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View Full Version : [Completed] The Things We Hold Dear - Sequel To Unacceptable R



scifichick774
19th April 2003, 18:33
Title: The Things We Hold Dear
Author: scifichick774
Rating: R
Category: Chloe/Lex R/D
Spoilers: Through the season one finale. Sequel to Unacceptable.
Summary: Chloe and Lex adjust to married life.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no infringement intended, please don’t sue.
Feedback: Yes please.
Archival: Go ahead, just let me know where.
Author’s Note: Sorry it’s taken me so long to get this out to you guys. I had horrible writer’s block when trying to decide how (and if) to continue this story. That said, if this sucks, I’m sorry. I’m doing my best working with a muse who hates me.

~*~*~*~*~

“Are you sure we have to go to this?” Lex asked as he finished knotting his tie. He already knew what she was going to say, but it didn’t hurt to try and get out of it. The Kents had invited them to their Christmas party. He practically groaned when they received the invitation in the mail. Chloe and Clark were getting along again, but he suspected that Clark’s feelings toward Chloe had only grown with time, and Clark became increasingly protective of her as her pregnancy progressed. Chloe stepped out of the bathroom and Lex scanned over her body with appreciation. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure,” she answered his previous question and didn’t give any other acknowledgement to his leer. It seemed to happen even more since they had gotten married, almost like he was sending a subconscious signal to any other males that she was his. She was wearing a dark red dress and small dangly garnet earrings. He pulled her into his embrace and leaned down to kiss her. She smiled as they pulled apart. “We don’t have to stay long,” she said to console him. He grinned.

“Thank God,” he muttered. The drive to the Kent farm went smoothly, despite the snow on the roads. Clark was standing by the window waiting to see them pull up and Lana walked over to him and flashed a bright smile.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” she said as she touched his arm.

“The roads are bad,” Clark responded with a frown. She nodded.

“Lex has gotten to be a much safer driver since Chloe got pregnant,” she reminded him. He sulked his shoulders forward a little in a defeated movement.

“I guess.” He saw the headlights from their SUV come down the drive and he smiled. Lana rolled her eyes.

“Told you so,” she teased. Clark and Lana went outside to greet them. Clark rushed to open the door for Chloe and offered her his hand to help her get out. Lex frowned, but didn’t say anything. Chloe gave Clark and Lana warm hugs. “You look great Chloe.” Chloe smiled. Lana had actually grown on her, especially since she seemed to take the edge off of Lex’s jealousy about Clark whenever she was around.

“Thanks, you too. Now let’s get inside, because I’m freezing,” she laughed and Lex placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked inside. Jonathan frowned at Lex, but Martha grinned at him and came over to give Chloe a hug.

“How are you feeling?” She asked in a worried voice and placed her hand on Chloe’s protruding stomach.

“I’m fine. Baby’s good too, all of the tests have shown that nothing’s wrong,” she responded. A flood of relief washed over Martha’s features.

“Oh, I’m so glad.” She turned to Clark. “Could you fix her a plate?” He nodded and went over toward the buffet.

“I’m not really that hungry,” Chloe argued. Martha shook her head; she wasn’t going to hear any of it.

“You need to keep your energy up, and you’re eating for two now remember,” she said in a motherly tone. Chloe rolled her eyes.

“That’s what Lex keeps telling me too,” she grinned at her husband who returned the gesture. He shrugged.

“She never listens to me either,” Lex said dryly. Chloe playfully hit his arm and he chuckled. Martha frowned at Lex.

“She’s stubborn. You should have someone looking after her,” she said. Chloe looked at her in disbelief.

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but thank you for your concern Mrs. Kent,” she stated. Lex had to bite back a laugh. He knew Martha had been suggesting that Clark or she come over to check on Chloe more often than they already were. He didn’t like how Clark, Lana, or Martha seemed to ‘be in the neighborhood’ almost all of the time as it was. He was thankful that she had graduated early. At least he didn’t have to worry about Clark clamoring all over her at school. Martha Kent sighed.

“If you change your mind, be sure to call me,” she finally gave in. Chloe nodded and smiled. Clark came over with a full plate of food and Chloe’s eyes grew wide.

“That’s for you right?” She asked. He smiled brightly and held it out for her. Chloe groaned and Lex chuckled. “What is it with people and feeding this kid? He’s like four pounds.” Lex arched an eyebrow at her.

“He?” Chloe shrugged.

“I don’t feel comfortable saying ‘it’,” she explained.

“Uh huh,” he said unconvinced. She sighed and looked at him.

“I promised I wouldn’t find out unless you were there with me,” she reminded him in an exasperated voice. He smirked and nodded. Chloe finally took the plate from Clark. Martha wandered off to talk to other guests and Chloe smiled at Clark. “You should go talk to other people too Clark, it is your party.” Clark looked hesitant.

“We are capable of entertaining ourselves you know,” Lex added in a neutral tone. Clark briefly glanced down at Chloe’s stomach and then back up at Lex.

“I’m aware of that,” he answered in a cynical tone. Lex grinned and Chloe started laughing. Chloe handed the plate of food back to Clark and he looked confused.

“I’m sorry Clark. I thought I had enough energy to do this tonight, but…” Clark nodded and smiled in understanding.

“It’s okay. Do you want to lie down upstairs?” He motioned to the stairs with his head. “You could take my bed,” he offered. Lex glared at him.

“I think we should just go home,” he said while keeping the threatening eye contact. Clark grinned sheepishly at Chloe.

“Okay. See you tomorrow?” He asked. Chloe nodded and he walked them to the door. Clark leaned down and gave her a small kiss on her mouth, catching her completely by surprise. Lex growled and Clark smiled and pointed to the mistletoe hanging at the top of the door. Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed Lex’s hand, dragging him out of the party and toward their car.

“You know he planned that don’t you?” Lex asked and opened her door for her.

“Obviously,” she said sarcastically, “Because every guy wants to hit on a girl who’s pregnant with someone else’s child, and oh yeah, who’s married to the father of the child.” He felt the grin tugging at the corners of his lips. She was right. He had no reason to worry about Clark Kent, he was no threat. So why did he still have a nagging feeling in his gut that he was?

~*~*~
Ch. 2
~*~*~

“All I’m saying is that I don’t have my exes coming over to the house,” Lex said.

“Clark is not my ex, and he is my friend,” Chloe reminded him. Lex kept his eyes on the road. The trip back to the manor was taking longer. The roads were icier and it was beginning to snow heavily.

“So you wouldn’t have any problem with Victoria coming over to the house then?” Lex smirked, but unfortunately his comment didn’t get the reaction he was looking for.

“I have no problem with Victoria, as long as she doesn’t drag her boyfriend Derek along again,” she responded. Lex frowned and gripped the wheel a little tighter.

“Why?” His voice was neutral but tinged with angry suspicion. Chloe shrugged.

“He’s hit on me the last couple of times we’ve seen them,” she said, shaking her head with disdain. “What a creep.” Lex glanced over at Chloe.

“And you’re just now telling me this? Why didn’t you tell me before?” He asked. She glanced over and gave him a small grin.

“Because Victoria’s obsession with Derek is pretty much the only thing standing in the way of her trying to hook up with you again,” she said honestly. He grinned back.

“That, and I’m married,” he said. Chloe laughed.

“Somehow I doubt that would matter,” she responded. Lex’s expression showed that he agreed with her.

“Perhaps something can be done about both of them then,” he mumbled. Chloe raised an eyebrow.

“I certainly hope you’re not planning anything evil,” she teased and then smiled. “At least wait until after Christmas.” Lex chuckled. He knew no other woman who would have ever said something like that to him, even if it was in a jesting manner. He looked at her with love and appreciation. The months immediately following their marriage had been a somewhat smooth transition compared to what he thought it would be like. Except for the fact that Clark still considered himself in the running, everything was great.

Of course, the Clark thing was a huge thorn in his side. Not to mention the fact that Chloe seemed to truly believe that he only saw her as a friend. Hell, she believed that Clark was still in love with Lana. They did spend a lot of time together, but Lex saw the way Clark looked at Chloe. He saw the way he doted on her and became more and more protective. Lex saw the way Clark was silently assuring Chloe that he would always be there for her, preparing her to accept him after she came to her senses and got out of her marriage. Just thinking about it made him angry. Chloe smiled lovingly at him and touched his arm.

“I was just kidding,” she said. He looked confused for a moment, and then remembered the after Christmas comment. “Are you okay?” Lex nodded.

“Fine. Just trying to concentrate on the road,” he lied. Chloe frowned.

“It is pretty bad,” she agreed.

“We should have had the chauffer drive us,” Lex added as an afterthought. Chloe stared out at the contrast between the dark sky and the falling white snow.

“We would have never made it there if we had taken the limo,” she said. Lex smiled.

“I know.” He chuckled and she rolled her eyes but started laughing as well. Their SUV hit a patch of ice and slid a little. Chloe grasped onto the side of the door and the glove compartment as a gut reaction. Lex managed to get the situation under control again, but had to drive barely at a creeping pace to make it along the long stream of ice. Chloe rested her head back against her chair.

“Not your usual speed,” she said in a half kidding voice to lighten the mood. Lex kept a neutral and concentrating look on his face. He glanced over at Chloe who was now smiling at him. He grinned.

“If I went my normal speed then we’d end up under a pile of snow and probably end up getting rescued by Clark Kent,” he said. Chloe laughed.

“We can’t have that then can we?” She teased. He grinned.

“No.” Lex could see a pair of headlights coming down the road. From their height, it looked like a large truck. The truck was going a lot faster than they were, and it started to spin. Chloe screamed and shielded her stomach as it came hurling toward them.

~*~*~*~*~

Lex woke up cold and took in his surroundings. Their car was in an upright position, but had rolled a couple of times. Chloe was unconscious and her head was pushed up against the broken passenger side window. Lex cursed when he turned her head and saw the blood running down her face. He pushed aside the feelings of pain radiating from his own body. Snow was blocking too much of his view to see the truck that hit them. He unlatched his and Chloe’s safety belts. He shook her lightly.

“Chloe,” he said, not bothering to use a soft voice. No response. He shook her again. “Chloe, honey, you need to get up now.” No response. Lex’s pulse raced as panic took hold of him. He reluctantly checked her pulse and let out the breath he had been holding when he found it. It seemed okay, but he didn’t know much about what was normal and what wasn’t when it came to that sort of thing.

He dug the cell phone out of his jacket and tried to dial 911, and groaned when it said it couldn’t process the information. He figured the storm was messing with the cell towers somehow, but it didn’t make him feel any better. The smell of gasoline was thick in the air and he didn’t want the fumes to hurt the baby. Lex knew that their best chance for survival was to leave the vehicle, but in his weakened state he wasn’t sure he would be able to carry his unconscious wife all the way back to the Kent farm, and it was the closest residence. He growled and tried to wake her again.

~*~*~*~*~

Clark was pouting. Even with the bad roads, Chloe should have been home by now, which meant that she should have called to let him know that she was all right. But she hadn’t. Pete and Lana seemed to be enjoying themselves, laughing on the other side of the room. Half of him felt that he should be doing the same, but the other part, the side that usually won out, had a feeling that Chloe was in some sort of trouble and longed to help her. He grabbed his coat and rushed out the door without giving anyone an explanation.

He ran quickly until he saw what looked like what had been a car accident. His heart sank. A truck was overturned and smashed against a tree. On the other side of the road, primarily obscured by the snow, was Lex and Chloe’s SUV. He used his x-ray vision and saw Lex trying to wake up Chloe. He rushed over to them and knocked on Lex’s window. Lex’s head spun around. Clark tried to discern whether it was a look of anger, but decided that it didn’t matter. He wasn’t actually here to save Lex anyway. Clark opened the door and Lex got out. Lex ran a hand over his bald and bleeding head.

“There was a truck, it lost control and slammed into us,” Lex rambled. “Chloe’s hurt, I don’t know how badly, but she’s not waking up.” The panic was evident in his voice. Without saying a word, Clark went around to her side of the car to get her out. He lifted her easily into her arms.

“We need to get her back to the house,” he said. Lex nodded in agreement and then looked around. A confused expression crossed his face.

“Where’s your truck?”

~*~*~
Ch. 3
~*~*~

Clark looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Uh, I didn’t take the truck Lex,” he stammered. “I ran.” Lex eyed him suspiciously.

“You ran,” he repeated in disbelief. Clark nodded. He was about to say something when a familiar truck honked and headlights could be seen. Clark let out the breath he was holding in. He didn’t think his dad had seen him leave, but he thanked God that he did. Jonathan jumped out of the truck when he saw Chloe’s limp body in Clark’s arms.

“Is she alright?” He asked in a worried voice. Clark frowned.

“She has a pulse, but it seems to be getting weaker, and…” Jonathan interrupted his son’s rambling.

“We need to get her to the hospital Clark. Put her in the truck,” Jonathan ordered. Lex glared at him.

“You are not putting my pregnant wife in the back of your truck in the middle of winter,” he argued. Jonathan brushed him off.

“She’s going in the cab Luthor, you and Clark ride in back.” He didn’t wait for Lex’s response and helped buckle Chloe into the passenger seat. Lex and Clark climbed into the back of the truck and they began to drive toward the hospital, both hoping that Chloe would be all right.

~*~*~*~*~

They were in the waiting area for what seemed like an eternity. Dr. Schafer sighed as she walked out into the hospital’s waiting area. She already had the displeasure of being reprimanded by the administrators after she had counseled Chloe that keeping the baby wasn’t the only option. It was standard protocol, but she guessed that things like that didn’t apply to Lex Luthor, or at least he didn’t think so. She had little doubt that he would be more enraged with the information she was about to give him. Lex caught sight of her immediately and walked to her fluidly.

“My wife,” he said. It was clear it was a demand for information rather than a request. Dr. Schafer tried to use her best authoritative look on him, but he wasn’t frightened into submission even a little bit.

“Besides the hard blow to her head, she also suffered massive internal injury,” she started, keeping her voice as calm as possible. The men’s eyes all went wide. “We lost a heart beat twice while she was on the operating table.”

“And now?” Clark asked in a panicked voice. She frowned.

“We were able to contain most of Chloe’s internal bleeding, but right now it’s still touch and go. She still hasn’t woken up yet, and there’s a very real possibility that she won’t.” Dr. Schafer sighed. “There was also some damage to the amniotic sac. Currently, the baby seems to be in stable condition, but realistically, we will probably need to deliver early.” Lex paled and felt ill.

“Can I see her?” Lex asked. Dr. Schafer shook her head.

“She’s still in critical condition, but maybe if her status changes.” She paused. “I’ll be sure to have someone keep you updated,” she said sympathetically and turned to leave. Lex grabbed for a chair and buried his head in his hands. Clark looked stunned and flopped down in a chair across from him.

“I’m sorry,” Clark said. Lex looked up at him. Clark saw his wet eyes and cringed. “I know you love her, I just…” Lex nodded in understanding.

“You love her too,” he said. Clark nodded. “I know.”

“And now we’re both going to lose her,” Clark said in a small voice. Lex stared at him.

“Is that what you think? Geez Clark, no wonder she didn’t choose you.”

~*~*~*~*~

Chloe could hear beeping sounds and she slowly opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. She could feel pain radiating from every part of her body and she groaned. Luckily, a nurse passing by her door heard her, and swiftly moved into her room.

“You’re up!” She said excitedly. She noted her stats on a clipboard and smiled at her. “We thought for sure you weren’t going to make it.” Chloe gave an expression in between confusion and panic.

“What do you mean? What happened?” She asked.

“You were in a car accident sweetie, but don’t worry, the fact that you’re awake now is a very good sign,” the nurse replied. Chloe closed her eyes. She didn’t remember being in a car accident; she didn’t remember much of anything. “I’ll need to tell the doctor first, but I’m sure your husband will be very happy to hear the news.” Chloe’s eyes shot open and grew wide.

“Husband?” She squeaked. The nurse grinned, not understanding that Chloe didn’t remember. She gently lifted Chloe’s left hand for her to see her large wedding ring. Chloe’s mouth dropped open.

“And don’t worry, we’re still monitoring the baby,” the nurse said and sweetly patted her belly. Chloe’s eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. The nurse left and Chloe lay in her bed, trying to remember.

‘Husband? I’m married? And pregnant?’ She thought. Her head was swimming. How much time had she lost? The doctor came in and Chloe couldn’t help noticing the look of relief on her face. She seemed familiar, but Chloe couldn’t place her.

“How are you feeling?” Dr. Schafer asked.

“Confused,” Chloe admitted.

“You don’t remember the car accident?” She asked in a worried tone. Chloe shook her head.

“Apparently I don’t remember anything,” Chloe answered. The doctor frowned and sat down in a chair beside her bed. She had her chart out, ready to record information.

“Let’s start with your name. Do you remember that?” She asked. Chloe nodded.

“Chloe Sullivan,” she said without missing a beat. The doctor frowned and Chloe tried to read her expression. “At least it was,” she added and held up her hand to show her the wedding and engagement rings that graced her finger. The doctor nodded. “How long have I been out of it?” Dr. Schafer glanced at her watch.

“You were unconscious when they brought you in, so I’m guessing almost six hours now,” she answered. Chloe paled.

“Then why don’t I remember?”

“You suffered a lot of damage in the car accident,” the doctor started. “You were losing a lot of blood internally. We had to operate.” She paused. “You may just have some temporary amnesia associated with that.” Dr. Schafer shook her head and Chloe furrowed her brow.

“What?”

“Life is strange,” she observed. “I fully expected you to have amnesia the last time you came in and you didn’t, and now…” Chloe looked even more confused.

“The last time?” She asked. The doctor grinned.

“It’s a long story.” She stood up. “You want me to send your husband in? Seeing him might refresh your memories.” Chloe nodded. “Okay, I’ll be back to check on you later Mrs. Luthor.” She walked out of the room without noticing how large Chloe’s eyes had gotten.

‘Mrs. Luthor?!’

~*~*~
Ch. 4
~*~*~

Dr. Schafer walked out into the waiting area again to talk to Lex. He looked panicked and he and Clark appeared in front of her almost immediately.

“What happened? Has there been a change?” Lex demanded. She sighed.

“Maybe you should sit down,” she recommended. His warning glare told her not to push it. “Alright. Yes, there has been a change. Remarkably, she woke up.” The expression on Lex’s face changed from panic to hope.

“I want to see her,” he stated. She frowned.

“It’s not that simple,” she said and then paused. “She doesn’t remember the accident.”

“Good,” he said. She shook her head.

“Not good. She doesn’t remember a lot of things,” Dr. Schafer said. Clark furrowed his brow.

“Like what?” He asked. Dr. Schafer ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath.

“She doesn’t remember being married or being pregnant, she doesn’t remember the last time she was in the ER.” She paused again and looked at Lex. “I told her that you would go to her room, that it might help trigger memories.” He nodded.

“Of course,” he said. Clark frowned.

“I want to go too,” he said. Lex glared at him, but the doctor nodded.

“Actually, that’s a good idea. You’ve been friends for a long time right?” He nodded. “She needs anything that can help jog memories, friends, pictures, stories of things that have happened.” Lex growled, making Dr. Schafer swing her head back toward him.

“She doesn’t need to see him for those things,” he argued. She plastered on her bravest face.

“She does. She needs you and all of her friends and family to help if she’s going to get better,” she stated in a firm voice. “But, it would be a good idea if you saw her separately.”

“Which room?” Lex asked.

“She’s in critical care, you’ll have to have a nurse take you,” Dr. Schafer said. Lex gave her an impatient expression and she motioned for him to follow her. Clark watched Lex leave with the doctor and Jonathan came over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“What are you thinking son?” He asked. Clark turned to him with a strange look on his face. “Clark?” His tone was warning and Clark grinned.

“I can get her back Dad,” he said. Jonathan looked down while he shook his head.

“She’s married to Lex,” he reminded him.

“But she doesn’t remember being married to Lex.”

“It doesn’t matter whether she remembers it or not Clark, he’s her husband.”

“No,” Clark said as he shook his head emphatically. “I have a plan.” Jonathan frowned.

“Get that gleam out of your eye,” he warned. Clark smiled.

“This is my last chance Dad, I have to take it.”

~*~*~*~*~

Lex knocked on Chloe’s door and let himself in. She looked up at him. He looked concerned for her, an expression she never thought she’d see on Lex Luthor, especially not for her. He sat down next to her and brought her hand up to his lips. She opened her mouth slightly at the intimacy of the action, but quickly closed it when she remembered being called Mrs. Luthor. She still eyed him warily though. He stroked some stray hair behind her ear.

“They said you’re having trouble remembering some things,” he said matter-of-factly. She nodded once. “What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here?” She closed her eyes as she thought. He tried not to give into his urge to kiss her. The doctor said that she might feel more alienated from him if he attempted any intimate gestures. She didn’t remember being married to him, so in all likelihood, she would be frightened rather than relaxed by the actions. He grimaced a little when he realized he had already kissed her hand. He shook it off as she opened her eyes.

“I was getting ready for the dance,” she said. Lex inwardly cringed.

“What dance?”

“The spring formal,” she said. “I remember putting on my dress, but nothing after that.” She gave a sardonic half laugh. “Guess I won’t be fitting back in that dress any time soon huh?” His lips curled upward.

“I’m sure you’ll be back down to your regular size in no time,” he said reassuringly. “Besides, you burned that dress.” Her eyes grew wide. “Bad memories,” he explained. She furrowed her brow.

“What happened?” She asked. He sighed. He didn’t really want to go into a story about how his wife was mooning over Clark Kent, and that now he returned her old feelings.

“You and Clark went to the dance, there was tornado alert, he left the dance to save Lana from a twister,” he rambled off the short version. She looked horrified, but not for the reason Lex thought.

“Is she okay?” She asked.

“Who?”

“Lana,” she said. He rolled his eyes.

“She’s fine,” he said. Chloe nodded and sadness radiated from her.

“So, I guess that… they’re probably together now then,” she said hesitantly. Lex frowned.

“No.”

“No?!” Chloe repeated loudly. “God! He saves her life and she can’t get over Whitney?” She shook her head in disbelief. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Actually, she’s seeing Pete,” Lex said. Chloe’s eyes grew wide again and she was silent, not being able to come up with the words to express her feelings at the news. ‘Okay Chloe, time to change the topic,’ she thought to herself.

“So, um, how did you and I…?” She motioned between them with her hand. He smiled. ‘Lex Luthor can smile?’

“You were pretty upset about Clark leaving you at the dance to find Lana,” he started.

“Wait a second. He just left me there?” She asked. He nodded. She pushed her lips together. “Jerk,” she mumbled. He laughed.

“That was your impression then too,” he said. She smiled.

“Okay. So us?”

“I took advantage of the situation,” he said without remorse. She looked at him with a half shocked expression, but he just shrugged. “I liked you, I saw an opportunity, and I took it.”

“Nice,” she said sarcastically. He grinned.

“It was a little more romantic than that,” he conceded. She looked at her belly and then back at him.

“I certainly hope so,” she said. He smiled and absently stroked her stomach in a loving manner.

“How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” He asked. She shook her head.

“They can’t give me anything more than Tylenol for the pain because of the baby,” she said. “So unless you can invent something that can get rid of the pain but still be okay for pregnant women, then no.” He smirked.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. Lex paused, not wanting to ask the question that he knew he needed to ask her. “Do you want to see Clark?”

~*~*~
Ch. 5
~*~*~

Lex watched Clark walk down the hall with the nurse. He rubbed his eyes and sat down. Jonathan came over to stand in front of him. Lex looked up at him and saw his frown.

“I know you’re not my biggest fan Mr. Kent, but…”

“Lex,” Jonathan interrupted. He paused while thinking of the right words to say. “It’s true, I don’t particularly care for you, but since Chloe is your wife, I think you have a right to know.”

“A right to know what?” Lex asked. Jonathan sighed and sat down next to him.

“Clark thinks this is his last chance to get Chloe back,” he said. Lex growled and Jonathan held up a hand. “Save it. I agree with you.” Lex looked at him questioningly. “He said he has a plan to get her back, he didn’t share the details, but I thought you should know. Believe it or not, I actually think being with Chloe has made you a better man.” Lex nodded in agreement.

“He didn’t say anything about his ‘plan’?” Lex asked. Jonathan shook his head.

“No. I have a bad feeling it has to do with lying to Chloe while she can’t remember though.” Lex felt ill. He might be able to pull it off, at least until Chloe got her memory back, and by then… damn him! Lex got up and started to run down the hall toward Chloe’s room. He was stopped by a large security guard who reminded him that only one visitor was allowed at a time in that area, but that he would be informed of when the other man left. Lex desperately tried to bribe the man, but was promptly sent back to the waiting room. Jonathan gave him a sympathetic look.

“Wouldn’t let you in huh?” He asked. Lex grumbled.

“Maybe if I buy their damn hospital I could change all of the policies they have around here,” he said, although more to himself than to Jonathan. The older man gave him a compensatory grin.

“Don’t worry. Even with amnesia, Chloe’s a bright young woman. She’s always been able to tell when Clark was lying. Everything will be alright,” he said reassuringly. Lex closed his eyes and breathed. He hoped Jonathan was right.

~*~*~*~*~

Clark walked into Chloe’s room and smiled at her.

“How are you?” He asked, dropping his head slightly and then raising his eyes to give his best puppy dog look. She smiled.

“Tired and in pain, but there’s not a lot they can do about it,” she said. He sat down in the chair next to her bed.

“They said that you have amnesia,” he said. Chloe frowned.

“They also said it’s also probably temporary and that people or images might bring back my memory,” she said. “It’s weird, when Lex was telling me some things, I didn’t remember them, but…”

“But?” Clark tried to hide the worry from his voice.

“But I felt safe when he was here, loved even. Weird?” She asked. He frowned and shook his head.

“No. He loves you,” he said. She grinned.

“So I guess you never thought I’d end up marrying your best friend did you?” She asked. He raised his eyebrows.

“Lex and I aren’t really best friends any more,” he admitted. Chloe’s face fell.

“Oh?”

“And actually, I hoped you would end up marrying me,” he said. She arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah right,” she said sarcastically. He looked into her eyes and she shrank back a little at his overwhelming expression. “Oh.” He took her hand in his.

“It’s okay though Chlo, I understand,” he said, looking at their hands together instead of in her eyes. “You had to do what was best for the baby,” he paused, still avoiding eye contact. “Our baby,” he said quietly. Chloe’s eyes grew wide in horror.

“What?!” She yelled. He stroked her hand.

“Shhh. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay,” he said. He seemed so sincere. Why would she marry Lex if she was pregnant with Clark’s baby? It made no sense. Then she realized that he still wasn’t looking her in the eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him as a familiar suspicious feeling swept over her.

“You’re lying,” she said. She didn’t say it in an accusatory manner; she was simply stating a fact. “Why are you lying?” He finally looked up at her and she saw his wet eyes. “Clark?”

“God Chloe, I love you,” he said. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it, and much to her surprise, she quickly jerked it away. It felt wrong. He felt wrong. “I just wanted us to be together. I thought, if you couldn’t remember, that…”

“That you would just rewrite history?” She asked and shook her head. “You don’t have the power to turn back time Clark. And even if you did, I get the feeling that I wouldn’t want you to.” He looked stunned and she grinned softly. “I’m not mad at you. I should be, but I’m not. And even though I don’t remember being married to Lex,” she paused. “This is going to sound so corny. I think my soul remembers him Clark. I’ve never felt the way I did when he was in the room with me.” Clark frowned and nodded, and then smiled meekly.

“At least you don’t remember me trying to stop your wedding,” he joked. Her mouth dropped open.

“You didn’t?!”

“Yeah,” he smiled, “I did. But it didn’t work, you got married anyway. And you ended up forgiving me.” She looked at him in disbelief.

“Did I have a nice dress?” She asked. He laughed.

“Gorgeous,” he said. She laid her head against her pillow with a smug look on her face.

“Good.”

“So I guess there’s no chance of…”

“You and me?” She finished. Clark nodded. “I don’t think so,” she admitted. “Do you believe in destiny?” He gave her a confused look at the change of topic.

“I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it.”

“I didn’t use to. But then I met you,” she said. Clark smiled. “I think I always knew that you were destined for great things, I think that’s part of the reason I liked you. But now…”

“But now you think I’m just some jerk who tried to stop your wedding?” He asked, half-kidding. She laughed.

“No. I still think you’re destined for great things Clark, but I also know that we’re only supposed to be friends in that destiny. When Lex was in here, I may not have remembered, but I felt like I belonged with him.” Clark gave her a sad grin.

“I understand.”

“I know,” she said as she gave his hand a squeeze. “And thanks.”

~*~*~
Ch. 6
~*~*~

Clark walked back into the waiting area and Lex jumped up. He shot him a glare that would have made most men tremble.

“What did you do?” He asked accusingly. “Your dad told me about your ‘plan’. What did you do?” Clark looked down.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said.

“What did you do?” Lex repeated with more anger in his voice. Clark sighed.

“I told her…” he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter Lex. She didn’t believe me.” Lex stood there waiting for an explanation. “I told her that it wasn’t your baby,” he said under his breath. Lex clenched his hands into fists but Clark walked past him and went to sit down. Lex turned around to continue the beginning of what he thought would be a fight. Clark ran his hands over his face and through his hair. “I can’t believe it,” he said to himself. “She doesn’t remember anything, but she still thinks she belongs with you.” His tone indicated his disbelief at the situation. Lex’s hands fell from their clenched form and he eyed Clark warily.

“Did she say that?” He couldn’t hide the hope in his voice. Clark looked up at him and gave a small smile.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. He leaned back in his chair. “And in case you’re wondering, she totally called me on the lie.” Lex grinned in delight. Clark rolled his eyes. “She said she wants to see you again if it’s not too late.” Lex nodded once and turned to go down the hallway. “Lex?” He turned back around.

“Clark.”

“You’re a lucky guy,” he said sadly. Lex smirked.

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” he responded. Lex turned around and walked down the hall to see his wife. Clark closed his eyes and the last thing his father heard him mumble was something about destiny.

~*~*~*~*~

Lex knocked gently on Chloe’s door, but there was no answer. He walked in slowly and silently and sat down on the chair beside her bed. Her eyes were closed, and despite the bruises, bandages, the IV, and the various machines she was hooked up to, she looked so peaceful. He took her hand in his and stroked it gently. Her eyes fluttered open and she moved her head to look at him.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a hushed voice. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” She grinned.

“No problem,” she said. Lex looked at her with nothing but love and concern in his eyes.

“Clark told me what happened,” he started. She chuckled.

“Yeah. I’ve known him for what seems like forever. What made him think he could lie to me like that?” She asked.

“He loves you,” he said morosely.

“He’ll get over it,” she said bluntly. Lex grinned. “And if he doesn’t… well, too bad. I’m taken.” His grin broadened to a smile.

“You remember?”

“Bits and pieces are starting to come back, but not all of it,” she said.

“Give it time,” he said and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She leaned in to his touch and he grinned. He remembered what the doctors had told him about not initiating any intimate actions with her, but he couldn’t help it. He leaned down and tentatively gave her a soft kiss. She seemed surprised, but responded after just a moment of his lips being pressed against hers. It was sweet at first, but deepened quickly. She ran her hands up his chest and around his neck. He pulled away for a brief second to breathe. She looked at him, a bemused smile on her face.

“So I guess that’s how we got where we are now huh?” She asked. He smiled.

“I’d show you more, but I doubt they’d let me get away with it since you just had surgery,” he responded. She laughed.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything,” he said sincerely.

“How did you get me to change my last name?” She asked. He smirked.

“I can be very persuasive,” he said. She tried to fight down the blush that rose to her cheeks with his innuendo.

“How much longer do I need to stay here?” She asked, changing the topic. His face became very serious.

“For a while. You had to have surgery and they’re monitoring the baby because of some damage to the amniotic sac,” he told her. He saw the worried expression on her face and tried to lighten the mood. “Although technically, that was two questions.” She rolled her eyes.

“Does that mean I can ignore the second answer?”

“No.”

“Damn,” she said. He chuckled.

~*~*~*~*~

2 months later

Chloe gripped into Lex’s hand forcefully as the pain swept through her. Lex cringed.

“Are you sure we can’t give her drugs?” He asked in a pleading voice. The doctor looked at him and grinned.

“She’s too far along for that now Mr. Luthor,” the doctor said. “Alright Chloe, when the next contraction comes, I want you to push through a count of ten. Okay?” Chloe nodded dumbly in exhaustion, but the next contraction hit swiftly and the doctor counted to ten slowly as Chloe pushed. “That’s good sweetie, I can see the top of the head now. One more time should do it.” Chloe pushed again when the next contraction came and the doctor unraveled the cord from around the baby’s neck. She used a nasal aspirator and cleared out the mucus from the baby’s nose and mouth and then held the baby up for Chloe and Lex to see. “Congratulations, it’s a boy.” Chloe and Lex both smiled.

“Can I hold him?” Chloe asked. The doctor nodded.

“Let us get him cleaned up and take measurements really quick,” she said. Chloe nodded. Lex kissed her forehead.

“You’re amazing,” he said in awe of what she had just done. She chuckled.

“Obviously,” she said sarcastically. He leaned down and moved his lips against hers. The nurse cleared her throat and they looked up at her holding their son wrapped in a blanket. Chloe held out her arms and took him into them, snuggling the baby against her chest. Lex held out a finger for the tiny fingers to grab. He smiled.

“We’re going to have to come up with a name you know,” he said to Chloe.

“I know,” she agreed. “No L names.” He chuckled.

“And not Clark,” he added. She smiled as she looked down at the baby.

“Don’t worry,” she said as she snuggled her nose up against the baby’s cheek. “We’ll think of something.” Lex grinned and leaned down beside her.

“We would have already thought of something if your mommy wasn’t so picky,” he said. She gave him a mock glare.

“You’re going to get into this now?” She warned. He smiled.

“How much longer are you going to argue with me about this?” He teased. The nurse whispered to the doctor.

“Until I get my way,” Chloe said matter-of-factly.

“Are they always like this?” She asked. The doctor rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” she answered. Lex chuckled again.

“Fine, you can have your way,” he said and kissed her on the cheek. Her smile beamed and her eyes glittered.

“Really?”

“Really.” They both looked down at their small son with love and pride. Lex ran a finger delicately along the baby’s cheek. “Welcome to the world Cameron.”



The End

Elviriel
18th June 2003, 03:26
it's so good ! I loved that story. indeed i love the three stories you wrote, i think they are one of my favourite.
still i hate the fact that lex got her pregnant on purpose ... :devil:

Sab_Luthor
18th June 2003, 16:29
w o n d e r f u l :worship2:

kidkarmina
26th June 2003, 06:36
I love your trilogy. I like the fact that Lex is still jealous over Clark (even when Chlex are married). Gotta luv it :yay: !

I really hope writers @ SV will get a clue....anyway, keep writing!

:chlexsign3:

kmdaugherty2821
30th June 2003, 16:44
:chlexsign4: AWW.... Thankx for the sequal!! Cameron is a great name... By the way i wanted to tell you what a awsome writer you are!! Keep up the great work! :biggrin:

Shay
16th December 2003, 07:00
Superb ending...though I still wanted to bitch slap Clark. What a moron telling Chloe that Lex's baby was his. UGH!

But like I said in the third installment, all's good and ended like it should.

SinnerSaint
18th December 2003, 11:41
I really love this story . Its nice to see that other people believe in destiny too. :biggrin:

chloedreamer
18th February 2005, 05:38
I thought Chloe let Clark off alittle to easy. He came in lied to her about who was the Father or her unborn child. Of course she did caught him there and made he own up to it.

This whole series was great and I'm happy to see it ended with the birth of their child.

bluengreenswmer
22nd February 2005, 04:48
absolutely loved it!!

i especially loved the part where Clark told Chloe it was his baby, and she didn't believe him. That was great.

still hate that Lex got her pregnant on purpose, but it all came out happy in the end.

Sidhe
22nd February 2005, 09:42
I just read the trilogy and I loved it! Clark is a schmutz, Lex is hot, how could Chloe choose differently? :worship2:

Baily007
23rd February 2005, 19:04
I just have to ask: is there any chance for another sequel? Pleeeaaase - give the addicted some hope! :yay:

Leila
13th March 2005, 20:38
A fourth installment! A fourth, a fourth, a fourth! PLEEEESSSSSEEE!!

starmoon
27th March 2005, 10:00
loved it you must write more chlex storys.

meghan036
11th April 2005, 06:02
Wonderful 3rd part. Loved the first 2 so it was a given that I would enjoy this one just as much. Amazing ending!

summer_enchanted
13th April 2005, 00:51
:nsparty: Really love this fic. I've been reading the whole series.

Thaís
28th June 2005, 14:23
I really loved that story... Chloe and Lex were able to be together even against the odds... That only shows me how much they love each other, they stayed together when nobody else wanted them to be...
And they did it beautifully, the way only they could do it...

darkangel
2nd July 2005, 08:19
This fic was very good. Clark was so stupid to think that he could just get Chloe after years of ignoring her.

txalb
12th December 2005, 15:53
I can't believe I missed this one when I was reviewing the trilogy. I love it. Plus, the fact that Clark thought he could use the opportunity to get her back when he so obviously missed his chance just makes me laugh.

This is really well written, thanks.

txalb

~*~Tasha~*~
9th June 2006, 23:54
Good sequel. I still want to kill Clark. I can not believe his gall to actually sit there and try to tell Chloe that the baby was his and not Lex's. Oh my gosh. That is jsut awful!!

Tanschana
10th June 2008, 11:15
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

yepp, that sums it up pretty good! :yeahbaby:

Great story!

donhisiewen
15th October 2010, 18:24
Wonderful story! Even with amnesia, it's still Lex for Chloe!