Hey, guys!

I know, I know, I'm spoiling you guys. BUT NaNo is being great to me this year and I like to post my works as soon as they're finished, lol.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Nine.

When Martha showed up to babysit the next morning, Lex told her that he had to run to Metropolis for the afternoon, but that he would be back before the child's bedtime.

He spent the first few hours of his trip at the Luthorcorp headquarters in Metropolis. He had spent too much of the past couple weeks in Smallville and not working. He should have spent a little bit of time here at the office, but he had been busy with the child. Going to Metropolis had just been out of the question during those first few days. The child came first.

After he had sorted everything out though, he quickly made his way out of the office and to the place where he had actually come to Metropolis for.

As soon as he walked into the store though, he realized just how out of place he felt in the store filled with children's items.

He had decided the night before that it was time to actually get the child some things of his own. If the child was going to be staying with him permanently, then it would only be right for the child to have his own clothes and toys. He had the feeling that the child wouldn't give up Julian's blanket though, and that was fine.

He walked into the clothes department and began to look around. He had already ruled out getting anything that was green, but that was about as far as he had thought through the whole thing.

It was one of those moments where he wished that he had brought the child, but he knew he couldn't take him to Metropolis yet. They needed to lay low for awhile, just until the child was settled in a bit more and more comfortable around others. For now, it just wasn't wise.

He grabbed a couple of sets of soft and warm pajamas. It was starting to get cold at the mansion, and he knew that the child needed some warm pajamas. One pair had dogs on it and was red, the other had no pattern and was dark blue. He just hoped the child would like them.

Along with the pajamas, he grabbed the child a few warm shirts and pants. Winter was coming fast. The last thing he wanted was a cold child on his hands. He didn't want the boy to get sick, after all.

He also grabbed some socks. Some that were warm and fuzzy, and then just some normal printed socks. Hand-me-down socks were not something that the child deserved. He deserved way better than that.

Next he went to the toy department.

Lex would have put his hands in his pockets if he didn't have to push a cart. It was like the stupid store had unlocked his inner child. He wanted to touch every toy, push every button…

He shook his head, then tried to focus. There would be plenty of time for playing later. The child would surely want Lex to play with him. Only yesterday he had come into Lex's room with some of the billiard balls in his arms and begged for Lex to play with him. Of course he had said yes. Saying no to that kid was almost impossible.

He looked at the aisle of LEGO sets. After a moment, he decided to grab one of their sets for toddlers. It was just a little house, but he had the feeling that the child would enjoy the bright colors and the way they all connected.

He also grabbed a large ball, some blocks, a few random toys, and some diecast cars.

He hoped that the child would like them, but he had the feeling that he didn't really need to worry about that sort of thing. He had watched some of the footage from the lab. The child hadn't owned anything of his own. The room had been bare. They didn't even let him sleep with a blanket.

Before he left, he also grabbed a huge box of crayons and a coloring book. Martha had told Lex that the child had enjoyed coloring when she had brought over the art supplies. Lex was sure that the child would enjoy some of his own to use whenever he wanted.

On his way to the registers though, something caught his eye. He couldn't help but grin when he saw it. The child would love it.

Lex arrived back at the mansion later than he had expected. Not that he had expected to be back early, but he had spent more time in the store than he had expected.

He hadn't made it two steps inside of the door before he was almost knocked over by the force of the child launching himself at Lex.

"Hey, buddy!" Lex greeted as he picked him up and gave him a tight hug. The air was almost forced out of his lungs by how tightly the child squeezed him back.

"Hey, Lex," Martha greeted as she walked up. "How was Metropolis?"

Lex smiled as he shifted the child to his hip. "It was good," he told her. "I got a lot of the stuff at headquarters sorted out and I got some shopping done."

Martha grinned. "I'm happy to hear it," she said. "Need help carrying things in?"

Lex shook his head and smiled as the child burrowed further into Lex's chest. It was obvious that the poor child was getting sleepy and probably wanted to be in bed at this point. "Thanks, Martha, but I've got it."

She smiled, then grabbed her purse. "Same time tomorrow?"

Lex grinned as he held open the door for her. "Sounds great," he told her. "Thanks for watching him."

Martha smiled. "See ya," she said, before waving at the child. "Bye, sweetie."

After Martha pulled out of the driveway, Lex placed the child down on the floor.

"Stay here," Lex told him as the child let out a sleepy whine. "I have to get some things out of the car, but I'll be back in a minute."

The child nodded, then sat down on the floor. "'Kay," he said.

Lex smiled, then walked out to his car and pulled out all of the bags. At the last second, he walked over to his mailbox and grabbed the mail. He would sort through it after he put the child to bed.

When Lex walked back in, the child was still sitting in the floor where he had left him. The child followed every order with obedience and without question. Lex hoped that the child was just naturally obedient and this wasn't something that the monsters at the lab had beaten into him, but he knew that this level of submission normally came with a price.

Lex set the mail on the end table, then put the bags on the floor. "I got you some things while I was gone today," he said. "Come see."

The child stepped forward, then peered into the bag of clothes. His expression stayed the same, but Lex could see the way his eyes lit up. Was he scared to show when he was happy? Did he think that would be pulled away from him as well?

"It's gonna start getting cold soon and I thought you would wanna be warm," he said. "And when it gets cold enough to start snowing, I'll get you some mittens and a nice snow suit so we can play in the snow together."

Only after Lex talked about snow did he realize that the child probably had no idea what that was unless the scientists had tested the way the child's body reacted to the snow. He doubted it though, it would have been a lot easier just to change the temperature of the room.

Lex watched as the child cautiously pulled out the articles of clothing. Some of them got placed on the floor after he picked them up, but with some of them the child would hold them to his chest for a minute or run his hands over the soft fabric. Lex really tried not to think about the fact that these were probably the first winter clothes the child had ever owned, but the nightmarish image of the thin and pale child in a gown that he had rescued from the lab wouldn't leave his mind.

After the child had gone through all of the clothes, he picked them back up and placed them into the bag.

"I also got you these," Lex said as he pushed the bag of toys to him.

This time the child couldn't hide his smile or excitement as he grinned at the bright toys in the bag.

"I know you wanna play with them, but it's getting late," Lex told him. "So we're just gonna look at them for now, okay?"

The child nodded as he picked up the toy cars and inspected them before putting them back into the bag. Lex felt a bit guilty for telling the child he couldn't play with them tonight, but it was almost past his bedtime, and Martha had worn him out by the looks of it.

"There's one last thing," Lex said, then pulled out a wrapped box. "Here you go."

The child took the box from Lex's arms, but didn't move to unwrap it. Instead he just looked at it.

After a minute, it dawned on Lex that there was no way that the child had ever been given a gift before. Especially not one that was wrapped.

"You're supposed to rip the paper, bubba," he said. "Want me to help?"

When the child stayed quiet, Lex took that as a yes. He took the paper between his hands and made the smallest of holes. He wanted the child to have the experience of opening his first gift.

"Like that," he said, then stood back. "Now you do it."

At first, the child made the most hesitant and gentlest of movements to tear the paper. Then instincts kicked in and the child began to tear into the paper like he had been doing this all of his life. Lex couldn't keep the grin off of his face as he watched.

Inside of the box was a book and a doll. A stuffed velveteen rabbit and the book that went along with it.

The child picked up the doll and squeezed it tightly to his chest the same way Lex had seen the child behave with Julian's blanket.

Lex watched as the child rubbed the ears of the bunny between his fingers and inspected his plastic nose and eyes. He treated the bunny the same way someone would treat a newborn baby or a piece of porcelain china.

After a moment though, the child's face fell. He swallowed harshly, then handed the bunny to Lex. The entire time the child's eyes were firmly glued to the floor the entire time.

At first, Lex thought that the child didn't like it, then he remembered when the child had tried to give him back the blanket. It wasn't that he didn't want it, it was that he did want it. How many things had been dangled over this poor child's head?

Lex looked down at the bunny in his hands. It was soft and plush, just like he had hoped. It was the perfect stuffed animal for someone like the child.

"This is yours, Bubba," he said as he gently placed his hand on the child's back. He held the bunny in front of the child, allowing him to grab it if he wanted to. "I got it just for you. I'm not gonna take it away."

The child hesitated as he looked uneasily from Lex to the bunny. "Mine?"

Lex nodded. "Yours."

The child took the bunny from Lex and squeezed it against his chest. For a moment, Lex thought that the child's tight hold would burst the stuffed doll into pieces, but it didn't.

"Thank you," the child said softly as he stroked the soft brown ears of his bunny.

Lex picked up the child and pressed his forehead to the child's. "I love you, bubba," he said.

To Lex's disappointment, the child didn't return the same words that he had just said. Instead, his eyes glowed a little brighter, and his lips curled up into a smile. For now, it would have to do. Besides, it was probably too early for the child to be that vulnerable with him. He needed to be patient.

With his other hand, he grabbed the bags. "Let's go get you ready for bed so I can read you your new story," Lex said.

The child grinned and Lex began to carry the child to his room. He smiled as the child curled closer to Lex, the toy bunny practically strangled by the grip the child's arm had around its neck.

As they made their way to bed, the two of them were all smiles and goodnight wishes, but the mail Lex had placed on the table had been completely forgotten.

Lex was sitting at his desk the next morning when the child walked in.

He couldn't help but smile every time the child entered his office. He honestly wished he could just skip work to play with the child, it would be a day well spent in his opinion.

"Morning, bud," he greeted, then frowned when he looked up at the child. "What are you doing?"

The child smiled at him, but Lex continued to frown in confusion. In one of the child's hands was one of his new crayons, in the other was what looked like a newspaper.

"Business!" The child explained.

Lex's frown deepened, but then it dawned on him as he remembered their afternoon a few days ago. "Are you running a business like me?" He asked.

The child grinned, then nodded. "Like Daddy!"

Lex chuckled, then stood up and scooped the child up. The child squealed as he was lifted into the air. It was maybe one of Lex's favorite sounds he had ever heard. The child rarely laughed, rarely squealed, he still hardly talked… But maybe things were starting to get better.

Lex looked down at the papers in the child's hands though and frowned again. One of the pieces was a copy of Smallville's newspaper, the other one was a letter. By the looks of it, the child had torn into the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper.

"Mind if I see that?" Lex asked as he pointed to the piece of paper.

The child handed it to him, and Lex looked at it.

The child had thoroughly scribbled all over it, but Lex could still make out the words that had been written.

We know what you're hiding. Give it back before we take it back.

This is your one warning, Mr. Luthor. Do as we say if you want everyone to make it out of this alive.

There we go! Chapter nine, the beginning of the drama, and the beginning of the end of part one! I hope you liked it! Please follow, fave, and review! I would love to know what you thought!

Thanks for reading! Love y'all!