Chapter 7 [Kent Farm]
Even as Lana sped toward there in her desperate need to know more about Clark's situation, Lex took a measured draught from his coffee mug. He watched as Martha studiously cooked away on breakfast while occasionally glancing at Jonathan who sat at the table's head.
The silence in the room was deafening to say the least….
Still the distrust. After everything I've done for Clark and them, I just can't win where they're concerned! He frowned while setting the mug down. "At least I came straight here and didn't find my father or Garner. That has to count for something."
Before Jonathan could say anything, she replied, "It does, Lex. We just want to give Clark a normal life is all. Before high school, it was so easy. He stayed on the farm when he wasn't at school. Now…." She sighed deeply.
"Normal? You call floating around normal? You call surviving a car crash at 60 miles per hour normal? I suppose he really did start those fires too including the one at the Talon?" Lex guzzled down the rest of the mug and set it firmly on the table. "Mrs. Kent, I've been on some wild rides in my time but never anything like what I saw Clark do last night!" He held up his hand and began counting off things. "Let's see he hovered, survived a fall through the floor without a scratch and rushed off at super speed. If you factor in possible heat vision and maybe strength you have the Cowache version of Numan on your hands."
Jonathan glared at him. "This is why we kept it quiet, Lex! We don't want people like Nelson around here snooping!"
Lex nodded while getting a degree of insight into the farmer's apparent-meteor level paranoia. "So let me guess, no birthday parties, no special sleepovers or anything?"
"We couldn't afford to let Clark do those things out of fear that he might slip up as he did apparently at the mansion, Lex," she noted. She walked over and refilled his cup. "Want more milk or sugar?"
"What's here is great, Mrs. Kent. Thank you," the billionaire accepted with a smile. "Yeah I can understand that after what happened last night. Look, I've always wanted to know. It's not like I created the situation for Clark to expose himself…." He rolled his eyes at himself. "…at least not intentionally. Now that I know, I can help protect him. I do want to work with you all. I'm sure Lana will too…."
"Wait. Lana knows too?" Jonathan queried brusquely. He stared at Lex almost darkly.
"Uh yeah. Clark had her floating with him. Then he protected her as they crashed through my floor. She saw him rush off like I did. I know she's struggling with this stuff like I am. I know too that she will keep the Secret. I'm letting you know I will too," he pointed out with more than a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
Martha served up three plates of scrambled eggs and bacon. "Hope you're hungry, Lex. I started this thinking Clark was here."
"Never miss one of your meals. Thanks. So where is he?" Lex queried while letting himself relax. "Hiding out upstairs?"
Jonathan exhaled sharply; his anger, distrust and fear radiating simultaneously off of him like the heat from a summer sidewalk. "That's what we're asking you. Where is Clark? He never came home last night."
"He never…." Now that the anger had dissipated minutely, Lex stared incredulously at him. "Mr. Kent, he left the mansion and sped away so fast, the staff, Lana nor I had a chance to track him. That was at 8:15 last night." He rubbed the back of his neck. "He was so upset. I….."
"Upset? Why ever would that be, Lex? He trusts Lana and you. I imagine you both were startled at least more than likely showing fear and mistrust toward Clark. He would be crushed." Jonathan glanced at Martha. "After breakfast, we're going to have to go look for him."
"I'll get my best men on it, Mr. Kent…." Lex started.
"No, Lex, we'll do it. Lana can help after school. Maybe we can get Pete Ross to pitch in," Jonathan proposed.
"Thank you for the offer, Lex. We prefer this stay close to the vest," she expressed while trying to smooth things over. She heard another vehicle coming up the driveway. "Now who?" She noticed the blazer pulling up right beside the Porsche. "Lana's here as well." She glanced at the clock. "It's not even 5:30 yet."
"I can imagine she didn't sleep either," Lex assessed despondently while starting in on the second mug.
Seeing Jonathan about to issue another acidic response, Martha shook him off before heading for the door. "Now I'm glad I made extra." She opened it to find the former cheerleader walking slowly up the front walk. "Good morning, Lana. Are you all right?"
All right? Given what I found out last night not to mention a conversation with an angel? "I wish I felt better. I was hoping to speak to Mr. Kent and you about Clark. Has he shown up yet?" Lana stifled a yawn with her palm. "Is that Lex's Porsche?"
"No he isn't here. How did you know he's missing?" Martha wondered. "Maybe you might come in? Lex, Mr. Kent and I were talking about this. We were about to start eating."
"I'm starving. Thanks, Mrs. Kent." Lana grinned in appreciation as she trudged through the door. "Hi, Mr. Kent. Lex, what are you doing here?"
"Same thing I imagine that you are. I was hoping to get some answers about Clark and what he did last night," the billionaire answered flatly before taking another sip of coffee. "Even after I told them, try getting them to open up."
"Maybe you might want to try being polite," Jonathan almost snarled.
"I'd like to know too, Mr. Kent, but I don't want to be pushy about it," Lana admitted. "Between last night and this morning, I'm not sure what to think." She rubbed her forehead. "After what Ryan said…."
The others looked skeptically at her.
"You said Ryan? Lana, he's dead. You know that," Martha reminded her.
"I know, Mrs. Kent. Yet he showed up an hour ago in the robes and everything! I was sitting at the table at Chloe's house drinking coffee and trying to put my head around what Clark did last night. Then I saw a glow from the front room. I investigated and found Ryan waiting for me there. He told me more about Clark and his abilities. He also assured me that even if Clark covered everything else up, his feelings for me were genuine. That's comforting, I guess," Lana explained.
"He does care for you, Lana. And yes, he's wanted to tell you," Martha assured her while serving breakfast to the guests first. Then she returned to the stovetop to rustle up servings for her husband and herself.
"Let me guess, you both said no to that," Lex accused.
Jonathan's eyes sparked. "We did, Lex, to protect him. Lana, I have no doubt, intends to keep his Secret. I'm anxious about her potentially slipping to the wrong person. We've had several close calls this year alone as you've already mentioned. You've been involved in at least two of them. You tried to have us investigated!"
"Yes, Mr. Kent, I did! I needed to know what's going on! All right? I hit Clark with a speeding car! He peeled back the car's roof like tin foil! I want to know!" Lex insisted.
"Maybe you should take the favor as such," Jonathan snapped back.
"Same went with the truck I wanted to give Clark, Mr. Kent," Lex insisted angrily. "It wasn't a bribe. It was a thank you."
"It wasn't just that, Lex," Martha broke in. "We don't want Clark thinking that he should be rewarded for doing the right thing. So please don't think that. Wouldn't you want your child safe? There are people like your father to think about. What are we supposed to gather when trucks start exploding around the farm? When people start threatening said-child with exposure? We live in fear of that. So it isn't that we don't trust. We want to. It's for you both to understand the burden of this Secret will be on yourselves. Jonathan and I both know that. It's vital nobody else finds out other than those who already know."
"Others know? Really?" Lex scoffed.
"Lex, Byron and Pete Ross know," Lana disagreed with a heavy sigh. She spooned up a mouthful of eggs and nodded. "This is great. Thank you, Mrs. Kent."
"You're welcome," Martha expressed. "And Ryan told you that?" She exchanged curious looks with Jonathan.
"He did. He came back because he cares about Clark. I knew that. Last night though it seemed like a little brother or something," Lana surmised.
"Clark and Ryan were like brothers, Lana. They cared about each other enough that each protected the other," Jonathan agreed. He glanced over at Martha who bowed her head before returning his attention to the two guests. "We wanted to adopt him as well. We couldn't risk the attention to Clark though."
"So Clark did break into Sommerholt ?" Lex rolled his eyes. "I put myself and Judge Ross out there and you let us do it?"
"Judge Ross wanted Ryan out of there as much as we did," Martha disagreed.
"As much as Clark saved you, Lana, from several situations," Jonathan indicated.
"Really? I know about the tornadoes. What else?" Lana took another curious forkful of breakfast delight. Her own indignation was giving way to curiosity by that point.
"Tina Greer twice, Greg Arkin and Sasha's bee attack at the Talon among other things. I always told him to be careful not to expose himself. Now he's done it," Jonathan clarified.
"We're well past that point now," Lex disagreed before sampling his own plate. "I erased the security footage from last night but that crater in the library's floor is going to raise questions. Sooner or later, my father's going to want to know what happened. And that's not counting if he and Garner are still in touch."
Jonathan exhaled sharply. His bile over the The Source of All Things Evil in Smallville finding out for sure threatened to ruin his appetite. "Lex, if you get the materials there, maybe I can help patch that floor?"
Realizing that the host was offering a compromise, Lex nodded. "Maybe we can get something there by 1? It shouldn't take that long to repair. Meantime we'd best look this morning. Lana, you'd best be at school in case Clark shows up there."
"School? I want to be out there with you! Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I can help search!" Lana protested vehemently.
"We know you can, Lana. Lex is right though. If you're out, Principal Reynolds may get suspicious and starting investigating on his own. We don't need the attention," Martha explained. "We'll let you know if we find anything. Can you do the same if Clark shows up there?"
"Reynolds won't back off once he gets a hook under his skin," Lex agreed. "He'll want to know the whole thing." He rubbed his business partner's arm in consolation. "We'll let you know the minute we find anything. Meantime you can join us after school if we're still looking."
Seeing that she was outvoted, Lana brooded as she went back to her breakfast. She wanted to be out on the forefront and in the search of her boyfriend. She knew she could be more useful despite what they thought. I'll be looking too as soon as school lets out! Meantime I can talk with Pete about these things. She rammed another purposeful spoonful in her mouth
It was going to be a long day for all concerned…..