Chapter 11 – Family Discussion

Chloe, Clark, Jonathon, and Martha sat around the kitchen table in dismay. Looking at the pile of different folders, reports, and other documents, they couldn't imagine the task that was ahead.

"He can't be serious. I mean he's just stressed out, right?" Chloe asked as she sifted through the folder containing all the fact sheets for items that Lex had already contacted Sotheby's about. "I can't believe he's just getting rid of all this stuff."

"We can't tell him otherwise. Regardless of his condition he is still a grown man and can make his own decisions. He's obviously still very well versed in his business affairs since he's met with the board twice this week to realign some employee contracts." Martha commented as she recalled sitting in the meetings this past week watching as Lex shocked the board. He cancelled the pay increases to the board in lieu of a raise for all mid-management and line workers. Chloe didn't mind though; her father benefited from the nice bump. "Besides, he's not Mr. Nice Guy – he's still very cunning and sharp. His priorities have just realigned themselves."

"Well, I was over there yesterday and he was going through his closet. I have never seen someone throw out so many clothes. He was talking about his father always liking the violet color and so all purple clothes are at the Metropolis shelter by now." Clark shook his head.

Chloe pointed at Clark and embarrassingly giggled, "Yeah, but the blue he's replaced it looks remarkably better." She paused as everyone stared at her. Did I just say that without thinking about it? Well it does; goes with his eyes.

Jonathon decided to cut into the middle of the personal banter. "I think what we need to focus on is trying to help him get his memory back though. Yes, there are things that I wish he wouldn't ever remember but that whole adage of not knowing history makes you dare to repeat it. I don't care what year he thinks it is and who he thinks he is now, I still think we need to work on helping get himself back." The family all agreed, shaking their heads.

"I'm glad you think so. Can I talk to you?" They turned around to see Lex at the screen door waiting politely to enter. Martha walked over and opened the door.

"Have a seat." Clark pulled another chair up to the table as Lex pulled his coat off and threw it on the couch. The family looked at him, realizing he had never gotten that comfortable in the house before. He was planning to stay for awhile.

"Umm." He paused and looked and Clark and Chloe. "I was sitting at the desk and was going through some files on the computer thanks to your hacking skills and things starting coming back." They watched as Lex looked almost frightened as he kneaded his hands together. Chloe reached out and covered them with her as Clark grabbed his shoulder.

"What do you remember?"

"I remembered my father had been blind after he and I were in a tornado and he told me I should have let him die." Jonathon gawked at the information that Lex had never told anyone. "He said I was weak and he blamed me for his problems. And I remembered that my father had erased my memory in some stupid elaborate scheme to get out of going to prison. And you were there for the whole thing – both of you were." Chloe and Clark nodded.

"How much do you remember?"

"I went to Summerholt to get the memories back and it didn't work – I just got more depressed and you tried to save me and I ended up saving you. And I remember you being angry with me when you came to court to testify against my father but I can't remember why. I mean I have been sitting and pacing in that office for hours with moment by moment coming back. And somewhere in there was a trip to some deserted island and me talking to a coconut or something."

He watched as the people at the table giggled and then tuned back into him. "Lex, your wife Helen kind of tried to do away with you and then take your money and it became quite an ordeal and actually if that part doesn't come back. It's ok."

Lex pushed the chair away from the table angrily and walked into the living room and back through the doorway. "But, that's what I mean – this crap is coming back so fast it's hard to process and I don't want to know. What if I remember something that makes me revert to the ass I was before. I mean I remember investigating you Clark and thinking you were some kind of superhero freak or something and how pissed you were with me and it scares me that I might go back to that someday." Lex slammed his fist against the doorframe and paced back into the living room. Raising his voice again another octave, Chloe and Clark watched as Jonathon entered the living room, trying to calm Lex down. "I just don't want to be that man I remember."

Lex fell into Jonathon's chest as Jonathon wrapped his arms around him and stared at Martha. Pulling him back, Jonathon took him by the shoulders, "We're here for you. We will do everything we can for you."

Lex rubbed his forehead and grabbed one of Jonathon's shoulders. "Mr. Kent, you I remember. You always hated me no matter what I tried to do to appease you. I saw you and Clark when my father and Mrs. Kent were held hostage and how much love you had for each other and how my father practically dismissed me as an employee." He let go of Jonathon and walked back over to Clark. "You know I remember when my father threw me out after he had found his long lost son, or I found him, whatever. I truly enjoyed being here with your family. I bet in what I'm now calling 'my old Lex state' I never told you how much I wished I could have just stayed. My father would have never let me just walk away that easy, but now…"

Clark and Jonathon both took a shoulder as Jonathon reassured him and his family at the same time, "Lex, you are always welcome here. And you have in your past asked if we could just accept you as part of the family. Yes, you were investigating us and I don't know if it was sincere or not, and yes, I was and am still skeptical of you. But, as I said, you are more now than ever welcome to call us family and we will do everything in our power to help you through this. Because frankly, I would love to see the Lex Luthor that my son always tried to convince me you were."

Lex looked at Jonathon, Martha, and Clark. They could see from his face he didn't know whether he was hurt or happy. "Mr. Kent, I'm so thankful for everything." Lex held out his hand to shake.

"It's Jonathon, and son there's no need for the formality – not anymore." The three watched in shock as Jonathon wrapped his arms around Lex and hugged him. Lex smiled as he returned the hug and thought to himself, son. That word has never sounded more normal.

"So, how about staying for dinner?" Martha chimed as she started clearing the table while Chloe turned the stove timer off.

"Yeah, I haven't eaten anything all day," Lex answered sheepishly.

"You can't do that – you wither away. Sit next to me." Chloe sat down as Clark started putting the food out on the table and sat down. Lex pulled out the chair and sat down as the family passed around plates of food and ate in relative quiet. Occasionally he glanced up to see Chloe smiling at him.

"Dessert anyone? I want to try a new recipe out on you." Martha reached in the refrigerator as she juggled the dishes in her arms.

"Let me help." Lex got up and pulled the door open and took one of the dishes from her as Clark and Jonathon cleaned the dishes in the sink. Chloe passed behind him as he helped Martha. He could feel his body stiffen and his eyes close as she brushed against him. "What can I do?"

"Reach up there in the cabinet for some plates." Lex obliged and returned to the table, setting the plates down next to the dessert. Sitting back down in his chair, he breathed in and smiled, "Mrs. Kent, you're going to make me have to work out."

Chloe walked behind his chair and squeezed his shoulders, "Yeah, like you really need to worry about that." Lex looked up seeing her looking straight down at him.