This is the end of Monsters in Smallville. The next story in the series will be quite a bit longer and it will involve some new monsters and some actual meteor-infected people. Thank you for reading and for following this story. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Chapter 9

Pyrrhic Victories

After staying for dinner at the farm, before returning to their motel room that night, Martha invited Sam and Dean back for breakfast the next morning. Neither they nor Clark said very much during their evening meal, since they were exhausted after everything that happened with Victoria and Harriet, but once they had some time to rest, all three of them felt a lot better the next day.

Even though the snow melted away the previous afternoon, everything was covered in frost when the Impala pulled up the driveway towards the barn, and the coating of ice that covered everything glistened in the morning sunlight. Clark was out in the barn, waiting for them, while Jonathan and Martha were hard at work in the kitchen, and he stepped out when Dean parked the car and shut off the engine.

Clark grinned at them when they got out. "Hey guys, how did you sleep?"

Dean still looked tired, but he smirked in response, as he tried to hide how he really felt. "Great."

"You guys could've stayed in the guest room, ya know," Clark reminded them. "My mom and dad said it was okay, and you probably would've slept better."

Sam chuckled. "Don't worry about us, we're used to motels anyway."

Dean clapped his hands together and started rubbing his palms against each other. "So, what's for breakfast?"

Clark motioned for them to follow him inside. "Come on, I'll show ya."

The moment they stepped over the threshold, into the dining room, Sam and Dean were surprised to see a vast array of food on the table. There were waffles, pancakes, a large bowl full of scrambled eggs and cheese mixed with bits of bacon, another bowl filled with grapes and various kinds of berries, and there was a medium-sized plate that held a dozen sausage links on a piece of paper towel, to absorb the excess grease that was on them.

Dean's jaw dropped when he saw the food. "Holy crap!"

Jonathan took a seat at one end of the dining room table, and wrapped his fingers around the handle of his coffee mug. "Have a seat, boys! We can't let you hit the road with empty stomachs, can we?"

Sam and Dean sat down beside each other, with their backs towards the windows and the small couch that was against the wall underneath them. Clark and his mother took a seat on the opposite side of the table, but Martha sat between her son and her husband, so she could be close enough for Jonathan to grab her hand, which he did do, before they started eating. As soon as everyone was seated, Dean grabbed his fork and dug right into the waffles and spooned the eggs onto his plate. He flooded everything with syrup and started cramming food into his mouth, just like he did at the Beanery the day before. Sam was annoyed by his brother's lack of manners, but the Kents found it surprisingly amusing. Dean glanced up with a mouthful of food when he noticed Clark grinning at him.

"Wha?" Dean asked, causing some pieces of chewed up waffle to fall back onto his plate.

Sam gave his brother a dirty look. "Really, Dean?"

Clark laughed at Dean, while his parents started passing dishes around the table, and Sam joined in just to prove that he wasn't a wild animal like his brother. Throughout the meal, Jonathan asked a few questions about the Winchesters and what it was like traveling around so much. After sharing their opinions about everything, the brothers asked some questions about the farm and the town of Smallville in general. Though they each kept their secrets about the ship in the cellar and the yellow-eyed demon to themselves, they all managed to have a nice conversation with each other.

When Dean finished devouring the mountain of food that was on his plate, he dropped his sticky fork into a puddle of syrup with a sigh. "Oh, man… That was really good!"

Martha smiled across the table at him. "You boys have been through a lot, so you deserve a home cooked meal once in a while."

Sam thanked her and Jonathan as well. "It was very generous. Thank you."

Jonathan picked up his coffee mug and paused before taking a sip. "So, where are you boys off to next?"

Dean wiped off his mouth with a napkin and crumpled it up. "I'm not sure. I know our dad wants to see us, so we can tell him about everything that happened yesterday. He'll probably let us know where we're going after we hit the road."

Jonathan nodded and Clark made a comment about it. "Hopefully your next job is a lot less complicated."

Dean chuckled. "I like the ones where monsters do something evil, we gank em, and then we're done."

Martha's friendly smile disappeared suddenly, while Clark and Jonathan exchanged an awkward glance, so Sam tried dropping the subject. "I'm hoping we won't have to hunt anything for a while. I could use a break."

"Same here," Dean agreed. "But you know how things go, Sammy."

Sam smiled awkwardly, just as they heard a knock on the door. Clark got up to answer it, and when he opened it, he found Lana standing on the porch in a tan coat that was lined with white wool. "Lana, come in!"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, as she followed Clark inside.

When she spotted Clark's 'cousins', Dean waved at her and smiled. She smiled back and said, "So, these are your cousins?"

Clark pointed them out as he introduced them. "That's Sam and that's Dean."

Dean glanced at Clark and gave him a nod of approval, causing him to feel a little embarrassed, so Sam hit his brother under the table.

Lana glanced up at Clark and then looked back at Sam and Dean, with a confused expression on her face. "I'm Lana, from next door. I told Clark I wanted to meet you guys while you were here."

Sam awkwardly said hello and Dean chuckled. "Ah, so you are Lana. Clark's told us a lot about you."

Lana cringed a little and let out a nervous chuckle. "What has he told you?"

"Only good things," Dean said. "I swear."

Then Martha interrupted them. "Lana, if you'd like to sit down and have some breakfast, there's plenty of leftovers."

Lana thanked Martha, but turned her down. "I really can't stay. Whitney's at the hospital and his dad is about to go into surgery, so I want to be there for him."

Jonathan shook his head. "I hope George is gonna be alright. He's a good man."

"The doctor says he'll live," Lana said. "After he gets released, he's gonna have to take it easy for a bit. Whitney's been saying his dad wasn't happy about having to change his diet, but I guess he doesn't have a choice now."

"I'm glad his dad's gonna be okay," Clark said with a smile. "I'll get a card for him and have you take it to him."

"I'm sure he'd like that," Lana said with a grin. "Anyway, I better go."

Clark walked her back out onto the porch, where he spotted Nell waiting in her car behind the Impala, and Martha started clearing the table. Sam got up to help, leaving Dean and Jonathan alone.

Dean looked at Jonathan and chuckled. "That was awkward."

Jonathan agreed. "Yeah, but it's like that when Clark's around Lana. He's liked her for most of his life, but I'm not so sure she's the one for him."

When Clark came back inside, he looked disappointed. "I guess I better give up on the idea of ever being with Lana. I feel bad for Whitney, and I don't want to get in between them at a time like this."

Jonathan got up from his chair and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm sure there's a girl out there for you, son. You just have to find one that shares your feelings and can be trusted with your secret."

Clark looked at Dean, instead of his father, and nodded. "I guess so."

Dean stood up and smirked at Clark. "Now that the chick flick's over, we should hit the road."

Clark smiled when he heard the joke. "Is that what you think my life is? A chick flick?"

Dean chuckled. "Definitely a chick flick. When Sam gets done playing housekeeper, we'll take off."

Then Dean went out onto the front porch with Jonathan, where they had a chat about the Impala, while Clark and Sam helped Martha clean up the kitchen and the dining room table.

About a week after the Winchesters left Smallville, Lex was on his way home from Metropolis, after having gone to visit Victoria for the second time since she was first admitted at Belle Reeve. Though the two of them had agreed to go their separate ways, she seemed to be making excellent progress with her therapist and psychiatrist, who were there to help her deal with the loss of her sister.

Even though they were no longer a couple, Victoria had been more honest with Lex about herself than she ever had been before. He finally understood what happened to Harriet, and with a little help from Roger Nixon and a few journalists in the U. K., he managed to put the last few pieces of the puzzle together. Everything he uncovered provided him with more than enough ammunition to bring Sir Harry down, once and for all.

As Lex drove his Porsche up the private road to the mansion, he realized that he hated Sir Harry with a level of intensity that exceeded the hatred he felt for his own father. In all the years he knew Victoria, Lex never really liked the guy, but now, in light of the evidence he uncovered, his contempt for the man had grown exponentially. He had expected to hear from Sir Harry any day, once he realized he had been tricked into buying worthless property, and Lex couldn't wait to rub it in his face.

That evening, Lex changed into something more comfortable than the business attire he'd been wearing throughout the day, since he had done some work for his father at Luthor Corp Plaza, before stopping to visit his ex. Then he headed into the library to shoot some pool on his own. Even though he would have preferred playing with someone else, this was still relaxing enough. He found that he sometimes liked to challenge himself by breaking the balls apart and pocketing all fifteen of them in numerical order.

While he was leaning over the pool table to take his first shot, Harry Hardwick stormed into the room, with Darius at his heels. "How did you do it, Lex?!"

Still leaning over the table, Lex looked up at him and pretended to be confused. "Could you be specific?"

Harry watched him scatter the billiard balls across the pool table with the cue ball, and then he cried, "Cadmus Labs! They're worthless!"

Lex set his cue stick down on the table and smiled at Harry. "You read the work of fiction Victoria stole from me, I presume."

Harry scowled at him. "You did something to Victoria! She's gone completely mad! She believes her sister's spirit is coming after her!"

Lex scoffed. "I'm not the reason she's in Belle Reeve. That was all your doing."

"What in the bloody hell are you saying, Lex?"

Lex went over to his desk to retrieve a folder that was lying next to his computer, but along the way, he used that moment as an opportunity to give Harry a history lesson. "When Pyrrhus of Epirus attacked the Romans, he won the battles of Heraclea and Asculum, but his victories cost him dearly. Then he betrayed his allies, during his campaign against Carthage in Sicily, so when he faced the Roman Republic for the last time, in the battle of Beneventum, his forces became disorganized and his friends abandoned him, leading to his defeat."

Lex paused as he picked up the folder and started walking over to his guest. "Like him, you thought you could win a few Pyrrhic victories against my father and take over Luthor Corp." Then he slapped Harry in the chest with the folder. "Congratulations, Harry, this was our final battle and you lost."

Harry took the folder from him and looked inside. When he saw that the documents it contained came from various law enforcement agencies in the U.K. that had opened investigations into the Hardwick family, he was horrified. "Where did you get these documents? These files were sealed!"

Lex put his hands in his pants pockets and smirked. "I'm a resourceful guy, Harry. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I learned that, not only did Harriet take her own life, but you covered it up and tried to make it look like an accident. I'm guessing you were afraid of being turned down by potential investors, because they might not want to work with someone who'd been abusing his own daughter, behind closed doors."

Harry closed the folder and scowled at Lex. "How dare you make such accusations?! Those cases were closed when the abuse allegations were determined to be false!"

Lex chuckled. "Were they? Those cases were closed remarkably fast. What did you do, Harry? Pay off all the right people to keep them quiet? I wonder what would've happened if you'd been investigated while you were penniless…"

"It doesn't matter!" Harry protested. "Since the charges were dropped, and you can't prove any wrongdoing, there's nothing you can do about it!"

Lex grinned at him. "Are you sure about that? Just remember, when Pyrrhus returned to his homeland, he found himself at war with his neighbors. I'm sure you'll find the same is true for you, once you return to your side of the pond. Let's just hope you fare better than Pyrrhus did, when he fell in the city of Argos."

Realizing that Lex knew more than he was willing to share, Harry suddenly felt terrified. His lower lip began to quiver, and his eyes glistened in the light coming from the fireplace, as he wracked his brain, trying to figure out what his adversary knew that he didn't.

"Wha-what do you want from me, Lex?" Harry asked in a shaky voice.

Lex's smile faded. "Your company. My father and I will make you an offer in the morning. As long as you accept the deal without any hassle, these files will disappear. If you challenge us, then you will go down as the villain. Take some time to think about it."

Now red-faced, Harry snarled like an angry dog and pointed an accusatory finger at his face. "You… You are just like your father!"

Darius grabbed Harry's shoulder and reached for his gun. "You need to calm down, Mister Hardwick."

Lex held up his hand, letting Darius know it was alright, and then he picked a piece of lint off Harry's business jacket. "Don't worry about Victoria's medical expenses. I've got them covered. After the way she and Harriet were raised, some time in Belle Reeve might do her some good."

Harry shook his head and cursed under his breath, before turning around and storming out of the library. Darius followed and escorted him out of the mansion, while Lex retrieved his cue stick and returned to playing his game of pool. He was proud of himself for bringing Harry down and avenging Harriet's death, but most of all, he was ready for his own father to change his tune and apologize for doubting him.

That same afternoon, after Clark and Jonathan finished up all of the chores that needed to be done, they both met up in front of the barn. Before going into the house, Jonathan decided to check on his son, to make sure he was still doing okay, after everything that happened with Sam and Dean.

"Are you sure you're doing alright, Clark?" Jonathan asked. "I know what you went through in Granville was hard on you."

Clark smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think I've realized that I did my best, even if I couldn't save Harriet."

Jonathan smiled back. "Sometimes that's all you can do. The things that happened in the Hardwick family must've been terrible, considering what she turned into."

They started walking up towards the house, but Clark glanced over at his dad to ask a question. "Do you think Harriet will ever get justice?"

Jonathan glanced back. "I don't know, son. We can only pray that she does someday."

Realizing that he was right, Clark grinned, but said nothing. Then they went through the gap in the fence that surrounded the house, but stopped suddenly when someone cried for help in the field. It sounded like a man with a deep voice, but they weren't sure who it was.

"Dad, who is that?" Clark asked.

"I'm not sure," Jonathan replied. "We should check it out."

Not wanting to wait around for his father, Clark used his speed to get out into the field right away, and he discovered Earl Jenkins lying face down in the mud.

When Clark got to him, he was immediately startled. "Earl!"

He jogged over to Earl and rolled him over, but then he felt the sickening effects of meteor rocks. As he backed away and stared at his hands, he saw the veins turn dark green and lost his balance.

Earl opened his eyes as soon as Clark hit the ground, and then he gasped. "Clark… You have to help me…"

When Jonathan finally caught up with his son, he found them both lying on the ground, but he went over to Earl first. "Earl, how did you get out here?"

He helped him sit up, while Clark crawled away from them. "Earl, come on. Look at me, Earl!"

Earl had closed his eyes again, but he opened them back up and looked at Jonathan. "I need your help, Jonathan. I'm sick and I'm getting worse."

Jonathan had him lay back down and glanced over at Clark, who was finally a safe distance away. "Earl, just hang on. We'll get you some help."

Then he went over to check on his son. "Clark, what happened?"

Clark used his x-ray vision on Earl's body so he could see the man's insides. He discovered that his body was packed full of tiny meteor fragments, and some of them were trying to push their way up and out from under his skin.

Clark returned his vision to normal and gave his dad a worried look. "He has meteor rocks inside of him, Dad, and they're everywhere. Not even Tina Greer had that much green inside of her…"

"Are you alright?" Jonathan asked, still worried.

Clark nodded. "Yeah, I'm far enough away, but Dad, this is serious."

Jonathan went back over to Earl and helped him get up to his feet. "Clark, go up to the house and call for help!"

Clark got up and took off running, but did his best to run at human speed, since he wasn't sure if their old friend could be trusted with his secret or not.

Earl leaned on Jonathan, while they followed Clark towards the house. "Jonathan… I've already been to the hospitals and seen specialists. None of them know what to do…"

"Somebody's gotta know something," Jonathan argued. "We just have to-"

"Jonathan, get back!" Earl cried, as he began to convulse.

Jonathan let go and backed away as the convulsions increased in speed. Before long, the poor man took on the blurry appearance Clark often had, right before disappearing on one of his runs. "Earl, what the hell?"

When the convulsions finally stopped, Earl collapsed to the ground again, so Jonathan went over to him, to make sure he was still alive. When he discovered that Earl was still breathing, he stayed with him, while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.