"I see you in a uniform flying." The beta tilted his head to the side, "Have you ever considered a career in the Air Force?"

Summer internships… they were the bane of every student's life.

Clark forced a smile onto his face, "I'll think about it" he stated, before moving away to try and find his friends. He quickly spotted Pete and moved over to him, "What are you smiling about?"

Pete beamed at him, "I landed a summer job at Mayor Siegel's working on his re-election campaign."

"I thought you were helping your mom at the court?"

"Judge Ross can get some K.S.U students to schlep her files. Who wants to hang out with their parents all summer?"

Clark's face fell, knowing that was likely to be his fate for this summer…. As it had been every summer. "Yeah."

"…. Sorry, Clark." Pete winced.

Shrugging it off, Clark gestured back at the booth he'd just been in, "Did you notice Kwan's son down at the Air Force booth?"

Pete smirked, "Growing up with Kwan, the Air Force would seem like Club Med."

As they moved closer to the Journalism area, Chloe came rushing over to them, dressed in a nice shirt and skirt, combined with a red blazer.

"Wow, you look nice."

She beamed at Clark, before taking a deep breath, "Thanks, I was going for professional. Did you know the Daily Planet only takes four high school interns from the state?"

"You're a shoo-in, Chloe."

She sent another appreciative smile at Pete, before gesturing back at the Daily Planet booth, "Tell him that! He said they received over 500 applicants last year…. I doubt I'll get an interview."

"There's always the Inquisitor…." Clark pointed out, "… Didn't Lex offer to hook you up?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but I'm interning at the Planet. I don't care if it's delivering coffee to the classifieds department."

"Why don't you try again Saturday when you're in Metropolis?" Pete asked, causing Clark to frown at Chloe, "Why are you going to Metropolis?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "… We're going to Metropolis, Clark. The student journalism conference? You were supposed to sign us up and I know you didn't forget because it's too late to get in."

Clark winced at the look on Chloe's face, "Sorry…. Me and Lex have been alternating between his home and the Talon, he's helping me with a history project. The one on- "

"- Forget it. Clearly anything that isn't Lex, is less important!"

As Chloe stormed away, Clark tried to stop her.

"Whoa, that's not true!"

"Clark, how much time have we spent together in three weeks?"

"We see each other every day!"

"It was barely 45 minutes, just because my car broke down outside the Talon and you gave me a ride home. I had to practically tear you away from Lex!"

"Don't you think you're being unfair?!"

"No! Whenever Lex is around, it's like no-one else exists! And before him, it was Lana!"

As Chloe went to storm away, Clark desperately tried to stop her. "Wait, Chloe, why are you being so hypersensitive?"

"UGH! Most men are from Mars, but you're from a distant galaxy I've never heard of!"

And then she was gone, leaving Clark confused as he turned to Pete, "I know I screwed up, but why is Chloe having a breakdown?"

Pete rolled his eyes and sighed, "You're not the most observant person."

"What are you talking about?"

"She wanted to spend a day with you… She was gonna ask you to the spring formal."

"Yeah, but that'd be like- " He suddenly stopped as Pete finished the sentence.

"- Date? Maybe if you took off your Lex blinders, you'd realize Chloe likes you. And she's a way better option than a Luthor."

And then he was gone. And Clark was still confused.

…..

Lex sighed wearily as he ran his fingers over the new documents from the private investigator.

Still no sign of his Mum and sister… almost like they'd vanished into thin air.

Nada.

Nothing.

Resting underneath her favourite tree, the one that she'd go to whenever life with his Father got too difficult, Lex closed his eyes and leaned back against the bark of the tree.

And then he heard someone clear his throat next to him.

Glancing over, he immediately frowned at the red-headed woman standing there, "What are you doing here?"

"It is a public park Lex… and I'm probably here for the same reason you are. I miss her too you know."

"It's been nine years…." Lex hissed, "… Why the sudden burst of sentimentality?"

"… I deserve that, just disappearing from your life."

"I'm sure all that Luthor-Corp stock that my Mum stole and sent to you helped."

The omega woman's eyes widened in shock, "Is that what your father told you?"

Shaking his head, Lex pushed himself to his feet and went to leave, "All those years I thought you loved me…. But you were just in it for the money."

Before he could leave, her raised voice stopped him in his tracks, "I know you're angry and you have every right to be, but we need to talk!"

"… I can't believe there's anything you'd say that would interest me." He shook his head, "Goodbye, Pamela."

…

Seeing Justin back at the school and Chloe suddenly migrating towards him, created a whole new set of problems for Clark. He wasn't jealous, but he was a bit hurt by Chloe's anger towards him… he could understand the journalism thing but getting angry with him because he didn't return her feelings was just… ridiculous.

Even the reassurance that he'd managed to convince Lex to give them two tickets to the conference didn't seem to help (really, he was lucky that Lex liked Chloe) didn't seem to fix anything, with Chloe deciding that she was going with Justin as his guest.

There was something off about him.

Why would he keep a hold of the news-clipping, that detailed how the surgeon who had treated his hands after the hit-and-run incident, lost his own hands in a freak accident?

Yes, it was ironic, but it was also a little bit… sick.

Something was wrong here.

….

"Miss Pamela's in the study…" Mercy muttered, interrupting Lex in the middle of a conversation with Clark.

Oh, the problems of high schoolers.

"… would you like me to remove her?"

Lex silently shook his head, before taking a deep breath and heading towards the room in question, frowning when he saw Pamela rummaging through his bookshelf, where a number of his Mother's favourite books sat.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Pamela turned to him, a fond smile on her face, "I wanted to see what kind of young man you'd grown into."

"A very busy one. So, if there's nothing else- "

"- We were close once, Alexander, you were like a son to me!"

"You were an employee Mrs Jenkins!" Lex snapped, "You were paid to watch me and Lena while my mother spent as much time out of the house as possible and my father crisscrossed the globe on business."

She wasn't deterred. "I loved you like my own! After the meteor shower, I was the one who never looked at you differently."

"Just because you knew me at a vulnerable point doesn't give you the right to waltz back in a decade later! Things have changed. I've changed!" Lex took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm down as Mercy hovered in the doorway, "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to know what really happened."

"You lied to my mother!"

Pamela shook her head, "No, I didn't…. I had every intention of staying, but your father sent me away. After she left, he called me into his office and told me if I ever had contact with you again that he would disinherit you!"

Well, it definitely sounded believable. "Why would he do that?"

"… Because he wanted you to be his son, not hers."

Now that, was definitely believable. Even with his mother gone, Lex knew that some of her influence still remained, no matter how much Lionel tried to beat it out of him. "So why show up now?" He asked, not willing to let her see that she'd got to him, "Does the statute of limitations on my father's threat expire?"

"I needed to see if you'd found a way to be true to yourself in spite of Lionel's efforts…. And to be honest, I-I wanted your forgiveness."

"…. I'm afraid you'll have to find a way to grant it to yourself."

She nodded sadly, smiling at him one last time, before bowing her head. "Goodbye, Alexander."

…

This book wasn't helping with his Chloe problem at all.

Clark frowned, resisting the urge to smack his forehead with the book. Maybe he should send Lex another text…. Chloe clearly wasn't going to listen to him about Justin, not the way he was going about it.

Just as he finished the thought, he heard footsteps making their way up the stairs, prompting him to twist around, beaming at the sight of the omega striding up the stairs.

"I was just thinking about you!" he exclaimed, resisting the urge to wince at his choice of words, before clearing his throat, "What are you doing here so late?"

Politely, Lex ignored the poor wording and smiled gently at Clark. "Came to talk to your parents about the farm. Whether or not they needed anymore help… What are you reading?"

Before Clark could react, Lex snatched the book and read the cover, frowning at what he saw. "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus?"

"I'm trying to get an insight into the female psyche."

"…. I seriously doubt you'll find it in here. What's the problem?"

Clark pushed himself to his feet and sighed, thinking to himself for a few moments, before finally deciding on what he was going to say. "I've got these two amazing friends who both happen to be girls-" he began.

"- For argument's sake, let's call them Lana and Chloe?"

Clark grinned sheepishly, before nodding, and continuing. "Before you, I always liked Lana, but I could never get near her. I've never had any feelings for Chloe except friendship, but she wants more with me!"

"So… what's the problem?"

"I'm friends with both of them, and I don't want that to change, but I don't want to hurt Chloe's feelings… again."

Lex nodded, before something occurred to him. "You said you liked Lana before you met me. Does that mean- "

"- Yeah." Clark tried to play it off as casual, "I mean, I know most people don't think I'm being serious, but- "

"- But you're taking a huge risk by choosing me." Lex pushed his feelings to one side.

"Love isn't about playing it safe, it's about risks." At Lex's silence, Clark frowned, "Haven't you ever been in love before?"

"…. I've only loved three people in my life. Two left and the other betrayed me."

"I'm sorry." Clark whispered, moving to sit beside Lex, the confession of love pushed to the back of his mind, "I'm so sorry."

….

Principal Kwan had been killed in a violent accident with his car.

His first three numbers on his license plate matched the one for Justin's hit-and-run driver.

And Chloe was still refusing to see reason.

Two accidents revolving around people who'd led to Justin's hand trauma… and to her, it was still just a coincidence.

…

""I celebrate myself and what I assume you shall assume- "

Lex frowned at the quote as he strode into the room, glaring at the Alpha sitting at his desk, "- For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." He eventually finished, rolling his eyes.

Clearly finding this amusing, Lionel chuckled, "Sounds like a description of family, doesn't it?"

"Not ours." Lex rolled his eyes, "Since when do you read poetry?"

"… We're selling Cadmus Labs, Lex." Lionel answered, not answering the question.

"Our deal memo gives me 50 percent ownership with veto rights and I don't recall you asking my opinion."

Lionel shrugged, "We only bought Cadmus to bankrupt Sir Harry. After we pumped and dumped the stock, the company's worthless…. It served its purpose."

Knowing that he couldn't really disagree with that, Lex moved over to his drinks cabinet and poured himself a small glass of whiskey, "You didn't come all this way to talk about Cadmus."

"… I understand Pamela's back in the States. And that she paid you a visit."

"Did you come to disinherit me?"

"Is that what she told you?"

"Is it true?"

Lionel was silent for a few moments, lost in thought, before sighing wearily. "Your mother was… is an extraordinary woman…. But her taste in help left a lot to be desired. Pamela was a hanger-on. She convinced your mother to sign over all that stock, then she disappeared not long after your mother did… before the tire tracks had even disappeared."

"… You took time out of your busy schedule to tell me that?"

"I know how much she meant to you and I don't want her using emotional tyranny to hit you up for money."

"Why would she do that? She's got plenty of stock."

Lionel shrugged, "Probably she doesn't want to sell it to pay her medical bills."

"What medical bills?"

"…. She didn't tell you? How noble."

"Tell me what?"

"She's dying, Lex…." Lionel almost sounded sympathetic, "… Cancer. Probably all those years sitting in the sun in Saint-Tropez."

Lex felt like his heart had stopped… Pamela was the one person who never treated him like shit, aside from his Mother and sister… and she was dying.

"What does she want?" Lionel asked, leaning closer to Lex as the omega took a seat opposite.

"… Forgiveness."

"And what did you tell her?"

"… To get out."

Lionel smirked, pushing the poetry book closer to his son, "No. She doesn't know you very well, does she?"

…..

Sneaking into his Principal's garage was creepy, almost like the man was suddenly going to appear out of nowhere and give him detention.

"What are you doing in here?"

Clark spun around at the voice, wincing at the sight of Principal Kwan's son standing in the doorway that led to the garage from the house, "Danny… I-I'm really sorry about what happened to your dad."

Danny Kwan looked like he was about to say something, before stopping and shaking his head, "I don't understand what happened…." He whispered, glancing at the back wall of the garage, where a blood stain still remained, "… He had the car keys with him, I-It's like something just smashed the car right into him."

Or like someone was controlling it.

"Danny, did you know a Justin Gaines?"

Silence, as Danny nodded.

"Do you know if he came by here last night?"

"… No, why?"

"I think Justin believes your father was responsible for the accident."

Danny went slightly pale, "That's crazy…." He then seemed to stop and straighten up, his entire body language changing, "… You should leave."

Clark frowned, "He matched part of your dad's license plate to the hit-and-run driver's."

Danny turned away.

"Is there a chance Justin's right?"

As quickly as he straightened up, Danny seemed to deflate. "My dad didn't deserve this."

It hit Clark like a bolt of lightning, "Your dad wasn't the one driving the car, was he? You're the one who hit Justin."

"….. My dad he-he was just trying to protect me!"

…..

"You did the right thing, Clark." Martha reassured him later that day as they entered the Talon, "Convincing Danny to turn himself in."

"… His father's dead. He's going to jail."

"Well, some secrets destroy families."

Before Clark could answer, Lana came rushing over, "Clark, Chloe's on the phone, she sounds really freaked out!"

He frowned, heading over to the phone and picking it up, "Chloe, what's up?"

/ I've been calling all over the place… \\ She did sound freaked out, / I really screwed up, Justin is involved, you were right. \\

"Well, calm down! Where are you?"

/ In your barn…. I haven't been completely honest with you, Clark. I know how Justin caused those accidents- \\

Suddenly, there was a crashing noise and everything went quiet.

"Chloe? Chloe!"

Nothing.

Ignoring Lana and his Ma's calls of concern, Clark raced home, arriving at the barn just as Justin was throwing a buzzing chainsaw directly at Chloe's unconscious body. Thinking quickly, he moved in front of it, not even wincing as it hit him in the chest, shattering into its' basic components.

Justin stepped back in shock, "How did you do that?"

"You killed the wrong man!"

"You're lying."

"His son just turned himself in. He was the one who hit you!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!"

"You said you cared about Chloe. How many people are you willing to kill?"

"… Just one more." As Clark lunged for him, Justin took a step back, flicking his head back and flinging Clark into the upper rafters of the barn. "You've really got to stick those landings, Clark!"

Silence… until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

When Justin spun around, he yelped in shock at the sight of Clark standing there. "You can't win, Justin." Clark sighed, grabbing the other boy and flinging him into a nearby wall, knocking Justin out as rubble fell on top of him.

He then raced over to Chloe as she started to stir, "Chloe, are you okay?"

She was silent, before she suddenly lunged forwards and wrapped her arms around his neck and started to sob.

All he could do was hold her.

…..

"You're the last person I expected."

Lex ignored how uncomfortable he was in the hospital room, focusing on the pale figure on the bed, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not your concern."

"It's not my concern that you're dying?! I could help, I can get you treatment!"

Pamela groaned and shook her head, "I didn't come to you for help or pity, I came because I have nothing left to lose…. The truth is, I'm ashamed that it took metastasizing to give me the courage. I let that bastard frighten me into submission for so long." She gazed up at him, giving him a soft smile, "I was too scared to even tell you just once how much you mean to me. How much I wanted to help you grow up."

"… I wish you had." Lex confessed, moving to sit by her side, "I might be a better man."

Reaching out, she took his hand, gripping it tightly, "The fact that you're here speaks volumes about the man that you are…. Your mother would be proud."

Mortifyingly, Lex felt tears spring to his eyes, "I really miss her."

"So do I."

A tense silence fell over them for a while, before Pamela tearfully cleared her throat, "So… any lucky Alphas' in your life."

"…. Well. There is one…"