Author's notes: I would like to thank MitchPell for listening to me
through AIM over the last few months and encouraging me to post this. I
really didn't think I would. I've had a hard time writing it. But it's been
fun too.
Feedback: Ack! I just hope someone likes this story and reviews it. I'll even take negative comments as long as they are constructive.
How soon is now?: I will be posting chapters as soon as I can and hopefully it won't turn out like a Lex in drag story. : p
For future chapters: Oh, um. I sometimes feel the need to torture my characters. Especially the ones I've completely made up, yeah. I have a problem. Ignore it and maybe it will go away.
***
A nine-year-old Elizabeth Luthor watched the clouds roll in across the sky above a brightly colored banner that read, "Welcome Home Crows!" Her father was occupied with a group of local men discussing business. She was told not to get in the way. So, walking out onto the street would be out of the way, she told herself.
The helicopter ride from Metropolis to Smallville was so much fun and over much too soon, in her opinion. Watching a bird soar in the sky, she imagined what it would be like if she could fly just like that bird.
With every step she took, she realized Smallville wasn't like Metropolis at all. She had never been anywhere like this and was interested in everything.
Lionel Luthor saw his daughter run off out of his sight and called out to her. "Liz?" He knew it was a bad idea bringing her with him but there was no one to look after her back in Metropolis. Her mother was sick and they were between nannies. Nell had offered to look after her but he had declined, thinking his stay would be short.
His daughter was making it impossible to keep a nanny around for any longer than a few weeks. When he had tried to discipline her about it, Lillian told him to just let her be. His wife had said that Liz was just afraid of a nanny taking her mommy's place.
He knew that there was some truth to that but hated to think of bringing her along every time he had to go out of town. If he had a son it would be more beneficial to the company and he would encourage the idea of bringing his heir to come with him learning the tricks of the trade.
His wife was getting weaker and he needed help. The next nanny he hired was going to be the last one. Whether or not Liz liked her.
Ignoring her father's voice, Liz, kept right on walking. She nearly bumped into a parked car on the side of the road, but the owner of the vehicle stopped her from hurting herself. He watched the little redheaded girl with amusement and recognized her immediately. "I think your father is calling for you, Elizabeth."
Liz looked up at the man who had just spoken and smiled. "I know, Mr. Lang, but I want to see this bird." She pointed at the black crow swirling in the sky. "I wish I could fly like that."
Lewis laughed and then his wife spoke. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
Keeping her eyes on the bird in the sky, Liz spoke softly. "Yes."
Laura walked over to the nine year old girl and took her hand. "Liz, I think your father is getting worried, why don't you go on back over to him. Want me to walk you?"
Liz shook her head a little stubbornly and pulled her hand out of the woman's hold. "No, I can walk back by myself!" Liz didn't like to be told what to do. She also didn't like the idea of any woman holding her hand but her mother.
The woman smiled politely and watched as Liz started to walk away just when a bright light and smoke started to fill the sky above. The sound was deafening. Meter rocks began falling at amazing speeds. Liz ducked down low onto the street when a huge rock plowed into the car of the Langs, only a few feet away from where she had been standing.
Liz watched in horror as the car exploded immediately and a cloud of dust moved over her. She couldn't stop coughing and her eyes started to water. It felt like she was on the ground for an eternity before she felt strong hands touching her arm and then lifting her up.
***
Lionel stared in disbelief as the meteors came crashing down on top of everything. Fire and smoke billowed in the sky as cars and houses went up into flames upon impact of the huge rocks. He ran inside of a building for safety then remembered his daughter was still out there.
***
Martha and Jonathon saw the little red-haired girl fall to the ground the instant the car exploded and Jonathon ran out to make sure she was all right. He knew the Lang's were lost but he had to see if the little girl was still alive. Nell was inside the flower shop consoling the Lang's only daughter, Lana, and Martha decided to stay with them.
Jonathon spotted the child immediately. She was curled into a tight little ball shaking violently. Reaching down to touch her arm, he asked gently. "Are you all right?"
When she wouldn't respond, Jonathon lifted her up into his arms and patted her back trying to soothe her. She looked up into his face and began crying. He laid her head onto his shoulder and began petting her hair. With every stroke a few of the beautiful, red strands stuck to Jonathon's hand. It was coming out in large handfuls soon and Jonathon wondered if she was in a worse state of shock than he had originally thought.
***
Lionel came running out of the building and spotted a local with his daughter. "Lizzie? What has happened?"
Jonathon recognized the man immediately and then realized whom he must be holding. "She is under a great deal of stress right now, Mr. Luthor. She just witnessed the deaths of two people and came really close to being killed herself."
Lionel frowned when he saw Liz's head. Her hair had come out almost completely by now, just from the now gentle breeze of the wind. He reached for her and Jonathon handed her over to him. Lionel whispered something into her ear and she immediately stopped crying, then he set her on her feet. She was still a little shaky but managed to remain standing.
"I appreciate you looking after my daughter. I must be going now, but I will remember this." With that being said, Lionel grabbed his daughter's hand and took off. Liz kept looking back at Jonathon as she was being lead away.
***
Martha watched her husband's face as he drove their red truck back to the farm. He was being extremely quiet and she wanted to make him feel better about the situation. "Don't worry about her, Jonathon. She is going to be fine. I'm sure of it."
Jonathon cleared his throat and looked over at his wife briefly. Smiling at her, he thought to himself that she would make a great mother. Memories of failed attempts at having children of their own clouded his mind when he thought of the little red-haired girl. Lionel Luthor just didn't seem to care about his daughter. She needed to be loved and cared for at a time like this, but he seemed to do nothing but reprimand her for crying and wanting to be held. His first impression of the wealthy man had been that he was cold and professional. He could understand him being that way towards him but not to his own daughter.
His wife's voice made him come out of his thoughts and back to reality. Stopping the car with a screech he saw a little black-haired boy standing in the middle of the road.
"Jonathon, where in the world.?" Martha got out of the car immediately and brought a blanket with her. She went over to the dirt smudged boy and wrapped him up tightly with the white cotton sheet. "What is your name? Are you hurt? Do you know where your parents are?"
The little boy just looked into Martha's face adoringly and cocked his head to the side as if trying to understand what she was saying. Jonathon smiled at the child and looked at Martha. "I don't think he can speak. I wonder where his parents are. They can't be far away."
Jonathon Kent went in search of a car or something to lead him to the child's parents and came across a silver aircraft of some sort. He didn't know what it was but it scared him to think that this small boy was once in it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was indeed a ship that could carry only one small person. That one small person happened to be running over to him extremely fast with Martha trying to catch up from behind. The black-haired boy placed his hand on the lid of the roof and closed it shut. A bright light shined through the lines where the lid and bottom met and started to slowly disappear only a few seconds after collapsing.
It became a solid object that looked strangely like a silver artichoke. A huge silver artichoke that could fly a little boy through space and land on Earth with a ton of meteor rocks. Jonathon almost laughed at the way that sounded but the situation made him sober up.
Martha had taken the boy into her arms and was rocking him back and forth. "What are we going to do, Jonathon?"
Jonathon smiled at the sight of his wife and the little boy. "I'm not sure, but we need to get him taken care of."
***
Twelve years later, a grown, 21-year-old, Liz looked out one of many windows in her father's office as she waited patiently for him to arrive. Tiny, ant-sized people scurried busily about on the sidewalk below and cars the size of peanuts drove in a blur on the asphalt beside them.
It was so much easier to see people like that, forty floors below her. She could handle them a lot better when she could see them but they couldn't see her. It gave her a small sense of power to be in that position.
Lionel Luthor had sent his only daughter to England at the tender age of eighteen and now here she was three years later, a different woman. Would he even recognize her? She looked at the translucent reflection showing on the glass window. She didn't look that much different, aside from the hair. Soft, reddish-brown waves came down to her shoulders. The wig wasn't unattractive, and it matched what her natural hair color would be, but she hated wearing it. There were ways to have hair transplants but they looked hideous, and she didn't like the idea of someone drilling tiny holes into her head and inserting small strands of hair.
At first she hated her father for sending her away but now she could appreciate it. College hadn't been too hard but the experience was exhausting to her. She could handle the school work, but the other students were almost as bad as when she was in high school. Parties every night would keep her awake and her roommate would sometimes force her to go to them. Fortunately, Liz didn't have to worry about being invited every time. Not everyone wanted her to be there. The spoiled rich snob that everyone loved to hate just because she was American ,for one, and that she had it made. She got everything she wanted. Or so they thought. No one would tell any of that to her to her face, but Liz wasn't stupid. She knew what they were all thinking and whispering behind her back.
She was somewhat of a teacher's pet. The professors were closer to her than many of the students. Her grades were perfect as well as her attendance. She never missed a single class, she also never missed an attempt to get a better grade. Even if it involved extracurricular activities.
Looking around the large room, Liz was reminded how much she hated her father's office. In three years nothing had changed. Dark blue, burgundy, and hunter green adorned the fabrics on furniture, curtains, and accessories. Her father must have spent a small fortune on it.
She shivered at the sudden gush of wind coming from the overhead air- conditioning unit. Why her father had to keep his office so cold, was beyond her. She wrapped her black business coat a little tighter around her slim shoulders and decided to take one of the leather seats in front of the mammoth, mahogany desk.
The sound of a door opening and closing then the steps coming closer to her made Liz's stomach do a flip flop. She rose to her feet and turned around slowly. She saw her father, not having changed hardly at all, dressed in a gray business suit and crisp white shirt, a black paisley tie finished the look. When he hugged her she smelled the spicy scent of his aftershave. She was glad he had never changed his choice in cologne.
After the hug, Lionel smiled at his daughter then looked her up and down. "I like the hair."
Liz smiled back. "Thank you. I like yours."
He winked and walked over to his desk. "I'm glad you are back." He sat down and looked up. "I guess you're wondering why I asked you in here today."
"Well, I just finished college. Were you going to congratulate me? Maybe, welcome me back home from England?" She teased.
The older man pulled out a set of keys from his pocket then proceeded to open the top drawer of his desk. "I'm very proud of you, Lizzie." Pulling out a file folder full of papers and a new set of keys, Lionel shut the drawer and locked it back up. "In fact, you've made me realize that you're ready for this assignment."
Liz judged the features on her father's face carefully. He seemed cool, calm, and collected. She didn't like the word, "assignment" and couldn't tell what her father meant. "I'm glad you're proud of me, father, but what are you talking about?"
Lionel didn't answer, just smiled and handed her the file of paperwork. Liz took them still looking at him, then opened the folder. She scanned the sentences about the LuthorCorp plant but stopped after seeing the word, "Smallville."
She tensed up immediately and stared at her father with questioning eyes. He stood up and looked out the window, not wanting to look at his daughter's face. "It's time you faced your fears, Lizzie."
A hollow laugh escaped Liz's throat. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on her next words. "My fears? That.place.is the cause of everything."
His back still turned, Lionel cleared his throat. "It will only be for a few months anyway. The plant is doing poorly and I thought it would be best to have my own flesh and blood fix the problem. You are very bright, Lizzie. I know both you and the plant will benifit from this experience."
Liz got up from her seat. "I can't believe you are actually sending me to the crap factory! I could help you more here, in Metropolis."
Her father turned around and walked to his daughter's side. "A Luthor doesn't hold fear for a small little cow town. You will get over this once and for all. Do I make myself clear?"
Liz looked up into her father's eyes and nodded. She couldn't stop shaking, she was so angry and frightened. A glimmer of guilt gleamed in Lionel's eye for a brief moment but it was quickly replaced with a look of satisfaction. He bent down to kiss her forehead and placed the keys in her hands. Walking to the door, he spoke over his shoulder. "Prove to me you're a Luthor."
The sound of the door being shut made Liz jump out of her seat. She clenched her fists to keep from grabbing one of the many expensive paperweights on her father's desk and throwing it through the glass window.
Resigned, Liz sighed and spoke to nothing but the cool air in the room. "I'll make you proud, father, and I'll prove to you that I am more of a Luthor than you could ever have imagined."
***
To be continued.
Feedback: Ack! I just hope someone likes this story and reviews it. I'll even take negative comments as long as they are constructive.
How soon is now?: I will be posting chapters as soon as I can and hopefully it won't turn out like a Lex in drag story. : p
For future chapters: Oh, um. I sometimes feel the need to torture my characters. Especially the ones I've completely made up, yeah. I have a problem. Ignore it and maybe it will go away.
***
A nine-year-old Elizabeth Luthor watched the clouds roll in across the sky above a brightly colored banner that read, "Welcome Home Crows!" Her father was occupied with a group of local men discussing business. She was told not to get in the way. So, walking out onto the street would be out of the way, she told herself.
The helicopter ride from Metropolis to Smallville was so much fun and over much too soon, in her opinion. Watching a bird soar in the sky, she imagined what it would be like if she could fly just like that bird.
With every step she took, she realized Smallville wasn't like Metropolis at all. She had never been anywhere like this and was interested in everything.
Lionel Luthor saw his daughter run off out of his sight and called out to her. "Liz?" He knew it was a bad idea bringing her with him but there was no one to look after her back in Metropolis. Her mother was sick and they were between nannies. Nell had offered to look after her but he had declined, thinking his stay would be short.
His daughter was making it impossible to keep a nanny around for any longer than a few weeks. When he had tried to discipline her about it, Lillian told him to just let her be. His wife had said that Liz was just afraid of a nanny taking her mommy's place.
He knew that there was some truth to that but hated to think of bringing her along every time he had to go out of town. If he had a son it would be more beneficial to the company and he would encourage the idea of bringing his heir to come with him learning the tricks of the trade.
His wife was getting weaker and he needed help. The next nanny he hired was going to be the last one. Whether or not Liz liked her.
Ignoring her father's voice, Liz, kept right on walking. She nearly bumped into a parked car on the side of the road, but the owner of the vehicle stopped her from hurting herself. He watched the little redheaded girl with amusement and recognized her immediately. "I think your father is calling for you, Elizabeth."
Liz looked up at the man who had just spoken and smiled. "I know, Mr. Lang, but I want to see this bird." She pointed at the black crow swirling in the sky. "I wish I could fly like that."
Lewis laughed and then his wife spoke. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
Keeping her eyes on the bird in the sky, Liz spoke softly. "Yes."
Laura walked over to the nine year old girl and took her hand. "Liz, I think your father is getting worried, why don't you go on back over to him. Want me to walk you?"
Liz shook her head a little stubbornly and pulled her hand out of the woman's hold. "No, I can walk back by myself!" Liz didn't like to be told what to do. She also didn't like the idea of any woman holding her hand but her mother.
The woman smiled politely and watched as Liz started to walk away just when a bright light and smoke started to fill the sky above. The sound was deafening. Meter rocks began falling at amazing speeds. Liz ducked down low onto the street when a huge rock plowed into the car of the Langs, only a few feet away from where she had been standing.
Liz watched in horror as the car exploded immediately and a cloud of dust moved over her. She couldn't stop coughing and her eyes started to water. It felt like she was on the ground for an eternity before she felt strong hands touching her arm and then lifting her up.
***
Lionel stared in disbelief as the meteors came crashing down on top of everything. Fire and smoke billowed in the sky as cars and houses went up into flames upon impact of the huge rocks. He ran inside of a building for safety then remembered his daughter was still out there.
***
Martha and Jonathon saw the little red-haired girl fall to the ground the instant the car exploded and Jonathon ran out to make sure she was all right. He knew the Lang's were lost but he had to see if the little girl was still alive. Nell was inside the flower shop consoling the Lang's only daughter, Lana, and Martha decided to stay with them.
Jonathon spotted the child immediately. She was curled into a tight little ball shaking violently. Reaching down to touch her arm, he asked gently. "Are you all right?"
When she wouldn't respond, Jonathon lifted her up into his arms and patted her back trying to soothe her. She looked up into his face and began crying. He laid her head onto his shoulder and began petting her hair. With every stroke a few of the beautiful, red strands stuck to Jonathon's hand. It was coming out in large handfuls soon and Jonathon wondered if she was in a worse state of shock than he had originally thought.
***
Lionel came running out of the building and spotted a local with his daughter. "Lizzie? What has happened?"
Jonathon recognized the man immediately and then realized whom he must be holding. "She is under a great deal of stress right now, Mr. Luthor. She just witnessed the deaths of two people and came really close to being killed herself."
Lionel frowned when he saw Liz's head. Her hair had come out almost completely by now, just from the now gentle breeze of the wind. He reached for her and Jonathon handed her over to him. Lionel whispered something into her ear and she immediately stopped crying, then he set her on her feet. She was still a little shaky but managed to remain standing.
"I appreciate you looking after my daughter. I must be going now, but I will remember this." With that being said, Lionel grabbed his daughter's hand and took off. Liz kept looking back at Jonathon as she was being lead away.
***
Martha watched her husband's face as he drove their red truck back to the farm. He was being extremely quiet and she wanted to make him feel better about the situation. "Don't worry about her, Jonathon. She is going to be fine. I'm sure of it."
Jonathon cleared his throat and looked over at his wife briefly. Smiling at her, he thought to himself that she would make a great mother. Memories of failed attempts at having children of their own clouded his mind when he thought of the little red-haired girl. Lionel Luthor just didn't seem to care about his daughter. She needed to be loved and cared for at a time like this, but he seemed to do nothing but reprimand her for crying and wanting to be held. His first impression of the wealthy man had been that he was cold and professional. He could understand him being that way towards him but not to his own daughter.
His wife's voice made him come out of his thoughts and back to reality. Stopping the car with a screech he saw a little black-haired boy standing in the middle of the road.
"Jonathon, where in the world.?" Martha got out of the car immediately and brought a blanket with her. She went over to the dirt smudged boy and wrapped him up tightly with the white cotton sheet. "What is your name? Are you hurt? Do you know where your parents are?"
The little boy just looked into Martha's face adoringly and cocked his head to the side as if trying to understand what she was saying. Jonathon smiled at the child and looked at Martha. "I don't think he can speak. I wonder where his parents are. They can't be far away."
Jonathon Kent went in search of a car or something to lead him to the child's parents and came across a silver aircraft of some sort. He didn't know what it was but it scared him to think that this small boy was once in it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was indeed a ship that could carry only one small person. That one small person happened to be running over to him extremely fast with Martha trying to catch up from behind. The black-haired boy placed his hand on the lid of the roof and closed it shut. A bright light shined through the lines where the lid and bottom met and started to slowly disappear only a few seconds after collapsing.
It became a solid object that looked strangely like a silver artichoke. A huge silver artichoke that could fly a little boy through space and land on Earth with a ton of meteor rocks. Jonathon almost laughed at the way that sounded but the situation made him sober up.
Martha had taken the boy into her arms and was rocking him back and forth. "What are we going to do, Jonathon?"
Jonathon smiled at the sight of his wife and the little boy. "I'm not sure, but we need to get him taken care of."
***
Twelve years later, a grown, 21-year-old, Liz looked out one of many windows in her father's office as she waited patiently for him to arrive. Tiny, ant-sized people scurried busily about on the sidewalk below and cars the size of peanuts drove in a blur on the asphalt beside them.
It was so much easier to see people like that, forty floors below her. She could handle them a lot better when she could see them but they couldn't see her. It gave her a small sense of power to be in that position.
Lionel Luthor had sent his only daughter to England at the tender age of eighteen and now here she was three years later, a different woman. Would he even recognize her? She looked at the translucent reflection showing on the glass window. She didn't look that much different, aside from the hair. Soft, reddish-brown waves came down to her shoulders. The wig wasn't unattractive, and it matched what her natural hair color would be, but she hated wearing it. There were ways to have hair transplants but they looked hideous, and she didn't like the idea of someone drilling tiny holes into her head and inserting small strands of hair.
At first she hated her father for sending her away but now she could appreciate it. College hadn't been too hard but the experience was exhausting to her. She could handle the school work, but the other students were almost as bad as when she was in high school. Parties every night would keep her awake and her roommate would sometimes force her to go to them. Fortunately, Liz didn't have to worry about being invited every time. Not everyone wanted her to be there. The spoiled rich snob that everyone loved to hate just because she was American ,for one, and that she had it made. She got everything she wanted. Or so they thought. No one would tell any of that to her to her face, but Liz wasn't stupid. She knew what they were all thinking and whispering behind her back.
She was somewhat of a teacher's pet. The professors were closer to her than many of the students. Her grades were perfect as well as her attendance. She never missed a single class, she also never missed an attempt to get a better grade. Even if it involved extracurricular activities.
Looking around the large room, Liz was reminded how much she hated her father's office. In three years nothing had changed. Dark blue, burgundy, and hunter green adorned the fabrics on furniture, curtains, and accessories. Her father must have spent a small fortune on it.
She shivered at the sudden gush of wind coming from the overhead air- conditioning unit. Why her father had to keep his office so cold, was beyond her. She wrapped her black business coat a little tighter around her slim shoulders and decided to take one of the leather seats in front of the mammoth, mahogany desk.
The sound of a door opening and closing then the steps coming closer to her made Liz's stomach do a flip flop. She rose to her feet and turned around slowly. She saw her father, not having changed hardly at all, dressed in a gray business suit and crisp white shirt, a black paisley tie finished the look. When he hugged her she smelled the spicy scent of his aftershave. She was glad he had never changed his choice in cologne.
After the hug, Lionel smiled at his daughter then looked her up and down. "I like the hair."
Liz smiled back. "Thank you. I like yours."
He winked and walked over to his desk. "I'm glad you are back." He sat down and looked up. "I guess you're wondering why I asked you in here today."
"Well, I just finished college. Were you going to congratulate me? Maybe, welcome me back home from England?" She teased.
The older man pulled out a set of keys from his pocket then proceeded to open the top drawer of his desk. "I'm very proud of you, Lizzie." Pulling out a file folder full of papers and a new set of keys, Lionel shut the drawer and locked it back up. "In fact, you've made me realize that you're ready for this assignment."
Liz judged the features on her father's face carefully. He seemed cool, calm, and collected. She didn't like the word, "assignment" and couldn't tell what her father meant. "I'm glad you're proud of me, father, but what are you talking about?"
Lionel didn't answer, just smiled and handed her the file of paperwork. Liz took them still looking at him, then opened the folder. She scanned the sentences about the LuthorCorp plant but stopped after seeing the word, "Smallville."
She tensed up immediately and stared at her father with questioning eyes. He stood up and looked out the window, not wanting to look at his daughter's face. "It's time you faced your fears, Lizzie."
A hollow laugh escaped Liz's throat. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on her next words. "My fears? That.place.is the cause of everything."
His back still turned, Lionel cleared his throat. "It will only be for a few months anyway. The plant is doing poorly and I thought it would be best to have my own flesh and blood fix the problem. You are very bright, Lizzie. I know both you and the plant will benifit from this experience."
Liz got up from her seat. "I can't believe you are actually sending me to the crap factory! I could help you more here, in Metropolis."
Her father turned around and walked to his daughter's side. "A Luthor doesn't hold fear for a small little cow town. You will get over this once and for all. Do I make myself clear?"
Liz looked up into her father's eyes and nodded. She couldn't stop shaking, she was so angry and frightened. A glimmer of guilt gleamed in Lionel's eye for a brief moment but it was quickly replaced with a look of satisfaction. He bent down to kiss her forehead and placed the keys in her hands. Walking to the door, he spoke over his shoulder. "Prove to me you're a Luthor."
The sound of the door being shut made Liz jump out of her seat. She clenched her fists to keep from grabbing one of the many expensive paperweights on her father's desk and throwing it through the glass window.
Resigned, Liz sighed and spoke to nothing but the cool air in the room. "I'll make you proud, father, and I'll prove to you that I am more of a Luthor than you could ever have imagined."
***
To be continued.