By the time Clark mustered the nerve to give up the safety of his remote observation of the Talon from the roof of the building across the street, the coffee shop had been packed with teenagers and adults alike.

A great many more people had turned out for the small post football celebration than usual, considering most of the football team and the cheerleaders had elected to avoid it.

Clark suspect that the denizens of Smallville had heard about Lana and Chloe. They were probably hoping for some kind of vicarious thrill of watching the two girls interact together.

He dreaded stepping through the doors. The normalcy he had worked so hard for this year seemed to have evaporated when Jeff Hoskill spat the word "Freak" into his face.

Not that he even liked or respected the other boy before, but it was seeing the people he had tried so hard to emulate behind Jeff silently agreeing with every word the jerk said to him.

While Lex had never so much as touched him in an overtly sexual way, Clark couldn't help but flinch when they had lumped him in with the rest of what they called deviants. He didn't believe they were right, but their remarks had cut deeply into Clark anyway. he had spent the last hour trying to figure out why.

Flashes of dreams about his friend Clark didn't ever dare admit to flittered across his thoughts.

Moments where Clark had felt almost uncontrollably compelled to physically reach out to the other man flashed through his mind and doubt surfaced within him.

Clark had spent so much time and energy pushing those things down and keeping them locked tightly away.

He had worked so hard to be normal.

Besides the various other emotions he felt when he discovered the room Lex had kept about him, Clark remembered feeling relieved that he finally had a valid reason to push the other man away.

His relationship with Lex had and would never fit in with normal.

But Lex just wouldn't stay gone and Clark's own desire to see him and have him in his life had caused him to break his resolve and tentatively renew their friendship.

He resented his connection to Lex for so many reasons, but somehow during their estrangement, he became conscious of how much he missed and needed it.

The heat of the peopled crowded into the small café hit Clark as soon as he opened the door. The clumps of bodies presented two choices for Clark to take: Lana, Chloe and their new friends or Mr. Sullivan, his mom and Lex.

He turned back towards the door to leave before anyone he knew spotted him.

"Clark" His mother called across the room.

Cursing under his breath, he wondered why he hadn't just used his abilities in his attempted getaway.

Clark reluctantly turned back around to face the direction in which she was currently advancing.

"Lex told me about what happened after the game. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He lied.

She seemed to look right through him. "Are you sure?"

He looked into her concerned eyes and ducked his head. "No. I…I think I'm just going to go home. But don't worry, I'll keep an ear out in case anything happens."

"I think you should stay." She put her hand on his arm. "You know what you did was a brave thing? Standing up to those bullies was…well it was courageous in a way you're usually not."

Clark shuffled his feet and swallowed. He couldn't quite bring himself to even look up, much less verbally respond.

"There are several people here who are rather grateful you did what you did. I think you need to see that right now."

"I probably wouldn't be very good company."

"Well running away to brood about this isn't going to improve your outlook on things and it isn't about you being good company. It's about you being around others and allowing yourself to connect with people and not just ideals."

"But I can't. Mom you know I can't ever really do that. You know why."

She sighed. "I think your father and I made a mistake."

Clark jerked his eyes up to look at her. Worries and regrets writ themselves across his mother's face.

"I think we went overboard trying to protect you. We were just so scared that someone would someday take you away from us that we completely isolated you, and ourselves. Before I took this job, I don't think I even realized how much."

"You didn't have any choice." He argued.

"I really thought that we didn't, and I honestly don't know how we could have raised you any differently, but I've watched you Clark. I've seen you pull yourself away from people when they try to reach out to you only to grasp out desperately for that connection when you think you've found someone just like yourself. You did it with Alicia, you did it with Kara and to an extent you've done it with Ryan, Bart and even Lex."

"And you've seen how all those have turned out. Things with Alicia and Kara became huge messes, Ryan died, Bart ran away and Lex…" Clark just shrugged his shoulders.

"Lex what? Admittedly things have happened and he has flaws…huge ones, but he's still here. Despite everything that's happened between you two, he's still here and trying. Do you know he's been to every single football game you've ever played in? And I think you're forgetting some other people, like Chloe and Lana."

He started to protest, but she cut him off.

"I know things are weird between the three of you now, but both girls still seem to genuinely want to be your friend. And Clark, that counts for something."

"I know" He admitted.

"So you'll stay? And try?"

His mother looked at him imploringly and he caved.

"Yeah Mom, I'll stay."

Lana could practically feel Chloe vibrating with curiosity in the seat next to her.

"What do you think it is?" Chloe whispered in her ear.

"Don't know? I can't think of anything that would upset Lex, your father and the Kents so much."

"Lionel. I think it's something to do with Lionel."

Lana looked skeptical. "He's in prison for murder."

"Doesn't matter, it's Lionel Luthor."

"Whatever it is we'll find out later. Clark doesn't look too good over there."

"Where?" Chloe jerked her attention away from Gabe and Lex.

"Over by the door talking to Martha."

"Yikes." Chloe frowned. "He didn't seem to handle what happened too well."

"I'm sure not happy about it." Lana seethed. All her life, up until her freshman year, Lana had been a part of the popular crowd. She knew how to play their game and play it well. She could cause just as much trouble for them as they did for her when they decided to insult her and mess with her plans and friends.

"What are you two lovebirds whispering about over there?" Ali drew them out of their conversation.

"I hope you're not dwelling on what happened with those assholes. They're just small minded tools who think high school is everything." Fitz said with a wink. "And this is coming from a former tool."

"Right with you on that." Lana commiserated and raised her cappuccino, which Fitz taped with his soda.

"Chloe, is that your Dad over there talking to Mr. Luthor?" Dan asked. "I think I recognize him from that field trip from hell."

Chloe blushed, sunk down in her seat and answered with a barely audible "Uh huh".

"It was cool the way Clark stood up for us and Mr. Luthor made all those guys scatter like cockroaches tonight." Jenny smiled.

"Probably afraid he'd fire their mommies and daddies." Joan, Chad's girlfriend, snarked.

"More likely they were afraid he wouldn't hire them when they finally get booted from high school and have to work for a living." Chad responded.

Lana laughed with the rest of them and watched out of the corner of her eye as Martha broke off from Clark and he started to tentatively approach their table.

"Hey Clark." Chloe welcomed him. "Sit with us?"

"Yeah thanks." He mumbled and pulled up a chair to their little group.

"You know you're my hero now." Chad batted his heavily lined eyes at Clark.

Clark instantaneously blushed a violent red and everyone giggled.

"Well I try." He managed to respond.

"Seriously" Joan offered. "He doesn't fight well. My little sister's kicked his ass before."

More laughter erupted as Chad and Joan started to throw pieces of napkins and straw wrappers at each other.

"Clark does the hero part well." Lana smiled at him.

Clark gave her a modest smile back and nodded his head.

Martha felt relieved to see Clark join his classmates and to hear their laughter over the crowd. She didn't think Jonathan really understood her increasing anxiety about Clark's isolation since he wasn't exactly a social butterfly himself, but she had begun to have real doubts about the way they had raised their son.

The events of the past year sure didn't help: Jonathan's health problems, Jor-El, Kara, the caves, Lionel and Lex's not so private war, and Lex keeping that room. Martha could logically excuse the last one away and she suspected more lay behind Lex's interest than met the eye, but a big part of her had a very adverse emotional reaction whenever she thought of it. It was the same part of her that wanted desperately to hide Clark away from the rest of the world forever.

"Well I think I better head home for the night," Gabe excused himself as he yawned. "Don't want to be dead on my feet tomorrow."

"Well it was fun." Lex shook his hand. "Thank you for inviting me out today."

Martha sighed. Gabe Sullivan obviously thought he had gotten Lex to come out of his shell a little this evening, but she knew darn well that Lex went to every game anyway.

The coach had pulled her to the side one night to make sure she knew.

Maybe Lex meant afterwards at the Talon, but she somehow doubted it.

"Goodbye Gabe" Martha offered him a smile and a hug.

"Bye Martha. See you around."

As soon as Gabe left out the front door, Lex started to gather his things in an attempt to bolt.

The little success she had had with Clark gave Martha the courage to stop Lex and try to clear the air with him.

"Lex, before you go I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure. Is it the Talon?"

"No. It's not business. I…um…," she cleared her throat, "I know about the room."

Lex visibly blanched and started to stammer out an apology, but Martha prevented him.

"I don't want an apology Lex. I want to know why. I think I already know, but I want to hear it from you."

He nodded his head. "Alright. I guess I had just became a little too obsessed with the unusual events that tend to occur in Smallville. I put the room together to explore them more."

That had sounded rehearsed. "I'll buy that as part of your reasoning, but not as all of it."

Lex looked increasingly uncomfortable. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Curiosity doesn't explain the rather large portraits you had of my son in that room."

"He told you about them?"

"I saw them for myself. After Clark disappeared and you ended up in the hospital, I broke into the castle and found the room on my own." She admitted with no shame.

Lex rubbed his face with his hands. "God I really need to get better security."

Martha just looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know what to say."

Lex couldn't seem to muster up the nerve to tell her himself, so Martha did it for him.

"You have feelings for my son." It was a statement of fact rather than a question.

Lex looked away from her and down at his hands. "I care for Clark."

"You're in love with Clark," she clarified.

He seemed to stop breathing. "I…I've never…I wouldn't…he's still kid. I know that."

"I know you've never truly acted on it. But as far as him still being a kid, he seems to be growing up whether his father and I want him to or not."

He breathed out and seemed to relax some as Martha let him off the hook just a little.

"I'm not giving you a free pass to do whatever you want as far as Clark's concerned. I just wanted you…" she sighed. "I wanted to know for sure that you sincerely cared for his welfare. I know Clark thinks that you don't."

"He thinks I don't care about him?" Lex seemed shocked at the thought.

"He believes you've been using him." Martha tilted her head and gave him a small smile. "I've heard the term 'science project' from his mouth more than once since he saw that room."

"Science Project? I wasn't studying him. I just wanted to get past the lies. I wanted…" He rubbed his eyes. "I wanted to feel closer to him. He keeps me at a distance. I try to keep myself at a distance too, but it's just hard."

"I think I understand."

"I don't know how to fix this." Lex admitted.

"Time. You're just going to have to give him time." Martha offered. "And you're going to have to understand that…there are some things about Clark he's not ready to talk to anyone about. He doesn't want to have to lie to you."

He seemed to accept her words. "I guess I'll just have to learn to accept things and not push."

"That sounds like a good idea." Martha agreed.

Lex collected his coat once again and she could see him raising what emotional and psychological shields she'd managed to bring down with their candid discussion.

"If that's all you wish to discuss, I really should head back to the castle."

"Goodnight Lex." Martha rose from her seat as he did and offered him a hug.

"Goodnight…" he hugged her back, "and thank you."

"If you hear anything more about where Lionel is…"

"I'll notify you." He replied, then turned and walked out of the Talon.

"So what happened?" Chloe asked her father almost as soon as she bounded through the front door.

Lana walked up behind her and set her purse and keys on the TV cabinet.

"Lionel Luthor was released from prison a few weeks ago." Gabe announced in a tired and grim voice.

"A few weeks ago?" Chloe asked incredulously.

"How come this isn't all over the news?" Lana inquired.

"It happened very quickly. Somehow the legal papers about his release got sealed and Lex hasn't yet been able to figure out how Lionel did it or where he's disappeared to. He's been keeping it quite hoping that Lionel would get cocky and show his hand." He explained.

"You mean he can come after us anytime he wants now?" Chloe shook and started to tear up.

"Oh honey," Gabe pulled his daughter into a hug. "Lionel was released legally, so he probably won't want to get sent back to prison."

"It doesn't matter. Apparently he can get away with murder any time he likes." Chloe said bitterly.

Her father tried to use reason on her. "If something fishy happens to anybody who helped send him to prison, Lionel will be the first suspect. He won't want that kind of scrutiny after everything that's happened."

"Lex still could have told us." Lana complained. "He just left us without warning?"

"He's had security on everyone involved since this happened." Gabe loosened his grip on his daughter and looked at Lana with a calm, comforting smile. "They're better than the usual Luthor security too, they've been watching the house since Lex found out and none of us even noticed."

"You mean the blue car sitting at the end of the cul-de-sac?" Chloe asked.

"You noticed?"

"Yeah, they've just been sitting at various places along the street for a while. I ran their license plates, but couldn't trace the source."

"You didn't tell me?" Gabe asked.

Chloe gave him a small smile, "I wanted to figure it out myself."

Gabe sighed and wiped her tear reddened face. "You two should probably get cleaned up and ready for bed. It's late for a school night."