December 23, 2005
Metropolis, Kansas
A tall, darkly handsome young man stepped out of the Metropolis Plaza, smiling politely at the bellhop who had assisted him with his luggage.
After receiving the $20 tip, the bellhop tipped his hat and said, "Thank you, Mr. Kent. A Merry Christmas to you."
Clark Kent looked at the bellhop in surprise. He never expected the man to remember him but then again this premier hotel promoted personalized service at its best. The fat tip that he had given last night only encouraged the bellhop to give better service.
Clark Kent had finally come back to Kansas after six long years of exile. His plane had come in late last night and he decided to stay in Metropolis instead of heading out to Smallville immediately. He wanted to surprise his Mother so he neglected to mention during their conversation last week that he was coming home for Christmas.
He settled himself at the back of the rented car (which had included a chauffeur) looking out of the window and watching the scenery as they whizzed by.
A lot of things seemed to have happened to him in the six years that he was sent away. Nothing very exciting but still life changing in his opinion. He remembered how furious he was when his mother talked to him the day after Christmas telling him that it would be best for him to stay with her friend in Kyoto, Japan. She said that Cassandra would be able to help him control his awakening powers and most importantly, he would be far from the Luthors, namely one Lionel Luthor, who would not hesitate to imprison him in the nearest available laboratory for observation.
Despite his vehement protests and promises not to reveal his powers to anyone, Martha Kent was not to be swayed.
A sullen and resentful Clark Kent was packed and sent-off before New Year's Eve, not even given a chance to say goodbye to his friends and most especially, Lex.
He had expected his lengthy stay in Kyoto to be hell but luckily he was proven wrong. Cassandra was a very interesting and eccentric lady who refused to put-up with his pouting. She immediately put him to work in her small riding school, Little Kansas Riding School, for handicapped children. He started out mucking the stalls, feeding the horses and assisting the riding instructor until Cassandra deemed him fit to co-manage the school. There he met his best friend, Chloe Sullivan, a budding reporter who had wanted to feature the riding school in her school newspaper. Chloe's father, Gabriel Sullivan was sent to Kyoto by Luthor Corp to serve as the consultant to a thriving fertilizer plant. Being a widower with no other relatives to leave his daughter Chloe, he was forced to bring her with him to Japan.
Having Chloe as a friend was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the naturally extrovert teen-ager was able to draw out Clark who started out as shy and tended to fade into the woodwork.
Martha and Cassandra agreed that Clark would be better off with a tutor rather than attend a regular school, since the manifestation of his powers had proven to be unpredictable. Cassandra, who had been a philosophy professor for more than twenty years before she was forced to retire because of her injury, was more than happy to have had the opportunity to teach again. For the other subjects that she could not teach, they were able to hire tutors. To say that Clark led a very sheltered if somewhat lonely life, was an understatement. Chloe, along with the other volunteers in the riding camp, were the only friends Clark had. Yet, he couldn't begrudge his mother's protectiveness knowing that it stemmed from fear of losing him to unscrupulous men if his origins were made known. The erratic manifestation of his abilities made it dangerous for him to be in a regular classroom amidst the natural inquisitiveness of teenagers. One reason why having Chloe as a friend was comparable to owning a double-edged sword. Her curiosity knew no bounds and Clark found it difficult to distract her when he had to use his powers during emergencies. He finally decided to tell her on his 18th birthday, making her swear not to mention anything to Cassandra who would surely be upset. Luckily, Chloe was not frightened by his revelation only quite put-out that she wouldn't be able to break the "news of the millennium" as she call it…well, at least not for years and years yet. Clark had to swear on every known deity that if ever he decided to come clean with his identity, Chloe would be the reporter of his choice.
Clark sighed wistfully. He had less than an hour to go before he arrived in Smallville and he still didn't have any idea how to put his plan into action. He was 18 now, a man in his own right. Free to do whatever he want and with whomever he wanted to do it with. He had been waiting for this day for a long, long time. His exile only made him realize that some things were meant to be, no matter how long one had to wait to make them come true.
Alexander Joseph Luthor. The name had seldom left his thoughts these past six years. His mother had either called or e-mailed him almost daily talking about things she have done, the people she had spoken with, amusing anecdotes about the other servants and even about the elder Luthors. But whenever he tried to ask about Lex, she would tell him that he was doing fine and would immediately change the topic. After she'd been doing this for months, Clark had finally given up and stopped asking. Unbeknownst to her, Clark had started to rely either on the American newspapers that Cassandra have had delivered everyday or the Internet to keep tabs on Lex. He started his own scrapbook on Lex and even joined a mailing list dedicated to one of Metropolis Most Eligible Bachelor.
Clark could never verbally explain his fascination with Lex Luthor. When Chloe, who was his self-appointed confidante, asked him, all he could say was that the idea of Lex and him was simply right. He couldn't see himself with anyone else…male or female.
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"Sir…sir we're already here. Wow, you have such a beautiful house…ummm castle…whatever!" the awed voice of the driver shook Clark out of his stupor.
"Oh, we're here! Sorry to disappoint you, man. This is not my house. We just work here." Clark grinned at the driver, handing him a tip after getting his luggage from the trunk of the car.
"Thank you, sir! Merry Christmas!" with a jaunty salute, the driver backed out of the circular driveway and drove down the lane.
"Clark! Clark! What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you're coming home?" Martha Kent exclaimed happily running out of the kitchen's side entrance, accompanied by the other servants.
"Hey Mom! I miss you and this is supposed to be a surprise." Clark grinned winningly at his flummoxed mother.
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"Looking at you two, one wouldn't believe that you've just seen each other this summer." The amused voice of the Luthor butler, Enrique, interrupted the reunion.
"Enrique, it's nice to see you again!" Clark exclaimed.
"Same here, young Clark. I'm glad that you still remember me." Enrique responded.
"It's kind of hard to forget the person who taught me how to play poker." Clark grinned at his mother sheepishly.
Martha Kent just shook her head knowingly. Enrique, despite his dour and staid appearance, had a gentle and often mischievous side. The rest of the servants poured out of the castle to welcome Clark warmly. They had missed the boy and were eager to see for themselves if "young Clark" had indeed grown up. The reunion would have lasted longer if Martha hadn't shooed them off with the reminder that they still have dinner to prepare.
"How's Cassandra doing?" Martha inquired.
"Busy planning for her trip to China…she invited me but I told her that I want to spend time here in Smallville instead." Clark said.
"Do you want to rest, Clark?" Martha asked her son, still unable to believe that he's home with her.
"If you don't mind mom, I'd like to walk around some."
"Okay, but be sure to head back by 6PM."
Clark started to walk down the driveway, out of the huge gate and turned towards the direction of town. He marveled at the sight that seemed to have been frozen in time. Nothing had changed since he left six years ago. He headed to the Beanery (at least he hoped that it was still called that), intent on seeing if the students still hang out there but the sight of a new coffeehouse distracted him. A coffee house that was named "Talon" now replaced the old cinema. Clark crossed the street and entered the said establishment, looking around him curiously.
He felt a hand tapped him on his left shoulder and a familiar voice addressed him.
"Errr….man…do I know you from somewhere?"
Clark turned to fully face the speaker and a wide grin immediately surfaced.
"Pete…Pete Ross? Hey, don't you remember me?"
"Well, you do look familiar…."
"It's me Clark Kent. We were classmates in grade school."
"Of course! Clark! Wow, man…you look really different!" Pete gawked involuntarily at the tall, well-built man with brilliant green eyes and unruly hair. A far cry from the shy, geeky Clark of old.
"Ha!Ha! It's been six years and you look different yourself."
"Where have you been, bro? Oh, I want to introduce you to someone. Bet you wouldn't recognize her too." Pete said as he dragged Clark towards the counter and tapped a dark-haired young woman who was busy beside the espresso machine.
"Hey, got someone here to see you. Recognize him?" Pete asked.
The girl being addressed to turn around and Clark immediately recognized his childhood playmate.
"Lana Lang! You've grown into a very pretty lady." Clark announced smilingly.
"Thank you…but do I know you?" a confused pair of brown eyes inspected him carefully.
"Lana, this is Clark Kent. Remember him?" Pete answered for Clark.
Oh my god! Clark! Of course, I remember him. We've been together since playschool." A delighted smile replaced the confused frown.
The three of them ended up sitting together in one of the booths, drinking coffee and swapping stories. Clark found out that both of Lana and Pete were seniors in the local high school and that Lana co-owned the coffee house (along with Lex Luthor). Clark couldn't believe how easy it was to be with his former friends again and before he knew it, it was past six o'clock. He said goodbye, leaving them with a promise to have lunch the next day.
Clark walked home slowly deciding to pass by the bridge on his way to the castle. Once there, he looked down the silent river while thinking how strange it was to come home and see all of these once again quite different from Cassandra's place in Kyoto. Preoccupied with these thoughts, he nearly missed the roar of an obviously expensive vehicle as it came barreling through the bridge. Clark looked up just in time to see the car suddenly skid towards him, the eerily familiar driver obviously had trouble with the brakes. The impact of the crash had hit him squarely threw him off the bridge together with the car that had gone through the railing. His last thought before he hit the water was that life truly sucks! He had come to Smallville to finally be with Lex only to have the latter run him over. When the car and Clark hit the water, he immediately tried to pry open the doors of the sinking car but finally gave up when they refused to budge. He took hold of the car roof and ripped it open. He pulled Lex Luthor's limp body and towed him towards the shore.
"Please, please don't be dead." Clark chanted shakily as he started CPR. "Please don't leave me, Lex."
After a couple of puffs on the blue lips, he pumped Lex's chest. He could hear the ambulance and police sirens at the distance but he still continued his efforts. Finally, he heard Lex gave choking coughs and Clark gently turned him to his side to allow the water out of his lungs.
"Thank god. Thank god." Clark mumbled breathlessly.
The rest of the rescue was a blur to Clark and before he knew it, they were headed out to the castle onboard the police cruiser. Lex had stubbornly refused to be hospitalized, demanding to be taken home instead to let his own doctor check him. So there they were, sitting huddled at the back of the police car, each wrap in emergency blankets.
"Ummm, I never got to thank you, mister." Lex's voice was still hoarse after coughing for the last hour, trying to dislodge the water he swallowed.
"No need to thank me, Lex. It's just what most people would do given the same situation. I know you'd do it too in a flash." Clark smiled at the startled expression on Lex's face.
"Hmmm…would I? You give me too much credit, mister." Lex responded cryptically.
"Nope, I'm just telling the truth."
"So, where should we drop you? I think I've inconvenienced you long enough." Lex asked apologetically.
"Oh, no need to drop me first. We'd better put you to bed first. Not that it's noticeable but I could tell that you look like on the verge of collapsing." Clark said, amused that Lex did not recognize him.
"Are you sure? Do you live near the Luthor Monstrosity?" Lex asked jokingly, unable to stop himself from prolonging the conversation. He didn't know why he was drawn to the boy. There was just something about him.
"Oh, pretty near it." Clark answered concomitantly.
Before Lex could tell him that he wasn't aware that they had immediate neighbors, they've reached the front door of the castle. He could see most of the servants standing outside and his mother looking deeply worried (having been informed by the sheriff of the accident). His father was noticeably absent as usual.
"Figures…he's never been there when I really needed him." Lex muttered sullenly. Clark couldn't help overhearing it and his heart ached at the pain and disappointment in Lex's voice.
"Oh my god, Lex. Are you alright?" Lillian's frantic voice greeted both men as they alighted from the police car. The concern and love of his mother was a balm to the hurt caused by his father's obvious disregard.
"Clark…Clark…I received a call from the Sheriff. Are you okay? What happened?!" Martha Kent's distress caught Lex's attention.
'Clark? As in Clark Kent? Was this the same boy who used to follow me around?' Lex thought in disbelief.
Their eyes met over their mothers' shoulders and Clark gave him a repentant grin --- silently asking for Lex's forgiveness for playing a joke on him. Lex smiled his usual shark-like smile and Clark, who was familiar with Lex's creativity when it came to revenge, widened comically in mock horror. Lex gently disengaged himself from his mother and walked over to Clark and Martha. Lillian, turned to the cops, thanking them for bringing both boys home safely.
"Clark, although our earlier encounter left much to be desired, I want to thank you for saving my life. I could have sworn that I hit you head on though. My mind must have been playing tricks on me…." Lex trailed off.
Clark felt his mother's hand tightened spasmodically against his waist at the insinuation she heard in Lex's voice. He laid a soothing hand on her back and offered the other to Lex.
"You're more than welcome, Lex."
Their handshake lasted far longer than necessary, both lost in each other's eyes. Martha pinched Clark lightly, not liking the speculative gleam on Lex's blue depths and liking even less the infatuated gaze of her son as he looked at his childhood hero.
"As a token of my appreciation, I would like to give you something in return," Lex began before continuing dodgely, "I think you need transportation, right? You've just been back from…Japan…so unless I'm mistaken you don't have a car of…."
"No, Lex. Thank you…but we cannot accept your kind offer. " Martha cut-in firmly. Clark shuffled his feet nervously, looking from his mother to Lex and back again.
"Ummm, Lex…I don't need payback for what I did. Thank you all the same." Clark confirmed.
Lex stared at both mother and son for a long time, startled at the abrupt tone of Martha Kent and the sincerity in Clark's. He'd never met anyone who wouldn't jump at the chance to get anything from a Luthor. The attractive young man in front of him was proving to be an exception to the rule and Lex if anything, thrived on challenges.
"I apologize if my offer offends you. Would it be alright if I invited Clark to our annual Christmas Eve Ball instead, Mrs. Kent?" Lex smiled charmingly at the woman.
Martha Kent wanted badly to refuse not wanting Clark anywhere near the rumored "Metropolis Casanova" but one look at Clark's pleading face made her rethink her decision. Anyway, what could possibly go wrong in one party?
"No need to put-on additional charm Lex. I'm immune to it, remember?" Martha answered exasperatedly, "I don't see why Clark can't attend your ball."
The brilliant smile on Clark's face amused Lex, and also made him wonder how one simple invitation could elicit such happiness from a person.
'Hmmm, quite interesting.'
"Judging by that smile, I guess it's okay with you, Clark?" Lex teased.
"Oh, yes! Yes, of course." Clark answered blushing furiously, distracted with images of him and Lex dancing the night away.
"Alright, it's a date then." With this cryptic remark, Lex left them and sauntered over to his mother who was talking with the servants regarding the preparation for tomorrow's event.
To be continued….