Lionel drove around Midvale, passing some streets twice. He needed Lena to calm down first. From the moment he had climbed into the car Lena had began yelling at him. She rambled on and used all sorts of colourful words to call him for a half hour. Lionel took it. Lena had never been this angry at him, and Lionel had done many things to piss her off.

When Lena fell silent Lionel drove to the one place he and Lena would always spend time together when she was younger, a place away from Lillian's firm watch.

When he parked the car Lena turned to him and gave him an angry look. "Why are we here?"

Before Lionel could answer Lena got out of the car. She looked around and breathed in deep. They were on top of the world. A small playground that Lionel had built for her on top of a mountain overlooking Midvale. She hadn't been here in years. She went over to the swings and sat down on one. Her favourite one.

Lionel sat on the bench a few meters from her and sighed. "You have yelled at me already. Now do you want to tell me what I did wrong and cry or do you want to talk business?"

Lena looked up at him and with her beautiful green eyes she stared daggers into his soul. "You did not raise a weak woman."

Lena's words were cold. Lionel raised his head and truly looked at his daughter for the first time that day. She never looked happy, but today she looked destroyed. Lena had repeated Lionels words back to him. He would always say that to her when she was younger and would cry about having to attend too many businesses meetings or because she struggled to make friends. Immediately he regretted ever saying those words.

"No Lena, I did not raise a weak woman, but I did raise a passionate one."

Lena rolled her eyes and looked ahead. After a few minutes she spoke. "I really am a Luthor. After years of suffering for having a name that did not belong to me I finally find out that I deserved it, I deserved it because it is my name. I am your bastard."

"You are my daughter Lena. I wish I had a better name to give you but life is what it is."

"Why did you not tell me?"

"If this secret got out, our name would be dragged further through the mud. The world thinks a lot of me, but at least they still believe that I am a faithful husband."

"I wish you had been, then I would never have been born."

"Lena!"

Lena gave her father that cold look again. She was serious.

After a few more minutes of silence Lionel spoke. "Tell me about your mother?"

"Step-mother."

Lionel sighed. "Her."

"She's planning to destroy all alien life. She has some of Lex's people showing up at the house all the time. She wants me to join her. She says that she is putting together an army to help her finish what Lex started."

"Has she stopped taking her medication?"

"Yeah. I told you that over the phone. How could you leave me alone there? She could kill me anytime she wants."

"You would not allow that."

"Where did she get the money from? A few weeks ago she was broke but now she has her plans in action. Did you give her money? Are you working with her?"

Lionel shook his head. "No, Lena. I made up a plan and I'm here to tell you about it."

"That's the business? You think this life and death situation can be solved with a business strategy?"

Lionel sighed. He knew he had hurt her. "Would you just hear me out?"

"Alright," Lena said as she rolled her eyes.

"What is the best card to play in the business world, the one that will only work if applied well."

Lena shrugged, "Deception."

"Exactly!"

"So what are you saying? You decieved mom?"

"That's exactly what I am saying, Lee. She thinks she is entitled everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes."

"But she's not?"

"Nothing. It's all yours."

"And when does she think she's getting this money?"

"When I die of course."

Lena stayed quiet as she thought about Lionel's plans. A question popped into her mind that she was terrified of asking. Lionel did not raise a weak woman, she told herself. She forced herself to remain calm and spoke.

"The rate she's spending what she has left of Lex's... Did you... Did you lie to her about how long you have left to live too?"

Lionel did not answer. His facial expression changed. He looked just as destroyed as Lena did.

"Dad..." Lena's voice cracked. The tears were coming.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, baby girl. I'm sorry for ever treating you wrong."

"How long?" Lena forced herself to ask.

"Lena..."

"HOW LONG?" Lena yelled.

Lionel looked down, he couldn't watch his daughter break down in front of him. "Three months, maximum."

"But... You look so healthy..."

"Deception is a wonderful tool."

Lena moved to sit beside her father. She took his hand. "What am I supposed to do without you?"

"I have a plan. You will be safe and Lillian will have no power over you. The details of that aren't important right now. What is important is that you know that I have always been hard on you because I can see the potential within you. You, my child, are going to change the world one day. You will inspire women to follow their dreams and you will make the Luthor name great again. I know that I don't say this enough, but I believe in you, Lena."

Lena wrapped her arms around her father and began to cry. "I love you, dad."

"I love you more than anything or anyone on this planet."

After a few minutes of crying in silence and clutching onto her father the way she did when she was a child, Lionel's cellphone rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket and answered. Lena could only hear one side of the conversation.

"What is it?"

"Where?"

"Tell the boys to meet me there and hurry, we can't miss this opportunity."

Lena stared at him, wide eyed. "Dad, what's going on?"

"We need to get going. Something big is happening and I can't let it get away."

Lena followed him to the car, guessing that he had business to do, after all, he had been out of town for a while.

A/N- Reviews give me life...