Disclaimer: Still own nothing except for the characters that aren't part of the real Smallville universe. To explain the title: Morrissey (of the Smiths) covered that song, and I thought it sort of fit with what happened in this chapter. I mean nothing bizarre by it.
Author's Note: Seventeen at last! This won't be going on much longer, and I mean it this time; a few months is enough time.
This is dedicated to Hope and Fi for remembering that this story existed, and for asking me about it. I never would have picked it up again, had they not said anything.
I Want A Boy For My Birthday
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Bixby had confessed that he was a little afraid to drop Ben at the Luthor Manor; he said that if Lex was as nasty as his father, Ben and his benefactor could be turned away. Ben felt in his heart, however, that Lex was a good man. Besides, if he was turned away, he'd just get a ride to the prison to find his mother. It seemed so simple.
"Good luck, kid," Bixby said seriously, giving Benjamin's hand a brisk shake.
"Thank you, sir; you, too. Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it." Bag in hand, he clambered out of the vehicle. Once his feet were touching the pavement, Bixby looked down, saluted, then slowly pulled down the long, winding driveway.
After taking a deep, relaxing breath, Benjamin trudged toward the front door of the huge, ornate castle. The front door was tall and made of red-painted wood; it was just as ominous as the brass doorknocker. "Do it, Ben," he whispered to himself, banging the knocker before he changed his mind.
Two minutes passed, and he was about to give up hope. Just as he was going to turn away and cry, the door creaked open and a bald head peered outward. "May I help you?" the man asked cordially, his bright blue eyes locking with Benjamin's.
"L-lex Luthor?" the boy stuttered, suddenly very nervous; the man's eyes were unnerving.
A frown. "Yes. And you are?"
Looking at Lex's eyes was like looking at his own in a mirror...Benjamin was trembling when he said as calmly as he could, "I think I'm your son."
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Chloe smirked at her husband through the plastic the next morning. "So, you let him stay the night? That was big of you, Lex."
Shrugging, Lex switched the phone to his other ear. "Come on, Clo; he managed to hitch hike all the way to Smallville, he's only ten or so, and...he really does look a hell of a lot like me." This last part was uttered while he stared at his hands.
His wife sighed and tapped the fingers of her unoccupied left hand against the black countertop. "Lex," she began in her 'cut the BS' voice.
"Uh oh," he returned dramatically, "we all know what *that* tone means! She's going to rant."
Chloe ignored him, plowing ahead. "Lex, we don't know, first of all, if he's even the child I gave up. Secondly, if he is, we don't know if he's yours or..." Pause, her cheerful features momentarily clouded, "or not."
"We could find out," Lex offered seriously, wanting to get to the bottom of the situation.
"Look, I get out tomorrow," another pause while they broke into grins, "and we can deal with it then, okay?"
He rubbed his handsome face with one hand, the grin not vanishing. "Fine, fine. We'll deal with it when you get home. But, really, it's creepy how much he resembles me...what if does end up to be ours, Clo? When he finally said something to me last night, he confessed that he's uncomfortable with his adoptive parents. They don't hurt him, but there's no real love, supposedly. I'm not going to--" Lex cut himself off when the two-minute warning announcement blared.
Chloe never would have told him, but she couldn't wait for that warning; the sooner visiting hours were over, the sooner the day would be over. The sooner the day was over, the sooner she'd be *free*. The sooner she was free, the sooner she'd be in Lex's arms again. She also was incredibly curious about the Benjamin scenario, but that was a distant second on her list of priorities.
"Bye, sweetie," Lex said, still smiling. "See you tomorrow." He was giddy; it was obvious by the way he kept cracking his knuckles. "They're supposed to drop you off around eleven in the morning; I was going to ask if I could pick you up, but I guess even Luthors can't do that. They have to make sure you don't go out and commit some huge crime as soon as you're free." People were leaving, and he was babbling. It was time to shut up and leave.
With a smirk, Chloe nodded. "Yeah, Lex; Corey explained that to me already. See you tomorrow. I love you."
He blew her a kiss, heading for the door. "Love you, too," he mouthed.
Less than twenty-four hours, and he'd be able to hold her again.
******
Lena glanced up from the magazine she was reading on the couch in Lex's office; Benjamin was sitting cross-legged on the floor, Lex's first-edition, leather-bound copy of *Wuthering Heights* cluched in his hands. She admired the careful way he slowly turned the thin, browned pages; they were obviously very brittle. "How are you doing?" she said cheerfully.
He stared up at her, his blue eyes wide. "What? I'm sorry, I was engrossed in the book."
*He's much too mature for his age* she noted, taking in the purple shirt and gray pants he wore; Lex had dug up some old clothes of John's (they were hidden in a closet somewhere) for the boy to wear after his shower; they were a little big, but Ben didn't seem to mind at all.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, I was just wondering how you're doing." She smiled genuinely at the boy who could be her full or half-brother. He was so adorable.
When he shrugged, he appeared tiny and angelic; especially with the sunlight from the stained glass window highlighting his blond hair. "I'm fine, considering. And yourself?" His eyebrows raised, and he seemed interested.
"Oh, I'm great."
They went back to their reading before he asked casually, "is Roger your boyfriend?"
Roger and John were out doing what they called 'guy stuff', which probably meant they were cruising around in one of her father's cars (he was lenient about giving his son keys) and hooting about how 'cool' they were. "Yes, he is," Lena assured him with an affectionate roll of her eyes. "Why do you ask? I'm not annoyed."
Another shrug. "No reason; making conversation, is all. When does Lex get back from the prison, if you don't mind me asking even more questions." He smiled shyly, shifted slightly on the floor.
She glanced at her silver watch; she'd bought it at a boutique when she was in Paris a year before, and she loved it. "He'll be home in a few minutes. Please, ask quetions! I have a feeling we're going to need to get to know each other. How's the book? I read that when I was twelve."
Ben tilted the faded green cover, as though he'd forgotten in what he'd been absorbed. "It's my second time through, so it's not as good. However, I still like it a lot."
Lena 'hmm'ed. Her mouth opened and closed a few times while she debated whether or not to ask. "Tell me if I'm being rude, but...why are you so smart for your age?" She blushed to the roots of her red hair when she finished; it sounded so accusatory.
Ben, however, took it in stride. "My adoptive parents, Terry and Nicole, aren't around much. I had plenty of time to myself when I got home from school. I got books out of the library, and I just read all the time." His eyes locking with hers again, he anticipated her next question. "I know I could have gotten into trouble instead of reading, but I hate disappointing people, and I knew that was what I'd do if I didn't behave. Besides, people who do bad things when they're young don't turn out well, do they?"
Setting her magazine on the arm of the plush couch, Lena sighed. "There is my...our father; he was wild in his youth."
Ben's turn to blush. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."
She smiled again, dropping to the floor next to him. After giving him a quick hug (which he returned after a beat) she said, "don't worry about it. Anyway, I'm absolutely sure my mother had everything to do with Dad's straightening out. She's the kind of woman that doesn't take any BS from anybody."
His brow furrowed. "Do you think I'll like her?"
He was so worried that Lena had to give him another hug. "Yes, I do. She's an amazing woman."
Footsteps, then the door cracked open. "Lena, Benjamin, I'm home," Lex said simply, striding all the way inside. When he noticed them hugging, he smiled. "I see you two are getting along. Good." He perched behind his desk and began tapping an expensive pen against a closed file folder; he was still jittery. "Benjamin, when Chloe gets home tomorrow, we're going to figure out what to do with you. Until then, enjoy yourself, all right?" He gazed at the boy for a long moment, his smile giving way to a serious frown.
"Uh, yes, sir," was the automatic reply. The unnerving stare was getting to Ben quickly. He decided that, maybe, Lex always looked at people that way; when he was alone with Lena again, he planned to ask her.
Picking up his book again, Ben continued to read. After a second, Lena went back to the couch and her magazine. No matter how many times the Luthors told him it was okay that he'd dropped by, he still worried that he'd inconvienced them; he was, in fact, incredibly lucky that Lex had let him in!
Then there was the small matter of Terry and Nicole; Lex had called them (leaving a message on their answering machine) to say that Ben arrived there safely, and that he'd contact them later to iron things out. Despite that, Ben was worried.
He prayed that once Lex's wife got home, things would be okay.
LAST CHAPTER'S COMING!
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