Title: What If: Stronger Measures
Author: M. Edison
Archive: Please ask first.
Pairing: None
Characters: Lex, Dominic, Juliana Luthor (Julian older and female *G*)
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: None of them is mine
Rating: PG
Summary: set during Reaper, Lex finds out Dominic's been a bad boy...
Author's note: This fic has not been beta'd, it is a part of the What If series in which Lex has a twin sister. The idea for this fic was born from two Lex & Dominic confrontations. One earlier in the season when Lex tells Dominic to 'say hi to his sister', his sister being Dominic's, and then the scene in Reaper (the episode which this ficlet is set in and around) when Lex drugs Dominic's drink. Things seemed quite personal so...I wondered...and got this. *G*
And, y'know, if anyone were to volunteer to beta...;-p
"Stronger Measures"
by M.
-----------
When the housekeeper opened the door to find Dominic Senatori, Mr. Luthor's chief lackey, waiting on the other side, she didn't even attempt to hide her scowl of displeasure. "Master Lex is not here." She informed him stiffly, her Austrian accent tightening her words to a sharp staccato. "He has left for Smallville."
Dominic smiled, his superior air quite reminiscent of Lionel's, and brushed by her. "I know. I'm not here to see him, I'm here to see Juliana."
The housekeeper's eyes narrowed. "Miss Juliana is not taking visitors. Particularly those employed by her father."
"Oh, I'm quite sure she'll be willing to make an exception for me." Without acknowledging her further, Dominic strode into the penthouse. At this hour of the day, if he recalled correctly, Juliana would be enjoying her morning cup of tea in the solarium.
With a frustrated sigh, Anna closed the door and turned to look in the direction he'd gone in. Master Lex had left standing instructions that his sister never be left alone with Dominic, both Lex and Juliana detested their father's favorite 'drone' with a passion. To make things worse, Dominic had developed a rather unhealthy interest in Juliana, a fact that had earned him Lex's intense loathing and constant watchfulness.
It was this knowledge that spurred on her move to pick up the phone.
-----------
Lex hung up the phone with barely a second thought, his attention focused on the information Anna had just given him and his eyes dark with anger. To say Dominic was a fool didn't quite begin to cover it. How many times had he been warned to stay away from Juliana? How many threats?
He frowned, rising from his chair. He'd given Dominic's intelligence far more credit than it deserved. An unpleasant smile replaced the frown. It seemed stronger measures were in order.
------------
Juliana's first warning of Dominic's arrival was when he walked around the table and bent over her, intending on kissing her cheek. The slim redhead only just managed to catch sight of the face of the man as his face loomed before hers and she reacted instinctively. Repulsed, she knocked over her chair in the attempt to get away from him. Backing away to what she thought a safe distance, she directed narrowed eyes at him. "What are you doing here?!" She demanded, her hands moving emphatically.
"I thought I'd stop by and see how the loveliest - and my personal favorite - member of the Luthor family was doing." Dominic offered his version of a charming smile which, to Juliana, looked more like a cobra displaying its fangs. "How are you feeling today?"
She scowled. "I *was* enjoying a lovely morning...." though she didn't actually finish the sentence, the unspoken words hung heavy in the air. "What are you doing here? Really?"
Dominic's facial expression became that of wounded hurt. "Why, Jules, I'm getting the impression that you aren't happy to see me. I can't imagine why that would be so."
"Then allow me to fill you in..." Consciously putting aside the training instilled in her from childhood, the young heiress allowed her tone to become bluntly honest, her irritation and disgust showing through in the stilted motion of her sign language. "I. Don't. Like. You!" She glared. "You're pathetic. One of my father's mindless drones and the worst of the lot. His favorite."
He held up placating hands. "I prefer to think of myself as his most trusted aide but I'm sure that your brother has already taken great pains to influence your opinion of me. I suspect it's that I'm quite incapable of independent thought. Your father is, in your eyes, my puppet master. I assure you that is not the case."
Juliana's lips thinned as she pressed them together briefly before responding. "Lex didn't have to convince me of anything. I'm deaf - not stupid. I could see for myself just who you are." She took a breath and forced herself not to sneer. "You think I don't know...why you consider me 'your favorite'? You can bring me all the gifts you wish, pay all the insincere compliments you wish...but I will never be anything but repulsed by you and you will certainly never get your greedy little hands on the LuthorCorp stock my mother left me." She signed the last word emphatically. "Never."
Dominic visibly struggled to supress his anger at her arrogant words. "Don't be ridiculous, Juliana," he said finally, attempting to regain control of the situation. "I am most certainly not interested in you because of that stock. It's far more personal than that." He took a step toward her only to watch her back away.
Moving to keep furniture between them, Juliana lifted her chin in defiance, "I suppose it is." She mocked. "Ingratiating yourself to my," her mouth twisted into an expression of distaste as she voiced the word, "father and getting revenge against my brother all in the one shot? You're right. That is very personal. For us both."
Juliana crossed the room to look at a photograph of her mother which sat on the mantle, silently drawing on the composure she remembered her mother having. She kept her back turned to Dominic as she did so, effectively barring him from any further argument until she was ready. When she finally did turn her cool gaze on him again, her lips formed a caustic smile. "For your sake, Dominic, I hope Lionel is more supportive of you than I believe he is. I truly do. You'll need all the protection he can afford when Lex finds out about your...visits here, he will be..." she laughed. "Well, he will be quite annoyed."
She stalked forward, bypassing him and going to the door, pointing. "Get. Out."
"Now, now, Juliana," Dominic placated, reaching for her arm. "There's no need to get upset."
She exhaled slowly, her eyes hard. "You misunderstand me...I'm not upset. I'm quite calm really. Up until now, I've put off telling Lex about you coming here as I thought it was for the best. He has more pressing issues in Smallville, more important things to deal with than your misguided attentions but I've had just about enough of you and your idiocy. Now, Dominic, leave or I will have security throw you out."
Squaring her shoulders, she delivered one final volley, warning quietly, "I am no one's pawn, Dominic. Not my father's...and not yours."
"Are you sure you aren't your brother's?" He mocked, the mask falling away. "Lex certainly seems to do an admirable job of controlling your every action." He gestured about them. "Lex's home, Lex's money....you really do make quite a lovely pet, Juliana."
Rage marred the redhead's pretty features and she slapped him, hard. "Get out." She repeated in an icy tone, nearly shaking with fury. "NOW!"
"You'll regret that, Juliana." Dominic pointed out, gingerly touching his face." Far more than you can ever imagine."
"The only thing I'll regret," she said quietly, her voice oddly calm, "is stopping at a slap. Next time? I won't."
-------
"Mr. Senatori just left."
Anna's voice was full of suppressed fury and her anger ignited Lex's. He'd learned quickly what members of the penthouse's staff could be trusted, which ones truly cared about his sister's well-being, and which members were controlled by his father through either intimidation or money. The matronly Austrian woman was thoroughly not on Lionel's payroll. She was truly unafraid of the billionaire's influence.
"How is Juliana?"
"Upset. Extremely upset." The housekeeper replied crisply. "There was a confrontation. Miss Juliana was deeply shaken by the incident."
"What was it about?" He asked in a dangerous voice. If Jules was upset, then he was upset. Furious.
"His visits."
"Visits?" Plural. Juliana had been keeping something from him, he'd known it for a while. But to realize it was this? Lex closed his eyes, bringing his temper under control. He knew his sister. She thought she'd had a good reason but they would speak about it. But first? First he had Dominic to deal with. "How many visits have there been?"
"Several. They began a number of weeks ago," Anna admitted reluctantly. "At first, Miss Juliana ignored him, behaved as if he were of no concern to her. She seemed almost amused."
"But that changed."
"It did. The visits have become increasingly personal in nature....It appears that Mr. Senatori is expressing a romantic interest in her but she believes it is nothing more than an attempt to gain control over her LuthorCorp stock and to ingratiate himself to your father."
Lex's expression darkened and he turned to look out the window, phone in hand, staring out at the estate grounds. "Thank you, Anna, for telling me." He turned back to hang up the phone then turned his gaze back to the sunny gardens once more. So, it seemed his earlier decision had been well founded. Dominic needed to be taught an important lesson. Juliana was off limits. Anything close to Lex was off limits but his sister? Dominic had threatened one of the only good things in his life...and there would be hell to pay for it.
----------
That lesson came in the form of a drugged drink. As the realization of what he'd drank settled onto Dominic's face, a dangerous frown formed on Lex's. "I received a very troubling phone call recently, Dominic -- from Metropolis." His demeanor became that of a predator eying its prey. "You've been to see my sister. More than once."
The drugs were quickly taking effect but the aide managed to clearly say, "I check in on her at the behest of your father."
"Don't patronize me." Lex said in derision. "Do you honestly think I would believe that? My father prefers to forget my sister exists. He certainly isn't going to waste time or energy on her. You upset Juliana, Dominic. Your continual visits are proving to be a source of distress for her and they will stop. You want to play pretend thug with me, fine. I don't care. You're irrelevant to my concerns...but if you ever go near my sister again..." His ominous expression clearly intimidated the other man. "Well, the next time? It won't be a sedative that's slipped into your drink."
Dominic stood, instinct driving him to flee, but his legs simply couldn't cooperate. They buckled beneath him and he tumbled toward the carpet, unconsciousness rushing up to greet him.
Moving from his chair, Lex looked down at the unconscious man's body, a disdainful expression on his face.
"Pathetic."
------------
He'd just reached the city limits when he heard the sound of loud thumbing coming from the trunk. Dominic was awake.
Unconcerned, Lex reached over to turn up the volume on the car's stereo, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel in time to the beat.
A lull in the music told him Dominic was still thumping about in the trunk, struggling to free himself.
"Keeps that up," the billionaire muttered in aggravation, "and he'll ruin the upholstery."
------------
Anna opened the door, her features worn and weary, to find her employer standing on the other side of it. "Master Lex!" Her reaction was immediate and dramatic in the form of a sunny smile. She swiftly schooled her expression back into one of more professional decorum but a glimmer of mischief remained in her eyes and a rebellious grin threatened at the edges of her mouth. "Welcome home, sir."
He presented a grim smile. "Expecting Dominic?"
"I suppose I was." The housekeeper admitted. "His visits were usually about this time." She inclined her head to a member of the security staff who waited near the door. "Miss Juliana has made it known to security that he is no longer to be admitted past the lobby but..."
"But he won't." Lex acknowledged the burly man with a swift nod. "Mr. Senatori won't be coming to see my sister anymore. I've seen to that." Shrugging out of his coat, he handed it to Anna, smiling his thanks. "Speaking of, where is she?"
"In the study." She said before whisking the coat away.
"You can return to the lobby." Lex addressed the guard. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Mr. Luthor." The guard waited until his employer had left the room before letting himself out.
Just as Anna had said he would, Lex found Juliana sitting at the desk in the study, her fingers lightly playing across the keys of her laptop. It seemed as though she sensed his presence, she looked up with a delighted smile on her face. "Lex!" Jumping to her feet, Juliana hurried to meet him, throwing her arms about him in an enthusiastic hug. "What are you doing here?"
Tugging lightly on a lock of her hair, Lex smiled, his hands automatically signing the words as he spoke. "Why didn't you tell me Dominic Senatori's been coming to see you?"
Juliana's smile faded and she dropped her gaze. "I thought I could handle it. You have so many things on you remind." She looked up. "I can't let everyone do everything for me, Lex. Otherwise, I prove him right." Him being Lionel.
Refusing to fall into that old argument, Lex made sure she was looking at him as he said, "You've never had to deal with anyone like him before. You were ill-equipped."
She sighed, nodding in acquiescence. "I think, perhaps, you were right. It's for the best I leave Metropolis and go back to Smallville with you."
To his credit, Lex resisted the urge to smile smugly at his sister's grudging admission and nodded simply. "Your room in the manor is ready. All you have to do is move in." He chuckled. "I'm sure Anna has your things packed and ready to go."
Juliana snuck an aggrieved look at him. "Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"That." She pointed at his face.
Lex looked confused." What?"
"You don't have to be smug about this."
"I'm not being smug about this."
"Are too." Juliana signed.
"Are not." He signed back.
"Are."
"Aren't."
"Are."
"Aren't."
"Are!" She glared at him.
"Are not." He countered, unperturbed.
Juliana lifted a skeptical brow. "Yes, you are."
He grinned. "Maybe I am but I have a good reason." He let her loop her arm through his. "Come on, let's go. I think we've both had our fill of Metropolis for the time being."
"More than enough." She agreed with an emphatic nod. "More than enough."
They'd reached the door when Lex stopped abruptly, so abruptly his sister very nearly tripped over him, and turned to face her. "No one will ever hurt you, do you understand me?" He said firmly, releasing her arm to sign the words. "No one. I will not allow it."
Juliana smiled, a smile that reminded him of their mother, and touched his face before nodding once.
She lifted her hands, her eyes on his face, the graceful movements forming a simple expression of her faith in her brother...
Two words...
"I know."
Finis
Author: M. Edison
Archive: Please ask first.
Pairing: None
Characters: Lex, Dominic, Juliana Luthor (Julian older and female *G*)
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: None of them is mine
Rating: PG
Summary: set during Reaper, Lex finds out Dominic's been a bad boy...
Author's note: This fic has not been beta'd, it is a part of the What If series in which Lex has a twin sister. The idea for this fic was born from two Lex & Dominic confrontations. One earlier in the season when Lex tells Dominic to 'say hi to his sister', his sister being Dominic's, and then the scene in Reaper (the episode which this ficlet is set in and around) when Lex drugs Dominic's drink. Things seemed quite personal so...I wondered...and got this. *G*
And, y'know, if anyone were to volunteer to beta...;-p
"Stronger Measures"
by M.
-----------
When the housekeeper opened the door to find Dominic Senatori, Mr. Luthor's chief lackey, waiting on the other side, she didn't even attempt to hide her scowl of displeasure. "Master Lex is not here." She informed him stiffly, her Austrian accent tightening her words to a sharp staccato. "He has left for Smallville."
Dominic smiled, his superior air quite reminiscent of Lionel's, and brushed by her. "I know. I'm not here to see him, I'm here to see Juliana."
The housekeeper's eyes narrowed. "Miss Juliana is not taking visitors. Particularly those employed by her father."
"Oh, I'm quite sure she'll be willing to make an exception for me." Without acknowledging her further, Dominic strode into the penthouse. At this hour of the day, if he recalled correctly, Juliana would be enjoying her morning cup of tea in the solarium.
With a frustrated sigh, Anna closed the door and turned to look in the direction he'd gone in. Master Lex had left standing instructions that his sister never be left alone with Dominic, both Lex and Juliana detested their father's favorite 'drone' with a passion. To make things worse, Dominic had developed a rather unhealthy interest in Juliana, a fact that had earned him Lex's intense loathing and constant watchfulness.
It was this knowledge that spurred on her move to pick up the phone.
-----------
Lex hung up the phone with barely a second thought, his attention focused on the information Anna had just given him and his eyes dark with anger. To say Dominic was a fool didn't quite begin to cover it. How many times had he been warned to stay away from Juliana? How many threats?
He frowned, rising from his chair. He'd given Dominic's intelligence far more credit than it deserved. An unpleasant smile replaced the frown. It seemed stronger measures were in order.
------------
Juliana's first warning of Dominic's arrival was when he walked around the table and bent over her, intending on kissing her cheek. The slim redhead only just managed to catch sight of the face of the man as his face loomed before hers and she reacted instinctively. Repulsed, she knocked over her chair in the attempt to get away from him. Backing away to what she thought a safe distance, she directed narrowed eyes at him. "What are you doing here?!" She demanded, her hands moving emphatically.
"I thought I'd stop by and see how the loveliest - and my personal favorite - member of the Luthor family was doing." Dominic offered his version of a charming smile which, to Juliana, looked more like a cobra displaying its fangs. "How are you feeling today?"
She scowled. "I *was* enjoying a lovely morning...." though she didn't actually finish the sentence, the unspoken words hung heavy in the air. "What are you doing here? Really?"
Dominic's facial expression became that of wounded hurt. "Why, Jules, I'm getting the impression that you aren't happy to see me. I can't imagine why that would be so."
"Then allow me to fill you in..." Consciously putting aside the training instilled in her from childhood, the young heiress allowed her tone to become bluntly honest, her irritation and disgust showing through in the stilted motion of her sign language. "I. Don't. Like. You!" She glared. "You're pathetic. One of my father's mindless drones and the worst of the lot. His favorite."
He held up placating hands. "I prefer to think of myself as his most trusted aide but I'm sure that your brother has already taken great pains to influence your opinion of me. I suspect it's that I'm quite incapable of independent thought. Your father is, in your eyes, my puppet master. I assure you that is not the case."
Juliana's lips thinned as she pressed them together briefly before responding. "Lex didn't have to convince me of anything. I'm deaf - not stupid. I could see for myself just who you are." She took a breath and forced herself not to sneer. "You think I don't know...why you consider me 'your favorite'? You can bring me all the gifts you wish, pay all the insincere compliments you wish...but I will never be anything but repulsed by you and you will certainly never get your greedy little hands on the LuthorCorp stock my mother left me." She signed the last word emphatically. "Never."
Dominic visibly struggled to supress his anger at her arrogant words. "Don't be ridiculous, Juliana," he said finally, attempting to regain control of the situation. "I am most certainly not interested in you because of that stock. It's far more personal than that." He took a step toward her only to watch her back away.
Moving to keep furniture between them, Juliana lifted her chin in defiance, "I suppose it is." She mocked. "Ingratiating yourself to my," her mouth twisted into an expression of distaste as she voiced the word, "father and getting revenge against my brother all in the one shot? You're right. That is very personal. For us both."
Juliana crossed the room to look at a photograph of her mother which sat on the mantle, silently drawing on the composure she remembered her mother having. She kept her back turned to Dominic as she did so, effectively barring him from any further argument until she was ready. When she finally did turn her cool gaze on him again, her lips formed a caustic smile. "For your sake, Dominic, I hope Lionel is more supportive of you than I believe he is. I truly do. You'll need all the protection he can afford when Lex finds out about your...visits here, he will be..." she laughed. "Well, he will be quite annoyed."
She stalked forward, bypassing him and going to the door, pointing. "Get. Out."
"Now, now, Juliana," Dominic placated, reaching for her arm. "There's no need to get upset."
She exhaled slowly, her eyes hard. "You misunderstand me...I'm not upset. I'm quite calm really. Up until now, I've put off telling Lex about you coming here as I thought it was for the best. He has more pressing issues in Smallville, more important things to deal with than your misguided attentions but I've had just about enough of you and your idiocy. Now, Dominic, leave or I will have security throw you out."
Squaring her shoulders, she delivered one final volley, warning quietly, "I am no one's pawn, Dominic. Not my father's...and not yours."
"Are you sure you aren't your brother's?" He mocked, the mask falling away. "Lex certainly seems to do an admirable job of controlling your every action." He gestured about them. "Lex's home, Lex's money....you really do make quite a lovely pet, Juliana."
Rage marred the redhead's pretty features and she slapped him, hard. "Get out." She repeated in an icy tone, nearly shaking with fury. "NOW!"
"You'll regret that, Juliana." Dominic pointed out, gingerly touching his face." Far more than you can ever imagine."
"The only thing I'll regret," she said quietly, her voice oddly calm, "is stopping at a slap. Next time? I won't."
-------
"Mr. Senatori just left."
Anna's voice was full of suppressed fury and her anger ignited Lex's. He'd learned quickly what members of the penthouse's staff could be trusted, which ones truly cared about his sister's well-being, and which members were controlled by his father through either intimidation or money. The matronly Austrian woman was thoroughly not on Lionel's payroll. She was truly unafraid of the billionaire's influence.
"How is Juliana?"
"Upset. Extremely upset." The housekeeper replied crisply. "There was a confrontation. Miss Juliana was deeply shaken by the incident."
"What was it about?" He asked in a dangerous voice. If Jules was upset, then he was upset. Furious.
"His visits."
"Visits?" Plural. Juliana had been keeping something from him, he'd known it for a while. But to realize it was this? Lex closed his eyes, bringing his temper under control. He knew his sister. She thought she'd had a good reason but they would speak about it. But first? First he had Dominic to deal with. "How many visits have there been?"
"Several. They began a number of weeks ago," Anna admitted reluctantly. "At first, Miss Juliana ignored him, behaved as if he were of no concern to her. She seemed almost amused."
"But that changed."
"It did. The visits have become increasingly personal in nature....It appears that Mr. Senatori is expressing a romantic interest in her but she believes it is nothing more than an attempt to gain control over her LuthorCorp stock and to ingratiate himself to your father."
Lex's expression darkened and he turned to look out the window, phone in hand, staring out at the estate grounds. "Thank you, Anna, for telling me." He turned back to hang up the phone then turned his gaze back to the sunny gardens once more. So, it seemed his earlier decision had been well founded. Dominic needed to be taught an important lesson. Juliana was off limits. Anything close to Lex was off limits but his sister? Dominic had threatened one of the only good things in his life...and there would be hell to pay for it.
----------
That lesson came in the form of a drugged drink. As the realization of what he'd drank settled onto Dominic's face, a dangerous frown formed on Lex's. "I received a very troubling phone call recently, Dominic -- from Metropolis." His demeanor became that of a predator eying its prey. "You've been to see my sister. More than once."
The drugs were quickly taking effect but the aide managed to clearly say, "I check in on her at the behest of your father."
"Don't patronize me." Lex said in derision. "Do you honestly think I would believe that? My father prefers to forget my sister exists. He certainly isn't going to waste time or energy on her. You upset Juliana, Dominic. Your continual visits are proving to be a source of distress for her and they will stop. You want to play pretend thug with me, fine. I don't care. You're irrelevant to my concerns...but if you ever go near my sister again..." His ominous expression clearly intimidated the other man. "Well, the next time? It won't be a sedative that's slipped into your drink."
Dominic stood, instinct driving him to flee, but his legs simply couldn't cooperate. They buckled beneath him and he tumbled toward the carpet, unconsciousness rushing up to greet him.
Moving from his chair, Lex looked down at the unconscious man's body, a disdainful expression on his face.
"Pathetic."
------------
He'd just reached the city limits when he heard the sound of loud thumbing coming from the trunk. Dominic was awake.
Unconcerned, Lex reached over to turn up the volume on the car's stereo, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel in time to the beat.
A lull in the music told him Dominic was still thumping about in the trunk, struggling to free himself.
"Keeps that up," the billionaire muttered in aggravation, "and he'll ruin the upholstery."
------------
Anna opened the door, her features worn and weary, to find her employer standing on the other side of it. "Master Lex!" Her reaction was immediate and dramatic in the form of a sunny smile. She swiftly schooled her expression back into one of more professional decorum but a glimmer of mischief remained in her eyes and a rebellious grin threatened at the edges of her mouth. "Welcome home, sir."
He presented a grim smile. "Expecting Dominic?"
"I suppose I was." The housekeeper admitted. "His visits were usually about this time." She inclined her head to a member of the security staff who waited near the door. "Miss Juliana has made it known to security that he is no longer to be admitted past the lobby but..."
"But he won't." Lex acknowledged the burly man with a swift nod. "Mr. Senatori won't be coming to see my sister anymore. I've seen to that." Shrugging out of his coat, he handed it to Anna, smiling his thanks. "Speaking of, where is she?"
"In the study." She said before whisking the coat away.
"You can return to the lobby." Lex addressed the guard. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Mr. Luthor." The guard waited until his employer had left the room before letting himself out.
Just as Anna had said he would, Lex found Juliana sitting at the desk in the study, her fingers lightly playing across the keys of her laptop. It seemed as though she sensed his presence, she looked up with a delighted smile on her face. "Lex!" Jumping to her feet, Juliana hurried to meet him, throwing her arms about him in an enthusiastic hug. "What are you doing here?"
Tugging lightly on a lock of her hair, Lex smiled, his hands automatically signing the words as he spoke. "Why didn't you tell me Dominic Senatori's been coming to see you?"
Juliana's smile faded and she dropped her gaze. "I thought I could handle it. You have so many things on you remind." She looked up. "I can't let everyone do everything for me, Lex. Otherwise, I prove him right." Him being Lionel.
Refusing to fall into that old argument, Lex made sure she was looking at him as he said, "You've never had to deal with anyone like him before. You were ill-equipped."
She sighed, nodding in acquiescence. "I think, perhaps, you were right. It's for the best I leave Metropolis and go back to Smallville with you."
To his credit, Lex resisted the urge to smile smugly at his sister's grudging admission and nodded simply. "Your room in the manor is ready. All you have to do is move in." He chuckled. "I'm sure Anna has your things packed and ready to go."
Juliana snuck an aggrieved look at him. "Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"That." She pointed at his face.
Lex looked confused." What?"
"You don't have to be smug about this."
"I'm not being smug about this."
"Are too." Juliana signed.
"Are not." He signed back.
"Are."
"Aren't."
"Are."
"Aren't."
"Are!" She glared at him.
"Are not." He countered, unperturbed.
Juliana lifted a skeptical brow. "Yes, you are."
He grinned. "Maybe I am but I have a good reason." He let her loop her arm through his. "Come on, let's go. I think we've both had our fill of Metropolis for the time being."
"More than enough." She agreed with an emphatic nod. "More than enough."
They'd reached the door when Lex stopped abruptly, so abruptly his sister very nearly tripped over him, and turned to face her. "No one will ever hurt you, do you understand me?" He said firmly, releasing her arm to sign the words. "No one. I will not allow it."
Juliana smiled, a smile that reminded him of their mother, and touched his face before nodding once.
She lifted her hands, her eyes on his face, the graceful movements forming a simple expression of her faith in her brother...
Two words...
"I know."
Finis