A/N: And we're back! (A day late, my apologies.) But this book is now outlined in its entirety. Barring further changes, you can expect a total of 42 chapters and an epilogue in this book.

I always enjoy reading your thoughts if you have them!

Chapter 34 - Return

Lex almost forgot to turn back on his wire from Loder when he entered the LuthorCorp building.

He could see from the look in Lionel's eyes that he had not expected Lex to return so soon. It had been less than twenty-four hours since the incident with the foil; Lex's shoulder was just about as sore as it had been the day before.

Lionel sat at his desk, but two employees in suits stood before him. Lex could tell he'd caught him in the middle of one of his morning meetings, but he didn't care. It would be easy enough for Lionel to reschedule.

Lex kept his head high, his shoulders back, his face straight. The way Luthors were supposed to carry themselves. "I hope I'm not interrupting," he said.

Lionel's eyes remained on Lex as he spoke to his employees: "We'll pick this back up at the end of the work day, gentlemen," he said, and both of the men filed out of the office, barely sparing a glance at Lex as they passed.

Lex watched them go, but as soon as they were gone, his eyes fell on his biological father.

"Well?" Lionel asked.

"You were right."

Lionel's eyebrows raised. "Pardon me, what was that?"

It grated to have to say it again. "You were right."

"May I call in a, ah, record keeper to mark the date and time?"

"If you like. But I won't say it a third time."

Lionel smirked and stood, coming around in front of his desk. "Might I request the honor of knowing which of our many battles I've won?"

"About the Kents."

"What about them?"

"Everything. About why I was spending time with them, about my suspicions with regards to Clark." Lex looked down for a moment before meeting Lionel's gaze again. "And that it was a waste of my time. They were stringing me along, just like you've been saying."

Lionel's eyes widened. "You found out their secrets, then."

"If one could even call them that. I should have known. They shroud themselves in mystery, piquing the curiosity of everyone around them, but it's all a charade in the end."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"If you have questions, I'm happy to make an attempt at satisfying your curiosity. But there's not much to tell."

"I see." Lionel walked over to his decanter and began to pour himself a drink.

"I'm cutting my losses while I can. Because you were right about me, as well."

"You've lost your edge."

"Yes." Lex swallowed. "Yesterday taught me that."

"So you came here." Lionel recapped the decanter.

Lex took a deep breath and began the speech he had rehearsed. "Dad, you taught me that Luthors don't ask for help, but . . . I'm asking for yours. I have so much to learn from you. All the tests you put me through . . . made me a survivor. If I keep my pride in check, I know there's more to learn from you." His heart pounded so hard, he couldn't help but worry Lionel would somehow hear it. "I was hoping your offer still stands to run LuthorCorp together."

Lionel had lifted the glass to his lips, but at this, he lowered it without taking a drink. "Lex, I, um . . . I don't want you to be making a hasty decision. I know the ordeal with the Kents must have been traumatic for you."

"You taught me to trust my instincts," Lex said. "And I'm ready to keep learning."

Lionel set down the glass and gave Lex a hard stare. "You're proposing a merger."

"Yes."

He nodded. "Let's give it a little time," he said. "In the meantime, I'm happy to have you working with me in Metropolis, assuming you're able to do what you need from here?"

"I've already delegated my on-site responsibilities at the plant."

"Good." Lionel reached out and took Lex's hand, covering it with the other. "It's good to have you back, son."

If Lex didn't know better, he might have suspected there was a hint of pride in Lionel's voice.

Lex took one last risk, one that could save him weeks of groveling if it paid off. He slowly stepped toward Lionel and gently rested his chin on his shoulder, wrapping both arms around him.

Lionel hesitated, but then his arms came to rest lightly around his back, poison and apathy and contempt in his touch.

It shouldn't have hurt. Lex should have been stronger and more secure than that by now. The Kents were so much more than enough for him, and Jonathan had filled a huge space in his heart.

But it wasn't quite the exact same space Lionel's rejection had left behind. As long as he lived, Lex would never quite be able to stop himself from wanting Lionel to love him.

Clark never would have told his parents how hard he cried after Lex left the loft.

It didn't last terribly long. He comforted himself with the knowledge that Lex would be coming back—he had promised he would—and that Lionel would go to prison. Then Clark and his parents and Lex would all be a family again.

Still, Clark couldn't get that last request out of his head:

If I make it out of this alive, but I'm not the same person I was when I went in, you need to promise me you'll fight me. I'd rather die than hurt you. Kill me if you have to.

Clark knew he would never hurt Lex. He'd do anything before betraying his brother. But if Lex's dark side really did take over, would Lex even still be his brother? Or would he be a different person, an enemy Clark needed to fight or even kill? Clark didn't want to fight Lex, even if it was Lex's dark side, but what if it was something he couldn't control—destiny, even?

Clark pushed the thought aside. Destiny or no destiny, Clark would never so much as raise a hand to Lex's dark side if there was even a tiny chance that the brother he loved was still in there somewhere.

Clark only just managed to get through his classes that morning, though he didn't think he would remember anything his teachers said. He didn't have many people to talk to. Pete wasn't talking to him because of the incident with the street racing, though if Clark was honest with himself, they hadn't been on great terms for a long time. And, at Lex's advice, Clark was mostly keeping his distance from Lana. He still liked her—really liked her—but he didn't want to torment her by stringing her along when she'd already been so hurt by things he would never be able to explain to her. It wasn't fair to either of them.

He spent lunchtime in the Torch office, typing up some reports Chloe had given him. For the first few minutes, they sat at desks faced away from each other, each working at computers, but then she glanced back at him and asked, "How are you holding up?"

Clark grimaced and turned away from the computer to face her. "Is it that obvious?"

She swiveled her chair around and rolled a few inches closer to him, leaning forward a bit. "Well, yes, your poker face leaves a bit to be desired. But, um, Lex came and talked to me last night."

"Really?" Clark hadn't realized Lex had gone around telling everyone where he was going.

"Yeah. To warn me to stay out of whatever he's going to do, and, uh . . ." She bit her lip. "To tell me to keep an eye on you and make sure you were doing alright."

"Oh." Clark might have been annoyed under any other circumstances, but for now, he couldn't bring himself to feel any annoyance. That was just Lex all over. "I'm okay. Just worried about him."

"Me, too. I mean, not as much as you, I'm sure, but . . . he's a good guy, you know? My dad has a lot of respect for him."

Clark nodded. "I asked him to take me with him. To help him."

"With Lionel?"

Clark lowered his voice, glancing toward the door to make sure there was no one listening in before answering. "Yeah. Getting him locked up for good."

"Worthy cause if i ever head one," Chloe muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, but I worry he's gonna get himself killed. He's trying to earn Lionel's trust and merge their companies—"

"Whoa, whoa, wait. LexCorp and LuthorCorp?"

Clark nodded.

"Why?"

"He thinks it'll give him security access to some information he wouldn't have otherwise, and let him get close to Lionel so he can collect evidence against him."

"Well, if it's just information he wants, I've got contacts and a father who sleeps really soundly, with his security card hanging from a hook in the kitchen."

"I don't know, Chloe. He kind of told us to stay out of this."

"Wasn't he having drug-induced hallucinations just a few months ago?"

For a moment, anger pulsed in Clark's veins. "That wasn't his fault."

"No, no, I know! But I'm just saying, this is really important. I don't know if we want to go by his judgement."

Clark let his breath out. He could see what Chloe was saying, but he didn't have a good feeling about this. "Chloe, I just really think it would be best if you stayed out of this."

"Okay. I'll butt out."

"Thank you."

"And if you want to talk about anything, I'm here for you."

"I appreciate it, Chloe."

They both went back to their work on the computers, and Clark couldn't help but be thankful that talking her out of breaking into LuthorCorp had been so easy.