Like Shifting Sand (Epilogue)
Title: Like Shifting Sand (Epilogue)
Author: hoperoy
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: R
Pairing: Clark/Lex, Martha/Lionel
Word count: 693
Warnings: Spoilers for Insurgence and other Season Two episodes
Summary: What if the baby wasn't Jonathan's?
Author's Note: Thanks to acampbell for the fantastic beta.
I forgot that I hadn't posted this last part. Sorry about that!
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*Epilogue: Martha*
It's the right thing. She *knows* it is, but it’s still agonizing for her to watch the limo pull away from Luthorcorp towers with her only son inside. Clark. Her son, the answer to her keenest wish. Her son, whom she’d wanted more than anything, all those years ago.
It disgusts her to think about what she's done to him.
Lionel's hand is warm on her back as they watch the limo from the lobby of Luthor Corp. He's always there, always attentive--always *proprietary*. His attention is constantly present, never failing to let her know that she's his. The baby inside of her is his. Like anything else in his world, he intends to run their lives *his* way .
Lionel wasn't keen to let Clark go. He hadn't said it outright, but Martha knows that he wanted Clark nearby, where he could be influenced. He'd easily countered her threat to go to the police with what she knows about Jonathan’s death, smiling and telling her he'd expose Clark. She'd then pointed out that, if he did, Lex would have Clark out of the country before Lionel could do anything, and then where would he be? He'd be exposed, and Clark would be safe. Considering she only wanted to let her son go back home, she'd recommended that he didn't push her to do something so rash. Mutually assured destruction really wouldn't help anyone.
Lionel had seemed almost impressed at her threats. Martha suspects that he allowed her what she wanted more because of that than because of any fear of what she'd expose. Besides, Clark was still close enough for him to keep an eye on.
Martha hates that that's the case-she hates that Lionel always has to be assured of control.
She knows that need to dominate is why Lionel and Lex clash so violently. Lex is similar to his father. They're both strong-willed people, both used to being obeyed, both used to getting what they want. When Lex refuses Lionel's order, they fight, because in Lionel Luthor's world, everyone belongs under his thumb. The irony is that, should Lex accept his father's rule without question, Lionel would pick him apart. He raised a strong son--a strong successor. He raised someone as ruthless as himself. Anything less would be disappointing. It would be a disgrace.
Lex is like his father in so many ways.
Martha is thankful that, where it counts, he's very different.
"We should go back inside," Lionel says quietly, a small smile playing at his lips. It's a cold look. He's not being considerate--he's playing his hand. She doubts it matters anymore. She's lodged so tightly under his thumb that she knows she won't be able to get out. At this point, she can barely bring herself to care.
Her husband is dead.
Her son is safe.
When the child inside her is born, she'll find ways to protect it.
Beyond that, she doesn't care. It's not about her--she doesn't *deserve* for it to be, not anymore. Her mistakes got her husband killed--lost her son his father. For now, Lionel can have his power.
For now, she'll let him think he's won everything he wanted.
It won't last forever. She knows there will be a time when he tries to hurt Clark--and when he tries to mold the child she's carrying into his own image. When he does, God help him. Because while she doesn't care for herself anymore? She'd kill for her children. She would do *anything* for her children.
If it comes to that, she will.
Martha allows Lionel to guide her back into the penthouse.
Her time hasn’t come. Yet.
END
Author: hoperoy
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: R
Pairing: Clark/Lex, Martha/Lionel
Word count: 693
Warnings: Spoilers for Insurgence and other Season Two episodes
Summary: What if the baby wasn't Jonathan's?
Author's Note: Thanks to acampbell for the fantastic beta.
I forgot that I hadn't posted this last part. Sorry about that!
---------------------
*Epilogue: Martha*
It's the right thing. She *knows* it is, but it’s still agonizing for her to watch the limo pull away from Luthorcorp towers with her only son inside. Clark. Her son, the answer to her keenest wish. Her son, whom she’d wanted more than anything, all those years ago.
It disgusts her to think about what she's done to him.
Lionel's hand is warm on her back as they watch the limo from the lobby of Luthor Corp. He's always there, always attentive--always *proprietary*. His attention is constantly present, never failing to let her know that she's his. The baby inside of her is his. Like anything else in his world, he intends to run their lives *his* way .
Lionel wasn't keen to let Clark go. He hadn't said it outright, but Martha knows that he wanted Clark nearby, where he could be influenced. He'd easily countered her threat to go to the police with what she knows about Jonathan’s death, smiling and telling her he'd expose Clark. She'd then pointed out that, if he did, Lex would have Clark out of the country before Lionel could do anything, and then where would he be? He'd be exposed, and Clark would be safe. Considering she only wanted to let her son go back home, she'd recommended that he didn't push her to do something so rash. Mutually assured destruction really wouldn't help anyone.
Lionel had seemed almost impressed at her threats. Martha suspects that he allowed her what she wanted more because of that than because of any fear of what she'd expose. Besides, Clark was still close enough for him to keep an eye on.
Martha hates that that's the case-she hates that Lionel always has to be assured of control.
She knows that need to dominate is why Lionel and Lex clash so violently. Lex is similar to his father. They're both strong-willed people, both used to being obeyed, both used to getting what they want. When Lex refuses Lionel's order, they fight, because in Lionel Luthor's world, everyone belongs under his thumb. The irony is that, should Lex accept his father's rule without question, Lionel would pick him apart. He raised a strong son--a strong successor. He raised someone as ruthless as himself. Anything less would be disappointing. It would be a disgrace.
Lex is like his father in so many ways.
Martha is thankful that, where it counts, he's very different.
"We should go back inside," Lionel says quietly, a small smile playing at his lips. It's a cold look. He's not being considerate--he's playing his hand. She doubts it matters anymore. She's lodged so tightly under his thumb that she knows she won't be able to get out. At this point, she can barely bring herself to care.
Her husband is dead.
Her son is safe.
When the child inside her is born, she'll find ways to protect it.
Beyond that, she doesn't care. It's not about her--she doesn't *deserve* for it to be, not anymore. Her mistakes got her husband killed--lost her son his father. For now, Lionel can have his power.
For now, she'll let him think he's won everything he wanted.
It won't last forever. She knows there will be a time when he tries to hurt Clark--and when he tries to mold the child she's carrying into his own image. When he does, God help him. Because while she doesn't care for herself anymore? She'd kill for her children. She would do *anything* for her children.
If it comes to that, she will.
Martha allows Lionel to guide her back into the penthouse.
Her time hasn’t come. Yet.
END