1993 - Nervousness made Lex stumble over the opening lines of the nursery rhyme that his mother sang to him when he was younger.  He still couldn't believe he was entrusted with the handling of his baby brother, Julian, since Pamela showed him the appropriate way of supporting a child earlier that day.  His mother's condition hadn't improved after delivery and so it was up to him to quiet Julian before he could wake up the rest of the household. 

Taking a calming breath, Lex repeated the opening lines in a smoother rendition and started a gentle rocking motion in the nursery chair.  He prayed that his brother wasn't hungry because he didn't know where the formula was or exactly sure how to make a suitable bottle.  There was something about dabbing a little on the inside of the wrist to make sure the temperature was right but Lex didn't want to take the risk and anger his father. 

If it was something out of his league, like changing the diaper, then Lex would just have to wake up Pam.  She would forgive the early wake up call.  He hoped at least and continued to sing. 

Hush, little baby.
Don't say a word.
Mama's going to buy you
a mocking bird. 

2004 - The blanket felt too coarse to be one of Julian's swaddling cloths but it was the closest one in reach during his rush to quiet his brother.  There was awkwardness in wrapping his brother within the snug cocoon of fabric in that Julian didn't struggle.  He expected a hassle in controlling the flailing limbs of an upset infant but maybe it was because Julian was a newborn and hadn't developed much muscle mass yet. 

Not paying it much attention now that he had a bundle of crying misery, Lex focused on soothing his brother back to sleep to prevent his parents from waking, like he had.  However, unlike last time, the wails were undermining his patience and he was finding it hard to concentrate on the lyrics.  Even his rocking motions were offbeat and the jerkiness seemed to be upsetting his brother even more. 

In the distance, he could hear a voice asking him what he was doing but it wasn't either of his parents or Pamela's.  It was familiar though he couldn't place a name.  Strange.  Lex continued on to the next verse. 

And if that mocking bird won't sing,
Mama's going to buy you
a diamond ring. 

2010 - The ceremony was small and private; soomething that Lex couldn't appreciate more.  He had had his fill of public weddings that rivaled a Las Vegas stage show in his twenties and reveled in simply having his friends and family with him at this momentous occasion. 

It was during Clark's college years that a major milestone occurred.  Namely Zod.  Somehow Clark was able to get out of the Phantom Zone, though Lex never really did get a clear cut explanation for that, and with Jor-El's help returned Zod back to the dimensional prison.  After that, there was a dire need for some serious storytelling on Clark's part. 

With all the secrets brought to the forefront and the bad blood between them washed away, Lex made like his namesake and rebuilt Metropolis from the ground up.  In the guise of Superman, Clark helped Lex and the other economy leaders to reestablish city infrastructures and worldwide markets after the Brainiac meltdown. 

It was during these arduous years that the relationship between the two became personal and then intimate.  The leniency of the rebuilding governments sanctioned that marriage and private matters of the home would be up to the individuals, as the politicians had more pressing matters to deal with then religious matters. 

So now he stood here before Judge Ross with Clark beside him and his closest friends behind him in support, waiting for the binding words of `I do'. 

The honeymoon ended with a promising call from Clark's Fortress of Solitude, with Jor-El notifying them that the conception of their son was successful and that they would be fathers in nine months. 

The reassuring presence of the diamond-encrusted wedding band reminded him of the bright future ahead of them. 

If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's going to buy you
a looking glass. 

2037 - Twenty-seven years of hard work and enndless patience stood before him in the mirror and Lex couldn't be happier.  The crisp edges of the tux couldn't disguise the nervous hand gestures and the stray bead of sweat at his son's temple that signaled Conner's groom jitters. 

Laying a comforting hand on the broad shoulder inherited from his son's other father, Lex calmly said, "If your family can still love you after your childhood tantrums and your friends can still stand by you through your teenage rebellions, then your future wife shouldn't have a problem loving your grown up self.  You are a son any father would be proud of and I've enjoyed every moment of watching you grow up into the fine man you are today." 

Lex couldn't believe how quickly time passed because it seemed like only yesterday that he was in his son's shoes. 

If that looking glass gets broke,
Mama's going to buy you
a billy goat. 

2039 -Lex entering a hospital room with a stuuffed sheep for Lena's Chinese zodiac.)  If it wasn't for the greatest invention of coffee, Lex would have been comatose during the cab ride to the hospital instead of walking through the patient room doors, with a hasty gift of a sheep plush toy. 

He had traveled half a day's worth in an airplane from China to Kansas after receiving the phone call that his daughter-in-law was in labor.  While waiting for the jet to be fueled, Lex had noticed a gift shop with the eastern zodiac animals as soft plushies and didn't hesitate to pick up this year's sheep as a gift to his first granddaughter. 

His distaste of hospitals wasn't even in the back of his mind when he first caught glimpse of Lena Kent-Luthor, though the wish that Lionel was still alive to see his great-granddaughter did enter his thoughts.  Hopefully Martha's presence would make up for the missing great-grandfathers' absences, as Lex placed the impromptu gift beside Lena while she was held in Clark's protective arms.  Taking in his growing family, Lex could only smile in contentment. 

If that billy goat won't pull,
Mama's going to buy you
a cart and bull. 

2046 - There were perks to being a Luthor andd right now, it came in the form of closing down an amusement park for his granddaughter's seventh birthday.  It was a day with the grandparents and they were indulging in Lena's desire to ride in the horse drawn carriage from the Cinderella movie. 

In the privacy of the spherical carriage, Lex couldn't resist leaning into Clark's side, while Lena marveled at the sights seen from the window as she perched on her taller grandpa's lap.  It was nice to be able to relax, now that he was retired from the corporate world and LexCorp was in the safe hands of Connor.  What would make this day perfect would be the guarantee of the Justice League that they could handle things for the next thirty-six hours. 

If that cart and bull turns over,
Mama's going to buy
a dog named Rover. 

2049 - Lex figured the subtle quivering of thhe package gave away its contents before ten-year-old Lena could unwrap her Christmas gift.  Either that or it was the strategically placed holes that couldn't hold the whines of a live animal.  Oh well, the surprise was drawing to a close anyway, Lex thought, as he watched his granddaughter tear through the decorative paper. 

Smiling at Lena's shouts of joy and giggles drawn out by the golden retriever puppy licking her face, Lex couldn't help take in the expressions of her parents.  Her mom had a look of disbelief and Connor was looking at him with a knowing gaze, most likely recalling his story about the Siege of Troy model and its underlying purpose.  Better to learn responsibility at this age than military strategies, Lex told himself.  Those are certainly not the lessons for a child. 

If that dog named Rover won't bark,
Mama's going to buy you
a horse and cart. 

2055 - The jangling of keys brought Lena out from behind her school reading and her eyes widened at the implication of her grandfather's presence.  Quickly discarding her book, she got up from the bed and approached Lex. 

The keys were snatched out of her reach before she could snag them and she heard her grandfather ask, "Did you pass?" 

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Of course.  As if the threat of being burned by dad's heat vision wasn't enough of an incentive to get my driver's license, you had to bribe me with a surprise.  And I'm thinking it's my own car."  Lena couldn't help bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. 

"And your genius I.Q. would be right.  How about we take it for a spin before dinner?"  Lex raised an eyebrow in challenge, which quickly disappeared, as he was engulfed by an exuberant sixteen-year-old. 

"Really?" came the muffled response from his chest. 

"Sure, just let me get grandpa to go with us because if I know my genes, reckless driving is a given." 

If that horse and cart falls down,
Youšll still be the sweetest one in town. 

Lex was wary when he and Clark started a relationship, always waiting for the catch or the hefty price of that happiness but then Connor was born and everyday was a gift.  He thought he couldn't be happier because he figured his family was complete but that changed when Lena was born.  The opportunity to dote upon his only grandchild without the need of responsibility wasn't wasted on Lex because he now knew that grandchildren are the rewards.

The End