Part Three, in which we do not quote Sting lyrics.
"Well …" said Lex, half an hour and two glasses of scotch later, "You were right about one thing; I don't think I really wanted to know."
"Yeah, neither did Pete," said Clark, glumly. "But he found the spaceship, and I had to tell him before he took it to the papers."
"And you've never told anyone besides Pete?"
"No… but I want to tell Lana before she goes to Paris."
"Why before she goes to Paris?" asked Lex. "That's a lot to drop on someone when they're about to leave town."
"I'm hoping if I'm honest with her she won't leave."
Lex didn't say anything for a moment, and Clark looked up to see Lex frowning into his glass. Finally Lex said, "Don't you think that's just a bit selfish? This program is a great opportunity for her."
Clark felt a little indignant at that. Selfish? "I think she should have all the information before she decides," he said firmly.
"She's already decided, Clark. She has the plane ticket. She sold the Talon to pay the fees. Now you want her to throw all that away for you. That's why you want to tell her. Well, it's too late for that now. If you wanted to be honest with Lana, a good time for that would have been before she dismantled her life here so she could go."
Lex wasn't exactly glaring at him, but he was clearly getting angry. Well, Clark thought, at least he was getting over the shock quickly.
"Look, Lana and I are meant to be together. I know it. But if she goes to Paris, I may never have another chance."
Lex rolled his eyes. "Oh, spare me. Meant to be together? That's how everyone feels about their first crush."
"It's not a crush!"
"All right, all right, say you're meant to be together. How is a semester away from her going to change that?"
"She could meet someone else."
"If that happens, then she isn't 'meant' to be with you, is she?"
"Yeah, but she – I don't – "Clark was too flustered and angry to speak.
Apparently that was the reaction Lex was waiting for, because he reached over and patted Clark on the knee. "Let her go enjoy the semester. You'll have plenty of time to tell her when she comes back."
"After all the effort you put in to helping me get close to her, now you're telling me to let her go."
"Yeah, well, that was before you told me that you want to keep her here by shocking and confusing her so much that she can't do anything else."
Clark slumped back in his chair. "I guess it isn't very fair to her, when you put it that way. Just promise me you're not going to fly over to Paris and steal her away from me," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"What, and waste all the effort I put into getting you two together?" quipped Lex.
Clark grinned at him. "Maybe you're secretly in love with her. We read 'Cyrano de Bergerac' this year, you know."
"Ah, then you'll remember that Cyrano lets Christian have the girl," Lex said. "Besides, you don't really think I have so much trouble getting a date that I need you for a proxy, do you? Lots of women like bald. Lots of women who are over eighteen."
Clark laughed. "You're right. And you're right that I shouldn't tell Lana about my past just to keep her here. And you were right that I should have told you sooner."
"No," said Lex, "I think you were right not to tell anyone; if it got out, your family would never be left alone. But I'm glad you did finally tell me, even if it hasn't really sunk in yet. Just please tell me this is the last deep dark secret."
Clark looked at the floor again.
'Oh, no,' Lex thought.
"Um... you know those seven weeks you lost…?"
"Well …" said Lex, half an hour and two glasses of scotch later, "You were right about one thing; I don't think I really wanted to know."
"Yeah, neither did Pete," said Clark, glumly. "But he found the spaceship, and I had to tell him before he took it to the papers."
"And you've never told anyone besides Pete?"
"No… but I want to tell Lana before she goes to Paris."
"Why before she goes to Paris?" asked Lex. "That's a lot to drop on someone when they're about to leave town."
"I'm hoping if I'm honest with her she won't leave."
Lex didn't say anything for a moment, and Clark looked up to see Lex frowning into his glass. Finally Lex said, "Don't you think that's just a bit selfish? This program is a great opportunity for her."
Clark felt a little indignant at that. Selfish? "I think she should have all the information before she decides," he said firmly.
"She's already decided, Clark. She has the plane ticket. She sold the Talon to pay the fees. Now you want her to throw all that away for you. That's why you want to tell her. Well, it's too late for that now. If you wanted to be honest with Lana, a good time for that would have been before she dismantled her life here so she could go."
Lex wasn't exactly glaring at him, but he was clearly getting angry. Well, Clark thought, at least he was getting over the shock quickly.
"Look, Lana and I are meant to be together. I know it. But if she goes to Paris, I may never have another chance."
Lex rolled his eyes. "Oh, spare me. Meant to be together? That's how everyone feels about their first crush."
"It's not a crush!"
"All right, all right, say you're meant to be together. How is a semester away from her going to change that?"
"She could meet someone else."
"If that happens, then she isn't 'meant' to be with you, is she?"
"Yeah, but she – I don't – "Clark was too flustered and angry to speak.
Apparently that was the reaction Lex was waiting for, because he reached over and patted Clark on the knee. "Let her go enjoy the semester. You'll have plenty of time to tell her when she comes back."
"After all the effort you put in to helping me get close to her, now you're telling me to let her go."
"Yeah, well, that was before you told me that you want to keep her here by shocking and confusing her so much that she can't do anything else."
Clark slumped back in his chair. "I guess it isn't very fair to her, when you put it that way. Just promise me you're not going to fly over to Paris and steal her away from me," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"What, and waste all the effort I put into getting you two together?" quipped Lex.
Clark grinned at him. "Maybe you're secretly in love with her. We read 'Cyrano de Bergerac' this year, you know."
"Ah, then you'll remember that Cyrano lets Christian have the girl," Lex said. "Besides, you don't really think I have so much trouble getting a date that I need you for a proxy, do you? Lots of women like bald. Lots of women who are over eighteen."
Clark laughed. "You're right. And you're right that I shouldn't tell Lana about my past just to keep her here. And you were right that I should have told you sooner."
"No," said Lex, "I think you were right not to tell anyone; if it got out, your family would never be left alone. But I'm glad you did finally tell me, even if it hasn't really sunk in yet. Just please tell me this is the last deep dark secret."
Clark looked at the floor again.
'Oh, no,' Lex thought.
"Um... you know those seven weeks you lost…?"