A/N: Hi! I hope you enjoy this little one-shot! Thanks for reading!! :)
This story goes out to my best friend, Ashley! She requested this story for her birthday. Happy early birthday, and thanks for being the greatest bff anyone could ask for!!! :)
Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Smallville, cause I highly doubt this stuff would happen on the show. Haha!
A Better Future
The funeral had just ended and the snow was coming down hard. Everyone was leaving the burial site as the body of Lana Lang Luthor now lay in a coffin in the earth. Her widower, Lex Luthor, stood over her newly dug grave. He had dreaded this moment since his mother had shown him the vision that Christmas Eve night all those years ago. Yet, as he stood there, he had no regrets. The saying is true, it is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all. He would not have traded his life with Lana or their children together for anything, even if it meant not feeling as miserable as he did now. His closest friends, Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and Chloe Sullivan watched him in great concern.
"Lois, Clark," Chloe spoke, "why don't you go check on the kids. I'll make sure Lex is ok." They took her suggestion and followed the rest of the crowd, where the children were standing with Clark's parents.
Chloe waited a couple more seconds and slowly approached Lex and stood behind him. He sensed she was there, and could hardly contain the tears that fought to run down his face. After a few moments he stopped fighting them and just let them run. Chloe saw this and just put her hand on his shoulder. When he turned around to face her she could see the pain in his eyes. She quickly put her arms around him, and he reciprocated the embrace. No words needed to be exchanged, just the two of them in that moment was all that was needed.
The next day Chloe stopped by the house to check on Lex and the kids. "Hi!," she called out. "I brought some of Mrs. Kent's homemade lasagna for dinner." She carried the tray in through the front door to be greeted by a little boy running at her exclaiming, "Aunt Chloe! Happy New Year!"
"Hi Alex!" She said cheerfully, setting the tray down and hugging the boy. "Happy New Year to you too! Where are your dad and sister?"
"Lily's asleep," he replied. "And daddy's in the office again. He's been spending a lot of time there since mommy died."
"Oh, ok. I'm going to go talk to him. I'll be right back," and she walked toward the side of the house where Lex's office was.
The door was shut, so Chloe knocked. When she heard the low, muffled response of "come in," she proceeded to follow suite. What she found on the other side of the door broke her heart. Lex was sitting in his chair, his elbow on the desk and his head resting on his left palm. He appeared to be staring off into space, even though the computer was on with some work he should be doing. That's probably all he's been doing lately, Chloe figured, ever since Christmas Eve.
She approached him slowly. "Hi," she said, "I brought over some dinner."
"Thank you," he replied quickly, "but I'm not hungry." he had not even looked up at her.
"Alright, but you should at least come and sit at the table with your son. I'm guessing he hasn't seen much of you in the past week."
Lex was unresponsive to this comment. Then he suddenly said, "I don't know what I'm going to do. When my mother died, my father became even worse. Now with Lana gone, I'm…"
"Lex," Chloe cut him off, seeing the direction he was taking this in. "You are not, nor will you ever be, your father." With that, Lex quickly shot his head up and looked her straight in the eyes. She returned the gaze and continued. "You are a wonderful man, and you love your children more than anything. Don't let your fear ruin that. Come on, go have dinner with your son. Him and Lily need you now more than ever."
Lex digested her words for a bit, then stood up. "Only if you'll join us," he replied. Then he gave her a small half smile.
She smiled back. "Well how can I say no to Mrs. Kent's lasagna."
The dinner went well. Alex seemed glad to have his father around again. Lily woke up, but Chloe hastily went to her room and tended to her. She even brought her out to the table and held her, feeding her her bottle. As Lex caught sight of that scene, his son on one side of him and Chloe holding his daughter on the other, he couldn't help but feel the happiest he had in a week. And the guiltiest.
After dinner Lex walked Chloe to the front door. "Thank you for everything tonight. It really means a lot." He hesitated before continuing. "It felt like we were a family again."
"Lex, you three are still a family. But I am happy to be there when you need me." With that she leaned in to hug him. When they pulled away, Lex leaned back in, as though to kiss her. A quiet "Lex," was her only response. He caught himself and apologized profusely.
"Look Lex, you're hurting and vulnerable right now. I understand, it's ok. Happy New Year, and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Happy New Year Chloe, thank you again."
"Anytime." As she walked to her car, she couldn't help feeling happy and sad at the same time. She had had feelings for Lex for a while now, but she did not want to betray her late friend or take advantage of Lex. As much as it would hurt, she would have to settle for simply being a good friend to Lex, and once again coming second to Lana Lang.
That night Lex laid in bed, dreaming. Lana came to him, similar to how his mother did before. She was dressed in a white gown and was surrounded by a bright light. She looked beautiful.
"Lex," she said sweetly as he stood in front of her. She touched his cheek. "Thank you for everything you have given me, for our happy life together. I'm sorry it had to end so soon."
Lex began to shed fresh tears as she continued. "But I want you to move on. I know you'll never forget me, but don't be afraid to find love again."
"Lana, it was nearly impossible for me to even find love with you, I don't think I can…"
"You will, Lex. And you will be happy and have everything you want and deserve for the rest of your life."
He stared into her eyes for a moment. "I'll always love you."
She smiled angelically at him. "And I'll always love you." With that, she vanished, and Lex awoke in a new pool of tears.
The new year can be very symbolic. It's a chance to start over, to make changes, to experience new things. Little did Lex know that this would hold only too true for him and Chloe.
On New Year's Day Chloe came back over, and Lois and Clark came with. Lex greatly appreciated the company of his friends. They always made him feel better, and Alex and Lily loved having them around too.
Lily was napping and Alex wanted to play in his room, so the four of them were sitting around talking and trying to decide what to have for dinner.
"So what are you trying to say Smallville? That I can't cook?" Lois interrogated her boyfriend after he had just criticized her culinary skills.
"All I'm saying is that every time you subject me to your cooking, my health takes a hit."
"You're Kryptonian, that's impossible!" she shot back, and Chloe began to giggle. Lex was enjoying the scene around them too. It was hard not to enjoy Lois and Clark banter back and forth at each other.
Clark just laughed at his girlfriend and dropped the subject. He knew there was no use arguing with that force of nature.
The four of them were just so at ease with each other's company, they all felt like family to one another. Which meant a lot to Lex since he had never had a real family until Lana. They were what kept him going now, and her death had only strengthened their bond even more. They were all feeling sad, but they were all coming together and realizing time is precious and best spent with the ones you love.
Their bond meant a lot to Clark as well. They all accepted him for who he was. All of his life he had been wanting to share his secret with those he loved outside of his parents, and now he finally could. He had the support system of his soul mate, his best friend, and his surrogate brother.
"Why don't we just order pizza?" Chloe asked between fits of laughter. Everyone agreed and she went to make the call.
While she was gone, Lex noticed that Lois and Clark had stopped bickering and were staring at him with worried looks.
"Relax, you two," he said to try to lighten up the drastically changed mood. "I'm not going to burst out in a fit of tears or anything." That did not seem to satisfy the couple, so he smiled at them. "Really, I'm ok. Having you guys around helps a lot."
"We just want to be here for you in any way we can," Lois said sincerely. "As sad as it is for everyone to lose Lana, you and your children are affected the most. We're here if things get too overwhelming."
Lex gave her a sad smile and then said, "She came to me in a dream last night,".
His two friends looked at him in surprise. "Really?" Clark asked, "what happened?"
"She told me it was ok to move on and love again. And that she'll always love me."
"Of course she will, Lex" Lois said. "And if you do move on, it doesn't mean that you love Lana any less. And we will all be able to tell Lily and Alex all about their mother."
Lex still seemed unsure. "I just think this is it. I've used up my quota of happiness. I never imagined I'd get this much, so how can I expect it to continue forever?"
"Lex, even if you don't end up with someone else, you will always have your two beautiful children. That's enough to make anyone happy for a lifetime," Lois reassured him.
"Thanks, Lois. You're right about that." With that Chloe walked back in. Twenty minutes later the four of them and Alex had dinner while Lily was being fed her bottle by Chloe. Lex still couldn't help but marvel at the sight. He couldn't explain it, it just felt right to him.
Over the next three months things pretty much went the same. When the four of them were not working they were over at each other's houses or taking care of something for Lex. They all helped Lex with Alex and Lily whenever he needed them or he just needed some time to himself. Once in a while Chloe also went over to the house by herself. She used the excuse of letting Lois and Clark have some alone time, but she really just wanted to spend some quality time with Lex and just be the only one to help out. Being experienced with picking up on people's ulterior motives, it didn't take long for Lex to figure this out. He found himself flattered, and didn't mind at all. On the contrary, he was enjoying her company more and more every day.
One day Lois and Clark showed up at the house without notice.
"Hi everyone!" Lois exclaimed when they walked into the kitchen where Lex was sitting down feeding Lily and Alex was eating a bowl of cereal. "We're here to baby-sit."
Lex suddenly became very confused. "I'm sorry, I don't recall asking you to baby-sit this afternoon."
"That's because you didn't," Chloe said, joining them in the kitchen. "I did. You, Alex, and I have plans today." She had a huge grin plastered across her face and Lex's heart couldn't help but flutter in response.
"O really?" He said teasingly, not being able to stop smiling himself. "And where per chance are we going?"
"Well now if I told you that that'd ruin all the fun," Chloe replied.
Lois and Clark chuckled as they watched the interaction between their friend and cousin. Ever since Lana died they saw how good Lex and Chloe were together. They noticed them growing closer and hoped that she would be the one he would move on with.
"Well come on you two, get your coats and let's get going!" Chloe ordered them cheerfully.
"Here, I'll take Lily," Lois said, and Lex placed his daughter in her arms. Despite her abrasive demeanor, she was extremely affectionate with Alex and Lily, and they loved when she watched them.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Lex said and walked towards the bedrooms. A minute later he came back with his coat on and Alex's in his hand.
"Ok, see you two later!" Chloe said as she took Lex by the arm and lead him and Alex out the door.
Chloe drove and when Lex saw their destination, a wave of happiness rushed over him, and he became speechless.
"Wow, Aunt Chloe!" Alex exclaimed. "I can't believe we're here!"
"Chloe….I can't believe…how did you?" he said as they exited her car.
"I remember you talking about it at Thanksgiving. After…you know, everything, I figured you two deserved a fun day out, on me" she answered him. As they walked toward the building he had the urge to grab her hand, but resisted. Why, he wasn't really sure.
They entered the convention center, where inside a Warrior Angel convention was being held. To tell the truth Lex had forgotten about it when Lana died, but before that happened he was looking forward to taking Alex, a die hard Warrior Angel fan thanks to his father.
Inside Lex found every issue of Warrior Angel in existence, including some rare editions even he did not own. He didn't want to spend the money on the comics even though he really wanted them, but Chloe insisted that he deserved it, so she made the purchase for him. "I told you this day was on me," she argued when Lex told her not to do it.
As they browsed through the memorabilia in the building Lex was truly in his glory. Chloe loved the look in his eyes when he was explaining to her and Alex about a character or storyline from the comics that they did not know about. She was glad to be responsible for putting it there.
Alex was fascinated by all the toys there. Chloe bought him action figures of Warrior Angel and Devilicus and a Warrior Angel lunchbox. He got his picture taken with Warrior Angel, who signed a poster for him as well. Ever since Lana died, Lex was really worried about his son. While he knew he was grieving still for his mother, Chloe always made him feel better. Lex was glad to see him happy again.
They spent all afternoon at the convention. Afterwards Chloe took them out to eat and then they went back to the house. When they arrived at the front door, Lex asked Alex to go inside. Before obeying his father, he hugged Chloe and thanked her for everything.
Chloe just stayed where she was standing as Lex stared her in the eyes. "Chloe," he said softly, "Thank you so much for everything today. I haven't had that much fun in months, and I haven't seen Alex that happy in that long either."
"No problem," Chloe said, "Like I said, I wanted to give you two a long overdue day of fun."
Lex all of a sudden grew nervous. He decided in the car ride home he was going to tell her how he felt, but he wasn't sure what was going to come of it. He finally took her hand, as he was afraid to do before, and just decided to run with it.
"Chloe," he began. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for everything you have done for me and my children these past few months. I'd be lost without you." Chloe's heart began to race as he said these words to her, and it only hastened more as he continued. "When you're with us, it feels like we're a happy family again. I love they way you are with Alex and Lily, Chloe. And I love how I feel around you. Comfortable, like I can just be myself and you just accept that unconditionally." He paused as nerves ran through him at the thought of revealing his heart to her. "I am glad that, in the wake of Lana's death, we have grown even closer than what we were before." This was it, he thought to himself, the moment of truth. "And now I'd like to move past where we are now. I've fallen for you, Chloe, and I hope the feeling is mutual."
Chloe could not believe her ears. She filled with joy, hope, and fear all at the same time. Making herself just as vulnerable as Lex, it was her turn to open up. "It's not," she said honestly. When she saw his face fall, she smiled and lifted it up with her free hand. "I fell for you a long time ago." When she saw the light come back into his eyes, she went on. "I just didn't want to even say anything because of Lana. I thought I'd just have to settle with coming second to her again." There was no bitterness in her words, and Lex knew that. Only the honest truth.
"Well," he said, moving closer to her. "I think we owe it to ourselves to be happy." With that simple statement said, he leaned in and kissed her sweetly but fiercely.
After they separated they went inside the house to find Lily in bed and her babysitters with Alex in the living room. Lois, Clark, and Chloe then made to leave, but Lex asked Clark if he would stay behind. He agreed, so the two cousins headed out.
While they were driving to their apartment above The Talon, Lois noticed Chloe had something on her mind. "What's up, cuz?' She asked her younger relative.
"Um," the blonde replied, focusing on the road ahead of her. "Lex kissed me tonight."
Lois did not seem to be too surprised at this revelation. On the contrary, she let out a small cry of joy. "Chloe, that's great! We were wondering what you two were doing outside. I'm so happy for you two!"
Chloe swiftly turned to give her a confused look. "Really? You're ok with this?"
"Of, course! Why wouldn't I be? Clark and I have actually talked about it, and we think it'd be fantastic if you two got together!"
"You two have talked about it? Wow, I didn't realize it was that gossip worthy."
"Well, we just want to see Lex happy with someone again. And that you deserve to get the guy for once."
"Thanks Lois, that means a lot," Chloe said warmly. "It's strange, I never dreamed I would be able to get a guy like Lex in a million years. I was so worried I'd be left behind again, but it's finally different."
"Believe me Chloe, I know how you feel all too well. You two are both really lucky. I can't wait, you two will have to come on double dates with Clark and me!" She was so ecstatic for her cousin, and Chloe couldn't help but smile at her reaction.
At the same time the two women were talking, Clark and Lex were having their own conversation about the same topic.
Lex had asked his son to watch a movie in his bedroom. When the door closed behind Chloe and Lois, Clark stood facing the other man. "So, does this have anything to do with why you and Chloe were outside for a long time after Alex came in?" he inquired, referring to his friend's request for him to stay.
"Yes," Lex replied. "I decided to open up my heart again. I told Chloe how I felt, and I kissed her." He paused for a few moments before continuing, "Now, it seems like I'm merely being vulnerable, but-"
"You're not, Lex," the Kryptonian assured him. "You can't help how you feel, and you just went with it. You know Lana would want you to be happy and move on, that's all your doing. It doesn't mean you'll honor her memory any less."
Lex smiled and the younger man. "Thanks, Clark. I appreciate your approval. It'd be extremely awkward if you and Lois were not on board with this."
"Well, we are Lex. We've been hoping this would happen for a little while, actually."
" Wow, I didn't realize we had a fan club," the bald man joked.
Clark let out a small chuckle and spoke again. "Lex, if anyone deserves to be happy it's you. With everything you've been through in your life, you need someone who is going to be there for you forever. To not be taken away or not show a care for you. And I think Chloe is the perfect person to fill that position."
Lex then moved on to the second topic he wanted to discuss with his best friend. "Clark, I want to thank you for all that you and Lois have done for the kids and me since Christmas Eve, but the words seem too small. I don't know how I would've managed to get by without your help."
"We'd do anything to help you, Lex," Clark said sincerely.
"And that really means a lot to me. More than you'll ever know." His face suddenly fell. "I don't know where I'd be without your friendship, Clark. If you hadn't given me another chance, I would be alone and miserable."
"Well, I can't take all the credit for that, Lex," Clark argued. "You made the choice to cut off all your father's resources. Then you became the man who Lana could fall in love with."
"All I'm saying is that even before that happened, knowing I had someone who genuinely cared about me, you, helped keep me going. I will forever be grateful to you for that."
"Well, I'm sorry if I didn't always give you the benefit of the doubt Lex, but even when we had our differences you were still my best friend. And I've always got your back." With that he approached Lex and embraced him.
The months went by and soon it was Christmas Eve again, exactly one year since Lana's death. Chloe, Lex, and the kids arrived at the Kent farm. Lois answered the door and greeted them with her big, beautiful grin.
"Hey everyone, Merry Christmas!" She exclaimed, hugging and kissing the four of them. She lead them into the house, where Clark came up to them and greeted them as well. Next came Jonathan and Martha, who were just as warm and friendly.
"Lex," Jonathan said grasping his hand and putting his other on his shoulder, "How are you feeling? I know this day must be difficult for you."
"I'm doing well, Mr. Kent-," he started saying, then corrected himself. "-Jonathan. Luckily I have these three to make me feel better," he finished, gesturing to his girlfriend and children.
"We're glad to see you're doing well, sweetie. But don't forget, we're always here if you need us. Stop by or call any time," Martha said.
"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lex responded.
The evening was as warm and cheery as the holidays should be. The house filled with friendly chatter and the aroma of a wonderful Christmas feast.
Alex knew that his mother died on this day, and he had some questions about her. Lex, Chloe, Lois, and Clark answered all of them as they sat in the living room. Despite the sadness that this day represented, they all managed to enjoy themselves. After all, the holidays were about being around the people you love. Lana would want them to celebrate that way.
A little while after the four of them arrived a man who worked at the paper with Lois and Clark showed up. They greeted him and Lois introduced him around the room. When she approached Chloe and Lex, she said proudly to the man, "I want you to meet my cousins, Chloe and Lex."
Her words really touched Lex. She considered him family. He knew that was the case, but the words had never been said aloud before. It hit him then that there would always be people who cared about him. Not all of them would leave him in some way or other. He had Chloe, his children, and his friends, who were his family. And that was a better future than the one he had pictured for himself a year ago.