Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Lex (insert smutty comment here)
Author's note: This is a conversation between Lex and one of his ex-wives, a character of my own creation, Alyssa Lee. This also forms an epilogue for a quartet I intend (one day) to write about the couple. I love feedback, and I'm not scared of criticism, so please read, review and be merry.
Update 14/2/05: I've changed some spelling errors (thank you ashley-loves-smallville) and extended it a bit. Thanks also to Sassy Sopranpo, for your review. If anyone sees anything else wrong, please let me know.
Update 22/4/05: I've made a few more changes, mostly dialouge tags. If all goes wella new chapter will be upsoon, but I have got exams comming up so bear that in mind if there's a bit of a wait.
Bittersweet
Alyssa walked up to her front door, clutching a box of groceries. She began to fish in her bag for her keys, then realised the door was already unlocked. Wary, Alyssa walked into her house, a tin of beans ready in her hand should a burglar be inside.
But instead of a hard-bitten ex-drug addict shovelling all her worldly possessions into a bag, Alyssa found her ex-husband, immaculate in an expensive looking suit, calmly sitting on her sofa. I would've rather it was the hard-bitten ex-drug addict, she though wryly.
"Do make yourself at home," Alyssa said, turning her back on the billionaire and setting the groceries on the counter. "I just love having guests who let themselves in when I'm out shopping. I'd offer to make you some coffee, but we both know I'd add some arsenic to your cup."
Lex Luthor sighed, waiting with exaggerated patience for Alyssa to finish. "We need to talk," he said, watching as his ex-wife put away her shopping.
Alyssa turned to face Lex. "Aw, and you came all the way to Smallville to tell me that, rather than getting you secretary to fax me a memo?" she cooed, placing a hand over her heart. "I'm touched, Lex, truly."
"You're being remarkably childish," Lex commented.
"Says the man with an unhealthy obsession for our resident superhero," Alyssa retorted, turning to stack the tins in a cupboard.
Lex looked at the framed photos that were dotted around the room, mostly of two smiling, dark haired children. He picked the nearest one up. "I see you managed to cut me out of the pictures," he said, turning the picture round for Alyssa to see.
"I didn't need to cut you out; you were never there," Alyssa said coldly, glaring at the bald man sitting on her sofa. "You never wanted to be there."
"I don't know why you're so bitter," Lex said, setting the photo frame down. "You walked out on me, remember?"
"I walked out on you because while I was pregnant with our daughter you were having an affair with your secretary," Alyssa shot back, an angry edge in her voice.
Lex sighed and ran a hand over his bald head. "I'm not proud of it."
"But you're not sorry," Alyssa said, shaking her head.
"No," Lex replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Alyssa folded the cardboard box down, using more force than really necessary. "You came here to talk, Lex," she reminded him, not wanting to get caught up in old arguments. He made it so easy for her to hate him, yet when he was standing in front of her, she felt her heart twist.
"Our son has been hacking into computers," Lex said.
"That's nothing new," Alyssa reminded him, raising her brows. "Have you forgotten the time he nearly got the Mona Lisa listed as LuthorCorp property?"
Lex half smiled at the memory, then schooled his features. "Lee seems to be moving on to bigger things." Lex paused, waiting for Alyssa to respond. When she didn't, he continued, "He redirected my plane."
Alyssa nearly smiled in spite of herself. "He's upset," she said, putting the folded up box away.
Lex raised his eyebrows. "What on earth made him so upset that he felt the need to redirect my plane to Greenland?" he asked incredulously.
Alyssa stalked over to the coffee table and grabbed yesterday's paper. "Luthor to marry again," she read from the front page. "Actress June Summers to be the fourth women to say I do to billionaire Lex Luthor." Alyssa threw the paper at Lex, who made no movement to catch it. "Gee, I don't now why he's upset, Lex. Perhaps it's 'cause you're marrying again, and your only son found out from the media, or perhaps it's due to you deliberately forgetting his birthday again. Take your pick."
Lex barely looked a the newspaper that had landed in his lap. "I didn't deliberately forget," he argued.
Alyssa sank into the chair opposite her ex. "No of course not, Lex," she said in a sarcastic but tired voice. "I guess all the messages and reminders I sent to your secretary got lost in the internal mail. You really just can't get the help theses days, can you?"
Lex looked at Alyssa, searching her face. "You don't seem to be bothered that he hacked into my plane's computer and changed the autopilot."
"You're changing the subject," Alyssa accused.
"You're avoiding the issue," Lex retorted.
"I did tell you that getting him a new laptop was a bad idea," Alyssa replied, inspecting her nails. "And I believe the evil genius trait comes from your side of the family."
Lex smiled. "And the petty revenge trait comes from yours," he said in a falsely sweet voice.
"Redirecting a plane is petty?" Alyssa asked. "It certainly got your attention. What happened, did you miss a meeting?"
"So this is all a plea for attention." Lex sighed with something akin to disappointment. "Your influence on our children is astounding, Alyssa."
"My influence?" Alyssa asked. "Let me count the times you got drunk, high or other wise intoxicated -"
"That was a long time ago-" Lex said, interrupting.
"Yes, Lex, that's my point. It was a very long time ago, when you were a self-destructive teenager after your father's attention," Alyssa said. "Be grateful Lee doesn't use the media against you, but only arranges for you to catch a bit of fresh air. He's thoughtful like that."
"He could talk to me," Lex said, then immediately regretted his words as Alyssa laughed.
"Talk? A Luthor talk?" she said disbelievingly. "Forgive me if I'm the first one to point this out to you, Lex, but the Luthor family, for all their riches and power, are tad dysfunctional. Multi-million take-overs and manipulating the truth may not be beyond them, but talking certainly is."
Lex glared at Alyssa. A lesser woman would have been cowered, but Alyssa had received that self same cobra stare from a person far more dangerous to one's health than Lex Luthor; her late father-in-law, Lionel Luthor.
"Lex, you glare so because you know I'm right," Alyssa taunted.
"Luthors have to make sacrifices," Lex said, clenching his hands with anger. Why did she have to be right?
Alyssa smiled sadly. "Well done, Lex. That's about as close as you'll ever come to admitting someone else is right."
Lex cleared his throat. "I came here to talk-"
"And we've talked."
"-About our children," Lex continued, ignoring Alyssa.
"You might want to talk to Lilly; for a ten year old she can be quite inventive when it comes to revenge," Alyssa said. "I doubt your latest fiancée would appreciate her hair being dyed green the next time she goes to have her roots done."
Lex thought for a moment, running things through his mind. "What have I done to Lilly?" Lex inquired, generally curious.
Alyssa smiled. "There are so many ways I could answer that question."
Lex leaned forward in his chair. "It does make me wonder what sort of children you've raised, Alyssa, they seem to be running wild."
Alyssa glared at Lex. "Don't you dare try and turn this around on me, Lex!" she said, her voice climbing. "The children I raised? I've barely seen Lee since the divorce. You were happy for me look after him while I was your wife, but when I gave up the name Luthor you moved heaven and earth to get custody of Lee - the son you were never interested in before!" Alyssa took a deep breath and went on, releasing years of pent up bile. "And when Lilly was born you practically had your people tear her away from my arms!"
Lex looked at the angry woman in front of him; her cheeks were flushed and her mouth was tight with rage. But there was pain along with the anger in her eyes. "Hmm, if Lee can redirect planes, and Lilly has discovered how to bribe people with her allowance, I think they would be able to find a way to see you if they wanted," he said, rubbing salt into the wounds.
Alyssa glared up at her ex husband. So easy to loathe, to hate, to despise, she thought. If her heart twisted now, it was for her children, not for the man she had once loved. "You bastard," she said in an angry, but tired whisper. "Get out of my house."
Lex slowly stood up and walked over to the door.
"Lex," Alyssa called out after him, making the billionaire pause. "Don't forget, the evil genius trait runs in your family, but it's tradition for Luthor sons to murder their fathers - and then turn into them."
Lex walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He couldn't reply to that, it was too true.