The Memoirs

There had been a time in Adam's life when he'd thought that being hired by LuthorCorp's higher-ups would have been the best thing that could have ever happened to him. He'd been his high school valedictorian in Tulsa, he'd graduated ahead of everyone in his college, and he was basically chomping at the bit to get a great job with someone who'd challenge him.

If only he'd known that challenges included two AM deadlines and having to deal with two of the biggest sons of bitches in the business world today, he thought with a deep, deep sigh.

He hurried into the hospital through the emergency room entrance, and as soon as he mentioned Lex's name, he was ushered quickly through the rest of the deserted hospital to the elevators, and told how to get to the maternity ward from there.

The elevator ride was rickety and slow, but it gave him the time to shuffle through the papers and turn them all to their signature pages as he got off the elevator and headed down the hallway.

It wasn't hard to see the only bald man in the waiting room, and he picked up his pace, walking quickly through the hall and into the waiting area.

Clark was slumped, asleep. After the delicious adventure he and Lex had, he'd felt hollow, pleased, and incredibly drowsy. And so, after washing themselves up as best as they could, they'd returned to sitting in the waiting room with double dopey grins on their faces.

He'd fallen asleep in the more comfortable chair by the table near Pete, blanket thrown over his shoulders. Warm, cozy, and incredibly, unspeakably sated. The pleasure was unbelievably delightful, and he sighed and wriggled once in a while, as if reminding himself of the hollow thumps and warmth he felt from the knees up.

Lex was sitting in the chair beside him, Clark leaning half on his lap, fingers stroking idly through his lover's hair as he watched Pete playing cards with Shayla.

When the waiting room doors slammed open, he turned around in his seat, expecting Whitney. He didn't expect Adam Knight.

"Mr. Knight? May I enquire as to what in the hell you're doing here?"

Adam gritted his teeth. "Anybody ever tell you that you sound like your old man?" He held the contracts out. "I was able to negotiate a last-minute buy with Welchlem. Only you've got to sign the papers tonight, before business tomorrow, so they can be filed under yesterday's date and won't cause another day's drop in the stock, because if it stays low another day, there's going to be a mass sell-off, and we don't want that."

Clark opened one eye blearily at the new voice, thinking maybe it was a doctor for a moment before he heard what he said, and frowned as he opened his eyes.

And stared at himself.

His eyes widened, from deeply asleep to wide awake in seconds as he stared at this...doppelganger.

Pete took one look at Lex's new assistant, another at Clark's face, and cleared his throat. "Shay. Lets go get some coffee."

"Yeah. Like I'm just that dumb. I'm not gonna miss Haystack blowin' his top. Hell no." She crossed her arms and settled back comfortably in her chair. "This? Gonna be good."

Lex took the contracts as Clark was waking up, and leaned forward as Clark straightened, completely missing the acidic glare thrown his way as he flipped through the papers. "This is the same deal that we've been trying to get them to agree with for the last week and a half. How did you get them to agree?"

Adam wasn't quite as oblivious, but he answered Lex's question anyway as he stared at the slightly taller and much bulkier version of himself that was slowly waking. "Right after closing, about ten or eleven, Welchlem got the same stock opt reports we did. He wanted to hold out for more, but with the bottom dropping out early tomorrow, he knew he couldn't wait or they'd never recover. That made our deal peachier than anyone else's offer, because of the three-week buy-back clause that your father wanted added, that will let the current shareholders buy back ten percent of their stock in three weeks, giving them a minority share."

Clark wasn't quite ready to speak, yet. Not just yet. He was still staring at this guy who was him, only... not. Small differences, here and there, and he was a little frightened as he looked across at Lex.

Adam looked just like him.

A human him.

Jealousy leapt up so hard that it nearly choked him, and he barely kept the growls starting to form in his throat under check.

"Well, that's good news." Lex took the pen that was clipped to the contracts and started scrawling his signature and initials on the appropriately flagged blanks. "Congratulations, Mr. Knight, you've just made your first deal for LuthorCorp." He handed the signed papers back, then realized his rudeness. "Right. Adam, this is my fiancé Clark Kent--"

"Yeah, I gathered that," Adam said dryly.

Lex gave him a peculiar look. "These are our friends, Pete Ross and Shayla Senatori--she's Dominic's younger sister--"

"Hi," Shayla said, waggling her fingers at him.

"--and I'm sure if you wait around long enough, you'll meet the father to be, Whitney Fordman."

Clark didn't even speak.

He couldn't.

His heart was pounding, furiously, his blood was singing through his head, and after a few more moments to gather himself up, murder in his heart, he rose to his feet and offered his hand. "Hello."

Adam held out his hand and shook Clark's. "Adam Knight. I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Kent--mostly because I keep getting called Clark."

"I can see why that might happen. How are you liking your job so far?"

"It's... been an adventure, I have to admit," he said candidly. "Between Lex and his father? Yeah. I've been on my toes."

Lex signed the last paper and gave them all back to Adam. "There. Backdated with yesterday's date and signed. Get it out first thing, so even if there is an early drop, it'll gain points back by the end of the day's trading with the announcement."

Shay leaned over to tap Pete on the shoulder. "Dude, does he not notice?"

Pete was watching, in awe, and shook his head as Shayla spoke. Pete had known Clark for a very, very long time, and the barely concealed pleasantness gave him a shiver of fear down his spine. "He's 'bout to go nuclear."

Clark gave a small, very pleasant, but chilly smile.

"Why is it I don't feel sorry for Lex?" she muttered.

Adam took the papers and shoved them back in the leather briefcase. "Thank you. Now I can go home and sleep for three hours before I go back to work in the morning."

Lex just chuckled softly. "At least you'll be sleeping. Clark and I will probably be here until time for work in the morning--which reminds me, depending on when the baby is born, I may not be in until later in the morning or early afternoon."

"We can handle it without you, and you'll have your cell phone turned on, right?" Adam glared.

"Shit," Lex said, scrambling for the device in question. "Yeah, it'll be on, sorry about that."

Clark's mouth fell open. Sorry? SORRY? To this little shit?! He turned a look on Adam that could have melted the spine from someone's body, furious and alien and pissed. "Don't talk to him like he's a little kid. Please."

"boom," editorialized Shayla.

Lex looked up in surprise. "Clark, it's okay. He's right, I turned the phone off when we came into the hospital. I'll turn it back on in the morning, and everything'll be all right."

Clark gave his lover a look that spoke only a page of the volumes of fury he was currently holding back, and he turned back, politely, to Adam. "Thank you."

Lex cringed as Clark glared at him. "Okay, okay."

Adam's eyebrow raised at the entire situation. "You... Lex? Hats off. boyfriend and bodyguard."

"I'd advise you not to talk about Clark like that," Lex said warningly. "I don't take well to it and I've fired people for less."

"double boom," Shay added from the sidelines.

Clark didn't say anything, just turned away from the whole thing and went back to the chair and his blanket, before he did something he would truly regret.

"Shay, it's bout to go nuclear."

"And we got ringside seats," she cheered.

Whitney came bursting through the other end of the waiting room door, and made a beeline for Lex and Clark. He slung one arm around Clark's shoulder and the other around Lex's, and grinned. "She's almost fully dilated. The doctors say another couple of hours, and she'll be ready to start the real contractions and the delivery."

Then, he looked at Clark sitting on the chair.

And then, at Clark standing in a suit beside Lex.

And looked again.

And looked one more time. "Um... is there some pretty red rocks laying around that I should know about?"

Clark glared at his ashimel so furiously that he thought he was going to bore a hole through his head just by pure glaring, and he looked away and ran his fingers through his long hair irritatingly.

Adam shoved Whitney's arm from around his shoulder. "You must be Whitney. Adam Knight, temporary vice president of operations at LuthorCorp."

"Not, Clark Kent's Evil Twin?" he asked suspiciously, shaking Adam's hand and backing off, severely wigged out, and plopped down on the chair beside Clark. "Lucy? You gots some 'splaining to do."

Clark was in no mood for amusement, and less for games. He didn't say anything, hoping against hope that Lex would make him go away, and right now, half wished Lex would join him. He couldn't remember having been this mad in a long, long time. Who the fuck did he think he was, temporary vice president bullshit.

"Yeah, this is Whitney Fordman. He's the owner and manager of Fordman's department store here in Smallville." He ran his hands over his head.

"I see." He looked around at the odd little group of people, and his eyebrow raised just a little bit further as he saw them all clustered around Clark. But, he didn't say a word. "Look, not to meet, greet, and depart, but I've got to file these and try to get some sleep. Lex, I'll see you tomorrow, everyone else... it's been a pleasure." He gave the room at large a half-bow, and started out.

"Goodnight, Adam, and good work." Lex flung himself back down on the chairs, cracking his neck gently as he looked at Clark.

Felt the daggers stabbing into his head. "Yes?"

At the mystified question, Shayla just burst into uncontrolled giggles.

Whitney just rolled his eyes. "Lex. Dude."

"It's like the damned Twilight Zone," Pete said, in awe.

Clark glared, furiously, tears leaping up into his eyes uncontrolled as he looked at his lover. "What is he, the new office fuck?"

Lex blinked. "Office fuck? Clark, what are you talking about?" He took in each wide-eyed glare as it was trained on him. "What?"

"Him!" Clark pointed, and the first tear slid over his eyelash and fell down his face. "That... person! You! That's the guy you hired! You told me it was okay without Kal and CK here, but it was all a lie, wasn't it?"

Lex was completely bewildered. "Clark, what the hell are you talking about? It is okay without Kal and CK here, Clark. You know that. I made my peace with that a long time ago. What is it about Adam that has you all worked up?"

Ohhh and Clark was about to start sobbing hysterically, but he was keeping it down, as much as his voice broke. "It was a lie. How could you do that? How could you not understand how I'd feel when I found out?"

"Found out WHAT?" Lex demanded.

Whitney had his arms around Clark, and he just glared at Lex. "Okay, Lex? I know you're like, oblivious to the part of the world that exists OUTSIDE of your brain, but Jesus CHRIST! That guy? Looks like a fuckin' mirror image of Clark!"

Clark's lower chin was trembling terrible, and he turned, burying his face in Whitney's shoulder and hugging him, tightly, as his own shoulders shook.

Pete watched how bad it hurt Clarks feelings, and he felt bad, himself. "Insensitive jackass. Lex, that dude is like, Doublemint Clark."

"It's okay," Whitney said softly. "He's just a dumbass."

Shay nodded. "Lex... seriously. Open mouth, insert foot, swallow, repeat. Cause man. Adam seriously equals Clark, and if I see it? Yeah."

Lex just shook his head. "So maybe they've both got dark hair, but come on. Nobody can look like Clark."

"Lex. Whitney came out, Whitney who's like, sucked ya'lls cock and done whatever the fuck else you all do," he made a nauseated face, "And he thought it was Clark. Doesn't that tell your dumb white boy ass something?"

"Yeah, that Whitney's over excitable because of the baby coming his way and he doesn't know what the fuck he's doing," Lex said.

"Lex, I'm stupid, I'll grant you that, but I ain't that stupid."

Clark lifted his head in misery, as soon as the tears had dried and wiped on Whitney's shoulder--he knew his ashimel didn't mind--and looked up in misery.

No, he didn't mind at all, and Whitney gave Clark a kiss to the cheek. "Come on. You can come back there with me and Chloe if you want," he offered softly.

He nodded, his face still crumbling a little every time his breath hitched, and he rose with him, winding his arm around Whitney's shoulders and sniffling softly.

Lex felt like his chest was caving in, and he was fighting to breathe, like his childhood asthma attacks, only magnified. "Clark... please, don't go."

Clark looked up at him, all the sadder for it. "You told me you were over Kal and CK, that it was okay if it was just me. Why, why did you...even if he was qualified, why..." Clark almost burst into tears again, eyes hot and prickling. "Why?"

"Because he was qualified," Lex choked out of a tight throat, reaching out for Clark. "There wasn't any other reason, Clark, I promise you."

"You promise me?" Clark said, as he reached out when Lex did, and their fingers brushed before linking, tightly. "You promise me?"

"I swear to you," Lex said, his fingers grasping Clark's desperately tight. "I promise. Look in my head, my mind, you'll see the truth, Clark, please, I don't want to lose you, I can't. Please, not now."

"I don't have to look in your head," Clark said, in a quiet, wet voice, stunned by the hurt he'd just received and sharing it with Lex. "You don't see how much we look alike?"

"Look alike? Dude, he's like your fucking long lost brother," Pete snorted.

Lex shook his head. "I didn't notice, I didn't at all, please, Clark... you have to believe me." He tightened his grip on Clark's hand.

"I do," Clark said, very, very softly and leaned forward to hug him, tightly. "If you ever allow him to talk to you like that again, I'll break his legs and make him wish for death."

Lex wrapped his arms and legs around Clark tightly, burying his face in Clark's shoulder and letting out a soft little cry as his fingers knotted in Clark's shirt. "I love you. I'll behave, I promise."

"I love you," Clark said back, hugging Lex tightly for a soft, long moment, before pulling back enough to kiss him, ever so gently. "I love you very much. Okay?" he asked, fingers stroking over his lover's face.

Lex returned the kiss, rubbing his cheek against Clark's as he sat back, clearing his throat as he stroked his hands over Clark's arms and shoulders. "Okay," he said softly.

"I freaked out a little. But I love you," Clark said, and kissed his lover again, over and over once more, ignoring Pete's loud gagging noises and smiling into his lovers skin.

"Don't freak out," Lex pled softly, leaning into the soft kisses and rubbing himself over Clark's chest. "You're my only, my aushna'. Nobody but you, Clark, I promise."

"I know. But you can't say we don't look alike, Lex... what spurred you to hire him?"

"I didn't notice that you looked alike," Lex admitted, settling himself against Clark, almost in the same skin. "He was valedictorian in high school, never had less than a 4.0 GPA, graduated a year ahead of everyone in his college classes, youngest graduate of his year, top five percentile, double-major in business economics and business management, and he's got glowing recs from every member of his university staff."

"And he's a first class prick, who dishonored our jurnai in front of us," Clark said, his voice rumbling as he pressed his lips to Lex's forehead.

"He's like me, when I got out of college," Lex admitted. "Headstrong, full of myself, and thinking that everyone should kiss my ass because I am Lex Luthor, hear me roar."

Shayla snorted her orange juice out her nose.

Whitney coughed. "Lex? You are a Luthor. People did kiss your ass. This guy? So not even in the same league he's in Triple-A."

"Triple-A?" Lex asked blankly.

"Baseball minor leagues," Whitney clarified.

"And he's treating you without the honor you should be treated. He called Lionel and Dominic, who are the most noble people I have ever known, bastards. Lex, I didn't do anything out of respect for you, but don't ask me to do it next time. I won't have anyone disrespect my family in such a way."

Lex blinked. "My father is a bastard. In case you didn't notice that."

Whitney nodded. "Gotta back Lex on that one, Clark. He did threaten to kill Chloe and me, so I'm going with the bastard thing."

"He is not a bastard. He's spent the last six months at his lover's bedside, Lex," Clark said, his eyebrows furrowing again. "How could you say he's anything but a good person? His company is going into ruin because he'd rather be with this person he loves so much, rather se him well because Dominic is his life. He's changed, he isn't what he was."

"Six months doesn't change twenty years overnight," Lex pointed out. "Yes, he's changing. I hope to God he keeps changing with Aurora on the way. But believe me, Clark, leopards do not change their spots."

At that, Clark let go entirely and took a step back, his face sliding into stone. "Was I the only one who watched him for the past six months?"

"Probably," Lex said, glaring back as Clark let him go and stepped away. "I was a little over my head trying to keep Dad's company from going completely under to notice."

Shayla leaned over to Pete. "You ever get the feelin' Lex doesn't know when to shut the hell up?"

"He loves you. How could you say these things?"

"Known for his big mouth, Shay," Pete said, shaking his head. "Just forgave him for that bastard," Pete motioned his chin toward the hall Knight had just left through. "Without kicking his head off like I woulda done, and... woo," he winced.

"Because I've known him a little longer than you have, Clark. I know what my father is like, and I know what he is and isn't capable of. Maybe I'm just tired, but my father's gentility doesn't extend past Dominic these days."

"Funny, he's shown you quite a bit since this whole problem started. Funny, how much he loves and trusts you to allow you to take over LuthorCorp and fill in his lover's position until he can return to work. Funny, how he never has a bad word for you, and tries his best to understand you."

"Funny how he dumped the fucking company in my lap. Funny how he wouldn't let me hire anyone because he didn't trust me until we spent the better part of two days doing the same work, and he was forced to let me pick someone. Funny how he never has a word for me period," Lex retorted hotly, "Unless it's some criticism about how I'm running things."

Clark felt his anger escalate, recognized it, and turned away from him. "I'm not doing this with you. I'm going to check on Chloe."

"Fine. I'm going down to the car for my laptop." Lex turned too, and headed for the door.

"Morons," Pete said, a little too loudly.

Lex glared over his shoulder, but didn't stop.

- = - = -

Martha was running.

A lot.

Her baby girls were good babies, and they didn't fuss very much at all. But Martha had never realized how much work babies were--when she and Jonathan got Clark, he'd been a toddler and already fending for himself. This? Was a mite more difficult.

Jonathan helped where he could, now that they had hired the farm hands they needed, Rubenstein boys fresh out of high school, and it helped quite a bit. He'd also gotten a temporary job working for Lionel, and though Jonathan hadn't told her doing what, she trusted that it was all legal. The Lionel of today was not the Lionel of yester year, not by any stretch of the imagination.

She rose a hand in waving to her husband as he tore through the house. "You're late, honey! Get going!"

Jonathan was drinking coffee on the go. And in this case, on the go meant, as he was running through the house after his shower.

Despite the addition of the farm hands, there were just some chores that he had to do himself. Feeding the cows, for one, and making sure their breeding schedule was set right, and making a note by the phone to call Randy Rubenstein about trading up bulls for next year.

Without Clark to toss the bales of hay and sacks of feed around like they were nothing, Jonathan had to haul the hay and feed by himself, and it took a little longer than it used to.

Consequently, he was running about ten minutes behind, chugging coffee as he went through the house.

"How're my best girls this morning?" he asked, giving his wife a quick kiss and each of his little baby girls a peck on the forehead.

Martha rolled her eyes as she looked down at the babies in their car seats, who she was feeding bottles to simultaneously. "Ready to run me ragged. Your toast is in the little sack by the door, and call me when you're on your way so I can put the chicken in the oven!"

"Yes ma'am," he said with a grin, shrugging into his jacket. "Wish me luck and make sure the ice trays are full, cause if that bastard hits me again, it's gonna be on."

Martha grinned. Her husband had been totally mysterious to what he was doing, as she knew, but seeing him drag his old med bag out of storage and hearing "potato sucking bastard' muttered under his breath while they were getting ready for bed told her just what he was doing.

Her lips twitched.

"Bye, sweetie."

"Remember, money's hidden in my sock drawer if you gotta throw m'bail. Ethan'll be nice about it, I bet," he said with a grin, and another kiss as he poured a refill of coffee. "Be home about four thirty or five, I think."

"All right, hun. We'll be waiting for you!" Martha grinned, raised her cheek for a kiss, and shooed him out as she lifted Elizabeth for a burp.

Jonathan kissed his wife, then little burping Lizzie, and then another for Sarah still in her chair, and he stopped at the door. "Want me to talk t'Clark and see if there's anybody that just graduated last year that might need a job helpin' you look after our girls?"

"Nope," Martha shook her head, dimples winking. "I'll be fine. Now get out of here! You're already late, and Dominic has enough fuel for fire without you adding to it. On with you."

"Okay, okay, I'm goin'!" He grabbed the coffee cup in one hand and his beat up trainer's satchel in the other.

He slung the strap over his shoulder as he boosted himself up in the truck, and raised a cloud of dust in the air as the rumble of thunderclouds started to roll in over Smallville.

 

-fin-

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