A/N: Hey everyone! Just wanted to say obviously I do not own Smallville or any of the DC Comic properties. As for a little background, this fanfiction takes place just after season one after the tornadoes touched down in Smallville. For the most part, I will be sticking with the timeline of the show with changes along the way and some new "Episodes."

Episode One - Rebirth

A young woman scrutinized herself in the reflection of a large floor to ceiling mirror...the fanciest mirror she had ever seen. Her white blouse was on loan from her roommate, and the black skirt was bought at a second-hand store. 'Not bad…' She thought pulling her long crimson curls over her shoulder, 'Not great...but not bad.' She was three days away from the end of her university career and unlike her fellow students who were partying away their last days before freedom, Éile Ahearn was standing outside the office of the most powerful man in Gotham. She leaned in, looking at the pale round face staring back at her. Everyone said she had inherited her mother's face and hair. But Éile knew from the pictures of her father that she was short just like him and had his large light green eyes.

She checked her watch, after this meeting she had an interview at Big Belly Burger. Not exactly where she planned on working after she graduated but if she didn't have a job she would lose her visa. 'I'd gladly serve burgers than not have a choice of where to go. Or get shipped back to...'

"Um...Miss Ahearn? Eel...Elie Ahearn?" A well put together woman appeared around the corner with a clipboard making Éile jump, nearly smashing into the huge mirror on the wall. The secretary studied the first name again, clearly struggling with the unusual first name of the only other person in the empty waiting room.

"AYL-yeh…" Éile turned giving the secretary an apologetic smile and smoothing out her skirt. "I'm Éile Ahearn. The first names a bit tough."

"Oh!" The women smiled brightly, "You're from Ireland! Well, let me do the honor of welcoming you to Gotham...Éile?" She stepped forward and shook Éile's hand. Éile didn't have the heart to tell her she had been here for the last two years. But she did get the name right this time. Éile opened her mouth but was quickly cut off, "I've always wanted to go to Ireland!" The secretary motioned for her to follow her down a long hallway, "I'm like...25% Irish on my mother's side! Is it as beautiful as all of the pictures make it look? I bet it is…" Éile just nodded, unable to get a word in edgewise. "The accents are so beautiful. Maybe that should be my next vacation…" She stopped in front of a door, "Well here we are!" She knocked on the door, "Mr. Wayne, your 3 o'clock is here."

"Please send her in!" A man's voice chimed in from the other side of the door.

"It was very nice to meet you, and I hope you get to Ireland!" Éile smiled and quickly pushed past the secretary into the wood-paneled office. A man who couldn't have been far into his 20's stood at a set of large paneled windows that looked out into Gotham. Without question, this was the best-dressed man Éile had ever seen. His hair was slicked back, and his suit was custom made.

He turned and with a warm smile extended his hand, "Éile Ahearn, It's a pleasure to meet you again!" Éile closed the distance between them and shook his hand. Years ago she met a much younger Bruce Wayne when he toured her primary school...the day when her whole life would change. "I had hoped we would have this meeting sooner, but my schedule has been hectic lately." He motioned her to the chair in front of his desk. As Éile took a seat, he opened a folder on his desk, "I have been keeping up with your accomplishments though. I'm happy to see that the Martha Wayne Memorial Scholarship found it's way to the right person." He smiled flipping through the folder, "Top marks all through school, applied and accepted to one of the top universities in Ireland at the age of 16. Graduating Gotham University at age 19 in..." He looked at his watch, "3 days!"

"I wouldn't have been able to do any of that if it wasn't for your scholarship Mr. Wayne," Éile interjected. The Martha Wayne Memorial Scholarship for Orphaned, Adopted and Fostered Youth had allowed her to leave Clare Island off the coast of Ireland for a private school on the mainland.

Mr. Wayne's eyes fell, "When my parents were murdered I was left with a successful company, plenty of money, and people whose sole job it was to take care of me. I was fortunate. And it was still tough for me." He looked up at Éile and smiled, "No one should be held back from their true potential because of the loss of a parent. Especially not someone with your propensity for writing." He dropped a packet of paper in front of Éile.

"Is that…" Éile's brow furrowed in confusion as took the neatly stapled stack of paper in front of her, "This is my senior dissertation."

"You're doing it a disservice calling it a dissertation Éile, it's not nearly that boring. 'Hidden History of Smalltown America - Beyond the Salem Witch Trials' was more interesting than the history books I was forced to read in school." Mr. Wayne leaned back in his chair, "I'll get to the point. From what I've heard you don't have have a job lined up after graduation Miss Éile. And your scholarship only extends until you end your time at Gotham University."

"I do have an interview later today…" Éile blushed, suddenly feeling grossly underprepared. Her final semester was so stressful she didn't have time to send out applications for internships or potential jobs.

Mr. Wayne smiled, raising an eyebrow, "At Big Belly Burger?" Éile face turned a darker shade of pink, wondering how he knew that in the first place, "Like I was saying your scholarship is almost done. And I can appreciate how stressful that must be for you. Because of this, I would like to extend to you the Wayne Enterprises Historical Preservation Grant personally."

Éile stared blankly at the smiling young man across the desk, "A grant?" A grant meant money...a job...and a chance to hold onto her visa. In her mind, she saw herself jumping over the desk and hugging the billionaire Bruce Wayne. "A real grant?" She smiled, the realization washing over her.

"There would be a few requirements...I'm sure you understand." Mr. Wayne handed Éile another folder, "I want you to continue your Hidden History of Smalltown America series."

"Continue in Salem?" She shrugged, "I'm not sure what else I could write about but if you're interested I can…"

"Not Salem. As much as I love the witch trials, I'm interested in something...a little different." Bruce stood and walked back to the windows that showcased the large gothic cityscape, "Have you ever heard of a town called Smallville?" Éile shook her head "It's a small farming town in Kansas. On October 7, 1989, the town was hit with a massive storm of meteorites. As you can guess the town became famous for the event and the bits of alien rock you could find in the corn fields. Since then the town has experienced...increased unexplainable and unusual events."

"Well, I wouldn't have pegged you as a fan of the occult Mr. Wayne," Taking the folder, she stood, "I guess you've never gotten the chance to visit the town?" She smiled as he snapped back.

"No, I haven't had the chance yet." He returned her smile, "But I feel like there is much more to Smallville than just the events surrounding the meteor shower."

"I'd love to write another paper on Smallville for you!" Quickly she looked through the folder and saw that arrangements had already been made for travel and lodgings. Plane tickets were tucked neatly behind a 'Welcome to Smallville' pamphlet which featured a cheery looking farmer in front of a cornfield. "You didn't expect me to say no didn't you."

"Not at all! And I think you've misunderstood me Éile. I don't want you to write a paper. I'd like you to write a book." He turned away from the window and stood beside the large antique oak desk. "You write the book on Smallville, and it will be published by Wayne Publishing, free of charge. You'll also collect all of the normal royalties from sales."

"Mr. Wayne this is too much." Éile looked down at the folder again, "You've already given me so much. You got me to where I am today. I don't know if I can accept all of this…" Published? She never expected to be published for anything.

"Of course you can!" He smiled again and pressed a button on his intercom, "Jennifer we're all set here." He released the button, "I only ask that I get to read your new book before anyone else."

Éile felt like she could explode, "Yes!" She said jumping up from the chair a bit more excitedly than she meant to, "I mean…" She shook his hand, "I wouldn't want anyone else to read the first finished copy." The secretary opened the door, and Éile gave Mr. Wayne one more smile before making her way out into the long hallway.

"Please let me know when you've reached Smallville safely!" Mr. Wayne called after the girl as she left him alone in his office.

As the door closed behind Éile, Bruce Wayne turned back to the window. He hoped there would be little fallout if this all went wrong. Luckily for him, she didn't question him further on his interests in Smallville. In his ear, there was a small buzz. Without a second thought, he tapped the small hidden communicator behind his ear, "I'm here Alfred."

"Did everything go as planned?"

"Better, I would say…"

"Do you think it was a good idea sending in the child? She might not even find what you're looking for. You could have gone yourself…"

"I have too much to handle here in Gotham. Besides…" Bruce Wayne opened the last folder on his desk, flipping through photos of Smallville, newspaper clippings, and spreadsheets until he stopped on a grainy photo of two young men, "Some people know my face down there."

Éile leaned against the cold marble of the Wayne Enterprises building, her heart beating loudly in her chest. She pulled out the folder and inspected its contents again, finding it hard to believe this was happening. A chance to write an actual book that actual people would read. According to her tickets her plan left in two days. Farther into the folder was a neatly printed letter detailing a small apartment that had been set up for her upon her arrival. Everything she had been worried about seemed to lift off her shoulders. Her visa would hold out and she would have an apartment.

"Ha!" She excitedly bounced up and down, clutching the folder to her chest. Quickly she pulled out her cell phone, thinking of someone she could tell the good news too. 'My roommate!' The phone rang and quickly went to voicemail. Éile sighed, "No answer…that's fine...I'll be out of her hair soon anyways." As she started down the street, her mind flipping through all the thing she had to do before leaving. "Oh, I know one person who needs to know about this…" She flipped open phone, "Hi, Big Belly Burger? I'm going to have to cancel my interview for today. No, I don't want to reschedule."

A/N: We will be on our way to Smallville in the next Chapter! Thank you for reading and feedback is always appreciated! I have a full-time job and grad school, but I have a lot of cool stories I want to give you guys so I will update as often as I can. Please leave me a review or PM with your thoughts!