Disclaimer: all Superman and Smallville characters belong to their rightful owners. No Infringement's intended.

Spoilers: Zero.

Author´s note: I´ve decided to repost this story because I´ve noticed that readers seem to prefer it this way. I love feedback so please don´t hesitate to review.

AMANDA

CHAPTER 1: The Meeting

James Rothman had started his life inauspiciously.Born into a lower-class family from Suicide Slums, son of a fisherman's daughter and an alcoholic factory worker, not much was expected from him. By the time he was five his father had already deserted them and his mother worked late hours in a sweatshop to bring food to the table. The street had become his home and he tried to help his mum working as a paper boy. When he turned fifteen his mother caught smallpox and couldn't pull through.Afraid of her son' s future if he stayed in the Slums, on her deathbed she made him promise to move to the countryside, where her brother Sam had a farm they used to visit on the holidays.

James's life changed for the better on the farm. His uncle was nothing like his dad and in him he found not only a foster parent but a friend and teacher. The young boy fell in love with horses and learnt from Sam not only how to take care of them but also how to break them and train them- his uncle taught him everything he had learnt in his young years working as a handler.

At twenty-four James was already a married man. He had a not too well-paid job working for a local landowner but he was happy with Maddy. His lucky break arrived when he read an advertisement in the Daily Planet. Lionel Luthor, CEO of Luthorcorp, was looking for a trained professional to look after his horses. The job offer included living accommodations and the possibility of bringing his wife along. His first encounter with Mr Luthor was far from encouraging but everything changed when Lillian Luthor, pregnant with her first-born, rang James to have an interview with him. They got on well together from the very beginning and he recognised in her a true Lady. Although Lionel had his reservations- he had had a private investigator do an in-depth research on James' past- he eventually hired him to humour his wife.

The Luthors had some of the best thoroughbreds James had ever seen and Mrs Luthor was not only a good boss and friend but an accomplished rider and teacher in the bargain. James' friendship meant a lot to Lillian, she finally had someone to share her passion of horses with- Lionel only kept them because she loved the animals- and to talk about her son Alexander. The shy red-haired boy was his mum's shadow and tailed her to the stables, where he gradually grew fond of the horses. James loved to look at mother and son interact; she was so caring and protective and he simply adored her. He actually basked in her presence and James was amazed at Alexander's transformation when he was near Lionel- he would become guarded and retracted. The boy was terrified of his dad and the elder Luthor appeared to be constantly seeking to make him lose all confidence and his frequent lectures did nothing but undermine his son's spirit.

Five years after James was hired by the Luthors, his daughter Amanda arrived. Baby Mandy- as her father used to call her- became the apple of James' eyes and a favourite of Lillian's. Alexander was at first jealous of the attention the baby got but his attitude changed when he and his mum called on the Rothmans to meet the newly-born. The girl seemed immediately drawn to the quiet boy, smiled at him and stretched out her tiny arms inviting him to pick her up. Unwillingly, he had succeeded effortlessly in forming an emotional bond with someone other than his mum.

As soon as Amanda gave her first steps, she joined them for their afternoon activities in the stables. She would follow Alexander or Lex, as she used to call him, like a faithful puppy. From that moment on, " Lex " became the name the young Luthor answered to around the people closest to him, the ones he considered true friends. In his adulthood he would come to hate the name when mouthed by Lionel because it had been given to him by someone so loving, pure and innocent, someone so unlike his father.

When Lionel was out in Metropolis, Lex and Lillian would have meals with the Rothmans and enjoy Maddy's homemade cooking- her ginger biscuits were Lex's weakness and she made sure she had a jar filled with them whenever he and his mum graced their table with their presence. Lionel's business trips seemed to have an additional benefit for Lex and Lillian; his asthma attacks would miraculously vanish and Mrs Luthor wouldn't look so strained. Things, however, suddenly made a turn for the worst one October day when Lionel took Lex with him on a trip to close a deal with the Ross brothers back in Smallville.

" Lionel, is it really necessary ? You know I've been giving him riding lessons and that's the moment of the day he mostly looks forward to. Couldn't you think of something else to spend some quality time with him ? Something other than business ? "

" Something like a fishing trip, perhaps ?," added Lionel ironically. " For goodness' sake, Lillian ! I've never had a penchant for the outdoors. And I definitely won't start now. He's my son, and if he's to become the head of Luthorcorp one day, he'll have to learn the trade. And who better than his own father to teach him the ropes ? Stop treating him like a ninny ! "

Their trip to Smallville ended tragically. Lex came back home bald and psychologically disturbed. On his arrival, he rushed up the stairs and, refusing to look at his own mother, locked himself up in his room.Lillian was distraught and Lionel did nothing the first day, thinking Lex needed to be left alone for a while before he plucked up enough courage to face his mother and the world again. Three days went by and the boy not only kept his bedroom door shut but turned down the tray of food that was left in the corridor for him. Lionel started to get desperate and, not wanting to upset Lillian -who was expecting their second child anytime soon and giving signs of an acute depression- remembered the Rothmans and turned to them for help.

Seven-year-old Mandy had overheard the Luthors' limo and was on her way out to greet Lex when Mrs Rothman stopped her and told her it'd be better to wait until Lex had settled down. She didn't have the heart to explain to Mandy that Lex might not be same person she had known. " She's too small to understand, James. What can we tell her ? How could we possibly prepare her to see someone she idolizes so fragile ? I know the boy. For all his weakness, he's proud and I'm afraid of how he might react if she stares or looks at him with disgust. I couldn't put her through that and I wouldn't like to add to his misery by forcing on him the presence of someone on whose admiration he thrives. "

"Maddy, you're being too rash. Don't you know your daughter well enough ? She's her mother's daughter. She'd never do anything to hurt him, she loves him too much for that. And you're not giving too much credit to Lex, either. He'd never harm our Mandy."

Lionel swallowed his pride and walked to the Rothmans' cottage to find them in the middle of a family discussion concerning his son. It took him and James close to fifteen minutes to convince Maddy she should let Mandy try to do what Lionel couldn't do. Half an hour later, after an honest chat with her daughter, Mrs Rothman let little Mandy out of the house.

Amanda climbed up the imposing stairs inside the manor and walked along the corridor to Lex's room. She knocked on the door and, with a childish voice, asked " Lex, are you there ? Can I come in ? I've brought you some ginger cookies... " Nobody answered. " Lex ? Please, let me come in ! It's too dark in here. Please, let me come in !, " she entreated the boy with a catch in her voice.

Lex was sprawled behind the door, his mind working at full speed, wondering whether he should let her in and put an end to his misery. Five minutes elapsed before he stretched his arm up to reach the key and unlock the door. No sooner had he done so, and realised the moment of truth had come, than he regretted his action and stumbled all the way to the wall-to-wall built-in wardrobe to hide.

Amanda entered and, not seeing Lex, started to search the room for him. " Lex, where are you ? Don't be afraid, I'm alone. Your father's downstairs." Lex could hear her approaching, coming nearer, and tried to make himself even smaller and retreated further into a corner. A muffled sob betrayed him. Suddenly, the wardrobe door opened and a stream of sunlight filtered in. Desperate to hide his face from her, he covered it with his hands and begged " Please, Mandy, don't ! Go away ! Don't look at me ! " Amanda didn't comply. She set the clothes aside and kneeling down in front of him, forced his hands gently off his face. The boy daren't tilt his head to see the look of disgust on Mandy's face but two solid minutes went by and she didn't run away. " Lex ?... Lex ? " Still afraid of the girl's judgement he looked up and, to his utter amazement, felt her arms encircle him and heard her say: " I've missed you ". With a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes, Lex wrapped her little figure tightly in his arms and, in a whisper only she could hear, said: " I've missed you, too. "

What do you think of the store and the relationship between the two main characters so far ?