"Why, Miss Sullivan. I wasn't expecting to see you here. I would have
thought you in Metropolis by now."
Chloe looked up from her laptop and cup of coffee to see the familiar bald man. She smiled. "I don't leve for my internship until tommorrow."
"I though everyone was supposed to be there four days ago." Lex took a seat across from the blonde without asking her permission first. It's something that usually bothered Chloe, but after their little chat in the hospital, she didn't mind so much.
Chloe shrugged. "I know. I wanted to go then, but my dad was worried that I needed some time to heal from my injuries." Chloe motioned towards her head. She had her hair parted on the side and unflipped to cover up the wound that was healing from the injury she suffered a week ago. "Somehow, Dad managed to talk Mr. White into giving me that week instead of replacing me. I don't know how he did it.Mr. White has the reputation for being really impatient and stubborn."
Lex leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, well.Luthors have the reputation for being impatient and stubborn-as well as influential-themselves."
It didn't take long for Chloe to figure out what he was getting at. "You're the one who arranged it." She leaned over and playfully slapped Lex' arm. "Don't ever play stupid with me again, Luthor."
"It's Lex, Miss Sullivan. Lex."
"Lex, huh? How 'bout I make you a deal-"
"You, a silly little high school reporter, wants to make a deal with the king of deals?"
Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Okay, you just sounded like a used car salesman. But anyways, yes. I want to make you a deal. I'll call you Lex so long as you call me Chloe."
Lex pretended to be contemplating the offer then finally leaned forward and held out his hand. "It's a deal.Chloe."
The petite girl took his hand and shook it firmly. "Deal." She smiled brightly. The smile that could power a town for weeks, and consequently, the same smile that Lex had been waiting to see for a week.
Bells rang, signaling another customer had entered the ever so popular Talon. The two bantering partners looked up to see Clark, Pete and the mysterious redhead. Chloe waved them over. She was pleased to see that red was still in town.
The trio walked over to Chloe and Lex, where she motioned for them to sit down. Pete pulled up another chair while Clark and Redd took the remaining two. Redd seemed a little akward and jumpy in such a public place.
Lex studied the frail. She seemed somewhat familiar. He looked at his best friend and smirked. "Clark. I didn't think you were the type to go for redheads." He switched his gaze back to the young girl, curiosity glinting in his eyes.
"It's not like that, Lex," Clark said.
"Yeah," Chloe chirped in. "We found her out in the woods without a place to go. The Kents offered to let her stay as long as she needed to."
"That's very nice of them," Lex said. "Do you have a name?" he asked the small frail.
"Redd," she said shyly, avoiding eye contact. Eyes were the windows into one's soul, and she didn't want anyone seeing into hers.
"Red?" Lex asked, somewhat confused. "I asked what your name was, not your favorite color."
Pete glared at Lex. "That is her name. At least the one she's given us."
"Redd," Chloe confirmed. "With two D's."
"I see." Lex said skeptically. He leaned back in his chair.
"So when are you moving back to Metropolis, Chlo?" Pete asked. The question came from nowhere, but he was curious about his potential love interest's future, especially if it meant them being separated.
"Y'know.it's weird.Even though the plant's closing, we're going to stay here in Metropolis."
"Why?" Clark asked.
Chloe shrugged. "Maybe he likes living next door to meteor freaks."
Everyone laughed at Chloe's snarky remark, save Redd.
"That's good," Pete said. "With the plant closing and all, half the town's gonna leave." He tried to make the comment sound like it was Lex' fault. The bald man could save Pete's life and still he would hate him.
"I tried my absolute best to keep the plant open," Lex said, picking up on Pete's verbal jab and defending himself. "I wanted to buy out the Smallville Plant but I don't have enough money for what my father's asking. He even went so far as to threaten my associates' mortgages if they dared try to help with funding."
"That's mean," Redd said simply. It surprised everyone there that she had actually said something, particularly Lex.
The group went on chit-chatting about what was going on, how the town was rebuilding, when Lana would be fully recovered from her injuries, etc. Chloe had looked at her watch and realized that she needed to get home and finish packing for her trip to Metropolis. Pete went to walk her home, leaving Clark, Lex and Redd in silence.
Amazingly, it was Redd that was first to speak up. She leaned into the table, whispering. "Mr. Luthor.I think I can help you with your plant."
Lex smirked skeptically. "I doubt someone like you could do anything for me."
Clark looked at his best friend. "I dunno, Lex. There's a lot she's capable of." But what was it that she had in mind?
"I have it back at the Kent's house," she meekly continued.
"And what, pray tell, is 'it?'" Lex asked, even more curious about the girl than before.
"You'll see." She smiled warmly.
A few minutes later, Lex had given Clark and Redd a ride back to the Kent Farm. Martha and Jonathan came out to greet them, but Redd had flown into the house, motioning for everyone to follow them.
Redd started to pull out the backpack she had been carrying with her since she ran away. She dumped the contents onto the floor. Several diamond bracelets, three sets of earrings in rubies, emeralds and sapphires, two necklaces strung with pearls and other colorful gems spilled onto the semi- charred rug. Everyone's eyes lit up. "I know what you're thinking.I didn't steal them. I pulled them from my grandmother's safe before I left Me-my town.She's been keeping them as a family heirloom. They're genuine- as far as I know-and over 50 years old."
Redd opened up another pouch in her backpack and pulled out a large, royal blue, velvet box. She opened it to reveal a diamond tiara. "I think all of this might solve the plant's problems," Redd beamed happily.
Everyone was dumbfounded. "Redd." Lex said, bewildered. "There's got to be billions of dollars worth of jewels here.That tiara alone must be ten million dollars."
Clark's eye were large. "If you had all thses jewels, why in the world did you have to steal food?"
Redd giggled a little. "I can't just walk into a pawn shop with all this. My killer would expect me to do something like that."
"If you knew that," Martha began to ask, "then why did you take them in the first place?"
Redd looked down at the floor, almost embarrassed. She shrugged. "I do not know.I just get these weird promptings.My mother had always told me I've been like that since I was little and that every time I chose to follow those promptings, things worked out for the best." Redd looked up and smiled slightly. "And they did. Half the people in this town will lose their jobs if the plant closes.This should provide enough money for Mr. Luthor to buy it and keep it open."
Lex was still bewildered. "Of all the things you could do with this money, why are you giving it to me?"
Redd smiled. "I'm not giving it to you. Not really. I'm giving it to the people of Smallville. If any of them are as hospitable and caring as the Kents, then they deserve it."
Lex kneeled on the floor opposite Redd with the jewels between them. He tried to look into her eys, but she looked away. "This will be more than enough to buy out the plant. What should I do with the rest?"
Redd shrugged. "I don't know.Give it to a charity.There's lots of needy families over in Egypt." Redd picked out the emerald earrings. "But I want the money from these earring to go to the Kents.It should be enough to rebuild their home and farm."
"That's not necessary," Jon Kent said.
"But it is," Redd insisted. "You're taking care of me, at a great risk to your own lives. It's the least I can do.besides doing some chores."
"We're not going to take your family money," Jon stated.
Redd wanted them to accept the money. That particular pair of earrings were worth the least of the entire bunch. However, Redd knew the right button to hit with Jonathan-she was a telepath after all-and that button was his wife. "Fine," she said. "If you don't take the money, I'll run away."
Martha looked at Jonathan pleadingly. She didn't want Redd to leave. In the week that she had been here, Martha had fallen in love with the petite redhead. Jonathan caved. "Alright. Fine." he said begrudgingly.
Lex looked at the girl again. So much love and compassion. If she had looked differently, she very well could have been Clark's twin sister.
**********
A/N: This is it. The story ends here. I'm thinking about a sequel where Redd gets kidnapped by her killer and the Smallville gang has to save her. Tell me if you like Redd enough for that to happen. Thanks for all the reviews and the support. I truly appreciate it! ^_^
x Dark Phoenix II x
Chloe looked up from her laptop and cup of coffee to see the familiar bald man. She smiled. "I don't leve for my internship until tommorrow."
"I though everyone was supposed to be there four days ago." Lex took a seat across from the blonde without asking her permission first. It's something that usually bothered Chloe, but after their little chat in the hospital, she didn't mind so much.
Chloe shrugged. "I know. I wanted to go then, but my dad was worried that I needed some time to heal from my injuries." Chloe motioned towards her head. She had her hair parted on the side and unflipped to cover up the wound that was healing from the injury she suffered a week ago. "Somehow, Dad managed to talk Mr. White into giving me that week instead of replacing me. I don't know how he did it.Mr. White has the reputation for being really impatient and stubborn."
Lex leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, well.Luthors have the reputation for being impatient and stubborn-as well as influential-themselves."
It didn't take long for Chloe to figure out what he was getting at. "You're the one who arranged it." She leaned over and playfully slapped Lex' arm. "Don't ever play stupid with me again, Luthor."
"It's Lex, Miss Sullivan. Lex."
"Lex, huh? How 'bout I make you a deal-"
"You, a silly little high school reporter, wants to make a deal with the king of deals?"
Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Okay, you just sounded like a used car salesman. But anyways, yes. I want to make you a deal. I'll call you Lex so long as you call me Chloe."
Lex pretended to be contemplating the offer then finally leaned forward and held out his hand. "It's a deal.Chloe."
The petite girl took his hand and shook it firmly. "Deal." She smiled brightly. The smile that could power a town for weeks, and consequently, the same smile that Lex had been waiting to see for a week.
Bells rang, signaling another customer had entered the ever so popular Talon. The two bantering partners looked up to see Clark, Pete and the mysterious redhead. Chloe waved them over. She was pleased to see that red was still in town.
The trio walked over to Chloe and Lex, where she motioned for them to sit down. Pete pulled up another chair while Clark and Redd took the remaining two. Redd seemed a little akward and jumpy in such a public place.
Lex studied the frail. She seemed somewhat familiar. He looked at his best friend and smirked. "Clark. I didn't think you were the type to go for redheads." He switched his gaze back to the young girl, curiosity glinting in his eyes.
"It's not like that, Lex," Clark said.
"Yeah," Chloe chirped in. "We found her out in the woods without a place to go. The Kents offered to let her stay as long as she needed to."
"That's very nice of them," Lex said. "Do you have a name?" he asked the small frail.
"Redd," she said shyly, avoiding eye contact. Eyes were the windows into one's soul, and she didn't want anyone seeing into hers.
"Red?" Lex asked, somewhat confused. "I asked what your name was, not your favorite color."
Pete glared at Lex. "That is her name. At least the one she's given us."
"Redd," Chloe confirmed. "With two D's."
"I see." Lex said skeptically. He leaned back in his chair.
"So when are you moving back to Metropolis, Chlo?" Pete asked. The question came from nowhere, but he was curious about his potential love interest's future, especially if it meant them being separated.
"Y'know.it's weird.Even though the plant's closing, we're going to stay here in Metropolis."
"Why?" Clark asked.
Chloe shrugged. "Maybe he likes living next door to meteor freaks."
Everyone laughed at Chloe's snarky remark, save Redd.
"That's good," Pete said. "With the plant closing and all, half the town's gonna leave." He tried to make the comment sound like it was Lex' fault. The bald man could save Pete's life and still he would hate him.
"I tried my absolute best to keep the plant open," Lex said, picking up on Pete's verbal jab and defending himself. "I wanted to buy out the Smallville Plant but I don't have enough money for what my father's asking. He even went so far as to threaten my associates' mortgages if they dared try to help with funding."
"That's mean," Redd said simply. It surprised everyone there that she had actually said something, particularly Lex.
The group went on chit-chatting about what was going on, how the town was rebuilding, when Lana would be fully recovered from her injuries, etc. Chloe had looked at her watch and realized that she needed to get home and finish packing for her trip to Metropolis. Pete went to walk her home, leaving Clark, Lex and Redd in silence.
Amazingly, it was Redd that was first to speak up. She leaned into the table, whispering. "Mr. Luthor.I think I can help you with your plant."
Lex smirked skeptically. "I doubt someone like you could do anything for me."
Clark looked at his best friend. "I dunno, Lex. There's a lot she's capable of." But what was it that she had in mind?
"I have it back at the Kent's house," she meekly continued.
"And what, pray tell, is 'it?'" Lex asked, even more curious about the girl than before.
"You'll see." She smiled warmly.
A few minutes later, Lex had given Clark and Redd a ride back to the Kent Farm. Martha and Jonathan came out to greet them, but Redd had flown into the house, motioning for everyone to follow them.
Redd started to pull out the backpack she had been carrying with her since she ran away. She dumped the contents onto the floor. Several diamond bracelets, three sets of earrings in rubies, emeralds and sapphires, two necklaces strung with pearls and other colorful gems spilled onto the semi- charred rug. Everyone's eyes lit up. "I know what you're thinking.I didn't steal them. I pulled them from my grandmother's safe before I left Me-my town.She's been keeping them as a family heirloom. They're genuine- as far as I know-and over 50 years old."
Redd opened up another pouch in her backpack and pulled out a large, royal blue, velvet box. She opened it to reveal a diamond tiara. "I think all of this might solve the plant's problems," Redd beamed happily.
Everyone was dumbfounded. "Redd." Lex said, bewildered. "There's got to be billions of dollars worth of jewels here.That tiara alone must be ten million dollars."
Clark's eye were large. "If you had all thses jewels, why in the world did you have to steal food?"
Redd giggled a little. "I can't just walk into a pawn shop with all this. My killer would expect me to do something like that."
"If you knew that," Martha began to ask, "then why did you take them in the first place?"
Redd looked down at the floor, almost embarrassed. She shrugged. "I do not know.I just get these weird promptings.My mother had always told me I've been like that since I was little and that every time I chose to follow those promptings, things worked out for the best." Redd looked up and smiled slightly. "And they did. Half the people in this town will lose their jobs if the plant closes.This should provide enough money for Mr. Luthor to buy it and keep it open."
Lex was still bewildered. "Of all the things you could do with this money, why are you giving it to me?"
Redd smiled. "I'm not giving it to you. Not really. I'm giving it to the people of Smallville. If any of them are as hospitable and caring as the Kents, then they deserve it."
Lex kneeled on the floor opposite Redd with the jewels between them. He tried to look into her eys, but she looked away. "This will be more than enough to buy out the plant. What should I do with the rest?"
Redd shrugged. "I don't know.Give it to a charity.There's lots of needy families over in Egypt." Redd picked out the emerald earrings. "But I want the money from these earring to go to the Kents.It should be enough to rebuild their home and farm."
"That's not necessary," Jon Kent said.
"But it is," Redd insisted. "You're taking care of me, at a great risk to your own lives. It's the least I can do.besides doing some chores."
"We're not going to take your family money," Jon stated.
Redd wanted them to accept the money. That particular pair of earrings were worth the least of the entire bunch. However, Redd knew the right button to hit with Jonathan-she was a telepath after all-and that button was his wife. "Fine," she said. "If you don't take the money, I'll run away."
Martha looked at Jonathan pleadingly. She didn't want Redd to leave. In the week that she had been here, Martha had fallen in love with the petite redhead. Jonathan caved. "Alright. Fine." he said begrudgingly.
Lex looked at the girl again. So much love and compassion. If she had looked differently, she very well could have been Clark's twin sister.
**********
A/N: This is it. The story ends here. I'm thinking about a sequel where Redd gets kidnapped by her killer and the Smallville gang has to save her. Tell me if you like Redd enough for that to happen. Thanks for all the reviews and the support. I truly appreciate it! ^_^
x Dark Phoenix II x