Bless the Broken Road

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spacewalker_33.3]

Great updates Card!!!! Hope u got a chance to update soon and show us some more of your vivid imagination ^^'

[Nemu]

Ouf!!! I'm finally caught up!!!!

That was excellent!!!!! and soo funny!!!

one more thing to say... PPMS :D

[annaliese]

post more soon!!!

[NYC300Z]

Yes Yes!

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[clanas1ally]

That was Really REALLY Good! You had me scared. I recommend putting scary words such as red in the titles in the future. I was worried but the happy ending. It was like when your stomach drops in a roller coaster only to be found again moments later!! Update soon!!!

[maitriniazngurl]

Can't wait for the next update Card :D

[maru11]

update please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[happycamper]

All caught up!:D

Amazingly funny, as always.

But now what? ;) :D

[SVsleuth]

Originally posted by happycamper
All caught up!:D

Amazingly funny, as always.

But now what? ;) :D

Oh, hc, Card has some amazing ideas for what is to come. I can't wait for him to write it. PPMS, Card. ;)

[Cardinal]

Nice to see you around, happycamper! Just last night, SV and I were wondering if you had left us for good.

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dr. Jeckyll]

Can't wait for your next update, Card! Any chance we'll get one soon?

[Totalclanafan614]

OMG!!
I just started reading this and I can't believe how great it is!!!
PPMASAP!!! :D

[Cardinal]

Chapter 71 - Fun and Important

The next day after classes and football practice, Clark and Lana got together for a little bit of studying at the library since she wanted some help working on a speech for her Communications class. Clark was happy to help as always. Plus, any time spent with Lana was time well spent in his book.

A couple of hours of printing microfiche files and photocopying book pages got Lana the raw information she needed for Monday’s speech. The walk from the library in the center of campus to Lana’s apartment was much less than a mile in length and with Clark by her side, the distance just flew by. They did not always have to talk, sometimes Lana just liked holding hands and enjoying the crisp, clear fall weather in Metropolis. This time, however, Clark did have something to say and Lana knew him well enough to tell he was trying to decide how to bring up whatever was on his mind. Rushing Clark when he got like this never helped, so she just waited patiently for him to make up his mind.

Finally, he asked, “Important or fun?”

“Huh?”

“What do you want to hear about first? Something that’s important or something that’s fun?”

As they made their way across campus under the intermittent shade of oak, maple, and hickory trees that had mostly lost their leaves, Lana felt good and did not want her mood spoiled, so she said, “There will always be time for serious later, Clark. Tell me about fun.”

With a smile on Lana’s face, the afternoon sunlight dappled across her hair and her torso cocooned in a thick, green angora sweater, Clark could not imagine a more lovely sight and he studied her to imprint this image on his mind for a long time to come. Lana looked so beautiful, so happy, that he would do virtually anything to make sure she stayed that way.

He reached across his body with his free hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, “I was thinking about our next date. Especially where we could go and what we could do, when a thought hit me. The last formal date we went on, you did the paying, but I was the one in charge of planning and directing the date…with a little help from the Alpha Kappa Psis.

“I thought maybe this time, I could pay, but you could plan the date.”

Lana looked into Clark’s eyes, marveling at the way they seemed to shine whenever he looked at her, and hoping that they would never stop. He always looked at her so intently, like every fiber of his being was involved in the effort, and she wanted to be worth that effort every day.

“Are you sure?” Lana asked.

“Of course. You’ve seen how I think and plan romantically, I’d like a chance to see how you do it…besides, you may not know this, but half the fun of a successful date for a guy is planning it all out and finding out at the end that the girl completely enjoyed herself.”

They stood together at the extreme southeast corner of campus as they waited for a traffic light to change and give them the right-of-way to cross the street. Lana thought about all the things she likes that she would like to expose Clark to, things he might enjoy if he got the chance, and she agreed to do it, saying, “Okay, you’re on.”

The light changed and they hurried across the street. Safely on the other side, they resumed their walk and Lana said, “There’s something about the girl’s side of a good date that you are going to learn.”

They walked along in silence, with Clark wondering what Lana could mean, until he had to ask her to explain. “What do you mean?” Clark asked.

“Exactly what you just experienced…anticipation.” They had reached Lana’s apartment complex and headed for her building. “During a date that is going well, a girl spends some time wondering what is coming up next. When you took me on that auction date, I was so excited because I had no idea what was going to happen. I loved the irises and I just about flipped when you told me we were going to eat at Garza’s. Going to an art house movie theater to see a romantic movie was a nice touch, too. Having a sense that something good was going to happen, but not knowing what it was going to be, was almost as much fun as the date itself.”

Clark shook his head and said, “Now, I’m already wondering what you are going to plan.” Clark turned to her as they reached her door. “When are we going to have this date, anyway?”

“Well, hmm, I have to take your ridiculously busy schedule into account, so I guess I need to know for sure when your next weekend off is going to be.”

“It’s not this weekend, but the next one, so you should have plenty of time to plan.”

Lana demurred, saying, “I don't know about that…”

“How much time could you possibly need, Lana. It's not like it's a wedding or anything.”

Lana instantly grinned from ear to ear.

That grin set off warning bells inside Clark’s brain. He wondered what he had said to make her so pleased. He reviewed their conversation and found it unexceptionable until he came to the word ‘wedding.’ Oh my, he thought, Lana’s probably going to start planning a wedding if I keep making slips like that.

Lana noticed how rattled Clark had become, and decided to needle him a bit, saying, “No, Clark, I’m not planning a wedding…not yet anyway. Planning something like that would take a year.”

His coloration was a bright pink and he thought his shirt collar had suddenly become two sizes too small. Lana grinned again and then fished her keys out of her purse, unlocked her door, and led Clark inside. Shutting the door behind him and setting the deadbolt lock, Lana asked Clark if he would like something to drink. He declined, and she poured an iced tea for herself before joining him on the living room futon.

She took a quick sip and set her drink on a coaster on a end table before catching his eyes and saying seriously, “There is one thing about this date that I would like to plan, with your assistance.”

“Sure. What?

Now it was her turn to blush a bit. I’ve never talked about sex with a guy before, Lana thought. At least, not like I’m about to. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, let half of the breath out, and said, calmly, “You know how we’ve always said that our first time should be special?”

Cautiously, Clark said, “Yes…and?”

“Well, I think that…that this date should maybe be our special time.” Lana looked at Clark apprehensively, trying to gauge his reaction. Am I being too forward? she wondered. I hope he doesn’t think I’m pushing him. Lana had never taken the first step in any part of a dating relationship before she met Clark, and she was sometimes unsure how her actions would be received.

Clark dipped his head to look Lana right in the eyes and asked, “Are you sure, Lana? Our relationship doesn’t need sex to survive, and I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything.”

She appreciated his willingness to wait more than he could know, but she had been ready for some time now. “Clark,” Lana said assertively, almost aggressively, “I want you as much as you want me. This is another way for us to express our love, and I am ready to take that step.”

A small smile broke out on Clark’s face, and he said, “Me too. I would like that very much.” Straightening up, Clark said, “That’s one more thing for me to anticipate for the next nine days.”

Lana picked up her tea, took a drink, and asked, “You said you have something important to discuss also. What is it?”

“Remember how you thought I should be actively using my abilities to help people? Well, I’ve been thinking about that every now and then, but I couldn’t get past the part where half of the population of Metropolis knows my face and name. That is, until the costume party last night.”

“Someone’s costume gave you an idea?”

“Yeah,” Clark said. “Two guys I didn’t recognize came dressed as Mexican wrestlers, complete with leather, full-head masks.” Clark’s excitement was obvious to Lana as he said, “With one of those on, I could actually do something without being recognized the first time I try it.”

“Then, the only thing you’d have to disguise is your voice.”

Confused a bit, Clark pulled one leg up on the futon and turned his body toward Lana as he asked, “Why my voice?”

“You’re the budding journalist, you figure it out.”

To Clark’s credit, it did not take him long to realize that Lana was thinking of the possibility of him gaining some media attention which might end up involving interviews.

“I could always avoid the press, I guess,” Clark said as he scratched his head. “But if I did that, the press would go nuts, with everyone trying to get the scoop. Who knows, someone might get lucky and see me enter or leave a building and then narrow their search until they found me.”

After a moment’s pause, Lana said, “You could limit how many people you give interviews to. Maybe just give interviews to Chloe. You know, let her be your mouthpiece.”

Clark almost started laughing at that last line from Lana. “I’m sure Chloe would love, l - o - v - e, LOVE, to talk for me, but she talks enough as it is, Lana. Besides, she doesn’t graduate for another 3+ semesters. The professional news outlets in town aren’t going to take kindly to being scooped by a college girl, so they’ll keep coming after me.” Reluctance writ large on his face, Clark said, “As much as I love Chloe, she’s out of the picture, at least until she graduates.”

“Okay, we’ll worry about the media when the time comes. Right now, I’d like to know what other costume ideas you might have for your proposed alter ego.”

Clark rubbed his palms on his thighs and said, “Just one idea so far. I’ve got a royal blue spandex body suit that I wear on the rare occasions when I go outside and fly at top speed. The suit fits me like a glove. Any other clothes I could wear would be shredded by the high speeds, but wearing that suit makes me look like an Olympic speed skater.”

Working to keep a straight face, Lana said, “As long as you don’t wear Speedos and look like an Olympic swimmer, I think you’ll be fine.”

After discussing what Clark had on his mind, they settled in to watch the 10 o'clock news and then hopped back and forth between Jay Leno and David Letterman before Clark decided to go home and get some sleep.

As he stepped through the door on his way home, Clark looked speculatively at the door to Lana's bedroom and asked, "Did you ever get around to taking your meteor rock necklace to your Aunt Nell's house for safekeeping?"

"Well, no. I was going to, but I never got around to making the long drive...but with our day only being nine days away, I'll do it this week."

"Don't worry about it. Just ask Chloe if her dad can get another one of those lead boxes for you. That way, your memories will be close, but they won't kill me."

[SVsleuth]

1st! OOooo...Clark & Lana planning for their "special" time together. This should be interesting...

And Clark finally trying to invent a secret identity, in order to be able to use his abilities openly to help people. That's cool.

Can't wait for more. The image of him flying in a speed skater's outfit was nice - only topped by the idea of a swimmer's Speedos. LOL

PPMS!

[clark&lanafan95]

Great Update ! Post more soon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[happycamper]

Good things come to those who stay up late...

It looks like you're going to give us a very (!) special date. ;)

And are we going to get to see Superman before this ends? I'd like to, seeing how I'm going to have to boycott the movie (the producers deliberately refused to use "the American way" in order to avoid 'offending' those outside the country) so I'd like to see a little Superman action...

BTW, thanks for the concern about my absence. I'm back, but notice that traffic here seem to be down. Is that something to do with the Summer, or is it something to do with the SMV storyline?

Anyway, loved the update - as always - and look forward to the next (this weekend? ;) ).

:D :D

[superman_lives_on]

Hmm... This should be an interesting date.

And Clark's finally thinking of creating an alter-ego so he can use his abilities openly without people knowing who he is... He even has the blue suit handy already, just without the other colorful parts. I think that we're going to see You-Know-Who begin to emerge...

PPMS! :D

[MOOman0618]

Awesome update!! So much to look forward to now.

The first hints of Supes coming out...and very nice reasoning for the blue tights! heehee But when will he realize he doesn't need a mask?

And also looking forward to this date! And the...post date. ;)

Can't wait! Post more soon!!! :D

[deanyouk]

nice update :)

[maru11]

great update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dr. Jeckyll]

Great update. The next ones should be very interesting... ;)

I'm really looking forward to the Superman movie. The premiere in Norway is 28th of July so I don't get to see it anytime soon :( Too bad it will contain Clois only, but its okay since we're dealing with the superman universe. I hope it will be a fun movie. I loved Spiderman and Batman so my expectations are pretty high...

Very off topic of me (sorry!) so I'll just end my post with a massive PPMS!!!

[NYC300Z]

Awesome update! I can't wait to read about this date either! You know the thing that struck me the most was Lana drinking ice tea I had 8 glasses of ice tea at work today lol I couldn't drink any more if I tried just reading about a glass lol u have no idea. Anyways cute udpate!

PPMS!

[Nemu]

Yay an update...


that was good!!! interesting... and nice of reversing the roles for the next date...

sweet Clark is starting to create Superman...

PPMS :D

[maitriniazngurl]

Great update!! Love the you do this.. and I'll do this.. hehe.. :D

[superman's my hero]

PHEW!! *wipes at proverbial sweat on forehead* I'm all caught up again. Great updates!! They are awesome! The Halloween party was hilarious!!! Keep em coming!!

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!

[annaliese]

ppms!!!!!!

[Iowanmom]

Well Cardinal, I've read through to chapter 66. I just wanted to say I truly enjoy reading this fic. I'm glad Candy got what she deserved and Lana sitting on the sidewalk watching her leave was a bold and 'perfect' touch to this ending of Candy's sorority-ship. I love that your Lana has a spine. I absolutely love it.

Also, being that Clark had to show the tape to the football team, I wondered if he had veiwed it as well. You don't ever say what Clark thought of the tape or how convincing it was, but I'm glad that the knowledge and vindication was implied, through it being witnessed by everyone.

There's so much to comment on, but the best part was Clark going back to Kathy and telling her thank you for giving everything she had to see him happy. It's nice to see others sacrificing and showing their devotion to this man, a man that time and time again gives all of himself to everyone else. Beautifully done, hon. I loved it.

*off to read more*

[SVsleuth]

Oh, IO! You only have 5 chapters left to be all caught up! :) Cool! Then you'll have to wait for updates with the rest of us. ;) PPMS, Card!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 72 - Telekinesis

When Clark left, Lana picked up her cell phone and checked her missed calls. There were not many, and the only one she felt compelled to return right away was from the irrepressible Kathy Kent. Her voice mail message said it was urgent, so Lana selected ‘call back’ from her list of options and waited for the phone to be picked up on the other end.

“Hi, Lana,” Kathy chirped.

“Hi yourself, Kathy…what’s up?”

“Is…is Clark with you by any chance? I called his cell phone, but he must have had it shut off.”

“No, Clark just left here to get some sleep.”

Kathy was disappointed and said, “Oh well, I guess it can wait until tomorrow morning. Good night, Lana.”

“Wait, Kathy. Don’t hang up just yet.” Kathy’s obvious disappointment had Lana wondering what Kathy needed, and Lana was determined to find out what it was. “What happened?”

“Well, I…I had another accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yeah. I don’t really know what happened, but I was sitting in bed, doing my homework when I decided I needed a textbook which was on my desk. I was comfortable where I was and I didn’t want to have to get up just for another school book.” Kathy paused as she tried to make sense of what had happened next. “And the next thing I knew, I had been hit in the side of the head by my history textbook. It magically flew across the room from my desk and…hit me.”

“How’s your head, Kathy? Any bleeding, any broken bones, or headaches?”

“Nooooo, if I had any of that, I’d be dealing with hyperactive parents on my way to the hospital.”

“Have you told them about this yet?”

“No. There’s not much they can do to help, and I thought I’d just tell the story once…well, twice now.”

“Sorry, Kathy.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s nice to know you care. I expect Mom, Dad, and Clark to make a fuss every time I stub my toe…in fact, those three can be downright smothering sometimes.”

“Kathy? I’m going to put you on hold and call Clark. He ought to be home by now.”

“Okay.”

Lana called the landline at Clark’s townhouse and Pete answered. A quick look at the caller id let him know who was calling, and he said, “Hi, Lana. What can I do for you this evening?”

“Hi, Pete. Has Clark come back yet?”

“Not that I know of, though sometimes that boy manages to sneak in without me seeing him.” Pete shook his head. “That’s pretty amazing when you consider how big he is.”

“Could you check? It’s important.”

Pete set the handset down and turned for the stairs just as the front door opened and Clark walked inside. Pete pointed to the phone and mouthed the word ‘Lana’ before heading back to watching his movie on DVD.

Clark set down his backpack, picked up the handset, and said, “Hey, Gorgeous! Miss me all ready?”

“Yes,” Lana said, “but that’s not why I called. Kathy called me while we were studying and left a message for me on voice mail. She really wants to talk to you, Clark.”

Clark took a seat at the kitchen table and said, “What’s wrong? The last time I received an urgent call from home, she…she…oh…”

For almost a minute, the phone line was quiet until Lana finally asked, “Clark? Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Cognizant of Pete’s presence in the living room, Clark choked off what he wanted to say and instead, said, “I guess Kathy will need to see me. I’d better hang up and go talk to her so she can get some sleep before school.”

“Hold on, Clark. Wait for me and I’ll drive while you talk to her.”

Clark pondered that for a few seconds and then asked, “Are you sure? We could be there for a while. You might get to bed kind of late.”

“Clark,” Lana said, in a tone of voice that told him he was not thinking straight, “tomorrow’s Friday. I don’t have class until 11 a.m. You’re the one with the early classes.”

Clark shuddered at the reminder of his early classes, “At least there’s no team weightlifting tomorrow, or else I’d be up at 5:30 just to get there on time.” Knowing Lana was right, Clark said, “Okay, come on over, I’ll be out front waiting on you.”

“I love you. See ya in a few minutes, Clark.”

“I love you, too, Lana.”

After hanging up the phone, Clark stuck his head into the living room to tell Pete that he and Lana were going to go visit his little sister who was having ‘special problems.’ That Pete happened to believe those problems involved Kathy’s journey through puberty was just a good disguise as far as Clark was concerned and he did not discourage Pete from his mistaken belief. Then again, Clark thought, these abilities coming so close together like this might be related to her changing body. Who knows what happens with a half-Kryptonian female on Earth. As far as Jor-El knows, she’s the first.

Minutes later, Clark and Lana were heading across town in Lana’s SUV. Due to it being almost midnight, the traffic was very light and Lana was making good time. Clark dialed home and Kathy picked up on the first ring.

When Kathy told Clark that she would tell him exactly what had happened when he got there, Clark said that would be just fine. He had called to see how she was doing, since he knew the last time she picked up an ability, she had been all weirded out.

“I’m fine, Clark,” Kathy said. “Doing this a second time is a lot less scary than it was the first time.”

“Well, the way traffic is right now, we ought to be home in minutes.” He looked at his watch and said, “If Mom and Dad aren’t up already, you better go wake them to give them time to dress.”

By the time Clark followed Lana through the front door, Jonathan and Martha had dressed in comfortable sweats and were waiting with Kathy at the kitchen table. Clark held a chair for Lana and then sat next to her and then all eyes were focused on the youngest person at the table.

Kathy went over what she had already told Lana. The three Kents all exchanged glances when they heard about the flying book and Clark spoke the likely name of her new power: telekinesis, the power to move or deform things with the mind.

Clark realized that both of Kathy’s powers were completely mental. No physical interaction was required for either. He wondered if this was the way it was always going to be for her, and if so, was that because she was a girl, because she was only half Kryptonian, or because of some other reason?

Jonathan and Martha were caught halfway between wanting to congratulate Kathy and wanting to console her. Once Clark was finished speculating about the nature of her abilities, he focused on helping her come up with a way to safely practice her new ability. They went down to the unused basement storage room where there was nothing to break, and Jonathan went along to watch and to step in and stop things if Clark came up with one of his more harebrained ideas.

Martha made a small pot of chamomile tea to help settle everyone down after they returned from the basement. Lana did not need to be in the basement, and besides, she saw an opportunity to ask Martha about things in Metropolis that she and Clark could do on the date she was in charge of planning.

Martha was surprised to hear about Clark’s idea for the date, but she immediately went to work, digging through the newspaper recycling box until she found the weekend section from the previous Friday’s paper. The two women sat side by side and flipped through the tabloid-sized section page by page.

One advertisement caught Martha’s fancy and she asked, “Lana, have you ever heard Clark sing before?”

“Nooooooo.”

“Well, you ought to. Clark doesn’t sing much when other people can hear him, but he’s pretty good if you can coax him into it.”

Lana was curious and scanned the open page until she saw what Martha had to be talking about…a Karaoke bar in one of the trendier neighborhoods near campus.

Somewhat confused, Lana asked, “If Clark is good at singing, why doesn’t he want to let anyone hear him?”

Martha got a faraway look in her eyes and said, “When Clark was younger, he was painfully shy. Chloe was the only close friend he had and I think the only way that could have happened was her forceful personality. When he shied away from her they day they met, she just wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and minutes later, they were playing together in the sandbox in the backyard.

“Anyway, with football, I don’t think he really sees the crowd when he plays and he can just pretend it’s him and his teammates like in practice. With singing, the audience is right in your face. There’s no way for him to get around the fact that people have focused their attention on him, and I think that causes him to revert to my shy little boy.

“Clark loathes attention that is focused solely on him. If you pay attention to his football interviews, when interviewers try to praise him, he always redirects that praise toward his teammates. So, in high school, he sang in the Concert Choir and the Madrigal Choir, but he never sang a solo.”

Lana had not even considered the possibility that Clark could sing, but now that she knew he could, she just had to hear him. I think our date will include a stop at the Karaoke bar, Lana thought.

[SVsleuth]

1st! OOooo! Kathy has telekinesis, and Lana's going to get Clark to sing? Cool! Wish we could really hear that too! PPMS! Sweet update.

[Nemu]

2nd
Telekinesis huh? nice power to have!!

Clark singing... now where did I see this... ;)

that will be interesting to see... at least what she will have to do to coax him into singing ;)

Well... I'm glad I caught this update now... as I'm about to go to bed...

so... PPMS :D

[Cardinal]

Originally posted by Nemu
2nd
Clark singing... now where did I see this... ;)


First, you saw it in my wedding fic, where Clark sang a lot, second, it was in SV's Alt. Clana and finally, it was in aj's "Hot Off the Press" fic.

[deanyouk]

Good update :)

[happycamper]

Yeah Kathy! I'm glad she has Lana - she really needs someone outside the family for talk/advice.

Et tu Martha . . . all the women-folk seem to be plotting endlessly against him. Looking forward to the fun.

Ah Card, I think that was just a rhetorical question from Nemu btw...:lol:

:) :)

[MOOman0618]

oooo...new power for Kathy! How exciting. I hope her and Clark can work though it. These powers she is getting are very cool.

And making Clark sing! HA! This should be a very fun date. :)

Post more soon.

[clark&lanafan95]

Great Update !!! PPMS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[superman_lives_on]

Heh... Clark singing--again. This should be fun. :D

And Kathy's developed the power of telekinesis, I see. Very nice.

PPMS!

[maitriniazngurl]

Awesome update!!

Lana should definfinly help Clark get over his shyness. And Karoke is the best way. I just love Karoke bars... Can't wait for the next update Card. :D

[Iowanmom]

Originally posted by SVsleuth
Oh, IO! You only have 5 chapters left to be all caught up! :) Cool! Then you'll have to wait for updates with the rest of us. ;) PPMS, Card!
Thanks SVsleuth. Although, waiting for updates will drive me nuts. :D I am trying so hard to catch up, but my time is limited for the foreseeable future. I will catch up. Until then, you keep posting and giving us this wonderful Clana, Cardinal!!! We need more! :D

[NYC300Z]

Great update! And nice they way you brought the date up in the midst of this!

PPMS!

[tygershot]

This story just keeps going on and on...and it's great! Keep it coming!

[akuma]

So im finally all caught up after my month of absence and i have to stay i really like were u r taking this story. Its great to see them in real world situations that dont involve meteor freaks popping up every 2 seconds lol. Cant wait to see how they help Kathy develop her new ability and how the date Lana plans goes. Great job!

[annaliese]

that is sooo cool that Kathy has Telekinesis!!! ive always wanted that power lol. cant wait to read about the karaoke bar and their date!!! post more soon!!!!!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Great update ! ppms !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[annaliese]

post more soon!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 73 - Home Game

Saturday. It was the last home game of the year for the Met U Bulldogs and they were playing Big 14 North Division rival Colorado. The Buffaloes came into the game with a record of 8-2, 5-1 in the conference. With their record standing at 10-0 and 6-0 in the conference, the Bulldogs could lock up the division championship with a win today.

As division winners, the Bulldogs would be entered into the Big 14 Conference Championship Game in three weeks in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The Kents already had reservations for two rooms at a nearby hotel. Kathy had not gotten to go to the conference championship game last year due to a conflict with a Girl Scout award dinner and Jonathan had stayed home to attend the dinner with her. This year, however, everyone’s calendar was clear and the whole family was going to be in Kansas City…if, that is, the Metropolis Bulldogs could win this game. Win today, and the annual Thanksgiving Day grudge match with the Kansas State Wildcats would only matter for bragging rights and the chance to maintain an undefeated record.

Clark was edgy the night before the game, so Lana made some calls and within an hour, Clark and Lana were attending the movies with Pete, Veronica, Chloe, and Jonesy. The movie was at a second-run movie house where the tickets were only $2, and thus always a favorite with the college students in Metropolis. A couple of hours thinking about something other than the next day’s game was just what the doctor ordered and Clark went to bed less stressed and fell asleep quickly.

In what had become a game day ritual, Lana met the Kents hours before the game and helped them set up for some serious tailgating. Normally, Martha was the cook in the Kent household, but when it came to the grill, Jonathan took over. Martha always told him how much she loved his grilling and then secretly enjoyed her day away from the stove.

Once the canopy was up and the grill was in place, Lana pulled Kathy over to sit in the middle seat of Lana’s SUV for a chat while Jonathan got the coals going in the grill.

“How’s the telekinesis coming along?” Lana asked.

“Oh, fine. Clark gave me a good idea on how I could practice using this without breaking a lot of stuff and so I’ve been practicing a lot. I’ve been working especially hard on not grabbing things mentally unless I really want to.”

“What idea did Clark give you?”

“He told me I could practice pulling stuff to me, pushing stuff away from me, and moving things side to side, all while using my force-fields to protect whatever area that I’m moving objects toward. That way, I won’t get hit in the head again and I won’t accidentally punch any holes in the walls.”

Lana looked all around to make sure no one was nearby, and then asked, “Could you give me a quick demonstration?”

“Sure!” Kathy said excitedly. “This close to me, I can pick up some pretty big stuff…like you!” Kathy’s eyes half closed as she concentrated and Lana yelped when she felt herself rise up off the bench seat of the SUV.

“Oh my!” Lana squeaked as Kathy set her back down. “Can you pick up Clark yet?”

“Nope. Not even if I was close enough to touch him.” Kathy shrugged her shoulders and said, “He thinks strength will come in time if I keep working at it, just like football players get stronger the more they work out.”

“What kind of range do you have with that talent?”

“As far as picking you up goes, I just about have to be next to you to do it. If it’s something very light, but not too small, then I ought to have pretty decent range because I can move stuff that’s on the other side of the house.”

Lana thought for a second and then asked, “'Not too small?’ I’d think the smaller the better.”

“Yeah, that surprised me too, but something really small is hard to grasp. I have to focus really hard. Once I have a grasp on the small stuff, moving it is easy.” Kathy started looking outside the SUV, looking for something she could move unobtrusively. Spying something that fit her criteria, Kathy reached out with her mind to make sure she could touch the object, then she turned to Lana and said, “See those two guys playing catch with the football in the parking lot?”

Lana looked the direction Kathy was looking and asked, “You mean the guys in the Bulldogs t-shirts?” Kathy nodded yes. “Yeah, I see them.”

“Watch this!” Kathy waited until the nearest guy was ready to throw and then she established a hold on the ball. When he threw the ball to his friend, Kathy added enough oomph to the ball to cause it to go sailing over the head of its intended recipient.

Lana’s jaw dropped while Kathy clapped her hands excitedly. “A football is just about the perfect object for me. It’s large enough to grab easily and really light, so I can move it however fast or slow I want.”

Lana turned to her young friend and said, “That was great, Kathy, but maybe you should hold off on any more public demonstrations. I think your parents would kill us both if we got you caught.”

That took a little excitement out of Kathy’s face. Lana was unsure if it was the idea of getting caught or the idea of her parents wanting to kill them both that caused Kathy to sober up.

The girls exited the SUV and headed back to Jonathan’s truck where the charcoal was burning and Martha had set up the folding table underneath the canopy. She was just setting the condiments on the table when Lana and Kathy came walking up.

Martha smiled at the two, marveling at how close they had become already. Clark hasn’t even talked about marriage yet, Martha thought, and Lana already feels like part of the family. “Where have you two been? Checking out the boys?”

Lana smiled, secure in the knowledge that she already had the boy she wanted, but Kathy blushed. The fact that the one-time tomboy had discovered that the opposite sex was good for more than sports was a never-ending source of amusement in the Kent household. Kathy was still new enough to the sensation to be embarrassed when someone noticed.

“We were just having a talk in my SUV, Mrs. Kent,” Lana said. “I just wanted to know how things were progressing with her new talent.”

Curious, Martha asked, “And…?”

Lana had already decided against mentioning Kathy throwing the football, but she looked around carefully and then said softly, “Sitting next to me in the SUV, she picked me up off of the seat without touching me. I was freaked out a bit at first, but then it was really cool.”

Kathy was close enough to hear everything and when Martha looked up at her daughter, Kathy was smiling proudly and, if truth be told, a bit smugly after hearing what Lana said.

The weather was a bit windy, but that is normal for Kansas in November. The temperature was tolerable, so Lana left her coat in the SUV. By the time the charcoal was ready to cook, some of the usual cast of characters began to show up. Being a food hound, Pete showed up first with Veronica in tow. About the time the first set of bratwursts and hamburgers were done, Chloe showed up with Jonesy.

Not long after, the team buses rolled by the parking lot on their way to the underground parking garage. Lana had been keeping an eye out for the three bus caravan and made her way to the corner of the parking lot to wave at Clark as his bus rolled by. Clark knew where his dad always parked the truck, so he was on the lookout for Lana when she smiled and waved.

Clark’s return smile was automatic; seeing her smile made him smile, there was no two ways about it. He lifted his hand and blew her a kiss. She remembered what he had done at Homecoming when she blew him a kiss, so she replied in kind now by ‘catching’ his kiss and holding it close to her heart.

Clark watched his family and friends until they were no longer in viewing range, and then he sat back in his seat and refocused on the game. Hours later, the pregame meetings were over, warm-ups were completed, and the KONDome was filled to its 74,000 person capacity. Once again, Clark was suited for battle and was waiting in the tunnel for the team introduction.

Once Colorado was on the field, smoke machines on either side of the tunnel entrance started up and the loudspeakers began to play a long version of the intro to “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC.

"THUNDER!…nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah…THUNDER!…nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah…” The whole stadium began to rock as 74,000 people pounded their seatbacks in time to the already deafening repetitions of THUNDER!

The public address announcer began to introduce the starting offense, beginning with the linemen. He then worked his way through the skill position players, ending up with the quarterback. As each player was announced, the music muted somewhat, both smoke machines gave off a large blast, the player’s photo, name and number were displayed on the Jumbotron video board, and the player ran through the smoke and out to the Met U bench on the press box side of the field.

Finally, it was Clark’s turn. No matter how many home games he played, being introduced as the Metropolis University starting quarterback was always a thrill.

“THUNDER!…nah nah nah, playing quarterback...at 6’ 3” and 200 pounds…from Metropolis Washington High School…number 8...Clark Kent.” Clark put his head down, helmet in hand, and sprinted through the smoke. As soon as he made it through the smoke, the announcer said, “And the rest of your 2007 Metropolis Bulldogs.” At that, the remaining 89 players charged out onto the field following Clark to the sound of, “You’ve been…thunderstruck!”

The game itself was no contest. The Met U defense had been playing like a championship caliber defense ever since the close game against Texas. With Clark’s pinpoint passing leading the way, the offense made the most of the opportunities presented to them by the defense and special teams, and the Bulldogs were up 21-6 at halftime.

After a halftime spent using the restroom and loading up at the concession stands, Lana and the Kents settled in for what promised to be more of the same in the second half. On the first Met U possession of the second half, they had the ball on their own 40-yard-line, but it was third down and seven yards to go for a first down. Clark dropped back to pass and he was under a heavy pass rush as Colorado sent seven men to try and sack Clark before he could complete a pass.

Clark rolled to the right in an attempt at buying an additional second or two of time, and, just as he was being hit by a linebacker and a defensive end, he launched a deep pass down the middle of the field to a wide receiver who only had one defender to beat.

Lana winced when Clark was hit, even though she knew that he was impervious to physical harm. Seeing her man get roughed up like that was something she just could not be blasé about like his parents and sister were.

The guys hitting Clark as he threw had altered his throwing motion and it seemed that the pass would overshoot the intended receiver who was racing down the middle of the field. But then, the ball seemed to slow and it dropped toward the ground on a sharper angle than what normally would have been expected…right into the surprised receiver’s outstretched hands. He tucked the ball away and raced the rest of the way for a touchdown.

The crowd roared its stunned approval at this turn of events. Everyone but Kathy, that is. She sat there with a shocked look on her face, and she could not bring herself to celebrate a touchdown that should not have happened…a touchdown that she made happen. I didn’t know I could reach that far, Kathy thought. Oh no, what have I done?


Lana was the first one to notice when she turned to give Kathy a celebratory hug. The Kents quickly noticed too. All three of them thought back to the unusual flight of the ball and came to the same conclusion: Kathy had done something to the ball.

By now, they were all giving her looks of disapproval and she was looking back at them with an apologetic look on her face. Deciding that public seating was not the place to have a discussion of this nature, Jonathan stood and signaled Kathy to follow him.

When he found a traffic-free spot on the main concourse, Jonathan stopped and asked, “What were you doing out there? Do you want to get caught?”

With tears in her eyes, Kathy looked up to her dad and said, “I didn’t mean to, honest! I just got too excited when the receiver got open down the middle. All I wanted was for him to catch the ball. I didn’t mean to grab the ball.” Kathy shrugged her shoulders. “It just happened.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it wasn’t intentional, but you have to learn to control your abilities better or else you may get taken away from us. I don’t want to lose you any more than I wanted to lose Clark when his abilities first started showing up. You have to be more careful with your thoughts, Kathy. Your thoughts have consequences.”

Kathy could see how this was affecting her dad, so she hugged him and said, “I’ll try my best, Daddy. I just hope Clark isn‘t mad at me.”

Jonathan pulled his daughter in close and said, “Don’t worry, Punkin. Clark was on his back counting ceiling panels by the time you redirected the ball. As for the other thing, I’ll accept an honest effort to control yourself. If it happens again, though, we’re going home instantly. Got it?”

Smiling through her tears now, Kathy said, “Yes, Daddy. Thanks.”

To Kathy’s credit, no more incidents happened and after the 42-13 victory, the four of them waited at their usual place outside the underground garage for Clark to come out and meet them.

Not knowing about the little drama in the stands, Clark was all smiles when he walked up the ramp to meet his girlfriend and his family. He thought he’d be able to get a hug and a kiss from Lana first, but Kathy had ideas of her own and ran down the ramp to meet Clark as soon as she saw him. The fact that she had interfered with his game was still upsetting her and she wanted to be the one to tell him.

“I’m sorry, Clark. I’m so sorry!” Kathy said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Reflexively, Clark put his arms around her shoulders, hugged her back, and asked, “What are you sorry for, Half-Pint?”

Everything came out then. She told him how she had wanted the receiver to catch that pass and how she accidentally made it happen. It was obvious to Clark that Kathy had not meant to do it, but it appeared she was afraid of his reaction.

Clark picked her up and set her slender frame on a low retaining wall that ran along the side of the ramp. This put her close to being eye-to-eye with him. Once he got her to look him in the eyes, he said, “Did you do it on purpose?”

“No,” came the sniffled reply.

“Did it happen again?”

“No.”

“Then don’t worry about it.” Clark lifted her down off the wall and they began to walk up the ramp hand-in-hand. “I know better than anyone that it is going to take you some time to completely control your ability.”

Just before they reached everyone else, Clark leaned over and joked, “Just don’t start blocking field goals. That might be hard to explain.”

Kathy giggled and elbowed him in the side, saying, “What about making the other team trip? I could grab a foot long enough to make that happen.”

Lana and the Kents were happy to see Kathy really smiling again as the five of them headed for the parking lot and their celebratory dinner at Cattlemen’s Steak House.

[SVsleuth]

:) This was a really fun chapter.

Cool to see the three couples on a "Triple date" to the movies.

And it was neat when Kathy lifted Lana off the seat - and when she messed up the football practice of those boys.

It was sweet when Lana caught his kiss & held it to her heart, just like he did at Homecoming. Aww... ;)

Poor Kathy, though, accidentally helping Clark's team cheat - good thing it didn't really make a difference in the outcome of the game. It's cool to see her struggling to control her new ability, going through the same thing Clark went through, though with different ablities. Of course he would understand better than anyone.

Time for the date Lana is planning, right? PPMS! ;)

[akuma]

2

Great update Card, tht was interesting to see Kathy going thru same type of things as Clark, not bein able to control abilities and just triggering them with a thought. Nice writing and cant wait for more!

[Nemu]

3rd
That was funny!! and very good!!!!

OOPS is the only answer Kathy could say...

PPMS :D

[happycamper]

4th

Cute chapter. That's all Clark needs, Kathy helping out...:lol:

Opponents better beware!


:D :D

[superman_lives_on]

Nice chapter...but poor Kathy! She still doesn't have complete control over her abilities...and neither did Clark when he was first getting them. Definitely some common ground there.

I'm not surprised that Clark's team won with such a high score. I just hope that the celebration will be cool!

PPMS!

[deanyouk]

nice to see Kathy's powers expanding, great update

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NYC300Z]

Yeah Field Goals that's the first thing I thought of when I read her demonstration to Lana~!

PPMS!

oh yeah Great Update!;)

[annaliese]

oohhhh yay!!!! an update! i loved it!!!!!

[maru11]

great update!!!!!!!!!

[MOOman0618]

Oh man...telekenisis would be SO much fun!! heehee

Its so awesome that her powers are developing. And in the end...they beat the other team so badly that one touchdown didn't even make a difference.

Can't wait for more!!! :)

[maitriniazngurl]

Wow, that was amazing!! Can't wait for more!! :D I would love to have the power of telekinsis. But I would rather want to fly. :D

PPMS!! :D

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lost_In_Clana]

I just started reading this and i gotta say it's awesome!!!!Hopeyou get a chance to update soon.

[maru11]

update please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NYC300Z]

again? Soon? ;)

[clark&lanafan06]

Update soon Please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tygershot]

Update...?

[maru11]

updte please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 74 - Flirting

Lana had finalized her plans a few days before the date and let Clark know roughly what it would cost. Clark smiled and handed Lana a check for the estimated total.

All she would tell him ahead of time was to wear jeans and, if he owned them, a pair of cowboy boots. The rest of his daytime ensemble was up to him. He was also told to bring along a change of clothes more suitable for nighttime entertainment, but she then told him that the cowboy boots would be just fine.

These little hints and instructions were raising Clark’s curiosity level to new heights. He kept wondering what Lana had in store for them. The date itself was going to be on Sunday since the Metropolis Sharks had the week off and thus, there would be no gathering at the Kent house to watch the Sharks play.

For her last instruction Saturday night as she left Clark’s townhouse after watching Pirates of the Caribbean on DVD, she told him to be ready to go by 6 a.m. The idea of Lana being awake and alert while the world was still dark amused Clark to no end as he knew how much she liked to sleep in on the weekends.

It’s a good thing she told me to keep this day completely clear on my scheduling calendar, Clark thought, she obviously wasn’t kidding about the whole day belonging to us, from sunrise until long after dark.

Clark had a garment bag with a complete change of clothes all ready to go, draped over the back of his couch. His alarm clock was set for 5:30, plenty of time for him to get ready since Lana said they would get breakfast on the road at a more reasonable hour.

His growing sense of anticipation made sleep hard to come by, which mirrored Lana’s condition in her apartment. Only, with her, anticipation was not the problem. Her problem was incessantly going over every little detail in her mind again and again, trying to make sure that everything was as perfect as she could plan it. The fact that she had been perfectly happy with her plans three days ago meant nothing to her now.

Being a woman, getting ready for a big date was a one-woman production number. Having her outfit picked out and ready to go saved some time, but Lana still needed a lot of time for her hair, makeup, and a long, hot shower to wake herself up thoroughly. Clark, on the other hand, rolled out of bed, staggered into the bathroom and, twenty minutes later, was freshly showered, dressed, and ready to go.

Lana had always hated it when guys picking her up for a date would sit in their cars and honk the horn, expecting her to come running. She thought the guys should be gentlemen, meet her at the door and escort her to their cars. In her case, she was a lady, and knocked lightly on the front door to try and avoid waking Pete. Clark picked up his garment bag and opened the door, greeting Lana with a more-than-friendly kiss.

Mmm, she thought, that’ll wake a girl up in the morning faster than a triple espresso.

Clark thought he tasted a faint fruit flavor in Lana’s lip gloss, but was unsure which fruit, so he guessed on their way to Lana’s SUV. “Watermelon.”

“Huh?” Lana said, swiveling her head toward Clark at this seemingly out of place comment.

“Your lip gloss, I was guessing what flavor it is.”

Lana nodded ‘yes’ as she said, “Good guess.”

Clark hung his garment bag from a hook just inside the back door, and then hurried to Lana’s door to hold it for her. Lana smiled with pleasure at this courtesy, and when Clark climbed in the passenger side and buckled his seatbelt, she leaned over, pulled his head down, and kissed him.

“Not that I’m complaining or anything,” Clark said, “but what was that for?”

Putting her key in the ignition, Lana said, “That was for being a gentleman. Unlike most men I’ve met, you don’t have to think about it, you just are.”

With the early hour on a Sunday morning, traffic on the expressways was almost non-existent and Lana quickly made her way out of town headed west. Clark and Lana barreled along Interstate 70 at the posted speed limit until they came to a small town and Lana decided it was time for breakfast. They ate at a Shoney’s restaurant and had the breakfast buffet. Lana watched as Clark dug in with his accustomed gusto, while she picked at a small salad and some scrambled eggs.

When they returned to the interstate and kept heading west, it became increasingly clear where they were headed…Smallville.

Clark quirked an eyebrow at Lana and asked, “There’s no place like home…eh, Dorothy?”

“Figured it out, did you?” Lana glanced over at Clark. “I’ve seen where you grew up and I thought it was time that you saw the place where I grew up…at least, the parts that Chloe didn’t show you when you visited her in high school. There are some things here that might surprise you.”

“As long as we stay away from the meteor rocks, I’m sure I’ll have a great time.”

“That shouldn’t be any problem. The only places you will find that stuff is in small canyons made by meteor impacts, and deep in the woods. We won’t be going to either type of place.”

Clark was curious to see the town he almost grew up in one more time, this time through the eyes of his girlfriend. As Lana drove down the interstate highway’s off-ramp and turned onto the state highway that would take them into Smallville, the time was nearing 9:30 in the morning. Lana had made good time without risking a traffic ticket, though Clark was sure that with Lana’s beauty and charm, she would be able to talk her way out of almost any ticket…as long as they were not stopped by a woman.

The first place they headed was the coffee shop where Lana worked all throughout high school. It was called The Beanery, and when they walked in the door, Lana greeted many old friends and former co-workers, most of which had not seen her since she and Nell moved away after high school.

Glad hugs and squeals of delight were in abundance for the next few minutes, and Lana’s old manager asked her, with a wink, if she would like her old job back, even for just a few hours for old times’ sake. She laughed and politely declined, saying that her boyfriend might not understand.

That brought Clark to everyone’s attention and Lana introduced him all around. All of her former co-workers wanted to meet the man who had been able to attract Lana’s attention, and finally, win her heart. For it was plain to everyone from the way she looked at Clark while introducing him, that she was head-over-heels in love. That he seemed to return the sentiment, only made him more likeable in the eyes of her friends, but then, Lana had always tended to generate passion in many of the men around her, whether she wanted to or not.

Before they sat down for a quiet cup of coffee, something else happened. One of the guys that worked in the back came out to say hello to Lana and nearly tripped when he was introduced to Clark. “Clark Kent?” the young man asked. “As in, starting quarterback for the number-one-ranked Met U Bulldog football team? That Clark Kent?” When Clark nodded his head ‘yes,’ the football fans in the place, admittedly few in a coffee shop in the middle of the morning, lined up for autographs. The small crowd soon dissipated and Lana and Clark were able to take a booth and place their orders.

“You know,” Clark said as they waited for their coffee, “the last time I was in here was more than three years ago. It was the first time I ever saw you and I tried so hard to flirt with you, but you ignored me like I wasn’t even here.”

Lana grinned and said, “Well, Clark, you can flirt with me all you want to now, and I promise I won’t shoot you down.”

Clark reached across the Formica table top to clasp her hands and said, “Knowing I won’t get shot down does take some of the excitement out of flirting, but it also makes flirting feel warmer, more fun, and less desperate.”

“Yeah,” Lana replied, “flirting with the guy that’s already your boyfriend is cute…and sometimes, it’s just plain sexy.”

The coffee came quickly and they drank their frothy concoctions, enjoying the relative quiet of the now nearly empty coffee shop. When they finished, Lana made sure to leave a heavy tip for the waitress and they headed for the door. Once on the sidewalk, Lana tilted her head toward her SUV and said coquettishly, “So, Gorgeous, can I interest you in taking a ride with me?”

With feigned nervousness, Clark replied, “I don’t know. I’ve heard stories about girls with cars like this.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you back home with your virtue intact…”

“Damn! I was afraid of that.”

“…but I make no promises about what will happen after I get you home.”

Clark gave Lana a speculative look and asked, “So, after taking a ride with you, I might get to take a ride on you?”

“Play your cards right, and there’s no telling what might happen.”

For Clark and Lana, each line of that verbal exchange had been more outrageous than the last, and both of them were breathing heavily, trying to stem the tide of lust that had just sprung up…but to little effect. They just stood on the sidewalk, staring at each other, each wanting the evening’s planned cap to their date to happen right now.

Clark walked Lana to her door after checking traffic and, before opening it for her, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. His arms wrapped around her back, pulling her body into his, while her hands slid up his biceps to rest just below his shoulders as their lips tried to transmit all of the sexual energy that both of them had built up.

When someone in a passing truck leaned out a window and yelled, “Get a room!” Clark and Lana broke their intense liplock and caught their breath, with Lana resting her head on Clark’s chest and Clark’s chin perched on the top of her head.

Finally, Clark said softly, “That kiss is all I can give you right now.” He took another shuddering breath. “You’re making it so hard to wait until tonight.”

“Ditto,” Lana replied. “I love you so much, that I need another outlet, another way to express how I feel about you.”

Clark pulled open her door and held it for her, and, after walking to the passenger side and climbing in, he buckled himself in as she maneuvered out of the parking spot.

“What’s next?” Clark asked.

Lana was silent, but his question was quickly answered as she pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the Smallville Stables.

[SVsleuth]

1st! Clark & Lana in the anticipation mode...waiting, waiting,... hardly able to wait any longer.... and now they're just gonna go horseback riding? Hmm....wonder where they'll end up...will they cut it short to get back to Lana's faster? Will they find someplace else?.... PPMS!

[happycamper]

2

Hmm...flirting? I always considered that a matter of suggestion and slight innuendo. They are being way too direct and forward, so they are beyond mere flirting! :p

And anyway, what kind of mischief could they possibly get into from a horse ride around Smallville? ;)

I think we all are anticipating quite a bit on this date between our favorite SMV pair...

Let us know (soon!!).

:D :D

[Cardinal]

Originally posted by happycamper
2

Hmm...flirting? I always considered that a matter of suggestion and slight innuendo. They are being way too direct and forward, so they are beyond mere flirting!

Exactly! They both got a bit carried away and ended up taking the flirting farther than either one intended.

I probably didn't show that very well though. :(

[superman_lives_on]

Heh...pretty hot and heavy for mere "flirting", don't you agree? :)

I was hoping a visit to Smallville would be in the cards--it's like visiting an old friend and digging up a little history.

And they're going to go horseback riding? Cool! I wonder what will happen after...

PPMS! :D

[MOOman0618]

Originally posted by superman_lives_on
Heh...pretty hot and heavy for mere "flirting", don't you agree? :)
:lol: I agree! Man...flirting like that could really get you in trouble! heehee

Great update Card. Their date seems to be going well already. Although if the go at this rate they won't make it to lunch before 'capping' the day off. ;)

Can't wait for more!!

[C.A.chick]

Wow, its been quite a while since I've posted....But I can assure I've been following this fic verrrrrrrry closely.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing! I can't believe how well written this story is. You show so many diffferent emotions so well. The readers can almost feel watch the Kents and Lana go through.

I absolutely love the way Clark and Lana act with each other. Clark is such a gentleman and Lana is so caring. Its nice to see that after the Candy "issue" their relationship is even stronger. They are obviously in deep love if everyone around them can tell their "head-over-heels" in love with each other.

Brilliant chapters, Card! Sorry I missed posting for so many of them. This story doesn't cease to amaze and enthrall me. I loooooooove this story!

[akuma]

Haha great update, flirting is oh so much fun! Cant wait to see where they ride to from the stables, though i have some guesses, PPMS

[maitriniazngurl]

Flirting... it's like the key concept to meeting someone.. first you eye them.. then..you flirt.. Right??? :D

Awesome update Card!! Love it!!

Can't wait for more... PPMS!!

[NYC300Z]

Great Start for their date! Great UPdate!;) I guess there going riding! That should be cute!

PPMS!

[deanyouk]

great update

[Nemu]

That was very good!!! I can't wait to see how the rest of the day will go...

Tension will rise before the night comes ;)

PPMS :D

[emogirl*88]

plz update again!!

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[annaliese]

update soon!!!

[clana1fan4ever]

ppms!!!!!!!!

[clanas1ally]

PPMS!!!

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 75 - Knowledge

By interlacing his fingers and facing both hands palm-up, Clark made an impromptu basket for Lana to use for mounting her horse. He then bent over and held those hands at her knee level. She grabbed a hold of her horse’s saddle, quickly stepped into the ‘basket’ and, as Clark lifted her up, she swung her right leg over the horse. She had already adjusted the stirrups to the perfect length for her short legs, so she slid her boots into the stirrups as Clark handed her the reins. He quickly mounted his horse and joined her outside the stable.

Because of liability concerns, Lana and Clark were not allowed to leave the stables on the horses without wearing safety helmets. Lana grumbled, fearing that her hair would be mussed, so she brought along a brush, a comb, and a compact mirror which she tucked into the large wicker panniers which had been fastened to her horse right behind the saddle. Clark grumbled too, but not out of fear for his hairstyle, which was almost always an unruly mass of waves anyway. He grumbled simply because he knew he didn’t need a helmet.

Lana’s horse was outfitted with an English riding saddle, the kind she had used in her youth while competing in riding competitions. Clark’s horse was saddled with a cowboy-style saddle, complete with a long length of looped hemp rope attached to the side.

Curious about Clark’s choice of saddle, Lana asked, “Why did you choose a Western saddle? And what are you doing with that rope?”

As they eased their way out of the corral outside the barn, and a stable hand closed and locked the gate behind them, Clark answered, “A Western saddle is what I’m comfortable with. When Dad brought me, and later me and Kathy, out to the country to learn how to ride, this is what we learned on.”

Curious, Lana, asked, “Why did your dad teach you to ride?”

Clark stopped his horse at an intersection of two gravel roads, waited for Lana to choose a direction, and said, “I think he knew that moving to the city was necessary to protect me, but he regretted the fact that we didn’t get the chance to grow up on a farm and do the things he got to do.” Clark shrugged his shoulders. “Horse riding was something he could teach us, something that would give us the smallest taste of being out on a farm.”

Lana mulled over his answer as she turned her horse left and headed down a route she had planned days ago. They rode down narrow country lanes that were shaded by the trees that always seem to grow along fence lines. Occasionally, she would lead them across a farmer’s pastureland if she knew the family that owned the land. She was very careful to make sure to firmly close each gate that she and Clark went through as she knew what could happen if the livestock got loose as a result of her carelessness.

Despite the shade and the general coolness of the mid-November day, Lana’s exertions were causing her perspire ever so slightly. Clark noticed and thought it gave her face a wonderful glow.

Lana did not notice the light perspiration, but she did notice Clark’s sudden stare and, suddenly self-conscious, she asked him what he was looking at. He held his gaze steady and said, “You. I’m just drinking in your loveliness.”

Lana blushed, not being quite able to deal with that compliment. She was sure she looked a mess, and she told Clark so, saying, “Clark, we’ve been riding for an hour. I’m sure my hair is snarled like Medusa’s snaky locks. How could you find me beautiful now?”

Clark shrugged his shoulders and said, “If you don’t believe it, then I can’t explain it other than to say, if you could see yourself the way I see you, you’d understand.”

That contented Lana and she thought, If he thinks I’m beautiful, then that’s all that really matters.

Now, instead of cutting across a field with the intention of getting past a house and barn, Lana had them approaching a light blue, two-story wooden farm house from the rear. Lana turned her horse into a spacious horse barn and immediately dismounted. She led her horse into a stall where water and a mixture of alfalfa and oats was waiting. She motioned for Clark to dismount and lead his horse into the stall next to hers. Since they were not going to stay very long, she told him to leave the saddles on, and they hung their helmets on the stall doors.

As they walked up to the house hand-in-hand, Lana told him this was the house she grew up in. That piqued Clark’s interest and he began to look at the house more intently. The last thing she told him before they climbed the steps to the front porch, was that her Aunt Nell still owned the place because she had not been able to find a suitable buyer, and that the people living here now were distant relatives who were living rent-free as long as they paid the utilities and kept the place ready to show to potential buyers.

Just then the front door opened and a couple in their thirties came out to greet them. “Lana, it’s so good to see you,” the woman said. Lana replied in kind and the two women hugged.

Once the women separated, the man stepped forward and said, “Welcome home, Lana.”

Lana hugged the man too and then made introductions, saying, “Clark, this is Ed and Regina Potter. They’re second cousins of mine on my mom’s side.” Turning, she said, “Ed and Regina, this is Clark Kent, he’s my boyfriend.” After Clark shook hands with both Potters, Lana recaptured his hand and the four of them moved inside.

Regina returned to the kitchen, saying over her shoulder that dinner would be ready in a few minutes, and Ed headed back to the first-floor room he was using as an office. The smell of fresh fried chicken permeated the house, making Clark’s stomach rumble, but he assumed the chicken was for Ed and Regina. Lana heard the rumble and rolled her eyes as she led him on a tour of the house. She saved upstairs for last and her old bedroom for very last.

When Nell moved out, Lana was moving to Chicago for school, so most of her old furniture was left behind while she and Nell bought a whole new bedroom suite in the Windy City. While Lana had liked her old stuff, not having to move that bulky, heavy furniture had simplified the moving process for a small town teenager that would be living on her own for the first time.

Stepping into her old bedroom for the first time in more than two years was like stepping back in time. The bed, the dresser, everything was in the same place. Even the curtains were still the same. She ran her fingertips along the edge of her dresser as she headed to the window, while Clark watched from the doorway, not wanting to intrude on her memories.

When Lana reached the window, she pulled back the drapes and unlocked the window. She finally noticed Clark had not come in with her and she waved him into the room and then slid the window up out of the way. When Lana still did not feel Clark at her side, she turned to see him standing in the middle of the room, slowly turning as he examined each piece of furniture in detail.

“Clark?” Lana asked. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to picture in my mind what you would have made this room look like when you lived here. Where did the pictures sit? Did you have stuffed animals and, if so, where would they have been displayed? Were there posters on the wall? If so, what was on them?” Finally facing Lana, Clark said, “Really, I’m just hoping for a glimpse of the Lana Lang I will never know. A girl that moved here at age three as an orphan. A girl that grew up in the country on the edge of a small town. A girl that spent her entire life here until she went away to college.” Clark stepped close to Lana. “You may tell me all about those days someday, but I will miss not having experienced them myself.”

Lana looped her arms around one of his and led him to the open window. “I told you when you gave me that tour of campus that we would have been neighbors if you had stayed in Smallville. Want to see?”

“I would have lived close enough to be able to see my house from here?” Clark asked incredulously.

“Look straight out that window,” she said.

Clark lowered his upper body to fit through the opening, leaned outside and asked, “What am I looking for?”

“Unless either one has been repainted in the last few years, you should be able to make out an indistinct blob of red and a smaller one of yellow almost side by side.”

Clark strained his already excellent eyesight to the utmost and suddenly, his eyes zoomed in on the barn and house like he was within arm’s reach. He jerked back in surprise and banged the back of his head on the wooden window frame. Being Clark, he was not hurt in the least, but the window rattled hard and Lana thought the glass might break.

Clark’s wide-eyed look let Lana know something was wrong, so she slid a hand up his spine in an attempt at soothing him. Then she asked what had happened.

Not quite able to tear his eyes off of the open window, Clark said distractedly, “I just got…I think I got anyway…a new power. I thought I was done with new powers by now.” Clark was used to the unexpected where his Kryptonian heritage was concerned and he quickly adjusted to the new reality.

As Clark pulled himself together, Lana waited with slowly growing impatience. Finally, she tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Care to share the nature of this new ability?”

“Oh, sorry! I was just thinking about how to practice this ability so I can get it under control.” Clark wrenched his eyes away from the open window and looked at Lana. “Basically, it seems to be a form of telescopic vision. I was trying really hard to make out the red and yellow blobs you told me to look for and, all of a sudden, they leapt into view. It looked like they were right in front of me, and then they receded to a comfortable viewing distance. Having those buildings pop up an arm’s length away from me is what made me jump. I wasn’t scared, but it sure did startle me.”

Not sure of what he would say in response, Lana asked cautiously, “Would you like to ride by your parents’ old place since we’re this close?”

Clark thought about it and said, “Sure. I don’t see why not.”

Lana and Clark trooped downstairs, but instead of heading out the front door, Lana pulled Clark into the kitchen where the smell of chicken was as strong as ever. He was unable to avoid another stomach rumble, but this one earned him a smile from Regina, who said, “I’m glad you like the smell of my chicken, Clark, since you’re going to be eating it very soon.”

“What?” Clark said.

Lana tugged on his shirt sleeve and asked, “Would you go outside and get the panniers and bring them inside?”

“Panniers?”

“Yeah, the big wicker hampers on the back of my horse.”

“Oh…those.” Clark brightened up and said, “Sure thing, I’ll be back in a second.”

By the time Clark made it back, Regina and Lana had a picnic lunch packaged up and ready to place into the panniers. Clark could see the chicken in its Tupperware container, but he was not too sure what the other packages were.

Once loaded and ready to go, Clark and Lana thanked their hosts and headed out the back door toward the horse barn. As Clark reattached the now full panniers, Lana ran back inside and came out with and old blanket which she rolled up and tied to the back of her saddle. Then, helmets in place, they were back on their horses and headed down Hickory Lane at a slow trot. Coming up on an old mailbox, Lana and Clark reined in their horses and stopped.

“A family named Granger lives here now,” Lana said, “unless they’ve moved since I got out of high school.”

Clark read the name on the side of the mailbox and saw that the Grangers were still here. He looked intently at the house and the outbuildings, trying to spark any sort of memory. As far as he knew, he had been three years old when he came to Earth, and his parents had moved to Metropolis shortly after the adoption was complete, so he did not expect to remember much, but anything would be nice.

Finally, he saw an ancient tractor that had long since been abandoned in a corner of a nearby field. He could see, with some difficulty, that the tractor had once been red, but the red paint had long since been overtaken by the reddish-orange color of rust. Still, seeing the tractor made a memory come to the surface.

“I remember that old tractor, Lana.”

“The tractor? I thought you might remember the house or the barn.” Lana paused, and noticing the wistful expression on Clark’s face, asked, “what do you remember about the tractor?”

“At home, we have an a few old videotapes from when I was very little. They were taken here in Smallville on the farm. The one I like the best is one where my dad is sitting in the seat of that old tractor and I am sitting on his lap and we are just driving the tractor around and around in the field while Mom taped us. She was worried and warned Dad to be careful.” Clark reached across the narrow gap between their horses and clasped her hand with his. “It’s my favorite tape and it has always made me wonder what a life in Smallville would have been like. I’ve never seen Dad that carefree in Metropolis… I wonder just how much he gave up to keep me safe.”

Lana smiled, happy to have been let in on a small corner of Clark’s life, but she waited quietly for him to complete his look around the farmyard. When they moved on once more, Lana picked up the pace. She had the perfect picnic spot picked out and from the sound of Clark’s stomach he had been ready for lunch for some time. Soon, they approached an empty farm field that had never been used for more than occasional grazing due to the hill that was in the middle of the field.

Lana led Clark through the gate and up the hill before dismounting and tying her horse to a sturdy branch of the lone tree at the top of the hill. Clark followed her example and was glad the horses had been watered at Lana’s old house since there was no water anywhere near here.

Lana asked Clark to get the panniers off of the horse, while she was busy spreading the old, king-sized blanket on the ground. Satisfied with the blanket’s arrangement, Lana started placing the contents of the panniers on the blanket, and organized them for easy access.

The riding helmets had already come off and Clark used their chinstraps to hang them from the saddle horn on his saddle. Lana took a moment to use the mirror she had tucked into the panniers and was dismayed to see the rats’ nest her hair had become. She grabbed her brush and comb out of the panniers, determined to give her hair a thorough combing before they sat down to eat. But before she could get started, Clark snatched them out of her hands.

“Clark?!” Lana squawked. “What are you doing? I need to comb this mess.”

Clark fended off her attempts to reclaim her hair care tools. He then pointed at the blanket and said, “Sit.”

When she balked and reached for her brush and comb again, Clark made it clear that she was not going to get them until she sat down. Grumbling for the second time today, Lana gave in and sat down. What happened next was a complete surprise as Clark sat down behind her and began carefully using the comb and brush to fix her hair himself.

Clark had to be extra careful, to make sure he did not hurt her as he pulled out the knots and tangles. Once Lana overcame the shock of her All-American quarterback boyfriend turning hairdresser, she relaxed and enjoyed the blissful sensation of being pampered.

Once a section of hair was tangle-free, Clark moved it to the side until he was finished and only Lana’s bare neck was in front of his hands. He set her comb and brush down on the blanket and began massaging her neck. As she showed her appreciation by moaning softly, Clark’s massage spread from her neck to her shoulders and he leaned forward to begin kissing her exposed neck.

The first touch of Clark’s velvety soft lips to her neck almost made Lana jump, but that impulse was quickly overridden by the sensations coming from her neck and shoulders. She tilted her head forward to give him better access to her neck, and was rewarded when the kisses traveled down and across her neck in a spiral.

Just when she thought she had to either return his kisses or die from pent up lust, Clark released her shoulders, pulled her hair back into place, and gave the hair one more brushing so it hung about her head like a silk curtain. While he leaned over to place Lana’s things back inside the panniers, Lana turned around to face him, so that when he straightened up, she was able to launch herself at him.

Before Clark had time to react, Lana had him pinned on the blanket and was returning his kisses with vigor. Between kisses she said, “Not playing fair…” *kiss* “…getting me…” *kiss* “…all worked up like that…” *kiss* “…and not letting me respond.” *kiss* “I’ll show you…” *kiss* “…to not mess with me.”

Once she figured she had extracted the full measure of her sweet revenge, Lana finally relented and allowed Clark to resume sitting. They both needed to catch their breath, and, wanting to save something for tonight, where they would have a proper bed, they reluctantly agreed that the horizontal activities had to stop.

Clark noticed that Lana’s hair was all over the place, which prompted him to reclaim the brush for a quick run through which had her purring by the time he was done. When Lana pouted a bit at the end of the brushing, Clark said, “I seem to remember this being how we started making out in the first place.”

After that, Clark and Lana sat down and enjoyed a meal of fresh fried chicken, German potato salad and cornbread. Dessert was chocolate-covered strawberries which they took turns feeding to each other. Pushing the last bit of strawberry into the other’s mouth invariably ended with a kiss or two being placed on the finger doing the pushing. When the strawberries finally ran out, much to their dismay, Clark cleaned up the empty containers and placed them and the trash back in the panniers which he reattached to Lana’s horse.

Not wanting to ride on a full stomach, Lana and Clark cuddled at the base of the tree and talked. Mostly, they talked about their future. Clark was going to graduate in May, while Lana had years to go to get her degree in architecture and yet, neither one even thought of a future without the other. Everything they discussed involved both of them, including Lana’s role in helping him as he figured out how to best use his powers to help mankind.

In the middle of that conversation is when Lana knew. She absolutely knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Clark was the man she was going to marry. Lana had never felt safer, more secure, and more loved than when she was wrapped in Clark’s arms. She knew that whatever she wanted to achieve in life, Clark was going to be standing beside her, supporting her, and most importantly, loving her, every step of the way.

Now, all she had to do was make sure he saw things the same way.

[SVsleuth]

:) That was a cool chapter - Clark getting telescopic vision, the hair brushing & kissing... wonder if they'll really last until nighttime... and, Lana KNOWS she has to marry Clark! ;) PPMS!

[Nemu]

Well... a sweet update and very good too!!!

How long will they last... at least until night time before anything happen I hope... and forever will they be together too...

Lots of emotions... sweet....


PPPMS :D

[superman_lives_on]

Lovely. Just...lovely. So much good stuff here...

...but the real standout was Lana's realization about marrying Clark. Now that was the icing on the cake. :D

PPMS! :D

[closetfan]

greate update...

i love how clark remembers the old tractor from the videotape...i remember that scene from vengance....that scene got to me

cant wait for more!

[akuma]

Great update Card, tht was cool with the tractor scen and bout time he got a new ability too:) PPMS

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love clana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NYC300Z]

Awesome Chapter Card! Great where had you end up!;) And Lana's thought's at the end, I bet Clark's having the same ones already! Can't wait to see for sure!;) :lol: :cool:

PPMS!

[treker]

:) Card...you are a truly gift man. That was the most beautiful date I've ever read. And it's not even halfway over yet. We still have the eve at the karoke' bar and then the activities after. I really can't wait to read your next post.

Thank You!

:D

[happycamper]

Ah, Card...are you doing a late edit? I see less than one full paragraph....

:(

[Cardinal]

A glitch of some sort. :mad:

It will take a few minutes to fix. :(

Whatever went wrong, it's fixed now!

[happycamper]

Thanks for the fix, for whatever it was! :)

BTW, is your avatar from the first season when Clark got his x-ray vision? Very nice, in any case...;)

I't was nice - and at the same time very sad - when Clark was contemplating what his life would have been like growing up in Smallville. And I especially liked the references to the tractor and the "goodbye" video when he was riding it with Jonathan.

Life really is different for the two of them. They missed growing up together, but they were also able to miss all the misery and angst from the show.

Loved this chapter, and am looking forward to the next part of their date!!

:D :D

[Cardinal]

Yes, the current avatar is from the locker room scene in "X-Ray" from Season 1.

It's also from the hormonal fantasies of many of the male fans of Smallville.

[deanyouk]

Great update

[Lost_In_Clana]

Great Update!! Please post more soon!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Great Update ! Please post more soon !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Iowanmom]

Well, what can I say? First of all, drawing this date out the way you have is (I'm sure I'm not alone) driving me NUTS!!! *sigh* Often times I have to forcibly remember this isn't the Adult section :lol: Sorry, Cardinal.

Anyway, I have finally caught up. I didn't think it would ever happen, but here I am. Now, like SVsleuth said, I'll have to wait on updates like the rest of your fans. I'm game.... *shakes from the lack of update, all ready* :lol:

I had so many updates to read, it's difficult to give you the proper reply you deserve, here. I mean, I don't want to miss anything, yet, I just had to catch up. So, finally I buckled down and read some.... 12 or so chapters. I even back tracked, too.

I forget where I left off, but suffice it to say, you have totally got me hooked. The first time I came into this thread was because I noticed it was CONSTANTLY being viewed. I clicked on a link and found it. And to my surprise... it was a Clana fic. No, I didn't know before hand.

I have been amazed at the continued strenght and likeness of your Lana. I can't tell you enough and yet, I fear I sound redundant, but you have to understand my dislike for TPTB SV character.... Cardinal, your fic makes her fresh, likable, interesting, fun, selfless... hell, she's freaking tolerable!! That says it all. I can't properly express how much I like her in this fic. I simply can't get enough of her. What more can I say?

This relationship between Clark and Lana is unbelievable. It's so healthy and that's a credit to you. Not only are you telling a tale here, but you are showing a picture to those younger viewers how relationships can be. This fic isn't outlandish. It's real. It shows depth, concern, love, responsibility.... It voices modern day concerns like sex, drinking, 'the party life', education; how imprtant working hard and achieving your goals can be and the reward; being set on a successful path.

Also, how 'The First Time' is something special and shouldn't be taken lightly... there's so much more Cardinal, but I'll try to rein in my often times rambling reply... I simply love this fic.

The costume party was great. The understading and appearance of Red-K was fantatic. I love the fun natured Clark, the way he can let his gaurd down when he's with Lana and enjoy himself.

I love the way you have Clark and Pete so.... 'guyish', for lack of a better word. You portray their roomate status and friendship very well. I am still saddened that through this whole fic, Pete is still in the dark. I find that hard to believe when living with someone, but maybe he'll find out soon. I'd hope it was by Clark out-right telling him instead of Pete 'finding out' by witnessing one of Clark's abilities by mistake, but whatever. I hope he finds out. They are great buds and it can only add to the camaraderie all ready seen in the story. Wonderful work.

I love the growing and exciting powers with Kathy. I'm glad Clark drops everything to help her and be there for her no matter what. I love the respect between the two, the fact that she can turn to him when she's in a bind. The way she paid all her money to help get Clark and Lana back together. I enjoy that Clark can show his tears in the face of Lana and have her understand that his family means the world to him and she's lucky to be a part of the family, without thinking his tears are a sign of weakness. Men do cry. They simply do.

Clark is a tortured soul, well on SV he is, and Lana can ease him with the touch of a hand, the look in her eyes or simply the knowledge held in her hand about a pink piggy bank. Make sense? I love this.

There's so much and I can't hit it all... it's my fault for being away and getting behind, but I love the football talk. I love that you put in teams I recongnize... who wouldn't love that,,,, even if my Jayhawks are massacred!!! Or you mention the Kansas State Wildcats!!! You even brought in the Chief's Arrowhead Stadium!!!! Have you been to a freaking Chiefs game?????? It's incredible!! OMG, they are ALWAYS sold out and the noise!!!! It's unbelievable... man, I've not been to one in forever, but I'll never forget the first time and just next door is the Royals Stadium. I mean I can see plain as freaking day!!! This fic has hit a nerve with me and I am at a loss for words on how moved I am with this fic!!!!

And to top it all off, you bring in the beautiful TV scene of Clark as a young boy on a tractor with his dad. Immediately you take me back to Vengeance... JK and how proud he is with his son. It's so sad that he's gone on the show, but you give him justice in this fic and that's wonderful, Cardinal. I have one question, tho. Where do JK and MK work? You made reference to them having good paying jobs. I just can't recall.

And the new power with his eyes is cool. It's neat how Lana was there to witness it, but you weaved it into this fic very well. Loved it.

And that leaves me to the last thing that is very sigh-ish to me...(be still my heart... I am a romantic).... Clark combing Lana's hair. Damn, it got long on the show, but there is nothing more romantic and loving than a man combing his lover's hair. Everything about it is sensual, private, intimate, Cardinal. I loved it. And it has painted a picture for me.

So now that I'm caught up, I must wait and I hope I don't have to for too long. I need to see this evening progress, Cardinal. It's a must. Post more when you can. :D

[NYC300Z]

WOW *looks up*

[tygershot]

"Great update" somehow doesn't seem like enough to say with the huge response above, but it'll have to do. PPMS!

[maitriniazngurl]

awesome update!! I love the last part... "She knew that she had to marry him. That she had never been safer but in his arms.. that he'll stand by her, support her. " Just loved it..

I can't wait for more.. :D PPMS!!

[mysteryman1]

Update soon.

[Cardinal]

Chapter 76 - Horse Trouble

When they rode away from the picnic, Clark found that Lana’s eyes were on him almost constantly. She looked at him so much, that he became self-conscious and began to wonder if something was stuck in his teeth. After a super-speed search of his mouth did not find anything, he peered at her more closely and noticed a shine in her eyes that he had never seen before. If not for the blissfully contented smile on her face, he might have thought she was on the verge of crying. Unsure of what to say, or even if he needed to say anything, he reached out his hand and clasped her hand as they walked their horses down a shaded country lane.

The reason Lana was staring at Clark had nothing to do with his personal grooming. She had always wondered what her future husband would look like, and now, for the first time in her life, she had her answer. She was taking note of the smallest details and comparing them to her childhood fantasies and she came to the inescapable conclusion that her imagination needed some serious help. The reality of Clark Kent far outstripped any dream she had ever had.

After spending a lot of time imagining Clark as her husband, Lana finally returned her eyes and her mind, or most of it anyway, to the road in front of her, only to discover that she had led them into taking two or three wrong turns. This put them off-course, into an area of farmland she was less familiar with. She stopped her horse to get her bearings and figure out which direction she needed to lead them to get back on course. Finally deciding that the quickest way involved cutting across the huge open field they were riding alongside of, Lana pointed her horse in the direction she intended to go, waited for Clark to do the same, and playfully challenged him to a race to the far side of the field, which was a good quarter of a mile away.

Clark was surprised and by the time he dug in his heels to get his horse to run, Lana already had a full two-horse-length lead. Try as they might, Clark and his horse were unable to close the gap. In fact, Lana’s lead was growing with every stride of her horse. When she and her horse reached the far side of the field and claimed victory, she slowed her horse and looked back to check on Clark. Suddenly, her horse neighed loudly and bolted, heading across a narrow lane and into a neighboring field.

Clark saw Lana and her horse sprinting off in another direction and he wondered where they were going. He wished she would have let him catch up before she took off again, but he turned his horse and tried to keep close to her. When her horse crested the small hill that his horse was still climbing, Clark got his first indication that something was wrong when Lana screamed. What he saw when his horse finally reached the top of the hill made his blood curdle: Despite Lana’s efforts at slowing her horse, the horse was running headlong toward what appeared to be a long gash in the surface of the Earth.

I know my horse can’t catch hers, Clark thought, as he brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. We just spent the last thirty seconds proving that, so catching her horse is my job. It was no sooner thought than done as Clark blurred into action and grabbed the horse by its bridle as both horse and rider came ever closer to the edge of the chasm.

Clark was faced with a difficult problem: he could use his immense strength to bring the horse to an immediate halt, but doing so would likely snap the horse’s legs like matchsticks, which would lead to the horse being put down. Picking the horse up off the ground was also a possibility, but he had no idea where to safely grab a horse for lifting. As far as he was concerned, his only viable course of action, unless Lana appeared to be headed over the edge, was to hold on to the horse’s bridle and pull while using his leg strength to gradually slow the horse down. That way, he hoped to save both horse and rider.

Once Clark popped up next to her, Lana began to calm down. She knew what Clark could do, and was sure that everything would be all right. While her hands and arms were still pulling back on the reins in an attempt to slow the runaway horse, her eyes were locked on Clark.

Between his efforts and hers, the horse was slowing, but the precipice was getting closer and Clark began to question the wisdom of his course of action. He pulled even harder on the bridle and dug in a bit deeper with his legs. The horse was determined to get away from that which had scared it, but fighting against Clark’s strength was very tiring, and the horse began to slow even more.

Once the horse slowed to a point where Clark believed that stopping the horse would not injure it, he stepped in front of the horse, set his legs, and pushed carefully against the horse’s chest, bringing him to a halt only a few feet from the edge of a trench that was only twenty feet deep at this spot. Clark breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes, but the horse had one more trick up its sleeve. It lurched forward, knocking Clark off balance and sending him toppling over the edge and into the trench itself.

Seeing Clark stumble and fall, Lana’s first reaction was a horrified, “Nooooo!” as she stretched forward over the horse’s neck and reached a hand out in a sympathetic gesture. Next, she thought, Clark is invincible. What the heck am I worrying about? Then, when she heard an ominous ‘thud’ and Clark failed to immediately reappear, she began to worry again.

Lana scrambled off of her horse and laid down on the ground so she could safely stick her head over the edge and look down into the trench. She spotted Clark almost immediately, as he was sprawled face down on the floor of the trench. Since he was not moving, she had to assume the canyon was laden with green meteor rocks. Quickly looking left and right, Lana saw that this spot was very near the beginning of a long meteor impact trench, which was what had made it so shallow. Off in the distance to her left, the trench deepened dramatically before coming to an end, but luckily for her and Clark, immediately to her right, was a spot where she could walk down into the trench.

Lana jumped to her feet, determined to save Clark if it was the last thing she ever did. Seeing her horse standing there calmly eating grass, she silently cursed it as she ran by. Reaching the beginning of the trench, she made her way to Clark’s side. He was still breathing, but a small pool of blood had formed around his head. A quick look around confirmed that the trench was lousy with meteor rocks, so she knew her only option was to drag him out.

Lana bent her legs, grabbed Clark under his shoulders with his bleeding head resting on her forearms, and began trying to pull him along the trench floor. She made it a few feet, but her legs were already trembling with fatigue. Why do you have to be 200 pounds, Clark? Lana wondered. If you were my size, I could do this.

Unsure of how much longer Clark would live if she could not get him out, Lana began to get desperate, and only the iron emotional control that had been so useful when talking to Clark at Garza’s kept her from panicking. She ran back out of the trench, looking to see if there was a way to use her horse to drag Clark to safety. All her horse had was the small English riding saddle, the panniers which were stuffed with trash, and the old, king-sized blanket. Nothing too useful there, she thought, but I do remember Clark’s horse having a long piece of rope, just like what a cowboy would have.

Lana looked around eagerly, trying to see where Clark’s horse had gone. She quickly spotted it some fifty yards distant and she sprinted toward it as fast as her boots would allow her to go, while cursing herself under her breath for the ‘cute’ idea to wear cowboy boots when athletic shoes would have worked just as well.

This horse was placid, and readily allowed Lana to mount him. She pointed the horse toward the trench entrance, dug in her heels, and was gratified when it leapt forward. She was even more happy when it stopped on command. She ran back to grab the old blanket from her horse and then led Clark’s horse down into the trench until they reached Clark’s limp body.

Lana spread the blanket on the ground, and then rolled Clark over so his body was on the blanket. Then she tied the blanket around his neck to hold it in place. Next, she grabbed the coil of rope and wrapped it over his chest and under his arms. Once the rope was in place, she tied it in a slipknot and then wrapped the other end of the rope around the saddle horn.

Lana climbed back into the saddle, carefully turned the horse, and directed the horse to walk out of the trench. They made steady progress, and soon Lana, the horse, and Clark, had reached a place of safety for Clark. She hopped off the horse and ran back to check on Clark, and was greeted by a big smile as Clark propped himself up with one arm and took a deep breath.

Lana checked Clark’s head to see how bad he was bleeding and was surprised to find that not only had the bleeding stopped, but that she could not find any sign of a cut anywhere on his head. Being somewhat used to strange things that involved Clark’s body, she filed that fact away to be dealt with later. Right now, she had to see if anything else was wrong with him.

Clark started to stand, and Lana wrapped an arm around his back to help support him in case he was wobbly. Clark already knew he was perfectly fine, but he indulged Lana’s obvious concern and allowed her to make a fuss over his physical condition. For his part, Clark was curious about her condition and that of the horses, along with wanting to learn what had spooked her horse.

Once Lana had satisfied herself about Clark’s condition, she allowed him to ask his questions. She ended up telling him the entire story about her having to save him. When she finished, Clark stood quietly for a minute as he absorbed her story before he said, “That was quick thinking, Lana. Unlike me, who can take the brute force approach to everything, you had to use your brains to leverage your skill set to allow you to save me.” He kissed her warmly and deeply, and then added, “Thanks for saving my life.”

“I was very happy to do it, Clark,” Lana said. “I was just returning the favor. You definitely saved my horse’s life and probably mine too.”

“Yeah, but I’m super-powered. I’m supposed to be able to do stuff like that.” Clark pursed his lips and his eyes started staring at the intricate stitching on the tops of his cowboy boots as he thought. “Some superhero I’m turning out to be. At the site of my first save, my girlfriend ended up having to save my butt.”

“And what a butt to save!” Lana said as she giggled. “Seriously, Clark, don’t worry about it. The horse caught you off guard and knocked you into a trench that was filled with green meteor rocks. There are not too many trenches like that in Metropolis, are there?”

“No.”

“So it’s not likely to happen to you again, is it?”

“No.”

“Then quit moping. You’ll be an excellent superhero once you get the hang of it.”

Lana finally removed her supporting arm from around his back and stood back to take a look at him. Just then, a strong wind blew in Clark’s face, making the old blanket that was still tied around his neck flap behind him like a flag in the breeze. That look, the look of a tall, manifestly strong Clark Kent with his blanket?…no, his cape…yes, his cape billowing behind him in the breeze, was a look of confidence and power. I must remember to get him to add a cape to his disguise when he goes public with this superhero thing, Lana thought. Not only does a cape look really cool on him, but it will cover his “Buns of Steel”…most of the time, anyway. Those buns belong to me. All of the other girls can just cry their eyes out.

“Not that I mind you looking, Lana, but could you tell me why you are staring at me?”

“Yeah, I got an idea for your costume.” Lana looked at her watch. “Remind me to tell you about it sometime, right now, we have to hurry to get these horses back on time. I pre-arranged for one of the stable hands to meet us not too far from here with a horse van, but we are about to be late.”

Riding at a quick trot, with Clark paying extremely close attention to both horses while Lana picked their path, they got to the rendezvous point on time. It was only when they turned in the horses and equipment that Lana noticed that Clark’s helmet was damaged. Maybe those aren’t a bad idea after all, she thought, that one might have saved Clark’s life in that trench.

One look at each other before they climbed into the truck cab with the stable hand and they knew they were going to need a shower before driving home. Since they had to return the empty food containers to Ed and Regina anyway, Lana decided to call ahead and see if they could use the upstairs shower before changing into the clothes they had brought along.

Regina assured her that would be fine, and after picking up Lana’s SUV at the Smallville stables, they headed to Lana’s old house for a quick clean up. As Lana headed for the first shower, she called back over her shoulder, and said, “No peeking, Clark. You don’t get to look until tonight.”

Clark gave her a mock Boy Scout salute, leered at her, and said, “I would never invade your privacy like that…no matter how much I am tempted.” Half an hour later, the freshly-showered couple was on the road and head back to Metropolis, where the rest of Lana’s carefully planned date awaited them.

[treker]

Lana saves the day... that's cool.

What spooked the horse?

The way lana looks at Clark with utter devotion and realizing that he is her whole world and that she will be his wife and he will be her husband is the absolute best. we always hear about how much Clark is devoted to Lana...we rarely hear that about her. Nicely done.

I can't wait for karoke night...and what comes after....

[NYC300Z]

2nd! A little bit of action in there! Glad to see everything is still on course!;)

PPMS!

[happycamper]

3


Originally posted by Cardinal
Clark gave her a mock Boy Scout salute, leered at her, and said, “I would never invade your privacy like that…no matter how much I am tempted.”
You know, Clark always claims that, but I wonder how true this really is...:lol:



Lana makes the save! Guts and determination overcomes diminutive size and lack of strength. :lol:

So how is the rest of the date going to go?

:D :D

[Nemu]

That was very good...

Lana to the rescue!

I like how Lana is seeing Clark... she realize in a way about his future and their future...

PPMS :D

[superman_lives_on]

Clark tries to save Lana from the spooked horse (what DID scare it, anyway?) and succeeds--but then Lana has to save HIM from the trench full of Kryptonite. I wonder when they'll give the meteor rocks that name?

And I wonder what will happen on the rest of the date before that "special bit" arrives.

PPMS!

[Lost_In_Clana]

Great update!! what spooked the horse??

[Cardinal]

This was going to be in the next update as they talk during the drive back to Metropolis, but it's not important, so I'll tell you all now.

A snake was in the field near to where Lana stopped her horse. The snake made its presence known and the horse freaked out.

[akuma]

Thanks Card.

Great update, loved teh 2 rescues lol. And like Lana said, there wont be any meteor trenches in Metropolis so Clark will be fine. Cant wait for the rest of the date, PPMS

[deanyouk]

Good update

[SVsleuth]

Hi, Card. I finally got home and got to read your update. ;) I'm so glad Lana could keep her cool in an emergency & figure out a way to save Clark. She must be really curious about how he healed so quickly. I guess he'll explain that that is part of his invulnerability. Can't wait for the karaoke & after... PPMS! :)

[Totalclanafan614]

Good update!!
Im glad Lana acted so quickly in the situation
PPMS!!

[maitriniazngurl]

Great update!! Can't wait to see what song there going to sing on Karaoke night!!

PPMS!! :D

[Iowanmom]

Yes, wonderful update, Cardinal. It was nice to see Lana thinking on her feet. She was quick to help and that was cool. Truly you showed her ability to be more than the damsel in distress, all the time. I'm so glad.

It was neat to read Clark's thinking as well on how to stop the horse. And as Lana saw him working to head off the disaster, she let him, trusting in his abilities to know what was best. Awesome.

And ofcourse Lana's newfound belief about Clark being 'the one' is great.... her being unable to take her eyes from him... so 'sigh-ish' my friend. I loved it. Often times our dreams are exaggerated, but it's great to see that Lana's were sorely lacking and that Clark has met and surpassed the expectations she herself had unconsciously set for herself and a husband. Of course, this all being on his character, his honor , what he is inside, not because of his abilities. Never because of his abilities.

Also, it was cool that Lana could find herself and Clark out of being lost. Make sense? Sorry, I'm tired... can't make sense today. And Clark 'let' her. He could have easily flown or gotten them where they needed to be. He has a photographic memory. He too trusts her and allows her to take the lead and that is wonderful. Such respect. I love it.

I'm sure there's some that I've missed, but I really did like the update. Post when you can. We'll be waiting. :)

[clark&lanafan06]

Great update !!!!!!! PPMS !!!!!!!!!!

[NYC300Z]

lol Card gave us spoilers!;)

[superman's my hero]

holy crap! I missed three updates?! WOW! But they were all incredibly amazing and funny. I loved that last one. I can't blame Lana for loving Clark's buns of steel ;). PPMS!

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 77 - Fire

Clark was driving back to Metropolis to allow Lana to get some rest after the day’s activities and the unexpected stress of the double rescue. Both of them were belted in the front bucket seats of Lana’s SUV and she had tilted her seat back to sleep. Clark took his eyes off the road to look at her and he reached over to pull a small section of hair off of her face. As his fingertips grazed her velvety cheek, she burbled happily in her sleep, which caused Clark to smile as he returned his eyes to the road. His thoughts, however, were on what happened at her old house just before they left.

After taking her shower, Lana did not want to take the time to use a hair dryer, so Clark helped her, using a trick that his sister had always enjoyed...a warm bath towel. After Lana dressed, Clark took her damp bath towel and dried it with the absolute lightest touch of heat vision. Not only did that dry the towel, but it also warmed it quite nicely.

Lana carefully rubbed her hair with the warm towel until her hair was mostly dry, and then she brushed it out and finished getting ready. Clark was waiting for her by the time she was done. As they loaded their belongings in the SUV, he offered to drive back to Metropolis to allow her to rest after her exertions during the day. Lana did not want to accept, but changed her mind when she realized just how tired she was. She had more things planned for this evening, and she did not want to fall asleep just as she and Clark reached her apartment.

Standing there as Lana fished in her purse to find her keys, Clark’s eyes bulged out of his head as he got his first good look at what Lana had chosen to wear for the evening. Normally not one to wear anything too daring, Lana had chosen today to stretch her fashion horizons just a bit.

Clark could not help but give her the once over, from head to toe. As Lana’s hair finished drying without the two-fisted help of a dryer and a brush, it fell in slight waves instead of the arrow-straight style she usually preferred. Her makeup was as tastefully applied as ever, but that’s where the real differences began. Instead of one of her normal blouses, she was wearing a pastel-colored tank top that fit like a second skin. The lemon hue seemed to enhance the light tan of her arms, shoulders, and neck, and it was so sheer, that the shape and color of her bra were clearly visible.

Normally, the bottom of the tank top Lana was wearing would have just reached the top of her blue jeans, giving tantalizing glimpses of her smooth abdominal skin, but today, even though the tank top went down below her belly button, there was a good two to three inches of skin showing before Clark’s eyes reached the top edge of her form-fitting hip-hugger jeans. He was not sure what was holding the jeans in place on her slender hips, other than maybe sheer willpower…all he knew was, it was going to take all of his willpower to keep from suggesting to Lana that they could skip the rest of the evening’s activities and head straight for her place.

Clark’s eyes warmed up considerably right then, but he was able to control it with no problem. Just being around Lana for the past two and a half months had forced him to practice controlling his heat vision on an almost daily basis.

Clark returned his thoughts to the present as he glanced once more at Lana’s sleeping form and wondered how much difficulty he would have with his heat vision tonight. An hour from Metropolis, Clark woke Lana from her nap as she had requested so she would have time to wake up completely and primp before they reached town.

“Hi, Sleeping Beauty,” Clark said when Lana’s eyes fluttered open. “I would have broken your sleep with a kiss, but you are too far away to reach. Makes me wish we were in my truck. With that bench seat, you could be snuggled right next to me.”

“Mmm…sounds nice,” Lana said drowsily. Clark handed her a Diet Coke he had picked up at the gas station where he had filled up. An occasional puff of frost breath had been enough to keep the can cold. Lana gratefully accepted the drink and took a large mouthful to remove the fuzzy taste from her mouth.

Then, Lana flipped down the passenger-side sun visor and turned on the lighted mirror which was embedded in the visor. First, she rubbed the sleep sand out of the corner of her eyes and then she went to work with her cosmetics, making slight adjustments here and there before becoming satisfied with her appearance. The cosmetics were then replaced in her hands by her hair brush. Seeing that brush brought back the feelings that had rushed through her as Clark had fixed her hair before lunch.

Something as simple as that had made her melt. It was something she felt more guys ought to know: gestures of affection do not have to cost money. Taking the time to give a girl some intimate personal attention like brushing her hair, massaging her shoulders or feet, or asking about her day and really wanting to hear the answers would go a long way toward making her feel special.

As she gave the brush a few passes through her hair, she looked at Clark and wondered if he knew what his very presence did to her libido. Forget for a moment that he is the sweetest, most supportive man she has ever known. Forget that she can, and has on more than one occasion, spend all night talking to him about anything that comes to mind. Forget that when she is with him, he makes her feel like the most special woman in the world. Forget all that, for right now, the man’s sheer sexual magnetism was what was on her mind.

There he sat, apparently oblivious to the way he affected her. That trademark thick, wavy black hair, the soulful eyes that seemed to change from blue to green from day to day, the exquisitely chiseled face, and a body that puts Michelangelo’s ‘David’ to shame. He was currently wearing a blue oxford with his blue jeans and cowboy boots, but Lana could see a white t-shirt peeking through the unbuttoned neck of the oxford, and she planned to have him lose the blue shirt before dinner so he would more closely match her. The fact that it would also give her a good look at his well-defined chest and abs had nothing to do with it.

Keep telling yourself that, Lana thought, and you may just believe it…right about the time we have our golden wedding anniversary. Lana snickered at that thought which caused Clark to glance her direction.

“What’s so funny?” Clark asked.

“Nothing much,” Lana replied.

“Care to share it with me?”

“Mmm…maybe later.”

“Okay.” A minute later, Clark said, “I meant to ask you earlier, what was it that spooked your horse?”

Lana shrugged her shoulders and said, “I’m not sure. I think it might have been a snake of some sort, since there are quite a few of those in the fields around Smallville.”

Once they reached the ring road that ran around Metropolis, Lana began giving Clark directions and soon they reached their destination, a cozy, old steak house where they were going to have dinner.

As Clark held Lana’s door and she stepped out of the SUV, she asked, “Clark? Could you take off that shirt?”

“What?”

“Well, I feel somewhat underdressed compared to you in that oxford, and I can see you’re wearing a t-shirt underneath, so I wondered if you’d join me in wearing less.”

When Clark hesitated, Lana said, softly, “Look at it as undressing really slowly for tonight.” That made Clark’s eyes involuntarily trace Lana’s form from head to toe. “This outfit is just for you, Clark. These are my only hip-huggers and I never get a chance to wear them and I think the tank top is suitably flirty. I just wanted to pump up your hormones a bit for tonight.”

“Oh,” Clark said, “you’ve definitely succeeded.” Knowing that Lana had dressed sexy just for him made it easier for Clark to take off his oxford, fold it neatly, and place it on the seat in the middle right next to his garment bag. When he straightened up, Lana was gratified to notice that his t-shirt fit him as closely as her tank top fit her, and, as he made sure his t-shirt was tucked in, the bunching and flexing of his sharply defined muscles made her breath catch in her throat.

It’s a good thing I don’t have heat vision, Lana thought, or else I would be incinerating everything in sight.

They linked hands and walked into the dimly-lit restaurant. The empty peanut shells that littered the floor crunched underfoot as they were led to a booth. The high back to the booth’s bench seat made Lana and Clark feel as if they were by themselves in a more intimate setting.

They both ordered sweet tea and Clark talked Lana into splitting a deep-fried onion as an appetizer. The meal seemed to go slowly as both of them began to think about what was coming up later. Clark had a 14-ounce New York Strip Steak and Lana had a 6-ounce Filet Mignon. Both had loaded baked potatoes and a house salad. When Clark suggested dessert, Lana waved him off and merely said, “Later.” Lana then paid the check and left a solid tip for both the good service they had received and for the fact that the waitress had not tried to flirt with Clark. The breath mints that had come with the check had been welcome after the onion appetizer.

Pleasantly full after dinner, Clark asked what else could possibly be on the schedule for tonight. Lana deflected his question by saying, “Come with me and find out.”

Clark shrugged his shoulders, and allowed Lana to take his hand and lead him down the sidewalk. A couple of turns later, and they were approaching a combination pool hall and Karaoke bar. The sounds of country and western music could be heard from outside, which he supposed fit perfectly with the general country theme of the date so far.

He was surprised that she wanted to play pool, but was even more surprised when she led him into the Karaoke half of the establishment. They located an open table halfway back from the stage and after Clark seated Lana, he took the other seat at the table that faced the low stage.

When a waitress made her way to their table, Lana produced her driver’s license and ordered the one alcoholic drink she was going to allow herself to have this evening. She was still leery about impairing her judgment by getting tipsy, but she was with Clark and this was a special occasion, so she ordered a strawberry margarita. Clark sensed he would not get away with ordering booze here like he could at some other places, so he contented himself with another sweet tea.

Someone who was a little worse for drink stepped to the microphone and stumbled through a song as Clark leaned over to Lana and asked, “Umm…Lana, what are we doing here?”

“We’re here to enjoy ourselves.” She pointed to the stage. “That guy up there probably thinks he sounds great, but his friends likely put him up to it and will razz him about his performance for days to come. Other people will get up there and sing their best, but not being gifted singers, they won’t make much of an impression beyond their circle of friends. Then, every once in a while, someone with talent and desire steps up and blows the house away.” Lana caught Clark’s eyes. “I love it when that happens. Those are the performances I love to hear.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“Yeah, a few times…mostly before you and I became a couple.”

Clark sat back in his chair and said, “Well, as long as I don’t have to sing, this might be fun.”

Lana grinned mischievously and asked, “What if I sing a song? I’m not very good, so I’d fit into my second category, but I’d sing for you.”

Sure his quiet girlfriend was bluffing, Clark said, “If you get up there and sing a whole song, not only will I sing, but I will sing two songs.”

Lana was smiling inside as her plan to bait him into action was working even better than she had hoped. Outwardly, all she did was say, “Okay, but remember, you promised me two songs,” and then, like a puff of smoke, she was gone. The next time Clark saw her, she was on the stage under the bright lights. Not even looking at the song catalog, Lana called out song number 113 to the DJ, and up came one of the few songs she thought she might be able to make a passable attempt at singing.

Clark knew he had been tricked as soon as Lana called out the song number without looking at the catalog. I hope I quit underestimating her soon. She’ll kick my ass someday if I don’t, he thought as he sat back and prepared to enjoy her performance.

His chagrin at being tricked so easily turned to annoyance and then outright hostility as a couple of ’good ol’ boys’ in the front of the room took in Lana’s appearance and began whistling and making vulgar remarks. Clark shot them an irate look and was about to take his chair to the front of the room to be near Lana when a couple of bouncers stepped in and ‘encouraged’ the drunk young men to tone down their remarks.

Lana gathered her composure and waited for the song to start. The original vocals by Alison Krauss were soft and somewhat breathy. The instrumentation was minimal, giving her voice little to compete against. She had been ready for this moment days ago and had picked out this song after much internal debate.


“When You Say Nothing at All” - Alison Krauss and Union Station

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What's being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all


The song was slow and sweet. Lana could almost speak the song, but she did sing it, and not too badly either. Clark, of course, thought she had performed magnificently and his eyes were shining as she returned the microphone to its stand at the end of her song. She deftly avoided any problems with the front row pervs by taking an alternate route back to their table and, on her way off the stage, she held up her first two fingers on one hand. Some people thought it was a ‘V’ for victory, while other thought it was peace sign. Only Clark knew it meant he owed her two songs.

Once she returned to the table and Clark seated her, Lana could tell that Clark was nervous. “Just treat it like a football game, Clark. Pretend the audience is the crowd at the next Bulldogs’ game and you should be fine.” Lana leaned in close and said, “I didn’t look at anyone while I was singing. I was too afraid to make a visual connection. It seemed to help me. Besides, you promised.”

At the reminder of his promise Clark cleared his throat and headed for the stage. No one had followed Lana on stage and as Clark reached the song catalog, he gave the two pervs up front a look of unadulterated menace that made them decide they had pressing appointments elsewhere. Clark flipped through the book knowing that Lana would be expecting at least one romantic song after he heard what she sang for him, but he wanted one of the songs to be up-tempo and fun, something to really surprise her with.

Once her found what he wanted, Clark called out the number of the fun song first and waited for “Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie” to come up on screen. He took Lana’s advice and treated this performance like a football game where he was not playing for individual people that he could see up close and personal, but for a faceless, unknowable crowd. That allowed him to relax and belt out the song.


“Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie” - Michael Peterson

I was 12 when Daddy said to me
Don't take to drinking boy that road don't lead no where
And don't you ever let me hear you swear
Don't you dare
He told me that stealing’s a lazy man’s way
Something for nothing leaves you hell to pay
So don’t buy into it
And then you can look the whole world in the eye
Honey I've tried
But since I met you girl I've been breaking every rule
I must confess I'm just a backsliding fool

I want to drink from your loving cup
Swear I'll never give you up
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon
I wanna lie here close to you
Look what you made me do
Darling you’re the reason why
I drink, swear, steal and lie

Last night I threw away the 12 step book
I finally faced the fact that I am hooked on you
There’s nothing more that I can do ain’t no use
Cause every time I see your angel face
My halo disappears without a trace I swear
Girl I’d admit I haven't got a prayer
But I don't care
I know this ain’t exactly how I was raised
But heaven help me honey I ain’t changing my ways

I want to drink from your loving cup
Swear I'll never give you up
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon
I wanna lie here close to you look at what you made me do
Darling you're the reason why
I drink, swear, steal and lie

I want to drink from your loving cup
Swear I'll never give you up
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon
I wanna lie here close to you look at what you made me do
Darling you're the reason why
I drink, swear, steal and lie

Drink, swear, steal and lie.


In terms of technical performance, his voice was better than Lana’s, but it lacked the emotional backing that had allowed her to make a connection with the crowd. Still, Lana was surprised at the rollicking song he had chosen and she smiled at the inventive lyrics. The crowd was a bit surprised when Clark did not vacate the stage after his song. Even Lana was surprised when he began to speak before his next song.

“Lana,” Clark said, “I know your eyes are hazel colored, but do you think they could be green for the next three or four minutes?”

Not knowing where this was going, she nodded her assent. Clark smiled and relayed his next song choice to the DJ but asked him to wait.

“The other thing I need for this song, Lana, is for you to come up here to the stage.” Lana was curious and complied instantly. “You see, I need to sing this next song to someone if I’m going to sing it correctly.”

Clark took a bar stool that was on the edge of the stage and set it right in the middle for Lana. She was, unaccountably, more nervous now than she had been when she was singing herself, probably because she was not in control right now and had no idea what was coming next.

Clark’s voice had been properly warmed up by the first song, and once Lana took her seat, Clark signaled the DJ, focused his eyes on hers, and put everything he had into a ballad by Andy Griggs called, “She’s More.”


“She’s More” - Andy Griggs

I like blue eyes, hers are green
Not like the woman of my dreams,
And her hair’s not quite as long as I had planned.
Five foot three isn't tall
She's not the girl I’d pictured at all.
In those paint-by-number fantasies I’ve had.

So it took me by complete surprise,
When my heart got lost in those deep green eyes.
She’s not at all what I was looking for…she's more

No, it wasn’t at first sight,
But the moment I looked twice.
I saw the woman I was born to love.
Her laughter fills my soul,
When I hold her I don’t wanna let go
When it comes to her, I can't get enough

So it took me by complete surprise
When my heart got lost in those deep green eyes.
She's not at all what I was looking for…she's more!

More than I dreamed of
More than any man deserves...
I couldn't ask for more than a love like hers

So it took me by complete surprise
When my heart got lost in those deep green eyes.
She's not at all what I was looking for…she's more.


Lana had been afraid to move, afraid to even breathe during Clark’s performance, but now that it was over, she couldn’t move. Clark’s eyes were burning with passion and she was caught like a deer in the headlights. The crowd was applauding one of those rare ‘blow the house away’ performances, but neither Clark nor Lana heard a thing except for the beating of their hearts.

Clark moved first, stepping forward and clasping Lana’s hand to lead her out of the building. Their drinks were already paid for, but they sat untouched on the table as Clark and Lana left and made the short walk to Lana’s SUV.

“I loved that song, Clark. That was an incredible job.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Oh, I did!” Not sure how to phrase what she wanted to say without it sounding like a complaint, Lana said cautiously, “I thought you might sing ‘Iris,’ so I was surprised by your choice.”

Lana reclaimed her spot behind the wheel and they headed for their penultimate stop, the frozen custard stand where she had admitted to spiking his drinks at the first party of the year. This was where she planned to have dessert. What Clark did next changed that idea in a hurry.

“I thought about ‘Iris,’ but it wasn’t in their song catalog since that place was all country, all the time…besides, ‘Iris’ is one of our songs. No one needs to hear me sing that song but you.”

Without any accompaniment other than the memories of their first slow dance together, Clark sang a quiet, a capella version of the song, just for her.


“Iris” - The Goo Goo Dolls

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cuz I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now…

When Lana heard that, her emotions took over, and she changed directions and headed directly to her place. There’s more than one kind of dessert, Lana thought, and I know which one I intend to have…right…now.

…I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am.


By the time Clark reached the end of the song, Lana was tearing up and her SUV was approaching her apartment complex. Once parked, Clark slung his garment bag over his shoulder and walked around to hold her door for her. Lana’s emotions were boiling over to the point where she could barely stand, so Clark effortlessly picked her up and headed for her apartment. He plucked her keys out of her shaky hands, unlocked the door, and carried her over the threshold just as if they were married.

When they got inside, Clark put Lana down in front of the futon, placed his garment bag on the back of her armchair, and offered to make her some of her special chamomile tea to settle her down. Lana declined the tea, saying only that she wanted to be held for a while. Clark obliged, sitting down on the futon and pulling her into his lap. He stroked the silken waves of her hair and murmured quietly into her ear as she sobbed into his chest.

The tears subsided slowly as Lana regained control and she said, quietly, almost shyly, “I’m ready, Clark. It‘s time.”

Giving her one last chance to change her mind, Clark said, “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure in my life. You are the man I want to give myself to totally and the man I want to possess completely. I love you, Clark. Let’s make love.”

“I love you too, Lana.”

Lana wriggled her way off of Clark’s lap and headed for her bedroom where a special outfit waited for her. On her way, Lana pointed Clark and his garment bag toward the bathroom where he would be able to get ready.

Both of them were nervous and they showed it in different ways, Clark’s case of nerves showed as he changed into his last set of clothes of the day in record time. Everything came off and he dabbed some woodsy smelling cologne on the pulse points at the base of his neck and the insides of his wrists. All he pulled on was a white silk pair of boxer shorts that were decorated with little red hearts all over and a black terry cloth robe that hung to his knees. The robe had white piping for trim on the lapels, cuffs, and collar, but was otherwise plain. He loosely tied the belt and put the rest of his belongings in the garment bag. It did not matter to him that it was going to be his first time, he had known that would happen eventually, but it being their first time together meant everything to him.

Lana dealt with her nerves by taking her time to make sure everything was just right. She also undressed completely and then checked herself in the dresser mirror looking for any last minute blemishes. Then she dipped into the drawer where her most treasured things were kept and pulled out a tiny bottle of an outrageously expensive French perfume that she only wore for the most special occasions. This date definitely qualified and so she put the smallest dabs imaginable in the most effective locations.

Then, Lana carefully pulled on a white silk teddy with a lace-trimmed plunging neck line. Over that she had a short white silk robe which she belted loosely at the waist. She had thought about grabbing a curling iron and adding some curls, but the effect when she saw her wavy hair with the lingerie was just perfect.

She then scurried around the room lighting the numerous candles she had picked out just for this occasion. After that, she sat down on the edge of her bed and took a few deep breaths before standing and moving to the door.

A quick look back confirmed that all was ready. She had put fresh sheets on the bed this morning and had turned down the top sheet and comforter. At the last minute, Lana had to overcome the silly urge to knock on her own bedroom door. Instead, she turned off the bedroom light, opened the door wide, and called out softly for Clark, sure that his hearing would pick up her call from anywhere right now.

Clark heard a faint knocking coming from a couple of apartments down, but ignored it as he heard Lana call his name. He rose from the futon, and headed toward his destiny, the woman he loves, and their first night of passion. When Lana came into view, her delicate frame was outlined by candlelight and lit from in front by the reflected light from the living room. The fact that this woman was here, for him, absolutely blew his mind away. Rational thought processes failed him…all Clark knew was he had to get closer to that vision in white.

Lana had a similar reaction seeing Clark come around the corner. His large frame seemed to fill the hallway, and his black robe only seemed to draw her attention to the white skin of his chest that showed in a deep-V below his neck. Where that V was pointing was something that Lana normally tried to avoid thinking about, but tonight, she let her thoughts go there. Her pulse pounded in her blood vessels as she waited for Clark to come to her.

As he stepped within arms reach of her, his hands reached up and pulled her to him and their mouths locked hungrily in a kiss. Lana’s last coherent thought was: this is the first, and the last, man I will ever make love to in my entire life.

The first touch of his lips made Lana’s knees weaken and she leaned into him, and into the kiss, to remain upright. Clark shifted his position to support her comfortably and as his hand found its way under the edge of her robe to caress a bare shoulder, that knocking returned. Only this time, it was at Lana’s front door.

In unison, the two lovers thought, Go away! We’re not home! Lana added the thought, I haven’t had my dessert yet.

But the knocking became banging and someone was yelling something about fire. Fire, Clark thought, I should say so! I’m burning up and I’ve only begun to touch her.

Much against her wishes, Lana had heard more. The voice outside had said the complex was on fire! Compelled to take the danger seriously, Lana screamed inside as she broke off the kiss and dragged Clark to the front door. Her peek through the peep hole did not show anything worth seeing, so she asked Clark to use his abilities to locate the fire, or find out if there even was one. Unfortunately, he found it almost instantly when he used his x-ray vision. The building behind Lana’s building had smoke billowing from a second-story apartment.

That threw cold water on Clark’s hormones and he and Lana shared a look. She mouthed one word, “Go,” and he was off like a shot. He was dressed in his pair of blue jeans in no time at all. The only thing Lana had time for was a quick, fervent kiss before he ran out of the door in bare feet to see what he could do.

Able to do nothing but worry, Lana stripped quickly and pulled on her clothes from dinner, except for replacing the boots with running shoes, so she could at least watch.

Clark ran at normal speed around Lana’s building to the source of the smoke. He ran through a growing crowd of onlookers and up an open stairwell to reach the fire. He then used his x-ray vision to determine if anyone was still in the burning apartment and found to his horror that a small body was under a bed in a back bedroom. Clark charged into the room and slammed open the door to the room containing the body.

When Clark called out that he was here to save people from the fire, a small six-year-old girl slid out from under the bed. She was crying and was scared, but somehow, Clark inspired confidence in her even though they had never met. She trusted him instantly and he scooped her up and raced through the choking smoke to reach safety. Her parents saw them come out and rushed to meet Clark at the base of the stairwell.

Back to the burning apartment once more, Clark stopped. He was unsure of how to fight the fire, but first, he had to find out exactly how widespread it was. His x-ray vision allowed him to see through the clouds of smoke and he found, much to his surprise, that the fire was still located on the floor and on one couch in the middle of the living room. Clark did not know a lot about fire, but he did know it likes to climb, so he had to put it out before it reached the walls or else he was in for a much tougher battle. About this time, he could hear the sounds of fire engines coming closer, but he felt he needed to act now.

Clark edged his hand close to the fire to see if his physical invulnerability extended to fire. When his hand did not burn, he assumed he was invulnerable to fire and he put his hands and arms into action. Using super-speed, his hands flew back and forth on the floor, putting out small patches of fire with each swat.

Lana was among the throng of watchers down below now and she had already heard from two people about the young man that had saved the little Sanchez girl. She watched apprehensively as the firefighters arrived and began hooking up their equipment. By the time the first firefighters were in the apartment doorway with their fire axes in hand, Clark had already put out the fire.

Knowing he was running the risk of being exposed, Clark thought quickly and grabbed a large bath towel which he had dunked in the toilet to get it wet. After that, he rubbed it through the char and ashes to get it dirty. He then claimed to have put out the fire with the towel.

When he emerged, soot-stained and smiling, a roar went up from the assembled onlookers, none yelling quite as vociferously as the petite brunette from the next building over, Lana Lang.

Lana ran to greet him and his first words were, “Get me out of here before the media shows up. The last thing I need now is more attention.”

Thus primed, Lana fended off the would-be well wishers by telling them she needed to take her boyfriend to the hospital to be checked out for injuries to himself. That excuse always worked, as the onlookers wanted him to be safe after risking his own life to save little Bianca Sanchez.

Lana grabbed her purse from her apartment and then they drove away to pretend to be visiting the hospital. When they returned, the excitement had died down and the two of them were able to slip back into Lana’s apartment unnoticed, or so they thought.

Gone were all thoughts of sex except for a wistful longing. All Clark wanted right now was a shower and sleep. His body was fine, but he was emotionally spent and Lana was too. The stress of watching and waiting like that made her wonder how the families of policemen and firemen were able to do it day after day.

Clark had no intention of going home tonight as he was too tired and too worried about a possible lingering media presence outside Lana's apartment. So, he showered and put back on the only piece of clothing that was suitable for him to wear right now, which were his fancy silk boxers. Lana regretfully put away her sexy lingerie and pulled on a pair of linen, short-sleeved pajamas.

Just as Clark started to pull out the futon to sleep on, Lana pulled him by the hand and led him to her bedroom, where they cuddled, kissed each other good night, and molded their bodies to each other, her back to his front, as they fell asleep.

[SVsleuth]

:) Wow! An extra loooooooooooooong chapter! :) Loved their admiring each other's clothing choices in the car. Loved the singing too. You built up their emotions so well, the anticipation, the longing to be together at last. And then, just as they begin, "Fire!" - and Clark has to go be a superhero. I love that Lana told him to go. She seems to know that he has a destiny as a hero. Now the romantic mood as been broken, but they still fall asleep in each other's arms.

Wonder what happens in the morning? PPMS!

[treker]

:D ...brillant as always card.

The way you described lana made me gratefull I didn't have heat vision...otherwise everything would be on fire.

I love the way you descirbed their passion and devotion. And the morality of not only Clark but Lana as well. Giving up their night to save an innocent life. outstanding.

And then having them fall asleep together...exhausted but content. beautiful.

So, what's for breakfast....Lana sunny side up? :lol:

[NYC300Z]

3rd! Awesome update Card! So much happened! It was great! Too bad they couldn't finish what they just started! Oh well that saves some for next time!;) Oh and who noticed Clark and Lana going into her apartment? Could this be more trouble for the two of them?

PPMS!

[deanyouk]

That was a brilliant update!

I have a feeling Clark might hear more from that family?

[superman_lives_on]

WHOO! What a chapter! Lot of good stuff there! So much for having their first time together tonight, though... Saving an innocent life and putting out a fire is far more important. :) I wonder what'll happen when they still manage to wake up in each other's arms?

Hmm...they were noticed heading inside? By whom? And will this prove to be bad news?

PPMS!

[Dr. Jeckyll]

Finally caught up!

I've been in Spain for the past week so I'd missed some spectacular updates! They were awesome.

You described the whole date incredibly good and it was really long - without getting boring. In my mind a perfect ending on their day - saving a life and sleeping contently together.

Perfect job, Card. PPMS!

[Lost_In_Clana]

Awesome update!! Who noticed them enter her apartment? Are they trouble?

[maitriniazngurl]

Wow, Card!! I loved your last update so much!! I mean you showed their affections and love so well. It was great all the way!!

I especially like the songs you chose for them to sing. It really went with the whole story!!

Amazing Job!! PPMS!!

[clark&lanafan06]

I've been saving my 100th post for this story and it is a good thing it's about a spectacular update. You did a awesome job as always. I wonder who so them head into Lana's apartment ? Can't wait for the next chapter ! PPMS !!!!!!! :D :D :D

[happycamper]

10th? Blech!

Well, Card, I only hope Lana and Clark are halfway near as frustrated as your readers. ;)

Such a build up towards - whatever - and then to have the moment snatched away from them.

It seems to me that Lana is aware of his destiny (if not actively pushing for it), and can accept it - good, that what we want/need to hear.

And what was that whole thing about: "the two of them were able to slip back into Lana’s apartment unnoticed, or so they thought." Is this leading up to another nasty obstruction on their 'road' to happiness?

Post something nice!


:D :D

[Cardinal]

Originally posted by clark&lanafan06
I've been saving my 100th post for this story

Why thank you! Most milestone posts are placed elsewhere. It's nice that you wanted to place it here. :)

[Totalclanafan614]

Great update!!
I really liked your choice of songs!
PPMS!

[akuma]

EXTRA long update and it was great, to bad no sex lol;) But it was an awesome update nontheless. Awesome that Clark used his powers to put out the fire and the singing from both was great! PPMS

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
congratulations!!!!!

[superman's my hero]

Great update!! PPMS!

[lanalang1234]

wow card i jus flew over to new york from flroida and read your entire fic up to now i hope u get to post more

[emsfan]

GReat job... Update soon please...:)

[lanalang1234]

i hopw doesont come back to seperate clark and lana that would suck

[Iowanmom]

Hell, where do I start? This is a long ass update, Cardinal. *sigh* I don't like such long updates. They make me miss important things. I get carried away by reading and forget things I'd like to comment on. :lol: My problem, not yours....

First let me say something I meant to mention the last time. Now I asked you what Martha and JK careers were. You did tell me, but I was kind of thinking you might add more of them in the story. Don't get me wrong, I know this is a Clana fic, but you have sufficiently painted each of the characters within. However, I'd think you would be a little more forthcoming on Clark's parents. Again, don't get me wrong, you have painted a wonderful picture with MK and JK. It’s just that when they are featured in the story, I want to learn more... The main reason why is because 'they' are AU as well.

For example, when you had Martha leave and go upstairs to do one of her projects, I thought, "What does she do in that room?" I wondered why you didn't expunge on that I mean several times she's just left to do her own thing, but we never know what it is. I'd think Lana would take an interest in what Martha does in her free time and Kathy too. And Jonathan... he must be tired doing construction. I mean, he must be tan, he must be... dirty all the time and being warned by Martha not to track his dirt in her house. You know what I mean? Being a construction worker or foreman is a hard, dirty, and taxing job... how is Jonathan doing with it?

You've done such a good job showing us the family that Clark loves; I was curious why Martha and Jonathan aren't brought into the light a bit more when they're all together. I mean Clark would be interested in what they do and he sees them nearly EVERY weekend, and with Lana now too.

I'm a bit conflicted with these thoughts I'm having because you do focus on them in your story. I mean you do tell us sometimes, but I guess I want more. Just... a sprinkling of info, to draw them in closer to me, to allow me to relish them a bit more. *shrugs* do I make any sense?

This is just an observation that I noticed the other night. Of course, I could be totally wrong and have put my foot in my mouth, but I thought I'd bring it up. If you'd prefer, I can delete this section of my reply and continue on. Clark loves his parents in this fic and I'd like to see him take a more interested part in learning how their week has gone, how they are doing, etc. That's the best way I can explain it, sorry Cardinal. :\

And as for this update... it was FREAKING HUGE!!! Oh right, I said that all ready. :lol:

Again, I like the attention you brought to Lana and her hair... I have very fine hair and I know men like their women with long flowing hair. Clark is no different. LOL Often times I wish Chloe's hair were longer, but I digress. :lol:

It was neat to read how Clark helped Lana dry her hair and the fact that you had him doing the same for Kathy was cool. I bet he played around with that quite a bit. I mean...:lol: how many towels did he torch before he got it right??? :lol: That would be a hoot for him to tell Lana. :lol:

Anyway, Lana's thoughts about how little it takes to be romantic and the little gestures that seem to touch us... it's all true. You don't have to be loaded with cash to show how loving, romantic, and sensual you can be with a soul mate. Often times its the little things that make the biggest impression. Beautifully done, Cardinal.

Now, I enjoyed Clark seeing Lana in a new light, so to speak. Her dress is often times conservative and the playfulness and drive she took to 'dress' for Clark was a hoot. He sure noticed as well as your readers. :lol: She is beautiful...

It's nice to know how well Lana knows her man. Clark would do well to not underestimate her in the future. Something tells me he will lose every time. Again, this is a credit to you and how you have portrayed Lana in this fic. I have truly enjoyed her. She has a wonderful sense of humor.

Clark too... it was nice to see him come out of his shell a bit. I'm a singer and it is so nerve-racking to get up on stage and sing, but Clark did it. And he didn't only do it once, but he did it twice. I loved it. Of course your song choices are beautiful. I only wish I had a better memory so I could sing along with the words you chose.

And a capella.... that again is so romantic. Lana will never forget what he did, singing Iris for her... a capella. Simply brilliant, my friend. I too would have taken Clark home and made up my own desserts with him. :lol: Shhhhh, I'm married!! *slaps wrists* ;)

Anyway, I too am very frustrated with the turn of events of this update. Here we are all ready to divulge of their 'first time' and they get interrupted. :lol: But I see what you are doing....

Often times Lana and Clana are perceived (by some, including me) as not being able to withstand the pull Clark will have on him when he becomes Superman. That Lana will slowly lose herself to sadness and loneliness because of the demands the world will expect from Clark, that she couldn't handle being second to the responsibilities that Clark will have once he's accepted his destiny.

I for one and so glad you have shown a strong and united front when it comes to Clark doing what he must, even if it means leaving a beautiful Lana behind to do what's right. The fact that she said "Go" says it all. She knows, she accepts, and supports the role about to befall our superhero and she wouldn't have it any other way. She can't and won't hold him back! Beautiful job, hon. I loved it!!!(at least this is how 'I' see this section...)


And as for the rescue... cool! I do hope that Clark remembered to soak the couch that was in flames with water, that way there aren't any loop holes... know what I mean? And I too wonder who this person is that watched them return to Lana's apartment. Of course, Clark can zoom out a back window unseen in the morning if they wake up to a yard full of media, but something tells me this is something more. I do wonder!!

And as much as I love the idea of them spooning in her bed as their dreams take them away from us, I do hope their 'first time' is special and without incident in the future.

Again, this has been a wonderful and beautiful update. I have enjoyed it thoroughly! Post more when you can, I'll be patient. :)

[treker]

Originally posted by Iowanmom
Hell, where do I start? This is a long ass update, Cardinal. *sigh* I don't like such long updates. They make me miss important things. I get carried away by reading and forget things I'd like to comment on. :lol: My problem, not yours....

First let me say something I meant to mention the last time. Now I asked you what Martha and JK careers were. You did tell me, but I was kind of thinking you might add more of them in the story. Don't get me wrong, I know this is a Clana fic, but you have sufficiently painted each of the characters within. However, I'd think you would be a little more forthcoming on Clark's parents. Again, don't get me wrong, you have painted a wonderful picture with MK and JK. It’s just that when they are featured in the story, I want to learn more... The main reason why is because 'they' are AU as well.

For example, when you had Martha leave and go upstairs to do one of her projects, I thought, "What does she do in that room?" I wondered why you didn't expunge on that I mean several times she's just left to do her own thing, but we never know what it is. I'd think Lana would take an interest in what Martha does in her free time and Kathy too. And Jonathan... he must be tired doing construction. I mean, he must be tan, he must be... dirty all the time and being warned by Martha not to track his dirt in her house. You know what I mean? Being a construction worker or foreman is a hard, dirty, and taxing job... how is Jonathan doing with it?

You've done such a good job showing us the family that Clark loves; I was curious why Martha and Jonathan aren't brought into the light a bit more when they're all together. I mean Clark would be interested in what they do and he sees them nearly EVERY weekend, and with Lana now too.

I'm a bit conflicted with these thoughts I'm having because you do focus on them in your story, but I guess I want more. Just... a sprinkling of info, to draw them in closer to me, to allow me to relish them a bit more. *shrugs* do I make any sense?

This is just an observation that I noticed the other night. Of course, I could be totally wrong and have put my foot in my mouth, but I thought I'd bring it up. If you'd prefer, I can delete this section of my reply and continue on. Clark loves his parents in this fic and I'd like to see him take a more interested part in learning how their week has gone, how they are doing, etc. That's the best way I can explain it, sorry Cardinal. :\

And as for this update... it was FREAKING HUGE!!! Oh right, I said that all ready. :lol:

Again, I like the attention you brought to Lana and her hair... I have very fine hair and I know men like their women with long flowing hair. Clark is no different. LOL Often times I wish Chloe's hair were longer, but I digress. :lol:

It was neat to read how Clark helped Lana dry her hair and the fact that you had him doing the same for Kathy was cool. I bet he played around with that quite a bit. I mean...:lol: how many towels did he torch before he got it right??? :lol: That would be a hoot for him to tell Lana. :lol:

Anyway, Lana's thoughts about how little it takes to be romantic and the little gestures that seem to touch us... it's all true. You don't have to be loaded with cash to show how loving, romantic, and sensual you can be with a soul mate. Often times its the little things that make the biggest impression. Beautifully done, Cardinal.

Now, I enjoyed Clark seeing Lana in a new light, so to speak. Her dress is often times conservative and the playfulness and drive she took to 'dress' for Clark was a hoot. He sure noticed as well as your readers. :lol: She is beautiful...

It's nice to know how well Lana knows her man. Clark would do well to not underestimate her in the future. Something tells me he will lose every time. Again, this is a credit to you and how you have portrayed Lana in this fic. I have truly enjoyed her. She has a wonderful sense of humor.

Clark too... it was nice to see him come out of his shell a bit. I'm a singer and it is so nerve-racking to get up on stage and sing, but Clark did it. And he didn't only do it once, but he did it twice. I loved it. Of course your song choices are beautiful. I only wish I had a better memory so I could sing along with the words you chose.

And a capella.... that again is so romantic. Lana will never forget what he did, singing Iris for her... a capella. Simply brilliant, my friend. I too would have taken Clark home and made up my own desserts with him. :lol: Shhhhh, I'm married!! *slaps wrists* ;)

Anyway, I too am very frustrated with the turn of events of this update. Here we are all ready to divulge of their 'first time' and they get interrupted. :lol: But I see what you are doing....

Often times Lana and Clana are perceived (by some, including me) as not being able to withstand the pull Clark will have on him when he becomes Superman. That Lana will slowly lose herself to sadness and loneliness because of the demands the world will expect from Clark, that she couldn't handle being second to the responsibilities that Clark will have once he's accepted his destiny.

I for one and so glad you have shown a strong and united front when it comes to Clark doing what he must, even if it means leaving a beautiful Lana behind to do what's right. The fact that she said "Go" says it all. She knows, she accepts, and supports the role about to befall our superhero and she wouldn't have it any other way. She can't and won't hold him back! Beautiful job, hon. I loved it!!!

And as for the rescue... cool! I do hope that Clark remembered to soak the couch that was in flames with water, that way there aren't any loop holes... know what I mean? And I too wonder who this person is that watch them return to Lana's apartment. Of course, Clark can zoom out a back window unseen in the morning if they wake up to a yard full of media, but something tells me this is something more. I do wonder!!

And as much as I love the idea of them spooning in her bed as their dreams take them away from us, I do hope their 'first time' is special and without incident in the future.

Again, this has been a wonderful and beautiful update. I have enjoyed if thoroughly! Post more when you can, I'll be patient. :)


the comment was as long as the story!!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[superman_lives_on]

Originally posted by treker
the comment was as long as the story!!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

That's Io for you, treker. When her enjoyment of a story surges, it shows in her replies. I like that. :)

[Iowanmom]

Originally posted by treker
the comment was as long as the story!!
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Originally posted by superman_lives_on
That's Io for you, treker. When her enjoyment of a story surges, it shows in her replies. I like that. :)

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Ya'll quite makin' fun of me....:lol: :rotfl:
*shrugs* I'm enjoying Card's fic! :lol:

[treker]

Originally posted by Iowanmom
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Ya'll quite makin' fun of me....:lol: :rotfl:
*shrugs* I'm enjoying Card's fic! :lol:


<sigh> nobody appreciates a good joke anymore.

sorry Iowa Mom....but, that's twice today that superman lives on has come at me. I'm done.

[Iowanmom]

Originally posted by treker
<sigh> nobody appreciates a good joke anymore.

sorry Iowa Mom....but, that's twice today that superman lives on has come at me. I'm done.
Aww, treker, I know you're messing with me!! :lol: I'm verbose!! Laugh it up, hon... it's all good. :lol: ;)

[lanalang1234]

ppms post more soon

[Cardinal]

As the author, let me tell you that I like long replies. It's nice to know what people like, dislike, and want more of. I wish more people would reply like that. Long, detailed replies = Extra motivation = Faster updates. :D

As far as focusing on Jonathan and Martha goes, its hard to do without slowing down an already slow story. I've written 77 chapters and we're only 2.5 months into the semester.

I would assume that Clark and Lana do get involved with what is going on in the lives of his parents, they just do it "off-screen." I can try to put in more info about the parentals, I just don't know if it will work.

I will say that Jonathan should be less tired as a construction foreman than as a farmer like in Smallville. A foreman is more about organization and leadership while a farmer has to get down and dirty.

I was originally going to have Martha work on pottery like in the "Lois & Clark" series...I hope I erased that from early in the fic though. I'd say she's more likely to do something like make intricate, hand-made quilts in her spare time as a form of relaxation.

One more thing, IO. If you'd like Chloe with long hair, what did you think of the long-haired Chloe from "Lexmas?" I thought that was a rather hot look for her.

[lanalang1234]

i aggre with that she did look rather nice in lexmas with long chloe is very sexy with long hair

[superman_lives_on]

Originally posted by Cardinal
If you'd like Chloe with long hair, what did you think of the long-haired Chloe from "Lexmas?" I thought that was a rather hot look for her.

Me too--Chloe looks VERY lovely with long golden hair. It suits her. :) :D

[Iowanmom]

Originally posted by Cardinal
As far as focusing on Jonathan and Martha goes, it’s hard to do without slowing down an already slow story. I've written 77 chapters and we're only 2.5 months into the semester.
That's not what I meant. Sorry, Cardinal. How do I explain this??? Umm...

Throughout your fic, you have sprinkled in little tidbits of information or details that have allowed us to experience your characters even more. Now, I could go back through 77 chapters to quote you but I'll try to just remember a few. :)

One example is the way you mention Chloe every now and again... how she won't let him live something down, tight matador pants showing a rather large package... :lol: Or lets see, his floppy shoes... Chloe noticed them and you mentioned it. Ummm, Kathy watching Lana and Clark kiss and how awkward it is for them to do that... that was funny.

I know my examples suck, but I mean little things to just draw us in deeper with Martha and Jonathan. As Martha goes up the stairs Jonathan mentions Lana might want to see her newest quilt or Martha runs her hands across Jonathan's shoulders massaging the muscles and asking if he's tired... I don't know. Just little details... Do I make sense? Little things sprinkled in that make us take notice. Martha picking up paperwork from the table and putting it in her briefcase before Clark and Lana set the table... I wish I could explain this better or provide better examples. Just nonsense really that make us feel for the couple. I'm giving up now; I can't explain it more than that. I didn't mean really focusing so much as just 'mentioning.'


I would assume that Clark and Lana do get involved with what is going on in the lives of his parents, they just do it "off-screen." I can try to put in more info about the parentals, I just don't know if it will work.
Nope, you are doing fine without my interruptions... it was just something I noticed. *shrugs* no big deal. For gosh sakes, don't change on my account when it won't work. :lol:


I will say that Jonathan should be less tired as a construction foreman than as a farmer like in Smallville. A foreman is more about organization and leadership while a farmer has to get down and dirty.
Well, at the time, I didn't know he was a foreman. I thought he was a regular construction guy. My bad, sorry Cardinal. You of course are right. :)


I'd say she's more likely to do something like make intricate, hand-made quilts in her spare time as a form of relaxation.

One more thing, IO. If you'd like Chloe with long hair, what did you think of the long-haired Chloe from "Lexmas?" I thought that was a rather hot look for her.
Yeah, you are right, quilts seem like Martha or embroidery, but I could be wrong... And yes, I like Chloe with longer hair, but I like her hair one length... *shrugs* :) Uggg and definitely not too short. :lol:

Anyway, thanks for talking to me Cardinal and I hope I didn't just confuse you more. Like the rest of your fans, I too can't wait for the next update. :D

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NYC300Z]

wow so many comments I was almost sure there has to have been an updatge I missed! oh well PPMS!;)

[lanalang1234]

no there wasnt an update because there was 144 pgs of story and comments last time i checked this fic 2 days ago

[that girl]

Okay. So. For probably a few months now, I have seen this fic on the board and not felt compelled to open it. I don't know why. I just didn't. Then, a few days ago, out of sheer boerdom (is that spelled right? I can never figure out how to spell that) and a lack of any of the other fics I read being updated, I thought I'd give this one a try. Needless to say, I immedietly fell completely in love with it (it took about two and a half days to read 144 pages of updates, okay?).

I love the way you write Clana, Cardinal. I really feel like I know these characters, even though they're a little different than the characters we know from SV (especially Lana). I've been becoming more and more of a Clois shipper lately in light of recent events on the show (although I will NEVER stop loving Clana) but it's fics like this that remind me just how great Clark and Lana can be together.

The fact that Pete continues to play a sizable role in the story only makes me love it more (I love and miss Pete more than I am capable of expressing). If only you would pair him romantically with Chloe, I would be over the moon but I do like Veronica very much. And it's very interesting that you've chosen to have him not be in on The Secret, I don't think I've ever seen a fic with that in it.

And Kathy. What can I say about Kathy that hasn't already been said? When you first introduced her I was struck by how similar the names "Kathy" and "Kara" are and hoped the Kents were now raising a little Supergirl as well as Superman. So I was a bit disappointed when I saw that you had said she was nothing but human. So, imagine my glee when it was revealed that she was *drum roll* HALF KRYPTONIAN!!!!!!!!!!! Nice touch. And making Jor-El a nice guy and not just a disembodied voice was also a wise decison, imo.

While on the subject of the Kent family, it's great to see them working and playing together. To me, that is one of the great parts of SV and I think it frequently gets lost in fics. So kudos on that.

And suffice it to say that despite my sever dislike for Chlark as a romantic couple (sorry, Iowaman) Chloe is still my favorite chacacter and seeing her Clana fics is always a good sign, imo. I love the way you write her, so funny and true to her character on the show.

Elaine is great, too and I think it's wonderful what you've done with her character and the other tri-Alphas. Candy Morgan is evil and she got what was coming to her.

And I love the Clana scenes of course, this date seemed to go on forever but I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes when reading some of the mushier parts I had to stop and remind myself that you're a guy. I spent a good part of the last three years completely emersed in a mostly women fandom which will remain nameless (I've suffered taunting for it from my "real-life" freinds and now that I'm over it do not wish to go back there. lol.) and am used to most of the fics I read being written by girls. So when I see good fluff being written by a guy, I am usually a little taken off guard. (I didn't mean for that to be depricating to any male fluff writers out there, btw, it's just not what I'm used to.)

Anyway, keep up the wonderful work, Cardinal and PPMS!

[Cardinal]

*CLUNK!*

That sound you just 'heard' was my jaw hitting my computer desk. I'm used to IO's big posts, in fact I look forward to them, but I'm unused to getting them from someone else.

Nice! :D

I guess I have to get back to fleshing out the next update. I did say something about more/better responses = more updates, so i need to cut this reply short so I can dig out the update and finish it. ;)

[that girl]

Originally posted by Cardinal
*CLUNK!*

That sound you just 'heard' was my jaw hitting my computer desk. I'm used to IO's big posts, in fact I look forward to them, but I'm unused to getting them from someone else.

Nice! :D

I guess I have to get back to fleshing out the next update. I did say something about more/better responses = more updates, so i need to cut this reply short so I can dig out the update and finish it. ;)

I thought since I'd missed out on reply thus far, it warrented a huge post. I wouldn't get used to them, though, it's not a common occurence for me. :D

[SVsleuth]

Welcome to one of the best fics in Clanaland, that girl. :) Cardinal has written several other fics that you'll enjoy as well, which are complete. Look for them further down the pages: "Reunion", "At Last!", and Cardinal's Odds' N Ends (which actually contains 2 fics titled "The Proposal" & "The Wedding.") Did I forget any Cardinal?

PPMS, Card. ;)

[that girl]

Originally posted by SVsleuth
Welcome to one of the best fics in Clanaland, that girl. :) Cardinal has written several other fics that you'll enjoy as well, which are complete. Look for them further down the pages: "Reunion", "At Last!", and Cardinal's Odds' N Ends (which actually contains 2 fics titled "The Proposal" & "The Wedding.") Did I forget any Cardinal?

PPMS, Card. ;)

Lol, I JUST got a PM from Cardinal saying basically the exact same thing.

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[treker]

do you know what I really love about your story here card. it's the devotion that you have coming from Lana. It's so much different from the Lana on TV. she has such faith, devotion and support for clark. It's the complete opposite of the Lana currently in smallville. this is almost like the lana from the first 2 season's of smallville. Before she went off the deep end of secret's and conspiracies.

And it's a stroke of genius having Clark find out about some of his abilities at the same time that Lana does (ie. telescopic vision and red kryptonite).

We always see in smallville how devoted to Lana that Clark has been. She's the woman he has always lusted after and loved. now we get to see that same emotion coming from Lana in your story.

I hope we get to see them do "it" soon my friend. The anticipation is killing me. :)

Take care my friend,
Treker

[maru11]

yeeaahhh!!!!!
it´s killing me too!!!!!!!
update soon!!!!!!!!!!
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lanalang1234]

plz post more soon





i just got what ppms means

[clark&lanafan06]

Update soon plz !!!!!!!!!!!

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clana1fan4ever]

update sooon!!!!
please!!!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 78 - Lunch Date?

Clark came back to full-consciousness bit by bit the next morning.

First, he noticed that his front side was much warmer than it was normally. Next came the realization that something was tickling his nose. When he finally gave in to the inevitability of waking up and cracked open an eye, he was greeted by the sight of a cloud of soft, brown hair. That helped him remember where he was, and more importantly, with whom.

Sunlight filtered into the room through small cracks around the edges of Lana’s window blinds. Clark looked over at her bedside clock and saw that was 7 a.m. It’s a good thing we don’t have weightlifting on Monday this week, Clark thought, or else I’d be late already.

Trying to think of how to leave without waking Lana, since her first class was at 11 a.m. today, Clark finally noticed that his left arm was trapped beneath her head. So much for making a quiet getaway, Clark thought. It looks like I’m going to have to wake her one way or another, and I’d rather do it gently instead of pulling my arm out from under her.

Clark gave Lana a gentle squeeze through the thin fabric of her pajama top and then continued to caress her lightly. But before he could say anything, she murmured sleepily, “Oooooh, Clark, that feels soooooo good…such gentle hands.”

Clark realized that his hand was fondling one of Lana’s breasts and he let go like she was made of green meteor rock. Lana’s instant response was to moan, “Don’t stop now!” while Clark was falling all over himself trying to apologize to Lana for taking unintentional liberties with her body.

“Clark,” Lana said, “considering what we were primed to do last night, a little breast massage from you this morning is nothing…and believe me, you do have my permission.” Especially if your touch is going to be like that.

When it became apparent that Clark was not going to resume the massage without a little encouragement, Lana decided to take things in hand…literally. She reached back and fumbled around until she found his free hand resting on her hip and then guided it back into position. His hand just sat there, however, as if she was made of spun glass and would break at the slightest pressure.

Lana spoke softly to encourage him to begin again. “Just like you were doing Clark. Please? That was the nicest feeling.”

Tentatively, like a child taking his first steps, Clark began again and was rewarded as Lana purred and wriggled her body tightly against his. When she grasped his other hand and began kissing and licking his palm, Clark knew he had to end this now, or he would never make it to class…and she might not either.

“Lana?” Clark said. “I need to go. I have class in less than an hour and I still have to get home to shower and change into something clean.”

“Awww,” Lana pouted, “do you have to go?”

“Yes, Sweetcheeks, I do,” Clark said apologetically. “I had a hard enough time explaining how I missed a whole day being ‘sick’ back when we were fighting, without even making a visit to the campus health clinic. I don’t think the coaches would be happy with me. Especially not just before the last game of the regular season.”

Bowing to the needs of the moment, Lana grudgingly acquiesced and rolled over to her side of the bed where she levered her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up to stretch. Clark hopped out of bed and began fishing through his clothing from yesterday for something he could wear long enough to run home. Super-speed was out of the question because he did not want anyone to see him magically disappear or appear in broad daylight, but due to his stamina, he would be able to run at a full human sprint the entire way home without even breathing hard. He decided that the smoky jeans from last night were his best choice and he quickly pulled them on.

A quick run across the edge of campus before 8 a.m. shouldn’t require a shirt, Clark thought.

As he stood up to button and zip his jeans, Lana made one last teasing play at getting him to stay. She kissed the tip of the first finger on her right hand and pressed it against his lips. The finger then trailed slowly downward, over chin, throat, chest and abdomen, until she hooked that finger inside the top of his jeans and tugged. That pulled him close to her and she said, in her sexiest whisper, “Are you absolutely sure you can’t stay with me this morning and make up for last night?”

“I, uh, no…I mean, yes…I mean…oh, I don’t know what I mean.” Why do I feel like my shirt collar has suddenly gotten tight? Clark wondered. Especially since I’m not wearing a damn shirt? He knew, then and there, if Lana tugged on his pants and led him back to bed, he would not be able to resist her.

Furthermore, from the devilish look on her face, she knew it too. Apparently, she had just wanted to establish that fact, because she then said, “If you have to go, then go.”

Clark kissed her lightly and backed away with the greatest of regrets. “See you after practice?” he asked.

“I’ll be there. Same time, same place.”

“I really wish I could stay.”

Lana took a deliberate look at Clark just below his waistline and said, “I can tell.”

Clark blushed the most amazing shade of scarlet at being caught in that condition. “Lana,” he said, attempting to sound menacing and failing miserably, “do you remember what I almost did the last time you teased me like that?” When Lana looked slightly confused, Clark added, “You remember, our conversation at the custard stand?”

That made Lana’s eyes open wide and her hands shot up to cover her breasts. “You wouldn’t!” she hissed.

“I don’t know,” Clark said as he looked at her chest and wiggled his eyebrows, “now that we’re alone and our relationship has reached that stage, I just might.”

Then, they both broke up laughing. “We need to reschedule this,” Clark said.

“We’ll talk about it after practice. Don’t forget, we also need to figure out a schedule for Thursday. After all, I told Aunt Nell we would be coming to her place for Thanksgiving dinner and to your parents’ house for the big Christmas dinner.”

“I almost forgot about dinner with your family. I’m glad you reminded me.” Clark checked his watch and said, “I’ve gotta go now, Lana.”

“Yes you do.”

As Clark tried to gather his stuff, Lana told him to leave it and come back later to pick it up. Then she loosely wrapped an arm around his waist and walked him to the front door. Neither one could resist one last kiss before he stepped out into the morning sunlight…and right into a reporter from the Daily Planet.

“Mr. Kent!” said the strong, clear female voice. “I knew the man reported to be in that apartment was supposed to be a big, handsome man, but I had no idea he was you.”

Clark turned to see who was talking to him, but had trouble making out her face due to the glare of the early morning sun that was behind her. He did hear the faint click of a digital camera as it took his picture, a sound which was all too familiar to him after three years on the Met U football team.

What now? Clark wondered. Has my love life suddenly become newsworthy?

Just as he used a hand to shade his eyes, the reporter stuck out her hand, apparently wanting to shake his hand. Clark cautiously took her hand and gave it one firm shake.

“You have me at a disadvantage,” Clark said, as the woman’s face finally came into sight. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

“Oh!” the woman said, “I’m Lois…Lois Lane, Daily Planet staff reporter.”

Lois Lane…Lois Lane…why does that name ring a bell? “Wait a minute, are you Chloe’s cousin?”

“Chloe Sullivan? Yes!”

Clark snapped his fingers and said, “Now I remember you. You were at that news conference at the hospital.” Clark paused and then asked, “What did I do to merit the attention of a staff reporter and a photographer at this time of day on a Monday? A reporter who is, by the way, not a member of the Planet’s sports staff.”

“Well, there was an apartment fire last night one building over and several people gave a good description of the Good Samaritan that pulled a…,” looking down at her notepad, Lois read off, “a Miss Bianca Sanchez, age six, out of the burning apartment. The reporter who was covering the fire story last night didn’t have time to look into the ‘vanishing hero’ since he was crushing a deadline. Instead, the hero story and the leads developed by the other writer were handed over to me bright and early this morning. I did a little digging and found someone who swore up and down that they saw the ‘hero’ enter this apartment last night with some college girl after the fire.” Lois briefly eyed Clark’s chest which looked just as yummy as she remembered from their previous meeting, and said, “So…while Jimmy over there is busy Canonizing you…”

“My camera’s a Leica, Miss Lane, not some cheap Japanese knock off,” said a thin male voice.

As Clark turned to locate the voice that had to belong to the photographer, Lois whipped her head around and retorted, “Yeah, whatever Jimmy, a camera’s a camera. It’s the photographer that makes the difference. That’s why I have you along.”

Clark had located the photographer by now and he could see the young man swell up with pride at Lois’ compliment, even though Clark was not too sure she really meant it. When Clark shot her a skeptical look, she rolled her eyes and said quietly, “What was I supposed to do? Jimmy Olsen is fragile, he has to be handled carefully.

“Anyway, getting back to what I was saying, while Jimmy is busy taking pictures, I would like to interview you about your role in saving the Sanchez girl and in putting out the fire.”

“Normally, I’d be happy to talk to you, Miss Lane, but right now I have to run or I will be late for my 8 a.m. class.”

“Come on, just a few questions!”

“I just passed up some the chance to spend some time with my girlfriend so I could make it to class. There’s no way I’m going to turn her down and then spend time being interviewed.” Clark flashed what Chloe referred to as ‘the famous Kent grin,’ and said, “Sorry.”

The effect of that grin combined with his bare, sculpted chest was enough to cloud Lois’ thinking temporarily, but she shook her head in an attempt at clearing her mind and asked, “When can I see you? I do have a deadline to make on this story.”

“Tell you what…since my girlfriend doesn’t meet me for lunch on Mondays because of our class schedules, you can meet me for lunch in the Student Union. As long as I am able to get something to eat before practice, you can ask all of the questions you want.”

Checking her watch and seeing that Clark really was in time trouble this morning, she said, “Okay, just promise me you won’t talk to anyone else first. I want this to be a scoop for the Daily Planet.”

“Okay, that I can promise. I‘ll see you at noon.”

Lois smiled warmly and said, “Noon in the Student Union. It’s a date.”

[Nemu]

1st?

Nice update.... meanie Lana!!! lol

Lois can dream... Clark belongs to Lana... and she to him...

I hope Lana wont hear a distorted version of the interview date...

PPMS :D

[superman_lives_on]

AH! So that's what comes of Clark and Lana not entering the apartment unnoticed after the fire! Lois Lane herself gets in on the story and sets up an interview for lunch! Heh...

Update again soon! :)

[clark&lanafan06]

Really Great Update ! PPMS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SmallvilleMan]

Clark is a loser, there's no way you pass up Lana right there. Come on Clark.

[superman_lives_on]

Originally posted by SmallvilleMan
Clark is a loser, there's no way you pass up Lana right there. Come on Clark.

I'm sure he didn't WANT to pass her up, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. We all feel his pain. :)

[Iowanmom]

Okay, this opening scene didn't open the way I would have liked!! :lol:

Truly, I could see Clark opening his eyes as the sunlight filtered through his eyelids, the warm body and tickling hair of Lana drawing him closer to her. As he turned to embracer her closer, I could see the scene perfectly in my minds eye, Card. Wonderful job.

As I hear Lana's soft sighs of delight, I feel the gentle caress of his fingers brushing her body. Ohhh how I wanted him to do so much more. I really thought you'd have them moving on this. *sigh*

Damn it!! *tries to remember this forum is PG13* As Lana reveals what he's actually doing, I've gotta say, I felt the jar when he pulled his hand away from her. I could see and feel his embarrassment. Uggg, the euphoria you paint for us is wonderful. I can experience these two so beautifully and I love it. *checks myself for a fever* :lol:

Wow, I'm shocked Clark turned her down. I mean this is Lana. :lol: You teased us rather cruelly, Cardinal.

The gentle teasing and forward playfulness was a hoot and Clark surely has his hands full with Lana as a soul mate and lover. Let me tell you... :lol: He won't be able to deny her again, I don't think. Lana was nice to ease him and 'let' him leave. She knew she had him!!! :lol: I love this. And of course Clark knew better than to speed off out the window. lol

Then walks in Lois Lane... I'll be honest, when I read that I put my head in my hands and asked... 'Why?' (it stung, hon) But no matter, nice continuity, Cardinal with bringing her in and mentioning the news conference at the hospital. The name jimmy falling from her lips and the photographer present and doing his thing was a treat!!!

It will be interesting to see you show this fic as AU and still have Lois Lane and Jimmy and such canon characters still in their roles and yet Clark falls for Lana. I look forward to your creative twists and turns here. And I liked you having Clark call Lois 'Chloe's cousin'. :lol:

Truly a great update, hon. Post more when you can. :)

[that girl]

Loved it! If only Clark could have taken Lana up on that offer...

Seriously, can we just get it over already?

And I'm not liking that Clark is gonna have lunch with Lois - I have a bad feeling about this.

Oh, well, PPMS!

[SVsleuth]

I'm finally here, Card. Better late than never. ;) I can't believe Clark had the willpower to resist Lana. And I hope Lois doesn't cause trouble for Clark. PPMS!

[SmallvilleMan]

I'm sure he didn't WANT to pass her up, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. We all feel his pain.

I'm sure he could have missed some classes, especially for that.

[Iowanmom]

Originally posted by SmallvilleMan
I'm sure he could have missed some classes, especially for that.
:lol: :rotfl: I so freaking agree!!! He did not show his 'human' side by denying his girl!!! :lol: Damn, Clark!! :lol:

In hind sight, Cardinal... I was cleaning the kitchen when I realized I forgot to mention something about Lois.

Despite the fact that her being in the fic grates on my nerves (for purely catty reasons....:lol: ) *braces my Chlois heart* I see what you've done here. Clark needed a reporter that could print the news about him when he moves forward with his hero business. He commented that he couldn't use Chloe... she's not established enough, but Lois is. She's this person that he will give all his exclusive interviews to. Nicely done and the tying it in with the Supes canon was cool. I mean Superman always gives Lois the scoop. Nice nod toward the Superman continuity. I'm sure there's a better way to say this, but I gave it a shot.

I can't wait for more!!!

[NYC300Z]

Yeah I agree I find it imposible that Clark would not have skipped Class or at least just his first calss! Oh and I hope Lois doesn't cause any problems for Clark, but I don't see that happening so let's see where this goes!

PPMS!

[clana1fan4ever]

That was an awsome update!!
PPMS

[happycamper]

Originally posted by Cardinal
Lois smiled warmly and said, “Noon in the Student Union. It’s a date.”I just hope this - and the chapter title - doesn't signify anything!



I glad to see the relationship between Lana and Clark advancing the way it has.

But she does seem to have control over our poor boy. Don't let that change.


:D :D

[deanyouk]

awesome update

[lanalang1234]

i also aggre that clark should have missed a few classes for lana i mean cmon not human would pass up lana

[maru11]

awesome update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DeVinde]

You have my compliments, it's one thing to pull a silent reader out, but I've been on this site for a while, alas too lazy to create a username to post. So, I finally mustered up the energy it took to make an account just to compliment your fanfiction. And yes, I'll admit I'm a bit lazy...

[maru11]

can´t wait to see what happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[tygershot]

A date?! Oh no! I hope this doesn't cause problems between Clark and Lana, but I'm sure it will. PPMS!

[maitriniazngurl]

Awesome update!! Clark you just can't say no.. I-I- can't... especially for a class!!

I loved the sexy parts. And I hope Lois won't do anything to ruin the perfect couple! :D :D

PPMS!!

[Cardinal]

Originally posted by DeVinde
You have my compliments, it's one thing to pull a silent reader out, but I've been on this site for a while, alas too lazy to create a username to post. So, I finally mustered up the energy it took to make an account just to compliment your fanfiction. And yes, I'll admit I'm a bit lazy...

:D :D :D :D :D Thanks for posting, and welcome to the Kryptonsite Clana Fanfic page.

[NYC300Z]

Originally posted by tygershot
A date?! Oh no! I hope this doesn't cause problems between Clark and Lana, but I'm sure it will. PPMS!

You see I for one thought they would be above that now...

[maru11]

welcome to the kryptonsite clana forum DeVinde!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clark&lanafan06]

UPDATE SOON PLZ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Venezuelan Lana]

OMG I DIDN'T NOTICE I MISSED TWO UPDATES! THOSE WERE AMAZING... PLEASE KEEP THE GREAT JOB COMING TO PLEASE ALL CLANA FANS!

PPMS!!!!

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[maitriniazngurl]

please update soon!! :)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 79 - The Pro

Clark left the crew from the Daily Planet behind, both physically and mentally, as he ran home. Even holding off on the super-speed, Clark’s otherworldly endurance allowed him to make the trip at a speed that would make a four-minute-miler jealous. His keys were already in his hand as he rounded the last corner for the short final stretch of the run when he saw a small crowd out in front of his townhouse.

Oh jeez, Clark thought, it looks like the whole world is conspiring to make me late today.

He slowed to a walk before reaching his door and noticed that the crowd was composed almost exclusively of reporters and their attendant cameramen. To his everlasting chagrin, he was noticed by the crowd before he was able to change direction and enter through the back door.

As one, the crowd turned his way and surged forward as they all tried to out shout each other. He even saw the guy from the Daily Planet that was the beat writer covering Met U men’s athletics.

Clark reeled back in a mild panic, wondering, What did I do to get attention like this first thing Monday morning? We didn’t get put on probation by the N.C.A.A. did we? I should have heard about any investigation from the coaching staff.

As the reporters jostled for position, Clark noticed one more person running around the crowd and placing herself between him and the ravening horde. An involuntary smile crossed his face as he saw it was Rachel McAvoy, an Assistant Sports Information Director in the Met U Athletic Department. This was the first good thing to happen to him this morning since Lana’s last kiss. Rachel was universally loved by the people in the athletic department for the way she handled the press, and Clark had a feeling he was going to need her services today.

She cut off the questions from the reporters with one loud whistle and said, “Since it is apparent that Mr. Kent has been out all night, we’ll allow him to shower and dress before we begin the news conference.”

“Hi, Rachel,” Clark said into her ear, “what’s going on? Am I in trouble or something?”

“Or something…definitely or something,” Rachel said with a somewhat harried smile. “Don’t quote me,” she said quietly, “but if your teammates were as ‘troublesome’ as you are, this would be a much quieter campus.” Clark returned her smile and she said, “Now, go upstairs and get cleaned up. When you’re ready, we’ll have a brief press conference here in front of your building. Don’t worry about classes today, your professors have all been informed and your assignments are being sent to you by e-mail.”

Wow, this must be big for the athletic department to allow me to miss class, he thought. After a second’s reflection, he added, To think I gave up a pajama-clad Lana just so I could talk to a bunch of reporters.

Clark smiled gratefully at Rachel and hustled around the crowd and into the apartment. When he came down the stairs a short time later, sporting a sky blue Met U t-shirt and fresh blue jeans, he saw that Pete had let Rachel in and that they were talking as they waited for him to come downstairs. The thud of his feet on the treads of the stairs made them look up just as he joined them.

Pete looked at Clark in disbelief and asked, “Is it true that you don’t know what’s going on out there, Clark?”

Feeling that he was forgetting something big, Clark felt uncomfortable as he said, “It’s true. Now, does somebody want to fill me in?”

Pete and Rachel shared a glance and Rachel said, “You have been made a finalist for the Heisman Trophy by the Downtown Athletic Club of New York.”

The poleaxed expression on his face was more than enough to convince both Rachel and Pete that this was brand-new information. Clark just stood there stiffly as Pete shook his hand and then wrapped him in a bearhug. “If you’d answer your cell phone once in awhile, you would learn things like this.”

Coming to his senses, Clark said, “Yeah, well, I was preoccupied yesterday. I kind of forgot all about the Heisman.”

“What would keep you tied-up all day long on a Sunday?” Rachel asked.

Pete added, “Especially the one Sunday on which the Sharks weren’t playing.”

Absentmindedly, Clark said, “My girlfriend.”

It was not until Pete and Rachel started laughing hysterically that Clark realized how his last statement could have been interpreted. “No,” he said sheepishly, “not tied-up tied-up, just …busy.” That explanation was no better than the first as Clark’s audience of two now began imagining exactly how she had kept him busy.

In between wheezing laughs, Rachel said, “Now I know where the rest of your clothes are.”

“What?” Pete asked.

“Didn’t you see him when he came in? He was wearing nothing except for his jeans. No shoes, no socks, no shirt…that girl must be a tiger.”

Pete had thought Clark had just made an unfortunate slip of the tongue for which they were duly teasing him, but hearing about Clark coming home en deshabille, along with seeing the red-faced way he was reacting, made Pete speculate about whether or not Clark and Lana had finally started sleeping together.

Marshaling what was left of his dignity, Clark headed for the door. Rachel scurried after him, wanting to head out first and give the press a heads-up warning. She paused at the door and said, “Clark? The Heisman Trophy ceremony is next Sunday. After the Friday afternoon game against Kansas State, you and Coach Pearson will drive to Kansas City and fly directly to New York. The other four finalists are Eddie Price from Arizona State, Bob Mueller from Miami, Andy Copeland from Auburn, and Ed Lipschitz from Penn State.”

Figuring that was all he really needed to know, Clark waved Rachel outside, and said, “Let’s get this over with.”

While Rachel was making preparatory remarks to the media, Pete came up behind Clark and asked, “So, are you and Lana, umm, ‘getting it on?’”

“Not yet,” Clark said, “but when we take that step, I’ll let you know.” Clark started to turn toward the door, but stopped long enough to add, “The details I’ll leave to your overheated imagination.”

The question and answer session was not too long and most of the questions were similar to ones he had been answering his whole career. One, however, required a bit of thought. The reporter from the local ABC affiliate asked, “Do you think you deserve to win the Heisman?”

Clark thought a bit and said, “I don’t think I even deserve the nomination. This is a team sport, one in which success is determined by eleven men working together to accomplish a common goal. To reward one player for the accomplishments of the whole team goes against everything I believe in as a player.” The solemn, almost stern, expression on Clark’s face convinced most of the reporters that he was being honest. “If I am given this award, I will consider it to be for the whole team, not just me.”

Clark stepped back and headed inside as Rachel said, “Thank you, Gentlemen. This concludes the press conference.” Rachel turned to Clark and said, “Okay, now we have several long-distance interview requests with various sports radio talk shows. These should each be no longer than five minutes apiece, but we’ve got to get a move on, the first one is in 25 minutes in the athletic department offices.

Clark spent the rest of his morning doing what was, essentially, public relations work for the school. He did not mind too much because they were giving him a free education, but he did turn down a couple of potential interviews over the lunch hour because he had already promised that time to Chloe’s cousin Lois.

Having done his duty toward the school, Clark headed for lunch. He was hungry as hell since he had totally forgotten about breakfast in the race to do all of the interviews. He hoped Lois asked questions as fast as she talked, that way, the interview would be over quicker and he could start some serious eating. Football practice was going to be a relief after the morning he had been having.

Clark was right on time, and so was Lois. Her no-nonsense gray pantsuit was not flirtatious in the least, but the smile on her face was. Oh crap, Clark thought, I swear I told her that I have a girlfriend. Man, I hope she’s just playing with me for the sake of the interview. After the day I’ve been having, I just can’t deal with this right now.

Lois paid six dollars to enter the cafeteria and Clark had his student id swiped through the card reader since he had a meal plan. Lois picked grilled chicken breasts and steamed brown rice along with a glass of ice tea, Clark chose a couple of hamburgers off of the fast food bar along with a pile of crinkle-cut French fries and a cup of Ketchup. Lois’ eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw Clark go back for three glasses of chocolate milk.

Cutting off the inevitable questions, Clark said, “First, I love chocolate milk and I need all of the calories I can get during football season. Second, three glasses means I won’t have to interrupt the interview just to get refills.”

Lois smiled and thought, I would kill to be able to eat as much as I want of whatever I want just to maintain my weight. I’m feeling guilty just because I chose sweet tea today.

Clark dunked his first French fry in the Ketchup and began to eat as Lois consulted her notes and began to question him.

“How exactly did you learn about the fire?” Lois asked. “According to Daily Planet records, you don’t live in that apartment complex.”

Clark had hoped to keep his personal life out of the interview, but that possibility was suddenly unlikely. “I was visiting an acquaintance of mine who lives in the apartment you found me in this morning. Someone came running by, pounding on doors and yelling that there was a fire.”

“And then…”

“I ran outside. When I saw the fire, I decided to do whatever I could to help.”

“According to witnesses, you were shirtless. One guy even said he thought you weren’t wearing shoes. Why? The name of the person who is renting the apartment you were in this morning is…” Lois checked her notes again. “…Lana Lang. Is that who had the rest of your clothes?”

Clark was becoming uncomfortable and wriggled in his chair. He finally looked Lois straight in the eye and asked, “Does it matter to your story where my clothes were? Remember, I had no more clothes on when I left that apartment this morning than I did when I ran into the fire, so you have no idea where my clothes might have been or even if I wore anything besides jeans when I visited her. Just leave Lana out of this.”

Lois decided that pursuing this line of questioning might cost her Clark’s cooperation, which was more important to this article than any possible acknowledgment that he was screwing his girlfriend. So, she chewed on the end of her pen and said, “Okay, I’ll leave that one alone for now. Next question, what made you risk your life for someone you don’t even know?”

“I don’t see it as having risked my life,” Clark said. If she only knew how honest I’m being right now. “I’m big, fast, and strong. If anyone was going to get something accomplished, it was going to be me. When I got to the apartment door, I weighed the potential danger,” not very high for me, “and decided to go inside.”

Stunned by the idea that he selflessly put himself in harm’s way, Lois leaned forward and asked, “You really didn’t think of yourself, did you?”

Clark shrugged his shoulders and said, “I didn’t have much time to think about anything. Football has taught me to read a situation and react quickly, that’s all I was doing…read and react.”

Lois went on to ask a few questions to get his impressions on what it was like inside the burning apartment. As she put her notepad inside her handbag, Clark asked, “Why is this story such a big deal? I’d think it was nothing more than a nice human interest story that should get buried in the City Section of the paper.”

“Normally, you’d be right,” Lois said, “but when Perry heard that the hero was Clark Kent, the big-time football star who was just nominated for the Heisman Trophy, he decided that the story was going to be bumped to the front page…of the entire paper. Thanks to you and this story, I’ll be getting my first front page byline.”

Genuinely happy to see someone moving up in the world, Clark said, “Congratulations, I know how hard you must have worked for that.”

“Thanks, Mr. Kent. I have worked hard, but hard work is nothing without getting the right opportunity.”

“Please, call me Clark. The only Mr. Kent I know is my dad.”

“Fair enough, Clark,” Lois said as she extended her hand, “please, call me Lois.”

Clark had forgotten all about the flirtation he had seen in Lois’ smile, but Lois had not.

Now that the interview was over, she made her move. “I can’t tell you how much I admire the selfless way you reacted last night. You have everything going for you, and yet, you put it all on the line to save someone else.” She reached across the table and lightly traced the knuckles on the back of his hand with a fingertip. “You have no idea how attractive I find that to be.”

Clark pulled his hand free and said, in a clear, steady voice, “I’m sure I told you I have a girlfriend. This isn’t just a casual dating relationship for us, we’re in love.”

“Aren’t all college couples,” Lois replied smugly. Thinking of Clark’s status as a top college football player, Lois said, with all the easy confidence of a woman that knows she’s beautiful, “Well, Clark, whenever you feel like taking your game to the next level, you know, moving up from college to the pros, give me a call. Just dial the Planet and ask for Lois Lane.”

While Lois’ was confident of her attractiveness, Clark was confident in his relationship with Lana, and he was mad that Lois so casually tossed aside his stated feelings for Lana, so he said, “My girlfriend and I are the real thing, Lois.” Then, deciding to end this before Lois tried to take it any further, he became harsher than usual and said, snidely, “Lois? When it comes to love, are you absolutely sure you want to refer to yourself as a pro?”

Leaving it for Lois to decide exactly what a professional lover was called, Clark stood, picked up his empty tray and left an annoyed, but still intrigued, Lois Lane behind.

[Nemu]

1st

That was good!!!

and that ending about Lois... soo funny...

I hope she understood and will leave them alone... or else we might be heading for another catfight...

PPMS Card!! :D

[Lost_In_Clana]

Great update!! I hope Lois doesn't try to pursue Clark any further. Lois doesn't know true love like Clark and Lana do.

[treker]

well...Clark kent super hero....meets Lois Land the slut....imagine that....

Nice update Card...thanks....

[closetfan]

ooooo i wonder how the new intense media scrutiny clark is under will affect him and lana.....

very nice

cant wait!

[happycamper]

Very funny! Poor Clark, having to meet all the press - and not just Lois - shirtless and w/o shoes...:lol:

Can he stand so much scrutiny?

I love that Lois is a "pro" when it comes to relationships. That should keep her away for a while (at least 5-10 minutes).

And how is our poor Lana going to react to all this, and the news that he was so unclothed while visiting? :(

Very nice!


:D :D


PS - referencing you comment about "happy," and in case you didn't read my response, you are welcome to do as I say, and not as I do... :p

[treker]

Leaving it for Lois to decide exactly what a professional lover was called, Clark stood, picked up his empty tray and left an annoyed, but still intrigued, Lois Lane behind.
****end quote*****

Why is it I have the feeling that the article lois is writing is not going to be a pretty picture???

[Iowanmom]

“Didn’t you see him when he came in? He was wearing nothing except for his jeans. No shoes, no socks, no shirt…that girl must be a tiger.”
:lol: :lol: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Okay, forgive me, but I scanned this before I ran out the door (I'll read it later, Cardinal) but this had me rolling on the floor laughing!!!! This quote was a freaking HOOT!!!! I loved it!!!
*off to work*
I'm so in trouble...... I'M LATE!!!!

[DeVinde]

“Lois? When it comes to love, are you absolutely sure you want to refer to yourself as a pro?”

Professional=Paid
Paid For Love?

Whoa there, Lois!
:rotfl:

[that girl]

Lois needs to leave Clark alone. And if she doesn't, I hope Chloe will step in and make things perfectly clear for her.

Great update, Card! Clark got nominated for the Heisman! Yay! You gotta love it when something good happens.

I hope Clark's afternoon goes better than his morning....
PPMS!

[superman_lives_on]

Whoa... Lois Lane is a bit grabby here, it seems...and I was starting to like her. Good grief, Card, do you have something against her? :rolleyes: :)

But great to hear about Clark's being nominated for the Heisman Trophy--and Pete was as humorous as ever. :)

Update again soon!

[tygershot]

That was a great update! PPMS!

[NYC300Z]

Originally posted by treker

Why is it I have the feeling that the article lois is writing is not going to be a pretty picture???

lol yeah I think you might be right, but then Perry might not like that, but who knows we'll see where this goes!

PPMS!

[deanyouk]

cool update

[maitriniazngurl]

Whoa!! Clark was harsh!! But I can't blame him... Lois thinks she to ruin Clana she's going to get a lot of harshness!!

Loved the update!! And I can't wait for more!! PPMS!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Great update ! Lois had alot of nerve . I hope she backs off. PPMS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Venezuelan Lana]

great update cardinal!!!! I'm really looking forward to the next update... I really love this fic, is my favorite one! :lol:

I hope u can update soon... PPMS!!!!

[SVsleuth]

I finally got here, Cardinal. Loved your chapter as always. Lois adds a new angle to this story. Glad Clark made sure she knew where he stands. PPMS!

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

great update i hope is really in love with lana bcuz lois is gonna try something weird just as lois does

[maru11]

great update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

udate plz

[maru11]

update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clana1fan4ever]

please update soon!!!!

[maru11]

hope u can update soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Update Soon Please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dr. Jeckyll]

I read your update yesterday, but hadn't the time to reply.

It was really cool to see exactly how popular Clark is (with all the media & stuff). It's really hard for me to understand how big college-football is in the states, because it's nothing like that in Norway. So it was interesting to get a little insight.
And he's being nominated for the Heisman - that's awesome. I'm a real sports-geek so it's great to have a fic which combines football and clana! Definitively a deadly combination.

Is there another catfight a head? I’ll guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

PPMS!

[that girl]

Originally posted by Dr. Jeckyll


It was really cool to see exactly how popular Clark is (with all the media & stuff). It's really hard for me to understand how big college-football is in the states, because it's nothing like that in Norway. So it was interesting to get a little insight.


I live in the states and it's hard for even me to understand. I definetly don't follow football, not even the NFL so I'm sure about a quater of this story goes right over my head. You are definetly not alone, Dr. J!

PPMS, Card!

[Cardinal]

Sorry, Folks. I don't mean to write a story that some people find inaccessible. :\

On the bright side, the football season is drawing to a close for Clark. ;)

[mcgairman]

Hey Card: I like the football references. The NFL and sometimes college football is MY GAME. I don't watch or keep up with any other sports.

That aside, this story is SO GOOD. Keep it up! You make few spelling or grammar mistakes, if any. Further, if ytou do, it's always understandable. I aslsdo like the different font used. PPMS!!

[that girl]

Believe me, I don't mind the inaccesibilty. It really doesn't bother me because I can usually figure out what's going on in context. And it's not even close to the bulk of the story. So you definetly shouldn't feel bad about it.

[maru11]

update please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dr. Jeckyll]

Originally posted by Cardinal
Sorry, Folks. I don't mean to write a story that some people find inaccessible. :\

On the bright side, the football season is drawing to a close for Clark. ;) First off; it’s good to know I’m not alone, that girl :)

I hope you didn't got me wrong because I love the football-scenes. Even though soccer is MY game I really enjoy reading about Clark's college football. I've seen Superbowl and played Madden NFL on my pc so I know the rules ;) I totally understand how the game works. It’s more like I’m having trouble understanding how big and popular college-football actually are over there. So it's fun to get a little insight on these matters :)

Your writing is always very descriptive so it's easy to visualize the game. That’s great writing! PPMS!

[SVsleuth]

College football here is so much more fun to watch than the NFL because they are often high scoring, offensive games, which is exciting to watch. You're more likely to see punts returned for touchdowns, or a running back take the ball in a simple handoff & somehow end up racing to the endzone. In the NFL, that kind of thing happens more rarely, because the defenses are so much better. And the tailgating that Card wrote about is one of the best parts of college for many students here. I'm glad some of you are getting a bit of an initiation into the U.S. sports scene.

All of that said, I guess I should add, PPMS, Card. ;)

[emsfan]

wow i can't wait for the next post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Post more soon please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

[Cardinal]

I have the next update halfway completed. It should be posted late tonight. :)

[treker]

cool! :D

[maitriniazngurl]

Great!! Can't wait!!

[maru11]

awesome!!!!!!!!!!!
i will be waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clana1fan4ever]

Great i will be waiting :)

[NYC300Z]

Where?;)

[kewl]

hey card! excellent updates! can't wait for more! so ppms!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Can't wait for the next update !!!!!!!!!!!

[Cardinal]

The update is done, I just need someone to come back online and check something for me.

[that girl]

I'm online. Can I help?

[Cardinal]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm waiting for someone in particular. My semi-official beta reader.

[that girl]

okay.

[Dr. Jeckyll]

I'm hanging in there (04.00 AM here) :D Any chance you'll be updating within half an hour?

Edit: I'm gonna cut my losses and go to bed. I'll read it first thing in the morning. See ya! :)

[clark&lanafan06]

Update Soon Plz !!!!!!!!!!!!

[SVsleuth]

I'm here, card. Where are you?

[NYC300Z]

What's the word?