NOT ON THE OUTSIDE

BY

LCAMILE

FANDOM:  AU SMALLVILLE

SUMMARY:  Revealed secrets change the relationship of Ariel and Mabel with the Luthors.

RATING:  PG

SERIES:  MARMALADE

CHAPTER I-NARRATOR’S STORY

            Ariel walked past Fifth Street in downtown Sycamore Hills as the day became slowly evening on a cool Saturday.  It had been two weeks since the Luthors’ formal dinner.  She wore a tan long-sleeved cowboy shirt, black denim pants, matching jacket, black Stetson belt, black Timberlakes, clear lip gloss and a black backpack.  The sides of her straight mane were in a braided ponytail while the rest hang down.  She still can’t believe about Havana, her sister.  Her once believed dead sister arrived yesterday and now lived with her while Mabel still continued to live in Japan temporarily for a movie’s shooting.  Havana Ambiance Braxton was a 6’2 curvy woman with smooth milk chocolate complexion, dark eyes, full lips, long yet small nose, long wavy hair, rather high facial cheekbones, and long yet slender fingers. She and Jill took their looks from their father’s side while Ariel took her looks from her mother’s side. Havana was two years younger than Ariel yet Havana was the smartest of the three sisters.  She walked beside Ariel as she wore a cinnamon Men at Work long-sleeved t-shirt, black jeans, matching jacket, black Nikes, dark cinnamon lip gloss, and a black fannypack.  Havana’s tresses hung down with a middle part as her black classic Raybans hung from her black Rio de Janeiro neck band. Just two days before the Smallville Tornadoes, Ariel was summoned home when she learned that Havana was rescued and came to their parents’ home, which was in Empty Cup, Kansas.  Empty Cup was 10 miles from Sycamore Hills.   Seven years ago, Havana was part of a science expedition to explore space with the help of a newly formed wormhole that was near Thungara’s moon.  When her ship entered the wormhole, the wormhole explored.  However, her ship made it through the wormhole before the explosion.   The victory was short-lived when the ship’s engines failed.  The ship crashed on a nearby planet, Spandau-Gooch, and all passengers survived the crash.  During their stay on Spandau-Gooch, the mostly grassy planet, they befriended several of its inhabitants and learned that they were more advanced than the Thungarans and were secretly allies of the Thungaran mutants and Marvels.   The Marvels were Thungaran super beings and were hated more than the Thungaran mutants by the typical Thungarans.  The Marvels called them either the Mundaners or the Standards.

            Spandau-Goochers left their planet three days before it went Super Nova.  They used several underwater portals to escape to Earth.  Many now lived in underwater cities on Earth while others lived on land.  Havana’s expedition and several Spandau-Gooch natives escaped to Jollity Island, an uncharted island.  The large island also had the main Earth Marvel-Mutant Headquarters.   Shortly later, the expedition crew went on a newly-made somewhat large ark and sailed on the sea for a week before a cruise ship rescued them.  The craft survivors told that their island, that they were stranded on for several years, sank after they escaped on their home-made boat.  Also their story never went to the media so their lives almost went back to normal.

            Meanwhile, Mabel sat on her bed in her rented cottage as she went over the movie’s script. She was on her five-day break as she wore her black long-sleeved Tasmania t-shirt, peach trousers, a ponytail, light peach lip gloss, peach socks, and Crump Academy class ring. She already had done the first fifty pages of the lengthy script.  She put the script down and got up.  Mabel ran her fingers through her hair as she put on her black Converses.   She began to ponder about her past encounter with Lionel Luthor while he was still with Victoria.  Mabel was on a photo shoot when she met the couple.  She discovered that they all were at the same hotel when she bumped into them after she just finished the day’s shooting and arrived at the hotel.  Mabel knew Victoria for two years before she had her first encounter with Lionel.  Mabel and Victoria both deeply respected each other.  Mabel had a brief discussion with the couple and thought that they made a captivating couple before she went to her room. 

            However, during the encounter Lionel kept his composure because he was secretly attracted to Mabel.  Since his very first encounter with the young Tasmanian, he always knew that they had a very strong chemistry together. The older man would always show her endearing affection even though he would commonly give her smoldering looks. He often wondered why a beautiful woman like her rarely wore dresses.  She was very feminine yet she hardly showed it with her attire since she infrequently cared for dresses and skirts.  

            For Mabel, she thought that Lionel was a handsome man.  He strongly reminded her of the lion guys of the planet, Clandestine.  Clandestine consisted of feline people.   The Clandestiners were allies of the Thungarans.  When she was sixteen, she began to date Ted Legroom, a Clandestiner lion guy.  He was two years older than she was and looked like a 1970s movie star but with light tan fur.  The relationship lasted for five years yet they were still admirable friends.  Before she went to Japan to direct her movie, she had dinner with Ted when she visited Clandestine.

CHAPTER II

            Three weeks had passed since her last encounter with Lionel.  She was in her hometown, Launceston when she saw him again.  She was at Arid Borough, an underground nightclub with her sister, Clementine.  It had been around since the 1930s. Several Thungarans, including Mabel, hang around there with the unsuspecting Terrans.  It was Lionel’s fifth time at the nightclub.  He thought that it had a lot of character and class.  He was at the bar when he met her after she left the bathroom.

            “Lionel,” she said when she saw his reflection as he took a sip from his Sprite drink.  Lionel wore a dark long-sleeved shirt, jade trousers, matching blazer, black lace-up loafers, and dark shades.

            “Hello Mabel.” He hugged her after he saw her reflection in the nearby wall mirror.  “It certainly has been a long while.” He smiled as he held his drink in his hand while he wrapped his other arm around her.  He briefly took a good look at her as she smiled at him.  She wore a long-sleeved green dress that came two inches above her ankles, matching Granny boots, dark burgundy lip gloss, large semi-circle green purse, and a ponytail with a crooked middle part. 

            Mabel smiled as she glazed at the handsome older man yet she still felt a little tipsy from those two fruity intoxicating drinks.  Clementine didn’t drink alcohol since she was the designated driver for the night.  She watched them talk at the bar as she drank her grape soda drink.   Clementine, who was two years younger than Mabel, was a 6’0 slender yet curvy young mutant with a dark curly mane, dark eyes, smooth medium coffee brown complexion, full lips, long yet wide nose, and a colorful Emu tattoo underneath on back of her right shoulder.  She wore an orange long-sleeved silk blouse, black slacks, black ankle boots, orange-crème lip-gloss, a black jacket, and a black retro Halston purse.  Her curly mane hung down with a crooked left part as she watched them leave the bar and come toward her.

            “Lionel, this is my sister, Clementine.”

            “Hello,” Clementine smiled as Lionel shook her hand.

            “Hello.  Mabel has spoken a lot of good things about you.”

            “So this is Triple L, her boyfriend.  He appears like a matured stud.” She thought as she tucked a lock behind her ear. 

            Lionel sat beside Mabel as he began a conversation with the young ladies.  He detected similar qualities in them as the night went on.  As Clementine ordered another grape soda, her cell phone rang.  It was her boss.  He wanted her to re-edit the second part of a movie, which was due in the morning.  Shortly after, she ended the phone call.  She told them of the emergency. 

            “Mabel, I have to take the car so you will have to take a cab home.”

            “Okay.  I will be alright.”  Clementine said “goodbye” as she left.

            Two hours later, Lionel and Mabel arrived at her house in his rented car.  As they came to the door, she invited to him to come in and he accepted.  After they went in, he took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack that was near the door.  She told him to make himself comfortable before she went to her room.  When she went to her bedroom, she put up her purse and unbounded her hair.  She briefly glazed at her reflection as she collected herself.  Mabel still looked outstanding yet she reapplied her lip-gloss and sprayed breath fresher in her mouth.  As she reappeared, Lionel stood up from the dark couch and came to her before he removed his shades and put them in his jacket’s pocket. There was a short pause of silence as they stood close and looked in each other’s eyes.  Soon Mabel turned away as she began to feel both sick and strange.  With the assistance from the alcohol, Haze Heat, an alien expermential psychedelic sex drug, became activated.  Haze Heat had strange yet unpredictable effects on Thungaran female mutants.   Several months ago, a fanatical Thungaran scientist hit her with a Haze Heat-filled dart while she was on Ardor Island.  Ardor Island, which was an uncharted island, consisted of several Thungarans and had five portals.  After she was hit, she didn’t show any effects until recently.  She looked at Lionel again as his scent became more pronounced to her.  She gently placed her hand on his face before she brushed a lock away from his shoulder.  Her eyes became darker as she slowly put a soft yet long kiss on his furry chin.  He was less hairy than Ted was.  After the kiss ended, she delicately held his face with her fingers underneath his ears and tilted his head slightly.  Her left thumb tenderly stroked his earlobe as she pulled him to her full hungry lips.  They landed on his mouth and began to shape his lips.  Soon her luscious lips found the rest of his facial features.   During all of this, Lionel was stunned.  As the kissing ended, his face was completely covered with lip-gloss while her lip-gloss was smeared.

            “Oh Lionel, I really dig you.” She remarked as she wrapped her arms around him.  “Don’t worry.  I know about the breakup.  Victoria told me last week.”  She giggled before she kissed his now swollen lips again.  “I know that you like me.”  He smiled as his arms slid around her waist.  Several seconds later, he chuckled before he kissed her.  

            An hour had passed as Mabel rested with Lionel in her bed as they chuckled and talked in the darkness.  However, she still felt little odd in her satin/lace lavender night gown and matching panties while Lionel was now only in his dark briefs.  Before they went to bed, she changed in her bathroom while he changed in her bedroom and put the rest of his clothes on her chair.  Yet when she changed in the bathroom, she noticed her distended chest and her erected nipples.  When she left the bathroom, she hugged Lionel as he stood near her bed.

CHAPTER III

            Ariel left her classes early for a doctor’s appointment.  It was Dr. Daniel Eyre, her Thungaran-native neurologist who specialized in Thungaran mutant brains.  He had been living on Earth for fifteen years.  Some of his treatments had improved her mind.   He was also the only one who knew about her strange dreams from the accident.  When she arrived, there were five people in the waiting room.  She talked to Nurse Iris Hayes about her appointment for several moments before the nurse told her to take a seat and wait.  Ariel thanked her before she sat down.  She picked up a magazine and began to read.  When she turned to page 26, she discovered that a featured article on the Luthors.  She skimmed through it until she saw a recent photo of the Luthors with a familiar figure in the background.  Her dark eyes widen when she discovered that it was her in the background.  She remembered that there was a bright flash and was temporarily blinded in one eye for the whole night.  In the caption, it stated that it was this year’s Luthor Banquet.

            “Hello Ariel,” said Dr. Eyre who startled Ariel.  The alien physician was a 6’2 muscular rather matured man with short black wavy tresses, dark kingly beard, dark blue eyes, light tan complexion, long yet slightly wide nose, moderately full lips, and a thick L.A. accent.  He wore light blue scrubs, a white lab coat, and white/blue Nikes.

“Hello Doctor.  You’ve frightened me.” She smiled and put down the magazine as she took her black purse with a dark shoulder-strap and stood before him.  Ariel wore a white long-sleeved blouse, a colorful Brazilian vest, black slacks, black jacket, black ankle boots, ice pink lip-gloss, and silver chain belt while her mane hang down with a middle part. 

An hour later, Ariel arrived home.  The house was empty since Havana was at the movies.  Ariel checked her phone messages and there were eight.  Three of them were from her father.  Jack just called five minutes earlier.  Ariel called him as Havana came home from the movies.

“Hello. What is the matter?”

“Nothing is matter.  I was just checking on you.  How was the doctor’s appointment?”

“Dad, it was the usual so I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?’

“Yes.  Don’t worry so much.”

“I’m sorry dear but it is that you are spending a lot of time in Smallville and Sycamore Hills.  I rarely talks to you.  How is Havana?”

“Dad, she is right here.  Do you want to speak to her?”

“Yes.” Ariel handed the phone to Havana.

“Hello Dad.  How are you?”

Shortly later, Ariel’s cell phone rang after she recharged it.  It was Lionel.  Ariel and Lionel had not spoken to each other in five days because of their busy lives.  Since Mabel’s departure, they somewhat became closer yet their relationship didn’t phased Lex though Roxy constantly reminded him of Ariel.

“Hello, Lionel.  How are you?”

“I’m fine.  I just received Mabel’s letter today.  Did you get anything from her?”

“Yes, she wrote me a letter too.”  Truthfully, they just talked to each other yesterday on their TV monitors.

“That’s good.  At least she didn’t forget about us.”  He smiled.

“You missed her, don’t you?”

“Greatly.”  Ariel recently discovered some evidence about the intimacy’s level of the relationship of Mabel and Luthor when she found them in bed together during a visit at the Luthor Mansion.  She went there early one Sunday morning while Lex arrived at the same time after he finished some late night work at LexCorp.   Ariel met Lex in the middle of the hall when they both heard a strange sound that came from the first guestroom on the right.  When Lex opened the door, Ariel and Lex received a surprise.

“How come you didn’t tell us earlier?”  Lex asked as the newly discovered couple put on their clothes.

“We didn’t know how you two would act.”  Lionel remarked as he closed his dark terry cloth robe.

“Well, it wasn’t going to kill us.” Ariel said as she handed Lionel his slippers.  He thanked her and she returned the gesture.

“It’s over now and let’s us deal with the present.” Lionel spoke as Mabel became fully dressed and got up from the bed.  She still felt a little embarrassed but stayed in the bedroom with Lionel.  However, Lex was glad that Lionel was with Mabel instead of Victoria.

“I’m sorry for being rude, Mabel.  How are you?”

“I’m completely harmonious.”

“How are you, Lex?”

“I’m great.” He smiled and turned to Ariel.  “Come on Roxy.  I want to see you something.”

CHAPTER IV

It was late Saturday evening as she reviewed her finished homework assignments.  She did it to avoid the thought of yesterday’s event.  Last night, the Luthors discovered that she was actually Ariel Braxton, Lex’s long-lost beloved childhood companion.  Simultaneously, she discovered that Lex was the boy who was in her hauntingly dreams.  It all happened shortly after Ariel jumped into the outdoor swimming pool to rescue Bruce Wayne after the Wraith, a crazed corporate insurrectionist tried to kill him and the other rich celebrities with a bomb that taped to Bruce’s chest at the Élan Ball as the undercover agents of the FBI and the Metropolis cops captured him and his gang. 

“Ariel?!” Bruce shouted as he and Ariel came up for air when he recognized his former classmate.  She said nothing as she snatched the bomb and threw it.  Then she quickly grabbed Bruce and shielded him with her body as the bomb exploded several feet away.

Bruce and Ariel looked at each other as calmness came briefly.  A FBI agent and River Pampas helped them out of the pool and covered them with blankets.  River Pampas, who was Ariel’s friend, invited to the ball.  The matured tall blond wealthy Spaniard was also Bruce’s business associate.  As the FBI agent stayed with them, the band began to play Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing”.  Before long, everything started to spill out when the Luthors came to check on Bruce and Ariel and Bruce unwittingly told Ariel’s true identity to them.  Within moments, several pieces of the puzzle came together as thoughts and emotions raced through Ariel while the stunned Luthors looked at Bruce.  Tears came down her face as she wrapped her blanket around her.  

Shortly afterwards, the chief FBI agent came and talked to them as Ariel went to get her shoes that was near the pool.  She calmly walked away and went to clean herself up.  After she left the bathroom, she drove home.   When she arrived home, Havana noticed that something was wrong and asked her with great concern.  Ariel took a deep breath and exhaled as Havana looked at Ariel’s messy appearance before Havana embraced her and held her for a long while.

“Havana, for a while, I have been hanging with a couple of guys and I never told about their appearance to you and the other relatives.  Yet, first I like to know you.  Do you personally know the Luthors?”

“Yes Ariel since AJ was your somewhat boyfriend and the Luthors were comparatively family friends.”

“AJ is Lex Luthor?”

“Yes, AJ is what you affectionately called him before the accident.”

“So that is the other information that Mom and Dad gave you when you return.”

“Yes.  They told me when you and Jill prepared the table after Mom cooked my favorite dishes that night.”

Ariel’s eyes dropped before she embraced her again.  She was glad that the truth was now out yet she feared that her relationship with the Luthors was somehow damaged.  Moreover, she realized that she loved Lex.  Her love for him gave her the most fear.  She currently knew that she did not have the ability to tell him.

Ariel’s mind returned to the present as she put away her homework and removed her saxophone from its dark case.  She began to play the saxophone five months after she woke up from her coma.  During her coma, several songs, that featured saxophone parts, played in her mind.  She now had several saxophone songbooks.  She sat on her bed and started to play Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou” as Havana entered Ariel’s bedroom and listened.  Havana sat down on Ariel’s bed as Havana started to sing it.

Two weeks later, Patience walked with Ariel to the cafeteria.  Patience was Ariel’s Calculus professor.  The younger woman became the new Quantum Physics professor last month. Patience Holmes, who was a former castaway, was a year younger than Clark and had a 6’3 curvy frame, smooth dark brown complexion, long yet wide nose, ruby red luscious lips, shoulder-length black curls, and a thick Las Vegas accent.  She was a super mutant since her father was a Marvel while her mother was Thungaran mutant.  Patience and her family moved next door to the Kents shortly after the tornadoes.  She and Clark are now quite close since one of the few people that she hung with.  Last weekend, they went swimming together.   After the swim, they danced to music from Patience’s small pink boom box.  However, it seemed slightly awkward when they did the foxtrot to the Commodores’ “Oh No”.

Ariel and Patience ate together as Bruce and Lex walked past them with their tray.  Patience saw them but Ariel didn’t notice.  At first, she thought that she was dreaming until she realized that they were real.  She heard about the Élan Ball incident from Havana.  She also learned that Clark and the Kents recently found out about it.  The Braxtons knew the Kents through Ariel’s Aunt Chasm.  Ariel once saved Clark’s life a year after her accident with the help of her powers yet he didn’t any memory of it.  However, his parents were still very gratified for his rescue.  Last week, Ariel bumped into Mr. Kent at the warehouse that was in Sycamore Hills.  He was getting some farming supplies while she was getting some new music and batteries.  They talked for a while before her cell phone rang.  She waved to him as she answered it and discovered that it was Jack.  They talked briefly until Jack heard Jonathan’s voice when he said goodbye to her.

“Ariel, Bruce and Lex are sitting nearby,” Patience whispered.

“What?” she whispered, “You’re kidding.”

“No, they are sitting at a booth in the back corner that is near the back entrance.”

“Well, I see you around.” Ariel quickly took her tray and backpack as she began to leave.  She dumped her food in the garbage and put her tray up.  When she turned around, she was face-to-face with Lex.

“Hello Ariel.”

“Hello Lex.” They looked into each other as Ariel’s heart began to race and Bobby Womack’s “If You Think That You’re Lonely Now” instigated to play. 

“We need to talk.” He took her by the hand and left.  Moments later, they talked privately as they went in the janitor’s closet.

“I know that you should be mad at me.  I didn’t know your true identity.  Yes, you seem very familiar to me but I couldn’t understand it.”

“Ariel, it’s okay.  Dad and I talked to your Dad the next day with River’s help.  River told Dad and me about your accident after we noticed that you left.   Later he gave me your Dad’s phone number and address.  We had a long talk.  Then we spoke with your Doctor Eyre and he showed us your medical file from your accident.  I wished that your parents told us about this earlier.  We would understand and could have help.”

He put his hand on her shoulder as he tucked a lock behind with his other hand.  She put her backpack down as she embraced him.  He softly stroked her back as he smiled warmly.   After the embrace, she held his face in her hands as she gently placed her forehead on his brow.  She embraced him again.  While she was still in his arms, she gave a soft kiss on his lips.  The kiss seemed practically long.  He held her tighter as he kissed her back.  Her hands returned to his face as his hands went to her straight silky mane that hung down with a crooked middle part.

They looked in each other’s eyes as the kiss ended.  Ariel looked Lex’s swollen lips briefly before she placed kisses on his left ear as she soothingly rubbed his other ear.  Shortly anon, she switched.  After she finished, both his ears were bright red.  He covered his ears briefly and smiled.  When she smiled back, he grabbed her face and adroitly kissed her crooked nose.

“Ariel, would like to go out sometime later this week?”

“Okay. I don’t have any classes tomorrow.  Besides, I was going home today after lunch.” She chuckled with her arms around his waist.  Moments later, Lex’s cell phone rang.  It was Lionel.

“Hello Dad.”

“I’m fine.  How are you?”

“Well I’m with Ariel and we’ve settled some things.”

“It’s for you.” He handed his phone.

“Hello, Mr. Luthor.  How are you? I’m swell. Yes, I’m free after lunch.  I’ll be there. Okay. I will ask them this evening.  It’s nice to speak to you.  See you later.”  She gave the phone back to Lex.

THE END