Oh my goodness, guys. I'm so sorry this took so long. This chapter was just really hard for me to write. I'm not sure I'll be following the show beat for beat from now on.. hopefully people don't mind too much! Hopefully the next chapter will have a bit more going on..

Thanks to those who reviewed! It helps more than you know!

Anon. Reviews:

Guest: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking it! :)

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The doctor hummed as the reading came in. Peyton fidgeted on the sofa, trying to cut her eyes enough to see the screen even if she couldn't make sense of what it was showing.

"Incredible," the doctor murmured.

She looked up to Lex, but he was staring at the same screen the doctor was. She couldn't tell by his expression if he understood what he was looking at or not. Peyton cleared her throat.

"So? What's the verdict?"

"You've recently experienced a head trauma," the doctor said. She nodded.

"I have a concussion."

The doctor nodded in return and pointed at spots on a screen that she couldn't fully see.

"I see the bruising," he said. Peyton wasn't sure how that was possible. Just what sort of device was hooked up to her head? "Right there is where we were getting little to no signs of activity before. But now the area seems to be functioning normally. And here," the doctor pointed at another spot, "her consciousness, if you will, is no longer unstable."

Her brow furrowed as she started to rub at her knuckles.

"What does that mean," she asked. "Will I, um… go back to how I was before?"

"I can't say for sure." The doctor signaled that they were done with the examination and gently began to peel the sticky pads from Peyton's temples. "The brain is the world's most complex computer, and we still don't fully understand it. Your case is especially unique. Actually, I think that, ironically, the concussion might have helped you. The bruises are surrounding the part of your brain that was previously unstable. It's almost like they might have flipped a switch, if you'll excuse my metaphor."

Peyton held up a hand, halting the doctor as her face went cold.

"Are you saying that, in your professional opinion, my current state is probably-probably… permanent?"

The doctor smiled softly, confusing her rising panic for shocked relief.

"As far as I can tell, yes."

Breathing in sharply, she stood as the doctor blinked in surprise. She moved to exit the room, not sure that she would be able to hold herself together and Lex shifted to intercept her. He held out an arm, catching her around the waist, and pulled her close as he leaned down.

"You ok?"

"I don't know."

But she was shaking her head and pulling on her bottom lip with her teeth. Lex looked back up to the doctor.

"Thank you Dr. Cornwell," he said. "I'll call you if we need you again."

Dr. Cornwell finished packing up his equipment and gave a small dip of his head as he exited the office. Peyton shook in Lex's arms.

The room was silent save for Peyton's breathing for several long moments. Her mind was whirring, buzzing, scrambling for an alternate explanation than what she'd just been given.

"He said he thinks it's permanent," she said flatly.

Lex's fingers tightened at her waist momentarily and then loosened again.

"He did," he agreed. She couldn't read his voice. Couldn't tell how he felt about the situation. He just sounded calm. Pulled together.

Peyton closed her eyes and tried to center herself.

When she opened her eyes again and looked up at Lex, she felt a bit more grounded. There was still a wild fear churning in her stomach, but at least she could keep it from spreading across her face.

"I'm not going to freak out," she said. The statement was mostly aimed at herself. "I'm not going to get sick."

Lex's expression twisted up in amusement.

"I appreciate that."

She blinked widely up at him and his expression sobered.

"Do you think he might be right? Do you think hitting my head might've done something?"

"He's more qualified to make that assessment than I am," Lex said. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. You're still here right now."

The "waiting and seeing" part was what she had the most problem with. She had no control over that, of course, but it was the most alarming bit. Just how long did she have to wait? And just how long could she be here before she figured out she may not be going home?

She was a bit startled to find herself once again being held and comforted by Lex. Peyton delicately broke away and stepped back. It wasn't a good idea to let herself get close to him. Or, rather, closer to him if she planned on getting back home without additional trauma.

Shooting him an apologetic look, she rubbed at her arm and cleared her throat.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I just- I think I'm just trying to not go crazy after the last couple weeks."

"Hey, as long as you're here I'm going to help the best I can. You're not going crazy, not if I can help it."

Peyton laughed and it felt like she was trying to expel some of her stress by doing so.

"What would I do without you?"

Lex's lips curved up marginally.

"What do you say we check out the factory I've been assigned to oversee until I've served my sentence?"

He held out his hand for her to grab and Peyton hesitated. Her eyes went from his outstretched fingers to his face. Just for a second she could see a flash of the young boy she'd known before. Just a flash of the fear of rejection that flickered through his eyes. Peyton sighed internally and her lips twisted in a rueful look. She accepted his hand and raised a brow sardonically as she looked up at him.

"A sentence, huh," she mused. "I think it sounds like a normal day the office."

[]

It was a fertilizer factory. Peyton should have guessed. What else was she really expecting from a small farming town in who-knows-where Kansas?

She stepped out of Lex's too-expensive-for-this-town two door and wrinkled her nose at the smell. A series of large building spread out across the plot of land that was surrounded by fencing and nothing else. Lex was greeted by a few higher management employees who had obviously been expecting him and Peyton trailed behind a bit, uncertain.

The employees shifted uneasily on their feet and fiddled with their clipboards as they performed introductions with Lex. She supposed she'd be nervous too if she had to meet the guy whose name was on the building.

Peyton smiled thinly when Lex introduced her and nodded politely at the workers. They were probably wondering why she was tagging along at all, but were too intimidated to say anything about it. At least she'd be curious as to why a strange girl was joining the tour.

But Lex made sure that she was nearby as they went along and Peyton made herself actually listen to what was being said. It was a larger operation than she had experience with, but she still knew business and was able to follow along well enough.

It was like a switch had been flipped in Lex. He was all business and professional and Peyton watched as he studied the factory. Asked questions. There were practically visible gears turning in his head. Her admiration for him grew slightly. Not only was he willing to share his wealth, but he was also willing to put in the work to make sure the factory was efficient and fair.

And he obviously wasn't thrilled to even be here if he referred to overseeing all this as a "sentence".

By the time they were finished with the tour it had grown dark outside. Although she would never admit it, she was still suffering from that headache she'd never taken pills for.

They got back to Lex's car and when she noted the reasonable speed he was maintaining, she shot Lex a smarmy look.

"Hey, maybe if you hit that bridge again it'll send me home."

He turned towards her and looked less than amused as he turned a bend in the road.

"Not a chance." Peyton laughed and patted his shoulder lightly.

"I'm kidding."

The moon was fully out as they drove down blacktop roads and passed nothing but rolling farmland. And corn. Lots and lots of corn. Peyton wasn't exactly impressed.

"Can you at least telecommute," she asked, breaking the silence that had cradled them. "Or are you just going to have to take a lot of showers?"

"What's the matter? Don't like this country-fresh Smallville air?" He grinned at her and Peyton rolled her eyes.

"I've never exactly been a country girl. Not really my aesthetic."

They were passing yet another cornfield when a figure appeared out of the stalks. Lex hit the brakes and Peyton had a brief "not again!" moment. But the car stopped safely and the kid hadn't been hit. Lex was turned and staring out the window at the boy. The intensity with which he was doing so was concerning her.

"Lex?"

He was too focused to hear her. Throwing open his door he stood in the middle of the road and continued to eye the kid.

"Hey!"

Peyton got out of the car on her side and caught the kid give Lex a snide smirk before he disappeared again. Lex ran to pop open the trunk and get out a flashlight that must have been for emergencies. Peyton followed after him as he chased the teen into the corn. She felt like this sort of thing was the start of a lot of horror movies, but didn't have the time to mention it. She pushed away stalks of corn taller than even Lex as she made sure to stay close. The last thing they needed was to be separated in the dark. There was no sign of the odd teen they'd seen on the road. Peyton wondered if he'd just hidden at the edge of the field until they'd passed.

And then they stumbled into a sort of clearing in the field and Peyton audibly gasped. There was a boy strung up like a scarecrow. And not just any boy.

"Help. Me."

"Clark," Lex said. Shock was clear in his voice. He passed Peyton the flashlight and she pointed it while Lex untied Clark.

Clark looked weak, as if he'd been hanging out here for some time, a thin sheet of sweat covered his body. Someone had painted a red "S" on his chest with what looked like paint.

"Who did this to you," he demanded. Clark shook his head weakly.

"Doesn't matter." Peyton scowled, aghast.

"Of course it does!"

Clark fell from the post he'd been strapped to and caught himself just before he face-planted it.

"Oh!" She was too late to catch him, but she still jerked forward in surprise as if she were about to try.

"Clark," Lex tried again, but Clark was quick to run over and scoop up a bundle of clothes and rapidly put them on.

"I'm fine," he reassured.

"Let me at least give you a ride."

"It's freezing out here," Peyton agreed. "It's not a problem, Clar-"

He was already gone, disappearing into the corn like the first boy. Peyton let out a huffy breath and ran her fingers through her hair. Two times in as many days they'd run into that boy now. And in such unusual circumstances.

"What the heck?" Peyton lifted her eyes to Lex, a disturbed expression marring her face. "What kind of backwards, hick, hazing-"

But once more something had his attention. Peyton directed the flashlight to whatever it was. He bent down near where Clark had fallen and picked something up off the ground.

"What is it?"

Up in the light it sparkled. A decent sized green gem was carved into a sort of diamond shaped bead and it hung on a delicate silver chain. Peyton raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't strike me as a jewelry kind of guy."

"I don't think it's his," Lex said. He pocketed the necklace and then turned back to her. He glanced briefly out at the dark shadows cast by cornstalks, and then noted the visible air around her face as she breathed out. "You're right about it being cold. Come on, let's get back to the car."

They trekked back through the corn and Peyton mulled over the idea of meeting Clark again in such another terrible way.

"We either caught this kid on a bad week, or he gives his mother a heart attack on a daily basis."

Lex chuckled quietly.

"Something tells me it's the latter."

[]

She woke up in the mansion again the next morning and something in her cracked. The doctor's haunting words kept circling around her thoughts and she had a sinking, horrible suspicion that he might have been right.

In the kitchen she started a pot of coffee and leaned against the counter as she stared into space. Was this it? Had that car wreck truly damned her? She propped herself up on her elbows and ran her fingers over her scalp and through her hair. Her bangs were mussed on her forehead from the act and she let out a slow breath.

"One minute at a time. Just get through the next minute."

The sound of a slowing water stream caught her ears and Peyton looked over to see that the coffee had finally finished brewing. Pulling a mug from the cabinet she'd seen Lex go to the previous day, she poured herself a cup and blew on it before taking a long sip.

She stood there awhile, sipping at her coffee, before she heard clipping footsteps enter

the kitchen. Lex was already dressed in a sharp black suit with white button up. Peyton raised her mug in his direction.

"There's coffee."

He nodded silently and moved to pour himself a cup.

If this was how it was going to be now, she had to start making plans. It felt like tearing muscle from bone to think like that, but Peyton couldn't ignore what was happening. If this had been a situation like every other time, she would have already been home. But it wasn't. She'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now she had to deal with it.

Peyton took a deep, shuddering breath as quietly as she could and wiped at her eyes before turning away from the counter.

"So, going out today?" Her voice was falsely light and she tilted her head, clearing her throat as she hoped he didn't notice.

He studied her for a moment, taking in her expression and body language with sharp eyes.

"There's a carnival being put on in town today," he said slowly. "I thought it might be fun to go, if you're up for it. How are you holding up?"

The thin smile she gave him probably wasn't entirely convincing, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

"I'm alright," she said. "I think that sounds fun. Just, uh, let me get ready really quick."

He watched her as she sat down her nearly empty mug and left the room; she could feel his gaze. She wasn't completely sure if it made her feel more comforted or nervous.

Seeing as how Lex found it appropriate to wear a suit to a carnival, Peyton opted to go for a nicer casual. There were some decent dresses in the other girl's wardrobe, and she picked out a light colored, summery dress that wouldn't look entirely out of place where they were headed.

He was in his office when she finished getting ready and went back downstairs. She smoothed out the front of her dress and fiddled with her bangs before she cleared her throat. Lex was standing with his back to her, staring out the large stained glass windows that overlooked the manicured lawn outside. He turned when he heard her and Peyton waved awkwardly.

"Hopefully it's not too much," she said as she gestured to the dress when she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"You look perfect." Peyton wrinkled her nose at the statement as he moved closer. "Are you sure you're alright with going though? I know this must be hard on you."

That was true.

A large part of her was still considering slinking back up to her given room and hiding under the comforter until she was able to convince herself that she was dreaming like she'd first thought. But she knew she'd only sink lower from there. And, really, she still wasn't certain that her stay here was permanent! It hadn't been that long yet.

She couldn't fall into a hopeless depression yet.

So she forced another smile and reminded herself to take one minute at a time.

"I think it'll be good to get out."

Lex smiled softly.

"Alright," he said. "Then, shall we?"

[]

The carnival was a small, quaint thing. It looked like it had been plucked straight out of a Hallmark film and dropped in the real world. Peyton walked by Lex's side as she took it all in. The air here smelled more like hay and fried food than fertilizer, which she was grateful for. The whole thing actually held a certain charm and Peyton let her shoulders relax a bit.

"This is cute," she admitted.

"Yeah? You like it?"

"It's like a weird mix of fair and farmer's market. What's not to like?"

Lex chuckled as they strolled through the booths.

The predominate colors of yellow and red lent a cheerful air to the event. Peyton let the warm sun hit her skin and emptied her mind of all except what was happening at that immediate moment.

Even though she'd tried to pick a more casual dress, she was aware that she and Lex stood out among the local crowd. Why he'd thought a suit, even sans tie, was appropriate for a fair she couldn't fathom. But the local people were a mass of flannel button ups and denim jeans. Peyton made a mental note to scour the closet at Lex's mansion for other clothes.

"Hey, isn't that Clark?"

Peyton pointed to the dark haired teen who was loading produce into the back of an old truck. Lex perked up. "That boy is everywhere."

"Seems like it," said Lex. "Maybe I should go talk to him."

"You should. It'd probably be good for him to open up to someone." She pointed to a few booths selling trinkets. "I'll just be checking this place out."

Lex smiled in thanks and squeezed her shoulder briefly.

"Don't get lost."

Peyton rolled her eyes.

She watched him walk up behind Clark at the truck and start talking and then turned to go on her way.

There wasn't anything she was particularly interested in, didn't technically have money anyway, but she enjoyed just walking and looking.

She was looking at some beaded necklaces when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, excuse me."

A red-headed woman held up her hands and laughed.

"No harm done," she said. "I was probably a bit too close. But it's actually busy here today."

Peyton smiled. The woman seemed kind, motherly, in the way that was instantly disarming.

"I'll have to take your word on that."

"Oh, are you not from around here?"

"What gave me away?" Peyton laughed. The woman chuckled in reply and held out her hand.

"I'm Martha Kent," she said. Peyton's eyes widened as she shook her hand.

"Peyton Woods. Would you be Clark Kent's mother, by any chance?"

Martha's entire demeanor brightened as love shone through her eyes.

"Yes, I am. You've already met him?"

Peyton rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I, uh, actually I'm one of the people he saved the other day. From the car crash."

Martha's expression bloomed in sudden understanding.

"Oh! You're with the Luthor boy; Lex. I'm so glad you're both ok."

"I'm glad your son is ok," Peyton insisted. "I was so horrified. And then, if he hadn't been there…."

She put a hand on Peyton's shoulder and Peyton sighed.

"You have an amazing son, Mrs. Kent."

"I think so."

Her gaze drifted off in the direction where Clark was before she frowned. Peyton looked over just in time to see Clark shake his head and walk away. Lex watched him go, taking a bite out of an apple as he did so. When she looked back Martha was eyeing her.

"So, you and Lex. Are you two-"

Peyton coughed nervously into her hand.

"Oh, um, well- see that's, uh-"

"Sorry! Right, none of my business."

"That's not-"

Lex approached them just as she was saying,

"It's complicated."

"What's complicated?"

She made a face at Martha and the woman quickly jumped in.

"Your arrival in Smallville," she said. "And you must be Lex. I'm Martha Kent."

His eyes widened momentarily at hearing her last name, but he didn't hesitate to shake the hand she offered him first. He actually seemed a bit surprised by it.

"Mrs. Kent, again, I apologize for-"

But Martha only smiled and gave his hand a squeeze.

"No one was seriously hurt," she said. "It's over now."

Lex's expression transitioned to a grateful smile, and he moved his hand to rest on Peyton's shoulder, pulling her closer. Martha raised an eyebrow and Peyton pressed her lips together momentarily.

"Well if there's anything you ever need, just let me know. I'm indebted to your son."

Martha only spared a look that said the gesture was unnecessary. Peyton was very aware of how Lex was presenting the two of them in a public place.

She'd have to talk to him about that later.

"It was lovely to meet you, Mrs. Kent," she said.

"Hopefully we'll meet again sometime. Smallville isn't that big of a town, after all."

[]

They split from Martha Kent and Lex still didn't put distance between them. Peyton tolerated it for a moment, waiting to see how long he'd keep up the act. But he seemed content. And while she could admit the gesture felt… nice… she couldn't let herself venture to those places here.

She needed to get home.

She didn't need attachments. And she didn't want to hurt him by allowing him to foster any. Peyton skipped ahead a few paces, grabbing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze before letting go.

"So, I'm guessing Clark didn't open up."

Lex frowned.

"Not exactly. He was a bit secretive."

"Probably embarrassed," Peyton pointed out. "Imagine getting caught like that. It's humiliating; poor kid. High school can be rough and teens are nasty."

Lex quirked an eyebrow playfully.

"Tell me their names," he said. Peyton laughed.

"Good luck reaching them."

They stayed at the carnival awhile longer, enjoying some time outdoors and viewing the different stalls. He was persistent in his attempts to stay close to her. It was probably still the concussion's fault that she was so irritated with his efforts to foil her plans.

When the sun and the noise grew too much for her, they returned to the mansion. Peyton changed out of the dress into jeans and a blouse and meandered back into Lex's office. He hadn't returned quite yet, and she paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, trying to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say in the least offensive way possible.

She still didn't want to believe that she was going to be separated from her family forever. She wanted to believe that Lex could help her find a way back. But that may take time. Probably some money. And if she wanted it to happen, she was going to have to step up and take some action.

Peyton stopped in her tracks and looked up when she heard footsteps. Lex had changed as well and was walking in from a side door, examining that necklace he'd found in the light. She cocked her head and cleared her throat. Lex lowered the necklace and turned, smiling at her.

"Hey."

"Hey." Peyton rubbed at her arm and pursed her lips nervously. Lex noticed and his smile dimmed. "Can we, uh, can we talk a second?"

She sat on one of the couches and looked up to him.

"It's nothing terrible, I promise."

Lex didn't look like he believed her.

"I can't remember one conversation that's gone well after starting like that."

Peyton held up a finger.

"Touche. But I promise. It's a logistical issue at worst."

Lex pressed his lips together as he sat opposite her. He sat and rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

"Ok, I'll bite," he said. "What's been bothering you. Besides the obvious?"

Peyton wasn't sure how to feel about the idea that he could already read her that easily. And she really wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that she knew he wasn't going to pleased with what she said next.