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: My thanks go out to Adri, my wonderful beta-reader! 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
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Phaze: Thanks for taking an interest in my slash story even though it is particularity your cup of tea. I really appreciate that. I'm glad you like it. Just so you know, this is more of a Lex character piece than a Lex/Clark love story. Actually, Clark won't show up for quite a while. In fact, there won't even be any indication of m/m relationships until further down the road. But thanks for taking the time to read and review. And I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
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Reluctantly, a nine-year-old Lex Luthor followed his parents up the front steps of his Grandfather's country home. He really didn't want to be there this year. So much had changed over the past two and a half months. And he was afraid of the reaction he would receive from his family. Sure, they had been informed of the accident, but they hadn't seen him yet. He didn't know if he would be able to take all the staring. And he knew there would be a lot of it. Hell, he even caught himself staring every time he came across a mirror.
He stopped at the bottom of the steps and gave a quick glance back at car, wishing he could just jump in and drive off. He caught the sight of his mother's hand reaching out to him, and flinched away.
Lillian quickly drew her hand back from her son, not wanting to upset him anymore. "Lex," she said tentatively, "it'll be alright." She felt her heart sink when he looked at her pleadingly, wanting to believe her. She gave him a little half smile. "Come on."
"Oh for Christ's sake." Lionel muttered from the top of the steps. "It's practically been three months already, Lex. It's high time you stopped feeling sorry for yourself. Now let's go inside before we freeze to death." He then took Lillian's hand and led them into the foyer, where they were greeted by Margaret.
"Good evening, Mr. Luthor, Mrs. Lillian." Margaret said as she collected Lionel and Lillian's coats and scarves. Lionel gave his usual curt nod before heading off to the living room.
"Hello, Margaret. How are you doing this evening?" Lillian asked.
"I'm fine, Ma'am. And how about yourself?"
Lillian gave her a small smile. "We've been better, but I think we'll pull through." She told her.
Margaret then turned to Lex who was standing just inside the doorway, still bundled up in his winter apparel. "Lex," she greeted. "Can I take your coat for you?" Lex shrugged off his coat and unwrapped his scarf. He raised his hand and, after a moment's hesitation, slowly slid his black hat off to reveal his now bald head. He then quickly handed his stuff to Margaret and walked off down the hall.
He made his way strait to the kitchen, where he knew he would find his grandmother, his Aunt Mel, and Marie. He walked into the large room and without saying a word sat down at the table and buried his head in his hands.
Emma Luthor frowned at the sight of her grandson. He looked.well he looked different. A lot thinner, that much was certain. He also seemed paler. And then of course there was the obvious baldness. He didn't look terrible, she decided, different but not terrible. "What's this, Lex? Don't you know by now how to properly greet your grandmother?" She mock scolded.
Lex lifted his head and looked at her. "Sorry, Grandma." He said while giving her a small smile.
Emma sighed. "Well, I suppose you can make it up to me with a kiss." Lex got up and gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, allowing only a minimal amount of contact. He then sat back down and starred at his hands. "So how've you been?" He asked her.
"Oh, I can't complain too much. My knee's been giving me a bit of trouble, but other than that I'm doing well." She replied. "How about yourself?"
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I've been alright. It took a while to get over the radiation sickness. But I feel better now." He said while absently picking at his fingernails.
"Well, that's good to hear. What about school? Are you all caught back up?" She asked.
"Yeah," Lex snorted. "Dad wouldn't stop hounding me until I had finished all the assignments my instructors had sent home."
"And what about any exams you missed, and mid-terms?" She asked.
"My instructors are letting me take the exams I missed after break." Lex told her. He then reached out and snatched a piece of turkey off the platter setting on the kitchen table.
"Alexander, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" His Aunt Mel scolded from across the room.
Lex rolled his eyes. "It's one small piece of turkey, Aunt Mel! Why do you care so much about one fucking piece of turkey? It's not like it's going to spoil my appetite, or that anyone is going to care! No one is going to miss one fucking piece of turkey!" The room suddenly became extremely quiet. And Lex could feel three sets of eyes boring into him. Embarrassed, he slouched down in his chair. "Sorry," he muttered.
Emma exchanged a look with Melinda, before reaching out to grasp Lex's hand. She watched as her grandson quickly slid his hands in his lap in order to avoid the contact. "It's alright, honey. Like you said, no one is going to miss a little piece of turkey."
The room was once again filled with silence. Melinda and Maria returned to their work, while Emma watched Lex fidget in his chair. "Well," she stated. "I think it's about time we left the chefs to their work and joined the rest of the family in the sitting room. Come along, Lex."
With a sigh, Lex lifted himself out of his chair and followed his grandmother into the living room. The room was joyously decorated, as it was every year. And everyone was seated in his or her usual spots, talking amiably. No one seemed to notice them entering the room, so Lex ducked his head and went to sit beside his mother and father.
As soon as he sat down, his grandfather turned from his conversation with his father and looked critically at him. "And here I thought you were exaggerating when you said the boy was completely bald." Laurence stated.
At that statement, all eyes in the room turned towards Lex. Feeling extremely self-conscience, Lex ran a hand over his smooth head.
"No," Lionel said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't exaggerating in the slightest."
Having never taken his eyes off Lex, Laurence asked, "Well, is it permanent or temporary?"
"At first the doctors told us that it was probably only temporary." Lillian said. "But, they also expected it to start growing back almost a month ago. So, now they're not sure."
Laurence scoffed. "So, it's permanent then."
"Well, I can't say that I'm confident in the capabilities of these so called doctors." Lionel told him. "So, I'm going to..."
"No." Lillian interjected. "We've discussed this already, Lionel. No more doctors, no more specialists. It's time we all accepted what's happened and move on. I think it will be the best for all of us." She said, before glancing over at Lex, who was gave her a small smile of thanks.
"Well, I can't say that I agree with that." Laurence said. "However, I suppose it isn't my decision to make."
"No, it isn't." Lillian told him. "And I think we've discussed the topic enough for the evening." She said pointedly.
"Of course." Laurence said, before turning back to his conversation with Lionel.
Lex silently thanked god for mothers, because he really didn't know what he would do without his. She was irreplaceable, in every conceivable way. He knew that she looked at him a little differently now. And at first that fact had devastated him. But he soon learned that this new look wasn't one of disgust or loathing like his father. That it wasn't lacking in love. It was just different. And given his new appearance and his improved health, this new way in which his mother saw him was understandable.
Though no longer the center of attention, Lex still felt as if he was being looked at. And he had a pretty good idea who was staring. Lex glared across the room at his cousin James, who was starring pointedly at him while repeatedly running a hand through his hair. Lex could feel his cheeks redden with anger. And he was just about to flip his cousin off when Margaret entered to announce that dinner was ready.
Dinner passed without event. The meal was accompanied by its usual business conversation. And shortly after the adults headed back to the sitting room, Lex, James, William, and Lydia made their way to the upstairs entertainment room. Once inside, Lex threw himself into the over stuffed leather chair. He watched as William and Lydia piled onto the couch, and James left the room with the promise of a quick return.
Lex sighed and sunk further into his chair. He contemplated just going off to his room and burying himself in a book. But habit had brought him here, and he knew that if he left now his cousins would make a fuss.
Speaking of cousins, Lex noticed how William and Lydia's eyes hadn't left him since they had entered the room. "Would you guys please stop starring at me?" He said in a voice that was both pleading and annoyed at the same time.
William at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. He turned his head to look at the blank TV and muttered a "sorry."
Lydia however, just kept staring. "Can I touch it?" She asked.
Lex scoffed. "No, you can't touch it."
"Why not?" She asked.
"Because." Lex said.
"Because why?" Lydia countered.
"Because, it's my head and I said so. That's why."
"Fine! Jerk." Lydia said, before going into a full-fledged pout.
It was then that James returned with a box underneath his harm. "Alright," he said. "Let's go."
"What's that?" Lex asked.
James grinned and showed Lex the cover of the Monopoly box.
"Where did you get that?" Lex demanded. "I thought our moms threw it out after what happened last Christmas!"
"They did." James told him. "But that night I went and dug it out of the trash."
Lydia looked appalled. "You went rooting around in the garbage for a board game?"
"Yeah, so?" James asked.
"I cannot believe you are my brother." She said. "I mean that's just gross."
James rolled his eyes at her then turned back to Lex. "Well, are we going to play or not?"
"You know I hate that game." Lex told him.
"Oh, shut up, Lex." William said. "You say that every year and every year you still play. So let's just get started already and get it over with."
James grinned and clapped William on the shoulder. "I couldn't have said it better myself, William. Let's play."
With a sigh Lex extracted himself from his chair and sat on the floor where the four of them usually played. He slipped his shoes off and handed them to Lydia, who shoved them under the couch. Ever since the shoe incident three years ago, he was no longer allowed to have them within reach. He then began to make himself comfortable while formulating his game plan. He was sure he was going to win this year. He just had that feeling.
Two hours later, Lex found himself beyond frustrated. In fact, he was so far past it he wanted to pull his hair out, and he went to do just that. He ran both hands along his head in the familiar motion, only his fingers found nothing to grab onto. Embarrassed by his error, Lex ducked his head to hide his pink cheeks. It was then that her heard his cousin James laughing at him.
"Man, your whole head just turned beet red!" James said through his laughter.
Lex's blush quickly turned from one of embarrassment to one of anger. He lifted his head and sent his cousin a look that could kill. "You better knock it the fuck off, James." Lex warned. James, however, was too busy laughing to take heed.
William noticed that Lex looked like he was about to pummel James to the ground. So he tentatively reached out and touched Lex's shoulder. He hated to see his two cousins fight all the time. And he wanted to distract Lex from James's taunting, to try to convince him that James wasn't worth the effort.
Lex was too busy seething at James to notice William reaching out for him and avoid the contact. The slight touch startled him so much that he literally jumped. "Don't touch me!" He shouted, before getting up and quickly leaving the room, shutting the doors behind him.
Lex closed his eyes and leaned back against the closed doors of the entertainment room. He took a few deep breaths, willing back the tears that threatened to fall. He wasn't going to cry. It was just a little bit of teasing. James did it all the time, and he never reacted this way before. But it was different now. He didn't know why, but for some reason it was. It was the same jest, James playing off his insecurities like he had always done in the past.
The only difference now was that these were new insecurities. He could handle being the slightly overweight, redheaded asthmatic that was sick all the time. But he hadn't yet become accustomed to being the skinny baldheaded boy who was sure to be looked at like a freak. That is if his family's reaction was any indication how the rest of the world would see him. Well, he couldn't very well say his whole family. After all, his mother didn't look at him like that. William and his grandma seemed to at least be making an effort. But his father and grandfather weren't, and neither were James or Lydia. He wasn't sure about his aunts and uncles, because they practically avoided looking at him all together. Still, they were his family. They were supposed to love him no matter what. So if they couldn't accept him then how could anyone else?
Lex could here William and James arguing on the other side of the door. He figured that he should be grateful that William was defending him. But the fact that his younger cousin was fighting his battles only served to make Lex feel that much less of himself. With a sigh he wiped the small bit of moisture from his eyes then pushed off the set of double doors and headed down the hall to his bedroom. He just wanted to be alone, to escape from reality for a little while.
Lex slipped into his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only nine, too early to go bed. He walked over to his dresser and pealed off his dress shirt and slacks and exchanged them for a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. He then padded over to his bookshelf and retrieved The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, from the shelf. He had started reading the series while he was stuck at home and he had called to ask his grandma to buy him a copy for her house. He preferred to have a copy of every book he owned at every house he stayed in. That way he always had access to them, plus it prevented them from getting damaged during travel. He sat down on his bed, crawling under the blankets, and sat back against his pillows before bring his knees up to his chest. It took him a while to find his place, but he did eventually. And soon he was lost in the mystical world created by J.R.R Tolkein.
An hour later, he was startled out of his reading by a knock at the door. "Come in." He called out.
Lillian quietly entered her only son's room then walked over and sat down on the bed. "Hey, how you doing?" She asked him.
He placed a finger between the pages of his book to keep his place then shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine." He answered quietly.
"You sure?" She asked.
"Yeah, mom, I'm fine." He replied.
"Ok." Lillian gave him small smile then slowly reached out and took the book out of his hand, being careful not to lose his place. "Looks like you're almost finished with this one. You're going to have the whole series read pretty soon." She said.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "It's a good story."
"Lex," she started then hesitated a minute, "you know you can talk to me about what's bothering you right?"
"Mom, I'm fine. I swear." Lex told her, hoping she would just drop it.
"I'm just worried about you, Sweetheart. You've closed yourself off so much that it scares me."
"I haven't closed myself off." He denied.
"Honey, you spend most of your time either in your room reading or doing school work. You won't let anyone touch you. Just tell me what's wrong." Lillian practically pleaded.
"Mom, I've been doing school work because I missed almost two whole months of class. I needed to catch up. And I let people touch me; I'm just growing up. I'm not six anymore. I'm sorry if I don't want to be all touchy feely." Lex said in an annoyed tone. "Besides isn't that what dad says, that I'm too clingy?"
Lillian sighed. "Lex, you're father has good intentions.for the most part. But he isn't always right, especially in this case. You're only nine- years old, human contact is a very good and even healthy thing." She told him.
Lex made a show of rolling his eyes. He took his book back and set it on his nightstand. "I know, Mom." He replied dryly.
"Alright, Sweetheart." She knew he was lying, but she couldn't force anything out of him. She could only hope that he would come to her when he was ready. "But you have to understand, I'm a mother. It's my job to worry."
Lex gave her his best fake smile. "I know, Mom. And don't worry, I'll be fine." He noticed his slight slip there at the end, but luckily she didn't call him on it. He watched as she leaned forward and forced himself not to flinch away.
Lillian reached out and caressed his pale cheeks with her hands, before pulling him close and kissing his smooth forehead. "I love you, Lex. Don't you ever forget that."
Lex let himself melt into her embrace. He wrapped his thin hairless arms around her and buried his head in the crook of her neck. "I know, Mom. I love you too." He whispered. He allowed her to hold him close for a while, wanting to stay there in her arms forever, where he felt safe. But he knew he couldn't. After letting out a big sigh, he pulled back.
She kissed him one more time then stood up. "Goodnight, Lex."
"Night, Mom." Lex replied then watched as she left the room and closed the door behind her. He borrowed further under the blankets then shut off his bedside lamp. He closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep.
Lex bolted up in his bed, gasping for air. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them before dropping his head to his knees. He just sat there taking deep breaths, letting the tension ease from his body. He'd had another nightmare. It was always the same. He'd be in the cornfield when a large tremor would ripple threw the ground. He'd turn around and see the huge smoke cloud hurtling towards him and he would run. He would run and run as fast as he could, but it always felt as if he were going so slow. And the cornstalks would grab at his arms and legs, holding him, not letting him escape. And he could hear the cloud coming and the boy on the cross laughing at him. Then it would hit him, crushing him, suffocating him. He'd try to scream, but his voice was always stolen by the crushing force of the cloud. And he could feel it, ripping him apart, tearing out his hair, changing him. Then he would wake up, breathless.
Lex wiped the thin sheen of sweat off his head then tossed his covers off. He glanced over at the clock. It was 1:30 in the morning. He was tired, but he didn't want to have another nightmare. So he crawled out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He flipped on the light before heading over the refrigerator. After searching the fridge for a minute he spotted a jar of Marie's homemade applesauce. He pulled out the jar then moved to get a bowl out of the cupboards.
"You know, Lex, if you ate more during dinner these late night snacks wouldn't be necessary." Emma Luthor said as she entered the room.
Startled, Lex turned and smiled at her. "Trust me, Grandma, I really don't want to be up right now. But I don't much have a choice. Do you want some applesauce?" He asked her.
"I suppose." She said, before sitting at the table. Lex soon joined her with two bowls full of the crushed fruit. "So, what are you doing up this late?" She asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. He waited a minute then answered her quietly. "Nightmares."
"You're going to have to speak up, Lex. I'm old, I can't hear too well anymore." She told him.
Lex sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. "I have nightmares." He said rather loudly.
"I see." Emma said.
The two sat in silence for a minute eating, before Lex looked up at her. "It's not just my head you know. My whole body is hairless. Dad even had to have a plastic surgeon implant eyebrows and eyelashes to help protect my eyes."
"No, I didn't know that." Emma replied.
"Grandma?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Do I look like a freak?"
Emma Luthor looked hard at her grandson. "No, Alexander. You do not look like a freak."
"Are you sure?" He asked as he ran a hand over his smooth head.
"Yes. But I will tell you one thing, Lex. You'd better stop making your mother worry so much." She watched as Lex rolled his eyes and sighed. "Don't you roll your eyes at me young man. You're mother is so worried about you she's making herself sick. She says that all you do is read and study. She says you won't let anyone touch you, that you don't eat, or sleep, and that you won't tell her what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong." Lex told her. He then looked back down at his almost empty bowl, to avoid his grandma's stern look. After a few minutes, her gaze didn't let up and he sighed. "It's just that, I'm afraid of how people are going to look at me. I don't want to be a freak, and that's what I feel like. And I don't like people touching me because I don't like how it feels. Everything feels different."
"I suppose these nightmares are keeping you up at night?" Emma asked and Lex nodded his head in agreement. "Well, if I were you, Lex, I wouldn't worry about what anyone else thinks. People are going to form their opinions, no matter what you do. So, the best thing for you to do is ignore them. Besides, anyone worth knowing isn't going to base his or her opinion of you on your appearance."
"Yeah, but that's the thing, Grandma. There isn't anyone left to judge me for me." Lex said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I was a bully in school. I would make fun of and tease people, constantly, me and a small group of friends of mine. But, I'm afraid that once they see me like this that they're going to turn on me. And I'm going to be alone." He told her.
Emma sighed. "Well, Lex, we all have to deal with the consequences of our actions. If you chose to torment those kids then you can't expect them not to seek retribution. And as for those so-called friends of yours, well, it doesn't sound as if they are people you should be associating with in the first place."
Lex frowned and fiddled with his spoon. "I suppose you have a point. But it still doesn't make it any easier." He muttered.
"No one said it was going to be easy, most things worth achieving or overcoming rarely are."
"I know."
"Good. Now, lets get you back to bed." Emma said.
Lex smiled at her. "I'm nine-years old, Grandma. I don't need you to tuck me in." Lex told her wirily.
"I know," she told him. "But I'm old, and you're going to indulge in your old grandma."
"Ok." Lex said, unable to wipe the grin off his face.
Lex followed her back up the stairs to his room and climbed into bed. Emma pulled the blankets up tight around him. "Try to get some sleep, Lex. The nightmares won't last forever." With that she kissed on the cheek then left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Lex watched his grandma leave the room. He reached over to shut off the lamp on his nightstand when his eye caught site of his snow globe. He picked up the small toy, inverted it then placed it back in its place. He watched the white flakes fall over the little model of his family, allowing the calmness of the globe to lure him to what he hoped would be a peaceful sleep.
The next morning flew by. After breakfast the family gathered in the living room to exchange gifts. Lex received the same things he did every year, suits, cloths, books, and a few toys. His grandma gave him a box full of all different kinds of hats. Some of them were new, and a few had belonged to his grandfather. She had told him that since he was now bald he'd need to keep his head covered more in the colder weather.
But probably the best gift that he received was one of emotional well- being. And for that he had to thank his mother and his grandmother. Therefore, it was in a slightly better piece of mind 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: My thanks go out to Adri, my wonderful beta-reader! 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
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Phaze: Thanks for taking an interest in my slash story even though it is particularity your cup of tea. I really appreciate that. I'm glad you like it. Just so you know, this is more of a Lex character piece than a Lex/Clark love story. Actually, Clark won't show up for quite a while. In fact, there won't even be any indication of m/m relationships until further down the road. But thanks for taking the time to read and review. And I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
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Reluctantly, a nine-year-old Lex Luthor followed his parents up the front steps of his Grandfather's country home. He really didn't want to be there this year. So much had changed over the past two and a half months. And he was afraid of the reaction he would receive from his family. Sure, they had been informed of the accident, but they hadn't seen him yet. He didn't know if he would be able to take all the staring. And he knew there would be a lot of it. Hell, he even caught himself staring every time he came across a mirror.
He stopped at the bottom of the steps and gave a quick glance back at car, wishing he could just jump in and drive off. He caught the sight of his mother's hand reaching out to him, and flinched away.
Lillian quickly drew her hand back from her son, not wanting to upset him anymore. "Lex," she said tentatively, "it'll be alright." She felt her heart sink when he looked at her pleadingly, wanting to believe her. She gave him a little half smile. "Come on."
"Oh for Christ's sake." Lionel muttered from the top of the steps. "It's practically been three months already, Lex. It's high time you stopped feeling sorry for yourself. Now let's go inside before we freeze to death." He then took Lillian's hand and led them into the foyer, where they were greeted by Margaret.
"Good evening, Mr. Luthor, Mrs. Lillian." Margaret said as she collected Lionel and Lillian's coats and scarves. Lionel gave his usual curt nod before heading off to the living room.
"Hello, Margaret. How are you doing this evening?" Lillian asked.
"I'm fine, Ma'am. And how about yourself?"
Lillian gave her a small smile. "We've been better, but I think we'll pull through." She told her.
Margaret then turned to Lex who was standing just inside the doorway, still bundled up in his winter apparel. "Lex," she greeted. "Can I take your coat for you?" Lex shrugged off his coat and unwrapped his scarf. He raised his hand and, after a moment's hesitation, slowly slid his black hat off to reveal his now bald head. He then quickly handed his stuff to Margaret and walked off down the hall.
He made his way strait to the kitchen, where he knew he would find his grandmother, his Aunt Mel, and Marie. He walked into the large room and without saying a word sat down at the table and buried his head in his hands.
Emma Luthor frowned at the sight of her grandson. He looked.well he looked different. A lot thinner, that much was certain. He also seemed paler. And then of course there was the obvious baldness. He didn't look terrible, she decided, different but not terrible. "What's this, Lex? Don't you know by now how to properly greet your grandmother?" She mock scolded.
Lex lifted his head and looked at her. "Sorry, Grandma." He said while giving her a small smile.
Emma sighed. "Well, I suppose you can make it up to me with a kiss." Lex got up and gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, allowing only a minimal amount of contact. He then sat back down and starred at his hands. "So how've you been?" He asked her.
"Oh, I can't complain too much. My knee's been giving me a bit of trouble, but other than that I'm doing well." She replied. "How about yourself?"
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I've been alright. It took a while to get over the radiation sickness. But I feel better now." He said while absently picking at his fingernails.
"Well, that's good to hear. What about school? Are you all caught back up?" She asked.
"Yeah," Lex snorted. "Dad wouldn't stop hounding me until I had finished all the assignments my instructors had sent home."
"And what about any exams you missed, and mid-terms?" She asked.
"My instructors are letting me take the exams I missed after break." Lex told her. He then reached out and snatched a piece of turkey off the platter setting on the kitchen table.
"Alexander, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" His Aunt Mel scolded from across the room.
Lex rolled his eyes. "It's one small piece of turkey, Aunt Mel! Why do you care so much about one fucking piece of turkey? It's not like it's going to spoil my appetite, or that anyone is going to care! No one is going to miss one fucking piece of turkey!" The room suddenly became extremely quiet. And Lex could feel three sets of eyes boring into him. Embarrassed, he slouched down in his chair. "Sorry," he muttered.
Emma exchanged a look with Melinda, before reaching out to grasp Lex's hand. She watched as her grandson quickly slid his hands in his lap in order to avoid the contact. "It's alright, honey. Like you said, no one is going to miss a little piece of turkey."
The room was once again filled with silence. Melinda and Maria returned to their work, while Emma watched Lex fidget in his chair. "Well," she stated. "I think it's about time we left the chefs to their work and joined the rest of the family in the sitting room. Come along, Lex."
With a sigh, Lex lifted himself out of his chair and followed his grandmother into the living room. The room was joyously decorated, as it was every year. And everyone was seated in his or her usual spots, talking amiably. No one seemed to notice them entering the room, so Lex ducked his head and went to sit beside his mother and father.
As soon as he sat down, his grandfather turned from his conversation with his father and looked critically at him. "And here I thought you were exaggerating when you said the boy was completely bald." Laurence stated.
At that statement, all eyes in the room turned towards Lex. Feeling extremely self-conscience, Lex ran a hand over his smooth head.
"No," Lionel said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't exaggerating in the slightest."
Having never taken his eyes off Lex, Laurence asked, "Well, is it permanent or temporary?"
"At first the doctors told us that it was probably only temporary." Lillian said. "But, they also expected it to start growing back almost a month ago. So, now they're not sure."
Laurence scoffed. "So, it's permanent then."
"Well, I can't say that I'm confident in the capabilities of these so called doctors." Lionel told him. "So, I'm going to..."
"No." Lillian interjected. "We've discussed this already, Lionel. No more doctors, no more specialists. It's time we all accepted what's happened and move on. I think it will be the best for all of us." She said, before glancing over at Lex, who was gave her a small smile of thanks.
"Well, I can't say that I agree with that." Laurence said. "However, I suppose it isn't my decision to make."
"No, it isn't." Lillian told him. "And I think we've discussed the topic enough for the evening." She said pointedly.
"Of course." Laurence said, before turning back to his conversation with Lionel.
Lex silently thanked god for mothers, because he really didn't know what he would do without his. She was irreplaceable, in every conceivable way. He knew that she looked at him a little differently now. And at first that fact had devastated him. But he soon learned that this new look wasn't one of disgust or loathing like his father. That it wasn't lacking in love. It was just different. And given his new appearance and his improved health, this new way in which his mother saw him was understandable.
Though no longer the center of attention, Lex still felt as if he was being looked at. And he had a pretty good idea who was staring. Lex glared across the room at his cousin James, who was starring pointedly at him while repeatedly running a hand through his hair. Lex could feel his cheeks redden with anger. And he was just about to flip his cousin off when Margaret entered to announce that dinner was ready.
Dinner passed without event. The meal was accompanied by its usual business conversation. And shortly after the adults headed back to the sitting room, Lex, James, William, and Lydia made their way to the upstairs entertainment room. Once inside, Lex threw himself into the over stuffed leather chair. He watched as William and Lydia piled onto the couch, and James left the room with the promise of a quick return.
Lex sighed and sunk further into his chair. He contemplated just going off to his room and burying himself in a book. But habit had brought him here, and he knew that if he left now his cousins would make a fuss.
Speaking of cousins, Lex noticed how William and Lydia's eyes hadn't left him since they had entered the room. "Would you guys please stop starring at me?" He said in a voice that was both pleading and annoyed at the same time.
William at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. He turned his head to look at the blank TV and muttered a "sorry."
Lydia however, just kept staring. "Can I touch it?" She asked.
Lex scoffed. "No, you can't touch it."
"Why not?" She asked.
"Because." Lex said.
"Because why?" Lydia countered.
"Because, it's my head and I said so. That's why."
"Fine! Jerk." Lydia said, before going into a full-fledged pout.
It was then that James returned with a box underneath his harm. "Alright," he said. "Let's go."
"What's that?" Lex asked.
James grinned and showed Lex the cover of the Monopoly box.
"Where did you get that?" Lex demanded. "I thought our moms threw it out after what happened last Christmas!"
"They did." James told him. "But that night I went and dug it out of the trash."
Lydia looked appalled. "You went rooting around in the garbage for a board game?"
"Yeah, so?" James asked.
"I cannot believe you are my brother." She said. "I mean that's just gross."
James rolled his eyes at her then turned back to Lex. "Well, are we going to play or not?"
"You know I hate that game." Lex told him.
"Oh, shut up, Lex." William said. "You say that every year and every year you still play. So let's just get started already and get it over with."
James grinned and clapped William on the shoulder. "I couldn't have said it better myself, William. Let's play."
With a sigh Lex extracted himself from his chair and sat on the floor where the four of them usually played. He slipped his shoes off and handed them to Lydia, who shoved them under the couch. Ever since the shoe incident three years ago, he was no longer allowed to have them within reach. He then began to make himself comfortable while formulating his game plan. He was sure he was going to win this year. He just had that feeling.
Two hours later, Lex found himself beyond frustrated. In fact, he was so far past it he wanted to pull his hair out, and he went to do just that. He ran both hands along his head in the familiar motion, only his fingers found nothing to grab onto. Embarrassed by his error, Lex ducked his head to hide his pink cheeks. It was then that her heard his cousin James laughing at him.
"Man, your whole head just turned beet red!" James said through his laughter.
Lex's blush quickly turned from one of embarrassment to one of anger. He lifted his head and sent his cousin a look that could kill. "You better knock it the fuck off, James." Lex warned. James, however, was too busy laughing to take heed.
William noticed that Lex looked like he was about to pummel James to the ground. So he tentatively reached out and touched Lex's shoulder. He hated to see his two cousins fight all the time. And he wanted to distract Lex from James's taunting, to try to convince him that James wasn't worth the effort.
Lex was too busy seething at James to notice William reaching out for him and avoid the contact. The slight touch startled him so much that he literally jumped. "Don't touch me!" He shouted, before getting up and quickly leaving the room, shutting the doors behind him.
Lex closed his eyes and leaned back against the closed doors of the entertainment room. He took a few deep breaths, willing back the tears that threatened to fall. He wasn't going to cry. It was just a little bit of teasing. James did it all the time, and he never reacted this way before. But it was different now. He didn't know why, but for some reason it was. It was the same jest, James playing off his insecurities like he had always done in the past.
The only difference now was that these were new insecurities. He could handle being the slightly overweight, redheaded asthmatic that was sick all the time. But he hadn't yet become accustomed to being the skinny baldheaded boy who was sure to be looked at like a freak. That is if his family's reaction was any indication how the rest of the world would see him. Well, he couldn't very well say his whole family. After all, his mother didn't look at him like that. William and his grandma seemed to at least be making an effort. But his father and grandfather weren't, and neither were James or Lydia. He wasn't sure about his aunts and uncles, because they practically avoided looking at him all together. Still, they were his family. They were supposed to love him no matter what. So if they couldn't accept him then how could anyone else?
Lex could here William and James arguing on the other side of the door. He figured that he should be grateful that William was defending him. But the fact that his younger cousin was fighting his battles only served to make Lex feel that much less of himself. With a sigh he wiped the small bit of moisture from his eyes then pushed off the set of double doors and headed down the hall to his bedroom. He just wanted to be alone, to escape from reality for a little while.
Lex slipped into his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only nine, too early to go bed. He walked over to his dresser and pealed off his dress shirt and slacks and exchanged them for a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. He then padded over to his bookshelf and retrieved The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, from the shelf. He had started reading the series while he was stuck at home and he had called to ask his grandma to buy him a copy for her house. He preferred to have a copy of every book he owned at every house he stayed in. That way he always had access to them, plus it prevented them from getting damaged during travel. He sat down on his bed, crawling under the blankets, and sat back against his pillows before bring his knees up to his chest. It took him a while to find his place, but he did eventually. And soon he was lost in the mystical world created by J.R.R Tolkein.
An hour later, he was startled out of his reading by a knock at the door. "Come in." He called out.
Lillian quietly entered her only son's room then walked over and sat down on the bed. "Hey, how you doing?" She asked him.
He placed a finger between the pages of his book to keep his place then shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine." He answered quietly.
"You sure?" She asked.
"Yeah, mom, I'm fine." He replied.
"Ok." Lillian gave him small smile then slowly reached out and took the book out of his hand, being careful not to lose his place. "Looks like you're almost finished with this one. You're going to have the whole series read pretty soon." She said.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "It's a good story."
"Lex," she started then hesitated a minute, "you know you can talk to me about what's bothering you right?"
"Mom, I'm fine. I swear." Lex told her, hoping she would just drop it.
"I'm just worried about you, Sweetheart. You've closed yourself off so much that it scares me."
"I haven't closed myself off." He denied.
"Honey, you spend most of your time either in your room reading or doing school work. You won't let anyone touch you. Just tell me what's wrong." Lillian practically pleaded.
"Mom, I've been doing school work because I missed almost two whole months of class. I needed to catch up. And I let people touch me; I'm just growing up. I'm not six anymore. I'm sorry if I don't want to be all touchy feely." Lex said in an annoyed tone. "Besides isn't that what dad says, that I'm too clingy?"
Lillian sighed. "Lex, you're father has good intentions.for the most part. But he isn't always right, especially in this case. You're only nine- years old, human contact is a very good and even healthy thing." She told him.
Lex made a show of rolling his eyes. He took his book back and set it on his nightstand. "I know, Mom." He replied dryly.
"Alright, Sweetheart." She knew he was lying, but she couldn't force anything out of him. She could only hope that he would come to her when he was ready. "But you have to understand, I'm a mother. It's my job to worry."
Lex gave her his best fake smile. "I know, Mom. And don't worry, I'll be fine." He noticed his slight slip there at the end, but luckily she didn't call him on it. He watched as she leaned forward and forced himself not to flinch away.
Lillian reached out and caressed his pale cheeks with her hands, before pulling him close and kissing his smooth forehead. "I love you, Lex. Don't you ever forget that."
Lex let himself melt into her embrace. He wrapped his thin hairless arms around her and buried his head in the crook of her neck. "I know, Mom. I love you too." He whispered. He allowed her to hold him close for a while, wanting to stay there in her arms forever, where he felt safe. But he knew he couldn't. After letting out a big sigh, he pulled back.
She kissed him one more time then stood up. "Goodnight, Lex."
"Night, Mom." Lex replied then watched as she left the room and closed the door behind her. He borrowed further under the blankets then shut off his bedside lamp. He closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep.
Lex bolted up in his bed, gasping for air. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them before dropping his head to his knees. He just sat there taking deep breaths, letting the tension ease from his body. He'd had another nightmare. It was always the same. He'd be in the cornfield when a large tremor would ripple threw the ground. He'd turn around and see the huge smoke cloud hurtling towards him and he would run. He would run and run as fast as he could, but it always felt as if he were going so slow. And the cornstalks would grab at his arms and legs, holding him, not letting him escape. And he could hear the cloud coming and the boy on the cross laughing at him. Then it would hit him, crushing him, suffocating him. He'd try to scream, but his voice was always stolen by the crushing force of the cloud. And he could feel it, ripping him apart, tearing out his hair, changing him. Then he would wake up, breathless.
Lex wiped the thin sheen of sweat off his head then tossed his covers off. He glanced over at the clock. It was 1:30 in the morning. He was tired, but he didn't want to have another nightmare. So he crawled out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He flipped on the light before heading over the refrigerator. After searching the fridge for a minute he spotted a jar of Marie's homemade applesauce. He pulled out the jar then moved to get a bowl out of the cupboards.
"You know, Lex, if you ate more during dinner these late night snacks wouldn't be necessary." Emma Luthor said as she entered the room.
Startled, Lex turned and smiled at her. "Trust me, Grandma, I really don't want to be up right now. But I don't much have a choice. Do you want some applesauce?" He asked her.
"I suppose." She said, before sitting at the table. Lex soon joined her with two bowls full of the crushed fruit. "So, what are you doing up this late?" She asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. He waited a minute then answered her quietly. "Nightmares."
"You're going to have to speak up, Lex. I'm old, I can't hear too well anymore." She told him.
Lex sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. "I have nightmares." He said rather loudly.
"I see." Emma said.
The two sat in silence for a minute eating, before Lex looked up at her. "It's not just my head you know. My whole body is hairless. Dad even had to have a plastic surgeon implant eyebrows and eyelashes to help protect my eyes."
"No, I didn't know that." Emma replied.
"Grandma?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Do I look like a freak?"
Emma Luthor looked hard at her grandson. "No, Alexander. You do not look like a freak."
"Are you sure?" He asked as he ran a hand over his smooth head.
"Yes. But I will tell you one thing, Lex. You'd better stop making your mother worry so much." She watched as Lex rolled his eyes and sighed. "Don't you roll your eyes at me young man. You're mother is so worried about you she's making herself sick. She says that all you do is read and study. She says you won't let anyone touch you, that you don't eat, or sleep, and that you won't tell her what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong." Lex told her. He then looked back down at his almost empty bowl, to avoid his grandma's stern look. After a few minutes, her gaze didn't let up and he sighed. "It's just that, I'm afraid of how people are going to look at me. I don't want to be a freak, and that's what I feel like. And I don't like people touching me because I don't like how it feels. Everything feels different."
"I suppose these nightmares are keeping you up at night?" Emma asked and Lex nodded his head in agreement. "Well, if I were you, Lex, I wouldn't worry about what anyone else thinks. People are going to form their opinions, no matter what you do. So, the best thing for you to do is ignore them. Besides, anyone worth knowing isn't going to base his or her opinion of you on your appearance."
"Yeah, but that's the thing, Grandma. There isn't anyone left to judge me for me." Lex said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I was a bully in school. I would make fun of and tease people, constantly, me and a small group of friends of mine. But, I'm afraid that once they see me like this that they're going to turn on me. And I'm going to be alone." He told her.
Emma sighed. "Well, Lex, we all have to deal with the consequences of our actions. If you chose to torment those kids then you can't expect them not to seek retribution. And as for those so-called friends of yours, well, it doesn't sound as if they are people you should be associating with in the first place."
Lex frowned and fiddled with his spoon. "I suppose you have a point. But it still doesn't make it any easier." He muttered.
"No one said it was going to be easy, most things worth achieving or overcoming rarely are."
"I know."
"Good. Now, lets get you back to bed." Emma said.
Lex smiled at her. "I'm nine-years old, Grandma. I don't need you to tuck me in." Lex told her wirily.
"I know," she told him. "But I'm old, and you're going to indulge in your old grandma."
"Ok." Lex said, unable to wipe the grin off his face.
Lex followed her back up the stairs to his room and climbed into bed. Emma pulled the blankets up tight around him. "Try to get some sleep, Lex. The nightmares won't last forever." With that she kissed on the cheek then left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Lex watched his grandma leave the room. He reached over to shut off the lamp on his nightstand when his eye caught site of his snow globe. He picked up the small toy, inverted it then placed it back in its place. He watched the white flakes fall over the little model of his family, allowing the calmness of the globe to lure him to what he hoped would be a peaceful sleep.
The next morning flew by. After breakfast the family gathered in the living room to exchange gifts. Lex received the same things he did every year, suits, cloths, books, and a few toys. His grandma gave him a box full of all different kinds of hats. Some of them were new, and a few had belonged to his grandfather. She had told him that since he was now bald he'd need to keep his head covered more in the colder weather.
But probably the best gift that he received was one of emotional well- being. And for that he had to thank his mother and his grandmother. Therefore, it was in a slightly better piece of mind that Lex Luthor kissed his grandma goodbye, before walking down the front steps of her house and climbing into the car.
TBC.