"Lex?"

He looks up from his desk, where he just hung up the phone, "Yes?"

I stretch on the sofa, where he left me a few minutes earlier, "What did your mother look like?"

I've been curious for a while and I didn't know how to approach the question, or if it would upset him, but I finally decided to take the plunge a few minutes ago.

"You've never seen a picture of her?" he asks, standing and crossing the room.

I shake my head, "Never."

He nods, "I'm not surprised. She-she didn't like public events-hardly went to any after I was born. She liked to stay home where she was comfortable. She was really shy," he finished, reaching for my hand, "Come on, I'll show you some pictures."

He takes me up some stairs and into what I reason must be his bedroom.

He sits on the edge of the bed and reaches for me. I impulsively sit on his knee and I think it's weird as I do it, because while I've literally climbed on him before, this is still new and it's Lex and we're not making out right now.

Sitting like that we're on just the exact same level and he kisses me softly.

I snuggle happily down into his shoulder and it feels so good that I'm content to just sit like this forever.

He reaches for a framed picture sitting on the nightstand.

I take it into my hands, and don't overlook the venerability in his eyes as I do so.

The picture is of a woman-a woman who really is beautiful-holding a little boy with bright red hair. Both are laughing and even now Lex's smile is the same-just like the little boy in the picture, just like his mother's.

"That's my fourth birthday," he says softly, his fingers tracing over the image of his mother.

"Lex, she was so beautiful-you look so much like her," I look up at him and his eyes are glassy, just short of tears.

"She would have loved you Chloe," he whispers, his voice catching.

I start to feel a little misty myself, because here's Lex Luthor, I'm sitting on his lap and he's trying not to cry.

"I wish I could have met her," I put my arms around him, hugging him tightly, "She loved you so much Lex. She would be so proud of you."

His breath hitches and I realize that he's crying-really crying.

I hold him, rubbing his back while his sniffles turn to sobs. My heart breaks for him because I know he just wants to feel like some one really cares again, and I do, so I try to show it. It's then that I realize that I'm going to always be in the shadow of Lillian Luthor.