Not in my Kansas

Fandom: Smallville/JLA crossover
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: adult
Category: Science Fiction, Established Relationship
Archive: Just ask
Notes: Thank you to my wonder betas Alee and MOSS. Also thank you to everybody on LJ who fed and encouraged. Dedicated to Alee who makes me believe I can do this.
Warnings: Spoilers for Smallville up to season two.
Feedback: Yes please that would be very nice.
Disclaimer: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Tollin/Robbins and Millar/Gough Ink own Smallville and its characters. I am just playing.
Summary: Lex wakes up to find the world has been turned upside down.

The sound of honking horns woke him. Seconds later, the stench hit his nostrils. Lex Luthor opened first one bleary eye, then the other. He wondered idly when their bedroom had started smelling like a back alley. Though Clark did bring the nastiest smells home with him some nights, this one topped them all.

The unyielding surface beneath him was the next clue that something was wrong. Their bed was firm, but not as hard as concrete.

Lex lifted his head up to take in his surroundings. Not the best place to be, and definitely not home. He pressed palms to cold, wet concrete and pushed himself up to a sitting position. The traffic sounds were straight ahead and when he looked behind him, all he found was a trash-filled dead-end.

Lex let out a harsh breath and stood. He groaned, muscles aching at the movement. It was chilly out, and he shivered in the cool air. He looked down to see that he was still in his red-flannel pyjama bottoms from last night, and nothing else: no shirt, no socks, and no shoes. He'd never be able to get through the door of any respectable establishments in the city looking like this.

Lex rolled his neck, rejoicing in the tiny cracks, and then headed to the open end of the alley. It was light out, and rush hour traffic told him, even though he had no time-piece, that it must be at least eight in the morning. A few passers-by glanced his way, but most just ignored him. He padded gingerly across to the newspaper box. That would tell him, at the very least, where the hell he was.

Daily Planet. Well. He was in Metropolis and the date was right. He looked around for his next target, a pay phone, and then stopped when he noticed the headline.

SUPERMAN SAVES TRAIN PASSENGERS

The picture of a stoic Clark beside a police officer made Lex's heart flutter.

That explained where Clark had taken off to after the fight.

A flash went off to his left. Lex looked just in time to see a camera disappear into somebody's bag. Ignoring the bystander, he scrubbed his hand over his face and walked to the nearest payphone. With any luck, Clark would be home by now.

He politely asked the operator to dial the number to the penthouse. He quirked his brow when a recording informed him that the number was no longer in service. Clark couldn't be that angry could he? Probably a mistake on the operator's part, so Lex asked her to dial the number again. Still not in service.

"Excuse me, but that number was working last night. You must have dialled it wrong," Lex made his voice as polite as possible.

"I'm sure I dialled correctly. Who are you trying to reach?" she asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.

"Clark Kent . . ."

"One moment." She cut him off before he could finish explaining.

This time the line rang. It was picked up after the third ring by a sleepy Clark.

"Hey, not funny; come get me so we can talk," Lex said. Muffled sounds on the other end and shuffled fabric was all Lex heard at first.

"Who is this?"

Lex was not amused. "Clark, stop playing, I don't like these kinds of jokes. Come get me, please. I'm standing in the middle of a seedy street, with a pimp eyeing me. If you don't come get me now, something bad is going to happen." Lex's voice was getting harsher the longer he talked.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Fuck you, Kent, I'll find my own way home." Lex went to hang up. Only the harsh shouts on the other end kept him from hanging up.

"Wait!" Clark's yell seemed to indicate that he was wide awake now. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Clark, I'm at Third and Brock, come get me now or I will start killing things." Lex looked around and sneered at the bum eyeing his pyjama bottoms. Seconds later, Superman swooped down and landed beside him with enough force to shake the sidewalk. Lex hung up the phone.

"Luthor, I have no idea what you are up to, but what ever it is you won't get away with it." Superman folded his arms across his chest and glared down at Lex.

Lex eyed him with a smirk and licked his lips. "Nice, now get me home," Lex said. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Clark's chest. To Lex's surprise, Clark backed away, an unmistakable look of disgust on his face.

"What are you doing?" Clark hissed.

"Oh, sorry," Lex smiled and looked up into the eyes of a stranger, not that unusual, since Clark always stepped into hero mode when ever he donned the blue-and-red suit. "Superman, could you please get me home?" Lex smirked and batted his eyelashes. "My lover seems to have left me out in the cold."

Clark sneered, but he leaned in and wrapped an arm around Lex's waist. He pulled Lex off his feet.

Lex chuckled softly and leaned in close. "Sorry. We wouldn't want to ruin your image," he whispered sarcastically into Clark's ear.

Clark cleared his throat and lifted off, taking Lex with him.

Lex settled easily into the crook of Clark's arm as he pressed his face against the massive chest.

Clark sighed and carried them to the top of the LexCorp tower, where they landed lightly on the roof.

Lex turned in Clark's arms. It was his turn to glare. "Clark, is this some kind of running joke?"

The Man of Steel set him down none too gently and prepared to take off. Lex grabbed at one large, muscled arm. "Not even a kiss good-bye?" he asked with a coy smile.

Anger flamed in Superman's eyes and he shoved Lex away from him. Lex fell to the ground ten feet away, a shocked expression on his face.

"What games are you playing, you sick, twisted, perverted . . .," Superman yelled, red-faced and fuming.

"I know the fight was bad but you don't have to push me around." Lex interjected, rubbing an elbow as he sat up, his hurt expression turning to pain. "I'm sorry Clark. I didn't mean to be such a bastard last night. Just tell me what . . ."

"What did you call me?" Superman stepped forward, menacingly towering over Lex. Lex flinched, curling his arms around his bare chest.

"This isn't funny, Clark. Stop it." Lex braved the hurt and stood up shakily. He rubbed his elbow again.

Superman straightened and narrowed his eyes. Lex felt the intense stare rake over him.

Lex covered his chest with his arms. "I hate it when you use your x-ray vision on me. Don't do that."

Superman moved away and crossed his arms again. "Who are you?"

Lex clenched his jaw and shook his head. "I can't believe you. Sometimes I just can't stand this bullshit. Take me back to our penthouse now. I'm cold and I'm hungry," Lex said, turning away.

"You look like Luthor, but you're not him," Clark said. Lex felt himself being lifted off the ground again and flinched at the sudden punishing grip on his wrist.

"Stop manhandling me, I told you I hate that. What do you mean I'm not him? I most certainly am Luthor," Lex said indignantly.

"Batman, I need you on the LexCorp building now. Something really strange has happened."

Lex swung around, using Clark's chest as leverage, to get a better look at the man who had a grip on him. They were now eye to eye. Lex gulped and felt his heart clench. "Clark?" he whispered, but the tone of his voice said he knew this was not who he thought it was.

"Luthor, what are you up to?" The harsh, demanding tone startled Lex.

Lex reached up with his free hand and touched finger tips to Clark's cheek. His heart pounded in his chest and he swallowed hard. "Who are you?" Lex whispered.

Superman lowered Lex until his feet touched the ground but kept his grip on the slight wrist in his hand. "You're not from around here, are you?" Superman asked bluntly.

"I guess not." Lex glared up at Clark. "If I was, we would be kissing right now."

They were interrupted by a black-clad, menacing figure, which landed silently beside Clark.

"Hey, Bruce, that was a little slow for you." Lex said casually. Both heroes frowned at each other then turned to glare at Lex.

"Dimensional rift," Bruce said. "Martian Manhunter said one opened earlier today just inside Metropolis city limits. He's not sure what caused it, but he's working on it."

"Do we know where it originated from?" Superman said.

"We've narrowed it down to within a block of where you found Luthor. Martian Manhunter said he thinks it's moving around, but so far we haven't seen another one."

He was not in his Kansas any more.

He stepped away from the two heroes and caught his breath. As they watched him carefully, Lex shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. "Could we finish this somewhere indoors, please?"

Clark stopped talking and reached up to unhook his cape. In two swift steps he was draping it across Lex's shoulders.

"Thank you," Lex whispered as he pulled the cloth around himself.

"Where should we take him?" Clark asked a scowling Batman.

"Do you know about the JLA?" Clark said turning to address Lex.

Lex nodded and pulled the cape more tightly around him. "Let's get you up there, and then we'll decide what to do."

An hour later Lex sat in a chair in the main meeting room with a wary Green Lantern watching over him.

"Where is Clark?" Lex said after too long a silent stretch. The Green Lantern continued his monitoring duties, ignoring anything Lex said. Lex still had the red cape draped around him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and then started to stand.

"Get up, Luthor, and I break every bone in your body." The menacing voice sent shivers through Lex and he obeyed it without hesitation.

"You know, this is weird for me too," Lex said shortly, when he noticed the Green Lantern glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

"Really," Green Lantern turned to face Lex, arms crossed, menace in his stance.

"Yes, well," Lex swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "Where I come from, you're my poker partner. We beat Bruce and Clark last time we played." Lex quirked his lip, but Green Lantern remained stiff.

The door to the main meeting room slid open and Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter entered, followed closely by Batman and Superman. Lex smiled at Clark and then frowned when Clark looked away.

His heart clenched as the sharp realization of his situation hit him. This was not his world, and he had lost his Clark, maybe for good.

He turned away from the other people, biting his lower lip.

"Well, Luthor is at his office right now as we speak," Superman began. Lex did not turn to face them. He could feel the eyes on the back of his head.

"Then he's from another, what, time line?" Wonder Woman spoke up.

"Or maybe he's from another reality where Luthor made different choices," Superman said. Lex turned just enough to see, out of the corner of his eye, that Superman was frowning.

"How different could they be?" Batman said as he approached Lex. Lex did not flinch. This was not the Bruce Wayne of his own world, and yet the resemblance was so similar it was uncanny.

"He would be the only one who knows," Superman said, with eyes fixed on Lex.

"I don't care about that; I just want to get back where I belong. I have a business to run after all." They all looked at Lex before shaking their heads.

"Some things never change," Bruce said.

"Until we figure this out, it's probably best if you stay up here." Superman walked over to stand by the chair Lex occupied and placed a hand on the backrest.

"Am I a prisoner?" Lex looked up at Superman's towering form.

Superman shook his head. "There's no telling how much trouble . . ."

"Guys, check this out," Green Lantern called their attention to the large video screen he'd been monitoring. The screen was completely occupied by the image of Lex Luthor in a business suit, followed by reporters. Green Lantern turned the volume up.

"He's an impostor most definitely, Miss Lane." Luthor was saying. The camera cut to a newsman at an anchor desk.

"Business magnet Lex Luthor denies reports that this photo taken of him earlier this morning. . ." the picture of Lex was less than flattering. Lex stood in pyjama bottoms near a news box. ". . . Is him at all."

The sound was cut. Superman groaned and looked down at Lex.

"I guess I stay up here," Lex whispered.

After Superman showed him to a small but tidy bedroom, Lex changed into dark blue and red sweats borrowed from Superman. He sat on the single bed thinking about the last time he had seen his Clark. They had fought over something so insignificant. It was hard to remember just why, or how, it had started.

His musing was interrupted by a rap at the door. Lex cleared his throat. "Come in," he called out. The door opened, and a red-clad figure stepped in holding a tray of food.

The Flash silently set the tray down on a small table.

Lex nodded his head once. "Thank you," he said softly. The Flash leaned against the door, arms crossed, affecting a casual stance. Lex moved to the table sitting on the one chair that had been provided and picked up a bread roll. He tore it two. The hot pea soup smelled good, and Lex's stomach rumbled a protest at not having eaten in over twenty hours. He dug in, ignoring the watchful gaze that tracked his every move. After a few moments, he paused and looked up at the other man.

"What, are you going to watch me do everything, Wally?" Lex almost smirked when the other man's eyes widened. "So you got the babysitting duty. That has to sting."

The Flash shifted and narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Lex waited for a response. When none was forthcoming, he bent his head to concentrate on his meal.

"So, in your world we're friends?" the Flash finally said.

Lex looked up and narrowed his eyes. "Yes," he said softly. He pushed the tray away and went back to sit on the bed.

"Good friends?" The Flash asked.

Lex sighed and cleared his throat. "Not good friends but we get along. Clark finds you a little annoying actually."

"Yeah, so does our Superman." The Flash smiled and moved to pick up the tray.

"What have they found? Does Clark or Bruce have any idea how to reverse this?"

The Flash turned to face Lex. "Don't call them that. No one goes by their real names here. Okay?"

"I can't just sit here all day. Maybe there's something I could do. I know all the computers in this facility. If they are the same as the ones in my dimension, I could help."

The Flash turned to leave.

"Please." Lex jumped up and stepped forward. He stopped at the other man's warning glare.

"Just so you know; I don't believe you. They're in a meeting trying to decide what to do with you." With that, The Flash slammed the door behind himself. Lex jumped at the door and turned the knob. It was locked. He slammed a fist against it, heart suddenly pounding. What if they decided he needed to be permanently contained? Or even . . . eliminated?

He called out for ten minutes, but still, nobody came. He settled on the bed and, eventually fell into a fitful sleep. He woke up hours later, in a sweat, and cried out Clark's name.

"Clark, I'm so sorry." Lex said to the empty room. His heart sank and he bit his lip to stop the anguish. He'd get out of this; the JLA had faced tougher challenges. He only hoped the Bruce and Clark of this world were as good at what they did as the ones Lex knew.

Half an hour later, the door opened again and Wonder Woman walked in. She set a breakfast tray down on the table. Lex did not bother to look at her. He stood and moved over to the chair. Wonder Woman watched him eat just as the Flash had earlier. Lex didn't taste any of the food.

"Thank you," Lex whispered. He moved back to the bed when he was finished.

She took the tray and stopped. Lex looked up at her for the first time since she'd entered the room.

"Don't you want to know, too?" Lex asked softly.

"Not really."

Lex looked her up and down then turned away. She stood her ground. "You are all in my world, Diana. Although where I come from, you're dating Bruce." Lex shrugged.

Diana scowled and left. Hours later, Lex thought he would die of boredom before the day was through. Next time somebody showed up, he resolved to ask for a book or maybe a television.

He fell asleep again and woke to the sound of an alarm. Lex checked the door and found it was still locked. A few minutes later the door creaked then crashed open. Two costume-clad men ran in. They wore the same outfits, one side black, and the other white. One of them held up a net. He was black on the left and white on the right. In his mind, Lex dubbed him Lefty. He made to toss the net over Lex's head. Lex dodged and punched the second guy, who wore black on the right (Righty) and white on the left, in the stomach. He fell down like a ton of bricks, which startled Lex momentarily. Lex recovered quickly and attempted to high-kick Righty but the man managed to dodge Lex's perfectly balanced attack.

"We're here to spring you, Luthor," Lefty yelled. Lex backed away from the two, and slid against the wall. Righty grunted and pushed up from the floor, and then clutched at his gut.

"You little fuck," he growled as he lunged for Lex. The other guy got there first, and stopped his partner in his tracks.

"Remember; alive. He wants him alive. There are no other options."

Lex made it to the door just as the two men merged on him. He called out in the hopes that somebody would hear, but he seemed to be on his own. Considering his limited success fighting them off moments before, speed seemed to be his best option.

Not looking back, Lex ran down the hall. As he ran, he called out for Superman. When he reached the end of the hall, far ahead of his assailants, Lex tried the door only to find it locked. He had reached a dead end. He turned to face the oncoming goons.

"Nobody is here to help you. Luthor saw to that," Lefty said as he stopped ten feet away from Lex. Righty snarled and grabbed the other end of the net. They converged on Lex, and threw it over him. Lex tried to dodge but there was not much space to work in. Moments later, he found his surroundings shimmering out of focus as they became a new environment. The thugs had somehow teleported him out of the JLA Watchtower. Lex struggled until he heard a throat clear behind him. The next thing he heard chilled his blood.

"Leave him with me, gentlemen," Lex Luthor said coolly. The two men released him and pulled the net off. Lex slowly turned to face his doppelganger, and boldly lifted his chin up as the goons left the two men alone.

The room into which Lex had been teleported was similar to the boardroom of the LexCorp tower back in his world, only this one was much more Spartan. Lex took in the surroundings. There was not a single personal item on any surface in the room. He casually walked over to the bookshelf and plucked out a copy of Machiavelli's The Prince. When he opened it to the front page, he noted it contained no inscription from a father as his own copy did.

"Bedtime reading," Lex said. Luthor smirked and turned steel grey eyes on his double.

"This is you, I take it?" Luthor asked. He pointed to the copy of the Daily Planet that sat on the top of the large oak table. Lex walked to the table pushing one of the large plush overstuffed office chairs aside and glanced down at the cover. It was the picture that had been taken of Lex the morning he had arrived.

Lex shrugged his shoulders. "It is. What do you want from me?"

Luthor smirked again and sauntered over to stand beside Lex. "We seem to be more alike than not. I wonder what else we have in common."

Lex watched the Luthor of this dimension move over to a small wet bar in the corner. "Nothing I'm sure." He sneered as he said this and shook his head.

"Drink." Luthor offered Lex the glass of scotch he had poured.

"No, thank you," Lex said. Luthor frowned and set the second glass down. He took a sip from his own drink. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, except to make you an offer," Luthor said as he unbuttoned his jacket and sat at the head of the large rectangular table. Lex noted the chair he sat in was larger than the others that surrounded the table and that it had armrests.

"No, thank you. I would rather you let me go back to my business."

"What, helping those do-gooders? I have the finances and the resources to help you find your way home. I could help you."

Lex walked across to the large picture window and looked out into the bright Metropolis skyline. It was exactly like the one he knew at home, only there was no LuthorCorp building. "Then what? You plunder my dimension?" Lex turned to face Luthor. He grinned contemptuously. "No, thank you, I think I'll take my chances with the do-gooders. At least they won't stab me in the back."

Luthor nodded then pulled out a cell phone. "Come and get him."

Lex turned as the doors to the boardroom flew open. Two large women stalked in. One had a long blonde braid that ended at her knees, the second had short dark hair cut in a no-nonsense bob.

"Meet Hope and Mercy. They will take care of you from now on." Luthor sneered as he turned to address the two women. "Tell Hamilton to use any means at his disposal. He may have knowledge of the alien and the League in general." Luthor turned back to Lex and smirked. "He may even know their secret identities."

Lex shook his head. "I won't be telling you anything."

Luthor set his empty glass down and stared hard at Lex. "Why did you call Clark Kent, the reporter, when you first arrived?" Luthor leaned back and folded his arms with an evil gleam in his eye.

Lex fought to keep his expression blank. "Where I come from, Clark Kent is my best friend."

"I'm betting it was Luthor," Batman said. He sat down in front of the computer control panel and immediately started working at the keyboard.

Superman cocked his head and listened. "There -- I heard him calling out to me. Luthor has him alright."

Flash shrugged. "So, they deserve each other. Leave him where he is."

Superman stepped forward and cringed. "Hope and Mercy are working him over. I have to go get him back. He could tell Luthor our real identities."

The Flash was at Superman's side in an instant. "Count me in."

"We may have more of a problem than we thought," Batman said from where he sat. Everybody turned and waited for him to drop the bad news. The door to the observation deck slid open. As if they were all one entity, they turned to see who was entering the room. If they didn't already know that Superman was on deck, they would have thought the newcomer was him.

"You can count me in too," Clark Kent said. Dress in his blue jeans, work boots, and a blue t-shirt with a red jacket, he was nonetheless the spitting image of Superman.

"You must have found a way to get here," Batman said as he stood.

"I would have been here sooner except I didn't even know Lex was missing." Clark ducked his head and cleared his throat.

"How much do you know?" Superman said.

"Why don't you fill me in on the way there?" Clark smiled and nodded to each Justice League member. Batman let out a heavy sigh.

"Mr. Kent, don't you think that maybe you should go in disguise? The Luthor here isn't exactly as friendly with you as yours seems to be."

Clark looked down at his clothes. "I forgot to change. Maybe you could lend me an old suit or something."

Ten minutes later Clark was clad in black tights and a black long sleeved, tight spandex shirt. He slicked his hair back and immediately his stance changed. A commanding posture replaced the slight unsure one affected since arriving at the League's headquarters.

"It's just like our Superman," the Green Lantern said as they walked down the hallway to the teleportation room. Clark walked in step with his counterpart.

When they re-emerged on the surface of Earth, Clark jumped up and floated just above the rest of the group.

"Hold it," Superman said, floating up beside him. "That building is surrounded by . . ."

"Why are we waiting? Lex is . . . hurt." Clark flew faster than the human eye could see up to the top of the LexCorp building. Superman followed closely. Clark had stopped at the top of the building and hovered as he glared at the one-way glass.

"X-raying the building won't help."

"I noticed; lead-lined." Clark narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to piss him off that much?"

Lex grunted when the fist struck his face again. He grinned up at the Amazonian woman who towered over him. He'd been tied - nothing new there -- to a chair. He'd lost track of time and wasn't sure how long he'd been here. The bruises on his face had multiplied over the course of the afternoon, and they hadn't even asked him anything yet. Not that he was volunteering information.

Leaning into it with as much force as she could muster, Mercy smacked him across the left cheek again

"Is that the best you can do?" Lex mocked. He really should shut up, but the Luthor in him just couldn't keep quiet.

The main door, which had until now remained closed, opened and the other Amazonian stepped in. The Luthor of this world followed her closely. Lex watched his counterpart walk over to Mercy and motion for her to step aside.

"You should teach your people better interrogation techniques," Lex mocked. Luthor did not seem amused; in fact, Lex noted, this counterpart of him was very stiff. Maybe he needed to get laid? Lex laughed aloud at this thought and earned himself a sharp slap across the right cheek.

"You are going to tell me everything I need to know . . . and I will let you live," Luthor said coolly. Luthor walked over to a table where a pitcher of water sat and poured a glass. He turned and drank deeply. He sighed when he was done.

"Not in this lifetime, Luthor," Lex said. He shook his head at how silly that sounded.

Luthor approached his chair and looked Lex up and down thoroughly. "We look good," Luthor said casually. He leaned in and stared down at Lex's left hand, which had been duct-taped to the arm of the chair. "What is this?" Luthor reached out and lightly touched the gold band on Lex's ring finger. Lex couldn't hide the flinch. Luthor tilted his head just enough so they were eye-to-eye.

"It's just jewellery; you're obviously richer than God, why would a small ring interest you?" Lex drawled.

Luthor straightened and motioned for Mercy to move closer. He nodded at the ring and before Lex could protest, the woman gripped his hand and removed the ring, which he had not taken off since the day he had slipped it on ten years ago. Mercy dropped it into Luthor's open palm.

"You're married?" Luthor said matter-of-factly. Lex cleared his throat and licked his split lip; the cut had already half healed, and he hoped they didn't notice. He watched as Luthor turned the ring over to examine it. The inscription on the inside of the band caught his eye. "What does this say?" Luthor glanced at Lex and held the band out. It glinted in the light. "No matter. It's probably some sappy declaration of undying love. Am I right?"

"You're right, it is," Lex said smugly. Luthor flicked his eyes at Mercy and the woman backhanded Lex, causing his head to snap back.

"Smug. I like that. Of course, in this situation it will only be detrimental to your health." Luthor slipped the ring on his own finger, and held his hand up to examine it.

"Then maybe you should just let me go so I can get back to my life," Lex said.

Luthor flicked a glance at Mercy and Hope and then spun on his heels to face Lex again. "So, what's your wife's name? It wouldn't happen to be Lena would it?" he asked casually.

Lex grinned coolly and tilted his head. "Why? Afraid you missed out on something?" He noted the flinch in the other man's shoulder.

"Spare me." Luthor motioned for Mercy to step forward.

That was when the wall exploded. Lex fell back as chunks of plaster and shards of glass showered the room. He struggled in vain. Hands unravelled the tape at his legs and arms so fast that he realized who had crashed the party. Strong arms pulled him up and released him once he had his feet under him.

"Lex," the deep voice whispered. Lex looked up into the green eyes of his Clark. He scrambled to his feet and turned just as Mercy kicked out at him. Clark blocked the move, and tossed the woman off balance so that she went sprawling into the Luthor of this world. They fell back in a heap, and Luthor bellowed.

"Let's get out of here," Lex said. Clark gripped his arm and pulled them toward the huge gap in the wall he'd just created, but Lex stopped them and turned back to Luthor. "First, I need to get something back."

Clark watched as Lex stepped over plaster to get to the still sprawling Luthor and bend down. Luthor drew back from him. Lex reached out, pulled the ring from the other man's finger, and slipped it back on his own. "Thanks," he said.

"Mercy!" Luthor bellowed. As soon as Lex stood and turned his back to the pair on the floor, Clark was between them, knocking Mercy back down to the ground.

"Stay down," Clark growled.

With a whoosh, Clark scooped up Lex and flew the both of them out of the room. As soon as they hit air, Clark adjusted his speed and shifted so Lex could swing around and grip his waist. A red and blue streak joined them, moments later, matching Clark's speed. Lex smirked at the Superman of this world.

"I told you to wait for Batman," Superman yelled.

Clark glared at his counterpart and changed direction, which made Lex whoop and kiss him on the cheek before he swung out from Clark's body and let go. Clark watched as Lex, in complete control of his freefall, plunged toward the rooftop of the building below. A laugh escaped Clark's lips as he watched Superman catch his lover around the waist. Lex used his momentum to flip the two of them, and Clark smirked at the look of shock on Superman's face as Lex twirled them in the air.

Moments later, the three men were touching down on the roof of the Daily Planet. Having established his footing, Lex broke away from Superman.

"You are insane," Superman yelled.

"What a rush," Lex yelled back.

Clark closed the distance between them. He scooped Lex up in his arms and kissed him thoroughly on the mouth. They broke the kiss to look over at the very angry superhero. Clark frowned and turned to face Superman.

"I did what I had to do to get Lex back," Clark said defensively.

"Luthor will retaliate," Superman said just as Batman landed ten feet away and the Flash zoomed onto the rooftop.

"Wow," the Flash exclaimed. "That was amazing! Superman would never go in like that. Obviously you two have a totally different dynamic going on where you come from."

Clark grinned like a maniac. "Oh, yeah. Your world seems so much more serious."

Superman scowled and crossed his arms almost petulantly. "We'd better get out of town before Luthor sends more goons out."

"He won't be sending anybody if he knows what's good for him." Clark pulled Lex in close and went back to the kiss they had started earlier. "I missed you," he whispered. They ignored the chokes coming from the Flash. "We still need to find a way home." Clark turned to Batman. "Your counterpart figured out what happened and how to repeat it."

Batman nodded. "Yes, I know. I've already started working on a way to return you to your own . . . reality."

Clark scooped Lex up and floated off the ground. "Good. Then you won't mind if we go back to the Watchtower with you? Despite the fact that Luthor found Lex there before, I don't think he'll try that stunt again. Besides," Clark kissed Lex hard, "we were on our tenth anniversary honeymoon when we were so rudely interrupted."

"I'm sorry for what I did," Lex said.

"I know." Clark spun them in the air and stopped suddenly. "Hey, Superman, could we borrow your fortress? You have one of those here don't you?"

"Yes." Superman crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

Lex grinned and whispered something in Clark's ear. Superman's eyes widened and he cleared his throat. Lex turned to him. "You heard me," Lex dripped lust as he slipped a hand under Clark's shirt.

"I'll take you there."

"I guess we should stop for some supplies on the way there," Clark said with a smirk.

"You are positively wicked," Lex drawled lustily. A hand slipped under Clark's black shirt.

"Get them out of here," The Flash said to Superman.

The pressure of something that dug painfully into his ribs woke him up. He shifted in the unfamiliar bed and saw Clark. He nudged Clark, who only rolled over and continued to snore softly. Lex shook his head and yanked his trapped arm out from under Clark's neck. Once he was free, he sat up and swiped a hand across his face. The scent of Clark's sex was still there. Lex inhaled it and stood up. Despite being tired, he couldn't get to sleep. He looked down at his husband and let out an exasperated breath. Clark could sleep anywhere.

Lex exited the room and walked out to the main room of the sleeping area. Despite his earlier offer to allow the two of them to use his fortress, the Superman of this world had rescinded the offer, and they had ended up staying in the Watchtower's sleeping quarters. This particular section had a huge common area, two shared bathrooms, two shared kitchens, and four private bedrooms.

The only room currently occupied, of course, was the one Lex and Clark had taken. That had been perfect, as far as they were concerned. Last night had been about make-up sex, and that was always the best sex of all. Clark had screamed so loud, Lex thought for sure the League would think they were murdering each other.

Still groggy and sleep deprived, Lex didn't notice the three people sitting in the common area until he was half way to the bathroom. He stopped and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was actually seeing it. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were sitting drinking coffee. They had ceased all conversation as soon as Lex had come out.

Wonder Woman averted her gaze and Superman cleared his throat repeatedly. Lex looked down and realized he was buck-naked. He looked up at the three heroes, looked back down at his swinging, half-hard cock, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey," he said casually and continued on his way to the bathroom.

"Completely hairless?" he heard Wonder Woman say just as he closed the door.

They were still sitting there when Lex came back out. He'd wrapped a towel around his waist for modesty's sake, though it was already too late. The snake was out of the bag, so to speak.

"You must be here for a reason," he said casually. He walked over to the small kitchenette and poured a cup of coffee before sitting down beside Batman.

"Yes," Superman said. "We think we figured out a way to get you back to your world."

Lex blew on his coffee and then ventured a sip. "Not bad."

He looked up and couldn't help but smirk at the disbelief on Superman's face.

Lex smirked. "Heard us last night, did you?"

Superman averted his eyes and actually blushed. Lex chuckled.

"What, not getting any?"

"Actually, I'm dating Lois Lane."

Lex wrinkled his nose. "That bitch. Where I'm from, she used to be Chloe Sullivan and she's now married to my father."

"You have a father?" Batman suddenly said.

"Yes, Lionel Luthor. He runs LuthorCorp. I run LexCorp. Look, when can you get us home, or are we going to sit and exchange alternate histories?"

The door to their room swung open and a thankfully not naked Clark trudged out and ignored them completely for the bathroom. All eyes watched as he closed the door behind him. Lex had a smug smirk on his face. He twirled his wedding band absently.

"We'll wait until Clark comes out, then you won't have to repeat it." Lex sat back and pushed the coffee away.

The bathroom door opened and Clark, now wide-awake, leaned against the wall near the kitchenette.

"Hey Clark, even in this alternate time-line you and Lana didn't end up together," Lex said with a bit of pomp.

"Shut up, asshole," Clark grumbled with a teasing smile.

In the elaborate display of advanced technology that was the Watchtower, Lex sat as Clark and Superman completed the final set-up for the contraption that would take them home. All of this had one catch; the machine ran on green Kryptonite, and this universe had only one source of it. The Lex Luthor of this world had the last piece of green Kryptonite: the centerpiece of his ever-present ring.

Again, Lex wondered; what had this Clark done to piss off so badly the Lex of his dimension?

"I'll get the ring," Lex suddenly said. All heads turned to face him. "It's the only way. Neither of you," here he motioned to Clark and Superman, "can go near it because of its effect on you, but I can. I'll just pose as him and slip in when he's somewhere else."

"That's too dangerous," Clark and Superman said simultaneously.

Lex shook his head. "We can strike at an opportune time. It'll be over before you know it."

Clark crossed his arms. "It's too dangerous."

"You already said that."

"No, wait." They turned to Batman. "He's right. He could pass for Luthor. We'd watch his back."

"Do you want to be trapped here forever?" Lex said as he turned to his Clark. He took Clark's hand in his and lifted it up to his lips. Lex kissed the matching wedding band. "In this reality, our vows aren't recognized. Our lives don't exist here."

"Okay," Clark conceded after searching his lover's eyes. "But we'll need to plan this very carefully."

Lex tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. He'd watched hours of Luthor news footage over the last few days to get the gesture down right. The suit was close enough to one that Luthor wore, and the glare Lex had perfected was well, perfect.

It had taken days of surveillance on Batman's part, and an inside source to find the right time to do this.

Batman clipped a transmitter onto the leather belt around Lex's waist. He ignored Lex's suggestive leer as the Caped Crusader knelt before him. When he was finished, Batman stood in one swift motion.

The Flash leaned against a table, and examined Lex from head to toe.

"I think he looks too thin," the Flash finally announced.

"It's barely noticeable." Batman continued attaching hidden wires and finished by clipping a tiny bat-transceiver to the back of the belt. "You're completely wired now. We'll be able to hear everything you say, and we'll also hear anybody who's within a ten-foot radius of you."

"Will I be able to hear you?"

"No, the earpiece would be too obvious."

Lex inhaled deeply and expelled a harsh breath. "Great. Tell me why I'm doing this again?" Lex held a hand up to stop the Flash's response. "I know, I know. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page."

Clark walked in at that moment and smiled. Immediately Lex switched to Luthor mode. His smirk was calculating and full of anger.

"Perfect." Clark whispered.

Superman entered and took the small black box Batman handed him.

"We'll be above you," Superman said as he pointed to Clark. "Batman will be close by."

Lex looked pensive again. He crossed his arms and glanced at his watch. When Batman's hand reached out and gripped his, Lex flinched and tried to pull away.

"You have to remove this," Batman said, touching the wedding ring.

Lex removed the ring and handed it to Clark.

"Okay, guys, Luthor is incognito. He's left only one person with instructions on where he'll be. The only person who could have put a kink in our plans was taken out by Wonder Woman," Batman said.

"That's your cue," Clark said. Lex fussed nervously with his jacket, buttoning then unbuttoning it. Clark gripped the fidgety hands in his own, and lifted them to his lips. "You'll do just fine. Make sure you don't flirt with anybody."

"I know," Lex quirked his lips and winked. Clark bent to kiss him on the lips, but Lex stopped him with a hand on the chest. "The make-up, you'll smudge it." The Luthor of this world did not have a scarred lip.

Clark pulled him into a tight embrace, and nuzzled his throat. He planted sloppy wet kissed just above the stiff collar of the suit.

The sound of throats clearing filled the room.

"It's time to go. We only have an hour to do this. We're not going to get another chance like this." Batman said sternly.

"We know," Lex said. "You said he rarely lets that ring out of his site, I wonder why that is?" Lex was blatantly glaring at Superman as he said this.

His glower was not enough to upset the Man of Steel though.

"Kids, let's do this,' the Flash said, rolling his eyes.

After yet another teleportation, Lex found himself back in Metropolis. He stood in front of the Lex Corp building, hands in his pant pockets. He took a deep breath.

"I'm going in," he whispered. There was no response, of course.

It was now or never.

The front door swung open as soon as he was three feet away from it. The man who held it open didn't look Lex in the eyes. He nodded once to acknowledge Lex's presence. The receptionist looked at him with surprise, but, as Batman had told him earlier, she didn't inquire as to why he was there.

Lex stepped into the executive elevator and pressed the door close button. He was alone.

"What next?" he asked the air. He needn't have asked. Moments after he spoke a panel above him opened and a dark-clad figure dropped to the floor.

"I've disabled the cameras in the building," Batman said. "You'll need this. It opens the door to his office." A key card appeared from the folds of black.

"You're good," Lex drawled. "Why didn't you give this to me earlier?" He took the card and slipped it in his back pocket. Leather gloved hands reached out, spun him around, dug into his pocket, and removed the key.

"Because it wasn't ready until now. Luthor tucks it in his right, front jacket pocket," he said as he slid the key in its designated spot.

Lex chuckled. "You know, for a person you hate, you sure do know a lot about Luthor."

White eye-slits blinked. Lex looked to the door when the elevator dinged. The car came to a halt, and when he looked back, Batman was gone.

"Demented creature of the night," Lex mumbled. He straightened his jacket and checked the key. The door opened into a brightly lit hallway. He didn't need to look around at the office. Lex had studied many images and blueprints, so he knew where to go. With his eidetic memory, it was easy to recall every detail.

He walked across the large reception area. Batman had warned him about only one woman, Miss Teschmacher, Luthor's secretary.

She stood as soon as Lex walked around the corner.

"Sir, you're back already," she said. She was running her hands over her white dress, smoothing the wrinkles. Lex smirked as he stopped in front of the flustered woman's desk. He watched the short blonde woman primp and, when she was finished, she looked up at Lex with a smile.

"Yes, I am," Lex said with a stern tone.

She continued to smile up at him, but didn't say anything more. Lex waved her away with a hand. "Take the rest of the day off," he said.

Her smile faltered. "Are you sure, sir? I thought you needed me this afternoon."

Lex sighed with exasperation. "I am very sure. Now go, before I change my mind." Lex watched as her smile slowly returned. He didn't move as she went behind the desk to open a drawer and pull out a purse. Every movement she made echoed through the large room.

"Okay, I'm leaving now," she said unnecessarily.

"Well, okay." Lex berated himself in his head. Luthor would never talk like that.

The woman wasn't going. She stood in front of Lex watching him intently. "Are you all right, sir?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm fine. Just some bad prawn at lunch. I'm thinking of suing the restaurant." Lex said with exaggerated irritation, as he thumped his chest with a fist.

She slung her purse over her should and headed for the elevator. Lex waited until she was in and the doors had closed.

"Here goes nothing." He pulled the key card out and approached the large double doors that led to Luthor's office. The card was the size of a credit card, and beige with random notches punched into it. Lex chuckled at the simplicity of the security. Clearly this Luthor was very arrogant; a trait that had obviously led to some bad life choices.

Absently, Lex fingered his left ring finger, missing the cool touch of gold.

He slotted the card in and sighed at his luck. The door clicked open. Lex stepped through and tucked the card back in his pocket. He walked straight to the desk. When he searched the drawer as instructed, he found nothing there. Lex pulled out ever drawer and rifled through each of them: nothing. Frantic to find the lead box that housed his prize, Lex went back and searched each drawer more carefully, but he still came up empty.

"Shoot, guys," Lex said as calmly as he could. "It's not here." He wished he could hear the other end. Maybe that know-it-all Batman could suggest other hiding places. "Sure, it'll just be in the drawer," Lex said mockingly.

Lex checked the time. By now, they were sure to have discovered the missing person Wonder Woman had dispatched. Lex looked around the huge sparsely furnished office.

"If I were a Kryptonite ring where would I hide?" he asked absently. He snapped his fingers when he saw the painting on the far left wall. He rushed over and pulled at it. Sure enough, it swung on hinges to reveal a hidden safe. Rich people were so predictable.

Lex pulled the card out again. It was a number pad lock. Lex stared at the numbers, mind blanking. He wasn't going to give up now; especially after getting this far.

He leaned in close and noticed that it was very similar to the keys on a touchtone phone. "I found the safe. The ring could be here, right. Except what the hell is the code?" Lex stared at it, and started going through possible options in his head. Time was running out and chances were, he only had one shot.

Lex smirked. "I take chances." He reached out and tapped the number sequence he was sure would gain him entrance. The safe sighed open after he pressed the last button. Lex grinned. "Who ever she was, you must have really loved her." His grin turned into a smirk when he saw the ring-sized box sitting in the center of the safe. Other than the box, the safe was empty. He reached in and opened it. Sure enough, the green stone was there.

Lex snapped it up, and slammed the safe shut. He tucked the box into his jacket pocket and then reset the painting. This was too easy. "Well, maybe not too easy. I am out of here."

He left the inner office, closing the door behind him. He didn't need to wait for an elevator. It was there and when the doors slid opened Lex half expected to find Luthor staring out at him.

He nervously tapped his thigh as he waited for the car to reach the ground floor. It seemed to take forever. Lex resisted the urge to jump out of the elevator and bolt for the door. He hadn't felt this nervous in a long while.

The lobby was empty, and that wasn't right. At this point Lex didn't care. He practically jogged to the exit and flung the door open. He exhaled the breath he'd been holding. Just as he exited, a limousine pulled up to the curb.

"So, what did you do to piss him off so much?" Clark had been dying to ask the question for the last half hour. He hovered over the Lex Corp building. Beside him, this world's Superman pretended to be paying attention to his earpiece. Clark shook his head, and floated around Superman. This was the perfect opportunity to examine his doppelganger more closely. Though they did look very much alike, Clark noted every difference. At first glance, you wouldn't notice them, but now, to Clark, they seemed all too obvious.

Superman floated with arms crossed. His demeanour never seemed to stray far from stern. Clark tucked his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He glanced down at the street.

'You know, for a person you hate, you sure do know a lot about Luthor.' Clark chuckled when his super hearing picked up the exchange in the elevator.

"Stop staring at me," Superman grumbled.

"So, Bruce is obsessed with Luthor," Clark decided a different tact was in order.

"He's a very dangerous man," Superman turned and glared at Clark. "Or hadn't you noticed."

"Sure." Clark couldn't help it. This version of him was so stodgy, and easy to bait.

"He requires constant supervision."

Clark burst out laughing.

'Lex is in,' Clark heard Batman say through the earpiece.

"This is going to be the hardest part." Superman said into the bat-transceiver.

"I thought you said it would be easy once Lex had that key card?" Clark tensed, eyes suddenly blazing red.

"Relax; I thought you said he could take care of himself?" Superman mocked.

Clark glowered. "He can. I just meant . . ."

'She's suspicious,' Batman's voice interrupted. Clark tensed further.

Superman stared into Clark's eyes. "I have faith in Lex," he said with a slight smile.

The air seemed to thicken as they waited for the scene to play out. Clark held his breath, and strained his super hearing.

"Besides Mercy and Hope, Miss Teschmacher is the only other person who has close contact with Luthor." Superman sighed. "I think she's in love with him."

"Good taste," Clark muttered. Superman grimaced. "Sorry, I'm just saying . . ."

They both breathed a sigh of relief when Lex effortlessly eliminated the secretary.

"Green Lantern, I want you on her, just in case she's suspicious, and decides to do something about it," Batman said.

'I'm on it.'

"You guys are so organized." Clark listened as Lex entered the office. He turned to Superman. "You must have really done something bad." He'd meant to keep that to himself, but the curiosity was eating at him.

Superman sighed. "Why do you assume it was something I did?"

Clark had turned off his super hearing, so he didn't hear what transpired with Lex. When Batman started cursing a usually predictable Luthor who'd suddenly changed his routine, Clark focused back on the office.

'. . . Where would I hide,' he heard Lex ask.

"The safe in the wall behind the painting," Clark heard Batman say. Unfortunately, Lex couldn't hear the sage advice. Clark crossed his arms and waited.

They all sighed with relief when Lex not only found the safe but also managed to guess, on the first try, the access code. Clark smiled smugly over at Superman.

"Some things about them seem the same," Superman said with irritation.

"If you mean gorgeous, genius IQ and sexy as heck, yeah, some things are the same." Clark turned his attention away from the visibly irritated hero, and focused on Lex. It looked like everything was going to go off without a hitch. That, of course, was when Clark spotted the hitch.

"Isn't that Luthor's limo?" Clark focused in and x-rayed the car.

"He's back earlier than we thought." That was all Clark heard. He zoomed down to street level, made sure nobody saw, and landed out of sight. As casually as he could, he walked around the corner. He was just in time to see Lex exiting the building. Clark cheated and zipped out until he stood between the limo and Lex. He faced the limo.

Just as the door swung open, somebody grabbed Clark by one arm, and pulled him away from the scene. "I have what we came for," Lex hissed into his ear. Out of the corner of his eye, Clark caught Luthor stepping out of the limo.

"I was only going to say hello. We didn't get a chance to really talk the last time we met."

Lex chuckled and spun Clark around when they'd reached a safe distance. He pushed Clark up against the Daily Planet building, and insinuated his body between Clark's thighs. They both glanced over as Luthor entered his office tower.

Clark fisted Lex's tie in one hand, and pulled Lex in. Their mouths met in a sloppy, wet kiss. Hungrily, Clark devoured the lips beneath his. Clark's other arm pulled Lex closer, and his hand slid down to cup one ass cheek.

'Guys, this isn't the time for it,' Clark heard in his earpiece.

Reluctantly they broke the kiss and Clark released Lex. A few people who had witnessed the display were gawking. Lex smirked and took Clark's hand in his. They walked to the back of the building, and as soon as they were out of site, Clark scooped Lex up in his arms and shot into the sky.

'Get those two clowns back to the Watchtower,' Clark heard Batman say.

Wheat rustled in the warm breeze, and crunched underfoot. It was almost harvest time, and the sweet scent of corn filled the air.

Clark looked out over the flat fields. It wasn't his world, and it wasn't his home, and seeing it was making him feel happy and homesick all at once, but he really needed a break from the Watchtower. It was going to take at least a week for the machine to be ready for a first test run. Seven days too long to spend trapped in the tower, watchful eyes tracking their every move. Visiting Superman's -- impossible to think of him as "Clark" -- home had seemed a good way to pass the time. Now, Clark wasn't so sure.

He watched as Lex leaned against a wooden post.

"It's so different," Clark said.

"Yes, it is. I still think I shouldn't have come."

Clark leaned against the fence, beside Lex, and wrapped an arm around his waist. Lex leaned in closer, resting his head against Clark's chest.

"Relax, they'll love you." Clark gently squeezed his husband.

Lex snorted. "Right." He nuzzled in closer and caressed Clark's stomach.

"Superman said he warned his parents ahead of time. They're used to these things." Clark leaned down and nuzzled Lex's shoulder.

"Right, they're used to seeing a double of their son snog a double of his arch nemesis," Lex scoffed.

"Well, maybe we'll refrain from doing anything in front of them. We are their guests after all." Clark rubbed Lex's shoulder and squeezed his hand.

"Gross, do you two have to do that in front of the impressionable young kid?" a voice behind them interjected.

Lex and Clark both sighed at the same time. "Hello, Timothy," Clark said.

Lex leaned closer to Clark and brushed lips against his ear. "Why did we have to bring him along again?"

"Behave," Clark whispered. He pulled away from Lex and approached the young boy. Timothy Drake was short for his age. He wore his dark hair short and spiked on top. Like most sixteen year olds, he sported the latest fashion, low-riding baggy jeans, and a t-shirt that was twelve sizes too big for his wiry frame.

He was also the Robin of this particular dimension.

"So, what made you decide to come along? Have you been to Smallville before?" Clark asked.

Timothy glared up at Clark and dropped his skateboard at his feet. He placed a foot on the board. "No, stupid," Tim chided. "There wasn't anybody else for this job so I volunteered." He flipped the board and caught it in mid air.

"Do you talk to Bruce like that?" Lex asked. He pushed off the fence and slid his fingers into Clark's hand. Lex smirked when the boy's eyes trailed down to the clasped hands.

"Too freaky," Tim whispered. "Yeah, I talk however I want. I'm going boarding." With those words, he dropped the skateboard and rolled away.

"Brat," Lex mumbled. He tugged Clark towards the Mazda Miata. Clark jumped over the open window of the convertible to land in the passenger seat as Lex opened the driver-side door and climbed in. Lex started the engine and pulled out onto the street. They were alone on the road save for the boy on the skateboard headed into the center of town.

Lex was glad to see Tim go since all the boy had done was complain. He'd been glad for the sudden nostalgia Clark had felt that had prompted them to stop at the side of the road. Now Lex zoomed past the boy, waving as he did so. In the rear-view mirror, he caught a glimpse of a middle finger salute.

"I'm going to have a talk with Bruce when we see him. That boy needs to learn some manners."

Clark sighed. "I think you just rub him the wrong way."

"Not me, the other Luthor. You'd think some of them would be used to it by now, but the way The Flash still looks at me . . ." Lex slipped on a pair of sunglasses.

Clark leaned toward Lex and nuzzled his shoulder. "Maybe he finds you attractive."

Lex just snorted and glanced at the Smallville city limits sign. It welcomed all to the corn capital of Kansas. The meteors that had followed Clark to Smallville had never happened in this reality.

They drove in silence as they each noted every difference. When they passed the point where the bridge should have been not only was there no bridge, there was no river. Lex shrugged. He hated this world but he kept that to himself because Clark was enjoying it, and seeing Clark happy was all that mattered. Though the longer they stayed, the more he worried about his own financial empire.

When the white house came into view, Lex knew they were at their destination. Superman had described it perfectly.

Lex pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off. He sat listening to the tick as the car cooled down. Clark climbed out and headed for the front door. Before he had a chance to knock on the front door, it swung open and a grey-haired woman stepped out. Lex watched as Clark introduced himself to the woman, Mrs. Kent. She looked like the Martha Kent that Lex knew, but older, more worn.

"Come on, Lex," Clark called out. Lex stepped out of the car and hesitantly climbed the small flight of steps up to the wooden porch.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor," she said, holding her hand out.

Lex paused and then took the offered hand. "Please, call me Lex. Mr. Luthor is my father." Lex noted that she didn't seem thrown in the least by his request for a more personable address.

"Well, then call me Martha," she said with a chuckle. Up close, Martha looked very much like his mother-in-law. Her eyes had more creases and her hands more liver spots but other than that, he could have been staring at Clark's mother.

"I will," Lex said, releasing her hand and tucking his hands into his coat pockets.

"Why don't you both come in? I just put a pot of coffee on and I would be a bad hostess if I didn't offer." She held the door open and stepped aside. Clark smiled brightly and placed a hand on Lex's back. He ushered Lex inside and they followed Martha a discrete distance.

Once they were in the kitchen, Clark's eyes darted around the room and lingered on each item. It was very similar to the one back home down to the gingham curtains, which were even the same color. Lex watched the smile grow on Clark's face. He watched him husband walk further in and stop in the middle.

When Clark spun to face Lex, the smile on his face made Lex glad he had chosen to join him on this trip. Lex was willing to put up with any amount of grief to make Clark this happy.

He turned to find Mrs. Kent staring at him. She was watching him with a curiosity that made Lex very uncomfortable. When Lex cleared his throat, she turned her gaze elsewhere.

"Let me get that coffee," she finally said. She started to move toward the stove but paused and turned to face them again. "Please, sit down. Jonathan should be home soon."

Lex swallowed hard. He'd never had much luck with Jonathan Kent. He hoped that this one would be different, though he already knew the animosity that existed between the Clark and Lex of this world. He figured it probably transferred to the father.

They both sat down at the kitchen table and silently watched as Martha prepared three cups of coffee. She set them out in front of them and sat in her own chair.

"Thank you," they said simultaneously.

They drank in silence as outside the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. The light dimmed and Martha stood to cross the room and flick on the light switch, bathing the kitchen in a warm glow.

Lex saw him first, and it was like a punch to the gut. The screen door swung open and Jonathan Kent walked through it. He stopped at the sight in the room. Like the Martha of this world, Jonathan looked very much like Clark's father but older.

Clark stood and swung to face him, his expression vaguely haunted. Lex fiddled with the handle of his cup hesitant to interfere. He knew the real reason they were here. When Superman had told them about his family life, Clark had immediately insisted they spend some time at the Kent residence in Smallville.

"Well, don't just stand there all slack-jawed, boy." Jonathan set his lunch pail down on a table by the door. "Give your old man a hug."

Martha stood and interposed herself between the two men. "Honey, this isn't our boy." She stared intently at her husband, and nodded in Lex's direction. Jonathan's eyes narrowed.

"What's this all about?" he grumbled.

Martha took him arm and led him to the kitchen table. They stopped in front of Clark.

Lex stood. "Mr. Kent, we were told your son informed you of our desire to spend some time here in Smallville."

Jonathan eyed Clark, looking him up and down. "Spitting image," he mumbled. He turned to Lex.

Lex cleared his throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir," Lex said. He held out a hand, but Jonathan just stared at it and turned away.

"Oh." He walked around Clark and Martha, and headed for the stairs. "I'm going to take a shower."

Clark did not take his eyes off the man as he disappeared up the flight of stair to the second floor, naked longing on his face. Behind Clark, Lex placed a hand his shoulder.

"We should go. I think it would be better if we stayed in that bed and breakfast we passed on the way into town." Clark just nodded and walked out the door without saying a word.

"What's wrong with him?" Martha asked, concern in her voice.

"His father died three weeks ago of a heart attack," Lex said quietly. "Thank you for the hospitality, but I think it would be best if we left now."

"Yes of course. I'm so sorry to hear that." She followed Lex to the door. They both watched as Clark stared out at the darkening sky.

"We shouldn't have come. I should have been more insistent." Lex muttered to nobody in particular.

Martha Kent reached up and placed a gentle touch on Lex's should. "You go to him, son. If you need anything just let me know."

Lex turned to stare down at the older woman. Martha rubbed his shoulder with soothing motions. Lex watched as Clark walked across the gravel driveway. He stopped at the wooden fence that ran around the property. Lex flinched when Clark leaned against the fence, resting his head on his outstretched arms.

Lex stuffed his hands in his pockets and stepped down to the immaculate lawn. A car pulled into the drive just as he was stopping behind Clark. Lex watched as a dark haired woman stepped from the car. She wore a smart beige pantsuit with a red round-collared dress shirt. As she approached them, she tucked a stray lock of her shoulder length hair behind one ear.

Lex thought she looked like a reporter.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor, I'm Lois Lane," she said with a smile. She held out a hand. Lex ignored it and gripped Clark's arm.

"We have to be going," Lex said.

Clark turned and stared down at the new arrival. He turned away from her.

"I'm going back to the car," Clark said softly.

Lex watched Lois, face hardening as her speculative gaze followed Clark. When the woman turned to face him, Lex smoothed his expression, meeting her gaze with a bland smile and shrugging his shoulders in answer to her unspoken question.

"Clark asked me to see if either of you needed help." Lois smiled up at him but the smiled faded fast when she realized with whom she was dealing.

Lex shook his head, and walked around her, heading for the car.

"Wait, stop," she called as she grabbed Lex by the arm.

Lex stopped short and glared down at the hand that was gripping his jacket. "I'd let go if I were you," he said coolly.

Lois blanched and released her grip. "Jesus, you not only look like him, you act like him." Lois took a step back and placed her hands on her hips.

"It's been a pleasure. Now if you don't mind Clark and I have a lot of ground to cover." Lex turned back to find that Clark had climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. He groaned when he spotted Timothy Drake skating up the drive.

"I'm here, I made it," he said as he skidded to a halt in front of Lex. "No thanks to you." Tim stepped off the board and flipped it up with on foot to catch it in his hand.

"Great, maybe you could handle this." Lex motioned to Lois and watched the boy's face fall.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Tim blurted loud enough for Lois to hear. Lois crossed her arms and shot a challenging glare at them.

Lex threw his arms up in the air. "How should I know? We were told we'd have privacy." He raised his voice at the last word.

Lois stepped between Lex and Tim and looked up into Lex's face. She was at least a head shorter than he was. Lex glared down at the presumptuous woman. He hated reporters, and if this Lois was anything like the Lois from their world, it did not bode well for them. At least she looked nothing like the one that had married his father.

"I wanted to interview the two of you," she huffed. Her glare almost made Lex back away.

"Why? Nobody would ever believe it." Lex glanced at Tim who had taken a hard stance behind Lois.

"Yes they would. These things are always happening. You wouldn't believe the stuff I've seen."

Lex noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked to see that Clark had come out of the car and was walking their way. He didn't look happy. In one swift motion, to fast for Lex to see or stop, he grasped Lois' arm and pulled her away from Lex.

"Get away from him." His voice shook with anger, and emotion deep enough to call sorrow. Clark looked stricken, and Lex cursed himself for allowing this woman to distract him from what was important.

"Let's go," Lex said as he took Clark's arm. Clark glared at Lois for a moment and then released her. She stepped away.

"You may look like Clark, but you act nothing like him," she said, rubbing her arm.

"How would you know?" Clark said sharply.

Lex led Clark to the car. He glanced back to see that, not only were Lois and Tim watching them, but also Mrs. Kent stood at the screen door. The only thing that concerned him was Clark. His Clark.

Lex leaned into Clark, and reached up to cup his cheek in the palm of his hand. "We should just go back up to the Watchtower," Lex whispered as he caressed Clark's face.

Clark shook his head slowly. "I want to stay. I can handle it."

Lex stared up into eyes he knew better than his own. He could see the hesitation but he could also see the bravery there.

Lex swallowed. He was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to make Clark happy. The vacation had been a much-needed reprieve from the doldrums of waiting for their way home to be constructed. Now, Lex just wished, as he had many times already since arriving in this else world, that they were home.

Lex finally nodded and turned back to face the waiting people. Mr. and Mrs. Kent had stepped out onto the porch.

"We'll stay in town."

The bed-and-breakfast they found on the outskirts of town was perfect. It was quiet and a few miles away from the Kent home. After convincing Timothy to stay with the Kents, Lex had driven them to the quaint little boarding house. They sent Lois on her way, with a serious threat of dismemberment, (on Lex's part anyway). Fortunately, for him, she did take his plea for privacy to heart and stayed behind with Clark's parents.

Lex turned down the bed while Clark lingered in the shower. He tossed aside the hotel white terry-cloth bathrobe and climbed in, pulling the covers up to his waist.

Moments later Clark walked out of the bathroom, dripping water on the wooden floor, much of the day's tension eased from his face and body. He grinned when he saw Lex already in bed. Lex smirked and pulled the covers aside in invitation. Clark didn't hesitate. Without drying off, Clark jumped onto the bed and fell on Lex. They struggled, laughing, until Clark had Lex pinned under him, their legs dangled over the mattress edge. Lex continued to struggle and squirm as Clark grinned like an idiot.

"You know how much I love you, right?" Clark said. Lex caressed down Clark's back and grabbed handfuls of perfect, rounded ass cheeks.

Lips met in a passionate fiery kiss, and Lex thrust his tongue into Clark's hot mouth as they ground against each other.

"Show me, Clark." Lex mouthed the words against Clark's moist lips. Clark immediately crushed his mouth to Lex's open lips. He reached up, gripped the edge of the mattress, and thrust down rubbing his rock-hard cock against Lex's stomach.

Clark hummed against Lex's mouth, and then moved down to lick at his throat. Lex threw back his head to allow easier access. Clark took the opportunity to devour the exposed throat. He nipped at the tender flesh, worrying the skin between his teeth. Lex groaned again and thrust up into Clark's hard body.

"I fucking hate this fucked-up world," Lex suddenly blurted. Clark continued to molest Lex's tender throat. He spread his legs and ground harder against Lex.

"Shut the hell up, and let me fuck you," Clark murmured.

"How many fucks is that?" Lex chuckled at the reference.

"A lot," Clark thrust a leg between Lex's thighs. Lex immediately spread his legs and hooked one over Clark's leg.

Lex noticed the sound of pounding coming from the other room, but chose to ignore it. He reached up and fisted Clark's curly locks in both hands. Hungrily he devoured Clark's moist mouth. He had the feeling that yet once again they were about to be interrupted, and he wanted this to last as long as possible.

"Is that your heart?" Clark muttered.

Lex opened his eyes, but didn't break the kiss. He could see out of the corner of one eye that luckily the bedroom door remained closed.

"You're the one with super hearing, you tell me," Lex managed between bruising kisses. Frantically he thrust up against Clark, his climax imminent. He bit down on Clark's bottom lip and chewed it. Lex could feel a warm wetness, as Clark pulsed against his stomach. Seconds later, Lex came. He screamed aloud, more to warn who ever had decided to interrupt them in their private moment then because of the climax.

Lex sighed as they both rode out the ecstasy of the orgasm. Luckily, the noise in the other room had ceased. Clark turned his head to face the door and squinted. He lowered his head and nuzzled Lex's damp throat.

"That man has the worst timing in the world." Clark's tongue darted out and licked at Lex's throat.

"Can't they just call?" Lex said, trying not to moan. He was already feeling the stirrings of another arousal, and so soon. "You keep doing that and I'll be hard again in minutes."

"That was the idea." Clark lifted his head and licked across Lex's mouth.

"I want to, but there's somebody waiting for us," Lex said. The expression on his face was one of regret, and promise. "Besides, if he has news about getting us out of this place, the sooner the better."

Clark sighed and pushed himself off Lex. He leaned down and kissed Lex one more time before he floated up and off the bed. Lex watched as Clark entered the bathroom. He smirked and pulled the covers over his nude body.

"You can come in now," Lex called out. Nobody took him up on his offer so he stood, and wiped his belly and thighs with the bed sheet. He pulled the bathrobe around himself, and went out to the living area of the room. It was a nicely furnished room, as most bed and breakfasts tended to be, with old-fashioned furnishings and lace.

Superman, out of costume, sat on a wooden chair by the small wooden table in the kitchenette.

Lex smiled at Superman, and crossed the room to the small kitchenette. He fished a bottle of water from the small refrigerator (he's been horrified to find that his favourite bottled water did not exist in this universe), uncapped it, and gulped it down.

"So, why did you feel the need to invade our private suite in the middle of the night?" Lex finally said.

Superman stood and tucked his hands into his pants pockets. He didn't look happy.

"We have a problem."

It didn't work. After all the trouble Lex had gone through to get the ring, it didn't work.

"We don't have a choice, Lex," Clark said for the fourth time.

Lex looked away from the machine, and focused on Clark. He stared up into Clark's determined eyes. Lex was tired. He was tired of this alternate dimension. He was tired of people treating him as if he had the plague. He was tired of all of it.

"I don't fucking care," he ground out.

Clark crossed his arms in blatant imitation of the other Superman.

Lex glared. "You're doing that on purpose," he said, his voice filled with anger. Lex turned away, too angry and worried to face Clark, risk what he might say. The members of the Justice League had left them alone after telling Clark and Lex the bad news.

Clark walked around Lex and wrapped his arms around him. Lex stiffened, but moments later, he leaned back into the warm embrace. Clark nuzzled Lex's ear.

"It will be over before you know it," Clark whispered. He kissed the soft spot behind Lex's ear, sending shivers through his body.

Lex shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. Why can't he just go? Why does he need you there?"

Clark gently squeezed Lex, and kissed him behind the ear again. "I want to help, Lex."

Lex turned in the tight embrace, and managed to face Clark. He looked up into Clark's shinning eyes, and frowned. "I can't lose you." Lex's voice was dangerously close to pleading. He hated how it sounded.

"You won't, Lex. I can do this."

"You've done a lot of things, but you've never gone into space. How do we know you can even survive?" Lex's eyes held Clark's own deep green orbs, fierce, challenging.

"I know because he can."

Lex struggled to break free of the embrace, but Clark would not let him go. "That logic is flawed, and you know it! There are enough differences in this "world", how do you know you're not different from him?" Lex shouted as he continued to struggle. When Clark finally released him Lex stumbled back, but managed to right himself before he fell to the floor.

"We need to do this." Clark followed Lex as he marched out of the chamber that held what was supposed to be their salvation. As far as Lex was concerned, it was nothing but a pile of scrap metal.

"We don't need to do anything," Lex yelled. He ignored Clark and pressed the button that called the elevator. The doors slid open smoothly, and Lex stepped in. Clark managed to jump in just as the doors were closing on him.

"I thought you said you wanted to get out of here?" Clark yelled.

"I do, but not at such a high price." Lex crossed his arms defiantly and turned away from Clark.

Clark huffed at his partner's tense posture. He took two deep breaths, and reached out with one hand. "Come on, before you know it I'll be back, and we'll have what we need."

Lex unfolded his arms, and growled at Clark's attempts at mollifying him. "You could die, Clark." The quiet intensity in his voice matched the burning from his eyes as he held Clark's gaze, unwavering.

Clark smiled softly, and shook his head. "I won't die."

Lex stared incredulously up at Clark. The elevator was a small space, and afforded little room for him to pace, which was what Lex felt like doing right now. Instead, he threw his arms up in exasperation, and leaned back against the elevator wall behind him.

Neither said a word, and the silence was filled with the hum of the car as it whooshed threw the complex matrices of the Justice League headquarters. Lex fiddled with the ring on his finger and glanced down to see that Clark was doing the same with his own ring.

Clark took a step forward, which brought him directly in front of Lex. Lex didn't look up; instead, he stared at Clark's chest.

"I won't die," Clark reiterated. He reached out and gently rubbed Lex's arms. When Lex still didn't look up, Clark took another step and pressed Lex against the wall. "I won't die." This time he whispered it directly into Lex's ear.

Lex lifted his head up and looked into Clark's face. "You'd better not, because if you do, I'll kill you."

Clark wrapped his body around Lex and, pressed their foreheads together. The huge Kent grin that Lex loved so much spread across his face. "Okay," he said as he kissed Lex on the nose. "You do that." Lex tilted his head up to gain access to the warm, moist mouth that was so close. He captured Clark's lips in a passionate kiss. Clark changed the angle, and hungrily returned the kiss.

The elevator came to a halt, and opened onto the command deck. A crash startled the two lovers. They turned to see a room full of superheroes staring at them. Some gaped with open mouths. Lex scanned the room and realized there were people here he'd never seen.

"What did you do, call every member of the league?" Lex asked incredulously, familiar smirk masking his face.

He extricated himself from Clark's embrace, and stepped off the elevator, caressing across Clark's chest as he did.

A throat cleared. "We need to get down to business."

The plan was simple; Clark and Superman would don special suits that protected them from the dangerous effects of Kryptonite. Lex sat back and listened as Superman outlined the plan. He wasn't really a part of this, since he wouldn't be going on the long journey.

He scanned the room. It was filled to the brim with superheroes. In fact, Lex had never seen so many in one place at the same time. What the hell where they doing here?

Lex watched Batman who sat at the computer console. This Bruce was very much like the Bruce of his own world. Although Lex had yet to see Batman without the mask, he assumed that he looked the same as his Bruce. Lex smiled at that thought; his Bruce. It was getting absurd the amount of times he found himself almost turning to Batman and mocking him the way he always mocked the other Batman.

Though he'd been here for a while, he still had trouble adjusting, and it was beginning to look as if they might be here a lot longer. Lex frowned now, and turned at the touch on his arm. He stared into Clark's comforting gaze. If Clark hadn't followed him here, Lex wasn't sure he'd still be sane.

Lex reached under the table and placed a hand on Clark's thigh. A hand gripped his.

"It seems easy enough," Clark said with a grin. Lex turned to see that Superman was not smiling.

"If you think this is going to be a walk in the park, think again. It will take us at least three days to get there, and then we'll have to deal with the detection method."

Lex flinched; the detection method was the worst part of this whole plan. One of them would have to remove part of the suit. Lex was hoping it would be Superman and not Clark.

"That shouldn't be a problem. As long as you're there to make sure I'm fine, once we have enough Kryptonite it should be smooth sailing," Clark said.

Lex's eyes widened. "No," he blurted, "This is not happening." All heads turned in his direction. Lex could feel his ears heat up.

Clark squeezed his hand. "We talked about this," Clark said with a false smile.

Lex released Clark's hand, and sat back in his chair. He scowled and then mumbled expletives under his breath.

Clark just grinned and stood up. Lex watched as some of the League members shuffled out of the room. Clark joined Superman, Martian Manhunter and one of the members of the Green Lantern squad (Lex seemed to remember that his name was Gil) across the room from him. He watched them carefully. The Martian Manhunter was a complete mystery to him. Lex had never seen a Martian before.

The Martian Manhunter turned his red eyes on Lex, but he still seemed to be paying attention to what Superman was saying. Lex did not turn away from the penetrating gaze. After a few moments, Jon finally turned away from Lex's scrutiny.

The suits were surprisingly lightweight considering what they were made of. Lex helped Clark snap the fasteners Clark was unable to reach. When he was finished, he slid a hand down Clark's chest, and then moved over to help Superman. Lex grinned when the other man jumped at the touch.

"Relax, big boy," Lex said with a chuckle. Superman stood still as Lex snapped the garment into place. Lex resisted the urge to caress down his chest. Instead, he looked up into Superman's eyes and smirked.

"If Luthor had been more like you maybe . . ." The doors to the airlock chamber slid open and the Green Lantern strode in.

Lex stepped away from Superman and glanced at Clark. He seemed amused by the almost intimate exchange that he'd just witnessed between his husband and his doppelganger.

"It's time for us to go. The airlock chamber is set to decompress in one minute," the Green Lantern said.

Lex stuffed his hands into his pants pockets to fight the urge to throw himself on Clark, and beg him not to go. He stepped back. They had already said their goodbyes; this was it. Clark would be gone for almost two weeks.

Abruptly Lex turned away from the men, and stepped out of the chamber. The doors slid shut behind him with a hollow, resounding thud. It filled Lex's ears and he shuddered as he turned to look through the Plexiglas. Clark was not looking his way. The men in the chamber were finishing the preparations for the long journey.

Lex's heart pounded loudly in his chest as the outer airlock doors started to slide open. A warning claxon sounded when the third of the three doors began to open, and the room decompressed. Clark and Superman lifted off the floor in seconds as the air that had once filled the chamber escaped into the coldness of space.

Lex watched helplessly. Clark turned to face him and smiled. Lex smiled back, though he didn't feet like smiling. He didn't want the last memory Clark had of him to be sad. The doors thumped as they slid to a stop, and Lex mouthed the words 'I love you' to Clark. Much to his joy Clark mouthed them back. He never tired of watching those words form on his husband's lips.

Then suddenly they were gone, and the chamber doors were sliding shut. Lex watched until they had closed completely. He fingered the wedding band.

The emptiness he felt as he moved through the hallways of the Watchtower surprised him. He hadn't felt this loneliness since the days before he and Clark had gotten together. Sometimes it shocked him how much Clark had become a part of his life; how much one man meant to him.

He walked into the observation tower in the hopes that Bruce would be able to give him something to distract him. He needed a long project. Something that would take weeks, something that was all-consuming.

He paused at Bruce's side. Bruce was monitoring the four men. The league had a satellite system stung through out the galaxy. Lex watched one of the monitors as a camera presumably on the moon followed the men. They looked intact. Lex smiled.

"They've already gone four hundred thousand miles," Bruce suddenly said.

"Shit," Lex cursed. He leaned into the chair Batman sat in.

"They'll be fine," Batman suddenly piped up. Lex looked down that the dark head. Batman continued to monitor the progress.

"You have a lot of faith in Clark, I mean your Clark." When the dark clad figure didn't respond, Lex turned to watch the figures on the screen vanish. He almost missed the nod.

"He is an incredible man," Batman finally said.

"He's not a man," Lex retorted, smirking into the eye-slits that turned his way. The admiration he'd sensed coming from this man intrigued him.

Batman tapped a few more keys on the console, and then settled back in his chair. Lex moved over to the chair beside his and sunk into the luxurious, comfortable seat. He watched the dark figure carefully. This Batman, Lex was beginning to realize, was little like his Bruce.

"It's impolite to stare," Batman warned.

Lex chuckled, but didn't turn away. "Is there anything I can do? I feel like I could take on a Luthor." He smiled wryly as Batman's shoulders hitched once from the laughter the normally gloomy man held back. It wasn't exactly a full out laugh, but Lex was proud of himself none-the-less.

"You could help monitor these screens," Batman said as he pointed to other monitors a few feet away. They were the ones that watched activities around the world.

Lex immediately rolled his chair over and started tapping away at the keys. He glanced over as Batman leaned into his console, and lifted the tiny microphone to his lips.

"This is the last time we'll be able to talk. Don't take any foolish chances, Clark."

Lex smirked as he heard both his Clark and the Clark of this world respond. He heard a tiny explosion and quickly turned to his own monitors. On one of the screens, a building collapsed as explosions ripped through it. Lex turned up the sound and piped it through to the main monitor.

". . . rocked a LexCorp Power Plant as police evacuate the area." The voice on the screen was saying. Lex turned to the main console but Batman was on it right away. The doors behind them slid open and Lex felt the telltale whoosh of the Flash entering the room. A breeze signalled that the man had stopped right behind Lex.

"What is it? I came as soon I heard." Lex didn't even bother asking how the Flash had heard.

"Looks like something is going down at the LexCorp Power Plant in Gotham," Batman announced.

"Luthor," the Flash sneered.

Lex glared up at the man.

"Sorry, no offence," the Flash said sheepishly. "It's just a reflex."

"I get it."

"We need to assemble, and get down there now," Batman barked. "Flash, get Wonder Woman and Hawk Girl and go help with the evacuation," Batman turned to face Lex. "We'll join you as soon as we can."

"You'll let me go down there?" Lex couldn't hide his surprise.

"Why not, you're good in a crisis. We could use all the help we can get."

The air stank of burning rubber, and other things Lex didn't want to contemplate. He was helping paramedics with the smoke victims who hadn't made it out of the building in time. Off in the distance, Justice League members doused out flames. Lex held an oxygen mask over the mouth of the latest victim pulled from the rubble. Covered in ashes and soot, she cried uncontrollably. Lex brushed grime-covered hair from her eyes and smiled down at her.

"You're going to be fine now," he said. Her eyes widened, and she began to shake. He'd already had this reaction several dozen times. Batman had briefed the medical teams on the nature of the situation, but Lex chose to keep silent as each victim was sent to them. Besides, he had no time for that. His own medical training, which was just enough to help in this situation, was needed desperately. Already over twenty victims had been rushed to hospitals.

Police held back a crowd as Batman and Wonder Woman swooped down from the sky. Batman stopped beside Lex and briefly glanced down at the woman Lex was tending. When Lex was finished, he followed Batman over to the police presence.

"A poorly sealed valve exploded under pressure," Batman said to Lex.

That's it?" Lex felt stunned. Something so simple had caused so much damage.

He glanced up to see that news crews had gathered on the other side of the temporary barrier the police had erected. He vaguely heard someone say something about Lex Luthor himself tending to the injured. Lex felt himself reach the boiling point.

He inhaled a sharp breath and stalked over to the barrier. Somebody thrust a microphone into his face as soon as he reached the crowd.

"Why are you here, Mr. Luthor?" the woman holding the mike shouted. Lex glanced back over his shoulder.

He smiled and turned back to the media. "I'm here because people have been hurt, and I was in the area." Lex thrust his hands into his pants pockets.

He wasn't about to correct them on the reality of the situation. When he was finished answering questions he headed back to Batman. A hand on his arm stopped him. He looked down at the hand and followed it up to the person attached to it. She wore a smart dark gray pantsuit with a large collared white shirt. Here short dark hair was tucked behind her ears. Lex glanced at the press pass; Lois Lane. He groaned.

"Most people would be too afraid to do that," Lex said.

"Most people aren't me. Lois Lane of the Daily Planet, Mr. Luthor." She released him and held her hand out to shake. Lex just stared at it, but didn't take it. Thoughts of the Lois from his own world made him automatically want to sneer at this one. "Where did you get that scar?"

Lex smirked. "I already answered all the questions I intend to, Miss Lane." Lex moved away but the woman fallowed him.

"You're not him!" she called out.

Lex spun and shrugged. "So," he said flippantly with raised brows.

Lois planted her hands on her hips. "I want an exclusive."

Lex could feel Batman come up behind him. "We have to go," the dark figure rumbled.

Lex turned to leave.

"How about that exclusive?" Lois called out.

Lex shook his head and turned back to face her. "I don't give exclusives Miss. Lane, or hadn't you heard."

Lex sighed as the pounding heat slammed into his shoulders. The rest of the clean-up had been left to the police, and a HAZMAT team. Though he'd been more than eager to help, he was just as eager to leave the cleaning to somebody else.

Now he rubbed his shoulder sure he'd torn something when he'd lifted the last woman out from under the rubble of the second blast. Instead of going back up to that monstrosity of a headquarters, Lex had checked himself into a hotel. It wasn't best Metropolis had to offer, but at least it wasn't the cold steel of the Watchtower.

Lex turned his chest into the spray, and lathered fragrant soap beneath the water. The stench of death and burnt wood washed away slowly. He sighed again, and tried to imagine he was home, but he knew it was fruitless. When he opened his eyes again, he would still be here, and Clark would still be out in the coldness of space.

He finished up quickly, and turned the water off. He stepped out of the shower, and reached for a large white fluffy towel. He needed to go somewhere else. This was all getting to him.

"Thank god for hotels," he mumbled as he patted his shoulder with the warm, soft fabric. He smiled and walked out to the bedroom, and then jumped at the sight of the dark figure on the bed.

"You made him look good," a tight voice challenged.

Lex noted the fluttering curtain. Of course being twelve stories up didn't stop the cape crusader from invading Lex's only refuge.

"You're heard of knocking, right?" Lex quipped. He hadn't wrapped the towel around himself and stood naked. Lex glowered at the masked hero, and turned around. He patted his legs dry. The television in the wall unit across from the bed clicked to life.

"As I said before, I was in the area and felt I should help," the voice of Lex Luthor filled the room. Batman turned up the volume, and Lex turned to face the screen. Sure enough, a smiling Luthor greeted the media. Lex turned to look at Batman. He could see the scowl through the hood.

"You don't care that he's taking credit for what you did," Batman said in a low voice.

Lex's eyes traveled down to the gloved hand that held the remote. Batman looked tense to say the least. The ramrod-straight back and lowered head, eyes glaring at the television, broadcast his anger throughout the room. Lex had never met such a tense man. Even the Bruce of his world wasn't this intense.

"He can do what ever the hell he wants. I don't care, Bruce," Lex said softly.

"What happened to your scar, Mr. Luthor," the voice of Lois Lane piped from the television.

Lex turned to the screen, and smirked. He watched as Luthor smiled politely. Lois stood patiently awaiting his explanation for the missing mark.

"That's all the questions at this time," Luthor told the reporter.

Lex chuckled, and moved to the bed. He lay down, and covered his nudity with the towel. He closed his eyes. The television clicked off. The figure in the bed beside him shifted, and Lex heard the clink of the remote being set down.

"You knew that would happen," Bruce said. The admiration in his tone was unmistakable.

Lex did not open his eyes. "I thought Lois Lane was persistent, and intelligent, enough to notice something. I was right." Lex turned his head, and cracked his eyes just enough to see the time on the digital clock on the nightstand. It was almost three a.m. He groaned, and slung his arm over his eyes.

The light clicked off. Bruce shifted again, but it wasn't to leave. To Lex's surprise, he settled into the bed. To his greater surprise, Lex was becoming aroused. He turned away from the other man, and curled up. Fucking heroes have to be so hot.

Lex had always had a thing for the hero type.

"They'll be back soon," Bruce said after a long silence.

Lex curled into himself more. "Good, then I can finally get out of this hellhole." He regretted the words as soon as he said them. He felt the figure beside him stiffen, and then shift to sit up.

"Is it really all that bad?" Lex was surprised to hear Bruce ask.

Lex thought about it. Since he'd come to this bizarre, twisted version of his own world, he'd encountered nothing but animosity. It was beginning to wear thin. He smirked when Bruce resettled on the bed, and an arm brushed against his back.

"Not all of it," he finally admitted. Silence filled the room again. "You should use the door next time," Lex whispered as he felt the weariness of the day drag him down into sleep.

In the morning, he found himself alone just as he figured he would. A knock at the door startled him from his contemplation of the skyline. It was a beautiful view, and he'd woken just in time to catch the sunrise.

He'd also woken to find a set of clean clothes waiting for him. He smiled as he slipped into the black slacks. They were expensive clothes, and he knew who had left them.

Lex slipped into the black loafers, and stood to answer the door. He opened it to find a tall dark-haired man standing before him. Lex looked the man up and down. He was impeccably dressed all in black with a long black trench coat. He held a coat tucked in the crook of one arm.

Lex stared up into the blue eyes, and smiled. Bruce Wayne was as stunning as Lex had thought he would be.

"You said to use the door next time," Bruce said. Bruce perused the length of Lex's form. "Looks like I got the sizes right."

"Perfect," Lex said as he stepped aside to allow the imposing figure access to the room. Bruce stepped past him, and stopped just inside the entrance. "Mr. Wayne I presume."

Bruce just nodded once as he looked around the room. He turned to face Lex, and held out the coat. "This is for you. I forgot to ask add it to the list. The weather is a bit on the chilly side."

"Thank you," Lex said. He noted as he stepped closer to take the coat, that even as Bruce this man was imposing. "So, Bruce, if I may call you that, what's on the agenda today?"

Bruce nodded. "You may of course, Lex." Bruce tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat, and frowned. Did this man ever smile?

"Lunch," said Bruce. He walked to the door and opened it.

Lex stared at the man, tried to get a feel for what to expect. Bruce, however, was inscrutable. He slipped on the coat, and walked past him.

The restaurant was ultra chic, with dark wood tables, huge wooden chairs upholstered in deep burgundy fabrics, and mood lighting. It was empty except for the staff, and the two of them. Lex frowned as he sat down in a chair Bruce held out for him. Bruce sat across from him as the waiter approached.

"Mr. Wayne it's very good to see you again." The man turned to greet Lex and stopped short. To his credit, he recovered almost instantly. "Mr. Luthor, it's good to see you as well," he said politely.

"My guest and I would like bottled water and menus, please," Bruce said.

Lex settled into his seat as the man retreated to fill the request. He turned his full attention to the man before him, but Bruce was not paying attention to him. Instead, Bruce was flicking at imaginary lint on his sweater.

Lex leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and his chin on his laced fingers. He stared at Bruce, and waited for the man to look at him. He knew that most of Bruce's attention, if not all of it, was on him. The casual demeanour didn't fool Lex.

The waiter brought the water and the menu, and then retreated. Bruce casually glanced at him, his eyes finally moved to Lex's gaze.

"Are you going to order?" Bruce said.

Lex chuckled, and picked up the menu.

The lunch went by faster than Lex had anticipated. He found Bruce to be interesting company. When the meal was over, the waiter brought coffee. Lex sat back to contemplate his lunch companion. There hadn't been much in the way of conversation, and, in truth, Lex liked it that way. Now however, he needed answers.

"So, what is it, Bruce?" He decided to begin with a cryptic remark; sure it would pique the other man's interest.

Bruce looked up from his beverage. "To what are you referring?" was Bruce's rejoinder.

"Something has been bothering me, and the curiosity is I have to admit, eating at me."

Bruce just watched Lex expectantly.

"Why are the Superman and Lex Luthor of this timeline such bitter enemies?" Lex watched the other man carefully. He could see the question was not the one the other man expected to hear. Lex wondered what exactly Bruce had expected.

Bruce sat back, and set the coffee cup down. Lex watched as he took a deep breath. "If Luthor was like you, they would not be enemies."

"So 'he's evil' is the only answer you'll give me. Come on, Bruce," Lex lowered his voice and narrowed his eyes. "What was it? I'm dying to know."

"Well, let's say it's a combination of a lot of things." Bruce reached for his cup. Instantly the waiter was there to refill it. "Thank you," Bruce said politely. He waited until the waiter had retreated to continue the conversation. "I've never seen anybody give any other person more chances than Superman has given that menace."

Lex smirked. "If his heart is a big as my Clark's then I suppose that would make sense. In that way they are very much alike."

"Yes they are," Bruce said as he brought the cup to his lips.

Lex watched the other man carefully. "Clark is quite the catch," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Bruce sipped the cooling drink without missing a beat.

"You would know."

Lex smirked. "I would." He set his empty cup down, and covered it with a hand when the waiter offered to refill it.

A commotion at the front door made him turn to face it. That was the first time Lex realized that Bruce had seated himself so that he faced the entrance.

"He's here," Bruce mumbled.

Before Lex could ask whom, he saw the familiar figure of one of Luthor's bodyguards. Mercy approached their table, and stopped a few feet away. Luthor stopped in front of them.

Lex couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. Both he and Bruce remained seated. He watched as Luthor's eyes moved from Bruce to him.

"Well, Mr. Wayne, I wasn't aware you were visiting our humble city." Luthor managed to sneer as he said this.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor," Bruce's voice had changed. It seemed much more . . . jovial. Bruce turned to motion the waiter to the table. The man looked stricken, and at a loss as to what to do. It wasn't every day that you had two of the most powerful men in the world at your restaurant. "Why don't you join us?" To Lex's shock, Bruce motioned for the waiter to bring an extra chair over.

"No thank you, Mr. Wayne. I have a very busy schedule and I was merely stopping by to say thank you to Mr. Luthor." Luthor turned to face Lex with something that wasn't quite a smile, but a close impression of one.

"I was happy to save those people," Lex said with a stiff tone.

Luthor straightened and cleared his throat. "Yes well, a do-gooder's job is never done. You should tell your friend Batman that my gratitude extends to him as well."

"Oh wow, you know Batman?" Bruce piped up.

Lex glared at him, and then shook his head. "What do you want, Luthor?" Lex wasn't really in the mood for games, especially with this man.

"That was all." Luthor turned on his heals and headed for the exit. He paused and turned his head. "One more thing; I want what is mine."

Lex followed the departing man with his eyes.

Bruce dropped his napkin onto the table and stood. "That was a threat," he said plainly.

"Well, it wasn't much of one," Lex said as he followed Bruce out to the waiting Mercedes.

Lex chose to return to the Watchtower after that, to monitor activity on the planet surface. It was strange how quickly he was falling into a routine with these people. He was beginning to feel more comfortable already, and he started to consider the prospect of being trapped here with something less than loathing.

Bruce had spent the first few hours monitoring with him until he'd needed to get back to Gotham. He was the one phenomenon in this whole ordeal that intrigued Lex the most. Being near this Bruce was fascinating; perhaps more fascinating than Lex should allow. He felt no guilt at finding the man intriguing. After all, Lex needed something to take his mind off the fact that Clark was still out there in the coldness of space.

Lex leaned back in his chair, and rubbed the back of his neck. He'd spent the last ten hours watching screens in the hopes that Luthor would not pull something. His luck had stayed the course; nothing beyond the usual natural disasters had occurred. It looked as if Luthor was being a good boy.

Lex smiled at that, and received a quizzical look from Wally, the Flash. The younger member of the league had finally warmed up to him, and decided to help monitor with Lex. Lex had chuckled under his breath at the change in attitude. It had to be the fact that Bruce had warmed up to him that accounted for Wally's own shift in attitude. The man admired Bruce, and Lex understood why.

"Why don't you go rest?" Wally suddenly said.

Lex looked over at him, and smiled. "I guess I should. I've been at this for hours." Lex rubbed his shoulder, and rolled his head. He flinched as tendons creaking.

"Come on, it's quiet, and I think I can handle it by myself," Wally said. He switched screens and flicked a few switches. "Besides they won't be back for another few hours."

Lex looked into the other man's eyes, searching for sincerity. He was surprised to find it there, and something more. It felt good to see the hint of warmth in Wally's eyes, which was strange since acceptance had never been something Lex had ever really cared about.

He stood and stretched. Just as he headed for the door, it slid open. Batman stormed in, his eyes blazing.

"That arrogant little . . ." he muttered just loud enough for Lex to hear.

Lex paused. There was no way he was headed for sleep now. He turned back and followed Batman into the room. The angered hero punched buttons on the keypad of the control consol, and scowled at the monitor. When Lex looked up he was shocked to find that Clark and the Justice League members he'd gone to Saturn with were already almost home. Everything looked normal so why was Bruce so mad?

They only had to wait a few minutes for the men on the screen to disappear past the video camera. It meant they would soon be back on the station. Lex grinned at the screen, but frowned when Bruce scowled at him.

"Your arrogant boy almost got them killed," he said bluntly.

Lex found that hard to believe. Clark was a lot of things, but arrogant wasn't one of them. Lex wanted to say something about getting his Clark mixed up with somebody else, and then he heard the shouts. They turned to face the door just as it opened.

First to enter was Martian Manhunter. He looked frustrated. He turned immediately to Bruce.

"I am never going out with those two ever again," he said as he scowled at Lex and then at Bruce. Then he turned on his heels, and walked out of the room. Clark stalked in with anger in his eyes. Lex quirked his lips, and immediately moved to intercept him. The suit he'd worn to Saturn that was supposed to protect him from the poison of the Kryptonite was all but destroyed.

Superman slid in behind him, and set the lead box down on the table with a thunk. He didn't look happy at all. Lex noted that his suit was almost gone as well. He looked from one man to the other, and stood his ground to wait for somebody to say something.

The Green Lantern entered, his eyes immediately fell on Clark.

"You are the most insane lunatic I have ever . . ." he yelled as he stormed across the room, and shoved his face into Clark's smug expression.

"You're just jealous because I do what it takes to get the job done," Clark quipped.

"At least I don't hurt anybody to get it done."

Lex watched them carefully. Superman sat down at the table, and pushed the box away. If they did what they were supposed to do while out there, it contained the deadly rocks.

"Nobody was hurt, right Clark." The oddness of his Clark saying his own name would never go away.

Lex turned to watch Superman's reaction. He seemed fine; as if nothing were wrong.

"Right, nobody was hurt. Leave it alone Gil."

"See," Clark said. He reached out for Lex with one dirty hand, but it seemed that Gil wasn't finished his tirade.

"Don't brush me off. You could have gotten Clark killed!" Gil stepped closer, and nudged Lex out of the way. Lex fell back into Superman's arms.

"Watch who you hit," Lex heard Clark shout. He knew that tone. Clark was beyond angry now. When Clark got this way, it usually meant broken furniture, and at least one car in the shop.

"That's enough, Gil," Superman said as he gently straightened Lex up. "I can fight my own battles."

Lex watched as the two men stared each other down. It seemed as if they would start a battle royal, but then Clark backed away, turning toward Lex. His eyes softened when they caught Lex's eyes.

"I need to rest," he bit out.

Lex nodded and held out his hand. "Come on, we can deal with this after a good night's sleep."

Gil watched them, shook his head, and stormed out of the room. When he was gone, the door safely shut behind him, Lex turned to face Clark.

"Care to explain?"

Clark shrugged. "Not really."

It was surprising to Lex that the one person who always got along with everybody was having such a difficult time in this dimension. He turned to watch Clark undress. Lex leaned back against the bed as Clark stripped off the remnants of the suit he'd worn into space. Clark turned away from his scrutiny and headed for the bathroom.

Ten minutes later a wet Clark reappeared, looking refreshed. Clark dropped the towel he'd used on a chair and smiled down at Lex.

"Why are you still dressed?" Clark asked, sex dripping from his voice.

Lex wanted to let him off the hook but this was too important. "I want to know what happened out there." When Clark turned away from him in a huff Lex sat up. That didn't last long; before he could blink Lex was flat on his back with a hard, wet body pressing him into the mattress.

"Why are we even talking about that? I missed you." Clark mashed their lips together but soon the hard kiss turned gentle and open-mouthed. Lex wrapped arms around Clark's neck and ran fingers through the damp locks.

Soft, wet noises filled the room as Clark deepened the kiss. Lex gladly licked at the luscious mouth, and nipped the full bottom lip. He moaned as a hand traveled down his side, tugging at fabric on its journey. He knew he wouldn't have to worry about his clothes for much longer since Clark wouldn't wait long before he had them both naked.

Just as Lex thought this he felt a cool breeze that left him naked beneath Clark. He hadn't even felt Clark lift off of him. He sighed as naked skin touched naked skin, their cocks rubbed together.

"I have missed you so much," Clark whispered into Lex's ear. The feel of his hot breath against his vulnerable skin made Lex shiver with anticipation. He caressed Clark's buttocks, and slipped a finger in between tight cheeks.

"Do you want me to ride you hard?" Lex teased, licking a slow path against Clark's neck.

Clark pressed his head into Lex's neck and Lex smiled at the feel of the damp curls brushing against his neck as his lover nodded.

A knocked at the door interrupted them. Lex frowned when he saw that Clark's eyes glistened.

"Go away," Clark yelled over his shoulder.

Lex pushed at Clark's shoulders but he wasn't moving. He tried again but only received a shove into the mattress for his trouble.

"The machine is ready," Superman's muffled voiced called out.

Clark sighed heavily, and quirked one brow as he rolled off of Lex. "Fine, come in."

Lex scrambled for the bed sheet and watched with distaste as Clark casually lounged naked as Superman entered the room. As soon as the other man saw that Clark was not covered, he turned away.

Clark smiled challengingly, one hand trailing across his chest. Lex couldn't deny that his cock was interested. In fact his mind toyed with numerous possibilities with both men here in the room.

Superman cleared his throat. "The device is ready for a simulation," he said in a firm tone.

Lex slid to the edge of the bed and started to pull his pants on. "That's great, Superman. I'll help Bruce. Hopefully I can provide enough assistance to speed the process up."

A hand brushed across Lex's ass, and when he glanced up he noticed that Superman was peeking. Lex smirked and stood. He turned to address Clark, still sprawled in naked abandon.

"You rest. I think this part of the mission is mine." He bent over and dropped a light peck on Clark's lips. Clark smiled and nodded as he watched Lex leave. Lex almost sighed with relief when Clark didn't complain or make a snide comment. It was a mystery why the two Clark's were so diametrically opposed to each other.

Lex shook his head as he followed Superman into the elevator that would take them to the lab level. They were silent at first until Lex noticed that Superman was watching him.

"What?" Lex asked, careful to modulate the irritation in his voice.

Superman shook his head and folded his arms. "Bruce told me how you helped him out while we were away."

Lex shrugged. "It was nothing."

"I saw the footage," Superman said as he stepped off the elevator into the main lab area.

Lex decided to leave that one alone. He noticed right away that the room had changed. He knew nothing about the configuration of the machine, but Bruce did and Lex was determined to help in any way he could. The sooner they returned to their world the better things would be for his Clark.

The device filled one half of the lab. It looked as though it had been pieced together using everyday items. Lex noted most of it was metal, sturdy and unyielding. Most of the machine consisted of a huge box as tall as the ceiling. On one side of it, Lex saw a consol with an old-fashioned keyboard and a small monitor that displayed what, to him, looked like nothing but random numbers and symbols. Bruce sat in front of it, typing on the keyboard. Attached to one side of the main unit there appeared to be what looked like a doorway with no door. Hundreds of thin grey wires were attached to every inch of the outer frame of the doorway. They had been gathered into ten neat bunches that were tied off with plastic twine. The wires on the left side led to the box and the wires on the right wound around and eventually also led to the box.

It looked as though they had used all the wire in the world.

"So, how can I help?" he asked as soon as he stopped in front of the machine.

By the time all the systems were on line and ready for the first trial run, Clark had made his way up to the lab. He had dressed in the clothing he'd arrived in, much to Lex's amusement. Of course, there was no way Lex would wear back what he'd arrived in.

Clark stood quietly and waited as the machine cycled through its process. Every once in a while he would throw Lex a look filled with promise, and smile softly. Batman completed the last of the settings, and stood back.

"I should be the one to go through first," Clark piped up. Everybody in the room glared at him except Lex. "If something goes wrong I'm stronger and tougher. Lex isn't."

Lex knew that look. Clark would not take no for an answer. Most of the time Lex hated that look because it meant the stubborn Kent personality would overshadow everything else.

"That does seem logical," Lex finally broke the silence. He inhaled sharply and cursed the fact that they hadn't been able to adjust the machine so that the both of them could enter at the same time. Batman had not wanted to risk the high energy surge that he predicted could short everything, leaving them permanently stranded in this world. They were only going to have one chance at this.

Clark stepped forward and stared into the compartment. The chamber glowed an unhealthy green. It made both Clark and Superman flinch. The Kryptonite they used to power it was safely stored in its core behind a lead containment unit. The glow was nothing but a residual effect of the powering up of the device. It was completely harmless to both of the Kryptonians. That didn't stop them both from muttering under there breaths something about wanting to be elsewhere. Lex covered his mouth to hide his chuckle.

"We're ready for the first jump," Bruce said calmly.

Clark grabbed Lex and tilted him into a hard wet kiss. Startled by the suddenness of his actions Lex flailed arms, but immediately wrapped them around Clark's neck when he realized what was happening. A moment later, Clark released him and stared down into Lex's eyes.

"I love you, Lex. Don't forget that," he said warmly.

Lex grinned. "Even on my worst day I could never forget that," Lex said. And with those last words Clark turned to the chamber. Lex, for some reason, thought there would be a swirling vortex or something that signalled what was happening, but all he noticed was the green glow. Otherwise the metal frame doorway seemed the same as before they powered it up.

Clark smiled at him one last time, stepped through the doorway, and vanished. There was a moment when Lex thought his heart would stop. The suddenness of Clark's disappearance shocking; for all that he thought he was prepared.

"Go through, Lex," Bruce said as soon as there was no sign of Clark.

"I want to thank you all for . . ."

"We don't have time for that," Superman said hastily.

Lex smiled at Bruce and Clark. It was most likely going to be the last time he ever saw these two again. With no more hesitation he stepped up to the doorway and stepped into it. The next thing he knew there was nothing but blackness surrounding him.

A harsh breath later he stepped forward, and found himself on the sidewalks of Metropolis. He was grabbed from behind and pulled up against a hard chest.

"Welcome home, Lex," Clark said into his ear.

END