I did try to reply to your lovely reviews but there was a technical issue. This chapter is a tad jumpy but I wanted to be able to move onto the next part so kind of crammed it into the one chapter.
As always would love to know your thoughts.
Martha shut the truck door and heard the familar woosh of Clark's sudden appearance next to her, without looking up she asked, "Can you give me a hands taking these bags inside?"
"Why was Lionel Luthor involved in my adoption?"
Sighing, Martha felt her shoulders drop at the question, she should have known that Clark would discover that piece of information sooner rather than later, he was best friends with Chloe Sullivan after all. "Can we talk about this inside?"
"I want to know what's going on!" he told her mullishly.
"And I'll tell you, but at least grab a bag."
Never one to do things by half, he lifted all three bags and disappeared into the house, leaving a small trail of dust and dirt circling in the air where he had previously stood. Martha followed him in at a more leisurely pace, unsurprised to find that Clark had also put away every bit of shopping and was standing in the kitchen with his arms crossed, glaring at her. "So, are you finally going to tell me the truth?"
"We never lied to you Clark,it's just the full story was...complicated."
"Well we have time."
Martha nodded, and with a deep breath started her story. "You know everything about how we found you, but we what we never explained was the chaos the meotors caused. There was absolute mayhem across the entire town. I persuaded your father not to phone the police straight away and report that we had found you, I knew that they would also find the ship and I didn't want to think about what that would mean for you." She reached up and patted his cheek, a soft smile gracing her features as she told him, "You were everything I had wished for for so long and suddenly in the midst of all this horror was you, the most perfect little boy. I admit that I played on that instant rush of love I had for you to persuade your father to hide the spaceship."
"So where does Lionel Luthor feature in this?"
"I'm getting there," she reassured him. "As we were driving back to the farm, Lionel ran out into the road, Lex had been badly injured in the strike and Lionel was...shellshocked." Martha's brow creased and she shook her head. "I'm sure it's difficult for you to picture it, but I believe he was truly distraught about what had happened and he begged your father to help him, it was obvious that even Lionel Luthor would struggle to get anyone else in time to save Lex."
"So Dad helped him?"
"Of course, we had covered the ship so he couldn't see it and we drove him to the hospital, despite the obvious risks. How could we do anything else?"
"You couldn't."
"No, and we didn't consider not helping for one second, but that's how we met Lionel Luthor. Later, he said that he owed your father a debt and if we ever needed anything then we should get in touch."
"So Dad was a hero?"
"He was but-"
There was a knock at the door, distracting Martha from the rest of her tale, she glanced at Clark before opening the door to reveal Sheriff Ethan. He gave them an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry to disturb you all."
"It's not a problem, how can we help you?"
Sheriff Ethan took his hat off and scratched awkwardly at his forehead before finally replying, "It's ah, Rachel Dunleavy, she's applied for a court order for a DNA test for Clark."
"What? That's ridiculous," Martha exclaimed.
He shrugged. "Well it's been approved." He handed her the order. "I'm sorry Martha, really I am, but if she isn't his mother then she'll go away soon enough. I'll be round in the morning with the doctor to take the sample."
Martha's lips pulled tightly together as she glanced at the document, it appeared she had underestimated Ms Dunleavy. "We'll see you then Ethan," she replied after a moment.
"Yeah...uhm you both have a good night," he murmured, making hastily for the door.
Clark waited until the sound of tyres had disappeared down the drive before asking, "So what are we going to do?"
"We don't have much choice, you're going to have to give the sample."
"Yeah, but do I even have DNA?"
"I don't know," Martha admitted. "Which is why you're going to have to get it back."
"How?"
Martha looked at him, remarking with some humour, "I would imagine how you normally get into places you shouldn't be anywhere near."
"You're actually giving me permission for that!"
"I think given the circumstances we don't have much of a choice."
"I suppose not." He gave her a cocky grin. "Pretty sure I can manage it."
"I know you can, but at least try for some modesty," she laughed.
"I'll try. So..." he looked at his Mom meaningfully, "The rest of the story?"
Martha's smile faded. "Yeah, you deserve the truth. We took you home and hid the ship, but your father wanted to report that we had found you."
"And you didn't?"
"No," she admitted. "I didn't want to risk losing you. We were still debating it when Ethan arrived, he had seen the truck in the middle of the road, where we had abandoned it and had come to check that we were ok. I took you into another room and tried to keep you quiet, but you got away from me, and when he saw you I had to think on my feet. So I told him that we had picked you up from the adoption agency earlier that day, and once the words were out I couldn't take them back. Not that I ever wanted to, you were the only good thing to come out of that day and I couldn't give you up."
"So you called in the favour Lionel Luthor owed you," Clark guessed.
"We did, we told him that we'd found you abandoned at the side of the road just before the strike. He put the adoption through quickly and didn't ask any questions past that, at first it appeared to be the perfect solution." Martha gave a soft sigh and shook her head. "But what we didn't know was that the Ross' were on the verge of pulling out of their sale with Lionel. So the day he arrived with the papers, he suggested to your Father that he might want to speak to them, convince them of his offer."
Clark's eyes narrowed in confusion. "But why did he do it?"
"Because Lionel made a vague hint about the manner of your adoption, about not wanting anyone to look too closely at the paperwork."
"He threatened Dad?"
"I think that's what he felt at the time, so of course he went straight to the Ross farm and convinced them to sell up."
"I don't know how you can stand to work for that man!" Clark snapped.
Martha leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Lionel is a business man, he saw an opportunity and he took advantage of it. I honestly don't think that he would have followed through with his implied threat, he would have had too much to lose."
"So you're blaming Dad!"
"No," she replied firmly. "But the world isn't black and white, he wasn't used to men like Lionel, to how they worked, it was one of the reasons I fell in love with him, because of how good he was." She took a step forward and pressed her hand against Clark's forearm. "I know Lionel has many faults, but I can't hate him, he helped me keep you and at this point in time, whether you like it or not it's the job he's given me that's keeping this farm afloat and food on our table."
"I just wish it wasn't him." Clark scowled for a moment and then sighed, his features relaxing slightly. "I suppose that it's not the most important thing right now though. I'll go phone Pete, get him on board for tomorrow." He looked back at his Mom and managed a smile, "Thanks for telling me the truth...finally."
"We never wanted to lie to you, we were just trying to protect you."
"Yeah, I know, but you don't need to do that anymore."
"Oh Clark, I'm your Mom, it's my job."
He managed a laugh, giving her a tight hug before turning to leave the room. Martha watched him go, she would go to the ends of the earth for her boy, no matter who that out her up against.
Lionel removed his dark glasses as Martha stepped into his office. "I hear that the DNA came back with the desired result."
"Was there ever any doubt that it wouldn't?" She asked, arching one eyebrow as she continued, "And how do you know about that?"
Lionel chuckled, a sound that sent the oddest feeling down Martha's spine. "I think we are the only two people who knew with certainty just how the test results were going to turn out." He leaned back in his chair. "And Rachel Dunleavy paid me a visit when she heard the news."
"I thought you said she wouldn't turn up here."
"That's what I truly thought, to say I was surprised when security informed me of her arrival is something of an understatement."
"What did she want?"
"She accused me of tampering with the results, of wanting to hide the truth." He shook his head.
Martha's face creased into a worried frown. "I had hoped that the DNA test would be an end to this."
"Yes, I had the same hope," Lionel admitted. "I tried to persuade her that she needed help, but she ran out of here." He glanced up at Martha's worried face and felt what was almost reminiscent of concern momentarily rush through him. "I can understand if you want to go home, to see Clark."
"Clark's at school, and if she believes that he's her son then she won't risk hurting him. All she wants is her son."
"Then she'll target one of us," he pointed out, almost feeling guilty that he had dragged Martha Kent into this mess. It was an odd sensation and not one he was familiar with. He didn't think he wanted to be familiar with it either.
"I can see why she might target you, force a confession but I don't see why she would come after me."
"Because you're Clark's only legal guardian," Lionel told her. "You can block her access at every turn, even if I was to suddenly announce that Clark was my son."
"I didn't think about that," Martha admitted. "But I think she would be reluctant to go that far, after all it would hardly endear Clark to her."
"No, but then you're assuming that she's mentally competent, and I can asssure you that she isn't."
"You have such wonderful taste in women," she remarked dryly.
"So I've been told," came the easy reply, although he personally thought it was improving.
"I suppose there isn't much we can do at the moment," Martha remarked after a moment. "If she continues to try and contact Clark even after the DNA results then I can take the legal route to stop her."
"Yes, I'll fund it of course."
"You don't have to, we would manage."
"Of that I have no doubt, but I do have some blame to take in this situation," Lionel admitted.
"I never thought I would see the day that Lionel Luthor made an admission of guilt."
"I wouldn't expect it to happen again."
Martha gave a soft laugh. "I'll keep that in mind." She took a seat across from him. " Now, time to change the subject." She tapped at the glasses resting on the polished wood surface of his desk. "I have made you an appointment with a specialist in opthamology. He is more than willing to see you today."
"They always are," Lionel remarked blandly. "Which one did you choose?"
"A Dr Goldstein, I believe you've seen him before."
"I've seen them all before, and they all told me the same thing. That if I regained my sight it would be a medical miracle."
"I'm told they do happen from time to time."
"And if they tell me this is temporary?"
Martha met his gaze, her eyes warm with sympathy. "How much worse would it be to wake up one day and find that it's gone, and to not know if some form of medical intervention could have helped. If you go to this appointment then at least you'll know, and haven't you always said that knowledge is power?"
Lioenl managed a smile at her teasing. "I have," he admitted. "Although I'm not sure I've ever said it to you."
"You haven't," she replied, "But it certainly sounds like an adage you'd subscibe to." Her tone turned serious once more as she added, "You can't continue to trick people the way you have been. It doesn't matter about your reasons, it isn't right."
Lionel would normally have argued that point, he had never had much interest in doing what was right, he had always been more interested in doing what what suited him, what was in his best interests. Normally he wouldn't have had a problem in making that clear, but he didn't want to say that to her, didn't want to see the disapointment that he knew would be in her eyes if he did. He didn't want to think about why that was, about how the last person he had felt that urge with had been Lillian. Instead he gave a gruff, "Fine, arrange the appointment and I'll go."
"8pm tonight," she told him briskly. At his clinic in Metropolis, I've informed the Seth that he'll be required slightly later tonight."
"Seth?"
"Your driver." She gave a tut, the hint of a smile on her features again. "You really should know his name."
"Now I do."
His desk phone let out a shrill ring, and Lionel answered it. Martha watched as his featrues changed from the vague amused expression he'd been perusing her with, to one of alarm that was quickly masked into an expressionless mask. "What's wrong?" Martha asked him as he hung up with barely a word uttered.
"It's Rachel Dunleavy, she has Lex." His eye twitched and he took a deep breath before he continued, "She says if I don't publicly acknowledge Clark as my son then she'll kill him. An eye for an eye, apparently. She's also given me a time limit."
Martha couldn't hold back her gasp, she got to her feet and moved unthinkingly to his side. "Oh Lionel, what are you going to do?"
His mouth tightened into a thin line, he had never appreciated being blackmailed. "I'm not sure, although I certainly won't be making that announcement."
"If it would buy you time..."
"And then what? Admit to the world it was a lie, that I let myself be pressured into making that announcement, that I can be pressurised and forced into such a situation?"
"What about Lex?"
"She won't harm him. It won't get her what she wants."
"But she is clearly becoming desperate, and you said yourself that she's unstable."
He ignored Martha's point, he didn't want to think about the very real possibility that she was right. "If you could liase with the public relations team to set up a press conference, I need to speak to my head of security."
"Will I call the police?"
"No, I'll see to it. Thank you, Martha."
She nodded, taking a moment to draw her eyes away from his. Everytime she thought she was getting closer to understanding Lionel Luthor he would drastically change, become a different man with different motives. She just prayed that he was right, that Rachel Dunleavy wouldn't harm Lex.
Lex grabbed the crystal decanter and poured himself a generous glass of his father's favourite whiskey and threw it back in one mouthful before pouring another serving. He straightened as he heard the office door open and turned to offer a sardonic smile as his father finally made his appearance, accompanied by Martha Kent. "Finally, my loving Father returns." He raised his glass at him. "I know it's difficult but try and hold yourself back from the grateful tears that your son and heir made it out of a hostage situation alive."
"I am grateful Lex, and you're clearly drunk."
Martha intervened. "Perhaps I should go."
"You've been kept late tonight, I hope he's offered overtime," Lex remarked, still glowering in the direction of Lionel.
"I had an appointment and I asked Mrs Kent to accompany me, she will of course be reimbursed for her time." Lionel picked up his decanter and shook his head at the little amber liquid left in the bottle. "I hope you enjoyed that, the distillery shut down a few years ago, that was one of the last bottles left."
"I already know you have the rest of those bottles, so your little guilt trip isn't going to work." Lex took another mouthful before he looked back over at Lionel, his scowl growing darker. "You can see," he remarked accusingly.
"So observent."
Martha stepped forward, intervening, "Yes, that was the appointment. Your Father's sight has been improving over the last few weeks, the specialist confirmed tonight that it's a permenant change."
"Yet another miracle for Lionel Luthor."
Martha looked between the pair, they were like to lions eyeing each other up, ready for the fight to be alpha. "I'll see you in the morning," she told Lionel, before looking towards Lex with a genuine smile as she stepped forward to touch his arm gently. "I'm so glad to see that you're ok, Lex."
"At least someone is," he grumbled. She didn't react, simply squeezed his arm before she turned to leave. The door clicked behind her and silence stretched out, only broken by the crackles of the fire. Finally Lex broke, asking, "Are you going to say anything?"
"So that you can come back with some retort?"
Lex gave a humourless laugh, "You're unbelievable." He glugged back the last mouthful of whiskey in his glass before adding, "Although I don't know why that surprises me."
"Neither do I. Surely you know by now Lex that I always get what I want." He spread his hands out. "So of course you were going to be fine."
"I don't think I can even come up with a suitable retort for that one. Although I'm beginning to think that the phrase God complex was invented just for you."
Lionel chuckled, pouring himself a glass and raising it to Lex. "Well, we have much to celebrate tonight, so why dwell on-"
"Your crazy ex-lover," Lex interupted dryly.
"I'm sure you have a fair few of those as well, Son, so I would lessen the judgement in your tone."
"Out of interest what is our primary celebration? My safe return? The miraculous return of your sight? Or the fact that once again you have gotten exactly what you wanted?"
Lionel shrugged. "Why not all three?"
"I don't really feel like celebrating if I'm honest. What I would like to know is if Clark isn't Lucas Luthor, then where is he?"
Taking a measured sip of his whiskey, Lionel took a moment before replying, "Not your concern."
"I could go and find him."
"You could," he admitted calmly. "But if you're hoping for a loving family reunion then you're going to be bitterly disapointed. Lucas is his mother's son, I have tried on a few occassions to begin to try and integrate him into my life, it has never ended well."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because I could have lied, told you he was dead, then you would have had nothing to look into."
"He should have been part of both our lives."
"Yes, but I could hardly bring him home and ask your Mother to accept him."
"After that then."
Lionel gave an irritated sigh. "Find him if you must Lex, but I wouldn't expect much."
"I never do from this family." His eyes narrowed. "I wonder if you've left him shares in Luthorcorp."
A smile crossed Lionel's features at his son's thinking. "I did, but I decided that I couldn't trust him with any control in the company, even if he did have the Luthor name. It's all yours."
"Not why I was asking."
"No, you thought that if I had left him shares then I really did trust him and it would show that I was lying to you, but then I'm also sure it would have crossed your mind at some point."
Lex slammed his glass onto the desk. "I've had enough of this conversation." He went to leave but turned at the door, telling Lionel bitterly, "And I'm not sure what your game is with Martha Kent, but she won't fall for it."
"You always think the worst of me Lex, perhaps I just enjoy her company."
He snorted. "Yeah, right."
Lionel listened to the door slam as Lex stormed out. It was ironic that his son believed he was lying about Martha, but the truth was he had no agenda other than the simple fact that he wanted her around him, that he wanted her to be more than just a P.A. but then given how protective Lex was about the Kents. it was probably for the best that he didn't realise that, that he continued to think he had another game he was playing.
I'm not convinced that I'll be bringing Lucas Luthor into this story, hence the change to Lionel's explanation. After all he isn't required for the reveal about Lionel's sight and that character wasn't the most memorable in my opinion anyway. He might be mentioned again though, we'll see.
