Never Is A Promise || Chapter 4
|| Author's notes: I had originally begun this story long before the Season 2 finale, certainly way before "Perry." So, for the sake of the story, let's just assume that Perry's washed-up, has-been phase is over, and he's currently in Metropolis. Where? Well, you'll just have to read the story to find that out, won't you?
* * *
They reached the manor safely, without further incident. Lex occasionally let his gaze drift away from the road and glanced at his passenger, knowing her mind had to be going a million miles a minute, trying to work out Chloe's earlier statement.
He pulled the car into the garage and turned to ask her if she wanted anything in particular for dinner that evening, but she was already gone. He saw the door to the house closing and wondered how she'd left the car so swiftly.
Leaving the thought for another day, Lex left the garage and headed for his office.
Unpredictable blondes with their insightful comments aside, he had work to do. And it wouldn't just disappear now that one had just appeared in his life.
* * *
She refused to think that the house--no, Mansion--was growing on her. It was big and dark, and. creepy. Well, so was Wayne Manor, for that matter. But at least it had Alfred. The Luthor estate most definitely did *not* have an Alfred.
Although ever since her bossy move with the doorman, she hadn't been able to look Quincy in the eye. Lex, of course, had noticed. And smirked in that annoying way of his.
But now, as she sat in a large wing-backed chair, her feet tucked under her, Sage decided that yes, it was in fact growing on her. It had some of the old world charm, and stateliness in every corner.
"My son told me you were in here. I hope I'm not interrupting."
She looked up slowly from her book. "Not at all. It's your house, too, you should be free to come and go as you please."
He used his cane and felt around, settling into a chair across from her. If not for the purple glasses he refused to take off, she would have had a hard time believing that he was blind at all.
"So. How do you find the country-folk of Smallville?"
She thought of Chloe and realized that she was a very special girl. Her other encounters had left her with a completely different impression. "Innocent."
Lionel laughed and it was a bit unsettling. "You are very much like her, you know."
She stiffened. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."
"Of course you do. I don't even need to close my eyes to pretend I'm speaking to her. It's as if her presence still lives on inside you."
So it was going to come back to this. He wanted to talk about her mother again. Just what was his fascination with her, anyway? She said as much and he laughed again.
"Sit down, Ms. Bristow." She realized somewhere during her tirade, she had stood up. And what was strange was that he'd known. Saying nothing, she ducked her head and sat back in the chair. "I will tell you what you want to know about your mother. And you won't leave this room until you know why you, in turn, fascinate me."
* * *
After seeing the blonde deal so successfully with Lex and drive away in his car, looking for all in the world as if she belonged there, Chloe resolved to find out everything she could about her. Because it wasn't every day that you saw Lex Luthor speechless and then laugh in the span of a day, much less five minutes' time.
Not wanting to go home and face Lana just yet, she'd headed to her second home; The Torch. On her way there, she thought of their current situation.
After Nell had announced her intentions to marry the decidedly smarmy guy Dean, Chloe had picked up on Lana's broadcast SOS and unexplainably offered her home up to the girl. Amazingly enough, it wasn't irritating her as much as she thought it would, though there were times--like these, when she had a story on her mind--that she couldn't go home to see Miss Cheerful right away.
Though it would be fun to gossip with her later.
Chloe hummed under her breath as she searched for information on the young woman. Now, she'd only given her first name: Sage. But she'd been with Lex. And there was a bit of an undercurrent between them. He wasn't the type to just show up one day with a woman no one had ever met before. She wondered if Clark knew about her.
Chloe dove for her phone and dialed. He answered. "Hey, it's me. Do you know the woman that was with Lex this morning in the Talon?"
::Oh, that's Sage.::
She waited for him to elaborate. He didn't. She screamed inwardly. "Clark, Sage who? Does she have a last name? How did she get there? Why is she in Smallville? Does Lex like her?"
::Whoa, calm down! I'll do the best I can, seeing as you just turned 'Reporter' on me. Sage's last name is Bristow. I think she drove here, but I'm not quite clear on why she's in Smallville. As for Lex. . . that I couldn't tell you.::
"Why? Do you guys have some sort of secret pact?"
::No. He just didn't tell me. And anyway, I've only met her once at the Manor last night. Other than that, I've got no idea who she is.::
She thanked him for his help and disconnected. Then she went back to her computer and opened up Google.
Sage Bristow. Why did Bristow sound so familiar? The search was over soon enough and she clicked on the first link at the top of the list.
--Sage Aurelia Bristow
President and CEO of BristowTechnologies--dedicated to taking technology to greater heights.
Her eyes grew large as she continued reading. "Holy crap. She's *loaded*."
Ms. Bristow is currently overseeing branches in Metropolis, Japan, and London, with smaller setups on the eastern coastline. She is well known for her quick wit and generous spirit, something that has become a bit of a BristowTech trademark. With profits from each year, Ms. Bristow and her team select a location to build a haven for the helpless. These havens are completely free of charge for its tenants and are in place for no other reason than to help people get back on their feet. This year's location has not yet been disclosed, but we are confidant that it will be as successful as its predecessors have been.
Well, that at least explained why she was in Smallville. But not why she was staying with Lex.
BristowTech is run mainly on its own profits but was started as an offshoot of WayneEnterprises.
"Hmm."
Chloe sensed a story was at hand. She went to a site she used often of press photos and did a search on Sage Bristow. Over 2000 results turned up. She added 'Wayne' into the search box.
Two results.
Both images showed Bruce Wayne and Sage. One was a shot of them dancing at some charity event. Her hair was slightly darker and she looked very young. The second was a shot of him standing next to her as she cut the red ribbon at the building opening.
Now she could be reading *way* too much into this, but it looked like there was--or at least had been--something between them.
As a rule, she tended to stay away from personal interviews. These days, she was pretty much bombarded with Wall of Weird material, but it had been a slow week, and if the woman had managed to snag Lex's attention and had some sort of dealings with the second most eligible bachelor in the country- -that alone made her interesting.
She clicked on another link and got to work.
* * *
Somehow, she'd made it out of the chat with Lionel alive. It was naïve of her to think, but she just didn't get the evil vibe from him. Maybe it was because he was blind. Sage didn't know, but she almost always trusted her instincts and they were telling her he was just a sad old man with a fear of aging and losing power. Really, it was understandable when you thought about it, because the man had spent more than half his life building up to where he was now, and to abruptly lose it because he'd been in an accident that left him blind. . . frankly, she'd be pissed at everyone else who tried to coddle her, too.
Lionel knew her mother before she'd married her father, and they had, apparently, been friends. Lillian had been involved with many charities before Lex was born. She'd met her mother on one of these events--Aurelia had been at a show to raise money for a charity--that just so happened to belong to the new Mrs. Luthor. She'd run out of the dressing room because her zipper hadn't been working, presented her back to Lillian and they'd been friends ever since.
After the show, she was introduced to Lionel, and the three-some became a close knit-group. Two months later, she met Joseph Bristow; they'd dated, and were married. It was surprising to note that the Luthors were not present at the wedding, but were at her funeral.
The telling of the story had tired Lionel out more than he cared to admit and Sage was ready for some time to absorb what she learned in peace. They'd left the room together and parted ways at the hallway, going to their respective rooms.
Now, she was getting ready for bed and looking forward to taking a nice, long bath. But it was becoming obvious, as she frantically tore through her suitcases, that she'd forgotten one of the most essential things to ensuring a good night's sleep.
"Dammit."
* * *
It figured that neither Quincy nor Louis was lurking the halls at the ripe hour of 8 PM. Which meant she would, once again, have to go to see Lex personally.
She knocked on his door. Once again, the muffled, "Come in," granted her entrance.
When he didn't look up from the papers he was reading, she realized she was going to have to walk over and insert herself into his line of vision. He still didn't look up.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat.
Lex finally looked up, smirking. "Sage. What can I do for you?"
He'd known she was there the whole time. Jerk. "I don't have any pajamas."
"What happened to the pajamas you wore last night?"
She looked away and replied with as much dignity as possible, "I didn't wear any pajamas last night."
Lex immediately slammed his eyes closed as unwanted images regarding the woman in front of him flew into his head. When he was certain it was safe, she was looking at him with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Hey. You asked."
"I did," he conceded, as he walked over to dresser. He tossed her a pile of green silk. "That should work."
Sage smiled. "Thanks, Lex."
Once the door had closed he leaned his head against the bedpost and groaned. "Any time, Sage. Any time."
* * *
The room was pitch black when Sage woke out of a deep slumber for no apparent reason. Groaning, she rolled and looked at the clock. '4:04.' The muted blue light did nothing for her condition as she resigned herself to getting out of bed and getting a belated midnight snack. It was the Luthor Manor. Surely they had *something* to eat. They were human, right? She stopped in her tracks quite suddenly. '*Right*?'
An intense craving for Oreos struck her and she slowly got up to open the door and pad down multiple hallways into the kitchen.
That room, too, was dark, but dimmed lights were soon found and she was scavenging the myriads of cabinets within seconds of walking in the door. After about the fifth cabinet, she hit pay dirt. 'Blue Oreos'. Her favorite.
She slid off the counter and grabbed a large glass, which she filled with milk from a walk-in refrigerator. Then, she grabbed the container of Oreos and popped two in her mouth, chewing contemplatively.
What kind of man was Lex Luthor? Was letting her stay the night just a plan to throw her off track? Why *was* he letting her stay anyway? And when was her car going to be fixed?
With a sigh, she finished her Oreos and downed her milk in one gulp. Now was not the time to be thinking of her temporary-landlord's brain. Blue Oreos or not, the man had a cruel streak in him. And while she wanted the deal to go through, and wanted a haven in Smallville, he was one person she did not want to piss off.
"Probably too late," she muttered, and hopped off the counter, heading out of the kitchen for her room.
When the door had closed quietly after her, a figure moved from behind a particularly tall set of cabinets.
"I don't know about that," Lex drawled, placing the glass that she had left behind in the sink. He reached for an Oreo and leaned back against the counter. Tomorrow would be interesting. For the first time in a long time, he found himself looking forward to their business together.
She intrigued him.
* * *
|| Author's notes: I had originally begun this story long before the Season 2 finale, certainly way before "Perry." So, for the sake of the story, let's just assume that Perry's washed-up, has-been phase is over, and he's currently in Metropolis. Where? Well, you'll just have to read the story to find that out, won't you?
* * *
They reached the manor safely, without further incident. Lex occasionally let his gaze drift away from the road and glanced at his passenger, knowing her mind had to be going a million miles a minute, trying to work out Chloe's earlier statement.
He pulled the car into the garage and turned to ask her if she wanted anything in particular for dinner that evening, but she was already gone. He saw the door to the house closing and wondered how she'd left the car so swiftly.
Leaving the thought for another day, Lex left the garage and headed for his office.
Unpredictable blondes with their insightful comments aside, he had work to do. And it wouldn't just disappear now that one had just appeared in his life.
* * *
She refused to think that the house--no, Mansion--was growing on her. It was big and dark, and. creepy. Well, so was Wayne Manor, for that matter. But at least it had Alfred. The Luthor estate most definitely did *not* have an Alfred.
Although ever since her bossy move with the doorman, she hadn't been able to look Quincy in the eye. Lex, of course, had noticed. And smirked in that annoying way of his.
But now, as she sat in a large wing-backed chair, her feet tucked under her, Sage decided that yes, it was in fact growing on her. It had some of the old world charm, and stateliness in every corner.
"My son told me you were in here. I hope I'm not interrupting."
She looked up slowly from her book. "Not at all. It's your house, too, you should be free to come and go as you please."
He used his cane and felt around, settling into a chair across from her. If not for the purple glasses he refused to take off, she would have had a hard time believing that he was blind at all.
"So. How do you find the country-folk of Smallville?"
She thought of Chloe and realized that she was a very special girl. Her other encounters had left her with a completely different impression. "Innocent."
Lionel laughed and it was a bit unsettling. "You are very much like her, you know."
She stiffened. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."
"Of course you do. I don't even need to close my eyes to pretend I'm speaking to her. It's as if her presence still lives on inside you."
So it was going to come back to this. He wanted to talk about her mother again. Just what was his fascination with her, anyway? She said as much and he laughed again.
"Sit down, Ms. Bristow." She realized somewhere during her tirade, she had stood up. And what was strange was that he'd known. Saying nothing, she ducked her head and sat back in the chair. "I will tell you what you want to know about your mother. And you won't leave this room until you know why you, in turn, fascinate me."
* * *
After seeing the blonde deal so successfully with Lex and drive away in his car, looking for all in the world as if she belonged there, Chloe resolved to find out everything she could about her. Because it wasn't every day that you saw Lex Luthor speechless and then laugh in the span of a day, much less five minutes' time.
Not wanting to go home and face Lana just yet, she'd headed to her second home; The Torch. On her way there, she thought of their current situation.
After Nell had announced her intentions to marry the decidedly smarmy guy Dean, Chloe had picked up on Lana's broadcast SOS and unexplainably offered her home up to the girl. Amazingly enough, it wasn't irritating her as much as she thought it would, though there were times--like these, when she had a story on her mind--that she couldn't go home to see Miss Cheerful right away.
Though it would be fun to gossip with her later.
Chloe hummed under her breath as she searched for information on the young woman. Now, she'd only given her first name: Sage. But she'd been with Lex. And there was a bit of an undercurrent between them. He wasn't the type to just show up one day with a woman no one had ever met before. She wondered if Clark knew about her.
Chloe dove for her phone and dialed. He answered. "Hey, it's me. Do you know the woman that was with Lex this morning in the Talon?"
::Oh, that's Sage.::
She waited for him to elaborate. He didn't. She screamed inwardly. "Clark, Sage who? Does she have a last name? How did she get there? Why is she in Smallville? Does Lex like her?"
::Whoa, calm down! I'll do the best I can, seeing as you just turned 'Reporter' on me. Sage's last name is Bristow. I think she drove here, but I'm not quite clear on why she's in Smallville. As for Lex. . . that I couldn't tell you.::
"Why? Do you guys have some sort of secret pact?"
::No. He just didn't tell me. And anyway, I've only met her once at the Manor last night. Other than that, I've got no idea who she is.::
She thanked him for his help and disconnected. Then she went back to her computer and opened up Google.
Sage Bristow. Why did Bristow sound so familiar? The search was over soon enough and she clicked on the first link at the top of the list.
--Sage Aurelia Bristow
President and CEO of BristowTechnologies--dedicated to taking technology to greater heights.
Her eyes grew large as she continued reading. "Holy crap. She's *loaded*."
Ms. Bristow is currently overseeing branches in Metropolis, Japan, and London, with smaller setups on the eastern coastline. She is well known for her quick wit and generous spirit, something that has become a bit of a BristowTech trademark. With profits from each year, Ms. Bristow and her team select a location to build a haven for the helpless. These havens are completely free of charge for its tenants and are in place for no other reason than to help people get back on their feet. This year's location has not yet been disclosed, but we are confidant that it will be as successful as its predecessors have been.
Well, that at least explained why she was in Smallville. But not why she was staying with Lex.
BristowTech is run mainly on its own profits but was started as an offshoot of WayneEnterprises.
"Hmm."
Chloe sensed a story was at hand. She went to a site she used often of press photos and did a search on Sage Bristow. Over 2000 results turned up. She added 'Wayne' into the search box.
Two results.
Both images showed Bruce Wayne and Sage. One was a shot of them dancing at some charity event. Her hair was slightly darker and she looked very young. The second was a shot of him standing next to her as she cut the red ribbon at the building opening.
Now she could be reading *way* too much into this, but it looked like there was--or at least had been--something between them.
As a rule, she tended to stay away from personal interviews. These days, she was pretty much bombarded with Wall of Weird material, but it had been a slow week, and if the woman had managed to snag Lex's attention and had some sort of dealings with the second most eligible bachelor in the country- -that alone made her interesting.
She clicked on another link and got to work.
* * *
Somehow, she'd made it out of the chat with Lionel alive. It was naïve of her to think, but she just didn't get the evil vibe from him. Maybe it was because he was blind. Sage didn't know, but she almost always trusted her instincts and they were telling her he was just a sad old man with a fear of aging and losing power. Really, it was understandable when you thought about it, because the man had spent more than half his life building up to where he was now, and to abruptly lose it because he'd been in an accident that left him blind. . . frankly, she'd be pissed at everyone else who tried to coddle her, too.
Lionel knew her mother before she'd married her father, and they had, apparently, been friends. Lillian had been involved with many charities before Lex was born. She'd met her mother on one of these events--Aurelia had been at a show to raise money for a charity--that just so happened to belong to the new Mrs. Luthor. She'd run out of the dressing room because her zipper hadn't been working, presented her back to Lillian and they'd been friends ever since.
After the show, she was introduced to Lionel, and the three-some became a close knit-group. Two months later, she met Joseph Bristow; they'd dated, and were married. It was surprising to note that the Luthors were not present at the wedding, but were at her funeral.
The telling of the story had tired Lionel out more than he cared to admit and Sage was ready for some time to absorb what she learned in peace. They'd left the room together and parted ways at the hallway, going to their respective rooms.
Now, she was getting ready for bed and looking forward to taking a nice, long bath. But it was becoming obvious, as she frantically tore through her suitcases, that she'd forgotten one of the most essential things to ensuring a good night's sleep.
"Dammit."
* * *
It figured that neither Quincy nor Louis was lurking the halls at the ripe hour of 8 PM. Which meant she would, once again, have to go to see Lex personally.
She knocked on his door. Once again, the muffled, "Come in," granted her entrance.
When he didn't look up from the papers he was reading, she realized she was going to have to walk over and insert herself into his line of vision. He still didn't look up.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat.
Lex finally looked up, smirking. "Sage. What can I do for you?"
He'd known she was there the whole time. Jerk. "I don't have any pajamas."
"What happened to the pajamas you wore last night?"
She looked away and replied with as much dignity as possible, "I didn't wear any pajamas last night."
Lex immediately slammed his eyes closed as unwanted images regarding the woman in front of him flew into his head. When he was certain it was safe, she was looking at him with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Hey. You asked."
"I did," he conceded, as he walked over to dresser. He tossed her a pile of green silk. "That should work."
Sage smiled. "Thanks, Lex."
Once the door had closed he leaned his head against the bedpost and groaned. "Any time, Sage. Any time."
* * *
The room was pitch black when Sage woke out of a deep slumber for no apparent reason. Groaning, she rolled and looked at the clock. '4:04.' The muted blue light did nothing for her condition as she resigned herself to getting out of bed and getting a belated midnight snack. It was the Luthor Manor. Surely they had *something* to eat. They were human, right? She stopped in her tracks quite suddenly. '*Right*?'
An intense craving for Oreos struck her and she slowly got up to open the door and pad down multiple hallways into the kitchen.
That room, too, was dark, but dimmed lights were soon found and she was scavenging the myriads of cabinets within seconds of walking in the door. After about the fifth cabinet, she hit pay dirt. 'Blue Oreos'. Her favorite.
She slid off the counter and grabbed a large glass, which she filled with milk from a walk-in refrigerator. Then, she grabbed the container of Oreos and popped two in her mouth, chewing contemplatively.
What kind of man was Lex Luthor? Was letting her stay the night just a plan to throw her off track? Why *was* he letting her stay anyway? And when was her car going to be fixed?
With a sigh, she finished her Oreos and downed her milk in one gulp. Now was not the time to be thinking of her temporary-landlord's brain. Blue Oreos or not, the man had a cruel streak in him. And while she wanted the deal to go through, and wanted a haven in Smallville, he was one person she did not want to piss off.
"Probably too late," she muttered, and hopped off the counter, heading out of the kitchen for her room.
When the door had closed quietly after her, a figure moved from behind a particularly tall set of cabinets.
"I don't know about that," Lex drawled, placing the glass that she had left behind in the sink. He reached for an Oreo and leaned back against the counter. Tomorrow would be interesting. For the first time in a long time, he found himself looking forward to their business together.
She intrigued him.
* * *