A Father’s Love

By Melanie Walker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hank Summers slammed the phone down on the receiver for what felt like the millionth time. Burying his face in his hands he wanted to scream his fury and rage to the sky.

 

His daughter, his baby girl, had come to him for help and he could do nothing, absolutely nothing, to help her.

 

His hands were tied by the dictates of the law he served it seemed.

 

Not that he was following them of course. Not that he had ever followed them.

 

The house was deathly quiet. If he hadn’t know that Buffy was just down the hall in her room he would have thought himself alone once more in this house that seemed to echo with its silence.

 

Normally the whole house would be filled with some obnoxiously cheerful rock music or ringing phones. Buffy’s laughter as she talked with her friends… or his and Joyce’s fighting.

 

Now Joyce was hours away and his daughter was wanted by the police for murder.

 

He knew that there were a lot of things that he didn’t know about Buffy’s life. A lot of things that he didn’t want to know about her life.

 

But he knew, without a doubt, that Buffy was not capable of murder.

 

“I don’t know what to do,” he murmured to himself, rubbing his face roughly he sighed.

 

“Dad…” Buffy’s soft voice came from the doorway and he raised tired eyes to meet her equally tired eyes.

 

Flinching inwardly at the emptiness that he could see reflected within them.

 

“Hi baby,” he forced a smile to his face.

 

“Not good news?” she asked quietly.

 

“I’m sorry sweetie…”

 

“Maybe I should just give myself up. You know throw myself on the mercy of the court or whatever. Maybe they’ll believe me when I tell them the truth…”

 

“And maybe they won’t,” Hank reminded her gently. “I won’t let you be put away for a crime that you didn’t commit.”

 

“We’re kind of running out of options here dad.”

 

“Maybe not,” he said slowly a speculative look crossing his face.

 

“Dad?”

 

“I could… I could call in a favor…”

 

“Why don’t I like the sound of this?” Buffy cocked her head to one side eyeing her fathers apprehensive face.

 

“Because he’ll want something in return… he always does.”

 

“Dad…?”

 

“Give me a few minutes sweetie,” Hank said even as he slowly lifted the receiver. Keying the numbers that he hadn’t dialed in years, though he knew them by heart. When Buffy remained framed in the doorway a frown on her face he smiled gently at her. “Please?”

 

With a nod she relented, closing the door behind her he heard her bedroom door open and close even as the phone rang in his ear.

 

“Hello?” the familiar voice came from the other end and Hank remained silent for one brief moment.

 

If he agreed to help them the cost might be more steep then either he or Buffy was prepared for.

 

But what other choice did he have?

 

“Lionel… this is Hank… I’m calling in a favor…”

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Lionel Luthor was at the end of his rope.

 

His son, the man that was primed to take control of Luthorcorp was most definitely not looking out for his family’s best interests.

 

Of course Lionel hadn’t even realized that until Lex had finished with his staged mutiny and had formed his own little company.

 

Lexcorp.

 

He wanted to be proud of him, but the company couldn’t last of course. There was only room in the world for one Luthor based corporation and that was Luthorcorp. Though he would allow his son to play boss for just a little while before he smashed his little company into bits and brought him home where he belonged.

 

Then there was Lex’s friendship with the Kent boy.

 

Luckily for him while he’d been unaware of the boys burgeoning friendship Jonathan Kent had been the voice of disapproval and had thus limited Lex’s interaction with the younger male.

 

He never thought he’d be thankful for anything that Jonathan Kent did.

 

He knew that it was not only the Luthor name but also Lionel’s participation in one of the Kent family’s secrets that had caused Jonathan to take the stance he did.

 

Clark’s not so legal adoption by the Kent’s and Lionel’s own aid in them accomplishing it.

 

The Kent’s would do whatever it took to keep the citizens of Smallville from finding out that the legal channels had not been used.

 

Jonathan Kent in particular would do whatever necessary to keep the Luthor’s away from his family.

 

Lionel was sure that if Jonathan could figure out a way he’d rid the plant of the menace he considered the Luthor household.

 

He had thought that his blindness and very slow recovery from that would bring his son to heel, to force Lex to recognize his familial responsibilities and thus assume those responsibilities.

 

He hadn’t of course and Lionel had been powerless to stop  him.

 

Until now it seemed.

 

The phone call couldn’t have come at a more fortuitous time. And the deal that he’d made served him two-fold.

 

He’d once more bring his son under control. Using one of the oldest methods known to man.

 

Using a woman.

 

And the deal would also once more tie Hank Summers to him.

 

So he’d finally bring his son to heel, he’d bring Hank back into the fold and he’d use Buffy Summers to do it all.

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Next Page