Alternate Chapter I, a smallville fanfic

"Alternate"

Author's Note: This is an AU story, the premise being that Lionel did move into the mansion after the meteor shower and Lex doesn't get kicked out of university. Some things are different from the show; some things are the same. Enjoy and don't forget to read and review! I adore reviews. No flames, please.

The moon shown brightly, sneaking up upon the gloaming, racing ever upward as the orange sun set upon sleepy Smallville, Kansas. Passing the rows of cornfields as he sped ever nearer to Luthor Manor, Lex Luthor watched the crows scatter before him in fear as he came toward them. Smallville was lacking in neither crows nor corn—or meteors.

Smallville, once dubbed "Cream Corn Capital of the World", was now known as the "Meteor Capital of the World", having been the host to the largest and most devastating meteor shower in recent history. There wasn't one person in Smallville who hadn't been scarred by the meteor shower. Even Lex had a battle wound, so to speak.

For the past four years, he had been studying at Met U in Metropolis, majoring in business. Now, it was time for him to come home, to work for his father, since there was no way in hell any respectable businessman or woman would hire the son of Lionel Luthor, the most ruthless, cut-throat, and sadistic CEO in memory.

"Welcome home, son," the cut-throat CEO said pseudo-brightly to his heir. There was no hug. Luthors rarely hugged and if they did, there was an ulterior motive behind it, usually involving stabbing and a back.

Lex looked around the sitting room, noting that a buffet was being set up and a string quartet was practicing in the corner.

"What's the meaning of this?" Lex said, picking up some escargot off of the tray of a passing waitress. He flicked the offending morsel behind him and looked questioningly at Lionel, who, most likely, was only half listening.

"It's your welcome home party, Lex."

Lex let out a jaded laugh and looked pityingly at his father. "Your facade of fatherly affection is almost amusing, Dad, but since when have you ever cared if I came home or not?"

Lionel stared at him for a moment. If the man before him was not Lex Luthor, that man might've cracked, but Lex Luthor was not one to be so easily intimidated. "This is an important night for me, Lex. Don't screw it up."

"I would never dream of it."

Lionel didn't catch that cheeky reply, as his cell phone rang and he was engaged in a loud conversation with one of his inner circle. Lionel Luthor did not have friends, no, Lionel Luthor had alliances. Lionel was on the phone with an ally.

And so, Lex was condemned to heading upstairs and putting on a tux for a party he really didn't want to be at. He was not a stranger to such a concept, however, as it had been a major theme of the last twenty or so years of his life. He studied himself in the mirror just as he was about to leave his room for the party and decidedly, he looked good in his tuxedo.

Downstairs, the room was filled by glittering people. The ladies' diamonds seemed to coruscate off of the numerous crystal chandeliers and candelabra . These glittering people were floating by, dancing to the string quartet who were playing a delicate and fitting piece for the occasion.

The men talked of politics and decorum and the ladies talked of how exquisite the evening was thus far and how delighted they were to be there; occasionally they complimented Lex on his tux and he was often waylaid by them.

Lex found this pretense of society intolerable. Often, his hand went uncontrollably to his collar, feeling as though he were choking, as he was accosted to regale someone with Chopin. Finally, he had all that he could take and he stalked off to the coat room, where he often found solace on nights like that.

The coat room happened to be a spare bedroom (there were many in the home) on the first floor. It was the room used most often has the coat room, for the fact that it was nearest the sitting room and the foyer.

Glancing from side to side, making sure that no one was watching, Lex quietly opened the creaky old door, slide inside, and shut it just as quietly as it was opened. He sighed, and leaned back on the door, feeling greatly relieved to be out of that social nightmare.

His eyes shot open.

Amongst the hundreds of coats and furs, sitting on the bed, there was a girl wearing a silver evening gown with a delicate sequin detail. She looked like a dream thing more than a real thing, ethereal almost, for so pretty she was. Her raven hair was put up, but there were loose strands falling from it ever so delicately. She was the personification of beauty.

How could he not have noticed her sooner?

"Who are you?" he asked in wonder.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here," she apologized and she rose to her knees, trying to maneuver herself off of the bed, though it proved difficult with all of the frippery, combined with the fact that she was trapped within a see of outerwear.

"No, you can stay...if you tell me your name," he said easily, giving her a small smile.

"Lana Lang," she replied with a smile. "Nell Potter's niece...the pool incident...ring any bells?"

Lex looked down and for the first time in a long time, he was embarrassed. "That was—

"Nearly seven years ago."

"I was going to say embarrassing," he went on. "And that would make you how old now?"

"I'm seventeen come Sunday," was her reply. She was studying him in a most intelligent manner, in a distinctly feminine manner. "You may sit, if you like."

"Inviting me to sit in my own home, huh?" he laughed.

"Well, I am a rebel," she told him. He took her up on her offer and sat at the foot of the bed. It was a king size bed and her dress was covering up much of it. "Speaking of rebels, no one ever thought you'd return here."

"People've been talking about me?"

She smiled, "you're the talk of the town, Lex."

"Well, every rebel has got to settle down at some point. What better way to kill my spirit than work with my father?" he asked, "and, if things don't work out, I can always be on the redeye to Paris."

"I've always wanted to go to Paris."

"I'll buy you a ticket if you go back to the party and get me a scotch."

"I'm not going back in there," she shook her head. "Nell is parading me like a show dog. She almost made me wear my homecoming queen tiara."

Lex studied her, "I could picture you as a queen."

"Don't say that so seriously," she said, her cheeks glowing red hot.

"It's hard not to."

She turned away and became highly fascinated by an old fashioned mink stole.

"By the end of this night, I foresee that we shall become better acquainted than any two people in this house."

She looked him in the eye and said plainly, "I'm not opposed to that."

He leaned towards her, so that he was very near, his face nary an inch from her's. Lana turned her cheek to him and, if it were possible, her cheeks glowed even pinker. "Um, I didn't think this was how we would be getting acquainted."

"Relax," he said, reaching across her and opening the drawer of the night stand. He pulled out a deck of cards and said, "know how to play gin?"

A small smile played on his lips as he dealt the cards. Lana Lang was, to say the least, very refreshing.

Through the night they played cards and became better acquainted. Lex found Lana to be the most agreeable person he'd ever spoken with before. Just speaking for only a few hours, he felt as though he could tell her anything. What was worse was: he knew he could tell her anything.

Around midnight, they ceased to play cards and only talked.

Lana was smiling at him serenely, leaning her chin on her hand, feeling as though she could chat all night. She asked him, "how long have we been talking?"

Lex looked at his watch. "Nearly four hours."

"So, it's nearly twelve?" Lana asked, her eyes wide. She rose up on her knees and began gathering her dress for easier maneuvering.

"Don't tell me you turn into a pumpkin at midnight," Lex laughed as he watched her get off of the bed, dropping the skirt of her gown as she did so, so that it fell to the floor elegantly. She looked angelic.

"School tomorrow," Lana said, rolling her eyes. It amazed him how she could be so gorgeous and so down to earth all at once. He'd never met anyone like her. "Nell's probably looking for me frantically...probably sent out a search party."

She smiled, opened the door, and walked out into the sitting room where the party was still going on. Lex followed her and, sure enough, Lana's aunt was scanning the room and talking very passionately to Lionel. Lex distinctly heard her say, "I swear, Luthor, if your son has taken my niece..."

He couldn't hear the rest due to the quartet picking up their song once more, but that little phrase alone was enough to amuse him.

"Here I am," Lana announced to Nell and Lionel, who looked annoyed.

"Lana, where did you run off to? I was worried. Why is your hair falling down?" Nell asked several questions, having a fit. Lana seemed to brush them off, though she didn't say anything. She simply gave Lex a knowing smile.

Her aunt began to usher her away from the Luthor men and as Lana and Nell was retreating, Lex called to Lana, "we'll have to do this again some time, except with out the coat room."

"I'd like that," she told him, turning around and walking backward a moment, flashing her winning smile. Then her aunt grabbed her elbow, turning her back around to walk properly once more, and the butler fetched them their coats. Then they were gone and Lex decided that he might as well retire for the evening, knowing that nothing else that night could compare to the girl he'd hung out with in the coat room.