After Clark's disappearance, Jonathan had been acutely aware of any unexpected sound or even sense of unexpected motion somewhere in the house, during the short period when he had been actively expecting his son's return. With Clark's return, that sensitivity had returned, with its accopanying unease. Telling himself he was an idiot, that it was the sound of the wood-frame house settling at night, he slipped from the bed as quietly as he could, jammed his feet into slippers, and went downstairs.

This time he wasn't wrong. As his eyes adapted to the darkness, he could see Lex sitting at the kitchen table, as stiffly as a man on trial anticipating the sentence. The younger man turned around at the sound.

"Lex? What're you doing up?"

"I could ask the same, Mr. Kent." Lex smiled briefly and without amusement, but also without hostility or challenge.

"I heard something."

"I'm sorry--I tried not to make any noise."

"Couldn't sleep, hm?"

"No." As Jonathan watched him, Lex said, swiftly, "I realize what I have to do. I'm going to have to leave."

"Why's that?" A flash of naked pain crossed Lex's face, reminding Jonathan that he was still dealing with a very young man. He sat across from Lex, and repeated the question.

"That reporter this morning. She didn't come because a farmboy reappeared, she came to investigate what Lex Luthor had to do with it. It won't be long before there are more, looking for a story." Jonathan nodded, slowly. He'd always flipped past the stories with a disgusted growl, but there was little in Lex's life that hadn't been in the papers. "Sooner or later, there would be a photograph of Clark. Or just his name. I can't gamble that one of *them* won't see it." He got up and paced, slowly. Pausing, he gave another brief, humorless smile. "No, I'm not planning anything melodramatic. I'm not going to stage a quarrel so that he'll be glad to be rid of me. I'd...hope to stay in touch. Email, call. Even see him, once in a while. If he wants to. But the idea of a life together--it's impossible."

Jonathan took a long breath and let it out in a sigh. "Lex, you're not...what I'd have picked for Clark. For one thing, I'd have wanted him with a woman," he added, with a rueful half-laugh. "Just that it would have made his life easier. Closer to normal. But that's now how it is. I've had to think about the two of you a lot. And this is the second time you've been ready to give him up."

Lex's head turned, rapidly. "So you think I'm looking for an excuse?"

Jonathan held his hand up. "Not at all. But you've been ready to give up your," he paused and shook his head slightly. "I've seen the two of you, I *know* that it's your happiness that you're ready to give up for him. For his sake. And in my book, anybody willing to make that kind of sacrifice shouldn't have to." He got up and put a hand on Lex's shoulder. "We'll figure something out yet." Lex raised startled, pale eyes to his, and he found himself giving the young man a quick embrace. "Clark chose the right one for him." As Lex still seemed uncertain, unconvinced, Jonathan knew he had to put what had come into his heart into words "I'm proud of you, son," he said, quietly. He hoped Lex would understand he'd chosen those words carefully, deliberately, and sincerely, and from the flash of gratitude and hope in his eyes, saw that he did.

A/N: Sorry, the muses went on vacation for the oh, feels like several dozen fics I've got running. Dunno if the boulder of their laziness has been removed from the stream of their ideas and the waters are now ready to flood the basement of my imagination or what's going on, but hey, I just take orders...