I'm sorry that this post took so long, but I wanted to get it just right, a whole bunch happens as you'll soon see. Enjoy enjoy enjoy and tell me what you think, all right? I want to give much thanks to all the people who have already left those lovely reviews, I have no idea how else to say it, but thank you so much. A request has been made for an epilogue and I can tell you this much: I've already planned one out AND a surprise for all of you once the story in itself is done. Heh heh heh. You'll have to wait to see what it is.
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Month 6 Tell Nothing But The Truth… Colleen Rivers on MetropolisNow, what do we have here? It seems that the beautiful ladies of Metropolis might be weeping themselves to sleep tonight at the thought that Lex Luthor might be gasp! taken. But just how taken? Well, sources around LexCorp's newest branch in our little hometown have begun to notice that Sexy Lexy has taken to wearing what can only be a platinum (what else would our resident billionaire wear?) band on his left hand… yes, dear, on that finger. So who is she? Where is she? And, most importantly, when is the divorce so we can have our Mr. Luthor back on the market?
We were unable to reach Lex or his press administrator for comment, but as of print time, our staff has been working overtime on trying to track down any marriage license that may have been filed. I'm so confident that we'll have this tracked down for you that I am making a Colleen Rivers promise that the readers of the Metropolis Inquisitor will be the first to know just what is or isn't the truth.
And what of Bruce Wayne's latest visit to LexCorp in itself…
Chloe snorted as she read the column. Heaven help her, she didn't know why she'd bothered to read it, but there it was. "Where is she? Who is she? Well, beautiful ladies, it was a stupid girl who got herself knocked up and is hiding from all you blood suckers," Chloe muttered sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Throwing the paper out of reach onto another chair, she raised an eyebrow as her stomach gurgled violently. "Hungry, aren't we? Didn't I just give you your fifth feeding of the day? Ugh."
Rising slowly from the chair, she placed a hand on her back and moved out of the den in the general direction of the breakfast room. When she entered, Lex was already sitting at his end of the table, slowly sipping at a cup of coffee (all black, strongest you could get, Chloe knew that now). He barely glanced over the paper to watch her enter the room. "Didn't you already eat?"
"Yeah, tell that to the monster in there," Chloe gestured to her stomach. She went towards Lex. "Look at this, I can't believe this."
"You can't believe what?" Lex tried to sound bored, but there was a smile in his eyes as she semi-waddled towards him.
"This," pointing again, she showed him the small nub that was clearly outlined by her t-shirt. "I've always been an innie and proud of it. What the hell is it doing out here?"
Lex took a closer look, trying to hide a smile when he saw, indeed, her belly button was poking out of her stomach. "Maybe it needed some breathing room."
Chloe glared at him, "It's like I'm a freaking turkey with one of those pop up thermometers. It means the food is done, so when in the world is she going to get out of me?"
"Three months, Chloe. Less than that." He sipped at his coffee and began to hide behind the paper again, if only to avoid a smack when his grin grew too wide. "And who said it's a she?"
"A mother knows, Lex. Oh and it's easy for you to say it's only a few more months, you don't have to get up three times a night to pee and fear falling down every time you get out of a chair. Speaking of which," Chloe carefully eyed the chair on her side of the table.
"Chloe, just sit down. And it's going to be a boy."
"It's not like I ever had a choice in the matter, anyway," she grumbled when he said that, but sat down as he'd told her to. Once there, she sighed as if relieved, "Are there any more croissants?"
"You already had two. Have some fruit."
"But I want a croissant."
"Fruit."
"Are you trying to make me miserable?"
"I'm trying to avoid making myself miserable next time you complain about gaining too much weight and start blaming me for not stopping you from eating that third croissant."
"Damn you, Lex Luthor."
"Good morning to you too, Chloe," he replied cheerfully, his face still hidden.
Chloe was glad that the barrier was set up between them, because it stopped him from seeing the delight on her face as she stuffed a strawberry into her mouth. And then another. "Lex?"
"No, you cannot have ice cream for breakfast."
Chloe swore, but ate another strawberry.
Finally putting down the paper, Lex let her see the humor on his own face. "Are you going to behave during lunch if I'm not here?"
"With Ann-Marie patrolling around here for you, I'll be lucky to get bread and water." Chloe bit into a fourth strawberry. "You're here a little late."
"The reporters will be surrounding the building for the next hour or so until they finally get the message that I have nothing to comment on."
"Oh, so you read it, too, huh?"
"Actually, my secretary did; she called me first thing this morning."
Chloe's interested heightened at his comment. Her voice casual, she asked, "Your secretary knows how to read? I never would have guessed."
"Touché."
"I have to wonder if her voice is any indication of the blonde hair I'm sure she has," Chloe cracked. Moving into a higher pitch, she mocked, "Hello, Mr. Luthor's office? Would you like to stay on hold for half an hour while I finish doing my nails?"
"Yesterday, you said it was only ten minutes, besides how could she know it was you? And last I noticed, you're not a natural brunette yourself."
"Ah, but I'm one of the lucky few who got intelligence. Our combined efforts make up for the rest of them. And when you have a baby knocking on your bladder every five seconds, the minutes begin to stretch."
"I'll have to take your word for it."
Chloe smiled brightly at him, something that Lex couldn't help but return. They let a comfortable silence fall in between them as Chloe emptied the fruit dish and began to call for cantaloupe. Lex simply sipped at his coffee, gladly taking a refill when the maid came to give Chloe some more fruit from the second dish he'd jokingly started calling the trough. Taking a few pieces for themselves, they both reached their fill at the same time; Lex got up when he saw Chloe start to struggle a little in her seat, moving to help her. She smacked away his arms, making Lex draw back as she heaved herself forward.
"I can do it just fine, thank you very much."
"What happened to the fear of falling?"
Chloe just growled at him, but Lex laughed and drew her close after she was up. "Are we still on for tonight?"
"Mmm, butter popcorn, twizzlers, lots and lots of soda, movies," Chloe said gleefully until she saw Lex's face. "Oh, and spending time with you. Of course, wouldn't miss that for the world."
"I have to wonder if food is really the issue here or you're just trying to get me riled."
"Probably both."
Lex rumpled her hair but Chloe giggled as he did. Of all the Lex Luthors she'd met, this one had to be her favorite, the one who was playful with her, matching her word for word when she began to gain on him. They had yet to go anywhere near being a real husband and wife, but a change had slowly begun between them since the wedding. It started with some traded barbs over breakfast to some sarcasm filled phone conversations where Chloe begged for Chinese take out or Thai or pizza or whatever craving she'd been most recently been struck with. He pretended to put up wall against her demands, but Chloe knew as well as he did that if she pushed enough, Lex would give her the bowl of ice cream himself.
In a silently agreed statement, they sought each other every day, preferring to not hide in a room to themselves. Sometimes it was just laying around in their favorite common room, reading books or watching a movie. When the weather was nice enough, Lex would come home to find Chloe on top of a blanket, dozing under the shade of a tree outside of the mansion. On a few occasions, he'd even joined her. It was on those days that dinner was served rather late because Ann-Marie could never seem to find them in time to announce it.
At the end of the day it was all the same, Lex leading Chloe to her own room, rarely mentioning that she still had the open invitation to finally move from one bed to another. She'd cut him off a few different times when a small kiss on the lips, just another thing that Lex never put a struggle against. If anything, he held back from pressing her against the wall and doing exactly what was running through his head. They'd been chaste, prim even, but as every day passed, it was getting harder for Chloe to find an excuse to enter through her own door and let Lex leave. When she woke in the middle of the night with a cramp in her calf, she wished for nothing more than someone to be with her to rub it out, just as all the stories she'd read about other women who had a husband that doted on them. Then again, she went to sleep with a chortle, knowing Lex would be more peeved than delighted with being woken in the middle of the night to rub someone's leg.
When she pulled back, however, it was hard to miss the darkened color of Lex's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"The article. Or whatever that drivel is that Rivers woman pretends is news… you know what it means, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know." Chloe sighed, pulling away from him even more. "It had to come sooner or later, huh?"
"Indeed," Lex put his hands in his pockets. "I can call him to my office and discuss it with him today."
"Better than reading about it in the Inquisitor tomorrow." Chloe's face saddened. "I should have told him sooner. He's going to be so upset."
"It's too late for that now, it's happened and it's done. Let me take care of it." Lex leaned forward and grazed his lips across her cheek. "Try to relax and we can watch whatever you want tonight. Distract yourself, maybe you can call Lana to come over."
"Yeah," Chloe echoed, rubbing her arms as they suddenly grew goose bumps. Looking up at Lex, she asked, "Why do you take such good care of me these days?"
"Am I supposed to throw my wife in the cellar? It's already full with the other ones."
His joking seemed to have worked, as Chloe began to smile. Reaching up, she returned the kiss on the cheek. "Try and have a good day at work, Sexy Lexy."
"Chloe, you really have to stop reading those damn tabloids." That was the last she heard from his lips as he left the room. Only minutes later did she hear the muted sound of the helicopter moving through the hallways. It was when she was sure he was in the air did Chloe bite her lip and throw her head back. Clark Kent was going to find out the truth today… nothing but the truth. But why was she feeling that it was coming much too soon?
But Lex was right, it had happened. It was done. Now it was up to Chloe to do her part. Setting her shoulders, Chloe moved to the intercom next to the doorway.
"Hey, Ann-Marie? Can you come to the dining room please? We need to discuss something."
********************************************************
Pete Ross sat at his desk, rolling a silver pen in between his fingers. He'd tried a hand at his newest assignment, but it had proven much too difficult. The morning had started off wonderfully, he'd actually arrived on time to the mayor's offices and the man himself had actually praised him on the latest economic evaluation of Smallville. It made Pete proud, he'd spent the better part of two weeks dedicated to it, even to the point of brushing off Lana when he had to. In a desperate moment for an educated opinion, he'd even shown Lex his rough draft earlier in the week. Even though Lex had been generous with his support, Pete had been thrown over when he'd requested to see more of his written reports. Curious as he was, it had taken some pointed encouragement from Lana before he'd actually handed over his work. Heaven knew he still didn't know why he'd given in.
But despite all the good of the morning (hell, the entire week), now it was hard to concentrate on his work when he'd just overheard some women by the water cooler talking about the latest news in the Metropolis Inquisitor. Sexy Lexy has gone and gotten himself hitched. Pete rolled his eyes. Yeah, I knew about that, what, a month ago? But it was past that now and Pete was finding himself on the verge of something much bigger. Just as he'd told Chloe, Peter Ross was not a stupid man; he knew that the call was going to come any second and where would that leave him then?
Stopping the movement of his hands, Pete stared at the inscription, but instead saw his and Lana's names under the Luthor's on a marriage license. The LUTHORS, Ross. There was no Miss Sullivan, only Mrs. Luthor. Lost in thought, his mind jetted back to what Lex had said only a short time before. He saw the happiness that had been on Chloe's face when Lex had lifted her from the chair for an impromptu dance at the reception. He saw Lana's look of anxiety, but then transfer to comfort when Lex finally said 'I do'. He saw, in his mind, a very, very disillusioned Clark Kent.
Chloe's a big girl now, Pete.
Pete frowned. Lex, you may be all right after all… but I still have to watch out for my friends.
The phone rang shrilly at his side, breaking him out of his reverie. He wanted to let it ring, ignore the person who could only be waiting on the other side, but at the same time a promise was a promise. Pete sighed as he picked it up, "Ross here."
"Yeah, I heard… Are you sure? Have you talked to Lex about it? Come on, you have to talk to him… fine, fine. I know. When? Okay, I'll do it in a few minutes."
Pete hung up the phone and groaned. Silent witness, my ass. And he picked up the phone again.
************************************************
Bridget Philips sat at her desk quietly, slowly poring over a statement that had been turned in from one of Luthor's acquaintances. She ignored several blinking lights on the telephone monitor, knowing they were mostly reporters that she'd put on hold herself only half an hour before. Swearing silently at the lights, Bridget turned the pages slowly, the action more of a way to wait patiently than learn anything new. She'd already been through the report five times, she knew exactly what to tell Mr. Luthor when he entered the building.
A slight jangling emitted from her purse. Not really surprised, Bridget reached in and pressed the send button. "Bridget Philips. Oh, hello. No, those damn so-called journalists haven't let up yet. So, what do you need me to do?… Okay, got it. I'll get right on it."
She'd just ended the call when Bridget heard the all-familiar thud from above her. The helicopter had landed.
Only minutes later, Lex Luthor entered, cell phone at his ear, directing the other person with an authority-filled voice that only he could manage. He strode in purposefully, immediately grabbing the report from Bridget's desk as she nodded at him. In clipped tones, he ended his own call and turned to the receptionist. "I want you to get Clark Kent on the line as soon as possible."
"I know, boss," Bridget picked up the phone and began to hang up on each of the waiting callers. "Getting an open line has been difficult, though."
"Just get it done," Lex flipped through the report quickly. "What'd you think about this?"
Bridget looked up from the receiver. "Really good. He looks promising."
"It seems we agree there, Bridget." Lex began to walk into his office, saying over his shoulder, "I'll look over it some more, but while you're at it, get him on the phone, too."
"Mr. Peter Ross," Bridget murmured. "Right way, sir."
"Oh, and Bridget?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Did you really have my wife on hold for ten minutes?"
Bridget bit the inside of her mouth to keep from smirking. "Purely a mistake sir."
"It's not to happen again, do you understand? She hasn't the highest opinion of you right now because of it. Don't make me begin to agree with her over that."
"Yes, sir. I will apologize next time we speak."
"Good." Lex finally got in his office, kicking the door closed with a loud slam. Sighing, Bridget picked up the phone once more and turned to her desktop.
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Gabe Sullivan turned on to his computer to hear the automatic, "You've Got Mail" overtone. With raised eyebrows, he quickly clicked on the icon and opened up the note. His eyes sped over the screen, taking in what was there. As quick as he could, he typed back his reply.
I'm already ahead of you. Consider it done.
And off it was sent.
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Lana Lang was falling a little behind.
She'd been due at Chloe's more than an hour before, but a freak accident at the Talon had left the area behind the counter half-filled with foam with barely any room to move around in without becoming a milky mess. Her employees were hopeless at times likes these, leaving her to call the insurance company concerning their faulty espresso machine and let the cleaning crew know that they needed to come in and do a quick job. She glanced at her watch, knowing that she had to leave soon, but there was nothing she could do.
It was at least ten minutes before things finally got going. Slamming the phone down after properly chewing out a defenseless customer service assistant at the Vanilla Beans Equipment Company, Lana threw her purse over her shoulder, left her oldest employee in charge and flew out the door. The drive to the mansion was quick and erratic, but it was a relief that Ann-Marie was waiting patiently at the front door for her.
"Where is she?" Lana asked anxiously.
"The common room. Don't worry, from what I understand, everything's been calm so far."
"Good, good," Lana murmured, hurrying past Ann-Marie anyway. She practically ran down the hallway, bursting through the doorway, her breath stuck in her throat. "Okay, I'm here. I'm so sorry I'm late."
"Hey, calm down," Chloe rose from her seat carefully, her hands up defensively. "It's okay."
"I… read… the article," Lana panted out. "Has… Clark…"
"Well, it only slightly resembled a real article," Chloe said. "Just sit down, nothing's happened."
"But, Lex and… Clark… and…"
"It's under control, Lana. Geez, and you were supposed to be here to take care of me."
Lana waited a moment to get her breathing straightened out, sighing several times before nodding. "Okay, I'm good."
"Good!" Chloe raised her eyebrows. "The way things are going, it's going to be quiet until, oh, about," she consulted her watch, "another three or four hours. Let's get out mind off of this, shall we?"
Amazed at her friend's lack of rigor, Lana asked, "Aren't you nervous? Scared? Worried?"
Chloe sat back down with a huff and took a drink out of a glass of water next to the sofa. Casually glancing back up at Lana, she replied, "I'm a Luthor now. We don't worry."
"Well, that's good, because I'm scared out of my mind."
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"Bridget," Lex's impatient voice boomed out of the intercom box.
"Yes, Mr. Luthor?"
"Have you gotten Kent on the line yet?"
"I've tried several times, sir, there hasn't been an answer. Gabe Sullivan just called though. There seems to be some trouble over at the Kansas City plant."
"What the hell is he doing over there?"
"I'm not sure, sir. Perhaps they called him first, considered the problem to be something you didn't need to deal with yourself."
Lex swore loudly. "Get the helicopter ready, I want to get over there as soon as I can."
"But, sir," Bridget objected. "What about Mr. Kent?"
"Try again, and tell him to come into the offices. The trip won't take more than a couple hours and make sure he doesn't leave!"
"Yes, sir," Bridget clicked off and began arrangements for the aircraft. When it was ready, Lex was out the door, quickly directing his receptionist as to all of the matters she had to arrange while he was gone. Once it lifted off, though, Bridget smiled. Lex Luthor may not have known it, but he just made a huge gap between himself and Smallville, Kansas. Which is exactly where he needed to be.
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"Hello?" Chloe smiled brightly as she answered the phone. "Hey, Pete. Lana and I were just talking about you… oh, come on, don't groan. Girls can behave."
"Right, Chloe. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine." Chloe glanced at her watch. "Lana's been counting down pretty loudly, though."
"Are you the only one who's being calm over this, Chloe?"
"Might just be."
"I can still come over, drive in quickly from over here."
"Don't waste the gas. Did you talk to Lex?"
"Yeah, his receptionist called this morning."
"And Clark?"
Pete paused.
"Come on, Pete..."
"Yeah, I did."
"Fantastic."
"Chloe… does it really have to be like this?"
For the first time all day, Lana saw a flash of nervousness cross Chloe's face. But she didn't hesitate to say, "Yes, it does."
Their conversation didn't last much longer, Chloe quickly hanging up and bouncing a little in her seat. "Everyone seems to think that the pregnant woman should be the craziest of us all."
"That would be the general idea," Lana agreed.
"Do none of you think that Chloe Luthor can't take care of herself?" Chloe crossed her arms, obviously feeling a bit rebellious. "First Lex, then Pete, now you?"
"Chloe, it's not-"
"I'm not going to be coddled, Lana." Chloe began to gather the junk they had laid on the table in an effort to keep busy. "Maybe you should get going anyway."
"But-"
"You were here to keep me calm, though I have to say it worked the other way around," Chloe interrupted. "Lana, you have to go, though. This is my business to handle, please."
"If it's your business, why did you ask all of us to help?"
"For the set up, yes, I needed help. I can take care of it from here. I have to take care of it from here, Lana."
"Chloe…" Lana trailed off when she saw the determined expression on the other woman's face. "Fine, fine. You know where to reach me, in case right?"
"Number three on my speed dial," Chloe replied. "Now, go. And tell Ann-Marie to be on alert… so to speak."
"I guess," Lana grabbed her purse up. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Lana," Chloe's voice edged on a threat.
"OK, I'm going." Lana leaned in and gave her a quick hug. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
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Kansas City was the last place that Lex wanted to be, but he stepped off his ride with his back straight and head held high. Calling over the plant manager, he asked quickly, "So, what's going on that you felt that you didn't need to inform me?"
The man looked confusedly at him. "Excuse me, Mr. Luthor, but what do you mean?"
"The problem that no one felt as if they should bring to my attention," Lex said impatiently. "What was it?"
"Um, Mr. Luthor," nervously looking around him, the other man said, "Everything's been running smoothly, sir. All that's been of interest is your receptionist calling in to say that you were planning on an random inspection."
Lex's eyes narrowed as the man hurried on, "I promise, you'll find everything satisfactory."
"Where is Gabe Sullivan?"
"Mr. Sullivan? The head manager, sir? I- I don't know. I think he might be in the offices, if he's even here."
"What do you mean if he's even here?"
"Well, isn't he supposed to be in Smallville offices?" The manager asked meekly.
Just then, they were interrupted by a man trotting onto the helicopter pad, his face red with exertion. It was none other than Gabe Sullivan himself. "Lex!"
The plant manager's eyes opened wide when he heard his colleague address their boss by his first name, turning warily to Lex himself. But instead of blowing his lid, as it was fully expected, Lex calmly said, "What in the world is going on, Gabe?"
"Um, well, you see," Gabe suddenly looked very nervous himself. "That problem wasn't really a problem, per say… my, that helicopter's faster than we thought."
Lex pounced on his slip, "It's faster than who thought?"
Gabe straightened. "Oh, me, sorry, always tend to talk in the third person."
"Bullshit, Gabe," Lex seethed out. "What the hell is going on?"
The plant manager could do nothing but shrink into the background as the two men began to face down.
At first it seemed as Gabe was going to refuse to answer, so much that Lex stepped forward, warning in his eyes. Finally, Gabe simply sighed. "I'm sorry, Lex, there wasn't a problem."
"Then could you please tell me what in the world I'm doing in Kansas City?" Lex said it carefully as to not betray the rage beginning to boil up.
Gabe spread his hands, the truth coming through at last, albeit a little prematurely. "She's my daughter, Lex. I had to do what she wanted."
Heart stopping in that moment, Lex stepped back. He completely tuned out the men who were before him and started running back to his ride, yelling to his pilot, "Get that damn helicopter started again!"
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His footsteps were soft in the hallway, following the directions from Ann-Marie as to which door he was supposed to enter. It didn't take long to find the proper room, but his hand hesitated on the door knob. What was to come next? What was going to be said?
Knowing that he had to go inside to know the answer, he twisted the knob and walked in. He was shocked by what he found inside.
She was sitting almost completely with her back to him, hands resting comfortably on the arms of the chair. Her profile could barely be made out and her blonde hair was a little longer than usual, but it was unmistakably her.
It took him a moment to find the question. "Chloe?"
She slowly turned her head, raising her eyes to him from where she sat, but not standing. Her eyes stayed steady as she watched him stare back at her.
"Oh. Hi, Clark."
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"How much longer?"
"Excuse me?"
"HOW MUCH LONGER?" Lex yelled into the mike that led directly to his pilot's ear.
"Oh, about, thirty minutes, Mr. Luthor!"
The pilot flinched as Lex swore loudly into his ear. "IT NEEDS TO BE LESS THAN THAT!"
"But, sir, we've already been going as fast as we can! I'm doing my best here!"
Lex ripped off his helmet and threw it to the ground, clearly as mad as hell. Refusing to speak to his pilot anymore, he stared out the window. His eyes were blazing, but his voice was low, "What the hell are you up to, Chloe?"
***********************************************************
"Chloe?" Clark Kent was astounded to see his childhood friend sitting so calmly in front of him, greeting him as if they'd only seen each other the day before, instead of having nearly six months of distance between the two of them. "What are you doing here?"
Chloe smiled contentedly at him, "I could ask you the same thing."
"I…" Clark sputtered for a moment. "Pete called me this morning, told me that Lex wanted to speak with me here in the mansion."
"Oh, did he say Lex?" Chloe cocked her head at him. "Or Luthor?"
Clark blinked a couple of times, clearly racking his mind for the answer. "I don't remember."
"Hmm…" she gestured to the seat next to her. "Why don't you sit down?"
Numbly, Clark walked over and sat in the chair next to her own, staring at Chloe. "It's good to see you again."
Chloe murmured a vague response, but stared at the stain glass windows that filtered several colors across her face. She didn't turn to him when she said, "So, how have you been?"
"Fine," he replied slowly. "You?"
"Spectacular." Chloe smiled a strange smile. "Downright shocked to see me, aren't you?"
"Yes," Clark answered plainly. He had a pained look on his face, as if really seeing her for the first time. Though the light of the room played with her expression, it was easy to see that Chloe had a certain energy to herself that he couldn't quite pinpoint. Gone was the woman who had asked him to leave her dorm room in the middle of packing, gone was the girl who had sat in front of him and swore that she loved him dearly and wanted to be with him all her days. Now… there was a stranger that he wasn't sure he could understand. "I tried to get in touch with you."
"I wasn't ready," Chloe answered simply. "I am now, though."
"Lex said you were trying to get used to a new lifestyle."
Chloe laughed sardonically. "He would certainly know."
"What?"
"I have something to tell you, Clark." She leaned over the armrest at him, finally drawing her eyes to his. Picking up a finger, she motioned for him to come closer. "Want to hear something really crazy?"
There was something in her tone that made him uncomfortable, but Clark said, "What is it?"
"Lex got married."
Jaw dropping, Clark couldn't seem to find the words to answer her. Chloe turned away from him then, settling back into the deep armchair, waiting for him to recover.
"When? To who?" He finally asked when he found his voice.
"About a month ago," Chloe said easily. "To me."
"Wait a second, what?"
Chloe waved her left hand in the air. "Pretty, isn't it?"
"Chloe…" His voice trailed off, a stunned look coming to his eyes.
"I'll let you sit on that for a while," Chloe began to stand up. "I'll be in the next room when you're ready to talk."
Clark would have gladly agreed to that except for the fact that his eyes could not have possibly missed what Chloe was pointing out as she stood. Gathering the words, he exclaimed, "Chloe, you're stomach!"
"Oh, yeah." Chloe looked down. "Pregnancy can be such a hindrance."
"Preg… ah," Clark began to look a little green around the edges. His mouth opened and closed but nothing came out.
"Ah, poor Clark," Chloe patted him on the head. "We'll talk when you're ready."
*****************************************************
She was breathing hard when she closed the door behind her. Chloe leaned back and clenched her eyes shut. He knew.
He knows now, Sulliva- Luthor.
Maybe she needed this moment to calm down as much as he did.
****************************************************
"He said Luthor."
Chloe glanced up from Lex's desk where she had been pilfering through an old edition of the Daily Planet he'd left there. Smiling a little at how he'd had someone find the page where The Planet had the gall to print her Letter to the Editor, she said, "Excuse me?"
"Pete, when he called this morning," Clark couldn't seem to get past the threshold. "He said Luthor wanted to see me. He meant you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he did." Chloe held up the piece of paper. "Look what Lex tracked down. I told him a couple weeks ago that somewhere in the moving, I'd lost my copy. I don't think he meant me to find it here, though."
Clark took a small step into the room, looking around as if expecting to find something drastically different, or something at least close in oddity to the pregnant woman sitting in front of him. Ignoring the newspaper in Chloe's slender hand, he narrowed his eyes. "Pete knows."
"Very astute, Clark." When she saw he wasn't going to take the paper from her hands, Chloe set it down and began to stand. "Don't get mad at him. I asked them not to tell you. Well, ordered, really, but same difference."
"Them?" Clark bowed his head as if trying to figure something out. "I guess then Lana knows, too."
"Sure does. She was here a couple hours ago, really, you'll have to stop by and say hi to her later. Pete, too." Chloe pushed herself up on the desk and perched on the edge. "You okay?"
"How do you expect me to be?" Clark said sharply. "I just found out that two of my best friends got married and kept it from me, not to mention that they're having a child. Even more, two other best friends hid it from me, too."
Chloe bit her tongue from saying anything too quickly. She needed to keep a cool head, so instead of speaking, she simply regarded Clark with an understanding look. When she was ready, she said, "Look, Clark, the intention was not to keep you completely in the dark. If I could take it back… well, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know when I would have told you because these last six months have been an upheaval, to say the very least."
"You're…" He seemed to struggle before spitting out, "Pregnant."
"Yes," Chloe nodded. "I am."
Clark's face went red. "It's Lex's?"
"Can't say I've slept with anyone else." Chloe swallowed hard, knowing exactly what his next question would be.
"How long have you been? Pregnant, I mean." Clark stood completely still in wait for her answer.
"About six months," she answered quietly.
Recognition was quick and Clark's eyes began to sear with the knowledge. He was silent as he counted back the days, the calculations quick in his mind. His voice was controlled, but accusing when he said, "When you left school, did you know?"
"Yes."
"Did you really go traveling?"
"No." She saw him gesture for a more information. Sighing, she added, "I came here."
"So all this time you've been with Lex."
"So to speak."
"So to speak?"
Chloe's mouth tightened when she heard the mockery in his voice. It sounded ugly her ears, especially coming from his mouth. "Meaning," she replied heatedly, "that I came here, but I was not 'with' Lex at the time. That only happened in the last few months."
"Then how in the world did you get pregnant?"
"I should hope your parents would have told you about that by now."
"Chloe!"
"Fine," Chloe held her up her hands as Clark walked towards her, his expression flustered. "The truth is… a long time ago, I did something really crazy that I never thought I would do, but it happened. I slept with Lex. Once. Well, twice actually, but it was all in the same night." Chloe's face reddened when she realized what she'd said.
She wasn't nearly as flushed as Clark, but he was able to reply, "About six months ago."
"Yes," Chloe sighed again. "It happened and we weren't smart enough to protect ourselves. And voila."
Clark began to pace the room, casting furtive looks at her as she pointed at her stomach. Chloe tried to appear relaxed, even picking up a silver frame from the desk next to her to bide time until he said something in return. Running her fingers down the glass, the corner of her mouth picked up when she saw what was there. The two people weren't facing the camera, but were rather enthralled with each other. In the back of her mind, she could hear the clicking of a camera as her lips had been pressed to Lex's for the first time since saying yes to the rest of her life with him. A warm feeling began in her chest, taking in a forever frozen Lex Luthor seemingly devouring his wife with their first kiss of marriage. Shifting the frame a little in her hands, she caught her reflection in the glass and jumped in surprise when she saw Clark's right behind her.
His hand was quick, pulling the frame from her hands and staring at it with shock written all over his face. A loud, shuddering breath was loud in escaping his mouth, his voice ragged when he said, "Why did you lie to me?"
She wanted to grab the frame back from his hands, but Chloe crossed her arms instead. "Because I didn't know how to tell you."
"If I remember correctly," Clark's voice was cold as he slammed the frame back on the desk, "that around six months ago, you sat in front of me and told me something very important."
"Yes, I did, Clark." Chloe glared at him, picking up the frame and fixing it on Lex's desk. "And if I remember correctly, you were more than eager to tell me that you loved me, too, but just as a sister."
He flinched when she spat out the last word. It didn't stop him, though, returning, "So, what, a little disappointment on this side and you're off and screwing my best friend?"
"I suggest," Chloe said carefully, her fury barely concealed, "that you think before you speak anymore, Clark Kent."
"No, I suggest you think before admitting feelings to one person and then going off and sleeping with someone else."
"If I didn't know I'd end up breaking my hand on your face, I'd slap you, Clark," she gritted out. "Who are you to say about what I can do in this life anymore?"
"I thought I knew you," Clark said just as harshly. "I guess I was very mistaken."
"You knew only what you wanted to know, Clark," Chloe laughed derisively at him, trying to cover the hurt he'd inflicted. "You wanted to know me as a friend, I was just a friend. You wanted to see me as a sister, and I became a sister. Well, you know what? As of a month ago, I'm Mrs. Luthor, you can know me by that now."
"I shouldn't have to be finding out a month into it, Chloe! Or six months for that matter!"
"What else did you want me to do, Clark?" Chloe yelled back, moving from the desk. "Did you want me to go crying to you, hoping you'd save me from the big, bad Luthor? You made it more than clear that my place in your life was never going to change. What use would it have been if I'd gone running for help when we couldn't even speak normally?"
"That wasn't my fault," Clark shouted.
"Wasn't you fault?" Chloe asked incredulously. "So it was mine? Completely? My GOODNESS, everything is falling into place!"
As if struck mute by the sarcasm in her voice, Clark went silent, which Chloe took as her diving board. "I am not saying this was ANYBODY'S fault, Clark. This happened, simply, happened! I only ended up at Lex's that night with the intention of finding someone to talk to-"
"What a talk that must have been!" Clark interrupted, gesturing wildly to her stomach.
'SHUT UP, CLARK!" Chloe pointed accusingly at him and Clark felt silent one more. "I wanted to tell you, but what was I going to say? Hey, I got really lonely one night because someone crushed my heart after leading me on for an entire year and I was stupid enough to fall for it? Damn it, Clark! When was I supposed to tell you? How as I supposed to do it? Lex was right, you won't ever understand this!"
Clark glowered at her. "Try me."
"Listen to me," Chloe said it carefully, her voice growing calmer, but not losing its edge. "When I found out about this, I was scared out of my mind, I didn't tell anyone, not even my father. How in the world was I going to tell you, huh? The only one I could possibly tell was Lex and can you even comprehend how difficult that was? I hardly knew him, hardly knew what to tell him, yet I was carrying something that was his. And it has tied us together forever!"
Chloe threw her hands up in the air, beginning to pace the room as well. "At first I was just trying to hide from everyone because I kept telling myself that you would never approve, never understand what happened. I even begged, I BEGGED Lex to let me get rid of it so I could just move on with my life. I hated him so much when he wouldn't let me."
"How, then, did you get from hate to marriage, Chloe?" Clark's voice was even, but hard.
Chloe simply closed her eyes and pulled both hands to her head, running her hands through her hair. "I… I don't know, Clark."
"You have never been weak, Chloe, I don't see how you couldn't get yourself out of this. You could have gone to me, or your dad, or Lana-"
She stopped his outburst with a glare. "Clark, I suggest that you try getting in this exact same situation and realize how all those neat little plans go flying out the window. Tell me, how should I have told my father that I slept with his boss and was pregnant? Or wait, how do I tell my best girlfriend and her boyfriend, who happens to hate the same guy? How, then, do you expect me to go to the man I loved who didn't love me for help?"
"Fine, you didn't love me, that is just fine, Clark. I am just fine now," Chloe spread her arms out wide. "Because somewhere along the way I stopped giving a damn about how my life was going to affect yours and I decided to start living for myself. It's something I should have started doing a long time ago, but believe me, I'm trying to make up for it as much as I can."
"I didn't have to get you here today, Clark. I have no doubt that once you get home you'll find that Lex has been trying to track you down all day to tell you himself, but I know that's not the way it's got to be. I needed to tell you this, because I needed to make you sure and pass on a message to you myself."
Clark's lips had been pressed tightly together throughout her entire rampage, so it took him a good bit to get his jaw unclenched and say, "What is it, then?"
Chloe straightened her back to full height, walking up to him with purpose. "I didn't do this to hurt, you Clark. Not at all. Don't you dare take it out on Lex or Pete or Lana, because these were my choices to make and I do not regret them. My regret lies in never moving on when I should have when it came to you. And even though my feelings for you have gone, and yes, Clark, they are gone, I wanted to make things right with you."
"Is that all?"
"No," Chloe shook her head, unabashedly glaring at him. "Seeing as you've pissed me off, I've certainly got more to say to you than that."
"Excuse me?"
She chose her words carefully. "You, Clark Kent, are a coward."
Clark did a double take at her, "What?"
"A coward," she repeated slowly as if she were talking to a child. "Why are you mad, Clark? Because Lex and I held something back from you? Or are you upset that your little backup plan has gone and gotten her own life?"
"Wait a sec-"
"No, I will NOT WAIT! I have come to the point where I'm not going to wait for you anymore, Clark!" Chloe yelled up at him, her face darkening with anger. "It was my choice to bring you here today, it was my choice that led me to being Lex's wife and I'm not going to wait around for your approval anymore! I could have let Lex take care of this, I could have hidden from what I should have done, but no, I am here facing you myself. Maybe I'm running too late, but at least I'm doing it and that's a lot more than you could ever say for yourself!"
"How can you say that?" Clark began to clench and unclench his fists as if he didn't want to hear what she would say next. "I'm not the one who snuck off, I'm not the one lied to her friends and ran off with someone-"
"But you did run from someone, Clark! You ran from me," Chloe pushed her index finger at her chest, as if he needed a model to get the point across. "I am not a naive, Clark, I know as well as you do that you were too scared to pursue something with me, just like you were always too scared to move on to anybody else in your life. Never were you willing to put your heart on the line, even when mine was laid out for you. Maybe you thought I'd be waiting until you were finally ready, what, ten years from now? Twenty? Well, that's not how it's going to be anymore."
Chloe took a deep breath, a guilty triumph beginning to grow in her when she saw shame begin to sweep across Clark's face. Her voice lowered, but it lacked no determination. "I am not going to be scared anymore. You have no right to say whether I am doing the wrong thing or not, because this is my life that I'm choosing to live, not one that's going to accommodate to yours. Maybe one of these days you'll realize that holding back isn't going to get you anywhere, it is only going to make you lose you friends, just like me. You. Lost. Me. And I, for one, am finally beginning to see that as a very good thing."
Before Clark could reply, a cool voice said from the doorway, "Nicely said, Mrs. Luthor."
Chloe and Clark's heads whipped around quickly to find Lex leaning casually against the doorjamb, his eyebrows raised in interest. Silence loomed as he calmly walked into the office. I must say, I was quite surprised to realize just what my wife was up to this afternoon," he considered Chloe's wide eyes before saying, "but perhaps this was the best way to do it after all. You feeling all right, Chloe?"
She only spared a glance at Clark's frowning face before turning back to Lex. "I'm feeling all right, thanks. How as work?"
"I found the Kansas City plant was running surprisingly well."
Chloe's face tinged a darker shade of red at the insinuation, standing quite still when Lex moved up to her and put his arm around her waist. "I see you've been busy."
"And I'm also done," Chloe announced, untangling herself from Lex. She gave him a searing look that clearly told him to back off. "I think it's time for me to be alone. Good night, Lex. Clark."
"Good night, Chloe," Lex said as cheerfully as he'd greeted her in the morning, even though it was only late-afternoon. Clark said nothing in response as she strode out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her.
Lex grinned wryly at the door. "Little spitfire, now isn't she?"
Clark didn't reply.
"So passionate, dynamic," Lex added dryly as he grabbed a bottle of water from his mini-fridge. Clark didn't see the way his fingers tightened around the bottle, didn't see how Lex's knuckles went white, just as his face had gone when he'd come home to find his wife in a face off with his best friend. He forced himself to use his most casual voice, "Would you like anything to drink?"
When he turned, it was to find that Clark was staring at the door that Chloe had just walked through. Very quietly he said, "No."
"I didn't think you would find out this way, Clark," Lex shrugged as Clark returned his gaze to him. "If I had my way, we would have talked it over this morning in my office, without so much… gusto, you could say. Then again, I shouldn't have underestimated my wife."
Clark's faced blanched when he heard Lex's comment. He raised a hand to his head, as if not sure where to put it and finally began to tug at his ear. "I, I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything," Lex said airily. "I wouldn't expect you to after what I just heard myself. If anything, I'd expect a lesser man to be on the floor, cringing in pain. She's certainly got a tongue on her."
Clark's eyes shot to Lex's face, "You're baiting me."
"Maybe." Lex put the bottle down and motioned at Clark with his hands. "Come on, Clark. Get mad. Call me an asshole. A backstabber. Traitor. Enemy. I know you want to."
He began to back up defensively. "No… no…"
"But I married your best friend. Got her pregnant, hid it from the entire world, including you," Lex said. "Are you sure you don't want to at least throw something in my general direction?"
"Stop it," Clark said softly. "Just stop it."
"Why? Because it was Chloe that did all this, all by herself?" Lex began to scowl. "Because, to quote my wife, a woman can't create her own sperm. Or did we forget that little lesson in anatomy class?"
Lex was in front of him before he knew it, grabbing at Clark's shirtfront and bringing his face in close. His voice had lost its joking tone and his eyes were flashing with anger. "I am not going to let you walk out of this room hating her, Clark, do you hear me?"
Despite all the strength he could manage, Clark looked more than fairly alarmed when he saw the warning on Lex's face. "I don't hate her. I don't."
"But you're certainly making your plans to stay far away, now, aren't you?" Lex let go of Clark's shirt. "Or at least until you get over the fact that she is completely right in saying that you were too scared to take a chance with her."
"Shut up, Lex."
"Or maybe until you stop being jealous of the two of us," Lex held up the picture that the other two had been studying only a short while before. "We make a fascinating couple if I do say so myself."
"Shut. Up. Lex."
"Or maybe you'll come around when I'll have eventually broken her heart and run her into the ground, just so you can come and be the hero once more."
"SHUT UP, LEX!" Clark shouted out, his temper finally breaking through. "If you EVER HURT HER-"
"Ah," Lex said victoriously. "I'm afraid the only person in this room who could possibly hurt her anymore would not be me, Clark."
"How could you lie to me, Lex? How could you be a part of this and never tell me!"
"Because it was Chloe's choice, Clark. It has always been. And just like I don't want you to leave here hating her, I certainly don't want you to leave thinking that I've tricked her into this situation," Lex said. "And I never lied to you. I told you I knew where she was. I told you that she didn't want to see you. I told you she was living a new life. Is any of that a lie?"
"My best friend! My best friend did this!"
"What kind of friend were you to her, huh, Clark?" Lex yelled back. "Lying to her, making her feel as if no one in this world would ever want her after you pushed her away. Who are you to say anything about what she does with her life after she's finally moved on?"
"I don't know why she had to move on to you!"
"Is that what it all comes down to?" Lex threw out his arms as if inviting Clark to take a punch. "Am I not good enough for her? Is she supposed to be waiting around in some lonely room until you got it through your head that there was an amazing woman waiting for you to take notice of her? Well, you missed out and there is nothing to say that I couldn't see that for myself!"
"You… you…" Clark seemed as if he were honestly considering taking a fist to his friend's face. "She got herself into something that she couldn't get out of… Chloe… Chloe's too smart, too resourceful…"
"Chloe is a grown woman who is taking care of her own life, Clark. And for too much of it, she was caught up in you," said Lex. "And that's obviously over now."
Clark began to shake his head warily. "No. I know you Lex, you're going to end up… you're going to get tired of her and she's going to be pushed away…"
"There is nothing I can say to make you stop thinking that, so I won't even bother," Lex said firmly. "But there is no way in hell that I am going to turn my back on this family. MY family."
Lex strode over to the door as Clark stared at him, frozen. The door swung open violently, Lex gripping the doorknob in a fierce grip. "I think it's time for you to go."
Clark couldn't seem to break his stare, a stare that Lex met head-on. They locked in that position for a few moments before Clark blinked and looked away, an uncertain look on his face. "I…"
"I should hope that something like this would not end our friendship," said Lex carefully. "But you are not welcome in my house until you have accepted what has happened and are ready to treat my family with the respect it deserves."
When he gestured again to the doorway with a nod of his head, Clark finally started moving in the direction of the exit. His lips were pursed in thought and his eyes refused to meet his friend's as he began to make his way through the doorway. It seemed as if he would leave quietly, but just before Lex could close the door completely, Clark put his hand out and stopped its motion. "Lex?
It was startling to see Lex now, as he pulled the door open again. His face looked tired, lines around his eyes that Clark hadn't noticed during their argument appeared more pronounced than ever. His mouth, however, tightened in defense and his eyes grew hard. "Yes, Clark?"
Clark wrapped his hand around the edge of the door and he hesitated before asking, "Do you love her?"
"Does it matter?" Lex answered just as softly as he turned his face away. "I don't think that would make a difference to you right now. Good night, Clark."
The door shut in his face quickly, leaving Clark barely enough time to jerk his hand out of the way, though it would have done him no harm. Standing still, he stared at the closed door and then let his eyes wander down each length of the hallway on either side of him. Spent, he leaned his forehead against a cool stone wall, knowing that Lex had answered more with one look than he could have ever said with words.
****************************************************
Hours.
Hours had passed since he'd sat down, considering, thinking, wondering, agonizing over what was going to come next. Lex rubbed his scalp in frustration as the windows behind him darkened due to the waning light of the sun that was finally setting on this most hectic of days.
He'd sat at his desk for most of the time, silently thankful that the day was finally over, but at the same time in turmoil, questioning the next step. As much as Chloe said she hated the unexpected, something he didn't think he'd ever hear coming from her mouth, Lex wasn't all that fond of losing control of a situation either. That's where they where the same, wasn't it? This whole scenario has spiraled out of their control long ago, leaving them in the wake of what could have been a major disaster. Granted, Clark Kent had wrought some of his own disorder earlier that same day, but it had been like this for the past six months.
Lex rose from his seat and left the office, finally tired of staring at the same walls while considering the next move in a game that had thrown out all the ordinary rules. What's the use? It's not like it's ever going to go the way we plan ever again. Lex stared around the darkened corridor, seemingly lost before deciding on a certain path. His thoughts were jumbled as he began to climb the stairs up to the bedrooms. When he reached the topmost stairs, he considered the two paths to take, ignoring the rumbling of his hungry stomach; at last he went to the left, the opposite direction that would have taken him to his own wing, to his own room.
In moments, he was standing in front of her door. Not a sound was made from within and the edges of the wood were darkened, assuring him that not even a lamplight was on inside. The temptation to go inside, to ask what was going on, what the purpose was… the temptation was there, but instead Lex merely raised a hand and laid his palm against the wood. Sighing, he shook his head and drew his hand away. They could talk about it tomorrow, he didn't want to bother her right now.
Sulking just a little, Lex went back the way he came, ambling along the hallway until he reached his own door. He entered his bedroom quietly, flicking on the light with disinterest. Craving sleep, he looked over to the bed, surprised to see someone already there.
"You certainly took your time." Chloe was sitting cross-legged on the middle of the bed, a book resting on one knee, the light of the lamp on the bed stand barely illuminating her features. "I guess you needed the time to think things through, huh?"
At this point, it would take too much effort to appear unsurprised by her presence. Lex guardedly asked, "What are you doing in here?"
"Waiting for you." Chloe pushed the book off her knee and got off the bed. "I see there are no bruises… bones in place… I'd hate to see what Clark looks like."
"You had him pretty well taken care of before I got there," Lex said dryly. He tugged at his tie, looping it over his head and throwing it on the dresser. "You left him in quite a state."
Chloe smiled sadly and picked up the tie from the dresser, undoing the knot before laying it back down, folded neatly. "Are you expecting me to apologize?"
"No." He was unbuttoning his shirt now, revealing a white t-shirt underneath. "You did what you felt you had to-"
"Exactly." Chloe took the shirt before he could throw it aside as well. "I needed to do it myself and I knew you wouldn't allow it."
"So you set it up with your father…"
"And Pete, Lana, Ann-Marie and Bridget."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "My brainless secretary?"
"She's actually quite intelligent," Chloe shrugged. "I just didn't want you to think that something was going on before we put in place.
"How did you do it? I must say, it ran smoothly for the most part," Lex said as he collapsed on his bed. He glanced over at her from his horizontal position, "I think I've got everything…"
"You have to tell me something first."
"What would that be?"
"How come I didn't hear the helicopter land when you got home?"
Lex yawned, "I had the pilot land a couple miles away and Louis picked me up. I didn't want you to know that I'd gotten here. Your turn."
"Fair enough. I knew that sooner or later someone was going to slip, so I decided to put it in the works by myself," Chloe wavered before heaving herself up on the bed next to her, settling back on the pillows. "I had Bridget tip off the Inquisitor yesterday-"
"So you didn't spend those ten minutes waiting."
Chloe waved a hand. "Just a cover."
"Go on."
"Then we devised a way to get you out of Smallville and Metropolis, that's where dad came in. I told Pete and Lana what was going on and it was up to Pete to call Clark and tell him that I needed to see him over here. All those calls that you told Bridget to make… well, let's say she lost the message." Rubbing at her stomach now, Chloe bit her lip. "I had to promise to stop you from firing her in order to get her into this. You won't, will you?"
"Well, she's on contract to take directions from a Luthor, I suppose from now on I'll have to specify which one." Lex stared at the ceiling above his bed. He sighed again and rubbed at his eyes. "You had to take care of it yourself, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did," Chloe said softly. Shifting a little from where she sat, she reached out a hand and put it to Lex's face, drawing it over in her direction. "I know you want to take care of me, but this was something I had to do."
"Believe me, I was downright furious with you earlier."
"And now?"
"Now… I'm just tired."
He looked it. Chloe's eyes saddened as he looked up at her, but she began to tug at his arms, pulling him into a sitting position. "Lex."
"Yes?"
She didn't answer; instead Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leant her head against his. Relaxing a little, Lex drew his own hands around her back and let himself slowly unwind. His hold tightened when her fingers began to graze against the back of his neck, her hair rustling against his ear. "It's going to be okay, right?"
"Depends on your definition of okay."
Chloe pulled her head back a little. "He's not an issue anymore, Lex. He isn't."
He raised a hand and ran a thumb over her lips. "Where does that leave us, then?"
She brought her own hand to his, pressing her lips against his thumb, but then pushing it away before meeting his own. Gone were the prim kisses that had left him frustrated every night; now Chloe had a hand on each side of his face, pulling him into her. Raising his own fingers, he wound them in her hair as he'd done at the wedding, deepening the kiss to the point of losing breath. Quick snatches of air were attempted, but Chloe was pulling at him, drawing him closer to her as they sat on the bed, slowly entwining their arms once more.
Lex leaned forward, his lips connected to hers, then her cheek, moving down to her jaw and down to her neck. At the same time, Chloe pushed back against the pillows, her body slanting back against the headboard. They both managed a laugh as Lex's hands met her rounded stomach, but the humor seemed to break any hesitations as their touches grew more desperate, their kisses deeper. Chloe ran her hands over his head and down to his shoulders; they fell to his waist and she began to tug at his undershirt. It took an effort of trying to look down and yank his arms out of the sleeves before pulling it up over his head in a brief moment where his mouth left body, but Chloe didn't bother to wonder how she'd managed it before Lex' hands were pulling up her own.
She was waiting for that one moment, aching for his hands to meet her flesh, so she was stunned when Lex abruptly withdrew and stilled his movements. "What?" Chloe asked. "What is it?"
Lex's eyes bore into her own, their stare carrying a strange look to them as he swept them down from her face, down her body. "I…"
"What?" Tears began to well in her eyes suddenly. "I'm too fat, aren't I?"
"No!" Lex ripped his gaze back to hers. "No, Chloe, it's just… I felt something."
"I should hope so," Chloe wiped the back of her hands against her face. "Have I gotten to the point where I can't turn anyone on?"
Lex laughed out loud, his head thrown back as the ripple of laughter drew out of his throat. "No, Chloe… the baby."
Chloe blinked at him before shaking her head. "Excuse me?"
Carefully now, without the desperation he'd felt only moments before, Lex drew his hands up and put them on her stomach. "I think the baby was kicking. I felt it."
Chloe looked on in wonder as Lex stared down at her stomach again, finally lowering himself and leaning his cheek against her. A smile grew across his face as he jerked his head back, "There it is again."
"She does that a lot these days," Chloe murmured, putting her hand to where Lex's face had been.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Lex put his hand next to Chloe's.
She shrugged, "I don't know… I didn't think you'd really care."
"But I do." His voice was eager, something that surprised the both of them, but a light was coming to his face now that made Chloe regret not telling him sooner. There was another flutter of movement. "He's strong."
Chloe rolled her eyes, but ignored his jibe. "Tell me about it, I have to experience this all day, except against all my organs."
Crinkling his nose, but not losing the beatific attitude, Lex drew Chloe's shirt up and began to graze her skin. The touch lacked all the earlier fervor, but he had her attention consumed in an entirely different way now. Chloe looked on in amazement as Lex continued to stroke the area of the latest movement before looking back at her. "I have to admit the mood has been sufficiently changed."
"Well, I guess I should think twice before trying to make out with a married man," Chloe replied wryly.
"I must say it's the first time I've really done anything with a pregnant woman," Lex cracked a grin at her as he slowly pulled down her shirt.
Chloe smiled. "Care to take a rain check?"
"Yes," Lex moved up and placed his lips against hers once in a slow and deliberate kiss, "I believe I will."
Rather than returning for another kiss, Chloe asked, "Are you hungry?"
"Starving," Lex answered honestly. When a sneaky smile came onto her face, Lex asked, "What is it?"
"Let's wait a little and see if Ann-Marie can find us now." Chloe reached over and turned off the light. "And Lex?"
"Yes, Chloe?"
"I think I'll be changing rooms tonight."
