Jonathon woke up abruptly to the sound of the door opening. He had sat up worrying about Clark when the guards came to take him but eventually he gave in to his exhaustion and drifted off. Now he cursed himself for sleeping when he saw the look of complete devastation on Clark's face. When he saw Lex Luthor enter through the door of the room he saw red.
"I should have known you would be involved in this Lex. If you hurt Clark so help me-" His words were cut short with the realization that Lex was not entering the room of his own free will. As Lex got closer Jonathon could see the blood on his chin, the open robe exposing him and his bound behind his back.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence Mr.Kent. Glad to see your opinion of me hasn't changed." Lex replied sarcastically.
Jonathon watched as the men lead Lex and Clark into the room and fastened them both to the restraints attached to the wall. The guards only said enough to get the job done and promptly left the room.
"Clark, are you okay son."
"Yeah dad I'm ok."
"Lex, I owe you an apology." Jonathon said as he turned his attention across to the other wall.
"It's okay Mr.Kent, actually you weren't entirely wrong. It is my fault Clark is here. This is all my fault." Lex's eyes started to water as he turned his face from Jonathon's stare.
"What are you talking about?" Jonathon gently asked.
"My father," Lex started slowly and quietly ashamed to be admitting his situation out loud especially to someone like Jonathon, "he found out about Clark and he is using my friendship with him to force me into marriage."
"Lex, why didn't you tell me?" Clark asked.
"Why didn't I tell you?" Lex chocked out with a mixture of shock and laughter. "Why didn't you tell me? All those years. All that time. All the times you rescued me. All the times I stared into your eyes asking for the truth and you didn't tell me." Lex's words were turning angry now as he continued his rambling. "I asked you Clark. How many times did I ask for the truth as my friend? How many times did you look me in the eye and lie to me?"
"Lex I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. I did. But I was worried someone would use it against you. Guess I wasn't too far off."
"Okay boys just settle down. The important thing is that we are here and for now we are all okay." Jonathon chimed in.
"We're not okay Mr.Kent. We are far from being okay. You have no idea the lengths that my father will go to ensure that his will prevails."
"Just calm down and tell me exactly what he is doing."
Lex didn't even have the ability to wipe the tears off his cheeks because his hands were still tied behind his back and then to the wall behind him. He sniffed and took a few deep breaths to gather his composure. "My dad has photos of Clark and his abilities," he shot a look towards Clark, "he told me his plans for him if I didn't do what he wanted. He said he would expose Clark's secret and implicate him in a series of crimes until he was captured and experimented on. He also said he would have you and Martha arrested for harboring an alien."
"What does your father want you to do Lex?" Jonathon prodded.
Lex took another deep breath and looked away from Jonathon again. "He told me in order to protect Clark and his secret I have to get married tomorrow, move back to Metropolis and sign over Lexcorp to him."
"Lex-" Clark started his voice showing the surprise he felt.
"I am supposed to give him a grandson. God only knows what will happen after that."
"Oh Lex, this is all my fault. What are you going to do?"
"Well Clark, I don't have much of a choice do I?" Lex shot back.
"So what just happened upstairs then?" Jonathon interjected.
Clark and Lex both looked at each other briefly and Lex cut in, "It was my father's way of reminding me of my place."
"How?"
Clark remained silent obviously acknowledging Lex's ability to lie better than his own. He knew his father would see right through his attempt at a lie.
"He brought Clark up and introduced him to my fiancé and made him watch as she secured her position of authority shall we say." It wasn't a lie really it was just a condensed version of the story that left out some important details. It seemed enough to satisfy Jonathon for the meantime.
Lex turned his attention yet again to Clark. "I'm sorry you had to be part of that Clark. I promise it will be the last time."
"What do you mean Lex? You can't promise something like that. You can't predict what your father is going to do next."
"Yes I can." Lex mumbled almost to himself. Then louder he added, "Don't you see Clark, my father always wins. He is going to get what he wants and he won't care how he gets it. I can't fight him any more."
"Lex, you have to. You can't let him rule your life because of me." Clark protested.
"Really Clark. Is that what you really think." Lex laughed again, "Boy are you naïve. You obviously don't know my father."
"So what? That's it then. You're going to give up and fall into the life he has laid out for you?"
"Yes." Came the definite answer. "I am."
"Then what? What happens to us Lex. We're still here. He won't let us go just because you do what he tells you to do." Clark shouted at Lex getting frustrated with the conversation and the situation they were all in.
"No he won't but I think we both know what will happen if I don't. I can help make your arrangement with my father easier or harder than it needs to be. I can't live with myself knowing that I was the cause of any more pain for you. I don't think that I will be able to forgive myself for what just happened let alone be the cause of something like that happening again."
"Lex," Jonathon interrupted, "You can't take on the responsibilities of Clark's powers. Martha and I have helped Clark carry them for his whole life and I know that the burden is sometimes to heavy to bear alone. You need to get out of this while you still can. You can't allow your father to manipulate you into this marriage. Clark and I will deal with the fall out from your father."
Lex laughed, "That's very noble of you Mr. Kent but I'm afraid it isn't that easy. You see contrary to what you and your family think, I value my friendship with Clark and I would give my life to protect the one true friendship that I have. Even though Clark has lied to me, he has also given me a good many things no one else in my life ever afforded me."
"Lex don't do this." Clark tried again.
"It's too late Clark it's already done, my mind is made up. Like I told you Clark, my father always wins."