Name: Mercury (reviews written as april' I just set up my new account)

Authors E-mail: apriljack2@aol.com

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. The WB and the ink bottle guys do. (But if I did my more devious plot bunnies would come true and Smallville would be a much more interesting place.)

Pairings: Mostly focusing on Lex's father issues and his and Clark's friendship. Preslash in here but nothing real yet.

Spoilers: None, but you must be versed in the premise of Smallville.

Archive: Fanfiction.net; anywhere else e-mail and ask me first so I know where to find it.

Thank-you: Everybody that writes fanfic for Smallville.

Feedback: Always appreciated. But in all actuality I'm addicted to it. I crave it. Even if it's a one liner acknowledging that you read it any feedback would be accepted with open arms. Just to let you know I prefer rotten vegetables to people chasing me down with pitchforks. Thanks All flames will be used to light fires under my muses to get them going!

Author's Notes: Big, BIG, BIG, ass thanks to my beta J.D. For pointing out all my painfully stupid mistakes and laughing at them accordingly! I really, really appreciate it. I can't believe how fast I got this chapter back. Oww that must have given you some major finger cramps! But did I mention thanks a bunch!

Nymph Du Pave: Hope your feeling better!

Weird Side Note: All the reporters on my local news channel have three letter names. Do they think that we're that simple?

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Part IV: Coming to Terms

Lex smiled as he and Clark walked up the stone stairs to the castle. The magic of the quaint moment was lost to memory as they heard the sound of porcelain hitting hardwood. They rushed to the origin of the sound; it was coming from the guest bedroom where Lex had the medical treatment center for his father placed. When they opened the large oak doors both boys came upon an unexpected scene. In the middle of the room, there stood one of the hired nurses holding a hypodermic needle and a medication bottle in her hands. To the nurse's right the once priceless vase lay in pieces on the floor. And in the corner huddled in the fetal position was Lionel. He was rocking himself back and forth, his face pressed into his knees. He cried and his whole body was shaking.

Lionel pressed himself into the oak wood paneling on the walls as the nurse took a step to advance on him.

" Don't touch him," Lex said to the nurse as he approached his father, dragging Clark behind him.

Lex dropped into a squatting position and spoke in a calm and comforting voice, "Everything is all right dad. Come here and let us help you feel better."

As Lex spoke Lionel pushed himself even harder against the wood; it seemed as though he was trying to become part of it and disappear. Lex reached out one hand to try to lightly brush his fathers shoulder, but Lionel flinched away before he even felt Lex's touch. Lex turned and looked at Clark as if to say alright I'm out of ideas want to give it a try?'

After a few more moments of watching Lex valiantly try to coax Lionel out of his corner, Clark finally intervened. Clark took the spot squatting next to Lex completely blocking off any possible escape route for Lionel, had he still been able to walk. As Clark sat down, he raised both his hands as a symbol that he meant no harm.

For a while, Clark just gazed at Lionel not knowing what to say, he eventually formulated the right words and spoke. "Mr. Luthor if you sit there all day you're just making it harder for us to help you. You have to trust me Mr. Luthor we're not out to get you. We only want to help you." Holding out his arm Clark finished, "Do you trust me?"

Lionel stared at Clark and Lex for a moment weighing his options then quickly moved into the arm Clark offered him. Clark carefully wrapped his arm around Lionel's slim waistline wary not to press on anything that was broken or bruised. Then he put his free arm underneath Lionel's knees. Clark quickly glanced over to Lex for directions on where to set Lionel down before he picked him up. Without breaking the eye contact he had established with Clark Lex motioned to the bed with a quick snap of his hand. Clark nodded his response and picked Lionel off the ground effortlessly.

Once properly situated the afternoon passed quickly into the evening, then to night. Clark and Lex began to watch Lionel at his bedside in three-hour shifts so they could get some rest as well. Lex would have slept right next to his father but his constant tossing and turning and pained moans were too much for Lex to bear while trying to get to sleep.

No matter how much Lex disliked his father he still loved and idolized him on some level, but in their father son relationship Lex still acted much like an expectant child. Every time Lex gave his father some opening to drag him down Lex assumed he wouldn't take it. It meant a lot to Lex when his father called and told Lex that he was proud of the work he did on the Hardwick Enterprises take over. But yet again Lionel proved that no matter what outer appearances he made to the contrary, he was always teaching Lex another lesson in deception.

Lex was awakened from his chain of thought by Clark's tap on his shoulder. Lex's eyes flickered open and he looked up at Clark's solemn face.

"It's six o'clock in the morning. The nurse is changing your father's bandages. I told him after she was done that you would come up to see him. I've got to go and help my Dad with chores. I'll be back after I finish but I don't think that my parents would be all to happy to let me stay over again. If you need a rest and want me to stay considering the circumstances I'm sure I could guilt them into letting me." Clark gave him a sincere smile, "Sorry I have to leave. Make sure to tell your father that I had to leave. I would have told him myself but I think he might have tackled me before I got out of the room it I did that. He doesn't seem to be the person that most people say he is. I don't think that he's handling this situation well. I think that something you should talk to him about."

"Okay on all counts Clark. Come back soon. I don't know how much nice bedside manner I can dish out before something snaps." Lex tried his best at his usual witty sarcasm but it just wasn't coming out right. Maybe I really am upset about my father, or am I upset that my father managed to get close to Clark? Maybe bringing Clark into this wasn't the best idea.

"Bye, Lex"

"Bye Clark"

Lex got off the overstuffed couch and started up the stairs. Now is my chance to show Jonathan Kent that I can be a nice person. If I can be civil to my father, Jonathan will know that I can be nice to anyone.

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Clark made his way to the family farm at super speed wanting to get back to Lex's mansion as soon as possible. But he knew that he would have a lot of down time considering that Lex didn't know that he could do things at super speed he couldn't go home and arrive back at the mansion a few minutes later. The eminent down time was not something he was looking forward to.

When he arrived at the farm Clark managed to avoid his father and snuck into the kitchen to say 'hi' to his mother. Clark had made her promise not tell his father where he was last night. Knowing that his father would call to check up on him and Chloe could not lie like Pete, he knew he would have to play twenty questions the next time he talked to his dad.

Clark raced into the kitchen momentarily startling his mother.

"Hi Mom."

"Oh Clark, sweetie, you scared me there for a minute," Her expression switched from one of surprise to one of concern, "What happened last night? Did everything go okay?"

"Everything went off without a hitch, mom. Mr. Luthor is in pretty bad shape and I'm not sure how he is mentally either."

"I told your father where you were last night, and why you were there." A look of fear crossed Clark's features momentarily, " Don't worry he's not going to go off on you or Lex. There's a lot you don't know about history with the Luthors Clark. You didn't know that he and Mr. Luthor were once good friends. And no matter how much your father said he hates him he still misses the friendship he had with him. You don't find friends like the kind those two were but once in a lifetime. I think you should see if he wants to go with you and visit Lionel when you go back."

"Dad and Lex's father were best friends? How did they come to be such enemies?" Clark said, confused.

"That's a long story and one for your father to tell. Now go and get your chores done." Martha said in a motherly tone.

"Alright mom I'm going." Clark said with a smile as he left.

Clark did his chores faster than he had ever had in the past. He was anxious to ask dad about his friendship with Lionel Luthor.

Clark was done with all of his chores for that day and some of his father's chores at eight o'clock. He still had four hours before he could go back to the mansion and that was with claiming his father let him off early. Boy, do I ever regret telling Lex the workload I have everyday. Now everytime I say I have chores he advances our plans so I'm meeting him the next week.

Just then Clark heard his father walk-in. He used his better than average hearing to hear his mother's voice explain to his father about what she had told Clark. Clark sat down on the couch as he heard his father's footsteps approaching the family room. Jonathan Kent walked into the room. His expression was of a person that was going to dislodge a large secret as he wiped off his hands.

He shook it before he spoke, "I suppose you'll be wanting the whole story now won't you?" He didn't wait for Clark to respond before he delved into the story of his and Lionel's friendship. He gave no details about how the met or such, just a brief overview of how he and Lionel had been inseparable and how despite his most valiant efforts Lionel soul had blackened. Finishing up the tale with how he had betrayed him. "You see Clark, Lionel had agreed to help your grandfather and I do a total audit of the farm. We scanned through all the papers and factoring our debt to the bank things didn't look well. If anyone made an offer on the place the bank would force us to sell. I thought Lionel was my friend so that's why I enlisted him to help, I never thought that he would go behind my back. He planned the entire thing. After the official results were reached he made an offer the bank couldn't refuse on our farmland. He was smart enough however to not show his face on the farm again. You should have seen the rage your grandpa went into. We fought him every step of the way; eventually he let the issue go saying that a worthless piece of farmland was nothing fight over. After they dropped the offer I confronted him about it at Luthor mansion. He was so bold as to say that he was just humoring me that he was never my friend. I knew better though, he wouldn't have humored me for five years and gotten nothing out of it." Jonathan's expression turned grave, "It hurt that he would say that though. It hurt that I couldn't save him from himself that no matter how much I reassured him he didn't win out over his father's influences. After that I knew that the issue was a moot point and I discontinued the friendship. Lionel was a good person back then Clark. Just like Lex is a good person now, but I know Lionel was strong but he couldn't resist the world he was born into. That's what I fear with you and Lex. Lionel had a lot of friends to hurt when he turned his back on the world, but Lex only has you Clark. He only has you to love and care for him and he only has you to hurt. That's what worries me."

Clark stared up at his father with a look of total wonder. His lips in the shape of an 'O'.

"Come on Clark let's go see how he's doing. If Lex asks, tell him that I let you off the hook for chores today and I'll finish mine when I get back." Clark nodded at his father and followed him out to the truck.

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Lex sat at his father's bedside staring at him. Rage and jealousy simmered within him as the respirator made it's up and down motion again. He doesn't deserve to be liked by Clark. Clark's my friend, but now that I'm not the needy one will Clark turn his back on me? Will he take my father as my replacement? He's so needy, just look at him. Clark is so nice that he will probably spend all his time with him and forget about me. And once again my father will screw me out of something I want. But this time it's not money or power, it's my friend. My only friend. He shouldn't be allowed to take that from me.

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Clark and Jonathan pulled up into the mansion's driveway and made their way up to the house, they climbed the steps together. When they reached the door they were quickly ushered in and told that both Mr. Luthors were in the guest bedroom where all the medical equipment was set up. Clark nodded and led his father in the same silence that had engulfed their entire trip to the castle to the guest bedroom.

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Lex could feel an edge of hysteria coming over him. He wanted to end this all now, and as many people know Luthors' always get what they want.

Lex reached out and grabbed the oxygen line that fed his father. He bent it so no more life giving air could go through. After a moment his father's eyes opened wide and full of fear. Lex stared at him in silence. He heard footsteps coming down the hall, he could buy off the nurses easily enough and Clark wasn't due back for hours. He could tell him his father died from his injuries and things would go back to being the way they were, or even better.

Lex continued his hold on the line as the footsteps got louder and therefore closer. Hi s father's back arched off the bed his eyes wide and pleading. As the door creaked open Lex didn't bother to turn around. He heard the footsteps stop and two stunned gasps.

"Lex," was all Clark could say.

"What the hell." The other person in the room said a voice that Lex found all to familiar: Jonathan.

Lex spun around just in time to see a very angry Jonathan approach him.

"Get away from him." Jonathan spoke through gritted teeth.

Lex obediently stepped away from his father's side as Jonathan moved closer. Lionel's body fell flat on the bed once more. Jonathan moved and sat on the edge of the bed wiping away the tears that had fallen from Lionel's eyes, and gently reassuring him that he would stay with him and that no one would hurt him anymore. After watching Jonathan and his father Lex turned to face Clark. Anger and betrayal was written on every inch of him. And Lex suddenly felt safer with Jonathan.

"Lex, in your study now." Clark's tone was low and level several levels scarier than if he were yelling.

Lex slumped his shoulders and walked passively to his study, with Clark following close behind. Once there Lex turned to Clark as he leaned against his desk. Clark turned and shut the doors. As he heard them clank shut a sense of dread washed over Lex.

Clark's face was as red as a Santa suit at Christmas time as when he turned.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing Lex. Huh? Did you think that you would just kill your father and not feel anything. But on second thought maybe you're cold and twisted enough to do that. What in the world did you think that killing him would accomplish? I can't believe that I could never see you for what you are." Clark stopped his rampage when he heard Lex sobbing uncontrollably in the background.

"Please don't yell at me Clark. You're scaring me. I'm so sorry Clark. I'm sorry!" Lex managed to get out his sentences between choking on his sobs.

Clark turned to look at the mirror. He hadn't even realized that he had been yelling at Lex the whole time. He was just so angry at him. Jesus I must have looked like I was about to kill him.

Clark hurried over and wrapped his arms around Lex. Lex buried his tear soaked face into Clark's shirt and sobbed. Clark rubbed circles on Lex's back and shushed him.

"It's alright Lex I'm not going to leave you. I'm not mad anymore, shh." Clark told him confidently.

I hope that Dad can handle Mr. Luthor, because it looks like I'm going to be spending most of my time taking care of Lex.

TBC soon!

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