Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, or Superman, or Batman, or any man, dammit. Don't sue me!
A/N: This story has been on my mind for a while now, ever since I saw 'Memoria.' I started to think what might happen if Lex had one friend that he could count on growing up. And then I started thinking, well, she had to be from a pretty powerful family to make sure that Lionel couldn't interfere with them. So, I figured I had to tweak both the Superman storyline and the Batman one to make this story work. So I apologize if this offends you. But I did warn you that it was AU. I am going to try to finish all of the years before Lex and Clark meet in this chapter, and then it will get good. Alaina Wayne is the younger sister of Bruce Wayne. I'm changing when their parents died. Alaine was one and Bruce was 10. Bruce got involved with the company at age 15, supervised, of course, by Alfred, and juggled school, work, and taking care of his little sister, who is the same age as Lex. I promise that this will not be about her! I personally hate those kinds of stories.
One Special Friend
Chapter One
The Start of Something New
A seven-year-old Lex Luther sat alone in a secluded corner. He hated these kind of parties. They were never any fun. The only people there were a bunch of stuffy grown-ups talking about boring grown-up stuff. He didn't know why his father insisted on his coming. Then again, he didn't understand half of the things his father did.
"Hi," a small, sweet voice said. He looked up to see a pretty girl about his age with dark hair and silvery gray eyes. "Is this your first time to one of these parties too?" she asked, smiling brightly at him.
"No, my father always makes me come," he replied. "They are always so boring. The only people here are adults."
"I had to beg my brother to let me come," she said. "He always goes out and leaves me. I hate being left behind!" she said with a pout. Then she smiled. "But now you're no longer alone! I'm here! I'm Alaina Wayne, what's your name?"
Lex smiled at her. "I'm Alexander Luther, but everybody calls me Lex."
"Well, I don't like being like everyone else!" she stated proudly. "I'm going to call you Alex, I like that. That is, if you don't mind?" She looked at him uncertainly.
Lex looked back at her thoughtfully. "Nobody has ever called me that, but I don't mind if you do."
"Great! I'll be the only person to call you that! It will be my special name for you!" Alaina exclaimed joyfully.
"I'd like that," Lex said truthfully.
"We'll be great friends!" Alaina said joyously.
Friends. He had never had friends before, at least not for long. His father always drove them away. No one was good enough to be friends with a Luther. But this girl was different. He so wanted to call her his friend, more than he had ever wanted anything before.
"Yes," he said. "I want us to be best friends."
OoooOoooOoooO
"Lex," Lionel said in the car ride home. "I saw you talking to the Wayne girl at the party."
'No, please,' Lex thought. 'He's never going to let me see her again. Why can't he leave me alone to have friends?'
However, his father surprised him. "I'm glad that you've made an effort to become friends with her. Wayne Industries is a very powerful company. To align yourself with them at such an early age is admirable."
Lex didn't know what to make of his father's attitude, but he didn't really care. All he cared about was the fact that his father didn't mind him being friends with Alaina.
"However, I don't know if Bruce Wayne, her brother, will allow you to see too much of her. He doesn't really like us Luthers," his father said thoughtfully.
Lex's heart plummeted. Yet again, his father was more than likely going to interfere with his friendship, but this time indirectly. Bruce Wayne had nothing against Luthers in general, more like he disliked Lionel and his ways.
Life was so unfair.
OoooOoooOoooO
Bruce Wayne was indeed against his little sister forming a bond with the Luther kid. She was his little angel, the one who lifted him up when he was down, the one he kept fighting for. He didn't want the Luthers to ruin her.
"Alaina," he said, tucking her into bed that night. "I know you want to be friends with Lex Luther, but I don't think it's wise. You don't know Lionel Luther. He's not a good person."
Alaina was quiet for a minute and then spoke up. "But Alex isn't a bad person. He's really nice."
"But his father will raise him to be like he himself is," Bruce tried to explain.
"Maybe if Alex had someone there for him, he wouldn't end up like his father," Alaina countered. "Please, Bruce, I don't want to give up my new friend."
Bruce sighed. "Alright. But promise me you'll be careful."
"I promise. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, sweetheart," he said, bending down to kiss her forehead. "Sweet dreams."
Two Years later
Falling Flames
Lex cautiously peeked out of the helicopter's window down at the endless fields of corn that surrounded the small town of Smallville. He didn't like heights, but he wasn't afraid like he used to be. Alaina had helped him there, just like she had helped him in every other aspect of his life.
Before Alaina had come into his life, he always felt worthless. He couldn't help it. None gave him the time of day. His father was cold, his mother affectionate yet not always there in the moment with him. Then Alaina had come in.
Oh, he had been afraid that he wasn't going to allowed to see her at first. Either his father or her brother would get in the way. But his father saw the friendship as an opportunity, and her brother wanted her to be happy. Therefore, their fledgling friendship had been permitted to develop into the strong bond that they now shared.
The helicopter was now moving lower to the ground. He didn't really understand what business his father could have in such a small town, but he really didn't care. He soon grew bored of the mundane talk of his father and the others and quietly slipped off into one of the corn fields to have some fun.
OoooOoooOoooO
He didn't know what was going on. Huge balls of fire were raining down upon the earth. He started to run, but he didn't know where he could go to escape. In his mad dash, he tripped and landed face down in the dirt. He pushed his flaming locks out of his eyes, cursing the long hair that so often got in the way. He got up again, only to be propelled forward again by the impact of a meteor about a yard behind him.
The world grew dark, and he knew no more.
OoooOoooOoooO
Alaina was close to tears as she looked down at the pale form of her friend lying so still on the hospital bed. She could hear the voices of his parents and her brother outside talking to the doctors. She didn't want to believe what they were saying.
"…don't know if he'll wake up…critical condition…cranial hair unable to grow back…only hope for the best…"
Tears began to fall from her silver eyes as the thought of never seeing her friend's beautiful blue eyes again.
"Alex," she whispered brokenly. "Please come back to me."
OoooOoooOoooO
Lex was in a comfortable place wrapped in soothing darkness. He knew that he shouldn't stay here, but why would he want to go back? What was left for him in the world? He had no family to speak of. His father seemed to hate him at times. His mother feared him becoming like his father so much that she distanced herself from him. What was left?
'Alex, please, come back to me.'
Alaina. The only bright spot in a world of darkness. The one person who had always been there from the moment they met. Why had he not thought of her before?
He struggled up from the sea of blackness he had entered. He slowly cracked his eyes, hoping he wasn't imagining hearing the voice of his best friend.
"Alaina…" he murmured.
"Oh, Alex," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Then she pulled away and swatted him on the arm. "Don't you ever do that again!"
One Year Later
Birthday Blues & Baby Julian
A newly-turned eleven-year-old Lex sat near tears at the head of the empty table. Streamers hung everywhere and a huge banner arched down from the ceiling bearing the words 'Happy Birthday Lex!' But Lex wasn't having a happy birthday. No one had come. His mother had made a point of throwing a huge party for him despite her pregnancy, and no one had come.
His father stepped into the room and sighed. "I'm sorry that your friends from school couldn't come to this nice party your mother threw for you, Lex."
"I told you no one would come. I don't have any friends at school," Lex said, trying to keep the tears at bay. "Not even Alaina came, and she promised she was going to stay the night."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, son. I'm sure she'll be here soon. After all, when has she ever let you down?" Lionel Luther said not really knowing why. Sure, the girl would be useful to Lex in the future as a Wayne, but that didn't explain why he was suddenly taking up for her. Maybe the little brat was growing on him.
Suddenly, the front doorbell was rung. A moment later, Alaina walked in. "Sorry I'm late, Alex, but you wouldn't believe how bad traffic was between here and Gotham."
OoooOoooOoooO
A few months later, Alaina was again staying at the Luther Mansion. She had been around more often ever since the baby was born. She loved to coo over Julian, and to tell the truth, Lex was a little jealous. Currently, he was in his room sulking. Alaina couldn't help noticing his melancholy mood.
"Alex," she called softly as she entered his room.
"Why aren't you playing with Julian?" Lex asked sulkily.
"Is that what your moodiness is about?" Alaina asked as she sat next to him on the bed.
"It just seems that you like him more than you like me," Lex admitted.
"Alex, I love your brother in the same way that you love your brother, but you'll always be my best friend," Alaina stated, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
OoooOoooOoooO
Alaina woke to the sound of the baby crying. She immediately rushed out of her room into the nursery. Once there, she was horrified to see Lex's mother about to smother the crying Julian with a pillow.
"Mrs. Luther, what are you doing?" she cried out.
"I won't allow my baby to be corrupted by Lionel. I won't see my sons pitted against each other," she answered firmly.
"They won't be. I promise you that," Alaina stated as Lex lingered in the doorway. "Just don't hurt Julian. It isn't the way. Just give the both all the love you can. And don't let Mr. Luther be the only one to raise them."
"Alright," she said softly and quietly left the room.
"Thank you, Alaina," Lex whispered softly.
"Anything for you, Alex."
OoooOoooOoooO
As the years flew by, Lex and Alaina became closer and closer. Eventually, the friendship between them blossomed into a romance that seemed to both parties to just be right. They didn't keep anything from each other, Alaina going so far as to reveal her brother's nightly escapades with her Alex, with Bruce's permission, of course. They were happy, and they tried to ensure the happiness of those around them, but some did not take to it as well as others.
Lillian Luther died when her youngest son was only four. Her death devastated Lex, and Alaina suspected it even hit Lionel hard, cold-hearted as he was. Poor little Julian did not understand where his mommy had went and why his father and brother were acting so sad. If it had not been for Alaina, Lex and Julian would probably have bourn the grief of their mother's loss for a very long time, but she helped them to move on with their lives.
Lex and Alaina married in May of 2001. Four months later, Lionel assigned Lex to the LutherCorp plant in Smallville, Kansas. This is where our story begins…