He stared at the stranger silently looking back at him.  Who the hell was that guy and how had he gotten past security?  Snorting inelegantly Lex smiled.  So, what else was new?  If he were honest with himself he'd have to acknowledge just how lacking they were in that 'protecting his ass' department most of the time any way.  Hell, Clark's mother could have taken them in her day.  Who knew a skillfully wielded apple pie and a few baked goods could so easily take down billionaires and multi-national CEOs alike?    

Lex nervously rubbed the bridge of his nose, distracted by the movement of his hand noting the thinness, the too-prominent veins tracing lightly beneath his skin.  They, more than any other parts of his body seemed to show the toll the years had extracted from him.  Thanks to all of his little meteor-enhanced gifts he still looked much younger than his true age except for that.  Of course, according to Clark, it was because he was 'too damned skinny'.  That it had nothing to do with the fact that he'd be turning ninety next week. 

Ninety!  How the fuck had that happened?  Wasn't he supposed to go out in a blaze of glory leaving behind a great looking corpse?  Isn't that the way that all good 'bad boys' were supposed to end?   

Lex smirked at himself in the mirror.  He may as well face it, the 'Great and powerful Oz' had been tamed by the Scarecrow long ago on a dusty, Kansas riverbank.  One kiss, one look into those startled, emerald eyes and he'd been lost.  Even on the days that he was so angry with Clark he longed for a certain signet ring he used to wear, he knew that he wouldn't have it any other way.  

Lex felt a tug on his jacket.  Looking down at the source he saw a mirror of that same, long ago gaze, looking back up at him. 

"Poppa Lex, Grandpa sent me to find you.  He said I was to tell you that you couldn't hide out in the closet at your own party…"  Martha looked around at the bathroom they stood in, giggling.  "Doesn't look much like a closet to me..."   

She tugged on his jacket again; Lex went down on one knee, ignoring the creaking of his joints as he did, so that he'd be more on eye level with his precocious, five year old granddaughter.  Leaning closer she whispered into his ear, laughing again, small hand cool upon his cheek.  "I think that Grandpa's been hitting Jonny's special punch, what do you think?"  

Lex kissed her forehead, ruffling the riot of black curls as he stood back up, smiling.  "I'm not even going to ask how you know about the special punch, Minx.  Go find your Grandpa Clark and tell him I'll be right out." 

Her grin, so like Clark's it hurt sometimes, creased her face again as she hugged him tightly, shoes clicking on the tile as she ran back out to join the others. 

Lex turned back to the mirror, taking one last look at the man staring back at him from the glass.  So what if things hadn't gone according to plan?  Life, and a certain, hard-headed alien, had shown Lex a better path to follow.   

Hell, when you got right down to it, when you had the Universe wrapped around you every day who'd settle for one puny world?  Lex closed his eyes, leaning back as strong arms circled him from behind, warm breath on his neck as Clark kissed a path down his exposed skin. 

fin