Lex's first instinct was to grip the towel more tightly, as Martha continued to stare at him and Clark stood in the doorway, eyes wide. Realizing the delay in responding had confirmed her suspicion--and even more, realizing that he did not want to lie to her--he nodded.
"Mrs. Kent." Clark's eyes grew wider still, and he seemed ready to start asking questions. "If you'll excuse me while I change, I'd actually rather like to explain."
She nodded and entered, eyes and demeanor still wary. Clark followed Lex into the bedroom and Lex said, quickly, "I'd trust her with my life, Clark."
"Which is exactly what you're doing, Lex! Mine, too, in case you hadn't noticed. We'd better get out of here. I can--"
"Clark, it's all right." Lex finished pulling a shirt over his head. "She's...she's like Mom." He knew that was the most effective card he could play, and Clark, as he had hoped, became slightly mollified. Clark followed him out to the living room, where Martha was occupying as little as possible of the sofa while still technically being seated.
Her eyes were still cool and watchful and when he smiled, trying to put her and himself at ease, she didn't respond. "Mrs. Kent, this is a very odd situation and the explanation isn't very plausible, but you must believe me."
"You're leading some kind of double life," she said, flatly.
His smile became genuine as he let himself be amused by the inadvertant accuracy. "In a literal sense, yes. I'm really Lex Luthor. My father is impersonating me. He faked his own death and Clark's."
"Why?"
Lex sighed. "Clark...has extraordinary abilities." He sensed Clark's stiffening and added, quickly, "As, I've noticed, appear fairly often in Smallville. Our father, against Clark's will, began to exploit those, which is how he was able to rejuvenate his appearance. We had to run away." Leaning forward, he continued, "Mrs. Kent, I have to ask you to keep this a secret. If our father finds us..."
Her eyes had softened slightly. "What were you wearing when we first met?"
Lex chuckled. "A fair share of mud and water. A sports coat, I can't remember what else. We argued about morality and you invited me for dinner."
She smiled and Lex was astonished at how thoroughly relief flooded through him, leaving him limp and almost dizzy. "Lift up your shirt," she directed.
Not quite sure where she was heading with this, Lex ignored Clark's start and obediently raised it. Martha leaned forward and nodded. "All right, I recognize the scar."
"I'm surprised."
"Jonathan has one in almost the same place, so I remembered it." Lex deliberately ignored Clark's onset of blinking.
"I know, it is hard to believe, but..." Lex raised his hands and let them fall. Clark, he noticed, was still working on the possible implications of Martha's recognizing the scar.
"It makes more sense than you might think." Her eyes and voice were as warm as he remembered them. "We both wondered how that accident had affected you. Jon and I both expected more of the Lex Luthor we knew, you see."
"Thank you," he said, simply. He couldn't think of anything else to say and felt certain that she would understand how much her words had meant.
Clark filled the silence. "Kent? Is there where you got the name?"
Lex smiled, quickly. "It was the closest I could get to the opposite of 'Luthor.'" After a second's thought, he decided to be merciful. "Jonathan Kent dragged me out of the river and gave me a change of clothes. That's how she recognized the scar."
Clark tried to look as though he had no idea why Lex was smirking.
"Mrs. Kent." Clark's eyes grew wider still, and he seemed ready to start asking questions. "If you'll excuse me while I change, I'd actually rather like to explain."
She nodded and entered, eyes and demeanor still wary. Clark followed Lex into the bedroom and Lex said, quickly, "I'd trust her with my life, Clark."
"Which is exactly what you're doing, Lex! Mine, too, in case you hadn't noticed. We'd better get out of here. I can--"
"Clark, it's all right." Lex finished pulling a shirt over his head. "She's...she's like Mom." He knew that was the most effective card he could play, and Clark, as he had hoped, became slightly mollified. Clark followed him out to the living room, where Martha was occupying as little as possible of the sofa while still technically being seated.
Her eyes were still cool and watchful and when he smiled, trying to put her and himself at ease, she didn't respond. "Mrs. Kent, this is a very odd situation and the explanation isn't very plausible, but you must believe me."
"You're leading some kind of double life," she said, flatly.
His smile became genuine as he let himself be amused by the inadvertant accuracy. "In a literal sense, yes. I'm really Lex Luthor. My father is impersonating me. He faked his own death and Clark's."
"Why?"
Lex sighed. "Clark...has extraordinary abilities." He sensed Clark's stiffening and added, quickly, "As, I've noticed, appear fairly often in Smallville. Our father, against Clark's will, began to exploit those, which is how he was able to rejuvenate his appearance. We had to run away." Leaning forward, he continued, "Mrs. Kent, I have to ask you to keep this a secret. If our father finds us..."
Her eyes had softened slightly. "What were you wearing when we first met?"
Lex chuckled. "A fair share of mud and water. A sports coat, I can't remember what else. We argued about morality and you invited me for dinner."
She smiled and Lex was astonished at how thoroughly relief flooded through him, leaving him limp and almost dizzy. "Lift up your shirt," she directed.
Not quite sure where she was heading with this, Lex ignored Clark's start and obediently raised it. Martha leaned forward and nodded. "All right, I recognize the scar."
"I'm surprised."
"Jonathan has one in almost the same place, so I remembered it." Lex deliberately ignored Clark's onset of blinking.
"I know, it is hard to believe, but..." Lex raised his hands and let them fall. Clark, he noticed, was still working on the possible implications of Martha's recognizing the scar.
"It makes more sense than you might think." Her eyes and voice were as warm as he remembered them. "We both wondered how that accident had affected you. Jon and I both expected more of the Lex Luthor we knew, you see."
"Thank you," he said, simply. He couldn't think of anything else to say and felt certain that she would understand how much her words had meant.
Clark filled the silence. "Kent? Is there where you got the name?"
Lex smiled, quickly. "It was the closest I could get to the opposite of 'Luthor.'" After a second's thought, he decided to be merciful. "Jonathan Kent dragged me out of the river and gave me a change of clothes. That's how she recognized the scar."
Clark tried to look as though he had no idea why Lex was smirking.