Chapter 11
"Never expected to find you up here," Chloe said, walking up the steps to the loft.
Lex was standing at the large loft door, looking out in the night sky. He jumped when Chloe spoke. "Liar," Lex said, a sad smile playing at his lips.
Chloe smiled. "You're right. Lana told me where you were, but I've always wanted to say that."
Lex chuckled. "I take it since Lana told you where I was, she also told you to talk to me."
"You know how she is," Chloe replied, her eyes sparkling as she leaned on the wall next to Lex.
Lex sighed and looked out at the sky. "After my mom died, Pamela told me something that I'll never forget. She told me that when a person dies they go up into the sky to look down on the loved ones they left behind. She said that the stars are those people's eyes, twinkling in love for their friends and family as they watch over them. I used to leave my window open at night, so that my mom could look in on me while I slept."
Chloe smiled. "That's a sweet story, Lex."
Lex nodded. "I miss her so much sometimes."
"You mean times like these," Chloe said, trying to read Lex's face. "Tell me what's wrong, Lex. Why did you storm out of the mansion?"
"Lana shouldn't have called you," Lex said, not meeting Chloe's eyes.
"She was worried about you, Lex. And to tell you the truth, so am I," Chloe explained. "It's not everyday that the husband leaves after they find out they're going to be a father."
Lex finally turned to Chloe and the pain in his eyes made her breath catch. "But I'm not going to be a father, Chloe. Whitney is."
"Oh, I see," Chloe said, sitting on a bale of hay. "You don't feel like you'll have a place with this child because it's not yours."
"It won't be mine. It will be Whitney's and Lana's," Lex repeated, siting next to Chloe.
"Lana loves you, Lex. She's not going to go running off with Whitney. And I know Whitney won't, because have you seen Alicia? She gives Lana serious competition for beauty queen," Chloe said, trying to lighten the mood.
Lex didn't smile. "It's not that, Chlo. It's the fact that this child won't be mine. No matter how much I love it, I'll always know deep down that the baby is Whitney's. I'll always feel guilty that it's me at the baby's sixteenth birthday, or graduation, or marriage. I'll feel like it's not my place to be there because the baby isn't mine."
Chloe reached over and linked her fingers with Lex's. "Then don't have artificial insemination, Lex. Adopt. It still won't be yours, but then it won't be Lana's either."
Lex looked into Chloe's eyes. "I couldn't do that to Lana. She wants a baby so badly."
"Not at the expense of your emotions," Chloe said softly, twisting a piece of hay in her free hand.
Lex stood, walked to the door, and looked up into the sky once more.
Chloe stood and followed him. "Lex," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "Sometimes you have to compromise. That's what a marriage is about. You can't both have what you want. You want to know what I think?"
"Desperately," Lex said, turning to look into Chloe's eyes.
"I think you should get over your hesitations and just go to a sperm bank. That way you both get what you want. Lana gets pregnant, and you get a child with no paternal attachments," Chloe said, looking up at Lex. "It's the best of both worlds."
"But we decided we'd rather have it be someone we knew," Lex reasoned.
"Lex, you seem to have four options. Option number one: forget about it and don't have kids. Option number two: adopt and Lana won't get to have her own child," Chloe counted off. "Option number three: get Whitney to donate and feel like you don't fit in to your child's life. Finally option number four: get an anonymous donor. Lana gets to have a child, and you don't know the father so you won't feel out of place."
Lex seemed to consider it for a minute. "Thank you, Chlo," he said, gathering her into a hug. "I'll talk to Lana about the 'options' you gave me."
Chloe giggled softly before Lex pulled back.
"What?" Lex asked, narrowing his eyes.
Chloe shook her head. "Nothing. I just don't think I'll ever get used to the infamous Lex Luthor hugging me."
Lex chuckled. "I'll try to control my disappointment."
* * *
"Lan," Lex called, walking into the large entrance hall of the mansion.
"In here, Lex," Lana called from down the hallway.
"Thank you," Lex said, walking into the small sitting room. It was one of the smallest rooms in the house, and Lana's favorite.
Lana looked up from her seat in the wing-back chair. "For?"
"Sending in the enforcements," Lex said, kneeling by Lana's feet.
Lana put a hand to Lex's cheek. "That's what I'm here for, or what Chloe's here for, anyway," she said, a laugh taking over her features. "Turns out I sent her in vain."
"What do you mean?" Lex asked, looking up at Lana. He placed a hand on her knee and gave it a light squeeze.
"I've decided that I want to adopt," Lana said, holding up a hand to stop Lex's protests. "It's not just about me. I was being selfish. There are plenty of children who don't have homes. Children who live in orphanages with hundreds of other children. We can give one of them a good home. I want to go to an orphanage in Metropolis and see about adopting a child."
"Are you sure?" Lex asked, searching Lana's eyes with his own.
"Positive," Lana answered, emphasizing the word with a nod of her head.
Lex smiled, running his thumb in slow circles on Lana's knee. "Any certain orphanage you have in mind?"
Lana nodded, her smile turning into a grin. "Metropolis Charity House."
"But that's the most run-down orphanage in all of Metropolis," Lex pointed out, clearly confused by Lana's choice.
"Which means they'll have the children most in need of a home," Lana replied. "What do you think? Are you okay with this?"
Lex broke into a smile. "I think it's a wonderful idea."
"Really?" Lana asked, biting her lip.
"Really," Lex answered, confidently as he pulled Lana down to him for a kiss.
"Never expected to find you up here," Chloe said, walking up the steps to the loft.
Lex was standing at the large loft door, looking out in the night sky. He jumped when Chloe spoke. "Liar," Lex said, a sad smile playing at his lips.
Chloe smiled. "You're right. Lana told me where you were, but I've always wanted to say that."
Lex chuckled. "I take it since Lana told you where I was, she also told you to talk to me."
"You know how she is," Chloe replied, her eyes sparkling as she leaned on the wall next to Lex.
Lex sighed and looked out at the sky. "After my mom died, Pamela told me something that I'll never forget. She told me that when a person dies they go up into the sky to look down on the loved ones they left behind. She said that the stars are those people's eyes, twinkling in love for their friends and family as they watch over them. I used to leave my window open at night, so that my mom could look in on me while I slept."
Chloe smiled. "That's a sweet story, Lex."
Lex nodded. "I miss her so much sometimes."
"You mean times like these," Chloe said, trying to read Lex's face. "Tell me what's wrong, Lex. Why did you storm out of the mansion?"
"Lana shouldn't have called you," Lex said, not meeting Chloe's eyes.
"She was worried about you, Lex. And to tell you the truth, so am I," Chloe explained. "It's not everyday that the husband leaves after they find out they're going to be a father."
Lex finally turned to Chloe and the pain in his eyes made her breath catch. "But I'm not going to be a father, Chloe. Whitney is."
"Oh, I see," Chloe said, sitting on a bale of hay. "You don't feel like you'll have a place with this child because it's not yours."
"It won't be mine. It will be Whitney's and Lana's," Lex repeated, siting next to Chloe.
"Lana loves you, Lex. She's not going to go running off with Whitney. And I know Whitney won't, because have you seen Alicia? She gives Lana serious competition for beauty queen," Chloe said, trying to lighten the mood.
Lex didn't smile. "It's not that, Chlo. It's the fact that this child won't be mine. No matter how much I love it, I'll always know deep down that the baby is Whitney's. I'll always feel guilty that it's me at the baby's sixteenth birthday, or graduation, or marriage. I'll feel like it's not my place to be there because the baby isn't mine."
Chloe reached over and linked her fingers with Lex's. "Then don't have artificial insemination, Lex. Adopt. It still won't be yours, but then it won't be Lana's either."
Lex looked into Chloe's eyes. "I couldn't do that to Lana. She wants a baby so badly."
"Not at the expense of your emotions," Chloe said softly, twisting a piece of hay in her free hand.
Lex stood, walked to the door, and looked up into the sky once more.
Chloe stood and followed him. "Lex," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "Sometimes you have to compromise. That's what a marriage is about. You can't both have what you want. You want to know what I think?"
"Desperately," Lex said, turning to look into Chloe's eyes.
"I think you should get over your hesitations and just go to a sperm bank. That way you both get what you want. Lana gets pregnant, and you get a child with no paternal attachments," Chloe said, looking up at Lex. "It's the best of both worlds."
"But we decided we'd rather have it be someone we knew," Lex reasoned.
"Lex, you seem to have four options. Option number one: forget about it and don't have kids. Option number two: adopt and Lana won't get to have her own child," Chloe counted off. "Option number three: get Whitney to donate and feel like you don't fit in to your child's life. Finally option number four: get an anonymous donor. Lana gets to have a child, and you don't know the father so you won't feel out of place."
Lex seemed to consider it for a minute. "Thank you, Chlo," he said, gathering her into a hug. "I'll talk to Lana about the 'options' you gave me."
Chloe giggled softly before Lex pulled back.
"What?" Lex asked, narrowing his eyes.
Chloe shook her head. "Nothing. I just don't think I'll ever get used to the infamous Lex Luthor hugging me."
Lex chuckled. "I'll try to control my disappointment."
* * *
"Lan," Lex called, walking into the large entrance hall of the mansion.
"In here, Lex," Lana called from down the hallway.
"Thank you," Lex said, walking into the small sitting room. It was one of the smallest rooms in the house, and Lana's favorite.
Lana looked up from her seat in the wing-back chair. "For?"
"Sending in the enforcements," Lex said, kneeling by Lana's feet.
Lana put a hand to Lex's cheek. "That's what I'm here for, or what Chloe's here for, anyway," she said, a laugh taking over her features. "Turns out I sent her in vain."
"What do you mean?" Lex asked, looking up at Lana. He placed a hand on her knee and gave it a light squeeze.
"I've decided that I want to adopt," Lana said, holding up a hand to stop Lex's protests. "It's not just about me. I was being selfish. There are plenty of children who don't have homes. Children who live in orphanages with hundreds of other children. We can give one of them a good home. I want to go to an orphanage in Metropolis and see about adopting a child."
"Are you sure?" Lex asked, searching Lana's eyes with his own.
"Positive," Lana answered, emphasizing the word with a nod of her head.
Lex smiled, running his thumb in slow circles on Lana's knee. "Any certain orphanage you have in mind?"
Lana nodded, her smile turning into a grin. "Metropolis Charity House."
"But that's the most run-down orphanage in all of Metropolis," Lex pointed out, clearly confused by Lana's choice.
"Which means they'll have the children most in need of a home," Lana replied. "What do you think? Are you okay with this?"
Lex broke into a smile. "I think it's a wonderful idea."
"Really?" Lana asked, biting her lip.
"Really," Lex answered, confidently as he pulled Lana down to him for a kiss.