A/N: A Tess drabble, takes place directly after the episode Isis, because Alexander was the creepiest thing ever. Poor, poor Tess...

For the record, I don't claim any rights to Smallville or the Superman franchise, and I do not plan to profit off this.


Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up.

Tess reads and Alexander stills in her arms, his ruffled hair nestled against her bosom. He's secure on her lap, safe in the cradle she makes for him. His chest rises with the cadence of a sleeping child and Tess knows this is how it feels to love, and to be loved.

She reads on but to herself, silently. All the other children grew up around Peter, but Peter could not leave the lure of Neverland alone. He remained a child, innocent and wishing, blind to the evils of the world.

Tess supposes every parent, in some way, wishes this of their child, that they may never know what evil lurks and danger abounds.

Alexander should never grow up, Tess thinks. She knows what the archetype grew into, what pariah he became, but maybe this Alexander will be different. Maybe this time he will live in love, and grow with a full heart instead of an empty one.

Tess imagines a future where this Alexander will become a good man, perhaps a saviour even. What Lex could have been capable of, had he not given in to his dark nature. Tess hopes Alexander never knows of this nature, that nurture can be enough to grow this child into a man, sans the monster.

How could this child be a monster, with his soft hands and rich auburn hair? He smells of soap, of being clean.

Tess lets herself cry for the second time that day, as the night draws on and her child sleeps against her. She wishes he didn't have to grow up, that Neverland could come and collect him and never let him go.

But she dreams of fire, of a tormentor burning the world into oblivion and she dreams of her death. She sees the eyes of her killer, blue like the empty sky, and she knows Neverland is a lie.

She wakes to find those eyes staring up at her, younger but empty still. Tess starts and scares Alexander, but she hugs him and tells him it will be okay. If only she could believe that.