Chapter 9 - September

"Got the extra sheets?"

"Yeah."

"Soap?"

"I got it."

"Long underwear?"

"Mom." Clark's cheeks turned pink.

"Don't tell me you don't get cold, I know it won't kill you but you still—"

"I know, I know." Clark's eyes darted from Martha, to Lex, to Jonathan. "Thanks, Mom."

Martha smiled, feeling her eyes well up, and she stepped forward to throw her arms around him. He hugged her back with the arm that wasn't holding the enormous duffel bag.

She had known for years that eventually, this day would come. She didn't expect it to be quite so soon, though. Two months ago, Clark wasn't even considering leaving home, not while Jonathan might pass on any day. One month ago, he and Lex were spending hours every evening going over college profiles and applications. Two weeks ago, Clark and Jonathan were out shopping for a used car. Today, they were loading it up.

Martha watched at a distance as her younger son bid farewell to her older. Arms wrapped tightly around each other, no tension remained between from. It was everything she and Jonathan had hoped and prayed for.

Clark embraced his father as well, then he slung the bag over his shoulder. "I'll call you when I get there," he said, looking at Martha.

"You had better."

Clark grinned. "I'll see you all at Thanksgiving."

"Drive safe, son," Jonathan said.

He loaded the last bag into the passenger's seat, slid into the driver's side, and gave his family one last wave before pulling out. The three of them stood in the driveway watching the car go. Jonathan went back inside as soon as it was out of view; Lex stayed with her a minute longer. Martha took her time.

It was both the most beautiful and the most unfair thing about motherhood. The goal was to raise her boys to be independent, well-adjusted members of society, but as soon as she succeeded, they'd leave her. Quietly, she went back through his childhood, early adolescence, and teen years in her mind, treasuring the memories he'd left behind.

"Sweetheart, it's been almost an hour."

Martha turned to see Jonathan standing behind her. She hadn't even heard the door to the house open and close. "Guess I lost track of time."

"What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking about our boys."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She smiled and wiped at her eyes.

"Well, you should come in and eat something. Dinner's hot."

Martha raised her eyebrows. "You cooked?"

"No, no. Lex did."

"Guess he'd going to be on his way out pretty soon."

Jonathan looked toward the house, a bit of a worried look on his face. By the letter, Lex had broken every rule they'd set for him when Jonathan had had his final heart attack. He'd been without supervision, on his own and with Clark, and he'd made a huge decision without their input. He'd also been working behind their backs. For obvious reasons, they couldn't exactly bring themselves to care about the rule-breaking.

Learning about the motivations behind Lex's very worst crimes had cast his whole redemption into a very different light, and they hadn't enforced many of his restrictions after that. He didn't ask about buying a car, and he didn't leave the property without one of them, but Martha and Jonathan mostly stopped monitoring his electronic communications, and they didn't alway supervise Lex and Clark's interactions with each other.

Now that Clark was away, Martha and Jonathan were planning to simply parent Lex with the same rules they'd had for him when he'd first asked for their help. Some days, it seemed ridiculous to her to treat a twenty-five-year old this way—Lex had always looked older than his years, thanks to the baldness, but his eyes were beginning to show his age. She reminded herself, always, that it was better than prison. He had come a long way, but he still needed their help, if only for a few more months.

It was a quieter meal than they'd had when Clark was around. They talked a little about their hopes and concerns for Clark settling in, but nothing more. Martha could tell there was something on Lex's mind. After a few silent minutes, she decided to ask.

"Lex, are you alright?"

He took a deep breath, lowering his fork. "I know it's not true, and I know it doesn't make any sense. But there's always a part of me that's convinced you've only put up with me this long because I'm a friend of Clark's."

Martha raised her eyebrows. He was right that it didn't make any sense—Clark had been the last to truly forgive Lex—but she couldn't blame him for still having reservations. His darkness had been the side of him with doubts. By definition, merging with that side meant living with the uncertainty. But she wasn't convinced he was telling the whole truth. "Is that the only thing on your mind?"

Lex chuckled to himself. "You always know."

"I'm your mother."

He nodded. "I'm seven years older than Clark is."

"And when all this started, you didn't expect him to be first to move out."

Lex looked away.

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a glance, and Jonathan spoke. "Given any more thought to your future, son?"

"Wasn't sure I had permission to think about that yet."

"Son."

"I'm sure I'd be happy if I took over this farm."

"I'm sure you would. But that's not what you're thinking of doing, is it?"

Lex glanced up at his father, then down at his hands. "I've been looking into med schools."

Martha blinked a couple of times. When they'd stopped checking his communications, they'd stopped checking everything, including web searches.

"Ah." Lex cleared his throat. "I've got a background in biomedical engineering. My undergrad courses meet the pre-reqs, and I'm interested in it."

"You want to be a biomedical researcher?"

"Been there, done that."

Martha's eyes widened. "Lex, do you want to be a doctor?"

"Ah, I was just thinking . . . you've never been able to take Clark to a doctor, because there hasn't been one he could trust."

Jonathan grimaced. "Son, you can't build your life around what your brother needs."

"I know. But there have been a lot of people I wish I could have helped. I used to fly in specialists from Metropolis, from all over the world."

"You'd like to help people yourself," Martha said.

Lex looked her in the eye. He didn't say anything, but his eyes betrayed everything she needed to know. He was weighed down by so much guilt and uncertainty. He never would have asked outright whether she believed in him, but he needed to hear it anyway.

"Where were you thinking of applying?"

He almost didn't show his surprise at the question. "Johns Hopkins."

Martha looked up at Jonathan, who let out a short laugh. "You've thought about this," he said.

"Prestigious med schools don't take last minute applicants. Early decision applications are due in October, to start in the fall semester of the following year."

"Well then," Jonathan said, "sounds like you have some work to do."

Lex frowned up at Jonathan. "This year?"

"Apply now, and you'll still have another year at home. Unless you think you need two years."

"You think I'm ready."

"I think you will be by then, yeah."

Lex's breath caught. "You'll pay my tuition out of the funds I gave you?"

"Of course. Isn't that what every parent wants to be able to do?"

"Lex," Martha said, putting a hand on his arm. "If you're not sure, or if you're not ready—"

"How will I know?"

Martha looked over at Jonathan, who let out a sigh. "Tell you what," he said. "Fill out those applications, son. See how you feel when you get that acceptance letter."

"I don't know if they'd accept me."

"You think they'd turn down Lex Luthor?"

"I'd apply under an alias."

Jonathan paused for a moment, then he nodded. "Let me ask you this. If you apply in October, you hear back in . . ."

"December. For early action."

"December. You have to make a decision by . . ."

"January."

"And then you decide in July that you'd like to change your mind?"

Lex hesitated. "Ah . . . I think I'd forfeit some fees, and I'd have to apply again for admission."

Jonathan smiled. "Fill out the application, son. If you don't, you won't even have the option to go."

Lex looked over at Martha, and she nodded. Finally, Lex sat up a bit straighter. "Think I will," he said.