Matching Wits
DJ Dubois
October 2007
Rating: T (Teen—some language and instances of institutional child abuse)
Notes: Smallville belongs to DC and the CW. All other characters are mine.
Chapter 1 [Luthor Mansion—Thursday afternoon]
Lex walked into the library fresh off of a long board meeting at the Smallville plant. He took a deep breath while rubbing his hand over his scalp, trying to get the frustrations out. Why can't Dad's former cronies get it? He's out of the picture! While he would never vent in front of the older crowd, he certainly felt okay about letting the steam escape there. He went over to the small refrigerator, opened the door and grabbed a bottle of water.
That hits the spot! He set down the half-finished bottle on an end table and wiped off his mouth with a handkerchief.
Just then, his cell phone buzzed. "Lex Luthor."
"Mr. Luthor, this is Renee Philips at the Raymond Corporation. How are you doing?"
He smiled while walking over to his desk computer and firing it up. "Very well, Ms. Philips. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to remind you about this weekend. You volunteered to spend it with an orphan child. Is that still going to work for you?" she asked.
While he wasn't too sure about this when the office assistants at LexCorp signed everyone up (including himself) for this duty, he wasn't about to disappoint a kid with nothing else to look forward to other than the drudgery of the orphanage. "Of course. I'm looking forward to it. And would it be all right for me to have them out here?"
"As long as the child in question is back by 7:30 PM on Sunday night, that will be fine. I know that Maggie Richards is looking forward to it," she agreed. "See you at 4 on Friday at the Corporation's lobby. And, Mr. Luthor, thank you so much for doing this."
"Anything for the kids," Lex agreed. As he hung up, he recalled his experience from the boarding school that his father had sent him to. For one weekend, Maggie's going to have fun! He decided to take off for the Talon and come up with a game plan.
[Talon—Twenty minutes later]
Lex walked into the Talon and up to the counter. On the drive over, he tried to put a few ideas together concerning the weekend. Friday night, he figured on taking Maggie for a nice meal and maybe a movie in Metro before driving back to Smallville. The question would be what to do with her for Saturday and Sunday before 4:15.
"Hey, Lex, what's going on?" Lana asked from behind the counter.
"Hey, Lana, nothing much. I'd like a large coffee. By the way, has Clark been around?" he replied.
She shook her head. "He's been keeping the farm going. Mr. and Mrs. Kent won't be back until Sunday."
"Okay. Thanks," he noted while accepting a large coffee mug from her and paying for it. Then he looked around for a booth. "Great. Completely full." He walked around the room, trying to spy a stray seat for himself.
As he passed by the corner booth, he heard, "Take a seat, Lex."
He looked down to find his girlfriend typing away on her laptop and glancing at him out of the side of her face. "Thanks. What's going on, Chloe?"
"Deadline for the Ledger tomorrow. After that, I get to relax for the weekend," she informed him before taking a chug from her requisite pint of coffee.
"You relax for a weekend, Sullivan? That I'd love to see," he declared.
"Miracles do happen, Luthor," she countered. "What's going on with you?"
"Trying to clean up my father's mess," he reported. "It's a never ending struggle."
"That's putting it mildly," she agreed. She looked up at him frankly; her hazel pools looking into his steel blues. "But someone has to purge the cesspool."
"Tell me about it," he concurred. "At least this weekend will be good though." He smiled while thinking about the time with Maggie.
She considered his change in facial expression and mood. "Oh really? Do tell."
"I donated a weekend to charity. The Raymond Corporation tries to hook up orphan kids with CEOs for a couple of days. They want me to take a little girl for the weekend," he reported.
She smiled at him. "That's really nice, Lex. I'm glad you're willing to take your shots like a man for a good cause."
"Take my shots?" he queried.
"Your heart's in the right place but I can't see you with a little girl for the weekend one on one." Her eyes twinkled at him.
"I can so! I'll buy out half of a video store if I have to," he insisted.
"Good luck," she scoffed. "Okay, Lex, if you need help, remember I'm on the other end of the cell."
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied curtly.
"You do that. Meantime, I'll get ready," she noted. "What's the little ball of energy's name?"
"Maggie Richards."
"Okay, what's Maggie like?" she asked.
"She's a little girl. I figure dinner, a movie, a trip to the Smallville Zoo and maybe rent some videos," he surmised.
"Yeah right." She smirked wickedly. "You are so dead, Luthor."
"Hey!"
"It's a nice plan if you're taking someone on let's say…a date. Has anyone told you what Maggie likes to do? Have you asked?" she suggested.
"I figured I'd ask tomorrow when I pick her up," he informed her before getting up. "Thanks for the pointers, Chloe. I'll be talking to you."
After he left, she sighed and shook her head. Yeah, sooner than you think. She went back to work on her latest piece, knowing that she needed to clear her agenda ASAP before the SS Luthor steered itself into this latest iceberg.
Chapter 2 [Next Day]
[Robinson Corporation—Metropolis]
Lex pulled up in his Porsche in front of the fifteen story office building in downtown Metropolis right before 4:00. He'd finished proofing his plan for the weekend. The stables had pony rides so maybe he'd take her on one of those.
He looked at the report that needed doing. Maybe he could get Maggie watching a video for a couple of hours so that he could do that.
As he got out of the car, he headed into the lobby and up to the reception desk. "Good afternoon. I have a 4:00 with Ms. Philips."
"I'm her. Mr. Luthor, correct?" she asked.
"That's right," he agreed. "Where's Maggie?"
She glanced toward the corner office. "She's…umm…in there. Follow me." She hurried over toward the small wooden door.
As they got there, they heard a small voice yell, "LET ME OUT OF HERE! I DON'T WANNA GO!"
"What the?" he asked.
"Sorry, Mr. Luthor. Maggie gets a little worked up," she apologized.
Something hard smacked up against the door, leaving a dent in it.
"I think I can handle it," he assured her.
She winced. "I hope so because…."
Another loud crash came from the office.
Ms. Philips unlocked the door and stared incredulously at the maelstrom of papers and debris from the pint sized perfect storm pouting at them in the room's center. "My word!"
"Yeah, this is going to be a challenge," he assessed, gauging the spitfire's effect on the mansion.
Maggie glared at them through fiery blue eyes under her blonde pigtails. She wore a small blue blouse and a matching skirt. Her frown was pronounced as she set her top lip and crossed her arms over her chest. "I WANNA GO BACK!"
Not to be intimidated, he made his way over to Maggie. "Hi, Maggie. I'm Lex. Great to meet you. What's wrong?"
"Just don't wanna go! They wanna get rid of me," Maggie insisted while sitting in the middle of the floor.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor. I'll call the orphanage," Ms. Philips offered.
He shook his head. "Not yet." He sits down beside the small girl, marveling at how a tiny thing really—she was no bigger than three and a half feet tall—could wreck such havoc. Seeing tears welling up in the corner of her eyes, he recognized the pain there.
He'd gone through some of the same pangs of rejection and anger himself at her age—at least directed at his father, that is. "Let's dry those eyes."
While she glared at him, she didn't pull back either.
"Maggie, we're going to have lots of fun. Don't worry; you'll be back at the orphanage on Sunday night. But can you make me a deal?"
"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
"If you trust me, we'll have fun this weekend. Okay?" he proposed.
Maggie looked him over. While she didn't exactly trust him, she knew it was a better alternative than going back to the orphanage at that point where a weekend in solitary (aka "time out") would be waiting. "Okay."
"Meantime, we need to clean this up," he added.
Ms. Philips shook her head. "That's okay, Mr. Luthor. I'll deal with this. I know you two need to get back to Smallville. Go ahead."
He eyed her tersely. No wonder Maggie's like this. "Thanks. Tell the orphanage I'll have Maggie back by 7:30 on Sunday night. Come on; let's blow this clam bake!"
The little girl arched an eyebrow skeptically at the older man. "Whatever. Hope there's something good waiting."
As they left, Ms. Philips shook her head. He's in for a weekend from Hell. I know it!
Chapter 3 [Next Morning—Luthor Mansion]
Lex sat at his desk feeling a bit flustered about things to say the least. While he'd wanted to make Maggie feel like a princess, she really didn't enjoy the five star restaurant he took her to….
….or the dress he bought for her.
What's wrong with her? I try to give her the night of her life and she doesn't like it? He tapped his fingers on the desk. Maybe they should have done the dinner and movie instead.
But he figured anyone could do that…He wanted to go over the top.
Instead, the night flopped…or would have except for the fact that Maggie was really into purple things. She loved that Lex put her up in a totally purple room.
Maybe I can get this report done before she gets up. He looked over his notes and began typing hurriedly.
About ten minutes into the activity, he heard the door slam open. He glared up over the top of the computer, half-expecting to see Clark come charging into the room on some cause or other. "Maggie?"
She stomped up to his desk. "I'm bored! What do we do next?"
"Can you give me about fifteen minutes? I just need…" he started.
"Wanna play! Do somethin' fun! YOU PROMISED!" she huffed.
He forced himself not to roll his eyes at the taciturn guest. "Maybe you can go with Mr. Rollins and take a bath. Then we can get a nice breakfast. What do you say?"
"Wanna go now!" she insisted firmly.
She wants to go now. Of course she does! He took a calming breath. Mom, give me strength! He pressed save on the computer and then shut it down. Looking her over, he had to admit she was ready to go. She wore the same clothes that he'd picked her up in. Her hair was semi-combed. "Breakfast it is then. Where shall we go?"
"Noonigans!" she suggested.
He winced, knowing that the closest one would be in River City—about ninety-five miles away. "Sorry, we don't have those around here. I do know another fun place we….."
"I WANT NOONIGANS!" she bellowed.
He frowned. "Look, Maggie, we have other places besides Noonigans, you know."
"DON'T WANT OTHER PLACES! WANT NOONIGANS!" she insisted.
Now he rolled his eyes, trying to figure out what to do next. He really wanted this to work. Really he did.
As he hesitated, she sulked. "You lied to me! You're NO FUN!"
"You think it's fun being yelled at? Maggie, I'm trying!" he retorted out of frustration.
His outburst hit her hard. She started crying. "You yelled at me! Don't wanna be with you!" She ran from the room.
From down the hall, Lex heard the guest room door slam shut. Way to go, Luthor! He banged his hand on the desk. "Why won't she work with me? Why?" He pulled out his cell phone and stared at it. He knew he'd never hear the end of it from Chloe if he admitted he couldn't handle Maggie.
"Sir?" Rollins asked with concern. "Is everything all right? I heard you and Miss Maggie yelling. She won't open her door."
"Sorry we startled everyone, Rollins," Lex apologized while walking down the hall to the guest room. Putting his ear to the door, he could hear her sobbing—probably on the bed. He knocked on the door. "Maggie? Come on. I'm sorry."
"Go away!" she snapped.
"Sir, perhaps I might make a suggestion?" Rollins proposed.
"At this point, I'm open to just about anything," Lex sighed dejectedly while rubbing his temples in a vain attempt to avoid the headache forming there.
The elderly butler cleared his throat. "Perhaps you both might benefit from some cooling off time? I'll watch Miss Maggie. Perhaps you might get some donuts for you both and one of those coffees for yourself from the Talon?"
"Call my cell if anything happens. If she comes out, let her know I'll be right back," he noted before heading down to the garage.
As his master drove off, Rollins assessed the situation, knowing full well that the former was over his head. Master Alexander will kill me but I think some back up is in order. He glanced at the door wishing that he could give the little girl some sort of discipline. However, he knew full well that the state system erred away from extended stays in the room or spankings. No, in this case, he knew exactly what he had to do.
He walked up to the hall phone and dialed it. Then he put the receiver to his ear.
"Hello?" a sleepy voice asked.
"Miss Chloe, this is Rollins at the mansion. I'm terribly sorry I woke you," he apologized.
"This had better be good," she muttered while checking her clock. "7:10?" She groaned. "Is this about Lex and Maggie?"
"I'm afraid so. Miss Chloe, I'm sorry but Miss Maggie has barricaded herself in her room. Master Alexander needed some air. I hate to ask…."
She rolled her eyes. If it had been just about anyone else, she would've given them a piece of her mind. However, she really liked Rollins. Furthermore, she knew he wouldn't have called her at that ungodly hour unless the gates of Hell had opened underneath Lex. "Okay. I have an idea. I get Lana to stall him at the Talon. Can you watch Maggie for an hour? I need to grab a quick shower. Then I'll rescue Lex."
"Thank you so much!" Rollins expressed in relief. "I know how big of an imposition this is, Miss Chloe. I really appreciate this."
She smiled. "I know, Rollins. Thanks for coming to me with this. We'll get the situation straightened out. Okay? See you in a little while." She hung up and dialed her cell phone.
"Talon Café. This is Lana speaking," Lana answered.
"Hey, Lana, it's Chloe. Has Lex arrived yet?" Chloe inquired while pulling herself out of bed.
"Haven't seen him yet. Why? Is something wrong?" the former cheerleader queried.
Knowing that her friend would worry, Chloe fibbed, "Not really. Just something I need to talk with him about. I'll be there in about half an hour. Delay him for me if he gets there. Thanks, Lana." With that, she hung up. "Here we go." With that, she started for the shower.
Chapter 4 [Talon Café—7:28 AM]
Lex walked into the café and admired the collection of customers already there. While he knew harvest time meant lots of early customers, seeing the café even three-quarters full warmed his heart and admittedly his business portfolio. He approached the counter and waited for Lana or one of the staff to return from their rounds.
"Hey, Lex," Lana expressed.
"Hey," he responded, putting on his best smile. "I need a couple of coffees to go please."
Remembering her conversation with Chloe, Lana requested, "Lex, is everything okay?"
"Sure. Why?" he replied while covering for himself.
"You seem stressed. Besides, you rarely get your first cup of coffee to go in the morning," she pointed out. She glanced at him caringly. "You want to go in the back and talk about it?"
"Lana, you've got the crowd out here…" he started.
She motioned to Miranda. "Miri, I'll be back in ten minutes." When the other girl had nodded, she led him into the storeroom to insure their privacy. "Sorry it isn't a booth but I thought you'd like some privacy."
"Thanks," he relented while starting into the cup. "I have a house guest this weekend. She's being difficult…."
"House guest?" she asked. What will Chloe think of this?
He shrugged. "It's not like that, Lana. Maggie's a seven year old terror. Last night and this morning, I've been at my wits' end."
As he admitted that, she understood what Chloe was up to. No wonder she wants me to delay him. "Well you did the right thing in taking a breather. I guess you saw how we're drawing outside?"
He nodded. "Fall Harvest Celebration's a hit. We'll have to do it again next year. I wish we had something that we could use to entertain Maggie with." He ran his hand over the back of his scalp. "I was hoping Mrs. Kent could help but she's still out of town."
Just then, Miranda poked her head in, "Sorry. Lana." She motioned out front.
"Okay." She looked back to Lex. "I'll be right back." She headed toward the counter to find Chloe waiting. "Hi, Chloe. Lex is in the back. Let me get you a coffee and then you two can talk in private. Okay?"
"Sure," Chloe agreed. "How is he?"
"Stressed and frustrated. I hope you have some answers," Lana expressed.
The blonde reporter nodded. "I may. Thanks for doing this. We'll be in there for a bit. I don't want to keep Rollins or Maggie waiting too long back at the mansion." Then an idea hit her. "Say, is Clark at the farm?"
"He's working in the fields for his Dad today. Why?" Lana asked.
"Can you buzz him? He may be able to help," Chloe requested.
"I can try," the other woman indicated while pulling out her cell phone and dialing it. "Hi, Clark?"
"Hi, Lana. What's going on?" Clark asked.
"Sorry to bug you. How's the haying?" she wondered.
"Just finished. I was going to come in for a coffee in a minute. Why? What's going on?"
"I'll let Chloe tell you. Just a minute," Lana indicated while handing the phone over.
"Hey, Clark, you're haying? Have any of it left unbaled?" Chloe asked.
"Well, I could take apart a few. Why?" he asked.
"Lex has a little house guest who needs some fun things to do. It's going to be a nice fall day. Maybe we could do a hay ride?" she suggested.
Clark sighed. Granted, he could do everything except hook up the horses in the blink of an eye. But he knew how his father was about having people they didn't know around the farm—especially when he wasn't there. "I don't know. You know how my Dad is."
"Who says he has to know? Maybe we do it this afternoon and he won't be the wiser? Come on, Farm Boy, you're the master of secrets as we all know," she countered with a slight barb on the end. "And it's for Lex. Besides, Lana might be there too."
He went silent for a minute considering everything and gritting his teeth at her use of leverage. Then he gave in. "Okay. I won't be able to cook anything. Sorry, Mom wanted me to go shopping with her on Monday when she gets back."
"Don't worry, Clark. That's taken care of. Hope you like pizza. Keep the cell handy," she detailed before hanging up. Then she joined Lana and Lex in the back. "Thanks."
"Great," Lex groused.
"Hey! Is it my fault I needed an early morning coffee run?" Chloe retorted while swapping the cell phone for the java fix in Lana's left hand. "I felt your stewing all the way down Main Street, Luthor."
"I need to get back out there. Let me know if I can help. Okay?" Lana excused herself before heading out to the floor again.
"I'll bet Rollins called you," Lex presumed.
"Hate to tell you, Lex, but the world doesn't revolve around certain bald billionaires," she argued—again covering her tracks. "I'm sure he has everything under control at the mansion. Now tell me, what happened with Maggie?"
He grimaced. "The people at the Robinson Corporation had her in a bad mood already. They had locked her in an office…."
"They WHAT?" she snapped. "Lex, how could you let them?"
"Hey! I got Maggie right out of there! You know I would never treat anyone like that," he indicated.
"I know. Sorry, Lex," she apologized. "You know how I am with abused kids."
Recalling how she had reacted to Ryan, their young friend, he nodded. "That's okay." He took another sip of his coffee. "I saw the pain in her eyes. They've done a number on her."
And she's done a number on you, all right. Her inner reporter had already discerned a connection between Lex and Maggie. "And you tried to sweep her off of her feet, right?"
"I wanted to take her first class. Make her feel like a princess, all right?" he noted.
"Nice dress…first class restaurant. Am I warm yet?" she asked.
"What is this? An interview?" he queried.
"Just go with it, Luthor," she insisted.
"Yes."
"And she hated it?"
He ground his teeth again. "Yes."
She took a saucy sip on her coffee, milking this for all it was worth. "And what am I thinking right now?"
He glared at her.
"I'm waiting."
He knew he needed her help but really didn't want to concede the points. Still, Maggie did have him over a barrel. "You were right," he muttered.
"Huh? What was that?" she asked playfully.
"I said you were right," he reiterated.
"Thanks. Now that we have that behind us, have you given any thought to today? You can't just leave Maggie in her room," she queried.
"It's tempting," he commented tersely.
"Lex, come on! Work with me," she insisted. "Of course Maggie's not going to like that stuff! It's adult stuff! She needs kid stuff."
"Kind of like your mentality?" he supposed.
She arched an eyebrow at him, feeling glad that he hadn't lost all of his verbal judo skills. "I channel my inner kid at times. Hey, I've seen you at the video games. Think she might like to do those?"
"I don't think she can handle my games," he pointed out.
"Oh?" she asked impishly. "Could I?"
"I don't have anything like that and you know it!" he defended himself.
"Okay, okay, settle down," she soothed. "Maybe we could start by running out to McGannath's? See what they have in kids' video games?" She looked at him bowing his head. "What?"
"I feel like I should be doing something! I know she's a handful but I feel sorry for her," he indicated.
"And we will," she told him. In the three years that they'd been friends/more than friends, she had come to understand him and how to proceed where he was concerned. "This is a partnership, okay?"
"Fine," he agreed.
"What's on tap for meals?" she inquired.
"I have some donuts out in the car. Maybe I could get some juice?" he supposed.
"Okay. That's a start. I was figuring on pizza for dinner. Maybe we can get Clark to do a hayride for us this afternoon? He's waiting to hear back from us. And there's your zoo idea, Lex. We can do that tomorrow." She finished her coffee and stood up. "Let's get back there and meet Miss Maggie."
"She's Hell on wheels, Sullivan. Don't say I didn't warn you," Lex advised.
"I'll take my chances," she assured him as they headed out toward their vehicles.
Chapter 5 [Luthor Mansion—Ten minutes later]
After a quick stop to get some orange juice, Lex and Chloe arrived back at the mansion. As they got out of their respective cars, they noticed that all seemed quiet.
"See? The mansion's still standing," she pointed out.
"It's made of stone, Chloe," he countered as they entered his home and walked up the stairs toward his office. To his relief, everything seemed intact. Seeing her smirk, he asked, "What?"
"Nothing," she supposed. "So where's this tiny terror anyhow?"
"Her room's at the end of the hall to the left. The Purple Room," he indicated. "I suppose you want me to stay here?"
"For the moment. Girls need to bond a bit," she informed him while heading down the hall. There she saw Rollins camped out by the still-closed door. "How's the prisoner?"
"She hasn't done anything other than cry and yell a bit, Miss Chloe. Again, thanks for coming," the relieved butler reported.
"No sweat, Rollins. I'll see what I can do," she assured him while entering the room. Much to her shock, things were scattered around the area. Fortunately nothing was broken. At first glance, she thought the room was empty.
A sobbing sound came from the closet.
Way to go, Lex. She frowned while following the sound to its source. She tapped on it. "Hello?"
"Go 'way! Not supps'd to talk to strangers!" the Closet Voice snapped.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You're Maggie, right? My name's Chloe. Can you open the door, Sweetie?" Chloe requested.
"No! Wanna go back!"
"Well to go back, you're going to have to come out. Maybe let's start by letting me see your face? Please, Maggie? Promise I won't yell at you," Chloe assured her.
For a long minute, there was silence. Then the door slowly slid open, allowing a six inch gap.
"You promise?"
"I promise, Kiddo. You can stay in there if you want. I won't try anything. I just want to talk to you," she insisted.
"Okay. Wish the other guy was like you," Maggie relented while toddling into view. She rubbed at her red eyes.
As soon as Chloe saw her, her eyes went wide.
She was looking at herself at that age…after her mother had deserted her and her father.
"I upset you," Maggie noticed. "I'm bad."
"No…no…It's not your fault. Sorry, I went through kind of the same thing at your age. You're not bad. And neither is the other man. He really likes you, Maggie. So do I," Chloe explained.
"Then why did he yell at me?" Maggie groused.
"Because he was frustrated. Guys don't understand us. Get used to it," Chloe explained. "Want to be my friend?"
Despite not trusting this new adult, Maggie could sense something about her. "Can we do somethin' fun?"
"Why sure! What do you want to do?" Chloe supposed. Seeing Maggie squint at her much as she used to do her own father, she covered her own reaction. "What?"
"You mean that?" Maggie wondered.
"Of course, I do! Big girl should know what she likes to do for fun. What do you like to do?" Chloe asked.
"Bake cookies," Maggie revealed.
"Wow! So do I! What else?"
Maggie sighed, "Like horsies. The kids laugh at me 'bout that."
"They do? Well, they're being dumb! I like horses," Chloe informed her new friend. "What's your favorite food?"
"Pizza!"
Chloe felt more assured about this encounter. "That's what we're having for supper."
"He'll make us go to a boring place again!"
"No he won't. I promise," Chloe assured her new friend. "But can you trust me to take you to one of my favorite places? I promise it'll be lots of fun."
"That's what he said!"
"Ever hear of Frudgers?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah! They're like my second fav'rite!" Maggie cheered.
"Frudgers, it is," she affirmed. "Maggie, you know Mr. Lex would've taken you there if you'd asked him."
"Nah. He wanna do gr'wn up stuff!" the little girl argued.
"That's right. He does. So do I. But we can do your stuff too. Maggie, promise me something?"
"What?"
"Promise me that you won't yell at him or me for the rest of the weekend, okay? If you're nice to us, we'll be nice to you. Okay?" Chloe proposed.
"You won't make me do 'dult stuff?"
"Well maybe one or two things…but we'll do them together. Okay?" Chloe proposed. "Tell you what, how about we clean up the room together? Then we can take a walk outside and feed the ducks."
"You're really going to let me feed them?" Maggie asked hesitantly.
"Of course. Why? Maggie, what's wrong?" Chloe inquired.
"The other kids don't wanna so we never go to park," Maggie complained. "Adults don't care."
Chloe's heart sunk further. "And you've asked them?"
"Yeah but they don't do stuff just for me. Too many kids. Then the others laugh at me. I get mad and they lock me up," Maggie recounted sadly before she started crying again.
"Shh! It's okay. You don't have to worry about that. Okay?" Chloe assured her with a hug. Even as she did that, she felt her stomach twisting and her blood boil. No matter what, she would do something about Maggie's situation. "And don't let them tell you that. You are important, Maggie. You're important to me. And I can tell you, you're important to Mr. Lex. Nobody's going to laugh at you. Now you promise?"
"Okay, if you're nice to me, I won't yell. But you promised," Maggie insisted.
"I'll remember. Now how about we straighten everything out? Then we can get some bread from Mr. Rollins. Okay?" Chloe reiterated while turning toward the door where she knew the butler was watching.
As the two girls started in on their task, the elderly butler smiled warmly. That girl's a marvel. With that, he went to get some bread from the kitchen so that it would be ready when they finished with the bedroom.
[Forty-five minutes later]
Lex used his 'free/cooling off time' to finish the report for the Monday meeting. As he did, he noticed that the wing had been very quiet…too quiet really. He powered down his computer and walked down the hall toward Maggie's room. He noticed that the door was open. Peering inside, he stopped cold.
The area was neat and tidy. The bed was made.
"What the?" he inquired in disbelief. "Rollins!"
The butler came over. "Yes, sir?"
"Did you straighten this up?" Lex asked.
"No, sir. Miss Chloe and Miss Maggie did that. I say they did quite a splendid job at that." Rollins inspected the room. "I believe they're outside feeding the ducks, Master Alexander."
"Thank you, Rollins," he expressed before heading back for his office. He grabbed his coat and hurried down the stairs. Heading out the front door, he hustled toward the pond but pulled up so that he remained out of sight.
The two girls were talking quietly to each other. About every two minutes, one of them would rip a chunk from the bread she carried and flung it into the pond.
In the water, the mallards and painted ducks enjoyed their feast, quacking in thanks.
He got a kick out of Maggie's awed reaction to the swans and heron landing at their respective ends of the watery habitat.
More so though, he marveled at how Chloe had taken to the girl. While she could be feisty and standoffish with most, she showed warmth toward her new friend. He knew (and hoped that) one day, she would be like that with her kids. You are amazing, Chloe.
Before they could see him, he hustled back to the mansion.
Unbeknownst to Lex, however, Chloe did see him. Now who's acting like a kid? Geez, Luthor! She snickered but did nothing more. After all, she and Maggie were having a great time.
"This is so cool!" Maggie exclaimed for the twentieth time.
"Glad you like it," she told the girl as they fed the ducks the last piece of bread. "That's it. Sorry."
"Aww! Maybe we can do it again?" Maggie supposed.
"Maybe," Chloe hedged. "But we have some cookies to make first! I know some chocolate chip cookies that want to be made!"
"YAY!" Maggie cheered while rushing back toward the house as fast as her little legs could carry her.
"Unreal," Chloe told herself amusedly while following in the pint-sized girl's wake. As she did, she felt relaxed and at peace for the first time in a long time. Glad I could make a difference!
Chapter 6 [Kitchen—12:45 PM]
For the most part, Lex decided to stick it out in his office while Chloe worked her magic with Maggie. Hey, he wasn't about to interrupt her at this point. During the next two hours, he managed to get a bit ahead for the next week.
However, as he had done outside, he stole downstairs and toward the kitchen. There he peered around the corner and watched the girls making a mess (and some cookies) in the process. He almost cringed at the sight of the area—being covered in a flour mist.
But there was something in the mixing bowl at least.
He saw Chloe leave the room through the other door, heading for the bathroom or somewhere else. What? She's going to leave Maggie unsupervised? Is she nuts?
"Having fun, Luthor?"
He turned to find an amused Chloe considering him wryly. "Hey, I wanted to see you two in action."
"Well, you can up close and personal. Help us make these things." She pushed him into the kitchen. "Hey, Maggie, look who I caught spying!"
"Make 'im do some!" the Squirt demanded. "He ain't dirty enough!"
"No, he isn't. Why don't we do something about that?" Chloe supposed before taking a bowl of flour.
"Don't you…." He started to turn.
Before he could, she dumped it over his head, turning him as white as a sheet. "There. Now he's like us!"
"You look SO funny!" Maggie giggled.
While he wanted to say something to Chloe, Maggie's reaction stopped the words in his throat. He couldn't help but feel warmed by her laughter. He picked up a handful of flour and tossed it in Chloe's face. "Even it up, Chloe."
She snickered, knowing that she'd made a connection between them. "Now that you're done, maybe you two can spoon some cookies onto the pan?"
All three took turns with the spoon.
Then he put the cookies in the oven and set them to bake at 375. "Okay. We have about 45 minutes. Maybe we should clean up first?"
"I'll handle the kitchen, sir," Rollins volunteered. "I have the showers ready for you all."
"Thanks, Rollins. We'll be back to take the cookies out," Lex agreed as he headed for his bathroom.
"Come on, Maggie. Let's get washed up for this afternoon," Chloe suggested. "After we take the cookies out, we can get some lunch. Whatever you want. Okay?"
"Okay! Thanks, Miss Chloe!" Maggie expressed while giving her a hug and following her up the stairs to their bathroom.
Chapter 7
[Kent Farm—about 3:15 PM]
Clark finished stacking four hay bales beside his father's wagon. He would feed Willow and Buttercup after the ride was finished. He looked around to make sure that there would be nothing to give the Secret away. He hopped up into the wagon to make sure there weren't any nasty splinters or nails sticking out anywhere. "Looks decent."
"I'll say," Lana agreed while looking up at him from the back of the wagon. "But then, you're you. Always there to make a girl feel good, aren't you?"
"Some more than others," he concurred while flashing her a wide grin. He climbed down and gave her a kiss. "How was your shift?"
"It was okay. Busy but that helps the time to go faster," she informed him. "I was wondering how Lex and Chloe made out with Maggie."
"Maggie? Is that the name of his house guest?" he wondered.
"That's her apparently. Lex called her a ball of fire," she recalled.
"Chloe was probably just like her at the same age," he surmised.
She nodded. "I'd say so. By the way, this is a nice thing you're doing, Clark."
"It's no trouble, right? I mean—hey, if it makes a little girl happy, then great. Besides, my friends are having fun too." He placed the bales one by one in the back of the wagon. "Help me spread this around."
"Sure," she agreed while climbing up beside him. As he cut the bales' ropes with his pocket knife, she asked, "Do you have a blanket?"
"In the barn," he told her. "I can lend you my jacket if you want."
She giggled. "I won't have you catching cold for me, Clark. I brought an extra for us."
"Always prepared, aren't you?" he teased.
"Always," she replied, letting her eyes sparkle at him.
He was about to kiss her again but his enhanced hearing picked up on Chloe's car pulling into the driveway. "Rain check?"
"Yeah," his girlfriend agreed as they climbed down and rounded the barn.
"Hi, guys!" Chloe greeted them. "How's everything?"
"Wagon's set to go," Clark declared. "Where's our guest?"
"She's right here, Clark," Lex indicated while helping Maggie out. "Maggie, those are our friends, Clark Kent and Lana Lang. Clark, Lana, this is Maggie."
"How are you, Maggie?" Lana asked with a warm smile. "Ready for a hay ride?"
"Really? That's great! Can I see the horsies? Huh? Can I?" Maggie asked.
"She's really into this," Clark supposed.
"Told you so," Lex agreed.
"Love horsies!" Maggie emphasized.
Clark grinned at her. "That's great! Follow me, okay?" He took her hand and led her toward the barn.
His three friends watched as he and the guest headed for the wagon.
"Don't look now, Lana, but I think someone has a nesting instinct," Lex guessed.
"Lex, you know how Clark is with kids," Lana deflected although her cheeks blushed slightly due to her own hopes in that regard.
"Careful, Lana, some day it's going to be your kid," Chloe teased. "Come on; let's see how the two kids are doing."
As the trio followed, both Lana's and Chloe's minds spun with the thought of being mothers. Seeing Clark like that made them both feel warm inside.
But for Chloe, her bond with Maggie, although only there for part of a day, just felt right for some reason. It made her feel both scared and secure all at once. She sensed a huge burden in taking on both Maggie and Lex in a serious way. Yet it felt right.
She glanced at her boyfriend and he returned the smile as they headed for the wagon.
****
[Frudgers Pizza—Granville—7:00 PM]
The hay ride proved more enjoyable than even Lex and Chloe had anticipated. In addition to her new friends, Maggie enjoyed feeding Willow and Buttercup their carrots, oats and hay. Then with cocoa in hand, she snuggled between Lex and Chloe as Clark directed the horses three times around his parents' back pasture at a steady pace.
After Clark put the horses up and the wagon away, they drove over to the pizza place in the next town and their dinner treat.
"Like this!" Maggie cheered.
"I'm glad," Lex told her while rubbing her shoulder and smiling warmly at her.
"We like it too, Maggie," Lana assured her.
"And this is the best pizza place in the area," Clark added while burying his face in the menu.
"You can say that again, Farm Boy," Chloe concurred while doing the same.
Five minutes later, the group ordered two pizzas. Maggie picked out a pepperoni, beef and onion pizza for one. The other was a sausage, pepper and mushroom.
"Say, Maggie, you want to go and play some games while we're waiting?" Lex supposed while eyeing the arcade.
"You mean it?" the Squirt supposed, not believing he was coming around on his own.
"He actually can do kid stuff, Maggie, as hard as it is to believe," Chloe noted wryly while smirking at Lex.
"Just like you, Chloe," Lex retorted, not giving an inch. "Come on; Maggie." He led her over to the video room and asked, "What do you want to ride first?"
She pointed a chubby finger at the merry-go-round. "Horsies!"
"Horsies it is," he agreed while plunking some tokens into the slot and helping her up onto a horse. "There you go." He stepped away and watched her go around and around on the mechanical horse.
For twenty minutes, he did this—repeating the payment as per the pint sized companion's request. Hell, he didn't care about the money. That was just a drop in the bucket. However, Maggie's happiness hit him. Just the little bit of stability that he and Chloe had given her had accomplished miracles. I can't bear to see her in that orphanage again. She's a great kid. While he knew the pain was still there inside of her, she needed to be loved.
Just like he had…and still craved.
He glanced back at Chloe and their friends at the table weighing his options.
This situation had definitely changed his perspective on things.
Chapter 8 [Sunday afternoon]
[Luthor Mansion—3:15 PM]
After taking Maggie for a walk around the grounds, Lex put his files together as Maggie packed her things. While he hadn't done as much work as he would've liked that weekend, he really didn't care. Maggie had fun. That's what counts. He smirked and leaned back in his chair while considering his mother's portrait on the far wall. Mom, you'd really like her. I hope I did you proud this weekend.
Maybe it was a trick of the light but the sun caught Lillian's eyes, making them sparkle at him.
He took a deep breath in amazement, recognizing a sign when he saw it. He got up from his seat and headed down to Maggie's room. He knocked.
"Oh hi, Mr. Lex. Is it time already?" Maggie asked while frowning at the thought.
"Yeah. I wanted to leave early." He smirked. "Miss Chloe wanted to ride with us. I figured you wouldn't mind."
"Yeah! I just wish I didn't have to go back!" she protested. "Mr. Lex, sorry I was so mean to you."
His eyes watered. "I was the one being dumb, Maggie. Don't worry about it. You're a good kid and don't let them tell you otherwise." He hugged her. "If you need anything, you call me personally."
"'Kay," she agreed although she still didn't want to go back. She hopped off of the bed and hauled her bag. "I'm all packed."
Her sense of organization and detail floored him. For a second, he had to remind himself that she was only seven years old. "You sure?"
"Yeah. I have to watch my stuff," she told him. "Thanks."
As they passed by Rollins, he turned to them. "Heading back already, Miss Maggie?"
"Yes, Mr. Rollins. Thanks," she expressed.
"My pleasure. You have a good trip back. Perhaps you might come back to visit?" Rollins supposed while glancing expectantly at his master.
"Count on it," Lex agreed while rubbing her shoulder as they headed down the stairs toward the Lexus. He made sure that Maggie was in the back seat and strapped in before he got in himself. "All set?"
"Yes, Mr. Lex," she indicated moodily.
"Hey, no frowns, okay? Let's give those people something to remember now. This is what Maggie Richards is like when she's treated like a lady. Ok?" he directed gently. After she nodded, he added, "Good girl."
****
[Kansas State Orphanage, Metropolis—three and a half hours later]
Contrary to Lex's usual flair for doing the Smallville to Metro warp express, he and Chloe dawdled their way back, choosing to extend their time with Maggie as long as possible. After a stop out at the Kent Farm so that she could thank Clark, Lana and the Kents for the hayride, Lex and Chloe took Maggie shopping for new clothes and shoes.
And that's not including the three course meal Lex surprised them with at Noonigans.
The time, despite their attempts to slow it down, passed by way too quickly. And before they knew it, they were at the front door.
"Here we are," Lex noted while pulling to a stop. "You okay, Maggie?"
"I guess," the little girl replied although she didn't pout or sulk at least on the outside.
Chloe smiled at her. "We'll be by to see you, okay?" She squeezed the little girl's hand gently in her own.
"Don't forget me," Maggie begged while hugging them. Seeing the director, a slender balding man with small beady eyes and a hawk like nose approaching, she shrugged. "That's Mr. Giles. Gotta go."
"You hang in there. Remember what I told you," Lex insisted while hugging her. He got out of the car and helped Maggie out as well. "Be strong. Call if you need anything."
"And we mean anything," Chloe added while giving Maggie a hug of her own.
They watched as the elder man took Maggie's hand and helped her carry the bags inside of the building. After the building closed, they got back into the car and drove off back toward the interstate. With each passing block, their respective feelings weighed down more and more on them.
Just before they got to the onramp, Chloe yelled, "Stop! I can't do this, Lex!" Her eyes were watering.
He pulled over. "Chloe, what? It's Maggie, isn't it?"
"I can't….She can't be in that place, Lex!" She bowed her head. "I won't let her be there!"
"I know." He took a deep breath and glanced in the rear view mirror to collect his thoughts. "You think she's special too, huh?"
"Yeah, I do. I mean…I knew we had something before this weekend but it seemed like we could go on the way things were going forever," she explained while wiping her eyes with a tissue. "It's crazy but it's almost like Maggie was a wake up call."
"It's not crazy. When Maggie was packing today, I was looking at Mom's portrait and thinking of how she'd like Maggie." He smirked. "The eyes in her portrait sparkled at me, Chloe. I'm not kidding."
"I know. Luthor, it was a sign," she asserted.
"Damn straight it was," he agreed. "What do we do now, Sullivan?"
"I think it's obvious," she asserted while kissing him firmly. "We take the next step." She looked him straight in the eye. "Marry me, Lex."
He coughed. "Is that what I think it is?"
"I'm serious," she insisted. "Hey, we love each other. We can have a family."
"And you'd be satisfied with that?" He pondered the thought for a second. "Maybe in addition to that editorship on the Ledger?"
"That's what I'm saying. Put up with Maggie and me?" she told him.
"You drive a hard bargain, Sullivan." He grinned at her. "No way I can refuse that though." He did a hard U-turn, dodging several cars as he did so. "Let's rescue the princess from the evil tower." He drove back toward the orphanage.
****
[Fifteen minutes later]
Lex and Chloe parked the Lexus and rang the front door bell. They paced impatiently while they waited for an answer.
Finally, Mr. Giles opened it, peering out at them. "Mr. Luthor? What is it? Did Maggie forget something?"
Lex and Chloe looked at each other purposefully before she answered, "You can say so. She forgot her new parents."
"Excuse me?" the old man demanded. "You just can't come off the street and say that!"
Lex shrugged. "Who's coming off the street? We just spent a weekend with Maggie. She's a great kid. She likes us. Can we see her?"
"After the mess over at the Robinson Corporation, she's in time out. I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor," Giles declined.
"You locked her up again? She hasn't been in there for ten minutes!" she protested. She took out the cell phone. "Either you let us see her or I'm calling Social Services right now!"
"Right," Giles doubted.
"Oh she'll do it. And you're in enough trouble, Giles, as it is. Either you let us in or I'll go talk to the Chief of Police about this," Lex advised firmly; his eyes glinting a menacing steel blue into the bureaucrat's pools. "The reason Maggie made the mess is because you locked her up there too."
"Fine!" Giles relented, remembering that he was talking to a billionaire with resources. "You want her, take her!"
"With pleasure," Chloe growled while storming down the hall.
"Where is that room?" Lex insisted.
"322B. All the way down the hall to the left. I'll fetch the papers," Giles spat.
"You do that," Lex replied. "After you let us into that room."
The administrator led them to the room in question while unlocking the door. "Be at my office in five minutes!"
"We'll be there!" Chloe vowed intensely.
"Come on," Lex advised while squeezing her hand. "Let's do this." He opened the door to find a dimly lit room with only a foot stool in the corner. Brown splotches stained the walls. The floor stank of mildew.
Maggie's sobbing shattered the silence. She huddled in the corner, head between her legs and shuddering in anguish. "Why'd they leave me?"
Chloe grabbed onto him, not being able to deal with her horror, sadness and outrage.
He held her tightly, supporting her and letting her do the same for him.
"Who's there?" Maggie asked fearfully. As she picked her face up, she revealed a nasty bruise across her left cheek and a swelling eye. "Mr. Lex? Ms. Chloe?"
"It's us, Kiddo," Chloe assured her while rushing in and holding her tightly. "Who did this to you?"
"The other kids…and….Mr. Giles," she admitted. "Don't leave me! Please! I'll be good!"
"We know that," Lex assured her. "Maggie, this weekend we've both done a lot of thinking about things. It's not always going to be fun. They are going to be chores and school work."
"But we will do fun stuff too," Chloe added. "Lex and I just decided to get married. You know what that means?"
Maggie nodded. "You can get the stork to bring you a kid!"
The adults chuckled warmly at her.
"Maybe in a little while. Right now, we've already decided on a daughter and was wondering if she'd like to come home with us?" he offered.
"Oh! Please take me! Please! Please!" Maggie begged them.
"You betcha. Now let's go talk to Mr. Giles. Then we'll get that eye looked at. Hold still, Sweetie," Chloe assured her. Holding out her cell phone, she snapped a couple of pictures of the room and Maggie's face.
"Now we can go as a family," he concurred as the two adults each took one of Maggie's hands and led her toward Giles' office.
Conclusion [Three Weeks Later]
Despite the protestations of the State Orphanage, a full inquiry launched immediately. Upon closer review of Maggie's records, Kansas social services censured the Metropolis facility, placing it under a strict review. The state director fired Giles and filed charges against him.
Due to Lex's resources, the adoption was a foregone conclusion. The state facilitated the process so as to get her into a stable home as soon as possible.
About a week later, Maggie received another surprise when the Kents adopted her best friend, Jennifer. (Lex, it seems, extended his influence to give his dear friends what they wanted—another child in the family.)
And to make sure that it wasn't swept under the rug, the Ledger and the Daily Planet teamed up on a hard hitting expose series into the situation. After the visit to the orphanage, Chloe swore to take down the garbage single-handedly if she needed to. However, her alliance with her Lois proved more than enough to accomplish the end in question especially when Perry White threw his weight into the arena as well.
[Luthor Mansion]
Chloe walked into the castle with Maggie after their long but enjoyable day. The older woman relished her new roles as wife, mother and features editor for the Ledger.
Besides Maggie insisted on keeping up her end. While the staff handled most of the duties around the mansion, the new mistress of the house kept up her own room. In addition, she pitched in over at the Kent Farm, helping Clark and Jennifer with chores. Afterwards, she got to feed her favorite horses.
Due to this assistance, even Jonathan had to admit that the Luthors weren't all bad.
As per her other ritual/agreement, Maggie rushed up the stairs, skidding to a halt right before the closed doors to her father's study. She knocked seriously.
"Enter," he bade.
She slipped into the study and rushed up to the massive oak desk. There she found Lex working away on a report. "Daddy!"
He looked up from the computer with a warm smile on his face. "There's my girl!" He swiveled in his chair away from the computer so that his attention was all on her and nothing else.
She bounded into his lap and hugged him.
He embraced her back. Sure it had been an adjustment having his two leading ladies around the mansion all of the time.
But moments like that one made it all worthwhile.
As he enjoyed the moment, he saw Chloe admiring them from the door. "Now who's spying on whom?"
"I get my proud family moment, Lex. Deal with it," Chloe sassed him.
"GROUP HUG!" Maggie demanded.
"You heard her, Sullivan," he urged his wife.
"Lucky for you, Luthor, I never deny her," Chloe retorted good-naturedly as she shared the moment with them.
And while they would add to the family at some future point, that, they say, was the beginning of better things for the Luthors and their friends on the whole…..
THE END