Well, it was more than a month, and I'm sorry for that! We didn't get into a house until February and RL hasn't been the happiest on me. But we're in Virginia now and I'm writing again. Outlining the next chapter as we speak. :-)

To the person who said they were having trouble "seeing" Lillian, I've "cast" an actress to play her: Gates McFadden, who used to be Beverly Crusher on Star Trek: TNG. She has the red hair even.


Part 3

(Graduation, Spring 2001)

It was warm, the late May sun shining down through the sunroof of the auditorium. Over a thousand bodies packed tightly together amplified the heat sufficiently, and Lex was sweating in his graduation gown. He fidgeted a little, twisting around in his seat and looking up into the balcony behind him. He could just barely make out his mother's auburn hair and wondered if she could see him. He risked a slight wave of his hand, and was rewarded with a slap to his wrist.

When he whirled around in surprise, John grinned at him from the row ahead. "Bruce is here." He nodded towards the ornate double doors to their left. Lex turned in time to see his long-time best friend escorting an exotic-looking brunette to a seat in the back row. "Looks like he brought a date."

Lex smirked at the sardonic comment. He was about to point out that the woman in question was Aurora Kincaide--two girlfriends ago for him--when Dean Prescott stepped up to the podium at the front of the auditorium. The microphone shrieked as the dean began to speak.

*~*

His mother was standing with Bruce--laughing at something witty he must have said--when Lex approached them, a petite blonde at his side. He gave her hand a squeeze, knowing she was nervous.

"Lex!" The young head of Wayne Enterprises boomed out as he came to stand next to them. "We were just talking about you."

"Were we?" Lex smirked as he leaned in to kiss his mother's cheek. "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all, honey. Bruce was just making me feel bad about not letting you take last year off like you wanted."

Lex was supposed to have graduated last year, and he and Bruce were going to take a year off to kick around Europe together. Two up and coming billionaires taking the world by storm. That, however, had been before Lex decided upon the double major and graduating a full year early became irrevocably out of the question. Bruce had gone alone, and Lex had a drawer full of postcards and tabloid articles to attest to the fun he'd missed while studying too hard.

He gave a half smile and squeezed the blonde's hand again, drawing her a little closer to his side. The gesture was not lost on anyone, especially not the brunette hovering between Lillian and the young Gotham mogul. "Mom, Bruce... I'd like you both to meet Leslie Ward." Turning to his companion, he added, "Leslie, this is Bruce Wayne... and my mother, Lillian Luthor."

"Lex..." Leslie fretted. "That's *the* Bruce Wayne. The head of Wayne Industries and founder of the Gotham Humanitarian Foundation and--" Her cheeks were turning a brighter shade of pink with each words.

Lex nodded matter-of-factly, rescuing her with his next statement. "Yes, I know. We're old friends."

Bruce laughed heartily. "Is this the one you were telling me about?" He directed this to Lex, taking Leslie's hand and giving it a polite, if slightly too intimate squeeze. She flushed a little at the touch and the words. Lex felt a little sorry for her, as he hadn't expected Bruce to come to his graduation and therefore had not had time to warn Leslie. "Don't worry..." his friend added, as if sensing her discomfort. "...it was all good." He winked, prompting a laugh from her at last.

Bruce's companion gave a rather impolite snort. Lex shot her a warning look, and Bruce frowned, the expression on his face indicating that he'd finally made the connection between Lex and Aurora. He didn't offer to introduce her to Leslie.

"This one must be special," Lillian commented to Bruce conspiratorially, moving in to take Leslie's hand from him. "I can't remember Lex ever introducing me to one of his girls." Beside Bruce, Aurora frowned at Lillian Luthor's smiling comment. The widow seemed not to notice as she merrily said, "A pleasure meeting you," to the girl.

"Thank you, Mrs. Luthor," Leslie replied.

"Please, call me Lillian," Lex's mother replied. Leslie glanced at him, and he could tell she was unsure. He gave her an encouraging smile and felt her grip on his hand lessen.

"Mom, I, uh, invited Leslie to come with us this summer. I hope you don't mind?"

His mother's smiled bloomed some more, she regarded Leslie with stronger interest. "I don't mind at all."

*~*

In the privacy of the guest bedroom, Lex pulled his girlfriend close to him, sliding his hands down her hips to keep her from pushing him away. She was tense and obviously still worried about spending the summer with him and his mother.

"Don't worry," he whispered against her skin. "You did fine. Mom loved you."

She shook her head slightly, sighing against the lips that sought hers. "You surprised her, Lex. How was she supposed to react?"

Leslie's concerns were sweet and honest, Lex decided. Another reason he loved her so much--she was genuine. But he wanted to reassure her anyway. "Exactly as she did. Mom would have let us know if she disapproved of you."

"Like she did with Bruce's... woman?" Leslie asked, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

Aurora had not made a good impression on his mother at all. This, of course, was exactly why Lex had not seen the need to introduce them when he was dating her. She just... wasn't the sort you brought home to meet your parents and, to be honest, he'd never intended to do anything of the sort.

Lex had never expected to meet someone he'd want his mother to know to about. The women he'd dated in the past weren't more than, well, mindless flings. He'd lucked out when he met Leslie in one of his business classes. She was smart, beautiful in a classic way, and the minute he met her, he knew she was different from the rest.

"Exactly like that," he told her, kissing her one more time. "Now, come on. Dinner."

*~*

The sun was setting over the ocean, tinting the sky in reds and purples. Lex watched his mother from the doorway, hesitating to interrupt her private time.

"There's something on your mind," she said, cutting into his thoughts.

"Yes, there is."

She patted the balcony railing, motioning for him to join her. "Your father took me here only once, you know. Right after we bought it. I remember telling him we'd never need a villa on the Mediterranean, and I was right. We haven't used it since."

"We're using it now," Lex said.

"Yes, we are," his mother agreed, turning and gifting her son with a smile. "Is Leslie enjoying herself?"

"I think she is." He paused, and then "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. What do you think of her?"

His mother faced him more squarely now, looking into his eyes and Lex resisted the instinct to squirm, like he used to when he was younger and she was trying to decide if he was fibbing. He couldn't remember being this nervous around anyone, least of all his own mother. "I think she's a lovely young woman, Lex. Much better than the tramps the tabloids have you with all the time. But it isn't what I think of her that matters."

Lex closed his eyes. "I could be in love with her," he admitted. "She makes me feel so... better than I really am."

What came next, Lex had been expecting. His mother's eyes softened, a wistful look on her face as she said, "Your father used to say the same thing about me." She reached out, smoothing a hand across his cheek. "You'll love her... every bit as much he loved me, too."