Never Is A Promise
Chapter 1
PG-13Serenity Sea
(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)
Author's notes: Because I have written 50+ pages of scenes and backstory for Sage, who was introduced in "Sparks" and I really like her character, but not the way the chapter went, I've decided to re-vamp it and change a few things around. The title is different, but it is essentially the same story. Sage, of course, is an original character, and belongs to me.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of them, except for Sage – she's all mine and so Lionel Luthor won't be coming after me with any lawsuits for that one.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it, it's yours. Just let me know where it's going.
SPOILERS: Set two months after "Heat," but diverging off from there. The whole "Lana's stalker and that crazy lady claiming to be Clark's mother" storyline never happened. Pete knows about Clark's powers. "Red" never happened.
Summary: What's a girl to do when she's 21, got her own corporation, and already dated Gotham's most eligible bachelor? Why, get stuck in Smallville, of course! With Lex Luthor as your landlord, anything's possible. Even love.
THANKYOU'S/DEDICATIONS: To Michael Rosenbaum for breathing life into Lex Luthor – and the only reason I watch Smallville. Sorry. It's sort of an obsession I have with the man. I promise to speak no further of it, though, so read on without fear.
Update List:
***
The morning was crisp, and Lana accounted that for the Talon's full patronage this particular Saturday morning. Clark, Pete, and Chloe were all sitting a table closest to the counter, so on the chance she got some downtime, she could sit and talk; but seeing as the morning was going so far, that was unlikely.
It seemed as if all of Smallville was crammed in here, or already had been earlier, and left. In fact, the only people she hadn't seen this morning were the Kents – Martha was delivering her produce and Jonathan was working on the farm – and Lex Luthor, but he would be in later.
There was a brief lull and she gratefully sank into a chair.
"Full day, huh?" Clark asked, giving her a sympathetic look.
She smiled tiredly. "You have no idea. And it's not even Noon. I'm just glad I don't have to close today, I'd never make it."
Chloe turned from her conversation with Pete to look at her with excitement in her bright blue eyes. "I just had a idea. The Torch could do a weekly schedule for the Talon and publish it; that way people could know when things are going on instead of showing up at random times for the wrong things."
Lana looked over at the people waiting to sign up for the karaoke show—next week's karaoke show. "Chloe, that's great! It would really help. I'll go in the back and see if I can dig you up a rough copy of what we have for next week so far, and then on Sunday I can call you and confirm it."
"Great." The blonde smiled.
Lana got up from the table and started to go to the back when a voice called, "Miss?"
She turned and saw that it was a woman calling her – and a woman she'd never met. Which was strange, because Smallville was just that; small.
"Yes?"
The woman, about 20 or so, was dressed impeccably in a black suit and had blonde wavy hair that flowed past her shoulders. Her eyes, as far as Lana could tell, were a light green and she appeared to be completely comfortable in her surroundings, even though Lana was certain she didn't know a soul.
"Do you think I could get just one more cup of coffee to go? I know you were with your friends and I overheard you mentioning running into the back, but if you tell me where it is, I'd be happy to get it myself."
Lana waved a hand, "Don't be silly. I'll get it for you right now, it'll only take a second." She walked behind the counter and efficiently poured her the caffeine.
The pretty blonde smiled at her and handed her a 10-dollar bill. "This is for my coffee before and I had a few of those pastries."
"Thanks…" She put the empty mug in the sink and when she turned back again, the woman was gone. Or, more precisely, at her table, gathering up her things in her briefcase and attaching an earpiece. Then she clipped a small cell phone to the waistband of her pants, picked up her coffee, and headed out the door.
Lex, who was on his way in, barely had enough time to dodge out of the woman's way before she splattered them both with her hot beverage. "Excuse me."
She looked up and her pale eyes locked onto his. "I'm so sorry." She flinched and pressed her right hand to her ear, "I'm sorry, Marissa, what was that? I didn't hear you."
For a minute, Lex was worried that she had voices in her head, and then he saw the small antenna peeking out of her clothes and had to smile inwardly. He toyed briefly with the idea of asking her name, but she swept out of the door, and a comforting 'beep beep' sound echoed in the street.
His eyes followed her as she walked over to a sleek black Porsche 911 and tossed her silver briefcase on the passenger seat. She slid into the car and it purred as the engines started. With a brief glance behind her, she peeled away from the curb and drove one-handed while drinking the rest of her coffee.
He stared after her until she turned down Church Street and he couldn't see her anymore. It wasn't as if he had x-ray vision, after all. Lex shook his head and then walked into the chaos that he part-owned.
***
"I'm telling you, 'Riss, it was incredible. I just got this… power vibe from him. And you know how long it's been since I've gotten a vibe like that from anyone." Pause. "No, I don't know who he is." Another pause, and a groan. "No, I haven't found Lex Luthor yet. But I got directions from a really nice woman in the market this morning, where I got some fruit, so I doubt it will be hard to find him. Evidently, he works just as hard as he plays; he won't be home before 5 in the afternoon, anyway."
The blonde woman rolled her eyes and leaned back into her car's plush black leather seat, masterfully driving the sports car with her right hand. "I don't know who he is, Marissa. Don't you think if I knew who he was, I'd've done something about it by now?" She grinned at something her friend said. "I promise not to do anything that I normally wouldn't do… which isn't much."
Her expression changed and she frowned at something on the other line. "I don't know. He's ignored my contracts, he won't return any of my calls, I can't call Him in on this one – I'd feel like an idiot… What else was I supposed to do?" Her look shifted to outrage. "What?! I am not impulsive! I am very non-impulsive."
She took the phone and placed it in a handheld cradle. All at once, the voice of the mysterious Marissa boomed into the car.
"All I'm saying, Sage, is that you be careful on how you appeal to him. Luthors are known for wanting to play hardball, and while I have no doubt that you are more than capable of giving him a run for his money – quite literally – I don't want to see you get hurt in return." Marissa sighed, and the action came heavily and clearly through the wireless connection. "Does Bruce know you're bidding for Luthor land?"
Sage sat up straighter in her seat. "No. Well, I'm sure he's keeping tabs on me, but if you're asking did I tell him I was doing this, then no. The board decided a literally weeks ago, and I put the plans into motion without thinking of the consequences. Hopefully it won't be a problem. It's not like they're friends or anything."
The land around her grew into a forested area and she put the hood up as a slight chill swept through her car. Trees were curving over her, forming nature's most basic and yet beautiful canopies as she made a turn to a large-gated driveway. For a moment, she was glad her hood was up, because evidently, they assumed that she was Lex, in a new car, one that hadn't yet had the plates changed.
Within moments, she was zooming down a long driveway until a mansion – was that even the correct word? – no, a castle rose up from the kelly green lawn and stood regally before her, daring her to try and breach its walls.
"Whoa."
Marissa, who had been chattering along about the pros and cons of aligning oneself with a Luthor, abruptly stopped. "Sage? You okay?"
Sage spoke distractedly, " 'Riss, gotta go… I'll call you back later." She turned the phone off and slowly drove her car around the small drive. It led to a rather large garage, with what must have been at least 50 exotic and rare sports cars. It was all she could do not to drool as she carefully parked in a free spot.
"I'll give him this much: He's got an incredible flair for cars," she trailed her hand over a green Jaguar. "My god. I would date him just to get in these things."
From somewhere a lone bell chimed loudly and drew her back to the present. She shook her head to clear it of fantasy thoughts involving dangerous speeds and red cars, and grabbed her briefcase, striding for a door she hoped led to the main part of the house.
And she was off.
Off, to go make a deal with the devil.
* * *
Lex wandered over to where he knew Clark was sitting and unknowingly took Lana's seat with a bit of a distracted air.
"Lex, you okay?"
The bald man looked at his perpetually wide-eyed friend. "Yeah. I'm fine. Is Lana in today? She mentioned discussing a few things yesterday."
"I'm here," she called from the counter. "Be over in just a sec."
Chloe leaned forward on her knees and looked at Lex. "I still want another interview."
The older man raised an eyebrow. "I would think that with what had happened last time, one would be enough."
She wasn't stupid. She knew he was warning her off, but she wasn't going to be deterred. "I don't care. I need a new feature for the Torch and we really need to stop printing the lunch menu. Principal Reynolds suggested that you could be the next headline, y'know, we could track your progress for LexCorp or something like that."
While Lex was wondering just what Reynolds had said, he asked, "Why would people be interested in LexCorp? I help run a crap factory. End of story."
Clark and Pete leaned back in their chairs as Chloe launched into her full-scale attack.
* * *
20 minutes later, Chloe could be seen walking triumphantly out the door with Pete, who was going to football practice. Lex was inside, looking slightly bewildered and very out of place as the only one without coffee.
A fresh latte suddenly appeared before him and he looked up to see Lana. "Thanks."
She sat back down and propped her feet up on the table. "I know I'm not supposed to do this, but my feet are killing me."
They let her get her bearings and Clark noticed again that Lex seemed a bit preoccupied with other things. Then again, Lex was always doing a million things at once, so that wasn't entirely out of the ordinary.
Lex sipped his latte, and unknowingly let his younger best friend in on his thoughts. "Did you happen to see that blonde woman before? She was a bit taller than you, had green eyes…"
She looked at Clark, thinking and started to shake her head. "Wait a minute! Was she wearing a black suit?"
"Armani, I'd bet. And, judging by the cut, an original." He interjected, while the conversation continued.
Lana nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't catch her name. I've never seen her before. Have you?"
Lex shook his head. "Clark?"
Clark shrugged. "Never seen her before in my life."
"It's so strange. We know everyone in Smallville."
"I don't think she was from around here. She had a Metropolis attitude."
Lana and Clark exchanged looks and burst into quiet laughter. Lex stared at them. "What?"
She was still laughing, so Clark helped her out. "Well, it's just that… Lex, when you first came here, you had the Metropolis attitude, too. And let's face it, you're still not exactly the poster-boy for Smallville."
Reluctantly, he nodded. "I know, but… there's just something about her." He shrugged it off. "I'm making a big deal out of nothing. She was probably just passing through. Lana, what did you need?"
By now, she had recovered enough to speak. "Oh," she leaned over her chair and drew out some papers. "I had some ideas for more interest in the Talon. I wanted to try a karaoke night and maybe open-mike for a few weeks."
Lex carefully scanned over the papers and then threw a glance over his shoulder. "Looks to me like you've already put your plans in motion."
Lana blushed. "I just wanted to see if—"
He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. You're developing a business sense, Lana, and that's commendable." He stood up and handed his empty mug to a passing waitress. "Tell me how it turns out."
Once he had walked out the door, she turned uncertainly to Clark, who offered her a smile. "That went okay, I guess."
He nodded. "Believe me, that went well. Lex doesn't like it when people do things behind his back, and he would have done a lot worse if he didn't approve."
She closed her eyes and exhaled thankfully, rising, because her break was now over. "I was so worried he was going to say no."
Clark got up to give her a hand clearing the tables. "That's the thing with Lex… he's usually pretty reasonable."
* * *
(Later that afternoon…)
Lex pulled into the drive and ahead to park his car in the garage that housed his many other vehicles. He gave one last regretful look at the silver sports car and headed inside.
"Dad? I'm home." He called to the empty house. The staff was nowhere to be seen, and that was how he liked it. Seeing the maid, butler and doorman all the time was flashy and not his style. (The cook, he didn't mind.) It was bad enough that his father required people flitting around him all the time, but that was something he'd learned to deal with – not before freaking out when one of them turned up behind him, asking to take his coat.
That was when he told them that their services were better utilized with his father's needs, and that he could take care of himself. Of course, it was worded nicer and so that they wouldn't be quite so offended, but that was about the gist of it.
In fact, the only time he saw the butler or the doorman was when he had business acquaintances over. Then they stood outside the door until he showed up and warned him as to what he was about to walk into. Unless he was already in his office, and then they would announce them and show in the person.
Today, though, when he rounded the corner, about to walk into his office, Quincy – the butler, was it? – was waiting for him.
"Who is it?"
Quincy raised his eyebrows significantly. "The honorable Sage Bristow, from Bristow Technologies."
Lex muttered a few oaths, and Quincy's eyebrows rose even higher. "Who let her in there?"
"No one, sir. She just walked in and when we tried telling her that you weren't in for the day, she said she was perfectly willing to wait. She hasn't emerged for a few hours, and wouldn't let anyone else in."
"Great. She's probably got her nose in all my files." He pushed open the doors and slung his jacket off to place on the coat rack. "I hope you've made yourself comfortable. My butler tells me you've been in here for a while."
A feminine voice came out of nowhere. "I had to pull my email sometime, didn't I?"
He glanced at his desk, which still looked virtually untouched. The chair was facing the window and appeared to be empty.
"And yes, as far as comfort goes – while I don't usually go for the whole dark and gothic look you've got here, it certainly makes for an interesting floor plan. Did you know if you lay lengthwise on that couch by the fireplace, you can see a spot in the window that isn't frosted?"
Actually, he didn't know, but was tempted to try it out later. And then there was the whole idea of her lying down on his furniture. Good god, he had to stop this. He hadn't even seen her yet – she could be some 45 year-old woman with wrinkles and droopy lips – and was becoming attracted by the sound of her voice.
She continued, "I have managed to find some very interesting things about you. I didn't know that you drove your car off a bridge last fall." A slightly chiding tone laced her teasing voice. "Or that you got three speeding tickets this summer, Mr. Luthor."
There was steel in his voice when he answered, "Not many people do; it's not something I broadcast." His eyes darted about, trying to find her.
She laughed, and he found to his dismay that he could easily picture her in his home, laughing over dinner. "But you should. It would let your neighbors know that you're just as normal as they are."
He peered behind a corner and still didn't see her. "Are you implying I'm abnormal, Ms. Bristow?"
"Hardly. I'm merely stating that people would be more willing to approach you if you gave the appearance of being ordinary sometimes, instead keeping such a distance from them."
His eyes narrowed at the chair that was facing the windows. "You may as well turn around now."
"Took you long enough," she muttered and pushed one foot down on the thickly carpeted floor to turn around.
"YOU?"
* * *