A.N. i feel like i should apologize. this story has moved WAYYY beyond the confines of the episode 'truth', though it hasn't left the 3rd season yet. oh well. no real chlex in this chapter, but there's some good stuff coming up, so yeah. ta da!
Lex watched as the strangely attractive blonde girl left the barn, then turned his attention to Clark. His friend smiled shyly and took a seat on the couch.
“I thought you'd be out celebrating. Your dad's finally behind bars.”
Lex winced at the boy’s naiveté. Clark has been involved in enough dangerous situations with his father that you’d think he’d know better by now.
“My father has a battalion of lawyers more powerful than Caesar's army. He'll be out on bail in less than 48 hours.”
Clark laughed in child-like disbelief as he got up to climb the stairs up to the loft, leaving Lex to trail along behind him. “I don't think the judge is gonna let a murderer back out on the street.”
“Clark, the only way he'll be denied bail is if there's evidence at his bail hearing that he's an imminent threat to society.”
“What about Chloe's voicemail? The one with your dad's confession on it. That could be pretty damaging.”
Lex sighed in irritation. He had a million things he could be doing, and even the worst of them was far more pleasant than having to speak down to Clark as if he were explaining the situation to a five-year-old. If only Clark would just agree to testify, he could be on his way. “It will be for the grand jury. But in order to deny him bail, they need eyewitnesses,” He looked at Clark dully, then added, “people who have seen my father actually inflict harm. Unfortunately, anyone who's been privy to his darkest moments is either dead or unwilling to come forward.”
Clark looked down guiltily, then snapped his eyes back up as if afraid Lex had witnessed his little internal conflict. Like Lex missed anything.
“I'll come forward.”
Lex feigned refusal, carefully wording his argument. “I appreciate the support, Clark, but they need an eyewitness.”
“I saw him at Belle Reve.” He continued. Lex looked at him slyly. He already knew that, had seen it pulled from one of his memories. “I saw him order the doctor to increase your electroshock voltage. Even when the doctor said it could turn you into a vegetable.”
Lex ground his teeth together violently. That, he hadn’t predicted. “How could you have seen that?” He asked stiffly.
Clark clearly saw the anger behind Lex’s tense figure and immediately turned to the defense. “I snuck in to try to save you, but I was too late.” He took a step back as Lex moved in toward him menacingly.
Forget that. He shouldn’t have even been surprised that Lionel would gamble with his own son’s life just to save face… but Clark had been there and he watched. Watched and never said a word. He focused his anger on Clark, using information he had pieced together from his flashbacks to regain lost ground.
“You knew all along my father murdered his parents, didn't you?” He asked calmly. “And you never told me.”
His friend’s face blushed deep red. “Lex-“
“I always assumed there was a tacit agreement among friends to share that kind of information with each other.” He continued his accusation with sharp ferocity, causing Clark to affect a wounded look, and Lex knew what argument would be coming next.
“Not when it can get your friend killed. Lex, your father threw you into a mental institution and fried your brain. If you found that out all over again, I thought he might kill you, and I couldn't live with that.” His blue eyes seemed so wide and honest that Lex found himself wanting desperately to believe him. The weakness only lasted a minute, all it took was a quick count of the many times Clark had lied—right to his face—with that same look. There’s always some reason or another, but when it came down to it, Clark was dishonest and Lex was sick of feeling like some scorned child left out of all the fun. He was tired of being lied to, he could figure out the truth himself. But that didn’t mean he would turn down Clark’s offer to stand trial. No, that was exactly what he needed. He rested a hand lightly on the flannel-clad shoulder.
“You're a good friend, Clark. If you tell the judge what you just told me, my father will be exchanging his Armani for an orange jumpsuit.”
Clark’s face split into a grateful smile, and it was all Lex could do not to slug him. “I'll be there. You can count on it.”
With a sharp nod, Lex’s phone rang- right on time. As he answered the phone to a recorded alarm, he excused himself from the barn and walked back to his car. He would have his father behind bars and all the answers he could ask for, it was just a matter of time. He really shouldn’t be angry with Clark. After all, he had the loyalty of Clark’s best friend. Something Clark could hardly hold onto himself.
Bookmarks