Author's Notes: This one is a lot shorter than the last but I didn't think it could be any longer. I wasn't able to include a trip to the doctor like I promised because it just didn't fit. It will be in the upcoming one though. I'm sorry it took me five months to post this one, but again, real life demands my full attention at the moment. But things are looking up.

How soon is now: I really have no clue. I hope that I can finish another chapter by the end of this month, but I hate breaking promises.

Future Chapters: Dr. Tyner is featured more prominently in this chapter as is Liz's heightened immune system. Also, there is a woman who can see into people's futures.

Beta: My brother helped me out with this one when I had first wrote it. He blew me away with his words of wisdom, and I'm extremely grateful.

Feedback: I really appreciate the all the reviews I get. It really makes me want to continue writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Smallville or most of these characters. They belong to The WB, DC, and MillarGough. I'm just playin'.


Liz woke up early to be sure and get to the plant before Dominic. The problem wasn't that she was scared of the man, just annoyed by his blatant way of keeping her from getting the job done. But, she needn't have worried, because when she got there it was a little before 6 a.m. and Dominic was nowhere in sight.

Sighing with relief at having the office all to herself, Liz sat down in her chair immediately and swiveled the monitor to find that it was already on and running a screen saver. She wondered what made Dominic leave in such a rush as to forget to turn the computer off. She moved the mouse and the screensaver disappeared showing a business document stating that layoffs would begin immediately starting with the last fifty employees hired.

It took a few seconds for the shock to turn into anger. That Dominic would even start a ball like this rolling was unbelievable. Liz knew he hardly ever took action like this, unless he was ordered to do so. And, as of now, he was supposedly under her authority, especially for this kind of serious undertaking. Not that Dominic respected her opinion enough to ask it.

Liz was still contemplating what her reaction to this should be when she heard the door swing open and thud on the doorstop.

The look of surprise on Dominic's face was quickly masked with a forced smile. "Elizabeth! I'm glad you're here. I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

Dominic's sudden apologetic behavior made Liz decide not to bring up her discovery at that moment, and she managed in a calm demeanor, "That's all right. I understand that your relationship with my father is a touchy subject."

With a nervous laugh, Dominic stepped up to Liz's desk. "I wasn't offended at the reminder of asking for your father's permission."

Curiosity piqued Liz's interest. "Then enlighten me, Dominic. What upset you?"

Dominic placed his hands on the smooth surface of the desk and lowered his head. He was looming over Liz with a cocksure expression. His voice came out as condescending. "You don't trust my judgment, Liz. You never have."

Usually Dominic's theatrics amused Liz but now she just found them extremely annoying. "Honestly, Dom. Do you really think you're one to criticize me about trust?"

A confused expression came over Dominic's face. "Are you still angry about what happened in England?"

Liz turned her monitor so it was facing Dominic. She relished how he immediately straightened and nervously tugged at his cufflinks. "I noticed this statement on my computer that you failed to hide last night."

Dominic pointed an unsteady finger at the computer screen and raised his voice a fraction. "That is in the plant's best interest."

"I disagree. The last thing this town needs is more unemployed citizens. They will be put out on the street!"

"I understand you're worried about having another occurrence like Mr. Gaines but I can assure you that won't happen again."

"I'm not worried about angry employees, Dominic! I want the plant to be successful, but not to the detriment of this town."

An incredulous look came over Dominic's face and he opened his mouth in shock. "Since when do you care about this town? This town gave you your lack of hair, Liz. You despise being here! I thought you'd be delighted with my decision."

The fact that Dominic presumed anything about Liz's opinion made her blood boil, but she wasn't going to make this about herself. "You don't understand. It's not your decision to make. My father sent me here to decide what's best for the plant. Not you."

Dominic scoffed. "Is that really what you think? Why would I be here if he thought you were so competent?" Dominic resumed his pose from earlier, towering over Liz's desk. "I'm a hell of a lot more experienced than you could ever dream of being. I've been doing this since you were in play school."

Liz glared at Dominic's hands then lifted her eyes slowly up to meet his stern face. "I see. So, why don't you concentrate on doing what you are most experienced at: riding on my father's coattails."

Dominic sneered. "You will beg me for help when the time comes."

Raising her eyebrows a fraction, Liz spoke in a soft voice, "Don't hold your breath. If you plan something like this behind my back again you will regret it."

With a terse nod, Dominic stood up. "I think I'll go."

"Now that's the best idea I've heard," Liz said with mock sincerity.

Liz watched with satisfaction as Dominic spun around on his heels then slammed the door on his way out.


Liz stayed in her office late into the night after Dominic left. Even though she would never admit it, a solution to the plant's problems wasn't going to magically appear amongst the numbers no matter how long she stared at them.

With an exasperated sigh, Liz turned off her computer and got up to leave the plant.

After calling her driver, Liz walked outside and waited patiently. The plant never slept and she thought it took on an ethereal look in the night.

The wind picked up a few leaves as she walked along the concrete just beside hundreds of rows of cornstalks. It was chilly out and Liz tugged her coat a little tighter around her body as she looked up at the sky.

There were no clouds out and the moon shone brightly in the dark blue expanse. Liz took a deep breath of fresh air and looked around. She noticed a few stalks were bent back as if someone had cut them to walk through. She walked over for closer inspection and heard a hoarse whisper carried through the stalks in the wind.

"Help me."

Liz was startled by the voice and looked around the parking lot to see if anyone was there. She glanced again at the field and decided to walk through the clearing.

Just a few feet in Liz saw a young man tied to a scarecrow pole. She gasped and whispered, "Dear God."

She rushed over to the young man and tried tugging at the ropes holding him securely in place. With just one arm, she wasn't able to do much more than loosen them. "I need something to cut these. Who did this to you?"

"It doesn't matter."

In her haste to get the ropes free, Liz didn't acknowledge the bleak statement or even look up into the young man's face. "I have to get you down. Try and stay awake."

A car horn honked and Liz rushed to greet her driver. "Harold, isn't it? I need your help. Do you have a knife?"

The driver immediately got out of the car and tugged at his back pocket. "Yes, I have a pocket knife. Will that do?"

"Yes, follow me." Liz walked back into the field and this time looked closely at the young man's face. She was shocked to recognize him. She whispered more to herself than to anyone within hearing distance. "Clark Kent?"

Pain and fear was written all over Clark's ashen face. Liz took pity on him and tried to calm him with a soothing tone. "Don't worry. We're going to get you down." This wasn't about revelations at the moment. That could wait.

Liz watched as Harold quickly cut the ropes and gently helped Clark down from the pole. She reached out to help steady him on his feet. "Are you feeling all right? Maybe we should take you to a doctor."

Clark quickly and nervously spoke up, "No! I'm… fine now. Thanks for getting me down."

Liz couldn't help but reply, "Now we're even."

A small forced smile was the last thing Liz saw before he shrugged off the helping hands, grabbed his things then vanished through the cornstalks.

Liz barely caught the remark Harold muttered under his breath in irritation. "Stupid school tradition." She turned and stared in confusion. "Excuse me? What tradition?"

The older man took off his hat and pointed at the stake abruptly. "Every year the football team grabs an unsuspecting freshman and ties him up."

Realization dawned on Liz. "A form of hazing?"

Nodding, Harold added, "It's been going on for a long time in Smallville high."

As Liz digested her driver's comment she noticed something shimmering on the ground. She bent down to retrieve it and recognized it immediately as Lana's necklace. She wondered what it would be doing out in the middle of a cornfield.


Liz thought a little sarcastically that her father would be proud if he could see her now out mingling with farmers and shaking the hands of a few friendlier locals.

Of course, there was the occasional sneer headed her way, but she had reluctantly decided to bring along a bodyguard who was currently keeping an eye on her from a discreet distance. It made her feel a little safer, even though she hated being watched.

Liz walked down the dirt path between the many booths filled with vegetables and fruits of all kinds. She wanted to laugh at the drastic difference between her lightweight business suit and everyone else's jeans and t-shirts. What a way to stick out like a sore thumb, she thought.

Liz stopped abruptly when a whiff of perfume assailed her senses. The memories came flooding back and she tried to suppress the sudden rush of tears.

That brand of perfume was expensive and had been off the market for almost twelve years. But, that had never stopped Liz's father from getting her mother a bottle every year for her birthday.

Later in life, Liz had discovered that he had bought the last supply from the company just before they went out of business and hid it in their wine cellar. He had kept that secret until the day her mother died. It was a memory that made her realize her father wasn't always so cold. He certainly did love her mother.

Her sudden flashback flew away when Liz spotted a sign that read, "Kent Organic Produce." A petite redheaded woman in her early forties was manning the booth. Liz smiled and decided that she had found the perfect provider for her current vegetable crisis.

As she walked over the scent became more prominent. Liz immediately wanted to like this woman. The perfume had to be a good omen.

"Mrs. Kent? Hello, my name is Liz Luthor, and I'm interested in setting up an account with you to have fresh produce delivered to the castle weekly. If that's at all possible…"

The older woman took the hand being offered with a solemn expression. "Elizabeth Luthor, daughter of Lionel Luthor?"

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

The solemn expression on Mrs. Kent's face seemed to grow harder as she took her hand back. "I'm not sure we can deliver that far out."

Elizabeth frowned. "If it's the money your worried about I can more than compensate for the extra mileage. I'm willing to pay a premium price."

A tight smile formed on Mrs. Kent's lips as she answered in a cool tone, "I'll talk it over with my husband but for now the answer is no."

Liz's smile faltered for a moment, realizing for the millionth time that you can't buy good relations. Apparently, she had been wrong about this woman. "Well, if you change your mind here's my card. Thanks for your time, Mrs. Kent."

Feeling defeated, Liz decided to head back to the mansion but stopped when she spotted Clark unloading wooden crates filled with apples out from the back of a beat up blue pick-up truck.

Being subtle was never Liz's strong suit and she couldn't help but stop just a few feet away form Clark and state the obvious with a smile, "You're looking much better."

Clark almost dropped the crate he was unloading but quickly recovered and turned to look at Liz. "Oh, uh. Yeah, I guess."

Liz hadn't meant to startle him, but tried for a more gracious attitude and offered her hand. "We've never formally met. My name is Liz Luthor."

Clark stared at the hand being offered for a moment.

Hoping she hadn't given him a bad impression last time, Liz spoke kindly. "I promise I won't bite."

Realizing the humor in the statement Clark smiled a little and shook the hand. "I'm Clark Kent."

"It's nice to finally meet you under better circumstances."

Clark nodded his agreement then began lifting another crate out of the truck.

Wondering if she might be overstepping her boundaries for a moment, Liz decided to throw caution to the wind and asked, "Do you want to talk about what happened last night?"

Clark shrugged. "It was just a stupid school prank."

Shocked by the total lack of emotion in the statement, Liz was prompted to speak a bit louder than she had intended. "You were strung up on a stake like an animal. But, from what I've been told, this is standard practice in Smallville. Maybe it's because I've never lived in a small town, but I wouldn't be able to brush that off as easily as you seem to have."

Clark looked around nervously as if trying to see if anyone overheard then sighed a little exasperatedly. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Liz wanted to push more and get him to talk about who did this to him but decided it was best if she let it go. She knew what it was like to be questioned about something you wanted desperately to forget. Feeling the weight of the object in her pocket however, she decided to try one last tactic.

"I found this and was hoping you could tell me who it belonged to." Liz reached into her pocket and retrieved a small led jewelry box. The lid flipped open with a flick of her wrist and displayed a green necklace. Liz knew perfectly well whom it belonged to, but wanted to see if Clark would admit it himself and maybe tell her something. But, the reaction she got wasn't what she was hoping for.

Clark dropped the crate and stumbled backwards against the truck seemingly in agony.

Liz quickly shut the tiny lid of the box and put it back into her pocket. "Are you alright?"

"I just got dizzy all of the sudden." Clark bent down to retrieve the fallen apples.

"Let me get these. You just stand still for a minute until it subsides." As Liz reached down and started picking up the apples one handedly, she heard a familiar voice.

"Son? What's taking so long?"

Liz looked up to see Jonathan Kent coming towards them.

"What's the matter?"

Clark tried to stand up and stumbled slightly. "I got dizzy and dropped the apple crate."

Jonathan looked worriedly at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"

Clark smiled weakly. "I think so."

Jonathan saw Liz seemingly for the first time and bent to get the apples. "You don't have to get those. I will."

"I don't mind at all, Mr. Kent. Although, I might need help lifting the crate." She tried to pick up the last of the apples but Jonathan grabbed them and then the crate in one fell swoop. She quickly rose to her feet and caught Mr. Kent staring at her with an intense expression.

After the encounter with his wife, she hoped Jonathan would be friendlier. She offered her hand with a small smile.

Jonathan shook the hand enthusiastically. "It's been a very long time since I last saw you."

Liz smiled wider at the warmth she saw. "Yes, sir. It's good to see you again."

"How are you doing?"

Liz wanted to confess her fears since moving here, his paternal attitude was having that effect on her, but she stopped herself and answered casually, "Remarkably well considering. I have your son to thank for that though. He seems to be taking after you."

Jonathan nodded proudly and glanced over at Clark cautiously, a look was passed between them. "Well, I better get back. Clark, don't overdo it. And don't be a stranger, Elizabeth."

"Thanks, Mr. Kent."

Liz looked back at Clark and noticed him staring strangely at her. "What's wrong?"

"I just can't believe my dad was so nice to you."

"Thankfully there are a few people who see past my last name."

Clark nodded thoughtfully. "What did you mean by me taking after him?"

"When the meteors hit Smallville I got caught in the middle of it. He rescued me from the debris and brought me to my father. If it wasn't for him I might not have survived."

Liz watched Clark closely as he digested the information. She added with a smile; "Same as on the bridge when you took me to the hospital"

Clark looked up at Liz with a mixture of fright and disbelief that he tried to hide behind a forced smile. "Well, I better get back to work."

Liz watched as Clark hoisted another apple crate but stopped and stared straight ahead. She turned her head to see Lana talking to a blond young man wearing a Smallville High letter jacket. She glanced back up at Clark's face and recognized the angry expression. She wondered briefly if every emotion stood out so plainly on her face at his age.

Liz reached into her pocket and ran her fingers over the tiny led box then started walking away. She called over her shoulder; "See you around, Clark."


Football practice was about over and Whitney was tossing the pigskin back and forth with one of his teammates when the coach told everyone to hit the showers.

Whitney was about to do just that but stopped when someone called his name. He turned slowly and saw the woman who had addressed him. She was tall, coming up to his chin, slim looking build and was dressed in fancy clothes that looked more expensive than Whitney's entire wardrobe combined. He thought she had to be in her early twenties, and although she wasn't gorgeous, she had an unusual attractiveness that caught his eye. As she walked closer, he could see that she had a cast on her right arm. That's when he recognized her.

The woman smiled enthusiastically and offered her hand. "I'm Elizabeth Luthor."

Whitney took the hand being offered, and smiled back. Lana had told him that Liz Luthor had come into town but he never expected to actually meet her. Her father, Lionel Luthor, owned the Metropolis Sharks and the thought of getting her to put in a good word for him had crossed his mind when the subject had been brought up.

He smiled wider and spoke kindly. "Nice to meet you."

After shaking Whitney's hand, Liz's expression became more serious. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny necklace. "Does this belong to you?"

When Whitney looked at the necklace, being held carefully in the woman's hand, he broke out in a cold sweat. As it dangled back and forth slowly, shimmering in the sunlight, Whitney recognized it immediately as his girlfriend's. "Yes! I was borrowing it from ah… a friend. I thought I had lost it forever." He reached out to take it, checking for scratches or blemishes. He didn't want Liz knowing that it was Lana's. He tried to seem casual about it and asked in a disinterested tone, "Where did you find it?"

Liz squinted up at Whitney. "Out in the middle of a cornfield around the neck of a freshman. She walked up a little closer, looking him straight in the eye. "I wonder what your 'friend' would think about you lending out their jewelry."

Whitney's expression showed his emotions clearly, as he digested the new information. He hadn't expected anyone to find out about Clark, let alone this woman. His fear was quickly replaced by anger. "Look, it was all for fun and games. It's a school tradition."

Liz shrugged and took a step back. "So your school's principal would understand if I asked him about it?"

Whitney swallowed hard. "No. He wouldn't."

Liz nodded and looked out into the field. She paused for several heartbeats before admitting slowly, "You are a really good football player, Whitney. I watched you play for a few minutes."

Whitney was taken aback by the compliment. "Thanks."

Liz looked back into his face with a look of determination. "If you have any aspirations of becoming a professional football player I suggest you stop pulling dangerous stunts on innocent people."

Whitney's face showed shock and he spoke incredulously. "Are you threatening me?"

Liz smiled and shook her head. "I'm just warning you. I'd hate to see your career become little more than a distant dream."

Whitney clenched his jaw. He was so angry that this woman held his future literally in the palm of her hand. He was about to explode on her when the coach called out to him. Reluctantly he turned and walked away swiftly, trying to concentrate on what the coach was telling him.


Liz was looking over some numbers Gabe sent over to the mansion when she heard the doors to her office burst open. She looked up and saw Lana fuming over her desk.

Liz smiled and folded her hands neatly on top of her desk. "Lana, what a nice surprise."

"Did you threaten my boyfriend?"

Cocking her head to the side, Liz asked, "I'm sorry?"

Lana paced the floor with her hands moving animatedly to illustrate her point. "Today at football practice I saw you talking to Whitney and when I asked him about it he said you threatened him. Why would you do something like that?"

Liz sighed, having known that this was coming. "Well, I didn't threaten him. I just told him that he needed to concentrate more on his football plays and less on tormenting local farm boys."

Lana stopped pacing and stood with her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about?"

Liz thought she needed to be a bit more blunt. "I found Clark Kent tied to a scarecrow pole in the middle of a cornfield adjacent to my plant with your necklace tied around his neck. Apparently it's a school tradition."

"Whitney would never do something like that."

Liz was really getting tired of being accused of lying. "Well, he didn't deny it this afternoon."

"You asked him about it?"

"Yes, he was pretty forthcoming. But he didn't feel that it was that big of a deal until I asked him what his principal thought about it."

The anger on Lana's face dissipated, and was replaced by a flushed look of embarrassment. "I'm sorry I barged in unannounced."

Relieved to get this little outburst out of the way, Liz smiled. "That's ok. I needed a little drama this afternoon."

Lana smiled nervously. "Well, I'll get out of your way now."

Lana turned to leave but stopped short when Liz called out, "By the way, Lana…"

"Yes?"

"I was surprised to find out that you're dating someone like Whitney."

Lana crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "Who would you suggest I be dating instead?"

Liz smiled at the defiant expression on Lana's face. "Someone who saves lives rather than endangering them."

Lana bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head. "I get the feeling your referring to Clark Kent."

"I just think you could do better."

Lana nodded. "While I appreciate your concern, you don't know my boyfriend well enough to be making that kind of judgment call."

Liz nodded. "I hope I'm wrong about Whitney."

Seemingly more to herself than Liz, Lana frowned and said "I hope so too."

Liz spoke up before Lana reached the door. "Please feel free to stop by anytime, Lana."

Lana smiled nervously then turned and promptly left the way she came in.


...to be continued.