Clark felt so awkward as he had when he was giving Whitney a message for Lana's video message.

No, he had no feelings for the female omega anymore, but it was still awkward to speak to someone he once considered to be his rival.

Chloe was back from her internship with the Daily Planet, with exciting stories of Metropolis which helped distract him.

Until Biology class anyway, and the introduction of Miss Atkins.

Dressed in a light, flimsy, low-cut sundress, the Alpha female caught the attention of every boy in the class, no matter what their secondary gender.

"Good morning." She greeted them, "I'm Miss Atkins. I'll be your new biology teacher on health and human development." She moved around the room, lowering the projection screen, giving the class a good look at her… assets.

Clark looked around, frowning when he realised that he was the only male who seemed completely unaffected. Catching Chloe's eyes, she gave him a knowing look and smirked at him.

"I'm really sorry about the air conditioning in here, but it looks like we're going to have to suffer through this together."

"Bring on the pain." Pete whispered under his breath, making Lana giggle from her seat as Miss Atkins closed the blinds to get ready for the movie.

"Alright, try to stay awake guys." Miss Atkins smirked, putting the film on.

Almost immediately, a monotone male voice started to drone on about animal reproduction.

"All members of the animal kingdom, from the simplest one-celled organism to the most complex of mammals, engage in reproduction. This ensures that each individual creature can pass on its genetic information to future generations. Animals rely on a variety of courtship methods. This remarkable reproductive process is set into motion by the act of copulation, also known as intercourse or coitus. In many species, the females attract their mates with chemical scents called pheromones."

Clark could hear Chloe sniggering beside him.

"Pheromones are used to elicit specific behaviours from members of the opposite sex and are secreted by glands or incorporated into other fluids such as perspiration. The desired goal of all courtship behaviour in mammals is to... sperm into the female...sperm travels up the...to..."

Between the heat and the monotone voice, Clark could feel himself drifting off, mind automatically turning to Lex.

What was he doing right now?

Was he in a meeting? Or maybe in his office… alone.

It was hot… maybe he had the first two buttons of his shirt undone?

His face contorted in an expression of panic, eyes blinking rapidly as heat built up behind them. He didn't notice how his eyes started to glow slightly, too focused on trying to calm down.

And then the screen caught on fire.

Almost everyone else in the class shot to their feet in panic, leaving Clark in his seat, panting and wiping his face, wondering if he caused that to happen.

"Okay, everybody walk! Do not run!" Miss Atkins ordered, "Leave your books! Let's go!"

Clark did as he was told, looking back at the screen in horror.

…..

Clark and Pete stood next to the fire-truck, watching as firemen questioned other students, everyone confused over what was going on.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a horn honking behind them prompting Clark to turn around, smiling at the sight of Lex climbing out of his car and rushing over.

"Lex!"

"I came as soon as I heard!" Lex stopped in front of Clark, a look on concern on his face, "Are you alright?"

Clark knew the question was for Pete's benefit. Lex knew that a minor fire wouldn't hurt him.

"I'm fine." Clark reassured him, glancing over at Pete, "Can I come over later? I need to speak to you."

Before Lex could reply, Pete groaned beside Clark, "If you want a booty call, just say so man!"

"I don't recall you learning that before the accident."

They all turned to see Miss Atkins approaching, her eyes scanning Lex from head to toe.

"I don't think we've been introduced." She held her hand out to Lex, who cautiously took it and shook it, "Desire Atkins."

"Lex Luthor, I'm Clark's- "Here Lex glanced at Clark almost uncertainly.

"- Omega." Clark did not like how she was looking at Lex.

He did not like it at all.

"He's my omega."

Miss Atkins looked a little taken aback (and disappointed?), before an obviously fake smile appeared on her face, "Well, you're lucky to have such a brave Alpha. He was the only one that kept a cool head during the entire thing and put the fire out!"

Lex turned, giving Clark a fond smile, "Why am I not surprised?"

Clark loved getting looked at like that.

In the background, a fireman declared the building "All clear."

"I'll see you in class Clark." Miss Atkins flounced off, followed by half the class. Clark gave Lex's hand a gentle squeeze in goodbye, both of them reluctant to let each other go, as Clark moved to follow the rest of the class inside.

"His… omega?" Lex whispered, feeling giddy, practically skipping back to the car, unaware of the Alpha female glancing back at him.

….

"I can't believe you're already designing wedding invitations." Mercy rolled her eyes at her employer, "Has he even proposed?"

"He called me HIS omega." Lex's voice was dreamy.

"… You know your Dad is going to insist on a pre-nup."

Lex rolled his eyes, "I plan to be with Clark forever. We don't need a pre-nup."

"Alright… but you have to be the one to tell him that."

…..

When Clark returned home from school, his Ma was sat at the table, fanning herself with some bills, even as a table fan was aimed at her face. His Pa was pouring out some glasses of chilled lemonade.

When asked about air conditioning, Jonathan Kent always had the same answer.

'Electric bill.'

"Hey." Martha greeted him, "How was school?"

"It was… different?"

"Good different or bad different?" Jonathan asked cautiously.

"Well… there was a fire during biology class."

His Ma looked up in concern as Clark continued, "It's okay, no one was hurt. I managed to stop it before it spread."

"Well, it sounds likes we should be proud of you Clark!" Martha beamed at him, as Clark went to lean against the sink.

"Yeah… except I think I started it."

His parents frowned. "Wait… wanna explain that?" Jonathan asked.

"I-I started to feel hot, and my eyes started to burn!" Clark could feel his breathing picking up, "All of a sudden, the spot I was staring at burst into flames!"

"Just by looking at it?!"

"Hello? Hi, I'm Clark!" Clark was starting to feel a bit agitated, "I'm the kid who can lift up tractors and see-through walls!" He stormed over to the edge of the kitchen, turning his back on his parents.

"Son… hang on just a second." Jonathan moved to stand behind his son, "What exactly was going on when this happened?"

"We met our new biology teacher." Clark couldn't stop the scowl from appearing on his face at the thought of Miss Atkins, "And we were watching a film."

"… An educational film."

"Hmmm, a sex education film." Clark could feel his cheeks heating up, "It was hot, I got distracted thinking about- well, I was distracted and then fire!" He turned away from them, grabbing a glass of lemonade.

"This could get very complicated." He heard his Pa sigh to his Ma, who cleared her throat.

"Uhhh… Clark… I-I-It's possible that whatever's happened has some sort of… hormonal… connection…"

"Yes!" Jonathan quickly piped up, "Exactly!"

Clark downed the glass of lemonade in a single gulp, turning to find his parents staring at him with concern. "Great." He groaned in frustration, "So, I'm maturing into a fire-starter?!"

"No, son, look…. Ummm." Jonathan glanced at Martha, who gave him an encouraging look. "… we've… just gotta get a handle on this thing, like we've gotten a handle on all your other abilities."

"Except all my other abilities didn't involve things bursting into flames!"

Jonathan opened his mouth to say something, before closing it again, realising that Clark was right.

"All the more reason for you to give it some time." Martha whispered gently, "Just-uh… you'll- " She trailed off as Clark groaned.

"Great." Clark moved back to the front door, "I need to go and talk to Lex."

"Clark! Clark, maybe you should stay home for the- "

But he was already gone.

…

"So… you set the screen on fire?" Lex leaned forwards, "Have you ever- "

"- No." Clark groaned.

"And… you have no idea why?"

When Clark's face flushed bright red, Lex couldn't stop the fond smile from appearing on his face.

He decided to change the subject, knowing that pushing Clark into telling him wouldn't end well.

"So… YOUR omega?"

The blush got redder.

"She was looking at you." Clark muttered sulkily, "I didn't like it."

"Was she?" Lex shrugged, "She can't have made that good of a first impression, because I didn't notice that at all."

That was nice to hear.

Clark watched as Lex took a sip of water, a bead of sweat rolling from his forehead, down past his eye, down his neck and below the open collar of his shirt.

Down… past… his…

Clark blinked his eyes, squeezing them shut. Realising what was about to happen, he practically jumped to his feet, making Lex jump.

"I-I- need to- "

"- Clark?" Lex frowned in confusion, "Are you- "He then paused, "Oh, really?" He got to his feet, moving closer to Clark and pressing the back of his hand against Clark's forehead, "Oh my God… you're burning up! Maybe we should get you outside and- "

Clark could feel it getting unbearable, spinning around and opening his eyes, the heat waves shooting out and setting a cushion, that was on the sofa, on fire.

Lex yelped in alarm, grabbing Clark's arm as the younger man squeezed his eyes shut again, pulling him out to the spacious back-garden and aiming him at a pile of wood that had been prepared for the old fireplaces that were scattered around the home.

When Clark opened his eyes again, the pile of wood set on fire, but it seemed to finally be over.

"Sorry…" He'd never been so embarrassed in his life "…Are-are you okay?"

Lex nodded, "Yeah… you weren't kidding about the laser eyes, huh?" He then frowned, "What were you thinking about."

"…. I-I should get going!"

"Clark? Clark, wait- "

But Clark was already gone.

….

The next morning arrived, Jonathan opened the doors of the barn, spotting his son sitting on the steps.

"Clark? I thought you'd be in school already?"

"I'm not going."

Silently, Jonathan waited for an answer.

"It happened again last night." Clark whispered, "At Lex's."

"Another fire?"

"How can I be around him, when I start fires just by thinking of him?!" Clark started to get more and more irate, "I could have hurt him! What if I do end up hurting him!"

Jonathan put a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort the teen, only for Clark to shake him off and cross the room. "Look son… CLARK!"

Clark stopped in his tracks at the authoritative tone in his Dad's voice, not moving until Jonathan physically turned him around. Clark though, kept his eyes trained to the side, refusing to meet the older man's eyes.

"Hey…" Jonathan's voice was softer now, "… come on… Clark, look at me."

Nothing.

"LOOK at me."

Reluctantly, Clark brought his eyes up to meet his Father's.

"We can deal with this." Jonathan whispered, "I'll call the school to tell them you're sick, and then we can work on it."

"No more unexplained fires?"

"No more unexplained fires."

Hopefully.

….

The scarecrow was mounted on a post in the middle of a field.

"Rule number one." Jonathan began, "Always practice away from the barn… come on." He clapped Clark on the shoulder, before the pair of them walked several paces away from the scarecrow.

"Dad, I don't get it. I though the whole point was to stop this from happening."

Jonathan nodded, Well, in order to find the off switch, we need to make sure we know what the on switch is, right?" He turned Clark around so that he was facing the scarecrow, and pointed at it, "Now, I want you to remember exactly what you were thinking about the first time it happened."

Clark flushed bright red.

"Don't tell me…" Jonathan quickly added, "… just think about it."

"I-I still think it might be better if I were- "

"- Alone, yeah, sorry. I-I can do that." Jonathan cleared his throat uncomfortably, before walking back towards the barn.

Clark stared at the scarecrow, desperately thinking of Lex… Lex in the heat… maybe taking his shirt off to combat with the- his eyes started to glow and heat waves shot from his eyes, making the scarecrow explode in a ball of flames.

Alright… he could get the hang of this.

…

The popcorn foil rose slowly, the corn opposing inside.

"Five scarecrows, two water barrels and our mailbox later" Jonathan teased, watching as his son made the popcorn.

"You were right…" Clark kept his eyes on the bag, "… once I knew what triggered it, I could control it without thinking of Lex." As soon as he said it though, the bag exploded, sending popcorn everywhere.

Jonathan and Martha were clearly trying not to laugh.

"You sure, son?"

"Trust me!" Clark went to grab his schoolbag, "I'm going to invite… Lex out for a date, and not set anything on fire."

No accident this time.

"Well, that's a relief." Jonathan didn't feel as confident as his son but chose to smile anyway.

…

That night, Clark used his new heat vision to light some candles, smiling proudly at his control. He heard the barn door open, causing him to straighten up in excitement.

"Up here Lex!" He called out, only to frown when he realised that he couldn't smell the omega.

"Clark?"

Clark shot to his feet at the female voice, watching as Miss Atkins walked up the steps, wearing a red outfit that didn't leave much to the imagination, hair tumbling over her shoulders.

"It's a little hot in here for candles, isn't it?" She teased.

"Miss Atkins- "

"- Desiree, please." She glanced around, "I went by the house, but nobody was home, and then I saw the light in the loft."

"My parents went into town… I have a date Miss Atkins, is- "

"- I'm sure Mister Luthor won't mind the attention of… two alphas." She moved closer, a seductive look on her face, almost looking like a hunter stalking its' prey.

Clark tried to back away., tripping over a chair and landing on the seat in a heap, knocking his head on a hanging lamp, still trying to back away.

"N-No!" He pushed himself to his feet, moving out of Miss Atkins' way before she could reach him, "I'm happy with Lex… and I'm not sharing him with anyone!"

A stunned look appeared on her face, before she went red, possibly in embarrassment.

"I don't know what came over me." She whispered, "I'm… sorry for intruding."

She left the loft quickly, leaving Clark standing there in shock.

There was something wrong here.

Something very, very wrong.

"Clark?"

Clark flinched, spinning around to see Lex standing there, a concerned look on his face.

"Is everything alright?"

"I- No, not really."

Lex moved closer, "Can I help?"

"I-I don't- "

"- Why don't you just talk to me, hmmm?" Lex smiled reassuringly at him, "Then we'll see, hmm?"

Clark nodded, taking a deep breath.

…

"So…" Chloe looked up at Clark, "… Miss Atkins has an alias."

The pair were gathered in the office of the Torch, around Chloe's computer as she printed out the document.

"Alison Sanders." Clark frowned, "The name doesn't ring a bell."

"Is it supposed to?"

"… She came up to the barn loft last night."

Chloe opened her mouth to protest, only to stop, "Really?"

"Really."

"Have you told Lex?"

Clark winced and nodded, "He wasn't very happy…. I think he's got Mercy and Charity working on digging up some dirt on her."

"Well, I can't find anything else using what I've got here." Chloe shrugged, "Take that to Lex, maybe he'll have more luck."

"Yeah… hopefully."

"And just letting you know… Biology class was cancelled today."

The implication was clear.

….

"You can't just walk in here and demand to see Mister Luthor!"

Lex straightened up from where he was playing a bit of pool, just in time to see a familiar figure striding into the room, closely followed by Mercy.

"I've been expecting you Miss Atkins."

He tried not to roll his eyes as she preened at his words, taking them in completely the wrong context.

"Clark told me everything." He lined up his next shot, "All my life, I've had to second guess the intentions of others." The balls were sent clattering all across the table, "I thought friends were a luxury… a true partner even more so." A small smile appeared on his face, "And then I met Clark, the one person I can trust completely…. Which is why I find your behaviour towards him so troubling."

"I-I'm sorry?"

Lex gave her a cold glare, stepping back when she stepped forwards. He wasn't giving her a chance to get close to him… there was something off about her.

"Clark is a young man, a young Alpha male!" She protested, "I don't know what he told you, but Clark's behaviour is troubling. He's been eyeing me up in class and- "

"- I don't believe you." Lex snapped, "Mercy will show you out."

And Mercy was not gentle about it, pulling the woman out, just as Clark entered the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of the file in his hands.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked gently, as Lex sighed wearily.

"I expected her to come round." He glanced down at the paper in Clark's hands, "I see Chloe was busy digging." He took the paper from Clark's hands, "Alison Sanders… why would she change her name?"

Clark shrugged.

"No, I don't know either." Lex sighed, "Let's go and get a coffee together, I need to check in on Lana and make sure she's holding up after Whitney's departure."

"She seems to be fine?" Clark frowned, "I know she's making everyone film messages for Whitney."

"Good for her." Lex sighed, "I hope the Talon is keeping her busy…. It's hard for an omega to be separated from their Alpha."

The soft smile that Lex gave him as he said that floated around in Clark's mind for the rest of the day, even as Lex allowed himself to be recorded for his own message to Whitney, despite not really knowing the Alpha well.

….

He remained on this slight high well into the next day, ignoring Pete and Chloe's teasing. He was having a good day, up until he saw Miss Atkins nearby, tacking a flyer up on a bulletin board in the hall.

She turned to stare at him…. And smirked, before making her way over.

"You know…" She began, "…. I usually have a certain…. Control over the people in my life, and yet your and Mister Luthor seem to be immune. I can't help but wonder why that is…. Maybe I should try a little harder."

Clark bit back the Alpha growl at the insinuation. "I won't let you get close to him."

She just smirked and walked away, leaving Clark to sigh wearily.

At least he had a date with Lex to look forward to.

….

A clear liquid was poured over the 'Desiree' custom license plate and onto the red back bumper, trickling down to the ground, pooling in a puddle under the car.

A match was struck and dropped onto the wet trail in the parking lor, the trail igniting instantly as the flame rushed towards the car.

Desiree Atkins watched as the flames engulfed her car and it erupted in a massive explosion, flipping the car over. She watched the fire for a few minutes, before walking away.

…

Lex still couldn't believe he'd reached the point in this relationship.

Invited round to drink home-made lemonade with Clark's parents, and whilst it was clear that Jonathan Kent wasn't entirely comfortable (having seen Lex literally shoot someone in the head in front of him), the atmosphere was mostly relaxed.

At least, it was until the knock on the door.

Slowly, Jonathan got up to answer it, only to find that it was the Sheriff. "Oh, Ethan… come on in."

The Smallville Sheriff stepped through the door, as the other three in the kitchen got up in curiosity, all wanting to see what was going on.

"What brings you out to these parts?"

Sheriff Ethan winced, "A teacher down at the high school, Miss Atkins, claims she saw Clark set her car on fire."

Clark turned to Lex and Martha in shock, as the Sheriff entered the room, pulling the handcuffs off his belt.

"Clark… you're going to need to come down to the station so we can talk about this."

"What?! But I-I didn't- "

Before the Sheriff could move closer, Lex was stepping in front of his Alpha, "When was the car set on fire?"

"… Last night. Around eight in the evening."

"Well then, it couldn't have been Clark." Lex shrugged, "He was with me…. And Miss Atkins has been having some… boundary issues."

The Sheriff nodded in understanding, before sighing, and putting the handcuffs back on his belt. "I would still like to talk to Clark about this… if only to find out why Miss Atkins is accusing him."

"Just a friendly chat down at the station? No, very expensive lawyers needed?"

The threat was clear, and the Sheriff nodded.

"Just a friendly chat down at the station."

Clark still looked unsure, but reassured by Lex's nod, following the Sheriff out to the car. As they pulled out of the farm, Lex turned to Martha and Jonathan, "I'll call one of my lawyers. Miss Atkins might not be able to get away with this incident, but who knows what she'll try next."

"Thank you Lex." Martha looked to be on the verge of tears, even as Jonathan looked furious, "We should… we should probably get to the station."

"Lex."

Lex startled slightly when Jonathan used his first name, turning to the older man who gave him a serious look.

"Can you please take Martha to the station." Jonathan asked, "I have something to do."

"Mr Kent, please don't- "

"- Lex."

The pair had a silent stare off, before Lex sighed and nodded, taking a step back. "Be careful." He warned the older man.

"Yeah, yeah."

…..

Jonathan strode through the school.

Apparently, the teacher had been given permission to use the school swimming pool, the dazed look in the principal's eyes giving him cause for concern.

All the kids were in their classes, as he entered the room, watching as Miss Atkins pulled herself out of the pool, wringing the water out of her hair.

And then she turned to him, as Jonathan realised that she was topless.

"Oh, hello Mister Kent. Are you here to talk about Clark?"

Jonathan made sure not to look at her, reached over to grab a robe off a nearby chair and tossing it to her, "Yes I am. And I would prefer to do it fully clothed, if you don't mind."

"Sure." Miss Atkin's voice was meek as she pulled on the robe, tying it around her waist and walking slowly towards the beta, "I'm sorry about your son, Mr Kent. But you should take this as a warning sign. Your son is a seriously troubled young man, I see it in young Alphas all the time- "

"-And just how do you figure that?!" Jonathan snapped, turning to face her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Miss Atkins sounded amused, "He starts fires and then he takes credit for putting them out."

"The projector was old, the firemen said that that was the reason it probably caught on fire… and I think you would have seen him light that fire unless you weren't supervising the class properly." Jonathan straightened up, "There are witnesses that prove he was nowhere near your car…. Which means that you lied to the police."

"Witnesses?" Miss Atkins frowned, making Jonathan smirk.

"Lex Luthor. They were in the middle of a date."

It wasn't hard to see the way Miss Atkin's face tightened.

"I just thought I would let you know." Jonathan couldn't help but smirk, turning to leave, only to hear Miss Atkins call out to him again.

"Mister Kent, wait! Please, I'm sorry. You're right about everything!"

Jonathan stopped, but didn't turn to face her as she approached from behind.

"This… has to do with Lex… Mister Luthor."

Jonathan shook his head in disbelief and turned to face her. "Let me guess… you have a crush on him or something, and you think he'll come running to you as soon as Clark's out of the picture?!"

Miss Atkins moved quickly, stepping closer to Jonathan as if she were about to kiss him. As she did so, she blew pink mist into his face, which he inhaled. Jonathan's eyes fell shut, moving to kiss her only for Miss Atkins to stop him, fingers on his lips.

"I need you to do something for me first."

Jonathan nodded, as she pulled him into a kiss.

…..

"This is all very impressive work." The lawyer poured over the documents that Chloe and Lana had brought him, "If you two ever need any references for being private investigators, let me know."

The pair preened at the words, as Lex leaned forwards, "We've already established that it couldn't have been Clark who set her car on fire. Miss Atkins has been… off since we met her, and we'd like to file a restraining order."

"That will be a little tricky if she's Clark's teacher." The lawyer admitted, "But there is definitely something off about her changing her name, which I think might give us an advantage, thanks to these two lovely ladies." He tapped at the files, "Alison Sanders used to a very popular young lady here in Smallville… she was with her boyfriend when the meteors hit. A couple of weeks later, this young man lost it and murdered her parents, meaning that she inherited everything. Fast forward five years, and she's now a teacher, married to a wealthy shipping executive, only to see him offed by one of her moonstruck high school students. Same confession, same denial six hours later… I'm not a policeman, but it looks like a black widow killer to me."

His words were followed by a stunned silence.

Nervously, the lawyer cleared his throat, "Anyway, after the second murder, she lost all the money gambling and wound up back in Smallville. I assume she was thinking of going after Mister Luthor here." He got to his feet, "It might not be enough for a restraining order, but it's definitely cause for concern."

"Thank you." Lex nodded, watching as the man left, leaving him, Clark, Chloe and Lana alone in the room.

"So… did she try to seduce me to kill Lex?" Clark cautiously asked, finding the pattern easily, "Why did she think I'd ever do that?"

"Pheromones!"

They all looked at Chloe in disbelief.

"She was in the throes of passion when the meteors hit!" Chloe pointed out, "If her pheromone levels were enhanced, she could get a guy to do whatever she wants! Luckily, Clark is as gay as they come!"

"Hey!" Clark frowned, "I'm bisexual, I checked!"

"You checked?"

"Well, you know…" Clark glanced over at Lex and flushed, "…. After everyone, I did some research."

Lex found that he was actually pleased by this.

"So…why isn't Clark affected then?" Lana asked.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Probably some… true love factor?"

Both Clark and Lex flushed, the words followed by an awkward silence.

"We should probably get out of here." Lex cleared his throat, "Before Miss Atkins decides to file more false charges against you."

….

Clark went home as Lex headed back to the manor, pouring himself a finger of whiskey and knocking it back in one gulp.

He just wanted one relaxing year with Clark, time to properly court without life getting in the way, and now this.

"Lex." Mercy knocked on the door, "Miss Atkins is here again... with Mister Kent and his shotgun."

Lex frowned, "Mister Kent? Are you sure?"

She gave him a look that implied he was silly for even thinking the question, let along asking it.

"Alright... show them in."

Mercy stood to one side, letting Desiree and Jonathan in. Lex could instantly see that something was wrong with the beta male.

And then he remembered what Chloe said.

Pheromones.

"Let me guess…" He slowly got to his feet, giving Mercy the signal to leave.

The signal for her to call Clark.

Not that he had no faith in her abilities, but she was no match for meta-humans.

"… This is the part where you kill me?" Lex smirked, "You won't get anything out of it."

"I'll get the satisfaction of knowing that I won."

Jonathan cocked the gun and aimed it at Lex, who couldn't help but take a step back in fear, holding his hands out in front of him as he tried to reason with Jonathan.

"I know you, Mister Kent…" He whispered, "You're not a murder. Please… put the gun down."

BANG

The shot hit Lex's desk, shattering a paperweight as Lex jumped back in fear, sweat starting to drip down his face.

"I'm not letting you add Desiree's name to your list of victims!" Jonathan bellowed.

"She's using you, Mister Kent!" Lex begged desperately, "Whatever she told you, it's not true!"

Jonathan's answer was to simply re-cock the gun and take aim at Lex.

Suddenly, the doors to the study burst open and Clark ran into the room.

"Dad! DON'T!"

It was too late.

As Jonathan pulled the trigger and Lex tried to leap behind his desk, the scene almost went into slow motion for Clark. He saw the bullet leave the muzzle of the gun, slowly heading for Lex who was trying to get out of the way.

He saw the bullet and aimed his heat vision at it.

As it passed through the heat waves, it melted and broke apart.

Lex fell to ground unhurt, as Jonathan re-cocked the gun, heading over to where Lex fell, aiming the gun again and getting ready to pull the trigger. Lex rolled over to see Jonathan standing over him, ready to shoot him at point blank range, prompting him to yelp and attempt to shield himself with his arms.

Clark rushed over, grabbing the gun from his Father.

"Pa! You can't do this!"

"Clark!" Jonathan looked half mad, as Clark spun him around and pushed him into the wall, knocking Jonathan's back hard against the edge of Lex's built-in bookshelves, as Jonathan slumped to the ground unconscious.

"Dad?"

As Clark panicked over hurting his Father, Lex climbed to his feet to see Desiree grab a decanter of scotch, raising it above her head to strike him. He turned slightly to protect himself, feeling it smash across his back, soaking his shirt with the scotch.

Then she grabbed the fireplace lighter from the bar and lit it, holding it toward Lex's shirt, the alcohol quickly igniting as the back of Lex's shirt was set ablaze.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

Clark spun around to see Lex struggling to remove his shirt.

"AHHH! CLARK!"

Clark rushed over as Lex struggled and screamed in agony. He saw Desiree trying to make a run for it, quickly turning to his heat vision on the door, heating it up to the point that it started to glow. Just as he did that, Desiree put her hand on the doorknob, screaming as it burned her hand.

Clark then grabbed the draperies off the wall, throwing them over Lex, pulling him to the ground as he smothered out the flames.

"Lex? Lex?!"

Lex looked up at him, and for a moment they stared at each other before Lex was pressing his face into Clark's chest in relief.

It was over.

….

Martha pulled the two pans of muffins from the over, turning and almost bumping Clark who quickly grabbed the pans to stop the muffins from falling onto the floor (not needing the gloves like his mother)

"Oh!" Martha sighed in relief, "Thank you Clark."

Jonathan entered the kitchen, grabbing a muffin, only to drop it when he realised just how hot it was. "Ow!" He sucked on his slightly burnt finger, "Well, after Lex's statement, I think we've seen the last of Desiree Atkins."

"And I hope you've said sorry to that poor young man." Martha gave her husband a warning look.

"Yes, yes!" Jonathan held his hands up in surrender, "And we're going out for a proper dinner, to apologise to you."

"Yes you are."

Clark chuckled, watching as his Dad gave his mother a gentle kiss on the cheek, grabbing a couple of muffins before heading to the loft.

…

Night had fallen, his parents were still out, and Clark was stretched out in his hammock, reading 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury.

Hearing footsteps, he looked over to the stairs to see Lex making his way up them. The omega had gone to the hospital after the events of the attack, needing some minor treatment for his burns.

Clark hadn't expected him to be out so early, having planned to visit him again tomorrow and help him home.

"I thought I might find you up here." Lex smiled warmly at him, moving a little stiffly as Clark placed the book to one side and got out of the hammock.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Relieved." Lex sighed, "To think if it hadn't been for… well, us. She could have persuaded me to marry her, and I would have just been another one of her victims."

"I wouldn't have let that happen." Clark whispered, "Never."

"Even if she made me push you away."

"Nothing could keep me away for long."

A stunned, but pleased smile appeared on Lex's face. "That's… thank you Clark."

"Anytime."