"Well, here we are…." Clark sighed wearily as they exited the truck, with his Ma rolling her eyes on the other side.

"Clark, I'm only asking for two hours! I'm sorry to cut into your busy social schedule."

"It's not that. I don't mind helping out for a good cause it's just all these people are- "

"- Old and sick?"

Glancing at the entrance to the care village, Clark nodded, "It's hard to deal with…. There's nothing we can do to help them."

"… You're right, you can't save them from old age and illness but that's not the point. You're saving them from loneliness…. Don't forget the irises."

Loaded with their produce and flowers, they headed towards the door.

"You excited about the big fishing trip with your dad next weekend?"

Immediately, Clark winced at the thought.

"… You didn't forget, did you?"

"How could I Ma? We've been going every year since I was 7. Ten hours in a rowboat, swatting mosquitoes, looking for ripples."

Martha frowned, "I thought you enjoyed fishing."

"I did when I was younger!"

"If you don't want to go, tell him."

"… I don't want to hurt his feelings."

"He may not like it, but he needs to know Clark."

Before Clark could say anything, a portly man emerged, followed by a younger man. "Martha, Clark, I'd like you to meet Tyler Randall, new volunteer. I want you to show him the ropes."

As Martha shook Tyler's hand, Clark couldn't help but notice the gloves on the mans' hand.

"Hi…" Tyler greeted, "… Hank says you grow the best organic produce outside Metropolis."

Knowing that his Ma loved the praise about the farm, Clark grinned at the older man, "You just made a friend for life."

"So, what brings you to Smallville?" Martha asked.

"… I came back to make funeral preparations." Tyler answered, "I recently lost my mother."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Before she could say anything else, the portly man stepped forwards and waved them inside, "Why don't we get to the deliveries?"

Martha nodded in agreement, "We can start with Mrs. Sikes…. She'll be happy to see us."

This was true…. Except for one issue. "Her dog Pepper, on the other hand- "

Twisting around to send a mock glare at her son, Martha shook her head at him, "Pepper's not so bad."

Clark privately disagreed.

As they entered the cottage, the small dog was quick to meet them. "Hi, Pepper, hi! How are you today?" Martha greeted it, leaning down at cooing at it, "Pepper, this is Tyler."

When the dog growled and barked angrily, Tyler shrank back as Clark resisted the urge to say 'I told you so.'

Pepper had never liked him.

"Don't worry, she's probably hungry…."Clark chuckled, "… I'll get her something to eat."

As he left, he could just about hear his mother explain the situation to Tyler, before the pair of them headed towards Mrs Sikes room. "A lot of our clients are elderly and housebound, like Mrs. Sikes."

After feeding Pepper, he followed his Ma, entering the room just as Mrs Sikes started to beg for her painkillers, the aches and pains in her chest starting to affect her once again.

"Isn't there anything we can do for her?" he asked his Ma, frowning when she shook her head.

"I wish there were."

Tyler seemed to be taking it in his stride. "One of Mrs. Kent's beautiful irises…. For a beautiful lady."

"Don't ever get old and sick, son…" Mrs Sikes whispered, "… The world got no use for you."

Tyler was silent for a few moments, clearly un-nerved by her words. Eventually though, he straightened up, probably forcing a smile on his face. "I'll tell you what…. I'll bring you another iris tomorrow."

"… I like roses… White ones."

"White ones it is."

Mrs Sikes then looked over Tyler's shoulder and smiled at the pair standing near the door. "I like this one, Martha."

…..

"… And Charity's mother is ill, so she wants a raise, not that she'll ever say that to you."

Lex nodded along with Mercy's list, already making a mental note to add another zero onto Charity's pay check as they headed into the study.

"Your father's very disappointed with you, Lex."

…. That was the wrong Alpha's voice.

With Mercy suddenly tense beside him, Lex groaned and turned to face Dominic, forcing a smirk onto his face. "My father's disappointment is perennial, only the circumstances change… What do you want, Dominic?"

"An internal audit of your division has turned up accounting irregularities. And I've been authorized to come down and go through it in a thorough manner."

"Ah…" Lex strode over to his desk, shaking his head at Mercy as she narrowed her eyes at Dominic, "… I was wondering when the payback for turning down my father's offer to join him in Metropolis would occur."

"Lionel has been very tolerant of your excesses…. But this time you didn't spend the money on parties and sports cars. He wants to know where it went."

Lex resisted the urge at the obvious power play Dominic was trying to pull, "Do you know what my father gave me for my 10th birthday? A copy of The Will to Power. 'Behold the superman. Man is something to be overcome.' Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Nietzsche they were the voices that nurtured me after my mother left…. My father made every question a quiz. Every choice a test. Second best was for losers. Compassion, for the weak. Trust no one…. Those are the lessons I grew up with."

"…. I'll remember that if I'm ever interviewed by the Biography Channel."

This time, Lex couldn't resist smirking. "All I'm saying, Dominic, is try and remember who I was raised by…. I try to deny it, but I'm still my father's son. Tread carefully."

As Dominic left with his tail partially between his legs, Lex groaned and placed his forehead on his desk.

"I'm going out…" he eventually decided, "… I think I need some coffee."

"…. And you're hoping to run into a certain Alpha?"

Usually, he would deny Mercy's teasing…. But he just didn't have the energy today.

Grabbing his coat, he quickly grabbed and car and headed out to the town centre, pulling up outside the coffee shop and going inside. Glancing around, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Clark sitting at a nearby table, eyes scanning over a… a fishing book?

"Looks like a real page-turner…." He teased the Alpha when he got closer, taking the seat next to him as Clark turned and beamed at him.

"My father and I have our annual fishing trip."

…. Of course Clark and Jon were the stereotypical father/son duo. Why wouldn't they be?

"Of course you do…." Hux couldn't help but sigh, "… My father and I went on a fishing trip once."

Clark frowned in confusion, "He doesn't seem like the fishing type?"

"He's not…. We were the bait." Clark looked even more confused, so Lex went into more detail, "We flew to South Australia, got up-close and personal with a couple of great whites."

"…. Sounds like a real Kodak moment."

Lex chuckled at the teasing, "When you're rich and untouchable like he is, you do things to make yourself feel alive."

"…. Why'd you go?"

"Because he didn't think I would…. A weak little omega getting close to the predators of the sea? Never in a million years according to him." Lex could still remember the look of shock on his Father's face, "We never went on another father-son trip."

Clark winced in sympathy, placing his fishing book on the coffee table and sighing, "I wish my father would do something other than fishing."

"How about a football game? I've got two tickets for the skybox at the Metropolis Sharks game Sunday…. They're yours."

Clark beamed in delight, watching as the omega pulled the tickets out of his pocket. "Are you sure?" he asked, "I-I mean, that would be great, but I feel like you're the one always giving in this relationship. A-aren't Alphas meant to be the one giving out the courting gifts?"

Smiling gently at the Alpha, Lex shook his head. "I like giving you things… you never ask for them, and you're always grateful. And I don't mind, I promise."

Thinking to himself for a few seconds, Clark eventually nodded gratefully, "Then…. The tickets would be great. My Pa's followed the team all season, I wouldn't even have to twist his arm!"

"Excellent… Problem solved!"

…

Of course, it was nothing but problems after that.

Whitney's Dad had another heart attack, and the other Alpha was nowhere to be found, and Jon had been spooked by one of Lionel Luthor's minions.

So of course, when Clark mentioned the football tickets, Jon instantly went on the defensive. "Did Lex Luthor arrange all this for us? Clark, this morning I had a surprise visit from one of Lionel Luthor's people. Did you know Lex Luthor was having us investigated after the bridge accident?"

"Yes… but he stopped that when I told him about me…. He was just curious Pa, I mean- "

"- and the account that has your name on it?"

Clark was silent for a few moments, before just shrugging it off, a smile on his face. "Probably nothing… or something innocent. You can't always think the worst of him."

"Hang on, you knew about all this and didn't tell me?" Jon looked a little betrayed by this knowledge, "You knew he was investigating the crash? Is that why you told him?"

Rolling his eyes, Clark shook his head, "I knew you'd react like this…. I told Lex because I… care about him, and you shouldn't keep secrets from the people you care about. He stopped investigating it and that was that!"

Jon still looked betrayed, "I thought we had an understanding… How am I to protect you if you won't give me the facts?"

"Pa, I don't need protection!"

"When it comes to your secret, you do…" Jon shook his head in disappointment, "… I can't believe you told a Luthor. You're thinking with your heart and not your brain with this! When you get older, you'll understand."

At the patronising tone in Jon's voice, Clark shot to his feet and started to pace the room, willing himself to calm down, "Stop treating me like a kid!" he growled in frustration, "I'm not 7 anymore, I'm not casting lines in the paddock. I don't even like fishing, the only reason I do it is because it makes you happy!"

Silence.

A hurt look flashed across Jon's face as Clark winced, "That… didn't come out right."

"No son…" Jon slowly got to his feet, shaking his head wearily, "… I think it did."

…

The next morning, Jon was nowhere to be found when Clark came down to the breakfast table.

"Where's Dad?"

Martha gave him a sympathetic smile as she tipped at her tea, "He wanted to get an early start, said he had a lot of work to do today."

Wearily, he took a seat at the table, placing his forehead on the desk and groaning, "He's avoiding me, isn't he?"

"I'm not gonna play referee Clark…"

When he glanced up to look at her, she shook her head in disappointment,

"… You two need to work this out."

"We will." Clark shrugged, "First we'll have a week of uncomfortable silence then we'll talk about something trivial…. And then we'll move on."

"Avoiding it and hoping the problem goes away isn't dealing with it."

"But, you know how stubborn he can be!"

"I know how stubborn you both can be." She sighed, "I don't want you to drift apart like he did with his father."

Clark frowned in confusion, "I thought they were close."

"They were… but they kept things from each other. When your grandfather passed away there was a lot your dad didn't get to tell him, a lot he regrets." She gave him a sad little smile, "I just don't want to see history repeat itself."

…

Lex almost jumped about two feet into the air as a hay bale suddenly dropped to the floor of the barn, hesitating for a few moments, before shuffling a little further into the wooden building.

"Ummm…. Mr. Kent?"

There was a brief moment of silence, before a voice came from up above. "Clark isn't here."

"Actually, I came to see you…." Lex moved a little further inside, moving to a place where he could actually see the Beta, "…I was wondering if you're planning on coming to the game next Sunday."

Jumping back slightly as another hay bale came crashing down, Lex couldn't help but wince… this was probably not going to be a good conversation.

"I'm going fishing, Lex, I don't know what my son is doing." Jon grunted from above.

"… The tickets were meant as a gift."

Jon laughed, making his way down the ladder and over to Lex, "I'm sure your intentions were noble…. I suppose I should be glad that you've not just bent over for him and got yourself knocked up to keep him with you."

Flushing in humiliation, Lex tried not to shrink in on himself…. Mister Kent didn't know about his fertility issues… he was just upset. "That's not fair…. I don't think you understand how I regard Clark and your family."

Jon chuckled and shook his head, "Yes I do, I understand perfectly well. We're just the pawns in your eternal chess game with your dad."

As much as Lex hated to admit it, he knew Jon was sort of right…. Choosing Clark as his future Alpha was a huge 'fuck you' to his Father and he knew it.

Everyone knew it.

Thinking quickly to himself, Lex tried to make Jon understand where he was coming from. "Do you have a family photo?"

There was a brief moment of silence, before Jon nodded slowly, "Yeah… I've got lots of family photos."

"…. The only picture of my father and me appears in the Luthor-Corp annual report."

Jon scoffed, "Is this the part where I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"No… I just want you to understand if I'm guilty of anything regarding your family, it's envy."

"If you're so envious of my family, then why do you feel the need to investigate it behind my back?"

Once again, Lex had to resist the urge to flinch again. "I just wanted to know what happened on the day of the accident… nothing made sense, it was driving me insane. I had a theory and when I went to confront Clark, he denied it. I didn't believe him, but then he got hurt… when his powers were gone."

Jon remained silent, simply listening as Lex continued.

"I ended the investigation… As far as I was aware, the crash was just a freak accident. And then, of course, Clark confessed the following night." Lex took a deep breath, "I wouldn't tell anyone…. Clark's… Clark's amazing, and he's a good kid, I don't want that to change."

"Neither do I."

Jon was still tense… angry… disbelieving.

Lex couldn't take it anymore, teeth gritted, he straightened up and looked Jon straight in the eye. "You know from the day I first met Clark, all you've ever seen is the name Luthor."

"…. Well, so far you haven't given me a reason to see anything else."

…

With Mrs Sikes dead, a pile of ashes left behind, Chloe chasing after the spontaneous combustion angle, Whitney refusing to see his sick father, and his own father ignoring him, it was a rough couple of days.

"Clark, I've been looking all over for you!"

He turned at Chloe's voice, frowning as she raced over to him, newspaper in her hands and an eager grin on her face.

"Look what I found in the Daily Planet!"

Clark scanned the headline and frowned, "Body Disappears From Metropolis Morgue" He knew he looked confused.

"Yeah, but look at the photo…. The coroner's body was disintegrated into ash!"

"… Just like Mrs. Sikes."

She smirked, "I don't know, but it would be nice to check out that house for ourselves."

He hated that smile… that smile always got him into trouble.

…..

"You know this is a crime scene." Clark muttered, unable to take his eyes off of the ash outline still left on the bed.

"So?" She moved around the bed to take more photos, "Well, there's no other sign of fire damage anywhere…. You might want to dial back on that "spontaneous combustion" scepticism."

It was then that Clark realised there was something else strange about the scene, "No barking."

"Wasn't planning on it?"

"Pepper." Clark glanced around for the small dog.

"Who's Pepper?"

"Mrs. Sikes' dog…." Clark frowned, "…She turned into a barking machine anytime somebody came over…. Pepper? Come here, girl."

"Well, Animal Shelter probably came and got her."

Clark wasn't so sure. Glancing around, he used his x-ray vision to see if he could spot the dog hiding somewhere… only to spot a pile of ashes and a dog tag behind a curtain.

"Oh, no…" Chloe winced as Clark moved the curtain to one side, "… Don't tell me that's Pepper."

Clark examined it for a few more moments, gently taking the dog tag, before shaking his head, "What happened may have been combustion, but I have a feeling it wasn't spontaneous."

…

Later that day, as Clark headed over to the warehouse where the mobile melas were stocked, he felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Something was wrong.

Using his X-ray vision, he scanned the warehouse, frowning when he saw a larger skeleton, backing another one up near the wall.

It was easy to guess who the smaller skeleton was.

"Mom!"

Racing inside, Clark darted in front of his mother, glaring at the man…. Tyler.

"Get away from her!"

"Clark, don't touch him!"

As Clark reached out to try and push the man away, Tyler's hand landed on his face… and it felt like his very life force was being sucked from his body, just before Clark managed to throw him to one side.

"CLARK!" Martha came rushing over, "Clark, are you okay?"

Clark was shaken from the experience…. But nodded anyway. It was all he could do not to break down and whimper.

….

Later that evening, as he did his maths homework, he heard Jon wandering up the stairs to the loft, rapping knuckles against the wood, as if he was knocking on the door. "Son, your mom is… She's resting. She's pretty shaken up, but I think she's gonna be fine. Police are looking everywhere for Tyler."

Clark shook his head, finally turning to his Dad. "I don't think they're gonna stop him."

"Why?"

"Because I saw his heart…. It wasn't beating."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Jon shook his head and sighed, "Clark, that doesn't make any sense…. How can he walk around if he's dead? How can he turn people to ash?"

"…. When he touched my face, I felt like the life was being drained out of me."

Jon narrowed his eyes, clearly seeing that something was wrong, "Clark, you sure that you- "

"- Yeah."

Silence.

Clark watched as his Dad just nodded, turning to head back down the stairs… things were still too tense between them.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing."

….

"Clark…" Lex beamed at him, "… glad I ran into you."

Clark couldn't help but return the smile as Lex took a seat next to him.

"I need to talk to you about the Sharks game… Is your dad coming?"

He couldn't but wince… how to explain to Lex that he and his Dad were in the middle of avoiding one another. "I'm… not sure."

It was the diplomatic answer and Lex clearly knew it, "Funny…" the omega raised an eyebrow at him, "… When I asked him, he was pretty adamant he wasn't going."

Another wince.

Before Clark could answer, Lex spoke up again, an apologetic smile on his face. "I'm rescinding the offer…. Go fishing with your dad."

"Lex, you don't have to do that."

"… I know." Lex shrugged, "But your dad wants to spend some time with you. It's not something I want to come between."

Clark must still have looked a little bit unsure, as Lex leaned forwards, a sad smile on his face, "He's just trying to give you something my father never gave me."

"…. What's that?"

"Limitations…. All my father ever told me was 'Don't get caught. Don't cause a scandal'" Lex shook his head, "That's not love, that's public relations…. You have no idea how lucky you are. When my father dies, kings will come to his funeral. But when yours does, his friends will come."

"… What would you do? If you ever had children?"

Lex knew his mouth had dropped open slightly at the question, "I-I… I would like to be better than my Dad." He answered shakily, "I don't really have any other goals apart from that."

He wanted to ask Clark what he wanted to be like as a Dad… and then his phone rang.

"Dammit…" he muttered under his breath, waving off Clark's frown of concern.

Dominic.

"… I'm sorry." He apologised to the Alpha, "I've got to go."

"Is everything okay?"

Lex was already halfway towards the door as Clark asked the question, simply waving his concerns away as he rushed to his car.

Dominic wasn't going to get away with this.

…

"Then there's the discrepancy between the purchasing and shipping records."

Lex groaned under his breath, pouring himself another glass of whiskey… he felt like he was going to need several to get through this conversation. "Stop." He ordered, "I know my father authorized this, but enough bean-counting for one day."

He poured out another glass, before striding over to the Alpha, a disarming smile on his face. "Thirty-year-old single malt… Also bought with my father's money. Make sure you jot that down."

As Dominic smirked, taking a sip of the whiskey, Lex moved to the sofa opposite.

"Let's be frank, Dominic…." He began again, "… My father sent you here to spy on me because he's afraid of how well I'm doing. This was my last chance to prove myself and he just assumed I'd fail…. Now he has to revise his definition of me. I'm not just his screw-up son anymore. Now I'm competition. My father only knows one way of dealing with competition."

Dominic smirked again, "There are some things better left between patient and therapist, Lex."

"… You know, in ancient Persia the kings would kill a messenger who brought them news they didn't like. In modern times, a sword in the chest might seem a little extreme, something more subtle would be in order…. Enjoying your drink?"

Dominic stopped mid-sip, pulling his glass away from his mouth and growing a little pale with the implications.

He hadn't…. had he?

…

When Clark heard the news about Tyler's 'death', the fact that a meteorite shard combined with painkillers brought him back to life as a killing machine, he was alarmed.

A single touch turned people into ash.

And then Lana said the man was going after Whitney's father… to help him.

Leaving Chloe and Lana behind, he raced to the hospital, bursting into the room just as Tyler was about to touch the face of Whitney's father with his bare hands.

"Tyler, don't!

Taking advantage of Tyler's brief distraction, Clark zipped around him and threw him into the desk that contained all the Get Well cards and flowers.

"I heard your friend, Clark!" Tyler pleaded, "Seeing his father like this is tearing him apart. I can give them peace."

"It's not your decision."

"You're wrong. I have to help him!"

Tyler darted forwards again, clearly intending to push past the younger boy and 'save' Whitney's father. Instead, he was thrown out into the hallway.

"You're not taking away their pain…" Clark growled, after checking to make sure that no nurses were there, "… You're stealing Whitney's last chance to be with his father."

"You can't stop me, Clark! No one can…. Don't you see? It's better. I know, I could see it in my mother's eyes!"

Clark frowned, "Your mother's alive…. She recovered after that night. They brought her home to Smallville."

"I thought- "

"- She's alive, Tyler. Let me take you to her."

…

"It's a miracle."

"It's life…." Clark whispered, not wanting to wake the elderly , "… As long as we have that, there's still hope."

"She seems so peaceful…." Tyler glanced down at his bare hands, "… I thought that I was brought back to relieve the suffering of others…. But it was my pain all along." He then turned to Clark and shook his head in despair, tears in his eyes. "What have I done?"

"Tyler- "

"- I just want it all to be over."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Tyler suddenly placed his bare hands together, skin going black and falling to the floor.

"Tyler?" Clark darted forwards, trying to grab the older man, only for ash to fall through his fingers.

Tyler was gone.

…

"Interesting choice of location for a meeting, Lex..."

Lex glanced around the construction site, moving around his car to meet his Father, who seemed amused by the whole thing.

"… Why didn't you come up to the penthouse?"

"I was making a garbage delivery, I didn't want to tarnish the marble."

Lionel rolled his eyes, "I'm not in the mood to joust, Lex."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Lex took a deep breath. "I was hoping you'd explain Dominic's visit?"

"My auditors discovered unaccounted expenditures coming out of Smallville…. I thought it prudent to investigate."

Lex rolled his eyes, "Come on, Dad, I've squandered more in a weekend…. You didn't sic your adding machines on me then."

"No, we're talking corporate finances, Lex, not your pocket money."

There was something in Lionel's tone that caught Lex's attention… a certain edge that indicated that the Alpha wasn't telling the whole truth.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?" he stated, smirking as his Father visibly tensed up, "That I'm not dependent on you anymore…. That I've made friends in Smallville, people I trust. People that might replace you."

It was easy to guess what Lex was referring to exactly, and Lionel frowned briefly, before giving Lex another patronising smirk, "Don't be ridiculous, Lex…. I'm happy you're doing well."

"No, you're not. You're afraid I won't need you anymore."

Lionel was silent, stepping closer as a flash of anger swept across his face, "…. You'll always be my son. And you will always need me, Lex."

With that final promise, Lionel turned away, clearly intending to leave the scene… if it weren't for Lex's next words.

"Aren't you going to ask about Dominic?"

When Lionel turned around, Lex gave him a smirk of his own, "He hasn't checked in for hours, has he? Unusual for a man of his predictable nature." He pulled the keys out of his pocket, and threw them over to his Father, gesturing at his car, "Go ahead pop the trunk."

"Ah, Lex…" Lionel slowly headed over to the car, shaking his head in disappointment, "…what has he done, what has he done?" As soon as he popped the trunk, the older man could see Dominic lying in there, duct tape over his mouth and hands tied together, his face pale in fear and alarm.

"You want to ask an accounting question, Dad?" Lex glanced between the two Alphas, bending down to rip the tape off of Dominic's mouth, "Call me. The next time one of your drones bothers the Kents he'll be lucky to catch a ride home with the spare."

Lex was the one to walk away this time.

"Lex…. "

He turned back to his Father, who seemed… almost proud.

"…. Well done."

…

"That's a really nice thing you've done for the Fordmans."

Lex turned away from the football game, where Whitney was playing, the boy's ill father watching from the side-lines. "Thanks, Mr. Kent…. That means a lot coming from you."

Jon seemed to know what he meant, but chose not to say anything, allowing Lex the chance to speak again, "I just want you to know, I closed the book on that day at the bridge… I did it before Clark even told me about his powers."

"…. Why'd you investigate it in the first place?"

"That day was a miracle in more ways than one…" Lex shrugged, "… Haven't you ever wanted to find out why things like that happen?"

"No…. I just accept the fact that they do." Jon, much to his own surprise, gave the omega a soft smile, "You don't need an explanation for everything, Lex."

Down below, Lana and Clark were sitting and watching the game.

"How did he get the Metropolis Sharks to do it?" Lana asked in amazement.

"When your father owns the team, it's easier to pull some strings."

"… It's strange, all this time I never thought Lex even liked Whitney. And then he goes and arranges all this."

Clark nodded, smiling softly to himself as he thought of the male omega, "I think Lex feels he's become part of our lives."

"…. I'd like to believe that." Lana then tilted her head to the side, "Have you asked him yet? You know… the big question?"

Silence.

He heard Lana sigh slightly, before she pushed herself to her feet. "Lex would be lucky to have you as an Alpha Clark… just remember that."

Once Lana had walked away, Clark turned to his Pa, knowing that he had an important conversation in front of him. He made his way over to the beta.

"Dad, I'm sorry. What I said, it- "

"- Clark the fishing trips, they never had anything to do with fishing." Jon interrupted, "It was just that I wanted to spend some time with my son…. My dad and I, we saw each other every day but we never really talked. I just don't want history to repeat itself."

Clark nodded, "That makes two of us…." A wicked smirk then appeared on his face, "Dad, I know how we can catch more fish this year."

"What, new lures?"

"… X- Ray vision."