Author's note: Thank you all who've taken the time to review. It really
helps a newbie like me. Confidence problems can be an issue.
Thank you Lacasta for your patience and kind encouragement. Your input is invaluable.
Chapter 11
Pete returned to the cheery kitchen from talking to Jonathan Kent, only to witness Martha Kent bullying the usually formidable Lex Luthor into a flannel shirt. Lex tried to put his own shirt back on but Martha over-rode him with the practical explanation that her ointment would ruin the expensive fabric. She handed Lex an old shirt of Clark's that was looking a little threadbare and turned to put her medicines away.
Lex lifted the shirt surreptitiously to his nose, closing his eyes and inhaling gently. The big flannel swallowed him in warm earthy colours when he shrugged it on. It was hard to believe that Lex Luthor could ever look small but his tired face and sagging posture buried in a too large shirt made him seem a small boy, a little lost in the world. Martha came back, eyeing him suspiciously as if expecting a revolt. Lex looked at Pete helplessly. Sighing with defeat he tried to straighten but only managed to sway a bit. Martha, noticing Lex's movement, asked Pete to help her as she placed her hand under Lex's arm to help support him. She stopped his protest with a single look. Pete took his other arm and they helped him up the stairs to Clark's room.
As they entered the room, Lex realised where they were and dug in his heals. "Look, I've been enough trouble and much as I'm grateful for the help, I really think I should just go home." Sleeping in Clark's room might turn out to be the worst form of torture, not that he could admit it to Martha Kent.
"Don't be silly, Lex. You need rest and I'm not letting you go back to that big empty mansion. Clark can sleep in his loft. He often does. " Her tone brooked no arguement and Lex again, gave in. His curiosity was overiding his good sense. What was the old saying about the cat? He'd rest a little and leave later when the Kents slept. He could send a gift tomorrow as a thank you. He didn't care if they wouldn't accept it.
She helped Lex sit on the bed and bent down to take his shoes off for him. "Get under the covers and I'll tuck you in." Martha smiled mischeviously.
"Who could refuse that offer?" Lex teased back.
Lex lay down and his eyelids drooped immediately. Shaking himself slightly, he looked up at Martha and Pete and said simply "Thank you." Martha tucked him in and followed Pete out the door turning to see he was already asleep as she closed it. "Come on, Pete," she whispered "I'll take you home."
Pete followed her, explaining that Jonathan would be back as soon as he finished. He had not wanted to stop and risk being stuck with the soggy ground tonight's rain was to produce. He needed to finish and had figured Lex could wait. Martha was secretly glad that any confrontations would wait til the morning.
***
Clark walked up his long dirt driveway thinking again with frustration about Lex Luthor. He slowed down with surprise as he saw a Porsche with Lex's vanity plates parked near the house. A huge smile burst forth as he ran to the house making sure to keep his speed within reasonable limits. Unable to contain his excitement, he shouted "Lex!" as he started up the porch steps almost sliding to a stop as Pete Ross and his mother came out the door.
Martha stepped in front of him blocking his entrance to the house. "Lex is sleeping right now. You can see him when he's awake."
Clark looked down at her in confusion. "Sleeping... here? What's going on?" He started to move past her but Martha restrained him with a hand on his arm. "He needs to rest."
"Why?" Clark tried to ask casually as his heart thumped in his throat while remembering the threats of Lionel Luthor.
"Clark, Lex has been hurt." Clark started to push past her but again she stopped him with her words. "He's OK, Clark. You won't help him if you don't let him rest. You don't want to make things worse." Martha saw his reluctance. She held both his arms, standing directly in front of him and looking into his eyes. Clark knew his mother would not change her mind and short of pushing past her, he would get no further. "Let him rest. You can help me take Pete home. He'll still be here when we get back." She pulled Clark back gently by his sleeve and he walked backwards towards the truck not taking his eyes from the house.
Turning suddenly away from the house, her statement truly registered. "What kind of injury, Mom?"
"I think someone beat him, honey. My suspicion is it was his father but Lex hasn't said."
"No!" Clark interrupted and this time pushed past her to run into the house. It was easy to locate Lex and he stopped outside his room watching Lex sleep through the door. Lex looked ill and small in his room. Clark could not bring himself to disturb him. He lifted his hand to gently brush his fingers against the painted wood before letting it fall and turning back towards the stairs. He wanted to cry. His mother stood at the bottom of the stairs and held her hand out to him.
"Come on, we'll talk while we drive." Clark followed her slowly back out to get in the truck. He sat quietly, swallowing back encroaching tears while his mother drove out onto the road.
Pete sat by the door wishing he could be anyplace else. Clark's concern for Lex made him uncomfortable and he didn't know why. Maybe it was hard to see his best friend care for someone he'd never liked. The silence dragged on for the short drive to the Ross' big old farmhouse. Pete decided to leave things alone, already thinking that perhaps he'd ask Chloe if she knew what was going on. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Clark. Thanks for everything, Mrs. Kent."
Martha leaned forward with both hands still on the steering wheel to look past Clark. "You did a kind thing today, Pete. I'm proud of you." Pete grinned to himself as they drove away.
Looking up from an intense examination of his hands, Clark frowned and said "Mom, I have to tell you what happened that night I came home late from making deliveries. I didn't stay late to help Chloe at the Torch."
Martha pulled over, sensing her son's discomfort. She turned to him and took his hand in hers. "Clark, what is it, sweetheart?"
"When I went to deliver the produce, Lionel Luthor was there." Clark could not look her in the eye as he spoke of what had happened. Martha listened quietly while her mind shouted with outrage. He'd hurt her son! Lionel Luthor had gone too far. Her hands gripped the wheel with deadly force, imaginig Lionel's neck there. She took a deep breath and smiled at Clark with reassurance, stamping out the urge to ask why he had not told her before. This was not the most important issue and Clark looked too upset to tackle that question.
"We'll have to tell your father when we get back."
***
Thank you Lacasta for your patience and kind encouragement. Your input is invaluable.
Chapter 11
Pete returned to the cheery kitchen from talking to Jonathan Kent, only to witness Martha Kent bullying the usually formidable Lex Luthor into a flannel shirt. Lex tried to put his own shirt back on but Martha over-rode him with the practical explanation that her ointment would ruin the expensive fabric. She handed Lex an old shirt of Clark's that was looking a little threadbare and turned to put her medicines away.
Lex lifted the shirt surreptitiously to his nose, closing his eyes and inhaling gently. The big flannel swallowed him in warm earthy colours when he shrugged it on. It was hard to believe that Lex Luthor could ever look small but his tired face and sagging posture buried in a too large shirt made him seem a small boy, a little lost in the world. Martha came back, eyeing him suspiciously as if expecting a revolt. Lex looked at Pete helplessly. Sighing with defeat he tried to straighten but only managed to sway a bit. Martha, noticing Lex's movement, asked Pete to help her as she placed her hand under Lex's arm to help support him. She stopped his protest with a single look. Pete took his other arm and they helped him up the stairs to Clark's room.
As they entered the room, Lex realised where they were and dug in his heals. "Look, I've been enough trouble and much as I'm grateful for the help, I really think I should just go home." Sleeping in Clark's room might turn out to be the worst form of torture, not that he could admit it to Martha Kent.
"Don't be silly, Lex. You need rest and I'm not letting you go back to that big empty mansion. Clark can sleep in his loft. He often does. " Her tone brooked no arguement and Lex again, gave in. His curiosity was overiding his good sense. What was the old saying about the cat? He'd rest a little and leave later when the Kents slept. He could send a gift tomorrow as a thank you. He didn't care if they wouldn't accept it.
She helped Lex sit on the bed and bent down to take his shoes off for him. "Get under the covers and I'll tuck you in." Martha smiled mischeviously.
"Who could refuse that offer?" Lex teased back.
Lex lay down and his eyelids drooped immediately. Shaking himself slightly, he looked up at Martha and Pete and said simply "Thank you." Martha tucked him in and followed Pete out the door turning to see he was already asleep as she closed it. "Come on, Pete," she whispered "I'll take you home."
Pete followed her, explaining that Jonathan would be back as soon as he finished. He had not wanted to stop and risk being stuck with the soggy ground tonight's rain was to produce. He needed to finish and had figured Lex could wait. Martha was secretly glad that any confrontations would wait til the morning.
***
Clark walked up his long dirt driveway thinking again with frustration about Lex Luthor. He slowed down with surprise as he saw a Porsche with Lex's vanity plates parked near the house. A huge smile burst forth as he ran to the house making sure to keep his speed within reasonable limits. Unable to contain his excitement, he shouted "Lex!" as he started up the porch steps almost sliding to a stop as Pete Ross and his mother came out the door.
Martha stepped in front of him blocking his entrance to the house. "Lex is sleeping right now. You can see him when he's awake."
Clark looked down at her in confusion. "Sleeping... here? What's going on?" He started to move past her but Martha restrained him with a hand on his arm. "He needs to rest."
"Why?" Clark tried to ask casually as his heart thumped in his throat while remembering the threats of Lionel Luthor.
"Clark, Lex has been hurt." Clark started to push past her but again she stopped him with her words. "He's OK, Clark. You won't help him if you don't let him rest. You don't want to make things worse." Martha saw his reluctance. She held both his arms, standing directly in front of him and looking into his eyes. Clark knew his mother would not change her mind and short of pushing past her, he would get no further. "Let him rest. You can help me take Pete home. He'll still be here when we get back." She pulled Clark back gently by his sleeve and he walked backwards towards the truck not taking his eyes from the house.
Turning suddenly away from the house, her statement truly registered. "What kind of injury, Mom?"
"I think someone beat him, honey. My suspicion is it was his father but Lex hasn't said."
"No!" Clark interrupted and this time pushed past her to run into the house. It was easy to locate Lex and he stopped outside his room watching Lex sleep through the door. Lex looked ill and small in his room. Clark could not bring himself to disturb him. He lifted his hand to gently brush his fingers against the painted wood before letting it fall and turning back towards the stairs. He wanted to cry. His mother stood at the bottom of the stairs and held her hand out to him.
"Come on, we'll talk while we drive." Clark followed her slowly back out to get in the truck. He sat quietly, swallowing back encroaching tears while his mother drove out onto the road.
Pete sat by the door wishing he could be anyplace else. Clark's concern for Lex made him uncomfortable and he didn't know why. Maybe it was hard to see his best friend care for someone he'd never liked. The silence dragged on for the short drive to the Ross' big old farmhouse. Pete decided to leave things alone, already thinking that perhaps he'd ask Chloe if she knew what was going on. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Clark. Thanks for everything, Mrs. Kent."
Martha leaned forward with both hands still on the steering wheel to look past Clark. "You did a kind thing today, Pete. I'm proud of you." Pete grinned to himself as they drove away.
Looking up from an intense examination of his hands, Clark frowned and said "Mom, I have to tell you what happened that night I came home late from making deliveries. I didn't stay late to help Chloe at the Torch."
Martha pulled over, sensing her son's discomfort. She turned to him and took his hand in hers. "Clark, what is it, sweetheart?"
"When I went to deliver the produce, Lionel Luthor was there." Clark could not look her in the eye as he spoke of what had happened. Martha listened quietly while her mind shouted with outrage. He'd hurt her son! Lionel Luthor had gone too far. Her hands gripped the wheel with deadly force, imaginig Lionel's neck there. She took a deep breath and smiled at Clark with reassurance, stamping out the urge to ask why he had not told her before. This was not the most important issue and Clark looked too upset to tackle that question.
"We'll have to tell your father when we get back."
***