The Outsider

[gem65]

I just finally caught up with your updates. Sorry for the delay.

Is it me, or is Lex mellowing out a little? He certainly seems to have warmed up to me a lot since the first time we met. But why oh why do I get the feeling there is more to this than meets the eye?

I know why there's more than meets the eye. Very clever Leanne.

And oh my god, Lana Lang is dead!

Nice twist on the helicopter crash.

We drove to the hospital in Bruce’s limo. Lex was too upset to drive and Bruce – well, Bruce seems kind of stoic, but I could see he was upset too. I know Callie likes him a lot, and I think it’s mutual. Just from the stiff way he sat, opening and closing his fist on his knee like he did.

So Bruce does have feelings for Callie. That's really sweet. Even Batman needs somebody.

But I digress. I was talking about Lionel Luthor. So, yeah, he gives me the heebie jeebies. And I wish I knew what it was about him that felt so familiar. It’s driving me crazy!

Lex is right about not telling Lionel that he has a daughter. And Callie apparently has a six sense about these kind of things.

I can’t wait to be back in Smallville. With my family. Oh my god, I have a family!

Since I can't quote the entire thing, I'll quote this last line. I love it.

[phoenixnz]

I just finally caught up with your updates. Sorry for the delay.


Since I can't quote the entire thing, I'll quote this last line. I love it.

That's okay about the delay, hon. I know you've been busy working on your own stuff - oh boy, have you ever!

Yeah, that last line gets me too. This turns out to be a huge thing for both of them.

[BabyDee]

Ooh, I've missed so much! But I'm all caught up now. Loving the story, and I'm sooo digging the twists and turns along the way.

Callie is Luthor spawn, OMG!!! :O Nice! I can't wait to see more of her interation with Lex.

Well done, honey, and have a wonderful Christmas & a Happy New Year!

[phoenixnz]

August 21, 2005

Lex is so dead when I get hold of him! Nah, just joking! Wow, what a day. We spent the night at the penthouse and drove down to Smallville this morning. I guess Lex didn’t want to tire me out. Anyway, he was driving slower than normal, for him, anyway. Which was unusual. But I didn’t say anything. And he was oddly quiet.

When we got to the outskirts of town, instead of taking the turn off to the mansion, Lex drove on into town.

“Uh, Lex, where are we going?”

”I just have some stuff to take care of,” he said.

A few minutes later he pulled up in front of the Talon and came around to help me out of the car. My legs are still a bit wobbly and I still get tired easily, but the docs did say it would take a few weeks for me to actually begin to feel quasi-normal.

And I remember the look on Lex’s face when they said that, and I just knew he was getting ready to make some crack about how normal would be an improvement on my usual anyway.

Anyway, we walked into the Talon and it was crowded! The din dropped as soon as I walked in the door and they all turned to look at me and burst into applause. Then I noticed the huge banner above the counter saying ‘Welcome Home, Callie’ and I swear if I hadn’t been crying then, I would so have strangled my darling brother! Scheming little so and so.

I saw Clark grinning and I knew he’d had a hand in it.

“You ...” I said as he grabbed me in a huge bear hug, then half-carried me to the chair of honour.

I got so many hugs and so many big smiles I didn’t know where to look. I didn’t know I had such an impact on so many people that they would care enough to be there. Chloe came and gave me a huge hug and some flowers, even though she’d already sent a huge bouquet to the hospital. And Martha brought me my favourite coffee. The docs had banned drinking coffee, but Lex smiled and nodded saying one wouldn’t hurt.

Ah, coffee!

And oh my god, I cannot believe he did it. The Finn brothers, playing here at the Talon. Lex must have shelled out a pretty penny to get them to play. And how did he know I loved Crowded House? Or Split Enz for that matter.

When Neil began to strum the guitar and play the first few bars of the song, I was in heaven.

Love can make you weep
Can make you run for cover
Roots that spread so deep
Bring life to frozen ground

Something so strong
Could carry us away
Something so strong
Could carry us today


Well, then Tim came up to me and asked me if I had a request. I was so floored I didn’t know what to say. So Lex whispered in his ear and Tim nodded. He went back to the stage and whispered to Neil and they began playing.

I don't wanna say I love you
that would give away too much
hip to be detached and precioius
the only thing you feel is vicious

Now how had Lex known that that song was one of my favourites. But I started crying when they sang Better Be Home Soon. Lex noticed and put an arm around me.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you home to bed.”

I shook my head. “I’m not tired, Lex. I just ... I don’t know how you managed to get them here, but thank you. Just the fact that you did this ...”

I was so overwhelmed with emotion. I know Lex is about the big gestures and everything. But the fact that he would go to this trouble to do something to make me happy shows me how much I actually mean to him. And how much he has changed.

I gestured to him so I could whisper in his ear.

“I’m sorry I called you an ******* jerk,” I said. He just smiled gently.

“I deserved it,” he told me. “I never should have kept the truth from you. You nearly died Callie. I couldn’t have lived with myself if that had happened.”

“But you saved my life,” I whispered.

“Anyone would have done the same,” he said.

“No,” I shook my head sadly. “They wouldn’t.” I didn’t say so but we were both thinking it. The old Lex wouldn’t have done it either. He might have pulled out all the stops to find a cure, but he wouldn’t have taken such a huge risk to save me.

Tim and Neil took a break and they came and sat with me. We talked a bit about New Zealand. It turns out that I was living not far from where they grew up, which I kind of knew anyway, but I didn’t know exactly where.

They’re amazing people, really warm and friendly, despite being really famous. At least, where I come from anyway. Tim told me that he and Neil were going to LA to look at producing the soundtrack for a new film by a Kiwi director.

“Not the same guy who did Lord of the Rings?” Lex asked when they told us about it.

“Nope,” Tim grinned. “But I bet Callie can guess.” He told us the name.

Lex just frowned. I looked at him. “The guy who did all those arty movies back in the eighties.”

“Please, I was a little kid back then. I wasn’t allowed such ‘frivolous nonsense.’ “ I knew he was emulating his ... I mean, our father, when he did that but I couldn’t resist the dig.

“Snob!”

His expression was priceless. Tim, Neil and I just laughed at him. After that, we exchanged emails so the guys could keep me up to date with their work and everything else that was happening down under.

I still miss it, but New Zealand doesn’t feel like home anymore. It will always be in my heart, but Smallville is home now.

The party started winding down after that and I was dead on my feet, so to speak. Lex nodded at Clark who picked me up in his arms and carried me easily to the car. I wanted to protest that I could walk but I was pretty tired so I didn’t say anything.

When we got to the mansion, Lex again helped me out of the car and I leaned on him, yawning, as we walked into the big house. As we were slowly going up the stairs, Lionel’s voice stopped us.

“Lex, back from Metropolis, I see. And Miss Shaw. I’m pleased to see you are on the mend.”

I looked at Lex and he shook his head. He still hadn’t told Lionel the truth.

“He needs to know, Lex,” I whispered.

“We’ll tell him tomorrow,” he promised. “Together. Once you’ve had a good night’s sleep. Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.” I yawned again.

“Right, squirt, off to bed with you.”

“Grr, not the short jokes again.”

“Hey, can I help it if I got the height.”

“Well, at least I’m smarter than you,” I said. “That’s one consolation. And I’m prettier.”

“Oh, you wish little big sis.”

Damn, he really loves to tease me. One day I swear I’m going to get him back for all of this. Right now, I’m too tired! I just managed to get up enough energy to write this. What an awesome day! I love being a big sister, even if my little brother is annoying! I guess that’s what siblings are for.


Something So Strong
Love can make you weep
Can make you run for cover
Roots that spread so deep
Bring life to frozen ground

Something so strong
Could carry us away
Something so strong
Could carry us today

Turning in my sleep
Love can leave you cold
The taste of jealousy
Is like a lust for gold

Something so strong
Could carry us away
Something so strong
Could carry us today

I’ve been feeling so much older
Frame me and hang me on the wall
I’ve seen you fall into the same trap
This thing is happening to us all

Something so strong
Could carry us away
Something so strong
Could carry us today

Something so strong
Something so strong
Something so strong
Something something so strong


Better Be Home Soon
Somewhere deep inside
Something's got a hold on you
And it's pushing me aside
See it stretch on forever

I know I'm right
For the first time in my life
That's why I tell you
You'd better be home soon

Stripping back the coats
Of lies and deception
Back to nothingness
Like a week in the desert

I know I'm right
For the first time in my life
That's why I tell you
You'd better be home soon

So don't say no, don't say nothing's wrong
Cos when you get back home maybe I'll be gone oh oh....ohhhh

It would cause me pain
If we were to end it
But I could start again
You can depend on it

I know I'm right
For the first time in my life
That's why I tell you
You'd better be home soon
That's why I tell you
You'd better be home soon

Message to My Girl
don't wanna say I love you
that would give away too much
hip to be detached and precioius
the only thing you feel is vicious

I dont wanna say I want you
even though I want you so much
it's wrapped up in converstation
whispered in a hush

though I'm frightened by the word
I think its time that it was heard

no more empty self possesion
visions swept under the mat
it's no new years resolution
it's more than that

now I wake up happy
warm in a lover's embrace
no one else can touch us
while wer're in this place

so I sing it to the world
simple message to my girl

No more empty self possesion
visions swept under the mat
it's no new years resolution
it's more than that.

And there's nothing quite as real
as the touch of your sweet hand.
I can't spend the rest of my life
buried in the sand.

[gem65]

Damn, he really loves to tease me. One day I swear I’m going to get him back for all of this. Right now, I’m too tired! I just managed to get up enough energy to write this. What an awesome day! I love being a big sister, even if my little brother is annoying! I guess that’s what siblings are for.

That was a cute update Leanne. I really enjoyed it. Although I have to wonder if it'll be a good idea telling Lionel though.

[phoenixnz]

That was a cute update Leanne. I really enjoyed it. Although I have to wonder if it'll be a good idea telling Lionel though.

Oh, I know what you're thinking, but Callie is the type of person who can't keep something like that from the man she now knows is her biological father. She has a sense of fairness, I guess that won't let her keep the truth from him.
You'll also find there is more than meets the eye here.

I couldn't resist bringing the Finn brothers in. I've never met them but they are fantastic singers and arguably the best musical band to come out of NZ for the last thirty years. I've always loved those songs.

[phoenixnz]

August 22, 2005

Well, we did it. Lex and I told Lionel. Together. And man was it interesting! So, anyway, I got up around ten and wandered downstairs. I’d already had breakfast in bed. Talk about spoiling the invalid. Except I’m not an invalid really. The therapist came by a quarter after ten and I had to work on that for a bit.

But then Lex came into the room where I was finishing the prescribed workout. He told me he’d asked Lionel to come to the study and if I was ready I should join them.

A few minutes later I did. Lex smiled at me and gestured for me to join him on the sofa. Lionel was sitting there drinking coffee, and oh god, the smell of it made my stomach rumble. Coffee! I miss my caffeine fix!

“What’s this all about Lex? And why is Miss Shaw staying here?”

“So we can keep an eye on her while she’s recuperating from the surgery.”

Lionel looked at me steadily, as if studying me. I suddenly felt like a lab subject.

“I see,” he said shortly.

“Dad, the reason we asked you to come in here is that we have something very important to tell you. Callie is ... we found out a few months ago that Callie ...”

Lex looked at me and I nodded, squeezing his fingers lightly in support.

“She’s your daughter Dad.”

Lionel turned to look at me properly and he was clearly stunned.

“What? Lex, is this some kind of practical joke? Miss Shaw is ...”

“Adopted. My birth mother chose to give me away when I was born.”

“And just who was your mother?”

“Her name was Sarah Mulligan. She lived in Smallville, but she was working in Metropolis the summer of 1976.”

I could see Lionel mulling over the information. I swear it was almost as if I could see the workings of his mind, like the tumblers inside a clock, ticking away, processing the news.

Lionel looked at Lex. “I hadn’t even met your mother then,” he said.

Lex and I had already looked at the research the private investigator had provided. Lionel was still working in the print shop back then. It wasn’t long before the fire in the tenement that killed his parents. We didn’t say what we knew about that. Lionel had always protested his innocence in the murders, but we both knew he was involved.

So Lex just nodded in agreement. This all happened just before Lionel had become rich. Sarah had obviously met him around the same time as he’d schemed, using the insurance claim to launch his business.

He’d risen to the top very quickly. Of course, back in those days, it wouldn’t have been that surprising. He made his first million in less than a year.

Lionel was still looking sceptical, so Lex pulled out a photograph of Sarah. Lionel studied it, rubbing his jaw with his finger. Then his eyes widened in recognition.

“My god. She never told me.”

“It’s hardly surprising,” I told him. “Sarah was only sixteen when she found out she was pregnant.”

“The thing that clued me in , Dad, was that Callie looks a lot like you. Even Clark noticed it.”

Lionel looked as if he wanted to reserve judgement on that. Lex went on to explain how he’d ordered DNA tests, all without my knowledge, looking sheepishly at me, and had proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was definitely Lionel’s daughter.

“And you knew nothing about this?” Lionel asked me.

“I came here to find my birth family after the doctors told me I was sick. They said it would be better if I had some kind of family history so I would know if the liver disease was genetic. As it turns out, I must have got that from you.”

“Callie,” he said, leaning forward. “I ... if I’d known ...”

“Lionel, don’t get me wrong. You are my biological father, but you are not my Dad. Bill Shaw was my Dad. And while he may be gone, he will always be that for me. That might be hard for you to hear, but I was raised by good people and I miss them dreadfully. So don’t blame yourself or think for one second that I would have been better off if she had told you she was pregnant with me. I’ve seen the kind of father you are and frankly, I’m glad I was adopted.”

I heard Lionel’s sharp intake of breath at that and I knew it sounded harsh. But I’ve always been honest to a fault, and I couldn’t not say what I thought.

But then Lionel surprised me. Surprised us both, actually.

“Of course,” he said. “I can see that you were raised well. God knows, I made a lot of mistakes with Lex. I appreciate your candour.”

With that he stood up and turned to go.

“This may make little difference, Callie, but thank you for telling me. And I did care for your mother. If she had come to me, I would have helped her.”

Lex and I just stared at each other, stunned by the way he’d reacted to the news. We hadn’t expected that!

So anyway, the rest of the day passed quietly. Lex wouldn’t let me do anything too strenuous but we started talking about what I was going to do now. He thinks he might have a project for me. He’s working on improving Luthorcorp’s public image, especially in Smallville, and he wants me to help him on that.

He’s already said he’ll pay me my consultant’s fee. So when I’m up to it, I’ll start doing the research and see where we go from there.

We’ve already discussed shares in Luthorcorp. Lex wanted to give me some of his shares, since he believes I’m legally entitled to them. But I refuse. It’s not that I disagree with him. It’s just that I’m not interested in owning shares in a major corporation. Luthorcorp is his. I’m happy doing my own thing.

Clark came by later, after he’d finished all his chores at the farm. He’s getting ready for college. Lex wanted him to go to Met U – his old alma mater even though he got kicked out. I’m dying to know what he did to get kicked out, but he won’t tell me. Anyway, Clark is going to Central Kansas A&M to be closer to home.

Lex was working so Clark and I sat and watched movies, curled up on the couch in the entertainment room. I fell asleep on Clark’s shoulder. It wasn’t that the movie was boring – I guess I still get tired easily. Anyway, I woke up a little when Clark decided to take me up to my room. I think I mewed a protest but was too tired to argue.

We were all pretty quiet at dinner. Lionel stuck around to eat with us and he kept giving me these looks. I guess he was trying to see the resemblance. Lex was giving me worried looks because I wasn’t up to eating much. I tried to eat everything on my plate to please him, but I didn’t have much of an appetite. I saw Clark give his hand a squeeze and then give him a little smile and Lex smiled back, a little wobbly. But it didn’t stop him worrying. I swear, it feels almost as if he’s the older sibling.


August 30


Lex and I just had a massive blowout. He’s just been so over-protective and it’s driving me crazy! We were arguing for over an hour and I swear the whole house heard us. He just treats me like I’m breakable and I can’t stand it. Okay, so I still haven’t recuperated fully, but god, give me some space!

Anyway, Lionel was there and he just looked at the two of us and sighed. I swear there is something really odd about that man. He isn’t giving me the heebie jeebies any more, which I suppose is a good thing, but he kind of gets this look like ... I don’t know, indulgence? It’s really weird. He didn’t say anything to either of us and we just kept arguing.

I can’t stand being yelled at and Lex has a bad habit of losing his temper. Come to think of it, so do I. I needed some breathing room and so I grabbed the keys to my car and drove into town. I know I’m not supposed to, but I just needed to get away and I found myself in the Talon.

It was reasonably quiet and Martha was there, on the counter. Clark was chatting to her and he saw me come in.

“Callie, what are you doing here?”

I flopped down on the stool in front and sighed, leaning on the counter.

“Lex and I just had a massive argument. God, he ... he is just so annoying sometimes. He treats me like a china doll!”

Martha looked at me sympathetically.

“Well, honey, you have just had major surgery. You can’t blame him for being a little over-protective.”

“Martha, come on, that was a month ago.”

“And you’re still not fully recovered,” she reminded me.

She paused and looked up, then smiled.

“Hi Lex.”

I groaned and turned.

“Damn it Lex, does the concept of needing space completely escape that melon head of yours?”

He glared at me. “Callie, you should be home resting.” He peered at me. “You’re not drinking coffee are you?”

No, I wanted to say sarcastically. But I was sure as hell thinking about it.

“She only just got here, Lex,” Clark told him.

Which meant he’d driven full tilt after me.

“And you go off at me about being careful,” I sniffed.

“That’s different and you know it.”

“How, Lex? God damn it, stop treating me like a child.”

“Then stop acting like one.”

I really hate it when he talks down to me. I stood up and tried to stretch so I would at least be close to his height of six foot. It didn’t work.

“You are so annoying!” I retorted.

“And you’re not?” he shot back.

“Dork!”

“Brat!”

“That’s enough!”

We looked around in surprise at Martha. She was glaring at both of us.

“You’re both behaving like children,” she told us and I caught Lex gulping. The look on her face was stern and I just knew she was about to tell us off. Clark sent us both a look as if to say, ‘good luck’. Wow, she’s scary!

“Both of you sit down and start talking like rational adults or I swear I will smack you both. You are both behaving like spoiled brats and this stops now.”

Yikes!

Lex gulped even harder. He sat down on the stool meekly. I swear, Martha must be the only person who really scares him because when she gets mad, he listens!

“Now, Lex,” Martha said, more calmly. “I think you need to give your sister a break. You don’t have to be so over-protective.”

He opened his mouth to protest and she silenced him with a look.

“I’ve seen the way you are around her, and Callie is right. You’re treating her as if she’s fragile. Yes, she’s recovering from a serious illness and I admire the fact that you want to take care of her, but you need to back off just a little.”

Then she looked at me. “And Callie, you need to give Lex a break too. This isn’t easy for either of you. Neither one of you know what it’s like to grow up with siblings so it’s a big adjustment. I can tell you get over-emotional and I know you haven’t had it that easy the last month, but calm down, honey. Lex is in new territory too and you need to remember that.”

I remember feeling so guilty about the way I’d been yelling at Lex and I took one look at his face and realised he felt just as guilty. She was right. Stressing out over it wasn’t going to help my recovery and I needed to remind myself that as hard as it was for me suddenly having a brother, it was just as hard for Lex having a new sister.

In the end, we both apologised and he drove me home. Clark drove my car over to the mansion a bit later. We bumped into Lionel on the way in and he just gave us that indulgent smile as if to say, ‘kids’. I found myself looking at Lex and we both burst into laughter.

[gem65]

Oh, I know what you're thinking, but Callie is the type of person who can't keep something like that from the man she now knows is her biological father. She has a sense of fairness, I guess that won't let her keep the truth from him.
You'll also find there is more than meets the eye here.

I couldn't resist bringing the Finn brothers in. I've never met them but they are fantastic singers and arguably the best musical band to come out of NZ for the last thirty years. I've always loved those songs.

What exactly am I thinking? I know that Lionel will find out. There's no way you would NOT let it happen. And knowing you, we'll get yet another Leanne twist. Can't wait for it.

PS: Now that I think of it - it's actually your 'evil twin' that comes up with those twists. Now I'm off to read the next update.

Almost 10 minutes later:

In the end, we both apologised and he drove me home. Clark drove my car over to the mansion a bit later. We bumped into Lionel on the way in and he just gave us that indulgent smile as if to say, ‘kids’. I found myself looking at Lex and we both burst into laughter.

I have to say that I'm finding how you're portraying Lionel really interesting. Although I can't help thinking he's up to something. I really enjoyed this update. But then again, I wouldn't expect any less from you.

[phoenixnz]

What exactly am I thinking? I know that Lionel will find out. There's no way you would NOT let it happen. And knowing you, we'll get yet another Leanne twist. Can't wait for it.

PS: Now that I think of it - it's actually your 'evil twin' that comes up with those twists. Now I'm off to read the next update.

Almost 10 minutes later:

I have to say that I'm finding how you're portraying Lionel really interesting. Although I can't help thinking he's up to something. I really enjoyed this update. But then again, I wouldn't expect any less from you.

Lionel finding out about Callie doesn't seem good and yes, Lionel will always have a hidden agenda. But Callie couldn't not tell him. He is her father - at least biologically. It gets weirder from here on in.

Update is next.

[phoenixnz]

September

Dear Diary,

Ugh, I so did not need to see that! I walked in to the study and there were Lex and Clark, making out. And we’re talking heavy petting. The kind that I would love to do with Bruce if he’d only come andspend some time with me. Clark saw me and turned red as a beet.

“I’m all for living vicariously,” I quipped, “but this is ridiculous.”

I’ve always had a bad habit of trying to cover up embarrassment with humour. Lex is kind of the same way, actually, although his is usually heavily laced with sarcasm.

“Did you need something?” Lex asked as if I’d interrupted just a casual conversation.

“Uh, the phone, actually. I forgot to charge mine and the battery’s dead.”

“Tomorrow I’ll have a private phone installed in your room,” Lex promised, pointing to the desk for the phone.

“Lex, you don’t have to do that,” I told him, acutely aware that Lex was half naked and Lex junior was clearly visible. I inched past them and grabbed the cordless phone. “I’ll just leave you to it,” I said.

The incident wasn’t mentioned at dinner, but I noticed a couple of days after that that Lex kept the study door locked at certain times.

Anyway, Bruce and I are dating! Well, sort of. I mean, he comes to Smallville and takes me out, making sure I don’t get too tired. I’m still going through therapy, so I don’t really have a lot of energy yet. But the doctors tell me they’ve never seen anyone recover so quickly from major transplant surgery.

Anyway, thanks to the piece of Lex’s liver grafted onto mine, my liver is regenerating well and is looking healthier than it has in a long time. According to the scans, anyway.

Lex let me in on a little secret, and I believe it has everything to do with how quickly I’ve recovered. He was exposed to the meteors when he was a kid and because of it, he doesn’t get sick. He also has accelerated healing. I guess that with the transplant, part of his ability transferred to me.

And, oh my god, Clark is ... Wow! I mean, he’s practically living with us now that he and Lex are ... and I caught him using one of his abilities. Oh my god, he can shoot fire from his eyes. Amazing!

Anyway, he’s now going to college. He’s been talking about this new professor he has. Some guy named Milton Fine. He really doesn’t like Lex. Thinks he’s the devil incarnate or something. But other than that, Clark thinks he’s really cool. I don’t know. Lex and I both think there’s something not quite right about this character. Lex has been doing a bit of research into the guy’s background and something doesn’t seem quite kosher.

I was in the library the other day, looking through some of Lex’s books. Since I can’t return to work full time yet, I have to find something to occupy my time! Anyway, in walks this guy.

“Is there something I can do for you?” I said.

The man looked up at me and I walked off the mezzanine and down the stairs to him. He was about average height, maybe five nine, with dark brown hair and a slimy sort of look about him.

“I was looking for Mr Luthor. Who are you?”

“I’m Lex’s sister. And you are?”

“Milton Fine.”

“Oh, you teach history at Clark’s school. Clark has been talking about you. He’s, uh, quite an admirer of yours.”

Fine sent me an oily kind of smirk.

“I heard your brother has been investigating me.”

“Well, I can’t blame him, really,” I said. “Especially when his boyfriend starts talking about someone with what appears to be a grudge against him.”

“Hardly a grudge, Miss Luthor.”

“Uh, it’s Shaw, actually. I was adopted.”

“Apologies, Miss Shaw. I was not even aware of your existence.” That kind of struck me as an odd thing to say but I didn’t comment on it.

“We don’t broadcast it freely, Mr Fine,” I said, emphasising the ‘Mr’. “But it’s no secret that Lex and I were not aware of each other’s existence until last year. And anyway, you were saying?”

“I don’t have a grudge against your brother. I do, however, disagree with much of Luthorcorp’s business practices.”

“And you should know, Mr Fine, that every successful business owner has to have a degree of ruthlessness. I assure you, Luthorcorp is completely ethical in its practices. And should Mr Luthor discover anything that suggested that that was not the case, he would rectify it immediately.”

“I would suggest that you were a little biased, Ms Shaw.”

Ooh, I really hate it when people don’t respect me. And Fine was making a point that he had no respect for me at all.

“I happen to have a Masters in business, Mister Fine. And Lex and I are working together to improve Luthorcorp’s public image. Accuse me of bias all you want, but I would suggest that you leave your own prejudices at the door when you enter a man’s home. It’s impolite.”

Take that, Milton Fine, I thought.

“And I would suggest that Mr Luthor stop investigating me.” He pulled out a folder about an inch thick. “My background,” he said, with a smirk. “Tell Mr Luthor I stopped by.”

Ooh, that guy made me so mad.

Bruce came later that afternoon as he was in town on business and wanted to take me to dinner. But I needed to talk to Clark and Lex about the visit from Milton Fine so I suggested he stay at the mansion for dinner. Bruce agreed readily.

I told Lex and Clark at dinner about the visit.

“I don’t like the guy,” I said. “He reminds me of, hmm, what did they used to call those guys who used to travel from town to town selling miracle cures?”

“I believe they called them Snake Oil Salesmen.”

“Well, that’s who he reminded me of,” I said, grinning my thanks at Bruce. His hand on my knee squeezed gently.

“He’s not that bad,” Clark said. “I think he’s brilliant.”

Well, that remains to be seen, dear Diary. I guess I’m a lot more Luthorian than I thought, because I’m beginning to be suspicious of anyone who tries to get in the middle of our tight-knit little family. Or maybe I’m just as bad as Lex when it comes to the people I love.

Anyway, Bruce took me out for a drive to the lookout, ie, make-out point and managed to make me forget all about Milton Fine. Man, is he a good kisser!

We haven’t discussed sex yet. I guess he’s still a little worried about the transplant and doesn’t want me to exhaust myself. I keep telling him I’m fine and that I’ve had the all-clear from the doctors, but it’s kind of nice that he worries about me.

We got back pretty late and the house was quiet. Lex and Clark were up in their room. Bruce went up to the guest room but I wasn’t feeling tired so I went downstairs for some hot chocolate. As I stood there making it, I heard Lionel’s voice.

“This professor is showing a peculiar interest in my son.”

“Are you thinking this may be the threat we discussed?” another voice asked.

“I don’t know. From what young Callie says, there is something odd about the man. I trust her instincts. She is an exceptionally intelligent young woman.”

I peeked through the kitchen door. Lionel was standing there talking with a man who appeared to be African-American.

“I will investigate further,” the man was saying.

I gasped as he began to turn away. His eyes were glowing! Lionel must have heard me because he came into the kitchen.

“Ah, Callie, that was a business associate of mine.”

I didn’t say anything about the glowing eyes thing, but I knew that he knew that I saw it. He didn’t mention it either.

“What’s this threat you were talking about?”

Lionel shook his shaggy head. “You must have misunderstood,” he said.

And I know I didn’t, dear Diary. There is something going on. I wonder if it has anything to do with why Lionel has seemed so different lately?

[gem65]

That was the Martian Manhunter wasn't it? That's so cool. Another great update Leanne.

[BabyDee]

This is a really lovely story, hun. I'm intrigued about what the martian manhunter's role in this story is.

Well done!

[phoenixnz]

I just realised I never posted the last chapter I did. Whoops, my bad, as Lex would say.


September 30 (next day)


Wow, I finally know how Clark and Lex got together!

Anyway, I went to their room early this morning.

“Hey,” I said, knocking on the door. “You guys decent?”

I knew they were up because I could hear ... well, never mind what I could hear.

“Define decent,” Lex called out.

“Come in,” Clark said.

I went in and looked at them. They both looked kind of flushed and it was pretty obvious what they’d been doing. Sigh.

“We gotta talk,” I said.

“Now?” Lex said.

“Well, knowing you Lex, you’ll be off to work in half an hour and Clark will be at school all day and there is something weird going on and I need to vent.”

Lex just smirked at me. He knows when I get like this I tend to ramble and my words kind of join together. Like he never rambles! I’ve seen him get really tongue-tied when he talks about Clark, so he can wipe that smirk off his face right now.

I sat on the bed, doing my best to ignore the smart aleck. Which isn’t as easy as you think. I really wanted to smack him.

“Callie ...” he began.

“Have you guys noticed anything weird about the old man?”

“Weird how?” Clark said.

“Well, last night I went down for some hot chocolate and I saw him talking to some guy. Actually, he’s not a guy, he’s ... I’m not sure what he is but his eyes glowed. And you know, not like you when you’re using your heat vision, but red, kind of ... and I know, I’m rambling again. But he’s been acting really strange and he doesn’t give me the creeps like he used to.”

“Yeah, like that’s a good indicator,” Lex snorted.

“You shut up.”

“Make me,” he smirked.

Ooh, I so could have slapped him then. Smart little s**t!

“Lex,” I warned. He sighed.

“Geez, lighten up Callie, I’m just playing with your head.”

“Play with this,” I said, raising my finger in the usual gesture. Clark, ever the peacemaker, got his say in.

“Okay, enough you two. Callie, what’s really troubling you?”

“Well, haven’t you seen what’s been going on with Lionel?”

Lex and Clark exchanged a look and I knew that they knew something.

“What?”

“It was during the meteor shower. He was catatonic,” Lex finally explained.

“What?” I stared. “Okay, start from the beginning.”

Clark nodded at Lex. “You tell it.”

So here it is. Lex’s point of view of what happened right before the meteor shower and the events after it.

May

I had been thinking a lot about Callie and after learning that she was my sister, I began to wonder if everything she said was a total lie. But then I remembered that conversation we had back in February, and I knew that she didn’t know the truth. I wanted to tell her that she was my sister but I didn’t know how.

Now I think it’s more important than ever. Especially as I now know her genetics, or rather, my father’s (sorry, that should be our father) are responsible for her current predicament.

Now all the odd things Callie has been saying make sense. I know now why she has been pushing me to tell Clark how I feel about him. Because she knows how precious life is.

Anyway, I decided to go on over to Clark’s house to talk to him. Clark was still at school. Martha was working at the Talon and Jonathan was in the barn.

“Good afternoon, Mr Kent,” I said politely. Jonathan and I have never really seen eye to eye and after the whole incident with the ‘evil twin’, I can’t say I blame him. He looked at me warily.

“Something I can do for you Lex?”

“Actually, I was hoping Clark would be here.”

He shook his blonde head. “No. He’s down at the school. Getting things sorted for graduation.”

“Well, if it’s no trouble, Mr Kent, I’d like to wait for Clark.”

He nodded. Hell, Jonathan Kent may dislike me intensely, but he at least knows how to be polite in company.

“You know where everything is, Lex,” he said gruffly. “There should be some leftover pie. Unless Clark’s eaten it all.”

I smiled at that. Jonathan knows my weakness for one of Martha’s pies. I went inside and found the leftover pie in the refrigerator and made myself a coffee while I ate a slice of the delicious pie. I keep meaning to get the recipe for my cook but I know somehow it will never be the same. Martha uses a combination of spices and fruit that really can’t be duplicated.

As I was finishing up, Clark came in. He smiled at me, although there tended to be a wariness in his smile these days.

“Hey Lex. What’s up?”

“I needed to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?”

The loft in the barn was Clark’s place – his fortress. But there was always a chance we could be overheard. And the farmhouse wasn’t the ideal place either.

“I guess we could go for a drive or something,” Clark said and I nodded readily. Perfect.

But as we sat in the car, parked up near make-out point, I suddenly didn’t know what to say. Every time I looked at him, I felt as if my whole being was tied up in knots. I love him so much and I have no idea how to tell him.

“Have you heard from Callie?” Clark asked casually.

“No. You?”

“I got an email a couple of days ago. She says the court case looks to be going her way.”

“That’s good,” I nodded. “You know I offered the help of my lawyers but ...”

“Yeah, Callie’s stubborn that way. She’s a lot like you.”

And if that wasn’t a good opportunity to broach the subject, I didn’t know what was.

“Uh, yeah, about that ... Clark, I found out something a few months ago. I, uh, Callie’s my sister. Well, half-sister, actually. Lionel ...”

“Lionel’s her father?” Clark looked at me and his expression seemed to indicate that he finally understood.

I’d come prepared. I had some old photos of Lionel and showed them to Clark. Callie had the same bone structure as Lionel and looked a lot like him – a feminine version, but Lionel just the same.

“I knew there was something familiar about her. Her mannerisms and stuff, I mean, she acts a lot like you, although not as arrogant, and you both like the same things.”

I’d got my mother’s looks. People often remarked how little I resembled my father. But I am his son – my DNA proves it.

“Yeah, uh, I somehow managed to get hold of some of Callie’s blood and got it tested for her DNA. And she’s definitely my sister. We share a lot of the same markers and it came back 99.9 percent positive that Lionel’s her father.”

“Wait a minute. You got her blood? You know that’s an invasion of privacy, don’t you?”

“Yeah, well after that little incident at the plant last year, I had to.”

Callie had been one of the victims of that leak and she’d gone through a number of tests before we’d managed to create the antidote.

“Yeah, but Lex, you’ve got no right to test that blood ...”

“I needed to know Clark,” I reasoned. “And at the time, I thought Callie was keeping it from me.”

“You mean, she doesn’t know?”

I shook my head.

“There’s more. Clark, I ... Listen, Callie ...”

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t just blurt it out. But my heart and my head were warring with each other and my heart finally won.

“I’m in love with you.”

Clark just stared at me. “What?”

“I’m in love with you,” I repeated. “Look, Callie’s always telling me how life is too short to hide the truth and if you feel something that strongly then you should say it and it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same way, I just needed you to know because I ...”

I forgot what I was going to say next because Clark was kissing me. And while it wasn’t the best kiss, it was soft and sweet and so right.

Then the kiss turned into something else. Trust me, Porsche’s are great for the image, but lousy for anything of a sexual nature. Add to the mix Clark’s long gangly limbs and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. But somehow, neither one of us seemed to notice the shortcomings.

What followed from there was a long conversation about secrets and Clark finally told me his secret. When he told me he was an alien he gave me such a look as if he almost expected to be rejected. I took his face in my hands and kissed him gently.

“Clark, alien or human, I still love you and I think I always will. It makes no difference to me what you are but it just reminds me how special a person you really are.”

Clark seemed reassured by that. We talked some more and he told me about the mission from his birth father’s avatar. The search for the stones of power, which I knew about, since I’d been searching for them myself, and what his father’s plans were.

I disagreed with the whole ‘conquer the world’ notion that Clark seems to have translated. I think he may have it wrong. But there’s time to think about that later.

It was getting late, and I knew Clark had to be home for dinner, so we made sure our clothes were straight and didn’t show any evidence of what we’d been doing. I didn’t think Clark was quite ready to come out to his parents and I completely understood his reticence.

The next day, disaster hit. I was kidnapped by Jason, who I realised by now was completely unhinged, and I never had the opportunity to talk to Clark. Genevieve was going on about the stones and I couldn’t tell her the truth. Those stones belonged to Clark and I was damned if I was going to let her get her grubby hands on them.

Lionel and I managed to escape and Jason fell into the ravine after Lionel shot him. I knew he was trying to tell me something about Clark, but since I already knew it didn’t matter. But I knew Genevieve was going after Lana, so I raced to get there and head the woman off. I was too late. Genevieve was dead and Lana was there, looking completely shaken.

I got her to the mansion, but soon learned that another disaster was going to hit in more ways than one. A meteor shower had been detected and was going to hit Smallville. I knew this would be the same as in ’89. Which meant Clark was in danger.

I remember arguing with Lionel over the things Genevieve had said. He kept denying he had the stone, but then something odd occurred. The stone activated and glowed in his pocket, then Lionel was hit by convulsions. By the time they stopped, his eyes had glazed over and he was catatonic. The stone was on the floor. I had to get it to Clark.

Lana had already left on the helicopter and I debated whether to try to get through the traffic to the caves. But it seemed the stone had alerted Clark to its presence. He came running in.

“Clark?”

“Lex.” He hugged me. “The stone ... it ...”

I held out my hand and opened it. The house was shaking with the impact of meteors. Clark grabbed my hand.

“Come on, we’ll be safer in the caves,” he said.

“Lionel’s upstairs. He ...”

Clark was torn. I could see it on his face. But there was nothing either of us could do. The walls were literally shaking. I spoke to my security staff and told them to evacuate, and get Lionel to a hospital. I’d done all I could for him.

“C’mon Lex,” he said.

We sped to the caves. I’d barely recovered from the heady rush of being swept up in Clark’s arms before we were in the inner chamber.

“I knew this was here,” I breathed. I watched as Clark approached the table, the stone in his hand.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said as he looked at me, hesitating.

I moved forward and took his hand. “Whatever happens, we’ll be together,” I assured him. He smiled at me, then put the stone in the slot. They suddenly fused together and changed colour into a magnificent blue crystal. It lifted and hovered in the air. Clark grabbed it, then screamed in shock. We were both enveloped by a bright white light and it was like all my molecules were suddenly separated and put back together.

I was breathless as I opened my eyes and found myself standing on a huge white expanse. And I quickly realised I was freezing. Clark was beside me. He looked at the crystal and glared at it, then flung it away.

As we watched, holding each other tightly, something began to happen. Crystals formed, rising through the ice, to create some kind of structure. It was incredibly beautiful. Clark looked at me, then we began to trudge through the snow to the structure.

Once inside, I could see the structure was completely made up of crystals formed from the ice. Clark looked at me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I should be freezing, but I’m not.” And that seemed to me to be very odd.

But what happened next scared me.

“Welcome Kal-El my son. Welcome Lex Lu-thor, son of Lionel, mate of Kal-El.”

What? Mate? Kal-El? The voice seemed to surround us, booming from the far corners of the ice structure. It had cultured tones and an accent that was almost British. I stared at Clark.

“Jor-El,” he said in a low undertone. “My birth father.”

“Clark, my god.”

“You have come for your training, my son.”

“No. We have to get back to Smallville. There’s a meteor shower.”

“A dark force from Krypton has awakened, my son.”

“Dark force?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”

“One of the stones of knowledge has been tainted with the blood of a human. It has set in motion a chain of events which will bring about the destruction of Earth.”

“Then we have to stop it,” Clark said. He looked at me and I knew he was questioning what I knew about the blood on the stone. But I shook my head. We’d have to get to that later.

“Negative, my son. You must complete your training.”

“Smallville is my home and it is in danger.”

I agreed with him. Jor-El seemed to give an exasperated sigh.

“Very well, but you must return for your training by your sunset or the consequences will be dire. Your mate must remain here until I am confident that he is not a threat to your survival.”

In other words, I was being used to blackmail Clark into returning.

“You can trust me,” I assured Jor-El. “I’m not a threat.”

He gave a sort of hmph. Sighing, I turned to Clark.

“We have no choice. He’s obviously trying to ensure that you return for your training.”

Clark nodded. He held me in his arms.

“You’ll be okay?” he whispered.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “Go. Save Smallville.”

I’d like to go into detail about how I wandered around the fortress and asked questions, learning much about Kryptonians, but Jor-El was silent. Well, I thought, I won’t be recommending this spot as a tourist destination.

Several hours later, Clark returned. He told me he’d found two others, like himself, who had descended in a black ship, and were searching for him. He’d found the farmhouse nearly destroyed by a meteor, and the body of Jason Teague buried in the rubble. He’d then raced off to the hospital to look for his parents, where he’d found them alive. Chloe, meanwhile, had gone to the mansion to try to find Lana and instead had found Lionel scratching out some kind of symbol on the floor.

She’d gone to the hospital, looking for help of some kind, only to encounter the two aliens. She’d told Clark, and he’d been astounded to hear that she knew part of his secret. He would need to have a talk with her at some point, he told me. She then told Clark she’d sent the aliens to the mansion and he’d raced off to find Lionel looking as if he’d never collapsed.

But Lionel had appeared to have been taken over by Jor-El. He spoke to Clark in the same cultured tones, carefully measuring his words, telling Clark the aliens were the disciples of Zod. Just then, the two of them turned up and Clark fought them. The woman took off some kind of bracelet and tossed it, allowing a vortex to open up. Clark was almost sucked in, until he managed to grab one of the rebars in the floor, then pulled both of the disciples into the vortex. Just as the sun was beginning to drop below the horizon he sped back to me in the Arctic.

I was silent as Lex finished. The story had been pretty intense. Clark had told me everything after I’d seen him use his powers, but I didn’t care about that.

“Wow! So Lionel was possessed by Jor-El?”

“And he told us the two Clark sent into the vortex aren’t the only threat he’s going to face. I think we need to have a talk with Lionel. Try and find out what he, or rather Jor-El, knows.”

Clark nodded solemnly. I could only agree. There was something really bad about to happen and we needed all the help we could get.

[gem65]

Wow Leanne. I really love this version of Commencement. It felt so different - yet it was so familiar at the same time. And I forgive you for forgetting to post it.

[phoenixnz]

I only realised because I had been thinking about doing another chapter and I checked my posts. I haven't quite finished the chapter yet, but I should be able to post it when I get home from work.