Shattered Dreams

He was one of richest men in the world, but Lionel Luthor was familiar with things beyond his control. "He is suffering from delusions. He's hearing voices. He sees things that aren't there," he would be heard to explain sadly, referring to the son he never fully expressed his love for.

Lionel Luthor despaired. It was apparent in the way he stood there so tense. His fingers flipped through the pages of an old book. It used to be his favorite. How would it not be? It said, in block letters, hidden in the middle yet proudly in clear font, 'The universe pulses through me.' He had shared this with Lex once, when the boy was younger. Needless to say Lex was more interested in the works of other poets. Lionel had believed it was a weakness that Lex was enamoured of the Romantic and the Victorian until he fully explored what the periods had to offer.

Across the library his second son stood with his arms crossed in front of him. Lucas waited and listened as Lionel spoke. He did not care about poetry really. Too much happened inside his head for him to care about the imagination of other men. Yet it was the topic for the day, it seemed. Imagination. Dreams. Hallucinations.

"I want my son," Lionel expressed, for the first time genuine in Lucas' eyes. "I want him back... the way he used to be."

"That won't be possible, dad," Lucas answered. "Not in the near future at least. As long as Lex doesn't remember, he will be haunted by these nightmares."

Lionel turned to Lucas. "Nightmares?"

"I heard what Claire said," Lucas revealed. "He wakes up at night, panting, disturbed. If they're not nightmares, what are they?"

Lex's dreams were far from terrifying, but were as haunting as anything else. His dreams were full of warmth, and light, and song, and touches.

A small delicate hand reached up and cupped his cheek. Lex smiled against the fingers that brushed his lips. In his arms, swaddled in baby blankets, was a cooing infant.

"Hush little baby... don't say a word... I'm gonna buy you a mockingbird... and if that mocking bird don't sing... I'm gonna buy you a diamond ring..."

In the background, gentle laughter pealed. "If that diamond ring turns brass... I'm gonna buy you..."

The door of the nursery opened and Lex looked up from the rocking chair in which he was seated. Just like the other nights, the woman wrapped in a bedrobe was his brother's girlfriend.

"Lex, what are you doing here?" she asked sleepily.

"I had to get the baby," he explained. "He was crying."

"He woke you? I'm sorry. I must have slept through that."

Chloe walked forward, her arms extended to take the baby. Lex shook his head and turned back around. "You go back to bed. I'll take care of him." He pressed a kiss on her cheek and then smiled down at the baby. "We're okay."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked again. "You do have an early meeting tomorrow."

"Let them wait," Lex said. "My little boy is growing fast," he continued proudly. He ran a finger down the long arm. "I can still remember when he was born. He was as big as my fist!"

Chloe's eyebrows rose. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Lex gave her a lopsided grin. "Maybe I was exaggerating a little."

She sat on the arm of the rocking chair and looked down at the baby. The little boy's face scrunched up and his lips formed a tiny O.

"Shhh... He's falling asleep." Lex traced the baby's face tenderly again. "He loves this," he shared his discovery with Chloe. "I read something about this. It's called touch therapy. He knows my touch now."

Chloe smiled and did the same thing. "We've got to start doing this together, so he'll be comfortable whether it's you or me."

Softly, Lex sang again, and both watched as the baby's eyes fluttered closed. "...And if that diamond ring turns brass.... I'm gonna buy you a looking glass... And if that looking glass gets broke.... I'm gonna buy you a little toy boat..."

Chloe leaned against him and laid her head on top of his. She closed her eyes and breathed.

"What do you know, dad?" Lucas finally asked.

"I don't know anything."

"How are we going to help Lex if we can't even trust each other enough to tell the whole truth?" Lucas sighed. There wasn't much to tell. It was either that or Lex was screwed. Lucas needed to speak with this Claire Foster. If the contents of Lex's dream were memories, he could not allow the psychiatrist to treat Lex as though he was having hallucinations. First though, Lucas needed to ask Chloe how far he could go, how much he could reveal to the stranger.

After freshening up, Lex Luthor had one mission in mind. He needed to find her. A kiss in the darkened morgue was one thing. When he started dreaming of a family with her though, he knew this was more than a brother needing to have the same thing his brother had. Lex wanted Chloe. More than that, he wanted a future with Chloe.

He drove to Chloe's house thinking of the best way to reintroduce their agreement. She would stick to it, even if her one-word agreement to his request had not been mentioned again. She would leave Lucas and after a respectable period of time, Lex could be with her.

Lex stopped a few yards away from the Sullivan driveway. He saw there his brother getting out of his car with a shopping bag. Lucas walked up to the door and even before he rang the bell, Chloe pulled the door open and embraced him.

Was the tenderness in her kiss only an illusion? Did she not have love in her eyes when she looked up at him?

Of course he imagined all those! It would not have been possible for someone like Chloe to fall in love with him just from those few times they met. She was with his brother! Maybe he took her friendliness for something else...

Maybe he was really going crazy, just as the fact that he was seeing a psychiatrist suggest.

He probably should have shut up. In the time between the morgue and right then, Chloe could have changed her mind and decided to stay with Lucas. Lucas was getting better, after all. He had stopped the shady dealings and had even started to observe the factory operations. Lex should be happy for them. Chloe was turning Lucas into a responsible young man. Lucas though was not getting anywhere into putting a smile on Chloe's face.

If he were a better man, he would have shut up and let them be. Lex was by no means close to being cannonized.

He took his phone from his pocket and sent a message.

Was I wrong about the other night?

He saw Chloe pull away from his brother and take her phone from her pocket. She read the message and looked up. Since he was out of her line of vision, she did not see him or his car.

We should talk, Lex.

Lex released a sharp breath. He knew those words. He hated those words.

Just tell me whether or not I'm wrong in expecting more from you.

You're not. We should talk.

The statement was short, but the tightness in his chest eased.

What's he doing there? came his next message, as if he had every right to ask.

Please give me the time and place. I have to look at you when we talk about this.

Tomorrow then.

Lex watched her slip the phone back in her pocket and step aside to let Lucas in. With one last sweeping look outside, she closed the door.