When Wishes Come True

Author: tyffi
Pairing: Lex/other
Rating: FRC (6+, children, puppy safe)
Category: Chrexverse, general, het
Words: ~5000
Summary: Lex's biggest wish comes true and yet, he's scared.
Beta: The wonderful cinderella81

Disclaimer: "Smallville" and its characters are copyright of DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Tollin/Robbins and Millar/Gough Ink. Chris and the mistakes belong to me.

Lex was kneeling in front of the bathtub, the sleeves of his light blue shirt rolled up. He laughed and tried to make his three-year-old daughter sit still while he was bathing her, but the little girl was having a blast splashing around.

"'S fun, Daddy!" Hannah announced.

"It'd be more fun if you didn't flood the bathroom, princess," he replied dryly, wiping his face. He was soaked; he could have taken a bath with her as well. "There's no need to bathe the bathroom."

Hannah sat still for a moment and watched him, her head slightly tilted to one side and her full lips turned into a pout. Lex couldn't help but smirk a bit. She looked so much like her mother in moments like this that he had a hard time being a strict parent.

He sighed. "Good then, but some water should be left inside the bathtub."

Hannah squealed with joy and took his face in her wet hands, kissing his nose. "You the bestest daddy!"

Lex smiled pleased when suddenly, she let him go and hit the water with her flat hands, barking like a seal. He jumped back but another wave of water had already hit him.

"Is a seal," Hannah announced and looked at him, beaming. "And, you the daddy seal!"

Lex shook his head. "I won't do that, princess. Besides, Mommy makes a better seal."

"Mommy's no daddy seal!" She watched him begging. "Pleassssssssssssse!"

Again, Lex shook his head. There he was; Lex Luthor, hard-nosed business man, CEO of LuthorCorp, currently considering how to impersonate a seal.

He sighed. The penthouse was empty. Parker, Hannah's male nanny and bodyguard had the night off and Chris was still at the office. The rest of the staff only came during the day and left the penthouse at around six o'clock in the evening. No one would ever witness him, Lex Luthor, making a fool out of himself to please his little daughter.

I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought and took a deep breath before he began to grunt and slapped the water.

"Bark! Seals bark!"

"Actually, otariids bark. Seals just grunt."

Hannah looked at him puzzled and knitted her forehead. She bit her lower lip and scratched her temple – in the same way her mother would do – and Lex couldn't help but grin. How lucky he was to have such an adorable creature in his life. Two, actually.

"Sea lions, are otariids. And, they bark," he added but Hannah kept watching him confused. "We'll go to the zoo tomorrow and I'll show you sea lions. Barkin' sea lions. Seals just grunt --"

"We barking seals," she said determined. "Bark, Daddy! Pleassssssse, Daddy!"

Lex sighed. There was another thing Hannah had inherited from her mother: the stubbornness. There was no way fighting it, so he finally gave in and barked.

Hannah was delighted and clapped her hands, laughing. Well, it was worth making a fool out of himself when he got rewarded with this awesome laughter.

A few minutes passed and Hannah lost interest in playing seals. Instead, she began to play with the rubber ducky, so Lex took the advantage and washed her back.

"Awww, Hannah's bathing Daddy!"

They both looked up. In the door frame Chris was standing, watching them amused. Apparently, she had just come home. Her hazelnut-brown hair was still in a tight knot and she wore a business suit.

Lex watched her suspicious. "How long are you standing there?"

"Just a sec," she replied lightly, entering the room. Lex was relieved. It would've been too embarrassing if she had witnessed him playing a seal.

"Mommy!"

"Cookie! – Hey, is that my rubber ducky?!" Chris laughed and moved over to the bathtub. "Already washed your hair?"

"I was just about doing it," Lex replied.

"Then I came right in time."

"Daddy no good with hair." Hannah said, letting the ducky swim.

"No, he's not. He's lacking experience," Chris agreed and winking, she kissed Lex's head. "You need to practice more on me," she added in a whisper and flashed him such a naughty grin that his lower back began to prickle.

He cleared his throat. "Well, uhm, I'm gonna change. You two are fine here, aren't you?!"

"Perfect!" Chris grinned, letting her eyes roam across his body, smirking. Sometimes he wondered whether he was more to her than just a sexual object.

"Daddy, you come back?"

"Of course, princess. We need to choose a book for tonight."

Hannah beamed at him and when he left the bathroom, he heard Chris telling Hannah to close her eyes and to hold her nose.
"Here she comes, diving Hannah!"

Smiling, he crossed the hall and entered the walk-in closet to get himself a fresh, and furthermore dry, shirt.

If anyone would have told him five years ago that he'd be a husband and father soon, and that he loved being both, he certainly would have called Belle Reve, asking whether they were missing an inmate.

Sometimes, he still couldn't believe that Hannah and Chris were really existing, a part of his life; the best part of his life, actually. He loved them so much that occasionally he found it hard to breath.

"Oh, for Pete's sake! Put on your pj's!" He heard Chris' voice yelling through the corridors.

"Don't wanna!"

"It's winter, kiddo!"

A second later, Hannah came running into the walk-in closet and Lex had to laugh. She had escaped her mother, buck-nacked, and ran straight into his arms.
"My little Nackedei," he laughed as he lifted her up. Chris entered the room only a second later, holding pink pyjamas.

"I wasn't kidding," she said, watching her daughter sternly. "Put on your pj's!"

"Don't wanna!" Hannah began to pout and clung on Lex. He chuckled quietly and rocked her in his arms.

"Princess, Mommy's right. You have to put on your pyjama. It's winter. You can't run around all naked – unless you want to catch a cold and stay in bed for the next few days," he explained patiently and looked her in the eyes. "We can't go to the zoo when you're sick."

"Impossible. Once you have a runny nose you have to stay in bed and sleep all day and all night long," Chris agreed and Hannah began to sniff.

"Don't wanna sleep all day. I wanna go zoo!" She watched Lex with big sad eyes and began to struggle in his arms – a clear sign that she wanted him to set her down. Once he had done it, she staggered toward Chris and let her put on her pyjama. "I not get sick now."

"No, you won't," Chris smiled and kissed her forehead. "And, once summer comes you can run around naked all day, for my liking."

"As long as you're home," Lex added and squatted down in front of Hannah. "So, what do you say? Shall we choose a book now?"

She nodded and let him lift her up again. Together they walked downstairs and entered the library. Lex stopped in front of the book shelves and let Hannah have a look at the books. She examined the backs of the books thoroughly as if she could already read their titles, causing him to smirk. Maybe, she was able to read them by now – he wouldn't be surprised. After all, she was his and Chris' daughter; she had to be clever.

"And, Princess? Already picked a book?"

"Shhh!" She glared at him, and he found a lot of himself in her expression. He smiled again.

"Good then, take your time. A bed lecture has to be well chosen."

"Havone," Hannah suddenly announced and tried to pull out a little, old book. Lex helped her a bit and smiled when he recognized the copy.

"That's a good choice, Hannah. A really good choice."

"Really?"

"'The Little Prince'... it's an excellent choice. It was Grandma Lillian's favourite book. And, it's one of my favourites, too," Lex replied, looking reminiscently at the copy. It bore a lot of memories.

"Mommy once read it to me..."

Hannah frowned and eyed him. "You can read!"

"Of course, I can, but then I was... uhm... sick, and Mommy sat next to my bed, reading this book to me." There was no need to tell Hannah he had been shot then and lying in a coma. She certainly wouldn't understand it anyway.

"Mommy's nice."

"Yeah, she is," Lex grinned. "And now, I'm gonna read this book to you. See, it's like a family tradition." He moved her onto his hip, and made sure she held the copy tight in her little hands before they left the library, walking upstairs to her room. They met Chris in front of the door. She had changed while he and Hannah had been downstairs. She wore her hair open now, and the business suit was replaced by light blue slacks and a white hoodie.

"New book for tonight?" She looked at the copy and smiled. "That's a good one."

"Daddy's fawite."

"Right, that's his favourite," Chris corrected, smiling. "Then, off to bed. – Lex, let her down; she's a big girl, she can climb into bed without any help. Right?!"

Hannah nodded again and struggled into Lex's arms until he set her down to her feet. She hurried toward her bed and crawled into it. It was adorable. She was a bit clumsy and hadn't learned yet to control all her limbs at the same time, but she was eager to be independent and showed her parents every day.

Lex watched her for a moment and suppressed a sigh. She was growing so fast. He still felt as if it was yesterday Chris had told him she was pregnant...

Chris followed Hannah to the bed, while Lex waited in the door frame. It was a ritual. First, Chris kissed their daughter good night, then she left to let Lex read to Hannah. It had always been like that, and it would always be like that.

"Take Mr. Bear. – Lying comfortable?" Chris just said as she gently pulled the comforter over her daughter. Again, Hannah nodded, and Chris bent down to kiss her forehead. "Sleep tight, Cookie. I love you!"

"Love you, Mommy!"

Chris kissed her again before she turned to leave. As she passed Lex, she brushed her lips against his cheek.
"See you in the living room," she whispered and gave him a teasing look.

He chuckled but only a second later he began to frown. There was something wrong about her attitude. Not in a bad way, but wrong enough to make him curious. He looked after her, wondering what was going on inside her brain. Nothing good, most likely. Chris was a wicked little person, and she liked to have a laugh; preferably on him...

"Mommy, stay!" Hannah suddenly said, causing Chris to enter the room again. She watched her daughter surprised. So did Lex.

"But, it's Hannah-Daddy-time, isn't it?!"

"Don't wanna be sick. You read tha book for daddy. He read tha book for me. You..." She was talking so fast that Lex couldn't understand anything at all – even though he tried. He glanced at Chris who watched their daughter earnestly and nodded every now and then.

"Yeah, that makes sense," she agreed and sat down into a chair which was standing next to Hannah's bed. She looked at Lex, making a helpless gesture – apparently, she didn't know what Hannah was talking about, either.

"On your place, Daddy," Chris grinned. "You know how it works; reading parents sits on the bed."

Lex made a face at her before he sat down next his daughter who immediately cuddled up against his chest. Again, he glanced at Chris who almost watched them a bit envious. She moved with the chair a bit closer to the bed and winked.

Lex cleared his throat and opened the book.

"The Little Prince. By Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Chapter One.
Once when I was six years old I saw a magniﬁcent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here's a copy of the drawing." He stopped and let her have a look at it. Hannah shuddered slightly and pressed her teddy against her chest.

"Cweepy!"

"Maybe, snakes would say the same about us when they see us eating with cutlery." Lex and Chris said at the same time.

Hannah giggled and cuddled up against her father again.

"In the book it said: “Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.” I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.
But they answered: “Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?” My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant..."

"I think she's fallen asleep," Chris whispered after Lex had finished chapter five and quietly stood up, stroking her daughter's head. "Good nighty. – You look like you could need a drink..."

"I'm still amazed how you could read the whole book to me; in one go," he replied as he quietly and carefully stood up. He laid the book onto the bedside table and pulled the comforter over Hannah, kissing her forehead.

"Well, I'm a lawyer. I'm used to speaking a lot, saying nothing," Chris grinned and held out her hand. Lex ignored it but put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her with him out of Hannah's room. He kissed her cheek and closed the door behind them.

"Ooh, now we start with the adult part of the evening?!"

"I hope so," he chuckled. "I have to take advantage of you being home so early. Normally, you're still at the office at this time."

"Soon, you'll be begging me to be at the office more often," Chris mumbled, causing Lex to frown. What was this all about?

But, before he had much time to wonder, Chris twirled around, grabbed both his hands and watched him cheerfully.
"Come with me. I've got something for you!"

"A surprise?" Lex raised his brows in mock horror. "You know I hate surprises."

"That's why you get one," she laughed while jumping a little up and down, and pulled him with her downstairs. They entered the living room.

"You're scaring me a bit."

"As if I could." Again, she laughed and walked over to the bar, poring him a glass of Scotch.

Lex sat back in the sofa and watched her. Sometimes, it was quite amusing to see Chris playing the little housewife that was trying to please her husband. It rarely happened, though. Chris was way too independent and too smart to see anything superior in him; that's what he loved so much about her. She was his equal and likely, it was the only reason they were still together, and in love. She was a constant challenge.

He took the glass from her and pulled her down next to him, putting his arm around her shoulder.
"Want a sip?"

Chris shook her head and watched him drinking. She smiled, but there was something odd about her smile. Nothing bad, yet it was different from what he was used to. He frowned.
"You okay?"

She nodded, still smiling. It was radiant.
"Never been better," she said and kissed his cheek.

"Good... I guess," he said slowly, eyeing her suspiciously. She still watched him with that odd, almost Sphinx-like smile, and Lex began to feel uncomfortable.
"Chris, that surprise of yours... You haven't poisoned my drink, have you?!"

"Damn it! I knew you would notice. I should've gone with the ninja in the bedroom..."

"I was just checking," he mumbled, still watching her suspiciously. "Chris, what's with that smile? Do you have something on me?"

Chris giggled and pinched his nose. "Have a guilty conscience about something?"

"Of course not," he replied, maybe a bit too fast, although there wasn't anything on his mind he could feel guilty about. Not really, however.

"Good, since I wanna show you something." She bent over and pulled something out from under the sofa.

Frowning, Lex watched her. Was she featured in another magazine? This time in a reliable magazine, and not in the yellow press, or a gossip rag?
Chris was a succesful lawyer and would easily become the youngest district attorney of Kansas if she had any ambitions for that job. Lex was proud of her and loved to see her being honoured by her kind.

But, it wasn't a magazine she pulled out from under the sofa; it was a pair of shoes. Children's shoes, to be more specific.

Lex knitted his brows. "Those are cute, but I'm afraid Hannah's a bit to big for them by now."

"They are not for Hannah, silly," Chris replied, still showing that radiant smile.

"Angel, I hate to tell you, but you won't fit in them, either."

"I'd totally pull an Aschenputtel to fit in these," she chuckled, looking at the shoes. "But, I think I know a better use for them." Again, there was this strange glow in her eyes he had noticed before, and he frowned. Sometimes, Chris was anything but easy to understand.

"Drunk any Champagne lately? At least, that would explain your..." He trailed off and stared at her.

Suddenly, it began to make sense. Chris wasn't acting stupid and childish in order to have a laugh on him; she was telling him something...
His mouth dropped open and involuntarily, his eyes travelled down to her belly.

"Are you... ? We are... "

"Oh boy, he finally got it; so I don't need to file for divorce. – Yes, we are," Chris beamed. "This time, it's for sure! There's no mistake. We're having another baby, hon!"

Lex couldn't believe his ears.
When Hannah had turned two Chris had agreed to have another child, but even though they had tried hard – and often – Chris had never conceived. There had been a few false alerts, but no pregnancy.
He looked at her, stunned.

"I'd've hoped for another reaction," Chris mumbled, letting the shoes sink. "Actually, I've hoped for a reaction at all!"

"I... I... since when do you know?"

"Since you impregnated me," she said sheepishly. "I had a hunch since New Year but I wanted to be sure. Thus, I had a myriad of tests; first at home, later at the doctor's. I didn't want to disappoint you again."

"You've never disappointed me, Angel!"

"But, those false alerts did. I know it wasn't my fault I didn't get pregnant earlier..." She flashed him a smile as though she was considering giving him a nasty reply, but obviously decided against it.
"This time, however, it's no false alert. This time it's real! I'm seven weeks pregnant and we'll have another baby, Lex!" She watched him, apparently waiting for his response.

He just looked at her. So long, he had waited for her to tell him she was pregnant again, and now that she finally did, he was too overwhelmed to say anything.
Slowly, he set his glass onto the coffee table and stood, pulling her up with him. He held her hands and looked at her for a moment, or two.

A baby. Another baby... He felt the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile as he looked at the shoes Chris had shown him. Another baby... another little one that would be all his.

Slowly, he sank down to his knees and placed his head against her stomach. Chris' hands cupped his scalp, caressing it gently.

They would have another baby – a wonderful thought!

The moment he had held Hannah the first time, he had known for sure he wanted to have a big family, even though the fear of being a bad father, a bad husband, was a constant fellow. However, he knew he wanted it. He wanted to be a family man, and he wanted Hannah to grow up with siblings.

He looked up at Chris, feeling his cheeks burning with joy. "A baby..."

Chris nodded. "Another little Luthor, or a Harris... And, the best part about it: you don't need to marry me this time."

Lex rose and cupped her face in his hands. "I didn't marry you because you were with Hannah then."

"Right... You first proposed, then impregnated me, and a few months later we married." Her voice was cheerful and she playfully poked him in the ribs. "It's just, normally, the husband waits with the impregnation until the priest's said 'You may kiss the bride'."

He didn't reply but wrapped his arms around her and closed her mouth with a kiss. Immediately, Chris stopped talking but put her arms around his shoulders and let him hold her. She sighed into his mouth, and when their kiss stopped she smiled at him.

"Good news?"

"Best news!" he replied and placed his hand on her belly, caressing it slightly.

"So, tell me: what will we have? Girl, or a boy?"

Lex laughed. They had had a similar conversation many moons ago, and while he had been right with Hannah being a girl, Chris had been completely wrong.
"Another girl," he said cheerfully. "Of course, we'll have another adorable girl. And, she'll be as beautiful and smart as you."

"Huh... and I was hoping for a boy."

Chris had said it in a joke and yet, Lex jerked and turned away from her, grabbing his glass to have a sip.

"What? Don't you wanna have a boy?"

It wasn't as though he didn't want to have a boy, but he still feared one day he would become like his father, and while he was capable to be a good father to a girl, he doubted it would also apply to a boy.

Girls were easy. He knew how to treat them, and he would easily spend a whole afternoon playing pirate with Hannah, or tea party, or teaching her chess. But, what did little boys do? How did fathers spend their time with their sons?

Was he capable of raising a little boy?

Behind him, he heard Chris swearing quietly.

"Lex... hon. This isn't about Julian, is it?!" She whispered and followed him. Gently, she touched his shoulder. "You haven't caused his death. It was your mom..."

Lex turned around to stop her talking about it. He hated that memory, and he hated the fact that he had filled Chris in on this darkest memory of his childhood. Sometimes he wished, he wouldn't remember it at all but stuck to the version his father still believed: that Lex had suffocated little Julian in his crib because of jealousy.

"She had been sick then, and no one was there to take care of her, to help her," Chris continued and made him look at her. "We already have Hannah and it goes well. Remember when you first held her? You've been thrilled then. And, ever since then you barely let her go again. You are a good father to her, and you'll be an even better father if we should have a boy." Sighing, she rested her head at his shoulder.

Lex knew what she was thinking of. Almost four years ago, when she had told him she was pregnant with Hannah, they had been excited in the first place, but then his fears had hit him, and the actual happy news of a pregnancy had turned into something dreadful.

He breathed in deeply, and put his arm around her waist.
"You want this baby, don't you?!"

Chris raised her brows and watched him puzzled for a moment before she huffed surprised. "Please don't tell me you think I'm only doing this because you want to have another girl, and you fear finding me with a pillow at the munchkin's bed!"

He didn't look at her but fixated on a spot at the wall behind her. His mother hadn't wanted to have a second child, she had wanted to divorce Lionel. What if history would repeat itself?

"Hey, don't you dare!" Chris took his face in her hands and made him look at her again. "Listen, I'm not your mother, and you're not your father! We both agreed it'd be wonderful to have a second child, and once he or she is born, you'll be camping in the nursery watching him or her sleep – like you did when Hannah was born. You are a wonderful father, you help me to be a good mother, you are the perfect husband and there's nothing to fear because you are an amazing person and you'll even find a way to figure out how to teach your son to shave. – You haven't thought so far yet, have you?!"

"I could practice on you," Lex mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed. There was nothing to fear as long as he had someone like Chris at his side. She had enough faith in him for both of them, and she wasn't afraid to stand up to him. And, when he was honest with himself, Chris was the only person that knew who he really was. It hadn't scared her away; not yet. She was such a loyal person, and he was blessed to have found her.

"You're really scared, hm?!" Chris whispered after a while, gently caressing his neck.

Lex shook his head, causing her to giggle. "Liar!"

"I'm just... overwhelmed." He paused and looked at her for a moment. Actually, his life was perfect, and now it would even get better; with a second child on the way.

"I hope it's joy, not fear?!"

"The former is getting stronger, definitely," he replied and watched her again. Even though they knew each other for such a long time, he still found it difficult to speak openly to her about his feelings. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

"Lex, what is it?"

"Nothing, I just... I just need to know... In case we get a boy, and I'm doing anything wrong; you'd tell me, right?! You'd stop me from treating him like my dad would do, right?!"

A painful, almost sad expression flickered across Chris' face before she cupped his in her hands, making him look into her eyes.
"Of course," she said empathically. "And, if I should be too late, I'll make sure you'll join your father in jail. I'd even make sure you get a father-son-cell."

Lex couldn't help but chuckle. "I'd deserve that."

"Yeah, but that won't happen, because you're not like him!" She sighed and watched him sympathetically. "What do I have to do to get it into this beautifully shaped head of yours?"

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her soft hair. Hopefully, she would never stop keep believing in him.

"Maybe, we should wait till the baby's born before we freak out," Chris whispered, causing him to smile.

"As long as he, or she is healthy, I'm fine with everything," he replied, trying to calm himself down. "You really think I'm a good father?"

"Have you heard Hannah complaining yet?"

Chuckling, Lex shook his head. Hannah loved him, no matter what. He had been her first word – way before she had said Mommy... They had the same relationship Chris had to her father, and Lex was proud of it. And, maybe he would have the same with a son.

"I'm sorry..."

Smiling, Chris put her index finger on his lips to stop him speaking. "Shh, it's okay, hon. Those are just the hormones. Your body's producing more estrogen now, your boobs will grow, you'll gain a few pounds..."

Lex shook his head and couldn't help but smile. "You never take me seriously."

"I do, but your doubts are unfounded. You're a wonderful father that isn't scared of pretending to be a sea lion while bathing his daughter. – Besides, you've gained a few pounds when I was with Hannah!" There was a flash of her tongue, and her eyes twinkled cheerfully at him.

"That was a barking seal," Lex replied dryly. He should've known that Chris had been standing long enough in the bathroom doorway to see him acting as his daughter's jester. And, most likely he would do the same once their second child was born – even if they should have a little boy.

"Maybe, we should start from the beginning!?"

Chris tilted her head and eyed him for a second before suddenly, she stepped back and held out her hand. "Chris Harris... nice to meet you, Mr. Luthor."

"Maybe not that early," he smirked and grabbed for her hand, pulling her closer again. She giggled and pressed her hands against his chest, pushing him back towards the couch.

"Good, then sit down again; I'll put the shoes back under the sofa."

But, Lex didn't let her go. He held her tight and kissed her; long and lovingly.

"I love you. And, I'm gonna love this little one here." He placed his hand at her belly. "In fact, I already do."

Chris beamed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you more," she whispered at his lips, and Lex had no doubt she was telling the truth. Slowly, he began to relax and a feeling of joy took over him. He would be a father again.

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When Wishes Come True

~fin~