Newcomer
By Dante
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)
Chapter 8: Momma Jane's Ever-Lovin', Blue-eyed Boy.
Alex sat on the concrete stoop of the farmhouse, looking down at the dirt as Chloe's car pulled up the drive. Slapping himself in the head, he realized that he'd completely forgotten about the party in the stir of events from the past two hours. Chloe climbed out of the car, running through the rain up to the front stoop.
"Hey, you don't look like you're ready. Am I early?"
"Um, no… Well… come in for a sec."
Alex pushed the door open and ushered Chloe inside. The living room and kitchen area were still a bit of a mess, mostly because neither Alex or Jane had found the time to clean yet. Jane was sitting in an armchair, talking on the phone.
"No, Lisa, we haven't heard anything yet. I told officer Waynewright that we'd call both you and him if anything came up. He didn't leave any sign of where he was going?"
Chloe could see the tension on the faces of both Alex and his mother. What was going on?
"Alex… what's happening?"
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to go to the party tonight… we just got a call from the police in Texas. My best friend is missing and they thought he might be headed here. I think I should probably just wait here and see if anything comes down."
"Nonsense." Jane's sharp voice hit them both like a whip crack. "Go downstairs and get ready."
"But mom…"
"No buts." Her voice softened and she put a hand to his face. "There's nothing you can do, babe. If he's coming here, then he's coming here. I'm not going anywhere. It won't do you or Josh any good for you to stay here worrying. Go out, try and enjoy the night."
Alex nodded silently and turned to Chloe.
"I guess I'll be back in a few minutes, I should probably go change clothes and maybe clean up a bit."
"Okay, I'm not going anywhere."
Chloe shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Alex disappeared down the hall. She was suddenly very intensely aware of Jane's presence. When she looked at the slightly graying woman standing in the kitchen, she was struck by the sheer force of her personality.
"So, Chloe, just out of curiosity, how exactly do you know a man like Lex Luthor well enough to be invited to one of his parties?"
"My best friend saved his life earlier this year, and since then, events have just sort of brought us together a number of times."
"I see." She looked over at Chloe and recognized the anxiety present in the young girl. "Don't worry, Chloe, I won't bite. Come on in the kitchen and sit, you don't want to be standing the whole time the boy's getting ready."
Chloe cleared herself a space at the chaotic kitchen table and plopped down into the chair.
"I was very happy when Alex told me he was going out. He's never had difficulty making friends, but I was very glad that he got started quickly here."
"Well, he's a neat guy."
A smile crossed Jane's face. "I like to think so." She went about making dinner in the kitchen while she talked to Chloe. "I've actually heard of you, believe it or not."
"Let me guess, the infamous Chloe Sullivan and her wall of weird?"
Jane laughed. "Well, that, of course, but I used to work in chemical shipping, which includes industrial lots of the chemicals used in printing and treating newspapers. I sent a lot or orders to the Planet, in Metropolis, and word is that you're in the running for the internship this summer."
"Wow! You remember little things like that?"
"It comes in handy when I meet people."
"I'll bet! So, what are you doing in Smallville?"
"Well, I read up on what LuthorCorp is doing here, and I thought that they might be able to use me. I pulled a few strings and got an appointment for an interview a few weeks back… and the rest is history."
"So you're working for LuthorCorp?" A light bulb went off in Chloe's head. "Then you must know my…"
"Your dad? Yes, I do. We were in school together when we were younger. We stayed in touch a little over the years, and he always thought it was a shame that I ended up in shipping when all of our classmates were in research, so he talked to Lex Luthor and got me my spot on his teams here at good ol' plant number three."
Chloe shook her head at the seemingly random set of connections.
"Small world, huh?"
"Well, this IS Smallville."
"Thanks for reminding me."
"Ready!"
Alex emerged from the hall, and Chloe caught her breath at the change. Gone were the baggy jeans and ski-cap, replaced with a neatly pressed pair of black slacks, a loose-fitting gray shirt, and a black sport coat. The only remnant of the unkempt schoolboy was the roguishly tousled hair atop his head.
"Well, you certainly do clean up well."
"I do my best."
Jane went over and brushed the shoulder of his jacket, against mild protestations that Chloe could see were more for the sake of argument than actual protest.
"Call me if you're going to be out super-late."
"All right, mom. Love you."
"Love you too, have a good time."
They exchanged a kiss on the cheek and Alex moved toward the door.
"Chloe, it was good to meet you. Tell you dad hi for me, and you're welcome here any time."
"Thanks, Ms. Byers."
"Call me Jane."
"All right. Come on Alex, we don't want to be too late."
They rushed out the door, with Jane's warm smile at their backs. As the door shut, the smile melted. She remembered that Gabe Sullivan had always been a bit too curious for his own good, and it had apparently been passed on to his daughter. She'd known for months that something was troubling Alex, that something was different, and it had been getting worse since Josh had moved to Texas. Now that he was missing… she hoped that Chloe wouldn't be caught in the path of whatever was coming.
***
In a thicket several hours away from Smallville, an old man sat cross- legged amidst ancient totems and fresh carvings. Smaller versions of the new carvings were laid out at his feet. He moved one, a carving of a boy and a beast, closer to one of the others.
"They move. They unite. Their strength will frighten and free." He listened to the wind and picked up a piece of smooth wood from the pile next to him and began to carve. "They will face their first test without the third, and he will temper them. They face the storm."
By Dante
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)
Chapter 8: Momma Jane's Ever-Lovin', Blue-eyed Boy.
Alex sat on the concrete stoop of the farmhouse, looking down at the dirt as Chloe's car pulled up the drive. Slapping himself in the head, he realized that he'd completely forgotten about the party in the stir of events from the past two hours. Chloe climbed out of the car, running through the rain up to the front stoop.
"Hey, you don't look like you're ready. Am I early?"
"Um, no… Well… come in for a sec."
Alex pushed the door open and ushered Chloe inside. The living room and kitchen area were still a bit of a mess, mostly because neither Alex or Jane had found the time to clean yet. Jane was sitting in an armchair, talking on the phone.
"No, Lisa, we haven't heard anything yet. I told officer Waynewright that we'd call both you and him if anything came up. He didn't leave any sign of where he was going?"
Chloe could see the tension on the faces of both Alex and his mother. What was going on?
"Alex… what's happening?"
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to go to the party tonight… we just got a call from the police in Texas. My best friend is missing and they thought he might be headed here. I think I should probably just wait here and see if anything comes down."
"Nonsense." Jane's sharp voice hit them both like a whip crack. "Go downstairs and get ready."
"But mom…"
"No buts." Her voice softened and she put a hand to his face. "There's nothing you can do, babe. If he's coming here, then he's coming here. I'm not going anywhere. It won't do you or Josh any good for you to stay here worrying. Go out, try and enjoy the night."
Alex nodded silently and turned to Chloe.
"I guess I'll be back in a few minutes, I should probably go change clothes and maybe clean up a bit."
"Okay, I'm not going anywhere."
Chloe shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Alex disappeared down the hall. She was suddenly very intensely aware of Jane's presence. When she looked at the slightly graying woman standing in the kitchen, she was struck by the sheer force of her personality.
"So, Chloe, just out of curiosity, how exactly do you know a man like Lex Luthor well enough to be invited to one of his parties?"
"My best friend saved his life earlier this year, and since then, events have just sort of brought us together a number of times."
"I see." She looked over at Chloe and recognized the anxiety present in the young girl. "Don't worry, Chloe, I won't bite. Come on in the kitchen and sit, you don't want to be standing the whole time the boy's getting ready."
Chloe cleared herself a space at the chaotic kitchen table and plopped down into the chair.
"I was very happy when Alex told me he was going out. He's never had difficulty making friends, but I was very glad that he got started quickly here."
"Well, he's a neat guy."
A smile crossed Jane's face. "I like to think so." She went about making dinner in the kitchen while she talked to Chloe. "I've actually heard of you, believe it or not."
"Let me guess, the infamous Chloe Sullivan and her wall of weird?"
Jane laughed. "Well, that, of course, but I used to work in chemical shipping, which includes industrial lots of the chemicals used in printing and treating newspapers. I sent a lot or orders to the Planet, in Metropolis, and word is that you're in the running for the internship this summer."
"Wow! You remember little things like that?"
"It comes in handy when I meet people."
"I'll bet! So, what are you doing in Smallville?"
"Well, I read up on what LuthorCorp is doing here, and I thought that they might be able to use me. I pulled a few strings and got an appointment for an interview a few weeks back… and the rest is history."
"So you're working for LuthorCorp?" A light bulb went off in Chloe's head. "Then you must know my…"
"Your dad? Yes, I do. We were in school together when we were younger. We stayed in touch a little over the years, and he always thought it was a shame that I ended up in shipping when all of our classmates were in research, so he talked to Lex Luthor and got me my spot on his teams here at good ol' plant number three."
Chloe shook her head at the seemingly random set of connections.
"Small world, huh?"
"Well, this IS Smallville."
"Thanks for reminding me."
"Ready!"
Alex emerged from the hall, and Chloe caught her breath at the change. Gone were the baggy jeans and ski-cap, replaced with a neatly pressed pair of black slacks, a loose-fitting gray shirt, and a black sport coat. The only remnant of the unkempt schoolboy was the roguishly tousled hair atop his head.
"Well, you certainly do clean up well."
"I do my best."
Jane went over and brushed the shoulder of his jacket, against mild protestations that Chloe could see were more for the sake of argument than actual protest.
"Call me if you're going to be out super-late."
"All right, mom. Love you."
"Love you too, have a good time."
They exchanged a kiss on the cheek and Alex moved toward the door.
"Chloe, it was good to meet you. Tell you dad hi for me, and you're welcome here any time."
"Thanks, Ms. Byers."
"Call me Jane."
"All right. Come on Alex, we don't want to be too late."
They rushed out the door, with Jane's warm smile at their backs. As the door shut, the smile melted. She remembered that Gabe Sullivan had always been a bit too curious for his own good, and it had apparently been passed on to his daughter. She'd known for months that something was troubling Alex, that something was different, and it had been getting worse since Josh had moved to Texas. Now that he was missing… she hoped that Chloe wouldn't be caught in the path of whatever was coming.
***
In a thicket several hours away from Smallville, an old man sat cross- legged amidst ancient totems and fresh carvings. Smaller versions of the new carvings were laid out at his feet. He moved one, a carving of a boy and a beast, closer to one of the others.
"They move. They unite. Their strength will frighten and free." He listened to the wind and picked up a piece of smooth wood from the pile next to him and began to carve. "They will face their first test without the third, and he will temper them. They face the storm."