Couple and rating are still the same.
Disclaimer: [insert witty remark about how, if I owned anything other than a few supporting characters in this story, the show would be called, 'ChLexville']
Author's Note: This is it! I may do another chapter in a while (like I did with John's birth in 'Save Me') but until then, this is the last section! Thanks so very much to everyone who assured me that my writing doesn't always suck. I really had a blast doing this, but all good things must end.
This is for all my fellow Truth Seekers. I ask that they notice the cake. :-)
******
You've Got Everything Now
The day had finally arrived. Chloe would be returning to the Manor, hopefully forever. That morning, Lex awoke grinning; he even began to sing in the shower, which didn't bother him. He was *happy* and excited, after all.
When he reached the dining room, dressed in gray pants and a white shirt for a change, he found that Lena had cooked breakfast: French toast and bacon were waiting for him at his spot, along with coffee and a glass of orange juice. "Morning," he greeted his daughter cheerfully, kissing her cheek.
"Hi, Daddy," she returned with a grin, hugging him tightly. "Four more hours!" Her snug red shirt and fitted jeans were dusted with flour, but she didn't seem to notice for once; she was too busy bouncing in her stocking feet.
Lex dropped onto his seat, his own bare feet tapping tunelessly, and began eating his food. "Where are the others?" he wondered in between bites, raising his eyebrows at Lena, who was busy serving herself.
She sat across from him, sighed. "Ben and John are still sleeping, Roger's in the shower." A pause while the Luthors worked on their respective meals. "What are you going to do about Ben, anyway?"
It was Lex's turn to sigh. "I don't know; I was going to wait until your mother came home. She wants to meet him. We can't really adopt him since that would be a messy court process. After all we've been through over the years...." He trailed off when the object of their discussion shuffled into the room, rubbing his eyes.
"Hello, Mister Luthor, Lena," Ben muttered sleepily. In striped pajama pants that were a little too large, and a baggy white t-shirt, he appeared much younger than he was. "How are you this morning?" He eyed the French toast on the counter, rocking lightly on the balls of his feet.
Smiling at the boy, Lex said, "feel free to eat, Benjamin. I'm doing well today, and how are you?"
The blonde boy was Lex's son; it was so apparent from his nervous habits, if nothing else. The billionaire loved him already. "I'm fine." After another second's hesitation, he gingerly lifted a china plate off a stack and helped himself to a piece of toast and a tiny scoop of scrambled eggs. He set his dish in front of the seat next to Lena's, then went back for some juice.
Lena watched her brother with some interest. "Morning, Ben," she said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle his already messy hair. "Sleep well?"
"Uh huh. Your wife comes home today, right, Mister Luthor?" asked the boy before he began to methodically cut his syrup-drenched French toast.
*'She's your mother'* Lex wanted to insist. All he said, though, was, "Yes. And please, call me 'Lex', will you?" *If you aren't going to call me 'Dad', that is.* "She's going to love you, Ben; don't worry, okay?"
A slight, nervous nod. More footsteps cut off whatever he wantd to say. "Hello, everybody," John interjected with a smile. The way his eyes were glittering, it was obvious he was as excited as the others. After patting his father on the shoulder, kissing his sister's cheek, and shaking hands with Ben, Lex's second child sat down to eat.
Five minutes later, a jeans and flannel-clad Roger bounded into the dining room. "Good morning!" he bellowed, kissing his girlfriend for several long seconds and waving to the others.
The only one missing was Martha; she usually didn't wake until eight o'clock, ever since she got sick. Lex had every intention of checking on her once he was through with his breakfast. "Hi, Roger," he managed stiffly. Even after getting to know him, Lex still just didn't like his daughter's boyfriend! She had long stopped asking for a concrete reason why, but Lex suddenly wanted to have one.
"What are you all doing this morning?" he asked briskly, as a way to start a conversation; he didn't want to think about how long he had to wait to see his wife.
"Reading," Ben spoke up immediately, illiciting a smile from his sister.
"Spending time at home," Lena and John replied in unison, illiciting a smirk from their father.
"Following Lena around," Roger added dryly, making her grin.
With an absent nod, Lex stopped pushing his eggs around with his fork and stood. "I'm going to go wake Martha up, then I'll probably lock myself in my office for a few hours. If you need anything at all, feel free to see me, okay?" Though it was directed at the whole table, he was looking right at Ben when he spoke.
He placed a plate on a tray then added a mug of coffee and a cup of orange juice. Once he raised his eyebrows at Roger, whose hand was getting a little too acquainted with Lena's thigh, Lex headed for the stairs.
******
Martha, who was healthy enough that she'd be able to start doing things around the house again, was just as thrilled as Lex was about Chloe's return. "I told you she'd come back," she teased, sipping her coffee carefully. The tray was balanced on her legs, which were stretched out across the gray cotton sheets. (She protested silk sheets, saying she didn't need such treatment.)
From his spot on the 'visitor's chair' in the corner, Lex smirked. His elbows were rested on his knees, and he steepled his hands underneath his chin. "Yes, you did. And I didn't believe you. There, I admitted it."
She chuckled, her eyes lighting up. If it weren't for the heavy lines on her face and the general exhaustion she exuded, Martha could have been her younger, chipper self. "I'm getting out of bed and baking her a cake today," she declared, casting a glance at her wrinkled, pink cotton pajamas.
Lex allowed himself to grin. "Chocolate?"
Her turn to smirk. "As if I'd make any other kind for our Chloe."
Chuckling, he agreed. "You're so good to us."
"Be quiet." She set the tray on her bedside table, then sat up more. "You're still worried about Lena and Roger, aren't you?" she began bluntly, her voice concerned.
His bright, clear eyes locked with hers, and he didn't have to nod. "Yeah."
"Don't be," Martha urged cryptically. "She and I have been talking-" she wouldn't divulge the proposal, since Lena had yet to make up her mind- "-and she assured me that they're waiting."
This piqued Lex's interest! He sat straighter. "So does that mean they have definite plans to get married one day?"
Closing her eyes, the woman put on her poker face. "You'd have to ask her." It wasn't a lie.
A succinct nod. "Why else would they wait? Unless they're waiting to move in together, but she can't do that until she graduates." When Martha's eyebrows raised in question, Lex added, "I asked her to wait until she was sure about Roger. She said she would, grudgingly, I might add, but we know her." He ended the statement with a wry chuckle.
The pair chatted for a bit longer; mostly about Benjamin, Chloe, Clark, and Lex's work. Eventually Martha swung her legs to the floor and stood up. "I'm going to shower then get baking." She clapped her hands together briskly, beaming.
Laughing, Lex hugged her warmly. "What *would* we do without you, Martha?"
She hugged him back, kissed the top of his bald head. "You'd be cakeless, that's for sure."
******
The entire group (minus Martha, who was in the kitchen) was in Lex's office. He himself was pretending to work (he couldn't concentrate), Ben (wearing another of John's old outfits) was curled up on the floor by the window, engrossed in *Wuthering Heights*, Lena and Roger were playing chess on the coffee table by the couch, and John was playing pool by himself.
No one spoke or glanced at each other; they all focused on their own activities, so as not to start counting down the minutes. Her parole officer (who was driving her) had called an hour before, confirming that someone would be home. Lex, who had spoken to the calm-sounding woman, had been tempted to tell her that, after a decade without his wife, he'd never leave the house again if he could hold her. He only said that they would be waiting, then thanked her for calling.
Shoving a thick stack of papers into a drawer, Lex sighed and rubbed his scalp. According to his watch, she could be there any minute. "Checkmate!" Lena shrieked suddenly, making her father jump.
Roger congratulated her with a kiss, before they began to pack up the game.
"Shh," John insisted, craning his neck toward the open door. Voices in the hallway. He scurried to the door and peered into the long hallway that led to the foyer. "She's home," he shouted, bolting from the room.
******
Officer Carlson was a large, friendly blonde woman who explained the parole procedure to Lex and Chloe, then had the latter sign a few papers that said she'd behave and report in periodically, wat have you. The officer smiled, wished them all a good day, and left.
The seven people all stared at each other. All were grinning (except for Ben and Roger; the latter was halfway interested, and the former was nervous) and bouncy. Finally, Lena shrieked and threw herself at her mother.
"Hi, baby," Chloe whispered, giving her daughter a long, warm hug. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you, too, Mom." Lena stepped back and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I'm sorry," she laughed.
Chloe smoothed her hair, kissed her cheek. "Frankly, if you didn't cry, I'd be hurt," she deadpanned. Then she faced John, arms outstretched. "Get over here, Johnny-boy!"
He needed no further encouragement, lifting her off the floor in an embrace. "It's great to have you home, Mom!" he declared, beaming.
"I missed my boy so much!" She kissed his cheek as well, ruffling his hair.
When she turned away from her children, she smiled slyly at Lex, mouthed, 'just a second', and winked. Though he was fully tempted to grab her in his arms, he nodded. "You must be Roger," his wife said briskly, holding out her hand to Lena's boyfriend.
He shook the hand, didn't meet her eyes; the whole thing seemed to make him uncomfortable. "I am, Misses Luthor. It's great to finally meet you; Lena has told me so much about you." He at least sounded sincere, though his left hand never left Lena's hip.
"Ah, yes, and I've heard much about you," Chloe returned politely. There was a pause while she looked Benjamin over. "Hi, Benjamin," she said softly, hugging him before he could react. His posture, his face were all Lex...
"Hi," he returned quietly, his voice filled with tears, "Mom," he added in a whisper. Their hug was brisk, and both were crying silently when it was over. "It's...great to finally meet you," he choked out, smiling broadly.
Leaning on her heels, Chloe knealt in front of him. "You, too." She straightened his black shirt tenderly, kissed his forehead. "I hope you can stay with us for a while. I'd like to get to know you."
"I want that, too. Very much," he assured her seriously.
Everyone was silent when she stood up again; the display of emotion between mother and son was amazing to witness. "Martha," Chloe began, wiping tears from her cheeks.
"Chloe," her friend shot back, hugging her tightly. "It's so wonderful to see you!"
"You, too! Thank you so much for taking care of my family."
"You bet." The older woman stepped back until she was leaning against the wood-paneled wall. After a moment's thought, she motioned to the others, who were crowded on a Persian rug. "Why don't we go somewhere else," she whispered.
Lena, John, Roger, and, finally, Ben, nodded. The quintet crept down the brightly-lit hall, leaving the married couple alone in the foyer.
Lex swallowed firmly, drank in the sight of her. She wore a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt (she'd changed quickly before reuniting with her loved ones, and Lex didn't blame her for wanting to get out of the prison uniform) and was as beautiful as ever. Her hands were on her hips, and her head was tilted to the side while she waited for him to say something. "Hi," he began in a whisper, taking a step toward her.
"Come on, Lex, don't be all sappy, now!" Chloe insisted. She closed the distance between them by wrapping her arms around his neck. "Do I even need to tell you how good it feels to see you again?" She buried her face in his shirt and breathed in his familiar scent. He smelled like soap, his woodsy cologne, and something that was simply 'Lex'.
"Don't talk," he whispered against her hair. *She* smelled like strawberries and coffee, despite having been in a musty cell for the better part of a decade; that was her natural aroma, he knew. He allowed his fingers to slip under her shirt and brush the bare skin of her lower back. She shivered and snuggled closer.
Her own hands took in the silkiness of his garment, then reacquainted themselves with his smooth flesh. Two pairs of glittering blue eyes locked suddenly, and the Luthors drew each other closer. Their kiss began slowly and affectionately; there was no reason to rush. After a few moments, her lips parted, and he accepted her invitation.
She relished every brush of his lips, every caress of his tongue, every sigh he couldn't stifle; he memorized the way her hands danced up his spine, making him tingle; they remembered how much they loved each other, how awful it had been to be apart.
They broke apart slowly, both trembling. "I love you, Clo," Lex said with a grin, running his hands through her longer hair.
"I love you, too, Lex," she returned, unable to suppress a smirk. "Wow, we're pathetic."
A laugh from her husband. "We really are." He pressed his forehead to hers, sighed for what had to be the eighth time since she walked through the door. "I have this sudden urge to just spout all these cliches...please, don't let me," he said with a sly smile.
"The last thing I want is for you to get sappy, Lex," Chloe teased, kissing him so fiercely that he had to brace himself against the wall. They were dizzy from passion within a few seconds, but that didn't stop the kiss; if they hadn't had company, he would have swept her off to their bedroom.
He pulled back reluctantly, when his brain was screaming from lack of oxygen. The need in her eyes mirrored his own, but all he said was, "we...company...Ben." His eyes rolled in exasperation.
Grinning, Chloe tugged him to the kitchen. "What makes you think I was even *considering* that at this point in time, Lex?"
******
The Lawrences called during dinner (which consisted of filet mignon and twice baked potatoes). Lex took the call in his office, so as not to disturb Benjamin, who shrunk down in his seat when he heard who was on the line.
"Mister Luthor," Nicole began, sounding embarrassed, "I want to apologize for our son's behavior. He gets these crazy ideas in his head and..."
*He's not YOUR son; he's OUR son.* Lex thought about yelling that while she blathered on, but didn't. *And you completely underestimate him* he added silently. "Misses Lawrence, it's no trouble at all; we love having him around. If it's too inconvenient for you to pick him up tonight, he's certainly welcome to stay longer." *Please say you'll come in a few days...* He already loved Benjamin to the point where he was ready to adopt him.
"No," Terry Lawrence cut in, grabbing the phone from his wife. "Thank you, Mister Luthor, but we must have our son back; he needs to know that these 'excursions' aren't allowed." The man sounded bitter, while his wife had simply sounded humiliated. Lex supposed he didn't blame them; Ben had essentially said he didn't care about the people who had raised him. "Can I speak to Ben?"
Lex stared up at the ceiling, rested his feet on his desktop. "He's eating right now, and, frankly, I'm not sure he really wants to talk to you; he's a little worried that you'll yell at him."
"Well, we WILL!" Terry yelped, taking Lex aback. That was no way to speak to a child who, yes, had done something that he shouldn't have; however, Ben was young and unhappy; Lex also didn't blame the boy for letting his curiosity get the best of him.
"Mister Lawrence," Lex insisted, "I think you should take it easy on him. His mother just got out of jail and.." That really was the wrong thing to say.
"I don't know how the hell you think you are," Terry broke in loudly, "but you haven't had tests done; you don't even *know* Benjamin! As far as you should be concerned, Nicole is his mother. Not your wife, or anyone else! We'll be there in a few hours." With that, the call was ended.
******
"They'll be here in a couple hours," Lex announced flatly when he rejoined the group in the dining room.
Ben looked up from his cake sadly. "Oh," he whispered, close to tears.
"I did what I could, but they're adamant about taking you back," he told the boy, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Lex...Dad...what do you want me to call you?" His curious blue eyes blinked.
A smile from Lex. "Whatever you want to."
Chloe was watching them with a grin, listening while her children rattled off stories. She wasn't eating cake, so Lex opted not have any then, either. ('Later', Chloe mouthed when he cast her a look.) She asked questions at certain intervals, laughed when appropriate, and beamed the whole time. She was relaxed, calm, and happy. It warmed Lex to see her so carefree for the first time in a decade.
Martha was even joining the conversation, sharing stories about Clark, and anecdotes about Chloe's escapades as a teenager. Her children (Ben included) laughed uproariously, and Chloe glowered at her friend in mock annoyance. Some of the tales were even new to Lex, and he enjoyed them immensely.
"I had no idea you were so daring, Clo," he teased, leaning over to give her a quick kiss at one point.
In reply, she smirked and patted his cheek. "Why don't you regale us, Lex? Tell us about your days at prep school. Just *how* did you manage to get expelled from the third? Something involving the swimming pool, a bunch of jelly fish and some food coloring?"
"ooooh," everybody whispered in unison, when Lex made a face.
"Dad, what'd you do?" Lena wondered. Her fork was suspended in midair (a bite of cake on its tip) she was in such suspense.
Rolling his eyes, Lex began to relate the story, complete with gesticulations. Next to him, Chloe was grinning, her hand rubbing his neck while he talked animatedly. "Then the girls' swim team got in the water and noticed that there were little globby greenish things floating on top..." He himself was having trouble keeping a straight face. Even Roger and Ben were cracking up when the story was done.
The air of contentment surrounding the table was shattered when the doorbell rang shrilly.
******
Lex got up from the table slowly and shuffled into the foyer again. He wanted to delay the moment when Ben had to leave as much as possible. Finally, he just couldn't stall any more. Throwing open the creaky wooden doors, he pasted his 'I'm smiling because it's rude not to' smile on his face. "Mister and Misses Lawrence, come in," he said with as much cheerfulness as he could muster.
"Thank you," Terry replied, holding out his hand, which Lex shook. "We really can't stay, though."
Ben and Chloe (who had helped him gather his stuff --including some books and some of John's old clothes) wandered over, hands clenched together. "Hello, Mister and Misses Lawrence," the latter said politely, her eyes narrowing when she saw the way Nicole was sneering at her.
"Misses Luthor," they replied in cool unison. Hands were shaken loosely.
John, Lena, Roger, and Martha were next to arrive, all four giving the newcomers polite, distant glances.
"We'd better go, then, Benjamin," Nicole said flatly, holding out her hand for the boy.
Ben focused on his real mother, tears in his eyes. He broke from her side, embracing his (half?) siblings tightly. Then he hugged Martha, whom he'd grown to like over the few days he was there. He shook Roger's hand seriously, wished him luck in a way that seemed much too old for an eleven year-old.
That left Lex and Chloe. He went to his (potential) father first, shaking his hand briskly. Lex had none of that; he knelt down and hugged Ben fiercely, even kissed his forehead. "Chloe gave you our phone number?" he asked. A nod. "Call us any time; I mean it. If you need anything at all..."
Ben nodded again. "Thank you, Lex. For everything."
Chloe drew in a deep, shaky breath; yes, she'd only gotten to know him that day, but he WAS her son (even without tests, she just KNEW), and he was an amazing boy. "Bye, Ben," she whispered, hugging him so tightly her arms hurt.
"Bye," he returned, his voice catching, "Mom," he added so only she could hear. "Like Lex said, any time you need anything, call. Please." Mother and son shared a gaze, then Terry tapped the latter's shoulder.
"Let's go."
Ben nodded, staring at his other family until he was pulled out the door.
Once the door shut behind the Lawrences, the other family simply stood and stared after them.
******
Around eleven-thirty that night, Lex and Chloe decided to enjoy their cake; they told John, Roger, and Lena to go see a late movie, and Martha went to bed. Chloe cut them each a slice, Lex got the squirty whipped cream out of the fridge.
Smirking, they stood across from each other at the table, hunks of cake and whipped cream in their hands. The first pieces missed their respective targets and stuck to the wall-papered walls. "Oops," Chloe said without meaning it, ducking another renegade cake piece. "Come on, Lex, I *know* you have better aim then that!"
He squirted some whipped cream onto his palm, flicked it at her. It landed unceremoniously on the middle of her cheek. "You mean like that?" A piece of cake hit his forehead, leaving a bit of chocolate frosting before it fell to the table.
"Poor Martha," Chloe continued, tossing some whipped cream at her husband. "She slaves all morning on this gorgeous cake, and we just destroy it." She allowed a chunk to bounce off her mouth. Bending down, she grabbed it off the table, and ate it.
"I was going to say," Lex shot back, ducking some frosting that ended up hitting him anyway, "that we're going to eat it later." His eyebrows waggled, and she laughed.
"If your aim improves, anyway," she taunted, successfully getting some whipped cream to stick to his bald head.
That was all the taunting he could take; Lex jumped onto the table, then onto the floor, smothering her face with the remainder of his pastry slice. She was ready with the whipped cream, however, so they were evenly matched.
"That's what you get," he teased, brushing her lower lip with his fingertip.
They somehow ended up on the floor, covered from head to toe in pastry and cream; despite the mess (or maybe because of it) he kissed her neck softly, licking the frosting that landed there. "Who won?" she gasped.
"Call it a tie," Lex whispered, taking her in his arms. He carried her out of the kitchen quickly.
"Which essentially means I won, and you're too sore a loser to admit it," she retorted before licking some whipped cream off of his lip.
"Ouch," he said bluntly, grinning. "Fine, if you won, I guess I have to reward you, huh?"
It was a good thing they were already halfway up the staircase; neither was going to last much longer.
Hours later, they'd 'cleaned themselves up', made up for lost time, and changed into pajamas. When she snuggled against his bare chest, he brushed a tender kiss across her forehead and told her he loved her. She returned the sentiment, then fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Everything was as it should've been.
THE END...for now