Lex woke up with a start, and instantly looked around. He was on a beach,
in his wedding tux, with a few parts of the plane around him. He tried to
stand up and cried in pain. Both his legs were broken. He collapsed and
cried some more. Not only for the pain in his legs, but the pain in his
heart. He knew what had happened to him. Helen was a trap, planted by
someone, and then tried to kill him. He then went through in his head who
would try to do this to him. He thought of his father, but quickly
eliminated him. Lex knew that in his own way, his father loved him.
Besides, why would he kill Lex, with Lex being the only heir to the
company. Lucas was no heir, only a fluke in his father's plan of life.
Lucas was an error, a wrong move. And wrong moves do not inherit multi-
million dollar companies. He sat up on the sand, trying not to move his
legs, and looked around him. No money, no wallets. The remains of a plane
seat. A broken champagne bottle. Lex felt in his pocket and pulled out the
compass from Jonathan. Miraculously, it seemed unharmed. He closed his eyes
and sighed, and fell asleep again.
Martha was sitting in a chair in her hospital room. It had been two days since her brush with death, and she was anxious to leave the hospital. As she had told Jonathan, too many bad things had taken place here; the death of Ryan, the death of her baby, nearly the death of her. She just needed to get home. It had been a tearful two days, and going home, she thought, would lift her spirits. Jonathan was not so sure. But, all he wanted was for Martha to be happy again, and he could refuse her nothing. So, he too, was anxious for her to leave the hospital. They sat in the chairs in silence.
"Martha," Jonathan began, "There is something I have to tell you. The day of the accident, when you were in the hospital room, Clark came to see us. I, was very upset, and very scared, and, wasn't that kind to him."
"Oh Jonathan," she gasped, "You didn't make him feel guilty about the baby?"
"No, no. Once I had yelled at him, for hurting you, the doctor came out and said that you were okay, but we had lost the baby. I couldn't look at Clark after that. I came into the room, and left him there."
"Oh Jonathan." She murmured.
"Later that night, Lana came to see me. She said that Clark was terribly upset, and had run away, wearing one of the red Kryptonite rings. He had not returned, and was headed toward Metropolis. Martha, I'm so sorry." Martha promptly began to cry again. Jonathan sighed. It killed him to see Martha so sad.
"In my heart, I knew that he had left, but, I didn't want to believe it. Oh Jonathan, what are we going to do?" she said through sobs. A nurse then entered the room.
"Well, I think I have some good news for you, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. You are now free to go home."
Lionel and Lana were waiting for them at the farm when they drove up. Jonathan saw them and smiled. When he helped Martha out of the truck, she smiled a bit too, the first smile in days.
"Welcome home Martha! We are all so happy you are back from the hospital." Lionel said happily as he walked to her side. "And welcome home Jonathan, we are all so happy you are done camping out at the hospital." Jonathan flashed them all a grin.
"This is so nice of you two! You really didn't have to do this!"
"Yes, well I was getting what is becoming my regular morning coffee at the Talon, and heard that today you were coming home from the hospital. So, I employed the help of Ms. Lang here, and we brought over lemonade, and all the coffee you can drink!" He smiled at Martha and Jonathan, but he was crying inside. Nothing had been heard about Lex, and Lionel was beginning to think and accept that his son was truly dead. What worried him more was that he had no idea who would have done this.
"I also brought over some meals, all you have to do is heat them up. I know you might not feel like cooking for awhile. Mind you, Chloe and I made them, so you have been forewarned!" Lana said. The Kents laughed, bringing Lionel out of his deep thoughts.
"Thank you both, so much." Martha said, and she invited them both inside. The five of them entered the house, and talked for awhile. Jonathan heated up one of the meals, and tried it, then declaring that Lana's warning was unnecessary, the food was delicious. He was however, quick to wrap it up, and put it in the back of the refrigerator. The five of them talked about things, carefully avoiding any topics that might upset one of them. Unfortunately, that left them with little things to talk about. The conversation mainly revolved around Lana's year in school, which was hard, because she couldn't mention Clark, and Lionel's business dealings, which was hard because it was just plain boring. But soon Lana had to go back to the Talon, and Jonathan had to go check on the fields, leaving just Lionel and Martha, sitting on the porch, sipping lemonade.
"I'm sorry everything had to turn out like this." Lionel said. Martha nodded, and knew what he was thinking.
"Lionel, the day you visited, what happened? I remember a little, but not much." She asked. The memory of that day had been plaguing her since she had awoken from her dream. "I only remember falling asleep in your arms, knowing everything between you and Jonathan and I was going to be okay. The rest, is hazy, there, but not quite reachable."
"Well, Pete Ross was there, he and I were at the window watching you and Jonathan. Jonathan caught sight of us and let us in. We all talked for awhile, and then you started to cry. You, fell into my arms, and, uh, asked me about when you worked for me. After we talked, you lay there, and, uh well, Jonathan and I just looked at each other. Then, I had realized you had fallen asleep, and we laid you on the bed, talked for a minute, and I left." He replied. Martha nodded. Suddenly, she could remember it all.
"Lionel, when I fell asleep that day, I had a very real dream. I mean, it felt very very real. I was in a field, walking away from Jonathan. I came to a river, and across it were all the people from my life who had died. My mother, Jonathan's parents, and Ryan were there. I crossed, and spent what felt like a day with them. I got to hold my baby. My baby was going to be a girl. But, the lady who gave me my baby told me I had to leave that place, because it was heaven, and I was not supposed to be dead. She ushered me back across the river, before it got too high."
"Do you believe that the place was heaven?" Lionel asked.
"Yes, I do. I woke up, and I had apparently almost died. But, the dream seemed so real and peaceful; I almost wanted to go back. All my friends were there, my mom, the Langs, Jonathan's parents, and Ryan. And the lady who had me go back before I died of course. I almost want to return to them."
"Who was the lady? Did she tell you her name?" Lionel asked. Martha smiled, and nodded.
"That is why I am telling you this. Right before I left, she told me her name." Lionel nodded eagerly; he was very interested in heaven, and Martha's experience. Martha smiled at him.
"She said that her name was Lillian Luthor, and that she and her son Julian were there." The look on Lionel's face was unexplainable, somewhere between joy, sadness and utter disbelief. "She said to look over you and Lex, and I could tell that she loved you, very much. Lionel frowned and turned away.
"Well, if its true that the dead can watch the living, I highly doubt that." He muttered. He looked directly at Martha. "I never forgave myself for having an affair with Rachel DunLeavy when Lillian was ill. I acted like I didn't care, but I did. Getting her pregnant was one of the worst mistakes of my life. It is terrible, I know, to call Lucas a mistake, but he is."
"I think she knew all that, and I think Lillian still loves you. I know she always will." Martha said, and smiled at Lionel. Lionel was contented by her happiness. But the shuddering thought of Rachel and Lucas remained in his head.
"I know I should have done something different with that boy. I couldn't let him get adopted; Rachel would have found him, and would have come after me."
"But she did come after you and Lex, when she was here about Clark." Martha reminded him.
"Yes, yes, I can remember. And you saw how that turned out. But what Lucas turned out to be was so much worse than what Rachel could have turned him into, or so I think. He ganged up with Lex to teach me a lesson, but he had turned his back on Lex and myself many times over that period. Lex keeps him hidden away somewhere, safe and sound, and probably very well funded. But he would probably turn on Lex in an instant if he thought it could help him," Lionel stopped suddenly, and looked up. "Martha," he said slowly, "I think I know who killed Lex."
Author's note- the hunt is on! More Chloe, and Lex coming soon.
Martha was sitting in a chair in her hospital room. It had been two days since her brush with death, and she was anxious to leave the hospital. As she had told Jonathan, too many bad things had taken place here; the death of Ryan, the death of her baby, nearly the death of her. She just needed to get home. It had been a tearful two days, and going home, she thought, would lift her spirits. Jonathan was not so sure. But, all he wanted was for Martha to be happy again, and he could refuse her nothing. So, he too, was anxious for her to leave the hospital. They sat in the chairs in silence.
"Martha," Jonathan began, "There is something I have to tell you. The day of the accident, when you were in the hospital room, Clark came to see us. I, was very upset, and very scared, and, wasn't that kind to him."
"Oh Jonathan," she gasped, "You didn't make him feel guilty about the baby?"
"No, no. Once I had yelled at him, for hurting you, the doctor came out and said that you were okay, but we had lost the baby. I couldn't look at Clark after that. I came into the room, and left him there."
"Oh Jonathan." She murmured.
"Later that night, Lana came to see me. She said that Clark was terribly upset, and had run away, wearing one of the red Kryptonite rings. He had not returned, and was headed toward Metropolis. Martha, I'm so sorry." Martha promptly began to cry again. Jonathan sighed. It killed him to see Martha so sad.
"In my heart, I knew that he had left, but, I didn't want to believe it. Oh Jonathan, what are we going to do?" she said through sobs. A nurse then entered the room.
"Well, I think I have some good news for you, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. You are now free to go home."
Lionel and Lana were waiting for them at the farm when they drove up. Jonathan saw them and smiled. When he helped Martha out of the truck, she smiled a bit too, the first smile in days.
"Welcome home Martha! We are all so happy you are back from the hospital." Lionel said happily as he walked to her side. "And welcome home Jonathan, we are all so happy you are done camping out at the hospital." Jonathan flashed them all a grin.
"This is so nice of you two! You really didn't have to do this!"
"Yes, well I was getting what is becoming my regular morning coffee at the Talon, and heard that today you were coming home from the hospital. So, I employed the help of Ms. Lang here, and we brought over lemonade, and all the coffee you can drink!" He smiled at Martha and Jonathan, but he was crying inside. Nothing had been heard about Lex, and Lionel was beginning to think and accept that his son was truly dead. What worried him more was that he had no idea who would have done this.
"I also brought over some meals, all you have to do is heat them up. I know you might not feel like cooking for awhile. Mind you, Chloe and I made them, so you have been forewarned!" Lana said. The Kents laughed, bringing Lionel out of his deep thoughts.
"Thank you both, so much." Martha said, and she invited them both inside. The five of them entered the house, and talked for awhile. Jonathan heated up one of the meals, and tried it, then declaring that Lana's warning was unnecessary, the food was delicious. He was however, quick to wrap it up, and put it in the back of the refrigerator. The five of them talked about things, carefully avoiding any topics that might upset one of them. Unfortunately, that left them with little things to talk about. The conversation mainly revolved around Lana's year in school, which was hard, because she couldn't mention Clark, and Lionel's business dealings, which was hard because it was just plain boring. But soon Lana had to go back to the Talon, and Jonathan had to go check on the fields, leaving just Lionel and Martha, sitting on the porch, sipping lemonade.
"I'm sorry everything had to turn out like this." Lionel said. Martha nodded, and knew what he was thinking.
"Lionel, the day you visited, what happened? I remember a little, but not much." She asked. The memory of that day had been plaguing her since she had awoken from her dream. "I only remember falling asleep in your arms, knowing everything between you and Jonathan and I was going to be okay. The rest, is hazy, there, but not quite reachable."
"Well, Pete Ross was there, he and I were at the window watching you and Jonathan. Jonathan caught sight of us and let us in. We all talked for awhile, and then you started to cry. You, fell into my arms, and, uh, asked me about when you worked for me. After we talked, you lay there, and, uh well, Jonathan and I just looked at each other. Then, I had realized you had fallen asleep, and we laid you on the bed, talked for a minute, and I left." He replied. Martha nodded. Suddenly, she could remember it all.
"Lionel, when I fell asleep that day, I had a very real dream. I mean, it felt very very real. I was in a field, walking away from Jonathan. I came to a river, and across it were all the people from my life who had died. My mother, Jonathan's parents, and Ryan were there. I crossed, and spent what felt like a day with them. I got to hold my baby. My baby was going to be a girl. But, the lady who gave me my baby told me I had to leave that place, because it was heaven, and I was not supposed to be dead. She ushered me back across the river, before it got too high."
"Do you believe that the place was heaven?" Lionel asked.
"Yes, I do. I woke up, and I had apparently almost died. But, the dream seemed so real and peaceful; I almost wanted to go back. All my friends were there, my mom, the Langs, Jonathan's parents, and Ryan. And the lady who had me go back before I died of course. I almost want to return to them."
"Who was the lady? Did she tell you her name?" Lionel asked. Martha smiled, and nodded.
"That is why I am telling you this. Right before I left, she told me her name." Lionel nodded eagerly; he was very interested in heaven, and Martha's experience. Martha smiled at him.
"She said that her name was Lillian Luthor, and that she and her son Julian were there." The look on Lionel's face was unexplainable, somewhere between joy, sadness and utter disbelief. "She said to look over you and Lex, and I could tell that she loved you, very much. Lionel frowned and turned away.
"Well, if its true that the dead can watch the living, I highly doubt that." He muttered. He looked directly at Martha. "I never forgave myself for having an affair with Rachel DunLeavy when Lillian was ill. I acted like I didn't care, but I did. Getting her pregnant was one of the worst mistakes of my life. It is terrible, I know, to call Lucas a mistake, but he is."
"I think she knew all that, and I think Lillian still loves you. I know she always will." Martha said, and smiled at Lionel. Lionel was contented by her happiness. But the shuddering thought of Rachel and Lucas remained in his head.
"I know I should have done something different with that boy. I couldn't let him get adopted; Rachel would have found him, and would have come after me."
"But she did come after you and Lex, when she was here about Clark." Martha reminded him.
"Yes, yes, I can remember. And you saw how that turned out. But what Lucas turned out to be was so much worse than what Rachel could have turned him into, or so I think. He ganged up with Lex to teach me a lesson, but he had turned his back on Lex and myself many times over that period. Lex keeps him hidden away somewhere, safe and sound, and probably very well funded. But he would probably turn on Lex in an instant if he thought it could help him," Lionel stopped suddenly, and looked up. "Martha," he said slowly, "I think I know who killed Lex."
Author's note- the hunt is on! More Chloe, and Lex coming soon.