Chelle
myangelgirl30@yahoo.ca
Finished: January 2004

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, none of us would ever see the
light of day again and I would be much happier. **g**

Spoilers: Shattered

Rating: PG at best.

AN: Thanks to my very own slash princess Green Queen for the super
fast beta. She is a goddess among Bronzers and I loves her, I does.

Distribution: CLFF for now. Just ask, I'll say yes. ;)

Feedback: It's a good GOOD thing. It's a drug, I'm a junkie, and
not above begging for it.

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"How about working with me at the crap-factory, Clark?"

Martha stopped at the landing midway up the loft stairs. She could
see in, and she knew Clark could see her if he looked for her, and of
course he probably heard her, but she wanted to hear the answer to
the question.

Things had been tense in the Kent household since Clark had broken
Lex out of Belle Reve with Bruce Wayne's help. Jonathan had forbidden
Clark to interfere with "that damn Luthor family crap", and Clark had
stated firmly and dangerously quietly, "After last summer, do you
really think you can stop me, Dad? I promised to help him, and I
failed. I'm going to make that better, with or without your
permission." Jonathan had turned his back on his son, and Martha had
kissed his cheek and told him to make sure he was careful. That had
been three weeks ago, and Clark and Jonathan had not spoken since.

She turned her thoughts back to the scene spread out before her. Her
boys were sprawled on the new couch that Clark had allowed Lex to buy
for them after his return from the asylum. Lex felt safer at the Kent
residence than at the mansion, even with Jonathan there, for obvious
reasons. This couch was longer, with deeper cushions, the better for
the two young men to sit on, though until now Martha had not known
they were going to sit like that together. Lex had let Clark pick out
the colour, and it was no shock to see that it was a red and blue
plaid. Lex had shaken his head and laughed that at least it was going
to be in the barn and not the castle. Martha remembered seeing a
strange smile on Clark's face that made more sense seeing how they
were at this moment.

Clark was seated in the corner of the couch, one leg bent at the
knee, the opposite foot on the floor. Lex was nestled between his
legs, leaning back against Clark's chest with his head tilted up as
they spoke in soft tones. He had foregone his usual dress clothes and
was dressed surprisingly like Clark in faded jeans and a well-worn
Princeton t-shirt that looked like it may have been black at one time
but was now a muted charcoal. They had the old quilt Martha had given
Clark when the "Fortress" had been made draped over their legs, and
she could feel the warmth from the space heaters Clark had spent his
allowance on once it became apparent that he and Lex would be
spending a good portion of their time in the barn until Lex was
comfortable in his home again. Martha suspected that day might never
actually come. She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard
Clark start to reply. She looked up again to watch the interchange
between the two young men she thought of as her boys.

"Lex….work at the crap factory? What are you talking about? Because
that won't make things look too suspicious or anything." Clark
chuckled it out softly, his large hands stroking Lex's long back
showing the affection behind the shocked tone.

Within moments, Lex had knelt on the couch, facing Clark. He cupped
Clark's face in his hands and spoke with an intensity Martha had
never heard, even in the conversations she had witnessed between Lex
and his father. "Clark, don't you understand? Lionel tried to take it
all away from me. He tried to take away my memories of Julian again,
he tried to take away my memories of Smallville. He tried to take
away my memories of……you." Lex's voice choked on the last word, and
Martha found it hard to swallow down her own tears at the emotion she
heard coming through. She peeked up again and saw "her boys" sitting
with their foreheads together, Lex stroking Clark's cheeks reverently
with his thumbs, Clark running a soothing hand over Lex's bald scalp.

"Shhhh, Lex. Baby, it's like I swore to you when I snuck in to see
you before Bruce and I broke you out….nothing would keep me away from
you. Not my father, not my…heritage, not even your father." Clark
looked up and locked eyes with his mother, and she realised he'd
known she was there all along. She tilted her head at him in
acknowledgement, and he nodded back, granting permission for her to
hear the rest. He placed a gentle kiss on the older man's lips and
said clearly, "You once told me you would do anything for your
friends. I would do anything for mine as well. And for the man I
love? I would do even more. I love you, Lex, never ever forget
that." He wiped away the tears that had started to course down Lex's
cheeks, then kissed him again. "You can come up now, mom."

Martha sheepishly climbed the final steps to the loft, blushing
gently as she smiled at the pair on the couch. Lex started to turn to
get up, embarrassed to be caught in a "weak" moment, but she shook
her head and motioned for him to stay where he was. "Lex, dear, no
matter what my husband may think, I have never really thought you
were a bad influence on Clark. Perhaps his emotions for you have
caused him to make some rather...misguided decisions, but he has
always done what he thought was the best thing for you. I should have
seen where your relationship was heading – no, let me finish Lex, I
know this is a new thing for you boys. If he says he loves you, then
it's for real, and you are now part of this family, which means we
will all protect you with everything in us. Face it dear, you're a
Kent now, just as much as a Luthor. Now all I have to do is find some
flannel in your size!"

They all laughed as Clark moaned, "Mooo-ooom!"

Lex smiled, and Martha noted that it was real and easy, unlike the
ones Lex usually bestowed on anyone other than Clark. "Mrs. Kent,
much as I love your son, under no circumstances will you find me in
flannel shirt." A kiss from said son was his reward, as they both
knew Lex had taken to wearing flannel boxers since his escape.

"We'll see, Lex. We'll see. And Lex, call me Martha. After all,
you're one of my boys too. Now, I have to go get dinner finished, and
I'll expect to see you both at the table tonight. No hiding here in
the barn, Lex. It will be ready in 15 minutes. " She kissed both of
them on the forehead and left the loft, turning once at the top of
the stairs to look back at how content they were to just be together
after all that had happened. I always wanted more children, now I
have 2. And finally they are both happy. Life is a great thing
sometimes, she thought to herself as she went in the house to break
the news to her husband and warn him to be nice to the man who was
now one of Martha's boys.