Part 7

"Jonathan--may I call you Jonathan?" Bruce asked the farmer. Lex shook his head in amazement when the older man nodded his head in the affirmative. He still wasn't to that point yet, and he'd known Jonathan Kent longer. Bruce was smiling now, his most amicable business smile. "I'm not sure what you want me to say," his partner continued. "It clearly says in the contracts you and your friends signed that each account is subject to executive review, with changes to be made if it's deemed necessary."

"Yes, we're aware of that, but--"

"Then what's the problem exactly? I'm not doing anything not within my rights as the president of this bank."

Lex stifled a snort. Bruce had yet to make any one repay their loans. He'd reviewed several accounts--including the Kents'--in the past year and kept pushing their deferment dates back. Apparently, the farmers had noticed it.

"And I thought we were agreed that this wouldn't be charity," Jonathan accused.

"I can assure you that it won't be," Lex said, inserting himself in to the conversation. "We fully intend to make each of you pay your debts, Mr. Kent," he added. "When you're ready."

"When we're ready?" the other man echoed, his eyes narrowing doubtfully. "What's that supposed to mean?" Lex shrugged. As he'd expected, the farmer was still naturally suspicious of people with wealth. One of these days, Lex might ask him what his father--he assumed it was his father, anyway--had done to solidify this mistrust.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly. "Can you honestly say that your family's farm is back to making a profit, and that you're ready to make payments on your loans? What about Clark's future? If you start to repay now, will he lose his chance at college because you can't afford it?"

Jonathan Kent was silent for a moment, and Lex could see warring reactions in his eyes.

"Please, Mr. Kent," he said, trying to reason with the stubborn man. "Neither Bruce nor myself need Smallville's money so badly that we want anyone to lose what they've worked so hard for all their lives." We're not my father, he almost added.

"Lex is right," added the other wealthy man. "I plan to review each account and deal with everyone's financial situations individually. Those who I deem ready will begin their repayment at the end of the summer. Those who aren't, I'll review again in a few months."

"It hardly seems like a good business practice," the other man said at last. "*Your father,*" he shot Bruce a stern look "would roll over in his grave if he heard you were practically giving his money away like this. If people knew what you were up to, how many of them do you think would make an honest attempt to improve their situations?"

"It *would* be easy to exploit that generosity," Lex conceded. It wasn't anything he and Bruce hadn't all ready discussed, however. They'd both been willing to take that risk.

"And *your father,*" Mr. Kent rounded on him now "wouldn't even be so generous."

"No, he wouldn't. Your point?"

Jonathan sighed, and Lex had to smile a little at the reluctantly defeated look in his eyes. "I supposed I don't have one," he told them.

*L*E*X*

By they time the three men made it back to the pool house, the teens were already swimming. Lana sat on a deck chair in a jade-colored bikini and a wispy poolside wrap. She was watching her three friends splashing in the pool. She reminded Lex of a wistful dream he'd once had... back in the days when he was younger and untainted by the world he lived in. Beautiful girl, waiting for the right man to come and sit down next her. She'd laugh when he spoke to her, smile, and they would kiss. Funny how those thoughts come back to you at the strangest moments, Lex thought before turning his attention to the other three teens.

Clark stood in the middle of the shallow end of Bruce Wayne's Olympic-sized pool, tall and statuesque in a way, while Chloe and Pete clung to his limbs in a dual attempt to send him tumbling.

Lex shook his head in amusement and looked at his two companions. Bruce chuckled softly.

"Looks like they've got their work cut out for them," he said in a conspiring tone.

"Oh, yeah?" Lex challenged, throwing a grin at Clark's father. "Watch this. HEY, CLARK!" he called out, raising his voice significantly.

The statue's dark head turned in the direction of Lex's voice, an arm rising in an enthusiastic wave. "Lex! He--!" The rest of the salutation was halted rather unceremoniously as Pete and Chloe took advantage of Clark's distraction and launched themselves at him. The farm boy was hit from both sides by his persistent friends and fell with a tidal wave of a splash into the water. From the side of the pool, Lana squealed indignantly and tried--and failed--to move out of the way before a reactionary wave leapt out at her, too. "Sorry, Lana," Clark spluttered as he came up out of the water.

"Neat trick," commented Bruce, laughing as walked over to Lana with a towel taken from a nearby patio table. "Here," he said, holding the towel out to the now-soaked young woman.

"Thanks, Mr. Wayne," Lana said with a soft smile.

"Bruce, please," he told her, straightening up a little more to survey the patio where they were. "Have you kids had lunch yet?" he asked.

"Mr. Pennyworth said he'd send something down for us and left us here," Pete offered. "That was a while ago."

Bruce nodded. "Then I'm sure it's on its way."

"How's the water, Clark?" Lex asked, coming to stand beside Lana and Bruce. He smiled cryptically at the waterlogged boy.

"It's great! You should join us," the youth suggested.

Lex had actually been contemplating it. The water *did* look inviting, almost relaxing, even with the splashing teens inhabiting it currently. He was, after all, only twenty-two years old--still young enough to enjoy it. "Sure," he said at last. "Why not?

*L*E*X*

A small, buffet-style lunch had just been laid out for them and the servants had politely excused themselves when Alfred arrived.

"Pardon me, Master Bruce, but Ms. Gilcrest is here," he said in a quiet, calm voice which would have passed for neutral in anyone else's ears. Not so Lex's. To him, it seemed that the butler was holding in a great deal of annoyance. His assessment was confirmed by the way his partner's smile faded from his face.

"As expected," Bruce answered in the same neutral voice. "You can handle it, right? You don't need me to supervise the preparations, I trust."

"You misunderstand me, Master Bruce. Ms. Gilcrest is *here, * sir." As if to punctuate his words, a thin blonde stepped into view just behind him.

"Amelia!" Bruce exclaimed, his enthusiasm sounding fake in Lex's opinion. Not that Lex blamed Bruce for being less than thrilled to see the young woman. Amelia Gilcrest was, well, incredibly boring--lacking both personality and originality. She was like a life-sized paper doll. Flat, thin, and very two-dimensional. "So nice to see you!" Nice. Yeah, tell us another one, Lex mused as Amelia stepped gingerly around Alfred and came forward to hug his lover.

"Bruce, darling! Here you are! I've been looking all over that big, lonely house for you," she all but cooed the words, in a sickeningly sweet voice. She cast a glance over the small gathering, eyes resting on Lana --whom Bruce had be sitting next to when she arrived--a little longer than the others. Her eyes narrowed in obvious disapproval and--was that jealousy? It was almost laughable. "I didn't you were having... guests... this weekend," she said in a quiet, accusing voice.

Bruce nodded. "This is Mr. Kent--an associate of mine--his son Clark and his friends... and, of course, you should know Lex."

"Lex Luthor! My! It's been *far too long*!" She threw her arms around him in an imitation of the hug Bruce has just received. Lex hadn't eaten yet, or else he might have thrown up. Or dry heave, as it was. "Where *have* you been hiding yourself?"

"Would you believe... Smallville, Kansas?" Bruce added quickly as if sensing Lex's discomfort.

At this, the young woman scoffed. "What's in Smallville?"

"More than I gave it credit for, actually," Lex told her, casting a glance at the people who had made his "exile" tolerable--and even worthwhile--for him.

Another cough of disdain from Amelia, as if she didn't believe him. "I didn't know you and Bruce were on terms," she commented. Of course, she didn't. Half the world knew Lex and Bruce had helped Smallville after the tornado, but that was the half *not* existing inside the bubble Amelia Gilcrest lived in.

"Lex is a new business partner," Bruce informed her.

"Oh." Amelia seemed to think about that tidbit. "You should be careful about doing business with Lex, darling. He's a shark." Her voice wasn't half as nice now.

"Better a shark than a guppy, Ames," Lex shot back, beginning to become angry with the twit. He had to remind himself that this was Bruce's home, not his, and she was Bruce's guest--also not his.

The smile faded clean away from her face at his words, and Lex felt a jolt of satisfaction rush through him. "Bru-uce," she practically whined now. "Mother wants you to show me where you'd like us to set up the slide projector for tonight."

Bruce seemed to be considering his options. "Well, we *were* just sitting down to lunch. Alfred can--"

"No," she snapped quickly, face darkening. "I'll just join you, then. Mother and I were going to do lunch at The Terrace, but this looks good, too."

Lex could see the consternation in his lover's eyes. "No," his friend said. "I'd hate to ruin your mother's day. I think I can spare a few minutes right now." As guided her swiftly to the door, he turned back, meeting Lex's gaze pointedly before extending his final words to the rest of his guest. "I won't be long."

The words sounded more hopeful than confident.