Clana - How "This Time" Will be Different (PG-13)

[ajfinn]

Title: Clana – How “This Time” Will be Different
Author: Ajfinn
Pairing: Clark & Lana
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Based solely on the end of season 4, preceding any season 5 spoilers.

Short summary: Clark cares for Lana after the meteor storm, and they both make confessions which bring their destinies closer than they could have imagined. Isobel’s past is visited through Lana’s reoccurring dreams, where she discovers the events which led to her interest in the stones, and the mysterious man who stole her heart. Primary characters include: Clark, Lana, Isobel, Kal, Marguerite, Chloe, Jimmy, Mr. Olsen, Lex, Jonathan and Martha.


Part 1:

“Are you all right?” Clark asked Lana, carrying her over the threshold of her Talon apartment. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Lana shivered in his arms. “Funny you say that, Clark. That’s exactly how I feel,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve been back here since . . . well, since before the meteor shower.” Lex had told her the mess was taken care of, but to her, the apartment felt no less haunted than three days ago when Isobel murdered Genevieve. Lana’s hands still stung from the power of the stone, as though it had seared Genevieve’s blood into her skin forever.

Clark had a feeling that what Lana referred to had more to do with the mysterious condition of the element she gave him, than it did the meteor shower. “Let’s get you settled, then I’ll make some dinner.” He set her down on the couch, being as careful as he could with her broken leg.

“You’ll make some dinner?” Lana asked, unable to hide her smirk. Clark’s ability to calm her always seemed to be a special power he possessed. One among the many she was starting to suspect he had. “Well, in that case I’d like to order cordon bleu, Mr. Kent.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of mac and cheese,” Clark said, propping up pillows behind her head, and one under her leg. “But I have to warn you that you may wish you were back eating hospital food with my parents.”

Lana became serious again, taking his hand. “I’m glad your folks are okay. We were all worried about your dad that first day, but as the doctors told you tonight, his heart’s doing much better.” Martha had been released from the hospital earlier that evening along with Lana, but insisted on staying with her husband.

With the house a wreck, along with the police investigation surrounding Jason Teague’s curious injuries—including a gun shot wound to his shoulder, there was no where to go anyway. But that wasn’t the reason Martha suggested Clark stay with Lana tonight, he could’ve stayed in the loft if he had to. Lana needed someone to care for her, and Chloe was staying with Lois in Metropolis for the next few days. Clark was the only option, and as out of character as it seemed for his mother to suggest such a thing, he’d be the last to complain about it. He needed a situation just like this one to tell Lana what he had to.

After his experiences in the Fortress of Solitude, it was time she knew his secret.

“I still can’t believe you made it out of that helicopter alive, Lana,” he said, stroking her cheek.

“And I can’t believe anyone made it through that day at all,” she said, giving him a curious look, then glancing away. She’d been so concerned about him over the past three days, that when he showed up at the hospital tonight, she was so relieved to see him that she didn’t care where he’d disappeared to this time. Or did she? The visions she’d had since her tattoo vanished, which seemed to be memories Isobel left behind, were so vivid and real, but made no sense whatsoever. But somehow, after the first vision she had of Clark fighting Isobel, Lana knew the stone she’d been hiding was meant for Clark. But why? And what did he do with it?

After the two of them ate a very sticky variation of macaroni and cheese, and had a surprisingly delicious dessert of peanut butter and bananas—called the Clark Kent special, Lana thanked Clark for dinner and asked a simple question. “Are you tired, or can we talk for a while?”

Having looked at Lana’s beautiful face for the past hour—seeing the smile he wondered if he’d ever see again, Clark was feeling anything but tired. “I’m fine,” he said. “What do you want to talk about?” It was safe to assume it wouldn’t be the weather.

Lana took in a deep breath, knowing what she was about to say might send him out the door. “Clark, the stone I gave you had Genevieve Teague’s blood on it,” she said. “I, or rather, Isobel killed her with it.”

Clark’s face turned white, and he swallowed down a lump the size of a boulder. “Lana, it’s not your fault. That was my biggest fear since I realized Isobel had the power to inhabit your body,” he said, putting his arms around her shaking frame, “that she’d do something awful you’d feel responsible for.”

For a time, Clark thought she’d never catch her breath from crying, and he couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through the past few days, having no one to talk to. He wished he could take her to the Fortress of Solitude that very moment, so she could feel the peace it offered.

“And there’s more, Clark,” Lana said, calming her sobs at last. “There’s so much more I have to tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll think I’ve absolutely lost my mind.” She could not even imagine what Clark’s reaction would be when she told him about the spaceship she saw. Surely he would think she’d hit her head in the helicopter accident and had some sort of hallucination.

“Lana, you know I’d never think that of you. I’ll believe anything you tell me,” he said. “But it’s not right that you trust me with your deepest secrets, when I’ve been hiding my own for so many years.”

Lana tilted her head and smiled. “It’s okay, Clark,” she said. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me anything. Whatever secrets you have, and however frustrating they’ve been at times, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that they allow you to help people. And that’s a good enough explanation for me.” Lana could hardly believe the words had left her lips. She knew what she said was true, that it was how she felt, but Clark seemed to be offering a chance for her to at last know the truth. She wanted more than anything to take it, but didn’t want tonight to be about forcing him to admit things he wasn’t ready to.

“Wow, that wasn’t exactly the reaction I expected,” Clark said, sitting back on the floor beside the couch. “But if you’ve grown to trust me that much, then I’m right to assume you’re ready to know my secret. And I’ve waited long enough to tell you. It’s a choice I made before I even came here tonight.”

Lana nodded, having no words for the long awaited occasion.

“I’m not exactly sure where to start, because the beginning may be the part I’ll need to save for the end,” Clark said, shaking his head at how stupid that must have sounded. But to start by telling Lana he was from another planet seemed to be too much for anyone to process without being warmed up a bit. Especially when he’d also have to tell her that the meteor shower that killed her parents was sent to earth to mask his arrival. No, he’d start with something more believable.

“Lana,” he said. “I’ve been at the North Pole for the past three days.”


***Note to first time readers of this fanfic: this story has 80 parts and is completed. Scroll through the pages to read more :)***

[4EverSmallville]

I do. Good start, PPMS.

[Smvlfn08]

Please post more, I am definetly hooked. CLANA 4 EVER!!!!!!!!!!:p

[itsallinthespelling]

Nice start. ppms

[Kal-El & Me]

I really liked it you definetely got my attention. Keep em coming.

[spacewalker_33.3]

i liked it please keep posting asap

[smallvillewolf17]

please post more

[ClarksGirl21]

This is going to be really good , I can already tell ! haha .. keep going , it's great !

[Rejeimha]

Oh man! If the season 5 premiere doesn't go something like this I will be severly disappointed.

I love what you are doing and can't wait for the rest.

PPMS.

[ajfinn]

Thanks for your positive feedback! Here's more of the story:

Part 2

Clark anticipated Lana’s shock, but he didn’t expect her laughter. “So what are you saying, Clark?” she asked. “You think you’re Santa Claus?”

He laughed with her, grateful that the light moment settled his stomach a little. “Actually, that might not be such a bad gig,” he said. “But no, you won’t be seeing me in a red suit anytime soon.”

“Yeah, plaid is more your thing,” Lana said. “And sorry, but you don’t really have the body for the big guy's job anyway.”

Clark squinted one eye. “I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”

After at time of continued banter, Lana felt a rush of seriousness enter her again. “But, really, Clark,” she said. “Where were you? I was worried sick.” It never seemed that she stopped worrying about him when he disappeared without a word to anyone, but the past few days felt different. She knew the stone she gave Clark was dangerous, and feared what it might have done to him. Both Genevieve and Isobel had been willing to kill for it. And there was no doubt that it ruined the relationship between she and Jason, something she didn’t regret as much as she thought she would, but still felt a sting of bitterness within her. And the stone had turned Lex into a mad man.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” Clark said, bringing Lana’s hand up to his lips. “If I’d had any control over what happened I never would have left. Especially not during the meteor shower, but . . . ” Okay, Clark told himself, here it is, be a man. “ . . . but the truth is that the stone you gave me was only one in a set of three that I was supposed to find a long time ago. And when I put them all together, I was whisked off to the North Pole.” Clark stopped and waited for Lana to exhale, her face was turning blue. He was sure his own face matched the lava lamp on Lana’s sofa table. “There, I said it. The beginning of it, anyway. Strange, huh?”

Lana blinked at last. “Strange is somewhat relative around here, Clark,” she said. “What happened when you got there? And how did you get back to Smallville?”

“You mean you believe me?” Clark asked, standing in surprise.

“Clark, I spent a good portion of my senior year possessed by a revenge-seeking witch who was burned at the stake hundreds of years ago,” she said, more serious than intended. “I’m the last person who would doubt the supernatural. Nor the power of the stones.”

Well, that was easier than Clark expected. He just hoped her acceptance of things would continue. Being teleported to the North Pole was no big leap, he guessed. But her reaction was sure to be more dramatic when he revealed how he spent last summer—in the Phantom Zone. Yeah, how exactly was he going to explain that without Lana suggesting psycho-therapy?

For now, he’d pretend like he forgot about her questions concerning what happened at the North Pole—anything he said would sound ridiculous right now . . . Well, Lana, I built an enormous ice castle, complete with my own video conferencing system to speak with my dead alien father who still continues to run my life. Oh, and how did I get back to Smallville? Clark couldn’t even imagine answering that question—not until Lana was more familiar with his other abilities. And those alone might freak her out enough to stop being curious.

“It’s been a pretty crazy year for all of us,” Clark said. “But like you told me in the car, Isobel must be gone for good if your tattoo has disappeared.”

Lana gave a confident nod. “Ding dong the witch is dead,” she said, offering a genuine smile of relief. “But if you can believe it, Clark, being possessed by Isobel was not the strangest thing that happened to me this year.”

“What could top that?” Clark asked, doubting that anything more bizarre than Isobel could slip by him.

“I guess it’s my turn to offer up another one of my secrets,” Lana said, still certain that anything Clark revealed couldn’t possibly sound as far-fetched as what she was about to tell him.

“So that’s how we’re doing things?” Clark asked, kneeling next to her so she’d know she had his full attention. “I have a hunch you might run out of turns before I do.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lana answered, then took a sip of water to wet her mouth that suddenly felt like sandpaper. “Clark, after the helicopter crashed, I saw a huge mound of dirt straight ahead of me, and I thought if I climbed it, I could get a better idea of where I was. But after I dragged myself to the top, I saw a . . . ” she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“A what, Lana?” Clark asked, trying to hide his panic. Jor-el had warned Clark that his reluctance to seek out and unite the stones had awakened a great evil from space, and he’d had dreams while he was in the Fortress of Solitude about what form that evil would come in.

“A spaceship,” Lana said in a croak. “A spaceship with a hatch—that opened, Clark. And then a light spilled across my face, but I didn’t see anything, I just heard a terrifying voice. And then I blacked out.”

Clark’s suspicions were true. He remained as composed as he could. “What did the voice say, do you remember?”

Lana rubbed the sides of her head, feeling the confusion all over again. “Yes, but it doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “The voice was strong and clear: Take me to Kal-el.”



Anyone ready for part 3?

[dreammaster]

awesome chapter

[kewl]

u got me hooked there. great start and very intriguing. PPMS :)

[4EverSmallville]

Yeah, I'm ready. Left it out on a cliff there, how could I not want to read more?

[ClarksGirl21]

this is so great ! keep posting !!

[spacewalker_33.3]

wow, just amazing liked the way things are going so far , and lana seems to be really cool about the thruth, wanna see how she will react when Clark tell her all, please keep on posting, really good job!!

[Smvlfn08]

I'm leaving for Phoenix, Az. on sunday morning and I'd realy appreciat it if you could post more soon. I am deffinetly hooked and I don't want to miss anything 'cause this fic is realy good:p:p

[ajfinn]

Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I'll post more tonight.

[ajfinn]

Part 3:

“I knew you’d think I was crazy,” Lana said, responding to Clark’s bugged-out eyes and splotchy cheeks. “But please believe me, Clark. You’re the only person I can trust.”

“It’s not that, Lana. I do believe you,” he said, at last getting his jaw to recover from it's drop. “And of course you can trust me . . . it’s just that the message . . . ”

“Message?” Lana asked. “Do you mean what the voice said?”

Clark gave a solemn nod, unsure of how to proceed. “Lana, if the voice had asked you to take him, or whatever it is, to ‘Clark Kent,’ would you be telling me this right now? Would you still feel the way you do about me, or would it have really freaked you out? I mean—knowing that an alien was searching for me.”

Lana was baffled by such an obscure question. “I doubt it would've mattered what the voice said, I was pretty freaked out as it was—after all, I passed out,” she said. But Clark wasn’t sure she had actually passed out at all. Maybe after she didn’t answer, the “it” decided not to bother with her. Something Clark was grateful for. “But of course I'd still love you—we've had bigger things than spaceships come between us. But why would an alien be searching for you, of all people?”

“Because my birth name is Kal-el,” Clark said, deciding there was no use holding it back. If things went well, she’d know everything about his origin by morning.

“Kal-el?” Lana whispered, stunned. “But it’s probably just a coincidence . . . I mean . . . ” Lana knew that was a stupid thing to say, how many guys did she know named Kal-el? Duh.

“No, Lana,” Clark said, swallowing. “It’s me. I was expecting something like this to happen because I didn’t unite the stones soon enough, but I didn’t know that the alien, or whatever it is, would even know about me. Obviously, I was wrong.” Clark knew his game would have to be stepped up if the alien already knew about him, which meant the dreams he’d been having were actually ‘revelations,’ just as he suspected they were.

Lana shuddered, looking out the window into the night sky. The very sky she would never look at in the same way again. “Clark, we need to get you out of Smallville,” she said, attempting to sit up. “What does it want with you?”

Clark put his hand’s on Lana’s shoulders, easing her back onto the pillow. “I’m not sure, but I can’t run away,” he said. “Whatever it is it, I can handle it.” His confidence was more of an affirmation for himself than for her. Though he only trained in the Fortress of Solitude for three days in human time, Jor-el had told him that he couldn’t have learned that much on his own in twenty years. Clark hadn’t had a lot of time to practice his new abilities since he returned to Smallville, but he was sure he’d kick some alien butt if it got anywhere near Lana or his parents. He hoped he could, anyway.

Lana got that look on her face that always told Clark she was about to rip him to shreds. Forget aliens, this girl knew exactly how to pulverize him—with a single glance. She was much more a weakness for him than Kryptonite had ever been.

“What are you talking about, Clark!” Lana said, latching onto him. “You may have had your heyday with a couple of meteor freaks, but that’s nothing compared to the real thing! You have no idea of the power an actual alien might have! Look at the effect the meteor rocks had on people we knew. Whatever is in that spaceship could kill you! And I’m not going to allow that to happen . . . ” she was crying now “ . . . so we need to leave. I’ll go anywhere with you, Clark, just as long as you’ll be safe.”

It was time to tell her, but he had to calm her down first. “Lana, look at me,” he said, bringing her chin up so she could see the sincerity in his eyes. “The only times I’ve truly had the courage to tell you how I felt was when we were saying ‘goodbye.’ But all that will change now—I promised this time would be different. I love you, Lana.” Clark kissed her, and she melted in his arms. “See. I’m still here. And I never want to be without you again.”

Lana nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “But how can you protect yourself against an alien, Clark?” she asked, thinking of all the horrifying powers it could have. “For all we know, it could shoot fire from it’s eyes.”

“Like this?” Clark asked, taking the opportunity to light the row of candles on Lana’s coffee table.

[itsallinthespelling]

awesome update. great story. im hooked

[4EverSmallville]

Great update.

[smallvillewolf17]

keep posting

[ClarksGirl21]

omg !! omg!! please post today.. that was awesome !

[ajfinn]

Part 4:

“What the hell, Clark?” Lana asked. “That’s not funny!” Lana’s eyes drifted between Clark and the candles. “How . . . how did you do that?” she asked, finally realizing he didn’t have any time to set her up for a joke.

“Like you said, Lana . . . with my eyes,” Clark said, barely able to choke the words out. Her own eyes looked like they could shoot fire. He took a chance that she wouldn’t recoil when he took her hands, and she didn’t. “Look, I know in the past you’ve thought I might have some sort of special abilities, and I do, quite a few of them actually. But before you totally discount me as an evil meteor freak, think about all the people we’ve known that have used their powers—whether meteor rock influenced or not—for good.”

Lana nodded, her eyes wide in shock. “Like Cyrus, the guy who healed Tyson,” she said, thinking back to when Cyrus, who thought he was an alien, healed Whitney’s horse.

“Yeah, and of course you remember Ryan . . . he had a special ability that he could have done a lot of damage with, but he didn’t,” Clark said.

“Ryan?” Lana asked, remembering the young boy that had come into she and Clark’s life for a short time then died of a brain tumor. “What ability did he have?”

“He could read minds,” Clark said, given confidence by the growing interest in Lana’s face. “He warned me about Lex’s darker side, and I should have listened to him.”

Lana chilled, knowing Ryan was right. She then smiled for the first time in several minutes. “And I could have easily taken Evan in as my own child—even with the problems he had because of the meteor rocks,” she said, placing her hand on Clark’s face. “Why were you so afraid that I wouldn’t accept your secret, Clark?”

“It’s complicated,” Clark said. “I have my abilities for different reasons than other people do. And every one who has ever discovered them has died, or had to leave Smallville. Obviously, that hasn’t been a chance I’ve been willing to take.”

Lana nodded. “Is that why Pete moved?”

“Yes. The feds were interrogating him—tipped off by the Luthors,” Clark said. “I’m still not sure which Luthor set them on my trail, but that wasn’t the only reason Pete left . . . Lana my secret is a heavy burden to carry, Pete was tortured more than once, and if that happened to you . . . ” Clark trailed off, again doubting that he should tell her any more. Shooting fire from his eyes just makes him a typical meteor freak, and there’s plenty of those to go around. But if he goes on, he’ll be putting Lana in the same situation that Pete was in.

Lana recognized his hesitation. “Clark, Pete is not the only person who’s been tortured because of your secret,” she said, making Clark’s fears rise closer to the surface. “It’s the only thing that’s kept you and me apart. Don’t you think it’s time to stop the agony for both of us?”

Clark gave one of his super-sized smiles, then nodded. “But do you understand now why I’ve held so much back from you? It had nothing to do with not trusting you, I just didn’t want you to get hurt. And I still don’t, so this is a big leap of faith for me. But, Lana, I can’t let my secret stand between us anymore, I’ve waited too long to be happy.”

“So that’s one of your other abilities, is it?” Lana asked, tilting her head to the side. “Patience?”

“No, I think you’re the only one with that special power,” he said. “Trust me, I’ve made up my mind to tell you at least a dozen times—only to chicken out. Patience didn’t have a thing to do with it.”

Lana smiled, unable to resist her mounting curiosity. “So, Superboy, what else can you do?”

Clark shook his head and laughed. “What? Shooting fire from my eyes isn’t enough for you?” he asked. “Women these days . . . you can never please ‘em.”

“Common’ Clark, you don’t really expect me to believe you’ve only used fire to fight off Smallville’s villains,” she said, giving him a soft kiss to butter him up. “I’ve always liked a good talent show. Get on up there and strut your stuff.” Lana motioned for Clark to stand.

“Umm, Lana, I’m not really the table-dancing type,” he said, trying to resist. This wasn’t exactly how he’d imagined this moment, but he had to admit, it might be fun to show off. “But as long as you’re not freaked out by the fire, one of the strangest of my abilities . . . ”

“Every girl hopes for a superhero, Clark,” she said. “And with or without powers, I’ve always known you were mine.”

“All right, then,” Clark said, standing and loosening himself up, just to make it seem more dramatic.

Lana laughed at him. “Okay, NOW you’re freaking me out! Don’t get all rock star on me or anything.”

He gave her a smirk. “Wanna see what three days in the arctic will do to a guy like me?” He picked up Lana’s glass and blew on it softly . . . turning the water into a block of ice.

[4EverSmallville]

I enjoyed this update, good job. I can't wait to read more.

[ClarksGirl21]

i like the update too .. keep going !!

[Joshuabr]

PPMS!!! I can't wait to see how this goes. Keep it up.

[Kal-El & Me]

can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait!

[Rejeimha]

SWEET! Yeah baby!

This "reveal" scene is going great. Show her one ability, and then she starts to understand hiding the truth isn't about trust, but protection.

Please let Clark really strut his stuff, this only gets to happen once for him.

Keep the juices flowin'.

[kewl]

keep it going... PPM the Soonest :)

[Smvlfn08]

I'm leaving on Sunday morning and I'd realy appreciate it if you could post more, but if not it's okay I'll understand. great job though, Keep posting more:p:p

[binkys711]

I LIKE IT KEEP POSTING!!!!!!!!!!!GREAT JOB!!!!!!

[ajfinn]

More on its way :) Thanks for all the encouragement! This is fun to write what I hope happens, though I really don't think the Smallville writers will make it so easy for Clark & Lana. But they should be together in season 5!!!! Finally!!! :)

[NYC300Z]

Hey just found ur fic it's getting mad interesting so update soon iight?

[ClanaLover]

:D I can't wait untill the update! It was great!

[ajfinn]

I'll post the next update later today. Clark gets a little crazy with a fire poker :)

[itsallinthespelling]

please post soon, this story is getting really good

[ajfinn]

Part 5:


“Cool!” Lana said, making Clark laugh at her word choice. “You know, you might be handy this summer. My air-conditioning isn’t working.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll be hanging around through the winter as well,” he said. “I don’t get to use my heat vision nearly as much as I’d like to.”

Lana smiled. “I wouldn’t mind that at all,” she said. “But somehow, I never pictured you as the answer to my high utility bills.”

“I hate to disappoint you, but I don’t have a single spark of electricity in me,” Clark said. “But I did get struck by lightning once.”

Lana’s face went grim. “When?” she asked. “Why didn’t I know about that? You must have really been hurt.”

Clark shook his head. “I hardly felt a thing,” he said, suddenly feeling awkward. He put his hands in his pockets to appear more humble. “It was nothing compared to being thrown in a blast furnace.”

Lana sat up, her eyes squinting. “Clark, how could you walk away from things like that?”

Clark scanned the room for something dangerous, but of little value. “I’ll show you,” he said, noticing she had two fire pokers for her wood stove. He picked one up and walked back over to Lana, taking his boot and sock off. “I’m pretty much unbreakable.” Clark lifted the fire poker in the air and rammed it through his foot—or at least that's what Lana thought happened when she let out a high-pitched scream.

“Lana, look,” Clark said, trying to pry her fingers off her eyes. “Nothing happened.”

She gave a quick glance at Clark’s uninjured foot, then noticed the shattered pieces of iron all around him—breathing a sigh of relief. “Then you ARE bulletproof, just like Van told me you were.” Lana thought back to when Van McNulty took it upon himself to assassinate everyone in Smallville who had meteor rock induced powers. She remembered how much she hoped Van was right, that Clark was invulnerable—that nothing could ever hurt him. “Do you have any idea how comforting that is for me?”

Clark went back to his knees and took Lana’s hand. “I was pretty lucky with Van, actually,” he said. He didn’t want to hide any part of his secret from her, even if it took away her sense of security. “He found a way to kill me and nearly succeeded.”

“But I just saw what you did to your foot—how did Van manage to hurt you?” Lana asked, grabbing Clark’s shoulders. Thinking about Van trying to kill Clark made Lana want to summon Isobel back to give Van a taste of what the witch is brewin’. Though she was glad Isobel had disappeared, Lana wished she still had her butt-kicking capabilities.

“I said, I’m ‘pretty much’ unbreakable,” Clark said, feeling this was a good time to talk about the dreadful green stuff. “I’m deathly allergic to meteor rocks, and when Van figured that out, he melted some down to make bullets.”

Lana looked confused. “Allergic? To the green and black rocks?” she asked. “But they’re everywhere!”

“Tell me about it,” Clark said. “I’ve had more close calls than I can count.”

Lana’s eyes suddenly widened and she gasped. “But my necklace! I wore it all the time around you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Clark shrugged with a smile. “That pretty much says how desperate I was to be with you, doesn’t it?”

“I’m so sorry,” Lana said, giving Clark a kiss that made up for every pain he ever felt from her necklace.

Clark gave a fake pout when she stopped. “Yeah, it was pretty awful—” Lana knew what he wanted, and for a minute, they both forgot all about the meteor rocks.

“Let’s see,” Clark said. “What else can I tell Lana that will drum up some sympathy—oh, wait, did I just say that out loud?”

Lana punched his arm. “I don’t care if that doesn’t hurt you,” she said, shaking her hand. “Don’t’ mess with me.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Clark said, bringing her throbbing hand to his lips. “There’s only one thing that gives me weaker knees than meteor rocks.”

“What’s that?” she asked, smiling.

“You.”

Lana suspected he’d say that. When had he ever failed to turn her inside out? “And YOU,” she said, touching his nose, “are a very big flirt.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty much whooped,” Clark said. “I don’t think Lex needs to fly in one of his ‘best psychologists in the country’ to figure that out.”

“No, I don’t beleive I'll be needing any more of Dr. Phil’s help,” Lana said, shaking her head. “Not now that you’ve finally found the courage to tell me yourself. And it means a lot that you’ve shared your secret with me, Clark. Is there anything else I should know?”

Clark’s eyes snapped up to meet hers—they’d drifted down to her lips again. “Lana, I hate to say this. But I’ve only just scratched the surface.”

He thought Lana would give a tired nod, like she was done for the night. But instead, she perked up and smiled. “Well, then . . . bring it on!”

[ClarksGirl21]

I liked it .. so, Lana's finally going to know that Clark's an alien. huh.. hopes she takes it well..lol

[Kal-El & Me]

Cute chapter. Please continue as soon as you can.

[ajfinn]

Part 6:

Clark touched Lana’s soft cheek. It was about the hundredth time in the past few hours that he couldn’t believe they were being this open with each other. It wasn’t just telling her his secret that made him feel so in awe though, it was that there was a comfort level that had never been there before. A new sense of trust, like he could share anything with her—especially the rest of his life.

“Lana, are you sure you’re not too tired?” Clark asked. “It’s got to be midnight by now.” Clark turned and looked at the clock hanging on the wall behind him. “11:50—I was pretty close.”

When Clark turned back to Lana she had a look of amusement on her face. “I’m surprised you had to turn around to check. Can’t you see through the back of your head?”

“Very funny,” Clark said, returning her smirk. “But you’re not far off.”

“Go on,” Lana said, now knowing that anything could be possible.

Clark thought that if anything did, this trick might make her a bit queasy. “Did you see the x-rays of your leg?”

“Yes,” Lana said with curiosity. “Why? Can you heal people like Cyrus did?”

Clark shook his head. “No, but I sure wish I could. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have allowed you to go through as much pain as you have. Not now, not before with your leg . . . never. I would’ve revealed my secret long ago if I could have saved you from any of that.”

Lana gave a soft smile, knowing that Clark has saved her from more pain than she could even guess. “Of course you would have. I don’t know why I even asked.”

“Well, you’ve had plenty of reasons to doubt me in the past, which I hope to explain later tonight, but for now,” Clark moved Lana’s leg that was closest to him out of the way so he could get a good look at the one that was broken. “Let’s see if the docs did a good job fixing up your leg.”

Clark squinted hard, scanning between Lana’s knee and her ankle. “Owwww,” he said. “That must’ve really hurt.”

“How can you tell?” Lana asked, trying not to jump to the crazy conclusion she was imagining. She’d test him just to make sure. “Where is it broken?”

“Here, and here,” Clark said, pointing in two different locations. “But they’re pretty clean breaks—better than the last time when the horse stomped on you.” He knew, because he’d snuck in the hospital room when she was sleeping and x-rayed her. He didn’t think he’d ever get over the guilt he felt because of what happened to Lana when he’d left her with Lex in the horse stables.

Lana’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

“Yes way,” he said, matching her cheerleader tone. “I can see through almost anything—but I have to be concentrating to do it. It’s not like I just walk around with five dimensional vision.”

“Nor see through clothing, I hope,” Lana said, embarrassed for even thinking about it. Of course he’d never do that.

Clark gave a sheepish grin. “If I wanted to,” he said, then backtracked, “well, not that I don’t want to, I mean I’m not exactly a typical guy, but when it comes to that, well . . . I think I’m as normal as they come.” She was still looking at him funny. “Lana, what I’m trying to say is that I prefer to leave some things up to my imagination.”

That didn’t help, and Lana started laughing. “Then that does indeed put you on par with other guys.”

Clark had his burning face buried in his hands. “Okay, can we talk about something else now?”

Lana kissed the top of his head. “Don’t worry, Clark,” she said. “I trust you. If you could read minds, you’d know I have an active imagination too.”

“You know,” Clark said, looking back up with a smile. “That’s the one ability I’ve really tried to develop. I’ve spent hours concentrating on you, just to see if it would spark some sort of mind reading capabilities.”

Lana gave Clark an expression of mock pity. “You poor guy, is that why you spend so much time staring at me?” She was joking, but she regretted saying it because she never wanted him to feel stupid about the way he looks at her. It gives her chills every time.

“Umm, no,” Clark answered. “That would be the solitary fault of your face—it’s like some sort of magnet for my eyes.”

Lana felt a warmth move through her, as though a teapot of water had been poured into her soul. “It’s so good to hear you say things like that. For the longest time, I thought you’d never have those feelings for me again,” she said. “Even though I was with Jason, I never stopped loving you, Clark. I just wanted so bad for us to stop hurting one another, that when I went to Paris I . . . well, I think the technical definition for what I did is ‘rebound’.”

It bothered Clark to hear her talk about Jason, but he’d always hoped that’s all he was to her. And he didn’t blame her for that, he’d rebounded a few times himself. “That’s the same for me, Lana. I’ve never loved anyone but you. I tried—especially with Alicia, but no one could ever take your place in my life. You’re too much a part of me.”

Lana looked down when Clark mentioned Alicia’s name. “Clark, I feel horrible for how I acted when Alicia was released,” she said, her voice becoming tight. “I was . . . I was just so jealous that you put her well-being in front of mine . . . I know it was stupid, and selfish, and about a million other words that describe immaturity . . . but when she died, I felt awful. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you that, not after how I’d acted.”

Clark now understood how twisted his relationship with Alicia had been, and how he was attracted to her for only one reason—she knew and accepted his secret. He was feeling so jealous himself at that time because of Jason and Lana, that he would’ve fallen for a homicidal maniac—oh, wait . . . that was exactly what he did.

“Lana, I need to explain what happened with Alicia,” Clark said, “Then maybe we can both move past it.” Clark went on to admit his own jealousy and sense of frustration at the thought of being alone for the rest of his life. He told her how Alicia first discovered his secret and how she played off that to make him feel accepted. Then he said, “And Lana, there’s something else you should know about the meteor rocks. They come in different colors. And red, well, it makes me . . . ”

[ClanaLover]

:D :D :D The last update was great! I loved it. I can't wait untill he tells her about the red K. Or about the fact that he's an alien.

[kewl]

very great update. ppms, thanks :)

[ClarksGirl21]

keep going .. this is great! I love it !

[4EverSmallville]

Awesome updates, if Lana ever learned Clark's secret on the show, I'd definitely hope it'd be similar to this. Great job.

[ajfinn]

Part 7:

“Let me guess what red meteor rock does to you,” Lana said, shaking her head like she should have suspected that’s what influenced Clark to run off to Vegas. “It makes you act like a mad man—do things you’d never normally do.”

Clark was stunned. “How . . . how could you possibly know that?”

“Chloe knows too,” Lana said. “I mean, we’ve never been sure, but when you came back from Metropolis, we started putting a few pieces of the puzzle that is Clark Kent together.”

“And?” Clark asked, still taken aback by this revelation.

“And Chloe happened to mention how weird it was that you wore a Smallville class ring, which she knew was made out of red meteor rock, the entire time you were in Metropolis—even though you didn’t want anyone to know who you were or where you were from,” Lana said, shivering as she remembered what a horrible time in her life that was. “When she said that, I remembered the first time you got your class ring was when you went all psycho on your dad’s motorcycle and started wearing leather, and took me to that bar . . . you were an entirely different person, which is exactly how you acted when I found you in Metropolis.”

“Metropolis was such a nightmare, I don’t even know where to begin to say how awful I feel about that,” Clark said. “But before I explain my reason for putting on that class ring when I knew it was bad for me, I need to tell you about Alicia.”

“All right,” Lana said, not really sure she wanted to hear it. She was so afraid of what he might say, her hands started to tremble, and Clark put them against his chest.

“Lana, both my friends who discovered my secret—Alicia and Pete, drugged me with red meteor rocks,” he said, making Lana’s eyes bug out. “I’m sure you’re surprised that Pete did it, but it was when he was infected by one of the cave worms, and he slipped a red rock in my shirt. That’s the night you caught me kissing Chloe. It was so stupid, and the most horrible part about it was that I couldn’t explain anything to you. And neither Pete or Chloe could remember what they did . . . it was hell for me.”

Lana could feel the pain pounding in his chest. She wished she could take back every moment she had ever doubted Clark. “I’m so sorry I’ve jumped to so many conclusions. I really should have known better.”

“No. I mean, how could you have ever guessed that?” he asked. “And with Alicia it was even worse. I was willing to give her a second chance, as stupid as I was, but when I refused to leave the state with her, she made a necklace with red meteor rocks hidden in it and teleported us to Vegas. But the wedding wasn’t even legal—neither one of us were old enough.”

Lana dropped her hands, this was the part she was nervous about.

“And don’t worry, nothing happened on our so-called sham of a wedding night,” Clark said. “She took the necklace off me, thinking I’d want to be with her just the same—but she was dead wrong.”

Lana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Here Clark had all these amazing abilities, and still, there were some things he couldn’t even protect himself from. “Nothing happened between Jason and I either, no matter what anyone else has assumed,” Lana said, glad she finally had the chance to tell Clark that. “I knew I didn’t love him enough to be with him for the rest of my life.”

Clark gave a relieved smile. “I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t think of it as a possibility, but I’m also not surprised,” he said. “I know you, Lana. I know that you don’t take relationships lightly, and that when you love someone, it’s for the right reasons. And that’s also how you make your decisions—based on a lot of thought of how it might affect your future.”

Lana felt such peace in that moment, confirming once and for all that she had made the right decision. She thought of all she would have wasted—and for what? A man who turned on her the moment her feelings started to fade. “Thanks for having such confidence in me, Clark.” She kissed him. “Some things are very much worth waiting for.”

Clark could not help but think how much he loved this girl. And though he was insanely attracted to Lana, he’d always managed to keep his cool with her. There was so much more to his feelings for her that it drove respect and patience in him. She was his soul mate in ever respect. No matter the physical, or emotional distances that had come between them, their souls always felt close. Whatever the future held, though he knew exactly how he’d like the story to go, he was sure they would always have that—a sense of connection no one could ever take away.

Lana snapped Clark out of his musings with a funny side note to their serious conversation. “It’s too bad our first kiss was red meteor rock induced,” she said, laughing. “And I had no clue—standing there in the Talon, completely swept off my feet, like you’d finally decided to take your chance with me!”

Clark gave a careful smile, not sure if he should reveal the truth. “Uh, Lana, that wasn’t our first kiss.”

“Yes it was,” Lana said. “You must not remember everything you do when under the influence of red meteor rocks. Because, trust me, it was a very nice kiss.”

“I usually call it Red-K, but I’ll explain that later,” Clark said. “And actually, I DO remember everything. I wanted to come back for more after I was back to normal, but I’d messed things up pretty badly by then.”

“Yeah you did,” she said. “But I totally understand now—and that was definitely our first kiss.”

Clark shook his head. “Nope. Do you remember when you were poisoned by the Nicodemus flower?”

Lana’s face turned the color of Red-K itself. “Shut up! I didn’t!”

“Oh, you did more than just kiss me, Lana,” he said, ignoring her pleas to twist the truth. “You stripped down to almost nothing and tried to get me into the pool with you.” Lana covered her face with a pillow. “Don’t worry, I turned you down for the first and only time. I knew something was going on—but I have to admit . . . ”

“Just stop!” Lana said, smacking him with the pillow. “Why don’t you show me some more of your tricks—pull a rabbit out of your hat, or something.” She still couldn’t look at him.

“I wouldn’t know where to find a rabbit at this hour,” he said, kissing both sides of her face, “but I bet I could round up a Nicodemus flower or two.”

Lana couldn’t stop giggling from embarrassment. “No, I think I deserve a whole BOUQUET of flowers for that load of BS you just told me.”

“You’re right,” Clark said. “Roses or lilacs?”

Lana tipped her head to the side, waiting for the punch line. “Lilacs,” she said. And before she could blink, Clark was gone. “Clark? Where did you . . . ” and then, suddenly her apartment door flew open and there was Clark, standing over the threshold with an armful of lilacs.

[spacewalker_33.3]

really nice!!!!!!!! its soooo cuteeee, love how Lana is taking it, its pretty cool...plz keep posting ASAP.

[kewl]

oh WOW!!!! that was really cuuuttteee!!!! plz keep it going, we need update very soon, thanks :)

[ClarksGirl21]

This is soo cute . I love it ! Keep posting ! and soon!

[NYC300Z]

oh wow I go out of town for two days and when I come back there was a couple updates!! I loved it update soon!!!

[smallvillewolf17]

please post more

[Kal-El & Me]

Really cute.

[itsallinthespelling]

Loved the update, but im wanting more again. ppms lol. we sound like a bunch of kids in this forum asking are mommy's for candy and icecream when it comes to wanting updates.

[CK726]

I've always imagined what it would be when Clark told Lana his secret every episode i watched.

[ajfinn]

Part 8:

“You can teleport?” Lana asked, accepting the lilacs Clark brought over to her. “How charming.” This gave her a strange sense of disappointment, thinking that Clark had the same ability as Alicia did. No wonder they understood one another so well. Being possessed by Isobel helped Lana relate to how difficult it was to have a secret that controlled your life, but she knew she could never fully understand how it felt to be so different.

“No,” Clark said, surprised by Lana’s pale face. He always seemed to mess something up every time he gave her flowers. “I can just move really fast.”

Lana’s smile returned. “Oh, that’s better,” she said, leaving Clark to wonder what she meant. “I mean, that explains why you’ve always been just in time to save everyone—especially me.” She was still tripping on her words, trying to put thoughts of Alicia aside.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Clark whispered, sitting on the floor again and taking her hand. “I didn’t mean to scare you—I know it’s a little much. But that’s one of my oldest abilities, and I’m so used to it that I didn’t realize it would be that big of a deal for you.”

Lana shook her head. “No, it's not that. I just thought you teleported, and that, umm, well, it just made me feel kind of weird for a minute.”

Clark understood without any more explanation. Former flames would be off limits for a while. Too much had happened, and though they’d talked a little about it, it was just going to take time to get over the awkwardness caused by the serious relationships they’d both had this past year.

“The cool thing is that I’m getting faster every day,” Clark said, trying to lighten the mood. “I can get to Metropolis and back in less than ten minutes now.”

“You’re joking,” Lana said. “That’s faster than flying.”

Well, he hadn’t tried flying to Metropolis yet, so he couldn’t confirm that. “Yeah, I guess it probably is quicker than the Luthor Corporate jet,” he said. “I go through shoes pretty fast, though. It drives my mom crazy.”

Lana laughed. “So that’s what it is! Chloe and I always joke how you seem to have a bigger obsession with new shoes than either one of us!”

“That’s me, all right. So if you ever need a friend to go shoe shopping with,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief, “call Clark Kent—the ‘queer eye for the straight girl’ guy. Doesn’t exactly go with my farm boy image, does it?”

“Don’t think I won’t take you up on that offer,” Lana said, attempting a firm response. “I could really use you at those after-Christmas sales. I’m never through the doors fast enough to get the best deals.”

Clark gave her a sarcastic nod. “Yeah, I guess it’s about time I start putting my talents to use.”

“Well, I’m sure your speed at least helps with your chores,” she said, imagining him zipping around the Kent farm. “No wonder you manage to have so much spare time.”

“And my strength doesn’t hurt,” he said, taking the opportunity to slip that in.

“Your strength?” Lana asked. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t asked about it. That was the one ability she'd been suspecting for years now. Lana saw him take on three guys at a time once, and walk away as though he’d done nothing more than toss a few hay bails.

Clark picked up a broken piece of iron from the fire poker he’d earlier demolished and pinched it between his thumbs and forefingers—flattening it down and stretching it out to the thickness of a dime. “My strength is increasing with age as well,” he said. “It’s the first ability I had.”

Lana was amazed. “I was sure you could out bench press any guy at Smallville High, but . . . wow, that’s really cool.” Lana took the flattened iron from Clark, feelings its warmth in her hand. “How strong are we talking here, Clark?”

“I’m not exactly sure,” he said. “I’ve never found anything I couldn’t lift, as long as I could balance it.”

Lana tipped her head, not really in disbelief, but Clark’s claim seemed a bit out there.

Clark was somewhat glad to see her skepticism. It’s not everyday that he had a chance like this. And he’d imagined proving his abilities to Lana for so long that he didn’t want to leave a less-than-stellar impression. “Okay, watch out the window.”

Before Lana could even respond, Clark super-sped out the door, leaving Lana in a gasp at how fast he disappeared. “That boy will definitely come in handy when I run out of milk.” Lana turned to look out the window, tingles going down her spine at the thought of having Clark involved in every aspect of her life—even grocery shopping.

Lana shifted on the couch so she could get a better view of Clark through the window. He was standing on the far side of her Jeep, waving. Lana jolted. “He better not do what I think he’s going to,” she said out loud. Though she was now aware that Clark couldn’t easily be hurt, the thought of him . . . “I knew it,” Lana said, again speaking to herself. Clark bent down and lifted the Jeep above his head. Though it was dark outside, the dim street lights gave her enough of a view that she could see the haughty smirk on his face—like a seven-year-old boy strutting across the playground after a triumphant fist fight. She loved seeing this new side of Clark, unafraid to show what he was capable of.

Since Clark seemed to be perfectly content to stay under the car forever, she reached over the back of the couch and opened the window. “Hey, Mr. Universe,” she said. “Why don’t you come back in and do something useful for me?”

Clark gave her a mock pout. “But I’m just getting to the good part.”

Lana tipped her head, waiting. Clark took one of his hands off the bottom of the car, then bent all but one finger, balancing the Jeep like it was a basketball.

“What a show off!” Lana shouted to him, laughing as she watched Clark carefully lower her Jeep to the ground, then super-speed away. She loved the blur—so cool. This made a thought pop in her head that she asked the moment he reappeared in her apartment. “Weren’t you afraid someone else would see you doing that?”

“Normally, yes,” Clark said. “But I also have super-hearing that I can turn on at will—so I was listening for approaching footsteps and cars.”

Lana nodded, trying to be serious. “Super-hearing, huh?” she asked. “Do you have super-taste buds as well. And super-smell?”

“Sorry, Lana. I don’t think I’ll ever measure up to your expectations,” Clark said, starting to tickle her. “But I do have super-touch.”

Lana thought to tell him she always knew he was a “sense-itive” guy, but she wasn’t able to catch her breath long enough to say it. She couldn’t believe how cheesy they were being. They’d had a lot of fun together before, but so much of their relationship was ridden with bouts of confusion and angst that this felt like a whole new experience.

Clark suddenly thought of Lana’s leg that she hadn’t complained at all about—despite her thrashing around on the couch as he teased her. He stopped and held her against him. “Sorry, do you want me to x-ray your leg again and see if I’ve just broken it in a dozen more places?”

Lana smiled, remembering why she had told him to stop fooling around with the car and come back to the apartment. “No need,” she said. “But I would appreciate it if you’d push the play button on my stereo.”

“All right,” Clark said, standing with a look of curiosity. "I think I can manage that." He walked to the other side of the room and did as she asked.

“Now, turn off the light and dance with me,” Lana said, looking up at Clark as though they’d just met. Everything about him seemed so fresh tonight.

The music started and Clark flipped off the light switch and went back to Lana. He scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. Lana leaned her head against Clark’s shoulder and felt more peace than she ever had in all her life.

“Is this some kind of mix?” Clark asked when the second song started to play. It was not by Lifehouse like the first song was.

“It’s my ‘Clana’ mix,” Lana said, embarrassed. “Volume 3.”

“Clana?” he asked, then finally got it. “Oh . . . what do you mean, volume 3? How many volumes are there?”

Lana buried her face deeper into Clark’s chest. “Ten,” she said, knowing how stupid it must have sounded. “That’s how many cd’s it took to burn all the songs that reminded me of you.”

While they danced for the next hour, Clark couldn’t stop smiling.

[RedGoldStar]

Awesome update! This story is so cute! Please post again soon!

[NYC300Z]

Yeah can't wait for the next update!!

[kewl]

gosh, that was awesome!!! really sweet... i think i'm in love....lol... plz post more soon :)

[4EverSmallville]

That was really cute, great update!

[binkys711]

OH MAN THIS STORY IS SSOOOOO CUTE!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!KEEP POSTING!!!!!good job!!!

[ajfinn]

Part 9:

“We should’ve danced like this at the Spring Formal,” Lana said, still comfy as Clark cradled her in his arms, dancing to “You and Me,” by Lifehouse. “I’m sure people would’ve stared, but oh well.”

“Fine with me,” Clark said. “The only person’s opinion I care about is yours.”

Lana gave a slow nod. “Not even Chloe’s?” She’d been thinking about her for the past few minutes, frustrated that she always had to feel guilty after being with Clark. He had never returned Chloe’s feelings, yet Chloe always acted like Lana stole Clark from her. What was with that? Lana knew Clark long before she did.

Clark knew Chloe would somehow work her way into the evening. Not that he had any negative feelings for her—especially after what happened with the stone at Lex’s house. But it never failed—whenever Lana and he would finally work things out and decide to be together, Chloe’s feelings always had to become a factor.

“Lana, Chloe is someone who is very important to both of us, and the last person we’d ever want to hurt,” he said, turning the music down. “But we can’t hold back any longer because of how she feels. Once she moves to Metropolis, I really think she’ll see how crazy it’s been to hold on to something that was never possible.” He walked back to the couch and sat with Lana still in his arms.

“Why me, Clark?” Lana asked, having thought of the question countless times before. “Chloe is amazing. She has the world in her hands—she’s capable of accomplishing anything she wants to. And she’s brilliant, and beautiful, and . . . ”

“And not Lana Lang,” Clark said, sweeping hair out of her face. “Who happens to be the girl I fell in love with at the age of five and have never been able to shake from my head.”

“I thought you were cute too, you know,” Lana said. “Even way back then.”

“Then, there you go. We were meant to be together,” Clark said, kissing Lana’s cheek. “And Chloe just has to come to that conclusion on her own. I’ve tried to talk to her about it so many times, I’ve run out of breath. And it takes a lot to do that to me.”

Lana could definitely relate. “It’s hard to explain why you fall in love,” she said, weaving her fingers in and out of Clark’s. “Love is picky, and there’s very little you can do about it.”

“I’m living proof of that,” Clark said. “This past year, I don’t think either one of us were ourselves, but I still couldn’t give up on you. You’re all I see when I look into my future.” Clark suspected he may have to start envisioning other things in his future as well—but he really wasn’t in the mood to think about fighting aliens and continuous hordes of mutants.

Lana sat up, looking into Clark’s eyes that had the reflection four candle flames dancing in them. “Clark, I really wasn’t myself, and I mean that in more ways than one,” she said, feeling guilt stab at her. “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you—the way I acted like you didn’t mean anything to me—because it was far from the truth. But even though Isobel didn’t often show herself to others, I always felt her with me. She was like some sort of cancer, eating at my insides. I was selfish, and bitter, and mistrusting—even of you, which made no sense at all.”

“It makes perfect sense, Lana,” Clark said. “Isobel saw me use my powers against her, and she knew I was after the stones as well. So her hatred must’ve seeped through without you knowing why.”

Rubbing the goose bumps off her arms, Lana said, “I’m starting to think she left some of her memories behind with me. While I was in the hospital, I kept having visions—like flashbacks, of you two fighting. Of course it didn’t make any sense until tonight, but it still terrifies me, Clark . . . Did I, I mean, she, really throw you around like that?”

“No, of course not,” he said, trying not to smile. “I’ve never had my butt kicked by a girl—especially not a sissy like Isobel.”

Lana smiled, glad he didn’t hold any sort of resentment toward her for channeling someone who wanted to kill him. Though she doubted that was a common problem couples faced, she was sure Clark took it better than another guy would. She couldn’t imagine how strange it must have been to fight for his life against the girl he’d been in love with for thirteen years. “Yeah, let’s just pretend that’s how it went,” she said. “But seriously, how was Isobel able to hurt you?”

“With magic,” he said. “Besides Kryptonite, it’s the only other Achilles' heel I have. So far, anyway.”

“Krypto-what?” Lana asked.

Clark cleared his throat, not believing he’d slipped like that. “Umm, Kryptonite,” he said, his voice tight. “It’s the name I gave to the meteor rocks.”

Lana scrunched up her face. “Why? Any special meaning behind it?”

Clark suddenly felt the need to stand up and run.

“Hey, why all the squirming,” she asked, putting her hand on his cheek to calm him. “I can always tell when you’re nervous about something.” When Clark didn’t respond, a deep disappointment set in. Not because he didn’t answer right away, but because he seemed to be back to not trusting that she could handle the truth. “Clark, you do not have to tell me anything until you’re ready—and I realize that day may never come, but I want you to know that everything I’ve seen tonight has only strengthened my love for you. I now realize why you’ve had to leave in the middle of our dates, or not show up at all . . . and why you’ve had to lie so much. It was all to protect not only me, but everyone else as well. Smallville would be a war zone if it wasn’t for you. You’ve taken out every evil meteor freak that crossed our path. I can’t even imagine how awful life would be if Tina Greer was still walking around, or the phycho-tatoo guys, or . . . ” Lana ticked off a list of villains who used Smallville as their own personal comic book. “You’re a hero, Clark. And knowing your secret only makes me more understanding and supportive. Despite my previous performance, I’m now mature enough to be there for you . . . No matter what challenges we face, we’ll face them together.”

Clark would’ve wiped his eyes, but Lana did it for him. It’s not like he had tears streaming down his cheeks, or anything, but they definitely would’ve been there if he’d allowed them to be. “Thanks for believing in me, Lana. I can’t tell you what a relief it is that you’ve reacted so well,” he said, his breath becoming shallow. “But the things I’ve revealed to you so far are only my unique abilities—not my secret.”

Lana’s jaw dropped and she shut it quickly, hoping he didn’t notice. “There’s more?” He’d broken just about every law of common sense, reality, and science tonight. How could there be MORE? “Whatever it is, Clark, if you’re ready to tell me, I’m ready to hear it. Nothing could change how I feel about you.”

Clark had to put away every thought of reason to believe that. He placed his hand on the back of Lana’s head and brought her ear to his chest. “Lana, listen to my heart for a minute, does it sound any different than anyone else’s?”

She didn’t know his intentions, but she listened carefully. “No, it sounds perfectly normal. Why?”

“We’ll get there,” Clark said. He then took her hand and moved it down his face. “As you’ve probably noticed more times than I’d like you to, I grow stubble at the same rate as any other guy, right? . . . And I have to eat and sleep to survive . . . I have the same emotions as regular people, I’ve had to learn from studying . . . ” Clark continued, pointing out everything that made him almost as normal as everyone else. “And besides the fact that my skin is as strong as steel and my muscles are super-charged . . . my body is physiologically identical . . . not only have I discovered this in the guy’s locker room, but I’ve x-rayed my body, and it has every identical organ and bone we learned about in Anatomy.”

Lana nodded, thinking that may be true, but somehow, he managed to be twice as hot as any other guy, and twice as selfless and considerate as well. Which definitely took him out of the ‘normal’ category anyway, so where was he going with all this?

Clark kissed her, hoping it would not be for the last time. He then took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. “Lana, what I’m saying is that despite my abilities, I’m human in every aspect except for one . . . I happened to be born on a different planet.”

[binkys711]

YES!!!!THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!CONTINUE POST POST!!!POST!!!POST!!!!!PLZ!!!BTW THNXZ FOR THE UPDATE!!!!SO POST!!!!!PLZ!!!!!

[4EverSmallville]

Great update, I can't wait to see Lana's reaction.

[kewl]

plz post more, i wanna know what lana's reaction would be..... great update btw :D

[NYC300Z]

omg what a cliff hanger u have to update soon!! I don't think I can stand it!!

[itsallinthespelling]

great update to a great story. ppms

[binkys711]

POST!!!!WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH CLIFFHANGERS FOR THIS SEASON!!!!WE WANT ANSWERS!!!

[ajfinn]

Sorry, guys. I've been in a writer's conference all day :) So I'll have to skip a day of posting.

So here's the first line of the next scene, just so you can see Lana's reaction:

"Cool! Yeah! I always wanted an alien boyfriend...."
JUST KIDDING!!!! I'll make it better than that :)

Thanks for all your comments and encouragement. I'm having fun!

[kewl]

can't wait to read ur next update... so make it sooooneeeer plz? :)

[itsallinthespelling]

I agree with kewl, need update bad

[ajfinn]

We've been waiting four years for Clark to tell Lana he's an alien, I don't want to mess it up :) I'll work on it tonight and post tomorrow night. You guys sure boost my writer's ego though. Thanks!! ;)

[booze_is_me09]

MAN, this is so addictive. i can't wait till the next post. i hope this happens in the 5th season!!! but this is the night the next post would come and its not up yet so i'm waiting very impatiently!!

[NYC300Z]

Night it's already morning??!! And yeah u had me scared with Lana's reaction there for a moment, keep up the great work though and post soon!!

[ajfinn]

Sorry, NYC300Z - I meant that I'd be writing it last night, and would post the update tonight :)

[Kal-El & Me]

This is the best Clana fanfic I've read by far. Please post soon I'll be looking out for it soon.

[ajfinn]

Part 10:


Lana blinked once then stared at Clark. “Another planet, as in Mars?”

“No,” Clark said. “As in Krypton.”

“Uhh,” she said, looking away. “Uhh . . . ” In all Lana’s imagining of what Clark’s secret was, she’d never even come close to this. What was her response supposed to be, she wondered . . . that’s great, Clark, I’ve always wanted an alien for a boyfriend?

Clark’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest he thought it would burst right through—skin of steel, or not. “Lana, I’ll, umm . . . give you some time to think about that.” He started to move her off his lap, so he could super-speed to where he felt like being right then—under a big dense rock.

“No, don’t leave,” Lana said, keeping her grip on him. “I just need . . . well, a moment to process this . . .” She sat still again, then after a moment said, in befuddlement, “Krypton?”

He gave one sturdy nod. “Krypton,” he said, never imagining a two-syllable word could be so difficult to utter. The fact that Lana didn’t want him to leave was a good sign. For the first time, he was glad she’d seen the spaceship three days earlier—otherwise he was sure she wouldn’t be taking him seriously. And Clark didn’t feel like laughing about it—his origin was anything but a joke. It was more similar to a curse.

After a few minutes of staring at everything in the room but each other, Lana exhaled. “Where the hell is Krypton?” she asked in a confused tone. “And how did you get here . . . and when . . . and—” Lana closed her eyes tight, attempting to stop the inevitable. “Clark, I’m trying really hard not freak out here, but . . .”

Clark saw Lana’s trembling hands, but he didn’t dare touch them. “You can freak out if you want, I sure did when I found out—and I still do. On a daily basis, in fact,” he said, trying to find more prolific words then what was coming to him. “I mean, I’ve always felt kind of alienated, but—”

“That’s a really bad joke, Clark,” Lana said, swatting him. But at least it made her smile.

They were both out of words again, until Clark remembered her questions. “Krypton doesn’t exist any longer—but I was sent away before it exploded,” he said, knowing his story was becoming more implausible by the second. “My parents found me in a cornfield, next to . . . well, my spaceship.”

“Your spaceship?” she asked, wishing she could believe the answer to this absurdity was that Clark had lost his mind, but she now knew better than that. “What did your parents do with it?”

This would be the most believable part of the story—the only part that might make sense to her. “They hid it in the storm cellar, and I didn’t know anything about it until I started high school,” he said. “And then, when my past began to catch up to me . . . I blew it up.”

Lana’s face registered true comprehension for the first time in several minutes. “The day of Lex’s wedding . . . that’s what happened?” she asked, remembering how she found him in the deep pit of ruins where the Kent’s storm cellar once was. “But, Clark, why then? Everything in your life seemed to be going perfect . . . and we were finally together . . . and then you just left—leaving everyone that loved you behind. All that was because of a spaceship that no one else even knew about?”

Clark shook his head. “No, that’s not all it was. The first night we really kissed, when you brought that birthday cake to my loft, the ship . . . well, it called out to me after you left,” he said. “And when I went down into the cellar—my biological father spoke to me for the first time.”

“I didn’t even know you’d met him . . . wait,” she paused, processing what Clark just said, “he must be from Krypton too, so where’s he been all these years? And what about your biological mother?”

“They both died on Krypton,” he said, trying to move forward before she could ask how his biological father could still speak to him. “But some sort of life form of my biological father still lives. I really haven’t figured it out yet—I don’t know if I ever will.”

Lana couldn’t believe she was buying into this, but what other choice did she have? Clark had lied to her before, but this was too crazy of a story to even make up. “What did he say to you?” she asked.

“He’s said plenty, actually. Much more than I’ve ever cared to hear,” Clark said, just noticing that Lana had taken his hand—making warm chills spill over him. “But that first night, he told me it was time to leave Smallville—that I was ready to fulfill my destiny and that if I didn’t leave right then, I would hurt everyone I loved.”

Lana’s eyes widened in shock. “So you blew up the ship so he couldn’t take you away?”

Clark nodded. “I wasn’t exactly sure how he planned to take me, all I knew was that I wasn’t going,” he said. “But the next day when I told him to go back to hell—or wherever he was residing, he branded my chest and used it to control me—and that’s when I blew up the ship, hoping the whole nightmare would go away . . . but my resistance only made things worse, just as he promised it would.”

“Your mom lost the baby that day,” Lana whispered. “And you thought it was your fault, didn’t you?”

“That’s because it was,” Clark said, emotions entering him that he buried long ago. “And my father despised me for it—just the way he looked at me said he wished they’d never found me.”

“Clark, that can’t possibly be true,” Lana said, putting her hand on his cheek. “He was just in shock. In a moment of grief, everyone responds differently than they’d like to.”

“Yeah, I know that now,” he said, melting under her warm touch. “But right then, all I could think of was getting out of Smallville so no one else would get hurt—including you—and the only way I could get myself to leave was to put on that red kryptonite ring.”

Lana shivered. Clark had waded through some deep water in his life, and she felt horrible that she didn’t know how difficult things were for him. “I wish I would’ve gone with you.”

“No, I’m glad you didn’t,” he said, recalling his surreal days of pillaging whatever source of money he came across. “As you remember, I wasn’t myself . . . when I think about what I did, Lana, I can’t even believe it was me.”

“It wasn’t,” Lana said. “It was someone else who possessed your soul to do their own will—just as Isobel did to me.”

Clark looked away, still unable to forgive himself.

She moved his attention back to her. “Clark, if you expect me to believe I’m not responsible for what Isobel did when she was in my body, then you have to give yourself the same allowance,” she said. “If you can still love me after what I did to you—all the times I’ve turned my back and given you cause to give up on me—then I can, and I do, love every part of you—your past, your present and your future self.”

“Even though I’m an alien?” Clark said, giving her a smirk he hoped would come across as charming.

“You’re not an alien,” she said, laughing. “You’re just not an earthling, and quite frankly, I haven’t been too impressed with many of those in my life.”

Clark smiled, kissing her until he started laughing too. “But, Lana, I’ve been changing more every year—what if I suddenly grow extra eyes, or something?”

That was an easy comeback for Lana. “Your eyes are so gorgeous, I wouldn’t mind if you had four of them.”

“What about six, or twelve—you’ve seen those outer space movies,” he said.

“The more the merrier,” Lana said, deciding she could truly handle every possibility, as long as she never had to be without him again.

Clark felt like he was going to instantaneously combust from both relief and contentment . . . that was until he remembered one thing—he still had to tell Lana why her parents were dead.

[spacewalker_33.3]

that was so sweet and cuteeee, cant wait for more, great update, keep em coming!!:D

[4EverSmallville]

lol! I was sitting through that entire update with the warmest smile on my face and then I read that last line. Very nice cliffhanger there. I can't wait to read what's next.

[kewl]

wow, that was so sweet!!!! can't wait for the next update. so plz post more the soonest, thankz :)

[NYC300Z]

wahhh I was mad nervous the whole time I was reading that couldn't even read it one take had to stop and think about it and then keep reading.....another cliffhanger huh keeping us wanting more? well it worked update soon!!!

[Kal-El & Me]

That was my favorite chapter and cliffhanger. Please post more ASAP.

[Clana-follower06]

Keep posting, the story is looking really good

[peaches4cream]

whaen does lana find out i have to know so keep posting!!!!!!!!!!!

[ajfinn]

There will be a new update by early tomorrow night. Clark & Lana get an unexpected visitor :)

[Clana-follower06]

and who would that be *nudge**nudge**wink**wink*

[ajfinn]

Part 11:

Clark didn’t have it in him tonight to tell Lana he was responsible for her parent’s death. Everything felt all too perfect, and if they could both live with that myth for just one more day, then he was sure he’d have to courage to tell her.

Lana snuggled into Clark, it was past 3 AM and as much as she didn’t want to, she drifted into a pleasant, dreamless sleep. She didn’t have to dream tonight, she was perfectly happy with the reality of her life.

When Clark noticed Lana had drifted off, he carried her to her bed and tucked her under the covers, being careful not to wake her. He stepped back, then stayed there for several minutes, looking at her face and wondering how he came to be where he was. Lana knew everything now—well, almost everything, and she accepted the truth much better than he ever imagined. Why hadn’t he told her earlier? Perhaps it would’ve changed a lot of what had happened to keep them apart. But he was determined to move forward now and not dwell on previous heartaches.

He took an extra pillow from Lana’s bed and grabbed a small blanket—which would cover no more than half of him, from one of her chairs. But it’s not as if he expected to get cold—he’d just spent three days in the arctic without a single chill. There were advantages to being an alien, he thought, laughing to himself. He had a feeling he might be able to joke about it more often now. After removing his shirt, Clark scrunched up on Lana’s couch and finally fell asleep.

* * *

Clark’s first conscious thought in the morning was, “I don’t dare open my eyes.” He was afraid he’d wake to find last night hadn’t really happened, that he still had to tell Lana about his abilities and origin.

A soft tapping on the apartment door forced him to get off the couch before the visitor woke Lana. Walking across the room, he looked over to see her still in bed—which stopped him in his tracks. Her hair was fanned across the pillow and she looked like a portrait of the purest beauty. He began to walk toward her to get a closer look, when more knocking reminded him what he was doing.

Clark unlatched the lock and turned the doorknob, remembering that his mother said she’d stop by the next day to see how Lana was doing. When he opened the door, however, he saw the startled face of Chloe, her eyes bugged out as she looked at his bare chest.

“Oh, hey, Chloe,” Clark said, stepping out on the landing and shutting the door behind him. “I thought you were in Metropolis.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty obvious you weren’t expecting me,” she said.

Clark realized for the first time that he was standing there half-naked. “Is it lunchtime already?” he asked, noticing the Subway bag in Chloe’s hand. “We, uhh, kinda slept in I guess.”

She shoved the bag into his stomach, the chips crunching. “Give this to Lana—I was SO worried about her being alone . . . but apparently she’s having all her needs met by her boy wonder—as always.” She paused to gesture to his body. “And apparently she’s fulfilling your needs as well. Sorry I interrupted your ‘we’re adults now’ marathon date.” She flipped her head and made her way toward the stairs.

Clark was tempted to let the conversation die right there, but he couldn’t. “You know, Chloe, for a reporter you sure jump to a lot of conclusions,” he said, watching her stomp down the steps. “It’s not like I’m standing here in my boxers. And why do I have to be in never ending guilt mode over being in love with someone who came into my life long before you did? I have enough in my life to feel guilty about.”

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and whipped around to him. “Like lying to me? Like turning your back on someone who would do anything to protect your secret—even risk her life and become a prime target for a Luthor family heat-seeking missile?”

Clark didn’t know how to respond to that, other than what came by habit with girls. “Uhh.” He would’ve added the line ‘what are you talking about, Chloe?’ but knew she was sick to death of it.

Chloe rolled her eyes and made her way through the Talon, which was still closed from the meteor shower like almost everything else in town. “I’d tell you to give me a call when you decided to move on with your life, but I’m tired of wasting my breath.”

By some divine miracle, Clark decided it was time to admit what Chloe already knew. He super-sped down to her and blocked her way out of the Talon. “Okay, I’m moving on, are you satisfied?”

Chloe stepped back, shocked that he’d stopped being such a chicken, but still ticked. “I’m not just talking about admitting your abilities, Clark,” she said. “I’ve put up with the love-sick puppy routine long enough—don’t you think it’s time to end your obsession and be with someone you’re meant to be with?”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Clark said, surprising himself that he actually dared say what he’d wanted to for so long.

Chloe’s face flushed and she couldn’t move.

“Look, Chloe,” Clark said, reaching out for her, but she backed further away. “It kills me to say that, because you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. But that’s what you are to me—a friend. And as much as I wish I had the power to duplicate myself, it’s not one of my abilities—not yet at least.”

“Clark, if you could duplicate yourself, then Lana would have TWO Clark Kent’s to go ga ga over her,” she said, trying to fight back tears.

He nodded. “You’re probably right,” he said. “But that has nothing to do with you, Chloe—you’re amazing, you’re beautiful . . . I love to be with you, but I can’t just turn my feelings for Lana on and off at will. And I really wish this issue would stop coming between us—all of us. I can’t choose between you.”

Chloe knew if she forced him to choose, he’d be opening the Talon door and escorting her out of his life. And she couldn’t blame him for it—he was right, she needed to get over the love-sick puppy routine much more than she did. She and Clark had never even dated—well, technically, they went on one date, over three years ago that lasted for a whole two hours.

Letting out one of her nervous ‘don’t worry about me’ laughs, Chloe said, “Looks like I’m the one who needs to move on.”

“Just don’t leave me behind, okay?” he said, pulling her into an embrace whether she wanted him to or not.

With her face against Clark’s bare chest, she stayed there as long as she could without looking stupid. “Now, how is it that your skin can’t feel fire, but you have to remove your shirt to sleep?”

Clark laughed. “Don’t even get me started with how uncomfortable it was to sleep on a couch that’s a full foot smaller than me, with completely buttoned jeans on.” Clark let go of her and made his way behind the Talon counter, hoping to find something to eat. “And, yeah, about my abilities—”

“Don’t worry, Clark,” Chloe said, taking a seat at a table. “I’ll never expose your secret. I’ve kept it this long haven’t I? Which, believe me, is quite a feat for a reporter with the hottest story of the century.”

Clark stopped chewing the stale muffin in his mouth, curious just how much she knew about him. “Lots of people around here know about meteor freaks, Chloe. What would make my story any different?”

“Because we both know you’re not a meteor freak,” she said.

[CK726]

This story is great except Chloe thinks Clark is infected with meteor rock. Like in Blank how she told him that.

[peaches4cream]

that was well worth the wiate. is that the end or when is the next post?????????????????????

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by CK726
This story is great except Chloe thinks Clark is infected with meteor rock. Like in Blank how she told him that.

Patience, young padwan, you shall soon learn why Chloe said that ;) Consider what Chloe witnessed in the cave in Commencement.


Originally posted by peaches4cream
that was well worth the wiate. is that the end or when is the next post?????????????????????

No, this is not the end. Lots more to come--I'll post updates as often as I can.

[ClarksGirl21]

Well this is getting very interesting.. I like it alot! Post soon!

[Clana-follower06]

alright, thats it, I'm hooked.
Post more please

[smallvillewolf17]

please post more

[4EverSmallville]

Great update!

[spacewalker_33.3]

really nice, need to read more, plz post

[NYC300Z]

Hey great update post soon!!

[kewl]

okay now u really got me hooked. gr8 upd8, so plz, plzz, plzzz post more the soooonnneeeeesssttt :D

[peaches4cream]

ok when is the next post and what happens when lana wakes-up does she think it is a dream or the truth at first??????????what is lana's reaction if she just woke-up and saw clark walk in half naked????

buy the way this is the most incredibal story everthen second is silence my breath that is just anwsome then theres day berfore graduation tru clana stoey.

[Kal-El & Me]

PPMS

[binkys711]

WOW!!!AMAZING UPDATE!!!I LOVE THIS STORY!!!MUST POST MORE SOON!!!

[ajfinn]

If the planets align, I'll be posting an update tonight :)

[peaches4cream]

around what time tonight so o can stay up till a bout 5.in the mornig if my mom lets me

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by peaches4cream
around what time tonight so o can stay up till a bout 5.in the mornig if my mom lets me

Well, if my KIDS let me (sometimes moms are more lienient than kids are) I'll post before midnight. Glad you're anxious though :) Thanks for enjoying my twisted imagination!!

[ClarksGirl21]

okay .. update please!

[itsallinthespelling]

this twisted mind loves your twisted imagination. ppms

[ajfinn]

Part 12:

“I’m not?” Clark asked, raising his brows. “Then what am I if I’m not a meteor freak?”

“You’re a mystery,” Chloe said. “At least for now. I’m still trying to figure it out—perhaps you could help me—if you’re ready to, I mean.”

Clark left the Talon counter and joined her at one of the tables. He sat there for a minute, tapping his fingers, and staring at her until the right words came. “Tell me what you know, and if it’s right, I’ll tell you as much as I’m comfortable with.”

Chloe tipped her head with a look of disappointment. “Which would mean pretty much nothing,” she said. “But I’ll take what I can get.”

“Look, Chloe. I have two true friends in this world—you and Lana,” he said. “And since both of you know about my abilities, it’s just as well you know where they came from.”

“Lana knows?” Chloe asked, feeling a deep pain shoot through her. It was the one thing she had over Lana. “Did you tell her, or did she discover your secret like I did?”

“I told her,” Clark said. “Last night.”

“Everything?”

“Yes,” he answered. “And I would’ve eventually told you too, but I really felt I needed to tell Lana first—and I know what you’re going to say about that, and I’m sorry—but you’re right.”

Chloe swallowed down a knot of emotion. “I’m not going to say it doesn’t bother me,” she said. “I just need to get used to the fact that you two are really together now.”

Clark nodded, trying hard to hide a smile. “Yeah, we are,” he said. “But that doesn’t change how much you mean to me, Chloe. Nothing could.”

“Well, anyway,” Chloe said, trying to change the subject so she’d stop making a fool of herself. “About your abilities—my first clue that you were different than a typical meteor freak was your allergy to our favorite green rocks. Everyone else we’ve seen has GAINED power from the rocks, but they take all your power away—why is that?”

Chloe had gone straight for the jugular. “Geez, Chloe,” he said, standing up and wishing he had a shirt on so he could pull it up over his head. “Journalism is definitely a perfect profession for you. You’ve pretty much asked me the most difficult question you could have.”

She sat back in the chair and folded her arms with a sense of satisfaction she wished she didn’t feel. She’d been patient these past few months while she knew his secret, but as long as he was in the mood to fess up—she was going for it. “Then let me drop this bomb on you too—I saw you disappear into thin air in the cave the other day. And it was different than when you do your speedy-thing—there was a burst of light that filled the whole cave, then when I saw you—it looked like you were holding something that shocked you like lightning then you literally broke into particles and were sucked through a spinning funnel like it was a vacuum. I’ve seen you do some amazing things, Clark, but I have to admit—that put a kink in every theory I had of you.”

Clark faced her with a look of alarm. “You saw that?”

Chloe nodded. “And if it wasn’t for some crazy-ninja quick thinking, Lex would’ve seen it too.”

“Lex was in the cave?” he asked, going to her and putting his hand on her shoulder. “Did he hurt you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine for now—he only left a few bruises,” she said, “but trust me, he came out on the losing side—I slammed him up against the cave wall and probably left him with a bump the size of Texas.”

Clark ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t want you to get mixed up in all this. Has he bothered you since?”

“Not yet,” she said, trying not to rub it in that Clark owes her one—but then, how many times had Clark saved her life already? “After you disappeared, he ran into the empty room and I took off, and haven’t heard from him since.”

“Chloe if he so much as calls you, you better tell me,” Clark said. “Lex has really changed this past year, and I don’t see any signs of him going back to the guy I once called a friend.” Clark felt a bitter stab from his own words—it killed him to think of the evil he saw emerging in Lex.

“Yeah, that’s looking doubtful,” she said. “He’s after you, Clark. You need to be careful. He was ranting on about a stone—which I assumed was what you had in your hand after you ripped his vault door off. And then he just went nuts when we got to the cave. He saw the light like I did, but I’m pretty certain he didn’t see anything else.”

Clark sat back in the chair next to Chloe and took her hands. “Thanks, Chloe. I don’t even know where to begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you did,” he said. “But I need you to promise that you’ll stay out of it.”

“But what is this all about? Lex acted like there was more than one stone—he even thought Lana had one,” Chloe said. “What on earth would make him think that?”

“Because I did have one of the stones,” came Lana’s voice from the stairs. Clark & Chloe both turned, but didn’t see her. “Can I get some help here?” she asked with a brief laugh. “I think I already wore a whole in my pants from scooting across the floor.”

Clark went to the stairs and saw Lana sitting at the top of them. He would’ve super-sped to get her, but that would just be showing off. “Hey, good morning,” he said when he reached her, whispering so Chloe couldn’t hear. “You still want to talk to me after last night?”

“More than ever,” she said, kissing him softly—glad that Chloe couldn’t see as far as the landing. “I was just worried when I didn’t see you . . . then I heard you two talking and well—I eavesdropped. Sorry.”

“So, do I have to come up there, or what?” Chloe asked.

Clark carried Lana down the stairs. “No, I think Lana could use some change of scenery.”

Lana whispered in Clark’s ear before they reached Chloe. “It looks like Chloe’s had a better view than even I got last night,” she said, running her hand down Clark’s bare back.

“Uhh, yeah,” he said, embarrassed that he forgot about that. “I didn’t want to wake you, and I answered the door this way.”

He set Lana down in a chair next to Chloe and said, “I’ll be right back . . . ” and in an instant he was standing there again with his shirt already on.

Lana gave a quick shake of her head. “That is definitely going to take some getting used to.”

Chloe smiled. “Considering what makes his eyes shoot fire, I’m sure you’ve witnessed that as well.”

Clark’s face turned red. “Umm, Chloe. Lana doesn’t really need to know about that little detail of my heat vision,” he said. “And I don’t even want to guess how you found out.”

Chloe winked at Lana with a playful grin. “We’ll talk,” she whispered.

“That’s just great,” Clark said. “It’s not like I can’t control it now—so it doesn’t even matter.” He sat down and put his face in his hands.

“Yeah, it looks like it doesn’t matter,” Lana said, patting his back in mock sympathy. She then turned to Chloe. “So, tell me. How did you find out about Clark’s abilities?”

Chloe straightened up, not sure Clark was ready to know that Alicia had betrayed him.

[4EverSmallville]

Great update, I loved the Clark-Chloe-Lana moment.

[peaches4cream]

well worth the wate so whats next and what do clark and lana talk about when is the next up-date i can't wate till' then i think i'll die of excitement till then

[NYC300Z]

The Chloe Clark Lana conversation mad intersting in Chloe gonna fess up about Alicia as well? Update soon don't keep us waiting!!

[spacewalker_33.3]

wow....this was just great/amazing, plz post more!!!!!!

[Kal-El & Me]

These chapters are getting better and better by each one.

Please tell me when the next update is.

[ClarksGirl21]

This is awesome !! Update really really soon please! I love this story.

[binkys711]

YES!!!!!AMAZING UPDATE!!!!I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!GREAT MOMENT!
THI IS GETTING REALLY GOOD!!!PLZ POST MORE SOON!!!PPMS!!!

[Clana-follower06]

PPMS!!! *insert maniacal laughter here*
Great story

[Karen26]

come on next chapter please

[Joshuabr]

Please, Please, Please post more soon. This is really great. i could almost see this happening in the show. great going.

[ajfinn]

Just curious - how many readers out there are male? I'm trying to hold back on the "cheesy" romantic stuff as much as I can for you guys :D So if you're a dude and like this story, let me know. Don't take me wrong, girls, I love hearing your comments too, I'm just wondering how many guys there are out there. I've got some action scenes coming up and don't want to disappoint anyone :) (No, not the kind of 'action' you'll see on the adult only threads-- hee hee) Guys I know about--NYC300Z, Joshuabr, itsallinthespelling, Rejeimha, CK726, dreammaster. Anyone else out there?

[avidreader]

Sorry I'm a sentimental romantic female, who just waved her husband goodbye for a month. So updates please asap.

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by avidreader
Sorry I'm a sentimental romantic female, who just waved her husband goodbye for a month. So updates please asap.

Then, we should be friends. My husband is out of town all the time. Why do you think I write this stuff?? :lol:

I probably can't post until tomorrow though. I have a BIG deadline on Friday for my other writing project. **Takes cover from those throwing tomatoes, sorry** I'll make it worth it!!

[avidreader]

Originally posted by ajfinn
Then, we should be friends. My husband is out of town all the time. Why do you think I write this stuff?? :lol:

I probably can't post until tomorrow though. I have a BIG deadline on Friday for my other writing project. **Takes cover from those throwing tomatoes, sorry** I'll make it worth it!!

Dear friend, I shall stay tuned and eagerly await your update. :D

[NYC300Z]

Yeah don't worry this story is great!! I'll definitely be waiting around for ur next update!!

[ajfinn]

Part 13: (Ohhh, the unluckiest number . . . let’s see what happens . . . :) )

“Well, asking me how I discovered Clark’s powers is a more complicated question than it sounds,” Chloe said. “Kind of like the question I asked Clark that he still hasn’t answered about the meteor rocks.”

Clark lifted his head from hiding. “Uhh, you go first.”

Lana was looking between the two of them, amused by what she must have missed earlier. She was also somewhat relieved that Chloe didn’t seem to know about Clark’s origin—not only did that say that Clark hadn’t confided in Chloe before he did herself, but Lana was also worried about Chloe’s natural journalistic instincts. She imagined the headline: My Friend, the Gorgeous Alien.

“Whatever,” Chloe said, rolling her eyes. “But you’ve got to promise not to hate the messenger—I really wasn’t planning on ever telling you this. It’s going to sting more than you know.” She had both Clark and Lana’s undivided attention. “Clark, I already have a feeling you know that Alicia was aware of your abilities, but what you may not know is that . . . ”

The look of pity on Chloe’s face made Clark stand from the chair. “What?” he asked, though he was sure he already knew.

“She betrayed your secret, Clark,” Chloe answered. “The night she died.”

“What—she just walked up to you and said, ‘Hey, guess what, Chloe—Clark can lift tractors and run faster than a jet.’ Is that what she did?” Clark sat back down and felt like pounding the table to slivers.

Chloe and Lana stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Chloe waited until Clark calmed and lifted his gaze to her again. “Alicia teleported me into her car, then staged an accident. Just before we hit the jump, she removed us from danger and gave me a front row seat to see you catch her car mid-air.”

Clark closed his eyes, his head dropping to his chest. “That’s what her prank call was all about,” he said. “Even though she was mad at me for not believing her innocence, I . . . I can’t believe she did that!”

Lana knew she should’ve felt somewhat satisfied that Clark’s memory of Alicia had been further tainted, but that’s not at all how she was feeling. She wrapped one arm around him and leaned her head on his shoulder, saying nothing.

Chloe hated to see them like that, but she needed to. She needed to see how much Lana truly loved him, and as she saw agony on not only Clark’s face, but Lana’s as well—aching for him, she knew they belonged together.

“I’m sorry, Clark,” Chloe said, leaning across the table and gripping one of his hands. “It was one of the most frightening moments of my life . . . I mean, I knew their was something special about you, so I shouldn’t have been so shocked . . . but then, you sped off like a bullet and I seriously couldn’t sleep for days.”

It was the opposite for Lana. She had slept more soundly last night than she had in a long time—finally feeling comfortable with who Clark was and why he had done the thing’s he’d done in the past. It all made sense to her, and she felt absolutely content this morning—she had even stopped thinking about Genevieve’s murder.

“I can actually run FASTER than a bullet, and catch them in my hand,” he said. “If you want to be technical about it. Which probably makes me the strangest anomaly on the planet.”

“No, Clark,” Lana said. “That makes you the most amazing HERO on the planet. I’d be dead ten times over if it weren’t for you.”

“Probably more like twenty,” Chloe said. “But who’s counting?”

Lana smirked at Chloe. “Don’t remind him,” she said. “I hate it when he thinks I’m helpless.”

“Yeah, the helpless little girl who wiped the floor with my face in China,” Clark said, smiling at last. “But you didn’t finish your explanation, Chloe, what else do you know about me?”

“Well, when you lost your memory, I followed you around to make sure you didn’t do anything crazy when others could see,” she said. “And that’s how I got an eye full. It was like the superhero version of American Idol—and you definitely earned my vote.”

Clark nodded. “And you’ve earned my confidence, Chloe,” he said. “Thanks for protecting my secret. I know it’s not the easiest thing to keep a lid on—especially for a reporter.”

Both Chloe and Lana spoke at the same time, then Lana motioned for Chloe to go first. “I know that what Alicia did scares you, but if you remember, I’ve had the opportunity to betray you before—even when my life was threatened, and I’ve never said a thing. No amount of momentary fame could replace our friendship.”

“I know that,” Clark said.

“And, Clark, I—” Lana started.

“I know, Lana,” he said, having a heavy feeling of guilt move through him. She shouldn’t make any promises without knowing the extent of what his arrival in Smallville had cost her. He hoped it wouldn’t make a difference, and he was sure she’d understand, but he still had to find the right moment to tell her. “My secret is safe with both of you.”

After a few moments of smiles and talking about what meteor rock powers each one of them wished they had—Chloe at last said. “Well, I need to get back to Metropolis. I’m interning at the Daily Planet again this summer.”

“Good for you,” both Clark and Lana said.

“Oh, here’s your lunch,” Chloe said, handing over the Subway bag. “Sorry about the chips.”

Lana smiled. “Thanks, I’m starving.”

Clark hit his hand on his head. “I forgot about Shelby—my mom asked me to feed him this morning.”

Chloe said her goodbyes, and left. As soon as she walked out the door, Lana grabbed Clark and pulled him to her lips. “Don’t you dare let me catch you shirtless with another woman again.”

Clark was completely lost in Lana-land for the next ten minutes. “I think I better go feed Shelby before I start setting things on fire,” he said. “That would be twice for the Talon.”

Lana pulled back from him, squinting. “Is that what happened that mysterious night of the spontaneous fires?”

Clark gave a big grin. “Guilty,” he said. “It was when I first gained the ability and all you had to do to set me off, was smile.”

“Good to know,” Lana said. “Remind me to buy a few more fire extinguishers.”

Clark started carrying her up the stairs to her apartment. “While I’m out, I’ll stop by the hospital to see if they have a set of crutches for you yet.” Lana gave a pout, and Clark responded with, “Don’t worry, I’ll still carry you around—with or without a broken leg.”

After he’d set her down on the couch, he kissed her and took her keys so he could lock both doors from the outside.

Forgetting all about her rumbling stomach, Lana picked up a magazine and started to thumb through it, but everything seemed so trivial compared to the last few days. Just as she found an interesting article in Time magazine about cross-breeding species, a knock on the door startled her.

“Who is it?” she called, but there was no reply. There were very few people who had a key to the Talon. “Hello? Who’s there?” She heard a key inserted into the lock, and the knob turned, sending Lana’s heart to her throat.

“Where’s the stone, Lana?” Lex asked, standing in the doorway, dressed all in black.



(PS – peaches4cream – Shelby was just for you :D )

[binkys711]

YES!!!!!!!AWESOME!!!!GREAT UPDATE!!!I LOVED IT!!!I LOVE THIS STORY!!!PPMS!!!!!

[spacewalker_33.3]

wow great update...worth the wait...post more!!

[4EverSmallville]

Great update!

[NYC300Z]

Hey great update!!! So what Chloe didn't find out about Clark being an alien right? Is Clark gonna tell Lana about the meteor shower? Can't wait for ur next update!!!

[Karen26]

this story is great well worth the wait cant wait for the next one

[Kal-El & Me]

Great update. Like all of them. Can't wait for the next chapter or chapters.

[ClanaLover]

OMG!!!! That was great! I really really REALLY can't wait untill the next update! Keep up the great work!

[avidreader]

We want more, We want more

[peaches4cream]

that you for adding in shelby for me i'm verryhappy know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

[kewl]

WOW!!!! that was really an amazing update. plz post more soon. :)

[ClanaLover]

Next!!! Next!!! Next!!! PPMS I love this story.

[RedGoldStar]

This is such a great story! My sister and I have both been reading it and we both love it! Keep up the good work and please continue soon!

[ajfinn]

I'll be posting the next update tonight :)

[binkys711]

YES!!!!CAN'T WAIT!!!

[ajfinn]

Part 14:

This was usually when Lana would think to stand up and plant a round kick across Lex’s face, but in her current condition, she was stuck on the couch. “Lex, I told you that I no longer have the stone,” she said, trying to sound calm, but failing miserably. He was not there to talk things through.

Lex stepped in and shut the door behind him. “Who did you give it to?”

“I threw it into Crater Lake,” Lana said, looking him straight in the eyes.

“You’re lying,” he said, grabbing her by the jaw and making her tremble as he stared down at her. “Tell me where it is!”

Lana felt a surprising sense of pity. “Lex, what’s happened to you?” she asked, changing her demeanor.

He dropped his hand, noticing the red indents he’d left on her. “Life in general has happened to me, Lana. I’m a product of my experiences, and I’m tired of everyone lying to me!”

“No, you’re upset that for the first time, you can’t BUY what you want,” she said. “But I can’t help you.”

Lex reached into his suit jacket and she cringed. But instead of a gun, he pulled out a section of newspaper and dropped it into her lap. “Then perhaps it’s time that I stop helping you, Lana.”

She unfolded the paper and read the circled article that was below a picture of a car that was completely annihilated. “Genevieve Teague, the wife of a high-powered Metropolis attorney, was one of the few victims claimed by Smallville’s second meteor shower. Her body was discovered in her desolated car on Main Street . . . ” Lana looked up to Lex, knowing she should thank him, but something different came out of her mouth. “Are you blackmailing me, Lex? Because if you think I’m going to sit here in my snug little apartment and watch my life unravel—you’re wrong! Don’t think for one moment that I won’t tell Sheriff Adams that you talked me into leaving the scene of a murder—which was self-defense! Don’t think that I won’t tell her that you and your interfering father cleaned up all the evidence—without even consulting me. I was in shock, Lex. And you took advantage of me for your own selfish purposes.”

Lex took a step back without realizing it. “I told you how powerful Mr. Teague is—you’ll never get off on self-defense, Lana,” he said. “And I was concerned for your safety during the meteor shower.”

“That’s BS and you know it!” Lana said, wishing she was close enough to slap him. “You put me on that helicopter at the last minute. You didn’t care what happened to me as long as you got your stupid stone!”

“That’s not true,” Lex said, trying to play the nice guy card. “You know my feelings for you have changed.”

Lana laughed at him. “In what alternate universe would I EVER be attracted to a lying, backstabbing, poor excuse for a man like you?” she said. “You’ve turned into a monster!”

Lex felt a dark evil bubbling through his skin. “I haven’t even began to release the monster within me, Lana,” he said, taking her lamp and hurling it across the room, where it shattered.

Clark was outside the Talon door and heard the crash. He super-sped to the apartment door and threw it open. “Get away from her, Lex!” he said, taking up the whole doorway with his wide stance. “Or I’ll confirm every suspicion you ever had of me!”

Expecting that Clark might become a problem, Lex turned his ring around, exposing a green stone. “Oh, you’ve already done that,” he said, holding out his hand and approaching Clark. “It’s funny that we’ve been friends for so long, but it somehow slipped your mind that I have security cameras throughout my mansion.”

Lana was terrified as she saw Clark drop to the floor. She grasped everything she could and started throwing it at Lex.

“You owe me a indestructible vault door!” Lex shouted, pulling a gun from his jacket and pointing it down at Clark. “And THREE ancient artifacts!”

Lana bolted from the couch—dragging her leg, and hell-bent on doing anything she could. Lex grabbed her and threw her back on the couch. “Stay where you are, or I’ll kill him!”

Clark tried to grab for Lex’s leg, but Lex mocked him, moving his feet back and forth while he waved the gun. “Common’ you super-powered freak! Tell me where the stones are or you can blow Lana her last goodbye kiss.”

Clark was becoming weaker by the moment, his head dropping to the floor as he watched Lana sobbing with fear. Lana’s hands started to shake harder and faster, then she stretched out her arm . . . and in a single instant, Lex’s gun flew across the room and Lana gripped it—pointing it strait at Lex.

Lex turned in shock. “Well, hello, Isobel,” he said.

“Wrong,” Lana said, her voice filled with venom. “Get out before I show you what other tricks my dearly-departed ancestor left behind.”

Lex fell to his knees and held the Kryptonite ring right against Clark’s heart. “Drop the gun, or I swear I’ll—”

Lana extended her other hand and Lex’s arm straightened—the ring flying off his finger, leaving it burning with heat. “I said, GET OUT!” Lana screamed, clutching the ring.

[SmallvilleMan]

Wow, super Lana, cool.

[spacewalker_33.3]

great update....Lana as the heroine is awesome...cant wait for more. pps

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by spacewalker_33.3
great update....Lana as the heroine is awesome...cant wait for more. pps

Spacewalker_33.3 - I have to ask - where did you get the pic for your avi? He looks like he's in a boy band. So funny. Seriously, the guy couldn't look bad if he tried with all his super-power might, but a gold chain just doesn't fit him. :lol:

[binkys711]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING UPDATE!!!LANA WITH HER NEW POWERS ARE AWESOME!!!!!PPMS!!!!I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!!

[kewl]

wow lana saving clark??? that's pretty cool, huh? awesome upd8 so plz keep em coming :)

[NYC300Z]

wow that was so unexpected!! Please don't make us wait too long!! PPMS!!!

[Karen26]

cool update but dont keep us waiting please i love this story

[booze_is_me09]

this is getting so good!! i can't wait and see what happens next!!!!!!!

[Kal-El & Me]

Even though he's pure evil, I think this new Lex is hot.

[Clana-follower06]

Great update! I love how Lana saved Clark, PPMS!

[spacewalker_33.3]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by ajfinn:

Spacewalker_33.3 - I have to ask - where did you get the pic for your avi? He looks like he's in a boy band. So funny. Seriously, the guy couldn't look bad if he tried with all his super-power might, but a gold chain just doesn't fit him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


:\ actually i didnt make this avatar, i took it from Randy's collection, i think he looks different that's why i use it :D but yeah now that u say that made me think and he really looks like a boy band :cool: :eek: :lol:

[ClanaLover]

WOAH!!!! Go Lana! Keep'em comin!

[clana4ev3r]

that was a great update!! keep them coming.. post soon

[ajfinn]

Part 15:

Lana threw the ring as far as she could across her apartment and it landed in a corner of her bedroom.

Lex had seen what Isobel could do, and whether Lana was still channeling her or not, he wasn’t going to stick around to find out. But if it was really Lana, how did she still have Isobel’s powers? He scowled down at Clark and said, “Your girlfriend won’t always be around to protect you,” then stepped over him and left.

Clark was regaining strength, but remained on the floor in shock. If Isobel was back, why was she helping him? But he was sure it wasn’t Isobel—Lana didn’t get that evil look on her face he always saw when Isobel appeared.

Lana’s hands trembled as she set the gun on the side table and fell to the floor, scooting over to Clark. “Are you all right?” she asked, attempting to stop her tears.

He could not stop gawking at her.

“Clark, I . . . ” she started shaking her hands like she was trying to get something sticky off them. “I want it out of me.” She rubbed them on her pants, starting to become hysterical.

“What is it, Lana?” Clark asked, sitting up and looking at her hands. “What do you want out of you?”

“The magic,” she said. “I’ve been feeling it ever since Isobel left, but that’s the first time anything happened.” She rubbed her arms that tingled and ached from the surge going through them. “Is the tattoo back . . . check . . . hurry . . . ” Lana talked in panicked spurts.

Clark lifted up the back of her shirt. “No tattoo,” he said, relieved, but still so confused that he didn’t know how to react. “Thanks for, umm, wow . . . that was . . . uhh . . . surreal.”
They were still sitting on the floor, and Lana’s nerves weren’t calming in the least. “Hey, it’s all right. You’re okay, Lana,” he said, taking her in his arms.

“No, I’m not,” she said, still trembling. “I want everything about Isobel gone.”

Clark shut the apartment door and turned the lock—bolting it this time. He carried her over and sat on the couch with her on his lap. She settled down after a time, and he asked what he couldn’t help but wonder. “What do you think happened? How did you do that?”

She looked up into his eyes that still seemed somewhat mistrusting. “Clark, I swear that it’s me. I know it sounds weird, but it’s true.”

“Weird?” Clark asked. “Lana, you’re talking to the guy who just admitted he’s an alien.”

Lana wanted to smile, but she couldn’t get her face muscles to move. “Then, this will hopefully not sound as strange as I thought it would, but I think I FORCED Isobel out of me when she killed Genevieve,” she said. “It was the first time I’d felt even remotely conscious after she overtook me, and when I realized she was going to kill Genevieve, I started fighting against her—willing myself back into controlling my body. Then at last, it felt like I’d burst a huge bubble and forced her to leave—but it was too late, she’d already—”

“Okay, okay, shhhh,” Clark said, bringing Lana’s head to rest against him as she started shaking again. “We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry.”

“The only thing that makes sense is that I pushed her out so fast that she was partially left behind—and not just her magic either,” Lana said.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember when I said that I’d been having flashbacks of you and Isobel fighting?” Lana asked. “Well, that’s not all the memories I have of hers. Little by little, more of her knowledge is seeping into my conscious. Last night was the first night I didn’t dream of Isobel’s life since leaving Paris—but other than that, the dreams have been getting increasingly more real since she left. And there’s only one explanation for that—she left her memories behind.”

Clark phrased things as gently as he could. “Do you think she may have done it on purpose—thinking that you’d continue her quest for the stones?”

Lana looked up with wide eyes. “I hadn’t thought of that. What if it’s true? What if she also left her insatiable desire to find those stones at any cost?”

“There’s two reasons you don’t have to worry about that, Lana,” Clark said. “The first is that whatever Isobel managed to leave behind, it didn’t include her black heart.”

“How do you know?” Lana asked.

“Because the times that I’ve seen Isobel in you—it may have looked like your body, but there was always something different about your soul—your countenance, I guess might be a better way of putting it,” he answered. “You looked so different and dark that it was hard for me to even look at you.”

“But I felt that way all year, Clark,” she said. “I felt her evil driving me to selfishness and greed—as I told you earlier. What makes you so confident that she didn’t leave that behind as well?”

“Because when you took that gun and ring away from Lex, I still saw Lana’s face, not Isobel’s—there wasn’t an ounce of evil in you, Lana,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

She couldn’t help but smile now, comforted by his words. “And what’s the second reason you’re sure I won’t be compelled go after the stones?”

Clark looked her straight in the eyes. “Because, as I told you a little about last night—they don’t exist anymore,” he said. “When I combined all three of them, they formed a large crystal, and that’s how I was transferred to the arctic."

“That’s what all the stone hunting came down to?” she asked, stunned. “A trip to the North Pole?”

“Not exactly. I’m not sure what would’ve happened if someone else had united them before I did,” Clark said, still regretting that it had come so close to that very scenario. “But when I arrived, my biological father had a bit of a building project for me—which turned out to be an ice fortress where I learned a lot more about my origin and destiny.”

“Your destiny?”

Clark always felt the need to pace when he had to answer questions like this, but he really wanted to get over that habit, so he stayed where he was on the couch. “I was sent to earth to protect it, Lana,” he said, still shaken from what Jor-el had told him. “Not only from human criminals but from the evils of the universe as well.”

Now it was Lana’s turn to want to stand and pace, but she had to face the fact that someone with Clark’s gifts couldn’t be kept all to herself. “As in right now? When you’re barely out of high school?” she asked, wondering what kind of backward planet Krypton was.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I’m just going to take life one day at a time and when I see somewhere I can make a difference, I’ll have to do it. I don’t really have a choice.”

“What makes you think you don’t have a choice?”

“Because you’re not the only one having visions,” Clark said.

[binkys711]

WOW!!!!OMG!!!TOTALLY AWESOME UPDATE!!!I LOVE THIS STORY!!!WHAT HAPPENS?!WHAT ARE HIS VISIONS?!!PPMS!!

[SmallvilleMan]

nice, keep it coming.

[4EverSmallville]

Interesting plotline, I like where this is going.

[NYC300Z]

Really Great update! I really love this story I can't wait for ur next update!!! PPPMS!!!

[Kal-El & Me]

This fic is addicting. I'm hooked, hooked, hooked, and more hooked. PPMS.

[Rejeimha]

I love this fic, and everything that your doing with it. I only have a minor quirk with Lex already knowing Clark's secret, but more than that I don't believe Lex could come to the conclusion that the meteor rocks hurt Clark just by watching a survalence camera. A convenient memory wipe by Kevin Grady (FOTW from 4-19 "Blank") would be greatly appreciated. That or just kill Lex, either way it works.

Eagerly awaiting another visit from the update fairy, happy writting.

[SmallvilleMan]

Well, i think lex just made an educated guess. Remember scared? Clark didn't want to go near the thing with the green k in it or other times clark was hurt around it. Plus the fact that he had that green k thing in his safe, when clark was layed out.

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Rejeimha
I love this fic, and everything that your doing with it. I only have a minor quirk with Lex already knowing Clark's secret, but more than that I don't believe Lex could come to the conclusion that the meteor rocks hurt Clark just by watching a survalence camera. A convenient memory wipe by Kevin Grady (FOTW from 4-19 "Blank") would be greatly appreciated. That or just kill Lex, either way it works.

Eagerly awaiting another visit from the update fairy, happy writting.

Thanks for your good critique - I'll explain, but it will contain a minor spoiler for the rest of my story, so for those of you who don't like spoilers- don't read this: In Onyx, Lex is split in half, good and evil. When he became one again, the good Lex spoke to Clark. However, what if when the two merged, the good Lex was once and for all smothered by the bad Lex, and the bad Lex saw an opportunity to get Clark to trust him by appearing like bad Lex was gone. IMO - I think that's what the writers are actually doing in Smallville right now. Remember his comment to Lionel in Commencement? "You've created the son you always wanted" or whatever? There has been no indication whatsoever that Lex has forgotten anything about Onyx. He only SAYS he has. And Lex is the Jedi master of BS. :eek: So, my fanfic is based on my opinion that Lex has never forgotten what he saw in Onyx, and how he figured out that Clark was allergic to meteror rocks. Now that I think about it, the writers made that huge leap without explaining themselves in Onyx, didn't they? :) Of course, the writers did a lot of leaping over tall unexplainable buildings in season 4! :lol:

And SmallvilleMan, you also made a good point. If he had on his security cams, then Lex would've seen him drop to the ground in reaction to all the green stuff--it's possible that this is one of the reasons Lex had the artifacts in there--to protect his stuff from Clark. And Lex already had the meteor rock ring from Onyx. I don't recall it getting destroyed. Correct me if I'm wrong and I'll edit my story. Thanks for keeping me on course here guys. It's important to me to keep the story within the realm of Smallville possibility.

[kewl]

WOW, it just keeps getting better everytime... so plz ppms :)

[binkys711]

WOW!!!THAT'S AN AWESOME OPINION I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT 'TILL NOW!!!AWESOME!!!

PPMS!!!:D:D:D

[Rejeimha]

Originally posted by ajfinn
In Onyx, Lex is split in half, good and evil. When he became one again, the good Lex spoke to Clark. However, what if when the two merged, the good Lex was once and for all smothered by the bad Lex, and the bad Lex saw an opportunity to get Clark to trust him by appearing like bad Lex was gone. IMO - I think that's what the writers are actually doing in Smallville right now. Remember his comment to Lionel in Commencement? "You've created the son you always wanted" or whatever? There has been no indication whatsoever that Lex has forgotten anything about Onyx. He only SAYS he has. And Lex is the Jedi master of BS. :eek: So, my fanfic is based on my opinion that Lex has never forgotten what he saw in Onyx, and how he figured out that Clark was allergic to meteror rocks.

That would be a great angle to take if it was an option open to the writers. Unfortunately, DC would never let Lex find out Clark's secret before he becomes Superman, believe me I would love to see them drop the buddy-buddy act and become mortal enemies already. But this isn't the TV show, this is fanfic territory and anything goes. So Lex hasn't forgotten Onyx and still knows Clark's weakness from that experience.

I can think of only one semi-indicator that Evil Lex was gone in Onyx, and that being the total look of shock on his face when Lionel told him he shut down the foundation. However, this post re-convergence Lex incident, just like the other ones with Clark and Lana, could be brilliant moves to provide "proof" that Lex is back to normal...well, normal for Lex.


Originally posted by ajfinn
Now that I think about it, the writers made that huge leap without explaining themselves in Onyx, didn't they? :) Of course, the writers did a lot of leaping over tall unexplainable buildings in season 4! :lol:

In Onyx, when Clark and Evil Lex are in the loft Lex pulls out the ring and says, "What's the matter Clark? You look a little sick. Just like back in the lab when you were with the other me, when he opened the safe door and exposed you to the meteor rock." Since there wasn't much of anything else in the safe that wouldn't be too far of a leap to take after seeing Clark's previous display of strength.


Originally posted by ajfinn
And SmallvilleMan, you also made a good point. If he had on his security cams, then Lex would've seen him drop to the ground in reaction to all the green stuff--it's possible that this is one of the reasons Lex had the artifacts in there--to protect his stuff from Clark.

There were a lot of things in that vault other than the kryptonite, and he could have thrown his back out pulling the door off the vault. :lol: If Lex already knew Clark's weakness and that is why he kept those statues in there then that makes sense. However, if he didn't know then all he saw was Clark go into the vault, take the stone, and then pass out. With only that information, Lex would be making quite a logical leap to find the truth, and then believe it with 100% certainty on top of that. Like I wrote above, there was other stuff in the vault, and Lex did just see Lionel go comatose after touching the stone. I would find it more likely that it was the stone which just knocked me across the room and put my father into a coma all by touching it that took Clark off his feet, rather than some obscure rocks which I have only seen empower people like Clark, not harm them. After seeing the display of strength it would make sense how a super-powered being would be able to survive an attack by a force that just immobilized a mere mortal.


Originally posted by ajfinn
And Lex already had the meteor rock ring from Onyx. I don't recall it getting destroyed. Correct me if I'm wrong and I'll edit my story. Thanks for keeping me on course here guys. It's important to me to keep the story within the realm of Smallville possibility.

At the climax of the episode, Evil Lex is beating up the Good Lex and screams like a spoiled baby, "I am the real Lex Luthor!" When Evil Lex is mid-hook Clark goes superspeed and uses his heat vision to turn Evil Lex's green k ring into a black k ring forcing the two Lexes back together. Lex did have the kryptonite ring, but now its a black k ring, and that's only if it wasn't destroyed.

That's my two cents. I do love this fic and I can't wait for you to finish it. I only have an objection to Lex knowing Clark's secret before he becomes Superman like in the comics and every other DC approved version of the story. I'm sorry if I look like I am being a jerk about it, I don't mean to be. I just want you to have the best fic possible, and I think that so far you are rock solid.

Whatever direction you want to take it from here is up to you, but I am confident that you will not disappoint us as readers with whatever path you chose.

[NYC300Z]

Yeah well it makes sense if Lex remembers everything from Onyx..

And yeah that's right the green k ring was turned into a black K ring, but if he remebers it wouldn't be hard for him to make a new one.

oh well patiently waiting for ur update!!!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by NYC300Z
Yeah well it makes sense if Lex remembers everything from Onyx..

And yeah that's right the green k ring was turned into a black K ring, but if he remebers it wouldn't be hard for him to make a new one.

oh well patiently waiting for ur update!!!

These are the premises I'm working off for now. But it doesn't mean that Lex won't get his memory wiped eventually, especially since Clark gains the power to do that himself. (And fyi - you just made me think of a good idea - thanks!) And I don't know why I forgot Clark turned the ring to black k - duh. :p But I just went back and watched Onyx again, because I thought it showed Clark reacting badly to a piece of black k in the lab, and he did. So why, when he turned the ring to black k wasn't he afraid to approach Lex at the end? Or maybe it disappeared with bad Lex's clothing--ha ha. Oh, the wonders of the Smallville writers. :) One more thing, I'm really sticking by my theory that bad Lex came out on top when they merged (maybe not fully, but the majority) because he gave a very interesting smile at the end of the ep. He's bad to the bone. Anyway, we better not keep chatting about it on this thread or no one will want to read my fanfic with all the long posts between updates. Thanks for your input Rejeimha! I'm going to go back and edit something in the Lex/Lana & Clark scene now :)

[Karen26]

totally cool update this story has got me on my edge of my seet please post the next one asap

[ClarksGirl21]

update soon!!

[Kal-El & Me]

Yeah update soon please. Again I'm hooked.

[hyper149]

I love the way you write Clark telling Lana his secret. A lot writers sort of breeze past the actual confession and revolve the plot around the aftershock. I like it much better this way.

GREAT story! Please continue.

soon

[ajfinn]

Part 16:

“What kind of visions are you having?” Lana asked, surprised that they were going though something so similar.

“Well, they’re all dreams—most are nightmares,” he said. “But the fact that they’re starting to come true would make them actual visions, wouldn’t it?”

Lana gave a slow nod. “Who would’ve thought we’d both turn into seers, Clark?” she asked, trying to find some humor in the strange twist of fate. “You’re seeing the future and I’m seeing the past. Maybe we should go into business together.”

“Now all we need is someone who can explain the present to us,” Clark said, intertwining his fingers with hers. “But it’s good to know that whatever it is, we’ll be working it through together.”

“That’s for sure,” she said, snuggling into him again. “Now what do these visions have to do with your destiny?”

“Well, for years now, my biological father—Jor-el, has been warning me not to avoid my destiny,” Clark explained. “But I’ve been pretty stubborn about it, to say it mildly. Last summer, he was so sick of it that he abducted me and tried to force me to understand who I am and what I’m destined to do on Earth. So when I came back to Smallville—as an entirely different person, I was focused on the mission of finding the three stones. I found one right away—stealing it from Lex, then my mom discovered a way to undo what Jor-el had done to me, and I snapped out of it.”

“So, you stopped searching at that point?” Lana asked, trying to put the puzzle pieces together.

“I had all my memories from what Jor-el taught me, and I knew what I needed to do, but I fought it,” he said. “Other than the times that the stones literally called to me—and when I learned you were going to China, I tried not to think about them.”

“And . . . ” Lana asked.

“And because of that, the spaceship came—to teach me a lesson, I guess,” Clark said, swallowing down a boulder of guilt. “So, like I said, I have no choice but to fulfill my destiny, or people get hurt.”

“Okay, both my butt and my mind are numb now,” she said. “I need to stand up.”

Clark smiled. Quite a bit of him was feeling numb too—from just about every emotion he could imagine. He stood from the couch and put Lana upright. She balanced on one leg. “Hold on to the couch, I’ll be right back.”

Just as Lana reached out for the arm of the couch, Clark was back with the crutches he’d dropped at the Talon door when he heard the crash Lex created. “That is so hot,” Lana said, kissing him. “I didn’t think I could be any more smitten with you than I already was, but—”

“Dang. I really should’ve showed you my skills freshman year then,” he said, grateful that Lana hadn’t made him feel any more guilty about causing a spaceship to come to Smallville. There was no telling what damage it would cause.

“Nah—I’m glad I fell for you in the traditional way,” she said, putting her crutches under her arms and starting to move around the room. “This feels all too familiar—I'm going to hate hobbling around again.”

Clark stretched. “Okay, here we go—my visions.”

Lana turned back to him, completely caught off guard. She was just about to tell him to go on with his explanation, but was thrilled that he was comfortable enough to continue without her prompting. Things were definitely different for them this time around.

“The night before the meteor shower, I dreamed about lights in the sky—which I now believe were the Northern Lights—hinting that I’d soon be in the arctic, then my parents told me I’d been yelling, ‘It’s coming.’”

“What’s coming?” Lana asked, going over to the kitchen.

“I didn’t know at the time,” he answered, standing on the opposite side of the kitchen counter from her. “But my visions continued when I was up north, and I think I saw the same spaceship you did. But I’m still not sure what it contains—and that’s what I think is the threat—the one that Jor-el, my biological father, promised would come.”

Lana felt all the blood in her body rush down to her toes. “Clark, what do you think happened to it? When I woke up from being unconscious, it was gone.”

“I’m not sure, but when I returned to Smallville—even before I came to the hospital, I searched all over for it,” he said, still not sure it was time to tell her what new power he’d used to do so. “When I didn’t find anything, I thought my visions were wrong—until you confirmed that you saw it with your own eyes.”

“Now, that’s a quirky coincidence, isn’t it?” Lana asked, taking a knife and cutting half of the sandwich Chloe had brought her into halves again. She was hungry, but Clark needed a lot more food than she did, so she’d settle for a forth of the foot long.

Just when she said that, Clark had a frightening thought come to mind that perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence at all. The “thing” in the spaceship might have come to Lana thinking that she was the one who had summoned it. Jor-el did say that the evil from space was awoken when blood stained the element—which Lana, or Isobel—did. He wanted to keep quiet about that theory though, unless it became an issue. “Yeah, strange coincidence. But a lucky one, since now I know to keep my eyes open.”

Still holding the knife in her hand, Lana thought about the terrifying voice again. How could Clark, even with his powers, protect himself—let alone the entire world, from such evil? She was lost in a whirlwind of horrible possibilities when someone knocked on the door.

The knife shot like a missile across the room and stuck into the door—followed by a high-pitched scream. “That’s my mom!” Clark shouted, super-speeding to the door and nearly ripping it off.

Lana dropped to the floor, hysterical with fear. “Is she okay? Clark! Clark—tell me she’s okay!” She started sobbing, again shaking her hands that burned from the surge.

[binkys711]

WTF!!!WHAT HAPPENS!!!MUST KNOW!!!PPMS!!!

[SmallvilleMan]

nice job, story gets better as it goes on, thats how i like them!

[ClarksGirl21]

omgosh! cliffhanger! I like those.. don't keep us waiting too long!

[Rain88]

Please post more soon.

[spacewalker_33.3]

great update as usual, i really like ur style.... u really gotta post soon plz :D btw if i decide to post my fic. i will ask u for help, hope its ok ^^'

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by spacewalker_33.3
great update as usual, i really like ur style.... u really gotta post soon plz :D btw if i decide to post my fic. i will ask u for help, hope its ok ^^'

Sure, I'd like to help. Send me a private message through my user profile when you want help :D

[SmallvilleMan]

Forget about helping him and help me get a good night sleep with another chapter;)

[Clana-follower06]

I really don't like cliffhangers, oh well, I guess I'm just going to have to wait...right? PPMS!

[NYC300Z]

wow u had my heart racing at the end!! Great job PPMS!!!

[Karen26]

i cant stand cliffhangers post post post

love this story but dont like clifhangers post more soon

[ClanaLover]

OMG!!! PPM ASAP I love the story!

[kewl]

omg!!!what a great upd8 but i hate cliffhangers so plz post soon.

[4EverSmallville]

Hmmm, why did Lana throw that knife? Interesting...

[avidreader]

Keep it going, you are doing a fabulous job with this story.

[Mythos]

Good gravy!! I just tuned in and couldn't stop reading! For the love of all that's kryptonic, don't stop!

lol

Seriously though, Amazing job! <--confirming fact that straight guys can get into this story too! Not too mushy at all!

:D

(also, am huge (c)lana fan so keep up good work:D :D )

[Ketchup]

Damn you got me hooked... itsl ike everythign we've waiting for for 4 seasons is finally coming to pass. Cant wait to read ur next update. Clana all the way!

[ajfinn]

Yes, this is an update, but first a few shout outs:

You guys all make my day - thanks for your compliments. :D Ketchup & Mythos - welcome to my twisted imagination - I'm glad you're enjoying the story. And Smallvilleman - though it's not every writer's dream to put their readers to sleep, I hope you get your good night's rest after this chapter! Your post cracked me up, but I can only do so much. Gosh!

Here's the next update:

Part 17:

“She’s fine, Lana,” Clark said, escorting his wide-eyed mother into the apartment. Looking back to the door, he chilled—if the blade had been designed for anything besides chopping vegetables, Lana’s perfect trajectory would’ve sent it straight through the wood and into his mom. “The knife didn’t make it through the door.”

“Sit down, Mom, I’ll explain things in a minute,” Clark said, gesturing to the couch. He then walked over to Lana, who was still crying on the kitchen floor.

“You both need to leave, Clark,” Lana said, trying to push him away from her. “Magic can hurt you! I don’t know how to control it!”

“Lana, I’m not leaving you,” he said, lifting her off the floor and holding her whether she liked it or not. “We’ll work though this, okay?”

Lana didn’t want to ‘work through’ anything—she wanted it all over—right then. No, twelve months ago. She’d regretted her hasty decision to go to Paris before she ever left, but at the time she was just too desperate to get away from the pain of seeing Clark every day and thinking they would never be able to be together. She should have known better than to give up on him. He had never given up on her, and she now knew he never would.

Lana nodded, clutching onto Clark as he took her over to Martha. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Kent,” Lana said, forcing herself to make eye contact. This was more than just an embarrassing moment, Lana could have killed her. “It was an accident.”

Martha shook her head, but with sincere eyes. “I can see that, Lana,” she said, taking her hand. “But what happened?”

Clark looked to Lana. He wasn’t going to say anything she didn’t want him to—not even to his mother. Lana wiped her eyes, knowing she could trust Martha. Over the next hour, Lana explained everything that had happened to her—including the spaceship. She and Clark also told her how Lana knew Clark’s secret—to which Martha did not seem as surprised as Clark thought she might be. Lana left out only one thing, which Clark thought was wise—Genevieve’s murder. To admit that would have put too much of a burden on Martha.

At the end of it, Martha hugged Lana for a long time, and Lana felt comforted in the arms of someone she considered more of a mother to her than anyone else was. Clark sat back in the armchair he’d pulled beside the couch, and watched the two of them. No matter what he had done to try to comfort Lana, he could see that his mother was ten times better at it. She’d always been amazing that way.

“Lana, Clark may have told you this already,” Martha said, “but with each new ability he gains, he’s had a time of adjustment to it. He’s had to practice to control each one—some for quite a bit longer than others. And some have been a very expensive learning curve—haven’t they, Clark?”

Clark knew she was teasing him, but he was also stunned by what he hadn’t thought of. “Yeah, I’ve gone through a few tractors in my time—curtain, mailboxes, beds, windows—and don’t forget the famous storm cellar incident,” he said. “And, Mom, I think I see what you’re getting at here.”

Lana looked between the two of them, not seeing the connection.

“Lana, Clark understands what you’re going through,” Martha said. “And I really think he can help you get your abilities under control.”

“I’m not sure they’re really ‘abilities,’ at all—more like just a surge of energy that causes things to happen,” Lana said, leaning against the back of the couch in frustration. “And I’m hoping it will just disappear.”

Martha didn’t mean to be rude, but she laughed. “If I had a dollar for every time Clark complained about having his powers, I wouldn’t be working at the Talon, that’s for sure.”

Lana finally smiled. “But why would you complain, Clark? They’ve given you the ability to help hundreds of people—and many more to come.”

“Well, for one thing, they’ve kept me from living a normal life, and being with who I most wanted to,” he said, putting his hand on Lan’s knee. “And it’s really frustrating to gain new powers that you don’t know how to control. When I first got my super-speed, in Jr. High school, I missed school for a whole week.”

“We told his teachers he had the flu,” Martha said. “We chased him all over the mid-west—he’d call from Topeka, and by the time we got there, he was in St. Louis. It was awful!”

Clark laughed. “Tell me about it! I was starving, and when I’d finally find someone who was willing to feed me, I’d reach out for the food—then whoosh—I was off to somewhere new, and without a whim of direction.”

Lana was giggling so hard, her gut hurt. “You’re joking!”

“I wish I was,” Martha said. “Believe me, no one was laughing. I was a hysterical mess—though I have to admit, it is rather amusing to think back on now.”

“So, what do you do to practice, Clark?” Lana asked.

“It depends on the skill I’m trying to master,” he said. “With the running, I practiced on the farm a lot—and I always took a cell phone with me, just in case I ended up in the middle of nowhere. And with my hearing and heat-vision, it’s taken a lot of concentration. And strength is one of the hardest for me—still. I’m getting better, but I always have to think about it when I lift something I’m not familiar with, just so I don’t chuck it across the entire town.”

“Lana, throwing a knife is one thing,” Martha said with a smile, “but Clark sent our entire refrigerator across the kitchen and through the family room wall a few years ago—”

“Mom, I was in a growth spurt—and I was hungry,” he said.

This all made Lana feel much better. She hadn’t considered that Clark had to learn how to control his powers—nor that they were often so frustrating for him. “There you go bringing up your ravenous appetite again. How have you managed to fill this guy, Mrs. Kent?”

“He hasn’t been the easiest boy to raise—or feed,” she said. “But once we figured out that his powers were strongly connected to his physical growth—including surges in hormones—”

“Okay, did you really have to say that?” Clark asked, trying to stop his face from turning red again. “Why does everyone have to make such a big deal about it?”

“Go on, Mrs. Kent,” Lana said, rubbing a hand across Clark’s back.

Martha smiled, happy that the two of them were finally together. “Then we also found a connection to how his emotions drive the progression of his abilities, and were able to help him better control them. Determination and fear—as well as love, has pushed Clark to really stretch and do things he wasn’t previously capable of. And perhaps that’s what is bringing on your powers as well, Lana.”

Clark looked up. “I think you might be right, Mom,” he said. “Lana, what were you thinking about when the knife flew out of your hand?”

Lana thought for a moment. “I was imagining all the awful things the alien in the spaceship could do to you—and when your mom knocked, all I could think of was it coming after you.”

Clark stood, sparks shooting down him—hoping his hunch was wrong. “And what about when Lex came?”

“Well, that’s what I can’t figure out,” she said. “I was afraid before you got here—terrified, in fact. As well as when I was in the helicopter accident, and when I saw the spaceship. So why didn’t my powers come until you came, Clark? When Lex was threatening you?”

Clark felt like his blood was racing like bullets through his veins. His heart pounded in agony. What had previously seemed to be a silver lining in his visions—that he would not have to fight the ‘evil from space’ alone—was now the worst aspect of his nightmares. How could it be her? He sat back in the armchair, because his knees gave out, and took Lana’s hands. “Lana, I don’t know how to tell you this, but . . . I think you’re my protector.”


(P.S. I'll be posting as much as possible this week, including tomorrow, so check in frequently :) )

[Ketchup]

Yay another update =) Damn this keeps on getting better and better. Its like be have two superheroes now... =)

Oh by the way Shelby is a male dog =P

Keep this up cant wait for more =)

[binkys711]

WOW!!!!OMG!!!!I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!THAT IS LIKE SOOOOO AWESOME!!!I NEVER WOULDA' THOUGHT ABOUT THAT!!!!YOU HAVE TO POST MORE AND SOON!!!!PLZ!!!!I BEG OF YOU*on knees*!!!!PLZ!!!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Ketchup

Oh by the way Shelby is a male dog =P



Hee hee, good catch. I knew this, but somehow the name Shelby must have thrown off my brain.

[avidreader]

Cooooooooooolllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ClarksGirl21]

I definatley will ! I love this story! Gosh, I wish I could write as well as you, you are soo great! Anyway, I can't wait for the next update , so post more soon!

[4EverSmallville]

Nice update.:)

[Kal-El & Me]

Originally posted by ClarksGirl21
I definatley will ! I love this story! Gosh, I wish I could write as well as you, you are soo great! Anyway, I can't wait for the next update , so post more soon!

Yeah you're an awsome writer. If I'm having trouble with fan fics I might as for your advice. PPM ASAP!;)

[SmallvilleMan]

Lana's his protector? Wow, this story keeps getting better, tough to keep up with your level. I will get a good nights sleep though.:D

[NYC300Z]

Really Great Update I loved it!! So what Clark and Lana are gonna have to face what ever was in the ship together??! Awesome can't wait for ur next update really glad they'll be coming in more frequently now!!!

[Karen26]

cool update cant wait for the next one

yeah i cant wait post more asap

[ClanaLover]

OMG!!! That was great! PPMASAP!

[kewl]

O M G!!!!! that was sooooo cool update... i just can't wait to read the next one so please keep em coming veeeerrrryyyy soooonnnnn :D

[ClarksGirl21]

COol! Clark's protector? That's neat that you found some other way other than the stones to tie Lana into Clark's destiny. This story is great! I can't wait to read more!

[ajfinn]

Here's the next update. I've posted four days in a row now, so for those who haven't been checking in regularly, make sure you read the previous updates before this one :) Enjoy!

Part 18:
“Your WHAT?” Both Martha and Lana asked with dropped jaws.

Clark’s body burned with disbelief. For Lana to be his protector was the worst possible scenario he could imagine. “I hope I’m wrong, but from what you just explained, it gives my last vision some meaning for the first time.”

“Clark, are you having visions again?” Martha asked.

He nodded. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you and Dad that at the hospital, but Lana knows a lot about them now,” he said. “And in the one I had just before leaving the arctic, I felt the presence of someone else beside me as I fought off the evil from the ship—someone whose help I knew I needed. And when I woke, I asked Jor-el what it meant, and he said I would have a ‘protector’ who would make it possible for me to fulfill my destiny.” He didn’t dare look at Lana as he spoke, imagining her reaction to this.

Lana lifted Clark’s chin and looked into his eyes. “Clark, I really believe it’s my love for you that’s enabling my powers.”

Clark looked to his mom for answers, as he always did. Martha nodded. “I think she’s right,” she said.

“That doesn’t make sense though—how could Isobel’s powers be used to protect me? I was her enemy,” he said.

“But they’re MY powers now, Clark,” Lana said, gripping his hands. “And where Isobel’s powers were fed by greed and hatred, mine are fueled by my concern for your safety.”

As much as he wished this weren’t true, it seemed to be the only plausible explanation. But he’d do anything he could not to have to depend on Lana putting her life at risk for his. He dropped her hands and stood again. “Can you two just give me a minute to sort this out?” he asked. They both nodded, with looks of pity that made Clark feel even worse. He went out on the stair landing, shut the door behind him, and looked down over the Talon. He imagined the days of Lana walking around, handing out orders with a warm smile on her face. He thought of all the times he’d walked into that room, hoping just for a glimpse of her. His most common worries with Lana used to be if he’d dare ask her out, and if she’d go. Man, he loved that girl—he’d loved her since the moment they met—in the field between their homes when they were five. He remembered it so well. He’d wanted Lana to play many different roles in his life, but babysitter had never been one of them.

He wanted to crush something, but to work out the frustration he had inside, it would take tearing down a skyscraper and pounding it to dust.

Back inside the apartment, Lana gripped her hands together. “Mrs. Kent, I don’t know what to do when he gets like this,” she said. “He has a gift when it comes to comforting me, but I just,” she swallowed, fighting back the waterspout that kept turning on within her, “I just want him to stop worrying so much.”

“Jonathan and I learned long ago that Clark is a chronic worrier,” Martha said. “He cares very deeply for people and wants to protect them. I’m certain what’s bothering him right now is that someone else must come to his rescue. And the fact that it’s you—the girl he most wants to protect—has got to be eating at him.”

Lana nodded. “Well, let’s hope I can make any difference at all,” she said, reaching out her hand and trying with all her might to make something come to her. She laughed at herself. “See, I can’t even move a pillow when I WANT to!”

“It will come,” Martha said, tilting her head in understanding. “Let Clark help you learn to control your abilities so he feels more comfortable with the change, then go on with your everyday lives so things can get back to normal. You two are young, and you have a bright future together if that’s what you choose.”

Lana couldn’t help but smile back at Martha. “If I could make only one choice in this life, it would be to spend the rest of it with Clark,” Lana said, thinking of an idea to help she and Clark feel a little more on the normal side again. “Mrs. Kent, could you do me a favor?” Martha nodded and Lana told her what it was.

“I’d love to, Lana,” Martha said, filling with warmth at the thought of how much it would mean to Clark. “I’m so happy you two have worked things out. He’s never stopped loving you for a moment and it tortured him to be away from you.”

“It’s tortured me too,” Lana said. “It’s been hard for me to comprehend why he held back his secret for so long, but I now understand his reasoning. And I fully accept him for who he is, and the importance of his future.”

This was such a wonderful moment for Martha, she’d worried right along with Clark that he might end up alone because of his secret. And for Lana—the very girl he’d loved so long—to be the one to accept him, took Martha’s breath away and she teared up. “Lana, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to hear that. Clark has gone through such a struggle with wanting to tell you everything and wondering how you’d react,” she said, reaffirming in her mind that Clark had shared his secret with Lana. “He would’ve told you sooner, but he’s beaten himself into the ground with guilt over what happened to your parents the day he came to Smallville.”

Just as Lana was about to ask Martha what she was talking about, Clark walked back in. “Okay, I’ll stop being a baby now. Sorry,” he said.

Lana could do nothing but stare at him.

[Mythos]

Brilliant! The feel of the story is awesome! That's some talent you have there! :D

This could easily be an amazing Smallville episode, were it not for the fact that they would ruin it by having most of the dialogue be silent intense stares with close-ups of concentrating faces.

Thumbs up!:D

[Karen26]

cool update this story is brill cant wait for the update

[binkys711]

AWESOME!!!PPMS!!!PLZ!!!THIS STORY IS TOO COOL TO NOT POST SOONER :D:D *puppy dog face*

[ClarksGirl21]

Aww.. Clark didn't get a chance to tell her yet! keep writing and posting .. this is just great!

[4EverSmallville]

Can't wait for Lana's reaction.

[kewl]

GENIUS! (dawn's xpression in "Spirit :)) u so got me hooked on ur story!

ooops... slow down martha, clark haven't opened that topic to lana yet.... yay!!! lol..

PPMS. thankz

[Ketchup]

God Martha dont screw it up!

[NYC300Z]

LOL Martha should think more before she speaks....going and saying stuff behind Clark's back! Oh man how is Lana gonna take this? Hope she doesn't get too upset with him! And I love how you've posted four days in a row!! Don't stop now make it 5 k?

[ajfinn]

Part 19:

(Again - everyone, I've been posting several days in a row now, so make sure you're caught up before you read this one :D)

“Well, you two,” Martha said, standing. “I should get back to Jonathan.” She turned to Lana and winked, hinting that she would also take care of the favor she’d asked of her. “The doctors say we might be able to bring him home tomorrow. And that’s why I came, Clark. The insurance agency has approved the repairs on our home, so can you get to work on those as soon as possible? We at least need it all cleaned up and the roof completed by the time your dad gets home. The materials should have been delivered this morning by the lumber company.”

Clark smiled. “Yeah, I saw them there when I went to feed Shelby. With the speed I gained the past few days, I’ll have it all done in no time—well, I shouldn’t exaggerate, it will probably take me an hour or so,” he said, then looked to Lana. “It’s so cool to say things like that in front of you.” He was caught in another surreal moment, but he liked it.

Lana nodded, still lost in thoughts of what Clark had to do with what happened to her parents. “Yeah. Cool,” she said flatly.

Clark squinted in confusion. He couldn’t help but think how stupid he must have looked storming out a minute ago—acting like a twelve year old boy who just lost a basketball tournament to a girls team. “Okay, Mom, uhh, we’ll see you later,” he said, giving Martha a hug. “Tell dad I love him and that he doesn’t have to worry about anything. I’ll take care of both the house and the farm.”

Martha gave him a squeeze, then Lana one as well. “I think you two should stick together, all right,” she said. “Which means I’m trusting you again, Clark, so don’t give me a reason not to.” She winked.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Kent,” Lana said. “Clark’s always a perfect gentleman.”

“I know,” Martha said, leaving with a feeling of contentment that seemed misplaced. She was worried sick for Clark’s safety, but it was somehow comforting to know that someone else had the power to help him—the same power she’d always wished she had.

As soon as Martha left, Lana went over to the kitchen and took a bite of her sandwich. “I can’t believe we forgot about lunch—it’s almost three.” Her voice was still hollow, feeling a sense of restlessness that she hadn’t felt with Clark for quite a while now. She thought back to the circumstances of her parent’s deaths and began searching for a connection to Clark.

Clark watched her from a distance, sensing that something was wrong. “Lana, I’m sorry I freaked out so bad,” he said. “You know me, it just takes some time to feel comfortable with a new situation. And who would’ve known that I’d have a harder time accepting your powers than you’d have accepting mine.”

She swallowed down her mouthful of food without chewing as much as she should have. “Yeah, strange, isn’t it?” she said, going to the cupboard for a glass to wash down the knot in her throat before she choked.

“I’ll get that for you,” Clark said, rushing over and filling the glass with water. He handed it to her and she smiled before she started drinking. He knew that smile—it was the one that told him he had something to worry about. But Clark was famous for keeping in what he most wanted to say, so he just returned her stare—waiting.

Lana looked right back at him—waiting. She finally sighed, then said, “Let’s get to your house—it sounds like we have a lot to do.”

On the drive over, there were bits of empty chit-chat, mixed with long periods of silence. When they reached the Kent farm, Clark turned off Lana’s Jeep and sat there, gripping the steering wheel like he needed to hold onto something for stability. “Okay, Lana, I know I’m being really immature about this, but I can’t stand the thought of you having to stay by my side just to protect me—it makes me feel like a complete loser. And I don’t know any other way to say that,” he said. “I’m supposed to be the man around here, and it looks like I’ll be rolling around in a pile of meteor rock and you’ll be kickin’ everyone’s butts around me. Can you see why I’m frustrated by that? And I can’t even begin to tell you how scared I am about you getting hurt!” Clark cursed at the end of his rant and Lana jolted in response. She’d only heard him do that when he was on Red-k. She could literally feel his frustration heating up the Jeep.

Lana reached over and took one of his hands off the steering wheel. “Clark, I won’t be at your side to protect you, I’ll be there because I love you,” she said. “If you knew there was a better chance to protect me from harm because you were near—would you stay as close as possible?”

Clark didn’t hesitate to nod.

“You’ve probably already done that for me more times than I know—you’ve always been there when I’ve needed you most,” Lana continued. “So let’s just try to move on and not think about all this serious crap for the rest of the day, all right?”

Clark took in a heavy breath, trying to relax and banish the feeling of unease. He hated feeling so helpless—if he could only figure out how to get past his weakness with Kryptonite, he could stop worrying so much about what Lex knew. He just wished he didn’t have to deal with it, it was bad enough that he’d lost his relationship with Lex and now he felt they were mortal enemies—where had everything gone so wrong? And then there was the freak in the spaceship to deal with—who knew what that would bring?

Clark finally turned and said, “Lana, Jor-el told me that with the companionship of my protector, I could crush my enemies. But we’ll really have to work on controlling your powers if I’m going to have the faith that you’ll be all right. That’s the only possibility that’s keeping me from whisking you up right now and leaving Smallville for good.”

Lana smiled. “Not that I wouldn’t enjoy running off into the sunset with you, Clark. But you’re Smallville’s only super-hero,” she said. “It needs you more than ever right now.”

Clark laughed as he walked to the other side of the jeep, opened Lana’s door, and helped her out. “I really wonder how the residents would react if they knew their only hope rested with a barely-graduated alien, and a limping witch.”

She was laughing now too. “Wonder Twin powers—activate,” she said, holding up her fist—which Clark touched with his.

“All we’re missing is a set of matching rings,” Clark said, wanting to say that he hoped to take care of that minor detail someday.

Lana couldn’t help but grin—that was until she and Clark walked into the Kent’s kitchen and came face to face with Sheriff Adams.

“How nice to bump into you, Miss Lang,” Sheriff Adams said. “I was just headin’ over to the Talon—we need to have ourselves a little chat.”

[peaches4cream]

I HATE SHERIF ADAMS WHOOO YEAH Dude is she going to arrest lana cause of what her husband said being a powerful lawer and all keep it upgreat story

[binkys711]

OH MAN LANA'S IN TROUBLE!!!!!HOPE SHE KNOWS HOW TO SING "jailhouse rock"!!!and she still doesn't know what martha ment?!!!PPMS!!!HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!PLZ!!!

[Kal-El & Me]

OH MAN!!!OH MAN!!!OH MAN!!! OH MAN!!! OH MAN!!! PPMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Mythos]

:eek:

<stumped>

[NYC300Z]

How could u stop there?! This story has so many twists it's just great! Don't break ur streak now!! Looking forward to an update tomorrow!!!

[Ketchup]

Still waiting for more =)

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Ketchup
Still waiting for more =)

Did you read today's post???? I posted early this morning, you may have missed it :D

[Ketchup]

Yea I read it, but I want more :P

[ajfinn]

Part 20:


Lana felt like she’d just stepped off a cliff and was free falling—watching the ground come closer and closer. Clark put his arm around her. “What’s the matter, Sheriff?” he asked.

“You know, Mr. Kent,” the sheriff said. “I just don’t get you. It doesn’t matter what sort’a trouble we have in this town—somehow you’re always there.”

Clark really wanted to roll his eyes like a girl and say, “whatever,” but instead he cleared his throat and said, “Well, have you ever found me guilty of something you wouldn’t have done yourself?”

Sheriff Adams was stuck up what she’d call—Crap Creek without a paddle. She’d tried as hard as she could to catch this boy doing mischief, but she had to admit that he was no more than a nosy do-gooder. And she couldn’t arrest anyone for that. “Not yet, Mr. Kent. Not yet,” she said. “But if you could please give myself and Miss Lang some privacy, I have a few questions for her.”

Clark gave Lana a squeeze. “No problem, I’ll uhh, be upstairs cleaning up, if you two want to talk in the living room.” He gestured to the only room that wasn’t cluttered with debris.

“That’s just fine,” said the sheriff. “And we’re finished with our investigation here, so when you’re done upstairs—do your folks a favor and pick up the rest of this mess.”

Clark nodded as he walked upstairs, his stomach tied in knots. But that was nothing compared to how he knew Lana was feeling. He went to his bedroom and tuned into the conversation with his super-hearing.

Sheriff Adams walked behind Lana as she headed to the couch. Lana was sure she’d start retching before she made it. “What’s this all about, Sheriff?” she asked, trying to hide her fear.

“Oh, I think you know what this is about, Miss Lang,” she answered. “We’ve got a murder investigation on our hands.”

Static raced through Lana’s skin. “Who was murdered?”

“Jason Teague,” said the sheriff.

“Jason? What do you mean?” Lana asked in shock, not even having a chance to feel relief that the sheriff didn’t say Genevieve like she expected. “He’s is in a Metropolis hospital—on life support.”

“Not anymore,” she answered. “Someone pulled the plug on him this morning—unauthorized, I should add.”

Lana’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my . . . ” That’s all her limited amount of breath could get out.

“And there’s more—Jason’s father was found dead in his penthouse shortly afterward—from an overdose,” Sheriff Adams said. “A whole family wiped out within a few days time—kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”

“Wonder what?” Lana asked, trying to compose herself.

“What kind of wack-o family this was,” the sheriff said. “It appears that both parents wanted to take out their son—and Mr. Teague finished the job—admitted to it in the note he left. And the bullet removed from Jason Teague’s shoulder was from the handgun found in his mother’s car—registered under Mr. Teague’s name, but it had Genevieve’s fingerprints all over it.” Lana didn’t even blink—a swirl of possibilities and questions in her mind. Sheriff Adams went on. “So, Miss Lang, what can you tell me about the relationship Jason had with his parents?”

Lana swallowed and tried to speak. Her answers came out in short croaks. “I . . . uhh, well, when I met Jason last summer, he told me his father had cut him off, and that his mother was ‘interfering and controlling,’” she said. “But his mother seemed to be trying to make amends with him lately.”

“And how did Jason respond to that?” Sheriff Adams asked.

Lana shook her head. “I don’t think they repaired the rift, but I haven’t talked to him for about a month now, anything could’ve happened,” she said.

Sheriff Adams was jotting down notes in her notepad. “Uh huh, you got that right,” she said. “Now, how upset was Jason over Mr. Kent stealing his girl away?”

“Clark didn’t steal me from Jason, Sheriff,” Lana said, at last having an easy question to answer. “Clark and I have been together on and off for about four years. When I went to Paris, we’d decided to part ways, but my feelings never went away for him, and I broke up with Jason before I started seeing Clark again.”

“Well, let me give ya some advice, Miss Lang—young boys don’t like to be hung out to dry that way,” the sheriff said. “And the way Jason stormed in on the Kents with a shotgun proves my point. Jonathan and Martha must be the only folks on earth who can claim they were saved by a meteor crashing though their roof.”

Lana’s face did not match the sheriff’s amusement. She still couldn’t believe what Jason had done to the Kents. “You may be right,” she said. “But like I said, I haven’t spoken with Jason for a month now.”

“Of course I’m right,” the sheriff said, leaning closer to Lana. “I’m always right.” She stood. “I’ll be in touch if I have more questions, Miss Lang. Try not to break any more hearts—you’d do well to stick with this farm boy of yours. City slickers cause too much trouble in these parts.”

Lana stood with her crutches and escorted Sheriff Adams to the door. Once the sheriff pulled away, Lana collapsed to the floor and Clark super-sped down to be with her. “Lana, I’m so sorry about Jason.”

She looked up to him with red eyes. “You know, the real tragedy is what he did to himself, Clark,” she said. “As fake as he might have been with me—I know there was good in him somewhere, but he chose a different path.”

Clark nodded and held her close. “At any given time, any of us could get off on the wrong path. Good friends and family make such a difference.”

They sat on the floor like that for a while, talking about the difference even the smallest choices can make—they’d both had plenty of experience. When Lana finally expressed her relief that Sheriff Adams hadn’t questioned her about Genevieve’s death, Clark said, “How do you think Jason got that gunshot wound? Do you think his mom really did it?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” she said. “If Jason betrayed her in some way, she was capable of anything. And I have no idea what to think of his dad.”

“Yeah, that sounds a little fishy,” Clark said, sure that Lex Luthor had a hand in the whole Teague family mystery.

Lana released a breath and tried to get off the floor. “Ugh! I hate this stupid cast. I can’t do anything.”

Clark helped her up. “Yeah, we need to find a buddy with healing powers, don’t we?” he said. “Why don’t you rest on the couch and I’ll get to work on this place.”

Lana thought resting sounded really good after such an emotional day. “Thanks. I’d try to help, but I’m sure I’d just get in your way.”

“Well, you might not move as fast as I can,” he said, propping up some pillows and handing her the TV remote, “but I’m sure I’ll need your help with the redecorating.”

She put the remote on the side table. “Clark, I doubt anything on TV is going to be half as exciting as watching you clean like the Tasmanian Devil.”

Clark lifted his eyebrows. “Probably not.” And then he was off, spinning and zipping in and out—between the kitchen and the front lawn. The only thing Lana could really get a clear picture of was the mounting pile of debris growing outside. After only a couple of minutes, Clark stopped and wiped his forehead, standing there in a white tee shirt, which had dust and grime all over it.

Lana laughed. “How did you have time to change your shirt?”

He smiled. “I changed it twice—the other two got holes in them,” he said. “Just ask my mom, I’m not the easiest on work clothes.”

“I wouldn’t imagine that you are,” Lana said, “but you sure look—Clark!” Her arm shot up, a surge ripping through it. “Watch out!”

[Karen26]

thanks for the update ppms

[LoisNClark]

don't leave it there. ppms. ohh and thanks for the constant updates. i love this story.

[Mythos]

Woohoo! you definitely have me hooked on this one! :D It's turning out to be a really amazing story! Please keep it coming! :D




Originally posted by ajfinn


“Of course I’m right,” the sheriff said, leaning closer to Lana. “I’m always right.” She stood. “I’ll be in touch if I have more questions, Miss Lang. Try not to break any more hearts—you’d do well to stick with this farm boy of yours. City slickers cause too much trouble in these parts.”
”

That's so true! you've got sheriff Adams down to a tee!:rotfl:

[binkys711]

Originally posted by ajfinn
“And the way Jason stormed in on the Kents with a shotgun proves my point. Jonathan and Martha must be the only folks on earth who can claim they were saved by a meteor crashing though their roof.”


HAHAHA!!!:rotfl: :lol: :rotfl: THAT'S SO FUNNY!!!!nice one;) :D :D

BUT YA LEFT US HANGING!!!!:( :mad: PPMS!!!!PLZ!!!SOON!!!:eek:

[NYC300Z]

Yes the one a day updates are fantastic!! I love it keep it up!! PPMS!!!

[Ketchup]

Haha you are amazing at this!

[kewl]

ha..ha... so lana's not in trouble after all!!! u got us on that one ajfinn!!!! lol :D really great update, u r brilliant!!!! so ppms :)

[peaches4cream]

:confused: :confused: :( :( why why why why why why why did youhave to leave it at such a cut off that is so mean not cool that is so not cool ......post please.what happens to clark that lana is worriedgood job though meany

[4EverSmallville]

Nice update, great job with Sheriff Adams, I could definitely see her behaving that way on the show.

[Clana-follower06]

Wow! I am once again amazed, ppms!

[Shadowknight]

This th best fic i have ever read. FANTASIC JOB!!! PPMS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

[SmallvilleMan]

Update me please:D, i can see you come on;)

[ajfinn]

Part 21:

Clark looked up to see one of the house’s main beams suspended in the air right above his head. Before he even thought to grab it, he looked to Lana in amazement. Her hand was outstretched as it had been before, but there was one difference—Lana had a smile on her face.

“I can’t believe I did that!” she said. “That thing must weigh hundreds of pounds!”

“Yeah, I’d say,” Clark said, looking up to the hovering beam and supposing Lana’s arm must be getting tired. “Can I, uhh, help you out there, Miss Lang?” He tried to sound like a cowboy, but it only made Lana laugh with his miserable impersonation. He sounded more like Sheriff Adams than John Wayne.

The beam fell a few inches closer to Clark as Lana continued laughing, and he finally grabbed it and did some super-speedy fix it work. When he was done, he couldn’t stop smiling as he saw how pleased Lana was with herself. “You know, it wouldn’t have hurt me, Lana,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe the things that have slammed on top of me.”

Lana’s smile faded a bit and Clark felt bad about raining on her parade. “I know that, but I didn’t have time to think. When I saw it falling—I just reacted . . . no way! Clark!” She gave another huge grin, just realizing something. “I did that on purpose! I made a conscious effort to stop that beam from hitting you. I can’t believe it!”

Clark walked to her, and instead of giving her a hug, he gave her a high five. That’s just what felt right. “You’re officially the coolest chic I know.”

When Clark slapped Lana’s hand, she noticed that her arm didn’t burn as badly as it had before. She shook it once, and the pain was gone. “I have GOT to try something else,” she said, motioning for Clark to sit next to her. “Good thing you’re tougher than steel, because I have no idea what’s about to happen.”

Clark put his hands over his face. “Wake me when it’s over.”

Lana took a pillow from the couch and hurled it across the room. “Okay, here goes.” She reached out, extending her fingers, then bringing them into a tight fist—but nothing happened. After a few tries, she dropped her arm—her face falling to disappointment.

“Do you want me to try to hurt myself, or something?” Clark asked with a smirk.

“No. And it’s not funny, stop it,” Lana said, removing his smirk with a warm kiss. “I want to learn how to control this without you being in danger.”

Clark got more serious now. “Okay—since my heat vision is my ability that’s most tied to my emotions, I’ll tell you what I did to practice.”

Lana loved to watch Clark get embarrassed so she took the opportunity. “Actually, Clark. Let’s not even go there.”

“Geez, Lana,” he said, trying really hard not to react to her banter. “It’s not what you think—I used a scarecrow . . .” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he was in trouble. “No, I mean—” It was too late, his face was on fire and Lana couldn’t catch her breath from laughing.

When she looked up, she had tears rolling down her cheeks. “A scarecrow!? Gosh, Clark, if I’d known you were so—” she couldn’t even finish.

He sat back against the couch to wait for her to be done. “Yeah, well, I had to go through five of them, and a couple of water barrels and our mailbox,” he said. “But I called them all ‘Lana’, if that makes you feel any better.”

While she was laughing, she thought she’d try something out. She aimed for the pillow and right on cue, sent it flying across the room—directly into Clark’s face. “Yep, that makes me feel MUCH better about it.”

“So, now it works both ways, does it?” he asked. “You can both protect and TORTURE me. That’s just great. Why not ‘Torture Clark’? Everyone’s doing it—it should be a national pastime.”

“Okay, I’ll be nice,” Lana said, making his pout disappear with her own pursed lips. “Now help me out here, will you?”

Clark pulled back a little to see if she was serious this time. “You seem to be doing a great job on your own,” he said. “And I think you’ve just proved that your powers can be produced by any sort of emotion—good or bad.”

“Yep,” she said with a smile, concentrating on the pillow and willing it into mid-air again. She twirled it in circles. “What can I say? You inspire me.”

“Very cool. You’re a natural,” he said. “It’s taken me a lot longer than a day to get a grip on ANY of my powers.”

Lana couldn’t help but be excited now. A few hours ago she was scared to death by the power she felt invading her—now she welcomed it with open arms. Especially since she knew if she really learned how to use it, she could not only protect Clark, but help others as well. Starting with Mr. and Mrs. Kent. “While I put things away in the kitchen,” she said. “Why don’t you go patch the roof?”

Clark smiled at her confidence. “Just don’t do anything that you need to move around for—I don’t want you hurting your leg.”

She hated feeling like such a burden with her stupid leg. “I promise.”

With Clark going upstairs to work—zipping outside every few seconds for materials—Lana sat on a kitchen chair and focused really hard on one object at a time. Pretty soon, she was able to move whatever she wanted with the reoccurring emotion of stubborn determination—having nothing to do with Clark. She gained more and more confidence each time. One of the last things she needed to take care of was a broken vase on the floor. She knew it meant a lot to Mrs. Kent—it was given to her from her grandmother—and wished she didn’t have to throw it in the trash. It was beyond all hope of repair though—or was it? Lana whisked up the pieces and laid them out on the table. Perhaps glue couldn’t help but what about a little magic? Piece by piece, she put the vase together like a puzzle—welding the edges so well—through sheer will—that she was sure Mrs. Kent would never know the difference.

And then, a crazy thought occurred to her. “Clark!” she hollered. He was down in half a second. “Get your gorgeous x-ray eyes over here. I need some help.”

“Wow, Lana!” he said, looking around the room. “You’re amazing!”

Lana would’ve smiled and thanked him, but she was on a mission. “Okay, Kent, turn on those baby-blue peepers of yours and show me exactly where my leg is broken.”

“All right,” he said, confused. He squinted and pointed to the first place. “Here, and h—”

“Hold your finger still, and tell me what happens,” she said, focusing hard on where Clark was pointing. It took all her energy, but Clark’s stunned reaction was worth it.

“Lana, your bone is—I can’t believe this—the bone is melting together,” he said. “It looks perfect now.”

Lana clapped her hands in excitement, and she could’ve sworn she saw sparks shoot from them. “Okay, next.” She focused hard on the other break, and Clark confirmed that she’d fixed that one as well.

Lana stood, shocked out of her mind that there was not a bit of pain. “Clark, would you please get this cast off my leg—it’s making me crazy!”

“Are you sure?” he asked, still in awe.

She gave a nod, and Clark carefully crushed the plaster. Lana gathered up the pieces with a distant sweep of her hand and banished them to the trash. “There,” Lana said, looping her arm with Clark’s. “Now, I think I see a sunset coming on, and I have a little surprise for you in the loft.”

[Shadowknight]

WOOHOO!!!!! Dont leave us there PPMS!!!!!!! and soon!!!!!

[Clana-follower06]

really really good, I love this story! ppms!

[Ketchup]

HOly crap, Lana is gonna kick Clark's butt at everything now. =D

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Ketchup
HOly crap, Lana is gonna kick Clark's butt at everything now. =D

Maybe, maybe not :D

[kewl]

WOW!!!! waaaay to go lana lang!!! lol but please don't stopm keep going!!! :D:D

[Shadowknight]

PLEASE PPMS!!! i want more!! make them REAL long too ahhhhhh this is the best fan fic EVER!!!!!!! no kidding. i LOVE this agh!!! must have more!!! 5 stars!

[Rain88]

Please update soon please

[4EverSmallville]

Now this is cute, can't wait to see what kind of surprises are in store.

[Kal-El & Me]

I wonder what Lana's surprise will be. Now she's pretty much unpredictable.

But I have some ideas. *eyebrows go up and down*

[booze_is_me09]

this is PG-13, right?

[NYC300Z]

Great update like always!! PPMS!!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by booze_is_me09
this is PG-13, right?

YES! :D This is PG-13 Probably even borderline PG.

Oh and to all: I just got back from a Kelly Clarkson concert. If you're a fan, you have got to go! She was amazing :eek: Wow!

[ClanaLover]

OMG!!! PPMASAP That was great!!!

[Ketchup]

Haha nah this is like NC-17 or something =D jk

Kelly Clarkson? Havent really listenned to her much, but the Behind the Hazel Eyes song was pretty good. At least Im glad heavier guitar riffs are making their way into pop music =)

[booze_is_me09]

when are u going to post next, ajfinn?

[Meg101]

Keep it up. Hey was it the Kelly Clarkson Freedom Blast thingy?

[ajfinn]

Part 22:

As Clark and Lana walked toward the barn, Lana turned back to admire the work Clark had done so quickly. “You’re the amazing one, Clark,” she said. “That roof looks better than new.”

“Yeah, I have to admit that I’m kinda good at that stuff—but unfortunately, I don’t think my future will have a lot to do with construction,” he said, scanning over his efforts with a proud grin.

Lana thought he’d be a shoe-in for a Abercrombie and Fitch model—but she didn’t want to share him with the world—not in that way at least.

“Hey, do those new shingles match okay?” Clark asked. “The color looks a bit off from the rest of the roof.”

Lana squinted. “I can’t see any difference at all,” she said. “But then, you always have been a perfectionist.”

“Why do you think I’m so whooped over you?” Clark asked. “You’re flawless.”

“Clark, it’s dangerous to feel that way about someone” she said, her heart beating faster as they walked into the barn. She hoped he liked the surprise. “And I’ve made so many mistakes with you, that I can’t imagine how you can still believe that.”

“Lana, if you had put up with every lie and stunt of mine without questioning me or getting frustrated, then I’d definitely have reason to worry,” he said. “The fact that we’ve struggled so much to get where we are is what makes every new moment that I’m with you the best one yet.”

She stared up at him as they approached the stairs to the loft, a knot forming in her throat. “I bet if you x-rayed me right now, you’d find butterflies flying all over.”

Clark looked down at her soft face, sure they’d miss the sunset altogether if he stopped for even one second to kiss her. “Well, since those butterflies probably can’t fly you into the loft, do you want me to carry you up the stairs?” he asked. “I don’t want you to put too much pressure on that leg.”

“Yes, I want you to carry me,” Lana said, putting her arms around his neck, “but it’s not because of my leg. It’s fine, I promise.”

He lifted her up and took the steps slowly, burying his face in her silky hair—and for the umpteenth time in the last twenty four hours, he couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to have her in his arms. When they reached the loft, he glanced up to see his coffee table covered with a white linen cloth, a pair of unlit candles, a two-liter bottle of soda—next to a set of crystal champagne glasses, and two Domino’s Pizza boxes.

Clark looked at Lana, whose smile covered half her face. “When did you do this?” he asked.

“I didn’t,” she said. “I had a secret helper.”

Clark knew who the helper must have been, and couldn’t wait to thank his mom. “Thanks, Lana. After the past few days, it’s good to know that some things—like Domino’s Pizza, haven’t changed.”

They sat down on the couch and Lana opened one of the boxes. “Yeah, I thought we needed to add some normalcy back into our lives,” she said. “Now, let’s see, would you like a slice of plain cheese or combination?” She already knew the answer.

“I like my pizza as loaded as it comes,” he said, reaching out for a slice.

“And I think I’ll have the lighter version,” Lana said. “Those butterflies are still taking up most of my stomach.”

After Clark lit the candles and they ate their pizza, Lana filled the glasses with root beer and they leaned against the window ledge to watch the sunset together—as they had done so many times before.

“It seems like it’s been forever since we did this,” Clark said. “To be honest, I’ve avoided watching sunsets for almost the entire last year. It was . . . well, painful at times.”

Lana gave a solemn nod. “For me too. So many times, I just wanted to forget about all that had happened, and come to the loft to talk to you,” she said. “This loft is where the best memories of my life were made.”

“Mine too,” Clark said, lifting his glass for a toast. “Here’s to a lifetime of more memories together.”

As she lifted her own glass to meet his, Lana wondered if Clark really meant that—did he really think of spending the rest of his life with her? She hoped so. She took a sip, then set the glass on the window ledge. “Clark, one of the reasons I wanted to do something special tonight, is because I need to tell you what’s been on my mind lately—well, at least what was most on my mind before the meteor shower.”

Clark nodded, feeling nervous. He’d never been comfortable during one of these “talks.” He set his glass beside Lana’s and she took his hands, which was a good sign.

Lana’s heart pounded so hard, she knew Clark had to be hearing it. “Clark, I love you. And I have wanted to be with you for so long that even without knowing your secret, I was determined to make our relationship the one I’ve always wanted,” she said, feeling the knot in her throat again. “I don’t want anything to come between us again—not stones, not meteor showers, not spaceships. I want to truly be a couple now, and forget about what anyone else thinks. And I know I’m young to be making this decision, and you’ll have to make your own—but I don’t plan to date anyone else.” Ever again, she wanted to add, but worried that would put too much pressure on him.

“I—uhh . . . ” Clark said, his jaw dropped.

Lana stepped back, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No . . . no, that’s not why I’m stumped,” Clark said, bringing her close to him again—so close that he wondered if he could manage to say what he wanted to. Now his heart was trumping every bit as loud as Lana’s. “You’ve just taken the words right out of my mouth, but I was nervous about telling you that. I don’t want to be with anyone else either, I never have. And I know college is going to bring a lot of changes into my life—not to mention that I have no idea what to expect ‘destiny’ wise, but you’re the one thing that I’m determined to keep the same—our relationship will be better in fact, much better.” Clark wiped a tear from her smiling face, then kissed her. It felt just like the first night they had really kissed, standing in the exact place as they were that moment. “I love you, Lana. I don’t want to spend one more day without you—ever.” He paused for a minute, fighting back what he knew he had to say next.

“What is it?” Lana asked, noticing his look of hesitation. “That’s exactly how I feel about you.”

“Lana, before you make that decision,” he said, swallowing hard, “you need to know what I’ve most dreaded telling you. I can’t hide it any longer.”

[NYC300Z]

oh no here it comes! I can't believe Lana hasn't figured it out after Martha's hint, but at least she gets to hear it from Clark.....i'm on the edge of my seat please PPMS!!!

[Ketchup]

Well Lana is known to be a little... slow at times =P But yea this is getting great!

[peaches4cream]

not cool...................keep posting

[yojimbo]

Cool keep updateing.