Never Is A Promise
Chapter 3
PG-13
Serenity Sea
(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)
Author's notes: This chapter will give you a little more insight on Sage and on Lionel's fears. *Grin*
DISCLAIMER: See Prologue.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it, it's yours. Just let me know where it's going.
SPOILERS: S2, through Heat.
Update List:
* * *
The morning was not something Sage was looking forward to. At all. Of course, her room seemed to be lacking an alarm clock, and she'd therefore gotten no sleep because she was afraid of being late and kept waking up at all hours of the night.
"Nothing like a good sleep to get you ready for meeting with a Luthor," she muttered, legs feeling like lead as she dragged them to the bathroom and stumbled blindly into the shower.
It was there that she found a clock, resting innocently on the sink. She regarded it steadily, waiting for a sign from the small porcelain being. When it failed to do anything more than tick away the seconds, she gave it a particularly nasty glare and finished up her makeup.
Feeling marginally more human, but knowing that the full leap from monster to a proper citizen of Earth would require some caffeine-and fast-she settled to battle with her carryon. Last night, the zipper had caught on something and wasn't opening for anything. She'd been too tired to ask for help and simply fallen asleep in her shirt; something she never, *ever* did. But strange places can make people do even stranger things, she mused, and knew that if she stood here any longer, Lex was going to think she'd gotten lost or broken her neck in the bathtub.
She had two choices. The first was a pair of boot cut jeans with a leather jacket that hadn't-somehow-gotten ruined in the monsoon last night, which could be matched with a green tank that brought out her eyes. The second, and more likely choice, because it was simply more professional, was a navy blue suit and caramel shell.
Except she hated suits.
She wore them to her business meetings because she had to, but her good ones, the *nice* ones, with the exception of the jacket that was probably in a cornfield somewhere right now, were all at home or in her suitcase at the hotel. This suit was awful; she hadn't worn it in years, and started to wonder if it was even hers, and not something she'd forgotten to unpack for Marissa by mistake.
Sage decided to improvise.
* * *
Lionel Luthor was scared.
Well, perhaps not scared, per say, but worried. Really, *really* worried. So worried, in fact, he was ready to call a doctor.
First he'd wondered if he wasn't, by any chance, still asleep in his large goose-down bed (hypoallergenic, of course) with charisma sheets and thick duvet cover. It was very possible, he reasoned, since his dreams had been getting considerably more vivid the longer he stayed at the residence in Smallville. Of course, that could simply be the rest of his body trying to make up for the fact that he couldn't see anymore, so what did he know, anyway?
When he was finished analyzing that bit, he was cranky, hungry, and purple, from where he'd kept pinching himself.
Dreaming was ruled out of the realm of possibilities.
There was always the chance that he'd been kidnapped-person-knapped, as he preferred-and that he was either dead or they were drugging him.
This led to more pinching of the arm.
It seemed he was going to have to come to terms with the issue and settle it the quickest way he knew how. Even if it made him look weak. Because he simply couldn't abide it anymore.
"All right, Lex. What's gotten you in such a mood that you're," dare he say it? The word lodged itself in his throat and wouldn't come out. Damn and blast! He hastily reached for his water glass, hoping he wouldn't make a fool out of himself and spill it on his new suit; not that he knew what it looked like, but appearances were still worth keeping up. "- *Whistling*?"
And so the flag had been thrown down. Game, set, and match. 1 to 0, in his son's favor.
If only he could stop fidgeting long enough to hear the answer.
* * *
Lex quelled the urge to stick his tongue out at his father. It was childish, and what's more, a waste of energy as the man wouldn't even be able to see it. Lex bet he would have known anyway, though. There were just some things that didn't escape Lionel Luthor. A long time ago, that would have scared him. Now it just made him work harder to stay two steps ahead of the old man.
"Was I whistling?" Lex asked innocently, looking over to see if he would reveal anything by way of facial expression. He didn't. Damn.
"I would have hardly made something like that up, Lex."
Oooh. Now he was scared that Lex had accused him of hearing things. Well, that was a tactic to save for another day.
"It just so happens, Dad, that I have a." he struggled to classify the young woman who was currently upstairs in a guest room they hadn't opened in years. "Business meeting this morning, and I'm beginning to look forward to it."
Ah. Lionel could understand this. He could relate to this, even. There were only two reasons one looked forward to business meetings this early in the day. It was either a takeover, or a woman. "Are you capturing another company, son?"
Lex sent him a mild smirk, even though he couldn't see it. "No, Dad. That's really more of your thing."
*Oh.* So it was a woman.
"Good morning, sorry I'm late."
And a relatively pretty-sounding one at that.
Lex took in the jeans, blazer and taupe shell with a brief gaze and offered up a half-smile. It was the best he could do, under the circumstances.
"I hope you slept well enough," he inquired politely, noting the dark circles under her eyes and made a note to have the mattress exchanged before she went back in this evening. Perhaps years of neglect had rendered it lumpy.
"I'm here, right?" There was a silver carafe of what she assumed was coffee and her feet dragged her towards it like a magnet. She poured herself a mug, unaware that there were people to do it for her, and suddenly noticed the other person sitting quietly at the table. "Oh. You didn't tell me I was going to be intruding on your breakfast," she looked at the younger man in askance.
He sighed heavily and took her arm, gently bringing her over to his father. "Dad, this is Sage Bristow. She's going to be staying with us for a while until she gets some land issues straightened out and her car gets fixed. Ms. Bristow," he continued smoothly, ignoring her dark look, "this is my father, Lionel Luthor. He's the head of-"
"-LuthorCorp and famous for his piracy of smaller companies less fortunate." Sage cut him off, knowing that her description was probably a bit harsher than Lex's would have been. But that "Ms. Bristow" comment had stung and she was beginning to wake up.
"Well, it would seem that your Ms. Bristow has done her homework," Lionel returned easily, cursing his lack of eyesight because her manner reminded him of another young woman he'd known very long ago.
Lex could feel Sage stiffen beside him at his father's comment. It wasn't the homework part that had bothered her, but he was starting to see how much she hated it when people called her by her last name. Of course, that part about being *his* hadn't helped matters along.
"So," Lionel prompted, gesturing in the general direction of the table. "Have a seat. Tell me about yourself, Ms. Bristow. As you may have guessed, I'm blind and at the mercy of my son's depiction when it comes to visitors."
Sage shot Lex an inquiring glance, but even he was lost on this one.
"Okay," she began, after insisting that he use her first name, "I'm 22 years old, I was born on the outskirts of Gotham City and-" she was clearly struggling to on how to handle such an odd request.
"-Stop. If I'd wanted the basics, I could have had it looked up."
Lex blinked at his father's abrupt manner. When Lionel wanted answers, he waited until the person was done speaking (to make them more nervous) or got someone else to do it for him (also to make them more nervous).
By now, Sage was completely thrown for a loop. She proceeded to tell him her life story, at length when he continued to question, looking more and more like a confused tourist as time passed so that Lex had to walk to the other end of the room to keep from smiling. She'd been harsh with him last night and now she was in wayyy over her head. He was going to enjoy watching his father take her down a peg or two.
'Not telling her there was another guest, that she would be intruding on breakfast,' indeed. Hah. Served her right for trying to make him feel bad that he'd inadvertently thrown her into the lion's den. He came back to the conversation just in time to hear his father's reply.
"Your *mother* was Aurelia Shelton? The model?"
"I *guess*," Sage's brows drew together as she frowned. "She died when I was six, I don't remember much about her or what she did before I was old enough to remember."
Lionel sat back in his chair contentedly. "Well, now that makes all the difference. I *knew* your mother quite well, my dear. She was a frequent guest in our house and one of Lillian's-my late wife-closest friends. I wonder, though, do you look like her? It's been a while and I'm a bit fuzzy on her image."
Lex watched curiously as all the feeling went out of Sage's voice and she answered, "I'm told I look like her. I don't see how, as my hair is blonde; hers was deep brown. My eyes are green,"-Oh, how he begged to differ on this one-"hers were silver. Apparently, we have the same facial structure. but as I said before, I really wouldn't know. I was very young and quite self-absorbed when she got into a car accident."
"Ah, yes. I remember that. Such a pity. Lillian was devastated."
Sage looked as though she would like to throttle him. "I don't remember seeing you at the funeral," she bit out, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice and knowing that she was failing miserably.
Lionel stroked his chin. "You did say that you were very young and-how did you put it? Oh yes-'quite self-absorbed,' " he pointed out. "But if you didn't see us, it was not because we didn't attend. I believe you sat on your father's lap and played with my pocket watch during the entire memorial service."
The same watch, Lex realized with a start, that now belonged to him and currently resided in his jacket pocket.
Her features calmed somewhat and a faint smile touched her face. "You're right. I do remember. I'm sorry I attacked you about it before-it's always been a sore subject for me."
"I can only imagine," Lionel replied, "at age six, you were beginning to look like her. Now you must be a spitting image." He downed the rest of his coffee. "It doesn't matter. If you have any questions or would like to know more about your mother and the woman she was before you came into her life. seek me out. I'd be more than happy to oblige."
As if summoned by magic, a servant came out of the corner and hovered, more than helped, him gather his cane and exit the room without mishap.
Sage unthinkingly sighed and sat heavily in the seat he'd just vacated.
"I have to admit, for someone not used to dealing with him on a daily basis, you handled that masterfully."
She turned tired eyes up to his. "You call that masterful? I know shouldn't be telling you this, but my mother is my Achilles heel. Bring her into any conversation and I'm a guaranteed basket case. God, he really threw me there. And even at the end, it felt like it was *my* fault she'd died. Almost like he blamed me for even being born."
Well, she was extremely perceptive, if nothing else. "That's just his way of stating his ground. If you're uncomfortable with it, ignore the offer. And him, for that matter. He's not the easiest man to live with and he sure as hell isn't father of the year," Lex paused, looking a bit perplexed that he had revealed so much to a mere business acquaintance. "But he won't make an offer like that unless he has the means to back it up."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she said quietly, reaching for a blueberry scone.
"Of the truth or that he has information you want?"
"Yes," she answered to both, and suddenly wished that she'd never taken on the job in the first place. Suddenly it seemed like she would be a lot safer in her apartment in Metropolis.
She was started to regret this whole experience and had the feeling that it was going to take more than a few days to get everything straightened out.
And by everything, she didn't just mean the land problems.
* * *
Lex decided to cut some slack and let her brain get back to its regular power to start their meeting. Sage took the time and headed back to her room, even though there were plenty of other rooms for her to be at this time, it was one of the few places she remembered how to get to.
When she got back, however, there was a surprise waiting for her. She stared blankly at the pile to suitcases in the center of the room, willing them to disappear so she could go back in time and make sense of the situation. How they'd gotten here wasn't quite as disturbing as *why* they were here.
She dug into the smallest one and pulled out a green pouch. Two strings closed the top and she tugged them open, letting two rings drop into her hands. While she worked on fitting them on, she got out her laptop and powered it up. Being the owner of a super-cool technology company didn't hurt when it came to the latest gadgets, especially when your company was about to sign a merger with the most successful manufacturer of its class.
When the white apple lit up on the back of the lid, she rose from her bags and tapped in a few commands. Seconds later, she found no trace of her bill at the hotel she'd been booked at, nor was there any record of her existence.
Things were about to get ugly.
* * *
"LUTHOR!" The sound of a strong female voice echoed throughout the manor.
Lionel sat up straighter in his chair expectantly, until Lex, who had risen from his desk to greet the infuriated woman, put a calming hand on his father's arm. "Relax, Dad. I think this one's for me."
The doors burst open and Sage was breathing heavily, her face flushed with anger. "Who do you think you *are*?" She threw at him, while he got up from his chair lazily to cross the room to her.
"May I ask what brought on this sudden case of amnesia?" His tone was very cool, but you would have to have been stupid not to hear the underlying amusement.
Her green eyes narrowed and she placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly! You had one of your-your-*people* go over to the hotel I was staying in, pay my bill, and bring my bags back here. What gives you that right?"
"I take it you're not pleased with my decision?"
"*Pleased*?" Her voice was outraged. "No, of course I'm not **pleased**! You had no right to make a decision like that!"
Lionel sat back in his chair, inwardly smiling. You didn't need your eyesight to see the sparks flying off these two. First at breakfast, and now this. Sage Bristow was not to be trifled with, and if this deal between them - that Lex had uncharacteristically revealed this morning - went through, she was going to keep his son on his toes. He tuned back into their conversation that they made no effort to hide.
"I'm not one of your people that you can control, *Mr. Luthor.* Just because I stayed here last night doesn't mean I'm eternally in your debt. If I recall, I tried to reason with you - several times, in fact - about other sleeping quarters. You would have nothing of it."
"And so it would be better for you to make an almost-hour commute here, everyday? You yourself told me that you were not a morning person. In fact, I believe you 'avoid them at all costs.' " He threw her own words back in her face.
Two spots of color rose on her cheeks. "The point is," her voice lowered to where even Lionel had to strain to hear it, "you were wrong. You should have at least asked. Instead, you use all the wiles of a caveman, and assume that I will be staying here. You *assume* that I want my luggage and my bags at the Estate, and you *assume* that I will be more than happy to submit to your decision because - hey! - You're a Luthor and that automatically means that you're the one running the show."
She watched for any sign of anger and was satisfied to see a flicker in the depths of his eyes. "But I'm *not* your puppet. And you're not running *this* show." With that, she gave him one long look and swept out of the dining room.
"Well," Lionel said, rising unassisted from his chair, "That was quite a performance. She seems to call you on a lot of your shots, Lex. Be careful," he admonished, "that could be a weakness. You never know what she'll see coming next."
Lex watched as his father walked almost confidently out of the room and cursed fiercely when he was gone. He had hoped to delay Sage's encounter with Lionel for another week or so. It certainly didn't help matters that she had all but goaded him into an argument he couldn't fight because of Lionel's presence.
What surprised him more was that she had matched him, method for method. When he'd been cool, she'd worked hard to get her temper under control - not succeeding, of course, because he had the gift of getting under her skin - and when he'd used an earlier reference, she'd pulled one, just as cutting, on him.
Lex was angry. He wanted to throw something. So he did.
* * *
It took him twenty minutes to get his breathing under control. Then another ten to convince himself that scotch at 10:30 in the morning was a bad idea. He settled for orange juice, and while not nearly as comforting, it managed to cool him off a little further.
Like it or not, his father was right. Sage *did* call his shots. And she did it effortlessly. She'd seen how even though the over-night stay was magnanimous; it still held the "favor" that he could call in at a later time. Funny. Even when he tried to do something nice, his subconscious was plotting ways for repayment. Then this morning with his father.
When people met with Lionel, they often never came back. Their contracts mysteriously disappeared and Lex found himself one step away from a securing the very same company. It made him a bit uneasy that his father's mere presence could unsettle a person so much that they essentially left the back door open, and more often than not, was the reason his father got the business first.
But she hadn't backed down, not even at his surprising request. And when things had gotten sticky with the subject of her mother, she'd still muddled through. Even so, it was a lot to take. He supposed the luggage had been the last straw.
Regardless, his father had taken an interest in her, and for some reason, he was worried about that. The only way to track what Lionel had planned for her, was to keep her close. 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.' Time and overuse did not weaken the practicality of the adage. The only way to keep her close would be to think she had a chance at the land. Sage was currently furious with him. And so, he was faced with a choice. Let her blow off steam and possibly leave, forcing him to keep tabs on her from a distance, or try and smooth things over to the point where she would be willing to listen to reason.
The irony of the situation did not fail to escape him.
He found her sitting on the step inside the garage. She looked very small, almost hunched over in her attempt to contain herself as she stared at the fleet before her.
"I came in here with the intention of smashing your cars." Sage looked up at him, feeling a glimmer of satisfaction at the barely noticeable once-over he issued to his vehicles. "But for me, that would be almost sacrilegious, so I just sat here and looked at them. For some reason, it calms me. Does that make me weird?"
Lex chose to stare at the cars as he answered, "Not necessarily." He took a deep breath and moved to let his hand hover above a hunter-green BMW Z8. The car was technically still in production and wouldn't be released for another year. "When I offered to give you a room last night, I wasn't planning on using it against you should our negotiating get," he searched for the correct word, "*difficult*."
"There's always strings," she quietly replied, tucking hair into the loose knot at the base of her neck.
Lex got the impression she wasn't talking about their situation any longer and felt like he'd glimpsed into her past. Assuming she wanted to check out the possibility of a Bed and Breakfast in Smallville rather than stay at the mansion for the duration of her visit, he made a decision.
"Come on, I'll drive you into town." When she just stood there, his eyebrows rose. "You know, you have to actually be *in* the car for this to work."
Slowly, she made her way to her feet. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't have the best feelings about getting in a car with you right now," she said, as though weighing each word carefully, "seeing as we had a huge fight and you have a previous history that even *I* can't touch."
"I also have a history of getting knocked on the back of the head, but that doesn't mean I'm going to whack you with a candelabra in your sleep."
Even she had to smile at the imagery. But her remark had the desired effect of distracting him and so she found herself with his keys in her hands, following him as he walked to the silver Porsche.
It was almost comical when he reached into his pocket for the keys and couldn't find them. Biting back a smile, she dangled them over the hood. "Looking for these?"
"You want to drive?"
Her eyes gleamed. "That," she came around his side of the car and got in the driver's seat, "is a stupid question."
Sage waited until he was seated before starting the engine and allowing herself a moment of pleasure as the car purred. She put it into gear and drove out to the main road. "Okay. How do I get to town?"
Lex cast her an amused glance. "You don't know how to get to town from here? Didn't you drive yesterday?"
If they could have bottled the imperious look she gave him, it would have been worth millions. "I have a habit of getting lost," she revealed cautiously, bypassing his remarks. "And being that this isn't my car and you probably have work to get back to, you might be better off giving me directions."
"I might," he smiled, tilting his head in agreement, and she breathed a sigh of relief, "But that would take all the fun out of it."
* * *
When they finally got to the Talon, Sage's bad mood had returned and Lex would have been annoyed as well, if not for her almost comical bad sense of direction. He'd never once met a woman with such a habit of getting lost. Especially one who was as successful as she was, and in such a lucrative business. To him, staying on course and getting to where you wanted to go was all about details. You piece them together and get to your destination. And while he had a feeling that the very last wrong turn at the end of Main Street had been on purpose, the other dozen or so were certainly not.
She pulled the car to a stop and turned off the engine. He watched as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply for exactly seven seconds. Then she took a deep breath, opened her eyes and stared determinedly at the Talon.
"Let's get some coffee."
He slowly exited the car to watch her march inside and wait at the counter a few moments until she could be served. Once her drink was ready, she took it and inhaled the aroma before lifting it to her lips to drink.
Lex ordered a dry cappuccino and stood next to her chair. "Feel better?" The waitress handed him his beverage and he sipped it slowly.
"Much. Coffee does wonderful things to me."
He smirked and casually glanced around at the small crowd. "You sound like another blonde I know."
She gestured for him to sit even as she answered, "I'm not so sure that's a compliment."
Lex knew she was referring to his playboy reputation and fought back a grin. "Not at all. Miss Sullivan is an extremely talented young lady. She writes for the High School newspaper and dreams of someday working at the Daily Planet."
"Hey, I'll have you know I *did* work there over the summer!" Both adults turned to see the blonde in question holding a big mug of coffee as she walked over to their table. "Well, hello," she said to Sage, giving her the once-over none to subtly.
"Hi," Sage replied, unable to keep from smiling at the girl's frank assessment. "Do I pass?"
"What?-Oh. Sorry about that. I was trying to figure out where you're from; it's a game I play based on people's choice in clothing." When Sage gave her an interested look, she continued, "Take Lex, for example." Lex's eyebrows shot up. "He prefers a black suit with long jacket and button-down shirt, usually in shades of blue or purple. This screams Upper-Class Metropolis Business Man. Clark Kent, on the other hand," Chloe pointed him out at the counter, "is all Flannel and Denim. He's a Smallville Farm Boy all the way."
Sage was nodding slowly in agreement. "I see. Now if I were to do the same for you," she took in the side-swept hair, funky skirt and fun top with beading, "I'd say ultra-chic/hippie Metropolis teen, visiting her county relatives for the weekend."
Lex watched Chloe as she worked on processing the left-handed compliment. "I believe you have our resident reporter stumped."
"Not true," Chloe retorted, looking at Sage with new admiration in her eyes. "Just. intrigued."
"Ah. Well, Sage has the habit of doing that."
Sage's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
He saw Chloe's brows rise slowly at Sage's reaction to his offhand remark and decided the matter was closed. "Miss Sullivan, if you'll excuse us, Sage needs a place to stay while her car's being fixed and I'm sure she wants to get a head start on all those commuters."
Sage shot daggers at him. Even his attempts at humor were slanted with sarcasm. He was a living, breathing, sarcastic machine. And she was starting to adjust to it.
"Oh, then I would try asking one of the locals if they had extra room."
Lex paused so abruptly on his was out the door, Sage nearly ran into him. "What?"
The young blonde gave them her full-fledged grin. "Didn't you hear? There's a Teddy Bear Convention being run in the old Beanery. All the B&B's are full up. Looks like she might be spending another night at a certain creepy old castle."
If she'd had a free hand, Sage would have used it scrub over her face in frustration. As it was, she held her coffee in one hand and was currently using the other to hold the door open while Lex recovered from a mild case of shock.
Sighing, she muttered, "Come on, Luthor, you're giving the girl what she wants. Walk away, peel out in that gorgeous mold of steel and try to salvage your reputation before it gets shredded any further."
He looked at her in surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there- which was impossible, it was her situation they were in the middle of-and gave her another indecipherable look. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were reading my mind."
She threw her head back and laughed, following him out the door bearing both cups of coffee while he unlocked the car. "Let's just say I have a- gift. Really, *really* good instincts."
"Some gift."
She shrugged. "It comes in handy when I'm among rich boys with a little bit of a snob complex."
He waited until they were well on the way back to the castle before he answered, "You know, men have been killed for less than that."
"So kill me."
With her hair flying wildly from the wind and eyes aglow as she tested his limits, he inwardly shook his head. 'Not yet.' He thought of teddy bears, his father, and Chloe Sullivan's reaction to seeing her. She certainly was shaking Smallville up.
"There might just be some use for you."
Sage lowered her sunglasses to peer at him. "I so *love* being useful."
Lex let one side of his mouth curl up and gave his attention to the road. "I bet you do."
* * * * *
End the LONG chapter three.
Brief note:
I'm not really sure what's going on with the Beanery right now, but if it's still around, then the Teddies took it over. If it's been burned down (or wrecked in a tornado-hey, don't look at me like that, it could happen!) then use your imagination and pretend it's been rebuilt.
REVIEW!!!
I'm also looking for a beta for this story and "Gone," my Chlex story that should be up soon (if it's not by the time this chapter gets posted.) More information on the position is on my user page at ff.net, so just read there and drop me at line at serenity_sea@yahoo.com . THANKS!
Chapter 3
PG-13
Serenity Sea
(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)
Author's notes: This chapter will give you a little more insight on Sage and on Lionel's fears. *Grin*
DISCLAIMER: See Prologue.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it, it's yours. Just let me know where it's going.
SPOILERS: S2, through Heat.
Update List:
* * *
The morning was not something Sage was looking forward to. At all. Of course, her room seemed to be lacking an alarm clock, and she'd therefore gotten no sleep because she was afraid of being late and kept waking up at all hours of the night.
"Nothing like a good sleep to get you ready for meeting with a Luthor," she muttered, legs feeling like lead as she dragged them to the bathroom and stumbled blindly into the shower.
It was there that she found a clock, resting innocently on the sink. She regarded it steadily, waiting for a sign from the small porcelain being. When it failed to do anything more than tick away the seconds, she gave it a particularly nasty glare and finished up her makeup.
Feeling marginally more human, but knowing that the full leap from monster to a proper citizen of Earth would require some caffeine-and fast-she settled to battle with her carryon. Last night, the zipper had caught on something and wasn't opening for anything. She'd been too tired to ask for help and simply fallen asleep in her shirt; something she never, *ever* did. But strange places can make people do even stranger things, she mused, and knew that if she stood here any longer, Lex was going to think she'd gotten lost or broken her neck in the bathtub.
She had two choices. The first was a pair of boot cut jeans with a leather jacket that hadn't-somehow-gotten ruined in the monsoon last night, which could be matched with a green tank that brought out her eyes. The second, and more likely choice, because it was simply more professional, was a navy blue suit and caramel shell.
Except she hated suits.
She wore them to her business meetings because she had to, but her good ones, the *nice* ones, with the exception of the jacket that was probably in a cornfield somewhere right now, were all at home or in her suitcase at the hotel. This suit was awful; she hadn't worn it in years, and started to wonder if it was even hers, and not something she'd forgotten to unpack for Marissa by mistake.
Sage decided to improvise.
* * *
Lionel Luthor was scared.
Well, perhaps not scared, per say, but worried. Really, *really* worried. So worried, in fact, he was ready to call a doctor.
First he'd wondered if he wasn't, by any chance, still asleep in his large goose-down bed (hypoallergenic, of course) with charisma sheets and thick duvet cover. It was very possible, he reasoned, since his dreams had been getting considerably more vivid the longer he stayed at the residence in Smallville. Of course, that could simply be the rest of his body trying to make up for the fact that he couldn't see anymore, so what did he know, anyway?
When he was finished analyzing that bit, he was cranky, hungry, and purple, from where he'd kept pinching himself.
Dreaming was ruled out of the realm of possibilities.
There was always the chance that he'd been kidnapped-person-knapped, as he preferred-and that he was either dead or they were drugging him.
This led to more pinching of the arm.
It seemed he was going to have to come to terms with the issue and settle it the quickest way he knew how. Even if it made him look weak. Because he simply couldn't abide it anymore.
"All right, Lex. What's gotten you in such a mood that you're," dare he say it? The word lodged itself in his throat and wouldn't come out. Damn and blast! He hastily reached for his water glass, hoping he wouldn't make a fool out of himself and spill it on his new suit; not that he knew what it looked like, but appearances were still worth keeping up. "- *Whistling*?"
And so the flag had been thrown down. Game, set, and match. 1 to 0, in his son's favor.
If only he could stop fidgeting long enough to hear the answer.
* * *
Lex quelled the urge to stick his tongue out at his father. It was childish, and what's more, a waste of energy as the man wouldn't even be able to see it. Lex bet he would have known anyway, though. There were just some things that didn't escape Lionel Luthor. A long time ago, that would have scared him. Now it just made him work harder to stay two steps ahead of the old man.
"Was I whistling?" Lex asked innocently, looking over to see if he would reveal anything by way of facial expression. He didn't. Damn.
"I would have hardly made something like that up, Lex."
Oooh. Now he was scared that Lex had accused him of hearing things. Well, that was a tactic to save for another day.
"It just so happens, Dad, that I have a." he struggled to classify the young woman who was currently upstairs in a guest room they hadn't opened in years. "Business meeting this morning, and I'm beginning to look forward to it."
Ah. Lionel could understand this. He could relate to this, even. There were only two reasons one looked forward to business meetings this early in the day. It was either a takeover, or a woman. "Are you capturing another company, son?"
Lex sent him a mild smirk, even though he couldn't see it. "No, Dad. That's really more of your thing."
*Oh.* So it was a woman.
"Good morning, sorry I'm late."
And a relatively pretty-sounding one at that.
Lex took in the jeans, blazer and taupe shell with a brief gaze and offered up a half-smile. It was the best he could do, under the circumstances.
"I hope you slept well enough," he inquired politely, noting the dark circles under her eyes and made a note to have the mattress exchanged before she went back in this evening. Perhaps years of neglect had rendered it lumpy.
"I'm here, right?" There was a silver carafe of what she assumed was coffee and her feet dragged her towards it like a magnet. She poured herself a mug, unaware that there were people to do it for her, and suddenly noticed the other person sitting quietly at the table. "Oh. You didn't tell me I was going to be intruding on your breakfast," she looked at the younger man in askance.
He sighed heavily and took her arm, gently bringing her over to his father. "Dad, this is Sage Bristow. She's going to be staying with us for a while until she gets some land issues straightened out and her car gets fixed. Ms. Bristow," he continued smoothly, ignoring her dark look, "this is my father, Lionel Luthor. He's the head of-"
"-LuthorCorp and famous for his piracy of smaller companies less fortunate." Sage cut him off, knowing that her description was probably a bit harsher than Lex's would have been. But that "Ms. Bristow" comment had stung and she was beginning to wake up.
"Well, it would seem that your Ms. Bristow has done her homework," Lionel returned easily, cursing his lack of eyesight because her manner reminded him of another young woman he'd known very long ago.
Lex could feel Sage stiffen beside him at his father's comment. It wasn't the homework part that had bothered her, but he was starting to see how much she hated it when people called her by her last name. Of course, that part about being *his* hadn't helped matters along.
"So," Lionel prompted, gesturing in the general direction of the table. "Have a seat. Tell me about yourself, Ms. Bristow. As you may have guessed, I'm blind and at the mercy of my son's depiction when it comes to visitors."
Sage shot Lex an inquiring glance, but even he was lost on this one.
"Okay," she began, after insisting that he use her first name, "I'm 22 years old, I was born on the outskirts of Gotham City and-" she was clearly struggling to on how to handle such an odd request.
"-Stop. If I'd wanted the basics, I could have had it looked up."
Lex blinked at his father's abrupt manner. When Lionel wanted answers, he waited until the person was done speaking (to make them more nervous) or got someone else to do it for him (also to make them more nervous).
By now, Sage was completely thrown for a loop. She proceeded to tell him her life story, at length when he continued to question, looking more and more like a confused tourist as time passed so that Lex had to walk to the other end of the room to keep from smiling. She'd been harsh with him last night and now she was in wayyy over her head. He was going to enjoy watching his father take her down a peg or two.
'Not telling her there was another guest, that she would be intruding on breakfast,' indeed. Hah. Served her right for trying to make him feel bad that he'd inadvertently thrown her into the lion's den. He came back to the conversation just in time to hear his father's reply.
"Your *mother* was Aurelia Shelton? The model?"
"I *guess*," Sage's brows drew together as she frowned. "She died when I was six, I don't remember much about her or what she did before I was old enough to remember."
Lionel sat back in his chair contentedly. "Well, now that makes all the difference. I *knew* your mother quite well, my dear. She was a frequent guest in our house and one of Lillian's-my late wife-closest friends. I wonder, though, do you look like her? It's been a while and I'm a bit fuzzy on her image."
Lex watched curiously as all the feeling went out of Sage's voice and she answered, "I'm told I look like her. I don't see how, as my hair is blonde; hers was deep brown. My eyes are green,"-Oh, how he begged to differ on this one-"hers were silver. Apparently, we have the same facial structure. but as I said before, I really wouldn't know. I was very young and quite self-absorbed when she got into a car accident."
"Ah, yes. I remember that. Such a pity. Lillian was devastated."
Sage looked as though she would like to throttle him. "I don't remember seeing you at the funeral," she bit out, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice and knowing that she was failing miserably.
Lionel stroked his chin. "You did say that you were very young and-how did you put it? Oh yes-'quite self-absorbed,' " he pointed out. "But if you didn't see us, it was not because we didn't attend. I believe you sat on your father's lap and played with my pocket watch during the entire memorial service."
The same watch, Lex realized with a start, that now belonged to him and currently resided in his jacket pocket.
Her features calmed somewhat and a faint smile touched her face. "You're right. I do remember. I'm sorry I attacked you about it before-it's always been a sore subject for me."
"I can only imagine," Lionel replied, "at age six, you were beginning to look like her. Now you must be a spitting image." He downed the rest of his coffee. "It doesn't matter. If you have any questions or would like to know more about your mother and the woman she was before you came into her life. seek me out. I'd be more than happy to oblige."
As if summoned by magic, a servant came out of the corner and hovered, more than helped, him gather his cane and exit the room without mishap.
Sage unthinkingly sighed and sat heavily in the seat he'd just vacated.
"I have to admit, for someone not used to dealing with him on a daily basis, you handled that masterfully."
She turned tired eyes up to his. "You call that masterful? I know shouldn't be telling you this, but my mother is my Achilles heel. Bring her into any conversation and I'm a guaranteed basket case. God, he really threw me there. And even at the end, it felt like it was *my* fault she'd died. Almost like he blamed me for even being born."
Well, she was extremely perceptive, if nothing else. "That's just his way of stating his ground. If you're uncomfortable with it, ignore the offer. And him, for that matter. He's not the easiest man to live with and he sure as hell isn't father of the year," Lex paused, looking a bit perplexed that he had revealed so much to a mere business acquaintance. "But he won't make an offer like that unless he has the means to back it up."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she said quietly, reaching for a blueberry scone.
"Of the truth or that he has information you want?"
"Yes," she answered to both, and suddenly wished that she'd never taken on the job in the first place. Suddenly it seemed like she would be a lot safer in her apartment in Metropolis.
She was started to regret this whole experience and had the feeling that it was going to take more than a few days to get everything straightened out.
And by everything, she didn't just mean the land problems.
* * *
Lex decided to cut some slack and let her brain get back to its regular power to start their meeting. Sage took the time and headed back to her room, even though there were plenty of other rooms for her to be at this time, it was one of the few places she remembered how to get to.
When she got back, however, there was a surprise waiting for her. She stared blankly at the pile to suitcases in the center of the room, willing them to disappear so she could go back in time and make sense of the situation. How they'd gotten here wasn't quite as disturbing as *why* they were here.
She dug into the smallest one and pulled out a green pouch. Two strings closed the top and she tugged them open, letting two rings drop into her hands. While she worked on fitting them on, she got out her laptop and powered it up. Being the owner of a super-cool technology company didn't hurt when it came to the latest gadgets, especially when your company was about to sign a merger with the most successful manufacturer of its class.
When the white apple lit up on the back of the lid, she rose from her bags and tapped in a few commands. Seconds later, she found no trace of her bill at the hotel she'd been booked at, nor was there any record of her existence.
Things were about to get ugly.
* * *
"LUTHOR!" The sound of a strong female voice echoed throughout the manor.
Lionel sat up straighter in his chair expectantly, until Lex, who had risen from his desk to greet the infuriated woman, put a calming hand on his father's arm. "Relax, Dad. I think this one's for me."
The doors burst open and Sage was breathing heavily, her face flushed with anger. "Who do you think you *are*?" She threw at him, while he got up from his chair lazily to cross the room to her.
"May I ask what brought on this sudden case of amnesia?" His tone was very cool, but you would have to have been stupid not to hear the underlying amusement.
Her green eyes narrowed and she placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly! You had one of your-your-*people* go over to the hotel I was staying in, pay my bill, and bring my bags back here. What gives you that right?"
"I take it you're not pleased with my decision?"
"*Pleased*?" Her voice was outraged. "No, of course I'm not **pleased**! You had no right to make a decision like that!"
Lionel sat back in his chair, inwardly smiling. You didn't need your eyesight to see the sparks flying off these two. First at breakfast, and now this. Sage Bristow was not to be trifled with, and if this deal between them - that Lex had uncharacteristically revealed this morning - went through, she was going to keep his son on his toes. He tuned back into their conversation that they made no effort to hide.
"I'm not one of your people that you can control, *Mr. Luthor.* Just because I stayed here last night doesn't mean I'm eternally in your debt. If I recall, I tried to reason with you - several times, in fact - about other sleeping quarters. You would have nothing of it."
"And so it would be better for you to make an almost-hour commute here, everyday? You yourself told me that you were not a morning person. In fact, I believe you 'avoid them at all costs.' " He threw her own words back in her face.
Two spots of color rose on her cheeks. "The point is," her voice lowered to where even Lionel had to strain to hear it, "you were wrong. You should have at least asked. Instead, you use all the wiles of a caveman, and assume that I will be staying here. You *assume* that I want my luggage and my bags at the Estate, and you *assume* that I will be more than happy to submit to your decision because - hey! - You're a Luthor and that automatically means that you're the one running the show."
She watched for any sign of anger and was satisfied to see a flicker in the depths of his eyes. "But I'm *not* your puppet. And you're not running *this* show." With that, she gave him one long look and swept out of the dining room.
"Well," Lionel said, rising unassisted from his chair, "That was quite a performance. She seems to call you on a lot of your shots, Lex. Be careful," he admonished, "that could be a weakness. You never know what she'll see coming next."
Lex watched as his father walked almost confidently out of the room and cursed fiercely when he was gone. He had hoped to delay Sage's encounter with Lionel for another week or so. It certainly didn't help matters that she had all but goaded him into an argument he couldn't fight because of Lionel's presence.
What surprised him more was that she had matched him, method for method. When he'd been cool, she'd worked hard to get her temper under control - not succeeding, of course, because he had the gift of getting under her skin - and when he'd used an earlier reference, she'd pulled one, just as cutting, on him.
Lex was angry. He wanted to throw something. So he did.
* * *
It took him twenty minutes to get his breathing under control. Then another ten to convince himself that scotch at 10:30 in the morning was a bad idea. He settled for orange juice, and while not nearly as comforting, it managed to cool him off a little further.
Like it or not, his father was right. Sage *did* call his shots. And she did it effortlessly. She'd seen how even though the over-night stay was magnanimous; it still held the "favor" that he could call in at a later time. Funny. Even when he tried to do something nice, his subconscious was plotting ways for repayment. Then this morning with his father.
When people met with Lionel, they often never came back. Their contracts mysteriously disappeared and Lex found himself one step away from a securing the very same company. It made him a bit uneasy that his father's mere presence could unsettle a person so much that they essentially left the back door open, and more often than not, was the reason his father got the business first.
But she hadn't backed down, not even at his surprising request. And when things had gotten sticky with the subject of her mother, she'd still muddled through. Even so, it was a lot to take. He supposed the luggage had been the last straw.
Regardless, his father had taken an interest in her, and for some reason, he was worried about that. The only way to track what Lionel had planned for her, was to keep her close. 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.' Time and overuse did not weaken the practicality of the adage. The only way to keep her close would be to think she had a chance at the land. Sage was currently furious with him. And so, he was faced with a choice. Let her blow off steam and possibly leave, forcing him to keep tabs on her from a distance, or try and smooth things over to the point where she would be willing to listen to reason.
The irony of the situation did not fail to escape him.
He found her sitting on the step inside the garage. She looked very small, almost hunched over in her attempt to contain herself as she stared at the fleet before her.
"I came in here with the intention of smashing your cars." Sage looked up at him, feeling a glimmer of satisfaction at the barely noticeable once-over he issued to his vehicles. "But for me, that would be almost sacrilegious, so I just sat here and looked at them. For some reason, it calms me. Does that make me weird?"
Lex chose to stare at the cars as he answered, "Not necessarily." He took a deep breath and moved to let his hand hover above a hunter-green BMW Z8. The car was technically still in production and wouldn't be released for another year. "When I offered to give you a room last night, I wasn't planning on using it against you should our negotiating get," he searched for the correct word, "*difficult*."
"There's always strings," she quietly replied, tucking hair into the loose knot at the base of her neck.
Lex got the impression she wasn't talking about their situation any longer and felt like he'd glimpsed into her past. Assuming she wanted to check out the possibility of a Bed and Breakfast in Smallville rather than stay at the mansion for the duration of her visit, he made a decision.
"Come on, I'll drive you into town." When she just stood there, his eyebrows rose. "You know, you have to actually be *in* the car for this to work."
Slowly, she made her way to her feet. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't have the best feelings about getting in a car with you right now," she said, as though weighing each word carefully, "seeing as we had a huge fight and you have a previous history that even *I* can't touch."
"I also have a history of getting knocked on the back of the head, but that doesn't mean I'm going to whack you with a candelabra in your sleep."
Even she had to smile at the imagery. But her remark had the desired effect of distracting him and so she found herself with his keys in her hands, following him as he walked to the silver Porsche.
It was almost comical when he reached into his pocket for the keys and couldn't find them. Biting back a smile, she dangled them over the hood. "Looking for these?"
"You want to drive?"
Her eyes gleamed. "That," she came around his side of the car and got in the driver's seat, "is a stupid question."
Sage waited until he was seated before starting the engine and allowing herself a moment of pleasure as the car purred. She put it into gear and drove out to the main road. "Okay. How do I get to town?"
Lex cast her an amused glance. "You don't know how to get to town from here? Didn't you drive yesterday?"
If they could have bottled the imperious look she gave him, it would have been worth millions. "I have a habit of getting lost," she revealed cautiously, bypassing his remarks. "And being that this isn't my car and you probably have work to get back to, you might be better off giving me directions."
"I might," he smiled, tilting his head in agreement, and she breathed a sigh of relief, "But that would take all the fun out of it."
* * *
When they finally got to the Talon, Sage's bad mood had returned and Lex would have been annoyed as well, if not for her almost comical bad sense of direction. He'd never once met a woman with such a habit of getting lost. Especially one who was as successful as she was, and in such a lucrative business. To him, staying on course and getting to where you wanted to go was all about details. You piece them together and get to your destination. And while he had a feeling that the very last wrong turn at the end of Main Street had been on purpose, the other dozen or so were certainly not.
She pulled the car to a stop and turned off the engine. He watched as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply for exactly seven seconds. Then she took a deep breath, opened her eyes and stared determinedly at the Talon.
"Let's get some coffee."
He slowly exited the car to watch her march inside and wait at the counter a few moments until she could be served. Once her drink was ready, she took it and inhaled the aroma before lifting it to her lips to drink.
Lex ordered a dry cappuccino and stood next to her chair. "Feel better?" The waitress handed him his beverage and he sipped it slowly.
"Much. Coffee does wonderful things to me."
He smirked and casually glanced around at the small crowd. "You sound like another blonde I know."
She gestured for him to sit even as she answered, "I'm not so sure that's a compliment."
Lex knew she was referring to his playboy reputation and fought back a grin. "Not at all. Miss Sullivan is an extremely talented young lady. She writes for the High School newspaper and dreams of someday working at the Daily Planet."
"Hey, I'll have you know I *did* work there over the summer!" Both adults turned to see the blonde in question holding a big mug of coffee as she walked over to their table. "Well, hello," she said to Sage, giving her the once-over none to subtly.
"Hi," Sage replied, unable to keep from smiling at the girl's frank assessment. "Do I pass?"
"What?-Oh. Sorry about that. I was trying to figure out where you're from; it's a game I play based on people's choice in clothing." When Sage gave her an interested look, she continued, "Take Lex, for example." Lex's eyebrows shot up. "He prefers a black suit with long jacket and button-down shirt, usually in shades of blue or purple. This screams Upper-Class Metropolis Business Man. Clark Kent, on the other hand," Chloe pointed him out at the counter, "is all Flannel and Denim. He's a Smallville Farm Boy all the way."
Sage was nodding slowly in agreement. "I see. Now if I were to do the same for you," she took in the side-swept hair, funky skirt and fun top with beading, "I'd say ultra-chic/hippie Metropolis teen, visiting her county relatives for the weekend."
Lex watched Chloe as she worked on processing the left-handed compliment. "I believe you have our resident reporter stumped."
"Not true," Chloe retorted, looking at Sage with new admiration in her eyes. "Just. intrigued."
"Ah. Well, Sage has the habit of doing that."
Sage's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
He saw Chloe's brows rise slowly at Sage's reaction to his offhand remark and decided the matter was closed. "Miss Sullivan, if you'll excuse us, Sage needs a place to stay while her car's being fixed and I'm sure she wants to get a head start on all those commuters."
Sage shot daggers at him. Even his attempts at humor were slanted with sarcasm. He was a living, breathing, sarcastic machine. And she was starting to adjust to it.
"Oh, then I would try asking one of the locals if they had extra room."
Lex paused so abruptly on his was out the door, Sage nearly ran into him. "What?"
The young blonde gave them her full-fledged grin. "Didn't you hear? There's a Teddy Bear Convention being run in the old Beanery. All the B&B's are full up. Looks like she might be spending another night at a certain creepy old castle."
If she'd had a free hand, Sage would have used it scrub over her face in frustration. As it was, she held her coffee in one hand and was currently using the other to hold the door open while Lex recovered from a mild case of shock.
Sighing, she muttered, "Come on, Luthor, you're giving the girl what she wants. Walk away, peel out in that gorgeous mold of steel and try to salvage your reputation before it gets shredded any further."
He looked at her in surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there- which was impossible, it was her situation they were in the middle of-and gave her another indecipherable look. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were reading my mind."
She threw her head back and laughed, following him out the door bearing both cups of coffee while he unlocked the car. "Let's just say I have a- gift. Really, *really* good instincts."
"Some gift."
She shrugged. "It comes in handy when I'm among rich boys with a little bit of a snob complex."
He waited until they were well on the way back to the castle before he answered, "You know, men have been killed for less than that."
"So kill me."
With her hair flying wildly from the wind and eyes aglow as she tested his limits, he inwardly shook his head. 'Not yet.' He thought of teddy bears, his father, and Chloe Sullivan's reaction to seeing her. She certainly was shaking Smallville up.
"There might just be some use for you."
Sage lowered her sunglasses to peer at him. "I so *love* being useful."
Lex let one side of his mouth curl up and gave his attention to the road. "I bet you do."
* * * * *
End the LONG chapter three.
Brief note:
I'm not really sure what's going on with the Beanery right now, but if it's still around, then the Teddies took it over. If it's been burned down (or wrecked in a tornado-hey, don't look at me like that, it could happen!) then use your imagination and pretend it's been rebuilt.
REVIEW!!!
I'm also looking for a beta for this story and "Gone," my Chlex story that should be up soon (if it's not by the time this chapter gets posted.) More information on the position is on my user page at ff.net, so just read there and drop me at line at serenity_sea@yahoo.com . THANKS!