"Sweet!"

Lex looked at Julian. "Hmm? What is it?"

Julian stared and pointed his head. "Feel your head man!"

Lex lifted an unsteady hand and ran a hand through his medium length boyishly red hair.

"Been a long time eh?" he heard his brother say.

"Yeah…" he paused for a moment, "but this can't be real…"

Surprised he blinked; when he opened his eyes he was in a dark room. It felt like a hospital. Suddenly, he caught to eyes locking with his. They were ice cold, with a tinge of sorrow in them. He almost spoke, but he blinked again, and Lillian was standing over him. "Oh, Alexander, give me your hand, let me help you up…"

----------------

It was midnight, witching hour, a time when dark things brewed.

A time Lucas tossed the master key from hand to hand. He chuckled, sliding it into slot. Stealthy he walked into Lex's room.

His brother was still, occasionally his arm twitched, or his smile grew larger, Lucas still moved carefully. He pulled a chair next to the hospital bed. Resting an arm on Lex's he spoke in hushed tones, "Hey …Lex, hmm, been a long time eh?"

No response. "Look I'm sorry about this big brother, but, dad said, and what he says…"

He shrugged and reached toward the cord that kept Lex on life support. He stopped though, for a second, he could have sworn Lex's eyes popped right open. His ice blue matched the stare of his eyes. He blinked and the bond of brotherhood instantly dissolved.

Letting out a little yelp, a nurse sauntered in. "Excuse me sir? Did you need something?" She was half-asleep and disoriented.

"Oh, um, nothing, just leaving," Lucas mumbled, while pushing the nurse out of the way on the way.

-----------------

Clark tapped his pencil in slight annoyance. It was lunch time. Clark watched them eat their lunches. "You guys, I just have the feeling that I should see how this guy is doing…"

"Oh 'cmon Clark," Pete reassured, "he's in a comma. Plus he's rich; which probably means he's got the best care. Not to mention he's a Luthor. What do you need to see him for?"

"Yeah…you're probably right." Clark looked at his feet somehow not being able to shake the feeling.

"Hey, not to break up a moment here, but I wanna get over to the Torch…"

"Chloe," Clark quipped, "you always want to get over to the Torch."

The three friends laughed and walked away from the cafeteria.

------------

Julian knew it was a joke. But he was six, so he screamed, "Mooom! Lex called me a…a…." He sniffled for effect. "a baby head."

Lex turned and let his jaw drop. "No way. No way HE CALLED ME A BABBY HEAD!"

"Alexander, you are the oldest, you need to apologize." The commanding figure said with her hands on her hips.

Grumbling something nasty under his breath he turned to his mother. "Yes mother."

Roatatingback to Julian, he said in a monotone voice, "I'm Sorry."

Turning, before his mother could demand he do it again, he crossed his arms and stomped off.

"This is so un-fair. Hmm. Just 'cause I'm the oldest."

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he tripped. "ARGH! STUPID CLOUD!"

He squeezed his eyes shut, just to stop himself from crying. He opened them again.

An eerie feeling creped over his body. He recognized the room from last night. This time, though he took more time looking around. It was definitely a hospital. He was hooked up to several monitors. What's more, someone was watching him. There was a darkened window to his left.

He turned his head, intently looking at the mirror. He wanted to say 'what's this? Am I prisoner? Is foul play about?'

He managed, however, "what?" before again blinking back.

"I'm sorry Lex!" Julian was next to him.

"Hmm?" Lex murmured sleepily, first stretching his arms and then his wings.

"You hit your head and I'm sorry for calling you a name…"

"Isss uh okay…" he groggily moaned. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh boys, I'm glad at least you've settled your differences, would the two of you like some chocolate ice-cream?" Lillian walked up.

With a hand up, Lex walked over to her. The normal feeling of elation resumed. "Sure mom…"

In the back of his mind though a little seed had been planted. This just isn't right, something is wrong…I think…?

--------

Clark took a step back. Against his friends wishes he had found where Lex Luthor was being kept. Unbeknownst to his friends he went to go see the older man.

He pressed his palms against the glass and stared in. To his shock, a bald man who was supposed to be in a comma, stared back. As he took a step back the heart monitor went to critical.

The nurses rushed up. One glared at him, rushing in. Before they could do anything though, something stabilized it. Something from within Lex.

"What a strong man," Clark mused shaking his head.

"Hmm, that can be debated Mr. Kent."

Clark whirled around. Before he even opened his mouth the man spoke, "Oh don't act surprised. You saved my son's life. Of course I know you.

After a pause, "I am Lionel Luthor, Mr. Kent. Not very oral are you?"

"Uh, hello sir, I'm sorry to intrude I just wanted to see how Lex was and all…"

"How you got in Mr. Kent, is a mystery to me and my security. But if you truly think he is so 'strong' be my guest. You are welcome to watch his demise."

"…Sir isn't this your son? Don't you care? "

"Yes I do care. I care to make sure Lucas learns better. After all isn't this Lex's fault? Jumping off balconies, driving to fast, wouldn't you know better?"

Clark blushed. "It just noticed a couple of seconds ago that he was starring at me. He must be fighting it."

"Whatever you want to believe." Lionel strode out.

-----------

Several hours later Lionel pounded a fist on his desk.

"Do I need to hire a professional?" Lionel hissed.

Standing erect, eyes level, Lucas didn't move an inch."How hard is it to pull one damn cord? SPEAK!"

"Sir, it's just, he opened his eyes and starred at me…"

"So?" Lionel stood up.

"I shall do better sir." Lucas turned around and strutted out of the office.

"I do not want TWO weak heirs. Understand?" Lionel barked at the retreating figure.

Glancing over his shoulder, Lucas said, "Yes sir."

--------------

Again the clock struck midnight. Lucas, this time, could feel a sense of forbidding. So he pulled up a chair. Thinking, what the hell, he just started talking.

"Hey, jerk. You are so lucky. You have money, untold gifts, and people at your every need…and you hate it. Jerk. A-hole."

He leaned closer. "But you know what? I don't care. I had friends, I had fun. Hmph, fun for you is getting wasted. But you know what? I didn't have any pain in the ass, demanding, fathers."

He looked at Lex. Lex looked at him. "Oh? Your alive now?" Lucas asked.

"I-What-Who-" Lex again gave a half hearted attempt at sitting up, he was an inch up and he fell back unconscious.

"Hoover Damn. I need to stay of the caffeine." Lucas said shrugging as he left.

"See you in hell," he tipped his head and walked off. "I need to go home and come up with a good excuse for not killing you."

-------

Lex was asleep on a cloud bed, it had silver lining. Suddenly he felt someone come up and kick his bed.

"What? It's midnight…let me sleep…" he said half jerked awake.

"Hey jerk." Growled a voice similar to Julian's.

Lex sat up. "Hmm?"

Julian leaned closer, "You were so lucky. You had money, untold gifts, and people at your every need…and you hated it. Jerk. A-hole."

"Julian!" Lex screeched, "What are you saying?"

"You know what I mean." He leaned closer. "But for what it's worth I actually don't care. Here I can have friends, I can have fun. Hmph, fun for you is getting wasted with some dumb brunette. But you know what? I am the luckier one. I didn't have any pain in the ass, demanding, fathers."

"JULIAN!" Lex could not believe the crap his brother was spewing. More importantly, he didn't understand why it was making him so mad.

Lillian walked in just in time to see Lex deliver a right hook to Julian's jaw.

"ALEXANDER JOSEPH LUTHOR!" she screeched. Lex looked at her and then back down at the bleeding Julian. "Mom, wait…" he pleaded.

"Alexander, do even you realize what you did was wrong…"

"YOU ALWAYS BLAME ME!" he screamed with the adreanilin of a teenager. He blinked at the tone of his own voice yelling at his long lost mother. (a/n uh older siblings raise your hand if you agree... I DO! I DO!)

Too late though, he was again in the hospital. The same icy stranger was starring at him. There was an air about him, like, oh he couldn't tell. "Oh? Your alive now?" the man said.

"I-What-Who-" Lex didn't know what to say. Shocking as it was he blinked.

Standing over him Julian was having a fit. "What was mom's excuse for not killing you?" he spat venomously.

Lex could feel a tinge of strength in his legs. A tingle as if they were becoming, perhaps, real… His safe haven was rapidly loosing it's perfect aura of happiness and love.

"See you in hell," he tipped his head and walked off to his bedroom.

Lex rolled over in sleep, left to think of his other…brother would it be? Of that other…world? It was a distant memory to him, Lionel being so demanding, fast car crashes, scotch….

One memory he did remember though. It was earlier before…before the crash? Yes, the crash before he had first come here… Earlier that day…

"This will help," the doctor reassured.

Lex felt a prick as the needle was injected into his arm. "Doctor," he sneered rolling up his sleeve, "I have not been sick in at least ten years, this was completely unnecessary."

"It was your father who recommends you get this…" here the man had hesitated, "vaccine."

"Well fine, are we done now?" With a nod, Lex waved and strolled out of his office. He grabbed the keys and headed towards the garage.

"Don't expect to see me soon…" he muttered.

Was that why he was here? A virus? Could this be a dream? The sudden urge to blink came over him. Blink in the amazement that maybe this was not real…

He stayed wide awake though, not wanting to acknowledge that this reality was coming apart at it's seems. The tingling he had felt on his legs was growing up his body. Whatever this was he was fighting it. Julian may have had his temper, but as long as he was with his mother, he was safe.

---------

"Sir! Mr. Luthor!"

Lionel, put the phone on speaker. "Yes…"

"We found a method to remove the virus."

"Excellent…" Lionel agreed. Secretly Lionel was disappointed; this test for Lucas was proving successful. He had not planned on the scientist actually being able to revive Lex so early. He thought he was the only one with the serum to cure. He shrugged; he could always sabotage this surgery somehow.

"But sir, there is only a 3 percent survival rate."

"Then plan to operate in two days."

"Yes sir."

Lionel hung up as Lucas walked into his office. "Lucas," he began calmly, "I anticipate you did not kill your brother?"

Lucas' mouth hung open. "Oh don't look so excited," Lionel reassured, "I knew the bonds of brotherhood were unbreakable. I hired a pro as back up. But it dose not mater now. He only has two days until the surgery, and that will most certainly fail."

"Uh-huh…" Lucas stammered. In his mind he began to wonder how ruthless this man was…

---------

After his first glance at Lex, Clark had been stealing, and reading all the papers on the bald man's condition.

Tonight he had found the surgery procedure notes. There has to be something to stop this, he thought, …because, I can just sense something will go wrong.

If there was any part that could hear him, he would be able to warn him.

Other than that it was tottaly up to Lex.

…to be continued…

author note: who wants me to operate? (wink wink)

REVIEWER REPLYS:

And a note to them all: WRITE ON! WRITE ON! WRITE ON! HOO-RAH!

Hope Roy: Coolsville! I just like saying that…but I keep an eye on your stories too! So I am glad to receive the same treatment… (smile)

Eviv: You bet I continued! Still liking it? Hope so! (smile)

Muddy Waters: YOUR TURN! NAME THE DANCE! I will totally do it! Warning: at school dances though, when I run out of moves to make up, two words: YEAH MACERANA! (smile)

The rest of y'all: thanks for at least glancing this over! Yeah for me, I wrote something that people read! (smile)