IMPROBABLE EDEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
Here by my side an angel Here by my side the devil Never turn your back on me Never turn your back on me again Here by my side it's heaven
Weapon - Matthew Good Band
The week went exactly as Cady had expected it to. Lex was out of town on business through Wednesday and when he returned Thursday, he claimed to be too busy to spend time with her. Cady decided to annoy him just because she could, spending the entire day sending him pointless emails and stopping by his office with questions she already knew the answers to. By late afternoon, his eyes were shooting daggers at her and she was caught between laughter and the horror of what he just might do to her if he really lost his temper. Intelligently, she left the office the moment five o'clock hit, so that she wouldn't run into Lex in the parking lot.
Not that her hasty exit could delay the inevitable. As she was closing up the Talon that night, as a favor to Lana who had a biology test to study for, Lex appeared, requesting a cappuccino. Cady stared at him from behind the counter where she was preparing to take the last of the dirty dishes out and wash them.
"We closed ten minutes ago. Or don't you know the operating hours of your own establishment?"
"Cady, could you save the attitude and recriminations for later?" He sat down in the nearest chair, his gaze dropping to the floor.
Frowning as she set the tub of dishes down, Cady started up the cappuccino machine, taking a little extra care as she prepared the beverage over the next few moments, before walking over to Lex and setting his cup beside him. She stood there for a moment before taking the seat next to him.
"Lex, what's wrong?"
Lex looked over at her, finding it impossible to believe that she was still speaking to him after his behavior over the weekend. Apparently, Cady O'Rourke didn't take a hint or something. The worst part was that Lex found himself pleased she hadn't given up. Although he knew it would be better for both her and the Kents if they ended this relationship before it really had a chance to turn into something serious, he couldn't really let go. He didn't want to. She had all of the innocence and warmth of Clark, in female form. And she was giving him a chance. It was so much more than he had ever been offered before.
"Just work. " He trailed off, thinking how domestic this seemed, sitting around drinking coffee, telling her his problems. The feeling encouraged him to continue, "My father is coming by the Plant tomorrow to speak with the employees."
Cady's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Beats me." Lex shrugged. "I'm not important enough to be privy to that kind of information apparently."
"I'm sure it's nothing more than a congratulations or something for the way the Plant has been producing."
Lex nodded slightly. "Maybe. It could merely be some ploy of his to keep me off-guard. For all I know, he'll decide to do some surprise inspection." Pausing, Lex rubbed a hand over his eyes then picked up his cup and sipped at his beverage for a moment. "It seems I'm always. waiting."
"Waiting? For what? I don't understand."
"Just waiting." He shook his head. "For approval, retaliation. I don't know. Something. And I think that's what he wants, just to leave me there, hanging on for some kind of sign." Lex allowed a short, mirthless laugh. "And he knows it. And he uses it. And he gets some sort of sick satisfaction from it. "
Unable to think of anything to say, Cady simply reached out and laid her hand over his. Lex glanced up at her for a moment before turning his hand over to hold hers, their fingers linking together. The silence between them stretched on, but it was comfortable and welcome, at least to Lex. Her hand was warm in his, and he was content to just sit there and hold it for the next few hours or so. Cady's fingertips occasionally brushed over his palm in a soothing motion and he found his eyes closing, relaxing under the touch, the thick smell of coffee, apple pie and Cady's perfume engulfing the air. A few years ago, if someone had painted this picture for Lex, telling him that he would be most content with something this simple and unexpected, he would have written them off as clearly insane.
"Do you want some more cappuccino?" Cady asked softly, her voice sounding somehow right in the silence.
Lex shook his head, opening his eyes to find her watching him. He gave her a crooked smile. "No. I need to get home, do some work, send out some emails to prepare for tomorrow."
They stood together, both seeming reluctant to let go of one another's hands. Cady walked with him towards the door, preparing to lock it behind him. Lex stopped when he reached it and looked down at her.
"You really do make an excellent cup of cappuccino, you know."
Cady laughed. "So you're saying I should put it on my resume?"
"Something like that." Lex smiled again. "Goodnight, Cady."
"Goodnight, Lex."
He paused for a moment then leaned in to press a gentle kiss against her forehead before turning and disappearing out into the darkness. Cady closed and locked the door behind him, staring out the window for a moment until she saw the lights of his Ferrari wink into existence as the engine quickly roared to life and he was speeding away down Main Street. Sighing, Cady leaned back against the door, her gaze sweeping over the empty coffee house. If Lex Luthor became any more confusing, she was going to take it upon herself to commit him.
***
Friday morning couldn't come quickly enough for Cady. She was ready to get both that day - with Lionel Luthor's visit - and the weekend over with. While she was hoping to at least spend a little time with Lex, she also wanted Clark to get past his date with Chloe. That was actually the general consensus within the entire Kent household - if they had to deal with Clark on pins and needles for too much longer, they would all go crazy. Cady couldn't believe that her cousin was so nutty over a simple date. In actuality, it was really very cute. She wondered if Chloe was having the same problems.
When she reached the office, the entire place was in an uproar, preparing for Lionel Luthor's appearance. Cady spent her first few minutes making coffee because everyone else seemed to be too busy running around finishing jobs for the supervisors. Fixing two cups, one black, the other with lots of creamer and a packet of hot chocolate, she gathered both into her hands and wandered into Lex's office, where he was on the phone barking at someone regarding a late shipment to a customer. Trying not to smile at the frustration evident in both his voice and expression, she set his cup of black coffee in front of him then moved over to one of the leather chairs and sat down, sipping at her own beverage while she waited.
Lex glanced up at her, watching her as he informed the individual on the other end that they had best learn to do their job properly or find another job that they might have more talent in. Slamming the phone down, he grabbed his cup and took a swallow.
"Ow! Fuck!" He sputtered, almost spilling the coffee over his desk as he held himself back from spitting out the mouthful he had taken.
"It's hot," Cady commented, quietly blowing over her own and trying very, very hard not to laugh.
"No shit?" Lex glared at the woman across from him and could see the mirth dancing in her eyes. He nursed his burnt tongue in his mouth for a moment while he continued to picture various ways of torturing her while at the same time she was obviously attempting not to meet his eyes. "Thanks for the warning."
Cady raised an eyebrow. "Does this place look like McDonalds?" She thought she heard something that sounded distinctly like a growl issue from Lex's throat. Glancing up at him, she quickly bit her lip to keep from laughing outright at the expression of disbelief on his face. Swallowing, in an attempt to compose herself, she remarked, "The whole office is in an uproar."
"I wonder why?" Lex snapped sarcastically, standing to move over to the filing cabinet and begin digging through it.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Shoot me in the head." A pause. "Or my father. Take your pick."
"Oh, that's entirely too good of an offer to pass up," she commented, smiling gleefully over the rim of her cup. "I think I'll choose.. Ummm. You!"
"Cady, I really don't need this right now."
"Oh, but Lex! There's a certain sadistic satisfaction that I get watching you go into panic mode."
Another glare. "I don't panic."
"Of course you don't."
"Cady. "
She laughed and stood up, giving him a more serious and slightly sympathetic expression. "Seriously, what do you need me to do? Should I bring the old man a cup of coffee? Filled with rat poison?"
A grin finally broke out across Lex's face as he shook his head. "As tempting as that is, I don't think I should end the week by committing patricide." He sat back down at his desk and took a breath. "There's going to be a lot of local press - just make sure they don't bother my father. He hates that. And if you could make certain that all of the employees are out there on time that would help. A joint wouldn't be too bad right now either. "
"Lex Luthor!" Cady exclaimed with a laugh. "I can't decide if I should pretend to be shocked or not."
"You think that's shocking. " He didn't finish the sentence, watching her with a half-smile.
"I don't want to hear it," she declared with a wink. "Guess I'd better go find some duct tape. er, press passes for the press, hmm?"
Lex felt his smile grow as Cady started toward the door. Maybe she hadn't eased his apprehension regarding his father's short-noticed visit - nothing could do that. But she had made him feel just a little better, if only for the moment. "Hey, Cady?" He called out just before she disappeared.
"Yes?" She stopped to look over her shoulder at him.
"Thanks for the coffee."
She smiled and hurried off to get ready for Lionel Luthor's appearance.
Cady spent the next hour getting the press where they needed to be, coordinating with the shift supervisors to get all of the employees out of the factory in time and in their seats and helped the office manager close down the main offices. She watched from the window of her office as Lex moved out to the helipad to await the arrival of his father, then grabbed a camera to take pictures for the bulletin boards and headed out, locking the door behind her.
"Cady!"
Turning just as she reached the back lot used for employee gatherings by the Plant, Cady squinted in the sunlight as Barbara Adams, Gabe Sullivan's secretary, hurried over to her. "What is it, Barbara?"
"Mr. Randall, from the Ledger, is complaining that the wind is blowing too hard where he is sitting and getting dust in his eyes."
"Oh geez." Cady sighed. "Very well. I'll take care of it. Anything else going wrong?"
"Well, the wind is continuing to knock the walls over and has played hell with the sound system."
"Maybe Lionel won't be able to land," Cady remarked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "We'd all be broken-hearted, wouldn't we?"
Barbara laughed. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that."
Cady smiled. "There seems to be a lot of that going around today."
"What?"
Waving her hand, Cady began her way toward the throng of waiting employees. "Nothing. You know where to find me if anything else goes wrong. "
Making her way through the throng of employees, smiling at the few she had gotten to know, Cady finally found her way to the front where a few members of the press had been allowed to sit. Locating Terrance Randall, she listened to his complaints for a few moments before leading him to another chair and then taking the one he had vacated for herself. Glancing up at the stage in front of her, she couldn't contain her smirk of amusement - Lionel Luthor obviously thought quite a bit of himself to plan a setup like this for a simple speech. Her attention was diverted from the enormous LuthorCorp banner, flapping in the wind, as the employees around her broke into applause and she turned her gaze to the stairs to see Lionel himself walking on to the stage, waving like a rock star or something. Cady gave a cursory golf clap, her eyes moving to Lex who appeared decidedly uncomfortable with the whole thing. For a long moment, her gaze wandered between the two men - one young, one old, one bald, the other with enough hair to make even an ape jealous - and were it not for the long coats, expensive clothes and the fact that she had met them both, Cady decided she wouldn't have been able to tell they were father and son.
Lex turned his attention away from his father, attempting to regain the composure that always seemed to falter whenever he was near. He examined the audience as the applause died down and his father began to speak, causing him to return his concentration to the podium. Joining in the next round of applause as his father congratulated the employees on the work they had done the past year, Lex's gaze found Cady in the front, clapping enthusiastically, a big smile on her face as their eyes locked and she nodded in deference to him. He found the slightest smile, a little tug towards feeling better, before clasping his hands together as the noise died down and his father began speaking again. Surprisingly, Lex found that he was pleased that he had been unable to push Cady way. Her quiet and encouraging presence was a bolster to his confidence that he hadn't expected he had needed. In fact, he was about to flash her another smile when his father's words caught his interest once again.
Ship? Captain? What the hell was the man blathering about now? Lex tried not to roll his eyes as he looked away, wondering if his father was going to launch into some speech regarding mutiny or some such when his next sentence caused the world to suddenly spin out of control.
"Due to management failures beyond your control, this Plant will be closing, effective immediately. Good luck to all of you."
Cries of outrage and incredulity rose up from the crowd in front and behind Lex where the supervisors stood, but he could do little more than stare at his father in disbelief as he walked past, toward the stairway. Turning, Lex followed him quickly, trying to control the immediate need to lash out, scream, throw a tantrum, anything to get his father to see how unacceptable this was. But he knew that would only lead to his father's disdain for showing too much emotion.
Taking a deep breath, Lex commented in a tone much more even than he felt, "You just fired 2,500 people and blamed it on me." The way he was trailing after his father made him feel like a child all over again.
"One day you'll thank me, Lex. Smallville isn't in your future. It's just a brief chapter in your biography -"
"Don't do this," Lex interjected, hoping his tone wasn't as pleading as it sounded to his own ears.
"We live in a meritocracy, Lex. The weak get left behind."
Lex tried not to think that comment was a parting shot at him.
"The Plant wasn't producing. I had no other options."
That was bullshit and his father knew it! "Spare me the corporate barbarian spiel! Those people have husbands, wives, children, mortgages - "
"We're in business to make profit, not friends!" Lionel turned angrily to his son. "You can't let your emotions get in the way of making tough decisions - "
"Don't lecture me about letting emotions get in the way!" Lex argued, knowing that he had just given up on the calm demeanor he had attempted to put into place. He was angry, hurt, shocked - and at the moment he didn't care if his father saw that or not. "This Plant was showing a profit! You're only shutting it down because I wouldn't go work for you in Metropolis!" He spat.
It almost seemed as if his father were ready to roll his eyes in response. "Lex, you may have felt that you found a home here but you were mistaken."
Lex bit back the retort that Smallville had been the first place he had ever felt at home since his mother's death. He had friends here, he had begun to carve himself a niche in the community, even the castle was beginning to feel as if it belonged to him. But the very fact that his father had seen all of that, had known what Lex wanted more than anything, cut deep. It was an emotion he had never meant to show, and obviously he had not been successful in his attempt to hide it.
"This was just your training ground," his father continued, moving towards the waiting helicopter. "Well your training is over!"
Training. This was just training? He had been a part of something here. He had been making a difference, showing results. That wasn't training! Lex didn't want to start all over again. This had been the beginning of something and he had been successful, for once, all on his own. But his father didn't want that. His father couldn't say 'Lex, you've done a great job! I'm proud of you!' Instead, it was always the same thing. Others would believe that Lex had failed, that he was a screw up, that he couldn't do anything right. And meanwhile, his father would have him back under his thumb and his life would return to the way it had been before he had been exiled to Smallville. Lonely and pointless.
"You're coming home, son!" Lionel shouted before climbing into the helicopter and waving from above as it lifted up and hovered overhead.
Lex had no idea how long he stood there, staring up at the now empty sky above. He had watched until his father's helicopter had disappeared beyond the horizon. Behind him, he still heard angry voices, chairs being thrown. A voice that sounded like Gabe's came over the loudspeakers, attempting to calm everyone down. Lex didn't know how he could face them, what he would say. His father had laid the blame of the Plant's closing fully in his lap, and all he had ever tried to do was save those people's jobs, make the factory successful. But no one would see it that way. He had been blacklisted since he had arrived in Smallville and it had truly never changed and why had he ever believed it would? He would be lucky if he made it out of there alive.
"Lex?"
Hearing Cady's voice behind him, Lex swallowed, the anger and pain almost overpowering all senses, and turned, forcing a neutral expression. "Didn't see that one coming," he commented, watching her as she approached. "Did you?"
Cady shook her head, her gaze roaming over Lex in concern. She was still in shock, like most of the employees she had attempted to reassure before coming out here. "Lex, I. I don't understand." She brushed the hair away from her face that the wind kept pushing into her eyes. "The Plant was doing well. There were no management - "
"He wants me in Metropolis," Lex replied, moving past her to head back to his office, hopefully without being stopped by an angry mob of unemployed workers. "This is his way of making certain that happens."
"What?" She cried out in disbelief, hurrying to catch up to him. He was walking fast and Cady was forced to half-jog to keep up. "Your father just put 2,500 people out of work because he wants you to move?!"
"Welcome to the Luthor family." Lex muttered.
Cady stopped and stared at him. "I can't believe that the two of you are so full of yourselves and your self-importance that you would try to destroy an entire town to prove yourselves to one another!"
Lex rounded on her, his eyes flashing angrily. "This is not my fault! Do you think I wanted this to happen? Do you think I had any idea he would resort to doing something like this? Dammit, Cady, I was finally pulling away from him here! I was making something of myself -and he can't handle that!" He stepped back and stared down at her, unable to believe that she would be against him at this moment when he needed someone - anyone - to be on his side. Pointing toward the back of the stage, he asked, "Do you think I want to see those people out of work? That I find pleasure in destroying people's lives? Do you really believe that I'm just like him?!"
Unable to think of anything to say for the moment, Cady watched as Lex turned away from her, running a hand over his scalp in the usual manner of frustration. Guilt wafted through her and she finally moved forward, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she told him softly. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen. And I don't believe you are like your father. I wouldn't be here if I did."
Looking down at her, Lex was silent for a long moment, not quite ready to forgive. He was sick of people making judgments and passing sentence against him when they didn't understand, didn't live his life. Setting his jaw, he looked away from her, towards the Plant.
"Lex?" Cady knew she had made a mistake by adding more pain on top of what he had already experienced that morning.
"It's okay, Cady." came the reply. Bland. Unemotional.
Her fingers tightened around his arm. "Tell me what I can do."
Lex finally turned his gaze back to her. The pain was gone, replaced with apathy. He'd been through things like this before. His father was not going to win this time. "I'm not going back."
Cady nodded. "What are you going to do?"
"I have an idea." He looked up for a moment, determination setting in. "I've got some things to look over first. I have to make certain." Looking back down at Cady, he told her, "Go home. I'll call you."
Frowning as he walked away from her, Cady called out, "Lex, I want to help."
Stopping, Lex glanced over his shoulder at her and flashed a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know you do, Cady. Thanks."
Without another word, he disappeared into the Plant.
***
Lex called her later that afternoon. Cady was in her room, going over a report that she was to turn in to her counselor tomorrow afternoon, regarding her internship so far with LuthorCorp. Unfortunately, she was ending it with 'And then I was laid off'. The phone rang where it sat on the bed next to the laptop and relief flooded through her because Cady knew only one person could be calling.
Flipping it open, she lifted it to her ear, "How are things?"
A slight pause and the shuffled of papers. "Looking up," came the reply in a tone that was a little more animated than it had been that morning. "Think you could do me a favor?"
"You know I will."
Cady thought she could feel a slight smile through the phone. "I need you to make some phone calls for me. I just emailed you a list of clients. I'm looking at an employee buy-out and I need to make certain these people don't decide to sign with someone else while the Plant is in transition."
"An employee buy-out?" I leaned forward, opening my email to find the message Lex had just sent. "I don't understand. Will your father allow that?"
"He doesn't have to. I only need a majority of the votes on the Board, not a unanimous one. And I think I can get the ones I need."
Chewing on her lip, Cady couldn't help but comment, "That can't be cheap."
Lex sighed into the phone. "Yeah. It isn't. I can come up with most of the capital but I am going to have to see if I can get some of the other supervisors in on it with me. We're currently ten percent short."
He was gutsy, Cady would give him that. But then she was confident that he would have to learn to be, growing up in the environment that he did. "Okay. I'll make the calls."
"Thanks. Can you come over this evening? So we can go over the initial reports?"
"I'll try." Cady glanced toward her bedroom door. "Needless to say, the news regarding the Plant didn't exactly ingratiate your name into the Kent household. My uncle and I had quite the falling out. But I'm sure I can get out of here without too much commotion."
There was a long pause from his end. Then, "I'm sorry, Cady. You shouldn't be caught in the middle of this. Look, I'm sure I can get you an internship with one of our clients. I can call - "
"Lex," she interrupted with a smile. "I don't jump ship when the waters get a little choppy."
Lex laughed. "Cady, I think we just cap-sized."
She smiled. "I have faith in you, Lex. Besides, I don't think there could be better experience in an internship than to learn all about things like lay-offs, employee buy-outs and the formation of a new company."
"So this is a learning experience?"
"I like to think of it as that."
Another pause, longer this time, "It's all I seem to know how to give you, Cady."
Cady ran her fingers over the keys of her laptop for a moment, smiling a little at his words. "I'm not complaining," she replied softly. "What time should I be there?"
"Is nine okay with you?"
"Nine is fine. See you then, Lex."
When Cady arrived at the castle that night, it was to find that Lex was having a meeting with the senior management from the Plant. All in a bid to get them to join with him in the risky employee buy-out. She sat by quietly while he presented his case, went over the facts in detail and laid out all of the risks. By the time they filed out the door an hour later, Cady could tell that more than half of them were in agreement with Lex, and the others were very near to being convinced.
Sighing, Lex turned and glanced at Cady, flashing her a half smile. "I think that went okay."
"I'm sure it did." She returned the smile and walked over to him with the list of the clients she had called in hand, holding it out to him.
"Tell me you have good news."
"Close. Only two out of the names you gave me claimed that they didn't know how long they could hold out. I asked them to give you until Monday before they make any final decisions."
Lex nodded, taking the paper and looking over it quietly for a moment. "This is good. Very good." Walking around his desk, he sat down, pulling up his laptop.
Cady watched him quietly before asking, "When did you last eat?"
"Huh?" He looked up at her, his brow furrowed. Then, "Oh. No idea." He shook his head and turned back to the screen.
Sighing, Cady turned, starting to leave the study. "I'm going to your kitchen and I'm going to find you something to eat. I promise not to steal anything while I'm there."
"I'm not really hungry," Lex replied but Cady was already gone.
A smile formed on his face as he stared at the empty doorway. It felt good to have someone looking after something as simple as making certain he was eating, not to mention the amount of work she had saved him by making those phone calls this afternoon. Lex knew he had to get everything prepared for the buy-out proposal and presented to his managers before they had too long to think about the closing. If they had simmered too long on what the combined efforts of the Luthor family were doing to Smallville, he doubted he would have achieved their support. By acting quickly, he had proved to them that he had no intention of allowing his father's ruthlessness to destroy the town. If nothing else, Lex wanted everyone to understand that he had his employee's and this town's best interests at heart.
When Cady returned to the study, it was with a plate piled high with roast beef sandwiches, a bag of chips and a bowl of fruit. She sat everything down on Lex's desk, handing him a napkin.
"Are we feeding the homeless as well?" Lex asked with a smirk.
Cady just gave him a look for a moment, then handed him a sandwich. Picking up one for herself, she grabbed a copy of the buy-out proposal and walked over to one of the leather chairs to sit down. Setting the folder on her lap, she began flipping through the pages while she nibbled at her food.
Lex regarded her silently before finally taking a bite of his own sandwich. It wasn't until the food hit his palate that he realized how hungry he really was, and he finished the first one off quickly before reaching for a second. Looking over the top of the screen at Cady, he commented, "If you're thirsty, help yourself to something at the bar."
Instead of taking him up on his offer, Cady asked, "So you really think this'll work?" She waved the proposal in the air.
Sitting back in his chair, Lex glanced down at the desk, considering her question. Finally, he shrugged. "In theory, sure. But who knows what my dad will throw at me in the way of obstacles?"
Cady was silent as she contemplated his words. She had already seen what Lionel Luthor was willing to do to force his son to obey him. She didn't want to know what he would do in a situation like this. "So you're saying this could get ugly?"
"That's the Luthor family motto: This could get ugly. No. Wait. This will get ugly." His smile lacked the humor of his words.
"I don't understand," Cady replied, sinking down in the chair.
Lex nodded. "And I would prefer we keep it that way."
Silence fell over them once more and Cady returned to her perusal of the proposal, trying to get a grasp of all of the legal jargon it contained. A part of her felt Lex was insane to take on his father like this. Sure, as a Luthor he likely knew better than anyone how to handle his father, then again, Lionel had decades of experience more than Lex, and he really didn't care who got caught in the middle. Lex did. Cady could tell that it was more important to him at the moment to keep the Plant running, keep the town alive, than it was to prove anything to his father. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lionel obviously was out to prove something to his son, and he would make any move it took to reach that end. She just didn't see how Lex could beat something like that. And, she couldn't help but worry about who would end up getting caught in the middle of their family war.
". if you could tomorrow?"
Cady looked up, blinking. "Sorry, I was reading." She smiled a little sheepishly.
Lex shook his head. "It's all right. I was just asking if you would mind helping me out tomorrow?"
"Oh! I can't." Seeing his frown, Cady hastened to explain, "I mean, I have an appointment with my counselor in Metropolis." She sighed. "In fact, I'm not even going to be able to see my cousin acting all freaky over his date with Chloe."
"I forgot that is happening tomorrow." Lex nodded, smiling a little at the image in his mind of Clark and Chloe on a date together. She wasn't Clark's ideal girl, like Lana, but for some reason Lex could see Chloe making him a little bit happier than the girl of his dreams. Returning his attention to Cady, he asked, "Are you meeting with your counselor to figure out what to do about the internship?"
Cady smiled. "Lex, I already told you, this is the best experience at an internship that I could have."
Lex didn't know what to say to that. Her loyalty was deeply appreciated but he thought it would sound too trite if he told her that. Instead, he gave her a small smile in return.
"I'd better get back to the farm," she said, standing up and carrying the proposal back over to his desk. "Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?"
He grinned as if to say 'Yeah, right'.
Shaking her head, Cady moved over and leaned down to kiss him softly. Lex looked up at her as she pulled away then reached up, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and bringing her back for a longer, deeper kiss. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he held on to her possessively, going against everything he had convinced himself to feel for the past week, taking what he truly wanted. All that had happened today had been too much, and for the moment, he wanted to feel the peace that she offered him, he wanted to forget about the worries of his life. Sighing into her mouth as Lex felt Cady's hands rest against his shoulders, he moved his other hand to her waist and gently pulled her into his lap. Fitting her carefully within his embrace, he held on to her as he continued to tenderly explore her mouth, his fingers absently caressing her back.
Cady broke the kiss after a few minutes, keeping her face near to his, nuzzling his cheek with the tip of his nose. "You aren't getting much work done, Lex."
"Just a few minutes," he whispered, closing his eyes to her soft touch, the feel of her warm breath against his skin. "Just one moment."
Smiling a little, Cady kissed the corner of his mouth and thought, I knew you'd come back. Laying her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and held him quietly, listening to his soft breathing. He continued to touch her, his hands moving over her back and shoulders, as if he simply needed something to keep them occupied. Knowing Lex, he was likely still thinking about the Plant, still thinking about his father, still thinking about the next few days and the trials ahead. Even this small moment of peace wasn't truly enough for him - not enough to calm his mind. Cady wondered if there was anything out there that really could.
Minutes passed before Lex finally opened his eyes, knowing that he still had plenty to do. He didn't want Cady to leave but he knew he had to put aside his personal life to take care of business. Kissing her forehead, he told her quietly, "I should get back to things."
Cady nodded and tightened her arms around him momentarily. "Yes, you should." Kissing his neck, she sat up and gave him a smile, moving her hand to brush his cheek with the backs of her knuckles. "Take care of yourself, okay? I'll call you tomorrow when I get back from Metropolis."
"You do that." He kissed her lips briefly. Pulling back, he asked, "How do you put up with me?"
Shrugging, Cady smiled and slipped out of his lap. "It's really not that difficult, Lex. No matter what you might think. Good night."
"Good night, Cady."
*** Cady opened the kitchen door quietly, not wishing to disturb the Kents from their sleep, only to find the lights were on in the living room where her uncle was watching wrestling. He glanced up at her entrance, his expression one of silent disapproval. Sighing, Cady took a few minutes to pour herself a glass of milk before walking over to the couch and sitting down.
"You're up late," she commented, staring at the images of women in bikinis and men in funny costumes on the screen before her.
Her uncle was silent for a long moment before he finally replied, "I wanted to talk to you."
Cady had a feeling he would say that. She took a sip of her milk and said nothing in reply.
"Cady, I worry about you. I can't help but feel that it's my duty to look after you now that you're parents are no longer around to do so."
"That's sweet of you, Uncle Jonathon," she replied, finally glancing over at him. "But I am an adult now. I can take care of myself."
Jonathon frowned, looking down at the carpet for a moment. "Can you?" He returned his gaze to hers. "As much of an adult as you believe you are, you know nothing about life, Cady. Young people always think they have all of the answers but I guarantee you that the person you are now and the person you will be ten years from now are two completely different people."
Cady sighed. "I'm really not in the mood for a lecture, Uncle Jonathon. Don't you think I heard enough this afternoon?" She shook her head. "And I don't see what who I am in ten years has any bearing on what I'm doing now."
"I don't want to see you take the wrong path; be influenced by the wrong people."
"You mean Lex."
"Yes." He didn't even hesitate. At his niece's snort of disbelief, he continued, "You're a bright young woman, Cady. But you're obviously misguided if you believe Lex Luthor could be any good for you. He doesn't care about anyone but himself, and he never will."
"No one said I was making plans to marry him!" Cady retorted angrily.
"I know you, Cady," Jonathon went on, undaunted by her outburst. "You're a lot like your mother - you become easily attached to people."
Cady shook her head. "I don't understand you. What could you possibly have against Lex to make you hate him so badly?"
"I don't hate Lex, Cady," her uncle corrected in a snap. He was tired of everyone accusing him of that, when he was simply trying to get people to see that anyone brought up in the environment that Lex Luthor was could not be trusted. The apple never falls far from the tree, and he didn't think that Lex was truly all that different from his father. "I simply want you to see that he isn't the saint he tries to buy people into believing he is!"
"He hasn't bought me anything." Cady rolled her eyes.
"Taking you to Metropolis in his sports car, fancy meals, limos - "
"The way you talk, Uncle Jonathon, would make one believe you were jealous." Cady stood up to head to her room.
"I wouldn't take what Lex Luthor has if it was offered to me on a silver platter." Jonathon barked.
"Color me surprised."
"Cady." He stood and grabbed her arm as she walked past. "I don't want to fight with you. I love you. I want you to be happy. I'm just saying, I don't see that happening with Lex. Look what he and his father are doing to this town!"
"Lex is trying to save the town, Uncle Jonathon." Cady argued, her anger diminishing a little at the obvious concern in her uncle's voice. "You should see what he is doing to try to save the Plant, to save all of those jobs."
"But is it what's best for Smallville, Cady?" Her uncle asked. "Or what's best for him?"
Sighing, Cady looked away for a moment, chewing her lower lip. When she turned back, she said earnestly, "If you think Lex's life is really that simple, then you haven't taken the time to get to know him. And there is nothing I or Clark will ever be able to say to change your mind. Good night, Uncle Jonathon." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before turning to head up the stairs.
"Cady."
Stopping halfway, she glanced back down at him over the balustrade. "Yeah?"
"I. " Jonathon shook his head, deciding it would be best to simply drop the subject. "They're calling for storms late tomorrow afternoon. Be careful on your drive back from Metropolis. In fact, if it gets too bad, I would prefer you got a hotel room and came back on Sunday."
Smiling, Cady nodded. "Okay. I promise."
Jonathon returned the smile as his niece disappeared up the stairs. He remained there for awhile longer, wondering why it was that Lex Luthor saw fit to come between his family like this. Ever since the day of the meteor shower, it seemed as if the lives of the Kents and the Luthors were entangled somehow, and no matter what he did to try to separate them, something always served to bring them back together. And Jonathon couldn't help but fear that somewhere down the road, his predictions of disaster would come to fruition.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Here by my side an angel Here by my side the devil Never turn your back on me Never turn your back on me again Here by my side it's heaven
Weapon - Matthew Good Band
The week went exactly as Cady had expected it to. Lex was out of town on business through Wednesday and when he returned Thursday, he claimed to be too busy to spend time with her. Cady decided to annoy him just because she could, spending the entire day sending him pointless emails and stopping by his office with questions she already knew the answers to. By late afternoon, his eyes were shooting daggers at her and she was caught between laughter and the horror of what he just might do to her if he really lost his temper. Intelligently, she left the office the moment five o'clock hit, so that she wouldn't run into Lex in the parking lot.
Not that her hasty exit could delay the inevitable. As she was closing up the Talon that night, as a favor to Lana who had a biology test to study for, Lex appeared, requesting a cappuccino. Cady stared at him from behind the counter where she was preparing to take the last of the dirty dishes out and wash them.
"We closed ten minutes ago. Or don't you know the operating hours of your own establishment?"
"Cady, could you save the attitude and recriminations for later?" He sat down in the nearest chair, his gaze dropping to the floor.
Frowning as she set the tub of dishes down, Cady started up the cappuccino machine, taking a little extra care as she prepared the beverage over the next few moments, before walking over to Lex and setting his cup beside him. She stood there for a moment before taking the seat next to him.
"Lex, what's wrong?"
Lex looked over at her, finding it impossible to believe that she was still speaking to him after his behavior over the weekend. Apparently, Cady O'Rourke didn't take a hint or something. The worst part was that Lex found himself pleased she hadn't given up. Although he knew it would be better for both her and the Kents if they ended this relationship before it really had a chance to turn into something serious, he couldn't really let go. He didn't want to. She had all of the innocence and warmth of Clark, in female form. And she was giving him a chance. It was so much more than he had ever been offered before.
"Just work. " He trailed off, thinking how domestic this seemed, sitting around drinking coffee, telling her his problems. The feeling encouraged him to continue, "My father is coming by the Plant tomorrow to speak with the employees."
Cady's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Beats me." Lex shrugged. "I'm not important enough to be privy to that kind of information apparently."
"I'm sure it's nothing more than a congratulations or something for the way the Plant has been producing."
Lex nodded slightly. "Maybe. It could merely be some ploy of his to keep me off-guard. For all I know, he'll decide to do some surprise inspection." Pausing, Lex rubbed a hand over his eyes then picked up his cup and sipped at his beverage for a moment. "It seems I'm always. waiting."
"Waiting? For what? I don't understand."
"Just waiting." He shook his head. "For approval, retaliation. I don't know. Something. And I think that's what he wants, just to leave me there, hanging on for some kind of sign." Lex allowed a short, mirthless laugh. "And he knows it. And he uses it. And he gets some sort of sick satisfaction from it. "
Unable to think of anything to say, Cady simply reached out and laid her hand over his. Lex glanced up at her for a moment before turning his hand over to hold hers, their fingers linking together. The silence between them stretched on, but it was comfortable and welcome, at least to Lex. Her hand was warm in his, and he was content to just sit there and hold it for the next few hours or so. Cady's fingertips occasionally brushed over his palm in a soothing motion and he found his eyes closing, relaxing under the touch, the thick smell of coffee, apple pie and Cady's perfume engulfing the air. A few years ago, if someone had painted this picture for Lex, telling him that he would be most content with something this simple and unexpected, he would have written them off as clearly insane.
"Do you want some more cappuccino?" Cady asked softly, her voice sounding somehow right in the silence.
Lex shook his head, opening his eyes to find her watching him. He gave her a crooked smile. "No. I need to get home, do some work, send out some emails to prepare for tomorrow."
They stood together, both seeming reluctant to let go of one another's hands. Cady walked with him towards the door, preparing to lock it behind him. Lex stopped when he reached it and looked down at her.
"You really do make an excellent cup of cappuccino, you know."
Cady laughed. "So you're saying I should put it on my resume?"
"Something like that." Lex smiled again. "Goodnight, Cady."
"Goodnight, Lex."
He paused for a moment then leaned in to press a gentle kiss against her forehead before turning and disappearing out into the darkness. Cady closed and locked the door behind him, staring out the window for a moment until she saw the lights of his Ferrari wink into existence as the engine quickly roared to life and he was speeding away down Main Street. Sighing, Cady leaned back against the door, her gaze sweeping over the empty coffee house. If Lex Luthor became any more confusing, she was going to take it upon herself to commit him.
***
Friday morning couldn't come quickly enough for Cady. She was ready to get both that day - with Lionel Luthor's visit - and the weekend over with. While she was hoping to at least spend a little time with Lex, she also wanted Clark to get past his date with Chloe. That was actually the general consensus within the entire Kent household - if they had to deal with Clark on pins and needles for too much longer, they would all go crazy. Cady couldn't believe that her cousin was so nutty over a simple date. In actuality, it was really very cute. She wondered if Chloe was having the same problems.
When she reached the office, the entire place was in an uproar, preparing for Lionel Luthor's appearance. Cady spent her first few minutes making coffee because everyone else seemed to be too busy running around finishing jobs for the supervisors. Fixing two cups, one black, the other with lots of creamer and a packet of hot chocolate, she gathered both into her hands and wandered into Lex's office, where he was on the phone barking at someone regarding a late shipment to a customer. Trying not to smile at the frustration evident in both his voice and expression, she set his cup of black coffee in front of him then moved over to one of the leather chairs and sat down, sipping at her own beverage while she waited.
Lex glanced up at her, watching her as he informed the individual on the other end that they had best learn to do their job properly or find another job that they might have more talent in. Slamming the phone down, he grabbed his cup and took a swallow.
"Ow! Fuck!" He sputtered, almost spilling the coffee over his desk as he held himself back from spitting out the mouthful he had taken.
"It's hot," Cady commented, quietly blowing over her own and trying very, very hard not to laugh.
"No shit?" Lex glared at the woman across from him and could see the mirth dancing in her eyes. He nursed his burnt tongue in his mouth for a moment while he continued to picture various ways of torturing her while at the same time she was obviously attempting not to meet his eyes. "Thanks for the warning."
Cady raised an eyebrow. "Does this place look like McDonalds?" She thought she heard something that sounded distinctly like a growl issue from Lex's throat. Glancing up at him, she quickly bit her lip to keep from laughing outright at the expression of disbelief on his face. Swallowing, in an attempt to compose herself, she remarked, "The whole office is in an uproar."
"I wonder why?" Lex snapped sarcastically, standing to move over to the filing cabinet and begin digging through it.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Shoot me in the head." A pause. "Or my father. Take your pick."
"Oh, that's entirely too good of an offer to pass up," she commented, smiling gleefully over the rim of her cup. "I think I'll choose.. Ummm. You!"
"Cady, I really don't need this right now."
"Oh, but Lex! There's a certain sadistic satisfaction that I get watching you go into panic mode."
Another glare. "I don't panic."
"Of course you don't."
"Cady. "
She laughed and stood up, giving him a more serious and slightly sympathetic expression. "Seriously, what do you need me to do? Should I bring the old man a cup of coffee? Filled with rat poison?"
A grin finally broke out across Lex's face as he shook his head. "As tempting as that is, I don't think I should end the week by committing patricide." He sat back down at his desk and took a breath. "There's going to be a lot of local press - just make sure they don't bother my father. He hates that. And if you could make certain that all of the employees are out there on time that would help. A joint wouldn't be too bad right now either. "
"Lex Luthor!" Cady exclaimed with a laugh. "I can't decide if I should pretend to be shocked or not."
"You think that's shocking. " He didn't finish the sentence, watching her with a half-smile.
"I don't want to hear it," she declared with a wink. "Guess I'd better go find some duct tape. er, press passes for the press, hmm?"
Lex felt his smile grow as Cady started toward the door. Maybe she hadn't eased his apprehension regarding his father's short-noticed visit - nothing could do that. But she had made him feel just a little better, if only for the moment. "Hey, Cady?" He called out just before she disappeared.
"Yes?" She stopped to look over her shoulder at him.
"Thanks for the coffee."
She smiled and hurried off to get ready for Lionel Luthor's appearance.
Cady spent the next hour getting the press where they needed to be, coordinating with the shift supervisors to get all of the employees out of the factory in time and in their seats and helped the office manager close down the main offices. She watched from the window of her office as Lex moved out to the helipad to await the arrival of his father, then grabbed a camera to take pictures for the bulletin boards and headed out, locking the door behind her.
"Cady!"
Turning just as she reached the back lot used for employee gatherings by the Plant, Cady squinted in the sunlight as Barbara Adams, Gabe Sullivan's secretary, hurried over to her. "What is it, Barbara?"
"Mr. Randall, from the Ledger, is complaining that the wind is blowing too hard where he is sitting and getting dust in his eyes."
"Oh geez." Cady sighed. "Very well. I'll take care of it. Anything else going wrong?"
"Well, the wind is continuing to knock the walls over and has played hell with the sound system."
"Maybe Lionel won't be able to land," Cady remarked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "We'd all be broken-hearted, wouldn't we?"
Barbara laughed. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that."
Cady smiled. "There seems to be a lot of that going around today."
"What?"
Waving her hand, Cady began her way toward the throng of waiting employees. "Nothing. You know where to find me if anything else goes wrong. "
Making her way through the throng of employees, smiling at the few she had gotten to know, Cady finally found her way to the front where a few members of the press had been allowed to sit. Locating Terrance Randall, she listened to his complaints for a few moments before leading him to another chair and then taking the one he had vacated for herself. Glancing up at the stage in front of her, she couldn't contain her smirk of amusement - Lionel Luthor obviously thought quite a bit of himself to plan a setup like this for a simple speech. Her attention was diverted from the enormous LuthorCorp banner, flapping in the wind, as the employees around her broke into applause and she turned her gaze to the stairs to see Lionel himself walking on to the stage, waving like a rock star or something. Cady gave a cursory golf clap, her eyes moving to Lex who appeared decidedly uncomfortable with the whole thing. For a long moment, her gaze wandered between the two men - one young, one old, one bald, the other with enough hair to make even an ape jealous - and were it not for the long coats, expensive clothes and the fact that she had met them both, Cady decided she wouldn't have been able to tell they were father and son.
Lex turned his attention away from his father, attempting to regain the composure that always seemed to falter whenever he was near. He examined the audience as the applause died down and his father began to speak, causing him to return his concentration to the podium. Joining in the next round of applause as his father congratulated the employees on the work they had done the past year, Lex's gaze found Cady in the front, clapping enthusiastically, a big smile on her face as their eyes locked and she nodded in deference to him. He found the slightest smile, a little tug towards feeling better, before clasping his hands together as the noise died down and his father began speaking again. Surprisingly, Lex found that he was pleased that he had been unable to push Cady way. Her quiet and encouraging presence was a bolster to his confidence that he hadn't expected he had needed. In fact, he was about to flash her another smile when his father's words caught his interest once again.
Ship? Captain? What the hell was the man blathering about now? Lex tried not to roll his eyes as he looked away, wondering if his father was going to launch into some speech regarding mutiny or some such when his next sentence caused the world to suddenly spin out of control.
"Due to management failures beyond your control, this Plant will be closing, effective immediately. Good luck to all of you."
Cries of outrage and incredulity rose up from the crowd in front and behind Lex where the supervisors stood, but he could do little more than stare at his father in disbelief as he walked past, toward the stairway. Turning, Lex followed him quickly, trying to control the immediate need to lash out, scream, throw a tantrum, anything to get his father to see how unacceptable this was. But he knew that would only lead to his father's disdain for showing too much emotion.
Taking a deep breath, Lex commented in a tone much more even than he felt, "You just fired 2,500 people and blamed it on me." The way he was trailing after his father made him feel like a child all over again.
"One day you'll thank me, Lex. Smallville isn't in your future. It's just a brief chapter in your biography -"
"Don't do this," Lex interjected, hoping his tone wasn't as pleading as it sounded to his own ears.
"We live in a meritocracy, Lex. The weak get left behind."
Lex tried not to think that comment was a parting shot at him.
"The Plant wasn't producing. I had no other options."
That was bullshit and his father knew it! "Spare me the corporate barbarian spiel! Those people have husbands, wives, children, mortgages - "
"We're in business to make profit, not friends!" Lionel turned angrily to his son. "You can't let your emotions get in the way of making tough decisions - "
"Don't lecture me about letting emotions get in the way!" Lex argued, knowing that he had just given up on the calm demeanor he had attempted to put into place. He was angry, hurt, shocked - and at the moment he didn't care if his father saw that or not. "This Plant was showing a profit! You're only shutting it down because I wouldn't go work for you in Metropolis!" He spat.
It almost seemed as if his father were ready to roll his eyes in response. "Lex, you may have felt that you found a home here but you were mistaken."
Lex bit back the retort that Smallville had been the first place he had ever felt at home since his mother's death. He had friends here, he had begun to carve himself a niche in the community, even the castle was beginning to feel as if it belonged to him. But the very fact that his father had seen all of that, had known what Lex wanted more than anything, cut deep. It was an emotion he had never meant to show, and obviously he had not been successful in his attempt to hide it.
"This was just your training ground," his father continued, moving towards the waiting helicopter. "Well your training is over!"
Training. This was just training? He had been a part of something here. He had been making a difference, showing results. That wasn't training! Lex didn't want to start all over again. This had been the beginning of something and he had been successful, for once, all on his own. But his father didn't want that. His father couldn't say 'Lex, you've done a great job! I'm proud of you!' Instead, it was always the same thing. Others would believe that Lex had failed, that he was a screw up, that he couldn't do anything right. And meanwhile, his father would have him back under his thumb and his life would return to the way it had been before he had been exiled to Smallville. Lonely and pointless.
"You're coming home, son!" Lionel shouted before climbing into the helicopter and waving from above as it lifted up and hovered overhead.
Lex had no idea how long he stood there, staring up at the now empty sky above. He had watched until his father's helicopter had disappeared beyond the horizon. Behind him, he still heard angry voices, chairs being thrown. A voice that sounded like Gabe's came over the loudspeakers, attempting to calm everyone down. Lex didn't know how he could face them, what he would say. His father had laid the blame of the Plant's closing fully in his lap, and all he had ever tried to do was save those people's jobs, make the factory successful. But no one would see it that way. He had been blacklisted since he had arrived in Smallville and it had truly never changed and why had he ever believed it would? He would be lucky if he made it out of there alive.
"Lex?"
Hearing Cady's voice behind him, Lex swallowed, the anger and pain almost overpowering all senses, and turned, forcing a neutral expression. "Didn't see that one coming," he commented, watching her as she approached. "Did you?"
Cady shook her head, her gaze roaming over Lex in concern. She was still in shock, like most of the employees she had attempted to reassure before coming out here. "Lex, I. I don't understand." She brushed the hair away from her face that the wind kept pushing into her eyes. "The Plant was doing well. There were no management - "
"He wants me in Metropolis," Lex replied, moving past her to head back to his office, hopefully without being stopped by an angry mob of unemployed workers. "This is his way of making certain that happens."
"What?" She cried out in disbelief, hurrying to catch up to him. He was walking fast and Cady was forced to half-jog to keep up. "Your father just put 2,500 people out of work because he wants you to move?!"
"Welcome to the Luthor family." Lex muttered.
Cady stopped and stared at him. "I can't believe that the two of you are so full of yourselves and your self-importance that you would try to destroy an entire town to prove yourselves to one another!"
Lex rounded on her, his eyes flashing angrily. "This is not my fault! Do you think I wanted this to happen? Do you think I had any idea he would resort to doing something like this? Dammit, Cady, I was finally pulling away from him here! I was making something of myself -and he can't handle that!" He stepped back and stared down at her, unable to believe that she would be against him at this moment when he needed someone - anyone - to be on his side. Pointing toward the back of the stage, he asked, "Do you think I want to see those people out of work? That I find pleasure in destroying people's lives? Do you really believe that I'm just like him?!"
Unable to think of anything to say for the moment, Cady watched as Lex turned away from her, running a hand over his scalp in the usual manner of frustration. Guilt wafted through her and she finally moved forward, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she told him softly. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen. And I don't believe you are like your father. I wouldn't be here if I did."
Looking down at her, Lex was silent for a long moment, not quite ready to forgive. He was sick of people making judgments and passing sentence against him when they didn't understand, didn't live his life. Setting his jaw, he looked away from her, towards the Plant.
"Lex?" Cady knew she had made a mistake by adding more pain on top of what he had already experienced that morning.
"It's okay, Cady." came the reply. Bland. Unemotional.
Her fingers tightened around his arm. "Tell me what I can do."
Lex finally turned his gaze back to her. The pain was gone, replaced with apathy. He'd been through things like this before. His father was not going to win this time. "I'm not going back."
Cady nodded. "What are you going to do?"
"I have an idea." He looked up for a moment, determination setting in. "I've got some things to look over first. I have to make certain." Looking back down at Cady, he told her, "Go home. I'll call you."
Frowning as he walked away from her, Cady called out, "Lex, I want to help."
Stopping, Lex glanced over his shoulder at her and flashed a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know you do, Cady. Thanks."
Without another word, he disappeared into the Plant.
***
Lex called her later that afternoon. Cady was in her room, going over a report that she was to turn in to her counselor tomorrow afternoon, regarding her internship so far with LuthorCorp. Unfortunately, she was ending it with 'And then I was laid off'. The phone rang where it sat on the bed next to the laptop and relief flooded through her because Cady knew only one person could be calling.
Flipping it open, she lifted it to her ear, "How are things?"
A slight pause and the shuffled of papers. "Looking up," came the reply in a tone that was a little more animated than it had been that morning. "Think you could do me a favor?"
"You know I will."
Cady thought she could feel a slight smile through the phone. "I need you to make some phone calls for me. I just emailed you a list of clients. I'm looking at an employee buy-out and I need to make certain these people don't decide to sign with someone else while the Plant is in transition."
"An employee buy-out?" I leaned forward, opening my email to find the message Lex had just sent. "I don't understand. Will your father allow that?"
"He doesn't have to. I only need a majority of the votes on the Board, not a unanimous one. And I think I can get the ones I need."
Chewing on her lip, Cady couldn't help but comment, "That can't be cheap."
Lex sighed into the phone. "Yeah. It isn't. I can come up with most of the capital but I am going to have to see if I can get some of the other supervisors in on it with me. We're currently ten percent short."
He was gutsy, Cady would give him that. But then she was confident that he would have to learn to be, growing up in the environment that he did. "Okay. I'll make the calls."
"Thanks. Can you come over this evening? So we can go over the initial reports?"
"I'll try." Cady glanced toward her bedroom door. "Needless to say, the news regarding the Plant didn't exactly ingratiate your name into the Kent household. My uncle and I had quite the falling out. But I'm sure I can get out of here without too much commotion."
There was a long pause from his end. Then, "I'm sorry, Cady. You shouldn't be caught in the middle of this. Look, I'm sure I can get you an internship with one of our clients. I can call - "
"Lex," she interrupted with a smile. "I don't jump ship when the waters get a little choppy."
Lex laughed. "Cady, I think we just cap-sized."
She smiled. "I have faith in you, Lex. Besides, I don't think there could be better experience in an internship than to learn all about things like lay-offs, employee buy-outs and the formation of a new company."
"So this is a learning experience?"
"I like to think of it as that."
Another pause, longer this time, "It's all I seem to know how to give you, Cady."
Cady ran her fingers over the keys of her laptop for a moment, smiling a little at his words. "I'm not complaining," she replied softly. "What time should I be there?"
"Is nine okay with you?"
"Nine is fine. See you then, Lex."
When Cady arrived at the castle that night, it was to find that Lex was having a meeting with the senior management from the Plant. All in a bid to get them to join with him in the risky employee buy-out. She sat by quietly while he presented his case, went over the facts in detail and laid out all of the risks. By the time they filed out the door an hour later, Cady could tell that more than half of them were in agreement with Lex, and the others were very near to being convinced.
Sighing, Lex turned and glanced at Cady, flashing her a half smile. "I think that went okay."
"I'm sure it did." She returned the smile and walked over to him with the list of the clients she had called in hand, holding it out to him.
"Tell me you have good news."
"Close. Only two out of the names you gave me claimed that they didn't know how long they could hold out. I asked them to give you until Monday before they make any final decisions."
Lex nodded, taking the paper and looking over it quietly for a moment. "This is good. Very good." Walking around his desk, he sat down, pulling up his laptop.
Cady watched him quietly before asking, "When did you last eat?"
"Huh?" He looked up at her, his brow furrowed. Then, "Oh. No idea." He shook his head and turned back to the screen.
Sighing, Cady turned, starting to leave the study. "I'm going to your kitchen and I'm going to find you something to eat. I promise not to steal anything while I'm there."
"I'm not really hungry," Lex replied but Cady was already gone.
A smile formed on his face as he stared at the empty doorway. It felt good to have someone looking after something as simple as making certain he was eating, not to mention the amount of work she had saved him by making those phone calls this afternoon. Lex knew he had to get everything prepared for the buy-out proposal and presented to his managers before they had too long to think about the closing. If they had simmered too long on what the combined efforts of the Luthor family were doing to Smallville, he doubted he would have achieved their support. By acting quickly, he had proved to them that he had no intention of allowing his father's ruthlessness to destroy the town. If nothing else, Lex wanted everyone to understand that he had his employee's and this town's best interests at heart.
When Cady returned to the study, it was with a plate piled high with roast beef sandwiches, a bag of chips and a bowl of fruit. She sat everything down on Lex's desk, handing him a napkin.
"Are we feeding the homeless as well?" Lex asked with a smirk.
Cady just gave him a look for a moment, then handed him a sandwich. Picking up one for herself, she grabbed a copy of the buy-out proposal and walked over to one of the leather chairs to sit down. Setting the folder on her lap, she began flipping through the pages while she nibbled at her food.
Lex regarded her silently before finally taking a bite of his own sandwich. It wasn't until the food hit his palate that he realized how hungry he really was, and he finished the first one off quickly before reaching for a second. Looking over the top of the screen at Cady, he commented, "If you're thirsty, help yourself to something at the bar."
Instead of taking him up on his offer, Cady asked, "So you really think this'll work?" She waved the proposal in the air.
Sitting back in his chair, Lex glanced down at the desk, considering her question. Finally, he shrugged. "In theory, sure. But who knows what my dad will throw at me in the way of obstacles?"
Cady was silent as she contemplated his words. She had already seen what Lionel Luthor was willing to do to force his son to obey him. She didn't want to know what he would do in a situation like this. "So you're saying this could get ugly?"
"That's the Luthor family motto: This could get ugly. No. Wait. This will get ugly." His smile lacked the humor of his words.
"I don't understand," Cady replied, sinking down in the chair.
Lex nodded. "And I would prefer we keep it that way."
Silence fell over them once more and Cady returned to her perusal of the proposal, trying to get a grasp of all of the legal jargon it contained. A part of her felt Lex was insane to take on his father like this. Sure, as a Luthor he likely knew better than anyone how to handle his father, then again, Lionel had decades of experience more than Lex, and he really didn't care who got caught in the middle. Lex did. Cady could tell that it was more important to him at the moment to keep the Plant running, keep the town alive, than it was to prove anything to his father. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lionel obviously was out to prove something to his son, and he would make any move it took to reach that end. She just didn't see how Lex could beat something like that. And, she couldn't help but worry about who would end up getting caught in the middle of their family war.
". if you could tomorrow?"
Cady looked up, blinking. "Sorry, I was reading." She smiled a little sheepishly.
Lex shook his head. "It's all right. I was just asking if you would mind helping me out tomorrow?"
"Oh! I can't." Seeing his frown, Cady hastened to explain, "I mean, I have an appointment with my counselor in Metropolis." She sighed. "In fact, I'm not even going to be able to see my cousin acting all freaky over his date with Chloe."
"I forgot that is happening tomorrow." Lex nodded, smiling a little at the image in his mind of Clark and Chloe on a date together. She wasn't Clark's ideal girl, like Lana, but for some reason Lex could see Chloe making him a little bit happier than the girl of his dreams. Returning his attention to Cady, he asked, "Are you meeting with your counselor to figure out what to do about the internship?"
Cady smiled. "Lex, I already told you, this is the best experience at an internship that I could have."
Lex didn't know what to say to that. Her loyalty was deeply appreciated but he thought it would sound too trite if he told her that. Instead, he gave her a small smile in return.
"I'd better get back to the farm," she said, standing up and carrying the proposal back over to his desk. "Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?"
He grinned as if to say 'Yeah, right'.
Shaking her head, Cady moved over and leaned down to kiss him softly. Lex looked up at her as she pulled away then reached up, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and bringing her back for a longer, deeper kiss. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he held on to her possessively, going against everything he had convinced himself to feel for the past week, taking what he truly wanted. All that had happened today had been too much, and for the moment, he wanted to feel the peace that she offered him, he wanted to forget about the worries of his life. Sighing into her mouth as Lex felt Cady's hands rest against his shoulders, he moved his other hand to her waist and gently pulled her into his lap. Fitting her carefully within his embrace, he held on to her as he continued to tenderly explore her mouth, his fingers absently caressing her back.
Cady broke the kiss after a few minutes, keeping her face near to his, nuzzling his cheek with the tip of his nose. "You aren't getting much work done, Lex."
"Just a few minutes," he whispered, closing his eyes to her soft touch, the feel of her warm breath against his skin. "Just one moment."
Smiling a little, Cady kissed the corner of his mouth and thought, I knew you'd come back. Laying her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and held him quietly, listening to his soft breathing. He continued to touch her, his hands moving over her back and shoulders, as if he simply needed something to keep them occupied. Knowing Lex, he was likely still thinking about the Plant, still thinking about his father, still thinking about the next few days and the trials ahead. Even this small moment of peace wasn't truly enough for him - not enough to calm his mind. Cady wondered if there was anything out there that really could.
Minutes passed before Lex finally opened his eyes, knowing that he still had plenty to do. He didn't want Cady to leave but he knew he had to put aside his personal life to take care of business. Kissing her forehead, he told her quietly, "I should get back to things."
Cady nodded and tightened her arms around him momentarily. "Yes, you should." Kissing his neck, she sat up and gave him a smile, moving her hand to brush his cheek with the backs of her knuckles. "Take care of yourself, okay? I'll call you tomorrow when I get back from Metropolis."
"You do that." He kissed her lips briefly. Pulling back, he asked, "How do you put up with me?"
Shrugging, Cady smiled and slipped out of his lap. "It's really not that difficult, Lex. No matter what you might think. Good night."
"Good night, Cady."
*** Cady opened the kitchen door quietly, not wishing to disturb the Kents from their sleep, only to find the lights were on in the living room where her uncle was watching wrestling. He glanced up at her entrance, his expression one of silent disapproval. Sighing, Cady took a few minutes to pour herself a glass of milk before walking over to the couch and sitting down.
"You're up late," she commented, staring at the images of women in bikinis and men in funny costumes on the screen before her.
Her uncle was silent for a long moment before he finally replied, "I wanted to talk to you."
Cady had a feeling he would say that. She took a sip of her milk and said nothing in reply.
"Cady, I worry about you. I can't help but feel that it's my duty to look after you now that you're parents are no longer around to do so."
"That's sweet of you, Uncle Jonathon," she replied, finally glancing over at him. "But I am an adult now. I can take care of myself."
Jonathon frowned, looking down at the carpet for a moment. "Can you?" He returned his gaze to hers. "As much of an adult as you believe you are, you know nothing about life, Cady. Young people always think they have all of the answers but I guarantee you that the person you are now and the person you will be ten years from now are two completely different people."
Cady sighed. "I'm really not in the mood for a lecture, Uncle Jonathon. Don't you think I heard enough this afternoon?" She shook her head. "And I don't see what who I am in ten years has any bearing on what I'm doing now."
"I don't want to see you take the wrong path; be influenced by the wrong people."
"You mean Lex."
"Yes." He didn't even hesitate. At his niece's snort of disbelief, he continued, "You're a bright young woman, Cady. But you're obviously misguided if you believe Lex Luthor could be any good for you. He doesn't care about anyone but himself, and he never will."
"No one said I was making plans to marry him!" Cady retorted angrily.
"I know you, Cady," Jonathon went on, undaunted by her outburst. "You're a lot like your mother - you become easily attached to people."
Cady shook her head. "I don't understand you. What could you possibly have against Lex to make you hate him so badly?"
"I don't hate Lex, Cady," her uncle corrected in a snap. He was tired of everyone accusing him of that, when he was simply trying to get people to see that anyone brought up in the environment that Lex Luthor was could not be trusted. The apple never falls far from the tree, and he didn't think that Lex was truly all that different from his father. "I simply want you to see that he isn't the saint he tries to buy people into believing he is!"
"He hasn't bought me anything." Cady rolled her eyes.
"Taking you to Metropolis in his sports car, fancy meals, limos - "
"The way you talk, Uncle Jonathon, would make one believe you were jealous." Cady stood up to head to her room.
"I wouldn't take what Lex Luthor has if it was offered to me on a silver platter." Jonathon barked.
"Color me surprised."
"Cady." He stood and grabbed her arm as she walked past. "I don't want to fight with you. I love you. I want you to be happy. I'm just saying, I don't see that happening with Lex. Look what he and his father are doing to this town!"
"Lex is trying to save the town, Uncle Jonathon." Cady argued, her anger diminishing a little at the obvious concern in her uncle's voice. "You should see what he is doing to try to save the Plant, to save all of those jobs."
"But is it what's best for Smallville, Cady?" Her uncle asked. "Or what's best for him?"
Sighing, Cady looked away for a moment, chewing her lower lip. When she turned back, she said earnestly, "If you think Lex's life is really that simple, then you haven't taken the time to get to know him. And there is nothing I or Clark will ever be able to say to change your mind. Good night, Uncle Jonathon." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before turning to head up the stairs.
"Cady."
Stopping halfway, she glanced back down at him over the balustrade. "Yeah?"
"I. " Jonathon shook his head, deciding it would be best to simply drop the subject. "They're calling for storms late tomorrow afternoon. Be careful on your drive back from Metropolis. In fact, if it gets too bad, I would prefer you got a hotel room and came back on Sunday."
Smiling, Cady nodded. "Okay. I promise."
Jonathon returned the smile as his niece disappeared up the stairs. He remained there for awhile longer, wondering why it was that Lex Luthor saw fit to come between his family like this. Ever since the day of the meteor shower, it seemed as if the lives of the Kents and the Luthors were entangled somehow, and no matter what he did to try to separate them, something always served to bring them back together. And Jonathon couldn't help but fear that somewhere down the road, his predictions of disaster would come to fruition.