It was a year long endeavor. But it had been worth it.

Lex's relationship with his father was already a game. That wasn't new. What was new was Lex having information his father didn't.

Lex's summer at the Kent farm had been the best of his life, but his father had sent him there as a punishment—and he still believed it was an effective one. Lex had to keep his father believing that.

So Lex tested the waters. He talked back to his teachers, ran away from the school campus, and tanked his own grades from time to time. He put up with his father's increasingly creative and painful punishments, acting as though they had no effect on him even when they were absolutely devastating. But if ever his father made the slightest threat to send him back to the Kents, Lex would tremble with fear and clean up his act entirely for a few weeks.

A few days after the term ended, Lex got a letter from Dean saying that he and Sam needed his help with a hunt in Smallville. Lex immediately got himself involved in a cocaine scandal so severe, it actually tanked LuthorCorp's stocks.

Lex was still sore from the beating on the way over to the Kent farm. He tried to focus on the pain to keep himself from smiling as they pulled up in front of the house.

Mr. Kent was waiting for him by the front gate when they arrived. Mrs. Kent stood back on the porch. Lex climbed out of the limo before his father could get any ideas about dragging him by the ear, and he did his best to look subdued and afraid.

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"Please, Dad," Lex muttered. "Not again. Please."

"Mr. Kent." His father gave a bit of a smirk. "He's a hard case. You have my permission to be severe with him if he gives you any trouble."

"Understood." Mr. Kent gave Lex a stern look. Lex hadn't been able to get in touch with him to let him know the plan, so either Mr. Kent really was upset for some reason, or he knew he needed to act it in order to allow Lex to stay with them. Lex hoped desperately that it was the latter.

"And call me if you can't handle him."

"I will, Mr. Luthor." Mr. Kent nodded.

Lex's dad gave the back of his neck a quick, painful squeeze, then he returned to the limo.

When the car was out of sight, Mr. Kent's face broke into a grin, and Mrs. Kent rushed in from the front porch. She wrapped her arms around him while Mr. Kent clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Good to have you back, son."

"It's good to be here, Mr. and Mrs. Kent."

Mrs. Kent let go of him. "No, no. You call us Aunt Martha and Uncle Jon."

Lex's throat choked up. "Yes, ma'am. I mean, yes, Aunt Martha."

"Lex!"

Lex barely had time to look up at the front door before Clark was barreling toward him and leaping into his arms.

"I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Clark. Hey, I promised we'd see each other again, didn't I?"

Clark gave him one final squeeze and let go, then immediately launched into a long, rambling story about how his school year had been, and how many times he'd wished Lex had been there. It made Lex's head spin, but it also made him feel like all of his other troubles were melting away.

Aunt Martha and Uncle Jon had left to go back into the house, but Clark was still telling stories by the time Sam and Dean arrived. Sam grinned as he climbed out of the car and came over to give Lex a quick hug and a bright smile, then turned to Clark and hugged him for a little longer.

Dean hung back, standing by his car and watching Sam for a moment before his eyes turned toward Lex. He nodded and said, in a gruff voice, "Luthor."

Lex nodded in return. He held back his grin, but just barely.