Title: A Luthor Christmas
Author: MitchPell
Rating: R
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville; it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using their stuff for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: I had to through in all of the James. I reminds me so much of my family. My grandpa is named John, my dad is named John, and my brother is named John. Then I have an Uncle Mike and two cousins named Mike. LOL! Luckily everyone has nicknames! This is part of the Slash Advent Calendar Challenge situated at: http://www.kardasi.com/Advent. This story was actually rated NC-17, but I toned it down to an R rating so I could post it here. If you are interested in reading the NC-17 version, you can find it up at my site: www.geocities.com/mitchpell.
Summary: Most people assume that the Luthor Annual Christmas Party is a big company party. But what if it isn't?
Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com
************************************************************************
A six-year-old Lex Luthor grudgingly followed his parents up the front steps of his Grandfather's country home. As long as he could remember, which wasn't very long, he had hated visiting his grandparents for Christmas. It wasn't because he didn't like his grandparents; in fact he was rather fond of them. Ok, so he was fond of his grandma. It was his other relatives that he hated. And they were all going to be crammed under one roof until late tomorrow morning.
With a loud sigh he pulled his black cap further down on his head then stuffed his hands deep inside his coat pockets. It was cold and Lex hated to be cold. He also hated snow and slush and. He let out a cry of surprise as a sheet of ice caused his legs to fly out from underneath him. His hands were jammed so deep in his pockets that he wasn't able to get them out in time to catch himself, and he ended up landing hard on his butt. He flopped himself down onto the ground and glared up at the black sky. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to cry. No matter how bad his tailbone hurt, he wasn't going to cry.
He could hear the quick clip-clop of his mother's heels as she rushed over to him. "Lex are you all right?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.
"If I say no, can we go back home?" He asked as he looked up at his mother who was crouching over him.
Lillian couldn't help but smile at the almost desperate look on her son's face. "I don't think you're hurt that bad." She told him.
"Lex! Get up off the ground before you get soak and wet!" Lionel bellowed from the top of the steps.
Lex quickly scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off. He took his mother's offered hand and carefully maneuvered around the ice. He then followed his parents into the house. As they entered the foyer, they were greeted by his grandparent's housekeeper, Margaret. "Good evening, Mr. Luthor, Mrs. Lillian." She said as she took their coats, scarves, and gloves. Lionel gave her a curt nod then proceeded on into the house.
"Hello, Margaret. How are you doing this evening?" Lillian asked.
"I'm fine thank you, Ma'am. How about yourself?"
"As well as can be expect." Lillian replied.
"That's good." Margaret said before bending down to look at Lex. "And how are you, young man?" She asked.
Lex scowled up at the plump woman, as he attempted to smooth down his flaming red hair. It had picked up an enormous amount of static electricity from his hat and was sticking up all over the place. "Fine." He spat at her.
Margaret reached down and pinched one of his freckled covered chubby cheeks. "You just get cuter and cuter." She cooed.
Annoyed, Lex hauled off and kicked the poor woman as hard as he could in the shin. She immediately released her hold on his cheek, and he took off into the house. He heard his mother call out after him, but he ignored her as he raced towards the main living room. He ran down the hall and paused in the doorway just long enough to see that his grandma wasn't there, before running off to the kitchen. He saw her sitting at the small kitchen table and jump up onto her lap.
"Now, Lex." Emma Luthor scolded. "What did I tell you about running in the house?"
Lex grinned up at her as he wheezed on her lap. "I know. I just. Had to. Get away. From Margaret. She was. Attacking my. Cheeks." He managed to squeeze out through his heaving breathing.
His grandma gave him a firm look, before smiling at him. "Well, I suppose you can make it up to me with a kiss."
Lex smiled as he wrapped his pudgy little arms around her in big hug then kissed her cheek. He then turned and settled in her lap. He leaned his head back onto her chest and sat there for a minute, concentrating on catching his breath.
Emma frowned as she listened to her grandson's breathing. "Where's your inhaler?" She asked him.
Lex rolled his eyes as he started digging in his pants pockets. He hated using the stupid thing. Especially in front his relatives. It made him look weak. And he couldn't be weak, especially not in front of his grandfather. The old man was worse than his dad. But if it would make his grandma happy, he'd use it.
He took two puffs of the medicated air before shoving it back into his pant's pocket. "So, how've you've been, Grandma?" He asked as he titled his head up to look at her.
"Just fine, and how about yourself?"
"Pretty good. Well, I was feeling pretty good until I fell outside on a big sheet of ice! Seriously, Grandma, you should fire who ever is responsible for maintaining your sidewalk." He told her, his face set in an expression of complete seriousness.
"Should I now?" She asked, her eyes dancing with amusement.
"Yes, you should. Because it is obvious that they are incompetent." He replied.
Emma couldn't help but laugh. But she immediately sobered up at the glare she received from her grandson. "Well, I'll be sure to look into the matter, Lex." She told him in mock seriousness.
"Good." He then reached out to steal a piece of turkey from the platter setting on the kitchen table. Only to get his hand slapped away by his Aunt Melinda, who was in the kitchen helping Marie, his grandma's cook.
"You'll wait for dinner, young man." Melinda said sternly. "Or you'll get no dessert."
Lex rolled his eyes. He didn't see what was so wrong about stealing one piece of turkey. It wasn't like it would spoil his appetite. But he could wait. His Aunt Mel was a great chef, and there was no way he was missing out on whatever she had made for dessert.
His grandma set him down on his feet as she stood up. "Come on, let's go join the rest of the family in the living room."
The two walked through the large country home to the large sitting room. The room was beautifully decorated for the holiday season with a tall round soft-needled pine tree. There was a toy train running through a small town that was set up under the tree, and piles of elegantly wrapped presents. And above the fireplace there was a stocking for each of the grandkids.
A quick glance around showed that everyone was there. His mom and dad were sitting on one large couch across from his grandfather, Laurence. Also in the room were his Uncle James and his two kids James II and Lydia. His Aunt Megan and her husband Robert were there as well, along with their son William.
His mother caught sight of him as soon as he stepped foot in the room. "There you are!" She called out. "I want you to go and apologize to Margaret."
Lex scoffed. "I'm not going to apologize to her. I didn't do anything wrong."
"You know exactly what you did wrong. And yes, you will go apologize." Lillian said sternly.
"No!"
"Alexander Joseph Luthor, you will go apologize to Margaret right now!"
"Fine!" Lex spat, before going off in search of the maid. He could here his cousin James laughing at him as he left the room. He really hated his cousin James. James was always bulling him around and calling him names. It was annoying and frustrating. He tried to retaliate. But James was two years older than him, so he was bigger and stronger. Plus he didn't have asthma, or allergies, or freckles, or stupid clown red hair. James was everything Lex wanted to be, but wasn't. Though there was one advantage that Lex did have over James. Lex was the heir to the family company, and James wasn't. But of course that alone came with it's own set of problems, mostly in the form of his grandfather and father, who were constantly on his case.
After a good five-minute search, he finally found Margaret in the dinning room. She was setting the large table that the family would be eating on in a few minutes. Determined, Lex marched right up to her and said, "I'm sorry I kicked you in the shin, but you shouldn't pinch my cheeks." He then turned and stormed back to the living room, where he threw himself on the couch beside his mother.
All of his huffing and puffing had caused his chest to tighten a little. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his inhaler and took one puff, before quickly putting it back.
Laurence looked up from his conversation with Lionel. He frowned as he watched his grandson, and the future heir of LuthorCorp, sucking on an inhaler. While still watching Lex, he said to Lionel, "I thought he was supposed to grow out of that."
"I'm sure he will, Laurence. But it's not going to happen over night." Lillian replied in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Well, he'd better. The boys too weak." Laurence stated. "Not fit to take over the company."
"Well, I would hope not! He's only six!" Lillian replied hotly.
Laurence merely grunted in reply, before turning back to Lionel. "It's all in his mind. You need to be firmer, stop babying him so much."
"Believe me, father, I'm quiet firm with Lex." Lionel told him. That seemed to satisfy Laurence for the time being, and the two went back to discussing various deals and contracts Lionel was working on.
Lex glanced over at his cousin James, who was making crying baby-faces at him. "Stop it, James!" He yelled.
"Make me, Freckle Face!" James shot back.
"Boys that's enough!" Emma scolded. "There will be no more fighting. For once I'd like to have a nice peaceful Christmas, without you two going at each other's throats."
The two boys both mumbled a 'sorry grandma,' before sticking their tongues out at each other. Margaret entered the room a few minutes later to announce that dinner was ready. The family shuffled out of the living room and into the dinning room, where Melinda was waiting.
They all took their respective places at the table. Laurence and Emma sat at the heads of the table. Lionel and Lillian sat on either side of Laurence. Lex sat beside his father, his Aunt Megan sat next to him followed by his cousin James and his Uncle James. William sat beside Lillian, followed by Robert, Lydia and Melinda. Lex was just glad he didn't have to sit beside his cousin James. William was much more tolerable as cousins go.
The dinner conversation took its usual turn. The well being of LuthorCorp and James's Corporate Law Firm were discussed, as well as that state of Melinda's restaurant. Megan shared what she could of some of the more outrageous cases she had preceded over, and Robert discussed some of the advances in neurological medicine. In short, the conversation was limited to that of their respective work places. Nothing of a personal matter was discussed.
Dinner passed rather quickly. And after which the adults moved back into the living room and the children were left to their own devices. It was then that Lex's true torture began.
Lex, James, William, and Lydia all filed into one of the upstairs entertainment rooms. Lex gracelessly threw himself into an overstuffed leather chair and watched as his cousins sat on the couch. "Well, what are we going to do?" Lex asked.
"How about we play a board game?" James suggested.
Lex grunted. "We always play board games. Let's do something else."
"I'll play a board game." William piped up.
"Yeah, let's play Monopoly." Lydia suggested.
"Alright, Monopoly it is." James declared.
"I hate Monopoly." Lex grumbled.
"You just hated it because you always lose." James snickered.
"Only because you cheat, James." Lex retorted. "You think I don't notice you stealing money out of the bank?"
"Whatever, Lex. You're just a sore loser." James shot back.
"Fine. We'll play Monopoly, but only if I'm the banker."
"Fine. You'll still lose, Freckle Face."
"How much you want to bet I don't?"
"I bet you Grandma's Christmas present that I'll still win."
Lex hesitated for just a minute. Despite the fact that he was positive he could beat James, there was always a certain amount of chance in Monopoly. And his Grandma's present was a lot to gamble. She gave the best gifts. It always seemed that she put a lot of time and thought into them. They were personal, unlike a lot of the impersonal things he usually got. But he didn't want to seem like a coward, so he squared his shoulders and stuck out his hand. "Deal," he said.
James reached out and shook Lex's hand. "Alright, Golden Boy, let's do this."
A good hour later, Lex and James were still huddled over the Monopoly board. Lex was starting to panic. He was down to his last dollar, literally. He didn't understand how it could be possible. He owned most of the properties, and he had hotels on everything he owned, but James kept missing them. He always seemed to hit that one square that he owned amongst all of Lex's high priced lots. It was infuriating, and Lex swore that if he went to jail one more time he was going to throw something, preferably his shoe, right at James's stupid fat head.
After a short little prayer to whoever might be listening, Lex rolled the dice. Double fives landed him on chance. He took a deep breath and looked at the card, House and Hotel repairs. Lex growled in frustration, it could not be possible. He had just paid for house repairs. How could he possibly have to pay for them again? He looked up at James's smug face. "You rigged it!" He yelled.
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did! I just paid for house repairs, how could I possibly have to pay for them again, unless you rigged it?" Lex shouted.
"How could I have rigged it? You were watching me the whole time, you must have paid with Community Chest."
"I don't know how you did it, but I know you did. I specifically remember paying with Chance!"
"Yeah, well what can I say, Freckle Face, you must not be getting enough oxygen to your brain."
Lex just snapped. He picked up his nearby shoe and chucked it as hard as he could at his cousin, and nailed him right in the forehead.
"Ow! You little shit!" James yelled and lounged himself across the game board. He successfully managed to tackle Lex to ground and punched right in the nose.
After recovering from his initial shock, Lex reached out and kneed James in the groin. James collapsed in heap on top of him, and Lex took the chance to squeeze out from underneath him. It didn't take James long to recover and he was soon on his feet. As soon as Lex saw James start to get up he took off down the hallway, with James hot on his heels.
He didn't make it very far before James caught up to him and shoved him up against the wall. "You little prick!" James shouted in his face. "I should kick the shit out of you!"
Lex could feel his chest tighten up from the exertion and slight panic. "James." He wheezed, in an attempt to draw his cousin's attention to the problem. "I can't."
"Oh shut it, Lex! I'm not going to fall for that again." James snapped. "You can cry wolf all you want!"
Lex mentally cursed at himself. Stupid fables. He should have known better than to fake an asthma attack the last time James and him fought. Black dots started to play before his eyes, and he was afraid that he might pass out.
"James!" William called out from down the hall. "Let him go!"
"Why should I?" James shot back. "He hit me with his shoe!"
William ran up to them and looked at Lex. "I don't think he's faking it. I really don't think he can breathe."
"Well, it serves him right!"
"I told Lydia to get you're parents." William said, which caused James to immediately release Lex, who dropped to the floor.
"You little tattle tale! I can't believe you did that."
"Well I'm glad he did!" Melinda called as she and Lillian rushed up the stairs.
"What is the matter with you two?" Lillian demanded as she knelt beside Lex, who was sucking on his inhaler.
"He started it!" James started. "He threw a shoe at me!"
"He. Was. Cheating." Lex wheezed.
"Oh whatever, Freckle Face!"
"Alright, that's enough!" Melinda scolded. "I want both of you to go to your rooms. You've both caused enough trouble for one night"
Lex shot James a final scowl before his mother herded him off to his room. He stomped off down the hall and threw open the door to his bedroom. He marched over to the king size bed and threw himself down as dramatically as possible.
"Alright, drama queen, what happened this time?" Lillian asked.
"James was cheating at Monopoly again!"
Lillian sighed and sat down on the bed. "Lex, has it ever occurred to you that James is just better at the game than you are?"
"He's not, Mom. He's just cheating some how. I don't know how, but he is. And I'm going to find out."
"No you're not. You are going to stay here, in your room, until tomorrow morning. Then you're going to apologize to James for hitting him."
"What about him? He punched me in the face! I'm probably going to have a black eye!" Lex exclaimed.
"I'm sure Aunt Mel will make him apologize to you as well. But if not, at least you'll have the satisfaction of being the better man." She told him.
Lex snorted and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, right. Like that matters."
"It does," she said, "it matters to me." She then leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she got up and left the room.
Lex looked over at his nightstand. The clock there told him it was only 8:30, too early to go to bed. He let his eyes drift from his clock to the snow globe that sat beside it. It was the gift his grandmother had given him last year. Lex reached over, picked up the globe, and shook it. He watched in fascination as the fake snow fell upon the three little figures. There was a beautiful woman with long red hair, a tall man with dark hair, and a little boy. It was his family and safe beneath the glass of the globe they were happy.
With a sigh, Lex replaced the globe then jumped off the bed and went over to the bookshelf. His eyes scanned over the various children's books, looking for something to do to pass the time. Deciding on some good old Dr. Seuss, he picked several volumes off the shelves and carried them back over the to bed. It was a few hours later that he fell asleep on the open pages of "Green Eggs and Ham."
Lex slowly regained consciousness. A quick glance at the clock beside his bed told him that it was two am. With a groan sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After stifling a yawn he slide off the bed. He took a minute to change into his pajamas then shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. After using the bathroom, he pattered down the stairs and into the kitchen to sneak a late night snack.
Despite the darkness he easily maneuvered through the large country house. When he reached the kitchen he flipped on the overhead light then headed towards the fridge. He scanned the fridge for a minute, but was unable to find anything he wanted. So he went over to the kitchen table and pulled a chair over to the fridge. He climbed up onto the chair and stood on his tippee-toes so he could look in the freezer. He his eyes widened and he licked his lips when he spotted the huge tub of vanilla ice cream. He reached into the cold freezer, but his little arms were an inch too short.
He jumped on the chair he was standing on and made a grabbed for the tub. After several attempts, he had only managed to push the tub further back into the freezer. He was about to make one last try when a voice called out to him.
"Are you trying to fall and back your leg, Lex?" Emma asked from her perch in the doorway. She had been watching him for the past two or three minutes.
"Haha, Grandma. I'm trying to reach the ice cream."
Emma laughed. She walked over and removed the tub from the freezer. She then picked him up and placed him on the floor. "Put the chair back and I'll get us some dishes." She told him.
Lex quickly put the chair back by the table. "Can we have chocolate syrup too?" He asked eagerly.
"I suppose." She responded, fanning annoyance.
Lex removed the chocolate syrup from the fridge then sat down at the kitchen table and watched his grandma scoop the ice cream. She then sat the two bowls in front of him, so he could add the topping. Lex popped the cap off the container and turned it over. Then with extreme concentration drew two smiley faces on the evenly scooped ice cream.
"So," Emma asked. "What are you doing up so late?"
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just woke up and wanted something to eat."
The two sat in comfortable silence for a minute before Lex looked up at her and asked, "Grandma, do you think I'll be a good businessman?"
Emma pursed her lips. "I think you can be a very good businessman, Lex."
Lex frowned and looked down at his half eaten ice cream. "What if I don't want to be a businessman? What if I want to do something else?"
His grandma sighed and leaned forward in her chair. "Well, Lex, sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to. But, your father is counting on you to carry on with the family business. I know it might seem like a big responsibility, but he needs you Lex. Just like Grandpa needed him. And don't worry, you'll still have plenty of time to do other things."
"But why me? Why not James?" Lex asked her, his eyes showing his need to understand.
"Well, because you're your dad's oldest child. Just like you dad was grandpa's oldest child. And like you'll inherit LuthorCorp, James will inherit your Uncle James's law firm. It's just the way things are." She watched as he stifled a yawn then reached over and took his tiny hand and smiled. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."
Lex followed his grandma back up to his room. He climbed back onto his bed and crawled under the covers. He watched as his grandma picked up some of the books that had haphazardly fallen on the floor and stacked them neatly. She then tucked the covers up under his chin and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Lex."
"Good night, Grandma." He watched her cross the room, shut off the light, and close the door. Once again alone in his room, Lex drifted off to a peaceful slumber.
The next morning the whole family gathered once again in the dining room for a large breakfast. Then they all filtered into the living room for a quick gift exchange. At his mother's request Lex did apologize to James for hitting him, even though the gesture wasn't reciprocated. He later heard James tell his Aunt Mel that he had apologized. However, his anger was quickly forgotten in replace of the huge stack of gifts in front of him.
He received a couple shirts and a few pairs of slacks, as well as a Rubik's Cube and his first book by Nietzsche from his parents. His aunts and uncles also gave him a few books and a couple of toys. From his grandfather he received his first Armani suit. And from his grandmother he got the keys to a snazzy go-cart, which he grudgingly gave to his cousin James. He might have felt that he was cheated, but he wasn't going to go back on his word.
But it was ok; he didn't have anyplace to ride the go-cart in the city anyway. And he didn't come out to farm that often. So, he wasn't that upset about it, but he was. Therefore, it was with a heavy heart that Lex Luthor kissed his grandma goodbye, before walking down the front steps of her house and climbing into the car.
TBC.
Author: MitchPell
Rating: R
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville; it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using their stuff for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: I had to through in all of the James. I reminds me so much of my family. My grandpa is named John, my dad is named John, and my brother is named John. Then I have an Uncle Mike and two cousins named Mike. LOL! Luckily everyone has nicknames! This is part of the Slash Advent Calendar Challenge situated at: http://www.kardasi.com/Advent. This story was actually rated NC-17, but I toned it down to an R rating so I could post it here. If you are interested in reading the NC-17 version, you can find it up at my site: www.geocities.com/mitchpell.
Summary: Most people assume that the Luthor Annual Christmas Party is a big company party. But what if it isn't?
Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com
************************************************************************
A six-year-old Lex Luthor grudgingly followed his parents up the front steps of his Grandfather's country home. As long as he could remember, which wasn't very long, he had hated visiting his grandparents for Christmas. It wasn't because he didn't like his grandparents; in fact he was rather fond of them. Ok, so he was fond of his grandma. It was his other relatives that he hated. And they were all going to be crammed under one roof until late tomorrow morning.
With a loud sigh he pulled his black cap further down on his head then stuffed his hands deep inside his coat pockets. It was cold and Lex hated to be cold. He also hated snow and slush and. He let out a cry of surprise as a sheet of ice caused his legs to fly out from underneath him. His hands were jammed so deep in his pockets that he wasn't able to get them out in time to catch himself, and he ended up landing hard on his butt. He flopped himself down onto the ground and glared up at the black sky. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to cry. No matter how bad his tailbone hurt, he wasn't going to cry.
He could hear the quick clip-clop of his mother's heels as she rushed over to him. "Lex are you all right?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.
"If I say no, can we go back home?" He asked as he looked up at his mother who was crouching over him.
Lillian couldn't help but smile at the almost desperate look on her son's face. "I don't think you're hurt that bad." She told him.
"Lex! Get up off the ground before you get soak and wet!" Lionel bellowed from the top of the steps.
Lex quickly scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off. He took his mother's offered hand and carefully maneuvered around the ice. He then followed his parents into the house. As they entered the foyer, they were greeted by his grandparent's housekeeper, Margaret. "Good evening, Mr. Luthor, Mrs. Lillian." She said as she took their coats, scarves, and gloves. Lionel gave her a curt nod then proceeded on into the house.
"Hello, Margaret. How are you doing this evening?" Lillian asked.
"I'm fine thank you, Ma'am. How about yourself?"
"As well as can be expect." Lillian replied.
"That's good." Margaret said before bending down to look at Lex. "And how are you, young man?" She asked.
Lex scowled up at the plump woman, as he attempted to smooth down his flaming red hair. It had picked up an enormous amount of static electricity from his hat and was sticking up all over the place. "Fine." He spat at her.
Margaret reached down and pinched one of his freckled covered chubby cheeks. "You just get cuter and cuter." She cooed.
Annoyed, Lex hauled off and kicked the poor woman as hard as he could in the shin. She immediately released her hold on his cheek, and he took off into the house. He heard his mother call out after him, but he ignored her as he raced towards the main living room. He ran down the hall and paused in the doorway just long enough to see that his grandma wasn't there, before running off to the kitchen. He saw her sitting at the small kitchen table and jump up onto her lap.
"Now, Lex." Emma Luthor scolded. "What did I tell you about running in the house?"
Lex grinned up at her as he wheezed on her lap. "I know. I just. Had to. Get away. From Margaret. She was. Attacking my. Cheeks." He managed to squeeze out through his heaving breathing.
His grandma gave him a firm look, before smiling at him. "Well, I suppose you can make it up to me with a kiss."
Lex smiled as he wrapped his pudgy little arms around her in big hug then kissed her cheek. He then turned and settled in her lap. He leaned his head back onto her chest and sat there for a minute, concentrating on catching his breath.
Emma frowned as she listened to her grandson's breathing. "Where's your inhaler?" She asked him.
Lex rolled his eyes as he started digging in his pants pockets. He hated using the stupid thing. Especially in front his relatives. It made him look weak. And he couldn't be weak, especially not in front of his grandfather. The old man was worse than his dad. But if it would make his grandma happy, he'd use it.
He took two puffs of the medicated air before shoving it back into his pant's pocket. "So, how've you've been, Grandma?" He asked as he titled his head up to look at her.
"Just fine, and how about yourself?"
"Pretty good. Well, I was feeling pretty good until I fell outside on a big sheet of ice! Seriously, Grandma, you should fire who ever is responsible for maintaining your sidewalk." He told her, his face set in an expression of complete seriousness.
"Should I now?" She asked, her eyes dancing with amusement.
"Yes, you should. Because it is obvious that they are incompetent." He replied.
Emma couldn't help but laugh. But she immediately sobered up at the glare she received from her grandson. "Well, I'll be sure to look into the matter, Lex." She told him in mock seriousness.
"Good." He then reached out to steal a piece of turkey from the platter setting on the kitchen table. Only to get his hand slapped away by his Aunt Melinda, who was in the kitchen helping Marie, his grandma's cook.
"You'll wait for dinner, young man." Melinda said sternly. "Or you'll get no dessert."
Lex rolled his eyes. He didn't see what was so wrong about stealing one piece of turkey. It wasn't like it would spoil his appetite. But he could wait. His Aunt Mel was a great chef, and there was no way he was missing out on whatever she had made for dessert.
His grandma set him down on his feet as she stood up. "Come on, let's go join the rest of the family in the living room."
The two walked through the large country home to the large sitting room. The room was beautifully decorated for the holiday season with a tall round soft-needled pine tree. There was a toy train running through a small town that was set up under the tree, and piles of elegantly wrapped presents. And above the fireplace there was a stocking for each of the grandkids.
A quick glance around showed that everyone was there. His mom and dad were sitting on one large couch across from his grandfather, Laurence. Also in the room were his Uncle James and his two kids James II and Lydia. His Aunt Megan and her husband Robert were there as well, along with their son William.
His mother caught sight of him as soon as he stepped foot in the room. "There you are!" She called out. "I want you to go and apologize to Margaret."
Lex scoffed. "I'm not going to apologize to her. I didn't do anything wrong."
"You know exactly what you did wrong. And yes, you will go apologize." Lillian said sternly.
"No!"
"Alexander Joseph Luthor, you will go apologize to Margaret right now!"
"Fine!" Lex spat, before going off in search of the maid. He could here his cousin James laughing at him as he left the room. He really hated his cousin James. James was always bulling him around and calling him names. It was annoying and frustrating. He tried to retaliate. But James was two years older than him, so he was bigger and stronger. Plus he didn't have asthma, or allergies, or freckles, or stupid clown red hair. James was everything Lex wanted to be, but wasn't. Though there was one advantage that Lex did have over James. Lex was the heir to the family company, and James wasn't. But of course that alone came with it's own set of problems, mostly in the form of his grandfather and father, who were constantly on his case.
After a good five-minute search, he finally found Margaret in the dinning room. She was setting the large table that the family would be eating on in a few minutes. Determined, Lex marched right up to her and said, "I'm sorry I kicked you in the shin, but you shouldn't pinch my cheeks." He then turned and stormed back to the living room, where he threw himself on the couch beside his mother.
All of his huffing and puffing had caused his chest to tighten a little. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his inhaler and took one puff, before quickly putting it back.
Laurence looked up from his conversation with Lionel. He frowned as he watched his grandson, and the future heir of LuthorCorp, sucking on an inhaler. While still watching Lex, he said to Lionel, "I thought he was supposed to grow out of that."
"I'm sure he will, Laurence. But it's not going to happen over night." Lillian replied in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Well, he'd better. The boys too weak." Laurence stated. "Not fit to take over the company."
"Well, I would hope not! He's only six!" Lillian replied hotly.
Laurence merely grunted in reply, before turning back to Lionel. "It's all in his mind. You need to be firmer, stop babying him so much."
"Believe me, father, I'm quiet firm with Lex." Lionel told him. That seemed to satisfy Laurence for the time being, and the two went back to discussing various deals and contracts Lionel was working on.
Lex glanced over at his cousin James, who was making crying baby-faces at him. "Stop it, James!" He yelled.
"Make me, Freckle Face!" James shot back.
"Boys that's enough!" Emma scolded. "There will be no more fighting. For once I'd like to have a nice peaceful Christmas, without you two going at each other's throats."
The two boys both mumbled a 'sorry grandma,' before sticking their tongues out at each other. Margaret entered the room a few minutes later to announce that dinner was ready. The family shuffled out of the living room and into the dinning room, where Melinda was waiting.
They all took their respective places at the table. Laurence and Emma sat at the heads of the table. Lionel and Lillian sat on either side of Laurence. Lex sat beside his father, his Aunt Megan sat next to him followed by his cousin James and his Uncle James. William sat beside Lillian, followed by Robert, Lydia and Melinda. Lex was just glad he didn't have to sit beside his cousin James. William was much more tolerable as cousins go.
The dinner conversation took its usual turn. The well being of LuthorCorp and James's Corporate Law Firm were discussed, as well as that state of Melinda's restaurant. Megan shared what she could of some of the more outrageous cases she had preceded over, and Robert discussed some of the advances in neurological medicine. In short, the conversation was limited to that of their respective work places. Nothing of a personal matter was discussed.
Dinner passed rather quickly. And after which the adults moved back into the living room and the children were left to their own devices. It was then that Lex's true torture began.
Lex, James, William, and Lydia all filed into one of the upstairs entertainment rooms. Lex gracelessly threw himself into an overstuffed leather chair and watched as his cousins sat on the couch. "Well, what are we going to do?" Lex asked.
"How about we play a board game?" James suggested.
Lex grunted. "We always play board games. Let's do something else."
"I'll play a board game." William piped up.
"Yeah, let's play Monopoly." Lydia suggested.
"Alright, Monopoly it is." James declared.
"I hate Monopoly." Lex grumbled.
"You just hated it because you always lose." James snickered.
"Only because you cheat, James." Lex retorted. "You think I don't notice you stealing money out of the bank?"
"Whatever, Lex. You're just a sore loser." James shot back.
"Fine. We'll play Monopoly, but only if I'm the banker."
"Fine. You'll still lose, Freckle Face."
"How much you want to bet I don't?"
"I bet you Grandma's Christmas present that I'll still win."
Lex hesitated for just a minute. Despite the fact that he was positive he could beat James, there was always a certain amount of chance in Monopoly. And his Grandma's present was a lot to gamble. She gave the best gifts. It always seemed that she put a lot of time and thought into them. They were personal, unlike a lot of the impersonal things he usually got. But he didn't want to seem like a coward, so he squared his shoulders and stuck out his hand. "Deal," he said.
James reached out and shook Lex's hand. "Alright, Golden Boy, let's do this."
A good hour later, Lex and James were still huddled over the Monopoly board. Lex was starting to panic. He was down to his last dollar, literally. He didn't understand how it could be possible. He owned most of the properties, and he had hotels on everything he owned, but James kept missing them. He always seemed to hit that one square that he owned amongst all of Lex's high priced lots. It was infuriating, and Lex swore that if he went to jail one more time he was going to throw something, preferably his shoe, right at James's stupid fat head.
After a short little prayer to whoever might be listening, Lex rolled the dice. Double fives landed him on chance. He took a deep breath and looked at the card, House and Hotel repairs. Lex growled in frustration, it could not be possible. He had just paid for house repairs. How could he possibly have to pay for them again? He looked up at James's smug face. "You rigged it!" He yelled.
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did! I just paid for house repairs, how could I possibly have to pay for them again, unless you rigged it?" Lex shouted.
"How could I have rigged it? You were watching me the whole time, you must have paid with Community Chest."
"I don't know how you did it, but I know you did. I specifically remember paying with Chance!"
"Yeah, well what can I say, Freckle Face, you must not be getting enough oxygen to your brain."
Lex just snapped. He picked up his nearby shoe and chucked it as hard as he could at his cousin, and nailed him right in the forehead.
"Ow! You little shit!" James yelled and lounged himself across the game board. He successfully managed to tackle Lex to ground and punched right in the nose.
After recovering from his initial shock, Lex reached out and kneed James in the groin. James collapsed in heap on top of him, and Lex took the chance to squeeze out from underneath him. It didn't take James long to recover and he was soon on his feet. As soon as Lex saw James start to get up he took off down the hallway, with James hot on his heels.
He didn't make it very far before James caught up to him and shoved him up against the wall. "You little prick!" James shouted in his face. "I should kick the shit out of you!"
Lex could feel his chest tighten up from the exertion and slight panic. "James." He wheezed, in an attempt to draw his cousin's attention to the problem. "I can't."
"Oh shut it, Lex! I'm not going to fall for that again." James snapped. "You can cry wolf all you want!"
Lex mentally cursed at himself. Stupid fables. He should have known better than to fake an asthma attack the last time James and him fought. Black dots started to play before his eyes, and he was afraid that he might pass out.
"James!" William called out from down the hall. "Let him go!"
"Why should I?" James shot back. "He hit me with his shoe!"
William ran up to them and looked at Lex. "I don't think he's faking it. I really don't think he can breathe."
"Well, it serves him right!"
"I told Lydia to get you're parents." William said, which caused James to immediately release Lex, who dropped to the floor.
"You little tattle tale! I can't believe you did that."
"Well I'm glad he did!" Melinda called as she and Lillian rushed up the stairs.
"What is the matter with you two?" Lillian demanded as she knelt beside Lex, who was sucking on his inhaler.
"He started it!" James started. "He threw a shoe at me!"
"He. Was. Cheating." Lex wheezed.
"Oh whatever, Freckle Face!"
"Alright, that's enough!" Melinda scolded. "I want both of you to go to your rooms. You've both caused enough trouble for one night"
Lex shot James a final scowl before his mother herded him off to his room. He stomped off down the hall and threw open the door to his bedroom. He marched over to the king size bed and threw himself down as dramatically as possible.
"Alright, drama queen, what happened this time?" Lillian asked.
"James was cheating at Monopoly again!"
Lillian sighed and sat down on the bed. "Lex, has it ever occurred to you that James is just better at the game than you are?"
"He's not, Mom. He's just cheating some how. I don't know how, but he is. And I'm going to find out."
"No you're not. You are going to stay here, in your room, until tomorrow morning. Then you're going to apologize to James for hitting him."
"What about him? He punched me in the face! I'm probably going to have a black eye!" Lex exclaimed.
"I'm sure Aunt Mel will make him apologize to you as well. But if not, at least you'll have the satisfaction of being the better man." She told him.
Lex snorted and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, right. Like that matters."
"It does," she said, "it matters to me." She then leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she got up and left the room.
Lex looked over at his nightstand. The clock there told him it was only 8:30, too early to go to bed. He let his eyes drift from his clock to the snow globe that sat beside it. It was the gift his grandmother had given him last year. Lex reached over, picked up the globe, and shook it. He watched in fascination as the fake snow fell upon the three little figures. There was a beautiful woman with long red hair, a tall man with dark hair, and a little boy. It was his family and safe beneath the glass of the globe they were happy.
With a sigh, Lex replaced the globe then jumped off the bed and went over to the bookshelf. His eyes scanned over the various children's books, looking for something to do to pass the time. Deciding on some good old Dr. Seuss, he picked several volumes off the shelves and carried them back over the to bed. It was a few hours later that he fell asleep on the open pages of "Green Eggs and Ham."
Lex slowly regained consciousness. A quick glance at the clock beside his bed told him that it was two am. With a groan sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After stifling a yawn he slide off the bed. He took a minute to change into his pajamas then shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. After using the bathroom, he pattered down the stairs and into the kitchen to sneak a late night snack.
Despite the darkness he easily maneuvered through the large country house. When he reached the kitchen he flipped on the overhead light then headed towards the fridge. He scanned the fridge for a minute, but was unable to find anything he wanted. So he went over to the kitchen table and pulled a chair over to the fridge. He climbed up onto the chair and stood on his tippee-toes so he could look in the freezer. He his eyes widened and he licked his lips when he spotted the huge tub of vanilla ice cream. He reached into the cold freezer, but his little arms were an inch too short.
He jumped on the chair he was standing on and made a grabbed for the tub. After several attempts, he had only managed to push the tub further back into the freezer. He was about to make one last try when a voice called out to him.
"Are you trying to fall and back your leg, Lex?" Emma asked from her perch in the doorway. She had been watching him for the past two or three minutes.
"Haha, Grandma. I'm trying to reach the ice cream."
Emma laughed. She walked over and removed the tub from the freezer. She then picked him up and placed him on the floor. "Put the chair back and I'll get us some dishes." She told him.
Lex quickly put the chair back by the table. "Can we have chocolate syrup too?" He asked eagerly.
"I suppose." She responded, fanning annoyance.
Lex removed the chocolate syrup from the fridge then sat down at the kitchen table and watched his grandma scoop the ice cream. She then sat the two bowls in front of him, so he could add the topping. Lex popped the cap off the container and turned it over. Then with extreme concentration drew two smiley faces on the evenly scooped ice cream.
"So," Emma asked. "What are you doing up so late?"
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just woke up and wanted something to eat."
The two sat in comfortable silence for a minute before Lex looked up at her and asked, "Grandma, do you think I'll be a good businessman?"
Emma pursed her lips. "I think you can be a very good businessman, Lex."
Lex frowned and looked down at his half eaten ice cream. "What if I don't want to be a businessman? What if I want to do something else?"
His grandma sighed and leaned forward in her chair. "Well, Lex, sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to. But, your father is counting on you to carry on with the family business. I know it might seem like a big responsibility, but he needs you Lex. Just like Grandpa needed him. And don't worry, you'll still have plenty of time to do other things."
"But why me? Why not James?" Lex asked her, his eyes showing his need to understand.
"Well, because you're your dad's oldest child. Just like you dad was grandpa's oldest child. And like you'll inherit LuthorCorp, James will inherit your Uncle James's law firm. It's just the way things are." She watched as he stifled a yawn then reached over and took his tiny hand and smiled. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."
Lex followed his grandma back up to his room. He climbed back onto his bed and crawled under the covers. He watched as his grandma picked up some of the books that had haphazardly fallen on the floor and stacked them neatly. She then tucked the covers up under his chin and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Lex."
"Good night, Grandma." He watched her cross the room, shut off the light, and close the door. Once again alone in his room, Lex drifted off to a peaceful slumber.
The next morning the whole family gathered once again in the dining room for a large breakfast. Then they all filtered into the living room for a quick gift exchange. At his mother's request Lex did apologize to James for hitting him, even though the gesture wasn't reciprocated. He later heard James tell his Aunt Mel that he had apologized. However, his anger was quickly forgotten in replace of the huge stack of gifts in front of him.
He received a couple shirts and a few pairs of slacks, as well as a Rubik's Cube and his first book by Nietzsche from his parents. His aunts and uncles also gave him a few books and a couple of toys. From his grandfather he received his first Armani suit. And from his grandmother he got the keys to a snazzy go-cart, which he grudgingly gave to his cousin James. He might have felt that he was cheated, but he wasn't going to go back on his word.
But it was ok; he didn't have anyplace to ride the go-cart in the city anyway. And he didn't come out to farm that often. So, he wasn't that upset about it, but he was. Therefore, it was with a heavy heart that Lex Luthor kissed his grandma goodbye, before walking down the front steps of her house and climbing into the car.
TBC.