A/N - Already on N-S if you read there

Beginning of a Perfect Weekend – Chapter 17

Lex arrived at the penthouse in Metropolis with Julian late Friday night. As expected the press had been camped out in front of the mansion, Luthorcorp Plaza, and the plant in Smallville looking to snap the first picture of Julian's face. He had to sneak out of his own home in plain clothes and in Gabe Sullivan's car.

During a meeting earlier in the week, he and Gabe had discussed the future of the plant. He was setting up for an owner takeover of the plant, with Lex overseeing minor issues but putting Gabe in charge. He assured Chloe it had nothing to do with her but just would free up some time for him and Julian with one less thing on his plate. She thought it was admirable that he would think about that. Gabe, of course, obliged.

Gabe had not expected the second part of the discussion. Lex almost seemed nervous. He fidgeted in his seat and tapped the pen on the table nervously. Then Lex explained about him and Chloe, the truth. He watched Gabe's myriad of expressions and emotions as Lex explained how their relationship had taken several unexpected turns in recent weeks.

After the very personal and private meeting, Lex left the office satisfied with the conversation and hoped that Gabe was able to play the fool for just a little longer. Gabe, on the other hand, sat bewildered at what he had agreed to.

"Chloe Sullivan." Chloe rested the phone on her shoulder as she continued to type. Amazing what a little byline with a major name will do for a career. She had not gotten any studying done for the week on account of moving her personals to a new desk on the main floor. She was a different person there; she was important. She knew that her move only was because of Lex's article, but it was something that she had written and not something he just paid for. She was proud of that fact.

"Miss Sullivan, if you wouldn't mind dropping by the Plaza tonight, I would like to discuss some subjects with you." She somewhat smiled knowing the vagueness of the statement from the man on the other line was just to hide what he likely wanted to say and what she really wanted to hear.

"I will be right on that story tonight." She smiled as she hung up the phone and stared back at her computer. She was trying desperately to get out of the building but work kept mounting. The newsroom had been buzzing ever since the announcement and her boss had hoped for a follow-up but understood that Lex had been more than forthcoming about his situation. She looked at the screen and saved her present article. It could wait until that night was over. Shutting her computer off, she looked up and saw Lana in front of her.

"Lana? What's wrong?" Chloe stood up and started clearing items off her desk.

Lana stared at her friend, concentrating on her color and looking her up and down. "I'm just concerned. You seemed very on edge the last couple days and said some things that I was worried about. Lex told Clark not to pry, but you're my friend." Chloe sat back down as Lana pulled a chair up and placed a hand on hers.

Chloe thought back to what she had told Lana and covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh my God."

"You said you and Lex had – and you you're – Chloe, I'm here for you." Lana reached in and wrapped her arms around Chloe. Chloe returned the hug confused and then remembered what she said. Dropping her jaw, she smirked and bit her lip in amusement. She thought it was true and better yet had told Clark. This was classic, but a little disturbing she had let something like that out. She usually was more poised in her judo.

"Lana, we're going to be fine. Lex is a wonderful father and we're happy with each other." Chloe picked up her purse and straightened out her coat over her stomach, watching Lana's eyes focus there uncomfortably. "Come on and walk me out, I have to go meet Lex." Chloe and Lana walked out together, but Lana was speechless.

Arriving at the penthouse, she presented herself to the desk clerk, and he ushered her upstairs. Closing the elevator door behind her, she heard the doorknob turn and gurgles from the other side of the door. As the door opened, the most incredible looking man in her world was holding the cutest baby in the world. "Hey," he said as he leaned over to kiss her.

Chloe dropped her bag near the door, knowing that she could move it later. "I got your text message since our last phone call. How's he doing?" She looked at Julian; he was flush and a bit warm for her comfort level.

"I've done everything that the books suggested; the Tylenol experience was one I was hoping would not come up. But eventually he did take it. He's just so warm; there's a doctor on the way." Chloe pulled Julian out of Lex's arms.

"Lex, go change. I can't imagine he's very comfortable rubbing against your suit. I'll be ok." Lex kissed the top of Julian's head and left toward the bedroom. Chloe wet the small washcloth that Lex had been carrying and patted down Julian's face. "What's wrong with you little guy?" She continued to pat him down and wipe the drool that was increasing from his mouth. Lex watched from the bedroom; she was incredible with Julian. He felt his heart swell up seeing her nuzzle Julian into her chest and talk to him.

Chloe laid him down in the playpen and hoped Julian chewing on the washcloth would at least cause him to rub the washcloth across his face occasionally. Lex came out of the bedroom and looked at him. "He just seems to get more flushed." Wrapping his arm around Chloe, he squeezed her almost uncomfortably. Rarely had Lex been so close to someone ill. He had seen the Kents ill numerous times as well as Lana and Chloe but never his own blood except for his father's liver ailment. His father didn't count though.

Pulling him away from the playpen, Chloe sat him on the couch. "It's going to be ok. You'll see; the doctor will tell you not to worry about anything. Lex," she pulled his face to look at her, "it's going to be fine. Now, I'm going to get changed because I'm tired of heels and then hopefully the doctor will be here by then." Chloe kissed Lex, took her bag, and disappeared into the bedroom. She heard the doorbell and knew that hopefully Lex's worries would be quelled soon.

She listened at the cracked door as Julian cried around the doctor. She could see Lex coaxing Julian to stop crying by bouncing him slightly and humming to him. She exhaled and bit her lip to keep the tears back. He was the perfect dad; nothing anyone would have expected out of Lex Luthor. She watched the doctor check over Julian and curiously watch Julian's actions. Having no time to change, she came out into the living room and greeted the doctor.

"This is Dr. Trager. He's the best pediatrician in Metropolis. So?"

"Lex, you have nothing to worry about. Take your finger and rub it along the bottom of Julian's gum." Chloe smiled and giggled; she knew now and almost felt stupid not able to pick up on it, but she wasn't a mom, at least not yet.

"There's a…" He looked at the doctor and at Chloe, who shook her head. "Tooth?"

"Yes Sir, it seems that babies start teething somewhere between 3 and 6 months for their first one. The low grade fever is normal and you did the right thing giving him Tylenol. Just let him continue biting on something hard plastic, like a teething ring and eventually, after about a year, hopefully the worst of this will be over. Otherwise, he is perfectly healthy; just keep up with his shots and he'll be fine."

She watched Lex breath a sigh of relief and play with Julian to relax his mind. "Thank you Dr. Trager, we'll be in touch." Chloe let the doctor out and turned back around. Lex sat on the couch and cooed at Julian. Chloe listened and heard a small sound. Lex looked at her and then slowly said Julian's name again. In return he got a brief grunt and a finger poking him in the face.

"He's trying to talk," Lex looked at Chloe and melted at her smile. He watched his son's expression and put him in the baby seat next to the couch. Chloe came and sat next to him and watched.

"He looks upset but he's blowing bubbles." Chloe took Lex's hand in hers and balanced it on his knee.

"I know what he's doing, and it's not going to be pretty." Chloe grimaced and laughed.

"Yeah, daddy can take that one." She leaned over and kissed Lex on the neck. Lex took her from behind the head and pulled her to him. Lightly running his tongue over her lips, she let him slip his tongue further into her mouth, thus sending a warm pulse through her body as she returned the kiss. She heard Lex's pleasant groan become frustration at Julian's crying. Patting him on the leg, she giggled "Daddy, you're needed."

She got up and started into the bedroom. "And mommy can slip into something more," he answered as she walked away. Chloe stopped in the middle of the room and looked at Lex. He replayed the words in his head and gasped. "Chloe, I'm sorry; it was a slip." Chloe walked over to him, running her fingers along Julian's arm.

Looking up at him, she smiled. She pulled his hand down off of his mouth. She felt butterflies and tried not give away how she felt, but he didn't know the dream she had about them. "Well, when daddy gets Julian taken care of and put down, mommy will be in the bedroom…waiting…for…you," she whispered as she continued to run her fingers over Lex's chest and arms. She walked away and shut the door behind her. Lex took a deep breath and tried to contain himself.

While changing Julian and putting him down, Lex couldn't ignore the words that flowed from her lips. She had called herself mommy. Is she playing the game with me or does she really have feelings that deep? He had visions of her while she held Julian imagining he was hers. The dream the night before had caused him to wake up in a cold sweat, still grasping the sheet where her hand was that he held while she was in labor.

Chloe changed into a forest green silk nightgown and nodded at herself in the mirror. He had called her mommy. She hoped that he wasn't kidding about the slip of the tongue. She would find out soon enough. She pulled the sheets back on the bed and crawled in. She suddenly felt that everything was right. It was automatic that she climbed into his bed and brought clothes to accent her curves. Two months ago she barely talked to the man and now she was in love with him, in his bed, and imagining a life with him.

She watched the door open and saw Lex had taken care of her first task by undoing his shirt. After shutting the door, he crossed the room and crawled across the bed. "Mommy?"

"Lex," she tried to squeeze her words out in between her groans of Lex kissing her down her neck. Then she panicked. She had heard him say I love you to her, but calling her mommy again was taking another very giant leap. She suddenly couldn't feel his kisses on her neck, just uncertainty and worry about a relationship that was taking a quick and confusing turn. Chloe placed both hands on his chest and pushed him back. Lex sat up and looked at her. "Lex, I know that we were kind of joking about that earlier, but I guess it really makes me uncomfortable the more I hear it."

Chloe crawled off the bed and walked across the room. Lex closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Chloe, you gave the impression that –"

"I know, and I thought I would be ok with it. I guess I got caught up in all of it and then realized that he's your son, not mine." Chloe looked in the mirror, her bottom lip quivering. She covered her mouth and could feel tears well up in her eyes. She turned around to see Lex climbing off the bed. "No," she waved for him to halt and left the bedroom.

Lex followed her and tried to reach her before hearing the lock on the bathroom door click. Lex sat down on the couch in the living room and groaned in frustration. He leaned over and dug out a sheet of paper from his briefcase and stared at them, rethinking his move concerning her. Shoving it back in his case, he went and sat next to the bathroom door. "Chloe," he almost pleaded. "Let's talk; I'm sorry."

He heard the door click and saw it open slightly. She pulled the door open with her foot and looked at him, her mascara running down her face. He felt his heart ache seeing her cry. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to freak you out. It's just he's not my son, and I feel way too attached to all of this." Lex started to speak as she covered his mouth. "I have been through all kind of emotions these past months. I went from barely speaking to you to falling in love with you. I spent a day with you and watched as another woman almost took you away from – oh my God." Chloe slammed the door, and Lex heard her vomit. Opening the door, he pulled a washcloth down, wet it, and sat down next to her.

"Honey?" Chloe looked up Lex and cried. "Tell me." Lex wrapped another cool washcloth around her neck and pulled her into his embrace. She buried her face in chest and moaned.

"I can't." Lex held her tighter. His mind was spinning. He didn't have any answers for her, for himself. He stuck his foot in his mouth for the first time in a long time, and it was terrible timing.

Pulling her back from him, he gazed at her as he wiped her tears. "Chloe, talk to me. You said that Catherine almost what?"

She buried her head into his chest again. He could feel the wet tears sting against his chest and bit his lip to keep from tearing up himself. "I loved you," she muffled.

Lex tilted his head to kiss hers and thought he heard her but wasn't sure.

"I love you too; you know that. So, why the sudden theatrics?" Chloe pushed up from his chest and gazed at him. His comment was reassuring.

"She almost took you away from me." Lex turned his head in confusion. He watched Chloe look around the bathroom searching for the right words to explain herself. "I have loved you long before you called me about Julian. I was a stupid high school student that had traded one crush for another one. At the time, I pretty sure that I had a better chance at actually getting Clark's attention than yours, so I decided to hide both of them. You were just easier to avoid, especially after I got back from hiding. Your ignoring me helped. But then after you told me you were in love with me, I started having these dreams about … us … all of this. Then when you called me mommy I just panicked."

Lex took her tighter in his arms and kissed her hair. Settling his head on hers, he could only come up with, "Chloe." He pulled her back and wiped her face. "You're not the only one that felt like that. And believe me; every time I hear the word daddy, it scares the hell out of me. I can't imagine when he starts saying it to me." He saw Chloe giggle through her tears as she wiped her face. Lifting her head up to see her, he asked, "Are we ok now?"

Chloe nodded and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. She rinsed with mouthwash and kissed him rightly. He returned the kiss and scooped her up in his arms. Walking through the bedroom, he laid her down on the bed. Wiping the rest of tears from her face, he slid his hand up her gown and started massaging her breast. He kissed her again as she let out a small whimper.

Rolling his head back, he cursed. "Go get him," Chloe remarked to the crying coming from the next room.

"I'll be back," he smiled as he pulled the bedroom door to. Chloe lay on the bed and looked around the room. The penthouse bedroom was pristine, and she again could not believe she was actually there. And she had told Lex that she loved him long before he ever knew. She admitted everything and still he wanted her. She fell back into her thoughts of Lex and their argument, talk, whatever he would call it.

"Chloe honey?" Lex walked over and rubbed his hand along her body, now curled up and sleeping. Julian just had to be fed one more time. He pulled the covers over her and crawled in beside her.

"Mmmm, Lex? We can … "she murmured. Lex folded his arms tighter around her and breathed in her ear.

"Go back to sleep; we've got all weekend." Lex closed his eyes and breathed in her scent again before dreaming of her.

TBC