Chapter 10

Lex left Victoria at the Mansion; she had fallen asleep in coital bliss on the coach in the Study. The location was purely to piss off Tess. Lex went to little coffee shop in town. A lot of the local town people stared as billionaire playboy Lex Luthor waited in line for his coffee. Lex smirked, enjoying the local serfs gawk at their betters.

Lex paid for his coffee with a fifty and winked at the pretty waitress to keep the change. As Lex turned to leave the store a voice called out, "Afternoon Lex."

Lex sighed and turned to see a ghost from his past.

The man smirked, "Or is it Mr. Luthor here in Smallville?"

Lex replied, "Phelan isn't Smallville a couple of counties outside your jurisdiction?"

The dirty cop answered, "Well, I don't need jurisdiction to look up an old friend."

Lex took a step closer and said slowly, "We were never friends. If you want to see me, call my office."

Lex turned to leave but Phelan asked, "When does it happen, Lex?"

"When does what happen?"

"When do you turn on the people that help you? How many times did I pull you back from the edge? You'd be dead right now if it wasn't for me."

Lex replied, "You were on my father's payroll, his go-to guy in the department. You got paid to fix situations, so don't try and pretend it was anything else."

Phelan said, "You have a good life Lex. Every time I see you in a magazine or on the news you got a nice piece of ass on both arms. You gallivant across the world on your father's jet. You're the envy of men and the goal of woman across America. I'd sure hate to see that get compromised."

Lex smiled, "You can't touch me, and you know it."

Phelan sighed, "I'm looking for a witness. I think he saw last night's accident outside the museum."

He reached into jacket pulling out a few photos.

Lex asked, 'And I give a damn why?"

Phelan pointed at a black and white photo of Lex smirking as a tall poorly dressed young man glared down at him.

The wheels in Lex's head started turning. Why would a piece of shit dirty cop like Phelan give two shakes about Lex's dear little sister's boyfriend?

Lex put on his poker face, "Sorry, I don't know who that is."

Phelan smirked, "Hmm I'd have pegged you two had a disagreement last night."

Lex replied, "Guess you're losing your instinct. Maybe you should think about retiring."

Lex turned to leave when Phelan called out, "Maybe I'll go ask your dear sister."

Lex stopped in midstep.

Phelan showed Lex a photo of Tess kissing Clark's cheek and another of the pair staring into each other's eyes.

Phelan smirked, "These two look overly close wouldn't you say. Odd how a poorly dressed kid seemed to invade the personal space of two Luthors in one party."

Lex didn't respond and walked out of the coffee shop.

After school Clark sped home with the intension of running his parents, namely his father out of the barn so he could recreate last week's dinner.

He walked into the barn and called out, "Hello?"

He repeated himself as he looked around, "Anybody home?"

Clark was about to walked up to his Fortress of Solitude when he heard a small object fall to the floor.

Clark called out, "Dad? Is that you?"

Clark looked down and spied a small wallet with a silver shield on it. Clark kneeled down and picked up the wallet and read the shield, "Metropolis Police."

As Clark stared down at the shield, the generator Clark had helped his father tie up that morning fell down right on top of him with the force that would kill a normal person of Clark's age. The force knocked Clark on to his back.

With a grunt, Clark shoved the generator and it flew through the air and crashed onto a pile of hay.

Clark laid on the ground when the sound of clapping sent a chill down his spine.

Clark leaped to his feet and stared as a darkly dressed man walked down the steps of the barn's loft and said, "Kid I don't know what they've been feeding you, but that was pretty impressive. Not quite as exciting as last night, but I wanted to be sure."

Clark voice quivered in panic, "Who are you?"

The man replied, "I am your new best friend, Clark."

Clark trying to keep a cool head asked, "How do you know my name?"

The man laughed, "I asked around. That's the beauty of a small town, everybody's just so eager to help."

He bent down to pick up his shield, "Far cry from Metropolis."

Clark asked coldly, "What do you want with me?"

The answered, "Your help. You see, Clark, I'm in a battle that I can't afford to lose because if I do, well, the bad guys win. And you have this gift that I need."

The man went to place his hand on Clark's shoulder but Clark quickly grabbed it, "I'll never help you"

The man retrieved his arm from Clark's steel like grip and laughed, "You have a secret you don't want the world to know about. I'm guessing that's why you didn't stick around for the TV cameras last night. You want to keep things that way, you'll do like I say."

The man smiled and turned to leave, "Drop by that overpriced coffee shop tomorrow afternoon and we'll talk about your future."

He glanced at the fallen generator and smiled, "Nice catch."

Clark glared at him as he left the barn.

After getting over the initial shock, Tess whispered unbelievingly, "So he just dropped the generator right on top of you?"

After Phelan left the barn Clark sped to his room and called Tess to come over right away. Clark was too afraid to tell his parents because he knew his father over protectiveness would blind him to reason. So he turned to the person he trusted with his life.

Clark hung his head in shame, "And we can't call the police because he is the police. I saw his badge. Metropolis P.D."

Tess didn't reply, the cogs too busy turning in her head.

Clark said, "I'm sorry Tess."

This shocked Tess out of her trance. She stared at him questioningly.

Clark looked into her beautiful green eyes and replied shamefully, "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Tess gripped Clark's hands and looked him dead and the eye and said, "Clark, you didn't do anything wrong. You saved a man's life. Don't ever think what you did was wrong."

Clark thanked her but Tess could tell he wasn't convinced.

Clark said, "He told me to meet him at the Beanery tomorrow."

Tess said, "I know your father would say not to go anywhere near this guy but I'm not convinced that would be the best course of action. I'll go with you to the meeting. We'll find out what he wants."

Clark asked, "Until then?"

Tess said, "Until then, you live your life. Namely spend time with your girlfriend." She finished with a smirk.

Clark smiled slightly.

Tess said, "Clark, we can't let this thing change us."

Clark asked, "Us? He only has dirt on me. How are you affected?"

Tess answered seriously, "Clark Kent, whatever effects you effects me. We're in this together. And I'll be damned if I let some two bit cop take what we have away. Do you hear me?"

Clark nodded gratefully.

The two locked eyes, staring into each other's souls. Tess could sense Clark's worry. She was determined to protect Clark. He was a part of her now and no-one, not his parents, not her brother or father can stand against the two of them together.

Clark finally broke eye contact, "Sorry about dinner. We just can't seem to catch a break."

Tess replied, "Clark not everything bad that happens in the world is your fault. Sometimes events affect us in way beyond our control and it's not our fault. You cannot keep blaming yourself for what others do Clark. Now I'm going to drive back into town and get us a pizza. You scrounge up some drinks and we'll have our date. Tonight is all about us, we're not going to think about tomorrow, we'll live in the now. And tomorrow we'll handle this together."

Tess smile melted Clark's heart.

While waiting for Tess to return, Clark starred thru his telescope looking at the stares when he was surprised to hear a voice say, "You look like you're carrying the weight of the world Clark."

Clark turned to see Lex Luthor walking up the steps to the loft, looking around the barn and smirking.

Lex continued, "Sorry if I surprised you, but there's really nowhere to knock." His lips curled in a sneer.

Clark asked darkly, "Lex, what are you doing here?"

Lex smiled, "I got your address from a nice elderly couple in town. Took me awhile to find. You really do live in the middle of nowhere don't you Clark?"

Clark frowned, "What do you what Lex?"

Lex walked up and looked thru Clark's telescope, "Your first visit to Metropolis, I'm assuming, and you're involved in a police investigation? That has to be some kind of record. Wasn't aware my little sister liked bad boys." He laughed.

Clark continued to frown, "How'd you know about that?"

Lex answered, "The detective in charge came to see me first."

Clark asked, "What did he tell you?"

Lex smiled knowingly, "Not much. Maybe that's what's bothering me."

"What do you mean?"

"Metropolis Police usually don't send detectives to investigate traffic accidents. So I made a call. Turns out the official investigation is already closed. Tell me Clark, why would Sam Phelan want with a two bit farmboy? And what does this has to do with a bus crash? Now that I think of it I do think I saw you and my sister leave the Museum just moments before the crash. And I don't recall seeing you afterwards."

Ignoring all of Lex's questions a voice behind him said, "So you know this cop."

Lex turned to see Tess walk up the barn's stairs carrying a large pizza.

Tess logged away Phelan's name in her mind with the intent of research in the morning. She continued, "It's no stretch of the imagination to assume that you had your own fair share of legal problems while in Metropolis Lex."

Clark smiled seeing his soul mate, then smirked at Lex and asked, "Serious trouble?"

Lex simply replied, "Expensive."

Lex looked at his sister, "Phelan was the kind of officer our father felt we could turn to for help."

Clark asked, "So he's a dirty cop?"

Lex glared at Clark, "I'm saying he'll do whatever it takes to get the job done. Plant evidence. Falsify reports. Anything is fair game. And if he's got something on you, Kent, he'll use it."

Clark returned the glare.

Tess stepped in, "He just wanted to talk Lex so why don't you just get the hell out of here so Clark and I can enjoy our date."

Lex looked at his sister in amusement, "Calm down little sister. Just checking up on your boyfriend here. Just want to make sure me dear sweet baby sister isn't running with the wrong crowd."

Seeing the two sets of glaring eyes he smiled and said, "Well have fun you two." Seeing the pizza in Tess hands and the six pack of Coke bottles on the table Lex laughed, "Nice to see you pulled out all the stops for my sister Clark." And then he was gone with the full intent of learning Phelan's interest in Clark. Something wasn't right with the farmboy and Lex was going to figure it out. And if it hurt his sister then all the better.

Sorry for the shortness of the update but I'm just glad to be updating at all. Today was the first day in nine months I've gotten so much written. I was afraid it'd be like Alfred said in The Dark Knight Rises, "It takes a bit to get back in to the swing of things" But I actually found it easy to get right back to this story. Glad to be back. Honestly I really enjoyed writing Lex, he's just such a bastard. Will try to finish this episode in the next chapter and i'll try to focus more on Clark/Tess in the next chapter.

Glad to be back. Please review if you think I did ok after so long. The next chapter will be out some time this weekend hopfully.

-Dex-El of Krypton