It's a wonderful life, Luthor!
Tukma
Summary:
In November 2018 following the episode where Lena saved Kara using the environmental suit, I wrote my first Fic and i wanted someone to thank Lena, then I thought about it and thanks was not enough, someone needed to show her how important she really is. I thought that having her go through the its a wonderful life process would show just how important she is.
At that time I didnt have the confidence, but now with the loombing 100th episode I dug out my ideas and have done a parody of the film - so this is It's a wonderful life, a parody of the Flim using characters from Supergirl -
Notes:
For ValkyrieNine, Zelenamills73.
I will update 2 chapters a day after today to have the fic finished before the 100th - each chapter will be between 1-2K so that they are tea break reads
Gifted to ZelenaMills - who has listened for over a year to me moaning about wanting to write this
and
ValkryieNine who told me to drop everything and write this and encouraged me to finish after the anoucement of the 100th episode.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
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Chapter 1: Help for a Luthor
Chapter Text
"God if your there I am not a praying woman but if your up there please hear me now, don't let my mother win, help me to be the good Luthor, Please, show me the way to stop this" - Lena Luthor
"God, I may have seen glimpses, the others are worried, I see, the path is split, her choice is not made yet, help her choose, give her the strength not to do what she is thinking and find her way home" - Nia Nall
"Help her Rao, she is more than she realises she is worth love she is a hero, Rao please have mercy on me for my mistakes and help her" - Kara Zor-El Danvers
"I am not much for praying, I am a woman of science, but God please, if you exist, God, Lena she is in trouble, we didn't mean for this, help her see she is worth saving that she means so much to us all" - Alexandra Danvers
"Rao I know that I was created in darkness, but I walk in your light and tonight i ask you, please bless her and keep her safe, she saved me from the darkness and she is worth your time" - Samantha Arias
"God please listen and help her, she is a member of our family even if she doesn't see it, protect her tonight stop her doing something that can not be undone" - Eliza Danvers
"I don't know how it happened, but mom is worried, there is something wrong with my aunt Lena, she has never shouted at me before, Rao, God whoever is out there please. Please don't let anything happen to her" - Ruby Arias
"H'ronmeer, Lena's thoughts were dark, desperate, I fear for her, we are all looking i can not find her Psychically, and we are having no luck with our search, help guide us, help us find her she saved me more times than i care to admit, help me to save her" - Jonn Jonz
"I don't understand this concept but my friends say that it will help, there is a 95.342% chance that they are trying to help me feel better, but they say asking works. My friend Lena her boxes they are broken and she is going to do something she will regret please help her god, make her see that she is too precious to be lost" - Brainy
"I'm new to this group, but I can see the pain, all of them are hurting and she is alone in her pain please protect her, keep her safe give them time to find her, please watch over her tonight" - Kelly Olsen
As the friends look for Lena, more and more people who have seen her, or the superfriends begin to pray for the safety of Lena Luthor. Something unexpected to her, but for those that she had touched, they knew better they knew that her heart was pure, that she deserved better, that she deserved to be saved. The prayers become a cacophony of rhythmic chanting building to a crescendo of please to save Lena Luthor. Rushing into find the almighty Michael sword ablaze charges forward. Into the chamber where god awaited her messengers word.
"My Lord, I fear there is a problem on earth, National City and other places now all calling for help, help for Lena Luthor"
"That's right, the Luthor, tonight is her special night, she is going to throw away my most precious gift, because even after she chose forgiveness, to be good over her family's legacy and the desire for revenge, she feels she was betrayed again and she is going to lose everything. Unwilling to put the burden on a child she would rather end it all than suffer alone. We must send someone to her, call for our next Angle trying to earn their wings"
"My Lord that is part of the problem, it is the turn of the clock maker, Clarence. He has not been able to win his wings, he is not the sharpest knife in the draw"
"Ah yes, Clarence he hasn't got his Wings yet, but he has a faith that is unyielding, Call for him Michael, for this woman, the innocence of a child is just what we need."
Joining the Angle and his Lord in the chamber a small older gentleman arrived eagerly at their side. His smile was bright and his excitement overflowing, he was already finding it hard to contain himself.
"You sent for me my Lord?"
Michael looked at Clarence, he wished that it was anyone else, if this evening was going to work out well Lena needed their best angel, not this cobbler, Michael nudged him forward towards the Lord.
"Clarence I have a job for you, tonight in just a hour, Lena Luthor is going to throw away my most precious gift and I need you to go and help her."
"Oh my, not her life but why would she do that? You want me to go down there? What is the world like now I haven't had a chance in over 200 years, what are they wearing, what is popular, i need to get ready"
Excited Clarence moved around, frantically looking left and right wondering where to go, Michael placed his hand over his face and shook his head.
"You need to get to know Lena, she is a complicated character, and it is more than her life that needs saving, she also has a choice to make that will change everything, you need to know everything you can, you need to know Lena if you are going to help her, look see the city"
Clarence looked up at Michael and took a breath to steady himself. Looking down at the clouds.
"um , I am sorry but I can't see anything"
Michael realising the problem put his hand on the shoulder of the man lending him his power to see through the clouds. Back through time, back to a small town outside of Metropolis, where a young woman was carrying a baby into a small stone house.
"Ah yes that is better. I can see now, what a lovely house, but surely it is not her? Not the woman with the baby, she looks so happy."
The Lord chuckles at the innocence and sweet nature and shook his head lightly.
"No Clarence, it is the baby, that is Lena and her mother Kieran, I want to show you her life so that you can understand her and just how complicated her life has been"
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Chapter 2: Happiness
Summary:
A version of Lena's early years - there isnt much known so i had to be creative
Chapter Text
Clarence watched the scene unfold as the woman took her baby into the little cottage. She spends time talking to her and playing with her with lots of cuddles and kisses. The girl's mother reads to her and plays music dancing with her and helps her learn. She smiles and laughs watching her daughter grow, she cheers and claps when she crawls, and walks, and speaks for the first time. She spends time teaching her everything the child is constantly asking questions and she never loses patience.
One day while they are out shopping the line is being held up by a woman who can not pay for all her items. The people in the store are starting to get annoyed and telling the woman to get on with it, being mean and cruel. The beautiful dark haired woman walks to the front carrying her daughter.
"Now there is no need for this, one moment please. How much are you short hunni?"
The woman now in tears is looking at her and waiting for the insult but when it doesnt come she is stunned into silence. The attendant tells her that the woman is short 15$ without missing a beat. She opens her purse and pulls out the money handing it over.
"I can't accept that, my husband passed and the bank has frozen our assets, I have money, I just cant access it all I can't take money from you and your child. I am just trying to work out what I can do without right now, please it is ok if I can just think I can work it out."
Kieran smiled and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. Her heart tightened for the poor woman .
"My name is Kieran, this is my daughter Lena and I would never be able to decide what she doesn't need from what are essential, being a single mom is not easy and I can make it a little easier for you today, so please just accept the money, I want nothing in return"
The woman thanked her and hugged her tears running down her face as she collected the groceries, asking to have a number or some way of contacting her to pay it back, Keiran had just smiled and shaken her head, reminding her she wanted nothing in return. Lena asked questions all of which were answered by Kieran, who finished with a closing statement, loud enough for the others in the line to hear.
"Whenever it is possible to help another in need you take the chance, because one day you may rely on the kindness of strangers."
Lena smiled at her mom. They finally left the store after paying for their own groceries and returned home. Clarence continued to watch as Lena would play and listen to her mom singing and playing the piano. She was clever, reading early which generated more questions, a particular interest in science. She wanted to know how everything worked, she would often take things apart to see inside. Although they were not alway fixable, Kieran never complains about her daughters' curiosity. She was polite and kind, she listened and did as she was told, there was no need to shout at her. She never received so much as a smacked hand.
As Lena turned three her grandmother got sick and her and her mother went to care for her. She had cancer and lena watched as her mother tended to her. Still managing to find time to play with Lena and make sure she was loved. When her grandmother passed away her mother was very sad and Lena tried to cheer her up, singing and dancing, reading and inviting her to games and cooking tea parties anything to keep her mother occupied.
"Mommy why did Grandma die?"
"Grandma was sick sweetheart, she has something called cancer, it is a illness that there is no cure for, there are treatments but they are not nice, but it is not possible to cure it with medication like when you had a cold"
Lena looked at her mother and moved closer wrapping her arms around her you could see the cogs turning in her mind and Kieran anticipated a succession of more questions coming from her, she waited patiently because as hard as this was to do, Lena didn't know that and was only being herself, something that kieran had always encouraged.
"When I grow up, I will make one"
Lena's face so full of determination Kieran pulled her in and hugged her. Kissing her daughter's cheek.
"Lena you can do anything that you put your mind to, I believe in you"
Clarence couldn't believe that such a kind caring child would ever want to throw their life away especially when it was this happy. When winter turned into spring they had picnics in the fields near their home, playing in the spring grass and wildflowers. Kieran spinning her daughter around and smiling. She sang songs from back home in Ireland, powerful tunes of courage and determination.
Kieran worked hard but always ensured that there was time for Lena, as her interest in science expanded Kieran would help with science experiments in the kitchen,volcanos and growing crystals. Cooking together and cleaning Lena learned to find pleasure in the simple things in life. Enjoying reading and eating cookies while her mother taught people music. Her life was full of love and fun, she was encouraged to explore everything. Clarence watched as the girl turned four and went on her first trip to the city, her mother taking her to the science museum as a special trip. As they were walking through the city a man was laying on the floor outside, it was cold and he was too thin. As they walked past Lena asked why the man was there.
"My beautiful little one, sometimes people have things that they can not control, an illness, of the mind or soul and they need help, unfortunately sometimes they cant access it or afford it and they end up unable to manage. They sometimes end up on the streets, with no home"
"Mommy you said we should help those with less, how I help him? I have money"
Kieran smiled at Lena and crouched down looking at her daughter. She was so pure of heart that sometimes Kierans heart just melted at the things she would ask. Kieran explained that you don't help with money because there may be an illness that makes them choose to use the money wisely but they could get him some food and something to drink. Lena picked out some food and a drink for the man and placed it on the step he was laying on smiling. The man looked at her and smiled back thanking her and taking the food.
She turned five and was in school loving the chance to explore and learn about everything that she could, she had a lot of friends and was very happy. Kieran was active in the school and was alway helping out with different things. Lena was proud of her mother but the other children always asked about her father, she didn't know him. Eventually she asked the question of her mother, who explained that she had fallen in love with her father and was pregnant with her before she found out that he was married. She promised that when she was older she would tell her more about her father. Lena was happy she had her mom who loved her and her home that was safe and full of music and love, and her teddy the only toy she really needed.
After her sixth birthday at the beach they were packing up and there was someone in the sea swimming. They called out and Lena was told to stay where she was and not move. Kieran ran into the water to the woman and helped bring her into the shore. Unfortunately she was caught by the tide after she was knocked by a large swell. The woman made it to the shore and looked around seeing Kieran go under the water. Lena screamed for her mother but she only caught one more glimpse before she disappeared under the water. The rescued woman ran to Lena who was now standing frozen on the spot looking for her Mommy to resurface crying was held by the woman that her mother just saved. When the police came to collect her she hadn't moved refusing to, as her mother had told her not to. Family services took her in and found her father, Lionel Luthor collected her and put through an adoption, with his money and parental rights it was not a difficult thing to achieve. He didn't tell Lena he was her father, just that he was adopting her.
Clarence looked away saddened by the tragic loss of Lena's mother and Michael had to remind him that there was more to see. Shedding a tear of his own Clarence looked back and the clouds parted again.
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Chapter 3: Life at the Luthors
Summary:
Lena finds herself living in the Luthor household, a far cry from her home.
Chapter Text
As the clouds parted a massive and luxurious mansion came into view and a tall slender woman with light hair and a stoic face stepped out of the car that pulled up.
"Who is that? Is she the queen or something?"
Michael looked at Clarence and sighed lightly, smiling softly he shook his head.
"That is Lillian Luthor, she is going to be very integral to Lena's story, after all that is going to be her new mother, now lets watch we don't have much time."
The woman was inside with a boy, they were playing chess and the woman was praising him for his strategy, a man with a long beige coat walked into the room with Lena. she was clutching her teddy and looked scared. Lillian spotted them and raised her brow.
"We discussed this Lionel, there were other options, how could you bring her here, bring her to our home, where our son lives?"
"Not Now Lillian"
The boy smiled at Lena and called her over, inviting her to play and introducing himself as Lex. Lena smiled and joined him, she was a quick study and soon was able to defeat her brother, another thing that made Lillian mad at her. The day that she defeated Lex on her own a month after her arrival, Lillian looked at her, her boy was the genius not this bastard child from her husband's affair, she took the Teddy away from Lena and tearing it in two as she placed it into the trash.
Lena tried to settle in the house, but there were constant arguments between Lillian and Lionel, and mostly about her, she couldn't help but hear the hatred for her that Lillian felt, she wanted nothing more than to have her out of the house. Even though Lionel showed her little attention he would alway insist that she stayed, she couldn't understand the reasons behind it, all it seemed to do was cause her adoptive father to drink more and Lillian would be harsher for days after a fight. She didn't belong here, the only person that made her feel that she did was Lex.
"If you are bright enough to defeat my son at chest then you are to old for toys like this, lets see just how much potential you have Lena"
From that day on Lena was placed in direct competition with Lex always judged harshly by lillian torn down and degraded. Lex for years he stayed true to the kind and loving brother that he started as. Finding ways to play, to make her laugh, to make her feel part of the family. Lionel, when he was there and not drinking, he tried to be a father, but it wasn't his natural position, he was a cruel man at heart made worse by his drinking. Lena kept trying, kept hoping that showing kindness to the family that had taken her in would eventually mean that they loved and approved of her.
Clarence watched and listened as every attempt was rebuffed and the insults to Lena continued.
"You really need to put childish things away Lena, act like a Luthor, you have a lot of potential but this constant need for praise is ridiculous"
"Goodness Lena, more new clothes needed, if you keep eating at this rate I will have no choice but send you to a fat camp for over indulged children"
"Your emotions always getting the better of you Lena, stop your sniveling, this is hardly a mortal wound, what you expect a hug and for me to kiss the boo boo, stop being so sophomoric"
Lex seeing that Lena was actually over taking him, realised that the only way to avoid these kinds of slights from his mother is to be the better child, although at the same time to beat Lena, he needed to both defeat her and keep her close, to take her ideas and get there first. He started looking at the things she made and laughing lightly telling her to make them in pink. They share many loves, reading, languages, inventions, science and chess. However as Lena saw the beauty in the stories Lex saw the evil, he was egocentric but that would always be, he had a mother that fed his ego, Lena never felt good enough, her father was vacant most of the time, her brother would show affection then be cruel, and lillian told her that she wasn't good enough over and over.
The day Lex went off to college was the hardest for Lena, as much as he gave her love and took it away, causing confusion for her, he was the only love that she had in her life, Lionel had stepped up and took Lena out for the day so she didn't have to be alone. He took her to the local fair, spending the day taking her on rides, playing games and he even won her a new teddy. Lena was now ten and knew that she wouldn't be allowed to keep it if Lillian saw it, so she hid it from her, it wasn't the teddy from her mother, but it was something for her to hold, to give her comfort. This was the day that Lionel told Lena that he loved her, it was the first and only time.
A year later Lex was still away, and she was stuck in a cold lonely mansion alone, only interacting with staff and the occasional dressing down by Lillian, a drunk conversation with her adoptive father here and there. Lena still had something to look forward to, Lena was supposed to be going to high school. She was excited to have new things to learn, after visiting the school she came home to tell her father about it, only to arrive at the mansion to see police everywhere, there had been a accident at Luthor Corp, Lionel had fallen from the roof, he had died, she started to cry and Lillian ordered a staff member to take her away while she dealt with the police and the arrangements.
Lillian plaid the grieving widow just long enough to put on a show for the high society, Lex returned and took over the leadership of Luthor Corp. He had changed while he was away, there was something that happened, he had met Superman and had become dedicated to finding out who he was. Lillian had also taken an interest in the Man of steel and others like him, they would often plot and discuss the dangers of the Aliens and what they meant for the human race.
"Mother, Lex, he seems to be genuinely here to help, he has lost his home and wants to protect his new one? He is like me, you took me in and gave me a new family. I don't think that every alien is bad, and it is important that whenever it is possible to help another in need you take the chance, because one day you may rely on the kindness of strangers, he has already saved Lex, maybe he is here to help, please think about what your saying, why hurt someone that helped you?"
Lillian looked at her, the child born of love, soft because of the do gooding mother of hers and the softness of her father, she had told him that the child should never be brought here, after all she didn't belong she wasn't a Luthor, if her plans for Cadmus were going to happen, if Lex was going to be the man of tomorrow and stand tall at the head of Luthor Corp and defeat that flying arrogant man that believed he was better than everyone, she had to get rid of this little ball of light, she had tried to harden her teach her, show her how to be a Luthor but she wouldn't let go of the memory of that woman that raised her.
"Don't talk about things what you do not understand Lena, you are a petulant child, who needs to learn to only speak when spoken to, this is no concern of yours, and as of tomorrow you will not have to worry about anything that happens here, you will be going to school in Switzerland, the same one I went as a child. where you will learn how to use your mind not be ruled by your emotions, now get out of my sight"
Lena had run up to her room, taking the bear from its hiding place, and cuddling it on her bed. She cried, it wasn't that she was happy at the Luthor mansion, but for the second time in her life she was losing the home she had, and Lex too. She had already lost her mother, her adoptive father and now the brother that she loved. Crying herself to Sleep Lena realised that Lillian finally was getting her wish, to remove her from their life, and Lionel was not there to stop it, this time she would be sent away, she dreaded the next day and what it would bring.
Notes:
Comments always welcome