Chapter 2
At Smallville Medical Center Martha sits with Jonathan. He is still in a coma. The doctors do not know if he will recover. Martha I don't know if Kara or Jor-El had something to do with this. I just wishes that Clark would come to her. Tears start to come down her face. Lana comes in.
"Mrs. Kent. I brought you something to eat, please try." I have been trying to get her to eat every time I come down from Metropolis. Staying with Nell, since Chloe's death, I feel like I have lost a sister.
"I just don't feel like it. I can't" Martha answers.
"At least drink this." Lana pours some tea from a thermos. "It's green tea."
"Thank you, but Lana you don't have to come everyday. You should be enjoying your time. You should be in Paris." Martha can't finish, she sobs in her hands.
"I can go to Paris later. I need to be here for Chloe and Clark. If nothing else, I owe them that." Lana trying to push her own tears aside. They sit together.
At Metropolis Federal Prison
Lionel has made himself comfortable in his cell. Somehow his lawyers have made it possible for him to have access to a laptop. He has also found a way to message his partners. He has just gotten an email.
From: M2 To: M1
L at mansion with JJ CS and GS confirmed deaths
JK still coma
CK still at large
"Damn it." Lionel states to the screen. "He cannot find Clark Kent. What am I paying for?" A door opens and Lionel turns off the laptop.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Luthor. I have you lunch." One of the guards Lionel has in his pocket, so to speak. Harry slips him whatever Lionel Luthor wants.
"Thank you. Harry." Lionel steps back from the door so that Harry can come in. None of the other guards seem to care what these two are doing. It is business as usual for Lionel Luthor.
Back at the mansion the limo is pulling up to the gate. "Just so you aren't totally shocked. It's Perry White and Helen Bryce." Janine waits for that lat name to hit Lex.
"Helen? She has tried to kill me twice. You know that." Lex turns furious and veins popping out from his neck.
"Of course, I know. That's why Terrence is sitting on them both. Still worried." Janine smirks back
"She fooled me. Remember." Lex answers
"I'm not that easily fooled, remember." Janine reminds Lex.
Anymore on Clark's whereabouts and how is Jonathan?" Lex asks finally ready to know. "What about my father?"
"Your father has a new hairstyle." Janine jokes, "He also has new friends in low places." She adds on a serious note. "The fact that I am in the same country with him, much less the same state, is more that I ever wanted again. Since mother's funeral, I thought I was going to have my days in London or Paris. Guess I have bad karma after all. We will have to watch all of our witnesses and friends. As for Clark there isn't anything other news than what Terrence found about the adoption. Jonathan Kent is still in a coma. His farm is suffering; there was a vandal loose, set fire to part of the pasture. I have some people watching, but I thought you might want to make the olive branch to Mrs. Kent."
"Definitely, don't want to lose anything or anyone to that man." Lex answers.
The limo pulls past the gate. The staff has been replaced with hand picked professionals, by Janine. She introduces Lex to each of them. Carl and Dave get the luggage and supplies. Janine and Lex go into his office/study/the war room, as Janine calls it.
Helen and Perry sit quietly waiting. They are both exhausted. Terrence is, of course sitting with his back to the wall and his eyes on both. He gets up only to greet Lex and Janine.
"It's nice to see you again, Helen. Want to try to kill me?" Lex smirks
"Not yet." Helen comes back.
"I do." Perry finally speaks up. "Plenty of weapons here." He gestures to the wall where two broad swords hang.
"Enough." Janine says. "This is about keeping all of us alive. You both know how powerful Lionel can be. So does Lex, Terrence and I, it's the rest of the world still blinded."
"Agreed, if anyone gets to kill anything. It's me." Terrence adds with a smile.
Terrence is a former Secret Service man; and he knows more about things that don't exist than anyone in the room. He has been apart of Janine's life since the attempted kidnapping when she was 11. That's what you get being friends with Lex. His mother, Lillian handpicked Terence to take care of Janine after that day. He has become a fixture in her life. He has also been gathering information from every source he has. He has put it together for Janine. He waits patiently.
In the Caves
Clark wakes up from what he thinks is a strange dream. He finds himself in the caves and begins to remember what happened. He looks for his dad, but he's not there. He takes off in a flash to the farm. Clark cannot believe his eyes, there is a huge burn in the ground, he knows what it means and becomes angry. He, now realizes he isn't wearing anything. He goes inside and dresses quickly all while shouting for his parents. "Mom! Dad!" he goes all through the house, the barn, and the he sees the truck is there but not his mother's car. It takes seconds for all of this to happen, and the men patrolling the farm for Janine, are heading to the house
Clark calling for his parents and asks just sees a man. "Who the hell are you?" Clark says taking a swing.
"A friend." He answers.
"I don't know you." Clark is about to take another swing.
"You do know Dr. Swann." He ducks. Clark stops cold.
'Really, I am a friend. You have friends who are worried and people searching for you. That's not the worst news. I came up." Then more people arrive, Clark is feeling a little dizzy. The first man ducks out of sight of the other men. "Don't tell them anything." He says quietly.
"Are you Clark Kent?" one of the three men asks him
"Yes." Clark is regaining control. "Where are my parents?"
"Your dad is at Smallville Medical Center. I will take you there." Another man tells him.
"Let's go." Clark says. The man calls on a two way and a hummer comes up and Clark gets in with this stranger.
Clark keeps his guard up, since he doesn't know whom to believe. They arrive at Smallville Medical Center and Clark listens for his mother. He hears her crying and follows it. He stands at the door looking at both his mother and Lana, then to his dad.
The man loses sight of Clark, he thinking How did he get away from me? Then he sees the young man standing outside his father hospital room and he watches and waits. Janine said keep an eye on him, but not to crowd him. Clark opens the door.
In a private hospital, a young woman is recovering from burns and a concussion. She has not been conscious and she had no identification when she was brought in. That same day a middle-aged man was also brought in with severe 3rd degree burns. He is in critical condition. The doctors do not expect him to live much longer. The fact that they were both brought here, and survived the accident amazed everyone. They really hope the young woman will regain consciousness and help them identify her and the other man.
She opens her eyes and tries to move. 'Why can't I move?' she asks herself. 'What's wrong? Then she begins to remember what happened. 'Where's dad? What about Clark? And Lex? And Lana?' Her mind tumbles with questions and fear. She cannot move, and she wonders if Lionel has her. The door opens and a nurse comes in, "You're awake, finally." The nurse presses the intercom. The doctors and some other nurses come in.
"What happened?" she asks her voice is raspy and it hurts to speak.
"We were going to ask you that?" the doctor answers "Your throat will be sore, we just took you off a ventilator 2 days ago."
"Where's my dad?" asking the question before she thought. 'That could put us in more danger.'
"I'm not going to lie to you. The man you came in with is not doing very well. He suffered 3rd degree burns on at least 80% of his body." The doctor tells her
"Oh no!" she starts to cry.
"Maybe if he hears your voice, he'll want to fight. I will try to arrange for you to see him." the doctor trying to help both patients. 'I just hope it means something to both.' He thinks, "Can you tell us your name?"
"I don't know, I just know that he's my dad." She was now trying to think about keeping herself and her dad safe if she could. 'I can't trust anyone right now. I hope none of them thought I was lying which is very hard when hooked up to monitors.
"Maybe after you have had some time to gather your thoughts, its been almost 3 months since you were brought in here." The doctor answers and tells the nurses to monitor her vitals and he will go she how her dad is doing. He thinks 'She's lying. What makes her so afraid? I will deal with that as it comes? Now to call the people that brought them in, maybe I shouldn't? I will think about that some more.' He goes to the burn unit and makes arrangements for the young woman to see her dad.
Lana looks up as the door opens. She cannot believe her eyes, its Clark but he looks different. He appears very angry and very hurt. Just then Martha looks up from her hands, she cannot move.' Is he really there?' she thinks 'I'm losing my mind.'
"Clark, are you okay? Oh that's a stupid question." Lana gets up to and heads towards him. Clark puts his hand up. She stops. He moves to his mother's side and takes her hands in his.
"I'm so sorry." Clark says. "What happened?" He may be a boy, but he was beginning to look and act like a man to her.
"Oh, Clark." Martha can only say that and she starts sobbing on her son's shoulder.
He reaches out his other hand and takes his father's. There is a warmth the pass through him. He remembers this warmth. He felt it just before he woke up in the caves. It passed to Jonathan and he starts to stir. This action surprises both mother and son. Jonathan opens his eyes and smiles.
"You're safe." father whispers to son.
"I'm safe, now." Clark answers. Lana is heading out the door. She is giving the family their space. "Lana, don't leave. It's okay. I'm glad you're here, but what about Paris?" Clark collects his thoughts. He also remembers Lex and Lana at the airport. A look pf pain crosses his face.
"Clark, are you okay?" Martha sounds terrified.
"I am now." He smiles and puts his hand on her shoulder pulling her close to him. "I am now." They sit, afraid to move.
Back at the mansion
Terrence gets a page. He hands the pager to Janine, who hands in over to Lex. Lex almost drops it.
The message reads:
Clark Kent found. At SMC w/parents.
"He's alive. I should have known my father couldn't kill him." Lex smiles with satisfaction.
"That's good and bad." Terrence adds.
"I know. They will need protection and Clark won't accept it from me." Lex continues to think how I can help without it being known.
"Terrence, see what you can arrange. Lex and I have the little guppies under control." Janine is giving an order?
"Janine." Terrence responds
"I can take care of things, besides we will need Clark. Make friends, not enemies." Janine reminds him. He turns and goes out the door.
"That's a first. He leaves you alone with a killer and me?" Lex teases
"Let's just say for arguments sake, I can kill you, just as easy as Lionel. What will it be?" Janine snapping a strange comeback to Lex.
"You have changed." Lex comments
"Exactly. Now back to business. Mr. White, you did do quite a through job on Lionel, though you never published it. This could be his undoing and if you had done it. It could have prevented a number of needless deaths." Janine says handing Perry a copy of the file that has kept him from being dead himself.
"How did you get this?" Perry is frightened and shocked.
"I have money, therefore power. Isn't it wonderful." Janine plays coy.
"Well, what do you need me for? This will pretty much fry Lionel." Perry adds putting the file on the coffee table in front of him
"The prosecution wants you to testify as to the sources and validity of this information. The defense would be able to suppress it, otherwise." Janine already knew and had the prosecution working with her.
"Then why am I here?" Helen asks, "You really don't need me."
"Actually, since you sold Lionel an unusual item, you are a wildcard and I will have you helping us out or dead. The choice is yours."
"What do you not know, Janine?" Lex pipes up. This is scary, she know about the blood sample, does she know who it belongs to, and where in the hell is she getting all of this information.
"You have your secrets Lex, I have mine." Janine decides to take the vague approach.
"We will see about that." Lex is now angry.
"Good, you are going to need that anger." Janine smiles. 'You're showing your hand Lex, I know you better than anyone, even my mother.'