I honestly expected to have this update out in November but so many things happened I just never got the chance to write more than a paragraph. I hope this update is worth it.

Martha pressed the dirt down firmly, feeling herself calm as she did so, knowing that no-one would ever look here, that her secret was safe. Her chest tightened slightly as dust and dirt scratched at her throat, causing her to cough. She leant back on her heels and let out a sigh of relief, it was done and Clark would never know, that damnable key would be forgotten. A prickle of unease ran up her spine, she still couldn't guarantee that Lionel would forget it, he had kept that key for a reason, had clearly believed it to be worth something and she couldn't see him letting it rest. She shook her head, frowning as she coughed again, if he ever confronted her about it again she would continue to deny it, after all he would never being able to prove it.

Her resolved strengthened, Martha jumped to her feet and dusted her hands off her jeans, she needed to get on with her day, she couldn't linger here, Clark couldn't find her here. She didn't look back as she rushed from the barn.

Clark was leaning against the kitchen island, his hands flat on the counter as he gave a wide yawn, his features settling into a confused frown when she stepped into the kitchen. "Where were you?" He asked, blinking at her sleepingly.

"Just doing some chores," she told him briskly. "Early bird catches the worm." She patted his hand as she past him, teasing. "Not that you'd know."

"I'm a teenager, we're meant to sleep a lot," Clark replied knowingly.

"And you're certainly fulfilling that part of your role." Martha frowned, giving a small cough, her throat beginning to burn. Ignoring it, she asked her son, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't think we have time for that today, maybe at the weekend though." Martha pulled open the fridge door, lifting out the jug of orange juice, twirling round as she asked, "Where's your-" Her words caught on a strangled gasp as her throat suddenly closed, making it impossible for her to pull air into her lungs. As her vision began to cloud round the edges, she felt the glass jug slip from her fingers, heard it crash to the ground. As her world slipped away from her, the last thing she heard was Clark's horrified yell.

"Mom!"

Lex jumped as he strolled into his office and his desk chair swung round to meet him. His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of his father, the trademark smirk fixed on his features, his voice calm and collected as he greeted him, "Good morning, Lex."

"Dad, this is a surprise, especially as I pay my security a large amount of money to ensure that I'm aware of all my visitors," he replied dryly.

Lionel chuckled, and Lex felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end at the sound. "It is my house," he pointed out. "No matter what security you have, I doubt any of them will overlook such a salient fact."

"A fair point...I suppose," Lex conceeded. "Still, I wasn't expecting you, after all I believed you were still angry with me."

"Ah yes, the hostage situation. Not your finest moment." His steady gaze met his sons as he told him blandly, "It lacked finesse."

Lex couldn't help but let out a humourless laugh at the criticism. "I think it may be the main sign of our family dysfucntion that your main complaint about that situation is that it wasn't up to your nefarious standards."

Lionel's mouth twitched with mild amusement at his son's quip. "All families have their dysfunctions, Lex."

"Some more than others." He gave a sigh, his hands lifting slightly and falling back to his side as he asked, "Am I to take this is a sign that my transgression has been forgiven then?"

"Luthor's don't forgive," Lionel replied, his tone taking on a sharper edge. "It's a sign of weakness, remember that." His long fingers drummed against the desk for a moment. "You are family though and that takes priority, in this case. Don't think I'll always be so generous."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He crossed his arm in front of himself. "So to what do I owe this honour then?"

"I decided to look again at the possibility of building here." He leaned back in his chair, adding, "And I recently discovered that you been treading on my toes."

Lex couldn't help but grin. "Let me guess, Martha Kent."

"Indeed. I was surprised to hear that you had taken her on to work as a glorified waitress."

"She's a manager, although that hardly signifies and I'm not sure why you're surprised, you often said how much of an asset she was." His grin widened. "It's just business Dad. Or it the fact that she would rather work for in a lesser role than have to spend anymore time with you?"

Lionel chuckled. "Trying to get a rise out of me, Son?" He stroked his fingers against his chin. "I wonder if Martha would still prefer to work for you if she discovered that you were the one who had Roger Nixon on his payroll."

Uncertainty flickered on his face, it wasn't possible he thought, he couldn't know. "And why would that be an issue?"

"Don't play coy, Lex, it's not something that you can pull off. You and I both know that Roger Nixon's body was found only metres away from Jonathan Kent's and that he was your hired lackey." His eyes gleamed, knowing that he had the upper hand. "You've had an obsession with the Kent's ever since they boy pulled you out of that car. My guess is that he found something and Jonathan Kent didn't want that something getting out." He leaned forward as he asked, "Did I miss anything?"

Lex pulled in a hiss of breath inbetween his teeth, there was no point in lying. "So you think that if you tell Martha Kent this that she'll come running back to you? Play secretary again?" He asked derisively.

Lionel shook his head. "No, I'm not that foolish." He knew if Martha discovered that Lex had played a part in her husband's untimely demise that he would never be allowed to so much as breath in her direction. She would refuse to have anything to do with anyone or anything linked to the name Luthor. "Merely pointing out, yet again, that there is no point in trying to play me. I will always be one step ahead of you."

"Doesn't get you what you want though, does it?"

"Not yet, but I can be patient." He fixed his son with a long stare. "Tell me, did you at least get the information you wanted from Roger Nixon, or was it all for nothing?"

Lex knew his face had paled and it was through gritted teeth that he admitted, "Nixon took whatever he had on the Kent's to his grave. It doesn't matter though, I'm not interested anymore."

"Now you're just fibbing. I can see how curious you are."

"It doesn't matter. I've caused enought damage and I can't just leave them to clean up my mistake."

"How noble."

The sharp ring of the telephone interupted any reply that Lex could have planned to make. His eyes still fixed on Lionel he reached across the desk to lift the receiver. "Lex Luthor speaking. Clark what-" He stopped abruptly, listening to his friend's hurried, panicked story. He ran his hand across his head. "Clark, I'll be right there, try and stay calm." He hung up and glanced at Lionel, telling him, "I need to go."

Lionel's voice was flat, "What's happened?"

Lex was halfway from the room when he turned, telling him bluntly, "Martha Kent has collapsed, it doesn't look good. I'm going to go and be with Clark, he needs a friend just now."

Normally Lionel would have had a quick witted reply to that last remark, and yet this time words failed him. Instead he watched Lex leave silently, his frame slumping in his chair, his hands pressing against his mouth. He needed to know more, he needed to see her.

Clark's leg jittered as he tapped his foot against the hospital floor, his elbows leaning on his knees, his chin resting in his hands. He felt as though time was stretching out, as though he had been waiting for hours when in reality he'd really only been waiting for thirty minutes or so. His eyes shifted to the clock again.

"Clark!" He turned to see Lex hurrying towards him, his mouth set in a thin, grim line, his hand clapped his shoulder as he sat down beside him. "What happened?"

He couldn't meet Lex's concerned gaze. "I don't know. She was fine, she was," he insisted. "One minute she was talking to me and the next..." He paused, gathering himself. "The next she had collapsed, she wasn't breathing. I don't know what happened."

"Have they told you anything yet?"

"No." He shook his head. "I've just been sitting here, waiting." He finally met Lex's gaze, admitting, "I don't know what to do."

"Is Helen with her?"

"Yeah, yeah she is."

Lex gave a nod. "Good, once she updates us I'll get the best specialist for whatever is causing this, I promise you."

"Thanks Lex, but I can't possibly pay you back for that."

Lex managed a tight smile. "Clark, you saved my life, I owe you."

"When are you going to stop throwing that reason at me for everything you do?" Clark asked, although his features had relaxed ever so slightly.

"Probably never," he admitted.

Clark leant back in his chair, trying not to think about what could be unfolding in the hospital room, trying not to consider that Lex might not get the chance to try and fix what had happened. After a moment he looked at him and asked, "The Talon?"

"Don't worry about that."

"It gives me something to focus on."

There was a click of heels and they both looked up to see Helen approaching them. Clark jumped to his feet. "My Mom?" He asked anxiously.

"She's stable but still unconscious," Helen told him. "We're running tests to try and determine what caused the reaction."

"Was it an allergy?" Lex asked.

Helen shook her head. "No, it doesn't present as an anaphylatic reaction. We're looking at the possibility that it's an infection but it doesn't quite fit with ones that we're familiar with." She focussed her gaze on Clark. "There's also the possibility that this type of reaction could have been caused by a contaminate, although I've never seen one to have such a sudden and severe onset. Her bloodwork will tell us more, but if it's a contaminate then I'll need to inform enviromental health and they'll need to investigate everywhere that Martha has been over the last few days."

Clark nodded, "I understand. I just want you to find out what caused this and fix it, whatever that takes."

"We'll do our best."

Lex stepped forward. "Is there anything I can do? Anyone who would be helpful to you?"

Helen gave a small shrug. "I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "Until we've pinpointed a cause we can't know which specialism would be most beneficial." She looked back at Clark. "We don't believe whatever this is is airbourne, so you're welcome to sit with her."

Clark gave a nod, it had suddenly dawned on him that if whatever had caused his Mom's illness was a contaminant then they would look at every inch of the farm, including the storm cellar. They would find the ship, he knew that he would need to move it, that she would want him to move it. "I will, I just need some air." And before anyone could reply, he turned, hurrying down the corrider.

Martha felt exhausted as she opened her eyes, blinking at the strange, overly bright light that was currently burning her retinas. She turned her head to the side, a small groan escaped her lips as her muscles protested the small movement.

"It's good to see you awake."

Her eyes flickered to the bottom of the bed, where saw Helen standing there, her head tilting as she watched her. She had passed out, she remembered, she hadn't been able to catch her breath. Her hand raised to her nose, suddenly aware of the plastci prongs that sat in her nose. "What's wrong with me?" She asked, her voice croaker than she was used to.

"We've just had your bloods back and they show some form of contaminant in your system, one that's attacking your respiratory system."

"Can you treat it?"

Helen's expression became sympathetic. "We don't know. Lex Luthor is in the process of flying in the best respiratory specialist and microbiologist that he can find."

"Of course he is. And Clark?"

"He was here, but once he heard you were stable, he left, said he needed some air. He's not been gone long," she added reassuringly. Helen dug her hands into the pockets of her white coat. "Enviromental health are also looking into your case, they will be looking at the farm, trying to pinpoint a cause in the hope it will help us formulate a treatment."

Martha tried to stay calm at the thought of so many goverment officials combing through her home, finding their biggest secret. "Does Clark know about this? About what might be making me ill? About them needing to search the farm?"

"He does."

Martha felt herself relax slightly. He would move the ship, she knew it.

Helen shifted awkwardly. "Your bloods also showed something else. Martha, you're pregnant."

I know that quite a few of you will have guessed where we were headed and well done! This was always going to be the point of the story but it ended up needing a lot more build up to make it flow than I ever thought it would.