The farm was silent and lonelier that Clark thought he could bear. Most days he spent in the barn after taking care of the animals, while leaving the field tending to the workers. Lex showed up everyday as promised, but never stayed very long, and always mentioned how comfortable he would be at the mansion before he headed back. He didn't know why he was so stubbornly refusing to stay there. He hated being alone all the time, and looking at that little yellow house just depressed him. So far he'd only been to the mansion to for dinner, though he'd skipped it the last couple of days—in fact he hadn't eaten anything in over 48 hrs. It worried Lex as much as it worried him, but nothing else seemed to be changing, not even the size of his paunch. He didn't feel sick at all, he just had no appetite, and since he didn't actually need food to live, maybe there was no immediate danger.

But he knew something would happen soon, and it terrified him. This morning he was far antsier than usual. He hadn't slept at all and he found himself alternating between looking at his watch and his cell phone, wondering when would be a respectable time to show up at the mansion. It wasn't even breakfast hour yet. He made up his mind as soon as the sun started peaking over the fields that this would be his last morning on the farm. His few belongings, no more than a handful of jeans, t-shirts, flannels and pictures from his table; were packed in a small bag. He hoped the invitation was still open.

As soon as he saw the workers filing in from the road, he picked up his cell phone, but couldn't bring himself to call Lex. It was stupid, but it was almost like he was giving in. So he decided to take the direct approach and headed toward the mansion in a blur.

He walked into Lex's office unannounced, but lost his bravado somewhere near the door, ruining the effect completely by standing there sheepishly with his bag on the floor next to him. Lex looked up from his laptop, and said casually. "So I see you decided to take me up on my offer."

Clark nodded; relieved Lex didn't make more of it, and moved into the room. Unseen hands swept his bag away before he even noticed they'd entered the room.

"I hope that's Ok. Things are too quiet on the farm and I think…well, maybe its getting close.."

Lex shut his laptop. "Did something happen?"

Clark shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

"Have you eaten?"

"I'm ok Lex, I'm just not hungry. I didn't mean to interrupt you while you're working."

Lex got up from the table; he really didn't think Clark looked well.

"You're looking pale again, you sure you feel Ok?"

"I feel fine, I don't know, maybe I do need food, I've never tested it."

Lex had been painstakingly going over all the collected data on Clark all morning; all the results from blood samples they gathered during his stay, and the full body scans they did while he lay motionless for 2 weeks. But whenever Clark walked in and offhandedly made a statement like that, he knew he was still so far away from unraveling the complete mystery.

"You don't need food?"

Clark shrugged. "I don't know, I mean there was only one thing that would kill me that I know of, and it wasn't starvation."

"And now?"

"And now what?"

"You spoke in the past tense, did something change?"

Clark bit his lip; he could feel a new swell of anxiety. "Nothing changed, I don't know why I said it like that. So, do I pick a room, or is there a specific one I should take?"

Lex eyed him, he knew a classic Clark evasion when he heard one. "I seriously hope there isn't something you're not telling me. I need as much information as possible to insure your safety through this. Don't start holding things back now Clark."

He didn't know why he wouldn't tell Lex that this could all end in his death. Maybe he was simply afraid to say the words out loud—or he was afraid of what Lex would do. He had a tendency to think himself above the laws of nature, and he thought maybe he'd go to extremes to prevent it from happening. Or maybe he'd relish it happening and then there'd be no question of who got to raise the child. Clark shook the thought out of his head—even he couldn't believe that of Lex.

Clark didn't look at him. "I'm not…"

Lex sighed; Clark was completely hopeless sometimes. "Then Leo will show you your room."

And Leo, dressed in the traditional Luthor Asian garb appeared seemingly through the mahogany walls.

"This way Mr. Kent."

Oddly enough he never really stayed at the mansion before, not even when they were best friends. The place ran like a machine, with his staff acting as mere cogs in the machinery. They rarely had to be asked to do anything, and often his needs were met before he knew he needed anything. He had to admit—it was nice. But as comfortable as he was, he still couldn't sleep, and spent his first night just wandering around the mansion. The rooms went on forever as he explored one room after another, being careful not to enter the rooms that were locked, though he could if he wanted—he didn't even x-ray them. He wanted to respect Lex's privacy he told himself, though he was mostly afraid of finding something that would make him angry at Lex.

Lex's light was on in his study when he passed it, though it was well after midnight. He knocked gently and waited until he heard Lex invite him in.

Lex was gathering up a number of what looked like x-rays on his desk when he walked in.

"Is that me?" Clark pointed to the pile on Lex's desk.

Lex hesitated for a moment then handed the stack to Clark. "You can't sleep?"

Clark shook his head while he looked at the pile of x-rays. There she was, nestled below what resembled intestines in a tightly wound sac inside the cavity she had created in his body. He wasn't sure what he looked like before, but they didn't look like the intestines he'd seen in anatomy books. Looking at his own anatomy was both amazing and terrifying.

"Doesn't look very human does it?"

Clark shook his head. "But she does. It's a girl."

Lex nodded. "These are the last images we took of you while you were in your 'coma'. We wanted to monitor the baby and see how it was developing, in case you never woke up. But yes, you can clearly see it's a girl."

Clark smiled finally. "This is amazing. I'm really having a baby, a little girl."

Lex walked over to him. "Yes, I'm glad you're starting to realize it. It doesn't have to be a nightmare. I know this is strange and it can't make you feel very masculine—but you have a chance to give life, and it's incredible."

"I guess there's no point in me worrying about why this happened is there? I mean she's here, and she's mine -ours. My mother would have been so thrilled to be a grandmother…"

"She would have been great at it, and I know she'd find a way to be happy for us. I know there's a reason this happened, and there has to be a reason it happened with me."

Clark looked at him. "I told you the reason, because we had sex."

"But it has to be more than that."

"No it doesn't Lex. Don't try to attach a grander meaning to this. It's a miracle, but the reason it happened is very simple. You came to me, I was vulnerable and wanted it, its that simple. Don't turn this into a grand act of redemption for you. Its a child, and this has to be about her."

Lex didn't say anything for a long moment. He knew what this child would mean for him—but also knew what he could mean for the child if he ended up making the same mistakes his father had.

He looked at Clark finally. "I can do this Clark."

"I hope so, because I don't want to do this alone. I'm not even sure what to tell people when she comes. "

Lex shrugged. "Tell everyone you knocked some girl up out of town who left her on your doorstep."

"I can't tell people that!"

Lex smirked. "Well you could always tell them the truth."

Clark's cheeked reddened and caused Lex to laugh out loud.

Clark mumbled. "I'm glad you're finding this funny."

Lex tried to stop smiling. "You need to stop worrying so much about what other people think."

Clark rolled his eyes. "I'm going try and get some sleep, you should too."

"I will when I'm ready."

Clark rose and walked to the door. "Good night, Lex."

Lex stayed in his office for another hour and was contemplating heading upstairs when a member of his staff uncharacteristically came bursting into his office.

"I'm sorry sir, but something is very wrong with Mr. Kent!"

Lex bolted from his desk, and grabbed his phone. He immediately called Kruger the head of his team. "Its happening, I need you two up here now!"

He ran into Clark's room, and touched a button that slid the far wall open to reveal equipment waiting behind it. His maid was holding Clark, trying to get him to calm down.

Lex stopped, it wasn't what he was expecting. "What happened?"

His maid looked at him. "I heard him screaming, so I thought he was hurt, but I think its just a nightmare, but I can't get him to wake up."

He walked over to Clark and grabbed him by his shoulders and yelled his name, looking directly into his eyes. Clark blinked a few times and finally seemed to see him. Lex looked at his maid.

"I'll take it from here. Let Mr. Kruger know that I need him on standby."

He went over and closed the wall panel, and picked up towel from the adjacent bathroom to wipe Clark's sweaty face.

"What happened?"

Lex sat next to him on the bed. "You woke up screaming and scared the staff half to death."

Clark moved over to give Lex more room, he seemed to welcome the small comfort Lex was providing.

"I must have had another nightmare—they're getting worse."

"Why haven't you told me about them?"

Clark sat up. "Its no big deal, its just a nightmare."

"You're still shaking Clark, it wasn't just a nightmare. Whats going on?"

"Just worried…I'm ok Lex."

Lex stood up, Clark's need to push everyone away was getting old. "You don't have to be so guarded Clark, you have every reason to be terrified. But I'll let you get some rest. Just call if you need anything, anything at all."

Clark nodded and lied back down. "Lex?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Can you…just stay here for a little while? I mean would you lie down next to me? Its ok if you don't…"

Lex kicked off his shoes and lied down next to Clark and wrapped his arms around him. He thought Clark would pull away from the intimacy, but instead he relaxed into his arms and pulled them tighter around his torso. Lex lay there against the warmth of Clark's back, feeling the tiny pulse of the little heartbeat inside of Clark's belly vibrating against his palm, until he drifted off to sleep.

Lex felt like his arm was going to crack in two—the sharp pain woke him up, and in his fog he saw the culprit was Clark, grabbing frantically at his arm, trying to wake him up. Lex jumped up immediately when he saw Clark's face. His eyes were wide and he was sweating profusely—he was obviously in pain. Lex grabbed his phone and immediately called for his team to come into Clark's room. He went to get up, but Clark grabbed him.

"Please…don't leave."

Lex nodded and ripped Clark's tee—it was happening. His belly was moving and contorting and he could see small limbs stretching. His stomach was being pulled and stretched like a rubber mask. The site was horrifying and so were Clark's screams every time his skin was stretched.

He pulled Lex closer to him frantically. "Lex…please, promise you'll take care of her, promise."

"Clark you're going to be fine, we'll both take care of her."

Clark shook his head. His hair was soaked and his eyes were streaming and he couldn't seem to catch his breath. "GOD this hurts Lex…so much. I'm not going to be fine…I won't even get to see her…"

His team hurried into the room. "What are you talking about Clark?"

"Jor el said I would die…but I just want her to be born."

Lex looked horrified. "Why didn't you say something before! Clark I never would have let you die."

Clark was panting now, and white as a sheet. "I know…but there was nothing you could—" he screamed. His skin was beginning to tear like paper, and a thick liquid was seeping between the tears.

"Mr. Luthor I think we should cut him open to extract the child."

"No! No, you'll hurt her please…just let it happen…"

Lex looked at him like he was crazy. "The kid is literally ripping you apart! I can't just sit here!"

"Don't…just—"

Then with a blood-curdling scream they all knew it was too late. Clark bucked wildly and blood started to run down his abdomen, he screamed as the skin spread apart like a threadbare sheet. The baby was coming and pushed its way out of Clark, shredding his flesh completely. As soon as the baby was free of him, Clark fell silent and went completely still. Lex stood there in shock and the small infant, wrapped in a slimy film lay wiggling next to Clark's ruined body. Shaking, Lex looked at Clark finally. He was white and unmoving, with his eyes wide open. He wasn't breathing.

The slimy film surrounding the baby melted away until it was a puddle around the baby, who laid there looking healthy and pink, next to a very dead looking Clark.

"Mr. Luthor?"

Lex turned away from the scene. "Clean him up." He walked out of the room without looking at the baby.

Lex sat very still in his room, not moving for a long time—at least it felt like a long time, he honestly had no idea. His mind was blank; no real thoughts seemed to enter his brain, as his mind played over and over the scene of Clark dying in front of him. He hadn't gone back in to see the body. The head of his team came back to say they superfluously bandaged his midsection and changed the sheets, they were leaving him there for the time being, awaiting further instructions from him. He didn't ask about the baby and they didn't mention her. He wondered what would become of her now. There was a soft knock on his door, and when he didn't answer, the door opened. It was the maid, and she stood there holding the infant wrapped in a blanket.

"Mr. Luthor. I won't ask you to explain what just happened, but I think you should hold her."

Lex shook his head, but his persistent maid walked over and laid the infant in his arms, then left the room. He looked down at the little girl—her eyes were large and bluish-green like Clark's and her small shock of hair was dark—even down to her soft apple cheeks and full red lips she was Clark's child. As he smoothed her dark curls, he wondered if any part of him was really in her, maybe the shape of her chin, he couldn't be sure. Now that he held this tiny thing in his arms, that seemed so tenacious when she resided inside of Clark, and looked so helpless now—he wasn't sure if he was ready to care for her. His grief and disappointment was too deep. Still he held the child closer to him, loving the feel of her soft smooth cheek against his rough one. Maybe a father was something you became over time, and maybe all fathers felt as hopeless as he did the first time they held their child.

The sun was high in the morning sky now, and the child reached towards the beams streaming through the window. He reached and pulled the curtain open, and he could have sworn she smiled. Maybe she loved the sun as much as Clark—he remembered how Clark said the earth's sun had changed him and made him what he is. Lex froze, then yelled for his maid. She came running into the room.

"Yes, Mr. Luthor?"

"Get Kruger and tell them to take Clark out onto the balcony. It's a long shot, but I need to try."

She looked puzzled, but knew better by now than to question anything Lex told her to do. She quickly ran out of the room. Lex picked up the child and held her towards the window and whispered softly in her ear.

"Maybe we'll get your real father back after all."

The crib from an unspeakable deed of long ago still existed and he placed the baby in it while he sat on the balcony with Clark's body, naked except for the large bandage across his torso, exposed to the sun. He had no idea if it would work, but he needed to try something—he refused to simply give up and bury Clark in the back garden. So Lex sat on the cold stone floor next to Clark and waited.

Hours passed and Lex drifted off to sleep, while Clark remained motionless on the balcony. When Lex lifted his head again and saw Clark lying there as he had been for hours, he was about to give up. He leaned over his body and carefully removed the gauze, forcing himself to face the horror that had been done to him. He almost fell over when he saw what was underneath. Clark's skin was smooth and taught again, like was before the pregnancy. Lex reached out and touched his chest, and it felt warm. Excited he leaned down to listen for a heartbeat, and heard a faint sound and felt a small intake of breath. He was so elated he could have shouted, but he only smoothed Clark's hair out of his face and watched the life come back into it. It was the second time he'd done that in a month and he hoped it would be his last. Finally, after the longest hour of his life passed, Clark opened his eyes. He glanced up at the sky and then at Lex, and smiled slightly. Lex returned the smile.

"Would you like to see your daughter?"

Lex didn't think he'd ever get used to seeing his only child dressed like a farmer, but Clark insisted she looked cute in red and sometimes blue overalls. Lex thought she looked like a boy, even if she had a mass of dark curls that almost reached her tiny shoulders. When he arrived Clark had her in the living room surrounded by an explosion of toys. She was crawling ferociously now, and starting to stand on her own.

"She looks like a boy Clark, how about we buy her some dresses."

"She'll hurt her knees. I think she looks cute."

"Of course you do."

Martha started bouncing when she saw Lex and called out his name that sounded more like "Dex."

He picked her up and she patted his head like she always did. He kissed her face and handed her the small stuffed animal he'd bought her, since Clark wouldn't allow anything too extravagant yet.

In the beginning neither was sure if the arrangement would work, and Lex had been resentful of Clark's insistence on raising her on the farm. But he gave in remembering his own childhood full of too many majestic halls and cold stone. Once he saw Clark carrying her around the farm he knew she belonged there and she looked more like Clark everyday. The only thing she seemed to inherit from him was her fierce temper, though honestly she could have gotten it from either one of them. But it didn't matter as long as she bounced on her little legs when she saw him, and smiled brightly whenever he played with her. The only thing he dreaded was the day Clark decided to marry, then she'd have a traditional family, and there'd be less room for him in her life.

Clark was dating a girl now that Lex couldn't stand and he didn't think Clark liked her as much as he claimed to. Nothing had ever become of their moment of passion and they returned to their former role of being friends. But every so often, when Clark and Martha stayed at the mansion, or he stayed too long at the farm, they'd sit very close to each other, leaning on one another quietly with an intimacy that went beyond friendship. It never went further, but neither would stop hoping that eventually one of them would have the courage to take the next step.

"Are you taking her out?"

Lex shook his head. "I think I just want to stay here and hang out with both of you."

Clark smiled. "You've been doing that more and more lately. You ashamed to be seen with our kid, or you just warming up to the idea of becoming a farmer?"

Lex shrugged. "Maybe hay agrees with me. Actually, I think I'll take her for a walk."

Clark looked surprised but went and got her sweater. He let Lex place it on her, because the novelty of watching Lex with his daughter, being so gentle, never wore off. Lex picked her up and took her outside to walk along the fence. Clark stood on the porch and watched as Lex patiently walked with her, holding her hands while she took tiny steps in front of him. In these moments Clark couldn't doubt Lex would be who she needed him to be, and who he needed him to be, and as long as they both continued on this path, maybe their future would hold all that he hoped for.

The end.