Five Fathers Days and a Something Extra

by legendarytobes

Part of the Family 'Verse, but basically a Chlarkex family and OT3 scenario. Five fathers days and one other thing with Clark, Chloe, Lex and their assorted children and grandchild.

Five Father's Days and a Something Extra

The First of Many

Lex didn't expect the knock on his penthouse door. Otis had the day off to see his family, Chloe hadn't called so he knew there were no emergencies or anything of that sort, and it was basically a lazy Sunday. Still, he was intrigued by the knocking so he walked over and opened. He was definitely surprised to see Conner aka Superboy standing there.

Yes, he'd recovered his memories of his first life, so-to-speak, about four months ago. Yes, he knew that Conner Luthor was more than just a pet project of his sis's. Hell, he'd met the young attorney for lunch a couple times a month since he realized how integral he was into Conner's, ahem, creation. They got along well and, overall, Lex found him sharp, funny, and as relaxed as Superman aka Clark Kent was uptight.

In other words, a strong dose of Luthor really was in that kid, which could be a bad thing too.

Still, he and Conner weren't due to meet for another five days for coffee, so he was completely confused-not upset-by the kid's arrival.

"Is something wrong?"

Conner shook his head and shuffled a bit on his feet, looking up at him through unruly bangs. God, the kid was sometimes so Clark that it hurt. Lex sighed, pushing away the lust he'd felt both before from his original life and even when he'd just clashed with Superman. Lex wasn't exactly on speaking terms with Conner's "other parent," but at least Chloe had made some overtures and Conner was kind enough. He needed to be grateful for what he had.

"No, it's fine. I just felt like stopping by."

"Well," Lex mused, stepping away from the door way as the kid entered. "It is a penthouse and I've got a fully stocked fridge. My house is your house."

"Oh I know."

"So how's work?" he asked, heading over to the wet bar and pouring a Scotch. He had to admit that having Conner here left him off balance, not sure what he was doing.

"Firm's good, and I've got a fairly dense case on copyright law."

"If you need any help-"

"Like you're an expert."

"But I have those on retainer," he said, taking a sip and hoping he didn't come off as too pathetic or desperate. After all, he'd only known how to relate to Clark once ago with gifts and favors. The other man had once upon a time lapped those things up. It hadn't kept them friends, but it was what Luthors did. They bought things.

"I can do it," Conner chuckled. "Lex, relax, you don't have to…I just wanted to say 'hey.'"

"Well 'hey' officially said. Would you like to see a movie or something? I can get something already out in my theatre room within the hour. I wasn't sure what you wanted to do." Conner blushed and Lex knew that look too. It wasn't any more Luthorian than the kid's dark curls. There was a breeze and Lex jumped a bit when Conner was standing before him. It made him feel like shit because Conner flinched and looked at the floor. Lex sighed and patted Conner's shoulder. "I apologize. I'm not used to superspeed."

"No that's, uh, fine," Conner floundered.

Lex finally noticed the brightly wrapped royal purple package in his hand. It wasn't very large and he frowned back at Conner. "I don't understand."

"Well, um, it's Father's Day."

Lex blinked. The idea was foreign to him. He'd never celebrated it with Lionel the first time around because Lionel was a sociopathic monster and any incarnation of the old bastard had been dead for a decade now. He'd forgotten and only now realized that was why Otis must have asked for time off. "I don't understand."

Conner shrugged and held out his gift. "Clark's like this big brother. We drew that line in our heads when I first met him. It was too weird otherwise. Besides, he has Jonathan now for that sort of thing."

Lex chuckled. There was something delicious in Clark having to run around chasing after a superpowered kid with Sullivan's intelligence and nose for danger. "Okay, so I'm following."

"But you've been really great since you remembered, uh, me, and I just feel differently about you. Maybe because you're a little older or because we met when I was already a grown up or you didn't just foist me off on Grandma Martha."

Lex arched an eyebrow at that. He didn't know what to make of that dig, but apparently even among the Kryptonian set, everything wasn't all Norman Rockwell. Interesting. "So you got me a gift?"

"Yeah, people do that for their dads today."

"Yes, I'm familiar with custom," he said, taking the package and snorting. "Did you wrap this blindfolded?"

"Uh, those don't work. The X-Ray vision?"

"Right."

"Also, why did you ask that?"

"Because it's…next time you need to wrap, I can recommend the people at Saks off Sixth."

"Dad, I don't need you to buy things. I did it the old-fashioned way."

"Then you really are part Clark because once…" Lex stopped, blinking at what Conner had said. "I…really?"

He blushed and ducked his head again. "Is it okay? If you don't like that, then I can still call you 'Lex,' but it's just in my head that Clark's my brother and you're my Dad and Tess is my sister and it's really mixed up but we weren't ever going to be normal anyway."

Lex hugged him then, grateful the kid…no his kid let him. "It's the best gift I've ever gotten."

"You haven't opened it yet."

He chuckled and hugged Conner quickly once again. "No, I mean that no one's ever…thank you for trusting me, for giving me a chance."

"I did lots of shitty things as 'Alexander' and neither of us can help we're from a petri dish, so just open it already."

"Fine point," Lex muttered, opening his gift and rolling his eyes. "Really? I'm going to put this on my desk?"

It was a novelty mugs, something you could get at any Hallmark Store for nine bucks. It had a big blue ribbon on it and said World's Number One Dad. Lex instantly loved it, even moreso considering Clark didn't have one.

"I wanted to start small in case you didn't like it. Besides, it's our first one together and little kids always give their dads those things," Conner finished smirking and, huh, so that was genetic. "Anyway, you have like a billion ties so that wasn't gonna work."

Lex nodded and went to set it on his own desk in the Penthouse. "It's perfect, son, now where would you like to eat?"

Superhero Express

Clark frowned back at Chloe. "So Oliver's not coming over? It's not like I can't go get him or he can't get a jet from Star City to Smallville. He owns like six!"

Chloe's eyes narrowed and Clark knew right then that it was a very, very good thing that she wasn't even in the same time zone with the archer. "He had a business meeting in Paris that he swore he couldn't get out of. He said that if Jonathan had anything to give him that he could mail it and it'd be fine. This is the first time in six years they haven't had Father's Day together. He's so excited. In first grade they made those macaroni picture things. He's been talking about it all week!"

Clark sighed and leaned back against his headboard in the early morning light. Chloe and Jonathan had only moved in a few months ago after she'd caught Oliver and a certain Canary doing very bad things in Watchtower. Oliver had been snippy about the whole thing, making more than his fair share of digs to Clark at League meetings and to Chloe too, considering she consulted. Hell, Chlo was considering doing more now that her powers seemed more active than ever post her pregnancy (how the Hell that happened, Clark couldn't understand) and Jonathan was in school now. Still, this was low. Jonathan worshipped his dad and loved the Green Arrow (no he didn't know) even more.

"I…do you want me to tell him? If you need a few minutes to gather your thoughts, I'd understand."

Chloe sighed and kissed his cheek. "I'm just…if he's mad at me, which he has no right to be, then be mad at me. Don't take it out on your own son. That's low."

"Well, if you'd rather I can fly to Paris and drag him here."

"I think that'd make him more pissed off. No, just go see Jonathan, and I'll get a quick shower. I…we'll just tell him that he can see his dad next weekend and it's okay if the gift's late."

Clark nodded but clenched his own fists at his side. It wasn't okay, and it wasn't fair. How petty could you get to hold things against a six year old? Sighing, he stood up and slipped down the hall toward Jonathan's room. To be fair, it had been his room as a kid, but instead of blue walls and a lot of football and star system posters, it was emerald green with more superhero merchandise than could reasonably fit in it. There was some Batman stuff, much to Clark's annoyance, but most of the motif was the Green Arrow. Jonathan was obsessed.

When he opened the door, Clark sighed again and spent a few minutes watching the boy before him sleep. His hair was dark now, had gone black so fast this year from his original toe-headed look that it had almost given Clark whiplash. Of course, Chloe wasn't a natural blonde anymore-hadn't been since high school-so maybe it wasn't that odd, just faster than they'd assumed. Stepping into the room, Clark sat down at the foot of the bed, even that much weight displacement was enough to wake Jonathan. The boy shot up and looked back at Clark with wide, green eyes.

"Dad?" When he realized it was just Clark, Jonathan's face fell and he pulled his covers tighter up to his chest. "Uncle Clark, where's Dad? It's Sunday! I waited and waited but it's here."

Clark felt like he'd swallowed Kryptonite on two levels. First, he hated to be the one to break Jonathan's heart like this, but Chloe was too close to all of it and would probably cry herself telling him. That would only make Jonathan feel worse. Second, a huge part of him was whispering snidely in his head, reminding him that he'd had a shot once upon a time and, biology aside, Jonathan could have been his. Even if he and Chloe had started dating and, okay more, since she'd come to the farm, it burned every time he remembered Jonathan wasn't actually his. He'd been there for every cold, every school pageant, and every bad day.

But it wasn't his place.

He was just "Uncle Clark" and he'd chosen that.

He'd just chosen poorly.

"Hey buddy, look, your dad got real caught up in business in France."

"But it's Sunday! It's Father's Day, so he just has to be here!"

Clark rolled his eyes. Chloe's kid only talked in exclamations. "No, I just…we know that and he called and he's really sorry." Or soon would be once Chloe called him back, same difference. "But we can still do something and next weekend, he'll be home and you can give him his present then."

Jonathan's lower lip wobbled, and Clark had seen that look a million times on Chloe's face, and it gave him a weird vertigo to Daily Planet basements and promises he'd made long ago. "It's not the same." Then his godson broke down in tears and Clark swept him up into a hug.

"Shh, it's okay! It'll still be fun. You and me and your mom, we'll go out and get lunch anywhere you want, and I mean literally. Any continent, you name it."

Jonathan had known Clark could fly since he was three and he'd taken him for a ride at his third birthday party. He'd never said he was Superman, and never flaunted all his powers in his godson's face, but the kid knew he was fast, strong, and could fly. Hell, he was Chloe's son, so Clark figured it wouldn't be long now before Jonathan put all the pieces together, if he hadn't already.

It was also probably not a good thing to bribe him like this, but Jonathan could have limits tomorrow. Today, he just needed not to cry.

Anything but that.

His godson hiccupped and looked up at him with wide, luminous eyes. "I just want my Dad, Clark. Can you bring him?"

"He said he was real busy, buddy. We both asked."

Jonathan burst into tears again and hugged Clark surprisingly hard. He blinked at that, a little confused over how much like an anaconda squeeze it actually felt like. Weird. "That's all I want. I…you're really great."

"Thanks," he said, stroking wide circles on the boy's back. It had always calmed Chloe before him. Both were tactile, must have been a Sullivan-Lane thing. "I try, and you're a good son. It's just business stuff. Your dad has a lot to do."

He nodded and mumbled into Clark's shoulder. "I know, but he's my dad, he should be here. I…you're super great but you're not my dad."

Clark stiffened but kept petting Jonathan's back. "I know, but then I'll, well, let me check with your mom. I'll take you to Paris and we'll just surprise your father whether he's busy or not."

Jonathan pulled away instantly and clapped his hands, just like Chloe that time he'd agreed to deliver all those gifts. "Really?"

"Yeah," Clark said, forcing himself to smile. He was just the godfather after all. "Really, really. I'll take you myself."

Jonathan squealed in delight and then hugged Clark so tightly it was almost hard to breathe. Seriously, what the Hell? "That's the bestest, Uncle Clark. I mean, the zoo or something would have been neat, but Superman's gonna fly me to see my dad. So cool!"

Clark frowned and looked down at his godson's face. "How long have you known?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes in a move that was pure Chloe. "Always, duh, how many other people can fly and are strong? You just never talked about it. Thanks, Uncle Clark, you're my favorite uncle, way better than Bart or Bruce."

Clark kept smiling even as Jonathan raced off to tell Chloe the good news.

Yeah, "uncle," that felt so great, especially today.

Betty Crocker

"This is okay, right, Daddy?" Lily asked. She was staring at him with those same wide green Sullivan eyes, and Clark thought that was very unfair. He'd do anything for those, they were sure to weaken his resolve more than any Kryptonite. Jonathan, Chloe, and now nine-year-old Lily could use them against him like a surgical strike. "I mean, I know it means you basically cooked your own pie but…"

He grinned and kissed the top of her head. Unlike her brother, Lily's hair was still blonde and he wondered if it would stay like that. Chloe and Lily's older brother were out finishing last minute shopping (read Jonathan had been too obsessed over Rebecca at school to remember Father's Day yet). They were doing a quick morning at the farm but would join up with Conner, Mori and Lex later for a huge family thing. It was just that the Kent Farmhouse Kitchen was the best out there, better suited for pie making than even the industrial one at the mansion. Lex insisted it wasn't so, but there was something you couldn't replace with homemade, with an oven that had been used hundreds of times over the years.

Still, Lily had requested that for Father's Day she be able to give Uncle Lex and her dad something she'd made herself. She just hadn't quite learned how to do it yet. Of all his children, and with Conner in the mix, four felt like an awful lot, Lily was the one who liked cooking most, had the patience for getting the mixes just right. She already baked Mom's chocolate chip cookies almost as well as the senator did. Apple pie was harder, but she'd manage.

She was amazing, after all.

He shook his head and started rolling the dough, even as he offered her advice as she cut the apples. "You can't cut them too thin or they don't cook right. Good sized chunks, sweetheart."

"Okay," she said, concentrating hard on her work, her tongue poking out a bit with her effort. "Daddy?"

"Uh-huh," he replied, still rolling out the pie crust and adding a few liberal sprinkles of cinnamon directly to the batter. "If we talk, we won't finish very fast and you know Conner and Mori are waiting too."

"Oh, I know," she said. "It's just, I was thinking."

Clark tried not to groan. That was never good. Thinking was always bad. His kids were part Luthor or part Sullivan and that meant all trouble. "What is it this time? The last time you thought you had a cool idea, you and Mori knocked down five trees by the swimming hole playing tag."

"No, not like that. I just mean, I know you're Superman and Mom's Fawkes and that's really cool."

"Uh-huh." They'd made no secret of that since Lily's seventh birthday and when she'd been abducted by freaking Brainiac. Mori didn't know yet, was still a bit younger than they'd like to let her know by choice what some of her parents did for their "night work."

"Well," Lily continued, now moving on to throwing the apples in a bowl to mix with cinnamon and brown sugar. "When do I get to be a Titan?"

"You're nine."

"I know, but I wasn't sure we could be."

"Why would you say that? Conner's Superboy so that's an option, if you wanted," he said, trying not to give it a hard sell. Being superhero was beyond dangerous and had cost him and Chloe a lot over the years. He wasn't sure he wanted all his kids doing it, but, at the same time, he had always hoped they'd feel the same responsibility to their gifts that he did.

"Oh I know, but Conner's different. He's way older and stuff."

Clark arched an eyebrow at her. He and Chloe hadn't told her yet about Conner's clone origins, but it didn't mean that Jonathan hadn't let something slip or Conner hadn't just broken down and told her by now. "Okay, but he's an adult and he got to choose, and when you're a big girl, you can choose too."

"Jonathan's pretty big."

He nodded. Jonathan would be in college at U Penn next fall. He was definitely old enough to be in the Titans if he chose. Hell, in a few more years, the League was an option too. He'd just never expressed any interest in it. Period. Hell, he'd worked exceptionally hard with Chloe and Lex both to control his powers as much as possible. Clark honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Jonathan use any of them voluntarily. He still floated in his sleep, there wasn't much Jonathan could do to temper that, and Clark could relate.

Still, he hadn't seen his son speed or use his strength or make toast the best way in years.

It really hurt. He could understand it, better than anyone. He'd had a lot of times in his life where he'd have given up his powers if he could, but Jonathan seemed to struggle with it so, and he only did because Clark had given him such oddities. Chloe had given him a resilience to Kryptonite but not much else, same with Lily. They had no other healers so far in their weird little family.

"Daddy?"

"I…Jonathan decided to concentrate on school and that's really good too. Your mom was Valedictorian of our graduating class at high school. If Jonathan…it's fine to be normal too."

Lily frowned. "But we can help a lot of people like you and Mommy and Conner."

"Yes, but you never have to. Do you get the difference?"

"I think so but can I be a Titan soon?"

He sighed and went to the sink to wash his hands. Next came constructing the pies. "We'll talk when you're sixteen, but if you really want to do that, then I'd be honored to help teach you."

She grinned and blurred over, hugging him tight. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, peanut."

"Hey," he said, slipping out onto the balcony of the mansion.

Chloe and Lex were desperately, like always, trying to explain to the girls about racing, poor stops, and load bearing walls. Superpowered kids were just not good for saving money. Conner had already flown back to Metropolis, as he had a case to finish prepping. Clark had noticed the minute his son snuck out to the balcony to think.

He was no stranger to reflective gazes out to the stars, himself.

"Dad, hey," Jonathan said, looking back at him.

It was odd. Of all their children, Jonathan took the most after Clark, not just emotionally, but physically. Poor Conner, despite his strength, would always be short and slight of build. Jonathan was only a few inches shorter than Clark, himself, was and about as broad now that he'd filled out. Some days, except for the longer, more prominent nose, it was like looking in a damn mirror.

"Thanks. I know you've been pretty busy lately, what with college coming up and Rebecca stuff," Clark said.

"Well if she didn't notice me for four years until graduation, not exactly going to happen now. I'm sure I'll find someone in Philly. I'll have to lie my ass off, but that's pretty normal, right?"

Clark sighed. "One day, when you find her or him or, uh, both." And even after years with their odd amalgamation of a family, it still made him blush to think of the things he, Lex, and Chloe did nightly. His dad would have killed him. "I mean, when you find people you can really be yourself with, be honest with, it gets better."

Jonathan nodded. "I am honest. I'm going to be a finance major, and I love bad action flicks and stupid Adam Sandler comedies, and I read way too much philosophy and books about ancient Greece. What's there not to be honest about?"

"Your abilities? Who we are?"

Jonathan shrugged but his jaw clenched, despite the attempt at insouciance. "I don't use them. If I don't use them, it's not a problem."

Clark wanted to point out he floated whether he wanted to or not, and that would be hard to explain to any lover. It was also likely that his son would age as well as either he or Chloe did, which meant barely at all. Even if Jonathan avoided his powers, didn't mean they still didn't work whether he wanted them to or not.

"Lily and I talked a lot while baking."

He grinned at that. Jonathan adored both his sisters, was ridiculously protective of them. Clark was a little scared what that would mean for potential suitors when the girls started dating. "She's really good. I mean, I know you did some of the pie stuff, but she's talented. Uh, glad she doesn't take after Mom."

Clark gulped. He didn't care if he was invulnerable. Chloe had managed to give him food poisoning more than once before he declared a kibosh on her cooking, ever. "Agreed. Anyway, she wants to join the Titans."

"She's nine."

"I said I'd help her when she was sixteen, if she still felt that way.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes back at him. "I'm not joining. It's not my thing. Look Conner's out there and, apparently, soon enough Lily. I'm not needed."

"I know…it's just, I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"Your life would be a lot easier if you weren't like me, if you really were Ollie's. While I'm thrilled you're not, while the day I realized what had happened and how you came to be was the best day of my entire life…I know being Kryptonian sucks for you."

Jonathan crossed his arms over his chest. Christ, he even looked like him doing it. Some wistful part of Clark could imagine-wanted to imagine-his son lecturing criminals in Metropolis too. But that wasn't fair. His dad never forced him to farm, and he wasn't going to force Jonathan to be anything. Jor-El had played games and had edicts and destinies; Jonathan Kent had supported Clark no matter what. That's the kind of dad Clark wanted to be, even if it tore into him.

"I'm half-human. I…you and Mom didn't know. How could you have stopped anything high? I love you, and I'm proud of what you do but it's not for me, and I just wish you got that."

"I do get it, but I'm sorry you hate what we are, that's all. If I could change it, I would."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Mom would kill you. I just…it'll be better in Philly. I'll have distance, and I can be me."

"Be more normal?" he asked, even as a boom and shake to the mansion indicated one of the girls had clearly run through a wall again. Great, Lex was gonna kill him.

"Definitely, Dad, definitely."

Brilliance

"I wanted to give it to you first, before we met Daddy and Aunt Chloe at the farmhouse," Mori said, beaming up at her father. That was sort of how it broke down in her head. Lex was her father (even if she were old enough to know that was a little generous use of the term) and Clark was her daddy and Aunt Chloe was just great. Usually, the five of them spent time altogether at one home or another. Jonathan and Conner were grown but had already come into Smallville for Fathers' Day.

She and Lily were still in high school, and she was jealous that her sister was graduating soon. She wasn't exactly looking forward to two more years of Podunk without her older sister, but Father had enough tutors for her to keep her from being bored with a lackluster public education. Aunt Chloe and Daddy argued it was what they had and had vetoed her going to St. Catherine's in Metropolis. Mori suspected the only reason Father agreed with them, and the reason she wasn't at the best science magnate in the state, was because it was easier to hide her oddness in Smallville.

God knew it was the capital of weird.

That was okay, but it would be lonely with Lily at Met U, and she'd have to work harder on making other friends besides her big sister, that was all.

Father eyed the robot in front of him. It wasn't tall, maybe about three feet high and built to look less anthropomorphic and more like a penguin. She'd been feeling cheeky with it. It was only a prototype after all.

"You built a penguin?"

"His name is 'Happy' and he's an AI, sort of. He's got flexible enough movement with his arms to do some basic stuff-fetch papers, clear the table, pour drinks." She wasn't thrilled on that last one. Father drank more than he should, even if he were meta. "I thought he'd be fun."

"You built me a penguin-bot?" he asked again, circling the creation. "I have staff, you know."

"But they're not adorable and don't come with a permanent tuxedo. I know he's a little silly, but Luthors don't always have to be serious, right?"

Father chuckled and took the remote from her, turning Happy on and laughing even harder at his greeting. He ordered the robot to go and pour two sodas and whistled as Happy rolled off to complete his mission. "Remarkable."

"It's not exactly the Fortress," she huffed. "I know it's silly, but sometimes I just want science to be fun."

Her father hugged her and kissed her forehead. "He's adorable. Frankly, he might be smarter than Otis."

"That's mean! Otis is great," she hedged, although Happy was probably a lot smarter. "But I was thinking on something next year more biomedically engineered. You see I have these schematics and-"

Father rolled his eyes. "Let's just stick to robots. Maybe next year, I can get a chimp-bot."

Her eyes glittered at that. Now there was a thought.

Inside Jokes

I don't understand why we're doing this, Melanie said.

Chloe smiled and squeezed her granddaughter's hand. Melanie was five years old and could talk the usual way when she looked human, but she preferred telepathy with her family where she could. That seemed anathema to Chloe who, frankly, loved to talk. It was even weirder to have an almost always silent Luthor. Both Tess and Lex could speak for hours if you wound them up.

Mori smiled, her blue eyes sparkling as she picked her niece up in her arms. "Because it's traditional. We get Aunt Chloe things for Mother's Day but Father and your Daddy are pretty special so they get things too."

Melanie bit her lip and looked up at her aunt. I know about Daddy. I came from his tummy as a baby. There aren't storks and humans are so weird.

Chloe's smile almost fell at that. Life had been tense for a couple years. They'd hidden Conner and his pregnancy from the League, hidden Melanie because she was both Kryptonian and Martian, because she had more power than Bruce or Shayera were comfortable with in one small package. Hell, she'd been able to communicate telepathically with her father in utero. Melanie was smarter than any of them could really understand, except maybe J'onn. But she'd been raised differently too. By choice, they'd waited to explain to each of their children what they were and weren't, what being Kryptonian meant. It also led to their children feeling human by default, and that was no more true than in Jonathan's case.

But Melanie remembered from almost her earliest moments of life, hadn't been able to shift forms or look human until she was close to 18 months old. J'onn and M'gann had often been in their natural shapes around her and "her uncle," for lack of a better term, had told her so many things about the history and culture of the Mars that was.

She was as alien as she was human, and it was an interesting contradiction, and sometimes frustrated her to hear that hauteur that both Kryptonians (see one Kara Zor-El) and Martians had toward humans.

She was human, mostly, and she thought they were just fine.

"Anyway," she continued, rubbing her side, and taking in a deep shuddering breath. Cynthia was worked up again, and she was already so tired, always weak from the pregnancy, and she still had three months to go, assuming this would work. The thinner and more weakened Chloe got, the less convinced she was that it would. "We don't think like that about humans," she said, lowering her voice a little at the aisle in Fordman's. No one was round but discretion was discretion. "I'm human, and you like me, Melanie."

Her granddaughter eyed her. But you're smart and you had an upgrade. I don't know yet, but why a cabbage patch? Kids at school talk about that too.

"Because a lot of people are sexually repressed," Mori said, shrugging. "It's easier to tell kids about storks than the real thing."

"We can't all be Luthors," Chloe riposted. "Or," she added, smirking, "Greek goddesses for that matter. Your little niece doesn't need all the big concepts from you or your girlfriend."

"Cassie just loves old, dead Greek stuff as much as I do," Mori countered. "Besides, like J'onn or M'gann would ever lie about things."

True, you see Grandma when a man and a woman love each other…

Chloe narrowed her eyes and pointed to the swell of her abdomen. "Oh I'm aware, Melanie. It's just…your fathers can do something very special, and it's good to honor that part too. So pick a gift because it's almost time."

Cool because I really like that seal!

Chloe nodded. Each girl only had to get a stuffed animal and she'd wrap it for them. They'd done this yearly since Mori had been about Melanie's age and realized she'd come from Lex. "Great, and this has nothing to do with you wanting to be a marine biologist?"

No, I want to be a volcanologist now, that's way neater!

Chloe frowned back at Mori and her daughter shrugged. That probably wasn't going to happen since Martians and fire were as well-suited to each other as Clark and Kryptonite. Of course, three months ago Melanie wanted to be a ballerina and next month who knew? The joys of being five.

"Then I'll grab this one," Mori said, smiling down at Chloe. "Let's check out."

"You shouldn't have done that," Lex said, slipping into bed with her.

Chloe snuggled up against him and decided to play dumb. "Done what?"

Lex held up the small toy model of the Trojan Horse that Mori had given him for Mother's Day. Conner had been surprised but oddly touched by Melanie's stuffed seal. Technically, since Chloe was the main mom in this deal, she got the bulk of the largess on Mother's Day, but for over twenty years, Lex had gotten one small toy from Mori in deference to his ability. It was just time for Conner to join the club.

"It's cute, but Mori could have taken Melanie by herself." He sighed and stroked her stomach. "You need to stay in bed. Emil says that-"

"I can't be housebound all the time. It was an hour, and I know I slept a lot when I got home, which kind of delayed Mother's Day, but I just…it's hard being stuck here all the time."

"In a mansion with a chef at your beck-and-call and all the cable channels you could want."

"Clark's off world and I hate that, and I don't want you to take time off of work because I'm going stir crazy on stupid maternity leave. So taking the girls shopping was nice."

Lex signed and kissed her, lingering there. Sometimes, Chloe admitted it, their relationship didn't get as much individual attention as it should. They were so busy either keeping their other kids safe or dealing with keeping Clark from moping. Both, on their own, were full time jobs. This pregnancy was different and new, bonded them in a way they hadn't quite been before. It still didn't mean Chloe wanted to burden Lex; she didn't feel it was fair. It was her screwed up body fighting the pregnancy all the way, even if he were meta too.

"I'm here, and nothing's more important than both of you. You know, don't let the word get out, but I'm quite fond of you, Sullivan."

She smiled and kissed him back, while placing one hand over his on her stomach. "I love you too, Lex. I don't think I say it enough, but I love you and only three more months to go and she'll be here."

"Of course," he said, but his voice was small and hollow. They could lie to Clark, but they couldn't lie worth a damn to each other, and both of them were scared any day would be the day Chloe's immune system won and Lex's resilience didn't. "I…if she doesn't…she matters, that's all I'm saying. No matter what happens, you gave me something and I love her as much as I love Conner or Mori."

"She's going to get here," Chloe said, sticking out her chin. "I say she is, and I'm always right."

"Dream on, Sullivan," he replied. "I…it's okay to be scared. Clark's not here and neither are the kids. I just wanted you to know if things go badly, I still love both of you, always will."

"And when she's here," Chloe replied, letting him hug her tight. "Then you can start a shopping tradition with her just for me since I already have one with Mori and Melanie, alright?"

"I…" he hesitated and she knew he wanted to press her more about making arrangements in case. Lex had mentioned before it would be easier to have a plan B than have to see to funeral obligations after a miscarriage. She wouldn't hear of it, and it had caused a few spectacular fights before he'd given up in deference to her blood pressure issues. "…Deal then, but I'll make sure she gets you something amazing. Toys are nice, but you deserved diamonds for this."

She grinned and snuggled up next to him. "Meh, Clark can make those. Maybe a nice macaroni picture to start. I've heard moms get those, dads too."

Problem Child

Lex found Cynthia curled up by the fire place in his office at the mansion at close to midnight on Father's Day. Her eyes were red, and, even though she wiped them off the moment he entered the room, he knew she'd been crying. She could never hide it from him, no more than her mother ever could, even if Sullivan lived to deny that.

At least around him.

"Cyn, what's going on?"

She sighed and looked up at him, even as she brought her knees to her chest. Cynthia Lois was their youngest, actually even six years younger than Melanie, their first grandchild. She was also their smallest. Even at eleven, she was far off from hitting a full five feet year and Emil figured if she was ever going to reach that, it would be as tall as she got. Clark's children, minus Conner, towered over everyone. Mori, Lily, and Jonathan were all at or over six feet. The other girls looked like the superheroines they were.

Cynthia was just so small. A whirlwind of energy like her mother, but tiny. It was easy to forget her smallness when she was on the go.

It was never easy to forget the raw power coursing through her. She was something unique, the strongest distillation of his power to self-heal mixed with Chloe's empathy, and as a second generation mutant, far stronger than either of them. She'd fixed her horse's broken leg at five, after they'd missed a jump on the mansion lands. At eight, she'd gotten into an argument with a kid at school and landed her in the hospital.

Lex had paid the right people off and, as a favor to his family now (Melanie was half-Martian), J'onn had made the victim and her family forget the incident.

It was wrong to play with free will, but it was also safest for all of them.

Cynthia wasn't an empath the same way Chloe was. While her mother could heal others and was self-healing (by extension almost immortal), she couldn't harm. Cyn could, could reflect pain on others or do worse if she felt like channeling that energy. They'd had her work long and hard not just with Chloe but also with Bruce and Diana to harness her powers, but they kept growing and that made Lex nervous, made him scared of the unbridled strength running through her. He'd taken samples despite Clark's objections, and he'd just never seen anything like her.

Who'd have thought with four half-Kryptonians in their brood that she'd be the most confusing genetically of them all?

"Nothing, I'm fine," she insisted, even as she sniffled.

He rolled his eyes-a habit he'd picked up from Sullivan-and sat next to her on the sofa. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. "You're not, so don't lie, Cyn. Just tell your old dad what's wrong?"

"I'm not like anyone else."

He sighed and kissed her temple. "You're special, but you know the short answer. Everyone else is like Clark, but you're mine and your mom's. I…we never thought we could but you're the surprise we're glad we got. Do you understand that?"

She nodded but her eyes were still red as she eyed him. "Everyone can do cool things but me. I know Jonathan won't, but he could if he wanted. Hell, even Melanie is fast and flies and can do a billion things. Did you know she can be invisible now? How cool is that!"

Lex stilled. Conner hadn't mentioned that one. She was developing so fast, and he wasn't sure if there were anything alive in any universe that could take her on. It both made him proud and worried him because, by now, he knew things would gun for his granddaughter just because she was a challenge, as they always had for Clark.

"That's good. Her mother does that and so does Uncle J'onn."

"I wish I were like Uncle Clark too."

He sighed and stroked her hair. It was as blonde as Lily's was naturally (this year he though Lily was favoring mainly shades of pink hair dye) and very soft. "I know, but you're not."

"I want to be able to fly or be strong or see through things. Everyone can do everything!"

"I can't. Your mother can't," he countered.

Cyn nodded and he wished he hadn't noticed the tear streaking down her cheek. She took in a deep breath and her hands were glowing rose. "I hurt people."

"Just once, and your siblings have a lot to control, and you know that. Heat vision or strength alone could kill someone."

"None of them ever have, though."

He stilled, not sure how to explain about Jonathan and his ability to erase memories. It wasn't the same as putting someone forever in a coma, despite the best doctors LuthorCorp could buy. No, it wasn't the same at all.

"You didn't mean to."

"I could do it really easy again. I…Father, what am I?"

"Many things," he started, hugging her even as she rolled her eyes. "You're smart and funny and kind and strong and the baby."

"I'm not that young anymore."

"You're eleven, you're young to me," he countered. Conner still felt young even if that made no sense. These were his children after all. "And you could be as big a hero as any of Superman's children if you wanted to be or you could be like Mori and help mainly with Watchtower behind the scenes or like Jonathan and never use your powers and live a relatively normal life. You have so many choices and none you have to make tonight, at eleven."

She nodded and curled up into him. "Sometimes, Father, I get so scared."

"You didn't mean it. You didn't know you could do that, and now you control things so much better, you really can. If you have another growth spurt, you know that Wonder Woman and Batman and your mother and I will work with you all over again. There's nothing to be scared of, not ever."

She blinked up at him and her next words chilled him in a way he hadn't been since Lionel had been alive, the real one, not the one from Earth 2. "I knew."

He blinked. Lex had to have heard her wrong. "I don't understand."

"I knew what I was doing," she said, her voice quiet and low. "I never told anyone but about month before what happened to Kimberly, I accidentally killed a bird in the back forty. I knew I could hurt her."

"You did it on purpose?"

Cyn nodded. "She was making fun of me and I didn't like it and the teacher never helped and I wanted her to pay."

Lex's heart was beating so fast and it was only his own years of hiding his emotions that kept him from reacting. "You can kill?"

"A bird…but I wanted to hurt her that badly, I really did, and then I thought about trying to explain it to you and Mom and how everyone else here's a hero, and I couldn't, but I pulled back so late. I…even Mom can't undo what I did." Tears were running down her cheeks now, and Lex wasn't sure if she was sad because she were sorry for the girl she'd put in a coma or because she was sorry for herself. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. "So, I have to know what am I?"

"My daughter, and I love you," he finished rocking her, already figuring out how to tell Sullivan what he knew. Every instinct he had screamed at him not to tell Clark or his sister, neither would understand, and from there it would leak too far to be contained. Watchtower and Superman could never know because then the League would and they'd lock her away. Lex knew that because he would have, once upon a time, with Scion or 33.1 "We'll fix it, I promise."

"I'm not sure I want to."