placed a tall stool at center stage, and Lex perched on it as the band started to play a slow, sensuous ballad. Clark stared, slack jawed, as the song began. Chloe didn't recognize it as one of their songs, but thought it might be a cover of an older love ballad.

As the rock star began to sing, Chloe looked back at the stage, and saw that Lex was clearly singing directly to Clark. She glanced at Pete, to see how he was reacting, but the other boy seemed too engrossed in the song to notice what Chloe thought was obvious.

Lex stared directly at Clark for the first full verse of the song, then closed his eyes. Chloe would swear she could feel the love burning between the two men, even though they had only met earlier that afternoon.

Clark stared, dumbstruck, when Lex came out for the second encore. He had thought Lex was beautiful before, but he couldn't keep his jaw from dropping at the sight that awaited him. The formfitting black leathers left nothing to the imagination. Clark thought his eyes were on fire, and he had to shut them quickly before he lost control. Then the man started singing and Clark lost what was left of his heart.

Clark opened his eyes as he felt Lex's gaze bore into him. Lex stared straight at him and sang such words of love and loss that Clark wanted to rush the stage and hold on to Lex forever.

When Lex closed his eyes, Clark felt the need to hold the gaze for both of them, staring intently at Lex, memorizing this one perfect moment.

Lex stepped onto the stage for the last encore, reveling in the deafening applause. His step was slower, but he was still strong as he walked to the stool waiting for him at center stage.

He found Clark in the audience and the applause seemed to fade away as he stared longingly at the man to whom he was quickly losing his heart. He had never felt this way about anyone, and certainly had never become so infatuated with someone so quickly before.

Clark matched the intensity of his gaze, but suddenly closed his eyes. Lex wasn't sure what to make of that, but it shook him out of the contemplation of his new relationship long enough to start the song.

Clark opened his eyes about half way through the song, sending what seemed like such strong feelings through his look that Lex couldn't concentrate on his singing. He finally had to close his eyes so as not to fall helplessly into Clark's gaze.

The song ended, and Lex slowly got off the stool to the sound of thundering applause. The auditorium was reverberating with the sound of the crowd's approval. Lex smiled shyly, and slowly walked offstage, feet shuffling and head hanging low.

Immediately after Lex and the band left the stage this time, the crew began to pick up the instruments and clean off the stage. That was enough of a cue for most of the audience, and they began to work their way to the exits.

The movement of the crowd seemed to awaken Clark from his stupor. "Wow. That was great."

"Yeah, he is really talented. Those lyrics mean something and he made the whole audience feel it. Too many bands now don't pay attention to the lyrics."

"Pete Ross, rock critic. Maybe I could use you as an entertainment reviewer for the Torch." Chloe smiled at Pete's wince. Both of her friends were so easy and fun to tease.

The area around their seats had finally cleared enough to allow them to get to the stage. Showing their badges to security, they were allowed to climb onto the stage and walk through the wings to Lex's dressing room.

They knocked, and after a weak "come in," they found Lex, clearly drained both emotionally and physically, slumped onto a couch.

Chloe and Pete hung back by the door as Clark rushed to Lex. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Clark, I'm fine--just played out. I'm always tired after a show, and it's been a long tour. I also wanted to give a great show tonight. It just so happens I had a few new friends in the audience that I wanted to impress." He smiled shyly at Clark, then turned his attention to the teens still at the door.

"Come on in. I promise I'll be fine. I just need to stay here for a half hour or so while the crowd thins. That'll also give me some time to get some strength back."

Chloe walked to Lex and gently put a hand on his arm. "That was a phenomenal show. Thank you so much for letting us see it." He looked so fragile. It was such a huge contrast from the dynamo that had entertained them for the past two hours. She was afraid if she touched him too hard, he would fall apart.

Pete finally walked into the room. Chloe saw the hesitation clearly in his motions as well. "Yeah, man. Great show."

Lex smiled at the group. "Clark, would you mind getting me a water from that refrigerator over there? Thanks."

The boy moved to do what Lex asked, and Chloe could see the concern clearly written on his features. This night had been an education for her, and hopefully for Clark as well. If she could keep Pete out of the way, then maybe Clark would be able to take care of Lex in peace. She had no doubt that was the boy's goal and she was all for helping him with it.

"Um, Lex? I don't think you should drink any of this." Clark raised the water bottle up for everyone to see.

"What's wrong with it? It looks fine to me." Lex reached for the bottle.

Clark slapped his hand away. "No! You can't see it very well, but the seal has been broken and someone tried to reattach it. I think something's wrong with the water."

Chloe was suspicious, but trusted Clark's instincts. "I'll go get some water from Scott's dressing room. I'll be right back."

The group was discussing whether or not the police should be called when Chloe returned.

"No, Clark. I will not bother the police with this. We have nothing solid, and I don't want the press to blow everything out of proportion. If we call the cops, the report will be public information, and I'll spend the next month doing interviews on who is trying to kill me. The bottle was just twisted when someone moved it. See, it's no problem. Chloe has water for me, and you can throw out that other stuff."

Lex reached for the water, and Chloe handed it to him. The tension was clear, but Clark seemed to be backing down slowly.

After a few swallows of his water, Lex got up to get dressed. Clark hurried to his side and helped him ease into his shirt and shoes. Chloe had to suppress a smile--this might even be easier than she originally thought.

While Clark assisted Lex with his clothing, Chloe noticed that the man leaned on Clark often for support. She wasn't sure if he needed that much help, or if he simply enjoyed Clark's attention. For her part, she kept Pete busy with small talk about the concert.

The rest of the band gathered in Lex's dressing room when it was time to leave the venue. Lex was leaning so heavily on Clark, that he was practically carried into a waiting limousine when it was time for the group to head back to the hotel. "I'm sorry I'm so wasted, guys. I wish I could take you out to a club or two. I've heard that Metropolis actually has some good underage after-hours clubs. It's only midnight. They should be open for a few more hours yet." Lex leaned against Clark's shoulder. "But there's no way I'll be able to leave the hotel tonight. All I'll be good for is falling asleep in front of the TV. So much for the illusion of the glamour of a rock star's life."

Chloe smiled, this could be the opportunity she needed to get Pete out of the way, if she could convince the bass player, Scott, to take them clubbing. "Oh, that's too bad, Lex. I would love to get out and spend some time clubbing. I'm so jazzed from your concert, I don't think I'll be able to sleep for ages." She turned her best smile to Scott. "I don't suppose anyone else would be willing to play chaperone for a couple of wayward youths?"

Scott seemed to jump at the chance. "I'd be happy to escort you and your friends if you'd like to go out."

Chloe grinned at her friends. "I'm in. Pete, what about you?"

"Sure, I'm there. Clark?"

Clark turned concerned eyes to Lex. "No, you guys go without me. I don't think Lex should be left alone, and I'm a little wasted myself. I'd be better off sticking close to the hotel."

Chloe tried to hide her grin behind her hand--this was going even better than she had expected it to. She composed herself quickly before answering. "Okay, Clark, if you're sure."

"Yeah, thanks Chlo. We'll be fine."

The limo pulled up to the back entrance to the hotel, and Clark and Lex stepped out, followed by the two other band members who weren't going clubbing. Lex handed Chloe his cell phone. "Keep this with you. That way, if we need to get in touch with you, we can. And if you need anything, call me immediately."

Chloe looked up from the back seat of the limo. "Thanks, Lex. That's really sweet of you."

"No problem." Lex turned his attention to his band mate. "Scott, you'll take good care of my friends, right?" Chloe was impressed and a little intimidated by the look Lex gave to the man. It was clear from Lex's glare what would happen to the bass player if something bad were to befall the teens. Chloe felt honored at the gesture. She was thrilled that Lex cared enough to make it clear that the teens were under his protection.

Scott nodded solemnly, seeming to catch the undercurrent easily, but his answer lightened the mood considerably. "Yes, Sir, Mr. Luthor, Sir." The bass player actually saluted and closed the car door before his lead singer could return a different kind of salute.

Chloe laughed and put her hand around Scott's arm as they drove away.

The whole group got into the elevator together, but quickly dispersed when they arrived at the top floor. Clark was glad to get rid of the other members of the band. They were nice enough guys, but he needed to be alone with Lex so he wouldn't be so self-conscious about caring for him.

Clark wasn't sure that Lex wanted his help, but at least he didn't seem to object, and he leaned into the touch when Clark put his arm around the older man and led him to the door of their room.

Clark maintained his hold on Lex while he took his key out of his pocket and opened the door. He led the man into the room and slowly lowered him onto the leather couch. "What do you want to do? Is there anything that you want me to get for you?"

Lex had already closed his eyes, but at the voice opened them and looked up at the teen. Clark thought he saw a pool of emotion for just a moment, then it was gone. He had no idea what to make of that look. They had connected through the last song at the concert, but he was still unsure of how to act around the older man. "No, thanks. I think I'll just have a nice soak in the bathtub. My muscles are sore, and it might help so that I won't be too stiff in the morning."

"You stay there. I'll run the bath for you. I assume you want to use the tub off the main bedroom? I thought I saw some bath oil in there when I was exploring earlier. Do you want me to put any in for you?" Clark was being bold, but he wanted to help Lex, to take care of the man. He wasn't sure where these feelings were coming from, but had decided to go with them instead of repressing them, like he had to do with everything else in his life.

This time Lex kept his eyes closed and sank deeper into the couch. "That would be great, thanks."

Clark left to run the bath, leaving Lex dozing on the soft leather couch. Clark found the bath oil easily, and placed a little of it into the running water. His thoughts turned to the man who would be entering the tub. How he would love to bathe Lex, his creamy skin relaxing under Clark's large hands. Clark knew he could make Lex feel so good--maybe he would give the star a massage after the bath. Even alone, Clark blushed at the thought as certain parts of his body seriously liked that idea. Since when had blushing virgin, Clark Kent, gotten so bold? This morning, he wasn't even sure if he was gay. Tonight, he was getting hard at the idea of giving a man he had just met a sensuous massage.

Clark stopped the water and swirled his hand in the tub to better mix the oil. The water seemed perfect, soft and silky without being too oily. Now to get the object of his desire into the bathroom. After his bath, maybe Lex would welcome a massage. Clark thought it wouldn't hurt to ask. He got up from his knees and checked to be sure that a robe was hanging on the hook behind the door. There was no reason for Lex to get dressed after his bath, and Clark was hoping the man would feel comfortable enough around him to allow for that level of intimacy.

When he returned from the bathroom, Clark found Lex asleep on the couch. Again, he was struck by the beauty of the man. Lex looked so peaceful. It was hard to believe this still man had been the whirling dervish that was on stage that very night. His face was smooth and relaxed, his mouth slightly ajar. Clark took a moment to closely observe the man he wanted to know so much better.

He looked like an angel, creamy skin, alabaster smooth, with only one slight flaw above his upper lip. Before he knew what he was doing, Clark reached out and lightly touched the scar. He wondered what had placed the small mark of imperfection on that beautiful face. Lex moved, and Clark jerked his hand back just before the sleepy eyes opened.

"Hmmm. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Is the bath ready?"

"Yeah. Here let me help you. You can barely stand up." Clark reached out to steady Lex as the older man slowly raised himself off the couch.

He was ready to go into the bathroom with Lex, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "I think I can take it from here, thanks. I won't be long."

Clark blushed, but felt good about the smile he got in return. "Sure, sorry. I'll be right out here if you need anything--just give me a call."

Lex nodded tiredly and closed the bathroom door. It took Clark a minute before he could get himself to move. He heard the water splash, along with a small pleasurable sigh as Lex entered the tub. At that point, he moved into Lex's bedroom to get supplies together, just in case Lex would allow him to give a relaxing massage after the bath.

Lex leaned against the bathroom door, slowly removing his clothes. He hadn't wanted to leave Clark outside, but he didn't want to scare the man away either. It was a fine line to balance, and at the moment, he was way too tired to walk it.

He sighed as he entered the tub. Perfect. The water was smooth, like rose petals enveloping his skin as he slid farther into the depths of the tub.

Slowly, he slid under the water, allowing the warmth to gently ease some of the tension that knotted his muscles. The tour had been relentless and he was glad it was finally over, but he had no idea what to do now.

He wanted to explore his incredible attraction to Clark, but the teen had to be dropped off at home tomorrow. Normally, when he felt even a fraction of such an attraction, he would whisk the person off to some exotic island locale, where they would bask in the sun for a week, then go their separate ways when they returned to civilization.

His usual techniques wouldn't work with Clark. Not only was he too young, but what Lex felt for him wouldn't be assuaged by a simple week in the tropics.

He finally came up for air and started slowly washing the concert grime from his body. He was too tired to think tonight. Maybe if he got a good night's sleep, he would be able to figure out a way to stay with Clark long enough to explore the relationship he knew they both wanted.

Lex emerged from the bathroom wearing the robe from the back of the door about half an hour later. Clark had been in the main room, but had heard Lex getting out of the tub, and was ready to meet him in the bedroom. Lex seemed surprised that the boy had met him outside the door, but Clark was sure that it was pleasure that he saw in his new friend's eyes when he saw the teen.

Clark had changed into a tight t-shirt and shorts, what passed for pajamas in his house. He hadn't thought that anyone else would ever see him like this, but now he thought that Lex might like it. Thinking of it as a costume helped him be bolder than his usual self as well. He wanted to make it clear to Lex that he would welcome being more than friends, but he didn't know exactly how to do that.

Clark knew he was tall and well built. He was unsure of himself most of the time and he tended to slouch because he was so much taller than all of the other kids in school, but he liked his chest and back and this shirt showed them off. His alien physiology as well as the farm work he did every day built broad shoulders, and what he thought was a nice chest. "I thought you might like a massage to calm your nerves. It might help you sleep better."

Clark squirmed slightly as Lex's gaze traveled slowly over his body. "I think I'd like that a lot. Thanks."

Lex ambled over to the bed, turned his back to Clark and dropped his robe. Clark gasped at the sight. He hadn't thought that much could have been covered by those tight black pants earlier, but he had been wrong. A perfectly sculpted back, ending with beautifully round ass cheeks, connecting with amazing thighs and calves. Hell, Clark thought that even Lex's ankles were sexy. The rock star laid face down on the bed, reaching back to strategically place a sheet so that it covered only his ass. Clark thought that the gesture was a little late considering how much blood had already left his brain, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

"I couldn't find any oil, so it won't be a proper massage, but I'll do what I can with just my hands."

Lex's reply was muffled by the pillow, but Clark could easily hear it, and the laughter behind it. "I guess I'll have to take a rain check on a proper rub-down then. I'm so tired, I may not last very long."

"That's the point, Lex. Just relax and go with it." Clark smiled at the thought of a rain check. Maybe this wouldn't be the only time he would be with the older man. He believed the attraction was mutual, but he wasn't sure how to act on it. Hopefully the massage would give Lex the initiative to take control in the morning.

Clark concentrated on the feel of the tight knots in the shoulders under his palms. He slowly worked his thumbs deeper into the muscles, enjoying the freedom of exploring Lex's smooth skin. He moved lower, flexing his hands in gentle soothing motions down Lex's lower back.

"Mmmmm. You have great hands, Clark. If I was awake, I'd wonder if you had an after school job as a masseuse."

The body beneath Clark's hands relaxed fully, practically melting into the mattress. Clark worked the muscles systematically from the shoulders all the way down to the feet. By the time he was on the upper thighs, Lex's breathing had become slow and deep. He finished his work, then stared down at the sleeping man.

He had never believed in love at first sight before this afternoon. He had only met Lex this afternoon. They had been alone for less than one hour. Hell, Clark wasn't even completely positive of the other man's attraction to him. But he knew his heart would be sick when Lex left in the morning.

Lex was a huge rock star. He had women and probably men throwing themselves at him in every city he visited. Clark didn't know how he could compete with that life. He didn't want to compete with that life. He was just a rural high school kid with little life experience and no sexual experiences, but he liked his life. He just knew that he would like his life so much better if Lex were in it permanently.

He couldn't explain the attraction, or why it felt so right--it just did. He thought that Lex felt it too. Lex mumbled something in his sleep, and Clark put his hand on the bald head, stroking it until the other man quieted. Clark would have to find out if Lex wanted to stay with him. He simply didn't have the luxury of time. If the teenager couldn't ask Lex to stay, then he'd leave, and Clark might never see him again. Clark would have to find a way to convince Lex to stay in Smallville for a while.

Clark left the room, glancing back only once to look at the man on the bed. He closed the door to the master suite and quickly got ready for bed. Chloe and Pete should be back soon, and he wouldn't want them to find him in a compromising position.

After using the bathroom and brushing his teeth, Clark settled onto the couch for the night. He had just shut his eyes when he heard the door open and his friends say goodnight to their chaperone, Scott.

They didn't turn on a light, so Clark decided to turn one on for them, letting them know he was still awake. "Did you guys have a good time?"

Pete was the first to respond. "Oh yeah, man, it was great. You really should've gone with us. We only hit two clubs, but they were packed. The girls went crazy over my Ross charm. Chloe had to pull them off me, I swear."

Chloe grinned at her friends. "Yup, that's exactly what happened. I had to beat the poor girls off with a stick. I finally had to crawl all over him, pretending that he was my man, just to give the poor boy a break."

Clark laughed, "I'm glad you had such a good time. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for that. Maybe next time I'll be able to see the repeat performance."

"How's Lex?" Chloe's concern was clear in her voice.

"He's exhausted, but he'll be fine. I'm thinking about asking him to stay at the farm for a while. He told me earlier today that he really didn't have a home to go back to after the tour. He got rid of his condo and put everything in storage. I thought that maybe some relaxation and real hospitality may do him some good. What do you guys think?"

"I think that'd be great, Clark," Pete chimed in, "but I'm not sure what your folks would think about it."

"I think if all of us gang up on them, the Kents won't have a chance." Chloe smiled. "It's a great idea, and it's clear that Lex could use the break. It would probably be nice for him to be treated like a regular guy for a while, too--your parents will see that."

Clark grabbed Chloe and embraced her hard. "You're right. With the three of us working on them, Mom and Dad don't have a chance. Now the question is whether I can convince Lex or not."

Chloe released Clark from the embrace and started walking to the door of her room. "I don't think that'll be a problem, Clark."

Clark looked perplexed for a moment, not quite understanding Chloe's comment, but he quickly recovered. "Good night, Chloe."

Chloe's response was heard just before the door to her room closed. "Night, guys."

"Well, I should head for bed, too. Night, man."

"Good night, Pete, see you in the morning."

Pete disappeared into his bedroom, while Clark stretched out on the couch. When he closed his eyes, images of Lex followed him into his dreams.

The next morning was bright and sunny. Clark was glad the sky reflected his mood so well. He was the first one awake, so he had quickly dressed, then devised a plan to get Lex to agree to stay at the farm. He would simply ask, and allow his feelings to show when he did so. He wouldn't let Lex say no.

His mom had always told him that he had a very expressive face. Both of his parents had a hard time denying him anything that he truly wanted, and from a young age, he had learned which approaches worked best. He still used the earnest approach for most of his dealings with both friends and family. It had served him well so far, and he was confident that Lex would fall to his charms as well.

He heard the door to Lex's room open, and suddenly felt a moment of panic--maybe he wasn't so sure about this approach after all.

Lex stepped from his room looking refreshed, if still a bit sleepy, wearing a black t-shirt hanging over loose khaki pants. He was barefoot again, and Clark was beginning to think he may have a foot fetish, at least as far as Lex was concerned. "Morning, Clark. Did you sleep okay?"

"Morning. Yeah, I slept great. How are you feeling? You were pretty out of it after the performance last night."

"I feel great. I can't remember the last time I woke up the day after a performance without stiff muscles. You give a great massage, Clark. I really appreciate it." Lex's smile seemed to light the whole room, and it gave Clark the confidence he needed to make his request.

He lowered his eyes, not able to look directly at Lex, afraid of the rejection he might see there. "I was hoping you didn't have any plans for the next few days. I thought maybe you would like to stay in Smallville with my family at the farm. We don't have much, but we do have a spare bedroom, and there's lots of room to take walks, and not many people to bother you. I thought it would be a good way for you to unwind, and you said you didn't have anywhere to go because you gave up your rental."

Clark's words tumbled out. He knew he was babbling, but he hadn't been able to slow the flow of words any faster. "But you probably have someplace exciting to go already, right?" He carefully lifted his head and looked directly at Lex's face. He was surprised at the confusion he found there.

Lex paused for a moment. "No, I don't have anywhere to go, particularly."

Clark's eyes lit up, and he took a breath, ready to tell Lex that they'd have a great time, but Lex kept speaking.

"But I don't want to put your family in any danger, either. Regardless of what I said last night, I know that all of the accidents may not be coincidences. There might actually be someone out to hurt me--or I could be right and there's nothing to it. Either way, I'm a high profile figure and there are going to be people who will want to find me."

Clark reached over to the couch and picked up the concert t-shirt he had bought the night before. "No one will know you're there." He held the t-shirt out so Lex could see the back of it, where all the concert venues and dates were listed. "See? It doesn't say Smallville anywhere on it."

Lex laughed and swiped at the shirt. "You didn't buy this at the concert, did you?" Clark smiled shyly, which was all the answer Lex needed. "Man, you got hosed. The mark-up on these is like 500 percent. You should have talked to me first, I would have only charged you production cost."

"Now you tell me!" Clark snatched his shirt back as Lex laughed. "So, are you coming with us to Smallville or not?"

Lex sobered immediately. "I don't know what to say, Clark. I don't have any plans and staying at a family farm out in the country seems like an ideal break from the pandemonium of my life, but what would your parents think? I feel like we've known each other for years, but in reality, we just met yesterday, and I barely said two words to your parents."

Clark blushed deep red at the compliment in Lex's words. "I feel the same way. I've never connected to someone so quickly before. Pete and Chloe said they'd help me convince my parents to let you stay, and Mom is a sucker for strays in need." Clark chuckled. "We'll just let her know how bad you looked when you came back here and crashed last night. She'll want to put you in bed and cater to you for weeks. I think she believes she misses out sometimes because my dad and I rarely ever get sick."

"I am still a bit tired. I guess I could play that up to your parents. I would really like to get to know you and your parents better and Smallville sounds intriguing."

Clark knew that Lex was more than just "a bit tired" but he didn't feel like pushing the issue. "Great! And no one in town needs to know you're there, or who you are if you don't want them to. I swear we won't say anything."

"Say anything about what?" Pete stepped out of his room to catch the very last bit of the conversation.

"Morning, Pete. I was just telling Lex that while he stays at the farm, none of us will tell anyone he's staying there if he doesn't want us to. He probably needs some time alone after such a long tour."

Pete turned to Lex and smirked. "Sure, man. No problem. Besides, who would believe us?"

Lex glanced at his watch. "What time did we say I'd get you guys home again?"

"I don't think we gave a time. Just sometime this afternoon." Clark looked down at his own watch. "I don't think we have to leave for a few hours yet."

Pete sighed. "Good. Because I'm not the one braving the lion's den." He glanced at the door that connected their room to Chloe's. "I say we let her sleep. She's downright dangerous when you try to wake her up."

Lex laughed, then spoke in a convincing parental tone. "And just how do you know this, young man?"

Clark laughed as Pete stammered. "Sleepovers as kids. Clark, you know it's all innocent. Tell him."

"I don't know, Lex. I was awake when they came in last night and they looked awfully chummy. Chloe even said something about beating all the girls off her man with a stick."

"Oh, ha ha, Kent. I don't know why you think you're so funny."

"I just met Chloe, so I'm definitely not waking her up, but I am getting hungry. Why don't we order room service? You probably know what she'd like. Maybe the smell of breakfast will wake her up." Lex walked over to the table that held the phone and opened the drawer containing the room service menu.

He handed the menu to Clark. "Get whatever you'd like. Order a Denver omelet and a carafe of orange juice for me. I'm going to finish packing so we'll be ready to go after we eat. I'm going to need to run some errands before we leave town." Lex went into his room and shut the door as the boys read over the menu.

Pete and Clark decided to get French toast with a side of fruit for Chloe, and they loaded up on eggs, pancakes and hash browns for themselves. Pete called in the order while Clark cleaned his bedding off the couch.

As soon as a seat on the couch was cleared, Pete sat down. "So, how did you manage to convince Lex to stay in Smallville for a while?"

"No special trick, I just asked."

Pete shook his head. "Lex never had a chance. I swear Clark, you need to be a salesman. No one has a defense when you turn that puppy-dog face on them."

Clark smirked as he went to answer the knock at the door. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

The smell of breakfast finally woke up Chloe, after the boys opened the connecting door to her room. The group ate their breakfast quickly and were soon on their way out of the hotel, carrying their bags to the back entrance.

"Lex, you said you had some errands to run. What do you need to do before we head home?" Clark was curious about what they would be doing, as well as being intrigued by some phone calls that Lex had made earlier.

"I called Kevin, my personal assistant, and had him transfer some money for me. I thought I would need a car if I would be staying in Smallville for a while. My car is in Los Angeles, and I don't want to rent anything, I needed a new ride anyway."

Pete was the first to react. "We're going car shopping? What are you going to get? A Porsche? A Ferrari? A Lamborghini?"

Lex laughed. "Nothing that fancy, I'm afraid. I don't go for showy cars. I like fast, but I don't need to draw any more attention than I already get. I was thinking of just going to a Ford dealership and looking around."

They arrived at the ground floor and James was waiting for them with the limo.

"Ah, James. Right on time, as usual. Did you get directions to a car dealership?"

"Yes, sir. There's one not too far from the hotel. Are you sure you want to do this? I can take you all back to Mr. Kent's home in the limo, then come back at some later date to pick you up."

"No, James. But thank you for the offer. I need you to take the equipment and supervise the convoy back to LA. Besides, I'd like to be mobile while I'm in Smallville. I'd like to be able to look around while I'm there."

"Are you sure you'll be safe there, Sir? We're not sure that the threats will stop now that the tour is over. I would feel better if you allowed me to send along a bodyguard for you."

"That's not necessary. Nothing happened last night, and nothing will happen in Smallville. No one knows I'm going there, I'll have a new car, so no one could know what I'll be driving, and I'm sure I'll be safer there than in L.A. Besides, I still say the letters are from nuts and the light and bus were both just accidents."

James nodded and opened the door for the group to get into the limo. He then got into the driver's seat and they were on their way to the car dealership.

As soon as the limo arrived, two sales people ran out to greet them. By the time James opened the door for Lex, there was one salesperson on each side of the limo.

"Welcome to Medina Motors, sir. How may we assist you?"

Clark was amazed at the attention Lex received, but he supposed that it went with being a rich rock star, and arriving everywhere in limos. He suddenly wasn't so sure about how his new friend would react to his boring farm life.

Chloe and Pete seemed to be enjoying the attention, and were quick to point out cars that caught their eyes. Clark just followed the group around the lot and spoke only when he was asked a direct question.

He caught the confused looks that Lex was throwing him, but he didn't feel comfortable giving advice about the car, and he definitely didn't want to reveal his insecurities about how Lex would react to Smallville.

He wanted to get to know Lex better and having him come to the farm was the only way he could achieve that goal. Clark had been raised on the farm, he was used to the labor, the animals, and the no-nonsense way his parents dealt with people. They were not impressed with money or status. They judged people by their actions, nothing else.

Clark didn't think that Lex would have a problem with that philosophy, but seeing how comfortable he was being waited on and catered to, he suddenly wasn't so sure.

"Clark, are you with us?"

Clark shook out of his thoughts and turned to see Lex looking over a new royal blue Mustang. "Yeah. Sorry, I was a million miles away for a minute."

"I think it was more than a minute there." Lex leaned in and whispered while the rest of the group discussed the features of the car. "Are you okay? You've been distracted since we arrived."

"I'm fine, don't worry. I'm sorry. So, is this the one?"

"Don't think that I like all this hoopla, Clark. I'm looking forward to being anonymous with your family for a while. I feel like I'm still on stage when I'm treated like this. All they care about is their commission. They know it, and I know it, but I need to have someone to show me the cars."

Clark smiled. He felt better knowing that Lex was able to figure out what was bothering him and reassure him so quickly. "I'm sorry I'm being a pain. So, are we taking it out for a test drive, or what?"

Lex bought the blue Mustang convertible. Clark decided that the new car fit his friend, and he admitted that the car had great perks. The sound system was the best that Clark had ever heard. He was looking forward to listening to it on the way home.

The paperwork was a lot simpler when buying a car outright, without the financing paperwork, at least that's what Lex said. Clark believed it must be true, since they were saying goodbye to James and driving out of the lot in Lex's new car less than an hour after they had arrived.

They spent the drive back to Smallville talking and laughing. It was a very similar trip to the one they had enjoyed on the way to Metropolis, but Clark noticed one big difference. As they got closer to Smallville, Lex got quieter and quieter. All of his concentration seemed fixed on the road ahead.

By the time they arrived at the farm, Clark was concerned. Lex looked wiped out and ready to sleep for a few days straight. His parents had to let Lex stay now. If they tried to get him to go, Clark vowed that he'd hide the man out in the barn and allow him to sleep as long as he necessary before letting him leave.

Clark quickly got out of the car when it stopped, letting Pete fend for himself in unfolding from the back seat. He rushed to the driver's side to open the door for Lex and help the man out of the car. Lex leaned heavily on Clark as he exited the car.

Clark heard someone open the screen door and walk onto the porch, but he was too busy taking care of Lex to turn and see who was greeting them.

"Hi, Mrs. Kent!" Pete had been able to extricate himself from the backseat and was the first to greet their hostess.

"Hi, boys. Hi, Chloe." Martha stepped down from the porch and walked to the car. "Did you have a good time last night?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for allowing us to go. I know your approval went a long way to convincing my parents and Chloe's dad into letting us go"

"No problem, Pete. I'm glad you all had fun."

Clark knew he was ignoring his mother, but he had to take care of Lex. The man seemed to have used all of his energies to get the group safely to the farm, and it appeared that he was ready to collapse at any moment.

"Mom, can Lex stay here for a week or so? He's exhausted from the tour. See, he can hardly stand up. I told him that we would let him use the spare room. He just needs some time to recuperate."

Martha looked at the man her son was supporting, then back to Clark. He could see that she was wary, but her concern was also clearly evident. Clark gave her his best puppy-dog expression and she relented. "Of course, dear. Bring him up to the guest room. The linens are clean. You can bring his things in later."

Clark moved to help Lex to his room. "Pete, can you take Chloe home? I'll see you both at school tomorrow."

"Sure, no problem. Come on, Chloe. I'll help you with your stuff."

"Bye, Clark. Thanks, Mrs. Kent. It's really nice of you to let Lex stay here." Chloe hugged Clark's mom before getting into Pete's car.

Clark dragged Lex to his bedroom. For some unknown reason, he felt compelled to put the man in his space instead of the guest room. Somehow, he felt that if he couldn't be with Lex all the time, at least the man would be surrounded with Clark's own things.

By the time they arrived at the top of the stairs, Lex was mostly asleep. Clark gave up on dragging him, and simply picked him up to carry him the last few feet into the room.

He quickly undressed his friend, carefully avoiding the lingering touches that he longed to share. Hopefully, they would have time for that when both parties could enjoy it, and Clark had resolved to let Lex know how much he meant to the teen, even though he didn't know the man all that well yet. He also intended to get to know Lex much better before allowing him to leave Smallville.

Clark laid Lex on the bed, resting his head on the pillow, then removed shoes, socks, shirt and pants. He stared at Lex's red cotton boxers, but didn't give in to the overwhelming urge to remove them, or to at least caress the fabric. He picked Lex up again while he turned down the sheets, allowing himself a quick squeeze before placing the sleeping man on his bed and covering him up.

He stared down at the sleeping man, again amazed at the depth of emotion he had come to feel in such a short period of time. He knew he was incredibly attracted to this man, but could he possibly love him as well? How could he love someone he barely knew?

Clark had already planned the first few days after Lex felt better. They would take long walks in the countryside, just the two of them, as he showed Lex the lake, the woods, and the meadows that were uniquely interspersed with the cornfields that seemed to be everywhere. Smallville really was an amazing place, and Clark couldn't wait to share it with Lex.

He knew that they would spend long hours talking, learning everything they could about each other and hopefully they would be able to act on this growing attraction that he was sure that both of them felt.

He broke his gaze, and turned to leave the room. A momentary impulse made him stop and turn back. He walked back to the bed, leaned down, and placed a soft kiss to Lex's temple. He smiled down at the man, then turned to rejoin his parents downstairs.

Lex awoke in a strange room, darkness surrounding him. He sat up and quickly glanced around the room. As his eyes adjusted, he was able to see posters of stars and planets on the ceiling and walls. This room was clearly lived in, not the sterile hotel room that he had expected. He experienced a moment of panic before remembering that he was in Smallville. He knew this room had to be Clark's and was comforted by being enveloped in Clark's own unique space.

He had been so rejuvenated waking up with Clark nearby the previous morning, that he hadn't realized the toll the tour had taken. When Clark invited him to stay at the farm, he had felt like he could have floated on air. That feeling lasted until they had gotten to the car dealership, where the business of finding and buying a car gave him a second wind that lasted about half of the trip to Smallville. He vaguely remembered getting out of the car and leaning on Clark, but he knew that when he had realized they were safely at Clark's home, he had allowed himself to completely rely on his new friend and he had no recollection of getting into this room, and surely not getting undressed and into bed.

He looked on the bedside table and saw a digital clock displaying the time as 8:43 p.m. He had slept for over 5 hours after his arrival. He never slept that long in the afternoons, even after such long tours--he had never felt comfortable enough doing so in the past. Even though he traveled extensively, he still had a hard time feeling comfortable in new surroundings, especially when the perimeter had not been staked out by his security personnel. He trusted Clark on a level he hadn't understood himself until this very moment.

Flipping the covers off, he looked down, finally realizing that he was only clad in his boxers. He must have been really out of it to not remember being undressed by Clark.

His thoughts drifted to the teen that he felt he knew so well. Had it been only yesterday when they met at the side of the road? He could barely believe it. How had something so amazing happened so fast?

The door opened while he was lost in his thoughts. "Hey. I thought I heard you moving around up here. Do you want me to turn the light on?"

"Please. It's hard to get dressed in the dark."

Clark turned on the lights as he moved into the room. "Why do you want to get dressed? You need to stay in bed."

Lex looked up at Clark, who had moved quickly to lean over him, not allowing him to move, even if he tried. "Clark, let me up. I need to apologize to your parents and greet them properly. I need to see if I can help with dinner, and I need to see for myself that it's okay with them that I'm staying here."

Clark didn't move. He just shook his head and pressed his hand against Lex's shoulder, easing him back down onto the bed. Lex allowed himself to be moved easily, paralyzed with the overwhelming feelings of contentment the small touch elicited.

"I'll send my mom up to see you. You can speak with her so you'll know that of course you're welcome here. We've already eaten dinner. None of us had the heart to wake you, but I happen to know that she's working on a soup and sandwich tray right now. I told her that I thought I heard you waking up." Clark tucked Lex in, then went downstairs. Lex followed the sounds, still unable to move. He had never allowed anyone this level of intimacy with him. How did this teenager move in so quickly?

Lex had been raised by his father after his mother had died when Lex was a small boy of seven. He barely remembered his mother. He couldn't remember what she looked like or how she smelled, but he could remember little details, like how she would hold him tight and rock him after a bad dream, or how they would chase each other around the big mansion they had lived in, pretending to be cowboys and Indians, or cops and robbers.

His father, Lionel Luthor, world-renowned businessman, had little time for his son then, and had nothing to do with him now. Lex had moved from boarding school to boarding school, hating and getting expelled from every one of them, until he ran out of private schools and his father threw him into the local public high school his sophomore year.

Lex had his share of lovers from a young age, but none had truly won his heart. He started singing in a rock band when he was in high school, and found the rumors were definitely true, if you sang in a band, you could get lots of girls. In fact, Lex had found out early on that he could get lots of boys as well. His first sexual contact had been clumsy groping with the security guard after a concert at a low-rent all ages club. He couldn't remember the guard's name--he could only remember big hands, too big for Lex's fragile body, roughly jerking him off in an alley at the side of the club.

After that experience, Lex had tried girls for a while, but found out quickly that his tastes ran more towards men. His second experience with another man went much better--a nice long weekend with the bassist while on one of their road trips his senior year. It didn't last, and they never truly had a relationship, but it was the introduction to same sex activities that Lex needed to convince him to give up women altogether.

His father found out about his sexual proclivities at the same time Lex announced that he wouldn't be going to college. Those revelations were enough for Lionel to officially disown his son. The disowning had happened not long after his tryst with the bassist and had been big news at the time, with headlines in all of the major papers across the country. There was much speculation regarding the reason for Lex's banishment, but his father had been able to keep the embarrassment of raising a gay son from going public. Even with such a mystery to intrigue the reporters, the news cycle moves fast, and by the end of the week, all had been forgotten by everyone except the players involved.

Lex had moved in with a guitarist friend and his family until high school graduation, then took what little savings he had, left the band, and moved to Los Angeles to seek his fortune as a singer. He found out later how truly lucky he had been. Most overnight successes were actually established local artists who had been on the circuit for years before getting that one big break.

Lex had actually answered an ad for a lead rock singer in the alternative paper the first day he arrived in LA and was hired immediately. The band wasn't the best, but after a few months of seedy bars and grungy clubs, he was approached by a record company executive and he was on his way.

After ditching that band, and allowing himself to be remade into what the record executives wanted, his first album went double platinum. That had been four years and three albums ago, and he had never settled down. He knew he had been missing something from his life, but he had never known the extent of the wound until Clark had breezed into his life.

The door opened again, and he looked up to see Mrs. Kent enter the room with a tray of food in her hands. "Hi, Lex. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm very sorry about collapsing like that. I didn't know I was that tired. I hope I didn't scare anyone."

"No. It was a bit of a shock, but Clark told us how tired you had been, and we realized it was pure exhaustion and not anything truly serious."

"Thank you for letting me stay here, Mrs. Kent. You can't know how much this means to me."

"It's no problem at all." She approached the bed and handed the tray down to Lex. "Now, eat some food and go back to sleep. Clark will be in later to pick up the tray. I don't want to see you downstairs until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

"Yes, Ma'am." Lex took the tray and placed it on his lap. The soup smelled particularly good, and it was clearly homemade. He didn't think he had ever had real homemade soup since his father's chef made it for him when he was a child.

Martha closed the door on the way out, and Lex was left alone again. He had never had a problem being alone before, in fact, he had enjoyed it. But now, in this house, somehow he found himself wishing for the company of this family.

He tasted the soup, happily slurping the chicken-based goodness until nothing was left. He then attacked the roast beef sandwich with equal gusto. He had not known how hungry he had been until after he started eating.

Clark entered the room again as he was working on the second half of the sandwich. "So, how's the food? My mom is the best cook in the county."

"I believe it. I don't remember ever having such good food. Of course, I didn't know how ravenous I was until I started eating. I'll have to reserve my judgment until I'm not hungry enough to eat anything and everything put in front of me."

Clark laughed and picked up the tray, since Lex was on the last bite of his sandwich. "I'll let Mom know you enjoyed it, but you can tell her the rest."

Lex laid his head back down and closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted from the exertion of eating. "I'll defer to your superior knowledge on that. I know I'm too tired to censor my own speech right now, and the last thing I want to do is offend your mom."

"Go to sleep. I'll see you before I leave to go to school in the morning. Good night."

Lex mumbled his response, already falling into slumber. "Good night."

Clark woke up at five o'clock, a full hour earlier than he usually got up, so that he was sure to have time to do all of his chores and still have time to see Lex before school. He had decided to do the afternoon chores that could be done early in the morning, so that he would be able to hang out with Lex as much as possible after school. He was hoping Lex would be interested in walking around the farm this afternoon.

He hurried through the chores, using his speed when he could. He unloaded the hay bales and cleaned out the animal stalls in minutes, but he had to slow down to feed the animals, since they were skittish around him when he was working full speed.

He was in the kitchen, his head in the refrigerator, collecting food for his mother to cook for breakfast when he heard Lex coming down the stairs. He quickly found what he was looking for, gave it to his mom, then moved over to the counter to get Lex a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Lex. How did you sleep?" Martha was the first to greet Lex as he descended the stairs.

"Wonderfully, thank you so much." He sat at the kitchen table and took the cup that Clark offered. "Thanks, Clark."

"No problem." Clark sat down next to his friend, scooting his chair closer to the man.

"You're up early. We weren't expecting to see you for at least another hour." Martha spoke clearly, even though her back was to the table as she fixed hash browns, eggs, and bacon for breakfast.

"I've been awake for a few minutes, and I heard movement down here, so I thought it would be safe to come down. I can't believe I slept for almost 12 hours." Lex sighed, "I wanted to thank you again for the soup and sandwich last night, Mrs. Kent. If you hadn't sent that up, my stomach's growling would have woken me much earlier."

"I was glad to do it, and please call me Martha. You're going to be staying with us for a while, and we don't stand on formalities here. I hope you don't mind being treated like one of the family. I expect Jonathan will be having you out doing chores as soon as you're feeling up to it."

Lex pushed his chair back as if to get up. "I'm fine now. I'll go get dressed."

Clark stopped him before he could stand. "Dad will give you a day to recover. Stay in the house today and rest some more. When I get home from school, I'll show you around the farm. You'll have plenty of time to help out starting tomorrow."

"Clark's right, Lex. Rest today. We'll get you up bright and early to help out tomorrow morning." Martha placed the platters of hot food on the table and moved back to the oven to pull out the biscuits. "Trust me, you'll have plenty of work to do."

Lex slumped back in his chair. "I am still a bit sluggish, but I insist that I be allowed to help out tomorrow."

Martha laughed as she placed the biscuits on the table. "Don't worry, this is a working farm. Every pair of hands available will be used."

Clark grabbed his plate and piled it high with eggs, and bacon, then topped it off with two biscuits. "Dig in, Lex. Dad is still working, but when he gets here it's every man for himself."

"I don't want to take your Dad's food."

"I'm making more. The amount on the table wouldn't even hold just Jonathan and Clark. I have to cook in shifts." Martha smiled at Lex and gestured for him to start eating.

Clark and Lex dug into their food and the kitchen was silent until Jonathan came through the screen door a few minutes later. Martha was ready for him, and placed a full plate in front of his chair as he sat down.

She turned to Clark and paused before turning back to the stove. "You should hurry, you don't want to miss the bus again."

"Clark!" He stopped and turned toward the voice calling him, still echoing through the school hallway.

"Hi, Chloe."

Chloe rushed to catch up with her friend, then put her arm around his waist and leaned in to gain what privacy they could get in the crowded hall. It was just before the beginning of the last period of the day. Clark hadn't seen her all day and he was a bit surprised. He had gone to the library during lunch to do his homework, so he hadn't seen any of his friends, and he, Chloe and Pete only had one class together on Mondays, physics, which was the class he was headed to now. "How's Lex doing? Your parents are okay with him staying with you, right?"

"He's fine. He's pretty much slept the whole time he's been here so far. This afternoon, I'm going to take him on a tour of the farm if he's feeling up to it." Clark leaned down to whisper the next sentence in Chloe's ear. "Please be sure not to tell anyone he's here."

Clark knew he was stating the obvious, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He needed to have Lex all to himself for a while. He needed to figure out what the older man was going to be to him. From the beginning it seemed good friends was inevitable, but he was hoping for them to be so much more. He didn't want Chloe or anyone else to take Lex's time or focus away from him.

Chloe shook her head in exasperation. "I know. Don't worry. I spoke with Pete this morning during first period. We both promise not to tell anyone, and we agreed to stay away from the farm for a while ourselves. You need to focus on getting Lex back to full strength. We understand."

Clark beamed down at Chloe. "Thanks. You guys are the best friends ever." He pulled her tight in a quick one-armed hug before letting her go since they had arrived at the classroom door. They went in, both smiling as the bell rang and they found their seats next to Pete, who was already talking with another classmate at his desk.

Lex was waiting at the kitchen table, reading the afternoon paper when Clark came home from school. He knew it wasn't very subtle, but that morning Clark had been so excited about the prospect of showing him around the farm, he didn't want to disappoint the teen. He also realized that he was almost as excited as Clark about having some time alone, but he didn't want to admit that overtly, even to himself.

"Welcome home. How was school?"

"Boring, as usual. Are you feeling any better?"

"I feel great. Your dad promised to put me to work tomorrow, so I'll need to enjoy this day of rest. Do you have any homework you have to do?"

"No. I did it at school. We have the whole afternoon to goof off. Chloe and Pete send their regards. They were glad to hear that you're feeling better."

"That's nice. Be sure to thank them for me tomorrow." Lex stood up and approached Clark, who had stayed just inside the door since getting home. "So, what's on the agenda?"

Clark walked farther into the room and placed his backpack on the floor in the corner. "I thought it might be nice just to take a walk around the farm. I can show you the fields and the livestock. I have someplace special I want to show you too."

"I'm ready when you are."

Clark led the way as they headed out into the sunshine.

They walked down the steps of the back porch, then Clark led them to the left. "I thought we could go out into the pasture first, then walk the fence line a while before heading back so I can show you the barn."

"Anything you'd like to do is fine. I'm just along for the ride. So how long has the farm been in your family?"

Clark's step faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly, almost before Lex noticed anything was wrong, but not quite. His voice revealed no discomfort over the subject matter of the question, but Lex was not going to forget that stutter. "Dad's family has owned this farm for over a hundred years. Dad's grandfather went west from Kentucky in 1887. He built the first house on this land. The house we live in was actually built by my grandpa."

"How do you like living on a farm? I've never lived outside of a major city, myself."

The men continued to walk to the pasture. They followed the dirt road to a break in the fence line. Metal bars ran the length of the break, imbedded into the ground. There was no gate to keep the cattle in, and Lex must have shown his confusion since Clark answered his unasked question. "It's a cattle guard. We don't need a gate here because the cows won't walk over the metal bars. It makes it easier to get the hay out to them since we don't have to open and close a gate to get the truck through."

They walked toward the cows grazing not too far away. Lex wasn't sure about approaching the animals, but he trusted Clark not to let anything happen to him.

"Living on a farm is okay I guess. It's hard to say. I've never known anything else. I like the animals. But I don't like the agricultural aspect as much." Clark continued when he saw Lex shake his head in confusion. "You know, the planting and harvesting and stuff."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I've never been on a working farm before."

They continued toward the cows, stopping a few feet from a crowd of five that were all grazing. The cow closest to Clark raised its head in what looked to be a greeting. "Hi, Jessie, how are you doing, girl?" Clark absently stepped closer and patted the cow's head. He turned back to Lex. "Lex, this is Jessie, Jessie, Lex."

Lex reached out a tentative hand to the beast, but when it took a breath, he jerked it back to his body. "She doesn't like me."

Clark laughed as he continued to stroke Jessie's head. "She likes you fine. She didn't try to bite you, did she?"

Lex stepped backwards quickly. "You didn't tell me cows bite."

Clark stopped laughing, but was still smiling as he stepped forward and reached out to take Lex's hand. "They don't. I didn't..."

When their hands touched, a spark of electricity crossed between the men. Lex had been looking at the ground, embarrassed by his reaction to the cow, but at the spark, he looked up to find Clark staring down at him. Their gaze met and held for a long moment. "I didn't mean to scare you, Lex." The comment was whispered so softly that Lex almost missed it even though they were so close.

Lex didn't answer. All higher reason had left him as Clark leaned in and pulled him closer with their joined hands. His eyes closed as he tilted his head to the side and received the sweetest kiss he had ever experienced.

Clark tasted of earth and hay with a hint of sweet apple, a mixture Lex had never tasted before, but one that he found instantly addicting. Lex found himself surrounded by over six feet of cuddling farm boy before he knew what had happened. Clark's arms held him tight as the kiss deepened.

Lex began to feel breathless, but refused to end the kiss. He finally had to part slightly for air, but after taking a quick gulp, he dove right back in, opening his mouth slightly, inviting Clark to explore if he chose to do so.

Clark was either more experienced than Lex suspected, or he was a very fast study. Lex felt overwhelmed by the emotions this embrace elicited.

He was jolted off his cloud quickly, however, by a nudge to his back. He fell further into Clark's embrace, which wasn't a bad thing, but it hadn't been Lex's doing, so reluctantly he broke the kiss to investigate.

Jessie was apparently the jealous type, and didn't approve of Lex becoming one with Clark. Suddenly, Lex wasn't afraid of the beast any more. "Get out of here! Get your own man." Lex curled closer into the embrace.

Clark laughed. "Jessie has always been a bit protective. I didn't know she'd be jealous though."

Jessie didn't back off any more than Lex did, and Clark reached out to pat her on the head. "Maybe we should take this somewhere more private."

Lex smiled at Clark, then glared down at the beast. "Yeah, I think that's a really good idea."

The men walked quickly through the field as Clark led them into the barn. "This is what I wanted to show you anyway." Clark led Lex up some stairs into a large converted hayloft. "Dad calls it my `Fortress of Solitude'. I think he likes to make fun of my pensive nature. I tend to stay up there to think a lot--especially at night. I love to look at the stars."

Lex wandered around to look at Clark's loft. There was a telescope near the hayloft opening in the side of the barn, a hammock in one corner, and a ratty but comfortable-looking couch dominating the space. Clark had sat down on the couch, and was watching him prowl around the space. Lex moved to sit next to the teen. "I really like it, Clark. I can see a lot of your personality in the place. It's really you."

Clark reached out and grazed his hand over Lex's face. Lex felt the warmth and leaned into the touch. It had been a long time since he had felt such strong emotion for anyone. He had to be very careful and let Clark take the lead, so he wouldn't scare the younger man away.

Lex turned his head, tilting it in invitation. Clark took the hint and leaned in to continue where Jessie had so rudely interrupted them.

"Clark, Lex? Are you boys up there?" Clark's mom's voice reached them from the floor of the barn and the men quickly parted.

"Yeah, Mom, we're here."

"Oh, good. I need some groceries from town and I was hoping you wouldn't mind going to get them for me. I still have some things in the oven that I have to watch. Lex can stay here and rest if he doesn't want to go with you. It shouldn't take too long."

Clark moved over to the railing and leaned down to speak with his mother. "Sure, Mom, that's no problem." He turned back to Lex as his mother left the barn. "Would you like to come along, or do you want to stay incognito for a little while longer?"

"I should probably stay around here. I'm not really ready for any recognition. I'm not sure if anyone would bother me, but I'll just wait for you here and see if your mom needs any help in the kitchen."

Clark walked back over to Lex and kissed him quickly. "I won't be long." Lex shook his head fondly as he followed Clark down the stairs and to the house.

Martha watched Lex with interest as he bent over the sink, peeling the potatoes she had given him. Lex was a mystery, but one that she knew she would have fun unraveling in the next few days.

She could see the bond that the man shared with her son, and was happy that Clark had taken the older man in, but she was also a bit wary. Clark had good instincts with people, but he also had a huge secret to keep, and it was difficult for him to maintain his secrecy with those he kept close.

Clark had argued more than once for his parents to give their blessing in telling his friends about his alien origins. He was convinced that they would be supportive, and not scared of him since they knew him so well. Martha had not been so sure, and her point of view eventually won the day. But she knew her boy was growing up and it wouldn't be too long before he grew away from her. She hoped he knew that he could always some to her for anything.

Clark was such a good boy. He tried to help everyone and treated every person he met as a friend from the first moment he met them.

Clark had never been out on a real date, although he pined after the neighbor-girl, Lana Lang. He had never acted on his supposed interest, though, even when it looked like Lana had been making discrete overtures to him. Martha had thought Clark might have a secret that he had been keeping even from her, but she didn't want to confront the boy, so she was content to let Clark come to her when he felt that he could.

Watching Lex and Clark together, Martha was sure that her suspicions were correct. Her son was gay.

When she first thought that Clark could be gay, she wasn't disgusted, or even really surprised. She was a child of the sixties, after all, and took pride in her open-minded beliefs. She had been worried for him, however. Smallville was not the most liberal of towns. She knew that he wouldn't be in any physical harm, being indestructible came in handy, but as strong as Clark was physically, he was still an emotionally insecure, scared teenager.

She had also been nervous about how her husband would react. Jonathan was a good man, but he tended to see the world in black and white. Martha couldn't imagine her husband turning his back on their son, but he had been raised a farmer's son. He still believed in old school values and they had never specifically discussed homosexuality. She wasn't sure how he would react to a friend that came out to him, and Clark was much more than a simple friend.

She had shared her suspicions with Jonathan not long ago, and was surprised and pleased at his reaction. He was more worried about Clark's social status and the small minded people of Smallville than what people might say about him or how having a gay son could affect his own status in the community.

Kent Organic Produce was a small, family company that Jonathan had been working to build up for many years. If the community wasn't ready to deal with a gay citizen, the company might lose most of its business. When Martha mentioned that to Jonathan, he simply scoffed and told her that there were other markets outside of Smallville, and that he would find a way to make everything work out. He reminded her of why she loved him so much that day.

Lex finished with the potatoes and brought them to her, catching her staring off into space, deep in her own thoughts. "Is everything okay, Mrs. Kent?"

Martha shook off her thoughts. "Fine, Lex. Sorry. I was miles away there for a moment." She took the bowl of potatoes Lex offered her. "Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Seems like drifting off into deep thoughts runs in the family. I caught Clark doing it yesterday."

Martha laughed as she walked to the counter and started to cut up the potatoes. "It's amazing how much Clark takes after me or his father, even though we don't share any biological ties."

Lex looked stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, didn't Clark tell you? His father and I adopted him when he was a toddler. He was lost out in the cornfields during the meteor storm of 1989. We found him and took him in. No one came forward to claim him."

"Wow. No, Clark hadn't said anything. You all are so close. I never would've guessed that Clark was adopted."

Martha watched the emotions rapidly cross the man's face, and remembered the headlines from a few years ago.

"Were you ever able to work everything out with your dad, Lex?"

Lex shook his head sadly. "He won't have anything to do with me. I thought that maybe now that I have success, he would take my calls, but he still refuses to speak with me."

Martha reached over and hugged the young man. It was awkward, but she wanted to show him that someone cared. He finally relaxed into the embrace and Martha could have sworn that she felt the weight of the world lift off his shoulders just a little bit.

Lex pulled away, and Martha let him. He stepped back and collected himself.

Before Martha could comment on the situation, Clark burst into the room.

"Hi! Did you miss me?"

Martha smiled at her little boy. "Of course, dear, you know the world stops when you leave the room."

Clark walked directly to Lex and placed his hand on the older man's shoulder. "What about you? I'm sure you missed me."

Martha watched as Lex leaned into her son's touch. She would have to watch them closely. She liked Lex, but he was an older man, and a world-weary rock star. Maybe she should talk to Jonathan again. They could draft a plan of attack together.

"Come on, Lex. You can help me haul the groceries in."

The boys smiled at her as they walked out into the sunshine together. She decided that she would talk to Jonathan that night.

"Miller Professional Management, Liz speaking, how may I direct your call?"

"Yes, Liz. I'm calling for Mr. Lionel Luthor. There has been a death in the family and Mr. Luthor needs to speak with his son, Lex, immediately."

"I'll connect you with Mr. Luthor's manager."

"Thank you."

"Brian Davies' office, Laurie speaking."

"Good morning, Laurie. I'm calling from Mr. Lionel Luthor's office. He needs to speak with his son immediately. There has been a death in the family."

"I'm sorry. Mr. Luthor is out of town and Mr. Davies is out of the office until Monday morning. May I take a message?"

"Please, Laurie. I really need to track Lex down. His father is breathing down my neck. Lex's grandfather has died, and Mr. Luthor really needs to speak with his son. Please, can you help me out?"

"I'm sorry. Mr. Davies is out of touch and there's no way to reach him. I was instructed not to give out any information. I can give him the message immediately when he comes in."

"Monday will be too late. Please, Laurie. You'll be saving my job--and maybe even their family. I can't go back to Mr. Luthor and tell him I couldn't find his son. They haven't spoken in years. If I can't find him today, they may never speak. I know you can find out how to reach Lex. Please, just check the rolodex. Lex has to be listed."

"It only has a phone number."

"That's all I'll need. Thank you so much."

"316-555-8965"

"Thank you, Laurie. You saved my life."