Thankyouthankyouthankyou to my sizzy Francie – again - for all her wonderful, WONDERFUL, marvellous, excellent, SUPERB help as betareader... *big huggles*

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own any of the characters from Smallville... which means that Clark ain't actually mine any more than Lex is...

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I'm not as clueless as I look, Lex. I know you lied to me, when you said he hadn't been there, that you didn't know him. I know you lied.

Why did you do it, Lex? Why lie to me? It was a little thing, surely, to admit that you'd met him before. Did you think I'd blame you for my dad nearly dying? I wouldn't, you know. I know it's not your fault. I said that, didn't I? I don't hold you responsible for that, Lex, but I want to know why you lied to me. You said you'd do anything to protect a friend. Is that why you did it, Lex? To protect me? Do you really think I need protecting? After all the times I've saved your life... What could I need protecting from? Your father, the harsh realities of the world... you?

Is that it, Lex? Are you ashamed of yourself, of something you've done? Scared that I might find out something about you that I won't like? I've seen the way people look at you, Lex, the way it hurts you, the way you harden your heart and pretend it doesn't matter. But it does, doesn't it, Lex? However much you may pretend otherwise, however much you may try to deceive even yourself that you don't care, that you are above being touched by mortal concerns like that, in the end, it does matter to you that you're judged as part of your father, irreversibly corrupted by a mere accident of birth. Are you afraid you'll do something so that I'd look at you like that too, that I wouldn't understand, that I'd hate you? Do you really think I could be that... shallow, that changeable?

Friendship doesn't work like that, Lex. True friends are not so easy to lose as that! Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves, Lex, deserves the benefit of the doubt. How can I hate you for lying when I don't know why? You said you'd do anything to protect a friend and I believe you. I WANT to believe you. You're my friend, Lex, and I can't hold a lie against you.

Afterall, I started it, didn't I, Lex? You know it and I know it, know that I've lied to you so many times about the day we met, the day I first saved your life, and then again about the following times I've saved your life. So many other times when I've nearly given myself away and I've lied to you about it. You can't prove anything except a mystery, but you know, don't you, Lex? But you pretend to believe me anyway. You know I have a secret, one I dare not trust anyone else with, but you choose to leave it. I'm grateful for that, Lex, I really am. And I want to tell you, I really do, but I can't. You see that, you understand that, like it seems no one else can.

If you can overlook my lies, Lex, then I can overlook yours... it hurts that you can't trust me, but I suppose I'm doing the same to you. I'm not ashamed of you, Lex, and I don't care what everyone says. Pete, my dad, whoever - I don't care! I know you've done things, bad things, things that you're not proud of, but you're my friend, and I trust you, Lex. I believe in you.