Fic: The Prince and the Crossdresser, Final Chapter
Those of you following this fic have known that I and other fans have experimented with Chloe-with-power before TPTB decided to infect her with meteor radiation, which sounds more like it should be something checked out by a doctor, but... *sigh*
I'm not going to have time again to do this until maybe after the semester, so I'm just going to post. I have someone reading though the big honking file to check for errors for me for the whole fic, and when we get done doing that, I'll just go back and correct. I have ideas for sequels involving kinda!super?Chloe and Lexy and Clark, but I really need a break from this verse... it'll be nice, though, to have history established for the timeline I'm writing in when I do.
Title: The Prince and the Crossdresser
Author: ladydreamer
Pairing: Lex/Adina/Adam, Chloe/Patty, Clark/right hand
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Through S5 Smallville, Sorority Boys, a smidge of really old supes canon
Warning: ( skip) transgender, character with history of rape, attempted but not completed rape
Summary:
Due to an unexpected illness, Lex finds himself needing to get out of the public eye. Fortunately, a chance encounter with a beautiful woman he meets in Metropolis will allow him to pull the strings of his company without anyone knowing he’s indisposed. All is going to plan, until Chloe and Clark start nosing around.
Part One: There's Something About Lexy
Part Two: She's the One You Want
Part Three: Wig in a Box
Part Four: One of the Girls
Part Five: The Good Times
Part Six: Only Human Nature, part one
Part Six: Only Human Nature, part two
Part Seven: Small Heroes
He was an awkward amalgamation of traits. His ears stuck out like car doors. His eyes were a sweet sky blue with stray curling locks from his mop of unruly red hair. He didn’t seem like much of a megalomaniac to Chloe. Just bored and lonely.
The pieces came crashing together in her head, and she leaned over to the boy. “Hey, Junior. Do you like Superman?”
“I’m Jerry. And… I guess so. Yeah.”
Chloe realized he was peeking down her shirt. She gave him a wide, familiar smile. “How would you like to be a hero, too?”
Chloe straightened her back and met Alice White’s eyes. “We both know how special Jerry is.”
“You’re insane.” The woman shook her head uneasily and took Jerry’s shoulder, steering him out of the room.
Chloe didn’t know of any way that she could explain to them that her powers had just fully fully kicked in. Plus, she doubted Lex would appreciate, of all people, Perry White getting his teeth into this particular secret. “Normally I’d keep this to myself, like I do almost everything else, but I’m sorry. This has to come out. Lex Luthor’s life depends on it.”
Alice shoved Jerry out of the room.
“Hey! Don’t push me around.” He wrinkled his nose in a very familiar pout.
“Don’t be a brat, Jerry!” Alice snapped. “Just stay out there for a moment.”
“Chloe, what’s up?” Perry looked cautious and a little worried.
She shook her head and bowed her lips compassionately. “You know. You know. God, Perry, I’m sorry.”
The eruption was sudden and frightening. Perry and Alice began screaming at each other. He was a drunk. She was a whore. Chloe slumped against her desk and somehow fell back into her chair.
“This is great guys, but we’re talking about a life here!”
“Any life but Luthor’s.” Perry crossed his arms resolutely. Alice pinched her shoulders anxiously.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked softly, checking that the door was closed.
“He’s sick. Really sick,” Chloe admitted. She didn’t want to give the entire story to Perry, in case he decided to make Lex’s illness front-page news. “I’m thinking… Jerry could really help him right now. He might be Lex’s only hope.”
“Forget it,” Perry said immediately. Alice looked hesitant.
“What kind of help are we talking here?”
Chloe shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve only been thinking about this for the past five minutes. I uh… they do transplants that help…?”
“Pauline isn’t going to take a story against Luthor unless it’s big. Shakes the social fabric and is worth the potential lawsuit?” Perry pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards. “I’m not Cat Grant. I don’t do gossip. Tell me.”
“Cancer.”
“Oh… Bone marrow then, maybe?” Alice suggested. Perry shook his head.
“I’m not letting Jerry go through that.”
Alice sighed. “I’d be nervous… but it would be up to Jerry.”
“Are you listening to me? I don’t want my son…” He trailed off and leaned his forehead against his arms on the chair. “Fuck all. He’s not even my son. I knew it. That kid looks just like that bald bastard. No one in your family has red hair!”
“You can’t deny him this! He could die, and it would be our fault!” Alice protested. Perry glared at her.
“That freak slut had sex with my wife!”
“You pretended to be his friend and offered the poor boy up to the tabloids! I think he had a reason to be bitter with you!”
“And what was your reason?”
“You were fucking around first!” she spat.
“You fucked a sixteen year old!”
Alice flushed and looked away. “Don’t judge me, Chloe. He can be very charming when he wants to be.”
Chloe skewed her brows incredulously. As ‘charming’ as Lex may have been at sixteen, she’d seen pictures of him. There was no mistaking his age.
“Sixteen. He was a baby. That’s disgusting.” Perry slid his hand over his balding spot. “I knew it. I knew you’d fucked that slimy little weirdo.”
Chloe sighed as they began to argue again, their voices rising to the point that people outside of the office must have heard them. After an uncomfortable seven minutes, she slipped around them and headed out of the office. Jerry was sitting against a wall, out of the way, staring intently at his shoes. She moved closer to him, trying to navigate the floating lines without falling over or getting sick.
“Hey, Jerry. Sorry I caused your parents to fight.”
“They fight all the time. Mostly over me.” He thumbed against the rubber of his sneakers. “My dad hates me.”
Chloe was stunned. She sat beside him. “I’m sure that isn’t true.”
“It is. They’re always… arguing about me. I ruined their lives.”
Chloe put a hand on his shoulder, but Jerry jerked away and looked offended by her touch. She spoke anyway. “I think your parents had problems before you were born. A lot of kids find themselves stuck in their parents’ messes. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think my dad does. He gets mad at me.”
“Yeah? Like when?”
“When I… sometimes I take things apart. To see how they work. And sometimes I correct his grammar, and he hates it. And sometimes… I don’t know. I mess things up. I can’t get them the way that I want them, and it makes me mad. It’s like he’s angry with me all the time, and I can never get it right.”
“I’m sorry it has to be that way for you.”
“What did you mean about being a hero?” Jerry looked up, his eyes a little less sad. “I’d like to be a hero.”
“It’ll depend on whether your parents let you.”
“Why would they stop me from being a hero? That’s crazy. And selfish.” Jerry pouted. “Even Black Diamond’s father wouldn’t stop him from saving Aleister Angora when they needed to create a weapon to fight the Body Stealers.”
The whu-huh? Chloe decided to ignore it. “It’s complicated.”
“That’s what adults say when they know something is wrong, but they can’t do anything about it.” His gaze became determined. She sat with him while they waited for his parents to run out of steam.
***
Adina crawled into bed and wrapped her arms around the thin frame beside her. Lex arched his back and rolled his head over to look at her.
“The goddess deigns to meet her subject,” he whispered.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I was awake.”
“Sweetie…” She sighed softly and crawled around, navigating around the wires and the IV, so that she could lie facing him. She caressed his face. He was in so much pain.
“I’ve taken my meds. There’s nothing to be done.”
She simply laid her head next to his and closed her eyes. Nothing to be done. Nothing to be said. Three days prior, she had appeared with him before the press, as he announced his illness and informed them all that Senator Kent and her assistant Adina Howard would be in charge of the company until he recovered. It all seemed so final. Lex would die soon.
She lifted her chin and kissed him. His hand slid over her thigh.
“Look at you. Always grabbing my ass.”
“It begs to be grabbed.” Lex grinned, his eyes half closed. “I can only obey.”
“No matter what happens, Alex. No matter what? You will be remembered as a good man. You saved me. I… I don’t know if I’d still be around if I hadn’t loved you.”
“At least I accomplished one good thing in my life.”
“You’ve accomplished a lot of good things. And if I have my say, people will be reminded of that.” She cupped the back of his head and took his head onto her chest.
“Can I ask you something strange?”
Adina paused and gave him a look. What could possibly be strange between them now? “I suppose you can. I can always say no.”
“Could you look after Clark after I’m gone?”
“I think Clark can look after himself,” she replied tersely.
“He really can’t. Please, babe. He doesn’t have any friends. I mean… well he has Chloe.”
“She’s a good friend.”
“She is, but she can’t baby him all the time. And she might… not be able to be there for him forever. One friend, Adina. And his mom. That’s pathetic.”
She stroked her fingers along his scalp. “You don’t have many friends yourself, hon.”
“I have you. And Bruce… which is two. I’m a genius. There are different standards.”
“Of course there are... Bruce is so quiet.”
“He likes you. I know he’s hard to read, but he does.”
“That’s good to know. I can’t promise that we’ll be friends, but I’ll keep an eye out. For both him and Bruce.”
“Thank you.” He held her as tightly as he was able and listened to her heartbeat until she fell asleep petting his head.
***
Clark knocked on the front door of the D.O.G. house and waited for someone to come let him in. To his dismay, Katie answered the door. Her voice hurt his head so much because of his super hearing and threw it out of whack. He had a hard time focusing his hearing on anything for hours afterward. Nevertheless, she tried to flirt with him a little until Suzie came by and stepped between them.
“Heya, Clark.” She turned her head slightly to Katie. “Remember what Chloe said about him?”
“OH YEAH, SORRY ABOUT THAT! YOU’RE A GREAT GUY THOUGH. I BET YOU AND CHLOE HAVE SOME GREAT TIMES HUH?”
“Uh, yeah. We’ve been buddies since she moved to Smallville in junior high.” He stepped away from them and toward the staircase. The girls were smiling widely at this point.
So weird. But their weirdness was probably what had drawn Chloe to this place to begin with. She just couldn’t resist the weird, even after her time at The Planet. It was her calling, or something. Clark ran up the stairs, ears ringing, to the room Chloe had been sharing with Lana. No wonder Chloe is living with these people. Figuring them out will take her years.
The door to her room was closed, and someone had put a sock on it. Clark wondered what that meant as he turned the handle to the room and made a step inside. He stopped short. That huge girl who had been hanging around Chloe lately was lying at an angle across her bed, and Chloe…
Was on top of her. Kissing her needfully, sloppily with an open mouth and heavy breathing. Letting the large woman’s hands slide hungrily into the bend between her torso and hip. One of Chloe’s hands one kneading the woman’s breast.
Clark stumbled out of the room and soon found himself on the other side of campus with his cell phone out before he knew who he was calling. “I uh… sorry I know that this isn’t really appropriate to call you out of the blue like this but I had to talk to someone Chloe’s a lesbian with this huge mutant woman I saw them kissing and Patty had her hands all over Chloe’s… stuff!!”
“Dude. Clark? Is that you?”
“Yes, Pete!!”
“The hell. I haven’t heard from you in forever. I can’t believe you called… did you say Chloe’s a lesbian?”
“YES!!”
“Oh, man!” The man’s voice rang in amusement.
“Don’t sound so happy. You’ve not met this woman.” Clark sat down on a bench.
“So what, she’s a meteor freak? Some kind of psycho?”
“Uh… no. Actually, she was born that way. She’s huge. Imagine a woman who’s like an inch taller than me. She’s a giant. I’ve seen her carry a couch through the house by herself.”
“Is she… okay on a cell phone here but… you think that she’s like you?”
“Is she… no she’s not. Just… really strong. And really nice. I should be calmer about this. Lex is dating a transsexual, and I barely blinked an eye. I can get used to Chloe dating a girl.”
“So when you saw them…”
“Yeah,” Clark asked seriously.
“They… clothed? How far were they into it?”
“Don’t ask me that! It’s Chloe! That would be like getting turned on by my sister.”
“Frankly, man, this is way better for my ego than losing her to you. If she’s swinging the other way, that’s more than acceptable. Especially for my fantasies. Hey, I remember her having a crush on Alicia before she went loony.”
“Really? Like… how much of a crush?”
“Not big or anything, but she would like, stare at her and blush. She’d never talk to her, though. If Alicia came up to ask something, Chloe would turn into you and fall all over herself.”
“I’m an idiot. How did I miss that?”
“No offense, man, but your attention back in the day was always on Lex or Lana. Mostly Lex, but Lana pouted and freaked out on you so much, I think you had to turn your head a little.”
“I feel like a jerk.”
“Yeah, well you are one. How’ve you been anyway? I haven’t talked to you since junior year.”
“The short version? Lana became a witch, Lex became an alien, we became enemies, my dad died, my mom got horizontal with Lionel Luthor-“
“Oh fuck! Gross!”
“Tell me about it. She won’t talk to him much now, though.”
“Is Lex still an alien?”
“No, he’s dying of cancer.”
Pete was silent. “That’s too bad. I know I was a major ass about it. But when I think back, he was always really trying to look out for you. Not that he ever did it in a sane way.”
“Yeah. Lex is kinda… that way. He wouldn’t directly let me know he was trying to protect me. The dumbass.” Clark got up from the bench and sighed. “You want to meet up? I’ll come there. We can talk. I should warn you, Lana is headed your way come the end of the semester. Lex’s new girlfriend-“
“The trannie?”
“Pete, do not call Adina that. She’s amazing.”
“Uh… sorry. I plead small town ignorance.”
“What was I saying? Oh, Adina got Lana a job in Grandville so she’d get away from Lex.”
“Hm. I didn’t figure Lex would let a girl like Lana get to him. She’s not exactly high class. A little scary, though.”
Clark started to walk back to the D.O.G. house and x-rayed it. Chloe wasn’t in her room anymore. Where did she go? “Pete? You still there?”
“Yeah, dude. Look. Come seem me sometime. I’m kinda busy now, but this weekend, huh?”
“That would… be good. I’ve missed you.”
“I’m sorry. I was a jerk.”
“So was I.”
“I made you steal Lex’s car to help me out, and I got a guy killed because I had to have penis envy with a guy like you. I know that shit wasn’t ever important to you. And it turns out the fine piece that I was getting twisted over isn’t even interested in a brother. I shoulda calmed the hell down, you know, but what can I say?”
“We were kids then.”
“Sucks. We sucked.”
“It does, and we did. Call me this weekend, okay?”
“Sure thing, Clark. Maybe you can get Chloe and her hottie to come visit with us too?”
“Ew, Pete.”
“Dude, you are not normal. Any normal guy would be all over his gal pal having a girlfriend of her own.”
“I am by far not normal.”
“Too true. Call you?”
“Yeah. Bye.”
Clark hung up and decided to go for a flight to collect his head.
***
Occasionally, Lex would shoo Adina out of the apartment and tell her to go visit her friends or do something fun. It was impossible really, not when she knew he was back home sick and alone. She hugged her arms, pulling the edges of her long faux-furry jacket together, and walked down the street with her head bowed. Waiting was crushing down her spirit slowly, and all she could do sometimes was cling to Lex and hoped he would be out of pain soon.
Suddenly she whipped around, sensing that someone was watching her. Big green eyes looked at her guiltily.
“Uh…. Hi.”
“Hiya, Supes.” She wasn’t that surprised. She’d spotted him tailing her more than once and supposed he was jus trying to be helpful. She really should have just started taking a bodyguard, now that people knew she was with Lex Luthor.
“Nice heels,” he said, touching down next to her. She could see him biting back a comment. What did this primary color freak know about fashion? His cape fluttered up all at once then settled on his back. She stared at him closely. “How are you doing, Adina?”
“I don’t know.” She looked out on the street. “I’m waiting for whatever is a suitable ‘airing’ time before going back to be with Lex. I don’t want to miss any more time with him than I have to.”
“Makes sense. I’m sorry. I hope they can find a way to cure him.”
She nodded. He walked alongside her, slumping his shoulders a little. It was different when he was on the ground. He looked younger, but she’d noticed that before. Something about the squareness of his jaw, the shape of his eyes and the way a curl had sprung loose from his hair and was hanging in his face… She raised her eyebrows.
“Clark?”
He turned with surprise. “No… Kal-El.”
“You liar.” Adina frowned and shook her head. “Does Lex know?”
“Uh… that’s the question, I guess. I’m not really sure.”
“I don’t think he does. He wouldn’t let you in his house if he knew.” She blew on her hands. “I can’t believe he doesn’t, though. He’s one of the most brilliant guys I’ve ever met. ”
Clark was silent.
“Aren’t you cold in that getup? Do you need a coat?”
“Not really. I don’t feel the weather change as much as you do.”
“Must not.” She sighed. “I guess this changes my impression of Clark Kent. I liked Kal better.”
“You wouldn’t be the first.”
“I’m not talking about the stuffed suit of a personality you pretend is yours. I’m talking about that sweet, shy boy that came to visit me in the hospital.”
“I’m not a boy.” Clark stretched his neck indignantly and stood up straight. “You and Lex, I swear. I’m not a kid.”
“Fine,” she said sharply. “That sweet, shy man who only wanted to help us. Not the pompous ass that came storming into Lex’s home and accused him of bringing this horrible illness on himself.”
“I’m very sorry about that.”
“I’m sure you’re very sorry about a lot of things. Lex never hears that.”
“What do you expect me to do?”
She shrugged. “Come have some fucking coffee with me. It’s colder than a… Kryptonian’s tit out here. Unless you’re busy patrolling.”
“Not really. I just needed to clear my head.”
“Ditto.” She took his arm. Clark blushed and took her lead. “Let’s go, kiddo.”
Might as well start taking care of the big Boy Scout now.
***
“Hey.” Clark walked into Lex’s bedroom slowly. It was a day or so after he’d spoken with Adina, and she wasn’t here now, which gave Clark a modicum of relief. He wondered if she had told Lex yet.
“Those glasses make you look like a dork.” Lex was propped up on a mountain of pillows and draped limply along his bed like a skeleton looking bored out of his mind.
Clark waved sheepishly and walked toward Lex’s bed. “How are… uh…”
“I feel spectacular. Cancer does that.” Lex smiled tiredly and jerked his head. “Get over here. Tell me about what you’re up to these days.”
Clark thought about Superman’s latest run in with a mutant zebra. “It’s really not that interesting.”
“I can’t get out of bed, I made Adina go out for some fresh air, and I’m too tired to read or work. Anything has to be more entertaining than staring at the wall and feeling puny.” Lex drew out the last word with a southern accent.
“I’m here to entertain you, am I?” Clark smiled and started to think about his most recent mundane activities. He started with his new classes at MetU.
***
It was hard sometimes for Chloe to walk through the world when it kept shifting all around her. No wonder her mother had gone insane. Patricia had been trying to keep her grounded while she figured this mess out. Chloe smiled at the thought, remembering the woman’s large hands caressing her body. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be living in a sorority full of mutants, have a super-girlfriend, and be developing her own powers…
She would have checked them for Kryptonite radiation poisoning.
Chloe spoke to the head butler and made her way through the hallways. Her eyes passed over objects that were connected back centuries past to great men and women. Looking at them pulled her in different directions. She closed her eyes halfway and tried to guide herself by the wall. She stumbled and felt a hand on her elbow. It was the butler, helping her along. “Thank you. “
He stopped her at Lex’s bedroom and looked at her kindly “You can go inside.”
She tried to focus and knocked on the doorframe. Clark turned around, and she blinked in surprise. “I uh… hi.”
“It’s been a long time, Chloe.” Lex made a small nod. “Care to join us?”
“I wasn’t expecting a party.” She came in tentatively, trying not to fall. “Sorry. I’m a little out of sorts today.”
“I’ll say,” Clark muttered. She gave him a questioning look and sat in a soft chair near the bed.
“I’m not really here to socialize, though. I know, what a surprise, right?” She felt the expensive fabric of the chair. “I’ve been trying to sleuth some cures. Have you considered a bone marrow transplant, Lex?”
“I think you would know better than most that my genetic structure is… unique to say the least.”
“Ditto. But… if there was someone who had similar DNA…” she replied intently.
“There isn’t. Do you know how hard I’ve searched for someone like me? There isn’t anyone.”
Chloe pulled her index finger back anxiously. “There is someone, Lex. I found him.”
Lex narrowed his eyes. He clearly did not believe her. “And how did you find him?”
Clark perked up. “Chloe, you found someone? Does that mean Lex could get treatment?”
“I’m a fucking mutant, Clark,” Lex insisted. “There is no match. I’m one of a kind.”
“Not unless you had a son,” Chloe said quickly. Lex blinked dumbly. “He’s eleven.”
“He…” Lex grew quiet. He closed his eyes for a moment. His body tensed, and he licked his lips. He spoke almost reverently. “I have a son?”
She nodded.
“How?”
“When a man and woman love one another, or a sixteen year old boy and a woman get horizontal because she apparently doesn’t recognize statutory rape laws-“
“This could work?” Clark interrupted, ignoring everything else Chloe was saying. Lex opened his eyes and began to think about this in earnest.
“Maybe… if we were a match-“
“I’m sure that you are.” Chloe twisted her fingers more. Lex eyed her suspiciously. She was nervous. Hiding something.
“Did you run the tests with my blood?”
“No, but I’m sure. I wouldn’t have seen the answer if… if Jerry weren’t part of it.” Both of them looked at her oddly. She put her face in her hands. “I can’t explain. All I can say is-“
“Trust you on this?” Clark put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been making some pretty good leaps lately.”
She lifted her head and pressed her lips together tightly.
“So could this work?” He turned to Lex, who gave a weak shrug.
“It might. A bone marrow transplant… I’d have to go through another round of chemo. And we would have to ask an eleven year old boy to let doctors stick a huge needle in his leg to harvest the marrow.”
“Just assume for a minute he’ll be willing.”
Chloe set her hands in her lap. “He is. Very much so. His parents are another matter.”
“Can we talk to them?” Clark continued anxiously.
“I’ve been trying,” she replied, shrugging in frustration.
Clark nodded. “Okay, then. Assuming he’s willing, and we can get the parents to cooperate. Will you survive another round of chemo?”
“The likelihood of that is looking quite slim, right now,” Lex admitted. “We could try, however. It would be better than doing nothing.”
Clark slumped in his chair. The three of them were quiet. Chloe began staring fixedly at Clark. She trailed her fingers over his chest, then arms, all the while, her eyes wide, taking him in.
“You have the answer, Clark. You… you and Superman. And if you don’t, you will.”
Clark craned his neck and hunched down trying to look her in the face, worriedly. She sounded out of her mind. There was a lot of stress around her eyes. She sighed and took his left hand.
“You had it here.” She looked away and stared hard. “What you had here… have Superman take it to the Fortress…”
“Chloe…”
She turned her head back to him. “Does that make sense?”
Clark frowned and tried to think about what he’d had in his hand that had anything to do with Lex. Besides certain parts of his own anatomy. “Lex’s blood sample? Use the Fortress to analyze Lex’s blood!”
“That makes sense.” She began to rub behind her neck. Lex’s eyes were bearing down on her, but he said nothing about it.
“Would Superman be willing?” Lex asked.
“The Fortress can… the technology there… we’ll be able to find something.” Clark stood. “I’ll go now.”
“He would want to?”
“Lex, of course-“
“We’re enemies, Clark. It would be in his best interest if I died, and he wasn’t the one who had to kill me. It would work very well with his ‘Code.’”
“He doesn’t work like that.” Clark paused. “And even if he realizes that, I’ll make him see it my way. He owes a fuck lot to me.”
Clark felt warm at the doubtful, crooked little smile on Lex’s face. He walked over and gave Lex a hug. He wasn’t sure if they were there yet, but he had moved before he thought about it.
Lex moved a limp hand around his back in return. “I don’t know if I deserve it. But thank you.”
Clark rubbed Chloe’s shoulder as he rushed out of the room. She fixed her eyes on the doorframe.
“Chloe, I think you need to talk,” Lex whispered.
She turned back around and began twisting her fingers again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you know more about what’s going on than anyone else.”
“I thought I’d have Jerry’s parents come here and talk to you. His mother is already, well, she’s nervous, but she’s okay with having him donate. His father…” She shook her head.
“You can have them come here to talk to me. That, however, is not what I’m talking about.”
She remained silent.
“I was hoping we would never have this conversation.”
Chloe covered her face with her hands. Lex reached out and took one in his own.
***
Martha sighed and straightened the stack of papers she had been working on. Lionel had just walked into her office.
“What can I help you with, Lionel?”
“I was curious as to how my son is doing. His staff have denied me entrance, and his doctors won’t divulge any information.”
“You could have called.”
“Alas, he won’t speak with me either.”
She set the papers inside her briefcase and clicked it shut. “I meant you could have called me. Instead of coming here.”
“Ah. Well, I couldn’t be certain that it wasn’t a bad time.”
“This isn’t going to work.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Lex is still alive. Clark spoke with him yesterday afternoon, and he’s going to take the blood sample to the Fortress for analysis. They have some ideas. Lex doesn’t feel very positive about the plan, however, and has continued his little megalomaniac machinations to protect the people around him after his death.” She sat on her desk. Lionel ran a hand down his mouth and his eyes looked suitably concerned for the situation. “I can call you whenever there is a change. But you need to stop bothering Lex. He doesn’t need the stress right now.”
“I’m his father.”
“Honestly, I once bought that. But not anymore. You aren’t going to tug at my heartstrings any longer. If you can’t be supportive of him and the woman who has been keeping him going for the past few months, then you aren’t trying much.” She picked up her briefcase and keys and ignored the look on Lionel’s face.
“Martha-“
“I think that you’re only coming to me in order to play my sympathies and get me into bed again.” She turned. “I was weak then, but I’m not foolish. If you don’t know why Lex can’t let you see him now, considering you’ve taught him all of his life to be ashamed of his weakness, then I think about as much about your intelligence as I do your sincerity.”
Lionel stalked around her. “Martha, I assure you, I do care if my son dies.”
“Especially when he’s made certain the company will be out of your hands? Adina is going to fire you as soon as she returns from the funeral. You should be looking for new employment. She hasn’t forgiven you for your treatment of Lex. Neither have I.”
“You think the worst of me right now. I cannot help being old fashioned. And given the women Lex has dated in the past… she’s not even a woman!”
“Goodbye, Lionel.”
“Martha, please, listen !” He jogged up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. “I need to see my son before he dies. I hope you can understand that.”
“Do you love him?” she demanded.
“Of course I do,” he answered immediately. Martha tensed her lips.
“I don’t believe you. If you want to see him before he dies, you need to tell him that you love him, but really don’t think you’re being honest.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I care about his well-being. I want him to succeed.”
“This relationship is never going to be fixed unless you go out of your way to help piece it back together.” She raised a hand helplessly. “You’ve hurt him. A lot. And before he trusts you again, he needs to see you admit that you’ve made mistakes.”
Lionel bared his teeth angrily. “Everything I’ve done for my son, I’ve done to make him stronger.”
“I beat you for your own good, Lex,” she said harshly. “I’m sure that goes over very well with him.”
“You aren’t understanding me.”
“I can’t understand you. I can’t. If Jonathan had hurt a child of ours the way you hurt Lex, I would have left him. Immediately.” She tilted her head to the side. “I love that boy, and it wasn’t hard to do. If you want back in his life, you know that you have to start making changes.”
“Please-“
Martha cut him off and headed out of her office. “We’re through. Don’t try to use your son to get to me anymore.”
***
Adina sat in the hallway glaring at Alice White, who clutched her son’s shoulder. She could practically see Lex in the kid, and while she had no problem with Jerry, Perry on the other hand was in Lex’s room being a complete asshole to him. They could hear him arguing from the outside.
Jerry abruptly broke away from them and went into the room.
“This is why you never liked me, isn’t it, Dad?” Jerry demanded. Perry turned around and looked uncertain. Jerry face was furious, his features scrunched together.
“This is complicated. You can’t just go around giving every stranger you meet parts of your body.”
“If what they said is true, I can’t give to anyone else,” Jerry pointed out.
Perry sighed. ”It’s complicated. You don’t understand.”
“I understand. He’ll die if I don’t. Why would you want to do that?”
Alice stepped between them. “Sweetheart, why don’t your father and I go out in the hall and talk a bit? Hm? You can have a chat with Mr. Luthor.”
Jerry nodded sullenly. Adina slipped into the room and sat beside Lex on the bed. Jerry’s parents shut the door and began to argue outside.
“Come here, Jerry,” Lex said softly. His voice was dried out and cracking. Jerry drew near and looked over him almost clinically.
“I’m sorry my dad is a jerk, Mr. Luthor. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to save someone if they could.”
Lex gave him a faint smile. “My dad is pretty much a jerk, too.”
“Yeah. I heard that.” Jerry crept closer. He sat in the chair by the bed and curled up his legs into it. He was average height, but very slender and fit easily into the curve of the chair’s back. “Is… it’s true that you’re really my dad?”
“Seems so.”
“Oh.” The boy played with his shoes. “Did you lose your hair with the cancer?”
“No, I’m lucky like that. I lost my hair when I was a bit younger than you.”
“I wouldn’t call that luck.” Jerry raised a brow. “Is she your girlfriend?”
Lex nodded.
“You’re pretty. What’s your name?”
“Adina Howard,” she answered. The boy’s sad blue eyes assessed her quietly.
“Now, that’s luck.” He pointed to Adina. Lex made a coughing laugh. Adina caressed the side of his head with feather touches.
“Yes, I do consider myself lucky to have her.”
“Um.”
“What is it?”
“You didn’t… my dad doesn’t like me. Did you get rid of me because you didn’t want me?”
“Jerry, I was sixteen when you were born. My father… would have most certainly taken you from your mother and I if he had known about you. You would have been raised as my brother.” Lex paused and looked into Jerry’s eyes apologetically. “I wouldn’t want to wish his parenting skills on anyone. I won’t say I was completely unaware that your mother had a child with red hair, but… I couldn’t let myself think about it. I would never have been able to protect you from your grandfather.”
Jerry nodded solemnly.
“My life is so dangerous. I think the best thing I could have done for you would be to not be in your life.”
“I… I guess I understand. But I don’t agree.” Jerry reached over and grabbed Lex’s hand. Lex bit his lip and squeezed his son’s hand with the little force he had to give.
“I accept that. I understand if you hate me.”
”I don’t hate you. I just wish I’d been able to get to know you.” Jerry shrugged. He looked from Lex to Adina. “Maybe we still could.”
“Maybe we could. It depends on whether or not you want to be associated with me.”
“Why… wouldn’t I want that? You’re my father.”
“There are a lot of people who don’t like Luthors.”
“A lot of people are goobers. I don’t like a lot of them anyway.” Jerry scratched his nose. “I don’t do anything because a lot of people do it.”
“Yes, but if they knew you were my son, they would consider you a Luthor and not like you either.”
“Oh. I still don’t think I care ‘bout that. Not many people like me.”
“I’m sure they do, hon,” Adina said gently. Jerry shook his head.
“I have my mom. But I don’t have any friends.”
“Well, that sucks. I’ll be your friend,” Adina insisted. She laid down next to Lex and put her head on his shoulder.
“You’ll need one if I can’t get my dad to be a decent and let me help you,” Jerry said dejectedly. Adina rubbed Lex’s arm.
“I’m not decent?” Perry came back into the room.
“No,” Jerry replied haughtily.
“You know, most kids your age want to stay out late. Or go to concerts. You want to give marrow. What kind of kid are you?” Perry’s voice was joking, but Jerry looked back at him with fierce eyes.
“A Luthor apparently.”
Adina blinked. What kind of eleven year old spoke like that? Lex’s kid.
“Your mom and I were listening outside the door. Reminded me of that time when your biological father here when psycho on me and slammed me up against a wall. Threatened me.”
Jerry let go of Lex’s hand and turned around in the chair. He looked surprised and upset. Then he frowned. “Were you being a jerk?”
Perry laughed. “Yeah, I was. I was being a jerk to two of his closest friends, and he screamed at me like a lunatic and told me to get the heck outta Dodge. He knew I worked for a tabloid. Knew I was likely to shift my story and cover him as a drug addict or a rageaholic.”
“You were picking on his friends!” Jerry exclaimed.
“You were awful devoted to those kids, Lex. Seriously worried about that Clark.”
“Guh. Clark,” Adina said under her breath. Lex looked at her reassuringly.
Alice stood in the background waiting on them. Perry walked up to his son. “You aren’t going to forgive us, if we don’t let you do this, are you?”
“I wouldn’t respect you.”
Perry shook his head. “You are his kid. I’ll sign the papers.”
Adina burst out laughing and squeezed Lex’s arm. He looked up uncertainly.
”You realize- oof!” Lex stopped as Jerry jumped over and gave him a hug. He couldn’t believe this child would latch onto him so quickly. How quickly did you shift your attention to Jonathan Kent when he was available?, Lex asked himself. “Jerry, I appreciate this, so much. I can’t tell you how much.”
“I’m glad. I always wanted to save someone.”
Lex searched the boy’s face. “You might even get to meet Superman. A mutual friend of ours has him helping me out.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Lex felt himself smiling in spite of himself. With Adina on his one side and Jerry on the other, he was starting to feel guilty for being sick. “I’ll see if I can’t get him to come see you.”
***
The next time Clark visited Chloe at the D.O.G. house, he made sure to knock before coming in. He thought that he heard her, so he eased in as quietly as a 6’4 man could manage. Chloe was sitting by her new Wall of Weird, which she had put up above the empty bed when both she and Lana were in this room. Now she was the only one in here. Clark wondered if she were lonely.
Maybe that’s why she felt like she had to have sex with the Jolly Green Lesbian, he thought uncharitably.
“Chlo?”
“Hey, Clark.” Her voice was a little higher than usual, a little more vulnerable than she usually let it be. Clark came up behind her and looked in confusion at the new picture she’d affixed to the Wall of Weird.
It was a picture of herself. Smiling her toothy, infectious, ear-to-ear smile.
“Chloe, why are you putting yourself on the Wall of Weird?”
“Because-“
He heard a little intake of breath and leaned over her to hold her, to see what was wrong. “No… don’t cry.”
”I’m scared, Clark.”
“What’s going on with you lately? I’m sorry I haven’t been around.”
Chloe looked down and shivered. “I have precog.”
“Uh… what?”
“Prerecognition. It’s not visions… but I can see connections, possibilities that other people can’t see. My mother had it. Every woman in my family.” She sighed shakily. “After my mom’s powers really started to develop… she had about three years before she completely lost her mind.”
“Chloe that won’t happen to you!”
“Clark, it could. Please, don’t give me platitudes… it could. I’m going to try to fight it. And Lex said he’d help.”
Clark frowned in alarm. “You told Lex before you told me?”
”He guessed when we went to see him. He found my mother for me… I think he was expecting it, but he hoped my powers wouldn’t develop,” she admitted. “Lana told me… she said that Lex and I are a lot alike. That we try to take care of the people around us. She was right. He really does.”
Her eyes drifted, and she didn’t quite seem to be there anymore. “The world… is such a strange… place… so complicated and simple and… bright...”
Clark gripped her shoulders. “You’re going to stay with me, okay?”
“For… as long as I can. I promise that much.” She shrugged and came back down to earth. Picking up another picture, a blond woman in a strange lycra outfit. “But… you see, this is my mom.”
“She’s a mask,” Clark said with surprise.
Chloe shook her head. “She was. And I’m going to be. A little. While I’m still here, I want to help people.”
Clark smiled at her weakly. “Can you… will you be safe?”
“Patricia’s got my back. We’ll start slow. After this thing with Lex starts getting better.”
“Patty’s going to go out, too?”
“Yeah.”
“She is pretty strong. I bet you two will work well together.” Clark put his hand behind his head and looked uncomfortable. “Uh… I… saw you guys… um.”
Chloe frowned curiously then turned her head a little and blushed when she realized what Clark was hinting at.
“It’s uh… totally okay if you’re a lesbian, Chloe.”
“Oh. I’m not a lesbian!” She laughed. Clark looked at her confused.
“You were letting her… she was touching you. Down there.”
Chloe laughed harder and pressed her head into his shirt.
”Chloe!”
“I’m not a lesbian, Clark. I had the horn for you in high school, remember? I’m bisexual.”
Clark blinked. “Oh. Kay.”
“You alright?”
“Yeah yeah. Wow, I don’t know that I wanna tell that to Pete. He was a big enough jerk when I told him you liked girls. Now he might ask for a threesome.”
Chloe smirked and rubbed her chin. “Well, be sure Patricia’s there when he asks.”
Clark snickered. “Maybe not. I wouldn’t want to have to fight your girlfriend to save his life.” He grabbed her in a bear hug. “Oh, Chloe. I’m sorry everything is crazy. But it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She laughed into his shoulder. “I told you that before.”
“I should have known better.”
”The Chloe knows.”
”So.” Clark sat on Lana’s old bed. “What’s your mask name going to be?”
***
Spending time with Lex, even when they had been friends, had never actually been so time consuming for Clark. Lex had always been on the move. He never sat down for long. He’d get up and play pool or talk or pace around and move his hands in wide gestures. Clark could breeze in, ask a question, and leave moments later, because Lex himself was on the move. He never seemed to mind that Clark didn’t spend that much time relaxing with him in silence, and now Clark wondered if that were true. He remembered one time when Lex had come by and waited to talk to him for over an hour, then after about ten minutes of speaking with him, had left.
Clark wished he’d spent more time trying to keep up with Lex in their “good old days.” He regretted not trying to understand him more.
“I have something to tell you,” Clark whispered. Lex narrowed his eyes and raised a brow, seeming too tired to be annoyed. “But, I’m afraid that you can’t take this news right now. So you have to get better so you can be mad at me.”
“You think I can’t take bad news? I’ve had a lot of bad news in my life, Clark.” His voice was barely a whisper. He was thirsty a lot, these days, although they couldn’t get him to eat much anymore. Clark bowed his head and wiped away a tear. “The Fortress was a wash?”
“No. The AI at the Fortress came up with a solution. And why this fucking cancer is getting so bad. It’s because of your mutation, Lex. It’s because of the additional exposure with your ring.”
“I assumed.”
“No, not just the cancer. Your mutation, too. If we can get rid of most of the cancer cells… which are mutated, that’s why the chemo couldn’t fight it… then your body should be able to fight back and do it even harder than it could before.”
“So we don’t need Jerry’s marrow?”
“No, we definitely will. We’ll have to take him to the Fortress with us.”
”That should be fun for him.” Lex gave him a weak smile.
Clark nodded.
“You think Supes would mind saying hello to the boy? He seemed excited about it.”
”He’ll be there to give the AI orders. Maybe he could give Jerry a flight, too?”
Lex nodded and closed his eyes. There was a slight sense of contentment in his expression when he talked about Jerry. “He will?”
“He will.”
“You must have him by the balls, Clark. To make him help me.”
“I love you.”
Lex’s eyes popped open. “Oh, Clark…”
“I know. You know me.” Clark sniffed and wiped his eyes again. His voice was shaky. “I’m always late!”
“Too late. Too late, Clark. I love her.”
“I know. And… fuck, Lex, she’s so good for you. She makes you happy. I never made you happy.”
“You’re an idiot.” Lex reached out and put a weak hand on his leg.
“Can… please, I want us to be friends? Can we try?”
“You convinced the Superdick to help save my life. I owe you something. At the very least I can give this another chance.”
Clark leaned over and embraced him. Lex squeezed his knee weakly.
“Be gentle with me.”
“I’m trying… heheh. Adina would kill me if I broke you.”
“She would kick your pansy ass,” Lex confirmed solemnly.
***
Lex lay flat on his back in crystalline room of unrelieved white. He remembered the year after the meteor shower. The white rooms. The white men in white coats. His own red blood splattered on the floor.
“How much longer?” Lex called out as loudly as he could. He remembered the white rooms at Belle Reve. The rough hands. The rubber ball in his mouth.
He was trying not to shake. He was cold and naked. And a little scared. He knew that Superman was outside. That made him nervous. But Adina was out there, too. That in itself was comforting. He wasn’t sure why he assumed a skinny woman would make sure the sociopathic alien didn’t do anything… untoward while he was weak and at Superman’s mercy, but he had faith. For once in his life.
Jerry and his mother were also outside. The AI had instructed Superman to lay the boy down in another room, and he was out in a few minutes saying he felt a little woozy but otherwise was fine.
Sound boomed from everywhere and nowhere in the room. “The AI will start in a moment. Hold still.”
Lex closed his eyes and waited for the evil alien machine to destroy all of his bone marrow. Oh, what was he thinking? Hadn’t he learned his lesson in trusting Milton Fine? Well, he was dying. It couldn’t get much worse.
All of a sudden he felt something seize his body. It was complete. Invasive. It was pain, and it was everywhere. He had to be screaming. There had to be tears running down his face his face.
Fuck that Superman. He had alien technology. Surely they could heal without all of this… horrible… pain.
“Lex! How are you doing?”
“FUCK YOU!!!”
”Seven more seconds!”
Lex spent them blinking at the red in front of his eyes and imagining beautiful images. Such as disemboweling Kal-El with a meat hook. Or giving him a Kryptonite enema. Or covering him in honey and throwing him to a swarm of green Krypto-fire ants…
“We’re done!”
“Ugh.”
“Sorry, Lex!”
Lex continued to stare at the ceiling. The stark white was starting to stain through the red. He could hear himself panting. “That’s super, Kally.”
He heard Adina giggling. The lingering ache didn’t seem so bad.
“Okay,” Superman said. “Now we have to transfer the marrow.”
“Oh, motherfucker.”
“It’s just a needle?” Superman sounded sheepish. How hilarious.
“I can do a little prick.”
“Honey, I’d bet you’ve done more than one little prick.” Adina laughed. Lex could hear the nervousness in her voice. Had that bastard let her hear him scream?
“I’m good, babe. Love you.”
“Love you, too!” Her voice wavered.
Superman walked in. Lex looked at him. “Did they hear me scream?”
“You didn’t scream.”
“That’s… amazing.” Lex raised a hand to his cheeks to feel for tears that weren’t there.
“I thought so,” Superman said. He walked up to Lex with the needle. “This might hurt a little. But after that, I don’t think you’ll even feel it.”
“That’s what they all say,” Lex muttered.
“I’m serious. About… Jesus, I’m such a wimp about pain.”
“That’s because you never have to face it unless I’m torturing you.”
“I hope our téte-à-tétes have made me stronger.” Superman smiled a little. He was being friendly. That was worrisome.
“This is going to kill me, isn’t it?”
“God. No.” Superman walked up to him with the needle.
“You’d think you’d ask me to dinner before whipping that thing out at me.”
Superman laughed. Lex raised his brows suspiciously. “Look, I like your girlfriend. She’s a great girl, and… don’t be so worried that I’m going to hurt you.”
Lex took a deep breath and tensed his jaw and neck. “Lay that big thing on me, Kally.”
***
After the Fortress, the ICU didn’t seem quite so bad. It was still white and horrible, and it smelled like death, but he was only alone when the doctors shoved people out. Lex was dumbstruck, actually. He’d assumed he would be alone, save for Adina and maybe Clark if the boy felt brave.
Martha came. Chloe and Patricia came. Jerry came, without his mother. Adina’s friends came by even when she was sleeping. This was just insane.
“Lex.” Martha sat beside the bubble they had him in with wide, kind eyes. “I… I spoke with your father not long ago.” She shook her head dismissively. “I don’t know if that man is capable of loving someone other than himself. I’m not even sure if he loves himself. But… honey, please know that there are people who do love you. And that’s what matters. There are people who I’m sure you’ve never met who are sending Get Well cards to Luthorcorp.”
“Seriously?” Lex raised his brows. “Nothing like death to bring out the charity in people.”
She smiled sympathetically. “I don’t blame you. Maybe you’ll start to trust this someday. But you know that Adina loves you. And well…”
“I know. I’m getting better,” he assured her. “You don’t have to say things like this.”
“Yes, I do. You need to know it. Everyone needs a support system. I’m sad that you didn’t have anyone besides Adina through most of this.”
Lex gave a lopsided smile, but didn’t really believe her. Clark came by for stilted, awkward conversation. Adina was there every day.
“Don’t you have anything better to do that hang out with a pitiful old man?”
Adina pressed the tips of her fingers against the plastic separating them. “Absolutely nothing.”
Jerry hung around and asked him blunt questions about his life and complained about his parents splitting up again.
“They need to make up their minds. Dad knew that Mom cheated him a long time ago.”
“Adults can get caught up in little details and forget what’s important,” Lex told him. Jerry curled up in the chair and looked over at Adina, who was sleeping across the room.
“Have you guys done that?”
“We haven’t been together long enough to get stupid.”
Jerry laughed. “Now you have the chance to be stupid. Isn’t that great?”
“Shouldn’t we all have that opportunity. Did Superman give you a flight?”
“Yeah! Wow. I used to be a little scared of flying. But that was just cool!”
Lex smiled widely. He was stuck in the ICU for weeks, but he didn’t mind at all. He didn’t believe it would last, but it was nice to see people care for the moment.
Epilogue next post. :D
I'm not going to have time again to do this until maybe after the semester, so I'm just going to post. I have someone reading though the big honking file to check for errors for me for the whole fic, and when we get done doing that, I'll just go back and correct. I have ideas for sequels involving kinda!super?Chloe and Lexy and Clark, but I really need a break from this verse... it'll be nice, though, to have history established for the timeline I'm writing in when I do.
Title: The Prince and the Crossdresser
Author: ladydreamer
Pairing: Lex/Adina/Adam, Chloe/Patty, Clark/right hand
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Through S5 Smallville, Sorority Boys, a smidge of really old supes canon
Warning: ( skip) transgender, character with history of rape, attempted but not completed rape
Summary:
Due to an unexpected illness, Lex finds himself needing to get out of the public eye. Fortunately, a chance encounter with a beautiful woman he meets in Metropolis will allow him to pull the strings of his company without anyone knowing he’s indisposed. All is going to plan, until Chloe and Clark start nosing around.
Part One: There's Something About Lexy
Part Two: She's the One You Want
Part Three: Wig in a Box
Part Four: One of the Girls
Part Five: The Good Times
Part Six: Only Human Nature, part one
Part Six: Only Human Nature, part two
Part Seven: Small Heroes
He was an awkward amalgamation of traits. His ears stuck out like car doors. His eyes were a sweet sky blue with stray curling locks from his mop of unruly red hair. He didn’t seem like much of a megalomaniac to Chloe. Just bored and lonely.
The pieces came crashing together in her head, and she leaned over to the boy. “Hey, Junior. Do you like Superman?”
“I’m Jerry. And… I guess so. Yeah.”
Chloe realized he was peeking down her shirt. She gave him a wide, familiar smile. “How would you like to be a hero, too?”
Chloe straightened her back and met Alice White’s eyes. “We both know how special Jerry is.”
“You’re insane.” The woman shook her head uneasily and took Jerry’s shoulder, steering him out of the room.
Chloe didn’t know of any way that she could explain to them that her powers had just fully fully kicked in. Plus, she doubted Lex would appreciate, of all people, Perry White getting his teeth into this particular secret. “Normally I’d keep this to myself, like I do almost everything else, but I’m sorry. This has to come out. Lex Luthor’s life depends on it.”
Alice shoved Jerry out of the room.
“Hey! Don’t push me around.” He wrinkled his nose in a very familiar pout.
“Don’t be a brat, Jerry!” Alice snapped. “Just stay out there for a moment.”
“Chloe, what’s up?” Perry looked cautious and a little worried.
She shook her head and bowed her lips compassionately. “You know. You know. God, Perry, I’m sorry.”
The eruption was sudden and frightening. Perry and Alice began screaming at each other. He was a drunk. She was a whore. Chloe slumped against her desk and somehow fell back into her chair.
“This is great guys, but we’re talking about a life here!”
“Any life but Luthor’s.” Perry crossed his arms resolutely. Alice pinched her shoulders anxiously.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked softly, checking that the door was closed.
“He’s sick. Really sick,” Chloe admitted. She didn’t want to give the entire story to Perry, in case he decided to make Lex’s illness front-page news. “I’m thinking… Jerry could really help him right now. He might be Lex’s only hope.”
“Forget it,” Perry said immediately. Alice looked hesitant.
“What kind of help are we talking here?”
Chloe shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve only been thinking about this for the past five minutes. I uh… they do transplants that help…?”
“Pauline isn’t going to take a story against Luthor unless it’s big. Shakes the social fabric and is worth the potential lawsuit?” Perry pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards. “I’m not Cat Grant. I don’t do gossip. Tell me.”
“Cancer.”
“Oh… Bone marrow then, maybe?” Alice suggested. Perry shook his head.
“I’m not letting Jerry go through that.”
Alice sighed. “I’d be nervous… but it would be up to Jerry.”
“Are you listening to me? I don’t want my son…” He trailed off and leaned his forehead against his arms on the chair. “Fuck all. He’s not even my son. I knew it. That kid looks just like that bald bastard. No one in your family has red hair!”
“You can’t deny him this! He could die, and it would be our fault!” Alice protested. Perry glared at her.
“That freak slut had sex with my wife!”
“You pretended to be his friend and offered the poor boy up to the tabloids! I think he had a reason to be bitter with you!”
“And what was your reason?”
“You were fucking around first!” she spat.
“You fucked a sixteen year old!”
Alice flushed and looked away. “Don’t judge me, Chloe. He can be very charming when he wants to be.”
Chloe skewed her brows incredulously. As ‘charming’ as Lex may have been at sixteen, she’d seen pictures of him. There was no mistaking his age.
“Sixteen. He was a baby. That’s disgusting.” Perry slid his hand over his balding spot. “I knew it. I knew you’d fucked that slimy little weirdo.”
Chloe sighed as they began to argue again, their voices rising to the point that people outside of the office must have heard them. After an uncomfortable seven minutes, she slipped around them and headed out of the office. Jerry was sitting against a wall, out of the way, staring intently at his shoes. She moved closer to him, trying to navigate the floating lines without falling over or getting sick.
“Hey, Jerry. Sorry I caused your parents to fight.”
“They fight all the time. Mostly over me.” He thumbed against the rubber of his sneakers. “My dad hates me.”
Chloe was stunned. She sat beside him. “I’m sure that isn’t true.”
“It is. They’re always… arguing about me. I ruined their lives.”
Chloe put a hand on his shoulder, but Jerry jerked away and looked offended by her touch. She spoke anyway. “I think your parents had problems before you were born. A lot of kids find themselves stuck in their parents’ messes. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think my dad does. He gets mad at me.”
“Yeah? Like when?”
“When I… sometimes I take things apart. To see how they work. And sometimes I correct his grammar, and he hates it. And sometimes… I don’t know. I mess things up. I can’t get them the way that I want them, and it makes me mad. It’s like he’s angry with me all the time, and I can never get it right.”
“I’m sorry it has to be that way for you.”
“What did you mean about being a hero?” Jerry looked up, his eyes a little less sad. “I’d like to be a hero.”
“It’ll depend on whether your parents let you.”
“Why would they stop me from being a hero? That’s crazy. And selfish.” Jerry pouted. “Even Black Diamond’s father wouldn’t stop him from saving Aleister Angora when they needed to create a weapon to fight the Body Stealers.”
The whu-huh? Chloe decided to ignore it. “It’s complicated.”
“That’s what adults say when they know something is wrong, but they can’t do anything about it.” His gaze became determined. She sat with him while they waited for his parents to run out of steam.
***
Adina crawled into bed and wrapped her arms around the thin frame beside her. Lex arched his back and rolled his head over to look at her.
“The goddess deigns to meet her subject,” he whispered.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I was awake.”
“Sweetie…” She sighed softly and crawled around, navigating around the wires and the IV, so that she could lie facing him. She caressed his face. He was in so much pain.
“I’ve taken my meds. There’s nothing to be done.”
She simply laid her head next to his and closed her eyes. Nothing to be done. Nothing to be said. Three days prior, she had appeared with him before the press, as he announced his illness and informed them all that Senator Kent and her assistant Adina Howard would be in charge of the company until he recovered. It all seemed so final. Lex would die soon.
She lifted her chin and kissed him. His hand slid over her thigh.
“Look at you. Always grabbing my ass.”
“It begs to be grabbed.” Lex grinned, his eyes half closed. “I can only obey.”
“No matter what happens, Alex. No matter what? You will be remembered as a good man. You saved me. I… I don’t know if I’d still be around if I hadn’t loved you.”
“At least I accomplished one good thing in my life.”
“You’ve accomplished a lot of good things. And if I have my say, people will be reminded of that.” She cupped the back of his head and took his head onto her chest.
“Can I ask you something strange?”
Adina paused and gave him a look. What could possibly be strange between them now? “I suppose you can. I can always say no.”
“Could you look after Clark after I’m gone?”
“I think Clark can look after himself,” she replied tersely.
“He really can’t. Please, babe. He doesn’t have any friends. I mean… well he has Chloe.”
“She’s a good friend.”
“She is, but she can’t baby him all the time. And she might… not be able to be there for him forever. One friend, Adina. And his mom. That’s pathetic.”
She stroked her fingers along his scalp. “You don’t have many friends yourself, hon.”
“I have you. And Bruce… which is two. I’m a genius. There are different standards.”
“Of course there are... Bruce is so quiet.”
“He likes you. I know he’s hard to read, but he does.”
“That’s good to know. I can’t promise that we’ll be friends, but I’ll keep an eye out. For both him and Bruce.”
“Thank you.” He held her as tightly as he was able and listened to her heartbeat until she fell asleep petting his head.
***
Clark knocked on the front door of the D.O.G. house and waited for someone to come let him in. To his dismay, Katie answered the door. Her voice hurt his head so much because of his super hearing and threw it out of whack. He had a hard time focusing his hearing on anything for hours afterward. Nevertheless, she tried to flirt with him a little until Suzie came by and stepped between them.
“Heya, Clark.” She turned her head slightly to Katie. “Remember what Chloe said about him?”
“OH YEAH, SORRY ABOUT THAT! YOU’RE A GREAT GUY THOUGH. I BET YOU AND CHLOE HAVE SOME GREAT TIMES HUH?”
“Uh, yeah. We’ve been buddies since she moved to Smallville in junior high.” He stepped away from them and toward the staircase. The girls were smiling widely at this point.
So weird. But their weirdness was probably what had drawn Chloe to this place to begin with. She just couldn’t resist the weird, even after her time at The Planet. It was her calling, or something. Clark ran up the stairs, ears ringing, to the room Chloe had been sharing with Lana. No wonder Chloe is living with these people. Figuring them out will take her years.
The door to her room was closed, and someone had put a sock on it. Clark wondered what that meant as he turned the handle to the room and made a step inside. He stopped short. That huge girl who had been hanging around Chloe lately was lying at an angle across her bed, and Chloe…
Was on top of her. Kissing her needfully, sloppily with an open mouth and heavy breathing. Letting the large woman’s hands slide hungrily into the bend between her torso and hip. One of Chloe’s hands one kneading the woman’s breast.
Clark stumbled out of the room and soon found himself on the other side of campus with his cell phone out before he knew who he was calling. “I uh… sorry I know that this isn’t really appropriate to call you out of the blue like this but I had to talk to someone Chloe’s a lesbian with this huge mutant woman I saw them kissing and Patty had her hands all over Chloe’s… stuff!!”
“Dude. Clark? Is that you?”
“Yes, Pete!!”
“The hell. I haven’t heard from you in forever. I can’t believe you called… did you say Chloe’s a lesbian?”
“YES!!”
“Oh, man!” The man’s voice rang in amusement.
“Don’t sound so happy. You’ve not met this woman.” Clark sat down on a bench.
“So what, she’s a meteor freak? Some kind of psycho?”
“Uh… no. Actually, she was born that way. She’s huge. Imagine a woman who’s like an inch taller than me. She’s a giant. I’ve seen her carry a couch through the house by herself.”
“Is she… okay on a cell phone here but… you think that she’s like you?”
“Is she… no she’s not. Just… really strong. And really nice. I should be calmer about this. Lex is dating a transsexual, and I barely blinked an eye. I can get used to Chloe dating a girl.”
“So when you saw them…”
“Yeah,” Clark asked seriously.
“They… clothed? How far were they into it?”
“Don’t ask me that! It’s Chloe! That would be like getting turned on by my sister.”
“Frankly, man, this is way better for my ego than losing her to you. If she’s swinging the other way, that’s more than acceptable. Especially for my fantasies. Hey, I remember her having a crush on Alicia before she went loony.”
“Really? Like… how much of a crush?”
“Not big or anything, but she would like, stare at her and blush. She’d never talk to her, though. If Alicia came up to ask something, Chloe would turn into you and fall all over herself.”
“I’m an idiot. How did I miss that?”
“No offense, man, but your attention back in the day was always on Lex or Lana. Mostly Lex, but Lana pouted and freaked out on you so much, I think you had to turn your head a little.”
“I feel like a jerk.”
“Yeah, well you are one. How’ve you been anyway? I haven’t talked to you since junior year.”
“The short version? Lana became a witch, Lex became an alien, we became enemies, my dad died, my mom got horizontal with Lionel Luthor-“
“Oh fuck! Gross!”
“Tell me about it. She won’t talk to him much now, though.”
“Is Lex still an alien?”
“No, he’s dying of cancer.”
Pete was silent. “That’s too bad. I know I was a major ass about it. But when I think back, he was always really trying to look out for you. Not that he ever did it in a sane way.”
“Yeah. Lex is kinda… that way. He wouldn’t directly let me know he was trying to protect me. The dumbass.” Clark got up from the bench and sighed. “You want to meet up? I’ll come there. We can talk. I should warn you, Lana is headed your way come the end of the semester. Lex’s new girlfriend-“
“The trannie?”
“Pete, do not call Adina that. She’s amazing.”
“Uh… sorry. I plead small town ignorance.”
“What was I saying? Oh, Adina got Lana a job in Grandville so she’d get away from Lex.”
“Hm. I didn’t figure Lex would let a girl like Lana get to him. She’s not exactly high class. A little scary, though.”
Clark started to walk back to the D.O.G. house and x-rayed it. Chloe wasn’t in her room anymore. Where did she go? “Pete? You still there?”
“Yeah, dude. Look. Come seem me sometime. I’m kinda busy now, but this weekend, huh?”
“That would… be good. I’ve missed you.”
“I’m sorry. I was a jerk.”
“So was I.”
“I made you steal Lex’s car to help me out, and I got a guy killed because I had to have penis envy with a guy like you. I know that shit wasn’t ever important to you. And it turns out the fine piece that I was getting twisted over isn’t even interested in a brother. I shoulda calmed the hell down, you know, but what can I say?”
“We were kids then.”
“Sucks. We sucked.”
“It does, and we did. Call me this weekend, okay?”
“Sure thing, Clark. Maybe you can get Chloe and her hottie to come visit with us too?”
“Ew, Pete.”
“Dude, you are not normal. Any normal guy would be all over his gal pal having a girlfriend of her own.”
“I am by far not normal.”
“Too true. Call you?”
“Yeah. Bye.”
Clark hung up and decided to go for a flight to collect his head.
***
Occasionally, Lex would shoo Adina out of the apartment and tell her to go visit her friends or do something fun. It was impossible really, not when she knew he was back home sick and alone. She hugged her arms, pulling the edges of her long faux-furry jacket together, and walked down the street with her head bowed. Waiting was crushing down her spirit slowly, and all she could do sometimes was cling to Lex and hoped he would be out of pain soon.
Suddenly she whipped around, sensing that someone was watching her. Big green eyes looked at her guiltily.
“Uh…. Hi.”
“Hiya, Supes.” She wasn’t that surprised. She’d spotted him tailing her more than once and supposed he was jus trying to be helpful. She really should have just started taking a bodyguard, now that people knew she was with Lex Luthor.
“Nice heels,” he said, touching down next to her. She could see him biting back a comment. What did this primary color freak know about fashion? His cape fluttered up all at once then settled on his back. She stared at him closely. “How are you doing, Adina?”
“I don’t know.” She looked out on the street. “I’m waiting for whatever is a suitable ‘airing’ time before going back to be with Lex. I don’t want to miss any more time with him than I have to.”
“Makes sense. I’m sorry. I hope they can find a way to cure him.”
She nodded. He walked alongside her, slumping his shoulders a little. It was different when he was on the ground. He looked younger, but she’d noticed that before. Something about the squareness of his jaw, the shape of his eyes and the way a curl had sprung loose from his hair and was hanging in his face… She raised her eyebrows.
“Clark?”
He turned with surprise. “No… Kal-El.”
“You liar.” Adina frowned and shook her head. “Does Lex know?”
“Uh… that’s the question, I guess. I’m not really sure.”
“I don’t think he does. He wouldn’t let you in his house if he knew.” She blew on her hands. “I can’t believe he doesn’t, though. He’s one of the most brilliant guys I’ve ever met. ”
Clark was silent.
“Aren’t you cold in that getup? Do you need a coat?”
“Not really. I don’t feel the weather change as much as you do.”
“Must not.” She sighed. “I guess this changes my impression of Clark Kent. I liked Kal better.”
“You wouldn’t be the first.”
“I’m not talking about the stuffed suit of a personality you pretend is yours. I’m talking about that sweet, shy boy that came to visit me in the hospital.”
“I’m not a boy.” Clark stretched his neck indignantly and stood up straight. “You and Lex, I swear. I’m not a kid.”
“Fine,” she said sharply. “That sweet, shy man who only wanted to help us. Not the pompous ass that came storming into Lex’s home and accused him of bringing this horrible illness on himself.”
“I’m very sorry about that.”
“I’m sure you’re very sorry about a lot of things. Lex never hears that.”
“What do you expect me to do?”
She shrugged. “Come have some fucking coffee with me. It’s colder than a… Kryptonian’s tit out here. Unless you’re busy patrolling.”
“Not really. I just needed to clear my head.”
“Ditto.” She took his arm. Clark blushed and took her lead. “Let’s go, kiddo.”
Might as well start taking care of the big Boy Scout now.
***
“Hey.” Clark walked into Lex’s bedroom slowly. It was a day or so after he’d spoken with Adina, and she wasn’t here now, which gave Clark a modicum of relief. He wondered if she had told Lex yet.
“Those glasses make you look like a dork.” Lex was propped up on a mountain of pillows and draped limply along his bed like a skeleton looking bored out of his mind.
Clark waved sheepishly and walked toward Lex’s bed. “How are… uh…”
“I feel spectacular. Cancer does that.” Lex smiled tiredly and jerked his head. “Get over here. Tell me about what you’re up to these days.”
Clark thought about Superman’s latest run in with a mutant zebra. “It’s really not that interesting.”
“I can’t get out of bed, I made Adina go out for some fresh air, and I’m too tired to read or work. Anything has to be more entertaining than staring at the wall and feeling puny.” Lex drew out the last word with a southern accent.
“I’m here to entertain you, am I?” Clark smiled and started to think about his most recent mundane activities. He started with his new classes at MetU.
***
It was hard sometimes for Chloe to walk through the world when it kept shifting all around her. No wonder her mother had gone insane. Patricia had been trying to keep her grounded while she figured this mess out. Chloe smiled at the thought, remembering the woman’s large hands caressing her body. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be living in a sorority full of mutants, have a super-girlfriend, and be developing her own powers…
She would have checked them for Kryptonite radiation poisoning.
Chloe spoke to the head butler and made her way through the hallways. Her eyes passed over objects that were connected back centuries past to great men and women. Looking at them pulled her in different directions. She closed her eyes halfway and tried to guide herself by the wall. She stumbled and felt a hand on her elbow. It was the butler, helping her along. “Thank you. “
He stopped her at Lex’s bedroom and looked at her kindly “You can go inside.”
She tried to focus and knocked on the doorframe. Clark turned around, and she blinked in surprise. “I uh… hi.”
“It’s been a long time, Chloe.” Lex made a small nod. “Care to join us?”
“I wasn’t expecting a party.” She came in tentatively, trying not to fall. “Sorry. I’m a little out of sorts today.”
“I’ll say,” Clark muttered. She gave him a questioning look and sat in a soft chair near the bed.
“I’m not really here to socialize, though. I know, what a surprise, right?” She felt the expensive fabric of the chair. “I’ve been trying to sleuth some cures. Have you considered a bone marrow transplant, Lex?”
“I think you would know better than most that my genetic structure is… unique to say the least.”
“Ditto. But… if there was someone who had similar DNA…” she replied intently.
“There isn’t. Do you know how hard I’ve searched for someone like me? There isn’t anyone.”
Chloe pulled her index finger back anxiously. “There is someone, Lex. I found him.”
Lex narrowed his eyes. He clearly did not believe her. “And how did you find him?”
Clark perked up. “Chloe, you found someone? Does that mean Lex could get treatment?”
“I’m a fucking mutant, Clark,” Lex insisted. “There is no match. I’m one of a kind.”
“Not unless you had a son,” Chloe said quickly. Lex blinked dumbly. “He’s eleven.”
“He…” Lex grew quiet. He closed his eyes for a moment. His body tensed, and he licked his lips. He spoke almost reverently. “I have a son?”
She nodded.
“How?”
“When a man and woman love one another, or a sixteen year old boy and a woman get horizontal because she apparently doesn’t recognize statutory rape laws-“
“This could work?” Clark interrupted, ignoring everything else Chloe was saying. Lex opened his eyes and began to think about this in earnest.
“Maybe… if we were a match-“
“I’m sure that you are.” Chloe twisted her fingers more. Lex eyed her suspiciously. She was nervous. Hiding something.
“Did you run the tests with my blood?”
“No, but I’m sure. I wouldn’t have seen the answer if… if Jerry weren’t part of it.” Both of them looked at her oddly. She put her face in her hands. “I can’t explain. All I can say is-“
“Trust you on this?” Clark put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been making some pretty good leaps lately.”
She lifted her head and pressed her lips together tightly.
“So could this work?” He turned to Lex, who gave a weak shrug.
“It might. A bone marrow transplant… I’d have to go through another round of chemo. And we would have to ask an eleven year old boy to let doctors stick a huge needle in his leg to harvest the marrow.”
“Just assume for a minute he’ll be willing.”
Chloe set her hands in her lap. “He is. Very much so. His parents are another matter.”
“Can we talk to them?” Clark continued anxiously.
“I’ve been trying,” she replied, shrugging in frustration.
Clark nodded. “Okay, then. Assuming he’s willing, and we can get the parents to cooperate. Will you survive another round of chemo?”
“The likelihood of that is looking quite slim, right now,” Lex admitted. “We could try, however. It would be better than doing nothing.”
Clark slumped in his chair. The three of them were quiet. Chloe began staring fixedly at Clark. She trailed her fingers over his chest, then arms, all the while, her eyes wide, taking him in.
“You have the answer, Clark. You… you and Superman. And if you don’t, you will.”
Clark craned his neck and hunched down trying to look her in the face, worriedly. She sounded out of her mind. There was a lot of stress around her eyes. She sighed and took his left hand.
“You had it here.” She looked away and stared hard. “What you had here… have Superman take it to the Fortress…”
“Chloe…”
She turned her head back to him. “Does that make sense?”
Clark frowned and tried to think about what he’d had in his hand that had anything to do with Lex. Besides certain parts of his own anatomy. “Lex’s blood sample? Use the Fortress to analyze Lex’s blood!”
“That makes sense.” She began to rub behind her neck. Lex’s eyes were bearing down on her, but he said nothing about it.
“Would Superman be willing?” Lex asked.
“The Fortress can… the technology there… we’ll be able to find something.” Clark stood. “I’ll go now.”
“He would want to?”
“Lex, of course-“
“We’re enemies, Clark. It would be in his best interest if I died, and he wasn’t the one who had to kill me. It would work very well with his ‘Code.’”
“He doesn’t work like that.” Clark paused. “And even if he realizes that, I’ll make him see it my way. He owes a fuck lot to me.”
Clark felt warm at the doubtful, crooked little smile on Lex’s face. He walked over and gave Lex a hug. He wasn’t sure if they were there yet, but he had moved before he thought about it.
Lex moved a limp hand around his back in return. “I don’t know if I deserve it. But thank you.”
Clark rubbed Chloe’s shoulder as he rushed out of the room. She fixed her eyes on the doorframe.
“Chloe, I think you need to talk,” Lex whispered.
She turned back around and began twisting her fingers again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you know more about what’s going on than anyone else.”
“I thought I’d have Jerry’s parents come here and talk to you. His mother is already, well, she’s nervous, but she’s okay with having him donate. His father…” She shook her head.
“You can have them come here to talk to me. That, however, is not what I’m talking about.”
She remained silent.
“I was hoping we would never have this conversation.”
Chloe covered her face with her hands. Lex reached out and took one in his own.
***
Martha sighed and straightened the stack of papers she had been working on. Lionel had just walked into her office.
“What can I help you with, Lionel?”
“I was curious as to how my son is doing. His staff have denied me entrance, and his doctors won’t divulge any information.”
“You could have called.”
“Alas, he won’t speak with me either.”
She set the papers inside her briefcase and clicked it shut. “I meant you could have called me. Instead of coming here.”
“Ah. Well, I couldn’t be certain that it wasn’t a bad time.”
“This isn’t going to work.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Lex is still alive. Clark spoke with him yesterday afternoon, and he’s going to take the blood sample to the Fortress for analysis. They have some ideas. Lex doesn’t feel very positive about the plan, however, and has continued his little megalomaniac machinations to protect the people around him after his death.” She sat on her desk. Lionel ran a hand down his mouth and his eyes looked suitably concerned for the situation. “I can call you whenever there is a change. But you need to stop bothering Lex. He doesn’t need the stress right now.”
“I’m his father.”
“Honestly, I once bought that. But not anymore. You aren’t going to tug at my heartstrings any longer. If you can’t be supportive of him and the woman who has been keeping him going for the past few months, then you aren’t trying much.” She picked up her briefcase and keys and ignored the look on Lionel’s face.
“Martha-“
“I think that you’re only coming to me in order to play my sympathies and get me into bed again.” She turned. “I was weak then, but I’m not foolish. If you don’t know why Lex can’t let you see him now, considering you’ve taught him all of his life to be ashamed of his weakness, then I think about as much about your intelligence as I do your sincerity.”
Lionel stalked around her. “Martha, I assure you, I do care if my son dies.”
“Especially when he’s made certain the company will be out of your hands? Adina is going to fire you as soon as she returns from the funeral. You should be looking for new employment. She hasn’t forgiven you for your treatment of Lex. Neither have I.”
“You think the worst of me right now. I cannot help being old fashioned. And given the women Lex has dated in the past… she’s not even a woman!”
“Goodbye, Lionel.”
“Martha, please, listen !” He jogged up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. “I need to see my son before he dies. I hope you can understand that.”
“Do you love him?” she demanded.
“Of course I do,” he answered immediately. Martha tensed her lips.
“I don’t believe you. If you want to see him before he dies, you need to tell him that you love him, but really don’t think you’re being honest.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I care about his well-being. I want him to succeed.”
“This relationship is never going to be fixed unless you go out of your way to help piece it back together.” She raised a hand helplessly. “You’ve hurt him. A lot. And before he trusts you again, he needs to see you admit that you’ve made mistakes.”
Lionel bared his teeth angrily. “Everything I’ve done for my son, I’ve done to make him stronger.”
“I beat you for your own good, Lex,” she said harshly. “I’m sure that goes over very well with him.”
“You aren’t understanding me.”
“I can’t understand you. I can’t. If Jonathan had hurt a child of ours the way you hurt Lex, I would have left him. Immediately.” She tilted her head to the side. “I love that boy, and it wasn’t hard to do. If you want back in his life, you know that you have to start making changes.”
“Please-“
Martha cut him off and headed out of her office. “We’re through. Don’t try to use your son to get to me anymore.”
***
Adina sat in the hallway glaring at Alice White, who clutched her son’s shoulder. She could practically see Lex in the kid, and while she had no problem with Jerry, Perry on the other hand was in Lex’s room being a complete asshole to him. They could hear him arguing from the outside.
Jerry abruptly broke away from them and went into the room.
“This is why you never liked me, isn’t it, Dad?” Jerry demanded. Perry turned around and looked uncertain. Jerry face was furious, his features scrunched together.
“This is complicated. You can’t just go around giving every stranger you meet parts of your body.”
“If what they said is true, I can’t give to anyone else,” Jerry pointed out.
Perry sighed. ”It’s complicated. You don’t understand.”
“I understand. He’ll die if I don’t. Why would you want to do that?”
Alice stepped between them. “Sweetheart, why don’t your father and I go out in the hall and talk a bit? Hm? You can have a chat with Mr. Luthor.”
Jerry nodded sullenly. Adina slipped into the room and sat beside Lex on the bed. Jerry’s parents shut the door and began to argue outside.
“Come here, Jerry,” Lex said softly. His voice was dried out and cracking. Jerry drew near and looked over him almost clinically.
“I’m sorry my dad is a jerk, Mr. Luthor. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to save someone if they could.”
Lex gave him a faint smile. “My dad is pretty much a jerk, too.”
“Yeah. I heard that.” Jerry crept closer. He sat in the chair by the bed and curled up his legs into it. He was average height, but very slender and fit easily into the curve of the chair’s back. “Is… it’s true that you’re really my dad?”
“Seems so.”
“Oh.” The boy played with his shoes. “Did you lose your hair with the cancer?”
“No, I’m lucky like that. I lost my hair when I was a bit younger than you.”
“I wouldn’t call that luck.” Jerry raised a brow. “Is she your girlfriend?”
Lex nodded.
“You’re pretty. What’s your name?”
“Adina Howard,” she answered. The boy’s sad blue eyes assessed her quietly.
“Now, that’s luck.” He pointed to Adina. Lex made a coughing laugh. Adina caressed the side of his head with feather touches.
“Yes, I do consider myself lucky to have her.”
“Um.”
“What is it?”
“You didn’t… my dad doesn’t like me. Did you get rid of me because you didn’t want me?”
“Jerry, I was sixteen when you were born. My father… would have most certainly taken you from your mother and I if he had known about you. You would have been raised as my brother.” Lex paused and looked into Jerry’s eyes apologetically. “I wouldn’t want to wish his parenting skills on anyone. I won’t say I was completely unaware that your mother had a child with red hair, but… I couldn’t let myself think about it. I would never have been able to protect you from your grandfather.”
Jerry nodded solemnly.
“My life is so dangerous. I think the best thing I could have done for you would be to not be in your life.”
“I… I guess I understand. But I don’t agree.” Jerry reached over and grabbed Lex’s hand. Lex bit his lip and squeezed his son’s hand with the little force he had to give.
“I accept that. I understand if you hate me.”
”I don’t hate you. I just wish I’d been able to get to know you.” Jerry shrugged. He looked from Lex to Adina. “Maybe we still could.”
“Maybe we could. It depends on whether or not you want to be associated with me.”
“Why… wouldn’t I want that? You’re my father.”
“There are a lot of people who don’t like Luthors.”
“A lot of people are goobers. I don’t like a lot of them anyway.” Jerry scratched his nose. “I don’t do anything because a lot of people do it.”
“Yes, but if they knew you were my son, they would consider you a Luthor and not like you either.”
“Oh. I still don’t think I care ‘bout that. Not many people like me.”
“I’m sure they do, hon,” Adina said gently. Jerry shook his head.
“I have my mom. But I don’t have any friends.”
“Well, that sucks. I’ll be your friend,” Adina insisted. She laid down next to Lex and put her head on his shoulder.
“You’ll need one if I can’t get my dad to be a decent and let me help you,” Jerry said dejectedly. Adina rubbed Lex’s arm.
“I’m not decent?” Perry came back into the room.
“No,” Jerry replied haughtily.
“You know, most kids your age want to stay out late. Or go to concerts. You want to give marrow. What kind of kid are you?” Perry’s voice was joking, but Jerry looked back at him with fierce eyes.
“A Luthor apparently.”
Adina blinked. What kind of eleven year old spoke like that? Lex’s kid.
“Your mom and I were listening outside the door. Reminded me of that time when your biological father here when psycho on me and slammed me up against a wall. Threatened me.”
Jerry let go of Lex’s hand and turned around in the chair. He looked surprised and upset. Then he frowned. “Were you being a jerk?”
Perry laughed. “Yeah, I was. I was being a jerk to two of his closest friends, and he screamed at me like a lunatic and told me to get the heck outta Dodge. He knew I worked for a tabloid. Knew I was likely to shift my story and cover him as a drug addict or a rageaholic.”
“You were picking on his friends!” Jerry exclaimed.
“You were awful devoted to those kids, Lex. Seriously worried about that Clark.”
“Guh. Clark,” Adina said under her breath. Lex looked at her reassuringly.
Alice stood in the background waiting on them. Perry walked up to his son. “You aren’t going to forgive us, if we don’t let you do this, are you?”
“I wouldn’t respect you.”
Perry shook his head. “You are his kid. I’ll sign the papers.”
Adina burst out laughing and squeezed Lex’s arm. He looked up uncertainly.
”You realize- oof!” Lex stopped as Jerry jumped over and gave him a hug. He couldn’t believe this child would latch onto him so quickly. How quickly did you shift your attention to Jonathan Kent when he was available?, Lex asked himself. “Jerry, I appreciate this, so much. I can’t tell you how much.”
“I’m glad. I always wanted to save someone.”
Lex searched the boy’s face. “You might even get to meet Superman. A mutual friend of ours has him helping me out.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Lex felt himself smiling in spite of himself. With Adina on his one side and Jerry on the other, he was starting to feel guilty for being sick. “I’ll see if I can’t get him to come see you.”
***
The next time Clark visited Chloe at the D.O.G. house, he made sure to knock before coming in. He thought that he heard her, so he eased in as quietly as a 6’4 man could manage. Chloe was sitting by her new Wall of Weird, which she had put up above the empty bed when both she and Lana were in this room. Now she was the only one in here. Clark wondered if she were lonely.
Maybe that’s why she felt like she had to have sex with the Jolly Green Lesbian, he thought uncharitably.
“Chlo?”
“Hey, Clark.” Her voice was a little higher than usual, a little more vulnerable than she usually let it be. Clark came up behind her and looked in confusion at the new picture she’d affixed to the Wall of Weird.
It was a picture of herself. Smiling her toothy, infectious, ear-to-ear smile.
“Chloe, why are you putting yourself on the Wall of Weird?”
“Because-“
He heard a little intake of breath and leaned over her to hold her, to see what was wrong. “No… don’t cry.”
”I’m scared, Clark.”
“What’s going on with you lately? I’m sorry I haven’t been around.”
Chloe looked down and shivered. “I have precog.”
“Uh… what?”
“Prerecognition. It’s not visions… but I can see connections, possibilities that other people can’t see. My mother had it. Every woman in my family.” She sighed shakily. “After my mom’s powers really started to develop… she had about three years before she completely lost her mind.”
“Chloe that won’t happen to you!”
“Clark, it could. Please, don’t give me platitudes… it could. I’m going to try to fight it. And Lex said he’d help.”
Clark frowned in alarm. “You told Lex before you told me?”
”He guessed when we went to see him. He found my mother for me… I think he was expecting it, but he hoped my powers wouldn’t develop,” she admitted. “Lana told me… she said that Lex and I are a lot alike. That we try to take care of the people around us. She was right. He really does.”
Her eyes drifted, and she didn’t quite seem to be there anymore. “The world… is such a strange… place… so complicated and simple and… bright...”
Clark gripped her shoulders. “You’re going to stay with me, okay?”
“For… as long as I can. I promise that much.” She shrugged and came back down to earth. Picking up another picture, a blond woman in a strange lycra outfit. “But… you see, this is my mom.”
“She’s a mask,” Clark said with surprise.
Chloe shook her head. “She was. And I’m going to be. A little. While I’m still here, I want to help people.”
Clark smiled at her weakly. “Can you… will you be safe?”
“Patricia’s got my back. We’ll start slow. After this thing with Lex starts getting better.”
“Patty’s going to go out, too?”
“Yeah.”
“She is pretty strong. I bet you two will work well together.” Clark put his hand behind his head and looked uncomfortable. “Uh… I… saw you guys… um.”
Chloe frowned curiously then turned her head a little and blushed when she realized what Clark was hinting at.
“It’s uh… totally okay if you’re a lesbian, Chloe.”
“Oh. I’m not a lesbian!” She laughed. Clark looked at her confused.
“You were letting her… she was touching you. Down there.”
Chloe laughed harder and pressed her head into his shirt.
”Chloe!”
“I’m not a lesbian, Clark. I had the horn for you in high school, remember? I’m bisexual.”
Clark blinked. “Oh. Kay.”
“You alright?”
“Yeah yeah. Wow, I don’t know that I wanna tell that to Pete. He was a big enough jerk when I told him you liked girls. Now he might ask for a threesome.”
Chloe smirked and rubbed her chin. “Well, be sure Patricia’s there when he asks.”
Clark snickered. “Maybe not. I wouldn’t want to have to fight your girlfriend to save his life.” He grabbed her in a bear hug. “Oh, Chloe. I’m sorry everything is crazy. But it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She laughed into his shoulder. “I told you that before.”
“I should have known better.”
”The Chloe knows.”
”So.” Clark sat on Lana’s old bed. “What’s your mask name going to be?”
***
Spending time with Lex, even when they had been friends, had never actually been so time consuming for Clark. Lex had always been on the move. He never sat down for long. He’d get up and play pool or talk or pace around and move his hands in wide gestures. Clark could breeze in, ask a question, and leave moments later, because Lex himself was on the move. He never seemed to mind that Clark didn’t spend that much time relaxing with him in silence, and now Clark wondered if that were true. He remembered one time when Lex had come by and waited to talk to him for over an hour, then after about ten minutes of speaking with him, had left.
Clark wished he’d spent more time trying to keep up with Lex in their “good old days.” He regretted not trying to understand him more.
“I have something to tell you,” Clark whispered. Lex narrowed his eyes and raised a brow, seeming too tired to be annoyed. “But, I’m afraid that you can’t take this news right now. So you have to get better so you can be mad at me.”
“You think I can’t take bad news? I’ve had a lot of bad news in my life, Clark.” His voice was barely a whisper. He was thirsty a lot, these days, although they couldn’t get him to eat much anymore. Clark bowed his head and wiped away a tear. “The Fortress was a wash?”
“No. The AI at the Fortress came up with a solution. And why this fucking cancer is getting so bad. It’s because of your mutation, Lex. It’s because of the additional exposure with your ring.”
“I assumed.”
“No, not just the cancer. Your mutation, too. If we can get rid of most of the cancer cells… which are mutated, that’s why the chemo couldn’t fight it… then your body should be able to fight back and do it even harder than it could before.”
“So we don’t need Jerry’s marrow?”
“No, we definitely will. We’ll have to take him to the Fortress with us.”
”That should be fun for him.” Lex gave him a weak smile.
Clark nodded.
“You think Supes would mind saying hello to the boy? He seemed excited about it.”
”He’ll be there to give the AI orders. Maybe he could give Jerry a flight, too?”
Lex nodded and closed his eyes. There was a slight sense of contentment in his expression when he talked about Jerry. “He will?”
“He will.”
“You must have him by the balls, Clark. To make him help me.”
“I love you.”
Lex’s eyes popped open. “Oh, Clark…”
“I know. You know me.” Clark sniffed and wiped his eyes again. His voice was shaky. “I’m always late!”
“Too late. Too late, Clark. I love her.”
“I know. And… fuck, Lex, she’s so good for you. She makes you happy. I never made you happy.”
“You’re an idiot.” Lex reached out and put a weak hand on his leg.
“Can… please, I want us to be friends? Can we try?”
“You convinced the Superdick to help save my life. I owe you something. At the very least I can give this another chance.”
Clark leaned over and embraced him. Lex squeezed his knee weakly.
“Be gentle with me.”
“I’m trying… heheh. Adina would kill me if I broke you.”
“She would kick your pansy ass,” Lex confirmed solemnly.
***
Lex lay flat on his back in crystalline room of unrelieved white. He remembered the year after the meteor shower. The white rooms. The white men in white coats. His own red blood splattered on the floor.
“How much longer?” Lex called out as loudly as he could. He remembered the white rooms at Belle Reve. The rough hands. The rubber ball in his mouth.
He was trying not to shake. He was cold and naked. And a little scared. He knew that Superman was outside. That made him nervous. But Adina was out there, too. That in itself was comforting. He wasn’t sure why he assumed a skinny woman would make sure the sociopathic alien didn’t do anything… untoward while he was weak and at Superman’s mercy, but he had faith. For once in his life.
Jerry and his mother were also outside. The AI had instructed Superman to lay the boy down in another room, and he was out in a few minutes saying he felt a little woozy but otherwise was fine.
Sound boomed from everywhere and nowhere in the room. “The AI will start in a moment. Hold still.”
Lex closed his eyes and waited for the evil alien machine to destroy all of his bone marrow. Oh, what was he thinking? Hadn’t he learned his lesson in trusting Milton Fine? Well, he was dying. It couldn’t get much worse.
All of a sudden he felt something seize his body. It was complete. Invasive. It was pain, and it was everywhere. He had to be screaming. There had to be tears running down his face his face.
Fuck that Superman. He had alien technology. Surely they could heal without all of this… horrible… pain.
“Lex! How are you doing?”
“FUCK YOU!!!”
”Seven more seconds!”
Lex spent them blinking at the red in front of his eyes and imagining beautiful images. Such as disemboweling Kal-El with a meat hook. Or giving him a Kryptonite enema. Or covering him in honey and throwing him to a swarm of green Krypto-fire ants…
“We’re done!”
“Ugh.”
“Sorry, Lex!”
Lex continued to stare at the ceiling. The stark white was starting to stain through the red. He could hear himself panting. “That’s super, Kally.”
He heard Adina giggling. The lingering ache didn’t seem so bad.
“Okay,” Superman said. “Now we have to transfer the marrow.”
“Oh, motherfucker.”
“It’s just a needle?” Superman sounded sheepish. How hilarious.
“I can do a little prick.”
“Honey, I’d bet you’ve done more than one little prick.” Adina laughed. Lex could hear the nervousness in her voice. Had that bastard let her hear him scream?
“I’m good, babe. Love you.”
“Love you, too!” Her voice wavered.
Superman walked in. Lex looked at him. “Did they hear me scream?”
“You didn’t scream.”
“That’s… amazing.” Lex raised a hand to his cheeks to feel for tears that weren’t there.
“I thought so,” Superman said. He walked up to Lex with the needle. “This might hurt a little. But after that, I don’t think you’ll even feel it.”
“That’s what they all say,” Lex muttered.
“I’m serious. About… Jesus, I’m such a wimp about pain.”
“That’s because you never have to face it unless I’m torturing you.”
“I hope our téte-à-tétes have made me stronger.” Superman smiled a little. He was being friendly. That was worrisome.
“This is going to kill me, isn’t it?”
“God. No.” Superman walked up to him with the needle.
“You’d think you’d ask me to dinner before whipping that thing out at me.”
Superman laughed. Lex raised his brows suspiciously. “Look, I like your girlfriend. She’s a great girl, and… don’t be so worried that I’m going to hurt you.”
Lex took a deep breath and tensed his jaw and neck. “Lay that big thing on me, Kally.”
***
After the Fortress, the ICU didn’t seem quite so bad. It was still white and horrible, and it smelled like death, but he was only alone when the doctors shoved people out. Lex was dumbstruck, actually. He’d assumed he would be alone, save for Adina and maybe Clark if the boy felt brave.
Martha came. Chloe and Patricia came. Jerry came, without his mother. Adina’s friends came by even when she was sleeping. This was just insane.
“Lex.” Martha sat beside the bubble they had him in with wide, kind eyes. “I… I spoke with your father not long ago.” She shook her head dismissively. “I don’t know if that man is capable of loving someone other than himself. I’m not even sure if he loves himself. But… honey, please know that there are people who do love you. And that’s what matters. There are people who I’m sure you’ve never met who are sending Get Well cards to Luthorcorp.”
“Seriously?” Lex raised his brows. “Nothing like death to bring out the charity in people.”
She smiled sympathetically. “I don’t blame you. Maybe you’ll start to trust this someday. But you know that Adina loves you. And well…”
“I know. I’m getting better,” he assured her. “You don’t have to say things like this.”
“Yes, I do. You need to know it. Everyone needs a support system. I’m sad that you didn’t have anyone besides Adina through most of this.”
Lex gave a lopsided smile, but didn’t really believe her. Clark came by for stilted, awkward conversation. Adina was there every day.
“Don’t you have anything better to do that hang out with a pitiful old man?”
Adina pressed the tips of her fingers against the plastic separating them. “Absolutely nothing.”
Jerry hung around and asked him blunt questions about his life and complained about his parents splitting up again.
“They need to make up their minds. Dad knew that Mom cheated him a long time ago.”
“Adults can get caught up in little details and forget what’s important,” Lex told him. Jerry curled up in the chair and looked over at Adina, who was sleeping across the room.
“Have you guys done that?”
“We haven’t been together long enough to get stupid.”
Jerry laughed. “Now you have the chance to be stupid. Isn’t that great?”
“Shouldn’t we all have that opportunity. Did Superman give you a flight?”
“Yeah! Wow. I used to be a little scared of flying. But that was just cool!”
Lex smiled widely. He was stuck in the ICU for weeks, but he didn’t mind at all. He didn’t believe it would last, but it was nice to see people care for the moment.
Epilogue next post. :D