1A/N: Beta-d by rnelso1

"True friends stab you in the front."–Oscar Wilde

After graduating highschool, Chloe was able to snag a part-time job at the Daily Planet while attending Met U. Clark, on the other hand, went to Central Kansas University. Chloe had begged him to go to Met U and work at the Daily Planet, but he declined. Lex figured it was because he was needed to help on the farm.

Lana had a more difficult time trying to decide what to do next. She had been accepted to a few nice schools, but that didn't make her decision any easier—far from it.

"It'd make Nell really happy if I went to Met U," Lana confided to Lex over coffee at the Beanery. "She's been wanting me to come live in Metropolis ever since she moved there and now that I'm done with highschool, she says there's no reason for me to stay here."

"Is there?" he asked, looking down at his coffee cup.

Lana gave a sad smile and said, "this is where I grew up. It'll always be home." She looked more thoughtful and added, "there's a lot tying me here."

Lex tried not to get lost in her words. He wanted to tell her to stay. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. He couldn't do that because, whatever her decision, she needed to make it herself.

"What do you want to do?" he asked her carefully.

"I have options like Paris, but..." she shrugged, leaving the sentence hanging.

Lex looked deep into her hazel orbs, staring into the very essence that was Lana Lang. "If you could do anything you want, what would it be?"

"I don't know," she replied. "There's so much I want to do and see. I feel like I'm missing something, sometimes. I feel like I'm not quite whole—like there's a part of me that's missing. It's crazy, I know."

Lana had been unsure of herself since she broke things off with Clark. Lex was worried about her. It was why he hadn't told her how he felt yet.

"No, it's not." It was hard not to reach out and stroke her hand which lay only an inch from his. It was hard not to tell her exactly what he thought. "Lana, whatever it is you're missing—you'll find it. I'm sure."

"I hope you're right, Lex." She held his gaze, smiling that intoxicating smile.

When Lex got home, he found a plain unmarked folder on his desk. Curious, he opened it up and inside found some documents of interest. Reading through them, his brow furrowed. Intrigue made it impossible for him to put them down. Inside the folder was a detailed profile of Clark Kent's adoption. Lex knew his father had helped the Kents with Clark's adoption, but he didn't know the particulars of the situation. According to the papers, the adoption didn't go through any agency; his biological parents were unknown.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Lex demanded, noticing his father standing in the doorway, looking pleased with himself.

"I gave Jonathan Kent my word it would stay between me, him, and Martha," Lionel replied, entering the room confidently. "But, I've decided I can't hold my silence in light of recent events. You of all people deserve to know, Lex. After all, the two of you are friends," he paused a beat. "I wonder what Miss Lang would think about her boyfriend's adoption."

"They're not together anymore."

A smile played on his father's lips. "I'm sure that pleases you."

"What are you talking about, Dad?"

"Come now, Lex. I know you better than you know yourself. It's no secret to me that you have feelings for Lana Lang. You can't hide it."

Lex didn't dare meet his gaze.

"Have you tried telling her?"

"I really don't need romantic advice from you, Dad. Your track record isn't exactly desirous."

Lionel's smile looked a little bit more malicious as he said, "suit yourself, Lex. I'm just trying to help you. It would be in your best interest to let me."

"Is that all?"

"I think we're through here," his father replied, standing up and exiting without another word.

Lex sat back in his seat. He was overcome with emotion and thought. The mysterious events surrounding Clark's adoption just added to a long list of suspicious things about the young man. For some reason, Lex couldn't let it go. Not now.

The next afternoon, Lex had had a long day at the plant. He was tired and needed a drink. Before he entered the library, he paused. Voices could be heard coming from inside. Feeling slightly childish, he leaned against the wall by the crack in the door, listening.

"...the caves," he heard his father's voice say. "Any information you can give me..."

"I'll think about it," Clark replied. "But, what I don't understand is how come you don't want me to tell Lex about this."

Lex tensed at that, his brow furrowed. He held even more still, wanting to know every last syllable that was said.

"Surely you can appreciate why he doesn't need to know. He will be suspicious, obsessive. It'll only complicate matters. This stays between us," Lionel told him, adding delicately, "son."

Before he could entirely wrap his head around what he was hearing, footsteps approached the door and Lex took care to be several feet down the hallway when Clark exited. Too angry and confused to confront him then, Lex simply nodded and entered the study as though nothing was wrong.

As Lex was heading to dinner that night, he ran into Lana, who was just coming to see him. She looked confused.

"Do you have a minute?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"For you, I have all the time in the world. Have a seat," he gestured to the couch and she sat down. He followed en suite and asked, "is everything okay?"

"I...I don't know," she laughed nervously and tucked her hair behind her ears. She decided to simply say it. "Clark wants me back."

"What?"

"Yeah, I'd suspected it for awhile, but tonight he finally told me. He told me what a hard time he was having without me—how much he missed me. He's really good at laying on the guilt."

"And what about you? Do you want to get back together with him?" Lex didn't know if he even wanted that sentence answered. He didn't think he could lose her to Clark again, just when he was feeling there might be hope.

Lana merely furrowed her brow and looked at the fire as though she were imploring it to answer her.

"I saw something today that troubled me," he spoke up when she didn't answer. "Clark and my father—they were having some sort of meeting here."

"What sort of meeting?" Lana asked, disturbed. She never trusted Lionel Luthor.

"I don't know, but they were talking about the caves."

"Why do you think they were talking about the caves?"

"I don't know. I don't really know what to think about it. It sounded like they were working together, though," Lex sighed. Since witnessing Clark and Lionel's conversation, he had become even more suspicious about Clark.

Noting Lex's distress, Lana changed the direction of the conversation back to the original topic. "Well, anyway, I'm not getting back with him. Actually, I think there might be someone else now."

Someone else. Lex's heart began to pound; his mouth felt dry. While he was biding his time, she'd found someone else. He had to stifle an unhappy laugh when he realized he should've known that someone as amazing as Lana wouldn't stay single for long.

"Oh," he felt himself say. There was an awkward beat and he told her quickly, "listen, I hate to do this, but I was on my way out..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hold you up," Lana gave a sad smile. "Go on. I'll be fine."

Sadly, he brushed the hair out of her eyes. Their eyes met and it felt like he was staring into her's for an eternity. In them, he saw Elysium itself and the promise of happiness. Now, he feared it was fading away again.

He felt like a cad as he got up and left her there, going on a long and very fast drive in his Porsche.

Something about driving down the highway way too fast in the dead of night gives a man a different perspective. Inside, he was feeling a depth of bleakness he'd never felt anymore. He was feeling reckless and pissed as hell. He found himself driving toward the Kent's home.

Inside the barn, Lex found Clark in his loft, staring out at the heavens through his telescope.

"Something about the stars never ceases to amaze me," he spoke up, his voice breaking through the silence so abruptly that it actually startled Clark.

"Lex?" he asked, turning around. "What are you doing here?"

"You never cease to amaze me either, Kent." His anger and frustration was apparent in his tone.

"What?"

"You ever meet someone and then find out that they aren't really who you thought they were?" He didn't look at Clark, but instead out the window and up at the starry night.

Clark swallowed, a lump rising in his throat. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel fine," Lex replied. "In fact, I'm feeling pretty damn good." Sarcasm seeped from his words.

"Lex, what is this?"

"I don't know, Clark. You tell me," anger rose in his voice once more. "I'm pretty much honest with you. I don't keep secrets from you, but for a long time now, I can't quite shake the feeling that you're keeping something from me."

"I'm not keeping anything from you."

"Lying isn't your strong suit," Lex stared at him hard. "You make it a practice to have secret meetings with my father?"

"What?" Clark tried to play it cool; both he and Lex knew he was failing miserably.

"I saw you," Lex replied. "You were talking about the caves, I believe. Mind telling me why?"

"Lex, you don't know what you're talking about?"

Clark swallowed again. He'd put up his defenses. "Don't preach about honesty, Lex. There's something you haven't exactly been honest with me about."

"What's that?"

"Lana."

Lex froze momentarily, but he regained his composure. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Come off it, Lex. I know you want her. She's left me and I can't help but think it's partly your doing. I know how close you are."

"Clark, I had nothing to do with Lana leaving you. You brought it upon yourself. You're not honest with her or anybody else. It's only driving those close to you further away."

Clark's fists were clenched, he turned away and said, "Leave."

Lex shrugged. "I guess you can only take so much truth at a time, right?"

Lex wasn't proud of the shouting match, but it was liberating. He felt a savage satisfaction in knowing that Clark blamed Lana breaking up with him on him. The confrontation had been a long time coming and he couldn't wait to see what move Clark would make next.