The Memoirs

Shayla had never driven a Camaro before, and after this, she was never likely to again. But it felt good to be behind the wheel of such a powerful machine, and had the situation not been as dire as it was? She'd have decided then and there that she was going to have a fast car of her own, very soon.

As it was?

Bruce Wayne was just lucky she didn't wrap the car around a tree trunk and be done with both of them. The only thing that saved Bruce's ass was that Shay knew that Chloe'd kill her if anything happened to his ass on her watch.

As soon as the car pulled up in front of the mansion, Shayla threw the keys into the fountain, just to be spiteful, and went around to the passenger side. "Get the fuck out now and let me get to Pete."

The day had darkened. Or maybe it hadn't.... Bruce didn't really know, or understand, or care. His entire life had zoomed down onto his lover, his chosen life's mate, laying unconscious and bleeding in his arms. He'd been completely silent after his initial explosion at the blond, and ignored her as he carefully removed himself, and his lover, from the car. The world was spinning, panic, horror, fury, anxiety, terror, fear. The blood curdling kind--the kind that attacked from within. Something he couldn't find, couldn't punch, couldn't stab and maim and KILL in the name of his lover.

He ignored the girl... she was that, a little girl who knew nothing of the world, and quickly and quietly removed himself from the car, Dick in his arms. Past a stunned Ms. Bird and into the house, weaving through the house with the dead weight in his arms. And for once, his muscles felt like buckling, like loosening, cramping up as he held on tightly. Down, down the long steps… the lab was locked and coded.

So he sat on the steps, Dick cradled gently in his arms, and waited for Lex.

Dick was out cold, thanks to the ball bat being broken over his head. His skin was crawling, despite the unconsciousness, and he moaned softly against Bruce's shoulder.

Shayla looked in the back seat, at her lover. "Come on, Pete. We're home. Let's go get you in the shower, okay?" She held her hand out to him, rocking back on her heels.

Lex was currently doing three digits on the way back from Richardsonville, which is where Toby had bought a house. Lex, of course, had paid for half of it, what with all the times he'd used Toby's services, but that was beside the point. Toby was braced in the back seat and Clark was in the front seat beside him as he laid rubber, shifting gears like a madman.

"You, uh, you might wanna go a little faster there, Lex. You ain't broke the sound barrier yet," Toby gritted out.

He'd been just as silent as Bruce had been. Dick had been entirely too close for comfort, and Pete... he couldn't stop going over, and over, and over, in his head, what he'd done. Cheated on the one thing who MEANT anything to him, and he just looked up, staring at her. Dressed in ratty jeans and an old sweater and he was freezing, rubbing his arms softly.

Eyes, which had been more than once been referred to as bambi eyes, were very, very wide. A hazy, lovely shade of spring grass, light green with a layer of blue all along the edge of iris. And you could see. All of it. Because Clark was staring at his lover as they passed 115 miles an hour.

He looked to the ceiling. "God, hi. Clark, here. I know you and I don't really have to talk often, but God? I'm positive I won't survive Pancakeism. Please, God. Take care of my barn cat, Butt. Okay? He's kind of an annoying thing, but we can't have him humping the cows anymore. My mom and dad? I'm furious with them at the moment, but make sure mama doesn't like, poison dads pie cause he won't let up over the baby, okay? And for Toby? Don't kill Toby. He's a great guy. Okay?"

"Amen to that, kid. Amen to that." Toby's hands were knotted tightly in the leather upholstery. "Does he drive like this all the time?"

"Clark, stop it. You're going to be fine. Toby, stop being a wuss. We're going to make it, we just have to... hurry a little." The speedometer clicked up past 125, and Lex shifted into cruising gear, keeping the pedal flat against the floor. The corn whipped by nauseatingly fast, and he didn't dare take his eyes off the road.

"Yeah, God? What the kid said? Ditto it."

"No... usually he only has the nerve to hit 90. But I think he's feeling a little frisky today." Clark squeaked, fingers knotted on the handle of the car door so tightly he was bending it. "We already broke the sound barrier. I should know. Right now? Going for the speed of light. Oh, God, I'm going to puke." He gritted out.

"You're not gonna puke kid, and neither am I. I got shit in here that'll keep a bull down. Want a hit?" He offered Clark a loaded syringe. "It'll get you through the car ride."

Clarks eyes widened. Considerably. "Thank you, but no--LEX! WATCH THE COWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Clark shrieked, and ducked his head, covering it with his hands.

"Your choice, kid." Toby put the syringe back in his black bag. "Maybe I should give it to--holy fucking Christ, Lex!! Let me fucking drive!"

Lex swerved, keeping two wheels on the asphalt and then a third as his back wheels skidded on the pavement as he spun the steering wheel hard to avoid the loose bovine. "GET THE FUCK BACK IN YOUR PASTURE!" he bellowed out the window.

Clark was still ducked, eyes closed, lunch in his throat. Yeah. No. Nuht uh. No. He didnt dare open his eyes, still in the partial fetal position cause he was sure they were all dead and he was missing a limb. Just kept his eyes shut for a while, until he knew it was safe to look, and peaked up at his lover.

And smacked him across the shoulder.

"Don't hit the driver, Clark."

Again. twice, for good measure, as the mansion sped into view.

"Clark, do you want to make it the rest of the way home in one piece?" He slammed on the brakes hard as the mansion's long driveway came into view, and then shifted into low gear to corner onto the driveway, laying rubber and skidding on the asphalt.

"Point." He whimpered, though they were going a safe(r) 40 miles an hour in a ten mile zone. The car sped to a stop and he heard a piercing scream.

Internal. He bellowed and covered his ears, cradling in around the sound before it stopped. A thousand tiny little voices screaming and his eyes widened as the sound stopped on a dime. Almost... almost like a calling cry to him, and he shuddered.

Lex looked over at Clark as he let out a scream, and stood even harder on the brakes, the car rolling to a stop mere inches away from the brick wall of the garage. "Clark?" He leaned over and shook Clark by the shoulder, recoiling when the touch opened the link and he heard the screams in his head. "FUCK!"

Toby raised both grizzled gray eyebrows. "Lex? You on somethin'? And what's up with the kid?" He reached over the seat and shook Clark. "Yo. Kid, you okay?"

The sound cut off as quickly as it came and Clark let out another soft shudder, closing his eyes until it was again okay to open them. And he did, slowly, looking up at his lover... and again towards the mansion. "They need our help. Oh, this is bad. Very, very bad. Lex, bad."

"Yeah, I know, I gathered as much when Bruce called and said that Dick had raped Pete and he needed help. I've never heard Bruce Wayne slur a word in the years I've known him." Lex shoved the car door open, and leaned the seat forward for Toby. "Come on, we gotta move it, Toby. Now."

"Okay, okay. Don't give yourself a brain hemorrhage." Toby got out of the car as fast as he could, picked up his bags, and headed after Lex.

He did too, all gangly six and a half feet of him, and hurried to the front door. Dick's Camaro was sitting, ticking softly on the cement beside them, one of the doors ajar. Felt Toby after them both as he listened again, pushing the door open before Ms. Bird could get to it. Walked into the house... and saw the blood, immediately. Drops of it, trickles, and he muttered softly, "Too much blood shed in our family." As he quickly followed it.

Lex nodded in agreement, keeping pace with his lover, and then starting to run towards the stairs. "Bruce?" he shouted, at the top of the staircase that led down to the lab. "Bruce!!!"

He started himself from sleep at Lex's shout, and barely kept Dick in his arms. He was exhausted, so exhausted, and all he could do was hold Dick close, gently rocking his lover as Lex shocked him back into wakefulness.

No answer set Lex's nerves on edge. "Goddammit, Bruce! Answer me!!!" He started down the steps to his lab, dragging Clark behind him and waiting for Toby. "Are you down here or not?"

"I'm here." Softly spoken from around the curve and right in front of the door, swallowing hard as he heard them bounding towards them. He looked up, then, holding Dick close to his chest, and watched as Lex and Clark came into his field of view. "I'm here, see?"

"Oh, shit." He didn't know which one looked worse; bloodied Bruce, or Dick with his skin crawling so badly they could see it from the door. "Clark, take him. Put him on the table. TOBY! Get down here! Down the hall and to your left, then down the stairs! Bruce, sit down."

"I am sitting down." Spoken softly as he set his cheek back on Dicks head, not speaking again.

"Fuck." Whispered softly as he slipped down the steps like a shadow, and gently, ever so gently, set his palms on Dicks chest. "Bruce?"

No answer.

"Bruce?"

"Mmm."

"I'm going to take Dick, and get him in the lab. Alright?"

"No."

"Why?"

"He's mine."

"I'm not going to take him away from you. Just going to go lay him in the lab. Okay?"

"Okay."

Clark took the boy gently as Bruce let him go, lifting him into his arms and looking up at Lex with a lance of fear. He hadn't been in the lab since the day he'd come to get his child and bury him, and he swallowed, very, very hard, as he looked at the door.

Lex nodded, and reached out, putting his hand on Clark's shoulder. "You'll be okay, Clark. You don't have to stay, if you don't want to. Toby and I can take care of things." He stroked Clark's cheek gently with his thumb, feeling exactly what his lover was feeling and reassuring him that it was all right. "Just lay him down." Lex turned Bruce to look at him. "Bruce? What the hell happened?" There was a cut on his friend's head that was crusted over with blood and he looked a mess.

Toby walked into the stainless-steel facility, and let out a whistle. "I've died and gone to geek heaven." Then he caught a glimpse of Bruce, and then of Dick's writhing skin. "Uh, Lex? You wanna tell me what's going on here in this happy little town?"

"You don't want to know." Clark whispered softly as he cradled Dick close, pushed in the five digit code into the door, and stepped inside when it whooshed open.

Felt a wave of intense nausea. But Dick... had helped him, when he hadn't had to. And now Clark would repay the favor. He didn't think--just did, setting the young man on the new lab table Lex had apparently had installed. All stainless steel, but there was a panel beside it...asking if heating the metal to acceptable human temperatures was required.

Only his lover would ever think of that.

"We had a car crash." Bruce nodded, as he slowly climbed to his feet... swayed, but stayed up. "He hurt his knee...broke something in it, I'm sure. Raped Pete." Another nod, and he looked at his old friend...then the ugly white haired--"Who's Magoo?"

Dick gave a soft moan as he was placed onto the table. "hurts," he whimpered softly, starting to slowly come around. His hand shot out and wrapped around Clark's arm as he opened his eyes, tinged with a sickly green color. "It hurts."

"Holy shit." Lex wrapped Bruce's arm around his shoulder. "Toby, get in there with Dick and Clark, now. Bruce and I are following." He looked back at his friend. "Toby's a doctor; he's patched me up god knows how many times. Remember? You met him the other day, when he was stitching up Dad's ass."

"Oh, right. Lex, I'm really tired. I might go have some brandy and take a nap." Bruce whispered, looking up at his friend a moment before laying his head on Lex's shoulder. "Exhausted. Shayla? She's a little bitch."

Lex hauled his friend back up. "Oh no you don't. You're not going to sleep on me now, Bruce Wayne." He gave Bruce a light slap on the face. "As for Shayla? Just one word for you, my friend. Duh."

Toby set his bag down on the table beside Dick and looked the situation over. "Okay, kid. And Christ, you are a kid. You got what, three years on Lex?" He put the back of his hand against Dick's forehead. "Okay. You're shakin' like a junkie; did you take anything?" Toby looked up at Clark. "He's gonna dehydrate fast, the way he's sweating. Go to the sink, wet a towel, and keep him sponged off. If I can't stabilize him, I'm gonna have to IV him."

"I'm a cultured guy. But she? She's a little bitch." Bruce nodded, then gave Lex a hard glare, shaking him off… or trying to, anyway. "Excuse me, I'm Rubber Boy. I think I can handle a little concussion. Do you know what I've come home with, Luthor? Did I tell you about the time I got my leg broken in four places? And drove him? And walked into the cave? And talked to Gordon for an hour and a half? I'm tough."

...And very uncharacteristically chatty.

Clark nodded quickly and ignored everything but what Toby had told him to do. Got a small surgical towel off the pile Lex always had on a shelf. Soaked it through with cool water... two of them, and filled a small basin full of the same water before bringing it back over. He quickly began to soak over Dick's face and neck, arms, swallowing hard as he worked.

"Bruce, do you hear yourself? You just said more to me in the last sentence than you have in the past five years I've known you." Lex nodded. "And, if I were you, I wouldn't be talking about rubber in front of everyone." He gave Bruce a good, swift kick to the calf. "No need to air your kinks."

"Good." Toby pulled out his pen light, and started flashing it in Dick's eyes. "C'mon, kid. Wake up. Tell me what you took so I can flush it outta you before you go into shock on me." He watched Dick's skin crawl. "Clark, look in my bag, and find me the bottle labeled bacteriostatic benzyl. Pour it over a gauze pad, there. Soak it, and then give it to me." He reached into the bag and pulled out a rolled up bundle of surgical instruments and picked up the scalpel. "Lex, wanna get your ass over here and hold the kid down?"

Unfortunately, the kick buckled his knees out from under him, and he all but hit the floor. He glared at his friend and shook him off, getting his legs under him and walking to stand beside Clark. Dick was shaking, shuddering, and his fingertips moved over his lovers face, gently, stroking wet hair from his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

And Clark was all but green, his belly flipping hard. He felt himself panicking and begged God not to let him freak out, swallowing convulsively and shuddering as he rubbed his arms softly, closing his eyes and breathing softly and deeply for a moment before following directions. There was a punch of gauze in Toby's bag and he took some of it out, soaking it up and handing it over, concentrating on getting Dick cooled down.

Lex followed Bruce, hands on his hips. "Give me some of that gauze, Clark." He leaned over and pulled several pieces out of the bag Alcohol I can find on my own." He dragged one of the tall stools over, and shoved it right behind Bruce. "Sit, Bruce. Now." He dug out Toby's bottle of alcohol, and started poking at Bruce's head wound. "SIT!"

"Well, I'm gonna give our boy here a benzyl wash, before I inject the local in his arm, and then once that's done, I'm gonna split the skin open and see if I can figure out what the hell is makin' his skin do the Watusi, because that, my friend, is parasitic. It's like what you see under dog skin when they've got worms." Toby threw his hair back over his shoulder, and looked up. "Not gonna die on me, are you, Clark?"

A thud and Bruce plopped in the stool... swayed, and then let out a short cry when Lex began doing things that just weren't normal to do to other human beings. All this poking and prodding at people's open wounds was not a good thing. Fuck, and he was out of his head when he began talking in this sort of fashion. He grit his teeth and gave Lex a simmering glare, lowering his head just a fraction to the boy could do whatever the hell he wanted. Jumping… hissing, wincing. And snarling. "You've got one hell of a bedside manner, you little son of a bitch."

"M... me? D..." He paled and looked up, eyes wide. "No. I'm good. Where... where are you going to cut him?" Clark asked softly, still wetting the skin as he looked down at the little creatures moving. Every time his hand moved they rushed to follow, and bile rose in his throat when he set his hand on Dicks chest, the little creatures all squirming and writhing right underneath.

"Yeah, well, I love you too, Bruce. Can't resist that sweet talk of yours." Lex took an alcohol-soaked pad and started cleaning at the dried blood that had crusted around the open head wound. "Got yourself a nice little gash there, Bruce? What'd you do, bounce your head off the steering wheel?"

"Right now, on his arm. See here? Right there in the elbow? That's where I'm doing it, cause that's where a lot of the action is. Just keep him wet and cool, so he doesn't dehydrate as fast. You're doing great, Clark. Just bear with me." Toby flicked the syringe of anesthetic and then looked up at Clark. "How strong are you? Think you can hold this beefeater down in case whatever's insidea him don't like this stuff?"

Okay, at that? Clark smiled, though it was a little twitchy at the edges, and he nodded. "I can hold him down no problem."

"Fuck you." Bruce muttered... then hissed as he tried to shuck Lex off to be next to his lover. "Leave me alone. I'm not dying, alright?" But he glared at Lex, as hard as he could. "I hit the steering wheel. My airbags weren't fast enough. Or rather, your airbags weren't fast enough."

"Good. Grab his left shoulder and his right forearm--be ready to move if he does." Toby swabbed the area again, and then slid the needle into Dick's skin. There was no reaction until Toby hit the plunger, and then as soon as the anesthetic hit the subcutaneous skin layers, all motion stopped. "Well fuck me with a baseball bat." Toby picked up the scalpel and slit the top layers of skin, carefully peeling it back. He used a pair of forceps to keep the skin peeled back, and then reached over his shoulder to pick up a pair of tweezers. "Well, would you look at that." Toby used the tweezers to pull out a long, earthworm-like creature with pair of sharp, mandible-pincers at what he guessed was the head. "Lex? You, uh, might wanna get me a specimen bottle before this little thing decides to wake up."

Lex looked up to see the worm dangling from Toby's tweezers. "Fucking hell, what is that?" He turned around, went to his microscope, and came back with a tray of specimen bottles.

"There's more of the little fuckers under there; that's just one of 'em. And, they all went still when I hit 'em with this local. But as it wears off, I'm guessin' these things'll go mobile again."

Clark... was staring in fascination, eyes wide in his head as he peered at the little worm... got a little closer, and stared. "Toby? That is probably the grossest thing I've ever seen." He had a firm grip on Dicks shoulder and arm, tight as he could without hurting him, and still stared. "Ew."

His brain was immediately whirring. Firing synapses at a hundred miles an hour, concussion forgotten, and Bruce took the specimen bottle Lex had dropped the worm into, lifting it up and peering at the pissed off little passed out mother fucker. "He kept saying... he needed the rush. Not a rush...the rush. He came... to the office at the work site, and fucked me blind." Said without a thought, as his mind was still working. "He didn't... he said he needed the rush, and I couldn't give it to him. I got him in the car, and we were going to come up here, because his skin was crawling all over the place. But as soon as we got the rush...as soon as I began to drive fast, or as we fucked, the squirming stopped." he looked up at Lex. "We had the accident because he was shaking the car so hard I couldn't control it. Jumping, leaping, moving it from side to side, screaming about the rush."

"Rush... like, adrenaline rush? Endorphin rush?" Toby was listening as he started to stitch the incision in Dick's skin together. "Lex? You got some kinda x-ray machine in this place?" He worked quickly, taping a bandage over the closed skin. "Cause if these things are wantin' adrenaline, then that's not of the good. No wonder he didn't feel anything," Toby continued. "If these things are seekin' out endorphins, he's feelin' no pain and wouldn't be able to fuck, get drunk, or do anything. The more endorphin he produces, the less pain he feels. No pain? No sensation. They're working at cross purposes here."

"He got hard, he just couldn't get off. At all." He nodded, shifting and continuing on. "I'm not calling myself Don Juan here, but Dick's a twenty one year old guy. Hair trigger." Continued without a thought, and Christ he was chatty. "He kept talking about the rush, that's one thing I remember. The rush this, the rush that, and how much it hurt without it." He climbed to his feet... slowly, and lifted the bloody, ripped knee of his lovers jeans, and looked at the wound underneath. "He got hurt. Is his head okay? I'm going to kill that little bitch."

"Yeah, that sounds right," Toby said, studying Dick. "Shit. He's broken that leg good; the bone's poking through the skin. And I bet he didn't even feel it. Fuckers. Okay. Setting the leg, not a problem. Keeping whatever wants to suck adrenaline out of his system happy, also, not a problem. Getting them out? Problem." He looked up at Bruce. "You're lucky that I don't do blackmail. Lex? Swear you're gonna give him a hard time about this?" He rolled Dick onto his side. "In all his babbling about a rush, did he happen to say anything about how he got infected in the first place, if he even knew?"

Lex's eyebrows shot up. "You're not gonna sit there and feed him an epi IV, are you? Because that would kill him. Over stimulate his body."

Toby shook his head. "Not with these things, whatever they are," he said, tapping the glass, "Eating it up for Sunday brunch. But you got a better idea? Now's the time."

"N--" Yes. "Yeah. --Yes. He said he was outside, in the grass, fixing the car. Working on it, whatever. He was under the car and something began to itch at his foot." Bruce nodded, didn't understand a word over what was being said outside of that, Sunday brunch and brandy and over stimulating his--... "What about something to under stimulate his body? Might make the little fuckers clearer to see."

Superman. Superman. Superman. He was. He would someday be. Supermen didn't run and hide and scream and cry, even as desperately as they wanted to. No. Supermen stayed put, and didn't think about needles and knives and backs. No. It would be Cowardly. And Clark? Was no Coward. So fuck you, fear, kiss my fat alien ass.

Swallow.

"Finally. Now we're gettin' somewhere." Toby gently put Dick back on his back, and went down. "Aha. Pesky little fuckers. Yeah, this is where they got in all right." Toby moved the overhead light to shine on Dick's foot, and a little red hole about half an inch wide. "Yeah. Come take a look at this." Toby looked up. "Clark? Can you strip him for me? Everything off, down to his bare ass? Got scissors in there if you need to cut anything off."

Lex followed Toby down and looked. "Yeah. That's the point of entry. Question is now, do we do what Bruce suggests, and sedate him? Or, do we over stimulate and keep the bastards moving."

At that, Toby leaned back and ran his hands through his hair. "Now that I don't know. That's why we need to take a look inside the boy, see how many of these fuckers are runnin' around, where they're at, and if it's feasible to split him open and extract them one by one."

Clark nodded and gently began to--

Oh FUCK.

He let out a shrill cry and covered his hands over his ears, hissing and ducking his head as the shrill, alien scream rang in his head like a thousand little demonic voices. Done, in a split second, as soon as Toby stopped touching the little hole, and he gasped, waiting a moment before looking up.

Holy shit. "Ow." Whimper.

"Clark!!" Lex sprinted over to his lover, hands on his shoulders and holding him tightly. Touch to his cheek opened the thread and he heard the same screams, muted this time, in his own head. "Clark? Do you... know what's going on? Any idea?"

Toby reached out to touch the hole again and Lex snapped at him. "Don't touch that!"

Toby raised an eyebrow. "You wanna let me in on what the hell is goin' on here, Lex? I may look stupid, but I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday."

Clark shook his head, wincing and looking down at Dick... his own thoughts whirring as he spoke. "They know what I am, and they're pissed as hell. They're waking up... Every time you threaten them, they scream. Literally. Like little beasts screaming. Little shits." Vehemently spoke the last part, glaring down at Dick as he looked at his lover, gently shaking his head and kissing him softly. "I'm okay."

Pointedly ignored Toby and his question as he began to undress Dick, snipping off his clothes here and there.

Clark's a super-alien. I'm Batman. And Ms. Bird is really Wonder Woman in disguise. Which would have amused him, if he were the amusable type. Instead, Bruce just gently took Dicks fingers and stroked them softly, reaching up to gently stroke his hair and the matted blood on it.

"You know how I always tell you, don't ask? Well, fucking listen this time, Toby. Don't ask." He ran his hands through Clark's hair. "Are you sure you're all right? Do you know what they are? Do you know how to get rid of them?" A pause. "Do you think your father would know?"

At that... Clark looked up at his lover, fingers stopped over Dicks half ripped t-shirt, and gazed at his lover. "Yes, no, no, and my father would help us." A nod, a hard swallow as he pressed his face close to Lex's, nuzzling him softly. "He'd help. Should we bring him here?"

Lex looked over at Toby. "I don't know that we have a choice." He looked into Clark's eyes, put a hand on his cheek softly. "If Toby sees Jor-El, then you'd have to do to him what you did to your father. And I don't want you to do that again, because the guilt has nearly killed you."

"I can't." Simply spoken, even as his heart burned. "I can't do it again. I can't. Lex, only you know, and you know I can't." A hard swallow, and instead he reached over for the vile in Bruce's hand, taking it from him quietly and holding it up. "Come on, Lex. Toby… we'll be back, and we might have an answer for you."

"What, you're leaving?" Toby shook his head. "You got half an hour, guys. It's all I can wait before I gotta start doing something."

"won't take a half hour." And God, he was getting OUT of the LAB, and the relief that swamped his heart was hard as he took Lex's hand and strode out. Up the steps, each step refilling his strength and resilience until when he got to the top, he simply swept Lex in his arms, snuggled him in, and ran. Out of the house and across Riley's field in seconds, faster now that he had powered weightlessness, and they were going across Kent farm in another few seconds, his grip on his lover tight.

It was pouring rain, but they were going so fast that the world was on slow motion, each droplet stuck in the air... shattering as Clark ran through it. So fast one could catch the water droplets like stones, the mud underfoot nonexistent as he ran.

Lex snuggled in as Clark picked him up. He knew, knew why Clark was terrified of the lab downstairs, and he didn't say a word, just thinking of beautiful sunny days and picnics and making love on a grassy hill on top of a blue-checked drop cloth.

He didn't even feel the drops of rain on his skin, because Clark was protecting him from them.

He saw his father a split second later, tending to the pigs, and dashed even faster down into the cellar, closing the door without a sound. He froze, then, Lex in one arm and his heart racing, panting quietly as he set Lex down and turned to look at the ship.

Pang of sadness. And he handed over the worm.

Lex tucked the specimen bottle into his pocket, and stroked his lover's chest. "I know this isn't easy."

"I'm Clark Kent." he said simply, quietly. "My life is never easy."

The cellar had changed in the week or two since they'd been there. Spring was alive in Smallville, and his mom had gotten out all of the jams and jellies to sell at Farmers Market. The hash had been replaced with the good grain of the southern part of the state, and the boat had been taken down off the ceiling to get ready for using later this month for the annual fishing trip he took with his dad. The ship had been covered with a dark green tarp, and Clark walked over to it, quietly, removing it and crouching down. He had his little disks in his wallet, the new one now, and he carefully took it out of his back pocket, opening them and watching as they snapped open, like the last time.

Placed the octagonal key in its proper spot, and leaned down on his knees.

The little ship opened up, and the little slot for the tablet clicked and whirred in anticipation. It hovered, just a little off the ground.

Lex got down on his knees beside Clark, and slipped an arm around his waist. "It's okay, Clark. I can do this, if you don't want to."

"I want to." Said without looking at his lover as he pushed the tablet in where it was supposed to go, making sure it was sturdy as he leaned back, waiting.

His fingers viced, tightly, around his lovers.

The hologram of Jor-El flickered into life. "Ah. There you are! I still can't get used to the idea of you being an adult." Jor-El knelt beside Clark and Lex. "Are you all right, my son?"

Clark's eyes flickered over his dad, and he smiled, just a little, reaching for his hand immediately. His were dusty and dirty, his fathers calloused and old, and they tightened together, like they were supposed to. "Hello, father. We... we're here, actually, because we have a problem."

Jor-El tightened his hands around his son's. "Well, that is why I am here. Tell me of your problem, and perhaps we can solve it."

"You know, how we told you that the meteors... the pieces of Krypton, are radioactive on earth?"

"Yes, I remember. What of them?"

"They have a tendency to radiate animals, and plants, as well. Cause strange occurrences in them... that's why we're here." He reached to his lover and took the glass vile, holding it up to his father to look at. "This was extracted from a very good friend of ours. He's having tremors... needs for excitement that he calls 'rush'. Its killing him...and we came to see if you could help us."

Jor-El studied the creature in the vial, clicking and whirring in the ship as he used different magnifications and diagnostic programs.

"These things aren't from your world, Clark. They are from ours. They're called k'rachta. Demon seeds. They are much larger than I am used to seeing; on our world they are microscopic, and cause great damage. In our people, k'rachta enter through a hole in the body, and are drawn to the gland in the body that produces racha." There was a pause as he searched through his memory banks. "You would call it epinephrine. Once they find the gland, they consume it, causing death."

An expelled breath and Clarks fingers viced around his lovers, swallowing hard as he gazed at his father. "How can we stop it, father? What can we do to save our friend?"

Jor-El gave out clicks, whirs, and beeps as he translated anatomy records and medical procedures. "Your human bodies are different from ours. Your glands are not located in the same place. Humans have two adrenal glands, that produce the substance these creatures crave, placed on each kidney. Insertion of a membranous sac under the epidermal layer with an injection of synthesized epinephrine should create an artificial gland that will draw the creatures to it. Once the k'rachta have adhered themselves to the false gland to begin feeding, the gland, and the creatures, can be excised through a surgical procedure. Any creatures remaining in the body cavity can be destroyed after excision by a period of twenty-four hour sedation with no bodily activity."

"Sounds fun." Clark whispered, after his father had quieted, though he swallowed, hard, as he memorized what his father had said to relay to Toby. "Father...are there any side effects? Any dangers we should know about?"

"The only danger is in leaving these creatures to feast. Their mandibles can chew through skin, artery, vein, and capillary in their search, and if they are left unattended for long, they will destroy their host body. Your friend's craving is the craving of the creatures, trying to stimulate production of epinephrine." A flat, metallic disk, inscribed in Kryptonian, popped out of the front of the ship. "There is your procedure."

He came with a printer.

God, his dad was cool.

Clark reached forward and hugged him, as tightly as he could. "Thank you, father. You have saved my friend, and I thank you. We will be back for you soon, father, to bring you to the mansion. Lex wants to put you through an interface father, so you can be with us, and out of the cave."

"Kal-El, wait. There is more. More you must know about the k'rachta."

Clark nodded, listening intently as he took the little metal disk, tiny but perfectly written, and looked up at his father. "What is it?"

"The thing you showed me is the k'ractina. The Queen of the Nest. It was she that entered your friend, and began to reproduce inside of him. There is only one Queen in the nest; you must find the nest and burn it, destroy it, before the larvae inside can hatch. Look for a raised elevation, covered with vegetation, a place pleasant for people to go and be."

"Oh… okay." Clark whispered, nodding tightly at his father and holding the metallic disk close. "Thank you, for everything you've done, father."

"You're welcome." He wrapped his arms around his son, and hugged him tightly. "I will wait for you; if you can bring me where you are, I would like that, very much. I would like to be able to help you, as I didn't get to do as you were a boy." He squeezed Clark's shoulders tightly. "Go to your friend; time is of the essence."

He hugged him right back, burying his face in a strong shoulder, hugging him as tightly as he could. "We'll be back for you soon, father, I swear it to you. Thank you, again, so much. We'll be back soon, I love you."

"And I love you, my son. You are brave, and I know you have questions for me unrelated to this." He gave a small smile. "You are a psion; your mating with your aushna' has awakened that in you. Go to your friend, and we will talk later." Jor-El sadly released his son. "I will be waiting for you."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, hard, his fingers vicing again around Lex's as he nodded, lifting his head proudly even if he was terrified of it. "I'll be back as soon as I can, father. I need you to help me through this, to ask… to give me your wisdom. I'll be back, as soon as our friend is taken care of. I love you, and I will be here soon." Another tight hug and he lifted the key out of the ship before he burst into sobs, grabbing the tablet and the worm. And before he could let Lex see a word, or let him see the tears that built in his eyes, he grasped him in his arms and ran.

Up the steps and across the land of his father, racing as fast as he possibly could.

Lex had been quiet during the entire exchange, just listening. He was already trying to work out in his mind what they could do to get those creatures out of Dick's body. He knew in his heart that Clark was about to weep, but he didn't acknowledge it because Clark was hiding it from him, and instead, he turned his mind onto two different tracks; de-worming Dick, and thinking where the nest might be.

And then, had a very, very sick feeling.

Clark felt the sinking feeling in his lovers belly and didn't ask, simply racing over the highway, and cried in his lovers mind, I know a shortcut, Oakenepel, hold tight.

He sped up, as fast as he'd ever gone, soles of his shoes all but melting as he leapt up...and instead of going across Riley's field, which was the long, round way to get to the farm, he leapt over Mr. Browns corn crop.

All of it.

Hundreds of rows of golden corn and green stalks, and Clark leapt over it like he'd been born to do it. As long as he kept thinking that he was jumping and not flying, he wasn't nauseated or terrified. Just jumping. He could jump. He liked to jump.

And he did so, right over the man's land.

He sailed over it, and only caught his foot on a stalk on the way down, feet pounding the cement as he raced up the highway. And all of twenty seconds later, stood on the threshold of the house, panting hard as he set his lover down.

Lex clung tightly as they sailed over the corn, arms wrapped firmly around his lover and safe in the knowledge that Clark wouldn't let him fall. I trust you, Kal-El. You will take care of me. He held on tighter, and then covered Clark's face in soft kisses as his feet touched the earth again. He stroked over Clark's back, petting him gently. "Sssh. we're home. You don't have to go back downstairs if you don't want to."

"Have to. I have to help." He said softly, kissing his lover back tenderly as he stroked over the long length of back... and winced, and the cleared throat.

To his credit, Enrique didn't raise a brow. "Dey are vaiting for chu."

Clark took Lex's hand tightly in his and quickly tucked the folded, tiny key and tablet in his back pocket, and held the silver disk in his hand as they walked through the house quickly.

"How fast can you translate that for me?" Lex said, stopping by his office and pulling Clark in. "Write it. Translate it, write it up, and give it to me in English so we can pass it over to Toby."

Quick nod as Clark crossed the room, quickly sitting down in Lex's seat and taking a pencil from the holder on Lex's desk. He took piece of paper from Lex's always anally neat desk drawer and looked over the Kryptonian, memorizing it before the pencil flew. He scrawled the instructions in English as far as he could go....stopped, looking up and wincing. "Trenk. What's 'vertagolispla'?"

"You're asking me?" Lex held his hand out for the tablet, and puzzled through it. "Try incision."

And at that, Clarks lips curved, and he tugged Lex close to him by the thigh, snuggling him around the waist just for a moment. "You're aushna'. You know these things. What about... curved incision? I think that's what it is. Specialized."

Lex kissed Clark's hair softly. "The kind you're talking about is a C-slice. There's a special scalpel you use for it, a miniaturized Saracen. Named after the Saracen sword of the same shape, carried by most of the Islamic Moors during and after the Crusades. You'll know it as scimitar, most likely."

"Of course I would." Blank stare at him, though his lips curved even more and he wrote it down quickly, continuation to translate in his head as fast as he could. And when he was done, he had over three pages of it, written in carefully darkened pencil. Held it up... nodded. "There."

"Thank you." Lex took the carefully translated pages and folded them in half, then looked at his lover behind the desk. "You don't have to go back down there. You can go hunt the nest, but don't go alone. Take... take somebody with you."

"There's no one to go with me." He said softly, though the horror of seeing someone's back cut into made him shudder. "I can go alone. I'm strong... Lex, they would have gotten the both of us already. When we buried the baby, we were naked. They would have hurt us. So... so I'll be alright, okay?"

"No. It's not okay. They're... they're disturbing the place our child is resting." He knew, when Clark mentioned the baby, that he had seen the ugly thought Lex had had. That the nest was near Mar-El's grave, and that they had disturbed the creatures by burying him there. "No, I won't risk this happening to you too."

"Lex... if I need you, believe me, you're going to be hearing me scream." He smiled again, just a little, and rose to kiss his lover... soft, but then deeply, dipping his tongue in and holding the tender head cradled in his palms as he kissed him. "Stop arguing, go. Go help Toby. I'll be fine, aushna', I swear."

"I don't want to be away from you." There it was, the quiet admission that he whispered into Clark's mouth.

Which made him stop, in his tracks, and hug his lover as hard as he could, burying his face in a strong shoulder as he tucked Lex as close as he could. Protected him, kept him safe, and kissed him once, twice, three times. "I can wait to go outside. Come on, beloved. Lets go downstairs and help Dick."

Lex nodded and kept his arms wrapped around Clark. "I keep saying you don't have to come down here but you do. I'm sorry. Because I don't want to be away from you. I want to stay close to you. You don't have to watch; you can hold Bruce down while Toby and I work."

"You know, Lex?" Clark murmured softly as they walked out of the office. "Your lying? Was never so sweet." He kissed the soft, naked spot between ear and neck, licking softly as he let his arm fall from Lex's waist, and squeeze his fingers. "I love you, aushna'."

Through the hall, huge, thick runners under foot. past antiques and down through a nondescript wooden door. Two flights of steps, the first one straight and the second curving down to the platform at the bottom of the flight, with the enormous door and its keypad code. It was slightly ajar, waiting for them, and Clark pushed it open, fingers tightening around Lex's. "We're back."

"I love you." He kept his fingers tight around Clark's as they walked down the stairs. "If Toby asks, we're telling him nothing. I trust him, but not enough to trust him with you." He took a deep breath, walking in with Clark, fingers tightly interlaced and the folded pages in his other hands. "Toby? Got what you need. Just don't ask where it came from."

Toby was just taping the bandages into place on Bruce's head. "Funny how I knew you were going to say that. Gimmie."

Hiss as Toby finished, but Bruce didn't say anything else, just gingerly touching the white bandage over the front of his forehead. Hello it fucking HURT but he didn't say anything, just hissing softly and wincing as Lex and Clark entered.

He hadn't left Dick's side since they left.

Clark smiled a little, crookedly, as he swallowed and glanced at Lex for strength, gently pulling him in for a soft hug before letting go and turning to Toby. "Where do you need me?"

Lex handed the papers over to Toby and held on to Clark as long as he could.

Toby read over the papers with a snort. "You must think I'm a fuckin' miracle-worker, Lex. You're rattlin' off a procedure like this thinking I can pull it off, then you got shit for brains, my friend. I'm good, I'll give you that, I can sew your ass back together after a knife fight, but this? I ain't a surgeon, Lex."

"Lex is." Quietly spoken from the stool, a glance up. "I am. I can assist him." Off Clarks stare, he shrugged a simple shoulder. "I'm a registered EMT."

"The things you don't know about people." Clark murmured softly, and looked at Toby. "The three of you can do it. I can get whatever you need to get... you can do this. I'm positive you can. Because if not, we're going to have to take Dick to Smallville Med and try to explain to them why he has radioactive green worms in his blood." A moment. "Unless you all think that's the best way to do stuff."

Lex nodded. "Yeah. You and I can do it, Bruce. Toby, you'll have to assist us. Bruce, take this, read over it. This is what we're going to do to Dick." He leaned against Clark as he spoke. "Toby, I'm going to need that bottle of Adrenaline you carry around, and I'm hoping to God one of you has a lambskin condom in his wallet."

"Don't use them anymore." Bruce said quietly as he climbed to his somewhat wobbly feet and walked over to Lex's surgical preparation room and the small locker room. He grabbed a pair of scrubs on his way... and stopped, looking back. The both of them were doing remarkably well, for having not been in here in this sort of capacity in a while.

He was terrified for his lover. Absolutely terrified. He felt numb with fear, quiet and doing what had to be done. But on the inside… he was a wreck.

If Dick died today, there was nothing to keep him here. Nothing.

Clark rubbed his fingers up and down his lovers arm gently, shaking his head. "Me neither."

"Then we're going to do this the hard way. Clark, go to Bruce's room. Look in the bag under his bed, and grab a handful of the latex condoms in it, and bring it back. And hurry. Bruce, move your stool over here and sit the fuck down. Toby and I will bring you scrubs. Toby, get in the locker room and scrub up."

"You're so butch when you're commanding." Clark said for Lex's ears only, eyes dancing as he kissed the corner of his eye and left, to go searching for condoms.

Bruce pointedly ignored his friend and carefully walked into the locker room, stripping all the while. Shirt unbuttoned and shucked to be replaced with bright blue. Pants on over his khakis and his dress shoes were covered with booties. All of his hair was covered up in a hat and all he could think was that they were about to tear his lover open, and his jaw tightened. Hard. Too much blood shed in this little room, too much.

Lex growled, and threw down the syringe in his hand, stalking over to his friend and jerking him by the shoulder. "Sit. The fuck. Down. Listen to me, you stubborn ass. I know how you feel; how do you think I felt when Clark was on the same fucking table where Dick is now? I know. And you're not any different from me, Bruce. Sit the fuck down; you're half dead as it is."

Dick blinked, on the table. The creatures were moving under his skin but he didn't know that. All he knew was, he had to move. He was naked, but that didn't matter either. He flipped up off the table, and with a shrill scream, landed on his feet and tore out of the room. The itch in his flesh was driving him mad, and he ran. Through the hallway, around the corner. There were more of them in his body than he could stand; he needed another person. Another host.

Shayla had just come down the stairs, eyes red and swollen. She was on her way to Lex's booze storeroom, when she found herself slammed against the wall. Naked skin, a hard cock, and she screamed. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

Dick didn't listen, nor did he feel her kicks and fists as they landed on his naked body. He just dragged her with him, outside, out into the cold, rainy air.

The shrill scream had Clark jumping, almost tripping down the steps. Condoms dropped and forgotten, he tore out of the house behind the screaming. Shayla. The worms were screaming but his blood was pounding too hard for him to notice it as he ran. "DICK!" He bellowed through the rain.

Shayla was under his arm, being drug backwards. Dick was naked as a jay bird, hard as rock, and snarling, speaking to himself.

Oh. Fuck.

"Dick!"

Another inhuman scream as his feet hit the dirt, and his toes wiggled. He started dragging Shayla with him, across the asphalt, into the grass where he'd been working on his car. The jackstands and the sled still in place. Over his shoulder, a few yards away, was the hill Mar-El was buried on, and the nest.

Warm, soft body and he rocked against it. His eyes widened. Rush. Host. Share the itch. He started moving backwards, back towards the tall hill, wrapping his arms tightly around the body in his arms.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Shayla was beating Dick over the head and shoulders, screaming at the top of her voice as she felt Dick thrusting against her, and she screamed even louder.

Clark used the super speed God had given him and raced up the slope, standing in front of the naked boy and Shayla, arms thrust to the sides. It was pouring rain, and his baby was up there, and he would be damned if Dick would go anywhere near his son. He snarled at him to back up, knew better then to try to grab Shayla, as he could see the furious glint in Dick's eyes. "You are not going there, Dick. Stop."

"Shit, shit, fucking hell!" Lex swore as he saw Dick racing out, and he slammed a hand against Bruce. "Please... stay down here and get ready for Dick. When Clark and I bring him back, we're going to have to move fast." His eyes pled with his friend for understanding. "You're hurt, Bruce," he said softly. "You and Toby, get things ready. Trust me. I won't let anything happen to him."

Dick snarled at Clark, even as he clutched Shayla to him. "Get out of my way." Dick's words had turned sibilant, hissing as he spoke, worms crawling under every inch of his skin. "I have to get there."

Shayla was twisting and kicking, and screaming at the top of her lungs. "Clark!! Get me the fuck out of this! I'm going to kill that son of a bitch but I need a little help here, please??"

He understood. He was Batman, but he wasn't a fool, and he knew when he needed help. So his eyebrows furrowed, his fingers gripped Lex's, and he looked at him in the eye. "Don't let him hurt anyone, Lex."

Clark ignored Shayla's screams, ignored Dick's words, just staring at Dick as it thundered, lightening and rain pounding the earth. No one was going to go by his child, NO ONE, not for ANY reason, and he bared his teeth at Dick, snarling as the rain fell harder, turning the ground underfoot damp... wet. Muddy. It was a steep hill so he dug his heels in, snarling at Dick as he held his arms out. "You are not going up there. Not to hurt anyone else, Dick. let her go. Your fight is with me."

"I won't. You have my word on it." He paused, then gave Bruce a hard, hard hug before bolting out into the rain. He knew that Dick was naked, and he barely took a second to stop by the linen closet to pick up blankets, and he skidded to a halt on the asphalt.

Rain sheeted down, thunder rolled angrily and lightning split the dark sky behind Clark. His lover's hair was plastered down to his face, clothes getting soaked.

Oh, fuck. Shayla. Another complication.

"DICK!!" Lex stood on the pavement of the driveway. "DICK! Please! Let her go, and come back downstairs! Bruce... Bruce is worried about you!"

Dick was too far gone to recognize the name of Bruce. He snarled at the bald man, then turned his attention back. He didn't stop moving against Shayla, dragging her with him as he moved closer to Clark. "Out of my way!" he bellowed over the thunder.

"NO. I won't let you HAVE HER!" Clark bellowed, and with whatever will he might have possessed, grabbed Shayla by the front of the shirt and shoved Dick back as hard as he could, simply with the power of his mind. Shoved as hard as he could as he snagged Shayla close, the mud under foot making him slip and hit the ground hard, pelvic bone smacking as he grabbed Shayla close, and watched as Dick skidded down the hill just a few feet. "Shayla, Shayla you have to go, run to Lex baby, go," Clark whispered, shoving her towards Lex as he climbed back to his feet.

Shayla clung to Clark as they fell, and she looked up at him, wide-eyed. "I'll... I'll... I'll go in the house and get something. I'll be back to help you. I won't let him hurt you, not after what he did to Pete." She slid as he pushed her, falling on her ass and skidding down the hill on her back side, and getting to her feet as quickly as she could, running to Lex. She fell in the mud twice more, skinning her knees through her jeans the second time, but she didn't stop running until she'd almost plowed Lex under.

Lex was waiting at the bottom of the hill with a blanket, and he caught her, wrapping it around her shoulders. "Get in the house! Go upstairs, Shayla, and for once in your fucking life, listen to someone and do NOT come back down here, all right? Please?"

"I'm not going to let him hurt Clark!" she yelled over the storm.

"Idiot!" he raged. "You really think Dick Grayson can hurt Clark??" he demanded. "All you'll do is distract him! Get inside so he knows you're all right!!" He shoved her towards the porch.

Dick bellowed as he went flying back, mud coating his skin and washing off in the rain. He struggled back to his feet, the worms under his skin roiling harder and pulling him towards their home.

Clark bared his teeth again, snarling at the boy as he shielded his sons tiny, tiny grave, the storm screaming as it raged around them. Lightening and thunder in continuous claps, and surprisingly enough...the purple lilacs which had sprung up around the small grave were untouched by rain, flowing softly in the breeze.

The storm raged and Clark was furious, furious, that anyone would DARE try to desecrate the place where his CHILD WAS. NO, godDAMMIT, NO! He didn't back up, just stepping forward as rain pounded on his skin.

Dick charged Clark with a bellowing scream, shoulder leading like a linebacker as he rammed into Clark. He kept pushing back, feet sliding in the mud and making very little progress, he snarled angrily as he tried to get through.

Clark snarled, hard, pushing back with every push forward of Dicks body, and he was so... so strong.

It was a damn good thing that Clark was stronger.

He body slammed his friend, hard, not enough to hurt but enough to get him off, and they went sprawling, rolling all the way down the hill in the sleeting rain and the mud. His head struck a rock... he shielded the fragile naked body he was currently battling, and they fell to the ground, falling in a tangle of limbs and fury.

Clark got up onto one knee and drew his arm back, punching Dick in the face. Once more... and then again, as hard as he knew was acceptable without permanently hurting something.

Dick snarled again as they went rolling. He didn't even feel the punches as they were thrown at him, the endorphin level in his blood was pumped so high. He just caught the second one in both hands and shoved back, then shoved his fist into Clark's breastbone. He shoved him off enough to get his knees, and then to his feet.

An expelled breath of a brief flash of pain...and the worms screamed. He let out a cry, falling back and covering his ears, even as he fought to get to his feet. So much at stake... Lex, the baby, his pride. Come on, Kent, THINK. He had so many superpowers, and there was--

Oh. But there was.

Lex, tell Bruce and Toby to get boiling hot water ready. Hurry, NOW!

YES! Lex didn't even stop to question why. He just pounded into the house, shoved Shayla out of the way, where she was lurking in the doorway, and skidded to a halt. "You. Make yourself useful. Go to the kitchen. Bring... bring the hot plate, and the biggest pot you can find, down to the lab. MOVE!!" He pushed her towards the kitchen, and pounded down the steps to the lab, and stuck his drenched head in. "Bruce! Toby. Drag out the immersion tub. Fill it. Then pull out the dissection laser and heat it. Boil it. Don't ask me why, just fucking do it." He glared at Toby once before meeting Shayla at the top of the stairs, and tossed the hot plate and pot down to Toby. "Here! Get moving! Now!"

Dick advanced on Clark, now that he was down. He screamed, nails ripping at his chest like a man obsessed, and plowed right on through Clark, bashing his face in as he tried to climb over him.

"Dick!" Clark cried as he punched him, again, pushing his legs out from under him. "Dick, goddammit, don't make me do this!"

Another hit, another, and Dick was out of his mind, screaming and yelling, teeth bared, eyes slit.

And Clark simply opened his mouth, and froze his friend where he stood.

The waves of ice came out of him in sheets, the rain that it touched smashing to the ground in icicles. Froze Dicks legs and his arms in a bent position, grabbing the block of him as he fell forward. Head uncovered, and Clark winced, whimpering as he looked at the pain he'd just caused.

Couldn't think about that now, not now, just lifting Dick up in his arms, ice and all, and quickly hurrying to the house as Lex met him at the door. Dick was completely frozen and immobile, but conscious… barely. He didn't say a word, just taking him, ice and all, down the steps.

He was soaked to the bone, wetter then when he got out of the shower. Mud and dirt and grime everywhere but he didn't say a word, just walking on.

"Fucking hell!" Lex ducked under, taking half of the icy weight from his lover and helping negotiate down the steps. "Toby's gonna love dealing with this," Lex muttered. "Bruce!! Make sure the doorway's clear!!!!! Toby, you better have that hot water ready!!"

"Two minutes!" Toby yelled, shielding his eyes as the laser heated the water.

"You got thirty seconds!" Lex bellowed.

Clark turned, boy in hand, ignoring Shayla and Bruce and Toby and pretty much anyone else as he carefully kept Dicks body close. He dropped him, and the boy would shatter into a million pieces. He steadied his grip on Dicks body, carefully walking through the lab.

All Bruce saw when Clark and Lex came in was... his lover, in ice; Clark, soaked to the bone, and he let out a soft sound of horrified sadness, increasing the heat on the laser as they began to approach. Hurry… hurry, had to hurry. "What is it now, Toby?"

"If I turn it on too high, it'll cut through the tub. It's gotta go on a low setting, and it's not warming the water up--holy Jesus and mother Mary!!"

Clark very, very, very carefully set Dick in the tub, pushing the laser away without a burn on him and gently, softly, set him in. The water wasn't hot enough by a long shot, so he just added his heat vision, between Dick's feet, boiling the water with every single atom of his body. It was boiling, heat rising out of it when he finished, and he gently set the boys head on the edge of the tub.

Autopilot. Not thinking, not contemplating, just reacting, and he didn't give a fuck who saw it.

Toby... just blinked. And blinked again. And didn't say a word, just turned around and raised an eyebrow at Lex. Finally, he spoke. "And you were going to tell me about this, when, exactly?"

Lex growled softly, very unhappy. "Just shut up, Toby. Shut up and get to work. Bruce... BRUCE!" He yelled softly at his friend, shaking his shoulder. "Get the stuff ready. I think I know a shortcut, but we gotta be ready, okay? Can you be ready?"

"Yes." Softly spoken, and Bruce got up on auto pilot, simply walking into the other room and preparing.

Clark didn't speak, not until he was positive Dicks limbs were melting at a very rapid pace, his skin pinking, burning in a few places, but that was alright. His fingers dipped into the scalding water, quickly pushing it over his friends arms and shoulders, and waited. A minute... two. The ice was almost completely gone. Another minute...another, and he reached in, lifting the shivering, pained boy out and walking back into the lab. "Come on, hurry!"

Fuck. Lex was swearing softly as he picked up the condoms that Clark had dropped earlier, and ripped one open. He picked up Toby's syringe, and filled the condom with adrenaline, putting a miniscule pinprick into it. "Okay. Bruce. Take the scalpel, and open the skin. Cut it about three inches below the left femoral artery, and clamp off any bleeders. Toby, get me about an inch and a half of clear surgical tubing."

"What the hell are you doing, Lex?" But Toby didn't argue, just passing over what he was asked for.

"I'm attempting to make an artificial gland to trick those fucking things with, didn't you read?" He tied the condom around one end of the tubing, and covered the other end with gauze. When he squeezed the rubber, it filled the tube and wet the gauze. "Great. Bruce, how's my incision coming?"

Clark very, very tenderly lay the shuddering man on his belly, carefully arranging his limbs... and dropping a soft kiss of apology on the back of his neck, before carefully tucking the surgical papers over him.

And that was as far as he could go. He backed up...hit something--a stool. And fell into it, rain water still streaming into his eyes.

Bruce was ready. Gloves, mask, and he quickly cleaned the area down with iodine and alcohol, and he had just DONE this what felt like only a few hours ago. He cut into his lovers back, not thinking, just doing, slicing it open carefully. Clamps came next, stopping any bleeders as he spread the skin softly with forceps... and shuddered, as he looked into his lovers body. The squirming creatures were everywhere, and he pulled his hands free a moment before one got to him. "Fuck." Soft whisper.

Lex frowned softly. "Not--not the back. Fuck." But it would work just as well, no matter where he cut. "Okay. Bruce, step back. Get Clark out of here and come back down. Toby, bring that metal pot and the hot plate. Fill it, and start it boiling. It'll have to keep the liquid in here body temperature to fool those things. When they start coming..., they'll be attaching to the tubing. All along the length of it, trying to suck through the porous material it's made out of. When I give you the signal, I want you to be ready to hit Dick with something that's gonna keep him dead to the world for the next 24 hours. You got me?"

"Yes, sir," Toby said quietly, watching Lex move with sure hands.

"Bruce, out of my way." Lex carried his temporary gland over to the incision, and slid the tubing into the slit in Dick's skin. "Okay, you little fuckers, dinnertime."

Bruce didn't say a word. He didn't. He wasn't capable of it. He didn't think he could follow anything that Lex was saying, and looked up, startled, with Clarks arm came around his waist. Here, this boy who a month ago was vowing to kill him, now laying a wet head on his shoulder. So Bruce did just that, sitting next to him and letting himself be held, as he watched on. His head was pounding, his heart was fluttering, and he swallowed, shaking his head a little bit and watching.

Lex knew neither of them needed to be down here watching this, but he didn't have the energy to devote to shooing them out any longer.

As the adrenaline in the condom warmed and started to be circulating through the tube, Dick screamed loudly, body arching to near back-breaking.

Every one of the creatures seemed to be leaving Dick's body and pouring into his back. They were squirming over each other in the deep gash, like maggots, and Lex suddenly had a thought. "Clark!!!! Get over here. I need your help. Please. I need your help with this. There's too many of them for them to get out of Dick's body. Can you freeze them? The wad of them there. So we can pull them out and get the next batch moving?"

Clark gently let go of Bruce, who could barely think, and didn't speak as he climbed to his feet, squishing over to the table. Wasn't even dressed to be standing here but it didn't matter, as he carefully pursed his lips, as if making a kissing face, and let out a tiny, tiny stream of ice slip from his lips to the wound. Off a little but he got the hang of it, catching the little bastards and freezing them into a hard lump.

"Okay, Lex. I see what you're doing. Outta the way." Toby shouldered his way in front of Dick and carefully used a pair of forceps to lever out the frozen mass. Almost as soon as he did, another squirming mass writhed in to take their place. "Where you want these, Lex?"

Lex turned and buried his face in Clark's shoulder. Too fresh. Bruce sitting on the stool, a body on the table, back split open, and he couldn't speak for a moment. He just... buried his face in Clark's shoulder until he could speak, his grip on Clark's forearms nearly painful to white knuckles. "The vacuum sealer. Drop them in the canister, and then seal it. There's plenty under there; we can make sure these things don't get out again."

Clark understood, because the horror of what he was feeling, of knowing he had been in Dicks place so soon ago was making his heart flutter. But he grasped hard to his courage, and shared it with Lex, holding his lovers hands tightly as he kept his lovers hands steady by placing his own around them, carefully guiding his lover as he kissed the back of his shoulder very gently. "There... there." He said gruffly, as he blew another soft breath on the next batch. "Little bastards."

Lex nodded softly against Clark's cheek. If Clark could be brave through this, then so could he be. He turned around, wrapping Clark's arms around his waist, as he watched. There wasn't anything else for him to be doing now, other than comforting Bruce, and that would have to wait until he wasn't in need of comforting himself.

"God Almighty, kid. How many of these things do you have inside you?" Toby muttered. He kept dropping and sealing; there were already two whole plastic cases full of flash-frozen worms, and they didn't seem to be stopping.

It was so much, so soon. He was terrified of his own fear, and proud of his own bravery, and so, so, so proud to be Lex's aushna'. He cradled him close, gently stroking his palms over his back... no heed to how soaked he was, or how scared they both were. Just stroked across Lex's head, his face, gently skimming his knuckles across his lovers cheek. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, Clark." He wrapped his arms around Clark's waist again, turning back around and soaking up the warmth and the love, the strength and the courage, that Clark was offering him. "I'm proud of you."

"Clark? Little help here," Toby asked quietly. "More of that thing you do."

He let go of his lover and nodded, quickly slipping over to Toby's side and looking at him. Someone he didn't think he could trust, someone he'd have to take memories from and fuck. He gazed down, swallowing, clearing his throat, and a light spray of ice escaped his lips, freezing the bugs as they came out of his friend.

And reached back, for Lex's hand.

Lex threaded his fingers through Clark's, squeezing tightly and kissing the back of Clark's neck. "I love you." Soft kisses, because he knew the turmoil in Clark's thoughts, knew what Clark was thinking of and it hurt Lex. He leaned his cheek on Clark's shoulder, and looked over at Bruce. "It's going to be okay, Bruce."

"Thanks, Clark." Toby pulled out the next frozen chunk of bugs, and still more squirmed in to take their place, twining and twisting over each other.

Clark did it again... again, over Toby's shoulder, keeping his eyes on it as he worked with the man and held onto Lex with each of his thoughts.

Beyond consolation. He was exhausted, he was horrified, he was numb. Bruce didn't say a word, because the one thing he'd always feared had almost happened. He'd almost lost this wonderful person. And he didn't speak, just staring at Toby work.

"Lex, I think we got this under control," Toby said casually. "Me and Clark. Why don't you take Headcase there, and go get him cleaned up. We'll let you know when we're done."

A glance at his lover. "Go, Lex. We'll be okay here. We'll call if we need you."

"'Im not a head case." Spoken quietly, as he rose, walking over to the makeshift surgical table. He lifted the paper that covered his lovers body gently, and gazed at his face, stroking a palm over his cheek. Nothing else, because he couldn’t' leave, looking at his beautiful lover with agony in his heart.

"You're a worse headcase than I am, Bruce. Come on." He pulled at Bruce's elbow. "Come on. It's time to go. You need to clean up and change."

"Okay." Quietly, as he kissed Dicks face and rose...not saying a word as he followed Lex out of the lab.

"Good." Lex looked again at Clark. "I love you, Clark." He put his arm around Bruce's waist, and started tugging him up the stairs. "Hot soak, clean clothes. Making sure your bandages are okay. You can come back down here and check on Dick later." He looked back at Clark. Keep me posted; if anything goes wrong, let me know.

I will, baby.

Silence, just the soft blows of air and Toby extracting them, before Clark spoke. He waited, until Toby was taking out another frozen batch, and asked softly, "What did you need to ask me, that you needed Lex and Bruce out of the room for, Toby?"

"What, exactly, you're going to do to me." Toby asked it casually. "Because Death? Really doesn't sit well with me."

Clark felt horror at the pit of his belly, but understood why he'd asked it. The man must have been in a hundred or more situations like this, and he shook his head, turning his head to look at him. "I'm not going to kill you, Toby."

"Yeah, I find that kinda hard to believe." Toby kept working, pulling out the frozen hunk of bugs and sealing them into their little plastic cases. "I know something that I apparently shouldn't know, and in most situations, that means I'm usually going to get killed."

"Toby, I wouldn't kill you. You're a nice man... my friend. You've helped us when you didn't have to. I won't kill you." A moment. "I... I'm going to wipe your memory of this clean, though. Because... Toby, this... is a huge secret. Its... I'm an alien."

"Memory wipe, huh? That's gotta be a handy thing to have." Toby looked at Clark over his shoulder. "I like you, Clark. If it makes you feel any better, I'd kill me. This? Nicer than what I'd do." He paused as he extracted the next bug chunk out of Dick. "They're finally getting smaller; I hope this means they're almost out of his system."

"I hope so, too." He blew another piece of ice on Dick's back, softly, gently stroking over his young friends hair. "Will he be okay after this?"

"Don't know, Clark. Got no way of knowin' and no frame of reference for shit like this. I can tell you the cut we made will heal in less than a week. Other'n that? Your guess is as good as mine."

"They're called k'rachta." Clark said softly, as he gently stroked over Dick's hair. "They're supposed to be small... but here, they're not. Its pretty bad how much they're not." Another soft blow of ice. "Thank you, Toby. Though you won't remember it, thank you a lot."

Toby shrugged. "It's what I'm here for, kid." He kept pulling out another chunk, and amazingly, no more fell. "Okay. Now it's time for the tranq." He nodded over his shoulder, as he looked at Dick's back, catching a stray worm now and then. "Look in my bag, and pull out the little black hypodermic case that's labeled Thorazine. I'd love to know if the kid is allergic to it or not, but I'm not willin' to take the time to run a blood test."

"Okay." Clark moved from the mans side and walked over to the small case, going inside... ignoring the things that were more than likely very illegal, and taking out the black case he'd said. He walked over again, carrying it and the bag should they need more, and held it out.

"Thanks." Toby pulled out the needle, and filled it almost full. "This'll keep him flat on his back for about thirty-six hours. If you want to bring him out of it earlier, you'll need a stimulant. Lex'll know how to get one. Remember that it's Thorazine he's packed with."

"Thorazine. Got it." Clark nodded, gently stroking over Dicks back, neck, and hair as Toby worked, bending down to look at his friend. "Hey, Dick. Its me. We're taking care of you, okay? Don't worry... Bruce is okay, too, okay?" A glance up. "Do you need help setting his leg, Toby? And the head wounds, stitches and stuff?"

Toby pulled the needle out of Dick's neck. "I don't suppose you can see through things, can you? Cause otherwise, I'm going to have to set his leg by touch, and that's not the best way to do things."

"Y…" Blush. Hotly. "I can see through things, yes."

"Good. Then you can help me set his leg. What you need to do is, while I hold the leg steady, you need to look through the skin, and put the bones exactly back into alignment. Then, I'll splint him up and cast him while he's asleep, so it can't shift out again, and he'll be good as new in about six weeks."

Clark simply nodded, switching his X-Ray vision on and glancing up at Toby. The man was slenderly built underneath all of those clothes, and most of his bones were scarred and knit. And underneath his ribcage, electrodes lacing out, was a pacemaker. He didn't say anything though, just looking down to Dicks mushed knee, and winced, visibly, as he reached out for it. "You know, this is about a billion times grosser then you think, right?"

~*~*~

Lex kept his arm laced around Bruce's waist, pulling as much of his friend's weight against him as he could. "You know that we're going to pull an all-nighter, don't you? Just like we used to in Excelsior. You and me, up all night and debating whatever comes to mind until we can't think any more." He changed their direction towards the stairs. "How's your leg?"

Bruce didn't really say anything. Couldn't... didn't want to. His friend was close, and he hated it. Would have pushed Lex away, if he thought he could climb the steps without hurting himself. Didn't listen to Lex speak, just asking softly, "Do you ever wish we didn't have any money?"

Lex blinked. "Sometimes. But that wouldn't change who you are, Bruce." He knew his friend way, way, way too well.

"I think so. I think it would. I wouldn't be... I wouldn't put him in danger. I love him as much as I loved you." A nod and his head throbbed, as he grasped Lex around the shoulder, where Lex had him braced against him, walking up the steps quietly. "Excelsior was another world. I wish we could go back. Lex, I'm so tired."

"I know, Bruce." He dropped a quick kiss onto Bruce's hair. "I know how you feel about Bruce because I feel the same way about Clark. But you're not going to tell me that if you didn't have the money, you wouldn't still be the Bat? Because I know you, my friend. Rich or poor, you'd still be the Caped Crusader."

"Less gadgets. More homemade rubber." Bruce said softly, though his lips quirked just a little, as they walked through the hall. "Clark will be like me one day, you know."

Lex nodded softly as they came to the top of the stairs, and put his cheek against his friend's hair. "I know he will be, and it scares me."

"He's got an advantage though." A nod. "A big one. He has you." Another nod as he rested his cheek against Lex's head, walking quietly. He could...he was just a little bit dizzy. "I haven't felt like this since Freeze."

"And you've got Dick. At least you'll have him with you; I won't be able to go out with Clark." He led Bruce down the hall to his room. "Come on. You can tell me about this Freeze character as soon as we get you in the bath. I think it's a damn good thing you sent Alfred back to Gotham to look after things; it'd give the old man a heart attack if he saw what happened to Dick."

Oh. Oh, he chuckled. He couldn't help it. He chuckled right there in Lex's arms, snickering as he carefully sat on the bed to begin shucking out of his shoes. Picturing Lex in purple spandex and a little mask just made him giggle, and he kept right on doing it, looking up with a young guy's amusement as his left shoe thunked to the ground.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Lex glared at his friend as he helped Bruce sit on the bed. "If you're thinking funny things about me, I'm not above kicking your ass while you're wounded."

Giggling. Helplessly funny, and he looked up, snickering at his friend as he swayed, leaning into his friend a little bit as his second shoe fell.

Lex snorted. "If this is how I act when I'm drunk, it's a wonder you never left my ass where you found me." He leaned against Bruce, shoring him up. "I'm going to go and run a hot tub. Talk to me; you've gotta stay awake."

"Two words. Purple spandex. Heeee! Hehehehee." And when Bruce allowed it, the smile on his face was absolutely beautiful, as he snickered at his friend, dropping his hands to his belt. Undid it and climbed carefully to his feet, letting his pants and underwear drop. Shirt would be a bit more of a problem, but even now, the scars all over his body were visible. All over his thighs, across his lower belly, knees, calves, even feet. White scars, newer ones, some fresh, some old.

"Lex? Polo? Help?"

"Purple spandex?" Lex chortled at that. "Okay. First of all? I wouldn't be caught dead in spandex. I'm gay, not flaming. Two words for you, my friend, and that is... Warrior. Angel." He bit his lip softly as he looked at all the scars, and for a moment, he was frightened for his friend. "Have you ever thought of an early retirement, Bruce?"

"Hell no. Gotta try out my new bat plane, you know. And I got a sub, too. And a water hover thingy." Boys and their toys, and he just beamed, as he fought to get out of his shirt. "From Wayne Enterprises? Hah."

He was stuck in his shirt.

"Here. Let me." Lex opened the buttons quickly, widening the hole for his friend's head and tugging the offending shirt off and tossing it on the bed. "There. You and your toys, Bruce. You and your toys. Damn. You should still think about retirement; Clark's made of steel. You're not."

"Check out the one on my shoulder." He looked over his shoulder at it, where the scar, white with age, was torn from shoulder blade to left hip, in a curved line. "Joker. Ripped through the cape, fucker. Ripped it up but good, and it was my nice suit, too. The one on my side? Catwoman." At that, he purred. She had been one sexy little pussy, and he wasn't gay enough not to realize it.

Lex just shook his head in awe. None of the scars he'd ever gotten came close to the ones his friend was sporting. But the purr cracked him up. "Don't you let Dick hear you purring over this Catwoman person, or he'll kick you in the balls, my friend."

"He purrs with me." Bruce nodded it, grew dizzy with the movement and barely caught himself from falling, grasping Lex's forearm and swallowing. "I love him, so much, and he almost died."

Lex caught him, and wrapped both arms around Bruce's waist. "But he didn't die." He dragged his friend towards the bathroom to finish stripping him in there. "He didn't die from the alien worms, and nothing that anyone else ever hits him with will kill him either. Because I've seen how much he loves you. And he's not going to leave you."

"He keeps me alive, you know." Quietly said, as he sank onto the edge of the tub, and let his shoulders droop. "I thought I couldn't love anymore. And he came into my life... the first night, he screamed and cried and raged at the world. Oh, God, he was so mad. He didn't want anything to do with me, or Alfred, or his life. Only seventeen... Clark's age, when he came to live with me. Got into my bed, and he let me take him away from the pain for a while. Ever since... ever since, we keep each other afloat. When he left... I thought I'd lose my mind. It hurt so much, so badly."

Lex got on his knees, level with his friend. "But you found him. And you won him back." He rested his head on Bruce's shoulder. "I know how you feel, Bruce. I felt it when you left me at Excelsior. I know that feeling of being so... so adrift in the world that you don't feel like you have a single thing to anchor onto. But you have that now, Bruce. You have that anchor. You've got Dick. And he's got you. And you're both going to be fine, provided I can keep your stubborn ass awake."

A little laugh, but it was just a little, as he gazed at Lex softly. "Leaving you was the worst thing I've ever had to do. I died, so much, when I left. And I knew you hated me, I knew it. But I loved you. Even when you were furious with me, I loved you. I love you, now." And he reached forward and pressed his mouth softly against Lex's, kissing him softly. "I'll always love you. I'm so tired."

Lex returned the kiss softly, and then rubbed his cheek against Bruce's. "I wanted to hate you but I never could. And I'll always love you, Bruce, because you've been the best friend I've ever had. If not for you, I wouldn't have been prepared to let Clark into my life, even a little bit, and for that, I will always, always be grateful." He leaned against Bruce and kissed him softly again, just a brief skim of lips against lips. "You can sleep after I'm sure you're not too bad off."

"I wish Clark was a swinger." Bruce said softly as he kissed back, and brought his arms around Lex's shoulders, hugging him tightly to him. "I wish we hadn't been cheated. I think about it sometimes... how we were cheated. My uncle died, and I didn't ever tell you I loved you until I had to leave you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did what I did, I'm sorry I let myself grieve rather then live."

Soft chuckle. "He is a swinger, Bruce. But only with Whitney and Chloe." He stroked Bruce's hair softly. "I wish we hadn't been cheated, too. But I've come to realize, that you were right. You told me then, that we weren't the ones for each other. I didn't believe it, for a long time, but over the last two years, I've believed it." A tight squeeze, and his forehead rested against Bruce's. "I knew you loved me. I always knew."

"I love you, so much. I love you. If its possible to love two people as much as someone can, I do. You were beautiful to me... you didn't let me die. I wanted to, so many times, but all you had to do was look at me and things were better. They were better." A nod, a swallow, because he'd paled from trying to keep himself balanced over the tub. "Things were better until I realized I'm going to throw up."

"In the tub with you, old friend." Lex dragged the trash can over. "Throw up, then give me your pants when you're done. I'll see if I've still got the lavender bath oil under here."

"Did I tell you about the time I got poisoned and puked so much I went into cardiac arrest?" Proud, dopey grin of the very morphinated, as he turned and thumped into the tub, splashing a little as he sank under the water. "Ohhh."

"No, you didn't. But, if you do, I'll tell you about Clark's hangover from the other night. My God, for a boy that big he whined." Lex tossed a terry washcloth into the tub, and held up two bottles. "Lavender and vanilla, or sandalwood and sage?"

Didn't say anything, cause his eyes were closed, and he was on route 69 to sleepy land.

"BRUCE!" Lex reached into the tub and shook his shoulder violently.

Bruce Wayne was a stately, confident, naturally quiet and strong man. And that was why he would never, ever admit he whined in that instant, cracking an eye open. "You m'th'rfuck'r."

"You have to stay awake, Bruce. Or so help me, I'll dunk your dick in a ice bucket, just like I did for April Fool's that year," Lex threatened.

Glower under heavy brows and he snuffed, rubbing a palm over his head. "Asshole. A minute ago, when I said I loved you? Hate you with a fiery passion. It was a lie. You suck."

"I've been told I suck rather well." Lex perched on the side of the tub, and dumped the sandalwood oil into the tub. "There. You won't smell like flowers."

"Just like rotting wood." Glare and he snuffed, sneezing softly and whimpering as his head thudded. "Why am I taking a bath when my lover needs me?"

"Because you've bled all over him, and your clothes, and I don't want you down there when Toby sets the bone, and you need to clean up. Because I said so, because you need a bath, and because I can keep an eye on you when you're naked and corralled up in one place. How many other reasons do you need?"

"Heh. Hehe. Naked. How's your dad, by the way?" Shift of topics as he peered up at his friend from the water.

Lex just blinked at the laugh, and then skipped it entirely. "He's in the hospital resting. All that collapsing? Kidney stone."

"That hurts. Alfred had one about ten years ago, remember? I had to go home for a few days to help him? Cried like a baby." Another shift, and he looked up at his friend, rubbing the long hair from his eyes. "I miss Alfred."

"Yes, well, Dad's got one and he's going to have to deal with it. I'm sure he'll survive the pain, as they've had him fairly doped up since he collapsed. They're trying to be careful and observe him because it's the only one he's got left, after the accident at all." He gave a soft grin. "I know you do. But he's better off in Gotham, watching over things until you and Dick get back."

"We have to go home soon. Gotham has been without Batman for too long, Lex." He nodded it, and closed his eyes again as he rested under the water. "Your dad'll make it through. The old bastard and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I know he'll be alright. He's too stubborn not to be."

"I know you do. You'll be missed when you go." Lex shook him gently. "Open your eyes, Bruce. Keep talking to me."

"I'm just tired." He opened his eyes, as groggy as he was, and glared. "I'm not going to die if I go to sleep."

"Bruce, you know as well as I do that you have to stay awake and keep your brain active for the first twenty-four hours after a concussion," Lex lectured reasonably.

"I am not staying awake for twenty four hours. Hello. I make love with Dick all night, I'm barely functioning today, and you expect me to stay up for twenty four whole hours? Have you lost your mind?" And in a moment of clarity, his lover was downstairs with that doctor, and he bit down on the whimper as his eyes filled, much to his horror. "I don't want him to be down there all night."

"I'll hook you up to a caffeine IV if I have to." Then at the bitten-off noise, Lex sighed, and stripped down to his shorts as he got in the tub behind Bruce and took his friend into his arms. "It's going to be okay. He has to stay knocked out, but we can bring him upstairs if you want." He laid Bruce's head on his shoulder. "It's going to be all right."

A soft nod and naked skin and he snuggled up close to his friend, letting himself be held by this man... for the first time in many, many years. They still fit so right and he pulled Lex's arms tighter around him, leaning back to rest his head on his shoulder. "That place has bad feelings, Lex." And God, later he'd be horrified by the simplicity of his words. For now... it was all he could do to speak coherently. "You need to close it off."

"I can't. I have work to do down there. For my father, for Clark and myself. I can't close it off, as much as I want to."

"When you can... you should get a new one." Bruce nodded, simply. "You should. I'll help you get it set up again. You need to make that place go away. Too many bad memories." His fingers viced around Lex's. "Your dad?"

Lex returned the tight grip. "I'm giving Dad and Dominic a child, Bruce." And the words were painful. He couldn't save his own child, but he was giving a child to his father.

Frozen, for a moment, opening his eyes again. Stared at the wall across from the bathtub... and finally moved, turned his head enough to look up. "A baby?"

"Yes." Lex was quiet. "They asked me to help. Before... before Richard. I agreed. I won't go back on my word. The work's all done--it's what you were helping me with after my son died. I was working like a maniac, super speed? That's what I was doing."

"Its done? You're going to..." Bruce quieted, for a long moment… and finally nodded. "I understand. When... when can you get the pregnancy started?"

"As soon as I get the... semen samples from Dom and Dad."

Bruce tried really hard not to laugh. He did. Really, really hard.

The chortled sound in his throat? Couldn't be helped.

"Bruce, as soon as your head is better, I'm dropping you on it for that remark."

Burst. Out. Laughing. it hurt his head, so he laughed and groaned at the same time, holding the crown of it as he snickered. "Can I be there when you ask them for it?"

"Sure, why not? The more the merrier. I mean, I don't have nearly enough humiliation in my life. Why not have my best friend witnessing me asking my father to jack off into a plastic cup and Jesus CHRIST I'm not going there!!!" Lex scrubbed his head with the heel of his hand. "Brillo my brain, please."

"I would, but as a victim of trying that very deed, I wouldn't suggest it." He pointed to the bandage on his head. "Maybe they'll do it together." A wicked, wicked grin slipped over his face, and he lifted his legs to lay them over the sides of the tub, and give them more room for cuddles. "Kind of a shared type of procedure."

"Do you want me to hurt you, Bruce? Because I'm not above kicking a man when he's done." He held his hand up threateningly.

Smile, but he actually meant it, looking up at his young friend. "They love each other. Way more than we even think."

"Yeah, I know they do. Which just makes it harder, and easier, all in the same way." He sighed, and adjusted himself so that he could gently cuddle his friend. "I wish, sometimes, that Dom were just... a little more of a jackass. Because then I wouldn't actually have to like him. The problem with this is, he's not. I want to dislike him. I just... can't."

"He's fun. And very... kind of Irish, right? Very blond. I see why your dad likes him so much. He gets to playing his music, and bellowing at that little bitch of a sister, and laughing. He's nice." A pause, and he looked up mid snuggle. "Why do you want to dislike him?"

"Because he's my father's little drone. Buzzing around and up my ass for years doing Dad's bidding and making my life miserable, only he wasn't. Not really, anyway, any more than I let him. But he was just trying to help. And I want to strangle him for that. I don't want to like the man when he's spent the last ten years checking up on me."

"Maybe you needed checking up on." Bruce said quietly, turning to look up at him. "Maybe he wasn't checking up, but making sure you were okay. And helping when you weren't. And you're just too anal retentive." Though he gave a soft, teasing undulation back into his best friends crotch, cackling again. "You always were pent up."

"Me? Pent up? Anal retentive? You're one to throw stones, Mr. High-Strung Type-A Personality." He elbowed his friend gently, and rocked back teasingly. "And, that's exactly what I'm saying. I want to hate him for that, but I don't."

"Nah. Don't. Its not worth hating. Okay, like, his little blond bitch sister? Worth hating. Him? Not so much. Hee! Have you seen his little assistant crawling around, terrified of him? Has all my respect for that. So fucking hysterical." Which amused him, as he turned half on his side, leaning back into his friend.

"Charlie? Yeah, but Charlie's not so bad, once you get to know him. Dom's just... got him terrified shitless." He tucked Bruce's head under his chin. "Shayla... is just like Dom. Only... more. She's a keg of dynamite, but she listens when the chips are down. She didn't have a fit when she found out about Clark, and she's kept his secret and stood by him. Even if she has stood a little too close, if you know what I mean. Wasn't happy about it, but Clark's all right with it. Dick grabbed her just now, and she didn't lose her cool. She was going to pick up another ball bat and go out there to help Clark. Her heart's in the right place, even if she is a royal pain in the ass."

"She hurt him. I don't forget stuff like that." Bruce said softly, as he rubbed his face gently against Lex's arm, letting his eyes close again. "Charlie's young. Dominic needs to keep him terrified. You get good workers when they're scared of you." He slipped his fingers into Lex's hand. "I missed this."

"And Dick hurt Pete," Lex reminded softly. "Look. I'm not going to take her side. I'm just saying... if someone was hurting Dick... don't you think you'd hurt them to make them stop?" He tightened his fingers in Bruce's. "I missed it too."

"I don't care. I don't... care." It was all going to come out, he knew it, even as he tried violently to keep it in. "I wasn't enough, and he went after Pete. I don't know if you can understand what it felt like when I saw them that first time in the coffee shop."

Lex didn't know what to say to that, so he just tightened his grip on his lover. "Yeah. I can. The same way I felt when I saw Clark after coming home from that club. I thought it was going to be over, and then, seeing him standing there in the barn, accepting me back... yeah." He squeezed. "You were enough, Bruce. I don't... I don't know what was going on, but Dick wasn't himself. He wouldn't do anything, in his right mind, to hurt you."

"But Clark didn't leave you because you hurt him, over and over and over, and were too blind to see. He didn't leave you because were a miserable, depressed son of a bitch who was physically incapable of looking past his own bullshit. He didn't leave you because he couldn't take it anymore." Bruce's voice hitched and he closed his eyes tightly, looking away... and sitting up, as he rubbed his wet hands over his face. "He didn't leave you for that. He left because you made a mistake, and you worked it out. Mine left and changed his name to get away from me."

Lex sat up behind Bruce, pulled his hands away from his face. "And he still went back to you. Because he loves you. He couldn't stand being without you any longer. You were more important to him than anything he'd built here, with Pete, or anyone else. You came for him, you found him, and he went back to you." Lex held Bruce's face gently in his hands. "He loves you, Bruce. Despite anything else, you have to believe in that."

"I know. I know he does. It just hurts me, every day. A lot of things do. I don't talk about it but they're there, and they're alive, and it aches like a mother fucker." He rubbed Lex's hands gently on his face, and clasped them in his fingers tightly. "I wish I wasn't telling you any of this."

"I'm glad you are." Lex left his hands where they were. "Because if you weren't, then you'd be in an institution a few years down the road, insane because of the voices in your head rattling off about everything you've never talked about."

"I'll get there eventually. Just maybe not so soon." was the quiet reply, as he pressed close to Lex again, eyes closed once more.

"Stay awake, Bruce." Lex kissed his friend's temple. "You won't get there at all. Just keep talking to me."

"What do you want to talk about?" Though he opened his eyes and looked up at Lex, nodding. "My eyes just hurt. I won't sleep, I'll talk to you. Promise."

"Tell me about... tell me about something you've never told me before," Lex thought up quickly. "Tell me whatever's on your mind."

"The Batmobile. Its my baby. I made it, did you know? Took an old corvette and juiced it up."

"And you bitch at me about my fast cars." Lex chuckled. "I'm going to make you soup up one of my old 'vettes before you go. Make me a Lexmobile."

He chuckled, at that. "Purple? With flames?"

"Of course. Supercharged engine, and an exhaust that shoots fire. Deep purple, fire on the doors and wings on the hood, for Warrior Angel."

"Dork." But Bruce said it with love, as he let his eyes fall shut. "I'll make you one, cause you're tight with Batman and Robin like that. Robin kind of turns me on when he's around."

"Clark and Dominic would fight each other over who gets to take my keys first." Lex shifted, letting his soaked boxers balloon slightly around him before letting the air out again. "It's the rubber, so I've been told."

"Yeah. Definitely the leather." Bruce said softly, opening his eyes and staring at the edge of the tub. "I tried to commit suicide last year."

"What?" Lex sat straight up in the tub, and jerked his friend around, heedless of the head injury. "And you didn't bother to call me? Or anything? What the hell, Bruce?"

He jerked, looking up at his friend, staring at him a moment before looking away. "No one knew. I had just put Joker in jail... he tried to break me, in every way possible. And when I finally was finished, I came home and put a gun to my head." A hard swallow, looking away again. "I couldn't tell anyone. Too chicken shit to go through with it...and I talked to my therapist about it. She gave me anti depressants." That I never took. "I couldn't exactly tell her Joker had fucked with my brain, though." A glance, now. "Don't be angry."

"Bruce!!" Another little shake. "How can you expect me not to be angry? My best friend! And you didn't tell me! You didn't call me to talk to me! I could have been there for you! I'd have flown up there that very night!! Jesus!!"

He looked at him in sadness, fear, which was immediately covered up by a hard exterior. "I haven't even told Dick. You're the only one who knows." A shake of his head, looking down, away. "He poisoned me, gave me a hallucinogen that made me see my parents… how they'd be if they were still alive. If I weren't gay, the wife and kids I'd have. The life I'd have with my parents alive." Another shake of his head, though he was quietly numb. "I shouldn't be telling you any of these things. I shouldn't. I'm going to stop."

"No. You should tell me." Lex wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulder. "Who else are you going to tell, if not me?" He hugged tightly. "You just... you scare me, Bruce. Sometimes when I think about it, I get scared for you. With what you do. I worry about you, even though you'd never let me admit to it otherwise. I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You shouldn't be burdened. You have Clark to take care of. I'm an adult." Bruce shook his head, but didn't shake away, just letting himself be held as he closed his eyes tightly for a long moment. "The water is cold. I want to go to bed."

"I fucking well should be, Bruce." Lex's voice was quiet, but it was sharp. "You know everything about me, dammit. You've been here for me whenever I needed. You've taken my calls, you've picked me up after drunks, you've dragged my ass off your boat when I almost went headfirst over the railing. You fucking well better let me return the favor." He didn't let go of his friend.

"It wasn't the first time." Quietly said, guilt cascading over him as he looked off into the distance of the bathroom before he grew furious. Pushed from his friend and cried out in rage, his muscles tensing, and pushed himself out of the tub. He was angry at himself, so angry for doing this to himself, talking to Lex and he shouldn't be, because he was strong. But he felt so wronged, had for such a long time, because no one acknowledged his feelings. At all. No one did, no one accounted him for anything and he hated it. And it was the head wound, he knew, because he felt like telling the entire world just how wronged he felt.

"Bruce, goddammit, sit down!" Lex thundered. "You're going to go ass over teakettle, and I can not pick you up alone! Sit the fuck down, and tell me what's wrong with you!"

"I hate everything. Everything. I hate everything. I wish I couldn't feel. I wish my lover would love only me; I wish I was man enough for him. I wish the things that had happened in my life hadn't, I hate everything, I don't want to live. I move, day to day, and getting up is a struggle. And I thought... I thought Dick would help, I thought he would be here, but he can't, he won't... he's going to die someday, probably because of me, but he made me promise him that he could help me. I'm going to be the reason he dies, and he doesn't know. Too young, too fragile. Clark will be me one day and I hurt for him, even if its his destiny I hurt because he'll be alone. So alone, always alone." It was all coming off his chest, every bit of it, every pain he felt and locked away. "I hate you because you have the most beautiful, perfect life and you don't see it. I hate you because you won't ever hurt like this. I hate you so much because I love you and I don't want to."

Lex stood up in the tub, then, and got out, picking up a towel and starting to dry Bruce off without a word as he thought. "Your lover does love only you, Bruce. If you doubt that? Ask him when he wakes up. You know Dick as well as, or better than, I do. But I'd be willing to guess he wouldn't be with you if he weren't in love with you." He started at Bruce's feet, and moved up carefully. "You, my friend, need a longer vacation than this. Gotham City can live without it's Dark Knight for a while longer; better it be without it for a little while than you kill yourself and desert them entirely." He wrapped the towel around Bruce's waist, and stood back up, face to face. "Dick is young. But he's not fragile. And he's not stupid. If he were a fragile man, he wouldn't have survived this infestation, or whatever it is. But he has. He's alive, down stairs, on that table waiting for you. Clark is mine to worry about. And he won't be alone, because I will be there. Even if I'm not out there beside him, I'll be home waiting for him. And that's where you and Dick are different from Clark and I. Dick is out there with you. You are not alone, or if you are, it's because you choose to be. You choose not to let this young man, who loves you dearly, in your life. You have a choice, now. You don't have to be alone. You can choose to let Dick help you. You can tell him these things, let him help you bear these burdens. Or you can not. And risk him leaving again, because he's not stupid. He knows you're still hiding things." Then he put his hands on Bruce's shoulders, and leaned forward. "I don't have the perfect life; I have the perfect mate. There's a difference." He put his hand on his friend's cheek, and kissed him. Just once, hard, and pulled away. "And I love you, Bruce. I always will. I don't mind loving you, because as long as I love you, we'll be close."

One thing Bruce had always refused to do was cry. But he felt it building in his throat, and he had to rasp around it to speak. "If he dies, it'll all have been for nothing. If he dies out there because he came with me, it will have been my fault. I want... I want him, in a way, to love Pete. I want him to get away from me. What kind of person am I, Lex? What kind of man will I be to him? How can I ever love him, when I'm half a man?" He shook his head and wrapped his arms around Lex's waist, hugging him tightly. "He'll know how ugly I am inside. He doesn't know... I don't want him to know."

Lex just hugged. "You know he knows already. He knows, because he knows you're Batman. He knows what you're keeping from him, Bruce. You have to know he knows." Stroking his friend's hair gently. "You're the best man I know. That's what kind of person you are."

"Do you think I'm insane?" He said softly in Lex's shoulder, as he held him in his arms quietly.

"No. I don't think you're insane."

"Liar." But he choked on a soft laugh, and let go enough to cup Lex's head softly, pressing his lips to Lex's face, lips, chin, and cheeks. Anything to hide the tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry I let it out on you. Concussions are like peanut butter for my chewing gummed lips."

"It's okay." Lex accepted the soft kisses and returned them. "It's always okay. That's what I'm here for." He pulled Bruce over to the bed. "Come on. Lay down. Get it all out. I won't leave you."

"I'm sleepy. Can I sleep now? Will I die or something?" Bruce asked softly, as he let the towel drop and slip under the fresh sheets Ms. Bird had made the bed with. "I wonder how many cum stains she ignores." Asked softly as he snuggled into his pillow. "Bring him up, when he's ready."

"No. You can't sleep yet, Bruce. You know that." Lex slid into bed beside Bruce, staying on top of the sheets as he retrieved the discarded towel and wrapped it around himself instead. "She's ignored a lot of things worse than come stains." He paused a second, and sent a thought to his aushna'. Clark? How long until we can move Dick?

Clark looked up, fingers still gripping above Dick's knee and right below it, as Toby worked. About an hour. He stitched up his head, just going to set his knee and get it in a cast. A moments thought. How's Bruce?

Not good. I'd say he's about one more incident away from a serious, serious nervous breakdown. He opened the link further and let the memory of their conversations flow into Clark. I'm worried about him. Bring Dick up to his room as soon as he's able to be moved. Lex leaned over and kissed Bruce's temple. "They'll be moving him in about an hour," Lex answered softly.

Clark watched the conversation move... watched as Bruce broke down, Bruce, who never broke down, and nodded, looking at Toby quietly. "Think we can hurry this up a little? I'm going to bring Dick upstairs to Bruce as soon as we're finished."

"Okay." Quietly as he let his eyes close, snuggling deeper into his pillow... hugging it to his face softly. "Please don't think I'm incapable now. You're the only one who could ever see me like this." He said quietly, frowning as he reached back, for Lex's hand. "I told you about all the pain. But I didn't tell you about my happiness."

Lex slid back down, laying quietly beside Bruce and lacing their fingers together. "Tell me about your happiness, then." He rubbed their fingers against his cheek. "You need happiness." A pause. "And no. I don't think that you're incapable. I'd never think that, no matter how out of your head you were."

"My house. Did I tell you I got a video arcade installed in the basement?" Said with a half turn, and his lips curved, just a little bit, as he rubbed at his face.

"No, you didn't. But, I'm not surprised. What, did you pirate somebody's old Pac-Man machine?" he teased.

"Actually..." And in the word he was every bit his age, ripe old age of 27 as he sniffled softly and lay down again. "Dick is my happiness. I love him, so much, even if I'm not good for him. He has this way of laughing... we'll be together 6 years next month."

"Wow. That's amazing, Bruce. If you guys are still in town, Clark and I are taking you out. If not, we're flying to Gotham to take you out. That needs to be celebrated."

"I'm so tired. I'm sorry I went ballistic in the bathroom." He was so ashamed of himself, in the snatches of non sleepy quietness he was having, and heaved a soft yawn. "Talk to me. Tell me about you and your dad." He added softly, as he rolled more onto his belly, snuggling up beside Lex softly.

"About Dad. Well, there's enough there to keep you occupied for a month, and put a therapist's grandkids through college." He looked down at Bruce, and grinned. "We... have had our steps back and forward. But a few weeks ago... we just had it out. Completely and totally out. He'd just been fencing with Clark, Dominic and I were fighting, he dragged me in the gym with Dad, and we just yelled it out. Until we finally... made up. And it's been great ever since. It's... been kind of rough, but we've made it."

"Yeah?" Quietly asked, as his eyes drooped even more, and he snuggled under the sheets a little more. "He's not so much of a bastard anymore?"

"He's not a bastard at all. Or, if he is, he's not to me. Or I have a new perspective on it. Possibly a combination of the three." He sighed. "It's amazing; Dad's actually bonded better to Clark than he has to me."

"Clark... is a very, very, very special person." Bruce said softly, as his fingers stroked over Lex's. "I think...he'll get that a lot. People are attracted and radiated towards him like he were the sun, and they were sun-starved flowers. He's beautiful like that. He's made you shine in a way you never have."

"Yeah, he has. And I don't even entertain the thought that it was anything that I've done. It was all Clark." He squeezed Bruce's fingers gently. "He even likes you, now. Now that he's not jealous."

"You're wrong. He turned the switch on, but you're the one who's grown and changed." Bruce nodded it, as he let his eyes stay shut and his body relax. "Its been so long since I've seen you smile, but now... every time I see you, you're just beaming and laughing. You look beautiful. You are beautiful. The two of you together give the rest of us hope."

"He makes me smile," Lex agreed. "He makes me happy. He makes me happy in ways I haven't been since I was sixteen."

"It shows." Quietly said, and he fell silent, as he ached for sleep. He was so comfortable, but the nagging, painful, stabbing worry for his lover had his eyes opening and focusing again. "Is Dick okay? Can you go check on him?"

"Dick's okay. Toby's setting his leg now. Clark's with him. They got all the creatures removed, and the other injuries are all sewn up."

"I miss him." Softly. "I shouldn't have left him. We should go back downstairs."

"No. You stay where you are; Clark will bring him up as soon as it's possible to move him. He'll be unconscious; Toby's sedated him."

"But I want to see him." Bruce said it softly, and rolled over onto his back, to stare at Lex. "I want to see him."

"Hold on." Lex turned his thoughts inward again, to his lover. It's me again, Clark. How much longer? Bruce wants to see him.

Little while, baby. Just a little while longer, about twenty five minutes. The cast is setting, and Toby's got to get the last stuff done.

And as Lex stared off into the distance, Bruce closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Tell him to hurry, if he can. Lex looked down, and shook Bruce firmly. "Wake up, Bruce."

"No. G'way." Softly, as he rolled over to face Lex and buried his face in Lex's shoulder. "I'm s'tired. let me sleep. won't bother anyone."

"Wake up. Or I won't tell you about Dick."

His eyes opened... he looked up. "Is he okay?"

"He's all right. He's almost done; twenty minutes, and they'll be bringing him up here."

"Yeah?" Oh, at that he beamed, and smiled at his friend, even as he snuggled in. "Then we can sleep together."

"You can't sleep, Bruce. At least not until Toby's done with Dick and can check you out a little more thoroughly." Lex nudged him again to wake him up.

"Okay. I won't sleep." A moment. "Can I ask you a bad question?"

"Of course you can." Lex grinned. "I live for bad questions."

"Are you and Clark going to have babies someday?" Quietly asked, as he looked up at him. "Are you going to get married, too?"

Lex swallowed hard at that. "Married, yes. Children... I certainly hope so." Lex looked down at Bruce for a moment, and then the edge of the quilt on the bed. "Clark and I both... we want a family. I didn't think I did, until Richard. And then... then I realized that yes, I do. We both want one, and we will have one. I just don't know when."

"You'll make... an incredible dad. All that money you've got lying around, and you're gonna spoil your kids rotten." Soft smile, as he stroked Lex's face softly. "A good dad. Don't name any of your kids like, Geranium though, okay? Cause you've got that scary kind of taste."

"No, we won't." Lex kissed Bruce's fingers gently. "They'll have beautiful names, from Clark's culture and mine. Like Richard. Richard Mar-El Kent-Luthor." He looked out the window at that. "Nobody but us will ever know his name, Bruce. Nobody but us will ever know he existed, or that he meant so much to anyone."

"He was so beautiful. My God, I don't know how kids coming from your ugly ass could be so beautiful, but he was. Like a little prince. He was gorgeous, Lex. Your kids, with Clarks features and your... well, your brains, cause really, you're an ugly motherfucker. They'll be beautiful kids. I can't wait to see them, and spoil them."

"He was all Clark," Lex agreed quietly. "He was my son. My first-born son, and he was precious. He will always be precious to me." He blinked hard, and looked down. "They'll love their Uncle Bruce and Uncle Dick."

"He will always be precious, because he was yours, and you loved him. That's what matters, that's what counts. That you loved, and got loved back in return. We all die, Lex, but at the end, its who we loved that makes us who we were. You know?" Bruce looked at him, gently stroking his thumb under a soft eye. "And the kids that come after will be just as precious. You learned this time, and you'll do it right next time. And your baby will grow and you'll get to be there, holding him, or her, and loving them as much as I know you can."

Lex nodded. "You're right about one thing. We did learn. We learned a lot. And we found out what we did, and didn't do. So the next time... if there is a next time... we will know what's happening. I won't lose my child... or my lover."

"You'll have kids." Bruce was quiet, nodding gently as he stroked under Lex's cheekbone now, softly, reaching up to kiss his lips very tenderly. "You'll have a lot of them. And you'll do it right, I know you will."

Lex nodded, and returned the kiss gently. "I hope we will. I don't want to be the kind of father that my father was. I want... I want to be the type of parent my mother was."

"Just more bald. And with a dick." Muttered as he rolled back over onto his side and he heaved a hard yawn. "I have to go back to the construction site. Your dad and Dominic trusted it to me. I have to get up." Said from his unmoving sprawl, eyes closed. "I miss my lover."

"Don't worry. Clark and I are going back out there in a little while. You stay here with Dick. He'll be up here with you shortly." He stroked Bruce's hair. "They'll understand."

"I missed you." Softly spoken from his cuddle into the pillow.

"I've missed you too, Bruce. We can't let so long go between visits next time."

"I wish you lived closer." Yawned heavily, as he pulled the blankets over him.

"I wish I did too. But Smallville is my home. Just like Gotham City is yours. But we'll be going to Metropolis in a few years, when Clark starts college. It'll be easier once we're in a big city to pick up and leave. In a small town, everything relies on you."

"Mmm." Murmured softly as he closed his eyes....and suddenly looked up, getting up on one elbow.

"Less steak. More green." Clark muttered softly to the guy in his arms as he carefully, very carefully, entered with him. Dick's head was wrapped up, leg bandaged with a fresh cast, and he was deeply, deeply asleep. Clark had the IV hanging off his ear, which had been the only place to hook it, and he gave Lex a little help? look as he walked in, Toby on his heels.

Bruce sat up immediately, reaching his arms out for his lover. Oh, his baby, and he was bandaged but he was alive and oh.

Lex rolled off the bed immediately, vacating his space for Dick as he retrieved the IV off Dick's ear and hung it on the ornate wooden bedpost. He moved quietly with his lover, following him as he moved Dick so he didn't dislodge the needle form his skin.

Toby was rattling off directions as he walked in. "Remember, kid. I packed him with as much Thorazine as I could to keep him down, but you're gonna have to remember to change the IV bag about twelve hours from now. That'll be the Thorazine drip I made up, and that'll keep him out for the rest of the night. Call me in the morning, if he doesn't wake up." He looked at Bruce. "You. You listening to me?"

Startled glance at Toby as Bruce made room for his lover on the bed, pulling sheets and blankets back as Clark very, very gently set him on the blankets. His fingers stroked over his lovers face tenderly, cheekbones, nose, chin, mouth, swallowing heavily as he leaned down to press his lips to Dick's cheek. "What?"

Clark arranged various limbs, getting a pillow up under Dick's knee, and carefully drew the sheet and blanket over him, making sure the arm with the IV was out of the covers. Glance up at his love and he offered a hand, bringing him close.

Toby just rolled his eyes. "Knew you weren't listening to me. I'm tellin' Clark what to do for your boyfriend and you need to hear this too, in case he's not around. Don't move his leg; his head'll be fine, the cut in his back'll heal up in a couple days, and change the IV bag in about twelve hours," he repeated. "You listenin' to me this time?"

Lex took Clark's hand and wrapped his arms around his lover's waist, hugging him and squeezing tightly as he was held close.

Bruce nodded it this time, carefully stroking over Dicks face softly. "How long until he'll be well?" He looked so pale and tired, and Bruce stroked gently over his cheeks, nose, ears and hair, softly wincing as he picked up the free hand in his.

"Outside of the leg? Few days, dependin' on how fast the cuts heal up. Leg'll be in a cast for about six weeks. But the good news is, thanks to Clark, he ain't going to have a problem with the leg, cause we got it back in perfect alignment. Make sure he drinks a lotta milk, build up his calcium intake, and the bone'll be as good as new."

"Okay." He turned to the man, and offered his hand. "Thank you, sir." Even as concussed as he was he couldn't get more than that out, carefully covering his own nakedness with a blanket as he stroked over Dick's hair, wincing softly as he gazed at him.

Toby shook his hand firmly. "Not a problem. It's what Lex pays me for. Take care of that kid; I don't like patchin' 'em up that young." Then he changed his glare to Lex. "That means you too, Lex." Back to Bruce. "You need to take care of yourself, too; got a nice crack to your head there."

"I'll be alright." Bruce said quietly, and he wanted to be alone. He sent his gaze at Lex, begging him to get everyone out, and lay down gently, wrapping his arms around Dicks body and scooting carefully in next to him.

Lex got the hint. "Come on. Let's get out. Bruce and Dick both need to rest. Come on." He started none-too-gently shooing Clark and Toby out. "We need to talk, by the way. Just the three of us." He shot a look at Bruce over his shoulder, smiled softly, and closed the door behind them.

Clark nodded, peeking in on the two of them one more time before stepping out into the hall. His hand was tight in Lex's, and he brought both sets of cold fingers up before he reached back, and snagged a shirt from the chair beside the door to give to his mostly naked lover.

Medicine... was not... for him. So said his freezing hands.

Lex shrugged into the shirt and wrapped it around his chest. "Thanks." He looked up at Clark, and just snuggled against him. "I love you, you know. Bruce... just reminded me of how much."

"I love you too." Clark whispered softly, kissing him gently before he blushed, hotly, and looked at Toby and away.

"Jesus. Get a room already." Toby put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "You ready, kid?"

"I'm ready." He just didn't want to do it, and he gave his lover that very thought. Not because he was terrified of doing it... that too. But Toby had helped them when he hadn't had to, and Clark squeezed his hand, hard, as he thought.

Lex gripped Clark's back, and nodded as the thought was shared with him. I know, baby. But we have to.

You can't trust him, Lex? at all?

I trust Toby with my life, Clark. He knows almost everything about me. I just don't know that I trust him with you. It's your call to make.

Clark nodded, still gazing at the man as he thought. If he didn't take his memory...Toby could be tortured someday for it. it wasn't the fear of Toby telling anyone, it was the fear of being the cause of the mans death. He slipped a few more veins of strength to and from his lover, and reached forward, to grasp the sides of Toby's head softly. Adrenaline and horror and fear, thumping in his gut, as he grasped him. "It won't hurt. I promise. Please don't be scared of me."

Toby shook his head. "Been alive too long and seen too much shit to be scared of you, Clark."

And with those words, Clark set his forehead on Toby's, right where they stood, and kept his eyes open as he opened that channel he'd been horrified of, and let his mind scream.

A hundred thousand thoughts scattered into his mind in that moment, and he was screaming as he did it. Intelligence, all of the pain and fear for Dick, all of the procedures and carefully thought of medical school classes he'd taken. Happiness, in seeing Lex alright, pain for Bruce, indignance and shock, with a healthy dose of fear, when Clark used his powers.

All sucked down into Clarks heart, three hours taken away from Toby. But he left the important things. The memories of how to perform certain tasks, certain memories, certain things. He left them, for Toby to have.

And when he let go, he let out a shocked, gasping cry and clamped every orifice down tight, should anything shoot out of him in the way of fire or ice.

Toby wasn't even aware of what was going on, only that he was here, likely to stitch up something else that Lex had gotten himself into, and sighed, blinking. "All right, Lex. What the hell did you get yourself into this time, huh? Don't tell me--I'm here to sew up the other side of your father's ass."

Clark didn't speak for a long moment... and when he finally opened his eyes, twin tears cascaded down his cheeks. Two more after that, eyes blood shot and red, catching in his eyelashes as he looked at the man in just... in sadness.

Toby blinked, and caught Clark's face in his hands. "You okay there, kid? Lex, get my bag. Gimmie the little flashlight, would you? Clark's got somethin' in his eye."

Lex just shook his head. "Clark's fine, Toby."

He wasn't. But he just shook the man off, gently as he could, and turned, walking down the hall and down the steps.

"Lex?"

Lex just shook his head. "Come on, let's go. You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He led Toby out to the car. "Here. Take the keys, and drop it off at the garage. I'll pick it up in a few days." He put the Corvette keys in Toby's hand. "I'll call you later, if there are any complications."

Toby took the keys and looked up. "I know better'n to ask how I got here, right?"

Lex nodded. "Yeah, you do. I'll see you later." He shook his old friend's hand, and then disappeared as he went after Clark.

Toby looked at the keys in his hand, then at Lex's retreating back, and sighed. "I gotta lay off the booze."

 

-fin-

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