Almost there! Must Be Dreaming 21
Title: Must Be Dreaming
Series/WIP: Sequel to So Much Dreaming
Pairing: Clex!
Rating: NC-17!
Summary: After being abducted by aliens and discovering that Jonathan Kent is alive, Lex must come to grips with his shifting relationship with Clark and an unexpected pregnancy.
Spoilers: Through S5, after Cyborg.
Warnings: mpreg, character death
Chapter One ♥ Chapter Two ♥ Chapter Three ♥ Chapter Four ♥ Chapter 5.1 ♥ Chapter 5.2 ♥ Chapter Six ♥ Chapter Seven ♥ Chapter Eight ♥ Chapter Nine ♥ Chapter Ten ♥ Chapter Eleven ♥ Chapter Twelve ♥ Chapter Thirteen ♥ Chapter Fourteen ♥ Chapter Fifteen ♥ Chapter Sixteen ♥ Chapter Seventeen ♥ Part Eighteen ♥ Part Nineteen ♥ Part Twenty
Part Twenty-One
Clark pulled a bandana out of his back pocket and moved to tie it around Lex’s eyes.
“Hey!” Lex objected, taking a step backward. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure that this is a surprise. Just put it on.” Clark was whining, but he didn’t care. A well placed pout would probably get him his way.
Lex stood firm for a moment, then looked at the bandana anxiously. Clark considered that this might be a bad idea. Lex was in a much better mood today, but he didn’t want to spoil it. Unlike the previous day when Lex had gotten angry with Clark and thrown two vases before retreating to his safe room. Where he’d cried, but pretended he wasn’t crying. Lena had assured Clark that Lex would be all right, and he wasn’t really angry about anything Clark had said. Still, Lex was usually a rational person, even if he tucked away his hurts and tried not acknowledge that they existed.
It was now creeping toward mid-October, and Clark could hardly believe how much bigger Lex had gotten. He imagined if he had to get so big and vulnerable, he might throw temper tantrums, too. Luckily, Lex didn’t have the strength to take out a wall or two, and his temper was usually spent quickly. Then he was all too willing to ‘make up.’ It didn’t mean that Clark had to like seeing him be upset to begin with.
“Fine. Put it on.” Lex closed his eyes.
Clark smiled as he tied the bandana around Lex’s eyes.
“You’re going to have to make sure I don’t do any major damage while I can’t see. I’m clumsy enough as it is.”
“I have you, Lex.” Clark kissed the back of his neck and rubbed a hand over Lex’s belly before moving them forward carefully. “I won’t let anything happen, okay?”
He would carry Lex, but he’d learned the hard way two days before that Lex was getting sick of being hoisted into Clark’s arms without being consulted about it. Again, on contemplation of that, Clark thought he might not appreciate being carried around, if it were a constant factor. Even if it was a lot easier and faster for Clark to carry Lex than for Lex to slowly waddle around the mansion.
“Be careful.” Clark warned as they approached the stairs.
“I... oh.”
Clark held his hand firmly and put his arm around Lex’s back. “I have you. Step up.”
“This is like one of those trust activities they put the employees through every so often.”
Clark chuckled.
“Only not quite, as I have your weaponized engagement bracelet.”
That made Clark laugh outright. He was awfully glad for that weaponized engagement bracelet. “Okay, stop here.”
“Umm...”
“Hush,” Clark admonished. Then he turned Lex a few feet around and practically sang, “Here we are!”
“That’s great. Where are we? Is this one of those romantic picnics on the lawn that you do?”
Lex sounded so grumpy that Clark wanted to cuddle him in a blanket. “I know that you aren’t Lana. I wouldn’t just take you anywhere.”
He untied the bandana and bit his lip.
Lex took in the scene in front of him, his trademarked curiosity showing through as he scanned his eyes over the set up in the winter garden. There was a little table with two chairs on either side and some lilies in the middle.
“Clark, what’s going on?” Lex looked back at Clark.
The corner of Clark’s mouth crept up slowly. Gosh, he hoped this wasn’t a horrible idea. But the little wrinkle in Lex’s brow had melted away, and his eyes seemed open.
“I wanted to surprise you. And make it up to you for um...” Clark dipped his head bashfully. “Lying to you. You know why I wasn’t there now, but it hurt you then, and I thought...”
“What? When did you lie to me?”
“It was a while ago, now. I know I should probably just let it go.” Clark moved Lex toward the chair and pulled it out for him. When Lex sat, Clark kissed him on the forehead and held up one finger. He blurred off then returned with two bowls of ice cream sitting in a waffle cone. “I wanted to make it up to you, though. Is that okay?”
Lex’s features froze. “I...”
“Oh, Lex,” Clark whispered. His hand moved to cup Lex’s cheek, because he looked like he might cry.
“That’s... that’s nice, Clark.” Lex started to smile, then he let out a soft laugh, leaned forward, and covered his face with one hand.
“Aw.” Clark engulfed Lex in his arm and kissed his head. “I’m sorry for all the times I lied.”
“You know I understand about that,” Lex replied.
Clark was relieved to see that Lex wasn’t crying, after all. There was enough of that. They should probably sit across from one another, but Clark pulled his chair to sit next to Lex. “Yeah. I would have done this sooner, but at first you weren’t feeling so well, and...Want some apple pie ice cream?”
“Hm. I think I do.”
Clark took some on the spoon and held it up to Lex’s lips, which curved and laughed before opening for Clark.
“Mmm. God.” Lex closed his eyes and sat back.
“You’re making me uncomfortable,” Clark teased.
“It’s the price you pay for taking me out for a date in my condition,” Lex replied. “Oh.”
Lex sat up and leaned forward, holding the side of his belly. Clark put his hand on Lex’s back.
“Easy, Lia,” Lex murmured as he rubbed his side. “Guess she’s excited about... ice cream.”
“She kicks you hard, now, huh?” Clark said sympathetically.
“Well, she’s her father’s daughter,” Lex replied. He met Clark’s eye. “You didn’t have to do this. I know I’ve been unpleasant... well, a pain in the ass lately.”
“Oh, you have not. I just get worried when you’re...”
“Sobbing like a twelve year old girl?”
“Stop.” Clark rolled his eyes. Lex ended up in a worse mood when he cried because he hated doing it, whatever the cause. “When you’re distressed. And I hate when I cause it.”
“That’s not always your fault, Clark. Please know that.” Lex took another bite of his ice cream and sighed. “I’ve always had a temper.”
“Yeah, but I hardly ever saw it.”
“I’ve just been moody. Something would set me off, even if you weren’t there.” Lex reached over for Clark’s hand. “Tell me you know that everything isn’t your fault. Sometimes it’s mine. Sometimes it’s just nothing at all.”
“And sometimes I lie, and it hurts you.”
“I’ve noticed a significant decrease in that since you told me about where you come from.” Lex shrugged. “I think that might have been the source of our troubles.”
“Guess so.” Clark couldn’t help but smile. “Leah? That’s cute.”
“Yes. Short for... Juliana.” Lex raised his brows. “What do you think?”
“Juliana? Ohh.” Clark grinned. “Really pretty.”
“Elle.”
Clark blinked. “El?”
“Juliana Elle. E-l-l-e. I thought we might make a tribute to your family name, too. If you want to. It’s a bit unfair that I named her without consulting you.”
Clark’s hands cupped the sides of Lex’s face, and he pressed their lips together firmly.
“It’s a great name. I can name the next one.”
Oh, the risk of Lex’s temper was worth it for the look on his face right now.
“What do you mean, next one?”
***
The Luthor mansion was settling in nicely. Most of the kids had their own rooms, except for Maddie and Rujuko who had decided that they wanted to share, and they were set up across from Lena’s room. Of course, Maddie and Lena lived in an apartment not too far from Lena’s club, Solara, but they came to stay often enough that having their own rooms there was a wise decision, and Rujuko was better when they were around. Mostly she was just quiet and withdrawn.
Time. It would take time, Lena said, and Rujuko believed her, usually, because she knew Lena could see into your heart. Sometimes, though, it felt like she was in a fog. Like when her father had died, only worse because at least then, she hadn’t had to see it, thank God.
Rujuko sat on the sofa in the entertainment room, her legs curled up as she watched what looked like home videos, which she’d found in a box of Tanaka’s things, with “Richard” written on them. A tall, red-haired man laughed freely as he joked around with his colleagues. Most of them were wearing lab coats, but not Richard Redbloom. Not her dad. He was wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and blue jeans, and socks that didn’t match his shirt or each other. Suddenly he grabbed a one of the women from behind. Her long black hair swung behind her, and her face went rigid. She looked back at him angrily, then beat on his hands as Richard lifted her into the air.
“Are you mad, Richard? Put me down,” she ordered with all the imperiousness of a queen. Queen of the lab.
“Never, never!” he crowed. Then, this sound bubbled out of her lips as he shook her in his arms.
Tanaka laughed. She laughed, and she sounded like a young woman. She sounded so real and so human.
“How didn’t I know?” Rujuko whispered to herself.
Of course, moments after, Tanaka went straight faced again. When Richard finally let her down, she tightened her lips, brushed off her lab coat, and went back to work. She did her best impression of a computer. She wasn’t as good at it as when she’d been possessed by Milton Fine, though. Rujuko saw it, and she saw Tanaka fighting herself, and her insecurities and inability to interact the way she wanted. Even though she clearly wanted to be different, if only when Richard was around.
It sort of blew her mind to realized that her mother and father had liked each other.
***
Maddie’s tongue always stuck in her throat when she tried to talk to new people. Women especially. That was frustrating, because she wasn’t completely loopy to the point that she didn’t know she was a girl herself. Still, for some reason, when faced down with new women, her mouth didn’t do its job. Her lips were glued closed and she became like Ghost.
So when she met her new grandmother, her cheeks went pink with frustration. It was important for this woman to like her, but she just stood there staring, blankly, while Lena pet her hair and told her mother about their new apartment and how they’d be spending time at the Luthor mansion as well so Maddie could learn with her friends.
It was pretty obvious that Lena’s mom didn’t exactly like Lex, but Maddie didn’t understand why. She closed her eyes and tried to keep calm, like Lena, and Domovoi, and her tutors had taught her.
“It’s okay, baby. I told Mama why you don’t talk much.”
Lena’s voice was gentle and kind. Maddie looked up and nodded. Gloria didn’t seem angry with her, thankfully.
They left the poor neighborhood, and Maddie followed Lena around as she met with a friend... who acted like she couldn’t stand Lena at first, but was in tears by the time their conversation was over. She followed Lena back to the club, then to LexCorp, where they were checking out the building plans for another tower, and Lena told her about how they were going to give their employees a good, cheap place to live.
Maddie was quiet for most of the day, until they returned to the mansion, which wasn’t as cold as the castle had been (probably because it had been designed in this century), but a lot bigger. Ghost had gotten lost the first week there, and they found him popping in and out of rooms and corridors. He’d scared one of the maids so much that she’d wet herself.
“Thanks for coming with me today, hon. My family can be a trial sometimes, but I know Mama wanted you to know you’re welcome in her home.”
Maddie followed Lena up the stairs with a deep frown. “She doesn’t like Lex much.”
“She’s conflicted. His father hurt her very badly.”
“His father hurt him very badly. He tried to steal his baby.”
“It’s complicated. But you’re not wrong.”
Maddie peered into each of the rooms, looking for one of the other kids who were staying there. Her tutors seemed to have grown in numbers, and they now taught the children who had been brought here. She was most familiar with Ghost and Ruji, of course, but Nevaeh was fun, if a little crazy, and she seemed nice. She wouldn’t mind living here with them. It was a nice house, although if it seemed haunted even when Ghost wasn’t flitting around and scaring people.
Maddie just worried about Ruji when she wasn’t there.
Hearing something in the entertainment room, Maddie turned her head and leaned in that direction. Lena stopped and looked that way.
“Lex and Rujuko are in there. Do you want to go talk to them?”
Maddie nodded and hurried down the hallway. Ruji was curled around Lex’s enormous tummy.
“Somehow,” Ruji whispered. “I always imagined they’d just been doing this experiment for science. I wasn’t really supposed to be. But my dad couldn’t give me up when it was time to terminate the experiment.”
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing, Rujuko,” Lex told her, petting her hair. The dyed parts had started to grow out and now the extra colors were just random streaks at the ends of her hair. “Your father loved you, and wanted you. I don’t think it matters how it started. You filled a hole in his heart.”
“I know.”
Maddie quietly snuck up to Lex’s other side. He raised his brows and put his other arm around her shoulders. Lena, at the doorway, smiled at the three of them sitting there together.
“It’s just... maybe they loved each other. I wish I’d known her before. When she was still her. She looked happy, didn’t she?” Ruji didn’t sound certain at all, but kept her eyes on the screen, which was now playing fuzz instead of a video.
Lena came over to sit on Ruji’s other side and rubbed her back. “Most people are happy some of the time. She probably had happy times.”
“But... the way she... died...”
“She loved you, too,” Maddie interrupted. “I was there. She said she loved you. She wouldn’t have taken you in, if she didn’t care.”
Maddie reached over Lex and took Ruji’s hand. She didn’t know how Ruji would ever get over what she’d seen. Maddie wasn’t even sure how she’d gotten over what she’d seen and done.
Squeezing Ruji’s hand, she began to whisper to her. “You lose things, with time. And someday it won’t hurt so much, Ruji. It’ll start to fade, and you won’t remember your dad’s smile quite like you used to. But you’ll remember how much he loved you, to make an impossible baby happen out of nothing and let you grow under his heart, and how she loved you, even if she wasn’t good at showing it.”
Maddie took a breath as she felt Lex and Lena’s eyes on her. “And you can surround yourself with other people who love you. They make it better, too.”
Looking up, Maddie saw Lex’s misty eyes on her and she gave him a soft smile. That’s what this place was about. Creating a safer place for freaks, orphans, and strays to hold each other up.
She closed her eyes as Lex gave her a kiss on the head, then lifted them to the screen to watch as Ruji put the video on again.
***
Clark came into the safe room were Lex was laying on his side on the pillows. He frowned deeply, because Lex was frowning, and didn’t look happy.
Setting his book bag down, he padded quietly over to where Lex was laying, and knelt beside him.
“Don’t be sad,” Clark pleaded. He moved his hand over Lex’s brow and cupped the back of his head.
“Not sad,” Lex muttered. “Tell me about your day at school.”
“Lex, what is it?”
“Just... help me up?”
Clark obeyed and lifted Lex to his feet. When Lex started to walk away from him, Clark tilted his head in confusion, but then Lex paced back toward him.
“Your day?” Lex encouraged.
“Oh. Um. Well, it’s the day when I meet with Dr. Jorgenson about my project. It went okay. She’d already looked at my draft, and I have the go ahead to finish writing my paper the way I’d planned. She’s also, apparently-” Clark began to pace with Lex, determined to roll with whatever weird pregnant person behavior was thrown at him next. “-apparently um, proud of me for finishing my work. I told her that I was still worried about my friend who’s having a baby, but she said that things would get easier after the first couple of months... Still busy, but less worry as things fall into a routine. She’s had kids. Two of them.”
“Yeah?”
“Her husband passed away this summer. It was really hard on her.”
Lex reached over and squeezed Clark’s hand. “I don’t think I’d live through something like that.”
“Gosh, Lex, don’t talk like that.”
Lex waved his other hand and then turned to Clark. He pulled Clark toward him and gave him a kiss. “Ignore me. I’m just thinking that it took so long to get you here. I might have to take drastic measures if someone tried to take you from me.”
“Really, you’re scarier than Fine, right now.” Clark grinned and nuzzled Lex’s forehead. “I’d be scared, if I were him.”
“I have the bracelet, and I’m the size of a sports utility vehicle. He’d better fucking be afraid.”
“It’s good to see you back to yourself.” Clark gave Lex another slow kiss. “I don’t care what kind of vehicle you’re the size of. You could be a tank. Or a jet. A space ship.” Then another kiss. “What was that about, before? Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Fine. I was just having some cramping and was hoping it would go away if I walked around a bit.”
Clark’s eyes popped wide open. “Wait, cramping. Like contractions?”
“Did you just refer to me as a tank?” Lex’s lips curled upward. “I think I’d prefer to be a space ship, although that might mean twins.”
“It’s not funny, Lex.” Clark could barely hear himself. He felt like the wind was knocked out of him, and that wasn’t a very familiar feeling.
“No, I’m not sure anyone would survive me having twins.” Lex creased a brow and pet Clark’s cheek. “I’m fine. I promise. It’s only a matter of weeks now before I’m due. This is what the body does when preparing for labor. I should be thankful that my body is responding in a way I can research.”
Clark shook his head and tried to take a breath. Lex took his hand and lead him over to the other side of the room, urging him to sit down.
Once he had, Clark looked down and realized he was sitting on Lex’s birth ball. Geez. “Sorry. I should be better about this.”
“Why? You’ve been strong for me over the past two months. And I’m sure you will again at other points.” Lex slipped his fingers into Clark’s hair. “You’re allowed to have a moment to freak out. Heaven knows you haven’t so far.”
“Not that you’ve seen.”
“I know.”
Clark lifted his chin and pouted up at Lex, who seemed the picture of calm at the moment and that... that was good. “I know you’re set on this do-it-yourself labor thing, but it really worries me. What if something happens? To Lia? Or you? What if... what if I lose you?”
“This isn’t just the Lamaze videos talking here. I can do this. Milton Fine changed my body as a back up, and I have faith at least that if he could get me pregnant, he could engineer a way for me to have the baby. He wants her alive.” Lex paused to swallow. “And that does scare me. But it also makes me confident that we can do this. Do you really want to risk having another stranger in here?”
“No.” Clark hugged Lex from the side. “I just... I want you to be okay.”
Lex said nothing, but touched Clark’s arm with his other hand. Clark was down too low for Lex to even try to squat down comfortably. He reached up to cup the side of Lex’s belly, which of course, was twitching a little bit. Lia moved all the time. Some nights, Clark would sing to her as he watched her inside Lex, who bless him, didn’t complain as much as Clark thought he should. Somehow his complaints turned to temper before speaking an ill word of their daughter, who liked to keep him up at night.
Sometimes, if Lex was up for it, they could rock her to sleep in a way that relaxed all of them. Clark had been a little shy about doing that once Lex started getting really big, but he became emboldened, and they explored together ways to make it comfortable for Lex and Lia both. It was hard to even think about what it might be like to have sex after they had their daughter. Clark was too absorbed in the moment with Lex, sharing the happiness they had together now.
Still anxious, Clark rose and put his arms around Lex. He smothered his forehead and face with kisses. Lex arched both brows, but he was smirking already, having guessed what was on Clark’s mind.
Worries would have to wait for later.
***
Dreaming. Always dreaming.
Lex stands in front of small bed, holding his crying daughter and looking around the room. He knows they aren’t alone but he can’t tell what’s coming.
At this point Lex senses hat he’s moving through a vision, but he can’t predict what is happening, or if this is symbolic or literal. Lia clings to him tightly, maybe too tightly for a child her age, but Lex knows why that is. From nowhere, because that’s how dreams work, he pulls a large gun, and hurries them into the hallway.
Once there he turns around. Lia’s no longer in his arms. He’s in a large, darkened room that is completely unfamiliar, and there is a large bed behind him with a deep purple duvet on it, and there is vase broken against the floor, with water dripping off of the dark oak table it had been setting on.
“These aren’t the dreams I need,” Lex tells himself. “Show me my daughter.”
He turns around in the room, watching the air become thicker. Everything begins to slow down.
“Lia! Juliana!”
He turns.
Lex looks into his own eyes. His own cold, lifeless eyes.
“I hardly need your compliance for what I want, Luthor,” his double said in an exacting tone.
Raising his wrist up, Lex brandishes his bracelet. “I won’t let you take her.”
His double moves toward him, lips pulling into a self-satisfied grin.
“Stop,” Lex warns.
“You shouldn’t have taken off your bracelet.”
Lex looks down at his naked wrist, and in a moment, everything speeds up. His double is so close that he can feel his breath on him, his lips brushing against his own, and there is a pain between his ribs.
“My daughter...”
He fights for air and stumbles backward, then sinks to the ground. Looking up, all he can see is Clark’s beautiful dark curls, his pale green eyes, the tears on his face.
“Please don’t leave,” Clark whispers. placing his hand on Lex’s bloody chest.
“Lex!”
Clark’s beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, but no tears. Lex rubbed his own eyes and smiled at the sight. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“I was worried you were, um...”
“I’m not. I don’t think.” Lex moved his hand down over his abdomen, then up to his chest. “I was just dreaming again. You know me. If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t sleep much at all.”
“I can’t imagine.” Clark cuddled Lex to his chest.
“Do you have to? You have every other power there is,” Lex joked.
“I think I had a dream of the future once. But just the once or twice, and nothing like yours.” Clark smoothed his hand over the back of Lex’s head.
Lex shuddered. Having his head touched was a strangely intimate gesture, maybe because it had been a source of his torment and ridicule for years. When Clark did it, it felt just as intimate, but not in the same way.
“Was it a bad dream?” Clark prodded. “You seemed upset.”
“It wasn’t a good dream. It would be nice to see a calm, peaceful future for once.” Lex chuckled and bowed his head toward Clark. “Even better, it would be better if they’d be clearer.”
“I dunno. From what I saw when we were dreaming together... It scared me. You died.”
“I was in danger from my father then,” Lex murmured. He remembered those dreams too well, though. The cave. The field.
“You drowned, and you were bleeding to death in my arms...”
“As long as I didn’t die in childbirth in any of them.”
Clark frowned. “That wasn’t what you were dreaming just now, was it? Please, Lex, if you saw-”
“That’s not what I saw,” Lex assured him. He flattened his lips. “Actually, I’m more sure than ever that I’ll see Lia into her childhood somehow. Have faith, Clark.”
“Well.” Clark kissed Lex’s forehead, then leaned against it. “I’ll have faith in you, anyway.”
“Good enough.”
Lex closed his eyes unsure if any peace awaited him, but was determined to enjoy his moments with Clark as long as he had them.
***
“Hey, mopey.”
Clark turned his head and spotted Chloe just as she bumped her shoulder into his arm.
“You okay? Want to come to lunch with Lori and me?”
“I kind of wanted to go back and have lunch with Lex.” Clark shifted his book bag and looked down at the ground. It wasn’t surprising to run into Chloe on campus, but he’d been in his own world all morning.
Chloe was quiet for a moment. Then asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just... I went to the Fortress this morning.”
Chloe’s lips downturned. “Was it bad? What did he say? I thought you were going to take me up there.”
“I don’t want to do that until I know you’ll be safe.” Clark stopped them in front of the water fountain, looked around for listeners, then sat down. Chloe settled beside him.
“He was... himself,” Clark continued. “I mean, I can’t always guess how he’s going to act, but he usually looks down on humans pretty hard. I shouldn’t let this bother me.”
“What did he say? What did you say?”
“I asked him to help me. With Lex. I’m... I’m worried and I want to make sure he makes it through the delivery okay. Lex seems pretty sure that everything will be fine, but I dunno.” Clark drew in a deep breath. “First Jor-El asked me why he would want to help some mutant halfbreed be born.”
“Oh! Yuck.” Chloe protested rubbed his arm and frowned.
“Then Jor-El told me that I should take Lex to the Fortress, so that he could monitor the baby and make sure that it can be born. He...” Clark’s shoulders sagged over like The Daily Planet building had just fallen on him. “He said that a human couldn’t have one of ours on his own. He said Lex would die.”
Covering his mouth, Clark looked down at Chloe as she blinked in surprise. He licked his lips. “I don’t know that I can take him up there, though. To someone who hates him and our baby. I don’t trust Jor-El, and I dunno...”
“Clark,” Chloe said finally in a firm almost tone. “He’s abusive. He’s like a Lionel made of ICE. He’s tortured you. He’s kidnapped you. And when you insisted on the high crime of saving people? He took your powers!” Chloe hissed the last sentence under her breath.
Clark looked at his hands and prepared to listen. His judgment right now was all muddled with concern for Lex and the baby and the guilt of having this lunatic for his father. “I know that.”
“So you know that you’re absolutely not crazy in doubting his word on this. I’m personally scared of what would have happened if you hadn’t left his so called ‘training.’” Chloe raked a hand through her hair and rubbed her temple, closing her eyes. “He’s... I think. And Mercy agrees with me on this. That if that is actually your father, there is something seriously wrong with that computer program. Because there are two Jor-Els. There’s one who sent that message to Virgil Swann and fell in love with a human down here and put you in that ship as his wife hoped that your parents on Earth would love you. Then there’s this... guy. Who hates humans and treats you like an object to bend to his will.”
Clark smoothed his fingers over his brow. “You think... You might be right. Why didn’t I ever think of that?”
“Probably too close to it. The same reason it took Lex getting pregnant for him to really pull away from his father.” Chloe narrowed her eyes at Clark, then leaned over to give him a hug. “Lex is going to be okay. We’ll work it out.”
“It freaks me that he’s so determined to do this on his own.” Clark rested his chin on Chloe’s shoulder.
“Well. Your boyfriend can see the future. Maybe he knows it’ll turn out okay.”
“Hm. He says he does. I have to believe, I guess.” Clark leaned back. “I have to believe in him because I can’t believe in Jor-El.”
“Yeah. I’m just... I wouldn’t either. When we get a chance, I can come up and see what we can do about this jerk in your machine.”
Clark touched Chloe’s chin and nodded. “Does... not telling Lex about this count as a lie? I really don’t want to have to tell him someone called our daughter a halfbreed. He has a thick skin, but I think that would really hurt. It’s one thing for people to call him a freak. Saying that about our daughter cuts a lot deeper.”
“Well.” Chloe sighed. “I think he’ll want to know. But you’re right that it’ll hurt. You think he’d be mad if you just waited?”
“Secrets almost poisoned everything we had, though.”
“Yeah... but those secrets existed to protect you. This one would be to protect him.” She shrugged his head to the side. “And Lia. Lex is sharp enough to know the difference, and he’ll appreciate that. Lex, he’s been all about protecting her since the very beginning.”
“I know.” Clark knew the significance of naming this baby Juliana, and what that meant for Lex’s attachment to her. He knew it better than most, he’d guess. Lex had told a precious few the real story behind that, and Clark himself hadn’t gotten the full story until very recently.
Chloe reached over to squeeze his leg. “Stop brooding so much. There are happy things for you to think about. And my lunch buddy is heading this way.”
Clark looked up. “I guess I could bring something back. But not sushi, because Lex loves it but is determined not to have it because of mercury, or something. Like that would affect a kid of mine.”
“Can’t blame him for trying, given all the hysteria over what pregnant persons can and can’t have.” Chloe laughed as Lori bounded up to them.
“Hey! Clark Kent!” Lori dropped down next to him, then slowly began to lean back, as though she were thinking about taking a swim in the fountain.
Clark put a hand on her back to keep her from dipping in. “Hey. Lori Lemaris.”
“How’s your brood cookin’?”
“Cookin’ along.” Though technically, one baby was hardly a brood.
“I’m glad. I haven’t seen Lex in awhile. Gosh, he must be a whale by now.” Lori grinned widely at the thought. As well she might, since the males in her species tended to carry the brood.
“Lex says it’s more like a tank or a spaceship,” Clark replied.
Chloe giggled. “Really?”
“Worries for the future aside, things between us have been... good.” Clark folded his hands and looked at them for a long moment. “I’m grateful for that. It took us a long time to get where we are.”
Lori took the opportunity to fall back into the fountain with a big splash.
“I hope you planned on taking her to lunch somewhere dry clothing is optional.” Clark looked back at her, with her red hair fanning out over the top of the water.
Chloe rested her weight on her palms as she watched Lori swim around. “I brought an extra set of clothes.”
***
Lex stood in front of the long mirror in the bedroom and frowned deeply. “Hm.”
He hardly cared about his shape. It was so different now from what it had been, and still the affection that Clark showed to his body, he adored it not in spite of the thickness of his limbs and fullness of his cheek, but because of them. Lex had never had a partner quite so devoted.
No, he grimaced because the shirt he’d picked barely buttoned, and his out-turned navel stuck out of one of the holes. “Well, that’s ridiculous.”
With a sigh, he tried to think of something, anything from his closet that would be big enough at this point. At least the yoga pants looked like they would last him a good while. As he had no plans of going anywhere, he did not intend to worry about getting pants more suited for public.
Clark snuck up behind him as he dropped his top to the floor and held him from behind. “Happy Halloween, sexy!”
Even if Clark was dying for him to put on an embarrassing Halloween costume.
“Stop!” Lex commanded. “I need you to find me something to wear that won’t be obscene.”
“Hm. I think if we got you a bikini-”
“I despise you!”
“Well, it would fit, anyway.”
“I defy you to find a bikini that would fit one cheek of my pregnant ass,” Lex scoffed. “Besides. I’m cold. I want a sweater.”
Clark kissed up his neck. “Maybe you could stay naked and I could just hug you all day.”
“That would put a damper on your trick-or-treating plans.” “I don’t see why it should!”
Lex shook with laughter. “Well, if you want to traumatize all the kids, be my guest.”
“Yeah, cause they don’t know what we do up here.”
“I’m just hoping that Ghost isn’t watching when we can’t see him.”
Clark howled at that, then let him go. “Okay, let me see if we have anything for you to wear. I don’t think you should get anything else with buttons.”
“I’m using the excess fabric to build tents for the Smallville circus.” Lex felt a stab of satisfaction when Clark paused to bow his head and cover his mouth.
“What are we going to joke about after the baby is born?” Clark asked when he regained his composure.
Lex moved toward the bed and sat down. “If you expect me to get back to my fighting weight right away, you may be disappointed.”
“Doesn’t matter to me.” Clark came out and walked over to the bed. “Hands up. Let’s see if we can make it work.”
“So you were watching Project Runway with Lena the other night,” Lex accused.
Clark pursed his lips and pulled a purple t-shirt over Lex’s head. A few weeks ago it had been pretty roomy. Today, Clark had to tug it down over Lex’s belly.
“Did it make it? Am I covered?” Lex extended his neck a little to look, but he couldn’t see that much of himself without a mirror.
“Pretty close.” He then slipped a black sweater onto Lex and buttoned three of the top buttons. It wouldn’t close further than that. “Do you think you’ll be warm enough?”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. If not, I’ll just curl up with a book and a blanket.” Lex took Clark’s hands and waited for Clark to pull him to his feet. “I know you want me to waddle around town with you just in case something happens, but between Mercy and the bracelet, and your parents, I should be well looked after, don’t you think?”
Clark swatted Lex’s behind. “There’s nothing you can say to make me stop worrying about you. Stop trying.”
Lex raised his hands and walked with Clark down the hall. He’d given up on shoes for the time being, but socks were necessary to keep his feet warm. For the next few weeks, Lex had decided on practicality and comfort above all.
***
The sitting room to the side of the foyer was populated with the kids in their costumes. Ghost was a ghost, of course. Ruji, Maddie, and Lena were all dressed as kitty cats. Nevaeh had chosen a Magenta costume from Rocky Horror, and instead of her blond hair, purple-red curls sprung out all around her head.
While Mercy and Chloe had teamed up to dress as male and female pirates, Romi and Domovoi had chosen the more traditional costumes of vampire and werewolf, respectively. Though Domovoi’s werewolf costume was as speckled with gray as his own hair. A nice touch. Lori was dressed as bird.
Clark was an alien. A green one, with antennas. He’d prepped a costume for Lex that consisted of a flannel shirt, jeans, ball cap for the Sharks, a piece of straw to chew on, and a large white tank top to pull over his burgeoning belly that read “alien abductee.”
Martha’s eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets at that, and Jonathan’s lips tightened dangerously. The room went quiet until Lex let out a bark of laughter and took the shirt.
“I love you. This is great.” Lex draped the shirt over himself with a big grin. “I’m still not going trick-or-treating with you, but this is perfect.”
“Aw.” Clark leaned over to hug Lex’s shoulders, then kissed the side of his head “I figured your answer was final, and I don’t want you pushing it right now. But I wanted to see your face anyway.”
“Well, you’ve seen it. Now you need to take these kids out, before all the candy is gone.” Lex reached up and pinched Clark’s green cheek. “I’m fine here.”
Clark beamed and gave Lex a kiss, getting a little green on him before standing up. “Okay, let’s hit the town!”
***
Domovoi lead the charge, while Clark and Chloe followed up from behind. They’d picked up a couple little devils and wizards who were in the day group with Maddie for psychic person class. There was also a tall kid wearing a George W. Bush mask who Lex had plucked out of the corrective system before they dropped him in Belle Reve. Clark had spent an afternoon or two with Lowell, helping him manage his strength. Neveah bounced along, singing bits and pieces of Rocky Horror for the younger girls. Clark had only seen her use her powers once... and it had been a little scary to see all that fire coming from such a tiny teenage girl.
He imagined at some point, Lex’s school for gifted youngsters would be the place to send your meta kid to keep them out of the asylums and juvee schools. It was nice to see Maddie and Ruji smiling with each other, these damaged kids cobbling their lives back together.
The downtown area where the local businesses were letting the kids trick-or-treat was only a few blocks, but at the end of it, there was a party held by the neighborhood. They’d had to drive over here in a van to do the activity, so Lex was out of Clark’s earshot. He knew it was best for Lex to judge whether he felt like coming along, but Clark still wanted Lex by his side. Hell, he’d tried to get Lex to come to campus with him.
“He’s fine,” Chloe said. She was looking up at him with the one eye not hidden by an eyepatch.
“You have some pretty impressive Chloevage going on with that bodice there,” Clark shot back.
Chloe grinned. “Mercy picked out my outfit.”
“And you picked out hers?”
“Yes.” Chloe swung her bag. “And he’s fine.”
Clark sighed and walked along with the kids to the next business. “Let’s just...”
His head tilted to the side, and he sharpened his hearing for a moment. Someone was screaming, “Get offa me! Get offa me!”
Clark stopped walking and tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.
“I will break it. Stop YELLIN’!”
“Clark, what is it?”
He looked down at Chloe with wide eyes and handed her his bag. “I gotta go. Keep an eye on the kids.”
She shook her head once then nodded. “Got it. Go, Clark!”
He ducked into the closest alleyway, then sped out, a blur passing by the crowd, as if he were only a gust of wind.
***
“Eat too many pumpkin cookies?”
Jonathan laughed and smiled at Lex, who grimaced, then looked up at his father-in-law (or something) and shook his head.
“No.” He licked his lips then pushed himself out of his chair. He’d pulled the “alien abductee tank top on over his shirt, because it fit, and it amused him.
“You need something?” Jonathan stood and made a hesitant motion toward Lex.
“No.” He took a breath and ran a hand over his belly, which was now rock hard. “I... just need to walk a little.”
“Martha!” Jonathan turned toward the hallway. It was unlikely that he knew he was facing the garden, and not the kitchen.
“I’m fine.”
A hand hitched on his back and the other rubbing circles over his belly, Lex headed into the hallway. A bit of nervousness prickled up his spine, as if to spite his calm words.
“I’m fine,” he repeated. “Don’t worry.”
***
Clark appeared in front of the apartment door and knocked loudly. When that had no effect, and he heard the man yell again, with a responding shriek from the woman, he just shoved the door down.
Which really got their attention.
“Who the fuck are you? What the fuck are you doing here, asshole?” the man dragged the woman as he charged toward Clark.
“Let her go,” Clark ordered.
“Excuse the fuck outta me? Don’t come bargin’ into my house-”
“I can hear you screaming for blocks!” Clark exploded. Okay. That was true.
When the man twisted the woman’s arm again, Clark shoved the man, who then flew across the room and didn’t move for a moment. His heart was still beating, but which Clark was grateful for, but he was still really angry.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” Clark reached out for the woman’s hand.
She shook her head frantically. “I can’t leave!”
“Wait... what? Why?”
“He’ll be angry. He’ll find me. I can’t leave Diego here,” she rattled off, putting her head in her hands and shaking it.
It was then that Clark spotted a little boy, maybe three years old, wearing a puppy costume and sucking on a stick of candy that had turned his mouth red.
“We’ll take him.”
“Jared isn’t usually like this...” she whispered. “He’s not himself.”
“Ma’am, we gotta leave,” Clark insisted. He couldn’t understand this. He could see the bruise on her arm, and if he looked a little deeper, he could see the cracked bone underneath.
“Where am I supposed to go?” she demanded, suddenly angry.
Clark decided to change tactics, based on Lex’s behavior. “If he’s this angry now, he could hurt Diego, too. Do you want that?”
“Of course not.” The woman rose and hurried over to Diego, picking him up with her good arm. “Hey, babe. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“Come with me. I think I know someone in this area. She has kids of her own, and she’ll let you stay a few days.”
“You’re an alien!” Diego pointed at him with big eyes.
“Yep!” Clark went over to her and the boy. “Do it for your son. I know you love him more than yourself right now.”
“When he’s on that stuff... Jared’s just not the same...” the woman muttered. She pressed a kiss to Diego’s head.
Clark felt his phone vibrating through his jeans, but took the moment of weakness in the woman he would soon know as Anna to get her to pack a few bags and out the door. If Clark had to knock out Jared one more time during that, well, Anna didn’t have to know.
***
“Did he answer this time?” Jonathan stood in the middle of the hallway, hands on his hips as he turned to Martha.
“No. Mercy said she would call Chloe and then Lena. How is he?”
“He’s out there, on the patio, walking around. And breathing.”
“Well.” Martha touched her lips. “Has he said anything?”
“No. Keeps saying everything’s fine.”
Martha walked to the end of the hallway and opened the glass door to the patio, where she could see Lex leaning on a chair and cupping the underside of his belly.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she said gently. He didn’t look up, and she was quiet as he breathed in and out slowly.
Finally he looked at her. “Sorry.”
“No. Don’t worry about that.” She closed the distance between them and put her hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
“No. It’s just some pressure. I’m fine.”
Martha pressed her lips together and rubbed his back. “Can we get you anything? Do you need to sit?”
“Not right now.” He looked up and parted his lips just a bit.
The glass door opened again, and Mercy came out. “I just got off the phone with Chloe. Lena’s on her way. Clark went off to save someone, and she doesn’t know who.”
“He’ll be here,” Lex said.
“You know Clark.” Martha watched Lex as he stared with shining eyes at the last clouds of October drifting past. “Always late.”
That caused Lex to smile, very slightly. “I know.”
They waited outside with him as it grew colder. Just as Martha was thinking of ordering him inside, Lex leaned over with a frown, and he took Mercy’s hand as he lowered himself into a chair.
“We can call him again,” Martha offered.
“No. He’s busy. He’ll be here when he can.”
Lex curled his arm around his belly and stared at the ground with deep concentration.
***
Since Clark didn’t have a car, he’d tried to grab a taxi, then realized he had no money. Anna gave him an odd look. It would have been easier if she’d just let him take her to the hospital for her arm, but she wasn’t acting in any way that Clark could understand.
“I guess we walk, then.” Anna handed Diego over to Clark and beat the pavement with him.
After a block or two, Clark noticed how she was walking, then his eyes widened in recognition. “Are you pregnant?”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“I’m not... I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just worried.”
“Jared said he got the snip, okay? I thought we were safe.”
Clark shook his head, thinking that guy had to be the biggest bastard on the planet. Instead of saying that, he bounced Diego, who was looking around at everything with his saucer eyes. “Exciting, huh? You’re gonna have a little brother or sister.”
“Isa girl,” Diego said. “An’ she’ll be teeny an’ I gotta be gentle.”
“Yeah, babies are so small. My um... partner is gonna have a little girl soon. She doesn’t look tiny right now if you look at Lex’s belly, but when she comes out she’ll be very small.”
Diego giggled and reached his sticky hand up for Clark’s antenna.
***
Lena’s lips pressed against Lex’s head, and he sighed in relief.
“I feel what you’re doing there,” he accused.
“Don’t care. You’ve had a hard enough time. Who needs for this to be hard?” She wrapped her arms around him and rocked gently.
“I was managing. I was calm. I just... wish he were back, already.”
She kissed his head again. “I know. I’m so proud of you.”
***
Clark was ringing a doorbell, uncertain if they would be welcome. Inside there was screaming, but of the benign sugar-high child type.
“I should go home,” Anna muttered. “Jared will be worried.”
“Stop that,” Clark snapped. “He’ll hurt you.”
“You can’t understand. He loves us.” She glared up at him. “He does. How can I expect a man like you to understand.”
Before Clark could ask what that meant, the door opened, and Maureena paused to scream behind her, “Lupe if you don’t stop picking on your brother, I will take you outside and hang you up on the clothesline upside down! He is not ‘playing wrong’!”
She looked at her visitors and frowned. “We don’t got any candy.”
“No, it’s... It’s me, Clark. You met me once, um... when Lena was in the hospital.”
“Ohhh... I didn’t recognize you as an alien.” She paused, then looked back into her apartment again. “Behave! What was it that you wanted?”
“This a bad idea,” Anna murmured.
“Anna? Hey! You know Lena, right?” Maureena’s face lit up and she motioned them inside. “I saw you two together once.”
“She’s not here, is she?” Anna asked anxiously.
“No. Lena got super pissed at me. We haven’t been talkin’ regularly. We’re patching up, but I doubt she’d just pop over.” Maureena moved some toys out of the way as they walked inside.
“Okay. I didn’t want her to know my boyfriend and I got back together. She was so kind to me.”
“I kinda doubt she’d judge. Well, she does, but she’s usually right. Damn her. That’s what you get from being friends with psychic people.” She turned and put her hand on her hip. “What can I do for you?”
“Anna needs a place to stay right now.” Clark looked between the two of them. “I’m sorry, Anna, but you just can’t stay there right now. Even if he loves you.”
Maureena’s lips tightened and her expression grew stern. “My youngest Tay is about this handsome guy’s age. Has he eaten yet?”
“No.” Anna looked away.
“No problem. I got leftovers. It’s mac and cheese and cut up hot dogs, and some broccoli, but I’ve got some strawberry Slim Fast, too. It’s all Lupe will eat some days.” Maureena touched Anna’s arm gently. “My freezer don’t work, but we can get Roffle to donate one of his ice packs. Boy thinks he’s Mr. Man and works out all the time.”
“Thanks.”
Clark walked over to where Tay was vroom-vrooming his red truck and sat Diego down. “I really appreciate this, Maureena.”
“Lena used to bring all kinds home who needed help, and Jesus knows, I was one of them once.” Maureena put her arm around Anna’s shoulders. “No shame. We’ve all had hard times, and we find a way to get through it. I dunno what you and yours need, but you can stay here while you figure that out.”
Clark sighed and felt his phone buzzing again. He pulled it out of his pocket to check his voicemail.
”Hey, Clark. I’m just... a real pain today. Can you come home? I started having contractions again about an hour ago, and they haven’t stopped. Sorry. Um... It’ll probably be fine if you don’t get this for a while. From everything I’ve read, labor takes forever. But please come as soon as you can.”
“Oh my God.” Clark looked around in a panic.
Anna and Maureena glanced back.
“I gotta go. Um. My... Lex...”
“Go, alien boy,” Anna encouraged. “Thank you.”
“I’ll... I’ll um... call you later to check... bye!” Clark darted out the door, just a hair shy of too fast.
***
Clark sped up the stairs after stopping only briefly to ask his parents frantically where Lex was. He went to the blue room automatically, where Lena was hugging a teddy bear thoughtfully. She lifted her eyes, then smiled softly and tilted her head toward the bathroom.
Less than a second later, and he was inside, a mess of half worn off green paint and crooked alien antennas. Lex was in the tub, eyes closed and humming.
“Lex?” He drew closer to the tub, then knelt by it.
Lex opened his eyes and looked at Clark. “Did you save them?”
“Maybe. Well, I kept her from getting hurt more, right then.”
“Sounds complicated. Is she safe?”
“Think so.” Clark reached over and petted over Lex’s head with curled fingers. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
“I’m never going to fault you for having to save people.” Lex’s smile was something like beatific. “I knew you’d come.”
“Does it hurt?” Clark reached into the water to rest his hand on Lex’s belly.
“Not that much.” He chuckled. “I’ve just been trying to breathe, keep calm. Which I... admit I had my big sister to thank for a few hours ago. Tensing up will make it worse.”
“You’re the bravest person I know.”
Lex shook his head and smiled.
“You are. I’m not even kidding. If this were happening to me, I’d be crying.”
“You would not,” Lex scoffed. He took Clark’s hand and arched his back.
Clark held his breath and caressed Lex’s cheek as he watched the man he loved riding through a contraction.
Lex leaned over and brushed their noses together. “Breathe, Clark.”
“Oh, God, I love you. So much.”
Their foreheads pressed together, and Lex’s eyes closed again. When it was over, they would rinse themselves both off in the shower, and head into the blue room, where Clark would dance with Lex until he couldn’t, squat with him until he hurt too much, crawl with him until he was tired, rub his back until Lex needed his hand to squeeze, and never let him go.
***
Counting fingers and toes was cliched, and Lex would not do it. But he found himself staring at Lia’s little digits in utter awe of the tiny life in his arms, that she was in his arms, that she was here.
And apparently bored with the world. She’d come out in a full body cowl, which made sense to protect her from bacteria, Lex’s brain told him logically. Then, after they’d removed it, she’d let out a little whine. Once in her father’s arms, she went back to sleep, unimpressed with the world.
Clark kept telling Lex to get some sleep, but he couldn’t watch Lia enough. Clark couldn’t either, but he was playing big daddy right now, and trying to give the both of them whatever they needed.
The kids had come by sometime later that morning. All Saints Day. Cleaned up from their costumes, they cooed at her and beamed. Ruji had stayed the longest, telling Lex that she would have delivered her, if he’d wanted. She’d delivered babies at the hospital, or helped, anyway.
Lena cried, and so Lex almost did, but her grief of the reminder of her son who would not be here drowned in the joy they both felt for Lia making it into the world. Safe, sound, and with silky soft red hair on top.
“Sleep, Lex,” Clark whispered. He crawled into the bed with Lex and rubbed his back, which was still aching, but Lex hardly noticed it right now.
“I can’t.”
“I love you. She’ll still be here when you wake.”
Lex could sense that Clark was second guessing that particular phrasing. He closed his eyes and kissed the top of his sleeping daughter’s head. “We’re going to have to wake her to feed her, at some point.”
“You look like someone has put you through a juicer.”
“Why, thank you.”
“Lex... This is going to be okay. Sleep.”
“Harder to protect her, when she’s not inside me,” Lex murmured. He reached over to his wrist, took his bracelet off, and put it on her little arm.
“I... oh...”
Lex looked back at Clark, who kissed his lips and petted his cheek. His eyes were anxious. Lex lay back again to watch his daughter, and Clark stroked his brows and cheeks until he finally began to doze.
Series/WIP: Sequel to So Much Dreaming
Pairing: Clex!
Rating: NC-17!
Summary: After being abducted by aliens and discovering that Jonathan Kent is alive, Lex must come to grips with his shifting relationship with Clark and an unexpected pregnancy.
Spoilers: Through S5, after Cyborg.
Warnings: mpreg, character death
Chapter One ♥ Chapter Two ♥ Chapter Three ♥ Chapter Four ♥ Chapter 5.1 ♥ Chapter 5.2 ♥ Chapter Six ♥ Chapter Seven ♥ Chapter Eight ♥ Chapter Nine ♥ Chapter Ten ♥ Chapter Eleven ♥ Chapter Twelve ♥ Chapter Thirteen ♥ Chapter Fourteen ♥ Chapter Fifteen ♥ Chapter Sixteen ♥ Chapter Seventeen ♥ Part Eighteen ♥ Part Nineteen ♥ Part Twenty
Part Twenty-One
Clark pulled a bandana out of his back pocket and moved to tie it around Lex’s eyes.
“Hey!” Lex objected, taking a step backward. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure that this is a surprise. Just put it on.” Clark was whining, but he didn’t care. A well placed pout would probably get him his way.
Lex stood firm for a moment, then looked at the bandana anxiously. Clark considered that this might be a bad idea. Lex was in a much better mood today, but he didn’t want to spoil it. Unlike the previous day when Lex had gotten angry with Clark and thrown two vases before retreating to his safe room. Where he’d cried, but pretended he wasn’t crying. Lena had assured Clark that Lex would be all right, and he wasn’t really angry about anything Clark had said. Still, Lex was usually a rational person, even if he tucked away his hurts and tried not acknowledge that they existed.
It was now creeping toward mid-October, and Clark could hardly believe how much bigger Lex had gotten. He imagined if he had to get so big and vulnerable, he might throw temper tantrums, too. Luckily, Lex didn’t have the strength to take out a wall or two, and his temper was usually spent quickly. Then he was all too willing to ‘make up.’ It didn’t mean that Clark had to like seeing him be upset to begin with.
“Fine. Put it on.” Lex closed his eyes.
Clark smiled as he tied the bandana around Lex’s eyes.
“You’re going to have to make sure I don’t do any major damage while I can’t see. I’m clumsy enough as it is.”
“I have you, Lex.” Clark kissed the back of his neck and rubbed a hand over Lex’s belly before moving them forward carefully. “I won’t let anything happen, okay?”
He would carry Lex, but he’d learned the hard way two days before that Lex was getting sick of being hoisted into Clark’s arms without being consulted about it. Again, on contemplation of that, Clark thought he might not appreciate being carried around, if it were a constant factor. Even if it was a lot easier and faster for Clark to carry Lex than for Lex to slowly waddle around the mansion.
“Be careful.” Clark warned as they approached the stairs.
“I... oh.”
Clark held his hand firmly and put his arm around Lex’s back. “I have you. Step up.”
“This is like one of those trust activities they put the employees through every so often.”
Clark chuckled.
“Only not quite, as I have your weaponized engagement bracelet.”
That made Clark laugh outright. He was awfully glad for that weaponized engagement bracelet. “Okay, stop here.”
“Umm...”
“Hush,” Clark admonished. Then he turned Lex a few feet around and practically sang, “Here we are!”
“That’s great. Where are we? Is this one of those romantic picnics on the lawn that you do?”
Lex sounded so grumpy that Clark wanted to cuddle him in a blanket. “I know that you aren’t Lana. I wouldn’t just take you anywhere.”
He untied the bandana and bit his lip.
Lex took in the scene in front of him, his trademarked curiosity showing through as he scanned his eyes over the set up in the winter garden. There was a little table with two chairs on either side and some lilies in the middle.
“Clark, what’s going on?” Lex looked back at Clark.
The corner of Clark’s mouth crept up slowly. Gosh, he hoped this wasn’t a horrible idea. But the little wrinkle in Lex’s brow had melted away, and his eyes seemed open.
“I wanted to surprise you. And make it up to you for um...” Clark dipped his head bashfully. “Lying to you. You know why I wasn’t there now, but it hurt you then, and I thought...”
“What? When did you lie to me?”
“It was a while ago, now. I know I should probably just let it go.” Clark moved Lex toward the chair and pulled it out for him. When Lex sat, Clark kissed him on the forehead and held up one finger. He blurred off then returned with two bowls of ice cream sitting in a waffle cone. “I wanted to make it up to you, though. Is that okay?”
Lex’s features froze. “I...”
“Oh, Lex,” Clark whispered. His hand moved to cup Lex’s cheek, because he looked like he might cry.
“That’s... that’s nice, Clark.” Lex started to smile, then he let out a soft laugh, leaned forward, and covered his face with one hand.
“Aw.” Clark engulfed Lex in his arm and kissed his head. “I’m sorry for all the times I lied.”
“You know I understand about that,” Lex replied.
Clark was relieved to see that Lex wasn’t crying, after all. There was enough of that. They should probably sit across from one another, but Clark pulled his chair to sit next to Lex. “Yeah. I would have done this sooner, but at first you weren’t feeling so well, and...Want some apple pie ice cream?”
“Hm. I think I do.”
Clark took some on the spoon and held it up to Lex’s lips, which curved and laughed before opening for Clark.
“Mmm. God.” Lex closed his eyes and sat back.
“You’re making me uncomfortable,” Clark teased.
“It’s the price you pay for taking me out for a date in my condition,” Lex replied. “Oh.”
Lex sat up and leaned forward, holding the side of his belly. Clark put his hand on Lex’s back.
“Easy, Lia,” Lex murmured as he rubbed his side. “Guess she’s excited about... ice cream.”
“She kicks you hard, now, huh?” Clark said sympathetically.
“Well, she’s her father’s daughter,” Lex replied. He met Clark’s eye. “You didn’t have to do this. I know I’ve been unpleasant... well, a pain in the ass lately.”
“Oh, you have not. I just get worried when you’re...”
“Sobbing like a twelve year old girl?”
“Stop.” Clark rolled his eyes. Lex ended up in a worse mood when he cried because he hated doing it, whatever the cause. “When you’re distressed. And I hate when I cause it.”
“That’s not always your fault, Clark. Please know that.” Lex took another bite of his ice cream and sighed. “I’ve always had a temper.”
“Yeah, but I hardly ever saw it.”
“I’ve just been moody. Something would set me off, even if you weren’t there.” Lex reached over for Clark’s hand. “Tell me you know that everything isn’t your fault. Sometimes it’s mine. Sometimes it’s just nothing at all.”
“And sometimes I lie, and it hurts you.”
“I’ve noticed a significant decrease in that since you told me about where you come from.” Lex shrugged. “I think that might have been the source of our troubles.”
“Guess so.” Clark couldn’t help but smile. “Leah? That’s cute.”
“Yes. Short for... Juliana.” Lex raised his brows. “What do you think?”
“Juliana? Ohh.” Clark grinned. “Really pretty.”
“Elle.”
Clark blinked. “El?”
“Juliana Elle. E-l-l-e. I thought we might make a tribute to your family name, too. If you want to. It’s a bit unfair that I named her without consulting you.”
Clark’s hands cupped the sides of Lex’s face, and he pressed their lips together firmly.
“It’s a great name. I can name the next one.”
Oh, the risk of Lex’s temper was worth it for the look on his face right now.
“What do you mean, next one?”
***
The Luthor mansion was settling in nicely. Most of the kids had their own rooms, except for Maddie and Rujuko who had decided that they wanted to share, and they were set up across from Lena’s room. Of course, Maddie and Lena lived in an apartment not too far from Lena’s club, Solara, but they came to stay often enough that having their own rooms there was a wise decision, and Rujuko was better when they were around. Mostly she was just quiet and withdrawn.
Time. It would take time, Lena said, and Rujuko believed her, usually, because she knew Lena could see into your heart. Sometimes, though, it felt like she was in a fog. Like when her father had died, only worse because at least then, she hadn’t had to see it, thank God.
Rujuko sat on the sofa in the entertainment room, her legs curled up as she watched what looked like home videos, which she’d found in a box of Tanaka’s things, with “Richard” written on them. A tall, red-haired man laughed freely as he joked around with his colleagues. Most of them were wearing lab coats, but not Richard Redbloom. Not her dad. He was wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and blue jeans, and socks that didn’t match his shirt or each other. Suddenly he grabbed a one of the women from behind. Her long black hair swung behind her, and her face went rigid. She looked back at him angrily, then beat on his hands as Richard lifted her into the air.
“Are you mad, Richard? Put me down,” she ordered with all the imperiousness of a queen. Queen of the lab.
“Never, never!” he crowed. Then, this sound bubbled out of her lips as he shook her in his arms.
Tanaka laughed. She laughed, and she sounded like a young woman. She sounded so real and so human.
“How didn’t I know?” Rujuko whispered to herself.
Of course, moments after, Tanaka went straight faced again. When Richard finally let her down, she tightened her lips, brushed off her lab coat, and went back to work. She did her best impression of a computer. She wasn’t as good at it as when she’d been possessed by Milton Fine, though. Rujuko saw it, and she saw Tanaka fighting herself, and her insecurities and inability to interact the way she wanted. Even though she clearly wanted to be different, if only when Richard was around.
It sort of blew her mind to realized that her mother and father had liked each other.
***
Maddie’s tongue always stuck in her throat when she tried to talk to new people. Women especially. That was frustrating, because she wasn’t completely loopy to the point that she didn’t know she was a girl herself. Still, for some reason, when faced down with new women, her mouth didn’t do its job. Her lips were glued closed and she became like Ghost.
So when she met her new grandmother, her cheeks went pink with frustration. It was important for this woman to like her, but she just stood there staring, blankly, while Lena pet her hair and told her mother about their new apartment and how they’d be spending time at the Luthor mansion as well so Maddie could learn with her friends.
It was pretty obvious that Lena’s mom didn’t exactly like Lex, but Maddie didn’t understand why. She closed her eyes and tried to keep calm, like Lena, and Domovoi, and her tutors had taught her.
“It’s okay, baby. I told Mama why you don’t talk much.”
Lena’s voice was gentle and kind. Maddie looked up and nodded. Gloria didn’t seem angry with her, thankfully.
They left the poor neighborhood, and Maddie followed Lena around as she met with a friend... who acted like she couldn’t stand Lena at first, but was in tears by the time their conversation was over. She followed Lena back to the club, then to LexCorp, where they were checking out the building plans for another tower, and Lena told her about how they were going to give their employees a good, cheap place to live.
Maddie was quiet for most of the day, until they returned to the mansion, which wasn’t as cold as the castle had been (probably because it had been designed in this century), but a lot bigger. Ghost had gotten lost the first week there, and they found him popping in and out of rooms and corridors. He’d scared one of the maids so much that she’d wet herself.
“Thanks for coming with me today, hon. My family can be a trial sometimes, but I know Mama wanted you to know you’re welcome in her home.”
Maddie followed Lena up the stairs with a deep frown. “She doesn’t like Lex much.”
“She’s conflicted. His father hurt her very badly.”
“His father hurt him very badly. He tried to steal his baby.”
“It’s complicated. But you’re not wrong.”
Maddie peered into each of the rooms, looking for one of the other kids who were staying there. Her tutors seemed to have grown in numbers, and they now taught the children who had been brought here. She was most familiar with Ghost and Ruji, of course, but Nevaeh was fun, if a little crazy, and she seemed nice. She wouldn’t mind living here with them. It was a nice house, although if it seemed haunted even when Ghost wasn’t flitting around and scaring people.
Maddie just worried about Ruji when she wasn’t there.
Hearing something in the entertainment room, Maddie turned her head and leaned in that direction. Lena stopped and looked that way.
“Lex and Rujuko are in there. Do you want to go talk to them?”
Maddie nodded and hurried down the hallway. Ruji was curled around Lex’s enormous tummy.
“Somehow,” Ruji whispered. “I always imagined they’d just been doing this experiment for science. I wasn’t really supposed to be. But my dad couldn’t give me up when it was time to terminate the experiment.”
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing, Rujuko,” Lex told her, petting her hair. The dyed parts had started to grow out and now the extra colors were just random streaks at the ends of her hair. “Your father loved you, and wanted you. I don’t think it matters how it started. You filled a hole in his heart.”
“I know.”
Maddie quietly snuck up to Lex’s other side. He raised his brows and put his other arm around her shoulders. Lena, at the doorway, smiled at the three of them sitting there together.
“It’s just... maybe they loved each other. I wish I’d known her before. When she was still her. She looked happy, didn’t she?” Ruji didn’t sound certain at all, but kept her eyes on the screen, which was now playing fuzz instead of a video.
Lena came over to sit on Ruji’s other side and rubbed her back. “Most people are happy some of the time. She probably had happy times.”
“But... the way she... died...”
“She loved you, too,” Maddie interrupted. “I was there. She said she loved you. She wouldn’t have taken you in, if she didn’t care.”
Maddie reached over Lex and took Ruji’s hand. She didn’t know how Ruji would ever get over what she’d seen. Maddie wasn’t even sure how she’d gotten over what she’d seen and done.
Squeezing Ruji’s hand, she began to whisper to her. “You lose things, with time. And someday it won’t hurt so much, Ruji. It’ll start to fade, and you won’t remember your dad’s smile quite like you used to. But you’ll remember how much he loved you, to make an impossible baby happen out of nothing and let you grow under his heart, and how she loved you, even if she wasn’t good at showing it.”
Maddie took a breath as she felt Lex and Lena’s eyes on her. “And you can surround yourself with other people who love you. They make it better, too.”
Looking up, Maddie saw Lex’s misty eyes on her and she gave him a soft smile. That’s what this place was about. Creating a safer place for freaks, orphans, and strays to hold each other up.
She closed her eyes as Lex gave her a kiss on the head, then lifted them to the screen to watch as Ruji put the video on again.
***
Clark came into the safe room were Lex was laying on his side on the pillows. He frowned deeply, because Lex was frowning, and didn’t look happy.
Setting his book bag down, he padded quietly over to where Lex was laying, and knelt beside him.
“Don’t be sad,” Clark pleaded. He moved his hand over Lex’s brow and cupped the back of his head.
“Not sad,” Lex muttered. “Tell me about your day at school.”
“Lex, what is it?”
“Just... help me up?”
Clark obeyed and lifted Lex to his feet. When Lex started to walk away from him, Clark tilted his head in confusion, but then Lex paced back toward him.
“Your day?” Lex encouraged.
“Oh. Um. Well, it’s the day when I meet with Dr. Jorgenson about my project. It went okay. She’d already looked at my draft, and I have the go ahead to finish writing my paper the way I’d planned. She’s also, apparently-” Clark began to pace with Lex, determined to roll with whatever weird pregnant person behavior was thrown at him next. “-apparently um, proud of me for finishing my work. I told her that I was still worried about my friend who’s having a baby, but she said that things would get easier after the first couple of months... Still busy, but less worry as things fall into a routine. She’s had kids. Two of them.”
“Yeah?”
“Her husband passed away this summer. It was really hard on her.”
Lex reached over and squeezed Clark’s hand. “I don’t think I’d live through something like that.”
“Gosh, Lex, don’t talk like that.”
Lex waved his other hand and then turned to Clark. He pulled Clark toward him and gave him a kiss. “Ignore me. I’m just thinking that it took so long to get you here. I might have to take drastic measures if someone tried to take you from me.”
“Really, you’re scarier than Fine, right now.” Clark grinned and nuzzled Lex’s forehead. “I’d be scared, if I were him.”
“I have the bracelet, and I’m the size of a sports utility vehicle. He’d better fucking be afraid.”
“It’s good to see you back to yourself.” Clark gave Lex another slow kiss. “I don’t care what kind of vehicle you’re the size of. You could be a tank. Or a jet. A space ship.” Then another kiss. “What was that about, before? Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Fine. I was just having some cramping and was hoping it would go away if I walked around a bit.”
Clark’s eyes popped wide open. “Wait, cramping. Like contractions?”
“Did you just refer to me as a tank?” Lex’s lips curled upward. “I think I’d prefer to be a space ship, although that might mean twins.”
“It’s not funny, Lex.” Clark could barely hear himself. He felt like the wind was knocked out of him, and that wasn’t a very familiar feeling.
“No, I’m not sure anyone would survive me having twins.” Lex creased a brow and pet Clark’s cheek. “I’m fine. I promise. It’s only a matter of weeks now before I’m due. This is what the body does when preparing for labor. I should be thankful that my body is responding in a way I can research.”
Clark shook his head and tried to take a breath. Lex took his hand and lead him over to the other side of the room, urging him to sit down.
Once he had, Clark looked down and realized he was sitting on Lex’s birth ball. Geez. “Sorry. I should be better about this.”
“Why? You’ve been strong for me over the past two months. And I’m sure you will again at other points.” Lex slipped his fingers into Clark’s hair. “You’re allowed to have a moment to freak out. Heaven knows you haven’t so far.”
“Not that you’ve seen.”
“I know.”
Clark lifted his chin and pouted up at Lex, who seemed the picture of calm at the moment and that... that was good. “I know you’re set on this do-it-yourself labor thing, but it really worries me. What if something happens? To Lia? Or you? What if... what if I lose you?”
“This isn’t just the Lamaze videos talking here. I can do this. Milton Fine changed my body as a back up, and I have faith at least that if he could get me pregnant, he could engineer a way for me to have the baby. He wants her alive.” Lex paused to swallow. “And that does scare me. But it also makes me confident that we can do this. Do you really want to risk having another stranger in here?”
“No.” Clark hugged Lex from the side. “I just... I want you to be okay.”
Lex said nothing, but touched Clark’s arm with his other hand. Clark was down too low for Lex to even try to squat down comfortably. He reached up to cup the side of Lex’s belly, which of course, was twitching a little bit. Lia moved all the time. Some nights, Clark would sing to her as he watched her inside Lex, who bless him, didn’t complain as much as Clark thought he should. Somehow his complaints turned to temper before speaking an ill word of their daughter, who liked to keep him up at night.
Sometimes, if Lex was up for it, they could rock her to sleep in a way that relaxed all of them. Clark had been a little shy about doing that once Lex started getting really big, but he became emboldened, and they explored together ways to make it comfortable for Lex and Lia both. It was hard to even think about what it might be like to have sex after they had their daughter. Clark was too absorbed in the moment with Lex, sharing the happiness they had together now.
Still anxious, Clark rose and put his arms around Lex. He smothered his forehead and face with kisses. Lex arched both brows, but he was smirking already, having guessed what was on Clark’s mind.
Worries would have to wait for later.
***
Dreaming. Always dreaming.
Lex stands in front of small bed, holding his crying daughter and looking around the room. He knows they aren’t alone but he can’t tell what’s coming.
At this point Lex senses hat he’s moving through a vision, but he can’t predict what is happening, or if this is symbolic or literal. Lia clings to him tightly, maybe too tightly for a child her age, but Lex knows why that is. From nowhere, because that’s how dreams work, he pulls a large gun, and hurries them into the hallway.
Once there he turns around. Lia’s no longer in his arms. He’s in a large, darkened room that is completely unfamiliar, and there is a large bed behind him with a deep purple duvet on it, and there is vase broken against the floor, with water dripping off of the dark oak table it had been setting on.
“These aren’t the dreams I need,” Lex tells himself. “Show me my daughter.”
He turns around in the room, watching the air become thicker. Everything begins to slow down.
“Lia! Juliana!”
He turns.
Lex looks into his own eyes. His own cold, lifeless eyes.
“I hardly need your compliance for what I want, Luthor,” his double said in an exacting tone.
Raising his wrist up, Lex brandishes his bracelet. “I won’t let you take her.”
His double moves toward him, lips pulling into a self-satisfied grin.
“Stop,” Lex warns.
“You shouldn’t have taken off your bracelet.”
Lex looks down at his naked wrist, and in a moment, everything speeds up. His double is so close that he can feel his breath on him, his lips brushing against his own, and there is a pain between his ribs.
“My daughter...”
He fights for air and stumbles backward, then sinks to the ground. Looking up, all he can see is Clark’s beautiful dark curls, his pale green eyes, the tears on his face.
“Please don’t leave,” Clark whispers. placing his hand on Lex’s bloody chest.
“Lex!”
Clark’s beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, but no tears. Lex rubbed his own eyes and smiled at the sight. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“I was worried you were, um...”
“I’m not. I don’t think.” Lex moved his hand down over his abdomen, then up to his chest. “I was just dreaming again. You know me. If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t sleep much at all.”
“I can’t imagine.” Clark cuddled Lex to his chest.
“Do you have to? You have every other power there is,” Lex joked.
“I think I had a dream of the future once. But just the once or twice, and nothing like yours.” Clark smoothed his hand over the back of Lex’s head.
Lex shuddered. Having his head touched was a strangely intimate gesture, maybe because it had been a source of his torment and ridicule for years. When Clark did it, it felt just as intimate, but not in the same way.
“Was it a bad dream?” Clark prodded. “You seemed upset.”
“It wasn’t a good dream. It would be nice to see a calm, peaceful future for once.” Lex chuckled and bowed his head toward Clark. “Even better, it would be better if they’d be clearer.”
“I dunno. From what I saw when we were dreaming together... It scared me. You died.”
“I was in danger from my father then,” Lex murmured. He remembered those dreams too well, though. The cave. The field.
“You drowned, and you were bleeding to death in my arms...”
“As long as I didn’t die in childbirth in any of them.”
Clark frowned. “That wasn’t what you were dreaming just now, was it? Please, Lex, if you saw-”
“That’s not what I saw,” Lex assured him. He flattened his lips. “Actually, I’m more sure than ever that I’ll see Lia into her childhood somehow. Have faith, Clark.”
“Well.” Clark kissed Lex’s forehead, then leaned against it. “I’ll have faith in you, anyway.”
“Good enough.”
Lex closed his eyes unsure if any peace awaited him, but was determined to enjoy his moments with Clark as long as he had them.
***
“Hey, mopey.”
Clark turned his head and spotted Chloe just as she bumped her shoulder into his arm.
“You okay? Want to come to lunch with Lori and me?”
“I kind of wanted to go back and have lunch with Lex.” Clark shifted his book bag and looked down at the ground. It wasn’t surprising to run into Chloe on campus, but he’d been in his own world all morning.
Chloe was quiet for a moment. Then asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just... I went to the Fortress this morning.”
Chloe’s lips downturned. “Was it bad? What did he say? I thought you were going to take me up there.”
“I don’t want to do that until I know you’ll be safe.” Clark stopped them in front of the water fountain, looked around for listeners, then sat down. Chloe settled beside him.
“He was... himself,” Clark continued. “I mean, I can’t always guess how he’s going to act, but he usually looks down on humans pretty hard. I shouldn’t let this bother me.”
“What did he say? What did you say?”
“I asked him to help me. With Lex. I’m... I’m worried and I want to make sure he makes it through the delivery okay. Lex seems pretty sure that everything will be fine, but I dunno.” Clark drew in a deep breath. “First Jor-El asked me why he would want to help some mutant halfbreed be born.”
“Oh! Yuck.” Chloe protested rubbed his arm and frowned.
“Then Jor-El told me that I should take Lex to the Fortress, so that he could monitor the baby and make sure that it can be born. He...” Clark’s shoulders sagged over like The Daily Planet building had just fallen on him. “He said that a human couldn’t have one of ours on his own. He said Lex would die.”
Covering his mouth, Clark looked down at Chloe as she blinked in surprise. He licked his lips. “I don’t know that I can take him up there, though. To someone who hates him and our baby. I don’t trust Jor-El, and I dunno...”
“Clark,” Chloe said finally in a firm almost tone. “He’s abusive. He’s like a Lionel made of ICE. He’s tortured you. He’s kidnapped you. And when you insisted on the high crime of saving people? He took your powers!” Chloe hissed the last sentence under her breath.
Clark looked at his hands and prepared to listen. His judgment right now was all muddled with concern for Lex and the baby and the guilt of having this lunatic for his father. “I know that.”
“So you know that you’re absolutely not crazy in doubting his word on this. I’m personally scared of what would have happened if you hadn’t left his so called ‘training.’” Chloe raked a hand through her hair and rubbed her temple, closing her eyes. “He’s... I think. And Mercy agrees with me on this. That if that is actually your father, there is something seriously wrong with that computer program. Because there are two Jor-Els. There’s one who sent that message to Virgil Swann and fell in love with a human down here and put you in that ship as his wife hoped that your parents on Earth would love you. Then there’s this... guy. Who hates humans and treats you like an object to bend to his will.”
Clark smoothed his fingers over his brow. “You think... You might be right. Why didn’t I ever think of that?”
“Probably too close to it. The same reason it took Lex getting pregnant for him to really pull away from his father.” Chloe narrowed her eyes at Clark, then leaned over to give him a hug. “Lex is going to be okay. We’ll work it out.”
“It freaks me that he’s so determined to do this on his own.” Clark rested his chin on Chloe’s shoulder.
“Well. Your boyfriend can see the future. Maybe he knows it’ll turn out okay.”
“Hm. He says he does. I have to believe, I guess.” Clark leaned back. “I have to believe in him because I can’t believe in Jor-El.”
“Yeah. I’m just... I wouldn’t either. When we get a chance, I can come up and see what we can do about this jerk in your machine.”
Clark touched Chloe’s chin and nodded. “Does... not telling Lex about this count as a lie? I really don’t want to have to tell him someone called our daughter a halfbreed. He has a thick skin, but I think that would really hurt. It’s one thing for people to call him a freak. Saying that about our daughter cuts a lot deeper.”
“Well.” Chloe sighed. “I think he’ll want to know. But you’re right that it’ll hurt. You think he’d be mad if you just waited?”
“Secrets almost poisoned everything we had, though.”
“Yeah... but those secrets existed to protect you. This one would be to protect him.” She shrugged his head to the side. “And Lia. Lex is sharp enough to know the difference, and he’ll appreciate that. Lex, he’s been all about protecting her since the very beginning.”
“I know.” Clark knew the significance of naming this baby Juliana, and what that meant for Lex’s attachment to her. He knew it better than most, he’d guess. Lex had told a precious few the real story behind that, and Clark himself hadn’t gotten the full story until very recently.
Chloe reached over to squeeze his leg. “Stop brooding so much. There are happy things for you to think about. And my lunch buddy is heading this way.”
Clark looked up. “I guess I could bring something back. But not sushi, because Lex loves it but is determined not to have it because of mercury, or something. Like that would affect a kid of mine.”
“Can’t blame him for trying, given all the hysteria over what pregnant persons can and can’t have.” Chloe laughed as Lori bounded up to them.
“Hey! Clark Kent!” Lori dropped down next to him, then slowly began to lean back, as though she were thinking about taking a swim in the fountain.
Clark put a hand on her back to keep her from dipping in. “Hey. Lori Lemaris.”
“How’s your brood cookin’?”
“Cookin’ along.” Though technically, one baby was hardly a brood.
“I’m glad. I haven’t seen Lex in awhile. Gosh, he must be a whale by now.” Lori grinned widely at the thought. As well she might, since the males in her species tended to carry the brood.
“Lex says it’s more like a tank or a spaceship,” Clark replied.
Chloe giggled. “Really?”
“Worries for the future aside, things between us have been... good.” Clark folded his hands and looked at them for a long moment. “I’m grateful for that. It took us a long time to get where we are.”
Lori took the opportunity to fall back into the fountain with a big splash.
“I hope you planned on taking her to lunch somewhere dry clothing is optional.” Clark looked back at her, with her red hair fanning out over the top of the water.
Chloe rested her weight on her palms as she watched Lori swim around. “I brought an extra set of clothes.”
***
Lex stood in front of the long mirror in the bedroom and frowned deeply. “Hm.”
He hardly cared about his shape. It was so different now from what it had been, and still the affection that Clark showed to his body, he adored it not in spite of the thickness of his limbs and fullness of his cheek, but because of them. Lex had never had a partner quite so devoted.
No, he grimaced because the shirt he’d picked barely buttoned, and his out-turned navel stuck out of one of the holes. “Well, that’s ridiculous.”
With a sigh, he tried to think of something, anything from his closet that would be big enough at this point. At least the yoga pants looked like they would last him a good while. As he had no plans of going anywhere, he did not intend to worry about getting pants more suited for public.
Clark snuck up behind him as he dropped his top to the floor and held him from behind. “Happy Halloween, sexy!”
Even if Clark was dying for him to put on an embarrassing Halloween costume.
“Stop!” Lex commanded. “I need you to find me something to wear that won’t be obscene.”
“Hm. I think if we got you a bikini-”
“I despise you!”
“Well, it would fit, anyway.”
“I defy you to find a bikini that would fit one cheek of my pregnant ass,” Lex scoffed. “Besides. I’m cold. I want a sweater.”
Clark kissed up his neck. “Maybe you could stay naked and I could just hug you all day.”
“That would put a damper on your trick-or-treating plans.” “I don’t see why it should!”
Lex shook with laughter. “Well, if you want to traumatize all the kids, be my guest.”
“Yeah, cause they don’t know what we do up here.”
“I’m just hoping that Ghost isn’t watching when we can’t see him.”
Clark howled at that, then let him go. “Okay, let me see if we have anything for you to wear. I don’t think you should get anything else with buttons.”
“I’m using the excess fabric to build tents for the Smallville circus.” Lex felt a stab of satisfaction when Clark paused to bow his head and cover his mouth.
“What are we going to joke about after the baby is born?” Clark asked when he regained his composure.
Lex moved toward the bed and sat down. “If you expect me to get back to my fighting weight right away, you may be disappointed.”
“Doesn’t matter to me.” Clark came out and walked over to the bed. “Hands up. Let’s see if we can make it work.”
“So you were watching Project Runway with Lena the other night,” Lex accused.
Clark pursed his lips and pulled a purple t-shirt over Lex’s head. A few weeks ago it had been pretty roomy. Today, Clark had to tug it down over Lex’s belly.
“Did it make it? Am I covered?” Lex extended his neck a little to look, but he couldn’t see that much of himself without a mirror.
“Pretty close.” He then slipped a black sweater onto Lex and buttoned three of the top buttons. It wouldn’t close further than that. “Do you think you’ll be warm enough?”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. If not, I’ll just curl up with a book and a blanket.” Lex took Clark’s hands and waited for Clark to pull him to his feet. “I know you want me to waddle around town with you just in case something happens, but between Mercy and the bracelet, and your parents, I should be well looked after, don’t you think?”
Clark swatted Lex’s behind. “There’s nothing you can say to make me stop worrying about you. Stop trying.”
Lex raised his hands and walked with Clark down the hall. He’d given up on shoes for the time being, but socks were necessary to keep his feet warm. For the next few weeks, Lex had decided on practicality and comfort above all.
***
The sitting room to the side of the foyer was populated with the kids in their costumes. Ghost was a ghost, of course. Ruji, Maddie, and Lena were all dressed as kitty cats. Nevaeh had chosen a Magenta costume from Rocky Horror, and instead of her blond hair, purple-red curls sprung out all around her head.
While Mercy and Chloe had teamed up to dress as male and female pirates, Romi and Domovoi had chosen the more traditional costumes of vampire and werewolf, respectively. Though Domovoi’s werewolf costume was as speckled with gray as his own hair. A nice touch. Lori was dressed as bird.
Clark was an alien. A green one, with antennas. He’d prepped a costume for Lex that consisted of a flannel shirt, jeans, ball cap for the Sharks, a piece of straw to chew on, and a large white tank top to pull over his burgeoning belly that read “alien abductee.”
Martha’s eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets at that, and Jonathan’s lips tightened dangerously. The room went quiet until Lex let out a bark of laughter and took the shirt.
“I love you. This is great.” Lex draped the shirt over himself with a big grin. “I’m still not going trick-or-treating with you, but this is perfect.”
“Aw.” Clark leaned over to hug Lex’s shoulders, then kissed the side of his head “I figured your answer was final, and I don’t want you pushing it right now. But I wanted to see your face anyway.”
“Well, you’ve seen it. Now you need to take these kids out, before all the candy is gone.” Lex reached up and pinched Clark’s green cheek. “I’m fine here.”
Clark beamed and gave Lex a kiss, getting a little green on him before standing up. “Okay, let’s hit the town!”
***
Domovoi lead the charge, while Clark and Chloe followed up from behind. They’d picked up a couple little devils and wizards who were in the day group with Maddie for psychic person class. There was also a tall kid wearing a George W. Bush mask who Lex had plucked out of the corrective system before they dropped him in Belle Reve. Clark had spent an afternoon or two with Lowell, helping him manage his strength. Neveah bounced along, singing bits and pieces of Rocky Horror for the younger girls. Clark had only seen her use her powers once... and it had been a little scary to see all that fire coming from such a tiny teenage girl.
He imagined at some point, Lex’s school for gifted youngsters would be the place to send your meta kid to keep them out of the asylums and juvee schools. It was nice to see Maddie and Ruji smiling with each other, these damaged kids cobbling their lives back together.
The downtown area where the local businesses were letting the kids trick-or-treat was only a few blocks, but at the end of it, there was a party held by the neighborhood. They’d had to drive over here in a van to do the activity, so Lex was out of Clark’s earshot. He knew it was best for Lex to judge whether he felt like coming along, but Clark still wanted Lex by his side. Hell, he’d tried to get Lex to come to campus with him.
“He’s fine,” Chloe said. She was looking up at him with the one eye not hidden by an eyepatch.
“You have some pretty impressive Chloevage going on with that bodice there,” Clark shot back.
Chloe grinned. “Mercy picked out my outfit.”
“And you picked out hers?”
“Yes.” Chloe swung her bag. “And he’s fine.”
Clark sighed and walked along with the kids to the next business. “Let’s just...”
His head tilted to the side, and he sharpened his hearing for a moment. Someone was screaming, “Get offa me! Get offa me!”
Clark stopped walking and tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.
“I will break it. Stop YELLIN’!”
“Clark, what is it?”
He looked down at Chloe with wide eyes and handed her his bag. “I gotta go. Keep an eye on the kids.”
She shook her head once then nodded. “Got it. Go, Clark!”
He ducked into the closest alleyway, then sped out, a blur passing by the crowd, as if he were only a gust of wind.
***
“Eat too many pumpkin cookies?”
Jonathan laughed and smiled at Lex, who grimaced, then looked up at his father-in-law (or something) and shook his head.
“No.” He licked his lips then pushed himself out of his chair. He’d pulled the “alien abductee tank top on over his shirt, because it fit, and it amused him.
“You need something?” Jonathan stood and made a hesitant motion toward Lex.
“No.” He took a breath and ran a hand over his belly, which was now rock hard. “I... just need to walk a little.”
“Martha!” Jonathan turned toward the hallway. It was unlikely that he knew he was facing the garden, and not the kitchen.
“I’m fine.”
A hand hitched on his back and the other rubbing circles over his belly, Lex headed into the hallway. A bit of nervousness prickled up his spine, as if to spite his calm words.
“I’m fine,” he repeated. “Don’t worry.”
***
Clark appeared in front of the apartment door and knocked loudly. When that had no effect, and he heard the man yell again, with a responding shriek from the woman, he just shoved the door down.
Which really got their attention.
“Who the fuck are you? What the fuck are you doing here, asshole?” the man dragged the woman as he charged toward Clark.
“Let her go,” Clark ordered.
“Excuse the fuck outta me? Don’t come bargin’ into my house-”
“I can hear you screaming for blocks!” Clark exploded. Okay. That was true.
When the man twisted the woman’s arm again, Clark shoved the man, who then flew across the room and didn’t move for a moment. His heart was still beating, but which Clark was grateful for, but he was still really angry.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” Clark reached out for the woman’s hand.
She shook her head frantically. “I can’t leave!”
“Wait... what? Why?”
“He’ll be angry. He’ll find me. I can’t leave Diego here,” she rattled off, putting her head in her hands and shaking it.
It was then that Clark spotted a little boy, maybe three years old, wearing a puppy costume and sucking on a stick of candy that had turned his mouth red.
“We’ll take him.”
“Jared isn’t usually like this...” she whispered. “He’s not himself.”
“Ma’am, we gotta leave,” Clark insisted. He couldn’t understand this. He could see the bruise on her arm, and if he looked a little deeper, he could see the cracked bone underneath.
“Where am I supposed to go?” she demanded, suddenly angry.
Clark decided to change tactics, based on Lex’s behavior. “If he’s this angry now, he could hurt Diego, too. Do you want that?”
“Of course not.” The woman rose and hurried over to Diego, picking him up with her good arm. “Hey, babe. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“Come with me. I think I know someone in this area. She has kids of her own, and she’ll let you stay a few days.”
“You’re an alien!” Diego pointed at him with big eyes.
“Yep!” Clark went over to her and the boy. “Do it for your son. I know you love him more than yourself right now.”
“When he’s on that stuff... Jared’s just not the same...” the woman muttered. She pressed a kiss to Diego’s head.
Clark felt his phone vibrating through his jeans, but took the moment of weakness in the woman he would soon know as Anna to get her to pack a few bags and out the door. If Clark had to knock out Jared one more time during that, well, Anna didn’t have to know.
***
“Did he answer this time?” Jonathan stood in the middle of the hallway, hands on his hips as he turned to Martha.
“No. Mercy said she would call Chloe and then Lena. How is he?”
“He’s out there, on the patio, walking around. And breathing.”
“Well.” Martha touched her lips. “Has he said anything?”
“No. Keeps saying everything’s fine.”
Martha walked to the end of the hallway and opened the glass door to the patio, where she could see Lex leaning on a chair and cupping the underside of his belly.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she said gently. He didn’t look up, and she was quiet as he breathed in and out slowly.
Finally he looked at her. “Sorry.”
“No. Don’t worry about that.” She closed the distance between them and put her hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
“No. It’s just some pressure. I’m fine.”
Martha pressed her lips together and rubbed his back. “Can we get you anything? Do you need to sit?”
“Not right now.” He looked up and parted his lips just a bit.
The glass door opened again, and Mercy came out. “I just got off the phone with Chloe. Lena’s on her way. Clark went off to save someone, and she doesn’t know who.”
“He’ll be here,” Lex said.
“You know Clark.” Martha watched Lex as he stared with shining eyes at the last clouds of October drifting past. “Always late.”
That caused Lex to smile, very slightly. “I know.”
They waited outside with him as it grew colder. Just as Martha was thinking of ordering him inside, Lex leaned over with a frown, and he took Mercy’s hand as he lowered himself into a chair.
“We can call him again,” Martha offered.
“No. He’s busy. He’ll be here when he can.”
Lex curled his arm around his belly and stared at the ground with deep concentration.
***
Since Clark didn’t have a car, he’d tried to grab a taxi, then realized he had no money. Anna gave him an odd look. It would have been easier if she’d just let him take her to the hospital for her arm, but she wasn’t acting in any way that Clark could understand.
“I guess we walk, then.” Anna handed Diego over to Clark and beat the pavement with him.
After a block or two, Clark noticed how she was walking, then his eyes widened in recognition. “Are you pregnant?”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“I’m not... I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just worried.”
“Jared said he got the snip, okay? I thought we were safe.”
Clark shook his head, thinking that guy had to be the biggest bastard on the planet. Instead of saying that, he bounced Diego, who was looking around at everything with his saucer eyes. “Exciting, huh? You’re gonna have a little brother or sister.”
“Isa girl,” Diego said. “An’ she’ll be teeny an’ I gotta be gentle.”
“Yeah, babies are so small. My um... partner is gonna have a little girl soon. She doesn’t look tiny right now if you look at Lex’s belly, but when she comes out she’ll be very small.”
Diego giggled and reached his sticky hand up for Clark’s antenna.
***
Lena’s lips pressed against Lex’s head, and he sighed in relief.
“I feel what you’re doing there,” he accused.
“Don’t care. You’ve had a hard enough time. Who needs for this to be hard?” She wrapped her arms around him and rocked gently.
“I was managing. I was calm. I just... wish he were back, already.”
She kissed his head again. “I know. I’m so proud of you.”
***
Clark was ringing a doorbell, uncertain if they would be welcome. Inside there was screaming, but of the benign sugar-high child type.
“I should go home,” Anna muttered. “Jared will be worried.”
“Stop that,” Clark snapped. “He’ll hurt you.”
“You can’t understand. He loves us.” She glared up at him. “He does. How can I expect a man like you to understand.”
Before Clark could ask what that meant, the door opened, and Maureena paused to scream behind her, “Lupe if you don’t stop picking on your brother, I will take you outside and hang you up on the clothesline upside down! He is not ‘playing wrong’!”
She looked at her visitors and frowned. “We don’t got any candy.”
“No, it’s... It’s me, Clark. You met me once, um... when Lena was in the hospital.”
“Ohhh... I didn’t recognize you as an alien.” She paused, then looked back into her apartment again. “Behave! What was it that you wanted?”
“This a bad idea,” Anna murmured.
“Anna? Hey! You know Lena, right?” Maureena’s face lit up and she motioned them inside. “I saw you two together once.”
“She’s not here, is she?” Anna asked anxiously.
“No. Lena got super pissed at me. We haven’t been talkin’ regularly. We’re patching up, but I doubt she’d just pop over.” Maureena moved some toys out of the way as they walked inside.
“Okay. I didn’t want her to know my boyfriend and I got back together. She was so kind to me.”
“I kinda doubt she’d judge. Well, she does, but she’s usually right. Damn her. That’s what you get from being friends with psychic people.” She turned and put her hand on her hip. “What can I do for you?”
“Anna needs a place to stay right now.” Clark looked between the two of them. “I’m sorry, Anna, but you just can’t stay there right now. Even if he loves you.”
Maureena’s lips tightened and her expression grew stern. “My youngest Tay is about this handsome guy’s age. Has he eaten yet?”
“No.” Anna looked away.
“No problem. I got leftovers. It’s mac and cheese and cut up hot dogs, and some broccoli, but I’ve got some strawberry Slim Fast, too. It’s all Lupe will eat some days.” Maureena touched Anna’s arm gently. “My freezer don’t work, but we can get Roffle to donate one of his ice packs. Boy thinks he’s Mr. Man and works out all the time.”
“Thanks.”
Clark walked over to where Tay was vroom-vrooming his red truck and sat Diego down. “I really appreciate this, Maureena.”
“Lena used to bring all kinds home who needed help, and Jesus knows, I was one of them once.” Maureena put her arm around Anna’s shoulders. “No shame. We’ve all had hard times, and we find a way to get through it. I dunno what you and yours need, but you can stay here while you figure that out.”
Clark sighed and felt his phone buzzing again. He pulled it out of his pocket to check his voicemail.
”Hey, Clark. I’m just... a real pain today. Can you come home? I started having contractions again about an hour ago, and they haven’t stopped. Sorry. Um... It’ll probably be fine if you don’t get this for a while. From everything I’ve read, labor takes forever. But please come as soon as you can.”
“Oh my God.” Clark looked around in a panic.
Anna and Maureena glanced back.
“I gotta go. Um. My... Lex...”
“Go, alien boy,” Anna encouraged. “Thank you.”
“I’ll... I’ll um... call you later to check... bye!” Clark darted out the door, just a hair shy of too fast.
***
Clark sped up the stairs after stopping only briefly to ask his parents frantically where Lex was. He went to the blue room automatically, where Lena was hugging a teddy bear thoughtfully. She lifted her eyes, then smiled softly and tilted her head toward the bathroom.
Less than a second later, and he was inside, a mess of half worn off green paint and crooked alien antennas. Lex was in the tub, eyes closed and humming.
“Lex?” He drew closer to the tub, then knelt by it.
Lex opened his eyes and looked at Clark. “Did you save them?”
“Maybe. Well, I kept her from getting hurt more, right then.”
“Sounds complicated. Is she safe?”
“Think so.” Clark reached over and petted over Lex’s head with curled fingers. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
“I’m never going to fault you for having to save people.” Lex’s smile was something like beatific. “I knew you’d come.”
“Does it hurt?” Clark reached into the water to rest his hand on Lex’s belly.
“Not that much.” He chuckled. “I’ve just been trying to breathe, keep calm. Which I... admit I had my big sister to thank for a few hours ago. Tensing up will make it worse.”
“You’re the bravest person I know.”
Lex shook his head and smiled.
“You are. I’m not even kidding. If this were happening to me, I’d be crying.”
“You would not,” Lex scoffed. He took Clark’s hand and arched his back.
Clark held his breath and caressed Lex’s cheek as he watched the man he loved riding through a contraction.
Lex leaned over and brushed their noses together. “Breathe, Clark.”
“Oh, God, I love you. So much.”
Their foreheads pressed together, and Lex’s eyes closed again. When it was over, they would rinse themselves both off in the shower, and head into the blue room, where Clark would dance with Lex until he couldn’t, squat with him until he hurt too much, crawl with him until he was tired, rub his back until Lex needed his hand to squeeze, and never let him go.
***
Counting fingers and toes was cliched, and Lex would not do it. But he found himself staring at Lia’s little digits in utter awe of the tiny life in his arms, that she was in his arms, that she was here.
And apparently bored with the world. She’d come out in a full body cowl, which made sense to protect her from bacteria, Lex’s brain told him logically. Then, after they’d removed it, she’d let out a little whine. Once in her father’s arms, she went back to sleep, unimpressed with the world.
Clark kept telling Lex to get some sleep, but he couldn’t watch Lia enough. Clark couldn’t either, but he was playing big daddy right now, and trying to give the both of them whatever they needed.
The kids had come by sometime later that morning. All Saints Day. Cleaned up from their costumes, they cooed at her and beamed. Ruji had stayed the longest, telling Lex that she would have delivered her, if he’d wanted. She’d delivered babies at the hospital, or helped, anyway.
Lena cried, and so Lex almost did, but her grief of the reminder of her son who would not be here drowned in the joy they both felt for Lia making it into the world. Safe, sound, and with silky soft red hair on top.
“Sleep, Lex,” Clark whispered. He crawled into the bed with Lex and rubbed his back, which was still aching, but Lex hardly noticed it right now.
“I can’t.”
“I love you. She’ll still be here when you wake.”
Lex could sense that Clark was second guessing that particular phrasing. He closed his eyes and kissed the top of his sleeping daughter’s head. “We’re going to have to wake her to feed her, at some point.”
“You look like someone has put you through a juicer.”
“Why, thank you.”
“Lex... This is going to be okay. Sleep.”
“Harder to protect her, when she’s not inside me,” Lex murmured. He reached over to his wrist, took his bracelet off, and put it on her little arm.
“I... oh...”
Lex looked back at Clark, who kissed his lips and petted his cheek. His eyes were anxious. Lex lay back again to watch his daughter, and Clark stroked his brows and cheeks until he finally began to doze.