The Artifact

Title: The Artifact

Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made.

Pairing: Clex, Lexionel

Warning: AU, Incest, Slash

Spoilers: Sort of Lineage, but my own very, very AU take on it.

CHAPTER FIVE: BETRAYAL

Lex’s POV

“Father, what stunt are you trying to pull?” Lex asked, his body taut, eyes flashing, as he rounded on Lionel.

“This is no stunt, Lex,” Lionel answered softly, a half-smile on his lips.

Lex’s gaze darted over to Clark who, other than making a sharp gasp, had said nothing since the painting’s unveiling. The boy’s large green eyes were fixed on their doppelgangers and his expression was unreadable. Lex hands fisted at his sides as he yearned to comfort the boy but knew he shouldn’t in front of Lionel.

Lex instead studied the figures in the painting. The green of Clark’s eyes was captured perfectly in Christian’s face. The brightness and goodness just shone through the oils. Lex’s own double had a half-smile gracing his lips as if he had a secret. The painted figure had Lex’s clean features and lean, muscular body. The only physical difference between them was that while Lucian had red hair like Lex used to, Lucian’s was far longer than Lex’s had ever been. It was drawn into a ponytail at the base of his skull.

The artist had also captured another similarity: the love in Lucian’s eyes as he gazed at Christian. It could have been Lex in an open moment with Clark. Lex’s shoulders twitched at the resemblance. This had to be some kind of elaborate plot that his father was creating. A hoax to stop Lex from taking a man to his bed and, for the first time, into his heart. His chest seized, because if this painting showed the truth then both those things could never occur. Lex’s gaze snapped back to Lionel.

“What does this prove? It proves nothing. Nothing!” Lex heard his voice pitch up in the end and snapped his mouth shut as if that would stop the building of the emotions in him.

“The painting by itself arguably proves nothing. But it does raise quite a few interesting possibilities though, doesn’t it?” Lionel tapped his chin with one long finger. It was a movement he made when teaching Lex a lesson. Lex’s shoulders ached with the tension that was mounting in them.

“Do you have something more than this obvious … forgery?” Lex spat the word out.

“Its not a forgery, Lex. I thought that at first, too, but there is other proof.”

“What other proof do you have that this shows … this shows …” Lex flapped his hand helplessly in front of him. He couldn’t speak the words. Wouldn’t.

Lionel opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment the front doors to the mansion opened and Helen walked in with a gust of cool evening air. Her long hair was done up on the top of her head, but tendrils hung down, trailing along the tops of her shoulders. There were dark circles under her eyes. Her gaze landed on Lex then skittered away. His fiancee was the last person he wished to see at that moment and apparently she didn’t want to see him either, which was surprising and unnerving. She was usually so effusive and clingy with him, but now she remained near the front doors as if she believed she’d need to make a quick exit. What had she been up to?

“Ah, Helen, your timing is impeccable,” Lionel said, his cat’s smile growing and Lex’s stomach dropped. She had definitely been up to something. And with his father.

“Lionel.” Helen’s head tilted downwards, her gaze fixed on her bag.

“I was just telling Lex and Clark about … well, proof and truth and all of that. But you are the doctor. You are far more qualified than I to speak of this particular truth.”

Lex wasn’t surprised by the half-hidden jealousy and hurt that crossed Clark’s face when he saw Helen. Nor was Lex surprised when he saw the mirroring spark of jealousy in Helen’s eyes. She had always been threatened by his and Clark’s relationship and had not been shy about showing it. But the hint of triumph in her eyes when she looked over at Clark now was new. Lex stepped between them, blocking her view, forcing her to look only at him.

“Helen, what is he talking about?”

High spots of color were on her cheeks and her eyes looked glassily bright as she said, “Lionel asked me to test Clark’s blood--”

“WHAT?” Clark’s voice rang out, high-pitched and frantic.

Lex twisted around to face him. Clark’s pallor had gone talcum-powder white. He was shaking. Lex grasped his shoulder to steady him.

“Clark?”

“She … she has my blood, Lex! She … she tested it!” Clark swayed perilously on his feet.

Lex grabbed him just in time and led him over to a chair by the side table. The boy landed heavily into it then seemed to just collapse into himself. Lex knelt down in front of Clark, cupping the boy’s face to make Clark look and him.

“Well, what an interesting reaction. And yet I’ll wager he has no idea what she is actually going to say she found,” Lionel murmured.

Lex shot his father a look. Lionel merely smiled in wider in response. Lex frowned deeply.

“What did you find, Helen, after you illegally and unethically tested Clark’s blood?”

Helen’s head rocketed back as if Lex had slapped her. He suddenly wished he had.

“Lionel asked me to do a paternity test. And I thought … thought you would be pleased if it turned out that Clark was your brother. You always act as if he’s part of your family. I thought it would make you happy if he actually were,” she rattled this information off, rushing through it so fast at the end that her words seemed to run together.

“You thought I’d be pleased,” Lex repeated the words slowly, words which felt like foreign objects on his tongue.

“Yes.”

“That you violated Clark’s privacy? That you did something my father asked you to do? That you omitted to tell me about it? You thought I’d be pleased by such actions?” Lex’s voice was quiet.

“I … yes, but obviously, I was wrong. Lex … don’t you want to know the results?”

Lex fought not to tighten his grip on Clark’s head even though he guessed the boy couldn’t be physically hurt that way. “I think I can guess from the look on Lionel’s face what the results are, but I don’t see how they can be.”

“He’s your brother, Lex. Your half-brother,” Helen said. “The how is biology.”

Clark suddenly was up out of the chair, practically vibrating before him. His eyes were impossibly wide, his mouth parted and his breath coming in harsh gasps. “What is she saying, Lex? It can’t be true! Can’t be!” Clark was grabbing Lex and gripping his forearms tight. “I can’t be your brother! It’s impossible!”

“Clark, you are adopted …it could be true.” Even though he didn’t want it to be.

“NO! Lex, It CAN’T be! It’s impossible, because if it were true than everything my parents told me was a lie! And they wouldn’t lie to me, Lex! They wouldn’t!” Clark stopped speaking suddenly then swallowed and shook his head.

Lex petted Clark’s heaving chest. His own lungs ached from just watching the boy practically hyperventilate. The thought of being a Luthor would be tough for anyone to take, but this terror reaction was something else entirely. Clearly there was more going on here than he knew, possibly to do with Clark’s secrets, ironically the ones the boy had wanted to confess to him that very night. Lex did not want to find Clark to spill whatever it was in front of Lionel and Helen.

Lex met Clark’s frightened gaze and used the force of his personality to calm the boy. He laced his fingers through Clark’s nearer hand not caring who saw. Clark convulsively clutched him back.

“Clark, let’s just take this one step at a time. Just because someone says a thing doesn’t make it fact. All right? I’ll take care of this. Let me take care of this.”

The boy’s shuddering breaths came in slower. His shoulders slumped and his head dipped down. “But Lex--”

“No buts. I’ll take care of it.”

Clark nodded mutely. Lex took a deep breath himself and turned to face Helen and his father.

“I want Clark’s blood. All of it,” Lex ordered.

“Not a problem, son. Helen, give it to him,” Lionel instructed.

Helen reached into her bag and removed a sealed vial. Clark’s hands flexed at his sides and Lex could feel the boy’s desire to rip the vial from her hands.

“I’m sure you want to test it yourself,” Lionel said as Lex’s hand closed over the vial.

“I will be confirming Helen’s results,” Lex gritted out. There was little blood left. He was sure that the results had been checked and rechecked using up the fluid. But he would run the tests again. He would also ask Clark for a fresh sample. For all he knew the vial contained his own blood. Clark’s eyes followed the vial. “I’ll need a sample of your blood as well, Father.”

“Of course. But no matter how many times you test his blood and mine, the results will be the same, Lex. You should reconcile yourself to having a brother. And you, Clark,” Lionel said as he walked over and lightly patted the boy’s shoulder. Clark flinched. Lionel withdrew his hand. “You should prepare yourself to become a Luthor and all that entails. I expect great things from all my boys.”

Clark’s eyes widened and he moved closer to Lex’s side. Lionel then turned on his heel and went to the stairs leading up to the second floor and the bedrooms.

“Where are you going, father?”

“To my rooms, Lex. Did you think I was going to leave without matters being settled here?”

“And how long do you plan on staying?”

Lionel’s teeth seemed to glow in the low light. “Oh, Lex, who says I ever intend to leave? After all I have a growing family in need of a large home. And this,” he gestured around the foyer, “is nothing if not large.”

Lionel laughed as he walked upstairs leaving Lex, Clark and Helen alone. There was a moment of silence; it felt so heavy, leaden. Clark was staring at his feet, his face a mask of fear. Lex’s heart hurt from it. Helen had caused this. His father had caused this. Could Clark be his brother? He ran a hand over his skull.

“Lex,” Helen said, her voice soft yet echoing.

“Helen, you need to go. I … I don’t wish to see you right now,” Lex said, his silver eyes cold and distant.

She stepped forward, her hands fluttering up from her sides as if to touch him. Lex stiffened and she stepped back.

“You said you don’t want to see me now … does that mean you will in the future?” She sounded like a little girl, uncertain, rather than the sharp-minded doctor that she was.

Lex’s shoulders straightened and he stared at her a long time without speaking. He contemplated her and the painting that was behind her. She had betrayed him. She had helped his father. But she was the only thing right now between him taking Clark to his bed. The painting and the possibility that they were brothers tortured him. But he wondered if the taboo of incest would be enough to keep his hands off the boy now that he knew Clark wanted him, too.

“I’m uncertain.”

Helen gave a nervous laugh. “You’re never uncertain, Lex.”

“Don’t ask me what I’m certain of right now, Helen. You won’t like the answer,” Lex said.

“I … I understand,” she said, her gaze slipping over to Clark who still seemed lost inside his own mind.

“So go. Now. I will call you … if I wish to see you again.”

She nodded woodenly and turned back towards the door. With one hand on the knob she said over her shoulder, “I did this because I love you, Lex. Not to hurt you.”

“No, but you did.”

Lex’s watched as she walked out the door.