A/N - If you read on N-S, review there please. I couldn't leave Lana or Clark out of this.

This Can't Be for Real – Chapter 16

Five weeks later, Chloe sat in front of her computer at the Daily Planet and stared at the cursor. She had the small folder that Lex gave her sitting in her lap, already having read what he allowed in the article and what he didn't. He even had included a picture but only of the back of Julian's head. But it was unmistakably his child, at least in color because red hair was in fact, unique.

She promised her editor the story of the decade, the one that would get her out of the basement forever, but she didn't know if she could write it.

The two of them had not been able to see each other for five weeks. School, work, and a baby seem to cause problems in getting together. Still, the late night phone conversations were fulfilling. After having relied on listening to Lana and Clark moan or cry about their problems or each other, she finally had someone to bounce story ideas and school papers off of. He always talked about something that Julian had done differently that day. It felt like a good solid relationship. He had actually expressed the night before that it was nice to finally be in what he considered a normal relationship, knowing that Chloe wasn't out for anything. Still, the article ate at her as well as he did continually asking when she was going to write it.

"Hi," she heard. Jumping unexpectedly, she looked up from the monitor and saw his face. She immediately lit up.

"Hey." She wasn't sure of his interest in being intimate in public so she stayed seated as he pulled a chair up to her desk.

"How's the article coming?" He gestured at her lap with the folder sitting open with no notes made, an obvious sign she was rethinking her issue. Pulling something out of jacket, he laid another picture on the folder. "It's a little newer; Carmen took it."

Chloe looked at it in her lap. The picture was just Lex and back profile of Julian; her two men. Chloe shook her head and tried to concentrate. "I don't know; I just feel weird, like I shouldn't do this. I would have absolutely no problem putting down on paper something amiss at one of your plants but,"

"You have a personal stake in this and don't want any of us to get hurt from what you write." He looked around the room and put his hand on Chloe's. "Write it; let me worry about the rest of the details."

He let go of her hand and looked around the room again, slyly. "Lex," she turned and started to protest but ended up with his lips to hers lightly and quickly.

He picked up an errant pen and a Post It as she recovered from the public display. Someone could have seen the two of them, and he seemed to not to care. She bit her lip and looked at the picture again. Tapping her on the shoulder, he pushed the chair back and pointed at her screen. "Bye."

Pulling the Post It off her computer, she smiled. 'I love you…call me later, after you write it.' Looking up, she watched the elevator door close just as he slipped between the two doors. Looking at the keys she took a deep breath and started typing.

Two Days Later –

Martha and Jonathon sat down at the kitchen table for breakfast when Clark blew into the house at an unusually high speed. They looked at him; he looked as if someone had found out his secret. He paced in the kitchen, talking to himself. "I know she didn't care for him all that much but why would she, the Daily Planet, stoop as low to this. He's going to rip her apart. I have to talk to her."

Jonathon stepped in front of Clark going out the back door and signaled for Clark to hand over the paper. Unfolding it, he read it and threw it on the table. "Clark, have a seat."

"Dad,"

"Clark, sit down." He looked at his parents and followed their directions. Jonathon sat next to him and read the article. It explained in full detail the unfortunate circumstances that led to daddy Luthor. Chloe had covered everything with his permission of course, leaving out the small details of his reason for the meeting and courtship to the unnamed mother. He wanted it that way. He had allowed the paternity results and the very general picture of him holding a baby.

"Dad, Chloe wouldn't."

"Clark, Chloe didn't make up any of this." Jonathon and Martha waited for the words to sink in.

Looking at his parents, he had to hear himself say it. "Lex is a father?"

Martha placed her hands on her sons. "And he's a very good one at that." Clark looked at his mom and dad in astonishment.

"Clark, he asked us not to tell you until he was ready, and we obliged. Now, before you start, we have all kept secrets, we know that more than anyone, and this was Lex's secret to keep." Jonathon walked over and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "Don't be too hard on him and don't push for details. I know you and he have grown apart over the last year, but you need trust us."

Clark turned and looked at his dad. "How do you know? He hasn't been that civil to us in I don't know how long. He's never around the Talon anymore; he doesn't talk to us at all. The only person that he seemed remotely interested in was Chloe." Jonathon saw the glint in his son's eye and pulled him back.

"Clark, reign it in. Do not go jump on your friend because of her promise to Lex to keep you clear of the situation. He is a good father and will not be his dad."

"How do you know? You haven't seen what he could be capable of."

Martha walked up and held one of his arms, "We do know what he's capable of. Before and after the baby came into his life." Clark stared at his mother. "He came to us for help honey. He's read every parenting book your father loaned him. We go over and check with him twice a week during deliveries. He comes out here with Julian when you are at class where he can discuss things that worry him. Clark, he's much of a good dad as your father has been to you."

Clark paced the living room, again looking at his father, hoping that he would say his mother was being affected by some strange lying meteor effect. "She's telling the truth. In fact, his visit is today. Stick around if you can; I think it might be a good time to reacquaint you with Lex." Clark stared at him again. "I know, but I have to believe this time that he's really trying."

Chloe trudged into her dorm room and plopped on the bed. She was tired and desperately needed some rest after her morning. When the article hit the front page of the Daily Planet, everyone had quickly become her best friend. They asked the craziest questions, even wondering if she had hid a pregnancy from the public. She just shook her head and tried to answer no comment until she wished it was just written on her forehead. Closing her eyes, she fell into a sleep that was near intoxicating.

"Chloe, come look," he said as he gently grabbed her arm as she passed him in the hallway. She leaned around the corner of the doorway and saw her husband pointing at the two little ones that balled up on the floor and slept. They each picked one up and put them to bed. "Come on." He took her hand and walked her out into the hallway.

As the two headed for the office, a little red headed boy ran down the hall almost out his father's grip. "Shhh. Your sister and brother are asleep. Get a book and come into the office."

"Dad," he whined.

"Listen to your father; get a book and join us. He has some work, but we can work on your reading." The little boy started down the hall and rolled his eyes. "Julian, your eyes."

Julian turned around and apologized before heading to his room. Lex put his arm around her and walked her into the office. "I never tried anything like that with my father."

"Lex, you were afraid of your father. Julian loves you and he's just testing us." She laughed as Lex sat down at his desk. She leaned back on the couch and watched him start typing on that reliable laptop and twirled the ring on her finger. She smiled as she watched him twist the platinum band on his hand as he read whatever was on the computer.

"Chloe?" She looked at Julian and wondered why he was calling her Chloe. "Chloe?"

"Chloe?" She stirred and saw Lana leaning over her. That dream was getting good. Me married to Lex and twins. Yeah, right.

"Lana, what's going on?" Lana threw the paper into Chloe's lap.

"Lana, I'm very tired. I have had everyone and their brother bothering me about this article. Look, everything I am going to tell is in that article. If you want more information, go ask Clark's parents or even Lex. Just let me rest." Chloe flopped back on the bed and flipped on the TV, which was now splashed with her article and other rumors in relation to the mystery baby.

"Chloe, I'm not trying to fish for more details. Well, I am, but is Lex ok? I mean if you have all this information you obviously have known about it for awhile." Chloe sat up and muted the television. She looked at Lana and knew where it was going. She was getting curious and in her 'need to help' pose. "Maybe I'll just go and see him."

Chloe got up and grabbed Lana by the arm. "Uh, he's really busy learning to balance family and work. I think he just needs some time. It's really none of your business." Lana looked at Chloe and tried to process the information.

Backing up and sitting on her bed, Lana twisted up her face. "When you weren't here a month ago; did you go see your dad?"

Chloe could feel the inquisition coming. Lana looked at her again and waited for the response. "Ok fine. I was at Lex's. We played house, we showered together, we made hot passionate love, and I'm pregnant with his second child!" Chloe picked up her purse and walked out the door.

Lana stood in the middle of the dorm room and gasped. Looking down at the floor, she rolled her eyes and picked up something that fell out of Chloe's purse. 'I love you…call me later, after you write it.' Lana knew from her past business dealing with Lex that was definitely his handwriting. She picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Clark. It's Lana. You will never believe what I found out today," she squealed into the phone.

"Lana, I can read the newspaper. I was going to talk to him but my parents assure me that everything is fine with him and his son. Evidently he had been confiding in them for awhile now."

"But I have something else. I tried to talk to Chloe about it and she made up some weird excuse to not talk to me – something about passionate love and pregnant and left. I thought she was bluffing but she dropped this note in Lex's handwriting. It says he loves her. You think?"

Clark stopped and looked out the window as a car pulled up. His father and mother met the car and shook hands with Lex as he pulled a baby out of the back seat. He had never seen Lex drive a four door, and everything seemed a bit off. "Clark?"

"Lana, I gotta call you back. I'll work on that information for you." He hung up the phone and walked out on the porch. "Lex," he offered his hand to his once and hopefully future friend. "I guess condolences and congrats are in order."

Lex walked through the open door that Clark held and sat Julian down in the living room before removing his own jacket. "Just congrats. I'm sorry I couldn't let you know about him earlier but things were testy at the time."

Martha took Julian and carried him out on the porch as Jonathon followed her. Lex looked out the window and as the three disappeared into the barn. He knew the routine; he usually shared some fatherly advice with Jonathon while Martha toured the barn and let Julian pet the animals. Lex could have bought him a zoo but felt this was better since these were his only grandparents that would stay in touch.

"Lex, so how is it really going?"

"Fine. I have a wonderful nanny that has been a great help in addition to your parents. And Chloe has been a life saver." Lex dropped the last line in an almost happy tone, as if to rub in the fact of he and Chloe being together. Clark sat across from Lex, who looked strangely comfortable in his older thin sweaters from when he first arrived in Smallville.

"Chloe?" Clark thought about what Lana had just told him on the phone and wondered how accurate her information was.

"Yeah. I kind of asked her to help me out when I was looking for the mother. I hate to say my indiscretions led to us having to narrow it down. Anyway, she was there at the mansion helping me with the investigation and Julian wailed. Needless to say, her reporter instinct picked that one up fairly quickly. Oh, and I didn't mean for her to jump down your throat at the Planet. I was still in need of you staying out of the picture and she just thought quickly on her feet."

"So, she's just helping you?" Clark asked suspiciously. He knew that Lex could lie to anyone and had to him on more than one occasion. "Lex. Lana called and said she found this note that fell out of Chloe's purse and then Chloe said something to her and she's worried."

Lex looked at him and knew the note that he was talking about. Sighing, he walked over and watched as Martha carried Julian around to pet the cows. "It's none of your or Lana's concern."

"Lex." Clark was not comfortable with Lex drawing Chloe into his web again.

Lex turned around and looked at Clark. "I know we aren't that close anymore. In fact, I predict you wouldn't consider us anything more than acquaintances now, but Clark, as a friend to her if not me, please don't push Chloe for information. She's been having a rough time with all of this; she knew the publicity she would get and doesn't need her two friends barreling down on her." Lex and Clark stared at each other intently. The longest conversation they had had in a long time, and the most meaningful. Clark just didn't want Chloe to be hurt again; he had done enough of that to her.

"Lex, I'm asking you."

"You don't want to think I'm lying to you? Then let whatever concern you have for me, Chloe, or Julian go. It's not warranted." He took his once friend by the shoulders. "Look, for the first time in my lifetime, I am genuinely happy. Please." Lex didn't finish the statement but hoped Clark was content with the answer. He picked up his coat and car seat and met the Kents outside.

Clark watched as the Mercedes pulled out of the driveway at a normal speed and dialed Lana. "Hey, it's Clark. I talked to Lex. He didn't say much, but he dropped the word happy in the conversation. I think we should just let it go at that."

"Clark, she said she was pregnant. She visited him a month ago and now she's really tired and moody. Chloe's broke big stories before without this reaction – we should be concerned."

"Chloe's a big girl and Lex said to let it go. My parents did too. When they're ready to involve us, we'll be there." Clark heard her try to argue with him but he talked her down. Hanging up the phone, he looked back at the picture on the front page and noticed something that he had not seen in a long time, Lex's smile.