"Clark!" Lex called as he walked into the bedroom.

Clark looked up expectantly from the book he was reading at the sound of his friend's voice. "What's up, Lex?"

Lex stood at the end of the bed, his face a mask of seriousness. "Chloe never made it to your parent's farm."

Clark completely set aside the book he'd been reading and gave Lex his full attention. "What?"

"It's exactly what I said: She never made it."

Clark shifted so he was straight up against the headboard. "What happened to stop her?"

"She was found on route 60, shot."

Clark's eyes went impossibly wide and his jaw dropped. The color that had been returning to his cheeks vanished. "Is she...alive?"

"Yes," Lex replied quickly. "Yes, and she's going to be alight, but, Clark, you know this means that Jason is still determined."

"Did you really think he'd give up?" Clark asked seriously.

Lex looked at him with slight annoyance. "What aren't you getting here? You've got a psychopath after you and you're being this nonchalant about it?"

Clark swallowed. "He doesn't know where I am. And you've got security."

"Clark, my security stinks. We both know that. Just about everyone who's ever wanted to kill me has gotten passed it. And as for him not knowing where you are-come on, Clark, be smarter than that. He suspects me. Where do you think he's going to suspect you're hiding?"

Clark swallowed. "You have a plan?"

Lex shook his head. "Not yet, but I want you in some room of the castle that's less conspicuous."

Clark glanced around briefly before returning his gaze to Lex's face and nodding. "Yeah, ok."

"And even though it's probably a death sentence, I'm calling your parents."

Clark smiled softly and whispered, "Yeah."

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

The new room where he was nice, and the entrance to it was hidden behind a bookcase. Lex called it the perks of an old Scottish castle. Clark called it a hidden passage.

Its walls were a creamy yellow and its floors were hardwood. It was a fairly small space-small enough that it wasn't obvious to the unpracticed eye that there was a hidden room there if they were to look from the outside. Clark's only complaint was that its window was small. He assumed that was because the place had to pass for a storage area from the outside of the castle.

The bed here was smaller, but was still certainly suitable. There was no bathroom though, so Lex had instructed him to carefully scan with his x-ray vision before even considering leaving the room.

So far everything was running smoothly. Lex had called only a few hours earlier to tell him that Chloe might be out of the hospital as early as the next day, and Lex was off talking to his parents at that very minute. It they could just find Jason things might have a chance of going back to normal.

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

Lex knocked on the door of the Kent farm. He felt a little guilty since he hadn't been updating them on their son as much as he certainly should have. But then again, he had been quite busy making sure said son was alright.

He heard the muffled grumblings of Jonathan Kent as well as the faint sound of his crutches hitting the floor before the door opened in front of him. When Jonathan saw who is was his face went from shock, to relief, to anger.

"Where the Hell have you been, Lex? Where is my son?"

"He's at my mansion, Mr. Kent. He's alright, but Jason is still unaccounted for. Frankly, my coming to you could get you in more danger than you already are."

Jonathan's jaw clenched as he growled, "He's my son, Lex. There is no danger too great for me to face to insure my child's well-being."

Lex nodded. "I know. Is Mrs. Kent home as well?"

"Yes," he replied before he turned around and called, "Martha!"

It was about a minute before the soft thump of socked feet could be heard coming down the stairs. Martha Kent looked a little worse for the ware. Her face was paler and more drawn than Lex remembered and she appeared to have lost weight. She looked older.

"Where's my son?" she asked as soon as she saw Lex.

"At my mansion," he assured her. "I want you and Mr. Kent to come tonight, but there are some things you should know first."

Jonathan put an arm around his wife's waist protectively. Both looked to Lex expectantly. "Alright," Jonathan said a long last.

"Clark's been tortured beyond what anyone should have to endure. He is doing remarkably well, but I don't think scars like that just disappear overnight. It's possible that he's keeping it together because he's trying to be strong. I just want you to be prepared."

Both of the Kents nodded. "We'll do whatever it takes," Martha assured him.

"Anything," Jonathan seconded her. "Anything at all."

Lex nodded solemnly before turning and heading down the steps. Over his shoulder he called, "Tonight then. Come by the back entrance."

None of them noticed the small recording device on the porch.

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

Sometime around eleven PM the Kents pulled up to the back entrance of Luthor mansion. They parked their truck and hurriedly went inside. Lex had left the door unlocked for them.

Once they were inside they were immediately met by a servant. "Mr. Luthor has given orders that you are to come with me," the woman told them politely.

Martha and Jonathan exchanged an undecipherable look but followed. The woman led them down winding corridor after winding corridor until both Kents were so thoroughly lost that they didn't think they could ever find their way out.

The servant finally stopped in front of a bookshelf. "No offence ma'am, but that doesn't really look like-" Jonathan started to say. He was cut short by Martha's whispered, "Shhh."

A moment later the servant pushed the bookcase aside, revealing an actual door. The then servant inserted a key into the lock and turned it, opening the door.

Both parents were slightly shocked and incredibly relieved by what lay before them. Their son-their baby who had been missing for too long-was lying on his stomach in bed, fast asleep. The very untouchable Lex Luthor was sitting beside him, his hand gently rubbing his back. There were tears on Clark's cheeks and before Lex could sufficiently mask his expression, both Jonathan and Martha saw the intense look of worry and concern on the man's face.

"Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent," he greeted them, stepping away from Clark.

Martha appeared not to hear him for she hurried passed him to her son. Jonathan spared him a confused glance before going to his son's side as well. "Clark," Martha whispered, not waking him yet, but only stroking the hair out of his face. She looked up at Lex. The worry was evident in every line of her face. "He's crying-why?" she managed to say.

Lex looked at her sadly. "I warned you that things might not be normal," he told them.

"But he-he's crying!"

Lex nodded and pity bloomed on his face. "He always does unless someone's right with him. Tonight he even cried with me here-not that he's ever aware of it and no one tells him that he's been crying when he wakes up. Although, Clark's a smart boy; I'm sure he knows, but pride doesn't let him say so."

"Jonathan," Martha muttered, glancing down at her son again, looking heartbroken.

"I know, sweetheart, but Clark's strong. He'll be alright."

She nodded and sat down on the bed. "Honey," she murmured. "Baby, wake up."

As gently as she could she pulled Clark into her lap. His eyes began to flutter open as she began to stroke his hair lovingly. "M-Mom?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, baby, it's me-and Dad too."

Clark looked around and smiled before sitting up. "You looked worried," he said softly, a small smile still gracing his lips.

"Clark, son, we didn't know-you-we didn't know if we'd see you again."

"I'm not that easy to kill," he said with a laugh. "And Lex's is awfully determined when he wants to be." He glance passed his parents and gave Lex a smile. Holding Lex's eyes, he said, "He doesn't like to fail."

Lex smiled back and turned to leave the room. The Kents let him go, desperate for some family time after all that had happened. Once Lex was gone, Jonathan immediately asked, "Are you alright, son?"

Clark nodded. "I'll be OK, Dad. I mean no one really wants to be dissected, but it's over and-"

"Jason's still at large," his mother reminded him.

"Yes, son," Jonathan added. "I don't want you taking this lightly."

Clark nodded, but looked as though he were desperately trying to block out the subject of discussion. "Ok," he said softly.

Martha and Jonathan shared a look of concern before Martha went back to simply holding her baby close as her husband sat beside them on the bed, both of them rubbing their son's back in a gesture of pure parental love.