Oh my gosh. This has been a mess. I'm so sorry, I'm not dead, I swear. I just got really hung up on whether I was going to follow the series canon or not for awhile and didn't know what to write. I have decided, just so you know, to use canon as inspiration, but not exactly follow it. I'm not up for doing all that research and planning, so I hope you don't mind.

Thank you all who've commented and shown interest and I'm again sorry that I've taken so long to get this next chapter out. It's a little choppy, so you can probably tell I struggled. But hopefully next chapter will flow more nicely.

Anon. Reviews:

Guest: Thank you! I'm always happy to entertain! :)

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There was a surprised silence as the driver's side door popped open and Lex stepped out to turn and peer over the top of the car at Peyton and her new acquaintance. He was wearing dark sunglasses and a disarming smile that was obviously tense at the edges as he tipped his head towards Matt.

"Making new friends already," he said.

"This is Matt," Peyton replied as she stood. She made her way to the car with her bags in hand and Lex beat her to opening the back passenger door.

"He recognizes me from a magazine."

She flashed a pointed look at Lex and he raised his brows.

"Does he."

Matt stood and met Lex's gaze head on. His lips were pressed together thinly and he fidgeted on the balls of his feet as he kept the stare down going.

"Another Luthor," he finally said. "Come to buy out more hardworking farms?"

Peyton shut her eyes and let out a silent breath as she closed the car door. Lex shoved his hands in his pockets and his smile turned to ice.

"Nice to meet you too."
"Can't we all just get along," she asked as she turned to face them. "Whatever happened to passive aggressive politeness and then gossiping behind people's back?"

Lex smirked as he cut his eyes at her and Matt stammered.

"It's not- You don't understand," Matt argued.

Peyton shifted to face him in a stiff motion.

"I don't understand? Because I'm a dumb magazine model?" Matt went instantly red and sputtered.

"No! I-"

She shook her head and waved her hands.

"Look, I know the Luthor company doesn't have a welcome reputation in this town. That's understandable. However, Lex isn't handling the business in the same way as his father. Whatever judgements you have, it'd be great if you reserved them for when they're earned. Now, it was lovely meeting you, but this sun is killing me and I'm currently still recovering from a near death experience."

Matt floundered some more behind her as she turned back to the car. Lex smirked in a haughty manner as he tilted his head back in a gesture of goodbye. Peyton pointed a stern finger at him as her face twisted in warning.

"Don't be smug."

She sank into the passenger's seat and gave Matt a polite, parting wave before Lex hopped in and revved the engine. Peyton rubbed at her forehead and jolted, holding onto the panic bar, as he peeled away and out of the main strip.

He sped down the road like the devil was on his heels and Peyton wondered if maybe the car accident hadn't been as impactful for him as it had for her. Instead of calling him out on it just yet, she brought up the other bit of information she'd been given.

"So, a model? I thought she didn't have a job."

"You didn't. And I don't know if I'd call it a job, exactly. More like a cover story. To ease suspicion. But you seem very promising as a PR manager."

Peyton let out a sharp laugh while making sure her seatbelt was still securely clipped.

"Yeah. A PR manager that's living in the same house as the CEO's son. Great idea. I don't see that being misconstrued."

"Touché," said Lex. "Though I'm pretty sure we could make something work."

"He wasn't entirely wrong," she pointed out. "I don't exactly know a lot about the Luthor business. Not enough to be a PR manager anyway."

Lex, for all her points, remained unfazed. He tilted his head to look at her and gave her another disarming smile.

"That all can be remedied when you're healed. I actually have a meeting tomorrow with some higher-ups. You can always sit in."

Peyton pushed the side of his face until he was facing the road again.

"Well," she said, "I don't exactly have anywhere else to be."

Lex laughed.

"Perfect."

[]

The next day, Peyton sat on the edge of the office armchair as she listened to a couple different men give Lex the factory stats. It didn't sound exactly promising. Anytime a company was down twenty percent, people were squirming. Employees would be cut, and it usually wasn't the ones with fancy offices. Lex kept his face stoic as the men pressed the idea of cutting workers. Peyton disliked the idea herself. While it wasn't exactly her area of expertise, she felt there were always steps that should be explored before firing hard working men and women who needed the income. Their snide comments about Lex's involvement and falling percentages didn't go unnoticed, no matter how they wrapped them.

"Cutting factory workers will only cement a negative image of LuthorCorp in this town. The relationship is already rocky as it is; I'm not sure you'd be able to recover."

All the men turned to her at once, looking almost insulted at her input. Peyton stiffened her lip but refused to be cowed. Maybe it wasn't her discussion to interrupt, but it needed to be said. She found it was easy for corporate powers to forget just who it was they were supposed to be serving. Lex used her interruption to redirect the conversation.

"Which is why we're not going to cut workers," he said. "We're going to raise the workforce by twenty percent."

"Lex," one of the men instantly balked. "You can't add labor. We're already below-"

"More labor means more production and more product to sell," Lex cut in. "There's also the little notion of more people being paid and spending their money. Sometimes you have to take a risk and a dip before you see the payoff."

"Your father-"

"My father put me in charge of this factory, if I remember correctly." Lex's tone was firm and hedged towards harsh. He stood and walked around the desk to grab Peyton's hand on his way to the pool table.

"You've played before, right?"

"Yes. But, Lex-"

He grinned at her, something glinting in his eyes, and she stopped. The other men in the room were already fuming as Lex cued up the billiard balls.

Peyton decided to put on an act and roll with the situation. It wouldn't be good to show division or confusion right now in front of everyone. It would cast even more doubt on Lex's abilities and probably circulate up to his father along with this report. She picked up a pool cue and shot Lex a subtle look as she chalked the end.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was a hiss as she leaned over the table and mimed at studying different angles for an advantage.

"They're annoying me. You can take first shot."

She rolled her eyes and delicately held the cue between two fingers. With a downwards thrust, she gave a quick cracking jab to the white ball and shot it spinning backwards into the others. The white ball rolled back into almost its original starting position and a solid ball fell into a pocket. Another solid ball was lined up perfectly for the taking.

Lex tilted his head, an impressed smirk curling up his face as Peyton adjusted her stance.

"I hope you won't be annoyed with just watching."

[]

"There's an interesting dynamic in your business," Peyton said later, her voice casual. The meeting had concluded abruptly and no one had left it happy. Lex was listening, though he merely glanced up from a pile of paperwork he was sifting through.

"Oh?"

"Those men were obviously a lower pay grade, but they called you by your first name. And it wasn't like they were trying to hide their dislike of you. Given that you're supposed to be the heir to the company, I just find it unusual."

A flicker of amusement flashed across Lex's face.

"Is it because your father sent you here," she asked. Lex stilled. "You referred to it as something like punishment before. So, do they feel free to act like that because they don't think there's repercussions? Not that there can't be disagreement, but if I'd spoken to my boss like that, I think I'd be packing my things."

Lex sat his paperwork down with a quiet rustle and threaded his fingers together.

"The strain between my father and I isn't much of a secret. I've caused him some headaches in the past and he thought stranding me here in Smallville would be some great learning lesson. I'm sure all his little underlings agree with him and think this embarrassing for me. But I plan on using this podunk town to my advantage."

Peyton tilted her head and pegged him with a calculating look. She was assuming advantage meant "the beginnings of my empire". Driven, that was the most concrete thing she could conclude about Lex at that point. He was a driven individual and probably hard to stop once he put his mind to something. Perfectly geared towards business. But whether that was natural inclination or something his father had forced him into she couldn't one-hundred percent say. Maybe a bit of both.

"Well, I can't imagine your father is going to be thrilled by your decision."

Lex actually laughed.

"That's an understatement. I wouldn't be surprised if he came down to berate me in person."

"A frightening thought."

The expression that crossed his face was an odd one. Peyton watched as it shifted from amused to thoughtful then wary.

"When he does come, I have no doubt he'll show up eventually, be careful around him. The difference between you now and before is stark, to say the least. I've managed to keep all your medical records from him, but I'd rather play it safe and keep your origins between us."

An uneasy feeling twisted sharply in her stomach.

"Would he do something?"
"I don't trust my father."

She nodded in agreement. Quite frankly she hadn't planned on saying anything about her situation to anyone. She still didn't think she should have told Lex; at least not at so young an age.

"I'll try to act as stereotypically blonde as I can."

That earned another amused grin from him and Peyton found she preferred that expression over the stern, cold one he had when speaking of his dad.

[]

Her headache was admittedly getting better rather quickly, which she appreciated. Reading for longer than two minutes was easier and she focused on getting more applications and forms filled out. It was mostly to help her pass the time. To keep her mind off her situation for just a while longer.

Having goals helped her. She would get home. She just needed to get a job, hire doctors and scientists, and reverse whatever the car accident had done to her head. Once she was back in her own body, she'd put more effort into finding a way to stay there.

Perhaps it was a bit simplistic, but Peyton preferred to think of them more as bullet points.

Though she knew Lex probably wouldn't like it, no matter what he said about promising to help her. Some of the things he said, the way he acted, made her think he liked having her here more than he was letting on. But, of course, that wasn't an immediate issue. Lex would help her because she asked him to, and she was fairly certain of that. Feelings were a part of himself he hadn't been entirely open about and she was determined for them both to keep it that way.

It would make her leaving easier on both of them.

She eyed the suspiciously new listing for a PR manager posted on the LuthorCorp website. It would be a lie to say no part of her was tempted to apply. The job played on many of her strengths while offering a substantial challenge. It wouldn't be an easy feat to earn trust back from farmer's who'd obviously been burned in previous deals with the company. The pay wasn't bad either; the amount was curiously listed on the posting unlike many other positions.

Peyton bit her lip and twirled a pen between her fingers. She wasn't even sure LuthorCorp deserved to have relations patched. Not if Lex ended up being outvoted. And she'd already told him it was a bad idea for her to be in a position like this while being so closely connected to him. People would draw conclusions whether rumors were true or not.

She shook her head and closed the posting, going back to the small, minimum wage jobs Smallville offered. Her stomach twisted. There was no way they'd be worthwhile when she needed to hire specialists to help with her problem.

"Find anything promising?"

Peyton looked up from the laptop and grimaced.

"It's a small town for sure. I think the high schoolers got to a lot of openings before I arrived."

Lex took off his suit jacket and set it to the side as he sat down opposite her and Peyton shut the laptop screen.

"My offer still stands. LuthorCorp could use someone who isn't solely focused on the bottom line."

She laughed lightly and rolled her shoulders in an obvious attempt to collect her thoughts. Lex kicked up a leg onto the coffee table and cocked a brow.

"You know it wouldn't be difficult to work this out logistically."

She groaned and dropped her head in her hands as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's certainly been made clear it pays the best," she said. "But not even as your PR manager, I can already see the headlines. 'From photoshoots to office work, Luthor's girlfriend now office assistant. For sure earned this spot on her own'."

As usual, Lex looked immensely entertained by her argument. Like perhaps she was merely coming up with excuses or stalling. Her face went a little hot at his prolonged stare and she looked away back to the laptop, gesturing lamely.

"It is a last resort consideration."

"Last resort," he repeated. "What I wouldn't give to have my father hear that."
"You know what I mean."

"I do. Doesn't make it any less amusing."

Peyton rolled her eyes and fought back a small grin. She wasn't about to bad mouth Lionel in front of Lex, even if she thought he was sleazy.

"Well, glad to entertain you. How was the plant, anyway?"

"In a frenzy." Lex said while standing. He ran a hand over his head and moved to fix himself a drink. "A lot of shareholders don't approve of my methods."

"I'd be shocked if they did."

The office doors swung open in a violent burst and Peyton jumped in her seat as she whirled around. Any retorts died on their tongues and all movement stilled. The hair on Peyton's arms stood on end as Lionel Luthor prowled into the room. She stiffened and studied his figure, noticing the ways he'd aged since the last time she'd seen him. His hair was longer, grayer, but there was still that sharp cutting stare that hadn't faltered with time.

"Hey dad," Lex said, his tone tight yet taunting. "Nice of you to drop by unannounced."
"Lex, you're being completely unreasonable."

No pleasantries, no easing into it. Lionel just plowed right into the issue with a single minded focus. He clearly hadn't wasted any time in making the trip out to make his displeasure known in person. Peyton didn't move from her seat on the couch. Much like Lex on the bridge, Lionel didn't bother to even spare her a glance. She frowned and felt a pinch in her chest.

"What's wrong, dad? I'm just trying to do what you wanted me to."

"You're being petulant. I know what you're doing. You're upset I sent you to Smallville so you're trying to lash out."

Lex's eyes tightened though he kept a smile on his face.

"Despite what you believe of me, I am taking this job seriously. And I'm not firing those workers."

"Don't be ridiculous, Lex. You're being reckless and acting out to get my attention. Well, it worked. It seems like you can't have sense talked into you by anyone else."

"Careful, dad. That sounds a lot like pride."

Peyton watched the interaction silently and bit her lower lip before she turned her head from the discussion. It wasn't her business to intrude on, and it was important that she didn't. Still, it was making her feel itchy just sitting alone. It was like she wasn't even in the room with either of them anymore.

Perhaps it'd actually be better if she left.

As it was the… discussion seemed to be escalating, if not in volume then in intensity.

She brushed her hands over her jeans and stood, scooping up the laptop she'd been using as well. Peyton moved to leave the office. For a brief moment their conversation lulled. She cut her eyes and noted Lex's attention; she gave a subtle nod and then Lionel turned towards her. His eyes cut from behind his prim glasses and he sneered as if she couldn't blatantly see him.

"Oh, you're taking this so seriously. Really, Lex. After all the lessons I've striven to engrain into you, all the wisdom I've tried to impart, you still insist on keeping her around."

Lex's expression tightened further and Peyton pressed her lips together.

"I've told you before, I'm not leaving her."

Peyton swallowed and drummed her fingers over the computer. How many times had he said things like that? Took the brunt of people's mocking or scorn just to protect this body? Her?

"Maybe if you spent less time on your love life and more focusing on the company, the cuts wouldn't be necessary."

Peyton's expression turned to a glare. They'd just arrived in Smallville, he knew this wasn't Lex's fault. But he caught her change in expression. The glimmer in his eye morphed into confusion. She was quick to relax the muscles in her face.

"Something to say, Miss Woods?" He prodded, voice lilting. Behind his father, Lex shook his head and Peyton bit her tongue.

"Say, Mr. Luthor?"

She kept her tone light, airy. As much as she could. Lionel still eyed her suspiciously.

"It looks like you might not approve of something. I don't remember you being someone who cared about these things."

"Not really."

Her tone was flippant, but Lex still looked concerned and Lionel turned fully to face her. She'd done something wrong, but she didn't know what. Were the words wrong? How dumb was she supposed to act?

Lex moved around his desk and tried to draw the attention back to himself.

"You put me in charge of this plant," he said. "So I'm running it as I see fit."

That helped refocus Lionel's focus and Peyton's gaze lingered over Lex a moment more before she left the office. Lionel's flickering gaze was still hot on her back as she walked. Her anxiety flared, but she kept her pace even and shoulders back. Showing weakness to men like Lionel was a death sentence, and she'd somehow already let him know there was something off.

She could hear the sounds of clashing sabers as she headed down the hall and she shook her head. If this was the guy who raised Lex, she supposed she could understand why he acted the way he did.

Only after Lionel left did she dare to come back down. Lex looked furious, still in his office, and stared moodily into the distance. Peyton's jaw clenched.

"I take it things didn't go well."

Lex smiled tightly and turned away again.

"Dear ol' dad is trying to put his foot down."

"Trying?"

His fingers drummed along the sofa armrest and she sat down across from him.

"If I don't push back now, he'll keep me under his thumb forever. And I refuse to let him put all those people out of work for a power play."

Peyton let out a short breath through her nose and leaned forward.

"I think that's very admirable. It's not easy to stand up to family."

"Every conversation with my father is a battle. Every interaction is a test. I've always been more of a competitor than a son."

She sighed. His familial dynamics hadn't changed and she wasn't exactly experienced with that sort of relational drama. Her parents were nothing but supportive and loving. They'd never do anything to hurt or belittle her.

Instead of trying to offer false comfort, she placed a hand over his and just let it rest. Lex tilted his head down to look and then shifted his attention to her. He gave her a small smile, a dull humor clouding his features as he did so.

"You'll have to tell me what the other Peyton was like so I can do better next time," she said. "I tried my best, but he still looked suspicious."

Lex looked conflicted. He broke eye contact and his lips stretched to one side in a sort of grimace.

"It could be too late for that," he said. "But it might be worth a try."

He turned again to fully look at her and the seriousness in his eyes let her know he wasn't joking.

"I'll warn you, though, it might be disconcerting. It's not going to be what you're expecting."

She didn't know what to say to that. The way he kept talking sounded so ominous, but if the girl had been too out there, people would have really been worried, right? The silence lasted too long and Lex gave her a practiced smile.

"So, anyway, I was thinking we could pay a visit to Smallville high. The Kents' might not be accepting of my gratitude, but I can always help out the school."

"Ah." She hummed. "Underhanded kindness. I like it."

[]

It was nice to get out of the manor again. Some fresh air and distance from such tense atmosphere was a welcome relief, and Peyton was glad for any distraction from her internal thoughts. She made a snappy remark about remembering school zone speed limits and discovered it didn't do much to curb his poor driving habits. It actually encouraged him to rev the engine and laugh when she yelled at him.

The school consisted of a few clusters of buildings, and Peyton found everything in this town aptly named, if lacking creativity. She followed after Lex as he surprised the admin office and announced his plan to upgrade all their computers, particularly those for the school newspaper. Peyton wasn't sure the reason for his focus there. Still, she continued to follow when he insisted on checking out the newspaper classroom himself.

It was a small room with several desks and cabinets overstuffed with papers. But the most eye-catching aspect was the entire wall filled with newspaper clippings, printed articles, and practically bits of string drawing links between stories. It looked like a conspiracy theorist's dream. And the stories they told were no less odd. She was reminded of The Enquirer and ridiculous tabloid news about Bigfoot or aliens.

Peyton found herself frozen in front of it, a bit intrigued by all the weird occurences. There were quite a few articles revolving around a meteor shower; she remembered that Lex had lost his hair in that event.

Her gaze shifted over to him, to see how he was reacting to the conspiracy board, and found him studying it just as intently.

"I don't think I've seen anything like this outside of a movie before," she commented.

"It's certainly something."

A door opening stole both of their attention and the familiar figure of Clark Kent walked into the room, looking surprised at their presence.

"Lex, Peyton, hey. I didn't expect to see you here. At my school."

"Hey, Clark. We were just stopping by." Peyton smiled.

Clark laughed nervously and glanced between the two of them as he shuffled his feet.

"Why? Didn't get enough of high school the first time?"

"I'm actually trying to get LuthorCorp to give back to the community. I thought buying new computers for your school would be a good start."

Surprise flashed across Clark's face.

"Wow. That's really… generous of you."

Peyton moved more into his line of sight and pointed to the conspiracy wall.

"Can I ask what this is?"

He looked to all the pinned news clippings and stories and shrugged with half a smile.

"That's Chloe's work. She calls it her Wall of Weird. It's supposed to be everything unusual that's happened in Smallville since the meteor shower."

"Interesting stuff," Lex said.

Clark shuffled, looking uncomfortable, and Peyton wondered if he found it all ridiculous but obviously couldn't say that.

"Yeah, well, that's Chloe for you."

"What is?"

A new voice joined the group and they all turned to see the girl in question.

"We were just admiring your wall," Lex said.

Chloe didn't look instantly flattered. She eyed them suspiciously and it was clear she was used to being derided for the stories instead of praised.

"Thanks," she said after a hesitation. "All my stories are well documented. People think it's all crazy, but I know there's links here."

"I think you have quite the future ahead of you Ms. Sullivan," Lex said. "I've actually got some connections at the Planet. I can put in a good word for you."

That got her attention. Chloe's eyes widened and her mouth fell open before she snapped it closed.

"I- Thank you. That would be amazing."

She looked to Clark as if for confirmation that this was real and Lex headed for the door. Peyton lingered by the wall, glancing over all the unusual headlines.

Any other situation she would've written most of it off as insanity. And she didn't quite believe all of them, not really. But she couldn't deny the impossibility of her own situation. It'd be a little hypocritical of her to say none of these things were possible.

She finally moved to follow Lex out of the classroom. He held the door and Peyton paused before she passed through.

"It's good you're not afraid to ask the unconventional questions," she said. Chloe still looked surprised and Peyton smiled. "Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction."

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I'm trying to get her to meet more townsfolk! Girl needs a car so she can socialize.