I'm With You

Luthors

A/N: I don't own Smallville or any characters and places in the DC universe. Nor do I own the episodes that these chapters are based and contained from.

I also don't claim to be a writer. My inspiration is simply to get a creative outlet going.

I only own Tyla Nevin and what pertains to her character story.

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One thing Lex appreciated was that Tyla never pried into his personal life for the "sake of his image or the company's". She never asked him how it went with Helen. She didn't ask for details of the outcome, nor did she prod that he had screwed up. She was perceptive enough to know the aura between had changed during their conversations. She based their interactions on how his mood was. He was also thankful that she let him go by his rules when he divulged. When he called, it was only business with her. She played along which made him trust her with the information that he had given her. Certainly, with everything that he had told her, it had not appeared on the news or from his father to twist it against him. Perhaps, it was because she didn't want to get fired but Lex was slowly concluding that this was what having a work friend felt like.

The new year brought his father to be holed up in the hospital. It caused Lex to not grace the floors of LuthorCorp. The last time they had seen each other, it was for an interview with the Metropolis Journal. But that was also the day that he had gotten the call that his father was shot in their home which meant that Tyla needed to halt and reschedule the interview for a later date. Not that she was expecting anything from him but she hadn't seen him in over a month. Usually, she had an array of LuthorCorp projects to market for but the most that she did now was answer press questions about Lex and Helen or "Helex"; a nickname that the paparazzi cared to dub and a term that Tyla tried hard not to gag whenever it appeared in her purview.

To add to the office politics that were scurried by her other friends at work, there was rumor of a hostile takeover between LuthorCorp and LexCorp. Tyla disregarded it and felt like this was another Father-Son battle of the wills. She only paid mind to it when she found that her paycheck had bounced. Funds weren't an issue. The two Luthors were millionaires! Frowning, she decided to send an email to Lex.

To: Lex Luthor

From: Tyla Nevin

Subject; Missing payments

Attachment:

Luthor, any reason the financial department told me that I am being dropped?

T.N

The reply was instant, but it wasn't the usual retorts that Lex brought on.

To: Tyla Nevin

From: Lex Luthor

Subject; Re: Missing payments

Attachment:

Talk to my father.

L.L.

This was not what she wanted to hear from him. She wanted to avoid Lionel Luthor at all costs. She took a deep breath and called Lionel's secretary. She found herself being forwarded countless of times with no answer in sight. Tyla cursed. Between the two bosses, Lionel Luthor's way of going about the business was full of bureaucracy and Lex Luthor's approach was simply to barge in. She didn't know which way was better. She got up and made her way to the 40th floor of the LuthorCorp building. As expected, the secretary was there. Tyla pressed her lips together and pushed her nerves down. "I'm here to see Mr. Luthor about missing payments. According to Financial, I am being let go?" she said, politely.