The Memoirs

Lionel was pacing worriedly outside the bedroom door. Doctor Sandoval had taken a LuthorCorp helicopter to Smallville specifically to check Dominic out, and he's been in the bedroom now for nearly half an hour conducting his exam. Lionel had been banished in the first five minutes, when it had become sadly evident that he was going to do nothing but hinder the doctor, and ever since he'd been pacing outside.

He wished that no news was good news, but he had the feeling that it was going to be very bad news indeed.

Inside the bedroom, Dr. Sandoval was just tucking away his stethoscope and was snapping off his rubber gloves. "I can't seem to find a single thing wrong with you, Dominic," he said softly. "Today was your first therapy session, wasn't it?"

Dominic nodded, swallowing softly and sighing. He was propped up in bed, blankets tugged up warmly. The hot flash that had pushed all the breath from his body before was now a mere memory, and he felt like himself again. "Yes. I felt fine afterward--Mr. Nacheyez asked that I relax and sleep before this evening, and I did. I was resting quite comfortably in fact, but when I woke up, it felt like I was in the midst of a fever. It was not a pleasant experience, in any regard."

Sandoval hmmed, and tapped his prescription pad with his pen. "From what I can tell, you aren't sick, and none of your incisions or sites seem to be infected, though I'll take these specimens back to the lab just to make sure," he said, patting the microscope slides tucked in his bag. "I'm going to, unless anything else happens, write this off to you over-exerting yourself today, and your body reacting badly to it. I will recommend you drink a lot of water, to re-hydrate yourself after sweating your body dry, but other than that, just take the usual precautions for working out during the summer."

Dominic nodded, sighing quietly as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Alright. Thank you, doctor, for making the trip--you know how Lionel panics. I felt quite fine after I rested when it happened, but the man doesn't take 'no' for an answer." He gave the doctor a rye smile. "Thank you."

"It's quite right that he should worry," Dr. Sandoval said. "You're quite a patient, Mr. Senatori, and we're all just looking out for your health." He opened the door. "Mr. Luthor? You can come back in now."

"It's about time," Lionel groused under his breath as he headed straight for the bed, and Dominic's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. You are such a hen," Dominic snapped back, but it wasn't with venom as he glared at him, and turned his gaze back to the doctor. "Doctor Sandoval was just telling me that I'm fine."

"I am not a mother hen," Lionel huffed, but turned his attention to the doctor.

"He's quite all right, Lionel," the doctor explained. "I believe it's just the fact that he may have over-extended himself today, and his body was reacting to it. A very vivid dream and a night sweat might have been his body's reaction to the workout. I've told him to drink a lot of water to replace what he sweated out, and to take ordinary precautions for working out during the heat, but he'll be fine." He shook Lionel's hand. "I took several specimens anyway, just to make sure none of the surgical sites are infected, but they all look to be healing just fine. Just make sure he rests, that's all."

Lionel felt a sudden guilt weigh down over his shoulders, because he had a feeling he knew exactly what part of the day's "exercise" had over-stressed Dominic's system. "Don't worry, Doctor," Lionel answered. "I'll be taking very good care of Dominic."

Dominic's eyes widened suddenly at his lovers choice of words, and he grabbed the doctors hand before he pulled away, his eyes locked on Lionel's. "Oh, no, don't you bloody dare." then, to the doctor, "Doctor Sandoval, when will be the proper time for Lionel and I to begin our physical life together again?"

Dr. Sandoval shrugged. "I'm really not the doctor to be asking, Dominic, because your physical therapist knows your condition and the extent of your recovery better than I do, but from what I've observed here, I'd say a week to two weeks, depending on if you have another episode of this nature."

He groaned, threw his head back, and covered his face with his hand, muttering Irish obscenities in Gaelic under his breath that would have made his mothers hair curl. Oh, but wasn't it just his luck to be fucked over by doctor and therapist both? Bloody fantastic. He knew what he wanted, and he cursed it again.

The doctor just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dominic, but if you'll talk to Mr. Nacheyez, I'm sure he'd have a better answer for you, and probably one more to your liking." He gave Lionel a little nod as he slipped out, and met the helicopter pilot at the front door.

Lionel just remained seated on the edge of Dominic's bed, stroking his lover's hand with his thumb.

Dominic just nodded at the man as he left, and watched as he walked out, before looking up at Lionel in near desperation. "If you deny me I may kill you."

"We'll speak with Eduard in the morning about this episode, and if he feels that our activities will cause other such episodes, then I will not endanger your health for it," he said severely.

"I may endanger your health for it," Dominic growled back at him, but then slumped depressingly against the sheets, looking up a the ceiling. He didn't know why he'd been suddenly gripped by this need for coupling at every possible instant but his groin felt heavy with the need of it, and he shifted restlessly until he'd moved a little onto his side, eyes closing.

"By all means, do so," Lionel murmured, stroking his hand over Dominic's forehead, which still felt slightly warm but nothing like it had before. "I know this is frustrating for you."

"You have no idea," Dominic whispered, nuzzling into the gentle hand and hating himself for it. "I hate this, lover. I feel helpless rage, I want to kill something, hurt someone, make them understand what I'm going through. Being treated like a child not because of bad manners but because I have been reduced to a child, bathed and fed and changed like a newborn who isn't in control of his own assets and needs his parents to guide him." His voice was thick, heavy with his emotion. "There isn't a damn thing I can do about any of it. I have been reduced to nothing, Lionel, and before, when my mind was still in and out, I didn't totally realize it. Now, now I do. Now I can see just how much has been taken from me by a terrible stroke of fate, and nothing good can come from this."

Lionel didn't say anything as he kicked off his shoes and peeled off his sweater, sliding into bed behind his lover and wrapping his arms around Dominic's waist. "You haven't been reduced to nothing, Dominic. You could never be nothing as long as you live. You will always be Dominic Senatori-Luthor, my husband, the man that I love." He kept stroking his lover's cheek softly. "Good will come of it. You will see, in the end, how strong you are, and we are together."

Dominic let Lionel slide in close to him, watching him as he lifted the blankets and slid under them, felt the cotton of his lovers slacks against his bare legs, and felt his chest hitch when he realized he couldn't twine his legs back, couldn't wrap up close like he was so used to doing, and his chest hitched again, and once more as he fought not to cry. "How can you know that? How can you know I won't suddenly be a bastard again, I won't push you away?"

"Because even if you do, I will still be here. I was here the last time. I was going to leave only because I thought it would make it easier on you. But I will be here until you tell me to go," Lionel said plainly.

"You love me," Dominic said, quietly, against his pillow.

"More than I can sometimes comprehend," Lionel admitted.

"There are no words for you, Lionel. You are the most beautiful man I've ever known. It's wonderful, and scary, and glorious. You love me, and I know this now. I know you won't ever leave me." Dominic whispered back to the admittance, as he turned his head to look at him, there, so close where they were sharing a pillow.

"No, I won't," Lionel said, turning so that he could gather Dominic close to his side and cradle him gently. "I won't leave you. And I won't let you leave me, or give up."

"You told me once you weren't a man of faith. Do you remember?" He took his lovers fingers and brought them down under the sheets, twining them and bringing them to the mark of possession on his inner thigh, the same one Lionel had in a birth mark on his hip. "You are. You have faith. And because you do, I'll have it to. It's the least I can do, right?"

"I remember." Lionel's fingertips traced over the year-old scar. "I have faith in nothing but you," Lionel said softly. "But yes, I do have faith in you and you must have it too."

"I do. It's just hard having the courage for it, sometimes. I swear, had I ever gone to Hogwarts I would have been a Hufflepuff," Dominic said, lips twitching as he looked up under blond lashes. "Loyal to a fault, indeed." But some of the sadness from a few moments before bled out, and he pressed his lips to Lionel's mouth. "I know what you have done for me. What you have sacrificed for me. I owe you everything... I love you so much."

"You don't owe me anything," Lionel corrected as he kissed his lover gently. "You are the most loyal man I've ever known, you've been loyal to me for as long as we have known each other and I have never had reason to doubt you." He tightened his arms around his lover. "I love you. You are my little cricket."

"I love it when you call me that," Dominic said, a blush rising on his cheeks as he kissed back, letting the warmth of his lovers embrace take him close. "When I'm well, I want to mark you," Dominic said, quietly, as he felt his lovers fingers on his thigh, a smile still evident on his voice. "Maybe a map of the Emerald Isle on your tush."

"To match your bite mark?" he asked innocently.

Dominic's lips spread. "Do you still have that?"

"I will likely have that scar until the day that I die," he snorted. "You have strong teeth."

"You have a very nice butt. What was I supposed to do, but take a bite out of it?" Dominic asked, lips twitching under the poor excuse for his attempts at re-growing his goatee, as he kissed his lovers cheek again. "Maybe just a new nipple ring, then."

Lionel nodded. "My current one is getting a bit tarnished, despite my repeated attempts to keep it clean and polished. I think perhaps the next one should be titanium."

"Mmm... no. Perhaps one in the shape of a snake for my little Slytherin, with green emeralds for eyes… the snake eating its own tail. Now that would be sexy," Dominic murmured, tracing the little ring in question with a fingertip.

"The Ouroboros. One of the symbols of infinity," Lionel said, looking down at Dominic's finger. "Thought in medieval times to be a sign of evil, as they believed it is how snakes--the Devil's familiars--moved through the nights. They would swallow their own tails and roll like wheels through the village, seeking out the weak and the evil."

Dominic's eyebrows rose up. "Oh. Perhaps not, then. That's a bit creepy, isn't it?" Dominic asked, his eyes slightly wide as he stroked the little nub in question. "Though it would look quite smashing on your chest. You've the skin for silver."

"Yes, I do," Lionel said, a little vainly. "It suits me, and it's the metal that I prefer."

"You are the most amazing partner I could have ever hoped for," Dominic said, very quietly. "Why won't you let me pleasure you, Lionel?"

Lionel just shook his head. "Because I don't want you worrying about my needs, when you should be concentrating all of your energies on yourself. My right hand and I are quite capable of relieving myself when necessary until you are well enough to take the job over again."

Dominic laughed a little at the choice of words, but turned his lovers face to meet his quietly. "When I'm well, I will do more then take care of you. It is possible you won't sit right for some time, and I do hope you're thinking up good excuses to tell our board members why you have to lean toward one side." But he gently kissed his lover, again and once more, and closed his eyes as he rested against Lionel's chest. The thought was so exhausting that he closed his eyes and rested sleepily against his darling husband.

"I'm actually quite looking forward to that," he murmured softly, rubbing his hands over Dominic's back as he cuddled him close. "And if they ask why, I will simply tell them the truth--that I have been well-loved and well-fucked."

"I can imagine their faces," Dominic snickered from his lovers chest, as Lionel held him, his hands feeling enormous on the skinny, slender body that unfortunately belonged to him.

"They'll get over it," he said flippantly.

"Indeed, that, they will," Dominic murmured sleepily... then opened his eyes wide and moaned out loud.

Little did he know it, but across the house, Lex was doing it as well.

- = - = -

They'd settled Victoria down with a movie and Jor-El, because when he'd gotten home, one look at him and his father had told him to go take care of what he had to take care of. Lex had been home for a bit when he got in, and Clark had done, and seen, nothing but his lover.

He had attacked him where he stood, which had been, unfortunately, in front of the library. Rutting like bunnies against the shelves, books falling everywhere, cocks pressed together and thrusting hard, and Clark was sucking on his lovers mouth like he was never going to stop.

Or, well, he had. Until he'd hoisted his lover up by the hips and with a hard slurp of his fingers, moistened his lovers entrance with enough spit to make the sink into that glorious body absolutely divine.

That was where they found themselves now--Clark braced Lex against the book shelves and fucked him hard, fast, and ruthless, not touching his lovers erect, wet cock which was waiting for Clark to suck in deep, but for now the hard, wet, dark, heavy pulse made him moan aloud.

- = - = -

Dominic moaned again, very softly, sweat popping up all over his body as he shuddered against Lionels body, and his penis, which very rarely did what he wanted it to do anymore, began to fill and lift despite his emotions and what he wanted.

- = - = -

Lex's hands were trapped behind his back, one bracing the back of his head against the bookshelf, the other pinned at his lower back as Clark fucked him so gloriously rough.

He'd had to put his hands behind his back, because if he didn't, he was going to come, come hard, and waste what Clark desperately needed. Instead, he trapped his hands behind his body and concentrated on feeling Clark's cock fucking him, on the cutting bite of the bookshelf against the back of his hands, and not on the weight of his balls that were screaming to be emptied into his lover's mouth.

He was sweating, hot and sticky with the exertion, moaning with the effort it took *not* to come, mouth desperate for a kiss, for a taste of Clark's skin, anything, but he kept his moans as muffled as he could, which wasn't very.

- = - = -

Lionel put his hand on Dominic's forehead, feeling him start to sweat again, and growled. As he did, he saw Dominic's cock rising under the sheets, and rubbed his shoulders. "Ssh. It's the medication," Lionel said softly. "The side effects did say unexpected erections and dysfunction."

- = - = -

Clark threw his hips behind the movements, fucking Lex hard, as hard as he could, the shelves banging, books raining down on them as he finally, finally met Lex's mouth and kissed him roughly, deeply, over their bodies. He was hungry but he knew Lex would fill again soon, and because he wanted this badly he grasped his lovers erection, hard, stroking it in time to his hips to make this purely physical, purely about pleasure.

His cock, the long, hard, purpling length of him pounded into Lex as hard as he could without hurting his lover, grunting his lovers name on each thrust, shoving deep and fast and as hard as he possibly could. His mind was pinpricked to a single sensation, this single mindless good fuck of his lover, hard and fast and he squeezed his handful hard as he stroked up to the tip and down again, splitting his lover wide with each thrust.

- = - = -

Dominic moaned, all the harder for it, not hearing what Lionel was saying as he gasped, mouth trembling open as his hair dampened and his entire body felt alive. He was tingling all over, fully aroused and hot, so hot, his neck and shoulders and belly, like he was in the middle of an incredible fuck without the pleasure masking the pure, unspeakable heat. He choked on the whimper, squeezing his eyes shut as the mindless hunger leapt up inside of him, begging for a release as he began to pant.

- = - = -

Lex's cock was throbbing as Clark touched it, and he let out a shrill scream at the rough but pleasurable sensation of Clark's fist jacking him off. His balls ached, almost begging him to come as he rode Clark's thrusts, shifting his hips so that every long pounding stroke slammed into his prostate, over and over again as he bucked up into Clark's hand.

He was breathless, panting and choking on the breaths he was able to draw in, the need to feed his lover fighting hard with his body's natural instinct to come like a geyser with every hammering thrust to his gland.

- = - = -

Lionel dragged his lover closer, one arm staying around his waist while the other went between his legs, feeling the hard cock that throbbed there, almost unnaturally quickly, and he sighed. He tasted salty sweat when he kissed the back of Dominic's neck, but did it anyway, trying to soothe him.

- = - = -

Clark shifted his strokes and began to pound, as soon as he felt the gasp wrack through his lovers body, began to thrust as hard as he could against where he knew his lovers prostate was. He fucked him hard, thumb scraping across the head of his lover's cock as he claimed his mouth for his own, biting and licking before dragging his mouth down to Lex's smooth chest, which he'd bared by a tear of the sweater.

His mouth wound around a tight, pert nipple and he bit, sucking hard at it as his hips rut against his lover, the smooth thighs squeezing across his back, the warm, tight ass bouncing on top of him that made him grunt against the hard nub, which he bit again, and once more, nearly drawing blood as he sucked hard at it.

And when that didn't soothe the aching beast inside of him, Clark lifted up from the book case and turned, hearing a lamp crash vaguely on the edge of his hearing, as he fell to the ground, rolling Lex under him, and with the new vantage point, began to fuck Lex all the harder for it, hips snapping wildly.

- = - = -

Dominic was sure he was going to die.

He gasped when his lover slid around him, barely understanding anything but the pleasure he was feeling, right at the edge of his vision, the ache, the incredible want, the very light kisses on his neck which weren't what he wanted. He wanted to be bitten, sucked, torn asunder and put back together again, fucked into oblivion and the arousal had him writhing in his lovers arms, trembling as his skin heated like before, coming off of him in waves when his lovers fingers tentatively slipped down to feel how aroused he was, and left again, left him in this state and he whimpered, biting into the pillow under his head as his body shuddered.

- = - = -

Lex screamed again as Clark rolled him over, threw him down almost and started fucking him again, harder and deeper than before. He choked again on his breaths as his cock spasmed in Clark's hand, over and over again as though it wanted to come and wasn't sure that it could.

His eyes were burning as sweat ran down his face, dripped from Clark's face into his own. His clothes were long gone, his skin sticky with old come and new sweat, his cock a huge, painful rod between his legs, balls like lead weights as his body's instinct finally won out and he came.

Hard, gloriously hard, fast and not fast enough because Lex screamed again as his balls forcibly emptied themselves. Thick strands of come that painted Clark's belly, fell back onto his own, coated his cock in stickiness, dripped down onto his balls, came more than he'd ever come before, breathing and panting as he shuddered, still coming as Clark fucked him viciously.

- = - = -

Lionel heard the needy whimper, and wrapped his legs around Dominic's again, and let his hand slide back between his lover's thighs. Not even sure if he was doing the right thing or not, Lionel wrapped his fist around his lover's cock, stroking it hard and fast as he matched the pace of Dominic's whimpering.

Dominic shuddered so hard he would have fallen out of the bed if Lionel wasn't holding onto him, his mind and thoughts in another place, the heavy, hard thrust of something inside of him making his eyes shut tight and a scream lodge in his throat as someone, finally, stroked his cock and on the third stroke, little did he know but he came at the same time Lex did, his scream breaking free in the shape of, "CLARK!"

And he fainted, right after he came, the sticky emission still shuddering out of him.

In earlier times, even a few months ago, Lionel would have been hurt. Angry. Furious.

But now?

He was worried. The fact that Dominic was calling out Clark's name seemed to indicate one of two things. Either Dominic was having fantasies that involved Clark fucking him--which he really didn't think was the case--or that Clark was exercising his formidable powers and having a bit of fun with Dominic at the sick man's expense.

Neither filled him with a great sense of joy. He dreaded, in fact, the thought that Clark might be having another of the fevers that had last year resulted in Lex's skull being cracked open in the bathroom, because he knew that was the only way that Clark would have been taking advantage of Dominic like that.

Carefully he wiped the strings of sticky come from his lover's cock and belly with the sheet, then ripped it off and covered Dominic with the blanket as he got out of bed, put his shoes back on, and stalked out the door and down the hall, in search of Clark and his son.

He didn't have to wait long. The thump of something falling lead him downstairs, and the smell of sex was so strong in the hallway that it nearly made him gag as he followed it down to the office, where it was so thick he could almost see it in the air, and he pounded on the door.

Clark? Had come. Hard. He'd come so hard that he thought his insides were going to follow out of his cock, and he lay there, in a sweaty, half dressed, tangled heap with his lover, so exhausted he couldn't move.

And then someone had to knock.

"Go 'way."

"Clark Jerome Kent, open this door before I break it down, and for the love of God, open one of the windows in the office," Lionel called out, thoroughly disgusted.

Lex was still panting, feeling Clark's cock still throbbing every once in a while in his ass. "Fuck off, Dad."

Yeah, well. Clark didn't dare mess with that, because the middle name spoke volumes, and with a slow, sticky pull Clark pulled out of his lovers body and rolled over onto his back for a moment, panting, before climbing to his feet with a groan. He reached down and lifted Lex into his arms, carefully depositing him on the couch and covering him with a blanket, before doing as Lionel had said--opened both windows of the library, pulled his shirt on, buttoned his jeans as much as he could around his still partially erect cock which was slowly softening, and cleared his throat as he opened the door a crack. "Hi."

Lex shivered at the sudden loss of Clark's warmth and the breezes suddenly coming in through the windows, and he burrowed tightly into the blanket as he lay on the couch, watching his lover through slitted eyes.

Lionel shoved the door open entirely and stormed into the room, glaring at his son and Clark. "What are you doing to Dominic?" he demanded flatly.

Clark's eyes widened, and he looked from Lex, to Lionel, eyebrows high. "I'm sorry? We're not doing anything to Dominic."

"Take your paranoia somewhere else," Lex grunted, curling up into the blankets and pulling his legs up to his chest, in unconscious imitation of the very last position that Lionel had left Dominic in.

"Then I suppose he's calling out your name in the middle of orgasm because you're what, suddenly making guest appearances in his mind?" Lionel asked, voice heavy with sarcasm.

Clark, for his part, felt his mouth fall open. "Dominic's what?" holy shit. "Lionel, I haven't touched your aushna', you have to believe me. I haven't looked at him like anything but a father, I promise--I have never done anything with him. Why would he be saying my name?"

Lionel crossed his arms over his chest. "That, Clark, is precisely my question to you." He waved off the rest of the babbling. "Don't be ridiculous, boy, I know how you think of him, and better than that, I know what he would and would not do to you. However, he is suffering from fever sweats and as you are the only one I know of who suffers the same kind of uncontrollable delirium, of course I think to come to you."

"I haven't--" Oh.

He realized something.

Lionel didn't know.

His skin flushed to a nice, healthy pink and he swallowed, looking at his feet. "Ah… Lionel. About that. I didn't get to tell you because I haven't seen you... I'm not molting. My last one was last year. This is my last year to change, and... I'm kind of.." Another blush, a cleared throat. "Sexually maturing. Um. In that I have to… uh."

"He has to drink my come," Lex volunteered from his comfortable curl up on the couch.

Lionel, for his part, kept the surprise mostly to himself. "So, you're going through what sounds like puberty, and somehow... Dominic's... involved." He let it trail off as his gaze switched from Clark, to Lex.

And Clark's gaze followed right after him. "Yes. Puberty. Lex is affected by it, too. You don't think..."

Lex felt both sets of eyes on him and half turned over, cracking open one sleepy eye. "What?"

Clark turned his eyes back to Lionel. "When did Dominic have these hot flashes, as you say?"

Lionel, however, kept his eyes on Lex. "One this afternoon, around... four, I think, and one just now, only a few minutes ago." He raised his eyebrow. "I gather it was concurrent with your... activities?"

Clark blushed crimson. "Yes." Then to Lex, "You let your powers slip, baby. Ever since you connected with Dominic a few months ago, and then too when you brought him out of the coma, you've both been connected. Baby, you're giving Dominic your sexual urges."

Lex snorted. "Can't be. You rebooted me. You put the firewalls up. Can't be me."

"Who else is it, then?" Clark asked, frowning. "You saved his life, Lex, you're connected to him in some way. Reach out--can you feel him right now?"

"Yeah, he's asleep," Lex said, without hesitation, but with a pointed yawn. "Like I am trying to be."

"Okay. Lex." Clark walked over and gave him a shake. "Think. He's aroused when you're aroused. He gets hot when you need to let me... feed. Think about it."

One eye opened completely and glared up at Clark. "I haven't fucked with the barriers you put in place, Clark. In fact, I haven't done anything with my powers at all since you got rid of Alexis!"

Lionel just glared at his dithering son. "Lex, do stop being a stubborn ass and listen to Clark as we attempt to solve this problem before Dominic gets hurt."

Clark looked up. "I'm almost sure its Lex. No one else is connected to Dominic aside from you, I would have felt it. And since I don't have any ESP stuff, the logical answer is Lex. And the most likely." he looked up at Lionel. "The bad part is that Lex and I can't stop this until it runs its course. My father said it might be two weeks or two months."

"Dominic may not last that long," Lionel said frankly. "Between the fever sweats and the aftereffects on a body that's already weak and sick... this is doing nothing but hurting him every time this happens."

Clark nodded, tightly. "I'll work with him, to block Dominic out of this. I just.." he looked up, helplessly. "I can't stop it. I wish I could. But we'll find a way so that Dominic's not part of it, i swear. Just please don't get angry, Lionel--we'll try our best."

"I'm not angry at you, Clark," Lionel reassured, then stalked over to the couch. Lex was wrapped in the blanket, and Lionel used it to haul his son upright. "You, on the other hand... Lex, if you do not find a way to stop whatever it is you are doing to Dominic, I will not forgive you for whatever harm you cause him."

Lex shrugged his father off. "Listen to me one more time, Dad. And I'll use small words this time so you'll get it. I haven't done anything. Period. I haven't even tried to levitate a fucking glass of water, okay? I haven't done anything since I got rid of Alexis because I have been afraid that it'd trigger her coming back and I like having my dick!"

Clark squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of his nose… and then stopped. Looked up. Glared. "Lex? You haven't done anything meaning you haven't been practicing like you promised me you would, to control your powers and keep them in check so nothing like Alexis happens again?"

"Haven't done anything means haven't done anything, Clark." Lex glared in return.

"Well, there's the goddamn problem. Lex, you could be doing it subconsciously without even thinking you're doing anything, like what happened with Alexis! And dammit, Dominic isn't our aushna', he's Lionel's, and we're hurting them both."

Lex growled at his aushna'. "I thought the whole fucking point of you putting those barriers up in my head was so that I didn't have to control them because I can't!"

"The barriers are to keep you from hurting anyone, Lex," Clark hissed, his eyes flashing dark in his face as his lover dared to question him. "I worked for almost four hours to put them up, temporarily, until you have your powers under your control. Your mind will find a way to get around them--I bought you time."

"You could have fucking told me that before!" Lex yelled, and then pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Goddammit, goddammit, I wish I'd never had these fucking things, goddammit!"

"Well, welcome to the club," Clark hissed again, and rose to his feet angrily, and turned to Lionel. "Rest assured, no harm will come to Dominic. Now if you'll both excuse me." And he slammed the door on the way out.

Lex snarled at the slammed door before turning the angry glare on his father. "Get the fuck out of my office," he growled.

Lionel almost tried to offer his advice.

Almost.

But, sensing that it wouldn't be welcome, he turned on his heel and followed Clark out the door, only without slamming it this time.

- = - = -

Chloe woke up wet.

She didn't quite know why, but she'd gone home after seeing Shay, eaten some pizza she hadn't really felt like eating, and then gone to bed early. Whitney usually came home by ten o'clock so she'd gone to bed an hour early, falling asleep quickly and deeply as John was finally resting enough to give her some rest.

But she woke up wet, and couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

Whitney was tired. Thank God he had the day off tomorrow; Steven finally finished the manager program and was taking his shift.

He fully intended to sleep for the entire morning and part of the afternoon if he could possibly arrange it with his girlfriend.

However, that quickly went out the window when he got upstairs, and took two steps into the bedroom. He briefly scratched his head. "Chloe? Dumb question but... why're you sitting in a pud--holy shit!"

Chloe was half sitting up, half lying down, her eyes wide in a slightly pallid face, as she looked near tears. "I-I'm wet. I d-don't know what happened… I was tired, I w-went to sleep, I...I.."

"Okay, Chloe? Quick crash course on having babies. When you go into labor? Your water breaks. I don't know why. But it does. So, um. Would you like to go to the hospital now, or do you intend on having John in our bed?" Whitney was just staring stupidly at the dark puddle in the middle of their bed.

Chloe burst into tears. Just... just burst into tears. She began to sob as she sat up, her fingers sticky with the watery stuff all over their bed, her feet dangling off of the mattress and winced mid-sob as her belly viced, and then, more with the crying.

Whitney moved over to the side of the bed. "Chloe, no. Baby, don't cry. This is a good thing. This means he's ready to come out of you and see the rest of us. Your suitcase is packed in the closet, right?"

"W-well, he's not coming out of y-you!" Chloe sobbed all the harder, but she nodded, still crying as she got to her feet, and then sank back down onto the mattress in pain. "O-" hiccup, sob, "--w!"

"Oh--kay! Contractions! Okay! Shit, stairs. We have to get you down the stairs and get you to the hospital. Um... the cell phone's in the car and we can call Lex and Clark on the way and they'll meet us there, and your dad too." Whitney was running around in a little circle, going to the closet for the bag, then the dresser for a robe for Chloe, then the bed to pet her, and not getting any of it done as it occurred to him he hadn't done the other two things.

Chloe held her belly as she cried, watching her lover run around like a chicken with its head cut off and she laughed midway through her sob as she rose again. "The closet, Whitney. Get the bag. I'll get the robe and my shoes. Come on."

"Closet! Bag! I can do that." Whitney almost fell over his own feet as he turned around in mid-circle, and stumbled headfirst into the closet as he pulled out the big black duffel bag big enough to carry their entire combined wardrobe, and slung it over his shoulder. "Okay. Keys in the car, cell phone in my pocket--no. KEYS in my pocket, cell phone in the car," he muttered, carrying the bag downstairs. "Got the bag, got the keys, call Lex and Clark, call Gabe." He threw the front door open and tossed the bag into the back seat, climbed into the front seat, cranked the car and pulled out of the driveway.

Threw on the brakes, backed back into the driveway, turned off the ignition, and went back into the house to get the woman who was actually having his baby.

Chloe was at the bottom of the stairs, breathing through the pain like her Lamaze coach had taught her, and snarled at the front door, hoping against hope Whitney would remember to get her.

She had a moment of panic when she heard the engine crank, but then, yes, the idiot remembered she was still there, drenched in wet gooey stuff, and glared like a woman possessed at him.

Whitney burst through the door in a blur, charging halfway up the steps before he realized he'd passed Chloe in the foyer. He charged back down the steps, and took her by the arm. "Okay. You ready to go? Bag's in the car, we can call your dad and Lex and Clark on the way," he repeated for what had to be the millionth time.

"I know, baby. But I'm covered in muck." She grasped his hand. "Go into the laundry room, and get me the blue sundress and the sweater. They're hanging up, just washed them yesterday. Okay?"

"Blue sweater and sundress. Got it." Whitney raced into the laundry room and looked at the rack of clothes hanging over the washer. "CHLOE! There's not a blue sweater in here! There's a blue dress, do you want that instead? And a white sweater!"

She just... sighed. Dear God. The next forty eight hours were going to be hell. "Yes, baby, that's fine," she said, as she sat down on the bottom stair and winced as she rubbed her belly. "John, baby, here's to praying you get daddy's looks and mommy's mind."

Whitney yanked the clothes off the hangers, miraculously NOT ripping them as he did so, and he leapt over one of the dining room chairs that had gotten in his way. "Got it! White sweater and blue sundress." He held them out as he panted softly.

She looked up, and smiled. "Good. Don't need underwear at this point. Here, give me a leg up," she held up a hand.

Whitney held up both hands and pulled her up to her feet, shifting his weight from foot to foot and almost prancing. "We'll get you to the hospital in time, don't worry. If I have to, I'll call Lex, and he'll speed us there in one of his little... fast car things."

"Don't worry, baby. The Lamaze coach said it could be up to thirty six hours of labor," Chloe said, with a soft sigh, as she undressed right there in the hall, pulling the soaking wet pajamas off and the dress on, as well as the sweater, and pushed her toes into her little sandals. "Here... take this to the laundry room? I'm gonna get to the truck."

"Don't you go out without me!" he bellowed, hurdling the dining room chair again as he flung the soiled pajamas towards the washing machine and came thundering back through the house.

Chloe giggled, and groaned, at the same time, as her belly gave another tight vice and a wave of pain overtook her. "Oh, ow. Ow. Come on, lets go."

Whitney was into full-blown panic now. "okay, we're going, let's go." If he could have picked her up, baby and all, he would have, but as it was, he all but lifted her down onto the porch, and almost broke the key off in the lock as he locked the door to their townhouse before jumping down the three steps to the sidewalk and offering his hands up.

Chloe grabbed his hand as she came down the steps, wincing with each thumping step, and as soon as they got to the truck, accepted his help up into it. She breathed, slow, sure, gentle, rubbing her throbbing tummy as she pulled her seat belt on.

"WHAT????" Whitney almost ripped the seat belt out of her hands. "Are you CRAZY? Do you KNOW what that could do? I don't either but it can't be GOOD!" he yelled, even as he cranked up the truck again and started out of the driveway, pedal to the floor.

 

-fin-

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