It seemed Jim Gordon had had the right idea getting out early. With Strange's creations out on the streets, Gotham itself had become the madhouse. This made Alyssa's job about ten times harder, and given how hard it was already that was saying something. Barnes – once he'd been discharged from the hospital – had actually been the one to insist she take some time off about two months after the events at Arkham. He insisted that he could handle things for the two weeks she'd be gone, because he was one of the stubbornest people Alyssa knew, he was hard to say no to.
It did feel good to kick her feet up though, and Selina was all too happy to come along on what she called 'a Luthor vacation.'
Yes, Lex had all but jumped at the opportunity to steal Alyssa for a few weeks.
He'd sent the Luthor jet over to pick them up, though Smallville was hardly a prime destination with the heatwave it was currently going through. It was a nice change to the rainy skies of Gotham however, so neither Alyssa or Selina were about to complain.
There were much more interesting things to complain about however, such as the strange woman sitting in the study when they entered it.
"You must be Alyssa and Selina!" she said, standing with a wide smile. "Oh, Lex has told me so much about the two of you."
"Who the hell are you?" Selina frowned.
"I see you found them before I could." Lex's voice made the three of them turn to the doorway. "Ali, Selina. I'd like you to meet Desiree Atkins." he introduced, putting an arm around her as he reached her. "My fiancee."
You could practically hear the sound of the girl's jaws dropping. After getting over her initial shock, Alyssa shook her head and gave him a stiff look.
"Uh, Alex? A word?" not waiting for an answer she yanked on his arm, pulling him from the room.
Selina and Desiree watched them go before sharing a look. Selina forced a laugh as well as a smile.
There was no way this was ending well.
******
In the kitchen, Lex rubbed at his arm as Alyssa finally released it.
"Well, congratulations, and what the hell?!" she exclaimed, her shouts punctuated with a hit to his chest.
"I know, it's sudden, but love keeps no time." he said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Love?! If you were in love, the first thing you would've done is call me!"
"Alright, alright!" Lex laughed. "I get it, I'm sorry. I guess I just got caught up in everything."
"How long you known this girl?"
"Not long. I met her on a LexCorp business meeting last week."
"Last week?! Alex!"
"I told you, love keeps no time. Honestly Ali, I thought you'd be happy for me." he frowned slightly.
"I am happy for you, I'm just....mad for me." she huffed. "This isn't the kind of thing I should find out just because I happened to come over. Were you even planning on inviting me to the wedding?"
"I was planning to ask you to be my best person."
"When?"
"Right now."
Alyssa blinked. "Really?"
Lex chuckled. "Who else would I want with me on one of the most important days of my life?"
********
Happiness for her brother be damned, Alyssa thought there was something off about this Desiree. Especially when she learned that the wedding was schedules for the next day; apparently they had only held off so long for her presence.
Alyssa knew Lex better than anyone. While he was one to act on his passions he rarely did so without a Luthor worthy plan to back him up. The fact that he was jumping headfirst into this with no safety net left a sour taste in her mouth.
Perhaps it was how attached at the hip the two were. She couldn't indulge in the oasis Lex usually was with his fiancee hanging off his arm and taking every chance to distract him from their conversation.
If Alyssa didn't know any better, she'd say she made Desiree nervous.
Whatever this unspoken thing was, it did nothing to delay the ceremony. Alyssa did her best to focus on enjoying her best person duties, as well as indulge in the company of the Smallville residents Lex had invited to the wedding.
"Ms. Connors!"
"Clark!" she smiled. "It's good to see you again."
"You too. I didn't know you were in town."
"Like I'd miss this?" she gestured around. "Though granted when I came here to get some time off, I did not think this was how I'd be spending it."
"Lex caught you off guard too huh?"
"Yeah. So what do you think of the new Mrs. Luthor? I heard she was one of your teachers at school."
"Well she only started today, so I don't actually know her that well." he hesitated slightly. "...Ms. Connors?"
"Yeah Clark?"
"You know Lex better than anyone. Is it me, or does something about this whole shotgun wedding thing seem weird to you?"
Alyssa sighed. "I don't know what to tell ya. Lex has never really been one to hold back, so the wedding isn't that surprising. The bride though...maybe it's my overprotective sister instincts, but something doesn't feel right about her."
******
After all these years, Alyssa really needed to start learning to trust her gut. When she came downstairs that morning, she received further proof that Desiree was bad news.
"Oh, good morning Alyssa." she said far too pleasantly, looking at her over the magazine she was reading. "I was just reading the most fascinating article."
"Ooookay." Alyssa gave her an odd look, going for the cereal cabinet.
"It's hard to believe they let a ginger maniac like that live."
Alyssa stilled. "Run that by me again?"
"Oh, well you're Gotham's mayor so I thought you already knew." Desiree set the magazine down and slid it across the table.
There, on the front cover in glossy color print, was a picture of Jerome in his mangled state accompanied by the headline 'Arkham Freak Walks Free.'
"What the hell?!" Alyssa exclaimed, snatching the magazine. Scanning the article, she saw information that there was no way the press could have. She certainly hadn't told them, the only people who knew about her attempts to help Jerome were –
"It's amazing the stories Lex tells about you, really. How you feed those street rats, how you slept with that cop killer...how your adopted son is a psychotic freakshow...."
"You did this?!"
"I wanted to prove a point." Desiree said simply. "You may be the person Lex trust the most, but it goes both ways. And I've got that man wrapped around my pinkie." she smirked. "So unless you want the rest of the things you've told him to be in print, I suggest you and your little gutter trash kid pack your things, and get out of our lives."
Alyssa gave her a look of pure shock and horror. That quickly turned to fury however, and she stormed out of the kitchen to find Lex.
"Alex!" she burst into his study. "We need to talk!"
"Woah, where's the fire?"
"Did you know about this?!" Alyssa threw the magazine onto his desk. "Did you know your wife was the one that sent that story to the press?!"
Lex looked over the article. "Ali, I'm sorry this happened, but Desiree isn't responsible."
"She just told me she was! Even better, she told me you told her!"
"I have no secrets from my wife."
"They're not your secrets!" Alyssa exclaimed. "Alex the main part of our relationship is the fact that we can tell each other anything and know that it stays between us!"
"You're asking me to lie to Desiree?"
"I'm asking you to be the man you were up until yesterday! I've been having a hard enough time trying to get Jerome the help he needs, the last thing I need is his face plastered on the the cover of a magazine with the word 'freak' under it!"
"Well you can't stop the press from printing the truth!"
"...What is that supposed to mean?" Alyssa said, her voice suddenly going very small.
"Jerome had his issues long before Strange got a hold of him. Now after what happened; the extreme lack of progress you've been telling me about? Maybe it's time to stop fighting for a lost cause!"
"How can you say that?" her voice cracked. "Jerome's your friend, he's practically your nephew!"
"Another line in the Luthor legacy. How poetic."
Alyssa shook her head. "This isn't you. Desiree did something to you, Alex snap out of it!"
"Desiree didn't do anything!" Lex snapped. "And I'll thank you not to talk that way about my wife." he turned his back to her, moving to the drink cart and pouring himself a scotch. "Alyssa, I think it's time you and Selina head back to your own house. My Mrs. and I need our space, you understand."
It shouldn't have hurt that much. It was just her name. But it was the first time Lex had said it in years. He never called her Alyssa, it was always Ali.
Alyssa stared at him, shell-shocked. She attempted to speak but all that came out was a broken sob. She turned on her heel and ran out of the office crying.
******
Selina had never actually been in the house Alyssa owned in Smallville. Entering it now felt like she was intruding – and since she usually had no issue doing so that was saying something.
Everything about the house from the photos lining the walls to the mugs in the kitchen cabinets that said things like 'go crows!' or '#1 track mom' were echoes of a different life. A life her family had had before her. Sure, she knew the stories back to front, but it was weird actually seeing it.
She ran her fingers over a framed image of Jerome and a boy named Whitney Fordman in their letterman jackets. The way she heard it, this Whitney guy had joined the army and had recently shipped out after finishing basic training. Apparently warfare wasn't treating him well, but at least he was better off than the photo's other occupant.
Alyssa had tracked down the best of the best to try and help Jerome, keyword being try. Whatever Strange had done to him had fractured his psyche. It was like trying to put together a puzzle with a million pieces and no edges. He could remember tiny things, the warmth of a hug, the sticky feeling of cotton candy around his mouth; it was putting those things together into concrete moments and images that was the problem.
So far the only solid memories Jerome had managed to produce were bad ones, Lyla hitting him, the cops pulling him from Alyssa's arms. It did nothing to help his frazzled state of mind; to say that this memory issue was taking a toll on him would be a gross understatement.
Between this and her usual duties, not to mention Strange's creations roaming the streets, Selina was all too aware her mother was running herself ragged. That was why she'd been so eager to jump on the idea of a vacation, and Lex had always had a soothing effect on Alyssa.
Up until recently.
Selina watched her mother pace the living room with a concerned expression. She had thrown their bags at the floor by the doorway, making no move to take them upstairs, and was now currently muttering to herself about Desiree. Despite the hurtful blows Lex had thrown, Alyssa still loved him and was determined to save him.
Besides, giving up now would mean letting that bitch win.
"Mom!" Selina stood and caught her arms, interrupting her pacing. "Breathe."
"Alex would never do something like this kitten." she sighed. "I'm really worried."
"I know, but you're not gonna do 'im any good like this."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not." she said firmly. "You've been running on fumes, and you can't run forever. We came here for you to relax, and Luthor breakdown or not, that's what's gonna happen."
"Selina –"
"Sit!" she pointed to the couch. Alyssa gave her daughter a look, but sat. "Good, now I'm gonna get you a drink, and you're gonna stay here while I deal with chrome dome."
Alyssa sighed. "Kitten, I –"
"I can handle this mom." Selina cut her off. "I know it's hard for you to pass the reins, but I think I've had a pretty good mentor for this kinda thing."
She smiled slightly. "I love you kitten, you know that right?"
"Always. And I love you too."
******
As this was not her usual playing field, the first thing Selina needed to do was find a local she could get to help her with operation 'Mrs. Luthor.'
Martha Kent frowned at the girl other other side of her door when she opened it. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I know you."
"Name's Cat. I'm lookin' for Clark."
"Well he's out in the barn. How do you know my son?"
"Don't." Selina said simply, turning on her heel and jogging towards the barn. She found her target up in the loft. "Yo farm boy!"
Clark looked down and frowned at her. "....You're Ms. Connor's kid. Selina right?"
"Cat." she corrected, walking up the staircase. "You and me need to talk."
"Do we? About what?"
"Lex Luthor. More specifically, his new wife." she informed. "I know you think somethings up with her, and I need a local to help me dig up some dirt."
"Okay..." he trailed off. "To be honest, I was expecting your mom to come looking for me about this."
"Mom's on vacation, and that vacation will not be pushed aside just because Lex decided too loose his marbles." she folded her arms and leaned against the railing. "So? Where's our first stop?"
******
When you wanted something found out in Smallville, or anywhere really, you went to Chloe Sullivan. The ace reporter had multiple tricks up her sleeve, and her curiosity often lead her to details that she couldn't publish without ending up in prison for hacking.
Another person Selina had heard stories about. Chloe was the closest to a girlfriend Jerome had ever come, though a relationship had never been made official between the two of them.
Still, she could see what her brother saw in the girl.
"Oh, so the new Mrs. Luthor has an alias, that's interesting." Chloe remarked, scrolling through the document she had dug up. Apparently 'Desiree Atkins' was actually Alison Sanders, and had grown up in Smallville.
"What would you tow say if I told you that Ms. Atkins, a.k.a Alison Sanders....showed up at my loft last night and...tried to seduce me?"
"I'd say you're living the voyeuristic fantasy of every male student in this school." Chloe said simply. "Clark, she just married Lex."
"Yeah, and within a few days made his personality do a total 180." Selina remarked. "Somethin's wonky about this chick, and I wanna get to the bottom of that wonk."
"Look, she was dissing Lex. Saying he was the only thing standing between her being with me." Clark informed.
"Okay, you know this is quickly going from merely nauseating to genuinely disturbing."
"Sounds kinda – oh." Selina cut herself off. "Oh no..."
"What is it?" Clark asked.
"Lex is in serious trouble. We need to go."
******
The 'serious trouble' was not as immediate as Selina made it sound. Lex was just breaking a round of pool balls as they came in.
"Clark, I've been expecting you." he said, then noticed who he was with. "Though I wasn't expecting you."
"Lex, you gotta listen to me." she said urgently. "I don't what's goin' on in your head but this Desiree chick is bad news."
Lex sighed and shook his head. "Look, I get that you and Alyssa haven't quite warmed up to her –"
"She's trying to kill you!" she cut him off. "I know that kinda scam Lex! It's one of the oldest one's in the book!"
"Lex, you need to see this." Clark pulled out the article Chloe had printed for him. "Your wife's real name is Alison Sanders. She grew up in Smallville. I bet she didn't tell you that, did she?"
"...No."
"Well if she lied about this then how can you trust anything she –"
"Because she's my wife and I love her." Lex cut him off.
"You love Alyssa." Selina corrected. "Me, her, Jerome; we're your family. Exactly what kind of wife makes you drive your family away?"
"Selina, I know Desiree –"
"You met and married her within a week!" she shouted. "How well could you know her?!"
"....You can see yourselves out." Lex said after a long pause.
"Fine." Selina snapped. "Get your head chopped off for your money. See if I care."
******
Chloe had continued to dig into Alison Sanders and hit a major landmine that all but confirmed Selina's theory.
She didn't want to tell her mother, but Alyssa had been calling her cell phone all day. Selina couldn't say she was surprise; it was in the woman's nature to want to protect and shield the ones she loved, but she needed to let them shield her from time to time.
"So apparently the new Mrs. Luthor is a meteor freak." she informed, throwing the newspaper down on the coffee table. "According to Chloe, she was with her boyfriend when the meteors hit. Based on what she was doing with him, I'd say that's the connection to her influence on men. She's been hitting the trend for a while now, Lex is just the newest target."
"We need to get over there." Alyssa said quickly.
"Do we have a plan?"
"Yeah; teach that bitch what happens when you mess with the wrong family."
******
"....We need to talk." Lex said to Desiree that evening.
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure. I know love is supposed to be blind, but..." he studied a picture of himself, Alyssa, and Jerome at his mother's lake house. "Since meeting you I feel like I've lost all sense of reason regarding my friends, my business, and suddenly I don't know why."
"Well it's too late for second thoughts Lex." she informed. "The papers have been finalized. Everything you have is mine."
"You only inherit in the event of my death." there was a tense pause where Selina's words drifted through his mind. "Were you planning to kill me?"
"No." she said, giving him a look. Walking over the the door on the side of the room, she opened it to reveal an enchanted Johnathan Kent with a gun. "He is."
The gun was cocked and pointed directly at Lex, making him tense. "I know you Mr. Kent." he said, holding up his hands. "You're not a murderer, please...put the gun down."
A shot fired, hitting the phone Lex was attempting to reach for to call for help. "I'm not lettin' you add Desiree's name to your list of victims."
"She's using you Mr. Kent! Whatever she told you, it's not true."
The gun was cocked again just as the two doors in the room burst open, Alyssa and Selina entering through one and Clark entering through the other.
"Dad don't!" Clark shouted just as the gun went off.
"Alex!" Alyssa shouted. Lex jumped out of the way of the bullet, but there didn't seem to be a need to as it disappeared in thin air. Alyssa wasn't sure what had happened, but she was certain the bullet didn't land.
Mr. Kent was quick to round the desk however, cocking the gun again. "Dad you can't do this!" Clark shouted, grabbing at his father's shoulder and accidentally knocking him against the wall. He cried out from the hit to his head, but slumped down, no longer an immediate threat.
Desiree still was however. She smashed a bottle of scotch on Lex's back as he came near her, setting it alight.
"No!" Alyssa shouted, making a quick run for the tarp that went over the pool table while Selina ran after Desiree. She was quick to take the woman down and make sure she wasn't going anywhere while Alyssa smothered out the flames on her friend's back.
With every danger in the room dealt with, the occupants all took a panted breath, half of relief, half of leftover adrenaline. Lex grabbed Alyssa's arm to steady himself, making her look down at him.
There was no need for words then.
******
The days following were oddly quiet, compared to the rest of the trip. Lex had almost constant meetings with his team of lawyers, but always made sure to be home for dinner with Alyssa and Selina, who had been invited back to his house.
There was a lingering tension between the two however; despite Desiree being gone the calm feeling that came to both Alyssa and Lex when in each other's presence still wasn't there. Lex confronted her about it a few days after the incident.
"Ali, I know I haven't actually gotten around to saying this out loud, but I'm sorry. For everything."
"I know you are, Alex." Alyssa said, relaxing on the sofa in his study. "You were under Desiree's weird mind control; I don't blame you."
"That doesn't excuse what I did."
"Yes it does."
"Then why do I get the feeling you're still upset with me?"
"I'm not upset with you I just...." she sighed and shook her head. "You scared me, Alex. Not only did you almost die, you kicked me out. Hell, you called me Alyssa, which honestly hurt more than I thought it would."
"That's why I'm apologizing."
"You don't have to apologize!" Alyssa exclaimed. "Its got nothing to do with you, okay? Its all me!"
"What do you mean?" he frowned.
"Alex other than Selina, you're the one person I've always been able to count on. I've never once had to worry about you, turning on me, or going nuts. I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't got much of that left. I can't loose you." she shook her head. "I won't survive."
Lex was silent a moment before throwing his arms around her. The embrace was quickly returned, and the two held onto each other as what they were; a lifeline. A single, solid reassurance in a world going insane.
When they pulled away, Lex chuckled to himself. "You're making it hard to give you this." he pulled a document out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Alyssa took it and frowned. "...This is your last will and testament."
"I had to get it revised after Desiree put everything in her name. Alyssa Jane Connors is now the name down to inherit both my company, and all my worldly possessions in the event of my death."
"Me?"
"Well you're the only person I'd trust with my legacy." he informed. "Ali, I have no illusions. As much as I wish it weren't true, you and I are both mortal. I may not have left much of a mark on the world, but I wanna make sure the right person is taking care of it. I already trust you with my life, I may as well trust you with everything else."
Alyssa smiled, albeit a little sadly. "Thank you Alex. That means the world to me."