Title: Switch

Author: Alexia Luthor

Rating: PG-13

Series: Payback 2

Spoilers: (everything up to) X-Ray

Summary: Clark visits Lex at the hospital

Author's notes: Set in the future, about two years. file://thoughts\\

Archive: Mmmmm okay, but only if you ask nicely first

Feedback: Pretty please!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in this part.. oooh, but if I did *evil grin*

Payback 2: Switch

by Alexia Luthor

Clark sat in the chair beside Lex's hospital bed; the sound of Lex's breathing even and deep. Clark made himself look at Lex's face; there was a bandage at his neck where the glass had pierced. Lex had to have two other larger pieces removed and several slivers. The doctor had told him that Lex would be fine and that the glass hadn't cut anything vital.

The room stank of cleaner, it may be better than sewage, but it still hurt Clark's nose if he breathed in too deeply. Clark always did have a sensitive nose, just another quirk he could chalk up to his list of gifts. //Those gifts sure came in handy tonight, what would have happened to Lex if you didn't have these powers?

Nothing, you wouldn't have gotten involved in the first place and Lex wouldn't have been targeted.\\ Clark sighed. //Although, if you didn't have these powers, who would have stopped Tina to begin with?\\ Clark groaned, he had this conversation before, it was a circle.

"Clark?" Clark shot his eyes up to meet the droopy ones of Lex Luthor.

"Where am I?"

"Lex! I'm glad you're awake, I was getting tired of talking to myself."

Clark grinned and was happy to see a small smile turn up on Lex's face as well. "You're at the hospital, you had to get stitches for the cuts the glass gave you." Lex let a hand go to the wound on his neck. "Oh! They said you should be careful, stitches are fresh and all." Lex nodded and put his hand back to his side.

"You know, talking to yourself isn't always a good sign, Clark." Clark chuckled a bit, there was a silence and Lex was looking at him, slightly perplexed. "Did you already get checked out? I saw you got slammed against the wall pretty good there."

Clark's heart jumped, how was he going to explain his superior strength.

"Knock, knock!" Clark turned around at the sound to see his mother and father come into the room. Just in the nick of time.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent. What are you doing here?" Martha and Jonothan looked at each other.

"Clark called us at the hotel and told us what happened. How else did you think Clark got to Metropolis?" Lex seemed to process what Martha Kent said and nodded very slightly.

"Yes, I see your point." Lex sighed. "I should have known it wasn't you Clark. All I was thinking was how to explain to your parents here, why I found you wandering outside of a Metropolis night club."

Clark looked to his parents, his defenses going up. "I wouldn't-"

Lex smirked, making a point not to move his neck. "That is exactly what I was saying." There was a slight silence as Clark's cheeks reddened a bit.

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Kent, looks like your son saves my life again." Clark looked down at the ground and blushed. Yes, this was definitely the real Clark this time.

*

Tina Greer glared at the people in the hospital room, all of them together, cozy and friendly. Clark deserved all of that, she did too though. Tina deserved a family, but no, her mother was dead and it was her fault. Tina tried to hold back the oncoming tears she felt at the mention of her mother.

Sure, Tina didn't cry when it happened, she denied it had happened at all. Tina's mother's death did eventually sink in though, and it hurt a lot.Clark and she had a lot in common; she realized this when making her new plan. Clark didn't deserve to die, it was people like Lana and Lex, that took their lives for granted that deserved to die. Tina watched with envy as Clark gave his mom a hug, whispering something to her... thank you was it?

It didn't matter, there was a new plan... she would have Clark. Clark would love her, bring her into his family and understand her.

"Alright everyone, visiting hours are over." Clark jumped at the sight of the 'nurse' walking into the room. "Come on folks," the nurse smiled warmly, a little disconnected... "Mr. Luthor needs his sleep." The nurse gently shooed the Kent's out of the room. Tina went around the room in her nursely like duties, trying not to be suspicious and waiting until she was sure that Clark and his parents were completely gone.

"Excuse me, nurse?" Tina smirked and turned around; wordlessly she walked up to the bedside of Lex Luthor and stared down at him. Lex gasped as the nurse changed into Tina, blocking his screams by putting her hand over his mouth.

"Sssh, Mr. Luthor. Be careful, you don't want to rip your stitches." Tina's eyes darkened. "You take everything you have for granted, maybe because you've always had what you wanted, but you didn't have Clark. You take Clark for granted." Tina morphed again, her face mirroring the one she held down.

"Now, I'm taking him and your life."

END PAYBACK 2