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Chapter Text

Peyton did not usually dream. Her sleep was usually peaceful and quiet; nothingness. So, when she went to bed that night she expected just that, nothing. But it felt like just when she was drifting off she was once again wide awake. Looking around, she tried to place where she was. She was in a busy city in the middle of the day, everything seemed so big and it was loud. Her breath caught in her lungs and she stopped moving. She had been walking? A tug pulled at her hand and she looked up to see a person pause above her. She wasn't that short, was she?

"Come on, Peyton, we don't have all day."

"What?"

The woman sighed. Her heels made her even taller than she already was and Peyton didn't even come above her black pencil skirt.

"I don't have time for your daydreaming right now. We have to go, hun."

Peyton continued out of shock, her hand clasped in the mystery woman's, and she craned her head to try and find any clue of where she was. They were marching down a busy district strip and Peyton peered into the reflective glass to try and figure out why she was so short and in the care of an amazon woman. Her eyes met her own and she screamed.

She was a child. Her eyes and head where a bit larger in proportion to her body, her fingers stubby, and her hair was in a high pony with a large bow. She was a child.

"What? What's wrong, Peyton? What's gotten into you?"

Peyton stared up at the woman with wide eyes and tried to think. How could this happen? Where was she? Who was this woman?

"I-I..."

The woman was giving her an exasperated look that a child might not have picked up on. Peyton tested a theory.

"...Mom?"

"Yes, dear."

Oh gosh. Peyton's hands suddenly felt clammy and she wondered if the woman would notice it too. This was not right, nothing about this was-

Oh. Oh.

This was a dream! Peyton suddenly felt her muscles relax and she let the breath she'd been keeping. Of course! She'd just gone to bed before this. What a relief! Though, of all the dreams she could remember having this was for sure the strangest.

A smile broke out on her small face. Her teeth felt short and round.

"Never mind!"

The woman rolled her eyes and sighed deep in her throat then continued to pull her along.

"Come on then. You're going to make me late."

Peyton tried to enjoy her dream. She really did. But it was the most boring dream. Everything was in real time, it seemed, and nothing weird or exciting was happening. She couldn't even will anything to happen and it was her dream!

The woman instead led her to a massive building with a name at the top that Peyton couldn't quite make out. Wherever they were, it seemed as if the woman was there often since many people knew her. The receptionist greeted her, the elevator operator seemed to recognize her, and when they got to their destined floor, the people there nodded in acknowledgement. Peyton was just going to assume that the woman worked there until something proved her wrong. Quickly enough they reached a door that the woman pushed her through and then went to leave again.

"You remember what we talked about, don't you," the woman said. "You be good and I'll be right back, okay? Stay in here." And then she was gone.

Peyton scowled. This was the worst dream ever! She was a child, it was dull, and now she had been dropped off at some businesswoman's version of daycare? No way. She was out of here. Maybe she'd test out if she could fly or something. She walked back over to the door and reached up on her tip toes to try and reach the handle.

"What are you doing?"

Peyton jumped at the new voice and whirled around. There was a boy in the room with her. He looked down at her by the door in disapproval from his seat in one of the office chairs.

"Your mom just told you to stay here," he said.

Peyton was not going to be bossed around by a little redhead boy that was barely older than her dream self.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to stay here," she said. "It's dull."

The little boy raised an eyebrow at her in a move that seemed older than his years.

"Well, you have to," he said. "You're too little to go out by yourself."

Peyton laughed and it came out high pitched and giggly, she stopped abruptly.

"Oh, believe me, I'm really not."

She turned back around to try opening the door again when his voice drifted over to her.

"If you're bored, you could...you could play with me."

It caused her to freeze. The voice, dream or not, sounded too...sad. It sounded like a lonely little boy, and she realized that whatever fake latch-key kid life she'd dreamed up, this boy had it too. But he was a dream! He wasn't real! She would not turn around and waste a rare dream with entertaining a little boy.

"But you don't have to."

She turned around. His face was turned away from her and focused on some superhero action figure he had. Peyton felt her heart break a little for this dream kid and shook her head. Letting out a quiet moan, she trudged over to the large meeting table and did her best to climb into a chair.

"I'll play with you, kid," she said. "Don't be so sad."

The little boy looked up eagerly and grinned at her.

"Really? Awesome!"

Peyton smiled softly and held out her hand.

"My name is Peyton," she said. "Peyton Woods."

The boy put his hand in hers and they shook.

"Lex Luthor."

"Okay then, Lex. What are we playing?"

Lex waved his action figure at her and looked elated.

"We can play Warrior Angel! I can be Warrior Angel and you can be the person he has to save."

Peyton had babysat a lot throughout high school and was prepared for this.

"Sure. Who kidnapped me?"

Lex rolled his eyes a bit.

"Devilicus. His arch nemesis."

Peyton used crawling on top of the table to distract herself from laughing at the young boy's indigence. Once on top the table she sat and crossed her short legs and did her best to appear terrified.

"Help! Help! I've been kidnapped by Devilicious!"

"Devil-ICUS!"

"Help me, Warrior Angel!"

Lex hopped out of his chair, tied his suit coat around his neck, and stood very majestically.

"I'm on my way!"

And so, Peyton spent the majority of her time in the room playing various games with Lex where he was the superhero, and her the damsel in distress. Usually she would protest at always being a victim, but it was a dream and the kid seemed like he needed to feel heroic about something.

Speaking of dreams, this one was lasting way too long. Not that she had a lot of experience with having dreams, but this was ridiculous. They'd been in the meeting room for an hour now and she'd felt every minute of it. An uneasy feeling was seeping into her stomach. Of the dreams she could remember, she couldn't recall ever having such clarity or sensory. She tried pinching herself, but didn't wake up.

Lex was back to sitting in a swivel office chair and spinning it around with his tiny legs. They were taking a break from running around the room, but Lex seemed to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about," Peyton asked just to distract herself. She couldn't consider the possibility of this being real.

Lex seemed only slightly hesitant to answer. He moved the limbs of his Warrior Angel doll back and forth for a bit without answering.

"I was thinking that maybe, um, maybe, if you had fun with me, we could be...friends."

Peyton felt her heart break a little bit.

"You want to be friends with me?"

Lex nodded.

"Yeah. You're nice."

Could she really dream up something so sad as his little rejected voice? Why would she torture herself like that? She gave him as encouraging of a smile as she could in this tiny body.

"I'd love to be your friend," she said.

Lex looked up at her and beamed. It was worth an hour of playing superhero with an eight year old just to see that happy face.

"Cool!"

The door to the room suddenly opened and the woman who was supposed to be her mother and another man stood outside it.

"Come on, Peyton. Time to leave. Let's go."

But she was distracted by Lex's change in demeanor. The smiling face he wore was suddenly replaced with a solemn mask and his eyes were guarded.

"Lex."

He got out of his chair quietly at the man's one word and slowly made his way for the door.

"Is that your dad," Peyton asked. She figured it must be, but why would he seem so afraid of the man? She didn't want to think why he might be.

"Yes."

"Peyton, come on dear. Time to go."

She climbed down out of the chair and joined the group at the door. It ate at her to think that this little boy would be leaving with a father he obviously feared.

"Hey," she said. "I had a lot of fun playing with you, Lex. I can't wait to be best friends."

The smile he gave her was enough to quiet any questions she had about why she felt the need to speak out for a dream kid.

"Bye," was all he said back.

When she grasped the offered hand of her dream mom, she noticed a certain glint in the woman's eyes.

"So," the lady said. "Did you have fun with Lex, then?"

Peyton eyed the woman suspiciously, but nodded.

"Yeah. I did."

"Good. That's good, hun."

They were already back outside the building and Peyton was beginning to wonder if this dream would ever end. This wasn't normal. It was too consistent. Too real.

And then she blinked and she was in her bed.

Peyton jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror hanging on the back of her door. Her hands reached up to feel her face and ran down her body.

She was herself again. She was twenty-four, and a woman with breasts, and she was home.

Thank the lord. It was just a dream. But the word felt sour when she thought it. Whatever had just happened wasn't normal. It couldn't have been. She remembered everything that had occurred with a startling clarity. The clock on her nightstand read 1:30pm and she gasped. It may have been the weekend, but she never slept in that late! She was a morning person if there ever was one.

Throwing on some clothes, she burst out of her room and into the kitchen where her roommate sat at the table.

"Clara, why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Clara looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was your personal alarm clock."

Peyton sighed and joined her at the table. Her fingertips wove into her hair as she tried to settle down.

"I'm sorry, Clar. I just had a really weird dream and slept in so late. I'm having a weird day and I just woke up."

Clara shrugged off her apology and went back to her book.

"I just thought you were sick or something. What kind of dream? You told me you never have any."

"Ugh. You don't want to know. Believe me."

Getting back up she moved into the kitchen to fix herself something to eat. She was starving. Clara was already back into the world of her book and had probably forgotten their conversation. It was just her way. Clara and her had been friends for awhile and they'd grown accustomed to each other's habits. Peyton considered her the sister that she'd never had.

After making herself a sandwich, she sat back down and glanced in amusement at Clara. She was seriously involved in some story. Peyton tipped the book up to read the cover and grinned when she saw what it was.

The Hobbit, she thought. Again.

But she didn't sit for long, seeing as how she'd wasted half of her day. With her teeth quickly brushed and hair pulled up, without a bow, she left the small apartment and head out into the street. There were errands she needed to run before the weekend was over.

That night she didn't dream, as usual. And she was relieved. Mostly. Part of her was curious about the little dream boy, Lex, and what she possibly could have eaten before bed to imagine him up.

But it didn't matter. Hopefully the crazy long dream was a one time thing. Most likely it was. Definitely.

The next day went by quickly and it was already evening with work looming on the horizon. All Peyton could think about was the coming work day and what it would entail. There was sure to be loads of filing to get done. The firm she worked for had just bought out another company and was busy making the transition of employees and clients. Peyton just couldn't wait to get to work and face everyone's shining attitudes.

Right before bed, she set her alarm and turned up the volume a bit just in case. She was getting to bed at a decent time for once and shut her eyes, ready for some rest.

She opened them up again in a different room.

"Criminy."

She found herself in some sort of posh room. There was wood paneling everywhere and an ornate fireplace on one wall. Peyton noticed, once again, that everything seemed larger than it should have and ran over to check in a mirror. Yes, a child once again. She only looked marginally older than the last time. She was missing one front tooth. Rubbing her hands over her face, she tried to collect herself. Not again! Peyton noticed she was wearing what looked like a school uniform and decided she was not going to cooperate with the dream this time. She was going to take control.

"I'm an adult," she said. She tried to will herself older. "I am a grown woman!"

"Peyton?"

Another small girl was standing in the doorway and looking at her oddly; she was probably the same age and wearing the same outfit.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing. What is it?"

The girl seemed to quickly shake off whatever she'd seen at the idea of sharing some tidbit of information. Her face lit up and she whispered conspiratorially.

"Haven't you heard? Alexander Luthor is back!"

Peyton furrowed her brow before she finally realized who the girl was talking about.

"Do you mean Lex?"

"Yes," the girl said. "And guess what!"

Peyton did not know and told the girl quite frankly. She really didn't have time to waste on something as stupid as gossip. She was still starting to get the dreading suspicion that maybe this wasn't a dream after all. Or maybe she was losing it. But she had no way to test out either hypothesis.

"Well, he's bald!"

Peyton was not impressed. She scowled at the other girl and remembered why she wasn't so fond of spoiled children.

"So what. He got a different haircut."

"No!" The girl protested as if she just didn't have all the relevant information. "He was in an accident with space rocks. Um, meteorites! Now his hair won't grow. Everyone says he's a freak."

"Excuse me?" Peyton took several steps towards the girl that almost had her skittering off. "Is he okay? A little boy gets into an accident and all you can talk about is him having no hair? Where is he now, you little brat?"

The girl looked shocked from her outburst. Her body language had slumped and she glared at Peyton with a certain loathing.

"Why are you talking weird," she asked. "Lex is older than you."

"Where is he?"

The little girl turned up her nose as if she wasn't going to answer, but another menacing step forward from Peyton had her relenting.

"He's probably in his room. He stays there a lot because-"

"Take me there."

At the girl's appalled face and refusal, because it was the boy's side, Peyton assured the girl that she didn't care and would take the blame if they were caught. It didn't really matter to her.

So she followed the girl out of the fireplace room and down a hall towards some stairs. The girl had decided not to speak with her anymore, apparently. Peyton was relieved.

"This one."

The girl gave a pouty gesture at the door and immediately turned back to leave.

"But just so you know," she said.

Peyton waited expectantly for her final words.

"What?"

"I'm not sure we can be friends anymore."

Peyton grinned.

"Well, good. Because I know I'd never want to be friends with a person who is mean to others for no reason."

The girl gasped in shock and Peyton watched gleefully as she ran down the hallway. This maybe-dream was definitely more interesting so far than the last. Turning back to the door she considered it thoughtfully. It was ornate and wooden with a sturdy handle. When she rapped her knuckles against it lightly it did not sound hollow. This whole place screamed money.

"Go away."

It was Lex, she had no doubt. That sad, rejected voice was back and she felt deflated from her confrontation with the little girl.

"Hey. It's me, Peyton. I heard you were back."

"Peyton?"

"Yeah. Can you open the door?"

It was silent on the other side of the door for a bit.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because when you see me, you won't want to be friends anymore."

Peyton's considerably younger forehead rested against the door and she let out a breath.

"That's a silly idea and you know it, Lex. You could look like Devilicious himself and I'd still be your friend."

It was quiet, and then the door swung open and Peyton had to catch herself from falling in the room.

"It's Devil-ICUS. Why can you never get that right?"

And he was bald. Entirely. As if he shaved diligently every day. But he was still a young boy. One that had lived through something probably terrifying, and there was no reason for any of these kids to tease him for it.

Peyton gave him a lopsided grin.

"I don't know. Why can't you get that you're stuck with me as a friend forever?"

Lex just studied her face for a moment, as if he could find the truth written there, and Peyton watched as his posture finally relaxed. He lifted one brow and looked once again too mature for his age.

"You're weird," he said.

"And at your service." Peyton did a little bow and courtly hand wave before straightening and grinning. "So, what do you want to do today?"

She didn't have time to worry about this not being a dream. At least, not while she was entertaining a lonely little boy. They played knights and cops and Indiana Jones, and Peyton even made sure to be heroic once in while this time. Lex seemed to drink it all up like a dehydrated survivor. It made Peyton really wonder if he had any other friends his age. She didn't think she really counted.

They were once again in a lull, with Peyton resting against the bed board, when she got up the courage to ask.

"Hey Lex."

The boy looked up at her from the book he'd procured.

"Who do you play with when I'm not around?"

He seemed puzzled by the question and held his book tighter.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she started, "I've been gone a long time. Who do you play with when I'm gone?"

"You haven't been gone, it's school time," he said. "I have. And..." He blushed slightly and looked away from her. "And no one really likes to play with me but you."

Peyton felt her stomach rush down.

"Lex, we've only played that one other time. When we met in the office building. Are you telling me you haven't had any friends since then?"

This time he looked down at her not with sadness, but true confusion.

"What are you talking about? We see each other all the time. We both go to school here."

Peyton felt her skin run cold. Her maybe-dream was becoming too involved. She was not eight years old! She was a grown woman living with a roommate with a semi-fulfilling job. She had to test this-this maybe-dream. There had to be a way to know. How long had she even been here? Two hours?

"You're right, you're right," she said. "Just making sure you won't forget me."

"Never," he said. And Peyton somehow knew he really meant it.

But she didn't dwell long on it, because the way her heart was suddenly beating so fast had her distracted and short of breath. Her tiny, stubby fingers curled in and out of her fist. There had to be a way to know!

And then she spotted a tiny figurine on Lex's desk. It was a roman soldier, standing at the ready with sword drawn and shield up. She had an idea.

Crossing over to the desk, she began to rummage around his things. Some paper, letters, a book, more figurines.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Do you have a letter opener? Or a pin, or something?" She didn't look up from her blatant disregard for personal privacy. He was a kid. They didn't know about it.

"Um, in the drawer..."

She quickly pulled open the drawer and saw the letter opener lying on top and let out a little snort. What kind of pretentious private school even let children keep letter openers? They could do something stupid, like cut themselves.

In one quick motion, Peyton ran the letter opener across the flesh at the base of her thumb and watched the blood well up. It stung.

It stung and she was bleeding and she wasn't waking up.

Lex flew off of his bed and snatched the letter opener from her hands.

"What are you doing? Are you stupid? Why would you do that?"

And when she looked up at the boy, she could see behind his first layer of anger, there was a fearful concern.

"Listen," she explained. "I promise I wasn't trying to hurt myself. I just have to know something."

"Know what," he demanded.

Peyton tried to think of an explanation, but was coming up short. He wouldn't believe anything she told him.

"I just have to know if all this is...real. Maybe I'll explain someday."

And he looked angry at her. His small fist was curled around the handle of the letter opener and his fierce gaze was too intimidating for someone of his age. Peyton actually shifted on her feet a bit.

"My father says people who hurt themselves are weak," he said. "He says they might as well finish the job because if they can't handle living, then maybe they shouldn't."

Peyton bristled at his tone and words. What kind of father did this kid have?

"You listen and you listen close, Lex. Your father is wrong. People like that need help. They need to know that someone cares about them. What they're doing is wrong, yes, but that doesn't mean we abandon them. We love them, because that's what makes us human. And that wasn't what I was doing. I just... You wouldn't understand, okay? Just know that I would never do that."

Lex was leaning a bit away from her; his grip on the letter opener was slack. Peyton maintained eye contact as his gaze traveled all over her face again.

"Tell me," he said. "Tell me your secret. You can trust me. I promise."

Peyton deflated a bit more.

"It's, it's not a secret, per say."

She blinked. Her ceiling greeted her.

Her alarm was going off, loud and shrill. Peyton slammed the off switch and noted that it had been going off for about ten minutes. She rubbed her hand over her face and kneaded her forehead. Her palm came down too firmly and she flinched. Pulling down her hand she inspected her palm and sucked in a breath through her teeth.

There was a thin, shallow cut beneath her thumb. A tiny bit of blood had dried around the edges.

One breath, two, it wasn't enough. It was like her lungs couldn't hold enough. It was cold in her room, in her body. Her hands were trembling.

"Clar-"

It was hard to speak. The words were getting stuck in her swelling throat.

"Clara!"

She could hear her friend thump around the living room and then her footsteps as she rushed down the hall. The closer the footsteps got to her bedroom, the faster her heart beat. By the time the doorknob was turning, she was gasping for air.

"Peyton? Peyton!"

Her friend rushed over and tried to help support her sitting up. Her friends hands felt so hot through her pajamas.

"Peyton. You need to calm down, okay? Deep breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth, can you do that for me?"

Peyton nodded as she tried to follow her friends instructions. Eventually, focusing on breathing worked and Clara backed up to give her some space. Peyton looked up at her friend and swallowed. She hadn't even been awake for half an hour and already she felt exhausted.

"What just happened?"

Clara went back to rubbing circles on her back.

"I think you just had a panic attack. You ever have that before?"

Peyton shook her head no. One more shuddering breath and her stomach felt normal again.

"Do you know what might have caused it? I mean, you just woke up."

She couldn't help but glance at her palm and wonder if she should admit she was going crazy. But Clara, as much of a sister as she was, wouldn't believe her. It would just worry her, and she already dealt with enough with working the night shift at the hospital.

"I don't know," she said. "It might just be stress from work piling up. Maybe I'll just take today off."

Clara nodded and got up.

"That might be a good idea. You could use a day off. I'm just going to head to bed. If you need me again, just call. You know I'm a light sleeper."

Peyton was not planning on waking Clara up for anything, but nodded to appease her anyway. It was usually easier to just pretend that you agreed with whatever she said when you lived with her.

After Clara left, Peyton made quick work of calling in sick, despite the heavy sighs of inconvenience coming from the other end of the phone. They could survive without her for one day, she was sure. And really, if she went in in her state, she wouldn't be much use. She couldn't stop staring at the cut under her thumb. There was a cut. It hadn't been there when she fell asleep. It was there when she woke up.

Sitting on the couch in her living room, she stared at the puckered skin.

"I cut myself in a dream."

But it couldn't be just a dream then, could it. She tried to convince herself that it was a coincidence and maybe she'd just cut herself on something in her sleep. But she was usually a light sleeper in the mornings. And she'd made the conscience decision to cut herself; she had felt the sting.

Peyton studied the living room, examined all of her belongings sitting out, felt the cotton of the couch beneath her.

"This is real," she said to herself. "So, so what's going on?"

She grew up here. She spent her time here. In this world. Cold flutters threatened to overtake her stomach again.

And yet. Yet, everything was just as clear, just as firm and tactile, in the dream world. She could still remember every moment and emotion with startling clarity. How could that be real too? It couldn't. Peyton shook her head and rubbed at her scalp. She needed help. Maybe she did need to see someone.

Even though it was still early, she couldn't go back to sleep so she puttered around the house getting ready for the day. After she'd gotten dressed, she sat down with breakfast and her laptop to do some research. If Clara ever looked through the browser history and wondered about the odd searches about dreams, she'd just tell her friend it was for novel research.

She tried looking up the name Alexander Luthor as well, but nothing close to the little boy or his sketchy dad popped up. Not that she really expected anything. The only conclusion she came to was that she wasn't going to be drinking apple juice before bed. She didn't need dreams anymore vivid than what she'd already been experiencing.

So all her research basically amounted to...absolutely nothing. Peyton sighed and sat back in her chair. Once again she ran a hand through her hair.

Maybe some tangible sources would be of more help. Like the library or a mental health clinic. Determined now, she got up and grabbed her keys and purse before shuffling outside. Library first. Then she'd see about a shrink. She didn't think she could handle any more of these dreams. What if they lasted longer and longer? What if she was hurt in them? What if...they ended up not being dreams? Another deep, shaky breath shuddered into her lungs and she shook off the tremulous thoughts. No time for that now.

The library had little to offer her in the way of new information. It was the first time the place had ever let her down, even if it wasn't technically at fault. Sure there were scores of books on dreams and interpretations, lucid dreaming, hallucinations, and schizophrenia, but nothing really matched up with what she was facing. It was maddening. Peyton closed a thick hardback book on the study of out of body experiences and sat back in her chair with a huff. It was noon now. Noon and she was no closer to an answer other than...than maybe it wasn't a dream.

She didn't like that answer.

It didn't make sense. It didn't fit. The world was built on logic, reason, and the laws of physics. This ripped apart all those beliefs. It wasn't right.

Deciding to take a break, she left for a nearby cafe to recoup and silence her barking stomach.

She sat alone at a table and sipped at the largest sized caffeinated drink the shop had. Hot and bitter, it rolled down her throat and sent a warmth up through her stomach. She let the aftertaste sit on her tongue in between sips. No matter how hard she tried, she could not shake the little red-headed boy from her mind. He'd burned himself there, it seemed. Even if it ended up being a dream all along, Peyton wasn't sure she'd be free of his despondent face. The thought of him sad made her heart ache. She'd always had a soft spot for children in need, and despite his father's obvious wealth, Lex seemed to be in more need than some.

When she finally reached the dregs at the bottom of her cup and finished off her coffee cake, Peyton decided to head home and banish all the stray thoughts from her mind with some serious house cleaning. She might as well do something useful on her day off, after all.

Chapter Text

Peyton paced.

Her shared home was so clean that it sparkled and Clara had left for her shift a few hours prior. Peyton had to go back to work in the morning, but she was terrified of going to sleep. These not dreams were plaguing her and she didn't want to experience them anymore. Whatever they were, they couldn't be good and she really didn't need her consciousness wandering off to some other realm. Or whatever it was that was going on.

The cut on her hand was still a visible, pale pink and Peyton rubbed at it as she made another lap around the couch.

“Ok,” she muttered to herself. “I haven't had any apple juice today and got plenty of exercise cleaning, maybe I won't dream.”

Her pacing came to a halt as she gazed into the adjoining kitchen and spied the cabinet that held both hers and Clara's vitamins. Peyton frowned, her right leg bouncing in anxiety as she thought.

“Maybe a little NyQuil wouldn't hurt.”

Part of her felt guilty as she poured the recommended dosage into the small plastic cup. But really, she reasoned, she wasn't addicted to the stuff. Some people did crazier things for a good night's sleep. It wasn't like she was going to make a habit of it.

The sharp green liquid left a bitter tang on her tongue as she downed the medication in one quick shot. She grimaced as it settled in her stomach and was reminded of how little she enjoyed cough syrup in the first place.

“Here's to hoping.”

Peyton prepared for bed slowly, going so far as to brush her hair a hundred times in an attempt to stall. But eventually the time and medication joined forces and she slid under her sheets trying not to think at all. She set her alarm for ten minutes early and turned the volume all the way up.

[]

“Have you been listening to a word I'm saying? Focus, Peyton; this is important.”

Peyton jerked, her back hitting something solid and she blinked and took in the room. She found herself surrounded by rich wooden bookcases, countless books, and an irritated woman in a pantsuit. She was sitting at a table now. Open books and loose paper were spread around her and Peyton groaned.

“Not again.”

“You will do it until you have it mastered. Now once more, tell me what a merger is.”

Peyton looked down at the handwriting on the paper in front of her and guessed she was probably somewhere around the sixth grade based off the penmanship.

“A merger is the combining of two or more companies. Usually one company surrenders their stock for securities in the the acquiring company. It's a mutually come to decision by both parties. Can I go now?”

The woman appeared stunned by her answer and Peyton wondered at how this conversation had been going beforehand.

“I suppose so. But be here after your last class! We still need to practice proper dinner behavior.”

Peyton scrambled out of the chair and bee-lined it to a set of double doors. It seemed in this world she was still being subjected to some sort of pretentious schooling.

She was hungry, now that the lady had brought up lunch, and she wondered fleetingly if she'd ever be able to find the cafeteria. Or kitchen, or dining hall, or whatever this uppity school boasted.

Cliques of students passed her by, a few even waved, but Peyton recognized none of them. Something in her bra buzzed and she yelped while desperately trying to pull the object out from a crisp, white button up blouse. It was a small flip phone.

Oh gosh; a flip phone.

Tentatively she opened it and put it to her ear.

“Hello?”

An equally young, feminine voice responded to her.

“Peyton! Where are you? We're saving a table. Don't tell me you got kept from lunch again!”

Oh no, she was supposed to be friends with this little girl and she was already flustered enough to be irritated just by her tone of voice.

“Um, I'm on my way,” she said. She glanced around the hall for some sort of direction but found nothing. “Don't wait for me though,” she added, “I-uh- might be a second.”

The girl on the other end scoffed in either amusement or annoyance.

“We never do!”

Peyton scowled as she snapped the flip phone shut. Whoever possessed this body when she wasn't here had awful taste in friends.

A flash of something caught her eye and Peyton turned to see a brief glimpse of a familiar face under a ball cap turn a corner. She perked up at the idea of seeing the only person she sort of knew and took off after the person.

“Lex? Hey, Lex!”

It took a few calls, but he finally slowed when she caught up with him. He turned to face her in what seemed like reluctance and Peyton lost enthusiasm at the impatient look on his face. She slowed to a halt and felt suddenly unsure as he frowned at her.

“What do you want, Peyton?”

“I, um, sorry, is something wrong?”

He almost glared at her, and Peyton wasn't sure how to proceed. She hadn't seen this kid in what were years to him. Perhaps she had been being a bit presumptuous in assuming he'd welcome her warmly at all.

“Usually you want something when you're talking to me.”

Her mouth dropped open in dismay at his statement and she took half a step back as the information sunk in.

“Oh.”

So this other “Peyton” probably fit in with these other rich kids rather well. The thought dismayed her, and her eyebrows tugged together and lips twitched down before she tried to smooth out the expression. Lex scoffed and shook his head, Peyton reached for his shoulder just as he was turning to walk away.

“Hey, listen. I'm sorry,” she said, “for whatever sh- for how ...I act.”

He twisted to look at her, his expression was still guarded, but surprise flickered in the depths of his gray eyes. She assumed that apologizing wasn't something this girl did often. After a moment's hesitation, he shook off her hand and nodded.

“Sure; whatever.”

Peyton let him walk away after that. She felt more confused than ever. It was like she had been sucked into some Mean Girls twilight zone and couldn't escape. She really tried not to think about the fact that she was taking over someone else's life every time she woke up here.

Someone else who had the exact same name and face as her?

Peyton shook her own head and started walking in the opposite direction down the hall. There still wasn't any signage pointing in the direction of the cafeteria, and she wandered the halls longer than she would have liked searching for it. Eventually she followed a group of chirpy teens and finally came to a set of arching double doors with the scent of fresh bread and rich meat wafting out through the seams of the doorframe. By then, it seemed a lot of people were leaving and she rushed to fix a plate and wolf the food down.

Why was she hungry in the first place? She never ate late at night. Or, rather, she'd already eaten before going to bed.

It was much later than the allotted lunch hour when Peyton finally found her way back to the library she'd first found herself in. She had no idea what this girl's class schedule was supposed to be, and consoled herself with the thought that one day of absence wouldn't derail the girl's education.

Truth be told, she was only planning on staying in the library until classes were obviously released for the day. She wasn't feeling up to learning “dining etiquette” for an afternoon when it had no real impact for her. She'd gotten her high school diploma and then some. She'd earned her meager adult freedoms!

Instead she tried to look through the science section of the library, as well as the selection they had on brain functions, to see if they had any different information on what may be happening to her. After three hours of poring over page after page until her eyes felt bloodshot, she still came up with nothing. She'd actually become sidetracked by a series of articles about a meteor shower that had struck a small, country town years ago when the school rang its last bell for the day.   

At the sight of students starting to file out of the library, Peyton remembered that the tutor would be back soon and expecting her. She still didn’t want to have to deal with them. She left all the books she gathered on the table and darted out of the library and into the busy hall. Following the flow of students to find the front doors of the school was easy. It was once she reached the exit that she realized she had no idea where she was going. Peyton didn’t know where she was supposed to live, she had no keys or a book bag or ID card to help her.

“Peyton!”
Swiveling around at the sound of her name, Peyton was able to spot a brunette girl making a beeline towards her. She paused to let the girl catch up and noticed she was carrying an extra leather tote. The scowl on the girl’s face made her a bit uneasy.

“What the hell, Peyton? You skipped lunch and ditched the rest of your classes and didn’t even tell me? I had to carry your bag around and everything, because I’m just a great friend like that. What were you doing? If you went and had fun without me-”

Peyton pulled the bag from the girl’s grip and interrupted her mid rant.

“I didn’t go anywhere,” she said. “I, uh, just needed a break today?”

The girl scowled and her, her lips twisting up in a doubtful pout as she squinted up at Peyton.

“Then where are you going,” the girl asked. Her tone was accusing and Peyton bristled. “You always go back to the dorm to change out of these dumb uniforms. Where’re you off to in such a hurry?”

Oh! A dorm! Peyton supposed that made sense for how big the school looked and how much families probably paid to keep their kids here. She hesitated only a moment.

“Looking for you! Obviously. Thanks for getting my bag. I can’t believe I forgot it.”

“Hopefully you two didn’t forget about the party tomorrow night.”

A new voice joined the conversation, and this was was distinctively more masculine. The brunette girl adopted a dreamy, doe-eyed look and Peyton shifted to see a blond boy leering at them in a way that was supposed to be charming. Even if she hadn’t experienced this school, the boy’s whole demeanor screamed “privileged”. There was just something in the way he held himself that said he was good-looking and knew it and knew that girls knew it. Peyton tilted her head to the side.

“Party?”
The girl next to her tried to subtly elbow her in the gut.

“Of course we haven’t, Oliver! It’s all anyone’s been talking about all week; we’ll definitely be there.”

His grin widened and he winked cockily at them. Peyton tried not to look like she’d just sucked on a lemon.

“Good to hear. I’d hate if you ladies missed it.”

The girl who was supposedly her friend smiled like a madwoman as Oliver left, followed by a gaggle of teens. He was probably one of the richer kids at this school. Or the most charming. Peyton wasn’t exactly sure how these social hierarchies worked. When the group was out of hearing range she was assaulted by a few frustrated slaps from the girl next to her.

“Party?” The girl mocked Peyton’s questioning tone. “What were you thinking? Now is not the time to be playing hard to get!”

“Ow! Knock it off. What are you talking about?”
“We finally get invited to a party, and not just a party! No! An Oliver Queen party, and what do you do? Almost blow it by acting like you’re too good to even remember it’s a thing.”

Peyton grimaced and shifted as the students around them thinned.

“Can we talk about this back in the dorm?”
The girl’s head popped to attention as he eyes darted around the courtyard, as if someone might have been eavesdropping and nodded.

“You’re right. There might be professors around. Come on.”
She did just what Peyton had hopped and pulled her eagerly along by the elbow. Peyton smiled smugly when the girl couldn’t see.

Back in the dorm room, Peyton waited until the girl made it obvious whose side of the room was who’s before she dropped her bag on a bed.

So they were roommates, then? There were a lot of pictures tacked to the wall of them together. Peyton wasn’t sure how long she could go without using the girl’s name when, to her relief, she saw a polaroid with “Annalise + Peyton = BFFS” written on the bottom of it.

Annalise began changing out of her uniform, and Peyton followed suit. Although a bit dated, all articles of clothing were obviously top of the line and the most fashionable for the year. She settled on the simplest pieces she could find, some jeans and a flowy blouse.

“But for real,” Annalise continued as she checked her own flip phone. “You’ve been weird today. You’re not freaking out about Oliver noticing you, are you?”
Peyton's face skewed.

“Ew.”
“Ew?”
Annalise spun around and stared at her as if she’d just proclaimed that she hated puppies and kittens.

“Did you just say ‘ew’ about Oliver Queen? Who you’ve been practically drooling over all year? You’re the one who made sure we got into this party! An eighth grade party. Do you know how hard that is for us lowly seventh graders?”
Quickly, Peyton smoothed her expression out and sighed.

“I meant ‘ew’ as in ‘ew, how could you ever see me spazzing out?’”

She took a gamble with that assumption, but she figured any girl who was bold enough to charm an older peer had to have some level of confidence. Annalise continued to look disbelieving.

“Right.”

Peyton ignored the look. What did it matter to her? She wouldn’t be dealing with this girl for much longer, and she definitely wouldn’t be here by the time the party rolled around tomorrow. In fact, she was hoping to hear her alarm clock any moment now.

Of course it refused to go off now that she wanted it to.

When evening rolled around and Annalise informed her it was dinner time, Peyton kindly declined. The girl had been talking incessantly since they’d walked in the room, and she didn’t think she could handle another hour over food. It appeared that this Peyton actually kept a stash of food in her desk, and she told the friend that she was eating in tonight. There was homework to be done if she wanted to go to that party, because her parents were really on her back about college.

She didn’t think Annalise bought it, but she didn’t care. Peyton actually felt tired, which was weird if she was sleeping and this was a dream. If she doubted it wasn’t truly a dream before, she was having trouble with convincing herself of it now.

When Annalise left, begrudgingly alone, Peyton dug through the other her’s dresser until she found night clothes and showered. She tried not to look too long in the mirror. It still weirded her out to see herself as a child again. It wasn’t natural.

For the rest of the evening she snacked, snooped, and loitered. Really, her alarm should have gone off by now. Shouldn’t it? It had been hours. Surely the amount of time passing in her world was an entire night by now. She still wasn’t sure how the timelines matched up. Every time she came back here, years had passed.

She really didn’t have a choice but to wait it out. But her stomach still rolled with every passing minute and she gnawed on her lip with every blink that didn’t reveal her blaring alarm clock or popcorn ceiling.

“Maybe I just need to sleep?”
Sleeping seemed to be what got her here each time, but not back out. That part was irregular and unpredictable. But still, it was worth a shot. And if there was a curfew at this school then Annalise had probably chosen to ignore it.

Peyton crawled onto the bed that was supposed to be hers and tried to curl up under the thick comforter.

She closed her eyes.

There was music. Peyton groaned and reached out to smack the off button on her alarm. Her hand met air, though, and she frowned with her eyes still crusted shut. Peeling them open, she was met with the sight of a dancing thirteen year old girl who was trying to sing while putting on mascara.

Peyton felt suddenly cold under the hot bedding.

“Oh good, you're up.”

She could feel her mouth open and close stupidly without producing any sound. Light shone in from the small window across from the bed and birds chirped happily in morning song.

“No. No, no, no!”
Annalise rolled her eyes.

“Sorry.”

She turned down the music and sat huffily at her vanity, apparently deciding to give her the cold shoulder. Peyton didn’t notice and wouldn’t have cared if she had.

Throwing off the comforter, she dashed to the connected bathroom and clutched the sink as she stared into the mirror. Wide frightened eyes, a rounded face that lacked the mature cheekbones she grew into, and gangly limbs were reflected back at her.

She was still in her thirteen year old body. She was still in this world that wasn’t hers. This couldn’t be happening! That feeling creeped back up and lodged itself in her throat: the room was too small, a guillotine was about to fall across her neck, she had no control over anything.

Running off panicked reflex, Peyton slammed the bathroom door open and darted out of the room in nothing but a pair of sweats and a loose shirt. Out of the room, down the hall, out of the building, and out onto the grounds. Soft yellow light spilled onto the damp grass and that post dawn silence still hung over the atmosphere as she ran until she collapsed under a nearby tree. The preppy school was still here. She was still here. She was still here and it was wrong, wrong, wrong!

Peyton felt like a new rug had just been pulled out from under her. And instead of falling onto the floor, she was falling down a pit with spikes at the bottom. Her pounded an unsteady rhythm as she buried her face in her knees and tried not to cry.

She couldn’t afford another panic attack. She had to figure a way out of this and make it stop happening!

“What happened?”
Peyton snapped her head up. She hadn’t seen anyone in her mad dash out here, and she didn’t think she was so out in the open to be instantly noticeable to passersby. But there were legs in front of her that led up to a familiar face.  

“Lex?”
He shifted, as if unsure, and looked around before lowering himself next to her. Peyton watched him still not really able to feel anything other than panic.

“You’re crying,” he said. “I’ve never seen you do that before.”

She wiped at her eyes and, sure enough, a few tears smeared on the back of her hand. Peyton didn’t know what to say. Her bottom lip quivered so she bit down on it, harshly. Lex’s eyes were burning a hole in the side of her face as she sat silent. After a moment he scoffed.

“I don’t know why I thought you’d act any different.”

Peyton saw him move to stand out of her peripheral vision and something hot and panicked shot up her spine. She didn’t want to be alone. He was just a kid…. But still; she didn’t know anyone else.

“I’m scared.”

He paused a few feet away and turned back to look at her. His eyes were sharp and searching, pouring over her face and probably looking for any trace of lie. Peyton tried to shake off the tightness in her muscles and ease up on the pressure of her fingernails digging into her palms.

“I’m not who you think I am, okay?”
Lex sat back down next to her at that.

“What are you talking about? This better not be some prank or-”
“It’s not,” she insisted. “Ugh, what am I doing? You’re just a kid!”

She saw the frown that tugged at his lips. He seemed in thought or remembrance for a moment before he spoke again.

“You’ve called me that once or twice before and I’m older than you. What’s going on?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Why was she doing this? This rich kid couldn’t help her. There was no excuse for her to use him like this, emotional breakdown or no. He didn’t know she was really in her twenties. What she needed to find was an actual adult. Preferably one with a science or mental health background. He grabbed her arm after she’d started to zone out again.

“I’ll believe you,” he said. “You can tell me.”
Peyton made the mistake of looking him in the eyes.

She was taken back to the first time she’d met him; he’d been so small then, but he’d had the same look in his eye: a sad, hopeful gaze that hinted at desperation. There was still a gaping need in this kid’s life, and nothing about this school or these people were filling it. He wore a baseball cap at all times and in all places, it seemed. That could only mean the bullying hadn’t stopped. And whoever Peyton was when she wasn’t here didn’t seem to be helping any.

His expression told her he was eager to listen, maybe even eager to help. Her lips twisted upwards the tiniest bit. It seemed he’d kept that heart she’d seen in him before.

“Please.” He prodded.

His almost vulnerable tone and her desperation sealed it.

Peyton told him all the information she knew. And it sounded crazy, but Lex sat quietly and listened. Still, she felt no relief at the end of her story. If anything there was just guilt. Because she was a grown woman and she shouldn’t be burdening this kid with her problems. She knew better. What could he do for her? Nothing.

“I shouldn’t have told you all that,” she said after a moment of silence. “Hey, never mind, just for-”

“You’re saying that you’ve been here longer than the other times?”
Peyton stiffened and gave Lex a look. She couldn’t tell if he believed her or was mocking her. There was no real reason for him to believe her. No one in her world would. And lord knew she was going to get a cranial exam first thing if she’d ever just wake up.

“Yeah.”

He nodded as if just accepting that answer and Peyton’s face skewed to the side in confusion.

“You don’t actually believe me do you? I just told you the craziest story anyone has probably ever heard.”

Lex shrugged.

“I’ve seen weird things before. I got caught in a meteor shower, remember?”

“Not quite the same.”

“Well,” he continued on without care for her scathing dismissal, “did you do anything different before bed? Something that might’ve made you stay longer?”

Peyton shook her head.

“I cleaned, read, brushed teeth, normal stuff. And-oh. Crap. I wonder-”
“Wonder what?”
He sat up straighter and leaned forward, Peyton shifted back and shot him a look that was meant to say “chill”. And then she grimaced.

“I might’ve taken some NyQuil to try and sleep...deeper. Hey! Don’t judge me, okay? I was desperate. Still am.”

Lex was quiet a moment longer; Peyton could tell he was really thinking about something.

“So, the first time I met you, and when I first came back after ...the accident, those were you?”

“Yes.”

“And every other time has just been some other Peyton? She never mentioned missing chunks of time, or waking up in an adult body.”

Peyton shrugged.

“I have no idea. I still might just be crazy and hallucinating all this.”

“Or,” he suggested, “maybe you're supposed to be the real Peyton, but you got mixed up.”

Peyton didn't find that plausible and told him so. Best case scenario she was having some hallucinations that she could take pills for. Worst case, she was stealing a young girl’s body every time she showed up here. Peyton groaned and rubbed at her face.

“I just want it to stop.”

“I like you better.”
She snorted through her nose lightly and shot him a close lipped smile.

“Well, thanks. I really am sor-”

Lex was gone. She was staring up into the frightened face of her roommate as Clara shook her forcefully.

“Peyton? Peyton! Please wake up- Oh thank goodness!”
She blinked in dazed confusion and her eyes slid over to her alarm clock. It read two thirty-five.

She was so fired.

Chapter Text

Clara didn’t give Peyton a choice about going to the hospital. The minute Peyton proved she knew her own name and the date, Clara shoved her in her old station wagon and sped off to the nearest clinic. Peyton didn’t argue. She was still trembling after finding out that she’d slept until well after noon, and after being told that Clara had been trying to wake her for five minutes before she had finally stirred.

“I’m sorry you had to be disturbed when you should be sleeping,” Peyton said. “I could have driven myself.”

“Shut up.” Clara rolled her eyes. “I’m just glad you have me as your emergency contact. Can you imagine if you had your mom down first? She’s over an hour away.”

Peyton’s eyes went wide as she let go of a shaky breath.

“You’re right,” she said. “Can you imagine if my mom found out? Oh my gosh, she would freak.”

Clara winced.

“No, please- no. Clara, please tell me you didn’t call her. Oh no! When did you even have time?”
“I was freaking out, okay,” Clara snapped. “I thought maybe she’d know if there was medical stuff in your family! You slipped into a coma or something, Peyton! What did you expect me to do? She deserves to know.”
Peyton groaned and buried her head in her hands.

“She’s coming, isn’t she.”

“I think she was in the car before I hung up. Your dad too.”
“Oh, lord.”

The hospital was in a lull when they arrived, but Clara went screeching into a parking spot like they had to race three gurneys for the last few rooms. Peyton felt better, though still thoroughly worried, and was able to keep a calm head while Clara crashed into the front check-in desk of the ER. The woman behind the counter appeared surprised.

“Clara! I thought you had the night shift.”

“I do, but my friend needs to see someone right now. Probably a neurologist too, to be safe. Who’s in?”

The nurse began handing over a clipboard with the standard check-in paperwork which Peyton accepted while Clara continued to stand in on her behalf.

“Well, Dr. Rosenquist is in, as well as Dr. Adams. I’m not sure who’s upstairs.”

Clara waved her hand in dismissal.

“Dr. Rosenquist should be good. Do you have that filled out yet?”
Peyton scowled.

“Give me one second. I don’t exactly know how to explain what’s going on.”

She chewed her lip as she ticked off a few boxes and scribbled a note in the designated area on the back of the page, then passed the clipboard back to the nurse.

“You’ll be called back when a doctor is available. Shouldn’t be too long; it’s not busy today. Not yet at least.”
She thanked the woman and followed Clara over to the waiting area to park herself in one of the uncomfortable plastic seats in an exercise of patience.

Peyton slumped in the chair and sighed as she waited. Despite sleeping until two, she felt exhausted already. But more in the way that stress exhausts you than actual tiredness. There was a pulling, heaviness to the feeling and it wasn’t helped with the knowledge that her parents would eventually be bursting through the hospital doors.

The quiet murmurings of the hospital filled the room for a few minutes before Clara spoke again.

“What’s going on, Peyton? This is the second time you’ve slept in way later than normal, and the other day you woke up with a panic attack? Is work going that badly?”

“No.” Peyton turned to find Clara’s worried gaze locked on her. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and wondered about how much she should really say. How much truth could she tell before people thought she was crazy?

“I don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “I’ve been having long… dreams. I think.”

“Dreams?”

“Ugh. I don’t know.”

Peyton looked back to Clara and tried to smile.

“Go home, Clar. Get some sleep. My parents will be here soon enough and they can drive me back home. Just leave the key under the mat.”

Clara frowned, but she looked more tired than Peyton felt now that she was actually looking at her.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll tell me everything the doctor says?”

“Every word. I need your medical jargon knowledge anyway.”
Clara snorted in forced amusement.

“Alright.”
They exchanged a quick hug before Clara left, and shortly after that the nurse called Peyton back to see the doctor.

Peyton, like most people, wasn’t fond of visiting the doctor. She hadn’t ever had a tragic experience, and she didn’t necessarily hate it, but it was generally a hassle and could get quite awkward. She had a feeling now would be one of those visits to get awkward.

There was a knock on the door and it opened with a squeak before she could even say ‘come in’. A balding, older gentleman smiled at her as he closed the door behind him and held out a hand.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Rosenquist. I’d ask how you’re feeling but, well, you’re in the ER.”

Peyton chuckled and nodded.

“True. Although it’s not really when I’m awake that’s the problem.”

His face shifted into a more professional gaze after she said that, and he glanced down at his notes.

“Right. Let’s get straight to it. It seems like you’ve been having trouble waking up lately?”
He let the question hang for her to answer, and Peyton shifted uncomfortably on the paper-lined bench. She’d been meaning to talk to a doctor. Really, she had. She needed this. It was just, her story felt so silly! To tell another person felt like sealing her fate at a mental institution. Or at least lifelong therapy. Maybe they’d even think she was just making it up. Dr. Rosenquist waited patiently, his gray mustache ticking as he sniffed, and she sighed.

“Yes,” she admitted. “At least three times now, I think, I’ve not been able to wake up like I usually do. I’m usually a morning person, actually, so it’s weird.”

He jotted down a note, humming as he followed along.

“Any other symptoms you’ve noticed with that?”
Peyton bit her lip. Her fingernails curled into her palm. She winced.

“Dreams.”

“Dreams?”
“I mean. I’ve been dreaming a lot. When it’s happened, I’ve been waking up in the middle of them.”

It didn’t quite feel like dreaming, never really had if she thought about it, but it was the easiest way to explain it. And she really didn’t know what it was anyway. It could very well be dream related things she’d never heard of. Even if that idea tasted sour when she thought it.

“That sounds like it could be a possible REM disorder. Usually it takes more effort to wake someone from the deep stages of sleep, but not quite the effort you noted it took Clara. But we can’t jump to conclusions.”

He did a brief examination of her then that didn’t seem like it would help, and gave her a referral to a sleep specialist. If they couldn’t help he said the next step would be going to a neurologist. He hoped they’d be able to find the problem before then.

Peyton hoped so too.

She was just turning from making an appointment for the sleep specialist when she heard it. The sliding doors hissed open and a frantic voice darted through.

“Peyton? Peyton!”

Peyton sucked in a deep breath, let it out, and turned around.

A woman a good five inches shorter than herself was barreling towards her with a wide face set with worry. Peyton widened her stance and opened her arms as her mother fell into her. She squeezed Peyton as if she’d almost died instead of just had trouble waking up and then let her go to cup her face.

“Are you alright? What happened? Clara called and said you were in a coma!”

“I wasn’t in a coma, mom.”

“What did the doctor say,” her father asked. He had always been the more grounded, rational one of her parents. Peyton could still see the way his eyes were pinched in concern, but he was keeping a level head and waiting for the facts. She squeezed her mom’s hands fondly and sighed.

“They don’t know exactly what is going on yet. I’m being referred out to a sleep specialist for some tests. They’ll monitor my sleep for a night and go from there.”

“Tonight, right?” Her mother pressed. “They're going to figure this out as quick as they can, aren't they? Oh, Peyton, this isn't like you. You've always been my morning sunshine girl.”

Peyton held her mother’s hand and began leading her parents toward the exit.

“Yes, actually. They had a cancellation and the doctor wants results sooner rather than later. Clara might've had something to do with that though. Anyway, come on. We might as well make the most of your visit! Have you guys eaten yet?”

She made sure to take them to a local, in-the-wall place that served burgers she knew her mom would like. They ate and talked, and eventually the subject left the topic of her recent medical issues. Her father paid for the meal, despite her protests, and they decided to walk the shopping district for the rest of the afternoon. She and her mother were even polite enough to manage waiting patiently while her father was caught up in a bird feeder store.

Peyton found herself actually relaxing as the afternoon wore on. The weather was warm, she had yet another day off -which wasn’t necessarily so good- , and she was enjoying her parents company now that her mother had calmed down.

It had been a month or so since their last visit, and despite regular texting and phone calls, it was nice to see them in person. She was a bit disappointed that they hadn’t brought Jacen or Orion, but she would just go by to see them later.

“How are the twins, anyway,” she asked as they passed more outlets. “Are they out of school yet for the summer?”
“Not yet,” her mother said. “They have a few more weeks. And they’re doing fine. They should be back from school by now. We left them a note; they should be okay.”

“They’ll be fine, Merrill,” her father said. “They’re old enough to take care of themselves.”

Peyton grinned, knowing her father was right but finding amusement in imagining the twins trying to get into trouble in the few hours they had available. Orion, maybe. But Jacen would never be able to pull it off.

When it grew closer to dinner time, her parents dropped her back off at her rental and bid her farewell. The twins would be complaining of hunger soon and they still had a drive back home in what was sure to be rush hour traffic. Her mother demanded that Peyton keep her updated on every test or utterance from a doctor, and was expecting a phone call promptly in the morning. Peyton promised to do her best.

Clara had left a key under the mat as suggested, and Peyton tiptoed inside the house as she tried to make a quick meal as quietly as possible. She already felt bad about costing Clara some much needed sleep as it was. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her with only a few free hours left before her shift.

The burger from her late lunch was still heavy in her stomach, so she threw together a simple sandwich and nibbled on some fruit. Closer to eight o’clock she started getting ready for bed, doing all her bathroom and bed routines while still at home, and packed a bag for the morning like the doctor suggested. The sky was finally growing dim as she quietly locked the front door behind her and backed out of the driveway to head back to the clinic.

It was a stupid study, really; she knew that. It wasn’t pass or fail or bringing judgement down on her, but she still felt butterflies as the practitioner hooked her up to the equipment next to the bed. She still felt like she was about to do something taboo.

“Sometimes there’s a gap between days,” she called out as the nurse began to leave the room. “It doesn’t happen every night.”

The nurse paused at the door to smile at her politely.

“We’ll have to adjust for that if it happens,” he said. “We’re just trying to get a baseline reading for you in order to spot the problem. Have a good rest, Ms. Woods.”

She nodded and tried to relax.

This was to help her. Not condemn her. They were trying to make her better. She was doing the right thing. And she wanted it to stop. She didn’t like being torn between realities. She didn’t like taking over a body that wasn’t truly hers.

Peyton closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

A nurse woke her up at six sharp. Peyton pushed herself up to her elbows and tried to blink the sleep away. A different nurse was telling her they were going to remove the equipment now, and it took her a second to figure out what that meant.

“Oh, right.”
The drowsiness evaporated from her like it usually did and she smiled before the expression quickly dropped again.

“It didn’t happen.”

She swiveled to sit on the edge of the bed to make removing the wires and straps easier for the nurse.

“Your doctor will be able to discuss the results with you,” the nurse said.

She left the clinic feeling vaguely disappointed. Part of her had been hoping she’d be getting an instant explanation for this. That maybe her experiences could be explained away as an overactive cortex issue or some sort of prolonged REM cycle that could be helped by exercise and medication.

At least, she conceded, she would be to work on time.

The idea of just quitting and walking back out of the office flickered through her mind when she saw all the files already haphazardly stacked in a tall pile on her desk. She eyed it distastefully as she walked passed it to her boss’s office for what was sure to be a rebuke for being ill.

Her boss was the sort of man who believed that he set the standard for the workforce and any deviation was wholly unacceptable. He’d never taken a sick day, why should anyone else? He prioritized work over meager family things, so why did anyone else think they had the right to not do so? Peyton was waiting for the day she could transfer companies.

Luckily for her, she had a doctor’s note, and he couldn’t very well legally fire her for medical emergencies. He still sneered as he read over the piece of paper.

“So you don’t get enough sleep and decided to go MIA for two days during the busiest merger we’ve gone through yet? Hmph.”

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but I am having it looked into,” she slowly explained. “You know I’m not one to purposefully skip out on work.”

“Right.” But he didn’t sound especially convinced. Peyton grit her teeth. “Look,” he continued, “I get you’re having issues, but it can’t interfere with your work. Things have already started to back up and you’re going to have to stay late to try and bring up the slack. I can’t have you missing any more days. Can you handle that?”
“Yes,” she all but snapped. “Is there anything else, or can I start on that pile of paperwork on my desk now?”
He scowled at her, not entirely missing her bite, and waved her away.

Peyton sank into her office chair and glared at the files. Why hadn’t she become an art teacher or something instead? Why did she have to be weird and enjoy math and business in school?

No, she shook her head; she knew what she’d do. First, she was going to get an extra hot cup of coffee. And then she was going to put such a dent in those files that her boss was going to have to eat his words. If he were capable of such a thing.

By lunch she had brought the pile down by a good half a foot and was in a marginally better mood. The several cups of coffee she’d consumed had helped with that as well. A few of her coworkers had come by to try and see if she was doing alright and perhaps get some better water cooler gossip, and Peyton downplayed the severity of her symptoms and what had happened to her.

Stress had caught up with her, she told them. She’d suffered a twenty-four hour bug on top of that. They believed her and went away without anything truly interesting to spread around.

By the end of the day there was only about two inches worth of stacked paper left, and she felt pretty proud of herself. Even if her boss said nothing, she’d seen the flash of surprise across his face when he left the office before her. There was a bit of triumph in that at least.

When she finally got home the house was quiet and dark, as usual. She wrote a note down for Clara about her sleep study, how they’d probably found nothing wrong but was still going in to talk about the results on Friday, and cooked herself dinner. She’d already told her mother all this during her lunch break, and she was expecting Clara to be just as frustrated as her mother had been. But it wasn’t like she could control what was happening. If she could do that, she’d stop the dreams, or whatever was happening, herself.

She put off those thoughts as she ate and cleaned up around the house lightly. It was already late when she’d left the office, but she was able to squeeze in some reading and a few texts promising to visit home this weekend to see the twins before going to bed.

[]

“-unreasonable. Don’t you agree, Samuel?”

Peyton dropped the fork that was in her hand and wheezed. A long table stretched out on either side of her and there were delicate dishes topped with decorated foods sitting stretched out and ready for self-serve. The plate in front of her was half eaten, and her fork had fallen on top of what looked to be braised asparagus.

“Are you kidding me,” she snapped.

Now? Of course it happened now! One night! That was all she got! One night when she needed this to happen the most and it was conveniently skipped! The woman who had just been speaking glanced over at her with a disapproving stare.

“Really, Peyton,” she said. “Please control your temper. Oxford is a wonderful school, you’ll be able to do plenty of networking there. And it’s not for a few years anyhow, you’ll come around by then.”

She felt different this time. Less awkward and gangly and looked down to guess that she was probably another few years older.

I didn’t take any medicine this time , she thought to herself. I should be okay. I’ll probably wake up a few minutes late tops, just calm down.

The thought did soothe her. The day she had the panic attack, she’d only been about ten minutes late with waking up. She’d be fine. This time she wouldn’t have a panic attack.

“Can I be excused,” she asked. She looked up to see the woman who was not her mother pinching her lips together as the man who was not her father sighed and nodded his head. Peyton pushed away from the table, suddenly realizing that she was wearing a semi-formal dress and made her way to the doors that she guessed led out of the dining room.

“She has to realize that she has to consider her fut-”

“Just let her go for tonight, Merrill. Like you said; she’ll come around.”

Peyton’s hand froze momentarily on the door handle before she continued through and fled from the area. Samuel and Merrill? Those people looked nothing like her parents, and yet they had the same names?

What was going on? Why did she keep ending up here?

The house could have been on the cover of The Rich and Powerful . Everything was pristine and magazine worthy. All pieces looked authentic to a Victorian time period while incorporating modern technologies with a grace that only an interior designer and fat paycheck could achieve. Peyton jogged up a rich, wooden staircase and huddled at the top, unsure of where to go or where she was. An idea struck her, and she felt around the dress hoping that this other Peyton was like any other teen she’d ever met. She sagged in relief when she found a newer cell phone tucked away in a hidden pocket on the dress. The contact list was long, with many quirky nicknames entered into it, but she navigated straight to the ‘L’s in a desperate hope that she’d somehow find Lex’s name. Maybe this other Peyton didn’t like him, but he was still a rich kid too. They all had to know each other, right? There was some kind of ‘politeness’ or ‘power game’ rule to this, wasn’t there? They seemed like those types of families. Like a modern day Game of Thrones match was happening between companies and long lived blood lines.

Peyton almost sang when she found a “L. Luthor” as the last name listed under ‘L’. She hit the button and prayed he’d actually answer.

“Luthor.” The response was clipped, business oriented and she chewed her lip. It was not the same voice of the boy she’d spoken to the last time.

“Lex?”
There was a sigh.

“Yes?”
“Oh! Good! Oh my gosh, your voice finally dropped. No, not the point. What year is it?”

“Year? What are you talking about? Are you drunk again?”
Peyton rolled her eyes.

“No. Listen, it’s, it’s me.” She whispered. “The other Peyton. Do you remember? You still believe me, don’t you? I don’t know how long it’s been but-”

“Where are you?”

His voice cut through her rambling and was suddenly more urgent and focused.
“I don’t know. I think I was just eating with people who are supposed to be my parents? I mean, I think I’m supposed to live here? It’s an old, rich house at least. I can tell that much.”

“Stay there; that’s within driving distance.”

“Wait; what? Are you trying to come here? You don’t need to do that. I just need to know the date and maybe three facts about this girl so I can make it through the day.”

She could hear rustling and moving on the other end of the phone, and then the beep of a car being unlocked.

“You really don’t need to.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he insisted. “We can talk then. You can tell your parents we’re working on a project over break or something.”

He hung up before she could protest. At least she knew he wasn’t on the phone and driving like a lot of people tended to do now days. Or, rather, in the future?

She groaned and walked back down the stairs.

The people she supposed were her parents were still finishing their meal. Clearing her throat, she knocked on the door frame and poked her head back into the room.

“Uh, hey. I told you about my classmate coming over, right?”
That got both of their attentions, and they pierced her with the pinning stares of a parent who thinks you’re up to something.

“No,” the mother said. “Just how much notice were you planning on giving us?”
Peyton winced.

“He’s actually on his way over now?”
“He,” the father enunciated. “Who’s he?”
She shifted, almost feeling the age she was supposed to be, but only because she wasn’t fond of lying in any aspect.

“His name is Lex Luthor, and he-”
“Alexander Luthor!” Merrill stood from her seat with a shining in her eyes that had been absent before. “Are you friends with him now,” she asked. “Samuel, did you hear that? The Luthor boy.”
“What project,” Samuel asked.

“Extra credit.” It was the first thing that popped into Peyton’s head. “For science. We have to complete it before class is back in session.”

When Merrill began calling in the help to have them prepare for their “guest’s arrival” Peyton ducked out of the room before she could be wrangled into anything. She decided to risk getting lost and searched the upstairs for the bedroom that was supposed to be hers.

There were too many doors in the house! Every time she opened one it was either a drawing room or a billiards room or a closet. It took her an entire ten minutes to find a room that appeared to be inhabited by a teenager. There were quite a few posters of boy bands on the walls and the duvet was a pale blue and lined with frills. Peyton guessed since she didn’t see any other young girls at the table, it was a safe bet that this room was supposed to be hers.

She closed the door and rummaged around the nearby dresser for a change of clothes, just because she felt silly in the formal dress. She managed to find a pair of slim jeans and a simple wrap top and slipped those on before trotting back down the stairs. There were people moving things about and scurrying around as if the governor was coming to tea instead of some teen coming over for a school project. At least, as far as they knew. Peyton had no clue as to why he was really making the effort to see her. Maybe he just needed proof she wasn’t lying?

She padded across the cool wood floors barefooted as she watched the people work. The smirk fighting to creep up on her face was hard to suppress as she wondered if all rich folk were like this. Was one’s social life really so fragile for them? Were business merger’s cancelled if your neighbor didn’t provide the right kind of tea at brunch?

Another twenty minutes was spent keeping out of people’s way before she heard it announced that, “Mr. Luthor is here”. Peyton was almost embarrassed by all the hullabaloo caused by this visit. She’d give Lex a scolding the minute she got a chance. It had been her goal to keep a low profile if she showed back up here and he wasn’t helping with that.

One of the maids directed her towards a set of doors letting her know that Lex had had already been shown in and conversing with her “parents”. Peyton thanked the woman and pushed through the designated doors without knocking. She didn’t get a chance to hear what they’d been discussing, but she saw as Merrill’s eyes locked onto her and flashed in horrified dismay.

“Peyton! What are you doing?”
She followed the woman’s gaze down to her clothing choices and shrugged as she looked back up.

“This was more comfortable.”

Lex was definitely older, probably closer to sixteen or seventeen. He was dressed mostly casual as well with only slacks and a black sweater, but he was wearing shoes were she wasn’t. Peyton quirked an eyebrow at him and he smiled.

“Well,” he said, “it was an honor to meet you both. Peyton and I should probably start working on that extra credit project now though.”

“You can use the spare study,” Samuel said. “Downstairs.”
Peyton shrugged again while truly trying not to laugh. It felt like he was playing the protective father card when that was literally the least of his worries. His real daughter was lost who-knows-where, but he was concerned about her and a sixteen year old. She tried not to grimace.

No thank you.

“That’s fine,” she said instead. “Thanks!”
That seemed to surprise both adults. They were probably expecting more of a protest from her and Peyton made a mental note to do something over dramatic before she left to make up for it.

She gestured for Lex to follow her and once the doors blocked the view to her parents she turned to him.

“I have no idea where the study is.”

“My guess is it’s the one door that’s open.”

He gestured with a nod to a room down the hall with light spilling out of the open doorway. Peyton hummed.

“Fair enough.”

Inside the study there was an entire table of snacks and drinks all lined up and available and Peyton found it a bit ridiculous. Lex shut the door behind himself and Peyton dropped into a plush armchair with a sigh.

“Did you have to come over for proof,” she asked. “Because you could’ve just asked a question over the phone for that. You didn’t have to make a, what, half an hour drive? I’m assuming, of course, that you’re allowed to drive.”

“You haven’t come back in almost three years,” he said. “I was starting to think maybe I’d imagined that conversation with you.”

“Really? Three years? It’s only been a day for me. I only got one good night’s rest, you know. One! And of course it’s the one night I’m getting tests done. Go figure.”

Lex frowned while shoving his hands in his pockets. Peyton noticed he wasn’t wearing ball caps anymore. Or at least not outside of school. The look suited him, actually.

“Tests,” he prodded.

“Yeah. I sort of had issues with waking up last time I came here and I honestly have no idea what all, all this is in the first place. I thought maybe a doctor could help. But of course I sleep fine the one time I need this to happen.”

“Do you really think you’re dreaming,” he asked. Peyton picked at her nails.

“I used to.”

“But not anymore?”

“Not really.”

He looked like he approved of that answer, or it at least it brought him some relief. When he sat down in a chair opposite of her, she was struck by how much he appeared to have matured in the day she hadn't seen him. Seeing her own siblings grow up was disorienting enough sometimes, but this literal “overnight” stuff was even more unsettling. There was a sharpness growing in his gaze that hadn't quite been there before.

“How have you been, then,” she asked. “I'm assuming everyone is going to the same school? Has she, um, the other Peyton, is she any nicer?”

His eyes tightened for a moment and Peyton twisted her lips.

“Do you know,” she said in a lighthearted tone, “that I'm pretty sure this girl doesn't want to go to Oxford? Oxford! I'd give my left leg to go, and this girl snubs her nose at it.”

Lex’s lips curled a bit and Peyton felt better.

“I stand by what I said last time,” he said. “I like you better.”

“Oh, come on. You don't even know me.”

“If you stayed longer than a day I might.”

She felt suddenly uncomfortable with his tone and where the conversation might be going. There was no real reason for him to be so interested in getting to know her. Surely by now he’d met other people who were kind and good enough friends? She remembered being a teen, and she was aware of all the confusion and overwhelming emotions that came along with that period of life. The last thing she wanted was to create any new confusions in this kid.

“I have a life you know. A job and everything, and while staying to figure out what this exactly is sounds great, I can’t keep missing work. This time I didn’t take any medication, so hopefully I’ll only be a bit late in the morning at most.”

He got up at that and huffed quietly at her response. She cocked her eyebrows in bemusement.

“It's not that I don't like you, kid,” she said. This time she used the word ‘kid’ purposefully. “But I don't belong here. If this is some sort of alternate universe or whatever, it's not mine to live in.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets again and fidgeted around before sighing.

“I’m going to get a coffee. Want one?”

Peyton blinked at the change of subject and remembered the table full of food beside her.

“Oh,” she said. “Sure.”

She moved to get up but Lex waved her back and pulled out two mugs himself. He moved in front of them to pour the coffee, and Peyton was left to stare at the back of his head while she waited.

Her gaze drifted off to the side at a plate of questionable looking hors d'oeuvres as he reached for smaller pitchers.

“Cream and sugar?”

“Yes please.”

Peyton accepted the mug gratefully when he passed her one, and took a sip. It was good she’d said yes to cream and sugar, because whatever bean they used was strong and a bit bitter for her liking.

After a few swallows of the drink and letting the caffeine start it’s work, Peyton breathed deeply and spoke.

“Well, they're going to expect us to be working on something. Have any ideas?”

Lex watched as she took another drink of her coffee and fought back a tugging at his lips.

“If you're going to keep showing up here,” he said, “there are probably some things you should know. I can help with that.”

Chapter Text

Peyton sat slumped in the armchair with her back against one armrest and her legs over the other. They’d been talking for a couple hours now and there was too much information swirling around in her head.

“Okay, so your dad’s name is Lionel and he runs LuthorCorp, my family,” she used air quotations around family, “runs a business called Woods Inc., and you and I have been going to the same prep school since first grade.”

Lex nodded in affirmation and she sighed as her head knocked back against the chair. There was so much to know and too much to remember.

“The only good thing I have going for me is that I already know a lot of business management. Personal information though? Yeah. That’s going to be harder to remember.”

“If you ever get in a tight spot, all you have to do is smile pretty and change the subject. People hardly notice.”
Peyton rolled her eyes. She was actually feeling a little drowsy as she sank further into the chair. The room must be too warm, and they had been talking for quite awhile.

“You rich people and your pretty smiles.”

She grinned cheekily to let him know she was joking and he scoffed in mock offense. He'd seemed to relax the longer they'd talked and she hoped that his home life was better than that first introduction to his father had made it seem. Yawning, she shifted so that she was sitting up straighter in the chair and tried to shake her arms loose.

“What about you,” she asked.

“What about me?”

“Well, if we’ve gone to the same school all this time, I should probably know something about you. I can promise you that lady out there is going to ask me a million questions about our supposed study time the first chance she gets. She kinda creeps me out, actually. I think she might be plotting corporate takeovers or something.”

“Probably not far off,” Lex muttered. Peyton chuckled. “What do you want to know?”
“How about you tell me some things I should know and we’ll go from there.”
Lex pondered while she yawned again. She understood the halt in the conversation. It was always difficult to find things to say about yourself when put on the spot, and she’d been in this sort of situation herself more than she really cared for.  

“I like long walks on the beach, hol-”

“Yeah, okay. None of that. Come on.”

“Fine. I graduate next year and then I’m getting sent off to learn more about how to run my father’s company. My, uh, my mother… passed when I was young.”

Peyton’s expression flickered as her lips dropped and eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “That must have been difficult.”
Lex shrugged.

“She was sick,” was all he said.

Peyton didn't push the subject as she knew a closed off tone when she heard one.

It was then that one of the hired help poked their head into the room.

“Miss, your parents would like to know when you'll be completed with your project. They have retired to the drawing room for their evening drinks.”

“Couldn't even come ask themselves,” Peyton muttered under her breath. “Um, I guess now,” she said to be heard.

She and Lex stood from their armchairs and headed for the door; the woman nodded and opened the door fully to let them through. Peyton escorted Lex back to the front entrance after thanking the messenger woman and informing her that she had it from here. It was dark outside, but the large driveway was lit by inlaid ground lighting. In all, the driveway alone was larger than her entire front yard. She snorted a bit at the extravagance and shook her head.

“It was nice seeing you again,” she said as Lex loitered on the steps. “Even though you didn't have to come over, thank you for doing it. It helped to see a familiar face.”

Lex shoved one hand into his pocket and fiddled with his keys with the other.

“Well, if you ever need me, you can just call. I gotta admit, I’ve never met someone from a parallel universe before.”
Peyton snorted.

“This is a first for me too. But hopefully I'll be waking up any minute now. I really can't be late to work again.”

Lex huffed quietly.

“Right.”

“Anyway,” Peyton said as she ran a hand quickly through her hair, “I should let you get going. You shouldn’t be driving in the dark.”

“Yeah; definitely the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done.”

With a admonishing scowl, Peyton playfully shoved Lex’s shoulder to get him moving.

“I don’t even want to know.”

He loitered a moment longer, shifting from foot to foot before nodding and heading down the stairs.

“See you later,” he tossed over his shoulder.

“Probably much later for you than me,” Peyton commented quietly to herself.

She shuffled back into the mansion with a backwards wave when she saw headlights pop on. The poor, hired help was in the foyer, waiting or watching, Peyton didn’t know which. She smiled at the woman as she headed for the stairs.

“Thank you for staying up just to keep an eye on us,” she said. “If my, uh, parents are still up you could tell them I went to bed? And you should definitely relax or something. I don’t know, have a cup of cocoa on me.”

The woman only nodded in a stunned silence as Peyton patted her shoulder on her way up the stairs. She felt bad sending the woman on an errand for her, but she was tired, and really, she should be blinking awake any second now. It was a bit odd, actually, that she hadn’t yet. But she wasn’t going to freak out yet. Not yet.

Instead she dug through this foreign-world-Peyton’s dresser until she found pajamas and brushed her teeth with the girl’s toothbrush.

“It’s my mouth,” she told herself repeatedly. “It’s my toothbrush, it’s my-ugh! This is still really gross.”

She made it to the bed and still hadn’t blinked away yet. Her body felt heavy, her eyes burned, and her head felt a little cloudy, but she was still in this world. Maybe she just had to close her eyes. Maybe that would get her home. Right. Just like last time.

But she hadn’t taken the cold medicine this time! She hadn’t stayed so long when she slept undrugged. Her heart spiked at the thought that maybe she would end up staying longer and longer as she continued to find herself here.

No; no. She couldn’t think like that.

[][][]

Peyton sighed with a tiny smile as she heard her alarm clock beeping irritatingly. She sat up and turned it off before stretching and rubbing at her eyes. Finally, she was beginning to- wait. Eight-thirty? She never set her alarm for that late!

The mansion bedroom still encased her, the large four poster bed a stark and unwelcome sight.

“No, no, no-no. Not again!”
Peyton tried to take a few deep breaths, but her lungs felt tight.

A few minutes, she tried to tell herself, give it a few minutes. Like last time.

So she sat frozen on the airy bed, tangled in a too fluffy comforter as she waited. The clock read eight thirty-five and she hadn't moved. Light shine in through the window and a few birds were singing nearby. Eight fifty and she still saw the tall bed posts. Nine o'clock and her stomach really started to churn.

The cell phone on her nightstand chirped, and Peyton broke her comatose gaze to drag her eyes down to it. She flipped it open and a text flashed on screen. It was from Lex.

[Do we still need to do that project?]

He was testing the waters to see if she was still here. She wondered if he did that every time. Perhaps he was constantly tiptoeing around her, unsure of which Peyton was in this body at any given time. With a shaking hand she clenched the phone.

[I'm still here.]

Peyton dropped the phone and staggered out of the bed. The sheets pulling on one leg as if trying to convince her to stay. But she couldn't sit still any longer. She had to move, to do something. Her body buzzed as if it had finally gotten true sleep that she'd been denying it.

She showered and dressed, only coming back into the bedroom after drying her hair and dusting on some makeup just to try and calm herself with routine. It didn’t help much.

She picked up her phone on her way out of the room, there was another text waiting her her.

[Be over as soon as I can.]

She huffed as she made her way down the the ground floor.

[Don’t have to. I can figure this out.]

By the time she found the kitchen she got a reply.

[Still coming over.]

There were people working in the kitchen that paused their work to stare at her as she wandered in. Peyton stumbled to a stop as she awkwardly surveyed the space. She coughed to break the silence and waved timidly.

“Um, good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, Miss Woods. Anything I can help you with?”
Peyton shoved the flip phone in her pocket and gestured emptily.

“Just, uh, getting some breakfast?”

A woman making coffee shot her a skeptical look while the chef raised an eyebrow. Peyton realized, belatedly, that this probably wasn’t normal behavior for the teen girl usually in this body. She gnawed on her lower lip briefly shrugged.

“Trying something new,” she said by way of explanation.

She sidestepped the help and poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a piece of toast off a tray. The kitchen was oddly quiet.

"Thanks!”

With one last nod, she skittered out of the room and darted out a side door.

The side door actually led outside, and Peyton found her skin kissed by the cool, brisk morning air. It smelled like the cold and a strong breeze blew and cut right through her shirt. She almost turned right around and went back inside, but the thought of walking back through the kitchen was too humbling, so she decided to stick it out in the cold.

The grounds were vast and meticulously groomed. It was obviously cared for by a crew and much larger than the small yard that Clara and she shared. Still, the meticulous lawn and garden-esque trees did nothing to quell her nerves. This had to be the longest she’d ever been stuck in this world so far.

Finding a bench, Peyton sat with her stolen goods and sipped at the still hot coffee. The coffee was a smooth dark roast. She closed her eyes and let the hot liquid sit on her tongue a moment before swallowing it down.

“Oh, that’s good,” she said to no one.

Definitely imported.

Before long the toast and coffee were gone and the cool weather was beginning to become a little too much for her to bear. She darted back through the same door and hurried through the kitchen with a few waves and even less eye contact.

The main floor of the mansion was empty and quiet. Peyton wandered down various halls looking for signs of the people who were supposed to be her parents. After not finding anyone after several minutes, she finally stopped a woman passing with folded towels.

“Excuse me, do you know where my, uh, parents are?”
The woman paused and blinked once before responding.

“At work, miss. Like usual.”

“Right. Of course. Thank you.”

The woman blinked again and almost seemed like she was stammering as Peyton patted her on the shoulder and continued on. She explored a bit more of the house that way until her stomach churned painfully as the minutes turned into another hour and a half and she still hadn’t returned to her own body. Caffeine probably hadn’t been the best choice given the anxiety she was now facing.

She made her way to the front entrance and collapsed on the top step outside to let the cold bite into her some more. Perhaps it would wake her up.

A car came screeching up the drive, shaking her from her daze. Lex stepped out from the driver’s side and shoved his keys into his pocket as he approached her on the stairs. Peyton peeked up at the approaching teen through her fingers she she kept her face buried in her hands. Her insides were beginning to feel a bit numb.

“I’m still here,” she croaked.

Lex shifted momentarily on the stairs before sitting next to her. The cold bit further into her skin. She felt when he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.    

“Hey, it’s going to be alright.”

Peyton scoffed lightly and pulled her head out of her hands.

“Really? ‘Cause I’ve never been here this long before. I should have woken up last night! What if Clara is trying to wake me up again? What if, I just- I just-”

She felt like she was starting to hyperventilate. It was hard to pull in breaths. She really shouldn’t even be losing it like this in front of a kid. Warm hands gripped the sides of her face and forced her to look up. Lex looked intently down at her and Peyton was able to see the variation in his steely blue eyes.

“Listen to me, I promise you that as long as you’re here, nothing will happen to you. I’ll make sure of it.”

There wasn’t any joking in his tone or gaze. He really meant what he said and believed he could fulfill such a promise. Peyton remembered being that young. She let out a shaky giggle and pulled his hands from her face to hold them in her lap.

“Thank you,” she said. “But you shouldn’t have to worry about these kinds of things, and you don’t owe me anything. I-”
“I want to.” He insisted.

Even though he was only seventeen, there was still a mature way in which he held himself and a tone in his voice that quieted Peyton’s protests. Something in his eyes flashed, but she didn’t know quite what it was. Determination? Rebellion? As much as she told him he didn’t really know her, she knew just as little about him. She simply nodded in concession for now; it wasn’t worth it to argue about something like this. Not when he had a sharpness to his gaze that said he wouldn’t let it go anyway.

Lex turned his hand over and laced his finger through hers, pulling her up to her feet before she could protest at the familiarity of the touch.

“How about we get you out of here for a bit? Maybe it’ll help to get out of the house.”

Peyton hesitated.

“I don’t really know what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“You keep telling me you’re actually an adult,” Lex pointed out. “Are you really going to wait around for permission from people you don’t even see as your parents?”
One of her brows ticked up as she suppressed an amused smile.

“Well, I guess when you put it that way.”

She loitered by the passenger side door, recalling suddenly the screeching of tires only minutes before and debated on whether to demand the keys. But it was his car, she didn’t know where she was, truly, and to top it off she wasn’t even sure if this Peyton had a driver’s license. A bit regretfully, she opened the door and slid into the seat.

“Just, uh, promise me you’ll take it easy on the road, okay? No crazy teen driving, alright?”
Lex just grinned.

He drove like a true teen, with the devil on his heels, and by the time they'd entered city limits and were forced to slow down Peyton was sure she'd crushed the emergency handle. The city wasn't one she recognized, not that she'd exactly expected to, but it definitely wasn't New York or Chicago, or any she could identify from the West coast.

“What city is this,” she asked. They passed a skyscraper with “LuthorCorp” stamped on the top and she swallowed a little. Definitely not just regular rich. Super rich.

“Metropolis,” Lex answered. “Do you not have this city in your world?”

“If we do, I've never heard of it.”

Lex pulled into what was probably a private parking garage and Peyton stumbled out onto solid ground with a bit of dramatics.

“Next time I drive,” she insisted. “You're going to hit someone one day driving like that!”

“You and what license,” Lex goaded. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're at a slight disadvantage here. You don't even know where you are.”

Peyton scowled.

“Smart-aleck.”

He led her out of the parking garage and out into the cool city streets. Peyton rubbed at her arms, realizing she'd forgotten a coat, and Lex noticed.

“Here.”

He pulled off his leather jacket and set it over her shoulders leaving himself with only a long-sleeved sweater. She almost protested, but she was in a simple blouse and he'd probably insist anyway. For the moment she let him play the gentleman.

“Thank you.”

The city reminded her of New York, in that it looked large and was teaming with people in a hurry to get where they were going. Along the store fronts hung various boughs of garland and twinkling Christmas lights. In one window a sign hung that warned there were only five days til Christmas. It wasn’t anywhere near the holiday season back in her world, all that was still a few months off.  But she supposed with such inconsistent gaps in their timelines, she couldn’t expect anything to really match up. She kept up with Lex as she took in the sights and smells of the bustling city. It was clear they were in a more wealthy district, evidenced by the surrounding boutiques and the dress of the people passing them.

Ahead of them a tall tower gleamed brightly and was impossible to miss thanks to a giant golden globe that spun on the top of the building. Peyton tugged at Lex’s sleeve and pointed up.

“What building is that?”

“That? That's the Daily Planet. The newspaper? Do you not that that either?”

“I think I'd remember a building so ostentatious. Sometimes I don't know how to take this place, you know? There are flip phones and clunky computers still, but then you guys have things like news making meteor showers and gravity defying planets on top of skyscrapers. I can't tell if this is supposed to be the same earth or not.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe you're the proof scientists have needed for things like String Theory and parallel universes? Maybe there were some different choices made that formed this universe.”

She hadn’t quite thought of it that way before. Still, it made just as much sense as waking up in someone else’s body did. She hummed a little to acknowledge he spoke and shoved her hands into the pockets of Lex’s jacket.    

They continued on down the crowded sidewalks without any real destination in mind, it seemed. Lex would point out certain buildings as they passed and explain what they were or tell her about a popular city park as they walked through. After a while Peyton forgot that she was supposed to be waking up and became more engaged in the conversation and learning the history of Metropolis.

When their skin chilled a little too much, Peyton pulled Lex into the next passing eatery to sit and warm up. A waitress came by and dropped a couple menus in front of them, and Lex actually picked one up and began perusing it. Peyton glanced at the pictures and sipped at her glass of water.

“Aren’t you going to get anything?”
“I’ll just wait until I get back to the mansion,” she said. “I didn’t exactly bring a wallet.”

Lex rolled his eyes and shoved the menu closer to her.

“I did. Just eat something.”

Peyton huffed and fiddled with the menu, about to speak when Lex peered over the top of his own.

“If you don’t, I’ll just order for you.”

The gaze she shot him was droll.

“You’re a pushy teen, you know that?”

“And you’re a stubborn adult. I guess we’re even.”

She couldn't exactly tell him he was wrong.

When they were finished eating and felt like they'd decently thawed they headed back out. They had only made it half a block when Peyton found herself blinded by the flashing of camera lights.

“What the heck?”

There were at least five people hovering around them, their cameras clicking and voices calling out rapid fire questions.

“Look over here!”

“Is this a date?”

“How long have you been keeping this relationship secret?”

A hand slipped into her and Peyton felt a tug.

“Come on,” Lex's said into her ear. “We better get out of here.”

They ran with Lex still tugging her along as she glanced back now and then in confusion.

“Was-was that paparazzi?”

“Yes. Practically vermin.”

They lost the men a few blocks away, but Lex still led her back to the parking garage.

“I can't believe I just got hounded by paparazzi,” she said a bit breathlessly. She laughed lightly and stared up at Lex. “Can you believe that? Where did they even come from?”

“My theory is that they use the sewers.”

Peyton didn't even think about his previous driving as she plopped down in the passenger's seat and caught her breath. She gripped the emergency handle again as Lex lurched out of the parking spot and shot back out onto the city streets. The city blurred by again and Peyton shed her borrowed jacket as the car warmed. She was still unfamiliar with the city, so she didn’t realize that he wasn’t driving back to drop her off at the mansion until the city had turned into sprawling grasslands. The house she'd woken in had been on a private acreage, but not quite as remote as they were now.

“Where are we going? This doesn't look familiar.”

“I thought it'd be a good idea to lay low for a little while,” Lex said. “Your parents are probably going to have a strong reaction when they see the new tabloids. Besides, it seems only fair that you get to see the Luthor mansion after I saw your estate.”

“Not mine,” Peyton corrected quietly. “And where is this place? I see farmland and an obvious lack of any sort of mountain range, so I'm guessing we're somewhere in the Midwest.”

“Kansas,” Lex confirmed. “Which makes this mansion one of the most out of place structures this state has.”

“How's that?”

“Well, it was literally imported over from Scotland.”

A disbelieving smile crept up Peyton's face as she churned the information over.

“Are you telling me you live in a castle?”

“Well, it's one of the places I live.”

It did not disappoint when he pulled into the drive. The mansion was old stone with ivy creeping up the sides. Gorgeous. A large fountain decorated the drive and Peyton gaped as she stared up in wonder. Stained glass was set in some of the more prominent windows and a large, heavy wooden door barred intruders from entering. Peyton traced the grooves in the wood.

“Holy crap, you weren't kidding.”

Most of the furniture inside of the home, if it could be called that, was covered with thick white sheets. It lent an eerie atmosphere to the space that Peyton grinned at. It was all extravagance and she let herself be swept up by the beauty of it instead of wondering about the cost. Lex trailed along somewhere behind her, allowing her to wander the halls as she saw fit. A pair of double doors opened to a large office. There was a fireplace on one wall and several large pieces of furniture, probably sofas and tables, covered and waiting to be used again.    

“It’s all beautiful,” she said while turning around. “It’s hard to imagine Kansas as a hub for anything, but man. Kind of a shame that it’s not even lived in.”

“It is off and on,” Lex said. He stopped walking as he came level with her left side and she gave him a cheeky look as she felt his gaze linger. He smirked when she didn’t shy away.

“Come on,” he continued. “I’ll show you the gardens.”

Peyton followed, only remembering when she was hit by the bitter cold that she still hadn’t woken in her own world.

Chapter Text

By the time they were finished touring the mansion it was getting late. Another two and a half hours were spent chatting in the car on the way back to the Woods’ house. Peyton invited Lex in for a cup of coffee before he headed home. It was cold out and he’d been more than generous spending the day with her. It was the least she could do. Especially if she were going to disappear for a few more years. Any second now.

Luckily the kitchen was empty when they snuck in. Lex offered to make the drinks, so Peyton dug through the fridge to make some simple sandwiches. By the time she’d finished and put everything away, how many mustards were there, Lex had two cups of cocoa waiting. He passed her one and she traded him a sandwich.

They nibbled at their sandwiches and Peyton tried to get to the cocoa under the mountain of whipped cream floating on top.

“Like your whipped cream with some cocoa,” she teased.

Lex grinned.

“Maybe.”
She snorted lightly and took another sip before she sat the mug down.

“So,” she continued as she began to pick at her crust. “What do you and your dad do for Christmas?”

Upstairs she’d noticed a few stylishly placed strands of garland and lights. It was a bit sterile for her taste, but at least it was a small acknowledgement of the season. Lex snorted into his own drink.

“My dad doesn’t do Christmas,” he said. “According to him it’s just a lazy man’s excuse not to work.”

Peyton frowned, swallowing down the bitter taste his easy proclamation seemed to bring to her tongue.

“No offense to your dad, but that’s dumb.”

“That has to be the least offensive thing that’s ever been said about my dad.”

Peyton let out an obligatory chuckle, but chewed lightly on her bottom lip afterwards. She knew that not everyone had great relations with their parents, but it still bothered her. Lex was only just an adult, and he already spoke about his father with a callousness and apathy that spoke of rocky years between them.

“Well, no one should be deprived of days off.” She tried to steer the conversation away from his dad. “And no one should be deprived of Christmas either. Heck, even these people at least put some sort of decorations up.”

Lex wore a smirk as if amused by her ranting and raised his mug.

“I’ll drink to that.”

Peyton rolled her eyes but clinked mugs with him and took a few more drags of cocoa.

They finished and cleaned up the mess and Peyton walked him back to the front door. She still hadn’t blinked back to her own room. The uneasiness in her gut was so constant now that it was almost making her numb.

“Thanks again,” she said.

She leaned against the threshold of the door and watched him loiter again on the stairs. He gazed at her almost nervously, and Peyton wasn’t sure if it were because she was a girl or because he wasn’t used to having real friends. With a sigh she pushed herself off the door frame and met him on the top step.

“I mean it. You’ve really... You’ve been a saving grace through all this craziness. And you actually believe me, which is incredible. You’re an incredibly kind person, Lex.”

Taking a breath and hoping she wasn’t being too forward, she took another step and embraced him. From the brief encounter she’d had with his father and what she heard tonight, plus how he’d acted at school, she figured he could probably use one.

He stiffened a moment, as if unused to the gesture, before relaxing and returning the hug. Peyton really hoped he knew it was strictly friendly. She kept forgetting that she only looked sixteen.

She held the hug for a moment and then released him with a parting pat on his arms. Lex cleared his throat.

“Well, just trying to do the right thing, right?”
“Right. Now get home before it gets too late.”

“I’ll text you in the morning.”

Peyton let her face fall flat.

“I might not be here tomorrow.”

The idea didn’t seem to phase him.

“But you might be.”
“You can’t just come over everyday if I am!”
He moved down the stairs and waved at her as he hit the unlock button on his key fob.

“See you later, Peyton!”

The house felt cold when she reentered it. She spotted a few staff members making their way down hallways, but no sign of the owners of the house. No matter their names they weren’t her parents, and she was a bit confused as to how to refer to them. Nonetheless, she was less than impressed by them. Instead of looking for them she trotted up the staircase and back up to the bedroom that was hers. After going nonstop and worrying in the idle moments, she was exhausted. She really hoped that when she woke, she’d be home.

[][][]

Peyton woke in the rich bed again.

She sat up and froze as she took in the high canopy bed, ornate vanity, and scenic view out the large window across from her bed. Her face grew hot and eyes wet and her still groggy mind rushed through panicked thoughts.

How could this still be going on? How was she still here when she’d never stayed this long before? What was going on around her back home? Could her body back home die? Was it just laying in her bed, empty?

She put a hand over her mouth to stifle her crying. The thought of never going home again was too much to consider. Her lungs tightened and she gasped to try and catch her breath. If she dwelled on this much longer she was going to have another panic attack.

Peyton took several deep breaths and blinked her eyes dry. She kept trying to tell herself that crying wouldn’t help, no matter how badly she wanted to collapse into a sobbing pile. She forced herself out of bed on shaking legs and committed herself to doing the same routine as yesterday. At least for a little while, she would leave her mind blank and run off autopilot.

She didn’t even feel the hardwood floor against her bare feet as she finally shuffled out of her room and down the main stairs. Once again she found herself in the kitchens, dodging the chef and his staff as she raided the coffee pot.

“Miss Woods,” the man exclaimed, “are you not eating in the dining room again?”

Peyton rubbed at her face and peered at the frazzled cook from behind her fingers. The poor man’s face was turning red and he was more than obviously bewildered. Not for the first time, Peyton wondered how awful this other version of her was.

“I’m sorry,” Peyton hedged, “I’ve forgotten your name.”

The chef’s expression shuttered and he clenched a hand as he straightened his stance.

“Randall Stanton, miss,” he answered stiffly.

“Mr. Stanton, sorry if I’m bugging you, but I just… I like it better down here. You’re kitchen is very homey. It’s warm.”

A few of the staff blinked in stunned silence and the chef cleared his throat.

“Are you feeling alright, Miss Wood?”
Peyton sighed into her mug.

“I’ve actually been better.”

She offered no other explanation and they didn’t pry. A minute later a plate with a french-style omelet, bacon, and toast slid in front of her. She felt her bristly mood melt a little and she smiled up at Randall.

“Thank you, Mr. Stanton.”

He nodded an acknowledgement without truly making eye contact and Peyton ate silently as the bustle of the kitchen continued around her.

Afterwards she headed back upstairs; she was stopped once to be told that her parents expected her to dine with them that evening to talk and she vaguely acknowledged the message on her way back to her room. As she expected, there was a text on her phone when she flipped it open. Actually, there were multiple.

The first was unsurprisingly from Lex, and she responded that she was still in this universe before checking the next. It appeared that Annalise, the girl she’d roomed with at school if she remembered correctly, had sent her a string of messages.

[What’s up? I’m having to spend time with the ‘rents, so ugh.]

[French boys are cute tho. ;)]

[Why are you ignoring me??]

[PEYTON!]

With a roll of her eyes Peyton shot a text back pretending to commiserate on the topic of parents and let the girl know that she was busy herself with Christmas and ‘hanging out’. With everything going on and what seemed to be her semi-permanent stay here, she hoped it wasn’t permanent, Peyton wasn’t in the mood to pretend to be a sixteen year old.

Her phone chirped and she scanned Lex’s response.

[Are you okay?]

There was a bittersweet pang in her chest that he even thought to ask, but she shook sense into herself as she readied an answer. He didn’t need to be worrying about her or her situation at his age. He probably already had enough going on in his life. She text back that she was doing alright.   

There was probably plenty for her to be doing. Peyton wouldn’t be surprised if there really was some project or report that needed to be completed over Christmas break, but she didn’t exactly care. It wasn’t her homework to do and she already had her high school diploma. No part of her was exactly keen on being a teenager again.

She took a stroll around the house grounds, with a jacket unlike the day before, and let herself not think some more amongst rose bushes and neatly trimmed hedges. As she walked down manicured paths, round and round, she could not help but start puzzling over her situation again. Revelations were forced upon her by her own logic.

She did not know why she was still here, but she couldn’t change it; regardless of how unfair it seemed.

Hiding outside wasn’t going to help her get home.

People in this universe might not be able to help her either.

She wanted to do something.

Peyton entered the mansion, shivering as she shed her jacket and found the right closet to hang it up in. Along the door frames inside there hung well placed garland with a smattering of white lights. She eyed the decor with a small sneer of disdain.

It was almost cold. Obligatory. It wouldn’t do.

It might not be the Christmas season in her own world, but it was one of Peyton’s favorite holidays, if not her most favorite.

Yes, she was going to give herself something to do.

Peyton stopped a passing woman, her name was Mary, it turned out, and asked if she knew where the nearest craft room or supply closet was. Mary directed her up the stairs and to a door two down from her bedroom with a perplexed stare that told Peyton she should have known this information already.

“Thanks, Mary,” she said with a sheepish grin as she darted up the stairs. “It’s, uh, another one of those days, ha!”

She didn’t know if Mary believed her and she didn’t care.

The room was indeed a craft room, the likes of which Peyton had never dreamed to see. In her world, she had a desk and a couple shelves of supplies when she needed them. But this, this was just indulgent.

The space was probably around the same size of her too-large bedroom, but was lined with shelves on every wall and was dominated by a large work table in the middle of the room. With a grin she darted inside. A sudden determination overtook her as she gave herself a mission. She dropped a stack of construction paper onto the island and then dug around for a glue stick and scissors.

Peyton set to work making various lengths of paper chains, only breaking when her phone chimed. It didn’t take three guesses to figure out who it was.

[I’m free; will head over.]

Peyton huffed and tried to work through texting with a keypad again. She’d almost forgotten how much she hated having to click through every letter to get to the one she wanted. Another message popped up before she could reply.

[And before you try to protest, I’m already in my car.]

She rolled her eyes, deleted her message, and started over.

[Get ready to be put to work, then.]

[Sure.]

She went back to her paper chains until she had a pile taking over half the island, then she switched to paper snowflakes. There was already a stack of ten of them when there was a rapping on the door. Peyton looked up.

“Mr. Luthor is here, miss.”
“Oh, hey Mary! Thanks! He can come up. If he’s going to visit, he’s going to help.”

Mary blinked and stepped aside with a nod. The flabbergasted look she shot Peyton didn’t go unnoticed.

Lex had apparently been waiting passed the door, because he stepped into view at her invitation and quirked a brow as he took in her craft explosion.

“Getting into the holiday spirit,” he goaded as he approached the island. Peyton waved to Mary as she left and then shot Lex a grin.

“I am, and so are you. Grab some paper; start making snowflakes.”

He looked amused by the order and the task, but sat in a stool next to her and picked up an untouched sheet of paper. When he just watched her for a minute, Peyton leaned over and plucked the sheet of paper from his hands.

“You fold it like this,” she said. She creased the paper, pulled up the corner and pressed that down, moving slowly enough that he could catch the process. When she handed the triangular piece of paper back to him, he was smirking slightly.

“I know how to fold a paper snowflake,” he said. “But thanks.”

Peyton scowled a bit and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before turning back to her own work.

“Well, then you shouldn’t lollygag. There’s only four days til Christmas now and this place needs a lot of work.”

“Okay, okay. You’re the boss.”

“Darn right I am.”

“Darn? Really?”
“Shut up.”

When they had accumulated a leaning stack of snowflakes and Lex started to complain about having run out of ideas for designs, Peyton decided they had enough to use for now and that they could stop. She eyed the piles of paper with a satisfied gleam in her eye and checked her phone.

“Oh, it’s already lunch. You hungry?”

Lex dramatically sighed.

“Starving.”

“Alright, come on.”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him from the stool as he comically lagged behind her. Peyton laughed at his antics even as she continued to lead him down to the kitchens.

Most of the space was empty when they pushed through the set of doors. It was warmer, probably thanks to the ovens and stoves being used so often, and smelled of spices. Peyton let the sensations and scents wash over her as she let go of Lex and made her way to the pantry. Unlike her own home, there was an appalling lack of canned soups and boxed foods ready to eat.

“Figures,” Peyton mumbled under her breath. She moved over to the fridge to look for leftovers. “You want anything in particular?”

There were a few glassware containers containing soup and another which probably held steak. Lex joined her in front of the fridge, scanning it quickly before moving over to the cupboard that held the mugs.

“Soup is fine,” he said. “I’ll get drinks.”
“Something warm,” Peyton insisted. “We have a holiday theme going here.”

“Of course.”

She pulled out the soup and divvied some up between two thick bowls. Lex pulled his hand from his pocket and started on the drinks. Peyton sighed quietly to herself, wondering how many more times this would happen before she finally went home.

If she could still leave.

Both bowls were quickly hot thanks to the microwave, and Peyton slid one over to Lex over the counter as she reached for one of the mugs.

“I’ll trade ya!”
Before she could grab the mug, Lex pulled it back out of her reach and slid the other one over. Peyton shot him a confused look and he smiled apologetically.

“Sorry, I like my coffee black.”

“Oh, no problem.” The coffee in the other mug was already lightened with cream. “You sure do have a good memory!” She took a sip before even going for the soup and nodded. There was definitely enough cream and sugar. “Pretty perfect,” she complimented. “Unfortunately I can’t take credit for the soup. Hats off to, probably, Randall for that.”

“Randall?”
“He’s the head chef. Nice guy. Today he made me the best omelette I’ve ever had in my life.”

The soup was good too, of the chicken and dumplings variety, and satisfied the festive mood. Peyton hummed in contentment as she placed her empty dishes in the sink.

Her mother made the best chicken and rice soup.

She pursed her lips at the unbidden thought and whirled around to face Lex. He was just approaching with his own dishes and Peyton took them to put in the sink.

“I'm thinking sugar cookies,” she said quickly.

Lex tilted his head to the side.

“What?”

“Sugar cookies. We should make some. It's a tradition at my house; a lot of people’s house actually. You've had to have made them before.”

He shuffled a bit and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s been awhile.”

Peyton hid a frown and handed him a nearby bowl.

“Well, we’ll just have to change that. Grab some eggs.”

Peyton had the recipe memorized. Her family made these every year for the holidays, and also just when the craving hit them. She moved quickly as she hunted down bowls, measuring cups, and various ingredients. The actions sent her into back into old habits, which meant she tossed the baking equipment and ingredients back at Lex as if he were one of her brothers. He played the part well and without complaint, which was more than she could say for her brothers.

She easily fell into a role of leadership as she walked Lex through the steps and ingredient measurements. He made it easy, as she never had to repeat herself and he was more than precise with the measuring cups. Peyton started Lex on stirring the wet ingredients as she began sifting the dry ones together. She hummed a Christmas carol under her breath when she remembered that her flip phone didn’t exactly have an iTunes app to open. Lex shot her a mischievous grin as she mixed in a small pinch of salt.

“Is that supposed to be Silent Night,” he asked. “Because I can hardly tell through all your gurgling.”
Peyton gasped in mock outrage.

“How dare you! I actually sing decently!” At his laughter she scrunched her lips and dipped her hand into the bag of flour. With a glare, she promptly flicked a small handful of the powder directly at his pristine sweater.

“Hey!”

Peyton laughed as Lex jumped back and dusted his shirt.

“Serves you right. Rude people get floured.”

Lex’s eyes glinted dangerously.

“I’d say throwing flour at someone is pretty rude.”

His eyes cut over to the counter and Peyton realized he was serious.

“Wait, no!”
He had longer arms than her, however, and was able to snatch up the bag of flour before she could get a good grip on it. Peyton held up her hands in surrender as she eased away slowly. He hefted the bag in his hand with a grin creeping up his face.

“Look, we’re even right now; you don’t want to start this war. I’m warning y-”

A puff of flour cut her off as it landed smack on top of her head. Peyton coughed as she inhaled some of the powder and gaped at the smug teen across from her.

“You did not just do that!”

“Now we’re even.”

“Fine.”

She scowled as she dusted off her hair and and ignored him as she huffed in irritation. Her eyes cut up to watch Lex, looking for the moment when his shoulders relaxed, and then struck. Before he could back away she snatched the bag of flour back from him, and promptly proceeded to take advantage of his hesitation. A fistful of flour was aimed at his face, even as he quickly ducked out of the way.

“Hey!”
Peyton laughed and chased him around the island in the kitchen, throwing more flour as she ran.

“Serves you right, you jerk! See if I make cookies with you again!”

There was flour all over the floor and even more embedded into the fiber of Lex’s sweater. Peyton reveled in her victory. When she got entangled in battles with her brothers, it was always an unfair fight of two against one. They always teamed up on her and won.

Without warning, Lex stopped mid-run and whirled on the ball of his foot to face her; Peyton yelped and tried to skid to a halt, but all the flour on the floor made the tile slick. She backpedaled and her right foot flew out in front of her, sending her falling back. The floor was only an inch or two away when she came to a jarring stop. Lex had her free arm by the elbow and was supporting himself with the counter while he caught his balance. A surprised breath escaped her, her mind catching up with what had just happened, and then she looked up to Lex. He was grinning.

“Wh-oh, no! No! Don’t you dare!”
But he had her free arm effectively restrained, and she was at too awkward an angle to really do anything about it. With his balance back under control, he reached down and pried the flour bag from her desperate grip and hefted it over her head. If Peyton hadn’t been precariously balanced on the heels of her feet and by his hold on her arm she would have been halfway out of the kitchen already.

“Lex, we can’t mess up the kitchen anymore; don’t even-Ah!”

Flour dumped down over her head and shirt as Peyton shrieked in outrage. It would take so much shampoo to remove all the stuff from her hair!

“Lex!”
“What is going on!”

Peyton and Lex both jerked to a stop; Lex pulled her up so she could stand on her own to feet, and they cast guilty glances at the new figure in the room.

“Mr. Stanton,” Peyton exclaimed. She pasted on an appeasing smile and winced as she saw all the flour coating the floor. “We’re, uh, making Christmas cookies,” she said. The head chef’s face did not crinkle or curl up in any positive way.

“And,” Peyton continued, “we are going to sweep this all up!”

Randall’s brows sunk as low as his expectations of her.

“You,” he said. “You are going to clean this mess up?”

“Of course!”

She’d found the closet full of cleaning supplies when she’d been on the hunt for ingredients, and she rushed back over to it to pull out two brooms. Passing one to Lex, she began trying to sweep up all the powder under the lips of the cupboards. Lex held the broom for a moment, looking between Peyton and Randall with a confused expression before she shot a glare at him and he joined her with a sigh.

With a small pile growing, she looked up at Randall and flashed a grin, her nose scrunching and turning up.

“See! No worries! I wouldn’t leave your kitchen a mess like that!”

Randall opened and closed his mouth a few times and ran a hand through thinning hair.

With the both of them sweeping it didn’t take long to collect a dirty pile of flour in the middle of the floor which was quickly scooped up and dumped in the trash. There was, however, no hope of saving their clothes without going outside and trying to shake them clean. Peyton went back over to their stolen counter space and scooped a bit of the dry ingredients into the wet ones.

“We’ll just finish up and-”

“What are you making?”

“Peyton was showing me how to make sugar cookies,” Lex cut in.

Randall shook his head and came over to the counter to see for himself. He studied the ingredients left out and then the dough itself as Peyton nervously mixed it. After a moment of watching he shook his head and took the bowl from her. Peyton made a noise of protest but he spoke before she could start arguing.

“No, no, this can be better. Let me teach you.”

Inwardly she bristled as he dumped out her almost finished dough and started from scratch. She knew it was a perfectly good recipe, there was no need to get all fancy about it! But with a quick glance at Lex, and a shared look, she took a breath and forced herself to settle down. This guy was a professional chef, right? He probably did know a little bit more about baking than she did. As he ordered her to put her hair up, which she did sheepishly, and got into the groove of teaching Peyton softened further. The man’s eyes lit up as he gave instructions and helpful tips and doled out responsibilities. He almost seemed excited.

By the time they’d gotten to rolling out the dough, a few more people had wandered into the kitchen and sort of hovered around the disturbance in the room. One of the chef assistants was already mixing up frosting as Peyton insisted they cut the dough into Christmas themed shapes themselves since there was a disturbing lack of cookie cutters. By the time they got to the fun of frosting, Peyton had managed to convince the staff to actually join in, and the kitchen grew in occupation as happy chatter rose in volume. When they finally got around to eating some, Peyton yawned happily.

Lex and she were able to escape the warm kitchen when the staff decided to kick them out, and sent them off with a few cookies on a plate to take with them. Peyton bit into another cookie and dropped her shoulders.

“Ugh, these are stupid good,” she groaned as they climbed the stairs. “Curse Randall and his culinary skills.”

Lex chuckled obligingly as he followed along after her. Peyton glanced at the time on her phone and ran her hand through her hair.

“Oh man, I’ve been dictating activities all afternoon. Is there something else you wanted to do?”

He shrugged noncommittally and flashed her a smile.

“I’m having fun.”

Peyton grinned back.

“Alright. Then let’s give these Christmas decorations an upgrade.”

In her room, Peyton found a boombox and set it to a Christmas radio station. The people in the kitchen could probably hear the thunder of feet as Lex and she tore around the house, throwing paper chains over door frames and plastering paper snowflakes to the walls. All the movement helped Peyton shake off some of the drowsiness that had creeped up on her, and she let herself really immerse in the holiday spirit.

Lex taped another snowflake to the wall when she slid around the corner in fuzzy socks, a paper chain dangling around her neck.

“I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas,” she belted along with the radio, “I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas! I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart! ”

Lex’s face twisted in amused disbelief as he watched.

“Oh my gosh,” he said when her voice trailed off. “You’re just a giant nerd, aren’t you? You’re not cool at all.”

Peyton stuck out her tongue and wrapped a chain link around a staircase banister. Some of the paper was slightly creased from her performance, but it still looked decent enough. She smiled as she stepped back to grab another chain link and Lex helped her drape it over an ornately framed piece of art.

The numbness inside her, for now, was forgotten. At the moment, she was actually having fun.

The foyer of the home looked like something out of a cheesy Hallmark film when they were done and Peyton grinned in admiration when they stood back to admire their work. She rested a hand on Lex’s shoulder, released a contented sigh, and grabbed another cookie off the plate sitting on the entry table.

“I love it,” she said. “Much better.”

“Glad to help by being your slave labor.”

Peyton shoved Lex to the side and scoffed and Lex snickered as he caught his balance.

“Really though, I’m glad you’re still here. At least for Christmas,” he clarified with an uncertain look when she turned to look at him. “It’s just that I haven’t had a holiday like this in- in a long time.”

Her throat constricted slightly but she swallowed down the emotion with a shrug. Half the cookie was still left, but she put it back down as all the sugar started to catch up on her. She stalled for what to say by pulling all her hair over one shoulder. They hadn’t even done more than paper crafts and cookies. It didn’t seem like a big deal to her.

“Well, I’m still here. We’ll see how much we can fit in before I leave.”

She idly checked her phone again and sighed as the light pouring in from the windows noticeably dimmed.

“I’ve been asked to eat dinner with the parents tonight,” she complained. “Do you want to stick around? I’d understand if you didn’t.”

Lex seemed to deliberate on the idea for a moment before nodding.

“Why not? You might not be here tomorrow, right?”

Peyton slowly nodded in agreement.

“Right,” she said, a hint of guilt marring her tone. “But we should probably get cleaned up first. Come on, there’s a bathroom you can use upstairs.”

She changed into one of the simple dresses in the girl’s closet, because she didn’t feel like dealing with any arguments that would probably start if she showed up to dinner in pants. Really, heaven forbid. It was definitely one of the casual choices; being a light blue with simple white collar and none of the frills or sheen that some of the other in the closet had. Her hair would have to go up in a clip because she didn’t have time to wash it and there was no way she could shake out all the flour.

Back on the stair landing, Lex was already waiting. He’d somehow managed to get his sweater looking perfectly powder free and all around unwrinkled without more than a washcloth. Peyton rubbed at her eye and straightened her posture.

“Okay, you ready for this? Because I’m not.”

Lex quirked a grin and let her lead the way.

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”

The parents were already waiting in the dining room when Peyton walked through the door. Both wore stern faces and Peyton hesitated before gesturing towards the entrance.

“Hey, I invited-”

Merrill interrupted by throwing a tabloid magazine down on the table; a glossy photo of Lex and herself dashing through the streets of Metropolis, holding hands no less, printed on the front cover. Peyton cringed.

“Would you care to explain this?”

Chapter Text

Peyton froze as she stared at the photograph on the magazine cover. She had forgotten all about their little run in with the paparazzi. Her gaze shot from the picture up to the couple staring down their noses at her and she grit her teeth behind closed lips.

Wonderful. This was just what she needed.

“What do you want to know,” she hedged. If their expressions were anything to go by, the question hadn’t done her any favors.

“What were you doing running around Metropolis,” her not-mother asked shrilly.

“Without any security,” her not-father added.

Peyton couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little and gestured to the doorway.

“Okay, first of all, I invited Lex to dinner and he’s right here.”

Merrill actually let out a gasp as Lex stepped into view and bowed his head briefly in a respectful greeting.

“Mr. and Mrs. Woods, nice to see you again. I hope I’m not imposing.”

Samuel grunted a bit suspiciously but still stood to shake his hand.

“Not at all,” Merrill said before her husband could speak. “I suppose it’s not often that Peyton has friends over. Go ahead, have a seat! The first course should be in shortly.”

Lex pulled out a chair for Peyton and she shot him an amused look as she quietly thanked him and sat down. He followed suit in the chair right next to her. Samuel shook out his napkin and put it back in his lap.

“You still need to explain why you ran around the city unaccompanied,” he pressed.

For some reason, Peyton felt that explaining she needed to get out of the house because she was really an adult from another universe trapped in their daughter’s body wouldn’t go over too smoothly. Usually people didn’t take that sort of news very well. Perhaps it said something about Lex that he had accepted it so quickly himself. She cleared her throat to stall a moment longer.

 “Oh, well, you see, with it being so close to Christmas I thought I could go get presents for-”

Lex kicked the side of her foot under the table and when she cut her eyes at him he subtly shook his head.

“Ha,” Peyton faked laughed. The expressions on the parent’s faces said just how much they were about to buy into that story. “Can you imagine,” she asked in a higher voice. “For real though, like, Lex and I needed a break from our project, okay?” She sighed in a very teen dramatic way. “Is that so bad? You guys were working and Metropolis isn’t that far away. Sheesh.”

She cut her eyes back over to Lex and he vaguely nodded in approval.

Samuel continued to frown.

"You know we have a rule about going out with an escort. Perhaps you don’t realize just how dangerous it is for you with-”

“Oh, Samuel, I’m sure she understands now, don’t you dear? Let’s talk about this another time; we have a guest.”

“A guest who was running amok with her. Going to lunch and holding hands,” he added with distrust growing in his voice.

Peyton slapped her forehead into her hand and groaned.

“We’re just friends, uh… dad . Please don’t be weird about this.”

When she looked to Lex again he just shrugged marginally and played up a look of disappointment. Peyton glared at him before rolling her eyes again.

Dinner finally arrived after that and Peyton was blessed with a distraction and a few moments of quiet as everyone started eating.

There was barely the sound of metal on porcelain as everyone started on their bowl of soup.

Peyton had been raised with table manners, but this level of finery brought to mind rulers slapping knuckles and angry, snapping governesses. She made sure that her back was painfully straight and delicately dipped her spoon into her own bowl. It was a French onion soup, which seemed a bit heavy to start off a meal, but Peyton kept that thought to herself.

Her peace only lasted for half the bowl though.

Peyton was trying to delicately scrape some of the cheese off the side of the rim when Samuel sternly cleared his throat while putting down his spoon. She cut her eyes quickly to Lex, who was glancing over as well, before facing the man again.

“Was there something else,” she questioned when he only stared levelly at her.

“Nothing? Peyton, I know you’re lying to me. I’m no fool.” Peyton stiffened further in her seat and her gaze became guarded. “You’ve been behaving differently these last few days, more animated,” he said. “Did you think you were being subtle about these changes?”

She gaped momentarily, unsure of how to respond.

“What are you trying to say,” she asked, instead of giving a proper answer. He was fishing for something, and she wasn’t about to blurt out the truth. No, they’d have to pry that from her if they wanted it.

“How long have you and Mr. Luthor been together?”

“Together!” She echoed; her spoon fell into her bowl.

“Dating.” He clarified.

“Dating!”
Her voice came out in a squeak as she pushed back in her chair. Lex’s hand rested over hers, holding her in place, before she could deny the outrageous claim.

“A month,” he answered for her.

“Lex!”
He shrugged, but shot her a look from under his brows that clearly said to play along.

“I told you that you couldn’t lie to your parents,” he said.

Merrill’s eyes shone brightly at the news and she clapped her hands together.

“Peyton! Why ever would you lie to us about something like that? Alexander is an upstanding young man!”

Any attempts to deny Lex’s claims now would only appear to be a sad, blatant lie. She grit her teeth and blew a puff of air through her nose.

“I don’t know,” she bit out. “I guess it just didn’t seem real yet.”

Lex pat her hand and smiled.

The rest of dinner was a roller coaster; Merrill glowed, Samuel seethed, and getting grounded for lying hung in the air until Lex smoothly mentioned a last minute Christmas party invite for the event his father was hosting that would be a great networking opportunity. Even Samuel perked up at the invitation and Peyton made sure that they slipped out of the dining room while the couple was still in a decent mood.

She dragged Lex by the sweater behind her as she darted through the doors, down a hall, and pushed him into a small, enclosed corner.

"Okay, what was that?” She hissed. “Why’d you tell them we’re dating?”
"I’ve seen that look your dad was wearing before,” he said. “Nothing you said would convince him otherwise. Besides, that project excuse would’ve only lasted so long. At least this way if you stick around for longer it won’t seem so weird that I’m over.”

Peyton let go of his sweater and frowned. His argument made sense, she supposed. At least if he were as insistent on spending all this time over as he appeared to be.

“Aren’t you going to get in trouble for coming over so much? And anyway, it might just suck more for you when we switch back. The other Peyton seems, well, like she belongs here more, if you catch my drift.”

Lex smirked.

“I’ll take my chances. And the other Peyton, she, it’s weird actually. She’s usually just whoever the people around her want her to be. Like a mimicking puppet. There’s nothing genuine about her.”

“Gah.” Peyton shook her head and winced. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. We shouldn’t talk bad about her when I have no idea what’s happening to her and am stealing her body.”

“It’s true though,” Lex said. “You’re better.”

Peyton pinned him with a stare for a moment and then groaned as she leaned back and pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes.

“I’m going to jail,” she whined. “Oh my gosh. I’m twenty-four you know. This is not alright.”

“Not here.”

“I don’t care. It counts.”

Lex rolled his eyes.

“Well, your parents think we’re dating now and we don’t know how long you’ll stay. No going back now.”

Peyton pulled her hands away from her face and glared at him. He was pushing his luck with his smug tone and he was lucky “her parents” were just down the hall.

“You wanna play it like that,” she said, “fine. But there’s some rules to this little charade. You don’t get anything more than occasional hand holding. No pet names, no PDA to “sell it”; I don’t care how many cheesy teen movies you’ve seen. It ain’t happening.”

He held up his hands in surrender and laughed.

“Okay, okay. That sounds fair enough.”

She waited a bit suspiciously, but he didn’t add on anything else, and she snorted with a nod.

“Good. Now thanks to you I have to deal with those people in the dining room. Apparently we have a Christmas party to prepare for now.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I thought your dad didn’t do Christmas anyway.”

Lex huffed and shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks and he rocked back on the heels of his feet.

“Please. That party is all business. Usually it’s insufferable.”

“I really appreciate being dragged into it then.”

He grinned at her statement and she wasn’t quite sure why, but at that point it was time for him to go home and she walked him to the front door before seeing him off.

On her way back in the house she could hear Merrill calling her name from an office down the all. She held a finger up to her lips as she passed one of the staff and made a silent dash for her room.

[][]

Peyton did not wake up in her own bed the next day. She was not entirely surprised, but she spent half an hour under the spray of the shower just staring at the expensive tiling and zoning out.

Shell shocked, that’s the word that came to mind as she sat in the kitchens and ate breakfast. Lex sent her a text, as was now routine, but by then she had calmed down again and decided that she had a few errands she wanted to run. She told him she’d let him know when she was free.

Then she recruited a chauffeur, which came with an accompanying security guard apparently, and asked to be taken out to Metropolis. After dinner the previous night and the fact that she couldn’t prove that she was actually an adult, at least mentally, she wanted to stay on everyone’s good side. Being grounded when she should be able to buy her own house was not something she wanted to be stuck with.

Metropolis was bustling with businessmen (and women) and last minute gift shoppers. Peyton considered herself one of the latter, although by no fault of her own. After all, she’d only discovered it was almost Christmas a few days ago. She forced her bodyguard, whose name was James, to keep pace with her as she hurried from store to store. As she hadn’t really spent enough time around the mansion staff to get to know them properly, she pestered him to tell her about the various workers likes and hobbies so she could buy for them.

Having a credit card due to a dear, old Daddy Warbucks was the one plus she could come up with for her situation so far. James didn’t exactly work alongside the house staff regularly, but he knew them well enough to offer bits of advice. She tried to get them at least one semi personal gift, and tossed in a few various gift cards to play it safe.

For the people who were supposed to be her parents, she didn’t have a clue. Surely anything they wanted they’d already bought. And their behavior had been so stereotypical Rich Person so far that she couldn’t exactly make a guess as to what they might enjoy.

In the end she got an expensive bottle of some floral perfume for her “mom” and a nice leather planner for her “dad”.

“I’m winging it,” she said to James as she let the bags with her supposed-parent’s gifts dangle from her fingers. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“I’m afraid I don’t, Miss Woods,” he replied diplomatically. “I’m sure your parents will love that you thought of them.”

Peyton snorted.    

“Have you met them? I should probably have gotten some gift receipts.”

James suddenly burst into a mild coughing fit and Peyton grinned knowingly as she waited for him to recover.

“You alright?”

“Fine, Miss Woods.”
   

She snagged something for James on the sly while he had been glancing at exits and eyeing people as if any of them could be potential criminals. Peyton found that, at least, a bit unsettling. She couldn’t quite shake her middle-class mindset. She was Peyton Woods. Just Peyton. She did not need a bodyguard. But this Peyton supposedly did and it was weird. It felt unnecessary and embarrassing, actually. But, if it kept her from getting permanently locked up in that mansion, she supposed she could swallow her pride and accept the extra security.

Lex was the last person she had to buy for and she was struggling. Nothing seemed right, and she really wanted to pick him out something good. Even despite his stunt at dinner and pretending they were dating, which was still so wrong, she knew that of all the people on her list a personal gift would probably mean the most to him.

Did his dad even give him gifts?

Eventually she was able to find an almost hidden comic book store and demanded that they stop inside before lunch.

The man at the counter eyed her warily when she stepped inside followed by James. But after a moment he must have realized the gist of the situation and understood it to mean that she had money to spend, because he smiled and came around to ask if he could help her find anything.

“Do you have, um, Warrior Angel stuff,” she asked while glancing around the space. “Or, what was the bad guy. Devilicious?”
“Devilicus,” the man corrected congenially. “And we absolutely do. Right over here, actually.”

He led her over to a far corner in the store and tried to point out comic issues he thought she should start with or what was currently available in way of limited editions. Peyton politely declined his help, as she was sure Lex already had every issue physically available. He just seemed like the collector type. Instead her eyes fell to a selection of miniature figurines that were available and she plucked up two who she assumed were the main characters.

“These are them, right,” she asked the clerk. “The Angel Warrior and Devil dude?”

“Yes, miss. Do you need help finding anything else?”

“No, no.”

She studied the two inch figures and felt the beginnings of a plan forming. With a smile she gripped the figurines in her fist and toted them over to drop them on the front counter.

“This’ll be all,” she said.

The man looked a little disappointed.

Peyton had thought she’d be free at lunch, but those thoughts were vanquished when her chauffeur, Gibson, pulled away from the curb without her giving him a destination and informed her that she was was to be meeting her mother at a nearby cafe. From there she was supposed to join her mother in shopping for something to wear to the Luthor’s Christmas party. Peyton groaned as she flopped back in the seat of the SUV.

“There are a million dresses in her-I mean, my closet. Do I really need another one?”

“I don’t think I have ever heard you say that before,” James commented with a wry look. And then he seemed to have realized what he said because he snapped his mouth shut. Peyton just laughed.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of that lately. Enjoy it now; I have no idea how long it’ll stick around.”

The cafe was no corner bistro. There were a couple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and Grecian style pillars in the front foyer. They even took her jacket at the door and she was escorted to a table where Merrill was already waiting. She watched as the woman stood and moved forward to greet her with with a quick embrace and a kiss to each cheek.

“Darling! Look at you, must you rebel like this when I’ve made sure you have such a wonderful wardrobe?”

Peyton grimaced in irritation and glanced down at her ensemble. She’d only meant to dress festively for her shopping trip, but apparently the green dress and red tights and boots weren’t magazine worthy.

“I thought it was cute,” she commented. And really, she was doing the best with what she had. For her, the fashion of 1997 was a bit of an unwelcome throwback.

“It’s fine, I suppose,” Merrill said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “At least you won’t be wearing it to the party tomorrow. Now come, sit. We have to discuss what look we’ll be going for. There’s several promising pieces that I already have in mind.”

This was supposed to be the part where she complained about the hours of shopping and how awful it was for her, but Peyton found she didn’t really mind trying on dresses. She liked shopping, generally, and here she didn’t seem to have any sort of price limit. Her only real obstacle was trying to find a dress that was a bit more classic instead of trendy. She’d try to be a few years fashion forward if she could.

After a few stores, a couple off topic buys, and several awkward conversations, she finally found a dress that she could tolerate and that Merrill approved of. It was a velvet dress in a dark emerald that sat off the shoulder with a scalloped neck and short sleeves. With a pair of black tights to help protect her from the cold, it would work just fine, and she actually felt comfortable in it. It was still weird, though, when she twirled in front of the mirror, to see her sixteen year old self looking back at her.

Merrill rode with her in the SUV on the way back to the mansion; their combined purchases filled up the entire trunk of the car. The woman hummed happily as the car made its way out of the city and back towards the private estate.

“Oh Peyton, you’ve done so well. This party will be such a great opportunity for you. Alexander Luthor is training to help run his father’s business, of course, and it would be prudent of you to keep that connection close.”

“Not everything has to be a power play.” Peyton huffed as she leaned against the car door. “Lex is just a good person. I like hanging out with him.”

“Of course you do, dear. But, like I’ve told you before, nothing in our world is quite so simple.”

She reached over to run a hand down Peyton’s face, and Peyton tried not to lean away from the contact.

“I know you’ve never had a mind or inclination for business, which is why I’m trying to help you. Play your cards right with a boy like Alexander, and you won’t have to worry about anything at all.”

Peyton could only frown as she clamped her teeth together. The mother probably had a fair point in regards to her actual daughter. It was just a bit insulting to have those perceptions applied to herself. After all the schooling and hard work she’d put into starting to build her career, she was quite proud of her accomplishments.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said dryly.

When they finally arrived back at the mansion, Peyton hurried to collect all her bags, refusing help on the account that someone could peek inside and ruin the surprise. She set the bags down at the foot of her bed and finally got around to checking her phone. There were unread texts from Lex, unsurprisingly, and they only became more insistent the later in the afternoon it got.

[Sorry, had to go shopping. No thanks to you.]

With nothing else to do, she changed into a more comfortable outfit and began the work of organizing and preparing gifts for wrapping. She’d managed to get some wrapping paper and bags as well, because she hadn’t been quite sure if that was something a family like this would have tucked away in a spare closet.

Out of the last bag, she pulled out the small comic book figurines and smiled to herself as she turned them over in her hand. With a few adjustments, she could have a little gift that she hoped Lex wouldn’t find too cheesy. But really, she’d only known him a matter of days and she still struggled with buying gifts for her own brothers.

Everything she needed was in the craft room from the previous day. She worked on his gift, briefly running downstairs for a cup of cocoa and the tabloid she’d been confronted with the night before. Lex’s gift was halfway done when she received an answering text from him asking if they could meet. Peyton rubbed at her eyes as she fiddled with the flip phone and deliberated. It probably wasn’t a great idea to see him so much. He obviously got attached quickly and it would be harder this time than before when she finally woke up back in her real body. But then, she could understand how he might not want to miss a chance to be around someone actually from another universe.

And she was pretty cool, if she did say so herself.

"Jail,” she muttered to herself. “You’d be carted off to jail back home, and what would mom think?”
Actually, her mother would probably want to invite Lex over and fuss over him as she baked a batch of whatever his favorite cookies were. She growled under her breath.

[Just give me an address. Ur begging won’t work every time, I hope u know.]

He replied shortly after with a location and smug little ‘time will tell’, which Peyton scoffed at. She should’ve just told him no. He was still a spoiled rich boy at heart, wasn’t he? She had to remember that.

Regardless, she’d already agreed so she sheepishly relocated the driver and had him take her to the park Lex had specified. James had to tag along as well, and it made Peyton feel like a bit of a burden even if this was their jobs.

It was late afternoon, but still considerably cold as Peyton clipped down the park grounds. James trailed a short ways behind her, giving what illusion of privacy he could, she supposed, and she tried to take that in stride. Lex waited on a park bench, a cup of coffee in each hand, and he passed her one as she took a seat next to him.

“Thank you,” she said while cradling the warm cup. “I feel like you’re always giving me coffee or cocoa or something. I should probably return the favor a bit more often.”

Lex smiled thinly.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I’m the reason you’re out here anyway. Sorry, but I couldn’t make the drive all the way out tonight. My dad would notice how late I got home what with the party tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. Maybe I’d take turns driving over, but I’m not sure if she has her driver’s license yet.”

“You don’t.”

Peyton rolled her eyes as she took a large drag of her coffee.

“I’m still not her,” she said lowly.

Lex chose not to respond.

They chatted idly and walked a bit around the park, James always in sight, until they’d finished their drinks and the sky started to dim. Then Lex had to go and she was getting a bit cold in her bones anyway, so they parted ways.

When she woke the next morning in the princess bed yet again, Peyton only blinked lethargically and mulled over the idea that perhaps this was some sort of Christmas spirit mission like she’d seen in the movies. Maybe after she helped Lex have a nice Christmas she’d finally be free to go back home and to her own body. She snorted at her own daydreams as she crawled out of the bed and forced herself to go through her morning routines.

Life was no Hallmark or Nicholas Cage movie.

But apparently it could be some weird sort of sci-fi flick.

The party wasn’t until the evening, so Peyton only threw her hair up in a bun and dressed in jeans and a sweater as she went to the craft room to finish Lex’s gift. She planned on giving it to him at the party as she expected not to see him Christmas day. Even if his father didn’t “do” Christmas, surely they still spent some time together, right? Her stomach twisted painfully at the idea of Lex sitting by himself in an empty living room Christmas morning, not even a tree or garland to keep him company. That couldn’t be right. Who could possibly be that cold? And towards their own child?

She’d ask and make sure that wasn’t the case at the party. And, if it was, well, perhaps she’d have a few things to say to his dad.

Chapter Text

Peyton floated around the warmly lit lobby, a champagne glass marked with a green stem resting lightly in her hand. She sipped at the sparkling cider and sighed as she made another round passed one of the waiters with a tray of appetizers.

She'd been to company parties before. She knew the dance that had to be performed. But none of the parties she'd attended had ever been quite this grand or lavish. An entire floor of the corporate building they were in had been cleared out for the event. She didn't even want to know what all the glitzy Christmas decorations had cost. There was actually even a life sized swan ice sculpture at one end of the room.

Her substitute parents had left her to her own devices after doing a tour around the room with her to present themselves as a happy family unit to other business associates. Peyton had smiled and indulged them, which they seemed to take in stride. But now she didn't know what to do. It would look odd for her to try and engage in conversation with people who were her actual, true age; and there wasn't an abundance of teens here that she'd noticed.

Peyton fiddled with the shiny, black clutch under her arm. It was a bit bulky with Lex's present inside, but she refused to not wrap the gift. It was small and silly enough as it was, putting it in a gift box was the least she could do.

She continued in her meandering around the room, enjoying the way her heels sounded on the sleek wooden floors and wondering where Lex might be. It was really sad that he was the only company she could keep in this place.

"Peyton?"

She swiveled at her name. The voice hadn't been Lex's, or one she recognized, but that didn't really surprise her. A blonde headed boy made his way towards her; he looked about the same age as Lex, and Peyton felt a twinge of recognition. She'd definitely seen him before... at the school. Oh! Right! That Oliver kid. The one who thought he ruled the campus, or something like that. Peyton sniffed, took a deep breath, and pasted on a polite smile.

"Hello... Oliver," she said. She held out her hand to shake and she noticed his look of confused amusement. Instead of shaking her hand, he theatrically bowed and kissed her knuckles. Peyton quickly pulled her hand free, subtly wiping the back of her hand on her dress.

"What's with all the formalities, Pey," he asked. "I haven't even heard from you since break started."

Peyton winced slightly at the nickname with the relief that he at least didn't try to use the term "Pey-Pey". Not that she necessarily was anti-nickname, but she didn't know who this boy was and she still wasn't sure that she liked him. So far, he gave her a haughty vibe that was already prickling a few nerves.

"Christmas has been busy," she said lamely. "I've been doing holiday stuff."

He snorted.

"What? Like hanging out with Lex Luthor?"
"Excuse me?"

Oliver huffed out a false laugh and Peyton furrowed her brows further.

"Oh come on. We all saw the tabloid pictures. Are you hanging out with that loser now? I thought you didn't like him."

Peyton cocked a disbelieving brow at the boy and came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be her new favorite person. True she may not know the full dynamic between the two boys, but there was still some basic decorum one usually followed in company. And he was certainly old enough to know better.

"That's rude," she said dryly. "You know whose party you're at, right?"

Oliver laughed easily.

"Lionel Luthor's," he said. "And since when did you care about being rude?"
She rolled her eyes and brushed back her bangs. Before bothering to reply, she took another sip of her sparkling cider and adjusted her grip on her clutch.

"Since recently." She bit out. "Although your attitude is certainly starting to test it." She smiled sweetly and enjoyed the look of stunned surprise that graced his features.

"Whoa," he said holding out his hands. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd finally grown a backbone."
Peyton's grip on her glass tightened as she shot a glare at him.

"Wow, okay, I think this conversation has-"

There was a hand at her back and Peyton jumped slightly as she swiveled to see who snuck up on her.

"Oh; Lex! There you are."

He hardly glanced at her as he was too busy glaring a hole through Oliver's head, and he still hadn't removed his hand from her back as the boys had a silent face-off. If Oliver was more antagonistic with Lex than her, she could understand the look. She swiveled to face Lex more, and to free herself from his grip. His fingers tensed a moment before he let them fall away, but his expression hardly flickered. Oliver snorted. He dipped his head down and lifted his own glass mockingly as a smile tugged at his lips.

"Good to see you actually showed up," Oliver said. "I was beginning to wonder."

Lex's lips pressed together thinly as his gaze flickered a moment.

"I see you're taking advantage of the refreshments already."
Peyton didn't understand the jab at first. She glanced down at her own glass, the green stem darker at the bottom and fading as it reached the curve of the cup. Oliver's glass, oh, Oliver's glass was red instead of green.

"Hey," she cut in, "you're too young to be drinking-"

"Did your dad not allow you to wear your hat? Too much of an embarrassment? You could at least put on one of those cheesy Santa caps, your kind of blinding the roo-"

"That's enough!"

Peyton shoved her almost empty glass behind her into Lex's chest, and she felt him take it as she rounded on Oliver and jabbed him in the chest with a finger.

"So far you have been nothing but rude and condescending. You are a guest at someone else's party and there are rules and decorum and a basic little thing called manners. I don't care what kind of stupid rivalry you and Lex have. I don't care who said what to whom! I don't care how much money your family has or how special you think that makes you."

Oliver backed away, his eyes wide as he stared down at her in her aggressive chastisement.

"Unless you can be civil and polite, I expect you to not speak to either of us for the rest of the evening; do I make myself clear?"

He stared, bewildered, at her as if she'd grown another head suddenly or started spitting flames. Raising his hands in mock surrender, Oliver huffed out a disbelieving laugh.

"Woah, calm down, mom. We were just having a bit of bantering, right Lex?"

Lex glared for a moment with nothing but a deep seeded hatred in his eyes before he bit out a,

"Whatever."

Peyton sensed that this conversation had no chance of being salvaged, so she tugged on Lex's arm and drew him away. Lex felt stiff and moved like it as she positioned them across the room away from Oliver. His hackles were up, that much was obvious, and it bothered her. Apparently not even the rich and extravagant were safe from bullies. There was always a bigger fish, she supposed.

They'd come to stop by a large hearth that popped and crackled and added a certain warmth to the corporate party. Peyton stood and let her back warm and her temper cool as she allowed Lex a moment to simmer in his anger. Having two brothers settling into their teen years had taught her that a boy's ego was easily bruised and those slights not quickly forgotten.

"Well," she finally said with a sigh. "At least we got that part over with."

Lex's gaze shifted to her as she brushed an imaginary strand of hair over her ear.

"What part?"
"The awkward conversation part. They're obligatory at parties like this, you know. But it's good to get them out of the way early."

Lex huffed a bit in forced amusement and shoved his hands into his slacks pockets.

"Just one?"
Peyton shrugged one shoulder.

"I said awkward, not pointless. Anyway, you have to brush it off and let it go; who even cares what he thinks. Don't let that jerk ruin your Christmas."

When he still wore his pouting expression, Peyton rolled her eyes and pulled her clutch out from under her arm.

"I got you a present," she sang.

He perked up at that. Peyton clicked open the clutch and pulled a small wrapped box. She'd kept it traditional and simple and wrapped it with shiny green paper and finished it off with a red ribbon and bow. For a second she hesitated, turning the box in her hand and twisting her lips.

"But don't get your hopes up. It's pretty dumb. I just sort of figured you'd already have everything so-"

Lex snatched the gift from her hand like she might change her mind and not give it to him. She watched in amusement as he hefted it in his hand.

"Can I open it now? Or is peeking off limits until tomorrow?"
"You can open it whenever you want; it's your present."

With a tug he pulled her by the hand across the room to a more quiet corner away from most gazes. A large Douglas Fir was placed along one wall, and it stood at least ten feet tall. It was decorated with gold and silver baubles and draping tinsel and Peyton wondered just how they'd gotten it into the building. Partially hidden by the boughs of the tree he finally stopped and let go of her hand.

"Right," said Peyton. "That's what I was forgetting. The correct atmosphere."
Lex ignored her as he studied the wrapped box one more time before pulling off the ribbon and tearing open the paper. He pulled the lid off the box and Peyton nibbled at her lip as he pulled the homemade gift from some crumpled tissue paper.

She'd made him a keychain and she felt a little silly for it, but really. She was trying to work with what she had.

"I told you it's kind of dumb, but X-Boxes haven't been invented yet and you'd probably have one already if they were."

The Warrior Angel and Devilicus figurines she'd bought dangled from an eye and chain that she'd managed to screw and glue into the tops of them. On a longer chain, below them, hung one of those small keychain picture holders, and she'd clipped out their tabloid photo and placed it inside.

"I swear there's a rhyme and reason to this," she continued. "So, I don't know if you remember, but when I first met you-"

"I asked you to play with me," Lex finished. "You let me play the hero for hours. And I'm pretty sure you keep getting Devilicus' name wrong on purpose."

Peyton smiled primly and neither confirmed nor denied the accusation.

"And I know the picture isn't exactly ideal," she added, "but it was the only one I could find of us together. At least, you know, one where it's me, and not the other Peyton."

He studied the figurines a moment, smiling softly, before he moved onto the photo and his smile widened.

"It's perfect," he finally said. "It's not dumb."

Peyton smiled happily, fidgeted on her feet and rubbed the back of one arm briefly.

"Well, it's just a keychain."

"I'm not so rich that I can't appreciate a heartfelt gift," he said flatly. "Thank you."

His thank you was much warmer and Peyton let her smile go a bit quirky as she gave his arm a quick squeeze.

"You're welcome. And now you'll have something to remember me by."

Lex frowned at that.

"You still think you're going back?"

"I have to eventually, right? I mean, I have to believe I'll see my family again."
He nodded once, stiffly. His eyes darted around the room briefly before he flashed her a smile and tucked his new keychain in his pocket.

"How about I get us another drink? You want coffee or sparkling cider or…"

Peyton had never been one for champagne, and she really didn't want to drink it in a sixteen year old's body. Lord knew what it'd probably been through already.

"Sparkling cider is fine," she said.

Lex disappeared into the crowd and Peyton hummed a bit as she rocked on her heels to wait. The room still milled with conversation and sporadic laughter. She shifted, one conversation rising above the others from a group of older men who seemed to be lauding the success of keeping employee benefits to a minimum. Her irritation spiked at the smug tones and condescending nature, and she couldn't help herself. Before she had time to really consider if it were a good idea or not, she'd inserted herself into the conversation and engaged men with much more business experience than her in debate.

She was so riled up by their blase attitudes and obvious dismissal due to her apparent age, that she forgot what year she was in and started referencing studies done that proved happy employees were twelve percent more productive, which obviously actually increased profits and quality work. Some of the men quieted down as she carried on, and she felt a bit victorious for it, until the hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she shut up and turned around.

Peyton was met with the dark, piercing gaze of Lionel Luthor. He hadn't changed drastically from what she remembered from their first brief meeting. His hair was a bit grayer around the temples, but in all other respects he was just as sharp and unsettling.

"Mr. Luthor."

She bobbed her head respectfully while her eyes darted around in search for Lex. He was behind his father, two glasses in hand, and shooting her a sharp look that she took as a warning.

"Miss Woods," Lionel greeted. "I don't believe I've ever seen you so animated. I sincerely hope party conversation hasn't been so upsetting as to incur your wrath."

"Not my wrath… sir. Just my debate; not that I anticipate any change to come from it."

"As only heir to the family business," Lex cut in, "I'm sure Peyton has been privy to plenty of debates by now."

He stepped in front of his father to hand her a glass, and Peyton took a large swallow to distract herself. Unsettling didn't seem enough of a word to describe Lionel Luthor. From her brief time under his scrutiny, she found he had the knack for making a person feel hunted, analyzed, and found lacking all within the span of a minute. His very words felt like they hid a secret test, one that she was failing if Lex's face was anything to go by. She sighed internally and shrugged with a roll of her eyes.

"But, like, whatever; right? What do I know?"

Her transition to flippant teen had seemed to work well enough with her oblivious parents, but it didn't seem to help much with Lionel. He eyed her liked she were a new curiosity and Peyton cursed being trapped in this stranger's body yet again.

Just how was she supposed to act?

Lex placed a hand at her back and she was about to protest quietly when she noticed the action dragged Lionel's attention away.

"I'm sure you've seen the papers, dad."

Lionel's lips twitched in a familiar way, a familial trait, she supposed.

"More than that," he said. "I've borne the brunt of Merrill Woods' enthusiasm on the subject." Peyton winced and Lionel laughed. "Yes," he agreed. "Though I kept my reaction a bit more subdued."

Lex's hand on her back tensed and Peyton took another drink as she watched him shift.

"Well, no need to run the subject into the ground then. Peyton and I have to go."

Peyton noted the tight, uneasy way Lex spoke to his father. She might've protested at the sudden liberty Lex took to direct her actions, but she was just as eager to leave his father's presence as he seemed to be. That and she was reluctant to bring more attention to herself than she already had.

Lionel dipped his head in what felt more like permission than acknowledgement.

"Of course; mingle amongst your own peers. I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Woods."

Peyton didn't know where they were slinking off to but she followed Lex, only hesitating a moment to keep her manners and bid Lionel a good evening.

Lex seemed to be intent on leaving the main party room as he made a beeline towards the open double doors which led out into a wide hall. She knocked back the last of her drink to set it on a passing waiter's tray before they exited the room; which turned out to be a bit of a feat given the clip Lex had them moving at now. Peyton was relieved when they finally passed the threshold and out of the immediate crowd of people.

"Peyton!"

A hand yanking on her elbow had her jerking back and a scowl already forming before she'd even noticed her accoster was Oliver.
"I've been looking all- hey, get away from him. I saw that freak drop something in-"

"Let go of me."
Peyton wrenched her arm out of Oliver's grasp, glaring openly now as she backed away from him and further into the hall. He looked agitated, possibly even fretful, as he swiveled between shooting sneers at Lex and looking over her as if to find evidence of some wrongdoing. Lex went tense next to her.

"Listen, he slipped s-"

"No offense," Peyton cut in, "but unless you're here to apologize, I don't want to hear it. Okay?"

Grabbing Lex by the elbow, she ushered them further away from a gaping Oliver. For a few moments it was silent.

"Fine! See if I try and help you out again!"

She grit her teeth and muttered under her breath.

"I never wanted to be sixteen again in the first place."

[][][]

Peyton managed to survive the rest of the party with Lex. At her inquiry, he assured her he'd be fine Christmas morning, that he was used to the routine with his father by now, and Peyton accepted it because she was too intimidated to re-approach the corporate titan. And although the rest of the evening went along quietly, she was drowsy and ready to go home by the time her parents finally decided to make their leave.

And then she was stumbling up the stairs to her room, peeling off the fancy dress, and flopping down onto the large princess bed to sleep until late Christmas morning.

Christmas day was quiet. The house staff had the day off, and Peyton was forced to interact with her stiff, alternate parents one-on-one for a few hours. She opened the gifts they'd gotten her, mostly clothes or expensive trinkets, and reacted with grateful enthusiasm the way her mother had taught her. They both seemed shocked that she'd actually gotten them gifts in return, but accepted them nonetheless. Whether they truly liked them or not, Peyton didn't know.

Although she knew it wasn't Christmas back home, she still couldn't help but feel the sting of emptiness in the holiday here. If it were Christmas back home, they would have had red and green pancakes for breakfast with little chocolate chips sprinkled all through them. They would have laughed and sang badly along to a couple Christmas carols before the twins got too fidgety and demand that they start passing out gifts. Her parents always let them go first, just enjoying the process of watching their excitement and glee.

Why did a few days without seeing them suddenly feel like so much longer?

Peyton found herself roaming around by herself by lunch. She text Lex a Merry Christmas, then sent one to Annalise as well because she was bored.

She wandered and tried to keep herself busy the rest of the day, the sound of her bare feet padding along the wooden floors some of the only noise in the house. She didn't see her parents again until dinner. And while the conversation was idle and shallow, Peyton supposed it was better than the silence.

When she curled up in bed that night, she'd felt the heaviness of sleep sink in, only to stop at that point where the world grows fuzzy and all sounds are far away. It wasn't quite a state of knowing, but Peyton was certainly aware of something. She reached out but couldn't quite grasp her consciousness well enough to figure her situation out.

"-up! Pey- ok -please!"

"Yo- nee- ma'am- there-!"

Something in her yearned to join the voices. It felt like it would be right. Something tingled in her… neck? Arms? She could dimly see a shadow. And then there was a loud ringing right in her ear and she lost focus.

Peyton blinked, eyelids feeling like weights, as her phone next to her bed screeched at her. With a groan she rolled over, snagged the cursed brick, and hit the green button.

"Hello?"
"Peyton?"
Peyton dug into her eye with her fist as the lilting question told her all she needed to know.

"It's me, Lex. Still here."

She was sure she heard a sigh at the other end of the line as she swung her legs over the bed and stood up.

"You weren't answering my texts," he explained.

"I was sleeping."

She certainly heard him huff.

"Well you might want to get dressed. I'm already halfway to your place."

Peyton froze, already poised under the threshold of her bathroom door, and scowled.

"Seriously? What time is it?"

"I'm bringing coffee."
She planned on reprimanding him further, but she remembered he'd just mentioned that he was already on his way.

"Just hang up and drive. You're going to get yourself killed."
"Yes ma'am."

Peyton scoffed as she tossed the phone back onto her bed and shucked off her pajamas for a quick shower. Under the hot spray of the shower head, she attempted to shake off the last coils of anxiety left over from her odd dream.

[]

Lex tried to ease her ire and the accompanying scolding she had planned by immediately handing over a cup of coffee and a small wrapped box. Peyton took the items with a surprised blink as Lex let himself into the manor. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder as he made his way out of the foyer and down the hall. Peyton took a quick swig of coffee, sucked in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly before following after him.

"Oh hey, Lex. Come in. It's been far too long; nice to see you."

She trailed after him huffily as he let himself into the study they'd first used to pretend to do homework in. He flashed a smile over his shoulder, looking irritatingly pleased with himself, but didn't slow.

"Thanks for inviting me in," he goaded. "I'm sure you'll be glad you did once I agree to help you out with the homework."

Peyton paused in the doorway to the study, processing his words as he carelessly dropped his book-bag onto the nearby desk.

"Homework?"

"We actually did have some assignments over break. I'm assuming you haven't done them."

Groaning, Peyton ran a hand across her face and sighed.

"Something tells me this girl isn't one to do her work ahead of time."

"Not really."

It was still too early to be reminded she was supposed to be in high school. Instead she leaned against the desk in the room and eyed the small, wrapped box Lex passed her. It was wrapped in a sleek silver paper, done by someone who hadn't wrapped very many presents before but had tried their best. She smiled fondly at the tucked in edges and excess tape.

"So can I open this now?"
Lex looked up from the books and notebooks he'd pulled out of his bag and nodded. His pale skin tinged pink around the cheeks.

"Yeah. If you want."

Peyton noticed the keychain she'd made him clipped to his bag and laughed lightly.

"Okay."

Carefully, she pulled the tape away until she could slide the box out from the paper. It looked like a long jewelry box, usually what a bracelet or a necklace came in, and Peyton gnawed lightly on the inside of her cheek before working up the nerve to pull the lid off.

Inside, hanging off a thin silver chain, was a small heart-shaped locket. To Peyton's relief it was relatively simple, and not encrusted with precious gemstones. There was a little engraved filigree around the edges, but that was it and it suited her tastes just fine.

"It's beautiful, Lex," she said. "Thank you!"

"It opens," he offered.

Peyton clicked open the clasp and one side sprung away. Inside he'd placed a picture of himself that looked fairly recent. It looked like it could have been one of the wallet sized photos from a school pictures packet, and she couldn't help wondering if private schools had their students pose next to a fake tree with even faker smiles as well.

"Ah," she exclaimed. "It's perfect! Now we both have something! You really didn't have to get my anything. Thank you."

His shoulders relaxed marginally at her extra praise and he gestured towards the necklace.

"Do you, uh, want help… putting it on?"

The chain had a simple clasp that she'd long since figured out how to manage, but given Lex's tentativeness and the fact that the locket felt weighted like real silver, she decided to indulge him.

"Sure."

Peyton turned so her back was facing him and held out the necklace. When she didn't sense movement after a moment, she cut her eyes over at him.

"Well, come on. We do have homework to get to, right?"

He shook his head as her words sank in and moved forward.

"Right," he said. "I'll just, uh-"

As he accepted the chain and fiddled to open it, Peyton brushed her hair to one side and waited. Before the silence became thick, she saw his hands come from around the back of her neck before disappearing again as the heart locket rested right beneath the hollow of her throat. A warm breath of air puffed against the back of her head, causing an involuntary shudder from her, followed by a nervous swallow, and then Lex was attempting to smooth her hair back in place.

"Thanks!" Peyton stepped out of his reach and turned to face him with a flashing smile. He looked a bit flustered and though that hadn't been her intentions with letting him help, she felt a bit guilty still. He was only seventeen. Of course he was going to get easily confused. Peyton continued on to distract both of them.

"It's the perfect length. Now let me see if I can find this girl's backpack somewhere up in her room."

Lex's lips ticked downward slightly either at her abrupt change of subject or at the reference to the other Peyton, but she ignored the expression and gave his arm a quick, comforting squeeze as she passed him to exit the study.

She ran upstairs and dug around her room for a few minutes before finding the girl's backpack, textbooks and notebooks untouched inside, and then darted back down to the study. Lex already spread out his papers and books by the time she got back and she grit her teeth as she dropped into the chair next to him.

"This sucks," she said. "I mean, it shouldn't be too hard, but still. I already did this once. How dare they make me do it again."

"I guess you could just refuse to do it," Lex said lazily. He was a bit more relaxed in his chair now, to Peyton's relief. "Or you could try to explain the situation to them. They might make an exception for you."

Peyton rolled her eyes and she huffed as she forced out a breathy laugh.

"Hardy-har. Please don't drop out of school to become a comedian."

[]

Much to her chagrin, she did actually did engage his help with some history homework, not exactly her top subject. But when she pulled out a math book her face lit up and she eagerly opened to the page that Lex announced as the given homework. Lex, in contrast, approached the homework with a resigned unenthusiasm; his lips pressed together and gaze bland.

"Finally," Peyton said to herself. "Something that doesn't change no matter what universe you're in."

"So you think. You are breaking all the rules of physics of the known universe."

"Hush, you. You're amazingly unhelpful."

But she had to, perhaps a bit begrudgingly, admit that Lex was an extremely intelligent teenager. He did most of the math homework without even hinting around for answers and Peyton made sure to use the math methods that the book explained, and not whatever shortcuts she'd learned over her time working.

The room was warm and quiet. For a while the only sounds were the scratching of pencils and creaking as they both shifted in their chairs. It reminded Peyton of college study sessions in the library, complete with the smell of worn pages and stained wood. Her lips ticked up unbeknownst to her as she scribbled down another solution.

"Do you have a calculator? It doesn't say you have to show your work for this section."

Lex tapped his eraser on his paper as he glared down at his textbook.

"Yeah," he said without looking up. "There's one in my book-bag."
"Awesome."

Peyton stood and stretched. A couple vertebrae popped as she arced her back and reached her arms behind her. When she opened her eyes, she caught Lex's gaze and shot him a glare. His eyes snapped back down to his paper and she snorted out a puff of air from her nose.

There were several other books in his bag when she tossed the flap over and began digging around. She shifted between the hardback texts and spiral notebooks until she saw a black, brick-like object emerge.

"There you are."

The ancient calculator was quickly pried from its surroundings, only so send something rattling into the bottom of the bag. A flash of white caught her eye, and Peyton's brow furrowed as she reached into the bag again.

"Wait, no!"

It was a pill bottle.

Her heart dropped as her brain rattled through all the things that a preppy teen boy could be hiding. Non-prescribed Ritalin? Ecstasy? She didn't even know what all kids could get access to in high school, let alone rich kids. But this was none of those things.

"A sleep aide?"

When she turned to look at Lex, his face had gone pale, arms tight against his sides as he pressed his lips together and seemed to wait. Peyton lifted the bottle.

"Are you having trouble sleeping? Is it stress or-"

She paused, noting that he only tensed further as she continued to speak. Why was he trying to hide something so mundane? Her heart palpitated as she eyed the bottle again. Her palms felt suddenly moist.

"Are-are these not for you, Lex?"
He broke eye contact for a moment, she saw his chest hitch in a broken breath, before he turned back and tried not to fidget.

"Peyton-"

"No."
Her free hand pressed against her lips as every memory was pulled up for questioning. All the coffees he'd brought her, him purposefully handing her a cup instead of letting her pick, the drowsy feeling that always seemed to cling to her when it never had before.

The fact that she hadn't yet woke up back home.

"Have you been drugging me?"
Her voice was shrill and warbled in the middle as her insides fell. Lex's eyes widened and he took a hurried step forward, arms up already in defense.

"It's not like what you think!"
"Not like-? Okay, so explain it then. Because it seems like, to me, you've been slipping me Melanin pills every day so that I stay in this body and hang out with you!"

Lex stopped. His left fist balled up tightly and he glowered in what almost looked like a pout.

"Well it sounds bad when you say it like that."

Peyton grit her teeth as she felt a swell of adrenaline sweep up her limbs.

"It is bad!"

"I don't have any friends! I just wanted to get to know you better; I'm sorry."

Her fingers tightened around the bottle and her arm almost jerked up, but she was able to keep herself from chucking the bottle across the room.

"No. You do not get to make this about you. You used information I shared with you against me. You drugged me. And this entire time, I have been terrified that I would never go home again. And you knew and you said nothing!"

Peyton stopped and made herself take a couple deep breathes. Lex stood still, head slightly hung as he remained silent. The silence only enraged her more. She threw the bottle back into his bag and then shoved the bag into his chest.

"I think you need to go."
Lex's expression flared in a wide panic and he surged forward again while clutching his bag.

"Peyton, wait! I'm sorry, okay? I messed up. I panicked and didn't know what to do!"

She stood firm. His loneliness, and probably neglect, had her sympathy, but this was too far.

"I'm sure you're sorry," she said. "But you still need to leave." Her bottom lip trembled as she pointed to the door. "I need- I need time to think about this."

Lex's expression fell, shuttering closed. He straightened his posture and Peyton clenched her teeth.

"You'll be gone and you'll hate me."

It sounded like another manipulative statement laced with fear, and Peyton didn't plan on indulging this one.

"I don't hate you, Lex. But I'm beyond hurt, and furious, and extremely disappointed. I will text you before I… before I'm gone."

His eyes burned red and his lips were pressed together so firmly they were hardly visible, but he nodded nonetheless.

Lex walked passed her, pausing for a moment as if to say something, but then continued on. Peyton remained silent as she watched him go and blinked more furiously as he exited the study.

The echo of his footsteps faded away as he made his way further down the hall. Peyton closed her eyes and let out a ragged sob as the front door clicked shut.

Chapter Text

She had locked herself in her room shortly after Lex left. Peyton still hadn’t been able to get her crying fully under control and answering questions from the house staff wasn’t something she really wanted to do at the moment.

Curled up on top of her comforter she rubbed at her wet eyes and hiccuped. Every time she thought of the pill bottle her gut churned and her chest hurt.

Drugging her. He’d actually remembered that she’d stayed longer after taking cough syrup and thought of a way to use that, what was to him, years later. How could he look her in the eyes as she unknowingly sipped at the coffee he’d given her? How could he be okay knowing how unnerved she was at being stuck in another body that wasn’t quite hers in a universe that she didn’t belong in?

She shouldn’t have trusted him so easily. He was, after all, a spoiled, selfish rich kid.

A desperate rich kid, some betraying voice in her head added. But it didn’t quench her ire. It didn’t matter how lonely or desperate someone was, you didn’t just lie and violate someone you were supposed to be friends with like that.

Her brick of a cell phone was vibrating on the mattress beside her. It had gone off a couple times now and Peyton assumed it would continue on for the rest of the night. But she refused to answer it. She didn’t want to talk to him tonight.

Consequences. There were consequences for actions, and he was going to figure out this was one of them.

She’d told him that she didn’t hate him, and that was true. Despite her anger she could honestly see what fear he could be acting off of, and he would have to just believe her. Like she’d believed him until now.

Eventually she forced herself to get up and get over herself a bit and get ready for bed. Most of her day had been wasted with her staring blankly at the wall and simmering in bitter betrayal, but enough was enough. Peyton went through the steps of her nightly routine, letting the familiar actions comfort her and mentally calculated how long until she might wake up home.

Lex had given her a coffee before she’d figured him out, so she had at least until the next day for her body to work through the sleep aide.

Lord, he’d been giving her at least one pill a day. No wonder he’d been so insistent on visiting her.

She probably had one more day. One more day before she could wake up in her own adult body and try to untangle the mess her life had probably become. If luck were on her side not much time had passed in her universe. Maybe she wasn’t late for work. Maybe she wouldn’t be fired the minute she opened her eyes and maybe her mother wouldn’t be an emotional mess kneeling at her bedside.

Peyton rubbed at her eyes again and groaned.

A knock on her bedroom door reminded her that she didn’t actually live in this manor alone. She cleared her throat, glad that she’d stopped crying and her eyes weren’t as red as they had been earlier.

“Yeah?”

“Miss Woods? Are you feeling alright? You skipped dinner.”

“Oh. Did I?”

The clock on her nightstand read seven thirty. Stewing, she’d been stewing for the entire day and she hadn’t even realized it.

“Get it together, Peyton,” she muttered to herself. “This isn’t you.”

“Miss?”
She sighed and gestured at the door even if they couldn’t see.

“You can come in.”

The door eased open and Peyton tried to arrange her face into a less despondent expression. Why did she care so much anyway? Lex was only a kid she’d known for a smattering of days; and now she knew just what kind of person he was. Or could be, at least. She was behaving much too melodramatic for her own liking.

Like an actual teenager. Peyton shuddered.

It was Mary who hesitantly stepped into the room, eyeing her up and down as if already knowing there was something off. Peyton kept a polite smile on her face and didn’t fidget under the inspection.

“Sorry,” she said to break the quiet. “I just lost track of time. I didn’t realize it was so late.”

Mary tilted her head down in acknowledgement, her lips pulling a bit to the side, and Peyton wondered if her eyes might still be a bit noticeably red.

“Would you like me to bring you something up, then?”
Some faint scents of bread and meat had drifted into the room with the opening of the door, and it awakened Peyton’s stomach from it’s dormant state. Suddenly she could feel it gnawing on itself.

“Actually, yeah. That’d be nice; thank you, Mary.”

This house wasn’t hers, those people downstairs weren’t her parents, and she was all alone. Going down there now, pretending to be someone she wasn’t, she didn’t think she could handle it at the moment.

“Of course, Miss.”

Mary turned back towards the door but paused halfway out and turned back. There was a buildup of anticipation, Peyton could feel vibration of the sound waves, before the maid actually spoke.

“And the house staff wanted to say thank you for the gifts, Miss. It was very kind of you.”

Peyton’s cheeks heated a moment at the sincere expression on Mary’s face. A pang shot through her chest quickly. She smiled sadly in return a tugged at her hair.

“It’s no problem. You all deserve it.”

Mary gave her one last nod as she closed the door behind her.

Peyton felt a bit more guilty that they’d have to be subjected to the other Peyton again soon.

[][] L.L [][]

Lex looked down at his phone as trepidation squirmed in his gut like monstrous tentacles. She still wouldn’t answer his texts or return his calls. His fingers tightened around the device. He’d apologized! Of course what he’d done was a bit bad, and he was sorry, but it was cruel of her to leave him like this. Friends shouldn’t do that, right? Had she even stopped to think about what would happen to him?

He’d be all alone again. Only now it’d be worse. He’d have to go back to seeing that other Peyton infecting her body. He’d have to see her face at school and know it wasn’t her. She’d either shun him again or blindly follow after him like she did with everyone else. It’d be a worse punishment than he truly deserved.

He dialed her number again and waited until it stopped ringing and an automated voice told him to leave a message. Lex threw his phone across the room. It made a loud cracking sound as it hit his headboard and fell with a thud back onto the bedspread.

He paced a few more times across his room, running his hands over his head and grimacing. His eyes darted to his bed a few times as he walked before he finally broke and raced over. There was a chip in the plastic and a small crack in the screen, but otherwise it was intact. He dialed Peyton’s number again. It went once more to voicemail.

“Peyton, please,” he begged. “I get you’re mad but you can’t leave like this. It’s not a normal fight if you disappear to another dimension. It’s not fair! I might- I might not ever see you again. Please. We’re friends, right? Friends get into fights and make up . So, please, call me.”

Her voicemail was probably packed with various messages from him by now, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t let her leave like this.

He didn’t want her to leave.

[][][][][]

The next day dawned bright with some frost still clinging to the windows. Peyton shuffled until she sank further into the plush comforter of the princess bed. She was comfortably cocooned in the warm bedding and let herself slowly wake as her room gradually became more illuminated by the cold sunlight.

“Last day,” she muttered to herself. She rubbed the crust out of her eyes and then stretched. “And then I’m finally home.”

Of course, she knew she couldn’t anticipate when her conscious would transfer one-hundred percent, but she was hoping the previous patterns would hold true. If Lex had somehow messed up everything by keeping her here for so long, she was going to really rip into him.

The phone sitting on her nightstand had finally gone silent, no longer buzzing and chirping up a maddening storm, which she was grateful for. Later, she’d break down and look over what Lex had sent in his desperate frenzy, but not now. She could still feel her blood heat up a degree or two just thinking about what had happened.

No, dealing with Lex could probably wait until later in the afternoon.

Leaving her phone where it sat, Peyton got up and readied herself to face the day. A shower, a hot shower; that would make her feel better. And then one last delicious, professionally cooked breakfast. She’d actually miss that.

The kitchen staff actually greeted her warmly when she made it down and let herself in. The chef smiled at her and sat a plate in front of her and someone else was already pouring her a cup of coffee before she could reach for a mug. She huffed a bit, still not entirely used to being waited on, but got over it quickly when the scent of fresh french toast invaded her senses.

The staff, she realized, might be among the few of people she’d miss. She chatted easily with them as she ate, trying to brush over the thanks they flooded her with over their Christmas gifts. Once more that pang of guilt hit her. Would the real Peyton keep up what she’d started? Or would she just be whoever she’d been before? What would everyone think of the sudden personality change?

No, no. That wasn’t for her to worry about. Hopefully wherever the other Peyton’s consciousness was, it was doing fine.

Around noon she finally decided to give Lex’s messages a listen. Although she still tensed when thinking about his betrayal, she’d gotten enough time away that she could handle whatever came next with a more level head. Or, at least that’s what she told herself. She had no doubt that all of Lex’s messages would wind her back up again to some degree.

Tentatively, she opened the voicemail option, the password was incredibly still 1234, and listened. And despite how mad she still was, his broken tone managed to tug at her heart all the same. After the first couple messages, Peyton opted to delete the rest, all their content was more or less the same, and she didn’t have the patience to listen through ten of them.

“Just get it over with,” she said to herself. Luckily there was no one to overhear her back up in her room. “You’ll feel bad if you don’t and the kid will probably be even more traumatized than he already obviously is.”

Still, she groaned as her finger hovered over the dial button.

Kid, he was still a kid, and that’s how she saw him. But realistically he was almost legally an adult. He’d known what he was doing. She couldn’t underestimate him anymore just because he was younger than she was. After seeing the sorts of books on his bookshelves and seeing him whip through their schoolwork, she wouldn’t be shocked to find that he were actually smarter than she was even now.

“Just be on guard. Let him have closure.”

She could do that. One last good deed before she got her reward.

The phone rang only twice before it was answered.

“Hello!”
“You blew up my phone.”

“You weren’t responding!”

Peyton sighed audibly and she heard Lex shuffle through the receiver.

“I really am sorry,” he hastily added. “I can’t undo it, but I’m sorry.”

Sorry he did it or sorry he was caught? Peyton wasn’t entirely sure but she decided to leave that fire unfed.

“I got that hint by the fourth message,” she said dryly. “It still doesn’t excuse what you did. I just- I really hope you understand how wrong that was? You don’t just...take people’s choices away from them like that.”

“I swear, I’ll never do it again.”

Peyton clenched her eyes shut and rubbed at the bridge of her nose with her free hand.

“I’m still mad,” she said. “But... I forgive you.”

Lex sighed and she could hear footsteps on hardwood move more rapidly.

“So can I come over now,” he asked. Peyton felt a spike of unease in her stomach.

“Lex, I really don’t think that’s a good idea. I may be- tonight might be my last night. And I really think you need some dist-”

“But what about the other Peyton?” His tone was high and expectant. It gave her pause as she considered his words. “What if she comes back confused or scared; shouldn’t there be someone there who can explain things to her?”

Mulling it over, she couldn’t avoid admitting he had a point. There was no way of knowing what happened to the other girl whenever Peyton spent time in her body. It certainly didn’t seem like they traded places. And that was assuming the other girl would wake back up in her own body at all. What if being here for days did something medically to her? The girl could need immediate treatment.

Peyton grit her teeth.

Why her? What was this crazy world? Forget doctor; when she got back she was going to set up a meeting with a theoretical scientist. Perhaps one that specialized in String Theory. Or that Multi-verse thing.

“Fine,” she finally managed to utter. “But only for the sake of the other Peyton. I’m warning you, Lex. You’re still on thin ice. I don’t trust you.”

“No coffee,” Lex promised. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

She heard the chirp of a car unlocking and knew he’d already been walking to his garage. The insufferable know-it-all.

Peyton hung up after that, knowing she’d probably done the best she could for the other girl, but still not feeling great about it. Her arms and legs felt twitchy, like there was too much energy zipping through her limbs and too many fearful thoughts circling her head. She decided to go for a quick run around the property before Lex showed up again and she had to face him.

And who knew; maybe some exercise might wear off the effects of the sleeping aide faster?

It was worth a shot.

[][][]

Peyton was complimenting Randall on some of his homemade hummus as she snacked on it when another member of the staff approached to let her know that Lex was at the door. It’d taken him longer to arrive than she anticipated, and she wondered if he was nervous about showing his face again so soon.

She thanked the messenger and got up from her stool, making sure to put away all evidences of her snack before leaving. None of the staff tried to stop her this time and she smiled at their quick ability to adapt.

Her smile died down as she neared the front foyer. Although she did forgive Lex, she was honest that she still didn’t trust him and it would have been nice to have a few days of distance to think and heal. But that did not seem to be her luck, so she tried to accept what was.

For the real Peyton of this universe, she thought to herself. For the sixteen year old girl who may be spoiled, but still deserves to live in her own body.

Lex waited in the foyer. He stood unnaturally still with one hand shoved into his slacks pocket and his face a serious mask. When he heard her approaching his eyes dropped to meet hers and he stiffened up even more as she greeted him with a silence and a raised brow. After a moment he shrugged his shoulders loose and flashed her a grimace of a smile.

“Hopefully I caught you in time.”
Peyton breathed out a bit of her hostility and rolled her eyes.

“Seeing how you drive, I’d be shocked if you didn’t.”

He grinned a bit more easily at the jab before the quiet settled in again. Peyton rubbed at her arm lightly as her eyes left Lex to dart the the ceiling, over to a decorative vase, and anywhere else. She hummed lightly in the back of her throat as she fought to find something to say or think of somewhere to go.

It was a bit more awkward, their situation. It seemed like Lex’s flub had removed some sort of fog that had been settled over the situation. She knew him a bit, and cared about him, sure, but she obviously didn’t know him incredibly well. And he wasn’t a child, that was clear. She’d gotten caught up in the age difference after meeting him when he was small and had kept that view of him until the previous day. That was wrong of her, she knew now. Lex might need a lot of things, but to be coddled and underestimated wasn’t one of them.

“How about we go to the, uh, parlor room?” Peyton offered. She hadn’t more than glanced into that room before Christmas, but it was a truly neutral zone and she didn’t think it’d be appropriate for Lex to be in the girl’s room when she came to.

Peyton led him back to the room she'd opened Christmas gifts in. It was a prim room, all deep woods and haughty reds that didn't help the somber mood.

Dropping onto one of the antique couches, Peyton eyed Lex wearily.

“Well, I hope you're prepared to wait. I have no idea how much longer I have.”

Lex dropped in the chair opposite her in a similar fashion. He looked just as tired.

“I can wait,” he insisted. “I don't mind.”

The message Peyton could read between the lines was ‘I hope you stay longer anyway’, but she decided not to bring it up if he was aware enough not to actually say it.

A clock on the mantle of the fireplace on one wall ticked loudly and Peyton picked at her nails. Lex merely watched her.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a shock to everyone,” Peyton finally said. She laughed dryly as she pulled her feet up onto the couch cushion. “I mean, from what I’ve gathered, we have very different personalities. Hopefully no one gets suspicious.”

Lex flinched and looked away. He clasped his hands together tightly and he took a quick breath before facing her again.

“That’s one way of putting it.”
Peyton winced in return and inwardly chastised herself for bringing the topic up. She’d said she’d forgiven him, no use rubbing salt in the wound.

“For what it’s worth,” she said lowly, “I’m sorry that you have to go through all this. I should’ve never told you in the first place.”

“I’d rather know,” Lex cut in quickly. His gaze was level, serious. Peyton chewed at the inside of her cheek. “It’s better knowing,” he continued. “I’m glad you told me.”

She rubbed at one of her temples and shook her head, brushing some blonde strands of hair out of the way as she situated herself more comfortably. There would be no convincing him that he was wrong on this. Whatever made him feel better, she supposed, even though she could only see it as added stress. But even then, she was glad that there was someone to confide in. She couldn’t imagine going through this all alone, or with people telling her she was crazy.

Sometimes she still wondered about that.

Her hand drifted from her temple down to the locket from him that she’d forgotten to take off. She fiddled with it a moment, still taking a moment to breathe before readying a reply.

“Lex-”

Peyton jerked, finding herself suddenly laying horizontal, something strapped over her face and people crowded around her and talking quickly.

“Peyton? Peyton can you hear me?”

Something flashed brightly in her face, and she could feel the strain of her pupil reacting to the light. She groaned as she fully came to, taking in the space around her and processing what had just happened.

It had happened. She was finally back. But her gut sank a little as she tried to sit up on the gurney she’d be laid on.

Ambulance rides weren’t exactly cheap.

[][]L.L.[][]

Lex waited a moment after she said his name, but her voice trailed off and she didn’t pick the thought back up again. She slumped slightly against the couch, her head lolling to the side a moment, before she slowly blinked her eyes open. Something in Lex’s stomach churned and he swallowed thickly.

“Peyton?”

She turned her head towards him and slowly blinked again. Her eyes drifted down taking him all in and her lips spasmed, almost as if she couldn’t decide to frown or smile.

“Lex,” she said flatly. “You’re in my house.”

He couldn’t stop staring at her eyes as she looked at him. He had been with her the last time she’d left, but he was younger then and he hadn’t really understood quite what was happening. But know he could see it. Now that he had seen the real Peyton again he understood what it was about this Peyton that disturbed him so much.

Her eyes were dead.

A shudder ran up his spine and he grit his teeth, neither of which the other Peyton seemed to pick up on.

There was nothing behind her eyes. No sparkle, no hint of clever thought. They were just flat. She didn’t quite blink as often as he thought was normal which left her looking doe-eyed and lost.

“Yeah,” he eventually  managed to say. “We’re dating, remember?”
He waited to see her response. From the last she’d remember, they had never been together and she said he was a loser just like all the other kids who hung around Oliver Queen and his gang. But instead of her adopting a frown and calling him a liar, her head jerked sharply to the side and her lips curled up until she showed teeth.

“Right! Of course. We’re together.”

Lex tilted his head to the side in horrified curiosity.

“How long,” he asked, “have we been together?”
The Peyton blinked twice, the awkward pulling of lips supposed to be a smile still in place.       

“You know. A-a-awhile.”

Ditzy, clueless, flaky, a drone. He had heard all sorts of descriptions from people talking about this Peyton behind her back, and he had always silently agreed with them. But now he finally understood that they weren’t even close to the truth. This was beyond a personality quirk. This was more than just being an air-headed heiress. It was more like a situation from The Body Snatchers .

Perhaps before he had wished for it, but now he could actually confirm it was true. This was not the real Peyton. Whatever it was, whatever kept her body moving, it was not supposed to be there. It was, at best, a place holder to make sure her body stayed alive until the real Peyton got back.

Lex stood and paced behind the chair he’d previously occupied. The Peyton’s eyes blankly followed him, the smile slowly sinking off its face as if it’d forgotten to hold it up.

“You’re walking,” it said. Lex cast a glare in its direction.

“Yes.”

“Should I walk with you?”

“No.”

He made two more passes by the chair before he abruptly stopped and openly glared at it, his breath picking up pace slightly as he fought to organize his thoughts. It took a moment, but the Peyton’s expression inched down into a mirror of his own.

“What?”

“Do you really not remember anything,” Lex asked. He couldn’t quite mask the irritation in his tone, but the Peyton didn’t even flinch at it. “What did you do this morning? Do you even know? Where do you go when she’s here?”
It lifted an arm, turning the wrist in circles like people do when they’re trying to explain something, but it didn’t just stop after the first turn.

“I- I -I do remember- I don’t. Nothing happened!” It let out a high-pitched, girly giggle as if he’d asked it why they’d been seen with Oliver and not where its consciousness had been the last few days. He stepped back further, starting to feel a bit nauseated.

“Forget I said anything,” he said. “I should go.”

“Said what?”

Lex pushed through the parlor door and practically sprinted for the front doors. It was good to know, he reminded himself. It was better to know. Knowing brought insight. Knowing brought power. He could do something about this if he knew.

Next time, when she came back, he’d be ready. He’d convince her of the truth.

This was her true world. She belonged here with him. Next time, he’d convince her to stay.

Chapter Text

“She’s conscious. Heart rate going back to normal levels.”

Peyton kept still, although she wasn’t happy about it, as the paramedics continued their assessment of her. She felt fully awake now, normal, but apparently they too had been having “trouble getting a response” from her for some minutes now. That and her heart rate had been too low for their liking.

They pulled up to the hospital, stopped in front of the Emergency Room doors and slid her out, still on the gurney. And though they weren’t as in as much of a rush now that she had her eyes open and was talking with them, they still refused to let her walk on her own. Hospital policy, they insisted. But Peyton didn’t want to bother with the hospital at all. For some reason she really doubted they had medication especially for keeping you in your own body.

There was a shout from down the sidewalk as the paramedics rolled her into the hospital and Peyton craned her head to see what it was.

“Peyton! Oh thank God! Hey! Can you guys wait up? I’m the one who freaking called!”

Peyton grinned widely, even after she passed into the building and out of sight.

“Clara,” she called back. “It’s fine! I’m okay!”

It was quiet for a moment and then Clara appeared in front of the sliding doors, hair a mess on top of her head and looking generally frazzled.

“You are not!” She glared at Peyton as if she’d decided to go into a coma-like state just to prank everyone. “This is the second time, Peyton! Second time!” A couple of the nurses glanced at each other in what might have been mistaken as amusement. But of course that couldn’t be the case, because surely they were more professional than that.

“And don’t even think that you’re getting off easy,” Clara continued; cutting in when Peyton opened her mouth to speak. “You’re parents were informed again and your family is coming up. All of them.”

Peyton groaned at the news and a nurse took over for the paramedics, wheeling her out of Clara’s sight and into another room to take her vitals.

They asked her the usual questions, they asked her some specific questions, and Peyton did her best to answer honestly without mentioning the fact that she literally thought her consciousness might be traveling through dimensions to inhabit foreign bodies.

Given that this was the second time this occurrence had happened, and given that it seemed to imply a budding pattern, the doctor ordered for her to have an MRI scan done.

It would have been much more economical and lucrative to rent out her body to some avant-garde scientists to study, but Clara refused to let her leave without the tests being done. Clara needed to stop trying to pull rank and using her connections at the hospital before Peyton went home and hid all of her favorite books.

But Peyton cooperated with the nurses and agreed to the MRI despite what it was probably going to do to her budget in the future and just hoped that her insurance would cover more of it than she expected.

They gave her a flimsy gown to change into and the nurse told her to make sure there was no metal on her person or it wouldn’t be fun during the scan. She pointed towards Peyton’s chest and canted her head briefly.

“No jewelry,” she reiterated.

Peyton frowned. She didn’t wear jewelry to bed. There shouldn’t be anything metal on her in the first place. She brought her hand up to where the nurse had gestured and her fingers brushed over a warm metal. Her lungs seized in her chest as she hastily reached back to unclasp the necklace and hold it at eye level.

It was the locket that Lex gave her. The same shining silver with delicate filigree around the edges. When she popped open the locket, his picture was still inside. She dropped into the chair she’d laid her pajamas on and tried to take deep breaths.

Real. It was real. All of it. Sure, she’d sort of come to that conclusion already, but there had always been that nagging seed of wonder that kept her from fully diving headfirst into the theory. She’d still had the lingering doubt that maybe she was just going mad. Perhaps it was a brain tumor and she was hallucinating. But the nurse had seen the necklace. It was real. And it had a picture of a boy inside who, as far as she knew, didn’t exist here. Or, at least he didn’t exist as a billionaire’s son.  

“What am I going to do,” she mumbled to herself.

A knock at the door jerked her out of her musings and she stood as she quickly tucked the necklace under her crumpled pajamas. And then she forced herself to shove all those sorts of questions away for later in order to just focus on the tests the doctor was explaining to her. But even then, even as she made herself repeat in her mind every sentence the doctor said, none of it was comforting.

There was no precedence for this. How could she hope for a cure when she didn’t even understand the ailment?

She laid obedient and still on the table as the table slid her through the scanner, no longer worrying about things like growths or misfiring brain cells. The necklace had been proof enough to kill any hopes for a reasonable fix.

When she finally checked out of the hospital with promises of a follow up regarding her test results most likely by the next day, Peyton had a short hour of peace before her entire family came barreling through her front door. At least she’d had enough time to put on some decent clothes and stash the necklace away in her room.

Her mother hiccuped as she squeezed her in another tight embrace. Peyton held her back and ran her fingers through her mother’s thick hair in a mimicry of the comfort her mother used to give her as a child. It had been over a week since she’d last seen her parents, shorter for them, but the fear of never reuniting with them had made the time seem longer. She squeezed her mother back just as tightly.

“I’m okay, mom,” she managed to say evenly. “I’m fine; I’m okay. The doctor’s will take care of it. I’m sure it’s something really dumb. Like I’m dehydrated or something.”

“If this is happening because you won’t take care of yourself I’ll wring your neck and make you move back home,” her mother scolded. She was finally pried away by her brothers who were smiling largely and with too much humor. It distracted their mother from continuing to get weepy over the subject and Peyton knew their efforts were working.

“Come on, mom,” Orion whined. “You can’t hog her to yourself.”

“Yeah,” Jacen joined in. “We haven’t even gotten to see her in forever. You have to share.”    

They both pushed their way forward and smashed her in the middle of a group hug like they’d been doing since they first realized they could gang up on her. Peyton wailed theatrically like she always did.

“Guys, please! I’m an invalid! You’re crushing my bones!”

Orion tsked reproachfully as Jacen scoffed.

“You should have thought about that before making the hospital a second home.”

“Now mom and dad are going to want to make regular visits.”

“Should probably get a couple guest rooms dedicated to us.”

Peyton snorted and ushered them further into the house, trying to get the front door closed before bugs started flying in.

“You wish,” she said. “You two get to sleep on the roof.”

Orion laughed and Jacen rolled his eyes as they brushed her off. Orion went to dig through her fridge and Jacen began shifting through the DVD collection beneath the TV. Peyton let them be and turned back to finally greet her father with a hug.

“You guys didn’t have to drive all the way out here,” she said. The smell of her father’s aftershave was warm and settling and Peyton breathed it in deeply as she held onto his coat. “But I’m glad to see you,” she added. Her father held her back, one hand on the back of her head, and he kissed the top of her hair.

“No need to go to such extremes to get our attention,” he said, humor lacing his voice. “All you have to do is call.”

Peyton laughed as she pulled away; her mother swatted her father on the shoulder.

“How can you joke? This is serious, Samuel!”

Peyton announced that she was going to make them something to eat, and her mother rushed to insist on doing it and forcing Peyton to rest. She and her father shared a look and she winked at him, mouthing,

“You owe me.”

He only grunted in response.

Luckily for her, it was one of Clara’s off days so she didn’t have to worry too much about disturbing her. It was near impossible to stifle the noise of her family’s laughter and debates and after days in a near silent mansion, Peyton was almost tempted to insist that they stay the night. But there really wasn’t room in the house and that wouldn’t be fair to do to Clara without any notice. As it was, Clara had only been at the house with her briefly after her family had arrived, and then skedaddled off to who-knows-where to give her alone time with everyone.

Her family stayed for the rest of the day and despite the worried glances that her mother would often shoot her, it was a nice visit. She knew that her father and brothers were concerned as well, but they were always better about suppressing it and looking for a sunny outcome. They ordered takeout for dinner so that they wouldn’t have to do any extra driving, and Peyton demanded that they let her pay for the pizza as a thank you and because this was her house, darnit. She could do what she wanted.

They lingered after dinner a while, and Peyton enjoyed just sitting on the couch, chatting with all of them, watching as the twins played with the old Nintendo they’d scavenged out of her room, and basking in the comfort they brought her. It was nice to pretend for awhile that everything was normal and she had no impossible concerns.

But eventually they had to wrap the visit up. The twins still had school and her dad had work, so they called it a night. Peyton saw them out the front door, hugging them each in turn and promising to take it easy for the time being and also to keep them updated on the doctor’s findings.

She text Clara to let her know that her family had left and tried to mentally prepare herself for what awaited her at work the next day. Clara, the saint, had covered her bases for her and actually called her work, but that didn’t mean it was going to go smoothly in the morning. Luckily Peyton had another doctor’s note to validate her hospital stay and she was pretty sure she couldn’t be fired for just medical emergencies, right?

Unless her boss found some petty excuse to use in order to get away with it. She really wouldn’t put it passed him.

She pulled out the necklace before she went to bed. It was still there; still real. Lex’s picture was actually inside. The heart shaped locket twisted as she let it dangle from the chain and watched it. Peyton gnawed on her lower lip a moment still following the curves of the filigree, still wondering what this all meant for her.

She’d stumbled on something she didn’t understand; something that was out of her control. But it couldn’t just be her. There were about seven billion people in the world. It was impossible that she, out of everyone, was the only person that this had ever happened to.

[]

Being trapped inside an iron maiden and forced to listen to a nonstop stream of early Justin Bieber hits would have been preferable to work that next morning. The doctor’s note had kept her from being let go, but it didn’t protect her from her boss’s ire, or the snide suggestion that if she was having such unpredictable symptoms that maybe she should just do the right thing and let them find someone more reliable. For a moment she’d been tempted to do just that and walk out of the office in a righteous anger, telling her boss off and accepting the admirable applause of ex-coworkers as she marched out the tall glass doors and out onto the streets.

But then she remembered that she had rent to pay and food to buy and she was forced to grit her teeth and stubbornly remain at her desk. She consoled herself by promising that she’d start searching the open job market now in her spare time.

It was a struggle to catch up with work and avoid her boss as much as possible and field all the questions from her coworkers who now knew whatever she was suffering from was most definitely not a flu.

But Peyton pressed on until lunch, which she decided to take out of the office at a café down the block. She breathed a breath of relief there and let the hum of the streets envelope her in a cloud of anonymity that was comforting more than isolating. There still hadn’t been a call from the hospital yet, but Peyton was a bit curious now to know if they’d find something. She suspected that they wouldn’t, because that would just be her luck. But perhaps there was something to help her find out a cause for all this? Perhaps she had some brain synapses that were firing at different frequencies? Or perhaps a portion of her gray matter was more active than it should be?

The hospital called around mid-afternoon, after her lunch hour of course, and she had to excuse herself to take the call because it really was important.

Out in the hall, she hit the accept button and tried to hurry the doctor through the seemingly required pleasantries. In the end the doctor basically told her they hadn’t found any tumors or signs of cranial injury. There was, perhaps, a bit more activity in her parietal lobe than they usually saw, but it was nothing concerning unless she had other symptoms to go along with it. Peyton assured him that she definitely didn’t have any other concerning symptoms.

And even though she now had no faith that medical doctors could help her, Peyton agreed to go make appointments for further tests to try and “nail down the root problem.”

She attempted to make appointments of her own. At home, with a spare pen holding her blonde tresses up in a messy pile on her head, Peyton hunkered over her laptop with a notebook at her side. On the page open she had a list of all the most relevant theoretical scientists she could find and their emails, if she could find them.

Once she’d gotten a few collected she’d written out an email to mass send, loaded with questions and vague implications of alternate dimensions and realities. Of course, she didn’t want to come right out and say she thought she had the ability to transverse worlds; even the most nutty of the fringe scholars would find her crazy. But if she could ease them into it, get them curious enough to talk with her, maybe she could open them up to the topic.

By the end of the week she’d sent out more than five emails and gotten nothing back in reply. Peyton wasn’t exactly surprised, but disappointment still tickled at her. Her parents, though, called everyday if she didn’t call them first, and she kept them in the loop about the doctor’s report and how she felt.

Perfectly fine, of course! It probably wouldn’t happen again!

If only she could actually believe that. The necklace from Lex still sat on top her dresser where she’d left it. It hadn’t disappeared or glitched out or turned to dust. And it taunted her with the knowledge that she most likely wasn’t done. At least this time she’d made it a week without incident.

Would they eventually stop? She had to hope they would. When the other Peyton’s body finally grew old and passed, would she finally be free? Or would she randomly find herself waking in a dark coffin now and then?

If she died in that reality, what did that mean for her in her own world?

Peyton shuddered to think about it. And since she had no way to answer any of those questions she decided not to dwell on them. It would do nothing but get her skin clammy and hands shaky, so it wasn’t worth it.

[][]L.L.[][]

Lex sat in his last lecture for the day, half listening to the professor as he took idle notes. It wasn’t a bad class, but Lex found practical experience a much more rewarding learning method. He’d already been training under his father since birth to take over the family company, so it really wasn’t as if he needed the extra lessons. If anything it would just legitimize what what he already knew with a piece of paper announcing he had a degree. That and it bought him some time away from dear-old-dad.

In the chair next to him sat Peyton Woods, or at least her body. Lex had given up trying to find a real conscious inside of it long ago. Once he’d become a legal adult and had more resources at his disposal, he’d quietly hired some of the best doctors he could find to run tests on her body.

They hadn’t quite understood what they were looking at, some said. Others suggested severe cranial trauma. Regardless of who had performed tests, there was the mutual agreement that something just wasn’t right.

It could answer basic questions and interact on a superficial level. But it was highly susceptible to suggestion, and they said that the frontal lobe activity was “static”.

So although Lex did not particularly like whatever was inhabiting Peyton’s body, if there were anything in there at all, he tolerated it with the hope of seeing the real girl again. And there would be people to take advantage of her, he knew. He couldn’t let that happen. He’d already betrayed Peyton once, he couldn’t let her be abused when she had no power over the situation. As far as either the Woods family or his father were concerned, they were still in a superficial relationship. And despite the fact that his father had more than suggested he “break it off” multiple times, Lex persisted.

Once the real Peyton came back they could talk. He had proof now. Evidence to show her that she wasn’t actually “taking over” anyone’s life. And he may even go as far to suggest that perhaps this other reality that she always returned to wasn’t the real one.

But that was if she ever returned again in the first place. It’d been a long time.

He cut his eyes at Peyton’s body, noting how she stared blankly out at the opposite wall. One might be able to believe that she were actually just bored instead of empty.

[][][][][]

She telecommuted for half a day on Saturday, just trying to make up for lost hours and the pay that came with it. It wouldn’t be fair to leave Clara hanging with extra bills just because she was having a personal crisis.

It was as she was wrapping up for the afternoon, emailing files to herself and logging out of her time card, that an email notification popped up on her screen. Peyton decided to check it in case it was more work, and tabbed over to her email account. Instead of work, in the sender column it read “Dr. Robert Henson” and the subject line was a reply to the one she’d sent out at the beginning of the week. Peyton’s heart rate raced a bit. She held her breath as she opened the email and prayed it wasn’t just the scientist’s secretary humoring her as if she were a curious fourth grade student completing a school assignment.

Miss Woods,

I must admit I don’t get many curious emails like yours, which intrigued me in and of itself. Since I have a spare moment, I will do my best to answer your questions, but I have to say that your wording suggests that these particular topics aren’t what you’re truly curious about specifically.

Peyton hastily read over the rest of the email, though she knew he was right. They were supplemental and testing questions at best. But his email seemed almost amused and perhaps he would humor her a bit more.

Dr. Henson,

Thank you for your quick reply and for humoring a curious reader. You’re partially correct in that I didn’t quite ask the questions I truly want answers to, but I’m not exactly sure how they’d come across or how you’d receive them. Though perhaps it would be best if I didn’t waste more of your time.

What is your professional opinion on alternate dimensions and parallel universes? And, forgive me for how this sounds, do you have any theories about how they may collide or interact?

Would ordinary people ever be able to be aware of it if there were some interaction?

She sent the email off feeling a bit more uneasy than she had initially. There was a real live scientist talking to her on the other end of the computer! Oh gosh, she was probably making a fool of herself. But it was legitimate! She had the proof, if it actually came up as proof at all. Peyton fiddled with the necklace tucked in her front pocket. With a sigh she pulled it out and stared at it for the hundredth time. The week back home had refreshed her. She felt back in control again and her fury at Lex had faded a bit more.

He still gazed out into the distance from his picture, and Peyton wondered how much older he’d grown. She swore time never moved the same way twice between them. Maybe he was old now. She was glad she’d at least told him she’d forgiven him before leaving.

Her mother invited her to dinner at their house that evening, and Peyton figured it was her turn to make the drive back to her childhood home for a visit. Also, her mother was excellent in the kitchen and she was craving a home cooked meal after a week away from the fancy kitchen she’d left behind.

Clara told her to text her when she arrived, and Peyton was sure that her friend was mildly concerned that she’d slip into another coma while behind the wheel. Peyton found that to be wildly ridiculous. She’d only “slipped into comas” so far after going to bed. But she reassured her friend that she would text her promptly after arriving nonetheless.

The house was a clean, whitewashed brick structure that leaned more toward the small side. It looked like her father had gotten a few new birdhouses since the last time she’d been up, and she smirked in amusement at the tugboat shaped one as she parked along the curb.     

She made sure to shoot a quick text off to Clara while she trotted up the walkway to the front door.

Every time she came back home it was almost like she’d never moved out at all. Peyton greeted each family member and immediately set about helping her mother set the table and finish up preparing dinner. Again she was left with feelings of warmth and comfort. The strange phenomenon that was trying to take over her life became distant and containable. As long as she had her family around nothing could touch her.

They ate, and chatted, and teasingly ganged up on her father like everything was normal. Peyton tried to get Jacen or Orion to admit to any crushes, but both stubbornly denied anything. Though Jacen did seem fidgety during her interrogation and she smugly tucked that insight away for future teasing. And since she still had the next day off, she agreed to stay the night instead of being forced to drive back home in the dark. She made sure Clara knew so that she wouldn’t start calling the police and every emergency contact listed on the fridge.  

The rest of the evening was spent quietly. Peyton read a book on the couch cuddled up next to her mother as she crocheted another blanket to either donate or gift away. Her father frustratingly, and unchanging as ever, channel surfed at a pace that had her focusing intently on the book in front of her in order to avoid motion sickness.

When her phone dinged, signifying that she’d gotten a new email, she dropped the book so quickly one might’ve guessed it had caught fire. She opened the email and tilted the phone away from the often curious gaze of her mother as she read over the message. Whatever luck she had must have been holding out because Dr. Henson had actually replied yet again.  

-most definitely a growing interest in this field in the last few years, part of his message read, though still not quite enough “concrete” evidence for some to fully believe in. I’m afraid I cannot fully answer your questions about interacting with other dimensions because, well, we just don’t know, frankly. There are a lot of ideas, but that’s what this field of study is.

Peyton pursed her lips as she read over the email twice. Nothing. He could give her nothing. Unless, perhaps, she gave him something a bit more.

Did she really want to open herself up like that? Although what was the worst that could happen? Really? At most she’d be exactly where she started with one person she’d never meet thinking she was crazy. It might just be worth it.

Dr. Henson,

Thank you once again for your time! But, please, indulge me for a second and let’s pretend that I have experienced first hand a parallel universe. Let’s also pretend that I have an item brought back from that world. Would there be a way to validate that scientifically?

She tapped the sides of her phone with her thumbs as she considered tacking on a bit of information at the end.

If you actually reply to this email and I do not get promptly back to you, I apologize. I’ve been having some medical issues lately that seem to have been puzzling even the doctors.

Peyton hit send before she could think about the message too long. He would either be curious or he wouldn’t. There was nothing she could do about it now except hope and wait.

Monday rolled around sooner rather than later, and she hadn’t received a reply from Dr. Henson. She was truthfully doubting he’d actually respond to what basically equated a person claiming they’d been abducted by aliens running to NASA for help. Still, she couldn’t help but feel disappointment. He had been the only one to send a reply so far, and he must have just been severely bored that weekend to even do that.

Peyton said goodbye to the hopes of ever getting an explanation, or a cure, for what was happening to her.

Chapter Text

The waiting was going to drive her mad. Everything in her life felt on hold indefinitely and Peyton despised it. Being home made her feel more sure of herself, more confident, but it also left her with a gnawing anticipation of when the other shoe would drop. The only power she truly held was that she knew this world and how it worked. She knew the people here and she had her family with her.

Now every time she fell asleep at night she wondered if she’d wake in the same bed in the morning. She checked her email obsessively. Hoping beyond logic that Dr. Henson might reply eventually. That maybe he’d be able to give her some answers. But after four days of nothing, she had to admit to herself that it was unlikely.

That didn’t stop her from constantly checking.

She had another appointment that week since the MRI didn’t come up with anything. They took some more blood and she saw another neurologist who went over much of the same information that she’d already known. As far as they could tell there was nothing wrong with her. No cause for her mysterious bouts of unconsciousness. The doctor suggested that perhaps she had an unusual case of narcolepsy.

They scheduled her for another sleep study.

Peyton went home irritated and feeling antsy. She was racking up the bills and she knew it was all for nothing. She brushed her fingers over the locket around her neck. It would happen again. That she felt certain of. After all, why wouldn’t it? But she knew more about it now. There had to be a way she could be more prepared.

A letter; Peyton settled on writing a letter. If, when it happened again, she ended up being out long enough for someone to find her then at least there could be an explanation.

Please don’t call an ambulance. Take me to the hospital if you have to, but please just wait for me to wake up. I don’t know how long it’ll take me, but please just wait.

She wrote “In Case of Emergency” in large letters on the envelope with a red pen and tucked the letter into her purse.

[]

Work the next day was normal. Things had started to smooth out with her work flow and her boss was starting to ignore her again, which suited her just fine. It wasn’t quite time for her break yet and she tried to check her phone on the sly when it buzzed as she pulled it from her pocket. Another email; probably spam. Peyton checked it anyway to put off working for a moment.

“Dr. Henson?”
Enough days had passed that Peyton just assumed she’d never hear from him again, and yet another reply sat in her inbox. She snapped a look to the opening of her cubicle to make sure no one was coming before hastily opening the message.

Miss Woods,

Apologies on my late reply, but I wasn’t quite sure how to answer your questions and then I’m afraid it slipped my mind entirely. I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of someone interacting with another dimension before. At least not one who hasn’t also been on the cover of The Globe. No offense, of course. But you seem reasonable in all your emails, so I’ll bite. Just what have you as proof of these encounters?

Oh, Peyton breathed. He was bored alright. Probably stuck on some mode of public transportation for an overlong period of time and had nothing better to do. She rolled her shoulders. Well, if he was going to ask then he was going to get an answer.

Dr. Henson,

T hank you for getting back to me after that last email. I-

Her phone went blurry and her vision black at the edges. Her body felt suddenly woozy. She slumped forward in her seat.

[]

Peyton opened her eyes and lurched forward, but something held her back. She was still sitting up but now her office was gone and only dull flat lands stretched out in front of her. There was a strap across her chest. A seat belt. Peyton blinked a few times and looked to the left. A man about her age sat in the driver’s seat, a black gloved hand was on the wheel as he stared out at the road with a steely expression. Peyton noted his lack of hair and gasped.

“Lex?”

His jaw ticked, as if just her saying his name was an offense, and refused to look at her.

“What.”

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no! She couldn’t be back now! She hadn’t finished the email. She hadn’t figured out what was going on! She hadn’t even fallen asleep! Peyton took a shuddering breath and tried to calm her thumping heart.

She looked back out at the road. There was a bridge coming up with what looked to be someone leaning against the rails and a semi heading the opposite direction as them, but otherwise it was dusty and barren. Peyton felt over her face, pulling down the visor to try and see if it had a mirror.

She was herself. She looked like she was her own age.

“What’s going on? Where are we?”

“We went over this already.”
He still hadn’t looked at her and Peyton frowned.

“Slow down, Lex. You’re gonna get us both killed. My gosh.”

Lex visibly flinched, his eyes going wide as he finally turned to look at her with his mouth opening as if to speak if he could only find the words.

“I’m thinking it’s been awhile for you, huh?” Her eyes flickered to the road when she thought she saw a dark shape. “It probably wouldn’t be fair to still be ma-Lex! Look out!”

There was a large bundle of what looked like wire in the middle of the road. Lex’s attention snapped back and he hit the brakes, trying to swerve out of the way. It did no good. They ran over the bundle and there was a deafening pop around them as the tires hit it. And then the car was careening to the right.

Right towards a boy who was still leaning against the rails.

Peyton screamed.

She could see a flash of the boy’s terrified face, and then the car was smashing through metal and plunging down and down. She couldn’t find anything to brace herself against, and the minute the car hit the water Peyton’s head snapped forward and then to the side, bashing against the passenger side window.

[][]L.L[][]

There were no weights holding him down. Lex saw only sky as his body lifted off the ground and left all his inherited expectations behind. The land stretched before him and his eyes scanned passed the bridge. And then he was flying; soaring! He passed over the town of Smallville until he could see beyond. And beyond there was a hope. A future.

Lex sputtered and came to. A young boy leaned worriedly over him, eyes shifting as he watched Lex waken. Lex blinked in confusion as he tried to sit up.

“I thought I hit you.”

The boy swallowed.

“If you had I’d be…. I’d be dead.”

The boy glanced back at the destroyed guardrail and Lex suddenly flipped to his knees.

“Peyton!”

“I was able to get-”

There was another body laying a couple feet away and Lex scrambled over to it. His heart plummeted as he saw her still figure. Leaning down, he listened for breathing and tried to get a pulse as his hands shook.

“No,” he said. “No, I just got you back. Come on, Peyton.”

There was blood along the side of her head staining her dirty blonde hair and he tried to start CPR despite the possibility that it was the head injury that was keeping her unconscious. Lex performed a couple breaths then chest compressions. His own chest felt tight.

“Come on, Peyton! Wake up!”

Her body spasmed beneath his hands, and he tilted her to the side as she suddenly coughed up water mixed with blood. She took some loud gasping breaths as she lay limp in his arms, and Lex prayed to whatever may be out there that she was still there. He couldn’t have lost her so soon. Not when he’d waited so long.    

When she turned to look at him, her eyes were wide and her face was pale, and even though she was radiating fear he couldn’t help but feel ecstatic. The body never showed such extreme emotions on its own.

But then she was sobbing and gasping for air again.

“The kid,” she cried. “We hit the kid! Oh my go-”

[][][][][]

Peyton dry heaved as she sat up on her own. Blood and spit was all that came out and she tasted copper on her tongue; it throbbed painfully and she guessed she’d bitten it. There was a tightness to her face and pain shooting through her skull, but none of that mattered.

“We hit him.” She panted. “We killed-”

“I’m okay!”

A dark haired teen jumped into her line of sight and Peyton stared, dumbfounded. The boy smiled sheepishly as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

“You missed me. I’m okay!”

Her gaze shifted from the boy to Lex and back again, then up to the broken bridge. She could have sworn that they’d hit him dead on. Peyton lifted a hand to feel along her skull and came away with blood.

Perhaps her memory was faulty.

Her body went lax and a few more tears escaped her as she processed that no one had died and she’d just survived a car crash that she probably shouldn’t have.   

It took her shoulders warming to realize that Lex still had his hands steadying her. Inhaling deeply, she pushed aside the shock and panic as much as she could and turned to him. There was a cut on his forehead and he was a bit pale, but otherwise he looked uninjured. Peyton still couldn’t help trying to notice if there might be some hidden injury on him.

“Are you hurt,” she asked. His lips turned up marginally as he stared down at her.

“I’ll live,” he said. “You’re the one who needs to be looked at.”

An ambulance and some police officers were quick to arrive even though it looked like they were out in the middle of nowhere. They all received shock blankets and the paramedics set to work on treating her and Lex. Her head wound wasn’t as bad as it could have been; at least it didn’t need staples. But the paramedics told her that she had a concussion and that she’d require monitoring for at least the rest of the day. All Peyton knew was that the minute they told her she couldn’t fall asleep for the next couple hours that’s suddenly all she wanted to do.

Shortly after, an old pickup truck came skidding into park and a middle-aged man came barreling out of the cab and down the embankment, his eyes tight and mouth pulled thin.

“Clark!”

The teenage boy stayed wrapped up in his blanket as he greeted the man and was pulled into a fierce embrace.

“I’m okay!”

Peyton felt her throat close up a little at the reminder that they had come probably millimeters from killing this young boy.

She loitered near Lex, keeping close to him as she still shook in intermittent tremors and her legs wobbled beneath her.

“Where’s the maniac who was driving that car?”

Her heart fell into her stomach a bit more and her gaze darted over to Lex a moment as the man turned a glare to a nearby officer.

“That would be me.” Lex stepped forward with his blanket still draped over his shoulders and he held out a hand in greeting. “Lex Luthor.”

The man only settled his gaze over Lex for a moment, but it only took that long for her to know that despite never meeting before, this man did not like Lex. Heck, she’d given her boss that same look a time or two even if it was only to his back.

The man ignored Lex’s outstretched hand and went back to tending to the boy.

“Jonathan Kent,” he said tersely. “This is my son.”

Her eyes closed as she breathed out a shaky breath. She’d thought so. Of course. His son. They’d almost flattened this man’s son. He had a right to not like them after that. Lex shifted awkwardly next to her.

“Thanks for saving our lives.”

Peyton opened her eyes again to see Clark wrapped in his father’s jacket, still drenched, and felt the shock anew. The car was completely submerged. If they’d hit him, there’d be three bodies in that river right now. She tightened her hold on her blanket.

“Yes,” she agreed. “I’m so-so sorry you had to-”

Clark shrugged as if the attention made him uneasy.

“Anyone would have done the same thing.”

Jonathan tugged on the jacket and Clark stood to join him as they moved to head back up the embankment to leave. Lex swallowed, taking in a deep breath before he angled his body to follow where Jonathan Kent would be walking by.

“You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent; if there's any way I can repay you-”

Mr. Kent paused, clearly irritated, and leaned right in Lex’s face. It sent a distinct message before he even had to open his mouth. Peyton felt nauseated once more. She put a hand over her mouth to hold back the urge to dry heave again.

“Drive slower.”
She watched as the Kent's left.

The sun was starting to really bother her. It was too bright; too hot.   

“Lex?”

He looked away from the bridge and the car they were now pulling from the water and back to her. His eyes shone as he looked down on her. As a teenager he’d already been taller than she was, but he’d grown even more since she’d been gone and she hadn’t.

He’d actually grown up a lot.   
“Peyton, you’re shaking. Come on, we should get you to an actual hospital.”

He put an arm around her shoulders to lead her up the embankment and she groaned.

“Not the hospital again. I’m fine. I just need a nap.”

“No napping; you heard the paramedic. Besides, we have a lot to talk about.”

Lex had to help her up the embankment because her legs were still so weak, but he didn’t seem to mind. She leaned heavily against him as her feet kicked up loose soil and rock.

“I’m sorry this was your first experience back here,” he said as he finally helped pull her onto steady cement.

Peyton sighed.

“I’m sorry I distracted you while you were driving.”

He shook his head in disagreement, but was preoccupied with trying to arrange for them to be dropped off at the closest hospital and didn’t contradict her.

Peyton stopped him with a hand on his arm which quickly got his attention. Gingerly, she brushed some hair away from her face and sighed.

“Is the hospital really necessary? I’m not sure how much more they could do for me. I mean, I practically just left one and I’m just-just tired.”  

Lex gently gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him, looking into her eyes as if to make sure there were no new symptoms to catch.

“You’ve had a considerable head injury,” he said. “You have to go. I’ll be there, and the doctors will be as quick as possible, okay?”

Peyton sighed and they both knew she’d accepted the decision.

Lex ended up allowing the ambulance to drive them to the hospital, Smallville Medical Center, since it was closest and the ambulance was already there.

That doctor visit was much like the ones she’d just gone through. Luckily they found no internal bleeding and her brain didn’t seem to be swelling, so they cleaned her up a bit and let her go.

Lex somehow arranged for another car, rental or otherwise, and by the time Peyton settled in the passenger seat she just wanted to close her eyes. The steady hum of the car made it oh-so easy for her to nod off.

“Eyes open. Come on.”

Peyton startled as Lex snapped his fingers in front of her face. She grumbled unintelligibly as she straightened in the passenger seat.

“You’ve awhile before you can go to sleep. And we still need to talk, so why not start now; it’ll help.”

“Fine,” she said. “So, um, how many years has it been for you?”
“Four.”

Peyton hummed in thought.

“So you’re, what? Twenty-one? Twenty-two?”

Lex nodded.

"Twenty-one.”

Peyton let out a muted, yet still victorious, bark of a laugh.

“Still older than you then,” she said smugly. “I’ve got three years on you.”

“Maybe there,” he said, “but not here. I hope you enjoyed being twenty, because you’re going to have to relive it. Besides, we’re both adults now, so what’s it even matter?”

She did not want to admit that he had any point at all. It was just weird for her. The last time she was here he was a minor and, while she’d appeared to be one, she had the mentality of an adult. So spending time with him exclusively seemed a bit taboo. Especially when he seemed so interested in her.

Now, though, they were on a more level playing field and it was giving her whiplash.

“Sorry if I’m still getting over the fact that you’re not a teenager anymore. I have to find something else to bother you with now.”

Lex cut his eyes to her briefly, probably to partially make sure she was keeping her eyes open. She noted that he was being intensely more cautious with his driving now.

“What about you,” he asked. “How long does it feel like you were gone for?”

Peyton tallied the days up in her head.

“About two weeks. I’m actually a little surprised I made it that long.”

The winding road finally curved around a corner and Peyton could see a familiar structure rising up to meet them.

“Oh. It’s your castle!”

Lex’s face tightened a bit.

"Yeah. Home sweet home now.”

Perhaps if she were less exhausted she would’ve asked him why he seemed to be so bitter about living in this estate, but she didn’t have it in her for a lengthy explanation or emotional gushing. Lex opened the gates and drove on through around the driveway and parked right in front of the main doors.

Peyton popped open the car door the moment the car stopped mainly because she was aware of the fact that she was tempted to fall asleep at any given moment. The cool air helped only a little, and she wobbled a bit on her tenuous legs as she braced herself against the car. Lex was quick to round the front of the car and offer an arm for support.

“Let’s get you inside.”

She accepted his support. Leaning back against his arm and wedged next to him she was able to make it up the stairs and into through the broad castle doors. The interior wasn’t that much livelier than she remembered.

Protective sheets still covered most large pieces of furniture and Peyton had to wonder if this was a last minute move or if Lex really just enjoyed doing things himself.

“Where’s the U-Haul,” she quipped as he led her further down the wide hallway and into a side room.

Lex pulled off the sheet from a couch and she sank into it. She shot him a look with a raised brow and tried to look as blasé as she could while feeling so beat up. Lex shrugged.

“Sorry. It hasn’t all been arranged yet. I’ll have people over to help with that as soon as I can.”

Peyton huffed and rubbed at her eyes while pulling her legs onto the couch to tuck them underneath of her.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve crashed on an air mattress. Or are you fancy enough to have a futon?”

She jumped a bit when Lex actually grabbed at her ankles and tugged.

“Nope. No getting comfortable. You really are a terrible patient, you know?”

Peyton dropped her feet back to the floor but couldn’t help scowling a bit. Were a few minutes of sleep really going to kill her? The doctor had said there was no bleeding in her brain!

“That would be the concussion,” Lex said. His lips curled upwards and it only made her glare more.

“What?”

“The irritability.”

She smoothed out the places on her face that were tense and rolled her eyes while huffing out a puff of air.

“Believe me, you’ve never seen me irritable.” Lex raised a brow and tilted his head in a clear display of doubt. “Well at least not extremely irritable.”

He leaned back against another covered piece of furniture and crossed his arms as he looked down at her. There was a certain glint in his eyes, a lightness despite the seriousness of the situation. She’d forgotten that his eyes were more of a gray.

“It’s nice to see you showing any emotion at all, to be honest. I’ll take irritable.”

Peyton wasn’t sure what that meant. How could her expressions look that much different than the other Peyton’s? But she didn’t find herself in a mood to question the comment at the moment.

He looked so pleased with her presence, and she’d been gone so long from his point of view, that she felt a little bad breaking the mood. But she felt it was better that he was aware of the situation before it became too late.

“I didn’t take anything you know,” she said quietly. “I was actually-actually I was awake. I was at work.” She looked down, frowning, and tried to process what that escalation might mean. “That hasn’t happened before,” she muttered to herself. “Anyway; I don’t have anything in my system this time.”

The look on Lex’s face flickered and turned sour and Peyton’s shoulders drooped.

“I’m sorry,” she found herself saying. “I just wanted you to know. Ugh. I hate this. I feel like I show up here and disrupt people’s lives every once in awhile and then leave. I mean, I do, but it feels worse than it sounds.”

“What if I told you that you weren’t?”

Peyton paused in sluggishly running her fingers through her tangled hair and cut her eyes up to Lex. At his expression she lowered her hands and directed her full attention towards him.

“Lex, of course I am. I’ve kept popping up here throughout your life probably confusing you a whole lot. And the other girl goes to limbo for all I know, because I know for sure we haven’t been getting to trade places.”

Lex pushed himself off the piece of furniture and positioned himself beside her on the couch. He leaned forwards towards her, maintaining a piercing eye contact that would have had Peyton fidgeting if she had any less self confidence. A moment of silence stretched out almost like he was debating what he was about to say before he spoke.

“There is no other Peyton.”

There was a heavy pause and Peyton’s jostled brain fought to find understanding.

“Of course there is,” she argued. “There has to be.”
Lex shook his head and lips pressed together.

“I have proof,” he said. “But you probably shouldn’t be concentrating on anything to intensely with that concussion. Right now do you want something to eat? Feel okay enough to shower?”

Peyton felt at her dirty, tangled hair again.

“Does this place actually have running water?”

The shower helped. Although she’d had to be careful when washing her hair and not reopen the cut on her head, it was worth the struggle and she managed to not fall over even once.

The bathroom was, of course, jaw dropping. From the stone work to its sheer size, Peyton counted herself lucky to even get to use a shower that belonged in a magazine. There was even an actual claw foot tub, but she wasn’t allowed to use that on the account that she could potentially fall asleep in it.

She didn’t argue because she knew she probably would have and she would rather not have anyone bursting in the bathroom to check on her in such a state.

There wasn’t exactly a change of clothes for her, but Lex gave her a spare sweater and set of sweats he had in a gym bag that was already in the mansion. He assured her that there was supposed to be some more personal belongings arriving before the end of the day.

Peyton rolled up the sleeves on the sweater and tied the sweats as tightly as she could before rolling those over once.

The hardwood was cool on her feet, and she kept one hand against the wall as she wandered back down into what seemed to be the main living area. Lex poured a glass of water when she found him back in the room with the couch. He turned to look at her when he heard her quiet footsteps and visibly swallowed. Peyton shot him a tired, closed-lipped smile before she sank back into the couch.

Lex brought the crystal glass over and offered it to her.

“You should probably stay hydrated,” he said.

Peyton gave the glass a pointed look and then let it drift up to Lex. His brow furrowed a moment before understanding dawned.

“It’s clean,” he said drolly. “You saw me pouring it.”

She accepted the water with a wry twist of her lips and took a sip. No bitter after-taste. Just crisp mineral water.

“No offense, of course,” she said. “I know it was four years ago for you. It’s just I’m supposed to be at work right now and-”

She cut herself off and groaned as she put the cold glass up against her forehead.

“My body is passed out at work. Crap. I’m getting let go for sure this time. My boss will say I’m incapable of getting the job done. He’s right, yeah, but I still need that paycheck. Unless I can get back before anyone notices. Last time I was still in the ambulance.”

Lex’s hands enveloped hers, pulling them away from her face, and Peyton opened her eyes. She shivered slightly as her still damp hair pulled in cold air.

“If you want,” Lex said, “I can show you all that research I’ve come up with about what’s going on with you.”

The fingers of her free hand curled tighter around Lex’s.

“You have data,” she asked excitedly. “You have proof that this is really happening to me?”

She couldn’t help thinking of ways to get the information back to Dr. Henson. Lex smiled.

“I have proof.”

Chapter Text

Lex’s proof was a decent sized file containing various medical tests performed on the other Peyton’s body, including cranial scans and some different sorts of electrical readings. There were phrases like “unresponsive frontal lobe” and “alarming lack of reaction time”.

It still left her with a cold, bitter feeling. Doctor’s notes and charts and...and a photograph were hard to refute. There was a picture of the other Peyton. She was sitting on an exam chair and staring somewhere passed the camera. It was eerie. There was something off about her expression. An emptiness of sorts that almost had her skin crawling.

Peyton couldn’t actually read too much of it because she started getting a migraine if she tried to focus. Lex assured her that he’d let her look at it more thoroughly when she felt better, if she stayed that long.

Peyton highly doubted she’d be in this universe long enough to heal, not taking sleeping aides and all, and set about trying to think of a way to bring it back with her.

“Do you think you could make me copies? Maybe I could take it back with me.”

Lex set the file up on a small table and chuffed.

“Take it back?”
Peyton nodded. She felt along her neck at the chain still there. The locket had followed her back and she’d only taken it off so far to shower.

“I was able to somehow bring this back with me,” she said and gestured to the locket. “And-” she paused. “Do you remember when you first came back after your accident, and I cut myself with that letter opener? That cut-” she looked down at her hand; there was still a faint line left on her skin from that act, “that cut was in the same place on my hand when I woke up that morning.”

Lex eyed her hand and then shifted his gaze over to the locket.

“Why would there be a cut on your hand if you have two separate bodies,” he asked. “That doesn’t make sense if this isn’t your body too.”
Oh. Peyton felt suddenly overwhelmed and it was probably the concussion doing it, but she took a couple deep breaths and tried to not panic.

“I don’t know,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t know.”

She’d never thought about it before now. But she shouldn’t have had a cut on her own hand. She’d only cut this Peyton’s hand. They were two different people. Possibly they were different versions of each other, but they were still separate.

Lex sighed and stepped forward.

“Hey-”

A buzz from an intercom interrupted him and both their heads turned towards the sound.

“Our stuff?” she asked.

Lex walked over and hit the speaker button.

“Yes?”

It was a woman, some fencing instructor, and Lex let her in with a flustered acknowledgement.

“I arranged for her to come before I knew,” he started to explain. Peyton laughed lightly.

“How could you possibly have known any of this would happen? Feel free to do whatever you want, I’m ti- I mean, I should just rest anyway.”

At his sharp, stern look Peyton grinned sheepishly.

“I’ll stay awake,” she promised. “I’ll just stare at the wall or something. That’s about all I’m good for right now.”

Lex rubbed the back of his neck as if mentally debating listening to her and Peyton sobered her expression.

“Go on, Lex,” she said. “I’ll stay here. You can check up on me and make sure I’m keeping my promise if you feel like you have to.”

The tension eased somewhat in his shoulders and he smiled thinly.

“I’ll be doing that then,” he said.

Peyton shooed him away then, telling him not to keep the lady waiting, and relaxed back further into the couch.

She’d promised that she would stay awake, not that she wouldn’t make herself comfortable.

If Peyton had harbored any secret plans of dozing while Lex was distracted, they would have been in vain. The loud clashing of metal rapiers going from room to room was enough to wake a bear out of hibernation. And more often than not she swore Lex led their fight through the room she was in just to ensure she couldn’t nap even for a few minutes. It wasn’t doing anything for the remaining throbbing in her head, but it wasn’t as if they could hear her complain over their sparring.

“Rich people and their fancy hobbies,” she complained under her breath. And she knew that wasn’t a fair complaint because there were high school kids out there who engaged in the same activity, but darnit if she wasn’t going to whine about anything she could while no one could hear her.

That was probably also the concussion.

Though with any luck she wouldn’t have to deal with the head injury long. With no cough syrups or slipped sleep aides in her system, she fully expected to wake back in her body no later than the next morning. And if she were really lucky then she’d wake up only a few minutes from when she left and maybe be able to salvage her dignity up off the floor before her boss made his desk rounds.

Lex and the instructor woman had been sparring for a while and Peyton was actually getting a chance to nod off a bit when she suddenly heard a voice calling out from the hall.

“Hello. Hello?”

Peyton frowned at hearing the voice, but pushed herself up onto her feet. She stayed in the doorway, unsure who had gotten in, she was sure, without Lex’s permission.

“Clark?”

“Oh.” He straightened at seeing her and gave a small wave. Peyton tilted her head to the side as she eyed the teen. “Hello.”

“Hi,” Peyton drawled. “Whatcha doin’? And how did you get in here?”

The boy’s eyes widened as he nervously gestured towards the door.

“Oh, um, I buzzed but no one answered. I, uh, is Lex here?”
Peyton jabbed her thumb down the hall.

“Go for it. Just follow the sounds of clashing metal.”

“Uh, sure. Thanks.”

Clark passed her to head towards the sound of fighting and Peyton went back into the room she was starting to consider hers. She dropped back down onto the couch and since the noise of the rapiers had stopped she sighed and draped an arm gently over her eyes.

Just a few seconds. She’d just rest her eyes for a minute.

[]

“Hey!” Peyton woke with a yelp as someone gently shook her shoulder. “No sleeping yet. You promised. Come on, get up.”

Peyton groaned as Lex pulled her up until she was in a sitting position. She blinked blearily and caught the downward pull of Lex’s lips as he made sure she wasn’t going to fall back asleep. He was half wearing the fencing suit from before, which let her know that she hadn’t been asleep for too long. She sighed and threw out her hands to her sides and wiggled her fingers.

“I’m alive!” she trilled.

Lex’s expression flattened and she grinned up at him. There was a cough from the back of the room and her gaze slid around Lex to land on Clark. The teen looked torn between amusement and awkwardness and Peyton was reminded of Jacen when she questioned him about crushes. Her smile softened.

“Hey Clark. Glad you found him.”

He shrugged a shoulder.

“It wasn’t that hard. Anyway, I, uh, better go. Thanks again, Lex. And I’m sorry.”

Lex waved him off and said he’d see him later, but she could still see the stiffness of the movements and the brief tightness around his eyes. Peyton stood and stretched her arms, shook out her legs, and tried to get the blood moving enough to wake her back up.

“Sorry?” she questioned.

The smile he flashed was cynical and resigned.

“Nothing. I just should’ve sent over the truck with a gift receipt.”

Her mind worked quickly to try and make sense of the explanation and her face fell when she finally assumed that Lex had tried to send over a thank you gift, only to get it rejected. Peyton walked over to him and hesitatingly put a gentle hand on his forearm.

“Hey, don’t take it too personally okay? That was a really nice gesture.”

He stare lingered on her hand and she quickly dropped it with a sheepish half smile.

“It’s not a big deal,” he finally said. “I’m used to people judging me based off my father.”

There was a pang in her chest at that confession. Although she was still cautious of him to a certain degree, and she knew better than to just buy into whatever he said, she’d seen enough of his father to believe that statement to be true.

“I’ve only met your dad a couple of times,” she said, “and even I can tell you’re not like him. I doubt he would have sent over a new truck to thank a couple small town locals.”

His face lightened in amusement and she felt more at ease.

“Thanks,” he said with a light laugh. “I appreciate your confidence, but how do you think you can know for sure?”
“Lex.” Peyton put a hand on her hip and tilted her head down. “I’ve known you since you were this tall.” She held her hand, palm down, at the level of her knee. “I think I have a good idea.”

“Oh please don’t talk like that.” Lex’s voice held an indignant whine. “You sound like a visiting aunt or something.”

Peyton got a good cackle out of that.

A few necessities were delivered later that evening and rooms were set up for the both of them. By the time everything had been situated Peyton was more than exhausted and desperate for sleep. Eventually, after pointing out the late time and the fact that she’d been awake for more than a few hours, she was given the green light to go to bed.    

When she was alone in her room Peyton shucked off the sweatpants and collapsed on another large, four poster bed.

[]

Peyton stretched languidly and yawned widely as she woke. There was a sharp pain in her head as she rubbed at her hair.

“Ow!”

One hand stayed on her head as she blinked and looked around the room.

“Oh no.” She let out a small gasp. “Not again.”

Stumbling out of bed, she grabbed the borrowed sweats and pulled them back on before leaving the guest room and heading out into the hall.

“Lex? Lex!”

The mansion was cool and quiet with the early morning.  

Peyton should probably have been more surprised, but she somehow wasn’t. Worried, sure. Confused, definitely. But not quite surprised. She made her way down an open staircase and back down to the first floor. If it were possible, her body felt even more sore than the previous day, and her neck was stiff as if she slept with her head at an odd angle. It made her more aware of climbing down the stairs than she normally would have been.

As she got back down to level ground she padded around, idly braiding her messy hair that had dried at odd angles when she slept on it while damp. There was a clattering sound in the distance and Peyton followed it until she reached a doorway that opened into a kitchen.

“Lex?”

He moved about the kitchen while digging through a few cupboards in a pair of lounge pants and a basic t-shirt. Peyton tugged at the loaned sweater and adjusted the sleeves. Lex turned around and quickly assessed her, his gaze sharpening as he noted her focused attention.

“You’re still here.”

She nodded and bit her lip, despite the fact that he’d made a statement more than asked a question.

“Yeah. I, um, I’m kinda, like, freaking out on the inside to be honest.” She rubbed at her arm nervously and let her eyes flit about the room. “I should’ve been back by now. There’s nothing in my system, I know there isn’t don’t worry, so I-I should be back.” 

He put down the pan he’d scavenged and turned towards her fully. She stood stiffly in the doorway as he made his way over to her. It didn’t look like he felt exactly sorry, but he at least looked a bit sympathetic.

“Just breathe a second, okay?” He bent at the knees slightly to look her in the eyes and slowly rested his hands on either shoulder. “First of all you’re still alive and you’re here. I can help you. Secondly, you said time moves differently where you came from, right? No matter how long you stay here, it won’t have been as long there.”

Peyton took a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile.

“I know,” she said. “You’re right. I just- why is this happening to me?” Her laugh was a bit rueful as she brought a hand around his arm to rub at her eye. “I even looked at a few of those conspiracy theory sites. Nothing. The closest I could find were peoples out-of-body experiences, but that’s not even close to this.”

He kneaded her shoulders lightly once to get her attention back and made sure to cement eye contact.

“We’ll figure this out and get you stable,” he said. “I have those doctors on call who already have some basic research done. I’ll get them back over to look at you again now that you’re here.”

Peyton nodded and smiled thinly.

“Thank you, Lex. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” she insisted. “You have no idea…. No one back home knows what’s really going on. I haven’t told them. They’d think I was crazy. To have at least one person who knows the whole story, well, you have no idea how much of a relief that is.”

Lex’s smile grew and he let go of her shoulders to lead her further into the kitchen.

“Come on,” he said. “I was just about to start breakfast.”

[]

Trucks started showing up later in the afternoon and people fluttered around the mansion setting up furniture and cleaning out crevices where dust had piled up. Peyton endeavored to stay out of the way as best she could.

Some of the items that they brought in perplexed her, as they were decidedly more feminine than the deep, masculine decor that the rest of the building sported. It caused her to realize that she’d never stopped to ask why she had been with Lex in the first place when she came to. Did they live together? What was Lex doing with the other Peyton if he didn’t seem especially fond of her?

Peyton tucked those questions away to ask later when everything had calmed down and the movers left.

Instead she tried to help move a few of the lighter looking boxes, to which she was either ignored completely or given an aghast look by those who must have recognized who she was supposed to be.

Lex eventually noticed when they ran into each other in the hall and he immediately set about scolding her for doing manual labor while still suffering a concussion.

She wished she could settle on a couch and play on her phone at least, but they still hadn’t quite reached that technological level with phones yet. Or at least it was less than convenient and user friendly.

After awhile she realized Lex had probably been right to scold her because she was starting to get a headache. She found a quiet corner to curl up in where she could see people move out in the hall from the open doorway, but remained out from underfoot. It really was impressive how quickly these people moved.

In a few short hours they’d made the mansion look lived in, even going so far as to add a few fancy knickknacks on some shelves or mantle pieces. Despite her simple nature, Peyton couldn’t deny that the wooden furniture and authentic looking finishes were beautiful. And even the dark atmosphere that the decor created reminded her of strength and security. With a few extra touches it could even possibly be considered warm. 

But of course that wasn’t for her to really think about. She wasn’t planning on sticking around. And if Lex actually could help her get settled and stable, then she wouldn’t be around finery like this probably for the rest of her life.

The only consideration she made was that she did greatly enjoy the large four poster bed. But that was probably just due to the mattress more than anything.

When the mansion grew quiet and there was no longer a steady stream of footsteps going back and forth, Peyton ventured back out into the rest of the home. Out of the few rooms she now knew the location of, she headed for the kitchen and hoped there was a cupboard somewhere with vitamins and medication like she had at home. Her head was demanding some ibuprofen and she wasn’t one to deny herself that.

The kitchen was a decent size. It sported the latest in shining chrome appliances while also sticking with the authenticity of the castle style and it somehow worked. Peyton entertained the idea that it represented something deep; like embracing the future while honoring old fashioned traditions. But most likely people of this sort of wealth were just able to afford to have the best of both worlds. She found herself not harboring as much resentment as she might’ve before. Anyone willing to offer a new vehicle, and she was guessing it was a nice one by the tone of Clark’s “sorry”, obviously had enough generosity to share their wealth instead of hoarding it. 

[]

“What are you doing?”

Peyton yelped. She jumped in surprise and knocked her head against a cupboard shelf as she tried to twist around. Lex looked up at her and she rubbed the doubly sore spot on her head as she peered down at him. She was standing on top a section of kitchen counter in order to search the taller cabinets. Lex tilted his head as he waited for her to stop grimacing at him.

“Could you put a bell on,” she griped. “And I’m looking for painkillers.”

He arched a brow.

“In the kitchen.”

“Well, where else would you put them?”

“In the bathroom? In the medicine cabinet?”

Peyton sighed and shut the cabinet door.

“Okay, Bill Gates, not all of us commoners have fancy secret-door mirrors.”

“You shouldn’t be climbing around with your concussion anyway. Come on, I’ll help you down.”

He held his arms out and she rested her hands on his biceps. In one swift motion he gripped her around the waist and hoisted her down onto the tile floor. She felt that thrill in her stomach from dropping from a height and sucked in a sharp breath. Blinking, she looked up at Lex as he made sure she was steady on her feet.

Peyton’s gaze got stuck on his face. Even without hair he was striking. Or maybe because of it. The way his eyes would shift in the light. The way his lips would tilt up.

Oh no, Peyton thought, he’s hot .

Lex caught her eyes.

“You okay?”

She pressed her lips together in a smile and nodded.

“Yup! Right! Painkillers. I’ll just go get-.”

“Actually, do you think you could hold off a bit longer?” Lex stopped her, tightening his hold that he hadn’t let go of on her waist. “I’ve arranged for one of the doctors to make a house call to look at you. Is that alright?”

Gosh his hands were warm.

“Oh, um, that sounds fine.” His hands were still on her waist and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave them there or pry them away. “Do you really think they’ll be able to help?”

Peyton wasn’t sure what to make of the expression that crossed his face. The best she could come up with was sternness with a positive glint.

“If this one isn’t able to, we’ll keep working until we find one that does.”

She stepped back out of his hold and scratched the back of her leg with her foot.

“That’s if I stick around that long,” she reminded him. “It seems like this whole,” she waved her hand in a helpless gesture, “transferring thing is glitchy at best. Oh, ugh . I just made myself sound like a computer program.”

Lex flexed his fingers as he pulled his arms back to his side, but grinned at her nonetheless.

“You’re certainly not a computer program,” he reassured. “And with any luck you’ll stay long enough for the doctor to help. Don’t worry; we’ll find a way to get you settled.”

She gave him a tired smile in return and sighed.

“Well, if it’ll really make a difference I guess I can hold off on the Advil.”

“Great. He should be here soon. I have to check on the plant tonight and he needs to be finished up before then.”

Peyton swung her fist in front of her in mock enthusiasm.

“Sounds like a blast. Wait.” She paused, brow furrowing, as she actually stopped to think. “What does she do? Or I do? A job, I mean,” she clarified. “Where do I work?”
Lex slipped one hand in his pocket and started to lead her from the kitchen with the other.

“You don’t work,” he said simply.

Peyton’s face fell.

“I’ve been wondering actually, and I have to ask. Does she- do you, um, are we living together or something? What is,” she searched for a sufficient word, “this?”

Lex breathed out of his nose heavily.

“Because of the position your body was in, and because I was the only one aware of your true situation, I thought it...best to keep you close. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving you around people when your body was so susceptible to suggestion. You could be taken advantage of.”

Her face blanched at that revelation. Her stomach twisted.

“Nothing-nothing ever happened?”

His gaze didn’t waver.

“Nothing.”

Peyton let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Some of the tension drained out of her shoulders, and it had her leaning a bit more against Lex as they walked.

“All these years I’ve been mooching off you then? Or at least, whatever this other Peyton is has? Lex, you don’t have to responsible for this body, or her, or me. You must have a lot to worry about without all that.”

He looked down at her then, his gaze piercing and expression sure. Peyton felt her stomach flutter.

“How could I not?” he asked. “We’re friends, right? Friends help each other.”

Her fingers ghosted over the locket still around her neck and her lips quirked up.

“You’re right,” she said. “But if, for some reason, I’m not able to get home right away I want to do something. I don’t feel comfortable taking advantage of your hospitality, no matter how grateful I am.”

Lex actually chuckled in disbelief.

“You’d be one of the first.”

Peyton rolled her eyes lazily; her head still hurt.

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

[]

The doctor arrived shortly. He was middle-aged, slim, and almost fidgety as he prepared to look her over. It made her nervous. They were having the exam done in the newly set up office room. She remembered it from the large fireplace and stained glass window. The doctor sat down his equipment on the coffee table as she perched on the edge of an adjacent sofa and waited.

Peyton pulled her attention away from admiring the room to face the doctor. Some of the equipment that he pulled out his case she recognized. They were basic things. A blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, a small light probably for testing pupil dilation, and hammer for testing reflexes. But a couple things were a bit more high tech. There was a chunky, laptop sized device that looked like it hooked to some sensory reading pads that she hadn’t seen before.

She wanted to ask about them getting her home and keeping her there, but she wasn’t sure how much the doctor actually knew. Instead she smiled politely and held out her arm when the doctor gestured with the pressure cuff.

“So, doctor, what’s your professional opinion on what’s happening to me?”

The doctor snapped his gaze up as if in shock. He blinked. Peyton waited. Lex shifted from behind the doctor and Peyton looked up at him, giving him a confused, apologetic look.

“Dr. Cornwell has treated you several times before,” he said. “I think you’ve just surprised him.”

His voice seemed to shake the doctor out of his shock, and the man shook his head.

“Sorry,” he said with a sheepish grimace. “I’m afraid Mr. Luthor is right. It is… good to see you better health.”

“No worries.” Peyton smiled reassuringly. “I just hope that you’ll be able to provide some answers.”

She cooperated with all the tests as the doctor performed them. Mostly they didn’t require any real effort from her, but she still liked to pretend to be an easy patient.

When he got to the odd computer hooked to sensory pads Peyton grew a tad bit more interested. She hadn’t had any tests with that sort of machine at the actual hospital when she’d gone, but maybe it was a sort of mini MRI machine? Or something that functioned similarly?

The pads he attached to her temples and Peyton laughed awkwardly.

“Kinda feel like I’m about to be part of some sci-fi movie.”

A flicker of amusement flashed across the doctor’s face before he reverted back into his professional demeanor.

“While it is state of the art, you have nothing to worry about,” he said. Peyton settled as he explained the machine’s function more. “This machine should give us the most telling results. It reads electrical impulses of the brain and can tell me which parts are functioning correctly. The last time it was a bit, well, inactive. But I have a feeling it will be wildly different with today’s findings. Truthfully, I’m curious.”

Peyton certainly hoped it’d be a bit more active than “should be brain dead”. Lex gave her a nod, watching the doctor closely himself, and she waited as the man switched on the device.

Chapter Text

The doctor hummed as the reading came in. Peyton fidgeted on the sofa, trying to cut her eyes enough to see the screen even if she couldn't make sense of what it was showing.

"Incredible," the doctor murmured.

She looked up to Lex, but he was staring at the same screen the doctor was. She couldn't tell by his expression if he understood what he was looking at or not. Peyton cleared her throat.

"So? What's the verdict?"

"You've recently experienced a head trauma," the doctor said.

She nodded.

"I have a concussion."

The doctor nodded in return and pointed at spots on a screen that she couldn't fully see.

"I see the bruising," he said. Peyton wasn't sure how that was possible. Just what sort of device was hooked up to her head? "Right there is where we were getting little to no signs of activity before. But now the area seems to be functioning normally. And here," the doctor pointed at another spot, "her consciousness, if you will, is no longer unstable."

Her brow furrowed as she started to rub at her knuckles.

"What does that mean," she asked. "Will I, um… go back to how I was before?"

"I can't say for sure." The doctor signaled that they were done with the examination and gently began to peel the sticky pads from Peyton's temples. "The brain is the world's most complex computer, and we still don't fully understand it. Your case is especially unique. Actually, I think that, ironically, the concussion might have helped you. The bruises are surrounding the part of your brain that was previously unstable. It's almost like they might have flipped a switch, if you'll excuse my metaphor."

Peyton held up a hand, halting the doctor as her face went cold.

"Are you saying that, in your professional opinion, my current state is probably-probably… permanent?"

The doctor smiled softly, confusing her rising panic for shocked relief.

"As far as I can tell, yes."

Breathing in sharply, she stood as the doctor blinked in surprise. She moved to exit the room, not sure that she would be able to hold herself together and Lex shifted to intercept her. He held out an arm, catching her around the waist, and pulled her close as he leaned down.

"You okay?"

"I don't know."

But she shook her head and pulled on her bottom lip with her teeth. Lex looked back up to the doctor.

"Thank you Dr. Cornwell," he said. "I'll call you if we need you again."

Dr. Cornwell finished packing up his equipment and gave a small dip of his head as he exited the office. Peyton shook in Lex's arms.

The room was silent save for Peyton's breathing for several long moments. Her mind was whirring, buzzing, scrambling for an alternate explanation than what she'd just been given.

"He said he thinks it's permanent," she said flatly.

Lex's fingers tightened at her waist momentarily and then loosened again.

"He did," he agreed.

She couldn't read his voice. Couldn't tell how he felt about the situation. He just sounded calm. Pulled together. Peyton closed her eyes and tried to center herself.

When she opened her eyes again and looked up at Lex, she felt a bit more grounded. There was still a wild fear churning in her stomach, but at least she could keep it from spreading across her face.

"I'm not going to freak out," she said. The statement was mostly aimed at herself. "I'm not going to get sick."

Lex's expression twisted up in amusement.

"I appreciate that."

She blinked widely up at him and his expression sobered.

"Do you think he might be right? Do you think hitting my head might've done something?"

"He's more qualified to make that assessment than I am," Lex said. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. You're still here right now."

The "waiting and seeing" part was what she had the most problem with. She had no control over that, of course, but it was the most alarming bit. Just how long did she have to wait? And just how long could she be here before she figured out she may not be going home?

She was a bit startled to find herself once again being held and comforted by Lex. Peyton delicately broke away and stepped back. It wasn't a good idea to let herself get close to him. Or, rather, closer to him if she planned on getting back home without additional trauma.

Shooting him an apologetic look, she rubbed at her arm and cleared her throat.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I just- I think I'm just trying to not go crazy after the last couple weeks."

"Hey, as long as you're here I'm going to help the best I can. You're not going crazy, not if I can help it."

Peyton laughed and it felt like she was trying to expel some of her stress by doing so.

"What would I do without you?"

Lex's lips curved up marginally.

"What do you say we check out the factory I've been assigned to oversee until I've served my sentence?"

He held out his hand for her to grab and Peyton hesitated. Her eyes went from his outstretched fingers to his face. Just for a second she could see a flash of the young boy she'd known before. Just a flash of the fear of rejection that flickered through his eyes. Peyton sighed internally and her lips twisted in a rueful look. She accepted his hand and raised a brow sardonically as she looked up at him.

"A sentence, huh," she mused. "I think it sounds like a normal day the office."

[]

It was a fertilizer factory. Peyton should have guessed. What else was she really expecting from a small farming town in who-knows-where Kansas?

She stepped out of Lex's too-expensive-for-this-town two door and wrinkled her nose at the smell. A series of large building spread out across the plot of land that was surrounded by fencing and nothing else. Lex was greeted by a few higher management employees who had obviously been expecting him and Peyton trailed behind a bit, uncertain.

The employees shifted uneasily on their feet and fiddled with their clipboards as they performed introductions with Lex. She supposed she'd be nervous too if she had to meet the guy whose name was on the building.

Peyton smiled thinly when Lex introduced her and nodded politely at the workers. They were probably wondering why she was tagging along at all, but were too intimidated to say anything about it. At least she'd be curious as to why a strange woman was joining the tour.

But Lex made sure that she was nearby as they went along and Peyton made herself actually listen to what was being said. It was a larger operation than she had experience with, but she still knew business and was able to follow along well enough.

It was like a switch had been flipped in Lex. He was all business and professional and Peyton watched as he studied the factory. Asked questions. There were practically visible gears turning in his head. Her admiration for him grew slightly. Not only was he willing to share his wealth, but he was also willing to put in the work to make sure the factory was efficient and fair.

And he obviously wasn't thrilled to even be here if he referred to overseeing all this as a "sentence".

By the time they were finished with the tour it had grown dark outside. Although she would never admit it, she was still suffering from that headache she'd never taken pills for.

They got back to Lex's car and when she noted the reasonable speed he was maintaining, she shot Lex a smarmy look.

"Hey, maybe if you hit that bridge again it'll send me home."

He turned towards her and looked less than amused as he turned a bend in the road.

"Not a chance."

Peyton laughed and patted his shoulder lightly.

"I'm kidding."

The moon was fully out as they drove down blacktop roads and passed nothing but rolling farmland. And corn. Lots and lots of corn. Peyton wasn't exactly impressed.

"Can you at least telecommute," she asked, breaking the silence that had cradled them. "Or are you just going to have to take a lot of showers?"

"What's the matter? Don't like this country-fresh Smallville air?" He grinned at her and Peyton rolled her eyes.

"I've never exactly been a country girl. Not really my aesthetic."

They were passing yet another cornfield when a figure appeared out of the stalks. Lex hit the brakes and Peyton had a brief "not again!" moment. But the car stopped safely and the kid hadn't been hit. Lex turned and stared out the window at the boy. The intensity with which he was doing so concerned her.

"Lex?"

He was too focused to hear her. Throwing open his door he stood in the middle of the road and continued to eye the kid.

"Hey!" He called.

Peyton got out of the car on her side and caught the kid give Lex a snide smirk before he disappeared again. Lex ran to pop open the trunk and get out a flashlight that must have been for emergencies. Peyton followed after him as he chased the teen into the corn. She felt like this sort of thing was the start of a lot of horror movies, but didn't have the time to mention it. She pushed away stalks of corn taller than even Lex as she made sure to stay close. The last thing they needed was to be separated in the dark. There was no sign of the odd teen they'd seen on the road. Peyton wondered if he'd just hidden at the edge of the field until they'd passed.

And then they stumbled into a sort of clearing in the field and Peyton audibly gasped. There was a boy strung up like a scarecrow. And not just any boy.

"Help. Me."

"Clark," Lex said. Shock was clear in his voice. He passed Peyton the flashlight and she pointed it while Lex untied Clark.

Clark looked weak, as if he'd been hanging out here for some time, a thin sheet of sweat covered his body. Someone had painted a red "S" on his chest with what looked like paint.

"Who did this to you," he demanded.

Clark shook his head weakly.

"Doesn't matter."

Peyton scowled, aghast.

"Of course it does!"

Clark fell from the post he'd been strapped to and caught himself just before he face-planted it.

"Oh!" She was too late to catch him, but she still jerked forward in surprise as if she were about to try.

"Clark," Lex tried again, but Clark was quick to run over and scoop up a bundle of clothes and rapidly put them on.

"I'm fine," he reassured.

"Let me at least give you a ride."

"It's freezing out here," Peyton agreed. "It's not a problem, Clar-"

He was already gone, disappearing into the corn like the first boy. Peyton let out a huffy breath and ran her fingers through her hair. Two times in as many days they'd run into that boy now. And in such unusual circumstances.

"What the heck?" Peyton lifted her eyes to Lex, a disturbed expression marring her face. "What kind of backwards, hick, hazing-"

But once more something had his attention. Peyton directed the flashlight to whatever it was. He bent down near where Clark had fallen and picked something up off the ground.

"What is it?"

Up in the light it sparkled. A decent sized green gem was carved into a sort of diamond shaped bead and it hung on a delicate silver chain. Peyton raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't strike me as a jewelry kind of guy."

"I don't think it's his," Lex said. He pocketed the necklace and then turned back to her. He glanced briefly out at the dark shadows cast by cornstalks, and then noted the visible air around her face as she breathed out. "You're right about it being cold. Come on, let's get back to the car."

They trekked back through the corn and Peyton mulled over the idea of meeting Clark again in such another terrible way.

"We either caught this kid on a bad week, or he gives his mother a heart attack on a daily basis."

Lex chuckled quietly.

"Something tells me it's the latter."

[]

She woke up in the mansion again the next morning and something in her cracked. The doctor's haunting words kept circling around her thoughts and she had a sinking, horrible suspicion that he might have been right.

In the kitchen she started a pot of coffee and leaned against the counter as she stared into space. Was this it? Had that car wreck truly damned her? She propped herself up on her elbows and ran her fingers over her scalp and through her hair. Her bangs were mussed on her forehead from the act and she let out a slow breath.

"One minute at a time. Just get through the next minute."

The sound of a slowing water stream caught her ears and Peyton looked over to see that the coffee had finally finished brewing. Pulling a mug from the cabinet she'd seen Lex go to the previous day, she poured herself a cup and blew on it before taking a long sip.

She stood there awhile, sipping at her coffee, before she heard clipping footsteps enter the kitchen. Lex was already dressed in a sharp black suit with white button up. Peyton raised her mug in his direction.

"There's coffee."

He nodded silently and moved to pour himself a cup.

If this was how it was going to be now, she had to start making plans. It felt like tearing muscle from bone to think like that, but Peyton couldn't ignore what was happening. If this had been a situation like every other time, she would have already been home. But it wasn't. She'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now she had to deal with it.

Peyton took a deep, shuddering breath as quietly as she could and wiped at her eyes before turning away from the counter.

"So, going out today?" Her voice was falsely light and she tilted her head, clearing her throat as she hoped he didn't notice.

He studied her for a moment, taking in her expression and body language with sharp eyes.

"There's a carnival being put on in town today," he said slowly. "I thought it might be fun to go, if you're up for it. How are you holding up?"

The thin smile she gave him probably wasn't entirely convincing, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

"I'm alright," she said. "I think that sounds fun. Just, uh, let me get ready really quick."

He watched her as she sat down her nearly empty mug and left the room; she could feel his gaze. She wasn't completely sure if it made her feel more comforted or nervous.

Seeing as how Lex found it appropriate to wear a suit to a carnival, Peyton opted to go for a nicer casual. There were some decent dresses in the other girl's wardrobe, and she picked out a light colored, summery dress that wouldn't look entirely out of place where they were headed.

He was in his office when she finished getting ready and went back downstairs. She smoothed out the front of her dress and fiddled with her bangs before she cleared her throat. Lex stood with his back to her, staring out the large stained glass windows that overlooked the manicured lawn outside. He turned when he heard her and Peyton waved awkwardly.

"Hopefully it's not too much," she said as she gestured to the dress when she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"You look perfect." Peyton wrinkled her nose at the statement as he moved closer. "Are you sure you're alright with going though? I know this must be hard on you."

That was true.

A large part of her was still considering slinking back up to her given room and hiding under the comforter until she was able to convince herself that she was dreaming like she'd first thought. But she knew she'd only sink lower from there. And, really, she still wasn't certain that her stay here was permanent! It hadn't been that long yet.

She couldn't fall into a hopeless depression yet.

So she forced another smile and reminded herself to take one minute at a time.

"I think it'll be good to get out."

Lex smiled softly.

"Alright," he said. "Then, shall we?"

[]

The carnival was a small, quaint thing. It looked like it had been plucked straight out of a Hallmark film and dropped in the real world. Peyton walked by Lex's side as she took it all in. The air here smelled more like hay and fried food than fertilizer, which she was grateful for. The whole thing actually held a certain charm and Peyton let her shoulders relax a bit.

"This is cute," she admitted.

"Yeah? You like it?"

"It's like a weird mix of fair and farmer's market. What's not to like?"

Lex chuckled as they strolled through the booths.

The predominate colors of yellow and red lent a cheerful air to the event. Peyton let the warm sun hit her skin and emptied her mind of all except what was happening at that immediate moment.

Even though she'd tried to pick a more casual dress, she was aware that she and Lex stood out among the local crowd. Why he'd thought a suit, even sans tie, was appropriate for a fair she couldn't fathom. But the local people were a mass of flannel button ups and denim jeans. Peyton made a mental note to scour the closet at Lex's mansion for other clothes.

"Hey, isn't that Clark?"

Peyton pointed to the dark haired teen who was loading produce into the back of an old truck. Lex perked up. "That boy is everywhere."

"Seems like it," said Lex. "Maybe I should go talk to him."

"You should. It'd probably be good for him to open up to someone." She pointed to a few booths selling trinkets. "I'll just be checking this place out."

Lex smiled in thanks and squeezed her shoulder briefly.

"Don't get lost."

Peyton rolled her eyes.

She watched him walk up behind Clark at the truck and start talking and then turned to go on her way.

There wasn't anything she was particularly interested in, didn't technically have money anyway, but she enjoyed just walking and looking.

She was looking at some beaded necklaces when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, excuse me."

A red-headed woman held up her hands and laughed.

"No harm done," she said. "I was probably a bit too close. But it's actually busy here today."

Peyton smiled. The woman seemed kind, motherly, in the way that was instantly disarming.

"I'll have to take your word on that."

"Oh, are you not from around here?"

"What gave me away?" Peyton laughed.

The woman chuckled in reply and held out her hand.

"I'm Martha Kent," she said.

Peyton's eyes widened as she shook her hand.

"Peyton Woods. Would you be Clark Kent's mother, by any chance?"

Martha's entire demeanor brightened as love shone through her eyes.

"Yes, I am. You've already met him?"

Peyton rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I, uh, actually I'm one of the people he saved the other day. From the car crash."

Martha's expression bloomed in sudden understanding.

"Oh! You're with the Luthor boy; Lex. I'm so glad you're both okay."

"I'm glad your son is okay," Peyton insisted. "I was so horrified. And then, if he hadn't been there…."

She put a hand on Peyton's shoulder and Peyton sighed.

"You have an amazing son, Mrs. Kent."

"I think so."

Her gaze drifted off in the direction where Clark was before she frowned. Peyton looked over just in time to see Clark shake his head and walk away. Lex watched him go, taking a bite out of an apple as he did so. When she looked back Martha was eyeing her.

"So, you and Lex. Are you two-"

Peyton coughed nervously into her hand.

"Oh, um, well- see that's, uh-"

"Sorry! Right, none of my business."

"That's not-"

Lex approached them just as she was saying,

"It's complicated."

"What's complicated?"

She made a face at Martha and the woman quickly jumped in.

"Your arrival in Smallville," she said. "And you must be Lex. I'm Martha Kent."

His eyes widened momentarily at hearing her last name, but he didn't hesitate to shake the hand she offered him first. He actually seemed a bit surprised by it.

"Mrs. Kent, again, I apologize for-"

But Martha only smiled and gave his hand a squeeze.

"No one was seriously hurt," she said. "It's over now."

Lex's expression transitioned to a grateful smile, and he moved his hand to rest on Peyton's shoulder, pulling her closer. Martha raised an eyebrow and Peyton pressed her lips together momentarily.

"Well if there's anything you ever need, just let me know. I'm indebted to your son."

Martha only spared a look that said the gesture was unnecessary. Peyton was very aware of how Lex was presenting the two of them in a public place.

She'd have to talk to him about that later.

"It was lovely to meet you, Mrs. Kent," she said.

"Hopefully we'll meet again sometime. Smallville isn't that big of a town, after all."

[]

They split from Martha Kent and Lex still didn't put distance between them. Peyton tolerated it for a moment, waiting to see how long he'd keep up the act. But he seemed content. And while she could admit the gesture felt… nice… she couldn't let herself venture to those places here.

She needed to get home.

She didn't need attachments. And she didn't want to hurt him by allowing him to foster any. Peyton skipped ahead a few paces, grabbing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze before letting go.

"So, I'm guessing Clark didn't open up."

Lex frowned.

"Not exactly. He was a bit secretive."

"Probably embarrassed," Peyton pointed out. "Imagine getting caught like that. It's humiliating; poor kid. High school can be rough and teens are nasty."

Lex quirked an eyebrow playfully.

"Tell me their names," he said.

Peyton laughed.

"Good luck reaching them."

They stayed at the carnival awhile longer, enjoying some time outdoors and viewing the different stalls. He was persistent in his attempts to stay close to her. It was probably still the concussion's fault that she was so irritated with his efforts to foil her plans.

When the sun and the noise grew too much for her, they returned to the mansion. Peyton changed out of the dress into jeans and a blouse and meandered back into Lex's office. He hadn't returned quite yet, and she paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, trying to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say in the least offensive way possible.

She still didn't want to believe that she was going to be separated from her family forever. She wanted to believe that Lex could help her find a way back. But that may take time. Probably some money. And if she wanted it to happen, she was going to have to step up and take some action.

Peyton stopped in her tracks and looked up when she heard footsteps. Lex had changed as well and was walking in from a side door, examining that necklace he'd found in the light. She cocked her head and cleared her throat. Lex lowered the necklace and turned, smiling at her.

"Hey."

"Hey." Peyton rubbed at her arm and pursed her lips nervously. Lex noticed and his smile dimmed. "Can we, uh, can we talk a second?"

She sat on one of the couches and looked up to him.

"It's nothing terrible, I promise."

Lex didn't look like he believed her.

"I can't remember one conversation that's gone well after starting like that."

Peyton held up a finger.

"Touche. But I promise. It's a logistical issue at worst."

Lex pressed his lips together as he sat opposite her. He rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

"Alright, I'll bite," he said. "What's been bothering you. Besides the obvious?"

Peyton wasn't sure how to feel about the idea that he could already read her that easily. And she really wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that she knew he wasn't going to pleased with what she said next.

Chapter Text

Lex waited as she rolled her lips through her teeth and hesitated.

"Okay, well, we've established that my stay here may be longer than I first anticipated. Possibly...possibly even permanent. If that's the case, then I need to start making plans."

"Plans?"

Peyton nodded and rubbed at her knuckles.

"Yes. I want to believe I'll find a way back, but I can't just use you like this until it happens. If it ever does. Like I mentioned before, I need to get a job. A place to stay."

Lex's frown deepened.

"Is there something wrong with the manor? Are you uncomfortable?"

Peyton's face flashed in surprise.

"No. It's all wonderful. But it isn't mine to take advantage of. I can't depend on you for who knows how long."

"If you're worried about it being a strain, don't."

Peyton bit the inside of her cheek and ran her hand through her hair. She tried to think of a way to get this across to him without being insulting.

"It's not that I necessarily think it's a strain. It sounds like you've already been...taking care of this body for quite some time. And since I keep coming back, I'm so grateful for that. But, if I want to look into something or spend money on research that goes nowhere, I don't want to be constantly abusing your generosity."

An expression flickered across his face, almost like surprise. And then he was studying her even more intently than before, if that were even possible.

"Why not," he asked. "What would it matter to you if it were my money going into this research or yours?"
Peyton tilted her head back, gracing him with a look of obvious confusion.

"Because," she said, "I, well, you're my friend. I wouldn't want you to think I'm using you, you know?"

Lex processed the words. He shook his head and rubbed his hand over his scalp. Let out a sharp huff of air. Peyton looked away towards the fireplace. Oh, he probably thought she was an idiot. She didn't need to consult with him at all. She still had an identity here, even if she wasn't familiar with it. There was always the option of contacting her other parents and going back to their place until she figured things out.

Although the idea of that wasn't exactly appealing.

But she still didn't know if she could stay in the manor. They weren't actually a couple and… and she didn't need to get to know him anymore than she did now.

"So," she said with a ruffle of her bangs. "I guess I'm just letting you know that I'm planning-"

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to leave the manor," Lex cut in.

This had been the part she'd been expecting. Peyton sighed and he frowned at her response.

Standing from the couch he turned to the wet bar across the room to pour himself a drink. She rolled her head over her shoulders in annoyance at the dramatics.

"I understand that you've been doing this a long time, but the situation has changed," Peyton argued. "For me to live dependently and in close quarters continuously, I don't-"

She cut herself off and Lex raised a brow. Took a sip from his crystal glass.

"Don't what?"
"I don't think it would be good for me given what I'm trying to do."

He took another drink, mulling over her words, before his lips curled up and he lifted one finger from his glass to point at her.

"You mean you're afraid you'll get attached to me. Maybe not want to go home."

Peyton frowned and sat up straighter.

"That's not what I said."

Lex sat down his glass and held up his hands in supplication.

"It's alright. That's a valid concern. I've been told I'm pretty irresistible."

"Oh my gosh."

She stood from the couch, feeling as though the attempt at a serious discussion had been suddenly discarded. Lex let out a short laugh. Peyton sniffed as she crossed her arms.

"Joking aside," she pressed, "I can't sit around here all day doing nothing."
"If working means that much to you, I can get you a job." The look she pegged him with had him rushing to explain. "It'd be legitimate and you'd earn whatever you made. It seems like you already have some business experience. You were keeping up pretty well during the factory tour."

"I do. But that still doesn't solve the issue of me-"

"I don't think you should leave." He interrupted her again and Peyton's face heated in ire. Lex held up his hands once more at her expression. "Just let me explain why? Your condition still isn't understood. We have no way of knowing what kind of complications might come up. And like you said, no one else knows about you. If something happens, wouldn't it be better for you to be nearby?"

She hated that feat of logic. She hated that she couldn't argue against it and that she couldn't realistically promise that she'd be fine. He had points, and while she had an inkling that they were partially selfishly motivated, she couldn't say he was necessarily wrong.

"Oh," said Peyton, "I bet you're great at mergers. I bet they don't realize what hit them until after they've already signed the agreement and are halfway down the block."

"This isn't a take over," he reassured with an amused glint in his eyes. "I'm concerned for your well-being."

"I'm sure," she said flatly.

Lex held his hands out, palms up.

"How about a compromise? You work wherever you like but you live here for now. If you feel like you need a separate wing, that's fine. There's plenty of room."

Peyton moved in front of the fireplace a moment and pondered her options. Even despite calling him a friend and feeling some sort of camaraderie with him, he was a grown man now. He'd obviously grown and changed in ways she'd yet to see. How much should she blindly trust him? How involved should she allow herself to become?

The image of her slumped, unresponsive body hopefully still in her office chair flashed through her mind. She wondered if anyone had found her yet, and what they thought if they had. What if something like that happened here? Again.

Or worse. She'd gotten a head injury now and that seemed to change up the game. What if she didn't get sent home; merely suffered seizures or delusions, or any other sort of neurological problem?

She let out a groan and Lex perked up in the corner of her vision.

"If I pushed to get my own place, you'd probably be checking in constantly; wouldn't you?"
He was obviously trying to hide a smile.

"Everyday."

Peyton rolled her eyes and widened her stance.

"I'm getting a car," she said.

"And I'm sure you'll drive it after you get your license," Lex agreed.

"I'm not checking in with you before I do things either."

He may have twitched slightly, but his face was still impassive.

"You're an adult."

She watched him a moment longer, as if waiting to see if he'd let any conflicting emotions slip out. When all he did was raise his brows expectantly, she let out a huff.

"Okay."
"Anything else?" There was a teasing tone in his voice that Peyton chose to overlook.

"At the moment, no."

"Alright then."

He slapped his hands against his thighs and stood. Peyton huffed.

"Lex," she said. Her tone was still serious. "You're the only person I know here. My one friend. I'm choosing to trust you."

He paused a moment, seeming to take in the implications, and smiled.

"And I'm not going to do anything to break that trust."

She let out a breath and nodded.

[]

Peyton thought things were calming down a bit as she used Lex's computer to search for jobs in the area. The main place of employment seemed to be the fertilizer factory.

Shocking.

Her only hope for a position even close to being similar to her actual job was to take something with LuthorCorp.

She printed out a couple applications to fill out and attempted to do a bit more research about the town of Smallville before the headache forming behind her eyes flared up more intensely.

There was a small local paper with a site put together by someone who had obviously purchased a pre-made layout. A banner at the top of the screen flashed obnoxiously bright colors and read "Breaking News".

Peyton clicked on it. What could a town this size consider breaking news?

A car had exploded down one of their back roads. A high school boy had narrowly escaped with his life. Another teen, Clark Kent, had pulled the kid out and to safety just in time.

"You have got to be kidding me."

What was up with that kid? How many odd or dangerous situations did he get himself into? It didn't seem normal, or even realistic.

"What is it?"

Peyton looked up from the computer. Lex had entered the room and was adjusting his sleeve cuffs as he tilted his head in her direction. She gestured at the computer screen.

"I'll give you three guesses as to who just saved someone else from a potentially fatal car accident."

His brow furrowed in disbelief as he rounded the desk to lean over her and read the article for himself. Wisps of cologne and coffee drifted over her senses as he let out a low laugh.

"What are the odds?"
"Well my answer before coming here would have been very different. But, then again, I don't think I have much room to talk, given that I've zapped into another person's body."

Lex squeezed her shoulder, but didn't say anything to rebut her comment. She eyed his hand as he let it linger there, but said nothing.

"I think I may go pay someone a visit. Did you have plans?"
Peyton closed the chunky laptop and rubbed between her eyes.

"I was thinking of finding the nearest DMV and getting a license. And I have a couple applications to work on."

Lex tilted his head to the side.

"How do you plan on getting there? Or taking a driver's test with a concussion?"
Peyton leaned back in the office chair and groaned. She rubbed at her forehead again and mussed her bangs.

"Do we not have chauffeurs anymore? Dang."

"I can take you once you've recovered. A few days isn't going to kill you, is it? Besides, it might be good to ensure you're actually stable here."

She shuffled her applications into an orderly pile and sighed.

"Fine," she relented. "I guess I'll just work on filling these out."

He appeared satisfied with that answer and swung his keys in his hand as he slid a cellphone into his pants pocket.

"I don't think I'll be long."
Peyton waved him off.

"I'm fine."

Her headache started flaring up after filling out one application though. All the small print was straining her eyes and blurring together. Peyton sat the paperwork down and leaned back in the chair situated next to the unlit fireplace.

Sunlight still warmed the large stained glass window that dominated the room. She checked the time on her replacement phone and sighed.

Maybe she could do some running around of her own.

Peyton found herself severely missing technology that hadn't been technically invented yet. It would have been so easy to use an app to get a taxi or some other ride, but no. Apps weren't exactly a big thing at the moment.

Still, she wasn't going to let something that trivial stop her. The mansion was big and empty and she was still unhappy that she'd been convinced to stay. Digging through some of the items that had been brought in as her "personal" belongings, she managed to locate a purse that appeared to have been in use. There was a medical card and a credit card inside. Someone had wrapped the credit card in a Post-It and wrote "For Emergencies" on it. She pulled the Post-It off and slid the card in her pants pocket.

The sun was already high in the sky by the time she started down the long dirt road. She made a mental note to ask Lex for a house key later as she walked. The mansion was on the outskirts of town, offering plenty of privacy and security, but it couldn't be out of walking distance. Right?

Apparently, distances felt different while you were driving.

It didn't take long for sweat to begin beading up and sliding down her back. The Kansas heat wasn't something she'd known enough to hate, but she was quickly coming to. Perhaps a casual walk wouldn't have been so terrible, but being constantly under the sun on a dusty road while she put miles behind her wasn't exactly helping.

The hum of an engine and the gritty rumble of tires rose in volume eventually. Peyton turned to look as she shifted further to the side of the road and noted a familiar red pick up. And a familiar redhead.

Martha Kent came to a stop and leaned to look out the passenger side window. Peyton waved in greeting as she approached the truck.

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

"It really is a small town," she said with a forced laugh. "Thanks for asking. I'm just on my way to check out Smallville."

Martha frowned as she eyed what was probably a red face and sticky clothes.

"Did you walk all the way here? From the Luthor mansion? That's on the edge of town."

Peyton shuffled and pulled her hair off her neck and over one shoulder.

"Well, I don't have a license at the moment. Er, you don't really need it in the city. And Lex ran an errand so-"

"Hop in. I'll take you the rest of the way. You shouldn't be out in the sun like this, especially after an accident."

"Oh, thank you!"

Peyton opened the car door and hopped in. The truck smelled like hay and livestock, but it was a welcome reprieve from the hot road and miles of walking she would have had to endure. She buckled herself in and sighed as she leaned back into the seat. Martha reached over to dial up the AC up a couple turns.

"So, what's so important in town that you were determined to walk?"
Peyton let out a sheepish chuckle and picked at her nails.

"Boredom? I actually just wanted to see what there was to do in Smallville. Any suggestions?"

"I can't say there's much," Martha said. "Especially compared to Metropolis. But there's a library and a diner. Sometimes we'll have a fair or something to mix things up a bit." She laughed lightly and Peyton gave an obligatory grin.

"Sounds just bustling."

Martha hummed.

"It's a quiet life, but it's a good life."

The truck slowed as they entered town. There was a main road that split Smallville in half, with quaint brick and board buildings on either side.

Peyton drummed her fingers along the car door as Martha pulled to a stop and parked outside of a local grocer. She stepped out of the car at the same time as Martha and jumped.

"Oh! I hope Clark is alright, by the way. I read the article on the local paper's site."

Martha tilted her head to the side a bit and frowned.

"Article?"
"About the car accident? Clark saved one of his classmates, I believe. He's had quite a heroic week." She laughed lightly until she noticed the tension in Martha's face. "I'm sorry, did you- did you not know- Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"
"No, no, it's fine. I'm sure he's alright. If nothing else our son is resilient. I just haven't seen him much today." Her smile was tight and Peyton pressed her lips together and shuffled her feet. "Teenagers," Martha finally said, her tone forcefully exasperated. "They never think to call."
"Well, thank you for the ride," Peyton said. "I think the Kent's might be a family of lifesavers."

"If you don't mind waiting a moment, I can give you a quick tour."

Peyton hesitated, glancing around at the surrounding buildings, and tried to gauge how much of a bother Martha might have really felt playing welcoming committee. Martha smiled.

"I wouldn't offer if I minded."

Peyton gave a quick smile.

"Yeah, alright. That'd be great. Thank you."

She followed Martha Kent around Smallville as the woman pointed out places that might be of interest or had a history attached to them. There really wasn't much. All-in-all it was smaller than her own hometown. People on the streets waved to them and made small talk with Martha. Everyone seemed to know everyone. A feeling of otherness only grew in her gut.

She didn't belong in this world in the first place, she belonged in Smallville even less so.

Two teens darted by in a flurry and one knocked into Peyton. She stumbled a bit and the girl turned to apologize. When her gaze fell on Martha, she stopped completely.

"Sorr- Oh. Mrs. Kent! Hey."

The teen boy with her stopped as well and they both addressed Martha Kent with polite hellos. Martha smiled at them and Peyton nodded in acknowledgement as their gazes darted to her.

"We heard about Clark," the blonde girl said. She smiled widely. "I'm so glad he's alive."

"Yeah," the boy said, "count on Clark to be in the wrong place at the wrong- I mean, right place…."

Martha smiled in a humoring way and gestured to Peyton.

"Chloe, Pete, this is Peyton. She's new in town."

Peyton waved and the teens eyed her in appraisal. She tried to smile openly.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

Chloe squinted marginally as if she were trying to recall something.

"You look familiar," she said.

Peyton shifted a bit uneasily.

"Well, I've only been in Smallville for a couple of days."

Chloe shook her head.

"Not from here." Her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers. "Tabloids," she said. "You've been on the cover of a few, haven't you? Back in Metropolis."

"Oh," Peyton stuttered. She searched for a response given that she wasn't certain if this information was true or not.

"I'm sure she hasn't come to town to be pestered about gossip," Martha said in her defense. Peyton flashed her a grateful smile and shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm still recovering from a mild concussion. I haven't quite been on top of things lately."

Pete's eyes widened a bit and he pointed casually.

"Were you in that car crash on the bridge?"

Peyton grinned awkwardly and pulled the corner of her lips to one side.

"Ah, yep. That's the one."

Martha cut the teens off then, telling them that they should get going and to tell Clark to call her when he could. Their gazes lingered on Peyton a bit before they agreed and continued on to wherever they'd been heading. Peyton let out a relieved breath. She'd have to do more research on what this body had been up to in the years she'd been gone. Her cover story so far was pretty thin, as she hadn't exactly been around enough people to need one.

"Thanks," she said. She gave Martha a more genuine smile. "I'm not really used to people…." Martha nodded in understanding.

"That's the curse of small towns." She raised her brows. "People talk."

Martha finished showing her around what small amount of the town they hadn't already covered and Peyton internally sighed. It was small, certainly. Smaller than her own hometown by far. And she'd thought her own town was boring. It truly was a farming community. She hoped she'd be able to access the technology and specialists needed to start trying to find a way back home.

Peyton frowned at the thought of the odds of actually getting that sort of help, and shook her head. It was no good worrying about those sorts of things so early.

A few minutes later, Peyton thanked Martha profusely and bid her goodbye. Martha seemed hesitant to leave, but Peyton felt she'd already taken up a lot of the woman's time, and she promised to call Lex for a ride back to the mansion when she was ready to leave.

She continued strolling for a bit longer. It felt good to stretch her legs and be out in the open air. Not that she didn't like the mansion, or she didn't appreciate Lex's help, but she still felt trapped. Trapped in a body and a life that wasn't hers. And scared, still, despite her forced calmness. Afraid that she might not get home again thanks to her head injury. Worried that she had to blindly trust because she had no other choice.

As attractive and charming as Lex was, and she couldn't quite lie to herself enough to pretend he wasn't, she would continue to take everything he said with a grain of salt.

The emergency credit card she'd found also came in handy. Peyton stopped at one of the local shops to pick up some more casual clothing items that she'd feel comfortable in and tossed some snacks in as well. Just because. It didn't rack up the bill, so she felt confident she'd be able to pay whoever funded the card back before she left.

With her bagged purchases, Peyton wandered back through the town towards the limit line. She was a bit disappointed that there didn't seem to be any good coffee places available, but it was Kansas. They probably weren't as savvy on the drink as her coffee-centric state was.

She wondered why she hadn't just chose to drive illegally, because she was fairly certain she could have gotten away with it here, but remembered that she still had a concussion and that driving was probably a bad idea, legal or no. Pulling out her phone, she shot a quick text to Lex because she'd promised Martha. She let him know she was heading back to the manor from Smallville and if he were passing by he could pick her up, otherwise she'd see him, well, in the evening.

Lex text back quickly. Predictably, he told her to stay where she was and to wait for him; he was on his way.

Peyton waited on a bench outside of a used book store. She sighed as she drummed her fingers along one of her shopping bags.

"I miss my car already," she muttered under her breath.

The town was small and unexciting. Excluding, of course, what seemed like a high possible mortality count, what with all the accidents that had happened within such a short time span.

Seriously. What were the odds that Clark would be there for both accidents?

Someone dropped down next to her on the bench and startled her out of her internal musings. She looked up and noted a young man eyeing her curiously. Peyton stiffened and stretched her lips in a polite smile to acknowledge his presence. He didn't appear to be moving and wasn't hiding his obvious interest in her. Peyton mussed her bangs and sat up straighter.

"Can I help you?"

The guy grinned and pointed at her.

"I've seen you before. You're, like, that rich heiress, right? The one that modeled?"

Once more Peyton was put on edge, confronted with people asking her about a history that wasn't hers. That she had no recollection of.

Instead of directly answering she gave a grimace of a smile and huffed.

"You recognize me?"
The man's grin only widened.

"Believe it or not, even Smallville gets some gossip news. Though, no offense, I can't figure out why a lady like you would be visiting our town."

Peyton shifted away subtly and and shrugged.

"Life is weird sometimes."

The man frowned slightly and then his face widened in a sheepish surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You don't even know who I am. My name's Matt." He held out his hand and Peyton internally sighed before shaking it.

"Peyton," she responded. "But you might've already known that."

Matt grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm probably being really creepy right now. Sorry. It's just surprising to, uh, see someone like you in Smallville."

A sleek, dark car pulled up in front of them and Peyton gave Matt an awkward smile.

"Well, you're about to be even more surprised, I'm sure."

Chapter Text

There was a surprised silence as the driver's side door popped open and Lex stepped out to turn and peer over the top of the car at Peyton and her new acquaintance. He was wearing dark sunglasses and a disarming smile that was obviously tense at the edges as he tipped his head towards Matt.

"Making new friends already," he said.

"This is Matt," Peyton replied as she stood. She made her way to the car with her bags in hand and Lex beat her to opening the back passenger door.

"He recognizes me from a magazine."

She flashed a pointed look at Lex and he raised his brows.

"Does he."

Matt stood and met Lex's gaze head on. His lips were pressed together thinly and he fidgeted on the balls of his feet as he kept the stare down going.

"Another Luthor," he finally said. "Come to buy out more hardworking farms?"

Peyton shut her eyes and let out a silent breath as she closed the car door. Lex shoved his hands in his pockets and his smile turned to ice.

"Nice to meet you too."
"Can't we all just get along," she asked as she turned to face them. "Whatever happened to passive aggressive politeness and then gossiping behind people's back?"

Lex smirked as he cut his eyes at her and Matt stammered.

"It's not- You don't understand," Matt argued.

Peyton shifted to face him in a stiff motion.

"I don't understand? Because I'm a dumb magazine model?"

Matt went instantly red and sputtered.

"No! I-"

She shook her head and waved her hands.

"Look, I know the Luthor company doesn't have a welcome reputation in this town. That's understandable. However, Lex isn't handling the business in the same way as his father. Whatever judgements you have, it'd be great if you reserved them for when they're earned. Now, it was lovely meeting you, but this sun is killing me and I'm currently still recovering from a near death experience."

Matt floundered some more behind her as she turned back to the car. Lex smirked in a haughty manner as he tilted his head back in a gesture of goodbye. Peyton pointed a stern finger at him as her face twisted in warning.

"Don't be smug."

She sank into the passenger's seat and gave Matt a polite, parting wave before Lex hopped in and revved the engine. Peyton rubbed at her forehead and jolted, holding onto the panic bar, as he peeled away and out of the main strip.

He sped down the road like the devil was on his heels and Peyton wondered if maybe the car accident hadn't been as impactful for him as it had for her. Instead of calling him out on it just yet, she brought up the other bit of information she'd been given.

"So, a model? I thought she didn't have a job."

"You didn't. And I don't know if I'd call it a job, exactly. More like a cover story. To ease suspicion. But you seem very promising as a PR manager."

Peyton let out a sharp laugh while making sure her seat belt was still securely clipped.

"Yeah. A PR manager that's living in the same house as the CEO's son. Great idea. I don't see that being misconstrued."

"Touché," said Lex. "Though I'm pretty sure we could make something work."

"He wasn't entirely wrong," she pointed out. "I don't exactly know a lot about the Luthor business. Not enough to be a PR manager anyway."

Lex, for all her points, remained unfazed. He tilted his head to look at her and gave her another disarming smile.

"That all can be remedied when you're healed. I actually have a meeting tomorrow with some higher-ups. You can always sit in."

Peyton pushed the side of his face until he was facing the road again.

"Well," she said, "I don't exactly have anywhere else to be."

Lex laughed.

"Perfect."

[]

The next day, Peyton sat on the edge of the office armchair as she listened to a couple different men give Lex the factory stats. It didn't sound exactly promising. Anytime a company was down twenty percent, people were squirming. Employees would be cut, and it usually wasn't the ones with fancy offices. Lex kept his face stoic as the men pressed the idea of cutting workers. Peyton disliked the idea herself. While it wasn't exactly her area of expertise, she felt there were always steps that should be explored before firing hard working men and women who needed the income. Their snide comments about Lex's involvement and falling percentages didn't go unnoticed, no matter how they wrapped them.

"Cutting factory workers will only cement a negative image of LuthorCorp in this town. The relationship is already rocky as it is; I'm not sure you'd be able to recover."

All the men turned to her at once, looking almost insulted at her input. Peyton stiffened her lip but refused to be cowed. Maybe it wasn't her discussion to interrupt, but it needed to be said. She found it was easy for corporate powers to forget just who it was they were supposed to be serving. Lex used her interruption to redirect the conversation.

"Which is why we're not going to cut workers," he said. "We're going to raise the workforce by twenty percent."

"Lex," one of the men instantly balked. "You can't add labor. We're already below-"

"More labor means more production and more product to sell," Lex cut in. "There's also the little notion of more people being paid and spending their money. Sometimes you have to take a risk and a dip before you see the payoff."

"Your father-"

"My father put me in charge of this factory, if I remember correctly." Lex's tone was firm and hedged towards harsh. He stood and walked around the desk to grab Peyton's hand on his way to the pool table.

"You've played before, right?"

"Yes. But, Lex-"

He grinned at her, something glinting in his eyes, and she stopped. The other men in the room were already fuming as Lex cued up the billiard balls.

Peyton decided to put on an act and roll with the situation. It wouldn't be good to show division or confusion right now in front of everyone. It would cast even more doubt on Lex's abilities and probably circulate up to his father along with this report. She picked up a pool cue and shot Lex a subtle look as she chalked the end.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was a hiss as she leaned over the table and mimed at studying different angles for an advantage.

"They're annoying me. You can take first shot."

She rolled her eyes and delicately held the cue between two fingers. With a downwards thrust, she gave a quick cracking jab to the white ball and shot it spinning backwards into the others. The white ball rolled back into almost its original starting position and a solid ball fell into a pocket. Another solid ball was lined up perfectly for the taking.

Lex tilted his head, an impressed smirk curling up his face as Peyton adjusted her stance.

"I hope you won't be annoyed with just watching."

[]

"There's an interesting dynamic in your business," Peyton said later, her voice casual. The meeting had concluded abruptly and no one had left it happy. Lex was listening, though he merely glanced up from a pile of paperwork he was sifting through.

"Oh?"

"Those men were obviously a lower pay grade, but they called you by your first name. And it wasn't like they were trying to hide their dislike of you. Given that you're supposed to be the heir to the company, I just find it unusual."

A flicker of amusement flashed across Lex's face.

"Is it because your father sent you here," she asked. Lex stilled. "You referred to it as something like punishment before. So, do they feel free to act like that because they don't think there's repercussions? Not that there can't be disagreement, but if I'd spoken to my boss like that, I think I'd be packing my things."

Lex sat his paperwork down with a quiet rustle and threaded his fingers together.

"The strain between my father and I isn't much of a secret. I've caused him some headaches in the past and he thought stranding me here in Smallville would be some great learning lesson. I'm sure all his little underlings agree with him and think this embarrassing for me. But I plan on using this Podunk town to my advantage."

Peyton tilted her head and pegged him with a calculating look. She was assuming advantage meant "the beginnings of my empire". Driven, that was the most concrete thing she could conclude about Lex at that point. He was a driven individual and probably hard to stop once he put his mind to something. Perfectly geared towards business. But whether that was natural inclination or something his father had forced him into she couldn't one-hundred percent say. Maybe a bit of both.

"Well, I can't imagine your father is going to be thrilled by your decision."

Lex actually laughed.

"That's an understatement. I wouldn't be surprised if he came down to berate me in person."

"A frightening thought."

The expression that crossed his face was an odd one. Peyton watched as it shifted from amused to thoughtful then wary.

"When he does come, I have no doubt he'll show up eventually, be careful around him. The difference between you now and before is stark, to say the least. I've managed to keep all your medical records from him, but I'd rather play it safe and keep your origins between us."

An uneasy feeling twisted sharply in her stomach.

"Would he do something?"
"I don't trust my father."

She nodded in agreement. Quite frankly she hadn't planned on saying anything about her situation to anyone. She still didn't think she should have told Lex; at least not at so young an age.

"I'll try to act as stereotypical blonde as I can."

That earned another amused grin from him and Peyton found she preferred that expression over the stern, cold one he had when speaking of his dad.

[]

Her headache was admittedly getting better rather quickly, which she appreciated. Reading for longer than two minutes was easier and she focused on getting more applications and forms filled out. It was mostly to help her pass the time. To keep her mind off her situation for just a while longer.

Having goals helped her. She would get home. She just needed to get a job, hire doctors and scientists, and reverse whatever the car accident had done to her head. Once she was back in her own body, she'd put more effort into finding a way to stay there.

Perhaps it was a bit simplistic, but Peyton preferred to think of them more as bullet points.

Though she knew Lex probably wouldn't like it, no matter what he said about promising to help her. Some of the things he said, the way he acted, made her think he liked having her here more than he was letting on. But, of course, that wasn't an immediate issue. Lex would help her because she asked him to, and she was fairly certain of that. Personal feelings were a part of himself he hadn't been entirely open about and she was determined for them both to keep it that way.

It would make her leaving easier on both of them.

She eyed the suspicious new listing for a PR manager posted on the LuthorCorp website. It would be a lie to say no part of her was tempted to apply. The job played on many of her strengths while offering a substantial challenge. It wouldn't be an easy feat to earn trust back from farmer's who'd obviously been burned in previous deals with the company. The pay wasn't bad either; the amount was curiously listed on the posting unlike many other positions.

Peyton bit her lip and twirled a pen between her fingers. She wasn't even sure LuthorCorp deserved to have relations patched. Not if Lex ended up being outvoted. And she'd already told him it was a bad idea for her to be in a position like this while being so closely connected to him. People would draw conclusions whether rumors were true or not.

She shook her head and closed the posting, going back to the small, minimum wage jobs Smallville offered. Her stomach twisted. There was no way they'd be worthwhile when she needed to hire specialists to help with her problem.

"Find anything promising?"

Peyton looked up from the laptop and grimaced.

"It's a small town for sure. I think the high school kids got to a lot of openings before I arrived."

Lex took off his suit jacket and set it to the side as he sat down opposite her and Peyton shut the laptop screen.

"My offer still stands. LuthorCorp could use someone who isn't solely focused on the bottom line."

She laughed lightly and rolled her shoulders in an obvious attempt to collect her thoughts. Lex kicked up a leg onto the coffee table and cocked a brow.

"You know it wouldn't be difficult to work this out logistically."

She groaned and dropped her head in her hands as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's certainly been made clear it pays the best," she said. "But not even as your PR manager, I can already see the headlines. 'From photo shoots to office work, Luthor's girlfriend now office assistant. For sure earned this spot on her own'."

As usual, Lex looked immensely entertained by her argument. Like perhaps she was merely coming up with excuses or stalling. Her face went a little hot at his prolonged stare and she looked away back to the laptop, gesturing lamely.

"It is a last resort consideration."

"Last resort," he repeated. "What I wouldn't give to have my father hear that."
"You know what I mean."

"I do. Doesn't make it any less amusing."

Peyton rolled her eyes and fought back a small grin. She wasn't about to bad mouth Lionel in front of Lex, even if she thought he was sleazy.

"Well, glad to entertain you. How was the plant, anyway?"

"In a frenzy." Lex said while standing. He ran a hand over his head and moved to fix himself a drink. "A lot of shareholders don't approve of my methods."

"I'd be shocked if they did."

The office doors swung open in a violent burst and Peyton jumped in her seat as she whirled around. Any retorts died on their tongues and all movement stilled. The hair on Peyton's arms stood on end as Lionel Luthor prowled into the room. She stiffened and studied his figure, noticing the ways he'd aged since the last time she'd seen him. His hair was longer, grayer, but there was still that sharp cutting stare that hadn't faltered with time.

"Hey dad," Lex said, his tone tight yet taunting. "Nice of you to drop by unannounced."
"Lex, you're being completely unreasonable."

No pleasantries, no easing into it. Lionel just plowed right into the issue with a single minded focus. He clearly hadn't wasted any time in making the trip out to make his displeasure known in person. Peyton didn't move from her seat on the couch. Much like Lex on the bridge, Lionel didn't bother to even spare her a glance. She frowned and felt a pinch in her chest.

"What's wrong, dad? I'm just trying to do what you wanted me to."

"You're being petulant. I know what you're doing. You're upset I sent you to Smallville so you're trying to lash out."

Lex's eyes tightened though he kept a smile on his face.

"Despite what you believe of me, I am taking this job seriously. And I'm not firing those workers."

"Don't be ridiculous, Lex. You're being reckless and acting out to get my attention. Well, it worked. It seems like you can't have sense talked into you by anyone else."

"Careful, dad. That sounds a lot like pride."

Peyton watched the interaction silently and bit her lower lip before she turned her head from the discussion. It wasn't her business to intrude on, and it was important that she didn't. Still, it was making her feel itchy just sitting alone. It was like she wasn't even in the room with either of them anymore.

Perhaps it'd actually be better if she left.

As it was the… discussion seemed to be escalating, if not in volume then in intensity.

She brushed her hands over her jeans and stood, scooping up the laptop she'd been using as well. Peyton moved to leave the office. For a brief moment their conversation lulled. She cut her eyes and noted Lex's attention; she gave a subtle nod and then Lionel turned towards her. His eyes cut from behind his prim glasses and he sneered as if she couldn't blatantly see him.

"Oh, you're taking this so seriously. Really, Lex. After all the lessons I've striven to ingrain into you, all the wisdom I've tried to impart, you still insist on keeping her around."

Lex's expression tightened further and Peyton pressed her lips together.

"I've told you before, I'm not leaving her."

Peyton swallowed and drummed her fingers over the computer. How many times had he said things like that? Took the brunt of people's mocking or scorn just to protect this body? Her?

"Maybe if you spent less time on your love life and more focusing on the company, the cuts wouldn't be necessary."

Peyton's expression turned to a glare. They'd just arrived in Smallville, he knew this wasn't Lex's fault. But he caught her change in expression. The glimmer in his eye morphed into confusion. She was quick to relax the muscles in her face.

"Something to say, Miss Woods?" He prodded, voice lilting. Behind his father, Lex shook his head and Peyton bit her tongue.

"Say, Mr. Luthor?"

She kept her tone light, airy. As much as she could. Lionel still eyed her suspiciously.

"It looks like you might not approve of something. I don't remember you being someone who cared about these things."

"Not really."

Her tone was flippant, but Lex still looked concerned and Lionel turned fully to face her. She'd done something wrong, but she didn't know what. Were the words wrong? How dumb was she supposed to act?

Lex moved around his desk and tried to draw the attention back to himself.

"You put me in charge of this plant," he said. "So I'm running it as I see fit."

That helped refocus Lionel and Peyton's gaze lingered over Lex a moment more before she left the office. Lionel's flickering gaze was still hot on her back as she walked. Her anxiety flared, but she kept her pace even and shoulders back. Showing weakness to men like Lionel was a death sentence, and she'd somehow already let him know there was something off.

She could hear the sounds of clashing sabers as she headed down the hall and she shook her head. If this was the guy who raised Lex, she supposed she could understand why he acted the way he did.

Only after Lionel left did she dare to come back down. Lex looked furious, still in his office, as he stared moodily into the distance. Peyton's jaw clenched.

"I take it things didn't go well."

Lex smiled tightly and turned away again.

"Dear ol' dad is trying to put his foot down."

"Trying?"

His fingers drummed along the sofa armrest and she sat down across from him.

"If I don't push back now, he'll keep me under his thumb forever. And I refuse to let him put all those people out of work for a power play."

Peyton let out a short breath through her nose and leaned forward.

"I think that's very admirable. It's not easy to stand up to family."

"Every conversation with my father is a battle. Every interaction is a test. I've always been more of a competitor than a son."

She sighed. His familial dynamics hadn't changed and she wasn't exactly experienced with that sort of relational drama. Her parents were nothing but supportive and loving. They'd never do anything to hurt or belittle her.

Instead of trying to offer false comfort, she placed a hand over his and just let it rest. Lex tilted his head down to look and then shifted his attention to her. He gave her a small smile, a dull humor clouding his features as he did so.

"You'll have to tell me what the other Peyton was like so I can do better next time," she said. "I tried my best, but he still looked suspicious."

Lex looked conflicted. He broke eye contact and his lips stretched to one side in a sort of grimace.

"It could be too late for that," he said. "But it might be worth a try."

He turned again to fully look at her and the seriousness in his eyes let her know he wasn't joking.

"I'll warn you, though, it might be disconcerting. It's not going to be what you're expecting."

She didn't know what to say to that. The way he kept talking sounded so ominous, but if the girl had been too out there, people would have really been worried, right? The silence lasted too long and Lex gave her a practiced smile.

"So, anyway, I was thinking we could pay a visit to Smallville high. The Kents' might not be accepting of my gratitude, but I can always help out the school."

"Ah." She hummed. "Underhanded kindness. I like it."

[]

It was nice to get out of the manor again. Some fresh air and distance from such tense atmosphere was a welcome relief, and Peyton was glad for any distraction from her internal thoughts. She made a snappy remark about remembering school zone speed limits and discovered it didn't do much to curb his poor driving habits. It actually encouraged him to rev the engine and laugh when she yelled at him.

The school consisted of a few clusters of buildings, and Peyton found everything in this town aptly named, if lacking creativity. She followed after Lex as he surprised the admin office and announced his plan to upgrade all their computers, particularly those for the school newspaper. Peyton wasn't sure the reason for his focus there. Still, she continued to follow when he insisted on checking out the newspaper classroom himself.

It was a small room with several desks and cabinets overstuffed with papers. But the most eye-catching aspect was the entire wall filled with newspaper clippings, printed articles, and practically bits of string drawing links between stories. It looked like a conspiracy theorist's dream. And the stories they told were no less odd. She was reminded of The Enquirer and ridiculous tabloid news about Bigfoot or aliens.

Peyton found herself frozen in front of it, a bit intrigued by all the weird occurrences. There were quite a few articles revolving around a meteor shower; she remembered that Lex had lost his hair in that event.

Her gaze shifted over to him, to see how he was reacting to the conspiracy board, and found him studying it just as intently.

"I don't think I've seen anything like this outside of a movie before," she commented.

"It's certainly something."

A door opening stole both of their attention and the familiar figure of Clark Kent walked into the room, looking surprised at their presence.

"Lex, Peyton, hey. I didn't expect to see you here. At my school."

"Hey, Clark. We were just stopping by." Peyton smiled.

Clark laughed nervously and glanced between the two of them as he shuffled his feet.

"Why? Didn't get enough of high school the first time?"

"I'm actually trying to get LuthorCorp to give back to the community. I thought buying new computers for your school would be a good start."

Surprise flashed across Clark's face.

"Wow. That's really… generous of you."

Peyton moved more into his line of sight and pointed to the conspiracy wall.

"Can I ask what this is?"

He looked to all the pinned news clippings and stories and shrugged with half a smile.

"That's Chloe's work. She calls it her Wall of Weird. It's supposed to be everything unusual that's happened in Smallville since the meteor shower."

"Interesting stuff," Lex said.

Clark shuffled, looking uncomfortable, and Peyton wondered if he found it all ridiculous but obviously couldn't say that.

"Yeah, well, that's Chloe for you."

"What is?"

A new voice joined the group and they all turned to see the girl in question.

"We were just admiring your wall," Lex said.

Chloe didn't look instantly flattered. She eyed them suspiciously and it was clear she was used to being derided for the stories instead of praised.

"Thanks," she said after a hesitation. "All my stories are well documented. People think it's all crazy, but I know there's links here."

"I think you have quite the future ahead of you Ms. Sullivan," Lex said. "I've actually got some connections at the Planet. I can put in a good word for you."

That got her attention. Chloe's eyes widened and her mouth fell open before she snapped it closed.

"I- Thank you. That would be amazing."

She looked to Clark as if for confirmation that this was real and Lex headed for the door. Peyton lingered by the wall, glancing over all the unusual headlines.

Any other situation she would've written most of it off as insanity. And she didn't quite believe all of them, not really. But she couldn't deny the impossibility of her own situation. It'd be a little hypocritical of her to say none of these things were possible.

She finally moved to follow Lex out of the classroom. He held the door and Peyton paused before she passed through.

"It's good you're not afraid to ask the unconventional questions," she said. Chloe still looked surprised and Peyton smiled. "Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction."

Chapter Text

Peyton pulled slowly to a stop in the driveway and turned a smug grin to Lex who returned the look with a humoring bemusement.

“And that’s how it’s done,” she said. “Not one ticket the entire ride. I know it’s a crazy concept.”

“I’m an excellent driver.” Lex argued. “Barring the incident on the bridge. And those were extenuating circumstances.”

It was a relief to finally be well enough to hurry out and get her driver’s license. Or, at least, a license for this universe. Already being a regular driver made passing the driving test a breeze, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit smug at the way she parallel parked without hardly thinking and got to watch the DMV employee grip the chair in apprehension.

But the mention of the bridge sent a brief twist in her gut. Her fingers twitched before she stopped herself from reaching up to touch the spot on her head where the bruise was. She swore, sometimes, that she could picture Clark’s face through the windshield as they careened over the side. 

But that obviously was some hallucination. A false memory induced by the trauma of the crash. Because Clark was alive and well. Still. She didn’t like thinking about it much, so she didn’t. 

They stepped out of the car and Peyton stretched an arm over her chest as she breathed in the fresh air. Her headaches and eye strain were mostly gone and now she could drive, legally, and it felt good. It made her feel like she could start taking steps forward instead of being stuck living in a weird sort of limbo. 

“I do think the guy at the DMV was a little suspicious of me though.” She said to shift the conversation. “You should have seen his face when I parallel parked without even thinking about it. He asked me several times if I’d never gotten a license before.” 

She laughed and Lex grinned.

“You’re an heiress in a small, country town,” he said. “He was going to be suspicious of you no matter what.” 

Peyton rolled her eyes and followed him as he headed for the mansion. 

“I’m not an heiress.”

“It doesn’t matter what you weren’t in your dream world.” He argued back. “Here, you’re Peyton Woods, heiress to the Woods corporate enterprise.”

Lex opened the front door and stood back to let her pass first. She shot him a sharp glare as she passed by him, something in her prickling at his choice of words. 

“It’s not a dream world . It’s my world. And I will get back.”

He held up a hand in acquiesce but she saw the look on his face. He didn’t believe her. Peyton wasn’t sure if it was concerning her world being real or that she’d get back to it, but either option irked her. She stiffened and jutted out her chin as she passed him, intent on not letting his opinion sink in. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten that he could be irritating. Or just the tad bit selfish. Even if she wasn’t going to hold his past actions against him didn’t mean she was going to forget. 

“Hey, I believe you; I’m sorry.” Lex trotted up to fall instep with her. “You just have to adapt your thinking a little if you don’t want to draw people’s attention. That’s all I’m saying.” 

She swore there was a hint of amusement to his words, and she cut her eyes to look at him. Definitely a sparkle to his eye. 

“Hm.” 

They found themselves back in the large office room and it seemed to be the regular gathering place. Peyton supposed it could be considered a living room, though the desk in the middle of it would always be a little unusual. 

She swung her purse over onto the nearest couch and sighed as she grabbed the laptop left sitting on the coffee table. 

“Found a job you wanted yet?” Lex prompted as he watched her. 

Peyton’s heart sank a little and she kept her chin up despite the instinct to duck down. Either the places she’d applied to were filling up quickly, or they weren’t paying nearly enough. For cutting edge doctors, scientists, it was going to take significant cash; and she wasn’t willing to make Lex fork out the payments for it. 

She wasn’t going to owe anyone. Use anyone. Least of all him. 

Except. 

She still needed a decent job. 

Peyton rolled her shoulders, her only display of discomfort, and she opened a browser to go through the motions of searching again. 

“No.” She said simply. 

Lex moved over and dropped down next to her, casting a speculative look at the job search site she had pulled up. 

“Yikes.” He said, tone bemused. “Sounds like slim pickings.” 

“Smallville is certainly living up to its name.” 

They were playing a game and Peyton was loath to acknowledge it. She would waste her time searching for a job that didn’t exist, going through every effort to avoid the simple option given to her. And the entire time Lex would wait for her to exhaust her limited resources only to be ready to remind her the PR position was still on the table when she gave up. 

She didn’t want his money. She didn’t want the whispers that would come with people believing she was his girlfriend and getting a decent position through nepotism. Nepotism or worse. 

The people of Smallville already weren’t fond of Luthors. She wasn’t entirely sure how they felt about the Woods family, but they were probably wary of them as well. 

The Woods family who also had money. And who were her supposed parents here. 

Peyton sat up and snapped the laptop closed. Lex blinked in surprise, his look turning shuttered and suspicious as she looked at him brightly. 

“I just remembered dear ol’ mom and dad.” She said. 

Lex leaned back; confusion flashed across his face before he frowned. 

“You think they’re going to give you a job?” 

“Why not? I’m their heir, right? You said so yourself.”

She jutted her chin and gave him a challenging smile, but he continued to look less than convinced that her new idea would be successful. 

“Your parents have a trust fund for you,” he said. “But I hardly think they’re going to be willing to give you a working position. Remember how I said there is no ‘other’ Peyton? When you weren’t... here , your stand-in could hardly function. Let alone make decisions to help run a company. ” 

“Things have changed. I’m here now and it doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere without help. So, even if I have to prove myself to them, they can’t outright deny me if I’m showing initiative.” 

The laugh he let out was genuine and Peyton raised a brow as he continued to grin in bemusement at her. 

“I admire your optimism.” He said. “Your father was always more humoring than mine is. Maybe he’ll give you a chance to step up to the plate.” 

She let herself smile at him then. It was a relief that he wasn’t going to argue about it. As much of a convenience, and despite how interesting a challenge, being PR for Luthor Corp. might have been, it didn’t sit well with her. And it would probably end up backfiring as Smallville residents complained about that nepotism. Or the worse. 

“I’ll have to give them a call and start trying to convince them some time today,” she said. 

Lex stood in one smooth movement and walked to his desk across the room. Peyton wondered if what she said had irritated him in some way. It seemed like he started moving around if conversations didn’t go the way he liked. 

“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled that you initiated conversation for once.”  

Peyton frowned. 

“Is she really so strange? The… other, ‘not’ me? The picture you have of her is a bit strange, I’ll give you that, but- Susceptible to suggestion? Empty? How would she even be alive when I wasn’t here?” 

“Do you want to see the video?” 

Her stomach flipped and Peyton paused. It would be good to know. Good to know that Lex wasn’t lying about the Other Peyton and good to know how to act if Lionel came back around. But the build up made her feel like something truly terrifying, wrong, was on the video. 

Of course, Lex could also have just been being dramatic. He did have a penchant for that. 

Peyton twisted her lips and then straightened. 

“Yes.” She said. “I think I would.” 

Lex tilted his head in acknowledgment and reached for his laptop. Peyton stood as he went through the process of finding the stored files. A dated video player popped up on screen and Peyton had to remind herself that it was currently the latest available. 

He hit play and she crouched over his shoulder, eyes intent on the screen. 

The setting looked to be some sort of private office, there were quiet sounds from within the room, footsteps, and then a man in a lab coat walked into frame. He checked a chart on a clipboard and then waved someone over from off screen. Peyton watched herself walk into view and loiter in front of the man. He motioned to the exam table before him, and the Peyton cocked her head to the side as if confused. 

“The table” The man prompted. 

“Uh, yeah.” The Peyton said. “Ha. A table.”

There was an emptiness to her voice. Just to the left of ditzy. It was enough that you could convince yourself that was all she was, but it still rang too hollow. 

“Please have a seat on the table.” The man said. 

“Yeah, I can sit on the table.” 

Peyton shifted next to Lex as they watched. It was so disconcerting to see herself on camera but know it wasn’t actually her. 

“So she’s a little dumb.” Peyton tried to rationalize. “Or, I don’t know, has a sort of condition. She still has to be someone. Or else, who’s talking? Moving? Otherwise she’d be in a coma.” 

“Doctor’s said it was akin to something like rudimentary functions. Things to keep the body alive and functioning.” 

“That still doesn’t make sense.” 

“But there it is.” 

Peyton frowned. The doctor on screen shined a flashlight in the Peyton’s eyes and she didn’t flinch. He then had to go through several explanations of how he wanted her to follow the light with only her eyes before she finally followed his very specific directions. 

Peyton winced. 

“Okay. I’ll admit it’s weird.” She said. “Still.” 

Lex wordlessly handed her a scan from the pile of paperwork he’d originally given her, still on his desk, and Peyton looked over it. In the corner was an image of what a typical “healthy” brain would look like while a person spoke. Several different patches of the brain were lit up, Peyton assumed, depending on how the person was recalling information or processing information. The scan of her brain, in contrast, was largely gray and dark. 

“The part that’s lit up is the part of the brain that manages subconscious functions. Breathing, organ functions, cellular repair.”

The room was quiet. Peyton stared at the scan, trying to understand. Trying to process what Lex was saying to her. If she didn’t know him in the slightest, and she knew she still didn’t know him well enough, she’d say it was a prank. Or that the scan was faked. 

But the doctor who had examined her seemed genuinely surprised at her speaking. There was this video. The fact that Lex was a responsibility saddled corporate heir who had no clue if she’d even ever show up in his life again. 

The dedication it would take to lie to her about something like this would be insane. 

“So, what you’re trying to tell me is that talking, interaction, is just- what? Operating under the subconscious’ control when I’m not here? That the body is considering it a basic life function?” 

“Enough to keep the body moving.” He agreed. “I understand that it’s a lot to process. And like I said before, we’re in unprecedented territory here. But the bottom line is that there’s nothing to feel guilty about. You alone are Peyton.”

Her jaw ticked to the side and she walked away from Lex and the laptop. She needed some space. All together, she wasn’t sure which was worse. That she could have been taking over some other girl’s body or the fact that there was no other girl in the first place.

“The doctor’s said they’ve never seen this before?”

Lex caught her eyes and his gaze was heavy, intent. Peyton thought he could undo people with a focus and attention so direct. 

“They haven’t.” 

She pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth and forced herself to take a deep breath. 

“That means I’m starting with nothing, then. Just the bits that they were able to scrape together from your tests. It could- it.” 

She didn’t want to say it. That it could take years. Years of research. Of probing. Of figuring out just how she’d managed to slip her consciousness into a body that wasn’t technically hers, even if it was a husk. 

Or was it a husk because she’d forced her way into it?

The thought made her feel ill. Peyton clamped her teeth together and wrapped one arm around her waist and pressed the fingers of her opposite hand against her lips. Lex stood and he frowned in something like sympathy as he made his way over to her. 

“Hey,” he said. “It’s going to be okay."

“No, I know. I’m alright. I’m just thinking.” 

“I’m going to help you.” 

He took her hand in his and Peyton watched as his hands covered her own. She loosened the tension in her fingers and hoped he couldn’t feel the stress she tried to bury somewhere in her bones. 

“Whether you take the job at Luthor Corp. or get one with your parents, I’ll be here.” 

He kept reiterating that. His consistency. His loyalty. Peyton appreciated the sentiment; she did. Generosity and loyalty were traits in a person she greatly admired, but she couldn’t figure out the reason he would be so dedicated to her. 

“Why?”

Lex blinked and furrowed his brows. 

“Why?” He parroted. 

“Why do you care so much? You know so little about me; you’ve only met me a couple times. Why put so much effort into this? Into helping me?” 

She expected him to pull back at her questioning, or maybe get irritated at the implications. But instead he let the question sit a moment. 

“Because,” he finally said. “Whether you realize it or not, you were there for me in moments I needed you. You didn’t care who I was. And for all your kindness to me, I betrayed you. For that I’ll always be sorry. But you showed me what a friend could really look like, and I’d like to be that for you.” 

Peyton swallowed. 

“Oh.”

She hadn’t expected something quite so candid. Peyton rolled her tongue in her mouth and broke eye contact. 

“Well.” She said with a clear of her throat. “Alright. I’ll allow it.” 

Lex laughed. Again she noted how much more she liked him smiling than sullen and stressed. 

“Good to know I have your blessing.” 

[[L.L.]]

She was stubborn. It was a trait Lex was growing fond of even as it irked him. If anyone else put so much effort into denying his job offer, he would have been offended. Assumed it was because they found him and his father’s company so evil they didn’t want any association with it. But Peyton was so dogged in trying to be as unobtrusive and unburden-some as possible, he couldn’t be mad about her seeking other options. 

Miffed, perhaps, but not mad. 

She really would do well in public relations. 

Lex looked over the factory’s infrastructure and budgeting as Peyton meandered about the manor, straightening things as she went about the room, and worked up the nerve to call her parents. 

Though he noticed she still avoided calling them that. 

The quiet sounds of another living person, murmurs and hums and footsteps, filled the silence of the manor in a way Lex didn’t expect. He’d been prepared to live in the large house alone. The hired help there for cleaning and the Peyton imposter didn’t count as any sort of companionship. Having the real Peyton around, it made his banishment to Smallville feel not quite so desolate. 

He focused his attention back on the factory reports. His father had beaten him in the fencing match, but Lex didn’t plan on submitting to the terms. Layoffs weren’t an option. Not while he was in charge. 

There was some wiggle room in the operational budgets. If they shifted some numbers around and cut some spending, found some more favorable suppliers maybe, he could make something work. It was risky, but doable. 

It would just mean another personal visit from his father.

Visits from his father would be even more of an issue now that Peyton was actually there. He wasn’t lying when he told her he’d like to keep his father as much in the dark as possible. Despite their families long friendship, he didn’t put anything past his dad. 

Permanent, the doctor said. Most likely permanent. He shouldn’t be so happy about it, but he was. It was selfish. He had a feeling Peyton would rub that point in, which was why he didn’t plan on expressing the thought. But he was. Absolutely relieved. 

Every time she left, it felt like he lost a little bit of himself as well. 

Maybe she didn’t understand it, but he needed her more than she needed him. He’d help her in whatever way he could, of course. He owed her that much. But he didn’t have to hope for any success.

[][][][]

Peyton’s finger hovered over the call button on her blocky cell phone. There were only a few contacts listed and one happened to be “Parents”. From the video, she wasn’t sure how they’d respond to her suddenly, well, thinking . But if she wanted to start on the path to working, she had to call. 

She took a deep breath and hit the green button. 

The phone rang for several long moments. Long enough that Peyton wondered if anyone would be available to pick up. But the phone finally connected and Peyton bit her lip as a woman answered. 

“Yes?”
“Hi… mom.” Peyton said. “It’s me. Peyton.” 

“Oh, Peyton darling. You’re doing well, aren’t you? Is Lex there?” 

Peyton briefly scrunched her face. She had to sound more sure of herself. The hesitations were only compounding the idea that nothing was out of the ordinary. 

“No.” She said, her voice more distinct. Firm. “He’s in a meeting right now, I think. I actually wanted to talk to you about something.” 

There was silence on the other end of the line. Peyton frowned. 

“You’re sure you’re alright? Nothing’s happened?” Her mother prodded. 

“No. Everything is fine. Or, well. It is now. I suppose I should let you know I was in a car accident. But I’m actually calling because I’d like to start working in-” 

She was cut off by some muffled movements over the receiver and the distant sound of the woman calling out. 

“Samuel! Samuel, come here! Peyton called. No,” she said in response to whatever he asked. “She sounds quite active.” 

Peyton let out a huff and waited as movement on their side settled down. The phone jostled, or was set down, and then Merrill’s voice was more tinny and distant. 

“Your father’s here too, darling.” She said. “Say to him what you said to me.” 

“The part where I was in a car accident or the part where I would like to start working at Woods Industries?” 

There was another brief hesitation. 

“A car accident.” Samuel said. 

Peyton bit the nail of her thumb. It was obvious they did notice something was unusual. And maybe that would be the final nail in the coffin. If people who were supposed to be her own parents were blown away by the mere fact that she was calling them and making statements, then there couldn’t be much to the other Peyton at all. 

“A truck dropped part of its load while we were driving over a bridge into Smallville,” she said. “Lex tried to swerve around it, but it all happened too fast. We- ah. We went over the side.” 

She could still swear she saw Clark’s face, stretched wide in shock and fear as they barreled into him and over the water. It made her feel queasy and anxious to think about. Even though he was fine. Even though they had to have missed him. 

He’d be dead otherwise. 

Her breath hitched as she remembered the brief glance of water. The overwhelming helplessness and terror as they dropped and there was nothing they could do. 

She cleared her throat. 

“But we’re both okay. A local boy fished us out and I really only got a concussion.” 

The mention of the concussion was purposeful. In any other case involving people not really her parents, she would have glossed over it. But they were spooked by her new personality, and she hoped that they would take the concussion as the reason for her new liveliness, and not the fact that she was a new person altogether. 

“Over a bridge!” Merrill shrieked. “A concussion! Peyton, Lex should have called us immediately! Where is that boy?” 

“Merrill,” Samuel said. “Peyton is answering questions.” He sounded a bit flustered by that, but Peyton appreciated him trying to reign in the focus either way.

Lex walked back into the room and it momentarily distracted her. He gave her a smirk and raised his eyebrows, almost taunting her with a look that asked her, “so? How’s it going?”

She wrinkled her nose at him. 

“That’s not why I called though. I know in the past I may not have been the most… responsible , but I want to be better. I’d like a chance to prove to you that I can hold a position in the company.” 

Another thick silence settled. Peyton gave them a moment to process her request. Obviously they weren’t just going to give her a corner office with a window, and she was prepared to argue for them to let her have even an entry level position to start. 

"I understand your hesitation, of course.” She continued as the silence stretched. “I haven’t exactly shown any interest in working before. But, I feel different now. I want to be better.” 

“Does Lex know about this?” Merrill asked. 

Peyton frowned in insult. 

“And what if this is just a passing fancy?” Samuel cut in. 

She decided to focus on that question instead.

“I can assure you it’s not, but I completely understand the uncertainty. I would be willing to accept whatever position you offered me to prove myself in.” 

To Peyton’s surprise, and relief, her ploy actually worked. Merrill hummed and mumbled in the background in what sounded like disbelief, but Peyton wasn’t overly concerned with what the woman thought. 

Samuel proved himself to be more reasonable, and more generous than Peyton would have expected. Seeing as how she was currently in Smallville, and not entirely able to commute for the couple hours drive it would be back into Metropolis, he promised to set her up with a position overlooking correspondence that she could do offsite. 

When she brought up the question of payment, he actually laughed. 

“You are my daughter, aren’t you?” He said. “You’d like to prove yourself, but not for free.” 

“I’d just like to avoid getting you in any legal trouble, really.” 

He caught the slyness in her voice and laughed again. 

“I’ll pay you what’s on the job listing."

“I’ll take it.”

Peyton couldn’t help the satisfied smile on her face as she hung up the phone. She shoved the phone in her pocket and clapped her hands together. 

“That’s settled.” She said. 

Lex stared intently at her yet again; his lips twitched and he leaned back in his office chair. 

“Congratulations,” he said. “You look very proud of yourself.” 

“I am. I have a license, a job, and a personal reputation still intact. I consider that a successful day.” 

“To be honest, you might have made the better move. My father is sure to be irate when he realizes my plan for cutting costs at the factory. I have a feeling he’ll be back for another visit.” 

Peyton sat down in one of the office chairs across the table from him, brows raised. 

“Oh?” 

“I’m going to cut the operating budget instead of the workforce.” 

That gave Peyton pause. It was a bold move, to be sure. It could sink the factory faster than cutting workers if it ended up being the wrong decision. But if it worked, Lex would be one step closer to being a respected boss and leader. At least the people of Smallville wouldn’t be able to say he didn’t try. 

It would, of course, mean some serious number crunching either way. 

“You think it’s a mistake.” 

Peyton shifted her focus back to Lex and his scrutinizing gaze. Her own expression furrowed. 

“Not at all,” she said. “I was just running through outcomes. I think given the situation it’s a smart choice. Risky, obviously, but smart. And I don’t understand why your dad would give you this plant to run if he wasn’t going to let you learn from it. He shouldn’t be mad when you’re doing what he asked.” 

“I believe the implication was that I follow orders like a good son.” 

Peyton hummed. The last thing she felt like doing was letting Lex’s dad sully the rest of their day when he wasn’t even there. 

“Are you busy?” She asked. 

Lex tipped his head back in suspicion, though he looked to be willing to humor her. 

“It’s nothing I can’t put off a bit longer. Why?” 

She pushed herself out of the chair and twisted her hair into a bun at the back of her neck. 

“We haven’t made cookies in awhile and I’m craving something sweet.”

Chapter Text

The Beanery wasn't the nicest coffee shop Peyton had ever visited, but it was the only one she managed to find in Smallville so she couldn't exactly be picky. And the coffee was good enough, she supposed. Not quite up to the standards of the coffee at Lex's mansion, obviously, but pleasant. Mostly she enjoyed a change in scenery while she worked on formatting correspondence. It wasn't a demanding task, not in the same way that her job back home was, with strict deadlines, intensive detail, and bullying bosses.

Peyton took a sip of her coffee and corrected the margin size for the letter. They had templates for these things, and people still managed to get the layout wrong.

"Oh, hey? Peyton, right?"

Peyton looked up to be met with a mess of spikey blonde hair and a friendly smile.

"Hi, yes. And you're... Chloe?"

Chloe grinned, seemingly pleased that Peyton remembered her name, and she dropped her backpack in the seat across from Peyton as she adjusted her hold on her own cup of coffee.

"Yeah. Um, do you mind if I sit? I swear I don't think I can function until I have at least a quarter of this thing in me."

Peyton eased her laptop closed with an affirmative response, spurred by curiosity. Clearly Chloe was attempting to start up a conversation, though Peyton wasn't sure why. She didn't exactly have a lot in common with high schoolers, nor did she think she'd be too interesting to them.

Though Chloe did have that Wall of Weird, as Clark put it. Peyton shifted in her seat. There was no way Chloe could have an inkling Peyton was different. The only person who knew for sure was Lex.

"Do you come here before school every day, then?"

Peyton cast her a friendly smile and glanced at the clock on the wall. Depending on when they started classes, she could have anywhere from five minutes to half an hour before she would probably need to leave.

"Not everyday," Chloe said, "but I needed the extra caffeine. I'm glad I did though, because I was wondering if you minded if I interviewed you? Just a short one!" She rushed to reassure. "The school paper could use another story, and you and Lex Luthor's arrival has been one of the most exciting things to happen recently."

Peyton raised a brow.

"It seems like a lot of stuff happens here. Besides the car accidents, your Wall of Weird was pretty full."

Chloe shrugged in a sheepish manner and looked away.

"Yeah, well, people aren't as open to my crazy theories as they are to a multimillionaire couple moving to a small Kansas town."

The comment almost caught Peyton off guard, but she smiled politely without showing surprise. They were a couple; at least in the eyes of the public. And while she wasn't eager to put an impromptu interview out there, Peyton agreed to answer a few questions.

It was a high school paper, who was actually going to read it? And she figured Chloe was bold and polite enough to be rewarded.

Chloe's eyes lit up and she wasted no time pulling out a pen and notebook from her backpack.

"Oh, awesome! Thank you!"

Peyton put her laptop to the side and settled more comfortably with her coffee. Chloe sat up straighter with her notebook and her eyes sharpened as she clicked her pen and eyed Peyton. In a flash she transitioned from bubbly high schooler to investigative journalist.

"So, what brings a wealthy heiress from Metropolis to a town like Smallville?"

Peyton couldn't say she was entirely surprised this was the first question. She supposed easing into the interview and building a rapport wasn't something Chloe had time for with school starting soon.

"Lex was put in charge of the plant here and I came along with him," she said.

"Because you're a couple?"

Peyton smiled stiffly.

"That's right."

"So it's pretty serious. If you're willing to leave everything in the city behind."

Her and Lex's fake relationship was the last thing she wanted to focus on, especially with a teenager. Peyton shifted in her seat and Chloe continued to eye her intently.

"I've known Lex practically his entire life." She explained. "It just seemed natural to follow. I don't know what I'd do without him."

It ended up being the right thing to say to kill that line of questioning. Chloe looked less than impressed and clicked her pen as she shifted topics.

"And your work in modeling? Is that something you're not doing anymore?"

"Modeling was never a passion for me," Peyton said. It was true. She'd never felt the inclination to pose for strangers and cameras. "I just- did it for-," she tried not to grimace, "fun. For a bit. But I'm moving on to more corporate work now."

That triggered a more favorable reaction from Chloe this time. Her eyes became more focused and she scribbled in her notebook.

"With Luthor Corp?"

Peyton let out a short laugh.

"No. I think that'd be a conflict of interest. My parents," it was still weird to say that, "have their own company. I'm getting my feet wet with administrative work. Exciting stuff, I know."

Chloe shrugged and wrote down her response.

"At least it shows some integrity in your character," she said bluntly. "Even if there's some nepotism still involved."

"Touche." Peyton couldn't help but laugh again. "I appreciate the appreciation."

"So, what do you think Woods Inc. offers to benefit a town like Smallville?"

Peyton was glad she knew enough about the company now to give an adequate answer, even if she did fluff it up a bit to make it seem more thorough.

But it was good that the interview was only for a school paper, because Peyton wasn't able to offer much information of interest for an actual story. Her knowledge didn't extend much further than she was now a rich daughter supposedly dating another family's rich son and now they were living a few miles from a fertilizer plant. She didn't have anything else more intimate to share, save for memories of her previous visits, and she wasn't feeling inclined to share those.

She really ought to get around to doing more research for her backstory. When Chloe left, she'd add it to her planner.

Chloe put down her notebook when she was done asking interview questions and Peyton, noting the interaction was coming to a close, let her mind wander to contemplate getting another coffee.

"Off the record-" Chloe prompted, and Peyton turned back to give her full attention. "From one Metropolite to another, what do you think of Smallville?"

Peyton sniffed and crossed her legs as she carefully contemplated her answer.

"It's quaint," she said. "I do like the change of pace from the city. Though-" She hesitated briefly and Chloe noticed. "I will say it does seem like there are more odd occurrences than you'd expect for such a country town."

And that was the answer Chloe was looking for.

Her eyes shone and she leaned forward conspiratorially. Peyton wondered if she might be able to do some information gathering of her own.

"There absolutely are. I try to keep track of all of it with my Wall of Weird, but I have to dig sometimes, because the locals will just sweep things under the rug."

Peyton nodded.

"I mean, just since we got here-" She paused as she remembered Chloe's wall. "Actually, there was that meteor shower here years ago too."

"Yes!" Chloe gushed. "Most of the weird occurrences that have happened here have happened since the meteor shower! They're all so obviously connected, but no one wants to see it."

"Most of them?"

Chloe shrugged at the question.

"I mean, there were a couple odd things here and there before. Small town drama. Like Lana Lang's great aunt was killed in the sixties and to this day no one knows for sure if it was her husband or some drifter that came through the town. But that's not anywhere near the level of what's happened after the meteors."

"There was another car accident shortly after ours," Peyton commented. "And Lex saw some kid peeking out of a corn maze in the middle of the night. We never did find him, but that's how we found your friend Clark- oh."

"Strung up like a scarecrow?" Chloe finished for her. "Yeah, that's a terrible Smallville High tradition; your run of the mill imbecile jocks." She glanced up at a clock on the cafe wall and gathered her things.

"But I should be going if I don't want to be late for school. Thank you for the interview! I can get you a copy of the paper when it's printed if you like. And if you're ever curious about the stuff that goes on around here, I'm more than willing to chat."

Peyton smiled.

"Thank you; that sounds great."

She watched as Chloe hurried out of the cafe and down the sidewalk, and hoped the young girl wouldn't be late. Peyton shook her head and opened her laptop and went back to formatting office correspondence.

It was interesting that Chloe correlated anything strange to the meteor shower. Perhaps she was caught up in the whole 'being from outer space' aspect of it. Perhaps Chloe believed in aliens too and thought they were secretly living amongst the normal townsfolk and causing all the oddities.

Peyton snorted at the thought.

She took her time finishing up the work and made sure it was perfect before saving it. If she wanted to impress the parents in this universe, she needed to show she was now competent and invested in the work. Given where the other Peyton set the bar, it shouldn't be too difficult to do.

[][]

Peyton carefully drove the speed limit all the way back to the manor. Crossing over the bridge to get out of the main town still sent a shiver down her spine. Even glancing down at the water below sent her stomach churning.

It still escaped her how all of them managed to survive that incident. They'd gotten away with minor injuries so maybe she shouldn't let it affect her so much, but still managed to haunt her with what might have been.

By the time she got back to the manor it was noon and she felt ready for lunch. Lex was in his office on the phone when she walked passed and she waved at him on her way to the kitchen. Peyton grabbed a water bottle and made a sandwich then headed back into the office so she wouldn't have to eat alone. She curled up on one of the couches by the fireplace and chewed bites of her sandwich while Lex scowled and rubbed his hand over his head.

"And why wasn't I informed there was going to be a school function at the plant today? I would have been there to oversee it."

Peyton made a "whoops" expression and took another bite of her lunch.

"No," Lex said to whoever was on the other end. "No. I don't care; this is my plant." He paused, only growing more angry. "What I expect is that you do the job I'm paying you for. Have the meeting notes prepared for tomorrow."

He snapped his phone shut and Peyton found the sound satisfying. It'd been a while since she had a phone you could still angrily hang up with.

"There's a school function?" She asked.

"The high school is taking a field trip around the plant," Lex responded tersely. "I only just found out about it."

Peyton took a sip of water and rocked her head.

"Is it another tactic to undermine you? Or did they blow it off as a trivial thing?"

"I don't know." He joined her on the other couch. "Given that I've been dealing with the dumpster fire that is my father trying to cut employees, perhaps he didn't find it relevant."

"I mean-" Peyton lifted her water bottle in a vague gesture signaling his underling may have a point.

Lex rolled his eyes and leaned back as he crossed his ankle over his knee.

"It's the principle of it." he said. "If they ignore the little things, how can I trust them with the stuff that matters?"

Peyton took another bite of her sandwich and gave a small shrug. It really wasn't the biggest issue, by comparison of what his father wanted to do, and it seemed like Lex had it under control. There was no need to drag it out more than a mild tongue lashing, which he'd already finished giving. Lex sighed and his shoulders loosened as he realized she wasn't going to keep that topic going. He lifted his chin in a gesture at her and changed the subject.

"How was letter writing?"

"Fine. Easy. All I have to do is email them back and I'll be done; though I still can't believe I've been regulated to part time work."

"You're the one who wanted to prove yourself reliable. Less nepotism, remember?"

"I'd still like to get full time pay sooner rather than later. Speaking of, I'll need that doctor's number sometime, if you don't mind."

"Of course."

"Oh," Peyton finished off her sandwich and sat up with a cheeky smile. "I did get interviewed today, actually."

Lex lifted his brows in question and his eyes took on a more shrewd sheen. She suspected he wasn't fond of any sort of impromptu questioning.

"By who?"

"That high school girl with the Wall of Weird, Chloe. I don't think I ever caught her last name."

"Sullivan." Lex provided, to Peyton's surprise. "Her father is a manager at the plant. I hope you didn't give her anything to add to her board."

Peyton snorted.

"Of course not. Although that would be something she'd find far more interesting than she found my career goals or our fake relationship."

His smile ticked up at that.

"Did you give away all our personal secrets?"

"All of them. The sneaking around behind our parents' backs as kids, the multiple horrid affairs, even your fencing teacher being an attractive woman."

"I knew you were jealous. Look, I haven't invited her back if it makes you feel any better."

Peyton rolled her eyes and scoffed airily.

"As if you could win back my forgiveness so easily."

She realized, with a small shock, that she actually hadn't seen him practice with that instructor since the first day in the manor. Peyton adjusted her position on the couch and Lex continued to grin at her.

"Oh no," he said. "I learned my lesson the first time."

"Well, good."

She gave him another cheeky smile to cover the fact that she had to process he seemed to be rather committed to a fake relationship.

Peyton opened her laptop and set to work forwarding the correspondence she'd completed to their proper channels and Lex drifted back to his own laptop and paperwork. It was too easy and comfortable, working in the same room together. It was inconvenient that she liked it more than her real cubicle.

After sending the letters off, she cleaned up a few folders on the team's shared drive and mildly fiddled with them to make the organization make a little more sense, but not enough to press her luck with whoever had direct access to them. They ought to still be able to find everything easily, at least.

Lex's phone rang, disrupting the quiet, and he answered in a distracted manner, his eyes still on his laptop screen.

"Luthor."

He stilled to the point of looking like stone and Peyton sat forward in alarm. A shock of dread shot through her that perhaps Lionel fired plant employees already.

"Good." Lex stood abruptly and began to leave the office at a brisk pace. Peyton followed. "I'll be there in ten. Call me if anything escalates."

Peyton rushed over to his side and kept pace with him. He turned down the hall and headed in the direction of the garage.

"What is it, Lex? What happened?"

"There's been an incident at the plant. One of the employees took the high school class hostage."

"What?"

"A disgruntled employee took over the plant. Law enforcement is already on the scene."

"Oh my gosh."

Lex turned and faced her as they reached the garage and stopped with his hand on the door.

"You should stay here." He said. "There's no need for you to get near-"

"Lex," Peyton interrupted, "I'm coming."

He only paused for a moment before he rolled his lips and relented. They both jumped into his black convertible and peeled out of the driveway to barrel down the road towards the plant. Peyton grabbed the side of the door and sucked in a breath.

"Just watch out for any bridges," she said stiffly.

Lex grimaced but didn't slow down.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no. We need to get there. I just- It's not you-"

"It was a traumatic event. It's natural; I get it."

She hoped he didn't take it personally.

It took half the time it usually did to reach the plant. There was already a police barricade and a crowd of parents gathered around the security point in a frantic mass. Security managed to get the crowd parted enough for Lex to pull through the gate before they shut it again and all the parents rushed back into place.

Peyton hurried out of the car after Lex parked and both of them looked up at a familiar voice.

"Lex! Lex, please, what's happening in there?"

Martha and Jonathan Kent stood in front of the crowd of panicked parents and Lex waved at one of the security officers.

"Let them through." Lex instructed. "Just those two."

The Kents squeezed through the gate and hurried to join them; Peyton put a hand on Martha's arm and shared a worried look.

"Lex, what's going on?" Jonathan asked.

Peyton noticed the slightly hostile edge to his voice and once again, couldn't entirely fault him.

"A man's taken over the plant and is holding the class inside hostage."

"Who? What's his name."

Lex sighed.

"His name is Earl Jenkins. He's a disgruntled Luthor Corp employee."

A flash of recognition crossed Jonathan's face and his brow furrowed.

"I know Earl." He said. "He used to work for me; this isn't like him."

"Yeah?" Questioned Lex. "Then do you know why he's currently holding a high school class at gunpoint?"

Jonathan shifted awkwardly.

"He's wanted for alleged murder, but he says it was an accident. He claims that some accident in Level Three of the plant made him sick, gave him seizures, and he thinks getting whatever is down there is the only thing that can help cure him."

"I can assure you, Mr. Kent, there is no Level Three."

"He's sick." Jonathan reiterated stubbornly. "He just wants to get better."

Peyton didn't remember any Level Three from when Lex and she had toured the plant on his arrival; and if there was one it'd have to be underground, since there were only two floors visible from outside.

The SWAT team already set up a station with monitors displaying the feeds from the cameras inside the building. Earl and the hostages looked to be in some control room, and he had the students sitting along one of the walls while he paced the room, his gun tight in his grip.

"Where is Level Three?" Earl demanded as he faced the camera. "Where is it? I cleaned it; I know it's here! Luthor!"

Peyton forced her shoulders to relax and shifted her hand to Martha's shoulder.

"I promise you, Mrs. Kent, that the safety of everyone here is our top priority. We'll do whatever it takes to get everyone out unharmed."

Mrs. Kent placed her hand over Peyton's and gave her a thin lipped smile.

Lex eyed the video feed with a hard look, his gaze lingering over the scared kids.

"Has anyone had contact with Mr. Jenkins?" He asked.

"Not directly, sir. I've looked into this Level Three and the accident that he claims caused his condition, but there's no record of it." The SWAT agent responded.

"Of course there isn't. If there was, I'd have known about it." Lex replied.

Peyton gave Martha's shoulder a parting squeeze before she moved to join Lex in front of the monitors. Seeing the kids huddled together, fear clear in the way they cowered, made her feel ill.

But Lex looked legitimately concerned. He didn't react in any way at the mention of the mystery level when people spoke of it, not like he had as a teen with her coffee. Peyton believed he either didn't know about it or it didn't exist at all.

Before Lex could demand the phone, a roar of helicopter blades approached the scene and landed a few yards away. Wind churned behind them and Peyton pushed her hair out of her eyes to see.

"Who's that?" Martha asked.

Lex shoved his hands into his pockets.

"That would be my father."

Lionel climbed down from the helicopter, his suit was sharp and his shoulder length hair whipped around behind him; the look on his face immediately set Peyton on edge. It wasn't just that he looked confident. It was near condescending.

Lex reached over to squeeze her arm out of his father's view and Peyton shuttered her expression to be blank. Martha eyed her in confusion before Lionel reached them and created a distraction.

"Sir, Mr. Jenkins- "

"Yes, I was briefed on the ride over." Lionel interrupted. "Lex, how could you let this happen?"

"I'm not the one he's blaming, dad." Lex snapped back. "He's very adamant that you're the one that had him working on Level Three."

Lionel scoffed.

"That's ridiculous; there is no Level Three."

"Well, he's insisting that there is." Lex countered sharply. "And there's still kids inside, so maybe you shouldn't antagonize him."

"Step aside, Lex."

Lionel pushed his way to the front and grabbed the phone with the exasperation of a manager being summoned by a retail worker. On the monitor, one of the factory workers answered the phone and handed it to Earl.

"Mr. Jenkins, this is Lionel Luthor."

"Luthor."

Earl turned toward the camera in the room and scowled.

"Where's Level Three?" He demanded.
"Earl, please. You're sick and you need help. Come out and let's talk about this."

"No! I know it was here! There was an elevator. Every morning, I followed the red pipes down to the storage room and took the elevator down."

"Listen to me, Earl, there is no-"

"No! It's here; what did you do to it?"

But Lionel didn't yield, and Earl grew more agitated. With a growl, he slammed down the phone and paced the room; he stopped near some pipes and leaned against them and his torso rose and fell dramatically in deep breaths, as if in an attempt to calm himself down. Movement on the screen caught Peyton's eye and she immediately recognized the tall kid with dark hair moving towards Earl as Clark.

"Don't." She murmured under her breath.

But then Earl became fuzzy on the monitor. No one else looked grainy on the screen, so it wasn't the camera malfunctioning. The camera picked up a metallic rattling sound, and Peyton realized that Earl was shaking. Jittering.

Clark reached for him, but Earl was flailing so wildly that he sent Clark flying across the room.

Jonathan and Martha gasped and Peyton clenched her jaw. She stopped herself from reaching for Lex's arm, but only just, since she didn't know if that was something Lionel would find odd from her or not.

A shrill whistle rose above the student's yells, and some gauge readings suddenly shot up towards alarming numbers.

"The room is filling with methane," the SWAT leader said, looking up from his computer. "He must have damaged a valve."

Clark, at least, didn't appear too hurt; though they obviously couldn't gauge any internal injuries. But he was conscious and his classmates were quick to pull him back into the group and further away from Earl.

None of that would matter if the building was becoming a ticking time bomb.

One of the other high school boys decided to try his own luck and crept toward Earl as Earl took in the growing gas readings. Peyton's heart dropped again.

He leapt at Earl and grabbed his wrist, aiming for the gun, but Earl knocked him back with a startling ease. The kid fell backwards and hit his head on the ground and Earl pointed the gun down the line of hostages, demanding they stay in their place. Even without that, his point was already well made.

No one else made a move. Earl backed away from the group then climbed up onto a chair in front of the camera so that his grimacing face filled the screen.

"Look what you made me do."

Then he took the gun and shot the camera. The screen went to static.

Lionel scowled more deeply at the monitor.
"Foolish boy," he sneered. "Why would he do that?"

"Because," Jonathan said tersely, "he's a scared kid that's tired of waiting for the adults to actually act."

Lionel blinked at the statement as if it didn't fully register. Next to her, Lex started taking off his suit jacket.

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Kent. Which is why I'm going in."

Peyton nearly blew her cover. She tensed, despite herself, and Lex didn't even look at her.

Methane gas was filling the inside of the building and no one knew when something could set it off. There was a man inside holding kids hostage and he wasn't exactly a fan of any Luthors.

"Lex, don't be ridiculous; you can't go in there."

"Why not, dad? It's my plant, my responsibility, right?"

He eyed his father and Lionel, surprisingly, didn't offer any other arguments. Lex's gaze slid away from his father and towards the SWAT leader.

"Someone get me a vest."

Peyton couldn't hold herself back anymore. She rushed toward him but tried to at least keep her expression close to stoic.

"Lex, what are you doing?"

She grabbed onto his arm and, incredibly, Lex didn't flinch. Didn't even glance at his father to see if he'd noticed Peyton's behavior.

"I'm going inside." He said. "Don't worry about me." His eyes said what he couldn't. You can't change my mind.

"I'll be alright." Somebody has to do this.

And she wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him it was dangerous and foolhardy, but she couldn't do that without dropping her act in front of Lionel. Instead she bit the inside of her cheek and let her hand drop away.

"Okay."

Her face remained impassive as Lex accepted a Kevlar vest from one of the officers and got ready to make the exchange. His own well being for that of the children.

She was helpless to do anything but watch as Lex walked alone into the plant to hand himself over to a madman with a gun.

[][][] [Lex] [][][]

Lex compartmentalized his concerns. He was used to doing that; he was good at it. Right now he needed to deescalate a rapidly spiraling situation and get teenagers out of harm's way. Once he managed that, he could move onto the next thing. Like the fact that Level Three didn't actually exist. Though, with his father involved, he could never be sure. The issue was he didn't actually know if Level Three existed and Earl would never believe that.

The fact that Peyton was alone with his dad was a distant third or fourth concern. He trusted her to not engage with him, but his father's brief moments of attentiveness to her were unwelcome. He'd been around her enough times to know what it was like when Peyton wasn't there and anything new would immediately make him suspicious. He probably wouldn't jump to any accurate conclusions right away, but Lex didn't want him digging around to find out what was going on either.

He steeled himself as he entered the building. The hallways were deserted and silent, an unusual sight in a bustling plant. Once he passed through the hallway into the control room, he'd be officially on his own, out of the view of the working security cameras.

Lex steeled his resolve and entered the room with his arms raised.

[][][] [Peyton] [][][]

Martha Kent's hand on her shoulder snapped Peyton out of her frantic thoughts. Her palms hurt and she realized she'd dug her nails into the base of her hands that left dark crescent moons imprinted in the skin.

"Earl used to work for us years ago," Martha said. "He's not the kind of man to hurt people."

Peyton glanced briefly toward Lionel to make sure he wasn't paying attention to her. Luckily he was discussing something clearly contentious on his phone with a subordinate.

"With all due respect, he's holding children at gunpoint."

Martha had the decency to look chagrined, but her husband's jaw ticked and his chin lifted.

"He's a good man driven to desperate measures. None of this would be happening if Lionel Luthor actually gave a lick about any of his employees."

"So this is justified?"

Jonathan scoffed as he realized he couldn't argue that point. His own son was inside and in harm's way, after all. Earl had hit him. But he clearly didn't want to concede anything, especially if it felt like it was to a Luthor.

"I didn't say- You didn't see Earl at the hospital, okay? You don't get what this plant has done to him."

"I don't," Peyton allowed. "But I know those kids, your son included, don't deserve to be dragged into this. And Lex wasn't managing the plant when Earl was hurt; he doesn't deserve this either."

Jonathan didn't say anything else but his frustration was clear enough in the crease of his brows and the tightness of his jaw.

Peyton turned back to watch the monitors. They only got a brief glimpse of Lex cautiously walking through the plant before he entered the main room and they could no longer watch.

[][][] [Lex] [][][

"Luthor!"

Earl whipped around with his gun at the ready as Lex stood a distance away. Lex was careful to keep his hands visible and stance nonthreatening; the last thing he needed was for Earl to panic and react.

The high school group to his right watched him with wide eyes from their spots along the wall. Lex caught Clark's eyes and gave him a small nod; Clark pressed his lips together.

"Earl, come on. This is between you and me; let the kids go."

The look Earl gave him was scathing.

"What kind of father sends his son in to do his dirty work?"

"No one sent me, Earl. I came on my own. Now, please. There's methane filling this place and this isn't how you want to be remembered."

"I'm not leaving here without going to Level Three!"

Lex threw his hands up higher as Earl jabbed the gun at him then slowly reached down to take off the kevlar vest. Earl watched in bafflement.

"Earl, I swear to you, if you let everyone go I'll take you to Level Three."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not. I swear to you, I'll take you there. I'm a man of my word."

Earl paused as he clearly considered his options, then he waved his gun towards the doorway with a harsh,

"Get out."

The group hesitated and he took a step forward.

"Go!"

Lex kept his expression calm as he watched the group scramble from the room towards the exit. Clark was the most reluctant to leave, but luckily his friends called him over and he left with them.

Good. No one else needed to get hurt.

[][][] [Peyton] [][][]

A few agonizing minutes passed of nothing but silence. Peyton kept as unreadable as she could, but she couldn't help the distressed crease in her brow as she watched the plant doors. The same SWAT agent announced that the methane levels were continuing to rise and if Earl didn't comply with Lex's offer they would need to act swiftly, if they planned to act at all.

She shot a glare in the man's direction at the implication that they might not save everyone and Lionel caught her change in expression. He raised his brows in a silent prompting and Peyton was saved from further interaction by the sound of yelling. The last time she'd glared he'd latched onto that as an oddity. She needed to be more careful.

The Kents rushed forward towards some double doors nearby and Peyton hurried after them. Students rushed through, frantic and yelling as they ran for safety. Peyton recognized Chloe Sullivan being held close to a grown man's side, and she recalled Lex mentioning her father worked at the plant.

"Pete, where's Clark?" Martha asked as she held the boy by his shoulder.

Pete's brows puckered in worry as he stammered.

"He was right behind me, but he ran back in."

Martha eyed the doors behind Pete and cast a worried look to Jonathan who's jaw ticked yet again. Peyton put her hands on her hips and paced a short line. Given even the little she'd seen of Clark since her time here, she knew he was planning to try and help Lex. Most likely Earl too, if there was the opportunity. But she was stuck on the outside, unless she threw all good sense aside and rushed into the plant without a lick of a plan.

A call from the surveillance area caught her attention and she led their little group back as the SWAT agent updated them on the situation. The methane in the building was no longer collecting to a dangerous degree; someone must have shut off the valve.

Peyton had her bets.

[][][] [Lex] [][][]

Lex walked over to one of the computer chairs and sat down with a deep exhale as he loosened his tie.

"Well? Where is it? Get up."

"There is no Level Three, Earl."

His heart beat a little faster, though he hid it well. That was a lesson his father ingrained into him from childhood: never show weakness. Panicking would only further provoke Earl anyway, and as far as he knew he could already get shot any moment. And he really didn't want to get shot.

"I knew it. You Luthors' are all the same! None of you could tell the truth if your lives depended on it."

"I'm not lying. I would take you there if it existed, but it's not there, Earl."

A desperate sort of rage took root on Earl's face as he refused to believe what Lex said. But he didn't have the ruthless sort of coldness Lex had seen in others; he reminded Lex more of a cornered animal. Vicious because it felt it had no other choice.

Hopefully it would be enough to keep him alive.

"You think you can play me like a fool, huh?" Earl gave a harsh laugh. "I'm just some nobody janitor, so I'm expendable. But you and your old man are no better than me. I have a son too, you know. And I-" his voice cracked, "and I want to be able to hold him again."

Lex rubbed his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I can help you find a doctor-"

"They can't help me unless they know what got under my skin! You think I haven't tried every specialized doctor already?"

He was getting ramped up again. Earl marched over and grabbed Lex by the front of his shirt and shoved him against the wall. Lex threw up his hands as the gun was once again aimed at him.

"Tell me where it is-"

"Earl! Earl, I found it!"

A disembodied voice rang through the room and both of them froze. It was Clark's voice.

Lex closed his eyes and grimaced in frustration. Clark was still somewhere in the plant, and he obviously found the speaker system.

"It's exactly where you said it was; they just put up a wall in front of it. I promise, Earl. You have to come see it."

Lex frowned. There wasn't a Level Three. There shouldn't be a Level Three. Either Clark was lying, something that didn't exactly fit his character, or Lex was going to have to have another talk with his dad after this was over.

"Clark's an honest kid." Lex hedged.

He really didn't want to get shot and he really wanted to see what Clark was referring to.

Earl wavered for only a moment, but ultimately his desperation won out. He yanked Lex and shoved him forward so that he led the way and Earl hung back with the gun.

"You better hope he's telling the truth." Earl said. "For your sake."

They made their way down a level where Earl shoved Lex to the side to follow a set of red pipes that ran along the ceiling, like he said he followed earlier. They rounded a corner and finally ran into Clark. He cast a worried look at Lex and the gun at his back.

"Clark, you shouldn't be here. You need to get out."

"C'mon, Earl." Clark said. "You don't need the gun. I found Level Three; it's right through here. We can all go together."

Earl peered around Lex to what looked like a janitor's closet at the end of the hall. Clark had found something strong enough to break down a chunk of false wall and reveal an elevator door.

Lex's heart sank as his curiosity rose. Dear old dad lied once again.

They shared a tense elevator ride down and Lex shot another scolding glare at Clark who avidly ignored him. The doors opened and they stepped out onto a catwalk that hung over a huge empty room. It had been cleared of anything incriminating or important, and all that remained were a few metal drums. Earl rushed out onto the catwalk and let out a dismayed cry.

"No! Where did it go? There were rows of planters all down here." He said with a gesture. "They had sprayers over the corn and I'd clean through there. Where did it go?"

"Earl, I swear to you, I didn't know about this place. I'm in the dark just as much as you are."

"Bull! Do you ever stop lying?"

"I think he's telling the truth, Earl." Clark cut in. "You proved it's real, okay? Now we can go and-"

"No. I need whatever they were treating the corn with. The doctors can't- they can't- I'm not leaving without it. I'm not giving any Luthor a chance to hide this place and gaslight me again."

He grabbed the railing to steady himself as he grew more agitated, and Lex waved Clark away.

"Get out of here, Clark!"
"I'm not going to leave you here."

Earl jerked. And then he convulsed. The catwalk rattled.

[][][] [Peyton] [][][]

Despite Lionel's presence, Peyton couldn't quite allow herself to do nothing. She wouldn't rush after Lex, she decided. Most likely he'd be upset with her for it, and she may disturb whatever thin truce he could have garnered with Earl. But she couldn't just stand and wait.

There were only two ambulances for the group, so she offered her help to the EMTs in whatever way they would accept it. Luckily most everyone was untouched and only rattled, so she soothed who she could and helped pass out cups of water.

She approached Chloe with a paper cup of water and the blonde blinked in recognition as Peyton crouched down in front of her. Chloe accepted the cup and Peyton leveled an imploring look at her.

"Hey, did you see Lex before you got out?"

"Only for a second. He convinced Mr. Jenkins that he'd take him to Level Three if he let us go."

Chloe's father swallowed nervously.

"He won't have anything to show him."

Peyton pressed on.

"But he wasn't hurt?"

Chloe shook her head.

"Not when we left."

The unsaid implication at the end of Chloe's sentence was clear. Not yet, but he lied to a delusional man. Peyton's heart lurched but she kept herself from projecting it. Panicking wouldn't help anyone, and the kids didn't need any more stress than they'd already experienced. Instead, she nodded once and stood while taking a steadying breath.

"Let's just hope Mr. Jenkins can be reasoned with, then."

"Yes, let's."

Peyton snapped her head to the side to see Lionel Luthor standing behind her, his head tilted up in a challenging way as he studied her. His gaze was piercing as ever; analytical. It took everything in her for Peyton to keep her face even, especially when he was eyeing her like she was a bug that started dancing. A list of options for how she could possibly react flipped through her head, though she wasn't sure how helpful it'd be to keep up the act. Clearly he had heard what she said a moment ago. With her luck, he'd probably been listening to the entire conversation.

She kept her expression dull and tilted her head.

"Yeah."

Lionel waited and she blinked at him. His expression sharpened even further.

"Now Miss Woods, am I not worthy of your conversation?"
The unspoken accusations and denials crackled between them. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she dropped the blank look.

To keep on lying would only embarrass herself, and she wasn't about to make herself out to be a fool when the gig was up. Lionel seemed to sense the shift and he tipped his head back in acknowledgement.

Even if he thought she was weird what was he actually going to do about it?

"Have you heard anything about your son, Mr. Luthor?"

"Not any more than you have, Miss Woods. Though I find your concern for him a fascinating twist."

"Then I suppose you haven't been paying attention."

She shot him a harsh glare and headed back towards the main tent with her mind in a whir; Lionel followed after her. Unfortunately.

Lex probably wouldn't be happy with her call to break character when he got out, and he would get out, but he would have to accept that she couldn't just stand around like a husk while his life was in mortal danger.

She stopped near the monitors, but couldn't see any of the people inside the plant on any of them. Surely, Earl would have realized Lex's bluff by now and reacted.

"I've actually paid very close attention." Lionel countered. "What father wouldn't pay attention to the woman who has been distracting his son and stringing him along for years?"

"Whatever you may think of me, Mr. Luthor, it's really not my concern right now. Especially not when Lex is still inside with a man with a gun."

"It's good to know you at least don't try to deny it."

Peyton was in a world not her own, recovering from a head injury which ensured her permanence here, the only person she had a connection to was in danger, and now his father was demeaning her in public. Her carefully held string of patience snapped. The only problem was when she reached her breaking point, she didn't spray like shrapnel, she came down like a guillotine.

"You say you've been paying close attention, yet you claim I'm stringing Lex along and still call me Miss Woods. I find that a fascinating twist."

"Excuse me?"

She didn't deign to give his scoff a response and Lionel shifted closer as anger stretched across his face. But whatever he was about to say was cut off by a rattling explosion.

The ground shook and Peyton's heart dropped to her toes. People yelled and moved around her, but it felt like she was in a bubble.

Lex was still inside.

Something inside caused an explosion and there were still three people in there.

Clark.

Was it possible for her heart to drop even lower?

Peyton searched for Martha and Jonathan in the crowd and found them clinging to each other as they gaped at the plant doors, white-faced and horrified. She forced herself to take steps forward. A painful tightness seized her throat.

"Get people in there!" She snapped. "Are you going to just sit around and wait for someone to do your jobs?"

SWAT agents and paramedics finally, finally, rushed toward the scene. One of the agents grabbed her and dragged her back before he shoved her behind him.

"Stay away from the scene." The man ordered.

Peyton pursed her lips but listened to the order to stay out of the way.

The agents took the lead towards the doors and paramedics rushed to wait for whoever may come out and encourage the crowd to move back. Peyton tried to maintain her ground as people surged around her: reporters attempting to get the first shot of whatever happened next, families still waiting to be dismissed, police trying to contain the scene.

And then a cry rang out.

Peyton snapped towards the sound. It didn't sound like grief or pain. It sounded like relief. She caught the red hair of Martha as police marched forward, Clark in their midst, seemingly whole. He broke away from the police and his parents rushed to embrace him. Peyton pushed her way forwards with more earnestness.

"Lex?"

She searched the emerging group, her heart thump, thump, thumping as her anxiety rose. Surely Clark would look more distraught if Lex were hurt.

Behind Clark were a couple officers who escorted a restrained Earl Jenkins. The man looked rattled and haggard, with wide eyes and singed clothing. There was still a desperate, vindicated sort of shine to his eyes.

Peyton's pulse jumped again.

"Lex!"

His figure emerged from the crowd and Peyton felt almost dizzy in relief. His movements were careful and his eyes a bit distant; despite her call he didn't show he registered it. She waited for him to get close; until she couldn't help herself and rushed the last few steps and threw her arms over his shoulders in an embrace.

Whatever had exploded, he'd been near it, because he smelled of smoke and bits of ash clung to his shirt. But he was warm and whole and she could hear his heartbeat as further proof he was alive.

Lex froze a moment before he finally, eagerly, returned her embrace. He sighed deeply as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

And normally Peyton wouldn't let the hug linger so long. She wanted to be cautious in her interactions here, she wanted to be more concerned with finding a way home, but Lex could have died. At the moment, that could take precedence.

Peyton gave him a squeeze and then pulled back enough to get a look at him.

"Are you alright?" She brazenly moved his face to the side in an attempt to evaluate his injuries. "You've got blood-"

His eyelids fluttered briefly at the skin contact and he swallowed.

"It's just a few scratches." He interrupted. "I'm fine, incredibly."

Lex pulled her hands away from his face and gave her a reassuring smile; a certain amusement flickered in his eyes.

"Were you worried about me?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course I was!"

His grin widened at her proclamation.

Chatter rose and he broke eye contact to glance up. Peyton followed suit and noted, with disgust, that Lionel was busy talking with the press. It was a stark contrast from the Kents, who smothered their son in their arms and held him tight. Something Lex clearly noted by a brief, despondent look that flickered across his face.

"At least someone was worried."

There wasn't much Peyton could respond with that wasn't lies; she couldn't try to offer reassurances that his father cared. So she threaded her fingers through his and gave his hand a squeeze instead. Lex swallowed again.

A reporter's voice rose above the rest and drew both their attention. Lex headed towards his father.

"Mr. Luthor! Can you comment on the existence of Level Three?"

"I believe what you're referring to is a redundant storage area." Lionel explained away with a forced humor. "Mr. Jenkins is a very sick man."

"Which is why my dad and I are committed to finding him the best medical help available. We're family here at Luthorcorp, and family helps each other; isn't that right, dad?"

The sharpness in Lionel's eyes might have been missed by the press, but not by Peyton. It was a look that warned of retribution.

"Please, please." Suddenly Lionel wasn't interested in speaking with the press and needed 'space'. "My son's been through a horrific ordeal. Please."

He turned away from the press and pulled his son into a hug. Peyton stepped away, though Lex was slow in letting go of her hand.

Lionel made eye contact with her over Lex's shoulder and glared.

"We have much to discuss later. In private." He murmured into his son's ear. "I'd like to know about some important developments that you've kept from me."

Chapter Text

Peyton insisted on driving Lex's car back, not because she feared his driving, but because he'd just survived a life threatening experience, again, and who was to say he didn't have a concussion of his own this time? The paramedics might have given him a clean bill of health, disregarding his scratches and bruises, but Peyton didn't want to take any chances. And it felt weird to have him drive. As if none of what just happened really mattered and things were normal.

Plus it gave her an excuse to look anywhere else while she figured out what to do about the Lionel situation.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Lex answered again. "I'm alright. If Clark hadn't been there maybe I wouldn't be, but he was. The scariest part of today was my father promising to visit again."

Peyton swallowed.

"We should get all the families a floral arrangement, or something." She suggested. "To try and expound on your statement that employees of Luthorcorp are family. It might help smooth over any hostilities. And it's a nice thing to do."

Lex's gaze burned into the side of her face and he didn't respond for a beat too long.

"That sounds like a good idea. I wonder what flower means 'sorry your kid got involved in a hostage situation'."

"Well everyone made it out, so let's not do lilies."

"Are you feeling okay?"

Peyton didn't wince. She knew she was acting tense and Lex was observant enough to notice. But the last thing she wanted to bring up tonight after everything was the fact that she'd all but told his dad that they were married.

"I can't de-escalate as fast as you can," she said. After a moment of silent debate, she decided to at least drop the first half of the problem.

"And your dad might have seen me talking to the Sullivans."

Lex sank back with a groan and rubbed at his face, hissing when he pulled on his cuts. Peyton clenched the steering wheel and shot him a look before pulling her foot off the gas. They were about to cross the bridge.

"I'm sorry. But I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. I didn't realize he was close by."

"No." Lex sighed. "He was eventually going to notice anyway. To be honest, I think he was already suspicious that something was different. I just hoped we could delay it a bit longer."

He was going to be thrilled when he found out she'd done more than just talk in front of him.

"I guess I don't fully understand what the issue is, besides his judgment. It's not like his first thought is going to be that I'm from another universe."

"Not his first thought, no." Lex agreed. "But having my dad's interest is never a good thing. And we learned today that he's willing to hide and lie about testing facilities in his company. So I'm reluctant to put anything past him."

"That's fair. When- when is he supposed to come by?"

Lex grimaced.

"Tomorrow, I think. Given how angry he looked, I don't think he'll put off his visit."

She had one night to figure out what to do. To figure out how she was going to explain what in the world had compelled her to make such a claim. Great.

They arrived back at the manor and Peyton rushed around as Lex exited the car. He watched her with amusement.

"You do realize I wasn't mortally wounded or otherwise incapacitated, right?"

She gave him a glare.

"I don't know if I trust you'd admit it if you were."

Lex grinned.

His walk was steady as he entered the main office so she wasn't worried he'd fall over, and Peyton only made a detour to grab a first aid kit. He was already at the mini bar when she came back in and Peyton shooed him away with an irritated huff.

"I can pour my own drink," Lex argued.

"Can you just let me do this? Sit down; you've had quite the day and you need to rest."

He cocked an eyebrow at her and sat down with a bemused smile.

"Yes dear."

Peyton's heart thudded in alarm and she held up her pointer finger in warning but didn't dare turn around. She grabbed the bottle of brandy he'd been reaching for and poured a finger into one of his crystal glasses. She paused, then poured another finger.

With the drink and first aid kit, she sat in front of him on the coffee table and handed him the glass. He accepted it with a quiet thanks and nodded at the kit.

"I was already looked over by the paramedics."

"I know. And I also know that you only let them check you weren't dying then declined any further treatment. Now please."

He took a sip of his drink and scooted to the edge of the couch so she could more easily reach him. The first aid kit snapped open with a sharp crack and Peyton busied herself with locating a little bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a cotton ball. She wet one and took a breath before finally looking up at Lex.

"You ready? It might sting a little."

"I've had worse."

Unlike earlier, Peyton didn't have the same rush of adrenaline to dull her sensibilities and she hesitated before tentatively holding his face to dab at the cuts on his forehead. Lex winced.

"Ow."

"Oh, shhh. You've had worse."

A clock ticked on a shelf behind her accentuating the following silence. Lex remained absolutely still under her care and she wondered if he'd ever had anyone to bother taking care of him before. The way he looked at her. It was near reverence and it made her feel fluttery and off center.

"See," she said, displaying the cotton ball. It was gray with ash. "That's an instant infection."

"Yeah? That your professional opinion?"

"You mock, but I have two rowdy little brothers. I know an infection in the making when I see one."

"Mhm."

She grabbed a fresh cotton ball and angled his face to clean the cut on his cheek. If he had to catch his breath a little, she chalked it up to the sting.

It was truly a miracle that he only had the few cuts that he did. That he was able to walk away at all.

"I'm just going to say one more thing and then I promise I won't bring it up anymore." Peyton hedged. Lex pegged her with a prompting look.

"It's okay if you're rattled by today." She continued. "It was a traumatic situation and if you need time to process it, that doesn't make you weak."

Lex had the decency to not brush off her statement immediately with pacifying platitudes.

"There was at least one moment I was sure I was going to die." He admitted. There was a slight inflection to his voice before he cleared his throat. "But if there's anything I've learned from my near death experiences so far, it's that fate has other plans for me."

Peyton hummed lightly as she dabbed one last time at his cheek.

"That is very poetic," she said. "I don't know if I expected you to be a guy that bought into the idea of things like fate."

"Because I seem too practical?"

"Because you seem like someone who wouldn't appreciate being dictated to."

"Whether I like something or not doesn't change the truth of it."

Peyton collected the used materials and stood with a short laugh.

"Actually, you know what, I should have expected it; that's on me. You're a romantic. You liked that comic hero story way too much not to be."

Lex grabbed his drink and leaned back into the couch as he watched her with a sly smile.

"Someone here has to be. And if you purposely mispronounce Devilicus again-"

"I won't when you're injured." Peyton said with a grin; she lifted three fingers. "Scout's honor."

She cast one last mischievous grin back at him as she left and Lex laughed into his drink.

[]

Later, when they both retired for the evening, Peyton kept her bedside lamp on and paced. Her bare feet silently padded across the plush rug in the middle of the room and she paused every once in a while to huff and dig her toes into the thick fabric.

She needed to figure out how she was going to go about explaining her telling Lionel they were married. Implying. Implying they were married. Of course, she could just say it. Be blunt, to the point. But that would make her look ridiculous and impulsively petty, and she was desperate to find some spin. Perhaps she could intercept Lionel before he got to Lex. Play it off as her being thrilled that she could rile him up. That it was hysterical that he actually believed her. But most likely Lionel would mention something to Lex regardless of how she played it.

Peyton paused and ran her hands over the back of her neck.

She had to tell Lex. In the morning. The last thing he needed to worry about after nearly dying was a thoughtless comment she made to his dad. She'd bring up that she forgot to mention the interaction in the chaos of the day and they'd come up with some excuse to backpedal or tell him it was none of his business. Though Lionel accepting the latter answer seemed less than likely.

Peyton flopped face first into her bed with a pathetic groan.

They'd figure something out. In the morning.

[]

Peyton trotted down the wooden staircase with her mind torn between the hunt for coffee and the knowledge that in the next twenty minutes she'd have to tell Lex. She wasn't sure if his anger or amusement would be worse.

However, after she came down the last step, she caught the sound of voices coming from the office. Her heart dropped when she registered that both voices were male.

"No," she murmured to herself. "No, no, no. He can't be here already!"

The voices grew in clarity the closer to the closed double doors she got, and Peyton paused right outside to get a gauge on the situation before barging in.

"You lied to me about the plant you sent me to manage. You nearly got me killed."

"You did that to yourself, Lex. You're the one who wanted to play the hero."

"There were students in danger. You're so concerned about the bottom line, imagine how the plant going up with kids inside would look to investors."

"Oh, Lex, don't pretend with me that you're taking this post seriously."

The blood in her veins rushed through her limbs and she took a breath. The setup for the marriage conversation was already a disaster. Wonderful.

She debated continuing on for coffee. Clearly she hadn't been invited to their current conversation, and perhaps if she stayed out of sight she'd also stay out of Lionel's mind.

But she needed to wrangle control of the conversation before it spiraled beyond her reach. Before she or Lex looked like an idiot.

"I'm not taking this seriously?" Lex scoffed. "Against all evidence to the contrary, apparently. But you always were focused on the failures, weren't you?"

"Maybe I'd believe you if that girl-"

Heat sparked in her chest and Peyton opened the office door. The conversation went silent.

Lionel turned at the sound of the door and his eyes locked on her, and she looked past him to Lex. He remained stoic, but tilted his head marginally and Peyton read it as a warning. It was too bad Lionel was staring directly at her and she couldn't reciprocate.

"Speak of the devil." Lionel said snidely.

Peyton smiled stiffly at Lionel and dipped her head giving the implication of a courtesy.

"Nice to see you too, Lionel. Lex," she said, moving past his father, "you didn't tell me your dad was here already."

Lex watched her approach warily as he swirled a glass filled with water; he knew something was off.

"He came earlier than I anticipated." He replied carefully.

"You really do have impeccable timing Miss Woods; I was about to address this elephant in the room."

"And what would that be, dad?"

Lex rolled his eyes and raised his glass to his mouth.

"The claim Miss Woods made about both of you being married without notifying the Woods' or myself."

Peyton grimaced. Lex lurched forward and choked on his water. He coughed and Lionel looked proud of himself.

"You did what?"

So she would have to go the haughty jokester route if she wanted to avoid being completely humiliated. Peyton took a breath.

"Look, I'm sorry, I was having-"

"You see, Lex." Lionel steamrolled over her. "She's been nothing but manipulative from the beginning. Though even I've doubted her level of acting, I must admit."

He eyed her again, his expression critical. If Lex weren't present, she wondered how much more he'd say to her about her switch in demeanor.

Peyton turned more towards Lex and tried to send a message with just a look. His own expression was thoughtful, but beyond that it was hard to tell. There wasn't the immense scorn or amusement she was torn between expecting.

"He said I was stringing you along and I didn't think-"

Lex sat his glass down on his desk with a clink and Peyton flinched.

"Hey, it's okay." He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "He was bound to find out eventually."

"What?"

"Excuse me?"

Peyton blinked. Lionel straightened up and a deep crease settled between his brows.

"Lex, this isn't funny. The joke is over."

"Who's joking, dad?"

Lex pulled her even closer and Peyton went with it when he shifted his arm over her shoulders. She wrapped one arm around his waist and stamped down on her internal screaming.

Were they doing this? They were actually doing this.

"Impossible," Lionel decided. "I would have known."

"Because you're keeping tabs on me every moment of the day?"

Lionel leaned back, evaluating, and Lex didn't break his gaze. It was another game of chicken between them and despite the fact that they were lying, Peyton was loathe for Lionel to win. She put her other hand on Lex's chest and looked up at him, eyes melancholy.

"The certificates were in the car," she said. "We can't even show him."

"Convenient," said Lionel dryly.

Peyton gave him a sardonic look.

"Exactly my thoughts as we careened over the side of that bridge."

Mentioning the certificates, plural, gave them all an out. If you didn't submit your marriage certificate within a certain number of days it became void, so, despite their lying, this situation didn't have to blow up any bigger or force Lex into a corner. Lionel, whether he fully believed them or not, could harp on them for this stunt and move one without losing face.

Lionel pulled out his flip phone.

"Do your parents know about this?" He asked. "After all our years of friendship, this would be quite the insult. No contracts or notice. I'd find that very offensive."

Peyton tensed and Lex rolled his eyes again.

"Do you really think Merrill would be able to keep quiet if she knew?"

But Lionel kept his eyes on Peyton.

"Surely, with you being her only child, she ought to know."

Peyton didn't know how to respond. Demanding he not tell her parents was below her. She wouldn't beg. But if he mentioned this within hearing range of the woman who was her mother, it would likely set off a series of events none of them would be able to control. He had to know that.

Lionel pressed call and Peyton realized he was just as petty as she was.

Lex didn't object either as Lionel held the phone to his ear. He wasn't arguing on behalf of anything, really, and Peyton turned more fully into him while trying to maintain that she didn't care about the conversation about to happen.

"We gotta say something now," she murmured while pretending to rest her chin on his chest. "Or things are going to get complicated."

Lex leaned down close enough to her face to kiss her nose if he wanted.

"It's a little too late to avoid 'complicated'."

Her face puckered.

"I'm sorry."

There was a stagnant pause as Lionel waited and then his eyes sharpened as someone picked up.

"Merrill, it's Lionel. Well now, I'm not sure if this is business or not. I'm calling for clarification on an important matter, I'm afraid. Are you or are you not aware that our children are claiming to be married?"

A shriek erupted from Lionel's phone and everyone winced.

"I would hope," continued Lionel, "that I am owed a bit more respect if you did know. There was no discussion, no contract. I would hate to have to bring up-"

Merrill's tone dropped back down so it was no longer audible and by the expectant look on Lionel's face she seemed to be spouting rapid fire reassurances.

"No, I rather think you wouldn't. Thank you, Merrill. I'll let her know you'll be in touch."

The click of Lionel's phone snapping shut accentuated the end of their short conversation. Lex threw his other arm over her shoulder as well so that she was essentially being hugged by him, and he tsked in a blatant show of being unbothered.

"For someone who's been so avidly against our relationship, it's funny that you give that information to the one person who wants to make sure we stay together."

"Perhaps you need a different kind of push." Lionel relented. "Go ahead and play your game, son; I'm tired of trying to protect you from yourself. We'll see how long this stunt lasts when it's no longer considered rebellious."

"The wise warrior avoids the battle." Lex said. "A decent strategy."

"This isn't a battle, Lex."

"Isn't everything? Isn't that what you taught me?"

It was another look at their dynamic built on years of interactions, of instruction. Peyton was pretty sure Lex quoted from The Art of War, and she didn't believe that was the best text to reference when speaking with family.

"Lex," she interrupted in a bid to steer the conversation away from battles, "did we just get your dad's blessing?"

He hummed.

"I think it's the closest to his blessing we'll ever get."

Lionel could not stand her. That much was clear from the way he stared at her with disdain. Disdain mixed with a new calculation.

"I underestimated you, Miss Woods,'' he said slowly. "I find your shift in… personality unsettling; but I hope you realize with this you've exposed your hand."

"I never had a play to expose, Mr. Luthor."

"If that's true, I find that even more concerning."

Lex grew tense under her touch and she stopped herself from looking up at him to try and see why. Lionel gave them a sharp half smile and took a step back.

"I'll be in Smallville for the next few days to assist you with this clean up. Though I'm sure we'll be seeing more than enough of each other in the near future for…. wedding preparations, right?"

"If you insist on being part of them." Lex said. "I suspect Merrill will be more than happy to take the reins on planning."

They both silently acknowledged that neither were backing down in this game of chicken, and Lionel's eyes flashed.

"Then I'll leave you both to… discuss."

He left the room and neither Peyton nor Lex moved until they heard the front door close. Peyton pulled away and Lex moved his arms back to let her free. With Lionel gone the humiliation finally overpowered the pettiness and Peyton dragged her fingers through her hair with a groan.

"What did we just do?"

"We?" Lex said with a laugh. "You started this. You-" He choked back a full bodied laugh as he tried to continue on. Cleared his throat. "You told him we were-"

He couldn't control himself anymore and he devolved into a laughing fit right in front of her. Peyton bit the inside of her cheek to maintain her composure and glowered.

"Okay, yes, it was initially my fault; but you didn't help!"

"You- who didn't even want to date me."

"Hey, don't say it like that. That was not because of who you are, and you know it."

Lex shot her an amused grin.

"So you do want to date me?"

Peyton growled.

"Ugh! We're getting off topic. Do you know how much trouble this is going to be to get out of now? Your dad is going to be so smug-"

"You anticipate calling your mom off now that she's smelled blood?"

It was still strange to hear her referred to as "her mother", but if Peyton was going to be stuck in their world for any length of time she supposed she had to get used to it.

"You can't be serious. We can, I don't know, tell her we changed our minds."

Lex snorted.

"Good luck with that. Your mother has wanted us permanently bound for years."

"She's wanted us together since she tossed me in that conference room to play with you, but she's been disappointed this long."

"It'll be different if she thinks we were already married and just lost the paperwork. She's going to jump on that. She's going to wonder what suddenly changed your mind."

He wasn't joking. Peyton couldn't begin to understand his thought process on this debacle. They were talking about marriage. She wasn't who anyone thought she was and they hadn't ever actually dated.

She took a deep breath exhaled as she swept her hands in front of her as if assisting the air out of her lungs.

"This is a mess I started; I'll tell her. And your dad. But I'm not going to force you into a marriage because I said something stupid."

"Who said you were forcing me?"

Peyton frowned in confusion.

"I don't know, maybe the fact that I did this in a moment of spite while you weren't around to object?"

"If I felt forced, I'd have told my dad he was stupid for believing what was obviously a ploy to rile him up."

Peyton pressed her hands together as if in prayer and pointed them at Lex.

"Lex, we're talking about marriage. Not dating or living in the same mansion out of wedlock or even staging a prolonged engagement. And I take marriage seriously. It's not something I'd feel comfortable jumping into and out of like a cheap rental contract."

"I take it seriously too."

There was something like a challenge in his eyes; like he was daring her to insult him by doubting his sincerity. She already learned that his loyalty ran deep after he formed an attachment, but she didn't exactly expect it to go this far. Not when it might demand so much from him.

"Okay." She said, tone blunt. "This isn't an idea we've even entertained, so I don't know where either of us stand. Even if the marriage were a farce, I wouldn't-" She paused, trying to sort her thoughts out. "I guess I don't see marriage as fake. You either are or you aren't. And I couldn't expect you to fully commit in a way I'd expect when we're not-"

She didn't know what they weren't. Not fiancées, that was for sure. Peyton wasn't too far in denial to lie about being fond of him, because despite her sense of caution she could acknowledge she felt a pull towards Lex. He was kind and generous, and he had a sense of humor. But she wasn't someone her family would consider spontaneous. She didn't generally jump on the whim of an emotion, contrary to her word vomit that got them into this mess. Certainly, at least, not for relationships or marriage.

Lex eyed her in her hesitation as he considered her argument.

"You expect," he said slowly, "that I'd be dissatisfied if you wanted to maintain our relationship as it currently sits because you're not ready for more. And due to that, you think I'd want to look elsewhere for… affection and that regardless of how valid or invalid you saw the marriage, you wouldn't like that. Am I right?"

Peyton gnawed in the inside of her mouth because that was exactly one aspect of her trepidation, but she didn't quite want to say it so blatantly. Even if Lex didn't know her as well as she thought he should for something like marriage, it still felt like he could read her all too clearly.

Lex sighed.

"You don't know this," he started as he moved towards the fireplace, "but I've only even attempted two relationships while you were gone." He rested one arm on the mantle and looked at her over his shoulder, his expression self depreciating.

"We might have only been fake dating as a cover when we were teens, but we never officially broke up and trying to move on always felt like a betrayal."

Peyton's heart quickened even as her tone lowered.

"Lex. You know I appreciate everything you did, but I never expected-"

"I know you didn't. I'm just letting you know if you're worried about my level of self control, I like to think it's something I excel at."

She looked away as a moment of quiet settled. Her heart wasn't slowing down the longer this conversation continued. Because they were debating this. It was a discussion. And in all good respect she ought to have just bluntly said that it wasn't happening, and yet she was continuing to entertain it. And she wasn't sure why.

Part of her wished she could probe into his mind. To figure out why he seemed to be so willing to jump headfirst into something as huge as lifelong commitment all for a lie. She wished she could understand why he was so willing to self sacrifice on her behalf. Maybe it would clear things up for her. Maybe it'd make things worse.

"Need I remind you that I'm trying to get home?" She said in lieu of a direct answer. "What happens when they figure this out and I leave?"

"If that happened, we'd figure it out then. But you haven't even started any sort of study yet, and I doubt it would be a quick fix. Besides, this might be the best way to protect you while you're here."
"Protect me?"

Lex turned back towards her.

"My dad knows something. He at least knows that you're obviously different, and he's admittedly not your biggest fan. If we were married it would give me a better ability to protect your medical records. And," he paused to roll his tongue behind his teeth, "it would keep him from trying anything against you."

Peyton's eyes widened and this time she felt her heartbeat in her neck.

"You can't mean that he'd try to off me or something."

"I don't trust my father," Lex said again, and her breathing stuttered. "But if we're married and anything were to happen to you, suspicion would be cast on me first, and my dad can't have that with his only heir."

Her mouth dried as she attempted to swallow. That revelation certainly escalated things a bit. Given that she was dealing with families who had more money than she could ever dream of, perhaps she should have anticipated the sort of sordid activities that accompanied tales of the rich and untouchable. But it was still a shock.

"Give me a day," she said. "I can't believe I'm considering this, but just give me a day to think about it."

"Of course. I'd say take your time, but I doubt you have much. If you don't get a call from your mother in the next ten minutes, I don't know her as well as I thought I did. If you don't see her within the next couple days with a coordinator following after her, I don't know her at all."

Peyton dropped onto one of the couches and Lex sat in the chair next to her. Everything was happening so fast and suddenly the stakes were much higher than she anticipated.

Marriage. Dear lord, now marriage was on the table.

"I messed up so enormously."

Lex wrinkled his nose with a lighthearted jibe.

"I'll try not to take that too personally."

Chapter Text

Peyton's mom called within eight minutes.

Peyton hesitated as she stared at her phone, but even if this weren't her true mother, she knew better than to ignore any mother's phone call. It'd only make things so much worse.

So she answered it.

"Peyton! What in the world is going on? You got married!? How could you not tell me? When did this happen? Who was the judge that presided over this? What county? How could you not have your father or me as a witness?"

Peyton rubbed between her eyes as she paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. "Mom, hi. Look, one thing at a time, okay?"

The woman let out an exasperated huff.

"Married?"

"It was a spur of the moment decision," Peyon only half lied. "We didn't want to make a big deal of it."

"Make a big deal- Peyton, darling, you are a Woods and he's a Luthor. This was always going to be a big deal."

"Well, none of it matters now. We lost the marriage certificate in the crash before we could turn it in."

"No!" Her mother barked. "Of course it matters! All it means is that you were meant to have a wedding! Darling, don't you dare throw this all away because of an inconvenience. I know you've been… independent lately, but Lex can take- He's always been there for you. You've been friends since you were children; it makes good sense."

Peyton paused in her pacing and frowned in confusion at her mother's statement. Did she actually notice Peyton had been, well, that different? Dangerously vulnerable? She always assumed the parents here were too wrapped up in work to worry or care, but it seemed the lack of prior personality wasn't completely missed.

"It may not be a great idea," Peyton hedged. She still hadn't had a moment to sit down and even process the fact that she told Lex she'd consider this. "Lionel is upset over it, and with us both being company heirs-"

"Oh, Peyton, darling, don't you worry one moment about Lionel. I don't think he's been happy a day in his life. Now, I'll come out in a couple days, once I arrange a few things here, and we can start going over venues and napkins and how many courses for dinner and- Samuel would you get me a tissue? Married, Samuel! Peyton is getting married!"

"Now, wait." Peyton's voice turned urgent. "I didn't say we were going-"

"You love him, don't you?"

It was a trick question. Peyton paused.

If she said no, then her parents would be baffled and possibly concerned over why she claimed to have married him in the first place. She'd either be seen as a hapless victim pushed along by Lex's malicious whims, or as a gold digger. Which would be worse given she didn't need to be a gold digger.

Peyton glanced up at the office doorway; Lex told her he'd let her make this call in private, but it still felt like he was waiting right outside the doors.

She cared about him. She could admit to that. She wanted the best for him and for him to be happy and unharmed; she enjoyed spending time with him. That was a type of love.

Peyton swallowed and scrunched her eyes closed. Her answer would likely seal her fate, in a way.

"Of course I do."

"Then there's no question, is there? Now, I have so much to do to prepare. Oh, Peyton, I'm so ecstatic, you have no idea; I may burst. I'll see you in a few days, alright, love?"

"Um. Right."

Peyton hung up the phone as she stared blankly at the office doors.

A hurricane was going to strike Smallville, and its name was Merrill.

[][]

She wasn't joking about the "sorry" bouquets. Peyton assigned herself the responsibility of identifying all the kids and chaperones on the field trip and ordering appropriately sized arrangements. Lex, however, made sure he paid for them since it was "his plant" and "a few flower arrangements weren't going to kill him".

And despite not working for LuthorCorp and despite not being part of its PR team, it was Peyton's idea for them to deliver the flowers in person. Given the level of distrust and contempt much of the town had for the Luthor's, it felt like a good step in attempting to endear themselves a little.

Going from house to house made for a long day, and while Peyton wouldn't claim their act fixed all of LuthorCorp's PR problems, she could tell a couple of people at least looked at Lex a little differently.

And at least one person made a not-so-subtle inquiry about his father's whereabouts. Wisely, neither of them were quite honest about why the head of the company wasn't there.

"I saved the Kent house for last," Peyton said as she crossed off a name on her list. "I figured, since they're more familiar, they may be the best family to end this venture with."
"Right," Lex said, his tone sarcastic. "Because Jonathan Kent is my biggest fan."

"I didn't say he liked you yet," Peyton argued. "But I think Martha is more open and she'll keep her husband polite. Plus Clark likes you, and if he starts chatting at least we don't have to worry about running late."

Lex hummed as he shot her a sly look.

"You really should have taken that PR position."

"With everything going on right now, don't press your luck."

The Kent farm sat alone out on open land. A quaint farmhouse and classic red barn against a backdrop of pastures and fields with a few stray chickens roaming about the front yard. There was even an old windmill.

Lex pulled into the dirt drive and parked near the house. Peyton unbuckled, careful not to jostle the flowers in her lap, and gave Lex an encouraging smile.

"We just have to get through one last demonstration of personal responsibility."

"You really didn't have to come," Lex said mildly.

"Clearly your dad wasn't going to come, and you shouldn't have to do this alone. Honestly, I don't mind. Besides, if we get mar-" She stopped and shook her head. "Let's just get in there before they see us loitering outside their house."

Lex hummed and followed her out of the car.

Thanks to the length of the dirt driveway, it was pretty obvious when visitors were pulling up, and Martha Kent met them at the front door as they came up the porch. She wiped her hands off on a dish towel and gave them a sunny smile.

"Lex, Peyton; I didn't know you were coming by."

"Sorry for not calling ahead, Mrs. Kent," Lex said. "But I wanted to personally apologize for the incident at the plant, and the fact that your son was endangered by it."

An odd, fleeting expression flashed across Martha's face before it settled back down into a humble smile. Peyton stepped forward and offered the bouquet.

"Obviously flowers can't make up for what you all went through, but it's a token of our sincerest regret."

Martha accepted the bouquet with a polite intake of breath. Peyton recognized the sound as one her real mother would use when someone gave her a gift and she turned up the display of gratefulness so the person would understand it was truly appreciated.

"Thank you; they're beautiful." Martha looked back to Lex with a parental look. "You had no control over Earl's actions," she said. "And whatever may 've happened at the plant before you came isn't your fault. Did you do this for everyone?"

Lex tipped his head.

"For the families with kids on the field trip, yes."

Martha clicked her tongue and sat the vase of the bouquet against her hip.

"Well, if you've been running all over Smallville today, you're probably parched. Please, come in and get something to drink."

"We don't want to impose," Lex said.

But Martha waved off that idea with a scoff.

"I invited you in. Unless you're in a hurry to leave, you're more than welcome to stay for a bit."

Lex looked at her and Peyton raised one shoulder to show she didn't mind. He shifted back to Martha and smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent."

The Kent home was a warm place. It was decorated in reds and yellows, with a lived in air that forced the tension from your shoulders. It was as if a sense of love had soaked into the walls and become part of the space. A feature in and of itself.

They passed through a living room with an overstuffed couch and entered the kitchen where a pitcher of tea already sat on the counter.

"I was just about to pour myself a glass when you pulled up. Do you both want one? I can always make a pot of coffee or-"

"Tea is perfect," Lex assured; and Peyton nodded in agreement.

Martha sat the flowers down on the counter before she went to fetch two more glasses. Peyton took the brief pause to admire the homey nature of the room. A slightly worn hand towel was draped over the oven handle. The fridge was covered in magnets and various papers. Back home, her mother would have the twins' after school schedules posted on the fridge along with family photos and at least one take-out menu.

"I hope none of the others gave you any trouble." Martha said as she scooped ice into the glasses and poured in the tea.

Lex let loose a wry, dry, sort of smirk as he accepted his glass.

"I think people are finding they like Peyton more than they dislike me."

Peyton rolled her eyes.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," she said. "It's more about sincerity and old-fashioned, mid-western hospitality rules. It'd be rude of them to be rude to me first."
"Being genuine goes a long way in a town like this," Martha said with a nod. "I'm sure you surprised more than one family."

The kitchen door opened, drawing everyone's attention away from the conversation, and Peyton swallowed as Jonathan Kent walked in.

"Well, the tractor still isn't- What's going on?" His tone and expression turned sour and suspicious as he caught sight of her and Lex.

Martha narrowed her eyes marginally.

"Lex and Peyton stopped by to apologize for the incident Earl caused at the plant. They even brought us a bouquet. Isn't that thoughtful of them?"

For as little as she knew him, Peyton found Jonathan an incredibly easy person to read. He glanced at the bouquet; it wasn't cheap enough for him to balk at and it wasn't extravagant enough for him to throw a fit over. He worked his jaw as he set his sights back on them.

He still clearly had less than fuzzy feelings for at least Lex, but the justifications for his poor attitude were growing slim. And likely he knew it.

And he didn't like it.

Martha shot him another warning look and Jonathan let out a breath as he propped his hands on his hips.

"That's very… thoughtful of you, Lex."

Peyton wondered if saying so hurt him. Lex gave a small shrug as he fiddled with his glass.

"Well, I can't really take the credit. The flowers were Peyton's idea."

"Lex and I worked together on it."

Jonathan eyed her a moment and after some thought deflated slightly.

"How is Earl doing?"

"My father was able to find a sample of the substance that infected Earl; it looks like some prior employees were experimenting off the books. The doctors are still working on it, but it looks promising as far as they've told me."

Jonathan's eyes shuttered at the mention of Lionel, and Peyton commiserated.

"Well. That's good."

The kitchen door opened again and a boisterous Clark burst into the room.

"Dad, I think I figured out which part needs fixed- Lex? Peyton? What are you guys doing here?"

"We're just checking in to see how you all are doing." Peyton said. "We felt bad that you had to play hero yet again at the plant."

Clark's face flickered into sheepishness and Jonathan went remarkably still at the comment. But Clark shrugged awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.

"I think 'hero' is a bit much. I only did what anyone else would have."

"Clark, you were the only one that stayed behind; even if you shouldn't have. If you hadn't I wouldn't be here," Lex added.

"Well, I mean, Earl is a friend. I didn't want him to get hurt either."

It was clear Clark was too humble to milk his heroic exploits. He actually seemed like he'd rather talk about anything else; Peyton decided to help him out.

"You know, I've never been on a farm before," she said, humor purposefully in her tone. "Do you really have a green tractor and everything?

"Technically," Martha said with raised brows. "Half the time that old thing is broken down."

Jonathan raised one hand to wave her accusation off.

"Hey now, that thing was my father's, and it's always gotten the job done."
"Only thanks to paperclips and rubber bands," Martha said dryly.

Peyton laughed and Lex smiled in amusement; Martha looked rather proud of herself for garnering a positive reaction, seeing as Jonathan continued to stare at her drolly. Clark chuckled nervously and gestured toward the kitchen side door.

"Well, I think it's a gasket issue," he said.

Jonathan excused himself quickly after Clark's diagnosis, but Clark lingered to chat with them. Martha politely brought up them staying for dinner, but Peyton and Lex declined. It wouldn't do well to push Jonathan too far. Peyton thought today's interaction might have been an improvement.

"So, are you still staying even after what happened at the plant?" Clark prompted.

The question was almost sweet in the hesitant way Clark asked it, as if not totally sure was okay to bring up. The idea that they would turn tail and run after one disastrous day was also amusing.

"I couldn't let my dad win that easily," Lex said, tone sardonic.

"And we owe the people in Smallville more than running at the first bit of trouble," Peyton added.

"You both plan to stay for a while then?" Martha glanced at Peyton and Peyton got the impression the question was hinted more towards her.

Ah, yes. She'd told Martha her and Lex's relationship was complicated. Well, it certainly hadn't gotten any less complicated.

Lex hesitated to answer so Peyton responded first. She donned what she hoped was a natural looking smile.

"As long as Lex is here. Right now I can work anywhere and Smallville is growing on me." She paused; it was more that she was used to small town living over the city rather than actual fondness at this point, but that obviously wasn't something she ought to share.

Martha interpreted her hitched breath differently.

"But you do miss home."

Peyton blinked rapidly a few times.

"Yeah, I do."

Lex shifted as he took a step back from the counter and wouldn't quite look at her; Clark furrowed his brow in thought.

"Maybe you could try bringing some of your stuff to the mansion," he suggested. "Like posters or family pictures. That way you can have something to make you a little less homesick."

"That-" Peyton took a centering breath, "that's actually a great idea Clark. Thank you."

He smiled proudly and Peyton cataloged the thought away for later. If a teenager could look at the mansion and tell she had no influence in it; appeared to just live there but not truly exist, then no one would believe a more developed relationship.

"Your mom is coming to visit soon," Lex reminded her, oh so helpfully. "We could talk to her about getting some of your keepsakes then."

An uncharitable question peered over the surface of her thoughts: did he bring up her mom to play his part or lay some groundwork for a later wedding announcement?

She shook her head and scolded herself for thinking it. Did it even actually matter, if it was true?

"That's right." She said instead. "I'm sure she'd be thrilled to help."

"Mom's keep everything," Martha added with a warm smile. "I know I have boxes of things we've collected since Clark was a baby."

A half smile flickered over Lex's face.

"You think she kept those Christmas paper chains?"

Peyton let out a small surprised laugh, her nose wrinkling briefly.

"You remember those?"

"It was one of the best Christmases of my life."

He didn't sound like he was playing a part now and Peyton was torn between mild embarrassment and a strange sort of flattery. It felt like it didn't say anything great about his childhood that some cookies and paper chains with her made for one of his favorite holiday memories.

"Well," she replied, brushing back some hair, "if she kept paper she may be more of a hoarder than I'd have anticipated."

Martha smiled, looking at them like she saw something between them; it once again reminded Peyton of the decision she'd have to come to soon, and her stomach twisted in anticipation.

Very soon, actually. The end of the day was only growing nearer and she'd need to give Lex her answer either that evening or in the morning so they could prepare for her mom's arrival.

"Half the stuff my mom keeps is paperwork," Clark said with a good-natured eye roll. "I wouldn't count anything out."

Martha and Clark both walked them out when they excused themselves. There was an open invitation to visit any time and it felt distinctly genuine instead of an obligatory nicety. Jonathan stepped out from the barn as they got in the car and gave them a parting nod. Peyton blinked in surprise.

"He just said goodbye to us." She said as she gave a little wave.

Lex flicked his fingers up in a similar wave as he backed out of the drive.

"Don't get too excited. Like you said, mid-western manners."

"It's still a step up."

[]

The drive back to the manor was quiet, though Peyton's thoughts were anything but. A certain sense of dreadful resignation started to coat her insides the more she reflected on her options.

She could still just say no. She ought to just say no.

Her parents in this universe probably wouldn't refuse to take her back in if she needed them to. But then she would be alone, with no immediate help from Lex for getting back home.

Though if she stayed and refused, then Lionel could be a real threat. Lex might make comments here and there that she took as exaggeration, but something inside her said he wasn't being hyperbolic about what his dad was capable of. There was a sharp, coldness in Lionel's eyes; worse, a ticking calculation when he looked at her. It felt like he was trying to deconstruct her and figure out what made her tick. Like a programmer staring at a line of code that wasn't functioning in the way they expected.

If she wanted to ever get home, Peyton needed Lex's help and his connections. She might be decent with numbers and proficient enough in business, but she didn't come from the same sort of world. She didn't know how to go about looking for the resources she needed, and she didn't have the established networking and pull he did. Even if she threw money at every scientist that showed potential to help, she could end up getting herself into more trouble than she was already in.

Back at the manor, Peyton made a beeline for the kitchen with a quick comment to Lex of where she'd be. The lights were on when she walked through the door and there was one of the staff already at the counter working on meal prep.

"Do you mind if I bake?" Peyton asked. "I promise to stay out of your way, I just- baking helps me think."

"Of course, miss. It's no problem." The woman said.

"Thank you."

Peyton set to work grabbing bowls and gathering ingredients. Baking made sense in any universe. There were rules and ratios and knowable outcomes. There had to be a certain amount of baking soda for so much dough or the cookies would thin with poor texture. Egg helped bind the ingredients together, like glue.

She knew what she was doing as she stirred in chocolate chips. She could even add in something extra, like oats. She was in control.

"Dessert before dinner?"

Lex leaned against the kitchen entrance as Peyton pulled out the first baked tray. She glanced over at him as she placed the hot pan on a folded hand towel. He watched her cautiously; given he hadn't followed her to the kitchen immediately, he likely knew she'd wanted some space.

"Not if you wait to eat one. They still need to cool anyway."

"No promises."

Peyton smiled reflexively at that and let out an obligatory huff in amusement; Lex meandered a bit closer.

"How are you feeling?"
The oven mitt twisted in her hands as she wrung it.

"I've been thinking about what we talked about."

He paused his shift closer to her, as if moving might affect whatever track her train of thought was heading down.

"And?"

"And- I think this is all happening very fast. I think it's probably stupid to go forward with this when all we know about each other is either surface level or how we interact under stress, and it's especially stupid to create attachments like this when I'm looking for a way to get back in my own body."

Lex rolled his lips between his teeth and nodded once.

"But?" He prompted. There was a pause.

"But," she amended. "But I believe you when you say your dad could do something nefarious, and he's told me to my face that he doesn't like me around you. I don't know the first thing about how to go around enlisting doctors or scientists, and- And I don't have a clue what a realistic time frame may even be to fix this. If there is a way."

Her confession emboldened him to take another step closer to her, his eyes intense and searching, but she didn't move away.

"I don't know what you would benefit from this, Lex. You shouldn't offer this just to help me."

That only seemed to encourage him further. He stepped up to her side and took one of her hands in his.

"You were there for me at key points in my life, and you gave me childhood memories that weren't harsh lessons from my father or miserable loneliness in school. Maybe you haven't been present full time, but the times you have been, you've shone so brightly it's impossible for anyone to not know what kind of person you are. That's enough for me. The rest can come after."

Peyton swallowed and squeezed his hand lightly. The inside of her mouth suddenly felt like it was full of cotton. She wasn't going to get emotional over that declaration.

"Oh, I knew it." She managed. "I told you that you were a romantic."

Lex grinned.

"And I already pointed out one of us has to be."

He waited attentively again and Peyton had to give him a definite answer. A final 'yes' or 'no'. Marriage was a big decision, it deserved to feel as weighty as it did. A marriage of convenience deserved even more acknowledgement. Matrimony, at least for her, was a serious undertaking. Her parents had made it over twenty years and she wanted that.

Saying yes to Lex in a situation like this felt even more like a sort of seal on her circumstances. But her options were limited. Wheels had already been set into motion.

And, God forgive her, she didn't want to be alone.

"Yes. I'll do it."

His smile was so genuine that it was nearly blinding and Peyton couldn't hold back the nervous laugh that bubbled up in her in reply.

"Okay." He skipped over the part where he asked if she was sure a couple times to give her a chance to back out. "We're in this together. As a team."

"For better or for worse," Peyton quipped.

It felt too awkward to seal this sort of agreement with just a handshake, so Peyton held her free arm out to at least offer a hug. Lex took it.

He was warm and solid in her arms and Peyton found herself clinging to him more tightly as the seconds ticked on.

"I don't actually know anybody." She murmured into his shoulder. He smelled good; she was the one baking cookies but he was the one who smelled good. "Do you think anyone will actually show up?"

"People will come," he said. "Even if it's just for the free food or to see the spectacle."

"What if it's just our parents and us? It'll be like your twelfth birthday all over again."

Lex went unnaturally still in her arms. Enough that Peyton pulled away to look at his face. The rigidness in his mouth and sharpness of his eyes sent a shock of uncertainty through her.

"Lex?"

"Peyton, how do you know that?"

Chapter Text

Peyton stared at Lex, her mind spinning at his open shock.

"What do you mean? I was there-"

She was there, wasn't she? It was his twelfth birthday and no one else came. His cake was- well, the party favors were- what gift had she given him?

Her sentence trailed off as the surety of the memory started to crumble with the lack of detail.

"You weren't." Lex said. "You didn't act like you."

"No," Peyton agreed distractedly. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that."

"Hey." He forced eye contact with her, pulling her out of her confused struggle to recollect a memory she shouldn't have. "Don't be sorry; that's something to take note of, right? Do you remember anything else? Is this the first time you've had a memory like this?"

"It's not a memory. It can't be if I wasn't there. I just- I guess I just know it."

"Is this the first time?" He repeated.

"Yes."

A silence lingered as the possible meanings of the development sank in. Had there been another Peyton after all? Did the car crash rattle her mind beyond a concussion? Or could it be some development she had no hope or experience to foresee?

Peyton didn't like any of the options.

Lex looked to the clock on the kitchen's far wall and nodded to himself.

"We'll note the time and date just in case this happens again. That way we have a record. For the doctors."

"Right. No, right, that's a good idea."

"Everything is going to be okay." Lex's voice remained steady and calm, unlike her churning thoughts. "You're not going to have to go through any of this alone."

"Thank you. I'm alright. I'm just… confused. Surprised. But it's fine." Peyton shook her head and gave him a forced smile. "Never a dull moment with me, huh?"

Lex smiled in return, his more genuine.

"And I wouldn't trade it."

[][][]

Two days later Peyton's mom called to warn that she'd be coming down with a wedding coordinator in tow. Peyton somehow managed to sound as unfazed as possible when she said she was excited to see her.

"I know I agreed," she said, turning her cell phone over and over in her hands, "but how soon is this lady expecting us to actually walk down the aisle? Isn't it going to look strange if it's a rushed ceremony?"

"The public doesn't know that; and as far as your mom is concerned this is a long time coming. Why? Having second thoughts?"

"No." Peyton frowned stubbornly. "I mean, not any more than I should. At least given the circumstances."

"I'll continue to try not to take that personally."

She huffed and rolled her eyes as she flopped down next to him on the couch.

"Will it be any consolation if I let you have some say in decor?"

"Let me?" Lex responded with a laugh.

Peyton flicked her hair back over her shoulder.

"Everyone knows the wedding is about the bride and, even still, I'm probably barely going to get a say in it myself. I'm trying to be generous."

Lex leaned forward over his knees and continued to smile at her like she were some wielder of great wit, his eyes tracked her movements as she shifted. It made her face feel warm and she pressed her lips together in an attempt not to blurt out anything embarrassing.

"Well, who am I to pass up such generosity." He said with a tilt of his head.

Peyton prayed her face didn't turn pink. She cleared her throat.

"Alright then. Any deal breakers? Or something on your wish list?"

He hummed.

"The DJ can't play Y.M.C.A."

"Boo; party pooper." Peyton intoned with no real enthusiasm. "Given the sorts of people that are likely to come, The Village People would probably be new to the wedding playlist."

"They're rich, not living under rocks."

Peyton gave him a look that said she highly doubted his claim, and sat back.

"So nothing substantial, then? No preference for flowers or your suit? The usual black on black is fine?"

"Maybe I'd rather match you," he said with cheek. "I'd look good in white."

Peyton gave his comment some thought and tapped her chin.

"A white suit would be different; interesting. I'll make a note."

"I'm forever in your debt."

His dry tone drew another wry smile from her lips and Peyton tapped the eraser of her pencil against the notepad she had for wedding notes. A shudder raced up her spine.

They were going to get married.

She agreed to marry Lex Luthor, the kid fate seemed to have thrown in her path since the not-dreams started, for safety and security.

She was going to marry a man in another universe and she didn't know what she would do if she did something as stupid as fall in love with him.

Because she definitely hadn't, no matter what she told her fake mom.

A commotion sounded from the foyer and Peyton's heart momentarily leapt into her throat before she faintly recognized a female voice. It sounded like her mom.

"I swear this open door house policy is going to kill me someday."

"There's supposed to be a door," Lex remarked. "Don't worry, dear, we can change the locks after the wedding."

Despite his teasing tone, the pet name made Peyton's face heat again. Given his expression, Lex noticed.

The voices grew in clarity and closeness. Heels click-clacked on the wooden floor.

"-Lex's friend? Well, how quaint."

"Are you one of Peyton's family member's too?"

"That's our wedding coordinator, actually."

"Wedding coordinator?"

Two women and Clark stepped through the office doorway and Peyton snapped to attention. Lex looked around her at Clark as he stood.

"Hey, Clark. What brings you here?"

Clark looked between the two of them then back at the women he entered with as if he wasn't sure what to make of the group.

"Uh, one of your employees mentioned you wanted to get set up for deliveries from the farm?"

"Right; one second. Hi, Mrs. Woods. Long time no see; how've you been?"

Lex greeted her mother with an embrace like they were old pals and Peyton wondered how often they'd kept in contact while she wasn't there. Her mother hugged Lex back with all the enthusiasm of a woman finally getting everything she ever wanted.

"Absolutely stunning since I heard the news," she proclaimed. "Alexander, you have no idea how happy I am."

Peyton couldn't help but edge forward.

"I thought that was supposed to be me."

Merrill released Lex and opened her arms to Peyton, her eyes quickly searching Peyton's face. Peyton smiled as warmly as she could and Merrill's face flashed with emotion. Her arms wrapped around Peyton tightly and she squeezed briefly with a subtle sniff, like allergies were suddenly bothering her.

"Oh my darling dear, it's so good to see you happy." Peyton wondered if Merrill was referring to the engagement, or commenting in a similar vein to Lex's statement about her not having much emotion before. "I still can't believe you attempted to hide this from me, really Peyton; but now we can do things the right way."

"A lot of crazy things have been happening lately," Peyton said as a paltry means of explanation.

Merrill let go to cup her hands around Peyton's face and continued to eye her with more emotion than should be warranted.

"Crazy isn't always a bad thing."

"Agreed," cut in Lex.

Poor Clark continued to stand awkwardly to the side, his brow furrowed over the conversation so far. Merrill didn't appear to remember he was there as she continued to talk.

"This is Kathleen Walters, she's the wedding coordinator I've hired and she's absolutely the best of the best, dear. Lex, is there a place we can sit and discuss?"

Peyton cut her eyes toward Clark at her mother's mention of Kathleen's title combined with her congratulations and unfortunately it looked like he was finally putting the pieces together. She made eye contact with Lex and he seemed to register her concern, but it didn't really matter. What was said was said.

"You can make yourselves comfortable here," he said to her mother. "I'm going to discuss deliveries with Clark and be back."

"Yes, of course." Merrill dismissed with a wave. She cut a sly grin at him. "Though I'm sure you'll be fine with whatever Peyton picks; isn't that usually how these things go?"

Peyton maintained eye contact with Lex and mouthed "help me"; Lex smirked and winked as he left.

[][]

Merrill did not play games as the wedding coordinator helped them look over booklets with examples of colors and place settings and dresses. Her mother insisted that the dresses could just be inspiration, she could call someone to actually make one to Peyton's liking, and Peyton internally set herself against the idea. It felt too extra. Too lavish and dishonest. Especially when this marriage was merely for convenience's sake.

By the time Lex came back it had been decided that the colors would be white and a rich burgundy with gold accents. Kathleen approved with a comment about it being elegant and timeless. Her mother was still trying to push for the venue to be a garden park somewhere in Metropolis, a place Peyton had never heard of or seen. That she had no connection to whatsoever.

Lex came up next to her and she actually reached for his arm. He looked at her hand in surprise at the contact and Peyton didn't let go.

"I need backup," she murmured.

His eyes turned sharp at her plea and he sat next to her on the arm of her chair as he turned his attention to the other two women.

"What's currently on the docket?"

"I'm trying to tell Peyton about this lovely little garden in Metropolis. It's right down from the theater and it's going to look stunning in photographs. Plus it's close by so all our guests won't have to commute far-"

"It's far for us," Peyton argued. It wasn't her real argument and it wasn't enough to deter Merrill.

Lex turned his head down to her.

"You don't want that to be the venue?"

Peyton pressed her hands against her knees and shrugged.

"Smallville has a church," she said. "It's not ugly, and I just thought-"

She trailed off slightly and Lex took the cue.

"We'll have it here," he said in finality. He grinned roguishly at Merrill. "After all, it's the bride's choice, right?"

Merrill looked flustered at the rejection, ready to argue, but then she let out a breath in a sigh and let her shoulders drop.

"Fine. Kathleen?"

"I'll get the address and some photographs before we leave to start planning layouts."

At least Peyton had experiences as herself in Smallville. She knew a couple people. It was more than could be said about Metropolis.

They managed to get a few more details ironed out that afternoon and addressed the need for Peyton to visit her parents in Metropolis to go wedding dress shopping since she refused to have one made, and it wasn't like Smallville was going to have a bridal shop.

Thankfully the planning didn't last into the night. Merrill and the wedding planner had hotel reservations, quaint ones apparently, and they decided to run out to check on the location of the church before taking a break from planning for the rest of the day. According to Merrill, the visit was going so well and she didn't want to press it.

Peyton and Lex walked them to the manor main doors and Peyton remembered Clark's suggestion about keepsakes as she hugged Merrill goodbye.

"Oh, um, mom." She hedged. "While I'm up in Metropolis, do you mind if I stop by and maybe pick up some childhood things? I was thinking, what with the wedding and things being… official, it just might be nice to have some of my own stuff."

Merrill, oddly, squeezed her tighter and released her to once again hold Peyton's face in her hands.

"Of course, darling. You can look through whatever you like."

"Thank you."

Merrill continued to stare into her eyes like she'd found something, her own eyes almost glassy. It made Peyton's throat go dry but she couldn't explain the surge of emotion.

"Alexander has been so good for you for so long. I truly am overjoyed for you, Peyton. You won't have to worry about anything."

The comment rankled slightly, though Peyton didn't show it. She waved goodbye with Lex, his hand around her waist, and told herself she couldn't blame the woman. It wasn't her fault her daughter had been… taken over? Born empty? She still didn't know what she thought about the situation. But Merrill was likely doing the best she knew how, even if her statements sometimes didn't come across the way she thought.

They said their final goodbyes and watched as the pair drove away. Peyton let out a deep sigh.

"Do you think they'll let us have any more say in this after caving on the venue?"

Lex smirked.

"Very unlikely."

[][][]

It didn't take long for the entire town of Smallville to catch word of their upcoming nuptials. Whether it was from Clark spreading the news or the church managers, it didn't matter. The town wasn't exactly subtle about knowing it. And regardless of what the locals may have felt about the Luthors or the Woods, weddings meant money and people in a small town could always use an influx.

The local cafes and restaurants put out signs and ads about catering services and the bakery in town suddenly had a wedding cake example displayed in their front window.

Lex suggested that if they were going to use the local church as a venue, they might as well try to employ other local businesses too. Peyton liked that idea. Her mother was a bit harder to win over, but Peyton was able to convince her and the wedding coordinator that it would 'be unique, good for PR, and she would love it'.

The local bakery more than willingly cooperated with setting up a taste testing for them, and as Lex had a fundraiser to go to in Metropolis, Peyton was meeting her mother and the coordinator there by herself. She at least got his input that he liked chocolate and spice cakes.

Peyton parked where she could find an open spot on the street a block away from the bakery and put a couple dollars in the meter just to be safe. The sun shone down warmly against her skin and brought an air of levity to the moment that stopped Peyton from overthinking her situation again and spiraling.

Cake was good. She liked cake. Of all the wedding planning tasks this would have to be the most enjoyable.

The streets had a decent amount of traffic given it was a weekend, and everyone was taking advantage of the free time and good weather. A couple people looked vaguely familiar and it helped her feel less other; she wouldn't get that feeling in Metropolis.

"Peyton?"
She turned at her name and let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

"Hey, Clark."

He stared at her oddly and squinted at a spot near the crown of her head; Peyton's face wrinkled in mild confusion. Maybe the sun was in his eyes. Clark blinked with a slight shake of his head and seemed to straighten out his vision.

"Hey. So, uh, what're you doing? Are you and Lex- are you-?"

"Lex is actually in Metropolis for a fundraiser," Peyton said. "But I'm in town to go over wedding cake flavors if that's what you were getting at."

She gave him a knowing smile and Clark rubbed the back of his neck with a short laugh.

"Sorry, I mean- I wasn't the one who said anything. Well, I did tell my mom. But my mom wouldn't have told anyone. I don't think. Well, maybe my dad-"

"It's alright, Clark. News was going to get out sooner rather than later, and it's not like it was a big secret anyway."

He fell into step next to her and they continued down the sidewalk together. Clark cleared his throat again.

"Congratulations, then." He said. "You and Lex seem like you get along well."

"Thank you; we do." It was true enough. "Do you think your parents would take it as an insult if you all get an invite?"

Clark looked surprised.

"We're invited?"

"Of course. You saved our lives Clark, and your family has been the most welcoming to us since we got into town."

He hunched down slightly at the comment and winced suddenly as he rubbed at his eyes. Once again his gaze flickered toward her hair.

"Um," he hesitated as if unsure if he ought to say whatever he was thinking. "Did you ever get a tattoo?"

Peyton frowned.

"Tattoo?"

He moved to gesture upwards, but then seemed to second guess and stopped himself. Before she could press him for an explanation an alarm rang out, loud and shrill. She and Clark stopped and shifted to look. There was a bank a few doors down, and a man came barreling out of the doors with a red backpack and revolver in hand.

The man ran towards them. He was pale, bald.

He was Lex.

Peyton's heart dropped down to her toes as her thoughts scattered in a million directions. Clark moved to the middle of the sidewalk to intercept him.

"Lex! Lex, what's going on?"

But Lex didn't respond. He grit his teeth and shoved Clark away with such force that it threw him through a storefront window. Peyton shrieked in shock and took two steps back.

"Lex! What the hell? What are you doing?"

He looked at her and there was no familiarity in his eyes. There was something wrong about the way he held himself. Lex pointed the gun at her and Peyton threw up her hands.

"Move out of my way."

It was his voice but it was flat, cold.

She moved.

Lex shoved passed her and continued tearing down the street as the sound of sirens rose up over the bank alarm; Peyton turned back to Clark. He went through a glass window. She needed to pull out her cell phone. She needed to call an ambulance.

"Clark? Clark, are you okay?"
"I'm okay."

Impossibly, he stood up without much trouble and Peyton couldn't see a scratch on him. She still grabbed him by his shoulders and tried to give him a scan. Not a drop of blood. Her head tilted to the side as she took that in on top of everything else.

"I thought you said Lex is in Metropolis right now." Clark said, distracting her from her examinations.

"He- he is!"

"Then how did he just rob a bank?"

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Peyton couldn't accept that it was him. Lex wouldn't rob a bank. He had no need to. Lex would not point a gun at her.

She scrambled for her cell phone and hit Lex's number as a couple police cars lurched to a stop in front of the bank. He didn't pick up the first few rings and Peyton's heart dropped lower. But then.

"Peyton? Hey, is the cake tasting going that badly?"

"Lex, where are you?"

She tried to sound calm, but her voice came out breathy and thin; something Lex picked up on right away.

"I'm still in Metropolis at this function. What's going on?"

He didn't sound winded. There were no sirens in the background of the call.

"I- I don't know. But you should probably stay in Metropolis for a little while longer. "

[][][]

They had to postpone the cake tasting. Peyton called her mother to let her know what happened, and she came rushing over just as the police officer finished taking Peyton's statement. The sight of her mother in fright and disarray helped Peyton shove down her own shock and confusion. Someone had to be grounded and calm, and she wasn't about to make that person be Clark.

She managed to recount the story yet again at her mother's insistence, even keeping her calm when her mother balked at the fact that the person looked like Lex.

"Alexander robbing a bank!"

"It wasn't him; it couldn't have been."

"I don't think it was him either," Clark piped up. "His- there was something different about that guy."

"I agree," Peyton concurred. "Besides, like I said, he's in Metropolis right now."

"Well," Merrill huffed, "if someone is trying to frame him, they're going to be irrevocably sorry. Both our families have the best lawyers in Metropolis on retainer, and by the time they're done this criminal won't have the freedom to spend a dime, if they have one left."

"I'm sure the police need to figure out what actually happened first," Peyton said.

"I should probably go," Clark hedged. "I have to let my parents know what happened before someone else calls them first."

Peyton snapped to attention, ashamed at herself for not thinking to offer sooner.

"Do you want to use my phone?"

But Clark shook his head.

"No, thanks, I think it'd be better if I told them in person." He gave her one last parting smile. "Hopefully this doesn't affect your wedding plans."

Peyton let out a breath.

"I'm sure it will get straightened out soon. You stay safe, Clark."

He nodded one more time and then took off; Peyton was left alone with near strangers and a situation that made less sense the more she thought about it. Perhaps Merrill had a point with the frame job idea. It was that or someone was running around Smallville shapeshifting.

Peyton snorted at the ridiculous thought.

[][][]

It took a few hours before Lex arrived back in Smallville. He left the fundraiser early, lawyered up, and made sure his alibi was well documented before having a conversation with the local police. To her immense relief it was enough to prove his innocence and Peyton hurried to meet him at the station. She caught him as he marched down the precinct steps, looking far too overdressed for the situation.

She only hugged him because the entire town now knew about them getting married, and it'd be strange if she didn't. That's it. She told herself Lex returned the embrace for the same reason. When she pulled back his expression was stern.

"You're alright?" He asked. "The cops said his guy was dangerous."

"I'm fine," Peyton insisted. "I'm grateful he didn't shoot me, but he put Clark through a window."

"Shoot you? He pointed a gun at you?"

His eyes went dark and Peyton squeezed his arms before taking a step back to give him space.

"Nothing happened."

Something could have though. She'd never had a gun pulled on her before and her hands still shook if she thought about it too long. But right now she was alive and there were other pressing issues that needed to be addressed.

"Lex whoever that was looked exactly like you. Sounded like you. The only reason I didn't believe it was you is because I know you'd never rob a bank or point a gun at me."

Lex's jaw ticked, but at least his eyes softened toward her.

"I'll call the detective in charge of the case tomorrow and see what leads they're working on. If they fail to produce anything satisfactory, I'll call a private investigator. Did the medics take a look at Clark? How bad was it? I'll cover any medical costs he has."

"He…didn't have a scratch on him."

Lex was silent as they maintained eye contact, their expressions matching in mutual disbelief.

"Well. I'm glad he's not hurt," Lex said carefully.

Clark had to have the best luck of anyone on earth. Otherwise it made no sense how he could escape so many harrowing experiences unscathed. When their car had crashed, she swore- she'd been so certain that they'd hit him. That burst of terror and dread and horror had been the last thing she remembered before the car hit the water and her world went black. But he'd been fine. Untouched. Well enough that he could run off the bridge, down the hill, dive into the water, then pull them both out before they drowned.

And now he'd been thrown through a glass window and didn't have a cut to show for it.

"It must have been thin glass." Peyton excused. Lex looked just as unconvinced as she felt.

"Maybe," he said.

Peyton sighed and tried to shake off the unhelpful direction her thoughts were going. Clark's seemingly, likely fully explainable, imperviousness wasn't their concern.

"Do you want to just go home?"

Lex looked mildly surprised at her question, though the surprise quickly melted into something warm. He pulled her under his arm as he led her towards his car, and Peyton didn't immediately protest.

"Yeah; let's go home."

"Lex, I can't leave the car."

"Of course you can. This is Smallville." Peyton pegged him with a droll look and he blew a puff of air from his nose. "I'll call and have someone pick it up."

Peyton rolled her eyes and decided she wasn't willing to argue over a car at the moment.

"You're lucky it's been such a weird day."

"I'll take my advantages where I can."

Peyton had no doubt about that.

She followed him to his car and only realized once they split up to get in on their own sides that she hadn't told him to let go of her. Another strike against her dedication to maintain distance. Even if people could see them, there wasn't any need for extended displays of affection in public.

He might read too much into it.

More than you agreeing to marry him? A snide voice in her head remarked.

Peyton scowled and redirected her thoughts as she clicked in her seat belt. Priorities. Triage.

"We're going to start locking the front door, right?" She asked, only partially joking, as he pulled out of the station parking lot. "Given whoever this is can nearly perfectly resemble you?"

Lex's jaw ticked at the reminder.

"If he's smart, he'd be out of Smallville already. But, yes, appropriate security measures will be taken. And I'll show you where the gun in the main room is."

It honestly didn't surprise her. A man with the amount of money Lex had with the number of people who would like to take it, or simply didn't like him, made owning a firearm sensible. But Peyton had never seen one in the main room.

"Please tell me there's a hidden compartment."

Lex smiled.

The gun was in a hidden compartment in the bookshelf on the wall next to Lex's desk. It was a clever little space, with a portion of the shelf lifting up to reveal a compartment, and more secure than putting it in a hollowed out book. Peyton was additionally shocked when Lex explained that the same bookcase also hid the entrance to the manor's panic room. It was bigger than she would have expected a panic room to be. But perhaps that was her humbler roots talking.

There was plenty of room for a couple people, a small cot for a bed, and a wall of monitors so that you could watch what was going on in the rest of the manor from inside. It was impressive. It was smart. She hoped no one ever had to use it.

"Once you're inside and the door shuts, they won't open again without you imputing the correct password," Lex said as she tore her eyes away from the monitors and followed him back out. "I can write it down for you, but obviously it'd be preferable if you memorized it. Not that any intruders would be inside with you. But I think it's better to be pragmatic about these sorts of things."

"Of course," said Peyton. "But here's to hoping neither of us ever need it."

"It's always better to have it and never need it than the alternative."

Lex closed the bookshelf and all traces of the panic room disappeared with a quiet 'click'.

It seemed obvious to Peyton that he was showing this to her now because of the bank scare. The car accident had been just that, an accident. The incident at the plant hadn't been directly targeted at Lex or her. But with this. Whoever this was either wanted Lex to take the fall or something more sinister was at foot. This was too personal. Too targeted.

"Hopefully the police will have some leads by tomorrow," Peyton said.

Lex let out a short hum in the back of his throat.

"Smallville's finest," he considered dryly. "We can only hope."

Chapter Text

Peyton took another bite of chocolate cake and danced slightly from side to side as she chewed happily. For being Smallville’s only real bakery, the cakes were better than she expected. The owner of the shop sat next to Peyton and Lex, beaming as they finished up the taste test; she’d been kind enough to accommodate them moving their appointment to the next day after the bank robbery. 

“You like that one?” Lex inquired with an amused tone. He sat his fork down, only half the test cake eaten, while Peyton finished hers off. 

“It has a wonderful, rich flavor,” Peyton complimented. “And some warm, nutty notes, if I’m right.” 

The baker nodded enthusiastically. 

“That’s right. It’s a recipe from my grandmother that I modified; one of our most popular flavors. Everyone likes a good chocolate cake.” 

Lex gestured to his leftover cake in an offering as Peyton put her own fork down, and she eyed the couple bites in temptation before shaking her head. If she wanted to look halfway decent in a wedding dress she probably shouldn’t. 

Which was still a weird thought. 

“Well,” the baker continued, “I do appreciate you coming back despite that bank robbery craziness. Will you need some time to talk things over?” 

They’d already decided to stay local, and the cake was actually good. Peyton inclined her head to Lex and he reached up to clasp his hand over hers. 

“Actually, I think we’d like to employ your services.” He said. “What sorts of decorating options do you offer?” 

The baker’s beaming smile grew. 

[][][]

There was a certain edge to the town as Peyton and Lex left the bakery. It was sharply felt when people recognized Lex. Peyton mused she could guess their thought journey. 

Recognition, recalling the robbery, and then the sheriff’s announcement of Lex’s sound alibi which only left subsequent confusion.

Most would hopefully know the sheriff enough not to believe he was in Lex’s pocket. But if he wasn’t, then those who’d seen the imposter Lex run off surely had their heads spinning trying to figure out what had happened. Peyton still couldn’t. 

Lex grabbed her hand as they left the bakery and walked down the sidewalk. He kept doing that. And given they were currently planning a wedding it seemed silly for her to tell him not to. Still, it made her feel funny. She wasn’t going to stop and think about why. 

“We should go check in on the investigation,” Lex said, making a beeline for the sheriff's office. 

Peyton pulled on his arm and brought him to a stop. 

“It’s still early, and I doubt they have much given they haven’t called or made any announcements,” she said. “Let’s at least wait until after lunch and give them a chance. There’s a few boutiques around this strip, we can, I don’t know, look around. Maybe there’s something we can use for… the wedding.”

He clearly would rather go harass the police for answers, and Peyton couldn’t exactly blame him. If someone were committing crimes with her face, she would want them caught as quickly as possible too, but she wasn’t confident they would have many leads just yet. 

Lex sighed and relented to her with a tip of his head. 

“You’re probably right.” He said. “I hope they take advantage of the extra time.” 

“Come on,” she tugged him alongside her in the opposite direction. “I want to see if I can find something that’ll confound my mother and the wedding planner.” 

They stopped into a couple shops which seemed more geared towards knick knacks and household decor than anything suitable for a wedding. One shop that sat tucked back off the road looked to be selling antiques; Peyton brightened at the potential.

“There could be something cool in there,” she said. 

A bell rang as they entered the store and the wooden floors creaked under their feet. The shop was filled with various pieces of old furniture, vintage frames and lamps, and other bits and bobs tucked and stacked around the room. There was a faint, unpleasant odor to the shop as well, though Peyton couldn’t put her finger on what exactly it was. Probably just the accumulation of old items stored together.

There were no other shoppers currently in the store, and Peyton drifted away from Lex as she began to wander. He tailed after her looking far less interested. Peyton held up a couple candle sticks covered in gold leaf and turned to him as she eyed them. 

“What do you think of these?” 

“I don’t think they’ll confuse your mother.” He suddenly grinned in a mischievous way. “Don’t tell me you’re putting actual thought into this wedding now.” 

She shot him a side-eye. 

“You’re trying to be funny again,” she said.

“You already think I’m funny.” 

Peyton scoffed but shuffling footsteps drew their attention to a third person before she could respond to Lex in kind. A middle aged woman emerged from a back room; her eyes widened and she startled as she spotted them. Her alarm lasted a few seconds too long to be reasonable at finding customers in her store. Finally, she pulled her mouth into a nervous, polite smile.

“Oh, hello,” the woman said. She wrung her hands, eyes lingering over to Lex a minute before she seemed to force her focus on Peyton.

“Hi,” said Peyton. “We were just perusing.” 

She tried to smile to set the woman at ease, but the woman still had a sharpness to her movements that spoke of nerves. For the life of her, Peyton couldn’t understand why. Lex didn’t say anything, but he’d clearly picked up the woman’s unease as well. He eyed her suspiciously, his guard going up as he put his hands in his pockets. 

The store’s bell rang again before the awkwardness really bloomed and they all turned to see Martha and Clark enter the store. 

Peyton had never lived in a town quite this small. 

The woman looked alarmed once again, but hid it more quickly this time. She smiled more familiarly at Martha.

“Good morning Rose,” Martha said. “Lex, Peyton; the same to you.” 

They all exchanged greetings and it was stilted and strange. Clark stared at Rose with a squinting expression as if he were confused by something he saw.

“Hey, Mrs. Greer,” Clark said. “How’s Tina? Do you know where she is?” 

Rose’s lips thinned. 

“She’s out with Lana Lang, I believe,” she replied. “You know, those two are always bound at the hip.” 

Clark’s face flickered with doubt at her statement but he thanked her for telling him anyway. He nodded at both of them as he passed on his way back out of the store. Lex’s gaze lingered on Clark’s retreating figure, but he said nothing. Peyton picked up a picture frame and pretended to be interested in it. 

“I’m here to pick up the lamp,” Martha said to Rose. 

“Oh. Right, of course. Let me go check on it.” 

Rose left for the back of the shop and Martha frowned. Peyton put down the frame and tried to casually make her way over. 

“Everything alright, Martha?” 

“I’m fine,” Martha responded. “It’s just- Rose seems a bit off today. She’s usually friendlier than that. And she’s the one who told me the lamp would be finished by today.” 

Martha’s gaze drifted for a moment in thought, but quickly sharpened again. She let out a small puff of air in alarm. There was something on the floor just visible under the checkout counter and she sat her purse down on the counter so she could more easily bend down to pick it up. 

It was a pile of cash. 

“Does she not usually leave money lying around like that either?” Lex asked dryly. 

Martha turned and gave Lex a look that was half acknowledgement of his sarcasm and half the chiding look of a mother when you said something ridiculous.

“At least not while the store is open.” 

The stack of bills made Peyton anxious. It was a good chunk of change, and despite being on the floor, they were still fairly evenly lined up. None were wrinkled or bent or torn. It didn’t look like the used bills from someone’s wallet. But there wasn’t time to mention any of that, Rose came back into the storefront empty handed; Peyton quickly attempted to look interested in the candlesticks again. 

“I’m afraid it’s not quite done,” Rose said. “I should have it finished for you by next week.”

“Oh, alright.” 

Rose’s face remained polite and stiff, then her eyes traveled down and landed on the money Martha set on the counter and her eyes widened. Martha noticed the change in expression and gestured to the money. 

“I found that on the floor right over there.” 

Rose spoke in a rush. 

“Someone came in early and made an expensive purchase,” she explained. “I must have dropped it. Thank you.” 

Peyton looked to Lex and his silent response told her he found the entire situation unusual as well.

“I’ll have to ask Katherine if the candlesticks would work with her vision,” Peyton said as she sat them down. She turned back and gave Rose a smile. “You have a lovely store and I’m sure we’ll be back.” 

The statement didn’t garner the usual amount of excitement it had with other shop owners in town. Instead Rose looked ever more wary. 

“Thank you,” she said again, flatly. 

Lex took Peyton’s cue and they waved to Martha as they exited, though it looked like she was about to leave as well. The door jingled as they exited and Peyton brushed her fingers against Lex’s hand to stop him a few feet down the sidewalk.

“That was weird, right,” she prompted. “Lex, those bills were… they looked new.” 

“They did,” he agreed. “Though, in an attempt at fairness, someone could have pulled money out specifically to make a purchase.” 

Peyton’s expression turned doubtful and Lex tipped his head. 

“I didn’t say I believed that’s what happened.” 

The store bell jangled again and Martha stepped out onto the sidewalk, still looking perplexed. She made her way over to them and cast one more look back at Rose’s antique shop. 

“Something isn’t right,” she said. “Rose isn’t acting like herself. And all that money; I can’t imagine she’d leave that lying around. Smallville is a small town, sure, but nowhere is small enough to leave that out unattended.”

“Do you believe her story about someone making a big purchase?” Peyton asked. 

Martha pressed her lips together.

“There was a Smallville Savings and Loan band around those bills. It seems too unusual to be a coincidence, but I can’t imagine Rose would rob the bank .” 

Lex let out a breath. 

“Peyton and I were already going to stop by the police department after this anyway. I can ask if-” 

Tires squealed, interrupting Lex, and they whipped around in time to see a blue truck barrelling toward them. It swerved off the road onto the sidewalk as it neared and they were able to see Clark behind the steering wheel. 

Everything happened quickly. Martha stumbled back, out of the way, and Lex grabbed Peyton’s arm and yanked her towards himself and out of the way of the vehicle.

For one split second, Peyton could only see the bridge again. See Clark’s face as they sped towards him. For one split second she wondered if this was some bit of twisted justice.

The truck barely missed them as it swung back into the road and raced down main street and out of sight. Peyton found herself pressed against Lex’s chest; his heart hammering just as rapidly as hers and his arms wrapped around her as he cradled her close, as if that would have been enough to shield her from the full force of a pick up truck. Still, the gesture struck her deeply. 

“Mom! Mom, are you alright?”

Clark ran from around the corner and rushed to help his mother to her feet; Martha openly gaped up at him as she stood. Peyton watched, wide-eyed and confused. 

It had been Clark driving the truck.

It had looked exactly like Clark.

Lex shifted and the movement drew Peyton’s focus back to the present. She got her feet under her and detangled herself from Lex’s arms. 

“Are you okay?” They both asked each other at the same time. 

Peyton let out a small laugh and Lex flashed an acknowledging smile, but anger bubbled up too quickly for the mirth to last. They both stood and Clark glanced over them. 

“No one got hurt?”

“No, I think we’re all okay.” Peyton replied. 

“Clark,” Lex said stiffly, “it was you in the truck.” 

Clark’s brows furrowed and his lips pulled into a frown as he glanced in the direction the truck went. 

“I was looking for Tina, Rose’s daughter, but she wasn’t with Lana so I came back.”

“Maybe we have more than a bank robber running around Smallville,” Lex said. “We’ll report this to the police and see if we can’t get a fire lit under them to catch this guy.” 

Clark pressed his lips together and looked down but didn’t offer a response. Martha looked up from her purse with concern. 

“My car keys are gone. I don’t understand, I had them right before we went into Rose’s. The only person who could have taken them were… were in the shop.” 

A shudder ran down Peyton’s back. It was impossible. Rose was a middle aged woman. She wasn’t even as tall as Clark and she certainly couldn’t be mistaken for him. Him or Lex. Nothing about the situation was adding up.

“Well,” said Lex, “if that really was your truck, it looks like you’ll be joining us at the station.”

[][][]

The Smallville police station had a few desks, an office for the chief, and a couple jail cells in the back. Likely, they were more familiar with writing the occasional traffic ticket rather than bank robberies, but they were all busy and moving when their group stepped into the lobby. 

“Mrs. Kent,” one officer said as he approached, “how can I help you?”
“I’m afraid my truck was stolen.”

That caught the officer’s attention and he was quick to take her statement, surprise shining clearly when she told him she witnessed the theft just a few minutes ago. Clark appeared anxious, like he wanted to leave or had something else on his mind, but it probably was due to him being a teenager. 

The cop turned to Lex and Peyton when he started wrapping up with Martha. 

“And are you two here as additional witnesses?” 

“We’re here to inquire about your search for the bank robber suspect. And to say there may be a possible lead you should look into.” 

The cop blinked in surprise and nodded. 

“In that case I’ll get Detective Brewer. He’s overseeing the investigation.”

Martha brushed the back of Lex’s arm to get his attention; he hid any surprise at the contact well. 

“We should get going, but I’ll try to stay in contact if we hear anything new. You both stay safe, alright?”

“Of course, Mrs. Kent,” Lex said. “We’ll do the same.”

Clark cleared his throat and shifted where he stood. 

“If either of you see Tina Greer, just be careful. If her… mom had that money, she might know something.”

“You be careful too,” Peyton said pointedly. “Remember, the cops have a job for a reason.” 

Martha gave her son an additional Mom Look , then she and Clark left by the time the detective came by to speak with them.

Tina Greer , Peyton repeated internally. Clark was looking for her even before they spotted the money. Did he know something else that he wasn’t sharing?

“Good afternoon, I’m Detective Brewer.” 

The voice was vaguely familiar, and not in a good way. Peyton froze and grimaced the moment she looked up at the face of the detective. It was yet another person she’d met before; the guy who’d approached her in town awhile ago, before Lex showed up to give her a ride back to the mansion. Matt? She thought his name was Matt. 

“Ah,” she said as she pasted on a polite smile, “hello… Detective.” 

Lex muttered under his breath, and Matt gave them the sort of toothless smile that said he was enjoying their discomfort. 

“I’ve been informed you’ve dropped in to check in on my investigation?” 

Peyton put her hand on Lex’s arm and spoke in his stead. 

“We wanted to see if there were any updates. As you can imagine someone trying to impersonate Lex is very alarming to both of us.” 

“And we have a possible person of interest,” Lex spoke up. “If that’s something you’re interested in.”

Matt sucked on his teeth in a dismissive display and made a clicking sound with his tongue. 

“Sure thing,” he drawled. “And just who would this person of interest be?”

“Rose Greer.” 

Peyton winced as Matt kept still, his eyes rose up and he stared at them from under his brow in a display of near contempt. 

“Rose Greer.” He said flatly. “Now that’s a pretty far-fetched accusation.” 

“There were stacks of bills on the floor of her antique shop,” Lex defended. “Martha Kent is the one who noticed them, so you can talk to her if you don’t believe us.” 

“Rose lost her husband and should have lost her daughter to bone disease, according to the doctors. You expect me to believe she’d throw the life she built away by robbing her own bank?” 

“We’re not accusing her of anything.” Peyton said. “We’re just asking you to take a look. Maybe she didn’t recognize it could be money from the robbery.”

Matt stared a moment longer then sighed and wrote a note.

“I’ll give Martha a call for corroboration then see about Rose. Now, Ms. Woods, you were present as a witness to the original crime, correct?” 

“Well, I saw the person running out of the bank.”

“Right; I’d actually like to talk to you about what you saw a minute, if you have the time. I know an officer took your statement, but I wasn’t on the scene yet and I like to get my information firsthand.”

Peyton hesitated as Matt watched unabashedly. Lex glared. 

“We don’t have a lot of time,” she hedged. But Matt wasn’t deterred. 

“Great, I only have a couple questions.” He opened the small gate separating the lobby from their offices, and waved her in with his notepad. Peyton walked through, determined to hurry this along and be done with it. Lex moved to follow, but Matt clicked the door shut the moment she passed and gave Lex a bitter smile. 

“Sorry,” he said, not at all sounding it, “but you understand how your presence might be a conflict of interest.” 

Lex’s jaw ticked. 

“I was cleared,” he said stiffly. 

Matt gave Lex a sardonic wink and moved away. 

“We’ll just be a minute. Feel free to help yourself to some coffee. Complimentary .” 

Hot indignation flashed through Peyton at Matt’s condescension; clearly there was still no love loss for any Luthor with some of the townsfolk. And evidently Matt wasn’t letting go of their little stand off a while back. But she kept herself from snippily commenting. It wouldn’t help. Matt was a cop and whoever robbed the bank could somehow disguise themselves as other people. It wouldn’t be good to push the detective’s buttons any more than they already were. 

It didn’t mean she was going to be overly polite to him anymore. 

They entered his office and Peyton sat with a near silent sigh when he gestured to the seat across from his desk. He took his own seat and didn’t immediately reach for his notebook; instead he folded his hands on his desk and settled her with a look.

“I really don’t know what more I can tell you,” Peyton said. “Like I said, I didn’t see the robbery, and I have no idea who the actual thief might be.” 

“You’re not married yet. I can still have you testify, when we find something.” 

Peyton’s eyes flashed in anger. 

“It wasn’t him . I called him the minute the robber left, and I could hear the fundraiser in the background when I talked to him. There were no sirens.” 

“So it was just someone who looked exactly like Lex Luthor. Enough that you, despite being part of one of Metropolis’s most famous ‘will they, won’t they’ couples, were confused by the person.” 

She rolled her tongue in her mouth and decided to ignore his jab. 

“I knew something was off,” she said. “Something wasn’t right about the guy; he didn’t move right. His eyes were wrong. But whoever is doing this has good prosthetics or something. Whoever tried to hit us with the Kent’s truck looked just like Clark too, only Clark came right after the truck drove away to help his mom.” 

Matt raised his brow. 

“Those are two wildly different looks,” he said. “You expect me to believe someone put on a bald cap to rob the bank, then stuck around just to try and hit you all with a truck?”

“It makes more sense if it’s a local,” Peyton argued. That caused anger to flash through Matt’s eyes in return. 

“It’d be convenient for the two of you, for sure,” he sneered. 

A scathing, scoff of a laugh escaped Peyton’s throat despite her resolve to play it safe and play nice. 

“What do you think? That Lex and I have some Bonnie and Clyde plot going on? Please, tell me, what in the world would the two heirs to Kansas’ largest corporations need to rob a bank in Smallville for? If we wanted to, we could buy the bank. If you could overcome your biases for one minute, you might be able to make some headway in this case.”

Matt stared at her and ground his teeth behind closed lips. Peyton blinked. 

She hadn’t meant to say that aloud. Certainly, she’d been thinking it, but it probably wasn’t smart to say so blatantly. Lex may be rubbing off on her. 

“Figures you’re no different than the Luthors; you two deserve each other.” 

Peyton stood from her chair with a huff and exchanged glares with Matt.

“Why did you really have me come back here? To try and warn me off from marrying Lex or insult me for not being the dumb model you thought I was?” 

The look in Matt’s expression shifted from tight and angry to something more concerned; he overstepped the professional boundaries his position called for and he knew it.

“No, no. I do want your statement. I-” he swallowed as if the words were hard to force out, “I apologize.” 

Peyton sucked on her teeth a moment and sat back down. 

[][]

Lex stepped aside as Peyton stormed out of the police office and she purposely grabbed Lex’s hand as she passed by. He, unsurprisingly, accepted the contact and cast another disparaging look back at Matt as they exited the precinct.

“I take it the conversation didn’t go well,” he said. 

Peyton scowled. 

“In small towns you’ll either meet the nicest people ever or the most backwards, rude, uncalled for-” 

“Aren’t you the one always telling me to be nice?” 

“I was nice,” Peyton huffed. “I didn’t complain about him to his captain.” 

Lex perked up at that statement and pulled her hand closer to him. 

“Don’t tell me I missed you being snippy.” 

Peyton gave him an exaggeration of a smile. 

“I wouldn’t call it ‘snippy’, per say. I just know my rights.” 

“What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall.” 

[][][]

Merrill and the wedding coordinator only stayed a couple days before preparing to head back to Metropolis. In the short amount of time they were in Smallville, they managed to get everything arranged and ready outside Peyton’s dress. 

Peyton stared, puzzled, as she looked over the order receipt for the invitations. 

“Did we decide on a date?” She asked, adrenaline spiking. “I don’t remember deciding on one.” 

“Well, of course we did,” said her mother. “Don’t you remember? It was after we discussed locations and spoke with the church manager on what they had available. Luckily for us, their schedule is fairly wide open. They can host us in a month, which gives us time to get the invitations out.”
“But that doesn’t give guests a lot of time to plan or RSVP,” Peyton argued. 

Merrill rolled her eyes in motherly exasperation. 

“Peyton, darling, I’ve already sent messages to everyone important; the physical invitation is just a courtesy. You have nothing to worry about, everyone who matters will be there.”

“Right. Of course. Wonderful.”

Lex looked over with a playful challenge in his eyes and raised his brows in mock innocence.

“Some might say a month is too long,” he said. 

Merrill nodded in complete understanding, missing Lex’s sardonic tone, and Peyton gave him a scowl.

“You both are still young,” said Merrill, “so we can afford to wait a month. But it’s best not to wait long enough for the first attempt at marriage to slip out. I still cannot believe you didn’t tell me about it, Peyton.”

“Well, it won’t happen again.” 

“I should hope so!”

Lex got up and joined them where Merrill was reorganizing all the wedding information on his coffee table, and he once again sat on the arm of Peyton’s chair and placed an arm on her back. A sizzle of heat rippled over her skin and nearly made her shudder.

“If the wedding is in a month, when do you plan to get your dress? They usually have to tailor it, don’t they?” 

Merrill sat up straight and reached for Peyton’s hand.

“Oh, he’s right! We really ought to get that sorted as soon as possible. You know, why don’t you just come back to Metropolis with me? We can go to this boutique there, I know the owner, and I’m sure she’ll have something you’ll love; it’s all the latest fashions.”

Peyton raised a brow in amusement. 

“How long have you kept tabs on wedding businesses?” 

Merrill sniffed. 

“It’s advantageous to have insight into these things. You never know when you’ll need to make connections.” 

“I think you should go.” Lex said as his hand ran up to her shoulder in a reassuring movement and Peyton bit the inside of her cheek. “It might be good for you to get out of Smallville for a bit anyway, with all that’s going on.”

“And leave you here to deal with it alone?” Peyton questioned. “Metropolis is hours away, what if-” 

“There’s nothing you’ll be able to do anyway,” Lex interrupted. “You already gave your statement and the police are investigating. At least if you go you’ll be out of any potential danger if they take a couple days to find this guy.”

“Lex is right, darling.” Merrill glowed at the proposed idea. “And you really do need to get your dress ordered. You can stay with us in your old room and it’ll give us time to go over wedding details. Besides, your father would love to see you.”

His hand was still warm on her shoulder, her mother was staring at her with her own version of puppy eyes, and Peyton groaned as she rubbed her face.

“Fine,” she relented. “I suppose it’d be good timing for me to get some of my things anyway.” She glanced over to Lex and gave him a stern look. “But if anything happens-” 

“You’ll obviously be the first person I call,” Lex reassured. 

Merrill clapped her hands in delight at yet another victory. 

“Wonderful,” she sang. “Now hurry and pack a suitcase, darling; we have a helicopter to catch.”

Peyton balked. 

“A helicopter? ” 

“Well, of course,” chided Merrill. “Honestly, we don’t have time for the drive with our current schedule. There’s still so much to do.”

Peyton already felt tired. 

Chapter Text

Peyton normally didn’t mind shopping, but shopping for a wedding gown was on another level than regular clothes. Given her mother’s attitude at the wedding boutique, one might think it was a matter of life or death.

It was just her, her mother, and the wedding planner at the shop. Peyton didn’t exactly have any friends that she knew about, and this wedding was turning into a short notice event with her mother’s rush to make sure neither of the happy couple had a chance to change their minds. 

Actually, the rush might have been more so Lionel didn’t somehow get in the way, which Peyton supposed was not an unfounded fear. 

There were several dresses hanging from hooks in the changing room that she still needed to try on. So far she’d at least narrowed it down that she didn’t want a ballgown. There was an extra challenge given the period of fashion here was a bit behind what she was used to, but not impossible. She’d just skip over anything with bows.

The shop consultant helped clip her into a more streamlined dress. It sat off the shoulders and cinched in at the waist while the skirt hugged the hips before flaring out slightly at the bottom. A train started at the hips and trailed behind her with delicate bits of embroidery detailing over it.

When she walked out to step in front of the mirrors her mother gasped in delight, she did almost every time, but this time she even held her hands up in front of her mouth as if the emotions were boiling over. 

“Oh, Peyton, you look absolutely stunning .” 

Peyton smiled in acknowledgement and twisted to catch the different angles in the mirror. The dress was one of the more simple designs, in terms of extra detail, but if felt timeless in a way the others didn’t. It made her feel more confident. It made her feel like she was actually an heiress. 

Her heart fluttered in her chest and butterflies erupted in her stomach. She swallowed thickly and tried to squash the feeling. It was just her mother making a big deal of it that had her emotions heightened. It was just a dress . 

The shop consultant must have recognized something on Peyton’s face because she smiled and adjusted the train so the detail was better seen in the mirrors. 

“It looks magnificent on you,” the consultant said. “It may seem simple, but it’s a very fashion forward cut, and it brings all the attention to your face.”

“I really like it,” Peyton said. There was a tad bit too much emotion in her voice and she cleared her throat. “I think it’s my favorite.” 

Katherine made a note on her clipboard and passed a tissue to Merrill who took it and dabbed at her eyes. 

“Is this it then?” Merrill asked. “Is this the one you’re picking? There are more options, of course, dear, you don’t have to-” 

“No,” Peyton cut in. “I think- I want this one.” 

The small group gushed about her choice and how fitting it was all while Peyton eyed her own reflection. It was almost strange to see herself look this way. All dolled up in the fanciest gown like how she used to dress up her Barbies in their faux silk outfits to attend a party or a premiere. She’d wait for her best friend to come up with some crazy plotline for their dolls to go through, and follow her lead. Usually in their games the event would turn into a fight for survival as a bad guy showed up and tried to steal Barbie away, or an asteroid threatened to wipe out the guest list. But the dolls were always well dressed for it.

Hopefully her own wedding didn’t go in that direction.

[][][]

The Woods estate looked rather the same as the last time she’d been there. The familiar antique aesthetic, with its rich woods, warm sconces, and patterned wallpapers, somehow struck a chord of fondness in Peyton even the next day. Perhaps it was her memories of Randall’s cooking or the Christmas decorating with Lex.

She trailed her hand over the stair banister briefly before footsteps drew her attention away. Her father slowed as he entered the foyer and noted his wife’s teary disposition, his eyes scanned over her as if unsure how to approach. Peyton decided to help him out. 

“Dad!” She opened her arms for a hug and met him where he stood. Samuel was at least a better father than Lionel, in that he actually seemed happy to see her. His hug was only slightly awkward, a touch too tentative; he appeared to still be confused about her, but at least in a good way. 

He cleared his throat as they parted and tried to put on an air of sternness. 

“So, how did the shopping go? No new injuries and no new surprises, I hope,” he said.

Peyton smiled indulgently. 

“No,” she replied, “not today. I promise I’m trying to be less exciting.” 

He harrumphed. 

“Bit late for that. You shouldn’t have mentioned weddings to your mother if you didn’t want exciting .” His expression shifted to something like concern as he contemplated his next words. “You don’t have to go through with it, you know. Don’t let your mother bully you.” 

Behind her, Merrill balked in offense. 

“I am not bullying her , Samuel! She told me she loves him; goodness, she wouldn’t have tried to marry him the first time if she didn’t.”

Peyton swallowed her nerves and doubts as she gave her father the most reassuring smile she could muster. 

“I’m not being forced, dad. Why?” Her voice turned teasing. “You know something I don’t?” 

Samuel’s face scrunched, his lips nearly disappearing under his mustache, as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I haven’t been around Alexander much, but Lionel is a… calculating man.”

Oh, did she know it. Peyton patted his hand and desperately wished there was a way to quickly change the topic of all this marriage stuff without being obvious. 

“Lex isn’t like his dad. Believe me, I just saw the guy. The differences are stark.”

Her mom suddenly sharpened her attention at the mention of Lionel and she clapped her hands. 

“Speaking of! Katherine and I already ironed out all the details for the wedding itself, so I believe it’s only fair you handle the business matters with Lionel, Samuel. I’m sure he’ll, understandably, demand to have prenups drawn up.” 

“I’ve already been in contact with him,” Samuel said. “Our lawyers are working on the paperwork as we speak.” 

Never in her wildest dreams would Peyton have ever thought any potential marriage in her future would garner this much legal action. It was nearly headache inducing, and she wasn’t even dealing directly with it. 

“Well,” said Merrill, “no one can say that Lionel isn’t pragmatic. Though I think he could stand to be a bit more enthused.” 

There were too many points Peyton could make on why he wasn’t enthused, but she decided not to voice them. 

With talk of being excited, Merrill reminded herself of the dress shopping and she gushed to her husband over it and how beautiful Peyton looked and how he would absolutely shed a tear once he saw her and Peyton could only awkwardly stand by without protest. 

The thought struck her, as Merrill described the dress in detail to a glaze-eyed Samuel, that this was perhaps the most she’d ever interacted with the two of them in any meaningful way. Parts of them reminded her of her actual parents. Like how her dad was the more level headed one, while her mom indulged in emotion, but the thought only served to send a pang of sadness through her. 

After a moment, she had mercy on Samuel and interjected before Merrill could describe all the other dresses that didn’t make the cut.

“Hey,” she said with good humor. “Just imagine if we had to worry about picking out bridesmaid dresses too.” 

Merrill blinked in confusion. 

“No bridesmaids!” She squawked. “Whatever do you mean? Did you have a falling out with Annalise? Darling she was with you all through school, surely you could have at least one!”

“Oh.” Peyton intoned carefully. She almost forgot she probably ought to pretend she had friends and a life of some sort. “I haven’t talked to her in awhile, but I can ask her.” 

“Please do try to contact her as quickly as possible; I’ll get Katherine to pick out a few dress options for her to choose from. It’ll have to be red, of course, we can’t have her standing next to you in gold after all.” 

“Right,” Peyton said. 

She glanced at her father and he already looked politely zoned out once more. At this point, she could commiserate. 

“I can call her after dinner,” she reassured. “Speaking of, I should probably freshen up first.”

Once freshened and in a new outfit for dinner, Peyton sat on her old bed for a minute and soaked in the quiet. The only real difference to the room now was the lack of posters on the walls and a different colored comforter. It was a familiar and foreign place all at once. She’d been in the room before, stayed in it. But beyond digging for clothes and some makeup, she really didn’t know what it contained. It hadn’t seemed important to snoop when she thought her stay was temporary, and now the space and all the things in it felt like an odd forgotten memory. 

She twisted her cell phone in her hands and chewed at her bottom lip. 

The day was strangely mentally exhausting and all she wanted to do was decompress. But there was pitifully little time she could hole herself away alone and her parents weren’t going to ease the uncertainty. 

She twisted her phone again and flipped it open. 

His name was still listed as “L. Luthor” in her contact list. Peyton wrinkled her nose, drummed her thumbs against the sides of the phone a couple times before coming to a decision, and changed it to “Lex”. Then she opened up a text message. 

[Picked out a dress today, which was very surreal. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin the surprise :) ] 

She hit send before the potential connotations registered and then desperately attempted to clarify her statement. 

[I mean, so you look surprised.]

[Not that I’m expecting a reaction! You don’t have to put on a show or anything.]

Dear word, she was digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole of humiliation. Why didn’t phone companies allow you to recall texts? Peyton scrunched her eyes and rubbed at her forehead with one hand and gripped the phone in the other. Maybe she could distract from all that with something else. 

[I at least won’t look like a cupcake.]

Yeah, no. That didn’t help. 

[][][]

Detective Matt Brewer walked into Rose Greer’s antique shop with a grimace as an unpleasant odor wafted through the room. It smelled like decay and artificial lavender. He hadn’t experienced that strong of a scent since the Jonson’s calf came out stillborn and they needed help burying it in the back field. 

Matt’s eyes flickered over the shop for Rose as he subtly rubbed under his nose. There wasn’t any sign of her, but he could see a crown of brunette hair if he peered over the checkout counter, so he cleared his throat and made his way over. 

Tina Greer shot up onto her feet and turned to face him, clearly surprised. 

“Hey Tina,” Matt said. “Hate to be a bother, but is your mom around?” 

“She’s out right now, actually.” 

Matt peered over the counter again with a better angle. It looked like Tina had been distracted by scrapbooking, or doing some collage like the kids liked to do. There were several pictures she was in the process of cutting out and gluing, some of herself, others of what looked like the Lang girl, and scraps from some Metropolis tabloid. 

Matt nodded and adjusted his notebook in his hold as he scanned the shop again. 

“It smells like something died in here, Tina. Have you guys checked to see if something crawled in y’alls attic and keeled over?” 

Tina’s face dropped and her body stiffened. Matt refocused on her. 

“No.” She said tightly. “Actually, my mom just got a shipment in from an estate sale. The lady’s kids didn’t find her for a couple days, so the smell has been… lingering.” 

Matt nodded again. 

“Well you might want to air it out a bit more. And tell your mom to give me a call when she gets back in, will you?” 

Tina shifted, her eyes narrowing. For the first time her eyes landed on his badge hanging around his neck and her face, once again, went still. 

“What’s it about, Mr. Brewer? Is it… are you working right now?” 

“‘Fraid so,” Matt said. “Lex Luthor stopped by the other day with a tip. Someone might’ve paid your mom using money from the bank robbery. I need to ask her a few questions and see if she’s got any of those bills still laying around to check if the serials match.” 

“You’re joking,” Tina said, voice hollow.

Matt raised a hand in reassurance. 

“No one thinks your mom did it. We just need to track down the person who gave your mom the cash. I know she keeps good books, so it shouldn’t be much trouble. Just have her give me a ring and we’ll get this all sorted, alright?” 

“Yes, Mr. Brewer.” 

“Atta, girl. I’ll leave you to it, then.” 

Matt made his way back to the door and Tina remained frozen in her spot next to the counter. He stopped with the door partially open and looked over his shoulder. 

“But really, Tina. You might want to open the back door. Get some fresh air in here.” 

[][][]

To Peyton’s surprise, Annalise responded to the bridesmaid question with a, 

“Sweet Gemini, he’s actually going to marry you? You know I have to be there to see it.” 

Peyton took that as a yes.

Merrill ordered five dresses brought to the house and harassed Annalise into coming over the next day to pick one out given the “tight schedule they were working with”. Annalise complied without too much fuss and by the time she arrived Merrill had also gotten the staff to put a small spread out of finger foods and drinks; Peyton found it all a bit extra. 

They could have met Annalise at a shop to look at dresses. It wasn’t necessary to put out snacks and drinks like they were having a party. And did Katherine really need to be there for the bridesmaid’s dress fitting? 

She sat in an overstuffed chair in a room with snacks and a changing screen and watched Merrill bustle about in the last few minutes before Annalise arrived. Her mother gave some instruction to one of the staff as she pointed to one of the windows and, after, turned and caught Peyton’s eye before she could look away. She sent a beaming smile Peyton’s way and Peyton smiled back out of reflex as emotion twisted in her chest.

Her mother was excited. 

Which, of course, wasn’t new information. The woman had projected so loudly on the phone with Lionel that she could be heard across the room, but Peyton hadn’t allowed herself to consider the excitement in any sort of genuine way. No doubt most of her planning and efforts were self motivated, but, like her real mother would be, she was ecstatic over the situation and going overboard simply because she could. Given no monetary restraints, Peyton couldn't deny her own mother would likely be behaving similarly. 

It was a dissonant realization. 

How was Peyton supposed to rectify this woman with the one who’d been near absent the week she’d been here as a teenager? Was this simply because something exciting was happening? Was it possible Peyton’s previous “emptiness” kept her parents at arms length? 

Perhaps only time would tell. 

Not that Peyton wanted to stay that long. 

Annalise joined the group with flair. She’d grown into a tall, willowy thing, with brown hair down past her shoulders and a narrow, pixie-like face. She greeted Merrill with an excited hug, gushing about the wedding and being involved, and how it was such an honor, though Peyton could tell it was mostly show. The sort of thing you’re supposed to do, especially in circles like theirs. 

After trying on every dress and evaluating each one for the pros and cons, she picked a spaghetti strap gown with a dipping neckline and mermaid style skirt. Peyton nibbled on some cheese and crackers and sipped at a mimosa while Annalise made a final turn in her pick. 

“It looks incredible on you,” Peyton offered. “I think you might look better than me.” 

To her credit, Annalise stopped staring at her oddly when Peyton spoke after being complimented on the first dress. Now she conversed as if Peyton had been normal their entire “friendship”.

“Oh shut up,” Annalise said with a wave of her hand. “You’ve got all the right stuff to fill out a dress. Besides, this is all because you already caught yourself a man. Make sure to tell Lex to invite his single friends, because I do not want this dress to go to waste.” 

Her mother laughed at the comment and Peyton snorted into her drink. She didn’t mention she wasn’t even sure how many friends Lex had. 

Katherine made a final note in her planner and then stood and walked over to Merrill’s chair. 

“With that, I’ll have the other dresses returned this afternoon and arrange to have Miss Parnell’s dress sent to the venue on the wedding day. Is there anything else you’ll need from me today, Mrs. Woods?” 

Merrill smiled and waved Katherine away. 

“No, no. That’ll be all; thank you, Katherine.” 

Katherine nodded. 

“I’ll call to discuss final catering choices once the restaurant confirms their inventory for the number of guests. Until later.” 

Merrill also excused herself to attend other, non wedding related, business and Peyton assumed that was that. But after Annalise changed back into her own clothes she showed no interest in immediately leaving. Instead she flopped down onto the quilted chair next to Peyton and sighed dramatically. 

“So! It has been so long since we properly hung out! What do you have planned for the rest of the day? Please tell me you have to taste cake.” 

Peyton gave her a sympathetic smile. 

“Unfortunately Lex and I already covered that. All I had planned today was to look through all of my old stuff to figure out what I want to move back with me.” 

“Bleh.” Annalise stuck out her tongue in disgust. “What’s that little town called? Tinyburg?” 

“Smallville,” Peyton supplied. 

“That’s it. I feel so bad for both of you, having to live there like outcasts. It must be so boring . Are you really going to move your stuff over there? Like, is this permanent?” 

Peyton shrugged and put down her mimosa. 

“I don’t know. But I don’t think there’s plans to leave any time soon, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to bring stuff over. Honestly, I don’t even remember all of what I have stored away.” 

One of the staff cleaning up the snack trays looked over and tilted their head to gesture upwards. 

“If it’s helpful, miss, a lot of your childhood things were moved to storage in the attic. The boxes should be labeled.”

Annalise pushed off the chair and leaned forward, her eyes sparkling.

“Oh my gosh, we have to go look. I swear if I find a childhood diary I’m going to read excerpts at your wedding.”

[][][]

Lex cracked another billiard ball with his pool cue and watched the white ball smack against a striped one; it nearly made it into the pocket but teetered just on the edge. Lex made a disappointed sound through his teeth and cast a depreciating look to Clark. Clark grinned. 

“That’s too bad,” Clark said, not sounding upset at all. “You almost had it too.” 

“Don’t be so quick to assume victory when you’ve yet to act.” 

Lex’s brows rose in challenge and Clark squinted as he evaluated the statement. 

“Is that some quote from a Roman general or something?” 

Lex smirked. 

“No, just advice. You’ll have to put some spin on that in order to get the eight ball in the hole.”

“I think I’ll be able to manage.” 

For a high schooler, he gave it a college try. The eight ball might have even gone in the pocket if the cue ball hit it. Clark’s face immediately twisted in chagrined disappointment and Lex let out a laugh. 

“ Oof , see, you’d think a farmer would know better about counting chickens.” 

“Okay, okay,” Clark spoke over him. “Just take your turn-” 

Something caught his attention, and Clark looked out the office doors towards the front entrance. Lex followed his line of sight, but didn’t see anything significant in the hall. 

“What is it, Clark?” 

Clark stammered a bit and put down his pool cue. 

“Uh, you didn’t hear that?” He asked. 

Lex frowned. 

“Hear what?” 

But Clark continued to look somewhere past the walls of the manor and his lips thinned as his eyes narrowed. 

“I thought I heard a noise outside. Maybe we should go check it out.” 

“Clark, what are you talking about? What did you hear?” 

Without answering, Clark headed out of the mansion and Lex followed closely behind. He hadn’t heard a thing. There shouldn’t be anyone on the grounds, with the staff home for the day and Peyton in Metropolis. Even if there was, how would Clark hear something from outside?

They walked down the front steps and started down the driveway before Clark finally deigned to give a sliver of an explanation. 

“I thought I heard a thump,” he said nervously. 

Lex stared. 

“A thump.” 

“Do you have a gardener working today?” 

Lex felt like he was getting more whiplash from their conversation than he got from the car accident. Once more he followed Clark’s line of sight out past the front fountain, but this time was able to spot a figure in the distance. It looked like a blonde woman with a shovel digging into his manicured landscaping. A lump of something he couldn’t make out lay near the woman’s feet. 

“Stay here,” Lex instructed Clark. “And call the police.” 

Clark edged forwards. 

“I don’t think you should go over there alone.” 

“Whatever’s going on, I don’t want you involved in it. Here,” he tossed Clark his cell phone. 

Lex marched across the lawn with a shout to get the person’s attention, and the blonde woman snapped her head toward him at the sound. She threw down the shovel at the sight of him and Lex’s gut twisted as he stopped ten feet away. 

“Peyton?”

Peyton stared up at him with her wide brown eyes almost shining amber with tears in the light. Dirt covered her slacks and blouse and hands; she blinked and folded her hands together as if to beg.

“I didn’t mean to, Lex. I swear I didn’t mean to. It was, like, an accident.” 

Lex’s eyes dropped to the ground and he took an alarmed step back as the empty eyes of Rose Greer stared back up at him, partially covered in earth. His heart dropped and his stomach curdled. 

Peyton was in Metropolis. She’d text him the previous night and hadn’t mentioned coming back to Smallville so soon. Peyton wouldn’t kill a woman. Peyton wouldn’t try to hide it from him if she did. 

His gaze turned flinty as it shifted back to the woman in front of him. The woman reached out for him and he kept his distance; her bottom lip jutted out in a pout that looked unnatural on Peyton’s face. 

“Lex, please,” she said. “You have to help me. The cops could be here any minute!” Tears ran down her face and she gripped her hair. “They’ll totally send me to prison! Like, I can’t go to prison, Lex.” 

“Lex! I called, they’re on their way!” 

Lex’s anxiety only rose as Clark ran up just behind him; the situation threatened to spiral if he couldn’t get control of it soon. 

“Stay back, Clark. You don’t need to see this.”

“Lex, I don’t think that’s Peyton,” Clark said. “You said she’s in Metropolis.” 

“She is,” Lex responded flatly. He directed his next statement at the woman. “Who are

you?”

“For real?” The woman snapped. “Your own fiance?” 

“The ruse is over,” Lex snapped back. “The authorities are on their way, and I have a feeling they’re going to find a common thread between you and the string of crimes that have been happening in Smallville lately, so you might as well confess.” 

The woman eyed them both and her face shifted from the doe-eyed confusion to a calculating sneer.

“You really should have minded your own business,” she said. “You were already cleared from the robbery, but you just couldn’t leave it alone.” 

“Get back in the mansion, Clark.” 

Clark ignored Lex’s warning and continued to press on. 

“Tina,” he said, entreatingly, “you don’t have to do this. You can get help.”

The woman screeched in frustration and her face, Peyton’s face, shifted and changed. The jaw narrowed, blonde hair turned brown as it lengthened, and suddenly it was a mousy teenage girl glaring up at them. 

“You just have to ruin everything! Every time!” She spat at Clark. “All because of your stupid crush on Lana. But she doesn’t deserve the perfect life she has; I do! ”

She could change her face. Her shape. Her bones . The revelation threatened to drown Lex as he scrambled for a way to stall the girl until police arrived. 

Tina bent down to pick up the shovel again in a darting movement, and Lex reached behind him to push Clark further back. She threw the shovel up over her head then swung it at Lex with all the force of a batter at the plate.

[][][]

The attic wasn’t anything like the one in her real parent’s home in her own world. This one had finished floors and walls, storage shelves lined one side of the room. It even had proper lighting. Peyton dug through another box labeled “Peyton’s Room”, but this one mostly held those old boy band posters and a few CDs. She sighed and closed the box back up. 

Why in the world would they even save those? 

“Oh my gosh,” Annalise said from across the room. She pulled out a plastic tub and cracked open the lid with a scandalized laugh. “Your mom is either a total hoarder or she’s been hoping for grandkids. I can’t believe she still has these.” 

She lifted out a Barbie decked out in a poofy faux satin dress and wiggled it so Peyton could see. Peyton’s brow furrowed in disbelief. 

“I’m not sure which I’d believe,” Peyton replied. “I can’t see her playing alongside a child.” 

Annalise adjusted the Barbie’s dress with a bemused expression and tossed it back into the bucket. 

“Do you remember the insane stories we used to play with these things? Well, you would just copy me, so maybe I’ve always been the more imaginative one.”

“Maybe you have,” Peyton agreed. “But I don’t plan on taking dolls back to Smallville, so you can slide that right on back where you found it.”

Annalise did with a snicker and Peyton gave up on the group of boxes she’d been poking around and instead moved to the back corner of the attic to try and find something worth being sentimental over.

She managed to find a wooden music box with a painted unicorn figure reared up on its back legs inside. It was cute enough that she sat it to the side to take. Annalise helped add a few books and a family photo to the pile, though Peyton could tell her interest was waning. Truthfully, Peyton’s was as well.

There were a few more boxes pushed back against the wall and Peyton’s attention zeroed in on one that looked like a lock box. It struck her as a bit odd, given if they had any valuable paperwork or objects it’d make more sense for them to be in an office or safe rather than the attic. She pulled the box out and raised a brow over the fact that the box lacked a lock; maybe it didn’t hold anything that important.

Peyton lifted the lid and peeked inside. It was filled with paperwork; it looked like medical records with a few loose leaves of random notes. One paper had a calligraphy “V” inside a sun.  

“I don’t know how many more boxes I can rifle through,” Annalise complained. Peyton snapped the lock box closed and stood. 

“That’s fine,” she said. “I think we found everything that’s worth taking.” 

Annalise eyed the lock box in her hands. 

“What’s that?” 

“Just vaccination records,” Peyton replied flippantly. “And a couple birthday cards. Unfortunately for you, nothing juicy or embarrassing.” 

Annalise jutted out her lower lip and rolled her eyes.

“Boo. You were such a boring kid.” 

Peyton winced at the comment, but Annalise turned and missed the expression. The statement shouldn’t have bothered her, given it was largely true as far as everyone could see, but Peyton still felt it like a sewing needle pricking a finger. Trying to brush it off, Peyton piled what she collected over top of the lock box, rolled her shoulders, then headed for the attic stairs. 

“Anyway, I think this is about it. Thanks for helping me look.” 

“One time only deal,” Annalise said through a smarmy grin. “Next time, have more interesting stuff.” 

When Annalise finally left and dinner with her parents wrapped up, Peyton slipped back up to her old room and pulled the mysterious lock box from under her bed. There had to be something to it, surely. Something about it just didn’t feel right. 

She pulled out the thin stack of medical records first. The header listed the organization as Metropolis General Hospital and the patient listed was her mother, Merrill Woods. Peyton paused in her snooping and her conscience teeter-tottered between how to proceed. If these were actual medical records, it wasn’t right for her to read them without permission. But why would Merrill have kept them? And why shove them in the attic instead of filing them away in an office? 

Peyton chewed her bottom lip and glanced back down. Technically, as far as they knew, she was their daughter. It wouldn’t be that wrong to just skim them, would it? If it turned out to be something truly serious, she could put it back and pretend she never saw it. On the other hand, it could possibly be something she ought to know about already. There was the chance knowing what it pertained to would help her play her part more seamlessly. 

The first few pages looked to be from a fertility doctor with less than hopeful results. Going by the dates, it seemed like they’d had to try for a couple years before finally conceiving her, or rather, their daughter. The papers under that stayed in a similar vein; during her pregnancy, Merrill still struggled. The check up numbers dipped dangerously midway through the pregnancy and the doctor’s notes boiled down to warning her parents that the likelihood of a stillborn birth was high. 

It was a heartbreaking diagnosis, even knowing that she was, ultimately, born. Still, it was a bit odd that Merrill kept what had to be painful reminders for so many years. Peyton put the medical records to the side and focused on the other papers. The fancy “V” in a sun actually included five stars to the left of the “V”, now that Peyton was able to get a good look at it. The paper was a nice stationary, but it looked like most of the paper had been burned. Whatever message it might have contained was gone. 

“Huh.” Peyton said as she sat it on top of the medical reports. “The weirdness grows.”

The rest of the papers made even less sense without proper context. Some were torn, like whoever had saved them was indecisive over keeping them. There was a piece with a curving line, like part of a long, thin “S”, but the rest of the design was lost. Another scrap just had the name “John Z”; it was possible the rest of the name had been ripped off.

Peyton placed everything back in the lock box and closed it with a sigh. Perhaps it was all meaningless, but she couldn’t help getting stuck on the fact that they’d kept all those papers for a reason.

[][][]

Clark grabbed Lex and yanked them both down to the ground before Lex could think to duck. The shovel flew over their heads and Tina staggered as the momentum pulled her with it. She let out another frustrated yell and tried to recover by stabbing the shovel down at their faces; Lex shoved Clark away and only barely rolled out of the shovel’s range before it stuck into the dirt with a clang .

“Get out of here, Clark!” 

Lex scrambled to his feet; Clark was already standing behind him. 

“I’m not going to leave you here alone,” Clark argued.

Tina didn’t give them more time to discuss the situation. She ripped the shovel out of the ground with more ease than a teenage girl her size should be capable of, and Lex rushed forwards to close the distance before she could get it raised. He grabbed the other end of the shovel and attempted to wrest it from her grasp, but Tina, incredibly, held on. She jerked the shovel, and Lex, towards herself and then shoved with enough force to break Lex’s grip and send him flying. 

“Lex!” Clark shouted. 

Lex landed on the paved drive, nearly cracking his head on the ground, and all the air rushed out of his lungs. Clark rushed to Lex’s side and tried to help him sit up as Lex wheezed. For a moment the only sounds were that of the bubbling fountain next to him and his desperate, empty gasps. Despite his struggle to breathe, Lex adamantly kept Tina in his sights. Her features shifted and changed back into Peyton’s likeness while her lips twisted in a cruel smile.

“It’ll be such a shame you didn’t make it to your wedding day,” she said. “But at least your fiance will get back in the tabloids again.” She hefted the shovel up once more. “ Rich girl snaps, kills two . It’ll be the talk around town for the next decade. No one will forget about you after you’re gone.”

Lex grit his teeth as air rushed into his lungs again. 

Tina tossed him several feet away like it was nothing. He’d have to try something besides attempting to overpower her himself. He needed to make sure Clark was out of harm's way, first and foremost.

“I won’t say it again, Clark; get inside. In the office on the wall with the fireplace, there’s access to a panic room. You need to-” 

“Tina just threw you across the driveway like it was nothing,” Clark interrupted. “What do you plan to do on your own? We stand a better chance together.”

Tina, in Peyton’s likeness, marched forward, the shovel dragging next to her; it screeched as it jumped from the grass to the driveway. 

“You know what the great part about this power is?” She asked as she continued closer. “After your fiance is arrested and thrown in jail, I can go visit her. And I can show her exactly what you looked like right before you died. All I wanted was the perfect life. Lana’s life . But if I can’t have my perfect life, then neither-” she lifted the shovel, 

“ can -” she arced it over her head, 

“YOU.”

“Go for her arms,” Clark said in a rush. 

They leapt up together and Lex instead angled to ensure he was the one closer to the blade of the shovel instead of Clark. He could only hope Clark was right, perhaps with two people instead of one, they’d have a chance. 

The edge of the shovel blade nicked Lex across one palm and over the shoulder; he grunted from the sharp pain and against the force Tina was able to use. Clark was able to get a hold closer to her hands and he tried to twist the shovel in order to break her grip. 

“JUST. DIE.” 

Tina kicked Clark in the leg and he buckled down to one knee with a pained grunt, but held on. Lex grit his teeth and pushed down on the shovel, trying to get the leverage away from her. Tina tightened her hold and threw her body into a spin. It worked to break both Lex and Clark’s grips.

But Tina’s leg collided with Clark in her twist and threw her off balance. The momentum was too much for her to stop and she stumbled and fell over the driveway. Her head collided against the side of the fountain with a terrible crack! 

The world went still. 

Lex and Clark’s heavy breathing were the only sounds to fill the quiet. Tina lay under the fountain, silent. Red seeped out onto the pavement and Lex forced himself back into focus. 

“Come on,” he said, directing Clark away from the scene. “You don’t need to see this.” 

This time Clark complied as he tore his gaze away from Tina’s body. Sirens finally sounded down the road, wailing as they grew closer, and Lex sighed as he sat Clark down on the manor’s front steps. 

Unfortunately, it looked like he’d have to give Peyton a call after all. 

Chapter Text

After getting Lex’s phone call, Peyton wanted to rush back to Smallville, but she was persuaded to stay in Metropolis another day by him and her parents.

“Just in case,” Lex said, “so you have an irrefutable alibi.” He paused a moment before he explained. “She looked like you.” 

“She?”

“I think it’s something better explained in person.” 

Peyton took consolation in the fact that neither Lex or Clark were hurt, but it did little to dull the horror after he told her that the woman who had impersonated her was dead. 

“Besides,” Lex added to convince her, obviously trying to lighten the mood, “I still need a bit more time to finish my own errands.” 

“Errands that I can’t be around for?” Peyton prodded in suspicion. 

“It’s so you can be surprised, cupcake.” 

The smile in his voice was glaringly obvious; Peyton’s face puckered in response. 

“ Do not. Do not even start with that. I’m deleting your texts when I get back.” 

He laughed easily and Peyton shoved down the warmth it bubbled up in her. 

She liked him as a person . She wanted good things for him and for him to be happy. She felt that way for a lot of people. There was nothing different about caring about Lex. 

And anyway, she was trying to get home. It felt like that goal had been shoved to the backburner for the immediate future, which was frustrating. Lex had forgotten to give her the names of the doctors he used, and she’d been too distracted to remember to bring it back up. Peyton was usually more organized and focused than that. 

There had to be irony in the fact that the reason her research into getting home was being stalled was because she was getting married . 

Peyton breathed out a frustrated breath as she found herself back in the familiar warm kitchen of her childhood. It wasn't an actual meal time, so it was empty for the moment, and she made herself at home as she dug through cupboards and the fridge. She found some leftover roasted vegetables and sat down at the island to eat them while she ruminated. 

After she got back, she’d bring up the doctors again, and she’d make sure Lex didn’t forget this time. Shame crept along the edges of her psyche. Since waking up, she’d been far too lax with getting back. Usually she just waited, but this time was different. She could feel it; she was living it. 

And here she was, eating professionally roasted vegetables in a mansion while she planned a wedding to a literal millionaire, while she hardly considered her family . 

How long had she been unconscious this time? Was her boss pinning a pink slip to her blouse as the paramedics took her away?

Peyton shoved a piece of broccoli around her plate and rested her chin against her fist. It was easier not to think about her situation. Not on a deeper level at least. Thinking about it too much felt like it would send her spiraling, but she’d shoved it so far back she wasn’t considering it at all. 

She was acting like this was her home. 

Water running broke her from her musings, and Peyton looked up in alarm as another person joined her. A tall man washed his hands, and she recognized his build. 

“Mr. Stanton!” She said in surprise. He turned and looked her over in an equal amount of surprise. His eyes dropped down to her plate of stolen leftovers and she ducked slightly; she hoped they weren’t meant for something else.

“It’s been awhile,” she said to fill his delayed response. “It’s good to see you. How have you been?” 

It was surprising that he still worked as a chef for her parents. It couldn’t be that bad of a job, she supposed; cooking for a couple of rich people for a living. It was all the fun of cooking with none of the stress of a large production kitchen.
“Miss Woods,” he said cautiously. “I’ve been well, thank you.” He watched her even as he tied on an apron. “How… have you been?”

“Well, I moved to Smallville, got into a car accident, and now I’m getting married,” Peyton said. “So things have been busy, I suppose.”

Mr. Stanton blinked at her blunt response and Peyton wondered what he was thinking. What did he think about her after she left that Christmas?

“So I heard,” he responded. “Congratulations, miss. And I’m glad you’re alright.” 

He still looked perplexed, so Peyton fell back on her go-to cop-out. She smiled sardonically and rapped her knuckles against her temple. 

“I bonked my head real good, but we lived. Thankfully. I guess it did give me a new lease on life, though. I suppose you could say it woke me up, in a way.” 

Mr. Stanton’s eyes flickered in something like recognition as he moved to gather ingredients for dinner. Peyton hurried to stand and cleaned her plate in the sink before she followed him over to the prep area and stood behind him. 

“Do you need any help?” 

He stared at her. 

“No need, Miss Woods, a few others will be coming in soon enough.” He paused again. “But thank you.”

Peyton moved around to lean her hip against the counter and chewed her lip as she watched him. 

“What if I wanted to learn?”

Mr. Stanton paused again and appraised her anew. Peyton smiled. She didn’t know why it suddenly meant so much to her for him to like her or why it felt like she owed him some kind of apology for the empty Peyton. It wasn’t exactly rational. She was aiming to leave, so the same thing would happen yet again. But it still felt different now. She wasn’t going to dissect that. 

He must have seen something on her face, because his expression softened and he glanced back at her before turning on the gas stove. 

“I was planning to use some leftover bread to make a pudding for tonight’s dessert,” he said. “Come back in a couple hours and I’ll show you.” 

Peyton smiled and reached out to give his shoulder an appreciative squeeze.

“Thank you Mr. Stanton. I’ll try to be just as good of a student as I was before.” 

He let out a small huff of a laugh. 

“It will be like old times.” 

Peyton gave him a confused smile but didn’t ask him to elaborate as she scampered off to let him work. 

Not knowing what the empty Peyton had been up to or capable of was frustrating at times like these. She could only hope the people around her would continue to rationalize the changes. 

[][][] 

Dinner with her parents was not as uncomfortable as it was the first night. Her mother chatted excitedly, even about topics beyond the upcoming wedding, and her father complimented her on her work and consistency in her new position. It shouldn’t have pleased her so much to hear the approval in his tone, but it did. Their engagement was unexpected, but Peyton found herself warming up to them. She even laughed when her mother brought up the time she’d ‘run off to Metropolis with Lex unaccompanied’. 

“It really wasn’t a big deal,” Peyton insisted. At her parent’s disagreeing looks she amended, “besides running off without telling you, of course. He just showed me around the city and we got lunch.”

“And why would you need him to show you around in the first place?” Her dad asked. His tone was lighter, but still disbelieving. Peyton faltered a moment as she realized her mistake.

“I mean, well, sometimes I…forget things.” 

The air in the room went cold and her parents stilled. Peyton chewed her bottom lip and regretted her wording as the discomfort grew. Her father’s expression thinned and her mother wrung her hands as they exchanged looks. Oddly enough, neither parent argued against her, didn’t call out her statement as an excuse in defense of her teenage self. 

“The streets can be very confusing,” her mother said, breaking the quiet. “And you have been feeling so much better since moving to Smallville, haven’t you. You’ve really come out of your shell; hasn’t she, Samuel? I say it’s that fresh, country air.”

Her father grunted what sounded like an agreement, and Peyton kept her eyes on her plate as she shifted food around. 

“Does… forgetfulness run in the family?” She asked tentatively.

Perhaps it was a bit of a risk to focus on her previous issues, but it may be one of her few opportunities to get any insight outside of Lex’s. She trusted him, enough, but she wasn’t so naive not to know he could embellish truths for his own purposes. Whether that was to console her or boost her perception of him. Though, there was only so much she could likely pry into with her parents without stirring up suspicion. She was too afraid to bring up questions about Merrill’s pregnancy scare; she had a feeling it wasn’t something they shared with her. 

“No,” her father finally answered.

Her mother leaned forward in a rush to soften his response. 

“You say that like it’s a condition, darling. Young people always have so much on their minds, and you had a driver; I’d be surprised if you remembered the streets!”

Peyton took a bite of her meal and chewed thoughtfully. Her mother seemed nervous.

“I was a weird kid though,” she said bluntly. She noted the way they, once again, avoided eye contact. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” her mother said at the same time her father said,

“You seem to have grown out of it.” 

Her mother scowled and clicked her tongue at her father’s statement. Interesting. Peyton hummed lightly and sipped at her drink.

“Well,” she said, “I guess you’ll have to hope I really have.” 

[][]

Peyton drove herself back to Smallville the next day. She had to print out the directions because her phone didn’t have GPS and she didn’t remember the way, but once she got out of Metropolis it wasn’t hard to follow the highway back. The sounds and rush of the city fell behind her and there were stretches of road where there was nothing but grasslands as far as the eye could see. It was still a novel picture she wasn’t sure she’d grow used to after years in a busy city.

The Luthor mansion was a welcome sight after a couple hours on the road. The ancient stones rose strong and bold against the flat horizon, bright green ivy creeping up the walls like a fairy tale illustration. Peyton parked and got out. The driveway was a lighter shade of gray than when she’d left, like it’d been recently cleaned. She avoided looking at the fountain as she hurried inside.

Lex wasn’t in the office or the kitchen; Peyton huffed in annoyance as she ventured to look in different rooms.

“Lex?” She called as she walked down the hall. “You here?”
“Over here!” 

Peyton followed his voice to a room that served as a home gym all the while desperately hoping he was wearing a shirt. Not that it mattered. Not that she’d really care. It was the principle of it. 

Lex stepped off the treadmill and wiped his face with a towel as she entered the room; Peyton was relieved to see he was, indeed, wearing a T-shirt after all. 

And despite knowing he was fine, despite the phone call and the reassurances, she still couldn’t help but scan him for injuries. He smiled at her in greeting as her gaze roved over his face. 

“Welcome back,” he said. Peyton frowned as she saw the pink line along his cheekbone. 

“You told me you didn’t get hurt.” She almost reached out to touch his face, but stopped herself. Lex touched the mark in her place and shrugged. 

“It was a scratch, I hardly think that counts as being injured.”

“That person tried to kill you. If this level of near death experiences is the new norm, I’m going to die early from stress.”

Once again, Lex appeared to have to process her statement. Like it was an unusual sentiment. Peyton swallowed and wondered if it was too much. She knew he cared about her, perhaps had more feelings for her than certainly she did for him, but perhaps she was still coming across too strongly. More than he was comfortable with. But she was used to her other family expressing care openly. 

Lex wrapped the towel around his neck and gave her a gentle smile. 

“Let me get cleaned up and we can discuss what happened. But I’ll warn you, you might want to get a drink first.”

“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better about what happened.” 

“I’m afraid,” Lex said genially, “that's unavoidable.”

[]

Peyton took a deep drink from her wine glass and continued her staring contest with Lex. He didn’t even flinch. The sweet tang of the wine coated her tongue and she licked her lips more to stall than to chase the flavor. Usually she wasn’t much of a drinker, but his story tempted her to refill her glass.

“Shapeshifting.” She said blandly.

Lex leaned back and nodded, his expression understanding. 

“I wouldn't have been as inclined to believe it if I hadn’t seen her do it right in front of me.”

“And you’re sure,” Peyton pressed. “You’re positive she was shapeshifting. ” 

“You claim to be from another universe, and yet this is too far?”

“It’s different ,” Peyton insisted, but couldn’t explain why. “The physics of it are- Clark and you and I are all different heights ; different hair, eye color. I just-” 

“The best I can gather, she was given a new treatment shortly after the meteor shower as a child. After that she no longer suffered from her terminal bone disease. I’m sure there’s a note about her on Miss Sullivan’s wall.” 

Peyton took another gulp of wine. 

“Meteorites gave her superpowers? Sure. You were there too. Have anything else you’d like to share, then?”

Lex’s responding smile was sharp. 

“I haven’t been sick since that day, if that counts for anything.” 

“That’s not quite as insane as shapeshifting .” 

“I’m not lying to you,” he insisted. Peyton blinked at the seriousness of his tone. “I promised not to break your trust, and I take that seriously.” 

“I don’t disbelieve you.” She didn’t. Of all the things Lex could lie to her about, she doubted he’d pick something so outrageous. 

“It’s just. This is hard for me to process.” She threw her hand up in a flustered gesture as she huffed. “But why not, right? Nothing has made sense since all this started.” She paused and swirled the wine in her glass. “ Shapeshifting. ”

“I’ll admit, it’s fascinating. And it’s a tragedy. She threw away her life because she was so envious of what wasn’t hers.”

Peyton murmured quietly in agreement. 

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive.” She sighed and kneaded her temple again as she finished off the last of her wine. “This all sounds like one of Annalise’s fantastical Barbie plotlines. Attempted murder and all.”

Lex’s gaze on her sharpened for a moment, then he checked his wristwatch. 

“She’s always been a bit eccentric,” he agreed.

“I’m pretty sure that’s normal little girl play,” Peyton argued. “I was just a boring kid who-” 

The rest died in her throat as her words registered. Lex sat silently as she worked through it on her own. 

“She told me that,” she said defensively. She fiddled with her heart locket in a nervous habit and looked away. “While we were looking through my parent’s attic, she said she made up weird stories.” 

Lex nodded slowly and pursed his lips; Peyton tried to remember if Annalise mentioned any story specifics, but couldn’t. But the mention of the attic reminded her of the medical records she found and that was a welcome distraction.

And they weren’t her medical records. It was probably bad enough that she’d not only read them, but taken them. It wasn’t her place to show them to an even further removed party. And yet. 

“Did your dad ever mention anything about my mom’s… health history?”

Lex shook his head and blinked at her subject change.

“Your mother’s health history,” Lex repeated. “No,” he drawled, “I don’t believe he did. Why?” 

“I… I found some medical records stuffed in the attic. It’s likely nothing, but- well, hold on, let me just get them.”

She dug the lock box out of her suitcase and drummed her fingers along the top before she worked up the nerve to open it. Peyton handed over the medical notes with a touch of chagrin. 

“I know I probably should have put it back, but it seemed like weird stuff to put in the attic. Right? Maybe it had something to do with the… other Peyton.”

Lex shuffled through the papers, reading through them quickly with a shrewd eye. While he did, she sifted through the other paper scraps; she picked up the burnt paper with the strange “V” symbol on it. 

“The rest of it doesn’t make much sense. I don’t even know if it’s all related.” 

“What’s that?” Lex asked as he put down the medical records. Peyton flipped the paper around to face him and his studious expression crystalized into something resentful and wary. Peyton’s brow furrowed. 

“You recognize this.”

His jaw ticked and Peyton knew him too well for him to try and deny it.

“Veritas,” he said. “I don’t know much. It was a secret little club my father founded with some of his fellow wealthy associates. They were very discreet about their purpose, and my father didn’t tolerate anyone poking around his business. We were only children when they met regularly.” 

Peyton’s heartbeat spiked. 

“Do you think my parents were part of it?” 

Lex took the little scrap of paper and studied it, he brushed his thumb over the ink. 

“I suppose it’s possible; though if they were I don’t remember seeing them. They certainly didn’t bring you along with them.” Peyton gave him a puzzled look and he explained. “The other families brought their children with them. We were shooed off to go play while the adults had their meeting.”

“Was one of the members named John?” 

Lex looked up expectantly and Peyton passed him the other scrap of paper. He shook his head even as he looked it over. 

“I don’t think so.”

Peyton slumped over, elbows on her knees, and groaned quietly. In light of learning someone could shapeshift , her stolen papers felt unexciting and irrelevant. The most she learned was that her parents were possibly involved in some strange, rich person ‘club’. Rich people clubs, she thought, could probably easily overlap with ‘illegal activities’. Or possibly cults. She at least didn’t get the impression that Lionel founded a group that secretly did altruistic fundraising.

“You’re thinking a lot over there,” Lex said.

Peyton gave him a thin smile. For one fleeting second, she had the desire for him to be closer to her. For him to sit next to her, warm and solid, while she let go of everything and stopped thinking. It burned bright and hot; the desire was so startling that it nearly choked her. And then she snuffed it out.

She cared about Lex as a person . She just missed her family . 

She managed to loose her tongue and fidgeted with her necklace again. 

“Just thinking that this all probably means nothing.”

“Not at all. You never know when the most seemingly innocuous bit of information can be the missing piece to solve the puzzle.”

Peyton picked up her empty wine glass and considered having another. 

“I don’t think I like puzzles very much. Especially when I haven’t even seen the picture.” 

[][]

There was a memorial at the church for Rose Greer and her daughter a few days later. Mostly for Rose. Smallville seemed a little uncertain on how to handle Tina’s death. It didn’t remain a secret that she’d likely had a hand in her own mother’s death and tried to kill Lex and Clark on top of that. But she was still seen as young and she was still dead. They added her photograph, smaller than Rose’s and clearly an old yearbook photo, like an afterthought to the ceremony. 

The sheriff told them privately that they’d never know if Rose was pushed down the stairs or if she fell by accident; but the fact that Tina never tried to call emergency services was a condemnation in itself. 

If the timeline of Rose’s death was accurate, neither she nor Lex ever actually met Rose. The concept made Peyton feel queasy. 

They debated attending, given how the community perceived them both, and the fact that Tina had specifically targeted Lex. But on the off chance it could be seen as aloofness or resentment to not go, they attended just long enough to be polite.

“I think it’d be fair to be a little resentful,” Lex argued after the memorial. “She tried to frame me, kill me, then frame you for murder .” 

“And she’s the one dead in the end. I think she received her just dues. Being resentful now would only hurt us.”

“I can only hope to one day be as virtuous as you.” 

His tone was teasing, but Peyton didn’t like the implication anyway. 

“I’m no paragon,” she said. “I never said I wasn’t furious about it. And having been physically removed from the situation helped, I’m sure; but I’m trying to decide not to simmer in it. I never meant to imply it was easy.” 

“You make it look easy,” Lex said. 

Peyton rolled her eyes and gestured with her hand. 

“I had plenty of practice, having had two teenage brothers. They would always gang up on me, and sometimes their pranks accidentally leaned more mean than funny.” 

“Oldest daughter virtue,” Lex observed. “That would explain a lot.” 

One day he wouldn’t have a comeback. Dear lord, she was marrying him. She was going to have to deal with failing to get the last word for the rest of her life. 

No. 

Until she figured out a way back. 

[]

Anticipation around the wedding distracted her again. That was the reason for her mental slip up. In consolation, all the minor wedding details were wrapped up and with only a couple weeks until the big day all was well in hand. So at least she wouldn’t have to worry about that aspect of her foolish choice anymore.

Peyton could still leave him at the altar. She could run home. 

No she couldn’t. 

She found herself back in the kitchen, hair up and apron on, and her arms covered with patches of flour. A thick dough fell from the bowl onto the counter with a sticky sort of stretching sound, and Peyton scraped it onto itself to form a circle. 

Scones were a simple recipe. Maybe too simple for what she needed. But she’d found cheese and herbs appealing and readily available in the fridge, and decided she was too impatient to wait on bread to proof.

Following the rules of baking was a sort of comfort, they were universal, and beyond paying attention to her measurements, she didn’t have to think. 

Peyton leaned with her elbows against the counter and head in her hands as the scones baked. 

Her other mother, her mom , would complain about the lack of sugar in the scones. She thought baked goods ought to be sweet. Orion and Jacen would eat anything, descending on all available food like locust. Her dad would pair any sort of baked good with black coffee, whether the flavor profile made sense or not.

It felt like she was remembering people she used to know, and Peyton berated herself for avoiding thinking of them. Having her emotions all descend upon her at once wasn’t helping her situation. It probably wasn’t healthy. And she still knew she would likely do it again. 

Just until after the wedding.

Just until she started working with the doctors and scientists, and whoever else. 

The timer dinged and Peyton pulled on oven mitts and dragged herself over the oven. The scones smelled divine, cheesy and savory; she focused on them. She placed a few on a plate and took them with her back to the main room where her laptop sat on the coffee table, waiting for her.

Lex wasn’t in the room, but his laptop was still open and he usually didn’t leave it like that unless he planned to only step away for a moment. 

Peyton settled on her couch and nibbled at a scone as she looked through her emails. They were still giving her what amounted to busywork; not that she blamed them. But she’d need to start asking for more if she wanted to earn enough for experimental investigations. 

She worked for a few minutes, typing away at her laptop and fixing margin errors, before she heard Lex enter the room. His footsteps slowed and he stopped almost behind her; Peyton shifted around to look. Lex looked at her plate of scones and then her. 

“Back to baking,” he said. 

Peyton nodded and gestured to the plate.

“And they’re free.”

Lex came around the couch and sat about a foot away from her. Close enough that she could feel the heat of his body. 

“How’re you feeling,” he asked.

Peyton tilted her head marginally in confusion but smiled genuinely enough. 

“I’m fine,” she told him. “I’ve been editing correspondence, but nothing has quite enraged me yet.” 

Lex continued to study her face, but nodded, his hand going to his pants pocket and fidgeting with something there. Finally he broke eye contact and cleared his throat. 

“Well, I know this isn’t exactly the correct order of things, and our situation isn’t exactly the norm, but I thought it would be poor of me to not try to do something right before the actual wedding.”

He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and Peyton felt her heartbeat in her throat. Lex stayed next to on the couch, didn’t kneel, as he opened the box and light winked in her vision. 

A ring. 

A gasp left her involuntarily as she took in the sight of it. At the top of a gold band there were three settings with round diamonds in each. The middle diamond was the largest with the two on either side being slightly smaller, but other than that there were no embellishments. Peyton gaped at it while she warred inside. 

The diamond was too big. 

But the ring wasn’t ostentatious enough to reject. 

“Lex,” she said almost breathlessly. 

“I assumed that you wouldn’t want anything overdone, given the marriage is a show.”

She reached out to delicately pull the ring from the box and Lex watched her. 

“I told you,” she murmured. “Whatever it means, we’re either married or we’re not.” 

Something was etched on the inside of the band and Peyton raised the ring up, trying to catch the light in a way that she could read what it said. 

“Dum spiro spero? ” 

Lex swallowed. 

“It’s Latin,” he explained. “ While I breathe, I hope.” He gave her a closed lipped smile and some unidentifiable emotion shone behind his eyes, even as he kept his face even. “The phrase seemed appropriate for you.”

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted. She twisted the ring and watched as the diamonds sparkled and shimmered; her arms felt weak. 

She could still leave him at the altar. 

No. She couldn’t. 

Peyton passed the ring back to Lex and saw the flash of alarmed confusion in his eyes, he opened his mouth to protest, likely. But she smiled, her expression weak with emotion that she rapidly stomped down on. 

“I already kind of stole the proposal, I think,” she attempted to tease. 

She held out her left hand and Lex’s face lit back up. He gently took her hand in his and slid the ring on her finger; it fit perfectly. She supposed she shouldn’t have expected anything less. 

This was the part where a couple would kiss.

Despite Peyton’s face rapidly growing hot, she kept herself from yanking her hand back. Instead she waited for him to let go and then spread her fingers out to inspect how it looked, like she’d seen other engaged women do. It really was a pretty ring, even in its simplicity. Even if she’d have never dreamed of getting a diamond this size. 

“It really is beautiful, Lex. I… I love it. Thank you.” 

He smiled up at her and the scone she ate churned in her stomach. 

“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “It suits you.”

That hot flare of emotion pierced her once more. A foolish, stupid, impulsive want to close the few inches between them and lean against him. Hug him, maybe. Her eyes flickered over his face and then away. 

No. 

Stupid, impulsive, not because of him . 

She was in a strange situation, in a new world nearly all alone, getting married, and she missed reassurance from people she knew. She wasn’t a psychologist, but it wasn’t that hard to understand. 

She needed to get herself together . 

Instead of listening to any of her intrusive thoughts, she settled with giving Lex’s hand a squeeze and smiling as genuinely as she could. He didn’t press her boundaries.

They parted to go back to work, but Peyton’s thoughts wouldn’t calm. She couldn’t stop looking at the ring. She ought to tell Annalise. Her friend would be ecstatic to see it. Or, she’d at least say something about the gem’s size. Peyton tried to take a picture without broadcasting it to Lex and sent it. It wasn’t the best picture in the world, but you could tell what the image was.

Annalise was quick to respond; her text message was garnished with an old school emoji character. 

[THE PRECIOUS!!!!]

Peyton stared at the message, perplexed. 

[What?]

[You know,] Annalise replied. [The Hobbit??]

[I know The Hobbit. I didn’t know you’d read it.]

Peyton received some angry emoticons. 

[It’s only been my favorite book for the last six years??? I read it all the time in our dorm; you’re so oblivious.]

Oh great; another slip up. Peyton hurried to try and salvage her flub. 

[I thought that was for assignments.]

[I am a complex human being,] Annalise responded. [I can like fashion magazines AND actual literature.]

Peyton blinked and eased up. Maybe that was all it took. A half baked explanation and everything was smoothed over. She attempted one more trick to appeal to Annalise’s interests. 

[Well, this Arkenstone just might give me Dragon-sickness.]

There. She got a line of positive, laughing, emoticons.

Maybe she was finally improving at easing perception from this other Peyton to herself .

Chapter Text

“You didn’t have to do this,” Peyton said sheepishly. 

The Kent’s living room was decorated in pink and gold decorations, paper rings, and white balloons. The kitchen island was full of food and drinks, and the entire space was filled with happy chatter from the women who’d been kind enough to come to an impromptu party.

“I’m happy to,” Martha replied with a smile. “Every bride-to-be should get a bridal shower. I’m just glad I wasn’t stepping on any toes.” 

Peyton waved off her concern.

“I wasn’t going to have one,” she admitted. “It felt unnecessary, I don’t actually need people to give me anything.” 

Martha gave her a sympathetic look.

“It’s more about community, and everyone needs that. If you and Lex plan to stay long-term in Smallville then it’d be good to get to know everyone, and let them get to know you. ”

Peyton smiled in reply and Martha affectionately squeezed her arm. The affection was genuine and Peyton soaked it up. Martha exuded maternal warmth, a warmth that differed from her mother’s. It was true that her mother had grown more attentive recently, but there was still some sort of barrier between them. Like a lingering guilt.

And just because her mother decided to become more mothering didn’t mean Peyton was going to forget all the times she’d been ignored or treated like a doll while growing up. 

“Well,” Peyton said, “I really appreciate it. It’s all so lovely.” 

“I’m sorry your mom and friends couldn’t make it.” Martha looked around at all the guests, local women and some of the high school girls. People she knew but Peyton didn’t. “I know these things are better shared with loved ones,” she finished. 

“Oh, no. It’s fine. We had our own little version of a get-together when I was in Metropolis.” 

Peyton wasn’t going to elaborate that it was more of a catered appointment to pick out a bridesmaid dress. Or that she hadn’t even told them about the bridal shower in the first place. 

Maybe it was a little childish, but part of her felt that if her other mother, her mom, couldn’t be at her bridal shower, then it was only fair her mother didn’t come either. 

They joined the women in the kitchen, and even though she got a few lingering, wary looks, they were different. It wasn’t the look of people surprised she knew how to spell her own name, they were the distrusting stares of a small town community being forced to play nice with an outsider. It was actually a nice change.

Martha made introductions and Peyton internally repeated names in an attempt to remember them all. She already knew Chloe, who was awkwardly standing near a dark haired girl, Lana. She remembered Rose- Tina - mentioning her as if they were friends. Lex might’ve also mentioned Clark having a crush on her, and Peyton could see why. She was a pretty girl with large doe eyes and a soft voice. 

Lana’s aunt was there with her, Nell. Apparently Lana’s parents had been killed in the meteor shower and Nell took her in. 

There were other women from the town: Sarah Baker, Betty Fordman, and Amelia Johnson. They all gave her friendly greetings, but seemed more happy to be out of their houses and having a girl’s day together, which took the pressure off Peyton. She didn’t need to be the center of attention.

The bridal shower was an unstructured gathering. No one knew her well enough for any traditional games, and answering questions about her and Lex’s relationship was tricky enough as it was without highlighting specific details. She fielded a few polite inquiries from the ladies and tried to avoid lying as much as possible. 

“Lex and I have known each other since we were children.” 

“We started dating around sixteen. I know. Crazy, right?”

“Of course you’re all invited to the wedding. We’d love to have you.” 

 Peyton collected a plate of food and eventually found herself next to Chloe and Lana. There was an awkward gap of people her age, but the girls weren’t being immature so she settled in next to them.

“I bet this isn’t the kind of party you’re used to,” Chloe said with a sharp, almost amused, smile on her face. 

Lana ducked her head slightly at the comment and chewed on a potluck meatball. 

“Believe it or not,” Peyton replied, “I’ve never been too into parties. But this is actually nice! I usually prefer things to be casual, if I have the option.” 

Lana stared up at her, her brow furrowing in something like concern. 

“Did you like living in Metropolis?” 

Peyton thought of her brief time running around Metropolis and tried to recall if she’d formed any sort of strong opinion. 

There were busy streets, the shining gleam of the Daily Planet, that diner she’d eaten at with Lex, the theater that showed her favorite Broadway productions. 

“Every place has its pros and cons,” Peyton answered diplomatically. “There’s always something interesting to do in the city, someplace new to discover. It’s easy to reinvent yourself, to build a life from the ground up with near limitless opportunities. But it can make you feel anonymous too. Small. It can be easy to get swept away and lose your foundations. It just depends on what you’re looking for.” 

“You almost make it sound romantic,” Lana said. The light from the kitchen reflected in her eyes as her expression took on a dreamy look. “Sometimes I want to get out of Smallville; see what’s out there.” 

Chloe chuffed. 

“The minute I graduate, I’m out of here,” she proclaimed. “If I want a position at The Planet, I’m going to need more than some school papers under my belt.” Her eyes cut over to Peyton in uncertainty. “That offer for a good word is still on the table, right?”

Peyton smiled. 

“Of course it is. You have a real talent as a writer; you made me sound mildly interesting in the interview you published.” 

“You read it!” Chloe perked up.

“The school paper has been way more interesting since Chloe took over,” Lana said encouragingly.

They discussed the school paper for a bit; Lana tried to be supportive and Chloe was clearly defensive of her paper. From the way they spoke to each other it was clear that they weren't the closest friends. Peyton didn’t know their usual dynamic, but Chloe had the stronger personality while Lana tended to remain more demure. Peyton tried to direct the conversation so they both had moments to speak.

She learned Lana was a cheerleader and helped her aunt with the flower shop that she owned in town. It was right next to the closed down theater, the theater where her parents apparently met. 

“That’s very sweet, especially that you get to keep a place like that close to you.” 

Lana smiled sadly and twisted the green gemstone on a necklace around her neck. 

“Besides the few impressions of memories, the theater and this is all I have left of them.” 

Chloe made a face and looked away and Peyton realized Lana was referring to the necklace. Suddenly she realized she recognized it. It was the same one that Clark had in the cornfield.

“Was it your mother’s?” Peyton asked politely. 

“No,” Lana said quietly. “It’s a piece of one of the meteorites that fell that day.” 

Oh.

Clearly the rock had been worked on to be a certain shape and cut, but Peyton had never seen meteor rock able to look like that. Like green glass.

“Well,” she said. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Thank you.” Lana dropped the stone and smiled. “I like your necklace too. It’s pretty.” 

Peyton brushed her fingers over the locket and flushed. 

“Oh, thanks. It doesn’t have quite the story yours does. Lex just gave it to me when we were about sixteen.” 

Lana’s smile widened. 

“That’s really sweet! Does it have your pictures inside?”

Lana was all sincerity and Chloe wore a look of growing amusement as Peyton’s face remained warm. 

“Just his,” she said. She made no move to open the locket and show them. 

Chloe’s wry grin sharpened and she leaned back against the kitchen counter as she crossed her arms. 

“So you’re the shy one in the relationship,” she said. Peyton blinked.

“What?” 

“It’s fine,” Chloe reassured. “Just no one’s ever seen you two more than hold hands. But I get not wanting to engage in PDA.”

“I think it makes sense,” Lana argued in Peyton’s defense. “Your lives are already so public, right? I wouldn’t want everyone watching me all the time like that.” 

“Right,” Peyton said, stiltedly. 

Chloe pointed a finger at her and wagged it teasingly. 

“Everyone gets to watch you kiss at the wedding.”

Peyton… Peyton hadn’t been thinking about that. Hadn’t let herself think about that. She rapidly stamped down on every embarrassing thought or emotion that rose up and kept her cool. She cut her eyes at Chloe with one brow raised. 

“For someone who wants a good word, you’re pretty snarky.”

Chloe’s answering grin let her know the girl didn’t take the complaint seriously.

“It’s my investigative charm,” she said. 

Even as she mingled with others, Peyton was haunted by Chloe’s words. She conversed with the adult women more and even felt them warm up to her slightly, but the words, the idea, the upcoming kiss, remained present in the back of her mind.

They were going to have to kiss at the wedding. Oh. Oh no. Did the people here know about tapping their glass at the reception? She had no real reason to expect they didn’t . 

She might have to kiss him more than once . 

Peyton couldn’t kiss him. Not that she didn’t want- no . Wait. That wasn’t what she meant. 

She was supposed to be keeping some sort of distance between them. Kissing him would be bad. It would make the situation all the more messy. For him. 

She tried to crush that entire line of thought, but it was becoming more of a struggle. 

As the party wound down, Peyton melted into the background. The women talked about their kids and the awards they won, about someone’s dog who’d just had a litter of puppies, and upcoming town events. She listened to talk of the Johnson’s cattle and how they were faring this year, how the price of grain and goods were going up, and how Nell was struggling to keep the flower shop open. 

She listened and understood that the town needed the fertilizer plant, despite whatever they may think of it or the Luthors. It was one of the main businesses keeping most of the town employed with enough money to put food on the table. 

Lionel wanted to shut it down just to prove a point. Up to now, Peyton hadn’t felt too invested beyond the unjust nature of shutting it down, too distracted by her own woes and the wedding. But now, sitting in a room full of women who would be personally affected; putting names and faces together, it stirred up additional anger towards Lionel. 

But he didn’t even seem to care about his own son. Why would he care about strangers?

Perhaps after the wedding, outside of the experimental research ventures of course, she ought to try and help Lex more with the plant. It had been awhile since college, and she wished she hadn’t zoned out so much in her studies, but she absorbed enough and understood enough to feel like she could help.

Peyton rubbed between her eyes. She was thinking too much and it was giving her a headache.

She kept an unaffected front on as the last of the guests said their good-byes and gave well-wishes. There were still decorations to take down and some extra food to put away, so Peyton stayed and helped Martha clean up the rest of the way. It was the least she could do.

Martha studied her face in the brief moment Peyton passed her a full Tupperware container.

“You know,” she said, “if you need to talk about anything, I’m willing to listen.” 

Peyton stopped chewing at her bottom lip and forced her shoulders to relax. They’d crept up to nearly her ears. Martha didn’t deserve a flimsy lie, so she wouldn’t deny anything was bothering her. And Martha was so warm, so understanding. It made her want to open up, even if it was just to be reassured. 

But she didn’t exactly know how to explain her concerns. She took a deep breath and let it out as she tried to come up with something less insane than the truth.

“Sometimes I get… caught up by the fact that my life hasn’t gone in any direction I anticipated.” She winced and amended. “Which I realize sounds pathetic given who I am and where I’ve come from, but-” She chewed her lip again and Martha let her think. “There are parts of my life the public doesn’t know about. Parts that are complicated and sometimes I wish- sometimes I wish I could wake up and it’d all have been a dream.”

Martha nodded as she folded a tea towel and draped it over the oven handle.

“Just because someone comes from wealth, doesn’t mean they can’t suffer. There are different kinds of struggles.” Martha tipped her head and folded her arms. “Does this have to do with the wedding? I know you previously said things were complicated before you got engaged.” 

Peyton winced at the reminder. 

“Yes; no.” Peyton rubbed at her arm and slouched against the kitchen island. “I just-” Gosh, how did she even go about coming up with a work-around? “Sometimes I wonder… if this is the right choice for him,” she decided. She could go this route. “His father isn’t my biggest fan, and I know I haven’t always… I haven’t always been on the same level as Lex. I’m probably still not, honestly. And-” She trailed off. 

What if she got to leave? What would that do to him? To her? 

Martha moved closer and rested both hands on her shoulders, her face taking on a no-nonsense expression.

“I think the fact that Lionel Luthor doesn't approve of you speaks more for your character than if he did. And I’ve seen how Lex looks at you; it’s the same way Jonathan looked at me when we were dating. That man is devoted to you.” 

Peyton’s heart stuttered and Martha continued on, unknowing. 

“The only question you have to ask yourself is if you love Lex like that in return. Is he a person you’d want by your side when you’re sick? Will he stand up for you and put you first even if it costs him something? If both of you lost everything, would having each other be enough?” 

Martha’s hands slid down her arms and she gave Peyton’s hands an encouraging squeeze; Peyton swallowed thickly. 

It was wonderful advice. Beautiful advice. Perfect for someone who was actually just experiencing cold feet and nerves. 

It didn’t apply to her, unfortunately. 

It didn’t . 

She was going to have to kiss him. 

“Thank you, Martha,” Peyton said. Her voice was miraculously even and calm. She gave her a slanted smile. “That’s exactly what I needed someone to tell me.” 

It was a lie. 

Why didn’t it feel like one? 

Martha sent her away with a few containers of leftovers, two cupcakes, and a hug. Peyton drove through town on the way back to the mansion and tried to focus on the road more than her thoughts. It was difficult. She still had that headache and all her wondering was making her feel bad.

It was just because the wedding was so close. The big day was closing in on her and the last of her good sense was panicking. She and Lex had been friends since they were children, and if she was able to go back to the other world, she was afraid it would break him. 

He was the romantic, after all. 

Everyone knew they hadn’t kissed, but she couldn’t kiss him. 

She put the food away once back home, but took the cupcakes with her as she roamed the house. After a few minutes of coming up empty, she sighed and pulled out her cell phone. 

The line rang three times before Lex answered. 

“Hello?” 

“Lex.” Peyton made a show of exaggerated sighing. “This house is ridiculously big; where are you?” 

“I can’t believe you called for this.” He laughed. 

“I looked in all the usual places,” Peyton argued. “And that took long enough.” 

“This place has more than three rooms you know.” 

“That’s the problem . Do you want to see me or not? I have cupcakes.” 

“As if you need to bribe me, fiancé,” he said. “I was putting my suit away; I’ll meet you at the bottom of the stairs.”

Peyton hung up without another word, her tongue twisted up and her face skewed. Did he have to do that? Just a week ago he’d been nervous and hesitant giving her the ring. Now he was back to teasing pet names. 

It wasn’t fair.

Not that she cared about it. They were fiancés. But he didn’t have to make a point to say it.

He met her at the bottom of the stairs and Peyton hugged him in greeting without thinking about it.

Hugged. Him. In a non-life threatening scenario. 

She froze with her arms around his torso and internally screamed. What had she done? Why had she done that? What the heck was wrong with her; was her brain fried?

She needed to stop and let go of him. Oh gosh, Lex was going to think-

A few split seconds that felt like minutes, and Lex unfroze first. He hugged her back. A second later, Peyton released him and stepped away as she cleared her throat. She wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

She hugged everyone . She’d hugged Martha before parting ways. It was normal and not weird and it didn’t mean anything. She still wanted to die.

But Lex just smiled all the more widely as they parted and asked,

“How did the party go?”

“Fine,” Peyton answered too quickly. “I mean, everyone was really nice and I got to meet Clark’s crush, Lana. She seems sweet.” 

Lex eyed her.

“They were all accepting of you?”

“They opened up more once we got to talking.”

Was she insane for wanting to address the Kissing Issue with him? The words, the idea, the issue , kept resurfacing in her mind and maybe he’d think up a solution. Maybe he hadn’t realized their conundrum either. Or maybe he already had an answer and didn’t know the solution wasn’t obvious.

Lex shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I was going to head to the library to see if I can find anything helpful in regards to getting the plant profitable. Want to join me?”

Peyton forced herself to breathe and lifted up the cupcakes.

“I’ll bring the motivation.”

She fell into step by his side on the way down the hall and Lex cast a wry grin at her.

“I took a peek inside the garment bag,” he said. “I can’t believe you actually went with a white suit.” 

Peyton straightened her shoulders and smiled primly.

“Mom agreed it would look striking . And besides, it counts as one of your allotted choices.” 

Lex laughed.

It didn’t make her feel warm.

[]

Both of them collected a pile of books to comb through, settled in at the table in the room, then finished off the cupcakes as they read over operational advice and examples of high risk budgeting. Lex kept a pad of notes and anytime Peyton thought she found something that might be applicable or helpful, she’d turn the book towards him and tap on the section to read.

“Has cutting the supply costs been helping?” She asked. “And is your dad still giving you a hard time?” Lex looked up at her drolly and Peyton huffed. “I mean more than usual.”

“I don’t think he’s been anything less than irate since he found out I defied his orders for layoffs. But the cost cuts are showing some promising signs. I don’t think it’s enough on its own, but it helps.” 

Peyton hummed and put her chin in her hand. 

“It’s a fertilizer plant in a farming community,” she remarked. “Is there any way we can encourage them to, I don’t know, farm more? Help them expand their crops, maybe, so they use more product? They’d make more income come harvest season, and the plant would have more production.”

“Investing in the farms themselves? It would be an idea, but I don’t know how many families would be willing to go for it. And I can’t exactly blame them for not trusting me after what my father pulled here the last time.”

“He seems to have left quite the impression on everyone. This is practically a couple year PR clean up project that we need to speed-run before your dad makes another move.” 

“We.” Lex said. “You don’t work for LuthorCorp. You don’t have to worry about it.” 

Peyton looked away as her face warmed. 

“Well, after meeting some of the women of Smallville today, I can’t help but be a little personally invested. They’re real people with real lives. And,” she hesitated, “and we’re going to be married soon anyway, right? Your concerns become our concerns. And vice versa ”

Lex rubbed his jaw and didn’t say anything. Peyton licked her dry lips as her eyes dipped down his face then darted back up. She said too much again. He was going to get the wrong idea.

When Lex spoke he had to clear his throat. 

“Thank you,” he said. “For trying to help; for caring about the plant. It means a lot to me. When he assigned me this location, I thought I’d have to figure it out alone.” 

“You could,” Peyton told him. Lex nodded slowly.

“Sure,” he agreed. It wasn’t arrogance, it was simply factual. “But it’s exponentially better to know someone is on your side, isn’t it?”

“A united front and moral support does go a long way,” Peyton agreed gently. “After all, a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

In the following quiet, Peyton traced invisible patterns on the tabletop as she worked up the nerve to bring up her concern. Hopefully without humiliating herself.

“Speaking of the wedding.” She dragged the words out. As if just saying them would catch her on fire. “Chloe did bring up something at the party that I hadn’t quite considered.”

Lex disregarded his books and notes to give her his undivided attention. Of all the times she would have paid to have him a little distracted. 

“Yes?” He prompted. 

Peyton stopped making shapes with her finger and idly tapped the wood instead. 

“She made it a point to poke fun over the fact that after the ceremony we’ll be expected… to kiss.” Lex remained still and Peyton tried to soften or hide, or she didn’t know , the statement with another. “Apparently people in town have noticed that we’re not….” 

“Physically affectionate?” Lex finished for her. 

“Right.” 

He partially broke the awkward stillness in the room by sitting back and resting an ankle over his knee in a display of ease. 

“Well,” he said, “I guess it depends on how you want to handle it.” 

Peyton blinked in surprise and her nose wrinkled. 

“Me?”
Lex nodded. 

“You shouldn’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. I know what I’m willing to do, so you tell me where your line is, and we won’t cross it.” 

It wasn’t exactly the answer she was expecting. It was very chivalrous. Not that she didn’t expect that from Lex. But it put the ball squarely back in her court and forced her to make a decision. 

What did she want?
No. What was she willing to do? 

“Right,” Peyton agreed. She fiddled with her locket and sat back in her seat as well. “Okay. I’ll think about it and let you know.” 

[]

They finished up their research in relative quiet and ate dinner with mild conversation. Peyton’s mind continued to whir. It wasn’t like there was much time until the wedding; the date only continued to draw nearer. 

And Lex just had to be a gentleman about it. Or was he being cruel? He could have just told her that they had to. It was expected and it was one time and she didn’t have a choice, then she wouldn’t feel so conflicted about having to go along with it. 

It was just a kiss, she told herself. Told herself all through dinner and the entire time Lex started a fire in the fireplace and they relaxed in his office. 

And even if he refused to say it, they would be expected to. It would be weird if they didn’t. It was already notable to everyone that they hadn’t . 

They were supposed to have been dating since they were about sixteen. In some strange way they kind of had been together. And it would be humiliatingly obvious if their first kiss was after being announced as man and wife. 

Peyton licked her lips in nervousness as she stared into the crackling fire. The bright light would make it impossible for her to see the minute she looked away into the rest of the room, but that was fine. She wasn’t feeling brave enough to look Lex in the eye right now anyway. 

“We probably should,” she said, her voice weak. She could feel Lex’s piercing gaze on the side of her face and she swallowed. “Practice, that is.” She clarified. 

“Practice?” He prompted.

Heat spread over Peyton’s face as he forced her to say the words aloud. 

“Practice kissing,” she managed. “Since at the wedding…people will expect us to… be …practiced.” 

He remained quiet and Peyton forced her eyes away from the fire. All she could see was blinding white light until her eyes readjusted and she could make out Lex sitting in the chair next to her spot on the couch. He’d apparently been waiting for her to fully acknowledge him. 

“Is that something you’re comfortable with?” 

Peyton swallowed and awkwardly shifted her legs. 

Not really? Kind of? It was purely for show, right? It wasn’t like she’d been thinking about it . 

“We can always just make it quick at the wedding,” Lex offered, though his tone didn’t sound convincing. 

“Wouldn’t people find that strange, given how long we’re supposed to have been together?” Peyton asked. 

Lex’s response was blunt. 

“Probably. But it’s still your choice.” 

She nodded her head sharply, once, and tried to put on a look of nonchalance. 

“Right. Well. We don’t want it to look like it’s the first time then.” 

She was being so stupid . Kissing Lex, even as a ruse, was so entirely stupid . Because kissing him would complicate things. It would change things. She knew that intrinsically. Already she caught her thoughts slipping in directions she knew they shouldn’t, towards ideas and glimpses of future that she wasn’t meant to indulge in. Ideas and thoughts she needed to stomp and bury and control. 

Her entire motivation was to get home. To find a way back to her own world and own body, and kissing Lex threatened to derail that. 

She knew that . 

Lex moved from the chair to the spot next to her on the couch, his movements careful and his eyes unwavering from her face. It felt too late to change her mind now. 

Peyton swallowed and angled herself more towards him. He was still taller than her sitting, and she tipped her head back slightly to keep an eye on his face. There was far less hesitation in his expression. 

It was just a kiss. 

Lex put more weight on one leg as he angled himself further, his opposite hand came up and cupped her jaw. Peyton’s pulse spiked. Her skin flushed. 

“You alright?” Lex asked. 

Peyton couldn’t even nod. 

“Yep! Yeah, doing… doing fine….” 

Her voice died out as her gaze dropped down to his lips as he leaned closer. When he was close enough that the heat from his body reached her, her eyes fluttered closed on their own. 

Lex used his thumb to tip her head up higher and Peyton’s breathing hitched. For a brief second, static buzzed between them. She could feel his skin mere millimeters away from touching hers. 

She couldn’t help the small gasp as his lips connected with her own. She stiffened instinctively, but Lex kept the kiss gentle, tentative. He dipped his head to get a better angle and continued the kiss; his hand held her head in the right position, leading her. 

The bones in Peyton’s body melted. 

All at once her doubts about kissing him and fears for what it would mean fizzled out as her mind went blank. Maybe she’d regret it later, maybe she’d want to regret it later, but with Lex’s warm hands holding her in place and him guiding their pace, suddenly it didn’t matter. 

There was just him. His warmth and his hands and his lips on hers. 

Peyton’s hands rose and clutched at the front of his shirt as if she could possibly pull him closer. As if he wasn’t enveloping her on the couch already.  Lex took her hold as a sign and suddenly the kiss deepened, he shifted as if he were just as desperate to get closer to her as she was to him. 

He kissed her until her head felt light, like she couldn’t breathe. He kissed her like he’d been thinking about it since he was sixteen. Kissed her like a man starved. 

Peyton arched up higher and wrapped her arms around his neck. She should push him away. She didn’t want to push him away. She shouldn’t like the way he made her feel so much. But she did. Liked it enough that it overrode her common sense and logical thought; shut down her inhibition and kept her pliant under his touch. 

Treacherous. 

He was far more dangerous than she ever gave him credit for. 

Lex broke off the kiss and Peyton shuddered out an unsteady breath. His own breathing was ragged; Peyton blinked her eyes open and her heart skipped a beat. Lex’s gray eyes were dark and half open, the pupils wide; his gaze locked on her face as she caught her breath. Her arms still wrapped around his neck and his hand still held her face. 

“How was that, for practice?” Lex asked, voice raspy. 

Peyton tried to clear her throat and collect herself, but found the task difficult when he was still so close to her. Looking at her like she hung the moon. 

“Mmhm.” She agreed with a hum. Again, she tried in vain to clear her throat. To recenter herself and gain control over her nonexistent thoughts. “Maybe,” she managed to say. “Maybe….”

Maybe they should stop now? Maybe they should try one more time? She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say. 

No, wait- 

Lex came to his own conclusion about  what she meant to say and leaned in. He kept this kiss light, nearly teasing, and Peyton went limp again. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t play fair.

His hand shifted back, his fingers slipping into her hair on the back of her head, and she felt him actually smile into one of the kisses, his lips curling against her own. 

It stripped down one of her walls. A load bearing wall. It let slip thoughts she’d rather keep barricaded away. 

Somehow, despite her denials, Lex had made himself something of an anchor; a constant. He was the first person here she thought to confide in; sought for advice. The person she searched for in a crowd or for comfort. The kiss ripped away the lie that she kept telling to protect herself; she didn’t have to admit to anything. Just because she didn’t say it, pretended it wasn’t there, didn’t negate the reality. 

She was already falling. Maybe already fell, given she didn’t stop kissing him first.

When Lex broke the second kiss he let go of her, like he knew she needed the distance to actually be able to think. Later, she’d be mad he was right. 

The fire crackled and their breathing filled the room. Peyton finally sat up and ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to shake off the haze he put her in. Lex leaned back against the arm of the couch and wet his bottom lip as he collected himself as well.

“Well,” Peyton said. What did one even say after something like that? “I think that… was good practice.” 

Lex’s brows rose. 

“ Good practice?”

“Yes.” 

Something mischievous flashed in his eyes and he smirked as he leaned closer. 

“I’m not a man that settles for good, ” he said. “I want to be great .”

But Peyton had enough cool air and enough returning sense to scamper back along the couch as she let out a small squeak. She waved a warning finger at his approach. 

“Oh, no, no! You- you stay over there.” 

Lex’s smirk grew into a toothy grin, but he leaned back once more; clearly satisfied by her reaction. Peyton let out a breath of air. 

She was absolutely, royally, undeniably screwed.

Chapter Text

The kiss was the worst mistake she’d made since implying she and Lex were married. It haunted her. Her silent admission scorched her and it was impossible to look at him the same way. 

It wasn’t just Lex and they weren’t just getting married.

It wasn’t “just” but it had to be.  

She wanted to scream. She should not have kissed him. But the wedding was upon them and she’d have to do it again. 

The worst part was she wanted to. A little. 

Lex didn’t make any attempts to “practice” again following their one… interaction. He maintained his gentlemanly composure, but she did notice he would sit closer to her on the couch than he did before. He would casually touch her on the back or shoulder more often even if he didn’t need to. Now the mild contact shot butterflies through her stomach and up into her throat. 

It was horribly humiliating. Stupid. 

She cared about Lex. Not like other people. Differently. 

And against all reason. Against her better judgment and in contradiction to all her goals. 

And she didn’t even have time to run. 

It was The Day. 

Peyton felt nauseated from the moment she woke up and it wasn’t going away even after she knocked back a cup of coffee and nibbled at a piece of toast. A woman dotted concealer on her face and another finished off her nails; classic French tip, pure white like her dress.

Her mother delicately dabbed at her own eyes with a tissue as she got her hair done; her watery gaze stayed on Peyton as if she never thought she’d get to see the day. The look only amplified Peyton’s nerves. 

It was here. It was real and it was happening. 

She hadn’t seen Lex after they parted ways from the manor, and she wondered if he was just as nervous. Was he second guessing his decision to go along with this? Surely if he ever would, now would be the time. Or was his state of mind more calm? Certain?

“You look so beautiful already, darling,” her mother said. “I’m so happy for you I could cry.”

“There’s no crying after makeup,” the makeup artist instructed sternly.

Peyton gave her mom a small smile in return due, in part, to the fact that someone was still applying creams and powders to her face. 

Annalise came up beside her and handed her a tall glass, a mimosa by the looks of it. Peyton delicately accepted it, careful not to bump her nails, but she did take it. She waited for the makeup artist to pause and took a healthy sip before looking back at her friend.

“Thanks, Anna,” she said. “I needed this.” 

“Pace yourself,” Annalise said. “I’m not having you stumble down the aisle.” 

Peyton rolled her eyes. 

“One isn’t going to knock me over.” 

“Tell that to your younger self, you always got weird after just one. And I’m not getting in trouble for being the one responsible when you start babbling at the altar.” 

Peyton huffed in dismissal and adjusted the angle of her head at the makeup artist’s prompting. After the woman was finally done, she and the hairstylist switched places; Peyton sat up straighter and uncrossed her legs as the new woman let down her hair. 

“We’re still feeling a low bun, right?” The woman checked. There were so many people, Peyton couldn’t quite remember her name. She thought it was something with a “CH” sound. 

“Yes,” Peyton replied. “No last minute changes.” 

Hair lady grinned in the mirror’s reflection. 

“Good to hear.” 

She brushed out Peyton’s hair and applied some products to keep it smooth, then set about sectioning it off. Peyton zoned out for the process until the woman let out a breathy sound of surprise and tapped the crown of her head. 

“Oh, you were a wild thing, weren’t you?” 

Peyton cut her eyes up and looked through the mirror to see the woman smirk at something on her scalp. 

“Huh?”

The woman moved some more hair around as if she were looking at something and both her brows rose. She tapped the same spot on Peyton’s head again and then swooped her finger down as if she were tracing something. Almost an “S” shape. 

“This? You’d have had to shave your head-” 

She stopped at Peyton’s look of confusion, and then her gaze darted over to Merrill. Immediately, she went back to styling Peyton’s hair. 

“Ooh,” she cooed quietly. “Does mom not know? Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Though I don’t know why she’d be upset when it’s only visible if someone is really looking for it this close.” 

Peyton had no idea what the woman was talking about, but she didn’t vocalize her questions. What in the world? Now she had the urge to stand up and hunch in front of the mirror while she dug through her hair to see just what the woman was referring to. Clearly whatever it was, the woman didn’t find it alarming as much as she did scandalous. 

Mom doesn’t know… shave your head…. 

What did she think it was? Something like a tattoo? But Peyton couldn’t ask because then she’d look insane. 

Triage. She needed to prioritize her anxieties for at least today.

She clenched her hands into fists and then released the tension with a breath. It wasn’t fair . It wasn’t fair that she was constantly caught on the other foot and off balance and desperately wishing for normality. 

It wasn’t fair that she had kissed Lex and liked it, and still wanted to get back to her other family. To her mom and dad, to Orion and Jacen.

Things would be easier if it were all someone’s fault. If she had someone to blame and be angry at. If she could just shake someone until they fixed it . 

But that wasn’t life. That wasn’t how these things worked. And she was getting married in a few short hours. 

Peyton forgot about her scalp mystery as she was helped into her brilliant white gown and buttoned in. It felt like her heart was doing cartwheels and her legs felt weak. She envied regular brides. Brides who didn’t trip their way into getting married and have a slew of baggage contradicting their choices. Brides that only got to be giddy in their confidence over their decision. Brides who didn’t feel sick with nerves. 

Annalise winked at her as she held both overly large bouquets; she grinned and flashed her canines as she snapped her teeth. 

“Lookin’ good, mama,” she said. “Lex is going to keel over at the sight of you.”

“He better not after everything I’ve been through,” Peyton replied blandly.

A photographer snapped some shots of them in the room and then the room cleared out of everyone besides her and her mom. 

A strange sort of split emotion sliced through her. Like a double-edged sword. It felt like her mother should be here and she was happy to have her mom here. She was sad, and yet excited. Forlorn and fond. It twisted inside her, and she shoved it down as her mom took her hand and squeezed.

Her mom had to work a moment at controlling her emotions before she spoke, and the act made Peyton’s own eyes feel hot.

“I feel like there’s too much to say,” her mom confessed. “I know that we haven’t always been as close as we could be, and I know you often.… just went along with whatever I said, likely to keep me happy.” She reached up to gently cup Peyton’s face, her fingertips a ghost of a presence. 

“I would never claim I was a perfect mother,” she said, and Peyton swallowed thickly. “But you must know I have always loved you, Peyton. Even though at times I wasn’t sure how to do it right. And I hope, with how this last month has gone, we’ll be able to stay connected even after the wedding.”

Peyton felt choked up in a way she couldn’t explain. She missed her mother. Some part of her wanted her mom to be like her mother in the other world. To live up to the memories she had of her. But, if nothing else, at least right now, she had a chance to foster something new. Something that could become familiar. 

“Of course we can,” Peyton said. “I would really like that. There have been so many changes recently….It’ll be like a fresh start.” 

Her mom gave her a watery smile, and cupped Peyton’s face with both hands, fingers barely touching so as not to smudge her makeup. 

“Yes,” she said. “A fresh start.” 

All too soon, Peyton found herself standing in the church foyer, waiting behind the closed doors to the sanctuary with her father. Her arm looped over his elbow and though he face was dry, his expression was overly stern. She saw his mustache twitch a few times as if he were pressing his lips together. 

“Don’t get too excited at the idea of getting rid of me,” she said to try and ease the emotion in the room. And partially to distract herself. “Mom wants to see each other more often now. So this may have backfired.”

Her father harrumphed and straightened his suit jacket with his free hand in a nervous fashion. 

“You’re our child,” he said. His voice was carefully even. “All we have ever wanted is to get to see you more often.”

The music changed and Peyton gripped his arm tighter. He cleared his throat and patted her hand as he sniffed.

“Last chance,” he teased. She shook her head. 

She was already committed. She’d already given her word. And if there was one thing she would hold onto from the memories of her other family, it was that Woods kept their word. They supported each other. Peyton wanted that, so she’d give it first. 

The doors opened and her mind went blank as she held her breath. Everyone in the church stood as she and her father walked down the aisle. Lex waited at the end with the minister; his white suit made him pop against the solid gray walls of the room.

He smiled at her, soft and sincere, and Peyton’s heart flipped.

She barely registered her dad helping her up onto the stage and then walking away; a nervous current ran through her body and stretched to her fingertips. Everyone in the sanctuary watched and she was keenly aware of it. 

Behind her, Annalise adjusted her train to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and Lex’s best man, Duncan, an old friend from their boarding school, watched mildly. He looked just as thrilled to be in front of a crowd as she was.

She needed to focus. 

The minister began to speak and Peyton kept her eyes on Lex. He noticed her chest expand in a deep breath, and he gave her a reassuring half smile and a wink with the eye away from the crowd. She smiled in return and tried to force her anxieties away. 

It was too late now anyway. No going back.

Thankfully, they didn’t write their own vows. The minister guided them through the usual covenants: for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. ‘Til death do they part. 

Did traversing universes count? Would she still be married to Lex if she ever made it back? Would she, like him, feel committed despite being a world away? 

Would he ruin her like that? 

Lex kept eye contact the entire time he recited his vows. His hand was hot against hers as he held it and slid the cool metal band onto her left finger. He said the vows to her . Said them in a way that didn’t feel like mere repetition, but actual promises. There was no humor on his face, no teasing or levity despite the fact that this was all for the sake of convenience. Peyton felt the weight of his promise under her ribs. And wasn’t that a horrible, glorious thing?

When it was her turn, she tried to give her words the same sort of weight. To let him know she did take this just as seriously as she’d professed as she placed a plain gold band on his finger. She thought of all he’d done for her in the years they’d known each other. No, months. Months that maybe felt like years. 

He’d done a horrible thing, yes, with the sleeping pills. Locking her in this world so he could keep her close. But she wanted to believe that, as an adult, he was truly sorry for it. And he’d done other, less selfish things. 

He kept her from being taken advantage of by whoever came across her, even though that meant keeping around an unsettling imitation of herself. Something broken and underdeveloped. He helped keep her alive, she was sure, even with no promise of when or if she might return. Even now, she knew he’d give her his own money and resources for her research if she asked. Perhaps he’d argue or try to guilt her or wheedle, but she could get him to do it. 

No. Peyton wasn’t entirely foolish. There was a side to Lex that no doubt was the product of his father’s upbringing, but there was also a side that wanted to be good. To be great at being good. And if no one else was going to foster growth in that, then she would. 

For as long as she was around. 

That was the promise of marriage, wasn’t it? The sacrifice of selfishness for the betterment of someone you cared about? 

She promised him that. 

The minister closed his book and raised his eyes. A camera flashed, the room held its breath.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said the minister. “You may kiss the bride!” 

Her stomach swooped as Lex stepped toward her. He held her by the waist and Peyton, purely for show, simply for photographic aesthetic, threw her arms over his shoulders. Their lips met to another camera flash. Peyton’s entire body buzzed yet again, but the cheers and applause from the audience kept her grounded. They broke apart too soon, and Peyton hated herself for thinking it was too soon at all. Lex lifted their joined hands together as they faced the crowd and the applause swelled. She laughed as a foolish, giddy excitement bubbled up within her. She should not be excited. 

They were married. They were married, they were married, they were married. 

It was real and it happened and it was valid in the eyes of both the law and God per the minister. There were no loopholes. Which likely meant she wouldn’t be able to find one for her conscience either. 

But that was a problem for her future self. She couldn’t think about it now. 

She and Lex slid into the limo taking them to the reception location which, given Smallville’s size and venue options, was just Luthor Manor. The grounds were decorated with tents and tables, lights and flowers. And the guests would likely take the opportunity to snoop around a bit of the house given the opportunity.

Peyton let out one more breathy, disbelieving laugh as the limo pulled away, and then a silence pressed. What did one say after that? “We did it?” 

Lex leaned back against his seat and sighed as he loosened his tie marginally. The red rosebud boutonniere against the white of his suit made it look like his heart was bleeding. He turned his head to look at her and smiled again, a certain hesitancy to his expression that she wasn’t used to seeing. 

“I think they all bought it,” he said. 

Peyton, strangely, felt a tinge of annoyance. Like he’d broken some illusion. But that was supposed to be her job. 

“The wedding or the kiss?” She asked boldly. “Because both actually happened.”

“I think they bought that you meant it,” he clarified, just as boldly.  

Peyton scrunched her face at him in a petulant sort of look, but couldn’t even force out the taunt that he was pretty convincing himself. The words were too thick on her tongue and threatened to choke her. It felt too callous to joke about it, somehow.

“How many times do I have to say, we’re either married or we’re not,” she said, breaking eye contact. “Now we are.” She drummed her fingers against her thigh and ran her tongue over the backs of her teeth. “I did mean it,” she murmured. “As much as I can. I won’t make you look bad or betray you. And I know I’m trying to get back, but I do care about you, Lex. I’m on your side. I hope you’re on mine too.” 

When she dared look back at him, she couldn’t read him. His poker face was perfect and it irked her that he could mask himself so effortlessly while she struggled to keep herself together. Peyton raised her hand, palm up, for him to accept; the ring band glinted in the light from the window. 

“We can work on being friends right now. That way we learn how to fully trust each other.” 

Lex took her offered hand and threaded their fingers, his expression still carefully guarded as he observed the way their hands fit together. 

“I do trust you,” he said. Peyton pressed her lips together in a sad smile. 

“I think you want to. But that’s good. We can start there with each other.” 

[]

Katherine worked magic on the manor grounds. Behind the house, large white tents marked the designated reception area. Lights twinkled visible even in the day as they peeked out of greenery strung about the space. Blood red roses spilled over gold centerpieces and filled the air with a heady fragrance. Their cake stood tall in one corner of the space. It too was traditionally white but decorated with some thin gold ribbon around the bottom of the tiers and roses and Baby's Breath on top.

Their guests cheered as they took their seats at the head table between Annalise and Duncan. Peyton played the part of a new bride. She waved her bouquet and grinned at everyone. Her gaze traveled to a table to the right side of the room and her grin grew wider as she spotted the Kents. She’d placed their name cards nearby so she could see them if they actually came. Surprisingly Jonathan joined them, even if he looked uncomfortable and ready to leave already. Peyton waved at Martha and Clark and they grinned as they waved back. Chloe and Lana and Nell were at the table too, but they looked far more entertained to be at a lavish wedding. 

On the other side of the room were their families. Peyton tried to keep them away from the Smallville locals on purpose, but there was only so much distance to be had. Her mom and dad sat at the same table with Lionel. Lionel looked like he’d sucked a lemon but was trying to convince everyone he hadn’t. 

Peyton was surprised he hadn’t done anything to sabotage the wedding, but he appeared to be sticking to his guns of “allowing Lex to ruin his own life”. Likely, he really did see Lex’s relationship with her as a mere act of rebellion. At least, perhaps, until he heard her start speaking like a human for the first time. That probably garnered some suspicion from him.

He watched her with shrewd, calculating eyes even when he knew she could see him. His lack of shame was a little irritating. It made her want to be petty again. But she smothered that impulse because she was already in this situation thanks to that reaction the first time. 

Peyton would never have gotten a reception as lux as this in the other world. Her parents there weren’t poor, but they didn’t have funds to waste on unnecessary lavishness. It would have still been a good wedding, if she ever would have had one, but it would have been sweet. Simple. Filled with the touches of DIY crafted decorations and basic catering options. 

Here they dined on buttered steak or charred chicken with farm fresh vegetables roasted until they were perfectly crisp around the edges. The best the local farms had to offer. There was wine from the Luthor’s own cellars and champagne that fizzed brightly for toasts. 

It was enough to almost sweep Peyton off her feet and forget why it was happening. For a lie. For protection. 

The call for toasts and speeches yanked her back down into reality as Annalise took the microphone to speak. Peyton stared with wide eyes as Annalise gave her a mocking wink and introduced herself to the crowd.

What would she say? What could she say? 

“Good evening everyone,” she crooned. “I’m Annalise, best friend of the bride, and I have known this lady here for forever . Long enough that we have to stay friends legally because we both know too much.” 

The crowd rippled in obligatory laughter and Annalise preened under the response. 

“We actually met at boarding school when we were eight. Apparently, her previous dorm-mate begged to trade rooms because Peyton was so mean to her for something the girl said against Lex. And if that isn’t the cutest thing ever, shut up right now. I, of course, would never complain, because I got a friend to drag around with me for the rest of our schooling. And people, for some reason, like to act like I was the bad influence, but who are you really going to believe? Her, the super mean dorm-mate, or me?”
She gestured between herself and Peyton as the crowd laughed again. Peyton glared in jest as the situation called for. Annalise grinned. 

“Okay, I promised I wouldn’t tell any scandalous stories, and Peyton didn’t have an embarrassing diary to read from, but I do have one moment that lives in my head from school.” 

Peyton cast a concerned look to Lex who watched Annalise with curious attention. Annalise paused a second to check on Peyton, so Peyton groaned and hid her face in her hands. It was the right thing to do. Annalise carried on with delight. 

“Peyton has always been a very literal person. Sarcasm and figures of speech just flew over her head as a kid. So, one time she told me her head hurt and there was actually a cold going around school. Like a good friend, I gave her a bottle of congestion medicine and told her to drink some. This. Girl. She started to drink it from the bottle . I had to pull it out of her hands! When I tell you she was off for the rest of the day! Totally zoned out and forgetful, possibly even skipped class. Don’t worry Mr. and Mrs. Woods! That was not something that happened on the regular! I was young enough that I didn’t put two-and-two together until later, but oh man. I did not mess around with that stuff afterwards.” 

The crowd roared and when they calmed, Annalise wrapped up her speech saying nice things. Sweet things. Wrong things about how Peyton and Lex had always been destined for each other and how they belonged together. Peyton found herself stuck on the story. 

She remembered it. 

That sounded like the first time she got trapped. When she first told Lex about her situation after her moment of panic. But she swore she drank the cold medicine in the other world. On purpose, as an experiment to help her sleep normally. 

She exchanged glances with Lex and he caught her unease. He was smart enough to realize the connection. He placed his hand over hers in an act of reassurance and this time- this time Peyton didn’t turn it away or resent the persistent contact. She flipped her hand over and laced their fingers together. 

There were a few other toasts, all much more sincere than they deserved, and there was cake. There was dancing. 

She and Lex danced first to a sweet little song that Peyton barely registered beyond the sound of a piano. The dance was a stress and a reprieve all at once. A reprieve because for three minutes they could ignore the crowd and it was just them. 

But it was also just them. 

Lex kept his hands around her waist and Peyton hid her face in his shoulder to try and shut out the stares for just a moment. His cologne smelled nice; he felt nice. She hated that she didn’t hate it. The sharp notes and warm undertones of this smell would forever be burned into her mind as being associated with him. The rising notes of a piano would be this one quiet moment.

It wasn’t fair. 

He was making it alright and that wasn’t fair.

“How are you holding up?” He murmured in her ear. 

Peyton shifted and raised her head as she moved her arms to rest over his shoulders again. She smiled lethargically. 

“My feet are going to kill me tomorrow. You’re so lucky men don’t wear heels anymore.”

Lex glanced down as if to check her feet.

“Should I sweep you off the dance floor?”

“Try to pick me up in front of everyone and I will end you.”

He chuckled and the music began to fade out. 

“You say that like I couldn’t. Do I come across as so posh?” 

“I think you just enjoy trying to rile me up.”

He pulled her closer even as the music stopped and grinned at her look of alarm. His voice remained low, so the conversation stayed between the two of them. 

“I don’t try to do anything. I succeed.”

Lex purposefully grabbed her hand and spun her in one last twirl. The room whooped and cheered even as Peyton’s face flushed. The spin caught her off guard enough that she yelped and nearly stumbled, if not for Lex keeping her steady. He grinned as she poked at his chest and chastised him, much to the amusement of everyone watching. 

Peyton danced with her dad to another sweet song that didn’t require much more than swaying in terms of movement. He sniffled a couple times and as he, much more openly, initiated lazy twirls with her, Peyton could hear her mom demand the photographer take more photos. They quickly ran through the standard moves for people who don’t dance, so Peyton resorted to wrapping her arms around him and just holding onto him as they swayed. 

It would make good pictures. 

Lex’s mom was gone, so Merrill stepped up and danced with him instead. It was cute, if a bit sad. But her mom knew a few more dance steps than the rest of them and showed off some footwork to the crowd when the song briefly picked up its tempo. Peyton found herself clapping with the rest of the crowd and goading her dad over his lack of flair during their dance. 

Lex walked off the dance floor flushed and smiling, Peyton mimed a thoughtful expression and crossed her arms as he approached. 

“You get points for trying something different and taking risks,” she said. “But I’m afraid it’s still not enough to get you on Dancing with the Stars. ”

His hand fell to her waist and rested there without thought as he grinned. 

“What is that?”

“Nothing that probably exists yet,” she confessed. “But give it time. It’s reality TV, you’ll probably hate it.” 

Lex’s impish expression suddenly shuttered and Peyton twisted to look behind her only to be met with Lionel. He smiled pleasantly at them. As pleasantly as a wolf could smile.

“Mind if I have a dance with my new daughter-in-law?” He inquired. 

Lex’s grip on her tightened as he assessed the situation. There wasn’t much to be done without making a scene. Peyton placed her hands over Lex’s and he released her as she gave Lionel a tight-lipped smile and allowed him to take her hand. Lex watched warily as they moved onto the dance floor amongst the now forming group of dancers. 

She and Lionel kept polite distance in something slightly less formal than a waltz position. He took the lead as he moved them around the dance floor, and Peyton did her best to follow without stepping on his feet. Purely for her own dignity, not his. 

“I suppose I should congratulate you,” Lionel said.

“Don’t feel pressured,” Peyton lobbied back.

Lionel chuckled dryly at her barb, but there was no mirth. His eyes swept the crowd briefly as he kept up a genial expression.

“I must admit you are a bit of an enigma, Peyton. I believe this is the longest amount of time you’ve ever… exerted yourself.” 

“Ah,” muttered Peyton. “At least you don’t feel pressured.” 

Lionel turned them around abruptly to dance the other way and Peyton grit her teeth as she kept up.

“It makes me wonder just who you actually are,” he continued as if he didn’t hear her comment. “But I must caution you, whatever your intentions, any act against my son’s best interest is an act against me.”

Heat flashed through her limbs. 

“Your son is now my husband ,” she snapped. “And I protect my family. I would caution you that our definitions of ‘best interest’ are probably different.” 

Lionel’s eyes flashed in insult and interest. He watched her face and Peyton tried to remain as stoic as possible. 

“Tread carefully, dear.” He warned, voice low. She didn’t like the way he studied her. “You don’t even know, do you?” Lionel pressed. “You’re oblivious to your change in disposition.”

Peyton’s grip tightened involuntarily. 

“I know who I am,” she said defensively.

The song ended and they separated immediately, still on the dance floor. Lionel gave her a minute bow in show and called out to her as she began to walk away. 

“And Peyton.” 

She looked over her shoulder and Lionel smirked, but it was sharp. Like wolves teeth. 

“Congratulations.” 

[]

Peyton was able to catch the Kents before they left the wedding. She dragged Lex along with her since he seemed more attached to her hip as the night wore on. Martha beamed at her and hugged her without prompting when Peyton got close.

“Congratulations,” she said with warmth. “I’m so happy for the both of you. And you look beautiful.” 

“Thank you!” Peyton smiled shyly as she released Martha and addressed the three Kents. “And I wanted to thank all of you for coming. It means a lot to me, to both of us.”

Clark smiled and gave Lex a clap on the back; Lex grinned genuinely. 

“Congratulations,” Clark echoed his mother. “The food was really good. And Marlene went all out on the cake.” 

Peyton grinned. 

“Of course a teen boy would be most impressed by the food.”

Clark laughed and rubbed at the back of his head. 

“Yeah, well.” 

“The food was one of the highlights,” Lex agreed with a conspiratorial grin.

Jonathan shuffled awkwardly as it came to be his turn and Peyton was gearing up to let him off the hook when Jonathan looked up with a begrudgingly appreciative look in his eyes; he nodded at Lex. 

“That was a kind thing you did for the town,” he said, “by involving the local shops.”

The Kents’ own vegetables had been on their plates for dinner. Likely Jonathan wouldn’t mention that, it sounded too much like charity from her and Lex, which it wasn’t, but Jonathan was a man of pride. Still, the comment was more generous than she expected. 

Maybe he really was warming up to them. Lex glowed under the praise. 

“It was better dining than most places I’ve been to in Metropolis,” Lex said. “Everyone in Smallville has been more than generous.”

Peyton’s mother called from across the room and it gave the Kents a clean break. Clark gave Peyton a sweet, awkward little side hug as he moved to follow his parents.

“I’m happy for you guys,” he said with a wave. “See you later!” 

Peyton briefly watched them leave and smiled as she swung her and Lex’s clasped hands. 

“I think he’s warming up to us.”

Lex chuffed dryly but fought back a smile. 

“If that’s what you call tolerance.”

[]

 By the time they slipped away from the wedding for the night, Peyton was grateful that the reception was in their backyard. Her heels hung from her hands as they slid through the back door into the dim hall. Peyton breathed a sigh of relief in the quiet. 

“We didn’t even really do anything and I’m exhausted.”

Lex’s hand was still warm on her back, sitting against her spine like it had for a large portion of the night. 

“Socializing on this scale will take it out of anyone,” he said. 

“Well,” Peyton looked up at him with a tired smile, “we made it. And it all went pretty smoothly.”

Lex stared down at her a moment then removed his hand from her back.

“Almost perfect,” he agreed. When Peyton’s expression prompted an explanation, Lex wet his bottom lip and put on an unaffected look. “I’m sure my father said something upsetting.”

She tried to wave off the worry, but she was exhausted and her arm was heavy, so it turned into more of a flop. 

“It was nothing,” she said. “And like you said, he can’t really do anything about this now, can he?” 

“No,” he allowed as they walked up the stairs.

The hall split from there and their rooms were on opposite ends. Both of them loitered at the top of the stairs; Peyton chewed at her bottom lip. Lex pressed his lips together and smiled with a nod. 

“I guess this is goodnight-” he said at the same time as Peyton said, 

“Do you want to hang out?” 

He blinked in surprise and Peyton awkwardly gestured with her heels. 

“I mean, do you want to just hang out for a little bit,” she repeated. “To unwind? But I know we’re both tired, sorry-” 

“No,” Lex stopped her rambling. “No, that sounds perfect.” 

Peyton sighed and her shoulders relaxed. 

“Cool, I’m just going to change first.” Lex’s face flashed with a couple different expressions but he rolled his lips through his teeth and didn’t comment. Peyton’s expression turned droll. “You would have almost gotten points for not saying ‘into something more comfortable?’ , except I just heard it loud and clear.” 

Lex grinned widely. 

“You kind of walked right into that, to be fair.” 

She pointed a stern finger at him and headed toward her room. 

Peyton had a pair of sweats and a shirt calling her name, if she could only get out of her dress. There were buttons all the way down her back and she was so tired. Not to mention that all the undergarments under the dress made it hard to twist around. It was too snug to just slip her arms from and shimmy out of. 

After a few minutes, she admitted defeat and aggressively opened her bedroom door. Lex was already changed and leaned against the banister waiting for her; he lifted his head, brow rising when he noted she hadn’t changed. Peyton huffed in irritation. 

“I can’t get this stupid thing unbuttoned.” 

Lex pushed himself off the banister and made his way over. He looked far too amused.

“Isn’t this a bit cliche?” He asked with a grin. “If you wanted me to-” 

“I am actually stuck ,” Peyton interrupted. “If you don’t help me I’m going to resort to ruining the dress.” 

Lex lifted his hands in acquiescence and Peyton turned slowly so her back faced him. He stopped close behind her and his fingers brushing against her skin made her shiver. Lex started work on the first button and Peyton tried to calculate the minimum number she could have him undo before she could escape on her own. 

He was still fumbling with the buttons around her mid back and Peyton cut her eyes to the side in an attempt to see him. 

“Are you messing around?” 

Lex scowled. 

“These things are so small.” 

“They’re buttons, Lex.” 

“And you asked for help; you’re no better than I am here.” 

She could feel as a few finally gave way and Lex grumbled under his breath. Peyton tried to twist and look further and Lex exclaimed in dismay. He pushed her back to face forward. 

“Stop that! Now I lost it.” 

“Honestly, the women didn’t have this much trouble buttoning me up.” 

“Well buttoning is different from unbuttoning , isn’t it? Your wiggling around isn’t helping.” 

There was a firmer tug, and Peyton let out an admonishing noise. 

“Did you rip the button off? If you ruin this dress-” 

“I didn’t rip it off; do you want my help or not? My go-, you’re bossy.” 

“Oh, I hardly think you’re one to complain about being bossy.” 

He struggled to unbutton another three and Peyton devolved into an overtired fit of giggles. The noise was infectious and Lex shortly joined in. He protested as her laughter dragged her to the floor, but he followed her there too. 

Peyton wheezed. It wasn’t that funny, but she couldn’t help it. 

“We’re heirs to two mega corporations,” she said between laughter. “We both have degrees, and we can’t figure out some buttons.” 

“I think they’re meant to be ripped off,” Lex muttered under his breath.

Peyton chose to ignore that. 

“I probably have five hundred pins in my hair, if you think one would help-” 

“There,” Lex said. “You should be able to get out.” 

Peyton held the front of her dress as a precaution as she managed to get to her feet. Her eyes were still wet from laughter. Lex looked frazzled as he backed away from her doorway and it only made her laugh again. 

“I’m going to get you a trophy for this,” she teased. “Lex Luthor: Figured Out Buttons.” 

“I can always button them back up,” he drawled. “You did say that was easier.” 

She let out a bark of a laugh and closed her door. Relief flooded her again as she finally stepped out of the dress and peeled off the constricting shape-wear. The hair would take too long to undo, so she left it. 

Peyton snagged a blanket off her bed and opened the door in sweats this time, and Lex visibly processed something as their eyes met again.

She propped the balled up blanket against her hip and smiled. 

“What do you say to hot chocolate and Twenty Questions?”

Chapter Text

A honeymoon obviously wasn’t happening after the wedding, but Peyton and Lex took a few days off of work, officially, just for show. Lex used the plant’s delicate state as an excuse for them not to leave and jet off somewhere. And it wasn’t exactly a lie either. 

Now Peyton sat in a little office, more like a commandeered study, that she made for herself a few doors down from Lex’s office. It was convenient for when he had his own phone calls to make or an at-home meeting. 

At the moment, Lex was at the plant and she kept herself busy with finishing up some internal memos. Peyton drummed her fingers on her desk as the easy work allowed her mind to wander. 

The wedding had been a whirlwind, she was now Peyton Luthor , and between the paperwork for her name change and the lingering rush of the day itself, she found herself still processing everything. She caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror on the far wall and furrowed her brow. 

She hadn’t forgotten the hairdresser’s comment. Annalise’s story was more concerning and puzzling in its potential connotations, but a tattoo on her head was more immediately verifiable. 

Peyton already tried to look for herself as she took every hairpin out of her wedding hair and combed out the hairspray, but it was impossible for her to see. She would have to ask Lex. And she would, when he got back. She’d ask him to check and she’d finally ask him for the names of those doctors she forgot to bring up before the wedding. 

But most of her simple work was done and her thoughts kept swirling and she was feeling impatient. Peyton sat back from her laptop and eyed her cell phone. Could she try to wheedle any information out on her own? She tapped her phone and chewed her lip. 

What would her parents say? 

Peyton dialed her mom and sat back as she tried to quickly come up with a natural line of questioning before her mom picked up. 

“Peyton!” Her mom answered. “How are you, darling? Doing well, I imagine. I didn’t expect a call so soon.” 

“I’m home alone and thought I’d say hi,” Peyton said. “How are you and dad doing?” 

They made small talk for a few minutes; Peyton listened as her mom told her all about a recent luncheon with her friends and an upcoming fundraiser she planned to attend. She was eager to see one particular couple because their son was being released from rehab and she had just the place to recommend for them to go and “recover” from such an ordeal. 

“Is that such a good idea?” Peyton asked.

Her mother let out a confused little scoff. 

“Whatever do you mean, darling? Of course it’s been such a stressful time for all of them, it’d be good to get away.” 

“Right,” Peyton agreed blandly. “But imagine if I were getting out of rehab. Would you want suggestions like that from people if you didn’t ask?” 

“Don’t be silly, Peyton, you would never be capable of such a thing.”

Peyton seized her opportunity and stood up to pace the room. 

“You never quite know a person,” she said, voice lilting up. “I could have done some crazy things. Went to parties, joined in on some cliff diving, done some drugs…. gotten a tattoo.” 

That garnered a larger scoff from her mom. 

“Well now you’re just being ridiculous.” 

“Am I?” Peyton scratched at the top of her head and stared in the mirror. “The hairstylist at my wedding seemed to think I had one.” 

The line went eerily silent. A band tightened around Peyton’s chest when she couldn't even hear her mom breathe.

“What did she say?” Her mom finally managed.

Peyton forgot about the coy game she was playing. 

“You know about the tattoo on my head?” 

“Tattoo!” Her mother’s voice grew shrill and insulted, but it sounded forced. “You don’t have a tattoo. On your head? Can you imagine?”
“She saw-” 

“Peyton, darling, you- you have a birthmark . It’s incredible that a woman of her professional standing isn’t able to tell the difference.” 

“A birthmark,” Peyton said flatly. 

“Of course; of course. You were born with it. A tattoo ,” she muttered. “Think reasonably, darling, don’t you think you would know if you had a tattoo? After all, they’re not exactly painless and they’re not exactly free.”

“That’s true,” Peyton allowed. “But the woman said-” 

“That woman clearly couldn’t see straight,” her mom cut her off. “And I’m your mother , don’t you think I’d know my own daughter’s birthmark? Of course I would.” 

Peyton felt strange. Like seeing an optical illusion differently after only ever seeing it one way. Like every time, you saw the picture of the duck but for the first time ever you finally saw the rabbit.

This was the part where, before, she would agree with her mother. She would take her mother at her word, take it for granted, and stop thinking about it. The only problem was now she couldn’t . This time Peyton didn’t believe her mother; and she didn’t understand how she’d only ever seen the duck. 

“Right. Well, I better go; I still have some work to finish before Lex gets back.” 

“Alright, darling. I love you.”
“Love you too,” Peyton said absently. She hung up. 

Her mom was lying to her. Her mom was lying to her, and for the first time, she could see it .

[]

She left her work in her office. There was actually some sourdough starter in the kitchen fridge, so Peyton took advantage and mixed up some dough, let it proof, then took her time with a sharp knife to carve an intricate design in the top. Of course their kitchen had every conceivable dish and gadget, and Peyton found a hefty dutch oven to bake the loaf in. 

She paced the kitchen as the bread baked. It needed to bake long enough that she could set a timer and leave, but her mind wouldn’t focus enough to allow her that. Peyton clenched her hands into fists and released them over and over as she made rounds around the kitchen island. 

Her mother in the other world would never have lied to her. She was a terrible liar to begin with, even over things like trying to hide surprise parties or how badly a bruise hurt. But the point was, she had loved her enough not to deliberately lie to her about something so huge. So blatant. 

The more she paced, the more she wanted to throw something. All this time. All this time she was struggling and desperate for answers and her mom knew something . Not just that there was something off about her, but that there was more . And she. Did. Nothing. 

Peyton found herself so wound up that she nearly shrieked when someone else entered the kitchen. She jerked before she calmed down enough to realize it was one of the staff. 

“I apologize if I startled you, Mrs. Luthor,” the woman said. “I was simply coming to do a bit of cleaning.” 

Peyton breathed out her frustrations and pasted on a reassuring smile. She’d seen the woman around the house before, though generally the woman tried to blend in with the walls and go unseen as well as unheard. 

The fact that the woman called her Mrs. Luthor made her stomach flip. 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Peyton said. “I was caught up in my own thoughts.” 

The woman nodded and moved past Peyton to access the cleaning closet. She looked rigid and uptight. Peyton hoped it wasn’t because of her presence. 

“You’re Mrs. …. Palmer, aren’t you?” Peyton asked. “You and your husband work for Lex.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mrs. Palmer said. “My husband tends to the grounds.” 

Mrs. Palmer looked no less nervous or at ease, and Peyton tried to smile in an even more friendly manner.

“He does a fantastic job. You both do.” 

Mrs. Palmer collected a handful of cleaning supplies and organized them on the countertop. She still wouldn’t make more than fleeting eye contact with Peyton and it irked her in a way. Like maybe the woman expected her to demand submission when Peyton had never expressed that.

“Thank you, Mrs. Luthor.” 

It seemed like Mrs. Palmer was content to let that be the interaction, and Peyton fumbled on how to proceed. Mrs. Palmer wasn’t as friendly as the staff at her parent’s house. Peyton drummed her fingers on the counter.

“Ah, you have kids, don’t you? How are they?” 

Mrs. Palmer looked up and her expression was stoic. She could be anything from irritated to interested and Peyton couldn’t tell the difference. A perfect employee. 

“Two, yes.” She replied. “Both in high school. And they’re …managing with the move here. Thank you for asking, ma’am.” 

It sounded like an obligatory thanks rather than real appreciation and Peyton decided to cut her losses. The minute the timer buzzed, she pulled out her bread, sat it to cool, and excused herself as Mrs. Palmer cleaned. 

[]

Peyton took one of Lex’s cars, her cars, their cars, and drove into Smallville to visit the Beanery. She wanted to get out around other people, and there really weren’t a lot of options for mingling in Smallville outside the one coffee shop. 

She ordered a large latte and looked around the cafe for a place to sit. It was busy for such a small town.

“Hey! Peyton!”

She turned at her name; Chloe, Pete, and Clark waved from a corner of the cafe. She waved back to acknowledge them and weaved around people as she headed over their way.

“Hey guys.” Peyton took a careful sip of her coffee. “How’re all of you?” 

“Chloe is trying to recruit us to help scavenge for meteor rock,” Pete said with a roll of his eyes. Clark shifted awkwardly as he gave a nervous smile. 

“I’m telling you,” Chloe argued, “there’s a connection between the rocks and all the weird occurrences here! If we can collect some samples and have them tested, I’d bet my career as a journalist we’d find some answers.”

“Where would you go looking for them?” Peyton inquired between sips of coffee.

Chloe shrugged. 

“Well I’d think Riley or Miller’s Field would be good places to start, seeing as those were the main places hit during the shower.” 

Clark shifted uncomfortably again and appeared irritated. 

“We can’t just go digging around people’s fields, Chloe,” he said. 

“Folks usually don’t appreciate that,” Pete agreed. 

“They might appreciate it if it helped us find a way to stop people from going crazy!” 

Both Pete and Clark made faces of exasperation and Peyton forced a small smile at their antics. Lex had been here when the shower had happened, maybe even near one of those fields, given how affected he was. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were bits of scattered rock still buried in the dirt. 

“What do you think?” Chloe flipped the attention to Peyton. “That whole thing with Tina Greer was weird, right? No one can quite figure out how she was able to almost frame Lex, but I have documents proving she was here during the shower.” 

Clark and Peyton’s eyes met momentarily and Peyton took a sip of her latte as she stalled. 

“It’s an interesting theory,” she said. “But if you think the meteor rocks really are responsible for most of the clippings on your Wall, I would want to be careful with them.”

Clark looked around like he just noticed she was in the coffee shop by herself. 

“Where’s Lex?” He asked. “Did you come here alone?” 

“He was still working at the plant.” Peyton checked her watch. “But he should be getting back soon, if things are going well. I just needed to get out of the house for a little bit.” 

“Is everything okay?” Clark looked at her in concern and Peyton held up a hand to ward off the worry. 

“I’m fine. Something minor came up and I’m working through it.” 

“With Lex?” Asked Pete. 

“Oh, no.” Peyton answered. She wasn’t sure exactly how much she wanted to share. “I learned someone close to me, not Lex , has been lying to me. I guess I didn’t expect it, is all.” 

“That sucks,” said Chloe. “Are you going to call them out on it?” 

Peyton smiled thinly. 

“I don’t know. But it’s not a big deal, so I’ll worry about it later. I don’t want to disturb your potential meteor rock hunt.” 

Clark fidgeted and stood as he dusted off his jeans. 

“I actually have to go,” he said. “I told my parents I’d do the delivery to Luthor mansion today.” 

“Clark,” Chloe complained. “You’re always doing something . How are you so busy for a high schooler?” 

Clark gave her a cheeky grin. 

“Well, a farm doesn’t run itself.” 

Peyton stood as well and dug around her purse for her keys. 

“If you’re heading our way, I’ll follow you up. Lex should be back anyway and I wanted to talk with him. I’ll see you both around!” 

Peyton followed Clark out of the Beanery and Chloe and Pete waved them off. She was just able to catch Chloe’s grumble of, 

“I swear, he’s always running off at the most inconvenient times.”

[]

Clark pulled his truck around to the side of the manor where the kitchen door was and Peyton parked her car back in the garage where she found it. The car Lex took to the plant was back in its spot, so she knew he was somewhere inside.

She checked his office first, it always seemed like the best place to start, and she wasn’t disappointed to find him inside.

“Hey.” Peyton fought back a strange compulsion to reach for him. Lex smiled at her as he removed his tie and took off his watch, placing both on the end of his desk. 

“Hey, how was your day? Hopefully better than mine.” 

Peyton squinted. 

“I don’t know, it depends. There is something I want to talk to you about, but right now Clark is down making a delivery in the kitchen.”

Lex’s expression flickered with concern, but he still moved toward the door. His hand brushed up against her back as he prompted her to follow. 

“Okay,” he said. “Are you planning on coming? Or do you need a minute?”

Peyton smiled primly. 

“I already took a minute. Another won’t do anything to help.”

Lex swallowed and gave her an unappreciative look. 

“You know, you really know how to make a future conversation loom.” 

[]

They helped Clark unload his truck while the staff on duty in the kitchen appeared perplexed and alarmed that their jobs were being interfered with. Mrs. Palmer was there, and she was quick to gather her two children from elsewhere in the house to help. There was a boy, Jeff, who looked rather sullen, and a girl, Amy. They were quiet teens and listened without arguing, but Amy glared at Peyton the entire time, to the point of looking near tears, while she conversely rushed to help Lex. It was obvious enough that Peyton noticed and couldn’t figure out what she’d done to upset the girl. 

Amy actually knocked into Peyton with one of the boxes of produce, scraping her arm, and then apologized in an exaggeratedly demure tone; Peyton decided to let it go. Perhaps the girl was just having a bad day. Or maybe she was put-off by Peyton’s change in demeanor. In either case, Peyton didn’t want to come off as entitled over one encounter. 

Clark lingered after they unloaded the truck and Peyton signaled to Lex that their conversation could wait, so he invited Clark up for a rematch at billiards, which Clark happily accepted. She wondered if he was trying to ensure he wouldn’t have the chance to be dragged back into Chloe’s reckless scheming. 

Peyton perched on the edge of the couch the wrong way as she faced the billiards table and watched them cue up. The two joked and teased each other as they faced off and the interaction tugged a smile out of her. Lex really did seem to enjoy Clark’s company. Like a little brother he never had. It was sweet. 

Clark held his pool stick with both hands as he watched Lex take a shot, his jaw shifted and his expression took on a determined air. 

“I’ve thought about what you said,” he told Lex. “And I’ve decided I’m going to fight for Lana.” 

Lex looked up with an amused, delighted smile. 

“Oh yeah?” He prompted. Clark nodded. 

“Like you said, Whitney is just a boyfriend. And he hasn’t even been treating her well these last few weeks. Lana deserves someone who will care about her like she deserves.”

“Good for you, Clark,” Lex praised. “Lana would be a fool not to appreciate you.”

Peyton blinked drolly and raised her brows; she swung her feet and then stood and made her way towards the pool table. 

“You said what?” She aimed at Lex, tone leaning toward scolding. 

Lex smirked in a blatant show of no shame. 

“A high-school boyfriend is an obstacle, not a husband. No one has made any vows and all’s fair in love and war.” 

Peyton scoffed and her mouth twisted as she fought back a disbelieving smile. 

“You did not. You can’t be doling out romance advice like that, as if you’re a writer for Dear Abby.” 

His smirk only grew. 

“I’ve done pretty well for myself so far,” he goaded. 

He and Clark exchanged amused looks as Peyton pressed her lips together and felt her face heat up. She couldn’t respond properly with Clark in the room, so she settled on a scowl. 

“Very smart,” she said. She inclined her head and directed her next sentence at Clark. “Just remember, in the end it’s Lana’s choice what she wants to do.” 

“I know,” Clark defended. “But it can’t hurt to let her know she has options. Maybe even better ones.” 

“It’s your turn,” Lex said, moving away from the table. He clapped Clark on the back. “Good luck.” 

[]

They played a few games. Peyton tried to challenge Clark as well, but he was surprisingly good at billiards and, she claimed, had an unfair reach advantage. Really, it was more like he had incredible control over his motor functions, he could snap the pool cue sharply and stop abruptly enough to hit the billiard balls with extreme precision, but saying he was so tall it was cheating was funnier. 

 Clark stretched an arm behind his head and grinned smugly when their games were over. He’d won more than he lost.

“I should probably get going,” he said. “My parent’s will be expecting me back before dinner.” 

Lex went to check the time, but his watch wasn’t on his wrist. He looked back to his desk, and frowned at whatever he did, or didn’t, see.

“I put my watch down right here, didn’t I?” He said as he walked over. Lex picked up his tie and moved it as if the watch might have been underneath. Peyton looked over. 

“You took it off with your tie,” she said, confusion coloring her tone. 

There was no watch on the desk, or around it on the floor. Lex shuffled some papers around but it wasn’t there.

“What does it look like?” Asked Clark.

“It’s a silver watch with a Napoleon franc as the face.”

“Oh,” said Clark,” that’s really unique.” 

Lex’s expression grew tight and frustrated as he couldn’t find the watch anywhere near the desk. Peyton felt a pang at his expression. She lifted a few of the couch cushions, but there weren’t even crumbs underneath. 

“This doesn’t make sense,” she said. “I saw you take it off and put it down.” 

Clark stood helplessly to the side and Lex let out a frustrated huff as he placed his hands on his hips. 

“It’s my favorite watch,” he said. 

“Why’s that?” Clark asked. “You must have a lot of unique watches.” 

“I have hundreds,” Lex agreed. “But this one is special. My mother gave this one to me before she passed.” 

“I didn’t know that,” Peyton murmured. 

Clark looked mildly confused. 

“Why a French franc?” 

Lex stepped away from looking along the bookshelf next to his desk and faced Clark. 

“You ever see the painting of Napoleon’s coronation by Jacques-Louis David?” 

Clark shook his head; Peyton listened just as intently. He hadn’t spoken about his mother to her since he mentioned she was gone when they were teens. At least, not that she remembered right now. Then again, she hadn’t asked him either. 

“Napoleon's mother couldn't make it to his coronation.” Lex explained. “But when he commissioned it, Napoleon told David to paint her in as if she were there, right in the center. Even though she couldn't be there physically, he brought her into his life through sheer force of will, there to share in his greatness.”

There was a brief quiet as Lex’s story was absorbed. It tugged at Peyton’s heartstrings; here she was struggling with the conflict of two mothers while Lex lost the only one he had. 

“I can see why it means a lot to you,” said Clark. He pressed his lips together then sighed helplessly as his eyes stopped scanning the office. “But I don’t see it anywhere.” 

“Are you a metal detector?” Peyton inquired with a bit of humor. He hadn’t even moved from his spot to attempt looking. But Clark ducked his head marginally and covered it with a smile. 

“I was raised on a farm. I’m pretty good at finding needles in haystacks.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind if I can’t find it,” Lex said. 

“Well, thanks for having me over-” 

Clark’s words were interrupted by a horribly loud banging, like someone rapidly slamming a door over and over, and Peyton jumped out of her skin. They all exchanged looks before they rushed out of the office and followed the noise up the stairs. Peyton’s heart beat faster as the noise grew louder. At the top of the stairs they took a turn in the direction of Peyton’s room. Her heart rose into her throat as she saw it was her bedroom door that rattled in its frame, a bright light glowing through the cracks in the threshold.

“What’s going on?” Peyton questioned aloud. She stepped forward, but Lex held out an arm to stop her from approaching the door.

“Wait here,” he said. 

He and Clark moved towards the door even as the light shone brighter and it rattled more violently. Lex reached cautiously for the doorknob and with one final hesitation, he opened the door. A gust of wind pulled the door open with more force, Lex let go and stumbled back into Clark, who managed to catch him, and Peyton let out a short yelp of surprise. The hall felt heavily silent now without the door banging. Whatever caused the bright light was gone and the room was couched in darkness. Still, Peyton remained where she was, silently glad to have the two men check out the space first. Both of them entered the room, and when she didn’t hear sounds of distress or yelling, she cautiously followed. 

Her room was a disaster. 

The bedding was ripped from her mattress and strewn across the floor, the curtains were dangling by a thread, and down feathers from torn pillows floated in the air like falling snow. But worse were the walls. On every available surface it looked like someone graffitied threatening messages. 

Leave. Liar. Fake. Don’t stay.

LEAVE.

LEAVE.

LEAVE.

Peyton’s breath hitched and she took a step back as Lex surveyed the room with a grim expression. Clark’s face mirrored that foreboding dread. 

What in the world?

[]

Lex placed a glass of wine on the coffee table in front of Peyton and sat down on the couch next to her. Close.

“I had the room across from mine made up for you. Unless there’s somewhere else you’d rather sleep.” 

Peyton shook her head and grabbed the glass of wine as she shifted around to face him. 

“No, that’s fine,” she said. “I’m not leaving the manor. But, someone still got inside and out again without being caught, so-. I’ll feel…” she hesitated and took a stalling sip of wine. “Safer.” 

Lex placed his arm over around the back of the couch where she sat and Peyton didn’t say anything about it. She didn’t want to .

“We’re going to get this figured out,” Lex reassured. “I’ve already had security do a sweep of the manor and lock it down. No one is here that shouldn’t be, and short of poltergeist activity, that’s how it’s going to stay.” 

Peyton snorted. 

“I don’t believe in ghosts.”

“I don’t know,” Lex said. “Between my watch and your room, it’s strange.” 

She looked at him over her glass and raised an eyebrow in doubt; he let slip a small smile in response to her expression. 

A comfortable quiet filled the room and Peyton maybe, possibly, slowly, leaned back slightly. Until her side was just barely brushing against Lex’s. He didn’t make a comment about it, so she told herself he didn’t notice. His fingers ghosted over her shoulder, like an accident.

These strange things were only happening to her because she was here, in this world, in the first place, but she couldn’t pretend that it wasn’t comforting to have Lex nearby anyway. It felt more familiar and reassuring than it should. 

Lex took a deep breath and she felt his chest expand next to her. 

“You wanted to talk about something earlier today,” he said.

“Oh, right.” She took another drink of wine. “My mom is lying to me. My mom here,” she corrected herself. 

Lex tipped his head back in order to see her face better. 

“About what?”

That was the weirder part to explain. She swirled her glass as she stared at the dark red liquid spin around. 

“Did I ever get a tattoo? I’m assuming you, of all people, would know.”

It was Lex’s turn to look confused. 

“No, you didn’t. How does that relate to your mom lying to you?”

“The day of our wedding, the hairdresser made a comment about me having one on the top of my head,” Peyto said. Finally, she lifted her eyes and cut them over to watch Lex’s reaction. “And, thinking back on it, Clark asked me at one point if I’d ever gotten one too. But when I called my mom and hinted, asked, about it, she got very defensive. Told me it was a birthmark. But I could hear it in her voice. She was trying to get me to leave it alone.”

Lex’s gaze flickered to her hair. 

“It would have been hard to hide getting a tattoo on your head,” he said. But curiosity laced his tone. 

Peyton tapped her wine glass then put it back down on the coffee table. 

“I can’t see it myself, I already tried. Do you think-?”

Lex understood her unfinished question and sat up as he drew his arm back off the couch.

“Yeah, of course I can look.” 

Peyton adjusted her position so her back was facing Lex and managed not to flinch as his fingers combed through her hair. The act felt more vulnerable and intimate than him unbuttoning her dress and Peyton shivered as he carefully parted more sections of hair. She froze in response to his movements suddenly stalling. 

“Your mom told you it was a birthmark?” He asked. 

And with that alone, Peyton knew that it wasn’t. 

“That’s what she claimed.” 

He hummed in reply and then continued sifting through her hair, this time with a more 

purposeful path. Whatever was on her head must have covered a bit of space, because Peyton could track as he studied the entirety of whatever it was. It took up a good portion of the top of her skull.

“Well?” She prompted at his prolonged silence. 

Lex sat back and she turned back to face him. He wore a contemplative expression, something between curiosity and uncertainty. 

“It does look like a tattoo,” he said. “But it doesn’t make sense for you to have one, and it’s not a design I recognize. Did you-” he paused, seemingly debating his words, but then broke down and asked anyway. “Did you have one in your memories? In your… other world.” 

Peyton let out a dry laugh because it was a better option than freaking out. 

“Um, no.” She said flatly. “I don’t like needles, and I never had hair shorter than my jawline.” She swallowed and licked her lips. “What does it look like?” 

Lex opened his mouth to answer then stopped and got up to grab some paper off his desk. 

“It would be easier to show you,” he said. 

He sat back down next to her with a legal pad and a pen. Peyton pressed up against him and watched avidly as he drew on the paper. 

There were two parallel lines, slightly curved at the ends like two long, thin “S”’s. Coming off the outer sides of the curved lines were circles and at either end of the lines were two small dots. Ignoring the parallel lines, the design mirrored itself, essentially. It meant nothing to Peyton. 

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” she said. “Why would my mom be so alarmed about me knowing about it? How would she even know it was there if you didn’t?”

She took the drawing from him to continue to study, and Lex sat back as he placed his ankle over his knee.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. 

Her anger reignited; Peyton clenched her jaw and shook her head. All this time. All this time. 

“She’s been lying to me for years,” she snapped as she dropped the pad. “I finally ask her an honest question and the first thing she does is deliberately lie to me . She- she told me she loved me the day we got married; how am I supposed to believe a word she says to me if she’s willing to try and gaslight me like this?” 

“Hey,” Lex reached out to hold her arm and draw her attention. “I get better than most how the betrayal of a parent stings, but I do believe your mom cares about you.”

“She only ever cared about the wedding because it was to you .” Peyton continued. “For all I know she really does only care about getting her claws into LuthorCorp.” 

He brushed back a lock of her hair and the touch startled Peyton enough that it broke her out of her tirade. Maybe that was his aim. 

“Does that bother you,” he questioned analytically. “What does it matter to you if she does or doesn’t care about her daughter? Or if she does want to try some foolish power grab?”

Peyton didn’t exactly have an answer for him. She pulled back and looked away as she worried her bottom lip.

“It’s the principle of it,” she decided. “It’s wrong. And for all I know she’s part of this problem. My problem.”

“Our problem.” Lex said. When she blinked and looked at him, he smiled. “Your problems are my problems now too; isn’t that what you said?”

She had. Foolishly, perhaps. Far too sentimentally. But, God help her, she didn’t want to be alone. And she wanted what her other parents had. Peyton pulled her tongue away from the roof of her mouth. 

“Right.” 

Lex’s emotions shifted, there was a flash of conflict, then he let out a breath and reached over to put her wine glass back in her hands. 

“You haven’t talked much about the people you knew… before. Your other family. Do you want to tell me about them?” 

Peyton’s tongue suddenly felt thick and her throat tight. It didn’t escape her that generally Lex avoided or redirected the conversation when she brought up her other life. For him to bring up the topic himself must have gone against all his compulsions. It was too close to admitting something other, of acknowledging there was somewhere else she might rather be. 

She cradled her glass in both hands, and if they somehow settled on the couch too close yet again neither of them mentioned it. 

“My other parents had the same names,” she said quietly. It suddenly felt odd to speak openly about them. Like they’d been mostly a secret in her head. “I guess their personalities were similar, in the basic sense. Mom was the excitable one while dad was the stoic pillar. Jacen and Orion were twins and they tried their hardest to be annoying, but I still loved being around them anyway. They constantly ate my leftovers without remorse when I lived at home. I missed them when I moved out. I do miss them .” 

Lex listened quietly while she spoke. Peyton ran her hand through her hair.

“Then there was Clara, my roommate but more like an unofficial sister,” she said with a small, fond laugh. “She was a nurse on the night shift and I swear if she wasn’t working or sleeping, she was reading. I can’t even count the number of times she read Jurassic Park . It was her favorite. She used to think it was funny to tell me the different types of injuries the characters in the book would sustain from the dinosaurs.”

She spoke and Lex listened. It felt good to share. To get them out of her head and remember them properly. 

And for a moment, curled up on the couch next to Lex, so close they might as well be touching, there wasn’t some vandal or specter out to torment her and she could forget momentarily that she was being lied to by the woman who should want to protect her the most.

She had her memories and she had Lex. And she wasn’t alone.

Chapter Text

There was an uncomfortable air that lingered in the manor after they found Peyton’s room trashed. She remained in the bedroom near Lex’s even after her original room was cleaned up. Mostly cleaned up. It was difficult to get the paint off the walls. 

She didn’t believe ghosts used paint.

But the idea that it wasn’t a ghost still didn’t make her feel safe, and she didn’t understand how someone could have gotten in and out without being caught. How had they gotten the door to rattle or the light to shine without being inside? Why did they target her specifically?

There were so many issues to worry about, Peyton wasn’t sure how to prioritize them. Everything seemed important; everything felt like it should take prominence. And everything felt like it needed to be handled and figured out before it would fit and make sense with everything else. 

The mark on her head was another puzzle piece, but it meant nothing without context and she didn’t think her mom would be willing to give that. Peyton couldn’t trust her to tell the truth anyway.

But what did the mark even matter to her? 

She was supposed to be getting home . She wanted to get home . Everyday it felt farther away and it scared her. Not that she couldn’t remember, but with every week that separated her from her original life, it felt more like a hopeless endeavor to get back. It felt more like a memory.

Peyton needed to get back before her body was dead at her desk. Violent nausea rolled through her at the thought and she immediately pivoted. No. Comatose. Her comatose body. 

Lex looked up when she entered his office at a clip walk; he closed his laptop and gave her his full attention. Peyton leaned over the edge of his desk and quickly drummed her fingers along the surface.

“So, I’ve collected a couple paychecks now,” she said. “Do you think I can get that list of doctor’s you worked with on my condition?” 

Lex’s expression was carefully composed, but it was too still. He licked his lips as he looked away and nodded. 

“Right,” he said.

He got up and Peyton followed as he walked over to what looked like a normal wall panel below the window behind his desk and pressed on the corner. She watched as he reached inside a hidden cubby, opened a safe, and pulled out her file. Surprisingly, he handed it to her without debate. His eyes, however, were tight. Guilt pooled in Peyton’s belly. 

“Thank you,” she said, subdued. “I know- I appreciate this.” 

“Maybe they’ll have better luck with you being aware now,” he said sardonically. She moved to leave the room in order to look through the file without bothering him and he called after her. “Do you have a plan, for if they don’t give you the answers you want?” 

She pivoted on the ball of her foot and walked backwards a few steps so she could look at him. 

“I guess I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it.” 

[]

Some of the paperwork was familiar, even if she’d had a concussion while originally looking at it. But she didn’t remember who any of the doctor’s were from her first brief read. She spread out the paperwork on her desk in her office and scanned through the relevant information. Not all the doctors had the same specializations and not all had approached her condition the same way; and given she had limited funds she needed to decide who to contact first wisely. She skimmed down the list. 

Dr. Morgan , a neurologist who focused on hallucinatory disorders and seizures. She hadn’t found anything of note with Peyton. Or, she wouldn’t have known what she was looking at even if she did. There was too much wrong to know how to begin narrowing it down, especially since Peyton couldn’t help tell her what she was experiencing. But at least they ruled out seizures.

Dr. Rosenquist, a specialized somnologist who had apparently also seen her as a child. He’d tried to see if new tests would now show a correlation to a disruption in her REM cycle. Lex had added a little note near his name to express his personal dissatisfaction with the doctor’s results and blasé attitude.

Dr. Kirkpatrick, another neurologist but he specialized in degenerative diseases. All he could conclude was that there didn’t appear to be any continued degeneration. However there were parts of her limbic system that were active, or suddenly overactive, in strange cycles. But whatever was being processed didn’t seem to make it to the surface of her consciousness.

Dr. Henson, not even a medical doctor. He was a clinical psychologist. Peyton’s vision tunneled as she stared at his name. 

Dr. Henson. 

Her breathing quickened and her heart clenched painfully.

Dr. Henson . 

Her emails. The theoretical physicist who was humoring her questions about parallel universes. Dr. Robert Henson was the last person she’d almost communicated with before she collapsed. 

It had to be a coincidence. It had to be . Robert and Henson had to be common names. Her stomach still churned. 

Peyton snatched up the paper with his name on it and made a frantic dash back to Lex’s office. His head snapped up and he stood as she threw open the door and marched in. 

“Peyton?” 

“Where did you get this name?” She asked, the pitch of her voice climbed higher as she spoke. 

Lex rounded his desk with a concerned look on his face as he met her halfway, his hands already lifted to try and pacify her. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? What are you talking about?” 

“Dr. Robert Henson, where did you get his name? ”

Peyton struggled to control her breathing as Lex held onto her shoulders and tried to maintain eye contact between them. 

“Dr. Henson was a desperate shot in the dark to try and help you,” he said. “You met with him a few times, but it didn’t seem to have much impact and he wanted to use some questionable means of experimental treatment. What’s the matter?” 

Peyton bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head in denial. 

“No,” she said. “No, Dr. Henson was a doctor I contacted myself. Before I came back here. He was a theoretical physicist. We emailed.”

“Maybe you should sit down; breathe,” Lex advised. Peyton shook the document in front of him. 

“I don’t want to sit down . I want to know how you found a doctor with the exact same name as the one I did!” 

Movement flickered in her peripheral vision, and before she even could fully look, Lex yanked her to the side as a vase flew passed the spot her head had been. It crashed into the opposite wall and shattered into a thousand pieces. Peyton pressed up against Lex instinctively as she looked for the danger, but to her horror they were the only ones in the room.

Lex held onto her as he also surveyed the direction the vase came from. 

A billiard ball suddenly rose in the air on its own and launched itself at them. Lex pulled her down with him as he dropped to the floor to avoid the projectile. The billiard ball rattled the wall next to the fireplace as it impacted and made a hole in the drywall.

Peyton could hardly think as they scrambled around one of the couches for some sort of cover. Lex ripped his cell phone from his pocket and snapped for security to get on scene. The side door to the office banged open then slammed violently closed, and then the office grew still.

For a moment they didn’t move, still huddled behind a couch that hardly offered protection. Peyton tried not to pant in terror as she remained frozen. It was still silent a few minutes later, and Lex uncurled from around her to look. 

But what would he really see? There’d been nothing there the first time.

Peyton mimicked Lex’s movements as he stood. There was debris on the floor from the shattered vase and broken drywall, but nothing else. Two security guards burst into the room, but whatever happened seemed to be over. Even so, they did a sweep of the space to ensure there wasn’t anyone hiding somewhere; there wasn’t.

“Are you alright,” Lex asked. “You didn’t get hit?”
She shook her head. 

“I’m alright. What- what was that?”

“I wish I knew.”

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she didn’t even know what to focus on. Peyton bent down to pick up the medical paper she’d dropped in the chaos and looked to the side door.

“If that was a ghost,” she considered absently, “it’s interesting it slammed the lesser used door. The one farther away from where security would be coming in.”

“What are you speculating?” Lex asked as he came up beside her. “We’re being haunted by the Invisible Man?”

Peyton shook her head as if shaking off her stray thoughts and rubbed between her eyes. 

“I don’t know. I guess I was just thinking about what you said about Tina. Sorry. There’s just been so much going on, I think I’m losing it.”

Lex’s eyes took on a particular shine at her words and he eyed the aforementioned door.

“No. I don’t think you’re losing it,” he said.

[]

 The manor didn’t feel safe with whatever lurking within the walls. Peyton wasn’t sure outside was any safer, but that’s where she found herself. She stared at the paperwork with Dr. Henson’s name on it and scowled. It didn’t make sense and it filled her with a clawing dread. There was a side of her that was tempted to fall back on old habits and just ignore it. Forget about it. But she couldn’t. Not now. She understood that it meant something, even if she wasn’t sure what. 

With a sigh she folded the page and put it in her jacket pocket. The air was fresh with a hint of floral sweetness. She inhaled a lungful of it and relished the scent. Roses. The manor grounds were well manicured with various attractive plants, but Peyton hadn’t spent much time admiring any of it. Even at their wedding reception, it had been so busy that she didn’t pay attention to the surrounding landscape. Which seemed to be a shame because it really was well cultivated. 

Lex didn’t want her wandering too far away as he reevaluated plans with their security team, but Peyton couldn’t sit still as the thoughts and possibilities over the doctor continued to curdle. Maybe a walk would help. She wouldn’t even leave the garden. 

The manor fell behind her as she made her way along a neatly trimmed walkway. There were hedges along the property borders and a few defining different areas of the grounds. In flower beds were planted a few different perennials and some species she suspected weren’t native, or readily available, to Kansas. But she noted that the flowers weren’t too whimsical. They remained in the realm of “dignified”. No wildflowers. Nothing planted together to be too colorful. There was actually more greenery than anything. 

The section dominated by roses attracted her attention and she drifted toward it. It was mostly white roses, she noted. A few bushes of red. Peyton rounded a bend in the path and stopped. 

Green roses? 

She hadn’t ever seen green roses before. 

Peyton delicately brushed the side of her finger against the soft petals and marveled at the color. Perhaps green roses were something a gardener could cultivate, plants were generally green anyway, but this shade of green. There was something different about it. Almost like it glowed.

“Oh, pardon me, Mrs. Luthor.” 

Peyton looked up at a male voice and was met with the ground’s keeper, Mr. Palmer. He had a trowel in his hand and a few feet behind him a wheelbarrow filled with fertilizer was parked next to some of the beds of flowers. Peyton stepped away from the rose bush and smiled.

“You’re fine,” she said. “I was just admiring the roses. Did you cultivate these?”

She pointed to the green petals and Mr. Palmer shook his head. 

“Thank you, ma’am, but no. They were here when we moved in, I’ve just been tending to them.”

“Their color is unusual.”

Mr. Palmer politely nodded.

“I haven’t been able to identify the variety,” he admitted. “Neither can my son, and he’s got books on plants for his studies in chemistry. But it is a beautiful bloom.”

Peyton eyed one of the flowers and turned back to Mr. Palmer with an overly friendly smile. 

“Do you think I could get a clipping?” She asked. “Just one?” 

Mr. Palmer looked surprised but patted his pockets and pulled out a pair of pruning shears.

“Of course, Mrs. Luthor!” 

It was still going to take some time to get used to being called that.

He cut one of the roses that hadn’t yet fully opened; Peyton was careful to not to grab the stem where there were thorns. She spun it between her fingers and watched as the green petals glimmered in the light.

Whatever variety it was, it was astonishing. It’d look beautiful in a bud vase on her desk. 

[]

Peyton placed the rose in a small vase and avoided looking at the paper with Dr. Henson’s name on it. She ought to dig into it and further discuss it with Lex. Unpack what it might signify. After all, she couldn’t believe the idea of it being a coincidence, even if she desperately wanted to. But there was still that horribly shaken side of her that wanted nothing more than to shove that paper with his name down in the bottom of a drawer somewhere and pretend she never found it. Perhaps it shouldn’t have filled her with so much dread. But it did. 

She could email the doctor.

A bitter laugh escaped her at the thought of reestablishing contact with him. Only it would be like starting over, wouldn’t it? No, not even that. He wasn’t the same kind of doctor here. What could he offer her now?

Still, he had the same name. That had to mean something important. 

The door to her office opened wider and Peyton spun around sharply. It was only Lex; he leaned in and his gaze traveled over her like he was concerned she might have been injured in the time they were apart. 

“Hey. I’m having security do routine sweeps until we find whoever is responsible for all this,” he told her. “Until they do-” he paused as if realizing whatever he planned to say next wasn’t ideal. “I think it’d be a good idea for us to check in with each other throughout the day. It’s not a good sign that the activity has escalated to physical violence, and it seems to be specifically targeting you, for some reason.”

Peyton leaned back with her hands on the edge of her desk and nodded. It did seem to be gunning for her. Lex’s room, afterall, remained undisturbed and that vase had aimed for her head. 

“Okay,” she agreed. She wouldn’t move out of the manor, wouldn’t run from these attacks, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be smart. “I’m assuming security didn’t find anything incriminating.” 

The lack of leads looked to irritate Lex. 

“No. Not yet.”

His gaze drifted over her desktop where her own bit of evidence still sat out in the open. For some reason she held her breath as he fully entered the room and stood next to her in front of the desk. Once again he was thinking thoughts she couldn’t begin to decipher. Peyton looked down to the page and could immediately pick out Dr. Henson’s name.

“It’s not a… memory. From here. Of my- her- life. I emailed him specifically to try and ask about parallel universes, though I never quite got around to getting any real answers from him.” 

Lex dragged his eyes to her and Peyton froze as he lifted one of her hands, turning it so her palm faced up. He found the thin, pale line along her thumb and ran his own over it. 

“This isn’t the first time there’s been overlap, is it? The cut. Your necklace.” His eyes flickered down to where the locket sat at the base of her throat. “You mentioned both those things as well.”

Peyton swallowed at the reminder. 

“I don’t know what it all means.” She chewed her bottom lip momentarily and subtly detangled their fingers. The contact wasn’t good for her. Or him. Worse now after the kiss because she knew she liked it. “You mentioned his treatments were controversial,” she said to distract from her movements. “What does that mean?”

Lex took a step back and shoved one hand in his pocket. For a moment he was somewhere else and he scowled.

“Dr. Henson wasn’t as concerned about questions of consent and free will with you as I was,” he said. “He wanted to try putting you at different levels of inebriation to see how that affected your mental state.”

Peyton pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth and felt her hackles rise. 

“He wanted to get me drunk?” 

“He found your functioning peculiar and wanted to see how it reacted to different stimuli; wanted to see if you’d give different responses. Obviously I disagreed with his methods and ended the sessions.”

It was always frightening to be reminded that in that alternate state, anything could have been done to her. She could have been made to do anything; like a puppet. 

“I think Dr. Henson was amused by my questions,” she told Lex. “I didn’t get the chance to be blunt with him, but he humored my proposed scenarios a little.”

“Do you know what he looked like,” Lex asked. Peyton shook her head. 

“I never met him in person. Just some friendly old man.” 

“Old?” Pressed Lex. 

Peyton ran her hand through her hair and sighed in agitation. 

“I mean, I assume he was old. I found him through,” she squinted as she tried to recall, “I think it was online? Or maybe it was the library. He must have been published. That usually takes a while.” 

“Potentially,” Lex half agreed as he looked over towards her office door where a mirror and a clock hung on the connecting wall.

“Thank you,” Peyton said, Lex looked back at her in confusion. “For being an advocate for me when I- when all this was going on. I never liked being drunk. It always felt… bad.”

Lex softened and moved closer again. He started to speak, stopped himself, then pressed his lips together in a smile and tried again. 

“It wouldn’t have been right,” he said. 

Peyton slumped against her desk again and exhaled loudly as she rolled her head on her neck and looked up at Lex. 

“What situations we find ourselves in,” she said. “We just need the cherry on top: your dad paying another visit to make it truly an unforgettable week.” 

Lex looked at her with something less than amusement. 

“Please,” he said, then winced. “Don’t say that. Especially when it’s entirely too possible.”

She moved away from the desk then, away from the paper, away from her spiraling questions. There were more immediate concerns at the moment. Conveniently. 

“I think I’m going to run into town for a little bit,” she told him. “You don’t think whatever it is will go after you, do you?”

Lex smiled slightly at her question. 

“I think I’ll be fine. Just-” He rolled his tongue in his mouth then reached out and grasped her hand again. “Be careful out there.” 

Peyton's stomach fluttered, and she attempted to smile to lighten the mood. 

“I’m starting to think that’s harder than it should be in Smallville.” 

[]

It would have been weird to wait outside the high school like a stalker, so Peyton sent a text to Clark to ask Chloe if she could meet at the Beanery to talk for a few minutes. She needed to get Chloe’s number so she didn’t have to jump through hoops again. 

Peyton had a coffee waiting for Chloe when she showed up, since she was apparently a regular customer with a familiar order. When Chloe entered the cafe, she gave the cup across from Peyton a curious look and sat down with a, 

“Thanks. So, what’s this meetup about? I’m assuming it’s not a voluntary interview.” 

Peyton smiled thinly. 

“I don’t think you’d be interested in another of those,” she said. “I was actually hoping to ask you some questions, if you don’t mind. About your meteorite theories.”

Chloe acquired a slightly more defensive posture again as her brows rose in surprise. 

“You actually buy into my theories?” 

Peyton fiddled with her cup of coffee and decided to try and be as honest with the girl as she could be. Or felt safe with.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But some truly unusual things have happened recently and it makes me wonder. Some things seem to… defy logical explanation.”

Chloe leaned in closer, her eyes bright as she sensed a potential story. 

“Like what?” She prodded.

Peyton pursed her lips and looked off to the side.

“Was… Tina Greer ever on your Wall?” 

Chloe’s stare sharpened and her head tipped to the side in thought. 

“Not exactly,” she said. “I knew from gossip she had some illness as a kid and seemed to have miraculously overcome it, but there wasn’t much talk otherwise. And she was quiet in school. This has to do with how she was able to nearly frame Lex, doesn’t it?” 

Well, she kind of walked into having to admit something, didn’t she? Peyton shifted in her seat and swirled her coffee cup. 

“Yes,” she confirmed. “Lex said Tina seemed to be cured after the meteor shower and she could… do things. So I just- I didn’t know if you might have an idea-” 

To her credit, Chloe looked like her knee jerk reaction was to start questioning Peyton about what Tina had been able to do, but she curbed it to look beyond Peyton’s line of questioning. 

“Why now?” Chloe asked. She studied Peyton’s face and her lips parted in curiosity. “Is there something new going on? Something like Tina?”

“Possibly. Off the record, there have been a few… incidents at the manor. But no one has been able to identify a culprit. Did Clark tell you about what happened when he was making a delivery a few days ago?” 

Chloe shook her head and Peyton nodded in acknowledgement. 

“Well, someone got into the manor, trashed my room, and left all without being seen. And we were only down the stairs.” 

“Your room?”
“Our room, obviously,” Peyton lied. “But they mostly focused on my things.”

With a perplexed huff, Chloe sat back and took a drink of coffee. Her eyes darted around as her thoughts ran. 

“Seems like it’d be difficult for someone to get away with and not be seen, for sure. I’ll look through my sources and see if I come across anything that even feels like it relates.”

Her phone chimed and Chloe read the message with another huff of exasperation. 

“But on that note, I have to run. Clark apparently needs someone to cover for him at the blood drive that he insisted on helping with.”

“The one being held at the high school?” Peyton asked. 

“Yeah, we all either have to donate blood or volunteer for health class.” 

They both stood and Peyton tossed her cup into a nearby trash can. 

“Then I’ll let you go. Thank you, Chloe; I appreciate you giving me some of your time.” 

At that, Chloe grinned widely. 

“Hey, if it has to do with the strange and unexplainable, I always have time.” 

[]

There was a security guard posted near the front door when she got back. He nodded at her as she walked by, but otherwise didn’t move and Peyton wondered how long he’d been there. Even if it was his job, it must suck to have to sit or stand in one spot of their house all day just waiting for something to happen, but hoping it didn’t. Maybe she could drop off some snacks and water for him later. 

A few more work memos needed to be completed before dinner and she’d been putting them off, in part due to the most recent events, but also because they were starting to become monotonous. Obviously she still had a ways to go in proving she’d truly grown to her parents, but she hoped they’d believe it sooner rather than later. 

Peyton finished the last few pieces of correspondence quickly and once more dabbled in organizing the files and folders in the shared drive. And though it was outside of her current statement of work, she gravitated towards the accounting files. In her job before at the banking firm, she’d worked quite extensively with numbers and reports. Perhaps it would show some initiative to her father if she reached a little farther. Show him that she wasn’t just content to do the bare minimum. 

Her parent’s marketing company was expansive and lucrative. They worked with many high end brands in various markets and it was rather impressive how successful they were. Peyton wasn’t as aware of marketing mechanics, she realized now that she ought to have paid more attention to that with her tutors, but, again. She knew numbers. 

She poked around in files and took advantage of the fact that they wouldn't track her opening them at this point in time, as long as she didn’t make any changes. The accounting department looked like they had everything pretty well buttoned up. She could see some places they’d benefit from a web-based sharing system, but that would have to wait to develop more fully. 

Peyton frowned as she noted a strange recurring transfer on multiple bi-annual reports. The amount wasn’t too gratuitous, but it was significant enough to catch her attention, and it looked to be sent somewhere via an intermediary. But it wasn’t clear where its end destination was. The documentation was fine if one just dug down a few layers, but after that it appeared to get muddled and vague. The best she could find in association with the regular transaction was the initial “L.L.,V.” but there wasn’t any description beyond that. Nothing to clarify what that referred to. 

“Elle, elle, vee,” Peyton murmured to herself. “What is that?” 

Perhaps it was nothing more than poor record keeping, but given how well the rest of the accounting department was handled, Peyton had her doubts. A thrill of adrenaline ran through her. 

It could be something more. Someone could be using the intermediary to skim the top off some miscellaneous spending. If that was what was happening, if Peyton uncovered it, that could boost her image in her parents eyes, and maybe they would trust her. Maybe they would finally realize that she was better now; that she could think for herself and be reliable. Maybe they’d love her more. 

Peyton shook her head and tsked sharply as she reprimanded herself for the thought. 

Ridiculous. She shouldn’t even care. 

She shut her laptop with a quiet click and decided she was just about done thinking for the day. It was about dinner time anyway. Peyton exited her office and peered over the stairs to see the security guard still at his station. It filled her with a mixture of relief and pity. She made her way down to the kitchen and picked up a bottle of water and a prepackaged snack that would offer a little protein, and then made her way back to the front doors.

“Hey,” she said, and the security guard’s head snapped toward her.

“Mrs. Luthor, is everything alright?” 

Peyton huffed out a little laugh and nodded. 

“Everything is fine,” she reassured. “I just feel bad that you have to stand here for hours on my account. Um. I don’t know if you’re hungry or thirsty or anything.” 

She held up her offerings and the security guard looked surprised by the food. 

“You don’t have to do that, Mrs. Luthor.” He said. “We do get breaks.” 

“Is yours soon?” 

He made a face as if she’d caught him in something, and she smiled in gentle amusement. 

“Well, I’ll just leave these here in case you get hungry before your break, Mr.-” 

“Hernandez, ma’am.”

“Mr. Hernandez. Thanks for looking out for me!”

His expression softened as he looked at the snack, then he straightened back up as Peyton waved and walked away. It felt good to connect with the people who worked in their home again. 

Lex came through his office doorway when she passed, his gaze was sharp like he had been looking for her, and his shoulders relaxed when he saw her. He reached for her, but then stopped himself and lowered his arm. 

“Hey,” he said. “How was your trip to town?” 

Peyton forced her eyes away from his hands and considered his question. 

“Fine. I met up with Chloe.” Lex shifted to face her more and Peyton recognized he wanted her to elaborate. “You mentioned her Wall with Tina the other day and, with all that’s been happening, I just wanted to see if maybe she knew something we didn’t. I didn’t tell her much. Just that someone was able to get in and out without being detected.” 

He considered that and tipped his head in agreement. The smell of dinner wafted down the hall and Peyton impulsively grabbed Lex's hand to pull her behind him as she started toward the dining room. She was only hungry. They could have this discussion on the go. That was all. 

Lex’s hand tightened around hers and he followed. 

“Did she have any ideas?” 

“Not immediately,” Peyton admitted. “But she said she’d contact me if she came across anything.”

Lex hummed in response and as they sat down, Peyton forced herself to let go of his hand. He watched as she drew her hand back and bit her lip, but didn’t say anything. 

It shouldn’t be so much of a battle, keeping her distance. She’d almost fooled herself that she was, before the kiss. But now she was in an all out war with herself and still losing. His presence shouldn’t feel so natural; so right. 

And yet. 

She needed the distance more than he did.

Lex was more sullen than usual. She wondered if it were due to her knowing Dr. Henson, the incident today, or the fact that they still didn’t know who was responsible. Compounding all of those things wasn’t exactly the making of a good day. She was exhausted herself. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Peyton spoke up again.

“I found something unusual in the Woods Inc. accounting files today.”

“Accounting?” Lex’s expression shifted from its stoic evenness into something more amused. He pinned her with his gaze and leaned slightly forwards conspiratorially. “Aren’t you in administration?” 

Peyton lifted her chin. 

“I was practicing showing initiative,” she defended. “And it may be good that I did. I think someone is embezzling funds from our company.” 

“What did your parents say?”
At that, Peyton’s lips twisted slightly and she fidgeted. 

“I haven’t told them yet. I just found it before dinner. And I-” 

How terrible would it sound to say she didn’t exactly want to tell them until she solved the crime herself? She chewed her lip again and Lex’s eyes shone. 

“You want to be the hero,” he said with laughter in his tone. 

Peyton gaped in offense. 

“It’s not about being a hero,” she argued. “I just want them to see that I can do it.” He hummed again with a grin and she scowled. “It’s not. If I can bring them hard proof and a possible culprit, then they’ll see I’m… I’m me. ”

His expression softened so obviously that it nearly melted her insides. It turned them molten when he grasped her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Peyton was too stunned to try and pull away. 

“They know; whether or not they realize it,” he said. “Like I told you before, you’re too bright not to see.”

Her wedding ring burned hot on her finger. 

He really, really wasn’t fair.

Chapter Text

She did it. 

After a day and a half of deliberation, she sent another email to Dr. Henson.

It was a polite inquiry for now. Peyton wanted to see how he would react to getting an email from her, not Lex . And, if he still had the files on their sessions to give her, that couldn’t hurt. But for some reason it still felt like she was waiting to hear back about a job opportunity. A certain anxiety simmered low in her gut and she purposefully closed her internet browser to stop herself from constantly refreshing her email.

The last thing she needed to do was sit around in anticipation, so she left her office and headed to the kitchen for lunch. She made sure to pass Lex’s office before heading that direction and gave him a wave to let him know things were still fine. 

Luckily, there hadn’t yet been any more vases or billiard balls, but they still hadn’t caught anyone either.

There were a couple people in the kitchen when she walked in. Peyton waved politely to Mrs. Palmer then her daughter, Amy. Amy pressed her lips together and refused to acknowledge her; Peyton felt the cold shoulder from across the room. 

Maybe something had happened when Peyton wasn’t herself. It wasn’t too outrageous to think Amy could have taken Peyton’s ‘forgetfulness’ as an insult during some interaction back in Metropolis.

“I’m just getting a bite to eat,” Peyton explained. 

Mrs. Palmer nodded.

“Of course, Mrs. Luthor. We’re finishing up the linens.”

As if to prove her point, Mrs. Palmer folded a hand towel then murmured to Amy that she was going to get the last basket of clean laundry and left the room. Peyton used digging through the fridge as an excuse not to have to feign friendliness with Amy. She could feel the heat of the girl’s glare on her back even as she tried to ignore her. 

There were leftovers, so Peyton dished some on a plate and slid it in the microwave. From the corner of her eye she could see Amy clenching a hand towel in her fist and gritting her teeth, and Peyton decided it was best to try and clear the air instead of living in perpetual awkwardness. As her plate slowly spun in a circle, she turned and directly faced Amy.

“Are you okay, Amy?”

Amy scowled and her lips pressed more firmly together. 

“Am I okay,” she repeated in disdain. For a moment it looked like she was going to burst and hurl whatever grievances she had at Peyton. But instead her eyes turned red and she curled into herself as tears started to fall.

“He doesn’t really love you,” she said in nearly a whisper. “How could he?”

Peyton gaped.

“Excuse me?”

Amy dropped the towel and turned away with a stifled cry. Peyton reached toward her,

but Amy rushed from the kitchen before Peyton could figure out what was going on.

“You don’t even share a room. ”

The statement froze Peyton in place as she watched the girl go. It was all about Lex? Amy couldn’t stand her because she was married to Lex? The girl couldn’t be older than fifteen. 

But, to be fair, that probably didn’t matter to a hormonal, love-struck teenager. The microwave dinged and Peyton let it sit a moment as she pressed against her sinuses and absorbed the interaction. It didn’t seem like she had a chance of winning Amy over if she was purely jealous. Jealous in the ridiculous way only a teenager could be.

Peyton grabbed her plate and a fork and deftly left the kitchen before Mrs. Palmer returned with the towels. She would admit it was a bit cowardly, but she didn’t want to have to explain what happened to Amy’s mother. 

Really, she was saving them all from embarrassment. 

She took a bite of food even as she made her way back to her office and noted it wasn’t quite as good as Randall’s cooking. A sensation tugged at her chest as she thought of him. He’d always been kind to her, even when she bothered him in his kitchen. And he was patient when he tried to teach her how to bake different desserts. The memories made her fond and Peyton realized she missed him, in a weird way. He felt more familiar to her than he had any right to. 

Peyton nudged open her office door and took another bite as she thought about Randall’s bread pudding. Maybe she could get her parents to send her some.

[]

The murmur of voices drew Peyton’s attention away from her research. She minimized the window where she was trying to track down the suspicious payments and closed her laptop. So far her search was hitting the same roadblocks over and over. It was difficult to dig deeper when she technically shouldn’t be snooping around the accounting department’s files in the first place.

But a potential visitor would be a welcome distraction from her frustrations as long as it wasn’t Lionel. 

Luck was with her as she followed the voices to Lex’s office. Clark sat across from Lex on the couches and they laughed at something one of them said. Both of them looked at her as she entered the room and Peyton waved as she sat in the seat next to Clark. She stretched her legs and slumped back against the chair.

“What are you two up to? I feel like I’m missing out.” 

“Maybe you wouldn’t be if you didn’t hole yourself away in your office,” Clark teased.

Lex smirked at Clark’s jab and Peyton rolled her eyes. 

“I’m still working to prove myself as responsible,” she defended. “And anyway, I have some research that’s… important.” 

Lex’s expression shifted to be more serious. 

“Did you find anything interesting?” He asked. Peyton shook her head. 

“No. Not yet. I might try going at it from a different angle soon.”

“Anything we can help you with?” Clark offered. “It can help to have fresh eyes looking at a problem.” 

Peyton smiled as she canted her head. 

“Thank you, but I’m okay. It’s company related concerns that are pretty boring. There may be something else you can help me out with, though. Do you know Amy Palmer?”

Clark tilted his head in confusion at the odd question. 

“I know of her and her brother,” he said. “They’re new and I haven’t spoken to them much. Why?” 

Lex looked interested in why she brought up the girl as well and Peyton tried to decide on a delicate way to phrase her statement. 

“I was just curious if it looked like she was fitting in well. Maybe making friends.” 

“Have you noticed a problem with her,” Lex questioned. He sounded genuinely concerned and Peyton flashed a brief smile that changed into a grimace. 

“I don’t know if ‘a problem’ is the right way to put it. We had a couple of… awkward interactions and when I tried to talk to her she got…upset.” 

Lex frowned and looked towards the door to his office like he was thinking of getting up. 

“What possible reason could she have to be upset with you?” 

Peyton licked her lips in hesitation and both men leaned forward in anticipation. She grimaced yet again.

“In the most delicate way possible, because we got married.” 

Lex’s brows rose in surprise and Clark’s eyes widened in secondhand embarrassment. A beat of silence passed and Lex shook his head. 

“So she has a little teenage crush,” he said. “It’s nothing. That doesn’t give her the right to be rude to you.” 

Peyton held up a hand as if to ward off any action. 

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I’m more concerned for her. She was almost distraught and I was just hoping you knew of any friends that could encourage her, Clark. Or, you know, take her mind off things.”

“What?” Clark said, nervously smiling. “You want me to try and set her up with someone? I’m not sure if she’ll lower her standards from corporate heir to high school nobody.” 

Peyton rolled her eyes and nudged Clark’s leg with her foot. 

“I’m not asking you to set her up .” 

“Maybe I will,” Lex cut in. He leaned forward over his desk and looked at Peyton with exaggerated disappointment. “You find out another woman is gunning for your husband’s affection, and not even a drop of jealousy?”

Clark laughed and Peyton clicked her tongue as her face grew warm; Lex’s disappointment morphed into amusement as he watched her reaction. He really did have a bad habit of taking advantage of other people being around to tease her. 

“If I have to be jealous of a fifteen year old, we have much bigger issues,” she said blandly. 

She dismissed Lex as she stood with a sigh and stretched her back. If he was going to make comments she couldn’t fully sass back at, then she would pull an age-old wife tradition and ignore him.

“Well, I better get back to my research,” she announced. Clark looked surprised at her leaving and Lex stood to come around the coffee table to approach her. 

“Don’t tell me we chased you off.”

“As if you could,” Peyton shot back with a challenging smile. “I wanted to visit the library before dinner and see if I can find anything to help direct where I’m looking.” 

“You’d tell me if she actually said something that upset you,” Lex pressed. Peyton’s smile softened. 

“I promise, I’m fine. There’s bigger things to dwell on than what a hormonal girl said.” She paused, then amended. “But thank you for checking.” 

He held her around the waist to tug her closer and shock rippled through Peyton’s limbs at the act. Lex quickly pressed a kiss to her temple and fireworks exploded from the spot and cascaded down the side of her face into her rib cage. 

“I’ll find you to help after Clark and I are done,” he said. 

The adrenaline from his chaste kiss was almost on par with what she felt during their practice before the wedding. She should have been angry. She should scowl at him and accuse him of taking advantage of having company. But she couldn’t muster up the outrage, and that worried her more practical side. 

She liked the kiss .

The gesture felt sweet and domestic and familiar. He felt all too familiar and safe. It was an issue she wasn’t sure how to address, especially since her realizations were all so new. 

Finally she unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth. 

“Alright,” she managed. “Don’t rush because of me.” 

She didn’t return the kiss. She couldn’t. ( She thought about it.) But it would be cruel after she just messaged Dr. Henson. Instead she locked their fingers and squeezed his hand before they parted and she left the room.

Her family was so far away, and yet home still somehow felt so close. 

Peyton decided to focus on the research instead.  

[]