FIC: Must Be Dreaming, part eight
Title: Must Be Dreaming
Series/WIP: Sequel to So Much Dreaming
Pairing: Clex!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After being abducted by aliens and discovering that Jonathan Kent is alive, Lex must come to grips with his shifting relationship with Clark and an unexpected pregnancy.
Spoilers: Through S5, after Cyborg.
Warnings: MPREG!!
Thanks and smoochies to my spectacular sexful sparklie beta herohunter
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter 5.1
Chapter 5.2
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Part Eight
When Lana returned to her dorm the next morning, there were campus police everywhere, and Chloe was sitting on the bed, her hair a mess and her cheeks blotchy from crying. Lana fixed a surprised expression on her face.
“What happened?” she asked, her eyes wide as she entered the room.
“Someone left the door open, and my laptop got stolen!” Chloe cried angrily.
One of the officers came up to her. “Are you the roommate? We’d like to have a word with you. What time did you leave the dorm yesterday?”
“I… it was about three o’clock. I drove to Smallville to meet my boyfriend,” she answered, thinking… it was almost the truth.
“Oh, god,” Chloe got up and started to pace. She looked over her destroyed Wall of Weird, and her face crumbled again.
“Did you notice anyone at the time you left? Anyone unfamiliar walking through the hallways?” the officer asked, trying to catch her attention.
Chloe answered her cell. “Clark? Yeah… Just now? What did you fight over? Well, you have to understand, he’s a little touchy right now- No, I’m not crying. I’m not! What happened with you and Lex? Why were you fighting?”
Lana smiled.
“Miss Lang, I’m going to need you to go through your things to find out what else has been stolen. There’s a lot of clothing and jewelry here that would have fetched a price.”
“Well, if they had grabbed everything, wouldn’t someone have noticed them leaving with a huge bag full of someone else’s stuff?” she pointed out, setting her bag down on her bed and looking over the utter devastation of their room. Surely she hadn’t done all of that.
“Someone ransacked our dorm room,” Chloe told Clark. “They stole my laptop and assassinated the Wall of Weird. What did it ever do to them, I ask you?!”
“Maybe it was a meteor freak,” Lana suggested. “If one of them came in here and saw that, they might be a bit put off by it.”
“You seem awfully calm,” the officer said.
“I’m a little in shock. And…” Lana closed her eyes. “I feel so stupid. Chloe, I must have been so eager to see Clark that I forgot to lock the door. I’m so sorry.”
“No, no.” Chloe sighed, hanging up. “It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose. God, I’m so screwed. So incredibly screwed… oh GOD!”
“What?” The officer whipped around.
“No,” she said quietly, crossing her arms and turning pale. “I just remembered something that’s on my laptop… that I really need. Lana, I’m going to fail. I can’t afford to fail. I’ve worked so hard. I’ll lose my scholarship if I can’t turn in my term paper!”
“We’ll do everything we can to find it,” the officer promised, closing his notepad and heading out the door. “Call us if you remember anything, and be sure to fill out the forms for everything that’s missing.”
The officer almost bumped into Clark on the way out. They frowned at one another, and then Clark rushed over to give Chloe a hug. “God, I’m sorry, Chlo.”
Lana narrowed her eyes, watching them suspiciously.
“I’m… Mm.” Chloe just buried her face in his big chest and let herself go for a moment, while his strong arms wrapped around her tightly. Her shoulders began to relax in his embrace.
Lana quietly walked over to her dresser and started looking through the drawers. “Oh my god!”
“What?” Chloe turned her head.
“I had three hundred dollars in this drawer.” She turned and widened her eyes in dismay.
Chloe looked to the ceiling and shook her head. “This is just way too much. What the hell? I stay to work late once to help find a little girl, and someone decides to pick our room over all the rich nitwits on campus? That sucks.”
“Why didn’t they take the jewelry?” Clark asked, looking at the mess of Lana’s things on the floor.
Chloe shrugged. “Cash is easier? The jewelry could be fake?”
“Then why take your laptop too?” Clark started to look around the room, staring at things intensely.
Chloe creased her brow and looked over at Lana, who shrugged and went to stand beside her and rub her back.
“What are you going to do about your paper, Chloe?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. I… I can’t lose my scholarship. I’ve worked so hard for it…”
“Chloe, we’re going to find your laptop. Trust me, okay?” Clark interrupted, walking back over to them. “I promise.”
Chloe sighed and closed her eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders. “Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Clark. I… I have to go talk to my professor.” She put her arms around him again, and he kissed her hair before she let go.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I can do it. Thanks, Clark.” She tried to pull her hair into order. Clark looked around, then pulled her hairbrush out from a pile of clutter and handed it to her. She grinned as she began to fix her hair. “My hero.”
“Yeah. Me and my great power. Of hairbrush finding.” He rubbed her shoulders. “Take a breath. It’s gonna be okay. Promise.”
“Well, if you promise.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Okay. I’ll call you when I’m done, and I can counsel you on your Lex issues.”
“We can skip that part, if you want,” Clark said dryly. Chloe pulled out her keys and waved at him.
“Hey, Clark,” Lana said softly, crossing her arms and looking at him seriously as soon as Chloe left. “How is Lex doing?”
“They released him from the hospital this morning,” Clark replied coldly, looking around the dorm again seriously.
“Well, that’s good, then,” she said hopefully.
“Not really. He should stay a little longer, considering how sick he’s been. But he talked them out of it. I’m amazed he stayed the night. He’s got his personal doctor, though. That much is good.” Clark’s knelt by Chloe’s papers and started to look through them. He laughed. “Oh-kay. Someone has run out of weird things to investigate.”
“Isn’t it funny?” Lana laughed lightly and came to sit beside him. “I can’t even tell what those are suppose to be.”
“Pregnant men. That’s hilarious. I wonder what tipped her off to this one. Too much Sims II, I guess.”
“Sims II?” Lana tucked some hair behind her ear and looked at Clark.
“It’s a computer game that Chloe has on her laptop. She has this hack code she uses to make Devilicus pregnant with Warrior Angel’s babies.”
Lana wrinkled her nose. “Why?”
“Because she thinks it’s funny maybe? Chloe and her comics. Look. Lana-” Clark set the papers aside. “-I’m going to do everything I can to catch who did this.”
“Clark, you don’t have to do that. The campus police are on it already.”
“Are you really going to rely on them? I don’t think there’s much chance that they’ll find who did this.”
Lana sighed. “I wish you’d just stay out of this. You don’t have to be the hero all the time.”
“Believe me, I’m not.” He stood up and walked over to the window. “We’re through.”
Lana’s mouth dropped open. “What?” She got up and walked over to him, her eyes wide and questioning. “What did you say?”
“I don't know any other way to say it, but the truth is my feelings for you have changed.” Clark put his hands in his pockets as he scanned the skyline.
“Wh-you… Clark! You were kissing him, and now you’re breaking up with me?” she demanded.
Clark turned and looked at her in surprise. “Is that why you did that? Is that why you made Lex sick?”
“I didn’t-“
“Before you lie to me, you should know that Chloe told me about your fight right after it happened. I know you found out from her that coffee makes Lex ‘yak’ right now, and I know you did that on purpose. If you’re mad at me, fine,” Clark boomed. “Take it out on me. Don’t take it out on the guy who has been kidnapped and lying in bed sick for weeks!”
“I don’t believe you. I’ve waited for so long for you to get over your hang-ups!”
“Is this about the sex?”
“What sex? There’s been no sex!” She threw her hands in the air. “And this is why, isn’t it? You’ve always wanted Lex. You never loved me, did you?” She turned, eyes shining and pinched her mouth together.
“No, I don’t think I did.”
Lana’s eyes went round.”What?”
“I don’t think you and I have ever really known each other very well.” Clark looked her in the eyes. “Because the person I fell in love with wouldn’t vindictively go after a sick man because I screwed up. I kissed him, Lana. You don’t think he’s vulnerable right now?”
Lana dropped her arms and shook her head, at a loss. “Did… did you do this because I kissed him back in February? You aren’t… you aren’t really a gay, are you Clark?”
“I don’t know. But… I know that I don’t love you. I’ll always care about you,” he assured her. “But we don’ t love each other.”
”Get out,” she spat.
“Lana, I never meant to hurt you-“
“I don't want another Clark Kent apology. It's over. Forever. Get out!” she shrieked.
Clark stormed up to her and grabbed her shoulders. “You! You stay away from Lex. Understand?”
Lana nodded mutely and stayed in place until Clark had left the room. She stumbled to her bed, shaking. He’d never talked to her like that before. Never grabbed her like that. She was scared.
***
Lex stands in front of the board, giving a report on their new acquisitions in the Lost City of Atlantis. The merfolk are wary of a takeover, but Lex convinced them that it was in their best interests to allow LuthorCorp to buy their land. He hopes his dad is proud of him. He tried really hard to prove himself this time.
“Well done, Lex,” his father says, standing and coming up to him with a wheelchair.
“I’m not finished with my presentation,” Lex protests, taking a step backward.
“It was quite… acceptable, Lex. You’ll be joining me here on the board soon.” Lionel grips Lex’s shoulder and gives him a shark’s smile. “After an appropriate leave of course. But right now, you have another pressing meeting to get to.”
Lex is pushed into the chair and looks up at his father and the other board members, who are all smiling and nodding their heads as his father begins to wheel him out of the boardroom.
“What other meeting?”
Lionel chuckles. “The birth of your child, of course!”
“You… you know? About the baby? Wait.” Lex tries to halt the chair with one hand, but Lionel wheels him into the next room where the walls become white and nurses and patients are coming and going. He’s in the Smallville Medical Center. “I can’t have the baby now! I’m not due for another six months!”
“Oh, son,” Lionel says, still laughing as he speaks. His father reaches down and rubs his hands over Lex’s belly. Lex looks down and realizes he’s wearing a hospital gown. And his abdomen is fully round and distended. Lionel’s laugh sends a chill down his spine. “You’re definitely having the baby now!”
“I can’t! I haven’t gotten anything ready yet! We don’t have a nursery, or any clothing, or toys, or a name…” Lex smoothes a hand over his sweating scalp. “I haven’t even begun Lamaze!”
Lionel kneels over Lex’s vast belly and gives it a kiss. “Don’t concern yourself with any of that, son. The baby will be staying with me, of course.”
“…what?”
”You’ve already signed your adoption papers.” Lionel stands and claps his hand on Lex’s back.
“No no no. This isn’t happening,” Lex says in a high, unsettled voice. Lionel breaks into a run with the chair, and two doctors flank them and lift Lex up onto a hospital bed. “Besides, I’m supposed to have a c-section.”
”Perspiration, son!” Lionel cheers.
Lex growls at him, baring his teeth. “THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!”
Lionel laughs. “Just like your mother when she was in labor with you!”
“Ugh! I’ll kill you, old man!”
Lex can barely concentrate on anything beyond the pain in his belly and his own panting, but then he realizes that he’s not the only one breathing heavily, and he looks over at the bed next to him.
Clark and Lana are having sex.
Lionel puts his hands on his hips and sighs imperiously. “I thought we were going to get a private room.”
“Clark?!” Lex cries in dismay.
Clark gives him a thumbs-up as he pounds into Lana doggie-style. “I’m-ugh! Right-ugh! with you! Lex! Oh yeah! Yeah! God, you’re so tight! I love you, Lana!”
“Harder, Clark! Harder, oh God! You’re so biiiig!” Lana moans loudly.
Lex places his hands over his huge quivering belly and watches them in disbelief. They continue to rock with wild abandon as he huffs, watching them with wide eyes.
Lionel peeks between his legs. “Push it out, already. I don’t have all day, son. I want to take my new baby home, and I have a meeting with the Queen at noon!”
“A-ahhhh!” Lex jerked up from his desk and clasped the fabric of his shirt with a grimace. Another crazy dream. A ridiculous one, as well. He looked around him and sighed. Fell asleep in his office again. He stood slowly and stood to fetch his suit jacket. He had better things to do today than lay around feeling pitiful.
“Boss,” Mercy said, opening the door and peaking in. “You have a visitor.”
“Who?” Lex paused and waited to put on his jacket.
“Chloe Sullivan.”
“Oh, well, let her in.” Lex walked back over to his desk and pulled out a bottle of water.
A moment later Chloe came into the office, looking frazzled and hesitant.
“Have a seat.” Lex motioned with his hands.
Chloe shook her head. “Lex, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Lex lifted his chin in alarm. “Who knows?”
“I don’t know, but my dorm was robbed last night. And they got my laptop and some money from Lana.” Chloe frowned and twisted her fingers. “There’s a lot of information about you on there.”
“I see.”
“And about LuthorCorp. And certain… projects.”
Lex closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alright. Mercy.”
Mercy came up next to him and met Chloe’s eyes with a smirk. “Boss?”
“I want you to contact the authorities at Met U and send out a few people to investigate this missing laptop.” Lex looked back at Chloe. “Did anyone know you were investigating me?”
“Um… no.”
Lex caught the looks passing between Mercy and Chloe. “Do you two know each other?”
“You gave me her picture, Boss,” Mercy answered with a smile.
“We met down at the Buzzkill Café,” Chloe put in.
“She’d been riding up and down the elevators all day, looking for me, I think. She took my picture.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. Lex licked his lips. “Yes, well, we have more important things to deal with. Mercy. Go.”
She nodded and gave Chloe a wink on her way out the door.
Lex looked back at Chloe. “Chloe, I think that it’s unlikely an enemy of mine would target you, not knowing that you had information on me. Regardless we’ll do everything we can to find it. I promise.”
Chloe nodded. “I’m just… I’m really sorry. I went to the trouble of trying to keep this under wraps, and…”
“It happens, and you didn’t deliberately betray me. I think I’d know if you had.”
Chloe slumped down in her chair and sighed.
“Please don’t cry over this, Chloe,” Lex rose again and walked over to her to touch her shoulder.
“I… no, I was crying before. My fifteen-page term paper was on there, and now I’m going to fail my English lit class. I have nothing. It’s due in two days. So I’m going to lose my scholarship and my internship and…” Chloe sucked her lower lip in to keep from pouting.
Lex’s hand rubbed over her back. “I see. Well, I can have a word with your professor and convince him that you deserve an A in the class-“
“No.” Chloe turned her head. “I can’t let you do something like that for me. I’ll have to try to reassemble it from memory. That’s all I can do.”
Lex pressed his lips together. “What can I do to help?”
“Trying to find it is enough, I promise. I’ll cope somehow. And learn to keep more backups.” She wiped her sweating palms on her pants. “And thanks for being so forgiving. I really screwed up on this one. I was afraid you were going to give me a very deserved flip-out.”
“Didn’t you put a password on it?” Lex asked, creasing one brow.
“Well, yeah, but if they’ve got a good hacker, then they’ll be able to yank out my hard drive and crack it,” Chloe pointed out.
“I think it’s more likely they’ll wipe the drive and sell it.”
“Can I ask what you’re doing here? I mean, it’s convenient for me, but yesterday they were pulling shards of glass out of your back. I can still see the bandages,” Chloe said with concern. “Shouldn’t you be home resting? Especially…”
“I’m fine.” Lex didn’t fail to notice her eyes raking up and down his body, then resting at his middle. He moved his hand over the front of his shirt. “We’re fine. Just a little tired.”
“Which is why you should be resting?” Chloe reiterated in an insistent voice.
Lex put his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the door. “Don’t you have a term paper to rewrite?”
Chloe sighed. “Yeah, I do. Otherwise I’d stick around and make sure you eat lunch.”
“No prob, I’ll do that,” Lena said, walking into the office. She held up two bags. “I gots food.”
“Chloe, this is my friend Lena.” Lex motioned to the older woman.
Lena dropped the bags in Lex’s arms then reached out to shake Chloe’s hand. “Hello, Chloe. Another friend of Lex’s?”
“Yep. Well, I really do have to go. Make sure he eats and gets a nap later.” Chloe pointed at him, raising a brow. Lex rolled his eyes and set the food by his sofa.
“Oh, I think I can handle him. Gosh, he scared me to death yesterday,” Lena complained. She put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder, then pulled her in for a hug. “You’re going to be fine, sweetness. Just take care of yourself, and we’ll take care of Lex, okay?”
“Oh…” Chloe was stiff for a moment, then hugged Lena back, looking grateful. “Thanks.”
Lena rubbed her back for a moment then let Chloe go, who appeared a little dazed on her way out, but was smiling slightly. Lena waved her hands at Lex. “Off your feet!”
“Alright alright.”
Lena sat down beside him and opened the bags. “She’s got a cute butt.”
Lex laughed, holding his hand to his side. “Please. Spare me talking about Chloe’s butt. It would be like talking about my sister.”
“Haha! Is she okay? She felt very upset.” Lena began making him a plate.
“Someone stole her laptop, and it had information about me on it. Also her midterm.” Lex rubbed the back of his neck and looked up as his intercom rang. He held up a finger and got up to go push the button. “Yes, Michelle?”
“Your father is wanting to come meet with you.”
“Tell him I’ll come to his office,” Lex said. He looked at Lena. “Give me a few minutes.”
Lena looked displeased, but Lex left his office anyway and headed to go meet with his father. It couldn’t be too bad, and putting it off wouldn’t make meeting with him any better.
“Son!” Lionel exclaimed when Lex walked into the office. The older man stood, keeping a keen eye on how Lex was moving.
Lex felt immediately unnerved. “Dad? Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? You were badly injured yesterday. I wonder if you should even be here today.” Lionel walked closer to him and reached over to touch his shoulder, but Lex dodged.
“So people keep telling me. I’m perfectly fine though,” Lex insisted.
His father continued to stare at him for a moment, a visual dissection, until he shook his head. “I’m your father. I’m concerned for my son’s health. You’ve been… ill, lately, Lex. You’re fragile.” He caressed the side of Lex’s face.
Lex jerked backward and took a few steps away from his father. “I’m fine,” he repeated irritably. “Is this the reason you pulled me away from my lunch?”
“Oh.” Lionel held his hands up. “By all means, go eat lunch.”
“You’re acting very strange,” Lex said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning his body away from his father.
Lionel pressed his lips together. “Forgive me. You… you’ve just been reminding me of your mother lately. Always pushing the boundaries, wanting to do more than you can do.”
Lex sighed softly. “I'm not dying, Dad. Not gonna get rid of me so easily.”
Lionel gave him a gentle smile, which was just as bad as being toothily grinned at. “Good, then. Ignore me. I’m being sentimental. Go have your lunch. And perhaps a nap. You look tired.”
“I don’t know about you, but intend on working, like any other business man,” Lex said sharply.
“Of course, son.” Lionel nodded indulgently.
Once outside the office, Lex quirked his brows and hurried back to his own office, where Lena was waiting and the world made sense.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he stepped through the door.
Lex shook his head. “My father had a weird moment.”
“He’s a weird man,” Lena said derisively. She never sugar coated how much she disliked Lionel. “Eat.”
Lex sat back down. “I had such a crazy dream.”
“Yeah? You get pretty weird dreams when you’re pregnant. What happened?”
Lex put some food on his fork and thought back. “I was giving a proposal…”
***
The first thing that Maddie learned in the castle was that it was always chilly. It was summer, and it was still cool inside the castle.
The second thing she learned was that Lex didn’t like to go to bed, and usually Dr. Tanaka, who was really creepy, or Dr. Toby, who smelled funny, would have to coerce him into going to bed. Lena didn’t have to try to hard to get Lex to go to bed. Then she’d tickle him and make him smile.
Oh yeah, and Lex worked all the time, if he could get away with it. He worked so much Maddie would never see him unless she came into the study and read on the couch until he looked up and noticed her. Then he’d get up, say he was sorry, and offer to do something fun with her. Then he’d smile, a little.
Lex was awful sad.
Then there was that time when he’d gotten up, started to apologize, and fallen to the ground! It was very scary, and Maddie had screamed for help and shaken him until he woke up. She broke all the glass in the study by accident. When Lex woke, she had held her hands on him to keep him still. The glass hadn’t reached them, but it was all over the place, and the maid gave a little shriek when she stepped into the room.
There were murmurs about a devil child, but Lex kept reassuring her that it was fine, they would replace the glass, and he would be fine as soon as he had lunch. She stayed by his side until he was in bed being examined by Dr. Tanaka, who shooed her out, looking worriedly at the windows.
Lex had taken her hand and promised to spend the afternoon with her, as soon as he could stay upright for a few hours. But Dr. Tanaka had made him stay in bed, much to his frustration.
“Dr. Tanaka’s a witch,” Maddie complained to Lena. Lena was setting up some lilies on the table in hopes Lex would be able to come down to dinner tonight. Dr. Tanaka had left instructions with Toby, so it might happen.
“I dunno. From what Lex tells me, Dr. Tanaka isn’t really cool enough to be a witch. Not free enough to dance naked at the Equinox.”
Maddie smiled. Lena looked at her sympathetically. “Sorry Lex isn’t around as much as you’d like.”
Lena was funny, and she always knew what to say, and when to touch and when not to. Maddie was glad she was around. “Why’s he so sick?”
”Because the dope doesn’t know how to slow down.” She shrugged and sat next to Maddie, just barely touching her shoulder before she moved her hand away. “I don’t know how he got sick, but he should be okay, if he can remember to take care of himself.”
“Why is he so upset?” Maddie asked. She sat beside Lena. Mostly when she asked the servants, they wouldn’t tell her anything.
“It’s because of his and Clark’s fight. Lex wants to make up, but they keep making the same mistakes over and over,” Lena explained with a sigh. She pulled one of the lilies out and began to stroke the stem slowly. “Lex wants to be with Clark, but he’s afraid if he does that, he’ll just let their fights happen again and again, and he doesn’t need that kind of stress.”
“I’m sure Clark would say he’s sorry!” Maddie argued. “He’s a nice guy, Lena.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, honey. I’m sure he’s great. But he’s not very nice to Lex sometimes, and he should be, you know. They’re friends.”
“They’re more than friends.” Maddie grinned. “They were kissing in the barn.”
Lena raised her eyebrows real high. “Oh, were they?”
Maddie nodded eagerly, beaming as she remembered them kissing on the couch.
“Lex didn’t tell me about that.” Lena thinned her lips. Maddie giggled happily. Lena smiled and leaned over to give her a little squeeze before getting up. “What should we do while we wait on lazybones to get up from his nap?”
Maddie shrugged. Lena headed over to the sound system and started flipping through CDs. “God, Lex is a white, white boy. What’s with all the opera?”
“He must like it. He listens to it all the time.”
“Well, I got something better. Hang on a sec.” Lena headed out of the room. Maddie was a little impressed. Lena didn’t seem afraid of her at all. She returned shimmying her hips. “Peeeerfect!”
Lena put the CD into the slot and waited for it to load up, bouncing her head a little as she changes the tracks. The sound of trumpets came on.
“Okay, babe! Let’s dance.”
“I don’t know how,” Maddie said nervously. Lena smiled.
”That’s fine. You watch me, and if you wanna join in, just do it!” Lena put her hand on her belly and made a trilling noise in her throat as she began to dance around the smaller dining room that Lex had set up for the three of them. Maddie had to laugh. Lena was such a dork sometimes.
No one was watching, so Maddie tried to dance a little, too.
”Gimme a booty tooch, hon!” Lena laughed.
”What’s a booty tooch?” Maddie asked. Lena proceeded to demonstrate, sticking out her rear end.
“Like that. Only you gotta do it more, ‘cause my behind is much bigger than yours!”
Maddie giggled again and tried to do what Lena was doing. After a few tries, she thought she had it and was grinding and wiggling her hips.
Lex came in just as she was doing another booty tooch.
”You are a bad bad influence!” he cried, pointing at Lena, who just laughed. “She’s just a little girl!”
“Oh, dance with us.”
“The doctor says no dancing. No dancing, and absolutely no fun whatsoever,” Lex told them, before going to the phone to get dinner brought up. Lena danced over and hugged him around the waist. Maddie followed, hugging him from the other side. Lex smiled a little and rubbed the little girl’s back.
***
Clark took a deep breath, raking his eyes over the Metropolis University campus. It was hard to believe that in a few weeks, he’d be continuing his classes here. He headed up to the bursar’s office with his printout of classes and the check his father had given him.
In the middle of the hall he stopped and used his x-ray vision to start looking around the rooms. He couldn’t figure out where he was supposed to be. He’d kind of imagined this time he’d have Lex by his side to help him.
“You look lost,” a woman’s voice said ironically.
Clark turned to see a woman with long, ginger hair creasing her brow and curving her small mouth at him. She was wearing a cropped t-shirt that showed her belly, and it was making him nervous. Though thankfully she was kind of flat. “I am lost. Lost without a map. Do you have any idea where room 311 is?”
“Um…” She looked around and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Then she turned to point. “That way. Follow me.”
“That was fast.”
“Follow the current!” she teased, smiling back at him and putting her hands together to mime a fish swimming. Clark chuckled and jogged up beside her. She raced them up the stairs.
“Are you in track or something?”
“Nah, I’m on the swim team. Got to be in good shape!” She beat him up the stairs, although Clark knew he hadn’t been trying that hard. Her arms were in fact, quite slender and muscular. She put her hands on her hips and cocked a brow before pointing to a room on the left. “Go west, young man.”
“Thanks. That really helps. What’s your name?”
She tilted her head sharply and sucked in her cheeks a little. It was such an odd expression that it gave Clark a pause. Then she righted her head and said, “Lori Lemaris.”
“Clark Kent.” He held out his hand, which she took and gave a more than firm handshake.
“You’re adorable. Come masticate with me sometime!”
Clark felt his cheeks flush. He’d momentarily thought she had said something else. “Uh… eat with you sometime.”
“Oh. Whatever. Chew. Food. Ingest stuff. Whatever. Do you like sushi?” Her grin was overly toothy because she kept pinching her lips together, but she was so awkward that it was strangely endearing.
“I uh… I appreciate it, but I just got out of a relationship.” Clark rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.
“I’m not asking you to have my babies or anything. Just lunch!”
Clark very nearly stopped breathing.
“Just come eat with me sometime, hm? Are you a new student here?” She hooked her thumbs on the waistband of her gray sweatpants.
“Yeah, I’ll be starting as soon as the first summer session begins.”
“Me too. Meet with me on the first day, and we can have lunch. Where do you want to meet?”
“Do you always order guys around?”
Lori tilted her head in that funny way again and rolled her shoulders. “Yes. Why?”
Clark just laughed. “Uh, okay. We can meet for lunch. But that’s it, okay? I don’t want to lead you on.”
Lori bounced on the balls of her feet. “Yay! Okay. Go pay your tuition, Clark Kent. Meet me… where are your first classes on the first Monday?”
“I have English Comp in Wayne Hall and Spanish in…” Clark looked at his schedule.
Lori came over and looked at it with him. “I have Calculus too. We’ll walk somewhere for lunch together after that.”
“Okay. Right. I gotta go… do stuff.” Clark raised a brow to see if she’d let him go. Lori nodded and pressed all of her fingers together for a little wave before she practically glided off in the other direction.
What a weirdo, Clark thought to himself, walking into the line coming out of room 311.
When he finally got up to the window, he bit his lip and started to babble. “Uh… we talked with financial aid and there’s… an incremental plan-“
“ID number?” The student worker reached for it with a slender hand. Clark fumbled around his jeans for a moment. The worker sighed and then looked up at him. “Oh, hay! You’re the Queen of Wand’s boyfriend!”
“What?” Clark dropped his wallet then picked it up and started to look for his ID. He’d just gotten it. He couldn’t have lost it already.
“The drama queen with saucer eyes and a Prada habit. I read her fortune like a month ago.” The guy took Clark’s ID from him and started to type it in.
“Oh, right. Kestrel. She’s not my girlfriend anymore.”
The guy whistled and clicked his tongue. “Sorry about that. Well, not so much for you. You’ll be better off.” Kestrel rubbed his thumb over the ID card. “Did you use protection with her?”
“What? Yes!” Clark put his hands in his back pockets. Such weird people he was meeting lately. “She didn’t give me an STD, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“No, I doubt you guys hardly ever had sex.” Kestrel frowned at the screen.
“Then what?”
“Well, I think you’re gonna be dealing with something normally sexually transmitted…”
Clark felt his insides turn to ice water. “Lana’s pregnant?!” Then he scowled. “That’s not possible. She’d look like she swallowed a bowling ball by now if it were mine.”
“I see daddyhood in someone’s future one way or the other.” Kestrel tapped the ID on the screen. “And your tuition has been paid off.” He swiveled his screen around so Clark could see. “In full. For the next four years. Since last week. Courtesy of one Alexander Joseph Luthor.”
Clark’s heart sank. “Oh.”
Kestrel handed his card back but didn’t let go for a moment. “I saw betrayal in Lana’s future. I still see it in yours, too. Something’s coming, Clark. Something big and scary and wrong. Would you like to have a real reading? I could try to give you more of an idea of what you’re up against.”
“No. What, do you give readings to everyone who walks through this line?” Clark demanded, snatching his ID.
“Only when they have a cute ass.” Kestrel smirked. Clark rolled his eyes and walked away, covering his ass with his papers. Kestrel huffed. “Hey, what’s your sign?!”
***
Lena looked around her empty club a bit nostalgically. It was strange to be in Solana when there weren’t people there, bustling around, loving and hating and being embarrassed, anxious, frightened, joyful, alive. All she could feel was Lex, strolling around the club, his face so serious. But inside, so much anxiousness for the baby, loneliness from missing that pretty boy of his already, frustration regarding something he obviously hadn’t discussed with her yet. That was fine. Distrust was big on the list of feelings running through Lex at any given time, so she wasn’t surprised that Lex didn’t open up and tell her every little thing on his mind.
Lena hadn’t always been so easygoing regarding other people’s business, though she fully realized how much Mareena would laugh her butt off at that statement. Lena knew she had a lack of boundaries sometimes, but really, when everyone’s business is in your head, how can you mind your own business sometimes? She was just grateful she hadn’t started any major drama lately with her nosiness.
Lex turned and walked over to her. Curiosity. She bet he was wondering what she was thinking.
“Gonna tear us down?” she asked cheerfully.
“Immediately.” Lex stood in the middle of the dance floor and ran his fingers up and down the fire pole that ran from the ground to the upper floor. “I’m sorry, why do you have this in here?”
Lena laughed. “This used to be a firehouse. Before it burned down.”
Lex raised his brows very high. The amusement came off him in nice soft waves. Much better than the unsettled feelings he’d been having when they’d arrived. “Well… isn’t that an interesting turn of events.”
“Mm. Yeah, so they kept the pole when they rebuilt this place.”
“They didn’t do a great job,” Lex muttered. Disappointment.
“So we can’t fix it?” she asked. Lex met her eye and crooked the side of his mouth.
“We can, but there’s a lot of work to be done. I can see why they were looking at this as a parking lot,” he told her bluntly.
“Don’t help just ‘cause you like me, Lexie,” Lena advised. She walked over to the pole. “Mostly, you know, you can slide from the top floor down on this. And sometimes people do, but we ask them not to because they end up beaning the people below. But mostly, the kids use this pole to dance.”
Lex nodded. “I can see that.”
Lena stepped up to the pole, raised her right leg as far as she could on the pole and started to swing around it. To her delight Lex started to laugh loudly. She must look like an elephant trying to do that.
“Oop!” Lena slipped backward, losing her balance and fell hard on her cushy tush. Lex rushed over her, pressing worry all over her face. “I’m fine!”
“You sure?” Lex crouched down to help her up. She grunted a little as he took her hands.
“Yes. Just round and klutzy. You’re next, slim.” She poked his skinny ribs and smiled.
Lex pursed his lips, touching where she had touched then grabbed the pole to pull himself up. “We have a lot of work to do. I think we could still turn a profit here, even after the remodel and divvying up proceeds.”
“You aren’t sure.”
“Well, I’ve done more with less. I’ve never taken you to The Talon, but good grief, did that place have problems. Then my manager let her fifteen-year-old niece run it. I should have booted her.”
Lena wasn’t sure what to make of that animosity, but it felt familiar, the same feeling that kept popping up when he talked about certain people in Smallville. She came over to him and gave him a light rub on the back. He didn’t really want to be touched too much right now. A strange feeling of vulnerability was buzzing around him. “Do what you got to, honey. Just let me know.”
“I think we should get married,” Lex said. He turned around and looked at her blankly after she hadn’t spoken for a moment. “What?”
With a ‘gift’ like mine, I should be thanking God for any time I’m really surprised by what people do, right? Lena started to laugh and couldn’t stop. She cupped her belly to keep it from shaking. “Oh, Lexie, we aren’t going to get married! You don’t love me!”
Lex made a huffing sound.
“Well, not like that. What crazy things you say, boy. Oh, don’t be pouty. You’re gay! Why would you want to marry me?” she asked, smiling widely. Oh, her silly boy.
“I’m not gay,” Lex protested, crossing his arms.
“Maybe you aren’t a total five on the Kinsey scale, but who is, you know? You definitely want to be with that pretty boy-“
“His name is Clark.”
“Whatever.” She raised her hands. He was so pissed it was starting to make her head pound, but… he felt sad, too. “Why would you ask that? I’m sorry, hon. Shouldn’t’ve laughed.”
Lex sighed and rubbed his arms. “No, I guess it wouldn’t work. I just thought… we care about each other, and we’re both having children. We could look after them… together.”
Lena pressed her lips together. What a sweetie! She walked up to him and rubbed his shoulders, then feeling his resistance die, gave him a hug. “We don’t have to get married to do that. You’re kinda a traditional boy, huh? Afraid of having this baby out of wedlock?”
Lex shrugged. “I think I just want someone beside me to help me through it. I don’t mean that you haven’t been great, Lena, but-“
“No, I know what you mean, don’t worry. And I’m sorry he can’t grow the fuck up and help you with this.”
“He doesn’t know.” Lex squeezed her arms and then pulled away to walk over to the bar. “And even if he did, how could I ask him to help me? It’s not his mistake.”
“It’s not yours either!” Lena pointed out, not liking the feel of this conversation at all. She never did, where that pretty boy was concerned. “You didn’t ask that… whatever the hell he is to kidnap you and hurt you and experiment on you.”
“That… it doesn’t matter.” Lex leaned against the bar and rested his hand over his middle. “I’m the one keeping this baby. I’m the one having this baby. I can’t ask him to… I’m not sure what I even want him to do. Be the father?”
“He could support you without having to step in as daddy, and you never know, he might be up for the job.”
“He can barely take care of himself.”
Lena stepped over to him and put her hand over his on his stomach. “I feel you.”
“I know you do. It’s probably one of the few reasons I haven’t been able to scare you off, too.”
She placed her other hand on his back and started to rub slowly. His spirits had been so low since he’d brought Maddie home. It was all she could to not to cry with him when she felt the tears well up in his eyes and the feelings of loneliness and fear take over, when she felt his self-esteem bottoming out. It was a good thing that Maddie was around. Having the girl there to look after made him smile more. She just wished Clark would wise up and give Lex a call already.
“Better?” she asked. He hadn’t started to cry, which could be good or bad depending on how long he tried to bottle up what he was feeling. The hormones were driving him crazy.
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m better. Like you wouldn’t know.”
“Well. I do try to have some manners. Sometimes.”
Lex planted a kiss on top of her hair. He was smiling again, slightly. It was enough for now.
***
“I’m so glad you could make it, Miss Lang,” Lionel Luthor’s disaffected voice rang out.
Lana walked into the private room of the restaurant and took the chair held out for her, her eyes flitting up to look at Lionel, who was standing above her. “I have to admit that I was eager to hear from you.”
“Ah, I see this is to be a business call.” Lionel sat across from her and handed her a menu.
Lana narrowed her eyes. “Have you found out what’s wrong with Lex yet?”
“Unfortunately not,” he said smoothly, meeting her large eyes, which he’d noticed seemed to become larger when she wanted something. “I’ve found some important information on Chloe’s laptop so far, but we don’t yet know what is ailing my son.”
Lana looked disappointed.
“Order whatever you like.” Lionel looked up to the waiter silently and patiently standing in the corner. “I’d like a bottle of the Benjamin Romeo 2003. Bring two glasses.” He turned his head back to Lana. “Regardless, after observing your resourcefulness, I’d like to make use of it. You see, Lex has been engaging in some rather unorthodox activities since he took over my company. As his father, I wish the best for him of course, but I can’t simply allow him to run wild.”
Lana nodded in response as he ended his sentence with a tinge of laughter. “Of course. What’s he been up to?”
Lionel held a finger up. “Until I can discern the best means of handling this, whether that be turning them over to the government or taking control myself, I will need this to be kept in utter secrecy.”
“I understand,” she said in a low voice.
The waiter returned and presented the bottle to the both of them, then when Lionel nodded, he opened it up and poured a glass for Lionel. The wily old man picked it up, smiled at Lana, and took a sip. “Ah. Perfect. Thank you.”
The waiter moved to pour Lana a glass.
“What will you have for lunch, my dear? Money is no object. The wine itself is almost $350,” Lionel said casually.
Lana’s eyes bugged out. “That much? For a wine?”
“But of course. One thing you learn more keenly as you grown older, Miss Lang, is that you get what you pay for. I think this concept is not unfamiliar to you. You yourself have quite rich tastes.” He leaned back in his chair. “A pity you couldn’t have become closer with my son. No matter.”
Another waiter came in with a silver tray and set it in the middle of their table. Upon it were a delicate blue and white bowl with a mother of pearl spoon and several well-shaped slices of bread.
“What…?”
Lionel laughed. “You’re adventurous enough to go to Paris, and you’ve never tried caviar?”
“I have. I couldn’t guess what the quality was.” Lana looked on with interest as he took the spoon, liberally spread the shining blue-black eggs onto the bread, and took a bite.
“Ah. Nothing like it. You must try some.”
Almost without hesitation, Lana reached for the spoon. The caviar seemed to emit more color than she’d seen the last time she’d tried it, and the eggs were slightly larger. “Nothing like it, I’m sure. Not that I’ve seen.”
“A special grade. From a newly found species. I think you’ll find it is every bit as flavorful and luxurious as Beluga.” Lionel patted his lips with a napkin. “I’d venture to say it was even more so.”
Lana took a bite and could barely contain her surprise. It was so firm and delicious. Every bit of it burst sublimely in her mouth. She’d never tasted anything so good in all of her life.
“I’ll have the veal breast with olive mushroom filling,” Lionel ordered, handing the waiter his menu. “And you, my dear? Do you like lobster?”
Lana swallowed the rich bite and nodded.
“Bring her the Maine lobster tails with steamed vegetables.”
”Right away, sir.” The waiter nodded and collected her menu as well.
Clearly overwhelmed, Lana sat there for a moment, with a blank look on her face.
“Now, to talk of business,” Lionel continued. He took another sip of wine and waited for Lana’s wheels to catch up to what was being offered to her. The support his son had given her and much, much more. Plus, if he had read her correctly: revenge.
Lana reached for another piece of bread and slathered on the caviar. “What did you have in mind?”
Series/WIP: Sequel to So Much Dreaming
Pairing: Clex!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After being abducted by aliens and discovering that Jonathan Kent is alive, Lex must come to grips with his shifting relationship with Clark and an unexpected pregnancy.
Spoilers: Through S5, after Cyborg.
Warnings: MPREG!!
Thanks and smoochies to my spectacular sexful sparklie beta herohunter
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter 5.1
Chapter 5.2
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Part Eight
When Lana returned to her dorm the next morning, there were campus police everywhere, and Chloe was sitting on the bed, her hair a mess and her cheeks blotchy from crying. Lana fixed a surprised expression on her face.
“What happened?” she asked, her eyes wide as she entered the room.
“Someone left the door open, and my laptop got stolen!” Chloe cried angrily.
One of the officers came up to her. “Are you the roommate? We’d like to have a word with you. What time did you leave the dorm yesterday?”
“I… it was about three o’clock. I drove to Smallville to meet my boyfriend,” she answered, thinking… it was almost the truth.
“Oh, god,” Chloe got up and started to pace. She looked over her destroyed Wall of Weird, and her face crumbled again.
“Did you notice anyone at the time you left? Anyone unfamiliar walking through the hallways?” the officer asked, trying to catch her attention.
Chloe answered her cell. “Clark? Yeah… Just now? What did you fight over? Well, you have to understand, he’s a little touchy right now- No, I’m not crying. I’m not! What happened with you and Lex? Why were you fighting?”
Lana smiled.
“Miss Lang, I’m going to need you to go through your things to find out what else has been stolen. There’s a lot of clothing and jewelry here that would have fetched a price.”
“Well, if they had grabbed everything, wouldn’t someone have noticed them leaving with a huge bag full of someone else’s stuff?” she pointed out, setting her bag down on her bed and looking over the utter devastation of their room. Surely she hadn’t done all of that.
“Someone ransacked our dorm room,” Chloe told Clark. “They stole my laptop and assassinated the Wall of Weird. What did it ever do to them, I ask you?!”
“Maybe it was a meteor freak,” Lana suggested. “If one of them came in here and saw that, they might be a bit put off by it.”
“You seem awfully calm,” the officer said.
“I’m a little in shock. And…” Lana closed her eyes. “I feel so stupid. Chloe, I must have been so eager to see Clark that I forgot to lock the door. I’m so sorry.”
“No, no.” Chloe sighed, hanging up. “It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose. God, I’m so screwed. So incredibly screwed… oh GOD!”
“What?” The officer whipped around.
“No,” she said quietly, crossing her arms and turning pale. “I just remembered something that’s on my laptop… that I really need. Lana, I’m going to fail. I can’t afford to fail. I’ve worked so hard. I’ll lose my scholarship if I can’t turn in my term paper!”
“We’ll do everything we can to find it,” the officer promised, closing his notepad and heading out the door. “Call us if you remember anything, and be sure to fill out the forms for everything that’s missing.”
The officer almost bumped into Clark on the way out. They frowned at one another, and then Clark rushed over to give Chloe a hug. “God, I’m sorry, Chlo.”
Lana narrowed her eyes, watching them suspiciously.
“I’m… Mm.” Chloe just buried her face in his big chest and let herself go for a moment, while his strong arms wrapped around her tightly. Her shoulders began to relax in his embrace.
Lana quietly walked over to her dresser and started looking through the drawers. “Oh my god!”
“What?” Chloe turned her head.
“I had three hundred dollars in this drawer.” She turned and widened her eyes in dismay.
Chloe looked to the ceiling and shook her head. “This is just way too much. What the hell? I stay to work late once to help find a little girl, and someone decides to pick our room over all the rich nitwits on campus? That sucks.”
“Why didn’t they take the jewelry?” Clark asked, looking at the mess of Lana’s things on the floor.
Chloe shrugged. “Cash is easier? The jewelry could be fake?”
“Then why take your laptop too?” Clark started to look around the room, staring at things intensely.
Chloe creased her brow and looked over at Lana, who shrugged and went to stand beside her and rub her back.
“What are you going to do about your paper, Chloe?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. I… I can’t lose my scholarship. I’ve worked so hard for it…”
“Chloe, we’re going to find your laptop. Trust me, okay?” Clark interrupted, walking back over to them. “I promise.”
Chloe sighed and closed her eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders. “Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Clark. I… I have to go talk to my professor.” She put her arms around him again, and he kissed her hair before she let go.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I can do it. Thanks, Clark.” She tried to pull her hair into order. Clark looked around, then pulled her hairbrush out from a pile of clutter and handed it to her. She grinned as she began to fix her hair. “My hero.”
“Yeah. Me and my great power. Of hairbrush finding.” He rubbed her shoulders. “Take a breath. It’s gonna be okay. Promise.”
“Well, if you promise.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Okay. I’ll call you when I’m done, and I can counsel you on your Lex issues.”
“We can skip that part, if you want,” Clark said dryly. Chloe pulled out her keys and waved at him.
“Hey, Clark,” Lana said softly, crossing her arms and looking at him seriously as soon as Chloe left. “How is Lex doing?”
“They released him from the hospital this morning,” Clark replied coldly, looking around the dorm again seriously.
“Well, that’s good, then,” she said hopefully.
“Not really. He should stay a little longer, considering how sick he’s been. But he talked them out of it. I’m amazed he stayed the night. He’s got his personal doctor, though. That much is good.” Clark’s knelt by Chloe’s papers and started to look through them. He laughed. “Oh-kay. Someone has run out of weird things to investigate.”
“Isn’t it funny?” Lana laughed lightly and came to sit beside him. “I can’t even tell what those are suppose to be.”
“Pregnant men. That’s hilarious. I wonder what tipped her off to this one. Too much Sims II, I guess.”
“Sims II?” Lana tucked some hair behind her ear and looked at Clark.
“It’s a computer game that Chloe has on her laptop. She has this hack code she uses to make Devilicus pregnant with Warrior Angel’s babies.”
Lana wrinkled her nose. “Why?”
“Because she thinks it’s funny maybe? Chloe and her comics. Look. Lana-” Clark set the papers aside. “-I’m going to do everything I can to catch who did this.”
“Clark, you don’t have to do that. The campus police are on it already.”
“Are you really going to rely on them? I don’t think there’s much chance that they’ll find who did this.”
Lana sighed. “I wish you’d just stay out of this. You don’t have to be the hero all the time.”
“Believe me, I’m not.” He stood up and walked over to the window. “We’re through.”
Lana’s mouth dropped open. “What?” She got up and walked over to him, her eyes wide and questioning. “What did you say?”
“I don't know any other way to say it, but the truth is my feelings for you have changed.” Clark put his hands in his pockets as he scanned the skyline.
“Wh-you… Clark! You were kissing him, and now you’re breaking up with me?” she demanded.
Clark turned and looked at her in surprise. “Is that why you did that? Is that why you made Lex sick?”
“I didn’t-“
“Before you lie to me, you should know that Chloe told me about your fight right after it happened. I know you found out from her that coffee makes Lex ‘yak’ right now, and I know you did that on purpose. If you’re mad at me, fine,” Clark boomed. “Take it out on me. Don’t take it out on the guy who has been kidnapped and lying in bed sick for weeks!”
“I don’t believe you. I’ve waited for so long for you to get over your hang-ups!”
“Is this about the sex?”
“What sex? There’s been no sex!” She threw her hands in the air. “And this is why, isn’t it? You’ve always wanted Lex. You never loved me, did you?” She turned, eyes shining and pinched her mouth together.
“No, I don’t think I did.”
Lana’s eyes went round.”What?”
“I don’t think you and I have ever really known each other very well.” Clark looked her in the eyes. “Because the person I fell in love with wouldn’t vindictively go after a sick man because I screwed up. I kissed him, Lana. You don’t think he’s vulnerable right now?”
Lana dropped her arms and shook her head, at a loss. “Did… did you do this because I kissed him back in February? You aren’t… you aren’t really a gay, are you Clark?”
“I don’t know. But… I know that I don’t love you. I’ll always care about you,” he assured her. “But we don’ t love each other.”
”Get out,” she spat.
“Lana, I never meant to hurt you-“
“I don't want another Clark Kent apology. It's over. Forever. Get out!” she shrieked.
Clark stormed up to her and grabbed her shoulders. “You! You stay away from Lex. Understand?”
Lana nodded mutely and stayed in place until Clark had left the room. She stumbled to her bed, shaking. He’d never talked to her like that before. Never grabbed her like that. She was scared.
***
Lex stands in front of the board, giving a report on their new acquisitions in the Lost City of Atlantis. The merfolk are wary of a takeover, but Lex convinced them that it was in their best interests to allow LuthorCorp to buy their land. He hopes his dad is proud of him. He tried really hard to prove himself this time.
“Well done, Lex,” his father says, standing and coming up to him with a wheelchair.
“I’m not finished with my presentation,” Lex protests, taking a step backward.
“It was quite… acceptable, Lex. You’ll be joining me here on the board soon.” Lionel grips Lex’s shoulder and gives him a shark’s smile. “After an appropriate leave of course. But right now, you have another pressing meeting to get to.”
Lex is pushed into the chair and looks up at his father and the other board members, who are all smiling and nodding their heads as his father begins to wheel him out of the boardroom.
“What other meeting?”
Lionel chuckles. “The birth of your child, of course!”
“You… you know? About the baby? Wait.” Lex tries to halt the chair with one hand, but Lionel wheels him into the next room where the walls become white and nurses and patients are coming and going. He’s in the Smallville Medical Center. “I can’t have the baby now! I’m not due for another six months!”
“Oh, son,” Lionel says, still laughing as he speaks. His father reaches down and rubs his hands over Lex’s belly. Lex looks down and realizes he’s wearing a hospital gown. And his abdomen is fully round and distended. Lionel’s laugh sends a chill down his spine. “You’re definitely having the baby now!”
“I can’t! I haven’t gotten anything ready yet! We don’t have a nursery, or any clothing, or toys, or a name…” Lex smoothes a hand over his sweating scalp. “I haven’t even begun Lamaze!”
Lionel kneels over Lex’s vast belly and gives it a kiss. “Don’t concern yourself with any of that, son. The baby will be staying with me, of course.”
“…what?”
”You’ve already signed your adoption papers.” Lionel stands and claps his hand on Lex’s back.
“No no no. This isn’t happening,” Lex says in a high, unsettled voice. Lionel breaks into a run with the chair, and two doctors flank them and lift Lex up onto a hospital bed. “Besides, I’m supposed to have a c-section.”
”Perspiration, son!” Lionel cheers.
Lex growls at him, baring his teeth. “THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!”
Lionel laughs. “Just like your mother when she was in labor with you!”
“Ugh! I’ll kill you, old man!”
Lex can barely concentrate on anything beyond the pain in his belly and his own panting, but then he realizes that he’s not the only one breathing heavily, and he looks over at the bed next to him.
Clark and Lana are having sex.
Lionel puts his hands on his hips and sighs imperiously. “I thought we were going to get a private room.”
“Clark?!” Lex cries in dismay.
Clark gives him a thumbs-up as he pounds into Lana doggie-style. “I’m-ugh! Right-ugh! with you! Lex! Oh yeah! Yeah! God, you’re so tight! I love you, Lana!”
“Harder, Clark! Harder, oh God! You’re so biiiig!” Lana moans loudly.
Lex places his hands over his huge quivering belly and watches them in disbelief. They continue to rock with wild abandon as he huffs, watching them with wide eyes.
Lionel peeks between his legs. “Push it out, already. I don’t have all day, son. I want to take my new baby home, and I have a meeting with the Queen at noon!”
“A-ahhhh!” Lex jerked up from his desk and clasped the fabric of his shirt with a grimace. Another crazy dream. A ridiculous one, as well. He looked around him and sighed. Fell asleep in his office again. He stood slowly and stood to fetch his suit jacket. He had better things to do today than lay around feeling pitiful.
“Boss,” Mercy said, opening the door and peaking in. “You have a visitor.”
“Who?” Lex paused and waited to put on his jacket.
“Chloe Sullivan.”
“Oh, well, let her in.” Lex walked back over to his desk and pulled out a bottle of water.
A moment later Chloe came into the office, looking frazzled and hesitant.
“Have a seat.” Lex motioned with his hands.
Chloe shook her head. “Lex, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Lex lifted his chin in alarm. “Who knows?”
“I don’t know, but my dorm was robbed last night. And they got my laptop and some money from Lana.” Chloe frowned and twisted her fingers. “There’s a lot of information about you on there.”
“I see.”
“And about LuthorCorp. And certain… projects.”
Lex closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alright. Mercy.”
Mercy came up next to him and met Chloe’s eyes with a smirk. “Boss?”
“I want you to contact the authorities at Met U and send out a few people to investigate this missing laptop.” Lex looked back at Chloe. “Did anyone know you were investigating me?”
“Um… no.”
Lex caught the looks passing between Mercy and Chloe. “Do you two know each other?”
“You gave me her picture, Boss,” Mercy answered with a smile.
“We met down at the Buzzkill Café,” Chloe put in.
“She’d been riding up and down the elevators all day, looking for me, I think. She took my picture.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. Lex licked his lips. “Yes, well, we have more important things to deal with. Mercy. Go.”
She nodded and gave Chloe a wink on her way out the door.
Lex looked back at Chloe. “Chloe, I think that it’s unlikely an enemy of mine would target you, not knowing that you had information on me. Regardless we’ll do everything we can to find it. I promise.”
Chloe nodded. “I’m just… I’m really sorry. I went to the trouble of trying to keep this under wraps, and…”
“It happens, and you didn’t deliberately betray me. I think I’d know if you had.”
Chloe slumped down in her chair and sighed.
“Please don’t cry over this, Chloe,” Lex rose again and walked over to her to touch her shoulder.
“I… no, I was crying before. My fifteen-page term paper was on there, and now I’m going to fail my English lit class. I have nothing. It’s due in two days. So I’m going to lose my scholarship and my internship and…” Chloe sucked her lower lip in to keep from pouting.
Lex’s hand rubbed over her back. “I see. Well, I can have a word with your professor and convince him that you deserve an A in the class-“
“No.” Chloe turned her head. “I can’t let you do something like that for me. I’ll have to try to reassemble it from memory. That’s all I can do.”
Lex pressed his lips together. “What can I do to help?”
“Trying to find it is enough, I promise. I’ll cope somehow. And learn to keep more backups.” She wiped her sweating palms on her pants. “And thanks for being so forgiving. I really screwed up on this one. I was afraid you were going to give me a very deserved flip-out.”
“Didn’t you put a password on it?” Lex asked, creasing one brow.
“Well, yeah, but if they’ve got a good hacker, then they’ll be able to yank out my hard drive and crack it,” Chloe pointed out.
“I think it’s more likely they’ll wipe the drive and sell it.”
“Can I ask what you’re doing here? I mean, it’s convenient for me, but yesterday they were pulling shards of glass out of your back. I can still see the bandages,” Chloe said with concern. “Shouldn’t you be home resting? Especially…”
“I’m fine.” Lex didn’t fail to notice her eyes raking up and down his body, then resting at his middle. He moved his hand over the front of his shirt. “We’re fine. Just a little tired.”
“Which is why you should be resting?” Chloe reiterated in an insistent voice.
Lex put his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the door. “Don’t you have a term paper to rewrite?”
Chloe sighed. “Yeah, I do. Otherwise I’d stick around and make sure you eat lunch.”
“No prob, I’ll do that,” Lena said, walking into the office. She held up two bags. “I gots food.”
“Chloe, this is my friend Lena.” Lex motioned to the older woman.
Lena dropped the bags in Lex’s arms then reached out to shake Chloe’s hand. “Hello, Chloe. Another friend of Lex’s?”
“Yep. Well, I really do have to go. Make sure he eats and gets a nap later.” Chloe pointed at him, raising a brow. Lex rolled his eyes and set the food by his sofa.
“Oh, I think I can handle him. Gosh, he scared me to death yesterday,” Lena complained. She put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder, then pulled her in for a hug. “You’re going to be fine, sweetness. Just take care of yourself, and we’ll take care of Lex, okay?”
“Oh…” Chloe was stiff for a moment, then hugged Lena back, looking grateful. “Thanks.”
Lena rubbed her back for a moment then let Chloe go, who appeared a little dazed on her way out, but was smiling slightly. Lena waved her hands at Lex. “Off your feet!”
“Alright alright.”
Lena sat down beside him and opened the bags. “She’s got a cute butt.”
Lex laughed, holding his hand to his side. “Please. Spare me talking about Chloe’s butt. It would be like talking about my sister.”
“Haha! Is she okay? She felt very upset.” Lena began making him a plate.
“Someone stole her laptop, and it had information about me on it. Also her midterm.” Lex rubbed the back of his neck and looked up as his intercom rang. He held up a finger and got up to go push the button. “Yes, Michelle?”
“Your father is wanting to come meet with you.”
“Tell him I’ll come to his office,” Lex said. He looked at Lena. “Give me a few minutes.”
Lena looked displeased, but Lex left his office anyway and headed to go meet with his father. It couldn’t be too bad, and putting it off wouldn’t make meeting with him any better.
“Son!” Lionel exclaimed when Lex walked into the office. The older man stood, keeping a keen eye on how Lex was moving.
Lex felt immediately unnerved. “Dad? Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? You were badly injured yesterday. I wonder if you should even be here today.” Lionel walked closer to him and reached over to touch his shoulder, but Lex dodged.
“So people keep telling me. I’m perfectly fine though,” Lex insisted.
His father continued to stare at him for a moment, a visual dissection, until he shook his head. “I’m your father. I’m concerned for my son’s health. You’ve been… ill, lately, Lex. You’re fragile.” He caressed the side of Lex’s face.
Lex jerked backward and took a few steps away from his father. “I’m fine,” he repeated irritably. “Is this the reason you pulled me away from my lunch?”
“Oh.” Lionel held his hands up. “By all means, go eat lunch.”
“You’re acting very strange,” Lex said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning his body away from his father.
Lionel pressed his lips together. “Forgive me. You… you’ve just been reminding me of your mother lately. Always pushing the boundaries, wanting to do more than you can do.”
Lex sighed softly. “I'm not dying, Dad. Not gonna get rid of me so easily.”
Lionel gave him a gentle smile, which was just as bad as being toothily grinned at. “Good, then. Ignore me. I’m being sentimental. Go have your lunch. And perhaps a nap. You look tired.”
“I don’t know about you, but intend on working, like any other business man,” Lex said sharply.
“Of course, son.” Lionel nodded indulgently.
Once outside the office, Lex quirked his brows and hurried back to his own office, where Lena was waiting and the world made sense.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he stepped through the door.
Lex shook his head. “My father had a weird moment.”
“He’s a weird man,” Lena said derisively. She never sugar coated how much she disliked Lionel. “Eat.”
Lex sat back down. “I had such a crazy dream.”
“Yeah? You get pretty weird dreams when you’re pregnant. What happened?”
Lex put some food on his fork and thought back. “I was giving a proposal…”
***
The first thing that Maddie learned in the castle was that it was always chilly. It was summer, and it was still cool inside the castle.
The second thing she learned was that Lex didn’t like to go to bed, and usually Dr. Tanaka, who was really creepy, or Dr. Toby, who smelled funny, would have to coerce him into going to bed. Lena didn’t have to try to hard to get Lex to go to bed. Then she’d tickle him and make him smile.
Oh yeah, and Lex worked all the time, if he could get away with it. He worked so much Maddie would never see him unless she came into the study and read on the couch until he looked up and noticed her. Then he’d get up, say he was sorry, and offer to do something fun with her. Then he’d smile, a little.
Lex was awful sad.
Then there was that time when he’d gotten up, started to apologize, and fallen to the ground! It was very scary, and Maddie had screamed for help and shaken him until he woke up. She broke all the glass in the study by accident. When Lex woke, she had held her hands on him to keep him still. The glass hadn’t reached them, but it was all over the place, and the maid gave a little shriek when she stepped into the room.
There were murmurs about a devil child, but Lex kept reassuring her that it was fine, they would replace the glass, and he would be fine as soon as he had lunch. She stayed by his side until he was in bed being examined by Dr. Tanaka, who shooed her out, looking worriedly at the windows.
Lex had taken her hand and promised to spend the afternoon with her, as soon as he could stay upright for a few hours. But Dr. Tanaka had made him stay in bed, much to his frustration.
“Dr. Tanaka’s a witch,” Maddie complained to Lena. Lena was setting up some lilies on the table in hopes Lex would be able to come down to dinner tonight. Dr. Tanaka had left instructions with Toby, so it might happen.
“I dunno. From what Lex tells me, Dr. Tanaka isn’t really cool enough to be a witch. Not free enough to dance naked at the Equinox.”
Maddie smiled. Lena looked at her sympathetically. “Sorry Lex isn’t around as much as you’d like.”
Lena was funny, and she always knew what to say, and when to touch and when not to. Maddie was glad she was around. “Why’s he so sick?”
”Because the dope doesn’t know how to slow down.” She shrugged and sat next to Maddie, just barely touching her shoulder before she moved her hand away. “I don’t know how he got sick, but he should be okay, if he can remember to take care of himself.”
“Why is he so upset?” Maddie asked. She sat beside Lena. Mostly when she asked the servants, they wouldn’t tell her anything.
“It’s because of his and Clark’s fight. Lex wants to make up, but they keep making the same mistakes over and over,” Lena explained with a sigh. She pulled one of the lilies out and began to stroke the stem slowly. “Lex wants to be with Clark, but he’s afraid if he does that, he’ll just let their fights happen again and again, and he doesn’t need that kind of stress.”
“I’m sure Clark would say he’s sorry!” Maddie argued. “He’s a nice guy, Lena.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, honey. I’m sure he’s great. But he’s not very nice to Lex sometimes, and he should be, you know. They’re friends.”
“They’re more than friends.” Maddie grinned. “They were kissing in the barn.”
Lena raised her eyebrows real high. “Oh, were they?”
Maddie nodded eagerly, beaming as she remembered them kissing on the couch.
“Lex didn’t tell me about that.” Lena thinned her lips. Maddie giggled happily. Lena smiled and leaned over to give her a little squeeze before getting up. “What should we do while we wait on lazybones to get up from his nap?”
Maddie shrugged. Lena headed over to the sound system and started flipping through CDs. “God, Lex is a white, white boy. What’s with all the opera?”
“He must like it. He listens to it all the time.”
“Well, I got something better. Hang on a sec.” Lena headed out of the room. Maddie was a little impressed. Lena didn’t seem afraid of her at all. She returned shimmying her hips. “Peeeerfect!”
Lena put the CD into the slot and waited for it to load up, bouncing her head a little as she changes the tracks. The sound of trumpets came on.
“Okay, babe! Let’s dance.”
“I don’t know how,” Maddie said nervously. Lena smiled.
”That’s fine. You watch me, and if you wanna join in, just do it!” Lena put her hand on her belly and made a trilling noise in her throat as she began to dance around the smaller dining room that Lex had set up for the three of them. Maddie had to laugh. Lena was such a dork sometimes.
No one was watching, so Maddie tried to dance a little, too.
”Gimme a booty tooch, hon!” Lena laughed.
”What’s a booty tooch?” Maddie asked. Lena proceeded to demonstrate, sticking out her rear end.
“Like that. Only you gotta do it more, ‘cause my behind is much bigger than yours!”
Maddie giggled again and tried to do what Lena was doing. After a few tries, she thought she had it and was grinding and wiggling her hips.
Lex came in just as she was doing another booty tooch.
”You are a bad bad influence!” he cried, pointing at Lena, who just laughed. “She’s just a little girl!”
“Oh, dance with us.”
“The doctor says no dancing. No dancing, and absolutely no fun whatsoever,” Lex told them, before going to the phone to get dinner brought up. Lena danced over and hugged him around the waist. Maddie followed, hugging him from the other side. Lex smiled a little and rubbed the little girl’s back.
***
Clark took a deep breath, raking his eyes over the Metropolis University campus. It was hard to believe that in a few weeks, he’d be continuing his classes here. He headed up to the bursar’s office with his printout of classes and the check his father had given him.
In the middle of the hall he stopped and used his x-ray vision to start looking around the rooms. He couldn’t figure out where he was supposed to be. He’d kind of imagined this time he’d have Lex by his side to help him.
“You look lost,” a woman’s voice said ironically.
Clark turned to see a woman with long, ginger hair creasing her brow and curving her small mouth at him. She was wearing a cropped t-shirt that showed her belly, and it was making him nervous. Though thankfully she was kind of flat. “I am lost. Lost without a map. Do you have any idea where room 311 is?”
“Um…” She looked around and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Then she turned to point. “That way. Follow me.”
“That was fast.”
“Follow the current!” she teased, smiling back at him and putting her hands together to mime a fish swimming. Clark chuckled and jogged up beside her. She raced them up the stairs.
“Are you in track or something?”
“Nah, I’m on the swim team. Got to be in good shape!” She beat him up the stairs, although Clark knew he hadn’t been trying that hard. Her arms were in fact, quite slender and muscular. She put her hands on her hips and cocked a brow before pointing to a room on the left. “Go west, young man.”
“Thanks. That really helps. What’s your name?”
She tilted her head sharply and sucked in her cheeks a little. It was such an odd expression that it gave Clark a pause. Then she righted her head and said, “Lori Lemaris.”
“Clark Kent.” He held out his hand, which she took and gave a more than firm handshake.
“You’re adorable. Come masticate with me sometime!”
Clark felt his cheeks flush. He’d momentarily thought she had said something else. “Uh… eat with you sometime.”
“Oh. Whatever. Chew. Food. Ingest stuff. Whatever. Do you like sushi?” Her grin was overly toothy because she kept pinching her lips together, but she was so awkward that it was strangely endearing.
“I uh… I appreciate it, but I just got out of a relationship.” Clark rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.
“I’m not asking you to have my babies or anything. Just lunch!”
Clark very nearly stopped breathing.
“Just come eat with me sometime, hm? Are you a new student here?” She hooked her thumbs on the waistband of her gray sweatpants.
“Yeah, I’ll be starting as soon as the first summer session begins.”
“Me too. Meet with me on the first day, and we can have lunch. Where do you want to meet?”
“Do you always order guys around?”
Lori tilted her head in that funny way again and rolled her shoulders. “Yes. Why?”
Clark just laughed. “Uh, okay. We can meet for lunch. But that’s it, okay? I don’t want to lead you on.”
Lori bounced on the balls of her feet. “Yay! Okay. Go pay your tuition, Clark Kent. Meet me… where are your first classes on the first Monday?”
“I have English Comp in Wayne Hall and Spanish in…” Clark looked at his schedule.
Lori came over and looked at it with him. “I have Calculus too. We’ll walk somewhere for lunch together after that.”
“Okay. Right. I gotta go… do stuff.” Clark raised a brow to see if she’d let him go. Lori nodded and pressed all of her fingers together for a little wave before she practically glided off in the other direction.
What a weirdo, Clark thought to himself, walking into the line coming out of room 311.
When he finally got up to the window, he bit his lip and started to babble. “Uh… we talked with financial aid and there’s… an incremental plan-“
“ID number?” The student worker reached for it with a slender hand. Clark fumbled around his jeans for a moment. The worker sighed and then looked up at him. “Oh, hay! You’re the Queen of Wand’s boyfriend!”
“What?” Clark dropped his wallet then picked it up and started to look for his ID. He’d just gotten it. He couldn’t have lost it already.
“The drama queen with saucer eyes and a Prada habit. I read her fortune like a month ago.” The guy took Clark’s ID from him and started to type it in.
“Oh, right. Kestrel. She’s not my girlfriend anymore.”
The guy whistled and clicked his tongue. “Sorry about that. Well, not so much for you. You’ll be better off.” Kestrel rubbed his thumb over the ID card. “Did you use protection with her?”
“What? Yes!” Clark put his hands in his back pockets. Such weird people he was meeting lately. “She didn’t give me an STD, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“No, I doubt you guys hardly ever had sex.” Kestrel frowned at the screen.
“Then what?”
“Well, I think you’re gonna be dealing with something normally sexually transmitted…”
Clark felt his insides turn to ice water. “Lana’s pregnant?!” Then he scowled. “That’s not possible. She’d look like she swallowed a bowling ball by now if it were mine.”
“I see daddyhood in someone’s future one way or the other.” Kestrel tapped the ID on the screen. “And your tuition has been paid off.” He swiveled his screen around so Clark could see. “In full. For the next four years. Since last week. Courtesy of one Alexander Joseph Luthor.”
Clark’s heart sank. “Oh.”
Kestrel handed his card back but didn’t let go for a moment. “I saw betrayal in Lana’s future. I still see it in yours, too. Something’s coming, Clark. Something big and scary and wrong. Would you like to have a real reading? I could try to give you more of an idea of what you’re up against.”
“No. What, do you give readings to everyone who walks through this line?” Clark demanded, snatching his ID.
“Only when they have a cute ass.” Kestrel smirked. Clark rolled his eyes and walked away, covering his ass with his papers. Kestrel huffed. “Hey, what’s your sign?!”
***
Lena looked around her empty club a bit nostalgically. It was strange to be in Solana when there weren’t people there, bustling around, loving and hating and being embarrassed, anxious, frightened, joyful, alive. All she could feel was Lex, strolling around the club, his face so serious. But inside, so much anxiousness for the baby, loneliness from missing that pretty boy of his already, frustration regarding something he obviously hadn’t discussed with her yet. That was fine. Distrust was big on the list of feelings running through Lex at any given time, so she wasn’t surprised that Lex didn’t open up and tell her every little thing on his mind.
Lena hadn’t always been so easygoing regarding other people’s business, though she fully realized how much Mareena would laugh her butt off at that statement. Lena knew she had a lack of boundaries sometimes, but really, when everyone’s business is in your head, how can you mind your own business sometimes? She was just grateful she hadn’t started any major drama lately with her nosiness.
Lex turned and walked over to her. Curiosity. She bet he was wondering what she was thinking.
“Gonna tear us down?” she asked cheerfully.
“Immediately.” Lex stood in the middle of the dance floor and ran his fingers up and down the fire pole that ran from the ground to the upper floor. “I’m sorry, why do you have this in here?”
Lena laughed. “This used to be a firehouse. Before it burned down.”
Lex raised his brows very high. The amusement came off him in nice soft waves. Much better than the unsettled feelings he’d been having when they’d arrived. “Well… isn’t that an interesting turn of events.”
“Mm. Yeah, so they kept the pole when they rebuilt this place.”
“They didn’t do a great job,” Lex muttered. Disappointment.
“So we can’t fix it?” she asked. Lex met her eye and crooked the side of his mouth.
“We can, but there’s a lot of work to be done. I can see why they were looking at this as a parking lot,” he told her bluntly.
“Don’t help just ‘cause you like me, Lexie,” Lena advised. She walked over to the pole. “Mostly, you know, you can slide from the top floor down on this. And sometimes people do, but we ask them not to because they end up beaning the people below. But mostly, the kids use this pole to dance.”
Lex nodded. “I can see that.”
Lena stepped up to the pole, raised her right leg as far as she could on the pole and started to swing around it. To her delight Lex started to laugh loudly. She must look like an elephant trying to do that.
“Oop!” Lena slipped backward, losing her balance and fell hard on her cushy tush. Lex rushed over her, pressing worry all over her face. “I’m fine!”
“You sure?” Lex crouched down to help her up. She grunted a little as he took her hands.
“Yes. Just round and klutzy. You’re next, slim.” She poked his skinny ribs and smiled.
Lex pursed his lips, touching where she had touched then grabbed the pole to pull himself up. “We have a lot of work to do. I think we could still turn a profit here, even after the remodel and divvying up proceeds.”
“You aren’t sure.”
“Well, I’ve done more with less. I’ve never taken you to The Talon, but good grief, did that place have problems. Then my manager let her fifteen-year-old niece run it. I should have booted her.”
Lena wasn’t sure what to make of that animosity, but it felt familiar, the same feeling that kept popping up when he talked about certain people in Smallville. She came over to him and gave him a light rub on the back. He didn’t really want to be touched too much right now. A strange feeling of vulnerability was buzzing around him. “Do what you got to, honey. Just let me know.”
“I think we should get married,” Lex said. He turned around and looked at her blankly after she hadn’t spoken for a moment. “What?”
With a ‘gift’ like mine, I should be thanking God for any time I’m really surprised by what people do, right? Lena started to laugh and couldn’t stop. She cupped her belly to keep it from shaking. “Oh, Lexie, we aren’t going to get married! You don’t love me!”
Lex made a huffing sound.
“Well, not like that. What crazy things you say, boy. Oh, don’t be pouty. You’re gay! Why would you want to marry me?” she asked, smiling widely. Oh, her silly boy.
“I’m not gay,” Lex protested, crossing his arms.
“Maybe you aren’t a total five on the Kinsey scale, but who is, you know? You definitely want to be with that pretty boy-“
“His name is Clark.”
“Whatever.” She raised her hands. He was so pissed it was starting to make her head pound, but… he felt sad, too. “Why would you ask that? I’m sorry, hon. Shouldn’t’ve laughed.”
Lex sighed and rubbed his arms. “No, I guess it wouldn’t work. I just thought… we care about each other, and we’re both having children. We could look after them… together.”
Lena pressed her lips together. What a sweetie! She walked up to him and rubbed his shoulders, then feeling his resistance die, gave him a hug. “We don’t have to get married to do that. You’re kinda a traditional boy, huh? Afraid of having this baby out of wedlock?”
Lex shrugged. “I think I just want someone beside me to help me through it. I don’t mean that you haven’t been great, Lena, but-“
“No, I know what you mean, don’t worry. And I’m sorry he can’t grow the fuck up and help you with this.”
“He doesn’t know.” Lex squeezed her arms and then pulled away to walk over to the bar. “And even if he did, how could I ask him to help me? It’s not his mistake.”
“It’s not yours either!” Lena pointed out, not liking the feel of this conversation at all. She never did, where that pretty boy was concerned. “You didn’t ask that… whatever the hell he is to kidnap you and hurt you and experiment on you.”
“That… it doesn’t matter.” Lex leaned against the bar and rested his hand over his middle. “I’m the one keeping this baby. I’m the one having this baby. I can’t ask him to… I’m not sure what I even want him to do. Be the father?”
“He could support you without having to step in as daddy, and you never know, he might be up for the job.”
“He can barely take care of himself.”
Lena stepped over to him and put her hand over his on his stomach. “I feel you.”
“I know you do. It’s probably one of the few reasons I haven’t been able to scare you off, too.”
She placed her other hand on his back and started to rub slowly. His spirits had been so low since he’d brought Maddie home. It was all she could to not to cry with him when she felt the tears well up in his eyes and the feelings of loneliness and fear take over, when she felt his self-esteem bottoming out. It was a good thing that Maddie was around. Having the girl there to look after made him smile more. She just wished Clark would wise up and give Lex a call already.
“Better?” she asked. He hadn’t started to cry, which could be good or bad depending on how long he tried to bottle up what he was feeling. The hormones were driving him crazy.
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m better. Like you wouldn’t know.”
“Well. I do try to have some manners. Sometimes.”
Lex planted a kiss on top of her hair. He was smiling again, slightly. It was enough for now.
***
“I’m so glad you could make it, Miss Lang,” Lionel Luthor’s disaffected voice rang out.
Lana walked into the private room of the restaurant and took the chair held out for her, her eyes flitting up to look at Lionel, who was standing above her. “I have to admit that I was eager to hear from you.”
“Ah, I see this is to be a business call.” Lionel sat across from her and handed her a menu.
Lana narrowed her eyes. “Have you found out what’s wrong with Lex yet?”
“Unfortunately not,” he said smoothly, meeting her large eyes, which he’d noticed seemed to become larger when she wanted something. “I’ve found some important information on Chloe’s laptop so far, but we don’t yet know what is ailing my son.”
Lana looked disappointed.
“Order whatever you like.” Lionel looked up to the waiter silently and patiently standing in the corner. “I’d like a bottle of the Benjamin Romeo 2003. Bring two glasses.” He turned his head back to Lana. “Regardless, after observing your resourcefulness, I’d like to make use of it. You see, Lex has been engaging in some rather unorthodox activities since he took over my company. As his father, I wish the best for him of course, but I can’t simply allow him to run wild.”
Lana nodded in response as he ended his sentence with a tinge of laughter. “Of course. What’s he been up to?”
Lionel held a finger up. “Until I can discern the best means of handling this, whether that be turning them over to the government or taking control myself, I will need this to be kept in utter secrecy.”
“I understand,” she said in a low voice.
The waiter returned and presented the bottle to the both of them, then when Lionel nodded, he opened it up and poured a glass for Lionel. The wily old man picked it up, smiled at Lana, and took a sip. “Ah. Perfect. Thank you.”
The waiter moved to pour Lana a glass.
“What will you have for lunch, my dear? Money is no object. The wine itself is almost $350,” Lionel said casually.
Lana’s eyes bugged out. “That much? For a wine?”
“But of course. One thing you learn more keenly as you grown older, Miss Lang, is that you get what you pay for. I think this concept is not unfamiliar to you. You yourself have quite rich tastes.” He leaned back in his chair. “A pity you couldn’t have become closer with my son. No matter.”
Another waiter came in with a silver tray and set it in the middle of their table. Upon it were a delicate blue and white bowl with a mother of pearl spoon and several well-shaped slices of bread.
“What…?”
Lionel laughed. “You’re adventurous enough to go to Paris, and you’ve never tried caviar?”
“I have. I couldn’t guess what the quality was.” Lana looked on with interest as he took the spoon, liberally spread the shining blue-black eggs onto the bread, and took a bite.
“Ah. Nothing like it. You must try some.”
Almost without hesitation, Lana reached for the spoon. The caviar seemed to emit more color than she’d seen the last time she’d tried it, and the eggs were slightly larger. “Nothing like it, I’m sure. Not that I’ve seen.”
“A special grade. From a newly found species. I think you’ll find it is every bit as flavorful and luxurious as Beluga.” Lionel patted his lips with a napkin. “I’d venture to say it was even more so.”
Lana took a bite and could barely contain her surprise. It was so firm and delicious. Every bit of it burst sublimely in her mouth. She’d never tasted anything so good in all of her life.
“I’ll have the veal breast with olive mushroom filling,” Lionel ordered, handing the waiter his menu. “And you, my dear? Do you like lobster?”
Lana swallowed the rich bite and nodded.
“Bring her the Maine lobster tails with steamed vegetables.”
”Right away, sir.” The waiter nodded and collected her menu as well.
Clearly overwhelmed, Lana sat there for a moment, with a blank look on her face.
“Now, to talk of business,” Lionel continued. He took another sip of wine and waited for Lana’s wheels to catch up to what was being offered to her. The support his son had given her and much, much more. Plus, if he had read her correctly: revenge.
Lana reached for another piece of bread and slathered on the caviar. “What did you have in mind?”