The ride over to Lex's house was one of the strangest things that Clark had ever experienced. Chloe had offered to give the family a little time alone, so she had gone over to stay with her dad for awhile. It was long over do visit anyway, she had said.

Jonathan drove the truck, with Lana squeezed in next to him with Rose on her lap. Next to her Clark was sandwiched with Martha on the far side. How strange it felt to him to have Lana in such close proximity to him again. He desperately wanted to talk to her, to find out just what she knew, but he knew that now was not the time; that would come later behind closed doors.

All through the ride his mother kept going on and on about how happy she was to have him back and what had happened since he'd been gone. Occasionally Lana or Jonathan would add in to her running commentary. Rose also chattered away, making everyone laugh.

Rose. How strange it was to see his daughter that he hadn't even known up until a few hours existed, sitting on the lap of the woman he loved next to him. It was even stranger to see his own eyes looking back at him. She looked like a perfect blend of Lana and he and it was unnerving to him.

The truck continued to rattle down the road and when it hit a particularly large bump Clark was tossed into Lana. They were already touching due to the cramped space of the cab, but this touch was electric and Clark could have sworn that he shuddered. It was like falling in love all over again with someone you'd never stopped loving.

The short ride ended when the truck pulled up to the gates of the mansion. Jonathan stuck his head out the window and said something to the security. It took almost no time at all and that surprised Clark; he thought he was the only one who would ever have the privilege of being so close to Lex without actually living in his house that the guards would let him in so easily.

As the truck sped up the drive Clark felt his heart rate increase. Seeing Lex again was going to be so strange. He knew Lex and he knew that he wouldn't have approved of Clark taking the easy way out by leaving.

They parked and got out of the car. Clark knew from experience that Lex would already have been informed that they were there and a servant would probably be at the door to escort them to wherever Lex wanted to meet them. His assumptions were correct.

The servant led the Kents and Lana upstairs to Lex's office. Clark was amazed when he saw how completely unchanged the office was. The desk, the pool table, and the couches- it was all still there.

He felt a gentle squeeze on his arm and looked up to see his Mom. "I know this is hard, honey," she whispered, "but you've got to understand how happy everyone is to have you home."

Clark nodded and swallowed, thankful for his mother's comfort. He didn't think she really had any idea just how hard this was, but he was still appreciative of her empathy.

He felt her tug on his arm and guide him over to the couch where he sat next to her and Lana. Rose was sitting on Lana's lap, but kept frequently glancing up at Clark's face in keen interest.

After what seemed like hours, but was only about two minutes the doors to the room swung open and Lex strode into the room. His eyes immediately fell on Clark.

The shocked look in his eyes clearly told Clark that Lex hadn't known that he had been with his parents at the gate. He imagined that he'd probably been identified as someone with the Kents and that had been the extent of it. "Clark?" Lex asked slowly, as if he wasn't sure if he could believe it or not.

Clark felt himself stand up. He and Lex moved forward together and embraced. "Clark, it's been a while." His voice was soft, as if he thought this was far too good to be true.

"I-It's good to see you, Lex."

The two broke apart and moved back a little. Lana had gotten to her feet while the two had been meeting. Rose followed. Looking up at Clark she asked, "Daddy, where were you? Mommy always said you had important things to do. What were they?"

Clark was in complete rapture at the innocence in his daughter's eyes. Before him was simply a little girl, not questioning the reasons her mother had given her for her father's disappearance, asking only what he had been doing that had been so important. She was not accusing; she was simply innocent.

Clark knelt down and took his daughter's little hands in his own. "Rose, I am very sorry that I've been away for so long. I just want you to know that I'm not going to leave again and that I'm very, very sorry I did in the first place."

She cocked her head and said quite seriously. "I'm glad your back, Daddy." Then she leaned into Clark and wrapped her arms around his midsection. Clark froze momentarily in the strangeness of the embrace before hugging her back.

After a few seconds he let her go and she moved away, not aware that this was anything special or that other people's daddies didn't usually simply up and leave for the first few years of their daughter's life before reappearing around their third birthday.

He felt a hand on his arm and again and looked up to see Lana. She was smiling gently at him. "Come on, Rose, honey. I think that Daddy needs some time alone with Uncle Lex."

"Can we go in the garden?" she asked hopefully.

Lana nodded. "Yes, but only if you promise not to ruin the flower beds again."

"Ok," she agreed. "Cross my heart and hope to die," she added, drawing an invisible cross over her heart.

Clark chuckled softly and watched as his parents, Lana, and Rose walked out of the office.