Deciding Destiny

[LetMeGo]

I’ve tried to get ahead a few updates so that I won’t keep you waiting too long between them. The plan is to have a new update each week. This starts off toward the end of season four after Spirit.


Deciding Destiny


Flashes of lightning lit up the western horizon while the distant thunder rumbled menacingly. The wind was picking up and in a matter of minutes it would be pouring rain. Clark had a few more fence posts to go and while many would have packed it in with a thunderstorm racing toward them he gave one fleeting thought to getting wet and continued on.

He picked up a post from the dwindling pile and walked up to the fence line. He eyed the last post, gauging the distance while keeping inline with the others. Over the years he’d become remarkably good at setting fence posts, so good at it he could judge it all without much thought. Which was good since his mind had taken him far away from the lonely field in which he stood.

A week ago he’d been reluctantly dragged to Prom. It had been one strange night, which was normal for Smallville he supposed, but the highlight of the evening had been when he danced with Lana.

She’d come alone. All things considered he didn’t blame Jason for not coming back to the school he was fired from after dating the very student he would’ve escorted to the dance. However he didn’t expect her to show up without her boyfriend. All year long she’d seemed to be over high school, like she’d moved on from everything it entailed. Including him.

But it was undeniable that there was still something between them. Which left him in a difficult place. He liked Jason, even thought of him as a friend. Trying to steal his girlfriend wasn’t the right thing to do, especially when the two of them were having problems.

He continued to puzzle over the situation while he worked, weighing the risks of putting himself out there again. For it to truly work he’d have to tell her everything, a thought that thoroughly terrified him, but if he wasn’t willing to share it all with her then there was little point in shaking things up.

Caught up in his inner debate he was surprised when the post in his hands came to an unexpected and jarring stop. Figuring he had hit a rock or something of the like he tried again with more force behind it and part of the post splintered into pieces.

He stooped to clear the debris out of the hole he’d made while still holding onto a rather large chunk of what was left of the post in his other hand. Just as he was sticking his free hand into the opening he gave it a once over with his x-ray vision, just to see what he was dealing with. His fingers were already digging into the wood chips and lose earth when it registered that the obstruction was a meteor rock.

The all too familiar pain of Kryptonite hit him and he dropped to his knees and clung to the splintered post, using it in an attempt to steady himself. But before he could pull his hand away from the open earth the air filled with an electric quality that had the hairs on his standing on end.

In one breathless instant he knew what was about to happen. Gritting his teeth braced for the lightning to hit. There was brightness beyond anything he’d ever seen and then there was nothing.

[The Black Cat]

Great start!!!

[LetMeGo]

Thanks The Black Cat! :)
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Lana was in the Talon when she found out what had happened. News, bad news especially, traveled fast in a town the size of Smallville.

She’d been on her way down the stairs from her apartment and got a couple sympathetic glances from those who noticed her. She ignored the stares, assuming that they must have heard about her personal drama from yesterday. It had gotten pretty heated and her apartment wasn’t sound proof.

The past week with Jason had been frustrating to say the least and last night they had capped it off with their biggest and final fight. For months now it seemed as though their relationship revolved around the Countess Isobel Theroux and the search for the stones. When she brought that up and suggested that they’d lost what had drawn them together in the first place he had gotten very defensive.

He told her that she had no idea how difficult the last few months had been on him or how much he was doing to protect her. When she pressed for what exactly he was protecting her from he changed the subject. Suddenly he was making himself out to be a martyr for moving to Smallville to be with her, losing his job at the school over her, and then selling his soul to work for Lex in order to stay there for her.

Stung by the bitterness he was spewing Lana suggested that if it was such a sacrifice for him to be with her that maybe they shouldn’t be together at all. A few words later he was angrily leaving, she was crying, and they were officially over.

So today she had been on her way to meet up with Chloe for the “you’re better off without him” speech one’s closest friend was required to give in the event of a break up.

By the time she’d gotten to the bottom of the stairs Melissa, who Lana had hired back when she was running the Talon, had left the cash register she was manning in spite of a line of customers and was waiting for her with a grim expression.

“Lana,” Melissa’s voice sounded somber and lifeless, which was totally out of character for the usually upbeat girl.

“Hey Mel,” She answered suddenly was aware of everyone’s eyes on her and how all their faces had the same mournful look.

“Have you heard?”

“Heard what?” She asked cautiously.

“Clark Kent was struck by lightning earlier today,” Melissa said, wishing she could find a way to soften the news. She, like most of Smallville High, knew of Lana and Clark’s on again off again history.

Lana felt her stomach drop. “Is he…?”

“He’s at the hospital. I’m not sure what his condition is but it doesn’t sound good.” She touched her arm, not only to console her but hoping to steady her a bit. “Are you okay?”

“I.. I‘m alright.” She said as a numbness began to take over.



The waiting room at the Smallville Medical Center hadn‘t been this crowded since the tornado a couple years back. She’d come straight here even though she probably wasn’t in the best condition to drive.

Looking around she recognized most of the faces, though there were a few she didn’t know. It was a testament to how many lives Clark had touched.

There were the guys on the football team, who he‘d lead and motivated as their captain. The girl from band that he’d helped by carrying her tuba home for her. The freshman he’d shown around when the kid had had a hard time finding his classes the first day of school and who Clark still greeted by name when they passed each other in the halls. She could go on and on, each of these people had a story of some kindness Clark had given them.

Spotting Chloe pacing nervously on the other side of the room Lana made a beeline for her. The two friends hugged both too emotional to speak at first.

“How is he?” Lana finally asked.

“He was brought in to the ER unconscious and, from what I’ve heard, he’s in stable condition.” Talking about what she knew verses thinking about what she didn’t know made Chloe feel a little bit better.

“I can’t believe this, how could this happen?”

“He was out working on some fences when the storm came through earlier. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The two lapsed into silence and eventually found their way to a couple of chairs to wait in. Chloe picked up a magazine and restlessly flipped through it’s pages, not bothering to read them. Meanwhile Lana sat staring blankly ahead at the motel quality painting hanging on the wall in front of her, not actually seeing the tranquil garden scene depicted by a nameless artist.

Memories of Clark filled her mind, both the good and the heartbreaking. They had always had ups and downs but this year had been a particularly hard one on their friendship. After she come back from Paris he’d obviously still had feelings for her, at the time she’d been moving on with her life with Jason. With his job at the school they decided they couldn’t tell anyone and her apparent singleness gave Clark some hope.

When Clark found out about her and Jason he’d been such a jerk, acting like a completely different person. She’d assumed that he’d told the school about it, later finding out it had been Lex but not before she laid into Clark about it. She should have known better, Clark wasn’t petty. He wasn’t spiteful. He was the kind of guy that said he wanted you to be happy and meant it.

Even after she’d chewed him out he’d been there for her. When Jason had been infected by a Luthorcorp toxin he’d helped her search for a cure. When she followed Jason to China he’d gone with her without question and had defended Jason’s behavior, trying to reassure her. When Lex had shown up at her apartment making creepy demands and threatening to close the Talon she’d gone to Clark for help. When she needed him he was always there.

And then there was last week. Prom. She hadn‘t planned on going, neither she nor Jason wanted to brave it together, not after he got fired for dating her. She’d rented movies and had had pizza delivered. Jason was suppose to come over for a night together that didn’t involve witches and stones. Her hopes were that there was still something between them to keep holding on to. But then he’d called and canceled, saying he had to work late.

Frustrated, Lana had put on a movie and settled in with a slice of Hawaiian pizza but didn’t get past the opening credits before turning it off.

It was her senior year, her senior prom. Whether or not it lived up to her expectations, it couldn’t be any worse than sitting at home alone. So she rushed to get ready knowing she was already past fashionably late.

When she got to the school she felt a little out of place and started having second thoughts about her rash decision. Her misgivings turned into a case of serious nervousness once she spotted Clark coming toward her.

She’d spent all year telling herself, and Jason on more than one occasion, that she didn’t have any lingering feelings for Clark. But as he asked her to dance, with his outstretched hand and hopeful eyes, she couldn’t deny the familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The rest of the night she spent with Chloe, Lois, and Clark. They all ended up going to the after party together. It had been fun, just enjoying the moment. She and Clark even managed to avoid any awkwardness over their dance, staying safely in the friend zone. Which had been for the best since she‘d still been with Jason at the time.

Now she may never get a chance to tell Clark what he meant to her.

[LetMeGo]

Jonathan Kent not only looked much older than he did this morning, he felt it too. This had been, by far, the hardest day of his life. Thankfully it seemed as though the worst of it was over.

He’d sent Clark out to the back forty to repair a section of fencing that morning, paying little mind to the weather report that was forecasting a chance of thunderstorms. There were plenty of things he worried about when it came to Clark but him getting hurt while out doing chores wasn’t one of them. He’d taken his invulnerability for granted and now they were paying for it.

It was about lunch time when Ben Hubbard called. Up until then Jonathan had been busy repairing the tractor and hadn’t realized that Clark hadn’t gotten back.

Ben said he had been out checking on his cattle and saw their pickup. Figuring that they were fixing that section of fencing between their two places he went to say hello and offer a hand with it.

What he found was Clark rain-soaked and lying face down next to the fence line, the remains of a lightening scorched post near by. He acted quickly, loading an unresponsive Clark into the pickup and speeding toward town, fearing that waiting for an ambulance would take too long.

Jonathan and Martha wasted no time in leaving for the hospital. All the way there they tried to make sense of what was going on, disbelieving that Clark could really be seriously injured. However, Ben had told them that Clark wasn’t in good shape but couldn’t get much out of the staff since he wasn’t a family member.

There must have been kryptonite involved, they surmised. Clark’s first run in with a lightening/green rock mixture had ended with his powers being transferred to another boy. With the lack of a quick recovery once away from where the incident took place, it stood to reason that Clark had lost his abilities again. The difference being that no one else had been there to absorb them this time.

Once they arrived at the hospital they were forced to wait for news. Neither said much of anything as time dragged by. Eventually a doctor led them to a small room to give them an update in private.

Clark was stable and breathing on his own, that was the good news. The bad news; he hadn’t regained consciousness. They let them see him before sending him off for an MRI and seeing Clark so vulnerable laying in bed attached to all those monitors and tubes made it all too real.

They let them wait in Clark’s room while he was undergoing the test. It wasn’t long before Lex had shown up. He expressed his sympathies and offered to bring in a specialist. Jonathan turned him down, telling him that he was satisfied with Clark’s medical care. Which was true but he also didn’t want to give Lex an opportunity to see Clark’s medical records. Especially since he had no idea what they’d say.

Lex gave him a disappointed look and told them to let him know if there was anything he could do for them. Jonathan thanked him and they both knew he wouldn’t be calling Lex anytime soon.

It was a while after Clark was returned to the room before the doctor came in to talk to them again. She told them that the MRI didn’t reveal any brain damage and the other tests they‘d ran didn‘t show any problems. Overall she was hopeful that Clark would wake up and recover fully but she also warned that lightning strike victims often struggled with a wide variety of issues ranging from nerve damage to depression. It was a matter of waiting until he regained consciousness to know the full depth of his injuries.

He and Martha exchanged a look, both thinking the same thing. Their son was different than any other person ever struck by lightning, he shouldn’t even be here, let alone facing lasting effects.

Before she left the doctor also told them that there were several people in the waiting room hoping to get an update on Clark’s condition and due to privacy laws they couldn‘t tell them anything without their consent. Jonathan decided he’d go talk to Clark’s friends himself instead of sending the doctor to do it.

He walked through the halls organizing his thoughts, trying to decide what he was going to say. Rounding the corner and entering the waiting area he found himself facing a room full of questioning, anxious stares.

There were more people waiting than he had expected but he knew he shouldn’t be surprised by his son’s influence on others. Someone who truly cares about people often have that kind of impact and Clark genuinely cared for others.

With all eyes on him, he cleared his throat and began, “First of all I’d like to thank all of you for taking the time to come down here. I know Clark would appreciate your support.

“He’s in stable condition but hasn‘t come to. The doctor is optimistic about the outcome but until he wakes up nothing is certain and no one knows when that will happen. So, it’s probably best if you all gave the hospital staff their waiting room back and went on home. As soon as we have any news we’ll make sure to get it to everyone.”

After his words the group began to break up, most stopped to share a few words of comfort, which he accepted with a solemn nod and many thank yous. He noticed Lana and Chloe hanging back, waiting for the crowd to thin. Once he’d spoken to the last of those wanting a word with him the two girls approached him.

“How are you and Mrs. Kent holding up?” Chloe asked.

“We’re doing alright, all things considered,” he answered.

“If you want, we could handle updating the masses on Clark’s condition.” Chloe gestured to Lana and herself as she volunteered.

“Thanks Chloe, we’d really appreciate that.”

“It’s the least we could do Mr. Kent.”

Jonathan looked at the two young ladies, Clark’s closest friends, and noticed the different ways they were coping. They were both obviously struggling. Chloe had on a brave face but it couldn‘t conceal the fear in her eyes. Lana, on the other hand, looked like her spirit had been crushed.

“Would you girls like to see him?” He offered, “You’d have to go one at a time though.”

The two looked at each other for a second, “You go first Chloe, I’ll wait.”

Chloe gave Lana’s arm a grateful squeeze and Lana gave a small nod in return, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

“Is he really going to wake up, Mr. Kent?” Lana asked once Chloe had left.

“Clark is a fighter,” he assured her. “He’ll make it through this.”



Martha had left Clark’s room to give Chloe some privacy and joined Lana and Jonathan in the waiting room. Jonathan had suggested that the two of them go get something to eat since they hadn‘t had anything since breakfast. She hadn’t wanted to leave the hospital so he went to pick something up for their dinner, thankful for a problem that he could actually fix.

That left Martha and Lana to sit it out together. It didn’t take long for them to give up any attempt at small talk, the emotional strain of their vigil making it near impossible to act normally, they were none the less grateful for the other’s presence.

Eventually Chloe returned, her eyes red and puffy but otherwise composed.

Taking a shaky breath, Lana started to get out of her seat and Martha gave her arm an encouraging squeeze. Lana tried to smile back at her but failed miserably. Clark’s mom looked at her like she understood exactly how she was feeling and somehow that bolstered her sagging spirits.

Alone with her tumult of emotions she made her way to his room. A part of her was terrified to see Clark but another part, a bigger part, needed to see him for herself. Until she did the worst possible scenario would be playing in the back of her mind, no matter what anyone said otherwise.

From the doorway he looked as though he were asleep but that illusion quickly faded once she stepped inside. She looked from the IV to the heart monitor, which showed his strong and steady heartbeat. Next to Clark’s bedside there was a chair where Chloe, and Martha before her, had sat with him, hoping and praying for him to come out of it. Now it was her turn.

“Hey Clark,” she said, trying to sound upbeat for him as she settled into the chair.

“I can’t believe this is really happening.” She took his hand in both of hers, hoping that he could feel her touch as well as hear her voice. “I’ve always had this fear in the back of my mind; that you’d end up here, like this… the way you’re always trying to save the day… but instead of one of the out of control meteor infected it’s some random act of nature.

“I’ve been sitting out there wondering if I’d ever get to tell you how important you are to me. You have been the one constant in my life, Clark. No matter what I’m doing or who I’m with you’re always the one I turn to. It’s taken you being struck by lightning for me to realize why that is…”

Her voice caught as tears began to well in her eyes. She fought off her emotions, not wanting to break down in front of him but not able to stop the onslaught. She brushed away her tears with one hand, still holding onto him with the other. “You are going to wake up and when you do I’m going to be right here.”

With that declaration she couldn’t hold back any longer and quiet sobs began to shake her body. Just as she plummeted to the absolute depths of despair she felt his fingers tighten around hers.

“Clark?“ She choked out in surprise, hopeful that he’d open his eyes and smile that heart melting smile of his. Instead his peaceful expression hadn’t changed, leaving her to wonder if she was imagining things.

[LetMeGo]

There doesn’t seem to be much interest in this but I’ve noticed that I’m getting some views, so somebody is reading. As long as someone is taking the time to read it I’ll keep posting.
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In the weeks since Clark’s incident his condition hadn’t changed. While the doctor’s outlook became less optimistic Martha was still hopeful that he’d wakeup, after all, Clark had always come back to them in the past. The circumstances may be different than the summer he ran away to Metropolis or last year when he’d disappeared in the caves but in her heart she believed he’d overcome this as well.

With medical bills looming in the near future of their already strained budget, Martha couldn’t take off work for long. She had hated the thought of not being there with her son but there didn’t seem to be any choice. Jonathan was also unable to spend great amounts of time with Clark, working the farm sunup until sundown was a fact of life this time of year. So they juggled it the best they could, however even when one of them couldn’t be there he wasn’t lacking in company, thanks to Lana.

She was there every single day with a surprisingly positive attitude. Clark squeezing her hand had given Lana some hope to hold onto. While the doctor had been skeptical of the story Martha had believed Lana’s account. The depth of Clark’s feelings for this young woman went far beyond anything the medical community could explain.

As much as Martha appreciated what Lana was doing she had her concerns. While Clark’s other friends still stopped by occasionally they were going on with their lives. Even Chloe had kept busy with the last issue of the school paper and graduation preparations. Lana, on the other hand, seemed to have had put her life on hold.

“Hello Mrs. Kent,” Lana greeted her with a smile, entering Clark’s room. “How are you today?”

“I’m just fine, dear.” Martha watched her head straight to Clark’s bedside, a book tucked under her arm. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she answered before she took his hand and said hello to Clark.

Martha noticed the hopeful look she gave Clark and the small flash of disappointment when he didn’t react to her but it passed as quickly as it had come.

“Looks like you’ve started a new book.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said pulling the book out from the crook of her arm, “I tried to pick out something we’d both like. Do you think he’d enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird?”

“If I remember correctly he really liked it when he had to read it in school,” Martha answered as Lana took the seat next to the bed. “Are you ready for graduation?”

“I think so. I can’t believe it’s gotten here so fast, it seems like freshman year was only yesterday and now it‘s all over,” she sighed, nostalgic for days gone by. “I heard that they’re going to present Clark’s diploma to you and Mr. Kent.”

“Yes, it’s a very nice gesture. I only wish he would wake up in time to accept it himself,” she said sadly, her eyes drifting to her son. She didn’t talk about the possibility of Clark not waking up, it was always about when he’d wake up. Shifting her gaze back to Lana she got back to what she had planned to talk about. “Do you have any plans for the summer?”

“Not really. I’ll probably end up getting a job and wait for Central Kansas’ fall semester to start.”

“Central Kansas? That’s where Clark decided to go,” Martha said, surprised by the choice. Clark’s decision to go there had been something she and Jonathan both questioned. He’d shown interest in out of state schools and they, Jonathan in particular, didn’t want him to settle due to money or an obligation to the farm. But Clark had insisted it was what he wanted, that he was happy to stay home.

“I’d heard that,” Lana admitted offhandedly, not wanting her to think Clark played a role in her choice. “I had it narrowed down to MetU or Central Kansas. The latter finally won out, it‘s just more convenient.”

“Lana, what you’re doing for Clark, coming to sit with him and reading to him, it means a great deal to us but you shouldn’t pass up opportunities because of it. He wouldn’t want you to do that.”

“I can see why you’d think that I’m basing my choices on Clark, and while I can’t say he didn’t cross my mind, he wasn‘t the deciding factor. Central Kansas has all the courses I‘m interested in and there are plenty of student activities.”

“I’m sorry, Lana, it really isn’t my place to question your motives or give you advice. But I do worry about you. It may be a while before Clark wakes up,” she said, coming as close as she ever would to admitting he might not regain consciousness, “and I’d hate to see you spend all of your time cooped up in a hospital room waiting for it to happen.”

“First of all, Mrs. Kent, your advice is always welcome,” she smiled warmly at Martha, whose opinion she valued on any subject. “Secondly, while I don’t plan on giving up my visits with Clark, I do plan on making the most of college. Finally, and most importantly, Clark will wake up before the fall semester starts.”

The conviction with which Lana spoke brought tears to Martha’s eyes. Lana’s faith in Clark’s recovery rivaled her own, which left her with a mix of emotions. There was a joyfulness that Clark had someone like Lana in his life and also a sadness that Lana was experiencing all of this right alongside her. Overwhelmingly, however, she felt an affection for this girl. An affection that couldn’t have been any greater if she were her own child.

[#7superherofan]

Keep posting, please, LetMeGo!!! This is on incredible story so far, and I can't wait for further developments.

[SleepingBeauty]

I just found this today and
I am definitely interested in this story
so I hope you keep the updates coming

[happycamper]

A beautiful start - I'm looking forward to where you'll take it.

It's sad that it took tragedy to clarify the thoughts and feelings of our favorite Smallville girl . . . but better late than never (I hope!!).

I've not seen the show since the first few episodes of season 6, so have no idea what's happened since or even if it is still on the air. I've also been away from this forum for a variety of reasons. I find I miss how the show was originally (a self-conscious sigh). I guess keeping loyal to the ship would be difficult . . .

[LetMeGo]

#7superherofan and SleepingBeauty thanks for the replies! I really appreciate hearing from you!

happycamper!!! I got so excited when I saw your name! It’s been forever. Welcome back! :D

Most die hard Clana fans have congregated elsewhere but a few still post here. The show hasn’t been the same for a good long while now, I guess that’s part of why I set this story at the end of season four. I really miss those days. With KK off the show now I suppose it’ll get even slower around here.

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Lana’s Aunt Nell and her husband Dean had come for the graduation ceremony and afterwards they‘d taken her to one of Metropolis’ trendiest eateries. She hadn’t seen much of Nell over the past year so dinner together was a special treat.

Over the course of the meal the future inevitably came up. Lana laid out her plans to go to Central Kansas and major in business and Nell seemed supportive of it. For Nell, the decision showed maturity on Lana’s part. The tuition to Central Kansas would be easily covered by the college fund she’d set up for her niece years ago, as opposed to an out of state school.

Before Lana left for Smallville Nell told her to let her know if she needed anything, offering to help with books or any other expenses that came up. While hugging her goodbye she told Lana how proud she was of her and how proud her parents would have been if they’d been there. Both were getting emotional until Dean intervened, saying Lana probably had plans to celebrate with her friends and that they shouldn’t keep her all night.

What they didn’t know was that her plans were to spend the rest of her evening at the hospital with Clark. Lana had left out that she spent most of her free time at his bedside when Nell asked what she knew of Clark’s condition during their meal, sparing herself from a lecture. Guys with the last name Kent had always been a sore spot to Nell, thanks to her being dumped by Clark’s dad back in the day.

By the time she made it back to Smallville it was dark out. There were parties, she knew, and they’d go on for hours longer but she didn’t have any desire to go to any of them. Chloe had tried to get her to go with her, to have some fun, she’d said. Lana had used the excuse of dinner with Nell and Dean to get out of it, giving her a halfhearted promise to do something another time.

The Medical Center was mostly empty when she got there. She waved at Mandy, who was manning the nurses station, and she smiled back and watched her walk by. Lana had become a fixture around the hospital, all of the nurses knew her well. Seeing her entering his room, Mandy shook her head sadly. The situation with the Kent boy was heartbreaking and, in her opinion, the girl’s devotion only added to the tragedy.

Clark’s room was dimly lit for the evening but there was enough light for her to see her surroundings. On a small table near his bed sat his diploma. She smiled sadly, picking it up and running her finger over his name.

“You should have seen your parents when they accepted your diploma, they were so proud.” She put it back where it had been and took his hand. “The whole class stood up and applauded. I don’t think you’ve ever realized how many friends you have. Even Lex showed up, though I only caught a glimpse of him before he left. I guess I can’t blame him for ducking out considering how your dad feels about him coming by to see you.

“Other than that it was a pretty standard graduation. Lots of talk of the future and how it’s up to us to shape it. Afterwards I went to dinner with Nell and Dean in Metropolis, which is why I got here so late.

“She asked me about college and I told her about Central Kansas, which she took a lot better than your mom did. I think she was expecting me to choose somewhere expensive and far away after spending last summer in Paris. Of course she doesn’t know why I decided to go to France in the first place.

“She thought it was the culture and the experience that lured me away but the truth is when I went to Paris I was running away from you…from us. We’d keep getting so close then something would happen and we’d go back to square one. I didn’t think I could take it any longer. But over this past year I’ve realized there are some things that I can’t out run, like my feelings for you.

“Maybe your mom was right to question my motivations for staying here. You’ll probably wake up and want nothing to do with me…”



The first thing he was aware of was the pain. It wasn’t a searing, bring you to your knees, kryptonite kind of pain; it was more of a constant dull ache that seemed to be everywhere. In the murky darkness the discomfort confirmed his existence, surely if he were dead he wouldn’t be feeling anything at all.

He gradually realized that he wasn’t alone, someone was speaking. He felt like his head was under water as he tried to make out words. Focusing intently, the words became less important as he concentrated on the familiar voice. It was so soothing that he almost forgot the ache. A picture began to form in his mind of a raven haired beauty with eyes that he could lose himself in forever.

Lana. It came to him about the same time he started to understand what she was saying. She was talking about Paris and having feelings for him. He started to open his eyes, blinking his heavy eyelids several times before anything came in clear.

She was holding his hand, looking at it intently while she confessed things to him she‘d never say if he were awake. He could feel her finger tips brush the top of his hand, making random patterns as she spoke.

“…You’ll probably wake up and want nothing to do with me but I want a real honest chance with you, one we‘ve never had.”

He tried to respond but he when he moved his lips nothing came out. Frustrated he tried again, managing to mumble weakly, “What about Jason?”



Clark’s garbled words were barely audible let alone discernable but she’d heard the faint sound of his weakened voice. Her head snapped toward him in surprise and found him staring at her through half lidded eyes. Her heart leapt in her chest at the sight. “Clark! You’re awake!”

She caressed his face, feeling the sting of joyful tears. At her touch his eyes closed, causing a wave of panic to wash over her, but before she could react his eyes fluttered open again. With a relieved sigh she felt herself relax a little.

“I have to get the nurse and call your parents… Chloe will want to know too!” She explained to him hurriedly, starting to get up.

“Wait,” he rasped, the one word coming out a bit stronger than his last attempt to speak.

“Yes, Clark?”

“Jason…?”

Lana suddenly remembered what she’d been telling him when he’d woken up. She could feel her cheeks turning red, he’d heard. Of course she’d expected him to hear, hadn’t she? It was one thing to confess your feelings to an unconscious man and quite another pour your heart out to him when he could hear every word.

“He and I broke up.” She could see him struggling to say something more but she interrupted him. “I’ll tell you all about it later, I promise.”

She raised his hand to her lips, quickly kissing it before leaving to get the nurse.



Martha was working late at the Talon. Due to graduation they’d been busier than a usual weekday but Martha didn’t mind the longer hours. The Talon offered a safe alterative to some of the wilder parties taking place that night, so she was happy that there was a large turnout.

Seeing so many of Clark’s peers was bittersweet; her entire day had been that way. She’d seen these kids grow up along side her son and watching them pass a major milestone in their lives was a touching experience. However, there was a part of her that kept thinking how unfair it was that Clark wasn’t among them celebrating and looking forward to the future.

She was surprised when her cell rang, Jonathan was usually in bed long before now and she couldn’t think of anyone else that would call her so late. Seeing Lana’s name her forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. She hadn’t see her since the graduation ceremony, she hoped everything was okay.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Kent,” Lana’s voice quivered with emotion, knowing what this news would mean to Martha.

“Lana, dear, is everything alright?”

“Yes,” she answered, getting control of herself, “everything is better than alright. Clark is awake.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone. After a minute Lana asked, “Mrs. Kent? Are you okay?”

“Yes… it’s just… I’ve been waiting so long…” She was starting to cry and it was evident in her voice.

“I know,” Lana’s eyes started to fill with tears as well. For a few moments they cried together over the phone, their joy and relief too much to reign in.

“I‘m sorry,” Martha sniffled an apology for not keeping it together.

“No apologies needed, I understand,” She assured her. “I called you first, I thought maybe you’d want to tell Mr. Kent.”

“Thank you, Lana. How is Clark?”

“He spoke, though his voice is a little shaky, and he’s aware of what is happening around him. One of the doctors is in with him now.”

“I’ll be over as soon as I can.”



Lana had gone back in with Clark after the doctor was done examining him. She told him his parents were on their way and urged him not to tire himself with attempts to talk. There would be plenty of time for them to talk she promised when he tried to protest, saying that his mom and dad had been waiting for him to wake up and she didn’t want to wear him out before they got to talk to him.

Having a conversation about their future, and whether or not it would be a romantic future, made her a little nervous. She’d tried before, he had too for that matter, but is seemed that when ever one of them was ready to put their heart on the line the other was reluctant to jump in. This time was going to be different; she didn’t know how or why but she could feel it in her heart.

While they waited for his parents she told him about the things he’d missed while he was sleeping. She told him about the last day of school and the nostalgic feelings she’d had when walking through those halls for the final time. Then she told him she’d see that got the last issue of the Torch, saying Chloe’s last article was a must read.

His dad got there first, he must have sped the entire way into town. Only minutes behind him was Mrs. Kent. Watching their emotional reunion made Lana feel like she was intruding and she edged to the back of the room. She was considering slipping out the door when Martha turned to her.

“Thank you, Lana.”

“I didn’t do anything,” she said, shaking her head in protest.

“Because of you he wasn’t alone when he woke up,” she smiled, her eyes still brimming with happy tears.

“She’s right, Lana, we are very thankful that you were here,” Jonathan agreed, roughly wiping away his tears, uncomfortable with such an open display of his feelings.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” she told them sincerely. “I should go, it’s getting late. I’ll come by tomorrow if Clark feels up to having visitors.”

“I will,” Clark said from his bed, his voice already sounding a little stronger.

Lana smiled at him from across the room, her heart melting when he managed to smile back at her.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Martha said, giving Lana a hug.

[CaptainObvious]

I like your take on this story. Clark missed a lot while being unconscious. I'm glad Clark was able to be awake in time to hear Lana's feelings coming out and be able to respond and ask about Jason. They still need to talk. Sounds like their relationship is taking a turn for the better.

Post soon please!

[SleepingBeauty]

Clark is awake great
I love that Lana was there when he did wake up
now I just hope they talk and everything goes well :D
update soon

[#7superherofan]

Most die hard Clana fans have congregated elsewhere but a few still post here. The show hasn’t been the same for a good long while now, I guess that’s part of why I set this story at the end of season four. I really miss those days. With KK off the show now I suppose it’ll get even slower around here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------


“Maybe your mom was right to question my motivations for staying here. You’ll probably wake up and want nothing to do with me…”

He gradually realized that he wasn’t alone, someone was speaking. He felt like his head was under water as he tried to make out words. Focusing intently, the words became less important as he concentrated on the familiar voice. It was so soothing that he almost forgot the ache. A picture began to form in his mind of a raven haired beauty with eyes that he could lose himself in forever.

Lana. It came to him about the same time he started to understand what she was saying. She was talking about Paris and having feelings for him.

“Wait,” he rasped, the one word coming out a bit stronger than his last attempt to speak.

“Yes, Clark?”

“Jason…?”

Having a conversation about their future, and whether or not it would be a romantic future, made her a little nervous. She’d tried before, he had too for that matter, but is seemed that when ever one of them was ready to put their heart on the line the other was reluctant to jump in. This time was going to be different; she didn’t know how or why but she could feel it in her heart.
I’ll come by tomorrow if Clark feels up to having visitors.”

“I will,” Clark said from his bed, his voice already sounding a little stronger.

Lana smiled at him from across the room, her heart melting when he managed to smile back at her. If posts become too slow on the Clana forum, does anyone know if it could be removed from Kryptonsite? I hope not, 'CAUSE I'D DIE IF IT DID!( kidding, sort of, maybe:o) So keep on posting this wonderful story, LetMeGo, please. The wake-up scene was very sweet, even though poor Lana was so embarrassed to have Clark overhear her pouring out her true feelings. I can't wait for their tomorrow, as alwaysthose two have so much to discuss.

[happycamper]

Most die hard Clana fans have congregated elsewhere but a few still post here. The show hasn’t been the same for a good long while now, I guess that’s part of why I set this story at the end of season four. I really miss those days. With KK off the show now I suppose it’ll get even slower around here.



I agree completely!! When I think of the show, I always think of those first few seasons!

It looks right now that everyone pretty much knows what Lana really thinks of Clark and their relationship.

I always thought Jonathan was the cause of Clark's reticence about his abilities, and that his disapproval was the reason why Clark felt he couldn’t share that knowledge with Lana. Even though Jonathan had good reason to be that way, maybe even he will now see how Lana “deserves” the secrets (or at least he would after some not so gentle persuasion from Martha).

I’m looking forward to what you have coming up.

[LetMeGo]

If posts become too slow on the Clana forum, does anyone know if it could be removed from Kryptonsite?

I don't think we have to worry about that. There are other slow fourms, like the Jonathan and Martha one and it's still around.

Thanks for the comments everybody! Enjoy the update. :D
-------------------------------------------------------------------


“You really scared me, Clark,” Chloe said as she walked into his hospital room. “I was starting to think you were never going to wake up.”

“Mom said you came by to visit, I wish I could say I remember,” Clark smiled, his voice had come back though it still sounded rough, like he’d just woken up. “Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like I was over here every day like Lana… maybe I should have been.”

“Don’t do that to yourself, you’re here now,” he said, not wanting her to beat herself up.

“Lana said you wanted the last issue of the Torch,” she said, reaching into her bag.

“Thanks,” he said, accepting the paper when she handed it to him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Lana said she and Jason broke up… was it because of me… because she was spending so much time here?” He asked guiltily.

Her mouth opened, like she was going to answer, then it shut again. She wasn‘t sure she wanted to get in the middle of it. “Maybe you should ask Lana that.”

He looked at her with his sad puppy dog eyes, milking his situation for all it was worth.

“Okay,” she crumbled. “They broke up the day before your accident, so it wasn’t because she was spending time at your bedside.”

“Thank you,” he smiled, happy to have that answer. “So, what are you doing while you wait for college to start?”

“Actually, I got a job at the Daily Planet. I’m basically a copy girl but I’ve got my foot in the door, which is huge. To save me the commute Lois invited me to stay with her until the semester starts.”

“Oh,” he tried not to show his disappointment, it had always been her dream to work at the Planet. “I didn’t know Lois had her own place.”

“She got an apartment a few weeks ago and a new job waiting tables to go with it.”

“Lois, a waitress?”

“It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, doesn’t it? She is really trying though. She’s enrolled at Metropolis Community College. After what happened at MetU she’s determined not to screw up again.”

“Everyone’s moving on,” he said mournfully, thinking of the loss of the time that would have allowed him to adjust to all of these changes.

“Don’t say it like that, Clark. You’re moving on too; Central Kansas in the fall,” she reminded him.

“I guess.”

“We’ll still see each other, Metropolis is only a couple hours away.”

“You’re right, it’s not like you’re moving across the country,” he said, smiling. Of course a trip to Metropolis wasn’t going to be as easy for him as it had once been, not that he could tell her that.

That subject had been one he’d talked to his dad about before Chloe had come by. He viewed the loss of his powers as a good thing; his dad wasn’t as quick to see it that way. The man was a pessimist. Clark knew his dad was that way because he worried about him but it wouldn’t kill him to humor him a little, he had just woken up from a coma.

He told himself it wasn‘t fair of him to feel that way, the last month must have been a terrible time for both his parents. And now none of them knew what not having his abilities meant for him in the long run.

The doctor had ran all kinds of tests earlier which had made him feel uncomfortable. He’d always had a fear of being poked and prodded by people in lab coats, nurturing a general distrust in doctors. He breathed a sigh of relief when she reported that everything was looking normal, which wasn’t normal for him.

Since then, when the doctor had declared him normal, he’d been feeling really good. Considering he was still achy, and that walking the ten feet to the bathroom had been more challenging than anything in recent memory, that positive outlook was more than anyone had expected of him. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The last time he’d lost his powers it hadn’t been like this, he hadn’t been completely free of them. When faced with Kryptonite and lightning before his powers had been transferred to Eric Summers and he’d been completely fine. No coma, no pain, nothing. He supposed that the effects of the lightning and Kryptonite were unpredictable and if it happened again it’d probably have a different outcome than the two times before.

Once Eric started abusing Clark’s abilities he’d felt responsible to stop him, ending his dream of leading a normal life. This time there hadn’t been anyone else there to absorb them. His powers were really gone, no longer a burden on anyone. It was almost too good to be true.

Waking up to find Lana at his bedside also fit in the too good to be true category. She’d called his mother earlier to let him know that she’d be by in the afternoon. With a morning full of tests and Chloe anxious to see him, Lana didn’t want to overload him on his first day back from the unconscious.

After telling him about her plans to leave Smallville Chloe gave him a condensed version of the month he‘d missed. Eventually she left, telling him he looked like he needed some rest. Once alone he kept looking at the clock, wondering when Lana would get there. As minutes slowly ticked by his busy morning caught up to him and he drifted to sleep.

[SleepingBeauty]

great update

now I am just waiting for Lana to come around and visit Clark
update soon please :D

[#7superherofan]

Yeah, an update, thanks LetMeGo. It was a really sweet scene with Clark and Chloe. Clark has a lot of adjusting to do now that he's woken up. His powers being completely gone was a surprise, hopefully now he'll feel free to start over again with Lana. PLEASE DON'T MESS UP THEIR SECOND CHANCE LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM ON THE SHOW!!:(:( Speaking of the events on the show though, was Lana's involvement with the whole Kryptonian Artifacts/ Isabelle possessing her, a part of this story. If so, is she still branded with the tattoo?

[happycamper]

So many possibilities...I just hope they don't follow a path similar to what happened in the show.

I’m intrigued as to how it will now go when Lana and Clark talk. Do you think this will make it easier for Clark to reveal who he is or for him to hide what he once was (and may soon again be?). Can silence about his abilities be self-justified by the changes?

I can’t wait!

[CaptainObvious]

Thanks for the update. I'm sure Lana is on her way to the hospital, right? If so, let's hope they get a quiet moment to talk.

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! :D

#7superherofan, yes the witch stuff and everything with the artifacts happened as it did on the show up until the point of Spirit. So she still has the tattoo.

Good questions, happycamper.

I hope you like the update!
---------------------------------------------------------

Lana found Clark fast asleep when she got to the hospital. Not wanting to disturb him she quietly found her way to her usual spot. She watched him sleep, the slow and steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling as he breathed was having an almost hypnotic effect on her.

She’d been driving herself crazy all day long thinking about what she was going to say to him and what he’d say in return. She wondered if he’d heard everything she’d said to him since his incident or if he’d just heard what she’d said last night. Even if were only the latter it was enough to make her nervous.

Why should she be nervous, she asked herself in frustration. The answer came automatically to her mind, because she didn’t want to get hurt again. But it was different now, she was different. Coming so close to losing him for good had given her a new perspective.

There was a part of himself he wouldn’t show her, no matter how many times she had begged him to. Everyone hid something from the prying eyes of those around them, she’d done it herself, hadn’t she? Jason had, their last conversation echoed in her ears and she wondered what it was he claimed to be protecting her from. She felt an involuntary shiver at the thought.

At least whatever Clark was keeping from her wasn’t dark and disturbing. Well, maybe a little disturbing if her suspicions were true but she’d thought about it so much that the idea didn’t phase her anymore.

Meteor Freak. She’d used that term before, in his presence even. It’s no wonder he outright denied it when she tried to talk to him about it. She couldn’t say she’d do any differently if she were in his position. The fear of people looking at you in disgust, let alone your friends, it would be enough to make you want to keep it all a secret.

Why couldn’t he see that it didn’t matter to her? It was the thought of him being unable to trust her with the truth that had always bothered her. It all came down to whether or not she could live with him not telling her everything.

Just then Clark sighed as he woke up from his nap. The sound shook her from her thoughts. Laying eyes on her he smiled sleepily, causing her to smile back. An she knew. She’d known since that first night when he’d squeezed her hand.

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

“Hey,” he echoed happily. This was the second time in as many days that he’d awoken to find her next to him, he could get use to that.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he answered, trying to clear the sleep out of his voice. “The doctor said I’d probably get to go home in a few days.”

“That’s great news Clark.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been awake twenty-four hours yet and I’m already ready to get out of here.”

She laughed, “I’ll take your impatience as a good sign.”

“I guess I can’t really complain. I’ve been lying here, out of it, for over a month and you’ve been here every day to keep me company.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” she said and he shot her a look that let her know he wasn’t buying it. “I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“It means a lot to me.”

“There is nowhere else I’d rather have been. Do you remember…anything?”

“I remember setting fence posts and then waking up to the sound of your voice.”

“And how much of that do you remember?”

“Enough to make me wonder if I’m still in a coma and this is all just a dream,” he said, smiling sweetly. “Tell me I’m not dreaming.”

“You’re definitely not dreaming.”

“So, all of those things you said…?”

“I meant them,” she exhaled nervously.

“And Jason…?” He’d heard from Chloe that they weren’t together any longer but he wanted to hear the confirmation from her lips.

“He and I have been over for a while, though it’s only been officially done for a little over a month.”

“I would say I’m sorry but I’m not.” What was meant to come off jokingly lost all levity when he spoke. Noticing her unease he tried to make it better. “I love you, Lana, and I know I’ve screwed up repeatedly when it comes to us but this time will be different. I’m not going to waste this second chance I’ve been given.”

Wanting to touch her, hold her, he attempted to raise his arms and reach for her. Seeing his intentions Lana moved into his grasp. His arms came around her, not as tightly as he’d have liked but he wasn’t going to complain. Her lips softly brushed against his.

“Time for physical therapy,” Susan, one of the nurses, said cheerfully as she came into the room pushing an empty wheelchair, unaware of the kiss she had broken up. Parking it near the bed she went to help him into the chair. Looking to Lana she said, “You can go with him if you’d like.”

When she hesitated Clark spoke up, something between a grimace and a grin gracing his face as he maneuvered off the bed, “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“Well, if it‘s going to be fun…” she said, offering him an encouraging smile, knowing as well as he did that it was going to be anything but fun.

[SleepingBeauty]

a sweet chapter :)

[happycamper]

Hm, very nice . . . but now I have no idea where you're going with this story. Everything seems set up for a happily ever after, but are you going to throw a monkeywrench into the mix?

Looking forward to the next update.

:)

[#7superherofan]

#7superherofan, yes the witch stuff and everything with the artifacts happened as it did on the show up until the point of Spirit. So she still has the tattoo.

Meteor Freak. She’d used that term before, in his presence even. It’s no wonder he outright denied it when she tried to talk to him about it. She couldn’t say she’d do any differently if she were in his position. The fear of people looking at you in disgust, let alone your friends, it would be enough to make you want to keep it all a secret.

Why couldn’t he see that it didn’t matter to her? It was the thought of him being unable to trust her with the truth that had always bothered her. It all came down to whether or not she could live with him not telling her everything.

Just then Clark sighed as he woke up from his nap. The sound shook her from her thoughts. Laying eyes on her he smiled sleepily, causing her to smile back. An she knew. She’d known since that first night when he’d squeezed her hand.

This section here really touched my heart, LetMeGo. On the show Lana's open heart and understanding nature have been proof that she would willingly accept the truth about her Clark, be he meteor freak, alien, whatever. You reached deeper and gave Lana a compassionate empathy in realizing why Clark might keep his secrets out of shame or fear of rejection. Beautiful, sweet writing.:):cool: It's so sweet she's going to cheer Clark on in physical therepy, I can't wait for them to talk more. If he reveals his past secrets to her, will the subjuct of her Kryptonian tattoo come up? Clark minus his super powers might have problems if the oh so charming Countess Isabelle makes a reappearence.:D Thanks for the update. PPMS

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everybody! :D Clark will have to make choices about what to tell her and what his future holds at some point. I haven’t really decided anything specific on the tattoo or the countess so far, I'm still kicking around some of the finer points in my head.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lex Luthor sat at his desk, thumbing through Clark’s medical records. For all the trouble he went to in order to obtain them they were an awfully disappointing read. He wasn’t sure exactly what he expected to find but the perfectly normal record was just another piece of the Clark Kent puzzle to be filed away with everything else.

Last year he’d dismantled his ‘Clark’ room but instead of destroying it’s contents they were cataloged and carefully stored. In retrospect he could see that it had been careless to keep that room here at the mansion, doing so it had cost him dearly. His friendship with Clark had turned cold and the animosity Mr. Kent had toward him had multiplied greatly ever since Clark had found the room.

The first time he stopped by the hospital he got a polite, yet chilly, reception. The second time was less welcoming. It didn’t help that he’d been looking at Clark’s medical chart when Mr. Kent and Lana had walked into the room. Jonathan had loudly insisted that he leave and never come back, and he hadn’t. Now that Clark was awake Lex decided a visit was due.

Hearing the sound of an opening door he looked up to find his father entering the room. Casually, he slid Clark’s records under other files on his desk. “Dad, what an unexpected surprise.”

Lionel ignored the hostility in his voice, dealing with it the same way he use to deal with all of Lex’s temper tantrums. “Hello, son.”

Lex hated the pious look plastered on his father’s face. It had been there since he’d been released from prison, a supposedly reformed man. “And to what do I owe this visit to?”

“After what happened last week I wanted to see how you were doing,” he said, earning another of Lex’s irritated looks. “Considering Genevieve Teague and her devoted son are still free and more desperate than ever we both have cause for concern.”

“I’m seeing to it,” Lex replied stiffly.

In a rare show of competence his security team had foiled the Teague’s plot to abduct his father and himself. And now Jason and his mother had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth but they couldn’t have gotten far. It was only a matter of time until his men found them.

“Then I trust that you’ve contacted the proper authorities?”

“Don’t worry, Dad, the appropriate people have been informed of the situation,” he assured his father both knowing exactly what his evasively worded answer meant.



Clark was a trooper when it came to physical therapy. Eager to get his movement and flexibility back as fast as possible he took on every exercise head on. His discomfort was hard for Lana to watch at times but she kept her dismay hidden behind a supportive smile. When the session was over the nurse agreed to let Lana wheel him back to his room.

“That was quite the workout.”

He sighed, thinking of how he had once had no physical limitations and now he struggled to even touch his toes. “It wasn’t so bad. Thanks for staying, it was nice having you there.”

“Anytime you need me, Clark, I’ll be there.”

“I don’t deserve that.”

“It’s not about deserving it, and you do by the way,” she admonished him, “it’s about me loving you and wanting to be the person you count on.”

“I haven‘t been that person for you,” he said, glad he didn’t have to look her in the eyes.

“What are you talking about? You‘ve always been there when I‘ve needed you,” she said, stopping the wheelchair in the middle of the hallway. Thankfully they were the only people occupying it at the moment.

“When everyone thought Lex had lost his mind and I got you involved in it, you ended up trampled, and I…”

“That wasn’t your fault,” she cut him off mid sentence and moved around to the front of the wheelchair so she could look at him.

“That is debatable, but you can’t argue that I was there for you afterwards, I wasn‘t. You were in pain and going through physical therapy and I wasn’t there.”

“The way I remember it I told you to stay away.” She put her hand on his and he reluctantly met her eyes with his own. “We’ve both made plenty of mistakes in the past. We can’t change what happened before but we decide what happens from this point forward.”

“I want to be the one you count on.”

“You are, Clark. You always have been. I realized that when all of this happened to you and I was sitting in the waiting room wondering what I would do if you were gone.”

“I won’t let you down again, I promise.”

“So, you’ll never forget my birthday or an anniversary?”

“Never.”

“You’ll remember my favorite flowers are irises?” She asked as she started to push him forward again.

“Of course.”

“And you’ll let me pick what movies we see?”

“Sure…” he agreed a little hesitantly. He was pretty sure she was teasing but he couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever see another action flick again.

“And you’ll always put the toilet seat down?”

“I’ll try,” he finally laughed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have promised. Can I change it to try really hard not to let you down?”

She laughed with him for a moment but got serious when she spoke again. “You know Clark, I don’t need you to be perfect. I don’t even want you to be. I just need you to love me.”

“That I can definitely do.”

[#7superherofan]

Aww, what a sweet ending.:D Lana's right, Clark shouldn't try to be perfect, like he often does when it comes to their relationship, he just needs to be the one that Lana can love and trust. Their scene was so good that it made up for the begining with the obnoxious behaviour of a certain former best friend who can remain nameless. Honestly, he steals Clark's medical records to fuel his obsessive mania which he lied in the first place about having giving up.:mad: Relocating the "Clark Collection" was completely believable, I'm not sure if I ever really quite bought Lex's promise at the end of "Devoted." The Luthors and the Teagues better keep Lana out of their Stone Quest, especially since Clark is not exactly in a position to be her rescuer.:( On pins and needles to find out what develops next so PPMS.

[ClanaGirl]

Aww very sweet for the ending Its true #7superherofan Lana is right Clark shouldn't try to be perfect he often does which is also true but he loves her and that is the best part. I never bought Lex's promise wither and they should definitely keep Lana out of Luthors and Teagues stone quest because Kal-El can't save her now. so all in all this is so awsome I need more please continue we love it.

[LetMeGo]

Thanks! I’m glad you like it. Good news, I’m posting an early update… bad news I’m going to be out of town for three weeks. I promise to have something ready for you as soon as I get back.
-----------------------------------------------------------

After waiting days longer than he felt was needed, Clark was finally out of the hospital and headed home with his doctor predicting a full recovery. He was able to walk without much problem now, each day bringing a little more strength. Before long he'd be back to one hundred percent, well one hundred percent for a human at least. And that was alright with him.

“We’re so happy to have you home again, Clark,” his mom said as they pulled into their drive.

“I’m more than happy to be home.”

“You may change your tune once you start doing farm work without your abilities,” Jonathan said jokingly as he parked the truck.

Clark was surprised by his dad’s lighthearted jab, especially when it was in reference to the sensitive subject of his now absent powers. He took it as a sign that he was coming around to his way of thinking. Smiling he replied, “I think I’ll be able to keep up with you, dear old Dad.”

Jonathan looked at Martha in mock alarm, “Did you hear your son? He called me old!”

“You’re not old, dear.”

Clark laughed at his mom’s comment and his dad shot him a irritated look. Still smiling he started to open the truck door.

“Sweetheart, wait a second and let us give you a hand,” Martha said, quickly getting out of the truck behind Jonathan.

“I can manage, Mom,” Clark protested, making it half way out of the vehicle before she rounded the front of the truck.

She watched him, ready to jump in to help. “You shouldn’t over do it.”

“I’m fine, really,” he smiled at her.

“If you feel up to it, Clark, maybe you could help me put in the rebuilt carburetor I’ve got for the tractor.”

“Yeah, I could do that.” He liked the idea of doing something useful, even if was just handing wrenches to his dad.

They headed to the barn, Martha tagging along. He supposed she was keeping an eye on him, making sure he didn‘t over do it. Clark wondered how long she’d be like that, he wasn’t minding it so much now but he figured her hovering might get old after a while.

“SURPRISE!”

Clark stood in the doorway, his eyes taking in all of the people inside. It looked like most of Smallville High was in his barn.

“Are you okay, Clark?” Martha asked quietly, she’d been afraid this would be too much for him. When the idea of a surprise party started to pick up steam she’d been reluctant to agree.

“Yeah,” he assured her, flashing her a bright smile as greetings and well wishes were shouted in his direction.

Among the familiar faces were Chloe and Lois but his eyes settled on Lana. She was at the front of the crowd, near the steps leading to the loft. A smile was on her lips but in her eyes he saw a hint of concern, just like his mom. He started forward into the barn and tried to reassure her with the same look he’d given him mom.

Chloe walked up to him, wanting to talk to him before any of the other guests, arriving about the same time Lana did. “I hope this isn’t too much for you on your first day out of the hospital. Everyone’s eager to see you and you didn’t get a chance to go to any graduation parties so this seemed like the perfect solution.”

Lana’s hand went for his, their fingers interlacing. He smiled down at her before looking over to Chloe and answering her comment. “This is great, really great!”

“Chloe was the mastermind behind the whole thing,” Lana informed him.

“Thanks, Chloe, I’ve never had a surprise party before.”

“It was a team effort,” she smiled widely, happy that he liked it. “I better go help Lois set up, she was in charge of karaoke. I hope she brought more than eighties hair bands to choose from.”

“Karaoke?” Clark’s voice was full of hesitation but Chloe was already gone.

Lana laughed, she’d love for him to sing. He wasn’t half bad but he was way to self-conscious to ever go for it in front of so many people. “Don’t worry, no one will make you do it.”

A couple of guys from the football team had come up to talk to him so Lana gave his arm a quick squeeze and left to say hello to his parents.



After mingling with for a while, and talking to most everyone there, even if it was just a quick hi, Clark had found his way to the steps leading to the loft and sat down. Lana had promptly joined him, asking if he was getting tired. Not wanting to leave the party he played off his weariness.

Now they were sitting cuddled up together while Kevin, one of his old offensive linemen, was butchering Love of A Lifetime. Unfortunately Chloe’s fears had been fulfilled and the choices were limited to the greatest power ballads of the eighties and nineties.

…Guess the time was right for us to say
We'd take our time and live our lives
Together day by day
We'll make a wish and send it on a prayer
We know our dreams can all come true
With love that we can share

With you I never wonder--will you be there for me
With you I never wonder--you're the right one for me
I finally found the love of a lifetime
A love to last my whole life through...

He raised her hand to his lips, giving it a soft kiss, finding the horribly delivered lyrics strangely touching. Finding the moment surprisingly romantic, even though Kevin’s singing rivaled the screeching of a dying cat, Lana kissed Clark’s cheek then began to nuzzle his neck.

“Karaoke is so much better when alcohol is involved,” Lex observed dryly.

They jumped at the sound of his voice, he’d caught them both off guard. Clark managed to smile at his former friend and greet him, “Hey Lex.”

“I heard you were getting out today, so I thought I’d come by and say hello. I didn‘t realize there was a party.”

Lana’s eyes darted around, searching for Jonathan. Last time he’d seen Lex near his son he’d freaked. She was surprised that he was bold enough to stop by uninvited. If Jonathan spotted him Lex wouldn’t get a warm welcome, that much she was sure of.

“It’s nice to see you,” Clark said good-naturedly. He and Lex may not have been on the best of terms the past year but he was willing to be mature about it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the hospital since your miraculous recovery.”

“No problem, Lex. There’s plenty to eat and drink, there’s also karaoke. Feel free to join in,” Clark invited politely, wondering just what Lex was implying with the miraculous comment.

Lex’s eyes wandered to the table covered in snacks then to Kevin belting out the last few lines of the song. “As much as I love a good party I’m going to have to pass. I‘ve got a meeting Metropolis this afternoon.”

“Well, thanks for stopping by.”

Lana was about to breath a sigh of relief when she saw Jonathan making a beeline for them. She gave Lex a warning look but he didn’t seem to notice. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

“What are you doing here?” Jonathan’s voice was raised but not enough to draw too much attention.

“Hello, Mr. Kent I was…”

“I thought I told you to stay away from my son,” Jonathan cut him off, looking rather imposing.

“Dad,” Clark jumped in before things got out of hand, “he just came by to say hello and now that he has he’s leaving.”

Jonathan glared at Lex, daring him to disagree.

“He’s right, I am leaving. Clark, Lana,” Lex said with a nod goodbye, ignoring Jonathan completely. Clark returned the nod while Lana raised her hand in a small wave and mumbled bye.

“You know, Lana, I am getting a little tired,” Clark said looking at his father curiously, wondering what had brought that on. He’d never been fond of Lex but that had been downright hostile.

“How about I help you into the house?” Lana asked, getting up from the step they were occupying and holding out her hand to him.

“Thanks, Lana,” he took her hand and got to his feet.

His dad was watching Lex get into his car as they walked past him, paying little mind to his son while making sure Lex really left his property.

[#7superherofan]

There seems to be a rash of kereoke parties on the Clana boards lately. Hmm, not sure where it would fit, but maybe I'll eventually put one into mine.;) A makeup graduation party for Clark was such a good idea, Chloe is such a good friend. Since this story is post-Spirit, therefore post-Pariah, she knows about Clark's abilities, that is his former abilities, right? Clark and Lana's momemt was so sweet, even with Kevin butchering the romantic song, then in comes He Who It's Not Worth Mentioning:mad: and kills the mood. Jonathen was sure preoccupied with making sure Lex left, so maybe he didn't notice Clark and Lana sneak away for some sweet alone time in the house. Guess I'll have to wait three weeks before I find out:(, but have a great vacation, LetMeGo.:D

[LetMeGo]

I had a great time! Thanks for patiently waiting. ;) I hope you like the update.
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“Comfy?” Lana asked running her fingers through his hair.

Clark definitely looked comfortable. His eyes were half closed and a relaxed smile occupied his lips while they lounged on his parent’s couch, his head resting in her lap.

“Mmm,” he practically purred, “that feels nice.”

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Maybe the party was too much for your first day back.”

“Nah, I just need to know my limitations. That stuff with Dad and Lex made me realize I was starting to wear down.”

“I was worried there for a minute. I knew your dad wasn’t Lex’s biggest fan but after what happened at the hospital I was afraid things might get physical.”

He looked up at her quizzically, “What happened at the hospital?”

“I thought I’d drop by on my way to school that morning, just to check on you,” she smiled down at him, “and your dad got there at the same time I did. It was earlier than he usually got there but he’d said he’d gotten done with the chores faster than he’d expected.

“Anyway, we walked to your room together but when we got there Lex was standing there with his nose stuck in your chart. Your dad charged him and ripped it out of his hand and nearly pushed him out of the room, raising quite the ruckus, I’ve never seen your dad act like that. Luckily Lex got the picture and left.”

“Oh.”

“Why does your dad hate him so much?”

He thought about evading the question for a second, but that was the old Clark. He’d promised to be different and he intended to hold to that promise. “Well, Dad never really trusted him to begin with but everything changed after last year.”

“What happened?”

“Lex and I had a run in.” His next words and where they may lead the conversation made him a little apprehensive but he blurted it out before he had a chance to change his mind. “I found out that he’d been investigating me, he even had a room full of stuff…”

“What kind of stuff?” She could barely believe he’d answered that first question so honestly, she’d expected him to skirt around it and change the subject.

“The car he crashed when we met; monitors with pictures and files on me and my family pulled up on them. It made me feel sick.”

“That is pretty creepy.” Lana felt a twinge of panic, surely Lex wouldn’t do anything to Clark if he found out he was meteor infected.

“Tell me about it, here I thought he was my friend and I find out that he’s been digging around in my life.” It felt good to talk about it with her, he had his parents to confide in but with her it was different.

“That explains why the two of you haven’t been very close lately.” She had questions, tons of them, but she didn’t want to push it and have him close down. This new openness was making her giddy.

“I feel bad about it, I really do. I don’t even know how many times he said I was his only friend and how our friendship kept his dark side at bay. Now the entire thing seems tainted, like it was all an act to get closer to me.”

“I don’t think it was all an act, I doubt he knows how to be a friend. I believe he was as sincere as he could be, considering who raised him.”

“Have I been handling this wrong?”

“No, you felt betrayed and rightly so.”

“What if Lex gives into his demons and becomes like his father?”

“If that happens it’s not your fault.” She started to massage his temples. “There is only so much you can do.”

“You’re right…” he sighed, wondering if he could have done something different. In his head he knew Lex was too far gone but his heart wouldn’t let him let go so easily.

He sounded defeated and it tugged at her heartstrings. “I know you don’t give up on people, it’s one of the countless things I love about you, but considering what you told me keeping your distance from him was the right decision.”

It was disturbing to think of Lex collecting evidence of Clark being something other than an ordinary farm boy. Even if he suspected Clark was different she had to wonder why would he need proof like that. Perhaps it was in the hopes of confronting Clark with it, to force him to admit the truth. She prayed that that was Lex’s motivation and tried to block out other, scarier, explanations.

[#7superherofan]

I had a great time! Thanks for patiently waiting. ;) I hope you like the update.

WELCOME BACK, LETMEGO! You've been missed.:D

He thought about evading the question for a second, but that was the old Clark. He’d promised to be different and he intended to hold to that promise. “Well, Dad never really trusted him to begin with but everything changed after last year.”


“What kind of stuff?” She could barely believe he’d answered that first question so honestly, she’d expected him to skirt around it and change the subject.



“I know you don’t give up on people, it’s one of the countless things I love about you, but considering what you told me keeping your distance from him was the right decision.”

It was disturbing to think of Lex collecting evidence of Clark being something other than an ordinary farm boy. Even if he suspected Clark was different she had to wonder why would he need proof like that. Perhaps it was in the hopes of confronting Clark with it, to force him to admit the truth. She prayed that that was Lex’s motivation and tried to block out other, scarier, explanations.


WELCOME BACK, LETMEGO! You've been missed.:D

Love how open Clark has decided to be with Lana, honoring the promise he made to her. Even though he doesn't have his powers anymore their past still exists and needs to be addressed. None of that "the past can't hurt us anymore" nonsense. Not sure how he'd convince her of his origins without his powers, though.:confused:

Clark and Lana are such sweethearts. Clark is so worried about Lex, still worried about giving up too quickly on the former best friend who betrayed him. Lana finds Lex's "Clark Collection" disturbing, yet she is still willing, hoping to think the best of his intentions toward Clark. I love how she is gradually becoming more aware of Clark as a "Metoer Freak." Hope that their naivete isn't too misguided, and that they'll watch their backs, 'cause I sense a showdown is coming.:eek: PPMS:D

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the warm welcome back #7superherofan and the great feedback!! There’s a lot ahead for Clark and Lana… Enjoy the update!
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Since the surprise party life for Clark had settled into a simple routine, largely consisting of chores, physical therapy, and Lana. He’d run into Lex a time or two a the Talon and while they were always friendly toward each other their friendship remained strained.

Done with his chores for the day Clark went to change into something workout appropriate, as Lana had instructed when she’d called earlier. He supposed she was going to go through his physical therapy exercises with him again or maybe for a run. This was his last week of therapy but he was being encouraged to continue with the exercises on his own.

Not that he had a problem with that, seeing the results of the strenuous workouts had spurred him on. He was already doing light chores around the farm and couldn’t wait to be able to take on more of the heavy lifting, his dad was doing too much. When he thought about that he almost wished he had his abilities back but his dad always assured him that running the farm could be done without superpowers. Jonathan was right, of course, it just took some adjustment.

Once changed Clark went to wait for Lana in the barn. Over the past few weeks things between them were even better than he’d imagined they could be. They were practically inseparable, at least that’s what his parents had been saying, and they were thrilled. He expected that kind of reaction out of his mom but his dad also adored Lana. He was starting to believe they liked her better than they liked him and it didn’t bother him in the least. He was actually very happy to see how close his parents had become to Lana.

Hearing the faint sound of a car pulling into the drive, followed by Shelby’s barking, he looked out the loft window and saw that it was Lana. He started down the stairs to meet her with a smile on his face.

Lana was getting out of her car by the time that he reached her. “Hi,” he smiled and leaned against the car while she ducked back inside to grab a bag.

“I’ve got something for you.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked, bending down to kiss her hello.

“MmmmHmmm,” she answered against his lips.

She handed him the bag and he eagerly looked inside, his face quickly becoming the picture of puzzlement. “Two blocks of wood?”

“Yeah, there’s more!” She dove back into her car and retrieved a rolled up mat and gave it to him.

“What is this for?”

“It’s a yoga mat.”

“Yoga?” He didn’t like the sound of that, he looked from the mat to the blocks of wood. “What’s the wood for?”

“The blocks are to help you properly execute the poses until you get the hang of it. Kind of like training wheels on a bike, eventually you won’t need them.”

“So, you’re saying you want me…” he let that hang in the air for a second, hoping she‘d see how ridiculous it sounded, “to do yoga?”

“Yep,” she smiled brightly at him. “I talked to your physical therapist, she thought it was a wonderful idea.”

“She did?”

“Yes, it’ll help with your flexibility and core strength,” she informed him matter-of-factly, not getting his hang up. “You want to do it in the loft?”

“Umm…” he tried to find a way to tell her that mid-western football playing guys don’t do yoga.

“Come on, Clark, it’s not like I’m trying to make you a full blown yogi, I’m just going to show you a few poses to help with your flexibility.”

“Yogi?” he asked guessing more or less what she meant but was trying to stall long enough to come up with a way out of it.

Knowing what he was attempting to do she didn’t bother to explain the term as she rolled her eyes at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the barn. “Come on, I won’t bite.”

He sighed in resignation, allowing himself to be led to the loft. It was no use fighting with her over it, she was determined. All he could hope for now was that it wouldn’t last too long.

After rolling out their mats Lana instructed him to lay down on his mat, close his eyes, and relax.

“First you have to learn how to breath.”

“I wasn’t aware I was doing it wrong,” he said, his eyes still closed.

“Clark…”

“Okay, okay, I’ll behave. How am I suppose to breath?”

“You want to breath from your diaphragm, through your nose, deep breaths. Concentrate on your breaths. Keep your mind clear.”

After a few minutes she decided he had it down and started moving into poses. It was quickly apparent to him that yoga was going to be a challenge for a reason he hadn’t considered; he found his instructor to be extremely hot and he had an amazing view. He got through plank, cobra, and something about a puppy (a pose that left one of her best assets where it could easily be admired) before she got off of her own mat, finding that demonstrating the poses wasn’t enough for her befuddled student.

Her touch was firm yet gentle as she moved him into the proper position. He tried to concentrate on his breathing and not the lingering picture of her in the last pose or the fact that her hands were on his hips with little success. He was both relieved and disappointed when she let him out of her grasp.

Next they moved on to some standing poses. He was able to breath easy when she started off with mountain pose, there was nothing suggestive about standing with your hands to your sides. Then came chair, tree, and triangle all of which Lana preformed with ease while he struggled to keep his balance more than once.

Clark was surprised that he was actually producing sweat. It was starting to feel like a real workout and not just fancy stretching. Encouraged by this epiphany he followed Lana’s lead, putting real effort into getting the poses right, becoming less distracted by his instructor. That was, until they got to downward-facing dog.

Once again Lana’s backside was in a position in which it was begging to be admired, at least that’s how it seemed from his perspective.

“Are you checking me out?” She asked, noticing him ogling her instead of moving into downward-facing dog.

“I… uh…” he stammered under her questioning stare, “…yes.”

She stood up and looked at him sternly, one eyebrow raised and her head cocked to the side, “You are suppose to be focusing on your breathing.”

“You’re making that really difficult for me.”

“So it’s my fault you can‘t concentrate?”

“Well, it isn’t my fault you have an amazing body.”

“That’s your excuse… I have an amazing body?” She put her hands on her hips and waited for him to answer.

“Absolutely,” he answered with a smile, taking a long head-to-toe look at her.

“What am I suppose to do with you,” she sighed, rolling her eyes at him.

“I’ve got a couple ideas…” he grinned at her. Reaching for her he pulled her closer to him, his hands coming to a rest at her waist.

“Is this a thinly veiled attempt to get out of finishing our yoga session?” His thumbs were massaging her sides in little circular motions, which she tried to ignore.

“Not at all, I love yoga,” he replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Really?” She meant for that to come out sarcastically but the way he was staring into her eyes left her flustered and the question lost all of it’s bite.

“Really,” he answered, honestly willing to endure almost anything for the view he’d been enjoying moments ago. “We should definitely do this again.”

His lips crashed into hers, taking a long deep taste. She moaned against his mouth as what had been smoldering between them broke out into a raging fire.

“This isn’t the way you’re suppose to end a session,” she said coming up for air.

“I’ll have to remember that next time,” he panted, clumsily guiding her toward the couch while he started to assault her neck with his mouth.

Clark sunk into the cushions, pulling Lana with him. She straddled his lap and her hands found their way into his hair. The heat threatened to consume them as their mouths battled for satisfaction while their hands freely explored uncharted territory.

Lana pulled at his t-shirt and he obligingly lifted his arms, aiding in it’s swift removal. She licked his collar bone, starting a warm wet trail down his chest. Meanwhile, her fingertips were making their own southerly journey down his stomach.

Through a pleasure filled haze Clark realized where they were heading. Trying to ignore what his body was telling him to do he managed to speak, “Maybe we should slow things down.”

“We’ve been going slow for four years,” she answered, reluctantly stopping her onslaught for a moment so she could listen to him.

“Yeah… but…” he was having a difficult time putting his argument into words while a very willing Lana was on top of him. “…I just wanted our first time to be special…”

She sighed and slipped off his lap, “I guess this isn’t how I pictured it happening either.”

“I haven’t done this before,” he said nervously.

“It’s my first time too, Clark.”

“You and Jason didn‘t?” He asked, not daring to believe that wonderful news.

“No… You and Alicia…?”

“No,” he said, looking intently into her eyes. “You’re the only one I’ve ever truly loved, the only one I‘ve ever wanted. Only you, Lana.”

Her heart melted upon hearing his heart felt declaration. She kissed him without thinking, a soft sweet kiss. When she broke away from his lips and looked at him she saw desire filling his eyes.

“Sorry…” she blushed, realizing how furiously he was fighting his feelings. “I guess I should give you some space.”

Lana scooted away from him, leaving several inches between them.

“It’s not that I don’t want to…” he started, feeling like he’d disappointed her.

“I know,” she smiled at him. “You’re right though, our first time should be special and not some impromptu lust filled romp.”

“It’s a big step.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Are you sure you want to take that step… with me?”

Her brow furrowed at his question, “Clark, of course I want to. I love you.”

“If you’re sure,” he said and she gave him a frustrated look, “okay, you’re sure.”

“I really am. I’m ready for that step with you.”

“Then there is something you should know…” he exhaled nervously. If he was going to sleep with her he was going to tell her the truth. Powers or not, she had a right to know.

“You can tell me anything,” she assured him, knowing that it had to be terrifying for him to say it out loud.

“I hope so, Lana… I hope that it doesn’t change how you feel about me.”

“It doesn‘t, Clark. I know and it’s okay,” she said reaching for his hand.

“You know?” His already racing heart sped up several beats as he wondered if she’d really been able to figure out his secret.

“Yes, I know that you’re meteor infected and it doesn’t matter to me.”

He took a deep breath, “I wish it were that simple.”

[LetMeGo]

Lana watched him closely, waiting for him to explain. This had always been the hard part, looking into her eyes and knowing that with a few simple words his world could fall apart with her rejection. And now the weight of her expectant eyes on him was a heavier burden than his secret had ever been. A secret he’d thought he was free of but that flash of lightning hadn’t erased the past.

“I’m not meteor infected but I can understand why you might have thought I was. I do have… well, did have, powers. They’ve been gone ever since I was struck by lightning. I’ve been just like everyone else.”

“If you didn’t get your powers from the meteors where did they come from?”

“It has to do with where I was born,” this was it, the moment of truth, once he said it there was no going back. No more pretending he was normal. “My parents found me the day of the meteor shower in Miller’s field, next to my spaceship.”

She stared at him, her expression unchanged as she tried to compute what he’d just said.

He waited for her to say something but as the seconds ticked by he started to believe she wasn‘t going to say anything. “Lana?”

She blinked a couple times and slowly shook her head like she had water in her ears. “I don’t think I understand what you’re trying to tell me.”

“I’m telling you that I’m not human.”

It had suddenly gotten harder for her to breath, like the air had become thinner. A million different thoughts were swirling in Lana’s head. Foremost in her mind was the hope that she’d wake up soon and this was all just a dream.

“You don’t believe me,” he stated, feeling defeated after reading the expression on her face. There was no way for him to prove his claim; his ship had long ago been destroyed and with his abilities gone there was only his word. And she was having a hard time with that.

“I…” She started, with no idea what she was going to say. Believing in life existing somewhere in the vast unknown of space was a lot easier to accept in theory. If someone had asked her about it an hour ago she would have answered with a ’sure, anything’s possible.’ But believing in extraterrestrial beings when your boyfriend was claiming to be one was a completely different thing.

“Let‘s go,” he said, standing abruptly, grabbing her with one hand and reaching for his discarded shirt with the other.



Martha peered into the oven, checking on the roasted chicken and vegetable dish she was fixing for dinner, while Jonathan poured himself a glass of lemonade. When Clark and Lana came through the door they both looked up.

“Hey, kids,” Martha said smiling, “dinner will be ready in about a half an hour. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Will you two tell her I’m an alien?” Clark blurted out without any warning.

Jonathan choked on his drink and started coughing. Martha’s jaw dropped open, an expression of shock on her face. Meanwhile Lana couldn’t shake the nervous feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach.

“Son…” Jonathan started, clearing his throat.

“I think we’d all agree that Lana is part of this family now,” Clark said before his dad could protest. “It’s time she knows the truth.”

Martha and Jonathan looked at each other for a moment, having a conversation with their eyes. Finally she gave a slight nod of her head and he shrugged his shoulders in reply. His first instinct was to protect the secret, protect his son. However, he couldn’t deny Clark’s claim, Lana had proven herself as an important part of their family.

“Why don’t you sit down, sweetheart,” Martha was the first one to speak. Noticing the confusion on the girl’s face she felt a twinge of fear for her son. She knew his greatest qualm about telling Lana the truth was that she wouldn‘t accept him.

Martha hoped her account would help Lana think of Clark the same way she did, not as an alien being, but as a miracle. Once they were all gathered around the table she started, “Do remember the story I told you about the day of the meteor shower? Jonathan and I had stopped at Nell’s for flowers…”

“And I asked you if you wanted to make a wish,” Lana finished, remembering what Martha had told her about wishing for a child.

“That’s right,” she nodded with a smile. “I told you that shortly after that my wish was granted but it was on that very day that Clark came into our lives. We were on our way home from town when the meteor shower struck. We were knocked off the road, our truck ended up on it‘s roof. When we crawled out of the wreckage there was the most beautiful little boy,” her eyes teared up as she glanced at Clark, “next to a spaceship.”

Jonathan continued, “It didn‘t take long for us to notice how special Clark was. At first we weren’t sure how we’d be able to keep him but we realized what would happen to him if anyone knew the truth. Not only would we lose him but he’d never have had a normal life.”

“The moment I saw him I knew he was ours. Where Clark came from never was never important, he was my special boy.”

Lana looked from face to face, each one of them was watching her. Martha’s expression was one of pleading, hoping she’d understand. Jonathan‘s face was creased with concern, wondering if she had been ready to learn the truth. And then there was Clark, he looked like his world was about to fall apart.

“Why don’t we give them a moment,” Martha said to her husband and they quietly left Clark and Lana alone.

“So many times I’ve wanted to tell you…” he tentatively touched her hand and when she didn’t pull away from him he felt the foreboding that had hold of his heart loosen.

“Clark… I need some time to think all of this through.”

“Yeah, of course,” he tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, “take all the time you need.”

Lana stood up to leave but hesitated to step away from him. She could see the hurt in his eyes, the pain radiated from him so intensely that she could feel it. Blinking back the sting of tears, Lana caressed his cheek, holding his gaze for a moment. Then, without a word she left.


Hours later Clark was sitting in the loft trying not to think of Lana. His dad had come up awhile ago and told him he should go to bed and get some rest, saying that he just needed to giver her some time to come around. He’d promised he would but had yet to make himself move. There would be no sleep for him tonight no matter where he was.

He wondered now if he’d made a mistake in telling her. For all intents and purposes he was as normal as anyone else now and would live out the remainder of his life as an average everyday guy. She didn’t have to know, but that was the easy way, not the right way. He sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes, assuring himself that he did the right thing.

Lana could see the light coming from the loft from the road, drawing her like a beacon as well as confirming that Clark was still awake. Since she left the Kent farm hours ago she’d done a lot of thinking and now, more than anything, she needed to talk to him.

After parking her car she walked up the stairs to the loft, not having seen hide nor hair of Clark. He usually greeted her when she came over and she hoped that his lack to do so now was because he had fallen asleep, not that she’d hurt him so badly by leaving earlier that he didn’t want to see her. From the last few stairs she could see him sitting on the couch, he didn’t look her way, even when she cleared the last step. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed her.

“Clark,” she called to him, hoping that he wasn’t startled by her voice.

Hearing her he looked up, uncertainty in his eyes, not allowing himself to get his hopes up. She could have come back to dump him in person. “Hey.”

“Mind if I come in?”

He shook his head, saying nothing. Taking that as an invitation Lana joined him on the couch. Silence hung in the air between them, seconds turning into minutes with neither speaking.

Finally Lana broke the silence, “Why did you tell me?”

“I’ve been sitting here wondering that myself,” he answered glumly.

“You could have kept it from me, now that you’re without powers I never would have known.”

“I told you because I love you and want to spend my life with you…” he let out the breath he felt like he’d been holding all night long, “and if you were going to spend your life with me you needed to know who you were with.”

Her eyes were filled with tears, he‘d said exactly what she‘d needed to hear, “I love you, Clark Kent.”

“Are those good tears or bad tears?”

“Good…” she laughed as she sniffled.

“You’re really okay with… everything?”

“Yes,” she replied and he smiled in relief, “I’m okay with everything, though the idea will take some getting use to. There was one thing… I was wondering when I’d get to see your spaceship.”

“I‘d love to show it to you but I can‘t, I destroyed it years ago,” he admitted sadly.

“Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I‘ve got no where else to be.”

With her reply he started in on his story by telling her about his abilities and moved on to what he knew of his biological parents. He covered the caves and the symbols, telling her what her tattoo meant and about the destiny his father had envisioned for him. He went on about red and green Kryptonite, their effects on him, and his time in Metropolis. They talked all night, Clark answering question after question, eventually falling asleep in each others arms.

[Nemu]

cool! that's one 'giant leap' forward in their lives...

PPMS!!

[ClanaGirl]

Yes a huge leap forward the only dwonside was that it wasn't the barn kind of scene it was a little different but its a huge step forward in there lifes please give Clark his powers back evenutally so that Clark can do what he did when he proposed to Lana and fly. I love this story its amazing please continue

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the replies! They have a lot ahead of them…
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Clark waited patiently on the couch, as he’d been doing since he’d gotten to her place. He’d been naïve to think she’d be ready to go when he arrived, as it turned out she wasn’t even dressed, answering the door in a silk robe. She’d hurriedly kissed him hello and told him she was almost ready. That had been at least a half an hour ago.

He didn’t understand what took women so long. He’d been ready in less than thirty minutes, he even took a shower in that time. After the shower he’d thrown on his clothes, the black ensemble Lana had picked out for him, which she referred to as his clubbing clothes. With a spray of cologne and a quick run of his fingers through his hair, he was done.

He began to absentmindedly drum his fingers against the couch cushion. “I applied for a job at the Ledger,” he called out to her, tired of waiting to tell her about it. He’d been considering getting a part time job for a while now and when he saw the ad in the paper it sounded like a perfect fit.

“Oh…” came her muffled reply.

“Yeah, I talked to Mr. Beppo, it was kind of an impromptu interview. Apparently they can’t afford another full-fledged reporter, the paper isn’t doing real well these days, but they’re short handed. Someone with my experience is all they can afford.”

“How‘d it go?”

“Good. I think I’ve got a chance. I left a few articles I wrote for the Torch with my application, they‘re nothing great but they‘re not bad.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it, Clark.”

“I appreciate…” he started as she came into his sight and quickly lost his train of thought, “… Wow!”

“How do I look?” She smiled and slowly spun around so he could get the full effect.

“Amazing,” he breathed as he watched her move in her little green dress, it was cut low in the back, showing more skin than he’d ever seen her bare before. But as he took her in he realized something was different. Leaning forward as his eyes narrowed, he asked, “Where’s your tattoo?”

“What?” she looked at him as he got off the couch and walked over to her.

“It’s gone,” he said touching the spot where it had been.

“How…” she’d looked into getting removed shortly after it had first mysteriously appeared on her back and was told it was impossible. She was branded with it, a irremovable link to the Countess serving as a reminder that some things were out of her control.

She hurried to the bathroom and the mirror, closely followed by Clark. Contorting herself so that she could look at the reflection of her back she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, “Tell me this is good…”

“Of course it’s a good,” he told her, trying to sooth her. She met his stare in the mirror looking a bit panicked.

“But why is it gone?”

“Let’s stay calm,” he said, his own mind racing to make sense of it, and placed his hands around her waist. “We’ll figure it out.”

“We’re already going to be late,” she said, worrying about something that she could actually control.

“I’ll call Chloe and cancel.”

“But she’s been looking forward to this, we’re suppose to meet her new boyfriend.”

“She’d understand.”

“No, we shouldn’t let this ruin our plans.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, let’s go.”



They’d talked about her disappearing tattoo on the way to Metropolis and they’d come to the conclusion that it was indeed a good thing; no tattoo meant no more Isobel. Still, something about the situation was gnawing away at her stomach.

The music in the club was thumping, mercifully drowning out her doubts. As they weaved through the crowd, hand in hand, looking for Chloe and Lois, she made a conscious decision to not think about anything but her friends and her boyfriend tonight. In truth that shouldn’t be too hard, Clark was looking exceptionally gorgeous tonight, and she’d noticed the looks he was attracting.

“I see them,” he leaned into her, speaking loudly so she’d hear him over all the noise. She nodded, having spotted them as well and he led the way, parting the sea of people like an ice breaker cutting through frozen ocean.

When they reached the booth everyone scooted over to make room for them. Introductions were short. There was Lois’ date, a guy named Wes that struck Lana as kind of slimy, and Chloe’s George. With a name like George Lana wasn’t sure what to expect and was happy to see that he was as just as Chloe had described him, cute with a genuine smile.

After a few minutes of small talk Lois and Wes left for the packed dance floor while Chloe and Lana headed for the ladies room. Clark was alone with Chloe’s new beau, a situation he was going to take advantage of. He knew neither Lana or Chloe would allow him to grill the guy if they were there.

“So, George, what do you do?”

“I’m with the Metropolis PD.”

“You’re a cop?”

“Yes.”

“Oh…”



“George is great, Chloe,” Lana told her as they made their way to the restroom.

“You really think so?”

“Yeah, and the way he looks at you…”

Chloe grinned, thinking about it, “He is amazing. Do you think it was a good idea to leave him with Clark?”

“Clark will behave, if he knows what’s good for him,” Lana laughed and took a step forward, the line was moving, but barely.

“There seems to be something you’re not telling me,” Chloe commented dryly.

“Hmm?” Lana turned back toward her friend, puzzled.

“When did you get your tattoo removed?”

“I don’t know,” Lana answered with a nervous shrug.

“How can you not know that, isn‘t it a long and painful process?”

“It vanished on it’s own.”

Chloe‘s mouth dropped open, “When?”

“Clark just noticed it before we left earlier.”

“Oh..!”

“Yeah, I’m trying not to freak out about it…”



Clark’s interrogation didn’t go how he’d planned, in fact it didn’t go at all. Trying to intimidate a cop didn’t seem like a wise course of action. However, the more he talked to the guy the more he liked him. By the time the women returned from the restroom they were having a friendly conversation about football.

Lana and Chloe slid in next to their respective men, happy to see that they were playing nicely. Clark gave Lana a quick peck and a searching look, still worried about her in spite of her instance that she wanted to be here tonight. She smiled and gave his arm an reassuring squeeze.

Her conversation with Chloe had brought back all of her earlier feelings over the mysterious disappearing tattoo. However, Chloe agreeing with their assessment of the situation had soothed her frazzled nerves a bit as had her promise to do a little digging into witchcraft to see if she could find an explanation.

“So, when are you going to dance with me?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him in an over exaggerated attempt at being seductive.

“You’re sure that’s a good idea?”

“Positive,” Lana answered, not about to let him get out of it.

He threw a helpless look at Chloe, who laughed, while Lana pulled him out of the booth. He sighed in resignation, if this would keep her mind off of her troubles he’d man up and do it. Besides, all he had to do was stand there and sway to the music while Lana did all the work.

Somewhere in the middle of the second song Clark began to loosen up and started to get into it. Lana noticed the change in him and was enjoying every moment of it. The boy may not have been the best dancer but it didn’t even matter to her, they were having fun.

“Are you thirsty, or is it just me?” He asked, having worked up a sweat.

She nodded, feeling the need for something cool herself, “Let’s go sit down.”

Lana was following closely behind Clark, their hands linked together, as he tried to navigate off of the packed dance floor. A smile was spread across her face, she was having a great time.

“Don’t touch me!”

Lana’s head snapped toward the direction of the near hysterical voice. She spotted a girl trying to ward off unwanted advances. No one around them was paying any mind and the girl looked like she was about start crying. Lana pulled on Clark’s arm and he turned to look at her, his eyes followed hers and he spotted the trouble.

“I think she needs help,” she said and he responded with a nod and changed direction.

“Hey man,” Clark said, tapping on the guy’s shoulder, “I don’t think she wants to dance with you.”

“Butt out,” was the reply Clark’s polite observation got.

He tapped again, he may not have his abilities any more but he was still a pretty big guy and figured he could intimidate this jerk. “Get away from her. Now.”

“Who in the hell do you think you are?” The guy turned toward Clark, letting the girl go and she quickly scurried away from him, getting lost in the crowd.

“I’m just trying to keep you from doing something stupid.”

In hindsight Clark should have expected what happened next but as it was he didn’t see the guy’s fist as it sailed toward his face.

He was stunned by the taste of blood in his mouth and the sting of the punch, and the guy got in a second shot at him before his reflexes kicked in. Clark’s hands came up in front of him, ready to strike, and the guy took another swing. Clark dodged his punch and took the opening, landing a shot to the guy’s kidney and followed with a quick jab to his face. The guy dove at Clark, tackling him to the ground. The people around them had stopped dancing at this point and were trying to get out of the way.

“Clark!” Lana screamed as they dropped to the floor.

She was about to jump in the middle of it when a couple of bouncers pulled them apart and promptly tossed them out of the club. It had all happened so fast that half of the people inside didn’t know what had happened. Chloe, however, had noticed and she and George soon joined Clark and Lana outside.

“What was that all about?” Chloe asked, approaching a bloodied Clark and a freaked out Lana.

“It was my fault,” Lana nearly sobbed, dabbing at Clark’s face. “There was a girl getting assaulted on the dance floor and I told Clark to help her.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Clark argued, “it’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Want me to take a look?” George asked.

“He’s trained in first-aid,” Chloe chimed in. At this point it would be more for Lana’s benefit than Clark’s, she needed to step back and take a deep breath.

“I’m really okay,” Clark protested to no avail.

George gave him a once over, checking to see if his eyes were dilated, a sign of a concussion. “Looks like everything is normal.”

“See, I told you,” Clark managed to smile at Lana.

“I’m surprised they didn’t call the police,” Chloe said.

“They won’t do that unless they absolutely have to,” George answered his girlfriend. “A place like this wants to stay off the department’s radar.

“You should probably see to that cut above your eye,” he said, looking back to Clark.

“I’ve got a first-aid kit in the truck,” Clark volunteered.

“Let‘s go get it,” George said, thinking it’d be a good idea for Clark to sit down.

“You don’t have to do that,” Clark protested, not liking being the center of attention. Plus he really didn’t want Chloe’s boyfriend doctoring him.

“Yeah,” Lana spoke up, “I can clean him up.”

“You’re sure?”

“It’ll be fine, really. Don’t let us ruin your evening anymore than we have.”

After they said their goodbyes and promised that Lana would drive home they found their way to the pickup. After a little digging Lana had found the first-aid kit and was cleaning his cut with an antiseptic wipe.

“Are you okay?” Clark asked, noticing a slight tremor in Lana’s hand.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” She countered, avoiding his question.

“I’m fine, but I’m not sure about you.”

Her hand froze in front of his face, then dropped to her lap. “When he hit you my stomach dropped to the floor.”

She started to sniffle, making a great effort to fight away her tears. It was over and he was fine, she knew she was being ridiculous with all the water works.

“Hey,” he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against his chest. He started to rub her back, “I’m sorry that our night ended like this. It isn’t really how I imagined it going.”

She didn’t say anything back to him but she didn’t seem to be crying anymore either. He continued to massage her back, it seemed to be working, her breathing was becoming more even.

“I wish you were like you use to be,” she finally said, her fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt, “indestructible.”

“That wouldn’t bother you?” Somehow she’d been able to accept his other worldly origin, but he hadn’t been sure she would’ve still feel that way with his powers thrown into the mix.

“No, it’d be kind of… comforting.”

He pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes as he buried his face in her hair, “I love you.”

[Nemu]

yeah but that is only one side of the medal... the other side... the bad side is way not worth all the trouble of those abilities...

Interesting... ppms!!

[#7superherofan]

Thanks for the replies! They have a lot ahead of them…
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“I wish you were like you use to be,” she finally said, her fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt, “indestructible.”

“That wouldn’t bother you?” Somehow she’d been able to accept his other worldly origin, but he hadn’t been sure she would’ve still feel that way with his powers thrown into the mix.

“No, it’d be kind of… comforting.”

He pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes as he buried his face in her hair, “I love you.” Aw, that part was so sweet. Clark is Lana's knight, I love how she pointed out to him the trouble on the dance floor, and she'd obviously find it comforting to have him be indestructible when he's trying to save the day. Nemu's right, though, there are of course drawbacks, but Clark and Lana would survive them like they can survive anything. WHich may be tested when the tattoo matter resurfaces. It just disappered, how weird.:eek: Hope Chloe can help figure it out. Oh, so this part is maybe some months after graduation, right. Now as there was no metoer shower, I forget whether or not the Teagues are still alive.

[ClanaGirl]

love it this chapter was so sweet guys I mean it the good news was no tatto bad news equals that Isobel could still be in her without the tatto

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everyone! :)

#7superherofan, to answer your questions… yes, it’s been months since graduation, college is right around the corner for them. The Teagues are being hunted by Lex at this point.

Enjoy the update!
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Clark woke up with a groan, his head was sore, as was most of his body. When one of his eyes cracked open he realized he wasn’t in his own bed, he was in Lana’s. That is when the previous night came rushing back to him.

He’d convinced Lana that his scuffle at the club wasn’t a big deal, and it wasn’t really, the cut above is eye and a busted lip were minor injuries. What he didn’t tell her was the realization he’d had. In theory he knew he was vulnerable but it hadn’t struck home until last night. For the first time in his life he’d experienced the raw human experience of facing his own mortality.

After their little talk in the parking lot Lana had driven them back to Smallville. When she passed the turn to his house he didn’t question her, he didn’t have to. Something unspoken had passed between them when he’d held her earlier and they both knew they wouldn’t spend the night alone.

Once she’d parked the truck outside of the Talon Lana took his hand and led him to her apartment and then to her bed. They didn’t speak, their eyes saying everything that words couldn’t possibly express.

He sat on the edge of the mattress as she stood in front of him, between his knees. She raised his hand to her mouth and her soft lips brushed over his bruised knuckles, then the cut above his eye, then his swollen lips. She was hesitant at first, barely grazing his lips. Biting back the sting of his split lip he deepened the kiss, demanding more.

She slowly unbuttoned his shirt then helped him remove it. Done with that, she backed away from him and wiggled out of her dress. The day before he might have thought the sight of Lana stripping in front of him would be incredibly hot but the only word he was thinking at that moment was beautiful.

With his eyes he drank her in, one of God’s greatest creations in his estimation. She was completely exposed to him but his gaze was drawn inexplicitly to her eyes. Once she was within arms reach again he took her by the waist, pulling her closer, and kissed her softly. His mouth continued to explore the sensitive skin on her neck while her hands fisted in his hair.

She moaned when he found a sensitive spot, just above her collar bone, he’d never heard a sweeter sound. Her hands made their way down his chest and stomach, coming to a stop on his belt. Moments later, with her assistance, he was as bare as she was. Pulling her onto the bed with him, her name was on his lips, like a whispered prayer.

He reluctantly opened his eyes again, the memory of their lovemaking almost too good to interrupt, and looked at the other side of the bed finding it empty. The size of her apartment made it easy for him to survey the space from where he lay and he concluded she wasn’t there. Rolling out of bed he snatched up his previously discarded pants, slipping them on before going any further. He took a few steps toward the living area to make sure she wasn’t in the kitchen and just as he‘d suspected, she wasn’t.

He couldn’t help but wonder if she had regrets, it didn’t seem right to wake up and her not be there next to him. Wandering into the bathroom he ran cold water in the sink and began to splash it onto his face, washing any trace of sleep away. Staring at himself in the mirror he tried to think of reasons she might have left but no matter what he came up with he couldn‘t quiet convince himself that everything was okay. He needed to talk to her. Hearing the door to the apartment he hurriedly dried off his face and went to see her.

By the time he got out to her Lana was at the kitchen counter, hands full and a copy of the morning’s paper tucked under her arm. She proceeded to set down the coffee and bag of pastries she’d gotten, looking noticeably rattled.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked, his fears seemingly confirmed by her joyless expression. “Is it last night?”

She looked up at him and saw that he appeared worried and it hit her; she loved him more than she’d thought possible. “No, last night was perfect.”

“You’re sure?” He asked, still not convinced.

“Positive, I just went downstairs to get breakfast,” she said, smiling up at him the best she could. Then, with a sigh, she pulled the copy of the Daily Planet from under her arm and held it out to him, “Take a look.”

There on the front page was a picture of Jason Teague and his mother with the headline ‘Accident Claims Socialite and Son’. Clark’s eyes leapt to the type below quickly running over the story on the single car accident.

“It says they were found on a rural road in the middle of Iowa,” Lana commented while he read. “What would they be doing in Iowa?”

“Hiding,” he answered with the first thought that popped into his head.

“From what?”

“Not what, who,” he corrected, setting the paper down, “I’d bet it was someone with the last name Luthor.”

“Lionel…”

“Or Lex. Whoever it was, it looks like they found them.”

She stared at him for a second, “You really think Lex would…”

“I wouldn’t put it past him, he’s not the same guy we use to know, and with his desperation to get his hands on those stones…” he trailed off not wanting to think about it because it only made him feel guilty. Besides, there was something else he noticed in the article and wanted to discuss. “It says it happened early yesterday morning. Tell me, when was the last time you actually saw your tattoo?”

“You think there‘s a connection?”

He shrugged, “It could be a coincidence but everything associated with the stones seems tied together in some way.”

“Jason, and his mom, were direct descendants of the woman who had Isobel burnt at the stake,” she admitted, thinking of how it was Lionel Luthor who let her in on that tidbit, not her then boyfriend. “Apparently she was searching for the stones as well.”

“And Isobel was an ancestor of yours,” he said thoughtfully.

“Yes.”

“Maybe the spell she used to inhabit you, her descendant, was somehow tied to Mrs. Teague and Jason, the descendants of the woman who had her killed. It could have been some sort of vengeance thing.”

“That would make sense. I had a dream of being burnt at the stake with Jason’s mom in it before I’d even met her,” she said, considering his theory. “But if it was all about getting revenge why didn‘t Isobel finish them off when she was possessing me?”

“Because it wasn’t her real goal. The spell allowed her to come back to seek out the Teagues but she knew once they were gone she’d no longer be able to manifest herself in you and her quest for the stones would end.” Feeling like everything was adding up to support his idea he went on, “So, she allowed them to live, not considering they might die. Then, when they did die, poof went the tattoo and Isobel’s hold on you.”

“If you’re right that means I’m finally free of her, which is great, but at what cost?” She didn’t particularly like Jason or his mother but she certainly didn’t want them to die. And that she’d somehow benefited from their deaths made her feel guilty.

“It isn‘t like you asked for this to happen,” he said as he gathered her in his arms, understanding her feelings better than she could have imagined. “Letting go of things you couldn’t control isn’t always easy but you’ll get there.”

Finding comfort in his arms she closed her eyes and allowed herself to take a few deep breaths. An unbidden picture of a fiery crash flashed in her mind and she wondered if it was really an accident. The thought made her sick and led to an even more sickening idea.

“What happens when the Luthor’s figure out we have two of the stones?” She asked, suddenly realizing the danger they could be in.

“They’re not going to find out,” he promised.

“Do you think they’ll give up?”

“No,” he sighed, knowing what he’d have to do. “I guess I should put your stone with the one in the cave, where it’ll be safe.”

[Nemu]

Clark should strike a bargain with Jor-El... putting the stones in a safe place but on the other hand making sure Lana and him are together and safe...

i say that mainly because i have this nagging feeling that once Clarky enters the stone room in the caves Jor-El will try to do something...

PPMS!!!

[carolus]

Ooh, this is what I was waiting for. Once Clark touches the Stone of Fire (the clear stone that he took from Lex's jet in "Crusade") I bet his powers will be restored, just like they were when he touched it after Isobel took his powers in "Spell."

[#7superherofan]

Clark should strike a bargain with Jor-El... putting the stones in a safe place but on the other hand making sure Lana and him are together and safe...

i say that mainly because i have this nagging feeling that once Clarky enters the stone room in the caves Jor-El will try to do something...

PPMS!!! I agree completely, Nemu. Clark turning to Jor-El just equals trouble. He doesn't need them, the Fortress, or that Arctic Dwelling A.I. to fulfill his "destiny" to become the world's greatest hero. Clark should just find the stones, he's cabable of it with or without his powers, then hid them on the farm, bury them a thousand miles in the earth, anywhere they'll never be found again, and then just get on with his life with Lana.

(Forgive that little rant, LetMeGo.:o:p Ths is your amazing story and I can't wait to see how it will all unfold.:D) This chapter was wonderful. Clark's flashback to the night before was written with such a classy style. Plenty of deliciously ender passion(nice nod to the scene in "Mortal), yet stops just in time to keep it PG-13 friendly. Very nice twist with the Teagues. I like how you keep the show with their deaths, yet this way, Lana wasn't involved and never had to be under Lex's power. She still felt responsible for thier deaths, with the disappering tattoo; her sweet and good heart make her so worthy to be Clark Kent's mate.
Thanks for the entertainment, LetMeGo.:)

[LetMeGo]

The comments are greatly appreciated! Welcome to Kyptonsite carolus :D you’ve got an interesting theory. Here’s the update…
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Clark drove home with the stone safely stowed under the truck seat, he’d deal with it later, right now he had to face his parents. He didn’t have a curfew, per se, but he was expected to be responsible and somehow he didn’t figure his parents would find him staying out all night responsible.

By now his dad was done with the chores, chores Clark was suppose to have helped with, and eating breakfast. He hated letting down his parents. Ever since he was a little kid all they had to do was give him a disappointed look to set him straight. Which was probably a good thing since spanking him would only have resulted in someone breaking a hand.

When he walked inside he was fully braced for a lecture. He wasn’t prepared for his mom’s reaction.

“Thank goodness,” she said in relief, rushing to hug him. She’d spent the past couple of hours picturing him lying in a gutter somewhere.

“What happened to your face, son?” Jonathan asked, not bothering to get up from his seat. He wasn’t happy about the worry Clark had caused his mother, the kid didn’t even bother to call.

“Oh, Clark,” Martha winced, taking a closer look at his bruised face.

“It’s nothing, you should have seen the other guy,” he smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere. A glance in his dad’s direction told him it wasn’t working so he got serious again. “There was this girl at the club we went to, she was practically being assaulted by some guy. I stepped in, and, as you can tell by my face, it didn’t go as smoothly as I’d have liked.”

“Clark, you’ve got to keep in mind that you aren’t bulletproof anymore,” Jonathan reprimanded from the table.

“What should I have done?” He asked feeling a little defensive, “I couldn’t have just left her to fend for herself.”

“Of course not,” Martha jumped in before her husband could reply. “We just want you to be careful, that’s all. You’re as vulnerable as anyone else now.”

“Trust me, I know.”

“That explains your face,” Jonathan said, “now, explain why you were out all night.”

“Lana was worried about me driving home,” that was true enough, he thought, “afraid I might have a concussion or something.”

“It never occurred to you to call?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“You may be eighteen now, Clark, but as long as you’re living under this roof we expect you to follow a few ground rules. We’ve never given you a set curfew and I’m not going to do it now, however if you’re going to be especially late be sure to let us know. Your mother woke up at four o’clock this morning and realized you weren’t here. When she tried to call you all she got was your voicemail. Since then she’s been making herself sick with worry over you.”

“It won’t happen again,”

“Good,” Jonathan said turning his attention back to his breakfast, the issue settled. “Are you hungry?”

“No, I already ate.”

“In that case, you have stalls to clean.”

Clark accepted that with a nod, feeling a great deal of relief, it could have gone much worse. The lecture was short and the stalls were one of his usual chores. “I’ll go change and get right to it.”

Later, when Clark was nearly done mucking out the stalls, Martha came out to check on him under the guise of bringing him a drink. He didn’t complain though, the lemonade was cold and tart; just how he liked it.

“How are you doing?”

“I’m alright, Mom,” he reiterated, still feeling guilty for causing his parents undo stress. “I’m really sorry that I had you worried, I didn’t even realize you called.”

“All that matters is that you’re okay.”

“I may not be super-powered anymore, Mom, but I’m not completely defenseless,” he said, trying to ease her fears. Ever since he came home from the hospital she had been overly protective of him.

“I know, you’re all grown up,” she said with a sigh, barely able to admit her baby was technically an adult. “It’s just that I’ve never had to worry about you getting hurt, it’s new territory. Honestly, I don’t know how other mothers do it.”

“Would you prefer that I still had my abilities?” he asked, wondering if she felt the same way Lana had the night before.

Seeing the doubt in his eyes she tried to down play her concerns, “Don’t let me get to you, Clark. There was plenty I worried about when you had your powers, worrying is part of being a mother.”

He appreciated her seeming dismissal but it did little to dissuade his feelings, “I’ve been thinking about what you and Dad said about me being careful now that I’m like everyone else. The thing is, I didn’t hesitate to help that girl and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”

“Helping people is part of who you are, that will never change,” she said, thinking of how proud she was of her son, “but now, you can’t jump head first into any situation.”

“I know,” he sighed half-heartedly.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted and I’m happy, really happy, but this morning I have this feeling…”

“Do you want your abilities back?”

“I don’t want to ruin everything.”

“Am I missing something? Is there a way for you to get them back?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. He didn’t want to tell her about the stone, he knew she wouldn’t approve of him going to the caves. His parents were not big fans of Jor-El or anything kryptonian for that matter. “It almost feels like it’s inevitable though.”

“Clark, promise me you won’t do anything rash,” she gave him a pleading look.

“I won’t, Mom,” he agreed and handed her his empty glass with a smile. “Thanks for the drink, it was great.”

He turned back to his work and she watched him for a minute, wondering what was going on inside his head. Finally she left him to his chore. Walking back to the house she hoped that come what may, he would be able to find peace within himself.

[CaptainObvious]

I think Clark is right....getting his powers back seems inevitable. Enjoying this story and glad to see being out all night didn't cause the major blowout Clark was anticipating!

[LetMeGo]

I have to apologize for my prolonged absence. I’ve been distracted with this and that and have found it difficult to get to writing. I fully intend on finishing this fic. I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long for the next update, if anyone is still interested. So, here is the long overdue update…
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Lana called Chloe after Clark left, having gotten several texts from her saying she needed to talk to her. There was little doubt as to what Chloe found so urgent.

“Did you see today’s paper?” were the first words out of Chloe’s mouth.

“I have,” Lana answered, still feeling horribly about Jason and his mother, “it’s awful.”

“Yes, it‘s horrible, but their deaths also coincided with your tattoo disappearing,” Chloe cut right to the chase, not wasting time on sentiment.

“Clark and I noticed that earlier. I told you about Jason’s ancestor when you were helping me research Isobel. Clark is convinced that the spell was connected to them, something about revenge.”

“Well, I’ve been doing some googling after I saw the story and everything points to Clark being right. From what I’ve gathered if the spell was tied to the descendants of the baroness it would become null and void upon their deaths.”

“Clark was pretty convincing with his theory but it’s nice to have your second opinion to back it up.”

“Speaking of Clark, how is he doing?”

“He was a little sore this morning but the bruises will fade sooner or later.”

“You’ve seen him this morning?” Chloe asked, thinking it was still a little early for Clark to have been at Lana’s.

“Yes…”

“Spill it,” Chloe’s journalism senses went into overdrive at Lana’s hesitation.

“He spent last night here with me,” she admitted.

“Oh really?” Lana could hear Chloe’s grin over the phone. “Did you two…?”

“We did,” Lana admitted with a sigh, keeping this new development from Chloe, her best friend, would have been near impossible.

“And you weren‘t going to tell me?” Chloe said, trying to sound hurt.

“I would have told you sooner or later,” Lana protested.

“All is forgiven,” Chloe told her, smiling again. “So, how was it?”

“Being with Clark was everything I’d imagined it’d be and yet not at all how I’d imagined it.”

“You’re going to have to expand on that.”

“When reality and fantasy meet, it’s not quite what you expect, in this case, it was better than I expected,” a dreamy smile spread across her face.

“Just wait until you two know what you’re doing,” Chloe remarked with a laugh. “Seriously though, my first time was kind of awkward and bumbling, not at all what I thought it would be like.”

“Clark was so tender, thoughtful even. It was like he was trying to memorize each touch… He’d die if he knew I was talking about this with you.”

“Which is why he’ll never know.”

Lana laughed, “I’m holding you to that.”

“He seems really happy, Lana, happier than I’ve ever seen him,” Chloe remarked, her voice having lost the joking quality it had held seconds before.

“The coma really changed things for him, for us,” Lana told her, thinking of how different things were between her and Clark. For her it had started the day he was struck, when she decided that she’d accept him secrets and all if only she could have him back. Funny how when she let go of needing to know he decided he had to tell her.

“I guess that’s what near death experiences do to people,”

“It certainly clarifies things,” Lana agreed, then changed subjects. “I’ve got to get going, I told Melissa that I’d fill in for her for the rest of her shift, she has a dentist appointment or something.”

During the summer Lana had been working at the Talon. With her tuition paid for she was in a better place than some of her friends but she still needed cash for day to day expenses.

“Okay, I guess we’ll have to get to the details later,” Chloe said, knowing she wasn’t likely to get anything more out of Lana.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Lana said, shaking her head at her nosy friend, “bye.”



Clark had been feeling unsettled all morning long, the task of dealing with the stone weighing heavily on him. The more he thought about it the less he wanted to take a trip to the caves. No other option really sat well with him though. Keeping it around the farm didn’t feel right and he liked the idea of it being as removed from him and, more importantly, Lana, as possible. So he put aside his misgivings and headed to the caves.

It was always eerily quiet down in the caves, like you’d entered a world far removed from the one outside. Today, as he made his way to the secret chamber designed to hold the stones, it was no different. However, this day, the silence had an added weight to it and it pressed down on him from all sides.

Inside the chamber, in the middle of the space, was a table made of the same rock as the surrounding walls with Kryptonian symbols etched into it‘s top. There was also a slot just the right size for the key from his spaceship as well as a place for the stones, where they’d all fit together like one of those board puzzles he had when he was a kid.

He pulled the stone out of his pocket, still wrapped in the red cloth Lana had kept it in. Before placing it in it’s designated spot he considered whether or not he was doing the right thing. Shaking off his misgivings he took a deep breath, carefully unwrapped the stone, and set it next to the other one.

The table suddenly lit up, the symbols glowing brightly, and a voice greeted him… “Kal El, my son…”



Lana was pleasantly surprised when she spotted Clark entering the Talon just as her shift was ending. She’d found it difficult to concentrate all morning long, thoughts of Clark keeping her a bit distracted.

“Great timing,” she said, smiling as she removed her apron and got on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I see you brought lunch.”

He held up the paper bag she‘d noticed, it’s sides soaked with grease. “Burgers and fries, I hope that’s alright.”

“From the Dairy Freeze?” she asked, her mouth already watering. “That is better than alright!”

He smiled but it wasn’t his usual charming grin he flashed when he did something that made her happy. There was something missing in his eyes. So in spite of the smile on his lips he didn’t look happy, at least not to Lana.

“What’s wrong?” She asked and he hesitated to answer. “Were your parents mad that you didn’t get home last night?”

“They weren‘t happy but it actually went better than I thought it would,” he sighed, wishing it was as simple as his parents being angry with him. “It’s not my parents, at least not those parents.”

“Oh,” Lana’s eyes lit up in understanding, “so you went down there?”

“Yeah.”

“I take it that it didn’t go well.”

“Not exactly,” he said as they started toward the stairs to her apartment.

[Nemu]

MEANIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have to get back here and tell us what Jerk-El did this time...

[LetMeGo]

Sorry about that Nemu. Here you go… :)
-----------------------------------------------------------


Lana distractedly dipped a french fry in ketchup, no longer hungry. She took a sidelong glance at Clark, they were sitting side by side on her couch their food sitting on her coffee table, and wondered how much longer he‘d keep her waiting. It had been his suggestion that they eat before discussing what had happened with Jor-El in the caves but now food was the last thing she could think about.

Clark had his double cheeseburger in both hands, staring at it while he chewed. He was on his second bite and was having a hard time swallowing it; his stomach so full of knots there wasn’t much room for anything else. As he forced down his mouthful he realized that if he tried to eat anything more he’d most definitely be sick. Carefully he sat his cheeseburger down and reached for the napkins. Wiping his face and hands off he sighed, “I guess lunch wasn’t my brightest idea.”

“It was really thoughtful of you,” she soothed, under different circumstances it would have been a wonderful treat.

“Thanks,” he said, sinking back into the couch cushions, feeling defeated.

Having never seen Clark too upset to eat she felt herself fill with dread. “Was it really that bad, Clark,” she asked, softly caressing his forearm.

“I got a glaring reminder that I can’t change who I am… where I came from,” he said, roughly running his hand through his hair. “I should have known it’d catch up with me sooner or later.”

“What happened?”

“When I placed the stone with the other one the place came to life and Jor-El… well, he had some fatherly wisdom to share with me.” Lana intertwined her fingers with his, watching him in concern. He met her gaze and sighed, “He told me that I needed to get the last stone and unite them so that he could return my abilities.”

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, it’s your choice.”

“According to him, it’s my responsibility to see to these stones,” he said, his jaw clenched. “That if I ignored my responsibility and they fell into the wrong hands I’d be powerless when the fate of the world hung in the balance and what happened next would be solely on my shoulders.”

Lana knew that Clark’s powers had always been a burden on him but she also knew that he’d felt it was his burden to bear. With his father placing this at Clark’s feet he wasn’t going to walk away from it, at least not without huge feelings of guilt. It was with this knowledge of how her man’s mind worked that she looked at him and said, “Then there isn’t a choice, we have to find the last stone.”

“We…? Lana, no,” he shook his head. “If I do this… it’s too dangerous for you to get involved.”

“You’re just as vulnerable as I am now,” she told him, a look on her face warning him not to challenge her. “I’m in this with you, wherever it leads.”

“Honestly, I’m not worried about being vulnerable,” he exhaled loudly before saying what he’d been thinking since going down to the caves. “If I get my powers back everything will change.”

“So you get your powers back and I won’t have to worry about you getting beaten up again,” she said, trying to lighten his mood, “I can handle that.”

“You don’t get it, Lana,” he went on, not phased by her attempt at levity, “I, with my abilities, can’t give you a normal life.”

“Who said I want a normal life?”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he protested. “Being with me…when I’m like that… it isn’t easy.”

“I know everything now, it’ll be different than before.”

“I want to believe that, I really do, but my abilities…”

She interrupted him, not wanting to hear his excuses, “It was never your abilities that got between us, Clark, it was you not telling me about them.”

“Oh, so you’re going to throw that at me now?” He accused defensively, his voice getting louder without him realizing it. “I thought we’d put that behind us!”

“I’m not trying to accuse you of anything, I’m trying to make a point!”

“And what point would that be, huh? That it’s always my fault things don’t work out between us?”

“Why are you being so dense?” she asked and made an exasperated sound as she got off the couch.

“Now I’m being stupid?!”

“That’s not what I said!”

“Well, that’s what it sounded like to me.”

“You’re not stupid, you’re bullheaded!”

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”

“When I’m like this…” she echoed, not remembering any occasion when they’d argued like they were doing now. “Yeah, cause I’m like this all the time.”

Clark looked heavenward and inquired of a higher power, “How am I suppose to have a reasonable conversation with her?!?”

“That’s it,” Lana exclaimed, having had enough of his attitude, “you can leave now.”

“That is a great idea,” he said and stood up.

Lana watched him stride right out of her apartment without so much as a look back at her. When the door closed behind him with a resounding thud she let out a frustrated scream and kicked the couch.

Meanwhile, Clark heard the door shut more loudly than he’d intended it to and the sound caused him to slow his retreat. At the top of the stairs he came to a complete stop, regret from the things he’d said washing over him. Turning back, he looked at the door and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

After her little fit Lana had plopped down on the couch. When her cell started to ring she reluctantly got up to answer it, not really wanting to talk to anyone at the moment. Finding that it was Clark calling she considered not answering, part of her wanting to make him worry over their stupid fight. However, she’d said things she regretted, just as he had, and she wanted to make peace more than she wanted him to suffer. So she answered it, saying hello in a cold emotionless voice.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a way that left no doubt that he meant it. “Can I come back in?”

“Yeah, I guess,” she allowed in the same cool tone she’d answered with and hung up.

Clark came back into the apartment looking sufficiently contrite, a man truly wanting to make amends. Lana, on the other hand, was standing with her arms crossed in front of her defensively.

“I didn’t mean any of those things, Lana,” he told her, holding her angry gaze with his apologetic eyes. “Please forgive me.”

Her irritated exterior crumbled upon hearing his apology, “I didn’t mean it either.” They quickly found their way into each others arms. Clark pulled her as close as he could and she snuggled up against him and said, “Let’s never fight again.”

“Never again,” he agreed, burying his face in her hair. “I’m just worried… all of this stuff with Jor-El… I don’t want to lose you.”

She looked up at him and snaked her arms around his neck, “You won’t, no matter what happens.”

Desperately needing to believe her he pushed aside his distrust of Jor-El and every other fear that had been gnawing at him since he went down into the caves. Right now he held the most important thing in his world. With heart stopping tenderness he kissed her, savoring her taste on his lips, the feeling of her body pressed against his, the way her hands fisted in his hair. As their kiss steadily grew more sensual he promised himself that whatever the future held they would be together.

[Nemu]

thats the way it needs to be done.. both of them working together...

maybe Clark can ask for a special reward for Lana's help from Jor-El...

J-E needs to work with them both together instead of ordering Clark ...

[escout]

wOW!!!! I really am enjoying what I have read so far...Please continue!

I just found this.:)

[ilovethursdays]

Wow! This story is great, I just found it!
I hope you haven't forgot about it!
PPMS

[CaptainObvious]

It's hard to even picture Clark and Lana yelling at each other as they did at the end of this chapter. How quickly they realize it's not worth it to fight.

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everybody!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lex tossed the morning paper in the wastebasket in disgust. The Teague’s were a dead end, literally, he thought with a half hearted smirk that quickly disappeared; now was not the time for levity.

Time and again he’d been so close, he’d even had one in his possession at one point, yet the stones continued to elude him. Now, knowing that Jason and his mother did not have one in their possession, he was back to square one and back to his now shorter list of suspects. His father was at the top of the list, Lex didn’t buy the new reformed man his father tried to pass himself off as.

Next on his list was Lana, with her recent encounters with Isobel she was as likely a candidate as his father. Even though she showed no signs of being possessed there was no way to be sure the witch wasn’t lingering inside of her somewhere. Then there was Clark, who had no conceivable reason to want the stones, other than his annoying tendency to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. However, his devotion to Lana may be enough to throw him into the mix. There was no doubt that Isobel would take advantage of Clark if it would get her ahead.

Lex stood and went to pour himself a drink. Slowly sipping the contents of his glass, he thought of his father. He already had him under surveillance and he’d instructed his team to do a full search of his living quarters and office as soon as the opportunity presented itself. With any luck he’d have one or more of the stones in his hands again within a week.



It was closer to two weeks later when Lionel had retired to his bedroom, supposedly to read. Standing at one of several bookcases he ran his finger over the spines of the thick leather bound volumes, finding the book he was looking for he pulled it from the shelf. He opened the book, revealing where the pages had been carefully hollowed out to form a perfect hiding place. Finding it empty, Lionel ground his teeth together and slammed it shut while cursing his son under his breath.



The past couple of weeks had been busy for Clark. He had gotten the job at the Ledger, where he was assigned to the weather and police reports, two things that practically wrote themselves… or so his editor had told him. And while the didn’t take a lot of thought they did take time. On top of that classes had started the week before at Central Kansas and both he and Lana were taking a full load of coursework.

Now, in his loft, a very satisfied Lana lay curled up against his chest. They were suppose to be studying and they had been for a while, however, somewhere between English and algebra studying evolved into making out and making out soon became something more.

“I think we should study in the loft more often,” Lana said, once she’d caught her breath.

“I’ll study anywhere you want,” he told her, “any time you want.”

“Mmm… I’m going to hold you to that.”

“You should take advantage of the offer while you can.”

Lana sighed, “So once you get your powers back you’re going to cut me off?”

“You know how I feel about this, Lana,” he tried to keep the frustration out of his voice but it was a conversation they’d had before.

“I know… you don’t want to hurt me,” she replied sullenly, not mourning the sex as much as the intimacy they shared during the act.

“There are other ways I could satisfy you,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

“I like the sound of that,” she said with a wide smile, deciding to take his intimacy issues one step at a time.

He kissed her slow and sweet then wrapped his arms around her. “I know I’m asking a lot of you to be with me.”

“Don’t start with that,” she shook her head at him, “you know there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

“Have I told you that I love you?”

“You might have mentioned that,” she answered, gently caressing his face. She kissed him again then asked, “How is your plan coming along?”

He sighed heavily and started to shift his weight, she moved to allow him to sit up. Sitting next to him she waited while he leaned back into the cushions, “I ran into Lex at the Talon the other day and made an effort to be friendly, I figure I’ll follow up with a visit to the mansion tomorrow. I’ve got to be careful not to come off too strongly or he’ll suspect something.”

“Maybe you should wait on that visit… I have an idea that might work better,” she said cautiously, afraid that he’d dismiss it before she even got it out of her mouth. And, sure enough, as she glanced at him she saw the disapproval in his eyes. “Just hear me out, okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed hesitantly.

“I’m majoring in business…” she said and he slowly nodded, “and working at the Talon is nice and convenient, however it doesn’t really further my goals. I was thinking I could apply for something at Luthor Corp., maybe appeal to Lex for something that would help with my business education. Once I was in I could keep my eyes open, get a feel for what he’s doing, where he’s searching, if he has the last stone.”

“That is a very dangerous position for you to be in,” he managed to say with relative calm, not wanting to get in an argument.

“I realize that but it’s no more dangerous than you trying to buddy up to him. Besides, there is a good chance I that I’d end up with a job at the plant filing papers and I’d never see him.”

“No, if you went to him for a job he’d use it to his advantage.”

“Which is why it’s such a good plan,” she said excitedly, having thought all of this through from every angle. “He’ll think he’s using me but in actuality I’ll be the one using him.”

“Lex is a master manipulator, Lana, getting into that game with him,” he told her, hoping to get his point across, “it’s like playing with fire.”

“Are you going to tell me not to do it,” she challenged.

He looked at her for a moment, tempted to tell her exactly that but instead he shook his head and said, “No.”

“You’re not?” she blinked in surprise.

“I don’t want you to do it, the thought of you getting hurt terrifies me.”

“I know the feeling,” she said with a understanding smile, “but this is bigger than either of us. If Jor-El is right, we can’t let our fears stop us from getting that stone.”

“Which is why I’m not going to fight you on this.”

“That’s good, since I made an appointment to see Lex,” she admitted with an apologetic look.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Could you promise me one thing?”

“Maybe…” she said cautiously, not wanting to commit to something before she’d heard it.

“Don’t do anything rash,” he started, looking at her intently, “let’s talk everything through before we make any moves… okay?”

“Alright,” she nodded in agreement.

“To beat Lex at his own game we’ll have to plan carefully.”

“We can do this…” Lana assured him when doubt crept into his eyes, “we will do this.”

“I know,” he sighed, pulling her into a hug, suddenly feeling the urge to hold her close. “I know.”

[Nemu]

im not too sure about Lana's plan...

and Jor-El should see what they are doing and help BOTH of them.. protect both Clark and Lana on their mission for himself...

PPMS!!!

[LetMeGo]

“My friends don’t need to make appointment to see me, Lana,” Lex gave a friendly smile as Lana walked into his study. “How’s Clark?”

“Thanks, he’s great,” she returned his smile, “but I was hoping to talk to you on a more professional level.”

“Professional?” He asked, his eyebrows arched in surprise as he motioned for her to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“I’m majoring in business and I know I have a lot of school ahead of me, however, I was hoping I could get a job at Luthor Corp where I could learn in a real world setting. I’d be happy to take an unpaid internship.”

“In all honesty, if you’re that serious about getting a start into business I’d suggest you transfer to MetU. Central Kansas isn’t going to look that impressive on your resume.”

“That isn’t an option for me, which is why working for Luthor Corp holds so much appeal. It’s a way to beef up my resume as well as an invaluable learning experience.”

Leaning back in his chair Lex looked as though he was considering her request when in fact he was very pleased with the opportunity that had just fallen into his lap. “What kind of job did you have in mind?”

“I’m willing to work in the mailroom if it’ll get me in the door.”

He thoughtfully ran his fingers over his chin. “I’ve been working on a project recently, a hostile takeover of an engineering firm, they are developing some promising ideas but it’s been mismanaged to the brink of bankruptcy. My secretary- or executive assistant, as she prefers- truthfully there isn’t a job title that covers all that she does. Anyway, she has been taking on a lot of extra work due to this acquisition and I’ve been considering hiring her an assistant of her own. It would probably involve getting the coffee and food, as well as making copies and filing, but you’d get to sit in on all of the meetings.”

“That sounds fantastic,” she smiled, the first phase of the plan was going so smoothly.

“We’ll pay you, of course,” he said dismissing her earlier idea of an internship. “In the future you may not want to volunteer to work for free, someone might take you up on it.”

Laughing lightly at his teasing comment she said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Can you start on Monday?”

“Absolutely,” she grinned happily. “Thank you Lex, I promise I’ll make the most of this opportunity.”

“I don’t doubt that.”



Lana was pulling away from the mansion when she dialed Clark’s number. He answered on the first ring, anxiously saying her name.

“I got it! I’ll be starting Monday,” she told him happily. “It sounds like I’ll be working close enough to Lex to get the information we need.”

“That’s great,” he said, trying to sound positive when he’d rather her not get any closer to Lex than she already was. When he’d told her she didn’t have to do this for him she’d insisted she was doing it because it was the right thing to do, which was one the endless qualities he loved about her.

“I know you’ve got your concerns about this whole thing but I’ve got a feeling it’s all going to turn out how we want it to,” she assured him, really believing that their plan would work.

“When did you get to be such an optimist?” He said, still having his doubts.

“Oh, about the same time you became a pessimist,” she answered, a smile spread across her face, his poor mood wasn’t going to bring her down.

“I guess we balance each other out then,” he couldn’t stop himself from smiling into the phone.

“Perfectly,” she agreed.



The first week into her new job Lana was pleased with how things were going. Her only complaint was that she was seeing less and less of Clark with each day that passed.

For the first few days she only caught glimpses of Lex, it seemed as though she would be limited to working with his assistant, Tess Mercer. That, of course, hadn’t been how she’d pictured things going. However, Ms. Mercer had access to nearly everything Lex owned, and while they doubted Lex would let her in on all of his dealings, what she did know could prove valuable to their quest.

So Lana went about gathering information, learning all manner of tidbits with well placed questions and quiet observation. Tess, whom Lex had referred to as his secretary, had an MBA from Princeton and considered herself Lex’s protégé and practically worshiped the ground he walked on.

Apparently she’d originally applied for a management opening at Luthor Corp. in Metropolis but when interviewed by Lex he’d offered her a different opportunity. She jumped at the chance to work directly with Lex because, as she told Lana, getting to witness a brilliant mind like Lex’s in action wasn’t something she could turn down.

She’d been working for him for over two years now and knew every facet of the company, at least the legitimate ones and perhaps a few of the shadier ones, only Lex could claim to have more knowledge of Luthor Corp.

Finally, at the end of her first week Lana actually got to interact with Lex, and in just the place she wanted more access to. She and Tess had been summoned to his study for a late conference call to Star City. Lana followed Tess into the room, lugging a rather heavy box full of files. He roll, other than pack mule, was to record the conversation, which she’d later transcribe.

After a quick greeting they got down to business with Tess wasting little time getting the other party on the phone. The call went on and on, or so it seemed to Lana. Numbers, figures, projections; she was having trouble staying awake. Her new schedule was taking some time to get acclimated to. Between school, her demanding new job, her boyfriend, and plotting against Lex with said boyfriend, there didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

Once the call was over they began straightening up. Tess shuffled through a stack of papers and handed them to Lana, telling her which folder they belonged in.

Lex closed the leather bound note book he’d been using to take his own personal notes and looked up at Lana, with a friendly smile, “How has your first week been going?”

“It‘s going great,” Lana smiled as she filed away the last of the papers, “I feel like I’ve learned a lot already.”

“I‘m glad to hear that,” he replied, knowing what he had in store for her. His plan was simple; divide and conquer. Soon he would start to up Lana’s hours, then her time would be stretched so tight that Clark will barely see her. Then he’d play the two of them against each other and when Lana felt the need to talk to someone, he’d be there… the sympathetic shoulder. “And what do you think, Tess? How is our newest hire working out?”

“She’s a quick learner and very dedicated; I think she‘s going to work out wonderfully.”

“I knew you two would get along,” he smiled, as though pleased with himself. “You’re the perfect mentor for her, Tess. And Lana, you couldn’t be in better hands.”

“Thank you,” Tess said, keeping her face passive, even though she was thrilled over the compliment he’d just given her. “Do you want me to take the file back to the office?”

“No, just leave it here I may go over a few things tonight.”

“Very well, Lex. Is there anything else you need?”

“I believe that will be all for now,” he answered, feeling pleased with himself. His plan was going exactly as he wanted.

[LetMeGo]

I’ve “got to work tonight,” Lana sighed sadly after kissing Clark hello. She was suppose to be meeting him for a date, they hadn’t done anything that would qualify as a date in months and she really didn’t want to miss it. However, duty called in the form of a urgent text from Tess.

“But it’s your day off,” he protested, knowing it was useless to argue.

“I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to go in.”

“Then don’t,” he said and started to playfully nibble on her neck.

“Mmm…” she moaned, reluctantly pulling away from him. “You know I can’t stay, there’s a lot riding on this job.”

“I had to try,” he smiled and shrugged

“Are you mad?”

“No, this is what we want, right? More access?” He said, recovering from his disappointment.

She’d been working for Lex for nearly two months and she was slowly getting to spend more of her time unsupervised at the mansion. They decided the most likely place Lex would keep the stone would be in his personal vault but Lana had yet to get a glimpse inside of it. It felt like things were starting to pay off but for Clark it was a hard pill to swallow. Lana was doing all of the heavy lifting and he had to stand back and watch.

“Maybe after you finish up over there we can do something,” he suggested with a smile.

“I’d really like that.”



The mansion was quiet and lowly lit, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, however something felt off to Lana. As each step took her further into the gloomy interior a sense of unease tugged at her stomach. It took every ounce of her self control not to turn and run back outside, but she was able to pull it together and calmly make her way to Lex’s study. However, when she got there, she found it empty.

“Lex?” she called and took a few steps inside, looking around. “Tess?”

She warily continued into the room, reaching into her purse for her phone, ready to dial for help at a moment‘s notice.

“Hello, Ms. Lang,” a familiar voice came from behind her, causing her to jump in surprise.

Lana spun around to find Lionel standing above her, an open book in his hands, apparently raiding Lex‘s library, “Mr. Luthor.”

“I hope I didn’t startle you,” he said insincerely. The truth was he enjoyed keeping people off balance, he felt it kept him at an advantage.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Lana said, trying to brush it off. “Have you seen Lex or Tess? I’m suppose to be meeting them.”

“Lex is in Metropolis and I assume his ego stroking assistant is with him,” Lionel informed her as he started down the stair case.

“Oh…well…” Lana trailed off, sounding a bit puzzled.

“I’m the one who summoned you here tonight.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I wanted to speak to you, I believe we have a common goal.”

“Which would be?” Lana asked skeptically, not trusting him or his cloak and dagger methods. If he’d wanted to talk he didn’t need to go through all of the false pretense.

“Keeping the stones out of Lex’s hands.”

“The stones… I honestly don’t care who has them. I spent too much time on trying to track those things down and forgot what was important to me. Besides, Lex has moved on to other things so you have nothing to worry about.”

“Maybe I don’t, you on the other hand…” he picked up a folder that was laying on Lex’s desk. He flipped through a couple pages and began to read, “‘Clark opened up to me last night, answering every question I ever had and then some. It wasn’t what I was expecting and it’ll take some getting use to but I know that I love him. Truthfully, he could have told me just about anything I‘d still would‘ve loved him.’”

Lana felt herself go cold. Lionel was reading an entry from her diary. She purposely kept from writing any details, keeping everything kind of vague. However, anyone who knew her and Clark would be able to read between the lines, they’d know he’d told her his secret.

In shock she stared at Lionel as he turned to the last page in the folder and continued on, “‘I’ve been insanely busy lately, I’m tempted to quit working for Lex but I won’t let Clark down like that. He tells me it isn’t my responsibility, that he can do it on his own, and maybe he could but he shouldn’t have to. He’s going to change the world someday, of that I am sure.’”

“Where did you get that?” Lana asked, trying to keep her voice from quivering with the fear and disbelief she was feeling. The last entry he read was from less than two weeks ago.

“I found this among Lex’s things,” he said, handing her the folder. She opened it and looked through the photocopied pages, cringing at the notes in the margins written in Lex’s distinctive scrawl. “When you get home you might take a close look around, I imagine things aren’t exactly where they should be. I had a similar experience a few months ago, however, in your case he didn’t find what he was looking for. Though, what he did find seems to have captured his interest. You’re in over you head Ms. Lang.”

“I suppose you‘re willing to help me,” she said sarcastically.

“Let me assure you that my motives are far from sinister,” he replied patiently. “You, of all people, should understand the power the stones hold. In Lex’s hands, power like that, becomes a very dangerous thing.”

“And in your hands the world would be a safer place?”

“There was a time when I did crave such power, however, I’m not the man I once was. My intentions are to give the stones to the one they were intended for.”

“Lets say I actually believe you, how would you go about doing that?”

“I have my methods,” he smiled at her, “and I have a feeling you’ll be very useful.”



Clark had planned to take Lana to dinner and a movie, which he knew wasn’t particularly romantic, but they hadn’t done anything like that for a while. Going out together, like any typical couple, and not talking about the stones was enough to make it a special night out for them.

When Lana left she said she was going to stop for something quick to eat on the way to Lex’s and, knowing the way these meetings went, there was no way they’d make it to the movie before it started. So, as soon as Lana left, he started to formulate an alternate plan.

Wanting to have some quality alone time with his girlfriend he decided that he would pack up a bunch of old quilts and pillows in the back of his truck and fill a thermos with hot chocolate for a night of stargazing.

Clark was in the middle of making the hot chocolate, which consisted of warming up milk and adding a powdered mix, when he heard a tap at the kitchen door. His face lit up when he saw Lana and waved for her to come inside with a boyish grin. “I didn’t think you’d get here so early.”

“The meeting wasn’t what I expected.”

“Lana, what’s wrong?” he asked with a furrowed brow, noticing that something was off.

Lana looked toward the living room, where his parents were watching TV, then back at him, “We should talk… privately.”

His parents didn’t know that he and Lana were trying to find the stones or that he’d talked to Jor-El. Somehow he didn’t think they’d understand, so they were careful not to be overheard, “Alright, let me pour this in a thermos and we can get out of here,” he agreed, trying to read her mood to no avail.

After letting his mom and dad know they were leaving they made their way out to his truck. He opened the door for her and she didn’t say anything about the collection of blankets in the back, he doubted she even noticed them.

“So, what’s going on?” he asked as she climbed into the truck.

“Lex was in Metropolis, Lionel set the whole thing up.”

“What!?”

“You should probably sit down before you hear the rest,” she sighed knowing he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

“What did he want?” Clark demanded, not liking the idea of Lionel cornering her, and showed no signs of moving from where he stood.

“Please, get in the truck,” she implored. “I know you’re not going to like anything I have to tell you but I need you to hear me out.”

“Fine,” he answered shortly and stalked around the front of the pickup and got in.

“Thank you,” she said calmly as he settled in behind the wheel, giving him a look that made some of the anger he was feeling abate.

“So…” he sighed heavily, realizing it wasn’t fair to take out his frustrations on her, “what happened with Lionel?”

“Do you want the good news or bad news first?”

“There’s good news?”

“Well, not really, but it could work to our advantage… so, do you want the somewhat disturbing news or the really disturbing news first?”

“Lets start with the least disturbing and work our way up,” he said, sounding almost like his normal positive self.

“Lionel wants me to help him give the stones to who they were meant for.”

“And that might be…?”

“He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t press him but I think he knows you are suppose to have them.”

“Yeah, that isn’t good,” he said, gritting his teeth while reminding himself to stay calm. “What is the really disturbing news?”

“Lex has a copy of my diary.”

Clark felt his stomach drop, instead of being angry he was on the verge of throwing up. Lex had her apartment searched. Who knows if he planted bugs or even cameras, Clark wouldn’t put it past him. Worst of all, he wasn’t in a position to protect Lana. “I never should have let you get involved with him.”

Since she had more to tell him she didn’t argue, though a part of her wanted to tell him it hadn’t made the decision on his own, it hadn’t even been his idea. “I didn’t write about anything specifically but Lex knows enough about us that he’s put together that I know what you‘ve been hiding.”

Silence hung in the air. Clark’s thoughts swirled furiously, overwhelming him as they shifted from being angry at himself for letting her get involved to how he was going to fix the situation. Lana watched him, waiting for him to say something, bracing for an argument. Instead Clark started the truck.

“Where are we going?” Lana asked unsure of what to think about his lack of reaction.

“We have a date.”

“But…”

“There isn’t anything we can do about it right now,” he said, a plan already taking shape in his head, “we can talk about it tomorrow. Tonight can it just you and me, no stones, no Lionel, no Lex?”

“You want to pretend like none of this is happening?”

“Yes,” he answered, staring out at the dark road in front of them.

[512wasafail]

Thanks for the post! I know it must be hard trying put out frequent updates but I am really enjoying this story. It's intriguing and very well written. PPMS!

[LetMeGo]

Thanks 512wasafail, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment! :) Some times it come easier than others but I’ll finish it sooner or later.
-------------------------------------------------------

“Let me guess… we ran out of gas,” Lana said with a hint of irritation. She doubted he’d ever use that line but when Clark stopped the truck in the middle of nowhere it was the first thing that popped into her head, and after everything she’d learned from Lionel earlier, and his refusal to talk about it, she wasn’t in the best of moods. “Seriously, Clark, what are we doing out here?”

He offered her a tentative smile, “Hang on a second and I’ll show you.”

He hopped out of the truck and shuffled something around in the back. Lana tried to see what he was doing but couldn’t make much out in the dark. After a couple minutes Clark opened her door for her and lead her around to the back of the truck.

Upon seeing the blankets and pillows spread out her eyebrows shot up, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to seduce me in the back of your pickup.”

“Well, it is called a bed…” he said defensively and earned an eye roll from her. “I guess our night is shot then,” he sighed and leaned against the truck, turning his gaze heavenward. “The view is nice though.”

She looked up at the night sky and couldn’t remember having ever seen so many stars, truthfully, she couldn‘t remember the last time she‘d taken the time to really look. She felt some of her frustrations start to dissipate, “It’s amazing.”

“Even before I knew where I was from I was drawn to anything that had to do with space,” he told her still taking in the display above them.

“And I thought you only used that telescope to watch me,” she quipped, finding it impossible to be angry with him when he was trying to share a part of himself with her.

“I…uh” he began to stammer and looked at his feet.

“You didn’t!” She exclaimed, her eyes widening at the revelation.

“It’s not like I was stalking you,” he protested in embarrassment, “I was just so taken with you and any time I got near you…”

“My necklace,” she finished, amused by his flustered defense.

“Right,” he said, relieved when he realized she wasn’t mad at him. “So, how do you feel about doing some stargazing?”

“I like the sound of that,” she smiled.

Clark jumped into the back of the pickup, then offered his hand to Lana and helped her climb in. Soon they were cozily situated in the quilts with Lana in Clark’s lap, her head leaning against his shoulder as she looked into the star strewn sky.

“Do you know where any constellations are?” She asked trying to spot something familiar with little luck.

“Sure,” he said taking one of her hands in his, then instructed, “point.”

She complied, letting him move her arm as he started to trace out a constellation with her index finger, one of the few she’d be able to recognize. “The Big Dipper!”

“Good,” he smiled and moved her finger to the next, “lets try another.”

It only took a second, “The Little Dipper.”

“Nice… now for something a little more challenging,” he traced a line of three bright stars with her fingertip. After a moment he asked, “Need a hint?”

“Probably more than one,” she admitted with a laugh.

“It’s a woman, her name starts with an A.”

She thought about it for a moment, going over what little she knew about astronomy, and recalled only one name, “Andromeda?”

“I knew you’d come up with the right answer,” he said, enjoying the game. “Fun fact about her, she’s chained to a rock.”

“Oh, what’s the story behind that?”

“Andromeda’s mother, the queen Cassiopeia, she’s over here…” he said, moving her arm again, “she thought pretty highly of herself. She started telling everyone that she was more beautiful than any other woman in the world, she even went as far as to say she was better looking than the sea nymphs.”

“That’s ridiculous, everyone knows sea nymphs are stunningly beautiful,” she scoffed.

He laughed, “Exactly. So when Poseidon, father of the sea nymphs, heard what Cassiopeia was saying about his gorgeous daughters he sent a sea monster to terrorize the inhabitants of her country. So, in order to save their kingdom, Cassiopeia and her husband King Cepheus, he’s up there too,” he said, tracing out another constellation, “decided to sacrifice Andromeda to the monster and save their country, ergo her being chained to a rock.”

“That’s horrible!”

“It is! But that’s when Perseus showed up. This is him,” he said, tracing out another figure, “he’s running to save Andromeda. He came by and struck up a deal with her parents, he’d save her if they agreed to let him marry her. So, he turned the monster to stone with Medusa’s head, whom he’d just recently killed. Anyway, Cepheus and Cassiopeia ended up trying to back out of the deal, turns out they’d already promised Andromeda to her uncle.”

“Gross,” she said, shuddering at the thought of having to marry your uncle.

“Greek mythology is kind of twisted,” he agreed.

“So, what happened to Perseus?”

“He turned Cepheus and Cassiopeia into stone and married Andromeda.”

“Good for him.”

Clark chucked to himself and wrapped both of his arms around Lana, “I don’t know if I agree with his methods but I can relate to the drive to save the woman you love.”

“How many times have you come to my rescue?”

He shrugged, “It isn’t important, all that ever mattered was that you were safe, and that is all that matters to me now.”

His words reminded them both that Lana’s safety wasn’t exactly secure, not with Lex poking around in her apartment. In that moment Clark knew what he had to do, solidifying what had already been playing in the back of his mind, it was time for him to step up.

“Thank you for bringing me out here, Clark, for keeping my mind off of… everything,” she finished, truly grateful for the distraction. She hadn’t wanted to tell him how violated she felt about the breech into her personal space. Knowing Clark, it’d only lead to him blaming himself.

“I’d like it if you’d stay at my house tonight,” it wasn’t a question or a demand and he hoped she wouldn’t take it the wrong way, she hated being coddled, but for his own peace of mind he wanted her close. “Mom and Dad won’t mind… as long as one of us sleeps on the couch.”

“And which one of us would that be?”

“Me, of course,” he said without hesitation.

“Good answer,” she murmured as she leaned in to kiss him.

By the time they got back to the farm his parents were already in bed. They traversed the stairs as quietly as possible and spoke in hushed whispers to keep from waking them. Clark found one of his t-shirts for her to sleep in and started to say goodnight but she asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep, a request he’d never turn down.

He held her long after she drifted off, listening to the soft sound of her steady breathing while he thought about what he must do. Eventually he slipped away, leaving her with a carefully placed kiss on the forehead, and went to claim his spot on the couch with the hope that he would be able to get some rest. He’d need it if he was going to be on his toes when he went to visit Lionel tomorrow.

[LetMeGo]

Clark stalked through the grounds of the Luthor estate, a determined scowl etched across his face. He’d been told Lionel was out in the gardens by one of the house staff, the only problem was that the gardens were large with several benches tucked away among the shrubbery, making his search more difficult.

“Lionel,” Clark growled to himself when he finally spotted him sitting on a bench leisurely reading a book.

Having heard Clark snarl his name, Lionel looked up from his book with a pleasant expression on his face, as though he hadn‘t noticed the loathing with which Clark had spoken, “I’ve been expecting you.”

“What do you want with Lana,” Clark demanded, getting right to the point of his visit.

“I’m sure she’s told you what we discussed yesterday,” he answered calmly, unfazed by Clark’s bristling demeanor.

“Yes, she did, and I can’t come up with a single reason she should help you, let alone trust you to help her.”

“Considering the position she’s in, that you’re both in, you don’t have very many choices.”

“Both of us…” Clark said, hoping to get a feel for what Lionel suspected, “what is that suppose to mean?”

Recognizing the ploy, Lionel promptly ignored it. “I understand that trust is generally earned, which is why I showed Ms. Lang the diary pages yesterday and it’s why I’m going to tell you where the stone is.”

“Why would I care where it is?”

“You have the biggest stake in all of this,” he replied with an appraising look. “I have to give you credit for trying to find a way inside Lex’s defenses, no one would believe you’d let Lana get involved in such a dangerous enterprise.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Clark denied angrily, feeling the sting of Lionel’s comment.

Lionel sighed at his stubbornness. “Tell yourself what you want but he’s on to you, your window of opportunity is about to close. Lex has his suspicions about who took the stone in China, he’s eliminated the Teague’s, Lana, and myself. That leaves you.”

Sudden dread hit Clark as he wondered it Lex has searched the farm, “But I didn’t take it.”

“Perhaps you didn’t take it, that doesn’t mean you don’t have it.”

Clark shook off his panic filled thoughts, realizing he couldn’t get caught up in them when he still had plenty of questions to ask. “What exactly is your stake in this?”

“My son. The path Lex is on will lead him to a dark lonely existence.”

“Funny you should say that, it seems to me Lex is exactly what you always wanted him to be.”

“Yes,” he admitted regretfully, a haunted look in his eyes, “I pushed him to this, which is why I must stop him… save him from what he’s becoming before it’s too late.”

For some reason beyond his understanding Clark believed him, sensing sincerity in his words. “Alright, lets say I buy that, it doesn’t explain why you’d want to help me.”

“You’re destine to change the world, Clark. Helping you, ensuring that future, it‘s the right thing to do.”

“Honestly, I doubt that your definition of doing the right thing and my definition of doing the right thing are the same,” Clark told him, not bothering to deny what Lionel was implicating. He was suspicious of his methods regardless of his intentions.

The new and reformed version of Lionel had drawn a lot of skepticism from his parents and Lex, not that Clark could blame them, the man was a master manipulator. However, Clark wasn‘t completely convinced that Lionel‘s new leaf was just a new scheme to accomplish some evil end. Last fall he’d switched bodies with Lionel, thanks to one of the stones.

When things had been set straight again, Lionel came out of it with his terminal liver disease cured and a new outlook on life. If Lionel’s body had been healed by the experience it didn’t seem like too much of a stretch to believe that his soul could have been healed as well.

“Very well,” Lionel said with a resigned look on his face, “I’ll give you the information you‘ll need, what you decide to do with it is up to you.”



Clark sat in his loft mulling over what Lionel had told him earlier. He’d been there all day, having skipped his afternoon class, and was still debating his course of action. Back when he had his abilities it would have been easy but now, powerless, his plan had to have some finesse.

Deep in thought he didn’t notice Lana coming up the stairs until she spoke, “Hey you.”

Hearing her voice he looked up and smiled, happy to see her. “Hey,” he replied, and sat aside the notebook he’d been scribbling in.

“Did your parents say anything after I left this morning?” She asked, making her way over to him.

“No, I told you they wouldn’t mind,” he said, pulling her onto his lap.

“Think they’d mind if I moved in?” She asked, only half jokingly.

“If you’re uncomfortable staying at your place I’m sure we can come up with a reason for you to stay here for a couple weeks.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine once we give the apartment a thorough search,” she told him more seriously, not wanting him to worry about her.

“Well, it’s up to you, but I want you to know there are other options,” he said before changing the subject. “I was thinking about what you told me this morning about what was in your diary, and thought that it might be time for you to write down some details.”

Her eyebrows shot up quizzically, “Which details were you thinking I should share?”

“Oh, maybe how you’re using some of the money you’re making working for Lex to help pay for part of my tuition and how you think I’m going to be the greatest journalist ever and change the world with my brilliant articles.”

“You are going to be the greatest journalist ever,” she told him, not doubting that he’d be the greatest at whatever he chose to do, “but do you really think Lex will believe that I’m helping you pay for college?”

“Sure, he knows enough about my family’s financial situation that I don’t see why he wouldn’t buy it.”

“That makes sense…” she agreed nodding her head, “so we’re assuming he’s going to continue reading my diary.”

“For all we know he may never set foot in your apartment again. That would be more than fine with me but if we have a shot at misleading him we should take it.”

“You’re right,” she said, glad that they were talking about their latest problem. “Now, what do we do about Lionel?”

“I went to see him today.”

“Oh?” She was surprised to hear that, they agreed to talk everything over before either of them acted.

“I know I should have told you,” he sighed, feeling guilty about keeping it from her, “but I was afraid you’d tell me not to confront him.”

“That is what I would have told you,” she said rather calmly, deciding not to make a big deal of his omission. “How did it go?”

“He told me where he thinks the stone is,” he said indifferently.

“Why doesn’t he take it himself?”

“He claims he doesn’t want it.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I do. I think he’s trying to redeem himself and save Lex by helping us.”

“So, where is the stone?”

“Lex has a wall safe in his bedroom, it’s hidden behind a painting. According to Lionel, Lex always uses a combination or password that means something to him,” he told her and picked up his notebook, “so I started a list of dates that might fit that criteria.”

Lana took the notebook and looked over what he’d written, and began reading it out loud, “Lex’s birthday, Lillian’s birthday, Lillian’s date of death, Julian’s birthday, Julian’s date of death, Lionel’s birthday, day of the meteor shower, day he was rescued from tropic island…” the list continued on, with anything Clark thought of as significant moment in Lex’s life. “You’re missing the day he met you.”

“I don’t know how we’re going to narrow it down, but we should be able to find all of the dates we need easily enough,” he told her as she scribbled down her addition. “That just leaves getting into his room.”

“I could use my feminine wiles to gain access to his bedroom,” she suggested with a playful eyebrow wiggle.

“Let’s save your wiles for trying to get into my bedroom,” he said, cringing at the thought of Lana trying to seduce Lex.

She laughed at the face he was making, “Don’t worry, I find the idea even more repulsive than you do.”

“I doubt that,” he said, and shook his head in an attempt to remove the thought from his mind. “Anyway, I think the best bet is to go in when he’s out of town.”

“I think he’s going on a business trip in a couple weeks,” she said, nodding in agreement, “but I’ll take a closer look at his schedule to be sure.”

[LetMeGo]

An update for anyone still reading....
--------------------------------------------------

After confirming Lex’s schedule Clark and Lana’s course of action began to take shape. Lana was set to work the day Lex was leaving and Tess had let her know that they’d be taking that opportunity to do some clerical work that had been put off for too long. They decided Clark would pick her up from work that day and show up a little too early, there by getting him inside with a legitimate excuse.

With the way inside settled their attention turned to the list of possible combinations. Finding the dates was the easy part, having lived in the spotlight many details of Lex’s life were only a google search away. The hard part was trying to narrow it down. They ended up listing the possibilities from most likely to least with about a dozen different candidates.

Lana sighed as she handed the list to Clark, “Hopefully one of these is the right one.”

“It‘ll be on there,” he said confidently.

“Will it?”

“Definitely, we‘ve covered everything.”

“Hmm…” Lana made an indecisive face, not as convinced as he was that they‘d come up with the right date. “Maybe we should let Lionel take a look, see if we’re missing anything.”

Clark shook his head, “I know he helped us but I don’t trust him. The less he knows the better.”

“I guess you’re right,” she agreed with a sigh, seeing his point. “I just want this to work.”

“Me too,” he said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her temple. “I know my life is kind of crazy, it‘s not really fair that you‘re stuck in the middle of everything.”

“Being in the middle of everything with you is what I’ve always wanted and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“You say that now,” he said teasingly though a part of him couldn’t help but wonder if she’d change her mind once he had his powers back.

“And I’ll still be saying that fifty years from now,” she countered, smiling up at him as she leaned in for a kiss.



Lana fed another set of papers into the shredder. She’d been doing this for hours under the watchful eye of Tess, who seemed to have an endless supply of documents that needed shredding.

She sighed, venturing an offhanded glance at the clock. She’d been counting down the hours since the moment she woke up, her first thought of the day was of how well their plan was going to go. Now, with Clark due to arrive at any moment, she wasn’t going to have to wait much longer to find out.

When Clark got to the mansion he walked right on in without drawing more than a glance from Lex’s security, it was just like old times.

Walking into the study the first thing he spotted was Tess sitting at Lex’s desk working away at something on the computer while talking on the phone. Clark nodded hello when she glanced in his direction and she turned her attention back to the screen in front of her.

Upon seeing Clark, Lana stopped what she was doing and went over to him. “I’m not quite finished here,” she said, playing her part for their audience of one.

“Think it’ll be much longer?” Clark delivered his line convincingly, “if it’ll be a while I could go on home and you could call when you’re done.”

“It shouldn’t be that much longer, if you don’t mind hanging around for a little while.”

“Umm…yeah,” he looked around the room, as though wondering what he was going to do while he waited, “I guess that‘d be okay.”

“You don’t have wait in here,” she said, glancing at Tess for approval but she didn’t seem to be paying any attention. “I don’t think anyone would mind if you watched TV in the theater room. You know where that is, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered hesitantly, “are you sure it’s alright?”

“Of course. I’ll come get you when I’m done,” she told him and gave him a quick kiss, sending him on his way.

In the hallway Clark started for the theater room, which happened to be in the same direction as a stairway to the upper stories of the mansion. Having once been a welcome and frequent guest he knew his way around well enough and wasted little time in finding Lex’s room. Once inside he groaned to himself, Lex had quiet the collection of art work on his walls. Squaring his shoulders he walked to the nearest painting and began his search for the safe.

Lana stuck the last of the mountain of papers into the shredder and started to straighten up around herself, purposely taking her time. It had been over twenty minutes since he’d left and if everything went to plan it was more than long enough but she still wanted to give him an ample cushion of time.

“Is there anything else you’d like me to do?” she asked Tess once she’d gotten everything back into place.

“No, I think that will be all for today,” Tess told her with her usual indifference, then added with hint of sharpness, “You can go gather up your boyfriend and head home for the night.”

“I hope it’s alright that I sent him to watch TV while he waited for me,” Lana said hoping it wasn’t something she’d bring up when she talked to Lex.

“I like you Lana,” Tess ignored what she’d said, apparently finding it unimportant, “you’ve got a lot of potential. However I don’t get the feeling that you want it bad enough. Someday you’re going to have to choose, your career or your personal life.”

“I don’t see why I can’t have both,” she told her defensively.

“Speaking from experience, you’ve got a long road ahead of you and the more serious you get with anyone the harder it will be for you to focus on your career,” she finished with a cold certainty in her voice, believing that she was helping Lana by telling her how it is in the real world.

“Well, that definitely gives me something to think about,” Lana said calmly though she didn’t care for what Tess was trying to tell her. Under different circumstances she might have put up a bit of protest but as it was she was more concerned about getting out of there and finding out if Clark had succeeded with his task. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Clark’s frustration was at an all time high as he stared at the safe in front of him, barely resisting the urge to punch the thing. He’d tried every single combination on his list twice with no success and had no idea what he should do next. What he wouldn’t give to have his powers back and be able to simply rip the door off.

His time was quickly running out. The last thing he wanted to do was leave empty handed, not after everything they’d done to get to this point. He went over their list of dates in his head, trying to see what they’d missed.

It suddenly struck Clark that the most important relationship in Lex’s life was the one he had with his father. Kicking himself for not having thought of it before Clark tried a new combination, the day Lex had finally beat his dad. The day Lionel had been convicted of murdering his parents.

Lana got to the theater room hoping to find Clark waiting for her, instead she found the room empty. After taking a cautious glance down the hallway from which she’d come Lana hurriedly continued to the stairs.

Clark slid the stone into his pocket, relieved to have finally laid hands on it, and closed the safe. Carefully he hung the painting back where it belonged. Stepping back he took one last look to make sure it looked the way it did when he found it then headed out of Lex’s room.

He’d barely taken two steps when Lana appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked flustered but when she spotted him she visibly relaxed and shot him a questioning look. He responded with a slight nod and quickened his step.

Lana waited for him to reach her, reassured knowing he had the stone but not ready to celebrate yet. They still had to make it out of the house.

She led the way down the staircase with Clark close behind her. Barely clearing the last step she saw Tess coming out of the study and made a split second decision. Praying it would work she spun around on her heel and grabbed his hand “Clark, we’ll get caught,” she said in a flirty voice as confusion clouded his eyes. She shot him an anxious look hoping he’d get her meaning.

Catching on to what she was doing he played along. “There’s like a hundred room in this place, I’m sure Lex wouldn’t mind if we borrowed one.”

“Surely you can restrain yourself until we get to my place,” she protested.

“No one will ever know… come on Lana… I need you,” he persisted, his voice sounding genuinely heavy with desire.

For a second she almost forgot where they were and what they were doing. “It’s completely inappropriate, I could get fired.”

“I agree with Ms. Lang,” Tess’ voice startled them both.

Making no effort to conceal what she was truly feeling, Lana turned around looking like she’d just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Tess…I’m so sorry… we were just leaving, right Clark?”

“Yeah,” he replied, holding his breath, appearing even more guilty than Lana.

Walking past Tess, Lana gave her an apologetic look. Clark, who was being towed along by Lana, hung his head in shame as he passed.

Tess watched them retreat for a moment but before they could get cleanly away she called after them, “Lana?”

Lana stopped and slowly turned to face her. “Yes?”

“Think about what we discussed earlier,” she told her with a weighty stare.

Lana nodded demurely, “I will.”

[LetMeGo]

In Clark’s pickup neither one of them dared to breathe until they cleared the gates of Lex’s mansion. Even as they drove further away both kept glancing in the truck’s mirrors half expecting to find someone following them but no one appeared.

“Do you have it?” Lana finally asked out loud.

Clark nodded and patted his pocket, “Right here.”

Lana sighed and slumped back against her seat, “I can’t believe it worked.”

“I thought we were toast for a second,” he agreed with a nod. “I’m surprised Tess bought that we were sneaking away for a quickie.”

“It’s not all that surprising, she doesn’t have a very high opinion of you.”

“What did I do?” he asked puzzled, trying to remember an instance that would give anyone the impression that he was the type of guy that would drag his girlfriend off to the nearest empty room for a little afternoon delight.

“I believe it has more to do with you being a male than anything you‘ve actually done, I‘m guessing she‘s been burned before. She told me earlier that I’d have to choose between my career and you.”

“You know that’s not true, right? I’ll support you in anything you choose to do.”

“I know,” she smiled and touched his arm in a reassuring gesture. “So, where are we heading? The caves?”

“That‘s what I was thinking,” he confirmed, “if that’s alright with you. I could drop you off at your place first if you want.”

“I’m fine,” she tells him. “Besides, I don’t want you to have to go down there by yourself.”

He swallowed nervously, knowing she’s not going to like what he’s about to say. With all of their efforts having been focused on recovering the last stone they hadn’t talked much about what would come afterwards.

“You know, I’m not really sure what’s going to happen when I put them together and… well…your safety is very important to me.”

“You want me to wait in the truck,” she said seeing exactly where his cautious words were heading.

“My dad’s encounters with Jor-El have taken a huge toll on him,” Clark said guiltily. “Time and again Jor-El has proven that he has little regard for the people I care about or people in general.”

“There is definitely reason to be concerned, but what if something happens to you? I‘d like to know what was going on instead of waiting for an hour and going down there to find something had gone wrong,” she said, suddenly realizing that getting the stones may have been the easy part.

“Last time someone accompanied me down there my dad ended up in a coma,” he reminded her.

She knew that he blamed himself for what had happened to his father, first with his heart condition and then later when he’d been in a coma for weeks. In this instance she knew there wasn’t much point in pushing him, she‘d just have to swallow her fears and trust him. “Alright, if it really makes you feel better I’ll wait for you in the truck.”

Something in her voice made him feel a little guilty even though he didn’t think he was being unreasonable. However, the feeling continued to gnaw away at him as he drove.

When they got to the cave entrance he pulled the truck to a stop and put in park before turning to her. What would happen when he united the stones he didn’t know but whatever came next there were things he wanted her to know.

“Lana, I…” he paused, trying to collect his thoughts and started over, “There’s no telling what Jor-El has planned for me or what purpose the stones truly serve. If something happens, just know that I love you.”

“You say that like we’ll never see each other again,” she hadn’t considered that as a possibility but now, with him looking so serious, a whole new set of scenarios filled her head.

“I’m sure everything will be okay,” he assured her with as much conviction as he could muster. “My distrust in him has me thinking the worst.”

“And what is the worst?”

“It doesn’t matter because there is absolutely nothing that could keep me from being with you,” he said while reaching for her hand and giving it an encouraging squeeze, “no matter what he does to me.”

Putting on a brave face she smiled at him and touched his cheek with the hand that wasn‘t interlaced with his. “I love you.”

He leaned into her, capturing her lips with his own and proceeded to kiss her like he might not see her again. An intense longing for the moment to last a little longer filled him but an uncertain future called to him from the dark recesses of the caves. Reluctantly he pulled away from her and opened his door.

“At what point should I start to worry,” she asked as he got out.

Looking at her from outside of the truck he didn’t know what to tell her. He realized that if it were him that had to wait for her he wouldn’t make it five minutes before he’d come running after her. “How about we compromise? You come down there but wait outside of the stone chamber?”

Lana quickly agreed to his suggestion before he could change his mind. Minutes later Clark was leading her by the hand toward the back of the caves. He came to a stop a comfortable distance from the entrance to the hidden room. He kissed her hand before letting it go, giving her one last look that conveyed more than words could at that moment.

She watched him walk over to what appeared to be a solid wall of rock that lit up at his touch. It reminded her of a combination lock, though much more complex. He selected the appropriate characters and took a step back as the wall pulled apart, revealing the room she’d only heard about.

From where she was standing she had a limited view of what was going on inside. All she could really see was part of Clark’s red jacket. She tried craning her neck for a better angle to no avail. With a disappointed sigh she leaned against the cave wall, not taking her eyes off what little she could see of him.

Suddenly the chamber filled with a light brighter than anything she’d ever seen before. Using her hand to shield her eyes Lana took a step forward trying to see what was happening. However, it was too bright, she couldn’t even make out Clark’s form, the light had swallowed him up.

She took another step toward the light just as it went out. With her eyes struggling to adjust to the abrupt change in lighting she couldn’t see anything but darkness coming from the chamber.

Panicked, she called his name and rushed to the entrance. The gloomy interior appeared to be empty. Calling for him again she walked inside and around the table in the middle of the space, carefully checking the ground for any sign of Clark.

With the room being rather small it didn’t take long for Lana to complete her impromptu search. Finding neither hide nor hair of him she was overcome with a completely debilitating feeling. Unable to continue standing on her shaky legs she sunk to the ground while her mind went reeling with one thought… He’s gone.

[512wasafail]

Thanks LetMeGo,

I appreciate the updates of this fic, as it is one of my favorites right now. It's very on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting :eek:. Keep it up!

[Kirk]

Thank you for continuing this story. I assume Clark went to the Arctic where the Fortress will be assembled. I wonder if Jor-El will make him stay there to continue his training. Please update soon.

[LetMeGo]

Thanks so much for the comments! :D I hope you like the update…
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Lana sat with her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees. She had no idea how long she’d been sitting like that, staring at the cave walls, waiting for something… anything. When it finally occurred to her that she couldn’t sit there forever a new thought sprung into her mind that made her feel sick. It wouldn’t go away, it only repeated itself over and over… what was she going to tell his parents?

They came so close to losing him last summer. Now she was going to have to tell them that they’d been sneaking around trying to get the stones and restore Clark’s powers while intentionally keeping it from them and that he had disappeared as a result. She seriously doubted they’d still have warm welcoming thoughts toward her once they’d heard.

After a couple of deep calming breaths she started to get to her feet. Facing the Kents wasn’t something she was looking forward to but putting it off was only going to make it harder on herself.

Taking a step forward she ran her hand over the stone table in the center of the room wondering what happened to Clark. With her finger she traced the outline of the indentation made to hold the stones. Her eyes stung with the threat of tears, which she quickly attempted to blink away, telling herself she needed to be strong now more than ever.

Having regained a tentative grasp on her emotions she let her eyes travel over the table top. The kryptonian symbols engraved into it were difficult to make out in the low light. As she studied them she noticed the faint metallic glint of a metal object that appeared to be imbedded into the table.

Curiously she inspected it closer and discovered that it was the octagonal disc Clark had once shown her. He’d told her that it was the key to the spaceship that had carried him to earth. He’d also said it had ties to the caves, recounting how the kryptonian language had been downloaded in his head when he’d placed the key into the cave wall.

She carefully removed it, not wanting to leave an important part of Clark’s history behind and have it get lost, fully intending on putting it in her pocket for safe keeping. However, it never made it to her pocket.

She knew it was crazy. Dabbling in things she didn’t understand was bound to have repercussions and probably not for the better. While her inner voice of reason was warning her to stop another louder voice was telling her she needed to find out what happened to Clark. Thinking only of him she put the key back into the slot it had been in.

The table came to life instantly, the symbols glowing brightly in an array of different colors. So mesmerized by the display it took her a moment to realize she was engulfed in an all-consuming white light.

As she looked around, trying to find the source of the light, she felt like the cave had suddenly turned into a wind tunnel. Attempting to get herself reoriented in the confusion of light and wind she reached for the table, the only solid object within an arm’s length. No sooner than her palm found the rough stone surface of the table top it slipped from her grasp.

Bewildered, she wondered where the table went to but it quickly dawned on her that she was the one that was moving. Scant seconds after that epiphany the light and wind were gone and she was standing among what appeared to her to be huge pillars of ice.

Wide eyed, she took in her new surroundings. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen, beautiful and foreboding all at once. Taking a few tentative steps forward she saw Clark several feet away. He stood with his back to her engrossed in the holographic kryptonian symbols that swirled around him.

“Clark,” she sighed when she spotted him, relieved to see him safe and sound after her long vigil in the cave.

His focus was centered on the information unfolding around him, knowledge Jor-El insisted was imperative he have, the beginning of his training. Even with his attention raptly set on the outpouring of his native language her voice cut through it all. Once he tore his eyes away from the scrolling kryptonian it faded from view.

“How did you get here?” he asked Lana in surprise as he rushed over to her.

“The key,” she admitted sheepishly, knowing that her actions had been rash. Not waiting for him to reply she looked him over and asked, “Are you okay?”

He nodded in the affirmative, a slight smile on his lips. “It worked.”

“That’s great,” she said, smiling up at him, “but where are we?”

“Well,” he started, not really sure how to explain the gigantic ice palace they were standing in.

“Kal-El, why have you stopped your training?” A deep voice coming from somewhere above them asked, startling Lana, who jumped into Clark’s arms.

As he held her in a protective embrace Clark answered. “I have company.”

“The human, Lana Lang, should not be here” the voice stated emotionlessly.

“How does he know my name,” she asked under her breath.

“You, Lana Lang, are the desire of Kal-El’s heart and his greatest weakness,” Jor-El addressed her in response to her question, as though that explained everything

“That’s not true, she gives me strength I never knew I had,” Clark argued angrily even though he knew there was a basis for his father’s assessment, Lana Lang could bring him to his knees without the aid of kryptonite. However, she was also his reason for living, without her he’d be an empty shell of a man.

“Regardless, Kal-El, you must learn to harness your emotions if you are ever to reach your full potential.”

“ I refuse to become cold and unfeeling; detached from the people I love and care about. I don‘t care if that doesn‘t go with your plans for me.”

“It has never been my intention for you to live a solitary existence void of love. My intentions were just the opposite.

“Once I realized I could not stop the destruction of Krypton I began planning your escape from certain death. Your mother and I put great thought into where we’d send you, eventually choosing Earth, and Smallville specifically, because I believed that you‘d be cared for and loved there.”

“The message in my ship said you sent me here to rule,” Clark said with a note of confusion in his voice. For years he’d believed that his biological father was more monster than man, which in turn, made him question himself. If he was wrong… that could change everything.

“Your translation of the message is inaccurate. You’re not meant to rule over the inhabitants of earth, Kal-El, you are to guide them; show them a better way. That is where your greatness lies.”

“I’m not qualified to guide anyone,” Clark replied with a slight shake of his head.

“Which is why your training is so important.”

“Alright,” he said after a moment and looked down at Lana regretfully as he spoke to his father, hating the idea of leaving her but knowing it was unavoidable, “let me take her home and tie up some loose ends. I’ll return in a few days and devote myself to completing my training.”

“You may leave, however, if you second guess your decision while you’re away know that you’ll never feel at peace in this world until you embrace your heritage.”

Clark and Lana shared a meaningful look, both wanting to discuss what they’d just learned but wanting to do so when they were alone.

“You ready to get out of here?” Clark finally asked and got a nod in the affirmative. He smiled slightly and scooped her up into his arms, much to her surprise, then whispered, “Hold on.”

[Kirk]

Thank you for the update. I assume with this development in the story, Clark will feel obligated to return to the Fortress within a matter of days. Personally, I like it if Lana could go with him, but we shall see. Please update soon.

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the comment Kirk! Sorry it’s taken so long to update.
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Before she knew what was happening everything around her turned into a dizzying blur, except for Clark. Like always, he was the one solid thing she could hold on to. She closed her eyes and buried her head against his chest as Clark took them home.

The ride was shorter than she expected, with Clark whispering to her to open her eyes only minutes after they started off. Doing as he said, she found that they were in his loft. Gently, he set her on her feet, holding onto her for a moment to make sure her equilibrium wasn’t completely out of whack from the superspeeding.

“That was amazing,” she said once he let go of her.

“Which part?” he asked with a weak smile, sounding a bit nervous.

“All of it,” she looked up at him with a serious expression.

“You’re not freaked out by me carrying you thousands of miles in a mater of minutes?” It was one thing to tell her about his abilities, it was a whole different thing when she actually saw them in action.

“No, I’m not freaked out. It’ll take some adjustment, I’m sure, but I’m okay with your powers,” she answered while leading him to the couch to sit. “What bothers me is what Jor-El said about me being your greatest weakness.”

“I love you, Lana, and if he twists that into being a weakness then he’s right, you would be my greatest weakness.”

“You don’t agree with that,” she asked with a quizzical tilt of her head.

“Loving you makes me a better person, a stronger person, don’t ever doubt that,” he said holding her eyes with his, “Jor-El doesn’t have any idea what he’s talking about, he never has.”

“From what we just heard I think you need to consider that you could be wrong about him.”

He opened his mouth as though to speak but quickly shut it again. He really hoped he was wrong about his father, however he didn’t want to be disappointed if he wasn’t.

“When I found out Henry was my father it wasn’t the best news I ever got but I wanted to get to know him, find out where I came from,” she said and reached for his hand. “It was an opportunity I never thought I’d get.”

“I should be excited at the chance to get some answers,” he said staring at the floor.

“But you’re not,” she finished for him, aching from the turmoil she saw on his face.

“Going up there and more or less submitting myself to his will, it makes me worry that I won’t come back the same.”

“He can’t change what’s in here,” she said placing a hand over his heart, “no matter what he does.”

“You really believe that?”

“I believe in you.”

“What did I do to deserve you?”

She smiled at him, “I guess you must have done something right.”

“I love you,” he said, swallowing back his emotions and his desire to wrap his arms around her and never let go. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone…”

“You need to follow this through,“ she said with conviction, knowing it wasn’t going to be easy to let him go but determined to support him. “That doesn’t mean I won’t miss you every second you’re away.”

“If it gets too hard for you… I’d understand if…”

“Don’t even finish that sentence, Clark Kent,” she warned with a stern look, “after everything we’ve been through you think I’d give up on you.”

“I could be gone for months… years… I don’t want you to put your life on hold for me,” he said feeling how unfair it was to her.

“I don’t plan on putting anything on hold. I’ve got school and friends and your family, it’s not like I’ll be sitting around doing nothing while I wait for you.”

“You’re everything I want, you know that, but I feel like I’m asking too much of you.”

“Clark,” she said, giving him a deep soulful look that penetrated him to his very core, “I love you and I’ve made my choice to stand beside you through anything that comes our way. You being gone for a few months…” she paused for a beat, steeling herself, “or a few years doesn’t change that. Nothing will change that.”

He nodded slowly in acceptance, unable to argue with her. The past few months had proven how devoted she was to him and to them as a couple. There was no doubt that she wanted a future with him as much as he wanted one with her.

“Now that we’ve got that settled,” she said with a definitive nod, “we should probably let your parents in on what’s going on.”

“This is going to be fun,” he mumbled to himself as he allowed her to pull him up from the couch.



At the kitchen table Jonathan and Martha were pouring over their bills, a monthly occurrence in the Kent household. Their finances were better than they had been in the past but like all small family farmers it was always a struggle to stay afloat.

When Clark and Lana walked in Jonathan didn’t look up from his calculator, however, Martha glanced at them and found a pair of somber expressions on their faces. A foreboding feeling filled her heart as she greeted them with a forced smile, “Hey, you two.”

“We need to talk to both of you,” Clark said with a heavy sigh, getting Jonathan to turn his attention away from the numbers he was crunching.

Lana clung to his hand, offering her support, while his parents looked up at them with wary eyes.

“What is it, son?” Jonathan asked, slightly puzzled, while Martha held her breath.

Clark looked from his mom to his dad and swallowed nervously, “My abilities are back.”

“How did that happen?” Jonathan didn’t sound pleased.

“After the death of the Teagues I realized that Lex was still searching for the stones.”

“You don’t think he…” Martha trailed off, not wanting to believe that Lex would be capable of murder.

“It’s a possibility, as much as I hate to admit it,” Clark said sadly. “Anyway, that is when Lana told me she had one of the stones. Thinking of her safety, I put it in the cave with the one I already had. That’s when Jor-El told me I needed to find the last stone so that they wouldn‘t fall into the wrong hands.”

“So you did what he asked of you, not even bothering to discuss it with anyone,” Jonathan was trying to keep himself from blowing up at his son.

“I didn’t say anything to you because I knew what you’d say,” Clark said meeting his dad’s disapproving glare.

“Clark and I talked it over, Mr. Kent,” Lana interjected hoping to deflect some of Jonathan’s frustration away from Clark, “it wasn’t a decision he made lightly and he didn’t make it alone.”

“He didn’t make it alone,” he echoed in disbelief.

“That’s right,” Clark responded, “Lana and I discussed everything, every step of the way.”

Martha, who’d been listening quietly, had a sudden realization, “That’s why she took the job with Lex.”

Jonathan’s mouth opened to voice his displeasure at this news, however he caught himself before he exploded at them and managed to say in a reasonable tone, “I take it that your plan worked if you’ve gotten your powers back.”

“Yes, Lex had the last stone and we were able to get it earlier today,” Clark said, sparing them the details. “However, getting my powers back has led to Jor-El demanding I complete his training… and I’ve agreed to do it.”

Both of his parents made disapproving comments but it was his mom that asked why.

“I’ve been running from him, from my heritage, long enough. Facing up to it is the only way I’ll get past it,” he said with a determined look.

“Is that really wise, son? Jor-El hasn’t proven to be all that trustworthy.”

“What if you come back cold and detached, like the last time Jor-El took you,” Martha asked not liking the idea.

“It’s a risk I have to take,” he said, looking at Lana then back at his parents. “As much as I’d rather stay here it’s time for me to face Jor-El instead of running from him.”

Jonathan gave him an appraising look while Clark braced himself for an argument. However, what Jonathan said next surprised everyone in the room.

“Alright, son, if that’s your decision we’ll support it.”

“You will?” Clark asked not sure if he’d heard him right.

“Yes,” he answered, noticing Martha’s shock.

“Jonathan…” she started to protest, having expected a different response from her husband. Preferably one with the words hell and no.

“He’s a man now and he’s got to make his own decisions,” Jonathan said, finding it hard to admit it out loud. For years he’d been protecting his son the best he knew how but there was a point when a father had to let his child make choices for themselves and that point for them was now.

“Thank you, Dad,” Clark said with a nod.

“When do you leave?”

“I was thinking I’d go after I finish up my finals next week.”

“How long are you going to be gone?” Martha asked, realizing that he was going to be leave only weeks before Christmas.

“I wish I knew,” he said, giving his mom a apologetic look, “but I have a feeling it’ll be a while.”

[Kirk]

Thank you for the update. I am curious as to how long a while is. On Smallville, Clark's training seemed to spread out over several years due to all the prisoners who escaped from the Phantom Zone, Doomsday, etc. But, if Clark is devoting himself fully to Jor-El, maybe it will not take that long. Lana to me has several options going forward. College is always an option while Clark is a away. Her career to me never seemed quite fixed in the Superman Universe. Smallville has shown her interest in astronomy and later in counseling helping meteor freaks. In the comics of course, she wound up as a reporter. Recently, that had her as CEO at LexCorp. Please update when you can. I am quite interested to see how their relationship progresses from here.

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the reply Kirk! I’ll have one more update after this, and epilogue to hopefully tie everything up.
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“There’s something I want to run by you,” Clark said to Lana who was taking advantage of the truck’s bench seat, having scooted up next to Clark as he drove her home after they’d gone to the caves to retrieve the truck.

“Alright,” she replied, lifting her head from where it had been resting on his shoulder to look at him.

“How would you feel about moving in with my parents,” he asked, having had a nagging worry in the back of his mind over leaving Lana to live in the Talon apartment since he‘d made his decision to go, “at least until you could find another place, one not owned by Lex.”

She hadn’t even thought of Lex and what would happen once Clark was gone, she was too busy being supportive, but now she involuntarily shivered thinking about Lex in her apartment. “I’d really love to get out of there but I don’t want to impose on your parents.”

“They think of you like you’re their own daughter, I doubt they’d mind. In fact, I’m sure if they knew about Lex letting himself into you apartment they would insist that you stay with them.”

She knew he was right and the thought of staying at the farm, even without Clark there, made her feel like she‘d be safe. “If they’re okay with it I’d like to stay with them but I think we need to talk to them about it before we get ahead of ourselves.”

Clark sighed in relief, confident that his parents wouldn’t have any problems with Lana staying with them. “I’ll talk to them. They’ll jump at the chance to have you around, trust me,” he said with a smile.



True to his prediction, Jonathan and Martha didn’t hesitate to agree to let Lana move in with them when Clark voiced his concerns over Lex. He did spare some of the details, like how they’d known for a while that Lex was accessing her apartment. Instead he told them he was worried that the timing of his departure would raise Lex’s suspicions and with her living in a building owned by the man it left her in a vulnerable position.

With that settled, Clark’s to do list got a little longer. Thankfully with his powers back, moving Lana would be one of the easier tasks he had. Much more difficult for him was turning in his resignation at the Ledger.

For months he’d been doing the weather reports and the ag reports, which were probably two of the most read sections of the paper, but they hadn’t given him much room to grow. But a month ago things started to change for Clark. He got his first assignment to cover an event. Sure the event was the city counsel meeting about putting a stop light at Main and Lowell but it had been his first real article and his editor had liked it enough to start giving him more opportunities to actually write.

So, it was with regret that Clark gave them a week notice of his departure, using a story he’d concocted with his parents and Lana’s help. The tale included a distant cousin, an illness, and a desperate need for help so they could keep their farm. All taking place in far away Michigan.

Finals weren’t much of a problem for him. Even without his powers he’d retained an uncanny ability to remember facts and figures. Lana wasn’t as fortunate when it came to school, she had to work for it. Which meant massive amounts of studying for her. Thankfully, she had a supportive boyfriend, so not only did she have a study buddy she had a source of nourishment.

“Mmm… that was so good,” Lana moaned as she finished off her Lo Mien, happy for a moment away from her text books and notes. “I can’t believe you went to Metropolis to get it.”

“I would’ve ran to China for it if you’d asked,” he told her heaping another helping of Kung Pao Chicken onto his plate.

“You can run to China?” She asked with a skeptical tilt of her head.

“Sure, I just jump over the Pacific,” he said, making a motion with his chopsticks to mimic the impossible leap. Recognizing the mischievous glint in his eyes she gave him a disbelieving look. A smile broke out across his face, “Okay, maybe I can’t run there but I‘d swim there in a heartbeat for you.”

She smiled at him, “You know, when most guys say that it’s purely BS.”

“I’m not most guys,” he replied with a flirtatious grin.

“You most definitely are not,” she replied, her voice suddenly becoming heavy with emotion. It’d had been like that the past couple of days, her heart giving her stark reminders that he’d soon be gone would hit her at the most random times.

“Why don’t we take the night off from the books,” Clark suggested, taking note of her change in mood.

“This test counts for half my grade,” she protested.

“You’ve got this,” he told her and reached for her notes. “What does the term business cycle refer to?”

She stared at him for a moment, a little irritated, he didn’t get what it was like to have to pull an all-nighter, but she grudgingly answered. “It refers to fluctuations economic activity or production over months or years. They occur around long term growth trends and usually involve shifts between periods of rapid economic growth and periods of stagnation or decline. Even though they’re called cycles they generally don’t follow any kind of pattern.”

“What is the Keynesian theory?”

“The Keynesian theory supports a mixed economy of mostly the private sector but with both the public sector and the government having a large role.”

“Monetarism?”

“Monetarism argues that excessive expansion of the money supply is inherently inflationary, and that monetary authorities should focus on maintaining price stability.”

“It sounds like you have got a pretty good grasp on economics 101 but we could keep going if you want,” he said, holding up her notes, “but if you’re willing to take a break I’ve got something for you.”

“Something for me?” She asked with raised eyebrows, liking the sound of that.

“That’s right, but I wouldn’t want to infringe on your precious study time…”

She figured it was some ploy on his part to get her to relax and stop worrying over her test. He was right though, she had a pretty good feel for the subject, plus she was close to the point where the words on the pages started to lose their meaning. “I guess I could take the rest of the night off.”

“Just what I wanted to hear,” he smiled at her, pleased.

“So, what is it that you have for me?”

“Ah, yes…” he said, making a great production out of reaching into his pocket and holding up what appeared to be a black rock.

Her eyes narrowed, “Is that a lump of coal?”

“Yes,” he smiled like it was the most brilliant gift ever.

“Well, I won’t claim that I was perfect this year but I don’t think I was bad enough to warrant a lump of coal.”

“Hold on a second,” he told her and began to squeeze.

Lana watched in awe. Since Clark had gotten his abilities back a few days ago she’d seen small displays of his unique gifts. However, now, as a bright light emitted from his fisted hand, was the first time she realized just how powerful he truly was.

He slowly opened his hand, revealing a beautiful diamond. She was speechless as he used his heat vision to secure the newly formed treasure to a setting he’d pulled from his pocket then slowly got down on one knee.

“Marry me?” He asked, feeling his stomach turn into knots as the words came out of his mouth.

Her tear filled eyes met his nervous gaze. “Yes,” she answered, smiling through her joyful tears, “I will marry you, Clark.”

Before he had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief she joined him on his knees, kissing him over and over again.

“I love you,” he murmured between kisses, knowing that this memory would get him through the tough lonely days ahead.



When Lex returned home from his business trip to find the stone missing his mind immediately jumped to his father, the only person who could possibly know about his personal safe. So, when Lionel came to welcome him home his reception was a on the chilly side.

“Why the foul mood son?” Lionel asked Lex, who was acting much like a petulant child, pouting from behind his desk.

Lex looked at him, irritated, “I think you know why, Dad.”

“You give me too much credit, Lex,” Lionel told him patiently, “I’m afraid I don’t know half of what you believe I do.”

Lex gave him a contemptuous glare, “Please spare me the mind games.”

“Is this about your trip?”

“No, it’s about the stone you took from me.”

“Are you referring to the stone that mysteriously disappeared from my possession a few months ago?” Lionel asked, showing no signs of surprise.

“I am,” Lex answered defiantly. “The same stone you took from Genevieve Teague, who got it from her son after he disposed of Bridget Crosby.”

“I’m concerned for you son. You are so preoccupied with this obsession of yours that you’re letting it distract you from more important matters.”

“I’m capable of far more than you think.”

“Perhaps, but you’ve yet to prove it. That company you’ve been working so hard to acquire, it’s been bought up right under your nose.”

“That’s impossible. No one knew…” Lex trailed off, realization dawning on him. “You.”

“If you hadn’t been so busy chasing after these stones you would have noticed what was happening, heaven knows I left enough breadcrumbs for you to find.”

“Congratulations, Dad, you’ve proven how incompetent I truly am.”

“LuthorCorp is my legacy and I’ve always intended for you to run it but you’re clearly not ready.”

“Ready or not, I am running it. Your opinion doesn’t really matter.”

“You underestimate the influence I have with the board members,” Lionel told him with the unflappable demeanor that always irritated Lex. “I suggest you decide what your priorities are, son, because starting tomorrow your position at LuthorCorp won’t be secure.”




Finals were over and Lana was officially moved into the Kent’s. Clark’s room was now her room however, any comfort she got out of that was tempered by not knowing how long he would be gone.

She was waiting for him on the porch while he said goodbye to his parents. Letting him go was just as difficult for them as it was for her, though for different reasons. For them, they were watching their child make hard decisions about his future on his own. For her, she was watching the love of her life go somewhere she couldn’t follow.

Alone with her thoughts she tried not to think about what lay ahead of her, instead she thought of the past week. It’d had been both bitter and sweet. Being engaged to Clark made her happier than she would’ve imagined possible. Both Martha and Jonathan were thrilled with the news, Nell, not so much.

She assured her aunt that they weren’t rushing into anything and likely have a long engagement. That seemed to appease her.

Chloe was excited for them and Lois added a unenthused congratulations after overhearing their conversation.

When she went into work she briefly saw Lex, who was so preoccupied he didn’t notice her ring. He barely reacted to her telling him she was moving out of the Talon. Tess, who noticed her ring but ignored it, told her that there was a shake up in the company and that Lionel was trying to make a power grab, which was why Lex was so distracted.

That little bit of information made Lana wonder about Lionel and his motivations. However, whether he wanted to help his son or keep him focused on other things while trying to undermine him, it had worked to her and Clark’s benefit. Hopefully by the time Lex dealt with his current crisis he’ll have put the stones behind him.

From behind her the sound of the door opening shook her from her thoughts and she turned in time to catch a glimpse into the house. Inside she saw Martha, clearly upset, being comforted by Jonathan but her focus quickly turned to Clark, who came through the doorway.

His heartsick expression matched hers and neither spoke for a long moment.

Finally Clark said, “You must be freezing.”

“I’m alright,” she told him but didn’t complain when he wrapped his arms around her.

“I love you,” he told her, his voice thick with emotion.

“I love you too, Clark,” she fought back her tears as she buried her face into his chest, “I love you so much.”

“I’ll come back as soon as I can,” he promised.

“I know,” she said, pressing herself closer to him, wanting to melt into his embrace.

He closed his eyes and breathed her in as his arms instinctively tightened around her. Eventually he loosened his grasp on her, letting his hands settle on her hips. “I always thought I was cursed, that being different meant being alone. You changed that, you changed everything.”

She looked up at him, so overwhelmed by her feelings that she didn’t trust herself to speak without becoming a sniffling mess. She wanted to tell him it was he who’d changed her life, that he gave her something that no one else ever had. While she couldn’t get the words out her eyes spoke volumes.

“No matter where I go or what I’m doing,” he said, gently wiping away a lone tear that was trailing down her cheek with the pad of this thumb, “my heart is always with you.”

Reaching the very limits of her tiptoes, Lana wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed his lips with her own in a fierce kiss. Neither was eager to end their connection but Lana’s necessity to breathe couldn’t be ignored.

Nose to nose, both with their eyes closed, they took deep calming breaths until their breathing returned to normal. Finally Clark relaxed his grip on her, setting her feet back on the ground, having picked her up in the heat of the moment.

“The longer I wait…” he started, still holding on to her.

“I understand,” she sighed, knowing that each second that ticked by made it harder and harder to leave, “you should go.”

He leaned down, giving her one last kiss before turning and walking down the porch steps. Reaching the bottom of the stairs he turned and gave her a longing look and then he was gone.

It was nearly an hour later when Martha came out to join Lana on the porch. She was staring off at the setting sun, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, silent tears still running down her face.

Placing an arm around her shoulders Martha comforted her, “He’ll come home, he always comes home.”

[Kirk]

Thank you again for the latest update. I assume Lana will be sticking to the Kent farm for now. Lex will probably be battling his father for the next several years over the control of Luthorcorp. There are just two main questions I have left then. How long will Clark's training last at the Fortress? And the other question I have is geared more toward the long term. Clark's lifespan is obviously centuries longer than humans. He could practically be immortal even with the Sun as his source of power. Is there any way for them to reconcile that huge issue? Please, update soon so I can find out what happens next.

[LetMeGo]

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to finish this. I was hoping to get it together before I went on vacation, but it didn‘t happen… At any rate, it’s finally here and I hope it satisfies your lingering questions. :) Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
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Days turned to weeks and weeks into months and Lana’s life went on. School and work filled the void and she became her professors’ favorite student and Tess’ promising young protégé.

Shortly after the shake up at LuthorCorp Lex began spending more time in Metropolis trying to defend his position as CEO. He left Tess in charge of the Smallville operations, which was not the promotion she was hoping for, and both Lana and Tess started working at the plant just outside of town.

She had one happenstance conversation with Lex shortly after Clark left. Their exchange was a intricate back and forth of Lex pushing for information and Lana evading his intrusive questions. She gave him the story they told everyone, Clark was in Michigan helping family. When Lex asked about where in Michigan he was Lana said Clark had told her it was that state’s equivalent to Smallville and smoothly changed the subject, apologizing for the short notice on vacating the Talon apartment. She told him that she was trying to save money for the wedding and from there the conversation took a turn to her and Clark’s vague plans for the future and Lex realized that he wouldn’t be getting any of the answers he wanted.

When Tess saw that Lana’s engagement wasn’t standing in the way of her career ambitions she began to take an honest interest in teaching Lana. Somewhere along the way the mutual respect they had for each other developed into a friendship.

That summer, while Lana was taking classes, Queen Industries started a campaign to lure Tess away from LuthorCorp. After learning about their offer to Tess to head up their Metropolis office Lana encouraged her to take the position. Tess was reluctant to accept out of some lingering sense of loyalty to Lex but Lana was quick to remind her that Lex had left her in Smallville with no apparent plan to mover her back to the main offices in Metropolis. Tess ended up taking the job.

Just as Lana’s summer semester ended Tess tried to talk Lana into transferring to MetU and coming to work for her at Queen Industries. Initially she didn’t want to leave the farm, she felt connected to Clark there but after a few late night heartfelt conversations with Martha Lana decided to go.

When she told Chloe of her plans Chloe suggested she move in with her and Lois. Their lease was just about up and they wanted a bigger place, with a third roommate they could actually afford to do it. They found a three bedroom apartment not far from campus that they all agreed on and quickly settled in.

Lana’s schedule wasn’t much different from when she was living with the Kents. Work and school. School and work. The only difference was that her new roomies occasionally guilted her into taking a night off, dragging her out to a club or party. Inevitably she’d get hit on, her response was to hold up her left hand, showing her ring with a clearly uninterested look written on her face.

Clark’s absence didn’t go unnoticed by her roommates. It was usually Lois, in her usual blunt way, that had some sort of comment on the subject though Chloe was obviously curious about it as well. Lana managed to sell the story that she heard from him on a regular basis, admitting it was difficult to be separated but that what he was doing was important.

The fall semester finally came to a close but Lana stayed in Metropolis during her break, busy with work. On Christmas eve she’d put in a few hours at Queen Industries, intending to drive out to the farm to spend the night with Jonathan and Martha before heading back to the city to spend Christmas day with Nell.

Rushing out of the building and into the parking garage Lana pulled her coat around herself and checked her watch. It was cold in Metropolis but not cold enough for snow, it had been raining off and on all morning long, but forecasters were predicting a white Christmas for the city. She needed to get headed to Smallville before the weather took a turn for the worse but she still had to stop at the apartment to get her things.

She was almost to her car when she had the sudden feeling that she was being watched. Realizing she hadn’t been paying much attention to her surroundings her eyes quickly darted around hoping she was just being paranoid. When she saw him she was startled enough to involuntarily jump even as she recognized Clark.

A year of uncertainty crumbled around her as his name passed her lips. Feeling joy like she’d never felt before, tears filled her eyes. He too felt the swell of emotion, he knew it had only been a year since he’d left but it had felt much longer to him. Days had no beginning or ending, time had lost all meaning during his sojourn in the artic.

There, in a nearly abandoned parking garage, they held on to one another for several minutes, saying little. When Lana got around to telling him she was suppose to be on her way to his parents’ they decided they better get on their way.

On the drive to her apartment Lana gave him the condensed version of the past year, explaining how she came to work at Queen Industries and had moved to Metropolis. He was relieved to hear that she’d had such an easy time escaping Lex’s scrutiny but was surprised to learn that Tess had become her good friend. Lana laughed and said as hard as it was to believe Tess did actually have a heart.

After a quick stop at her place, where they grabbed her overnight bag and the presents she’d bought, they were finally headed toward Smallville and it was Clark’s turn to share. He knew that some of what he was about to tell her wasn’t going to be easy for her to hear but he soldiered on.

He started by describing the training sessions. Information would come at him at incredibly fast rates, even by his standards. His perception of time changed, what felt like a day of learning turned out to be only an hour. Eventually he gave up trying to keep track of days.

He learned volumes on every imaginable subject but he found particular interest in the history of Krypton. His family had been high ranking in Kryptonian society, academics and scientists they were well respected and revered as they contributed to improving the lives of all kryptonians. Jor-El was no different.

His father wasn’t how he imagined him. Instead of being a cruel and heartless man, Jor-El had worked feverishly to save his people. When it was apparent that there was no stopping Krypton’s destruction he recommended the evacuation of the planet but the warning fell on deaf ears and he was forbidden to speak of his recommendation or leave the planet himself.

Desperate to save his son, Jor-El secretly built the ship that had carried Clark to earth. As their world came apart around them his parents placed him in the ship and sent him away, saving his life.

This new knowledge had changed him, she could see it as he spoke. It was a subtle difference but the shadows of doubt were gone from his eyes. He was at peace with what he was, where he came from, where he was going.

He’d take the role Jor-El wanted him to and continue the legacy of the El family, he told her, saying he didn’t aspire to be a hero, he just wanted to do his part. Given his abilities his part was unique, to say the least, and time consuming. He went on, telling her that he’d understand if she couldn’t handle him being on call all the time. She dismissed his concern, as he expected she would, insisting it was no different than being with a police officer or fireman.

Along with his new education came training concerning his powers. He now had complete and absolute control of each of his abilities and a few new ones, including the ability to fly, which he promised to demonstrate later. Then he hinted that his intimacy issues were no longer a problem.

He used that to segway to the one subject he was afraid to bring up but knew he needed to let her in on. After nervously clearing his throat he told her that not only could they physically be together, they were biologically compatible as well but while it was possible for them to have children it would be a very high risk pregnancy, especially the first trimester.

During that first trimester her body would under go changes, changes that would have long lasting effects, if the pregnancy stuck. Which meant it was more likely she’d have a miscarriage than carry the baby to full term, that is, if she managed to survive it herself.

While Clark’s focus was on the part that put her life in danger, Lana was more interested in the changes he mentioned, asking for further explanation. Uncomfortable with the facts he shared what he knew.

Initially, her body would recognize the fetus as a foreign body and attack, leading to miscarriage or even death. Something similar could happen in a pregnancy that didn’t include a father from another world, he noted, but there was a difference. In the instance when a kryptonian was the father the baby would fight to survive, putting the mother’s life at greater risk as it sought to alter her immune system.

Clark emphasized the death part, trying to make a point about it being too great of a risk for them to even contemplate having children, but Lana was still stuck on the part about the changes she’d undergo. So he told her that if she made it to full term she’d be immune to every human illness, her rate of aging would slow considerably, and any subsequent pregnancies would go as smoothly as a pregnancy could go.

An argument nearly broke out when she replied that it sounded like the benefits outweighed the risk. She was able to calm him down, telling him that having a family, the traditional way or through adoption, was many years down the road and they’d have plenty of time to discuss their options. In spite of her diplomatic answer, she believed in her heart that one day she’d have his children, risk or not.

As they got closer to Smallville the weather turned more treacherous, with fat flakes of snow falling at a frenzied pace, and their conversation turned to more pleasant things, like setting a date for their wedding. After his idea to take a detour to Vegas on their way to the farm was shot down Clark tried pushing for February but Lana didn’t like the idea of having their anniversary so close to Valentine’s Day. By the time they reached his parent’s place they’d agreed on a spring wedding, which was far enough away that plans could be made for the simple ceremony they envisioned.

Leaving the comfort of her car they walked hand in hand toward the house. Through the storm driven snow the windows of the house glowed warm and inviting and Clark slowed his step, coming to a stop to take in the sight. Following his gaze, Lana smiled and said welcome home, her voice thick with emotion. His hand tightened around hers in response and he turned to her. Finding a teary smile on her face he smiled back and gently wiped away an errant tear that was trailing down her cheek.

While the snow swirled around them he promised he was home for good. Then, pulling her closer to him, he sealed his promise with a kiss that made the raging blizzard that encompassed them disappear.

[Kirk]

Thank you for the conclusion. It's nice to know that Clark was only gone for a year. The odds would seems to favor Lana being able to carry a child to term. And, the joyous couple get to enjoy a lifetime together. I must say thank you for seeing this story through to its conclusion and I hope I can see another one soon. Perhaps, even a sequel!