scribblinlenore | I'm on a roll! Love for Sale (aka, Hooker!Clark), Part 15

Okay, now I can safely say there will be one more part. Happy ending fans, don't despair! *g*

***

Tucker's people had a flair for drama. Lex had to give them that. The next day when they arrived with their "top secret research" it looked more like LexCorp was receiving a shipment of gold bars. They showed up in armored sedans, a veritable army of them, wearing dark suits, dark glasses, ear pieces like Secret Service agents, their guns obvious beneath their jackets. The "Secret Recipe," the rather silly code name they'd given the phony project, was locked up in an attaché case, which was handcuffed to Tucker's wrist, a particularly nice touch, Lex thought.

They marched grim-faced into Lex's office, keeping up the charade until the door was closed.

Lex arched an eyebrow at Tucker, who shrugged. "We wanted to make sure we got his attention. Besides, we're dealing with an amateur. His entire sense of these things comes from spy movies."

"Well, you certainly managed to capture that 007 spirit," Lex said, dryly.

Tucker cleared his voice. "Right. So time to move on to the next phase. You know what to do?"

Lex nodded and handed him a set of keys. "Nobody else has access to the conference room where you set up the surveillance equipment. I'll meet you there as soon as I finish here."

Tucker nodded, signaled his team. They put their game faces back on and headed out to the elevator as if they were actually leaving. The makeshift surveillance room was one floor down.

Lex buzzed Marvin. "I'm waiting for an extremely urgent call from Cadmus. Otherwise I'm not to be disturbed."

"Uh, yes, Mr. Luthor," he said, nervously. "Sure thing."

A few moments later, Marvin buzzed him. "Um, Mr. Luthor?" His voice was even shakier than usual. "Here's that call you were waiting for." He put through one of Tucker's associates who was playing the part of Cadmus research director.

He picked up, knowing he wasn't the only one listening. "Luthor."

"We have the results in from the latest round of tests on the "Secret Recipe," and it was a complete success. This formula just might revolutionize the industry."

Lex rolled his eyes. Tucker's people really liked to lay it on thick. "Can you send me documentation?"

"We'd rather show you in person. As soon as possible."

"Fine. I'll come now. Make sure you keep everything under lock and key. We still haven't found the leak, and we can't take any chances."

"Understood."

They hung up. Lex opened the attaché case, took out the phony papers and laid them right in the middle of his blotter so even a moron couldn't miss them. He grabbed his coat and the keys to his office and put on his impatient air as he headed out.

He made a big production of locking his door. "Something urgent has come up. I'll be out at Cadmus the rest of the day. Put anything important through to my cell or blackberry."

Marvin nodded, wide-eyed. "Sure, Mr. Luthor. Um-- Have a nice evening?"

It took real discipline to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Yeah. You too."

He got on the elevator. Marvin watched him, trying to look as if he wasn't paying attention. Lex hit the button and went down to the next floor. He knocked at the conference room, and Tucker let him in.

"No action yet."

Lex stood behind the technician and watched the monitor over his shoulder. It didn't take long.

Marvin checked his watch a couple of times, so nervous the perspiration stains under his arms were noticeable even on the video. Finally, he opened his backpack, took something out and went over to the door.

"That little fuck made a duplicate key to my office." Lex could feel his blood pressure ratcheting up a few points. If he got out of this without having a stroke it would be something of a miracle.

"An assistant is the perfect mole. They have access to virtually all the information coming into your office. And they have plenty of opportunity to observe things like where you keep your keys."

"June is never having another baby. I don't care what she and her husband think."

Marvin snuck into Lex's office and approached his desk. He picked up the papers and leafed through them, frowning. Tucker's people had come up with some techno mumbo-jumbo, absolutely meaningless, but it looked convincing to someone who didn’t know better. Lex had to suppress the urge to ram his fist through the monitor as he watched the world's stupidest temp stuff what could have been vital LexCorp corporate intelligence under his shirt and hurry out of his office with it.

"What now?" Lex asked Tucker.

"Don't worry. We have cameras everywhere."

They tracked Marvin down the corridor. He kept looking around like a nervous wreck and practically jumped out of his skin when the guy with the mail cart passed.

"You'd think a person who looks that suspicious would get somebody's attention," Lex said, composing a memo in his head about security being everyone's responsibility.

Marvin headed for the copy room, checked that it was empty and furtively xeroxed the document. He hurried back to Lex's office, returned the original and locked up. He shoved the copy into his backpack, turned off his computer and punched the button for the elevator at least a dozen times.

The cameras tracked him downstairs and out the door.

Tucker radioed his team. "Pick him up."

Lex watched as four of his associates swooped down on Marvin before he could make it to his car.

"They'll bring him up here," Tucker told him. "I know you have a few things you'd like to say to him, but I think we'll get farther if you let me do the questioning."

Lex narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me to leave?" Because that wasn't happening.

Tucker shook his head. "I'd like to have you hovering in the background. Watching, not saying anything, so he has no idea what you're up to. That should make Marvin so jumpy he's actually eager to deal with me, just so he doesn't have to face you."

Lex could see the strategy in it. "All right," he finally agreed, even though he would have liked nothing better than to rip Marvin a new one personally.

A few minutes later, Tucker's people escorted him into the room. His eyes darted around the room, taking in Lex and all the serious, armed people dressed in black. "What is this?"

Tucker nodded toward a chair. "Have a seat, Marvin."

"I don't know what's going on here, but I need to get home. I have--" His eyes shifted. "People. There are people expecting me."

Tucker nodded. "Hopefully this won't take long."

"Well--" Marvin was clearly reluctant, but he did sit down. "Okay. I guess I can spare a few minutes."

"I appreciate that." Tucker sat down across from him. "Actually, you can save us all a lot of time and trouble if you just come clean right now."

Marvin's face went pale. "What are you talking about?"

"We know you stole documents from Mr. Luthor's office."

"I didn't! I would never do something like that--"

Tucker nodded to one of his employees who took possession of Marvin's backpack.

Marvin jumped to his feet. "Hey! That's my personal property. You can't just--

Tucker's associate pulled out the sheaf of papers and handed it to his boss.

"For the eyes of Lex Luthor only," Tucker read from the front page. "I think you'll want to sit back down now."

Marvin sank weakly onto the chair, but remained stubborn. "I don't know how that got in there. I swear!"

"Really," Tucker said coolly. He picked up a remote control, hit a button, and the video they'd made earlier in the day started to play.

Sweat beaded along Marvin's upper lip. "I still don't know what you're talking about."

"That's a good story. You stick to that. It's going to take you far, all the way to Beckman penitentiary after the jury sees this video of you sneaking into Mr. Luthor's office, making a copy of top-secret research, leaving the building with it."

"Prison?"

"I guess your buddies over at LuthorCorp failed to mention that economic espionage is a felony, huh? That's some serious time you're facing. And somebody like you in state prison--" He looked Marvin up and down. "Well, you're going to have quite an interesting experience."

"Oh, God." Marvin looked like he might actually throw up.

Tucker leaned in, his voice relenting a little. "Look, I know this wasn't your idea. I bet you've never done anything wrong in your entire life."

"No! No, I haven't."

"I don't want to see the wrong person take the fall here, Marvin. I really don't. So this is what I'm going to do for you. You come with us down to our office and answer our questions. Tell us everything you know. Help us catch whoever is really responsible. And I'm thinking this jail time could all go away."

Marvin looked up, surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "A definite possibility."

"But I don't have to come with you, do I? I mean, it's up to me, right?"

"Absolutely. I'm a private security consultant hired by Mr. Luthor. I'm not a police officer, and neither is anyone else in this room." He reached for the phone. "We can call the police, though, if you'd feel more comfortable going through official channels. Of course then there's nothing I'll be able to do for you."

"No, no." He grabbed Tucker's arm. "No police. I'll go to your office. Tell you whatever I know. Just-- no prison. I can't handle that."

Tucker smiled. "You've made the right decision."

He motioned for his people. "These are two of my associates, Jenna and Daniel. They're going to walk you out to the car. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can have this all sorted. Okay?"

Marvin nodded, looking a little less scared. "Okay." Tucker's people led him away.

Lex waited until they were safely out of earshot. "No prison time? That moron cost me millions of dollars."

"Relax, Lex. Only the district attorney can make that kind of a deal. You heard me very clearly explain to Mr. Jarvis that I'm in no way affiliated with law enforcement."

Lex regarded him with admiration. "That's very devious."

Tucker shrugged. "We need information. In my experience, people give it more freely when they think they're getting something in return. You want to come down and observe the questioning?"

"I've got to do some damage assessment here. Keep me informed."

"I'll call as soon as I have anything." And he left.

Lex let out his breath and headed back upstairs. He'd lost one of the most important developments in environmentally friendly agricultural thanks to Marvin Jarvis. His father must have practically laughed himself to death over that.

He stopped at Marvin's desk and called Clark.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be kind of late tonight."

"Is everything all right?"

"That's what I have to figure out."

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see when you get home."

"I love you."

He could hear the smile in Clark's voice. "I love you, too."

Lex spent the next few hours ransacking Marvin's desk, going through every file on his computer, checking sensitive projects for unauthorized access, but he didn't find anything amiss. At least, it appeared that Marvin hadn't been able to steal his password as easily as he'd gotten hold of his keys.

In his determination, he lost track of time, and when he finally looked up, it was dark outside, silent in the office. Everyone else had gone home, and Lex's stomach was starting to rumble. He checked his watch. It was after eight. He called Clark back.

"Hey, it's me. I'm heading out now."

"Pizza or Mexican?"

He smiled. "Surprise me." Lex's cell phone rang. "I'm sorry. Can you hold on just a minute?"

"Sure."

He put Clark on hold, answered the other phone. "Luthor."

"Lex, it's Mason Tucker."

"Did he talk?"

"Oh, yeah. Once he got started, he spilled everything. It seems he was approached by LuthorCorp shortly after he started working for you. Apparently, Marvin has a taste for blackjack but not much luck at it. They offered to bail him out of his financial difficulties in exchange for his help. I've got my people double-checking the story, but I don't have any reason to doubt it. The whole thing tracks. Marvin was desperate for money and in a position to see sensitive information. He was the perfect mark for them."

"Who did he report to?"

"He had contact with a Senior VP over there and a couple of people below him. That's as far up the food chain as we can prove it goes. Your father--"

Lex ground his teeth together. "Will deny knowing anything. It was completely unauthorized. An ambitious senior executive making a grab for corporate power."

"Sorry. I wish we could have nailed him. Oh, but there is one other thing that came out of our interview. No matter how hard we pressed Marvin, and we got pretty tough with him, he always denied knowing anything about the attempt on your life. We need to consider the possibility that it's a separate matter. I very seriously recommend increasing your security."

"Yes, that's probably a good idea. I'll check in with you in the morning." Lex's mind raced with possibilities he didn't like to consider. He hung up with Tucker and took Clark off hold. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay. Is everything all right?"

There were a lot people who had reasons to go after him, but the fact that Clark was with him when the night of the hit-and-run had his instincts screaming at him. "I'm not sure what's going on yet, but I think we need to--"

All the lights suddenly went out, as if someone had flipped the circuit breaker, plunging the entire office into darkness.

"Lex?"

His heart started to pound. "You need to listen very carefully. Go to my study, take the top drawer out of the desk. There's a piece of paper taped to the bottom of it with instructions. I need you to follow them exactly. You're in danger, and my people will get you safely out of the country."

"But why--"

"Someone knows about you, Clark. Knows your secret."

There was silence for a moment and then, "What about you?"

"I'm sorry." His throat clenched. "I love you, Clark." The beam of a flashlight caught him in the eyes, blinding him, and he quickly hung up.

"Checking in with the boyfriend, huh? That's very touching."

"Phelan."

He laughed, an ugly sound. "You know, I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"How flattering."

"Don't overestimate yourself, Lex. You're just the obstacle, not the object."

Lex swallowed hard, didn't answer.

Phelan smiled. "Oh, yes. You know what I'm after. Don't even try to deny it. All that time I kept you waiting on the investigation? All those weeks I spent in Smallville? I discovered a lot of interesting things that I didn't put in my report."

"Whatever you think you know, it's not--"

"Oh, but it is. More than you probably even realize. Did you know he's saved the lives of half the people in his hometown? In some pretty mysterious ways, too. Do you know when he showed up at his adoptive parents'? Right after the meteor storm. You know what they say about the meteor storm out in Smallville, Lex? That something came down in it. A ship."

"That's insane. You can't really believe--"

"I've seen what he can do for myself. That little accident you had out in Mayburn? I needed a test. I knew he wouldn't care about hiding his abilities if you were in danger. You should see the damage he did to that car."

"What's my father paying you?"

"Lex, Lex, Lex. Do you really think your father would have you killed? He may be a cold-blooded bastard, but he still needs an heir. Besides, there will be a lot potential buyers interested in a commodity like your super-strong alien boyfriend. I just need to secure the merchandise, and then I can start entertaining bids."

"You fucking bastard!"

Phelan shrugged. "Hey, we weren't all born rich. Some of us have to make our money the old-fashioned way." He pointed the pistol's barrel at Lex's chest. "I do really appreciate your father's venture into corporate espionage, though. It makes the perfect cover story. I can see it in the papers now. CEO killed in late-night office break-in." He cocked the gun. "Good-bye, Lex."

He knew from experience what to expect, the sharp crack, the bright flash, the burning stink of death on its way. Instead, though, there was a loud shattering of glass as something crashed through the window, sending a shower of debris across the room, knocking Phelan off his feet, the gun sailing across the floor.

Clark scrambled to his feet. "Are you all right, Lex?"

He stared. "Yes, but--" His office was on the forty-second floor.

"The boyfriend comes to the rescue. Isn't that sweet?" Phelan had gotten to his feet, too. "But there was one other thing I forgot to mention, Lex." He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it, something green inside glowing in the darkness. "Your boy wonder does have one weakness." He took out an odd-looking rock and shoved it into Clark's jacket pocket.

"Oh, God." Clark's face went sickly pale, and he broke out in a sweat. He staggered forward, taking a step toward Phelan, as if to try to disarm him, but then he lurched unsteadily on his feet and collapsed to the floor.

"Clark!" Lex knelt beside him, fingers scrabbling at his pocket, trying to get the rock out.

Then his eye fastened on the gun a few feet away, and he knew it was their only real chance. He lunged for it, and Phelan did, too. They both got a hand on it. Lex held tight, trying to pry Phelan's fingers off. Phelan punched him in the stomach, but Lex wouldn't let go. He kicked at Phelan's legs, trying to force him away, but it knocked them both off balance. Their hands slipped on the gun, and it went off with a deafening bang.

"Lex!" Clark yelled weakly.

Phelan's eyes went wide, his face white with shock as a dark stain spread over his shirt. "Why'd you have to do that, Lex?" And he fell.

For a moment, Lex couldn't move, the strong taste of bile in the back of his throat. All the things he'd done in his life, and he never thought he'd kill anyone.

"Lex?" Clark's fading voice jolted him out of his shock, and he spun around.

"God! Clark." He quickly pulled the rock out of his pocket and threw it across the room.

"Not far enough," Clark said, gasping, his body shaking.

Lex hauled him to his feet, supporting his weight, and walked him out of the office to the elevator. He pulled out his phone and called his driver. "I need the car here right away." And then dialed Tucker. "Get over here. We've got a problem."

"We have to call the police," Clark said, slumping heavily against the wall of the elevator as they rode downstairs.

"I will. I just have to take care of a few things first."

The elevator opened in the lobby. The security guard lay dead behind the desk, more of Phelan's handiwork. Lex walked Clark out to the curb, and thankfully the limo soon pulled up. The driver leaped out and hurried around to open the door. Lex helped Clark into the back seat.

"Take him home," he told his driver. "Make sure he gets up to the apartment. He's not feeling well."

"Of course, Mr. Luthor."

"And you were never here tonight. Mr. Kent never left the penthouse. Understand?"

The driver nodded very seriously. "Yes, sir. I understand."

Lex bent down to Clark. "Go home. Get some rest." He brushed his hair tenderly away from his forehead. His skin still felt hot. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"But, Lex, I'm a witness. It was self-defense. I have to tell the police," Clark protested.

"Sssh." He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to Clark's temple. "Don't worry about anything. It's going to be fine. I'll take care of it."

He closed the door and nodded to his driver, who got in and pulled out, just as Tucker was pulling in.

Tucker watched the limo receding in the distance and shot a curious glance at Lex, but he didn't comment. "What do you need?"

"Go here." He pulled out a pen and scribbled Phelan's address on a piece of paper. "I need the place swept. Get rid of everything that might have anything to do with me."

Tucker nodded. He glanced at the blood on Lex's shirt and then up at the building, at the broken window. "I could have another team take care of whatever's inside."

"No. I'll handle that. Just see to the other thing."

Tucker hesitated. "You're sure?" Lex nodded. "Okay. I'll be in touch in a few days after the heat's died down."

Lex headed back inside. On the way up to his office, he called the police, took a deep breath, and then made the call he really dreaded.

***

It was hours later when Lex finally made it home, utterly exhausted. He shrugged out of his coat, tossed it on a chair along with his briefcase. The apartment was quiet. He headed straight to the bedroom. Clark was huddled under the covers, but still awake.

Lex went to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

He checked Clark's forehead. He didn't feel feverish anymore. "Good." He gently stroked his hair.

"Are you all right?"

Phelan's death grimace flashed before his eyes, and his hands shook a little. But he said, "I'm fine."

He undressed, slipped into bed and pulled Clark into his arms, closing his eyes, holding him tight. All the other ways this evening could have ended would give him nightmares for the rest of his life. But right now, he just wanted to concentrate on what was important, how thankful he was that they were both here, alive, together.

"Was it okay with the police?"

He nodded. "They asked me some questions, and I need to go down to the station tomorrow morning and make a formal statement."

"But they don't think--"

"No. It's clearly self-defense. It was Phelan's gun. He shot the security guard, cut the circuit breaker. I'm not going to have any problems with the police. I just have to make sure your name stays out of it. That's my only concern."

"About tonight-- I can explain."

He turned onto his side to look Clark in the eye. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

"But I do, Lex." He twisted his hands nervously in the bedclothes. "Um. The thing is-- I'm not--"

Lex stopped him with a kiss. "Anything you have to tell me I'm sure I already know, and it doesn't matter anyway. The only important thing is that I love you."

"Lex," Clark sighed against his lips, hands moving restlessly over his back.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you. Ever," he whispered. "I swear to God."

He held Clark's hand and moved with him, skin to skin, body against body, murmuring words of love. He just wished it hadn't taken him so long to tell Clark how much he meant to him.

***

The next morning came much too quickly. Lex didn't want to move, didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to stay just like this, with Clark safe and close and his.

He sighed. But there were things to be done. The police were waiting, and he had to prepare his staff for the onslaught of news-seeking vultures that would descend as soon as word got out about the shooting. And, of course, there was the other thing, the most important item on the agenda, the one part of his day he would have given anything to skip.

He pressed a kiss to Clark's forehead, slid out of bed and went to get ready. When he came back, Clark was stirring. He opened his eyes and smiled up at Lex.

"Do you have to go?"

He leaned down for a kiss. "I'm afraid so. The police are expecting me, and I'll need to do some spin control with the press."

Clark sat up. "I really wish you'd let me--"

"No." His tone didn't allow for argument. He cupped Clark's cheek in his hand. "But there is something you can do for me."

"Anything."

"Meet me for lunch?"

Clark's grin was quick and warm. "I think I can manage that."

"Good." He pushed a stray curl behind Clark's ear. "After I finish with the police, I have some other appointments. How about if I meet you in Memorial Square by the monument? Say about 12:30?"

"Sure." Clark blinked up at him, his expression sweet and a little sleepy, eyes warm with affection, and Lex wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life, when happiness seemed like something more than an abstract concept.

He wrapped his arms around Clark and hugged him like he never wanted to stop. Clark rubbed his back and made soft little comforting noises, and Lex finally had to make himself let go.

Clark frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "I just-- I want you to know that I'll always love you, no matter what."

Clark's eyes lit with tenderness. "I love you, too."

He gathered Clark's face in his hand for one last kiss. "Goodbye, Clark."

He turned and walked away and didn't look back. Because if he did, he'd never be able to go. Never be able to do what he had to.

***

At police headquarters, a detective showed him into an interview room. His lawyer was already there.

Randolph stood up. "I got your message. What the hell happened, Lex? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just want to get through this as quickly as possible and get out of here. I'm sure there's a mess waiting for me at the office."

Randolph hesitated. "I can see you through a routine interview, but if they seem to have any serious concerns-- I'll have to stop the questioning, and we'll need to get you an experienced criminal attorney. The last time I defended anyone was in moot court back in law school."

"It was self-defense, Randolph. He came after me. We struggled over the gun, and I was the lucky one. That's it, the whole story."

Randolph gave him a hard look. "If you say so." He'd known Lex long enough to realize things were rarely as simple as they appeared at first glance.

Two homicide detectives joined them, and they all sat down at the table. The detectives rattled off their questions, and Lex answered them on autopilot. He was too distracted by what lay ahead to really focus and too numb from the night before to actually feel anything as he recounted the events leading up to Phelan's death. Finally, it was over, and they all stood up and shook hands.

"We just need to wait for forensics, but as long as the physical evidence supports your story, Mr. Luthor, I don't see any reason this won't be ruled a justified shooting," the senior detective told him.

Lex nodded and thanked him, and the officers left.

"Well, that was strangely easy," Randolph said.

"I told you."

"I'd still like to have a criminal law firm on standby just in case."

Lex nodded. "Sounds like a smart idea. You have one in mind?"

"Carter, Finkle and Brown. They've represented other clients of mine quite ably."

"Fine. Retain them."

"Good." Randolph pulled on his coat. "I'll be in touch."

Lex arrived at work to find barely controlled pandemonium. Reporters were camped out all over the front sidewalk and mobbed him as he started to make his way toward the door.

"Mr. Luthor, can you tell us what happened?" someone called out.

"How did you know Sam Phelan?"

"Is it true that this was all part of a plot to steal industrial secrets from LexCorp?"

A security team hurried out to meet him and escorted him into the building, clearing a path through the jostling throngs of reporters and cameramen. Upstairs, he found a young woman he recognized as an assistant in the PR department sitting outside his office, frantically trying to answer the phone as it rang off the hook, scribbling messages as quickly as she could.

She handed him a stack of pink slips. "I hope they're legible."

"It's going to be a tough day," he told her. "Just do the best you can."

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Mr. Luthor."

He went into his office, sat down at his desk and set to work on damage control. He held a briefing with his PR team to map out a strategy. They decided on a press conference later in the afternoon. His PR chief scheduled phone interviews for him that morning with reporters LexCorp had a cordial relationship with. He edited several drafts of a press release, before finally signing off on it. All the while, he carefully avoided looking at his watch, didn't want to know as the minutes ticked by, taking him closer to the moment he dreaded. But there seemed to be clocks everywhere, something he'd never really noticed before, on his computer and his phone and sitting on his assistant's desk. He just couldn't seem to get away from the inevitable, no matter how hard he tried.

Finally, he had to go. He pulled on his coat and trudged downstairs. His car was waiting for him outside the back entrance, and thankfully there were no reporters there to ambush him. His driver dropped him off a block from Memorial Square.

"Should I wait, sir?"

He shook his head. "I'll call you when I'm ready."

There was a knoll in Memorial Park that looked down over the square. Lex headed for it. He found a place, half-hidden behind a tree, and spotted Clark below. He was standing by the marble obelisk commemorating Metropolis' war heroes, scanning the crowd, looking for Lex. Lex squeezed his hands into tight fists and waited.

It wasn't long before they showed up, the man and woman from the photograph, Clark's parents, rushing across the square, calling their son's name. Even from that distance, every detail was clear, relief lighting up their faces when they saw him, the strained lines of worry easing, a fierce parental love in the way they held onto Clark as they hugged him, as if he were the most precious thing and they'd never let him doubt that again.

Clark's face froze with shock. He held himself stiffly at first. But his mother whispered in his ear, and gradually his shoulders relaxed, his expression softened, a different kind of relief sparking in his eyes. Then he hugged his parents just as fiercely, looking like the kid Lex had never wanted to see in him.

It was yet another reason why this was the right thing. Lex clutched at that conviction as Clark glanced over his mother's shoulder, his gaze seeming to fasten on him, eyes bright with-- betrayal? grief? simple goodbye?

Lex could have just left then. He didn't have to stay for the bitter end, but somehow he couldn't make himself go, didn't want to forfeit so much as a second they still had together. He watched as Clark turned and went with his parents, back across the square, past the gates, along the street. He desperately went through the whole list of reasons why it had to be this way. Clark was still a kid, and he deserved a normal life, with chemistry classes and school plays and parents who loved him. Lex had always been wrong not to let the Kents know where he was, and now he was finally making up for it.

And the most important reason of all. Clark wasn't safe with him. There was the blare of publicity surrounding the shooting and questions that might be asked and the future Phelans who'd come oozing out of the woodwork to put two and two together and discover Clark's secret, and Lex couldn't risk any of that. Clark would be better off without him, better off blending into the background in a small town than being center stage in the public eye alongside Lex.

It was all true, every point. Lex knew it in his heart. And yet, it was still cold comfort as Clark disappeared out of sight, around a corner, gone from his life for good.

***

You can read the previous parts here:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

nymphaea1.livejournal.com

What a great weekend this has been. A great episode of Justice League and two installments of Hooker!Clark. You spoil us.

Ahh! Poor Lex. He resisted falling in love so long and now he is so deep into it he doesn't know what to do. First he kills for Clark and then he gives him up. I'd be very sad if I didn't fully trust Clark to keep Lex from being too self-sacrificing. Those two are Meant2B. I love the way you write them.

Hee! With Tucker and the 007. He's so over the top it's hilarious.

From:

Not a homecoming queen

I'm on a roll! Love for Sale (aka, Hooker!Clark), Part 15

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