AU--what if it was somebody else who found Clark after the meteor shower?
Prologue
He had the helicopter take Lex to the Metropolis hospital. The boy's mother would meet him there while he finished up his business. He'd be discreet about it, the tabloids had been screeching lately about him. *Newspapers for the failures to hate the successes.*
He snapped his way through the meetings and stalked out. Driving back in the pathetic rented car, he wondered how Lex was taking the situation. His young son's mind was as incisive as his--a pleasure to mold--when it came to abstract problems on the chess board or a war game, but woefully inadequate about real world decisions. Cared too much about the other consequences. Was scared too much by them. *I hope this doesn't make him worse.*
A flash of motion alongside the road caught his eye. Some animal or another was racing the car. *What on earth that fast and small grows in Kansas?* He pressed on the accelerator and the creature kept pace. *Got to see this.* He raised his foot and as the car slowed, the figure changed its pace. *Can't be.* He pulled the car to a complete stop and the youngster bounded over, laughing up at him. The bright eyes were bold and confident.
Without even thinking, Lionel Luthor opened the door and the boy clambered in. "Who are you?" He was answered with a bright smile but nothing else, the same response he received to each question. *Now what? Well, sitting here won't do anything.* He resumed the drive, watching the boy gaze about with curious eyes.
"Hey, careful!" While Lionel had been watching the road, the kid had started playing with the lighter. He'd stuck a finger in, but was giggling instead of nursing a burnt finger. Lionel frowned, watching as the child repeated the action. *Must be broken.* He held out a hand and the boy obediently handed this new toy to him. *No, it's hot.* He looked more closely at his passenger. *I don't know who or what you are, but I think you're mine now.* With the stiffness of one unused to gestures of affection, he stretched an arm out, and the boy confidently cuddled close.
****************************************************************************
"Of course I want him! I just want to make sure that Lex doesn't feel that we got a substitute while he's in the hospital, or that this little guy doesn't feel that when Lex comes home, he'll be replaced!" Lionel watched in satisfaction as his wife jogged the boy up and down on her lap.
"That's settled then. I can push the adoption through immediately."
"What do we name him?" She contemplated the child as though she thought she'd find it written somewhere on his face. She paused, then looked at her husband cautiously. "Clark?"
Clara was the name she had chosen for the girl she had miscarried. He'd become firmer about her grieving, insisting that if they had another, she'd, if not forget, find the edges of the pain dulled. *It's a start.*
"Clark...and for a middle name, let's see...Clark...Clark...Lawrence, no...Leon."
"Clark Leon Luthor," she repeated, smiling at the boy who grinned up at her.
***********************************************************************************************
"No, Clark! Leave your brother alone!" *He's still a little boy. He doesn't know his strength.* Alexia Luthor pulled at Clark's jacket, drawing him away from the pummeled Lex.
"He wouldn't let me play with his dog!"
"Clark, we know you didn't mean to, but you hurt poor Ginger last time you played with him."
"I won't this time," he responded with a pout. "I'm not a baby any more."
*Every time Lionel tells me he's had a difficult day, I want him to trade places. But Lionel is so proud of him.* Lionel gloated over every new display of strength or speed. It was one of their few arguments, she insisting that Clark learn control, Lionel adamant that Clark was different and would have different boundaries. It was one of their few arguments, but one that they repeated with an ever-increasing frequency.
With difficulty, she persuaded Clark to play in his treehouse instead. Lex sidled closer to her. "Mom...he meant to hurt Ginger," he whispered.
She didn't know whether or not to believe him. Clark was turning into a bully, but then Lex was becoming manipulative, even untruthful. Lex was retreating more and more from life and Clark was, well, barely controllable. What would happen when he realized that there was nothing she could do to make him do something?
Prologue
He had the helicopter take Lex to the Metropolis hospital. The boy's mother would meet him there while he finished up his business. He'd be discreet about it, the tabloids had been screeching lately about him. *Newspapers for the failures to hate the successes.*
He snapped his way through the meetings and stalked out. Driving back in the pathetic rented car, he wondered how Lex was taking the situation. His young son's mind was as incisive as his--a pleasure to mold--when it came to abstract problems on the chess board or a war game, but woefully inadequate about real world decisions. Cared too much about the other consequences. Was scared too much by them. *I hope this doesn't make him worse.*
A flash of motion alongside the road caught his eye. Some animal or another was racing the car. *What on earth that fast and small grows in Kansas?* He pressed on the accelerator and the creature kept pace. *Got to see this.* He raised his foot and as the car slowed, the figure changed its pace. *Can't be.* He pulled the car to a complete stop and the youngster bounded over, laughing up at him. The bright eyes were bold and confident.
Without even thinking, Lionel Luthor opened the door and the boy clambered in. "Who are you?" He was answered with a bright smile but nothing else, the same response he received to each question. *Now what? Well, sitting here won't do anything.* He resumed the drive, watching the boy gaze about with curious eyes.
"Hey, careful!" While Lionel had been watching the road, the kid had started playing with the lighter. He'd stuck a finger in, but was giggling instead of nursing a burnt finger. Lionel frowned, watching as the child repeated the action. *Must be broken.* He held out a hand and the boy obediently handed this new toy to him. *No, it's hot.* He looked more closely at his passenger. *I don't know who or what you are, but I think you're mine now.* With the stiffness of one unused to gestures of affection, he stretched an arm out, and the boy confidently cuddled close.
****************************************************************************
"Of course I want him! I just want to make sure that Lex doesn't feel that we got a substitute while he's in the hospital, or that this little guy doesn't feel that when Lex comes home, he'll be replaced!" Lionel watched in satisfaction as his wife jogged the boy up and down on her lap.
"That's settled then. I can push the adoption through immediately."
"What do we name him?" She contemplated the child as though she thought she'd find it written somewhere on his face. She paused, then looked at her husband cautiously. "Clark?"
Clara was the name she had chosen for the girl she had miscarried. He'd become firmer about her grieving, insisting that if they had another, she'd, if not forget, find the edges of the pain dulled. *It's a start.*
"Clark...and for a middle name, let's see...Clark...Clark...Lawrence, no...Leon."
"Clark Leon Luthor," she repeated, smiling at the boy who grinned up at her.
***********************************************************************************************
"No, Clark! Leave your brother alone!" *He's still a little boy. He doesn't know his strength.* Alexia Luthor pulled at Clark's jacket, drawing him away from the pummeled Lex.
"He wouldn't let me play with his dog!"
"Clark, we know you didn't mean to, but you hurt poor Ginger last time you played with him."
"I won't this time," he responded with a pout. "I'm not a baby any more."
*Every time Lionel tells me he's had a difficult day, I want him to trade places. But Lionel is so proud of him.* Lionel gloated over every new display of strength or speed. It was one of their few arguments, she insisting that Clark learn control, Lionel adamant that Clark was different and would have different boundaries. It was one of their few arguments, but one that they repeated with an ever-increasing frequency.
With difficulty, she persuaded Clark to play in his treehouse instead. Lex sidled closer to her. "Mom...he meant to hurt Ginger," he whispered.
She didn't know whether or not to believe him. Clark was turning into a bully, but then Lex was becoming manipulative, even untruthful. Lex was retreating more and more from life and Clark was, well, barely controllable. What would happen when he realized that there was nothing she could do to make him do something?