"You're not going to believe this, Clark, but I'm Vice-President now. Of the United States." Pete tried to chuckle. "And even if you believed that one, Lex is President. Or maybe that's easier to believe. Yeah, things have changed a lot, buddy."
It was easier, he decided, if he didn't look at Clark. Focus a bit beyond him, imagine that they were talking over the phone or something. "You know, it's because of you. Lex did everything to try to find you. Had the entire town out looking. People were pretty damn impressed with how he organized it all. He didn't show much, well, that's no surprise, but they, we, I guess, liked how much he cared, you know? It felt, for the first time, even with the whole buyout thing, that he was one of *us*, not some Metropolis person who was here for what he could get." Pete sighed. "I bet you didn't even know how much people wanted you to be okay. Everybody was looking for you." He remembered one incident that might spark a response. "Lex had a professional team bring in search dogs. Watching them follow your scent was like watching The Hidden Life of Clark Kent. The loft, the Talon, school, all over the farm, my place, Torch, Fordham's, Lex's. Even over to Lana's old place and you'd pretty much stopped going there, God knows how long ago. Good thing we never really had the guts to go into Over 21, huh? We kept talking about it but never did it. And you know, you were the one who looked old enough. But I guess you didn't think it'd be fair to go on your own."
He felt his phone vibrate and knew without even looking that it was Hector, his secretary, wanting to know where the hell he was and specifically why he wasn't prepping for the Senate opening. Lex could get away with giving somebody a *look* that said "You could try getting one of those telephone leashes on me during the times when I don't want one--but you wouldn't succeed." He himself had gotten pretty good at giving orders when needed but Lex could somehow make a raised eyebrow not just an order but a statement of fact. "Clark, buddy, I've got to go run the Senate, okay? It's like babysitting, but worse. Lana's out talking with the Arkins but she'll come say hello, stick around for a bit. Oh, and Clark, she's got big news, too. *Really* big news." He got up reluctantly. Damn, he wanted to hug Clark. Or give him a noogie. Lana would probably say something about men if he told her that.
Lana and Lex were standing in the doorway in a familiar pose, one that a million tabloid photographers would kill to get, Lana leaning against him, head tucked under his chin, his hands around her waist, or now, protectively spanning her belly. He'd warned them that if he had anything to do with it, the baby's first words were going to be "Uncle Lex," not anything boring like "mama" or "dada."
They must have heard him tell Clark he had to go, since Lana detached Lex's hands and came in. Lex grimaced his understanding that as much as they wanted, he and Pete couldn't stay, and Lana took Pete's place in the chair next to Clark's bed.
***
*thousands of pieces of string and wire and rope and twisting like snakes and I don't know which one I think they keep multiplying and twisting and tangling and changing and I have to find the right one and pull it out and everything will change*
*everything will change and it will all be turned upside down and mixed around and around what if it gets worse*
*want to find it untangle it I wouldn't want something that would make everything hurt more would I what if they're making me think*
*have to be faster than it have to be faster before I get the right one*
*needle in a haystack needle in a haystack needle in a haystack it's like a little song needle in a haystack needle in a haystack*
*would it change if I touch it so nothing else could change it wouldn't would it somebody tell me it won't*
*hungry and they pulled the food away thirsty and the water flowed away who told me about him or was it me no somebody told me his name it wasn't my name*
*who said to me sometimes people can be mean but most of them aren't and even the ones who are are sometimes sorry somebody said that somebody is it true if it's true if it's true if it's true then maybe*
It was easier, he decided, if he didn't look at Clark. Focus a bit beyond him, imagine that they were talking over the phone or something. "You know, it's because of you. Lex did everything to try to find you. Had the entire town out looking. People were pretty damn impressed with how he organized it all. He didn't show much, well, that's no surprise, but they, we, I guess, liked how much he cared, you know? It felt, for the first time, even with the whole buyout thing, that he was one of *us*, not some Metropolis person who was here for what he could get." Pete sighed. "I bet you didn't even know how much people wanted you to be okay. Everybody was looking for you." He remembered one incident that might spark a response. "Lex had a professional team bring in search dogs. Watching them follow your scent was like watching The Hidden Life of Clark Kent. The loft, the Talon, school, all over the farm, my place, Torch, Fordham's, Lex's. Even over to Lana's old place and you'd pretty much stopped going there, God knows how long ago. Good thing we never really had the guts to go into Over 21, huh? We kept talking about it but never did it. And you know, you were the one who looked old enough. But I guess you didn't think it'd be fair to go on your own."
He felt his phone vibrate and knew without even looking that it was Hector, his secretary, wanting to know where the hell he was and specifically why he wasn't prepping for the Senate opening. Lex could get away with giving somebody a *look* that said "You could try getting one of those telephone leashes on me during the times when I don't want one--but you wouldn't succeed." He himself had gotten pretty good at giving orders when needed but Lex could somehow make a raised eyebrow not just an order but a statement of fact. "Clark, buddy, I've got to go run the Senate, okay? It's like babysitting, but worse. Lana's out talking with the Arkins but she'll come say hello, stick around for a bit. Oh, and Clark, she's got big news, too. *Really* big news." He got up reluctantly. Damn, he wanted to hug Clark. Or give him a noogie. Lana would probably say something about men if he told her that.
Lana and Lex were standing in the doorway in a familiar pose, one that a million tabloid photographers would kill to get, Lana leaning against him, head tucked under his chin, his hands around her waist, or now, protectively spanning her belly. He'd warned them that if he had anything to do with it, the baby's first words were going to be "Uncle Lex," not anything boring like "mama" or "dada."
They must have heard him tell Clark he had to go, since Lana detached Lex's hands and came in. Lex grimaced his understanding that as much as they wanted, he and Pete couldn't stay, and Lana took Pete's place in the chair next to Clark's bed.
***
*thousands of pieces of string and wire and rope and twisting like snakes and I don't know which one I think they keep multiplying and twisting and tangling and changing and I have to find the right one and pull it out and everything will change*
*everything will change and it will all be turned upside down and mixed around and around what if it gets worse*
*want to find it untangle it I wouldn't want something that would make everything hurt more would I what if they're making me think*
*have to be faster than it have to be faster before I get the right one*
*needle in a haystack needle in a haystack needle in a haystack it's like a little song needle in a haystack needle in a haystack*
*would it change if I touch it so nothing else could change it wouldn't would it somebody tell me it won't*
*hungry and they pulled the food away thirsty and the water flowed away who told me about him or was it me no somebody told me his name it wasn't my name*
*who said to me sometimes people can be mean but most of them aren't and even the ones who are are sometimes sorry somebody said that somebody is it true if it's true if it's true if it's true then maybe*