Chapter 29 [Next Morning]

[Luthor Mansion]

Lex sat behind his desk while scrolling through his secured files. The rising stock prices brought a smile to his face. He definitely liked his supervisors' progress reports concerning the LuthorCorp plant…and the neutralizing of his father's complaining that it would bring. His calls to Central City and the local medical center had kept Clark out of the limelight and insured Sandra's smooth transition to her new setting. Most of all the "block party" at the Talon had brought more business than he could've anticipated.

Best of all, he now knew Clark's Big Secret. He no longer had to guess at his younger friend's motivations. He understood what the farm boy had done to protect him and the others. While he'd been angry at first, he'd come to remember what his father, Garner and the Phelans of the world would do if they found out. Accordingly he vowed to help his friend at every turn.

Yes everything seemed to be going perfect….

Well almost perfect…..

Sandra proved a mixed bag at the moment. Her enthusiasm toward the new position and Smallville in general provided a positive spin on things. She seemed to really hit it off with the new neighbors on the previous day. Her relationship with Byron could now be in the open. She really got along with Lana. But the lingering issues with Kal remained….

…a trauma that if unchecked could sink everything….

The billionaire could see that Clark was in overdrive trying to reassure the nurse that he was in control. He observed first hand and through other accounts that Clark tried to give Sandra her space yet just try to start over. He knew it would be a tumultuous process….

...especially with the dinner that night….

He sipped on a cup of Javanese coffee letting the exotic flavors and hints of richness sooth his tongue, throat and nerves. He knew how protective Jonathan and Martha were of their son and how hard the adjustments were to the "new reality". Accepting the newcomer's issues and helping her to deal with them would prove a tough challenge by any stretch of the imagination.

Jonathan's paranoia, bordering on "meteor freakishness," posed a challenge of its own…one that threatened to blow the top off of the situation and ruin everything.

Wish it weren't so hard for Clark's sake. No wonder the kid's ready to go off the deep end. He looked up at his mother's portrait. "Wish you were here, Mom. This is when I miss you the most."

"We all do, Lex."

He smirked at the voice. "I was wondering when you were going to show up." He turned to find Patricia watching him from the door. "She would've been a warm and even handed presence for Clark to deal with."

"True," she concurred. She recalled how Lillian had kept Lionel, the Teagues and Queens at bay during their families' excursions. "Dad talks about her every so often."

He nodded albeit with some surprise. "I didn't expect your father to recall that. He's so…well…" He cleared his throat and went for the coffee maker.

"Wrapped up? Lex, Dad isn't so into the universe and its secrets that he's forgotten about everyone here. He's reclusive not a self-centered idiot. Trust me. I've heard the stories about her. We all would've been better off had she lived longer," she pointed out. "He says hello by the way."

"Too bad you couldn't have done the same yesterday. Clark and Lana wanted to meet you," he lamented while pouring her some coffee. "I have cream, milk and sugar there if you want." He handed her the mug.

"Thank you." She fixed her drink to her own liking. Then she sampled the results for herself. "You certainly have developed your tastes."

"I try," he deadpanned while considering his guest. "So what does your Dad think about yesterday?"

"Given that Mr. Kent kept himself in check and is back to blending in, Dad approved. He just wants to keep your father and others from figuring out our Big Secret. He agrees with you that I should've introduced myself by the way," she reported before chasing her words with a caffeinated gulp.

"When are you dropping by the farm then?" he inquired knowing what was coming.

"Tomorrow or the next day. I don't want to intrude on Miss Riley's meeting with them tonight. There are bigger forces at work here. Let the Kents and Miss Riley adjust to each other. I'll enter the fray when I feel the situation's at its least…volatile," she clarified. "Any word on the Sullivans?"

"Gabe Sullivan's still dealing with his family out of town. His daughter, Chloe, will be back at some point, I imagine," he assessed. "She could prove a complication."

"Given her aptitude for spilling the truth and not considering the consequences until later, I'd say that's an understatement. You almost died because of that as I recall," she remembered.

"My father's still got his claws in her. Chloe does care about Clark. Still she is a teenager. Seeing him with Lana Lang made her go to Dad in the first place. Last thing we need is her running something in the high school newspaper," he added. "I wish she'd stay out of town."

"This is her home and these are her friends, Lex. Miss Sullivan is going to be in the picture eventually." She considered the view out of the window onto the grounds while letting her next words out carefully. "She will figure out Mr. Kent's situation on her own."

"Clark's aware of her, I'm sure. When he's not on red-k and running around as Kal, he's actually a great actor and observer of things. I just hope he keeps his head on straight around her," he declared. "Last thing we need is for Dad to pressure her into finding out more on Clark."

"I trust her to know of Lionel's threat, Lex. Question is can the Kents keep him at bay?" she queried expectantly.

"So far they have. Now that we're on board, your Dad and we can help in that regard," he concurred. "Do visit at some point. It's going to take them long enough to get to know you and let them develop some trust."

She shrugged. "I wouldn't have it any other way." She took another measured draught from the mug and began to plan how she wanted that introduction to go.

Lex, for his part, relaxed ever so slightly. At least Patricia was moving into active involvement.

One less duck in the row to worry about on that choppy water…..

[Kent Farm]

Even as Lex and Patricia discussed things, Clark finished a round of repairs on the barn's back wall. After the understanding he and Lana had reached, he wanted time to think on things…to ponder….

In truth, he dreaded dealing with Jonathan over it. He knew his Dad would blow a fuse over any kind of relenting of knowledge or control over the situation. He saw the older man stewing during the "summit" with Dr. Swann and the others at the table. He had avoided the farmer for the most part except during meals.

And Jonathan had done a lot of the same.

Between this stuff and Jor-El, it's driving us all nuts. He kicked a tin can across the length of the barn letting it ting hard off of the far wall. "Why did they send me here? It just makes screws everything up."

"Now that's a question, Son."

He turned to find Jonathan watching him from the door. "Hey, Dad. Umm…sorry. Kind of got sidetracked with all of this other stuff." He grimaced at the anticipated lecture.

"I imagine you would. Anyone else would be hiding out upstairs right now. At least you got the chores all caught up. That back wall looks great. Take a seat, Clark. We need to talk," Jonathan assured him.

Clark stiffened wondering what his father would get on him about now. He slowly eased his way toward that bottom step. "Lana and I haven't done anything, Dad."

"I know, Son. I'm really proud of how you're both handling things," Jonathan assured him. "Just take a seat. This isn't a lecture. I've just been trying to wrap my head around things."

Clark rubbed his forehead with his hands. "I am too. It's strange having people who know my Secret. I'm struggling to remember what Kal did. I'm scared he's going to get out again. I want to help Sandra but I don't know what happened."

Jonathan took a deep breath and bowed his head. He could see Clark's consternation clearly etched across the other's face. He appreciated that at least his son was considering the ramifications of his actions this time and where to go from there. "Takes a man to lay out those issues and to start considering them. It's just too bad we had to leave that barn door open, isn't it?" He sighed knowing that Clark would get defensive. "I wish we didn't have all of these issues either, Clark. We do though. It was a lot easier before the Caves and the Swanns."

"Yeah. I was just a farm boy with abilities. I didn't know about the Kryptonian angle or Jor-El. Now I've got a bigger mess to deal with. Lana spoke about including both places. Everybody though wants everything their way. Wish I could figure myself out," Clark recalled. He did wish he could hit a reset button and have everything as it was….

…too bad the requisite time machine was lacking at the moment…..

Jonathan rubbed his son's right shoulder soothingly. "We're all trying to figure this stuff out." He of course wasn't mentioning the covenant between Jor-El and himself still in place from Kal's last 'excursion' to Metropolis during the previous summer. Frankly he worried when the guardian spirit would try and enforce that agreement….

…just another thing to worry about….

"So which way am I supposed to go? It's not like I have an instruction manual or anything," Clark supposed while trying not to let his frustration go through the roof.

"I really wish your Mom and I could raise you like any Earth teenager, Clark. I know she feels the same way. But….we can't," Jonathan conceded. The last words hung in the air like the humidity on a July day. While he took advantage of Clark's gifts around the farm, he resented the cultural baggage that came with them. Finding out that Jor-El had hid there during his 1961 visit really unnerved him.

It just seemed like Jor-El pressed further and further into the Kents' affairs…because he felt superior to them….

…and Jonathan frankly resented the whole thing….

"I guess it's good that Dr. Swann knows as much as he does," Clark presumed.

"It is good, Clark. I wish that man didn't know as much about us as he does. Still he did help with Central City. He also is answering your questions and coaching you on restraint. I'll give him that. I guess I just wish that I had more control," Jonathan admitted.

"You're my Dad. You do," Clark declared.

"Sometimes I feel like everyone's running your life except us. That's why your Mom and I didn't come down harder about this latest incident. Still, Son, you need to figure out a way to deal with things before you find a chunk of red kryptonite and let that other side out," Jonathan admitted. "Before we do anything else, that has to happen."

"And convince Sandra that she won't be attacked again in the process. She's going to be around a lot working with Lana. She has a right to some security," Clark conceded.

"She does but she needs to understand your situation. As long as we're trying to work with her, I expect the same coming back the other way," Jonathan asserted.

"But I traumatized her, Dad!"

"Kal traumatized her, Son, not you."

"He's part of me! I can't blame her if she sees him when she looks at me," Clark insisted. He felt his forehead starting to pound. "I want her to know that."

"We have to build her trust, Clark. It's the only way," Jonathan indicated. "And again it has to work both ways." He stood up. "We can't be expected to handle this overnight. Nobody's definitely expecting that from you especially. But you need to keep working on it. Just be positive tonight. Remember you aren't going to be alone."

Clark smiled. "I know but thanks, Dad."

"My pleasure, Son. Come on. I think your mother's got some lunch ready. Follow me," Jonathan advised before heading toward the house.

Clark did follow his father toward the house. Some of Martha's chicken salad sounded great. Definitely another pep talk with Lana posed a great prospect. While the adjustment to both sides of his heritage would be Hell, at least now he had time to work into it….

…And that he would have help at dinner….

That was a great thing in itself…one Clark hoped would keep the affair from bombing miserably….