Chapter 5-- longer chapter-sorry!

"Clark, son?"

Clark looked up as his father entered into his loft. He had been on the couch looking at a model of the solar system, wondering which planet he came closest to as he passed them on his way to Earth. His biological parents must have calculated everything just right so he wouldn't be hit by a comet or a moon during the three years it took his ship to reach its destination. I wonder how I ate, he thought. That part never made sense to him. The ship wasn't big enough to carry enough food for three years.

"You did your chores in a hurry," observed his father.

Clark just looked down at his feet. "Yeah," he said quietly.

Jonathon Kent watched his son for a moment. He looked like he had just lost his best friend. "Well, I guess he did," he thought. "What's wrong?"

"Just the usual."

Jonathon didn't know what to say to his son, so he finally ventured, "Lex called. Again."

"So?"

Jonathon could tell he was getting no leeway in the conversation. He just raised his eyebrows.

Clark looked down, "Dad, he lied to me. He lied to me for three years! I... we were friends. At least I thought we were. But all he wanted was to learn my secret. It was like his obsession; and you have to admit, that's kind of freaky."

Jonathon knew this was a hard time for Clark, but he couldn't resist the perfect opportunity. "Gee, son, I wish I could have seen that coming."

Clark stood up. "Okay, Dad, you were right. You were right, are you happy now?" he asked as he walked towards the loft doors.

"Clark, look, I'm sorry I was right." Clark gave him a look of disbelief. "I am!" replied Jonathon. "But maybe we're looking at this the wrong way."

Clark was confused. "What way should we look at it?"

Jonathon walked over to his son and smiled, "We could use his curiosity against him. Take a page out of Lex Luthor's book." Clark looked at him like he had no idea what Jonathon was talking about. "Okay," he began again, "Lex pretended to be your friend to get information he wanted, right?"

"Right..."

"Clark, I know you're mad at Lex right now, but we need to know what he knows about you."

Clark tried to follow that last statement. "You mean pretend to be his friend to find out information." It was a statement, not a question.

"Exactly."

"But Dad, isn't that dishonest? I mean, if I did that, I'd be no better than Lex."

"Clark, Lex Luthor is a very powerful young man. He can do anything he wishes. I don't feel any better than you do about lying, son, but I don't see any other choice."

A familiar voice came from the loft stairs, "How about being honest for once."

Clark looked scared, "Lex..."

Lex smiled as he walked across the loft to where Clark and his Dad were standing, "Clark... I finally found you! I called, quite a few times, actually, but..."

Clark interrupted, "Yeah, I've been busy."

Lex nodded his head. "So I hear." Clark could tell he didn't believe him.

Clark suddenly remembered Jonathon was still in the room. "Dad, um, could you give us a few minutes?"

Jonathon paused for a moment. He wasn't sure how much of his and Clark's conversation Lex had heard. But he really didn't have a choice anyway. "Sure." He looked at Clark, "I'll be in the barn if you need me." He gave Lex a cold stare as he walked past him.

Lex waited until he was out of earshot, then turned toward Clark, "I see your father's old feelings came back for me."

"Yeah, well, he gets kind of upset when people sneak in on his conversations."

"I wasn't sneaking, Clark. I came here to talk," Lex explained.

"There's nothing to talk about," Clark snapped as he walked away from Lex.

Lex followed, "Yeah, obviously our friendship is on such solid grounds right now."

Clark turned towards him, "I told you, our friendship is over."

That didn't defer him, "And I told you I think we should talk about this before we both end something we might regret ending."

By this time Clark was mad. "You can't end something that you never started."

Lex paused. He wasn't really sure what to say. "Clark," he began, "I explained that room."

"You told lies!"

"I told you the truth. Besides, it's not like you don't hide anything from me."

"So that's why you're here," Clark noted, "You're trying to get me to tell you something, I don't know, extraordinary, so you can plaster it on your wall. What are you going to do then, Lex, open it up for tours? Sell admission tickets for 75 cents?"

"You know I wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, well, I thought I knew you wouldn't do that. I thought I knew a lot about you. I was wrong." Clark started for the stairs.

"You know what I can't believe?" asked Lex.

Clark stopped. He turned towards him and asked, "What?"

Lex stepped forward, "I can't believe you would listen to my father who has double-crossed you more times than you can even keep track of." He paused, "Think about it, Clark! Who was the person who went to Dr. Swann? Who was it that used you as a lab rat when you were trying to save my life? Who was it that fought your dad in the caves?" He looked at Clark. He could tell he might be making some leeway with him, "Now who was it that gave you the key to the room in the mansion? And right after he found out you were the one person who could send him to death row."

Clark paused then answered, "Like father like son,"

"Fine, Clark, fine!" he shot back, "You want honesty? I'll give you honesty. You say that I was only your friend to find out the truth? —you were correct."

Clark's head snapped up. I can't believe he admitted to that!

"That's how it started," Lex explained. "I was this spoiled little rich kid who never had anyone he could honestly call a real friend. I was always told that was something Luthors couldn't afford. I got whatever I wanted, I learned whatever I wanted, and I..." Lex tried to search for the right words, "I could never resist a challenge. Especially when it had to do with my life."

"How do I have to do with your life?" Clark asked. He knew the answer, but he had to ask to look naive.

Lex stepped up further, "You saved my life. Whether you jumped in after me or I hit you with my car, I honestly don't know. But you saved me. Had you not been there, I would have died that day. I just wanted to know why I survived."

"That still doesn't give you the right to stalk me, Lex." Clark still felt uneasy about that.

"I didn't stalk you. Any evidence I had I approached you about it. You gave me explanations that I decided to trust. Yet there was always more evidence. You have to admit if you were being honest, there's been a lot of coincidences with you."

"But if we were never really friends, how could you trust me?" Clark thought he got him with that one.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Clark! We were friends. I didn't plan on it happening, but it did. You were there for me when my own father wasn't." Clark looked away. Lex put a hand on his shoulder. "I do care about you, Clark. You're like my— your like my little brother."

Clark looked up at him. He was still a little suspicious. Lex knew the one thing Clark always wanted was a brother. He could be using that against him. Then he had a thought. "Why didn't you tell me about the room, Lex? You approached me all the other evidence you had." Clark remembered whom he was talking to and then added, "And I use the term 'evidence' loosely."

Lex was a little frustrated. "Clark, what did your dad just ask of you?"

Clark became nervous again. He forgot Lex had heard their conversation. He had to defend himself somehow. "Lex..."

Lex interrupted, "Clark, just remember when you accuse me of lying what you were about to do." He paused again for dramatic affect. "I guess we're not that different after all."

Clark watched him walk down the stairs and almost out of sight. He was still mad at him, yet things made more sense. He still had to be suspicious, though. Caution couldn't hurt. He was dealing with a Luthor. Yet Clark couldn't let Lex walk out with the last word. After all, he was still mad at him. "Lex?"

Lex stopped and turned so he could see Clark.

Clark searched for the something meaningful to say. Something deep. Something that might sting Lex a little, or at least let him know Clark was still suspicious of him. He couldn't find anything. He'd have to say something soon before he looked like an idiot in front of his friend. My friend, he thought. I used the words my friend.

"Clark?" asked Lex.

Clark snapped out of his thoughts. Say something, he thought. "Um... Chloe said she'd stop by later," he answered. It sounded a little weaker than he planned on. "Just so you know," he added, trying to make up for his last statement.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to be home." He started to walk out towards his car and said, "The offer for Saturday is still open. Give me a call some time." Clark watched Lex get into his car and drive away, not really knowing how he felt about the conversation that had just took place.